Leo Shadowend was a young man with a difficult life.
From childhood, he suffered from an illness that made every day a struggle. A condition without a name, without a cure, that slowly consumed his body from the inside out.
Thanks to being part of a powerful family in the kingdom—not to mention the most powerful in political and economic terms—they could access every kind of treatment imaginable. Treatments that only made his days more… comfortable. Nothing more than that.
Despite everything, Leo made an effort so his family wouldn't feel guilty about his condition.
From a young age, he dedicated himself to studying, and when he was old enough, he begged his father to let him train in magic and swordsmanship.
Something his mother didn't allow at first. But she eventually accepted when she saw the determination in her son's eyes.
Later, his two sisters were born, and thank the gods, they were born healthy.
He was an example to them and to everyone who knew him. A noble young man who never gave up despite the circumstances.
But in these last few weeks, his illness had worsened to a critical level.
Not even the most powerful mages nor the rarest artifacts could determine the cause.
He spent twenty-four hours a day in bed, cared for by Seraphine, his childhood friend and personal maid.
A peculiar friendship between a noble and a commoner, but one accepted—and even celebrated—by the Shadowend family.
For the new Leo, this boy was worthy of admiration.
He ignored his illness for the sake of his family and tried everything he could to live a normal life.
Too bad his body couldn't hold on.
And he died.
Now he understood Seraphine's reaction when she saw him standing as if nothing had happened. All of this made him feel strangely sad.
At that moment, Leo heard several hurried footsteps approaching in his direction.
Thanks to the transferred memories, he already knew who they were.
He sat up on the bed, preparing himself. Then the door burst open and several people rushed in.
Sloane, his mother. Oswald, his father. And his two sisters: Vivienne and Sylvie, along with Seraphine—or Sera, as Leo called her.
Their reactions varied, but all in the same direction: happiness.
Tears streamed from their eyes in floods.
His father, who always wore a stoic expression, had his jaw clenched while his eyes shone with unshed tears.
His mother covered her mouth with both hands, unable to hold back her sobs.
His sisters ran to him without a second thought.
All of this, combined with the memories of the real Leo, made him feel the same way.
Right now, he felt them as his family, even if they weren't really.
His own tears flowed uncontrollably as he tried to stand up. But his two sisters threw themselves on him, crying against his chest.
"Br-o brother…"
"Leo, little brother…"
They cried out between sobs.
He could only join them, hugging them tightly as if he never wanted them to pull away.
His mother covered her mouth while crying and hugged her husband, who looked at him with genuine pride and happiness.
Sera stood there, watching them while crying silently.
Leo turned his eyes toward her and extended one of his hands, inviting her to come closer.
She, ignoring the fact that she was a servant of the house, threw herself at him without hesitation.
No one in that room cared about that.
She was part of the family.
✦✦✦
After what felt like two hours of crying and hugging, Leo was lying on the bed while a healer examined his mana core.
His family stood to the side, waiting for the answer with nervous expressions.
The healer slowly stepped back from him and went straight to the point.
"There's no trace of corruption. The illness has completely disappeared."
The reactions came immediately.
Everyone was overjoyed to hear those words, and even Leo had to admit he felt the same.
After several minutes of conversation between his parents and the healer about how the illness had vanished and other questions without clear answers, the healer finally declared it a "miracle."
An answer that his family accepted with relief and gratitude.
Right now, Leo was sitting on the bed, watching the sunset through the window.
Then he turned his head toward Sera, who was looking at him with a smile.
He had to admit it. She was beautiful.
Thanks to the memories, he knew the old Leo loved her. But not in a superficial or lustful way—real, deep love.
He could only respond with a smile, but inside, a part of him felt guilty.
He wasn't going to do anything that could hurt her, and even if it pained him, he wasn't the boy she knew.
✦✦✦
Several hours had passed.
He spent them talking with them about everything that had happened in the last few weeks and so on.
It was his mother who finally had to force everyone to leave him alone so he could rest. If it weren't for her, they would have stayed by his side all night.
Now he was on the bed, staring at the ceiling, still shirtless.
Sera had left him water and some light food before she went.
'And now… what the hell am I supposed to do?'
It was a question directed at the system.
[As you already know, you're two months away from turning twenty. When you do, you must go to the Thornwick Magical Academy. There you'll be able to learn more about magic and other fields that will serve you…]
Leo fell into thought.
One thing he hadn't asked himself yet was: why did he need to get strong?
He didn't dislike the idea, of course not. But was there some threat he had to face? Some demon king, perhaps?
[Nothing like that… In this world, there's no such thing as a demon king. You must eliminate God]
Leo went blank when he read that.
'WHAT?'
He thought he'd misread it, but no.
"What do you mean I have to kill a god? You're screwing with me, right?"
[Of course not. Not just one god… two]
Leo got up completely from the bed and started pacing in circles, trying not to make noise and attract anyone.
'Kill two gods.'
That was the only thing running through his mind.
How the hell was he supposed to kill two gods?
The system itself had made it clear that his skill had limits. And he seriously doubted a god was something he could face easily.
[And you're not wrong. That's why you need to go to the Magical Academy. Get strong, find allies, form contracts… It's the only chance you have to do anything]
"And why the hell do I have to kill two gods? Are they evil or what?" he asked, agitated.
He stood still, waiting for the answer.
[I can't give you that information… for now. Get strong, and you'll find out on your own]
"Tsk."
It was messing with him; that explained nothing. And getting that strong would take years… decades, even.
He sat on the edge of the bed, covering his face with his hands.
He wanted all of this to just be a lie.
[Don't worry… You have me. I'll help you however I can. The rest depends on you. And you can't reject the final mission. The penalty is… death]
"W… what?"
He murmured when he saw the screen floating in front of him.
His heart stopped for a second.
[Supremacy System]
[Main Mission: Eliminate the Two Fallen Gods]
[Reward: Unknown]
[Penalty for Rejection: Instant Death]
[Time Limit: None]
[Status: Active]
Leo felt a chill run down his spine.
There was no turning back.
He was trapped in this, whether he liked it or not.
Slowly, he lowered his hands and looked at the screen with determination.
"Fine" he murmured under his breath. "If I don't have any other choice… then I'll get strong enough to kill those damn gods."
[That's the spirit, host]
Leo gave a bitter smile.
"But you'd better give me all the help you can. Because if I'm going to die, it won't be without a fight."
[Count on it]