Chương 12: The Butler Who Stood Above Gods

Oh shit. That was the only coherent thought left in my mind. How. How the hell did Sebas know? For the love of God— …Wait. God is dead. For the love of Zeus. Or Odin. Or Indra. Or literally any god that might still be alive and listening. This was it. Instant game over. Holy crap. [Warning: Please moderate host language.] Now is NOT the time for this, System. Sebas chuckled softly, his expression amused rather than hostile.

"What's wrong?" he asked lightly." Cat got your tongue, young master?" He took a step forward. I took one back. Every instinct in my body screamed danger. Sebas continued advancing, his steps calm and measured, as if this were a casual stroll rather than an execution waiting to happen. The moment he crossed the threshold of the door behind him, he casually lifted one finger. The door slammed shut. A glowing magic circle spread across it, sealing the room. [Alert: The Host has entered a barrier.] Which?!

My heart sank. Damn it—he planned to kill me and erase all traces. No witnesses. No escape. Acting on pure instinct, I activated [Eye of God] and focused it on Sebas...... [Name: Sebastian] [Lineage:???] [Title:???] [Level:???] HP:??? MP:??? STR:??? VIT:??? INT:??? DEX:??? LUCK:???..... My blood ran cold. Nothing. I couldn't see anything. That only happened when the target was so far above me that the system itself couldn't calculate the difference. … Holy crap. I couldn't die here. Not after reincarnating.

Not after everything I'd gained. I slammed my right hand down, activating the Devil Slayer Magic crest. Purple lightning crackled violently along my arm, crawling like a living thing. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I stared straight at him and began releasing my power.

"Hoho," Sebas said with interest."That's a good look." He kept walking.

"But I suppose I must teach you what fear truly is." The world went dark. Instantly. The light vanished. The air suffocated. The only thing visible— Sebas's eyes. Glowing crimson. Then— Something rose behind him. A colossal presence. A titan of shadows. So large that the room itself felt like a toy in comparison. Its form was indistinct, swallowed by darkness, but its eyes burned red, identical to Sebas's. When it opened its mouth and roared, I felt my soul shake. Its teeth looked capable of crushing mountains.

I had no doubt. If it wanted me dead— I would cease to exist. [Due to repeated exposure, the host has acquired a new skill: Fear Resistance.] Slowly, painfully, the suffocating terror gripping my heart began to fade. My breathing steadied. My knees stopped shaking. Sebas tilted his head slightly.

"Oh?" he said with interest."You weren't intimidated." He smiled faintly.

"Perhaps it has something to do with that… system of yours." … He knows? Well, if he knew about my reincarnation, this shouldn't be surprising. I slammed both hands into the ground. Using Zenith Tempest, I manipulated the earth, forming massive stone stakes that erupted forward like spears aimed directly at Sebas. He didn't dodge. He didn't step back. He punched them. Yes— punched. His fist collided with solid stone, and the stakes shattered into dust as if they were made of glass. My eyes widened.

I gathered moisture from the air, condensing it rapidly. A massive sphere of water formed before freezing into jagged ice. At the same time, I twisted wind and flame together, creating compact tornadoes infused with fire. I hurled everything at him. Sebas calmly stepped forward, planted his feet— And punched the air. The resulting shockwave obliterated the ice, dispersed the tornadoes, and snuffed out the flames completely. This wasn't combat. This was dominance.

I opened the Gate of Babylon, unleashing a barrage of weapons. Sebas moved. He dodged effortlessly, caught the first sword mid-air, and used it to deflect the others with surgical precision. He looked— Like Berserker from Fate/Zero. A monster wrapped in elegance. Then he vanished. My eyes widened just as a hand clamped around my throat. I was lifted effortlessly off the ground.

"You are quite impressive for someone so young," Sebas said calmly, crimson eyes staring into mine. Still calling me young master. Even while choking me.

"You're really strong, Sebas," I forced out, raising my hands toward his head.

"This is a futile attempt to escape," he replied. I smiled. Lightning erupted from my arms. Sebas's eyes widened. He released me instantly, leaping back." Lightning Demon's Lightning Cannon!" A massive beam of condensed demonic lightning erupted from my hands, slamming into Sebas at extreme speed. The pressure was immense. The barrier cracked. Dust and smoke filled the room. My vision blurred. [MP: 0 / 9, 000] …Too much. I collapsed to my knees.

"That was a good hit," Sebas said calmly, stepping out of the smoke. Unscathed. My vision darkened. And I fainted...... Some time later— I woke up. My head hurt like hell. I was back in my room. [All debuffs have been removed.] [MP fully restored.] …That's convenient.

"Was that a dream?" I muttered.

"No," came a familiar voice."That was not a dream, young master." Sebas stood beside the bed. I shot upright instantly.

"Calm down," he said gently.

"Who are you?" I demanded, activating my Devil Slayer crest again. Sebas sighed.

"I am someone who works for the Goddesses," he said.

"What?""How?!"

"More precisely," he continued, "I was created by the Goddesses to take care of you." I froze.

"…Created?"

"Correct," he nodded."Think of me as your teacher." I slowly deactivated my magic.

"…Why?" Sebas shrugged.

"I don't know. To help you. Or simply because they thought it would be amusing." Yeah. That checks out.

"The important thing," he continued, "is that I am here to teach you, guide you, and protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Yes," he nodded."Even before your soul fully awakened, this body was already being modified—your Demigod lineage, your Longinus. Any supernatural being could sense it." His eyes sharpened.

"I eliminated all of them." …So that explains Glenda.

"I understand." Sebas looked at me seriously.

"So, young master—what do you wish to do?"

"…What?"

"What do you want from this world? What do you intend to achieve?" I fell silent. I… didn't know. Avoid disasters. Stop Trihexa. Prevent Hades. But beyond that? Nothing.

"Why ask me this?" I finally said. Sebas's voice hardened.

"Because this is no longer the world you know."

"This is not Issei Hyoudou's story anymore."

"This world changed the moment you reincarnated."

"There was no heir of the King of Heroes."

"No Longinus bearer like you."

"This is a world where monsters wear smiles, where gods slaughter for convenience, where beings destroy others simply because they can." His gaze pierced me.

"So tell me, Gilgamesh."

"What kind of king will you become?" I stared at him in silence. The weight of the world settling on my shoulders.