Chapter 433: First Meeting
Sapphire only saw the sheer power of Haruto's attack, but Liala recognized the effortless control behind that strength.
The ravaging power of destruction continuously eroded the Child of Chaos's vitality, though completely eliminating it would still take some time.
At the god-tier level, the physical body was no longer the foundation of existence.
Even the old fossils in the Cardinal's Court could survive decapitation temporarily.
Haruto had targeted the space between the brows specifically to strike at the Child of Chaos's soul.
A dying god's counterattack was terrifying—if left unchecked, few in the Demon King's Castle would survive even this brief moment.
As Liala had judged, despite their disparity in size and Haruto's lack of defensive specialization, the gap in raw power was undeniable.
The terrifying magical beams, capable of easily shattering the earth, were all casually dispersed by Haruto.
The Child of Chaos's death throes appeared fearsome but ultimately caused little actual destruction.
While neutralizing the counterattack, Haruto delivered another punch to expedite its demise.
With the White Dragon Emperor and members of the Old Satan Faction still unhandled, there was no time to waste—the intended effect had already been achieved.
Watching the once war-god-like Child of Chaos being manipulated like a toy in Haruto's hands left Rias and the others dazed.
They knew Haruto would be powerful after reaching god-tier, but this seemed excessive...
Compared to Rias and the others, Sapphire and Liala, being god-tier themselves, felt the disparity more acutely.
"Has this youngster really only trained for two years? Even as the Red Dragon Emperor's successor, this is absurd," Sapphire marveled, watching the projection of Haruto's handsome figure pointing at the Child of Chaos's forehead, dispersing its last trace of soul.
Liala, with her waist-length platinum hair, curvaceous figure, and provocatively alluring attire, couldn't help but let her beautiful eyes sparkle.
Her unique physique, rare since ancient times, allowed her to reach god-tier without bottlenecks and remain formidable among her peers.
Although possessing a special constitution, Liala had never slackened in her cultivation over the years.
By strict reckoning, she had trained for nearly twenty years to reach the peak of lower deity strength.
She had always been the object of Sapphire's envy, but gazing at Haruto who seemed like a true god descended with the aura of origin, she still felt inadequate.
"It seems Sheila and this young one were looking for us recently. Perhaps it's necessary to meet them," Liala murmured thoughtfully with a faint smile.
Beside her, Sapphire—dressed in sexy armor like a battlefield valkyrie—rolled her eyes disdainfully but didn't refute.
Originally, after completing their revenge against the Cardinal Court and stabilizing the Demon King's Castle, the two had planned to continue hiding until they were strong enough to confront the Ten Chief Gods.
While curious about why Haruto and Sheila were seeking them, they hadn't intended to meet.
But witnessing Haruto's power, especially considering his terrifying growth rate, they now felt a meeting was necessary.
Because of Mio's existence, both sides were naturally inclined to be close.
Moreover, both women possessed divine-level strength—even if Haruto harbored ill intentions, they could escape if unable to defeat him.
For many years, numerous forces across the Three Realms had failed to locate them, thanks not only to their power but also their caution.
Within moments of their conversation, the Child of Chaos let out a roar of defiance as its massive body finally collapsed backward.
Without earth-shattering noise, during its fall, it rapidly disintegrated from the crown of its head into pure mana particles, dissipating throughout heaven and earth.
At that moment, Haruto sensed an inexplicable infusion of pure power into his body. His mana, previously at the peak of middle deity level, instantly broke through to officially become an upper deity.
Simultaneously, he immediately understood what had occurred.
The Child of Chaos was an Outer God. Eliminating it within the Three Realms equated to helping the world expel an external threat, and the World Will naturally bestowed rewards.
Somewhat similar to merit, though fundamentally different.
The Will of this world was pure, like a machine—this reward carried no drawbacks and only applied to Outer Gods invading this world.
For native inhabitants of this world, regardless of their actions, no punishment or reward mechanism would be triggered.
It was precisely due to this pure nature that unique existences like Haruto with awakened past wisdom wouldn't be targeted.
Instead, by eliminating an invading Outer God, he seemed to have gained formal recognition.
The benefits of slaying the Child of Chaos didn't end there—it also allowed Haruto to perceive a separate dimension gathering powerful beings.
Its name: the Infinite Battlefield.
Here existed all resources needed for a deity's growth. Defeating or killing external enemies would earn World's rewards, enabling rapid strength improvement.
An ordinary divine-level expert might rush there eagerly upon learning of this place.
But Haruto was no ordinary case. While he knew little about the Infinite Battlefield's secrets, one phrase summarized it all:
Greater opportunities came with greater risks.
Combined with fragmented memories from his past life, unless he couldn't improve even slightly within the Three Realms, he absolutely wouldn't consider entering the Infinite Battlefield.
Well, perhaps after completing the third life metamorphosis and reaching Evil God level—equivalent to Sage level—he might consider it.
To make a long story short, these realizations actually took only a few breaths.
With the death of the Child of Chaos, the Heroic Spirits that resembled flesh mechas lost their ability to move.
Before the remnants of the Privy Council and the old devils could recover from the shock of the White Dragon Emperor's defeat, their greatest reliance—the Child of Chaos—was completely annihilated.
While they were still in a daze, the army of Heroic Spirits completely lost their combat power, collapsing in droves.
The sound of thuds echoed incessantly, snapping the allies who were immersed in Haruto's overwhelming strength back to reality, and they began to mercilessly attack the defeated foes.
The remnants of the Privy Council and the old devils involved in this incident offered almost no resistance. Not to mention their leaders were either dead or defeated.
Even if Vali and the surviving upper echelons of the Privy Council had the intention to command, it would have been utterly meaningless.
Because Haruto's power had completely ended this war.
Vali, who had been maintaining his Balance Breaker and wearing the White Dragon Armor, didn't even glance at the old devils crying for help.
After giving Haruto, who completely ignored him, a deep look, he decisively teleported away.
Haruto didn't stop him, hoping that this fated opponent would actively deliver the girls he needed the next time they met.
That way, it wouldn't be in vain for him to deliberately display his strength to provoke Vali and intentionally let him escape...
With Vali gone, there was no one left who could threaten Rias and the others. Haruto also promptly teleported away.
As for how to negotiate with Leohart and how much benefit to secure, he left it to Rias and the others to resolve themselves.
Haruto had no interest in these matters, nor did he understand the intricacies involved.
Compared to the post-war distribution of benefits, he was more curious about the identities of the two fleeting auras he had sensed earlier.
His intuition told him they were likely two women, both very powerful, and probably at god-level strength.
Moreover, there was a high probability they were Sapphire and Liala.
After all, there were only a handful of god-level powerhouses, and even fewer who fit these characteristics.
But until he saw them in person, Haruto couldn't be entirely certain.
The search process went more smoothly than expected. After Haruto revealed his strength, Sapphire and Liala had already intended to meet him and didn't conceal their auras.
Coupled with the end of the war, it was certain that the old undying members of the Privy Council needed to be eradicated root and stem.
Under these combined circumstances, in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, Haruto found himself in a corpse-strewn chamber, face to face with two stunningly beautiful women with voluptuous figures and exquisite faces.
A look of astonishment flashed in Haruto's eyes, followed by intense delight and a sense of familiarity.
Liala and Sapphire gazed at Haruto, their expressions showing appreciation but mostly confusion.
"Lord Red Dragon Emperor, have we met before?" Liala was the one who spoke.
Her long, silvery-blonde hair cascaded smoothly down her back, and her alluring figure was accentuated by two strips of white cloth, exuding an irresistible charm as she gazed at Haruto with keen interest.
Haruto, in turn, studied her provocative attire without reservation, silently resolving that such a sight must never be seen by other men.
"Not at all. It's just that I've long admired the two of you," Haruto admitted candidly. "The situation is quite complicated. Since you've agreed to meet, could we perhaps talk somewhere else?"
To win over—to put it bluntly, to secure these two goddesses—Haruto needed more time. Even if everything could be clarified here, he would deliberately stall. Besides, this place was hardly suitable for conversation, and the other key figure had yet to arrive.
Sapphire and Liala hesitated. They had hidden for years, avoiding all contact for their own reasons. Had it not been for Haruto's recognized strength and potential, they would not have appeared this time.
Haruto noticed their reluctance. Though he didn't understand the cause, it didn't stop him from pressing further.
"Sapphire..." Pausing briefly, Haruto ignored the already tangled hierarchy and shamelessly added, "Sister Sapphire, Sheila wants to see you too, as well as Mio and Basara."
Sapphire, who had remained silent since Haruto's arrival, finally broke her composure. While Sheila and Mio Naruse were manageable, the sudden mention of Toujou Basara's name struck a sensitive chord deep within her.
She held only resentment for that ancient dragon and Toujou Jin, but her feelings toward Toujou Basara, who carried her bloodline, were far more complex. Despite being a virgin, she had inexplicably borne a child—and with two enemies, no less...
The valkyrie, with her striking crimson hair and a face bearing some resemblance to Mio Naruse, spoke sullenly, "Let's go. To the human world."
Liala glanced at her sister in surprise, quietly committing the names Haruto had mentioned to memory. She knew Sapphire harbored secrets, but over the years, she had never been able to uncover them, only that they were related to the Ten Chief Gods and the Conclave—the same parties Sapphire considered her enemies. By chance, Sapphire had saved her, and the two had supported each other ever since.
Now that the Conclave was gone, the last trace of Sapphire's attachment to the Demon King's Castle had faded. Originally, they were to remain hidden, slowly plotting against the Ten Chief Gods. They hadn't anticipated Haruto's unexpected appearance, nor that this surprise would unveil even deeper complexities.