Leonidas POV: It has already been 12 and a half years since my soul was forced into the body of an infantile human boy. I’d made many strides since then but still my power was nothing compared to when I was a primordial. Since I came back from the other world five and a half years ago I have been training non stop. I am much stronger now, as much as I hate this levelling system I have to admit it’s nice being able to see the fruits of my labour. It certainly makes it easy to motivate myself when I can see the results. During this time I haven’t just been strengthing my self, I’ve increased my army’s size, my soldiers individual strength and our technology. We no longer have the element of surprise with our weaponry I knew it would happen eventually but the spies of other nobles and countries managed to steal blueprints for some outdated weaponry far sooner then I expected. After they broke into my castle I started training an elite group of spies I named “shadow stalkers”. I trained them personally and while I couldn’t use all the abilities I could when I was a primordial I had still been classified as a primordial grade warrior-assassin in my past incarnation and the amount of people I have assassinated through out the millennia was by no means small. I taught them ways to sneak up on targets in broad daylight, how to move through the shadows unseen and unheard, how to collect intel, how to spot fake intel and traps and lastly ways to kill targets several levels above them before they even know what’s happening. They were all extremely dangerous and fanatically loyal, if I ordered someone to be killed they would kill them even if it cost them their lives. I only have 120 of them, 30 protect me at all times, 50 were deployed throughout the city and fortress’s as counter assassins/intelligence while the last 40 were spread across the continent in almost every country. Since I came to this planet I had based my soldiers armor and weaponry off of the only human empire I had ever vassalised. They’re leader had impressed me with his skills in void magic, melee combat, research and leadership. While I admit his ways were very heavy handed to the point half his children betrayed him the empire of mortals was the only human empire that had ever impressed me enough that I descended in my true body and asked them to join me in a crusade against the Elderazi. While they originally called me “alien scum” and launched a planet killer shell at the planet I was on it only took me thrashing all of their loyal princes, healing their emperor and destroying a so called black crusade before they knelt before me and swore allegiance. I figured that since this incarnation was a human I would pay homage to them and use their technology and armor designs. But that tech could only take us so far. Two years ago I started making a separate division of the military, they were equipped with swords, bows, shields and spears. They didn’t use guns. I designed their load outs so they would be a speed and strength group. The same as My people who were never able to use guns because they simply couldn’t keep up with us. Sometimes we would use magic to create guns to make distractions but we fight at such high speeds the bullets would only slam against the guns barrel and shoot off course. I based these soldiers off of our way of fighting. They fight at high speeds with a focus on strength and speed. When they can’t bounce around the battlefield at Mach three they fight in formations. The most common group formations are the phalanx, tortoise, shield wall and the island formation. I trained them in all of these and while they weren’t ready for actual combat just yet they were improving quickly. After I finished mentally reviewing my army my thoughts changed to my family, mom and dad had been quite busy these past couple years. I have 7 siblings now including Cassandra, unfortunately me and dad have grown apart since he found out I’m a true demon lord. I didn’t think my father was a religious person especially since I had attacked a priest when I was little and burned his hair off. When that happened father had actually looked proud so I thought maybe he hated the church, which was why I’d confessed my identity to him. Unfortunately I was wrong, father hated the church as he thinks they’re liars who use the gods names to do what ever they want. He believes in the gods wholeheartedly and if I wasn’t so paranoid That I forced him to swear an oath of complete secrecy he probably would have sold me out by now. Mother on the other hand doesn’t even believe the gods exist, she was a wealthy merchants daughter and the merchant creed in this world is, “money and power are absolute.” Father never told her despite saying he would so I had told her three weeks ago. When I told her what Cassandra’s fate was likely to be she immediately sided with me and after swearing an oath of secrecy and a oath of soul binding I made her a demon general. Me and father also struck a deal shortly after I told him the truth where neither of us could force my younger siblings to side with us. With our house divided and everyone except the youngest members of the house plus Cassandra unaware the next stage of my life was about to begin. Me and Cassandra would be heading to the floating city of Arcturus on which the magic academy of Arcturus was located. Normally genius’s like me and my sister would have already been in the school but my sister wanted to wait so she could be with other students our age, normally I would have still gone just so I could improve my magic but had I tried to go father threatened to tell the king I was a champion and then I would’ve been forced to swear an oath of loyalty to the kingdom, Which would have been very annoying. But because he had annoyed me so much I had the eldest son of one my fathers rashest and dumbest advisers assassinated and then pinned the blame on one of the other ducal families. The resulting Cold War nearly ripped the country in half but unfortunately the king stepped in and ordered the other duke to give up some territory to repay my father. That was the last time my father talked to me directly and the last time he tried to threaten me. My favourite part is he can’t even disinherit me because there is no evidence and I’m the strongest out of all his children. Also In this world the strong are always right and since I’m a major supplier of raw material and I have a powerful army he can’t touch me.

Now that father can’t stop me I was preparing to go to the royal capital. I had originally planned on flying to the academy but my sister wanted to go incognito and not make a obvious arrival. She wouldn’t even let me use my new limousine I had ordered from the dwarven artisans specifically for this trip. Now we have to make a three month carriage ride all the way to the capital so that we can use a teleportation gate all because my sister wants to see how the weak live. Plus I’m gonna have to be the one to rescue her when she inevitably picks a fight with some nobles who are bullying some random commoners. I already know what’s gonna happen down to the clothes she’s going to be wearing. Just picturing it now makes me laugh, She’s gonna tell them to stop while wearing commoner clothes because she wants to “blend in”, one of them is gonna try and “entertain” her for the night because she is my sister and she’s incredibly beautiful, I’m gonna get pissed and kill them all and then they’re families will get mad and I’ll have to have them all assassinated or blackmail them into shutting up. As anyone can tell this isn’t the first time she’s attempted this. Letting out a Sigh I turned to Alpha and told him, “Buckle up, It’s gonna be a long couple months.”

Four months. Four god damn months. That’s how long it took us to reach the capital because Cassandra wanted to help every single peasant along the way. After Emerging from the teleportation portal I immediately ordered the driver to pull to the side and stop the Chaos damned death box. As soon as I got out I took deep breaths of the fresh air. There were no windows in the carriage for safety purposes so it was sweltering. Once I was back in the carriage I told Alpha to wake me up once we arrived at the school. I’d had to stay alert throughout the entire trip both because we only had 30 visible guards so bandits might try to attack and also because I didn’t trust Casi not to try and sneak off. As such I was extremely tired and as soon as I closed my eyes I was asleep.

Sometime later I was woken up by some mild killing intent. While i say mild it was extremely potent to anyone who didn’t have the same experiences I did. It had no affect on me due to the amount of terrifying beasts I’ve fought in both of my lives but to my sister who didn’t actually have any real battle experience it must be absolutely horrifying. Opening one of my eyes I released my slaughter intent and ordered the carriage to stop. Slaughter intent is the next level up from killing intent, only someone who’s either a insane mass murderer or a veteran of millions of battles can use it. As a primordial I was a little bit of both of those and I had even created a form of magic unique to me using my slaughter intent. Wrapping my aura around my sister to protect her from the other aura I opened the door and as light flooded in I stepped outside. Without me even noticing one of my eyes had started to glow red with anger. Even if I didn’t actually care for these mortals this body still had emotional attachments to them. It was one of only two reasons I hadn’t ordered my father or sister killed despite the threat I knew they would pose to me in the future. That and my father was insanely strong to the point I’d need to send most of my army to deal with him. Apparently all the dukes were incredibly powerful both in personal power and in terms of their territories power. So I would need to build up a lot more before the hero was summoned. But based off the power of the killing intent it seemed like this person could help. According to the world core I had seven to eight years before the gods would be able to gather enough mana to summon a hero for real this time. I was still slowly walking forward as I was lost in thought and I was near an alley were I could sense the intent radiating from. While I headed towards it I thought about what the world core had told me, according to the core she had cast a barrier over this continent and messed with the laws to try and slowly create an army capable of fighting back against the gods but her plan had failed pretty badly. While The gods themselves and their servants couldn’t get past the barrier and the barrier didn’t allow anyone above level 10 to enter or leave the gods had found a loophole and despite all the legendary sea creatures patrolling the edges of the barrier to prevent this exact thing from happening they’d managed to sneak some of their followers in as low level children. Once these followers landed on our continent message crystals from the gods activated and the children who had been brought over were brainwashed to spread the belief in the gods. This had happened over 5,000 years ago and I’d heard the entire story from one of the cores avatars. Slowly they grew their influence until this continent practically abandoned the world core that had worked so hard to protect them. Now I was the cores last hope and it was sparing no expense to help me. Blocking divinations and prophecies from reaching the church. Despite this the church’s followers could still receive some divine oracles from the gods and as such they were able to build the locating formations that allowed the gods to summon hero’s to this continent. Now I needed to grow stronger, gain more allies and wait for the world core to summon regular demon lords to help me in my fight against the gods and their hero’s. until then I need to blend in and act like the noble prodigy I am supposed to be.

Finally reaching the alley I looked in just in time to see a commoner beat a bunch of noble brats into the ground without even trying all that hard or using Ki to enhance his body. While I could do the same thing and in a single blow the fact that a commoner was able to take on five noble children is impressive. Noble women take all kinds of mana and strength enhancing drugs as well as have priests use certain kinds of spells to enhance their children before they’re even born. The average age for even a lower class nobles child to awaken is 4 while the children of dukes and kings are normally born able to use magic as soon as they leave the womb. In contrast commoners awaken at the age of 9 or 10 at the earliest. Nobles also have higher base stats and level up quicker compared to commoners. It is the reason why rebellions are uncommon simply because commoners don’t have the power to to fight nobles. And yet here right in front of me is a commoner who looks to be my age or a bit younger and is using mana as well as any professional mage. As soon as he defeated them all the commoner turned around and ran to two dwarven children and a human adult. One of the dwarven kids looked seriously beat up and I could see a puddle of blood below him. As I was about to step out from the shadows one of the noble brats shouted something about being an heir to some house or another and tried to incinerate the commoner with a spell. I was again about to jump out and stop it but before I could my sisters voice echoed down the alley and a wall of ice appeared in front of the commoner protecting him from the flames. Looking back I saw my sister striding angrily towards them as she started berating the noble, luckily this time she had remembered to change into clothes more befitting of a noble so I wouldn’t have to kill anyone for trying to attack her. Stepping out from the shadows I summoned the clothes I wore for balls and royal gatherings, as soon as my headpiece finished forming and the crest of house Arbor appeared on the jewel the noble children fell prostrate with their foreheads touching the ground. Turning to look at them I said, “Use of mana or ki is forbidden on this island by the draconian empire, you have also attempted to kill a student of the academy. Despite being a noble those are all serious crimes worthy of death. What excuses do you have for your behaviour?”

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None of them dared look up at me but their silence is annoying, “speak now or die a dogs death!”

That seemed to wake them up and the one who had tried to launch a spell at the commoner leapt to his feet. His posture was ram rod straight and when he spoke his words were succinct and without embellishments. Unfortunately for him I had no intention of allowing him to try and pass the blame onto the commoner, the commoner had beaten them all without issue. As was my belief and the belief of the world, the strong survive and the weak Perish they had lost he was stronger that is all that matters to me. Had the commoner been defeated I would have executed him and the others for attacking a noble, Wether the commoner had a right to or not didn’t matter to me. I needed raw power and I would do anything to get it. Clenching my fists I think about how Back in the alliance, possibly billions of light years away. The end of a generation approach’s my people and without comes the end of times. A final bloody war between us primordials and our followers and the Elderazi who threaten the six constant laws that lord Chaos and Lady order set when they created the everything. I am the chosen of my people, destined to lead our armies in a final crusade against our hated foe. I am the firstborn of the final generation and yet while I should be with my family and my house preparing for a war so grand that it will encompass every single dimension my families empire currently possess’s and even dimensions held by an empire far stronger than us. I am stuck in a semi mortal body and I can’t even kill a minor god much less a Elderazi. All because my bitch of a sister killed me without even a single reason. Back in the physical world I wasn’t fully in control of my body, my emotions had started running amok again. Even after spending these past few years as a mortal I haven’t been able to readjust to having my emotions back and I lose control of them fairly easily. When I get angry the world emulates me and phenomena start happening, such as now when My anger is causing the air itself to vibrate and loose stone on the ground start levitating. Looking at the noble in front of me, who was trying to tell me they had been attacked by the commoner and his friends for no reason I, already being enraged from thoughts of my sisters betrayal grew incensed! Lying to me bold faced and trying to escape the consequence of his actions through scapegoating the nearest person was the most dishonourable action he could possibly have taken. Honor was something beaten into me from the time I was born as a true god until my sister killed me. This world may not have had any concept of a secundo nata astra’s* honour but I did and I refused to bend in that respect. Before I could obliterate this trash from existence I heard I voice from my left. Murderous intent oozed from every word as he spoke, “How foolish.”

Now my anger turned to whatever weakling had dared to insult me as foolish. In an attempt to placate me before someone died one of my guards grabbed the commoner’s arm as he roared, “you dare call the heir to the arbor house a fool?!”

The commoner grabbed my guards wrist and yanked it off his clothes as he said,” Apologies your highness my speech tends to become crass when I hear bullshit. These ... honourable nobles were beating the dwarven students when we came by and when my friend tried to stop them they hit him.”

Glaring at me he seemed ready to attack me if need be. I do not like his lip but I need his power. He is already stronger then most other children our age, wether they are of noble blood or not now I just need to remind him that he’s only stronger then most. Infusing my voice with mana I direct my words to everyone around us except my sister, my words resonate down the alley and onto the bustling Main Street. “Kneel mortal” immediately everyone in the Alley falls to one knee and while the commoner tried to fight it he only lasts for a couple of seconds before he too kneels. Looking him dead in his eyes I let him take in my left eye that has started to turn into a smouldering red. As soon as he stops trying to fight back I stop supplying mana to my words of power and everyone is able to stand up. I spin around on my heel and start heading back to the carriage as my clothes restructure themselves back to looking like a member of lower nobility. After making my point to the commoner I lost all interest in punishing the noble brats, right before I step in the carriage I pause with one foot on the railing, turning my head just slightly to the left I look back at the commoner, “Are you coming or not?”

He seemed startled and stuttering the entire time he started to respond negatively but I wasn’t giving him an option and with a single glare and a pulse of my aura he rushed over and sat across from me and Cassandra in the carriage. Wordlessly I handed him a contract that stated that in exchange for my protection and assistance of him and his family while he stayed at the school they would all become my vassals and follow me until the end of time. He started to read it but another pulse of my aura forced him to sign it and I could feel several new souls become binded to mine. I dislike having to use such heavy handed methods but I need every scrap of power I can get in the next 7-8 years. Hopefully in that time I can earn the trust and respect I would prefer to have with this kid and have him become a true vassal. Closing my eyes again I drifted off into a comfortable slumber.

When I woke up I was being carried by one of my maids and I had my 15 guards surrounding us, as soon as she knew I was awake the maid set me down and continued walking towards our destination. While I had slept we had arrived at the school and been assigned a room. As I was asleep one of my servants listened to the rules and gave me a report on what they actually thought about it. The School rules stated a upper noble child like my self are allowed 15 guards and 32 servants. Student dorms are also dived into two houses, an upper and lower house. The upper house is for nobles and each room is practically a mansion with each student either having their own “room” or sharing it with one other person almost always of the same gender. Meanwhile the lower house is where the commoners are crammed together in rooms of up to 16 people. These rooms are tiny and can barely fit 8 bunk beds. The school also doesn’t care about keeping the same level of quote unquote decency with the commoners so the bunks are mixed gender. If that were to happen between nobles rumours would abound about illicit relationships without their houses permission so the school has to be extra careful. Of course I really don’t care about the Arbor families reputation cause by the time I’m done with this world it’s practically gonna be disbanded or destroyed. As such me and Elizabeth moved some files around and fudged some documents so that we would “accidentally” be given the same room and rumours wouldn’t be as annoying. Even if some other high ranking nobles or royals from other kingdoms tried to do anything me and Elizabeth could easily handle them especially if we work together. As soon as we entered the room/miniature mansion two royal guards tried to stop me but my shadows dealt with them easily enough. Elizabeth already gave me a report on the guards her father had forced her to bring along, all the servants were hers as well as most of the guards the only two that her father had attached were the two royal guards I just killed. I already had the two guards life stories on file somewhere and my shadows would be impersonating them so nothing came across as suspicious. Walking through the remaining maids and guards bowed to me before I came to the main bedroom. I could here noise inside but I still walked through. Inside Elizabeth was in the middle of changing with only a pair of underwear on. As soon as I walked in she whirled around, conjured a knife out of ice mana and threw it at me. I caught it in between my fingers and threw it to the side. As soon as Elizabeth realise it was me she knelt to the ground placing her right hand over he heart she said, “Welcome my prince I apologise for my inability to harm you, I vow to get strong enough to tear your arm off in a single throw next time.” At that moment her top fell off and despite having no interest in a body that is both far to young for anyone in their right mind to covet and can be changed so easily by magic my mortal eyes were sucked towards her chest. Blood flowed to my cheeks making them go bright red. I let out a annoyed sigh and gesturing for her to stand up I tapped twice on my forehead. Slowly what at first appeared to be skin started travelling up my body towards my forehead where it slowly formed a jewel suspended by a small gold chain. Now as naked as the day I was born on this planet I headed towards the closet where the servants had already moved my clothes. Elizabeth is finishing up changing and despite my best effort these mortal emotions keep besting me! Hearing a snicker from Elizabeth I turn around to see her completely naked as well and her eyes are focused on my lower half, looking down I can feel an annoying amount of blood flowing to my face and somewhere else. Chortling with laughter Elizabeth manages to gasp out a couple scattered words between her guaffing, “Are you. Hahah. Enjoying. Haha. Your mortal body master? Haha”

Turning away from her and covering myself I hiss back, “it’s these damn hormones and emotions! How the hell to mortals deal with these constantly! This... mortal reproductive organ between my legs keeps trying to do more thinking then my damn brain!!”

As a younger member of the species secundo Nata Astra I had never been taught about how mortals reproduced and even in our species we created a new life by melding fragments of our souls together. Only the most hedonistic members of our race gave their physical bodies reproductive organs and when younger children are taught how to create their bodies they are forbidden from putting any kind of reproductive organ on. Not because we fear they’ll do something stupid but they could become addicted to pleasure and focus more on that then on their combat abilities. It is a common agreement among primordials that mortals would be light years ahead in technology and magic if they just removed reproductive organs and the hormones that come with it. And because of this neither I or Elizabeth have ever had to deal with the amount of god beast shit that comes with having both. Bodies mean nothing to us as primordials but our mortal minds became flustered and stopped working right. I would need to train my mind more so it stopped reacting to these mortal stimulants at all. I also really hate emotions so I need to look into binding those as well. As I was lost in thought the day started coming to a end and the sky lit up in a glorious sunset. Still tired despite all the naps I had taken I was asleep before night had even fully set in.

*it means second born of the stars and is Leonidas’s species name from when he was a primordial.