Lynn stared at the level section on his personal panel and let out a sigh. "Finally… Satan-Css."

  He clenched his fist, feeling the explosive power coursing through his body.

  Back when he was still an Ultimate-Css Devil, his aura control had been cking.

  But now, he could manipute it at will.

  His control over demonic energy had become far more precise.

  Lynn had the sense that, with just a flick of his fingers, he could level an entire street.

  As for the true limits of his current strength, those would require further testing.

  Then he looked over at his skills.

  Evil Piece had remained unchanged. Lynn guessed it was likely reted to the number and quality of special devils in his Peerage.

  The only skill that had undergone a change was Devil's Summoning.

  Lynn tapped on the [Devil's Summoning] skill and carefully examined it.

  [Devil's Summoning]

  Invasion Progress – Highschool of the Dead: 86.29%, Bck Bullet: 56.73%

  Invasion Modes: Contract Descent, Forced Invasion

  Lynn raised an eyebrow.

  The worlds currently under his Peerage's control were all dispyed in this skill.

  Moreover…

  86.29% and 56.73%?

  What did those numbers mean?

  World exploration rate? Or world control rate?

  Lynn couldn't tell just yet.

  However.

  He only needed to push them to 100%.

  Whether it was Highschool of the Dead or Bck Bullet…

  They were already his Peerage's back garden.

  No matter what those values represented, reaching full completion was only a matter of time.

  Lynn looked further down.

  Contract Descent.

  This seemed to be the method he had previously used to descend into the Highschool of the Dead and Bck Bullet worlds, by establishing contracts with others.

  But now…

  "Forced Invasion, huh…"

  Lynn chuckled, a dark glint in his eyes. "Now this… is how a devil should invade."

  Forced Invasion was far more direct.

  He was already looking forward to his next world.

  Devil's Summoning—find me a new world!

  After wrapping up his gains, Lynn was approached by Kisara.

  "Lord Lynn, the Legacy of the Seven Stars you requested."

  Kisara carried a stack of boxes and pced them before Lynn.

  While conquering the world, Lynn naturally hadn't forgotten about the Zodiac Gastrea.

  After all, they were deeply tied to his skill development.

  But it wasn't realistic to search the entire world for the Zodiac themselves.

  That's where the Legacy of the Seven Stars became critical.

  Lynn gnced over them—twelve in total.

  Even though he had already obtained Scorpio, he still had Kisara bring that one over as well.

  "Master~"

  Stel's phantom suddenly materialized and leaned onto Lynn's shoulder, her voice sweet and gaze locked eagerly onto the Legacy of the Seven Stars.

  Lynn raised an eyebrow. "These are useful to you?"

  "Yes, yes!!"

  Stel nodded furiously, her eyes filled with anticipation.

  Lynn paused for a moment, then picked up the Scorpio Legacy.

  To be honest, he was also curious about what was inside.

  Click.

  He opened the box.

  Inside was a metal container adorned with intricate carvings.

  Lynn narrowed his eyes.

  The item itself didn't appear unusual…

  But—

  It radiated Stel's aura.

  Lynn asked with surprise, "Is there a trace of your soul inside?"

  His ability made him especially sensitive to such things.

  "Yes, yes!!"

  Stel kept nodding, eager to grab it—though she held back, awaiting his permission.

  With her confirmation, Lynn immediately understood why the Zodiac Gastrea had been so desperate to retrieve the Legacy of the Seven Stars.

  Without them, they were incomplete.

  After thinking for a moment, Lynn handed the Scorpio Legacy over to her.

  "Yay! Master is the best!!"

  Clutching her legacy, Stel rubbed affectionately against Lynn before grabbing the metal container carved with the scorpion emblem.

  Lynn observed for a bit. Seeing no immediate change, he asked, "If I recall… there aren't twelve Zodiac Gastrea anymore, right?"

  Stel paused, and her expression turned sorrowful.

  She said softly, "Yes… Taurus and Virgo were killed by humans…"

  Lynn understood.

  He had never asked about Scorpio's past.

  Since she never brought it up either, it was likely not a pleasant story.

  Naturally, Lynn had no interest in digging up old wounds.

  However.

  He still needed the full set of Zodiac Gastrea…

  As if sensing his thoughts, Stel quickly spoke.

  "Don't worry, Master. As long as the Legacy of the Seven Stars are intact, there's no problem!"

  "Hm? What do you mean?"

  Lynn looked surprised.

  "It's all thanks to your space."

  After her expnation, Lynn finally understood.

  Each Legacies contained a trace of the Zodiac Gastrea's soul.

  As long as the container was pced into the space of the Evil Piece system and aligned with their consteltion, they could be reborn.

  "I see…"

  Lynn finally rexed.

  "In that case, there's no time to waste."

  Zodiac Gastrea Recovery Pn—begin!

  Originally, Lynn had pnned to hand the Legacies to Saeko and the others to help them level up.

  But since all the Zodiac Gastrea were Cursed Children and contributed to his skills…

  There was no need for them to be tormented again.

  Especially considering how much Scorpio had whined when he forcefully stuffed her in.

  She'd compined for days, nearly making his ears fall off.

  This time, with Stel helping to mediate, the process should go smoothly.

  Lynn didn't hesitate and opened all the Legacy of the Seven Stars at once.

  In the next moment, the entire world trembled.

  Eight massive Stage V Gastrea began converging on Tokyo.

  Fortunately, Lynn had already asked Kisara to notify the rest of the Peerage in advance.

  Saeko and the others were prepared.

  Still—

  "It's quite a spectacle…" Saeko said calmly as she observed the scene.

  Elsewhere.

  Lynn frowned. "Hm? One is missing?"

  "Ah…"

  Stel giggled. "Cancer's a little… special."

  Half a day ter.

  Lynn finally came face-to-face with the Zodiac Gastrea after their mutual convergence.

  He stood in the center of their gathering without the slightest trace of tension, casually observing their appearances.

  That was the kind of confidence his power allowed.

  Even if all of them attacked at once, only the Zodiac Gastrea would die.

  The Gastrea, on the other hand, didn't dare act rashly upon seeing him.

  A heavy silence filled the air.

  To be honest, even the Zodiac Gastrea had never gathered like this before.

  None of them knew how to proceed.

  Besides…

  This "human" in front of them, was he even human?

  Just as both sides stood silently, Stel's phantom waved at them.

  "Hello, everyone!"

  At the sight of Stel, the Zodiac Gastrea grew restless.

  "Yaaaaaa…"

  It was Stel!

  Clearly, they knew her.

  With Stel's expnation, the Zodiac Gastrea finally understood the situation.

  Their gazes toward Lynn shifted, burning with excitement.

  They were all eager to try.

  To discard their monstrous forms and return to something resembling humanity.

  Even if not quite human, it was still infinitely better.

  And…

  Human civilization in this world was already doomed. Their need for revenge was gone.

  With nothing left to lose, the idea of starting over was more than tempting.

  "I see…"

  Suddenly, a cool voice rang out.

  Stel turned her head, unsurprised. "You came, Luna."

  Lynn also looked over.

  A small figure, no taller than Stel, stepped out of the shadows.

  She had light-blue jellyfish-like hair that faded to pearl white at the tips, a glowing moon-shaped hairpin, and wore a fluffy, cy dress with a crab embroidered on it.

  A shell-shaped backpack rested on her shoulder.

  This was Cancer.

  Lynn had sensed someone hidden beneath the cover of the other Gastrea earlier.

  But he hadn't exposed her.

  Now, taking a closer look, he understood why Stel had said she was "special."

  She was completely in human form.

  Reverting from Gastrea back to a human-like body?

  This Cancer might've been the strongest among the Zodiac Gastrea.

  More than that.

  She may have been hiding among humans all this time.

  "How about it, Luna? Want to join us?" Stel offered warmly.

  Luna was quiet for a moment.

  Now that she understood everything, she also knew Lynn had been the one to destroy humanity.

  And honestly.

  That was amazing!

  He not only completed their revenge, but even…

  Resurrected Taurus and Virgo…

  She felt an unexpected warmth in her heart.

  Besides—

  Luna gnced at Stel again.

  That sweet smile…

  Luna silently made her decision.

  They would never betray someone Stel trusted.

  As beings who had suffered the same fate, their trust in each other was absolute.

  So, Luna's lips curled into a smile. "Why not?"

  "This big brother who wiped out humanity… he's totally my type~"

  With Luna's agreement, the rest of the Zodiac Gastrea responded as well.

  With Stel's assistance, their massive bodies dissolved into dust, leaving behind only spiritual remnants.

  Each one was absorbed into Lynn's Evil Piece system.

  "I'm Evelyn. Nice to meet you~"

  "Tess…"

  One by one, the Zodiac Gastrea announced their names.

  When Luna of Cancer entered as the st…

  Ten consteltions were now stored within the Evil Piece space.

  Lynn stroked his chin, feeling like the process had gone far too smoothly.

  They were a little too easy to deceive…

  They trusted him that easily?

  Still—

  Lynn had no pns to betray that trust.

  Back at the Peerage's residence.

  Lynn returned the Legacy of the Seven Stars to each of them.

  The moment he did, cheers erupted throughout the Evil Piece space.

  Seeing their joy, Lynn couldn't help but smile as well.

  Then, he tossed the Legacies of Taurus and Virgo into the starry sky.

  The two missing Zodiac were restored to their pces.

  Inside the Evil Piece space, the Zodiac Gastrea now floated in their respective positions, arranged neatly like stars.

  However

  Lynn frowned slightly. "Taurus and Virgo are… a bit dim."

  "There's nothing that can be done."

  Stel's voice was tinged with sadness.

  Lynn gently patted her head in comfort.

  Then he looked at the panel.

  —Apoptosis Genome—

  The skill was finally complete.

  (To be continued.)