I created my own system

Chapter 399 - chapter 399: The drums of war continuous

"Recognize me," he whispered. "I am one of the Lionheart blood. Hear me. Obey me."

His voice came as if he was pleading for something, as if he wass praying for a miracle to happen.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

But Eros did not give up. He remained determined, closing his eyes in silent prayer.

Then the seal yielded.

Like doors opening, the embedded spell finally released, revealing a staff at its center.

The Replica of the Sacred Staff.

Eros staggered forward and reached out.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the shaft, mana surged.

A sudden warmth flowed through his veins.

Not violently. Not greedily.

It flowed like water into cracked earth.

Every pain tormenting him evaporated.

Bruises and aching muscles knit together under the welcoming warmth. His vision cleared, his breath steadied as the weight crushing his chest finally lifted.

Eros gasped and dropped to one knee.

The sudden lightness took him by surprise. His body was shock for a sudden before finally adapting.

"…So this is what it feels like," he murmured, "to hold such power."

The staff hummed in his grasp, each trace of mana beating in sync with his heart.

Eros held it close, trying to grasp the power within it.

Another pulse came. For a moment, he wondered whether it was his.

No.

He was wrong.

That rhythm—it was the city's heartbeat.

His expression hardened.

"This power isn't for me."

He straightened his posture and planted the staff against the stone floor.

The mana enveloping it blazed, as if set aflame.

A powerful force poured outward, racing through the underground circuits that formed the city's ancient defenses. Aboveground, shattered runes reignited. Cracks in the barrier sealed themselves with threads of light.

Soldiers looked up in disbelief.

"The barrier—!"

"It's stabilizing!"

Cheers broke out—shaky and exhausted, but alive.

Eros exhaled slowly.

"…Good," he said. "Hold. Just hold."

But even as relief washed over him, unease lingered.

That knight.

That presence.

It wasn't gone.

It remained haunting like ghost from the past.

Elsewhere — Apollo's POV

I watched the feeds in silence.

Armies were falling. Champions of gods were being erased. Authority unraveled like rotten thread.

No cheers. No triumph.

Just results.

I shifted my posture, resting my head on my hand, positioning myself comfortably while the screen in front of me was dyed in blood.

"I never knew there were this many vassals living on this continent," Agnes muttered as she watched champions being repeatedly slain.

"They are indeed plenty, but that doesn't mean they are worthy. From what I see, all of them are useless," I replied in disdain.

With everything I had learned from the emperor, there was no reason to show them mercy.

My eyes closed for a moment. Rage and restraint pulled against each other.

I wanted them to pay.

But at the same time, I questioned whether this level of brutality was right.

Sigh.

"I told Alya I would be more human."

[You are being human, Creator.]

"No, what she meant was—"

[For you to act more with emotion. Less calculating. To use your heart more than your mind. Wasn't that what she wanted? But sometimes, when your actions are driven by emotion, it becomes like a tsunami that swallows reason—destroying everything you deem an enemy. I do not understand why, but you never consider sparing your enemies. Your first instinct is always to eliminate them. The faster, the better. You never seek to understand them, nor discover their motivations—unless it benefits you.]

"…Ugh."

It felt like I had just been struck.

I was genuinely caught off guard.

[What is it, Creator? You look shocked.]

I shook my head, not expecting those words from Jeremiah. This issue had been raised before, but hearing it again—especially from him—made me feel strangely unsettled.

With a sigh, I said, "Jeremiah, enemies are all the same. You don't need to understand them. You just need to eliminate them."

The artificial intelligence fell silent for a moment before displaying an image of someone nodding.

Watching it, I couldn't tell whether Jeremiah was being sincere… or being sarcastic.

"I never knew you could speak like that."

[Perhaps it is due to the surging power from the essence. I have taken a portion of it to upgrade the entire system.]

"Even though I didn't allow it… you did well. Let's just rest until we're truly needed to move."

I could feel Jeremiah's wisp nodding, and that simple gesture reassured me.

Somehow, his presence gave me a space to breathe—something I could no longer deny.

Back on the battlefield, the demonic knight moved across the continent like a verdict given form.

No wasted motion. No hesitation.

Every encounter ended the same way—one-sided annihilation, divine power collapsing and severed from its source.

The killer was ruthless.

Strong.

Efficient.

McKenzie swallowed beside me. "That thing… it isn't slowing down."

"Why would it?" I replied calmly.

Arabella didn't look away from the screen then mumbled. "You've turned it into an extinction-level entity."

I tilted my head slightly. "Yes. That's the point of its existence. By killing all those vassals, we remove the illusion that they are untouchable. Even if the influence of the gods has dwindled, their legends still remain. With this…"

My gaze deepened.

"…their legends end here."

Another marker blinked out.

A champion—gone.

The room fell silent.

"They won't recover from this," McKenzie said softly.

I leaned back in my chair, fingers playing with the console.

"That's the point."

They joined a war they shouldn't have. They had watched countless deaths—now it was their turn to bleed.

"Will this be enough to help?" Keith asked.

So I answered.

"The knight is only targeting the champions—since they are the current threat," I said. "Once they're gone, the armies of the seven territories can handle the rest."

Keith turned to me. "And after?"

I met his gaze.

"After," I said steadily, "There won't be a war left to fight."

I will make sure of it.

Another city feed flickered—panic spreading faster than any army.

A faint smile formed on my lips.

"With the knight," I continued, "I plan to end this conflict. No more delays."

McKenzie felt conflicted perhaps something is bugging him, so he hesitated before speaking. "And the gods? Will they retaliate, now that their vassals are dying?"

His concern was valid.

But I didn't feel like they would act.

My instincts told me otherwise.

Even if every champion died—

The gods would have no choice but to accept it.

I looked at the darkened heavens on the screen.

"They'll have to decide," I said quietly. "Intervene… or accept the bloodbath."

The demonic knight spread its wings across the clouds once more.

And the war began to die—

not with a whimper…

…but with fear.