Antares stared at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts. It was late at night, and soon the sun would rise.
The burning desire to break free from this invisible prison gnawed at his mind.
"If only I could get rid of this... kill everyone and start leveling up using their bodies. Create an army, dominate this world... and then go after that damn goddess..."
His fist clenched, grinding slightly. The title of Pawn was an insult that burned in his soul. He, a Monarch who had once devastated entire worlds, now reduced to a mere pawn on a chessboard ruled by forces beyond his control.
But could he win?
If it was just Yuuto... maybe. But Koneko, Akeno, and especially Rias... it wouldn't be that simple.
He pondered, recalling the previous night.
He could have attacked Rias. He wanted to attack Rias. But something stopped him.
The System.
[This action will result in the user's permanent death, with no option for reincarnation.]
That message froze him in place.
It was a warning, not a bluff.
The System was protecting Rias Gremory.
The same System that had protected the nun before.
The same System that had protected him.
And that single revelation brought with it an uncomfortable truth.
He was not free.
Antares gritted his teeth.
"Do I truly have the free will that goddess promised me?"
Since arriving in this world, had his choices really mattered? Or had he been guided, forced to follow a predetermined path?
What if he simply told Rias the truth? That he was no ordinary human, but rather the Dragon Emperor of Destruction, a being that had annihilated countless lives during an endless war between the Monarchs and the Rulers?
Would the System stop him from speaking?
His mind swirled with strategies.
"If this System operates on a divine level... then I would have to regain all my power to fight it."
He couldn't simply break these chains.
He needed strength.
A lot of strength.
"The Boosted Gear... if I push its power to the absolute limit, maybe I can reach a level where killing a god isn't impossible."
Moreover... contracts could be a viable way to increase his power.
Leveling up was also an option.
But then, an even darker thought crossed his mind. Antares leaned back on the bed, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"What if I started hunting those angels?"
The thought lingered in his mind like a tempting echo. It would be risky, but the potential for growth was immense.
He needed to grow. Fast.
"If I can obtain a noble demon title, I could free myself from the influence of the Gremory family..."
Sighing, he shifted his gaze to the window. The horizon was already beginning to be painted in golden hues of dawn.
And then, as if to cruelly remind him of his situation, that irritating notification popped up again.
[You have received the Daily Quest: Get Stronger]
[Push-ups: 0/100]
[Sit-ups: 0/100]
[Squats: 0/100]
[Running: 0/10km]
Antares read the quest with a bored expression.
"This again..."
For a moment, the idea of completely ignoring it crossed his mind. But then, another possibility arose.
"What exactly do I gain from completing this crap?"
If the rewards were decent, it might be worth doing this exhausting training. Otherwise, he could simply ignore it and accept the penalty, facing the monsters the System would throw at him.
And if he thought about it carefully, fighting those creatures was also a way to grow stronger. Maybe even faster. A subtle smile appeared on his lips.
"Let's do this."
Antares let out a long sigh, feeling the frustration growing inside him. His current body was pathetic. Weak. Limited. But if he wanted to break free from the chains binding him to this chessboard, he had no choice.
He slowly got out of bed, each movement filled with disgust. Just standing up made his muscles protest. He hadn't felt pain in millennia. Pain was for the weak. But now, he was inside a weak body.
The first task of the mission was simple. Push-ups. One hundred.
"One hundred push-ups? Tsk... what a joke."
Placing his hands on the floor, he began.
One. His body trembled.
Two. His arms protested.
Three. Sweat was already forming on his forehead.
"This is ridiculous."
He tried to force himself to continue, but after the twentieth repetition, his arms completely failed, and he collapsed onto the floor with force. The impact made his breath hitch.
For a moment, he just lay there, feeling the weakness of his mortal body.
If he still had his true form, a hundred push-ups would be insignificant. A laughable number. But now… he was weak.
Weak.
The word spun in his mind like a curse.
With a grunt, he forced himself back into position. He was not going to accept this humiliation.
Four. Five. Six…
Minutes passed, and each repetition became a challenge. His muscles felt like they were on fire, his arms trembled as if they would shatter at any moment.
By the seventieth, he nearly blacked out.
His rage grew with every failure. What kind of cruel joke was this? He, the Monarch of Destruction, being defeated by a pathetic set of push-ups?
When he finally completed the hundred, his entire body was shaking, and every breath burned like embers in his lungs.
But this was only the beginning.
…Then came the sit-ups.
The first repetition made him see stars. The tenth almost made him vomit. By the fortieth, he wished he were dead.
Every time he lifted himself, he felt his muscles protesting, begging for rest. But he wouldn't stop.
He refused to stop.
Fifty. Sixty. Seventy.
His body felt like it was about to collapse. His vision darkened. He had no idea how much time had passed.
But in the end… One hundred.
He collapsed onto the floor, panting like a wounded animal.
This was hell.
But he still wasn't done.
Squats.
His muscles were already wrecked. His legs trembled just from holding him up.
And now, he had to bend his knees a hundred times?
"This is torture."
But he started.
And with each repetition, the pain only grew worse.
His muscles burned as if they were being torn apart from the inside. His knees threatened to give out at any moment.
For a brief moment, he thought his body would simply give up.
But then, something inside him refused to accept that.
"I am Antares. I am the Monarch of Destruction. And this pathetic body… will not stop me."
With sheer willpower, he pushed forward.
Fifty. Sixty. Seventy.
With each repetition, the pain became more unbearable.
But he finished.
And when he completed the hundredth, he collapsed onto the floor once again, completely exhausted.
Now, only the run remained. Ten kilometers.
He laughed. A broken laugh. A laugh of despair.
"Damned pervert who never cared about exercising!!!" he cursed as he forced himself up... It was time to run...
[Later, at dawn...]
The sky had begun to take on bluish hues, and the sun was starting to rise when Antares finally crossed the gates of Kuoh Academy.
Every muscle in his body screamed in agony. He could barely feel his legs. His lungs felt like they were on fire. But he did it.
Ten kilometers.
Maybe there was something satisfying about it. Real progress. Even though his body was on the verge of collapsing, he knew he had gotten a little stronger.
Staggering, he climbed the stairs of the main building and dragged himself through the hallways toward the Occult Research Club room. Every step was torture.
"Just... a little more..."
When he pushed the door open and stepped inside, he was met with the familiar scent of tea and incense.
And right in the middle of the room was Akeno.
The Vice President of the Occult Research Club sat on the couch, a serene smile on her lips as she held a cup of tea.
Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she took in Antares' utterly ruined state.
But he didn't care.
He simply fell forward.
His body couldn't take it anymore, and he collapsed straight onto her chest.
Akeno's eyes widened for a brief moment, but soon, her smile grew wider.
"Let me rest for a bit..." he murmured, burying his face in her chest.
To his surprise, she didn't push him away.
Quite the opposite.
She let out a playful chuckle.
"Oh my..."
Her fingers slid gently through his hair, stroking it teasingly.
"If you wanted such a comfortable pillow, you just had to ask, you know?"
He had no strength to reply. He simply let himself sink deeper into her touch, his consciousness wavering between absolute exhaustion and the strange sensation of comfort.
Akeno's laughter echoed like distant thunder in his weary mind.
"Fufu... if you fall asleep there, I won't be responsible for what happens..."
*
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