Outside the temple was a large square.
At the foot of the stairs, two giant guards, holding long spears crossed in front of them, looked grimly at the bare-chested, burly giant before them.
"You're not moving?"
Clutching his long spear tightly, Kratos stared at the two guards before him, a fierce glint gradually appearing in his eyes.
The two giant guards, looking at Kratos, began to sweat cold. They seemed to be under immense pressure.
But they could not retreat.
As Kratos's strength grew and his actions became more brazen, many within the clan had already noticed his ambition.
Behind them stood the temple of the Giant Clan, and within it, their beloved and respected King Fabuti. Therefore, they could not retreat.
Just as the atmosphere at the foot of the stairs reached its peak, as if a battle was about to erupt, a voice filled with authority boomed from within the temple.
"Kratos, what do you intend to do?"
"What do I intend to do?"
Kratos looked up, his gaze fixed on the colossal figure emerging from the darkness behind the temple doors, clad in golden armor and wearing a crown.
He grinned arrogantly and said, "My King, haven't you long ago guessed what I intend to do?"
"Your useless son, Loki, everyone in the kingdom knows he's a good-for-nothing. He's been in the temple for over a month and still hasn't come out. What? Are you here today to collect his corpse?"
"Kratos, show some respect!"
Although the two guards knew that the person before them was likely the strongest in the Giant Kingdom at this time, their will, forged over centuries, still compelled them to turn their spears towards Kratos.
"Respect? Hahahaha! Respect!"
Indifferent to the sharp spears pointed at him, Kratos threw his head back and burst into laughter, his demeanor incredibly arrogant.
*Bang—!*
Before anyone could react, his laughter abruptly ceased, followed by a surge of extreme, violent aura erupting from Kratos.
Standing straight, Kratos gripped his long spear with his right hand and slammed the spear shaft into the stone slab to his right.
The immense impact resounded like a bell chime or a drumbeat, instantly echoing throughout the Cloud City.
Kratos had come prepared and did not want to waste time with unnecessary words.
After all, his hundreds of years of prestige could not be compared to the old man's.
Although most of the younger generation in the clan supported him, the true powerhouses were all gathered around the old man.
To avoid any unexpected complications, it was best to finish this quickly.
"Scram!"
Looking down, Kratos gripped his long spear with his right hand again. His body instantly swelled by a circle.
As his blood circulated faster, gruesome veins, like wriggling red earthworms, slowly appeared on his body.
At this very moment, Kratos's aura seemed to break through some critical point, generating a whirlwind that radiated outwards.
And in the air behind him, crimson lightning bolts, resembling centipedes, materialized out of thin air.
Staring at Kratos, who resembled a demon god, the two guards simultaneously swallowed hard, a flicker of fear revealing itself deep within their eyes.
The fear stemmed from their recognition of Kratos's strength and the natural reaction of beings facing an insurmountable opponent.
Yet, even so, their feet seemed rooted to the spot, their faces resolute as they refused to back down an inch.
"If you won't retreat, then die!"
Kratos's gaze turned cold as he stared at the guards. He raised his long spear, intending to sweep it horizontally towards them.
"Hmm? What's this?"
"Wind and thunder… is it going to rain?"
Just then, a lazy voice, laced with a hint of amusement, sounded from behind Fabuti.
Following the voice came the sound of footsteps. The footsteps did not sound loud, yet they seemed to press upon the hearts of everyone outside the gate, moving in sync with their heartbeats.
*Stomp!*
*Stomp!*
*Stomp!*
As the footsteps ceased, everyone finally saw a silver-haired youth clad in a moon-white robe, accompanied by two beautiful maidens, standing at Fabuti's feet, looking at the scene outside with amusement.
"Yo! Fabuti, in just half a minute, how did you get younger?"
Kōta greeted Fabuti with a nod.
Fabuti turned his head and nodded at Kōta, a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
He was old, after all. Achieving his peak condition instantly like Kratos was impossible. Therefore, even as his subordinates faced danger, he could only stand there and silently enhance himself.
If it weren't for Kōta's timely arrival disrupting Kratos, he might have had to face Kratos's spear with his own condition not yet at its peak.
But now, that was unnecessary.
Kōta's appearance not only shattered Kratos's aura but also bought him enough time.
At some point, Kratos's gaze had shifted from the two guards before him to Kōta.
Without any discernible aura, he appeared like an ordinary person.
This was Kratos's first impression of the youth. However, knowing the youth's identity, how could he possibly consider him an ordinary person?
If he couldn't sense him, it meant his perception wasn't strong enough, and it also indicated that the youth's power far exceeded his expectations.
Even so, even if he were the strongest in the world, it wouldn't stop him from realizing his ambition today.
After all, humans are still humans; how could they possibly understand the might of a god's domain?
He was not a god, but he was a person who had received a god's blessing. So, what if the maiden was the strongest in the world?
"Perhaps I'll use this world's strongest to declare my arrival to the outside world!"
Staring at the youth, a trace of crazed crimson flashed in Kratos's eyes.
Since a fight was inevitable anyway, how could a soon-to-be-buried Fabuti satisfy him? Only a true battle, a life-and-death struggle, could showcase his power and secure his position as king of the Giants.
As if sensing something, Kōta and Fabuti simultaneously looked at Kratos.
Fabuti's eyes held clear surprise.
Kōta's eyes, however, were filled with a hint of playful mockery.
The undisguised malice from this guy gave Kōta a sense of familiarity he hadn't felt in a long time.
"You…"
Staring at Kratos, Kōta asked uncertainly, "Want to kill me?"
"Yes."
Kratos answered directly, "There is nothing more deterrent than using your head to announce the Giant Clan's return to the seas."
"Come!"
As his voice fell, an even more ferocious and powerful Conqueror's Haki erupted from him.
"Come! Come and entertain me! You can face me and the old man together. Today marks the beginning of my, Kratos's, conquest of the world."
"Fabuti."
Ignoring Kratos's Conqueror's Haki, Kōta turned to Fabuti with a strange expression. "Has this guy been here too long? Has his brain gone bad? This chuunibyou aura is too strong!"
Hearing Kōta's words, Fabuti could only offer an awkward and helpless smile.