Back when Kael read the manga, he already disliked this blond punk. After entering the crossover anime world and realizing Hayato truly existed, his dislike turned into killing intent. At noon today, when he encountered Hayato at the maid café, Kael genuinely wanted to kill him. But Marin and Saki were there. And it was broad daylight—if he killed Hayato then, the police would be alerted easily.
Although Kael had already stepped onto the path of cultivation, wielding strength of a thousand pounds with a casual wave, such power meant nothing to the police or the state. So Kael suppressed his killing intent and only taught Hayato a lesson. But that didn't mean he no longer wanted to kill him. In fact, his killing intent never diminished. While punishing Hayato, Kael left a trace of energy in his body. With that trace, as long as Hayato wasn't too far, Kael could easily find him.
That afternoon, while Kael, Marin, and Saki were at Tokyo Tower, Hayato remained within Kael's grasp. He sensed that after they left, Hayato was taken away and then stayed in one place without moving. Now, following the trace, Kael found where Hayato was. To his surprise, it was a hospital. St. Juliana Hospital.
Seeing the name, Kael felt it was familiar. After thinking carefully, his eyes widened. He remembered—this was the hospital from Night Shift!
When he first saw Saki, Kael realized this crossover world was strange, stitched with adult works. But he hadn't expected to encounter a second one so soon. Truthfully, what happened in this hospital wasn't as tragic as Saki's fate. But it wasn't much better.
Because of Director Jinguji Narumi's plan, many lives were rewritten, their personalities twisted. As for the protagonist, Hirasaka Ryuji, he was a complete villain, born rotten. In a cultivation world, he would be a prime candidate for demonic cultivation. But one world didn't need two demonic cultivators. So Ryuji was doomed. As Kael said, not even Jesus could save him.
But before that, Kael planned to kill Hayato. Using the trace he left, Kael quickly confirmed Hayato was in the inpatient ward. He avoided all surveillance and slipped inside. He came to kill—if his image appeared on cameras, the police would suspect him, especially since he had clashed with Hayato earlier that day.
Avoiding surveillance was easy. With his soul strengthened by the Soul-Devouring Demonic Art, Kael's senses were sharp. Anyone looking at him, he could feel it. With that awareness, he naturally avoided all cameras and entered the ward unnoticed.
On the third floor, he found Hayato in a room. Because Kael had hit him too hard earlier, Hayato hadn't woken from his coma even by midnight. That spared Kael the trouble of torment. Not that he was twisted enough to enjoy it.
Confirming Hayato's identity, Kael pressed five fingers to his head, released a burst of energy, and shattered his brain. In the next moment, Hayato was dead.
Then Kael activated the Soul-Devouring Demonic Art, pulling Hayato's soul from his body. If Hayato were alive, Kael, not yet entry-level, couldn't have done it. But now, with soul and body severed, Kael could.
Hayato's soul emerged, still dazed, unable to comprehend what had happened. But in the next instant, Kael devoured it. Not only did the soul's power nourish him, but Kael also saw all of Hayato's memories clearly.
After consuming Hayato's soul, the Soul-Devouring Demonic Art transformed. An invisible force rose from Kael's soul. At that moment, he knew—he was breaking through.
These past days, he had devoured countless fragments at the slaughterhouse, refining his soul to its limit. Now, after consuming a complete human soul, his soul underwent a fundamental metamorphosis.
He broke through. He had entered the grades.
As mentioned before, demonic cultivation was divided into nine grades and eighteen levels, also called the Nine Heavens. Each grade had upper and lower levels. Now, with the power of a complete soul, Kael broke through. He became a First Grade Lower demonic cultivator.
At the same time, his soul transformed, birthing a new power—mana. Before, Kael's practice of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Art made him little more than a beginner. But with mana's birth, stepping into First Grade Lower, Kael became a true demonic cultivator—what righteous cultivators called a demon.
It was like the difference between a martial arts hobbyist and a martial artist. The former was just dabbling. The latter had truly entered the hall.
Mana's appearance meant Kael had mastered a supernatural force. Though he had used minor tricks like charm spells before, they were crude, effective only against ordinary people. Against cultivators, they were useless.
But mana was real supernatural power. It meant Kael could openly cast spells, interfering with reality. With a thought, he could snap someone's neck or rip their soul from their body. Killing invisibly. No longer needing to kill first to extract the soul.
Mana's birth filled Kael with joy. No longer sneaking around, he walked boldly out of the ward, striding through the hall. Yet the passing nurses and doctors didn't notice him at all. It was as if they couldn't see him.