Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

A deep crimson glow, like congealed blood, burst into view, flooding both Luo Shu and Sharon's vision. After a momentary flash of blindness, it was Luo Shu who regained his sight first.

However, what he saw wasn't what he expected.

Standing right in front of him was a figure dressed in a black suit, towering a full head above him. Luo Shu blinked, his eyes briefly losing focus as he tried to make sense of the scene. As his senses came back, he felt it clearly—his arm was hooked tightly around the neck of the person in front of him. He could even feel their body heat through their clothes.

And then—

[Ding!]

A familiar system chime rang in his ears.

[Interference power level: Hero-class. Affected area: Soul. Beginning negative effect removal... Removal complete.]

Along with the system notification, Luo Shu's vision seemed to split. A new perspective appeared—this time, from within the mist-shrouded corridor. He could now see the pale, slender arm wrapped around his neck, holding him in place.

A smirk curled on his lips—the kind of smirk that belonged to a man whose plan had gone off without a hitch. The smirk of someone like Light Yagami.

"So… it worked after all."

From this second perspective, Luo Shu—now seeing through someone else's eyes—watched "himself" raise that slender arm and gently press it against his chest. The touch was soft. The feel unmistakably feminine.

That's right. Luo Shu was now seeing through Sharon's eyes.

"I win, Pure Sharon."

Luo Shu had already been warned by the system—identifying abyssal artifacts didn't cost him any points. So, the moment he acquired the demonic scroll, he instinctively used "Identify" on it—just like he would've done in a game from his past life. The result?

[Artifact: Exchange Contract (Hero-class).]

[Created by sacrificing a Hero-class parasite; the parchment is made from its skin.]

[Main function: Execute one-time body swap between the user and a designated target.]

[Side effects: 1) Cooldown of 1 year minimum and can only be reactivated after 1 year for reversal. 2) Post-swap, the user will emit a foul stench that triggers instinctive repulsion from similar species.]

[System Note: This ability cannot be used on the host directly. If voluntarily used by host, the swapped target becomes a secondary controllable body.]

[System Note: After becoming a secondary body, the swapped target cannot intentionally harm the host. However, if the mental strength gap is large, some resistance may still occur.]

He didn't know what kind of scheme the warlock had planned with this body-swapping contract and the hypnotic Heart of the Demon, but the man was already dead. Now, Luo Shu held both high-level artifacts in his hands—and with meticulous planning, had completely reversed the tables on Sharon.

The fearsome Seven-Star Demon Hunter, one of the strongest members of the Demon Hunters, was now under his control. Her body, even, no longer her own.

As Luo Shu made his declaration of victory, Sharon seemed to finally regain awareness. Though her movements were sluggish and her body no longer obeyed as before, she managed to speak:

"You... What did you do to me…?"

"Just a little trick," Luo Shu replied coolly—and then gave a light squeeze.

Ah, correction—he gave her body a squeeze.

"Urgh!"

Pain flashing across her face, Sharon's cheeks flushed as she staggered backward, released from her own chokehold. Luo Shu quickly backed away, mindful that this control was limited. Even now, Sharon's mental resistance was stronger than he had anticipated. Just a few forced actions caused a sharp pain between his eyebrows.

Knowing things could turn quickly, Luo Shu didn't hesitate. He raised his gun and pointed it at her.

"Just to be safe—strip, Sharon!"

Her body visibly trembled. Sharon was resisting. But at such close range, and with the contract's mark—an ominous red eye embedded into both their right hands—glowing faintly, her resistance was ultimately futile. Bit by bit, her hand reached for her nun attire.

First came off the deep blue nun's robe. Then the blue-and-white veil symbolizing her purity.

She struggled noticeably at that point, her hands pausing, fingers trembling as she tried to stop herself from removing it.

"Take it off!" Luo Shu barked and fired a warning shot.

Bang!

The bullet struck her arm. But instead of blood, all he felt was a dull impact, like a stone hitting skin. His eyes narrowed.

"So that's it. The veil is the real abyssal artifact."

No wonder she fought so hard to keep it on. Without it, her body would no longer be protected from gunfire—and that's exactly what Luo Shu wanted. He wasn't trying to see her naked for fun. He had a very real and very pressing reason: to ensure his own safety.

Shaking, Sharon finally removed the veil. Her emerald eyes burned with rage as she stared at him.

"To have my symbol of purity taken by a man… What disgrace…"

"I'll remember you, man!!"

With a painful throb behind his eyes, Luo Shu grimaced but watched as she tossed the veil to the floor. With a soft kick, she sent it rolling to his feet.

He crouched, eyeing her now half-exposed form—white undergarments and sheer thigh-high stockings. His gaze swept her right side: a hidden pistol on her thigh, and based on the pressure under her foot, a blade concealed in her shoe.

Damn, what was she—another ruthless swordswoman from Ashina?

"Throw over your gun and the Eye of Mist!"

Even as he gave the order, Luo Shu activated his control to force her compliance. Sharon continued to resist, but another bang silenced her. He shot her leg—right through the calf. Pain exploded in his mind, making him groan, but Sharon merely gritted her teeth and dropped to one knee.

Glaring up at him, she finally complied. She pulled off the Eye of Mist and flung it toward him.

The moment the artifact left her hand, the gray fog blanketing the hallway began to recede—apparently, the item required direct possession to remain active. The silver chain jangled in the air.

For a moment, Luo Shu's eyes followed the artifact's path—and that's when he saw it. A flash in his mind.

A vision—Sharon rolling out of the house, retreating.

"Shit!"

The moment he realized, he raised his gun to fire. But by then, Sharon had already reached for the blade hidden in her shoe.

Slash!

Pain surged through Luo Shu's palm. The blade pierced Sharon's hand—but he didn't let go of the gun. He tried to aim again, but Sharon was already gone, dashing out of the villa, vanishing from his line of sight.

He cursed, wincing from the lingering pain and trying to give chase—only to be interrupted by the sound of gunfire outside.

Bang! Bang!

More shots. Luo Shu gasped, staggered, and dropped to a crouch.

"Damn it!"

"She wasn't supposed to be able to hurt me! How can she self-harm like this?!"

Breathing heavily, Luo Shu swore under his breath and backed away. But despite the escape, he couldn't help but smirk wryly.

"Well… maybe it's better this way. At least I get to keep everything for myself."

Thinking this, he hurriedly picked up the discarded veil and Eye of Mist, then spent 5 system points to instantly transport the artifacts to the Astronomy Club's base. Just as he finished, he heard light footsteps.

"You, okay?" Inoue Takina entered cautiously, gun in hand. Upon seeing him, she sighed in relief.

Luo Shu instinctively took a step back from her gun, then asked:

"Where is she?"

"Shot her twice. She climbed over the wall and ran. She was fast—I couldn't keep up. I just fired until I emptied the clip," Takina replied, pausing with a hint of guilt.

Firing blindly and still managing to shoot her arm, hand, and abdomen… Luo Shu recalled the pain from earlier and twitched at the memory.

After a moment, he exhaled and said, "Tell Kurumi to report everything to the Chief."

"Got it."