When a God of Destruction Was Reincarnated in Tensura:

The Demon Lords had endured torment, annihilation, and rebirth. They had reclaimed their existence, defied insanity, and proved their right to ascend.

But as the final threshold to godhood appeared before them, the Grand Order stood in silent judgment.

Vaelis, the Keeper of Ascension, gazed at them with an expression devoid of warmth.

"You have survived the Infernal Judgment, but godhood is not about survival alone. To stand among the divine, one must be willing to sever the chains of mortality."

The twelve members of the Grand Order spoke in eerie unison, their voices reverberating through the abyss of creation:

"A god is a judge, a creator, a destroyer. A god is not bound by emotions, attachments, or mortality."

Their words shook the fabric of reality itself.

The Demon Lords instinctively tensed.

Had they not already given everything? Their pain, their souls, their sense of self?

Vaelis raised his hand, and a great power surged forward.

"This is the final trial—the price of divinity."

"To ascend, you must abandon everything tying you to the mortal world."

Then—everything shattered.

This was no illusion.

No deception.

This was real.

Their choices here would be final.

Each of them was torn from the realm of ascension and thrown into a space where they faced the ultimate cost of godhood.

Each of them stood at the precipice of their very existence—where they had to make the final choice.

Rimuru – The Sacrifice of Humanity

Rimuru stood in Tempest.

It was exactly as he remembered it.

His people laughed, thrived, lived.

Then—they saw him.

Their eyes filled with terror.

They backed away.

"Y-You're not our Lord…" Shion whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Rimuru-sama… you feel so distant," Shuna muttered.

Souei, Benimaru, Hakuro—all of them stood before him.

The world around him flickered.

His very presence had become too great.

A god could not belong among mortals.

A god could never be one of them.

The voice whispered in his mind:

"To become a god, you must abandon your humanity, your ties to the world. You will never walk among them as one of them again."

Would he accept?

Would he sever the last piece of himself that bound him to this life?

Guy Crimson stood at the edge of a void.

The world was still, empty, silent.

Ahead of him stood Mico, Raza, Mecha, Gord.

But something was wrong.

They were cold, lifeless.

"Lord Guy… is this truly your path?" Mico whispered, her voice almost robotic.

Raza did not move.

"Did you ever really care?" Gord asked, his tone devoid of warmth.

Then he realized—his emotions were being stripped away.

His love for battle. His joy in chaos. His pride as a ruler.

All vanishing.

"A god cannot act on whims or desires. A god must be neutral, a being of absolute reason."

Could he abandon the passions, his pride, his ego that made him who he was?

Could he truly become an existence that no longer felt?

Milim stood before Rimuru.

He smiled at her.

"I'm proud of you, Milim."

Then—he faded.

One by one, the people she cherished disappeared.

Rimuru. Ramiris. Gaia. Even the fleeting memory of her father.

She was alone.

Utterly.

Completely.

"A god must not love, for love binds the soul to weakness. Love is what shackles the heart to mortality."

Could she let go of the only thing keeping her from becoming a monster?

Could she exist without love?

Luminous stood in the ruins of Ruberios.

The Holy Church, the people she guided, her loyal Gunther—all gone.

The voice echoed in her mind:

"A god does not serve. A god does not lead. A god simply is."

Could she live without purpose?

Could she exist as a being who no longer had a reason to act?

Leon stood before Claude.

His knight smiled softly.

But then—Claude raised his blade.

"I must kill you, my Lord."

Leon did not move.

He knew the trial.

He understood.

"To ascend, you must abandon the need for redemption. You are beyond mortal guilt."

Could he abandon his regrets?

Could he accept that atonement no longer mattered?

Draguel stood before Glassord and Fenn.

His brothers.

They were shackled in golden chains, their eyes hollow.

"Your bond to us… is over," Fenn muttered.

"You must forget us," Glassord said.

The chains snapped.

And they disappeared.

"A god is alone. You will have no equals, no companions. You will be absolute and untouchable."

Could he let go of the only family he had?

Celesterra was erased.

Her home. Her kingdom. Her people.

Her very existence.

The voice whispered:

"A god has no past, no ties, no mortal identity. To ascend, you must no longer be Ramiris."

Could she accept becoming something else entirely?

Could she let go of who she was?

The Demon Lords stood at their precipice.

This was not just sacrifice.

This was self-erasure.

To ascend, they had to accept a truth:

They would never be Demon Lords again.

They would never be what they once were.

One by one—

They chose.

Rimuru severed his ties to humanity.

Guy abandoned his emotions.

Milim let go of love.

Luminous relinquished purpose.

Leon rejected redemption.

Draguel shattered his bonds.

Ramiris erased herself.

And then—

They ceased to be.

And in the next moment—

They ascended.

The twelve celestial beings watched as the new gods emerged.

Their voices echoed across the void.

"You have sacrificed. You have risen."

"You are no longer Demon Lords."

"You are now Divine Sovereigns—keepers of creation, judges of existence, destroyers of what must be undone."

"You are gods."

And as the Cardinal World trembled beneath their presence—

The Age of Demon Lords ended.

And the Era of Divine Kings began.