"Fly, Hermes' Boots!"
Erica activated the magic that allowed her to fly, her body becoming light as she swiftly retreated.
At the same time, Roy fought the Angel Legion while chanting a new Word Spirit:
"Your sins have reached the Lord. Sulfur and heavenly fire shall burn everything to ashes!"
This was the complete form of Roy's second Authority, "Sodom's Sin."
It could only be used once every three days, but it was a city-destroying Authority capable of annihilating the City of Sin in a single strike!
Chapter Twenty-Two: Meeting My 'Mother' Again
Ash and smoke, seemingly erupted from a volcano, shrouded the sky. Crimson flames hovered above the burning ashes, while twisted whirlpools appeared one after another high in the air.
Over the sea, boiling bubbles and the smell of sulfur rose from the island's land, as if this earth had been connected to the legendary Hell. An atmosphere of slaughter, destruction, and oppression filled the entire space.
Dozens of Angels of Light formed from aether continued to harass Roy. Only now did Roy realize the troublesome aspect of this Authority. Although these angels could not defeat him, they could easily hold him back for the time being and drain his stamina and energy. At the same time, they allowed their summoner to escape whenever he pleased.
Just as Metatron was doing now.
"Perish, sinful Sodomah and Gomorrah!!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
Heavenly flames brimming with the sun's power descended from above. Countless fireballs fell like a meteor shower from outer space. The smell of sulfur grew even more intense as surging magma and scorching flames from the earth erupted outward from Hell and the planet's core.
They were heavenly flames capable of burning away all evil, and earthly flames that would drag everything into Hell. When the heavenly and earthly flames merged and interwove in the human world, it would be the day of destruction for all things.
The burning sea and erupting sulfuric flames surged skyward with tremendous force, blasting holes through Ponza Island and shattering it completely. The natural rock formations and beautiful beaches formed by nature, along with the modern city and man-made structures built by humanity, were reduced to debris beneath the wrath of the gods. The solar flames descending from the heavens then crushed that debris again, turning it utterly into ash.
Erica did not dare look back. She could only feel the roar of the heavens, the fury of the earth, and the raging waves of the sea. She could feel the searing light that left no evil anywhere to hide.
The Great Knight of the Bronze Black Cross thought of the story recorded in the Bible. Lot's Wife had looked back because she missed Sodomah and had consequently been turned into a pillar of salt. Erica did not know whether Roy's recreation of the myth of the City of Sin burning to ashes possessed the same Authority, but she did not dare test it. She could only fly in the opposite direction with her eyes shut, afraid that even the slightest glance from the corner of her eye would cause her to suffer divine punishment like Lot's Wife.
The angels surrounding Roy were silently burned into particles of aether as the flames of heaven and earth merged. Metatron, who was fleeing, suffered an even more violent collision between the world-destroying heavenly and earthly flames. Endless meteors crashed into His body, while sulfuric flames from Hell scorched His soul. Amid the thunderous explosions, Roy seemed to hear Metatron's screams, as well as His shouts of something else.
"It's over. Return to mythology, you heretic!"
Roy abruptly clenched his raised left hand into a fist. The final flames of heaven and earth suddenly exploded. With a thunderous rumble, the sea was burned open into a massive hollow, and where the destroyed Ponza Island had vanished, a gigantic whirlpool hundreds of meters in diameter appeared.
The anomaly in the Tyrrhenian Sea triggered a chain reaction in nature. At that moment, a tsunami also crashed against Italy's western coast, a disaster that humanity had absolutely no way of predicting in advance.
"Hiss... What on earth happened at Ponza Island? It actually affected even Italy's western coast."
There were no tourists left along the western coast. Dozens of magicians and knights had been waiting here for a long time. When they saw the waves rushing toward them, they immediately activated the magical ritual they had prepared beforehand and stopped the tsunami from causing too much damage.
Fortunately, this tsunami had not been caused by an earthquake. Once the Authority's effect ended, the tsunami that had struck Italy's western coast gradually lost its power and became nothing more than ordinary waves.
Many magicians and knights watched the scene across the sea with awe and fear. Even from here, they could sense the abnormal surge of magic power and the phenomenon on the horizon that resembled the Day of Judgment.
"Lord Paolo Blanc truly deserves his reputation as Italy's strongest knight. He once fought a Divine Beast and fought alongside a Campione. If Lord Paolo had not anticipated that the battle between the 'King' and the Disobedient God would trigger a natural disaster, this entire coastline would have suffered severe damage."
One of the knights sighed. They were merely ordinary magicians and knights. Although they knew of the King's tyranny and the disasters brought by Disobedient Gods, this was the first time they had witnessed a battle between the two with their own eyes.
No, this could not really be considered witnessing it firsthand. It could only be called watching from across the sea. Yet even so, despite the Tyrrhenian Sea separating them, the battle between the two had still crossed the sea and affected the Italian mainland. The descriptions of Campiones and Disobedient Gods in those ancient texts truly had not been exaggerated at all.
This was the Demon King of the earth and a walking natural disaster. No wonder Campiones could act with impunity upon the land, and no wonder only Campiones could fight Disobedient Gods. A battle of this level was simply beyond the reach of ordinary magicians and knights.
What kind of miracles had those Campiones still in the mortal stage possessed to accomplish the great feat of slaying gods?
At that moment, Roy had no idea what the magicians and knights on the Italian mainland were saying. Even if he had known, he would have had no time to care.
Roy's spirit and will once again condensed into a Mental Body, appearing within Pandora's domain in the Realm of Life and Death.
"We've met again so soon, my adorable son."
Just as when he had left the last time, when Roy's consciousness briefly grew hazy before regaining clarity, he smelled that enchanting fragrance resembling poppy blossoms. At the back of his head, he once again felt a slender yet soft and tender thigh.
A lap pillow again.
The thought flashed through Roy's mind.
Having entered this space for the second time after slaying a god, Roy had nearly lost the concept of fainting altogether. This was unlike his first god-slaying, when it had taken him a long time to recover consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a goddess with an extremely slender and delicate figure. She looked only twelve or thirteen years old, making it difficult to tell whether she should be described as a little girl or a young maiden. Although her appearance was immature, the smile at the corner of her mouth was radiant and mature. Despite looking like a youthful girl, she exuded an alluring charm.
Then Roy's gaze fell upon Pandora's thin yet enchanting red lips. He recalled the intoxicating fragrance in her mouth that he had boldly tasted before leaving last time.
At that moment, Roy had only one thought: would Pandora retaliate angrily and refuse to perform the Dark Rite of god-slaying again? Although Roy was not particularly interested in obtaining a new Authority, his Divine Right was extremely comprehensive. Rather than acquire another Authority, it would be better to find a way to make the one he already possessed even more powerful, removing its limitations or even evolving it.
It was better to pursue excellence than quantity. Quality would always matter more than quantity.
"Oh my, are you hoping for another kiss from 'Mommy'? What a greedy 'son' you are. It's not impossible for you to receive Mommy's reward... But you're truly rather extraordinary, my youngest child."
Pandora parted her red lips and spoke in a teasing, childish yet seductive voice.
Yet curiosity and probing filled the way she looked at Roy. "...To retain memories here after leaving Yomi, one must be an 'Enlightened One' who has attained great enlightenment among humanity. But someone like that could never become a Campione. How did my little Roy manage it?"
Roy's heart tightened. He had not expected Pandora to have discovered it...
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Types of Gods
Roy felt somewhat uneasy inside, but his expression remained calm, as if he had no understanding whatsoever of his own 'abnormality.'
He did not know whether Pandora was testing him.
In truth, even if Pandora became suspicious of him, learned of Aiwass, or stopped performing the Dark Rite of god-slaying for him, Roy no longer cared. He had already obtained the best Authority, the one most suited to him. He had no interest in pursuing new Authorities. What he and Aiwass were researching now was how to raise the upper limit of an Authority's level, not how to increase the number of Authorities.
Still, if possible, Roy hoped the Dark Rite of god-slaying would continue. Each time Pandora performed the rite, Roy and Aiwass could observe it once more, accelerating their analysis.
While Roy was lost in thought, Pandora touched her red lips with her slender finger and said with slight puzzlement, "...Only those among humanity who have attained great enlightenment, the 'Enlightened Ones,' can retain memories here. But people like that absolutely cannot become Campiones. How did my little Roy manage it?"
Pandora seemed to truly regard herself as Roy's mother, affectionately calling him by his nickname. The finger touching her red lips then landed on Roy's forehead and drew circles there. Like someone looking at a mischievous child, she spoke in a voice filled with maternal love: "...Well, that isn't important. It's actually a good thing that you can retain your memories here, little Roy. Now I can tell you some things."
Roy had no resistance to Pandora truly treating him as her 'son.' His parents before his transmigration had died long ago, while he had no memories of his mother after transmigrating. Across both worlds, Roy had lived only a little over thirty years. Compared with Pandora's age, measured in millennia, he would not lose out by calling her his mother.
The only thing Roy could not figure out was whether this goddess who had created the Campiones was truly innocent and carefree, or whether she possessed unfathomably deep schemes. She was a woman Roy could not yet see through.
"What is it you want to tell me, Pando—"
"You must call me 'Mommy'!"
Pandora seemed very interested in this mother-and-son game. She pinched Roy's nose with her slender fingers and spoke with some dissatisfaction. At the same time, she adjusted her position so that Roy could lie more comfortably on her thigh.
"...All right, 'Mommy.'"
In a sense, Pandora was indeed his reborn parent. She had granted him a brand-new and powerful life, so Roy did not mind the form of address.
"Heehee~ What a clever, obedient, well-behaved child you are."
Pandora giggled. Her smile was radiant and seductive, like a poppy that ensnared the heart. As if offering a reward, she lowered her head and lightly kissed Roy's forehead. Then her expression suddenly became serious.
"...Mommy doesn't want such a well-behaved and adorable child to get hurt. I'll tell you some important things about the gods so that you can prepare in advance."
"...Listen carefully. I'm going to tell you about the origins of the gods and their nature."
"In the distant past, humanity was still living in a matriarchal clan society. At that time, women were the primary producers and possessed the ability to give birth. In an era without surplus resources, when humanity struggled for the sake of reproduction, women were the rulers. Therefore, the gods born from humanity's faith were mostly Goddesses of lofty status."
Roy did not speak. He merely listened to Pandora, lying on the thigh of his adoptive mother, whose appearance resembled that of a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl, and hearing her 'tell a story.' He had no reason to reject this contact.
After all, he knew that he was only a Mental Body at present and that time flowed differently from the outside world. There was even less reason for him to hurry.
"As Human Civilization developed and humanity learned to make tools, especially with the development of metal smelting, humans gained weapons of 'steel.' The threat posed by beasts diminished, resources became abundant, and men's physical strength and combat abilities became necessary for survival and development. Thus, the matriarchal clans gradually became patriarchal clans."
"...In the realm of mythology, this meant that the status of Goddesses began to decline while the status of male gods rose. The Goddesses who had once ruled at the summit of mythology became appendages of male gods—wives, daughters, and the like. The most tragic among them directly degenerated into monsters and demons. They became Dragon-Serpents."
"Little Roy must have heard many myths about Dragon-Serpents being slain. Marduk killed Tiamat, Susanoo-no-Mikoto killed the Yamata no Orochi, Perseus killed Medusa, Siegfried killed Fafnir, and Michael even imprisoned Ancient Dragon Satan. All these myths symbolized the rule of male power. The heroes used the 'steel' in their hands to defeat and suppress the once-lofty Goddesses, thereby becoming 'Steel Heroes.'"
"...The gods can roughly be divided into three categories: ancient Earth Mother Goddesses possessing the attributes of 'Dragon-Serpents'; Steel Heroes who overthrew the rule of the Goddesses and possessed the attribute of 'steel'; and the other gods born from the battles between these two sides."
Pandora gently caressed Roy's cheek with the pad of her finger. The sorrow and concern on her face grew increasingly heavy.
"...I created the Dark Rite capable of producing Campiones. To prevent the Demon Kings of the earth from becoming too unrestrained, the gods also used Covenant's Blessing to raise up the 'strongest steel.'"
"...He is 'The Last King,' the enemy of all Dragon-Serpents and Demon Kings. Whenever the number of Campiones becomes irredeemable, 'The Last King' will awaken. He will use ancient Dragon-Serpent Goddesses as sacrifices and obtain the great power to destroy all Demon Kings. Many Campiones have been born over the past several thousand years, but not a single ancient Campione has ever survived to the present. They were all annihilated by 'The Last King.'"
"Seven Campiones have been born in the current era, more than in any era of the past. The awakening of 'The Last King' is unavoidable. Little Roy, even I have no way to deal with the 'strongest steel.' All I can do is wave a flag and cheer for you from behind. You must be careful of Him. Although I know that caution will accomplish nothing, I still have to convey this to you."
Pandora looked like a mother gazing at her child, who was about to suffer hardship, and even her tone had become sorrowful.
At that moment, Roy was recalling the myths surrounding Pandora. Perhaps, at her origin, Pandora had also been an ancient Earth Mother Goddess, a Goddess symbolizing Dragon-Serpents. She hated the Steel Heroes, and perhaps even hated all gods, which was why she had created the Dark Rite of god-slaying.
"Why do you care about me so much?"
Roy asked a puzzled question. Pandora's concern seemed excessive.
"Because you're my child."
Pandora spoke with overflowing maternal love.
"You must have many children. There are seven Campiones in this era, including me. Over the past several thousand years, there must have been more than ten or twenty, right?"
"That's different. A child as clever, adorable, obedient, and free of tantrums as little Roy is a first even for me, his mother~~ Come, be a good boy and close your eyes. You must remember Mommy's words firmly in your heart. If you do, Mommy will reward you too."
Speaking with such tenderness and seduction, Pandora embraced Roy's head and lowered her own.
The ritual that used gods as sacrifices began once more...
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Divine Speed Authority, "Lord of Light"
"'King'!"
Erica flew through the air over the remains of Ponza Island using magic. Her clear voice was filled with anxiety and fear as she shouted.
No, this could no longer be called the remains of Ponza Island. This Italian tourist island had been completely submerged, along with all its natural scenery and traces of human habitation, vanishing from the face of the earth. From this day onward, the island could be erased from the world map entirely.
A massive whirlpool had yet to completely dissipate over the sea. The force within it was enough to grind any living creature into minced flesh in an instant. Erica gritted her teeth, pressed her lips together, and flew downward, intending to search for Roy beneath the sea. But when she approached the surface, a trace of pain flashed across her pale face. Erica groaned, gathered her magic power, and continued trying to descend.
Yet blisters suddenly appeared on the skin of her slender arm, releasing wisps of hot vapor, as if the water in her body were evaporating. Even the delicate skin covering her entire body began to burn with searing pain.
That was the remnant Magic Power left behind by Roy's Authority, making these waters as scorching as a volcanic Hell. Before the Magic Power completely dissipated, no magician could approach—not even a Great Knight like Erica.
After realizing that she would not only fail to find Roy beneath the sea but might even be boiled alive, Erica had no choice but to fly back into the sky and search anxiously with her eyes.
Not all Campiones could fly. 'Flight,' humanity's seemingly simple dream, was actually extremely profound magic in the world of mystery, and ordinary magicians could not learn it. Campiones did not possess flight among their innate abilities either. Only a special Authority could make it possible.
Most Campiones had been ordinary people before slaying gods, making it impossible for them to know such profound magic. After slaying gods, these Demon Kings of the earth hardly ever studied magic. Thus, although Campiones possessed immense power, they were all ignorant fools who knew nothing beyond brute force.
Among the known Campiones, only the Eastern Patriarch had stood at the pinnacle of both martial arts and sorcery before becoming a Campione. Even without slaying a god, she would still have been a legend in the supernatural world.
Erica believed that with Roy's Campione physique and his overwhelming advantage when he had fought the Disobedient Metatron earlier, it was impossible for him to have been killed by his own Authority. It was equally impossible for him to have drowned in this sea.
The 'King' should be in greatest need of help at that moment. Someone needed to lend him a hand and rescue him from the sea. Yet as the King's knight, Erica was too weak to enter these waters and save him. Such incompetence truly shamed the name of knight.
The thought made Erica feel even worse. She recklessly poured out her magic power as she flew across the waters, searching for Roy.
Suddenly, the sea below Erica, shrouded in abnormal Magic Power, erupted with a thunderous boom like a shell being fired. A wave dozens of meters high splashed into the air.
Erica's heart tightened. Believing that the enemy had not yet died, she gripped Lionheart in her hand and prepared herself warily. But the 'enemy' was far too fast—its speed could only be described as 'Divine Speed.' Erica could sense that its speed had definitely surpassed the speed of sound. It was only through the interference of supernatural power that no physical sonic boom was produced.
With virtually no delay, that lightning-fast figure appeared before Erica. Such speed far exceeded the limits of human neural reactions, but Erica was utterly fearless. She gripped her beloved sword and prepared to meet the enemy.
Only when the figure spoke did Erica's taut nerves finally snap. The sudden transition from extreme danger to absolute safety produced an exhaustion that her body and mind could barely withstand.
"There was a slight discrepancy in my calculation of time. I didn't expect to fall into the sea."
His warm voice sounded casual, yet carried natural majesty and dignity. Erica stared in astonishment as she saw that Roy's outward appearance had undergone a tremendous transformation.
A pair of enormous wings resembling radiant flames had grown from his back. A halo engraved with the divine emblem of Christianity floated above his head, while feathers formed from energy drifted down from the sky and floated across the sea. Their beauty was permeated with majestic holiness.
From every angle, Roy now looked like an angel.
This was precisely the fourth of Roy's seven Authorities—"Lord of Light"!
The title 'Lord' meant prince or ruler.
This Authority recreated the combat form of the Archangel Michael as recorded in the Bible. In a single night, He had annihilated the 150,000 soldiers of the Assyrian Army invading Jerusalem. As the Vice-Lord of Heaven and ruler of light, He had also led the angels into battle against the ruler of darkness, Belial.
The Authority that recreated this battle form granted Roy the ability to fly, along with Divine Speed.
However, this Authority also had limitations. It could only be activated once per day, and its duration was limited to ten minutes. Within Divine Speed, Roy could easily achieve speeds surpassing both the sound barrier and the limits of human reaction.
Among the Campiones was the 'Black Prince,' Alexander Gascoyne. He had defeated the Fallen Angel Remiel and obtained the Authority of Divine Speed. Gascoyne's Divine Speed had no time limit, but during high-speed movement, the Campione had to bear the backlash of Divine Speed with his own body. Therefore, he could only use the Authority intermittently.
Roy did not have that concern. After activating his Authority, he did not need to worry about his body's endurance for ten minutes. Michael's combat form was enough to offset the strain. The Divine Speed Authorities of the two men each had their own advantages and disadvantages: Roy's bursts were more explosive, while Gascoyne possessed greater endurance.
However, in ordinary battles between Campiones and Disobedient Gods, victory or defeat was generally decided within a few exchanges. Thus, the Authority's limitations were sufficient for Roy for the time being.
Although Campiones possessed vast reserves of Magic Power, slaying gods did not increase their upper limit. Since using Authorities consumed too much Magic Power, a Campione generally had little power left to continue fighting after using several Authorities at full strength. Most Campiones did not possess particularly strong sustained-combat abilities.
"Lord Erica, you look absolutely miserable right now."
Before you continue