Divine Right of Various Anime and Manga

Roy watched Erica with some amusement. Her beautiful blonde hair was singed, her fair, pretty face smudged with the ash of blazing flames, leaving her gorgeous features dirty; her dress was tattered like patched rags, and the delicate skin of her arms was covered in an ugly layer of blisters.

"...But I'm not much better off." Roy glanced at himself and gave a self-deprecating laugh. He'd accidentally fallen into the sea earlier, and though he'd used his Authority to fly back out, he was still soaking wet now.

"Are you worried about me, Erica... worried that if something happens to me, the 'Bronze Black Cross' will lose the patron they just found?" Roy gazed at Erica, sensing the girl's panic and confusion. She was still just a fourteen-year-old girl, no matter how mature she acted, she had the insecurities of a young girl.

"It's shameful for you to see me in such a state! 'King,' I don't know why you distrust me so. Though your reason is one of my concerns, the main thing is that you've already made me your personal knight. As a knight, I naturally worry about the 'King's' safety." Erica sighed with a bitter smile. She'd long noticed that Roy still didn't fully trust her, as if their relationship was only held together by Roy's immense power, more like an employment.

She silently blamed herself—had she made some mistake in her previous work? Or had she come across as too shrewd, making the 'King' wary of her?

"You call yourself a knight... then Lord Erica, as my knight, how far would you go for me?" "If the 'King' commands, I would give everything I have!" The elegant, noble girl declared with conviction.

Roy stared deeply at Erica. Her bangs were messy, but her sapphire-like eyes were clear and resolute. "So, Lord Erica, you're a good girl after all... I'll try to trust you completely from now on." Roy could feel Erica's sincerity. Besides his powerful instincts as a Campione, he'd recently studied magic related to lies.

"Thank you for your trust, 'King'! I won't let you down." Erica was about to bow, but her body trembled as the magic supporting her feet vanished, and she dropped straight from the air. This flight magic was extremely mana-consuming; she'd used it in an emergency during battle, and staying airborne for so long had nearly drained her magic.

As the girl gasped, Roy caught her in a princess hold, his arms around her soft, slender waist. He smiled lightly, "...Then, my knight, you've done well. Now let me, your 'King,' take you to a safe place." With a spread of the wings on his back, Roy activated 'Divine Speed' and vanished from the sea in an instant. He needed to find a place to land and study his newly acquired spoils.

Chapter 25: "Face of God"

A streak of light shot across the sky, landing on the deck of a luxury yacht at a speed beyond human reaction limits. Roy's flame-like wings retracted; earlier, he'd used the Authority domain generated by those wings to shield Erica from the environmental impact of 'Divine Speed.' As the wings dissolved into specks of light and vanished, the halo above Roy's head also faded, and he shifted from his angelic form back to human.

He gently set down Erica's delicate body. The Italian girl's face flushed with a faint blush, her heart racing. In the 'Bronze Black Cross,' Erica had always been treated like a princess; what man would dare to be presumptuous with her? Erica was still just a fourteen-year-old girl, though her figure was surprisingly developed, and she was at the age of budding romance. Being held so intimately by Roy, who was 'around her age,' with her torn dress exposing her tender skin, untouched by any man, even a resolute knight would feel shy.

"Mm, it was a good call to have this yacht stay as far from Ponza Island as possible. Otherwise, I'd have had to carry you all the way to the Italian mainland." Roy's actual age was over thirty, and he wasn't some shut-in who'd never touched a girl's hand; he felt no awkwardness or embarrassment over any ambiguous contact with women.

The yacht's crew weren't ordinary people but magicians sent by the 'Bronze Black Cross.' When they saw someone suddenly land on the deck, they were on high alert until they recognized Roy, then relaxed their guard, their expressions turning respectful and fearful. Though they hadn't witnessed the specifics of Roy's battle with Metatron from the yacht, they'd seen the tragic sight of Ponza Island being annihilated and the roaring tsunami. The terrifying power and dense mana had left these magicians utterly shaken. Seeing their princess appear so close to the 'King,' they exchanged glances and quietly withdrew.

"Forgive me, 'King'! Please allow Erica to freshen up first, then I'll come to your presence to receive orders. My current state is unsightly." Erica took a deep breath, suppressing her shyness, and gave a knightly salute.

"Now that you mention it, I might need to tidy up a bit too." Roy glanced at his clothes. The cardinal's robe had magical protection, so it wasn't wrinkled or dirty from being in the water, but his body still carried the salty smell of the sea.

"Then... let me attend to the 'King's' cleaning first. After I've served you, I'll see to myself." "Serve? How exactly? Strip naked in the bathroom and use your youthful body to relax me?" Roy suddenly teased.

Erica was startled. She never expected Roy, who usually appeared cold and aloof, to make such flirtatious remarks. Was it because she'd gained the 'King's' true trust that she was seeing a side of him no one knew? The girl, who held the rank of Great Knight, felt flustered, even her usual sharp tongue stumbling, "...'King,' please show some restraint... Of course, it's not that I'm unwilling, though attending to your bedchamber isn't a knight's duty... But if you truly want this, I hope you'll give me a title!"

Erica, unlike her close friend Liliana, wouldn't lose her ability to think from shyness. She quickly steadied herself and even calmly made a demand. She knew that once she became Roy's subordinate in the name of a knight, if the 'King' had improper intentions toward her, she couldn't escape his grasp. She had some confidence in her beauty, but giving her body away so cheaply wasn't what Erica wanted; she wanted a proper status.

That was Erica's nature—to think and solve problems by maximizing benefits. Knowing she couldn't escape, she even dared to use her body as a means to gain more. She was a bit too shrewd, which sometimes made her annoying, but when she wholeheartedly worked for you, she was incredibly reliable; she had exceptional talent.

"Ah, I was joking, Erica. Don't take it seriously." Roy dropped the teasing expression, returning to calm indifference. The sudden shift in mood left Erica unsettled, even a little anxious. Was the 'King' looking down on her, thinking she wasn't attractive enough? Or did he feel she didn't deserve a title? With mixed feelings, Erica spoke with a hint of disappointment, "...Yes, then 'King,' please go wash up first."

"No, you go first, Erica. I'm in no hurry..." He paused, then suddenly grabbed Erica's arm, looking at the blisters on her fair skin. His fingers gently brushed over them as he asked softly, "...Does it hurt?"

Roy's sudden shift from coldness to tenderness left Erica's thoughts even more tangled. She raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "...Compared to the training I endured when I became a knight, this pain is nothing. It's just that I don't have enough magic power right now to cast healing spells. I'll apply some medicine first, and once my magic recovers, I'll heal it with magic."

Hearing Erica's dismissive words about the pain, Roy said nothing, only quietly chanted a spell. Then, to Erica's surprise, he directly cast magic, healing all the blisters that had risen on her arm.

"Unlike other Campione, I'm actually quite interested in magic. Using this healing spell for the first time seems to have worked well. Girls should take better care of themselves—don't let scars mar such delicate skin."

Roy's palm gently brushed over Erica's slender arm, then he said, "...Go on, Erica. Get yourself cleaned up."

"Understood, 'King.'"

Erica cradled her previously injured right arm with her left hand, as if still not fully composed, and walked dazedly toward her cabin on the yacht.

Once the Maiden's figure disappeared, Roy pressed a hand to his head and muttered self-deprecatingly, "...Back when I faced girls, I wasn't shy, but I wasn't exactly smooth-talking either. How did I suddenly become so gifted at this?"

"...Could this be another ability I inherited from Aleister Crowley? Before, because my life only had Laura, this ability never showed itself... No, actually, I always liked teasing Laura in the past too."

Roy let out a breath and headed to his own room. As the saying goes, a gentleman seeks a fair maiden. Now that he was a demon king on earth, it seemed reasonable to even domineeringly collect beauties for his own amusement.

If he ever truly became the kind of scumbag who casually toyed with a Maiden's body and heart, it definitely wouldn't be his fault—it would be Aleister Crowley's. After all, Crowley was a villain who deceived women's feelings, and Roy was just following in his father's footsteps.

Roy quickly cleared his mind, no longer dwelling on these matters, and instead focused on the new Authority he had gained from slaying Metatron—

"Face of God"!

Chapter 26: The Authority to 'Charm' Enemies to Death with One's Face

Back in his luxurious cabin on the yacht, Roy began to examine himself. This Pandora's Dark Festival had once again brought him a new Authority—the "Face of God"!

In legend, Metatron bore the title "Face of God." It was said that mortals could not gaze upon God, and among all the angels, only Metatron had the honor of meeting God's gaze and beholding the supreme deity's magnificent countenance.

The Authority "Face of God" originated from this very legend.

"So back on Ponza Island, when I saw Metatron's face and felt that cursed weakness, it was because of this Authority."

Roy sat in his luxurious, antique wooden chair, feeling the yacht accelerate toward the Italian mainland.

"This world doesn't have the Cthulhu Mythos... But then again, myths take centuries to brew and must be tied to human history. Cthulhu was only shaped over a hundred years and is just a novel. For this myth to birth a Disobedient God, it would take several more centuries, and even then, the Cthulhu Mythos system would still need to be remembered by humanity."

"...In the Cthulhu Mythos, those who see an evil god go mad because the Human Brain cannot comprehend such an existence and becomes corrupted by it. Applying this conclusion to 'Yahweh' also holds true—since human cognition cannot grasp the greatness of God, seeing His 'Face' brings a curse."

"From this perspective, whether it's an evil god or any other deity, aren't they all the same?"

Roy let out a soft breath, recalling how when Metatron had used this Authority, he had indeed glimpsed another great existence through Metatron's face, suffering a terrible curse that even weakened his Magic Power.

When this Authority was used Proactively, anyone who saw its face would feel as if they had seen "Yahweh," causing cognitive confusion and weakening them under a powerful curse.

If a Campione with high Magic Resistance was cursed, they would only be weakened, but if an Ordinary Person with no Magic Resistance saw it, they would go mad or even die. This was truly an Authority to 'charm' the enemy to death with one's face.

"Even killing the same god, different Campione gain different Authorities. It depends on the Campione's own affinity. Why did I get this Authority?"

Roy touched his own face and joked to himself, "...Could it be that because I used to be average-looking and always complained that my face wasn't handsome enough to find a girlfriend, my desire led me to get an Authority that directly 'charms' people to death?"

Though it was a joke, Roy felt it might actually be the truth.

During his battle with Metatron, the angel had used two Authorities: one was "Face of God," and the other was an Authority that usurped through writing.

That usurping Authority seemed powerful, but its activation likely had many restrictions. Roy's "Divine Right" already had enough limitations, and since "Divine Right" was extremely comprehensive in combat, Roy had no interest in Metatron's usurping Authority.

Now, "Face of God" seemed very suitable to Roy. This supportive, unrestricted Authority could better enhance his combat power.

Fortunately, this Authority could be freely controlled, divided into 'Active' and 'Passive' modes. Otherwise, Roy might have had to wear a mask and only take it off to 'charm' the enemy to death when needed.

In its Passive state, the Authority spontaneously gave Roy a 'divine majesty,' making him appear more sacred. Simply put, it made him seem more like a holy figure, causing people to easily trust him in a curse-like manner, as if he were a 'Son of God.'

When activated Proactively, the curse became much stronger. In Roy's view, during intense combat, when both sides were focused on each other, this insidious, unpredictable Authority, if suddenly triggered, would catch the enemy off guard, leaving them cursed with a massive opening and creating a chance for a one-hit kill.

A very useful supportive ability, whether in daily life or battle—that was Roy's assessment of "Face of God."

"But rather than gaining a new Authority, I'd prefer to evolve 'Divine Right' and undergo a qualitative change."

Roy frowned and clenched his fist. After killing Metatron, as he had expected, his Magic Power hadn't stacked at all—it was the same as after his first godslaying. His "Divine Right" Authority hadn't changed either.

If this was what it meant to be a Campione, then even if Roy killed dozens of Disobedient Gods, aside from diversifying his Authorities, he wouldn't change at all. There would be no qualitative transformation.

Having more varied Authorities naturally gave more options when facing enemies of equal strength, making victory easier. But the fact that Campione couldn't grow in 'quality' was their greatest weakness, like a limiter holding them back completely.

In Roy's view, Metatron and Michael had many overlapping legends, yet killing two gods hadn't brought any change. Killing other Disobedient Gods likely wouldn't make a difference either.

"Don't worry. The 'core' of the Disobedient Metatron—what you call the 'Spiritual Foundation'—I've managed to preserve."

At that moment, a radiance appeared behind Roy. The Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass, with her golden hair reaching her waist, wearing a white Linen Robe and a halo above her head, materialized in a phantom form.

"Metatron's Spiritual Foundation is very similar to Michael's, so the chance of fusion is high. Once I fully analyze and modify Pandora's ritual, I can apply the new ritual to you, breaking the Campione's limits. Seeing Pandora's Dark Festival again has deepened my understanding."

"...However, even after this new ritual is complete, not every Disobedient God's Spiritual Foundation can fuse with you. Your first godslaying target was Michael, so you already possess Michael's nature. Only those gods similar to Michael can be fused. The more similar a god is to Michael, the greater the benefit from killing them."

Hearing Aiwass's words, Roy's long-standing worry found a solution. His face lit up with joy. "...As expected of Aiwass, to be able to intercept Metatron's Spiritual Foundation."

"As a spiritual being, I cannot interfere with the Material World. I could only do this because you killed Metatron, and as His Spiritual Foundation was about to dissipate, it left the Material World."

Aiwass spoke calmly. Her voice carried strong human emotions, but there was no pride in her words.

"But Roy, you must be careful. What I can do is modify the ritual, but #%#*... Therefore, you need to learn more knowledge."

Part of Aiwass's words turned into an incomprehensible signal—knowledge Roy couldn't grasp. After frowning, he roughly understood her meaning. "...You're saying you can only modify the ritual, but you can't perform it. So you can only teach me the new ritual's knowledge, and I have to activate it myself. I need enough knowledge to understand what you're telling me?"

"Exactly. Human language conveys too little. Some things are hard for me to explain. You need to understand them through magic."

Aiwass nodded slightly.

"I see. So I still have to keep studying hard. If you're ugly, you'd better read more. If I'd had this kind of motivation back in the day, I'd have gotten into Tsinghua or Peking University by now."

Roy laughed at himself, then took out the ring he'd found in the Solomon Sanctuary ruins.

Chapter 27: Witch's Spiritual Vision and Clairvoyance

Roy leaned back in his chair, rubbing the ancient ring in his hand as he sank into thought.

Knock, knock, knock—

A rhythmic knock came from the door behind him. Without turning his head, Roy said, "...Come in, Lord Erica."

Even without looking, Roy knew it was Erica. Only she would come to his bedroom; no one else on the yacht dared disturb his rest.

With a faint creak of the door, a fragrant scent filled the luxurious, spacious bedroom. Roy's nose was sharp—that was Erica's scent, the fragrance of the bath soap she always used.

Roy turned around to look and saw Erica, young but with an impressive figure, standing straight at the doorway.

Her dress was damaged. For once, she had changed out of her red gown into casual clothes. Her golden hair, too long to dry completely, still steamed with lingering heat and moisture, and her delicate skin glowed pink from her bath.

"My King, you may go wash up, or if you require my attendance."

The dazed maiden had fully regained her composure. Her voice was crisp and lively, carrying a faint, seductive lightness, and her beautiful eyes held a captivating charm that belied her age.

"No, no rush. The sea's fishy smell is unpleasant, but not to the point I can't stand it."

Roy boldly stared at the straight jade legs beneath her skirt. Erica had finally shed her white stockings, revealing creamy, flawless skin. The instep of her foot, clad in red high heels, even showed faint blue veins.

With a change in status, even the insecure grow confident—let alone Roy, who had never been insecure.

Just then, Erica noticed the ring in Roy's hand. She sensed it briefly, her brow arching as she said, "...My King, that thing in your hand has a very subtle magical fluctuation. By its look, is it a Divine Artifact?"

"Mm, a Divine Artifact I found in the ruins of the Temple of Solomon—if that place really was the Temple of Solomon."