In demonology, there was a saying that the true master of the Seventy-Two Pillars of Solomon was the Dark Son, Belial. In mythology, the Seventy-Two Demon Gods represented the heretical gods conquered by God. Regardless of which explanation one accepted, both merely proved that the so-called Seventy-Two Demon Gods were nothing more than a minor branch beneath the Bible.
"Just because you have some inexplicable 'right hand' that appeared out of nowhere, you dare declare victory or defeat? What nonsense! Brat, today I'll let you taste my final hunt and experience the cruelty and pleasure of hunting! It's merely a Great Authority, yet you dare falsely claim to have obtained 'every miracle'!"
"Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrr—"
As the oldest Campione, Marquis Voban had slain countless gods. He was a demon king who treated god-slaying as a game, so how could Roy's words frighten him? To a vicious and cunning wolf, only the result was acceptable. Before the result appeared, he would believe neither speculation nor verbal deception.
The power he had usurped from Ereshkigal granted the Marquis indescribable immortality. Beneath his fury, overwhelming Magic Power gathered within the black dragon's body, transforming into dragonfire capable of burning an entire city to ashes.
The giant dragon opened its jaws, and annihilating flames of death descended from the sky!
"Is that a Great Authority? To be honest, I'm actually quite doubtful whether this 'right hand' falls within the scope of a Great Authority."
Roy sighed softly and muttered in a voice no one could hear.
At the same time, he kept chanting under his breath:
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law!"
"Chapter Three, Verse Seventy-Two of The Book of Law. I am the 'Lord of the Double Wand,' but my left hand is empty, for my right hand has shattered the universe and left nothing behind!"
"..."
Roy drew a deep breath. He looked up at the Underworld Black Dragon's flames, which could burn him down to the last cell and turn him completely to ash. He straightened his back, like the true Archangel Michael facing an endless army of Fallen Angels, facing the 'Beast,' the enemy of Christ, and facing Satan, the Great Red Dragon from Hell. Even with all of 'evil' before him, he would never retreat. He would remain brave and fearless.
"'Beast' 777, I Shall Transcend Human Evil!" (TL: Impressive.)
The golden Third Hand finally rose slowly and formed a loose fist, as if it intended to grasp the entire universe.
Then Roy spoke the most famous Word Spirit belonging to Archangel Michael—
"I ask you, 'Who Resembles God the Most'!!!!"
A radiance capable of illuminating the world burst from the golden giant hand—
This was the Light of the Right!
Since merely swinging it could destroy an enemy, there was no need to pursue strength;
Since merely swinging it could strike its target, there was no need to pursue speed;
Since merely swinging it could cross all things, there was no need to pursue distance;
Since merely swinging it could obtain everything, there was no need to pursue wisdom.
This was precisely the Divine Right, which ignored distance, strength, speed, wisdom, tactics, formations, endurance, timing, terrain, morale, and every other factor. A gentle swing alone could bring 'victory'!
Chapter 46: I, Roy Crowley, Did Not Cheat!
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Analysis of the "Divine Right" Great Authority—
This was the seventh king's Great Authority, usurped from Michael. It was divided into seven abilities and could be called an extremely comprehensive and powerful Great Authority. However, because it was excessively powerful, it also possessed many restrictions. Analysis showed that the seventh king, Roy Crowley, was temporarily unable to use this Great Authority for prolonged combat.
Particular attention had to be paid to the seventh ability of the "Divine Right," the "Light of the Right." It manifested as a 'golden right hand,' and merely swinging it had defeated the oldest demon king, Marquis Voban. This ability seemed to originate from Yahweh, the Almighty God, and possessed every miracle of Christianity.
However, the Almighty God could not descend in the manner of a Disobedient God. This was truth.
Therefore, the true nature of this ability was unknown, its power was unknown, its conditions were unknown, and its analysis was unknown. Everything about it was unknown.
(Note: Because the seventh king, Roy Crowley, possessed this ability, Christians also believed him to be the Son of God who would bring salvation, and he was widely worshiped by the Vatican.)
—Compiled by the Council of Sages of Greenwich, Investigation Report on the God-Slayer Roy Crowley
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH—"
The Marquis's scream filled the heavens and earth.
857 A radiance that illuminated the entire world flashed past, and then everything returned to peace.
Having defined Marquis Voban, who had transformed into the Underworld Black Dragon, as an 'enemy,' the "Light of the Right" released by the "Divine Right" was applied solely to the Marquis.
This was still Tokyo's Shinjuku Gyoen. Not a single blade of grass had been crushed, not a single flower had withered, and not a speck of soil had been overturned. There had been none of the earth-shattering might or terrifying spectacle one might expect. After that single flash of light, the Underworld Black Dragon that had once soared through the sky was simply lying on the lawn, panting heavily, utterly defeated.
"Impossible... Impossible!! What kind of Great Authority is this... It's practically cheating! It's practically mocking all our efforts! It's practically like cheating!"
The black dragon lying on the ground tried to support itself, but Marquis Voban had lost all his Magic Power and stamina. He could not even perform the simple act of standing up. Just as Roy had said, he had already been 'defeated.'
A hoarse roar escaped the dragon's mouth, like the unwilling rant of a villain in a third-rate novel after being defeated. He had completely lost the bearing of a demon king, and his behavior ran contrary to the reputation of an ancient demon king and cunning wolf king.
Yet no one could blame Marquis Voban for making such undignified statements. He looked like a powerless clown shouting madly because he simply could not comprehend his defeat.
He had done nothing. He clearly still possessed fighting strength, yet after that flash of light, he had been completely defeated. He did not even know how he had been attacked, what had attacked him, how he had been struck, or how he had experienced 'defeat' and pain. Then, somehow, the result had become this.
It was just as Roy had said. Once that hand appeared, victory would be obtained. Once that hand gently swung, everything else became meaningless. Yet precisely because it was so pure and simple, it was impossible to believe.
No, I, Roy Crowley, did not cheat!
Roy looked at the half-mad Marquis Voban and silently mocked him in his heart.
To be honest, Roy himself found his Third Hand unbelievable. This hand could never have been granted by a Great Authority from this world. After reflecting on it himself and asking Aiwass, Roy finally reached a conclusion: the appearance of this 'right hand' had come entirely from Aleister Crowley's The Book of 777.
That was the book Roy had suddenly comprehended completely in the A Certain Magical Index World shortly before his death.
The Book of 777 was a Grimoire recording Aleister's philosophy and ideas. It was also a Grimoire containing realms that even Aleister himself had failed to reach.
The book recorded no spells. Thus, after comprehending it, Roy had not immediately become a powerful magician. Instead, its 'realm' and 'ideas' had lain hidden within his thoughts and soul. Only after he slew Michael in this world and usurped the Great Authority did the book's power reveal itself, weaving for Roy this "Divine Right," which possessed the power of every miracle of Christianity.
Aleister Crowley looked down on Christianity. The reason he looked down on it was that he had reached a certain level of comprehension regarding the Christian system of the Bible. Precisely because he understood it, he could make disdainful remarks.
Aleister was no keyboard warrior who looked down on things he did not understand. Precisely because he understood it, he had the qualifications to comment.
The Book of 777 was Aleister's 'Antichrist' book. It used '7,' Christianity's sacred number, as its title, yet it recorded remarks concerning the 'Tree of Evil' and the 'Beast.' It was absolute blasphemy. However, for that very reason, the book contained all the essence of Aleister's understanding of the Christian system.
Roy, who had comprehended the book, completely inherited Aleister's understanding of 'Christianity' and even sublimated it. This allowed him to weave the right hand symbolizing 'Yahweh,' a 'miracle' that even Aleister himself could never obtain.
Marquis Voban quickly calmed down. He stopped his mad ranting, and his violent emerald dragon eyes fixed on Roy's approaching figure.
That 'golden right hand' remained attached to Roy's right shoulder, twisting everything it touched, as if the Material World itself could not contain its existence.
"Brat, although my defeat was inexplicable, I was indeed defeated. In terms of the result, I have no right to continue shouting... Your right hand must have extremely powerful restrictions as well, right? Otherwise, you could have simply swung it from the beginning and defeated me. Why bother fighting me here?"
Marquis Voban stared intently at the "Divine Right" on Roy's right shoulder, as if trying to understand its structure. Yet whether one was a magician, a Campione, or a so-called Disobedient God, no one could possibly comprehend the existence of this hand.
"That's right. This 'right hand' has extremely powerful restrictions. I don't wish to explain its precise abilities to an enemy, but for a defeated person like you, Marquis, I should still show sufficient respect... What I can tell you is that when you used the 'Black Dragon of the Underworld' Great Authority, you fulfilled the conditions for this hand's activation. Therefore, defeat was all that awaited you, while all I could possess was 'victory'!"
Roy had no interest in explaining his abilities to others. How many villains in anime had proudly explained their powers to the protagonist, only to meet their deaths because of it?
Using the 'Black Dragon of the Underworld' Great Authority activates the 'Divine Right'. That statement gave Marquis Voban nothing useful to analyze. He merely sighed softly. "...In the end, I fell into your trap, brat. I thought using my Great Authority decisively would prevent me from suffering an unexpected defeat, but I never expected it to become the opportunity for my downfall."
The Marquis's voice held a trace of self-mockery.
That's why acting decisively gets you killed for nothing!
Roy sighed as well and mocked him inwardly once again.
Chapter 47: This Was the Hand That Shattered the Universe
(This chapter will roughly explain the protagonist's current abilities and his power system.)
(Those who have read A Certain Magical Index should find it easy to understand. Those who have not need not worry. I will gradually explain it through the story.)
Roy's "Divine Right" had major restrictions. First, to activate the "Light of the Right," he could only use it once every seven days. This was the restriction of time.
However, compared with the time restriction, the restriction on its conditions was even harsher.
The true principle behind the "Divine Right" inevitably bringing victory was that the force released by the "Light of the Right" would necessarily be stronger than the enemy's. It was an ability that became stronger against strong opponents and weaker against weak ones.
Simply put, if the enemy's combat strength was 50, then when the "Light of the Right" activated, its power would be 51. If the enemy's combat strength was 100, then its power would be 101. No matter how strong the enemy was, the "Divine Right" would become stronger, allowing a wave of the hand to bring victory.
The power of the "Light of the Right" was determined entirely by the strength of the opponent's attack. That was why Roy had said that the moment Marquis Voban used the "Black Dragon of the Underworld" Great Authority would be the moment of his defeat.
Although Marquis Voban possessed many Great Authorities, only a few could inflict massive damage on Campiones and Disobedient Gods. Among them, the "Black Dragon of the Underworld" was his ultimate trump card, one he had not used even once in eighty years. Its destructive power was not necessarily the strongest, but among all of Marquis Voban's abilities, there was absolutely no Great Authority that surpassed it.
Destructive power had never been a fixed standard for strength. It was just like Roy's "Divine Right." It did not appear particularly destructive, yet it could bring 'victory.'
Therefore, when Marquis Voban used the "Black Dragon of the Underworld," Roy said that all the puzzle pieces had come together. That was Marquis Voban's maximum output, and his "Divine Right" had calculated the strength of his attack, allowing it to use even greater power through the "Light of the Right" and kill him instantly.
The greatest flaw of the current "Divine Right" was that Roy could not control the amount of power released. He also did not know the limit of his right hand's strength. At present, it activated automatically, and when he could use the move depended on Roy's grasp of timing and the battlefield.
In terms of game values, if the enemy's maximum strength was 50, but they used the "Light of the Right" when outputting 40, then the "Light of the Right" would possess only 41 points of power. It would be unable to bring victory. Roy had to wait until the opponent output 50 before using the move to kill them instantly.
The "Divine Right" was an ability that made one inevitably stronger than an opponent when the opponent used their trump card. To a certain extent, it was similar to the "Reverse Light Sword," but it was countless times stronger.
Against enemies at the same level as Roy or only slightly stronger, this ability was practically invincible. However, against powerhouses far beyond his level, it would be completely useless, because such a powerhouse would not need to use their maximum strength to kill Roy. A casual use of their abilities would probably be enough to kill him instantly.
If only I could completely control the amount of power this hand released.
Roy sighed inwardly. He did not know the upper limit of his right hand's ability, but he faintly sensed that if he could fully control its power and make it like the right hand recorded in The Book of Law, crushing the universe would not be a problem.
Furthermore, because it had been woven by The Book of 777, this hand also possessed 'every miracle of Christianity.' In theory, Roy should be able to use this hand to resurrect the dead, reverse the laws of reality, make mathematics produce errors, destroy the world, and even recreate a new world. If he could reproduce every 'Christian miracle,' then in terms of status, Roy should be equal to or even higher than a 'Demon God'—in other words, he would become a 'god above.'
In the power system created by Aleister, he roughly divided power into two parts: 'man' and 'god.' Aleister himself stood at the 'pinnacle of man.' He could have become a Demon God, but he had chosen to give it up.
Within the 'realm of god,' Aleister divided it into three stages. The first stage was that of an ordinary Demon God, namely '8=3.' This meant exhausting the limits of magic. Such an existence was already infinitely close to 'omnipotence.' However, although a Demon God could twist and alter everything, a Demon God might not necessarily be able to restore it. Therefore, they could not yet be considered completely 'omnipotent.'
···0 Please send flowers 0······
The second stage surpassed ordinary Demon Gods, allowing one's theories and ideas to influence the multiverse. This was '9=2.' A Demon God who reached this stage could truly be called a 'god above,' because they could not only twist everything but also restore everything. In Roy's understanding, only Othinus, the 'One-Eyed Demon God,' seemed to have approached this realm. If Roy's right hand could complete all the 'Christian miracles,' it would also be enough to reach this level.
(Note: In Aleister's actual theory, those he personally said had reached '9=2' were Christ, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Odin, and others. Therefore, my biblical system is quite close to Aleister's mysticism. Othinus is Odin.)
...0
As for the final stage, '10=1,' that was entirely Aleister's conjecture. Even he could not understand it. It could only be called the existence of the "One Who Is Himself," which had completely transcended the limits of mortal comprehension.
"However, if I want to complete 'all the miracles of Christianity,' I need a massive amount of knowledge. The knowledge I possess now is insufficient to complete those miracles."
Roy muttered to himself. To achieve 'the existence that exhausts all ultimate mysteries'—how incredibly difficult was that? In this endless multiverse, how many people could truly reach that realm?
Thus, Roy currently had two major goals. First, he had to completely control his right hand and make it truly capable of 'shattering the universe.' Second, he had to exhaust all knowledge and complete 'every miracle of Christianity,' thereby reaching the 'realm of the god above' and becoming the true Son of God!
Before accomplishing those two major goals, he also had one minor goal: to strengthen his current Great Authorities first...
Compared with those two grand goals, becoming a little stronger step by step was still the proper path. A person could not become fat by eating a single mouthful. If one took too large a step, it was easy to pull a muscle.
Roy returned to his senses. He looked at Marquis Voban, who had transformed into a black dragon and lay prostrate on the ground. Then he raised his right hand, and a blood-red cross-shaped sword appeared in it! Six.
Chapter 48: Modifying the Pandora Ritual
"The victor ought to execute the defeated."
Seeing Roy approach with the blood-red cross-shaped sword in his hand, Marquis Voban, who lay prostrate in the form of a black dragon and had lost all ability to resist, spoke thus.
The Marquis's tone was quite calm, without the slightest fear of death.
This was a Campione. This was the fate of a Campione. They fought forever, and one day they would ultimately die in battle.
It was not that Campiones did not understand the fear of death. It was simply that from the moment they became Campiones, they had already awakened to their fate. Even when Roy became a Campione, he had seemed to glimpse his own inevitable destiny.
Precisely because they knew their ending, Campiones did not fear death. It was merely a matter of sooner or later.
However, Roy did not wish to meet his end like this. He was not an ordinary Campione. He possessed the ability to change his fate.
"Then, farewell, Marquis..."
Roy pointed the cross-shaped sword in his hand at the Underworld Black Dragon's enormous head. Although the Underworld Black Dragon's scales were extraordinarily thick and could easily withstand any modern weapon, what it was about to face was the 'Sword of Judgment' held by an archangel. Even the scales of the Underworld Black Dragon would inevitably be severed.
The blood-red cross-shaped sword in his hand thrust toward the giant dragon's brow, and Roy decisively struck down his fellow Campione.
"Heh heh heh... But I will not end here. Although my fate was determined long ago, it is not yet time for me to leave the stage..."
Just as the cross-shaped sword pierced his brow, Marquis Voban suddenly revealed a cunning smile.
The giant dragon's scales were pierced as easily as tofu by the sword in Roy's hand, and its brain was crushed.
The enormous black dragon, more than forty meters long, and the human body of Marquis Voban, protected in the dragon's clawed palm, both turned into ashes and vanished on the wind.
Yet Roy's expression did not relax. Instead, his brow furrowed, and he clicked his tongue. "...What incredible immortality. Even after that, you still have a breath left."
The reason Marquis Voban's "Black Dragon of the Underworld" had become his ultimate trump card was that this Great Authority granted him powerful physical abilities and nearly absurd immortality, making the ancient demon king extremely difficult to kill.
The "Divine Right" gave Roy 'victory'; it did not grant his enemy 'death.'
In terms of the result, Roy had indeed won. After using the "Light of the Right," Marquis Voban had lost the ability to resist, allowing Roy to kill him with a single easy thrust.
However, the Marquis's powerful immortality still took effect. Even in a situation where he was certain to die, a wisp of his soul had escaped, preventing him from dying completely.
"However, resurrecting with only that wisp of soul will be extraordinarily difficult even for you, Marquis Voban. Besides, even if you do revive, you won't be able to cause any trouble before me."
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