"I don't know either, but they look more like a young master traveling with his big sister. Let's go, Kusanagi. The teacher is calling us over there."
The boy named Kusanagi looked back one last time before being pulled away by his friend.
"Hm?"
Roy, whose hearing was exceptionally sharp, stopped. He tilted his head and thought for a moment before turning to look back.
"What happened, 'King'?"
Erica noticed Roy's movement. She moved cautiously to his side and asked on guard, her jewel-like eyes sweeping the surroundings as she assumed there might be an enemy nearby.
"Erica, look at that boy."
Roy jerked his chin toward him. He had wanted to say, Doesn't he look like a dog? But Erica definitely wouldn't understand the reference, so he swallowed the words.
"What about him? He doesn't have any magical power. He's just an ordinary person."
Erica studied the back of the boy named Kusanagi and spoke in confusion.
"It's nothing. Let's go."
Roy called out to them and led the four girls into the VIP passage. Princess Alice's private plane was already waiting there.
A private plane from Boeing took off from Haneda Airport and flew toward Jerusalem in Israel.
Inside Roy's bedroom on the plane, Erica stood before him, looking nervous. Even her delicate body trembled slightly.
"According to our previous agreement, I'm going to give you both a reward and a punishment."
Roy sat on the sofa, leaning comfortably against its back, and spoke with a relaxed smile.
"I'm ready, 'King'!"
Like a soldier about to enter battle, Erica wore an expression of facing death without fear.
"Don't be so nervous. Come to think of it, Erica, you have the blood of a witch as well, don't you? Although it's very faint, you should know the witch's ancient magic, 'Sex Magic,' right?"
The Italian girl froze. She had not expected Roy to ask about this. Her fair, crystalline face gradually flushed, but she quickly suppressed her embarrassment and answered, "...That is the most basic magic among witchcraft. Almost every witch must know it!"
"I see. Then write down the specific method of using this magic. If you know the principles behind it, that would be even better."
Although Roy had read many ancient texts in the Vatican, he had never actually studied this field. Sex Magic was not an evil spell. On the contrary, it was an extremely orthodox form of magic. In the East, it was known by the famous name of Dual Cultivation. It had merely been branded with a stigma by the Church during the medieval witch hunts, causing people to regard it as exceptionally wicked.
"So 'King,' you want to... do that sort of thing? But I can understand it. You're only sixteen this year, the age when youthful desires begin to stir. It's perfectly normal to be interested in a woman's body. And with your status, I'm afraid no woman would refuse you."
Once Roy brought up this magic, Erica immediately associated it with that kind of matter. The beautiful girl known as the Crimson Devil's gaze became alluring, and even her voice carried a faint sweetness.
"...As your knight, it's my duty to relieve your worries. Even if you have needs in that area, 'King,' I can help you. But could you give me a more proper status?"
Erica's words made Roy hesitate. He knew she actually wanted him to give her a title such as "girlfriend" or "wife," but he always felt that granting such a status would bind him.
Seeing Roy hesitate, Erica sighed helplessly.
"...I understand. You don't want to make any promises, just like a playboy. You want to bind many girls to your side as your possessions while refusing to take any responsibility yourself."
"...Since that's how you feel, I won't dare ask for too much. Then let me temporarily become your 'lover.' I only hope you won't get involved with those improper women in the future. If you really have a need, you can come to me!"
As she spoke, Erica's fingers moved toward the buttons of her dress, making Roy swallow the words he had been about to say.
"But I'm still injured. I need you to use your authority to heal me, 'King.' Hmm... It should be enough to do it the way you did for Princess Alice, right?"
Then, under Erica's astonished gaze, Roy stopped her. He was somewhat embarrassed, his eyes darting away, but he still spoke boldly.
"...Actually, my authority only needs physical contact to activate. So perhaps we can use a slightly different method."
The Mysterious Object in the Right Hand
Chapter Fifty-Six: The Mysterious Object in His Right Hand
An Ancient Country, Mount Lu—
A waterfall plunged from the heavens like the Milky Way, scattering sparkling droplets. Frogs croaked on the soaked stones. Amid the exotic flowers and strange plants of this fairyland stood a small wooden hut. It resembled Tao Yuanming descending southeast to pick chrysanthemums, or Li Bai entering the Lesser Chamber Mountain to meet the Queen Mother.
A twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy dressed in Hanfu seemed to ride the clouds. He flew alongside the birds, lightly touching the ground with his toes, and after several leaps and bounds arrived before the wooden hut.
He paid no attention to the surrounding flowers and magnificent scenery. Keeping his eyes lowered and his mind composed, he walked to within several dozen meters of the hut, flicked both sleeves, and dropped heavily to his knees. He shouted, "...May the Holy Cult Leader, possessed of both wisdom and courage, live as long as Heaven and shine as brightly as the sun and moon, eternal and indestructible! Your martial might is boundless, and your wisdom and compassion illuminate the world. Your disciple, Lu Yinghua, wishes his master literary achievement and martial virtue, and ten thousand years of life!"
Lu Yinghua recited the shameless flattery without changing expression. Then he forcefully knocked his head against the door of the wooden hut, his forehead striking the stone floor with loud thuds.
"Flattering words are no different from those spoken by sycophantic ministers and eunuchs!"
"Eagle Child, you are a man. You should be a true hero among men. How can you speak such obsequious words? Aren't you disgracing your master?"
A woman's low scolding came from inside the hut. Her voice was like a zither beneath the moon, celestial music lingering in the air. The voice alone could make people imagine endlessly, convincing them that its owner must be a Fairy from beyond the Nine Heavens who never set foot in the mortal world.
Yet completely at odds with that celestial voice, a hurricane swept forth. The hut's doors burst open. With a breath, the Fairy created a tempest that roared like dragons and tigers. The boy kneeling on the ground was sent flying by the air current before he could react. Only after rolling several times did the highly skilled youth manage to steady himself.
Lu Yinghua lowered his head and gave a bitter smile. He had long expected this.
His master was Sect Master Luo Hao of the Five Prisons Holy Cult, an undefeated woman who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts and slain gods.
Campiones were a group of people who acted however they pleased, and Sect Master Luo Hao was the foremost among them. Calling her fickle was no exaggeration.
If he failed to show enough respect in his words, Sect Master Luo Hao would think he was disrespecting her. If he was too respectful, she would accuse him of flattery. She was, in short, impossibly difficult to serve.
Lu Yinghua secretly counted himself lucky to be the Sect Master's disciple. If he merely irritated his master, at worst he would receive a brutal beating or some punishment. If someone else had been here, they would probably have faced the Sect Master Luo Hao's gouging out of their eyes and slicing off of their noses.
This was not an exaggeration but an established fact. In the history of the Five Prisons Holy Cult, there had been several cases of people having their ears cut off merely for hearing her voice, and others having their eyes gouged out for seeing her immortal beauty.
This Demon Sect Leader, born at the end of the Qianlong era, had carried the name "Demon Sect" to its absolute extreme.
"Your teachings are engraved in this disciple's heart, Master!"
Lu Yinghua clasped his fists and performed a great bow.
Only then did he dare raise his head.
A peerless beauty of merely seventeen or eighteen emerged from the open doorway of the wooden hut.
Her features were as flawless as jade, her eyes shining like pearls. Her delicate figure resembled a bashful mimosa swaying in the wind. Her black hair, as lustrous as silk, was swept high into a bun. She looked like an otherworldly immortal maiden. Her skin held a faint pink hue, her phoenix eyes glimmered, and her lips were as red as cherry blossoms.
Sect Master Luo Hao wore the Gold-Silver Silk Embroidered Phoenix Robe on her upper body and the Pleated Wishful Moon Smoke Skirt below. She moved with lotus steps, approaching with graceful poise, like a female emperor descending upon the world, or an immortal maiden from Kunlun riding the wind through the void.
Few people in the world could glimpse such an immortal beauty. Everyone who saw the Sect Master's face destroyed their own eyes, unwilling to let her image remain within them.
Lu Yinghua was one of the fortunate few who had seen Sect Master Luo Hao's true appearance without having to destroy his eyes. Yet he did not consider this a blessing. He only felt endless misery in his heart.
"Eagle Child, why have you come to Mount Lu to seek your master?"
Sect Master Luo Hao seemed to have transformed into a kindly teacher who never tired of instructing others. Her tone was much gentler, but the aura of absolute supremacy on her face had not changed at all.
"Of course it is for something important! I have written everything down here. I hope Master will grant it your favor and read what is written."
Lu Yinghua held out a letter.
Sect Master Luo Hao beckoned, and the letter fell into her jade-like hand. She unfolded it and skimmed it from beginning to end, learning every detail of what had happened in the Eastern Island Nation.
"Good! That thick-skinned, cunning old bastard, sly as a wolf, was actually killed by a new 'King.' Roy Crowley? I'll remember that name!"
Sect Master Luo Hao's words startled Lu Yinghua. Even among Campiones, the only ones whose names the Sect Master knew were Marquis Voban and Lady Aisha. As for the newer Campiones, she disdained even learning their names. She was that self-absorbed.
Yet now, the Sect Master had actually remembered the new "King's" name. This was not a good sign!
"Master... You aren't planning to seek out that new 'King' for a contest, are you?"
Lu Yinghua asked cautiously.
"Although that Foreign King defeated my old rival, I am Number One Under Heaven. Would I cross mountains and rivers over such a trivial matter? If I feel like it one day, perhaps I will go meet him. For now, Eagle Child, withdraw!"
Sect Master Luo Hao's tone was arrogantly boundless, like a proud phoenix descending to the mortal world. Yet her arrogance did not make others dislike her. It only seemed natural, as though she would not be Luo Hao if she were not arrogant and self-loving.
Lu Yinghua secretly cursed himself. Indeed, although this was an unparalleled event for the entire world's supernatural community, before his master it truly was only a minor matter. Getting his master to make a personal journey over such a trivial affair was absolutely impossible.
"Yes. This disciple won't disturb you any further, Master. I'll take my leave!"
Lu Yinghua bowed deeply once more and hurried away.
Before this master of his, he was also Alexander.
On the plane flying to Jerusalem, Roy was writing and drawing at his desk, turning the knowledge he had received from Erica into something of his own.
After drawing the final symbol, he picked up the coffee beside him and took a small sip, a look of reminiscence appearing on his face.
Earlier, Erica had served him with her mouth. Roy could still recall the feeling of being gently and tightly enveloped. Speaking of which, Erica was only fourteen. Under the laws of a Certain Ancient Country, she had only just passed the age of criminal responsibility.
He still felt somewhat embarrassed and awkward. He had spent the first twenty-odd years of his life in China, where he had been a law-abiding young man whose values had already taken shape. In the Toaru Majutsu no Index World, he had lived a harsh fifteen years and had barely met any women. Aside from his younger sister Laura, the women he saw most often were the nearby nuns of the Puritan Church.
Now he was a vigorous young man, and a pure human at that. Naturally, he was interested in beautiful girls. Yet he still felt somewhat guilty about using authority and power to force a girl into such behavior. He had not yet reached Aleister's carefree, guiltless attitude.
"I still need more experience."
Roy sighed inwardly. He remembered that when it was all over, he had given the Sacred Object to Erica while also placing the power of his authority within it. When Erica swallowed it, her body had been healed at the same time.
Of all the Campiones throughout history, he was probably the only one capable of using authority in such a way.
Thinking of this, Roy felt somewhat pleased with himself.
Then he raised his right hand and said to Aiwass behind him, "...I've discovered that something seems to have appeared in my right hand."
When in Doubt, Quantum Mechanics
Chapter Fifty-Seven: When in Doubt, Quantum Mechanics
Behind Roy, the Holy Guardian Angel floated in midair with her bare jade feet exposed, her entire body glowing faintly and her golden hair cascading down. She looked toward the right hand Roy had raised.
At that moment, the existence known as Aiwass seemed like a signal with unstable reception. A snowlike emptiness appeared around her, as though she might dissipate at any time. Only then did her figure gradually stabilize.
Seeing that Aiwass was nearly vanishing, Roy froze and asked nervously, "...Are you all right, Aiwass?"
To Roy now, Aiwass was a very important person. He did not want anything to happen to her.
"It's nothing. There was only a slight delay in the thoughts of this 'spirit' of mine."
Aiwass's gaze fell on Roy's right hand. She revealed an extremely human smile, and even her tone was no longer as mysterious and distant as before. Instead, it had become somewhat irritable, and her words could almost be described as foul-mouthed.
"...Those idiotic Demon Gods spent their entire lives pursuing and yearning for this, yet I obtained it so easily. If they knew about it, what expressions would they make? I can hardly wait to see their faces."
Roy was already accustomed to Aiwass's occasional strange manner of speaking. This Holy Guardian Angel was not an emotionless object. Or rather, she had once been an object, but after interacting with humans, she had grown more similar to them.
Of course, she was merely similar. Aiwass could never become human.
"Yes, I can feel it. The mysterious space we passed through to reach this world is now residing in my right hand. This right hand of mine has become the vessel for that mysterious space. Aiwass, what do you think would happen if I cut off this hand? Would something terrifying emerge from it?"
Roy sounded as if he were asking seriously, but he was clearly joking. He was not insane and had no interest in cutting off his own hand for fun. What if he accidentally lost his King's Power?
Aiwass could only remain silent. Even she could neither understand nor explain the mysterious space now residing in Roy's right hand.
"If you wish to return to the world where Aleister is, you must be careful of the Demon Gods. If they discover what your right hand contains, it will provoke their pursuit and madness. They will sacrifice everything to obtain what is within your right hand."
Aiwass's tone carried a warning.
"This is the second time you've warned me, Aiwass... Speaking of Demon Gods, I've seen Aleister mention them in his writings. He described them as having 'exhausted the ultimate reaches of magic.' I can imagine how powerful such existences are, but I still find them difficult to understand."
The Toaru Majutsu no Index World was one Roy had to return to. Laura and Aleister were still there. But if returning to that world turned him into Tang Monk's Flesh in the eyes of the Demon Gods, then he would inevitably have to treat them as hypothetical enemies and think of a way to deal with them in advance.
"Only Demon Gods can understand Demon Gods. When you reach that realm one day, you will naturally understand. It is knowledge that is unnecessary within necessity... But you need not worry too much. Demon Gods have limits as well."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Roy raised an eyebrow and asked with interest.
"Do you know about the Isolated Island Theory?"
"I understand it roughly. It is one of the theories explaining why humans cannot discover extraterrestrial life. In essence, the universe is infinitely vast, but human exploration and understanding are limited. There are insurmountable distances between civilizations, so the universe humans speak of is merely the universe they are capable of detecting."
Roy pondered for a moment before answering concisely.
"This theory can also explain the relationship between different worlds. If all universes and worlds are likened to an endless sea, then every world is an isolated island within that sea. The limits of the Demon Gods lie in their inability to cross the sea, and their inability to explore another isolated island through it. The mysterious space in your right hand is a 'ship' capable of crossing the sea. Naturally, the Demon Gods covet it, because their dream and desire is to leave their own island and see something broader."
"...The existence capable of building this 'ship' must be an ultimate being far beyond the Demon Gods. You have obtained this ship capable of traveling far away. Whether you reverse-engineer its structure to gain power, or use it to explore different islands and obtain more techniques and treasures, you are freer than the Demon Gods trapped on their isolated islands. That is where you surpass their limits."
Aiwass did her best to use simple and understandable words to strengthen Roy's confidence. She was also a passenger aboard this ship. If Roy, the captain, encountered trouble, she would no longer be able to ride the ship through the Sea of Worlds.
"So in the end, you're telling me to use what's lodged in my right hand to travel through different worlds, gaining power in each one that can contend with the Demon Gods."
Roy laughed and lazily stretched.
He lowered his head and looked at the words and incantations he had written on the desk. With a troubled expression, he said, "...I obtained all of this knowledge from Erica through an exchange of bodily fluids. Her knowledge wasn't extensive, so I could comprehend it easily. But it still isn't enough for me to complete this ritual."
As he spoke, he looked back at Aiwass. If he could obtain knowledge from this Holy Guardian Angel, his own knowledge would surely increase tremendously. It would be much faster than passing down knowledge by word of mouth.
Aiwass noticed what Roy was thinking and merely chuckled.
"...I advise you not to think about using the witch's 'Sex Magic' to obtain knowledge from me right now. Even a very small portion of my knowledge would be enough to burst your current mind... Besides, I'm only a 'spirit' at present and have no physical body, so I can't perform this 'magic.'"
After pausing, Aiwass continued, "...Another part of my consciousness is currently with Aleister. He is carrying out a plan. If the plan succeeds, I'll be able to possess a physical body. If you can bear my knowledge by then, I can pass the necessary knowledge on to you."
0·· for flowers 0····
Aiwass had little resistance to making physical contact with Roy to transmit knowledge. Her only concern was whether Roy's brain could withstand her knowledge, which was as poisonous as a deadly toxin.
"The other part of your consciousness is with Aleister? You can actually sense what's happening in another world from here?"
Before you continue