Roy and Athena now shared the goal of fighting the Steel Hero and defeating the Last King. Under this firm bond of comradeship, Roy believed he absolutely had a chance to obtain everything Athena had.
I wanted not only your Authorities, but also you. Not only your body, but also your heart. Adults should loudly proclaim, "I want it all!"
Authority, "Protect Athena"
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A sharp pain struck the back of Roy's hand. Thin streams of blood trickled from the corner of Athena's mouth, adding to her bewitching beauty.
Then Roy felt divine power flow through Athena's lips and the wound on the back of his hand into his body. He was very familiar with this divine power—it was the same divine fluctuation that had radiated from the Gorgon Stone before.
Athena slowly released his hand. Roy raised it before his eyes, examining the row of teeth marks and the torn flesh on the back of his hand before looking at Athena.
"This is the contract. From this moment onward, Athena's fate shall be linked with Roy Crawley's. Lord of Rakshasa, watched by a goddess, whether this is your fortune or misfortune, I do not know. Even death cannot sever this bond. Even if you fall into the Underworld, I, the Queen of the Underworld, shall seek you there and gaze upon you in the silent wilderness as you continue to become a demon king in Hell."
"...Use everything you have to satisfy me. I hope you will honor your promise to me: burn the 'Steel' and sever the 'Last Steel.' If you dare betray our agreement, I swear that even if I must search Heaven and Earth, I will take your life!"
Athena's pearly teeth were stained with Roy's blood, gorgeous as roses. Her expression was proud and her voice lofty. Her peerless features radiated both sonorous authority and seduction, drawing all of Roy's attention.
Even after becoming his possession and his subordinate goddess, the goddess's words and tone sounded more like a queen conferring a title upon a vassal. Athena's stubbornness and pride were plain to see.
Still, Roy would give her this much face. If he contradicted a woman at a time like this, that would not be a man's dignity—it would be the behavior of an ironclad loner who could never find a girlfriend.
"I will honor our agreement until death separates us, my goddess!"
Roy placed one hand before him and bowed with elegant poise.
Athena's stern expression gradually softened. She narrowed her eyes slightly and gave a mocking laugh. "...If I let you die before me, would that not be mocking my powerlessness? I will not let you die. Even if you truly fall into the Underworld, I, the Queen of the Underworld, will drag you back out."
As she spoke, Athena's delicate body began to shrink. Before long, she had once again changed from a tall goddess into a little girl.
"I placed the Gorgon Stone within your body. It is the bond and beacon between you and me, and also a type of Divine Artifact and Authority. Whenever you need me to fight for you, you may use the Gorgon Stone to summon me and restore me to my trinity, Athena state~!"
"...However, I will fight only you and the 'Steel God.' As for my sisters, who are Earth Mother Goddesses like me, I will not fight them."
Athena's clear voice gradually weakened. Struck by the Light of the Right, she had completely lost her ability to move, and scarcely had any energy or strength left.
"That is enough, Athena! My true enemy was always the 'Steel'—the 'Last Steel'!"
Roy clenched his fist, sensing the divine power belonging to Athena within his body. The Gorgon Stone could be said to be Athena's power and other half, and Athena had now entrusted that power and demigodhood to him.
This goddess was indeed proud. If your actions touched her bottom line, Athena might tear up the agreement without hesitation. But so long as your actions remained within the limits she could accept, she would do her utmost to honor the promise.
Roy knew that she had handed him her power so that he could trust her more. Driven by their shared enemy and her hatred, they could face the future together.
I'll call this Authority "Protect Athena."
Roy thought about it with a mischievous grin. The Authority should technically be called "Summon Athena," but Roy felt that "Protect Athena" sounded better. In any case, Authorities did not really have names. They were simply invented by the Campione themselves or by those idle members of the Council of Sages of Greenwich.
Although Athena had said during their agreement that she would not help him fight Earth Mother Goddesses, Roy knew that doing something and saying something were different matters. Even among the unfortunate Earth Mother Goddesses, not all of them had a good relationship with Athena. Quite a few were probably disliked by her. This goddess was inherently willful and headstrong.
Moreover, Roy's compatibility with Earth Mother Goddesses was poor. Even killing one would not allow him to complete his Spiritual Foundation fusion. To Roy, only gods possessing the traits of 'Steel,' 'Victory,' or 'Sun' were targets he should slay. That happened to align perfectly with Athena's hatred.
Now Roy could finally be certain that, apart from the Last King, no Campione or Disobedient God in this world was his opponent. Once he joined forces with Athena, he would fear nothing—not even if all five remaining Campione surrounded him together.
"I'm a little tired... Take me back."
Athena's eyelids gradually grew heavy. The clear colors in her eyes blurred, and her voice grew weaker and weaker until she closed her eyes completely and began breathing evenly.
"Because she knew there was no longer any danger, she got tired enough to fall asleep?"
Roy looked at Athena, lying asleep on the ground, and said with some amusement, "...You actually dared to fall asleep right in front of me. How much do you trust me?"
Roy touched his own face. Was it because of Face of God, which easily made other people trust him, or was it simply because he himself naturally inspired trust?
Probably both. After all, Aleister Crawley looked like an extremely respectable man on the outside, but was actually a man with a hidden, lecherous side.
Roy exhaled, walked to Athena, and knelt beside her. With extraordinary care and tenderness, he lifted her tiny body, which had transformed into that of a little girl.
Athena's sleeping body shuddered. Then, like a kitten, her slender, snow-white hands seized Roy's blood-soaked, tattered robe. Her body curled up as she buried her delicate face against his chest.
"...She actually is rather cute when you look at her like this. It's just that she's too stubborn and too proud..."
With a soft laugh, Roy carried Athena forward and started walking in the direction from which they had come after making sure of their bearings.
The duration of Lord of Light's Authority had expired for the day, and Roy was not in particularly good condition either. He could only walk back one step at a time.
Roy had not gone far when he sensed a surge of magical power. He raised his eyes and saw Erica and Liliana rapidly flying toward him with magic, their expressions extremely anxious.
When they saw Roy, the two knightly girls brightened and quickly landed before running toward him. They were both shocked when they saw him covered in blood. Erica hurriedly supported his body, while Liliana, too worried to remember a Campione's magic resistance, cast healing magic.
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the villa and not come out?"
Although Roy looked displeased, his tone was not stern.
"Lily and I were too worried about your safety, so we came here. Please punish us!"
Erica lowered her increasingly mature and gorgeous face and spoke without retreating.
"Forget it. You two really are foolish women. If something had actually happened to me, coming here would only have gotten you killed... Since both of you were thinking of dying with me, how could I blame you? Lily, stop using magic. Although a Campione's body can resist most negative magic, that also renders beneficial magic ineffective. This injury will recover after I rest."
Roy stopped Liliana from wasting her magic and took a deep breath. "...I don't feel like walking anymore. See if you can call a helicopter to take me back."
"Yes, Lord Roy. Please wait a moment."
Erica acted decisively. She reached into the hollow between her breasts and took out a phone, beginning to contact the outside world.
The magicians of this world were much more adorable than those in the Type-Moon World. They were not nearly as crazy and also liked using technological products.
The helicopter landed before the villa deep in the Alps. Under the pilot's awe-filled gaze, Roy carried Athena back into the villa that had once belonged to the Marquis and now belonged to him.
"Lily, go to the washroom and prepare some water for me. I need a bath."
Roy lowered his head and glanced at his body, which was almost dyed red with blood, then ordered Liliana.
"Yes, Lord Roy!"
Liliana lowered her head slightly in acknowledgment and prepared to leave to get to work.
"Wait, Lily."
"Is there anything else, Lord Roy?"
Hearing Roy's voice, Liliana stopped and turned around to ask.
Roy did not speak. He merely pressed a fingertip against Athena's delicate face as she slept in his arms. The goddess's skin was soft enough to be blown apart and cool to the touch.
Disturbed in her sleep, Athena wriggled. Her tiny hand slapped Roy's away while she muttered something in her sleep.
Roy looked at his fingertip and saw that it did not even have a speck of dust on it. "...Never mind. It's fine! Go on, Lily."
Liliana nodded and walked away to prepare hot water for Roy's bath.
"Goddesses really are convenient. They even have an automatic cleaning function, while Campione don't have anything like that."
Roy muttered under his breath. During the battle, Athena had been thoroughly beaten by his Wrestling with God and had even been sent rolling across the ground. She should have been filthy, but the moment the battle ended, her body was as clean as if she had just taken a bath. Roy could only marvel at how useful divine abilities were.
"Lord Roy, why didn't you kill Athena?"
Erica watched Athena in Roy's arms warily. After hesitating for a long while, she finally asked.
"Killing a god is only done to usurp her Authority. But compared with the Authority obtained, the benefits of having a powerful god become your subordinate and assist you far outweigh killing her."
"...I understand what you mean. Don't worry, Erica! Athena willingly handed the Gorgon Stone over to me. Her power is now under my control, so she cannot launch a sneak attack or assassination."
Roy was not an absolutely opinionated man. After hearing the concern in Erica's words, he patiently explained. At the same time, he extended his left hand and transformed the Gorgon divine power within his body into physical form, causing it to appear in his palm as the Gorgon Stone.
Only after seeing Roy control the object did Erica finally relax. On their way back to the villa, she and Liliana had seen the site of the battle between Roy and Athena from the air. One of Europe's most famous mountain ranges, the Alps, had actually been flattened in one section. If such a terrifying sight had been created by modern weapons, who knew how many nuclear bombs it would have taken?
Campione and Disobedient Gods were not natural disasters. They were monsters capable of destroying the world. No, beings like Roy, a Campione, and Athena, a Disobedient God, were so terrifying that they surpassed human imagination, possessing a power found only in writing.
Erica was glad that Roy and Athena's clash had taken place in the Alps. If the power to flatten a mountain range and turn mountains into plains on the map had appeared in Rome, forget the city itself—even half of Italy might have been reduced to ruins.
The demon king of the earth and the disaster of the heavens. Campione and Disobedient Gods truly deserved their names.
"You mean that you made Athena submit?"
Only then did Erica react. Connecting Roy's words with one another, she widened her beautiful eyes, her small mouth forming an 'o.'
This had never happened in recorded history. Whenever Campione and Disobedient Gods appeared in the records, they were always fighting, and it always ended with one side's complete destruction. But a Campione making a Disobedient God submit—or a Disobedient God making a Campione submit—was something no one had ever heard of.
"You can't use the word 'submit.' Athena and I are probably allies now. I just have a higher position in this relationship. Once Athena wakes up, you must not say the word 'submit' to her. This goddess is far too proud. If she hears it, you won't get off lightly."
"...Also, Athena will probably live with us from now on. Find some excellent maids in Italy to take care of her. You should also be more respectful toward her in daily life. Although she is no longer the trinity, Athena, she is still a goddess."
As Roy spoke with Erica, he reached his bedroom and gently placed Athena on the bed. He covered her with a thin blanket, then thought for a moment before finding a doll and stuffing it into her arms. Only then did Athena's hand, which had been gripping his collar tightly, relax.
"How could I possibly disrespect Athena? It's just that when I think about living with a Disobedient God from now on, I wonder whether I'm still dreaming."
Erica, Italy's famous Crimson Devil, rubbed her forehead and said with a bitter smile.
Even a proud Witch like her felt dazed at this moment, rendered muddle-headed by the news that she would be living with a Disobedient God.
"You'll get used to it, Erica."
Roy patted Erica's shoulder with a light laugh. When he heard Liliana's footsteps, he headed for the washroom.
Amid billowing steam, Roy washed the blood from his body and watched the red water flow across the floor before being swept away down the drain.
"Fortunately, my physical constitution has improved greatly. If this had been my old body, I'd probably be in the ICU—or preparing wreaths."
Roy mocked himself. Nearly every capillary in his body had burst, and blood had seeped from his pores. Even he had been startled by the amount of blood he had lost. Even so, such an injury was only a minor one for a Campione. Unless his head was severed or all his organs were shattered, a Campione could recover through self-regeneration.
At that moment, a pair of snow-white arms wrapped around his waist, and warm breath embraced Roy from behind.
"Erica, why did you come in?"
Roy asked with a smile, grasping the hands around his waist. He knew who it was without turning around.
"Lord Roy, as your personal knight, it is my duty to solve every problem for you."
Erica's voice was like that of a little demon. She rose onto her toes and smiled seductively.
"Lily! Why are you still being shy? Come in already!"
Erica suddenly called toward the door. Then, amid the curling steam, a silver-haired girl appeared at the entrance. Somewhat stammering and bashful, she said, "...S-sorry to disturb you, Lord Roy."
As she spoke, Liliana slowly walked up to Roy.
Hearing Liliana's words, Roy and Erica both burst out laughing. They found the girl adorably foolish at that moment; those words were truly ill-timed.
Roy naturally knew why the two girls had come to see him. He shook his head and laughed. "...Then do as you wish."
After receiving his permission, Erica gave a sly wink, while Liliana lowered her head even further in embarrassment. The two knightly girls both lowered their gazes, behaving with perfect decorum.
On the North American continent, in the United States—
A woman who always wore a mask and an outfit resembling full plate armor was reading a report in her hands. Her name was Anne Charlton, the Campione of America. Because she always wore armor and never allowed anyone to see her true form, everyone mistakenly believed she was male. She also used the masculine alias John Pluto Smith.
"Jack, take a look at this too. It's a report from Europe. My junior, who became a Campione more than a year ago, caused another huge commotion in the Alps this time. Wow, an entire section of the Alps is gone. Even my Artemis's Arrow couldn't match this destructive power."
Anne shouted in a serious yet exaggerated tone.
"Lady Smith, are you hoping to seek this 'King's' assistance?"
The man, around thirty years old, frowned as he asked. His name was Jack, and he was a subordinate of the King of America.
"The Fly King has been causing more and more trouble. They have mastered the essence of guerrilla warfare, spreading across multiple locations throughout North America. I simply can't be in several places at once, and I can't stop them. They've already caused massive civilian casualties... This Roy Crawley once killed Solomon and obtained Solomon's Wisdom. It's said that he can see through the past. I want to borrow those eyes to find the mastermind behind the Fly King."
"...And this time, he fought the world's most famous goddess, Athena. Judging from the compatibility of the Authorities he obtained before, I suspect that what he gained this time may also be Athena's Wisdom."
Anne Charlton spoke without pause.
"But Lady Smith, I hope you'll think this through carefully. How should I put it? Calling this 'King' to North America or going to meet him personally both seem extremely dangerous to me."
Jack chose his words carefully and spoke cautiously.
"Don't laugh at me, but I have the same concern. I'm even a little afraid. Even an ancient Campione like Marquis Voban was killed by him. Campione who would kill their own kind are extremely rare. But for the sake of the people of North America, I... I may still have to try..."
Anne Charlton gave a bitter smile.
Grail
Athena opened her eyes from her hazy sleep.
She found herself lying on a soft, warm bed and being held by someone. Her feminine instinct made her body tense, but when her nostrils caught that familiar scent, Athena's rigid body relaxed.
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