Chapter Ten: Solomon's Divine Artifact / Chapter Eleven: Ascending the Throne of Christianity

"It's decided, then. I'll go to the Roman Vatican Curia and seek out Christianity! The god I killed was the 'God-like Being' Michael. I can now be considered Michael's incarnation on earth, and thus the very object Christianity ought to kneel before. To slaughter heathen gods in the name of 'Michael' and kill heretics as the archangel—this should fit Christianity's doctrine perfectly. I'll have them serve me wholeheartedly!"

Roy clapped his hands and immediately settled on his destination—the Vatican in Rome, Italy.

As for whether the Curia would be willing to swear allegiance, Roy had never considered it. He was the unconstrained demon king of the earth, and should act according to his own wishes.

Roy had one principle in life: he would absolutely do things befitting his identity.

For example, in the Toaru Majutsu no Index World, he was Laura's older brother, so he would make himself the best possible older brother and perfectly fulfill everything that role required.

Now he was a Campione, the demon king of the earth. He would therefore use a demon king's style of conduct as his guiding principle: those who followed him would prosper, and those who opposed him would perish. If the Curia was willing to serve him, so much the better. If not, Roy did not mind using his own Divine Right to wipe out the Curia's two-thousand-year history.

"Judging the Curia with the Power of Michael—people will only think that the Curia has fallen and disappointed God, because the archangel of justice can never be wrong!"

Roy gave a soft laugh and quickened his pace slightly. He could already see signs of human habitation.

His Divine Right contained an authority that could be used for travel. However, most of his authorities were limited by time and daily usage counts. Using them for travel instead of combat would be wasteful, which was why Roy had chosen to walk until he found people, then use human transportation to reach Italy.

Roy's right hand was wrapped in a red strip of cloth and tucked into his pocket. That strip was the 'Shroud of Turin' he had found in the magical workshop inside the desert cavern. The reason he did this was that the strongest of his seven authorities involved the 'Lord of Hosts' and the 'King of Kings'—the One God of Christianity, "Yahweh."

That authority had many restrictions, but it was also extraordinarily powerful and extremely difficult to control.

Without restraints, an 'omen' would appear around Roy's right hand. That was why he wrapped it in the Shroud of Turin's wondrous cloth, making the 'omen' vanish.

Before Roy stood a mountain shaped like a sand dune. It was not very tall, and many vehicles were parked at its foot. Several people were exploring the mountain, seemingly conducting archaeological work.

Among those bustling between the instruments at the foot of the mountain, someone spotted Roy. Seeing him alone and dressed in rags, they assumed he was a lost traveler. After saying a few words to the people beside him, he hurried over.

"Hey, friend! I think you might need some help!"

He was a Western man with blond hair and blue eyes, apparently in his late twenties and nearing thirty. He greeted Roy with great enthusiasm.

"Do you need a doctor? Or we could lend you a phone so you can contact the embassy in Jerusalem."

The man ran over, but after approaching and seeing Roy's face clearly, he looked surprised. He had not expected Roy to be so young. From the outside, he looked only fifteen or sixteen. Beneath his short, silver hair that reached his ears was a pair of bizarre Double Pupils. His bearing was also exceptionally contradictory—masculine, feminine, childlike, and elderly all at once—leaving one unable to see clearly, as if lost in a haze.

"...Um, or do you need to contact your parents?"

The blond, blue-eyed man hesitated. Although Roy was dressed in rags, he was full of energy and in no way looked like a lost traveler.

"Thank you. I think a glass of water is all I need right now."

"Oh, oh, just a moment!"

The young man hurried off to fetch bottled water. For some reason, although the boy before him looked young, he made this nearly thirty-year-old adult feel genuine fear, like encountering a beast in the jungle. It was the instinctive terror sent to him by his brain.

Roy also gained some information: this really was Israel.

After seeing that the magical workshop in the desert cavern belonged to a Jewish magician, he had already pieced together the surrounding environment and guessed where he was. Now, this blond, blue-eyed Western man had confirmed it.

"What are you doing here? Archaeology?"

Roy took the bottled water the man handed him, drank some, and asked.

"Oh, yes. We're conducting an archaeological dig. I'm a doctoral student, and I'm here exploring with my advisor."

At Roy's question, the man's eyes lit up and he began speaking animatedly. Perhaps he did not have much of a role on the archaeological team, and had become excited because someone was willing to listen to him talk about his field of expertise.

"We're excavating the Jewish 'First Temple,' also known as the legendary Temple of Solomon. Although the Bible describes King Solomon and the temple, archaeological discoveries contain very little material related to Solomon. Many people even doubt whether King Solomon truly existed."

"...Based on our research into ancient maps, this should be Mount Murray, the heart of Ancient Jerusalem. Traditionalists believe that the Temple of Solomon was located on Mount Murray. We're currently searching for its ruins."

Listening to the man, Roy nodded inwardly, his interest piqued.

"The Temple of Solomon? Solomon the Wise? This is truly interesting."

Roy raised his eyes and looked at the many people carefully excavating on Mount Murray. Their movements were so cautious, as if they feared that one careless action might damage the ruins they were exploring.

But Roy did not want to wait, nor did he care about historical value. The only thing that interested him was the name 'Solomon.'

He gently raised his foot and infused it with Magic Power, then stomped down hard.

"Rumble—!"

The earth began to tremble. The doctoral student before him lost his balance and fell with a cry. At the same time, the dune-like Mount Murray began to sway. The Sand Sea collapsed, the mountain split apart, and a fissure appeared in the earth. Amid the shaking, cracks spread across the main body of Mount Murray.

"What happened? An earthquake?"

"Everyone, be careful!"

"The mountain... The mountain's collapsing... Mount Murray is collapsing!"

"..."

Roy watched Mount Murray's collapse expressionlessly, waiting to see whether the ruins of a temple might exist within the mountain.

This was the only one of Roy's seven authorities without time or usage restrictions. As long as he possessed Magic Power, he could activate it at any time.

This authority was the ancient martial art recorded in the Bible—the strongest technique, Jacob's Ladder, which could wrestle with an archangel.

Chapter Ten: Solomon's Divine Artifact

The man said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed."

The Bible's Genesis recorded a story about Jacob wrestling with an Angel at the ford of the Jabbok while returning to Canaan.

In the Book of Zerubbabel, Michael once answered Zerubbabel, saying, "I am the one who wrestled with Jacob at the ford of the Jabbok."

One of the seven authorities Roy had obtained from Michael, Jacob's Ladder, came from this tale.

Jacob was the ancestor of the Israelites, his name meaning one who overcame the Messenger of God. Jacob's Ladder was an unparalleled martial technique capable of defeating even an archangel, containing the power of the Bible's myths and legends!

Roy had originally been a mediocre magician and had never practiced martial arts. Yet, with this authority, he had become a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle of 'martial arts,' approaching the realm of the Dao.

After all, this peerless martial technique for wrestling with an archangel should never have belonged to a mortal.

That was how absurdly powerful a Campione was. Everything a mortal gained through a lifetime of arduous effort, after tasting every bitterness and sweetness and shedding blood and sweat, was not even worth noticing to a Campione.

The great deed of god-slaying was itself a miracle. Over the past millennia, only a mere dozen or two people had received such an honor.

The Magic Power Roy had infused into the ground gradually dissipated. The earth-shaking tremors slowly ceased as well. Mount Murray, the heart of Ancient Jerusalem, collapsed completely, becoming a stretch of shattered ruins and rubble.

The archaeologists of Mount Murray groaned as they climbed from the ground covered in fine sand and broken stones. They hurriedly began searching everywhere, as if afraid that the inexplicable 'earthquake' had completely destroyed whatever ruins might have existed there.

"This... this is..."

An archaeological expert suddenly cried out. Trembling, he used tweezers to lift a pottery fragment from the remains of the sand dunes and examine it carefully.

"This is an artifact from the early Kingdom of Judah. This really may be where the ruins of the Temple of Solomon are located!"

The archaeologist's shout caused an uproar among the others. Many people gathered around, including the doctoral student who had 'hosted' Roy, who greeted Roy before excitedly running over.

"Aiwass, can you sense whether there's anything related to a god here?"

Roy watched the archaeologists gather together and discuss their discovery excitedly. Then he asked Aiwass, whom ordinary people could not see, behind him.

A Campione was not omnipotent. Especially in terms of perception, Campiones were truly average. Aside from instinctively recognizing a Disobedient God at a glance, if two Campiones did not display their powers, they might even sit together drinking tea for an entire afternoon without realizing that the other was one of their kind.

"I am not an Angel skilled at searching. I have no special talent for perception or detection."

Although Aiwass said this, after pausing, she still pointed Roy in the right direction. "...Seventy meters in this direction. There is a mysterious presence underground. Digging it out would probably take a very long time."

"You really are a capable Angel."

Roy gave Aiwass an approving smile, then said, "...There is no need to dig. I am a Campione, a demon king unrestricted by taboos. To me, mortal historical artifacts have no value whatsoever. Excavation is the work of ordinary people or Magic Societies. All I need to do is—"

Following Aiwass's directions, Roy walked seventy meters away. He raised his fist and activated his authority once more, punching down at the already shattered ruins of Mount Murray.

"Boom—!"

Fine sand transformed into a veil of dust and sprayed a hundred meters into the air. Cracks appeared in the earth beneath Roy's feet. Then, amid a thunderous crash, the ground collapsed again, forming a deep pit like one created by a meteor impact.

The cheering voices of the surrounding archaeologists abruptly stopped. Every one of them swallowed and stared wide-eyed at Roy's inhumanly terrifying power.

As ordinary people, they would probably have been amazed simply by witnessing a magician's abilities. Now that they had seen a Campione known as the 'demon king of the earth,' this power far beyond mortal imagination made their nerves tremble.

Only now did they realize that the 'earthquake' from before had not been a natural phenomenon. It had very likely been caused by this terrifying young boy.

Roy ignored the fearful looks around him. He crouched down and scooped his left hand through the Sand Sea at his feet. As the grains slipped between his fingers, an ancient-looking ring appeared in his palm.

"A Bronze Artifact? A Divine Artifact? Could it be the legendary ring symbolizing wisdom, the one Solomon used to command demons to serve him? The mystical demonology book Lemegeton recorded that King Solomon was an outstanding demon summoner. Perhaps it was true?"

Roy weighed the ring in his left hand. It was indeed an undying Divine Artifact, a Divine Artifact related to a god.

However, Divine Artifacts were not usable by just anyone. In particular, this artifact directly pointed to Solomon. Roy was not Solomon, so he could not use it at all. Yet the artifact also had an enormous connection to Solomon, meaning it could serve as a tool or material for certain magical rituals.

Roy put the ring away. Several of the archaeologists opened their mouths, wanting to say that it was a valuable artifact and ask him to put it down. But remembering the superhuman power Roy had displayed earlier, they all wisely kept silent.

Only one of them showed shock and awe. He had sensed the ridiculously immense, abyssal Magic Power radiating from Roy when he used his authority and boldly guessed at Roy's identity.

"Is there... is there anything I can do for you, 'King'?"

After hesitating and struggling for a long while, the man who had recognized Roy's identity finally approached, lowered his head, and asked respectfully.

Although entering a Campione's line of sight was dangerous, it also represented an opportunity.

The other archaeologists stared in surprise as their sponsor suddenly became so humble. For a moment, they secretly wondered whether this youth might be some great personage.

No. How could someone with that almost monstrous power not be a great personage?

"A magician?"

Although Roy was a mediocre magician, he could recognize it at a glance when the other party did not dare conceal his identity and willingly released his own magical power.

"Yes, 'King.' I am from England..."

"Stop. I have no interest in which country or Society you belong to. I have only one request right now: prepare a clean change of clothes for me, then get me a plane ticket to Rome, Italy. As for identification and such, handle it yourself."

Although he had never met the magician before him, Roy ordered him as if he were addressing his most loyal servant.

The magician also felt that this was only natural. Seeing that the 'King' did not want to know his identity, he did not dare say more and promptly agreed.

Before long, a private plane took off from Jerusalem, Israel, carrying its sole passenger to Rome, Italy.

Chapter Eleven: Ascending the Throne of Christianity

The Seventh Campione had appeared.

According to the 'King' himself, his name was Roy Crowley. After investigating everyone in the world who shared that name, no trace of the New King's past had been found. It was suspected to be a false name.

The first person to witness the New King was a magician under the Council of Sages of Greenwich, who encountered him at Mount Murray, the heart of Ancient Jerusalem.

Based on an investigation of the area surrounding Mount Murray and the items discovered in the magical workshop of a secret Jewish Magic Society in Israel, it was inferred that the god slain by the New King was Archangel Michael.

Michael, the most famous archangel of the Abrahamic Pantheon, was recorded in the Tanakh, the New Testament of the Bible, the Quran, and other religious scriptures. He stood at God's right hand, had rendered outstanding service, symbolized 'fire,' and was the Supreme Commander of the Angelic Host, the Angel of 'victory and war,' and the only Angel to possess the title of archangel.

Because Michael's achievements were so dazzling, it was impossible to guess what authority the New King had obtained.

(Note: Under no circumstances should anyone test the New King's authority. He is one of the demon kings who stand above us.)

—Report on Roy Crowley, the Seventh Campione, compiled by the Council of Sages of Greenwich

The Vatican in the northwest corner of Rome, the capital of Italy, was the headquarters of Christianity.

Roy sat in the library of the Roman Vatican Curia, flipping through the secrets and Grimoires accumulated by Christianity over two thousand years. As the heart of the world's most famous Christianity, the Vatican had collected books of knowledge that other Magic Societies and organizations could scarcely imagine.

"Among the six Campiones other than me, some are magicians, but none are masters who devoted their entire lives to magic. Several Campiones even had humble identities in the past and accomplished the great deed of god-slaying only through luck."

"...Although this proves the claim that 'not every highest-ranking magician is a Campione, and the relationship between magicians and Campiones is merely superficially similar,' it also indirectly proves that Campiones are all ignorant fools, a bunch of short-sighted idiots!"

Roy closed the book in his hands and spoke with undisguised mockery.

He wore a red Cardinal Robe, with a silver cross on his chest. The robe was exceptionally ornate, woven with gold and silver threads and embroidered with mysterious runes symbolizing Christianity. Even the fine details had been exquisitely engraved using miniature carving techniques, depicting mythological stories from the Bible.

This Cardinal Robe had been specially designed with a pocket on the right side of the body, woven from the Shroud of Turin. Roy usually kept his right hand in the pocket, using the Shroud's properties to conceal the omen on his hand. The Cardinal Robe also gave Roy an even more priestly air.

"Still, I can understand the Campiones' thinking. Even if they mastered more of this mortal knowledge, they could not stand against Disobedient Gods. Thus, they regarded magical knowledge as useless dross, never realizing that even Pandora's Dark Offering was merely an extraordinarily complex Grand Ritual involving the essence of this world."

Roy appeared to be talking to himself, but was actually chatting with Aiwass behind him. Aiwass was not a good conversational partner. This Holy Guardian Angel could be rather sharp-tongued at times and did not particularly like talking continuously. She preferred to observe as a bystander.

After leaving Jerusalem, Israel, Roy had marched all the way to the Vatican in Rome without hesitation. He had thought that, as the headquarters of Christianity with two thousand years of history, the Vatican would stubbornly refuse to surrender. He had even prepared to force them to submit through violence.

But the actual situation was somewhat beyond Roy's expectations. After learning Roy's identity, the Roman Vatican Curia not only offered no resistance but directly enshrined him. In particular, after learning that the god Roy had slain was Michael, these church officials shamelessly bestowed upon him the title of 'Holy Son.'

Only then did Roy fully understand the status Campiones possessed in this world. To Magic Societies, swearing allegiance to a Campione was not an insult but an honor. Even a religion as powerful as Christianity was no exception.

Christianity in this world was not as powerful as one might imagine. That was because Disobedient Gods existed here. To Christianity's doctrine of monotheism, the existence of Disobedient Gods was itself the greatest blow to its teachings. The Disobedient Gods of foreign religions were especially powerful. Even if Christianity devoted everything it possessed, it could not defeat a single one of them. The only beings capable of fighting Disobedient Gods were Campiones.

Under these circumstances, Christianity was naturally willing to accept the protection of a Campione. This was especially true because the authority Roy possessed belonged to the sacred archangel Michael, not to a foreign god. To Christianity, this was undoubtedly the Lord's blessing.

Because Christianity possessed so much intelligence and knowledge, it understood even better the inviolability and power of Campiones. After Roy ascended the throne of Christianity as the 'Holy Son,' he also learned some of its secrets.