Fantasy Library, Ch 326-330

Chapter 326: Truly His Honor

If someone were to ask an acquaintance of Doni what kind of person Salvatore Doni was, the answer would most likely be something like this...

"An idiot."

"A fool."

"A hopeless bastard."

That's right—so negative and disgraceful.

Even though many people were well aware that Salvatore Doni was a Campione, a Demon Lord, and the leader of the entire southern European magic world, people still couldn't give him a positive evaluation.

Because that’s just the kind of person he was—not only thick-skinned but also unusually scatterbrained, always capable of doing things that were infuriating yet left others helpless. He could even get someone’s name wrong; even if someone repeatedly emphasized it in front of him, he'd say he remembered it, but turn around and forget it entirely.

Take this incident in Sardinia, for example. Because all flights were grounded, in order to reach Sardinia, this so-called King of Swords actually intended to jump into the Mediterranean and swim all the way to shore.

Is that an idea a normal person could come up with?

But Salvatore Doni really intended to do it. When his close aides tried to stop him, he even considered knocking them unconscious or tying them up and throwing them into a public toilet, so that no one could stop him.

Anyone capable of coming up with such ideas clearly had something wrong in the head.

But this was Salvatore Doni—the King of Italy.

He was only interested in combat and utterly devoted to the sword. He had no interest in anything outside of battle. A true warrior, and also a troublemaker who did whatever he pleased.

Some called him a cataclysmic bringer of disaster, others a brainless gorilla. Some believed he had left his intellect behind in his mother's womb, while others suspected he had his buttocks attached to his neck—how else could he come up with so many absurd thoughts and actions that always led to big trouble, leaving others with mixed feelings of respect and frustration?

Erica was exactly someone who both respected and loathed him.

She admitted Salvatore Doni’s valor and strength, and admired his swordsmanship and purity. But she was sincerely irritated by the King’s stupidity and ridiculousness.

So, she feared Salvatore Doni but didn’t respect him. She was willing to acknowledge him as a powerful swordsman or warrior, but was reluctant to recognize someone so vulgar and lacking in elegance as a knight.

However, no matter how low people’s evaluations of this man were, they had to admit one fact.

That was, this man was truly strong and dangerous.

No one wanted to see him recklessly displaying his power, as it would cause tremendous effects on the outside world.

“Sir Salvatore.” Erica stepped forward, bowed to Doni, and said, “Please allow me to speak. I have a few words I wish to say.”

Upon hearing this, Doni turned his gaze toward Erica.

“Oh, it’s you, Polka Tenny.”

Doni seemed to recognize Erica, wearing an expression of sudden realization.

“It’s been a while. Seeing you so spirited truly relieves me,” Erica said with a forced smile. “Also, I’m Erica Blandelli. Please don’t get my name wrong again.”

“Is that so?” Doni smacked his forehead and laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, my memory’s never been good. I can only remember the names of people I’ve met more than five times, so I still can’t quite remember your full name.”

Erica’s gaze toward Doni had already turned somewhat disrespectful.

If she remembered correctly, this should be her sixth time meeting this King, right?

Truly a brainless idiot.

Erica reconfirmed this point and decided not to argue with a fool, steering the conversation back on track.

“With all due respect, Sardinia has just experienced a battle between gods. All of the island’s functions are still trying to recover. It really can’t withstand another disaster of the same scale. I ask that you, for the sake of this land under your governance, suppress your overly vigorous energy for now, would you?”

Although these words were spoken politely, no matter how one listened, it sounded like she was mocking Doni.

And yet, Doni didn’t seem to notice.

“No problem, no problem. My Authorities aren’t as dangerous as those of the gods. No storms, no lightning. They won’t cause trouble for this island.”

Doni waved his hand as he said this.

“…You really have no sense of self-awareness.” Erica couldn’t hold back, and said bluntly, “Compared to storms and lightning, I believe more people fear your sword.”

Erica wasn’t someone unfamiliar with the world—she knew very well what Doni’s Authorities were.

According to the Witenagemot's investigative reports, of the four Authorities Doni possessed, two had already been exposed and were well-known to the world.

Among these two Authorities, one was the one Doni used most frequently and wielded most effectively—perfectly matched with his powerful swordsmanship.

Once that Authority was activated and fully unleashed, its impact might not be any less than the previous storm and blizzard.

With an extremely deep impression of that Authority, Erica did not back down because of Doni.

“And Sir Andrea? He probably wouldn’t want to see you acting recklessly, would he?”

Erica began searching around.

Andrea Rivera—Doni’s old friend and his trusted Great Knight, currently serving at Doni’s side.

He was one of the few people who could openly scold Doni, and he had a stronger restraining effect on Doni than most. Though called a confidant, he was more like a limiter placed on Salvatore Doni.

Without this man’s restraint—without him stopping many of Doni’s terrible actions—who knows what kind of mess Doni would have caused in Italy?

Therefore, in order to stop Doni, Erica had to confirm this Great Knight’s whereabouts.

However, in response to Erica’s inquiry, Doni gave a jaw-dropping answer.

“You mean Andrea?” Doni tilted his head. “Huh? Where is he?”

Upon hearing this, Erica froze.

“Don’t tell me you tied up Sir Andrea and threw him into a public toilet again?”

Erica couldn’t help but question him.

“No, no, how could I do such a terrible thing to my dear friend?” Doni quickly waved his hands and shook his head, then scratched his head sheepishly and said, “It’s just that he was pestering me on the plane, and I got annoyed, so I accidentally opened the cabin door and pushed him out…”

The faces of Erica and everyone who heard that sentence immediately began twitching wildly.

Even Kaiser was stunned by Doni’s shameless statement, staring at him with an expression of awe.

That there could actually be such a person in this world?

If he weren’t a King, surely someone would’ve stuffed him in a sack, chained him in iron, and sunk him straight to the bottom of the ocean, right?

“Relax. Don’t underestimate Andrea—he’s actually really strong, you know?” Doni said cheerfully. “It’s just falling out of a plane. With Andrea’s abilities, he’ll be fine for sure.”

“Unbelievable,” Kaiser remarked. “Just because he’ll be fine, you think it’s okay to do as you please?”

Andrea Rivera, having a friend like you, truly is his honor.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry. At worst, I’ll let him scold me when he comes back.” Doni truly looked like he didn’t care at all about his confidant’s safety. With anticipation, he turned to Kaiser and said, “Let’s get back to the main point, my brother. Will you fight me or not?”

Erica immediately opened her mouth, wanting to say something more.

But Kaiser raised a hand and stopped her.

“You’re sure you want to fight me?” Kaiser asked calmly. “Although I only recently became a Campione, my Authorities are no fewer than yours.”

Others thought Kaiser had only three Authorities, but only he knew he actually had four—already no less than Doni.

Moreover, Authorities were just a part of his power. Each of his personal weapons was no weaker than divine Authorities—none inferior to any renowned divine tools.

Strictly speaking, his pure Orga Lux, sacred gear, and Zanpakutō could all be considered as Authorities. Adding in the four divine artifacts, his Authorities already exceeded ten.

The outside world's assessment of his power had been fundamentally wrong.

He truly had no fear of a Salvatore Doni.

“Of course I know you’re not weak.”

Doni didn’t know Kaiser’s actual condition, but he seemed to have great confidence in him.

“Didn’t I say it before? Even from afar, I can smell that powerful warrior’s scent on you. I can even sense the sharp sword within you.”

The sword Doni mentioned referred not only to a weapon but also to the skill of a swordsman.

Precisely because he was the world’s strongest swordsman, he instinctively recognized that the man before him, who had only recently become his peer, must be an extraordinary swordsman.

How could he miss this?

“As fellow sword-users, let us communicate through our swords.” Doni smiled sharply. “You wouldn’t refuse, right, brother?”

Doni’s expression already showed he was determined to fight no matter what.

“Your Majesty…”

Seeing Doni like this, Erica knew she couldn’t stop him. She turned to Kaiser.

Kaiser, meanwhile, looked deeply at Doni, pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“I know how annoying battle maniacs like you can be. If I don’t agree here and now, you’ll definitely keep pestering me endlessly, right?”

These words brought a happy smile to Doni’s face—and left Erica in silent dismay.

“Let’s change location,” Kaiser said calmly. “This place isn’t suitable.”

Doni nodded without hesitation.

“Whatever you say, brother.”

Chapter 327: The Demon Sword with the Same Power

Tharros, Saint Bastian Ruins.

While all parts of Sardinia had suffered varying degrees of damage, this place still retained the same appearance as when Kaiser and Erica had arrived earlier, as if it had not been particularly affected.

Kaiser and Doni appeared here together, standing a certain distance apart.

There was no one else around—not even Erica had followed.

This was only natural. A battle between two Kings could, if not careful, engulf everything around them. If Erica had followed, it might not even be possible to protect her life, let alone spectate.

So, Erica very sensibly didn’t follow. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t paying attention to what was happening here.

Inside a hotel in Oristano County, Erica and some members of the Copper Black Cross were observing the scene through far-sight magic, spectating the battle between the two Kings in this manner.

In such a situation, Doni did not make the first move, but instead glanced around the surroundings.

"This place seems a bit different from the others," Doni said with interest. "Could it be that the two gods who appeared on Sardinia had once stayed here?"

"That's right." Kaiser also wasn’t in a rush to make a move and replied casually, as if chatting. "You could even sense that?"

"Just a hunch." Doni shrugged and said, "Don’t be fooled by how I act. I’m actually pretty good at finding people. No matter where it is, as long as there’s someone worth fighting, I’ll be able to find them."

That couldn’t be called being good at finding people at all...

Kaiser knew there were countless things to criticize in that sentence, but he no longer wanted to bother.

This young Italian man not only had issues in the head, he was just plain strange.

You say he’s thick-headed? But he could detect things others couldn’t—without any evidence or reasoning, purely relying on intuition, which was utterly absurd.

But if you said he was sharp? He couldn’t even remember a person’s name, nor could he read the room—he was always doing whatever he wanted.

Such a contradictory and bizarre person—this was Kaiser's first time encountering one.

So, he had decided not to get caught up in matters that defied both science and magic.

"This place is relatively remote. Even if we go a bit overboard here, it shouldn’t cause any particularly serious problems."

Kaiser spoke as if he had completely forgotten the importance of the ruins.

As a result, Doni seemed to misunderstand.

"So you’re saying, brother, that you also want to go all out with me here?" Doni said happily.

"...How did you interpret it like that?" Kaiser's mouth twitched. After rubbing his forehead, he said, "Forget it. I won’t bother correcting you. If you want a full-power battle, I’ll accompany you."

He likewise had no reservations. If Doni wanted a full-force fight, he was ready to go all the way.

Though he found these battle maniacs a bit annoying, Kaiser did not reject battle, and he certainly wasn’t like the original protagonist, intent on avoiding or fleeing fights.

You want a battle?

You want to go wild?

Fine—I’ll go along with you.

Having gone through many battles both big and small, for the current Kaiser, this had become an everyday occurrence.

"That’s great."

Perhaps sensing Kaiser's intent, Doni’s smile became more genuine.

It was the smile of a child, expressing pure joy over something he loved.

For this King of Swords, clashing blades with others was truly a joyful thing.

Therefore, he said no more, and grasped the long, cylindrical case slung across his back, opening it.

From the case, Doni drew his weapon—one he almost never let go of—a long sword.

The sword was about 80 centimeters long, double-edged, solidly made, and gave off a heavy impression.

From its aura, it didn’t seem to be any famed blade, incomparable to the many specialized weapons Kaiser held, and not even on par with Erica’s Cuore di Leone. It was a mass-produced weapon so crude that even a layman could see its roughness.

However, the moment Doni gripped this sword, the feeling he gave off changed completely.

He didn’t take any stance—he merely let the hand holding the sword hang powerlessly by his side. His posture was so full of openings that even experts would shake their heads, unable to believe this was the stance of someone intending to fight.

Yet, as Doni stood with his sword lowered, Kaiser felt that the person in front of him wasn’t a man, but a sword. A sword that could stab at any moment, pricking at his skin like needles.

"Where’s your sword, brother?"

Though Doni maintained his frivolous tone, the aura he exuded was no longer as relaxed as before.

Kaiser narrowed his eyes, suddenly smiled, and grasped the black activator that had appeared in his hand at some unknown moment.

"Zheng!"

A red Urm-Manadyte instantly burst forth with light, releasing Mana that did not exist in this world, raising the temperature. From the black activator, a blade of dark energy extended.

"Buzz—buzz—"

The blade vibrated slightly, humming. Kaiser casually swung it a few times, letting black sword-light flicker around him.

"Oh?" Doni’s eyes lit up. Looking at the black demon sword in Kaiser’s hand, he said with undisguised joy, "What kind of weapon is that? A legendary demon sword or holy sword?"

The demon sword or holy sword Doni referred to was not one of those renowned in myth and legend.

Those were divine artifacts, manifestations of divine power—not weapons that humans could casually use, and extremely rare in this world.

What Doni referred to as demon swords or holy swords were famous blades forged by humans, or crafted in imitation of legendary armaments.

Like Erica’s Cuore di Leone—that was a famous demon sword, its name representing the soul of a lion, a steel that embodied courageous spirit, with indestructible properties.

Cuore di Leone could easily slice through steel. Even when broken, it could self-repair. Reduced to fragments, it could still reassemble. It also had powerful spells attached, allowing it to take the form of a steel lion and greatly enhance the wielder’s magical power.

Liliana Kranjčar of the Bronze Black Cross similarly possessed a famed blade known as Silver Master. Originally paired with Cuore di Leone, its sharpness could split concrete blocks in one slash, also boosting magical power, while playing beautiful melodies that could disrupt concentration, induce sleep, disturb the mind, drain Magical Power, or even sap physical strength.

These were the types of weapons Doni referred to.

"More or less." Kaiser didn’t explain, nor did he dismiss the question. He simply replied, "It is indeed a demon sword. But whether it has the power of legend—you’ll have to find out for yourself."

"Now that’s an invitation I can’t refuse, brother." Doni grinned widely. "That said, if I just swing my sword at it, I feel like it’ll break immediately."

...This guy’s intuition really was absurd. Could he already sense that without even fighting yet?

No, rather than intuition, maybe it was something more like instinct?

"You truly are a born anomaly," Kaiser remarked, then smiled. "Since that’s the case, what do you plan to do?"

"Simple." Doni replied without thinking. "Since you’ve shown me your demon sword, brother, I should show you mine too."

As he said this, Doni, in a fluent voice, chanted a Kotodama that matched him perfectly.

"I swear this: I will not permit the existence of anything I cannot cut. This sword is the invincible blade that severs all things upon this earth!"

With Doni’s Kotodama, a terrifying surge of Magical Power burst forth from his sword-wielding right wrist.

The Magical Power, like mercury, adhered to his right hand, slowly turning it silver.

A radiant silver arm appeared on Doni’s right hand, causing the crude greatsword he held to be wrapped in an inhuman Magical Power, its aura becoming tremendously terrifying.

"Here I come, alright?"

Finishing his chant, Doni stepped forward lightly toward Kaiser.

His steps were light as if he were treading on clouds or water—silent, swift, and mystical.

Yet, those seemingly relaxing steps brought Doni in front of Kaiser in the blink of an eye.

The next moment, Doni swung his sword.

"————"

Like a mirage suddenly appearing, Doni’s silver arm and the silver sword wrapped in unearthly Magical Power first became blurry, and when they reappeared, they were already slicing toward Kaiser’s neck.

A cold sensation touched Kaiser’s throat.

A dangerous sharpness scraped across Kaiser's mind.

For an instant, Kaiser even saw the gruesome image of himself being sliced in two and dying on the spot.

In that moment, his body moved instinctively.

"Clang!!!"

The black demon sword suddenly slashed upward, unleashing tremendous force that deflected the silver sword just as it was about to sever his throat.

Magical Power surged like a shockwave, sparks flying as Doni’s sword was knocked aside, cutting only air.

But when that sword was knocked away and slashed through the air, something unbelievable happened.

"Boom!"

Accompanied by a loud blast, the space where Doni’s sword had passed was cleanly cut—atmosphere and ground alike—sending gravel and dust flying into the air.

Kaiser’s heart tensed, but his body again moved instinctively. Ignoring the anomaly to his side, his Ser-Veresta buzzed and became a black streak of sword-light, slashing forward.

"Clang!!!"

Doni’s right arm and sword reappeared in front of him like a ghost, blocking the strike with a loud clash.

Doni felt an unexpectedly immense force, sending him flying, his feet carving a long trench into the ground, dust rising around him.

"What a powerful strike, brother!"

Doni laughed heartily, baring his teeth and unable to hide his excitement.

"Looks like your body is pretty sturdy! This is the first time I’ve almost let go of my sword after a single exchange!"

"And you even blocked my slash!"

"Sure enough, that demon sword of yours is just like I thought—able to sever anything, possessing the same power as my Authority!"

A demon sword that severs all—that was the power of the Authority Doni had just used.

It was the first Authority Doni obtained after becoming a Campione, stolen from the Celtic god-king Nuada. When activated, his arm would become a silver metallic arm, capable of channeling immense Magical Power into the weapon it held, granting it strength to cleave the earth, alter terrain, and part the seas—a power that could sever all things. It even bestowed different demonic sword abilities.

For example, it could extend the sword, release sword energy, cause incurable wounds, ignite or detonate the target, and more—all granted through that overwhelming Magical Power channeled into the weapon. Even if the object wasn’t a sword, but a branch, it would still have the same effect.

Even intangible things—gas, liquid, spirits—could be cut. Whatever it touched, be it light, earth, or even meteors from space, would become part of the demon sword’s effect.

This was Doni’s most frequently used and most prideful Authority, and the most well-known one.

The Witenagemot named it — Severing Silver Arm.

The silver arm that bestowed the power of the demon sword to sever all things had now been blocked by Kaiser’s Ser-Veresta.

"The principle may be different from mine, but that sword should also be able to sever anything, right?"

Doni said with strange certainty.

Kaiser didn’t deny it.

"Ser-Veresta," Kaiser simply said. "That’s her name."

"Nice name. I’ll remember it."

The look in Doni’s eyes as he stared at Ser-Veresta was not of someone admiring an object, but of someone recognizing a powerful opponent.

Otherwise, Doni wouldn’t have said what came next.

"That’s not something that should be called a legendary demon sword. It must be a divine artifact I’ve never heard of."

"Possessing the same severing power as my Authority—could it be a weapon belonging to some sword god?"

"Hmm… Let me test whether a divine artifact with the same power as mine can actually be severed by me."

Saying so, Doni stepped forward without hesitation, instantly approaching Kaiser and swinging his sword.

"Boom!"

A surge of immense Magical Power erupted, cleaving the entire plaza of the ruins in two.

Chapter 328: Rising All the Way Until Now

At the same time, on the top floor of a high-end hotel, in a parlor room...

At this moment, the parlor room was occupied by a group of high-ranking members of the Copper Black Cross.

Without exception, they were all gathered in front of a large LCD television, watching the scene being broadcasted on the screen.

Upon closer inspection, the screen displayed a forest that had turned into a battlefield.

Within the forest, two swordsmen were fiercely clashing, weaving through the woods while their silhouettes interlaced at astonishing speed, causing sword flashes to fly and dirt and stones to scatter.

Wherever the sword light and blade shadow passed, trees fell in swaths, and the ground was split open by silver slashes and black sword light, causing countless cracks and sword marks to spread across the land. Trenches and ravines appeared one after another, gradually destroying that forest.

The intensity of the battle was like a myth come to life, a calamity returned—a scene so spectacular and so deeply stirring.

"Gulp..."

Someone audibly swallowed, and that sound was particularly conspicuous in the otherwise silent parlor.

By rights, this should have been considered extremely rude behavior—at least for these self-proclaimed knights.

But whether it was Erica or the others, no one had the mind to care about that right now.

They only stared at the screen on the LCD TV, watching the intense battle that caused the forest to wail and the earth to collapse, their eyes and faces filled with shock.

"This—this is a battle between Campiones?"

"Such overwhelming power...!"

"Too terrifying! The forest is being destroyed!"

"I can't believe this is the result of swords clashing..."

"I—I can hardly keep up with their speed. I can't even see their swords...!"

The group couldn’t hide their astonishment and began discussing amongst themselves.

These people were not ordinary knights. They were sent by the Copper Black Cross only after Kaiser had slain two Heretic Gods and after Doni had arrived in Sardinia.

Among them, some were Great Knights like Erica, while others were magi or high-ranking members of the Copper Black Cross with status not inferior to a Great Knight. They were all knowledgeable and well-experienced—far beyond ordinary standards.

However, at this moment, watching the scene displayed on the screen, watching the battle between those two young men—these people of high status within the Copper Black Cross, and even within the entire Milan magic world, were all without exception immersed in indescribable shock.

"That our Italian King, the leader of the entire Southern European magic world, possesses such sword skill and might—I’m not surprised."

"That’s the King of Swords, the world’s strongest swordsman. A warrior among warriors who can slay gods with only a sword. It would be strange if he didn’t have such a level of mastery."

"But I didn’t expect that the new King who just recently emerged in the East would also possess swordsmanship of this level!"

"Wasn’t he an ordinary person before becoming a Campione?"

"The intel we collected must be wrong!"

That last statement—Erica agreed with it as well.

After witnessing Kaiser’s battle, Erica had a feeling—that the world’s understanding of Kaiser was mistaken.

Such swordsmanship, such technique, could absolutely not have been forged by an ordinary person.

Moreover...

"What’s with that black sword?"

"To be able to clash so fiercely with a demon sword that severs everything without being destroyed..."

"That’s definitely some kind of divine artifact!"

A so-called divine artifact is an item inscribed with heavenly wisdom or mythic power.

They essentially originate from mythology, from those well-known legends—things of the same nature as gods.

They are like gods manifested on earth in the form of objects, each possessing extraordinary wisdom and mystery.

Though merely tools—items—they were sometimes even more powerful than the gods themselves, or even more famous than them.

Like the Gungnir—the Eternal Spear—even the gods could not match its might. Its legend of always hitting and always winning is known worldwide. To slay a god with it is no difficult feat.

Though there are weaker divine artifacts, even the weakest among them are beyond comparison with human-made creations.

Human creations generally cannot threaten gods, but divine artifacts have such potential.

But what makes a divine artifact a divine artifact is that it is a tool used by a god.

Even if a powerful divine artifact were to fall from myth or ancient times into the modern age and be obtained by people, it’s not something that can be used so easily.

Some divine artifacts simply cannot be used by humans. Some, even if usable, require a certain price to be paid. Some have extremely harsh usage conditions...

In short, for humans to wield divine artifacts freely—it is no easy task.

And yet, Kaiser seemed to be wielding a divine artifact capable of standing against the Italian King of Swords in a head-on confrontation. This was undoubtedly extremely important intelligence.

"Could that be the weapon this King used to slay gods?"

Someone posed such a conjecture, believing that Kaiser had become a Campione precisely because he wielded such a powerful divine artifact.

Erica did not join in on their discussion. She only stared intently at the screen, unblinkingly watching the battle.

She was also a knight—a knight whose swordsmanship was not weak. But compared to the two before her, Erica suddenly realized that the sword skills she had always taken pride in... were actually nothing much.

"Just what kind of training does one have to go through to obtain swordsmanship on such a divine level?"

Erica pondered this question.

In such a moment, Kaiser and Doni were still fiercely battling, the situation becoming increasingly heated.

"Rumble rumble..."

That forest not far from here let out a sound like the earth shaking, gradually moving toward destruction...

…………

"Clang!!!"

Amidst the swirling dust from storms and shockwaves, Kaiser and Doni charged at each other like two war chariots. Then, with a thunderous clash, black demon sword and silver demon sword collided heavily.

The clash of steel on steel produced a ringing sound, sparks bursting forth like flames. The impact in that instant not only shattered the ground beneath their feet, but sent countless stones and gravel flying—making the very world seem to cry out, trembling all over.

"Boom!"

Doni had completely entered a frenzied state. His face wore an expression of extreme excitement, silver arm raised, silver sword slashing downward. The slash tore through the air, shattered the earth, forming a magnificent blade of sword energy slashing toward Kaiser.

"Swish!"

Kaiser didn’t choose to take it head-on. Instead, he used Shunpo, his figure vanishing like a mirage. He only reappeared when the sword energy split the ground, darting in front of Doni, his Ser-Veresta glowing with high heat, transforming into a flash of slashing light.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

Kaiser struck three times in a row—targeting Doni’s head, shoulder, and waist. But Doni rotated his silver arm, using the smallest, shortest movements to bring his sword to meet Kaiser’s, easily deflecting each strike.

Kaiser didn’t relent. His slashes came like a storm, one after another, with trajectories sometimes clear, sometimes elusive—bright then dim, strong then weak, fast then slow, straight then curved—dazzling and hard to follow.

"Truly impressive!"

Doni laughed as he effortlessly displayed swordsmanship not inferior to Kaiser’s. The silver sword in his hand moved as if it were alive—sometimes snaking like a serpent, sometimes straight like a spear—utterly at ease and unrestricted.

Yet it was this seemingly unstructured, formless swordsmanship that managed to block all of Kaiser’s storm-like slashes.

"I thought that, aside from that martial arts King of China, there was no one else in this world who could match me in swordsmanship. I never expected my new compatriot to also be a master of the sword. What a pleasant surprise!"

Doni’s voice brimmed with joy, his expression one of absolute delight.

"Coming to Sardinia was definitely the right choice. Being able to meet you, brother, is such a blessing!"

Doni laughed loudly as he swung his silver arm, releasing the power of the demon sword without restraint. Each slash became a blade of energy that could split the land, raining down toward Kaiser.

"I’m not nearly as happy as you are!"

Kaiser poured a massive amount of Magical Power into Ser-Veresta, causing its blade to swell in size.

"Boom!!!"

As the massive black sword swept across, all the sword energy was sliced in half. Even the trees touched by the massive black sword light collapsed and vanished, raising thick dust and storms.

"Don’t try to fool me, brother!"

Doni grinned, suddenly launching a charge, darting toward Kaiser like a bullet.

"You’re clearly enjoying this too!"

Saying so, Doni slashed down with his sword, striking Ser-Veresta and sending Kaiser flying.

Feeling his sword arm go slightly numb, Kaiser immediately stared at Doni and the scene around him.

There—nearly a hundred rune-like symbols had appeared at some point, rising and falling around Doni’s body as if guarding him.

Those were Nordic runes—the sign that Doni had activated his second Authority.

Salvatore Doni, the new-generation Campione born just four years ago, possessed four Authorities—but only two with known origins.

One was the silver arm taken from Nuada, the Celtic god-king. The other was Protection of Steel, taken from Siegfried, the dragon-slaying hero of Norse mythology.

It was an Authority that granted the user’s body the hardness and weight of steel, used to protect oneself.

With this Authority, Doni effectively possessed a semi-immortal body. Even if struck by lightning or bombarded by gunfire, he wouldn’t suffer any injury.

Once steelified, his body was not only incredibly hard, but its massive weight could be used offensively—yet his movements wouldn’t be slowed at all. It was a power that enhanced both offense and defense.

Furthermore, his steel body meant Doni didn’t need oxygen or food—he could survive underwater or in a vacuum for years, even fake death to avoid fatal attacks. His survival capabilities were maxed out.

After realizing Kaiser’s physical strength was terrifying and that he couldn’t clash with a mortal body, Doni had activated this Authority without hesitation.

Relying on this Authority, Doni could confront Kaiser’s superhuman physical power. Otherwise, with Kaiser’s current strength, he would’ve already been cut down in one strike.

Combined with the silver arm that granted any weapon the ability to sever all things, even Ser-Veresta’s heat-infused slashes were blocked.

Both men possessed the power to sever all—and when that power clashed, neither could gain the upper hand. It was like the legendary Four-Colored Demon Swords that canceled each other out when meeting due to their all-penetrating attributes.

Of course, Ser-Veresta now was far stronger than those Four-Colored Demon Swords back then.

It could stand against the Severing Silver Arm. It could cleave through Verethragna’s divine form. That already proved that the current Ser-Veresta had the qualifications to contend with divine powers—a weapon worthy of being called a divine artifact!

It was his first companion—a weapon that had followed him through countless battles, rising with him to this very point!

Doni was right—Kaiser was indeed enjoying himself a bit, because he truly felt his own growth, and also the growth of Ser-Veresta!

His ability to match Doni in swordsmanship was proof of that as well.

Because Doni’s swordsmanship had already reached the realm of the divine—a technique only a Sword God could wield.

For Kaiser to stand against him with sword skill meant Ser-Veresta too had reached the divine realm—only then could he, with his Authorities, bring out divine-level weapon mastery and divine-level sword techniques.

"I really want Kirin and Claudia to see how strong we’ve become now."

Kaiser suddenly had that thought.

And then... a silver sword wrapped in terrifying Magical Power suddenly appeared before him, slashing at him.

"Don’t lose focus, brother! Let’s keep going with a proper fight!"

Doni shouted, his silver sword flashing like light, his strike like thunder, slashing toward Kaiser’s head in an instant.

"Splurt!"

Kaiser, standing there, was instantly cut in half by the silver sword—but no blood sprayed. Instead, like a mirage, he suddenly vanished.

"Swish!"

Kaiser reappeared behind Doni using Shunpo.

"Boom!"

The black demon sword slashed at Doni’s back like striking a steel ball, roaring as it blasted Doni away.

"Boom—boom—boom—boom—boom—"

Like an iron ball, Doni flew out like a rocket, crashing through tree after tree, finally smashing into a Nuraghe and reducing it to rubble.

Smoke and dust billowed up. Fragments of stone rained down, burying the King of Italy beneath them—never to be found again...

Chapter 329: Extremely Unsimple

On this day, the rumbling and booming within Tharros never ceased.

The entire region of Tharros felt as though it was struck by a massive earthquake, constantly shaking and booming, prompting the residents within to flee in panic.

The Saint Bastian Ruins had completely vanished. That forest filled with nuraghe constructions also collapsed into the earth at a certain moment along with the ground, sinking into the depths below, never to be seen again in its original form.

People didn’t know what had happened, but someone claimed to have seen black and silver sword light constantly flashing in the original Saint Bastian Ruins, and even saw two enormous swords, large enough to blot out the sky and sun, suddenly shoot into the air, clashing with each other like the collision of two celestial bodies, instantly unleashing a world-shaking impact that destroyed the entire forest.

No one knew that the true culprits behind all this were just two people—two individuals who had each slain gods more than once.

Only the forces on the mysterious side knew the truth, especially the Copper Black Cross, who had personally witnessed the entire intense battle between the two Kings and etched those unbelievable scenes deep into their souls, forming an unprecedented reverence toward these god-slaying Campione.

By the time everything settled, night had already fallen on Sardinia.

As darkness descended, the day-long tremors, booms, and earth-shaking upheaval finally ceased, allowing many people to heave a huge sigh of relief.

“Let’s go. Let’s welcome the two Kings.”

Erica was the first to speak, leading a large group of Copper Black Cross members and representatives of the mysterious side who arrived later, all gathering at the inn’s entrance to await the return of the two Kings.

They waited for nearly an hour.

An hour later, they saw two figures walking side by side.

“Were you all waiting here for us?”

Salvatore Doni spoke cheerfully to the group, seemingly in high spirits, a wide smile on his face.

However, seeing Doni's appearance, the crowd was taken aback.

At this moment, Doni was not only covered in tattered clothing from head to toe but also bore several ferocious wounds.

The box he always carried on his back was gone, and the sword he never parted with was nowhere to be seen.

Looking at this state of Doni, Erica couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

“Lord Salvatore? Your… your sword?”

Upon hearing this, Doni laughed very straightforwardly.

“It broke.”

That overly blunt and concise answer left everyone too stunned to speak.

The sword… broke?

Even the magic sword of the King of Swords can break?

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

Erica also looked toward Kaiser, discovering that his appearance wasn’t much better compared to Doni.

He too was in tatters, although not covered in wounds like Doni. His expression was very calm, as if he hadn’t just fought a life-or-death battle but had simply taken a stroll.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Seeing Erica looking at him, Kaiser slightly misunderstood and said, “His Magical Power couldn’t keep up, so his Authority weakened.”

“I just casually swung my sword, and it ended up getting cut.”

As soon as those words came out, everyone exchanged bewildered glances again.

But Doni, with a wry smile, slung an arm over Kaiser’s shoulder and said:

“You make it sound so light. If I hadn’t stepped back at the right moment, I’m afraid the thing that got casually cut wouldn’t have just been the sword, right?”

Though the statement was quite dangerous, Doni said it with a tone as breezy as spring wind, making the crowd twitch at the corners of their mouths.

“Cut the nonsense.” Kaiser smacked Doni’s hand away, walking into the inn while saying, “You didn’t exactly go easy on me either.”

“But I’m the only one who ended up injured, brother.” Doni quickly caught up to Kaiser, speaking with high spirits, “I clearly slashed you so many times, and with the magic sword from the Severing Silver Arm too. Normally, a wound from that wouldn’t heal easily even with the finest magic. Yet after just a blink, your injury healed up—it’s totally cheating!”

“What exactly is it? Did you steal that Authority from a god?”

Doni kept questioning, but all he got was silence from Kaiser.

The two disappeared into the elevator of the inn under everyone’s gaze, leaving the rest finally coming back to their senses.

“Quick, get the best healing magicians to treat Lord Salvatore’s wounds!”

“Prepare food—both Kings must be starving after fighting all day!”

“And clothing! Get fresh outfits ready for both Kings!”

“Let them rest in the spa! Where’s the best technician? Hurry and have her serve them…”

A group of high-ranking individuals from the mysterious side began chattering away.

Erica, however, looked in the direction where Kaiser and Doni disappeared, pondering one thing.

“Who won that battle?”

Truthfully, Erica was quite curious.

……

One had to admit, the Copper Black Cross’s service was indeed excellent and thoughtful.

Originally, Kaiser had just intended to go back to his room to change clothes. But before he even finished changing, he was escorted by a group of youthful and beautiful attendants to the inn’s spa area.

There, he immediately enjoyed services like aroma massage, hydrotherapy bath, facial care, and foot treatment—basically a full-body spa.

In such conditions, the fatigue accumulated from his day-long battle with Doni gradually melted away.

Unfortunately, midway through the massage, a bothersome guy showed up.

“Indeed, a massage after battle is the most comfortable.”

Reclining on a luxurious massage chair beside Kaiser, Doni let out such a sigh while enjoying the hands of a beautiful technician.

“Isn’t having a sword enough for you? You enjoy this too?”

Kaiser was getting his temples massaged, not even opening his eyes as he spoke.

“What are you talking about?” Doni answered seriously, “A man can’t live with just a sword. At the very least, he needs to be well-fed.”

…Why does that sound so infuriating coming from your mouth?

Kaiser’s hand twitched slightly but in the end, he resisted the urge to draw Ser-Veresta and slash this guy again.

At that moment, Erica silently appeared.

“Your bravery was truly admirable and eye-opening.”

She offered a compliment, which Doni responded to cheerfully.

“I enjoyed the fight a lot too, so I’ll accept your praise, Robert Dolly Jr.”

At those words, Erica’s graceful smile almost cracked.

If she were as powerful as Kaiser, she would probably have the same impulse Kaiser had earlier—to draw her sword and strike someone.

“Although I know it’s not something we should concern ourselves with, may I ask out of curiosity… Who won today’s battle?”

Erica eventually voiced the question.

Outside the room, the mysterious side personnel who had been waiting instantly perked up their ears.

This wasn’t something meant to be pried into.

If it were any of the more old-fashioned Kings, trouble might have followed.

Fortunately, neither Kaiser nor Doni was the type to mind such things.

So, Doni answered very straightforwardly.

“It should count as a draw, I guess?” Doni said with some satisfaction and some regret, “If we had kept going, I probably would have lost. But brother here stopped on his own, so we never reached a conclusion.”

Since they fought for an entire day, it proved the gap between Kaiser and Doni wasn’t huge. Otherwise, the battle wouldn’t have lasted so long.

In terms of swordsmanship, both were at divine levels. Even if one had an edge, it wasn’t a large one.

Physically, Kaiser had overwhelming superiority, but after Doni used the Authority of Protection of Steel, the gap was closed, allowing him to compete evenly.

In speed, Kaiser again had the advantage. After all, he had both Shunpo and Sonído. Even if Doni’s footwork was unorthodox, he couldn’t compare. But Doni’s beast-like instinct was terrifying. Kaiser couldn’t toy with him using speed.

Doni had also trained the ability known as “Mind’s Eye”—a realm only accessible to warriors who reached the pinnacle of martial arts.

With that ability, Doni could see through even Verethragna’s “Phoenix” incarnation. Kaiser’s Shunpo and Sonído weren’t yet exquisite enough to surpass that Mind’s Eye, so even if he had the speed advantage, it became minimal—and could even be turned against him by Doni.

Both wielded magic swords that could cut through anything, and once they clashed, neither could gain the upper hand. As a result, the fight ended in a draw.

Of course, this was only because Kaiser had used Ser-Veresta and none of his other exclusive weapons.

Doni didn’t know this, but he still felt that if the fight had continued, he would’ve lost.

The reason was simple: he had been constantly using Authorities and outputting the magic sword’s power. By the end, even with a Campione’s immense Magical Power, he was struggling to keep up, weakening the magic sword’s power and the half-immortality granted by Protection of Steel.

In contrast, Kaiser had at least ten times Doni’s Magical Power and never used any Authority—just a single Ser-Veresta, making his consumption much lower than Doni’s.

Moreover, once injured, the High-Speed Regeneration that had completely merged with his body would activate immediately. His resistance to Magical Power far surpassed that of ordinary Campione. Add in the immortality brought by the Hōgyoku, and Doni’s magic sword, which inflicted incurable wounds, simply couldn’t be effective…

In such a case, if Kaiser still couldn’t win, that would be truly pathetic.

“I used two Authorities, brother, and you didn’t even use one. Only when injured did you seem to use something that quickly healed your wounds, right?”

Doni patted his forehead and complained to Kaiser.

“You’re really demoralizing, brother.”

Hearing that, Kaiser’s expression remained blank.

“So that’s your reason for going inhuman later?”

Kaiser hadn’t forgotten—he got injured because, partway through the fight, Doni started pulling tricks.

The Severing Silver Arm not only granted its wielder the power to cut anything and bestowed various strange magic sword abilities—it could also turn anything it touched into a magic sword.

Perhaps realizing that continuing the fight wasn’t to his advantage, Doni stopped focusing on swordsmanship and instead began turning light into magic swords with the Severing Silver Arm, firing them like lasers at Kaiser. He even turned the ground into magic swords, unleashing a continuous barrage of invisible slashes in a wide area.

Kaiser got caught off guard and was injured. If not for Hierro fully fused into his body, transforming it inside and out with astonishing hardness, he might have been shredded into pieces by the slashes sweeping across the forest.

If not for High-Speed Regeneration activating instantly and restoring his wounds, he definitely would’ve pulled out True Longinus and shot Doni’s head off.

“But you said we’d go all out, brother.” Doni grinned. “It’s a shame I didn’t get to see you fight seriously.”

Indeed, Doni had long noticed that Kaiser had no intention of going all-out.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have only used one sacred gear and never activated an Authority.

“We’re the same, aren’t we?” Kaiser said with eyes closed. “Didn’t you also have two unused Authorities?”

“That’s different.” Doni shook his head. “It’s not that I didn’t want to use them—they’re just useless in battle.”

That was true.

Doni’s remaining two Authorities were far less practical than the Severing Silver Arm and Protection of Steel.

One was taken from the fire god Vulcan, which could regress surrounding civilization to medieval European levels. The other was taken from the wine god Dionysus, which created a region where magic, Magical Power, and even Authorities would go berserk and lose control—so powerful that even Doni himself wouldn’t be spared.

The former was basically useless in battle. The latter, once used, would only harm Doni himself.

After all, it was thanks to his two Authorities that he could fight Kaiser evenly. If those Authorities failed, the outcome would be obvious.

Since Kaiser had hardly used any Authorities himself, with his sheer physical strength, even in a region where magic, Magical Power, and Authorities went berserk, he could probably beat gods into submission with just a blade. Doni would have to be out of his mind to do something like that.

In other words, in this battle, Doni had already used all his methods, and the draw only came because Kaiser stopped first.

On the other hand, Kaiser had shown so few of his abilities that his hidden power was likely far beyond imagination…

Doni keenly realized: the reason Kaiser fought him wasn’t to determine a winner, but to verify his own power—and the strength of other Campione.

This newly born fellow… was extremely unsimple.

Chapter 330: Somewhat Looking Forward to It

As the two of them exchanged words back and forth, Erica gradually came to understand.

The battle between the two Kings, although it didn’t produce a clear victor, the one with the greater chance of winning was undoubtedly Kaiser, the newly born King.

Although she and the others had witnessed the battle from afar using magic, the intensity of the fight between the two was such that even seeing it made it hard to follow, let alone understand the specifics of what was happening.

Now, with Kaiser and Doni's post-battle analysis, Erica and the eavesdroppers outside the door finally understood the details.

In short, their Italian Sword King had nearly exhausted all his means, yet still failed to take down the newly risen King from the East.

In contrast, the new King of the East had essentially not used any Authorities, only employing a suspected ability that could instantly heal injuries. The rest relied solely on his own swordsmanship, footwork, physical strength, and that unknown divine weapon.

The method he used to slay two gods likely hadn’t even been deployed in this battle.

Yet even so, their own Sword King of Italy almost lost. If the other party hadn’t voluntarily stopped, there wouldn’t have been any result like "no winner".

This fact not only shocked the people outside the door, but even Erica couldn’t help but look toward Kaiser, her eyes flashing with a strange light.

Kaiser, however, ignored Erica and continued bickering with Doni.

“By the way, brother, are you planning to leave here next?”

Doni suddenly asked this question.

“Yeah.” Kaiser didn’t hide anything, nodding and saying, “The matter on Sardinia is settled. There’s no point in staying here any longer.”

“That’s true.” Doni agreed, then enthusiastically invited, “Then how about coming with me? We can spar and duel often.”

Erica and the people outside all twitched at the corner of their eyes.

Was this going to add another disaster to Italy?

Spar and duel every day?

Even one duel had made an entire forest vanish without a trace—if they sparred daily, wouldn’t that be a catastrophe?

Thinking of this, everyone suddenly felt the urge to rush out and stop it.

Only Erica glanced at Kaiser, and in her heart, she felt a bit tempted.

She actually wanted Kaiser to stay.

She thought this new King was different from the other Campiones—mysterious, a bit eccentric, but not a type she disliked.

She never had much affection for Kings like Salvatore Doni, who only had brute strength and no brains.

The King in her mind should be the kind with great wisdom, intelligence, magnanimity, and a sense of elegance within their boldness, and calmness within their daring.

The grace of a King, the bearing of a King, the wisdom of a King, the majesty of a King… her own King in Italy possessed none of these.

She was a knight, a descendant of the Blandelli family. Her ancestor had been a Campione, so she was not like others who feared Campiones.

She hoped to serve a wise King—not necessarily someone as noble and virtuous as her uncle, but at the very least, someone she, Erica Blandelli, could admire.

She didn’t know much about this new King, but based on their interactions over the past days, she felt that he, at least, wasn’t an idiot like Lord Salvatore, with whom communication was impossible.

After all, she had once drawn her sword against him, and had also pestered him for information, but he never blamed her. Instead, for the sake of Sardinia’s people, he selectively shared some intelligence with her.

Under his protection, she had faced a Heretic God for the first time and experienced firsthand a calamity brought about by the descent of a Heretic God, gaining initial insight and understanding.

These were valuable experiences one could never get from books or training.

Furthermore, although he was a newly born King, he had already slain three gods—his strength immense, his background unblemished, his conduct upright and direct. Erica thought that if she were to serve a King someday, it had better be this new King and not someone like Salvatore Doni, that big idiot.

Of course, she had her own selfish reasons too.

The new King had just ascended and hadn’t yet made his mark. If she could become his loyal retainer now, earning the title of Diavolo Rosso would only be the beginning.

Erica Blandelli was a prodigy and someone destined to rise to the top of the Copper Black Cross and the Milan magical community—but she didn’t want a future that was just handed to her.

She wanted to make a name for herself.

Just like her uncle once did.

Erica’s thoughts churned.

As for Kaiser…

“Forget it.” He simply glanced at Doni and said casually, “Rather than constantly seeking duels with me, why not travel more around the world, slay a few more Heretic Gods, gain some more useful Authorities, and then come back to fight me?”

“Otherwise, you’re not asking for a spar—you’re asking to get beaten.”

Hearing that, Doni was left speechless.

He had a point…

He had used everything he had and still wasn’t Kaiser’s match. And Kaiser hadn’t even gone all out?

If he brought him back, wouldn’t that just be asking to get thrashed every day?

Better to go kill a few more gods, obtain more Authorities, become stronger, and then challenge him again!

“Fine, brother, you’re right.” Doni spread his hands and said, “If you’re not coming with me, where are you heading?”

“Japan.” Kaiser answered without hesitation. “There’s something I want there.”

“The island country in the far east, huh…” Doni mused, then said, “In that case, you better watch out.”

Kaiser was slightly startled.

“Watch out?” Kaiser looked at Doni, puzzled. “Watch out for what?”

To this, Doni didn’t answer directly, but instead asked back:

“You know who my neighbor is, right?”

This question was rather inexplicable, causing Erica and those outside the door to momentarily show confused expressions.

Only Kaiser seemed to guess whom Doni meant.

“Sasha Dejanstahl Voban… right?”

The moment Kaiser uttered this name, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

Erica and those standing outside froze as if they’d heard something terrifying.

“Yeah, that old man.”

Only Doni said it so brazenly.

Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, the Campione residing in the Balkans of Eastern Europe, was the oldest of the currently surviving Campiones.

He had lived for nearly three hundred years, and had been a Campione for more than two centuries, thus believed to possess the most Authorities and to have slain the most gods.

Some called him the Wolf King, because the first god he slew was associated with wolves. Many had seen him summon hundreds of giant wolves. His personality and demeanor also resembled a wolf—solitary, dangerous, and proud.

Others called him the Marquis, not because he came from nobility, but because he once attacked a marquis’s territory and, for some unknown reason, took the name of the fierce dog that marquis had raised—hence the surname "Voban".

Doni had once snatched a god from this ancient Campione. The Heretic God summoning ritual that Mariya Yuri once participated in was also initiated under his orders.

Doni called him a neighbor not because they lived next door, but because their domains were geographically close.

“Why are you bringing him up?” Kaiser remained puzzled. “Want me to help you get revenge?”

After all, because Doni had snatched the Heretic God Voban had painstakingly summoned, he had been hunted for a while by the Eastern European Wolf King.

Compared to someone who had lived for centuries, Doni, a rookie Campione of only four years, had been reckless. Naturally, he’d be taught a lesson.

“No, nothing like that.” Doni spoke nonchalantly. “Sure, that old man hunted me, but I did successfully snatch Siegfried from under his nose. He’s the one who suffered, not me. So, if anyone should hold a grudge, it’s him, not me.”

Hmm… that was very much Doni logic.

“I brought him up because that old man seems to be paying attention to the Far East recently.”

That sentence made Kaiser narrow his eyes slightly.

“Marquis Voban is interested in the Far East?” Erica was startled and asked, “Why?”

“Who knows?” Doni shrugged. “I only heard André mention it once. No idea what that old man is thinking.”

“But given his personality, if he plans to do something, it’s definitely not going to be a good thing.”

…You should be the last person saying that.

Kaiser almost wanted to say that, but in the end decided against it.

Because he knew, Doni was completely unaware of his own nature.

Still, he agreed with the statement.

That ancient Campione was no benevolent soul. His utter disregard for human life and willingness to sacrifice dozens of innocent young girls just to summon a Heretic God was clear evidence.

Though all Campiones were unruly beings, even among them, that old devil was something else.

Most Campiones, even if labeled as Demon Lords, rarely did overtly evil things.

Voban was different. His brutal deeds were many.

“What does he want to do?”

The moment this question arose, Kaiser already had an idea.

“If I remember correctly, he’s probably planning…”

Recalling that, Kaiser fell into thought.

And Doni wasn’t done with his updates.

“Right, I also heard the one from China is interested in the Far East too, though the news seems uncertain.”

Doni suddenly remembered and clapped his palm, saying this.

“The one from China?” Erica’s face changed. “Don’t tell me… Luo Hao?”

Kaiser also recalled that very memorable Campione.

Of all the Campiones in the original story, she was the one who interested him the most.

Luo Hao, born at the end of the Qianlong era, surname Luo, styled Hao, given name Cuilian—a Campione as ancient as Marquis Voban.

Having survived for over two hundred years, she was the Wulin Alliance Leader of China and the Leader of the Five Sacred Cults. A true martial arts king reigning at the pinnacle of martial prowess, a master who brought Chinese martial arts to their absolute peak.

She followed the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi, once pursued the Quanzhen Daoist school, and even incorporated Buddhist elements into Daoism, achieving many great feats.

She was just a martial artist when she first encountered a god. Normally, no human, no matter how skilled in martial arts, could defeat a deity—but she chose to face the god head-on with all her learned martial and magical techniques pushed to their limit, and ultimately triumphed, becoming a Campione.

Her body had already reached the peak of martial and magical arts, with an absolutely pure spiritual state. No matter how much time passed, her appearance remained youthful. Even without magical power, she could demolish buildings with her body alone, and a gentle breath could become a shockwave—earthshaking, boundless in power.

In China, nearly all martial artists pledged loyalty to her. Among spellcasters, one-third were her subordinates. Even among Campiones, she was one of the few who could rival Marquis Voban—a fearsome demon and also the most beautiful woman to ever appear in the original story.

That was Luo Hao—China’s Martial Arts King, Kaiser’s fellow countrywoman, and his senior in the truest sense.

“Is that so?” Kaiser murmured, “She’s planning to go to the island nation too?”

She and Marquis Voban had been long-time nemeses.

Yet, as someone familiar with the original story, Kaiser knew clearly that her interest in the Far Eastern island nation stemmed from a different motive than Voban’s.

In fact, her goal was similar to his—they were both after one person… no, one god.

Doni had probably heard something from his subordinate André and casually brought up these two people.

But Kaiser knew that within the island nation lay a major secret.

A secret that, once revealed, would surely mobilize all the Campiones and every hidden force behind the world to set their sights on it.

“I almost forgot about that.”

Kaiser didn’t know what he had recalled, but the corner of his mouth curved up slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Doni noticed and asked with interest, “Brother, you seem like you just got fired up for something?”

“Nothing.” Kaiser shook his head and smiled. “I’m just starting to look forward to it.”

“Oh?” Doni asked curiously, “Looking forward to what?”

“The future.” Kaiser leaned back in the massage chair and closed his eyes again. “It should be quite interesting, right?”

Doni didn’t know what Kaiser was referring to, but somehow he started looking forward to it as well.

Erica’s eyes flickered, clearly lost in thought.

(End of Chapter)