Fantasy Library, Ch 311-315

Chapter 311: The Temple Beneath the Ruins

Western Sardinia, Province of Oristano.

This was a well-developed city, and it was even closer to the sea than Cagliari.

The wind here carried the scent of the sea, giving it a very open atmosphere, and it had a distinguishing feature—an abundance of ruins.

Ancient ruins and the beautiful sea, these two were considered the most important tourist resources on Sardinia.

Across Sardinia, more than seven thousand stone fortresses have been discovered to date.

These stone fortresses are called Nuraghe, and their construction period can roughly be traced back to around the 15th century BC. At that time, the people of Sardinia gathered around these Nuraghe to establish settlements and lived there, continuing through the prehistoric era until the Phoenicians arrived. These settlements came to an end in 509 BC, when the Phoenician city of Tharros came to dominate the entirety of Sardinia.

Later, the Roman Republic—now under imperial rule—arrived here and began a new regime. They renovated the streets built by the Phoenicians and made this place their own residence. Thus, many Phoenician and Roman ruins exist across Sardinia.

The Province of Oristano was one of the cities in Sardinia particularly rich in ruins.

It wasn’t far from the southern city of Cagliari—only about two hours by car, and if coming from the sky, the time would be even shorter. Not to mention, Kaiser’s Shunpo was much faster than any vehicle.

Thus, it took less than fifteen minutes for Kaiser’s figure to appear in the skies above Oristano.

“We’ve arrived.”

Kaiser carried Erica, but he didn’t land within Oristano itself. Instead, he descended outside the northern city gate.

As soon as Kaiser landed, Erica immediately struggled and leapt down from his grip.

“You rude brute! You actually carried me like that again! What do you take a beautiful lady for? Luggage!?”

Erica was extremely agitated—so much so that her face had turned a bit pale.

She would never admit that her legs were slightly weak now and that she nearly threw up.

“Wasn’t this the fastest way to reach our destination?” Kaiser looked at Erica’s slightly pale face with amusement and said, “I just wanted to make the best use of time and resolve the troubles caused by the Heretic God before anything happens on Sardinia. I’m sure Miss Blandelli can understand that, right?”

“You’d better mean that!”

Erica glared at Kaiser, her eyes glistening with the hint of tears—a stark contrast to her usual confident composure.

After quite some effort, Erica finally calmed down, looked at Kaiser with an unfriendly expression, and questioned him.

“And? What are we doing here?”

If the man before her couldn’t give her a proper explanation, she would definitely make him understand what it meant to incur the wrath of a lady.

“What’s the rush? We still have a bit of a journey ahead.” Kaiser ignored Erica’s unfriendly look and said, “Oristano is just a transit point. Our real destination is Tharros.”

“Tharros?” Erica immediately furrowed her brows.

That was a city located on a promontory that jutted into the sea, partially submerged, about twenty kilometers from Oristano.

The origin of this city was a ruin—it was a national city built by the Phoenicians of Tharros, dedicated to the god they worshipped as their guardian deity.

To enable the Phoenician maritime routes to reach the western coastline, the Romans had once used ruins known as Antas and Tharros as strongholds to construct cities. As such, in the eyes of many, Tharros was always just a ruin.

“This is the closest place to the ruins of Tharros. If we take a taxi north from here, it would take about an hour to reach.”

Kaiser came here first to confirm the direction and location.

“S-So, we still have to fly there?”

Erica lost her composure.

Kaiser didn’t respond. He simply smiled and slowly—yet swiftly—reached out to grab the back of her neck.

“Relax. It’s just a few minutes. Hang in there a bit longer and we’ll be there.”

As he said this, without giving Erica a chance to resist or refuse, Kaiser once again activated Shunpo and dashed north.

“Stop itttttttttt...!”

Erica finally couldn’t hold back and let out a wail.

……

Tharros, Saint Bastian Ruins.

This was a famous ruin located within a vast forest next to Tharros.

There were many Nuraghe in poor condition preserved here, as well as the ruins of numerous settlements. Although many ruins were in good condition, from a tourism standpoint, this place wasn’t very popular among visitors. Therefore, compared to other sites, it felt somewhat deserted.

It was still morning. The sun had only just risen from the east not long ago. Since this ruin was located in the northwest of Sardinia, the sunlight was late to arrive and had not yet penetrated the forest—only covering the treetops with a layer of golden veil.

In the lush green forest, the ancient towers stood tall, so tall that they could overlook the towering trees. From outside the forest, one could glimpse these skillfully constructed stone structures.

“Whoosh!”

Kaiser, carrying Erica by the back of her neck, suddenly appeared atop one of the Nuraghe and landed on it.

“Alright, we’re here.”

Just as Kaiser finished speaking, Erica sluggishly climbed down from him.

Then, a flash of sword light suddenly burst forth and struck toward Kaiser.

“Clang!”

Kaiser extended a single finger and used the pad of it to block the angry stab from the magic sword.

“Broke through your defenses?”

Looking at Erica stabbing at him with her sword, Kaiser’s lips curled slightly.

“…I really think I need to show you what the wrath of a lady means.” Erica trembled all over in anger, forcing a smile as she gritted her teeth and said, “I, Erica Blandelli, have never suffered such humiliation—you’d better prepare yourself.”

“Give it a rest.” Kaiser pushed aside Erica’s sword nonchalantly and said, “You’re not my match.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Erica became even angrier.

As a celebrity in the Milan magical world and even the entire Italian mystic side—a renowned prodigy—no one had ever dared to speak so arrogantly before Erica.

Though young, a Great Knight was already the highest rank below Paladin. The fact that Erica held the title of Great Knight proved that she was no mere genius, but also a formidable individual.

At the very least, she didn’t believe she would lose to someone who wasn’t even a Paladin.

And how many Paladins were there?

Probably so few in the world that one could count them on both hands and feet.

So, someone saying she wasn’t their match—Erica had never encountered such a thing.

But Erica also had to admit—the man before her, whose identity was shrouded in mystery, possessed unfathomable strength.

She truly was no match for him.

“Don’t let me find out who you really are.”

Erica said hatefully, clearly planning to use her family’s secret rituals to curse Kaiser the moment she got back.

Of course, Kaiser didn’t mind—he even hoped Erica would do just that.

He was quite curious—if Erica used some secret magical ritual to curse him, would his resistance to magical power bounce it back onto the caster?

If it did, then Erica was in for quite the surprise.

“Look over there.”

Suddenly, Kaiser pointed in a direction, prompting Erica to look.

The two of them now stood before a clearing deep within the forest. Due to their elevated position, they could see a broad plaza with excellent visibility.

Although weeds had spread and covered the area, Erica could still see traces of settlements carefully built from stone, and in one corner of the plaza stood a massive tree with a thick trunk.

Piles of collapsed stone—origin unknown—covered the ground around the tree.

But from this angle, Erica still saw that among the weeds and stones covering the ground, there was a hollow space.

It was a triangular cave entrance.

“Could that be the entrance to the temple?”

Erica instantly realized something and looked toward Kaiser.

“That’s right.” Kaiser nodded and said, “The presence of a Nuraghe here proves this is an ancient settlement ruin. The surrounding traces also confirm that.”

“A Phoenician settlement ruin?” Erica seemed to understand what Kaiser was getting at and said solemnly, “In those days, settlements were considered even more sacred than temples or tombs. If a Heretic God appeared here, then…”

“Then it’s perfectly normal for Him to be drawn to the spiritual nature of this land and take this place as a temporary stronghold.” Kaiser smiled and said, “Prepare yourself. What you’re about to see is a true Heretic God.”

With that, Kaiser leapt from the top of the Nuraghe and dove into the cave.

“……”

Erica took a deep breath, then followed, jumping into the cave and entering the temple.

There were stairs inside the cave, leading downward.

This was a true underground temple—its interior skillfully constructed from stacked stones, with even the gaps filled with masonry. It was crude, yet solemn.

The first thing Erica noticed upon entering was the damp air.

This was highly abnormal.

Sardinia has a Mediterranean climate—generally quite dry. The air flowing underground being so humid could not be normal.

But Erica didn’t say anything—or rather, she couldn’t.

One could not feel it outside the temple, but the moment she entered, Erica was struck by an indescribable atmosphere.

That aura felt as if it were telling all who entered: there is an immense, magnificent, vast existence here, making her body tense and her heart tremble.

As a magician, as a knight, Erica’s exceptional sixth sense and sharp magical sensitivity were screaming in alarm—urging her to flee immediately.

“Follow me.”

Kaiser’s voice remained calm and natural, as if he felt none of the atmosphere or hidden danger. He walked forward toward the depths of the temple.

Erica followed on instinct, and the two of them walked through a corridor for about ten minutes.

Along the way, several branching paths appeared before them, but before Erica could even use magical power or spells to sense the right direction, Kaiser moved forward without hesitation, as though he already knew the way.

Finally, the two reached the end of the temple...

Chapter 312: Not My Match

At the deepest part of the underground temple, there was an underground spring welling up from beneath the earth.

The stone passageway ended here, and the area around the underground spring was all dirt.

On the shore of the underground spring, there was also an altar by the water.

Atop the altar, that being appeared as if it were the most natural thing in the world, entering Erica's line of sight.

When that being entered her vision, Erica finally understood why Kaiser had looked at her with that kind of gaze and expression earlier, and why he had told her he hoped she could maintain her confidence.

Because only when that being appeared before her in a true sense did Erica come to understand what "god" meant.

"So you've found your way here after all, you detestable enemies."

It was a voice as if it came from deep within the earth.

The voice was extremely heavy, and also extremely powerful, extremely resonant, like thunder, deep and resounding.

The owner of the voice was a brawny giant in his prime.

He had a head of hair that looked like it had never been trimmed, and a beard that covered the entire lower half of his face. His height exceeded two meters, and his entire body was covered in solid muscles—just looking at him gave off an overwhelming sense of power.

His physique was exceedingly robust and powerful, giving a barbaric and mighty impression. He wore extremely rough clothing—filthy rags and a leather breastplate were strewn across his chest—and he was draped in a tattered cloak. His appearance, rather than being unkempt, could only be described as pitiful.

The owner of the voice seemed quite self-aware and spoke accordingly.

"If you had come a little later, you wouldn't have seen this unsightly body. Unfortunately, as you can see, I am currently injured, and can only temporarily hide the form I use for battle, appearing in this disgraceful state to reduce expenditure and hasten my recovery."

The giant spoke with a dignified tone, without a hint of frustration. He even bared his chest openly, letting others clearly see his condition.

Upon closer inspection, a Golden Sword was deeply embedded in the giant's broad chest.

The Golden Sword’s blade had broken in the middle, so there was no hilt, only two-thirds of its original length remained. But it was unmistakably pierced into the giant’s body, still radiating dazzling brilliance, suppressing the giant’s power.

Understanding this, Erica’s body began to tremble.

Simply because—even in a state where his power was being suppressed—she still felt fear from the giant.

Even though the other party hadn't used any Authority, hadn't exercised any power, just looking at him gave Erica the sense that she was gazing up at a higher-dimensional lifeform. She only felt overwhelmed, felt afraid.

An ancient Divinity manifested before her.

A true myth descended before her.

Even if the other party did nothing, tiny humans like ants could only tremble, could only fear.

If the person beside Erica were also an ordinary human, then regardless of whether they were a Great Knight of equal rank or a renowned Paladin in the human world, they would be just like Erica—trembling from an unknown fear.

Before a deity, so-called Paladins who could contend with Divine Beasts and demigods were but ants—no different from the average office worker walking down the street.

But, the one beside Erica was not an ordinary human, but an existence who had slain gods twice in this world.

"You’re Melqart, right?"

Erica then heard Kaiser’s voice, calm to the point of being indifferent, which startled her.

"Hahahahaha!"

The giant immediately burst into laughter, a bold and hearty laugh.

That laughter was like thunder from the heavens. The moment it sounded, it shook the air and the earth, causing the entire underground temple to tremble.

The spring continuously splashed with waves, and Erica felt as if she were caught in a storm, like a small boat tossed on the sea—helpless and powerless.

The giant unleashed his world-shaking laughter and loudly spoke.

"That’s right! I am Melqart! The king of this island, this land, and these seas!"

Melqart—this was the one who once ruled over the divine realm of ancient Phoenicia.

His real name was Baal. In Christian culture, this name came to symbolize the Demon King of Gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Milton’s Paradise Lost depicted him as a Demon King who could rival God, a king of demons, so much so that he acquired the name “Beelzebub,” making him the leader of the seventy-two demon gods, the dark great emperor.

His myth later spread to Greece and became the prototype of the hero Heracles. He was not only the king of the ancient gods, a great warrior, and the strongest dragon slayer, but the legend of Saint George was compiled based on his tale, so Saint George can also be considered one of his alternate names.

The Phoenicians, Canaanites, and Hebrews all worshipped him as Baal, with Melqart being revered as the chief deity and guardian god of Tyre.

In Phoenician belief, this god was born from the desert and wilderness, a storm god formed from the sun of blazing fire and rainfall. He was also the god of the sea, the sun, the god who governed both harvest and desolation, and the summoner of locusts that devoured all crops and laid waste to the land.

Melqart, the king god worshipped by Semitic peoples like the Canaanites and Phoenicians, held Authorities over storms, lightning, the sky, and more.

Erica finally understood why even a mighty god like Verethragna, the ever-victorious god of war, would have his divine body shattered and his incarnations scattered across Sardinia.

Because that god's opponent was not an ordinary deity, but a god-king class existence!

The Divinity of the god before her was of the same order as Odin or Zeus!

Even a so-called ever-victorious god of war, who ruled over victory, could not easily defeat a king among gods in myth!

No... I can’t stay here any longer...

Erica could not suppress such a thought from arising.

No matter how confident or proud she was, at this moment, she could not help but obey the instincts of a human being—she wanted to bow, she wanted to run.

Until—

"I thought the first one to break in here and stand before me would be that arrogant and crazed god of war."

Melqart’s eyes never once rested on Erica, treating her like a stone by the roadside, utterly ignoring her.

At this moment, the only one in this god-king’s eyes was a single man.

The man standing beside Erica.

"I’ve heard of existences like yours," Melqart muttered as if speaking to himself. "The foolish goddess’s creation... the child and illegitimate offspring of Epimetheus... the God-Slaying Beast, the King of the Earth..."

"The common enemy of all gods, the audacious one who slays gods."

"That would be you, right?"

Melqart’s words made Erica momentarily dazed.

Then, as if she understood something, she suddenly looked up at Kaiser, her eyes filled with shock.

Kaiser, however, ignored Erica and replied to Melqart indifferently.

"I had thought your condition was much better than Verethragna’s, but it seems you two are equally miserable."

Kaiser’s gaze shifted to the Golden Sword embedded in Melqart’s chest.

"This is a Golden Sword designed to sever Divinity, to cut off divine power, and to seal a god’s Authorities."

Melqart had no intention of hiding his weakness and still maintained his bold and forthright demeanor.

"If one's opponent is a god, then this is the strongest sword. Even I, having been pierced by such a sword, can only hide in a place like this, doing everything I can to wear it down and extract it—otherwise, there’s no way for these injuries to recover."

That was a weapon used specifically against gods. Being run through by such a thing wasn’t something that could be brushed off as simply being “wounded.”

In truth, the fact that Melqart could still maintain his physical form and not immediately collapse and return to myth was already an extraordinary feat.

If one were to truly compare the severity of injuries, Melqart’s state was actually worse than Verethragna, whose divine body had been shattered.

"This is the weakest I’ve ever been. God-Slayer, if you want to kill me—the king of gods and the mightiest dragon slayer—now is your best chance."

Melqart provocatively declared to Kaiser without the slightest hint of fear.

"Though I had hoped to settle things with that arrogant god of war, since a God-Slayer stands before me, I might as well go all out in battle to display my majesty."

This was no bluff. It was Melqart’s declaration.

Even while wounded, he would never fear battle.

Even if it meant burning out this body, he would, in his final battle, slay any fool who dared raise a sword against him.

Though a king, Melqart also possessed the nature of a warrior. Naturally, he wouldn’t be like Odin or Poseidon, fleeing at the first sign of danger.

Of course, if retreating meant fighting better and going all out to win, Melqart wouldn’t mind doing so either.

In any case, he would never show fear before a human.

"Come forth, my servants! Gather at my side! Prepare to devour the enemies who have come here!"

At Melqart’s shout, the ground around him began to shift unnaturally.

Swarms of locusts had somehow appeared, covering the ground beneath him and the earth near the water’s edge.

The number of locusts was vast—uncountably vast—densely packed and endless.

They made clicking sounds as they squirmed, crept toward Kaiser’s direction, jumped, and even spread their wings to fly over.

The scene was enough to make one’s scalp go numb.

At least, Erica felt that way now—unable to help but take a step back.

Only Kaiser remained still.

And then, he said something Erica had heard not long ago—something that now struck her as unbelievable.

"Forget it."

Kaiser calmly declared.

"In your current state, you’re not my match."

Chapter 313: The Transformed Zanpakutō

"Boom!!!"

Blazing flames suddenly erupted within the underground temple, igniting a blaze powerful enough to fill the entire sanctuary.

As soon as Kaiser's calm declaration fell, the flames burst forth centered on him, drowning out both Melqart's rebuttal and Erica's cry.

The flames originated from Ryūjin Jakka—the fire that could reduce all things to ashes.

Without even drawing Ryūjin Jakka itself, Kaiser merely borrowed a portion of its power, and flames on par with those unleashed when Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni released Ryūjin Jakka engulfed the entire underground temple.

Had it been the past, Kaiser truly wouldn't have been able to release such a massive blaze by using just a portion of Ryūjin Jakka's power without actually drawing the sword.

But now, after slaying gods twice and becoming a Campione, his power had greatly increased, and Ryūjin Jakka, as his exclusive weapon, had grown stronger with him. Driven by Kaiser's magical power—which far exceeded that of an ordinary Campione—even a fragment of its power could rival Ryūjin Jakka's full release from before.

Thus, crimson flames spread with astonishing speed, burning through the locusts until none remained.

From Erica's point of view, she only saw a sudden flush of red before the air's temperature surged to an unimaginable degree. When her vision cleared, the densely packed, endless swarm of locusts had been reduced to ash in the fire and vanished without a trace.

"What?"

Melqart's rock-like, stern face shifted slightly.

Those locusts were not ordinary insects, but a manifestation of his destructive god aspect—the swarm of death.

Numbering in the hundreds of thousands, these locusts could devour not just crops but even iron and concrete within seconds.

If such a swarm were unleashed upon a major city—or even an entire nation—then in just one night, the city or country would be reduced to ruins, to a barren wasteland.

This was a product born of true divine Authority. Not even magma could guarantee the death of a few among them, let alone mere flames.

Yet, the flames released by this Campione before him had effortlessly incinerated a swarm capable of erasing a major metropolis—or even a nation?

Melqart gave Kaiser a deep look, then shouted aloud.

"Yagrush, Aymur, Bal riding the clouds, I summon you!"

This was a sacred phrase imbued with power—a Kotodama.

At Melqart's call, thunder and lightning suddenly roared in the sky above the underground temple.

A violent storm rose, howling across the earth.

Thunderclouds rolled, rumbling above.

Then, a staff emerged from the stormy void, and another staff appeared from the lightning-filled clouds.

The two staves differed in appearance but were equally ancient and massive—one wreathed in swirling wind, the other flashing with electric light. Both arrived at Melqart's side.

"Those are… Yagrush and Aymur!"

Erica, snapping back to her senses, cried out at the sight.

Yagrush and Aymur—these were a pair of magical staves.

They were divine tools forged by the god of craftsmen, Kothar-wa-Khasis, imbued with his divinity, and also symbolized Melqart, the god of the sky.

The former represented wind, the latter lightning—the power of wind and thunder, which were the Authorities of a sky deity.

"I’m not yet in condition to fight. Let them be your opponents."

Melqart remained seated cross-legged on the altar like a true statue, unmoving as he began chanting Kotodama in a bold and heroic voice.

"Aymur and Yagrush! Speed forth, fly swiftly, and sweep away all!"

The two giant staves immediately flew toward Kaiser—one carried the storm that swept the underground temple, the other expanded amidst thunder and lightning, as if given life, needing no controller. They split into two paths and charged Kaiser from different directions.

It all happened in an instant. From their appearance to their imposing assault on Kaiser, no more than two seconds had passed.

And the time it took them to cross the distance from Melqart to Kaiser wasn’t even a full second.

Truly as swift as lightning; onlookers couldn’t even see Yagrush and Aymur’s movements, let alone react.

Of course, "onlookers" didn’t include Kaiser.

"Buzz…"

Just as Yagrush and Aymur were about to strike him, the air around Kaiser changed.

He, who had just released intense flames, now exuded a terrifying chill, spreading white mist through the underground temple.

"Crack crack crack—"

Wherever the white mist passed, everything froze, turning into gleaming ice and snow.

The ground froze, the walls froze, the ceiling froze—even the spring that flowed froze.

In the blink of an eye, the entire underground temple became a frozen world, transformed into an icy cave. Ice pillars sprang from the ground, and icicles emerged from the ceiling.

The searing heat that had filled the temple was instantly replaced by bone-chilling cold. This extreme shift—the rapid switch from fire to ice—caused cracks to appear throughout the temple, which now teetered on collapse.

Melqart’s statue-like body was also assaulted by the ice and snow. Though he unleashed tremendous magical power at the last moment to avoid being completely frozen, the frost still marked him—ice shards and snowflakes covered his entire body, making him look as if he stood amidst a blizzard, transformed into a snowman.

Erica too was caught in the icy assault, but because Kaiser was beside her, she was specially protected and completely unharmed.

As for the wind-wreathed Yagrush and the lightning-crackling Aymur, both had already become two frozen sculptures at Kaiser's side.

"Infused with the craftsman's divinity and bearing the power of wind and lightning—shouldn’t these divine tools be capable of more?"

Kaiser glanced at the two staves now turned to ice sculptures and, after a moment, shook his head in regret.

"Unfortunately, as their wielder, your condition affected their performance, and they couldn't display their true might."

Melqart’s lips, now covered in ice and snow, twitched slightly, yet no words came.

To his horror, he discovered that the power of this ice and snow actually suppressed his Divinity.

It wasn’t like the Golden Sword, which specifically targeted divinity, but rather power that acted upon the concept of “sky” itself.

At this moment, even Kaiser hadn’t anticipated that Hyōrinmaru’s power would suppress Melqart, the god of the sky.

Because one of Hyōrinmaru’s abilities was to govern the weather.

All moisture became Hyōrinmaru’s weapon.

All skies fell under Hyōrinmaru’s dominion.

And like Ryūjin Jakka, after Kaiser became a Campione and slew gods twice, Hyōrinmaru had grown far stronger.

Even without directly using Hyōrinmaru, just a fraction of its power was enough to deal with a heavily damaged Melqart.

Next…

"Since you’ve shown your weapons, I’ll return the favor."

As those words fell, a blade appeared in Kaiser's hand.

It was a Zanpakutō shaped like a wakizashi, with an S-shaped guard and a short blade.

"Bankai…"

Kaiser murmured softly, and the Zanpakutō in his hand suddenly shortened, becoming like a dagger.

"Kamishini no Yari."

A flash of sharp brilliance lit up the frozen underground temple, and in an instant, the entire sanctuary trembled and was inexplicably split in two.

"Rumble…"

The ice-cave-like temple shuddered violently as a crack spread across it, dividing it neatly down the middle.

"Clang!"

A blade light suddenly flashed. Before anyone could react, it struck Melqart.

In the face of that blade, even Melqart, the God-King, couldn’t respond.

Because this blade was fast—unimaginably fast.

Kamishini no Yari—its thrust speed had once troubled even Kaiser himself.

In the original story, Gin Ichimaru had falsely claimed that its maximum extension was thirteen kilometers and its thrust speed was five hundred times the speed of sound. In truth, it was neither that long nor that fast—its true power was hidden by Gin himself.

Even so, its speed was fast enough that even Aizen—who had evolved multiple times via the Hōgyoku and surpassed both Shinigami and Hollow—couldn’t dodge it at close range. That alone speaks to its speed.

Now, after recognizing Kaiser as its master and becoming one of his exclusive weapons, Kamishini no Yari had been further enhanced. Like all his weapons after becoming a Campione, it had grown even stronger.

Its current extension far exceeded thirteen kilometers, and its speed had truly reached five hundred times the speed of sound!

What does five hundred times the speed of sound mean?

Normal sound speed is 340 meters per second—five hundred times that is 170,000 meters per second, or 170 kilometers per second!

What was the distance between Kaiser and Melqart?

Not even thirty meters!

At Kamishini no Yari’s current speed, crossing that distance and hitting Melqart didn’t even require 0.001 seconds!

Such a brief time frame—even gods couldn’t casually react and respond in time, especially with Melqart heavily wounded and half-frozen.

It was simply impossible to dodge!

"Splurt!"

In the next instant, Melqart’s body was pierced by the blade of light that had reached the pinnacle of speed.

"Ughhhhhh…!"

With a painful wail, Melqart’s massive body was pushed by the sheer momentum of the blinding blade into the frozen spring, shattering the ice and sinking into the water.

"Rumble…!"

The underground temple, already split in two, could no longer hold and began to collapse on a massive scale.

"This place is going to collapse!"

Erica couldn’t keep up with the development. Seeing the ceiling suddenly break apart and fall, all she could do was shout.

And then—fate once again grabbed her by the nape of the neck.

"Let’s go."

One hand holding the dagger-sized Kamishini no Yari, the other gripping the back of Erica’s neck, Kaiser used Sonído before the ceiling crashed down, his form vanishing amid spatial distortion.

The entire underground temple then collapsed completely, reduced to ruins.

This sacred site and precious ancient relic was now buried in history.

……

"Thud!"

Deep in the forest, above the underground temple, at the plaza showing signs of settlement and Nuraghe ruins, two figures appeared—like they had pierced through space—causing the air to ripple.

Muffled booms still echoed from below as the ruins continued to collapse, but it didn’t affect the surface space.

Kaiser landed on the plaza, still holding Erica by the nape. Before she could speak, he set her down.

"You okay?"

Kaiser looked at Erica and asked casually.

"………"

Erica didn’t respond immediately. Her face was dazed, as if she hadn’t yet awoken from a nightmare.

Sunlight fell on her face, giving her the feeling of having returned from another world.

Several minutes later, Erica finally regained her senses. She looked at Kaiser, her expression more complex than ever.

Suddenly, Erica dropped to one knee on the ground.

"Erica Blandelli, Great Knight of the Copper Black Cross, greets the King."

This genius knight, who had carried confidence and composure since yesterday, now knelt before Kaiser with sincere reverence.

"I didn’t know the King was present. Please forgive my discourtesy."

Erica bowed her head, showing clear signs of repentance.

"Looks like you’ve finally realized who I am. No need to keep interrogating me, huh?"

Kaiser raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke with a half-smile.

"Yes." Without lifting her head, Erica replied, her expression unreadable. "In the distant Far East, the seventh King was recently born. The Copper Black Cross has already received this news and circulated it to all members."

"Erica Blandelli was informed as well, but I didn’t expect that the King who was recently in the Far East would suddenly appear here on Sardinia."

It was the truth.

After all, Kaiser had only become a Campione a few days ago.

The seventh King had emerged just three or four days prior, and for him to now be in Sardinia—even the factions tracking his movements were unaware.

That’s because Kaiser had flown over using Divine Dividing, not by airplane.

Had he taken a flight, his itinerary would’ve long since spread to all the major powers, and his arrival in Sardinia would’ve been impossible to conceal.

But Divine Dividing’s flight speed far exceeded that of any plane. Kaiser didn’t need flights—he simply flew over himself.

As a result, no one knew that he had already arrived on Sardinia.

Chapter 314: Nothing but a Joke

Right now, the only person who knew that Kaiser was on Sardinia—or rather, knew he was about to face two deities—was probably Mariya Yuri, whose Spirit Vision was extraordinarily powerful.

Last night, when Kaiser entered a state of sleep, he sensed a gaze cast from afar, which was hurriedly withdrawn before it could land on him. It was as if someone had accidentally turned their gaze toward this place, then suddenly realized it and hastily looked away.

Even though that gaze hadn't fallen directly on Kaiser, he still noticed its presence and knew who was capable of such a thing.

Without a doubt, it must have been Mariya Yuri’s Spirit Vision.

She probably hadn’t done it intentionally, but rather had been constantly concerned about him and his movements, and so she accidentally triggered Spirit Vision and nearly peered into him again.

Precisely because of this, in the morning, Kaiser had taken an interest in Erica’s words and casually inquired about the status of the Spirit Vision practitioners within the Copper Black Cross—only to once again realize just how rare and precious the talents of that Hime-Miko were.

Whereas others could only rely on chance no matter how hard they worked, with only a small probability of triggering it, and even then the information they could glimpse would be limited—merely some traces of abnormal Magical Power—that Hime-Miko could trigger it easily, and sometimes couldn’t even suppress it if she wanted to. If she wasn’t careful, it would activate on its own. This was an overwhelmingly cruel blow that could make all Spirit Vision practitioners around the world cough up blood in frustration.

Even the one known as the “Fairy Knight,” who could go head-to-head with Erica in Milan, couldn’t achieve this level. The chances of her triggering Spirit Vision were extremely low, while Mariya Yuri could do so every few days, and even guide and trigger it actively. The gap was simply beyond measure.

To be honest, Kaiser was already a little tempted and wanted to recruit Mariya Yuri.

With her Spirit Vision, it would be much easier to search for gods in the future, wouldn't it?

Of course, that was something for later. For now, Kaiser’s attention was still focused on the two deities on Sardinia.

Seeing Erica keeping her head lowered, no longer bearing the confident demeanor she had before, Kaiser couldn’t help but speak.

“After seeing a true Heretic God, what are your thoughts?”

Hearing this, Erica fell silent.

After a while, she finally spoke.

“As expected, a god is a god. Even if they’ve betrayed their own myths and become a heretical existence, they’re still not beings that insignificant humans can contend against.”

As she spoke, Erica wore a clearly self-deprecating and crushed expression.

The blow she had suffered this time was indeed heavy.

From a young age, Erica Blandelli had always been someone who amazed and earned the praise of countless people wherever she went, someone seen by all as having unlimited potential.

Genius, prodigy, noble lineage, exceptional bloodline... the labels attached to Erica were all radiant and extraordinary, making her deeply aware that she was different from others.

What others had to pursue for a lifetime, she could attain with just a stretch of her hand.

What others had to toil for their entire lives to achieve, she only had to follow the proper path to reach.

Even the position of Paladin, held by her uncle and respected worldwide, would one day be hers if she so desired.

After all, she had already become a Great Knight—just one step below a Paladin—at the age of fifteen. Even if the rank of Paladin was extremely difficult to attain, give it ten, twenty, even thirty years—could she, Erica Blandelli, really not obtain it?

To Erica, becoming a Paladin wasn’t some far-off dream, but something she would naturally acquire in due time.

Under such circumstances, how could Erica not develop extraordinary confidence?

She firmly believed that what others could not do, she, Erica Blandelli, absolutely could.

She also believed that things considered extremely dangerous to others could be turned around by her, Erica Blandelli.

So, for the so-called title of “Diavolo Rosso,” Erica had unhesitatingly decided to come to Sardinia.

Because she had confidence in herself. Even if she couldn’t rival those monster-like Campiones or accomplish the great feat of God-Slaying, when it came to simply sealing a god, with her abilities, she could definitely do it.

Until today—or rather, until just moments ago—Erica had finally realized just how terrifying the existence she thought she could seal truly was.

Just standing before the being made her whole body tremble uncontrollably. Her biological instincts were pushing her to flee, to turn and run without lingering.

A mere mortal like her couldn’t even look directly at a god, let alone confront one or oppose one.

Her talents, her potential, her power that was just a step below that of a Paladin—no matter how outstanding or astonishing among humans—they amounted to nothing more than a tall person among dwarfs. At the core, she was still just a small human, still a dwarf.

No matter how talented she was, no matter how diligently she trained, even if she mastered every skill in the world to perfection, she still couldn’t surpass a god.

To slay a god, one didn’t rely on innate talent, nor on hard-earned skill, but on miracles, on luck, on the many choices—whether by chance or necessity—made while treading a thorn-filled path. Only the culmination of all those factors could lead to the impossible feat of God-Slaying.

Aside from that, even gathering more magi, achieving greater success, assembling more powerful allies—it would all be useless before a god.

Her confidence, her pride, her strength—all of it was nothing but a joke before a god.

Realizing this, Erica’s confidence, dignity, and even her pride were utterly shattered.

She understood deeply: if she hadn’t encountered Kaiser here on this island—hadn’t met the newly born seventh Campione—then with her previous lack of understanding and reverence toward gods, her rash approach would have ended in only one outcome.

That would have been exactly like just now—unable to even make a god glance her way before being devoured by a swarm of tens of thousands of locusts.

At this thought, Erica’s body trembled again.

If not for realizing she was still standing before a God-Slaying king, she would have found a place to hide and cried her heart out.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have that luxury.

“To be able to survive before a god, that alone is no small feat,” Kaiser said casually, as if he hadn’t noticed Erica’s mental state. “Now that you’ve realized your shortcomings, it’s not too late.”

Not too late...?

Indeed, it wasn’t too late.

Although her previous plan was undoubtedly naïve, the emergence of a God-Slaying king on Sardinia meant that the situation hadn’t spiraled out of control.

With him around, even if the two gods started a major battle on Sardinia, there would still be someone capable of stopping them, right?

“My king,” Erica steadied herself slightly and spoke, “Where is the god-king Melqart now...?”

“He ran away,” Kaiser answered frankly, knowing what Erica wanted to ask. “Even though Shinsō struck him, he’s still a god, a god-king at that. That level of damage means nothing to him.”

This was also a flaw of Shinsō.

Its speed was incredible—even Kaiser had to admire it—but it was still just a Zanpakutō, not some God-Slaying weapon.

If an ordinary person were struck by Shinsō, they’d either die or be seriously injured. But for gods, beings at the pinnacle of all lifeforms, even if their entire body were destroyed, they might still revive on the spot—or abandon their shell and let the soul escape.

That strike from Kaiser might have been just a superficial wound to Melqart. If not for the damage inflicted by the Golden Sword, Melqart might have already burst out from the underground and continued the battle with Kaiser.

“He already escaped?” Erica asked urgently. “Then let’s hurry and pursue him!”

“Forget it,” Kaiser cast her a glance and said blandly, “Even if we could catch up, so what?”

Melqart, as he was now, wasn’t the opponent Kaiser wanted to fight.

What he wanted was to battle a god at full strength. A weakened god, even if slain, wouldn’t be acknowledged by the Circle of Usurpation.

So from the start, Kaiser hadn’t intended to eliminate Melqart here.

“I came here just to confirm his current state, to see how long it’ll take for him to return to full strength,” Kaiser said directly to Erica without hiding his thoughts. “When he and Verethragna recover completely, that’s when our battle will begin.”

“But...”

Erica’s brows furrowed tightly.

She was worried that if Verethragna and Melqart both returned to full power and clashed with Kaiser, it would bring catastrophic trouble to Sardinia.

Any one of those three could destroy the entire island. If it turned into a three-way battle, Sardinia, as the battlefield, might not just sink into the Mediterranean—it might shatter into pieces.

When that happened, what would become of the people?

Even if she came to Sardinia for the title of “Diavolo Rosso,” as a knight, she couldn’t simply watch the people suffer and do nothing.

So...

“My king, I beg you—please show mercy and save this island.”

Erica pleaded, hoping Kaiser would consider the people and deal with Verethragna and Melqart before they could cause trouble.

“This is Italy. It’s Salvatore Doni’s domain. Protecting the people here should be his responsibility.”

Kaiser’s calm response left Erica speechless.

Chapter 315: Serving That King

Sardinia, Oristano Province.

In a luxurious hotel in Oristano Province, inside a room as grand as a presidential suite, Erica was on a call with someone.

"That's the situation, Uncle," Erica said quietly, holding the phone. "Sorry for disappointing you."

Erica's words were met with a heavy voice.

"No need to apologize, Erica."

The person Erica was speaking to was her only remaining family in this world, her uncle—Paolo Blandelli.

Hearing her uncle’s familiar voice, Paolo’s figure naturally surfaced in Erica’s mind.

That was a man whose physique could be likened to that of a statue of David.

He was a man nearing forty, yet still exuded the vitality of youth. His sculpted and dignified face was filled with intellect and presence. Coupled with a perfectly trained, steel-like body, in every aspect he was a man deserving of the highest title of knight.

Strong and proud as she was, even toward Salvatore Doni, the nominal king of Italy, Erica only maintained superficial respect. In truth, she had never seen him as someone worthy of admiration—instead, she saw him as a monster, a barbarian, someone whose brain seemed chewed by a bear, wholly undeserving of reverence.

But toward Paolo, her uncle, Erica held heartfelt respect.

Because he had never disappointed her—whether as a knight, as family, or as the commander of the Copper Black Cross—this uncle of hers was perfect, impeccable, matching every image of perfection Erica held in her heart.

This wasn’t an illusion. All of Italy could attest to it.

In terms of strength, he was a Paladin, standing at the peak of humanity, able to slay Divine Beasts and battle demigods alone. In terms of intellect, he had once, alongside the former chairman of the Witenagemot, set a trap to repel a Campione—a feat still fervently passed down to this day, making him the object of admiration for countless knights.

It could be said that Erica worked hard with Paolo as her goal. Her greatest ambition was to become someone like her uncle.

As for Campiones?

They were a group of arrogant, lawless Demon Lords—perhaps powerful, but not worthy of aspiration or admiration.

In Italy, there had long been a saying.

The people believed that the strongest knight in Italy was Salvatore Doni, but the highest-ranking knight was Paolo Blandelli.

Though Paolo himself humbly denied this, Salvatore Doni, the other party involved, had once smiled and acknowledged it, saying that as a knight, he was far inferior to Paolo.

That was Erica’s uncle—the current commander of the Copper Black Cross.

At this moment, the man who stood at the pinnacle of Milan’s magical world spoke gently to Erica.

"You are my most treasured pride, a genius child who will one day stand at the top of the organization. This is my personal hope, and a future I have always believed in."

"You will eventually surpass me, surpass all previous generations of the Blandelli family, and reach a level second only to our founder, who was a Campione."

"So there’s no need to feel guilty about your performance. Child, you merely lack some experience in facing gods."

Her uncle’s comforting words brought some relief to Erica’s heart.

"But compared to gods and kings who have slain gods, I am still far too lacking."

Erica couldn’t help but say this.

"You mustn’t think like that, Erica," Paolo advised. "Comparing yourself to gods and god-slaying kings—there’s no meaning in that."

"You are human. The ones you should be comparing yourself to must also be human."

"Gods and god-slaying kings—they are not human. They are existences beyond human understanding."

"As a knight, you can slay savage Magical Beasts and fierce Divine Beasts, but you should not think about slaying the earth or the sea, do you understand?"

Paolo’s implication was clear: there was no need to regard gods and Campiones as people.

How could humans contend with natural disasters?
How could humans be compared to nature itself?

And gods and Campiones were disasters—bugs born from nature.

There was no need to compare oneself to them.

"I understand, Uncle."

Erica accepted this reasoning.

If it had been before, she might have accepted it on the surface but not in her heart.

However, after facing a true god and witnessing the might of a Campione, she was no longer as prideful and self-satisfied as before.

Only by recognizing reality could she move forward.

Erica silently reminded herself of this, which Paolo, having sensed something, found very comforting.

"You’ve grown, my child."

In truth, at the start, Paolo had disagreed with Erica coming to Sardinia.

In his view, Erica still had much to learn and was too young. If she wanted to come into contact with gods, waiting a few more years wouldn’t have been too late.

Unfortunately, Erica had insisted, and Paolo had no choice but to agree.

Now it seemed things were heading in a positive direction, and he could be somewhat reassured.

Even as he felt relief, Paolo gradually grew serious.

"According to your report, there are two gods manifesting in Sardinia. One is the God of Victory from ancient Persian mythology, and the other is the king of the ancient Phoenician pantheon."

"These two gods, due to a great battle, are now both injured. The former’s divine body is shattered, and his incarnations have become multiple Divine Beasts. The latter was struck by the Golden Sword that severs Divinity and is still trying to wear down the wound."

"And that king who was born not long ago has also appeared on Sardinia..."

Paolo repeated the situation and calmly gave his conclusion.

"If that’s the case, then the situation is not too bad."

At least, Melqart had no time to stir up trouble now, and Verethragna was still trying to retrieve his incarnations. Rampaging across Sardinia were only Divine Beasts, not the gods themselves. Plus, with a Campione already on site—someone who could contend with the two gods—the situation could definitely be considered favorable.

"But Uncle, the two gods are still alive. They could recover to full strength at any time," Erica said. "They already fought once. If they recover, they’ll surely engage in another divine battle."

"At that time, Sardinia may not be as lucky as before and have both sides perish."

So long as it wasn’t mutual destruction, the god who remained would likely stir up trouble in Sardinia.

A clash between gods could, if handled poorly, also engulf Sardinia and lead to its destruction.

The current situation might be stable, but the future was far from optimistic.

"Uncle, is there still no word from Lord Salvatore?"

Erica asked.

"Our lord is already en route to Sardinia," Paolo understood what Erica meant and shook his head. "But it will still take time for him to arrive—he very likely won’t make it in time."

Not everyone could fly over like Kaiser.

Most Campiones still used human modes of transportation when traveling. Their Authorities didn’t necessarily grant them speeds faster than planes, and even if they did, they couldn’t use them nonstop to reach Sardinia without regard for consumption.

If Kaiser didn’t have Divine Dividing, he’d probably also have had to obediently take a plane—otherwise, he’d have had to swim across the sea or exhaust himself using Shunpo or Sonído to travel.

Therefore, for Italy’s king to reach Sardinia wouldn’t be quick.

"What should we do then?"

Erica began to feel troubled.

"What did that king on your side say?" Paolo asked, a bit cautiously. "Is he willing to act?"

"It’s not that he’s unwilling," Erica said somewhat conflictedly. "It’s just that he doesn’t seem to want to take advantage of the gods’ weakness. Instead, he plans to wait until both gods recover before taking them down in one fell swoop."

Paolo wasn’t the least bit surprised by Erica’s statement.

"Since he’s a king who can slay gods, it’s only natural that he wouldn’t want to take advantage."

As a knight, Paolo could understand such an approach that respected both the enemy and oneself.

If it were him, he also wouldn’t want to strike someone when they were down. He would wait until the other side recovered, then challenge them openly.

Erica was actually the same, so she wasn’t displeased by Kaiser’s actions.

But the opponents were gods—existences akin to natural disasters, not ordinary humans.

Letting such beings recover posed too great a threat to humanity.

"Uncle, should I go try persuading the king again?"

Erica sought Paolo’s opinion.

"No, forget it," Paolo sighed and said, "The king is not someone we can sway. If persuasion fails and ends up angering him, that would be real trouble."

Don’t forget—a Campione was also a Demon Lord, a walking humanoid catastrophe.

To anger one was no different than angering a god.

Humanity could not oppose gods, nor could they oppose Campiones.

Just as one must treat gods with extreme caution, so too must one be extremely careful with Campiones.

"Erica, for now, serve that king in the capacity of a retainer."

Paolo’s understanding of Campiones far surpassed Erica’s. He was also far clearer than the History Compilation Committee on how to deal with them.

Thus, he gave his instructions without hesitation.

"Don’t attempt to do anything that might influence the king. Always remember, you are merely a subordinate to the king."

"As for the king’s decisions and actions, accept them accordingly. Even if you have objections, do not resist directly."

"Use your wits skillfully, Erica. I believe someone as clever as you will accomplish this task."

Paolo gave Erica his utmost respect and trust.

"Yes, Uncle."

Erica took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

(End of this chapter)