Fantasy Library, Ch 301-305

Chapter 301: Fast-Forward to Life and Death

On the other side, after leaving Shichio Shrine, Kaiser did not linger as he had said, but instead once again summoned Divine Dividing, turning into a starlight streak dragging a long trail of light, flying at high speed toward the sea.

After becoming a Campione, the Sacred Gears within Kaiser's body were also strengthened along with him, gaining growth, with their power increasing significantly.

Take Divine Dividing for example—in its normal state without using Balance Breaker, it originally required three seconds to activate the Divide ability once each time. But now, the Divide ability of Divine Dividing could be activated once per second—an extremely noticeable improvement.

The same was true for Boosted Gear. The time required to activate the boost ability once in its normal state was reduced from three seconds to one second. While the Balance Breaker state didn’t change and still allowed ability activation anytime, anywhere, the explosive power released after donning the armor had increased significantly, and the consumption had correspondingly decreased.

If, when Kaiser first obtained these two Longinus, he could maintain the Balance Breaker state for about three months without using abilities, then now—even when normally using their powers without excess—he could absolutely maintain their Balance Breaker state for over a year!

The same went for the Juggernaut Drive of the two Sacred Gears. Previously, Kaiser could only maintain Juggernaut Drive for about an hour without using abilities. Now, even when normally using them without overexertion, he could maintain Juggernaut Drive for at least six hours!

The same was true for the Balance Breaker of the True Longinus. In the beginning, even if not excessively drawing on its power, he could maintain it for less than two hours. Now, even using it for half a day would be no problem.

All these changes clearly demonstrated how quickly Kaiser had grown—and how powerful he now was.

Of course, all his other exclusive weapons had grown stronger as well. Whether it was the Zanpakutō or the Orga Luxes, their power had increased significantly, even their inherent quality and rank had risen.

"The benefits of God-Slaying really are enormous. As long as one succeeds, it’s like ascending to the heavens in a single leap."

Feeling these changes, Kaiser couldn’t help but sigh like this more than once.

It was merely slaying a god once, and yet the growth he gained surpassed any previous time—making Kaiser feel as if he had wasted decades in the Soul Society.

"No, if not for those decades of effort, I wouldn’t have waited for the Hōgyoku’s birth, nor would I have obtained the Circle of Usurpation as a reward."

If not for the Hōgyoku and the Circle of Usurpation, then even if he succeeded in God-Slaying in this world, the transformation he gained wouldn’t have been this great.

...But it would only have been less—not nonexistent!

Becoming a Campione in this world was still the best shortcut for mortals to ascend in one leap!

It was just that this shortcut—at most, only a few succeeded in a single era. The rest were merely sacrifices, innocent ants caught in the crossfire, piling the path with corpses.

In short, Divine Dividing had become stronger, and its flying speed had increased a lot, allowing Kaiser to reach his destination in very little time.

"This should be the place, right?"

Kaiser stopped midair above an uninhabited part of the ocean and revealed himself.

This was Point Nemo, also known as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility—the spot on Earth farthest from any landmass.

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the nearest land to it is 2,688 kilometers away. This point is isolated from land, shipping routes, and ocean currents; human activity and biological traces in this region are extremely rare.

Point Nemo lies about 3,000 miles east of New Zealand’s coast and about 2,000 miles north of Antarctica. Since 1971, more than 263 pieces of spacecraft debris have been deliberately dropped into the sea here by various nations, so it is also known as the spacecraft graveyard.

Therefore, even if something major happens here, the impact should be minimized.

Having experienced what happened last time, Kaiser would no longer casually pick just any uninhabited place to summon a god.

This place was the farthest from land, with barely any life forms—undoubtedly the most suitable place to cause chaos.

"Let’s see which lucky one I draw this time."

The corners of Kaiser’s lips curved up as he clenched his palm, and the True Longinus instantly appeared in his hand.

"Truth Idea!"

Chanting the spell smoothly, Kaiser activated Truth Idea, causing the tip of the Holy Spear to fully unfold, releasing a massive amount of divine energy, which turned into ripple after ripple of glowing halos, soaring into the sky.

"Rumble—"

This uninhabited sea area instantly surged, waves rising one after another, even causing rain to pour down from the sky.

The vast Magical Power resonated with the divine fluctuations and manifested above the sea.

"Thump thump—"

In that instant, Kaiser’s heartbeat uncontrollably sped up.

His body seemed to turn into a furnace, with Magical Power burning violently.

His fighting spirit also rose unknowingly, accelerating the flow of his blood.

His will to fight became fervent, and a power stronger than adrenaline burst forth from deep within his body, instantly adjusting his physical state to one of full power—even to the point of extraordinary performance.

Undoubtedly, compared to Kaiser’s conscious perception, his body first sensed the sign of a hostile enemy and automatically entered its best combat state.

This was what it meant to be a Campione—whether facing danger or a strong enemy, they would instantly enter their optimal battle state.

While others might need frequent training to maintain their form and become rusty after a few years of inactivity, a Campione only needed to face danger or a powerful foe, and no matter how long they had been away from battle, they would instantly adjust themselves.

Rather than calling it a special physique, it would be more accurate to call it a habit unique to Campione.

Like a beast always ready to hunt—once it locks onto its prey, it never lets go. Even when wounded, it never retreats. On the contrary, it only provokes its ferocity and wild nature, making it grow stronger.

This is the reason Campione are called “beasts.”

"Boom!"

With a massive swell of the sea, a male god with revealing clothing and holding a trident appeared above the water.

"Who is calling me?"

"Who is provoking me?"

"Who… is so brazenly reckless?"

The male god let out a voice that made the surrounding sea roar, causing the entire region to become turbulent with his voice and appearance.

That voice, unlike Odin’s solemn dignity, was not only arrogant but also brimming with extreme individuality.

And the opponent seemed to be the master of this sea... no, more accurately, the master of the entire ocean. His voice alone made the sea rise and fall with emotion.

Kaiser sized him up briefly and found his attire was of ancient Greek style.

"Holding a trident, able to make the sea his domain—Greek male god…"

Just like with Odin, Kaiser instantly recognized his identity.

"You are Poseidon?"

Poseidon, the sea god in Greek mythology, one of the twelve Olympian gods, brother to Zeus, king of the gods, and Hades, god of the underworld.

His worship was mainly concentrated around the Aegean Sea, where Greek sailors and fishermen revered him deeply. In the late Roman Empire, Roman gods were aligned with Greek counterparts, and the Roman equivalent of Poseidon was Neptune—whose name also became that of the planet Neptune.

Kaiser didn’t expect that both times he summoned gods, he ended up summoning those of the highest status and rank within their respective mythologies.

"That’s right, I am Poseidon, the Olympian Lord!"

Poseidon candidly acknowledged his divine name.

If it were an ordinary human, he wouldn’t have done so.

But the man before him—was no ordinary human.

"This repugnant aura… You are indeed a Campione, enemy of us gods!"

Poseidon glared at Kaiser, erratic in temperament.

"The Campione who challenged the entire Realm of Immortality—you must be the dangerous figure that old man from Norse mentioned, the one to beware of?"

Hearing this, Kaiser was slightly stunned.

Old man from Norse?

Who was he referring to?

Could it be...

"Boom!"

Before Kaiser could finish thinking, Poseidon suddenly swung his trident and let out a roar.

"Although that old man said as much, to be provoked by a mere mortal—I, Poseidon, cannot tolerate it!"

This god was no benevolent entity.

Although he was also the god of horses, for giving humanity the first horse and allowing them to have transport…

Although he often watered the earth with fresh springs, bringing favorable weather and bountiful harvests, earning the title of Harvest God…

Although his sacred beast was the dolphin, representing the tranquility and gentleness of the sea…

Still, this guy was far from virtuous.

Because in Greek mythology, this sea god was not only ambitious and belligerent—constantly seeking to dethrone Zeus and take the throne for himself—but like most Greek gods, his private life was chaotic.

In myths, this god was frequently ruled by the lower half of his body, forcefully taking many beautiful women and causing countless tragedies.

One could say that this sea god, like his brother Zeus, was a male deity with extremely poor morals and widely despised.

The temper of the war-loving sea god was like the sea itself—fickle and unpredictable.

Thus, he became enraged very easily.

"I want to see whether you’re truly as dangerous as he said!"

Once Poseidon finished speaking, the sea shook violently, sending out countless towering tsunamis surging toward Kaiser.

In that moment, Kaiser seemed to be swallowed by the entire sea, attacked by wave after wave.

"Going straight into a fight, huh?"

Coming back to his senses, Kaiser narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"Fine then. Let’s skip all the unnecessary procedures—fast-forward to life and death!"

As he spoke, the Holy Spear in Kaiser’s hand vanished.

In its place was another spear—

A throwing spear.

Chapter 302: The Mighty Gungnir

"Boom!"

As the tsunami, hundreds of meters high, crashed down wave after wave, completely engulfing the tiny human figure in the center, Poseidon, standing atop the sea waves, turned and fled without hesitation.

"Bastard!"

This sea god, renowned and infamous in Greek mythology, cursed angrily in his heart as he fled.

"Why didn’t anyone tell me the God-Slayer obtained that spear…?!"

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Poseidon did indeed see the spear that appeared in Kaiser’s hand.

The shaft of that spear, though wooden, exuded a rich sense of life, clearly crafted from a branch of the World Tree.

The spearhead was also inscribed with runes from Norse mythology, full of divinity.

With such obvious traits, how could Poseidon not recognize the name of that spear?

"That damn old man! I’ll definitely curse you! And if I get the chance, I’ll sneak into your wife’s room too!"

As Poseidon cursed furiously in his heart, his body had already dived into the sea, transforming into a giant shark and swimming away at high speed.

Greek gods were just like that—having no shred of dignity, not caring about a god’s decorum. If even slightly displeased, they’d throw tantrums, and if even slightly endangered, they’d slip away—there was simply no such thing as the valor to fight to the death rather than compromise.

At least, Poseidon was like that.

Unfortunately, no matter where he fled, it was useless.

"Buzz—"

As a humming sound echoed through the atmosphere, a streak of starlight shot across the sea like a meteor, seemingly piercing through the ocean.

The meteor followed like a shadow, as if guided by fate, chasing the trace of Poseidon’s Magical Power deep into the seabed, streaking toward the giant shark that was desperately swimming to the other end of the sea.

"Pu chi!"

Very quickly, the spear of destiny, transformed into a meteor, struck the giant shark and pierced straight through its body.

"Ahhh—"

Poseidon let out a scream and reverted to his original form.

His body was completely pierced through by the Gungnir, from the back to the chest, the tip of the spear emerging from his chest, bringing with it gushing blood.

"Pu chi!"

With a tearing sound, the Gungnir automatically withdrew from his body and once again turned into a meteor, returning to one person’s hand and being firmly gripped.

Engulfed earlier by the waves of the tsunami, Kaiser had now also submerged into the sea, diving deep to the ocean floor.

However, he didn’t pursue Poseidon.

Because it wasn’t necessary.

The life force within Poseidon, who had been pierced by Gungnir, was already rapidly dissipating.

Originally, as a god who ruled the sea, Poseidon had extremely tenacious vitality. Even if his body was pierced, even if his flesh was pulverized, he could still find a way to survive and escape.

However, as the divine spear that declares victory with a single throw, the wounds caused by Gungnir naturally could not be so easily ignored.

The divine power inherent in this spear, even gods with immortality would struggle to resist. Once their body was pierced by it, unless they possessed a rank above the spear itself, they could not escape defeat.

The last time, the reason Kaiser could immediately become lively and spirited after being pierced through the heart by Gungnir wasn’t because of High-Speed Regeneration, but because the Hōgyoku had granted him the nature of being undying and immortal.

Otherwise, even Hollows with High-Speed Regeneration—could they possibly ignore the damage caused by a legendary chief god’s divine artifact?

That was, of course, impossible.

Although Poseidon was one of the Twelve Olympians in Greek mythology, he was not an undying, immortal being, nor did his Divinity surpass Odin. So how could he resist the power of Gungnir?

Thus, this god who had only just manifested in the world for a few minutes, now bled from his chest and cursed toward the sky.

"Odin! Damn you!"

Leaving behind those words, Poseidon’s life force completely dissipated.

"Excellent!"

Seeing this scene, Kaiser, who had entered the sea, couldn’t help but feel joy.

He had actually one-shotted a god!

And the opponent wasn’t some obscure minor deity, but one of the Twelve Olympians of Olympus!

"What a tyrannical Gungnir!"

"What an incredible spear of destiny!"

Kaiser looked at the Gungnir in his hand, feeling more delighted the more he looked at it.

However, now was not the time to admire his Authority and divine weapon—but the time to reap the rewards.

"Swish!"

Kaiser took a step forward and instantly appeared before Poseidon’s corpse. Above his head, the Circle of Usurpation flew out, spinning rapidly as it devoured the sea god’s divine body completely.

Kaiser could feel a massive force emerging within the Circle of Usurpation, and that power was being poured into his body.

If it were another Campione, the spoils they could harvest at this point would, at most, be a single Authority.

Starting from the second God-Slaying, while Campione could still gain new Authorities each time, they could only obtain the Authority—no longer able to undergo a rebirth-like transformation as they did with the first God-Slaying.

Kaiser was no exception. He could not surpass the effect of the ritual and gain more Authorities.

He too could only obtain one Authority.

However, because he possessed the Circle of Usurpation and could fully wield its power, he could retain all the power beyond the acquired Authority to enhance his own Magical Power.

Even if only Magical Power was strengthened, it was still far better than other Campione. At least it meant one more important gain.

As for his physique, that would be left to the Hōgyoku to continue guiding and developing.

By accumulating bit by bit like this—once both his physique and Magical Power reached their limits, he could trigger the power of the Hōgyoku and gain another rebirth-like evolution.

Just like that, while absorbing the power within the Circle of Usurpation, Kaiser also retrieved the Gungnir, and another weapon appeared in his hand.

It was a trident.

The very one Poseidon had been holding ever since his appearance.

This trident was no ordinary weapon.

It was the symbol of the sea god Poseidon in ancient Greek mythology and his most important weapon.

According to legend, Poseidon was the son of the Titan Cronus and Rhea. Because Cronus feared that his children would overthrow him, he devoured each of them at birth. Only the youngest, Zeus, was saved when Rhea swapped him with a stone.

With Zeus’s help, Cronus vomited out his children—among them, Poseidon.

Afterward, Zeus led his siblings in a war against Cronus. The Cyclopes forged thunder for Zeus, the Helm of Invisibility for Hades, and the trident for Poseidon, helping them overthrow Cronus's rule.

In myth, Poseidon often rode in a chariot drawn by bronze-hoofed, golden-maned horses, striking rocks with his trident to make springs gush forth from cracks to water the land, bringing bountiful harvests and earning the title of Harvest God.

Using the trident, Poseidon could not only split mountains and turn rocks into islands, but also stir up massive waves, trigger storms and tsunamis, submerge continents, split heaven and earth, and even shatter all things—causing earthquakes and unprecedented disasters.

"To control the sea, summon storms and tsunamis, shatter all things, trigger earthquakes, and create islands… this trident’s power is not to be underestimated."

Knowing this, Kaiser naturally could not ignore such a weapon.

Choosing this weapon meant he could immediately wield its power and, once it recognized him as master, further enhance it.

Had he chosen a different Authority, Kaiser would have had to spend time learning it, practicing its use, developing it, and gradually improving it.

That would be a waste of time—and unable to strengthen the Authority.

Possessing the Ultimate Authority Over Weapons, as long as the god-slayed divine weapon wasn’t too weak or trash, he would always choose the opponent’s weapon as his Authority, turning it into his own exclusive weapon.

"Buzz..."

Golden patterns appeared on the trident, quickly covering its surface before swiftly embedding into it.

Once the trident accepted him as master, Kaiser immediately noticed he could breathe underwater.

The once-silent sea suddenly came to life, as if infused with spirit, expressing closeness to him, making him feel the warmth of returning to a mother’s womb.

With the trident in hand, Kaiser could fully manipulate the sea. Calling him the new sea god would not be an exaggeration.

"Boom!"

On the quiet and uninhabited sea surface, waves suddenly surged and parted on their own, lifting one person through the water into the sky.

"This sensation… really is quite marvelous."

Having put away the Circle of Usurpation, Kaiser looked over the entire sea, feeling a distinct sense that he could command it at any moment.

With the trident in hand, the ocean was Kaiser’s domain—his territory.

"The main weapons used by gods really are powerful."

Kaiser smiled slightly and put away the trident, yet the waters beneath his feet remained under control, still supporting him.

Even without using the exclusive weapon, he could still use a portion of its power. Controlling the entire sea might be too much, but directing a bit of water was effortless.

However...

"Poseidon's reaction after being summoned was... rather odd."

Kaiser finally had the mind to ponder this issue.

"He said that Odin took word of me back to the Realm of Immortality and spread it around to warn other gods, didn’t he?"

Kaiser mused and suddenly pulled out the True Longinus, chanting the spell for Truth Idea.

Holy fluctuations soared into the sky, once again issuing a challenge to the Realm of Immortality, attempting to summon a god.

However...

"It failed..."

Watching the divine energy dissipate into the sky, Kaiser smiled wryly.

Clearly, with Odin’s warning and Poseidon's miserable defeat as confirmation, the gods of the divine realm had become wary of this method and would no longer be easily tricked.

After all, they were gods—it wasn’t as though they had no resistance at all, unable to stop themselves from being dragged out of myth by Truth Idea.

From now on, the method of summoning gods through Truth Idea was likely no longer viable.

"Forget it."

Kaiser didn’t force it and directly turned to dive back into the ocean depths.

Since summoning was no longer an option, then he’d just go find one himself.

Chapter 303: Which Point in Time?

On the way to Point Nemo, Kaiser used Divine Dividing to fly there, so it didn’t take very long.

On the way back, Kaiser swam through the sea—and surprisingly, that didn’t take very long either.

After obtaining the Trident, the ocean truly became like his home. Even when he dove into the deep, bottomless seabed, he could still breathe freely at will, unaffected by water pressure, and could move as he pleased—more freely and conveniently than even on land.

At a depth of several thousand meters, nothing should have been visible, yet once Kaiser entered that depth, the seawater actually became as clear as transparent blue, as if sunlight were shining through, giving off the feeling of diving for leisure in Sanya or Hawaii.

Unfortunately, this uninhabited deep-sea environment was neither beautiful nor pleasing to the eye. Instead, it was completely barren, utterly desolate. Even the marine creatures that swam by weren’t those colorful and lovely fish, but rather species with all sorts of bizarre appearances—practically none of them could be called attractive.

This was the difference between reality and fairy tales.

However, because of this, Kaiser discovered yet another function of the Trident—it could command marine life.

No matter how ferocious the sea creatures were, once they reached him, they would become as obedient as the most loyal servants of humankind, circling around him.

Kaiser suspected that he might even be able to command those legendary sea creatures.

"According to legend, when Poseidon grew angry, sea monsters would appear on the sea—that’s also a kind of marine life, right?"

Creatures like the North Sea Kraken, the ocean behemoth Leviathan—those were all types of sea monsters, and fell within the category of marine life that could be commanded by the Trident.

"Is this a power the Trident originally possessed? Or did it undergo a transformation after becoming my Authority?"

Depending on the nature of the recipient, the Authorities obtained through God-Slaying might undergo drastic changes, so Kaiser wasn’t sure whether the original Trident had the function of commanding marine life.

But he could indeed do it—he didn’t even need to summon the Trident, just borrowing a portion of its power was enough. The only question was how far this ability could go.

"I’ll test it out sometime in the future."

With that thought in mind, Kaiser moved through the sea, riding the currents and soaring freely, with an astonishing speed.

Though not as fast as flying through the sky with Divine Dividing, by surfing the ocean currents, Kaiser still returned to land in a short time.

After reaching land, Kaiser stepped ashore, and his clothes weren’t even wet.

In this state, Kaiser returned to his residence in this world.

It was an apartment situated near Tokyo Tower.

The apartment wasn’t far from Shiba Park near Shichio Shrine, which was why Kaiser had taken on a part-time job there.

"Not bad, at least this time it came with a house."

Kaiser grumbled about the background setting this time while returning to the apartment, locating his own place in one of the less favorable spots.

It was a rather cramped room. Opening the door, there was a narrow entrance hall just wide enough for one person to pass. Beyond that was a single room with a bed in the corner—no other spaces besides a toilet beside the entry.

There was no kitchen, so cooking was out of the question. There was no bathroom, so bathing either had to be done in the toilet or at a nearby bathhouse—cheap and convenient, sure, but sharing a tub with a bunch of old men was a bit unsettling...

Knowing the conditions here, Kaiser immediately formed an idea.

"This isn’t a place fit for long-term living."

Not that he was being picky—he actually had no demanding standards when it came to living conditions.

His only requirement was that it didn’t make him uncomfortable, that it was clean and sanitary.

This place didn’t leak, nor was it unclean or unsanitary, so as long as it wasn’t for long-term stay, Kaiser could accept it.

But if it was for long-term residence, then he hoped at least for a fully functional place—at the very least, he didn’t want to have to go elsewhere to cram into a bathhouse with others just to take a bath.

"Let’s see if I can find a way to get some money."

Kaiser sat at the low table, thinking idly.

For him now, making money was no longer difficult, so he didn’t need to think too hard about how to go about it.

Especially in this world, as long as he remained a Campione, there would be plenty of people willingly lining up to bring him money.

Even without that, with his current power, he could dive into the sea, casually catch a Pacific bluefin tuna, and sell it for a good price—he’d have no worries about food and clothing for a while.

"The important thing is intelligence about the gods..."

Just as Kaiser had this thought, there was a knock at the door.

"Hmm?"

Kaiser instantly came back to his senses, raising his eyebrows.

He had just returned, and someone was already knocking?

...This wasn’t a coincidence, right?

Thinking that, Kaiser walked to the entrance and opened the door.

Sure enough, standing outside was someone he had just seen at Shichio Shrine not long ago—a familiar face.

"Pardon the intrusion, King."

Touma Amakasu bowed deeply to Kaiser.

"It’s you." Kaiser said in slight surprise, "I thought it would be Miss Mariya."

Not that he was thinking about the young lady, but since someone had come knocking right after his return—if it wasn’t a coincidence, there must be a reason.

So, Kaiser had assumed it was Mariya Yuri who had used Spirit Vision to foresee his return at this specific time, and had chosen the perfect moment to come by.

In truth, although it was Touma Amakasu who had come, Kaiser’s guess wasn’t entirely wrong.

"Before I came, Miss Mariya did indeed give me a few words of advice. She said visiting at this time would be best."

Touma Amakasu would not tell Kaiser that it wasn’t Mariya Yuri’s spontaneous advice, but something he had consulted her about.

He didn’t want to lose his life over a job.

Although he was a ninja and Sayanomiya Kaoru’s representative, come on—what era was this? That outdated practice of a ninja sacrificing everything for their lord ought to be discarded already.

At least, that’s what Touma Amakasu thought.

Thus, Touma Amakasu always treated his position in the History Compilation Committee as just a job and dressed like a proper office worker.

Work was work—just getting a paycheck was enough. Who would risk their life for the interests of those in power?

With that mindset, Touma Amakasu had gone to Mariya Yuri and asked her to use that all-purpose inspiration of hers to help him determine when a visit wouldn’t incur the King’s wrath, and when he could catch Kaiser in a good mood.

Thanks to that, Touma Amakasu was able to show up at just the right time.

"Come in, then."

Kaiser nodded in understanding, then casually waved Touma Amakasu inside.

"No, how could I trouble the King?" Touma Amakasu hurriedly handed over a thick stack of documents to Kaiser, saying, "These are all the records on gods collected by the History Compilation Committee. Please have a look, my King."

"That fast?" Kaiser accepted them, slightly surprised. "You guys move pretty quickly."

"Because the higher-ups also place great importance on matters concerning the King." Touma Amakasu said with a fawning smile, "The intelligence was already gathered beforehand. We just needed to extract the parts related to the gods and organize them."

Since it was a request directly made by a Campione, the History Compilation Committee naturally dared not delay. All procedures and formalities were skipped—they opened the green channel and deployed as many personnel as possible to complete the compilation of information at the fastest speed.

Under such conditions, it would be hard not to be efficient.

"Alright then." Kaiser looked at the thick pile of documents and, glancing at the overly respectful Touma Amakasu, chuckled, "In that case, I won’t bother hosting you."

"Yes." Touma Amakasu bowed deeply as if receiving a pardon, then decisively took his leave and vanished without a trace.

That hasty escape wasn’t like someone who had just narrowly escaped death—it was more like an office worker finally getting off duty after a long day, desperate to get home.

"A real talent, huh."

Kaiser muttered in his heart. After returning to the room, he immediately began reading the documents Touma Amakasu had brought.

They contained intelligence on gods who had appeared in various countries and regions—even records of Divine Beasts.

There were also reports suspected of divine descent, including but not limited to descent locations, speculations on their divinity, and conjectures as to which god had descended.

Though it looked like a thick pile, in reality, the number of reports that could be confirmed as actual god appearances was very small. Most were labeled as “suspected,” “uncertain,” or “possible,” each followed by evidence, speculation, and clues.

This was only natural. If Heretic Gods really appeared so frequently, the level of disaster this world would suffer would be unimaginable.

Examples of divine descent were still rare. There shouldn’t be enough cases to fill a thick pile of documents—so most of it consisted of suspicions of where gods might have appeared.

Some regions had strange phenomena, some had unusual incidents—those might be signs of Heretic Gods descending, but more often than not, they turned out to be mistakes. Hence, the thick file.

As Kaiser read, he suddenly spotted something unusual.

"It seems... there are surprisingly few reports of gods appearing in this country?"

Kaiser roughly understood what was going on.

"So many little schemes. If I didn’t know the original plot and know that this country had a real Heretic God sealed, I might not have caught it."

Kaiser curled his lip.

Just from the fact that this intelligence file didn’t mention that event, Kaiser could confirm that the History Compilation Committee had definitely concealed intelligence related to gods in their own country.

They were afraid Kaiser would break the seal and throw the nation into chaos for the sake of God-Slaying.

"Fortunately, I’m someone who can understand your thinking. If it were another Campione, just this act of deliberate concealment would be enough to bring disaster upon you."

Kaiser muttered to himself—and at the same time, he confirmed something else through this intelligence.

That was, what point in the original story he was currently at.

Chapter 304: This Must Be Done

The intelligence provided by the History Compilation Committee also mentioned information about Heretic Gods suspected of having been defeated by Campiones.

According to this information, Kaiser already knew that before he became a Campione, there were already six Campiones in existence.

And the one who became a Campione before him was Salvatore Doni, who had succeeded in slaying a god four years ago.

“If I remember correctly, the protagonist in the original story became a Campione in the fourth year after the sixth King was born, right?”

Then, according to the intelligence, some unusual phenomena had recently appeared on the island of Sardinia in the Italian Peninsula.

Those phenomena resembled signs of the descent of a Heretic God, so mystical factions around the world who received the news were paying close attention to the matter.

Especially Italy, which was one of the birthplaces of magic and had a very orthodox and ancient magical heritage. The major magic associations stationed there were all showing interest in or even taking action regarding the anomalies on Sardinia. Reportedly, they even intended to contact the local King to inspect the site.

Interestingly, the Italian Peninsula happened to be the territory of Salvatore Doni, who became a Campione four years ago. The magic associations there had basically all pledged allegiance to him as their lord.

Currently, that Campione was in South America, not in Italy. Thus, the Italian magic associations only sent scouts to Sardinia to confirm whether the descent of a Heretic God was true.

“Sardinia, huh…”

Kaiser naturally understood the significance of this place.

He knew that the protagonist of the original story became a Campione precisely by slaying a god there.

“In other words, my life experience this time is unfolding during the timeline where the original story officially begins.”

Unlike the last world, where he had to wait decades before the original plot began, this time, Kaiser had arrived right at the moment when the original plot was about to unfold.

At this moment, the god in Sardinia had not yet been slain, and the protagonist had not yet become a Campione. His unstable and unwanted journey had not officially begun.

That being the case…

“Then don’t blame me for kill-stealing.”

Without any psychological burden, Kaiser made this decision.

Because the protagonist of this world was different from those of the previous worlds—particularly difficult.

Clearly a sovereign King, yet always yearning for a peaceful life.

Clearly possessed the power to change the world, yet constantly resisted it, unwilling to accept the fact that he had become a Campione.

He kept saying he hated fighting and killing, yet always rushed to the front of every storm.

He was extremely reluctant to get involved in supernatural incidents, yet always ended up being the catalyst of those very incidents for all sorts of reasons.

In short, this person was very contradictory—especially so.

Amagiri Ayato was already very laid-back, right? But even he knew when it was time to fight, he had to fight!

Hyoudou Issei was pretty much a loser, right? But even he understood that once something happened, it couldn’t be avoided!

And Kurosaki Ichigo didn’t even need to be mentioned—for the sake of protecting his companions, he had always been pushing his limits, desperately trying to become stronger.

Therefore, when facing these people, Kaiser didn’t mind giving them a bit of help—neither too big nor too small.

If it hadn’t been for his severe lack of strength in the beginning, and the fact that he didn’t even have a personal weapon and was desperate to grow stronger, he wouldn’t have chosen Ser-Veresta as his Orga Lux before Amagiri Ayato, even though he knew Ayato was the original wielder of that sword.

After choosing it, Kaiser had considered compensating Ayato. But once he obtained the Wole-Zain—another of the Four-Colored Magic Swords—and confirmed Ayato didn’t suffer any loss because of his appearance, he let it go.

This shows that Kaiser actually wasn’t someone who would steal others’ fortunes at any cost.

However, the protagonist of this world was different. His personality was so contrary that Kaiser felt stealing his “boss kill” would actually be a good thing.

Since he didn’t want to become a Campione that badly, and yearned so much for a peaceful and stable life, then let him have it.

As for the god in Sardinia—Kaiser would gladly accept.

……

Shichio Shrine, inner sanctum.

After leaving Kaiser, Touma Amakasu immediately returned here to report to Sayanomiya Kaoru, who was still there.

“Don’t make me take on such life-threatening jobs again.”

Touma Amakasu complained to his superior, but Sayanomiya Kaoru treated it like passing wind and directly ignored him.

Sayanomiya Kaoru merely looked toward Mariya Yuri, who was sitting in front of her, noticing her absent-minded state, and smiled as she spoke.

“Still thinking about that King?”

Sayanomiya Kaoru thought Mariya Yuri was still feeling shaken by the earlier events, so she intended to console her.

But what Mariya Yuri said next made Sayanomiya Kaoru’s expression tighten.

“…I just feel like that King is going to cause a huge disturbance in this country in the future.”

Mariya Yuri’s worried statement made the smile on Sayanomiya Kaoru’s face disappear instantly.

“Are you serious?”

Even Touma Amakasu looked shaken.

Although Mariya Yuri had used the word “feel,” which made it sound like she was just overthinking things, no one would dismiss such a “feeling” as baseless when it came from a Hime-Miko with extraordinary Spirit Vision and spiritual intuition.

At the very least, neither Sayanomiya Kaoru nor Touma Amakasu believed that the feelings of Mariya Yuri—the highest-ranked Spirit Vision practitioner—were useless.

This could very well be a revelation, an oracle.

Sayanomiya Kaoru and Touma Amakasu didn’t dare to ignore it at all.

“I already filtered the information,” Sayanomiya Kaoru said, staring at Mariya Yuri, articulating each word clearly. “None of the intelligence about gods that could bring trouble to our country was included in what we provided to that King.”

“Even so, he’ll still cause trouble here?”

“…It’s just a feeling.” Mariya Yuri lowered her eyes and said softly, “Although I didn’t see anything through Spirit Vision, I have this premonition that something the King wants is here.”

“So, he’ll take action here.”

Sayanomiya Kaoru fell silent on the spot.

Touma Amakasu began to seriously consider how to write his resignation letter.

“What do the upper levels of the Committee think?”

Unable to suppress her anxiety, Mariya Yuri asked Sayanomiya Kaoru.

This wasn’t something she was supposed to concern herself with, but her worry had reached a point where she broke form and asked anyway.

“What can they think?” Sayanomiya Kaoru rubbed her temples and said irritably, “Those old men may be stubborn and rigid, but they’re not stupid. They won’t go against a Campione for no reason and without any benefit.”

“Unless the people in the Netherworld have some bold idea, otherwise they’ll only have one attitude.”

“And that is: try to satisfy the King’s demands, don’t provoke him. Even if it means sacrificing something, they must make the King feel satisfied and pleased.”

Even though the Witenagemot lacked sufficient understanding of Campiones and experience in dealing with them, no one in the society would dare to challenge a Demon Lord’s authority.

That would be playing with their own lives. If anything went wrong, they couldn’t afford the consequences—not personally, and not as a group.

In view of this, the History Compilation Committee and the entire Magic Society were monitoring everything behind the scenes.

Without certainty and confidence, none of those people would come forward to make contact with Kaiser.

“Then… what if he really wants to do something here?”

Mariya Yuri felt a deep unease.

“…If it doesn’t threaten the foundations, the Committee probably won’t choose to resist.” Sayanomiya Kaoru sighed. “Besides, we can’t resist.”

This time, it was Mariya Yuri’s turn to fall silent.

“If only we could know in advance what he plans to do here.”

Sayanomiya Kaoru sighed while subtly suggesting something.

“That’s not possible.” Mariya Yuri pressed her lips together. “If I use Spirit Vision to pry into the King again, I will definitely bring disaster to this country.”

After Kaiser’s warning, Mariya Yuri no longer dared to use Spirit Vision on him and could only rely on vague intuition to sense things.

“If…”

Mariya Yuri’s face showed hesitation, and after a while, her expression suddenly firmed up as she spoke.

“If it really comes to a last resort, I will use Spirit Vision.”

At that time, just like before, she would take all the blame upon herself.

Sayanomiya Kaoru knew what Mariya Yuri was thinking, but she couldn’t stop her.

Because that was already the best course of action.

They couldn’t just sit here and do nothing, knowing something would happen.

She believed those stubborn elders, upon learning of this matter, would also unhesitatingly choose to sacrifice a Hime-Miko.

Sayanomiya Kaoru naturally didn’t want to see that happen, but as the director of the Tokyo branch of the History Compilation Committee and the future supreme leader of the organization, she had to take responsibility for the people of the entire nation.

So…

“This matter—you decide for yourself, Yuri.” Sayanomiya Kaoru had no choice but to harden her heart and say, “I believe that with your ability, you can steer things toward the best possible outcome.”

Hearing this, Mariya Yuri lowered her head deeply.

Could she really do something like that?

Thinking back to the incident four years ago, when she had also been powerless to stop everything, Mariya Yuri felt a wave of confusion in her heart.

But then, she regained her resolve.

She… must do this.

She could only do this.

……

As for the conversation at Shichio Shrine, Kaiser naturally knew nothing about it.

After resting for a day, spending all the money he had left, and enjoying a big meal, he left this country.

His next destination was Sardinia.

There, two entire gods awaited him…

Chapter 305: A Greeting First Would Be Good

Sardinia, also known as Sardegna, is a large island located to the southwest of the Italian Peninsula.

It is a vacation island floating in the Mediterranean Sea, second in size only to Sicily within the Mediterranean. Its population is about fifteen million people, more than half of whom are concentrated in the island’s largest city—Cagliari.

Surrounded on all sides by clear seawater, the surrounding natural environment is very beautiful. The island’s main industry is tourism, so in summer, many vacationers aiming to holiday in Europe flood in. Especially the northeastern coastline, as beautiful as an emerald, is famous as a vacation destination reserved for aristocrats and the upper class.

Sardinia and its surrounding islands constitute the autonomous region of Sardinia, with the capital, Cagliari, located in a southern port on the island.

This city was originally built in the 8th century BC by the Phoenicians and has a very long history.

On this day, a starlight streaking a long trail of light rapidly flew in from the other end of the sky, bringing with it howling gusts and the sound of air being torn apart, arriving above Sardinia—over a corner of Cagliari.

“This is the place, right?”

Confirming the location on the map and finding that he had not come to the wrong place, Kaiser, with a pair of light wings spread behind his back, showed a faint smile.

“It truly is a pleasant resort destination.”

Looking down from a high vantage point, Kaiser took in the entire scenery of Cagliari below.

This city, situated by the calm Mediterranean, did not first present an image of prosperity, but rather a laid-back village landscape.

The Mediterranean sun shone brightly, its dazzling rays illuminating the port of Cagliari, causing the entire harbor to shimmer with the reflection of water.

The streets were full of narrow alleys, with few wide roads. Clean laundry was hung everywhere on buildings by the roadside. A strikingly large cathedral caught Kaiser’s eye, located in a beautiful plaza.

“It really doesn’t look like a place where a god has descended.”

With that thought, Kaiser retracted his Divine Dividing light wings, letting his body descend with gravity.

“Thud!”

Just as he reached a somewhat dangerous altitude, Kaiser’s figure suddenly vanished as if piercing through space.

Before long, in an empty alley, Kaiser stepped out like an ordinary traveler, naturally blending into the street, into the crowd.

Walking through the narrow path among the people, Kaiser pulled out the intelligence report prepared by the History Compilation Committee.

“According to the latest intelligence, not long ago, a mysterious storm suddenly appeared over the sea near Sardinia’s coastal port, in the Mediterranean.”

“The storm was massive. Not only did it bring torrential rain, but also strong winds and thunderstorms. The waves it stirred up nearly submerged the entire port. Some even claimed they saw mysterious giant creatures within the storm.”

“Afterward, the storm abruptly ceased. Then, mysterious and unexplained phenomena began appearing all over Sardinia.”

Kaiser turned the page and continued reading.

“In Bosa, someone claimed they saw a giant camel.”

“In Oristano, someone claimed they saw a giant sheep.”

“And in Barumini, someone claimed they saw a giant bull.”

These were all well-known places on Sardinia, so there were no shortages of people, and many claimed to have witnessed these mysterious giant animals. Some even suffered harm because of them. However, these incidents were never reported on television, as they were suppressed by mystical organizations in the surrounding areas of Sardinia.

“Mystical organizations, huh…”

Kaiser put away the document, becoming contemplative.

“The first thing that comes to mind among Italy’s mystical organizations would be the ‘Seven Sisters.’”

The “Seven Sisters” is not the name of a single organization but a collective term for seven prestigious magical societies recognized throughout Italy.

These seven prestigious magical societies are all descended from the Knights Templar who venerate both the Son of God and the demon god Baphomet. They inherited the Templar rites and are renowned forces even on a global scale.

These seven magical societies are—She-Wolf, Sky Eagle, Old Lady, City of Lilies, Shield, Copper Black Cross, and Bronze Black Cross.

Among them, Copper Black Cross and Bronze Black Cross are based in Milan; Old Lady is based in Turin; City of Lilies in Florence; She-Wolf in Rome; and Sky Eagle and Shield are located elsewhere.

“There don’t seem to be any mystical organizations based in Sardinia, but in Sicily, there is one called Panormus.”

Panormus is the largest magical society in Sicily, though in the context of Europe as a whole, it is only a mid-sized force. Its base is in Palermo and should be one of the closest magical societies to Sardinia.

“So, is Panormus handling the affairs here? Or did the ‘Seven Sisters’ also get involved?”

After the rumor of a god’s descent in Sardinia spread, all major magical societies in Italy sent people to investigate.

Although the territory of the “Seven Sisters” is not nearby, as the largest mystical forces in Italy and bearing the title of prestigious lineages, their influence—even if not fully extended to this island—is certainly greater than other minor or mid-tier forces.

Especially the Copper Black Cross and Bronze Black Cross of Milan. The former’s supreme commander’s family is said to be descended from a former Campione, and the latter’s is said to have served the current oldest Campione for generations. Compared to other forces under the King of the Italian Peninsula—Salvatore Doni—their advantages are very clear.

Of course, this only means that these forces are more influential in the Italian Peninsula. In reality, Sardinia must have already drawn many eyes; otherwise, even the History Compilation Committee far off in the Far East would not be so well-informed about the situation here.

As for Kaiser… he, based on the original story, had complete knowledge of what others still didn’t know.

For instance, he knew which god had descended upon Sardinia, and that this god had specifically summoned a powerful god-king here in search of an opponent.

The grand storm that took place over the Mediterranean not long ago had been summoned by that god-king, and those mysterious giant animals were related to the god who had summoned him.

The two had fought fiercely in this region, ultimately wounding each other severely—one was scattered, splitting into incarnations and falling across various parts of Sardinia, while the other was heavily injured and went into hiding to recuperate.

“If I could scavenge, based on the intelligence I now possess, I could definitely pick up two massive windfalls.”

Kaiser muttered to himself while walking.

“Unfortunately, such petty tricks would not be acknowledged by the Circle of Usurpation.”

For a Campione to increase their Authorities, it isn’t enough to simply kill any random god.

Only when both sides are in full condition and fully prepared for battle, and engage in an equal confrontation, can a Campione obtain a god’s Authority by defeating them.

If the Heretic God is extremely weak, or is killed in something akin to an ambush, then one cannot obtain their Authority.

This is the rule of the Black Christmas rite—the ritual used to create a Campione. The condition and process of the ritual is to challenge a god head-on under relatively fair circumstances and kill them.

Therefore, with both gods in Sardinia now half-crippled, even if Kaiser were to find and kill them, he would not be able to trigger the effect of the Circle of Usurpation.

If so, his deliberate journey here to hunt gods would amount to a waste of effort and a wasted trip.

“Looks like I still have to wait a little.”

Kaiser sorted out his thoughts and understood the situation.

However, he didn’t intend to just turn back and go home or find a place to hide and wait it out.

“A greeting first would be good, right?”

Thinking this, Kaiser’s lips curled into a slight smile, and the magical power within him suddenly blazed up like a raging flame, surging forth from his body.

This magical power couldn’t be detected by ordinary people.

But it couldn’t be hidden from a so-called god.

Or rather, it couldn’t be hidden from the sworn enemies of Campiones.

……

Cagliari’s grand plaza, in front of the Toma Cathedral.

A youth walked there, as if wandering aimlessly like a drifting soul, with no clear purpose, appearing quite careless.

The youth appeared about fourteen or fifteen years old, with shoulder-length purplish-black hair, ivory skin, and exceedingly handsome features, giving the impression of a finely crafted artwork.

He wore a somewhat sloppy white robe, over which was draped a gray cloak. Its design looked like something worn only in desert oases. Though his outfit was not eye-catching, his well-formed features and mysterious aura still drew many gazes, causing people in the plaza to unconsciously look his way.

The youth was indifferent to this and simply kept walking forward, seemingly searching for something.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the youth stopped.

“…The presence of a strong foe.”

He felt the surge of magical power.

He sensed immense power.

“Is it an opponent?”

“Is it an enemy?”

“Is it an existence capable of granting me defeat?”

The youth muttered thus.

A moment later, he laughed.

He laughed joyfully, radiantly.

In the next second, he walked unhesitatingly in the direction from which the presence emanated.

That appearance—like an undefeated general—marching forth to war.

……

“He’s here.”

On the other side, Kaiser naturally also sensed his target approaching him.

Though very faint and lacking the intensity of last time, just like when he had encountered Poseidon, the fighting spirit and will to battle within him surged up all of a sudden.

An intuition arose within Kaiser, and he lifted his gaze to the end of the street.

There, a youth dressed somewhat sloppily strode forward powerfully with an unflinching smile, slowly walking toward him…

(End of this chapter)