Campione!

Chapter 2 - Of Witches, and the King of SwordsPart 1Naples (Napoli, in Italian) is one of the most prominent metropolises inItaly, and the harbor is a famous sightseeing spot.The phrase "See Naples and die" was coined, from the sheer beauty of theancient city.Even when seen from afar, the view of the city was still as impressive.The rays of sunlight fell upon the glimmering azure Bay of Naples, and onthat stood one of the numerous historical structures, the Santa Lucia port.It could be said that the night scenery there was among the three greatestin the world. If you were to look eastward, you would be able to see MountVesuvius, the volcano ten kilometers away."Hm, looking at it this far away, it looks like quite a beautiful town, but onceyou get close, you realize that the streets are dirty and strewn with rubbish,the walls are vandalized, there is constant traffic congestion, the peopleare happy-go-lucky, and daily life is simply chaotic. No matter how muchyou try to butter it up, it is still an environment unfit for human habitation.""Ara, Karen, although you are absolutely right, that isn't something youshould say to a resident of this city!""I apologize if my words offend you. Madam. Honesty and frankness areboth part of my nature, hence I often let slip my true feelings by accident."Known as Spaccanapoli, this was one of the older streets in Naples.The center of the city, close by Garibaldi Square and the nearby cathedralwas bustling with activity, overflowing with the friendly atmosphere of atraditional commercial and working-class neighborhood. In a decrepitcorner of that lay Diana Milito's ancient bookstore." — M-Madam? Did you hear that, Lily? This little girl dared to call me'Madam'... Say something for me!""Karen, when addressing a... young lady like Diana, shouldn't there be abetter way?"Naples, the birthplace of pizza, was also a university town.It was in the year 1224, the era of the Syrian Kingdom, when the Universityof Naples was established. The university has lasted through the ages tillthe present times. Perhaps one of the reasons would be the environment,as there were a surprising number of old bookstores in the area.There was a street next to Piazza Bellini that was well known for havingmany old bookstores.In the building known as the 'House of Milito', the three witches hadgathered there.Somehow, no matter which country, one could feel the same sort ofatmosphere in these ancient bookstores.Within the cleanly designed store, were a collection of a myriad of oldbooks, tomes and other texts, and it gave off a very peculiar atmosphere."When Liliana-sama is not being sincere, she will look elsewhere, and willnot engage in eye contact... Like how she was earlier.""What!? Lily, is that true...?""Not a single bit! Karen, don't say things without any basis or proof behindthem!""Ara, weren't you rather concerned about that the other day? — Wonderingabout Diana-sama's actual age? Did you not say this last time, althoughshe had dressed younger than her own age, she still could not conceal thecrow's feet around the corner of her eyes?""I didn't say that! Definitely not to that extent!""Now, now, you let the cat out of the bag, Lily. How cruel of you girls!"The owner of the shop, Diana Milito, was a witch that resided in Naples.Age unknown, a baby-faced young female who liked to dress herself influttery dresses with plenty of frills, which, strangely, did not look out of place on her.Liliana was only seven years old the first time she met Diana, who wasalready a young woman then.From that time, till now, roughly nine years later, she still bore the samesmile, and her youthful appearance had not changed at all.Be that as it may, the passage of time had not left her untouched, asshown recently by her crow's feet wrinkles, or the fact that her skin had notseemed as glamorous as before.How old was she, exactly? It is probably best not to think too much aboutthat.Liliana hurriedly changed the topic of conversation."More importantly, Sir Salvatore is running late, and that is worrying.""... Hmph! Lily, using such a topic to feign innocence. Being a Campione,how could anything bad possibly happen to our lord?"Diana replied, sulking.You're already way past your prime, please act more like your age -although Liliana really wanted to say that, she still resisted the temptation.No, it would be a very perilous thing to say."Naturally, that was not what I meant. What I was referring to was ourlord's mental and psychological issues, because he is lazy and carefree,there are things he has to overcome himself."Between them, only Liliana had directly met with the [King of Swords]before.Upon hearing her words, Diana also showed a worried expression, andKaren nodded as though she had a sudden epiphany."In other words, do you mean to say that Sir Salvatore is that kind ofperson? If you discount the fact that he holds the power of the [King],personality wise, you would be hard-pressed to find something positiveabout him?""I often hear that he is a sloppy and forthright person."Liliana took out her blue cellphone.The problem was, Salvatore Doni did not carry these kinds of electronicdevices with him when he went out.It was said that even if he did bring one, he would lose it unknowingly,somehow. As a preventive measure, this time round he had an assistant,who would be of immense help in such situations.After several rings, the person on the other end finally answered the call."This is Kranjcar... What is the current situation with our lord?"'Tm sorry for being late. Though I managed to bring him in to Naples, theKing stopped by Garibaldi Square for some gelato. Could you drop by topick us up? I'll pass the burde- sorry, pass him over to you."Although he seemed somewhat tired, he still spoke with a very harsh tone."That's fine, I'll be making my way over now. I'll meet up with you laterthen Our lord has already arrived, I'll be going to pick him up rightaway. Diana, bring Karen with you to the underground first, this way it'll befaster."After hanging up the phone, Liliana continued explaining the currentsituation to her comrades.After hanging the 'Closed for business today' sign at the door, the threewitches made their way outside, onto the streets of Naples.Liliana soon split up with the other two and headed straight for GaribaldiSquare.Liliana Kranjcar was both a witch and a knight.Her rival. Erica Blandelli, in a broader sense, was also a witch, but wasprobably closer to a [Female Magician].There was a very thin line between being a [Witch] and a magician.This had been defined by the sacred miko and priestesses of old.Their knowledge and magic had been directly imparted from the witches ofthe previous generation.Diana Milito, a witch of the [Bronze Black Cross] living in Naples, was alsothe person who had taught Liliana the arts of the witch. And Karen, whoalso had training in the same type of magic, was currently staying atLiliana's side for further education.After bidding farewell to her companions, Liliana passed along CorsoUmberto, gradually going towards Garibaldi Square.The statue of the hero of the revolution, Giuseppe Garibaldi, watched overthe station square.As expected, the place was fully packed, but she had an idea where to goto find him.That was because, from the crowds, she had heard two very familiarvoices."Answer me, Salvatore Doni, although it was only just now that were youlicking that gelato, when on earth did you go and buy this?""It's not good to worry about the little things, Andrea. Look up and enjoy thesky."An eye-catching duo were discussing something.One of them had black hair, wore silver framed glasses, and had anintellectual, somewhat neurotic look. On his slender face between hisbrows, a deep crease had formed.The other person was a blond hunk with a seemingly carefree attitude."Look, the sun is pretty good today. And listen here, summer is in fullbloom now. We're currently in Naples. The city of the shining sun and sea.This is the place for yachts, beaches, beer, barbeque and men and womenof all ages to have fun - everything essential about summer! In a situationlike this, there is only one thing I intend to accomplish here. Yes, that'sright, it is to have a vacation!"In his hand, was a bottle of limoncello.It seemed like a very cooling and refreshing drink, the label on the bottlewas imprinted with many drops of water. The blond man was sucking onhis straw as he made his declaration.To further add on, he was wearing an aloha shirt with flower patterns,indeed, he was dressed very casually."Sir Salvatore!"Liliana called out towards him.Without a doubt, this was Salvatore Doni, the strongest knight of Italy, the[King of Swords], one of the godslayers, a Campione."Ah, long time no see, erm... Kranjcar, was it?""She is Liliana Kranjcar, my king."Facing the Campione who was happily greeting her, the bespectacledyouth respectfully added.His attitude and words had suddenly become very polite and business-like,reverting to an expressionless poker face, in contrast to before Liliana hadcalled out to them, it could be described as an 'instantaneous reversal'.His name is Andrea Rivera.For Salvatore Doni, he was sometimes an aide, other times, a secretary,but most importantly, a manager.Covering all types of tasks and errands, the youth known as [The King'sButler]."Ah-, is that so. Sorry, I can only remember the names of people I havemet five times, you're probably around three times? I can't really rememberyour full name-"Facing the smiling [King], Liliana did a military style salute.In actual fact she had met him six times, but she kept that to herself, itwould be bad to be fooled by his personality. He was a true monster - evenif all the magicians in the world were to join forces against him, he stillwould be able to obtain victory, the immortal king of swords."Then, Liliana Kranjcar, I will now leave the king to you. If you don't mind, Iwill take my leave now to settle other pressing matters.""That would not be a problem. You have my thanks, Sir Andrea."Liliana replied, expressing her gratitude.Without Andrea Rivera, Salvatore Doni would be a mere warrior, unable tofunction as a leader of the magic world. This is why he had been grantedthe title of [The King's Butler]."With that, my king, Liliana will be taking over from now on, please listencarefully to her instructions and act like a true king should. This, I sincerelyask of you."Rivera made a request, in a respectful manner.Upon hearing this, he, who was one of the seven devil kings in existence,frowned."I already know that. It's not like I'll be purposely making trouble for her,you simply worry too much.""Forgive me, that is merely one of my responsibilities - if you will allow meto say this, I am worried that you might suddenly leave halfway due to yourcapricious nature, and as such, I have instructed Kranjcar to contact meimmediately should such a situation arise. It would be my good fortune ifyou would bear that in mind."If you run away, I won't be held responsible for what happens afterwards...His words seem to imply that.Liliana agreed silently.Rivera and Salvatore Doni were friends, even before the latter hadobtained the power of a [King]. Even if one were to disregard that, he wasstill able to criticize the devil king directly without fear, this fortitude anddiligence of his were to be admired, which is how he had obtained this role."I know, I know. Conversely, about the assignment I gave you, carry it outproperly."To his concerned butler, Salvatore Doni gestured with his hand for him toleave. Wordlessly, Rivera bowed, and promptly left, vanishing into thecrowds."Where is Sir Andrea going?""Earlier, I had requested him to run some mundane errands... Alright then.Shall we go to finish things on your side?"Doni answered Liliana's question with an air of boredom.Finishing the rest of the limoncello, he picked up his suitcase which wasresting on the ground.It was a sleek black case that seemed like it could store something verylarge.His title, the [King of Swords], might have something to do with the size ofthat suitcase."But, I just can't get excited over this - 1 heard that it was because thatthere might be danger that you asked for my help, but still..."Doni complained lazily.When all's said and done, compared to Dejanstahl Voban, he was muchmore manageable. His capriciousness, could possibly be said to be part ofthe fearsomeness of the [King].He was a resident of the battlefield. Somehow, that was the best way todescribe him.To the magicians of Italy who knew that fact all too well, they treated hisnormal behavior and personality as simply a fashion fad of his generation."As I thought, without an enemy before my eyes, I just can't get fired up,don't you agree? We should get a few gods, demons, monsters orwhatever, doesn't matter if they're friendly, and have a battle royale tospice things up -""My lord... As I suspect that the incident this time might have something todo with a god, or perhaps a dragon-like being, I believe that this will live upto your expectations."Liliana said, conveying the facts concisely and simply.If it were possible, she would have liked to obtain more accurate andreliable information before releasing the details, but there was no helpingit. Anyway, it was already enough that the king had been brought to Naples.The most important thing right now would be to prevent him from takingany unnecessary actions.Hearing the news, Salvatore Doni's attitude changed immediately."Would you care to explain further, Liliana Kranjcar?"Her full name that was not remembered no matter what she did, wasclearly said this time.His lips slightly twisting to one side in a grin, his previous slovenly attitudelike that of a young boy had all but vanished. Salvatore Doni smiledgleefully, leaking out his true nature as a warrior.Part 2Originally, Naples was a colonial city of the ancient Greeks.The remnants of stone pits where slaves were once made by the people ofold to work in. Then, the remnants of the sewage systems, water tanksbuilt by the Romans of later generations. And after that, the remnants ofunderground warehouses that were used to store food, provisions, andliquor.The traces of these constructs could still be found in present times,beneath the older streets.Napoli Sotterranea - also otherwise known as [Underneath Naples]." Although these underground ruins have already become asightseeing attraction, this specific part of the underground is not open tothe public, as it has been sealed and hidden by the witches of Naples."Liliana remarked, leading the way.The district of Santa Lucia.Facing the Bay of Naples, it consists of tine Santa Lucia liarbor, Casteldell'Ovo and other sightseeing spots.They entered an old clothing store in the district, and greeted themiddle-aged woman running the store.Even if you wanted to compliment it, the clothing sold in the messy shopcould not be described as 'decent'. The fat lady, who looked perfectlysuited to the store and was in fact Diana's subordinate, wordlessly broughtthem to the back of the shop.The interior of the store - was a place that only witches have been.It was an entrance to the underground ruins below.Unexpectedly, there was a square hole right in the middle of the bareground. Stairs, carved from stone, extended into the depths below, andLiliana, who could see perfectly fine in pitch darkness, descended downthe stairs without so much as a torchlight." The [Snake] number the most, after that would be the [Cow]."Doni, following behind Liliana, murmured to himself.The pathway of the ruins was like an abandoned mine, long and narrow.This place had used to be a quarry, dating back to the BC era, thus itwould be very similar to an abandoned mine. However, the many drawingscarved upon the walls, suggested something else.These were simple, primitive stick drawings, and it would not be hard tobelieve if someone said that these were carved by people from the StoneAge.As Doni had said, there were many drawings that resembled snakes on thewalls.Some were depicted with very long, curling bodies, or multiple heads, anda few even had bat-like wings.Other animals that were drawn included cows, birds, pigs and lions.Someone with a magical background would instantly recognize these to bethe likeness of goddesses of the land, and probably were carved after thecoming of the Roman Empire."In the past, this was the location of a secret underground temple "Liliana softly whispered, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of thesesacred grounds.Ever since a certain patriarchal monotheistic religion became the officialreligion, the holy miko who possessed divine power were branded as[Witches], persecuted and hunted downJ^^And thus they fled to the underground, in order to preserve their wisdomand knowledge, they built this underground temple to pass on theirteachings and arts.These drawings portrayed the beliefs of the witches, symbolizing the gods."Incidentally, snakes seem to be like the guardian deities of witches, why isthat so?"Being asked this question out of the blue, Liliana hesitated for a moment.In the ancient times, the miko who served the great goddesses of the landwere the ones who became the first [Witches].With the influx of Christianity and the decline of the traditional beliefs inEurope, the originally sacred miko were suppressed and boycotted, andwere slowly regarded as heretical and to be feared.The great goddesses of the land in those days, usually were those thatruled over the domains of life and death.Athena, Ishtar, Isis, Tiamat, Cybele, to name a few. The goddess of loveand beauty. Aphrodite, was also originally a powerful great goddess of theland.The sacred animal that represented the cycle of life and death, the snake.And thus, the snake became the symbol of the goddesses of the land, theguardian spirit of the witches.Though Liliana had some qualms about the reliability of the details on theoccult in this kind of place, she decided to leave that matter aside for themoment."To explain that would consume a large amount of time. I will give you anexplanation later, so please kindly wait in the meantime.""Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I should have learnt that before, but I totally forgotall about it."Doni's carefree attitude showed that he had no intention of reflecting on hisactions.Although Campiones and magicians seemed to be similar beings, theywere in actual fact, totally different existences.Liliana once again deeply felt how true that statement was. KusanagiGodou, who Erica Blandelli was enthusiastically chasing after, prior tobecoming a Campione, had completely zero knowledge of the magicalarts, a civilian."Then, the place your companions are currently hiding out at... 'Heraion',was it called?""Yes. A few months ago, the Gorgoneion that was discovered was theemblem of Medusa and Athena. And then, the Heraion is the emblem ofthe goddess Hera. Legends spoke of the goddess' hair being woven fromsnakes, and possessing the eyes of a female cow - these traits all pointtowards her being a goddess of the land."In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus.However, she had originated from the Peloponnesian Peninsula as aguardian goddess of the earth.After the area was conquered by the Indo-European sky god worshippingpeople, Hera was forced to submit herself to Zeus.Before long, the two of them had arrived at the underground temple.A pair of witches stood beside a pillar of pure black - Diana Milito andKaren Jankulovski were waiting there."It is my honor to meet you. Sir Salvatore. For accepting our request, youhave my deepest gratitude - ""That's not important, let's go straight to the main topic. This is the rumored'Heraion', isn't it?"Doni quickly cut her off, inspecting the pillar.It looked like it was made from obsidian.From the ground, the pillar stretched upwards, like a growing tree.On the surface, there were many drawings of serpents, although it seemedclumsily carved onto the rock, one could not help but feel drawn towards it.Approximately two meters tall, this was the Heraion."Alright, I'm feeling a rather incredible divine force from this.""Yes. This was once discovered in Greece, and then painstakinglytransported to this place, centuries ago, by the witches of Naples - ourancestors."Diana explained.She was completely serious now, a deep contrast with her previousbehavior exhibited back in her bookstore; after all, she was a branchleader of Naples, in the [Bronze-Black Cross]."It was spring this year - when we discovered the Gorgoneion in Calabria,when it began to react in resonance. Initially, the magical force was not yetso powerful and we could contain it by erecting the [Seclusion] barrier, butnow..."Recently, they have not been able to fully control it.With a deep sigh, Diana finished her explanation, with Doni happilynodding his head."How nostalgic, the Gorgoneion? I was busy slacking off then - "" Slacking off, did you say?""Yep. I was still recovering from my wounds from that last great battle withGodou then, so since I wasn't going to take care of it, didn't you have nochoice but to explain matters to him, requesting his aid to clean things up?"To Liliana who was asking him with a reprimanding tone, Doni replied,blinking his eyes.This youth with absolutely no sense of responsibility, had found a rivalry inanother Campione, the boy who had gained immense power in just a day.Liliana, once again, felt the reality sink in.Salvatore Doni is a warrior, through and through.Whether it was joy, friendship, anger, love or pain, he could feel all theseemotions on the battlefield. No matter how carefree or generous heseemed - this was not the true Salvatore Doni.A place where he could truly be himself, could only be the battlefield - whilefacing the strongest enemies.Thus, he deeply loved the few enemies he had, befriending them, whilepolishing his blade in order to defeat them.Although she and Erica were both considered to be prodigal magicians,there was an insurmountable wall between them and him. Liliana had nochoice but to accept this fact.In the past, Salvatore Doni had been labeled as someone who could notkeep up with his peers.However, that was only because he was someone that normal standardsdid not apply to.His talents and capabilities were well beyond the comprehension of normalpeople, completely disregarding his studies in the magical arts andfocusing on martial prowess, the genius who beheaded a god with just hisblade.The innate nature of the [King of Swords].Of course, his carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude could also be part ofhis innate nature..."When I heard that the goddess was Athena, the first thought I had was'Crap'! I'd have been really happy if I were the one to have fought with her,how regrettable... if I take the Heraion with me, Hera might show up, eh?""No, although I am hoping that the probability of that happening is low..."Diana answered with a troubled expression. It would not be easy to bringout the pillar.First you would have to excavate it out of the ground, and then transport it.Manpower and machinery were needed, and then if during the process,the Heraion reacted in a negative manner, it could very well turn into adangerous situation."Come to think of it, you mentioned sometliing about a dragon earlier, wliatwas that about?"Doni suddenly asked, and the three witches looked at each other, unsureof what to say.( Do we have to explain that as well?)( We have to. From the conversation earlier, you can tell that SirSalvatore's knowledge of magic is of the same level as a traineemagician.)(Fine, fine, and Karen, please don't say anything weird.)The above was conveyed purely through eye contact.As a Campione possessing tremendous powers and receiving theadmiration of many, it was unbecoming that he had the knowledge of anoutsider.To grab the attention of everyone, Liliana coughed softly."From our deductions, dragons are a transformation of serpents, to put itmore extremely, if you combine parts of birds, lizards, horses and lionswith a snake, you would get a dragon.""Eh- Is that so? Somehow it seems really far-fetched.""That's not the case, when the holy miko fell and were branded as [Witch],the incarnation of the earth goddesses changed with the times and slowlybecame the [Dragon], the embodiment of ferocity and strength."Liliana suddenly recalled the rumors about the feats performed bySalvatore Doni."By the way. Sir Salvatore, you probably should have authorities that arerelated to the power of the dragon, am I right?""Did I? Although I don't remember fighting a dragon before.""Of course, although not in a direct confrontation, related to the dragon is -in other words, the hero with the power of water-based divine spirits andsacred beasts, have you not defeated him?"The first god that was slain by Doni was the Celtic god king, Nuadha.From Nuadha, he obtained the authority of demonic swords, and after that,he defeated the heretical god summoned by Marquis Voban, gaining thepower of the dragon - the authority of the immortality of steel.To the dragon slayers who have long since regarded dragons and snakesto be their target of conquest, channeled the properties of these beastsinto their own power.Doni nodded in acceptance to that reason." I see. Well, I understand your point now.""You understand? That is good to hear.""No, I didn't understand what you were trying to say at all. But I've made itthis far without knowing anything, so the meaning probably isn't thatimportant, that's what I understood. It's fine, it's fine."" M-My lord, if you are fine with it, then I guess there is no problem."Liliana finally understood that this person's head worked in a completelydifferent way.Although with his sloppy and reckless way of thinking, he had still made itthrough so many crises, definitely something that the average man couldnot accomplish, this was one of the reasons why he was so highlyregarded."Then, what should we do about this Heraion? It is too big for me to bring ithome like what Godou did."The height that protruded above the ground was roughly two meters,meaning that it might be longer.Doni looked at the Heraion that was a lot bit taller than him, smiled, andthen suggested,"If we hack it into two pieces, then slowly cut it into smaller sized piecesthat can fit into my hand, I could put it in my luggage and bring it homecould that work?""Cut the Heraion into pieces!? This is a very important, sacred artifact!""Is, isn't that going a little too far?"Diana could not help but shout out loud, even the usually calm Karen hadtrouble keeping a composed face.Forget the Gorgoneion, the Heraion is a sacred item to the Europeanwitches, even if he were a [King], it was impertinent of him to make such asuggestion. Liliana continued,"Sir Salvatore, it is as Diana said! Furthermore, no matter how powerfulyour demonic swords are, they could never cut apart the earth goddess'artifact!""No, I think it is very possible to cut apart, because right now I don't havethe feeling that it can't be cut apart, that's why I can do it."Doni softly remarked, gazing intently at the Heraion.He really intends to do it! Liliana, convinced of that, cried out,"That would not be good. As of now, the Heraion has stored up a hugeamount of earthen and water magical power, although it is currentlysuppressed by the barrier that has been erected, should you use yourauthority now, the situation will quickly escalate out of control! In the worstcase, the collected energy might be released in an explosion, completelyannihilating Naples, which is why we should proceed with caution!""But, just simply sitting here and waiting for something to happen is simplytoo boring.""That is why we had wanted to consult the king's, your opinion on thematter. After all, if gods are involved, you would be Italy's mostknowledgeable specialist Besides cutting it up into small pieces, doyou have any other suggestions?""Hmm if that's the case - "After being severely reprimanded by Liliana, Doni sank into deep thought,and quickly shook his head."Nope, can't think of anything. Not at all.""My lord! Please think about it more seriously!"One's pace could not help but to be disrupted when dealing with this king.Liliana was angered and frustrated to the point where she was almostshouting, literally breaking out in cold sweat. If one were to speak toMarquis Voban in the same way, they would be instantly executed.Doni still had that carefree smile on his face, ignoring the verbal disrespect."Well, what I wanted to say was that everyone is tired. For now, let's headback and have a good rest as it's already getting late, maybe we'll manageto think of something good tomorrow!"There were no reasons to object to his order.To keep staying in front of the Heraion would be a waste of time, thus thethree witches, along with the [King of Swords], begun to head back, but...On the way back, Doni did not stop smiling to himself.From his expression, Liliana could not help but feel a sense of dread, andsilently steadied her determination for what might come tomorrow.PartsThat night, Salvatore Doni stayed in an inn that they had arranged for him.Liliana and Karen were both staying over at Diana's house. With that, theday's clamor and activities have long ended - or so it should have been.It was half past twelve, midnight, when the lonesome figure of Liliana couldbe seen travelling on the streets of Naples.They had come here before during the day, the coastal main street ofSanta Lucia district.This time was not considered very late during summer in these big cities ofEurope, hence there were still quite a few signs of human activity. Tocarousers and partygoers, this would be their favorite time of the day tohead out.Although Naples did not have a low crime rate, this was one of the saferdistricts to be (On the older streets, there were high chances of runninginto pickpockets and robbers).Liliana did not go out at night often.Although she had full confidence in her abilities, it just didn't feel right toher.With an unease she could not get rid of, Liliana walked into a cafethat operated at night, ordered a few sandwiches to satisfy her hunger anda coffee to keep her awake, and continued on her way.She broke into a run, there was a place she had to reach as soon aspossible.At any rate - the young women on the streets caused her to knit her browsin disapproval whenever she passed them by.The amount of skin exposed, wasn't it a little too much?Camisoles, tank tops were fine. Even if it was summer, being so daring asto expose their midriffs and bra straps, Liliana could not approve of that.Incidentally, Liliana was dressed plainly.A loose fitting blue shirt matched with black suit pants, though it gave her aclean, beautiful look, somehow it gave the impression that she was anunfashionable person.Finally arriving at her destination, the place she had decided that she hadto return to during the evening.The old clothing store run by the fat witch. Because she had an uneasyfeeling, she decided to stand guard overnight.(If it's that guy, it's likely that he will come here...)(No doubt, better to be safe than sorry...)After explaining the reason for her unease to her comrades, that was howthey replied.Trust between people was something that was nurtured through normal,daily actions. Having learnt that lesson, she blew a whistle.A short while passed before a thin, frail stray cat slowly strode up to her.Before dinner, she had bound the cat by means of a magical contract, andhad it watch over the store for her, reporting any suspicious activity.She placed the palm of her hand on top of the cat, and extracted the cat'smemories." It's as we expected, such a headache."What they thought would happen, had happened, and Liliana walkedtowards the old bookstore.The doors were made from old wood, and the lock in the doorknob couldbe opened if you had the necessary skill. As he probably could not use[Unlock] magic, some sort of lock-picking skills must have been employed."That guy, why does he always have these kind of weird skills!"She shouted angrily, and pushed open the door.The familiar fat lady was lying on the floor, unconscious.Liliana quickened her pace and reached the underground complex of theHeraion after a few minutes of running. There, she saw the king, whoseemed to be in a pretty happy mood." - Sir Salvatore!""Hm? Kranjcar? Why are you here?""Of course, because you were acting strange earlier, that's why I havecome here on purpose!"" Wh, what?"In the deepest part of the underground ruins, she once again met with thedevil king, Salvatore Doni."I'm begging you, please don't pull these kinds of stunts! Could you havethought that you would peremptorily do everything by yourself before wenag and chastise you, did you!?""You're really impressive, to have managed to predict my actions to thisextent Not bad."In the face of the female knight's interrogation, Doni could only reply in asoft voice, his expression stiff.He seemed to be repentant about it. Although they had already expectedthis to happen, he really was a useless member of society.Liliana really wanted to let out a deep sigh at their lack of options.To prevent the manifestation of the [Heretical God] was what she wantedto discuss with the godslaying devil king, which was a perfectly naturalhuman thing to do, but her partner wasn't really human anymore.Italy's [King of Swords] was such a man, like a ticking bomb ofshenanigans that could go off at any moment.Residing in the nearby Balkan peninsula was the [Marquis], dangerous likea wild beast.The [Kings] residing in America and China were too far away for them tohave any relations with.England's [Black Prince], was famous for having a terrible personality andbeing a ruffian.Alexandria's [Queen] had not been heard offer centuries and has beenliving in seclusion as a hermit.Lastly, the [King] of Japan that came to Italy occasionally With anupright character, a youth who had somewhat good prospects for thefuture, but did not have an eye for women. In conclusion, he was definitelyno good."It can't be helped. Besides using a sword, there's no other way aroundthis."While smiling, Doni grabbed his usual black case with his hands.Until now, the case had been hanging off his shoulders, inseparable fromhis body. He flipped open the cover, and retrieved the weapon inside, andthen threw the scabbard onto the floor.A blade of pure steel.Unlike the magic swords used by Liliana and Erica, nor was it the work of amaster swordsmith.It looked just like some mass manufactured product, besides being asword, there was nothing special about it. Nevertheless, the steel was of aquality enough to match that of the strongest magic swords on earth.Liliana and the others would never walk around like that, carrying thesword wherever they went, as they could directly summon the magicswords out of thin air.The reason Doni did not do so, was mainly because he was poor at themagical arts, he could not, even if it was a basic spell like this, he simplycouldn't cast it.In spite of that, he was emitting a tremendous amount of magical energy.Liliana sucked in her breath."M-My lord, could you possibly be thinking of using your sword!?""Ah, no. I didn't draw my blade to kill you or anything like that, don't worryabout it... Listen, you know in those historical Japanese movies, there'sthis 'mineuchi' thing, right?^^^ I was wondering if I could do the same now.""There's no way I can believe that will happen!"Liliana, who had quite a fair bit of knowledge on Japanese culture, wishedthat Doni would not take those sword fighting scenes in those oldJapanese movies so seriously and attempt to mimic them, but she wasmore worried about the stance he had taken.- Relaxing half his body, his sword was left hanging loose from his righthand.The knights who have seen Salvatore Doni in action would all know thisfact, that his combat stance was simply unbelievably shocking. There wasno special skill or technique involved. A stance that prepared for neitheroffense nor defense.A completely natural and relaxed stance, free, unfettered and flexible. Astance that could adapt to anything in response, and then cut downeverything in its path.As there were no humans that could be a match for him, thus this stance,meant for adaptability, was what he had learnt to use, in his numerousconflicts with gods, demons, devil kings and monsters - The extraordinarilypowerful foes that logic did not apply to."Since you won't let me use the 'mineuchi', you'll have to suffer theconsequences. Are you ready?"Doni said with a carefree tone.Liliana instantly employed the summoning magics, and her weaponmaterialized.There were no thoughts behind her actions, merely the instinct of a knight,spontaneous actions in response to a battle.II Maestro - with the title of [Artisan], the magic sword with historical origins.The blade was gently curved, it was an elegant silver saber. As Lilianagrabbed the weapon and took a stance, Doni moved forward towards her.His speed was neither fast, nor slow.A neutral stance, as though he were stepping into a friend's house.At the same time the sword in his right hand drew an arc as it slashed at IIMaestro.Liliana did not move out of the way.On the contrary, she aimed to lock her blade with Doni's, and reach astalemate. Entangling their blades together, sealing the opponent'stechniques and movements.But she was not able to parry Doni's light blow.Conversely, II Maestro was easily sent flying out of her hand, disarmingher.It had been a blow from his empty left hand that did it.And again, in that neutral stance, yet another blow landed on the region ofher solar plexus. It seemed like a light blow, yet she felt such a greatimpact on her body, leaving her gasping for breath, unable to summon anyof her strength.Liliana was breathing hard, bending over at her knees. Compared to her,his strength was in a completely different dimension, she could neitherdefend nor attack." Well, that's how it is. If you try and get in my way again, I'll let youexperience firsthand my forty-eight killing techniques, capable of causinganyone to fall in a dream-like trance and fainting, or my fifty-twosubmission techniques that would serve you a full course of having all yourjoints in your arms and legs broken, be more obedient from now on!"After saying that cheerily, he turned around and walked to the Heraion.Liliana could not even stand up properly at this point, much less stop him.Furthermore, his right hand was still glowing with a silver light.She felt the Goosebumps rise on her skin. The [King of Swords] waschanneling all of his strength and power.Doni's right hand was no longer a human hand of flesh and blood.It was a radiant silver-white metal arm, as if made by a genius mastercraftsman, a work of artistic splendor."1 will make this oath now. I, I will not allow anything that cannot be cut toexist in this world. For this sword of mine, is the invincible blade that cutsdown all without fail!"Doni made an arrogant proclamation - No, perhaps it was more like thesoul of the language surging forth.Turning the strength of his words into a tremendous amount of magicalenergy, focusing that into his sword of steel, transforming it into aone-of-a-kind magical sword of vast power, and with that, the [King] swunghis sword right at the black pillar.The Heraion was sliced apart - into two clean halves.The silver arm that transformed the sword of steel, which was then able tocut any being on this earth with no exception. This was the [Ripping Arm ofSilver], the authority obtained from the god Nuadha.Even if it were a rusty sword or a swiss army knife, it could also be turnedinto an unrivaled magical sword.It was an extremely simple authority. A single sword that could split theearth and the seas. It was a simple and yet immensely powerful ability.Liliana witnessed it with her own eyes.From the halves of the Heraion, burst forth a massive amount of magicalenergy in the form of a lava-like substance.The brilliantly glowing green magma flowed across the ground, overflowingwith magical energy, and then suddenly, a surge of magical power shottowards the ceiling from the floor of the underground ruins, like a volcaniceruption.Part 4Humans - magicians and various other kinds, the race of the intelligent andcunning, named them as [Heretical Gods].What gave birth to these supernatural existences?No one really knows the truth behind this, what they can only do is comeup with theories, this was the only results after much racking of theirbrains.Even the gods who were named as such were unable to answer thisquestion themselves, though it is no fault of theirs.Before the [Heretical Gods] had realized, they were already roamingthrough the lands, establishing themselves as an independent existence.They could not even remember the process of their birth." For what purpose have I been brought into this world for? Even if Iask myself that, I don't know the answer. Whether I should be sad orhappy about this, I don't know that either."The god who had just obtained a physical form asked rhetorically, with abitter smile.A smile that gave off a feeling of frustration.Not knowing, that in itself was interesting. There was no need to worry overthat.Wanting to find out their reason for existence, trying to find their genuineselves - fretting over such delicate woes, it was not the style that wasbecoming of a hero from the ancient times.That being said, that fundamental essence of a god would be [Myth].Besides that, the lands of the people who spread these myths, or theunexplainable incidents that happened on these lands, between thesefactors, there must be some kind of link.A glance at the immediate surroundings.Although the area had been shrouded in the darkness of the night, thiswas no problem to the eyes of a god.This was a mountain, probably a volcano, not much greenery could beseen, probably due to the higher composition of metal of the earth, andthere were red volcanic rocks everywhere.- Mount Vesuvius.He did not know the name that the humans have given it, and he continuedto survey the land before him.The place he was at was about halfway up the mountain, from there hecould see that the sea, and also a city in which humans lived was not toofar off. To the eyes of an archer, this was nothing." Ho. This seems interesting."In a corner of the city, near the coast, there was an explosion of magicalenergy.The essence of earth and water, in the form of emerald light was surgingout.Like a volcanic eruption - the instant he thought of that, he finally realizedwhy he had manifested.The essence of earth, of the land. Perhaps it was the snake of the motherof the land, the mystical force that belonged to the Queen of the earth.And what was he currently standing on? A mountain of fire, earth andmetal.Who was he? A hero. Steel within his hands, a flame burning within him, adefender of the land."The essence of the earth, the spirits of steel, are they calling for me? Ifthat's the case, then what comes next, would be that."He released the divine energy stored in his body.The emerald energies reacted with his own divine energies, refining it intoa tremendous, massive body of life force.The idea of a serpent served as a foundation for that giant body.It had a length that surpassed the sea serpent that he had once defeatedin his legend, causing the civilians that looked up at the sky to scream interror.After that came huge bat-like wings sprouting from its back.From the body, four short limbs, like those of a lizard.The shape of the head resembled the crocodile's, and within the gapingmaw, there were many razor-sharp, blade like teeth - it was the birth of adragon.In the skies above the coastal city, the gargantuan dragon spread itswings, and circled around slowly.The god smiled in satisfaction.The creation of a worthy enemy from the essence of the land, for a herothat was also known as a war god, was this not a joyous occasion?At any rate, as long as there was an enemy he had to defeat, it was fine.As long as there was an obstacle to be overcome, he would be satisfied.If there were damsels in distress as well, that would be even better, buthaving an enemy was more important, because without that, there wouldn'tbe any distress at all. Then there would be no point in being a hero!Blood burning with excitement, he rushed ahead, but quickly came to ahalt."Ah, that's right - 1 ought to declare my name."As a hero of bravery and beauty, it was only natural for him to do so.If the sound of his name did not leave a deep impression on the humans, itwould be a great blow to his pride.After a while of careful consideration, and establishing that it would bemore appropriate to refrain from that, he instantly fell to his knees indespair."I, I almost thought I was going to die..."Liliana Kranjcar, who had finally escaped from that crisis, said to herselfweakly.After everything was bathed in the light from the Heraion, the ceiling hadstarted to collapse due to the intense exposure to magical energies.If this continues, I'll be buried alive!The moment the earthquake-like tremors started to spread through theunderground ruins, Liliana had leapt into action.When even the large rocks begun falling on her head, Liliana instantlyused the [Leap] magic. With the use of this spell, a distance of severalhundred meters could be covered in roughly ten seconds.To onlookers, it would have seemed like teleportation.Although, it was merely a high speed movement across a large distance,not a teleportation skill.Through the gigantic hole in the ceiling that had been created by theenergies from the Heraion, she escaped with [Leap] magic onto thesurface above. Were she a tad bit slower, it would have been very likelythat she would be trapped by the collapsing rocks.- As of now, she was at the coastal end of Santa Lucia district.This was no sandy beach, but a sparse outcrop of marble covered thearea, serving as a breakwater of sorts. It was only a short walking distanceback to the streets of Santa Lucia.To get back to the old bookstore would take only about ten minutes.After running through the entire underground ruins, getting back up herewith [Leap], she had lost track of her bearings, and thus she surveyed thegeneral area again.Earlier, the stored magical energy of the Heraion had exploded.The explosion leveling the city - she had feared this, but the harborseemed to be largely unaffected, there were no real visible damage to theenvironment.Liliana felt relieved.Of course, the loss of the precious underground sanctuary was regrettable,the people living directly above it might have been affected, but it was stillbetter than having the entire city blown sky high.Yes, although that was preferable, but...Looking up, Liliana realized how wrong she was.A dragon. A flying dragon.In the skies above the harbor, a massive dragon, gliding freely through theskies with its wings spread out wide, haughtily looking at the world beneathit.The wingspan was at least thirty meters long, and the scales were glintingwith a faint emerald color.Compared to the modern depiction of the dragon, its head and body werelong like that of a snake. Maybe it looked a little weird, but that hardlyseemed important at the moment.The way the chimaera being known as a dragon was depicted changeddepending on the time and place.Ever since the olden days, Europe had many different stereotypes of thedragon.Limbless dragons, wingless dragons, or conversely, dragons with overlylong wings and limbs which resembled a Pegasus, but the modern dragonwas the one depicted in fantasy movies and video games."As I thought, was it born when the Heraion was cut apart...?""Whoa — isn't it awesome? I really didn't think that a dragon would pop outof that pillar. It sure gave me a surprise."While Liliana was staring dumbly at the dragon and murmuring to herself, acheerful voice had said suddenly.She wasn't surprised.As she managed to escape unscathed herself, there was no doubt that hewould make it out as well. Liliana turned her head, and found SalvatoreDoni simply standing there leisurely, with not a scratch on him.As expected of the one who possessed the authority, [Man of Steel].Obtained from the Nordic hero Siegfried, it was an authority that allowedone to obtain a semi-immortal body that was tougher than steel, thecave-in earlier must have seemed like the pattering of raindrops to him." My lord. Although this is not a hard thing to do, because your actionsearlier have resulted in the birth of that dragon, please do control yourselfin the future!""I know, it's fine. I'll take responsibility and beat down that guy!""Please don't do that! If you destroy the divine beast formed from thespiritual essence of the land, the spiritual veins in the entire region mightdry up! It's too risky!"Liliana shouted, while looking up at the dragon.In oriental Chinese geomancy, it could also be referred to as the earth'svein, or dragon's vein.The dragon was surely an embodiment of that kind of power.Destroy it, and what would remain would be a barren land and a sea ofdeath. That was a future predicted with the spirit sense of the witches, andhad to be avoided at all costs.- The sounds of flapping wings could be heard as the dragon approachedthe harbor.As it was a creature that disregarded the laws of physics, it would not havemattered even if it did not have the necessary organs for flight.The dragon continued to circle leisurely in the skies.Two knights stood on the harbor of Santa Lucia, gazing up at it.One of them was vigorously burning with fighting spirit, raring for a fight,while the other wore an expression of worry, wanting to prevent that fromhappening.As if sensing Doni's fighting spirit, the emerald dragon, with an air of anemperor, looked down at the [King of Swords], and suddenly roared.GUAAAAAAA!!!The thunderous roar of the dragon in the deep night caused the entirety ofNaples to shake.At the same time, from the gigantic dragon's body, radiated an intenseamount of magical energy.Could the dragon be capable of using spells of magical or divine nature!?Liliana felt a wave of fear wash over her, and then something changedwithin the sea - A wave. A gigantic wave was headed towards them.The waves crashed against the harbor violently.The rhythm of the surging water and sounds, began to rapidly increase intempo.What was only the soft, calm waves of the night, had turned into this stateof fury in a mere ten seconds."Hmm, by just increasing the strength of the waves a little bit, what is ittrying to do?""It's not 'little'! Please open your eyes and look at that!"Liliana, in a state of panic, warned the perfectly calm Doni.A genius in melee combat, a pure-blooded warrior, and in the realm of theCampiones, with the exception of the religious cult founder Luo Hao, hecould be considered as the strongest. However, he had a weakness, orrather, a vice.He was inept at judging and analyzing magical warfare.That was because of his absolute resilience against offensive magic, aCampione that had a body tougher than steel, like a metal wall.Even if he were to be subjected to an overwhelming magical assault, hewould be able to endure it, and launch a counterattack with his sword.It was not an ideal style to fight with, but he did not care much for thesetrifling details, only about whether he could immerse himself in battle.- The force of the dragon's summoned wave had intensified even morewithin seconds.From the sea came a feeling of the onset of a storm. The waves crashednon-stop against the harbor, and from the far distance, a tsunamiapproached menacingly, like an avalanche.It was something that should not have been able to occur here, in this quietinner bay, that gigantic wave that carried the wrath of nature."Sir Salvatorei?""Hmph, against this wave, with my blade, I will - oh crap! I dropped it backin the underground area!! H, hold on a second! Let's settle this in a fairfight, ok!?"As Liliana shouted at the [King] in desperation, Doni complained loudly.They were immediately iiit by tine incoming tsunami, and swept away.- Winy, wliat did 1 do to deserve tiiis!Liliana was swallowed by the waves, cursing her own fate.Her body still ached a little after that blow from Doni, but as she could notlet herself drown like this, she started to swim towards the surface, ignoringthe weight of her drenched clothes.And suddenly, a huge emerald colored body had appeared beneath her,and dragged her upwards.- After a few tens of seconds had passed.Somehow, she was at what seemed to be the base of the neck of thedragon, flying far above the seas. Although Doni had been swallowed upby the tsunami as well, only she had been scooped out of the sea."W, were you the one who saved me?"She murmured, asking him. No answer came from the dragon.The dragon born from the Heraion, the artifact of the goddess of the land,most probably treated the witches who safeguarded the pillar as comrades,thus it had saved her.Liliana breathed a sigh of relief.At the same time, Liliana suddenly remembered about the [King], causingher to feel worried, but felt that he was probably fine.That superman should not have drowned like this.He would probably have casually swum towards some unknown shore,and then say something like 'Eeh - 1 thought I was going to die'.The dragon was still circling around in the skies, but it had started to pickup its speed.The view of the harbor slowly drew closer and closer, the most strikinglandmark being the Castel dell'Ovo.It was a construction that was built on a piece of land in the middle of thesea, the official name being Castel dell'Ovo. The nickname that people hadgiven it was [Egg Castle]. [If this egg breaks, then calamity will be broughtdown upon this castle and Naples!] was the prediction that people oncehad, which was the origin of the nickname.In the medieval times, this structure that was built for the purpose ofobserving the seas had now become a popular tourist attraction.Visitors could enjoy the view of the entire city of Naples from the roof of thebuilding.- The dragon landed on the road leading up to the Castel dell'Ovo from thecity. The castle and the harbor were located on the land protrudingoutwards from the Santa Lucia district.The dragon obediently let its passenger off on the ground.Someway or the other, she had managed to make it back safely. Lettingthe sea breeze dry her clothes, she began to think about her next courseof action -It was at this moment when lightning flashed across the sky.To be exact, it came from the sky to the east - perhaps from the area ofMount Vesuvius.Alongside the sound of the thunder, the lightning took the form of ahumanoid before her.This was the visage of the most handsome man that Liliana had ever seen.Golden hair that reminded you of the blazing sun, elegant and delicatebrows. A robust, divinely body -The white clothing and cloak he wore were clearly not from this age.[Heretical God].Without a doubt, at first sight, Liliana confirmed this fact.Mankind's greatest disasters, gods that wandered the land, bringingdestruction with them.Although she had expected to meet one sometime in her life, she neverthought it would be this soon -It was an unexpected development, causing her heartbeat to accelerate,her throat becoming extremely dry.This handsome man could kill her, Liliana Kranjcar, in an instant with ease,an existence beyond mortal comprehension.Although in this aspect he was completely the same as Salvatore Doni, onthe other hand, he gave off a very strong, intense aura that could be feltdeeply by Liliana's heart.It was mainly a mixed feeling of fear and admiration, but there was alsosomething that felt strange about him.Just the sight of the beautiful countenance of the god made her stop in hertracks, her mind blank.However, only his appearance was similar to that of a human, merelyborrowing their shape.There was only one human here right now. Liliana quickly made up hermind.She had no choice but to find out by herself what the god wanted." What mythology or place are you a god of? If it's ok with you, will youkindly tell me your name?"Upon hearing her respectful request, the beautiful young god smiled."Well asked, young lady. My name, my identity, I have been worriedwhether I should tell you that - as I thought, it would be better that I shouldgrace you with my name. I am Perseus. Remember it well."As though he had some issues on the inside, he gave his name after awhile.The dragon behind Liliana growled in a low tone.It was a warning of the danger looming ahead, from the meeting of asworn, bitter enemy, and the unavoidable battle that was to come.References1. t Christianity.2. t IVIineuchi refers to striking with the back of the blade

Chapter 2 - Of Witches, and the King of SwordsPart 1Naples (Napoli, in Italian) is one of the most prominent metropolises inItaly, and the harbor is a famous sightseeing spot.The phrase "See Naples and die" was coined, from the sheer beauty of theancient city.Even when seen from afar, the view of the city was still as impressive.The rays of sunlight fell upon the glimmering azure Bay of Naples, and onthat stood one of the numerous historical structures, the Santa Lucia port.It could be said that the night scenery there was among the three greatestin the world. If you were to look eastward, you would be able to see MountVesuvius, the volcano ten kilometers away."Hm, looking at it this far away, it looks like quite a beautiful town, but onceyou get close, you realize that the streets are dirty and strewn with rubbish,the walls are vandalized, there is constant traffic congestion, the peopleare happy-go-lucky, and daily life is simply chaotic. No matter how muchyou try to butter it up, it is still an environment unfit for human habitation.""Ara, Karen, although you are absolutely right, that isn't something youshould say to a resident of this city!""I apologize if my words offend you. Madam. Honesty and frankness areboth part of my nature, hence I often let slip my true feelings by accident."Known as Spaccanapoli, this was one of the older streets in Naples.The center of the city, close by Garibaldi Square and the nearby cathedralwas bustling with activity, overflowing with the friendly atmosphere of atraditional commercial and working-class neighborhood. In a decrepitcorner of that lay Diana Milito's ancient bookstore." — M-Madam? Did you hear that, Lily? This little girl dared to call me'Madam'... Say something for me!""Karen, when addressing a... young lady like Diana, shouldn't there be abetter way?"Naples, the birthplace of pizza, was also a university town.It was in the year 1224, the era of the Syrian Kingdom, when the Universityof Naples was established. The university has lasted through the ages tillthe present times. Perhaps one of the reasons would be the environment,as there were a surprising number of old bookstores in the area.There was a street next to Piazza Bellini that was well known for havingmany old bookstores.In the building known as the 'House of Milito', the three witches hadgathered there.Somehow, no matter which country, one could feel the same sort ofatmosphere in these ancient bookstores.Within the cleanly designed store, were a collection of a myriad of oldbooks, tomes and other texts, and it gave off a very peculiar atmosphere."When Liliana-sama is not being sincere, she will look elsewhere, and willnot engage in eye contact... Like how she was earlier.""What!? Lily, is that true...?""Not a single bit! Karen, don't say things without any basis or proof behindthem!""Ara, weren't you rather concerned about that the other day? — Wonderingabout Diana-sama's actual age? Did you not say this last time, althoughshe had dressed younger than her own age, she still could not conceal thecrow's feet around the corner of her eyes?""I didn't say that! Definitely not to that extent!""Now, now, you let the cat out of the bag, Lily. How cruel of you girls!"The owner of the shop, Diana Milito, was a witch that resided in Naples.Age unknown, a baby-faced young female who liked to dress herself influttery dresses with plenty of frills, which, strangely, did not look out ofplace on her.Liliana was only seven years old the first time she met Diana, who wasalready a young woman then.From that time, till now, roughly nine years later, she still bore the samesmile, and her youthful appearance had not changed at all.Be that as it may, the passage of time had not left her untouched, asshown recently by her crow's feet wrinkles, or the fact that her skin had notseemed as glamorous as before.How old was she, exactly? It is probably best not to think too much aboutthat.Liliana hurriedly changed the topic of conversation."More importantly, Sir Salvatore is running late, and that is worrying.""... Hmph! Lily, using such a topic to feign innocence. Being a Campione,how could anything bad possibly happen to our lord?"Diana replied, sulking.You're already way past your prime, please act more like your age -although Liliana really wanted to say that, she still resisted the temptation.No, it would be a very perilous thing to say."Naturally, that was not what I meant. What I was referring to was ourlord's mental and psychological issues, because he is lazy and carefree,there are things he has to overcome himself."Between them, only Liliana had directly met with the [King of Swords]before.Upon hearing her words, Diana also showed a worried expression, andKaren nodded as though she had a sudden epiphany."In other words, do you mean to say that Sir Salvatore is that kind ofperson? If you discount the fact that he holds the power of the [King],personality wise, you would be hard-pressed to find something positiveabout him?""I often hear that he is a sloppy and forthright person."Liliana took out her blue cellphone.The problem was, Salvatore Doni did not carry these kinds of electronicdevices with him when he went out.It was said that even if he did bring one, he would lose it unknowingly,somehow. As a preventive measure, this time round he had an assistant,who would be of immense help in such situations.After several rings, the person on the other end finally answered the call."This is Kranjcar... What is the current situation with our lord?"'Tm sorry for being late. Though I managed to bring him in to Naples, theKing stopped by Garibaldi Square for some gelato. Could you drop by topick us up? I'll pass the burde- sorry, pass him over to you."Although he seemed somewhat tired, he still spoke with a very harsh tone."That's fine, I'll be making my way over now. I'll meet up with you laterthen Our lord has already arrived, I'll be going to pick him up rightaway. Diana, bring Karen with you to the underground first, this way it'll befaster."After hanging up the phone, Liliana continued explaining the currentsituation to her comrades.After hanging the 'Closed for business today' sign at the door, the threewitches made their way outside, onto the streets of Naples.Liliana soon split up with the other two and headed straight for GaribaldiSquare.Liliana Kranjcar was both a witch and a knight.Her rival. Erica Blandelli, in a broader sense, was also a witch, but wasprobably closer to a [Female Magician].There was a very thin line between being a [Witch] and a magician.This had been defined by the sacred miko and priestesses of old.Their knowledge and magic had been directly imparted from the witches ofthe previous generation.Diana Milito, a witch of the [Bronze Black Cross] living in Naples, was alsothe person who had taught Liliana the arts of the witch. And Karen, whoalso had training in the same type of magic, was currently staying atLiliana's side for further education.After bidding farewell to her companions, Liliana passed along CorsoUmberto, gradually going towards Garibaldi Square.The statue of the hero of the revolution, Giuseppe Garibaldi, watched overthe station square.As expected, the place was fully packed, but she had an idea where to goto find him.That was because, from the crowds, she had heard two very familiarvoices."Answer me, Salvatore Doni, although it was only just now that were youlicking that gelato, when on earth did you go and buy this?""It's not good to worry about the little things, Andrea. Look up and enjoy thesky."An eye-catching duo were discussing something.One of them had black hair, wore silver framed glasses, and had anintellectual, somewhat neurotic look. On his slender face between hisbrows, a deep crease had formed.The other person was a blond hunk with a seemingly carefree attitude."Look, the sun is pretty good today. And listen here, summer is in fullbloom now. We're currently in Naples. The city of the shining sun and sea.This is the place for yachts, beaches, beer, barbeque and men and womenof all ages to have fun - everything essential about summer! In a situationlike this, there is only one thing I intend to accomplish here. Yes, that'sright, it is to have a vacation!"In his hand, was a bottle of limoncello.It seemed like a very cooling and refreshing drink, the label on the bottlewas imprinted with many drops of water. The blond man was sucking onhis straw as he made his declaration.To further add on, he was wearing an aloha shirt with flower patterns,indeed, he was dressed very casually."Sir Salvatore!"Liliana called out towards him.Without a doubt, this was Salvatore Doni, the strongest knight of Italy, the[King of Swords], one of the godslayers, a Campione."Ah, long time no see, erm... Kranjcar, was it?""She is Liliana Kranjcar, my king."Facing the Campione who was happily greeting her, the bespectacledyouth respectfully added.His attitude and words had suddenly become very polite and business-like,reverting to an expressionless poker face, in contrast to before Liliana hadcalled out to them, it could be described as an 'instantaneous reversal'.His name is Andrea Rivera.For Salvatore Doni, he was sometimes an aide, other times, a secretary,but most importantly, a manager.Covering all types of tasks and errands, the youth known as [The King'sButler]."Ah-, is that so. Sorry, I can only remember the names of people I havemet five times, you're probably around three times? I can't really rememberyour full name-"Facing the smiling [King], Liliana did a military style salute.In actual fact she had met him six times, but she kept that to herself, itwould be bad to be fooled by his personality. He was a true monster - evenif all the magicians in the world were to join forces against him, he stillwould be able to obtain victory, the immortal king of swords."Then, Liliana Kranjcar, I will now leave the king to you. If you don't mind, Iwill take my leave now to settle other pressing matters.""That would not be a problem. You have my thanks, Sir Andrea."Liliana replied, expressing her gratitude.Without Andrea Rivera, Salvatore Doni would be a mere warrior, unable tofunction as a leader of the magic world. This is why he had been grantedthe title of [The King's Butler]."With that, my king, Liliana will be taking over from now on, please listencarefully to her instructions and act like a true king should. This, I sincerelyask of you."Rivera made a request, in a respectful manner.Upon hearing this, he, who was one of the seven devil kings in existence,frowned."I already know that. It's not like I'll be purposely making trouble for her,you simply worry too much.""Forgive me, that is merely one of my responsibilities - if you will allow meto say this, I am worried that you might suddenly leave halfway due to yourcapricious nature, and as such, I have instructed Kranjcar to contact meimmediately should such a situation arise. It would be my good fortune ifyou would bear that in mind."If you run away, I won't be held responsible for what happens afterwards...His words seem to imply that.Liliana agreed silently.Rivera and Salvatore Doni were friends, even before the latter hadobtained the power of a [King]. Even if one were to disregard that, he wasstill able to criticize the devil king directly without fear, this fortitude anddiligence of his were to be admired, which is how he had obtained this role."I know, I know. Conversely, about the assignment I gave you, carry it outproperly."To his concerned butler, Salvatore Doni gestured with his hand for him toleave. Wordlessly, Rivera bowed, and promptly left, vanishing into thecrowds."Where is Sir Andrea going?""Earlier, I had requested him to run some mundane errands... Alright then.Shall we go to finish things on your side?"Doni answered Liliana's question with an air of boredom.Finishing the rest of the limoncello, he picked up his suitcase which wasresting on the ground.It was a sleek black case that seemed like it could store something verylarge.His title, the [King of Swords], might have something to do with the size ofthat suitcase."But, I just can't get excited over this - 1 heard that it was because thatthere might be danger that you asked for my help, but still..."Doni complained lazily.When all's said and done, compared to Dejanstahl Voban, he was muchmore manageable. His capriciousness, could possibly be said to be part ofthe fearsomeness of the [King].He was a resident of the battlefield. Somehow, that was the best way todescribe him.To the magicians of Italy who knew that fact all too well, they treated hisnormal behavior and personality as simply a fashion fad of his generation."As I thought, without an enemy before my eyes, I just can't get fired up,don't you agree? We should get a few gods, demons, monsters orwhatever, doesn't matter if they're friendly, and have a battle royale tospice things up -""My lord... As I suspect that the incident this time might have something todo with a god, or perhaps a dragon-like being, I believe that this will live upto your expectations."Liliana said, conveying the facts concisely and simply.If it were possible, she would have liked to obtain more accurate andreliable information before releasing the details, but there was no helpingit.Anyway, it was already enough that the king had been brought to Naples.The most important thing right now would be to prevent him from takingany unnecessary actions.Hearing the news, Salvatore Doni's attitude changed immediately."Would you care to explain further, Liliana Kranjcar?"Her full name that was not remembered no matter what she did, wasclearly said this time.His lips slightly twisting to one side in a grin, his previous slovenly attitudelike that of a young boy had all but vanished. Salvatore Doni smiledgleefully, leaking out his true nature as a warrior.Part 2Originally, Naples was a colonial city of the ancient Greeks.The remnants of stone pits where slaves were once made by the people ofold to work in. Then, the remnants of the sewage systems, water tanksbuilt by the Romans of later generations. And after that, the remnants ofunderground warehouses that were used to store food, provisions, andliquor.The traces of these constructs could still be found in present times,beneath the older streets.Napoli Sotterranea - also otherwise known as [Underneath Naples]." Although these underground ruins have already become asightseeing attraction, this specific part of the underground is not open tothe public, as it has been sealed and hidden by the witches of Naples."Liliana remarked, leading the way.The district of Santa Lucia.Facing the Bay of Naples, it consists of tine Santa Lucia liarbor, Casteldell'Ovo and other sightseeing spots.They entered an old clothing store in the district, and greeted themiddle-aged woman running the store.Even if you wanted to compliment it, the clothing sold in the messy shopcould not be described as 'decent'. The fat lady, who looked perfectlysuited to the store and was in fact Diana's subordinate, wordlessly broughtthem to the back of the shop.The interior of the store - was a place that only witches have been.It was an entrance to the underground ruins below.Unexpectedly, there was a square hole right in the middle of the bareground. Stairs, carved from stone, extended into the depths below, andLiliana, who could see perfectly fine in pitch darkness, descended downthe stairs without so much as a torchlight." The [Snake] number the most, after that would be the [Cow]."Doni, following behind Liliana, murmured to himself.The pathway of the ruins was like an abandoned mine, long and narrow.This place had used to be a quarry, dating back to the BC era, thus itwould be very similar to an abandoned mine. However, the many drawingscarved upon the walls, suggested something else.These were simple, primitive stick drawings, and it would not be hard tobelieve if someone said that these were carved by people from the StoneAge.As Doni had said, there were many drawings that resembled snakes on thewalls.Some were depicted with very long, curling bodies, or multiple heads, anda few even had bat-like wings.Other animals that were drawn included cows, birds, pigs and lions.Someone with a magical background would instantly recognize these to bethe likeness of goddesses of the land, and probably were carved after thecoming of the Roman Empire."In the past, this was the location of a secret underground temple "Liliana softly whispered, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of thesesacred grounds.Ever since a certain patriarchal monotheistic religion became the officialreligion, the holy miko who possessed divine power were branded as[Witches], persecuted and hunted downJ^^And thus they fled to the underground, in order to preserve their wisdomand knowledge, they built this underground temple to pass on theirteachings and arts.These drawings portrayed the beliefs of the witches, symbolizing the gods."Incidentally, snakes seem to be like the guardian deities of witches, why isthat so?"Being asked this question out of the blue, Liliana hesitated for a moment.In the ancient times, the miko who served the great goddesses of the landwere the ones who became the first [Witches].With the influx of Christianity and the decline of the traditional beliefs inEurope, the originally sacred miko were suppressed and boycotted, andwere slowly regarded as heretical and to be feared.The great goddesses of the land in those days, usually were those thatruled over the domains of life and death.Athena, Ishtar, Isis, Tiamat, Cybele, to name a few. The goddess of loveand beauty. Aphrodite, was also originally a powerful great goddess of theland.The sacred animal that represented the cycle of life and death, the snake.And thus, the snake became the symbol of the goddesses of the land, theguardian spirit of the witches.Though Liliana had some qualms about the reliability of the details on theoccult in this kind of place, she decided to leave that matter aside for themoment."To explain that would consume a large amount of time. I will give you anexplanation later, so please kindly wait in the meantime.""Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I should have learnt that before, but I totally forgotall about it."Doni's carefree attitude showed that he had no intention of reflecting on hisactions.Although Campiones and magicians seemed to be similar beings, theywere in actual fact, totally different existences.Liliana once again deeply felt how true that statement was. KusanagiGodou, who Erica Blandelli was enthusiastically chasing after, prior tobecoming a Campione, had completely zero knowledge of the magicalarts, a civilian."Then, the place your companions are currently hiding out at... 'Heraion',was it called?""Yes. A few months ago, the Gorgoneion that was discovered was theemblem of Medusa and Athena. And then, the Heraion is the emblem ofthe goddess Hera. Legends spoke of the goddess' hair being woven fromsnakes, and possessing the eyes of a female cow - these traits all pointtowards her being a goddess of the land."In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus.However, she had originated from the Peloponnesian Peninsula as aguardian goddess of the earth.After the area was conquered by the Indo-European sky god worshippingpeople, Hera was forced to submit herself to Zeus.Before long, the two of them had arrived at the underground temple.A pair of witches stood beside a pillar of pure black - Diana Milito andKaren Jankulovski were waiting there."It is my honor to meet you. Sir Salvatore. For accepting our request, youhave my deepest gratitude - ""That's not important, let's go straight to the main topic. This is the rumored'Heraion', isn't it?"Doni quickly cut her off, inspecting the pillar.It looked like it was made from obsidian.From the ground, the pillar stretched upwards, like a growing tree.On the surface, there were many drawings of serpents, although it seemedclumsily carved onto the rock, one could not help but feel drawn towards it.Approximately two meters tall, this was the Heraion."Alright, I'm feeling a rather incredible divine force from this.""Yes. This was once discovered in Greece, and then painstakinglytransported to this place, centuries ago, by the witches of Naples - ourancestors."Diana explained.She was completely serious now, a deep contrast with her previousbehavior exhibited back in her bookstore; after all, she was a branchleader of Naples, in the [Bronze-Black Cross]."It was spring this year - when we discovered the Gorgoneion in Calabria,when it began to react in resonance. Initially, the magical force was not yetso powerful and we could contain it by erecting the [Seclusion] barrier, butnow..."Recently, they have not been able to fully control it.With a deep sigh, Diana finished her explanation, with Doni happilynodding his head."How nostalgic, the Gorgoneion? I was busy slacking off then - "" Slacking off, did you say?""Yep. I was still recovering from my wounds from that last great battle withGodou then, so since I wasn't going to take care of it, didn't you have nochoice but to explain matters to him, requesting his aid to clean things up?"To Liliana who was asking him with a reprimanding tone, Doni replied,blinking his eyes.This youth with absolutely no sense of responsibility, had found a rivalry inanother Campione, the boy who had gained immense power in just a day.Liliana, once again, felt the reality sink in.Salvatore Doni is a warrior, through and through.Whether it was joy, friendship, anger, love or pain, he could feel all theseemotions on the battlefield. No matter how carefree or generous heseemed - this was not the true Salvatore Doni.A place where he could truly be himself, could only be the battlefield - whilefacing the strongest enemies.Thus, he deeply loved the few enemies he had, befriending them, whilepolishing his blade in order to defeat them.Although she and Erica were both considered to be prodigal magicians,there was an insurmountable wall between them and him. Liliana had nochoice but to accept this fact.In the past, Salvatore Doni had been labeled as someone who could notkeep up with his peers.However, that was only because he was someone that normal standardsdid not apply to.His talents and capabilities were well beyond the comprehension of normalpeople, completely disregarding his studies in the magical arts andfocusing on martial prowess, the genius who beheaded a god with just hisblade.The innate nature of the [King of Swords].Of course, his carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude could also be part ofhis innate nature..."When I heard that the goddess was Athena, the first thought I had was'Crap'! I'd have been really happy if I were the one to have fought with her,how regrettable... if I take the Heraion with me, Hera might show up, eh?""No, although I am hoping that the probability of that happening is low..."Diana answered with a troubled expression. It would not be easy to bringout the pillar.First you would have to excavate it out of the ground, and then transport it.Manpower and machinery were needed, and then if during the process,the Heraion reacted in a negative manner, it could very well turn into adangerous situation."Come to think of it, you mentioned sometliing about a dragon earlier, wliatwas that about?"Doni suddenly asked, and the three witches looked at each other, unsureof what to say.( Do we have to explain that as well?)( We have to. From the conversation earlier, you can tell that SirSalvatore's knowledge of magic is of the same level as a traineemagician.)(Fine, fine, and Karen, please don't say anything weird.)The above was conveyed purely through eye contact.As a Campione possessing tremendous powers and receiving theadmiration of many, it was unbecoming that he had the knowledge of anoutsider.To grab the attention of everyone, Liliana coughed softly."From our deductions, dragons are a transformation of serpents, to put itmore extremely, if you combine parts of birds, lizards, horses and lionswith a snake, you would get a dragon.""Eh- Is that so? Somehow it seems really far-fetched.""That's not the case, when the holy miko fell and were branded as [Witch],the incarnation of the earth goddesses changed with the times and slowlybecame the [Dragon], the embodiment of ferocity and strength."Liliana suddenly recalled the rumors about the feats performed bySalvatore Doni."By the way. Sir Salvatore, you probably should have authorities that arerelated to the power of the dragon, am I right?""Did I? Although I don't remember fighting a dragon before.""Of course, although not in a direct confrontation, related to the dragon is -in other words, the hero with the power of water-based divine spirits andsacred beasts, have you not defeated him?"The first god that was slain by Doni was the Celtic god king, Nuadha.From Nuadha, he obtained the authority of demonic swords, and after that,he defeated the heretical god summoned by Marquis Voban, gaining thepower of the dragon - the authority of the immortality of steel.To the dragon slayers who have long since regarded dragons and snakesto be their target of conquest, channeled the properties of these beastsinto their own power.Doni nodded in acceptance to that reason." I see. Well, I understand your point now.""You understand? That is good to hear.""No, I didn't understand what you were trying to say at all. But I've made itthis far without knowing anything, so the meaning probably isn't thatimportant, that's what I understood. It's fine, it's fine."" M-My lord, if you are fine with it, then I guess there is no problem."Liliana finally understood that this person's head worked in a completelydifferent way.Although with his sloppy and reckless way of thinking, he had still made itthrough so many crises, definitely something that the average man couldnot accomplish, this was one of the reasons why he was so highlyregarded."Then, what should we do about this Heraion? It is too big for me to bring ithome like what Godou did."The height that protruded above the ground was roughly two meters,meaning that it might be longer.Doni looked at the Heraion that was a lot bit taller than him, smiled, andthen suggested,"If we hack it into two pieces, then slowly cut it into smaller sized piecesthat can fit into my hand, I could put it in my luggage and bring it homecould that work?""Cut the Heraion into pieces!? This is a very important, sacred artifact!""Is, isn't that going a little too far?"Diana could not help but shout out loud, even the usually calm Karen hadtrouble keeping a composed face.Forget the Gorgoneion, the Heraion is a sacred item to the Europeanwitches, even if he were a [King], it was impertinent of him to make such asuggestion. Liliana continued,"Sir Salvatore, it is as Diana said! Furthermore, no matter how powerfulyour demonic swords are, they could never cut apart the earth goddess'artifact!""No, I think it is very possible to cut apart, because right now I don't havethe feeling that it can't be cut apart, that's why I can do it."Doni softly remarked, gazing intently at the Heraion.He really intends to do it! Liliana, convinced of that, cried out,"That would not be good. As of now, the Heraion has stored up a hugeamount of earthen and water magical power, although it is currentlysuppressed by the barrier that has been erected, should you use yourauthority now, the situation will quickly escalate out of control! In the worstcase, the collected energy might be released in an explosion, completelyannihilating Naples, which is why we should proceed with caution!""But, just simply sitting here and waiting for something to happen is simplytoo boring.""That is why we had wanted to consult the king's, your opinion on thematter. After all, if gods are involved, you would be Italy's mostknowledgeable specialist Besides cutting it up into small pieces, doyou have any other suggestions?""Hmm if that's the case - "After being severely reprimanded by Liliana, Doni sank into deep thought,and quickly shook his head."Nope, can't think of anything. Not at all.""My lord! Please think about it more seriously!"One's pace could not help but to be disrupted when dealing with this king.Liliana was angered and frustrated to the point where she was almostshouting, literally breaking out in cold sweat. If one were to speak toMarquis Voban in the same way, they would be instantly executed.Doni still had that carefree smile on his face, ignoring the verbal disrespect."Well, what I wanted to say was that everyone is tired. For now, let's headback and have a good rest as it's already getting late, maybe we'll manageto think of something good tomorrow!"There were no reasons to object to his order.To keep staying in front of the Heraion would be a waste of time, thus thethree witches, along with the [King of Swords], begun to head back, but...On the way back, Doni did not stop smiling to himself.From his expression, Liliana could not help but feel a sense of dread, andsilently steadied her determination for what might come tomorrow.PartsThat night, Salvatore Doni stayed in an inn that they had arranged for him.Liliana and Karen were both staying over at Diana's house. With that, theday's clamor and activities have long ended - or so it should have been.It was half past twelve, midnight, when the lonesome figure of Liliana couldbe seen travelling on the streets of Naples.They had come here before during the day, the coastal main street ofSanta Lucia district.This time was not considered very late during summer in these big cities ofEurope, hence there were still quite a few signs of human activity. Tocarousers and partygoers, this would be their favorite time of the day tohead out.Although Naples did not have a low crime rate, this was one of the saferdistricts to be (On the older streets, there were high chances of runninginto pickpockets and robbers).Liliana did not go out at night often.Although she had full confidence in her abilities, it just didn't feel right toher.With an unease she could not get rid of, Liliana walked into a cafethat operated at night, ordered a few sandwiches to satisfy her hunger anda coffee to keep her awake, and continued on her way.She broke into a run, there was a place she had to reach as soon aspossible.At any rate - the young women on the streets caused her to knit her browsin disapproval whenever she passed them by.The amount of skin exposed, wasn't it a little too much?Camisoles, tank tops were fine. Even if it was summer, being so daring asto expose their midriffs and bra straps, Liliana could not approve of that.Incidentally, Liliana was dressed plainly.A loose fitting blue shirt matched with black suit pants, though it gave her aclean, beautiful look, somehow it gave the impression that she was anunfashionable person.Finally arriving at her destination, the place she had decided that she hadto return to during the evening.The old clothing store run by the fat witch. Because she had an uneasyfeeling, she decided to stand guard overnight.(If it's that guy, it's likely that he will come here...)(No doubt, better to be safe than sorry...)After explaining the reason for her unease to her comrades, that was howthey replied.Trust between people was something that was nurtured through normal,daily actions. Having learnt that lesson, she blew a whistle.A short while passed before a thin, frail stray cat slowly strode up to her.Before dinner, she had bound the cat by means of a magical contract, andhad it watch over the store for her, reporting any suspicious activity.She placed the palm of her hand on top of the cat, and extracted the cat'smemories." It's as we expected, such a headache."What they thought would happen, had happened, and Liliana walkedtowards the old bookstore.The doors were made from old wood, and the lock in the doorknob couldbe opened if you had the necessary skill. As he probably could not use[Unlock] magic, some sort of lock-picking skills must have been employed."That guy, why does he always have these kind of weird skills!"She shouted angrily, and pushed open the door.The familiar fat lady was lying on the floor, unconscious.Liliana quickened her pace and reached the underground complex of theHeraion after a few minutes of running. There, she saw the king, whoseemed to be in a pretty happy mood." - Sir Salvatore!""Hm? Kranjcar? Why are you here?""Of course, because you were acting strange earlier, that's why I havecome here on purpose!"" Wh, what?"In the deepest part of the underground ruins, she once again met with thedevil king, Salvatore Doni."I'm begging you, please don't pull these kinds of stunts! Could you havethought that you would peremptorily do everything by yourself before wenag and chastise you, did you!?""You're really impressive, to have managed to predict my actions to thisextent Not bad."In the face of the female knight's interrogation, Doni could only reply in asoft voice, his expression stiff.He seemed to be repentant about it. Although they had already expectedthis to happen, he really was a useless member of society.Liliana really wanted to let out a deep sigh at their lack of options.To prevent the manifestation of the [Heretical God] was what she wantedto discuss with the godslaying devil king, which was a perfectly naturalhuman thing to do, but her partner wasn't really human anymore.Italy's [King of Swords] was such a man, like a ticking bomb ofshenanigans that could go off at any moment.Residing in the nearby Balkan peninsula was the [Marquis], dangerous likea wild beast.The [Kings] residing in America and China were too far away for them tohave any relations with.England's [Black Prince], was famous for having a terrible personality andbeing a ruffian.Alexandria's [Queen] had not been heard offer centuries and has beenliving in seclusion as a hermit.Lastly, the [King] of Japan that came to Italy occasionally With anupright character, a youth who had somewhat good prospects for thefuture, but did not have an eye for women. In conclusion, he was definitelyno good."It can't be helped. Besides using a sword, there's no other way aroundthis."While smiling, Doni grabbed his usual black case with his hands.Until now, the case had been hanging off his shoulders, inseparable fromhis body. He flipped open the cover, and retrieved the weapon inside, andthen threw the scabbard onto the floor.A blade of pure steel.Unlike the magic swords used by Liliana and Erica, nor was it the work of amaster swordsmith.It looked just like some mass manufactured product, besides being asword, there was nothing special about it. Nevertheless, the steel was of aquality enough to match that of the strongest magic swords on earth.Liliana and the others would never walk around like that, carrying thesword wherever they went, as they could directly summon the magicswords out of thin air.The reason Doni did not do so, was mainly because he was poor at themagical arts, he could not, even if it was a basic spell like this, he simplycouldn't cast it.In spite of that, he was emitting a tremendous amount of magical energy.Liliana sucked in her breath."M-My lord, could you possibly be thinking of using your sword!?""Ah, no. I didn't draw my blade to kill you or anything like that, don't worryabout it... Listen, you know in those historical Japanese movies, there'sthis 'mineuchi' thing, right?^^^ I was wondering if I could do the same now.""There's no way I can believe that will happen!"Liliana, who had quite a fair bit of knowledge on Japanese culture, wishedthat Doni would not take those sword fighting scenes in those oldJapanese movies so seriously and attempt to mimic them, but she wasmore worried about the stance he had taken.- Relaxing half his body, his sword was left hanging loose from his righthand.The knights who have seen Salvatore Doni in action would all know thisfact, that his combat stance was simply unbelievably shocking. There wasno special skill or technique involved. A stance that prepared for neitheroffense nor defense.A completely natural and relaxed stance, free, unfettered and flexible. Astance that could adapt to anything in response, and then cut downeverything in its path.As there were no humans that could be a match for him, thus this stance,meant for adaptability, was what he had learnt to use, in his numerousconflicts with gods, demons, devil kings and monsters - The extraordinarilypowerful foes that logic did not apply to."Since you won't let me use the 'mineuchi', you'll have to suffer theconsequences. Are you ready?"Doni said with a carefree tone.Liliana instantly employed the summoning magics, and her weaponmaterialized.There were no thoughts behind her actions, merely the instinct of a knight,spontaneous actions in response to a battle.II Maestro - with the title of [Artisan], the magic sword with historical origins.The blade was gently curved, it was an elegant silver saber. As Lilianagrabbed the weapon and took a stance, Doni moved forward towards her.His speed was neither fast, nor slow.A neutral stance, as though he were stepping into a friend's house.At the same time the sword in his right hand drew an arc as it slashed at IIMaestro.Liliana did not move out of the way.On the contrary, she aimed to lock her blade with Doni's, and reach astalemate. Entangling their blades together, sealing the opponent'stechniques and movements.But she was not able to parry Doni's light blow.Conversely, II Maestro was easily sent flying out of her hand, disarmingher.It had been a blow from his empty left hand that did it.And again, in that neutral stance, yet another blow landed on the region ofher solar plexus. It seemed like a light blow, yet she felt such a greatimpact on her body, leaving her gasping for breath, unable to summon anyof her strength.Liliana was breathing hard, bending over at her knees. Compared to her,his strength was in a completely different dimension, she could neitherdefend nor attack." Well, that's how it is. If you try and get in my way again, I'll let youexperience firsthand my forty-eight killing techniques, capable of causinganyone to fall in a dream-like trance and fainting, or my fifty-twosubmission techniques that would serve you a full course of having all yourjoints in your arms and legs broken, be more obedient from now on!"After saying that cheerily, he turned around and walked to the Heraion.Liliana could not even stand up properly at this point, much less stop him.Furthermore, his right hand was still glowing with a silver light.She felt the Goosebumps rise on her skin. The [King of Swords] waschanneling all of his strength and power.Doni's right hand was no longer a human hand of flesh and blood.It was a radiant silver-white metal arm, as if made by a genius mastercraftsman, a work of artistic splendor."1 will make this oath now. I, I will not allow anything that cannot be cut toexist in this world. For this sword of mine, is the invincible blade that cutsdown all without fail!"Doni made an arrogant proclamation - No, perhaps it was more like thesoul of the language surging forth.Turning the strength of his words into a tremendous amount of magicalenergy, focusing that into his sword of steel, transforming it into aone-of-a-kind magical sword of vast power, and with that, the [King] swunghis sword right at the black pillar.The Heraion was sliced apart - into two clean halves.The silver arm that transformed the sword of steel, which was then able tocut any being on this earth with no exception. This was the [Ripping Arm ofSilver], the authority obtained from the god Nuadha.Even if it were a rusty sword or a swiss army knife, it could also be turnedinto an unrivaled magical sword.It was an extremely simple authority. A single sword that could split theearth and the seas. It was a simple and yet immensely powerful ability.Liliana witnessed it with her own eyes.From the halves of the Heraion, burst forth a massive amount of magicalenergy in the form of a lava-like substance.The brilliantly glowing green magma flowed across the ground, overflowingwith magical energy, and then suddenly, a surge of magical power shottowards the ceiling from the floor of the underground ruins, like a volcaniceruption.Part 4Humans - magicians and various other kinds, the race of the intelligent andcunning, named them as [Heretical Gods].What gave birth to these supernatural existences?No one really knows the truth behind this, what they can only do is comeup with theories, this was the only results after much racking of theirbrains.Even the gods who were named as such were unable to answer thisquestion themselves, though it is no fault of theirs.Before the [Heretical Gods] had realized, they were already roamingthrough the lands, establishing themselves as an independent existence.They could not even remember the process of their birth." For what purpose have I been brought into this world for? Even if Iask myself that, I don't know the answer. Whether I should be sad orhappy about this, I don't know that either."The god who had just obtained a physical form asked rhetorically, with abitter smile.A smile that gave off a feeling of frustration.Not knowing, that in itself was interesting. There was no need to worry overthat.Wanting to find out their reason for existence, trying to find their genuineselves - fretting over such delicate woes, it was not the style that wasbecoming of a hero from the ancient times.That being said, that fundamental essence of a god would be [Myth].Besides that, the lands of the people who spread these myths, or theunexplainable incidents that happened on these lands, between thesefactors, there must be some kind of link.A glance at the immediate surroundings.Although the area had been shrouded in the darkness of the night, thiswas no problem to the eyes of a god.This was a mountain, probably a volcano, not much greenery could beseen, probably due to the higher composition of metal of the earth, andthere were red volcanic rocks everywhere.- Mount Vesuvius.He did not know the name that the humans have given it, and he continuedto survey the land before him.The place he was at was about halfway up the mountain, from there hecould see that the sea, and also a city in which humans lived was not toofar off. To the eyes of an archer, this was nothing." Ho. This seems interesting."In a corner of the city, near the coast, there was an explosion of magicalenergy.The essence of earth and water, in the form of emerald light was surgingout.Like a volcanic eruption - the instant he thought of that, he finally realizedwhy he had manifested.The essence of earth, of the land. Perhaps it was the snake of the motherof the land, the mystical force that belonged to the Queen of the earth.And what was he currently standing on? A mountain of fire, earth andmetal.Who was he? A hero. Steel within his hands, a flame burning within him, adefender of the land."The essence of the earth, the spirits of steel, are they calling for me? Ifthat's the case, then what comes next, would be that."He released the divine energy stored in his body.The emerald energies reacted with his own divine energies, refining it intoa tremendous, massive body of life force.The idea of a serpent served as a foundation for that giant body.It had a length that surpassed the sea serpent that he had once defeatedin his legend, causing the civilians that looked up at the sky to scream interror.After that came huge bat-like wings sprouting from its back.From the body, four short limbs, like those of a lizard.The shape of the head resembled the crocodile's, and within the gapingmaw, there were many razor-sharp, blade like teeth - it was the birth of adragon.In the skies above the coastal city, the gargantuan dragon spread itswings, and circled around slowly.The god smiled in satisfaction.The creation of a worthy enemy from the essence of the land, for a herothat was also known as a war god, was this not a joyous occasion?At any rate, as long as there was an enemy he had to defeat, it was fine.As long as there was an obstacle to be overcome, he would be satisfied.If there were damsels in distress as well, that would be even better, buthaving an enemy was more important, because without that, there wouldn'tbe any distress at all. Then there would be no point in being a hero!Blood burning with excitement, he rushed ahead, but quickly came to ahalt."Ah, that's right - 1 ought to declare my name."As a hero of bravery and beauty, it was only natural for him to do so.If the sound of his name did not leave a deep impression on the humans, itwould be a great blow to his pride.After a while of careful consideration, and establishing that it would bemore appropriate to refrain from that, he instantly fell to his knees indespair."I, I almost thought I was going to die..."Liliana Kranjcar, who had finally escaped from that crisis, said to herselfweakly.After everything was bathed in the light from the Heraion, the ceiling hadstarted to collapse due to the intense exposure to magical energies.If this continues, I'll be buried alive!The moment the earthquake-like tremors started to spread through theunderground ruins, Liliana had leapt into action.When even the large rocks begun falling on her head, Liliana instantlyused the [Leap] magic. With the use of this spell, a distance of severalhundred meters could be covered in roughly ten seconds.To onlookers, it would have seemed like teleportation.Although, it was merely a high speed movement across a large distance,not a teleportation skill.Through the gigantic hole in the ceiling that had been created by theenergies from the Heraion, she escaped with [Leap] magic onto thesurface above. Were she a tad bit slower, it would have been very likelythat she would be trapped by the collapsing rocks.- As of now, she was at the coastal end of Santa Lucia district.This was no sandy beach, but a sparse outcrop of marble covered thearea, serving as a breakwater of sorts. It was only a short walking distanceback to the streets of Santa Lucia.To get back to the old bookstore would take only about ten minutes.After running through the entire underground ruins, getting back up herewith [Leap], she had lost track of her bearings, and thus she surveyed thegeneral area again.Earlier, the stored magical energy of the Heraion had exploded.The explosion leveling the city - she had feared this, but the harborseemed to be largely unaffected, there were no real visible damage to theenvironment.Liliana felt relieved.Of course, the loss of the precious underground sanctuary was regrettable,the people living directly above it might have been affected, but it was stillbetter than having the entire city blown sky high.Yes, although that was preferable, but...Looking up, Liliana realized how wrong she was.A dragon. A flying dragon.In the skies above the harbor, a massive dragon, gliding freely through theskies with its wings spread out wide, haughtily looking at the world beneathit.The wingspan was at least thirty meters long, and the scales were glintingwith a faint emerald color.Compared to the modern depiction of the dragon, its head and body werelong like that of a snake. Maybe it looked a little weird, but that hardlyseemed important at the moment.The way the chimaera being known as a dragon was depicted changeddepending on the time and place.Ever since the olden days, Europe had many different stereotypes of thedragon.Limbless dragons, wingless dragons, or conversely, dragons with overlylong wings and limbs which resembled a Pegasus, but the modern dragonwas the one depicted in fantasy movies and video games."As I thought, was it born when the Heraion was cut apart...?""Whoa — isn't it awesome? I really didn't think that a dragon would pop outof that pillar. It sure gave me a surprise."While Liliana was staring dumbly at the dragon and murmuring to herself, acheerful voice had said suddenly.She wasn't surprised.As she managed to escape unscathed herself, there was no doubt that hewould make it out as well. Liliana turned her head, and found SalvatoreDoni simply standing there leisurely, with not a scratch on him.As expected of the one who possessed the authority, [Man of Steel].Obtained from the Nordic hero Siegfried, it was an authority that allowedone to obtain a semi-immortal body that was tougher than steel, thecave-in earlier must have seemed like the pattering of raindrops to him." My lord. Although this is not a hard thing to do, because your actionsearlier have resulted in the birth of that dragon, please do control yourselfin the future!""I know, it's fine. I'll take responsibility and beat down that guy!""Please don't do that! If you destroy the divine beast formed from thespiritual essence of the land, the spiritual veins in the entire region mightdry up! It's too risky!"Liliana shouted, while looking up at the dragon.In oriental Chinese geomancy, it could also be referred to as the earth'svein, or dragon's vein.The dragon was surely an embodiment of that kind of power.Destroy it, and what would remain would be a barren land and a sea ofdeath. That was a future predicted with the spirit sense of the witches, andhad to be avoided at all costs.- The sounds of flapping wings could be heard as the dragon approachedthe harbor.As it was a creature that disregarded the laws of physics, it would not havemattered even if it did not have the necessary organs for flight.The dragon continued to circle leisurely in the skies.Two knights stood on the harbor of Santa Lucia, gazing up at it.One of them was vigorously burning with fighting spirit, raring for a fight,while the other wore an expression of worry, wanting to prevent that fromhappening.As if sensing Doni's fighting spirit, the emerald dragon, with an air of anemperor, looked down at the [King of Swords], and suddenly roared.GUAAAAAAA!!!The thunderous roar of the dragon in the deep night caused the entirety ofNaples to shake.At the same time, from the gigantic dragon's body, radiated an intenseamount of magical energy.Could the dragon be capable of using spells of magical or divine nature!?Liliana felt a wave of fear wash over her, and then something changedwithin the sea - A wave. A gigantic wave was headed towards them.The waves crashed against the harbor violently.The rhythm of the surging water and sounds, began to rapidly increase intempo.What was only the soft, calm waves of the night, had turned into this stateof fury in a mere ten seconds."Hmm, by just increasing the strength of the waves a little bit, what is ittrying to do?""It's not 'little'! Please open your eyes and look at that!"Liliana, in a state of panic, warned the perfectly calm Doni.A genius in melee combat, a pure-blooded warrior, and in the realm of theCampiones, with the exception of the religious cult founder Luo Hao, hecould be considered as the strongest. However, he had a weakness, orrather, a vice.He was inept at judging and analyzing magical warfare.That was because of his absolute resilience against offensive magic, aCampione that had a body tougher than steel, like a metal wall.Even if he were to be subjected to an overwhelming magical assault, hewould be able to endure it, and launch a counterattack with his sword.It was not an ideal style to fight with, but he did not care much for thesetrifling details, only about whether he could immerse himself in battle.- The force of the dragon's summoned wave had intensified even morewithin seconds.From the sea came a feeling of the onset of a storm. The waves crashednon-stop against the harbor, and from the far distance, a tsunamiapproached menacingly, like an avalanche.It was something that should not have been able to occur here, in this quietinner bay, that gigantic wave that carried the wrath of nature."Sir Salvatorei?""Hmph, against this wave, with my blade, I will - oh crap! I dropped it backin the underground area!! H, hold on a second! Let's settle this in a fairfight, ok!?"As Liliana shouted at the [King] in desperation, Doni complained loudly.They were immediately iiit by tine incoming tsunami, and swept away.- Winy, wliat did 1 do to deserve tiiis!Liliana was swallowed by the waves, cursing her own fate.Her body still ached a little after that blow from Doni, but as she could notlet herself drown like this, she started to swim towards the surface, ignoringthe weight of her drenched clothes.And suddenly, a huge emerald colored body had appeared beneath her,and dragged her upwards.- After a few tens of seconds had passed.Somehow, she was at what seemed to be the base of the neck of thedragon, flying far above the seas. Although Doni had been swallowed upby the tsunami as well, only she had been scooped out of the sea."W, were you the one who saved me?"She murmured, asking him. No answer came from the dragon.The dragon born from the Heraion, the artifact of the goddess of the land,most probably treated the witches who safeguarded the pillar as comrades,thus it had saved her.Liliana breathed a sigh of relief.At the same time, Liliana suddenly remembered about the [King], causingher to feel worried, but felt that he was probably fine.That superman should not have drowned like this.He would probably have casually swum towards some unknown shore,and then say something like 'Eeh - 1 thought I was going to die'.The dragon was still circling around in the skies, but it had started to pickup its speed.The view of the harbor slowly drew closer and closer, the most strikinglandmark being the Castel dell'Ovo.It was a construction that was built on a piece of land in the middle of thesea, the official name being Castel dell'Ovo. The nickname that people hadgiven it was [Egg Castle]. [If this egg breaks, then calamity will be broughtdown upon this castle and Naples!] was the prediction that people oncehad, which was the origin of the nickname.In the medieval times, this structure that was built for the purpose ofobserving the seas had now become a popular tourist attraction.Visitors could enjoy the view of the entire city of Naples from the roof of thebuilding.- The dragon landed on the road leading up to the Castel dell'Ovo from thecity. The castle and the harbor were located on the land protrudingoutwards from the Santa Lucia district.The dragon obediently let its passenger off on the ground.Someway or the other, she had managed to make it back safely. Lettingthe sea breeze dry her clothes, she began to think about her next courseof action -It was at this moment when lightning flashed across the sky.To be exact, it came from the sky to the east - perhaps from the area ofMount Vesuvius.Alongside the sound of the thunder, the lightning took the form of ahumanoid before her.This was the visage of the most handsome man that Liliana had ever seen.Golden hair that reminded you of the blazing sun, elegant and delicatebrows. A robust, divinely body -The white clothing and cloak he wore were clearly not from this age.[Heretical God].Without a doubt, at first sight, Liliana confirmed this fact.Mankind's greatest disasters, gods that wandered the land, bringingdestruction with them.Although she had expected to meet one sometime in her life, she neverthought it would be this soon -It was an unexpected development, causing her heartbeat to accelerate,her throat becoming extremely dry.This handsome man could kill her, Liliana Kranjcar, in an instant with ease,an existence beyond mortal comprehension.Although in this aspect he was completely the same as Salvatore Doni, onthe other hand, he gave off a very strong, intense aura that could be feltdeeply by Liliana's heart.It was mainly a mixed feeling of fear and admiration, but there was alsosomething that felt strange about him.Just the sight of the beautiful countenance of the god made her stop in hertracks, her mind blank.However, only his appearance was similar to that of a human, merelyborrowing their shape.There was only one human here right now. Liliana quickly made up hermind.She had no choice but to find out by herself what the god wanted." What mythology or place are you a god of? If it's ok with you, will youkindly tell me your name?"Upon hearing her respectful request, the beautiful young god smiled."Well asked, young lady. My name, my identity, I have been worriedwhether I should tell you that - as I thought, it would be better that I shouldgrace you with my name. I am Perseus. Remember it well."As though he had some issues on the inside, he gave his name after awhile.The dragon behind Liliana growled in a low tone.It was a warning of the danger looming ahead, from the meeting of asworn, bitter enemy, and the unavoidable battle that was to come.References1. t Christianity.2. t IVIineuchi refers to striking with the back of the blade