Just as the three reached an agreement, Akuto's side also moved to the main issue.
Asuka Tokunaga raised her head and looked past her friends' shoulders at the figure standing in front of all of them, facing Europe's oldest Devil King alone.
At that moment, Akuto was locked in a standoff with Marquis Voban.
Their gazes collided in midair. Their invisible pressure clashed as if it had substance, making it seem as though sparks were bursting in the air.
The churning thunderclouds roared above them like the prelude to the end of the world.
Asuka's heart filled with an unprecedented surge of emotion.
Looking at that back, still as straight as a mountain within the storm of destruction, an unprecedented trust and love rapidly grew in Asuka's mind.
Perhaps... this was what they called the suspension bridge effect?
...
Tokyo Tower, the steel giant standing in Tokyo, had now become the center of the storm.
The plaza beneath the tower was so empty it made the heart tremble. The tourists who should have been bustling around had already vanished without a trace under the dispersal of the warning evacuation team.
And yet, beneath the pressure of the two people standing under Tokyo Tower, even such an enormous tower seemed strangely fragile.
Akuto stood at the very front, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his trench coat. His posture was so relaxed it was as if he were taking a walk through his own backyard. His calm gaze rested on the figure opposite him, the one radiating an ancient and violent aura: Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, one of the oldest Campiones, known as the Wolf King.
Marquis Voban wore a finely tailored classical suit. His silver hair was combed meticulously, but burning within those emerald pupils was a wild flame intense enough to scorch everything. He lifted his chin slightly and looked down at Akuto, as well as the girls lined up behind him.
At that moment, a full seven beautiful girls were staring at Marquis Voban with fighting spirit blazing in their eyes.
Erica's golden hair danced in the wind, and Steel of the Lionheart hummed in her hand.
Liliana's silver side ponytail fluttered high, and her knight's sword gleamed coldly.
Seishuuin Ena looked eager to try, the aura of the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi in her hand faintly visible.
Mariya Yuri's expression was focused and devout, pure spiritual power circulating around her.
Of course, at present, the strongest presence did not come from the heroines of the original plot's main cast.
Although their own status had given them the most astonishing cultivation speed in Akuto's team, their current strength still had not caught up with the powerful women from the first ten summons.
Behind the four of them, Saint Raphael's eyes were sharp. Two strangely shaped magic swords hung at her waist, and while she looked gallant and heroic, powerful divine energy also shimmered around her.
Lucretia Zola appeared lazy, but an unfathomable fluctuation lingered around her.
Then there was Diana Milito. Though her body was petite, it contained formidable spell power. Otherwise, she never would have become Liliana's teacher.
Under normal circumstances, these three, who were stronger, should have been standing ahead of Erica and Liliana, whose strength was slightly weaker.
Unfortunately, all three of them were support and damage dealers this time. They would not be engaging Marquis Voban in close combat.
...
Only now did Asuka realize that these three were none other than the teachers who had transferred into the school not long ago.
As expected, these teachers from Italy were also part of Akuto-kun's harem?
After realizing this, Asuka silently glanced at Sawa and Miyama. Sure enough, the alliance between the three friends was absolutely necessary.
Looking at the girls before him, all showing their will to fight, Marquis Voban snorted coldly.
"Brat, you intend to have these little girls who still smell of milk face me? Is this your respect for your senior?"
Marquis Voban's voice was deep and magnetic, carrying an icy chill.
Clearly, Marquis Voban was very displeased that Akuto's subordinates intended to attack him.
His displeasure nearly turned into tangible pressure, causing the air itself to feel as though it had partly solidified.
Hearing this, Akuto chuckled and shook his head.
"Marquis Voban, I'm only doing the same thing you do. When you face comparatively weaker opponents, don't you also merely send out your Dead Servants?"
"Hmph!"
Hearing that, Marquis Voban's eyes suddenly sharpened. Violent curse power erupted from him like a storm, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch.
"Arrogant! Are you saying that, in your eyes, this old man is on the same level as those small fry?"
"Whether you are or not, we'll know once we fight. At the very least, right now, you haven't shown anything that qualifies you to interest me," Akuto said calmly, stating the facts.
"Qualifies?!"
Marquis Voban laughed from fury. He had lived for centuries. When had he ever suffered such contempt? Especially from a newly risen Campione who had only emerged recently.
"Good. Very good. Akuto, you will pay the price for your arrogance!"
The moment his voice fell, Marquis Voban suddenly raised his hand toward the sky.
Wind God! Rain Master! Thunder Duke!
The sky changed color in an instant.
Thick dark clouds gathered at a visible speed, blocking out the sunlight. Violent winds howled, kicking up dust from the ground, while raindrops as large as beans began to pelt down.
Then deafening thunder exploded.
Not one bolt, but dozens, then hundreds. Blinding lightning tore through the dim sky like divine spears of judgment, aimed directly at Akuto and all the girls behind him.
That terrifying power seemed ready to turn all of Tokyo Tower, along with the earth beneath it, into scorched ground.
This was one of Marquis Voban's signature Authorities: Tempest, the power to call forth wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Its might was enough to easily destroy a modern city.
At that critical moment, a cold, firm voice rang out.
In the name of Melqart, Lord of Sky and Storm! Thunder of this realm, heed my command!
Liliana raised the knight's sword in her hand high, then stepped forward with her long, white-stockinged leg.
At the same time, a powerful wave of curse energy erupted from her body. It was the aura of an Authority.
This was the Authority she had gained after slaying the Heretic God Melqart, granted to her by Akuto through the Ring of Usurpation: Sovereign of the Sky.
Following Liliana's chant, the violent thunderbolts descending from the sky seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, their trajectories subtly shifting.
Some of the lightning wrapped around Liliana's sword point like tamed wild horses, releasing docile crackles. The rest was guided by her and transformed into an equally massive azure pillar of lightning that surged upward, colliding fiercely with the lightning summoned by Marquis Voban.
Rumble!
A deafening explosion resounded through the clouds.
The blinding light left everyone temporarily unable to see. A violent shockwave of energy scattered in all directions, tearing up the turf and snapping the surrounding trees in half.
Liliana let out a muffled groan. Her body swayed, and her face paled slightly, but she forcibly steadied herself. The sword in her hand remained pointed firmly toward the sky, forming a sturdy lightning barrier that blocked most of Marquis Voban's city-destroying attack.
"What?!" Marquis Voban's pupils abruptly contracted, and disbelief appeared on his face for the first time.
"An Authority?! She can actually use an Authority?!"
This completely overturned his understanding.
Authorities were the manifestation of divine power, the exclusive symbol of a Campione.
A mortal, even the highest-ranked magus or holy knight, should have been absolutely incapable of directly wielding the power of an Authority. Unless...
Thinking this, Marquis Voban's gaze instantly locked onto Akuto, who remained calm and composed from beginning to end.
"I see... it was you! Akuto, brat! You split off your own Authorities and bestowed them upon these women!"
Anyone who saw this situation would only think, "Akuto divided his Authorities among his subordinates," and would never imagine, "Akuto possesses the ability to turn people into Campiones."
After all, distributing Authorities was still within the realm of comprehension. Creating Campiones was not within the range of normal consideration from the start.
...
After understanding the key point, Marquis Voban's eyes flashed with realization, which was soon replaced by even stronger interest and a trace of solemnity.
"Interesting! Truly interesting! Splitting Authorities... even this old man has never seen such a method before. It seems you do indeed have some grounds for your arrogance!"
As he spoke, the surprise on Marquis Voban's face swiftly transformed into an even more ferocious fighting spirit.
"But, brat... do you think blocking it with that sort of borrowed power is enough? Too naive!"
"An Authority distributed to another and an Authority used by oneself are ultimately different!"
Marquis Voban no longer held back. He drove Tempest to its absolute limit. The thunderclouds in the sky seemed to boil, and countless purple lightning dragons, thicker and more violent than before, roared as they dove down.
This time, the target was not merely Liliana. He intended to drown everyone behind her, Akuto included.
Liliana gritted her teeth and fully activated her sky Authority. Azure lightning formed a Domain around her, struggling to resist the purple thunder pouring down like a waterfall.
Every strike of lightning made her delicate body shake violently. A trace of blood even spilled from the corner of her mouth. By her strength alone, facing Marquis Voban at full force was still beyond her ability.
Fortunately, she had never been alone from the very beginning.
"Yuri! Protection!"
Erica shouted, giving orders as the commander.
"Yes!"
Mariya Yuri immediately responded.
The next moment, Yuri pressed her hands together and closed her eyes. Pure spiritual power rippled outward like waves.
My lord is the one who holds all victories. When you suffer beneath disaster, you need only recite the words that call my lord's name, need only sing of my lord's victory and radiance! Accept my lord's protection!
Radiance, shelter the people who believe in you!
In an instant, two completely different yet equally powerful lights of protection descended upon the battlefield.
One was the enhancement of faith and lightning from the Goat Authority. It was controlled with exquisite precision and settled over Liliana.
Liliana felt her spirit rise. Her control over the sky Authority instantly became more refined and more natural. The guidance that had been somewhat sluggish became incomparably smooth, and her pressure sharply decreased.
The other was the guardian light from the Youth Authority.
The Youth's enhancement transformed into a huge, semi-transparent golden barrier that enveloped all the girls, Liliana included. Profound runes flowed across the barrier, radiating warmth and resilience. It greatly weakened the aftershocks of the thunder and Marquis Voban's terrifying Campione pressure.
Under the dual protection, Liliana's pressure decreased tremendously. She gave a clear shout, and her azure lightning surged, forcibly pushing back Marquis Voban's descending purple waterfall of thunder.
...
"What?!"
Marquis Voban's cold green eyes instantly contracted.
He could understand the first wave of lightning Authority being blocked. After all, he had not used his full power just now.
But now, under his full effort, not only had his attack been blocked, it had even been pushed back?
Could that brat's divided Authority actually unleash its full power?
"Ena!"
Erica gave another order.
"Got it!" Seishuuin Ena had long been unable to restrain herself. She drew the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi from her waist, and the divine blade gave an excited hum.
Here, Susanoo-no-Mikoto led a thousand unruly gods in rebellion, seeking to seize this nation! A thousand swords stood upon the earth, becoming fortress and banner against the foe. Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, unsheathe!
Answer! This is what is called the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi! It is the steel that breaks a thousand blades! Now is the time to annihilate the barbarians of south, north, east, and west! Destroy the heretics!
Ama no Murakumo! In my lord's name, grant me the Thunder Ancestor's myriad bolts!
A dark gleam flashed across the blade of the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. A wave of energy extremely similar to the purple thunder summoned by Marquis Voban spread out in an instant.
Then Ena swung her sword toward the sky.
"Slash!"
A purple lightning dragon in no way inferior to the one Marquis Voban had summoned roared out from the tip of the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, charging upward in reverse and accurately striking one of the main bolts controlled by Marquis Voban.
Boom!
Two bolts of purple thunder from the same source violently collided in midair and annihilated each other. Relying on the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi's ability to "imitate" Authorities, Ena had copied Marquis Voban's lightning power and returned his own method against him.
With Ena's participation, Liliana's pressure lightened again.
She and Ena coordinated perfectly, one focusing on defense and one on offense. Azure and purple lightning interwove, collided, and exploded in the sky, faintly suppressing Marquis Voban's violent thunder offensive.
"Damn it! How is this possible?!"
Marquis Voban was both shocked and furious. He had never expected that these women he regarded as "little girls," after receiving Akuto's Authority empowerment and that shrine maiden's support, could unleash such astonishing power and even contend with him on the level of Authorities. This was nothing less than trampling upon his dignity.
"Dead Servants!"
A sharp light flashed in Marquis Voban's eyes, and he decided not to continue clashing with them through Authorities. He suddenly waved his hand.
Countless cracks split open across the ground, and skeleton warriors clad in tattered armor and wielding decayed weapons crawled out.
Ghostly green soul fire flickered in the Dead Servants' eye sockets. They radiated dense death energy and resentment, silently howling as they surged toward Erica and the others like a tide.
This was another of Marquis Voban's signature Authorities: the power to summon strong opponents he had personally killed while they were alive, transforming them into an absolutely loyal undead army known as the Legion of Dead Servants.
Individually, these Dead Servants might not match a Campione, but they were numerous and utterly fearless. They were more than enough to interfere with, or even severely injure, the girls who were currently doing everything they could to resist the thunder.
However, Marquis Voban's calculations failed again.
"Hmph. A petty trick."
Lucretia Zola gave a lazy snort and exchanged a glance with Diana beside her. The two raised their hands at the same time and began chanting ancient, obscure spells.
Rule the pulse of the earth. Gather the dim radiance of the stars.
In my lord's name, construct the sighing wall that divides life and death.
The two great magi joined forces, and magical power surged out like rushing rivers.
A massive magic circle covering the entire edge of the plaza lit up in an instant. Its patterns were complex and profound, radiating a heart-shaking spatial fluctuation and an aura of annihilation.
Countless spells emerged around the two of them, like a scene of forbidden curse chanting from the world of World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman.
"Haaaaaaah!"
As the final syllable fell, the magic circle erupted with blinding light.
An invisible divine power carrying the aura of the underworld swept outward.
The Dead Servants that had just crawled out of the ground and had not even had time to charge were thrown into an invisible grinder. Their bodies, armor, and weapons were instantly torn apart, reduced to primordial particles, and banished into an unknown void.
In only a single breath, the undead army Marquis Voban had summoned was completely cleared away.
"What?!"
Marquis Voban was shocked again. He had not expected the opposing side to have such powerful magi. Working together, they could instantly cast such a large-scale forbidden-class spell and send his Dead Servants back to the underworld. This completely disrupted his rhythm.
And in the instant he was distracted by the Dead Servants being wiped out, an even more dangerous presence locked onto him.
It was Saint Raphael.
At some point, she had already retreated to a position slightly behind the others. Her hands gripped the two strangely shaped magic swords at her waist, one flashing with the precise cold gleam of craftsmanship, the other radiating the savage ferocity of the king of beasts.
Saint Raphael took a deep breath. Her eyes sharpened like blades, and she began chanting an ancient song filled with power.
Sing, poem of the magic sword that rends all things!
Heart of the craftsman, grant thee a form forged through a thousand tempers!
Soul of the lion, grant thee the power to tear the heavens!
Here, the bowstring is drawn, and the arrows are formed!
Mountains of Gilboa, I pray that before dew descends upon those mountains, the beasts fleeing death shall be offered the sacrifice they crave!
Cast away thyself and become the shield of the hero beyond! Shield of Saul, fill thyself with oil and devote thyself here!
Without drinking the enemy's blood, Jonathan's bow shall not retreat! Without devouring the flesh of heroes, Saul's sword shall not return to its sheath! Not until this body is defeated!
Bow of Jonathan, weapon of a hero swift as an eagle and strong as a lion...
Run forth, pierce through, tear apart! Completely shatter the enemy before me!
Because she was using the words of power of Rending Silver Hand layered with Song of the Bow, Saint Raphael's spell also underwent a subtle fusion and transformation.
As Saint Raphael chanted, the Craftsman's Magic Sword in her hand melted like liquid, transforming into a massive longbow gleaming with metallic light. The Lion's Magic Sword split apart and reassembled itself into four arrows wrapped in golden lion phantoms, radiating a terrifying aura of tearing.
Even more unnerving was the indescribable power of the law of "rending" that coiled around the arrows, as if it could easily cut even space itself apart.
This was the Authority Akuto had granted Saint Raphael: Rending Magic Sword. It could bestow a conceptual "rending" property.
Moreover, because she had already absorbed Doni's fate, Saint Raphael had become the strongest among the women.
The reason she had not stood at the very front from the beginning was because she had carried the mission of being the strongest damage dealer from the very start.
...
Feeling the four "Rending Arrows" upon Saint Raphael's longbow, Marquis Voban's hair instantly stood on end.
There was no doubt. Those arrows, formed from a killing move-class Authority, posed a lethal threat to him.
The power contained within those four arrows could absolutely inflict severe damage on him.
Thus, Marquis Voban immediately tried to mobilize an Authority to defend or dodge.
Unfortunately, as stated earlier, Erica and the others had never intended to fight him one-on-one from the start.
...
"Don't even think about it!"
How could Erica give Marquis Voban that chance? She had long been waiting for this moment.
In the name of the conqueror Baal, I command!
Manifest! My retainer: Dragon King Yam!
Erica raised the Sword of the Lionheart high, summoning the Authority she had obtained after slaying the Heretic God Baal: the powerful dragon king-class divine beast, Yam.
The enormous phantom of a dragon radiating a violent aura appeared behind her and released a thunderous roar.
"Following Operation Order Number Three, everyone attack together!"
Erica pointed her sword at Marquis Voban and issued the command for an all-out assault.
Dragon King Yam roared, its enormous claw wrapped in the force of storm and tsunami as it slammed fiercely toward Marquis Voban.
The Exile and the Pursuer flew out from behind Erica one after another, attacking Marquis Voban's slender body together.
And it was not only Erica.
Liliana, Seishuuin Ena, Lucretia Zola, Diana, and Mariya Yuri all attacked Marquis Voban at the same time.
...
Marquis Voban was forced to divide his attention and respond to the sudden fierce assault from Erica and the others.
While resisting the corrosion of the lightning Authority descending from the sky, Marquis Voban roared and swung his huge fist after transforming into a giant wolf. His powerful curse energy became a tangible shockwave, clashing head-on against Dragon King Yam's massive claw.
Using the tremendous impact from the collision, his body rapidly dodged aside, avoiding the consecutive charges of the Exile and the Pursuer.
However, in that same instant, the forbidden spell jointly cast by Lucretia Zola and Diana descended upon him once more.
Curses, corruption, freezing, burning, erosion, death. A large number of negative effects were applied to Marquis Voban all at once, causing his agile movements to slow for a single instant.
In that pause, Erica's dragon king and weapons, together with Liliana's and Seishuuin Ena's lightning, broke through Marquis Voban's blockade at the same time and struck his body together.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
As Marquis Voban released a pained roar, Saint Raphael finally completed her preparation.
...
Rending Magic Sword: Four-Arrow Volley!
A sharp light burst from Saint Raphael's eyes, and she released the bowstring.
Bzzzz!
The bowstring vibrated as if space itself had been torn apart.
The four arrows, wrapped in golden lion phantoms, flashing with silver rending radiance, and containing the absolute law of "rending," became four golden meteors that tore through the sky. With speed surpassing thought, they crossed the distance in an instant.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Four dull sounds of penetration rang out almost simultaneously.
Marquis Voban's body abruptly froze.
His left shoulder, right waist, left thigh, and the spot slightly to the right of his heart now bore four huge holes that went clean through his body.
The silver power of rending clung to his wounds like maggots on bone, rampaging wildly and preventing the powerful self-healing ability of a Campione from activating properly. Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly dyeing his expensive suit red.
"Aaaaah!"
Marquis Voban released a roar of extreme pain and fury.
He lowered his head and looked at the four bloody holes in his body. Feeling the intense pain and weakness brought by the law of rending, he was overcome by unprecedented rage and humiliation.
He had actually been wounded this badly by a group of "little girls" in his eyes?
(End of Chapter)
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