After learning of the Persian War God Verethragna's descent, Artoria sought out Guinevere for answers.
Verethragna possessed the Ram, an incarnation capable of resurrection, and carried the myth of slaying dragons—a quintessential [Steel] hero god.
On the other hand, Melqart, summoned by Verethragna, lacked immortality. Still, as the slayer of the Dragon King Yam and the one who ascended to the throne of the God King, he too was a [Steel] deity, albeit less pure than Verethragna.
Artoria wanted to know if Verethragna had been summoned by Guinevere.
However, Guinevere denied any involvement.
If so, was Verethragna's manifestation merely a coincidence? Artoria was skeptical.
Her suspicion revolved around another person—Kusanagi Godou, the protagonist of the original story.
Kusanagi Godou was, at first, an ordinary student. He traveled to Sardinia to return a magical tome called the [Prometheus Grimoire] on behalf of his grandfather to a witch living on the island. By sheer chance, he became entangled in a mythological battle, using the grimoire to steal Verethragna's powers and slay him, thus becoming the world's seventh Campione.
This was the canon storyline.
While every Campione's rise was marked by extraordinary events, Godou's ascension had always seemed particularly suspicious to Artoria.
An ordinary person… with the surname "Kusanagi"?
The same name as the [Kusanagi Sword], one of Japan's Three Sacred Treasures?
Artoria knew well that Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the deity who retrieved the [Kusanagi Sword] from the tail of Yamata-no-Orochi, still resided in Japan.
She also knew that Guinevere had been unable to locate the sleeping place of the Last King because he rested in Japan. Susanoo, fearing that the Last King's awakening would destroy Japan, had launched his slumbering body into outer space to hide it.
It was hard not to suspect that Kusanagi Godou's rise as a Campione might have been orchestrated by Susanoo behind the scenes.
There was also the matter of the [Prometheus Grimoire]. Artoria recalled that Prometheus, the fire thief of this world, was closely linked to Pandora, the mother of all Campiones.
The manifestation of Verethragna, the presence of the [Prometheus Grimoire], and Kusanagi Godou's arrival on Sardinia… these events felt too well-aligned to be mere coincidence.
Even Kusanagi Godou's harem—Mariya Yuri and Ena Seishuuin, a shrine maiden tied to the [Kusanagi Sword]—might not have been entirely free of Susanoo's influence.
Thus, Artoria had come to this place, and her suspicions were confirmed when she found Kusanagi Godou along with two women.
One was likely Erica Blandelli, Liliana's rival. The other seemed to be Erica's maid, acting as the driver.
When Artoria arrived, the group was attempting to enter the raging storm. She intercepted them immediately.
As in the original story, Erica had come to stop the gods from fighting. If two powerful [Steel] deities clashed here, the resulting devastation would destroy the entire island.
As a mage of the Copper Black Cross, Erica couldn't stand idly by.
Whether it was arrogance born from ignorance of divine power or the responsibility of a warrior, Erica's determination was evident.
Artoria noticed Erica's wary, reverent attitude toward her, which was only natural. Artoria was one of the most famous rogue deities in existence.
It wasn't Erica's first time encountering Artoria, having seen her not long ago.
That said, the timing of Verethragna's manifestation was earlier than in the original story—by at least a year.
Why had Kusanagi Godou still appeared here?
Artoria decided that, once this matter was settled, she would make a trip to Japan.
Susanoo and Sun Wukong, two [Steel] deities, could likely provide her with significant opportunities for growth.
Unaware of the true nature of the ongoing battle, Erica believed only two gods were fighting. She desperately pleaded with Artoria to let them pass, but Artoria coldly refused.
Artoria felt no particular attachment to Erica but did give Kusanagi Godou a few scrutinizing glances.
After all, he was the protagonist of the original story. She wanted to see what made him special—whether he had extra limbs or additional brains.
Their gazes locked.
As a potential Campione—a Fool—Godou was bold enough to meet her eyes.
Did he not notice how Erica trembled even at a single glance from her?
When Erica realized persuasion had failed, she seemed intent on forcing her way through. But before she could act, Artoria released a sliver of killing intent, causing Erica to stagger and nearly fall. Kusanagi Godou caught her just in time.
Artoria's gaze grew colder as she considered whether or not to kill Kusanagi Godou.
After all, if Godou became a Campione, she would have every right to eliminate him. But as of now, he was just a regular person.
Though Artoria had gained immense power as a heretic deity and was influenced by madness, she had set restrictions on herself to maintain her humanity.
If she indulged her whims and started killing indiscriminately based on her feelings, she knew she would lose something important.
To ensure they wouldn't interfere with Mordred's battle, Artoria stayed to monitor them.
She even confiscated Kusanagi Godou's [Prometheus Grimoire]. With the grimoire in his possession, Godou might still have had a chance to become a Campione, even if he missed this opportunity with Verethragna.
Of course, losing the grimoire didn't mean Godou would never become a Campione. Who could predict the future?
Before long, Artoria's sharp gaze turned toward the battlefield. Through the storm, she saw a brilliant sun piercing the clouds and descending toward the earth.
"That's quite the spectacle," she murmured impassively.
Though her expression remained cold, Artoria was constantly monitoring Mordred's condition, prepared to intervene in an instant if anything went wrong.
Then, suddenly…
"Hm?"
Her golden eyes narrowed in confusion, her expression tinged with both doubt and gravity.
She had noticed something strange—her power had inexplicably grown stronger.
Mordred slaying a [Steel] deity wouldn't cause such a change, nor had Artoria killed any Steel deities or drawn energy from the leylines.
Which could only mean…
"A new Campione has been born?"
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T/N: the fuck is Erica thinking?