—The brilliance of the demonic sword struck the flying Pegasus.
With the gasps of the magicians, the previously balanced situation uncontrollably tilted to one side.
"Erica, how much do you know about our King of Swords of Southern Europe?" Paolo suddenly asked.
"A knight from the ancient city of Siena, who earned the title of king by defeating the Celtic God King, Nuada of the Silver Arm. But a few years ago, he was just an ordinary knight—literally an ordinary knight, because his talent for magic was practically zero."
As a woman who had once wanted to become a king herself, Erica was not only familiar with various myths but also knew the history of every king by heart.
"Before becoming a Godslayer, he had a constitution that couldn't store magical power. He once studied swordsmanship under Saint Raphael and completely mastered his techniques in just one month. Later, he was possessed by the divine spirit of Saint George and fought against various deities. In the end, the spirit of Saint George was killed by the God King Nuada. After His Majesty the King of Swords regained his self-awareness, he defeated Nuada with pure swordsmanship and usurped his Authority. Later, he also defeated a Heretic God summoned by Voban and seized its Authority."
"A few years ago, he was a knight who had nothing to do with magic. Now, he is the Alliance Leader who commands the magical societies of Southern Europe, the most outstanding swordsman in European history who has elevated his skill to the realm of the divine," Paolo added. "The number of gods slain by the hand of our Majesty has now reached four, and the number of Authorities he holds is not insignificant, even among Godslayers."
The Authorities a Godslayer usurps are extremely closely related to the person themselves. A straightforward swordsman like the King of Swords, the Authorities he wielded were the sharpest of attacks, an invincible defense, a suitable battlefield, and the ability to seal his opponents. But it was this simple combination that gave him a chance of victory against any older Godslayer.
"Becoming a Godslayer also means entering a completely different mythological realm. And a Godslayer who has developed their Authorities over many years or holds multiple Authorities has an undeniable advantage over a newcomer who has just become a king."
"Then what do you think the chances of victory are for the king you are now loyal to?" Paolo asked again.
"Can I give an answer without providing a reason?"
"Erica, it's just us, your uncle and niece, here. I want to hear the opinion of you, the first knight to follow Seiya."
"Whether it's His Majesty the King of Swords or the Eastern war god, whether they are strong or weak, advantaged or disadvantaged, it's not particularly important." Erica recalled the glorious back of the one who had stood before the war god in her place. "The moment he steps onto the stage of battle, he is victory itself."
The sword roared, its brilliance swallowing the sky and the sea.
If this were not a remote island in the Mediterranean, this single strike from the King of Swords would have been a natural disaster that brought suffering to humanity.
Before the light had even completely dissipated, a red figure burst through the curtain of sword-light, its color quickly sublimating to an azure hue.
The gash on the chest plate of the Pegasus Cloth was shocking to behold, but an azure airflow—the Authority of Strong Wind—swirled around his body. His Cosmo burned, and his Cloth roared. The Saint, Seiya, charged towards the King of Swords against the fiery torrent, like a galloping gale.
The real battle, or rather, the slaughter, had already begun. Yet, the elation in the King of Swords' heart soared to an unprecedented height.
Perhaps the instincts of a Godslayer had been stimulated. The demonic sword he wielded was already imbued with inevitable precision, and the splendid, scattered light and flames burned endlessly around them.
The essence of the demonic sword was the silver substance that constituted his metallic arm. As the wielder of this core Authority, Doni could form it into various demonic swords and grant them different abilities, such as infinite extension of the blade, sword energy that could instantly shatter a target, a power that made it difficult for an opponent to heal, and slashes that could even make wounds burn or explode.
And the slash that had struck the Pegasus was imbued with a powerful armor-destroying property.
If this was not him using his full power, then what was?
...That's right. The Saint named Seiya had firmly withstood this full-power blow. This was certainly an astonishing fact. Even if he was just a young king who had recently become a compatriot, his power had still reached a surprising level.
But more importantly—
Through the destroyed chest plate of the Cloth, the sword wound that revealed chilling white ribs was shocking. But the fighting spirit of the injured Seiya was now ten times more vigorous than before.
Salvatore Doni trod upon the crest of a boiling wave, his demonic sword humming with delight. He had already seen the Saint's future. Seiya no longer continued his evasive, hit-and-run offensive but was now charging straight towards him. His figure moved at a speed the naked eye could not capture, but the King of Swords did not use his naked eye to capture it. His heart had already completely perceived the trajectory of all things.
Both now, and in the future.
"Come!" the King of Swords roared.
His sword-light swelled once more. No matter the technique, it would be split in two by this demonic sword of his.
But in the next instant, there was no surprise on Doni's face, because his opponent used no technique, but simply charged straight at him.
The demonic sword that could sever all things clashed with a hand-blade of holy light. Seiya, like a stampeding wild horse, crashed right in front of Doni. His hands were dripping with blood, and the wail of his Cloth pierced the eardrums. His elbow guards shattered, his shin guards cracked, but Seiya's charging speed instead broke the limits of physics. The moment Doni's pupils contracted, the burning meteor had already pierced through the cage of the sword, and his blood-soaked hands now clenched into fists.
It was the opening motion of the Pegasus Meteor Fist. Doni had foreseen it. But in the next instant, all the light gathered into one point. There was no longer a sky full of fist-shadows.
—No, it's the Pegasus Comet Fist!
Can I cut it? The answer was yes. But the impact was already imminent.
An unimaginable heavy blow was born from Doni's chest. His expression didn't even have time to change. His entire figure was shot out from the island by the immense force, tearing through sound, breaking the sonic barrier, and carving a long, narrow white line across the surface of the sea.
Seiya's speed was also increasing dramatically. From the previously observed Mach 3, he rapidly broke through to Mach 10. Then, over the surface of the sea, he caught up to the still-flying King of Swords and once again unleashed a powerful whip kick.
"—Pegasus Strong Wind Kick!"
At this moment, even ordinary mortals could observe the white shockwave erupting on the other side of the distant ocean.
And the magicians far away in Milan were dumbfounded. The situation had suddenly reversed. Even if they couldn't recognize the Saint's power system, they could infer from the speed at which their King of Swords was flying backward that it was a terrifying force capable of crumbling mountains.
Even the steel bones and iron sinews of a Godslayer would be severely injured by that.
But the answer was—no.
—The second Authority, the Divine Protection of Steel.
"O blood of the evil dragon Fafnir, grant me an undying destiny..."
_____
Greetings! ✨ Walnut here!
🔥 AN INCREDIBLE OFFER IS ON THE TABLE! 🔥
We're only 13 members away from our 65-member goal! 🎯
The second we hit it, 10 BONUS CHAPTERS for ALL STORIES will be released to everyone. No exceptions!
🪦 Your membership is the key. Let's make it happen!
100 powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone! 5 reviews = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!
Secure your early access before it's too late!
👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan