Multiverse's Holy Right

Roy awoke to the sensation of something soft beneath his head and a faint, elusive fragrance drifting into his nose.

His eyes snapped open as he warily surveyed his surroundings.

He found himself in a world of unbroken gray—a monochrome expanse stretching endlessly to the horizon. Empty, silent, and eerily mysterious.

Then, he realized he was lying down. Startled, he instinctively tried to rise—

Only for a pair of delicate hands to press down on his shoulders, forcing him back.

At last, Roy looked up, meeting the gaze of the person above him.

She appeared to be a girl of thirteen or fourteen, with pale purple hair tied into twin tails—an unnatural hue reminiscent of the infamous monster Medusa from Greek myth. Her delicate, doll-like features exuded youthful innocence and liveliness, yet there was an undeniable allure to her, making it easy to forget her apparent age and see her instead as a 'mature woman.'

She wore a thin white dress, her frame slender—almost unnaturally so.

And Roy was currently resting his head on her lap.

Roy felt slightly embarrassed, but he wasn't some innocent boy who'd never held a girl's hand and would blush at the sight of women. He quickly composed himself and asked warily, "...Who are you? Where is this place?"

In truth, Roy already knew who the woman before him was—the origin of everything in the Campione world, the creator of the Campione, the first woman given to mankind by the gods in Greek mythology: Pandora!

It was only now that Roy understood why Aiwass had previously advised him not to learn every detail about this world's affairs and not to actively seek out knowledge.

Because when humans know too much, they instinctively become arrogant, naturally placing themselves in a superior position and looking down on others—a very dangerous behavior.

If Roy carelessly revealed his knowledge of Pandora's identity or said too much, arousing her curiosity or even suspicion, causing her to refuse performing the Campione ritual for him, it would be a tremendous loss. All his previous efforts in successfully slaying a god would be wasted.

It's important to note that killing a Heretic God to usurp their authority wasn't this world's inherent rule—it belonged to Pandora's ritual. This ceremony was essentially a grand magecraft, except its activation conditions were extremely demanding: one had to personally slay a god and offer them as sacrifice to succeed.

Therefore, Roy did his best to appear confused and at a loss.

Pandora showed no suspicion whatsoever. She merely gazed at Roy with intense curiosity, wearing an alluring smile as she said, "...I'm your 'Mommy'~ As for where this is... well~ I might as well tell you since you'll forget soon anyway."

"...This is the boundary between life and immortality. In Greek terms, it's the world of thought; in Persian terms, the world of the soul. Your great deed of god-slaying activated the ritual that brought you here, making you my 'son.' Come on, call me Mommy~"

Seeing Pandora's expectant eyes and mischievous grin, Roy just curled his lip and ignored her.

Daring to call herself his 'Mommy'—that took considerable audacity. After all, this body's father was Aleister Crowley. If that wicked man learned of her existence, poor Pandora would undoubtedly be captured and placed in a formaldehyde-filled jar inside the "Windowless Building" for research—that man would absolutely do such a thing.

Roy silently grumbled to himself.

When Pandora saw Roy ignoring her, she pouted as if angry and huffed, "...As for who I am—I'm Pandora. The Pandora you're thinking of. Explaining why you're seeing me would be too troublesome, so I won't bother. You'll understand everything soon enough anyway. Next time you come here, you'll know it all."

Pandora lacked any divine dignity, behaving like an ordinary, slightly spoiled middle school girl.

However, she soon revealed a sorrowful expression—whether genuine or feigned—and said, "...This era has already seen the emergence of the seventh Campione, and the strongest steel is about to awaken. My youngest child, your luck is rather poor. Before you can even enjoy the fruits of the great feat of slaying a god, you must face the end."

Pandora's words stirred something in Roy's heart. Though brief, her words revealed a wealth of information.

For instance, he was the seventh Campione. According to Roy's memory, the original protagonist of the Campione series should have been the seventh. This meant he had arrived in this world's timeline before the original Campione's story began, though not too far apart, as the first six Campione had already been born.

'Sevens really do follow me everywhere.'

Roy's expression turned odd, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

He shifted his head slightly, settling into a more comfortable position. Now that he knew the person before him was Pandora, his fear of the unknown vanished. Instead, he observed her with interest, feeling as though his eyes had been soothed.

She was undoubtedly a beautiful woman. In Roy's thirty-plus years across two lifetimes, aside from his younger sister Laura, he had never encountered a woman more stunning or captivating than Pandora. Of course, Roy also knew this was simply because he hadn't seen much of the world yet.

"Hmm? What a peculiar child. Your rationality and wisdom are quite unlike a Campione. Yet, the 'foolish' actions you chose when facing a god undoubtedly mark you as a worthy 'child of the fool.'"

Pandora sighed helplessly at Roy's unyielding, calmly observant attitude. "...Why won't you speak? Making me perform this monologue makes me look rather foolish."

"Interrupting others is terribly impolite, Pandora. I simply didn't want to cut you off."

Roy finally spoke up. Truthfully, he had no desire to engage in idle chatter with Pandora here. He only wanted her to hurry through the ritual so he could obtain the power he craved.

"Calling me Pandora is much too distant. You should call me 'Mom,' say 'Mom'~~ If you call me 'Mom,' I might just give you a special reward."

"...Upon closer inspection, my youngest child is quite handsome and youthful. Far more adorable than that silly boy before."

Pandora gently combed her fingers through Roy's disheveled silver hair, which barely reached his ears. Despite her youthful appearance, she exuded a gentle aura of 'motherly love.'

Roy's brow twitched slightly. He only wished for Pandora to cut the small talk and get to the point. Indulging her, he said flatly, "...Mom."

"Hehe~~ Time's almost up. Here's your special reward~~"

As she spoke, Pandora cupped Roy's cheeks with her slender fingers and bent down.

Before Roy could react, a fragrant breeze enveloped him.

At the same moment, the grand magecraft of godslaying—Circle of Usurpation—began!

***

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