Multiverse's Holy Right

"Your Majesty!"

Flying over the ruins of Ponza Island using magic, Erica's clear voice rang out with urgency and fear.

No, it could no longer be called the ruins of Ponza Island. This Italian tourist destination had been completely submerged, along with all its natural scenery and human traces erased from the Earth. From today onward, world maps could permanently remove this island.

A massive whirlpool still churned upon the sea, its tremendous force capable of instantly shredding any living being into pulp. Gritting her teeth, Erica pursed her lips and descended toward the water's surface, determined to search for Roy beneath the waves. Yet as she approached, a flash of pain crossed her fair complexion. Suppressing a groan, she gathered magical energy, forcing herself to continue the descent.

But soon, blisters began forming on her slender arms, wisps of steam rising as if the moisture in her body was evaporating. Her delicate skin burned with searing pain.

These were the lingering effects of Roy's divine authority, turning these waters into a hellish cauldron of molten heat. Until this residual energy dissipated completely, no magician could approach—not even a knight of Erica's caliber.

Realizing that diving beneath the surface would not only fail to locate Roy but might also scald her to death, Erica reluctantly soared back into the sky, scanning the area frantically with her eyes.

Not all Campiones could fly. The human dream of "flight," seemingly simple, represented an exceptionally profound mystery in the occult world—one beyond the grasp of ordinary magicians. The innate abilities of Campiones didn't include flight unless granted by a specific divine authority.

Most Campiones had been ordinary humans before their ascension, utterly incapable of such advanced magic. After becoming Campiones, these earthly demon kings rarely bothered studying magic. Thus, despite their overwhelming power, they remained unlearned fools.

Among known Campiones, only the Eastern Cult Leader had stood at the pinnacle of both martial and magical arts before her ascesion—a legend in the occult world even without godslaying.

Erica believed in Roy's indomitable Campione physique. Given his absolute dominance during the battle against the heretic god Metatron, he couldn't possibly have been killed by his own authority or drowned in these waters.

This was precisely when His Majesty needed assistance most—someone to pull him from the sea. Yet as his knight, her inadequacy prevented her from braving these cursed waters to rescue him, shaming the very title she bore.

The thought twisted Erica's heart further. Recklessly expending magical energy, she crisscrossed the skies above the turbulent waters in desperate search.

Suddenly, an artillery-like explosion erupted from the cursed sea beneath her, sending a towering geyser dozens of meters into the air.

Erica's heart tightened, thinking the enemy was still alive. She gripped her weapon, Cuore di Leone in her hand warily, but the 'enemy's' speed was truly astonishing—it could only be described as 'godlike.' Erica could sense that their speed definitely exceeded the sound barrier, yet some mysterious force prevented the physical sonic boom from occurring.

Almost without any time lag, the lightning-fast figure appeared right before Erica. Such velocity far surpassed the limits of human neural reflexes, yet Erica showed no fear, gripping her beloved sword as she prepared to face the foe.

Only when the figure spoke did Erica's taut nerves finally snap. The abrupt shift from extreme danger to absolute safety overwhelmed her body and mind with unbearable exhaustion.

"The timing was slightly off. I didn't expect to end up falling into the sea."

The gentle voice carried a casual tone, yet exuded its own authority and solemnity. Erica focused her gaze and was astonished to see Roy's current form undergoing a dramatic transformation.

A pair of massive wings resembling flames had sprouted from his back, while a halo inscribed with Christian divine symbols floated above his head. Feathers formed of energy drifted down from the sky, scattering across the sea's surface—a scene both ethereal and radiant with sacred majesty.

In every aspect, Roy now appeared as nothing less than an angel.

This was the fourth of Roy's authorities—"Lord of Light"!

The title "Lord" carries the meaning of prince and ruler.

This authority replicated the battle form of the archangel Michael as recorded in the Bible—the one who annihilated an Assyrian army of 150,000 in a single night as they marched upon Jerusalem, the one who, as Heaven's vice-regent and Lord of Light, led the angels in battle against Beelzebub, the ruler of darkness.

By manifesting this battle form, Roy gained the ability of flight and was bestowed with "Godspeed."

However, this authority came with limitations—it could only be activated once per day, lasting no more than ten minutes. Within this state of Godspeed, Roy could effortlessly surpass the speed of sound and the limits of human reaction.

Among the Campiones, there was one known as the "Black Prince," Alexander Gascoigne, who had defeated the fallen angel Remiel and obtained the authority of Godspeed. Gascoigne's Godspeed had no time restrictions, but at such extreme velocities, the Campione had to endure the physical strain himself, forcing him to use the ability in short bursts.

Roy, however, had no such concerns. Once the authority was activated, he could wield Godspeed for the full ten minutes without worrying about his body's endurance—Michael's battle form negated the backlash entirely. The two versions of Godspeed each had their pros and cons: Roy's was more explosive, while Gascoigne's had greater sustainability.

That said, in most battles between Campiones and Heretic Gods, victory was often decided within a few exchanges. Thus, for Roy, the limitations of this authority were more than sufficient for the time being.

Though Campiones possessed vast reserves of magical power, slaying gods did not increase their upper limits. Since using authorities consumed tremendous amounts of energy, most Campiones would exhaust their reserves after unleashing a few at full strength, leaving them unable to continue fighting. As a result, the sustained combat capabilities of most Campiones were not particularly strong.

"Lady Erica, you look rather disheveled at the moment."

Roy couldn't help but smile wryly as he looked at Erica. Her once-beautiful golden hair now bore traces of singeing, while her fair, lovely face was smeared with soot from the flames, leaving her radiant beauty marred with grime. Her elegant dress was tattered like patched rags, and the delicate skin of her arms was covered in grotesque blisters.

"...Though I'm not much better off myself."

Roy glanced down at his own condition and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

He had accidentally fallen into the sea earlier. Though he had activated his authority to fly out, his clothes were still soaked through.

"Are you worried about me, Erica...? Worried that something might happen to me, that the 'Bronze Black Cross' might lose its newfound pillar of support so soon after gaining it?"

Roy gazed intently at Erica, sensing the fear and confusion in the girl's heart. After all, she was only fourteen years old—no matter how mature she seemed, she still carried the anxieties of a young girl.

"It's shameful to let you see me in such a disheveled state, my King! I don't know why you distrust me so, though your reasoning is indeed one of my concerns. But above all, you've already made me your personal knight. As your knight, of course I would be anxious for my King's safety."

Erica sighed with a bitter smile. She had long noticed that Roy still harbored some distrust toward her, as if their relationship was merely maintained by his overwhelming power—more like a transaction than anything else.

She silently reproached herself, wondering if she had made some mistake in her previous duties or appeared too cunning, causing her King to become wary of her.

"Calling yourself a knight... Then, Dame Erica, to what extent would you go for me as my knight?"

"If my King commands it, I would give everything I have!"

The noble and elegant girl declared with resolute conviction.

Roy studied Erica deeply. Though her bangs were disheveled, her sapphire-blue eyes remained clear and unwavering.

"So, Dame Erica... you really are a good girl after all. From now on, I'll try to trust you completely."

Roy could sense Erica's sincerity. Beyond his natural instincts as a Campione, he had recently studied magic related to detecting lies.

"Thank you for your trust, my King! I won't betray it."

Just as Erica was about to bow, her body suddenly trembled. The magic sustaining her flight dissipated, and she plummeted from the sky.

The flight spell was extremely taxing on her magical energy—it was originally meant for emergency use in battle. Maintaining it for so long had nearly drained her reserves completely.

As the girl let out a startled cry, Roy caught her slender waist in a princess carry and smiled faintly. "...Well then, my knight, you've done more than enough. Now, let your King take you to safety."

With a flap of his wings, Roy activated Godspeed and vanished from the sea in an instant.

He needed to find a place to rest and study the spoils he had just acquired.

***

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