—Me? I’m just a Spirit.

Why... Whether it's time or anything else… clearly, I was the first.

A bitter smile touched the corners of Erica's mouth.

··

Meanwhile, another report was laid before the Greenwich Wise Men's Council:

[The sixth Campione has been born, bearing the name—Liliana Kranjcar]

A mere twelve-year-old girl from Milan, Liliana is a member of the renowned Kranjcar family within the magical world and belongs to [Bronze Black Cross], one of Italy's seven major magical societies.

She possesses the bloodline of a witch.

No previous records of slaying a god.

On April 19th, the Heretic God Saint George sped from Turkey toward Italy, aiming to slay another Heretic God.

On April 20th, Saint George attacked the Milan headquarters of [Bronze-Black Cross], injuring many without causing any deaths.

On April 23rd, Liliana, the servant of the Heretic God Kurumi Tokisaki, returned to Milan with her.

At dusk that day, Liliana challenged Saint George in San Gimignano.

At that time, she had already become the sixth Campione, the latest Godslayer known to the world.

According to eyewitnesses, clairvoyants, and other sources, her first power appears to be her replaced silver right arm. It shows multiple functional capabilities, including the "survival through amputation" ability once demonstrated by the Heretic God Nuada in his battle against Kurumi Tokisaki.

There is sufficient evidence to confirm that the sixth Campione, Liliana, derived her powers from Nuada.

Based on her display of abilities, this council has named her primary power [The Silver Arm of the War God].

According to the former council chairwoman, Princess Alice's report, it was indeed Kurumi Tokisaki who killed the Heretic God Nuada.

There is solid reason to suspect that Kurumi Tokisaki possesses the ability to seize the powers of other deities and bestow them upon others.

The weight of that one letter was immense, pressing heavily on the council members as if to stifle their breaths.

——

It's rumored… that Godslayer are the children of a primal god rising in vengeance against the heavens. But you can't always believe the rumors, as there's also a rumor that says this primal god is a little girl.

··

Humans cannot defeat deities. Whether in skill, strength, or wisdom… there exists a chasmic difference between humans and gods.

Only those born with immense fortune can find themselves on a fated path to ultimately slay a god through an array of timely encounters.

At death's door, they undergo the ritual that transforms them from human to Godslayer and become Campione.

In the past, fanatical worshippers attempted to summon Heretic Gods to artificially create Campione, only to fail each time.

It seems that only those destined by the era itself can become Godslayers, and in any given age, there are typically no more than one to three born.

But now… this structure has been altered, shattered.

"Kurumi Tokisaki."

This slightly awkward name appeared in the records of magic society leaders across the continent, sparking intrigue. To create Godslayers! Such a golden opportunity—how could they not seize it?

The leaders of various magical societies were already preparing to send their most talented youths to Italy.

——

San Giardino Monastery.

Kurumi held Liliana close, quietly listening to this so-called "trial."

"Saint Raffaello" was a 'senior' practitioner, though one wouldn't guess by her appearance.

A beautiful, black-haired woman who seemed about twenty, she looked slightly of Latin descent, both elegant and valiant. She was a master of magic energy refined to an exquisite degree, which blessed her with eternally youthful beauty.

She was honored across Europe as its strongest swordswoman, someone even Paolo bowed to respectfully.

Godslayers hold similar, or even greater, powers. Liliana, buried against Kurumi's chest, couldn't help but worry about her own future.

Already flat as a pancake, and now it seemed there was no hope left.

Not that she cared, no, not at all!

This... this was perfectly suited for battle!

Liliana thought, her expression a mix of resolve and repressed tears.

··

The somewhat dim-witted yet immensely talented swordsman Tony, now possessed by Saint George's power, was explaining to Saint Raffaello what had happened over the last two weeks.

To slay Heretic Gods.

To defend all that must be protected.

This had been Saint George's purpose.

Initially, Saint George had been pursuing Kurumi's trail. But by the time he reached Milan, Kurumi had already departed, invited to London.

Was it a blessing that he arrived too late? Had he been present under the blood-raining skies, there would have been no "Liliana the Campione."

Intending to continue his pursuit to London, Saint George then sensed another Heretic God's presence.

At this, Saint Raffaello and Paolo exchanged glances, their brows furrowing.

But this Heretic God's movements were elusive. Though it wasn't actively hiding its presence, tracking it was extraordinarily difficult.

And just at that moment, Saint George sensed the aura of dragon and serpent within [Bronze-Black Cross]'s quarters.

Such a thing could not be tolerated.

How could the dragonslaying saint allow any dragon-serpent to roam free? Thus, he assaulted [Bronze-Black Cross].

In the end, all he found was a solitary silver snake scale.

Saint George had followed this trail from Milan to Florence, the "City of Flowers," and finally halted in San Gimignano.

Where he received a resounding beating at the hands of Liliana, who had borrowed Kurumi's power.

"What's the matter, Saint Raffaello?" The perceptive Erica picked up on something.

Perhaps it was the faint familiarity she had from their encounter two months prior or the deceiving allure of Saint Raffaello's appearance, but she felt no fear toward Europe's most famous sword saint.

"Whew…" Saint Raffaello let out a long breath.

"In truth, that's what we wished to discuss," she said, glancing toward Paolo.

"Do you remember the incident two months ago, Erica… Lady Liliana?"

"Of course," Erica and Liliana answered.

How could they forget? It was that very Heretic God who descended on Florence two months prior that led to them obtaining the magical swords [Cuore di Leone] and [Il Maestro].

As well as the forbidden magic they had learned under Saint Raffaello.

"In truth, that Heretic God never left."

Saint Raffaello turned to look at Kurumi Tokisaki.

"She's not aggressive, only stirring unrest due to her uncontrollable allure."

"Like with Kurumi-dono, we've been unable to trace her origin. All we know is she's waiting for someone."

Saint Raffaello paused, then continued.

"And ever since you descended, Kurumi-dono, she's begun to stir again."

"Are you saying I'm the one she's waiting for?" Kurumi, holding Liliana close, teased her, calling forth silver ears and a tail with her power.

"If we've judged correctly, that seems to be the case," Saint Raffaello replied, rising to her feet.

"Just like you, when she descended, she said a similar thing."

"—Me? I'm just a Spirit."

—

The supreme deity walks upon the earth.

Long before the sun and moon arose, it was He who brought us into being.

He granted us eternal beauty and voices as lovely as songs.

We awaken beneath starlight and proclaim the greatness of His works.

··

With eyes full of tranquil sorrow, a young elven girl leaned against an outstretched tree branch, lightly strumming her harp.

She wore a silk, snow-white dress, the bodice open at the front, gently accentuating her alluring curves, round and graceful.

The dress wasn't overwhelming, just enough to make one's gaze linger.

Her golden hair shone like flowing sunlight, and her long, delicate ears twitched in time with the melody—a tempting sight to touch.

Her slender legs dangled down, swaying gently. She was barefoot, her posture pure yet enticing, half-revealed.

Her voice rang out as pure as crystal bells, yet held a strange allure.

Beneath her, the crystal-clear river flowed into the distance, filled with starlit reflections.

Above, the sky was filled with stars, absent of the moon. Only the massive tree the girl leaned against glimmered like moonlight with a silver glow.

This was the Netherworld, the realm of the living and the unaging.

——

In any case…

It was a place Kurumi absolutely had to visit.

The cryptic hint had once said that her arrival in this world was linked to powers here that held profound meaning for her.

And now, Kurumi felt an intense certainty.

The one who called herself a "spirit"… this Heretic God without any origin... she was undoubtedly the being Kurumi was here to find.

Another being like herself…? One completely incomprehensible…?

Kurumi pondered this. She did not belong to this world; neither Princess Alice nor Paolo could trace her origin in any legend.

Of course, that was as it should be, for normal deities existed within mythologies.

Deities who strayed beyond the bounds of legend, wandering the earth, were called "Heretic Gods."

But deities who appeared suddenly without mythic ties, who could not be understood as mere "Heretic Gods" at all...

They were like the gods first glimpsed by humanity, in the world's earliest times... primeval gods.

··

Since both Paolo and Saint Raffaello said her origin could not be traced, then the truth was quite clear.

She wasn't a Heretic God at all. She was, like Kurumi herself, a being merely using the name of a Heretic God to descend upon this world.

After wandering Europe for so long, the true BOSS had finally shown up.

So the Netherworld, she had to go there!

Finally, it was time to clear the raid.

··

If it were just Kurumi alone entering the Netherworld, that wouldn't be hard, but she was definitely taking her little kitten along—and Liliana would surely want to follow.

Thus, she had to make some preparations.

Kurumi softly stroked the delicate silver triangular ears that had appeared atop Liliana's head.

Thin and fuzzy... soft… even warm, just like real cat ears.

Even the long, slender tail twitching nervously beneath her skirt looked entirely real.

Kurumi hugged Liliana close. The girl, tense, pressed herself tightly into Kurumi's embrace, her ears flushed bright red.

Kurumi rested her chin on one of those delicate little ears, one hand holding the tail's base while wrapping the rest of it around her other hand, loop by loop.

Liliana's face turned completely scarlet, her eyes shining as if welling with tears. She clutched Kurumi's clothing tightly.

"Your… your Highness…" Her voice was so soft it was like a whisper, but Kurumi pretended not to hear, only smiling more brightly.

Nuada's power had lent Liliana her new ears and tail, and in Nuada's original world, such beings as catgirls actually existed.

So by default, the power had mimicked a fully "original" catgirl system.

Liliana clung ever closer to Kurumi, at first trying to resist a bit, but thinking of her duty and vows, she swallowed her protests.

She was the priestess who served her goddess, the knight who dedicated her all to the goddess.

So, burying her head against Kurumi, Liliana only held her tighter, murmuring softly.

Feeling the girl's body growing tenser in her arms, Kurumi's lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"Nuada, good job!"

——

The "Netherworld," also called the "Underworld" or "Astral Realm," was a place with many names.

It was the realm of the living and the unaging, a space that stored all that has happened since the universe's creation and all that will ever happen.

An expression of the Akashic Records.

A "World Transfer" from this earth to the Netherworld was one of the most difficult magical feats.

In addition to complex, lengthy spells and rituals, it required rare potions.

Potions that heightened mental acuity, preparing the body for the foreignness of an otherworldly plane.

For the Netherworld was a realm where mind was greater than body, where spirit took precedence over matter.

The ingredients and catalysts required for an E-ranked high-level spell were so rare that even top-tier organizations like the Greenwich Wise Men's Council had to make careful arrangements to acquire them.

Fortunately, Paolo and Saint Raffaello had already spent considerable time gathering supplies for that Heretic God.

A jarring, overly trendy ringtone sounded, and Paolo's statue-like face showed rare embarrassment.

"Ah...ah…"

He took out a magenta phone, his broad hand nearly covering the vivid color entirely.

"The last ingredient is on its way…" He looked at the group, somewhat sheepishly.

"It'll be here by tomorrow morning at the latest…"

Only at moments like this did he fully realize just how mischievous his little princess could be.

However, there was still one more issue at hand.

The magic for reaching the Netherworld was a specialized art usually performed solely through "witchcraft," a refined form of magic accessible to witches only.

Though a highly skilled witch did reside on the southern tip of Italy on Sardinia, she was too far to be of help here.

Besides, in this very hall, they already had someone with the knowledge, power, and witch heritage to perform the ritual.

After much discussion, even Kurumi ceased her play with Liliana.

The girl's small head, still buried in Kurumi's chest, paused, trembling slightly.

Sensing something strange in the air, Liliana raised her head in confusion, only to find that everyone in the room was now looking at her with a kind of hopeful, special gaze.

"Ahhh!!!" Liliana yelped, shrinking back in terror.

So scary!

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