Chapter 60: Upholding the Knight's Code

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"You know, you're clearly a beginner, but you're ridiculously good at both baseball and soccer!!" Kusanagi Godou said, looking at the scruffy young man in amazement. 

Earlier that morning, while asking for directions at the port, the boy had struck up a conversation with him. Godou, irritated by the boy's declaration that he couldn't lose at anything, challenged him to a series of competitions. 

Despite having the clumsiest form Godou had ever seen, the boy had emerged victorious time and time again. As Godou recalled the events, his face was a mixture of disbelief and begrudging respect. 

"Indeed, I am the victor. It is my nature. Therefore, no matter the struggle, no matter the enemy, my victory is absolute. It cannot be shaken," the boy declared, his arrogance almost comical, yet delivered with utter sincerity. 

This guy must've been a chuunibyou before he lost his memories. A terminal case. Otherwise, how could he still spout this kind of nonsense after losing his memories? 

Godou thought, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. He had already heard countless chuuni lines from the boy that morning and had tragically developed a tolerance for it.

"Anyway, I need to head inland to return something. What are you going to do? If you're staying here for a while, let's pick a spot to meet up for another match after I get back."

"Hmm. I have my own task to fulfill," the boy replied.

"You claim to have lost your memory, so what exactly are you planning to do? Play soccer with those guys? No, let's stick to baseball. But we need to find a place bigger than this pier."

"Oh? You lost earlier. Haven't you learned your lesson yet? And what are you going to return?"

"This stone tablet. It belonged to a friend of my grandfather's in Sardinia. I came to Italy to return it," Godou said, taking off his backpack and retrieving a stone tablet. 

It was an ancient, weathered tablet. Engraved on its surface was a scene of a man bound in chains, suffering some form of punishment. An unsettling aura emanated from it.

"This is..." The boy's face, for the first time, showed a flicker of surprise.

Swish! A thin blade was pressed against Godou's neck. It was a silver rapier, slender yet deadly, its gleaming surface reflecting the sunlight, a testament to its sharpness. 

"What's going on?!" Godou froze, his body stiffening in fear as he felt the cold steel against his skin.

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion." A girl's voice spoke in Italian.

Godou gently pushed the blade away. The moment it moved twenty centimeters from his neck, he lunged forward, spinning around to face his attacker.

Standing behind him was a golden-haired girl. By European standards, she wasn't particularly tall, barely over 160 centimeters. But she radiated an aura of authority, standing there with the regal presence of a queen.

Her long, golden hair fluttered in the sea breeze. She wore a red and black cloak, the red color amplified by the warm sunlight and the reflection of her golden hair. 

The fiery red of her cloak and the golden halo of her hair framed her face like a crown, a dazzling and regal adornment. 

She had a slender figure, her features more perfectly sculpted than any doll, her presence more commanding than any model or actress. Her face was a captivating blend of nobility and confidence, a face impossible to forget.

"Tell me everything you know about the God that appeared on this island. My name is Erica Blandelli. As for your names, you needn't bother. Consider this my way of reciprocating," Erica said, glancing at the stunned Godou.

 "...Hey, what's that girl saying? She seems serious. Is she a mugger?" Godou whispered to the boy beside him, slowly backing away.

"There's not much you need to know. Basically, it's a threat," the boy replied with a shrug, a helpless expression on his face.

Of course, Godou and the boy were speaking Japanese. 

"Threat?" The golden-haired girl frowned, her displeasure somehow enhancing her beauty.

She wore a bright red top and black shorts. Despite her stunning appearance, her clothes were surprisingly simple, her taste impeccable. She looked stylish and cool. 

"...All roads lead to Rome. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. How pathetic! You don't even understand Italian, yet you came here. How foolish! What kind of society produced such an incompetent magician?" Erica said, her voice laced with annoyance. 

This time, she spoke in flawless Japanese. She was clearly frustrated that her dramatic entrance had been wasted. Raising her rapier, she pointed it at the two boys. 

"Let me ask you something. About three days ago, divine beasts appeared all over Sardinia. Bosa, Orgosolo, Barumini... You were spotted near every location where these divine beings manifested. That can't be a coincidence, can it?" 

After Erica finished speaking, Godou immediately looked at the boy beside him. He wasn't stupid. The place names she mentioned were all in Sardinia, and Godou had just arrived in Italy yesterday. So, she must be talking about the boy. 

Come to think of it, what does 'divine beast' mean? Godou wondered. He couldn't understand it at all. Could she be a chuunibyou too?

"Don't be rash, young lady! Pointing your sword at me – even the bravest heroes of old wouldn't dare commit such an act of barbarity. Ignorance truly is terrifying!" the boy said with a wry smile.

Looking at the boy, Erica puffed out her chest proudly. "you seem confident in your abilities."

The tip of her rapier flickered like an animal's tail. Even Godou, an average joe, could sense that it was a preparatory movement for an attack.

"If you wish, I can provide you with a weapon. Rest assured, I, Erica Blandelli, uphold the principles of knighthood. I would never take advantage of an unarmed opponent in a duel."

"That sounds rather interesting. Unfortunately, I don't have the leisure for such things right now," the boy replied, his body tensing as if he sensed something.

"Well, no one has ever refused my invitation before. To have my first rejection occur in a place like this is truly humiliating." Erica's face darkened as she gripped her rapier, Cuore di Leone, tightly. Red magical energy began to glow along its blade.

"Don't say that. We'll play sometime. But right now..." The boy trailed off, pointing behind him with a wry smile.

"A much bigger problem is about to appear."

Immediately after, something strange happened.

BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion shook the air. 

Godou, already stunned by the glowing rapier, was now questioning his sanity. Am I the only normal person here? Or did I travel to another dimension?

Why did Godou think that?

Because a gigantic boar, nearly fifty meters long, suddenly emerged from the sea and charged ashore with terrifying force, smashing through buildings and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

This scene unfolding before Godou's ordinary eyes...

It wasn't just Godou. Even Erica, sword in hand, stared at the waterfront in disbelief. "A divine beast?! How did it appear so suddenly? I didn't sense anything unusual!"

Seizing the opportunity, the boy grabbed Godou's hand and fled from Erica's sight.

The gigantic boar's fur was as black as the abyss itself. With each thunderous step it took on the pier, the ground shook violently. 

Its roars shattered windows and sent buildings trembling. With each charge, houses and warehouses crumbled like toy models, reduced to rubble in an instant.

Erica gripped Cuore di Leone tightly, watching in horror as the boar wreaked havoc on the port. 

If this continues, there will be massive civilian casualties. I am a knight!

"People! Hearken to the lament of David!" Gritting her teeth, Erica activated the Holy Annihilator and charged towards the boar.

...

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