Chapter 18: Haru Prepares For Another Fight! Duke Marquis On the Move!

~/ Extra Chapter Every 200 Power Stones!

~/ Enjoy Reading!

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The black Ferrari convoy cruised smoothly through the fields on the outskirts of San Gimignano.

"This is tricky," Haru thought, recalling the recent exploratory clash. Both he and Doni had tacitly agreed not to go all out, but even in that brief exchange, Haru had sensed the Silver Arm's power.

Doni's swordsmanship, honed to the point of becoming pure instinct, had reached the realm of "no-sword," impossible to predict or counter. And then there was the Silver Arm itself, a force that could rend all things. Though Doni had only used it once, against the stone tower, Haru had instinctively understood: even with his physique ten times that of a normal Campione, a direct hit from the Silver Arm would mean certain death.

At that moment, he felt a prickling sensation all over his body, like countless needles piercing his skin. It was faint but pervasive – lingering traces of Doni's sword energy from their earlier confrontation.

"And this pesky sword energy," Haru muttered, wincing in pain. 

The egg within him transmitted a message: *Annihilate the sword energy? Deduce its rules?*

Haru's face brightened. An idea struck him.

*Egg, can you annihilate that attack?* He recalled the image of Doni unleashing the Silver Arm, its power tearing through all things, and fed that image to the egg.

The egg pulsed with light, responding: *Can mobilize negative energy to annihilate upon contact with your body. Cannot affect attacks that have left your body. Detected a significant number of world rules in the attack. Advise immediate contact!*

Haru was overjoyed, then his expression soured. *So you want me to go get punched by Doni?! You sly little egg!*

The prickling sensation of the sword energy reminded him of its presence.

"Fine, annihilate it!" Haru grimaced, abandoning any thought of reprimanding the egg. Clearly, technology held the upper hand. 

The sword energy within him vanished silently, replaced by a torrent of information detailing Doni's years of dedicated sword training. The young knight, lacking in magical talent, had spent over a decade honing his swordsmanship. Every thrust, every parry, every incremental improvement was recorded in vivid detail. 

The amount of information was staggering, comparable to a tenth of the Sayanomiya family's millennium-long collection of magical knowledge, a lifetime of individual effort rivaling the accumulated wisdom of countless mages. 

"As expected, there are no normal Campione" Haru murmured, watching the image of a young Doni practicing his swordsmanship in his mind. 

"I look forward to our rematch!" 

Sora, sitting beside him, heard his words and scowled. She grabbed her black rabbit doll and pummeled Haru's head with it, her arm moving so fast it was a blur. "You want to go through something that dangerous again? Do you want to make me a widow?!" 

James, driving the car, glanced at the siblings' playful brawl in the rearview mirror, his lips twitching. *Please, no more! Just repairing the battlefield from their last fight wiped out half a year's worth of the Copper Black Cross's earnings. One more time, and we'll all be begging for scraps on the streets.*

Imagining the members of Italy's prestigious magical families reduced to panhandling, James sighed. *At this rate, I'm going to be ousted from my position!* 

"Your Majesty, here is the grimoire you entrusted to me earlier," Amakasu Touma, sensing the escalating tension, quickly intervened. He handed *The Deeds of David* to Haru.

Sora stopped her assault, placing the doll beside her, and turned to stare out the window, her cheeks still puffed with indignation.

*Saved!* Haru gave Amakasu Touma a grateful look and accepted the grimoire, flipping through its pages.

Time passed quietly. The egg within him continued to annihilate the divine words of the grimoire, extracting their underlying rules. 

The pages of the book, infused with his Art of Evolving, turned slowly.

Meanwhile, Erica and Liliana arrived at the entrance to the city of San Gimignano.

After dealing with several matters and bidding farewell to Lord Salvatore and Saint Raffaello, they had returned to where it all began.

"Sorry for the wait, Erica. What do you think?"

"Hmm, it's not bad copying Saint Raffaello's style. Actually, it's quite good."

They were currently at the most prestigious Illy café in the city, enjoying a cup of coffee and a moment of rest. 

Liliana had excused herself to the restroom, returning with a new hairstyle.

Her long silver hair was now tied in a ponytail. Seeing the change, Erica commented without reservation. 

"Really? Well, to be honest, I think it suits you quite well. You look uniquely cute."

Liliana beamed, nodding slightly.

Discovering the grimoire had already filled her with excitement, but meeting Saint Raffaello, a figure she greatly admired, had heightened her anticipation even further.

Preparing for their upcoming exploration was proving to be quite enjoyable.

Erica gazed at the key she had received from Saint Raffaello.

"Now, let's head to the catacombs of Florence and retrieve those two forbidden swords. We'll make our talent known throughout Italy."

"Yes, I hope so. But…"

Liliana nodded, then sighed. 

"Even acquiring a great accomplishment wouldn't be as shocking as the news of not one but *two* Devil Kings being born. And to think that someone so young could succeed in slaying a god…"

"And we don't even know what kind of god he fought."

They recalled the two young men they had recently parted ways with. 

The Sword King, wielding the power to rend all things with his Silver Arm, and the King of the Far East, shattering space with his fists. They couldn't help but feel a profound sense of awe.

At that moment, Liliana's phone rang.

"It's Grandfather. Please excuse me for a moment. What is it? Eh? That… His Lordship requires us, the witches and priestesses, to assemble?"

After a brief conversation, Liliana hung up. 

She had heard something that couldn't be ignored. Erica immediately pressed her for details.

"What's wrong? When you and your grandfather refer to 'His Lordship'… does that mean you have some connection to Marquis Voban?"

"Uh, yes," Liliana said hesitantly. 

"It seems he requires the presence of dozens of priestesses in the near future. I told Grandfather that I would accompany him once our current task here is complete."

"His Lordship needs priestesses? It's truly difficult to fathom the motives of the Devil King of the Balkan Peninsula."

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To be Continued..

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