"Amakasu Touma..."
A scrutinizing look appeared in Erica's eyes as she looked at him.
"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Amakasu—you should be a ninja, correct?"
At the word "ninja," Amakasu Touma's expression did not visibly change, but the hand resting across his chest tightened slightly for a brief instant.
That small movement alone was enough to reveal that Mr. Amakasu did not enjoy being addressed in such a manner.
It was understandable. Ninjas were assassins who operated in the shadows. Appearing openly already went against the instincts drilled into them through training. Now that his identity had been exposed in a single sentence, the sense of unease would naturally intensify.
However, Amakasu Touma quickly realized that Erica's words carried two layers of meaning—
She knew she was being followed by Japan's local forces and did not care.
She bore no hostility.
On this orderly seaside street of stone-paved roads, one could enjoy all the conveniences of a modern metropolis. And yet, standing here were three figures representing traditional professions steeped in religious culture from different nations: a ninja, a knight, and a shrine maiden.
In a sense, it was rather amusing.
Erica's earlier remark had also piqued Amakasu Touma's interest. As a ninja capable of becoming a member of the Committee for the Compilation of True History, regardless of his exact rank, he was certainly no fool. He quickly grasped the purpose of her visit to Japan.
"As a Campione, Miss Erica has traveled such a long distance to Japan—could it be because of the individual you just mentioned, someone like a Campione?"
"When it comes to powerful forces, it's only natural for hearts to be tempted, isn't it?"
After a moment of silence, Amakasu Touma bowed once more.
"As the rumors say, Miss Erica is indeed a beauty skilled at grasping people's hearts."
"Oh? I'm surprised you didn't mention the title 'Red Devil.'"
'Red Devil' was the epithet given to Erica within the Copper-Black Cross. In Italian, it was Diavolo Rosso. However, the true meaning of that title was not exactly positive.
Erica had long since passed the stage where she would fly into a rage over such verbal disputes. She knew very well that she currently held the initiative.
At present, aside from her, the newly born Godslayer, there were six others in the world who had completed a 'miracle' and successfully usurped divine Authority.
These Godslayers were scattered across the globe—Britain, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, China, India—and Japan had none.
(PS1: In a sense, the existence of Godslayers is somewhat akin to nuclear weapons possessed by the five permanent members of the Security Council. They are extremely dangerous, yet to be considered a truly sovereign organization, one must possess them. Whether or not they are used is one matter. Whether or not they exist is another.)
Thus, the Japanese government was exceedingly wary of the arrival of a new Campione like Erica. Yet deep down, it also yearned for a Campione of its own.
And Erica's subtle suggestion that another Campione might exist within Japan was undoubtedly information that greatly interested the Committee for the Compilation of True History.
...
Completely unaware—or perhaps simply unconcerned about being the subject of discussion—
Satsuki was currently flipping through several books she had previously borrowed from Miss Lucretia, searching for information about Godslayers in this world.
From scattered fragments of data, combined with Erica's real-life example, Satsuki was able to infer many details regarding the abilities of Godslayers.
At present, even after successfully usurping a god's Authority, a Godslayer could not wield it instinctively as a true deity could. Newly born Godslayers typically spent vast amounts of time learning and understanding the nature of their Authorities.
The length of this period usually correlated with the number of Authorities they possessed.
But regardless, it generally required decades—or even centuries—to reach a significant level of mastery and ensure flexible application in battle.
The Authority inherited from the Persian war god, which encompassed ten incarnations, was undoubtedly special. Although its permission level was not considered top-tier, its versatility was exceptionally high, covering nearly every combat-related aspect.
However, correspondingly, each incarnation could only be used once per day and was bound by strict activation conditions.
Thinking this far, Satsuki set down the ancient text in her hands and quietly pondered.
If that is the case—then by extension, do the Authorities of other Godslayers also possess certain restrictive conditions?
Very quickly, Satsuki reached a conclusion.
There must be limitations—but they were not insurmountable.
The reason was simple. In Satsuki's view, Godslayers represented a special transitional stage in the ascent from human to god. At the moment they first acquired divine Authority, their bodies, personalities, and subconscious minds still largely belonged to the human side.
Take Erica at present. Though she had successfully reincarnated as a Godslayer through Pandora's and that Fool's blessing, her personality had not undergone any drastic transformation. At her core, she was still human.
At this stage, a Godslayer's Authority would be subject to restrictions.
However—as time passed, Godslayers would inevitably confront the reality of being 'non-human.' Whether in terms of power or lifespan, they had already diverged entirely from ordinary humanity. At that point, their cognition would reconstruct itself, and they would begin to actively pursue greater strength and Authority.
In the end, those fortunate enough—and long-lived enough—might ascend to a higher stage. They would convert the Authorities usurped from gods into abilities wholly their own and wield them without limitation.
Thus, the final conclusion was clear: Erica, this newborn Godslayer who had not yet shed her human nature, was perhaps the most conspicuous target in the current magical world.
And events unfolded precisely as Satsuki had anticipated.
...
Inside the hotel renovated from the residence of a princess of the House of Savoy, a meeting was being held in a spacious room.
For reasons unknown, although it was broad daylight, the curtains were tightly drawn, completely blocking the outside view.
Seated around the specially transported oversized conference table were three individuals.
Two of them were elderly men—the commanders of the Old Dame and the Female Wolf. Even in this nation where the magical world flourished, both were leaders of knightly orders with long histories and formidable strength.
In the terminology used within magical associations, they were known as Grandmasters.
The third person was a young man.
He was the youthful commander of the knightly order City of Lilies, likely in his early thirties.
This man held the same status as Erica—both were knights who had attained the rank of Grand Knight.
Throughout history, there had never been an overwhelming number of magicians, but neither were they scarce. Among them were naturally rare and great archmages—yet also charlatans who used magic as a pretense for deception.
However, certain exceptionally gifted individuals pursued both martial techniques and magic simultaneously. In addition to being magicians, they were armed units proficient in combat arts.
The title of Grand Knight was reserved exclusively for the finest among such warriors.
Accompanied by a grating sound, a voice broke the silence.
"Gentlemen, it's about time we reach a conclusion. Who exactly should handle the Gorgoneion?"
It was the commander of the Old Dame who made the proposal.
The one who raised an objection was the commander of the Female Wolf.
"Leave it to someone else? Is that truly wise? I don't believe it is a prudent decision. Although our leader, Lord Salvatore, is not present, to seek aid from a foreign Campione because of that—isn't that far too humiliating? Are we not afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
"Let those who wish to laugh do so. What matters most is that this Gorgoneion is authentic. Yet we have no Campione to rely upon. Compared to that, a momentary disgrace is trivial."
"Disgrace may be trivial. But what if we anger a Campione because of this? Once the King of Swords learns that we sought help from another Campione, who can predict how furious he will be? That is what truly concerns me."
These words did not come from ordinary old men.
Yet even these veteran magicians—masters of swordsmanship and wielders of rare and esoteric arts—could not conceal their reverence toward a Campione.
Even the strongest knight or the highest-ranking magician could not contend against a Campione.
Such was the truth of this world.
"But would Lord Salvatore truly concern himself with such trifles? In his eyes, we are no more than bees gathered around a hive. If the bees were to choose a new queen, I doubt he would feel any anger at all."
The one who interjected into the debate between the two elders was the commander of the City of Lilies.
This tall man stood nearly one hundred ninety centimeters in height. The lower half of his face was covered in unruly stubble. Though his features were well-formed, he gave off a gloomy impression.
He wore a tasteful suit, paired inexplicably with a rather inelegant purple tie.
Purple was the representative color of the City of Lilies.
Members were required to wear something purple somewhere on their person as a symbol.
Likewise, the deep crimson dress worn by Erica and the black rose ornament adorning her hair symbolized the red and black of the Copper-Black Cross.
"Even so, I cannot imagine which Campione we should appeal to. The Gorgoneion is a symbol of the ancient Earth Mother. That implies a confrontation with one of the oldest goddesses. The Marquis Voban would undoubtedly be eager to accept. However, even if we escape disaster at the hands of a Heretic God, inviting the Devil King of the Balkans instead—would that not be a greater calamity?"
If that Devil King were to fight in earnest, one or two cities would likely be reduced to ashes with ease.
That was because the Authorities he possessed were almost entirely of the kind that shattered, tore apart, and pulverized everything standing upon the earth.
"Perhaps... there is another Campione we could seek."
"...You mean the rumor from Sardinia?"
The commander of the Female Wolf suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"The birth of a new Godslayer is, after all, only a rumor. How certain can we be?"
The tall man responded casually.
"When facing the Red Devil, who can ever claim absolute certainty? But it must be better than dealing with the one from the Balkans."
...
Two weeks had passed since the start of the new semester.
In a country like Japan, the word "special" was often something people avoided at all costs.
Everyone was expected to know what they should and should not do according to their role. In principle, one must not trouble others.
As a result, the school Satsuki attended maintained a rather relaxed atmosphere. Students were not forced to study relentlessly.
The rules were not overly strict. There were numerous opportunities for club activities to interact with the university division. It was common to be taught—well or poorly—various forms of recreation by upperclassmen there. Athletic achievement was not particularly emphasized.
It was a system that relied almost entirely on student autonomy.
However, for someone like Satsuki—who cared nothing for others' opinions and lived solely for herself—being labeled "special" had no impact on her way of life.
Thus, to this day, she had not joined any club.
Every day, her personal locker was filled not only with love letters of every variety, but also invitations from different clubs.
"This is the cheerleading club's seventh invitation this semester—an average of one letter every two days. Host, these little ones are quite sincere," the glowing orb in her sea of consciousness remarked.
It could see whatever Satsuki did not deliberately block and had even compiled statistics regarding the invitations she had received.
Aside from the cheerleading club, there were also many invitations from athletic clubs. However, perhaps aware that inviting someone like her into a sports club was unrealistic, their frequency was far less excessive.
The majority came from cultural clubs.
Yet up to now, Satsuki continued to go her own way. After school, she simply returned home.
As for Erica, aside from frequent outings at the beginning, she now spent most of her time becoming more proficient with her Authorities.
On her way back one afternoon, Satsuki saw groups of high school and middle school girls carrying cardboard boxes together. Among them, besides her younger sister, she noticed a familiar figure—the shrine maiden with spiritual power, Yuri Mariya.
Whenever she saw this shrine maiden, Satsuki found herself observing her a little longer.
It was not because of her appearance, but because of the considerable level of spiritual sight she possessed.
In terms of pure perception, Satsuki far surpassed the shrine maiden. Precisely for that reason, this Divine Arena had implemented protective measures specifically against abilities like hers.
All participants were unable to discern one another's abilities through mere visual observation.
However, that restriction did not apply to the shrine maiden.
From the very first meeting—judging by the way she had immediately approached Erica, the Godslayer—it was clear her spiritual sight was sufficient to detect the special power Erica carried at a glance.
Could such an ability develop further? Could it evolve to the point of perceiving the true nature and origins of a Heretic God?
Perhaps. Or perhaps not.
But making contact would not hurt.
So Satsuki walked toward the group of girls.
"Onee-chan~"
Upon seeing Satsuki, Shizuka Kusanagi raised her hand with surprise and delight. Satsuki gently waved in response.
More unusually, instead of leaving after greeting her as she normally would, the independent elder sister walked toward her.
"I heard you joined the tea ceremony club. If an outsider wished to join, what would they need to do?"
It was well known that strict hierarchy and seniority were traditions deeply ingrained in this country. Whether described as respecting seniors or deferring to the strong, "experience" was a nearly inviolable red line.
Since Satsuki had decided to join—and there was no urgent matter at hand—she adopted a somewhat condescending yet accommodating attitude and chose to follow local customs.
"Huh? Onee-chan, you want to join?"
"Yes."
Not only her sister, but also the high school and middle school girls behind her, revealed expressions of surprise.
Although Satsuki herself did not care how others viewed her, that did not mean others could ignore the fact that she was a prominent figure at school.
Whether in bearing or conduct, she stood out uniquely. She was not merely dazzling in appearance—she possessed a powerful inner core. Many timid underclassmen secretly admired her.
Thus, her words carried considerable weight.
Soon, everyone's gaze turned to Yuri Mariya. The girl who resembled a traditional Yamato nadeshiko stepped forward.
"Satsuki-san, if you wish to join, you are more than welcome. Since the third-year seniors have graduated, our tea ceremony club has been recruiting new members... If you are interested, you may visit our activity room first before making a decision."
"Then I shall gratefully accept."
Although both were first-year students, Yuri Mariya clearly held a respectable position within the tea ceremony club.
Part of it was due to her early enrollment and accumulated seniority. Another part stemmed from her temperament and appearance, which aligned closely with the classical aesthetics of traditional Japanese culture.
As they chatted, the group arrived at the tea ceremony club's activity area.
As one of the few clubs with its own dedicated training space, the tea ceremony held a respectable status within the school.
"Satsuki-san, have you practiced tea ceremony before?"
In response, Satsuki merely shook her head, offering neither a direct "yes" nor "no."
However, Yuri interpreted it as inexperience.
"Oh... that's alright. We have many skilled members in our club. Even if you have never practiced before, you will quickly grasp the basics. We also have many instructional materials and introductions to different schools of tea ceremony. You may begin by familiarizing yourself with those."
While speaking, they arrived at the clubroom door. Yuri took out a key, unlocked it, and stepped aside.
"Once you enter, the men's changing room is on the left and the women's changing room is on the right. If you did not prepare your own attire this time, you may choose a set from those hanging inside..."
As a private school, providing the tea ceremony club with its own space was already considered generous treatment. It was naturally impossible to provide every member with a personal set of tea garments and utensils.
Those were things members were expected to prepare themselves after joining.
However, the tea ceremony club had a long history. Over time, members had joined and left for various reasons.
Some garments had inevitably been left behind, becoming backup options for members with limited finances.
"Very well."
Since Satsuki's true purpose was not to learn tea ceremony at all, she had no particular feelings about such matters and agreed without hesitation.
However, very soon, she became aware of a certain phrase—
Women's Changing Room.