Fear, dread, and countless other emotions weighed heavily on Kusanagi Godou, straining his nerves to the breaking point. As an ordinary Japanese high school student, he had never suffered such an injury before.
No—if it were just the injury alone, it wouldn't have been so bad. What truly terrified him was the source of the wound. Had he fallen and accidentally impaled himself on something sharp, Kusanagi Godou might have been able to accept it. But seeing a beautiful girl sever his Achilles tendon with a sharp sword—that stark contrast filled him with such horror that his stomach churned, threatening to make him vomit.
"Recently, I've spent a lot of time with Lu Yinghua, and I've learned an ancient saying from China: 'Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.'' My apologies, young man. I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it. I'm not someone who kills indiscriminately—had you merely offended me, I could have laughed it off. But to defy the orders of the King? As the King's personal knight, I, Erica Blandelli, must fight here to uphold the King's honor."
The proud Italian girl looked down at Kusanagi Godou with an imperious gaze. Her beautiful, ocean-blue eyes burned with unwavering determination and an indescribable emotion—an overwhelming nobility that could suffocate anyone who beheld it.
Kusanagi Godou knew that strange emotion wasn't directed at him, but at that unknown 'King.'
'So, what the hell is this "King" you keep talking about?!'
He screamed inwardly, but the intense pain wracking his body left him gasping for breath, unable to voice his thoughts.
Yet one thing became clear to him—this girl before him now held killing intent in her heart!
"Are you part of the Italian mafia?! Trying to kill someone in broad daylight—yes, it must be the mafia! The 'king' you mentioned must be the mafia's godfather, right?!"
Whether it was due to his own nature or some other reason, Kusanagi Godou found himself mentally quipping even in this state of extreme terror.
However, Erica had no idea what was going through Kusanagi Godou's mind—and even if she did, she would have scoffed in disdain. With an expressionless face, she raised her knightly longsword once more, unwavering in her resolve for what she was about to do. Whether the person before her was a defenseless mortal or a divine beast raised by the gods, if they dared insult the King, she, as a knight, would inevitably raise her sword to defend the King's dignity.
Swish—
Another flash of the blade sliced through the air. Amid Kusanagi Godou's hoarse screams, the tendons in all four of his limbs were severed. Having never experienced such agony before, tears and snot streamed down his face, and the bag he was holding slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground.
Wary, Erica used her sword to flip open the bag, revealing an ancient stone tablet.
"Prometheus Grimoire'?"
Upon seeing the tablet, Erica's voice rose slightly in pitch. As a great knight, she was already well-versed in knowledge, and being around Roy had only deepened her scholarly inclinations. She recognized the tablet's origins at a glance.
"This is a divine artifact capable of attracting the covetous eyes of Heretic Gods! Not long ago, two Heretic Gods clashed in Italy, their raging tempest nearly submerging the city. Lord Roy ordered us to search for traces of those missing Heretic Gods, but we found nothing. And yet, you dared bring something like this to Rome! If Prometheus Grimoire were to summon a Heretic God, even if Lord Roy intervened, the destruction wrought upon Rome would be inevitable!"
"...You're practically slaughtering the people of Rome!"
Erica flew into a rage, pointing the tip of her sword at Kusanagi Godou.
Kusanagi Godou was utterly bewildered. He had merely brought a strange stone tablet to Rome—how had that turned into mass slaughter? Was this tablet some kind of neurotoxin?
"M-misunderstanding! I think there must be some kind of misunderstanding here!"
With his tendons severed, Kusanagi Godou wailed through tears and snot. He tried to struggle, but his limbs refused to move, leaving him no choice but to plead.
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, the fact remains that you brought something dangerous to Rome. If it truly is a misunderstanding, you can explain yourself in the underworld. Oh, but wait—the Queen of the Underworld is also Lord Roy's exclusive possession. You'd probably suffer even more there."
A chilling smile spread across Erica's beautiful face. "...And now, of all times—when Lord Roy is at a critical juncture—you dare cause trouble. You truly have no regard for your own life."
With that, she raised her sword, aiming the tip directly at Kusanagi Godou's heart.
Just as Kusanagi Godou writhed in despair, sobbing and convinced he was about to die, another voice—clear and girlish—rang out.
"...Erica, don't kill him yet!"
Hearing the newcomer's words, Erica halted her movement.
Kusanagi Godou almost cried out in gratitude as he quickly turned his gaze toward the approaching figure. There stood a silver-haired maiden, as beautiful and dignified as Erica before him.
'An angel!'
At that moment, Kusanagi Godou could only refer to this life-saving 'angelic girl' as such. However, her next words sent him plummeting from heaven straight into hell.
"Lily, why did you stop me?" Erica asked unhappily, addressing the silver-haired girl who had come to her side.
Liliana glanced briefly at Kusanagi Godou and replied, "...Lord Roy once caused massive casualties in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. This boy has brought something dangerous to Rome. We don't know if someone is behind him. Instead of killing him outright, we should capture and interrogate him to uncover his backers."
"...It would be best to inform Lord Roy about this. If this boy was indeed sent by the Japanese History Compilation Committee to bring disaster to Rome, then Lord Roy himself should decide. Japan is ultimately outside his jurisdiction, and whether to purge its mystical factions would require his direct orders. This isn't something you or I can decide."
Her well-reasoned words made Erica withdraw her sword. She looked at Liliana in surprise and clicked her tongue. "...I should have been the one to say all that. I never expected it to come from you, Lily. I was so furious with this man that I forgot about this entirely. Thanks for reminding me."
"I... I've worked with you for so many years, Erica. I've improved too."
The bashful knight princess blushed, her lovely face breaking into a happy smile.
Kusanagi Godou had no time to appreciate the charming sight of the blushing maiden. All he knew was that he was about to be captured by the 'mafia' and thrown into a dungeon for so-called interrogation.
'The Italian police are so useless,' the Japanese high schooler thought tearfully.
"Arianna, Karen, take this man to Lord Roy. Be careful not to kill him."
At Erica's command, two maids dressed in uniform approached respectfully. They were the personal attendants of Erica and Liliana.
"Yes, my lady!"
Expressionless, the two maids grabbed Kusanagi Godou by his clothes and dragged him away. Meanwhile, Erica and Liliana used magic to erase the bloodstains before leaving the airport. No one would ever know what had happened here.
...
Dizzy from blood loss, Kusanagi Godou was subjected to a terrifying high-speed drive by the maid named Arianna before arriving at a sprawling, luxurious villa—where he met the 'godfather' of the mafia.
Or rather, the 'King' these people spoke of!
***
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