In St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Roy stood in the resplendent hall dressed in the robes of a cardinal.
He raised his head to gaze at the dome atop the cathedral. The surroundings were empty, save for the distant hymns of the choir echoing through the sacred space. Beneath the masterpieces of Renaissance painters, Roy stood in quiet contemplation.
After slaying the God of Fate, Pandora's Circle of Usurpation activated once more. But this time, it wasn't just a quick peck on the lips for Roy and Pandora. Whether it was due to the long-awaited freedom after millennia or some other reason, Pandora was exceptionally passionate.
The two indulged in passionate intimacy within the Netherworld, their fervor reaching its peak as Pandora's cries of mingled pain and pleasure filled the air. Amidst this, Roy usurped the Authority of the God of Fate.
As Roy had anticipated, the Authority he obtained was the power to manipulate the threads of destiny. However, fate was far too vast and profound, making his control over this Authority rudimentary and crude at best.
After extensive research, Roy managed to adapt this ability for combat use.
Given the Authority's crude application in manipulating fate, Roy could only apply this power of destiny to simple cause-and-effect scenarios—such as imbuing his attacks with an "unavoidable hit" property.
Yet even this "unavoidable hit" came with numerous limitations. If his opponent possessed exceptionally high luck, the effectiveness of this ability would diminish significantly.
For instance, protagonists favored by destiny would hardly be affected by Roy's rough manipulation of fate.
Though the ability's current utility was limited, it provided Roy with a foundational grasp of its potential. One day, he might fully comprehend and wield this power to alter the fates of all—turning protagonists into side characters and vice versa. By then, he would truly be "walking with the gods."
Such incremental power no longer excited Roy. He was no longer the weakling who had just left the world of A Certain Magical Index, striving desperately for strength in the world of Campione.
Now, Roy stood unrivaled in the Campione world. Even across infinite worlds and universes, his power was enough to dominate all.
Comparisons to monsters like the Magic Gods or Aleister Crowley were meaningless—beings of that caliber were exceedingly rare even across the infinite multiverse.
By continuing his steady progress, Roy would one day reach that height—perhaps even surpass it.
"Such distant thoughts are better left unconsidered," Roy murmured with a sigh, gazing up at the cross atop the cathedral's dome.
He hadn't come here to seek enlightenment from the Bible or to remove the restrictions on his Holy Right.
The reason was far simpler: Roy's body now felt unbearably heavy, as if he were carrying a mountain. This weight pressed upon his mind and soul, driving him to St. Peter's Basilica in search of inner peace.
This heaviness was the "Curse of Human Order."
Ever since enacting the Human Order Inceneration Protocol, the curse had clung to him, growing deeper with time until it now felt bone-deep.
Outwardly, the curse manifested as a drastic drop in Roy's luck. His daily life resembled a scene from Final Destination, with danger lurking around every corner.
Crossing the street guaranteed a car crash. Walking through a neighborhood ensured falling debris. Even a simple shower risked electrocution. Death and misfortune followed him relentlessly.
With Roy's power, such incidents couldn't truly harm him—let alone kill him. Yet the constant nuisance had become unbearable.
"Guess I really am Scáthach's disciple—this is some serious Luck E... No, more like Luck EX, because it's so low it's beyond measurement."
Roy let out a self-deprecating laugh, unsure of what else to say.
The abysmal 'luck' was only one aspect of the 'curse.' The more terrifying part was that the 'Curse of Human Order' ensured that no matter what Roy tried to do, it would inevitably spiral toward failure. Any goal he pursued would be thwarted by sudden, unforeseen events. Even if he wanted to have a "deep conversation" with a goddess, some absurd incident would pop up to ruin it.
When even that became unreliable, it was no wonder Roy was in a foul mood.
If the curse simply guaranteed 'absolute failure,' Roy could have worked around it—deliberately doing the opposite to achieve 'absolute success.' But this curse merely skewed the odds, making failure more likely than success. That eliminated any chance of manipulating the outcome.
"You can't go on like this, Roy! You must remove this curse!"
Behind him, Aiwass materialized, her elegant brows furrowing slightly as she urged him.
"I want to get rid of this curse too, Aiwass. Got any ideas? Some kind of magecraft ritual, maybe?"
"My knowledge of 'Human Order' is limited. Even in the world you call 'Toaru,' there isn't much information on it. The King of Solomon you once met understood 'Human Order' far better than I do. If anyone could remove this curse, it would be him."
Aiwass shook her head slowly. Though she was an angel who governed knowledge, she wasn't omniscient. If she were, she wouldn't have been trapped as a spirit, unable to influence the physical world without a body.
"Going to Roman is out of the question. Even if he returned to his original world, he'd be in the Throne of Heroes by now."
Roy dismissed Aiwass' suggestion.
"But you have to leave this place. Your Human Order Inceneration Protocol was performed here—this world's Human Order despises you too deeply. If this continues, the curse might even—"
Before she could finish, Roy cut her off.
"—I get it, Aiwass. Human Order exists in every world, just with varying degrees of influence. Right now, I'm only cursed by this world's Human Order. But if the curse deepens, I could end up cursed by all worlds' Human Order."
"...If that happens, no matter where I go, I'll be dogged by misfortune. No matter what I try, I'll fail. So lifting this curse is urgent."
"Trust me, I don't want 'Such misfortune!' to become my catchphrase."
Hearing his words, the agitation on Aiwass' delicate features eased. She exhaled softly.
"...Good. You understand the true danger of this curse. Then hurry—leave this place and use the 'ship' to find a way to break it. Before all worlds' Human Order turns against you!"
"Mm, I understand. It's time to leave this place. The world of Campione can no longer provide me with greater power. For more knowledge, for more wisdom—our true journey is about to begin!"
"...Wait for me to settle matters here, then we shall depart for other worlds!"
Roy withdrew his gaze from the crucifix atop the dome. With a flick of his bishop's robes and his right hand in his pocket, he strode out of St. Peter's Basilica without a backward glance.
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