The ruins shook as if the earth itself wished to flee. Spectral wolves prowled the crumbling streets, summoned from Marquis Voban's authority. Their eyes gleamed crimson, their fangs dripping with phantom saliva. Above them, the old Campione stood regal and predatory, his coat billowing with unnatural wind.
Across the battlefield, Kusanagi Godou tightened his fists. His heart hammered in his chest, yet his resolve burned bright. He was young, barely touched by the centuries of scheming that defined other Campiones, yet his stubbornness was carved in stone. Behind him, Erica Blandelli raised her rapier, crimson cloak fluttering as she chanted protective wards. And further back, Athena, diminished and weakened, leaned against the wall of a ruined temple. Her silver hair, dulled by exhaustion, framed eyes that glowed faintly with serpentine brilliance.
Voban's laughter cut through the night like a knife. "You defend a heretic goddess, boy? Have you learned nothing of what it means to be a Campione? You kill them. You devour them. That is our fate."
Godou's voice rang out, steady. "Athena is different! She does not seek humanity's destruction—she has guided and aided. I will not treat her as prey."
The wolf lord sneered. "Naïve child. You shame the name Campione. Let me educate you in blood."
At his command, the spectral wolves lunged. They came in waves, claws tearing at the earth, jaws snapping with supernatural hunger. Godou stepped forward, raising his hand, golden light sparking from his palm. His incantation rolled like thunder:
"O goddess who laid low the king of men, lend me your power! Let my words ignite the steel of victory!"
From his body burst the manifestation of one of his Authorities. A colossal golden warrior, armed with a gleaming sword, emerged and cleaved through the first pack of wolves. Their howls dissolved into ash, yet more poured from the shadows, endless and ravenous.
Erica shouted, her wards flaring. "Godou, behind you!" She swung her rapier, releasing a burst of flame that incinerated a charging wolf. But her strength was a candle against the storm. Already sweat drenched her brow; her role was to support, not to challenge an ancient Campione.
Athena stirred weakly, her voice a soft whisper. "Foolish wolf… arrogant child… this battle will scar the land itself." Her eyes flicked to Godou, a strange blend of irritation and faint admiration. "You protect me, mortal? Then prove that your defiance is not mere vanity."
Voban spread his arms, aura surging. "Yes! Let the goddess witness your foolish end."
The earth split as chains of darkness erupted from below, shackling the golden warrior. Wolves leapt upon it, tearing at divine steel. Godou gritted his teeth, forcing more energy into his Authority, but sweat ran down his temple. His youth was both his strength and his weakness.
"You cannot win, boy!" Voban's voice was a roar. "You will be torn apart like all who defy me!"
But Godou refused to yield. He called forth another Authority, this one ancient and furious—the bull of Goliath. A massive spectral bull, wreathed in flames, charged through the pack, scattering wolves like leaves in a storm. The chains shattered, and the golden warrior rose again, sword gleaming with renewed light.
Voban's grin widened, sharp and wolfish. He was not angry—he was exhilarated. "Yes, yes! Show me the fire of youth. Show me your foolish courage. The greater your defiance, the sweeter your despair when I break you."
The wolves regrouped, forming a cyclone of fangs and shadows around their master. Godou steadied himself, Erica chanting behind him, Athena's silent gaze piercing through the chaos.
The first clash had ended without victory. The real battle was only beginning.