"Oh, it's raining..."
The sky at that moment was as changeable as a young girl's heart. It had been a perfectly clear, cloudless day, but in an instant, the air grew heavy.
Then, dark clouds swiftly gathered from all directions, while a storm began to brew slowly.
Clearly, this was the sign of a coming downpour.
"Raining? Impossible. This is a Mediterranean climate. This season is supposed to be hot and dry, with very little rain. There must be something unnatural going on! You really should brush up on your geography..."
Erica said with clear annoyance.
Phainon, of course, knew about Mediterranean climates.
It was just knowledge he'd learned many years ago, and having stayed within his own country ever since, he'd long since returned everything he'd learned to his geography teacher.
Faced with Erica's sharp tone, he could only scratch his head awkwardly.
And the next moment, the dark clouds in the sky began to gradually form a massive vortex.
At the same time, violent noises erupted from the distant pier. The ground shook, and Erica quickly steadied herself to avoid falling.
But when she turned to look beside her, both Phainon and that strikingly handsome youth stood completely unfazed, as if completely unaffected by the tremor.
The level of shaking from moments ago hadn't caused them any trouble at all.
Seeing this, Erica's heart grew a bit heavier.
These two... they don't seem like normal people at all...
Could they be Heretical Gods?
But that can't be right... If they were Heretical Gods... they wouldn't be interacting with me so casually...
The rules of this world were a bit different from others. Once deities strayed from their myths and descended into the real world, their wills would become distorted.
Their rebellious actions would pollute their minds, causing them to act in ways completely contrary to their original natures.
Even gods from myth who were relatively friendly towards humans would become indifferent to human life.
Therefore, gods were difficult to communicate with. Yet, both Phainon and the youth beside him had been perfectly normal in conversation, though the youth's oddly mature way of speaking was a bit strange.
"Oh no, this aura...?"
Erica felt the oppressive aura emanating from the distance, and her eyebrow twitched on the spot.
As a prodigy of the Copper-Black Cross, her skills were already on par with many senior members of the association, but her experience was still somewhat lacking.
Faced with this situation, she didn't have any great solutions.
Sure enough, beside the distant pier, after the intense tremors, an enormous wild boar, several stories tall, appeared in the city.
The moment it appeared, it began trampling the city beneath its feet.
Ordinary people without magical power couldn't see deities or divine beasts. They thought an earthquake had struck and immediately began wailing and fleeing into the distance.
However, the disaster had struck too quickly, and many people hadn't been evacuated in time.
Now, the pier was a sea of fire and ruins. The workers who had just been playing baseball and laughing with Phainon and the youth were trapped within, many of them injured and unable to move.
"It has arrived. What comes next is not something you can participate in."
The handsome youth looked at Phainon, a faint smile appearing on his fair face. "Leave this place. The wrath of the god has descended. Those who arrogantly challenge it will meet no good end."
"Flee to the end of the road. If you leave, you will be safe."
He spoke, then started running on his own two legs towards the pier.
"So you are connected to the recent disasters! But other matters are more pressing. If I meet you again, I will definitely pry all your secrets out!"
Gritting her silver teeth, Erica couldn't concern herself with this matter any longer. There were more important things waiting for her.
If that boar rampaging through the city wasn't stopped soon, the entire city would likely be destroyed, with heavy human casualties.
While Sardinia's population wasn't huge, the presence of the port meant there were usually plenty of people around.
Thinking this, Erica waved her hand, and her attire transformed.
It was like a magical girl transformation. One moment she was an elegant noble young lady in a gorgeous dress, the next she was in a form suitable for action: a red and black capelet on her upper body, and form-fitting trousers below.
The black behemoth trampled the earth. Its every roar shook windows and doors; its every charge smashed through several buildings.
It was the kind of scene that would infuriate someone like Aihara Ryu if he saw it.
Yet, facing a monster of this caliber, Erica showed not a trace of fear on her face, instead displaying a hint of confidence.
Perhaps, in her heart, she thought that as long as it wasn't a full god, she stood a chance.
After all, the gap between a divine beast and an actual god was quite significant. Not every divine beast was like the Bull of Heaven, the kind that even Tiamat would have to take a couple of hits from.
Ordinary divine beasts didn't possess such immense power.
Thinking this, Erica began chanting a spell and charged towards the gigantic boar.
True to her status as a prodigy, the power of [Cuore di Leone] was displayed in her hands. A massive shockwave erupted from the tip of her sword, halting the divine beast in its tracks for a brief moment.
However, as a mere mortal, it seemed this was all she could accomplish.
After a brief stagger, the enormous boar showed no signs of injury. Instead, provoked by Erica's attack, it became even more frenzied.
It dug its hind hooves into the ground, faced Erica, and charged straight at her.
Clearly, this little thing had managed to anger it.
But Erica was no pushover either. Her agile form allowed her to easily dodge the boar's charge. The cost, however, was several more collapsed buildings.
"Damn it, look at what you've failed to protect!"
Having just dodged the boar's attack, Erica felt a bit pleased with herself. But the next moment, an angry shout from below reached her ears.
Phainon, who had been making his way towards the port, got caught in the aftermath of Erica and the boar's battle. Countless fragments rained down from above, a massive shadow enveloping him.
An ordinary person would have been pulverized instantly by a disaster of this scale.
But Phainon was naturally no ordinary person. Swinging his baseball bat, he swiftly reduced the falling architectural debris to dust.
He was now very close to the port. If those massive rocks deviated just slightly in angle, they would land on the pier where survivors still hadn't evacuated.
It was at this moment that Phainon spotted Erica, standing somewhat smugly on a rooftop after dodging the boar's attack, and he immediately shouted his rebuke.
"What are you talking about?! This is a divine beast! Even I can't handle it that easily. How could I possibly worry about buildings on top of that?"
Erica retorted arrogantly, a hint of wrong in her heart.
"Lure that boar to the other side! The area over there has already been evacuated. There are still people at the port; don't let the aftermath reach here!"
Phainon yelled while continuing to run towards the port.
"Damn it, don't order me around!"
Erica said dissatisfiedly. She stamped her foot slightly, but nonetheless obediently ran towards the other side.
From her earlier probe, she understood that this divine beast was thick-skinned and tough; she had no hope of repelling it. All she could do was stall it and think of another plan.
Meanwhile, Phainon, running at high speed, finally reached the port.
Unlike the peaceful scene from before, the port was now a complete wreck, littered with collapsed buildings.
The moans of the injured formed a continuous chorus. With buildings fallen, many people tried to save their friends, but human strength was of little use in such situations.
Phainon saw a young man digging with his bare hands, his skin scraped raw, trying to save a worker buried in the rubble.
"I see you came after all, young man."
The handsome youth observed the scene, a smile on his face.
"There's danger here. Of course I wouldn't miss it. There are still many people who need saving." Phainon scanned the area, assessing the situation, and spoke slowly.
"A hero with the heart of one? Indeed, you are a most interesting person."
"The heart of a hero?"
Phainon was taken aback. "No, I've never thought about it like that. I just... feel like it's what I should do."
With that, Phainon stopped wasting words and hurried forward to assist with the rescue efforts.
"You're injured. Leave this to me. If you can, please help guide the wounded over there."
Phainon walked up to the youth who clearly had East Asian features.
However, the other party didn't seem to understand his Italian.
"Sorry, I don't really understand what you're saying..." Kusanagi Godou instinctively replied in Japanese, but immediately realized his mistake, considering Phainon might not understand Japanese.
But the next moment, his worry was dispelled as Phainon repeated his previous statement in fluent Japanese.
"Alright, I understand!"
Kusanagi Godou nodded, simultaneously thinking how unlucky he was.
First, his ship was delayed, and now, right after disembarking, this happens. And what the hell is that gigantic boar that appeared out of nowhere? Did something from a tokusatsu show break into reality?
Phainon's strength was naturally incomparable to Kusanagi Godou's.
Seeing people trapped under rubble with their legs pinned, Phainon hurriedly lifted entire sections of wall weighing hundreds of kilograms off their limbs and helped them out.
On the other side, the youth was not to be outdone either. A golden power emanated from him, spreading to the injured, preventing their wounds from worsening.
At the same time, those who were physically stronger found themselves unconsciously lifting the wounded and carrying them away to safety.
They themselves didn't know where this sudden strength came from, attributing it to adrenaline.
For a time, the refugees at the port were evacuating in an orderly manner.
But things are never that smooth sailing. So, heaven decided to throw a wrench in the works.
In the sky, from within the pitch-black clouds, an inky black tornado descended and began swirling towards the boar's location. Simultaneously, the powerful force forcibly separated Erica from the beast.
Though highly talented, the girl was still just a girl, not yet grown to her peak.
Facing both a tornado and a divine beast, the young lady was clearly struggling.
And the boar, which had been held back by Erica, now caught in the tornado's wake, began rampaging wildly once more.
Countless tiles and fragments flew into the sky like a shower of small meteors, wreaking massive destruction upon the city.
Worse still, swept up by the tornado, the boar began charging straight towards the port.
"Tsk..."
Seeing that the area hadn't been fully evacuated yet, Phainon had no choice. He had to intervene.
The boar's reckless charge was unstoppable. The massive beast wasn't acting with purpose; it was simply caught in the black tornado, charging aimlessly towards the port.
Watching this, Phainon leaped high into the air, swinging his baseball bat with all his might.
"Get lost!"
The muscles in Phainon's arm, hidden beneath his clothes, bulged as he exerted immense force. A powerful strike landed squarely on the boar's head.
Since Phainon struck from the side, the tremendous force caused the boar's head to veer off its original course.
And as its head turned, the boar, to maintain its balance, was forced to change direction, stumbling and charging off to the side.
As fate would have it, a thirty-meter-tall lighthouse stood directly in its new path.
BOOM!
The massive tusks pierced through the lighthouse, impaling it completely.
If those tusks hit a person, they'd be bruised black and blue, pieces scattered everywhere.
"What?"
Witnessing this, Kusanagi Godou's eyes widened in disbelief.
What was he seeing? A man jumped into the sky with a baseball bat and hit this monstrous giant boar? And even more shockingly, he actually sent the boar flying?
The shock this gave him was even greater than if an Ultraman had appeared and defeated the giant monster.
After all, Ultraman and monsters were roughly the same size. But compared to this gigantic boar, Phainon was like an ant to a human.
The difference was far too great!
Besides Kusanagi Godou, Erica, watching from afar, also caught this scene clearly.
Phainon's strike was simply too dazzling.
'Just who is this guy? I'm getting more and more interested...'
Erica couldn't help but feel curious.
Ever since meeting Phainon, Erica had sensed something unusual about him.
After all, Phainon was just too anomalous—his handsome appearance, his clothing that was completely different from modern attire...
And now, Erica suddenly remembered a detail. Earlier, Phainon had mentioned that his clothes were woven by a Lady Aglaea of the Golden Loom.
At first, Erica hadn't paid it much mind. But thinking back, wasn't the name Aglaea one of the three Graces in Greek mythology?
As the goddess of splendor, Aglaea was the embodiment of grace, elegance, and beauty. Though, since Phainon had referred to her as 'Lady' Aglaea, she hadn't made the connection immediately.
However, these thoughts only flashed through Erica's mind for an instant.
She could investigate this later. The immediate priority was defeating this divine beast!
Gritting her teeth, Erica leaped powerfully into the air.
From her current distance, she definitely couldn't get close to the boar.
"Fly, Boots of Hermes!"
As the spell activated, Erica pushed off the air itself, launching herself once more towards the boar.
Phainon's strike had left the boar momentarily dazed.
Seeing this, Erica's desire to destroy the beast ignited.
If not for Phainon, Erica naturally wouldn't have entertained such a thought. But Phainon had actually injured the boar, which gave Erica a bit of confidence.
"O Lion of Steel! I entrust to you the words of sigh and wrath. Bathed in sacred blood of the end times, manifest the Holy Lance Longinus!"
As Erica chanted, the [Cuore di Leone] in her hand transformed in an instant into a long spear.
"O crimson cross wedge, tear the dragon's scales, dig out its entrails. Martyr knight, I beseech you, grant my body the warrior's medal!"
The next moment, Erica hurled the spear. The moment it left her hand, immense magical power enveloped it. A lion-like phantom appeared in the air and charged fiercely towards the boar.
However, the boar, which had just collided with the lighthouse, regained its senses at that moment.
It shook its head, clearing the dizziness, and seeing the lion phantom daring to challenge its authority, the boar flew into a rage. It gathered its strength and charged straight at the phantom.
The mighty lion, the attack Erica had pinned her hopes on, lasted only a moment before being shattered.
The powerful force surged towards Erica, sending her flying.
"Ugh..."
She grunted, clearly injured by the force.
Though she reacted at the critical moment, protecting her body with defensive magic, and the force wasn't directly aimed at her—it was just the aftermath—a divine beast was a divine beast, existing on a completely different plane from humans.
So, even the mere aftermath was enough to send Erica's body hurtling through the air.
Her mind went blank, falling into brief unconsciousness, as her body plummeted straight down towards the hard ground.
If she were to hit the ground unconscious like this, Erica would surely meet a fragrant demise.
In truth, with Erica's abilities, she should have been able to protect herself. But seeing Phainon stun the boar had overinflated her confidence, causing her to misjudge the gap in their power. Thus, she paid the price for her recklessness.
By the time she realized it, it was already somewhat too late.
At this moment, she finally understood the meaning behind the warnings her uncle Paolo had given her before she left.
Compared to gods, humans were ultimately far too weak...
Humans always pay for their recklessness.
Just as Erica prepared to close her eyes and accept her fate, suddenly, she felt herself falling into a broad, warm embrace.
"Are you alright?"
What met her eyes was a handsome, sunny smile. Even though their first meeting hadn't been pleasant, there was no negativity in Phainon's eyes, only concern for Erica's safety.
"...I'm fine! Of course I'm fine!"
Erica quickly jumped, breaking free from Phainon's princess carry.
"But... thank you. Thank you for saving me."
Erica said, somewhat embarrassed. Her dazzling golden hair hid her face, preventing Phainon from seeing her expression.
But judging from the slightly flushed nape of her neck, the young lady seemed a bit shy.
'Come to think of it... he's really handsome... I didn't notice it when we first met...'
Italians have a natural streak of romance in their bones. Having just been saved by the hero, Erica's impression of Phainon underwent a slight change.
Meanwhile, in the brief time Phainon had taken to save Erica, the black tornado had swept over the boar with tremendous speed, enveloping its massive body.
The boar seemed to know its fate. It thrashed and charged wildly, but couldn't escape the wind's grasp.
Instantly, under the black hurricane, it turned to dust and dissipated into the air.
After defeating the boar, the black tornado also vanished in an instant.
The gloomy sky returned to normal.
"That's right! That youth!"
Erica hurriedly ran towards the pier's... direction. But by the time she arrived, the youth had already vanished without a trace.
"Damn it, he got away again..."
Erica stamped her foot in frustration, but the violent motion tugged at her injuries, causing her to clutch her chest in pain.
"Miss! Miss! Are you alright, Miss!"
In the distance, a figure in a maid outfit came running towards Erica. Beneath black hair, a cute face was full of panic. Upon reaching Erica, she immediately began fussing over her with concern.
"You scared me to death, Miss! I saw you falling from the sky with my own eyes, I thought..."
Arianna looked at Erica with worry. "What happened? I clearly remember you were in no state to continue fighting..."
"It's... it's nothing!"
Hearing this, Erica reacted like a bristling kitten and quickly spoke up.
"Oh ho?"
Arianna's gossiping heart instantly ignited. She looked at Erica, her face full of curiosity.
"Really, it's nothing!"
Erica said, walking off into the distance. "The magical shockwave from earlier injured me. It's not serious, but I still need to rest and recover."
"Ah? Are you alright?"
Arianna was successfully fooled by Erica and asked with concern.
"Of course I'm fine, I just need some rest."
As she spoke, Erica suddenly turned back to look at Phainon. "What are you standing around for? It's time to go."
"Do I have to come too?" Phainon looked at Erica, somewhat startled.
"Of course. You saved me just now. If I didn't properly thank you, people might think the Blandelli family lacks manners!"
Erica said matter-of-factly.
"Oh~"
Arianna looked at Erica, then at Phainon's face.
Hmm... such a handsome face. No matter how much of a prodigy the young lady is, enough to make people forget her age, she's still at that spring-hearted, budding age... Plus, this handsome guy just saved her...
There's potential here!
Her gossip radar suddenly started working. Arianna really wanted to follow and see what would happen.
But the next moment, Erica said, "The incident from earlier has already been witnessed by many. Arianna, go handle the cleanup. Hmm... just say it was a gas explosion by the shore. We've always used that excuse before..."
Although Arianna really wanted to investigate further, the young lady's orders were clearly more important. She immediately nodded and headed off in another direction.
"Still the ever-suffering gas company... It seems gas companies everywhere are the perfect scapegoats..."
Hearing Erica's instructions, Phainon couldn't help but sigh.
"We can't let ordinary people know about the affairs of gods. It would cause social chaos. So, we have no choice but to trouble them a little."
Erica said with a smile.
"And they have no objections?"
Phainon raised an eyebrow.
"Of course they have objections. How could they not? But their objections are useless..."
Erica blinked her big eyes, looking innocent. But Phainon had a feeling her smile held a hint of darkness.
It seemed this seemingly elegant young lady actually had a bit of a mischievous personality.
"So, where are we going now?"
Phainon looked at her and asked.
"Hmm... to visit a witch. I was injured in the battle just now. Injuries from magical shocks like this are hard to heal with magic alone, so I need to go to her place. As a witch, she has medicine that can help me recover fully. Besides, she lives right here in Sardinia. Of course, it's a bit far from here. We'll need to take the train."
Erica explained as she walked.
"But before that, you need to change into different clothes. What you're wearing is far too conspicuous. Nobody wears clothes like that anymore..."
Erica said.
"Alright then. When in Rome..."
Phainon nodded helplessly. These clothes were normal on Amphoreus, but in this world, they did stand out.
It was, after all, a modern society...
So Phainon didn't refuse.
It was a pity he hadn't brought a couple of changes of clothes from the previous world when he left. Then he wouldn't have needed to buy any.
Even though a disaster had just occurred, the clothing store was already open.
Life had to go on, after all. Erica led Phainon into the shop.
"Pick anything you like. As a thank you for saving me, I'll cover your expenses."
Erica held a card that looked very prestigious between her slender fingers, smiling faintly.
Hmm, and a little rich girl too...
"Then I'll take this set!"
Phainon pointed at a yellow shirt and purple pants on the wall, speaking without a second thought.
Seeing this, Erica's eyebrow couldn't help but twitch.
"I suggest you pick something else. A combination of yellow and purple... it's hardly a color scheme you see in everyday wear, is it? And it doesn't look good at all!" As a fashionable woman, Erica immediately vetoed it.
"Fine..." Phainon nodded and started browsing again.
This clothing store sold a variety of styles, a dizzying array. For a moment, Phainon didn't know what to choose.
Then, his eyes lit up.
He saw an outfit that perfectly matched his aesthetic.
It was mostly yellow, with purple stripes. But what was even more eye-catching was a large number '24' on it.
"Your taste... is truly earth-shattering... I am now absolutely certain that the Lady Aglaea you mentioned must be a lady with exceptionally excellent taste. Otherwise, I have no doubt you'd be dressed head to toe in yellow and purple..." Erica said, utterly speechless.
"What's wrong with yellow and purple?"
"Anyway, I don't recommend wearing this. After all, the previous owner of this jersey was the Black Mamba... You don't want to inexplicably crash, do you?"
In the end, Erica couldn't take it anymore. Due to Phainon's utterly disastrous taste, Erica chose to personally select his clothes for him.
The final result presented to them both was the Phainon of now.
His sky-blue eyes held a gentle smile. On his upper body, he wore a white shirt with some light blue accents—simple and unadorned, but on Phainon's well-built frame, it looked like it was made for a model.
Even the female shop assistant nearby was looking a bit starry-eyed.
Below, he wore simple black trousers. The shirt was tucked in, but a corner mischievously escaped, adding a touch of playfulness and unruly charm to what should have been a neat and proper image.
On his feet were the simplest leather shoes.
"Hmm... much more pleasing to the eye!"
Erica looked him over. She walked up to Phainon, gently stood on her tiptoes to adjust his collar, revealing the metal cross on a black cord around his neck.
This was the ensemble she had put together for Phainon. Though simple, Phainon himself was handsome enough; he didn't need extra adornments.
Just standing there, Phainon attracted the gazes of the women around him.
Whether teenagers or married women in their twenties and thirties, upon seeing Phainon's gentle, smiling face, they couldn't help but show expressions of pleasant surprise.
Erica was no exception.
However, her control over her expression was strict, suppressing the slight flutter in her heart.
These clothes suited Phainon perfectly.
"Well, as expected of me. This outfit is impeccable!"
Snapping her fingers lightly, Erica said with a smile.
"The clothes I picked were pretty good too..."
Phainon was still somewhat attached to his yellow-and-purple combo, muttering under his breath.
"No! Absolutely not! Your taste has transcended the understanding of normal people!"
"Alright, now that the clothes are picked, it's time to set off. With my injuries, I can't fight at full strength. It would be terrible if enemies showed up again."
With that, Erica directly led Phainon towards the home of the witch of Sardinia.
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T/N: The kobe bryant diss is actually insane…also fym italians have a natural streak of romance, that shi sounds like a bad excuse to have erica fall for phainon. (tbh id fall in love frfr)
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.