Can the Regalia be stolen? The theft of the Regalia by Alec was almost unanimously described as impossible by members of the community, including Boyzilla. Let me remind you that Elizabeth Bathory (a-13-years old gothic lolita) stole the Regalia in Fate Extella (and... ate it... yes, she's not the sanest Servant in the Fateverse). And if I start with this example, it's not without reason... I mean, even she can do it. This is not a big feat.
Let me also remind you that no version of Hakuno kept the Regalia in Fate Extella, Nero, Tamamo, and Altera appropriating the three fragments... Not only is it said nowhere that only Hakuno can touch the Regalia but she's not the only one who can use it. The Moon Crux (the transformation of Tamamo and Nero to make them more powerful) is a use of the Regalia by the two Servants that completely contradicts this statement. Note that Altera cannot use the Moon Crux... This seems to prove that there is some kind of security system that prevents the Moon Cell's enemies from using the Regalia.
And, finally, Archimedes' plan in Fate Extella is entirely based on the robbery of the Regalia. If it was impossible to separate Hakuno from the Regalia or if there was no way for him to use the Regalia... do you think Archimede (the most logical individual in the entire Fate universe) would have tried?
Now, even if everything I've just written is canonic, I agree... its all nonsense. The Regalia (the dashboard of the Moon Cell Automaton) is too easy to steal and use... it's a big weakness of the Fate Extella scenario.
Why doesn't Ishtar use her Noble Phantasm to kill Luo Hao? Yes, it would be very effective except that... An Gal Tā Kigal Shē is an anti-mountain Noble Phantasm and Japan is mountainous... If the Noble Phantasm is used in such an environment it will destroy everything... the mountain, the nearby towns, Shirou, Hakuno...
I overestimate the Campiones and underestimate the Goddess of the Fateverse? I've already answered this question in the last chapter. Let's start again. You're right, the goddesses of the Fateverse are more powerful than the Campiones. Normally they should easily win. But the key word is 'normally'. Campiones are a challenge to normalcy. I also note that many readers seem to underestimate the Campiones. Alec moves at the speed of light (It can circle the planet eight times in a second). The tornadoes created by Luo Hao can hunt down their opponents and ravage the forest, destroying the HQ of the Circle.
Can ordinary magic kill the gods in the Campioneverse? Probably, Alexander Gascoigne was a normal mage before he killed the fallen Angel Ramiel. We see Athena using attack spells during her fight against Erica (discharges of dark purple energy) when the goddess seeks the Gorgoneion. However, there are very few examples of attack spells in the anime probably because they are useless against Campiones. Likewise, Erika and Liliana used their swords in combat and her magic only for support action. During the fight against Athena, Erica can repel the magic attacks with Cuore di Leone before the goddess broke her sword. It establishes quite clearly a hierarchy. Normal magic is inferior to magical weapons and Divine Authorities are superior to magical weapons.
How much time does Shirou need to Trace a sword? Very little in fact... the problem is the cost in prana. To simplify (no need to start yelling at me because it's not exactly that, I don't want to write two pages of explanation, so I simplify) Tracing is a method to create an 'image' of an object (usually a weapon), but also its history, its manufacturing process, up to the talent of the person who wielded the weapon. If Shirou takes his time, he can Trace an almost perfect replica. Nevertheless, most of the time, it traces weapons in the midst of battle... and so he must hurry. The more it rushes, the more the cost in prana increases, and the more likely it is that the weapon will be improperly Traced. Furthermore, Shirou cannot use Archer's Aria to reduce the cost to Trace a sword. Until he creates his own Aria, Shirou will be limited (no pun intended) in his use of Unlimited Blade Work. Note that I never said that Shirou could not materialize a powerful Noble Phantasm simply by saying "Trace On". I said it would be prohibitive.
The War of the Three Kings
Athena fell softly to the ground. Without staying still for a moment, she jumped to the side... where she had stood appeared Luo Hao. The Campione struck the ground, fanning the earth with her fist, creating a large crater in the ground.
She had already disappeared, leaving behind her only a blurred image.
This was the Terrain Reduction art (Shuukuchi) an ancient Daoist magical art allowing moving across dozens of meters within an instant, a kind of short-range teleportation spell.
The Greek goddess of wisdom blocked Luo Hao's attack with the stem of her scythe and jumped back. Swirling her weapon, she counterattacked but... The Devil King had again disappeared.
In a tense mood, Athena looked around her, squeezing her scythe. Nevertheless, Luo Hao had decided a change of tactic.
"—A fish lives in the northern ocean, its name is the Kun! The Kun is so large, no one knows how many thousands of miles long it is. Transforming into a bird, its name is the Peng! The Peng's back is so vast, no one knows how many thousands of miles wide it is. Flying furiously, its wings are like clouds filling up the sky!
It was not an Authority it was 'ordinary' magic.
But the result impressed the goddess.
Luo Hao had just transformed into a huge bird! The Peng is this mythical bird that the Indians call Garuda and the Arabs call Rock. Its endurance was famous, the philosopher Guo Xiang said that the Peng could fly for half a year to reach the Celestial Lake.
The gigantic bird plunged towards the earth as its wings flapped like a hurricane.
The wind began to swirl, breaking the trees, and tearing them from the ground.
Without any consideration as to the collateral's damages she caused the Campione attacked.
"Those that are evil, and those that are strong, fear me, for I have wings. For my wings will punish you for your curse. And those that are evil will not be able to touch me!"
With these words, Godou Kusanagi had just called upon one of the Ten Incarnations of Verethragna: the Raptor. The Raptor (Bird of Prey) form was giving Godou godspeed, or god-like speed, as well as a body of extreme lightness.
He ran to Athena, lifted her in his arms, and crossed the forest at an impossible speed, slaloming between the trees.
Arriving in the meadow surrounding the forest, he placed Athena on the ground, without paying attention to the red that had suddenly appeared on the cheeks of the goddess... who struggled to keep her face impassive.
In the sky, the Peng bird had seen the intervention of the Campione and was turning towards it.
"Godou Kusanagi, by what right do you take her prey from this Luo Hao?"
The Peng's voice sounded like thunder, shaking the hills.
It really was impressive but Godou was not afraid, on the contrary, he smiled of excitement. It reminded him of his first encounter with a Heretic God. At the time, he had followed Erica Blandelli as she interposed between Verethragna and Melqart.
As the Italian knight stood beside him, supporting Ena Sheishuuin, he smiled at her before looking at the giant bird circling in the sky.
"It is my duty. I am the king of these islands. I defend the peace of its inhabitants and I fight those who put them in danger, whether it is the Heretics Gods or the Campiones. If you attack the people of Japan, you are my enemy, King Luo Hao."
The huge bird seemed a little thoughtful and looked at Erica Blandelli, remembering what she had told her a few minutes earlier.
"I am hypocritical? Perhaps..." The head of the immense bird then turned to Godou. "But you are a traitor. You protect a Heretic God, how can you call yourself Campione if you protect a Heretic God?!"
"I never asked for this title, King Luo Hao. I don't complain about having received it or the powers and responsibilities that go with it. But I don't intend to stop being me. I also have no intention of killing someone or letting someone be killed in front of my eyes if I can avoid it. Moreover, Athena and I have a common history. She considers me her prey. This probably means that Athena is my prey too. In this case, you have the gut to come to MY territory to steal MY prey, and you're giving me a lecture?. So yes, Erica's right, you're a hypocrite."
The silence lasted a few seconds, the Ruler of the Martial Art was not used that someone stands up to her.
"Are you ready to test your resolve against this Luo Hao, young Rakasha Raja?"
Godou glanced at Athena. She firmly held her scythe, ready to fight. Ena and Erika seemed equally determined.
It wasn't the first time he faced another Campione to protect someone he knew. Like Duke Voban, Luo Hao seemed to seek a challenge worthy of her. Well, Godou was willing to give him that pleasure if it would prevent people from dying.
Athena ate at my table and slept under my roof. Hospitality is sacred. I would not leave my host alone when she is in danger. I take up your challenge, King Luo Hao"
"In this case... "
In the spirit of Godou, nine gold medallions set around a central medallion appeared, the symbol of the Ten Incarnations of Verethragna. He abandoned the Raptor without regret. This avatar of the Persian god of war quickly exhausted him, giving him pain in the chest. And - above all - it would hardly be useful in a confrontation against a giant bird.
The medallions rotated like a moving wheel.
A new avatar replaced the Bird of Prey in the upper position.
Of all the 'wives' of Godou Kusanagi, Yuri Mariya was the only non-combatant. Although she was able to use healing magic or divination, the young Hime-Miko was out of place in the middle of a fight. She had thus moved away from the ongoing battle, waiting for the moment when she could prove useful.
As she wandered randomly, her eyes had briefly lit up with a green glow and an aura of the same color had surrounded her. The Memory of the Void gave her a vision.
"15 Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the works of God; let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare?"
As a Hime-Miko, Yuri had knowledge in many religions. She recognized these verses from the Book of Job describing the demon Behemoth... Behemoth? He wasn't there... unless one of the Campiones present, Luo Hao or Black Prince Alec, killed that demon and took one of his Authorities.
Precisely, during her trance, her steps had led her to the immense structure that the English Campione had created.
Yuri Mariya frowned... a door?
The young woman pressed on, now she was almost running.
Yes, between two statues representing a sitting Minotaur, there was a rectangular opening. It looked like a door... a titanic door, taller than a tree. Except that the space between the two lintels was occupied by a whirlwind of darkness! The air whistled drawn into the Black Hole, making the Miko's clothes snap around her.
Cautiously, Yuri decided not to approach further, fearing that the suction effect would tear her off the ground.
It was only then that the Hime-Miko realized that she was not alone.
A young woman with glasses, a Westerner, stood at a distance from the door. Like Yuri, she was studying the Black Hole.
About to speak, Yuri was interrupted by the sudden blaze of the sun. Turning around, she saw the clouds tearing apart and the sun's rays metamorphosing into a fire stallion descending from the sky with an angry whinny.
The 'second wife' of King Godou recognized an Authority of her 'husband'...
The Ten Incarnations of Verethragna were powerful Authorities. The Persian god of war had been considered invincible because he could instantly change an incarnation to another with different powers and weaknesses.
But of course, they had to be used intelligently.
And since he became a Campione, Godou Kusanagi had demonstrated a certain talent for drawing up plans.
The Peng was a legendary animal described as a fish larger than a whale or bird according to the stages of its life. A being born of water... moreover its name means 'friend of fishes'. To counter water, nothing was better than an avatar linked to the element fire.
On the representation of Ten Incarnations, the White Stallion now occupied the top position.
Godou quickly uttered the words that called this Authority:
"Come to me, for the victory! Immortal Sun, lend me a quick, shining steed. Fire of the Sun that dispels the dark, may it engulfs you!"
Luo Hao did not know fear but... seeing the White Stallion... the Ruler of Martial Art understood that using the Peng had been a strategic mistake. This body was too big to dodge, too slow to escape the Stallion.
All he had to do was endure the attack... after all the Peng was renowned for its endurance and resistance!
The White Stallion was Godou's most destructive authority. Nevertheless, he could only use it against those who had committed great sins against the people... If the Peng was like the invincible shield of legend, the Stallion was like the halberd that broke all the shields.
What if the inexorable halberd was used against the invincible shield?
The search for the answer gave rise only to a series of absurd paradoxes.
Except that the limitation that conditioned the use of the White Stallion was also the Authority's main strength. The more the target had sinned against the people, the more powerful the White Stallion became.
The Advocate of Ultimate Brute Force had made great mistakes, destroying a vast building, killing its inhabitants, devastating the forest and a peaceful tourist site, and endangering the inhabitants of a nearby town. And that was only the most recent of her 'exploits'...
The sky seemed to explode under a discharge of golden light.
Yuri Mariya looked away from the explosion of golden flames and turned toward the young woman. Her instinct warned her that he was not an ordinary individual. She was an attractive woman with glasses and bright red hair, wearing feminine business attire.
Leaning politely the Hime-Miko joined hands.
"Excuse me, but you can't stay here it's dangerous."
At first, surprised the young redhead smiled with irony.
"Thank you for warning me but... "
She pointed to the fire that the use of the White Stallion had just started in the hills.
"... it's pretty obvious."
Yuri refrained from sighing. Wherever her King intervened, he changed the landscape drastically.
"May I ask who you are?"
The redhead did not have time to answer, someone was faster. Yuri turned around, recognizing the voice of Akamatsu Touma. The liaison between the 7th Campione and the History Compilation Committee had just come out of the forest, going to them:
"Annie Charlton is an agent of King John Pluto Smith."
The young redhead put her glasses back in place in a gesture that was certainly a tic.
"That is correct. I apologize for arriving without notice but my King has asked me to investigate the recent events in Japan. But don't worry, King John Pluto Smith has no intention of intervening... unless innocent people are put in danger. I doubt it would be wise for a fourth Campione to come forward. A battle between three Devil Kings and three Heretic Gods is already too likely to degenerate into unmanageable chaos."
Annie Charlton turned towards the entrance to the Labyrinth.
"I guess it's one of Black Prince Alec's Authorities who's keeping us out."
Yuri agreed and quickly summarized his vision.
"According to the documents that the Witenagemot sent us about King Alexander Gascoigne," began Akamatsu Touma, "he would indeed have won this Authority after his fight against the Christian Beast Behemoth. I think it's an Authority called Wandering Avarice and can manifest as a Black Hole up to 30 meters in diameter."
Annie nodded.
"I see. In that case, I think we can't get into the Labyrinth to find out what's going on inside. King Alexander and the Heretic Goddess Ereshkigal are all alone."
"In fact... no."
King John's agent and Akamatsu Touma turned to Yuri Mariya. The Hime-Miko felt a little nervous about all this attention but answered the implicit question.
"A teenage girl was trapped in the Labyrinth during her training."
"Weird," noticed Annie, frowning. "I thought Black Prince Alec had perfect control over this Authority, that he could trap whoever he wanted and exclude others..."
She left the rest of her sentence non-spoken, but her face was worried. Alexander Gascoigne did not have the reputation of being violent or cruel... nevertheless, his morality was questionable. He had no sense of other people's property and frequently 'borrowed' powerful magic objects...
Ereshkigal quickly drew three new arrows with the Boat of Heaven. Black Prince Alec disappeared, briefly turning into a flash of black lightning, before reappearing near the wall at the other end of the room. Once again he was content to dodge the attacks without seeking to counter-attack.
This made Ereshkigal more and more nervous.
The Queen of the Netherworld felt that one thing had eluded her... a detail that was not just a detail... She looked at Alexander Gascoigne. The Campione was perfectly calm, attentive but not afraid. Nevertheless, he was passive, abandoning the initiative completely.
Ereshkigal hesitated briefly and loaded three new arrows into Maanna's barrel.
Again, the walls collapsed in the explosions, craters opened in the ground. But before each shot, Alec Gascoigne turned into black lightning and instantly rematerialized at the other end of the room.
Why would he not flee to hide somewhere in the maze if he could not fight?
Maybe this Authority only allowed him to move over a short distance... unless... unless Gascoigne wanted the fight to continue in this room.
With a hesitation, Ereshkigal lowered the arrow she was about to load.
She had fallen into a trap... but of what kind? The goddess looked around her, the walls chipped, smoking... and on the ground was a magical circle drawn with blood. The Goddess of Death flinched.
Alec had followed her gaze and smiled.
"Ah, I think you just figured it out... but a little late, unfortunately. You've done enough damage for me to summon them... "
Alexander Gascoigne was silent for a brief moment and then resumed his speech, but he was no longer speaking to Ereshkigal.
"Megaera the demon, Tisiphone the avenger, Alecto the relentless retrieve the curse and execute vengeance!"
The three Judging Furies materialized in the room. The Erinyes attacked immediately with their whips.
The Erinyes were horrible monsters. Like the gorgonians, their hair was snakes. Winged, they pursued Ereshkigal into the labyrinth, attacking him with their whips and burning torches. The most hideous detail was the tears of blood s which flowed on the cheeks of the horrible deities of vengeance.
Using Nergal's spear, Ereshkigal blocked Alecto's attack but only had time to leap back to dodge Tisiphone (or was it Megaera?).
The Goddess of the Netherworld clenched her teeth in frustration, she was completely dominated. If necessary, she could have faced anyone of the three goddesses and defeated her... two goddesses it would have been difficult... but the three of them, simultaneously? (1)
When the third Fury attacked screaming, Ereshkigal could neither block nor trim... the whip hit her back and she screamed in pain.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the weapons of the Erinyes were not intended to kill... at least to kill quickly. Gripping her teeth, Ereshkigal backed away, feeling the blood running down her back. The Furies' whips were Flagellum, the judicial whip used in ancient times to punish thieves and rebel slaves. Consisting of several leather bands with lead beads, it inflicted particularly painful wounds.
The Goddess of the Dead invoked several replicas of Nergal's spear and threw them at the three sisters. This offered her an opening. She took the opportunity to escape.
Faster than the Erinyes, Ereshkigal distanced the Goddesses of Vengeance and took advantage of the brief respite to summon Maanna. The Boat of Heaven made it possible to move instantly thanks to a 'Stargate'. Ereshkigal disappeared... and rematerialized in another part of the Labyrinth.
In her hand appeared the Seer's Crystal Ball.
The Queen of the Underworld couldn't win against the Erinyes, not without a plan.
But she was not alone in the Labyrinth, and the other prisoner was famous for her ability to turn the most desperate situations in her favor.
Hakuno Kishinami was wandering through the maze.
The Victor of the Moon was not alone in these interlaced corridors. She had heard explosions on several occasions and rumors of combat. Hakuno had tried to approach the confrontation... but in a maze, it was obviously not easy.
She had just entered a square room. Along the walls, in addition to the usual red half-columns, she saw several alabaster statues depicting young men armed with spears and shields.
It was a dead-end... another one... About to turn around, Hakuno saw a disc of blue light appear in the middle of the room. The strange bow-boat of the Mistress of Heaven came out.
"Ishtar?"... then realizing that the goddess had blond hair, Hakuno makes a Head Tilt... "Ereshkigal?"
Accustomed to the lack of expressiveness of her friend, the Goddess of the Netherworld was able to decipher quite well the rare signs showing an emotion... And there the Victor of the Last Lunar's Grail War was 'confused' at last as confused as Hakuno Kishinami could be.
"Um... I'll explain later but..."
Suddenly, Ereskgikal fell, landing quite violently on the buttocks. When she got up, massaging her sore bottom, Ereshkigal wore again her usual black outfit and red cape. As for Maanna, it was finishing to dissipate into particles of blue prana. Ishtar had woken up. In itself, it was good news... but it really wasn't the right timing! However, Ereshkigal used to... her sister always complicated her life. It was always like that... Ishtar had everything, she was free and Ereshkigal was locked in a dark place with no way out.
Finally, it could be worse. Well, at least now, she was no longer alone.
"Hakuno, I need your help."
Shaking her hands on her chest, the teen girl nodded her head decisively. Ereshkigal felt that a weight had just been lifted from her heart. It was what was both wonderful and terrifying with Hakuno. She asked no question, nor did she show any doubt. The faith she had in her rare friends was absolute.
This trust was a terrible burden for those who loved her. Because it required as much dedication.
The worst was that Hakuno was unconscious of setting her standards of trust so high... because, in fact, it was the complete opposite. Despite her immense intelligence, she was just incredibly naive. She asked nothing in return
In the Moon Cell Grail War Hakuno and her had made an excellent team... and even Buddha had failed to defeat Hakuno. Alexander Gascoigne would soon understand that he had made a huge miscalculation...
The Campione had stolen the Regalia and left Hakuno unattended.
In his mind, the only interest of the teenager was this 'magic ring'. The Campione had not even wondered how Hakuno had won it.
He had cataloged her as insignificant and had immediately forgotten her. But all those who had underestimated Hakuno had paid dearly for this fault...
Godou Kusanagi approached the huge crater, thirty meters in diameter and more than a hundred meters deep, created by the White Stallion. The smoke that remained around the site of the explosion made it impossible to clearly distinguish the bottom. Moreover, the forest was also on fire. The Japanese teenager was overcome with remorse... why did it always end like this!? This time again he had completely destroyed a tourist site... the hill covered with pink flowers had disappeared.
He then looked towards Athena... the goddess had no good memories of the previous use of this Authority by Kusanagi. She had been at the center of the explosion. The goddess of wisdom seemed pensive.
Oddly Erica Blandelli shone.
"Once again, my King has made his mark on the world."
Goudou did not take this as a compliment.
"You talk about it like I'm doing it on purpose! It's an accident... like the other times, by the way."
"But I know it, Godou... the Coliseum in Rome, the Tokyo Tower, and now the hill of pink flowers... you will remain famous as Alaric or Attila, your name will never be forgotten."
"Uh... is Alaric the Visigoth king who looted Rome in 410 of the Christian era," asked Godou.
He was the grandson of a famous archaeologist specializing in Greek and Roman civilizations, he had excellent historical knowledge.
the blonde Italian nodded proudly.
"When visiting the ruins of the Agora in Rome, tour guides often tell us that it was Alaric who had overthrown the columns and mutilated the statues. It's a legend, but it's been told for centuries. There are even several paintings from the nineteenth century that show Alaric busy ravaging Roman temples and palaces. You are the modern Alaric, Godou."
Now completely depressed, Godou sighed... he no longer had the strength to protest.
Nevertheless, the Campione forgot his concerns about his reputation when he saw a strange flying construction approaching the crater. He frowned. He had already seen this object, a kind of double bow in gold and blue lacquer... Yes, it was the strange vehicle he saw the day Ishtar and Ereshkigal arrived. According to Erica, it was probably the Boat of Heaven, Ishtar's lunar ship, one of her Authorities.
Maanna stopped a few centimeters from the ground. Godou could clearly see the Goddess of Venus and her passenger, a teenager a little older than him a redhead with a lock of white hair.
Before he could speak, Liliana Kranjcar landed close to him. Although capable of flying, she was significantly slower than Ishtar and had fallen behind. The Campione asked her to make peaceful approaches with the Goddess of war. Since Ishtar didn't attack, obviously Lili had managed to convince her that he did not want to fight.
There was a moment of tense silence and then the young woman dressed in a white loincloth with pigtailed hair spoke. With her arms crossed, she seemed in a very bad mood.
"Where is Luo hao?"
"Um... at the bottom of the crater?"
Godou's answer was not to be what Ishtar expected because she blinked, open-mouthed in amazement.
The Devil King took the opportunity to speak again.
"Am I in the presence of Ishtar, Babylonian goddess of love and war?"
Ishtar uncrossed her arms and proudly touched her chest with one hand with a smile of superiority:
"Indeed, you have the honor of being in the presence of the most famous goddess of the Mesopotamian pantheon. All have feared and venerated me. I am the splendid Queen of the Heaven... and that no one speaks to me about how I appear in the Epic of Gilgamesh... that idiot gilded-edged Uruk King told horrors about me. And don't ever mention Ishtar into the netherworld in front of me. This was written by my sister to make fun of me."
The redhead behind Ishtar looked at her with a little discomfort.
"Uh... Ishtar... did anyone say anything nice about you?"
The goddess quickly turned to the young man, patting his shoulder. She feigned amusement but all present could see the vein of her temple that pulsated furiously, betraying the bad mood of the goddess.
"Shirou, do me a favor... shut up."
"Oh... uh... okay," replied the one who was known as Shirou. He could have added that it was she who had evoked a sore topic, but he contented himself with sighing... Even after becoming a goddess, Rin remained Rin.
Ishtar turned to Godou, Athena, and the 'harem' of the Campione. She had a big, very artificial smile on her lips.
"Ah ah ah... well that's not the point." She coughed in her fist." I guess you're Godou Kusanagi, the 7th Campione. The Honorable Athena and Knight Liliana Kranjcar told us about you. They told us a lot of good things."
The Devil King bowed slightly, one hand on his heart.
"Indeed, I am Godou Kusanagi. It is a joy to meet you, despite the circumstances."
Ishtar nodded.
"The reciprocity is equally true. It seems that you fought King Luo Hao, may I ask why?"
He answered immediately, without thinking... and sincerely.
"She attacked Athena, that is reason enough for me."
Seeing the silver-haired schoolgirl-like goddess looking away to hide the sudden redness of her cheeks, Ishtar had her first real smile.
"You really are not an ordinary Campione."
"An ordinary Campione? That doesn't exist," replied Godou, laughing.
The Godslayer would probably have added something, but a sudden tremor made the surroundings of the crater vibrate, accompanied by the noises of the stones falling into the void. As everyone turned to the epicenter of the 'seism' they saw Luo Hao - still in the form of a Peng- coming out of the rubble.
The giant bird turned for a moment in the sky and then landed a little lower. In a bluish light, the bird was diluted in the air, returning to nothingness.
In its place stood now the Ruler of the Martial Art. The Chinese Battle Junkie was smiling, visibly in a good mood:
"Bravo, King Godou. Excellent attack!"
The Japanese Campione sighed... he didn't really hope to have defeated Luo Hao, but he still thought his best attack had weakened her. That was clearly not the case...
Surprisingly, the Chinese martial Art walked past him and greeted him with a simple nod.
"I recognize your strength, Young Campione. This Luo Hao apologizes. She has shown a lack of courtesy. Athena is your prey and this Luo Hao had no right to attack her without permission from the Wakoku (2) King."
Godou would have been relieved if... if the Battle Freak did not walk straight towards Ishtar.
"But this Luo Hao has already started a fight against this Heretic Goddess. She refuses to be deprived of her victory."
The Chinese Campione and the Mistress of Heaven were now looking at each other like two fighting roosters ready to kill or be killed.
Mentally, Godou was reciting all the insults he knew... why he never manage to settle things peacefully?
He just wanted a normal life!
(1) We have here a perfect example to show that Campione's Authorities were not as pathetic as some readers believe. Judging Furies has several possible uses. One of them is to invoke the Erinyes to "punish" whoever attacks Alexander Gascoigne. Canonically each Erinyes receives 70% of the strength demonstrated by the attacker during his aggression. So, in this chapter, the three Erinyes have 210% of Ereshkigal's power then she usurps Ishtar's Authorities.
Many Authorities operate on the same principle. Their power depends on what they are opposed to. For example one of the Ten Incarnations: The Bull... The Bull gives Goudou a strength equal to that of any supernatural opponent. Godou would therefore be able to fight... Berserker Heracles on an equal footing!
Other Authorities, such as the White Stallion, punish those who have committed crimes against the people or the gods. In this case, the more serious the sin the more powerful the Authority... imagines if Godou used it against a tyrant responsible for the death of millions of people!
The power of the White Stallion would be strengthened by the anger and suffering of millions of people.
The result would probably be the level of an anti-army Noble Phantasm Ex-Rank!
(2) Chinese traditional name for Japan.