Iconoclast

by Valorant

What do you call someone who defies all odds to obtain victory? Someone who defies the wheel of fate? Someone who fights against overwhelming power? Someone who is foolish enough to slay a god? Champion. AU Campione!

5. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The works of Campione! and other used series are the sole property of their respective owners.

I'm back. If any of you thought, I had abandoned this story I don't blame you. But rest assured I'm committed to this project of mine. If anything, I'll at least give warning if I do decide to cancel it. Still, this took way longer to get out than I thought it was going to. There were several reasons for this.

One was actually writing the chapter itself. I hit a bit of writer's block after the prologue, even though I mapped out what I wanted to do. Then I was working on mapping out future content while thinking of how to write the chapter. It's actually a process in itself, but despite the time it takes, it helps me see if any of my ideas or concepts are going to run into issues.

Then I was withholding publishing the chapter as I was trying to find a beta reader to partner with. That took some time, but fortunately, I managed to find one through a contact of mine. Hopefully with their help I can polish up this rough stone into a fine gem.

Speaking of contacts, the one I mentioned happens to be an artist. Their profile name is Eveyln Addison2. They've created a few fantastic pieces for me. Granted you can't see them here on FFN. If you want to see them, you'll need to follow me over to Questionable Questing. Or if you're interested, you can go to their profile page here on FFN and they'll have a description of a link for Art Station. Evelyn really does have talent, so if you want something illustrated for your own purposes, I recommend giving them a chance.

I think I'll take a moment to explain something about Iconoclast, before we fully immerse into the story. This will be my take on a Campione(!) and High School DxD crossover. Meaning this will be my interpretation of both series, including mechanics, lore, and characters. I mentioned it before but it's worth saying again. This will be a heavily AU crossover, so canon will not be strictly followed. For example, the likes of Great Red and Ophis don't exist within the story's universe. Likewise, I'm disregarding the means behind which Pandora manages the Campione system. I'll be inserting my own world building in place of these and other instances. I like SOME of the concepts from both series, but I've also found a great issues with how both are written. My focus won't be on 'fixing' these issues, but I'll definitely be taking them into account when writing Iconoclast. No promises I do better, but I'll at least be trying.

Also, I'll be trying out shorter chapters in the future. I'm not sure if the sheer size of these ones makes them difficult to digest or not. I might also scrap the shorter chapter thing if I can't get a good rhythm. We'll see how it goes.

Reviews:

TrueNineLives: Indeed, a miserable situation. Though the matter of Jace being a hero is up for debate. He did consider leaving them for dead, but ultimately tried to save them, albeit for a self-centered reason. Nonetheless, they were going to die no matter what Jace did. Ironically, despite the horror of such circumstances, it might have been far kinder being instantly cremated, compared to being eaten alive.

rharper909: I'll admit it was bit dark for an opening, but I have my reasons. One was just so Jace could comprehend just how dangerous his Authority was. I'm glad to hear you found the presentation of said Authority engaging. There's more than meets the eye with this ability.

plums: I think this is the first substantially negative review(s) I've received since I started writing. Which I don't mind, constructive criticism can be helpful. But I do have to say something. If someone wants to say they don't like my story that's fine. Just don't expect me to shift my whole writing style and priorities just because it doesn't suit your tastes. Also, if my work upsets you, please don't read it. That's not healthy. I'd rather have less viewership than have somebody force themselves to read something that genuinely upsets them.

Now as to the objections raised, I'll go over a few. Iconoclast doesn't take place in a purely Campione or DxD universe, it's set in a crossover verse. The extent of this crossover will be explored later. As for Jace ending up in Tunisia, there were several of reasons for it. One it gets him relatively close to where he needs to go next and gives him a reason to travel to said location. Beyond that in-universe logic that will be explained at appropriate times, dictated him landing in Africa.

Spoilers:

We get a minor fight in terms of importance, which gives Jace more questions that need answered. If I remember correctly God-slayers aren't blade proof in the original canon. But I wanted the Campione to be tough enough to handle the threats they'll be facing on even footing. There will be other additional enhancements Campione receive upon being 'reborn'.

Jace finally manages to find someone who seems to know what's going on. It just happens to be a certain bellicose blond knight. They also happen to have a minor disagreement which ends up in a minor fight. These two will have some interesting chemistry.

Can't forget Godou. Why is he here? I wanted a foil to Jace's brusque mannerisms and behaviors. The Kusanagi heir just so happens to fit the bill. He'll have a role just beyond being the ferry for an important(temporarily) plot device. He will not become a Campione at any point, so there's no confusion.

As usual please leave a review or PM me if you have any questions. Yes, even if it's just to say you don't like my work.

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Iconoclast

Human Rising Arc

Chapter 1: Gathering

Sometimes you meet the strangest people. Someone who stands out from the crowd. Knightly, indifferent, or naive, they leave a lasting impression.

(Waters near Cagliari, Sardinia, March 23rd, 2024)

Jace was heavily displeased. Oh, his fortunate following the disaster at the farming village had certainly shot up. He had not only managed to find passage across the Mediterranean, but he had also secured it for free. How?

Simple. The captain of the vessel currently transporting the giant of a man, was bluntly a human trafficker. The captain and his crew smuggled the poor, desperate, and other dregs of humanity from all around the lower Mediterranean to the more prosperous regions of the sea's northern boundary. Now, that was a risky business, and as such the captain usually only transported his 'cargo', for a hefty fee.

Jace though, had negotiated a deal for transport. If he was taken to the nearest European port, avoiding border control along the way, he would use his connections in the Russian crime world to secure the captain favorable business. Jace could do this, though it would burn up all the favors he had gained. Jace reasoned it was acceptable, considering his circumstances. If he attempted to do it the legal way, he would be in a world of shit. Some countries were, touchy, about foreigners who entered illegally. And Jace had definitely done so illegally, though not of his own accord. That would not matter to the authorities of Tunisia, and he seriously doubted the Russian Federation would be keen on aiding him. Not for a person of Jace's social status and illicit occupation. He did not even want to imagine the place of confinement he would be sent to, if he spoke of how he entered the African continent. No, it was better to do it this way.

All those things considered, Jace should have been relieved he was at least making progress in getting back to a place where things made sense. Yet, he was not. Why?

Simple. Because the crew of the vessel were bluntly human traffickers. And of course, being such unscrupulous individuals, they were attempting to renege on the deal Jace had negotiated. Essentially, they wanted more immediate compensation, instead of promised future dividends.

Jace sighed as he leaned back onto the railing emerging from the ship's hull. Four men stood across from him. They were much smaller than Jace, none of them reaching 1.83m(6ft). But there were four of them, so they were confident of their numbers, if not of their ability to physically intimidate the Russian giant. That and they were armed.

Jace could tell with certainty they were armed. The way they would occasionally pat down their pockets spoke of a concealed weapon. Jace assumed they were armed with knives. They might of course have a hidden firearm, but from the way they moved and stood, they lacked the propped-up confidence a gun would inspire. No, it had to be knives.

As the Russian giant stared the men down, he noticed their captain was not among them. Interesting. They might not be on orders of their boss to shake Jace down. If that was the case…

"I made a deal with your boss. I guarantee your business in the future for transit. I don't like it when people go back on their word." Jace's deep, bass rumble washed over the human traffickers. Much like in back in Tunisia, Jace found himself perfectly fluent in a foreign tongue. He did not focus on that though, instead opting to observe the human traffickers before him. A flicker of eyes back toward the room containing the controls for the ship, confirmed this little shakedown was not condoned by their boss.

Of course, the thugs attempted to downplay this. The lead thug, the shortest man, spoke up. "Yeah, and the deal changed boy. Captain wants some more… physical payment just in case you don't pay up later." Jace noted the sickly note of a lie in the man's voice. While he was no lie detector Jace was good at picking out a lie, he had to be. One did not last long in organized crime if you couldn't pick out a basic mistruth. Jace had survived quite well in that environment, so he was quite adept at that particular talent.

"Not buying it. I'm thinking you just want to make a little on the side without your boss's approval. So, no." Jace's dismissive tone caused the thug to blink. Then his face became flush, as the denial processed through his brain.

"You think this is some joke Yankee!" It was an insult, the angry tone of the smuggler clarified that. Jace snorted in contempt, annoyed at the incorrect identification of his nationality. He was no American and would prefer not to be called one.

Calmly, but with a firm tone, Jace rebuked the thug. "I am not American. I'm. From. Russia. Got it." Jace stressed the term for his homeland, making sure in no unclear terms he was understood perfectly. The lead thug seemed prepared to counter verbally, but the glower from the Russian giant choked him up, for the moment. Jace's face set back into a stoic line during the silence that followed. He swept his gaze over the other three men, seeing what their reaction were to his obstinance. Scowls mostly, with a touch of violent intention in their eyes as expected. Well, they were just going to love his next statement, Jace internally mused. "You're wasting your time; I don't have any money or valuables anyways."

Like a wave, disbelief and irritation flowed from one thug to the other as they heard Jace speak. A thug in the back, spoke loudly, not quite shouting, but obviously incensed. "Bullshit!"

Jace merely looked at the man like he was stupid, angering the man even more. The lead thug spoke up after the other thug's outburst, emboldened by his comrade. "Now you're the one lying Russian. No way you have nothing on you, not if you're all this way from home. Give us whatever you have. Now."

Jace, still leaning back on the railing behind him, spoke unharried by the threatening postures of the thugs. "Again, I have nothing but the clothes on my back. Can't give you what I don't have."

The lead thug's scowl only deepened at Jace's apparent refusal to cooperate. "Russian, I'm not going to ask again." His tone was openly threatening.

Jace shrugged, and plainly said "Alright. So. What are you going to do? Because I still don't have anything for you."

The smuggler did not answer verbally. Instead, he reached behind him and pulled out something from his waistband. It was a knife just as Jace had suspected the man was armed with. Six inches of long serrated steel. Now it was pointed straight at Jace.

Jace tilted his head slightly to the side, observing the tangible danger. The other smugglers followed suit, drawing out similar knives. The lead smuggler, readdressed Jace, his tone condescending. "What are we going to do? Cut you a 'little' and then take your shit."

Jace frowned. He started to straighten up to his full height. The smugglers paused for a moment once they remembered just how huge Jace was compared to them. Whatever fear they might have felt was not enough to stop them from continuing with their robbery. Seeing that they were not backing down, Jace decided it was time. "Fine. Have it your way." He simply said.

The lead thug smirked viciously, thinking he had finally cracked the stoic giant. "Good, Russian. Glad you finally understand—" That was a far as the man got with his monologue. Because in the proceeding second, Jace surged forward and attacked.

The Russian giant was not going to stand around and hope his would be robbers would take kindly to him not having any valuables. No. He was going to seize the initiative and neutralize the threat. It would have been impossible a few days ago, but one advantage of his 'restored' body, was that he could move unhindered by his previous injuries. Jace certainly was not going to waste the opportunity presented to him.

So, when he struck, the smuggler right in front of him only had time to understand he was being preemptively attacked. Jace grabbed the man by the wrist holding the knife, then once that was locked down used it to yank the man forward. Right into Jace's oncoming fist.

The crack of bone on bone was audible, a sickening crunch that startled the other smugglers. They were so shocked that they did not move as their comrade hung limply in Jace's grasp. The Russian giant let go of the now unconscious smuggler, letting him fall to the deck of the ship. Jace, seeing that the other smugglers were frozen in shock, unsure of what to do, knew what to do next. He bent down, swiftly snatching up the knife of his would-be assailant.

Jace brought the knife to the fore, between him and the other still conscious smugglers. This time when Jace spoke it was not stoically. He spoke with a spine-chilling cold intensity. "I was hoping to do this without blood, but you threw that out the window. You brought this on yourselves. Might end up killing you, so be ready." Jace did not wait for a retort, instead sprinting toward the smuggler in the middle of the other two. The man seemed to sober up as the threat of the Russian giant homed in on him. He hastily brought his knife up as Jace was nearly in reach.

Then, he blinked rapidly as Jace changed vectors at the last second.

The Russian giant had not intended to after the middle smuggler in the first place. That would have left him exposed to the other two. He merely needed them to believe that was his aim. It was much smarter to go after the most relatively distant smuggler, that way they could only come at him from one direction. The other smuggler was too slow, he only began raising his knife to a position to defend far too late. Jace slammed his foe's knife away with great force, causing it to go flying away from the smuggler. The smuggler, understanding he was defenseless attempted to blindly jump away. Jace's reflexes, not just his strength though, had been augmented along with his body. He reversed the direction of his knife and brought it up in a diagonal arc.

Blood sprayed out, as the smuggler was sliced from his belly to his shoulder. It was not a deep wound, Jace had been too far away to get a deeper cut. But it was a long and painful wound, all the same. It made the smuggler cry out in pain, making him lose his footing. Jace seized on it. Unable to bring the knife in for a finishing move, Jace opted to his lash out his boot instead. The powerful kick sent the man, already falling to the ground, careening back over a meter. Before he could finish the job though, Jace heard the clack of shoes on metal behind him. He brought the knife whirling around, trusting his gut, and parried the oncoming knife from one of the other smugglers.

The two knives clashed, Jace's stronger swing slamming aside the smugglers thrust. It would have been an opening to kill the third smuggler. Unfortunately, Jace was not in position to capitalize on it. His body was still half-twisted when the knives clashed and enhanced reflexes or not, Jace first had to plant his feet in front of him if he wanted to close in. The second it took Jace to do so, allowed the third smuggler to pull back. The fourth smuggler was right behind his comrade.

Now Jace would have to deal with both at once, if he wanted to win this fight. Still, considering it had initially been four on one, halving the opposition was a game changer. Two vs one was not good odds, but it was manageable. Jace brought his knife up in a fighting style he had picked up from years of informal lessons from Englishman and real-life practice. As long as one of the smugglers was not a master knife fighter, the Russian giant had a chance. His resolved hardened Jace stared down the remaining smugglers. "Be ready, I'm about to demolish you." He taunted the two.

The remaining thugs were far less enthusiastic after watching two of their comrades fall. They had underestimated the Russian giant, severely, and did not like their current odds. They briefly considered a peaceful solution to the situation. "Russian, how about we… put our weapons away and forget this happened?" The smuggler right in front of Jace ventured, hoping to smooth over the deadly situation.

Jace tilted his head to the side. His expression was one of careful consideration. Jace did see the benefit of ending the fight now. He did not have to risk bodily harm or death, if he did so at this moment. "Tempting." The Russian giant mused.

A brief glimmer of hope entered the smugglers' eyes, thinking they were safe.

Until Jace dashed that thought. "But no."

The smugglers gasped, surprise overcoming them.

Seeing this Jace scowled darkly. "You think I'm going to trust you? Really? After you broke one deal and threatened to torture me. No. I'm breaking you, now, so you don't come back later looking for payback. And don't bother lying to me, I know your type; you'll be back." His caustic tone caused the smugglers to gulp, as they fully understood the precarity of their situation.

Jace knew better than to let these thugs go without a fight. They would without question come back later for revenge, even if this whole ordeal was their fault. He knew men like these, knew them all too well. The only logical choice was to neutralize them. At least long enough for him to get out of their zone of operation. Did that mean killing them? Maybe. At the very least he was going to make it medically necessary for a hospital visit.

The Russian giant lolled his neck, working out non-existent kinks. Then without warning once again, he started forward. His boots pounded against the deck of the ship, a sharp echoing bang. The smugglers looked at one another, hurried words spewing form their lips as Jace closed in.

"S-Should we run?!" The younger smuggler questioned in a panic.

The older smuggler grimaced, shouting, "Hell no! We'll just get stabbed in the back!"

The younger smuggler's fear only intensified upon his colleagues words. He started jabbering, desperate and unprepared to face a life and death situation. "But it we get the others-" In the rush of his fear, younger smuggler had forgotten just how close Jace had started his sprint to them. He only understood by the time the blur of motion was in the corner of his eye, that Jace was upon him.

The young smugglers eyes widened as the glint of the Russian giant's knife came thrusting towards his neck. The world seemed to slow down as that knife came oh so close to touching the young smuggler's sinew. The world only sped up again as the knife of his companion came into view, turning aside the knife that was supposed to kill him. The young smuggler breathed in deeply, finally aware he'd been holding his breath, as death had homed in on him. His face turned to his fellow, seeing the grim expression on him. A hand, not from Jace, reached out and pulled him back from the Russian giant.

The older smuggler placed himself slightly ahead of his junior in criminality, just in time to parry another stroke of Jace's knife. After that exchange Jace paused his attack, his face gone from bloodthirsty, to inquisitive. The Russian giant spoke, his tone certain and blunt, "You're good. Almost as good as me."

The older smuggler did not respond verbally to Jace. While he kept his eyes on the Russian giant, he spoke to this fellow. "I'll keep his attention, try to get around him." His tone was low, serious, the sound of someone who knows they're walking on a knife's edge.

The younger smuggler still not quite caught up to the fact he had almost died, uncertainly asked "Then?"

A flicker of irritation entered the older smuggler's voice, displeased with his fellow's lack of composure. "Stab. Him. In. The. Spine." He said it slowly, so the words would register in his fellow smuggler's addled mind. The younger smuggler numbly nodded, shakily raising his knife. The older smuggler swallowed, himself, stared down by the intense amber orbs of his opponent. The man tightened his grip on his knife, the feeling of the leather doing little to assuage his nerves. He was good with a knife, but he never fancied a fair fight. He much preferred taking on individuals he knew he could beat handily. But that wasn't an option now; it was either fighting a risky battle or just being gutted like a dog. The older smuggler really hoped the tricks he'd shown his younger colleague had stuck. Otherwise, they were probably screwed.

For a moment no one moved. Jace eyed his foes, as he looked for vulnerability. The two smugglers stayed in position, both expecting Jace to charge them again. Which Jace did do.

Albeit much more slowly.

Jace merely started walking toward the smugglers, his gait unhurried. The severe disparity in action caught the smugglers off-guard. Which was Jace's plan. While it wouldn't produce a victory by itself, using psychological tactics to keep them off guard was beneficial for no other reason than it kept them from effectively coordinating. The Russian giant saw no reason to avoid stacking the odds in his favor. That's how Jace approached the smugglers, till he was practically in front of them.

Then, he struck.

Jace's knife blurred forward, aimed straight at the younger smuggler. The younger smuggler, still shaken, reacted poorly. He partially attempted to leap out of the way, partially block with his knife. If this had been a thought-out attempt it very well could have worked. It was not. As a result, his defense was shoddy at best. Against the skill of the Russian giant, it meant he was getting sliced up. Or would have if not for the timely intervention of his older compatriot. Again, the older man's knife turned aside Jace's blade. But not completely, as the knife's tip still drew a line across the younger man's shirt. The fabric parted to show just how close the man had become to being wounded.

"Move!" The older smuggler hoarsely shouted, seeing his compatriot standing still. That shook the man into action as he did as he was instructed. He took a wide berth around Jace, aiming to get behind the Russian giant. Jace of course, quickly deduced that plan. He turned and back pedaled to keep both of his foes in front of him. But he was swiftly forced to defend himself from the older smuggler, who finally launched his own offensive.

The older smuggler brought his knife into a tight arc, aiming to slice Jace open on his lower abdomen. Jace brought his own knife down from its midway point on his torso, to block the blade. This was dangerous. Simply because deflecting a knife is tough. The speed of a swipe or lunge, the maneuverability due to its compact size and low weight, and less obvious arc, making it a daunting prospect. Jace knew all of this. He did it because he knew he could handle the move.

Jace knew how to fight, he'd been doing it for years. Not just a street brawl, but life and death situations, where you either got good or wound-up dead. As a result, he'd learned well how to read an opponent. Jace could watch an individual move for a little bit and understand how they move. Coupled with his exceptional kinetic vision, Jace could pick apart an attack or defense. Meaning he knew how to adjust his own offense and defense against an opponent. Now that didn't mean he was automatically going to win a fight. Jace was good, but so were others. Jace had to actually try to win if he wanted victory.

So, when the two knives collided, locking them temporarily in position Jace knew he was going to have a time of it. The older-looking smuggler was good, just as he had thought. Instead of foolishly attempting to overpower Jace, the older smuggler let Jace's knife slide off his own, away from his hand. Jace technically held the momentum at this point; he could have launched a counterattack. Except for the fact he was facing two foes, not just one. If he tried to take on the older smuggler, the Russian giant likely wouldn't be able to defeat him before the younger smuggler circled around Jace and delivered a crippling strike. Ideally, he'd take out the less skilled opponent first, so he could concentrate on the more dangerous opponent. But the older smuggler was aware of that and was keeping up the pressure to keep that from happening, Jace understood that.

The Russian giant back therefore had no option but to back step as the younger smuggler began circling around him again. And again, the older smuggler was attacking, attempting to lock Jace in position. The pattern kept going on for a minute straight. Then something changed. The older smuggler saw something, and it caused him to act far more aggressively. To Jace's surprise the man launched a blistering chain of attacks, forcing Jace to face him fully. Now, that wasn't an issue for Jace. The attacks had left the older smuggler over-extended, and therefore open to an attack. Jace could seize that opportunity even before the other smuggler could attack. With the more experienced smuggler out of the fight Jace could focus on the lesser opponent and take him down at his leisure.

It was too convenient. Jace knew something was wrong. The older smuggler would not just leave himself open. Jace supposed the man tiring, would want to take want might be their last opportunity to win the fight. Even Jace made mistakes. But something just felt wrong, Jace just did not know what it was. Still, Jace had to defend from the assault, regardless.

The Russian giant guarded, turning aside all the attacks. Then came the older smuggler's last attack, a hard thrust that brought his knife up high toward Jace's jugular. Jace twisted to avoid it, bringing down his own knife at the same time. The blade slashed into the smuggler's arm, cutting open the flap between his forearm and bicep. Blood splayed out, coating Jace and the older smuggler. Jace wanted to finish the man, but knew the other smuggler was coming. Disengaging, the Russian giant saw the younger smuggler closing in. Jace reversed his grip on his knife, the blade pointing towards the deck of the ship. He brought it forward just in time to shove away the younger smuggler's knife. With the current grip on his knife Jace was able to slice open the back of the man's arm from the wrist joint to the elbow. The young smuggler howled in pain, dropping his knife as he reactively leaped away from Jace.

Jace took in the situation. The more experienced opponent had lost use of one arm, leaving him likely unable to fight on. The other smuggler could still use his arm, but he had dropped his weapon leaving him disarmed. The Russian giant had practically won.

Yet.

Jace knew something was wrong. The more experienced smuggler had essentially sacrificed himself in how he had attacked. The question was why? It could have been to provide an opening for his compatriot. But for some reason that didn't feel right. The man was not stupid, he had to have a strong reason to throw himself at Jace like that. Something was telling Jace the fight was not over yet.

It was just as he heard the metallic clack on the deck that Jace knew he had made a mistake. There were four smugglers when this fight began. He'd knocked one unconscious and wounded another. The Russian giant doubted that the unconscious smuggler had gotten up. But the other one? Jace had completely lost track of the other man during the fight. Well, now Jace knew precisely where he was.

Jace spun. He needed to take the knife away from his vitals. So long as he could manage to avoid the heart and lungs, he had a chance. The other organs were acceptable, he'd survived a stab wound to the kidney before. It would be painful, but pain was an old companion of Jace Armell. Besides, he doubted it could measure up to the agony he had felt in that cave. Yes, he just needed to avoid the heart and lungs. Oh, and the spine of course. If that took a direct hit any place, he was screwed. The question though was could he avoid a lethal hit? Jace had no idea where the man's knife was aimed at. Jace was just going to have rely on luck to carry the day.

Jace waited for the knife pain to erupt. It would take a few seconds for his brain to catch up to the damage. Once he'd braced himself, he'd grab his assailant's weapon arm. The man would likely suspect a direct stab wound would drop Jace. That be the Russian giant's opening. From there he'd just have to kill the smugglers, which should be easy enough. Then… then he would get to that part after he secured his immediate survival.

A pointed force caught Jace in the right side of his upper abdominal. Or one could say his lower ribcage, below the majority of the lungs. So, that's where he got hit. Okay. That was ideal, it should only graze his liver judging from the angle.

Jace could do this.

Jace braced for the pain.

Except it never came.

…

"What the hell?" The sound of shock Jace caused him to turn his head. He could see the entirety of the third smuggler. The man's expression was one of shock. Jace did not know what was going on. What was with this guy? The man pulled back his knife and then that's when Jace saw it.

The blade was clean of blood.

The Russian giant's eyes narrowed. That… should have been impossible. Jace had been stabbed in the side. He had felt it. Or rather he had felt the uncomfortable jab against his ribcage.

The smuggler who had attempted to stab Jace spoke again. "You're wearing armor?" He uttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Jace was definitely not wearing armor.

Jace lifted up the hem of his shirt exposing his torso to the smugglers.

One of the smugglers, Jace was too lost in thought to decide which one, gasped out. "What in God's name?!"

That's what Jace wanted to know. Jace looked down at his knife. A frown formed on his lips. He did not want to but, it was necessary. With an air of grim reluctance, Jace brought his brought his knife hovering over his left arm. And brought the weapon crashing down.

When the tip of the blade utterly failed to penetrate his skin at all Jace understood the situation. Sort of. He was fairly certain there was no manual for discovering your blade proof. But hey, he was not going to complain. That did leave him with an unusual situation.

Jace turned his body just enough so that he could look at each of the conscious smugglers with ease. Their expressions were understandably flabbergasted. Jace nodded as he saw this. Then he placed the knife in his back pants pocket. Once it was secure, he began rolling up his shirt.

One of the smugglers seeing this was roused from their shock, enough at least to numbly start questioning Jace. "What, what are you doing?"

Jace waited till his shirt had cleared his head before answering. When he did, his expression was unreadable for the smugglers. "Taking my shirt off so it doesn't get ruined any worse. I only have the one."

"Ruined?" Another smuggler questioned in confusion.

Jace dropped his shirt in a heap to the ship's deck. "Yeah, when I start taking you apart, I don't want it to get ruined."

All the smuggler's eyes bulged, the severity of the unfinished fight reasserting itself. The last smuggler to speak tried to negotiate, knowing that they could not win anymore. "Sir, Sir! Wait, how about—"

Jace cut him off. "I don't care about whatever you're about to offer." A frowned formed on the Russian giant's face, then he continued. "I've been accosted by some pompous freak, kidnapped by said freak, then transported to who knows where. Pretty sure I died in some magic ritual, then I find myself alive, in AFRICA for who knows why. Save some idiot, only to be rewarded with nearly being eaten alive by some man-beast. Then to top it off I have to deal with you all. Suffice it to say, I am angry. So, I believe I'll be taking some of that frustration out on all of you." Jace's expression turned downright murderous by the time he finished speaking. He withdrew his knife from his pocket and raised it threateningly.

The smugglers were frozen in place by fear as Jace closed in on them.

() (Cagliari, Sardinia March 23rd, 2024)

The wind breezed through the port city, carrying the scent of the ocean. It was a scent Erica had gotten familiar with during her excursions across Italy. Being surrounded by water had given her plenty of opportunities to become well acquainted with coastal life. As it was, she wasn't enjoying the sea though. She was here on business, not for pleasure.

The blond knight looked out the window of the vehicle she was occupying. She was the sea in the near distance, just on the opposite side of the hill her car was climbing. It was a tranquil image, the water was calm and the weather good. Satisfied with that, she decided to withdraw what could only be described as a charm. She brought her hand holding the charm out, the small stone hung limply in her grasp. For a moment. Then, it stirred. This would be rather mundane in most circumstances. But considering there was no wind, and Erica wasn't moving the deep blue gem on her own, something was amiss. It was to the unfamiliar eye, simply a carved hunk of lapis lazuli. But to the initiated, it was something else entirely.

Erica gazed intently as the gemstone dangled from the strings attached to its clasp. It swayed, insistently. It had been the same since she had reached the maximum range of the magic tool. What was essentially a dowsing rod, was attuned to a certain signature of energy. One that was unmistakable from any other. The magic tool's sway had been consistent the whole time she entered Cagliari. The magic tool was pointing definitively toward the port. The blond knight's brows furrowed, as she considered what this meant.

"The sea? One of the ocean then? Could this be what caused the prior incidents?" The blond knight murmured to herself; her voice thoughtful. It was uncertain what exactly the dowsing rod was reacting to. The magic tool unfortunately was quite limited in its capabilities. The item, while useful, had a severe drawback on its use. Namely, the indiscriminate nature of its searching function. It could scan a wide frequency range of its attuned spectrum; as a consequence though it was impossible to tell what exact frequency it was detecting. That left the blond knight with an uncomfortably large variable to deal with.

"Lady Erica, should I keep going?" A voice broke Erica out of her musings.

Shifting her attention from the dowsing rod, Erica was greeted with a familiar sight. A young woman with a complex set of features was looking back at her from a mirror. The young woman was currently driving, the car both her and Erica were residing in churning down a main street of the city. Erica shifted her gaze from the young woman to the port side of the city.

"Yes, keep heading toward the port Arriana. And do get us there quickly. Our target seems to be there." Erica's firm tone commanded Arriana. The young woman with features that did not seem to set firmly in either occidental or oriental form, nodded.

"Right." Arriana responded, as she began snaking through traffic to reach their destination.

Horns began honking as Arriana cut dangerously close to the other drivers. The young woman driving recklessly in the moderate traffic. Erica smiled, well acquainted with and amused with the habits of Arriana when it came to driving. That smile dropped quickly as thoughts of what lay ahead entered her mind. If the worst case scenario was true, the two of them were about to come into contact a Heretic God.

A scowl overtook the blond knight, as her free hand clenched into a fist. Realizing what she was doing, Erica forced herself to relax. She needed to stay calm and rational. As to her knowledge she was the only mage knight in the vicinity; as such it was her responsibility to oversee the developing situation. She could ill-afford to let her personal feelings blind her.

She just hoped that any further disaster was avoidable. Enough life had already been lost to the madness of the gods. She would do everything in her power to prevent further tragedy.

() (Cagliari, Sardinia, March 23rd, 2024)

Godou was lost.

That was the short of it. And being lost in a foreign country, where he did not speak the local language let alone dialect, was a daunting experience. He'd wandered around the regional capital of Sardina for a couple of hours now and had yet to make any headway towards his goal. It should have been simple in theory. All he had to do was return an old stone tablet to its original owner. The problem lay in finding said person. Lucretia Zola. His grandfather had spoke of a villa near Cagliari as her residence. Godou had managed to find the residence… in decaying ruins. Apparently, what had been Lucretia Zola's home had been uninhabited for decades now; well before Godou was even born. Godou had done the reasonable thing and gone to the local municipality and asked if Lucretia was still alive; as she should be somewhere between her late seventies to early eighties. That… had been trying.

After several hours of using a limited Japanese to Italian dictionary to ask the clerks about her circumstances, Godou had found out two things. One that no death certificate had ever been issued for a Lucretia Zola. Two, that rumor had it someone by that name lived in the countryside near the city. Why a rumor? Because it was also alleged the individual in question, dabbled in 'magic'. Godou took that to mean the person was extremely eccentric to the point they spawned rumors about themselves.

Godou found that less than reassuring. Yet it was the only lead he had. Therefore, the Japanese teen spent the next couple hours asking locals about said the eccentric. Which of course, proved as fruitful as a cherry tree in winter. Putting aside the difficulties in communication, no one seemed to have a set story about this Lucretia Zola. It changed each time he asked a person. As a result, Godou was only becoming more lost as time went on.

"Man, how did I end up at the port?" Godou griped, aloud. Without realizing it, he'd managed to walk his way to the seaside. Well, he had not been here yet, maybe he would have better luck finding answers. As he was walking aimlessly around, the Japanese teen found himself drawn to the stone tablet he had in his grip. It was the source of his dilemma. Godou had practically memorized every detail of the tablet since it had entered his possession. And surprise, surprise, nothing had changed yet. It was still the same old tablet. Strangely enough, despite what should have been a centuries-old relic, it looked like it was in pristine condition. The stone was unblemished and wear free. Even stranger still, an eye keen on masonry would note that there were no scoring lines from a chisel or any type of tool. Which should have been impossible, as the etched depiction on it had to come from somewhere.

Godou found himself scrutinizing the depiction. A tall man wearing a tunic, flame held in one hand as a bird, perhaps an eagle, soared overhead. Something about it never set right with him. It was like there was more than meets the eye with it. But whatever that feeling Godou could never find anything wrong with it. Sighing the Japanese teen closed his eyes, wondering how long this was going to take.

It was because his eyes were closed, that as he was walking Godou failed to notice the person he was about to run into. Godou then proceeded to indeed walk right into another person. And promptly fell on his ass. "Owwww." Godou grunted out, as the pain of his tailbone smacking into concrete registered. What kind of wall had he hit?!

"Watch where you're going." A voice deep and definitely annoyed, remonstrated Godou.

Swiftly looking up, Godou saw the 'wall' he ran into. It was a giant. A mountain of muscle and power. The mountain of muscle had to be over two meters (6.6ft) tall! So tall, he seemed to block out the sun from where he imperiously stood over Godou. The Japanese teen thought for a moment the figure before him wasn't human.

How little did he know, he was right.

Godou still stunned by the giant of a man, simply sat there, saying nothing for a moment. When his brain finally kicked in, he stated ineloquently "Oh, man, you're really tall."

The giant's expression shifted ever so slightly, only raising an eyebrow a few millimeters. The dry expression of the giant spoke of long experience dealing with this kind of situation. So, with a tone that was equally dry as his expression, the giant said, "I'm aware." The giant of a man then shook his head, "Whatever, just watch where you're walking. Most people take offense at being run into.", as he further remonstrated Godou.

The Japanese teen sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand not propping him up. "Sorry, got distracted."

"Hmmpf." The giant of a man, snorted, then without saying anything else, began walking away.

As the giant's back turned, Godou finally realized something. They had been speaking in Japanese during the 'conversation'. That meant he could talk to this man!

"Wait, wait!" Godou frantically called out as the giant was making his way somewhere else.

The giant of man stopped in his tracks. He turned his head around to look back at Godou and his expression was an unpleasant one. Gulping Godou gathered his courage and walked up to the giant.

The giant turned fully around once the Japanese teen was in front of him. Crossing his arms, the giant scowled evidently annoyed. He questioned Godou, demanding to know why the smaller man had stopped him. "What do you want?"

Godou nervously smiled, hoping to put the right foot forward, while realizing he'd already made a bad impression. Nevertheless, he started politely, "Sorry about earlier, I really wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I inconvenienced you."

The giant, instead of being mollified, seemed even more annoyed, as his scowl deepened slightly. "Is that it?" He gruffly asked.

Godou while taken aback by the giant's attitude, did not let it disturb him. He was the one who had gotten them off to a bad start and was inconveniencing the other man. Rather than utter another apology though, Godou got straight to the point, understanding it would be the better option. "I wanted to ask you directions to a 'Lucretia Zola's' residence. I tried asking others and well… you're the first person to speak Japanese, so I was hoping we could talk." The Japanese teen politely explained.

The giant was disinterested in talking if his expression was anything to go by. He brusquely stated, "Japanese, right. Well, you're out of luck, I'm not a local. I can't help you."

The Japanese teen frowned dejectedly at the dismissal. "Oh. I see. Well… that's okay. I was just really hoping you could help since I've been having bad luck all morning. This tablet has been a major pain." Godou brought the stone tablet in hand, up to his face, looking at it as if it had personally insulted him.

The giant perked up at seeing it. "What is that?" He asked, his tone strange and far away.

Godou absently answered, "Some old relic my grandfather was given. I'm supposed to give it back to its original owner, but as you can tell, that's not going well." Distracted, Godou never saw the giant of a man, reached out to the tablet, before his hand was grasping it. Godou squawked in indignation as the tablet was ripped from his hands. "Oi!"

The giant ignored the Japanese teen, instead seemingly hyper focused on the tablet he had effectively stolen. "What is this feeling? It's like it's calling to me." He whispered in confusion, as well as hunger(?).

"Oi, give that back!" Godou raised his voice at the giant. He swiftly regretted doing so. The giant's eye's focused, razor sharp on him. The giant advanced, entering Godou's personal space. It was at this moment Godou was keenly aware of the massive size difference between him and this stranger. Godou gulped, realizing be may have erred. Still, he found himself not backing away in retreat. That tablet was his responsibility, he couldn't let it just be stolen. That did not mean Godou was not afraid. Quite the opposite.

Expecting something terrible to happen Godou braced himself. To his surprise he was not threatened or even immediately harmed. Instead, something stranger happened. The giant towering over him… asked him some questions.

"What is this tablet? Why do I have this feeling? Do you know what's happened to me?" The giant spoke with curiosity, as well as frustration.

Godou unprepared for the questioning could only mutter in response. "Eh?"

The giant… did not take well to that. "I said, do you know what's going on here. Answer me." The giant forcefully demanded.

Godou had no answers, because he had no idea what the other man was going on about. Fortunately for Godou, before he had a chance to respond and likely anger the giant of a man more, a blond cut in on the conversation.

()

"You there! Hand over that grimoire!" A female voice shouted authoritatively.

Jace and Godou's heads snapped to the sound. At the source both men saw a blond female. Wearing an eye-catching red dress, with one finger pointed imperiously at Jace, it was unmistakable she was the speaker. As to what she wanted… neither Jace nor Godou could determine that. Jace because while he could understand what he now knew was Italian, had no idea what a grimoire was. Godou on the other hand was confused because he had still did not speak Italian.

Thoroughly confused, the Japanese teen spoke to the blond girl. He doubted she spoke Japanese, so he consciously switched to English. "Uh, I don't understand what you're saying." He stated, his accent thick in the foreign tongue.

Not getting the answer she was seeking the blond frowned uttering, "Can't speak Italian? Fine, I'll try it again in English." The blond muttered a few words to herself, seemingly chanting them. Then when she spoke again, it was in perfect English, even better than Godou's. "I said hand over that grimoire, in the name of the Copper-Black-Cross!"

Jace's eyes narrowed. While he had no idea what this 'grimoire' was, if the blond did, maybe, just maybe, she knew something about what had happened to him. It was pure conjecture, but it was all he had. So, he firmly asked, "You know what this is? Because I don't." in English as well.

The blond was displeased by Jace's choice of words, her sneer made it clear. "Ha! You expect me to believe one of the uninitiated just so happened to stumble upon a grimoire at such a critical time? Do you take Erica Blandelli for an idiot." Erica retorted to what she believed was trickery.

Jace did not respond right away. He was calculating, calculating if this Erica Blandelli was either insane or, if she really might know about his situation. He was going to have to probe for information. "Let's say for the sake of argument yes, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. So, I'm asking you to tell me what it is."

Erica scowled as she began to understand the situation. Playing the authority card on the uninitiated, usually ended with compliance, as they thought her confidence meant she was part of the government. If it wasn't working, it meant one of two things. She was either dealing with someone stubborn or someone with malintent. And given the recent disasters, she was inclined to believe the latter. She swiftly looked at their surroundings, taking notice of any pedestrians. Seeing none, she enacted a little test. If they really were innocent, this test would convince them to hand over the grimoire. If they weren't they would resist.

Jace for his part took notice of the blond's sudden interest in their surroundings. He knew she was about to pull something and considering the way she was standing; he had a good idea of what. Godou on the other hand lacked experience handling such situations and thus was caught off guard by Erica's proceeding actions.

She pulled a knife from her back, brandishing the small, but still lethal weaponry at the two foreigners. Staring down Jace and Godou, she coolly stated, "Hand over the grimoire, and I'll believe you. Otherwise, I must assume you mean to harm upon this land."

Godou's hands reactively shot out in front of him as if to defend, not used to being physically threatened like this. "What the hell! Is this a mugging?! It's a mugging isn't it!" He hollered.

Jace merely raised an eyebrow dryly. "Am I supposed to be frightened?" He spoke with an eerie tone.

Erica and Godou both looked to the giant of a man and saw how utterly unconcerned he was.

Jace kept his eyes locked on Erica, while he handed, or rather shoved the stone tablet back into Godou's hands. The Japanese teen reactively grabbed the tablet, confusion written across his face. Jace did not spare him a glance. He took a menacing step forward, toward Erica, then another. When he'd closed to within a few feet he glared down at the blond. Despite the severe size difference, Erica did not flinch at his approach. Jace could respect that. But that did not mean he was going to roll over, though. Quite the opposite.

"I just had four goons try and kill me this morning. With larger knives than what you got. They failed. I'm not impressed with this little intimidation tactic." Jace spoke with a demeaning tone.

Erica at first believed that the giant was lying. But his body language and the way he spoke led her to believe otherwise. That did not change her mission. She had fought battles outnumbered as well. His claim, even if true, would not dissuade her. Her tone hard Erica mock inquired "Oh, are you blade proof then?"

Jace did not respond verbally. Instead, he shot his hand out. The suddenness and speed of the action would have caught a person unused to battle off guard. Erica Blandelli though, was no stranger to battle. She flicked the knife out, intending to cut the giant of a man just slightly, to make a point. So, she was quite surprised when he did not react as expected.

First, his hand she realized had never been reaching for her. No. It had been aimed at the knife itself. So, when he grabbed it and did not flinch, she was startled. Enough for Jace to just rip the knife away from the blond. Erica upon realizing she had been disarmed, jumped away, her combat training kicking in.

The two stared at each other, sizing the other up.

Erica was about to question or possibly mock the giant of a man for his reckless behavior, when he did something that caused her guard to be raised even further. Jace tossed the knife from the hand that should have been bleeding badly to his other hand. He then pushed out that bleeding hand to Erica.

Where she saw that it was not bleeding.

Jace waggled the hand for a moment as if making sure the blond saw it. "You tell me. Am I blade proof?" He repeated her earlier mockery, turning it back at her.

Erica had seen enough. If this man could mange to catch a blade and barehanded like that, and not be surprised by this own durability, he was unquestionably part of the magical world. And if he was acting this hostile, it meant he was surely intent on abusing the grimoire for some nefarious purpose. She would not let this stand.

Jace hoped that this demonstration would cause the blond to rethink her hostility. He had no patience for this, not after everything he had been through in the past few days. The giant of a man was disappointed when her body language only became more tense and hostile.

Erica knew what needed to be done. She was clearly dealing with a crafty and dangerous enemy. One skilled in magical arts considering what he had just done. She would need more… esoteric means if she was to win. So, she began chanting. Her incantation rang out.

Jace did not understand why. But an unmistakable feeling of a threat appearing had just surfaced. It was centered on the blond. The feeling told him to act, he felt his body moving towards the blond, ready to fight. He stopped in his tracks though, when a second feeling overcame the first one. One that he had felt before. One that told him prey was afoot.

"Just like Africa? Another one!" Jace said his senses on high alert.

Erica was confused by the sudden change in demeanor, as the giant of a man seemed to lose interest in her and began frantically searching their surroundings.

Then Jace's head whipped toward the North-west. "There." He said with utmost certainty. The proclamation caused Erica and Godou, who had watched in baffled silence till now, to gawk at the direction Jace was. At first nothing happened. Then, it appeared.

It was massive, standing well over the height of the multi-story buildings around it. It seemed to reach the height of a small skyscraper. It wasn't just tall, its girth was great as well, as the street it appeared in was too small to contain it. It broke several buildings in its appearance. It was awe inspiring, like a myth stepping out of the realm of legend. It was also terrifying, an undeniable presence of something greater than man, one that did not have to abide by the constraints placed upon mortals.

Then as if that wasn't enough, the great beast howled, an overwhelming sound that shook a person to the core of their being. The very air itself seemed to shudder in response to the great beast's roar. Erica and Godou flinched as the sound washed over them. Only Jace alone did not shudder in instinctual fear.

"A giant boar?" Jace mused aloud. He could only compare the lunacy of what he was witnessing to the events of the past few days. The Russian giant was contemplating if he had gone insane, but the contemplation did not last long. Jace knew better, this was all to real. The death and destruction he was witnessing was testament to that. Still, he knew nothing of what was going on.

Erica though, did. "A Heretic God?!" She gasped. If one was here… that meant the island of Sardinia was about to treated to a disaster. She needed to act now! Erica briefly managed to shift her gaze from the Heretic God to the two men. Erica was good at reading people and both, were genuinely surprised at the sight of the Heretic God. If that was the case, neither likely had anything to do with its appearance. She grimaced. The blond did not want to do this, but she had no choice. She was going to have to leave the grimoire in the hands of these strangers. It was a danger in its own right given their unknown agenda, but the rampaging Heretic God came first.

"You two! Hold onto that grimoire! I'll return once the Heretic God has been stopped." She commanded Jace and Godou. Before Jace could retort a sleek, crimson, sports car came to a screeching halt behind the blond. The driver window was already down, revealing a young, black-haired woman.

"My lady, I'm here!" The young black-haired woman called out.

The blond turned toward the car, running toward it. Once she neared it, she did not slow down and enter but opted to jump onto its roof instead. Once she landed on the roof the blond cried out "Towards the Heretic God, go!". The black-haired woman heeded the command, letting off the brake and gunning the accelerator.

Just as the car began peeling away, the giant realized that his only lead onto what had happened to him was driving away. "WAIT!" He roared, in the hopes that the blond would heed him. No such luck, she did not even look back. "Seriously." The giant growled out, pissed that his only lead was getting away. "Fine, chase down a car, why not." The giant uttered as he began the ludicrous task of running after the speeding car. It was not his preferred option, but if he lost the blond now, who knows when he would get another chance to learn about his circumstances.

As the giant of a man began running after the car, it left Godou all alone. Utterly confused, the Japanese teen was left standing there like a fish out of water. "What the heck is going on?" He numbly mumbled. Unsure of what to do Godou was left rocking from one foot to the other. "What do I do?" He asked the breeze. Godou was not expecting an answer, so he was quite surprised when one was forthcoming.

"I would recommend handing over that container of the divine, child of man." A rich, melodious voice spoke up behind Godou.

() Cagliari Sardinia, March 23rd, 2024

Startled, Godou spun around towards the source of the voice. What he saw was a youth. A short, purple-haired youth, with a tattoo in the center of his forehead. The youth was smiling, standing only two meters behind Godou. That would have been fine. Except it definitely wasn't.

The youth was… not human. Godou couldn't place his finger on why, but he instinctively knew the youth was not human. His features were too fine, too perfect, too divine. His smile bared straight at Godou was full of a weight that no human youth could replicate. Most of all was his presence; it was bone-chillingly overpowering. Deep down in his bones Godou understood this apparent child was no child. Godou… was scared. More scared than he had ever been in this divinely, handsome youth's presence.

"W-W-Who are you?" Godou stuttered out, as his knees shook.

The divinely, handsome youth's smile sharpened as if pleased by the opportunity to speak of himself. "The one bearing all victories. He who shall triumph over all foes. The one who drives back the darkness and evil through peerless strength. I am the Victor." The youth intoned, with confidence transcending well into arrogance.

"The Victor?" Godou parroted back numbly.

The divinely, handsome youth ignored Godou's rambling, instead opting to repeat his earlier command. "Child of man, you still have not granted me the container of my kin. Do so." The youth's soft voice did not change in tone, from its rich melody. Yet at the same time, an unmistakable permeance of power laced that voice. One that Godou could not find the strength to resist.

Godou found himself walking forward toward the inhuman youth against his own will, and kneeling down, as if in supplication. He offered the tablet, as if his body was being pulled by strings. The inhuman youth, reached out and grasped the tablet, taking it from Godou.

"Good, knowing your place before the Gods is important, especially in this turbulent age." The Victor, stated as if it was natural.

"What-what's happening?!" Godou found the only part of himself he could move of his own accord was his mouth. As such he began voicing his panic.

The Victor tilted his head at Godou, as if in extremely mild curiosity. "Ah, you retain your mind before the incomplete form of the Victor. Feel proud child of man, few of your kind can boast of such a feat." The youth no longer interested in Godou, switched his attention to the direction the others had left in. His gaze was…. intense, calculating, as if debating something. "Tell me child of man do you know those two that just departed?"

Godou found himself compelled to answer, saying "Not really, I just met them both. Both wanted that tablet."

The youth nodded, accepting the answer. "I see." Then, a new smile appeared on his face. One that was near maniac in intensity. "Yes, yes! I had hoped to find one of Pandora's children! He must be a mighty warrior and a relentless demon. This [Thief] agrees with me! Splendid, splendid." The sudden burst of energy from the Victor caused Godou to shudder. Godou did not understand consciously what this sensation radiating from youth was, but his instincts did.

It was bloodthirst.

The Victor turned his attention back to Godou, much to his consternation. The youth commanded Godou bidding him to transmit a message. "Go child of man and gift this to the young King. Tell him Verethragna bids him to battle. I shall expect him when my strength has returned in full, so I may enjoy battle. And mayhaps the thrill of defeat." Verethragna placed the tablet into Godou's outstretched hands, then began walking toward the giant boar.

"Now. To reclaim some of my strength." Verethragna idly spoke.

To Godou's growing surprise, the youth dissipated into the wind. Once Verethragna was gone, Godou found himself back in control of his body. "Gah!" He coughed as he dropped to all fours. Godou slowly pulled himself to his feet, once he felt stable enough to rise. Once he was fully upright, he found himself wondering what to do. The first and strongest impulse was to run away. Drop the accursed tablet and go home. Something told Godou that… was a bad idea. The pit deep in his gut, warned him there would be consequences if he did that, ones he did not want. So, Godou was left with only one option. Do as the mysterious Verethragna had ordered him. Godou really hoped that the giant and the blond girl knew what to do.

Taking a deep breath, Godou started reluctantly walking towards the direction of the rampaging boar. Little did he know this singular choice would reshape the rest of his life.

() (Cagliari Sardinia, March 23rd, 2024)

Erica clung tightly to the roof of the sports car, as her driver raced down the now congested city streets. There was no time to enter the car properly, every second counted. Every second lives hung in the balance. The blond cursed as she was nearly jolted from the car roof as it swung wide around a car fleeing from the opposite direction. Regaining her grip, she hunkered down, as they closed on the rampaging Heretic God.

It was a disaster.

Buildings had been trampled through, casting them down to blocks of rubble. Cars had been flipped over like cardboard boxes. Erica chose not to focus on the occasional scream of pain that tore through the air. She could not afford to. Because the [Boar] for whatever its reason, was situated on demolishing everything in sight. Until it was stopped the devastation would only continue.

That fact bolstered her resolve to act. She could not afford to turn away and simply wait for it to be over. Neither her sense of duty nor her pride would permit that. No, it was up to her to stop the god's rampage. Though, that did not change just how impossible such a mission was.

The car came to a screeching halt as a car was flipped over and sent careening their way. It narrowly missed the two young women. Erica's eyes narrowed as she drank in the sight of the rampaging [Boar]. It was time. "You've brought me far enough Arriana. Find any civilians and direct them to flee. Then get yourself to safety." The blond shouted as she jumped off the roof of the car.

"But Lady Erica you can't fight alone! That's suicide even—" Arriana began to protest.

Erica cut her off, her voice full of determined resolve. "I am a Great Knight of the Copper-Black Cross, my responsibility is to defend the defenseless. That includes you, Arianna. Now go!" Erica rebuked her driver. Arianna acquiesced to her superior's demand, slowly peeling the car away.

With a grim nod the blond knight refocused on her objective at hand. She briefly considered using leap magic to reach the roof of a building but decided against it. The [Boar] was already stomping through the intersection some distance away. This spot would do as well as any other.

Erica took a deep breath, then began the fight of her life. She thrust her right hand in front of her. In response to her gesture, a crimson mandala flared to life in front of her. The blond knight then chanted, speaking words with just a hint of mystical power.

"Lion of Steel and that which begets you, heed my call. This is the oath of knight Erica Blandelli. Appear in my hand, Cuore del Leone (Heart of the Lion)!" Erica's cry sounded out. These were Spell Words, incantations meant to manipulate arcane energy. In response to Erica's spell, a metal caricature of a lion's head erupted from the mandala, its gaping maw leaking arcane energy. Erica then proceeded to thrust her arm into the metal lion.

Within that mystical space, Erica's hand clasped around a hilt. "That which represents the essence of battle, manifest as a song of steel!" Erica chanted one more time, then pulled at the hilt in her grasp. Her arm tugged free and drew out a beautiful sword from the lion's maw. It was a magnificent rapier, one reminiscent of a fencing blade. But this sword was one made for battle. The knight of the Copper-Black-Cross brandished that sword, aiming it at the [Boar].

Yet the [Boar] took no heed of Erica, seemingly unaware of the challenge she had just presented. She was going to have remedy that. One last time Erica chanted an incantation. "That which signals the act of valor. Hear the magnificent cry of the Lion of Steel. Roar, Cuore del Leone!" Magical energy flooded through Erica's veins. Then as the arcane energy was directed into Cuore del Leone, Erica's Spell Words gave it form and direction.

Crimson energy surged out of the sword, lancing toward the [Boar]. The lance of energy crashed against the hide of the [Boar]. It was an attack that could have caused a small-sized car considerable damage. Against the durable hide of the rampaging [Boar, it did nothing. The great beast was seemingly unaware it was even being assailed in the first place. Erica cursed. She had not expected to do a great deal of damage; this was a Heretic God after all. But for her attack to not phase the god, even using Cuore del Leone… truly she was reminded of the immense gap between humanity and the gods. Still she could not give up, so easily. Gathering her resolve, the blond knight poured an even greater amount of magical energy into a new attack.

A new lance of crimson energy poured out of her sword. It struck the rampaging [Boar, blasting its hide. Unlike the prior attack, this one had an effect. The [Boar] actually noticed the assault. It swung around, seeking that which had dared to halt its advance. It found the lone blond knight. The [Boar] was furious. It began to trample its way toward Erica, intent on crushing the blond knight under hoof.

Erica unleashed another lance of energy, but unlike the others, kept the attack kept up as a steady stream. The [Boar]'s advance slowed. Erica dared to smile, daring to believe she had managed to stall the Heretic God. If she could do that, she could…

Then crushing her hope, the [Boar] roared. It was a sonic boom, an overwhelming force, that tore through the air. Erica's attack was completely overwhelmed, as the roar came crashing over her. The force of the roar impacted against her, knocked her off her feet and sent her flying. Flung head over heels, she briefly saw the black of the street as she careened through the air. At the speed she was going her body would be broken by the impact with the unforgiving pavement. Well, her enchantments for protection would negate a large portion of the violent forces soon to be at work on her body; but not completely. This was going to hurt. Erica couldn't help but instinctively close her eyes as she sensed her oncoming collision with the black pavement.

Thud.

Erica's eyes shot open, as her landing instead of being a hard, bone breaking collision, had been far more… gentle. It was almost as if she had been caught. Which she soon found to be the case. Her vision was dominated by the calm visage of the giant of man form earlier. What was hie doing here?

"You caught me?" The blond knight's voice was light as air, as she was caught off guard.

The giant of a man, spoke, his gruff bass rumble washing over her. "Can you stand?"

Erica, realizing she was still being held, quickly composed herself. "Yes. You can put me down." She strongly affirmed.

Jace did as asked, placing the blond knight on her feet. Once Erica was stable on the ground, she looked the giant of a man in the eye and asked what he was doing. "Why are you here? Why would you follow me, instead of fleeing?"

The Russian giant responded, speaking as if the answer should have been obvious. "I told you; I have questions. You're the first person I've met that seems to have the answers."

Erica's expression shifted several times, from puzzlement, to remembrance, to realization, then to understanding. "You were serious. You actually have no idea what's going on here."

Jace nodded, but instead of prying for answers to his circumstances, he acknowledged the more pressing situation. Namely, the ever-closer danger of the [Boar]. "Forget about that. How do we kill that thing?" Jace pointed a finger straight at the rampaging Heretic God.

Erica was taken aback for a second by the inquiry. She had failed after putting up what was nearly her best effort; her a Great Knight! Yet this man, with no apparent knowledge of magic, wanted to fight on. "You want to fight?" Erica, uttered with a small amount of amazement.

Jace did, and he expressed his intention as such. "That supersized boar is stomping straight toward us, meaning it wants to kill us. Since I would rather not die, yes, I want to kill it." The giant of a man stated as if that should have been obvious. "Now hurry up, it's almost on top of us."

While impressed by his tenacity, Erica wanted to call the man a fool. It wasn't possible to kill a Heretic God. They stood as the supreme existence on the face of the planet. Only a god could kill another god. The blond knight was about to tell the giant man as such, tell him he needed to run when the wind picked up.

It was no gradual process. The wind suddenly went from a gentle sea breeze to a raging whirlwind. The two teens could only flinch as air rushed past them like a cutting blade. That cutting air came not only past the two teens, but from every direction. All that wind was heading straight for the [Boar]. The wind began flowing even faster as it converged on the great beast. Then it spun, forming a maelstrom centered around the [Boar]. The whirlwind became so great, the epicenter was completely blocked from view. Then as suddenly as it kicked up, the windstorm subsided.

When it finally cleared Erica and Jace saw something unreal. The [Boar] had vanished, nowhere to be seen.

Jace was the first to say something in the lull, after the great beast's disappearance. "Just checking, but the wind normally doesn't do that in Sardinia, does it?" The Russian giant's tone was skeptical.

The blond knight responded deliberately, as if avoiding giving away her inner feelings. "The wind never churns so hard in on this island. It can only be the work of another Heretic God." Yet the stiffness of her tone was worrying enough. The matter was clearly a dire one.

"Hey!" A shout sounded behind the blond knight and Russian giant. Both of their heads snapped toward the sound. At its source they saw the other teenager from before, the one who had possessed the stone tablet. As he closed in, a dire expression was plain as day on his face. Once he was within normal talking distance he began a rapid flurry of words. "What the hell was that?! Some kind of pig?! And was it swallowed up by a tornado?! And how did a tornado form here?! Who was that creepy kid?! And-and-and… What the hell is going on?!" Overwhelmed and confused the young man could only shout until he was breathless.

The three teenagers looked too another and shared a collective thought. "We need to talk." The blond knight and Russian giant said simultaneously.

() Cagliari, Sardinia, March 23rd, 2024

The three teens found themselves at an unassuming café, awhile later, after the disappearance of the [Boar]. They had walked in relative silence, the only talk being the blond knight speaking into her cellphone. The conversation been primarily instructions for the person on the other end of the phone; an Arriana. When they finally sat down on the outdoor patio, it was the giant of a man who initiated dialogue.

"Before we talk about anything else, I just want to get one thing straight. That gigantic pig was real, I'm not the only one that saw it?" Furtively he asked, his gaze shifting from the blond girl to the youth of the orient.

"Oh, thank the kami(gods)! I'm not the only one who saw that." The youth of the orient exclaimed, in relief. He slumped backward in his seat, as some of the tension he had been feeling flowed out of his body.

The blond girl confirmed their observation. "Yes, that was all too real, unfortunately." In contrast to the youth of the orient, her tone was stark in how dire it was.

The giant of a man's chest rumbled a bit before nodding, accepting the affirmation of the other two teens. "Well, that's good, I was starting to think I'd gone insane." After hearing the confirmation, the man focused his gaze on the blond girl. "Now that we've established what just happened was real, I'd like to know what exactly that was. Judging from his reaction, he doesn't know." A finger was pointed at the youth of the orient by the giant of a man. The finger shifted to the blond girl. "You on the other hand do."

The blond girl nodded in affirmation, saying "I do."

"Then start talking." The giant of a man authoritatively demanded.

The blond girl frowned openly at being ordered, and let her displeasure be known. "I do not appreciate your tone."

The large man, placed his elbows on the table, bringing his hand up, clasped together, up to just in front of his chin. His eyes narrowed, the man's voice became low and hard. "And I don't appreciate the amount of nonsense I've been subjected to over the past few days. I've nearly died too many times in those few days. I'm not in the mood for ego stroking woman. Just tell me what is going on."

The blond girl's irritation grew at the impolite address, but rather than begin an argument, she sighed. After a short internal debate, she relented. "Fine. If you've truly been in so much danger, I'll forgive your rudeness. Consider it a gift of my magnanimous nature." But not without some ego assuagement. Straightening up, the blond girl spoke slowly, and seriously. "What you witnessed was the descent of a Heretic God."

A pause.

The youth of the orient spoke first, his curiosity piqued. "Um, a heretic god? What's that? I mean I saw the boar and assume that's what you meant, but…" The youth trailed off, unsure of where to take this ludicrous line of conversation. Afterall they were talking about gods as if they were real. But he couldn't deny the prior events.

Fortunately, the blond girl responded, clarifying. "Yes, that was a Heretic God. Though not all gods take that form when they descend onto the mortal plane." A small frown appeared on the blond girls lips, as she pondered how to proceed. "I think it would be best to begin with a general explanation of the supernatural than delve straight into a topic as complicated as Heretic Gods."

The giant of a man's head tilted to the side, "The supernatural? You mean like wizards, magic, and things that go bump in the night?" as he asked, curiosity coloring his tone.

"Yes, magic, in many forms, exists alongside us. This includes 'wizards' as you called them, though we Italians rarely use that term to refer to magic users. The terminology varies from region to region, but the most widely used parlance in the world happens to be the term mage." The blond knight paused for a moment, to allow for either of the two young men to pose another question.

The youth of the orient took the opportunity, asking, "What kind of magic is real? I mean, can you shoot fireballs, make potions, summon spirits, or change the weather?" The youth's tone became excited as the wondered what kind of marvel magic could produce. He may have been thinking of all the manga he'd read as a child, especially the magical fantasy genre.

A smirk appeared on the blond knight's face, as if amused by the exuberance of the oriental youth. "Magic comes in a wide variety of forms, so much so, that one could fill a library cataloging the number. My own expertise lies in alchemical and battle magic; though I of course am well versed in a number of other fields." The blond's smug tone only became prouder as she extolled her own virtues.

"Wow, that's awesome." The oriental youth exclaimed, imagining the various applications of magic. Each imagining only growing more fantastical.

The giant of a man, grunted in a less than impressed manner. He was far more skeptical of the utility of magic. "No offense, but it didn't seem to do you much good against that boar."

The blond knight's expression soured, displeased by the hurtful, if accurate, statement. "I suppose you could have done better against a Heretic God?" The sardonic edge of her voice made it clear the question was rhetorical. So, she was quite surprised when she received a direct answer.

"Depends. Would a nearly three-meter-tall man-beast calling itself Cernunnos, count as a Heretic God?" The giant man crossed his arms as he waited on a response. It was slow coming, as the blond knight processed the extremely specific information the man had given.

The blond knight frowned, as if unsure of what to make of the man's account. "I cannot say I am familiar with any Heretic God proclaiming itself Cernunnos. Tell me where you encountered this being and what was it doing?"

"I encountered it in Africa, in some province of Tunisia. As for what it was doing, it ordered a pack of beasts to massacre the village I was staying in." The giant man added no emphasis to the ludicrous, or rather horrific testimony he had just described.

Silence ensued regardless. Neither the blond knight or youth of the orient spoke for little while.

Then the oriental youth started weakly laughing. "Haha. That-that's a joke, right? I mean…" The young man looked pale, unprepared for such a terrible thing to be said as if it was truth.

The giant man looked sternly at the youth of the orient. "Does it look like I'm joking?" He said without out an ounce of humor. The youth's mouth opened, closed, then opened in abject horror as he understood that what the giant man said was no poor attempt at humor.

"What happened to the villagers?" The blond knight on the other hand, focused in on the fate of the villagers.

The Russian giant did not mince words as he described the events. He gave an unerring account of the events up until his confrontation with Cernunnos. By the time he was finished, the other two teens looked worse for wear. The blond was the better off of the two, by an appreciable margin as she kept her cool. She offered a quiet prayer for the dead villagers but could not hide the anguish going through her heart.

The youth of the orient, on the other hand, was not so sturdy. He vomited, unable to contain the influx of emotions that flooded him. He heaved until his stomach was empty of its contents. When he finished, he could only hoarsely exclaim, "That's horrible! Why would they do that?!"

The Russian giant could not answer that. The blond knight could and did. "Because the gods do not have any compassion towards humanity. We are playthings to them at best, insects at worst. So, harming us is not worthy of a second thought." Her tone was not frigid, it was glacial as she spoke. "You saw the rampage earlier, that is not a strange occurrence for a Heretic God, nor is the incident we just heard in detail. Remember this if nothing else, the gods are no friends of humanity. They are disasters that leave only devastation in their wake."

The two men absorbed the blond knight's statement. The oriental youth paled further somehow, as he began fully comprehending the weight of the circumstances, he found himself in. The Russian giant though looked thoughtful, as he considered his experiences over the past few days, against what he was being told.

The blond knight shifted in her seat, then addressed the giant man again. "There's something I want you to explain about your meeting with the Heretic God you encountered Mr., ah, it seems we never exchanged names." The blond knight suddenly realized in all the commotion none of them had exchanged names.

The Russian giant shrugged, as if giving away such information was inconsequential. "Jace. Jace Armell."

The blond knight nodded, then gave her own name. "Erica Blandelli, of the household of Blandelli."

Two pairs of eyes shifted to the oriental youth. He blushed weakly realizing he had failed such basic manners. "Oh, Kusanagi, Kusanagi Godou." A flicker of realization shone in his eyes, after he spoke. Swiftly he iterated, "My first name is Godou, sorry, I forgot you westerners use your given name first."

Jace grunted, a disconcerted sound. "I wouldn't consider myself a westerner. Russia is hardly accepted as part of such an, 'order'."

Godou's eyes widened as he realized he had inadvertently insulted the giant man. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just—" the Kusanagi heir trailed off, unsure how to amend his faux-pause.

Fortunately for Godou, Jace was not to put out by the misnomer. The Russian giant waved off the apology, saying "It's fine. I wouldn't expect you to know much about my country's culture, I don't know anything about where you're from either." The Russian giant's statement was met with an appreciative look from Godou. Jace simply shrugged it off, he was simply being practical, not magnanimous.

Erica, having observed the by-play, decided to get the conversation back on track. "I think it would be best to return to the more pressing topic. Mr. Armell, you claim to have met a Heretic God. Tell me, how did you survive when everyone else supposedly died." Erica's tone became sharp with suspicion. Encounters with Heretic Gods were rare and usually ended in tragedy for the mortals who had the misfortune of the meeting. His survival, although not impossible, was improbable given the circumstances he had described.

Laconically Jace said, "Luck."

Erica's expression became… doubtful, to say the least. "Luck? Mr. Armell would you please elaborate?" The blond knight asked for clarification on the rather vague answer she had received.

Jace said nothing for a moment, as he recalled the disastrous events at the farming village. He sighed, then spoke. "I was leaving the village. I just made it to the edge, when I came across a woman and child. The woman was wounded, she couldn't stand. One of those beasts was closing in on her and the child. I came up behind it and carved through it with a machete." A frown crossed the Russian's lips as the remembered the toughness of the beast. "It was like striking an old, gnarled tree, instead of flesh and bone. But I managed to cut through it. Killed the thing. I picked up the woman and child and made to head out. That's when it appeared." Jace stressed the word, as if he was still unsure of the nature of the entity.

"You mean the Heretic God." Erica inserted.

"Don't know for sure. What I do know is that it went on a tirade about the natural order and how I twisted it. Something about 'taking the fangs of the divine'. Honestly what it was saying made no sense to me." Jace frowned as he remembered the spiteful ramblings of Cernunnos. His frown only deepened as he saw Erica's expression.

The blond knight's face contorted, shaping up into a facade of disbelief. She said nothing for a good few moments, long enough for the two men two think she had suffered a stroke. Just as Godou was about to ask about her health, she inquired quietly. "Did you slay this god?" Her voice was trepid, as if she was asking about a world-shattering event.

Jace looked at her strangely, it was a severe turnabout from earlier haughtiness. Perplexed he said, "Slay?" The English word flowed from the Russian's tongue as the inherent meaning of the term filled his brain. Still even with the knowledge apparently filled in by magic, Jace had little comprehension of what Erica was asking. "Are you asking if I killed that thing? If that's what you mean I have no idea."

Erica took a deep breath, and after releasing it, asked more clearly. "Let me rephrase the question. Mr. Armell, did you come into conflict with Cernunnos? And did you manage to defeat them if so?"

"Well, it was definitely trying to kill me. Beyond that, all I can say is there was an explosion of fire… and then it was all over." Jace leaned back into his chair as he entered the final remembrance of the events of Africa. "I don't know how that happened, but it did. Kinda like that gale. After that, everything was gone."

Godou piped up, grave curiosity pushing him to ask. "Everything was gone. What about the woman and child? I mean they were there with you after that right. Right?"

The Russian giant might has well have lashed the Kusanagi heir, for the effect his words had on him. "No. They were gone too. It was just me and the warm ash."

Godou shifted in his seat, facing Erica with a horrid expression. "Blandelli-san(honorific), they were just teleported, right? They didn't actually…"

Erica bore a resigned expression, which did not comfort Godou. "You saw the [Boar]'s rampage. Matters dealing with the gods are rarely bloodless."

Godou's expression of horror only intensified as the blond knight dashed his vain hope. "All those poor people…" The Kusanagi heir muttered absently to himself.

Erica, unlike Godou, while still appalled by the deaths of so many humans, had other matters to attend to at hand. Ignoring the distraught Kusanagi heir, the blond knight readdressed the Russian giant. "Mr. Armell, I must ask one more time. When Cernunnos confronted you, what happened exactly? You say fire consumed the village, its inhabitants, and the god?"

Jace nodded in affirmation. "Yes. The beast was charging me, when everything erupted in flames. I don't know how long it lasted but the fire turned the village into a crisp. When it all cleared, the beasts and their leader were gone." Jace's face twisted ever so slightly, into a frown. "So were the child and the woman. It was just me left at the end."

Erica looked pensive, as she internally debated the matter. When she spoke, she did so calmly, but with an undertone of apprehension. "Only a source of divine power can defeat another divine power. If Cernunnos was truly a god, and this fire defeated them, then it must have been the might of an Authority." Seeing the question on Jace's lips, Erica answered it before he spoke. "An Authority is the might of a god. Their right of dominance over the mortal world. Or a more liberal definition would be, an Authority is that which anoints godhood. A component of the god in question, a quantity and quality of their divinity."

"I see." Jace processed the details of Erica's explanation. He thought he understood, but something about what she said was bothering him. "Blandelli, if an Authority is the power of a Heretic God, and you think the fire was an Authority, that leaves an issue. Because I'm fairly certain that fire… came from me. Unless I was, possessed, by another god, I have no idea how that happened.

Erica seemed unconvinced by that theory. "I severely hope not, we already had cause to believe that three, now four Heretic Gods have descended on the Earth. This has already proven too been a major disaster, between the incidents in the Balkans, the Dio Tempesta, the [Boar]'s rampage, and now apparently the cremation of an entire village in Africa. No, Mr. Armell, I hope not." The blond knight's tone shifted, from a small amount of disconcertment to a firmer, inquisitive tone. "I need to ask one more question. Were you in possession of a grimoire at the time? Any strange artifacts?"

Jace closed one eye as he recalled if he had such things in his possession at the time. "No. The only thing I had on me at the time were the clothes on my back and a machete. Not to change the subject, but what is a grimoire?" The Russian giant interjected.

The blond knight nodded, answering. "A grimoire is to put it simply, a container of the divine. A repository of a God's Authority, one that has been splintered off from the main component of the Heretic God for whatever reason. They are uncommon, but they do occur. I was asking because, the Authority contained in the grimoire can be activated by a human."

Godou having recovered from his sickening realization of how dangerous the moonlight world was, finally managed to remember his encounter from earlier. "Oh, that's right! That creepy kid said the same thing."

Erica and Jace both raised an eyebrow as Godou uttered 'creepy kid'. Simultaneously, they both asked, "What creepy kid?"

The Kusanagi heir, frowned as he recanted his encounter. "Yeah, it was just after you two left to chase down that boar. He came up behind me and demanded the tablet, ah, grimoire. I didn't want to, but my body moved on its own; like I couldn't stop it. He started going on about how he was the Victor or something. Once I gave him the tablet, he asked about Armell-san. Then..." Godou trailed off for a moment as if remembering something that made him uneasy. "He, just burst into laughter. Saying how one of 'Pandora's children would be a warrior and demon' or something. Then he gave me back the grimoire and told me to give it to Armell-san."

Erica's eyes did not widen, instead they narrowed, as Godou told them about the message he had been tasked to relay. Once the Kusanagi heir was finished, the blond knight sighed, as if she had been forced to accept a burdensome truth. Jace on the other hand looked perplexed, uncertain of why a Heretic God would seek him out. Curious, he asked the only one with any answers for their situation. "Blandelli, what aren't you telling me. I know you're thinking about something right now, it's obvious. Why would this Verethragna challenge a human? Especially if he wants to be defeated. Because if he can take down that [Boar, like its nothing, I'm don't see what I can do to make him want to fight me."

The blond knight spoke gravely, betraying the severity of the situation. "Remember I said only a source of divine power can defeat another divine power. I had hoped you were merely a Sacred Gear user who had happened to awaken his ability in the face of a lethal threat. But after hearing Mr. Kusanagi's testimony, I must consider a new possibility.

Jace and Godou were lost as Erica presented this new caveat of information. Godou the more curious of the pair, asked what the blond knight was talking about. "Blandelli-san, would you please elaborate? I'm getting really lost here."

Erica took a deep breath, then recited what Jace and Godou could only compare to hymn of worship.

"Campione - Godslayer - is a Conqueror.

Having slain a celestial being, they can call upon the Sacrosanct.

Campione – Godslayer – is a Champion.

With such power in hand, they stand as the bulwark between humanity and ruin.

Campione – Godslayer – is a Supreme Ruler.

They are the Lords of Humanity, unquestionable and undefeatable.

Campione- Godslayer – is a Demon-King.

Therefore, they dominate the mortal races, as those with the power to oppose them do not exist."

Godou felt a chill go down his spine. That had been an intense speech.

Jace on the other hand felt no such chill, rather he was focused on the way Erica was looking at him unerringly as she spoke. Jace was intelligent, so he had already put together what the blond knight was hinting at halfway through her speech. "You think I'm a Campione." He stated with certainty.

Erica nodded in affirmation, though she did not look pleased. "Considering the events you both have transcribed; I am forced to consider such a possibility. Unless by chance you were lying." Erica did not seem convinced of the possibility she had heard mistruths.

The two men denied the accusation of having told any falsehoods. The blond knight's expression only hardened at the confirmation. "Forbidding another nigh impossible set of circumstances, it's the most rational explanation." Her voice was no softer than her stony expression.

Jace did not think it was rational, if it was rational, he would have started understanding something by now. The only thing he had figured out so far was that he was not losing his mind. He still had questions. "Okay, let's say I'm a Campione or this Sacred Gear user. What does that actually mean? That I go around killing Heretic Gods? And what's this Lord of Humanity?" Jace paused before frowning. "Great even more questions." Jace grumbled as the uncertainty of his situation only multiplied.

Erica ignored the grumbling and instead focused on a much more important matter. "Mr. Armell, I believe we should head elsewhere."

The Russian giant tilted his head to the side at the abrupt change in topic. "Why?" He asked, wondering why Erica suddenly wanted to move locations.

"I could answer the many questions you have, but I believe it would behoove us to seek out a more knowledgeable source. Especially considering the situation." Erica answered neutrally.

Jace partially understood the situation as Erica was referring to. "You mean Verethragna." If Heretic Gods were as dangerous as the blond knight said, that meant they had a volatile situation on their hands. Getting an expert's advice wouldn't be a bad idea. Jace honestly didn't want to wait for answers, he was a man of action. But considering the situation, he would prefer to get the most comprehensive answers possible.

Then there was the fact he did not trust Erica Blandelli. She was an unknown person who was currently trying to lead him to an unknown location, to another unknown individual. But he had little choice. This was his only lead. Well, the blond knight didn't appear hostile at least; now anyways. And if things did go sour, well, Jace had fought his way out of bad situations before.

"Okay. Let's go meet his witch. Heh, never thought I'd be saying that literally." Jace assented, rising as Erica did likewise. "What's her name by the way?"

"Lucretia Zola. Some claim her to be the greatest witch on the face of the planet." Erica supplied.

Godou who had been silent so far, snapped to attention. "Wait did you say Lucretia Zola?! That's who I was supposed to return this stupid tablet to." Godou brought up the grimoire, that had been the cause of the trouble he'd been subjected to.

Erica's lips thinned as she heard Godou. "I see. Will you be joining us then Mr. Kusanagi?" Erica asked dryly.

Godou paused. What was he going to do? On one hand he didn't want to get any more involved in this supernatural business. He'd come closer to death than he preferred. Yeah, it was trouble alright. But at the same time, he'd come all this way to return the tablet. It felt… like giving up, to not see this all the way through. Godou didn't consider himself the most determined, but for some reason to turn around now just seemed like the wrong move.

So, Godou found himself rising as well. "If you don't mind, I'd like to at least make sure the tablet gets back to Zola-san." He found himself saying.

Erica nodded in acceptance. "It'll be the four of us then." She spoke to Godou's confusion.

"Four?" Godou absently asked.

Just after he spoke the sound of a speeding car started growing from down the road. A few moments later the car itself came into view. It came to a screeching halt as it pulled up beside the three teens. Once the sports car came to a halt, the driver side window, dropped down revealing a pretty young black-haired woman.

Erica gestured to the driver, introducing her. "This is my maid Arianna Arialdi, she'll be accompanying us."

For some inexplicable reason the sight of Arianna, rather than being a pleasant sight, filled Jace and Godou with a wave of dread. Regardless of such trepidations, they had little choice but to enter the vehicle. Lucretia lived hours away by foot and it was far too late in the day to start such a long hike. So, the three humans and singular unknown sent off to meet the Earth witch Lucretia Zola.

()

Language Highlight

Japanese:

Kami- Gods, a general way of addressing a divine being.

Italian:

Campione- Champion

Cuore del Leone- Heart of the Lion

Authority Highlight

Verethragna:

[Youth]- Avatar of the God of Victory's aspect of vigor, charisma, and healing. The form of the avatar is a hale youth. Enables Verethragna to imbue others with courage or impart divine blessings. Also allows the god to take control over sentient mortals. Those with a strong will can resist or outright reject the command.

[Gale]- Avatar of the God of Victory's aspect of the salvation and defense of the innocent. The form of the avatar is a tempestuous whirlwind. Allows Verethragna to transform into the wind itself. Can range from a gentle breeze to a raging tornado capable of tearing into stone. Renders him invincible to purely physical attacks in the transformed state. It can be used to instantly travel to the side of a supplicant.

Rogue Authority:

[Boar]- Rogue Avatar of the God of Victory's aspect of destruction, and inexorable might. The form of the avatar is a giant fiery boar. Allows Verethragna to trample anything, due to its immense might and durability. Able to produce sonic roars that can shatter the sky.