A Certain Multiverse's Holy Right

"Alexander Gascoigne, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Roy firmly gripped the Sword of Judgment in his right hand, slightly turning his body. His heterochromatic double pupils locked onto the Black Prince, and the coldness and regret in his gaze sent a sudden chill through the English god-slayer's heart.

However, Gascoigne was, after all, a man who had accomplished the great feat of slaying a god. He quickly steadied himself, going through the sequence of events in his mind before fully understanding the situation.

"Hmph, so you've been watching me all this time. Should I feel honored to be taken so seriously by you?"

Gascoigne secretly cursed, instantly realizing how he had been exposed.

Roy's Mystic Eyes possessed the ability to see into the past. However, since the past was vast and boundless, using this ability required a precise observation target.

With just a moment of thought, the Black Prince understood—Roy had been observing his every action. His secretive tracking, his attempt to seize the Holy Grail, his search for the Last King's secrets—all of it had been laid bare under Roy's watchful gaze.

'This authority is absurdly overpowered!'

Mystic Eyes that could see through the past were troublesome beyond measure. Even if only one second had passed, it still counted as the past.

There were very few ways to counter this authority for an assassination or ambush, but it wasn't impossible.

First, the assassin must not be someone Roy was familiar with, and no one involved in the act could be known to him. If Roy had no knowledge of them, they wouldn't be exposed. With over seven billion people in the world, it was impossible for Roy to monitor everyone's past.

Second, the assassination or ambush had to be spontaneous—a momentary whim. There could be no prior planning; otherwise, there was a high risk of being discovered.

However, achieving both conditions against a powerful Campione like Roy was nearly impossible.

"Among the current Campione, the only one who truly troubles me is you, Alexander Gascoigne... The Cult Leader remains detached from worldly affairs. Madame Aisha, though always bringing disaster, is kind at heart. John Pluto Smith is highly responsible and acts with principles. Salvatore Doni is obsessed with swords and combat, while completely uninterested in external affairs.

"...Only you, Gascoigne, have a personality somewhat similar to mine. You are also the vindictive type who loves causing trouble for others. If I had to name the person most likely to ruin my plans, it would undoubtedly be you.

"If you had simply minded your own business and not meddled in this, I wouldn't have bothered with you. After all, you are a Campione—not someone easily dealt with. But you chose to appear here, trying to seize the Holy Grail. And now that you've heard about the Last King, I'm certain you plan to search for him as well."

Roy's expression carried a faint smile. Seeing the Black Prince's grim face, he knew he had guessed correctly.

This man was a textbook Campione—doing whatever he pleased without considering the consequences. Under normal circumstances, Roy might have admired Gascoigne, as he, too, was someone who devised strategies before acting.

But now, with greater enemies ahead, Gascoigne was an unstable variable—one that needed to be eliminated.

"The pursuit of the Holy Grail is my lifelong aspiration. It is also my father's dying wish. Now that I know the Grail is in your hands, I will continue to hound you—until I obtain it."

Alexander Gascoigne spoke in an almost threatening tone.

Being targeted by a Campione was like having a persistent fly buzzing around—extremely annoying and disruptive.

While the Black Prince wasn't the most combat-focused Campione, his abilities specialized in support and tactics. But precisely because of this, being pursued by him would be endlessly troublesome.

"I'm not interested in having a fly constantly buzzing around me. It seems I have no choice but to swat this annoying fly dead."

Roy sighed regretfully.

"...I had an idea—an immature one. I did not intend to fight against the Covenant Ritual by killing other god-slayers. Although god-slayers are called Devil Kings, compared to the Heretic Gods, we are at least human and capable of reasoning. It is precisely because god-slayers exist that the Heretic Gods cannot bring disaster and destroy human civilization.

"...When I have the capacity, I do care for the people. If all god-slayers were wiped out, and a new one had yet to be born, the Heretic Gods would most likely bring about the destruction of modern civilization."

The uniqueness of this world led Roy to an understanding:

One major reason modern civilization existed was because the Last King was passive in his duties. Ancient Campione like Marquis Voban and Cult Leader Luo Hao had survived long enough that for the past three centuries, the Heretic Gods had failed to enact large-scale destruction before they were slain. This allowed humanity's civilization to develop.

If there were no god-slayers, the Heretic Gods would freely descend and roam. Civilization would regress, leading to a catastrophic disaster.

This was why, despite being Devil Kings, all magicians revered god-slayers as their kings.

It was not only because of their power—but because they were, in truth, the last line of defense for humanity.

"You, the same monster who nearly slaughtered Tokyo, displacing hundreds of thousands, dare claim to care for the people? What a joke."

Alexander Gascoigne scoffed.

"I already said—I only protect the people when I have the capacity. When fighting a powerhouse like the Marquis, do you think I have the luxury of worrying about civilians?

"I am not some saint you can threaten with innocent lives. The fate of others does not concern me.

"But at the same time—I am not some bloodthirsty tyrant who revels in slaughter and carnage. To ordinary people, I do feel sympathy and compassion."

Roy's voice was firm, his conviction unwavering.

He did not lose his temper at Gascoigne's ridicule.

He is human—selfish and willing to abandon others to protect himself when his own life is threatened.

He is human—one who possesses enough compassion and empathy for the weak, who pities their frailty, and who, when he has the means, will offer them aid and love.

He is human—who, at the most crucial moments, can radiate the greatest brilliance of humanity, understanding both sacrifice and the deeds of a hero.

Human beings are complex creatures, where love and evil coexist—for human love is also human evil.

Because love gives rise to evil, and evil, in turn, reveals love. In the intricate fabric of humanity, these forces are inseparable.

"Do you think you have me cornered?"

The Black Prince was furious—because Roy's unwaveringly serious expression felt as if it were declaring:

"You have nowhere left to run."

All god-slayers are proud, and there was no way Gascoigne would tolerate such provocation from Roy. (T/N: Bro is cooked, or maybe he is secretly part of the Joestar family 😂)

"This is only natural," Roy stated coldly. "Your existence has already begun to interfere with me. I am certain that if you do not die here today, you will only bring me endless trouble in the future. Now that you have seen the Holy Grail, it is time for you to end this will you inherited from your father."

His grip tightened around the Sword of Judgment, as a murderous aura surged forth.

"How shameless, Roy Crowley!"

Alexander Gascoigne's expression twisted with rage, as though he had lost all reason.

With a furious roar, he reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a pen—as if he were about to use it as a medium to activate some authority. (T/N: Percy Jackson is that you?)

And then, Gascoigne threw the pen away—and in the very next instant, he turned into a bolt of lightning, fleeing into the distance!

As he soared through the air, Gascoigne's expression quickly returned to calm. He was never the type to truly lose his composure. His earlier outburst had been nothing more than an act. Gascoigne was not a Campione who excelled in direct combat, nor did he have any confidence in defeating Roy—the man who had already bested Marquis Voban.

Furthermore, Roy's newly named Protection of Athena authority filled him with uncertainty. With so many unknowns, was he supposed to just stay and fight? Absolutely not.

Roy wasn't even slightly surprised at the Black Prince's escape. He had already predicted Gascoigne's decision based on his personality. The moment Gascoigne vanished in a flash of lightning, Roy burst into flames, giving chase.

Only his voice remained in the air—

"I'll stop him. Follow me, Athena!"

Without hesitation, the Goddess of Wisdom obeyed Roy's command and pursued.

…

Guinevere and Lancelot exchanged looks, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes. Somehow, they had gone from being the protagonists of this stage to mere bystanders.

"Uncle, what should we do now?" Guinevere asked, sounding lost.

After a brief moment of thought, Lancelot replied,

"…Let's leave here first. We're going to Japan."

"Alright!"

With that, the Divine Ancestor and her guardian vanished from sight.