A Certain Multiverse's Holy Right

Roy felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand as thin streams of blood trickled down the corners of Athena's mouth, adding an even more enchanting, almost otherworldly allure to her appearance.

Then, Roy sensed a divine authority flowing into his body through the wound on his hand from Athena's lips. This divine authority was one he recognized—it was the same power emanating from the Gorgoneion earlier.

Slowly, Athena released her bite. Roy raised his hand to his face, staring at the row of teeth marks and the open wound, before turning his gaze to Athena.

"This marks the contract. From now on, Athena's fate will be intertwined with yours, Roy Crowley. Rakshasa King, chosen by the goddess—whether this is your fortune or misfortune remains to be seen. Even death cannot sever this bond. Should you fall into the underworld, I, as its queen, will seek you out. Even in the silent wilderness of the abyss, I shall watch you continue your reign as the demon king of hell.

"…Use everything you have to satisfy me. Honor the promise you made to me: destroy the steel, sever the Last Steel. If you dare to break this vow, I swear—no matter the heavens or the earth—I will hunt you down and take your life!"

Athena's teeth were stained with Roy's blood, their crimson hue as vivid as blossoming roses. Her demeanor was proud, her voice rang with authority, and her stunning beauty radiated both strength and seduction, capturing Roy's full attention.

Even as she became his property and subordinate goddess, Athena's words and tone resembled more those of a queen bestowing knighthood upon her vassal. Her unyielding pride and indomitable spirit were on full display.

Still, Roy was willing to give her this dignity. Arguing with a woman at this moment wouldn't be considered dignity, but rather the obtuseness of an unyielding fool.

"I will honor our promise, until death do us part, my goddess."

Roy placed a hand over his chest and bowed gracefully.

Athena's stern expression softened slightly. Her amber eyes narrowed, and a faint laugh escaped her lips. "…If I were to let you die before me, it would be nothing short of mocking my own inability. I won't let you die. Even if you truly fall into the underworld, I, as the queen of the underworld, will pull you back from there."

As she spoke, Athena's slender figure began to shrink. Before long, the regal, tall goddess had returned to her smaller, childlike form.

"I have placed the Gorgoneion within your body. It is the bond between us, a mark of destiny, and a divine tool of power. Whenever you need me to fight for you, you may call upon the Gorgoneion to summon me and restore my form as the Trinity Athena~!

"…But I will only fight for you against the Steel. As for my fellow Earth Goddesses, those who share my origins, I will not stand as their enemy."

Athena's clear, melodic voice grew weaker. Struck by the Light of the Right Hand, she had entirely lost her ability to move, and even her stamina and energy were utterly depleted.

"That's enough, Athena! My true enemies are the Steel—and the Last Steel!"

Roy clenched his fist, sensing Athena's divine authority coursing through his body. The Gorgoneion, representing Athena's strength and her other half, was now entrusted to him.

This goddess was undeniably proud. If anyone crossed her boundaries, Athena would tear apart any treaty without hesitation. But as long as one's actions remained within those boundaries, she would uphold her promises to the fullest extent.

Roy understood that by entrusting him with her authority, Athena was demonstrating her intent to foster trust between them. With a shared enemy and mutual hatred driving them forward, they could face the future together.

Let's call this authority 'Protection of Athena.'

Roy thought to himself with a trace of humor. Technically, the authority should be called something like Summon Athena, but Protection of Athena had a better ring to it. In truth, authorities had no official names—those names were just whims of the God Slayers or the idle musings of the Greenwich Assembly.

Though Athena had stated in their agreement that she wouldn't aid him in opposing the Earth Goddesses, Roy knew that actions often differed from words. Not all Earth Goddesses shared a harmonious relationship with Athena; in fact, many likely drew her ire. Athena's personality was too self-willed for that.

Moreover, Roy had little compatibility with the Earth Goddesses. Even slaying them wouldn't allow him to complete his spiritual base fusion. For Roy, only gods embodying traits of "steel," "victory," or "the sun" were his rightful targets for godslaying—an alignment that coincided perfectly with Athena's hatred.

At last, Roy felt confident that, aside from the Last King, no Campione or Heretic God could match him in this world. Together with Athena, even if the remaining five Campiones united against him, Roy had nothing to fear.

"I'm feeling a bit tired… take me back with you," Athena murmured. Her eyelids began to droop, the clarity in her amber eyes growing hazy. Her voice became softer and softer until her eyes closed completely and her breathing evened out.

"Did she fall asleep because she knew there was no more danger?"

Roy gazed at Athena lying on the ground, now fast asleep, and chuckled softly. "…Falling asleep right in front of me—is this how much you trust me?"

Roy touched his face thoughtfully. Was it because of the Face of God that others so easily placed their trust in him, or was it simply his own demeanor that inspired such faith?

It should be both. You know, Aleister Crowley is a man who looks very serious on the outside but is actually a very sultry man on the inside.

Roy exhaled, walked to Athena, knelt on one knee, and very carefully and gently picked up her petite body that had turned into a loli.

The sleeping Athena shivered a bit, and then, like a kitten, her slender, snow-white hands grabbed Roy's blood-stained and torn robe, curled up, and buried her delicate face in his arms.

"...Looking at it this way, she's actually quite cute, but she's just too stubborn and too strong-willed..."

With a light laugh, Roy took a step forward, holding Athena in his arms. After confirming everything, he began walking back in the direction they had come from.

The authority of the Lord of Radiance had expired for the day, and Roy's condition was not great, so he could only proceed step by step.

However, Roy hadn't walked far before he felt a fluctuation of magic. He looked up and saw Erica and Liliana flying quickly toward him, using magic and looking extremely anxious.

When the two knight girls saw Roy, their expressions brightened with relief, and they quickly landed, running toward him. Seeing him covered in blood, they were visibly shocked. Erica immediately supported Roy's body, while Liliana, in her panic, forgot about a God Slayer's resistance to magic and instinctively began using healing spells.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the villa and not come out?"

Although Roy's expression showed dissatisfaction, his tone was not harsh.

"Lili and I were just too worried about your safety and couldn't stay put. Please punish us!"

Erica lowered her increasingly radiant face, speaking firmly without hesitation.

"Forget it. You two are really foolish. If something happened to me, coming here would only get you killed... But since you're both so eager to throw your lives away for me, how could I blame you? ...Lili, stop using magic. A God Slayer's body resists most negative magic, but that also renders enhancement spells ineffective. This wound will heal on its own after some rest."

Roy interrupted Liliana's attempts to waste her magic power, taking a deep breath before continuing, "...I'm feeling too exhausted to walk much further. Can one of you arrange for a helicopter to pick me up?"

"Yes, Lord Roy, just give me a moment."

Erica, swift and efficient, reached into the crevice of her chest, pulled out a phone, and began making contact with the outside world.

Magicians in this world are much cuter than those from the Nasuverse. They're not as crazy and are quite fond of using modern technology.