Multiverse's Holy Right

"Boy, what's this? Is this your limit?"

On a grassy patch in the park, the Marquis Voban, transformed into a werewolf, faced off against Roy.

This was the famous Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo. Their battle through the city had eventually brought them near the gardens.

"Hah... Though I hate to admit it, 'stubbornly persisting until hitting a wall' isn't my motto. As you say, Marquis, I'm pretty much at my limit."

Roy's body was covered in wounds. His cardinal's robe was torn in several places, his skin streaked with blood, dripping down like a dying man crawling out of a pool of blood.

But for a Campione, such injuries, though gruesome, were merely superficial—far from life-threatening. Roy claimed to be at his limit because his authority, Lord of Light, had reached its time limit.

The wings of radiant flame behind him vanished, the angelic halo above his head disappeared, and Roy reverted from his angelic form to his human one. Now, he had lost his greatest mobility.

During this time, he had diligently studied magic. With mana far surpassing that of an ordinary magician, he could still fly using spells. But mortal magic couldn't grant him the Godspeed of his authority. Ordinary flight was meaningless against the Marquis Voban—unless he could invoke an angelic-level spell.

"Hmph, to push me this far—you've done well for a newborn of our kind. But though your authority is powerful, its restrictions are many. Once I understood how to bind you by its rules, victory became easy."

Though the Marquis Voban was ruthless and cunning—not a true warrior—he didn't withhold praise for Roy, who had fought him to the end.

"Easy? Marquis, you don't look the least bit 'easy' right now. To anyone watching, you're more wounded than I am."

Roy took a deep breath and continued to provoke him.

His Sound of Seven Trumpets, Lord of Light, and Sword of Judgment could no longer be used today, while Sin of Sodom was incapable of delivering a fatal blow to Marquis Voban. According to the intelligence from the Greenwich Assembly, Marquis Voban still had one more authority stolen from Zhurong—"Arbiter of Karmic Flames"—that he hadn't used yet. It must be said, these two authorities were quite similar.

Isaac's Redemption wasn't an offensive authority; it was meant for a last-ditch escape or desperate struggle. Similarly, Hand of Jacob couldn't deliver a decisive strike against Marquis Voban either. On the surface, aside from Roy's final, ultimate, and strongest authority, he truly seemed to be at the end of his rope, having lost any chance to contend with Marquis Voban.

"Still so stubborn even at death's door. You have more guts than I imagined..."

Marquis Voban's body reverted from his werewolf form back to human shape. His injuries were as severe as Roy had described—some flesh had even been torn away, exposing pale bone beneath. The massive blood loss would have killed any normal person long ago.

Under Roy's relentless and overwhelming assault, Marquis Voban had been pummeled like a sandbag, only occasionally managing to trade injuries in desperate struggles, leaving Roy with minor superficial wounds.

Had Roy's Lord of Light authority been sustainable for longer, had his magical energy been abundant, Roy might even have been confident in beating Marquis Voban to death with his bare hands.

But these were all hypotheticals—weaknesses in Roy's current authorities that he would need to address in the future.

"Boy, your magical energy must be nearly spent. Those fists of yours hurt like hell on these old bones, but such explosive power must have drained you dry. I wonder how many more punches you can throw?"

Marquis Voban's wolf-like pupils fixed on Roy as he spoke in a cold, cruel voice.

"Why don't you come over and find out how many punches I have left, Marquis?"

Roy raised an eyebrow, his tone still fearless and arrogant.

"Hmph. Losing control of my emotions earlier due to your taunts was my mistake. Your authorities are far too bizarre—I can't guarantee you don't have another lethal trick up your sleeve. Mock me all you want. I won't dare approach you now, but your mockery will cost you your life."

Marquis Voban narrowed his emerald eyes, cautious with the cunning of a wolf.

"I won't mock your caution, Marquis. But... hesitation is defeat!"

Roy's voice dropped low as his lips curled into an even more audacious grin.

"My body has reached its limit, but my soul can still fight. Since you're pushing me this far, boy, don't regret it. Let me show you what decisiveness looks like! It's been eighty years since I last used this authority—but for a fellow clansman like you, it's worth it!"

Marquis Voban let out another earth-shaking laugh before it abruptly cut off. His body stiffened as if dead, all signs of life vanishing.

Then, just before the Marquis Voban's "corpse" collapsed, an earth-shaking dragon's roar resounded. The Marquis's soul shattered the shackles of his flesh, transforming into a black dragon over forty meters long in a swirl of change. This dragon possessed the same emerald-green, tyrannical eyes as the Marquis, its body mighty and ferocious, resembling a colossal war machine.

"Having witnessed this form of mine, are you prepared to meet your death? I shall send you on your journey to the underworld!"

The black dragon roared at the heavens, shaking the sky and earth with its thunderous cry—the voice unmistakably that of Marquis Voban.

The dragon extended a claw, grasping its own feigned-dead body. This Authority was the Marquis's ultimate trump card in life-or-death crises. To guard against any unforeseen tricks Roy might still have, he decisively unleashed this Authority, intending to slay Roy in his draconic form.

"Otherland's Dragon—an Authority usurped from the ancient Mesopotamian earth mother goddess, Inanna..."

"Inanna, also known as Ishtar, was the Queen of Heaven and the goddess of Venus, the precursor to Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Ishtar was a dual-faced goddess—she and her sister Ereshkigal were essentially two sides of the same being."

"...Ereshkigal was the goddess of the underworld. A Campione's Authority is usurped based on their affinity with the slain god. Thus, Marquis, though you slew Inanna, you did not gain the Authority of the Queen of Heaven, but rather the power of the underworld goddess."

Roy recounted the origin of this Authority with calm precision.

From Marquis Voban's transformations into a werewolf and his Death Servants, one could discern his character and affinities—his profound connection to death and the underworld.

"Hahahahaha!! You must have learned this from that little girl at the Greenwich Assembly. But what does knowing the origin of my Authority matter now?!"

The black dragon of the underworld let out a maniacal laugh, as though victory were already assured.

"True, I cannot wield 'wisdom' as a weapon, but I am not one to await death passively!"

Roy's internal magical power surged once more as he activated his fifth Authority—Isaac's Redemption!

This Authority was originally meant for a final, desperate resurgence when grievously wounded, allowing one to fight or flee. But Roy's injuries were not severe now. Instead of suppressing his wounds temporarily, he used this Authority to push himself beyond limits, briefly restoring his magical reserves.

"Come, Marquis! I can still fight!"

Roy stood tall, staring down the colossal black dragon before him with fearless resolve.

"A cornered beast's last struggle. You've reached your limit. Your fearlessness is commendable, but nothing more. Your life ends here!"

The black dragon of the underworld opened its maw, unleashing a devastating draconic breath that scorched the earth beneath into lifeless cinders.

"Plagues of Egypt!"

Roy struck again, using the Hand of Jacob defensive counter to block the dragon's breath. Charred marks surfaced across his body as searing pain shot through his nerves, forcing a pained groan from his lips.

At the same time, the curse of the Plagues of Egypt surged into the Marquis's body as he launched his attack. However, the current Marquis was the Dragon of the Underworld, and he forcibly withstood the curse of the Plagues of Egypt. As a dragon-serpent, he inherently possessed immense immortality, and the black dragon before him was a creature of the underworld. It could be said that the current Marquis Voban was a true immortal monster.

"Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain!! This curse even has the ability to make my soul feel fear. Truly worthy of God's punishment upon Egypt!"

The black dragon cried out in agony. The Plagues of Egypt was a famous mythological tale, so how could Marquis Voban not recognize the origin of Roy's move?

"Marquis, this authority must be your strongest power..."

Roy's skin still emitted scorching smoke, and the pain dulled his thoughts slightly. Yet, a victorious smile appeared on his face.

"...The final piece of the puzzle is complete. It's time to end this war. Victory belongs to me, victory belongs to the Lord of Hosts!"

Roy shouted loudly. As his voice faded, a golden hand suddenly extended from the distorted, mosaic-like void on his right shoulder.

Upon seeing that golden hand, Marquis Voban, transformed into the black dragon of the underworld, exclaimed in disbelief.

"...What is this?!"

***

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