Multiverse's Holy Right

"The victor should rightfully execute the defeated."

Seeing Roy approach with that blood-red cruciform sword in hand, Marquis Voban—now a powerless black dragon lying prone—spoke thus. His tone was remarkably calm, utterly devoid of fear in the face of death.

Such was the nature of a Campione. Such was the fate of Campiones: forever embroiled in battle, only to eventually perish in combat one day.

It wasn't that Campiones didn't understand the fear of death. Rather, from the moment they became Campiones, they had already accepted this destiny. Even Roy, upon becoming a Campione, had glimpsed his inevitable fate.

Knowing their eventual end, Campiones did not fear death—for it was merely a matter of time.

Yet Roy had no intention of meeting his demise so easily. He was no ordinary Campione; he possessed the power to alter his destiny.

"Then, may you rest in peace, Marquis..."

Roy aimed the cruciform sword at the massive head of Marquis Voban's black dragon form. Though the scales of the Otherland's Dragon were extraordinarily thick—capable of effortlessly withstanding any modern weapon—they were about to face the Sword of Judgment wielded by the Archangel. Even the armor of the Otherland's Dragon would surely be cleaved.

The blood-red cruciform sword thrust toward the dragon's brow. Without hesitation, Roy delivered the killing blow to his fellow Campione.

"Hehehe... But this is not how it ends for me. Though my fate was sealed long ago, now is not the time for my exit..."

Just as the cruciform sword pierced between his brows, Marquis Voban suddenly revealed a cunning smile.

The dragon's scales parted like tofu before Roy's blade, which effortlessly pierced through and scrambled his brain.

The massive black dragon's body, stretching over forty meters long, along with Marquis Voban's human form sheltered within the dragon's protective claws—all turned to ashes, scattering with the wind.

However, Roy's expression did not relax in the slightest. Instead, he frowned and clicked his tongue, muttering, "...What formidable immortality. Even in this state, he's still clinging to life."

The reason Marquis Voban's authority, Otherland's Dragon, became his trump card was precisely because it granted him immense physical prowess and an almost exaggerated level of immortality, making it exceedingly difficult for this ancient Demon King to die.

Light of the Right bestowed upon Roy the concept of 'victory,' not the act of delivering 'death' to his enemies.

From a results-oriented perspective, Roy had indeed emerged victorious. After unleashing Light of the Right, Marquis Voban had lost all ability to resist, allowing Roy to effortlessly run him through with his sword.

Yet, the Marquis's formidable immortality still came into play. Even in what should have been a fatal situation, a wisp of his soul managed to escape, preventing his complete annihilation.

"Still, reviving with just that wisp of a soul will be an incredibly difficult feat, even for you, Marquis Voban. And even if you do manage to resurrect, you'll be no match for me now."

Roy felt neither regret nor anger over the fact that Marquis Voban hadn't been completely annihilated.

His Light of the Right had already measured the Marquis's power. Even if Voban were to revive, Roy wouldn't need to engage in another fierce battle the next time they met. He could simply summon the third hand and casually swing it to defeat the Marquis once more.

Unless the Marquis gained significantly greater power in an extremely short time, rendering the output calculated by Light of the Right obsolete, only then would he be qualified to face Roy again.

However, given that Campiones skyrocket in strength initially but progress slows drastically afterwards, Marquis Voban's potential as a Campione had already reached its peak.

Unless he ceased to be a Campione, a qualitative transformation was impossible. And since this world held no power greater than that of a Campione, Roy could confidently declare that he had eliminated this oldest of Demon Kings.

"I lack the means to completely eradicate immortality. Ordinary immortality wouldn't be an issue, but encountering someone like Marquis Voban, whose immortality is absurdly potent, would truly be troublesome."

Roy examined the blood-red cruciform sword in his hand, dissatisfied with this limitation.

In this world, the absolute counter to immortality was the Gods of Steel, who had slain the Earth Mother Goddesses. Although Michael also had the feat of defeating the ancient dragon Satan and could be considered a God of Steel, the legends only spoke of him casting Satan back into hell rather than killing him outright. Thus, Michael wasn't a pure God of Steel and lacked effective means against immortality.

"I need to upgrade this sword—at the very least, grant it the ability to counter immortality."

Roy's cruciform sword, though one of the finest divine artifacts, primarily served as a conduit for the Sword of Judgment authority. In essence, it was closer to a staff than a sword.

Michael's attribute was 'fire,' and in esoteric Tarot symbolism, fire was represented by the wand, while wind was symbolized by the sword. Thus, this cruciform sword belonging to Michael was fundamentally a 'staff,' with the sword merely being its outward form—a particularly sharp staff, befitting a magician's combat style.

As Roy pondered how to upgrade the sword, Aiwass suddenly manifested behind him. Her voice, melodious and brimming with human-like warmth—though Roy always sensed an undercurrent of irritability—spoke:

"Pandora's Circle of Usurpation has yielded partial results. The next time you slay a god, I will attempt to enhance your power."

"Partial results? As expected of Aiwass."

Roy was momentarily stunned before delight surged within him.

Truly, this was a case of 'a pillow appearing when one is drowsy.'

"Based on the analysis, I strongly suspect that Pandora's Circle of Usurpation does not belong to her. The ritual has been solidified, and Pandora is merely the key to activate it—not the inventor of &%^#*)^$."

Aiwass hovered behind Roy like a true Holy Guardian Angel, the playful, carefree 'humanity' in her tone growing ever more pronounced.

"What does that mean?"

"In terms you can understand, this rite of usurping authority is likely the ability of a certain object, and Pandora is merely its holder or custodian."

"So you're saying Pandora isn't as mysterious or powerful as imagined?"

Roy raised an eyebrow in question.

"Correct. Your previous assumption was wrong. Pandora doesn't possess extraordinary abilities, nor could she be some mastermind behind the scenes. She's just a special deity."

Aiwass affirmed Roy's statement...

"Excellent. In that case, next time I meet Pandora, I won't have to tread carefully with a polite smile. I can be more assertive with her. I thought she invented this rite, but turns out she's just borrowing others' generosity and bluffing with borrowed authority."

Roy's lips curled into a smirk, his tone noticeably lighter.

Previously, he had been afraid Pandora might notice something amiss, worried this god-slaying ritual might go awry. That's why he played the obedient child in front of her. Now that he knew Pandora was putting on an act, there was no need for fear.

"..."

Aiwass remained silent, offering no comment.

"Roy, what you need now is to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Later, I'll teach you a variant of the Circle of Usurpation. As for how to complete this ritual, you'll need to do that yourself."

Aiwass reminded him at this point.

"I'm quite confident in my comprehension abilities, but the acquisition part will require time to accomplish."

Roy pondered solutions.

As Aleister Crowley's son, Roy had fully inherited the wisdom of the world's strongest magician. This meant he could internalize learned knowledge in the shortest time possible.

Back in the Toaru universe, the main reason Roy had been a third-rate magician who barely knew any spells was his lack of access to knowledge.

The apartment where Aleister once lived contained only some advanced 'philosophy and ideology' grimoires left behind, with no foundational magical theories. No matter how strong Roy's comprehension was, one couldn't make bricks without straw. Without mastering basics, he couldn't research magic.

Given enough time, Roy's intellect might have allowed him to reverse-engineer magic from those philosophical texts. Unfortunately, Aleister eliminated him before he could apply his wisdom.

Now Roy had access to knowledge, but acquiring it was a process. He needed to read book after book, memorize their contents, then comprehend them through his wisdom. Reading books after books would consume considerable time.

"I recall this world has methods to gain knowledge through 'bodily fluid exchange,' though such acquired knowledge is merely borrowed rather than permanently retained. I could try modifying this magic to prolong the knowledge's presence in my mind, then use my comprehension to fully grasp it before it fades."

"...Modifying this magic isn't difficult. The real challenge is finding women—or men, though I'd prefer not—who possess vast knowledge and are willing to impart it to me."

"Being a demon king has its perks—women are practically at your beck and call."

Roy chuckled with delight.

Aiwass neither approved nor disapproved of Roy's choice. 'Sex magic' was, after all, an ancient art of witches—a legitimate branch of magic that existed across numerous worlds and cultures.

The angel merely offered a warning:

"Someone is watching you from your surroundings."

"Hmm? Someone hiding nearby?"

Though Roy phrased it as a question, he didn't doubt Aiwass's words in the slightest.

***

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