Part 5
Though supposed to be advanced in age, Saint Raffaello looked
completely like someone in her twenties.
Magi whose magical power had reached the purest heights would
recover significant youth and vigor. It was said that the effect was
particularly potent for women.
Saint Raffaello's heroic and awe-inspiring beauty must have been the
blessed result of that effect.
"What's up, Doni? Did you forget my face because of injuries from the
beating you took? If that's the case, I won't be surprised at all
because it's you."
"...Ah, it's exactly as you say."
The young man named Salvatore Doni replied, undaunted by his
master's questioning.
This was a name that Erica had never heard before, even though she
had gathered personal profiles on virtually all the top ranking knights
across Europe in case it might come in handy. Who on earth could
this young man be —?
"To be frank, I do seem to have lost my memory."
"Don't say it like you caught a flu, moron!"
"Well well, don't be angry. This morning when I woke up I found
myself sleeping on some unknown country roadside... And then, I was
thinking I must do something to recall past events."
Now that it was mentioned, this was the first time for Erica to hear of
the past experiences of the young man named Doni.
"Strolling over to the nearby monastery, I heard your name being
mentioned. Anyway, making my way through this and that, I finally
got here... Seeing you, I finally understand."
The man named Doni smiled. It was a friendly smiling face as radiant
as sunshine.
However, a dark shadow seemed to flash across his pupils for an
instant.
He was no ordinary person. His body clearly held evidence that he
was no common mortal.
"What I needed to do was see you. And if I could fight you then that
sense of vagueness would surely go away. That's what I have been
feeling, and it's unbearable."
The young man readied the replica sword in at middle level.
It was an ordinary looking stance that felt uninteresting and lacking in
splendor.
However, Erica somehow felt a chill when she saw that posture.
If she had to face sword strikes delivered by that ordinary stance,
very likely any spell would be sliced apart?
A meaningless notion.
Erica glanced at Liliana beside her. She too, was staring at the man
named Doni with her face completely pale.
Perhaps her childhood friend and rival was facing the same fear? This
was a man who was more than a match for the prodigies of Milan, the
red and blue young geniuses!
"Indeed, doing this is perfectly within your character. Unilaterally
doing as you pleased while muttering to yourself..."
Saint Raffaello grumbled and dismounted.
"Maybe this counts as an acceptable reason? I keep feeling that my
sword training has reached an impasse, which is why I want to fight
with the strongest swordsman I know, and gain some kind of clue in
the process — See, if you think about it this way, everything works
out now!"
"You're making things work out too easily! That's why you are the
biggest moron! Anyway, something concerns me."
A great sword with a broad blade appeared in Saint Raffaello's hand.
It was summoned by magic. The silver blade gave off a chilling sense
of elegance and tenacity, shining brilliantly with power reminiscent of
a lion's majesty.
Could this be one of the "Twin Swords of the Lion and the Master
Musician"?
"I know you are one of those people for whom words are a waste of
time. Salvatore Doni, you are a true genius, a monstrous child of
heaven in regard to swords... However, you are not a man who plays
games, what new technique have you mastered now?"
Saint Raffaello pointed her sword at the fort that had been split into
two.
"This is simply..."
The beautiful paladino shook her head as giving up all hope.
Then she pointed the tip of her sword at Salvatore Doni.
"This reminds me, your stupidity is so great that not even death can
cure it. Let's talk using the blades of our swords. Come, you unworthy
idiot disciple. It's been a while since I gave you a good loving..."
A rather strange master-disciple conversation.
A formidable battle seemed to be imminent.
For young knights, the opportunity to witness such a battle must have
been a chance of a life time. However, Erica Blandelli was not one to
be satisfied so easily.
Erica felt her gaze unwittingly drawn by the intensely peculiar
personalities of the master-disciple pair.
However, she still had other goals. There was that task she needed to
accomplish.
"Please wait a moment, Saint Raffaello! It is a pleasure meeting you
for the first time. I am Liliana Kranjcar, knight belonging to the
[Bronze Black Cross]. Today I make my visit for the sake of inheriting
the famed twin swords in your possession."
Even as Erica recovered her fighting spirit, Liliana was the first to yell
out before her.
She got ahead. Oh well, whatever, as befits my rival. She doesn't
want to be just a bystander either. In that case, let's fight in
cooperation.
For young upstarts like Erica and Liliana, trying to compete against
this master-disciple pair required strategy!
"I, Erica Blandelli, have also arrived for the same purpose as Dame
Liliana here. So it turns out that Sir Salvatore who came along with us
was also looking for Madam Saint Raffaello... Due to Sir Salvatore's
vague memories, we still have yet to ascertain the relationship
between you two."
Erica spoke as she bowed elegantly.
Grasp the situation as quickly as possible and change from being a
bystander to a participant.
"If possible, as your junior I also wish —"
"Pray elucidate the details."
Faced with Liliana and Erica's identical requests, Saint Raffaello
sighed.
"Based on your family names, you must be the successors to the
Houses of Kranjcar and Blandelli. What a disaster for you to be caught
up in this moron's antics... Salvatore Doni is a knight from Siena.
Extremely talented with the sword, but a complete failure in magic."
Siena was another ancient city in Tuscany along with Florence and
Pisa.
However, it was definitely not a major center in magic.
In Italy, there were a total of seven prestigious magic associations.
Rome's [Female Wolf] and [Eagle of the Blue Sky], Turin's [Olden
Dame], Florence's [Capital of Lilies], Palermo's [Aegis], and last but
not least, Milan's [Copper Black Cross] and [Bronze Black Cross].
Altogether they were known as the "Seven Sisters."
It was common practice for talented young men and women to be
recruited and relocated to these prestigious associationas.
For example, the one who got along poorly with Erica, Gennaro Gantz,
came to Milan from Reggio Calabria a few years ago. All things said,
"a knight from Siena" implied that this young man named Doni had
never brushed shoulders with elites.
"This fellow came to me a year ago and said 'please teach me a bit of
swordsmanship.' I discovered that he did have some good qualities
despite being an idiot, so I instructed him for a while. But then he
disappeared after merely a month."
The young man was ruefully scratching his head in response to her
reproach.
"Hmm... I can't really remember. Even if you glare at me with such
scary eyes..."
"What a troublesome fool. Anyway, you are the fellow with poor
intellect, rude manners, and always playing little tricks. The only
things you can remember are those related to martial arts. All it took
was a month for you to memorize my techniques."
Was this the result of his inborn talent?
Such arrogance was only permitted for those born with outstanding
aptitude. Furthermore, Saint Raffaello had declared in no uncertain
terms that he was a "genius."
"Did we have that kind of relationship...? Well, anyway, that has little
to do with our meeting here now."
The genius swordsman, who transcended Erica and Liliana's
imaginations, spoke to them with a knowing smile.
"Could you two back off for a while? I should be done in a bit.
Anyway, sorry!"
The young man signaled with his eyes.
Immediately, Doni's right arm began shining with a bright silver
luster. He stabbed the replica sword into the ground and simply pulled
it out again.
— This resulted in a slash that split the earth apart.
The ground beneath Erica and Liliana collapsed and split open. Like
the medieval fort just now, the ground was cleanly cut into two.
The two surprised girls fell down into the depths of the earth. Due to
the ground collapsing from the young man's "slash," the girls were
swept underground together with the debris.
Did Salvatore Doni actually overhear Erica and Liliana's speculation
about "something underground"?
Which is why he forced the two of them down there to prevent them
from interfering in his fight? For his own purpose.
A fool in appearance but quite crafty in reality — from this, Erica and
Liliana caught sight of another aspect of the young man described by
Saint Raffaello.
"As expected... It's still you after all."
The paladino named Saint Raffaello murmured to herself.
Salvatore Doni's terrifying ability. Swinging the replica sword with the
brilliantly shining silver arm, the earth was split apart together along
with the underground church.
She recognized it for what it was.
During the stage in life when she fought under the title of Saint
Raffaello, she had often witnessed many examples of such ultimate
power.
Dejanstahl Voban's manipulation of storms, the army of the dead
under his command, and vast empty wastelands the result of
incineration by hellfire.
Beautiful Cult Leader Luo Hao's unparalleled unarmed might, singing
songs of destruction, scattering otherworldly flowers across the mortal
realm.
Graceful Mrs. Aisha's summoning of eternal spring and endless winter.
And now, the "King of Swords" who slices through all existence was
born —!
"Ahahahahaha! Thanks to this blessing of longevity, even though an
unworthy disciple, I now witness the birth of Epimetheus' illegitimate
child from my lineage! What a surprise!"
Saint Raffaello cried out to the silver-armed swordsman.
"Hey, idiot disciple, what were you doing before your poor little mind
lost its memory?"
"Hmm... I feel like I was fighting someone somewhere, but I can't
recall the details."
Doni readied the fake sword as he spoke.
Saint Raffaello scoffed at this silly answer.
"You even forgot how things happened, what a useless idiot disciple.
Well then, you shall answer with your body... Through actual combat,
show me the sword skills of the man who defeated a god!"
The great silver sword — the magical Cuore di Leone came swinging.
This was a strike from one of the twin swords. Its name implied "soul
of the lion." This steel embodied unrelenting valor and carried the
attribute of indestructibility.
Doni's silver arm dispelled its brilliance before the magic sword of the
lion.
"Eh, you're not going use your authority? Planning on going easy on a
human like me? How admirable!"
"Authorities, whatever, I don't know anything about that. But it's not
a battle of sword skills if I use that arm, so it would be meaningless."
Using this exchange of dialogue as the signal to begin, the two of
them simultaneously attacked with their swords.
Saint Raffaello swung Cuore di Leone upwards in a massive arc, while
Doni slashed with lightning speed along the central approach.
Clang! A direct frontal clash.
Sword struck sword intensely, and like that the blades slowly inched
towards their opponents.
Had these been ordinary swords, such a violent direct clash would
likely snap the blades outright.
For Cuore di Leone, such concerns would have been redundant. Its
pliable structure would not fracture under this level of stress, and
even in the off chance that it did break, it could mend itself
immediately.
On the other hand, Doni was using a mere fake sword. As they
pressed their blades against each other, delighted smiles surfaced on
the faces of both swordsmen.
Display your skills through fierce attacks like this — Saint Raffaello
invited with her eyes and Doni nodded lightly in response.
The two of them separated their swords and stepped back.
One side would strike with the sword, and the other would defend.
One side would make a sudden thrust and the other would deflect or
guard in response.
The two swords clashed and repelled each other repeatedly, sending
sparks flying, trying to prove their superiority.
The root of this battle was a primal competitive urge.
Whose sword was stronger, faster, sharper —
A competition in all such aspects.
In terms of "strength" and "gentleness," simply stated, this was a
duel of "strength."
On the other hand, this battle was obviously not limited to
swordsmanship. Saint Raffaello in particular, was a master of knightly
techniques that combined magic and swordsmanship in battle —
"O Steel of the lion, the king of swords that has cut down thousands
of armored foes!"
Cuore di Leone attacked in conjunction with spell words.
Her beloved sword was infused with iron alchemy that enhanced its
sharpness. Were Doni to take the strike head on like just now, his
fake sword would be split into two!
Doni suppressed the attack by exhibiting a technique best described
as "gentle."
Saint Raffaello swung Cuore di Leone down with great force.
The fake sword pressed itself against the body of the opponent's
blade — rather, they were entangled. The fake sword was now acting
like a steel snake.
Cuore di Leone, which should have sliced Doni apart, was deflected off
course.
The fake sword tangled itself around Cuore di Leone like a snake,
preventing it from being swung freely.
— Against an opponent's force of 100, one shall use a force of 10 to
absorb its power, the way cotton soaks up water, thereby blocking it,
defending.
A technique of this sort was known as the "dissipating force" amongst
Chinese martial artists.
Simply stated, it was the concept of neutralizing unyielding "strong"
force with "gentleness."
At this time, Salvatore Doni's mind and body had entered a
heightened state of intense clarity.
Pressing his sword tightly against Saint Raffaello's blade, he perturbed
his master's movements by using the fake sword like a snake to shift
her aim, neutralizing the slicing attacks.
Rather than focusing on dodging the enemy's attacks, this was active
defense performed with initiative, seeking to discover openings in the
opponent's sword techniques —
Using "gentleness," Doni was able to overwhelm Cuore di Leone.
"Not bad, as expected!"
Saint Raffaello laughed. Was this enough to seal the lion?
Using gentle strength to carry out techniques uniting the strong with
the gentle was one of the most wondrous pinnacles of martial
achievement. But what about using gentle force to counter gentle
force?
Saint Raffaello relaxed her body as if it were made of cotton. She
began to control the motions of her sword and her entire body like a
snake, a leech, or like cotton.
Compared to the fake sword moving under Doni's control, the magic
sword of the lion flowed gently with greater softness. Its motions
were far more elegant and soothing in comparison.
The sword was being swung with elegance as if the renowned
Renaissance master Raphael was moving his paintbrush —
Indeed, Salvatore Doni was a genius and a blessed child of heaven in
his disposition towards swords.
However, Saint Raffaello was just as talented. Though they may be
similarly gifted in nature, the difference in accumulated experience
was decidedly vast. Perhaps the unworthy disciple had approached
the master's skill with the "strong" sword, but clearly he had yet to
master the "gentle"—
Saint Raffaello casually retracted the lion's sword from entanglement
from Doni's snake-like sword.
And just as casually, she resumed with a slashing attack.
Whenever the elderly master delivered a smooth and unhurried blow,
no impetuous youngster had ever been able to evade... This was one
of many legends passed down in martial circles. Masters who had
reached such heights were virtually unheard of.
But of course, it would be most redundant to state that it was
perfectly possible for Saint Raffaello!
What are you going to do, unworthy disciple!?
Doni's right arm proceeded to shine brightly with a silver luster — is
he really activating his authority?
The power to slice apart the ancient fort along with the very earth!?
Isn't he contradicting his prior statement of "that isn't sword skills"?!
The shock and surprise stiffened her muscles, causing Saint
Raffaello's sword to delay slightly. The slowly moving sword became
even more languid in its motion.
Taking advantage of this opening, Doni attacked at once, charging
with his body!
The magic sword of the lion was originally going to split Doni in half
starting with his head.
However, it only managed to slice off a bit of his scalp, and Doni's
body continued to crash towards her.
What a decisive and courageous tackle. Rather than swordfighting it
was more like a rugby move. Saint Raffaello dodged by taking a brisk
step to the side. Thanks to that, the massive idiot's head was not split
open.
Doni's arm no longer flashed with silver light. It was a feint for he had
no intention of using his authority.
"Y-You damn brat! You social misfit of a human failure! Even so, you
went further and abused a swordsman's honor, promising not to use
that arm!"
"But all I did was show it. I didn't actually use it, right?"
Saint Raffaello was furious, while Doni was unrepentent.
The duel between masters of the sword had become an argument like
squabbling children.
"Hmph, if that's what you want, I will use all of my weapons."
Saint Raffaello dispelled the lion's magic sword. As its replacement,
she summoned the magic sword of the master musician — II Maestro!
It was a weapon with a blade like a saber's fitted onto a long shaft
like a spear. Resembling the Japanese weapon of the naginata, it was
the other of the twin swords. Its name meant "The Master."
The creator of mysterious beauty, this steel was renowned for playing
wondrous music, as hidden within it was the spiritual power of the
magic melody.
Saint Raffaello effortlessly swung II Maestro.
The sound of slicing wind was heard as it slashed at Doni.
The motion was as fast as a chilly breeze blowing lightly across
highlands.
Furthermore, II Maestro's slashing attack was accompanied by the
playing of a tempting magic melody.
From the steel of the master musician came mysterious tones, which
caused listening opponents to lose concentration and be overcome
with sleepiness, thereby producing openings. This was Saint
Raffaello's prided secret technique that had placed many a foe at her
mercy.
If Cuore di Leone was the "strong" sword then II Maestro was the
"gentle" magic sword.
However, the magic melody did not work against Doni. Like ocean
waves crashing against rocks on the shore, all bewitching effects were
deflected completely.
As befitted the god-slaying man!
Magic was ineffective against a god-slayer after all. In that case, one
must focus on martial arts!
Saint Raffaello began to swing II Maestro even faster.
— In close-quarter combat, absolute advantage was held by the one
with greater control over their weapon. No matter what, seizing
initiative was imperative.
Of course, there was also the tactic of crashing into the enemy's
bosom to enter contact range.
However, there was no way Saint Raffaello would let someone
beneath her like Doni do that.
II Maestro attacked mercilessly in its naginata-like form.
Horizontal slash followed horizontal slash. From left to right,
diagonally up, diagonally down, straight up, straight down, slashing
attacks were sent from all angles. Sometimes the blade was even
thrust forward in a straight line.
Without pausing for a single instant, the series of continuous attacks
were like a storm of steel.
Doni desperately tried to overcome the disadvantageous shift in the
tide of battle, using his sword to defend against II Maestro's thrusts
and slashes. Defend, defend, defend!
However, Saint Raffaello suddenly changed her rhythm of attack.
Twirling around the long-shafted II Maestro, she made use of the
opposite end of the blade, or in other words, the pommel to strike
Doni. This was the critical hit.
Having grown accustomed to the previous attack rhythm, Doni was
struck squarely in the temple by the wooden shaft.
Hit by an impact equivalent to a splendid hook from a boxer, Doni's
body began to sway. His knees hit the ground and his eyes lost focus.
Unconscious, eh? However, one cannot be careless until a decisive
strike lands with absolute certainty.
Saint Raffaello began to swing II Maestro once again.
Part 6
Tracing back to earlier events, Erica and Liliana had just fallen into a
dark place underground together with a large amount of debris.
After hitting the floor, Erica endured the pain and got up.
Feeling the ground beneath her feet, it felt like clay tiles which are
much softer compared to hard slabs of stone or concrete.
Her body did not hurt too much, most likely due to the clay tiles
absorbing part of the impact.
Relieved, Erica snapped her fingers to perform a [Ghostfire] spell.
Four palm-sized blue flames appeared In Erica's surroundings. Beside
her, Liliana also got up onto her feet.
"...As expected, this looks like an underground temple."
"Yes. Originally this place was blocked off by a powerful barrier,
preventing normal entry into the grounds."
The two of them surveyed their surroundings.
The temple was rather spacious — big enough to hold a football
match.
Going forward, there was an altar in the depths of this church.
At the back of the altar was a figure of Jesus Christ on the crucifix.
Behind the sculpture was some kind of massive face. It was the
demonic deity Baphomet worshiped by the Knights Templar during
the Middle Ages.
"Since a depiction of Baphomet is here, it must have been constructed
during the Middle Ages."
"Yes. The worship of Baphomet in lineages descending from the
Knights Templar was something that was gradually lost in
contemporary times."
Erica and Liliana looked upwards.
The ceiling was roughly ten-odd meters above the floor. A massive
crack crossed the ceiling, and the debris fallen from above had buried
roughly a quarter of the underground church.
"Lily, by your estimates, how deep are we?"
"An accurate measure would be impossible of course. A witch's
intuition tells me this should be quite deep. It could very well be
equivalent to four or five floors underground."
Magi with a witch's disposition were particularly favored by the earth.
Erica shrugged in response to Liliana's answer.
"Building such a church must have required significant resources. I
fear this place was built by our predecessors the Knights Templar
themselves, or a successor of direct lineage."
Erica speculated as she walked about, examining the place.
One of the reasons why the Knights Templar went into decline was
their indulgence in developing economic power which ran counter to
orthodox Christian ideology.
The Knights Templar undertook operations that were essentially
finance.
Redeemable deposits, loans and financing. Managing the funds of
pilgrims setting off for Jerusalem. Selecting over nine thousand
knights from various European orders to come to the Middle East.
They also loaned cash and even provided aid to government finances.
The Knights Templar acted as a prototype of modern banking.
"This must have been an important holy sanctum once. Which is why
Saint Raffaello has been living in seclusion watching over it... By the
way, Lily, what's this?"
Erica discovered a book lying at the foot of the sculpture of Christ.
The book was rather large in size. The width of the cover was roughly
the length from Erica's elbow to her fingertips while its height was as
tall as Erica's upper torso.
Erica slowly approached this massive book.
"W-Wait a minute, Erica. I can feel an aura from that book, it could
very well be a sacred treasure with significant history!? Do not
recklessly touch something so dangerous!"
"...Your witch's intuition again, right? I am very intrigued."
Chirping away like a little bird, Erica completely ignored Liliana's
warnings.
Approaching the mysterious book, Erica gazed unerringly at the cover.
Titled "The Book in Praise of David's Great Works," the book was
written in ancient Greek.
Erica felt herself shudder instinctively. For the grimoire that all
knights sought in their dreams to be encountered like this...
"Too reckless, Erica Blandelli! Know your plaaaace!"
Liliana panted as she ran over to catch up.
It was only natural. The childhood friend and rival was not a girl who
would fail to recognize the value of this book.
"Correction. It is very likely that Saint Raffaello went into seclusion for
the purpose of guarding this grimoire. That must be why this
underground church with a sturdy barrier was chosen. For the sake of
safeguarding battle magic of the ancient sages —"
The one who hid this grimoire was most probably Saint Raffaello.
Also, there was Liliana's oracle.
Combining these facts, Erica concluded that it was highly unlikely for
this grimoire to be fake.
—"The Book in Praise of David's Great Works"!
It held incomparable attraction for magi seeking the pinnacle of the
way of the knight.
For example, there were the [Spell Words of David]. An ancient and
powerful curse that was said to be strong enough to cause injury to
Heretic Gods. Or the [Song of Smiting], the sacred hymn of massacre
that destroyed the tragic city of Jericho, causing the Midian kings and
people to be annihilated from the face of the earth —
"Hey Lily, I have a suggestion..."
Erica's voice sounded uncharacteristically like a cat's.
Failure was unacceptable. Throughout her entire life, Erica had
managed to deceive Liliana Kranjcar countless times, but
nevertheless, the success rate was not 100%.
One must be cautious and avoid setting off the silver-haired childhood
friend's sense of justice.
On the other hand, such worries might have been redundant.
After all, Liliana was staring at the grimoire like a poor child gazing
wistfully at a little trumpet, or more accurately, like Salvatore Doni
salivating over a sword!
Salvatore Doni had just been struck soundly in the temple by Saint
Raffaello.
It was a heavy blow. His brain felt like it was vibrating, and his
consciousness was slipping. His knees were wobbling and his body
was losing balance and about to collapse.
However, this painful blow managed to awaken something in his
mind.
—Aaah, it's all coming back.
Doni found his memories from the past month surfacing nonstop in
his mind.
It must have been a museum in Turkey where his body was
possessed by the divine spirit of Saint George. Originally, he had been
hired as a bodyguard in Rome's chinatown by an antiques dealer he
was acquainted with. Then a whole lot happened after that.
Controlled by the divine spirit, he went overseas to Ireland, spending
his days searching for deities and exterminating them.
Finally, he discovered the gates of the Fairy Realm which led to the
Netherworld. Nuadha, the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish deities,
basically), manifested there and began to duel one on one against
Saint George.
In the end, only Saint George's divine spirit was destroyed and Doni
regained his freedom. After that, Doni was certain that he had
challenged Nuadha to a duel —
"Traveling back to Italy through the Netherworld, I arrived at that
village, was that what happened...?"
Doni shook his head in a daze and nodded. After ending the battle
with the god and on the verge of death, there was an impression of
speaking to a female somewhere.
'Your memories will be in chaos for a short while after returning to the
real world. Though becoming a god-slayer results in rebirth,
incompetent magi will receive brain damage from the strain of staying
in the Boundary of Life and Immortality for too long. If that happens,
just find someone to give you a good smack on the head!"
It sounded like advice from a very frivolous young girl...
Anyway, Doni's memory had recovered.
Only a fraction of a second had passed since being struck by Saint
Raffaello. During this time, his master had swung II Maestro over his
head, and was intent on delivering the finishing blow —!
Defense and counterattack was necessary.
Salvatore Doni had already mastered thousands of techniques that
could be used in this situation. Using this endless variety of ever-
changing sword styles, he will face his former teacher!
— However, the techniques surfacing in his mind suddenly all
vanished.
— Doni also halted his sword-wielding arm.
The sword dangled limply. Abandoning the offensive and defensive
maneuvers that were deemed necessary, the sword only needed to be
moved freely by one's heart.
"No good... Did I even forget the most important part?"
He had encountered Nuadha who wielded the undefeated sword. At
that time, he had awakened a deep revelation that was close to the
true essence of swordsmanship. Right, this was what Salvatore Doni
had hoped for from a duel with Saint Raffaello.
"...You, did you recover your memories?"
Saint Raffaello asked. She seemed to have noticed the change in
Doni's behavior. Despite having spent only a brief period with him,
she was truly the teacher worthy of the paladino title.
"Recovering your memories by smacking your head? What a sloppy
little brat..."
Even though she was scolding him, Saint Raffaello's anger seemed to
have subsided.
"Almost like changing into an entirely different person... You, brat
who loves to show off, finally understood the concept that
'abandoning skills' is also a 'skill,' right?"
"Hmm. Well, that's right I guess. From now on, let's really stick to
swords alone."
Doni's sword continued to dangle limply as he responded.
This posture could be described as stanceless, but precisely because it
was "nothingness" it was open to infinite changes. Countless variety
was not enough, for truly infinite variation lay in modest simplicity,
like combining yin and yang, melding contradictory elements
completely into one.
Now all that was needed was nothingness in the mind.
Devoid of thought. Cleared of thought and contemplation —
Saint Raffaello made a straight thrust with II Maestro. Doni remained
in his mental state of nothingness, swinging his sword upwards. Were
this move to succeed, it would block the strike from below and send II
Maestro flying high up into the air...
Ka! Ching!
The harsh timbre of metal clashing echoed. A conclusion had been
reached.
The sword flying high into the air was the fake one — Doni's weapon.
"...Well, let's call it a day. Are you impressed by my greatness?"
"Am I that far away from perfecting it? Sometimes I can use it well
but other times it doesn't work."
As his master declared with pride, Doni muttered to himself as he
shook his head.
"Purely in regard to swords, it is my victory without a doubt. You are
still too lacking in experience... However, as a side note, experiencing
a few more battles of this sort will greatly help your training."
Saint Raffaello's advice carried a terrifying sort of certainty.
"That said, had it been a fight to the death, with 99% certainty it
would have been your victory. Hey Doni, in that decisive moment, did
the thought of "I might die" ever cross your mind?"
"Now that you mention it, never. Why?"
"Sure enough, you're still a moron. You usurped the divine authority
to slice through anything — if you really used that then I would have
no chance of victory... I am absolutely certain, you really could use
that against me without any hesitation."
Criticized by his master, Doni began to pout.
"Hmm, even though I'm just a rookie amongst knights, I intend to
keep my promise of 'only swords' no matter what."
"Yeah right! As if one could expect the fair spirit of competition from a
fellow who can slay gods!"
Having known quite a few Campiones, the paladino asserted.
"Don't even think you can obtain the secret art of nothingness so
easily from the victory over Nuadha. Well then, Doni, if you really
want to master the sword skills of nothingness, you must fight
enemies of an equal or higher level, and reach the mental realm of
serene nothingness in the process. Only then can it become yours as
if it were a part of your flesh and blood."
"Enemies of an equal or higher level?"
"Of course. That means gods or your peers, the Campiones."
Thus the "King of Swords," Salvatore Doni, was set loose upon the
earth, causing direct and indirect hardship and suffering to countless
others as a result of his eccentric behavior.
The culprit who had offered such brilliant advice, frowned and
murmured to herself.
"By the way, those Kranjcar and Blandelli girls probably got injured a
little. And of all places you could have driven them, you had to pick
the worst one! That girl in particular is not an easy one to handle. If
only she was the same type as this idiot here!"
"Seems like the battle has ended..."
"Wow. What an amazing fight..."
Having witnessed most of the duel, Erica and Liliana whispered to
each other.
The two of them were still in the underground church. Liliana had
released the Witch's Eye to scout out the subterranean passage which
was as complicated as mountain caves. The observed images were
projected onto the surface of magically conjured water.
Completely memorizing the layout, Erica was able to deduce the
underground structure.
With that, the two of them were able to find an escape route with
shocking speed.
Once the Witch's Eye reached the surface, they were able to observe
the deadly duel between Saint Raffaello and the young man named
Doni.
Since the spell only enhanced vision, they were unable to catch the
dialogue.
Nevertheless, Erica and Liliana were able to fully grasp how amazing
the young man named Doni was.
"Despite various concerns, our first priority should be getting back
up."
Liliana nodded in agreement with Erica's opinion.
...Two hours later, Saint Raffaello welcomed the two as they reached
the surface. Standing slovenly behind the paladino was the young
man named Doni, lovingly embracing the fake sword.
"It's been a while, Madam Saint Raffaello, and Sir Salvatore — I
express my utmost apologies for failing to greet Your Highness the
sixth Campione with timeliness."
Erica bowed with prim and proper etiquette. It was neither yielding
subserviently nor lacking in manners.
It was behavior performed with the esteem of the House of Blandelli.
"I believe the birth of Italy's god-slayer is a cause for celebration. We,
the [Bronze Black Cross], will surely send our commander-in-chief for
a formal greeting in the near future. But for now, please accept my
salutations."
Likewise, Liliana also performed a knight's greeting readily.
Truly the awe-inspiring and upfront words of a soldier.
Since the Witch's Eye did not offer sound, they had not heard the
conversation between Doni and Saint Raffaello. However, the many
clues in the situation were more than enough to ascertain Salvatore
Doni's true identity.
"They're talking to you, moron."
"Eh? Why do you have to be so respectful? Ah, you are Elenoa
Blindelli and Lilana Kuronikor, right? I just recovered my memory,
thank you for everything you've done so far!"
Prompted by his teacher, the young Devil King spoke foolishly.
Better keep a good distance from him, Erica silently vowed to herself.
He looks like an idiot, and does act foolishly after all, but one would
never expect him to be a monster.
Getting too close to him will definitely be bad luck!
Thus, it was about time to get going. Erica signaled to Liliana with her
eyes.
Bid our leave with proper manners and make a run for it!
"How clever of you to discern Doni's identity without any explanation.
However, there are still certain things you overlooked. So you two
were able to use the spell of [Transcription] in such short time?"
As Saint Raffaello spoke, the two froze in their tracks.
Amazingly observant. Their respect for their great predecessor grew
in leaps and bounds.
...[Transcription] was high level magic that enhanced one's memory
for a short period of time, allowing one to memorize read texts. Erica
and Liliana had split the duties and memorized half of "The Book in
Praise of David's Great Works" each to take back to the surface.
"M-Madam Saint Raffaello, we absolutely did not do this out of
disrespect for you. No matter what, no knight can resist that kind of
temptation —!"
"Sigh. Fine, I shall let you have this in exchange."
Disregarding Liliana's frantic apology, Saint Raffaello extended an
open palm. On it was a key made of iron.
"This is the key to a little church in Florence! Labyrinthian catacombs
lie beneath it, guarded by many traps. My armory is there. Take this,
go there and pick out what you like!"
Saint Raffaello informed them with an anguished expression.
Eh? The silver-haired childhood friend exclaimed in confusion.
Erica proceeded to nod in agreement at the generous terms offered
by Saint Raffaello. Surely, the renowned twin swords, the magic
swords of Cuore di Leone and II Maestro must lie in that armory!
"W-What on earth is going on, Erica?"
"In other words, Madam Saint Raffaello is bestowing the twin swords
upon us in exchange for dispelling the [Transcription] spell. I think it
was not right for us to harbor such desires, so this is just as well."
"...Hey Master, if you summon the swords now then there's no need
to exchange, right?"
"Hmph, that armory has all sorts of devices for repelling invaders, you
think it's that easy to get there!? Furthermore, if that girl is skilled
enough then she should fight her way in there by all means!"
The paladino retorted childishly at her disciple's question.
Hearing that, Erica proposed cleverly and cautiously:
"I look forward to the trial that awaits me in my quest for outstanding
weapons. However, if I may, I wish to make one request to Madam
Saint Raffaello."
"Request?"
"Yes, we hope you can grant leniency towards the portions Dame
Liliana and I memorized by our own efforts without using spells."
Liliana was speechless at this proposal.
The very first part they read was the portion that could be memorized
quickly. This included the [Spell Words of David] left behind by the
ancient hero that were powerful enough to cause injury to gods — this
was the portion for which Erica was requesting leniency.
Tsk, whatever! Saint Raffaello began to yell as if throwing a tantrum.
"Hey Doni, I'm going to give you a grimoire for safekeeping! Take
care of it diligently! Hmm, giving it directly to you makes me feel
uneasy, so better find someone trustworthy later! Tsk, I'm not going
to take up the role of watching over that book ever again! What a
pain!"
"Uh, what are you talking about? I don't quite understand, Master."
Once again, they were at the Porta San Giovanni.
Erica and Liliana had returned to the city gates of San Gimignano.
They had arrived here after handling various matters and bidding
farewell to Sir Salvatore and Saint Raffaello.
"Sorry to have you wait, Erica... What do you think?"
"Oh my, imitating Saint Raffaello's look isn't bad. Rather, it actually
suits you quite well."
The two girls had decided to take a break and were having coffee in
town.
After borrowing the washroom, Liliana had returned with a new
hairstyle.
Her long silver hair was now tied in a ponytail. Witnessing her
childhood friend's change in appearance, Erica offered her opinion
without reservation.
"Really? Yes, to be honest, I also think it suits me well!"
Liliana nodded with excitement.
Discovering the grimoire was already exciting enough, but
encountering her idol seemed to have made her even more high-
strung. As preparations before their next adventure, it was not a bad
sign.
Erica gazed at the key given by Saint Raffaello.
"So, let's start preparing for the catacombs beneath Florence. Surely
we must get our hands on those two magic swords, and let no one in
Italy be ignorant of our talent."
"Ah, I hope so... Well, on the other hand."
Liliana nodded then sighed.
"Earning some sort of merit may bring fame, but everything pales in
comparison to the shocking news of the birth of a Campione. Who
could have expected someone like that to slay a god successfully..."
"Furthermore, I wonder what kind of god did he fight..."
The young man they parted with not too long ago.
Recalling his unprecedented behavior, the two girls were deeply
impressed.
...At that moment, Liliana's cellphone began to ring.
"Esteemed Grandfather? Excuse me for a bit, Erica. What is going on?
Eh? The Marquis wishes to gather us witches and miko?"
After a brief conversation, Liliana hung up the phone.
Hearing words she could not turn a deaf ear towards, Erica decided to
inquire without hesitation.
"What happened? The one you and Grandfather Kranjcar referred to
as the Marquis — so it turns out to be related to Marquis Voban?"
"Uh, yes," replied Liliana with a hesitant expression.
"Recently, the Marquis apparently has a need for several dozens of
miko. I told Grandfather that I would head over there together with
you once we finish things here."
"The Marquis says he needs miko? The intentions of the Great Devil
King of the Balkans are certainly difficult to surmise."
Salvatore Doni and Dejanstahl Voban.
The ritual summoning of Siegfried that would become the source of
conflict between two Devil Kings. As yet unaware of the causes of that
incident, the two girls began to discuss their means of transport
towards Florence.
Erica proposed hiring a car and a driver, while Liliana expounded on
the virtues of the public bus system's timeliness and cost
effectiveness.
Stubbornly refusing to back down, the two of them continued to
bicker with great intensity.