"Hahaha, Doni, you really turned out like this!" Alexander burst into laughter upon seeing the golden-haired figure.
Mocking a fellow Campione was unwise, he'd thought.
But seeing Salvatore Doni in person, he couldn't hold back.
Before him, the Sword King held a glass of tequila, drinking with a sullen expression.
The renowned Sword King was shirtless, his muscular torso exposed—enough to make young women swoon.
But…
He wore a pink skirt.
It was absurdly comical, yet—
Alexander turned away, rubbing his eyes.
One leg sported white stockings, with golden leg hair stubbornly poking through.
The other leg's hair was half-shaved.
Worst of all, Doni's face was slathered with blush, contrasting sharply with his stubbled chin.
"Hey, Doni, what's with this getup?" Alexander asked, facing away, feigning seriousness.
He also noticed—
Doni's curse power was alarmingly low.
Not just depleted, but diminished.
My new kin is even more troublesome than I thought, Alexander mused, wondering if this trip was a mistake.
"Or do you really want to cross-dress…" He paused, "and become an idol?"
He glanced back at Doni.
It was revolting.
Yet, Doni didn't seem mind-controlled.
"I'm confused too," Doni said, scratching his head, bewildered. "My mind feels normal, memories intact, thoughts clear—"
"But for some reason, I suddenly want to cross-dress and become a pop idol."
"It's like my passion for swordsmanship shifted to this—like it's been redirected."
"My logic and memories tell me I've been tampered with. But emotionally, it feels… normal."
"As if I genuinely awakened this hobby."
"That's a problem," Alexander said, falling silent.
This was a headache.
Not just how to undo Doni's state—he was only here to test the waters.
The real issue was how to counter this Authority.
"Doni, how long do you think this will last?" He asked, hoping for a time limit.
It'd be amusing to see Doni's reaction when it wore off.
"It doesn't feel temporary," Doni said, setting down his glass, his expression unclear—relief, perhaps? "Good thing, too. If it wore off, it'd be unbearable."
"But isn't that worse? Never recovering?" Alexander pressed.
Doni paused.
Then hurled his glass at him.
"Whatever! I've even got my debut line ready," Doni said, standing, his muscles gleaming in the sunlight.
He adjusted his skirt.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Wang Doni, a trainee of two and a half years. I love singing, dancing, rapping, and swordsmanship~"
Alexander's eyes nearly bled.
"By the way, if I debut as an idol, want to join me?" Doni asked, his grin as bright as when he'd swing his sword at a kin.
"We could form a group. I've got a name—Backstreet Girls."
Alexander imagined himself affected.
"Hello, I'm your adorable Black Princess Alec~"
Hell no.
He covered his face.
If that day came, that woman would laugh him to death.
"I'd rather you swing your sword at me," Alexander said, clutching his forehead, voice weary.
"Don't be so cold! You rejected that fast," Doni said, shaking his head, half-disappointed, half-stubborn.
"It felt weird at first, and I shocked myself. But after trying it, it's not bad."
"I'm even planning to invite the old man to join us. We'd be a trio if ypu join now."
Damn it.
"No thanks, have fun on your own," Alexander said, turning to leave.
But—
Before activating Divine Speed, he glanced back.
"You're not seriously saying you've lost all interest in fighting and only care about this, right?"
"Yeah, I think this is more fun than fighting," Doni said, flashing a toothy grin.
"Hmph." Alexander nodded noncommittally, then vanished in a flash of lightning.
The next moment, he reappeared before Doni, throwing a punch without hesitation.
"Of course I'm joking!" Doni laughed, his grin wild, returning a fierce punch to Alexander's face.
"What, Alec? Wanna fight? I feel like I won't lose!"
"Fight you like this? Pass," Alexander said, rubbing his face, suppressing his battle lust with disinterest.
"With your curse power so low, I'm not interested in bullying you."
"Don't say that! When we slew gods, wasn't it tougher than this?" Doni grabbed a nearby broom, snapping off the handle and swinging it.
Though his curse power was drained, turning it into a magic sword seemed feasible.
"No interest," Alexander said, hands in pockets, turning away, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.
Hmph, same old Doni.
Just… a bit grosser.
***
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