Chapter 31: The Girl's Proclamation
"What the hell is a god? I don't understand at all."
Said Hikigaya.
A girl who casually brings up things like gods in conversation is either a dangerous lunatic or a diehard fanatic.
Either way, Hikigaya figured it would be best to keep his distance.
"Denying it is useless." The blonde girl sneered and made a shocking declaration that surprised Hikigaya. "I am Erica Blandelli, Great Knight of the Milanese organization 'Copper Black Cross'! Even in this remote place, our organization's eyes and ears are present. Our people witnessed you as the only one to come from there."
Having declared her identity, Erica Blandelli looked pleased as she watched her opponent's jaw drop in surprise.
Her golden hair tinged with red glowed like flames under the Mediterranean sun, dazzlingly brilliant. She smiled with satisfaction like a crowned warrior basking in the sun's glory.
But Hikigaya filtered all that out instantly. He had only one thought in his head.
So this woman is Erica Blandelli? The anime's main heroine and super manipulative b*tch?
Though he had heard the anime version of Erica had totally deviated from the author's original setup, he had to admit—the anime did a great job portraying her as a scheming manipulator.
But the rebellious girl standing before him now seemed very different from that kind of "scheming" character.
Sure, she was dramatic as hell, but her blatant pride suggested she wasn't the type to turn into a b*tch just from meeting a God Slayer. Logically speaking, if she really was that type, she should've gone chasing after that idiot Sword-boy long ago.
Speaking of which, it's been a while since I last saw that fool Sword-boy… Wonder how that dumbass is doing.
"So, are you the one who summoned the deity? You don't look like a magician, but perhaps you're a priest or acolyte of some religion. If that's the case, then occasionally succeeding in a summoning wouldn't be strange. Also, no need to tell me your name—just give me the information I want as payment for the honor of speaking with me."
Erica's loud voice forcefully interrupted Hikigaya's thoughts. Snapping back to reality, he saw her confident gaze and triumphant expression, as if she'd already won.
What the hell is this?
Should I just summon a Pikachu to knock some sense into her?
"I never said I'd tell you my name in the first place," Hikigaya sighed, muttering under his breath, "Little girl, you're seriously not well. Go home, get some food, and rest."
He figured what Erica Blandelli needed most right now was a visit to a neurologist.
"Hehe…" Erica let out a soft laugh upon hearing Hikigaya's response, showing a haughty expression that made Hikigaya think, yep, this chick's about to act up again.
And sure enough, his prediction was dead-on.
"To think I went out of my way to wait for you, only for you to say something like that? If peaceful negotiation won't work..." Her words were provocative, and her tone made it absolutely clear. She spoke each word with the precision of a dagger, flicking her lilac tongue as she declared, "Then let us communicate through battle. Reasoning with someone you can't talk to is clearly pointless."
Reasoning?
Hikigaya tilted his head in confusion.
He started to worry about his memory—why couldn't he recall any part of this so-called "reasoning"!?
Then he heard Erica continue:
"Come, Lion of Steel, soul of the lion that dwells within, essence of battle forged in iron! Respond to my hand and voice! I am the heir of the brave warhorn, descendant of the Black-clad Warrior—if my heart does not yield, then my sword shall never break… Richard the Lionheart, reveal to me the essence of battle in my hand!"
So cringe… I want to roast her so bad—what do I do?
But in the very next moment, Hikigaya swallowed his snark.
From Erica's hand, without warning, a longsword appeared.
The blade was slender and beautiful, shimmering sharply under the sunlight. Though it was a weapon, it possessed the elegance of a fine piece of art.
Her outfit changed too—not the ornate formalwear from before, but a simple long-sleeved shirt, slim black pants, and a red cloak with black embroidery draped over her shoulders.
Man, that's a seriously handy ability—Hikigaya, who had suffered through countless exploding clothes incidents, looked on enviously.
But Erica seemed to be following some kind of fixed ritual. Ignoring Hikigaya's reaction, she held the sword and performed a sword salute like those often seen in movies, ending with:
"Knight Erica Blandelli hereby swears to respond to your loyalty with my valor and chivalry!"
Tsk tsk, is she talking to the sword?
If I were that sword, Hikigaya thought, I'd be too embarrassed to show up—I'd totally run away.
Seriously, talking like that is just plain mortifying!
But he soon realized he was being too naive, because…
"If you have any connection to the divine, then surely you've heard of the valor of Erica Blandelli and the Lionheart! I really don't want to use this skill to fight you, so you'd best be cooperative and quickly, efficiently tell me everything you know."
As she said this, her sword was already lunging forward—in a flurry of rapid thrusts, like a storm.
Wait, wasn't it just her saying she didn't want to fight!?
"What a mess…" Hikigaya muttered, shifting his body and easily dodging Erica's attacks.
Although she called herself a Great Knight, in terms of martial skill, she hadn't truly reached that level—she was probably relying on magical enhancements.
But when it comes to a God Slayer, martial arts might have some effect, but magic is completely useless.
"You really are a martial arts expert. If not, dodging three of my sword strikes in a row would be impossible for anyone at my level," Erica said, her combat style as fierce as a lion.
When she saw that her rapid strikes couldn't touch Hikigaya, she immediately retreated to her original position.
"O Lion of Steel, descendant of the Lionheart…" She began chanting a spell, invoking magic again. "Please hear the vow of Knight Erica Blandelli!"
Her voice was strong, and the originally monotonous spell became as melodious as a poem thanks to her cherry-blossom lips.