Chapter 33: Flying and Steel
Erica Blandelli launched her attack with all her might.
At the same time as she enhanced her strength through magic, she also unleashed the martial skills that had been honed and refined through countless cycles of the seasons up to this very moment.
In her heart, she longed to achieve victory through martial prowess.
But such thoughts were shattered the very moment her sword made contact with the spear swung by Hikigaya — even her magically enhanced strength could not withstand it. The vibrations were too much for her sword-wielding hand to endure, and the sword flew from her grasp.
It was an utter humiliation — she had never been defeated so cleanly or so swiftly.
At this point, Erica Blandelli had no choice but to admit: her martial arts were no match for the boy standing before her.
With her sword struck away, and her barehanded techniques utterly outclassed, she was completely unable to stop the boy from closing in on her. She could only watch as the boy pressed a palm to her shoulder, and the powerful force that surged through that touch invaded her body, leaving her limp and powerless as she fell to the ground in defeat.
Her butt hurt. Badly!
Clang!
With a crisp metallic sound, the long spear embedded itself into the ground beside Erica's feet.
Then the boy's body blocked her view, casting a shadow over her. Reflexively, she raised her hands to protect her vital points.
"That movement of yours makes it look like I'd actually hit you." The boy's deep voice reached her ears — and to her surprise, her body relaxed at the sound.
Unforgivable! How could she show such a vulnerable reaction just because the other was strong?
The Blandelli family does not raise people who can't take defeat!
Fuming internally, Erica tried to stand — and did, though it was because the boy helped her up.
Humiliation! Utter humiliation!
"Don't look at me like I harassed you or something," the boy said. "Asking directions from the locals is too tiring. You seem to know this place well, so help me out and lead the way."
"Why should I agree to that?" Erica snapped, although she felt a flicker of delight inside.
As long as she stayed by this person's side, she'd be able to figure out how he had summoned a god.
She was certain the Heretic God on Sardinia had been summoned by Hikigaya...
Godslayers, when not using their Authorities, couldn't be identified by outsiders — and their overwhelming power outside of divine abilities often led others to mistake them for merely strong humans.
"Because you lost. The loser obeys the winner — isn't that the rule among warriors like us?" Hikigaya gave a cheeky grin.
From watching the anime, Erica Blandelli seemed less like a magician and more like a swordswoman. Maybe approaching her with a warrior's mindset wasn't a bad idea. And right now, what he needed most was a free tour guide.
But just before that, it seemed an uninvited guest had already barged into the scene.
Hikigaya Hachiman hadn't been wandering aimlessly — he had been moving under the guidance of the Sacred Tree's power, led by divine influence.
Then came a deafening explosion.
.
.
.
In the late Bronze Age, after 2000 BCE, a special type of fortification was built on Sardinia. The place where Hikigaya now stood was one such structure — the unique Nuraghe.
Built by stacking carefully carved stones into a conical, circular defense tower, the Nuraghe also featured multi-room interiors supported by crossbeams. Due to pressure from the Carthaginians at the time, it continued to be maintained and reinforced until the mid-1000s CE. Among similar prehistoric structures, it was the best built and most well-preserved example.
And this entire stone-built fortress was constructed without a trace of cement or mortar to bind the massive stones — it relied purely on the interlocking tension of the stones themselves.
Now, this architectural marvel, built by ancient humans with unknown methods and no cranes, was trembling.
"What is that…" Erica turned in astonishment toward the source of the tremor.
The boy before her had done nothing. And yet, such an overwhelming presence…
Then, she witnessed the anomaly.
A pitch-black boar's head emerged from the ground.
Hikigaya's smile froze.
Unlike the other mythological forms that had been absorbed from various traditions, wild boars and warriors were symbols inherently tied to Verethragna himself. So naturally, such a manifestation would possess power far more aligned with his essence of victory.
The black beast soon revealed its full form — a massive wild boar towering dozens of meters high.
"ROOOOAAAAAR!!"
The divine avatar bellowed in excitement, stomping its hooves against the earth and shattering the ancient ruins, which then crumbled in collapse.
But the "boar" wasn't satisfied — it began to charge forward. The stone fortress was crushed like toy blocks beneath its hooves.
Hikigaya could only stare in shock — why was this boar here? Wasn't it supposed to appear where Kusanagi Godou was?
Anime TV can't be trusted…
Thinking this, he prepared to take action. After all, he didn't expect Erica to be able to handle this thing — in the anime, she had been sent flying by a single nudge from the boar's snout.
If nothing else about the anime was accurate, that part definitely was.
But just before Hikigaya could move, he saw a blue silhouette launch from the fortress rubble.
It was a silver-haired girl in a ponytail — the blue-and-black cape gave away her identity.
But again, the question: why was she here?
Hikigaya felt completely lost when it came to the Sardinia plotline in this world…
"Liliana Kranjcar!" Erica Blandelli, beside him, cried out the name of the witch who had appeared mid-flight.
The magic sword in Erica Blandelli's possession was called Lion King's Heart.
The magic sword wielded by Liliana Kranjcar was called Silver Master.
These two swords were originally a pair, forged from wootz steel refined in the land of Damascus. They were so sharp that they could slice through concrete, and could also amplify their wielder's magical power. Each held two unique attributes — "Immortality" and "Musical Enchantment."
As with their swords, so too with their wielders.
Both born with extraordinary talent and descended from the Paladin Order, they were skilled in different magics. Like their swords — from the same origin but of different natures — their styles were distinct but mutually dependable.
However, the flying witch gave no response to the call of her childhood friend and lifelong rival. She glided gracefully through the air and landed directly in front of Hikigaya, their eyes locking.
Then she looked over to Erica.
"Erica Blandelli. You really are the kind of woman who brings disaster wherever you go. If possible, could you just go home now?"