News of Marquis Voban's arrival was reported to Rin by Kaoru at the first opportunity.
After waiting for so long and still seeing no sign of the Three Great Families coming to pay their respects, Rin completely lost patience with them.
He and Luminous split up, and he went alone to the outskirts of Tokyo to meet the oldest Campione.
"Are you the new fellow?"
The old man's figure appeared in front of Rin. He stood there as if he had anticipated Rin's arrival all along.
Rin was not surprised.
There was a special sensing ability among Campiones.
When someone arrived while exuding such fierce fighting intent, if Rin avoided him, it would dull a Campione's edge and make him be looked down on for no reason.
"I thought the first to meet me would be Salvatore Doni."
Rin spoke while observing Marquis Voban.
The difference in appearance was quite striking.
Marquis Voban looked more like a knowledgeable old professor, full of intellect and refinement.
"That sword wielding brat?"
Marquis Voban looked displeased. "He should be arriving soon. What, are you waiting for backup?"
In his view, he was the strongest Campione.
Rin was only a newcomer.
He might not possess many Authorities.
Fighting him would definitely put Rin at a disadvantage.
So hoping for the King of Swords to arrive and fight alongside him was nothing strange.
"Backup?"
"Why would you think that?"
Rin sensed the intensity of Marquis Voban's Magic Power, roughly six times that of a normal Campione.
But that was the extent of his level.
"However, you did remind me of something."
"Instead of taking you on one by one, it's better to deal with both of you at once."
"Hmm?"
Rin's words made Marquis Voban frown. "Boy, you're a bit too arrogant."
"If you intend to provoke me with this, then congratulations," Marquis Voban said. "My impression of you is very poor."
"Heh."
Rin shook his head. "Before we start fighting, let me ask you a question."
"Is the upcoming battle to determine a winner, or..."
"A fight to the death?"
Marquis Voban was difficult to control, but not uncontrollable.
Rin intended to give him a chance to choose.
As for the outcome, it depended on Marquis Voban's reply.
"Hahahahaha."
Marquis Voban did not take Rin's thoughts seriously at all. He only felt that the opponent, having just gained Authority and immense Magic Power, was overestimating himself.
"Boy."
"Who do you think stands before you?"
Terrifying Magic Power surged from Marquis Voban's body, instantly shattering the earth, dispersing the dark clouds overhead, and making the entire space tremble under his pressure.
"Determine a winner? Fight to the death?"
"Nonsense."
Marquis Voban waved his hand, and countless giant wolves leapt out from his shadows, pouncing toward Rin.
Behind them, more wolf packs continued to pour out.
In almost the blink of an eye, hundreds of two meter tall giant wolves completely surrounded Rin.
[Greedy Pack of Wolves]
This was Marquis Voban's first Authority, usurped from Apollo Lykeios, the wolf sun god of Greek mythology.
It was the power to summon and freely control Apollo's demon wolves, sacred beasts of darkness and earth with dark, rat colored fur, without limit.
While a single giant wolf could not reach the combat power of a divine beast, if the opponent was not a Great Knight level expert, they would quickly fall into a bitter struggle.
Coupled with the light blessing of Apollo's divinity, the giant wolves possessed terrifying vitality. Even if their heads were cut off, they would not die, but would quickly recover as before.
"Is that so..."
At this moment, Rin's gaze was unusually calm.
"Is this your answer?"
Rin sighed softly. He had not received Marquis Voban's reply, but he no longer needed it.
Because
He had attacked.
And according to Rin's rules, any entity that harbored killing intent toward him, once it made a move, it became a fight to the death.
"Roar."
Just as the first few giant wolves rushed within ten meters of Rin, a three headed giant dog exuding a violent aura emerged behind him, and along with it appeared a Hell Gate that pierced heaven and earth, radiating an ancient, gloomy, eerie aura.
"Boom."
The three headed hellhound roared and swung a paw, sweeping away dozens of giant wolves.
Not only that, the pervasive aura of death enveloped the immortal demon wolves, instantly devouring their flesh and blood and turning them into shriveled animal hides.
"What is this?!"
Marquis Voban did not know what Authorities Rin possessed.
Information from the Council of Sages had not yet reached his ears.
However, even if he knew, he probably would not bother to investigate.
A mere newly ascended Campione, if he still needed careful planning to defeat, would be an insult to him, the oldest Demon King.
"Boom."
Only now, as the three headed hellhound and the wolf pack erupted into fierce battle,
its ferocity, brutality, and terrifying destructive power greatly piqued Marquis Voban's curiosity about Rin's Authority. "A hellhound? An Authority related to the underworld in Greek mythology?"
"Did you slay Hades?"
"Who knows."
Rin had no intention of answering. He raised his hand and summoned Lucifer's Sword of Dawn.
"In the name of the dawn, I call upon you to fight for me."
"Open, Gate of Heaven."
At this moment, the holy sword was like a golden key. Its light soared into the sky and outlined a gigantic magic circle. Then the magic circle dissipated, and a cloud shrouded city in the clouds slowly emerged.
"A new Authority?"
Marquis Voban did not stop him. Instead, he watched Rin's actions with great interest.
He realized he had misjudged him.
Rin did not seem like a newcomer.
The Authority that summoned the hellhound just now, plus this holy sword, and the method of calling forth the Gate of Heaven, all of it indicated that Rin possessed more than one Authority.
"Is it two? Or three?"
"Finally, this is getting interesting."
Marquis Voban felt no sense of crisis. Instead, he looked forward to the coming deathmatch.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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