Ochre-red light began to emerge from Luo Guang's chest and quickly spread throughout his body. In an instant, the young man in the girl's eyes transformed into a crimson warrior.
The crimson radiance illuminated the darkness brought by the heavy clouds, raising the temperature of the cold dawn as if it were the sun itself.
"What... is that?" Erica Blandelli widened her eyes instantly. Even as the proud daughter of the Bronze Black Cross, she had never witnessed such a sight.
A sorcery? A Cursed Tool? Or a Divine Artifact infused with demigod blood?
The girl didn't know, but the immense power emanating from him clearly indicated his identity. Recalling the glimpse she had moments ago, she grabbed her phone, opened her gallery, and looked at the latest picture. Feeling astonishment, she suddenly understood.
"I see. Is he... the Seventh King?"
"Erica, hurry and come here! Luo Guang-sama is about to fight; we must get the survivors out of the area!" The voice of another girl reached her through the storm.
Erica looked closely and saw Liliana Kranjcar running toward her, wearing a raincoat.
"I've already secured the other civilians. We have to go quickly."
"You? Lily? But weren't you in India?" Erica was momentarily stunned. She quickly connected the dots with the birthplace of the Seventh King. So, Liliana was the first sorceress to serve the Seventh King?
Erica retreated with Liliana, asking her about her relationship with the Seventh King.
"The King? Luo Guang-sama doesn't seem to like that title very much, so I use 'Dono-sama' (Lord/Master) instead. As for the reason, I don't actually know." This was what Luo Guang had told her on the way. He simply told her not to call him "King" anymore, without offering any further explanation.
"Is that so? How strange," Erica murmured.
At that moment, a heart-stopping, fierce tremor erupted from the battlefield behind them. The girls' hearts froze—the battle had begun.
Although Luo Guang's entrance was not overtly dramatic, the aura he emitted was enough to make the warring gods take notice. Both sides paused their battle simultaneously.
"It seems we have another interloper," said the God of War.
"Hmph! This old man smells that sickening scent of a Demon King. Those Demon Kings on the earth are like the thick smoke rising from a burning torch—scorching to the touch and choking!" Melkart, with his mountain-like physique, roared loudly. "Once this old man defeats you, the so-called Undefeated God of War, I will stir up a tsunami to bury those mortals who have polluted my sanctuary, and then I will exterminate all those Demon Kings of the earth!"
"Heh heh, Melkart, you are still so prone to provocation. That will surely lead to setbacks in battle!" Verethragna jeered. "Language is light, Words of Power are light. So, light and Words of Power, become my sword, become my blade!"
Verethragna brandished his Sword of Light, releasing countless golden spheres of light that sped toward Melkart.
"Heh heh, are you looking down on me?" Melkart laughed heartily. "This old man knows that is the Golden Sword capable of cleaving divinity, but it is meaningless if it doesn't touch me."
His boisterous laughter echoed throughout the sky and forest.
Suddenly, the void warped. Two massive clubs flew out from the depths of the distorted space.
"Pursue! Banish! Pursuer, become a pair of weapons for my claws! Pursue the God of War of the East, and show him the power of my wrath!"
The former was the symbol of wind, and the latter, the symbol of lightning. The Pursuer flew as lightly as a swallow riding the wind, while the Banishment flew straight as lightning. Their extreme speed exceeded the dynamic vision of even the most powerful sorcerer. If a group of sorcerers were placed there, even using their full strength, they would be instantly pulverized into meat paste by the clubs.
Although Luo Guang had revealed himself, the two gods were only momentarily affected. Arrogant as gods are, they still held contempt for a Campione who had killed their kin and usurped Authorities. An ant who gains divine power is still an ant; they only possess the strength to potentially wound a god.
However, Verethragna and Melkart were both elite figures in their respective mythologies. Even if they were not the most famous, the strength of Unconquered Gods is not tied to their fame. On the contrary, their power often surpassed that of most other gods.
The two gods continued their fierce battle. The residual heat generated by their clash was enough to turn even the strongest sorcerer into charcoal. Yet, Luo Guang approached them, unaffected. Storms, thunder, and Cursed Power shockwaves were all completely ignored by him.
During this approach, Luo Guang's body changed again. The armor he wore began to take on a more pronounced dragon-like shape, but compared to the first time he used it, it was now six parts dragon and four parts human. The form of the Aura Dragon (God-Slaying Gear) was not immutable; it would evolve and change according to its wielder's will. Luo Guang did not wish to become a beast, so the gear actively evolved toward a humanoid shape. The Red Dragon Emperor was the source of its power, but Luo Guang was the true master.
Following the system alert of "Boost," Luo Guang felt his internal power rapidly swell. In the few seconds he was "ignored" by the gods, his power had already multiplied by dozens of times. He felt he was nearing his limit. In the past, his body would have been strained, but the changes brought about by becoming a Campione allowed him to almost completely ignore the side effects of continuous "Boosting."
An ochre-red Spear of Light formed in his hand and was instantly hurled toward the gods.
Verethragna and Melkart both reacted: one used his Sword of Light to deflect it, and the other slammed his club down.
But that was not the end.
The crimson figure streaked through the air like a meteor, matching the gods' speed. Est had already transformed into the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword, its strength no less than Verethragna's Golden Sword.
Verethragna initially held his sword in a single-handed reverse grip, still casual as Luo Guang closed the distance.
"Even if you are a Demon King of the earth, isn't it impolite to casually interfere with my battle with Melkart?"
But as he parried the silver Holy Sword, a crushing weight traveled from the hilt up his entire arm, causing the young Verethragna's body to sink slightly. It was only then that his expression changed.
This Campione... is unlike any other!