As Voban's stare locked onto him, Hachiman felt a strange power envelop him.
Under its influence, his body began transforming into something inhuman.
Unbeknownst to Hachiman, this was Voban's Authority: Eyes of Sodom.
An Authority usurped from the ancient Roman hero Horatius Cocles, the one-eyed war god.
Any living being caught in the Campione's gaze, regardless of number, would turn to salt.
Named after the divine punishment that destroyed Sodom in the Old Testament.
Voban had mastered this Authority, capable of turning a person entirely to salt or preserving their life while salifying only their lower half.
However, it had limitations. Against gods or Campiones, it could only temporarily salify parts of their body, serving as a melee support.
When activated, it enhanced vision to see kilometers away, granting x-ray capabilities to ignore obstructions.
Notably, this Authority had no upper limit. If needed, Voban could salify all of Tokyo's citizens without moving.
A terrifying power.
The similar Serpent's Evil Eye could petrify living beings, but Eyes of Sodom targeted only living things, leaving non-living objects unaffected.
Undoing salification was extremely difficult. Even with supreme healing, one could only temporarily revive.
Reversing it required four elements: the Campione stopping the Authority, the holy power of a sacred talisman, the curse-absorbing power of Ame no Murakumo no Tsume, and a curse-breaking ritual.
Hachiman, naturally, lacked these.
But that didn't mean he was helpless. Channeling Power of Light, he effortlessly dispelled the Authority, restoring his human form.
This shocked Voban.
His Authority could temporarily affect even Campiones and gods, yet it failed against this boy.
What was going on?
This teenager didn't seem like a Campione or a god, no matter how Voban looked at him.
"So that's it," Voban said, calming down, his interest piqued. "No wonder you dared to boast before me. You've got some tricks."
He studied Hachiman, intrigued by the unknown power he wielded.
"Let's see how far you can go."
Voban stood still, but from his shadow emerged mages and knights.
Cage of the Dead Servants.
Another Authority, usurped from Osiris, the Egyptian god of harvest and the underworld.
It preserved humans, divine beasts, demons, or soul-bearing constructs killed by Voban as living corpses, absolutely loyal to him.
These servants, their souls bound by the Authority, could regenerate after a time if their bodies were destroyed.
Voban could summon them instantly to his side.
At over two hundred years old, his servants were a diverse mix of eras, nationalities, and races.
Among them were great knights and renowned mages.
For Voban, who lacked magical knowledge, these mages were valued as brilliant minds.
However, since their souls were forcibly bound, his control wasn't absolute.
The servants lacked their living judgment, unable to strategize or anticipate.
Additionally, divine beasts he'd slain, too massive to summon instantly, slumbered at his Balkan base.
Like a silver-scaled dragon, its scales peeled, flesh rotted, bones exposed, missing a forelimb and an eye, with wings spanning over twenty meters.
For now, Voban had no intention of summoning it.
Seeing the sudden undead, Hachiman paused, then raised his hand, unleashing a powerful purification spell.
Blinding white light radiated from his hand, enveloping the undead.
In an instant, their bodies were purified, their souls freed from Voban's control, reverting to their living forms. They nodded to Hachiman and departed for the underworld to reincarnate.
This enraged Voban.
These mages were his carefully selected treasures, yet Hachiman had freed them.
At that moment, Voban wanted nothing more than to tear Hachiman apart.
His killing intent erupted, unmasked.
No longer toying with the boy, he unleashed his full fury and murderous intent.
"I'll kill you and make you my finest trophy."
As Voban's rage surged, the air shifted. Dark clouds gathered, winds howled, and lightning bolts struck at Hachiman.
Tempest of the Storm.
An Authority usurped from the Korean trinity of wind gods: the Wind Earl, Rain Master, and Thunder Lord.
It summoned storms, wielding wind, rain, and lightning.
When Voban's emotions surged, storms raged around him.
The Authority was versatile, directing lightning at targets like a conductor, shielding clothes from rain, flying freely by manipulating air, or regulating local climate for comfort.
Facing the descending lightning, Hachiman moved like a bolt, effortlessly dodging and closing in on Voban.
Godspeed Magic.
A spell created by Morpheus, allowing the user to move at light speed.
Hachiman hadn't mastered it, unable to reach light speed.
But supersonic movement was within his grasp.
At this speed, dodging lightning was child's play.
As he reached Voban, a hammer of Power of Light materialized in his hand, smashing down.
Bang!
Voban, caught off guard, was sent flying.
The onlookers were stunned.
This was a Campione—a being who'd slain a god and claimed their power—yet a high school boy had sent him flying. Unbelievable.
When had Campiones become so weak?
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (removespace)