"Melusine... or Albion, call me whichever you prefer," Melusine said.
The dragon scales on her body shifted instinctively before her attire coalesced once more into that familiar suit of blue armor.
The sight caused Athena's previously calm expression to crumble into a look of sudden disappointment.
However, as a goddess with impeccable self-control, she quickly pulled herself together. After all, they would have plenty of time together in the future.
"Melusine... Albion...?"
Rama's face held a touch of confusion. He wasn't particularly familiar with either name.
No, if he at least vaguely recognized the former, the latter was something he had quite literally never heard of before.
Despite the unfamiliarity, he didn't dwell much on the matter of names.
What truly caught his attention was the aura emanating from her—one that was nearly identical to his own, or rather, to the Divine Sword of Salvation.
"You are the ley lines of the planet," he realized instantly, an involuntary, bitter smile spreading across his lips.
What was this? He had been 'stealing' from someone's home this whole time, and now the master of the house had come knocking?
It was impossible for Rama not to feel at least a little bit embarrassed.
Melusine didn't deny it. While she was technically just one 'hand' of the planet's pulse—the true core likely residing within the Realm of Immortality—it didn't change the fact that she was effectively the personification of the ley lines at this moment.
After all, in the current world, only two beings could mobilize that terrestrial power: her and Rama.
But compared to Rama, who relied on his divine blade and the machinations of destiny to tap into that strength, Melusine was a true insider born from the earth itself.
Her priority and legitimacy were clearly on a far higher level.
Seeing Melusine's silent admission, Rama spoke, "It seems a battle between us is inevitable."
And, simultaneously, it was a battle he was destined to lose.
The essence of the earth was the source of a hero's power.
Although the Divine Sword of Salvation had absorbed the entirety of the Holy Grail's cursed energy—as well as the power of three 'Steel' heroes—thanks to Guinevere's help, there was still a massive chasm between that and the energy of the ley lines.
Yet, this realization didn't worry him.
Instead, he felt a sense of relief.
"Correct," Melusine nodded in response. "I have come here specifically to slay the King of the End and Guinevere."
Hearing this, Rama glanced at the blonde girl nearby, who remained kneeling on the ground like a believer who had betrayed her Lord.
He could more or less guess where Melusine's killing intent toward her originated.
After a moment of silence, he turned his gaze back to Athena.
"And you? Who might you be?"
"Athena, the Trinity Goddess and Queen," Athena replied. She had no particular fondness for Rama, but as it was their first meeting, she felt a flicker of solemnity.
Rama nodded understandingly. "You are also here to strike me down."
Realizing this, his mood became somewhat complicated.
He hadn't expected that upon awakening, the first to come knocking wouldn't be the Campiones, but the Heretic Gods.
It wasn't a siege by Godslayers, but a siege by fellow deities... the situation was a bit...
"Indeed. Since you understand, it spares me the need for explanations," Athena said, her voice suddenly sharp with lethal intent.
"I understand where your malice and hostility come from, but I am sorry—you are not qualified to be my opponent," Rama said sincerely, his tone devoid of any mockery.
As he spoke, the golden light filling the sky finally converged entirely within his body.
In the next heartbeat, Rama's energy skyrocketed at an unimaginable rate. In the blink of an eye, it was ten times that of Athena's. A moment later, it was twenty times—then forty.
"Is this... the Great Ritual of the Old Covenant?" Athena's eyes, previously cold with killing intent, instantly grew heavy with gravity. But... why?
The answer came in the form of a massive, thunderous BOOM that tore through the air.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, a giant over a hundred meters tall rose from beneath the island and slammed heavily onto the shore.
"..."
The sight plunged everyone into silence.
Annie loved superheroes and usually enjoyed designing grand entrances for herself, but right now, she truly couldn't care about any of that.
Breaking through the atmosphere was much harder than she had imagined. Since she lacked any Authority related to flight, she had relied entirely on raw energy to propel herself upward.
That massive expenditure of power would have been a lot to handle even for a Campione.
"As expected of a fool, their mere existence is a nuisance," Athena remarked, her gaze lingering on the bedraggled giant with undisguised loathing.
The boost the Covenant gave to Rama would leave her severely restricted in the coming fight.
Annie thought Athena was scolding her for interrupting the battlefield and was about to snap back when she heard Rama speak.
"The Great Ritual of the Old Covenant grants me power proportional to the number of Campiones currently in the world. Although there are only two present, it is enough for me to gain strength far surpassing that of any Heretic God or Godslayer."
Wait, what?
A bead of sweat rolled down Annie's forehead.
Yes, she knew about the King of the End, but only in the sense that she knew he existed and what he had done. It didn't mean she knew his specific abilities.
Heck, she didn't even fully understand the powers of the other Campiones.
In other words, just by being alive right now, she was hindering everyone else's fight? Even so, she couldn't exactly just drop dead on command, could she?
"What if I go to the Astral Realm...?"
"It would be meaningless," Rama said.
The Covenant was something created by the God of Destiny. Anywhere the God of Destiny could reach would be affected by the Covenant.
Annie: "..."
"Be that as it may, his combat window won't last long," Melusine noted.
Rama nodded at this.
Instead of being offended or fly into a rage, he actually smiled. "Indeed. My power comes from the essence of the earth and the spirits of the land. Individually, their energy cannot compare to a Heretic God, but when thousands upon thousands are accumulated, they become the catalyst for miracles."
But ultimately, it was still a finite power. It couldn't flow endlessly like the ley lines.
"When the essence of the earth is exhausted, the power of the ley lines takes its place. However..." Rama looked at Melusine.
If it came down to using the ley lines, how could he possibly compete with the very avatar born from them—a being who shared her very life and death with the earth itself?
That being said, even if this power couldn't be maintained for long, it made him an insurmountable foe for Athena and Annie.
Especially for Athena, a Mother Earth Goddess and a Dragon-Serpent; Rama, the 'Strongest Steel,' was her natural nemesis.
Melusine stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Athena. "This is a fated rival I must kill with my own hands. Athena, you have made a pact with me that limits your Authorities; you cannot defeat him."
Athena frowned.
Being told by the person she liked that she was inferior to the enemy undoubtedly made her unhappy.
Yet, considering her restricted Authority over the Night and the current state of the King of the End, it was an irrefutable fact.
However, she quickly pushed the unpleasantness aside, automatically translating Melusine's behavior as an act of protection—a thoughtful gesture born of a desire to see her unharmed.
At that thought, she smiled again. "Very well. I shall await the moment of your triumphant return."
Melusine nodded before finally looking toward Rama, who had been waiting patiently. "Let's move the fight elsewhere."
Rama had no objections. "Then I leave the choice of the battlefield to you."
He just wanted to finish his shift and go home.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.