Chapter 46: The Ten Incarnations
Rumble!
Violent winds howled, thunder crashed, and rain poured in torrents!
It was, without a doubt, a tempest. Without any prior warning, a raging rainstorm abruptly swept across the entire town. Sardinia has a Mediterranean climate—warm and dry with very little rainfall—and this island in the middle of the Mediterranean typically follows that pattern.
"Melqart's domain of authority should be larger, not just confined to a single town."
Rain fell from the sky, splashing against Shirou's cheek and causing him to lift his gaze.
"The Goat..."
Shirou's pale gold eyes flickered with a faint light. Soaring through the sky amidst the storm was a four-legged giant beast—a massive goat. It had neither feathers nor wings, yet it flew freely through the wind and rain where lightning danced. It let out a high-pitched roar, and the downpour instantly intensified. With another cry, lightning descended upon the earth.
The buildings in this town were not made of wood, and the rain was heavy, so there was no immediate worry about lightning fires. Even so, the disaster was undeniable. People who had been on the streets just moments ago were scrambling for cover; upon seeing the giant beast in the sky, their faces filled with terror. It was as if a fantasy world that should only exist in myth had suddenly manifested before them; panic began to spread.
"It seems that is an incarnation dispersed after the battle between the 'War God' Verethragna and Melqart."
That goat was clearly the [Goat], one of the Ten Incarnations of the War God Verethragna!
Erica stared intently at the giant goat in the sky. "If it's at this level, I might be able to fight it."
Having stayed by the King's side and witnessed so many battles, Erica naturally didn't want to miss this chance to finally show her worth.
"Then go ahead and try," Shirou said with a smile.
Erica nodded and raised her right hand to summon her weapon.
"Steel Lion and the Lionheart King who is my ancestor! Hear the oath of the knight Erica Blandelli. I am the successor of the Great Horn, the descendant of the Black Warrior. My heart shall not yield, and my sword shall never break. Lionheart King, let the essence of struggle manifest in my hands. The time for the duel has come, 『Cuore di Leone』!"
As she recited the incantation, a rapier appeared in her hand. Of course, when she spoke of "fighting," she didn't mean defeating the giant beast, but rather being able to contend with it for a while. Erica had a clear self-awareness of her own strength; she wouldn't engage in suicidal overconfidence.
"Wait, let me help you!" Seeing Erica's fearless attitude, Liliana naturally refused to be left behind. She truly didn't want to be outdone by her rival and friend in front of the King.
"My wings, the steel that becomes the phantom blade, Il Maestro, grant me strength!"
As Liliana chanted her spell, magical light flickered, and a silver long-saber named 『Il Maestro』 was summoned into her hand.
"Let's go together!"
Erica and Liliana nodded to each other. Shirou stood back, intending to see the extent of the two Knight-maidens' abilities. While they couldn't face a 'God Heretic' head-on, if it was only a tenth of a god's power, perhaps they could hold their own? Shirou hadn't seen such a match before, so he planned to observe. Naturally, he didn't intend to let the knights who swore loyalty to him take too great a risk; if danger appeared, he would intervene.
"Fly, Boots of Hermes!"
That was one of Erica's spells, 『Le Calzature di Hermes』, which made her body incredibly light, allowing her to leap high and fly through the air. Simultaneously, Liliana spoke:
"Wings of Artemis, cross the night and grant me the privilege of flying in the path of the heavens!"
In the next moment, both Erica and Liliana took to the sky. To an ordinary person, their silhouettes looked like beautiful fairies from myth, drawing every eye. However, with the massive and terrifying [Goat] present, no one was in the mood to admire "fairies"; everyone was fleeing in terror.
Upon reaching high altitude, Erica did not hesitate to immediately unleash the power of her magic sword.
"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani! My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!"
Her golden hair fluttered as her voice cut through the rain.
"O my God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel!"
It was a Holy Spirit incantation of lament, anger, and prayer.
"All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me!"
The quality of Erica's rapier was in no way inferior to Liliana's saber. In fact, these two swords were like sisters, sharing many connections, as the two girls had found them together in the catacombs of Florence.
"O my strength, haste Thee to help me! Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns!"
Finally, Erica's chant reached its climax.
"I will declare Thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee. Conversion and devotion unto Him!"
The technique was named "O King, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" It was considered one of the most difficult secret arts among all the magic passed down through the [Copper Black Cross].
Feeling the icy chill emanating from the blade, Erica knew she had succeeded. She revealed a smile like an invincible lioness; the raindrops falling around her were touched by the frost and crystallized into fine ice shards.
"It seems the provocation was quite successful."
Erica smiled and recited another incantation:
"Lion of Steel, I entrust to you the words of lament and anger. Bathe in the sacred blood of the end and manifest the Holy Spear, 『Longinus』!"
This carried the Word of Power of despair. With this, the weapon possessed the same magical property as the spear that pierced the Son of God, enabling it to wound a god and make them bleed. Of course, while the weapon could wound a god, whether it could kill one depended on whether the wielder was strong enough.
After Erica spoke the Word of Power, her rapier was granted a "Transformation" magic, shifting its form into a long spear—『Longinus』.
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