Chapter 47: You Carry the Breath of a God?
"Saint Thomas, let Thy martyrdom be shared with others as well!"
As the final words of power were spoken, Erica mustered all her strength and hurled the long spear from her hand. In truth, the moment the incantation was activated, the spear possessed its own driving magical force; even without much physical effort, it streaked toward the celestial beast, the [Goat], at extreme velocity.
Whoosh—!
The holy spear looked like a tiny, insignificant needle in the eyes of the giant beast, failing to draw any serious concern. However, in the next instant—
The holy spear mercilessly carved a long gash across the [Goat's] abdomen. A massive spray of fresh crimson blood erupted, falling like a deluge of red rain! Torn open by such a strike, the giant beast let out a tragic howl that shook the very heavens.
Instantly, the lightning, thunder, and rain became even more violent!
BOOM—!
A bolt of lightning crashed down. Had Erica not dodged immediately, she would have perished right then and there. The lightning struck a nearby stone structure, sending debris flying as the building was reduced to powder under the raging thunder.
Simultaneously, Liliana hurriedly chanted her own words of power, launching her full-strength strike.
"O mountains of Gilboa, I pray that the dew of heaven falls upon you! Offer to the hungry beast the sacrifice it craves! Forsake thyself and become the shield of the hero yonder! Shield of Saul, anointed with oil, sacrifice yourself here!"
As the incantation finished, the silver saber in Liliana's hand transformed into a blue light, gathering in her left hand to become a longbow the same height as her. In her right hand, which also glowed blue, an arrow appeared.
"The bow of Jonathan turned not back from the blood of the slain! The sword of Saul returned not empty from the fat of the mighty! Until this body is defeated!"
Liliana notched the arrow and drew the string to its limit.
"Bow of Jonathan, weapon of the brave, swift as the eagle and strong as the lion. Run! Crush thine enemy!"
In that moment, the arrow whistled through the air, piercing upward toward the giant [Goat]! The arrow, shimmering with blue light, sank into the beast's body, causing it to wail in agony once more. Its eyes turned blood-red as it fell into a complete frenzy.
Rumble—!!!
Bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, targeting the two Knight-maidens who looked tiny amidst the storm. The speed of the lightning was incredible. They wouldn't have feared one or two bolts, but the lightning falling from the sky was now densely packed. It was as if the heavens intended to block their retreat and mercilessly blast them into cinders!
"Not good!" Erica gritted her teeth, her eyes darting as she looked for an escape.
But the aggressive lightning clearly wouldn't give her time to think. Just as the thunder was about to strike, several swords suddenly shot up from around them and flew into the sky. Upon colliding with the lightning, they exploded!
While the two girls were still dazed by the shockwaves of the explosions, Shirou had already reached their side. He scooped one up in each arm and carried them away from the danger zone.
Returning to the ground, Shirou told the two Knight-maidens, "Stay here. I'm going to go cut it down."
With that, blue magical flames surged around Shirou's body as he charged into the sky. Upon reaching the heights, Shirou suddenly saw a golden light charging into the air from the opposite side. Narrowing his eyes, he realized it was a golden sword. The golden sword streaked past and pierced the massive body of the [Goat].
Struck by the golden sword, the beast let out a final scream of pain. Its strength vanished, and its body slowly descended and dissipated...
Shirou raised an eyebrow and looked toward the perpetrator. It was a young boy standing on a rooftop. He was clad in a somewhat dirty, old grey robe. He was small in stature, with a very delicate and handsome face.
"Verethragna..."
The moment he saw the person, long-buried memories opened up, allowing Shirou to find all the information regarding this individual.
"Oh? Boy, you can actually recognize my identity?" The "War God" Verethragna looked toward Shirou on the ground, a look of surprise crossing his face.
Looking at the current Verethragna, the corners of Shirou's mouth curled upward.
"It seems your incarnations have indeed scattered."
Hearing Shirou's words, the young Verethragna frowned and let out a cold laugh. "Hmph! Demon King of the earth, are you provoking me?"
The boy snorted coldly but did not immediately attack. After all, his power had not been fully recalled. Fighting a Campione who possessed divine Authorities while his own strength was incomplete was clearly unwise. Even if Verethragna considered himself a god and looked
down on god-slayers, he was not stupid. He wouldn't do something where he was at an obvious disadvantage.
However, he still intended to leave some harsh words before departing. Just as Verethragna was about to speak, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.
"Wait... you, a 'Campione'... how can you have the breath of a god on you?"
Though his power hadn't recovered, he was still a god. Verethragna naturally sensed the surging divine power within Shirou.
This was also because Shirou had no intention of hiding it; he practically hoped other "Heretic Gods" would seek him out because of it.
Sensing the depth of Shirou's strength, Verethragna chose not to linger. His form turned into a golden stream of light and vanished. Watching the receding golden figure, Shirou returned to the ground and gathered Princess Alice and the Knight-maidens to leave.
"He's heading toward the ruins. Let's go."
"Understood!" ×3
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Along with the beautiful sea, ancient ruins are a significant tourist resource for Sardinia. There are over seven thousand stone towers here, known as "Nuraghi." The civilization that built these towers dates back roughly to the 15th century BC.
Back then, the people of Sardinia gathered around the Nuraghi to establish tribes and live their lives. Later, through the prehistoric period, the Phoenicians arrived. As navigators and traders, they made contact with the island, and finally, in 509 BC, the Phoenician city of Tyre ended up dominating the entire island of Sardinia.
Then came the Romans. The Roman Republic, and later the Empire, began a new era of rule. The Romans rebuilt the streets constructed by the Phoenicians, eventually creating their own settlements. Thus, both Phoenician and Roman ruins exist on Sardinia.
This area was the western part of the island, rich in ruins—Oristano province. To ensure the trade routes opened by the Phoenicians could reach the western coast, they built cities using Antas and Tharros as bases. Specifically, "Tharros." This ruin is located on a peninsula's promontory; half of it is submerged in the sea, yet it has been preserved to this day. It was a city built by the Phoenicians of Tyre, a people who took the "God-King Melqart" as their guardian deity.
" 'Melqart' and his original form, Baal, are divinities closely related to Phoenician culture and customs..." Erica shared information related to Melqart with Shirou.
The car's chassis could not handle the uneven terrain filled with various stones among the ruins, so everyone had to get out and proceed on foot. They hadn't advanced far toward the ruins when they heard a heavy sound, like rolling thunder.
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