Chapter 94: The Demon Kings and the King of the End
Annie Charlton ended the conversation and spoke to Jack.
"Ah... alright then," Jack replied with a wry smile.
She was a bit eccentric and not particularly skilled at interacting with others. She lacked the typical American friendliness, but Annie Charlton was certainly not a person devoid of emotion; she was simply bad at expressing it.
Bidding farewell to the assistant he had bumped into, Jack walked toward his car. Come to think of it, Annie's workplace was currently covered by a "barrier." He thought about warning her, but decided against it. Explaining would take too much time. Getting into his car, Jack erased her from his mind.
However, what he didn't know was that the woman who had just left disappeared like the wind after reaching a deserted area. Who would have guessed that such an icy beauty was actually the "Pluto"?
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A gentle breeze, light rain, and shimmering ripples.
In Northern England, at Leeds Bradford International Airport in West Yorkshire, a girl who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen stood in the terminal with reddened eyes, anxiously rummaging through her white handbag.
"Eh... strange, where did my wallet go...?"
Naturally, it couldn't have been stolen; no one had the ability to steal a "Godslayer's" wallet. The girl understood this well and murmured in distress, "Did I accidentally lose it during my travels...?"
Madame Aisha, who had only just returned to the present after being cast into the past by her authority, was now facing a minor crisis. One of Madame Aisha's authorities is called 『The Corridor of Fairyland』. This was an authority she had reluctantly usurped from Niamh, the Queen of Tir na nOg in Celtic myth. It allows her to open holes to "worlds that are not the present"—referring to the Astral Realm or the past, though it seems she cannot travel to the future.
This authority is completely uncontrollable. When she wants to use it, she can't; but occasionally, it opens spontaneously and sucks her in. Usually, she ends up in a place where someone needs help. While in the past, the "corrective force" of time minimizes the traveler's impact on history, and Aisha can use this force to ensure her safety.
The holes only open on clear nights during a full moon, though certain abilities that activate magical power can force an existing hole to open temporarily. However, the hole persists until Aisha returns to the present, causing great trouble for both worlds. She can use 『Grace of the Lucky Saint』 to create holes, but since she cannot distinguish between the countless exits, she can only return through the entrance, so it is generally used for evasion.
The reason Madame Aisha is the most mysterious and elusive among the Godslayers isn't that she is intentionally secretive, but because she is constantly being victimized by her own authority. After returning to an ancient era, she has to go through immense hardships to return to the modern day, which gives her an air of mystery.
"Ahhh... this is bad. How am I supposed to buy a plane ticket now...?" A look of distress clouded the girl's face.
The place she intended to go was, naturally, where the 'King of the End' had emerged—the North Sea of Japan! To the passersby, her beautiful face seemed enveloped in a holy radiance, making them feel a sense of profound reverence.
"Ah! My lady, you are so beautiful that I yearn for you! Please, spend my money!" "Ah! My lady, please look at me! Look at me!" "Ah! My lady, if you need it, I would do anything for you!"
Suddenly, the passersby were like devotees meeting their Lord, kneeling on the ground with pious respect.
"Ah... why has it turned out like this again? No, I don't want you to give me anything, please stop this!" Madame Aisha cried out in distress as she watched the people prostrate on the ground.
She possesses an authority called 『The Queen's Curse』, usurped from the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. It is a magic that charms others; Aisha can use it to gain anyone's favor, easily establishing groups of fanatics willing to die for her. Though it is a convenient power capable of even charming Divine Beasts, Aisha's tendency to lose control and her oblivious personality often cause massive trouble.
Right now, the sight of people kneeling in the airport terminal as if a Saint had descended was caused by her authority activating unintentionally. She had no intention of using it, yet it activated without her even realizing. By the time she wanted to cancel it and leave, the floor in front of her was covered in plane tickets. Even the service staff responsible for selling tickets had been influenced and brought them out.
"This... taking just one should be fine, right...?" Aisha bit her lip, murmuring with a charming expression. She reached out a slender hand, picked up a ticket, and jogged toward the waiting lounge. "I... I'll pay it back! If I have the chance..."
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The plane to Japan soared above the clouds.
"Ramachandra..."
Sitting in first class, Shirou was reading a copy of the Ramayana. He had already read it once, but he brought it out again to study on the way to Japan. Rama is the hero of the Indian epic Ramayana, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. His full name is Ramachandra. He descended to Earth to save the gods from the tyranny of the Rakshasa king Ravana and later became a deity worshipped in Hinduism. Here, his divinity isn't as prominent, but in the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas and other vernacular versions, he became a full god worshipped by the "Rama sect."
In the Ramayana, Rama is both a prince in exile and a hero who overcomes immense hardships. As the eldest son, he should have inherited the throne, but due to a conspiracy by his stepmother to place her own son on the throne, he was unfortunately exiled for fourteen years. The only attendants who went with the tragic prince were his wife Sita and his brother Prince Lakshmana. In the forest, Sita was abducted by the Rakshasa King, and it was only with the help of the divine monkey Hanuman that the Rakshasa was destroyed, Sita was rescued, and Rama returned to the capital to become King. The Rama sect believes that as long as one is devoted to Rama and chants his name, they can achieve liberation.
Shirou read solemnly, but the little snake curled in his lap suddenly moved.
"What is it, Ancera?"
The little white snake poked its small head out from Shirou's collar and flicked its pink tongue at him.
"Mmh... you sensed it too?"
Shirou nodded understandingly. After receiving Shirou's protection, a connection had been established between them; they could communicate their thoughts even without words. Ancera could hide nothing from Shirou; she was like glass to him. This meant that every time Shirou played "Xu Xian," Ancera's shy state of mind was completely exposed to him. Consequently, during this period, Ancera had been thoroughly "disciplined" by Shirou.
Shirou looked at the clouds flowing outside the window. The unshielded sun hung high in the sky, making everything above the clouds look pure and dazzling. Before long, the plane arrived at the airport.
After Erica finished the registration procedures, they walked out of the airport lobby together. Stepping into the Tokyo region once more, Shirou felt nothing; likely because there wasn't much in this world worth being attached to. The [History Compilation Committee] was practically trembling with fear and awe at Shirou's arrival; the limousine responsible for receiving him had long been waiting at the roadside.
"『King』, the car is ready." A few men in black suits, dressed like civil servants, bowed slightly before Shirou.
Approaching the open car door, Shirou was about to enter when he suddenly sensed something. He looked up at the sky. The originally cloudless blue sky was now gathering dark clouds, the heavy layers growing thicker as if to crush the people's spirits.
Rumble!
The sky erupted with the roar of muffled thunder, and bright lightning darted through the clouds. A torrential rain suddenly fell the next moment, washing over the Tokyo skyline. Shirou gazed toward the northern sky, which was thick with the storm, his eyes turning solemn.
"Is he over there...?"
As a "Godslayer," he had already sensed it, and he could also feel the other Demon Kings rapidly approaching that location.
"It seems there isn't much time to waste here," Shirou murmured. He then turned to Erica and Liliana. "You guys go to the hotel first. I'll be back in a while."
The two Knight-Princesses noticed the unusual atmosphere, but they knew they shouldn't cause trouble for their 『King』 right now, so they obediently nodded and agreed.
"We wish the 『King』 luck in battle!"
Hearing their words, Shirou smiled slightly. He then entered the realm of Divine Speed, his body transforming into a golden stream of light as he flew toward the North Sea.
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On that island in the North Sea, the 'King of the End' Rama looked toward the Japanese islands as if sensing something.
"They are coming... Seven Demon Kings in total. Compared to the eras I faced in the past, this is an unimaginable number." Rama murmured. "But because of this, the power of the 'Covenant' gives me even greater strength now."
The 'King of the End' Rama possesses immortality. It is not that he cannot be defeated, but that he cannot be killed. Under the "Covenant" woven by the patriarchal gods, Rama's immortality has reached a level where it cannot be severed unless the entire planet is pulverized.
Announcement
Hello everyone!
As always Thank you for your support!
I'm happy to announce a new Fanfiction! There are already 40 chapters!
You can find it in my secondary account: VarieTL02
COTE: I've become a substitute
Mikage Touji transmigrated in the world of Classroom of the Elite with no explanation and entered the class 1-A, well at least he as a cool power even if a bit weak for now.
Until Ayanokouji Atsuomi asked him: "Is this you?" referring to a photo of Kyotaka.
"How could I possibly be that gloomy guy in there?!"
"Drop these useless excuses, Kiyotaka. Did you think that by changing your name and getting plastic surgery, you could escape my control?
Your enrollment materials are completely fabricated; not a single person can prove you ever existed. Furthermore, the timing of your appearance completely coincides with the time and place of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's disappearance. And you're still saying you aren't Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"Pfft..." It turns out that when people are truly speechless, they really do laugh.
"If you're looking to cause trouble, take a left out the door and find a police station. And another thing..." Mikage Toji helplessly spread his hands. "The one you are looking for is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. What does that have to do with me, Mikage Toji?"
[Harem - No Ayanokouji - Sakayanagi Arisu in class D.
I really recommend it even if it doesn't have Hikigaya XD it's very funny and the first girls are not the usual ones (Spoiler: Morishita Ai, Yamamura Miki and Shiraishi Asuka)
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting