"It seems I arrived just in time," Artoria said calmly, standing at the center of the damaged magic circle.
Her golden eyes swept across the collapsed priestesses. Though they were frail and unconscious, none had succumbed to death.
Good. If I act quickly, all their lives can still be saved.
Aside from Liliana, Artoria noticed another girl still conscious.
The girl had distinctively East Asian features, with chestnut-colored hair cascading down to her waist. Artoria's sharp mind quickly pieced together the girl's identity.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Artoria's brows furrowed, a flicker of surprise crossing her otherwise stoic face.
The chestnut-haired girl was staring directly at her, but her eyes held no light, as though she were gazing beyond this world.
After a brief pause, understanding dawned on Artoria.
"Ah… so this is clairvoyance?"
Before Artoria could delve further into the situation, the dark sky above flashed a blinding white.
A massive bolt of lightning, jagged and serpentine, ripped through the heavens, hurtling toward her with deadly precision.
Artoria raised her hand effortlessly, catching the roaring thunderbolt mid-air. Without so much as a flinch, she flicked it away, sending the deadly energy flying several hundred meters off into the distance.
The casual dismissal of such a powerful attack left Liliana frozen, her worldview utterly shattered.
But Artoria paid her no mind, instead turning her attention skyward, her expression darkening.
The lightning had been the work of Marquis Voban, one of the oldest and most feared Campiones. He stood atop a nearby stone platform, his ragged cloak billowing in the chaotic winds summoned by his power.
The air around him churned with violent magical energy, warping the weather itself. The winds howled, torrential rain poured, and thunder rumbled ominously.
Voban's cold, predatory eyes fixed on Artoria as he smirked.
"How delightful," he sneered. "To encounter not one, but two heretic gods in a single day! It seems I won't be bored after all."
The marquis's declaration sent shockwaves through Liliana's mind.
Artoria… Miss Artoria is a heretic god?!
Just as she'd begun piecing her shattered worldview back together, it crumbled once more.
I… I was saved by a heretic god?
Her heart and mind churned with conflicting emotions—gratitude, disbelief, and a creeping sense of dread. Yet no one on the battlefield took notice of her inner turmoil, for here she was but a pebble on the roadside.
As the storm raged, another booming voice echoed across the heavens.
"Hahaha! Unknown heretic god, do you also intend to stand against me?"
The speaker was the crimson-haired god of [Steel]. His piercing eyes, glowing with malice, locked onto Artoria.
"I sense it clearly—the overwhelming presence of my eternal nemesis, the [Serpent]. And yet, your aura also reeks of [Steel]. A female god of [Steel]? Absurd!"
The crimson-haired god scoffed, his voice filled with disdain.
"Women exist only as accessories to us heretic gods! They are but helpless beings, awaiting the arrival of a gallant savior to rescue them from their plight!"
His booming voice carried over the storm, drowning even the roaring thunder, ensuring all could hear his arrogant proclamation.
Artoria turned her gaze to him, her golden eyes growing colder by the second.
From his perch, the god of Steel noticed her piercing stare, a glint of anticipation sparking in his eyes.
"Ah, that look!" he exclaimed with a manic grin. "A gaze so sharp it feels as though my head will be severed and my bones ground to dust! Such murderous intent… you're a worthy warrior after all!"
Both the heretic god and Voban radiated boundless battlelust.
Campiones, by their very nature, were born for combat. No matter how long they spent outside the battlefield, their instincts never dulled. Against divine opponents, they could unleash their full potential—rising beyond their limits, shrugging off injuries, and dulling pain.
Facing the combined bloodlust of these two, Artoria's expression grew grim.
With a subtle motion, dark energy surged around her, and Artoria's body was once again clad in the menacing, black armor etched with blood-red runes.
Her cold, measured voice cut through the chaos:
"This place is ill-suited for battle. Let's change the venue."
Her words caused both Voban and the heretic god to momentarily falter.
"You… are you truly a heretic god?" Voban asked, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
His gaze shifted briefly to the unconscious priestesses surrounding Artoria.
"You're going out of your way to protect these mortals? Are you not affected by madness?"
The contradiction between Artoria's actions and her dark, fearsome appearance was difficult to reconcile.
Behind her, Liliana began to experience something strange.
The moment Artoria manifested her armor, Liliana—who had been staring intently at her—felt her consciousness blur.
In that haze, fragmented visions flooded Liliana's mind:
On a vast plain, a young figure drew a radiant sword from its stone pedestal.
Within a shining white castle, a resolute figure was crowned, surrounded by loyal knights.
Beneath a blood-red sunset, a battle-scarred figure knelt atop a mound of corpses and shattered blades.
Beside a serene lake, a weary figure rested against a tree, watching as their last companion departed, before peacefully closing their eyes.
No one noticed the change in Liliana.
Voban continued to gaze at Artoria, a mixture of curiosity and incredulity playing across his features.
Meanwhile, the crimson-haired god sneered.
"Such words should come from the mouth of a superior to their inferior."
"To impose your will on others, to bend them to your commands, you must first possess power far beyond theirs. Tell me, are you truly so naïve as to believe otherwise?"
His words, dripping with contempt, might have provoked another. But Artoria's expression remained as calm as an undisturbed lake.
"It wasn't an order," she replied coolly.
"It was merely a notice."
In the next instant, Artoria moved.
Her sudden charge caught Voban completely off guard.
"You—!"
The marquis hastily began gathering his curse energy, preparing to activate one of his authorities.
But Artoria was far faster.
Her leg lashed out like a whip, striking Voban squarely in the chest with a resounding crack.
The impact sent him hurtling through the air, shattering multiple sound barriers before disappearing into the distance like a missile.
Without hesitation, Artoria turned her attention to the heretic god, closing the distance between them in an instant.
Although surprised by her aggressive advance, his battle-hardened instincts kicked in.
"Don't underestimate me!" he roared.
Gripping his colossal sword, the heretic god swung it with immense force, a blade of wind following in its wake.
The attack raced toward Artoria's neck, seemingly poised to decapitate her.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, she vanished from his sight.
The blade of wind sliced through empty air as the heretic god's target seemingly disappeared.
In that fleeting moment of overextension, Artoria reappeared, her gloved hand gripping his face with unrelenting force.
Before he could react, she stomped against the ground, breaking through the sound barrier as she dragged him away, disappearing beyond the horizon in a matter of seconds.
---
T/N: YESSSS!!!!
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf