Chapter 371: Victory, Seizing the Divine Authority!
Heracles, the hero of Greek mythology, known as the great strength god.
His most widely known deeds were the completion of the 12 [impossible] labors.
However, because he was disliked by Hera, he was tricked and met his end.
Misunderstood by his wife, he put on a robe smeared with poison and, unable to bear the pain, threw himself into flames and burned to death.
So, Erica watched as the figure before her, formed by converging locusts, was engulfed in flames, with countless locusts turning to charcoal and falling away.
At this moment, she could feel that this Heretic God was truly approaching his end.
Realizing that there was no way to turn things around, the figure stopped struggling and simply sat down on the ground, allowing itself to burn.
"Hmm, I remember now. The God of the Bible has long been dead. Who are you?"
Melqart suddenly said this, leaving Erica stunned.
"What do you mean? The God of the Bible has died?"
Come to think of it, at the very beginning, Melqart had madly identified him as that very Lord.
And now, as Melqart was about to return to mythology, having regained his clarity, his words became particularly intriguing.
Did he not recognize the Apocalypse Knight?
Or was the identity of the Apocalypse Knight also quite special?
Still, Erica was particularly fixated on Melqart's claim that the Lord had died.
It seemed as though he wasn't referring to a death on earth, but rather a death in the world of mythology?
"King Melqart, what do you mean by the Lord's death?"
Unable to hold back, she finally asked.
"Heh heh heh, exactly what you're thinking."
The teasing response froze Erica's expression.
"To be precise, the original God of the Bible is dead, but the one who still exists is no longer the same. Moreover, he is nothing but a complete puppet."
What did that even mean?
"However, why is his book with you? Who are you? Why have you inherited his avatar abilities?"
Suddenly, Melqart fell silent mid-sentence.
"No, that book doesn't belong to this world. No, half of it belongs to this world, while the other half—"
What did he mean?
"Ha ha ha ha, did that Bible fellow actually succeed? How interesting, truly fascinating. Heretic Gods, Campiones, and then there's the one from another... Mm, I cannot say, must not speak~"
And just like that, Melqart vanished into thin air amidst his laughter.
"If you want to take my authority, hurry up. That woman will soon come to loot my corpse."
His body had disappeared, but his voice still echoed.
As for the "woman" mentioned in his words, Erica immediately realized who he was referring to—Pandora.
When someone on earth slays a Heretic God, this goddess performs a secret ritual, granting the Campione the authority of the slain god.
Thus, Campiones on earth are also known as Pandora's children.
"What authority do you want? You can choose at most two."
These words stunned Erica, and she stared blankly at the face of the person she was still leaning against.
Could divine authority really be bestowed upon her like this?
What authorities were available?
The book in his hand floated before her eyes, and she saw Melqart's personal information as well as descriptions of his abilities.
After a quick consideration, Erica made her decision.
"The Pursuer and the Locusts."
The Pursuer was one of Melqart's divine artifacts, a symbol of wind that would allow her to command the winds.
Erica had a weakness in combat—she wasn't very skilled at flying. With this ability, she could compensate for that shortcoming.
As for the authority to command locusts, Erica felt it was the most suitable for her after careful thought.
Though it might seem like nothing more than controlling locust attacks, its power was actually terrifying.
It was also fortunate that Melqart wasn't in his best condition, or things would have been much more troublesome.
"Alright."
The book began to glow, and Erica felt the light seep into her body, sensing some kind of transformation taking place within her.
Hmm, why did she feel so sleepy?
Gradually, Erica's consciousness faded away.
For how long, she didn't know.
Mmm~
A soft moan escaped her lips as Erica, who had been lost in darkness, began to wake.
Her barely opened eyes vaguely recognized the familiar ceiling—was it the ceiling of her bedroom in the suburban house?
Suddenly, Erica's eyes snapped wide open as she half-sat up in bed.
"Th-this... a dream?"
She murmured in a daze.
Was everything that just happened a dream? Was she only truly waking up now?
Glancing toward the window, the light outside wasn't very bright—it must be just after dawn.
Abruptly, Erica's body stiffened. Mechanically, she threw off the covers, and her face froze into a rigid mask when she saw what lay beneath.
No way... she was already fifteen years old. How could this still happen?
Wait, something wasn't right!!!
Erica realized her bedsheets had been changed to a different set—not the ones from her dream.
And last night when she went to sleep, she'd been using the exact same bedding from her dream.
That's right—where was that book? Gone?
Suddenly, hearing movement outside her room, Erica's expression shifted. Without hesitation, she scrambled out of bed and rushed out.
But she stumbled, nearly falling, as her body felt strangely drained.
Manifesting her beloved sword with effort, she approached the living room.
"How is it?"
The voice was female—one Erica recognized well.
So Erica peeked quietly into the room and saw a beautiful maid several years her senior: Arianna Hayama Arialdi.
She had long been responsible for Erica's daily care.
And who was this woman speaking to?
"Mmm, quite to my taste"
A male voice responded, also very familiar.
So Erica stopped hiding and stepped forward openly, spotting the person sipping the black tea Arianna had prepared—none other than that Apocalypse Knight.
"Ah, Lady Erica, you're awake? I'll immediately prepare dinner for you and Lord Renji"
Huh? Lord Renji?
Oh, probably an alias this guy used in the real world.
"By the way, Arianna, you should go tidy Erica's room first. She might have drawn another world map"
What did he mean by that?
After a moment of confusion, Erica's face flushed scarlet as if about to explode.
She understood now—she could clearly sense a subtle connection between herself and him.
So this was why her body felt drained again. Turns out she had obtained authority, gained tremendous power, only to have it immediately drained by this guy. He seemed to have fully materialized, acquiring a physical body.
And because he drained her too vigorously, she'd ended up in that condition again..