Heading to Tokyo

As soon as Doni finished chanting his spell, a strange domain expanded around him, covering several meters and encompassing Erica's villa. Doni's authority began to take effect, causing even his own powers to spiral out of control. The magical sword in his hand reverted to an ordinary greatsword, as his authority induced chaos.

Erica and the others immediately sensed the shift as the magical energy within their bodies went into a frenzy, losing control. However, Eriri remained unfazed, watching Doni's spectacle with a calm expression. To her, this so-called ultimate move posed no threat. Compared to the anti-magic spell Eriri had used in a parallel world, Doni's power was insignificant.

"Haha, come on, let's kill each other!" Doni laughed maniacally, gripping his greatsword with both hands and charging at Athena, relying solely on his swordsmanship. Yet, before he could even swing his sword halfway, he suddenly froze, as though time had stopped.

"You really don't know when to quit. Since that's the case, let me help you out," Eriri muttered, casting a casual glance at Doni. In that instant, an overwhelming force struck him, sending him flying out the way he came. Blood sprayed from his body as he was thrown across the villa grounds, his black case for the greatsword following him.

Before he landed outside the villa's perimeter, Doni had already fallen unconscious, his hand still gripping the sword tightly. His body was drenched in blood, as if he had just been fished out of a pool of it, yet his physical form was completely intact.

Oddly, despite not being physically harmed, Doni's life force had diminished to an extremely weak state, as though he were on the verge of death. It was clear that Eriri's single glance had brought him to the brink. Had she intended to kill him, the world's number of Campiones would have been reduced once again.

A few minutes later, a man with the title of "King's Steward," Andre Rivera, arrived at the villa, only to find Doni barely clinging to life. His face paled with horror.

Andre knew Doni well. Though he didn't always approve of Doni's reckless challenges to other Campiones, he rarely tried to stop him. However, this time, Andre had been worried about Doni challenging Erica, especially since even the fearsome Marquis Voban had fallen to her.

He hadn't expected that, in the span of just a few minutes, Doni would end up in such a critical state. His shock turned to fear as he realized how dangerous Erica must truly be.

Taking a deep breath, Andre quickly scooped up the unconscious Doni and fled the villa's grounds.

Not long after, word spread throughout the mystical world: Salvatore Doni, the King of Swords, had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Erica. The news caused a sensation, as rumors spread that Erica might even be the strongest Campione, with many drawing comparisons between her and the Martial Queen, Luo Hao.

Deep within the misty mountains of Lushan in China's Jiangnan region, where the landscape is renowned for its beauty, a small, humble hut stood nestled among the peaks. Outside the unassuming dwelling, a fourteen-year-old boy stood respectfully with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Humph, strongest Campione? So, that little girl managed to kill that old dog Voban? Impressive," mused a stunning woman who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in white Hanfu. Her voice carried a mix of curiosity and disdain.

This woman was none other than Luo Cuilian, also known as Luo Hao, the Martial Queen of China, head of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, and one of the world's most powerful Godslayers. Despite her youthful appearance, Luo Hao had been a Campione for over two hundred years. With Voban's death, she now held the title of the oldest living Campione.

"Ying'er, I've heard enough. You may leave," she ordered her disciple, the young man standing outside the hut.

"Yes, Master," Lu Yinghua replied with a sigh of relief, bowing deeply. Every time he visited Luo Hao, he was on edge, fearing he might accidentally provoke her and face severe punishment.

Lu Yinghua, Luo Hao's direct disciple, had achieved remarkable martial prowess under her tutelage. Though young, his martial skills far surpassed most Campiones. As a member of the influential Lu family in Hong Kong, combined with his exceptional strength, he was quite popular among women. However, due to the years of strict and often brutal training he endured under Luo Hao, he had developed a warped personality, harboring a deep-seated disgust for women—especially talented and beautiful ones.

When he heard that the new Campione who had killed Voban was a girl only two years older than him, he immediately disliked her.

After respectfully bowing once more, Lu Yinghua turned and left Lushan.

…

Another day passed, and still there was no sign of the Villains Chat Group. Several leaders of Italy's magical organizations, including those from the Copper-Black Cross and Bronze-Black Cross, had requested meetings with Eriri, but she firmly rejected them all, even if they were Erica and Liliana's relatives.

During this time, Eriri had also helped Athena sever her ties with her myth, essentially freeing her from the constraints of being a Heretic God. Athena was no longer a Heretic God, but rather something closer to a true deity.

As for Shinobu, she seemed to have grown fond of her young form. Ever since Eriri had carried her around in her loli state the previous day, she hadn't reverted to her adult form, clinging to Eriri at every opportunity, much to Eriri's delight.

Over the past two days, both Shinobu and Erica had used up their accumulated points, significantly improving their strength. While Erica remained at Fifth Level, Second Stage, her power had increased substantially. Shinobu, on the other hand, had risen to Third Level, Seventh Stage, and she still had plenty of points left. Once she finished using them all, she would likely become a continent-level powerhouse.

As for the other members of the chat group, they were all making great strides in their abilities, with most reaching Fourth Level. Everyone had been quietly focusing on their improvements, so the chat group itself had been relatively quiet.

The lower their level, the slower they consumed their points. Arifureta and Sakura had both reached the point where they could begin further enhancing their strength, joining the others in their efforts to level up.

After spending a day observing Liliana's interactions with Erica, Eriri could clearly see how much Liliana envied Erica's newfound strength. Once rivals on equal footing, Erica's sudden rise to power had left Liliana feeling left behind.

Seeing this, Eriri decided she wouldn't let her other knight fall behind. Just as she had helped Erica, she would assist Liliana in becoming the seventh Campione.

Having made up her mind, Eriri called Liliana over.

"Liliana, get ready. Tomorrow, we're going to Japan."

"Yes, my lord," Liliana replied without question.

"Aren't you curious why we're going to Japan?" Eriri asked with a teasing smile.

"Whatever purpose you have, I trust it's important. My duty is to follow your orders," Liliana responded dutifully, though after a moment she added, "Of course, if you don't mind telling me…"

"Liliana, how would you like to become a Campione, like Erica?"

Liliana's eyes sparkled at Eriri's words. Did she want to become a Campione? Absolutely! She had dreamed of it. If it weren't for her lack of strength, she would have already set out to slay a Heretic God on her own.

Hearing Eriri's offer, Liliana nodded excitedly. She didn't care which god they were going to face—if Eriri was helping her, then no god could stand in their way. After all, Erica had told her how Eriri had slain two Heretic Gods with just two sword slashes, faster than eating a donut.

"Tomorrow, we'll take down the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and he will be your stepping stone to becoming a Campione."

Yes, Eriri had already chosen Liliana's target: the legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who was sealed in Japan's Western Heaven Palace. In just a few words, Sun Wukong's fate had been sealed.

Normally, breaking the seal on Sun Wukong, the curse would require fulfilling three conditions:

The manifestation of a god with dragon or snake attributes.

A sword imbued with diminishing curses.

A shrine maiden with purification powers, wielding the sword with spiritual energy.

But Eriri had no intention of going through such a hassle. After all, this was just a seal. For someone like Eriri, a cosmic-level powerhouse, breaking the curse—or even bringing the entire underworld into the mortal realm—was no challenge at all.

…

On a flight from Milan, Italy, to Tokyo, Japan, Eriri, Liliana, Shinobu, and Athena sat in the first-class cabin. Erica had stayed behind in Italy, as per Eriri's instructions. Bringing Erica, a Campione, to Japan would draw too much attention, so Eriri chose to travel discreetly with just her three companions, as if they were ordinary tourists.

The paperwork for Eriri, Shinobu, and Athena, including their passports, had been easily handled by Erica's connections.

Other passengers occasionally stole glances at the four of them, but no one dared to approach or strike up a conversation. The entire flight remained peaceful and uneventful.

Midway through the flight, Shinobu left her seat and curled up in Eriri's lap, quickly falling asleep. Athena glanced at Shinobu with a hint of jealousy but soon regained her usual indifferent expression.

After nearly twenty hours, the plane landed smoothly at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. By the time Eriri and her group set foot in Japan, it was already past seven in the evening.

Their destination was the Western Heaven Palace in Kyoto, but Eriri wasn't in any rush. After all, Sun Wukong wasn't going anywhere, so they decided to explore Tokyo for a bit, taking in the sights and enjoying the night.

As they strolled through the brightly lit streets, Eriri marveled at how similar Tokyo Tower was to the one in the Saekano world. Despite being in a parallel universe, certain landmarks remained unchanged, although the destruction caused by Campiones and Heretic Gods had left noticeable differences in some places.

After wandering for a while and enjoying a delicious late-night snack, the group returned to their hotel.

It was time for the customary bathing scene. The suite's bathroom was incredibly spacious, and Eriri suggested they all bathe together.

Shinobu and Athena readily agreed, while Liliana, flustered, declined.

Not one to push, Eriri took Shinobu and Athena with her into the large bath, leaving Liliana to stew in her thoughts.

Minutes later, as laughter echoed from the bathroom, Liliana sighed and made her way to the other bathroom in the suite.

That night, Eriri slept soundly with Shinobu and Athena snuggled up beside her in the master bedroom, while Liliana spent the night alone in the other room.

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