Capítulo 146: Princess Alice
After successfully defeating Sun Wukong and securing Liliana's ascension as a Campione, Eriri and her group were in high spirits. As they prepared to leave Kyoto, Liliana expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Eriri.
"Master, I've succeeded. Thank you so much!" Liliana's eyes sparkled with admiration as she knelt before Eriri, radiating a powerful aura that signified her new status as a god-slayer.
"Campione powers sure are wild," Shinobu muttered, feeling the immense energy emanating from Liliana. She couldn't help but be a little envious, considering how much effort she had put into leveling up. "All it takes is slaying a single Heretic God, and boom! You're instantly at the Fifth Level."
Eriri smiled and patted Shinobu's head. "Want me to summon a Heretic God for you to kill? You could join the ranks of the Godslayers."
Shinobu let out a playful chuckle. "No need. I'm not far from reaching the Fifth Level on my own. Besides, I'm not in a rush."
The idea of taking shortcuts like the Campione didn't appeal to Shinobu, who preferred to advance through her own means. If the other magical factions knew how casually Eriri could offer such power, they'd surely go mad with jealousy.
Eriri, understanding Shinobu's sentiment, simply shrugged. "Alright, no problem."
With a satisfied grin, she picked up Shinobu again, then turned to Liliana and Athena. "Time to head home!"
Having dealt with the Monkey King, the group had no interest in lingering around Kyoto. The sun had only just set, so they decided it was the perfect time to return to Erica's house for dinner. With a simple gesture, Eriri activated a teleportation spell, and in an instant, they were back in Erica's villa in Italy.
The sudden appearance of the group in the living room caught the attention of Erica and her maid, Arianna. Erica immediately sensed the powerful Campione aura coming from Liliana and smiled knowingly.
"Congratulations, Liliana! You've finally achieved your dream of becoming a Campione."
"This was only possible thanks to Master's help," Liliana replied, standing respectfully behind Eriri. She wasn't as confrontational with Erica as usual, which caught Erica off guard, though she didn't dwell on it.
Instead, Erica shifted her attention to Eriri. "By the way, how did you manage to run into the Villains Chat Group in Japan? That's incredible luck!"
Eriri beamed with pride. "I know, right? We were just wandering around and happened to stumble upon it. What can I say? I'm just that lucky!"
"Haha, you really are amazing, Eriri!" Erica praised, clearly impressed.
"Mhm, no argument there!" Eriri replied smugly.
Meanwhile, news of Liliana's successful slaying of Sun Wukong spread rapidly through the History Compilation Committee and other influential families. Many rushed to Kyoto in hopes of meeting the newly ascended Campione, only to find that Eriri and her group had already left. Even if they searched all of Japan, they wouldn't find a trace of them.
The incident at Nikkō Tōshō-gū soon reached the Mage Association, and with their help, the global magical community quickly learned that another Campione had appeared only days after the last. Like Erica, this new Campione was also from Italy, and the revelation shook the powers that be.
As Eriri's involvement in the events became known, particularly her mysterious ability to effortlessly summon Sun Wukong and slay him, speculation spread like wildfire. After all, such feats were beyond the typical power level of a Campione.
Far away, deep within the sacred mountains of Lushan in China, Luo Hao, the leader of the Five Mountain Holy Sect and one of the most powerful Campione, was enraged when she heard the news. For over a century, she had been targeting Sun Wukong as part of her mission to cleanse China's honor, only for some foreigner to steal her victory.
As a woman who reigned supreme in the martial world, Luo Hao couldn't tolerate such an affront. Adding to her frustration, the reports on Eriri intrigued her. She was determined to see for herself whether this girl's power truly exceeded that of a Campione, as the rumors suggested.
"Yinghua," she called out, addressing her disciple standing outside her secluded cottage on Mount Lushan.
"Prepare for my departure. I'm heading to Milan to meet the two new Campione," Luo Hao declared.
"As you command, Master," replied Lu Yinghua, her young yet highly skilled disciple, who had long grown accustomed to his master's whims.
At the same time, in London, at the headquarters of the Witenagemot Mage Association, an emergency meeting was underway. The large, Renaissance-style room was adorned with luxurious decor, with intricate tapestries and suits of silver armor lining the walls. A massive crystal chandelier hung above the round table where the council members sat.
At the center of attention was a young woman in her twenties, with radiant blonde hair and an elegant presence. Her name was Alice Louise, also known as Princess Alice, the former chairwoman of the Council and a member of the distinguished Gododdin family.
Despite her age, Princess Alice was one of Europe's most revered witches, known for her incredible mental abilities and vast knowledge of magic. Even though she had stepped down as chairwoman, she still held great influence within the Council.
As she reviewed the reports on Liliana, Alice muttered thoughtfully, "So Liliana has become a Campione, just like Erica."
She had known Erica for some time and was somewhat familiar with Liliana. Neither of them struck her as the typical candidates for god-slaying, considering their pragmatic and calculating nature. Such traits usually meant they weren't the reckless type to embark on the dangerous path of a Campione.
Yet, both had achieved the impossible within mere days of each other, and the circumstances of their ascensions remained shrouded in mystery. Due to Eriri's interference, the Council's surveillance of Sardinia during Erica's battle had yielded no useful information, leaving them in the dark about her ascension. Similarly, Liliana's slaying of the Monkey King had happened in an instant, giving no opportunity for the Council's satellites to capture anything useful.
One of the council members, an elderly man, explained, "Princess Alice, according to the Kuhoutsuka family, the new Campione's authority is said to be 'Steel Body,' though this hasn't been officially confirmed. They overheard it from Liliana's conversation with her companions but didn't witness her using the power."
"I see," Alice replied, nodding. She understood the Council's preference for confirmed information and why they hadn't yet included this in their official records.
"What about this girl named Eriri?" Alice asked, shifting the conversation to the person who had piqued her interest the most.
"She's incredibly mysterious," replied another council member. "She appeared with two young girls at Erica's villa. Prior to that, we had no record of her existence, nor of the other girls. From the reports we've received, her abilities seem to surpass even those of a Campione."
"Is she a Heretic God?" Alice asked curiously.
"No, she doesn't exhibit the aura of a Heretic God, nor has she caused any disruptions in the mortal world," the council member replied, clearly perplexed.
This was the Mage Association's greatest dilemma. Eriri wasn't a Heretic God, nor did she fit neatly into any of their known classifications. It was as though she had materialized from thin air.
Another council member chimed in, "It's been reported that both new Campione, Erica and Liliana, treat this girl with great respect, referring to her as their master."
Alice wasn't surprised by this. Based on what she'd read, Eriri was far from ordinary, and Liliana's god-slaying success was likely due to her intervention. There was even a possibility that Erica's ascension had followed the same pattern.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man in the room interrupted Alice's thoughts. "Princess Alice, we have some footage that might interest you."
He handed her a tablet, queuing up two video files showing footage of Eriri's group driving across the sea's surface. One video was captured by ferry staff, while the other was taken by satellite.
"Is this some kind of new technology?" Alice asked, fascinated by the sight of luxury cars driving smoothly over the water.
The man cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem, that's not important. What matters is that twelve girls were in those cars when they arrived at Erica's villa. But after staying there for a time, they all vanished—except for Eriri. The cars are gone too."
"So, they come from another world," Alice said, a gleam of excitement in her eyes. Although it was phrased as a question, her expression showed she had already accepted it as fact.
"Exactly."
The room erupted into murmurs. The revelation that Eriri and her companions were from another world was earth-shattering. If their world could connect to another, it had the potential to cause immense upheaval.
"Another world? Could such a thing really exist?"
"If we could access another world, it might solve many resource problems."
"This isn't good news! If that girl comes from another world, who's to say they won't invade us? How could we possibly defend against them?"
"Maybe it's just her special ability. She might not be as powerful as we think!"
Alice raised her voice, commanding the room to silence. "Let's put aside the topic of another world for now. Have you discovered Erica's authority yet?"
"Not yet, Princess. We still don't even know which Heretic Gods she slew to gain her powers. The Sword King is still unconscious, and nothing about the events at Erica's villa has been uncovered," answered one of the council members.
"Hmm..." Alice mused, resting her chin on her hands thoughtfully. "And has there been any sign of Bronze-Black Cross making a move?"
"No. The new Campione has kept her cards close to her chest."
"I see. In that case, I'll take it upon myself to investigate Erica's authority. I've known her for some time, so perhaps I can use our connection to learn something."
After a brief pause, she added, "And as for the otherworldly matter, I intend to meet these three girls myself."
One of the council elders spoke up nervously, "Isn't that too dangerous, Princess Alice? Perhaps we should send someone else, or you could go in spirit form, just to be safe."
Alice's spirit projection ability allowed her to send an ethereal double of herself anywhere in the world, a technique highly respected in magical circles.
"It's fine. I'm not going to declare war on them. And besides, they didn't cause any harm during their visit to Japan," Alice replied with confidence.
"If you insist, then we wish you well, Princess," the elder said, reluctantly agreeing.
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