Chapter 79: Uninvited Guests from China
Erica's sudden, ambiguous question caused Liliana to lapse into silence for a moment, but she endured her embarrassment and looked directly at her friend who was always teasing her.
"Of course, Erica. I absolutely will not lose to you."
"Hehe..." Hearing this, the blonde girl let out a melodious, bell-like laugh.
"As a First Knight and lover, valor and magical power alone are not enough. The most important things are the talent to assist a 'King'—resourcefulness, strategy, interpersonal skills, and social eloquence... Can you do that, Lili?"
As she asked this, a beautiful, slightly mocking smile appeared on the girl's face. Coupled with the wine-red outfit she was wearing, her demeanor perfectly matched her title as the "Red Devil."
"I acknowledge your cleverness, but isn't it an exaggeration to call that a talent for assisting a 'King'? The most important things between a King and a Knight are loyalty and trust. In that regard, I will ensure no one steals the lead from me."
Liliana responded calmly. In a true war of words, Erica would surely win, but currently, things weren't playing out that way.
"If that's what you say, then let me see the skills of a First Knight... What do you think about the arrival of Lu Yinghua whom I mentioned earlier?"
"Regarding the direct disciple of 'Leader' Luo Hao...?"
In response to Erica's playful questioning, Liliana nodded slightly and replied cautiously.
"Well, while it's the least likely scenario, it's also the one we must be most alert to. It's possible that the Cult Leader wants to cause some kind of commotion in Japan, or simply sent her disciple to test our King..."
If that were the case, wouldn't it be the same as a suicide mission? Liliana herself felt her speculation was a bit off.
"Probability-wise, it is unlikely. However, based on my experiences from the beginning until now, every Campione is the type of person who insists on igniting every bit of gunpowder in their vicinity. Whether it's our King, Voban, Salvatore, or even Leader Luo Hao—none should be an exception.
In short, the initiative still lies with Leader Luo Hao. We have never seen that person's appearance or character, so for now, she remains a mystery."
Liliana rested her chin in thought for a moment, then looked at Erica.
"What kind of gods she has fought is also unknown to us. Erica, I remember you spent time in the Chinese sphere; if you have information on the opponent, please tell me."
"Information on the Leader is, shall we say, restricted by those in the Chinese circles. I've heard that believers who see the Leader's form gouge out their own eyes, and those who hear her voice cut off their own ears," Erica said helplessly, recalling the rumors.
"Then those people truly are unfortunate."
Shirou picked up the coffee brought by the maid, Karen, and took a sip. At that moment, Yuri returned to the dining room after finishing her call.
"My King, that was a message from Mr. Amakasu. He says the young master of the Kujiuka family, who guards the Seishinkan, has been abducted."
Upon hearing Yuri's statement, a silence fell over everyone in the room. Then, Erica glanced at Liliana.
"Lu Yinghua...?"
"It seems very likely," Liliana nodded.
"Leader Luo Hao will probably arrive in Japan before long. Looking at the situation, one of her objectives is likely the Monkey Divine Lord. It seems a bloodbath is about to break out again," Erica said, taking a deep breath and sighing.
While there was no need for excessive panic on their part even if Leader Luo Hao attacked, the ones who would ultimately suffer were the city and its citizens.
"She's here..."
Shirou suddenly stood up and spoke to Erica and the others.
"You all go back inside the villa first."
"But... I understand, My King. Please be careful."
Though worried, Erica knew that staying would only cause trouble, so they obediently retreated into the villa.
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At sunset, under the canopy of the steel city, the light of the setting sun turned into massive shadows, shrouding the streets and alleys. An uninvited guest arrived at the villa district.
On the road outside the villa, a white mist manifested. Once the mist dissipated, an exquisitely beautiful young girl appeared.
From her outward appearance, she looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. Her body was wrapped in a traditional Hanfu with long hems, and a sky-blue long-sleeved robe draped
over her shoulders. Her silk-like black hair was braided into two small plaits hanging over her shoulders, adorned with pink lotus-shaped hair ornaments near her temples.
The most striking feature was her emerald-green eyes—eyes that looked down upon the world with absolute supremacy, impossible to forget once seen. Looking only at her face, one could never tell that this extraordinarily cute girl was a Godslayer who had lived for over two hundred years.
"To think you didn't even notice me at this distance... It seems the seventh Godslayer who defeated Marquis Voban is nothing special."
Luo Hao knit her brows slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly.
"Luo Hao, Leader of the Five Sacred Mountain Cult. Whether in martial prowess or appearance, you are indeed top-tier."
A person's presence was approaching. Luo Hao looked toward the now-deserted street; a boy's silhouette was walking toward her against the light. The afterglow of the setting sun hit his back, casting him in shadow and making it difficult to discern his expression.
"Hmph. So it's you, the seventh 'Godslayer' who killed that old fossil, Voban."
The girl, who looked as if she had stepped out of an ancient scroll, fixed her gaze on Shirou. Seeming somewhat curious about the boy's red hair and golden eyes, a soul-stirring smile curled onto her beautiful, pale pink lips.
"I hear you've been a Godslayer for barely two months, is that right?"
"Indeed."
Shirou nodded. Even facing the Leader who made the entire Japanese magic world tremble at the mere mention of her name, his expression remained completely steady. He even began to look over the Hanfu the woman was wearing with some interest.
High-quality silk—rather than a traditional Hanfu, it was more like a cheongsam paired with a blue outer coat. From the slit of the cheongsam, a pair of legs clad in black stockings was visible.
"Exactly which dynasty's clothing is this...?" When Shirou spoke, he used perfectly articulated Chinese.
"You actually speak Chinese?" Leader Luo Hao was slightly surprised. "It seems those responsible for gathering intelligence truly lack training; they didn't even clarify the fact that the seventh 'Godslayer' speaks Chinese."
"Because I have never shown that I can speak Chinese. Furthermore, even if your eyes and ears span the globe, they wouldn't be able to find my origins." Shirou shrugged and smiled.
"You certainly are confident," Leader Luo Hao smiled contemptuously. "But I don't care about your origins at all. I presume you already know the purpose of my visit today?"
"Yes, of course."
Shirou nodded. Simultaneously, dark clouds gathered in the sky above, the dense layers spreading as traveling lightning pulsed through the black clouds.
"An authority to control the weather...?" Luo Hao murmured. She then stared intently at Shirou and spoke.
"I am the one who reigns at the pinnacle of martial arts. My surname is Luo, my given name Cuilian, and my courtesy name is Hao. I am the Leader of the Five Sacred Moutain Cult. Orihara Shirou, remember this name well."
As Luo Hao made this declaration, several girls' heads popped out from the villa window, hiding there to secretly observe the situation.
"Is that the 'Leader Luo Hao' of Jiangnan? Such terrifying pressure—it feels like anyone standing before her would surely be suppressed!" Erica, who held the rank of a Great Knight, spoke with a racing heart as she looked at the cheongsam-clad beauty in the street.
"Indeed, even standing this far away, one can feel that aura unique to a 'King'..." Liliana also marveled.
While they were marveling, the beautiful woman in the center of the street suddenly turned her head and cast her gaze toward them.
"Oh no, that King found us!"
Leader Luo Hao glanced at the knight-princesses and the shrine maiden peeking at her. She didn't pay them much mind and turned back to look at Shirou, who was still examining her.
"You are thinking of something disrespectful, aren't you? You newcomer, you really have no sense of etiquette at all."
Carelessly expressing her dissatisfaction, Leader Luo Hao raised her head proudly to look at Shirou. Although she was only about 160cm tall, she still gave the illusion of looking down from a great height.
"If you weren't a qualified 'King,' I certainly wouldn't forgive your insolence. But as the one who defeated Marquis Voban—someone walking the same path of hegemony as I—I shall magnanimously forgive you. Be grateful."
"..."
Her arrogant attitude left Shirou at a loss for words.
"Those shrine maidens as well... normally, anyone who beholds my form would be punished. If they weren't people by your side, I would have killed them without mercy long ago."
Her calm tone meant that Luo Hao was absolutely serious.
"A person of my status, naturally, cannot speak directly with the commoners. Those who look upon my body must gouge out their eyes, and those who hear my voice must cut off their ears as atonement. But these are extraordinary times, so I shall overlook it."
As she spoke, a tangible 'Qi' began to drift around Leader Luo Hao.
"Of course, whether they live or not depends on whether you can satisfy me."
"Satisfy you?" Shirou was somewhat speechless at this ambiguous statement. If it weren't for Luo Hao's status as a 'Godslayer,' such a comment would easily lead to misunderstandings.
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