Ponza Island wasn't large, with a total area of only about seven square kilometers, and its highest elevation was only about three hundred meters.
Roy and Alica walked through the island's jungle. The forest wasn't dense, as the island was small and a tourist destination. The seven square kilometers had long been developed by the locals, with countless paths carved by humans. Even an ordinary person could navigate it without difficulty.
Walking through this sparse jungle, the roar of the tide faintly echoed. The birds that normally circled and called in the sky had long since fled this island, as if the wildlife had anticipated the dreadful battle to come.
The oppressive atmosphere was heavy, making Alica's heart sink, but Roy's expression was relaxed. He kept one hand in his pocket, wearing his lavish red Archbishop's robe, as he walked along the path that smelled of earth.
"Alica... "
Alica, lost in thought, was startled by Roy's call and snapped back to reality. Unconsciously, she noticed that she was two steps away from him.
Alica quickly took a step forward, composing herself and said: "... What are your orders, 'King'!"
"I just wanted to remind you that you were spacing out... I'll ask you again, are you really not going to leave? Do you really want to witness the battle between the Slayer and the Heretic God?"
Roy paused slightly, turning his head to look at the young Italian girl behind him. Her delicate face, still youthful, was framed by silver hair. The bare shoulders exposed by her red dress were as white as snow, and her slender collarbone, like bamboo, exuded a feminine beauty that made one want to lick it.
Both were dressed in red ceremonial robes, one with golden hair, the other with silver. They stood out prominently against the sparse green jungle.
Hearing Roy's question, Alica responded without hesitation: "... I was just crowned your exclusive knight by you, 'King.' I don't expect my meager strength to be of any help to you, but how can a knight run away before the battle begins? My blade would weep if I did."
She drew her magical ceremonial weapon, "Lionheart," her voice firm, her expression like a crouching lioness.
"Suit yourself, but I'm warning you one last time, don't space out like you did just now. Even just the shockwaves of the battle will require you to be on full alert. Otherwise, you will die. I won't be able to help you in the fight. If you die here, it can only mean that the woman named Alica Brantley is nothing more."
At the young age of fourteen, Alica already possessed the strength of a 'Great Knight.' Although 'Great Knights' varied in strength, the Commanders of the 'Bronze Black Cross' and the 'Lily City' were also just Great Knights. To have such strength at such a young age, combined with 'Lionheart,' a top-tier magical ceremonial weapon, and Alica's natural intelligence, all these factors combined made this girl as proud as a phoenix.
Having never seen a Heretic God, never witnessed the power that mortal mages could not resist, Alica, the proud girl, naturally felt 'unconvinced.' Perhaps she even had the thought that she too could slay a god.
Only when she truly faces a Heretic God will she realize how ridiculous human talent and ability are in the face of a god. For mortals to slay a god, it is never about strength, only about a certain amount of wisdom and a large dose of luck.
Roy's repeated warnings made Alica cautious. She gripped her longsword and walked out of the woods with Roy.
Ahead was a hundred-meter-high cliff, below which lay Ponza Island's only small town. Directly opposite the cliff was the island's most famous crescent bay.
And at the edge of the cliff, a figure stood there.
Upon seeing the figure, Roy felt his blood surge throughout his body, as if a drug addict had just gotten his fix, feeling both exhilarated and at the limits of his senses.
"'Celestial Scribe' Metatron!"
Roy stopped a hundred meters from Metatron, calling out his name in a loud voice.
Metatron, hearing the voice behind him, slowly turned around. This was the first time Roy had seen Metatron's true face, having only caught a glimpse of him from afar in Israel.
Compared to Michael's unparalleled handsomeness and fearless courage, Metatron's appearance was very ordinary, and his demeanor was gentle.
According to the Book of Enoch, Metatron was the angel that Enoch transformed into after ascending to heaven. In other words, Metatron's current appearance should be that of the mortal 'Enoch.'
Suddenly, Metatron's face became unreal, and the unreality quickly solidified. Roy suddenly realized that he seemed to be seeing through Metatron's face towards an extremely exalted being, and Metatron's face merged with that of the exalted being.
At the same time, an unimaginable and terrifying 'curse' flowed into Roy's body through his line of sight as he looked at Metatron. Roy's immense magical power as a Slayer and his resistance to magic instinctively resisted the 'curse' at this moment. A concept that Roy couldn't understand entered his brain. That loftiness and holiness transformed into a complete curse, making Roy lose his sanity, his SAN value plummeting, as if he was about to go completely mad.
In a panic, Roy hurriedly channeled his own powerful magical power and began to visualize the Book of Law, barely managing to suppress the 'curse.' Even so, Roy noticed that his body was much weaker.
"'King'!"
Alica saw Roy quickly cover her eyes with his hand, his wide, gentle palm against her face, leaving her vision pitch black. Alica dared not make any movement, only calling out anxiously.
"Alica, don't look at Metatron's face!"
This 'curse' must be some kind of ability possessed by Metatron. Even as a Slayer, he could barely endure just a glance. If Alica looked at it, she would undoubtedly go mad instantly and be cursed to death.
"I made a commotion here, waiting for the false Michael, but I didn't expect him to be killed, and he even became an earthly Demon King."
Metatron sighed softly, his tone very gentle. As the great angel's words fell, thirty-six pairs of flame-like wings grew behind him, and a halo appeared above his head.
"But no matter who comes, whether it is the traitorous angel or you, the Demon King, all I need to do is to judge the heretics!"
"... You, the foolish son, the Demon King who slew the heretical angel, come and pay your respects to the 'Chancellor of Heaven'!"
Metatron's tone gradually became stern. His body began to grow like flame, instantly transforming into a giant-like being. In the Book of Enoch, he was said to be the tallest of the angels.
"Chancellor of Heaven? Don't make me laugh, you heretical angel born from the apocrypha. Today, I shall slay you in the name of the Lord!"
Roy was afraid that Metatron might have some other strange abilities. Ignoring his own discomfort, he rose up like a beast.
"'BEAST' 777, I shall transcend human evil!"
He uttered his magical name, expressing his murderous intent towards Metatron.
The power of 'Jacob's Hands and Feet' activated, massive magical power gathered in Roy's swinging left fist. He leaped high into the air and then descended like a meteor, striking with his fist.
This was the strongest martial art recorded in the Bible, named 'Jacob's Hands and Feet' by Roy, one of the seven styles:
——'Holy Maiden Suppressing Dragon'!