“『King』!”
Alica flew on the wreckage of Ponza Island with magic, her clear voice carrying anxiety and fear, shouting loudly.
No, it could no longer be called the wreckage of Ponza Island, because this Italian tourist island had been completely submerged. Its natural beauty and human traces had vanished from the Earth. From today, the world map could completely erase this island.
A huge vortex on the sea had not completely dissipated. The immense power within it was enough to instantly grind any living being into mincemeat. Alica gritted her teeth, her lips pressed together as she flew down, wanting to search for Roy's shadow under the surface of the sea. However, as she approached the surface, a trace of pain flickered across her snow-white face. Alica let out a muffled groan, gathering magic, continuing to explore downwards.
But then, blisters appeared on her slender arm, emitting hot smoke as if the water in her body was evaporating. Even her delicate skin was burning with pain.
It was the residual curse power left by Roy's power, making this sea area as hot as a lava hell. Until the curse power completely dissipated, no magician could approach it, not even a great knight like Alica.
Realizing that even if she plunged into the sea, not only would she not find Roy, but she might also be scalded to death, Alica reluctantly flew back into the sky, anxiously searching with her eyes.
Slayers are not necessarily able to fly. "Flying," a human aspiration that seems simple, is actually a very profound magic in the mystical world. Ordinary magicians simply cannot learn it, and the innate abilities of Slayers do not include "flying," unless they have special powers.
Most Slayers are ordinary people before slaying gods. They simply don't know such advanced magic. After slaying gods, these earthly demons rarely research magic. So, while Slayers have great power, they are mostly ignorant fools.
Among the known Slayers, only the Eastern Guru was a figure at the pinnacle of martial arts and magic before slaying gods. Even without slaying gods, she was a legend in the mystical world.
Alica believed that with Roy's Slayer's powerful body, and his absolute advantage against the Unwilling Metatron in the previous battle, he could not possibly be killed by his own power, nor could he drown in this sea.
The "King" should be in most need of help at this time, needing someone to pull him back and rescue him from the sea. However, as the "King's" knight, she was too weak to enter this sea area and rescue the "King". Such an incompetent self was truly unworthy of the name of knight.
Thinking of this, Alica felt even more distressed. She desperately poured magic into the air above this sea area, searching for Roy's shadow.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar like an artillery shell being fired echoed from this sea area enveloped by abnormal curse power, and a wave tens of meters high splashed up on the surface of the sea.
Alica's heart tightened. She thought that the enemy was not dead yet and vigilantly gripped the "Lionheart" in her hand. But the "enemy's" speed was truly too fast, completely described as "divine speed." Alica could sense that the other party's speed was definitely exceeding the speed of sound, but because of the mysterious power at work, the physical sonic boom would not occur.
Almost without any time difference, that lightning-like figure appeared before Alica. This speed was beyond the limits of human neural reaction, but Alica was fearless, gripping the love sword in her hand, ready to meet the enemy.
Until that figure made a sound, Alica's taut heartstrings finally snapped. The sudden change from extreme danger to extreme safety caused a unbearable fatigue in her body and mind.
"My calculation of time was a bit off. I didn't expect that I would fall into the sea."
The warm voice was somewhat casual, but it had its own majesty and grandeur. Alica fixed her gaze, surprised to see that Roy's current external form had undergone a huge change.
A pair of wings like flames grew behind him, and a halo with the cross-religious divine mark floated above his head. Feathers made of energy fell from the sky, floating on the surface of the sea, beautiful and dazzlingly sacred.
Roy now looked like an angel from any perspective.
This was Roy's fourth of seven powers: "The Great Monarch of Light"!
The name "Monarch" signifies prince, ruler.
This power re-enacted the battle posture of Archangel Michael as recorded in the Bible. He once wiped out 150,000 Assyrian troops who invaded Jerusalem in one night. He led the angels to battle against Belial, the ruler of darkness, as the deputy of the Heavenly Kingdom and the Monarch of Light.
Re-enacting this battle posture gave Roy the ability to fly and "divine speed."
However, this power also has limitations: it can only be used once a day, and the usage time is only ten minutes. Within the "divine speed," Roy can easily achieve speeds beyond the speed of sound and human reaction limits.
There is a Slayer called "Black Prince" Alexander Gascoigne. He once defeated the fallen angel Remiel and obtained the "Divine Speed" power. Gascoigne's divine speed has no time limit, but during high-speed movement, this Slayer needs to bear the side effects of divine speed with his own body. Therefore, this Slayer can only use the divine speed power intermittently.
Roy doesn't have this concern. After unfolding his power, he doesn't need to worry about his body's ability to withstand it for ten minutes. Michael's battle posture is enough to counteract it. Their divine speed powers have their own advantages and disadvantages: Roy's burst is stronger, and Gascoigne's endurance is longer.
However, in general battles between Slayers and Unwilling Gods, battles are usually decided within a few moves, so for Roy, the limitations of this power are enough for now.
Slayers have a lot of curse power, but because slaying gods doesn't increase their curse power limit, and the use of powers consumes too much curse power, so after a Slayer uses several powers at full force, they usually don't have enough curse power to continue fighting. Most Slayers don't have strong sustained combat abilities.
"Lady Alica, you're really in a sorry state right now."
Roy looked at Alica with amusement. Now, Alica's beautiful golden hair had traces of scorching, her fair and beautiful face was stained with ash from the burning flames, making her beautiful features dirty. Her gown was patched with holes, and her delicate arm skin was covered in disgusting blisters.
“…But I'm not much better."
Roy glanced at himself and chuckled in self-deprecation.
He accidentally fell into the sea earlier. Although he activated his power to fly out of the sea, he was now soaked wet.
"Are you worried about me, Alica... worried that I've gone wrong, so that you, the 'Bronze Black Cross,' just found a patron and lost him?"
Roy looked at Alica, able to feel the girl's fear and bewilderment. She was still just a fourteen-year-old girl, even with her maturity, she still had a little girl's anxieties.
"It's a shame to let you see me in such a sorry state! 'King,' I don't know why you distrust me so much. Although your reasons are one of my worries, but most importantly, you've made me your dedicated knight. As a knight, I would naturally be anxious about the 'King's' safety."
Alica sighed wryly. She had long discovered that Roy still didn't trust her. It was as if their relationship was only maintained by Roy's powerful strength, more like a hired relationship.
She secretly blamed herself for whether she had made any mistakes in her previous work, or whether she had shown herself to be too shrewd, making the "King" wary of her?
"Calling yourself a knight... then what can you do for me, Lady Alica, as a knight?"
"If the 'King' commands, I will give my all!"
The gorgeous and noble girl said firmly.
Roy gazed deeply at Alica. The girl's bangs were messy, but her sapphire-like eyes were clear and determined.
"It turns out that you are also a good girl, Lady Alica... I will try to completely trust you in the future."
Roy could feel Alica's sincerity. Besides his powerful Slayer's instinct, Roy had recently been researching magic about lies.
"Thank you for your trust, 'King'! I will not betray your trust either."
Alica was about to salute, but her body trembled and the magic applied to her feet disappeared. She fell directly from the air.
This flight magic was extremely energy-consuming. It was something that Alica used in an emergency during combat, and flying in the air for such a long time had almost completely drained her magic.
Roy caught her soft and slender waist in a princess hug, as the girl exclaimed. He smiled faintly. "…So, my knight, you've done very well. Let me, your 'King,' take you to a safe place now."
With a spread of his wings behind him, Roy activated "Divine Speed," disappearing instantly from this sea area.
He needed to find a place to rest, and at the same time research his new loot.