A surge of heavy, violent curse energy erupted, tearing the doors of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel's Presidential Suite to shreds. Inside the room, it was as if a Category 12 hurricane had swept through, the curse energy howling as it sent everything flying, transforming the space into a trash heap in an instant.
Princess Alice's face turned pale, her delicate frame swaying slightly. Though she had received Roy's power and her condition had improved significantly, as Roy had said, her body wasn't fully healed and required further treatment.
Even as the most powerful witch in Europe, Princess Alice's magical power was exceptionally strong, but compared to a God Slayer, her power was like a mere speck of dust.
As the door was torn open, the sound of footsteps outside grew heavier and clearer. Under the watchful gaze of Roy and Princess Alice, an elderly gentleman with an energetic spirit slowly entered the room from the corridor outside, where all the hotel staff had been turned into pillars of salt.
The old man had impeccably styled silver hair and wore a long trench coat. Beneath the coat was a clean, crisp shirt and tie, and he even wore white gloves. From every angle, he appeared as a cultured elderly gentleman, evoking thoughts of kindheartedness. But the moment one looked into his pale green, wolf-like eyes, an intense chill and fear would well up from the depths of their being.
“Count Voban!”
Princess Alice, her delicate frame swaying from the Count’s violent curse energy, croaked out the name, her expression pale and tinged with fear. Compared to Roy, this new king, the terror that Sasha Dejanstard Voban had inflicted on the world for two centuries had left a deeper mark on people's minds.
Even the renowned White Witch was nothing more than a insignificant ant in the eyes of this ancient God Slayer.
As Princess Alice trembled with fear, a red figure stood in front of her, and at the same time, she felt a warmth envelop her. Roy had draped a jacket over her thin frame, covering her exposed, fair skin.
“Princess Alice, you should be more composed in front of unfamiliar gentlemen. At least wear some clothes, even if this unfamiliar gentleman is a senile old man.”
Princess Alice's pale hand grasped the jacket, and as she looked at the red figure protecting her, a surge of warmth filled her heart and mind, an indescribable emotion welling up, prompting her to involuntarily smile. Even her fear of facing the ancient demon king vanished.
Though the boy in front of her was four or five years younger, even still not an adult, his broad back was like a warm, wind-sheltering harbor, blocking all the storms from her. This gave Alice a sense of security she had never experienced before.
She was Princess Alice, the former president of the Wise Council. She had always been the one standing in front, shielding others from the storms, facing the demons on the surface alone. But for the first time, she felt the warmth of being protected. This was something Alexander Gascoigne had never done.
“Don’t worry, Alice! I will protect you. With me here, you have nothing to fear from a half-dead old man.”
Roy smiled, his tone gentle. He raised his left arm, shielding Princess Alice behind him. But in his strange, double pupils, there was no trace of a smile. Instead, they were cold and serious.
Strategic disdain for the enemy, tactical respect for the enemy. Roy wouldn't truly underestimate Count Voban. Although in Roy’s eyes, Voban's greatest advantage was the sheer variety of his powers. In actual combat, he posed less of a threat than the Eastern Patriarch or the Italian Sword King.
This was because no matter how many powers a God Slayer had, there was a limit to their quality. Since God Slayers couldn't increase their curse energy, there was no qualitative difference between the oldest God Slayer and the newer generations. Still, Count Voban shouldn’t be underestimated. His diverse tactics made him very difficult to handle in a fight at the same level.
“Heroic spirit, tender affection, these are the privileges of youth.”
Count Voban's tone was harsh, seemingly reminiscing about the past, but his wolfish, cruel eyes shone with even more violence.
He had never been a submissive old man, but a demon king who played with the world, taking pleasure in slaying defiant gods.
“My newborn kin, I won’t comment on your actions. All God Slayers have their own personalities. But as a senior citizen, as you put it, I must still give you a word of warning: Being too sentimental is not a good thing. You can protect the girl behind you, but can you protect the two little girls you sent out to capture the witches?”
Roy furrowed his brow. He remembered that Voban had a power related to the dead. He could resurrect those he had killed, imprison their souls as his loyal servants, and retain their strength from life.
This power wasn’t very useful against other God Slayers or demigods, but it was incredibly potent against ordinary mages and knights. He knew Voban was referring to Erica and Lilliana, and the Count likely had already used this power to send his servants to intercept them.
Roy wasn't worried about Erica and Lilliana’s safety. After all, those two girls were geniuses of the 『Crimson Black Cross』 and 『Bronze Black Cross』 generation. They couldn’t be left alone to face God Slayers and demigods, but just a few resurrected servants, even if they couldn’t win, they could definitely escape.
It’s just that if Mariwaka Yuri, the witch, was captured by Voban, it would be much harder to retrieve her.
“Hmph, I never thought that one of my servants, Crannichal, had such a talented granddaughter as a witch. I guess I haven't paid enough attention to him in the past. In any case, I have to thank you, my junior. Because of you, the girl behind you is healed. The ceremony I need to complete in two years can now be performed sooner.”
“…. But you're too greedy, junior. You casually take what belongs to your elders without asking. You better be prepared for the consequences!”
Voban's voice was cold and arrogant, but he wasn't underestimating Roy. Those who became God Slayers were no ordinary mortals. Two years ago, he had been defeated by Salvatore Dong.
‘Lilliana’s grandfather was one of Voban's servants…’
This was the first time Roy had heard this information, but he wasn't surprised. In the world of magic, even the most famous families and powerful individuals could only be servants in front of a God Slayer.
“Count, for those of us who have achieved greatness by slaying gods, a battle of words is meaningless. In the end, it all comes down to a showdown.”
Roy’s heavy pupils locked onto Voban’s wolfish, cruel eyes, reflecting his own image in the Count’s pupils. This was the trigger for one of his powers.
“Hahaha! Well said, young kin. It seems you're not a rigid man. In that regard, I must commend you!”
Count Voban burst into laughter, his laughter cold and booming, rattling the walls of the room.
And at that moment, Roy showed Voban what it meant to strike first—
As Voban's laughter subsided, Roy immediately activated his power — 『Vision of the Divine Face』!