“——It's definitely it, give it to me!”
“Uh, may I ask what your relationship with Miss Lucretia is? Did she send you to get it back?”
“Lucretia? That witch? No relation.”
“Oh, okay, then I can’t give it to you. My grandpa asked me to return it to someone!”
“……”
Upon seeing the stone tablet, Erika’s eyes instantly lit up.
But the next second, Kusanagi Kokuto, who had been cooperating so well, took a step back while holding the tablet.
Seeing his reluctance, the girl immediately frowned slightly and pulled out a small knife.
It seemed like she was ready to strike without hesitation!
And Luo Chen, the charming gentleman who had been standing on the sidelines watching the show from the start... Oh, no, he should be the one who arrived in Italy right at the beginning of the story.
At this moment, he withdrew his amusement and turned his head toward the other side of town.
Because in that direction, he could sense a terrifying curse energy gathering, or perhaps something terrible was about to descend.
He recognized the heroine when Erika appeared.
The awkward thing was, he currently didn't speak Italian or Japanese, so although he knew roughly what they were saying, he couldn't understand their exact words.
He could manage if they spoke English, but Japanese?
Sorry, apart from some simple words, he couldn't understand much. After all, he had never specifically studied it.
This was the first time Luo Chen had seen Erika, the heroine, show such an arrogant smile.
Why was she so arrogant yet so glamorous?
He couldn’t help but want to comment on these two aspects.
How to put it? This young lady needed to be trained!
“Oh, come on! I’ve already told you so much, but you still won't agree? Fine, then peace talks are over! It’s time for battle. It’s like talking to a wall to reason with someone who won’t listen!” She had a challenging tone, completely devoid of any peace-seeking attitude, but Erika was determined to take the stone tablet by force.
Unfortunately, it was too late, not because Kusanagi Kokuto was strong or ran away, but because—
“BOOM!!”
Accompanied by a series of loud explosions: “Boom, boom, boom…”
Suddenly, a massive “wild boar” about fifty meters long appeared in the peaceful town.
It landed with overwhelming force, destroying the town's buildings and ground.
This sight suddenly appeared before the three of them. Except for Luo Chen, who had already anticipated it, the other two were stunned, as if they were in a monster movie.
Especially Kusanagi Kokuto, upon seeing the mountain-like wild boar, his worldview crumbled, and he was utterly dumbfounded.
The giant boar’s fur was as black as darkness itself.
Whenever the black beast stepped on the ground of the dock, the ground would shake violently. Each time it roared, the deafening sound waves would cause the windows of the buildings to vibrate and shatter.
“Roar—!”
Every time it charged, several buildings or warehouses would be crushed like miniature models.
Suddenly, a fire started somewhere. Perhaps there was some oil stored in a warehouse. The flames of disaster gradually spread, and the dock was engulfed in flames, resembling a blooming red lotus flower. Then, the fire grew so intense that it seemed like it could burn everything to ashes.
The area where the three stood was a corner of the harbor surrounded by flames. Watching the fire gradually spread, it was as if the entire harbor was ablaze.
However, for ordinary people, the giant boar rampaging through the town was the most terrifying thing.
“What?! Could it be…” Seeing the giant boar’s appearance, Erika couldn’t care less about the grimoire. When she saw the boar wreaking havoc in the town, she didn’t hesitate to charge towards it, “You guys quickly escape! Get out of here!”
After saying that, the girl no longer bothered with the two and ran into the road, jumped onto a passing car, and sped toward the giant boar.
“Wait!”
Seeing Erika’s action, Kusanagi Kokuto, who had been terrified, also realized what was happening.
But before he could call out to the girl, he saw her disappear around the corner of the street, and then looked at the giant boar rampaging through the town.
After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and ran towards where the boar was.
And while running, he didn't forget to wave to Luo Chen in the opposite direction and shout, “Do, do!”
“???”
Luo Chen, after a moment of contemplation, finally understood that Kusanagi Kokuto probably wanted him to “hide,” but his pronunciation made it hard to understand.
But it was just a divine beast. Did he need to hide?
Moreover, his purpose for coming here had not been achieved, and how could he allow Kusanagi Kokuto the chance to play the hero?
So, the next second, he disappeared from where he stood, leaving no trace.
“Thump, thump, thump—”
On the other side, Kusanagi Kokuto, with the stone tablet still in his hand, ran through the streets against the flow of people and vehicles, towards the giant boar.
“Roar!”
“Ah…”
But the next second, a deafening roar rang out, and an invisible shock wave lifted him up.
Needless to say, Kusanagi Kokuto, unable to maintain his balance, performed a flat fall, and the stone tablet in his hand flew forward.
“Clap～”
Just as Kusanagi Kokuto reacted and instinctively covered his head to protect himself, a hand appeared, grabbing the stone tablet in the air before another figure could reach it.
“……”