Little Garden 256-260

Title: Turns Out, Firing a Light Cannon Is the Most Fun

At the hotel entrance, Erica, who had arranged a vehicle for travel, smiled at Aslan as he approached.

“Your Majesty, was last night’s dinner to your liking?”

“It was decent, but if possible, Chinese cuisine next time.”

Aslan looked her up and down. Erica seemed healthy.

(Fully recovered? The magic of this world is pretty impressive.)

“Not to your taste…” Erica responded with a smile.

“Fine.”

Aslan nodded slightly, then glanced at Lilliana beside him, who seemed a bit off, before getting into the car.

Lilliana hesitated for a moment, exchanged a glance with Erica, gritted her teeth, and sat next to Aslan.

Before closing the door, Erica glanced back at the hotel and asked Aslan, “Is Her Majesty Athena not joining us?”

“She’s tired and will rest at the hotel for a bit.”

“Eh?”

Lilliana was startled, as if confused why a Heretic God could be tired.

Meanwhile, Erica snorted, sat in the car with a flushed face, and closed the door.

“Just say what you want to say. Why are you so hesitant?”

Aslan looked at Lilliana, puzzled, leaning back in his seat.

Lilliana’s expression was odd, like she was grappling with teenage girl problems.

She seemed utterly lost.

In Aslan’s eyes, Lilliana stared out the window for three out of every ten seconds, avoiding his gaze entirely. Whenever their eyes met, she quickly looked away.

“Is someone coming to find us?” Aslan teased.

“Or is there something you’re hiding from us, Lilli?”

“Your Majesty, I’m not hiding anything from you.” Lilliana said, clutching the hem of her skirt, her face red.

“It’s just… just… I’m recalling the lessons Teacher Diana taught me last night…”

Her voice was soft, her blush spreading to her ears.

Last night, Diana’s advice echoed in her mind:

“You need to be careful with that Erica. She’s much smarter than you. Be cautious, or she’ll steal the King’s affection.”

“I have some knowledge that can help you win the King’s affection… blah, blah, blah…”

That night, Lilliana grew up.

Only Erica’s expression shifted slightly, her heart growing more resentful toward Diana.

Really, how could that woman corrupt sweet Lilliana?

“It seems you really want to put it into practice~~” Aslan said loudly, as if he understood.

But Lilliana, hearing his words, waved her hands in panic and apologized.

“No, not at all! How could I dare do something like that to the King?!”

For three seconds, the car fell silent.

*SLAP!*

Erica smacked her forehead in frustration.

(You win, Lilli!!)

She hadn’t expected that, even with such a clear straight ball, Lilliana could dodge it perfectly.

Even the corner of Aslan’s mouth twitched.

He had just witnessed the prowess of a true “straight girl.”

Lilliana froze, realizing what she’d just said.

She wanted to slap herself, strangle her past self.

(Why is my mouth so reckless?)

The golden opportunity was gone.

But then, Aslan suddenly said, “Arrange a meeting. I plan to meet Salvatore Doni.”

Lilliana’s face, still steeped in regret, changed drastically. She hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, could we reconsider this?”

“As Your Majesty wishes.” Erica replied cheerfully.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

The panic on Lilliana’s face vanished. She glared at Erica and said through gritted teeth, “Erica, what are you even saying?!”

Letting Aslan meet the Sword King—was that any different from Mars crashing into Earth?

“Lilli, you~” Erica gave a helpless expression.

“It’s clearly a good thing. Why don’t you get it?”

“A good thing?” Lilliana looked confused, then said with an odd expression, “Dueling a gorilla is a good thing?”

Realizing her mistake, she quickly covered her mouth. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult His Majesty Salvatore.”

Aslan and Erica exchanged glances and shrugged in unison.

“No, in a way, you’re right.” Erica said, scooting closer to Aslan and smiling. “Lilli, you should know, we’re still Knights of Southern Europe.”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

Erica raised an eyebrow, glancing at Aslan. He nodded slightly, and she sighed.

“So, nominally, we’re still subordinates of the Sword King. If the King meets the Sword King, this subordinate relationship could…”

“You get it.”

Erica winked at Lilliana.

“You mean!” Lilliana’s face lit up with realization.

Was Aslan’s goal in meeting the Sword King to seize their subordination rights?

Wait, wasn’t this a scenario of rescuing imprisoned female knights from a dim-witted Devil King?

Seeing Lilliana’s increasingly flushed face, Aslan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Then he glanced at Erica, who was now clinging to his arm.

(The address has changed from “Your Majesty” to “King.” huh. This Milanese Lioness, after her pride was shattered, is more tactful than expected.)

At that moment, Aslan looked up, sensing a pack of wolves around them emitting greedy green light. He laughed and said, “I didn’t expect the most impatient one to be Marquis Voban.”

The clear sky was suddenly struck by lightning and thunder.

A bolt of lightning shot from the sky, targeting the car on the highway.

A golden lightning lion appeared in the air, blocking the attack.

Then came a dull roar of thunder.

The car screeched to a halt.

Aslan, sitting inside, looked up slightly, his gaze piercing the car’s roof, toward the sky.

There, a tall, elderly figure looked down at them.

Noticing Aslan’s gaze, the figure showed a cruel smile.

“Wind, rage.”

“Rain, come, turn to hail, summon snow.”

“I can call the wind, summon the rain, and gather thunder. I know the hot winds and icy gales are my subjects. Bring the madness of a ferocious storm to this earth—!”

Instantly, winds howled, torrential rain mixed with hail, and thunder struck down.

The once-dark sky grew blacker, lightless except for occasional lightning flashes.

Voban didn’t care that this was Sardinia, a city of hundreds of thousands. He unleashed his Divine Authority without hesitation!

He attacked Aslan, still in the car.

Screams erupted around them, adding to the cruelty of this “black night.”

“Your Majesty!” Erica and Lilliana looked at him in unison. Aslan understood their intent.

They had been trained as orthodox knights since childhood, inheriting the spirit and virtues of King Arthur’s knights.

Moreover, staying here would only burden him, forcing Aslan to split his focus to protect them.

It was better to leave the battlefield and disperse the crowd.

“Prote, go, protect them.”

Aslan waved his hand, and a massive horned ram made of impenetrable diamond appeared in the air.

The ram controlled shields formed from countless gemstone crystals, blocking the hail from the sky and emitting a beautiful light that illuminated the dark night.

Then, Aslan casually stepped out of the car, one hand in his pocket, looking at Voban with slight exasperation.

“I told you, I was trying hard to drive to an unpopulated area. Couldn’t you wait a bit?”

“Sorry, this old man couldn’t wait to fight the legendary Last King!”

Wild laughter echoed from the sky. God Slayer were arrogant existences.

When they heard of a Last King destined to purge God Slayer, how many could resist coming to fight?

They were curious about what Divine Authority they’d gain by killing King of the End!

Especially Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, a Godslayer who’d lived for nearly three hundred years.

In his three centuries, aside from battling Heretic Gods, nothing else could ignite his long-dormant blood.

Years ago, he even held a ritual to summon a Heretic God just to kill it for amusement.

Sadly, its head was taken by that foolish Sword King.

“Hahaha, come on, old man doesn’t care if you’re King of the End or a god. Your head, Marquis Voban will take it!”

Amid wild laughter, a massive black dragon poked its head from the dark clouds, roaring loudly.

Aslan scratched his ear in frustration and said with disdain, “Old man, your voice is too loud. It’s annoying me!”

As expected, negotiating with these battle maniacs was tough.

The Black Prince was the most reasonable, not causing strange trouble.

In contrast, God Slayer like Anton and Voban were the most bothersome for Aslan.

Lightning struck, dark clouds roared, and the black dragon bellowed.

Aslan casually clenched his fist, silver-blue armor and a magnificent holy sword appearing on his body and in his hand.

“Rooaar!!”

The giant dragon’s deathly breath shot from the sky toward Aslan.

Aslan gripped his holy sword with both hands, pointing it at the black dragon in the sky.

He shouted loudly!

“Ex—calibur!”

Golden light, like a flood, shattered the dragon’s breath and sent the black dragon flying.

Honestly, though it was like using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken, it felt pretty fun.

Turns out, firing a Light Cannon is the most fun.

-

Title: Just a Little Stronger

“But why did it get blasted so far?”

Aslan squinted, watching the dragon—the embodiment of Marquis Voban—hurled far away by his light cannon, unintentionally.

There was a strange anime-like humor to it, like a gray wolf being flung away while shouting, “I’ll definitely be back!”

In a way, saying that didn’t seem wrong.

Marquis Voban’s other title was the Wolf King.

With a Godslayer’s physique and Divine Authority, Voban wouldn’t die so easily.

The force Aslan had just unleashed would, at worst, leave him severely injured and near death.

If Aslan remembered correctly, Voban still had one Divine Authority that could allow him to be reborn once.

So, there was no need to worry about accidentally killing Voban.

Lilliana had just stepped out of the car, intending to head toward the residential area, when she saw the dark clouds in the sky dissipate and the light cannon piercing through them.

“Eh?”

Lilliana stopped, holding back Erica, who was preparing to evacuate the residents.

At that moment, Erica, who was about to leap into action, paused and said in surprise, “Lilli, what’s wrong?”

“Erica, look!”

Lilliana pointed at the dark clouds slowly vanishing in the sky, her tone shocked.

“Hmm?”

Erica froze, seeing Aslan standing bathed in the light that pierced the dark clouds, waving at her.

“Come back, it’s over.”

The corner of Erica’s mouth twitched as she looked at the car that had only driven a few meters.

“We only took a few steps, right?”

The battle was already over? Marquis Voban had caused such a huge commotion.

She had thought Sardinia wouldn’t survive and would sink.

And this was it?

Either she had overestimated Voban’s strength, or she had underestimated Aslan’s.

Or was King of the End really this powerful compared to God Slayer?

Lilliana couldn’t help but wonder if the era of God Slayer was finally coming to an end.

As if sensing Lilliana and Erica’s confusion, Aslan flashed a slight mocking gesture from Korea.

“I’m just a little stronger than Voban.”

You call this a little?

Erica and Lilliana’s expressions twisted slightly. If they remembered correctly, Marquis Voban had slain eleven Heretic Gods.

In terms of the number of Divine Authorities, mastery of Divine Authorities, and combat experience, Marquis Voban was the strongest, aside from the Martial King of the East.

Even the Martial King was, at best, evenly matched or slightly superior to Voban.

But battles between God Slayer wouldn’t end without hours of fighting.

How long had passed now? Marquis Voban was already defeated.

Had they been gone for a minute?

That included the time Aslan gave them to retreat.

Still, this could be considered a good thing.

Lilliana and Erica exchanged glances and nodded.

As for the panic and chaos caused, someone else would handle it.

“Back?” Lilliana asked.

“Back!” Erica nodded.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On a private jet from South America to Europe.

A blond young man wearing a T-shirt, cargo pants, and sunglasses perched on his head sat in a chair, eating steak with a knife and fork.

Of course, it wasn’t a refined way of eating but a wild one, stabbing the steak with his knife and devouring it in one go.

Luckily, the chef had cut the steak into small pieces. Otherwise, the young man’s mouth might not have withstood such treatment.

Salvatore Doni.

The Great Leader of Southern Europe’s magical world, a genius who knew nothing but the sword.

Currently, he was on a transfer flight provided free by a South American airline, heading back to Europe.

With the attitude of sending off a plague god.

After eating three pieces of steak in a row, Doni finally felt a bit full and said to his friend with a grin, his mouth still smeared with sauce.

“Hey, Andre, you’re not eating? This thing called wagyu is delicious!”

“No, I’m good.”

Andre Rivera, dressed in a black butler uniform, titled the “King’s Butler” and also the close friend of the idiot in front of him, spoke with a reluctant expression.

“What’s wrong? You’re suddenly in a bad mood today.”

Doni mumbled while eating a freshly served steak.

“Didn’t I say it’s fine? Didn’t I already slaughter that Beast God in South America?”

Andre said with deep resignation. “You told me on the plane that you were going to the Middle East.”

“Didn’t I already go to the Middle East? I even sliced a mountain there and left my signature. Isn’t that pretty cool?” Doni said casually, tossing his knife and fork aside and patting his stomach.

“Full, full. Got enough energy to fight again!”

He burped after saying this, then looked at Andre and said, “There’s a god in Sardinia, right? My subordinates sent me that news.”

Andre took a deep breath.

“There isn’t!”

“Don’t get mad!”

Doni burst into laughter.

“It’s just destroying a few cities in South America, no big deal. Look, didn’t those countries already send apology letters, forgiving me?”

Hearing this, the corner of Andre’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

(Forgive you? They’re clearly terrified you’d slaughter them all!)

Doni’s words made him want to strangle him!

At that moment, Doni scratched his ear and said, “This plane’s heading to Sardinia, right?”

“No way, it’s not going to Sardinia!”

Andre rolled his eyes.

“Hmm? But didn’t you say there’s a god? Why aren’t you letting me go?”

Doni couldn’t help but question. If Andre weren’t his best friend, just stopping him from slaying a god would be enough for a death sentence.

“Or is something happening there?”

At this, Doni’s interest grew. What couldn’t a Godslayer do in this world?

Andre paused, rubbing his temples in frustration.

He didn’t know how to tell this big idiot, this sword-crazed Doni, not to go to Sardinia!

After a long pause, he sighed.

“Your subordinates sent word that Marquis Voban ran into trouble in Sardinia.”

“Just before this, Voban was taken back to the Balkans by his knights to recover, and he hasn’t woken up yet.”

“Eh? Who beat up the Marquis like that? Was it a god?”

Doni’s face lit up with curiosity and excitement.

“You lunatic, I don’t want to lose you as a friend!”

Andre grabbed a newspaper nearby and smacked Doni’s head.

“Are you that eager to die?”

“What’s the big deal?”

Unfazed by the light hit, Doni grinned and said, “You!”

Andre was so angry his nose practically crooked. He took a deep breath and snorted coldly.

“Fine, looks like you can’t avoid it this time. Seems you really can’t escape!”

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Doni looked confused.

At that moment, Andre pulled out his phone, opened an email, and tossed it to Doni.

“See for yourself. It’s info about King of the End, and he seems to want to meet you too.”

“Oh? King of the End, what a coincidence? He wants to fight too?”

“Coincidence?”

Andre was furious at the word.

“Do you know what this news means? It’s a Hongmen Banquet (a trap), you know?”

“How did Voban get so badly injured? Can’t you guess?”

“He clearly set up a massive trap in Sardinia, waiting for you to walk into it. Maybe the god in Sardinia was just a tool he used to lure you!”

Doni scratched his head, puzzled.

“What’s a Hongmen Banquet? Is he inviting me to dinner?”

Andre lost his patience at this, taking a deep breath and saying with resignation, “It means King of the End and some gods are planning to ambush you together! And Voban got badly injured because he was ambushed!”

“Oh, I see. So there are a few gods too?”

Doni said, slightly surprised but excited.

“Sounds like it’ll be a fierce fight.”

“Hey, are you even listening to me?”

Andre was fuming now. He hadn’t expected that even knowing the deadly danger ahead, Doni would still charge in.

At that moment, Doni grabbed his tennis backpack, pulled out a knight’s sword, and calmly wiped the blade.

“Andre, do you know who King of the End’s god is?”

“It seems to be King Arthur. His Divine Authority and abilities are unknown. The only thing known is that his sword can unleash an attack beyond imagination.” Andre said with slight worry.

“Before, with just that sword, Marquis Voban was struck near death in one blow.”

“Holy Sword? I want to see which is stronger, the Holy Sword or the Demon Sword.”

Doni narrowed his eyes, his fighting spirit igniting.

The stronger the enemy, the more excited he got, and the more his fighting spirit boiled.

“King Arthur. Which way’s Sardinia?”

Andre casually pointed toward Sardinia, though the plane wasn’t heading there.

*SWOOSH!*

Two flashes of sword light cut through.

Andre froze for a moment, then his expression turned to panic.

“Doni, don’t slash! There’s a cabin door here!”

“And we’re in the sky, in the sky! If you cut the plane, what are we supposed to do?”

At that moment, Doni had already sliced a gap, leapt out, and laughed heartily.

“Aren’t there parachutes on the plane?”

“Damn it! Get back here!”

Andre reinforced his body with magic, rushed out, but failed to catch Doni. He could only watch him jump.

“Doni, you’re in for it! This isn’t over!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On a private beach in Sardinia.

Aslan, wearing shorts, lay on the beach. Beside him were two beautiful girls, Lilliana and Erica, attending to him.

He opened his mouth slightly, and Erica fed him peeled grapes.

Meanwhile, Lilliana sat on his back, applying sunscreen.

“Tch, tch, this is what you call enjoying life. What kind of life was I living before?”

Aslan lay there, admiring Erica’s fair legs and commenting.

As expected of a place “tamed” by Marquis Voban. They were exceptional at serving others.

Even when he was the Fourth Primogenitor in the Strike the Blood world, Aslan had never enjoyed treatment like this.

The organizations in Strike the Blood were one trouble after another, unlike the small, sensible, and reliable organizations in the Campione! world.

Suddenly, Aslan raised an eyebrow. He sensed the person he’d been waiting for had arrived.

At that moment, far out at sea, white waves surged high.

A shark? No, just a human swimming incredibly fast.

It was a blond young man wearing sunglasses and a T-shirt.

-

Title: I Told You, I’m Not Skilled in Swordsmanship

“Hah!”

Doni chuckled, leaping straight from the water’s surface and landing on the beach.

The splashed sand vanished without a trace as it neared Aslan.

Stepping onto the beach, Doni spoke bluntly.

“Wanna duel, Brother?”

“Oh?”

Aslan raised his head in surprise, looking at Doni with great interest.

“You sure you want to duel me?”

A normal person would have backed off after seeing him easily defeat Marquis Voban.

Even the other European God Slayer had voluntarily shared information.

They chose not to fight, sensibly agreeing to meet Aslan another time.

Only someone like Doni, with nothing but swords in his brain, would recklessly come to challenge him.

“Hmm… forget it, I can’t beat you.”

Doni shook his head honestly. His instincts told him that if the man before him wanted to kill him, it wouldn’t be harder than killing Voban.

After all, Voban still had one Divine Authority that could let him revive. Doni only had his Steel Body, which made him immune to swords and weapons.

After seeing Aslan in person, he wasn’t sure his skin, no matter how resistant to blades, could withstand his opponent’s Holy Sword.

Doni was only sword-crazy and martial arts-crazed, not a complete fool with no sense of calculation.

The lesson Voban learned was enough for Voban alone to experience.

“So, Brother, let’s have a spar, just pure swordsmanship.”

Doni’s eyes gleamed sharply. If his instincts weren’t wrong…

Aslan should have been training in swordsmanship recently. The sharpness radiating from his hands couldn’t be faked.

“You’ve been practicing the sword, haven’t you?”

“Well, yeah…”

Aslan answered hesitantly. He could say he’d graduated from Scathach… or rather, was kicked out.

“But my swordsmanship skills might not be that great.”

Aslan hadn’t developed toward being a martial artist or warrior. Why take the narrow path of swordsmanship when he had the vast Boundary, flames, and the Path of Creation?

He could only be said to have graduated from Scathach, at best able to hold his own without losing.

He couldn’t compare to the strong warriors of the Queen’s Knights, who could slice planets with just an iron sword.

He was only good enough to defend himself.

At the very least, he wouldn’t be killed if someone got close.

Of course, ordinary people couldn’t even get close to him.

After all, Scathach wasn’t exactly a master of swordsmanship either. She excelled in spear techniques. Only a handful in the entire Little Garden could match her spear skills.

But why should Aslan duel Doni in swordsmanship?

As if sensing the other’s hesitation, Doni laughed heartily and sat cross-legged on a random spot he found.

“Brother, you’re not a Heretic God, are you? Nor a Godslayer, let alone King of the End.” Doni said casually.

Hearing this, Aslan raised an eyebrow in surprise. Though he’d never hidden it, everyone assumed otherwise.

He was too lazy to correct them, but unexpectedly, Doni could tell the difference.

As expected, this sword-crazed man, though he seemed careless like a fool, had a sharper mind than anyone.

He just didn’t care about others.

“So what if I am, and so what if I’m not?”

Aslan shrugged casually. He only needed to ensure his fists were the biggest in this world.

The truth was in his hands. Whatever identity he wanted, that was his identity.

“But, Brother, you’re seeking out us God Slayer because you want us to do something, right?”

Doni, wearing sunglasses, a T-shirt, and cargo pants like a tropical kid, laughed heartily and patted Aslan’s shoulder.

At the same time, he turned and gave Erica and Lilliana a mysterious look.

“By the way, Brother, how do you feel about those two knights? Interested?”

Aslan looked at Doni with slight suspicion, as if surprised this guy had thoughts beyond swords.

“In that case, I’ll just give them to you. I don’t care about small losses like that.”

Doni had no particular attachment to Lilliana and Erica; he only vaguely remembered they were his subordinates.

Hearing this, Aslan raised an eyebrow and thanked him casually.

“Well then, thanks a lot.”

In a sense, this was part of his plan. After defeating the God Slayer, all of Europe would be in his grasp.

There were four God Slayer in Europe. The Black Prince had surrendered, Madam Aisha had softened, Voban was gravely injured and near death, and Doni turned out to be sensible.

With that, the development of Magic-Tech could begin with all of Europe as its base.

As for the East, he planned to talk to Luo Hao personally and deal with that Monkey God—or rather, its pet monkey.

Aslan could only use that term for the monkey. Any other title felt like an insult to Monkey-sis.

(I really don’t know what Sun Wukong’s expression would be seeing such an embarrassing counterpart.)

(Better deal with it first, so it doesn’t taint Monkey-sis’s eyes.)

“But I don’t know how your swordsmanship compares to the Martial King of the Far East.”

Doni laughed heartily. He knew that by giving up a little advantage, he could get Aslan to spar with him in swordsmanship.

And conveniently, his territory or whatever else was just worldly stuff he didn’t care about. If he could trade it for a chance to duel a sword master or even a Heretic God, it was well worth it.

“The Martial King of the Far East? Luo Hao?”

Aslan was slightly surprised, then said with a laugh.

“No idea. After all, I only recently graduated.”

“Then let’s duel here.”

Doni grinned, pulling out the knight’s sword from behind him, standing up, and pointing it at Aslan.

Erica looked at Aslan with slight worry. She could only lament how much Sardinia had suffered.

In just a few days, it had endured several wars capable of destroying the island.

First Melqart and Verethragna, then Aslan and Melqart, Athena, Lancelot, and Melqart.

Then Marquis Voban earlier, and now Doni.

Though it was clear Aslan’s situation wouldn’t spiral out of control, Erica still felt worried.

As if seeing Erica’s thoughts, Aslan waved his hand casually.

“Relax, it’s just a pure swordsmanship spar. What could happen?”

“Here, lend me your sword.”

No way he’d use the Holy Sword for a spar. That’d be too extravagant.

To face Doni, a regular sword was enough. Wasn’t Doni using a standard knight’s sword too?

“Very well, Your Majesty.”

With that, Erica pulled Cuore di Leone from her magical storage and handed it to Aslan.

Aslan swung the sword and commented.

“Feels nice. This sword’s pretty good.”

Then he pointed the sword’s tip at Doni.

“Let’s begin. Show me if your title as Sword King is truly deserved.”

“Then let me show you my Demon Sword!”

Silver light began to glow from Doni’s shoulder, spreading to the sword, transforming the ordinary knight’s sword into a Demon Sword radiating terrifying magical power.

“I swear! I allow nothing to exist that I cannot cut. This sword is the invincible blade that can slice and cleave everything on earth!”

Accompanied by an incantation spoken at divine speed, a slash that tore through heaven and earth shot toward Aslan.

But at that moment, Aslan raised his sword and swung it gently.

A colorless sword aura, with faint star-like glimmers, shot from the tip of his sword.

Though it was a very ordinary slash, it carried a sense of crisis far surpassing what Doni had felt from Luo Hao.

Doni had never even felt his hair stand on end like this during swordsmanship spars with Luo Hao.

*SWOOSH!*

Doni’s eyes widened, watching the sword aura cut through his Demon Sword like a hot knife through butter.

He immediately showed a shocked expression.

“How is that possible?”

“I told you, I’m not skilled in swordsmanship.”

Aslan sighed and sheathed his sword. Why was space cut again?

This was the despair brought by an overly profound mastery of spatial control.

This was one of the reasons Scathach had kicked him out.

What Aslan trained wasn’t swordsmanship but an external manifestation of his Boundary Authority.

Even Scathach couldn’t tell if it was Aslan’s sword intent or actual swordsmanship.

*PFFT!*

Blood sprayed. Against a sword aura so sharp it could slice space, Doni was cut in half without the slightest resistance.

Even the Steel Body he was so proud of was utterly useless.

“Brother, you call this not skilled in swordsmanship?”

Doni stared at him, somewhat speechless, then dragged and reattached his lower half to his body.

Under the Godslayer’s powerful self-healing, they fused back in an instant.

Of course, this was also because Aslan’s cut was too clean.

For some reason, Doni, who considered himself carefree and good-natured, now had the urge to hit someone.

He wanted to swing his sword at Aslan!

(You call this not skilled in swordsmanship? You call swordsmanship that can cut space not skilled?)

“Your swordsmanship, to me, is stronger than the Martial King of the Far East.”

“I really don’t know what her expression would be after seeing your swordsmanship.”

With that, Doni left, laughing heartily, only his back visible.

The corner of Aslan’s mouth twitched. He really wanted to remind Doni.

(Your lower body’s attached crooked…)

“Well then, next stop, let’s head to the East and meet Luo Hao.”

Aslan lay on Erica’s smooth lap, thinking casually.

-

Title: Not Good, the Situation Is Very Bad

In China, inside a villa in the Lu Residence.

Dressed in a training uniform, Lu Yinghua was practicing his stance in the courtyard.

As the direct disciple of the Martial King, Luo Hao, sixteen-year-old Lu Yinghua had honed his martial arts to an exceptionally high level.

Even within the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, founded by Luo Hao, few elders could claim victory over him.

At such a young age, with such profound martial arts skills, he was a rare talent in the entire world.

Even top geniuses like Lilliana and Erica couldn’t compare to Lu Yinghua.

However, Lu Yinghua felt nothing special about this. He didn’t even particularly value martial arts.

The only reason he trained relentlessly every day, rain or shine, was habit.

After all, he was someone Luo Hao had taken a liking to since childhood and made her personal disciple, despite his reluctance.

Because of Luo Hao’s pressure, he grew to increasingly resent martial arts and women—especially beautiful women.

“Young Master, breakfast is ready.”

The old butler of the Lu Family walked into the courtyard and spoke to the young man, who was closing his eyes and faintly snoring.

“Young Master?”

Yes, Lu Yinghua had trained himself to the point that, even when unconscious, his body would automatically wake at five in the morning to practice boxing.

Like today.

The old butler, noticing Lu Yinghua’s lack of response, spoke softly.

“Breakfast at half-past five is a rule set by The Ruler of the Martial Realm.”

*WHOOSH!*

Lu Yinghua’s eyes instantly lit up. He clasped his hands, faced east, and knelt in one fluid motion.

“Disciple Lu Yinghua prays for Master’s perfection in literature and martial virtue, eternal forever.”

The old butler beside him was used to this. Since descending from Mount Lu, his young master did this every day.

It was nothing but habit.

Lu Yinghua sighed, stood up, and brushed the dust off his training pants, showing a weary and wise expression, as if he had seen it all.

“Old Lu, any new updates about King of the End in Europe?”

With a tired—or rather, emotional—expression, Lu Yinghua headed to the dining hall, asking the butler on the way to the restaurant.

“The information we’ve gathered has been placed on the dining table.”

The old butler answered calmly, though his words carried a trace of pity for Lu Yinghua.

Hearing this, Lu Yinghua nodded, then arrived at the dining hall. While eating soy milk and steamed buns, he picked up the documents on the table and read them carefully.

He read for quite a while, then spoke with feeling.

“Not good, the situation is very bad!”

“What’s wrong?”

The old butler, brewing tea, asked in confusion.

Lu Yinghua showed a pained expression and said, “Based on the current information, it’s almost certain that this King Arthur is King of the End who vanished for fifteen hundred years.”

“Could the information be wrong?”

The old butler asked with slight suspicion, as the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains wasn’t particularly strict in controlling foreign factions.

Lying or deception was quite common.

“No way. Even though the foreign agents have their tricks, they wouldn’t dare mess around with something like this.”

Lu Yinghua shook his head and couldn’t help but complain.

“Unless someone on the level of The Ruler of the Martial Realm is backing them, they wouldn’t have the guts.”

“That’s indeed impossible.”

The old butler’s face grew serious, then he said with slight confusion, “But how do we report this kind of information to The Ruler of the Martial Realm?”

“That’s exactly why I’m stressed.”

Lu Yinghua sighed.

“If it’s not reported properly, I’m afraid it’ll lead to a bloodbath.”

Thinking of his master, Lu Yinghua’s body began to tremble.

King of the End’s next target was the Martial King. And the other party had already subdued four Kings in Europe.

This information had to be reported to Luo Hao, but how to report it was another issue.

“And we don’t know who’s stronger between this King Arthur and Master.”

At this point, Lu Yinghua showed a deeply helpless expression.

“According to the information, in Sardinia, he defeated the Wolf King with a single sword strike.”

“And the Sword King apparently challenged King Arthur and fled after losing.”

If Luo Hao was confident she could defeat King Arthur, everything would be fine. But what if she couldn’t?

After all, King of the End was the King tasked with purging God Slayer and saving the world.

No one could say that before Luo Hao, there weren’t God Slayer stronger than her.

It was said that Wang Mang, who founded the Xin Dynasty, was once a Godslayer and was ultimately purged by King of the End, leading to the dynasty’s collapse.

They had to prepare for this.

Even advise The Ruler of the Martial Realm!

“If The Ruler of the Martial Realm loses, it’ll be very bad.”

Lu Yinghua said with slight worry, but for some reason, a faint joy stirred deep in his heart.

Not good, this is too good… no, too bad.

The moment he imagined that scene unfolding before his eyes, he felt a piercing pain, as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart.

Yet, for some reason, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curled upward bit by bit.

No way, absolutely no way!

(How could I be happy about Master’s death…)

Though he knew full well that if Luo Hao truly died, his fate as a disciple of the Devil King wouldn’t be good.

Even if he was at the pinnacle of humanity, not yet a Godslayer, he wouldn’t escape the purge.

But the thought of his master, who had oppressed him since childhood, being gone made Lu Yinghua want to laugh.

He even felt his phobia of women might be cured.

However, under his body’s conditioned response, trained by Luo Hao for so long, Lu Yinghua’s expression was extremely distorted.

Well, it could only be said that he was a very filial disciple with a loving master.

“Right now, it seems there’s no choice but to warn Master.”

Lu Yinghua waved his hand and said with slight despair.

“I hope this King Arthur doesn’t intend to kill.”

“We can only hope so.”

The old butler muttered and sighed.

For an event this significant, what could they, non-God Slayer, do but worry?

They could only place their hopes in the heavens.

Just then, a young man in a martial arts uniform rushed in and clasped his hands.

“Latest news from England! King Arthur plans to visit The Ruler of the Martial Realm to discuss the destruction of the Monkey God.”

“He’s already boarded a plane heading to Jiujiang Airport, Mount Lu.”

Lu Yinghua stood abruptly, his face pale, and said, “What’s this about ‘discussing the Monkey God’? I bet King Arthur has bad intentions!”

The moment he thought of Marquis Voban, defeated almost instantly, and Sword King Doni, who lost and fled, Lu Yinghua couldn’t help but consider a terrifying fact.

King Arthur likely set a trap, which was why he could defeat both Kings so easily.

And not killing them wasn’t likely out of mercy but because he couldn’t.

Now, the other party was using sweet words to lower Luo Hao’s guard, and when the Monkey God was released, they’d attack her together!

After analyzing Aslan’s motives from an enemy’s perspective, Lu Yinghua paced the hall and slapped his thigh.

“I’ll write a letter immediately, reporting to Master to explain the dangers and benefits!”

“Young Master.”

The old butler spoke in a heavy tone.

“In times of danger, you must clarify your stance.”

Hearing this, Lu Yinghua’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he nodded.

“Thank you for your guidance, Old Lu. After writing the letter, Yinghua will personally go to Mount Lu to help stop King Arthur!”

The old butler, seeing this, nodded in approval.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the same time, Aslan, with Athena and Lilliana, boarded a private jet heading to Mount Lu.

Before the plane took off, Aslan was on the phone with Guinevere.

“Keep an eye on Alice and the Black Prince. Don’t let them make any sneaky moves.”

“As for Erica, I’m entrusting her with integrating Southern Europe’s forces. I hope she does well.”

“If Alice performs well, I’ll leave England’s matters to her, and you can go integrate Europe’s forces.”

“Also, Madam Aisha—watch her. Don’t let her run off again. Though I’ve sealed her Divine Authority, that woman’s a bit strange.”

“By the way, if there’s news from America, wait for me to return to handle it.”

“Alright, that’s all. For now, in the secular world, we need to promote magic and develop Magic-Tech.”

After arranging Europe’s matters, Aslan put away his phone and sighed slightly.

Once again lamenting the shortage of manpower at his disposal.

At that moment, the plane was about to take off.

Just as the engines started, Lilliana, sitting across from him on the sofa, said with slight unease, “Your Majesty, is it too dangerous to bring just me to China?”

Aslan took the juice Athena handed him, sipped it, and said with a strange expression, “Dangerous? Why would it feel dangerous?”

“We’re going to discuss handling that monkey, not to fight.”

“Because…”

Lilliana opened her mouth, her face showing confusion. Finally, she gritted her teeth and reminded him softly.

“For some reason, my intuition tells me this trip to Mount Lu won’t go smoothly.”

(Your Majesty, do you really not know your identity? King of the End, tasked with purging God Slayer, is going with a Godslayer to discuss handling another Heretic God.)

(Do you believe there’s nothing suspicious about that?)

Based on Lilliana’s understanding of the Martial King who founded the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, this was no different from sending a provocative challenge letter.

Conflict was inevitable.

“Your Majesty, forgive me, but if you clash with The Ruler of the Martial Realm, my strength likely won’t be of any help…”

(It might even burden you.)

Lilliana didn’t say the last part.

And she didn’t understand why Aslan chose to bring her instead of Erica, who was more adept at etiquette and social skills.

Or Guinevere and Lancelot. Alice would’ve been fine too.

Why her, who couldn’t offer any help?

At that moment, Aslan, sipping his juice, calmly interrupted Lilliana.

“Of course, it’s because they all have more important things to do.”

“I see…”

Lilliana sighed in relief, though a trace of sadness welled up in her heart.

So she was the most useless?

This also sparked a slight sense of crisis in her.

-

Title: Secret Technique Tsubame Gaeshi — Wait, That’s Not Swordsmanship at All!

But… would there really be no conflict?

Lilliana doubted it. Considering Luo Hao’s temperament.

According to the information Lilliana had gathered, it was said that Luo Hao’s direct disciple, Lu Yinghua, even suffered from a severe phobia of women due to her upbringing.

Especially after the plane landed at Jiulong Airport and they disembarked.

Lilliana saw the crowd—about a hundred elders dressed in black martial arts uniforms with the character “Luo” embroidered on their chests—and her expression twisted slightly.

This is what they call no conflict?

Lilliana felt that the entire Holy Cult of the Five Mountains had been mobilized.

At that moment, Aslan, stepping out of the plane’s cabin and standing on the stairs, looked at the line of black-clad figures below, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

(Lilli was right. This isn’t going as smoothly as expected. I came with sincere intentions.)

Sighing inwardly, Aslan spoke with a slightly mocking tone.

“Wow, is this to welcome me?”

At that moment, from the crowd, Lu Yinghua, dressed in tight black clothing, stepped forward and clasped his hands.

“The entire Holy Cult of the Five Mountains greets King Arthur!”

“The entire Holy Cult of the Five Mountains greets King Arthur!”

Over a hundred elders shouted in unison with spirited voices.

A mysterious formation instantly linked them all. Faintly, a giant white tiger with black stripes roared in the sky, its bellow shaking the earth.

It was as if an indescribable divine power spread around.

(A battle formation?)

Aslan raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, then narrowed his eyes and looked at Lu Yinghua below.

“Somewhat interesting.”

As expected of vast and rich China. This was already comparable to an ordinary subordinate god.

Of course, he meant subordinate gods summoned through The Great Ritual of the Old Covenant—like the Second and Third Disciples summoned by the Monkey God.

But this was already impressive, at least reaching the level of a god.

“Is this what you planned to intimidate me with?”

Aslan said with slight displeasure. The visit letter he sent shouldn’t have had any issues.

He had come sincerely to invite Luo Hao to jointly deal with the Monkey God issue.

Hearing this, Lu Yinghua kept his hands clasped, bowed, and said, “Yinghua wouldn’t dare!”

“But if King Arthur intends to attack Master, then as her disciple, Yinghua can only stand in your way.”

“Though I don’t know if you’ve misunderstood something.”

The corner of Aslan’s mouth curled slightly. His gaze shifted from Lu Yinghua to an eagle circling in the sky.

“But Luo Hao, aren’t you going to come out and explain?”

Below, Lu Yinghua, hearing Aslan’s words, nearly instinctively stumbled to the ground.

At that moment, the eagle circling in the sky suddenly froze, then swooped down, pinning Lu Yinghua to the concrete.

The entire area fell silent. Then, the elders in martial arts uniforms knelt on one knee, bowing their heads.

The eagle standing on Lu Yinghua flapped its wings and spoke in a human voice.

“Interesting. You can see through my transformation art. It seems you’re not incompetent.”

At that moment, the eagle’s form shifted, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a beautiful woman in white Hanfu, her hair styled in three braids.

After revealing herself, the woman furrowed her brow and said in a cold tone, “State your name, King Arthur. I, Luo Hao, do not kill nameless people.”

“Arthur Pendragon.”

The voice sounded softly in her ear.

Luo Hao’s pupils contracted slightly. She turned to her right, seeing a face very close, leaning on her shoulder.

The dense aura around her collapsed in that instant.

At that moment, the corner of Aslan’s mouth curled up bit by bit, and he chuckled softly.

“That’s my name. So, what’s yours?”

The air froze at that moment.

Aslan, almost pressed against Luo Hao, narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the lotus-shaped hair accessory in his hand and his left hand, which was restrained.

The back of his left hand was blocked by a slender, jade-like elbow, stopping Aslan’s next move.

And the source of that elbow—Aslan raised his head and looked at Luo Hao with slight surprise.

“You actually managed to block it, huh? But too bad, I still got it.”

Aslan grinned, waving the lotus-shaped hair accessory in his hand.

The elders kneeling on one knee trembled. Their spiritual senses felt Aslan’s action toward Luo Hao, but they didn’t dare move an inch.

This is flirting, right? It’s definitely flirting, isn’t it? The first move of the attack was taking The Ruler of the Martial Realm’s hair accessory.

But what shocked them more was that their Ruler of the Martial Realm had lost in martial arts and failed to block Aslan’s attack.

This time it was a hair accessory, but next time, would it be… her life?

Instantly, dark clouds shrouded their hearts.

Hearing those words, Luo Hao’s brows furrowed, and she said with a tone mixed with disgust, “You cheated! I clearly blocked it!”

The moment Aslan got close and reached for her hair accessory with his mischievous hand, she met it with a powerful elbow.

But somehow, the hair accessory still ended up in Aslan’s hand.

Was this a Divine Authority? But there was no magical power.

Luo Hao frowned.

Hearing this, Aslan laughed and said in a teasing tone, “Don’t be so full of yourself. If you really blocked it, your hair accessory wouldn’t be in my hand. Your martial arts aren’t refined enough, yet you dare to talk big.”

Of course, the above was just a joke.

In truth, Luo Hao did block it, but Aslan had integrated his Boundary Authority into every aspect of his movements.

He even reached the level of acting before arriving, reversing cause and effect.

He unconsciously used his Boundary Authority to take the hair accessory first, then launched the attack.

This was also why Scathach disliked him. After all, Aslan’s fighting style was already set—shock and transformation through space, integrating spatial control into his instincts in every technique.

Though his physique was strong and his talent exceptional, making him good material, he had been “carved wrong” by himself. His tricks were one cheat after another.

Scathach was very responsible, and her teachings greatly helped Aslan, especially in teaching him how to reduce hidden spatial fluctuations and integrate his Boundary Authority into every instinctive move.

This made his attacks even stranger.

By the end of his training, even Scathach couldn’t avoid some of Aslan’s cheating tricks.

This cause-and-effect reversal trick was learned that way. In the end, Scathach refused to acknowledge herself as Aslan’s teacher.

She didn’t want Aslan to ruin her reputation as a mentor of heroes.

“…”

Remarkably, Luo Hao didn’t argue but furrowed her brow, staring at Aslan, practically writing “dissatisfaction” on her face.

(Trouble, trouble… Master is really angry now.)

Lu Yinghua beside her bowed his head in fear. He didn’t dare imagine what Aslan would face next.

The Martial King was mocked for her unrefined martial arts—Lu Yinghua couldn’t even fathom how furious Luo Hao must be.

Would this airport still be intact later? Luckily, he had arranged for the airport staff to be evacuated.

“Hah, then let me show you what unrefined martial arts look like!”

At that moment, a loud rumble, like exploding thunder, echoed.

A sharp, fierce wind blew.

Lilliana was almost blown away, but thankfully Athena beside her pulled her back.

She stabilized herself, opened her eyes, and looked into the air.

Clearly, Aslan and Luo Hao had clashed.

However, aside from white airwaves and sudden booming sounds in the air, no figures were visible.

“Ho, impressive martial arts, unexpectedly far better than mine.”

But hearing Aslan’s praise, Luo Hao’s face darkened further. She felt his words were mocking her.

She had given her all, but her movements kept faltering. No matter what technique she used, it was easily neutralized by her opponent.

And Aslan was only using one hand.

This made the supremely arrogant Ruler of the Martial Realm utterly furious.

Even if she lost in martial arts to someone else, she would only feel there was someone to carry on her legacy. But against a cheating opponent like this, she only felt anger.

Rather than say she was clashing with her opponent, it was more like she was being toyed with.

After a brief exchange, Luo Hao’s figure appeared not far from Lu Yinghua, glaring at Aslan with a grim and ugly expression.

“No, your technique is wrong.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

Aslan looked at Luo Hao with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. At the same time, another lotus-shaped hair accessory appeared in his hand.

“It’s just wrong!”

Luo Hao furrowed her brow. She couldn’t explain what was wrong, but her instincts told her.

That duel with Aslan just now was definitely off.

Godspeed? Divine Foot Strength? Lightweight Art? Shadowless Art? No, it wasn’t any of those.

“If it’s wrong, just say it.”

Aslan scratched his ear. This was his first real close-combat fight with someone other than Scathach, and also his first time testing his combat tactics.

So far, he had hidden his spatial fluctuations quite well. At least Luo Hao hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

“You can’t be unreasonable, can you?”

If Luo Hao could actually identify the anomaly, Aslan might be able to refine it further.

Through subtle spatial distortions and folds, Luo Hao couldn’t sense anything unusual. In her eyes, whether it was line of sight, aura, or distance, nothing seemed off.

But in reality, through spatial interference at a certain level, the place Luo Hao attacked was always his left hand.

Of course, it could also be Luo Hao herself, but that would be easily noticed.

Aslan hadn’t mastered a technique like Kyoka Suigetsu.

“Hmph, why should I argue with a heretic demon?”

Luo Hao paused here, took a slight breath, and let out two nasal sounds.

“Heng! Ha!”

The heavy sound turned into a shockwave, instantly flipping a nearby plane. Even the elders behind Luo Hao, stabilizing their stances, staggered.

At that moment, behind Luo Hao, two vajra emerged from the void.

They were two vajra over six meters tall, with bulging muscles, golden in color, glaring sharply with furrowed brows.

“Are those General Heng and Ha you killed?”

Luo Hao didn’t answer, standing aside with cold eyes, silent as stone.

Instead, the newly appeared General Heng and Ha swung palms larger than Aslan’s head, aiming straight at him.

The palm winds from General Heng and Ha swept the atmosphere, but strangely made no sound, instead condensing the air in their palms, multiplying their power.

“No, aren’t you being too hasty?”

Aslan’s eyes gleamed, and he laughed. Then he reached out, swapping Lilliana’s sword, Il Maestro, into his hand.

“Lilli, watch closely. I’ll show you what the pinnacle of swordsmanship looks like!”

“Secret Technique—Tsubame Gaeshi!”

Instantly, as if countless sword lights flashed simultaneously, they formed an airtight giant net, enveloping Luo Hao.

“This is the ultimate secret technique that transcends time and space, layering countless swords!”

Lilliana’s eyes widened, stunned as she watched the countless sword lights Aslan unleashed in a single motion.

Is… this really swordsmanship a human can use?

The corner of Athena’s mouth twitched. She looked at Lilliana with resignation and whispered, “This man isn’t using swordsmanship at all. Don’t let him mislead you.”

Hearing this, Lilliana froze for a moment. For some reason, she felt Aslan wasn’t entirely reliable either.

Athena had never heard of anyone cutting multi-dimensional folding phenomena with a sword.

Even if it were possible, it wasn’t something Aslan could achieve.

Rather than calling it swordsmanship, it was more like Aslan forcibly creating such a phenomenon and expressing it through a sword.