A Certain Multiverse's Holy Right

"Erica?! What did you do to Erica!?"

Liliana was horrified when she saw Erica, who had been brought by the Japanese schoolgirl in front of her. Erica was covered in blood, her body scarred with wounds, and even her beautiful face was smeared with dust and dirt.

"So her name is Erica. I didn't do anything to her. I just found her badly injured on the roadside and brought her here."

The Japanese girl holding a katana glanced down at Erica and spoke casually.

Hearing this, Liliana let out a breath of relief. But her expression quickly hardened, and she demanded coldly, "...Who are you? What is your purpose here?"

"My name is Seishuuin Ena, and as for my purpose... well, I'm not entirely sure myself. Grandpa asked me to do this. He said the girl you're holding, Mariya Yuri, is very important. He doesn't want her to be destroyed by the two Kings. He asked me to send her to the Netherworld so that he could negotiate with the two Kings. I'm just following Grandpa's instructions."

The girl introduced herself crisply, her innocent demeanor making her seem like someone who was merely carrying out orders.

"Lili! Don't worry about me. Hurry and take Mariya Yuri with you. She's the target of the mission given by the King, and completing the King's mission must be our top priority."

Erica, held tightly in Ena's grasp and gravely injured, managed to regain some clarity of mind. After hearing Ena's words, she shouted urgently to Liliana.

"I'm sorry, Erica, and you too, silver-haired knight! You have your mission, and I have mine. I can't just let you leave."

Ena gripped her katana tightly, the tip aimed at Liliana. The gentle demeanor of a Yamato Nadeshiko was gone, replaced by a sharp and determined expression.

Mariya Yuri, held firmly by Liliana, was the most frustrated of all. It seemed that neither Liliana nor Erica—both representatives of the "King"—nor this Seishuuin Ena who represented her "grandfather" had considered her wishes. They treated her like a mere object to be exchanged.

"Seishuuin Ina, do you understand what you're doing? Mariya Yuri is the miko requested by our Italian and Vatican leader, Lord Roy Crowley. Do you comprehend the consequences of defying the 'King's' orders? Are you prepared for this Far Eastern nation to endure the wrath of the Demon King?"

Despite her severe injuries and weakness, Erica suddenly straightened her expression, her voice carrying a forceful authority.

Ena faltered at Erica's words. However, after a moment's hesitation, she firmly shook her head. "…Ena knows how terrifying the King's anger can be, but since these are Grandpa's orders and requests, I have no choice but to obey."

"Stubborn fool!"

Erica was both angry and frustrated, particularly with Ena's so-called "grandfather." Just who was this brazen old man? Did he have a death wish? Or worse, was he deliberately inviting disaster upon Japan by provoking the King's fury?

Thinking it through, Erica found the latter possibility uncomfortably plausible.

"Erica, I won't leave you behind. I'll defeat this Seishuuin Ena here and rescue you. Together, we'll take Mariya Yuri and report to the King that we've completed the mission!"

Liliana couldn't bear to see her best friend suffer. She was deeply afraid that if she took Mariya Yuri away, Ena might actually deliver a killing blow to Erica. Her resolve to fight was absolute.

She used magic to seal Mariya Yuri's body, then gently pushed her aside. Gripping her beloved sword, "Il Maestro," Liliana turned to face Seishuuin Ena with determination.

"Lili, you—"

Erica, seeing Liliana's choice, was filled with both gratitude and frustration.

She was moved by Liliana's decision to risk facing the wrath of the "King" and the possible failure of their mission to save her. Yet, she was exasperated at Liliana's inability to recognize the bigger picture, acting impulsively out of concern for her safety.

Earlier, Erica had deliberately used herself as bait to lure away the servants summoned by Marquis Voban. During her confrontation with the undead warriors, she was hopelessly outmatched, surviving several near-death encounters.

But just when Erica could no longer hold on and was about to fall completely, the undead servants suddenly turned to ash and vanished. At that moment, Erica knew that Roy had defeated Marquis Voban, rendering the Marquis's authority ineffective.

However, by then, Erica was gravely injured, too weak to inform Liliana. All she could do was hope that Liliana would complete the mission. Once they succeeded, they could present their first mission to the "King" as a resounding success.

Erica's plan had been perfect—until she encountered Seishuuin Ena, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Due to her injuries, Erica had no choice but to become Ena's captive without resistance.

Her initial intention had been for Liliana to escort Mariya Yuri away and find Roy. As long as Roy was informed of what was happening, the "King" would personally intervene. Even if the entire mystical community of Japan united, they would be no match for him. The situation would resolve itself easily.

With her quick wit and eloquence, Erica believed she could outsmart the obviously naive Seishuuin Ena. There was no real threat to her life, or so she thought.

Erica's plan was nearly foolproof. What she didn't anticipate, however, was that Liliana, usually just as levelheaded, would act out of pure concern for her safety and choose to fight instead.

The Diavolo Rosso smiled wryly at the irony. Yet she couldn't voice her thoughts aloud. If Ena caught wind of her plan, the impulsive girl might panic and truly kill her on the spot.

"So, you've chosen battle? Very well. I never shy away from a fight. If combat alone can resolve the matter here, so much the better."

Seishuuin Ena, seeing Liliana prepare for a fight, couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.

Tossing Erica to the side, Ena firmly gripped the handle of her katana with both hands.

"Lili, watch out. I'm going all out right from the start so we can finish this quickly!"

"My name is Liliana Kranjcar. The name 'Lili' is not yours to use!"

The silver-haired knight from Italy snorted coldly in response.

"Ame no murakumo tsurugi, I pray that you take my body as a sacrifice, for even a fierce god may not cross your borders. i will not regret this moment."

Ignoring Liliana's retort, Ena recited her spirit invocation with solemnity. Her pure eyes overflowed with fierce fighting spirit and murderous intent. The katana in her hand absorbed the surrounding magical energy before channeling it into Ena's body.

From Liliana's perspective, Ena's magical energy skyrocketed, and there was even a faint divine presence emanating from her.

"What?!"

"Clang————!"

Caught off guard, Liliana hastily brought Il Maestro up to block the incoming strike. It barely held against the thunderous force of Ena's blow.

"This state won't last long. Let's settle this quickly!"

The immense strength in Ena's strike caused Liliana to grit her teeth. Ena's confident words rang in her ears as Liliana scrambled to recover. She had been completely blindsided—Ena possessed the ability of "divine possession," and her katana was unmistakably a divine weapon!

"Lili, be careful of her weapon! It's a divine artifact embodying the power of a true God!" Erica shouted anxiously.

"I don't need you to tell me that!"

Liliana shouted back, her voice full of tension. Channeling her magic, she unleashed a burst of power that created a fierce wind, forcing Ena back. Just as Liliana was about to chant a spell to activate her magic, a familiar voice reached her ears in a calm yet commanding tone:

"...Dodge, Lili."

The familiar voice brought a bright look to Liliana's face. She immediately stopped chanting and rolled to the side. A moment later, she saw a 40-meter-long blood-red cross sword whistling down from the sky, slashing through the battlefield like a colossal axe.