Chapter 238: Prime War [XVII]
Rokuhara Residence, Bunkyo District—Tokyo.
Seven beautiful women gathered in the living room, seated before a 65-inch LCD TV. A tense atmosphere enveloped them, their gazes fixed on the screen, watching a battle unfold on a distant battlefield.
After a long silence, Nino was the first to break it, her face still reflecting shock.
"Seriously? Is this something a human can do? Compared to reality, I’d believe I’m watching a Hollywood movie!"
Not long ago, she was just an ordinary person, and even after Hayasaka and the others explained the hidden truths of the world, Nino remained skeptical. But witnessing her brother-in-law fighting an alien armada on TV left her no choice but to believe.
They wouldn’t spend a fortune on a CGI movie just to trick her, right? The chaos and power she saw far surpassed any special effects.
"So this is the true power of a Campione... I thought those claims were exaggerated, but it’s all true."
Recalling her conversation with Alice in London, Ichika remembered how the princess described Campiones as walking natural disasters or humanoid nukes.
"Ren-kun is hurt..."
Miku bit her lower lip, clenching her fists. It pained her to see Ren, the man she loved, enduring relentless attacks from spacecraft and mechas. She wanted to be by his side, but she knew she could do nothing.
"Hubby... You promised to come back safely." Itsuki whispered, her eyes filled with worry.
Itsuki gently rubbed her swelling belly. She knew Ren was fighting to protect them, but she couldn’t stop the anxiety in her heart.
"Itsuki-sama, Miku-sama, everything will be fine." Hayasaka reassured. "For Ren-sama, those are just minor injuries. Didn’t you see the excitement on his face? He seems to be enjoying the fight."
Among the women present, only Hayasaka had seen Ren fight multiple times, whether against other Campiones or Heretic Gods. She knew Ren wasn’t in any real danger.
"Ai-san’s right. Look at Ren-kun’s smile—he’s thrilled, isn’t he?" Masha touched her cheek, giggling. "Goodness, he has this side to him. Fufufu~ we’ve discovered an unknown side of Ren-kun."
"Yego stil’ boya ochen’ bezrassudnyy. Neuzheli on zabyl, chto my dolzhny sledit’ za nim i bespokoit’sya? (His fighting style is so reckless. Did he forget we have to watch him and worry?)"
Alya expressed her concern in Russian, understood only by her older sister, Masha.
"Amazing... So this is a Campione’s power?" Ririka stared at the screen, her gaze filled with awe.
(No wonder Kirari wanted to forge ties with Ren-sama, even if it meant offering up the Momobami Family.)
Ririka now understood the reason behind her twin sister Kirari’s absurd actions, even using her as a gambling stake. A Campione’s value far surpassed family power or wealth.
Amidst all this admiration, the women at the Rokuhara residence realized one thing: they were no longer mere spectators but witnesses to a war far grander than any World War.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
*BANG!*
Ren’s final punch obliterated the last intact mecha. Its metal debris crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, adding to the heap of destruction on the Nullarbor Plain.
Standing alone in the disaster-stricken battlefield, Ren was surrounded by the wreckage of hundreds of giant robots he’d destroyed with his bare hands. The sky above was thick with black smoke and billowing dust, obscuring the sunlight and creating a hellish scene.
Ignoring his tattered clothing and minor scratches, Ren gazed at the ten spacecraft still hovering in the sky, their energy shields flickering.
They appeared to be command ships, not engaging directly but silently witnessing their forces’ annihilation.
"What? Is that all you’ve got? You came all the way from another galaxy just to destroy yourselves? How disappointing!" Ren taunted, his voice booming across the battlefield. "Come on, send something more interesting! Don’t bore me!"
His taunt seemed to trigger the remaining spacecraft. They didn’t surrender. Instead, their energy shields glowed brighter, and massive cannon barrels hidden beneath their hulls emerged.
The cannons radiated a deep purple light, indicating they were about to fire something far more powerful than the lasers used before.
"So, you’ve got another trick, huh?" Ren grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I like your spirit! But you can’t hurt me! You can’t defeat me!"
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
The ten massive cannons fired a coordinated barrage of energy. Instead of lasers, they unleashed shockwaves that tore through the air, carrying deadly radiation and intense heat. The ten shockwaves merged into one, creating a colossal explosion aimed at Ren.
*BOOOOOOM!*
The entire Nullarbor Plain trembled violently. The shockwave was so powerful it whipped up a storm of dust and sand, scattering in all directions. Yet, amidst the storm, Ren stood firm. He didn’t attempt to dodge. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest, fully absorbing the attack. The power of the Primordial Might Divine Authority coursed through him.
He was Atlas, bearer of the world!
*RUMBLE!*
The shockwave struck, creating ripples in the air. The ground beneath his feet shattered, but his body didn’t budge. His clothes were torn to shreds, but his steel-like skin bore only deeper scratches, none life-threatening.
As the shockwave subsided, Ren stood shirtless, with slightly more severe scratches but no fatal wounds.
Looking up, his sharp eyes locked onto the ten spacecraft.
"I knew you had more up your sleeve!"
"Don’t waste my time! Come on, show me what you’ve got! If you can’t defeat me with your strongest attack, then what do you have?!"
Suddenly, eight of the ten spacecraft began to tremble. Their energy shields flickered, and from their hulls, they released what looked like massive tubes.
"Oh, a surprise! Are they deploying biological weapons? Maybe some kind of giant monster (kaiju)?" Ren speculated, his grin widening.
But he was wrong. The tubes didn’t release monsters but projectiles.
*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*
The projectiles shot downward, then exploded mid-air. From the explosions emerged clumps of black liquid hurtling toward Ren.
"What’s this?"
Still relying on his physical defense, Ren let the black liquid hit him. The clumps adhered to his body, instantly hardening into a polymer that restricted his movement.
For the first time in this battle, Ren felt trapped.
"You think you can hold me with this?" Ren laughed. "Not a chance!"
He flexed his arms, and the polymer cracked, then shattered into pieces. But more black liquid clumps came, and this time, they didn’t just cling to him—they spread across the ground, creating a sticky trap that limited his movement.
"Huh... Not bad." Ren acknowledged, struggling to free himself. "But you still have to defeat me."
The spacecraft that launched the attack disengaged, leaving only two main ships. They flew closer, their cannon barrels opening. Energy began to build within, glowing with deadly purple light.
"Oh, so this is your trump card, huh?" Ren grinned. "Waiting until I’m trapped to unleash your strongest attack? Good idea! But sadly, you’ve underestimated a Campione’s power!"
*BZZZZTTT!*
The two remaining spacecraft drew near, their cannon barrels open, amassing energy that radiated a lethal purple glow. They were clearly preparing to fire an attack capable of obliterating anything in its path.
"O sword born of magic, your sharpness never fades, your strength never wanes! Rise in my hand and manifest unyielding justice. Slash through all without mercy, as you are destined!"
"Unbreakable blade, light that pierces the darkness! With every swing, let the enemy feel the end of their existence. Now, shine once more, as the symbol of absolute victory!"
Ren chanted the incantation to activate the Everlasting Platinum Divine Authority, touching the polymer restraining him.
*SHUA!*
The next second, the dark, sticky polymer began to glow. Its rough surface vanished, replaced by a beautiful metallic sheen. It curved, hardened, and formed a handle and blade.
In an instant, the polymer transformed into a gleaming one-handed Western sword, seemingly made of pure platinum, with a golden handle and enchanting gemstone adornments.
The Everlasting Platinum Divine Authority originated from Roland, a legendary hero of French mythology.
Roland was a paladin who served Emperor Charlemagne, a knight renowned for his unwavering loyalty, courage, and fearlessness.
His most famous tale was the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, where he and his forces were betrayed and ambushed by Saracen troops. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Roland fought valiantly to his last breath, displaying unshakable bravery and eternal loyalty.
Roland’s holy sword, Durandal, was a legend among legends. Said to have been crafted by a sorcerer and given by an angel to Charlemagne, who then bestowed it upon Roland, Durandal was reputed to contain sacred relics and possess unmatched power. Its sharpness could cleave boulders, and most importantly, it was utterly indestructible. Even when Roland, in his final moments, tried to destroy Durandal to prevent it from falling into enemy hands, he failed. The sword remained intact, a symbol of eternity and boundless strength.
The Everlasting Platinum Divine Authority granted Ren the ability to touch any object—be it mundane like wood or stone, or natural elements like water or wind—and transform it into a Holy Sword with extraordinary sharpness and power.
This Holy Sword could cut through anything (including the toughest metals, magical energy, or even certain concepts like "space" or "time" within limits) and was truly indestructible, mirroring Durandal’s legendary nature.
Ren held the magnificent platinum sword. He was no longer trapped. His smile widened. The Holy Sword felt light in his hand, but he knew it held the power to destroy anything.
"Well then, let’s finish this."