"Godou!?"
The moment she saw the new king's name, Erica froze in place.
Then she looked at Akuto, and without thinking, her gaze carried both confusion and instinctive reliance.
…
The next second, as if answering the prayer in her heart, Akuto slowly said, "That's right."
"Erica, didn't I tell you? The fate of a Godslayer killing gods is predetermined."
"Godou was always destined to become a Godslayer. So even if the god he was supposed to kill got taken by me, and even if he never came to Italy, fate would still drive him to become a Godslayer."
"Honestly, the speed was… fast. Faster than I ever expected."
"It looks like we need to pick up the pace on our end, too."
Akuto rubbed his chin.
If he wasn't mistaken, then the Godou of this world and the Godou from the original story were no longer the same person.
The original Godou looked gentle on the surface, wild underneath, and had that natural "harem magnet" constitution that drew girls in without trying.
But the Godou Akuto had grown up with didn't feel "gentle" on the outside, didn't feel "wild" on the inside, and definitely didn't have any kind of woman-attracting harem aura.
In Akuto's memory, Godou was the type who was "ordinary but unyielding, and no matter what it is, he'll always see it through." Completely different from the original.
…
"Pick up the pace? Akuto-sama, do you mean… you're going to Sicily to kill a god?" Erica stood up immediately.
"More or less. We do need to kill our first god as soon as possible."
Whether it was the "Authority Usurpation" of the Usurper's Ring, or Akuto's newly acquired "Fate Grafting" ability, both urgently needed Godslayers and gods as experimental material.
After a moment's thought, Akuto rose to his feet and extended a hand toward Erica, almost like some statue of a saint in a cathedral.
"Erica."
"Are you interested in following me… and cutting the threads of fate that bind everyone?"
"I…"
Faced with Akuto's invitation, Erica's emotions surged.
Just as he said—if the world was this ridiculous and this stubborn, why shouldn't she resist it with him?
But even while she was shaken, Erica still kept hold of basic rationality.
She took a deep breath, gathered all her courage, and asked the one question she cared about most.
"Akuto-sama… when you say 'change fate,' you don't mean turning people who were bound by fate into people bound by you instead, do you?"
Erica admitted it. She didn't want to be shackled by fate.
But that didn't mean she wanted to be shackled by Akuto.
Even if the hope was slim.
Even if Akuto was probably right—without him, she would most likely fail.
Even so… she still wanted to try.
…
After hearing her, Akuto gave a bemused smile and turned to Saint Raphael.
"Bound by me? Saint Raphael, do you feel like you've been bound by me?"
"Hm? Me?" Saint Raphael blinked, then tilted her head like she was seriously thinking it over.
After a few seconds, she offered her answer.
"Yes. When I'm on top of Akuto-kun, Akuto-kun often wraps his arms around my waist and holds me completely against him."
"Even though it feels very comfortable, there's no doubt that's Akuto-kun trying to bind me completely."
Saint Raphael really was Saint Raphael. She just casually blurted out how, when she was acting the part of a holy knight, Akuto liked to hold her by the waist and press her down.
Akuto: "…"
Erica: "…"
Akuto immediately regretted asking her.
Sure, Saint Raphael's answer was excellent—she answered the question and expressed her own will at the same time.
But was it really necessary to air their bedroom business out loud like that?
Akuto could handle it. His skin was long past bulletproof.
But Erica…
After hearing Saint Raphael's description, Erica couldn't stop her mind from picturing herself being held by the waist and pushed down by Akuto. Her porcelain-smooth, delicate face flushed pink.
"Ahem." Erica coughed a few times before forcing herself to continue.
"Anyway… Akuto-sama, I admit it. The power of mortals is small. My power is small."
"But even so, I still want to try."
Looking at Erica's stubborn insistence, Akuto smiled.
Because he understood her. Pride like hers didn't vanish just because the odds were bad. Even knowing resistance would barely matter, she would still fight.
If anything, everything Erica had done and thought up to now was the result of his guidance.
"Fine. Erica, I admire the courage it takes to say that."
"You will fail, without question. But I'm more than happy to witness how you fail."
"And when that happens, you'll understand…"
…
"Oh?" Erica smiled like a sly vixen. "Akuto-sama, how can you be so sure that even if I fail, I'll still choose to stay by your side?"
"Akuto-sama, if I'm not mistaken, you made this decision precisely because you understand my personality."
"Since you understand my personality, and since I've already figured out you're guiding me, what makes you so certain I'll remain with you anyway?"
Erica's violet eyes were dazzling.
Right now, she was desperate for his answer.
Because that answer would determine her final judgment of him.
"Why?" Akuto rubbed his chin and spoke slowly.
"There are two main reasons."
"First, Erica—have you considered the possibility that I did this precisely because I understand your personality… and your intelligence?"
"…"
Hearing that, Erica didn't look surprised at all. If anything, her gaze grew softer, more captivating.
"Akuto-sama, I admit you understand me very deeply."
"You're right. Even if I know you've guided me, I would still choose to do it."
To be precise, not only would she choose it—she would actually like him more because of that "guidance."
Because it proved what he'd said earlier was true.
That he understood her to an abnormal degree.
That he liked her after knowing nearly all of her.
"Thump."
"Thump-thump-thump!"
A violent heartbeat she'd never experienced before.
From the moment Akuto admitted he was intentionally guiding her—and even admitted that her suspicion of him was part of that guidance—Erica's heart began pounding like it wanted to leap out of her chest.
There was no doubt about it.
This was what it felt like to be moved.
All her life, plenty of people had confessed to her, but she had never experienced a confession like Akuto's.
This domineering confession, threaded with concern, hit her mind and body like a shockwave.
…
Only after several deep breaths did Erica finally settle her emotions.
To keep it from showing too clearly, she decided to change the subject.
"R-right. Akuto-sama… I'm curious about your second reason. I've thought about it for a long time, and I still can't figure out what it could be." She unconsciously licked her slightly dry red lips.
"Hm?"
"The second reason?" Akuto drawled lightly. "It's actually very simple."
"Erica, I'm a domineering and greedy man."
"If I say I like you, and I say I want you, then I will make it reality."
"And since it will become reality no matter what, I naturally don't care whether you choose to stay by my side."
"Because even if you don't want to… I will keep you by my side by force."
"That is my will."
"And that is my promise."
"Erica Brantley, you've never had the power to resist me… have you?" Akuto spread his hands, still smiling.
…
"…"
Erica hadn't expected his second reason to be that blunt.
But she had to admit—he was right.
As early as that morning, after seeing Arianna and Saint Raphael's situation, she had already understood it.
Back then, even if she had been willing to offer herself, she would have been unwilling in her heart.
But now…
"Thump."
"Thump-thump-thump!"
After hearing Akuto's second reason, Erica's heart slammed even harder.
As a passionate Italian, she didn't hate bold declarations of love.
Especially not when the one declaring it was Akuto—someone she already had feelings for.
Akuto telling her the truth, and inviting her to resist fate, had already won her initial favor.
Akuto admitting everything had been part of his guidance—and proving he understood her deeply—only intensified that favor.
And then, finally, that unreasonable, domineering declaration that he would take her by force…
Erica had to admit it.
His words, his confession, had carved themselves into her soul.
…
It had only been one day, yet Erica's attitude toward Akuto had shifted from "unknown, dangerous, powerful, lewd" to "mysterious, Authority, resistance, domineering."
In a way, her feelings weren't so different from before. What changed was the way she chose to see him.
…
Even though Erica knew that with Akuto's understanding of her, he probably already knew her current state… she still didn't want to show it too plainly.
So she spoke, her voice faintly trembling.
"Hmph. Akuto-sama… you really are domineering."
"But I'm not interested in getting into a romance with someone who understands me completely, while I don't understand him at all."
"If we're going to take the next step, then wait until I know you better."
"That's that. I'm going to bring Arianna her meal."
The moment she finished, Erica spun around and hurried away like the wind.
"Clang—"
Halfway through, her emotions still unstable, she nearly tripped over the chair she'd pulled out. Fortunately, she'd trained since childhood. With a burst of flexibility, she barely recovered her balance.
"Hahaha. Fine." Akuto laughed. "Then I'll wait for you to come understand me."
Watching Erica's clumsy, adorable retreat, Akuto's smile deepened.
(End of Chapter)
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