Chapter 42: Is She Seriously Giving Herself Away Like This?
Faced with Princess Alice's demeanor, Shirou gave a faint smile and looked out at the scenery outside the window with his hands in his pockets.
The azure sky, the calm and waveless ocean, and the peaceful, serene city looked as if the previous disaster had never happened; everything had already been calmed down by the local union of magic associations.
"The wind is calm and the waves are still... It seems that 'Black Prince' Alec no longer has the courage to come here and vent his rage."
The "Black Prince" Alec considered himself a clever man; he acted relatively cautiously and preferred to handle enemies with schemes. Given his personality, he naturally wouldn't show up without clearly understanding Shirou's power.
Earlier, Shirou had caused such a massive commotion while facing the three Main Gods that every special existence in the world must have sensed his strength.
As for the other six "Campiones," except for the "King of Swords" Salvatore Doni, the remaining five had not yet met Shirou in person. However, even so, they would likely try to understand every aspect of him through various data and materials.
But that, in the end, was not as real as seeing him personally.
Those curious about Shirou would certainly want to meet him in person. Those confident in themselves would come knocking on his door, while those lacking confidence in their own strength would wait for a so-called "opportunity" under the pretext of "planning before acting."
Actually, if the Devil Kings didn't exist, that kind of thinking would be perfectly normal. but in a world where a group of utterly irrational Devil Kings existed, such thoughts were rendered meaningless.
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Returning to Naples from London, where Princess Alice was located, took several hours. Although it wasn't long, Shirou didn't intend to wait. Thus, he directly took Liliana and Erica back by flying through the sky.
Although Liliana and Erica both knew flight magic, their speed naturally couldn't compare to Shirou's as a "Campione." Consequently, even though they were mentally prepared, as Shirou took them soaring into the clouds and weaving between the mists and the blue sea, the two girls still let out high-and-low pitched screams, as if they were on a roller coaster.
By the time they returned to the villa in Naples, both Knight-maidens were in a state of trance. When the two maids, Karen and Ariana, came to the courtyard, they looked curiously at the pair who had "broken" expressions on their faces.
"Eh? Lili, what happened to you?"
"Erica, are you okay?"
It took a good while for the two Knight-maidens to finally recover from the dizzying sensation—this was a hundred times more thrilling than a roller coaster.
Afterward, Shirou stayed at the Naples villa for two weeks. He not only digested the divine power seized from "God King" Zeus but also became increasingly proficient with the three newly added Authorities.
During this period, both the magic associations of Southern Europe and the [Council of Sages] mobilized their respective forces to help Shirou find any clues regarding "Gods Heretic" all over the world.
Of course, they were also looking for clues about the "King of the End," though Shirou didn't hold much hope for the latter.
Even if the place where the "King of the End" slept was found, it was impossible to kill him. Even if Shirou could currently cleave a planet in two, it would ultimately just drag the battlefield into outer space.
"What should I do..."
Shirou stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city outside, which looked as if it were covered in a layer of golden brilliance under the sunlight.
"In any case, I should first forge more EX-rank Noble Phantasms—create everything that can be forged."
With Shirou's nearly inexhaustible amount of magical energy, he could release any number of EX Noble Phantasms at will. This was equivalent to having an infinite number of "ultimate moves," and he could simply switch to another EX Noble Phantasm after using one, with absolutely no cooldown time.
Therefore, if Shirou truly wanted to blow up a planet now, he was fully capable of it. At the very least, he could easily crush the planet beneath his feet.
"It feels like Earth is always becoming a unit of combat power measurement."
Shirou shook his head with a bit of amusement. Just then, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Come in."
Following Shirou's words, the doorknob turned, and a beautiful young girl with platinum-blonde hair and a slender, graceful figure walked into the room. The girl possessed a charming temperament like the world's most precious perfume. She wore a white cashmere sweater with floral patterns on the collar and a precious shawl over her shoulders. Her hands were folded over her lower abdomen, and even her standing posture seemed full of ritual.
"Good evening, King."
The girl, exuding an aristocratic aura, smiled brightly at Shirou and then performed a bow.
Shirou nodded: "I assume you have clues regarding a 'Heretic God' now."
"Yes," Princess Alice replied. "There are two clues found: one comes from Sardinia, and the other is from Japan."
After Princess Alice informed him of the clues for these two locations one by one, Shirou nodded in understanding.
"It seems to be those few..."
Shirou already had some guesses in his heart, but he couldn't jump to conclusions before seeing them with his own eyes. However, if it were the "Gods Heretic" he was familiar with, the one Shirou was most interested in would be the Authority of the "War God" Verethragna.
Those ten incarnations were very comprehensive powers, especially the shining Golden Sword, which should be able to complement and enhance his 『Unlimited Blade Works』.
Thinking of this, Shirou began to feel quite expectant. At this moment, Princess Alice looked at Shirou, appearing as if she wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"Um, King... about that..."
Seeing the girl's longing yet restrained expression, Shirou smiled.
"It's not difficult to heal your body, but it might require you to make a small sacrifice."
Tucking 「Avalon - The Everdistant Utopia」 into her body might cause a slight sensation of pain for Princess Alice, whose physical body was inherently weaker than an ordinary person's.
However, hearing these words, Princess Alice's heart couldn't help but accelerate.
The word "sacrifice" made her feel a bit apprehensive. But no matter what, she didn't want to return to that life of lying in bed all day long. An "astral body," after all, has no way to truly feel the world like a physical body does.
"I... I am already prepared! No matter what needs to be done, it's fine!"
As she spoke, the girl closed her eyes. With her head tilted back, she looked as if she were waiting for a kiss.
Looking at Princess Alice's appearance, Shirou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Is she seriously giving herself away like this?
However, since the girl had taken such a stance, Shirou didn't intend to stay idle. He leaned down directly.
The moment her lips were sealed, the princess involuntarily widened her eyes.
"Mmph... mmph...!"
The King's face was at such a close distance that Princess Alice's heart rate instantly spiked, and even the thoughts in her mind became incredibly chaotic.
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