The divine artifact before him was the very Gorgon's Stone that Seiya sought. But he did not rashly take it, because the gazes of the entire hall were fixed on this spot.
"Interesting," the Old Dame said, a look of interest finally appearing on her bored face.
From the arrival of the Sage's Council president to the appearance of Salome, quiet murmurs now rippled through the banquet hall like the noisy chirping of birds in a forest.
It was obvious that the Sage's Council and the witches had a feud that spanned over a hundred years. The current president, despite her frail body, had personally come to apprehend the Beheader, Salome. And now, Salome had a prior connection with the Seventh Godslayer.
Was she planning to forcibly take Salome away right in front of the Seventh Godslayer? Even a witch of the highest celestial order shouldn't harbor such an absurd idea.
The most shocked of all was Erica. She couldn't believe it. Princess Alice was not only her close friend, but her own uncle, Paolo Blandelli, had once been her guardian knight. Their relationship was as sweet as honey. But at this moment, looking at her again, that gentle face seemed exceptionally unfamiliar.
But Alice's gaze did not linger on Erica for a single second. She held her delicate chin slightly raised, staring at the Asian-faced Seiya, trying to read something from his eyes.
The moment he successfully slew the Eastern war god, the news of the birth of the Seventh Godslayer had spread to every corner of the world through the advanced modern internet. Information about "Seiya" was laid on everyone's desk. There were many mysteries surrounding his identity, but one piece of information that was easy to find was that the plane he had taken on his travels belonged to the Divine Ancestor Guinevere.
She had indeed come to this banquet to take away the Beheader, Salome. But what was more important was to personally make contact with the Seventh Godslayer, Seiya. Who exactly was he?
But Seiya's gaze remained unchanged. He even wore a smile, paying no mind to her offense. The explosive rage and divine, prison-like might she had expected were not on display. He even seemed to be watching her and Salome with great interest.
Just as some flocked to the princess of Godin, others eagerly jumped out to defend the Seventh Godslayer, rebuking Alice for her rudeness.
"Princess Alice, even if you are the esteemed president of the Greenwich Sage's Council, such rude behavior is not appropriate at this banquet." Alice finally turned her head and saw a beautiful Asian woman dressed in men's clothing. Following behind her was an unremarkable middle-aged man. She strode confidently before her.
The island nation of the Far East where the God of Steel resided. The Tokyo Branch Head of the Official History Compilation Committee, Sayanomiya Kaoru, the soul of the committee who held power over the Kanto region. Alice recognized the newcomer's identity.
Alice had no desire to get entangled with this Far Eastern shrine maiden. Her target, from beginning to end, was the pair on the balcony. "Hime-Miko of the Far East, this matter has nothing to do with you. I don't recall the Seventh Godslayer being your king of Japan. Rashly interfering in matters that do not concern you will invite misfortune."
But the beautiful woman in men's clothing raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "Oh? Invite misfortune?"
In the next instant, she leaned in close to Alice, their eyes meeting. "How dare you, in the presence of a noble majesty like Seiya, openly say that I will be tainted by misfortune? You are simply lawless!"
Looking at the aggressive woman in men's clothing, Alice's heart shook. She suddenly understood the cause and effect of the matter.
From the very beginning, Seiya was never going to care about her offense. As a Godslayer, as the seventh King of Magicians, he had no need to condescend to argue or explain. There would naturally be representatives of powers eager to curry favor with him who would stand up and oppose her.
The Sayanomiya Kaoru before her was the first to jump out. Regardless of whether Seiya had any connection to the Far Eastern island nation, as the Tokyo Branch Head of the Official History Compilation Committee and the soul who held power in Kanto, she could very well represent the specific intentions of a national faction. Although she didn't know why the island nation, which already served a God of Steel, would want to curry favor with Seiya, getting entangled with her here and now was undoubtedly the worst possible strategy.
At this moment, almost everyone in the banquet hall was watching Alice become a laughingstock. As a witch of the highest celestial order, who possessed the power to destroy a nation when her rituals were complete and her body was sound, and who also presided over the Sage's Council, she was now being confronted to the point of speechlessness.
But what no one noticed was that Seiya's gaze had suddenly sharpened. For the first time, he seriously stared at the president of the council before him, watching as she slowly retreated. Until, high in the sky, a golden light flashed. It was like thousands of brilliant swords piercing every corner of the banquet hall.
The blinding lightning made everyone instinctively close their eyes. Only Seiya saw the figure that appeared along with the lightning. As the newcomer descended upon a red carpet paved by lightning, the angels in the seventeenth-century murals on either side of the hall broke their wings and fell to the mortal world.
The crackle of lightning shattered every pane of glass. Descending along with the divine might of the thunder was a graceful figure. The Black Prince of Divine Speed, the General-Commander of the Royal Factory, the old enemy of the Divine Ancestor Guinevere, the Fourth Godslayer, Alexander Gascoigne, appeared before everyone.
Alexander Gascoigne, whose nicknames were more famous than the man himself, the Black Prince who had defeated the fallen angel Ramiel, who presided over illusions and thunder, and usurped the Authority of Divine Speed.
At this moment, Alice and Sayanomiya Kaoru no longer mattered. The moment Alexander appeared, they were relegated to less than supporting roles and quietly exited the stage. Everyone's gaze, everyone's focus, was gathered on the youth who had descended upon this banquet hall in a flash of lightning. The thunder that still swirled around him in the hall was like his supporting armor. His arrival was like that of an emperor.
At this time, a small number of people realized something and looked up at the youth standing on the second-floor balcony, looking down on the newcomer. In the presence of one emperor, only another emperor could speak as an equal. All the miscellaneous people could now withdraw.
Alexander took off his hat in a gesture of respect. "We have long known of each other by reputation, Seventh Godslayer, Seiya. I apologize for meeting you in this manner, but it cannot be helped. I also did not expect things to get to this point... hmm?"
Before he could even finish his words, a strong but sharp wind blew from the front.
The sharp wind pushed forward. This time, everyone clearly saw the silver line that cut through space. It sliced through the carved iron gate as if it were butter, and split the ninety-nine golden fountains as if they were silk. Alexander transformed into a lightning snake to evade, and a three-meter-deep trench was left where he had been standing.
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