Glancing at Durandal in his hand, then at Doni. Although both were injured, their fighting spirit had not waned—but Ren suddenly sighed and lowered his sword.
"Let's end this duel here. With my remaining magical energy, it's a bit difficult to face two newly arrived Devil Kings."
"Oh, you noticed them too, Ren? Hahaha… Normally, I'd fight you until one of us fell. But, you have a point."
His tone was cheerful, but there was a serious glint in his eyes. Doni turned, looking in a specific direction in the distance, then shouted in a provocative tone.
"Oi, you guys hiding over there! Cowards, only daring to hide? Come out!"
As proud Campiones, how could they tolerate such mockery?
As soon as Doni's voice ended, a stream of lightning suddenly flickered in the air.
*WHOOSH!*
The lightning gradually transformed into a human figure, and a man appeared amidst the crackling arcs of electricity. He had short black hair, sharp eyes, and an aura full of dignity—Alexander Gascoigne, or more commonly known as the Black Prince Alec.
"Not everyone is an idiot like you, Doni. Waiting for an opponent in a weakened state and seizing the opportunity, that's what's called tactics." Alec said indifferently in his tone.
It was said that Alec was different from the other Campiones; he was full of intelligence, good at finding clever solutions, disliked frontal battles, and was accustomed to strategizing against enemies.
Doni was not affected by Alec's words. Instead, he turned in another direction and shouted again, "Old Man Voban, how long are you going to hide like a sewer rat?!"
An old and decadent voice immediately replied, filled with a hostile tone. "Boy, your insolent attitude hasn't changed since our last meeting. If it weren't for your Divine Authorities of Man of Steel, which makes you almost unkillable, you would have died in my hands long ago."
The next moment, an old man emerged from the shadows, not far from them. His hair was silver, his eyes were emerald, and his aura was like that of a predator ready to pounce.
Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, the oldest Campione of this era.
The gaze of his eyes was full of murderous intent, directed straight at Doni.
Voban's hatred for Doni was justified. The Divine Authorities of Man of Steel that Doni possessed originated from the Heretic God Siegfried, whom Voban had initially summoned through a painstakingly prepared ritual. However, it was Doni who ultimately killed Siegfried and seized the Divine Authorities, causing Voban to lose his claim to the Divine Authorities that should have been his.
"Hahahaha… Come on, Old Man Voban, don't keep dwelling on the past. Everyone has to look forward!" Doni said casually.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In the distance, Alice's facial expression became very bad as she saw four Campiones gathered in one place.
Now, it wasn't just Greenwich that was threatened with a natural disaster, but all of London!
If Alice had previously tried to persuade Ren and Doni to change the location of their battlefield, this time she could only resign herself without doing anything.
She recognized Alec and Voban's personalities—both were far more difficult to deal with than Ren and Doni. Alec with his cunning intelligence, and Voban with his cruel and merciless nature, were a terrifying combination.
Beside her, Hayasaka was not fully aware of the urgency of the situation. She looked at the two new Campiones with a curious gaze, her eyes sparkling with interest.
"So they are also Campiones..." She murmured softly, but there was a hint of admiration in her voice.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Alec, who didn't care about the tension between Doni and Voban, turned to Ren.
"Seventh King, I heard you have the Holy Grail. Give it to me, and I'll leave immediately."
Alec was known as a Campione different from the others. If he found something interesting, he would take it regardless of what others thought or wanted. At most, he might leave a simple note that read, "This is interesting, I'll take it." before disappearing with the item.
However, even though he often looked down on other Campiones and denied that he was the same as his other "siblings." Alec knew very well that taking something from a fellow Campione was no easy task.
That was why, despite his aloof attitude, he chose to negotiate with Ren—at least for now. After all, finding the Holy Grail was his greatest aspiration, something that had been an obsession since his childhood.
Alec was taught about magic from a very young age by his father. Due to his father's obsessive goal of finding the Holy Grail, his mother left them. When Alec was sixteen, his father passed away, leaving behind the same legacy of obsession. Since then, he began his own journey to find the Holy Grail. With a combination of luck and keen instinct, Alec managed to kill the Fallen Angel Ramiel at the same age, making him a Campione.
Now, the opportunity to obtain the Holy Grail was before his eyes, and Alec was willing to do anything to get it—even if it meant resorting to violence.
However, before Ren could say anything, Voban shifted his gaze from Doni to Ren. His emerald eyes looked particularly menacing.
As the oldest Campione, Voban had a vast network, including a Mage Association that served him faithfully. He had read the information about Ren, including reports of his activities.
In the duel against Doni a moment ago, Ren did not use the Divine Authorities Sun Conqueror that he had seized from Hou Yi—something that was already recorded in the reports. Instead, he used another Divine Authorities that did not appear in the documents.
Seeing this, Voban confirmed that the news about the Holy Grail being able to summon Heretic Gods was true.
"Give me the Holy Grail, and I won't be your enemy." Voban continued, his tone cold but full of pressure, like the growl of an old wolf impatiently waiting for an answer.
Ren looked at Voban, then towards Alec, before finally smiling lightly.
"What if I refuse?"
He showed no signs of flinching—even when facing two Campiones at once.
Alec narrowed his eyes, the arcs of lightning around his body began to crackle louder.
"If you refuse, I will take it by force. I don't have time to play around. That Holy Grail is mine, and I don't care how much blood I have to shed to get it—including yours."
"I agree with this strange brat. I've lived too long to be patient with naughty children like you. If you don't hand over the Holy Grail, I'll tear your body into pieces and take it from the remains of your corpse. Don't test my patience, boy." Voban sneered, not taking Ren seriously.
Doni, who had been watching with a smile all this time, suddenly laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! This is getting more interesting! Ren, it looks like you're going to be busy. Want me to help?"
Ren glanced at Doni, then chuckled softly. "Thanks, Doni, but I can handle this myself."
However, just as he uttered those words, the cheerful expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a burning rage. His eyes narrowed, and the magical energy around him suddenly surged, making the air vibrate intensely.
"Damn it! Who is it!" He shouted, his voice full of unrestrained anger.
"Huh?" Doni was confused by Ren's drastic change in attitude.
It wasn't just him—Alec and Voban were also surprised. They felt Ren's intense anger, but they immediately realized that the anger wasn't directed at them.
Ren turned to Doni, his face still filled with anger but with a clear urgency in his eyes.
"Damn it, I have to leave immediately. Doni, I have urgent business. After I leave, please ensure her safety." He said quickly, his hand pointing towards Hayasaka, who was standing beside Alice.
Doni followed the direction Ren pointed, seeing Hayasaka for the first time. Although he didn't know the girl, he nodded without objection.
"Alright, no problem, buddy."
He might be reckless, but he was a man of his word—especially when it came to fights or requests from someone he acknowledged as a worthy opponent.
Displeased with the situation, Alec opened his mouth to protest.
"What exactly are you—"
However, before he could finish speaking, his eyes widened as he saw Ren reach out and take something from his magical storage pocket dimension. A glittering golden chalice appeared in Ren's hand—the Holy Grail, the artifact that Alec and Voban had been after all this time.
Ren glanced at the Holy Grail, then looked at Alec and Voban.
"Actually, I really wanted to fight you guys, but a problem has arisen on my side. You want the Holy Grail? Take it yourselves! The strong deserve to have it."
Without hesitation, he threw the Holy Grail into the air with full force, sending the artifact soaring hundreds of meters into the sky, glittering under the sunlight.
Alec reacted immediately, his body trembling as he prepared to use Godspeed, the Divine Authorities Black Lightning that allowed him to move at lightning speed. However, his movement was stopped for a split second-just a split second-as Voban activated the Divine Authorities Eye of Sodom.
Voban's emerald gaze flashed, unleashing a power that turned anyone who looked at him into salt. Alec cursed inwardly, his body freezing momentarily, giving Voban the opportunity to shoot towards the Holy Grail still floating in the air.
Ignoring Alec and Voban, who were now vying for the Holy Grail, Ren wasted no time and chanted an incantation.
"—Hear me, O destiny that binds the world, open the gates between life and death! At the moment my name is called in hope or despair, I answer without hesitation. No place is too far, no wall too strong. I step across the boundaries of existence!—"
*ZWING!*
Golden light enveloped his body, and in the blink of an eye, Ren's figure vanished, leaving behind a trail of magical energy that slowly faded away.
Doni, Alice, and Hayasaka could only stare in confusion, not understanding why Ren was in such a hurry.