After Hikaru mentioned he'd be gone for a while and asked her to stay with Asia, Koneko immediately agreed.
She also gave him an update on the two from the Church.
After a full day and night of rest, Xenovia had already come to terms with the fact that God was dead. Of course, "coming to terms" in her case meant falling into a kind of resigned despair, and she ended up accepting Rias's "Knight" Evil Piece, transforming into a devil herself.
Irina, on the other hand, hadn't followed suit. She simply got orders from the Church to bring the Sword of Kings back. So far, she hadn't said a word.
Just as Hikaru had guessed, the two girls had ended up in basically the same situation as in the original story—neither too bad nor too good, and he saw no need to intervene further.
"By the way, Hikaru, where exactly are you going?" Koneko asked over the phone.
"Somewhere challenging. If all goes well, I'll be back before too long," Hikaru replied.
"I'll skip school for now. Just have Rias grant me leave."
"'If all goes well'? That sounds dangerous," Koneko said, her voice growing tense.
"'Going well' doesn't mean it's danger-free. It's just part of the process. I can't predict what'll happen along the way, but the outcome is already decided as far as I'm concerned."
Even over the phone, Koneko could sense his absolute confidence—so strong it left no room for doubt. Hearing that familiar tone, she felt oddly reassured. After all that had happened so far, she trusted him completely.
"Should I tell the president?" she asked.
"Up to you."
With that, Hikaru was ready to activate the Dimensional Gate and head to the Campione world. He ended the call and told Asia that Koneko would be arriving soon.
The timid blond nun didn't pepper him with questions; she just had one:
"Hikaru-sama, you… you'll come back, right?"
Once he said yes, Asia didn't ask anything else—she simply nodded with resolve. "I'll be here waiting for you, no matter how long it takes."
She might not have said much, but Hikaru could still feel her fondness in that moment. He didn't say anything more, simply patted her head. Then, after getting Koneko's message that she was on her way, he activated the Dimensional Gate's teleport function.
…
Hikaru had crossed through dimensional barriers twice before.
The first time was when he first arrived, and the second was after he'd awakened, using the Gate to travel a second time.
Both times, it felt like chugging a whole bottle of liquor—totally dizzying and disorienting. But, thinking about it, that made sense. Back then, he was just an ordinary human with no magic or special abilities, having only trained his body to the human limit through sheer hard work.
Now, for his second time stepping onto the soil of the Campione world, the searing sun was baking the land, and heat shimmered in waves over the distant horizon. He raised his arm to shield his eyes, scanning his surroundings with curiosity.
Although it had been a few years since his first visit to the Campione world, his memory of it was still vivid. But he was certain this wasn't the place where he'd left last time.
"Is it random teleportation, or because I stayed away so long?"
He didn't dwell on it, though. It didn't really matter where he ended up—his goal was simply to seize the power of a god.
Compared to his past self, Hikaru felt much calmer and more composed.
He'd arrived in a bustling urban district. You could see high-rises here and there, but also plenty of small shacks and brick houses. The streets were crowded with people, the pavement uneven with puddles in the low spots, and the drainage ditches on both sides gave off a foul stench from time to time.
Listening to the local language, Hikaru quickly figured out his location: New Delhi—the largest city in India, a major cultural and economic hub, and the third most populous city in the world.
He strolled casually down the narrow streets, but "sightseeing" wasn't exactly the right word for it. Even though this was the capital, the typical "Indian style" environment was all too evident.
The disorganized appearance was one thing, but the air smelled extraordinarily complex—sewage, rotten food waste fermenting in gutters, and the synthetic fragrances and perfumes that passersby had on. All those odors mingled together, assaulting the nose nonstop.
Because Hikaru was dressed well and had a foreign face, he quickly drew the attention of many foreigners (as well as plenty of locals).
With his physique and features—practically impossible in an ordinary human—he'd become everyone's eye candy at first glance. Women stared openly at him, earning him the hostility of some local men. Yet aside from his looks, he projected a certain aura from his strength, which deterred most troublemakers.
Before long, he made his way onto a tall tower, gazing down at the crowds like a sea of ants. Something bothered him. "Did the Gate send me here because there's something I need in this place?"
A Heretic God?
But when Hikaru spread out his senses, he picked up nothing. That meant one of two things: either there really was no Heretic God here, or the god hadn't manifested yet. The former seemed more likely at present.
After all, despite this world being known for "stray gods," many people lived their entire lives without ever once encountering one. And there was the ironclad rule that "a Heretic God does not appear to ordinary sight" unless they choose to. If a Heretic God wanted to stay hidden, it wouldn't matter if they showed up in front of your eyes—you still wouldn't notice.
Most of the time, the gods that appeared were summoned by magic organizations or other Campione. Under normal circumstances, even a lifetime of searching might not lead a mage to see a Heretic God once.
Right now, Hikaru had two choices. One was to head directly to Sardinia in Italy, which was the site of the original battle between Verethragna and Melqart. The other was to hang around here and check out the area.
Since he'd only just arrived, he decided to try his luck locally first.
~~~
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