Chapter 62: Flames of the Sun
The massive skull of Fenrir shattered upon impact with the thunder spear thrown by Shirou.
However, at this moment, Marquis Voban had no time to worry about such things. The storm that was supposed to be controlled by his Authority, [Storm and Stress], had suddenly slipped from his grasp, no longer obeying his will.
"How is this possible!?"
After a mere flash of astonishment, Marquis Voban quickly deduced the reason.
"You possess a similar Authority... Indeed, if it were the 'God King' Zeus, you could certainly usurp the mandate over this domain."
Having confirmed this, Marquis Voban caught the lightning bolt falling toward him and crushed it casually in his grip.
"To have someone else capable of manipulating what should be my domain is a truly unpleasant feeling. I truly wish I could strip your Authorities away one by one..."
Voban's tone became bone-chilling.
"A pity that a Campione's Authorities cannot be usurped. But no matter—I have other methods to make your powers serve me."
As he spoke, standing amidst the thunder and gale, Marquis Voban ignored his clothes, which had grown heavy from the torrential rain, and abruptly threw his arms wide.
Black cursed energy suddenly surged forth, coiling around his tall, lean frame. As the black mist dissipated, Voban's body transformed into a werewolf roughly ten meters in height. In reality, he could reach a maximum size of over fifty meters, but facing a fellow Campione, a larger size would only turn him into an easy target.
Following the transformation into a towering werewolf, dozens of giant wolves—each reaching five meters in length—appeared around him. Their snarling maws revealed razor-sharp fangs glinting with a cold light.
This was the very first Authority Marquis Voban had usurped from the Greek wolf-sun god, 'Apollo Lyceios'—[Greedy Group of Wolves].
It was the power to limitlessly summon and freely manipulate demon wolves with dark-grey fur, the "Beasts of Darkness and Earth" that served as the sacred animals of Apollo!
Though individual wolves did not possess the capabilities of Divine Beasts, they had keen noses, massive bodies comparable to horses, and agility fast enough to chase cars. Anyone below the level of a Great Knight would find themselves in a desperate struggle against them. These wolves possessed a tactical coordination comparable to a cavalry-led legion.
Marquis Voban himself could manifest as a grey wolf, gaining the physical prowess of a beast. His werewolf form possessed a resilient body far exceeding that of his familiars. When fighting giant foes, he could transform into a "Great Giant Wolf" reaching fifty meters in length. In this state, his transformation carried the [Protection of Light], granting him high resistance to solar-attribute attacks.
He could also transform two of his summoned demon wolves into giant werewolves, who would inherit a portion of this solar resistance. Since Apollo's mother, Leto, was a goddess of the earth and Apollo himself was born in a subterranean cave, Voban also gained the ability to move freely underground. Furthermore, the Marquis could bestow a "Wolf Mark" upon those around him, turning them into wolves forever. If necessary, he could transform dozens of people simultaneously.
These massive grey wolves, radiating a ferocious aura, pounced toward Shirou in a swarming pack!
"Using underlings like these against me?"
Shirou's brow twitched slightly as he spoke. Simultaneously, from the thousands of 'swords' floating silently in mid-air, dozens shot downward. As if guided by the most precise calculations, they struck the running grey wolves with pinpoint accuracy. Because Shirou did not waste magical energy to detonate them, the wolves were simply pinned firmly to the ground by the blades, unable to move no matter how they struggled.
"Try this, Voban!"
Behind Shirou, a massive golden wheel appeared and began to spin rapidly. The pointer finally came to a halt at—[The White Horse]!
"For victory, hasten forth before me! O immortal Sun, grant me thy shining steed. O spiritual horse of swift feet, bring forth the halo that symbolizes thy master!"
Clip-clop... clip-clop...
The sound of hoofbeats approached from the eastern horizon. In an instant, a white stallion drew near the battlefield, and trailing behind this horse was a gargantuan explosion of flames—a sun-flare spanning over a thousand meters!
That solar flame blanketed the area, blotting out the sky and rivaling the brilliance of the actual sun! Under such intense heat, the city felt as though it had been plunged into purgatory. Roads and steel began to melt, electronic devices failed, and various phenomena began to spread throughout the urban center. In truth, Shirou had already restricted the scale of the blast within the city; at full power, [The White Horse] could produce a hyper-giant solar explosion reaching nearly two hundred kilometers.
Faced with this strike, Marquis Voban immediately allowed his werewolf body to surge to a size of over fifty meters. Encountering the giant explosion—which was still far larger than his current form—Voban did not dodge or hide.
"Useless!!"
Howling this cry, Marquis Voban opened his massive maw and swallowed the thousand-meter solar flame directly.
Watching this scene, Sayaka Sayanomiya and the others were utterly aghast.
"Is your third Authority called [The White Horse]? It seems it's useless against me!"
Voban's body began to turn glowing red, emitting hissing white steam, yet he continued to laugh maniacally, ignoring the searing agony of the burn.
"Oh? Is that so?"
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Shirou's mouth.
Seeing Shirou's smile, Marquis Voban suddenly felt that something was wrong. Right then, he saw fire condensing once again above Shirou's raised right hand. However, this time was different from the previous giant explosion; it felt like a completely different Authority.
"To use Authorities of this level so recklessly..."
Marquis Voban looked at Shirou in disbelief.
"You bastard... is your reserve infinite!?"
Hearing this, Shirou maintained a 'sunny' smile and continued to hurl a massive explosion—formed from the mandate of the 'God of Fire and Forge,' Hephaestus, and resembling a blazing sun—at Marquis Voban.
"Exactly. You guessed right. The prize is generous; let's see if you can swallow this one too!"
Voban's eyes went wide as he watched the approaching solar flames. Having just devoured one explosion, it was naturally impossible for him to devour another in such a short window of time. His body, exceeding fifty meters, was now the first thing to greet the inferno.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the clouds.
Hair was scorched, skin was seared, and bones were liquefied. Blood evaporated the moment it appeared. Without leaving so much as a speck of ash, Voban vanished into thin air.
Once Voban's body had been incinerated, Shirou raised his hand to recall the explosion, preventing it from causing further damage to the city.
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