"WHAT?!"
Erica's voice cracked in pure shock. As the dust settled and the light faded, the figure of the girl became clear, and her appearance was... bizarre, to say the least.
She wore a tattered, pointed witch's hat with jagged horns. Around her neck was a small, ragged piece of cloth that barely qualified as a cloak, leaving her shoulders completely bare. A rusted iron goat-head pendant hung from her neck, resting against her skin. Her outfit was minimal, barely covering the essentials and exposing vast stretches of pale skin. Even her chest was only partially shielded by a scrap of dark fabric. A heavy belt cinched her waist, and her oversized sleeves were detached from the main garment, looking as though they had been shredded by fire. Faint embers still glowed at the edges of her clothes, dancing in a wind that seemed to follow her every move. Chains rattled at her wrists, and her long leather boots looked ancient and worn.
But the most unsettling detail was the jagged, crimson scar that circled her entire neck a mark of execution that made everyone wonder how she could still be smiling with such a lethal wound.
Her emerald eyes flickered with amusement as she studied Erica and the others, as if evaluating a group of interesting toys. A collective shiver ran down their spines.
"That reaction... she's... no, she's a Rogue Deity?!" Mariya Yuri, possessing the Spirit Vision, was the first to scream in terror.
Instantly, everyone's expression turned grave. A Rogue Deity was a natural disaster in human form. Even with everyone present combined, the chances of victory were near zero.
(Note: Because Ritsuka is identified by the world as a Rogue Savior, her Heroic Spirits are also classified by the world's logic as Rogue Deities.)
"Oh my, oh my," the girl let out a wicked, melodic chuckle. "There's no need to be so guarded. I'm not here to hurt you yet. I'm simply here to fulfill a contract."
"A contract?" Lu Yinghua, the top disciple of Sect Leader Luo Hao, asked with suspicion. Beside him, Erica's face turned a pale shade of grey as the realization hit her like a lightning bolt.
"Exactly. A contract," the girl smiled at Erica. "Miss Erica Blandelli, right? You signed a formal agreement at my office. I'm just here to deliver the service."
All eyes snapped toward Erica. Cold sweat poured down her face. "Wait, wait, wait... you've got to be kidding me. I thought that was just a scam!"
"Could you tell us the contents of this contract, Miss Erica?" Liliana Kranjcar, the knight Godou had rescued from Marquis Voban, asked with a trembling voice.
"Well, it's quite simple," the girl replied, tapping her chin. "Miss Erica's request was for—God-slaying!"
"WHOA!" The crowd gasped in unison.
"You've certainly got guts, you vixen," Seishūin Ena, the Hime-Miko and Godou's newest companion, mocked Erica. "Hiring a Rogue Deity to slay other gods... that's a bold move."
"How was I supposed to know it was real?!" Erica shouted in desperation. "They said they could do anything! I was annoyed, so I jokingly asked for a deicide! Who would have thought a small office could actually deploy a Rogue Deity?!"
Finally, Erica understood the meaning behind Medea's mysterious smile that day and her words: "Just call us when you find a god; we'll be there in a heartbeat."
"Ahem... anyway, you don't intend to cause destruction here, do you?" Lu Yinghua stepped forward to negotiate.
"Not at all. In fact, fulfilling a contract is much more fun than mindless destruction," the girl's radiant smile made Lu Yinghua feel a wave of nausea. As someone who had been abused by his master, Luo Hao, for years, he had developed a deep-seated distrust of beautiful, powerful women.
"So, are you an ally to Godou and the others?" Mariya Yuri asked, suppressing her fear.
"An ally? I suppose you could call it that. As long as they don't attack me, we're on the same side," the girl replied. "Miss Erica's contract didn't specify how many gods to kill. Since there are three targets here, I'll just handle all of them for you. I won't even charge extra. Consider it a bonus."
She's asking for money... The weirded-out expressions on everyone's faces revealed their thoughts. They expected a divine contract to involve souls, loyalty, or forbidden sacrifices not a cash payment. The price for a Rogue Deity's intervention was... surprisingly cheap.
"Well then, I'm off!"
"Wait!" Erica called out as the girl prepared to enter the fray. "May I ask for your True Name?"
"My name?" The girl's smile grew even more brilliant as she touched the scar on her neck. "I am Anna Goldi. Or, if you prefer, you can call me—"
"The Witch Hunt."
With that, she took flight toward the battlefield, leaving the group in stunned silence.
The Battlefield: Mount Nikko
"Damn it!" Kusanagi Godou dodged another strike from the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Watching the Sage zip through the air on his Somersault Cloud, Godou felt completely outmatched. "I only have one use of the [Phoenix] left. I have to save it for a killing blow, but I can't even touch a single hair on his head! What am I supposed to do?!"
"What's wrong, my old foe the Campione?!" The Great Sage, with his mischievous monkey face, laughed as he sat cross-legged on his cloud. "Can't you keep up with old Sun?!"
Just as the Sage was gloating, a massive fireball slammed into his back, scorching his golden fur black.
"GAH! Who?! Who dared to sneak-attack old Sun?!" The Sage roared in fury, standing up on his cloud and scanning the area. "Come out! I'll crush you into a meat patty with my staff!"
The sudden intervention left Godou stunned. Even Sect Leader Luo Hao and John Pluto Smith paused their battles to look toward the source.
"What happened, King Kusanagi?" Luo Hao flew to his side, while Smith also stopped, the three Rogue Deities on the opposite side regrouping defensively. "That flame... it has the aura of a Rogue Deity."
"Hoo! What a lively party! Mind if I join in?" A crisp, feminine voice echoed through the air.
A dark-clad witch hovered nearby, adjusting her hat with one hand and waving with the other. Her smile was so casual she looked like she was on a holiday tour.
"Another Rogue Deity," Smith identified her immediately. "Are you here to aid the Great Sage?"
"No, I don't think so," Godou countered. "She just attacked him. She's definitely not on their side."
"Then what is she? A third party looking to stir the pot?" Smith was confused. It was unheard of for a Rogue Deity to help a Campione instead of their fellow gods.
"Oh! Which one of you is Mr. Kusanagi Godou?" Anna smiled as she flew toward the Campione side. Seeing the three Devil Kings tensed for battle, she simply shrugged and stopped at a safe distance.
Godou was baffled. This god was looking for him? "I am. What do you want?"
"Ah, so it's you," Anna replied. "Actually, your girlfriend Miss Erica placed a commission at our office for a Deicide. I'm here to fulfill the contract, so I'll be joining your faction. Pleased to meet you!"
Godou was officially speechless. Where do I even start?! Should I be mad at Erica for hiring a god, or shocked that a god is working as a hitman for hire?
"An ally...?" Smith was just as weirded out. "Godou, is your Miss Erica so powerful that she has Rogue Deities as friends?"
"No, no, no! There's no way Erica knows a Rogue Deity!" Godou denied it vehemently. "But... I guess an extra helper is a good thing?"
Luo Hao, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "I do not agree."
"WHAT?!" Smith, Godou, and Anna all cried out in shock. Godou panicked. "Why?! Isn't one more friend better than one more enemy?!"
"This is a battle for us Campiones. For a Rogue Deity to claim she is joining our side is a mockery," Luo Hao said with absolute arrogance. "Furthermore, a 3 vs 3 is a fair fight. If we add a fourth, it becomes an unfair 4 vs 3. If the world hears of this, what will they think of us? That the Devil Kings relied on a god to kill a god? Our prestige would be ruined! You two should feel the same way!"
No, no, no! We don't care at all! You're the only one obsessed with 'prestige'! Godou and Smith screamed internally.
"My, my, this is quite a hassle," Anna looked at the three gods on one side and the three Campiones on the other. "Well, my contract is absolute, and I must participate in this fight. If you don't attack me, I won't attack you. Can't we all just get along?"
Just as Godou was about to nod, Luo Hao intervened again. "Impossible! If you insist on participating, then you shall be a third-party force hostile to both sides! You will face the Campiones and the Rogue Deities simultaneously!"
Godou wanted to cry. Sister, please stop making things worse! You just pushed a perfectly good ally into the enemy camp!
Even though it felt like a disaster, Godou and Smith had to prepare for a three-way brawl.
"Oh dear, oh dear," Anna sighed, looking at the hostile glares from both sides. She made a difficult decision. "I guess I'll have to call for back-up. Damn it, if I bring more people, my commission fee will be split. I was planning to use that money to buy the latest horror games!"
Under the watchful eyes of the gods and the Devil Kings, Anna began rummaging through her tattered clothes. Then, she pulled out... A. SMART. PHONE.
Both sides were stunned. A Rogue Deity using a cell phone? The immersion was officially dead.
With a calm expression, Anna unlocked the phone and dialed a number.
"Hello? Is this Chaldea? Put me through to the Master."
"Master, it's me, Anna. Yeah... so, about this God-slaying contract... both sides have declared me an enemy. I need you to send some reinforcements. Yeah, as many as you want."
"By the way, there are three Rogue Deities here: The Great Sage, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing."
"You're coming right now? Great! Thanks, Master. Just dock their pay from my commission fee."
"OK, bye."
Everyone stood frozen, watching the medieval witch casually hang up her smartphone. Their understanding of the world was crumbling.
The "vibe" of this battle had just become... very, very strange.