Part 1
It was said that Devil King John Pluto Smith had received a request.
One that hoped he could exterminate Kusanagi Godou, Salvatore Doni
and Madame Aisha, all three of them.
"And now, somewhere around here should be where the radical petitioner
lives."
This was inside the ancient Greek temple where Liliana and Yuri had finally
arrived through Princess Alice's guidance. However, their guide, the
princess, was no longer present anymore.
Ordered by Smith to wait outside, she reluctantly agreed.
After entering the temple, a staircase leading downwards immediately
entered into view.
"Authorities capable of time traveling are not limited to Madame Aisha
alone. Gods or fairies possessing 'traveling' authorities can accomplish the
same. They are able to traverse time and visit alternate realms as though
walking on the ground."
Smith explained while descending the steps.
Following behind him together with Yuri, Liliana nodded. Gods possessing
traveling authorities. Examples included Greek mythology's Hermes,
[1]
Japan's three-legged crow Yatagarasu and the god Sarutahiko, etc."There actually exist cases when people were swept into the past as a
result of mischief by these kinds of gods. However, they absolutely do not
cause history altering incidents."
"So... I see."
Yuri chimed in, having awakened from her hypnotized state just earlier.
"The flow of time carries a cruel and merciless power. Even the
modification of history through personal coincidence or miracles, resulting
in 'something that should not be,' is absolutely forbidden..."
Smith nodded at the Hime-Miko who was seemingly whispering these
words due to spirit vision.
"Precisely. But merciless the flow of time may be, incorrigible changes do
happen apparently in extremely rare cases. When such situations arise, it's
time for the 'watcher' to enter the stage."
"So, supposing a situation came up where 'history correction' could not
occur..."
Unable to quell her curiosity, Liliana tried asking:
"What will happen as a result?"
"Because this sort of thing is unprecedented, I'm not too sure either.
Perhaps it might produce a parallel world as suggested in works of science
fiction. The era we live in might be altered dramatically, resulting in a
tragedy no different from the world's destruction. At any rate, I really have
no desire to experiment."
Just as Smith finished, they finally reached the end of the staircase. The
basement of the temple was a long corridor, wide and spacious, measuring
almost eight meters in width.
"A labyrinth...?"
Liliana felt strange. The endpoint of the underground corridor was
completely out of sight.
Not only did this path stretch endlessly, there were quite a few branches. It
was as convoluted and complicated as a maze. Also, for some unknown
reason, large numbers of stone tablets were hovering in the air. It was
essentially a zero gravity space.
Countless stone tablets floated gently in the corridor, drifting all around.
"Could this be the monument of memories—?"
Yuri looked worriedly at the stone tablets.
Floating in midair, the stone tablets were not all rectangular in shape but
also included square ones. The tablets nearby were roughly forty to fifty
centimeters in size. Every stone tablet had long passages of ancient script
recorded on them. These characters were written densely from end to end,
leaving almost no space remaining.
From Liliana's first impressions, the language was Ancient Latin.
"Then let's continue."
Smith resumed walking, causing Liliana and Yuri to follow in a fluster.
Hovering in front of the masked Campione was an orange flame.
Like a fairy guiding them along the right path, this flame flew around slowly
while Smith followed it.
Floating in the air, the stone tablets drifted lightly, evading people
automatically.
John Pluto Smith's iron-studded boots would regularly knock on the floor
with every step he took. Following this sound, Liliana advanced while
feeling perplexed.
Inside her mind, many different images were surfacing—
The great river of time, never ceasing in its flow. History. Human life.
Hungry people. Well-fed people. Those who were deceived, robbed, or
murdered. People engaged in prayer, rescue or love. Doers of good. Doers
of evil. Mediocre people. Ambition and hope, dreams and setbacks.
Valuable lives, worthless deaths.
...These were probably accumulated memories about humans.
Yuri frequently turned her gaze back and forth from left to right, looking
rather hesitant.
"Mariya Yuri, you too—"
"Y-Yes. I can see many things as well."
These images really were revelations obtained via spirit vision. And the
signal source was—Using a witch's intuition, Liliana stared intently.
She stared at these numerous tablets of stone, floating in the underground
corridor.
"Smith-sama, what exactly are these...?"
"For witches like you, what happens is you are reading the memories of
the void floating in the Astral Plane, thereby receiving spirit vision
revelations."
The masked godslayer replied as Liliana finally asked her question.
"The stone tablets collected in this residence... are precisely records of that
information."
"!?"
"The world of the living, the world of the immortal gods, the boundary of life
and immortality—What you call the [Memories of the Void] are the records
taken of what transpires in these three realms, both in the past and in the
future. Since you are here in this place for safekeeping them, the
stimulation of your spirit senses is only logical."
"As expected, that is what is going on..."
Compared to Liliana's speechlessness, Yuri made a look of slight
comprehension.
"Spirit vision users can interpret it as seeing into the future. More precisely,
it is an ability that involves using your spirit senses to read 'what has
already happened,' then subconsciously predicting 'what will happen in the
future'—That was what the man in charge of this place said."
"This person is the watcher of time, the master of Plutarch's Residence,
right?"
"He wants Godou-san and the others to be eliminated..."
"He must be in quite a difficult position. In actual fact, his standpoint is
worthy of sympathy."
In response to Liliana and Yuri's comments, the masked hero shook his
head wryly.
"By human standards, he is one who has transcended. Liberated from the
limitations of lifespan, possessing power that dwarfs typical magi. But even
so, he is not a god. Neither is he a godslayer. At any rate, he is nowhere
as out of bounds as my peer or I."
John Pluto Smith spoke in truly sly manner while walking along the
corridor.
"For the past century and a half, a certain female existence has been
giving him great trouble all this time. As both a Campione and a time
traveler, she is also a superhuman who can effortlessly alter history that
must not be changed easily... Oh well, once you meet him, you'll
understand."
A metal door could be seen ahead.
Smith opened it. Instead of a passage, behind the door was a room.
Inside this room, stone tablets were scattered all over the floor instead of
floating in midair. Due to the great number of tablets that were haphazardly
distributed, finding a place to stand was not easy.
In the center of the room, an old man with white hair and beard was facing
a tripod-style easel.
However, placed on the easel was not canvas but one of the stone tablets.
The old man was dressed in an ancient Roman toga with a bronze pen in
his hand.
"New Year's Eve on this year... The Suebi and the Vandals will assist Alani
cavalry to pass through the outskirts of Mogontiacum... The Burgundian
king and his peoples have already crossed over to the Rhine's left bank
and started interfering in Gaul's affairs... Soon after, the Goths will also
arrive..."
The old man muttered softly while staring at the stone tablet.
"But three barbaric kings have already gathered in that place— In any
case, this again requires corrections, corrections, corrections followed by
nonstop corrections! Alas! This work is lamentable beyond compare!"
The old man finally broke down and roared with great intensity of emotion.
He even turned his wrath towards John Pluto Smith who had entered the
room without consent.
"Listen well, king. This old man is utterly annoyed with this work. The
history that we humans have compiled to this date is being rewritten
again."
Despite seeing Yuri and Liliana following Smith into the room, the old man
did not seem to care.
He simply glanced at them before turning his gaze back to the stone tablet.
Smith shrugged ostentatiously and spoke in a joking tone of voice:
"As much as you say that, you are still the guardian of time, eliminating
traces of history's corrections and keeping records. Sometimes, you even
head off to the past so as to intervene in history."
Head off to the past. These words greatly surprised Liliana and Yuri.
"Why don't you drop the personal emotions and dedicate your efforts to
work? This is called the duty of labor."
"Indeed, so it is! But historical correction happens to be a rare event. Not to
mention, there has not even been three incidents in the past millennia
requiring this old man to personally visit the past. Someone being sent to
the past by some trick of destiny and changing history is meant to be an
exceedingly rare event!"
The old man's shoulders shook from rage as he muttered on.
"But that woman continually changes history on mere whim. She truly does
not consider at all how great an effect her actions would make on the
future! Not even once did she consider! Moreover, to think that three
godslayers have traveled to the past this time!"
"In that case, you can fly over to that era and personally put a stop to their
actions."
"You should know very well already. This old man's power is not enough to
obstruct the barbaric likes of godslayers!"
"So you are asking me to kill three Campiones all at once?"
"Indeed! Aisha of Alexandria, Salvatore Doni of Siena and Kusanagi
Godou of the Japan nation. You must hurry before they cause even more
distortions in the passage of history!"
These were violent words directed towards three godslayers of the present
generation, naming them explicitly. Liliana was particularly displeased by
the request to kill Kusanagi Godou. Nevertheless, her curiosity was greatly
piqued as a result.
Who exactly was this old man? The instant this question went through her
mind, a number of images surfaced.
—An immortal but not a god. A person who had been liberated from the
limitations of lifespan.
—A great historian in the past, a sage highly adept in the occult. Currently,
he was the [Monument]'s administrator overseeing the carving of the
Akashic records, the compiler of what proper history was supposed to be.
So, what was meant by proper history?
"When the actions of someone traveling from the future to the past causes
giant distortions in history, proper history results by applying the smallest
possible correction..."
Liliana's lips whispered on their own. Speaking of which, Kusanagi Godou
had told her before.
At the god Susanoo's hut in the Netherworld, he had encountered beings
who were not gods but had spirit powers exceeding ordinary humans. He
remembered there seemed to be a black-clad monk there. This old man in
a toga was probably someone belonging to the same category.
Also, Liliana noticed something as well.
She was told that outstanding users of spirit vision were able to instantly
obtain spirit visions in the Astral Plane to answer their questions. So this
explained it. As the storehouse for these [Memories of the Void], this place
offered spirit visions far more easily than any other location. That was why
even she was able to do it!
Liliana looked to the Hime-Miko beside her. Yuri nodded in response.
"Here in this place, carving time onto tablets..."
Accompanied by these spell words said by Yuri, one of the stone tablets
scattered on the floor hovered into the air.
Among the large amount of Ancient Latin carved on it, Liliana discovered a
certain passage.
'John Pluto Smith, accompanied by the duo of Mariya Yuri and Liliana
Kranjcar, paid a visit to Plutarch's Residence.'
This was a record of "what had happened" at this place, summoned by
Yuri from somewhere using spirit vision. On the other hand, John Pluto
Smith spoke up:
"But Venerable One, how on earth am I going to kill the three you
requested? Are you suggesting that a time corridor be opened to send me
to their era?"
Hearing the masked godslayer laugh maliciously, the old man went "hmph"
and frowned.
"This old man is not stupid enough to send a fourth troublemaker to an era
where three of them are present already. King, you too, are an illegitimate
son of Epimetheus. Undoubtedly, you will disrupt the flow of time when you
roam the past, causing history to be rewritten."
"Wise judgment indeed, Venerable One."
Faced with such rude accusations, the masked Devil King simply smiled
and shook his head.
"Regarding matters of disrupting the peace of the world, I am proudly
confident that my ability is no less than any of my peers. But the mission is
a tall order. Killing them should be impossible like this."
"Use what is at your hip—Just fire the arrows of Artemis."
"Uh-huh."
"Using the authority of arrows that you possess, you can shoot through a
time corridor to strike targets, right?"
Liliana gasped. The old man spoke the truth—She knew through spirit
vision.
From the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, Smith had usurped the authority of
the magic projectile.
Due to having only six shots per lunar cycle, it was severely restricted in
terms of firing rate. Conversely, the powers residing in the magic
projectiles were strong and greatly varied. In a situation of super long
distance sniping, it could even be used to snipe an enemy in Europe, all
the way from North America.
With this old man's guidance, it was possible to fire a magic bullet from the
Astral Plane into an era in the past—
However, Smith shrugged in an exaggerated manner.
"Do you really think it will succeed...? I can't guarantee a kill, neither do I
have that sort of confidence. You should know how hardy and resilient
Campiones are as a race, right? I don't mind taking a gamble, but surely
they will be able to dodge metal bullets falling from the sky, no matter
what? Alternatively, the bullet will graze past them in a stroke of luck."
"Hmm."
"Or rather, once they learn of the existence of an unknown sniper, wouldn't
they cause new commotions as a result of heightened wariness?
Ultimately, causing great chaos one cannot predict... I am rather reluctant
to imagine. Presumably, history will be altered once or twice again?"
The old man groaned, probably unable to refute.
In reaction, John Pluto Smith spoke in a calm voice.
"Rather than doing that, I've got an idea. For example, how about sending
these two miko over to the era where the three Devil Kings are visiting?
They are Kusanagi Godou's close aides."
He waved his hand rapidly in a motion to recommend Yuri and Liliana.
As usual, Smith's actions were as exaggerated and magnificent as a
theater performer's.
"Among the three problematic characters, that man behaves the most
seriously. Well, left to his own devices, on the other hand, he's actually not
that different from the other two. However, given the presence of
supporters to guide his path, he can contribute towards cleaning up the
situation—That is what one can hope."
"Indeed that is possible, but ultimately, I still say no!"
Liliana and Yuri's eyes flashed.
It turned out that John Pluto Smith had brought the two of them here with
the intention of sending them to the past. However, the toga-clad old man
refused vehemently.
"That man is talented as a magnificent villain, capable of turning times of
prosperity and peace into chaos, then taking advantage of chaotic times to
seize the throne. Sending supporters over to a man like that would be
utterly frightening!"
"...Now that you mention it, that does sound quite true..."
"...N-No, Liliana-san. Although it is quite true that for Godou-san as a
person, the word 'chaos' does suit him rather well..."
Knowing Kusanagi Godou's character better than anyone else, Liliana
could not help but murmur. Yuri's reprimands did not carry any anger,
presumably for the same reason.
But since this old man possessed the power to open the door to the past,
his help was necessary after all.
Just as Liliana exchanged nods with Yuri and was about to speak up to
persuade the old man...
"Hmm...?"
The bronze pen left the old man's hand automatically and floated into the
air. Then it moved on its own and began to write on the stone tablet that
was placed on the easel.
"The great hero's arrival... To think it has been hastened fifty-two years
ahead of time?"
Taking one glance at the content written out by the automatic pen, the old
man was greatly stunned.
"Alas, O child of heaven, O sacred child of heaven descending upon the
earth. That must not happen... A change that must not appear. Otherwise,
historical correction henceforth will be quite difficult... No, if the situation
could be cleaned up at this stage, perhaps—"
Then there was a long silence. Minutes later...
The old man finally looked up and rested his gaze on Liliana and Yuri for
the first time.
"Girls who may serve to guide the king. Now that things have come to this,
is there no other choice...?"
Did a critical emergency arise? The old man shrugged his shoulders while
he spoke.
"But let me state first for the record. This old man can open a time corridor
to send the two of you there. However, that is as far as my help extends."
"...After arriving in the past, we have no one to depend on but ourselves?"
Speaking up a step before the masked Devil King, Liliana asked her
question.
Smith had already gone out of his way to bring them here. However,
considering the fact that only the two of them were going to proceed from
this point onwards, she must depend on her own wits to ponder the
necessary preparations. One could not keep relying on others forever. This
concerned a knight's honor.
"Indeed. Manifested in the land where you will be sent to is the heavenly
child of destiny... The hero who exterminates Devil Kings. In your era, he is
known as the 'King of the End'."
"—the 'King of the End'!"
Throughout the battles against the Witch Queen Guinevere and the war
god Lancelot, this title had been heard many times.
The old man in the toga nodded at the speechless Liliana.
"To this date, that heavenly child has descended a number of times on
earth and engaged the godslayers in battle. He also manifested in the land
of Gaul during what your calendar would date as 458 CE. Back then, this
heavenly child fought repeatedly all over Europe, even going as far as to
cross over to Britain. After a long series of battles, he finally exterminated
all the Devil Kings of that time period."
"..."
"But now, a monumental change has occurred in history. The 'King of the
End' has descended fifty-two years too early, hence becoming a trigger
producing historical change—Quite difficult to correct. If Her Highness
Aisha and His Highness Kusanagi could make him lie dormant
temporarily..."
"This message needs to be passed along to Kusanagi Godou, right?"
"Yes. However, the one who awakened the heavenly child is the goddess
Artio was entrusted with the grudges and curses of the innocent populace.
This will likely be a difficult mission."
The old man bowed his head wearily while he spoke.
"A journey to the past itself is already accompanied by hardship. Rare are
the people who can come back after making the trip. Besides, this journey
carries with it a difficult mission. Refuse now while you still can."
"No—I have already made a promise with Godou-san."
The one answering a step ahead of Liliana was Yuri, of course.
"—I promised I would find him before his return. I will accept this mission
no matter what!"
Part 2
Kusanagi Godou was currently located in an empty space where darkness
stretched infinitely.
Except for one light source. A white dot of light was shining like the
brightest star, far in the distance, overhead.
Godou hugged his shoulders and began to wonder.
"I think I was in a similar place recently..."
Even when suddenly trapped in this kind of space, he was still able to
remain calm.
As much it was not what he actively desired, this probably resulted from
the experience he had accumulated as a Campione. Then there was his
peer, the man not far away, currently looking around, this way and that.
"Hey Doni. We were just fighting the 'King of the End'... Right?"
"...of the End... Oh, you mean that sword god who suddenly popped up just
now? Yeah, we were definitely trying to block that attack at the time. 'King
of the End'... I think I've heard of this name."
Next to Godou, the blonde and handsome Salvatore Doni nodded.
In contrast to the desperate crisis earlier, Godou and Doni were completely
unharmed, without even a single burn.
"I remember it's the god that Alec and that Greenwich princess were
looking for, supposedly crazy strong. This is perfect. Once I meet him
again somewhere, I'll just have a quick duel with him."
"As for me, I'd prefer to never meet him again, if possible..."
Unexpectedly informed of things, Doni had also heard of the 'King of End'
rumors.
While expressing his contrary opinion, Godou also started to look for the
third of his kindred. Since he was safe and sound, surely, she too—Indeed,
she was here.
Madame Aisha was lying down a slight distance away.
"Are you okay, Aisha-san!?"
"Y-Yeah, well enough..."
Godou rushed over to call to her. The Madame made a gesture as though
replying.
However, her consciousness still seemed quite confused. She turned her
gaze to survey her surroundings.
"Surviving is more important than anything else..."
Staring at Madame Aisha who still could not speak with ease, Godou
suddenly realized.
"This place is very similar to the 'corridor' that I passed through to reach
the ancient world..."
"Ah, I see now. Now that you mention it, I find it familiar too."
Doni also nodded and agreed. If that were true, then the woman lying
collapsed before them was their savior. Godou thanked her from the
bottom of his heart.
"Aisha-san saved us, right? Thank you."
"N-Not at all. I simply combined my fortune's blessing with the corrective
force maintaining ancient Gaul's history, thereby opening a fairy's
corridor... That was how the three of us were saved."
"Come to think of it, your fairy's corridors tend to open automatically on
their own."
"Uh... It is still ancient Gaul if we go out that exit over there. I intend to
return after a while, but let's rest for now."
Madame Aisha pointed overhead while speaking.
A spot of white light was shining like a star at the place she indicated.
Pondering something, Godou was reminded of what Ena said about the
corridors simply being invisible.
If that description was correct—Godou tried asking:
"Does the exit leading to our twenty-first century still exist in this place?
One that will take us back to our original time if we pass through...?"
"Hey hey, Godou. The battle is just about to start. Retreat is not an option."
"Like I'm gonna return on my own, leaving Erica and Seishuuin behind. I
just want to confirm a possibility that just occurred to me."
"Kusanagi-san, that's very sharp of you. Honestly speaking, it does exist
indeed. However—"
Under the two men's gaze, Madame Aisha clasped her hands together
before her chest as though in prayer.
Then countless dots of light suddenly appeared in the surroundings. This
scene was very similar to the innumerable stars scattered throughout the
universe.
"Because every light here is a corridor exit, reaching the time period of
your desire is quite difficult..."
"I-Is there any way to distinguish which exit connects to where?"
"High-ranking fairies from the Netherworld, used to time traveling, or
guardian gods of travel are probably able to do it. But unfortunately, it's
impossible by our efforts, Kusanagi-san and mine..."
"Looks like a shortcut is out of the question. I understand."
This was simply a whim of the moment. After Godou spoke cheerfully
without any discouragement at all, the stars scattered througout the dark
space disappeared overhead one after another.
On the other hand, careless words slipped out of the other man's mouth as
his eyes flashed brightly.
"Hmm. In that case, choosing a random exit might be quite fun. Journeys
to unknown destinations are just so exciting, aren't they?"
"Shut up with the nonsense, the guy who just said that the battle is about
to start."
Giving Salvatore Doni a stern warning, Godou frowned.
This man could not be allowed to disrupt the past world any further. But
currently, their first priority should be handling 'King of the End' Artos. At
any rate, he was the Devil King-slaying war god and could very well indeed
be the man who fought persistently until all Campiones were exterminated.
More important than anything else, there was that unforgettable warning...
Godou sighed.
"Hey Salvatore Doni. I have an absolutely reluctant suggestion to make."
"What is it, my dear friend?"
"Temporarily putting aside my objections to your annoying statements, how
about teaming up with me? Until the battle against that 'King of the End'
Artos is over."
"Ehe."
Doni made one of those impressed smiles he rarely made, completely
devoid of frivolity.
"Rather than rare, to be exact, this would be the very first time. I can't
believe you're asking me to cooperate with you!"
"Please use a description with a little more tension in it, like a united front
or an alliance, okay? Athena mentioned once before, that in a battle
against the 'King of the End,' I will die for sure. All seven Campiones will be
killed by that guy."
"Athena's warning, huh..."
"Besides, the other side still has that Artio goddess, abeit injured. Plus the
unknown wind god. Even if the two of us cooperate, it's still two against
three."
"Hoho, the odds are truly stacked against us."
"If you don't want to fight this battle where victory is uncertain, I'm not
gonna force you."
"Are you kidding me? Fighting alongside my friend to confront a reckless
battle, this is awesome stuff for furthering friendship. You and I, we're
friends, right?"
"..."
"We're friends, right?"
"...I guess."
"Then it's fine, the alliance is established!"
In contrast to Doni who was suddenly smiling, Godou's face was covered
by a bitter expression. But with this, the first of his preparations was
complete. On the other hand, Madame Aisha spoke up in a fluster:
"E-Excuse me, Kusanagi-san. Then what should I be doing!?"
"Of course, it would be helpful if you could assist to make it three on three,
Aisha-san... But is your condition okay? We're about to fight gods again."
It was readily apparent that Madame Aisha was greatly exhausted by the
emergency evacuation just now.
Furthermore, she had openly declared a number of times that she was not
suited to battle. That said, she apparently still held several secret
techniques in reserve, such as 'reversing the healing authority' or the like,
though it was still unclear whether they were usable in these
circumstances—
As expected, the Madame bowed her head apologetically.
"I-I'm very sorry. Because the healing authority cannot be used on myself...
I don't think I can recover immediately..."
"Don't worry about that. Remember, you just saved our lives."
Godou placed his hand on the Madame's shoulder and nodded at her.
"Just let Doni and me do our best. All you need to do is extend a helping
hand if an opportunity arises for you to help."
"V-Very well."
Godou looked up to see the overhead light, shining brightly high above. Its
position was slightly lower than earlier.
This was the exit that would lead Godou and the other two back to the
ancient world. The exit was currently at a slightly lower height than before.
Godou decided he had to finish the second of his preparations before the
exit descended completely.
Just as he started to focus his concentration...
"Hey Godou. Of course, I respect Athena's warning that you brought up."
Salvatore Doni suddenly spoke up.
"But what do you think personally... No, what do you feel?"
"..."
Godou did not answer, for he was causing his entire body's magical power
to burst out. There was no time left. The light overhead had already
dropped to roughly the height of a small building. They were about to
return to the hill where the mysterious hero had descended.
The second round was finally about to begin.
Part 3
"Those lights are the same as the ones fired off by Sir Lancelot's lance..."
"Probably the Divine Sword of Salvation..."
Murmuring away softly were Erica Blandelli and Seishuuin Ena.
The two of them were gazing in the direction where the three Campiones
were facing earlier.
This was the hill where the pale-haired hero had descended, summoned
by the goddess Artio's ritual. Earlier, during the instant when the divine
sword's heavy blade was pointed at the heavens, a sphere of light had
manifested in the sky like a sun, firing off an attack that pierced the
ground—
Swallowed by this light, the godslayers had all vanished.
"Although they're not people who die so easily... But what if—"
"Ama no Murakumo's presence can't be felt either... But it shouldn't have
disappeared from this land."
The hole piercing the ground measured roughly sixty meters in diameter.
Even the [Boar] was defeated in one hit.
Even Erica was unable to stop herself from imagining gruesome outcomes.
Without her usual cheerfulness, Ena spoke in dark tones.
But in the next instant, they discovered signs that things were "not as they
seem." They stopped raising worries. Only now was the battle between
gods and godslayers about to start officially.
Currently a black sphere had suddenly manifested high above the hill
where the hero had descended.
This was the dark star for summoning a storm of gravity—Kusanagi
Godou's newest weapon.
"Dawn's secret archives huh..."
This "black blade" was obtained through the guidance of the goddesses
Athena and Circe.
Godou's preparations for using his new power had begun back when he
was still inside the "fairy's corridor."
"Lend me the goddess' wisdom!"
This was the most powerful attack in Kusanagi Godou's arsenal.
However, raising it to maximum power required too much time. Using it to
annihilate a group was relatively easy but sniping individual targets was
much harder. Godou had come to understand these traits during his fight
against Uldin.
—Hence, timing was the most important.
During the instant of returning to the ground from the corridor's alternate
space...
At the same time, he sent the black star, having raised it to full power,
towards the hill where the hero's faction waited!
"I'm relying on you, Ama no Murakumo!"
'Affirmative!'
Residing in his right arm, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi responded to
Godou's command.
Two Campiones returned to the ground simultaneously. They found a
crater behind them, sixty meters in diameter, so deep it seemed
bottomless.
Before them was the hill where the pale-haired hero and the bear goddess
were waiting.
Godou, Doni and Madame Aisha had returned to the hill. Furthermore,
above the trio was a massive black star that was almost twice as large as
the hole behind them.
'O steel that breaks a thousand blades, trample the enemy with a rampage
of divine wind!'
The instant Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi issued the order, the dark star
began to descend rapidly.
Its target was the hill where the gods stood, of course. At the same time, a
rumbling storm began to blow violently.
This dark star was manifestation of supergravity capable of sucking in
everything on the ground. Soil, vegetation, the stone circle on the hill,
everything was being devoured by the black sphere together with the wind
and the atmosphere.
Indeed, this was the gravitational storm of the "black blade."
"Hahaha! To think you'd obtain this kind of authority! As expected of
Godou!"
"J-Just watching from afar, I never expected it to be so amazing!"
Doni was laughing with delight while Madame Aisha used her hands to
hold down her overcoat, billowing in the wind.
The three Campiones were just short of being sucked in because, holding
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi up high, Godou did now give the black star
permission to do so.
There were others who had escaped the gravitational attraction. Namely,
the goddess Artio and the 'King of the End.'
"I call upon my avatar, the earth! The one turned into a mother!"
As a mother earth goddess, Artio chanted spell words.
The wound from Doni's sword was still carved on her abdomen as a
red-black trail.
"By all means necessary, keep my son and I on the ground!"
Those without wings were not permitted to leave the earth.
Was this divine power invoked in adherence to this principle? Despite the
pulls of the gravitational storm, Artio and the 'King of the End' remained
firmly standing on the earth.
However, this type of resistance probably placed great strain on her. Artio's
face was showing desperation.
Next, Godou's dark star rapidly descended on the fake duo of mother and
son.
Probably at a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour. However, just at
this moment, the pale-haired hero swiftly drew the Divine Sword of
Salvation, thrusting the platinum blade towards the rapidly approaching
black sphere.
Immediately, a gigantic sphere of platinum light blocked the dark star head
on!
"...!"
Still silent, the pale-haired hero injected a vast amount of magical power
into the divine sword.
The Divine Sword of Salvation produced light that was as bright as the sun.
The ball of light was just as large as the dark star controlled by Ama no
Murakumo no Tsurugi.
The white sun and black giant star proceeded to clash violently in midair.
For Godou, this was a scene he had not witnessed for a long time, ever
since the battle against Lancelot. The white sun shot out hundreds of
lightning flashes. A gravitational storm raged violently in the surroundings
of the dark star.
Indeed, it was a clash between equals. This was exactly the same as that
time with Lancelot—!
"...Well, that should be about right."
However, Godou still poured the majority of his magical power into Ama no
Murakumo no Tsurugi which he was raising up towards the sky. At the
same time, he commented indifferently.
Godou muttered quietly then threw a glance at Doni behind him.
"Indeed, perhaps there are some slight differences."
"I knew it, your view does agree with mine. As expected of my dear friend."
"There must be something we still don't understand yet. That said, the
other side's power is supposed to be much stronger than ours."
Godou spoke quietly while ignoring Doni's words of friendship.
"I think we can take advantage of this opening."
"Agreed. Then I'm on it!"
Giggling, Doni rushed out.
He ran from the foot of the hill towards the peak, unsheathing his
longsword as he ascended.
Watching him from behind, Godou could not help but click his tongue in
annoyance. Who could have expected he would be so in sync with Doni?
Clearly it was their first time being stuck in the same boat!
Completely unaware of Godou's frustrations, the godslayer of the sword
raced effortlessly up the hill.
A slender figure blocked his path ahead. Wrapped in white cloth all over,
the warrior was also wearing leather armor with a mask.
This red mask covered the face completely.
On the other hand, the positions corresponding to the eyes were painted
black in color.
Due to the mask and the white cloth wrapped all over the body, none of the
enemy's skin could be seen. The unidentified figure was wielding in one
hand a massive sword that was almost his own height.
"Ehe. This means you won't let me advance further, right?"
"——"
With a toothy grin, Doni slashed downwards vertically with his longsword.
The masked warrior blocked the attack calmly. With extreme speed, he
had raised the giant sword to block the longsword.
However, in blocking Doni's longsword, the great blade was severed.
Indeed, Salvatore Doni's magic sword was an authority capable of slicing
anything into two. Let alone the opponent's body, even armor, shields and
weapons were easily sliced through.
Doni's sword did not stop the attack's momentum and sliced at the
enemy's mask at lightning speed.
However, just three centimeters before cutting the enemy's face open,
surprisingly, the masked warrior effortlessly evaded the sword, jumping
sideways rapidly at the same time.
This speed was like a gale's, whistling like the sound of blowing wind.
Then the masked warrior began to take further action. His movements
resembled rapid punches. Currently, the black blade's gravitational storm
was still blowing at ground level, but he was still able to ignore it with ease.
Every time he took a step with extreme speed, a whirlwind would result
underfoot. He—or she—was probably a war god of gales, unaffected by
the restraints of gravity.
"I guess you're the wind god from just now."
"——"
"I see you're trying to be a mute like your master. Hohoho, I don't really
dislike this kind of preference."
The red-masked war god. A being that Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi
exposed as a wind god and a sword.
A subordinate god of the "King of the End"? No. Godou shook his head.
There was the example of Lancelot already. This god could very well have
encountered the "King of the End" while wandering the earth and became
allies. One could not jump to conclusions recklessly.
Meanwhile, confronted with the smiling Doni, the unidentified war god
summoned a giant sword again.
"——!"
Holding a massive sword almost as long as he was tall, he charged Doni
head on.
This speed was not simply gale speed. Rather, it was the speed of
lightning. The same speed as Verethragna's incarnation of the [Raptor] or
Alexandre Gascoigne's [Black Lightning]—divine speed!
Using divine speed, the masked war god kept making terrifying attacks.
To this point, he had been swinging his giant sword one-handed.
Suddenly, it seemed as though he had increased to having twelve arms
and twelve blades, attacking Doni's body from all directions.
As a result of divine speed, it looked like all twelve attacks were happening
at the same time.
Nevertheless, Doni saw through all these attacks. Although it looked like
twelve massive blades were slicing through the blond Campione, Doni's
body simply flickered once like a mirage. Completely unharmed.
Salvatore Doni was a user of the mind's eye, capable of seeing through
attacks even conducted with divine speed.
Finally, Doni made a rather casual forward thrust with his longsword,
aiming to pierce the war god's mask.
It was a low-speed and leisurely thrust that did not seem like it belonged in
a battle. Yet for some reason, the user of divine speed only barely
managed to evade Doni's sword—No.
Seeing through Doni's swordsmanship was an exceedingly difficult task.
That was why the reaction was delayed. Just as the sword's blade was
approaching right in front of his face, the war god barely managed to turn
and evade successfully. This was Doni's divine skill that Godou had
experienced before.
"——"
"You get it now, don't you? You're no match for me if you rely on speed
alone."
The war god was probably making a terrible expression behind the mask.
In contrast, Doni was flippant as usual and went as far as to say the
following:
"Maybe your usual weapon is not a sword? Not to say something bad, but
it doesn't matter even if you fought using your most skilled weapon."
In merely a brief exchange, he had already caught a glimpse of the
enemy's martial arts.
After displaying what could be called the wise judgment of a martial genius,
Doni laughed fearlessly.
"If you're only going to fight like this, I'm probably much stronger than you
think."
"——"
The masked war god had apparently sealed off his best weapon on
purpose.
Could it be that showing his appearance and weapon would be equivalent
to exposing his true identity? Godou's curiosity spurred him to gaze intently
at the war god.
But at the same time, he continued to hold Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi
up high, pouring massive amounts of magical power into it.
Naturally, this was for maintaining the "black blade" and the gravitational
storm. Overhead, the white sun of salvation was colliding with the dark
star, resisting each other in a fight to annihilate the other.
Furthermore, the "King of the End" on the hill was doing the same as
Godou—Or not, actually.
The pale-haired hero was running down the hill. Wielding the Divine Sword
of Salvation, he slashed at Godou.
"Ack... He's not as strained as me!?"
In order to maintain the dark star, Godou was standing still, focusing his
attention.
In contrast, the "King of the End" was running rapidly, finally arriving before
Godou's eyes. Up above, the white star remained bright and dazzling. As
expected, his latent ability was enough to surpass Godou's faction!
Then the Devil King-slaying hero swung his oft-used sword.
A diagonal slash, from shoulder to hip, was aimed at Devil King Kusanagi
Godou.
Refined swordsmanship, fitting for a war god. Even though Godou's
dynamic vision and concentration was able to see through a fastball
traveling at a hundred miles per hour, he was still unable to evade a slash
from the Divine Sword of Salvation.
Blood splattered everywhere. Rather than pain, Godou felt a scorching
sensation spreading throughout his body.
A very severe injury. Nevertheless, as long as it was not fatal—even
though failing to evade, Godou had still jumped backwards instantly using
beast-like reflexes.
Moreover, a Campione's sturdy body, with bones harder than steel,
displayed its true worth at times like these.
Still silent, the "King of the End" coldly faced off against the injured
godslayer, readying his divine sword again.
With the sword's hilt raised up to shoulder height, this stance prepared an
upper strike.
"Kusanagi-san! I shall heal your wound right now!"
"Don't come over! Aisha-san, you should retreat to a safe place—where
Erica and Seishuuin are located!"
From behind came the worried voice of the one bearing miraculous hands
of healing.
However, Godou commanded her in a gruff tone of voice. Frankly
speaking, he had no confidence in blocking this formidable foe.
Presumably sensing Godou's intentions, Madame Aisha surprisingly gave
an instant nod and departed rapidly. Quite amazing of her in such areas. A
keen nose for survival.
Godou glared viciously at the "King of the End."
In response, the pale-haired hero remained utterly cold and
expressionless—Completely unmoved.
This was the reason why Godou had not sensed any threat from this guy
just now! Feeling the rising emotions of battle and the excitement produced
from the search for victory, Godou began to curl his lips in a savage grin.
"All evildoers, tremble before my strength... Upon my mighty self, I shall
bear the symbol of the raging camel!"
Godou invoked Verethragna's fourth incarnation, the [Camel], whose
activation required severe injuries. Using this incarnation, Kusanagi Godou
was able to obtain superhuman combat ability, kicking strength and
resilience!
The [Camel]'s blessings also helped relieve the intense pain. Godou
instantly shouted:
"Ama no Murakumo! Can I leave things on that side to you for now!?"
'Affirmative!'
Hearing this promise, delivered full of spirit, Godou stabbed the divine
sword into the ground.
For brief periods of time, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi's own magical
power could probably sustain the "black blade." While throwing down his
weapon, Godou also made his move.
With great speed, he slid towards the legs of the "King of the End."
Extending his heel along the way, Godou aimed a strike to shatter the
hero's kneecaps. Even in the human world, there existed martial arts and
combat skills that involved surprise attacks aimed at the enemy's legs
while attacking from the ground. However, divine sword in hand, the hero
simply took a slight step backwards, easily escaping the range of the kick.
Due to this being the smallest necessary backstep, he was able to switch
to offense immediately without the slightest instant of delay.
Beneath the shining sword, Godou was still on the ground after his sliding
attack failed.
The movements of ordinary combat skills would be unable to evade the
Divine Sword of Salvation. In an unsightly manner, Godou rolled on the
ground, escaping from under the shining divine sword.
Then immediately, he used the [Camel]'s leg strength to stand up.
At this moment, the opponent caught up. The 'King of the End' made
straight thrust with the divine sword's blade. Rather than a single strike,
there were one, two, three... four thrusts.
In this brief instant, this divine technqiue aimed four thrusts at Godou's
forehead, throat, heart and chest.
Godou kept turning his and swaying his body from side to side, barely
managing to evade the four thrusts. However, unlike the "King of the End,"
he did not switch to offense. After exhibiting divine skills, the enemy
entered another stance for an upper strike, readying himself to engage any
incoming attack.
Not a single movement was redundant. His body's central axis did not
deviate.
Perhaps that was why he was able to attack and defend without delay,
able to instantly switch to the next movement.
Even as a swordsman, the "King of the End" was quite outstanding.
As expected of the strongest war god. Very likely, even when faced against
Salvatore Doni or Godou's sworn sister, Luo Cuilian, he would still be able
to engage them effortlessly in a sword fight. Perhaps even winning through
swordsmanship alone.
Furthermore, wielding the divine sword, his stance was majestic and
imposing—
While wielding the sword neatly, even the smallest actions of the body and
every step of the foot were polished to the extreme.
A "position" worthy of the hero wielding the sword of salvation. Literally a
king's sword, slaying enemies while looking down upon them from above.
Such was his combat form, fighting courageously, fair and square.
In contrast, Godou's beast-like movements could be described as the polar
opposite indeed.
"Hey... Why are you unwilling to fight seriously?"
However, still unable to sense a threat from the "King of the End," Godou
spoke up.
"You're the hero who intends to slaughter all the Campi—godslayers,
right? Born under that star with this kind of fate, you can wield astounding
power when trying to accomplish that mission. Isn't that right?"
"..."
"There was once a god called the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who
imitated you, invoking the power for vanquishing Devil Kings. That time, he
was much stronger than you are now. Why aren't you using your full power
to eliminate us seriously?"
Indeed. That was the time when the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun
Wukong, battled against three Campiones.
The monkey king of steel had prayed to the "sword god's star of destiny,"
summoning the power for exterminating Devil Kings, using it to suppress
Kusanagi Godou, Luo Cuilian and John Pluto Smith.
Although the "King of the End" was strong indeed, he could not compare
with the Great Sage Equaling Heaven of that time...
Godou shrugged after posing these honest questions.
The enemy remained silent. He looked like he had no intention of
interacting with Godou.
But then...
"...If I were to ask in response, why do you hold such expectations for me?"
Godou finally heard it. He heard the voice from the "King of the End."
"Indeed, this body of mine shoulders the fate of exterminating the Devil
Kings. It so happens that I manifested on this occasion due to a fake
mother's entreaties. However, precisely because of that, you and I are
having this encounter."
The voice was not only cool but also stern, yet incredibly, it carried a sweet
feeling as well.
"Whether favorable or adverse fate, the incredible threads of destiny are
weaved between individual humans as well as between humans and gods.
Furthermore, between you and me—there should be few if any threads of
fate linking us. On the level of crossing blades under such chance
circumstances, such is the trivial bond of fate that we share..."
Godou stared at the "King of the End" once more.
Originally hiding his eyes behind shadows, those bangs had disappeared
spontaneously. Was it because he started having the intention to
communicate with Godou? In any case, his face was predictably
handsome.
Like his voice, both his face and standing posture were cool and imposing.
High born. Aristocrat. A noble courtier. Only such descriptions could be
applied to his appearance.
However, his handsome face was stained with battle-weary ferocity,
neutralizing the sweetness of a handsome man's face. His facial beauty
was filled with the nobility and stern dignity fitting for a great general on the
battlefield.
Then this fierce aristocrat spoke with worry:
"I believe that great ritual of the ancient covenant must not be used lightly.
It makes me hesitate whether I should wield this power against the few of
you whose fates are lightly entwined with mine. Do you understand?"
"I think I have a rough idea..."
Godou also answered in a troubled voice.
For those who were named as war gods, the vast majority had excessive
belligerence. However, the "King of the End" spoke differently compared to
those other war gods—More importantly, Godou was able to converse with
him smoothly against expectation. He also gave off an air of intellect.
Rather, one could say that compared to the likes of Salvatore Doni, he
seemed more like an ordinary person, right?
That said, as expected of a god, there were still many facets worth
criticizing.
"But seeing how I'm already cut up so pitifully by you, I completely disagree
with your assertion of a 'trivial bond of fate.'"
"Is that so? Now that you mention it, indeed you may be right."
Inflicting wounds that would surely kill a normal person on the spot, yet
merely calling it "the level of crossing blades." That was ultimately
unacceptable. Godou began to reprimand him using the human world's
common sense.
Unbelievably, the "King of the End" nodded honestly.
"My mistake. Please forgive my ignorance... But wait, you godslayers are
all immortal and larger-than-life characters no matter the time period. I
would believe that a sword wound of this level does not really count as an
injury for your kind."
The hero's apology was filled with honesty and sincerity.
"In fact, you are continuing to fight as though treating the wound as
perfectly natural."
"Th-That's why, I say that it can't possibly not hurt."
"I see, I understand now. My thinking was too shallow indeed. As an
apology, I shall reveal to you a secret that I did not mention just now."
The paled-hair aristocrat stared straight at Godou and said:
"The great ritual of the ancient covenant... Presently, I am still unable to
use it."
"What did you say?"
"Not only that. As I am now, I have yet to reach the level when I can use
other weapons freely with ease... I am still lacking what it takes to elevate
myself as a sword god to become the strongest blade."
After this confession, the "King of the End" wielded the divine sword with
both hands.
Still an upper strike. This posture exhibited proper and orthodox
swordsmanship.
"If you are taking precautions against the great ritual of the covenant, there
is no need. You are trying to find an opportunity for victory, aren't you? Any
moment is as good as any other. Feel free to bring it on."
"...Why do you think that?"
"Because you godslayers are always like this. Whether being backed into a
corner, reaching the climax of victory, carrying a conversation, whispering
words of love, your kind never relaxes towards me—rather, you godslayers
are always preparing to bite the enemy's neck at all times. That is what you
are."
The "King of the End" continued to stare with such directness while
delivering words of such sincerity.
Godou could not find words to object. The cool aristocrat had pointed out
facts that were basically correct. After all, during the entire conversation,
Godou had been searching for the right timing in a corner of his mind.
Even so, it was quite unbelievable to think he was successfully conversing
with the hero who had exterminated so many Devil Kings.
Hence that was probably why. Surprised by this, Godou spoke up:
"You just said that fate does not bind us to you very strongly, right? In that
case, can't you choose to stop fighting? You're only meeting that Artio
goddess for the first time, right?"
"Unfortunately, I cannot do that."
At this moment, what surfaced on the "King of the End"'s face was
weariness.
Perhaps he was already tired of endless battles, feeling utterly exhausted.
However, against that weary expression, ferocity surfaced, as clear-cut as
rust.
"I am the sword born to fight your kind. That is also my reason for being
here this time. The only forbidden choice is that of halting this battle. My
apologies."
The "King of the End" announced with his handsome face, weary yet
fearless.
Godou was greatly stunned. He had seen this face somewhere in his
dreams... This ridiculous notion surfaced in his mind.
"Even though my body is not in peak condition, fighting your kind is my
destiny. I hope you will enjoy yourself briefly in a duel against me. That
said, I am currently unsure if I can satisfy the likes of you godslayers in
battle—"
"But avoidable battles should still be avoided..."
Godou sighed deeply.
By the time he noticed, the gravitational storm had already weakened.
In the white sun and dark star's clash in the air above, the dark star was
already losing in the tide of battle. Weakening due to Godou having
entrusted Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi to maintain it, the dark star had
shrunk to roughly half its size compared to when it was at peak power.
Turning his gaze, Godou saw the masked war god still engaged in a sword
battle with Salvatore Doni.
No longer needing to put all her strength towards suppressing the
gravitational storm, the goddess Artio was now looking downwards from
the hill towards her "son"'s back. She was probably planning to assist.
Godou decided that now was his only chance to act. At this rate, they were
going to be driven into an even worse predicament.
Agreeing with his victory instincts, Godou yelled:
"Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, you can stop Athena's sword now!"
"!?"
Because the dark star disappeared from the sky, the "King of the End"
showed true surprise for the first time.
The only thing left in the air was a giant ball of light resembling a sun.
However, that was fine. If victory could be seized within a minute or two,
the rest did not matter.
Godou rushed full speed at the hero who was wielding the white divine
sword.
Traces of surprise still lingered in the face of the war god, even as an
outstanding swordsman. However, he still readied the divine sword for an
upper attack and turned his sharp gaze towards Godou, fully prepared to
intercept any attack.
Ten-odd steps more and Godou was probably going to enter the "King of
the End"'s attack range of the divine sword—
Hence, Godou commanded simply:
"Divine Sword of Salvation... Let me have a go at using it too!"
"What!?"
Manifesting in Godou's right hand was Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
Three feet three and a half inches in blade length. A strong sword with a
gently curving blade of black. However, what should have been a jet-black
blade was currently shining with platinum splendor. Kusanagi Godou's
partner possessed the ability to replicate enemy authorities. Previously in
the battle with Uldin, this had also been used to great effect.
Naturally, the target this time was the destructive power hidden in the
Divine Sword of Salvation.
'The divine sword, stalwart in the face of barbarians, you are not the only
one, hero!'
As Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi uttered these bold words, Godou swung
it like a metal bat with both hands—
Throwing it towards the "King of the End."
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi's blade was infused with the light and
lightning of salvation.
Naturally, it was unable to produce a sun-like ball of light like the Divine
Sword of Salvation. Nevertheless, it still possessed enough power to make
the aristocrat sense slight danger.
Thrown through the air, the shining Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi was
blocked by the "King of the End" using the white divine sword.
The instant these two radiant swords clashed violently, lightning erupted
from the point of contact.
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi and the Divine Sword of Salvation bounced
away from the lightning's impact. For just an instant, the "King of the End"
went "!?" and stared wide-eyed, his attention slightly diverted.
Godou suddenly jumped and delivered a right straight kick from midair!
The kick dug straight into the "King of the End"'s chest. In that instant,
Godou poured magical power into his right leg, increasing the kick's power
to a maximum. This was his first attempt at doing so—But it worked.
The "King of the End" flew ten-odd meters, finally collapsing on his back
somewhere halfway up the hill.
"How splendid, godslayer..."
Frowning in pain, the "King of the End" pushed his upper torso up, trying to
stand.
The place where Godou's kick had dug in, right over the heart, was
glowing with red light.
"Just now—It's my loss, huh. May I know your name?"
"...Kusanagi Godou."
"I shall remember it. For the day of our inevitable reunion."
Godou hesitated slightly due to his opponent's strange request, but still
announced his name in the end. With a satisfied expression, the "King of
the End" nodded at him. Then a few seconds passed.
Glowing above the heart, the red light suddenly increased in
brightness—Exploding.
The light, carved into the opponent's body by Godou's kick, caused a
vortex of flame, engulfing the "King of the End." Amidst the intensely
burning flames of the explosion, the aristocrat's figure was gradually
disappearing.
Shining brilliantly in the sky, the sun of salvation also vanished
simultaneously with its master's exit from the stage.
"Does this count as my win...?"
And so, Godou was puzzled by this excessively simple conclusion.
Part 4
Salvatore Doni and the war god continued to slash at each other.
The masked war god attacked ferociously with swordsmanship of such
divine speed that no shadows were produced. Doni evaded his opponent's
rapid attacks using a sword savant's superb martial arts while turning his
longsword to counterattack.
With movements of divine speed, the war god dodged Doni's sword by the
slimmest of margins—
The battle repeated endlessly in this manner, a rather boring development.
This monotony was finally broken by the "King of the End"'s explosion.
Some distance away, the hero of the divine sword was engulfed by the
flames of the explosion, disappearing...
Witnessing this shocking sight in a corner of his view, Doni chuckled to
himself. As he had hoped, Kusanagi Godou had taken rather large strides
in development as a warrior. Nothing else could please Doni as much as
this.
On the other hand, the war god's attention was momentarily distracted by
the master's defeat, thus exposing a slight opening.
In this very instant, Doni's body moved on its own.
Stepping forward as naturally as water flowing downhill, he swung the
longsword horizontally with his right hand in a wide arc, intending to slice
through the war god's neck.
An act performed by body and arm, faster than the mind could think—
The sword of mental nothingness. Swinging the sword naturally was where
its true value lay.
Even the war god of gales was unable to evade this attack. Instead, he
used his left forearm to block his neck, stopping Doni's sword. However,
Doni's sword was the magic blade of severing.
It was supposed to be Doni's victory, with the war god's left arm and neck
simultaneously severed.
Clang! The distinctive sound of steel clashing with each other rang out.
"Ehe... So you're the same as me."
"——"
The war god's upper arm was wrapped in layers of white cloth.
Hidden beneath the white cloth, the arm had the hardness and texture of
steel. This was what had blocked Doni's sword.
The magic sword of severing sliced two-thirds deep into the war god's
forearm, finally stopping. This was not a feat that any ordinary arm of steel
could achieve. It was absolutely impossible unless the whole body could
turn into indestructible steel.
Possessors of such an authority were quite limited. Sun Wukong the Great
Sage Equaling Heaven, Siegfried the dragon-slaying hero, Salvatore Doni
and others...
"A wind god possessing a body of steel? That's quite a difficult god to
guess. Speaking of which, I've heard that Verethragna, whom Godou
defeated, is also [Steel] with a wind god's divinity. Are you his relative or
something?"
The war god of gales transformed into wind instead of answering.
Then turning into a gust of wind blowing past, he flew away from the hill.
It was as though he was saying that his time on stage had ended now that
his master the hero had left. Doni shrugged and saw off his opponent.
Only Artio was left as the remaining enemy. Looking in her direction,
Godou went "Eh?" and stared wide-eyed.
This was because the goddess, who had manifested out of the Celt's
desire for vengeance, still had no intention of giving up on victory.
Slightly earlier, the two divine swords had been sent flying.
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi had already returned to Godou's right arm.
On the other hand, the Divine Sword of Salvation was picked up by the
goddess Artio.
Seeing the body of that blade, Godou was taken aback. The divine sword
was still shining with a platinum glow.
Neither decrepit nor rusted to any degree. Back when called the "remains
of the King of the End," the Divine Sword of Salvation always looked utterly
worn out.
"Sleeping Artos... No, the Devil King-exterminating warrior."
Artio called out to the divine sword of light.
"Offering you a part of my life was still far from bringing about a true
awakening... In that case, it cannot be helped. The entirety of my wounded
self shall be offered to you. Let this serve as the signal fire for a war's
beginning."
Holding the divine sword's hilt in a reverse grip, the goddess pressed the
blade's tip against her chest while murmuring softly.
Then as Godou watched, the glowing Divine Sword of Salvation was
plunged into the goddess' chest.
Artio pierced her heart by her own hand. Flowing from the wound, the great
amount of blood was all absorbed into the Divine Sword of Salvation.
"The key to making the strongest steel become the strongest—The life of a
goddess! O sword of salvation, before your master awakens, assist me
well!"
After calling out, Artio's body turned into sand and scattered in the wind.
Conversely, the Divine Sword of Salvation's light grew progressively
stronger. After a while, the instant the goddess's body completely
collapsed, the divine sword's blade fell straight down.
With that, the divine sword stabbed into the ground. Immediately after
that...
A giant white sphere of light manifested in the air again. The light of
salvation had revived.
"Just now's shining light revived again!?"
"I can't use the black sphere again! We have to think of a way to handle it!"
Doni had come running over, so Godou answered him.
Whether Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi or Godou himself, both were
depleted in magical power. The "black blade" was already gone. During
this time, the Divine Sword of Salvation started to attack.
Resembling a mini-sun high up in the air, the sphere of light released
several hundred flashes of lightning.
Not just once. A great deal of lightning was shot again and again, released
continuously, turning into a rain of lightning pouring onto the grond.
In order to avoid this lightning, Godou used the [Raptor] incarnation.
He activated divine speed capable of dodging even lightning. On the other
hand, Doni's "body of steel" provided iron-clad defense all over and did not
even flinch from direct attacks of lightning.
Godou recalled facing a similar situation in the battle against Lancelot...
Remembering that event, Godou realized something.
This lightning was different from that released by the war god of the lance.
"Weapons" could be seen on the front tips of the descending lightning.
Most numerous of all were arrows but all kinds of other objects could also
be found.
Spears, glaives, axes, swords, pikes, iron rings, shields made of iron, steel
clubs, iron plates, cannonballs—
Even objects that could not be described as weapons were included, such
as blocks of iron or iron-worked models of skulls.
Their only similarity was that everything was made of iron. It was as though
all the knights of a king's round table had gathered their favorite weapons
and iron equipment together, a most chaotic situation.
Hiding in the lightning was a great number of arrows and other iron-crafted
items—
When these objects collided violently with the ground or Doni's body, they
disappeared simultaneously with the lightning's explosion.
"Am I seeing these things because they're traveling slower than the ones
from last time...?"
Shocked, Godou muttered.
Using the [Raptor]'s divine speed, he kept weaving left and right to dodge
the rain of lightning and iron.
Despite performing the same attack, this lightning was slower than
Lancelot's. Godou could evade effortlessly. As a mother earth goddess,
Artio was unable to use the divine sword as skillfully as a [War God of
Steel] after all.
'At this rate, there will be no end to this... The main body must be dealt with
somehow!'
While divine speed was activated, sounds from the external environment
sounded as though they were coming from far away.
But this was definitely Doni's voice, no mistake about it. The blond
Campione was currently running. Using his "body of steel" to deflect the
lightning and weapons, he ran towards the Divine Sword of Salvation.
After a while, Doni finally came before the glowing divine sword.
Using his silver arm, he swung the magic sword. The slash produced a
small crack on the Divine Sword of Salvation.
If he continued to chop repeatedly in this manner, was the blade of Devil
King extermination going to be shattered? Just as Godou wondered, the
Divine Sword of Salvation released a dazzling flash of light.
The light was accompanied by an extremely strong attack of superhigh
heat.
Spreading in a hundred-eighty-degree arc, everything was incinerated
within a dome-shaped region!
"!?"
Did the divine sword go berserk as a result of being attacked during an
unstable state of control?
Godou trembled. At the same time, he ran with divine speed, trying to
escape the heat blast's range as quickly as possible. Picking a random
direction, he ran at full speed.
Naturally, at point-blank range, Doni was engulfed by the light.
There was no time to rescue him. Godou ran. The flash of hot light was
chasing him from behind. Released from the Divine Sword of Salvation at
the center, the flash of light and heat covered a dome exceeding four
kilometers in radius.
Using the pace of divine speed, Godou could rush out of range in an
instant.
However, running at full speed ended up causing his downfall instead.
Several hundred flashes of lightning were still pouring down nonstop from
above. In the process of running, Godou was struck in the chest by one
such flash of lightning. The lightning striking Godou had an iron arrowhead
at its tip.
His entire body began to feel numb. Body warmth was rapidly lost.
Even so, he still continued to run for a while—But finally, he still had to
stop.
Then he collapsed. His consciousness gradually grew hazy.
At this rate, death was not far away, he thought. However, lightning was
still descending from high above, mixed with weapons of iron. Although
most of the lightning did not fall in this area, it was not completely zero.
Then Godou saw a blue light approaching him.
Struck again, he would surely die—In the next instant, Godou lost
consciousness.
Until not too long ago, there was a grassy hill standing upright on a wide
open plain.
A stone circle was arranged on the hill where the goddess and the hero
were waiting. Three Campiones had headed there to start an intense
battle.
However, this entire area was now blown away.
A complete wasteland. Both vegetation and the hill had vanished, leaving
an endless plain of dirt and sand. The only thing left behind was the giant
hole dug out by the Divine Sword of Salvation.
This was because everything was blown away by the white explosion of
light and heat.
Erica and Ena were now running across this area.
Their target was the zone roughly in the center of the explosion.
Along the way, they found Madame Aisha groaning with her gaze
wandering about. She was only barely conscious but unharmed. According
to her, she had withdrawn from the center of battle, which was why she did
not get caught up in the light and explosion just now.
Her gaze was unsteady due to the "emergency evacuation" earlier.
"However, the two of them should be fighting over there. I hope they are
safe and sound..."
Madame Aisha spoke dejectedly. However, she truly lived up to her name
as a Campione.
A race capable of surviving even in the face of certain death. Erica and
Ena were encouraged by her example. Asking the Madame to wait there
for now, they continued to run towards the center of the blast.
Then finally arriving at a corner somewhere—
The Divine Sword of Salvation was stuck in the desolate ground, emitting
dazzling brilliance.
Also, a familiar young man was lying face down nearby.
"Sir!"
"King Salvatore!"
The two girls ran over to the Campione of the sword.
For some reason, Salvatore Doni's entire body was gray in color. Whether
his blond hair, his pale skin, the smile on his carefree face, even the
clothes on his body were completely gray.
"What is going on...?"
"I suppose... This is probably a state of suspended animation."
Examining Doni's body together with the perplexed Ena, Erica nodded.
There was still a rather faint pulse. However, his breathing had already
stopped. There was no response to touch or sound. This was not a state of
normal life and activity.
Even so, Salvatore Doni was still alive. There were no external injuries on
his body.
"Sir Salvatore has withstood the [White Stallion]'s attack in the past using a
state of suspended animation. This time, he surely survived the explosion
using the same method. However—"
From the hero Siegfried, he had usurped the "body of steel" authority.
A state of suspended animation was one of this authority's applications.
But right now, Erica noticed one thing. Turned gray, Doni's body seemed
softer than usual, a far cry from the hardness of steel.
"To think he would be sleeping here completely unguarded, even Sir
Salvatore's life is truly hanging on a thread here. I suppose like Godou's
[Ram], he needs to be taken care of properly by others after surviving."
"That's really lucky for him to be discovered by Ena and you."
Ena replied with a slightly wry smile.
Suffering the [White Stallion]'s attack in the past, Doni had spent a night
underwater. As a result, with no one able to approach him, that was
probably why the invulnerable Campione was able to stay safe.
Feeling impressed by Doni's good fortune, Erica tensed up her expression
again.
"It is also possible that our Godou survived because his luck hasn't run out
yet... I think the chances are quite high. Since it's him, he's probably killing
time somewhere, right?"
"Hopefully, he'll come out faster—Erica-san, beware of danger!"
Suddenly issuing a warning, Ena jumped backwards. Erica followed suit.
Immediately, a flash of lightning flew towards the prone Salvatore Doni.
Unbelievably, the Divine Sword of Salvation had released this attack.
Although Erica and Ena had dodged successfully, Doni's body was struck
by the lightning.
"Sir Salvatore!?"
'Hohohoho. To think I would obtain a godslayer's body. Indeed, nothing
could be better than that.'
It was the goddess Artio's voice.
The source of her voice was also the Divine Sword of Salvation—No, not
exactly. At some point in time, a black mist had started hanging around the
divine sword's surroundings. Shocked, Ena murmured:
"Having lost her body, only the soul lingers upon the earth..."
'For a mere mortal, seeing this much could be considered eyes of wisdom.
How praiseworthy.'
The black mist spoke softly in Artio's voice again.
Struck by the lightning, Salvatore Doni's body suddenly jumped up. His
entire body's grayness also recovered to its usual color.
Then with stiff movements, Doni extended his hand, reaching towards the
Divine Sword of Salvation and the black mist.
Immediately, the Divine Sword of Salvation and the black mist both flew
towards the Campione's hand.
'O godslayer of the sword, you shall do well to slumber on. I shall receive
your body. In order to fill in for my son's absence, become the wielder of
the divine sword!'
As Erica and Ena watched in shock, Doni gripped the Divine Sword of
Salvation.
The black mist entered the Campione's body through his mouth. Then the
tightly closed eyes of the blond young man suddenly opened wide and he
slowly stood up.
"Hmm... Still unable to move smoothly at the present...?"
The goddess Artio's voice came from Doni's lips.
Handsome but usually quite frivolous, the blond Campione's face was
making an expression acute beyond precedent. He now looked like a
handsome young man to the core, completely flawless.
Doni-Artio swung the Divine Sword of Salvation in a clumsy manner.
Quite sluggish. This was a far cry from the movements of the Devil King of
swords who prided in his divine skills. Doni-Artio shook her head and
muttered with dissatisfaction.
"Apparently, freedom of movement is still lacking for now. I must endure
until I grow accustomed to this body... Fine, the road ahead is rather long."
Doni-Artio slowly trudged her way towards the forest in the distance.
"Two godslayers struck dead already, of which one of them is now in my
grasp. However, so long as godslayers continue to roam the earth, divine
retribution must be meted out to the inhabitants of the land..."
Leaving the speechless Erica and Ena behind, the goddess departed on
her own, speaking at the same time:
"Farewell, maidservants serving the Devil King. Go tell the people that the
hero of salvation shall soon descend to mete out divine retribution. Until
that moment arrives, repent and regret repeatedly for all you want."
Watching the sight of Doni-Artio's back receding into the distance, Ena
began to hesitate.
Was it really okay to let the goddess leave like this—?
Erica shook her head and silently warned her companion. The strong
goddess did not care about humans the slightest. Reckless action could
very well incur her wrath, endangering one's own life instead.
Hence, even in an abnormal state, a god's power still could not be
opposed.
Silently seeing her off was the best course of action.
Even so—Erica looked up into the sky, lamenting silently.
Where had Kusanagi Godou disappeared to? Was he really slaughtered
tragically, just as Doni-Artio had declared?