Part 1
Erica Blandelli and Seishuuin Ena.
All news of the two had disappeared from Colonia Agrippina. Naturally,
they had not left without reason. There were compelling reasons why it
was necessary.
After the battle where the "King of the End" had descended—
Helping Madame Aisha mount a horse in her dazed state, Erica and Ena
had brought her with them back to the city of Colonia Agrippina. However,
Doni's body had been stolen by the goddess Artio.
More serious of all, their king, Kusanagi Godou, had gone missing...
"But I can still sense Godou's direction."
The next day after the hero's descent, Erica raised the issue in "Kusanagi
Godou's residence."
In her hand was the pocket watch she often used, attached to a chain.
Given the hair of someone she wanted to find, it could seek out their
position—That was the magic she was using.
"Isn't that to the north of here... Approximately fifty kilometers northeast."
"That's quite far a place he went."
Hearing the results of the search, Ena remarked with deep feeling.
"But as expected of His Majesty. To think he managed to survive so
miraculously!"
"As much as I'd like to hurry over to find out exactly what sort of miracle it
was, this distance is a little far."
In the modern world, this distance would not have posed any issue at all.
However, covering this on foot or horseback would take a few days. Also,
Godou's area was already outside of the Roman Empire's road network.
Searching along routes without paved roads would be even more time
consuming.
"Our most pressing problem is still the Franks' situation after all."
"Those misters are in disagreement and they're all impulsive people. So
troublesome."
Erica frowned and remarked. Ena nodded with a bitter expression.
Despite surviving miraculously, Kusanagi Godou was very likely injured.
More importantly, Erica wanted to see her beloved as quickly as possible,
but right now, she must suppress that impulse. Through Erica, news of
"Salvatore Doni missing in action" had spread to the Franks.
This caused them to recognize Doni as slain in battle, resulting in a great
turmoil.
Then the next day after the hero's descent, Erica and Ena held another
meeting.
"Among the Franks who supported Sir Salvatore as the great chieftain,
there are four other chieftains."
"Oh okay, that reminds Ena of powerful daimyos serving under the
shogun's banner."
"This is similar to Japan's early modern feudal system? Well, they're
essentially nobles serving the monarch whose family founded the country.
Also, after Sir Salvatore's alleged death in action, the Franks' four
chieftains each came up with their own respective course of action."
Course of Action 1: Inherit Doni's legacy, continue fighting the goddess's
army.
Course of Action 2: Swiftly withdraw from Colonia Agrippina, return to their
homeland.
Course of Action 3: Continue their occupation of Colonia Agrippina, but do
not fight the goddess.
Course of Action 4: Using this place as a base, loot the immediate
surroundings in the short term before retreating.
"Of course, it's best if they hurried and left without looting or doing
anything!"
"That would be the choice with the least sacrifice and chaos. However,
even if they plan on returning to their homeland, it still doesn't solve the
problem, leaving them no choice but to cower each day in fear of the
goddess's curse."
"But the fact that the Franks have been staying in this city is already quite
weird in itself."
"True. Extras with no place on the stage should just make their exit. Once
the battle with Artio and Sir Salvatore begins, who knows what could
happen. It would be best if all ordinary people were gone from this area."
If necessary, Erica was fine with resorting to unscrupulous schemes. Also,
there was someone here who was able to—rather, absolutely capable
of—producing an effect.
Hence, Erica and Ena had gone to find Madame Aisha.
"I plan on leading the Franks' warriors to confront the goddess!"
Gathered with the Franks' three thousand warriors in the former Roman
army outpost...
Standing in this kind of place, Madame Aisha declared as soon as she met
the two girls.
"I was asked by those who wished to inherit Doni-san's legacy, hoping I
could assist them. Also, the Franks are in a state of disarray due to the
great chieftan's absence... Also, the current mood where they want to
subject the citizens to atrocities is totally unacceptable."
Madame Aisha clenched both fists in a display of determination.
"Also, Kusanagi-san is absent so I must do my best. I intend lead the
Franks to have a meeting first with Artio-san who has stolen Doni-san's
body."
"But Aisha-san, the Frankish guys are already divided in opinion, right?"
"Don't worry. I will go around and request everyone's support."
The Madame answered Ena's question nonchalantly.
Using the female Campione's authority of absolute charisma, all dissent
was very likely going to be overturned, converting the Franks into her loyal
believers.
Madame Aisha was a gentle and kindhearted woman.
Nevertheless, she clearly had no self-awareness regarding her bewitching
charm...
"But Madame, once it turns into a battle between Colonia Agrippina and
the goddess, severe casualties could very likely occur in the citizens. Also,
the hardship suffered by the Franks as a result of the goddess's curse can
be considered their just deserts, but it could end up involving inhabitants of
this city apart from the Franks."
Erica was the one entering the conversation with an elegant tone of voice.
In order to stimulate the Madame's sense of benevolence and mercy, she
deliberately raised the issue of the "populace." This was tantamount to
remonstrating a Devil King Campione, but given the situation, it was quite
necessary.
"I believe that that they should not suffer out of the blue. I implore you to
reconsider—"
"Hoho, don't worry. Since preparations are already made to some extent, I
intend to take the Franks and leave this city, to begin a journey in search of
Artio-san."
" "..." "
This course of action could very well lead to another kind of commotion.
Just as Erica and Ena exchanged a glance, intending to offer a contrary
view...
"By the way, Erica-san and Ena-san, I hope I can still receive your
assistance. Let's all give it our best together, okay?"
After that, the two girls spent roughly half a day with Madame Aisha.
They accompanied the Madame to converse amiably with Frankish
warriors in the outpost, women and children in the city, as well as talks with
certain chieftains. Erica and Ena also heard from the Franks that they
mostly held the view that "Madame Aisha was precisely the one suited to
become the new great chieftain."
That night, the two girls parted ways with Madame Aisha who was staying
at the outpost.
Returning to "Kusanagi Godou's residence" with the master missing, Erica
came to sudden realization at the entrance. Ena also went speechless all
of a sudden and started to think in reflection.
"...No way, Ena and you were struck by Aisha-san's authority too?"
Ena muttered.
When the two of them recalled their actions over the past few hours, they
were quite stunned.
"Clearly Ena had no intention of accommodating her plan, right?"
"Same here. Without any awareness of being charmed, we started to
assist the Madame very naturally..."
"But why did we suddenly recover now?"
"Probably because we are both accustomed to magic and also possess
much stronger magical power than ordinary people... That's why we were
able to regain our senses."
Even the absolutely brilliant Erica Blandelli was in a gloom—
Feeling the impact of an unprecedented situation, Erica desperately put
her mind into motion.
"Recovery was probably due to physical separation from the Madame, isn't
it? But if we encountered the Madame again, perhaps we may be charmed
again..."
"Hearing you say that, Ena feels like we will inexplicably want to see
Aisha-san, right?"
"So you feel the same way too, Ena-san?"
Erica and Ena discussed the terrifying aspects of the charisma authority.
However, during the process, they would naturally recall the "gentleness"
of Madame Aisha's smiling face, feeling a strange sense of admiration for
the benevolent Campione—
Sensing this mindset, the two girls respectively said:
"Oh no! We must hide from Aisha-san... No, we must escape, right!?"
"Also, the farther away the better. Until this feeling of admiration subsides,
we need to get to a place where we won't run into her so easily."
Madame Aisha's curse was probably alleviated by distance and time.
Based on this speculation, the duo of Erica Blandelli and Seishuuin Ena
came up with this idea and made their decision.
Immediately entering the house to pack their luggage, they took out horses
from the stable and instantly departed.
Despite being nighttime, the pair still went through the city gates and left
Colonia Agrippina. Following the road along the Rhine for now, they
headed south.
"Aisha-san mentioned earlier, right? About taking the Franks with her to
seek the goddess Artio. But the other side is probably taking an army of
those bears, right?"
"If the two armies meet, then a battle will probably begin directly..."
Madame Aisha and three thousand Frankish warriors.
As well as the bear army led by the goddess.
If the two armies met somewhere on a wide open plain, would a battle
break out just like that? Fearing this possibility, the two girls spurred their
horses to gallop.
"Ah, jeez. If only Ama no Murakumo could wake up, then His Majesty can
be contacted."
"We must act with the worst outcome in mind. In order to stop both
Madame Aisha and the goddess Artio, we must make preparations...!"
Ena controlled her favorite horse while lamenting the loss of the divine
sword's assistance. On the other hand, Erica murmured with a
determination on her face.
At this moment, Erica touched the small leather pouch hanging on her belt.
Inside was a bronze pen, ink and papyrus...
It was two days after the "King of the End"'s descent when the two girls left
Colonia Agrippina at night.
Three days later, Godou arrived at this same city together with Liliana and
Yuri.
Part 2
Back to Colonia Agrippina, after the meeting with Madame Aisha...
Back to his residence in the city, Godou was welcomed by a lineup of thirty
maids.
" " " " "Welcome back, master!" " " " "
The thirty young maids greeted in unison.
Since this was a luxurious mansion with a vast garden, the entrance was
large enough to accommodate the thirty people gathered here. At some
unknown point in time, the maids had procured a complete set of uniforms,
resulting in a scene of grandeur.
Godou could not help but recall the maid cafe business run by his
surrogate nephew, Lu Yinghua.
Finding the experience quite refreshing, Godou could not help but feel
impressed.
"I see. So this is the harem situation the Madame mentioned."
"Godou-san is honestly... incurable..."
On the other hand, Liliana was muttering sardonically while Yuri sighed
and remarked in a quiet voice.
Godou endured this embarrassment silently while approaching one of the
maids. This was the daughter of Frankish nobles who had helped him
during his patrols in the city.
"Master, I have a message from mistress Erica."
"Erica left it!?"
"Don't worry even if you return and find me absent. I will surely return
later—That was what the mistress said."
Godou was told that Erica and Ena had suddenly left the house during the
night, three days earlier. They looked like they were in quite a rush and
departed without saying much, only leaving a message.
That night—
"It's really not like Erica's style to leave without saying anything in spite of
the obvious situation here."
"Possibilities we could consider are..."
"Fears of pursuers. Or perhaps, Erica and Seishuuin Ena felt that it was
necessary to set off even before deciding on their destination. It could very
well be one of these two."
"If that were the case, Erica-san and Ena-san must be in quite a state of
panic..."
Yuri's worried expression darkened.
Currently, only Godou's trio was present in the office, holding a meeting.
"Well, it looks like they're fine. Considering it's Erica, she'll always find a
way to handle things appropriately."
"Yes. This conclusion suits those two quite well. Especially since Erica is a
girl as wily as a fox, it is fine not to worry about her."
Liliana summed up the situation with a remark that seemed to express the
trust and grudging relationship she shared with Erica.
"Right now, the greatest unresolved issue is still Madame Aisha going out
for battle."
They had heard that Madame Aisha intended to leave Colonia Agrippina
tomorrow, leading the several thousand Frankish warriors to negotiate with
the goddess Artio.
During the daytime, Godou and his companions had witnessed the
goddess in the gathering with the giant bear army. Most likely, the Franks'
scouts had also discovered it and reported to Madame Aisha.
However, the army, several thousand strong, worshiped the Madame from
the bottom of their hearts.
"They will surely lay down their lives to fight in defense of Madame Aisha.
If those giant bears were to attack without notice..."
"Judging from the terrain where the two armies will meet, a field battle is
very likely."
"The goddess probably won't consider any option apart from battle—That's
so worrying."
Only able to imagine dark futures, the trio all began to sigh.
"In that case, it can't be helped. Let me follow Aisha-san. There are too
many things that need to be done. Reducing casualties in the Franks as
much as possible, resolving the matter of Artio and the Divine Sword of
Salvation, recapturing Doni... I really have no idea how much my current
body can do."
Frowning, Godou muttered.
"At least if my health was okay, I could stop Aisha-san forcibly. Imprisoning
her somewhere would be a solution. But she's probably quite strong and I
won't be able to do it the way I am now."
" "Eh?" "
Seeing the two girls show surprise on their faces, Godou answered with a
serious expression.
"No actually, I've never seen her fight either, but it's just a feeling from
instinct. I believe that Aisha-san should be quite powerful in contrast to her
appearance and personality... Ahhh, rather than 'powerful,' maybe
'troublesome' would be a better way of putting it."
At this moment, Alexandre Gascoigne came to mind.
That man was also in a distinct category separate from powerful gods and
other Campiones, troublesome to handle in his unique way.
"Regarding matters of combat, Godou-san's opinion is probably correct..."
Yuri nodded. Indeed, as the Hime-Miko with superb senses herself, she
seemed to have recalled the exceptional instincts that Campiones
displayed in areas related to combat.
Liliana instantly responded:
"In that case... In order to handle the Divine Sword of Salvation, the
goddess who has obtained Sir Salvatore, as well as Madame Aisha,
Kusanagi Godou needs to be cured as soon as possible."
At this moment, Godou sat down on a chair at the office desk.
But for some reason, Liliana swiftly came over to Godou's side. Because it
was quite a natural movement, it did not feel particularly out of place.
"Regarding the reasons for your ill health, I have been thinking over it the
entire time today and I feel that I have understood something. Let me go
prepare a witch's elixir later. Hopefully, it will succeed in curing you."
While saying this in a serious tone of voice, Liliana swiftly moved her hand
at the same time.
She placed a papyrus memo on Godou's lap while he was sitting on the
chair. On it was written "I will visit you tonight." Obscured by the desk's
position, her action was out of Yuri's sight despite being in the same room.
It looked like she was planning to apply magic directly instead of using
medication...
Surprised as a result, Godou looked at the knight beside him. Liliana
maintained her stern demeanor and simply responded with her eyes.
Lasting only an instant, her glance conveyed an astounding sense of
seductiveness, causing Godou's heart to pound.
But at the same time, he could not help but feel that "this behavior isn't
right."
Spurred by this impulse, Godou was just about to speak up when Yuri
suddenly became startled.
"E-Excuse me. Actually, regarding Godou-san's injury, I have also seen
something!"
A stiff and slightly abrupt suggestion.
Perhaps through her extraordinary spirit senses, Yuri had received a spirit
vision ahead of Liliana. Godou immediately tore up Liliana's note.
"If Liliana-san's medication works, then my method is not necessary.
However, if it is your wish, Godou-san, I-I can also..."
"B-But ever since antiquity, medical treatment has always been part of a
witch's duties."
Finding the Yamato Nadeshiko, who was supposed to be quite
conservative, following suit, Liliana began to falter.
"I think I should be more suited to this task after all..."
"A-Although that may be true, it is possible that there might be things that I
may be of assistance..."
The two girls chose to compete using reasonable manners and tones of
voice.
To avoid this type of situation arising, Erica and Ena had established an
agreement. Now that things had developed to this, the one who should
intervene between Yuri and Liliana was probably Kusanagi Godou after all.
Making his decision, Godou interrupted.
"Anyway, can I ask the two of you about the result of my wound's
diagnosis?"
"Ah yes. This is something I felt subconsciously, Godou-san... Currently,
rather than healing magic not taking an effect, it would be more accurate to
say that your body has lost its ability to recover."
Seeing Yuri answer timidly, Liliana also stopped arguing.
"I feel the same as well. Have you noticed? The magical energy stored in
your body currently is probably less than one seventh what you had before
the injury. What we call magical power is akin to the concept of 'ki'
mentioned in oriental medicine and Chinese martial arts, namely, the mind
and the body's energy itself."
In order to allow a Japanese person unversed in magic to understand, she
deliberately used the term "ki."
While displaying this type of considerate care, Liliana continued explaining.
"The toxin injected by the Divine Sword of Salvation deprives a
Campione's body of magical power, hence resulting in a slow down of
recovery speed."
"Then how do you think I can recover?"
Asked by Godou, the witch and the Hime-Miko pondered for a short while
before answering.
"For example, there is the way Seishuuin Ena goes to sacred mountains
far away from civilization to purify her body and mind, to allow her body to
slowly absorb the sacred aura of the land. However, that method is too
time consuming."
"I intend to use magic to transmit my own body's magical power to
Godou-san."
"I also intend to use the same magic—n-no—to concoct an elixir of similar
effect. But as a Campione, Kusanagi Godou's body contains a massive
amount of magical power that ours cannot compare to at all."
"Will our level of magical power be able to produce an effect if we share it
with him...? Actually, I am quite worried about this point."
Yuri brought up an uncertain element and Liliana nodded in agreement.
It looked like their diagnoses and methods of treatment were virtually
identical. Furthermore, after listening to all this, Godou felt his mood relax
and he smiled at the two girls.
"Thank you, both of you. I understand very well now. If the injury is only of
that level, I'm not worried."
"G-Godou-san!?"
"Please do not say something so ridiculous! To this date, you have never
wounded your body of a Campione's to this extent, right!?"
"Yeah, sure. But after all, the bodies of my kind are not ordinary to begin
with."
How many months would it take to fully recover? With that worry in mind,
Godou spoke up in cheerful mood.
"I think that all it takes is a life-threatening battle, then stuff like strength
and magical power will automatically surge from the depths of the body."
" "..." "
This was something that Godou had experienced many times already,
during every battle.
Also, as soon as he said it out himself, Godou found quite convinced. As a
godslaying beast, a Campione's mind and body fully approved of his
unreliable suggestion. Furthermore, Godou could feel his body trembling
with excitement.
Yuri and Liliana fell silent, wondering "Is that what you really think?"
"Anyway, I think I won't have that level of motivation unless in a battle of
life and death, so I won't be stopping Aisha-san for now. But don't worry, I
will go with her."
"But Kusanagi Godou, I still think it would be better if you tried treatment
first..."
"It probably won't be effective, right? In that case, just forget about it."
Finding the two girls slightly dissatisfied, Godou made his tone slightly
more forceful.
"I don't like having to pick between the two of you on who is going to do
this kind of thing. This is different from previous times. Well, it's not like I
could request this from both of you at the same time, right?"
"P-Please do not say something so embarrassing!"
"V-Very correct, Godou-san. A-Although I cannot deny that it has not
happened in the past, Godou-san, to think you would make such an
outrageous suggestion on your own...!"
As expected, the two girls objected with embarrassment and anger.
Godou smiled at them as though saying "just kidding" and ended the
conversation.
"Well, I think this is fine. Thank you for your care."
" "..." "
As though watching Godou's smile with displeasure, the two girls
exchanged a glance in an attempt to probe each other's feelings. Then
they both bowed their heads.
Godou was the only one relieved that he was able to keep the argument
under control.
Then the next day arrived.
Leading the Franks, Madame Aisha left Colonia Agrippina and started
moving towards the east of the Rhine—the interior of Germania.
Of the roughly three thousand warriors, a thousand stayed in the city.
This was for guarding the city as their stronghold together with
noncombatants such as women, children and servants.
Even so, there were still approximately two thousand warriors
accompanying the Madame, wielding swords, spears, axes, bows, arrows
and various weapons, giving off an atmosphere of thugs overall.
Based on the actual situation, rather than "moving", it was probably more
accurate to call them "marching."
Having joined the vanguard, Madame Aisha was riding a horse gallantly.
On the other hand, treated as one of the injured, Godou was mixed in the
last group with the horse-drawn carts carrying supplies, sitting on a
four-wheeled passenger cart together with Yuri and Liliana.
"We also saw scenes like training at the Roman army fort at the other city
earlier."
Godou was on a specially-made impromptu bed on the cart.
Sitting cross-legged on it, he recalled his stay at the city of Augusta
Raurica.
"Compared to the marching and field training the Roman army went
through, these Frankish warriors are very... sloppy. They don't seem to
have any precise rules."
The Roman army's infantry division would carry out strict training on a daily
basis.
Hence the obtained results. In simulated battles, they were able to get into
formation in an organized manner, displaying unity of movement. When on
the march, they were able to move swiftly in defined groups and could take
breaks efficiently. They were also highly experienced in setting up camps.
On the other hand, the Frankish group of thugs—
Could barely be considered gathered together, advancing at a sloppy pace
while following the people in front.
However, due to their greatly varied armament, they were unable to get
into proper formations. Consequently, the Franks never had any intention
to actively group together in the first place.
"I remember Erica mentioning something about 'ten thousand Roman
troops can defeat thirty thousand Germans' once, but now it doesn't look
very surprising after all."
"Even when outnumbered by a factor of three!?"
"That was probably referring to the Battle of Strasbourg."
Godou's heartfelt mutters elicited an exclamation of surprise from Yuri
while Liliana smiled wryly.
"The way I see it, the Frankish warriors gathered here are already quite
used to battle. In a fight of ten against ten, I think the Franks will
overwhelm Roman infantry. On the other hand, if it were fifty versus fifty,
Roman infantry will win for certain."
"Yeah."
"Using spears, shields and metal armor as standardized equipment
together with infantry contingents that can swiftly enter formations, these
are elements that can produce comparative advantages on ancient
battlefields. More importantly, the Roman army maintained strict discipline
and had a very refined commanding structure, hence allowing them to
move as a group from one battlefield to the next in quite a rapid manner."
Gathered around the outskirts of Strasbourg was an allied force of
Germanic tribes, numbering thirty thousand strong.
Ten thousand Roman soldiers intercepted them by using tactics to target
their disorganized offensive and splitting them into multiple fronts. While
the first row was valiantly resisting the barbarian's overwhelming numbers,
the Roman army led by Emperor Julian entered the fray at an opportune
moment and slowly reversed the tide of battle. In the end, they were able
to obtain an overwhelming victory.
After Liliana finished talking about the exploits of how a losing battle was
reversed, Godou said:
"Despite having such a powerful army, it was still the Romans who went
into ruin at the end."
"The Western Roman Empire was swiftly declining while on the other
hand, the barbarians kept bolstering their strength from various areas. This
result can be considered perfectly logical."
"Now that's a story of earthly impermanence."
Sighing over the principle of rise necessarily followed by downfall, Godou
continued his journey on the shaking cart.
With the goddess Artio's location as their destination, discovered by
Frankish scouts serving Madame Aisha, they made their way across a
wide open plain in Germania. Completely devoid of the speed and
discipline of Roman armies, this was quite a disorganized march.
The shaking produced by horses was definitely not friendly for an injured
body.
However, Godou could not allow frail girls to see him so useless. Godou
looked for another conversation topic.
"It might be a bit late to ask at this point, but what's with the 'King of the
End' which sounds like a nickname? What exactly is his real name?"
"That is a research theme that Prince Alec has been investigating for many
years."
"I heard about the matter from Princess Alice when we were traveling to
Bulgaria together last time."
Liliana brought up the name of the peer with whom Godou was not exactly
on friendly terms while Yuri named the princess with the noble but
relatively lighthearted personality.
After mentioning the name of the White Miko-Hime, Yuri murmured with
deep thought:
"Despite searching for the 'King of the End' for eight years already, not
once has she ever received a spirit vision regarding that hero's origins. As
for why, the princess asserts the following."
"Asserts?"
"Yes. 'His name cannot be read from the source of spirit visions, the
[Akashic Memories], because it has undergone special treatment.' The
princess probably visited Plutarch's Residence in the Netherworld to
confirm this matter..."
"Then speaking of which, the old man in that residence never mentioned
the true name of the 'King of the End' throughout the entire time."
Liliana nodded. Godou recalled something else as well.
Back when the pale-haired hero manifested, the goddess Artio had
definitely called out his name, but a clap of thunder at the time covered up
her voice completely. Initially, the "King of the End"'s face was shrouded in
shadow, obscuring his original appearance.
Perhaps these unnatural phenomena and the mysterious power preventing
his true name from appearing in spirit visions were all caused by his intent
to conceal his origins.
"As expected of a god, how utterly absurd..."
While they carried out this type of conversation with Yuri and Liliana in the
shaking cart, the first day went by.
The second day was also similar to the first.
Then on the afternoon of the third day, the situation finally changed. Ahead
of the Franks led by Madame Aisha, an army of a hundred and fifty giant
bears was waiting.
Part 3
Crossing the Rhine together with over a thousand companions, they
advanced towards the interior of Germania...
Although Madame Aisha prided herself on being used to traveling in
general, she was actually quite used to group travel in this sort of racial
migration as well. After journeying in various places, she would
spontaneously find herself surrounded by crowds... This phenomenon
happened quite frequently.
"However, I must be careful this time."
Clenching her dainty fists tightly, Madame Aisha murmured.
"I am heading off to meet a goddess who plans on killing every single one
of the Franks. If I don't display a little intimidation, she'll underestimate and
bully me."
Just as a precaution, she had already completed preparations for reversing
the "healing authority."
Currently, the wind blowing around Aisha and her entourage was
exceptionally cold.
Even though it was clearly spring, the wind was as chilly as though the
season was midwinter. The air temperature dropped continuously, getting
so cold that it would not be surprising if it snowed.
Once things had cooled down to this level, she was able to reverse her
authority any time.
Aisha nodded. The "healing authority" was usurped from the Persephone,
the goddess of spring. In actual fact, this goddess was also the queen of
the underworld who ruled over the season of winter.
Whenever inescapable circumstances forced her to use this power, this
authority turned out to be unexpectedly useful.
"Although Kusanagi-san always treats me as a worrisome little sister, I
must show him that I am actually the 'older sister'!"
With the greatly spirited Aisha as the rider, the petite horse trotted along its
way.
As a side note, surrounding her nearby were the four Frankish chieftains,
accompanied by two hundred of their direct subordinates on horseback.
Warriors on foot were also advancing steadily behind and on the left and
right of this vanguard.
Also, a group of horse-drawn cargo carts carried food and other supplies,
moving at the very back.
The Franks' two thousand warriors were marching in a disorganized
manner, lacking in discipline.
However, there were also quite a few people, despite their barbarian
origins, who had learnt logical army management from the Roman Empire,
as well as those who had mastered this type of knowledge by their own
methods. Examples active in this era included the conqueror, Attila of the
Huns, as well as King Alaric of the Visigoths, one of the Gothic tribes
originating from Germania.
However, none of the people gathered here seemed to possess this type
of logical knowledge.
Anyway, mixed in the cargo cart group, Kusanagi Godou was watching this
situation and thinking "as expected of people compatible with Doni..."
Godou recalled keenly.
Then on the third day after this disorganized movement began, a report
came back. A small squad scouting ahead had discovered where giant
bears were gathered and sent back a report.
This was a vast open plain with almost no cover at all.
A few small hills and rocks were scattered to some degree across this vast
grassland within a couple square kilometers. Led by Madame Aisha, the
Franks' two thousand warriors were advancing without any hindrance.
However, a group of beasts had already occupied one corner of this place.
These beasts were all bears, each measuring four or five meters in body
length. Furthermore, there were close to a hundred and fifty of them.
Naturally, the giant bear army also noticed the approaching Frankish
warriors.
A hundred and fifty giant bears all growled or made threats with their
vicious visages.
In any case, the two thousand Frankish warriors drew their weapons in
turn, yelling loudly for intimidation. Both sides displayed belligerent
attitudes.
The hundred and fifty giant bears were separated from the Frankish
warriors by several hundred meters.
However, the two factions were on the verge of battle. The slightest
provocation would instantly trigger a combat state.
At this time, Aisha was currently at the forefront of the Frankish army.
"E-Excuse me... Everyone, could you calm down slightly?"
Riding on horseback, she looked back, tilting her head slightly as she
pleaded.
Despite speaking at a volume that should not be able to reach all two
thousand troops no matter what, the Frankish warriors in the back
suddenly quieted down, displaying a polite state of standby.
Seeing the warriors so obedient, Aisha could not help but smile.
Despite some excessive violence and love for battle, these people were
actually kind souls at heart.
"Hohohoho. Messrs Bear, you need to quiet down too♪"
Aisha made her "request" of the giant beasts several hundred meters
ahead.
Although the giant bears remained ferocious, they all cast curious stares at
Aisha.
"I knew it, true feelings can always be transmitted...!"
Despite being the minions of a violent deity, each and every one of them
was a Mr Bear of the forest, fluffy and clumsy.
It is possible to get along with these children as friends, thought Aisha as
she nodded. Naturally, this was also due to the assistance of the "charm
authority."
Spurring her horse forward alone, Aisha approached the group of giant
bears.
This was all done on whim. Aisha made a gesture with her hand to stop the
Frankish warriors who wanted to follow her. Next, a young man walked out
front from between the giant bears...
Dressed in refreshingly white attire, carrying a thick and heavy divine
sword on his back.
He was someone bearing the same face as Salvatore Doni.
Emotional cries of "Great chieftain!" were heard from the Franks.
"Everyone, please quiet down! Doni-san's body has been stolen by the
goddess! I will retrieve it, so please don't worry!"
She pleaded to the warriors wavering behind her.
Consequently, they went silent immediately. Feeling the Frankish warriors'
trust in her, Aisha felt great warmth in her heart. At this moment, Doni
spoke up:
"We have met before, third of the godslayers. To think you are able to
tame my minions."
Sure enough, it was the goddess Artio's voice.
"What truly bizarre behavior. Do you intend to use this skill to make my
minions attack me instead, thereby obtaining victory?"
"No."
Although their inborn ferocity had been weakened, the giant bears were
still glaring angrily at the two thousand Frankish warriors.
The situation was now a face off between them and Doni-Artio's faction.
Aisha called out.
In order to eliminate the resentment carried by the goddess, now was the
time to put her secret strategy in action.
"I came here to make friends with you!"
"Hoh."
"I know that we have many unfortunate misunderstandings. But I still feel
that provided we are able to put aside those differences and converse, we
should be able to understand each other's thoughts and feelings."
"Hmm."
"I know it's very difficult. I am human while you are a deity. We differ
completely in birth and upbringing. But even so, that should not constitute
sufficient reason to prevent our hearts from connecting. After all, aren't
love and benevolence things that both humans and gods possess alike!?"
"I see now. I understand completely."
"Yes, Artio-san!"
"Namely, you not only wish to cross blades against me in battle but also
hope for mutual understanding. In a battle between heroes, pitting their
utmost against each other, developing a sense of respect for one's foe is
definitely inevitable. Not simply engaging in deathmatches motivated by
hatred towards the enemy but also seeking friendship on the battlefield..."
"Yup."
"Very well. I am also a goddess carrying the name of the [Bear]. You have
definitely conveyed your mettle to me. Then let us clash our blades to our
hearts' content with fervor and intensity that inhabitants of the land shall
sing of till the end of time!"
"Oh no, not that kind of interaction carried out with fist against fist!"
Aisha frantically tried to deny.
However, smiling with Doni's visage, Artio drew out the Divine Sword of
Salvation while at the same time, a ferocious desire for conflict surged from
all over the body!
"O woman godslayer, make your move!"
"Please listen to what others are saying!"
Held by Doni-Artio, the Divine Sword of Salvation released radiance.
This was the platinum light that was just as dazzling as the sphere of light
that had appeared in the air previously.
But this time, only the blade shone with light, unlike the previous time when
it had gone out of control. Probably due to having grown used to using the
divine sword, controlling its power was now possible. Whether this was
good or bad was still indeterminate.
In this instant, Aisha suddenly started to chant:
"Excuse me... O beautiful maiden, I beseech you to open the terrifying
doors of esoterism..."
Spell words. For the sake of enacting an authority's reversal.
These murmurs originated partially without conscious thought. Had she not
done so, she would have died. Warned by her survival instincts, Aisha's
lips moved on their own. Swiftly, she also leapt down from horseback.
"Hurry and leave this place!"
As soon as she spoke, the petite horse galloped away. Perhaps thanks to
the "charm authority" as well, Aisha's message was instantly conveyed.
Then Aisha turned her back towards Doni-Artio and began to run herself.
"O sword of salvation, let lightning be released!"
"Eeeeeeek!"
As the goddess's voice came from Doni's mouth, the divine sword in his
right hand gave off lightning. Suffering the shocking impact of light and
heat, Aisha was blown far away.
Like a log, she rolled along the ground.
"E-Ehhhh."
But completely unharmed, this was by the corrective force's grace.
To a certain extent, the "fairy's corridor" authority was also capable of
manipulating history's corrective force.
For example, Aisha's presence in the current era could only be maintained
if she did not suffer excessive injury. Both this time and the last, when she
had been shot by Hunnic godslayer Uldin's arrows, were instances of the
corrective force's protection.
Rolling on the ground, Aisha pondered while her gaze wandered.
(I-I knew it, this level cannot produce much threat...)
Artio was not [Steel], but just a mother goddess of the earth.
She intended to use the Divine Sword of Salvation to fight in the place of
the body she had lost. However, this was not a power she was supposed
to control in the first place. Hence, it was impossible for her to control it
freely. Rather, letting the sword go berserk like last time would pose a
greater threat.
However, Doni-Artio intended to conserve the divine sword's power and
only controlled it casually. Hence, the reduction in power had the opposite
effect instead. Weakening in power was no problem as long as the enemy
could be slain.
"Were Doni-san and Kusanagi-san present, they would surely seize this
opening to counterattack..."
After murmuring, Aisha's body suddenly shook.
Finally stopped rolling, she instantly stood up and yelled:
"A-Artio-san! It's very dangerous, hurry and escape now!"
"What?"
The north wind began to blow, cold as frost, chilling wind mixed with
snowflakes.
"Ice and snow—the power of a winter goddess!?"
Surprised, Doni-Artio's body was being frozen by the rampaging north
wind. The cold wind rumbled and kept increasing in momentum.
This divine north wind brought the cold air of winter to Germania's wide
open plain. Furthermore, the sky turned dark and bleak as white and tiny
snowflakes began to fall.
"Oh no... I used it again..."
Aisha's shoulders suddenly slumped dejectedly.
As the goddess of spring, Persephone was a kindhearted young girl.
Forcefully abducted by the god of the underworld, Hades, she became his
wife and was taken to the realm of the dead.
But when winter arrived, she suddenly transformed into the cruel queen of
the underworld, bringing freezing air to the world.
Furthermore, whenever the power of healing was reversed, "winter's
authority" frequently executed Aisha's impromptu strategies mercilessly
without hesitation.
It was as though Aisha's own temperament and principles were reversed
as well.
"An attack going as far as to advise me to flee... If I do not take it on, my
name as the goddess shall be tarnished!"
"Th-That's not what I mean!"
Currently, Doni-Artio held up the divine sword amidst the ice-cold north
wind, mobilizing the magical power in a Campione's body to resist this
authority.
However, the ground beneath the sword-wielding Campione suddenly
collapsed.
Like a great earthquake—a crevasse appeared on the ground, dozens of
meters long.
"Guh..."
The divine sword's user fell into the depths of the earth.
The underworld ruled by Queen Persephone existed deep underground.
Consequently, the queen's authority not only included extreme cold but
also the ability to drag enemies underground.
"This means that this area will become a world of midwinter for now..."
Powerful blasts of cold air flowed out from the crevasse where Doni-Artio
was swallowed.
Although Aisha did not feel any discomfort herself, an ordinary human
would freeze to their very bones if they spent long durations in this area. In
the worst case, they would freeze to death here.
But this time, what flowed out from the fissure in the ground was not just
cold air.
'O woman godslayer, superbly done indeed.'
Hearing the goddess's voice coming from underground, Aisha shuddered.
'Even for gods, escaping from the underworld's prison is no easy task. The
majority of gods would have no choice but to welcome death.
Nevertheless, I am also a queen ruling the earth...'
Artio's voice carried neither anger nor hatred but tender affection instead.
'Please be patient and wait for now. I shall terminate this one-way journey
and return to the surface once more. Before that, please allow my minions
to serve as opponents to quell your boredom!'
"Oooh, sure enough!"
The secret technique of dragging enemies underground was immensely
powerful.
Depending on circumstances, its power could deliver a one-hit kill.
However, the majority of mother earth goddesses like Artio held identities
as underworld goddesses as well, hence it was impossible to deal her an
effective blow. Also, this technique was also ineffective against divinities
whose legends included "dying at one point but miraculously revived."
Furthermore, after Artio spoke—
Holding their positions obediently until just now, the giant bears suddenly
began to riot.
Roughly a hundred and fifty giant bears were groaning viciously, making
grim gazes and expressions at Aisha and the Franks while slowly moving
in their direction.
"Everyone calm down! Please!"
Aisha clasped her hands together and prayed towards the giant bears.
But there was no effect. Recovering their ferocity, the beasts did not halt,
continuing to approach Aisha and the two thousand Franks several
hundred meters away.
The giant bears were the goddess's minions to begin with. Also, Aisha was
meeting them for the first time today.
Hence, even the charm authority was unable to wield influence beyond
"requests."
"Heeeeeee!"
'Hohohoho. Do not be mistaken, this is not all there is for the return gift!'
The goddess laughed heartily while starting a pursuit.
In the next instant, platinum radiance shone underneath Aisha's feet. No,
not just underfoot but also the ground of her entire surroundings was
glowing with light. This was the lightning of salvation released from deep
underground.
Unlike the power of the neutralized lightning earlier, this was on a
completely different level.
This time, the goddess did not bother with precise control, probably
performing the attack without caring if it went berserk or not.
Engulfed by the exploding flash of light underfoot, Aisha's body vanished.
Part 4
The bear army led by the goddess Artio. The two thousand warriors of the
Franks.
These two armies finally encountered each other. But rather than
developing suddenly into a battle, they faced off, separated by a distance
of several hundred meters. The two faction's leaders met at the midpoint to
hold negotiations.
Madame Aisha's authority had dragged Doni-Artio into the bottom of the
earth.
"Although I sort of guessed a little already, it really turns out to be a
difficult-to-control power after all..."
Godou muttered. Mixed among the Franks, he had observed the meeting
just now.
Just as a precaution, he had stood near the front row. The two girls who
had brought Godou there, Yuri and Liliana, were also rendered speechless
by the sudden developments of the situation.
"A-As much as she did not intent to fight, her authorities would
automatically unleash themselves."
"Within Madame Aisha's authorities, perhaps all of them inevitably include
aspects that cannot be consciously controlled by her own will..."
"Despite lacking any intent to fight, attacks are suddenly launched."
In a certain sense, her usual behavior and existence itself became feints
and diversions during battle. Witnessing what was so scary about Madame
Aisha, Godou frowned.
"Doni was right, it's definitely very sly..."
However, the battle did not end there.
Coming from underground, the goddess Artio's voice roused the bear army
to go violent. Struck by the lightning coming from underground, Madame
Aisha vanished from sight.
"Aisha-san!?"
Godou doubted his eyes. Impossible, how could that person be...
Furthermore, the hundred and fifty giant bears started to advance.
The giant bears had massive bodies, roughly four or five meters in length,
and would look as big as a house if they stood up on their hind legs. In
addition, all of the giant bears had gone violent, baring their fangs in a
display of fighting spirit.
This army boasted of massive bodies while rushing towards the Franks.
GROWWWWWWWWLLL—!
GROWWWWWWWWWWWWLLL—!
GROWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLLL—!
The giant bears' incessant howling shook the air and the ground.
Faced with the giant bears that were arriving like a tidal wave, the Franks
were clearly wavering due to having witnessed Madame Aisha's
disappearance.
Every one of them shouting "Great chieftain!", they started to cry and
scream.
However, someone among them yelled out:
"You guys! Aren't you going to avenge the great chieftain!?"
This yell's effect was quite pronounced. The men instantly changed their
demeanor.
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!
The human faction also began to shout and charge.
Naturally, they were charging towards the tidal wave composed of a
hundred and fifty giant bears. Wielding swords, spears, axes, bows, arrows
and other weapons respectively, their bodies and minds were all fired up
with determination and desire for vengeance.
On this wide open Germanian plain, the two armies engaged in an intense
conflict—
The chaotic battle began.
Naturally, the giant bears were overwhelming in power if one were to
compare one giant bear with a single Frankish warrior.
However, the giant bears numbered a hundred and fifty. On the other
hand, the humans were two thousand strong. Simply by calculation, ten
people could challenge each bear with extra to spare.
A giant bear swung its stout front limb. A Frankish warrior fell.
The giant bears were biting with their vicious jaws and teeth. Screams and
bleeding Frankish casualties began to appear on the battlefield.
This type of tragic scene could be found all over the battlefield.
Nevertheless, there were many powerful individuals among the Franks
who were able to halt the giant bears' violent offensive using shields and
agile movements. In addition, many more were able to stab their weapons
into the giant bears' bodies that presented massive openings in their
bestial, savage attacks.
As a result, this vast plain in Germania became littered with the corpses of
beasts and humans.
"The fighting only started five minutes ago and there are already so many
casualties!"
"I-If only Madame Aisha with her healing authority were still here at least..."
"Oh well, given who she is, I don't think she'd die so easily..."
Remarking respectively, every member of Godou's trio was currently far
away from the battlefield.
They had stayed where they were when the Frankish warriors charged for
the attack. This decision was made in order to avoid getting swept up into
the violent chaos of the battlefield.
At this moment, Liliana took the bow off her back and wielded it in her left
hand.
This was a composite bow used by equestrian tribes. Instead of wood, it
was made from animal bones and tendons, a bow that could fire arrows
from quite a long range despite its small size. Using her right hand to draw
an arrow from the quiver at her waist, she placed it on the bowstring.
Swiftly, she fired, sniping a giant bear dozens of meters ahead.
The giant bear happened to be fighting savagely with Frankish warriors.
With perfect aim, Liliana's arrow pierced the giant bear's right eye.
Immediately, she shot a second arrow, this time sending it into the giant
bear's left eye.
These two arrows not only skewered the eyeballs but also penetrated into
the brain.
The giant bear was struck dead by the two arrows and collapsed.
Witnessing Liliana's archery, the surrounding Franks shouted with
excitement.
However, having exhibited these superb skills, the silver-haired knight
shook her head.
"At this rate, the situation will deteriorate. Alone, I cannot annihilate all the
enemies..."
"My body still can't fight..."
At least if one or another of Verethragna's incarnations could be used—
Godou gnashed his teeth in chagrin. Currently, not only did his body feel
heavy as hell, but his magical power did not rise at all. Perhaps due to this,
despite the battle having started already, he could not think of which
incarnation should be used.
Yuri leaned herself over as though worrying for Godou's condition.
Feeling grateful for her care and consideration, Godou began to push his
mind to think. Just as Liliana said, the situation was going to deteriorate. In
that case, a risky gamble must be taken—!
Then just as Godou intended to start this gamble...
"...Dragon?"
Liliana suddenly looked up, staring at the southern sky.
Godou also focused his eyes. At first, all he could discern was a black dot,
but after a while, he immediately saw what was flying in from the south.
Roughly four meters in body length. Similar to an agile theropod in form.
However, instead of stubby forelimbs, it was soaring in the sky using a pair
of wings that sprouted from the shoulders.
The strong hind legs each had a thick claw at the end of its foot, a sharp
weapon supposed to be called the "terrible claw" that the flying monster
was born with.
Unmistakable. This was one of the pterosaurs under Uldin's control.
Furthermore, riding on the pterosaur's back was a glamorous blonde
beauty—
"Erica!"
Godou could not help but call out her name.
"What's the matter, Ena-san?"
"Is it imagination? Ena feels like someone is calling your name, Erica-san."
Seeing the black-haired Hime-Miko's surprised look, Erica asked her.
Exceptionally gigantic bears were currently engaged in a chaotic battle with
the Frankish warriors below.
The pterosaur easily glided in the sky ten-odd meters above the ground.
Erica was the one holding the reins and mounted on the saddle. Sitting
behind her was Seishuuin Ena.
"His Majesty could very well be down there!? Did he discover us!?"
"That would be ideal if it were the case. Considering it's Godou, being
present at a great commotion is totally not surprising at all."
"His Majesty really tends to get drawn into things like battle and conflict."
The pterosaur borrowed from Uldin was able to glide effortlessly despite
supporting two people's weight. Hanging on Erica's neck was a pendant
made from a dragon's tooth with a string through it. This was also given by
Uldin.
Apparently, his pterosaurs could be tamed in a matter of days, provided
one possessed this object.
Due to the issue of riding skills, Ena did not borrow a pterosaur.
Essentially, these pterosaurs could be controlled similar to how horses
were ridden. However, it was relatively difficult for the Hime-Miko who was
still a novice in this area.
"Thank goodness we made it. However, I can't seem to find Madame Aisha
and the goddess who possessed Sir Salvatore's body."
"Oh well, it's already time to get into action."
The Hime-Miko of the Sword smiled happily and reached out. Taking an
arrow from the quiver hanging on the saddle, she handed it over to Erica.
"There is no question that these bears need to be dealt with."
"Well said. Then, let's get on with it!"
Erica took down an iron bow from the saddle.
An iron bow was used to give arrows range and power beyond
conventional. Even a burly and muscular man would have extreme
difficulty drawing this bow. However, Erica had already augmented her arm
strength using magic.
Taking the arrow handed over by Ena, she effortlessly pulled the
bowstring.
This was mounted archery performed while riding a pterosaur. Erica's feet
were supported by the two stirrups hanging on each side of the saddle.
Relying on the assistance conferred by this equipment, Erica shot the first
arrow—
Whoosh!
Howling like a strong gust of rapid wind, the arrow flew towards the
battlefield below.
Erica had already applied iron alchemy to all of the arrows, a spell to
increase penetrative power. Combined with the iron bow's power, the
arrow easily skewered a giant bear's body that was as large as a house.
Having penetrated the enemy, the arrow did not lose momentum and
embedded itself into the ground.
The targeted giant bear collapsed with a crash and stopped moving. Dead
on the spot.
The skillful archery required to pierce a moving beast's eye was quite
superb. However, achieving the power of a one-hit kill required aiming for
the relatively less mobile torso—in particular, sniping the heart was the
most efficient.
This bold sniping was repeated ten times continuously, carried out from the
air.
In rapid succession, ten arrows pierced the giant bears nearby, producing
ten corpses.
Fighting with all their might in the bears' surroundings, the Franks stared in
shock at the airborne reinforcements. However, there was no time to pay
attention to them.
"Go to a place with many bears. Let Ena down!"
"Understood!"
Since this was wide open plain, there were also open spaces in addition to
areas where the density of people and bears were high.
Using the pterosaur's mobility effectively, the duo swiftly moved to the air
above another zone of intense battle. Ena instantly jumped down. Indeed,
directly from the pterosaur's back!
Like a cat or a monkey, the agile Hime-Miko landed lightly, descending on
the battlefield.
Usually, she wielded the divine sword, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. But
right now, she was holding in her hand a broad sword in its
sheath—Rather than a Japanese sword, this was a western double-edged
sword.
"Cuore di Leone! Help Ena-san right this instant!"
The magic sword in Seishuuin Ena's hand responded to its master's
request. The silver blade shone faintly with light.
Normally, Erica used Cuore di Leone in the form of a slender sword. On
this occasion, she had returned the sword to its form as a longsword,
lending it for Ena to use as the divine sword's substitute.
"Yahhhhhhhh!"
[1]Wielding the magic sword of the lion in the stance of hassou-no-kamae ,
Ena ran.
In order to be swung hard with two hands, Cuore di Leone's hilt was quite
long. Consequently, it could wielded in the same manner as a Japanese
sword.
Armed with this magic sword, Ena rushed towards her target—naturally,
one of the giant bears.
Although the giant bear was being surrounded by six Frankish warriors,
Ena breezed past the warriors like the wind and jumped with movements
as agile as a monkey's.
With the giant bear standing on its hind legs, its head was roughly five
meters above the ground.
Ena jumped up high, slashing at the giant bear's short neck using the
stance of hassou-no-kamae. The enemy swung its thick forelimbs, trying to
tear the Hime-Miko's delicate body apart.
However, Ena and Cuore di Leone did not stop moving.
The lion's magic sword first chopped off the giant bear's elbow then
proceeded to sever its head in one flowing motion.
Compared to wielding Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, the sharpness and
power was equal.
"Next!"
Having slaughtered one giant bear, Ena immediately turned and ran
towards a second one not far away.
The second giant bear was surrounded by Frankish warriors as expected,
but again, Ena squeezed through them and slashed at the giant bear's
body with the magic sword. Cuore di Leone's blade pierced into the area
below the ribs, chopping the abdomen horizontally without hindrance. With
the blade buried deeply in its liver, the second giant bear was also
effortlessly struck dead.
"That's rather magnificent."
While praising her rival, Erica did not stop either.
Seeing her quiver empty, Erica waved her hand and used summoning
magic. Hence, ten-odd arrows instantly appeared and could be shot again.
Erica controlled the pterosaur while continuing to snipe the ground from
the air.
Every arrow shot out was accompanied by the creation of a giant bear's
corpse. This repeated like mass production. In this manner, she and Ena
continued to clear away the giant bears. Once the surrounding enemies
had been exterminated, Erica made the pterosaur descend.
It so happened that there were several Franks below.
Seeing the pterosaur descending overhead, they began to panic.
Running towards where the pterosaur was descending, Ena jumped with
agility, landing behind Erica neatly. With two passengers again, the
pterosaur flapped its wings violently to ascend.
Erica and Ena had already defeated nearly twenty giant bears.
However, there were still a great number of them. While having the
pterosaur soar, Erica looked for her next prey.
"Their clean manner is really quite absurd..."
Watching Erica and Ena's active performance from afar, Godou muttered.
Due to the separation of four or five hundred meters, their detailed actions
could not be seen clearly, of course. However, judging from the way they
flew around the battlefield on the pterosaur, they were evidently victorious
again and again.
For those girls, the most important aspect was being individually powerful.
Furthermore, in order to apply this power effectively, they made maximum
use of the pterosaur's mobility, fighting all over the place with fervor.
This was an active performance that only those two could achieve, in
command of both power and clear minds.
Meanwhile, standing by Kusanagi Godou's side were Liliana and Yuri. The
silver-haired knight was obvious, but even the Hime-Miko also possessed
extraordinary powers. In the past, she had employed the spirit power of
psychic sensing to protect Godou from the goddess Circe.
The two of them were staying by Godou's side to protect him.
Despite being far from the chaotic battle's center, a few giant bears
approached on occasion in search for prey. Every time this happened,
Liliana shot the bear dead with arrows.
"Thanks for the help, both of you."
Another giant bear was slowly approaching. Godou instantly said quietly:
"No need to protect me anymore. It's fine if you leave me alone."
Saying that, he started moving towards the giant bear.
Yuri went "Godou-san...", intending to chase after him but Liliana shook
her head and placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Presumably reminded of
what she "should be doing," the Hime-Miko immediately stopped and with
a worried expression, watched Godou leave.
"Kusanagi Godou..."
Despite worrying as well, her dignified and beautiful face tensing up,
Liliana watched him silently.
During this time, Godou continued to walk. Still injured at this point in time,
even his footsteps were unsteady. Nevertheless, he still forced himself to
continue, finally facing off against the giant bear one on one.
GROWWWWWWWWWL!
The four-meter giant bear howled loudly and stood up on its hind legs. This
was a threat made by displaying its gigantic body.
Next it swung its left arm, intending to strike Godou viciously with its
massive paw and claws.
In response, Godou desperately moved his unsteady body, jumping
backwards and successfully evading at the last moment, However, the tip
of the bear's claws scratched his chest slightly. Searing pain wandered
over his chest as blood splattered.
"Gah—!?"
Enduring the pain, Godou focused his concentration.
Currently, he needed magical power no matter what. He need to raise his
fighting spirit to rouse combat power from the depths of his body—
However, he could not feel any signs of power surging forth. Godou was
shocked.
At this moment, the giant bear pounced, intending to crash into Godou's
body, tearing the enemy apart with its vicious jaws and teeth. Simply being
struck by this giant body would crush someone to death easily.
Moreover, in contrast to its gigantic body, the giant bear moved rather
quickly.
Whether escaping left, right or backwards, there was probably no time.
Hence, Godou swiftly dodged "forwards." Rolling forwards, he slid beneath
the pouncing giant bear.
GROWWWWWWWWL!
The bear growled as though displeased by its two failed attacks, glaring
grimly at Godou.
On the other hand, Godou was getting anxious. Despite fighting like this
already, challenging an opponent that he definitely could not defeat in his
current state of health, there was no surge of power at all.
His magical power had not recovered either. Speaking of which, Liliana
had called magical power "ki."
Could it be possible that he needed to use some kind of special ki
technique? Such as special breathing or meditation... No, he had never
done any of that before.
In other words, all Kusanagi Godou needed to do right now was—
"Just do the same as always, huh?"
Muttering thus, he stopped moving and stood upright.
Naturally, the giant bear attacked with great intensity, swiping with its front
limb again. However, this time Godou did not evade. Instead, he clenched
his fist hard.
"Yahhhhhhhh!"
Charging at the approaching giant bear instead, he attacked with his fist
accompanied by a shout.
Ultimately, dodging alone could not be considered fighting. Only when both
sides attacked each other did a fight occur. More importantly, no matter
how much he defended, Kusanagi Godou never gave up the will to attack!
That said, this was undoubtedly foolish behavior.
After all, he was using this body, incapable of wielding any authority, to
fight a giant bear that was more than double his own size.
However, that was precisely why he was filled with tension, his throat
becoming parched. The effects of excitement and adrenaline dispelled his
weariness and for the first time after so many days, his heavy body
exhibited agile movements once more. Furthermore, while confronting the
fear of death directly, the so-called killing instinct of "I must crush this
enemy before me!" surfaced.
Godou's dynamic vision was quite outstanding to begin with.
This was combined with the concentration Campiones exhibited in battle.
Even when the enemy attacked with bestial speed, he could easily see
through the attack exceptionally clearly. Godou just barely evaded the
giant bear's hammering fist and leapt to the gigantic beast's chest at the
same time. Then he struck as hard as he could.
—GROWWWWWWWWWLLL!?
The bear screamed pitifully.
Grabbing the opponent's giant body with both hands, Godou raised the
bear high above his head. Toyed with like a barbell by a 180 cm human,
the giant bear made a troubled expression on its face.
Unconcerned, Godou tossed the giant bear with one hand like a ball.
Tracing out a parabola, the giant bear's body flew over a hundred meters,
landing on empty ground by chance.
The giant bear lay there, not moving. Naturally, this astounding feat could
not have been accomplished by Godou's usual state. This was the result of
using the [Bull], only available when the enemy possessed mighty strength
beyond humans.
Phew... Godou took a deep breath.
Willpower, honed under attack, as well as massive amounts of magical
power were flowing out from within Godou's body.
Still, although he recovered just as expected, putting this sort of prediction
into action really turned out to be a most terrifying gamble... However,
there was no time for catching one's breath.
Roughly two kilometers away, there was a giant fissure in the ground.
That was the underground entrance that had devoured Doni-Artio. Right
now, giant beasts were slowly crawling out from this crevasse.
Thirty meters in body length. A form that resembled some sort of owl-bear
hybrid.
This was the kind of divine beast that Godou had encountered previously.
Fallen to the depths of the earth, Artio's spirit must have sent them to the
surface. Furthermore, there were three of them this time!
"The one unblunted and unapproachable, oath-breaking sinners be purged
by the iron hammer of justice!"
Godou immediately chanted spell words.
"Those are divine beasts!? The goddess Artio's minions!"
Riding the pterosaur, Erica was soaring the skies magnificently.
Naturally, she was able to survey the ground more clearly than anyone
else. At a crevasse that sliced deeply across the plain like a wound, giant
owl-bears were crawling to the surface. Also, there were three of them in
succession...
Divine beasts had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Furthermore, there were still fifty-odd giant bears remaining on the ground.
Clearly in a disadvantaged position, Erica frowned. The Franks on the
ground finally lost their will to fight as well. Due to the appearance of the
giant owl-bear, the warriors were in turmoil and starting to flee.
However, next to appear was a pitch-black giant boar—
Seeing that, Erica smiled fearlessly, flying on her pterosaur.
Wielding Cuore di Leone on the ground, Ena also noticed. No matter one's
location on the battlefield, no one could possibly miss the gigantic [Boar].
Also, the Hime-Miko of the Sword also noticed the recovered presence of
her "partner."
"Ama no Murakumo...! From the arm of the one whose interests I shoulder,
come to my hand!"
Since she was currently holding Cuore di Leone in her right, the jet-black
divine blade manifested in her left. Ena proceeded to summon Ama no
Murakumo no Tsurugi's divine aura into her body while calling out to the
sky at the same time.
"Erica-san!"
"Yes. Cuore di Leone, return!"
The magic sword vanished from Ena's hand, reappearing in Erica's right
hand. This was summoning magic.
"This was where Susanoo no Mikoto started his uprising, leading a
thousand savage gods, a thousand swords standing upon the earth, used
as city walls to defend against the enemies!"
In order to control the divine sword, the Hime-Miko of the Sword instantly
chanted spell words.
"The sword of a thousand was lost and turned into a little snake.
Nevertheless, His Augustness obtained a sword from the great serpent's
tail. Namely, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. The steel that breaks a
thousand blades!"
Having just received Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, the Hime-Miko of the
Sword tossed it high up into the air.
Infused with the power of miracles, the divine sword spun as it flew like a
boomerang, reaching an altitude even higher than where Erica's pterosaur
was flying. In this very instant, it crumbled and scattered.
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi's fragments rained down on the ground like
a meteor shower.
The divine sword's fragments all fell on the giant bears on the ground.
These fifty bears were scattered over an area of two hundred square
kilometers on various parts of the battlefield.
The giant bears all crashed down at the same time, collapsing in death.
However, there was not a single victim among the retreating Franks.
Only picking out the enemies and piercing them in one strike—This was
the amazing skill displayed by Ena and Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
"And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of
the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed
men went before them!"
Meanwhile, Erica chanted the spell words of smiting.
Cuore di Leone transformed from a longsword to a lance.
This was the barbed lance used by cavalry. Furthermore, the flying dragon
rider was enveloped in red light—The instant she was surrounded by the
[Sacred Privilege of Extermination], Erica lightly kicked the side of the
pterosaur's belly.
"Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman,
young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword!"
Thrusting the lance's tip forward, she ordered the pterosaur to fly at full
speed.
Her target was an owl-bear that had just crawled out to the surface from
underground. Erica and the pterosaur were charging at the throat of a giant
divine beast that stood as tall as a building.
The owl-bear spewed green flames from its giant jaws as a counterattack.
However, these flames were deflected by the [Sacred Privilege of
Extermination]. The dragon rider charged at the enemy's throat, piercing
the lance's tip deeply into it.
GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?
A deep scream shook the atmosphere. This was the very instant when
Erica dealt a massive blow to the first divine beast.