Vol 10 Epilogue (2/2)

Daoist priests in Chinatown, sensed an object with great magical power

moving underwater near this island. After investigating using the technique

of ghost sight, we discovered a ma.s.sive gigantic boar monster. Its entire

body is wrapped in black steel...”

G.o.dou was shocked by Cecilia's report.

”Even though the boar's body is covered with wounds, it continues to swim

in the sea. Furthermore, it is advancing towards Yokohama and looking

very excited. At the current rate, it will land at Yokohama in twenty minutes

or so to destroy the city. What is going on...?”

”What makes you think it is my doing?”

”No one but you can command that kind of monster. It is a simple fact.”

”Stop with the nonsense. Besides me, there is another person here who is

a candidate as the monster's owner. And in this particular instance, he is

not simply the candidate but the actual proper owner.”

Alec protested and turned his sardonic gaze towards G.o.dou. Actually,

other than Cecilia, everyone's gazes had turned to G.o.dou.

Erica went ”Well, what an oversight” and shrugged her shoulders.

Yuri was saying ”W-What should we do!?” in shock.

As for Liliana, she went ”As expected, you really are quite difficult to

manage” and closed her eyes.

”Well, true to form as always, Kusanagi-sama. The future sure feels

exciting!”

For some reason, Alice was the only one who offered praise as if

expressing approval.

”Let me guess, something happened in the following manner?”

Erica began to deduce with an air of superiority.

”Even though you needed the [Boar] in the duel against Sir Lancelot, there

are no ma.s.sive objects nearby you could target. So G.o.dou began thinking

about things on the sh.o.r.e, to use as a target for destruction in order to

summon the [Boar]. Then the charge began on a trajectory in a collision

course with Sir Lancelot...”

”Well, I was thinking that guy would not have much strength left to go

anywhere after a direct confrontation against Lancelot...”

G.o.dou's face began to twitch. The [Boar] and the divine sword's

partners.h.i.+p turned out to be unexpectedly solid.

”S-So G.o.dou-san, where is the target!?”

”Yokohama... Bay Bridge, because I heard Gascoigne had gone to the

Chinatown over there, I couldn't help but think of that place...”

”Wait a minute, don't blame things on me just like that!”

”A-Anyway, we must contact the Committee's Sayanomiya Kaoru as

quickly as possible to warn them. A-At least there are cellphone antennas

here... d.a.m.n it, no good. It is not connecting!”

G.o.dou replied to Yuri's question, Alec grumbled while Liliana frantically

tried to make a call from this remote island far out at sea. The third witch,

Cecilia, muttered ”Please seal off the Bay Bridge” as she departed using

flight magic.

”Results show that people do not change their ways so easily. As long as

G.o.dou is involved, extraordinary things will happen.”

Erica exclaimed emphatically, unsympathetic to the surrounding

commotion.

Furthermore, there was still another person who did things as she pleased.

Princess Alice.

”By the way, it is rare that Alexandre's aura of misfortune did not activate

this time.”

”What aura of misfortune?”

”Whenever he eagerly makes his plans, he easily stumbles over obstacles

due to disputes with women. Unable to understand women's emotions,

obsessions, unconditional love or anything of that sort, he is left with no

choice but to improvise and adjust his plans. But this time, it did not

happen... Somehow, it feels less amusing.”

Black Prince Alec clicked his tongue in response to Erica and Alice's

exchange, while G.o.dou did not care.

In any case, the adventure involving Divine Ancestor Guinevere and the

war G.o.d Lancelot had finally reached a conclusion.

Part 2

'Queen Oto Tachibana-Hime, jumped into the sea with sword embosomed.

Sea currents carried her sword to a landless location, whence a floating

island subsequently appeared.'

Even though the Heavenly Reverse Halberd was a red herring, if this

legend turned out to be true-

This vague thought crossed the mind of Guinevere's dying consciousness.

Her body had already turned into sand and collapsed, carried by the wind

and scattered over Tokyo Bay.

Life had reached its end, slipping away, in preparation for the next rebirth.

However, some time still remained. As Guinevere drifted over land she had

vague thoughts about matters related to the ”King of the End.” Having

been through this generation and the previous, both incarnations had

sought the master but had yet to succeed. To one's surprise, a tragic end?

Just as her heart was filled with lamentation, spirit vision arrived.

Due to being in a near death state, spirit senses had probably attained

maximum clarity.

I see it. The master is sleeping at a place with neither land nor sea. Indeed

the location could be seen.

”Alas... It turns out to be there! O Master, king who manifests at the end of

eras! The one called Artos and predecessor of Arthur!”

Guinevere's cries should have been transmitted by now.

Transmitted to the true Floating Island, the location of the hero she had

been seeking all along. Mother earth G.o.ddesses who had their lives

extracted by his alter ego the divine sword, were transformed into Divine

Ancestors. In other words, Guinevere and the rest of the Divine Ancestors

were his ”sisters” or ”daughters” in days past.

Surely, their intimate bond will carry these cries over to him. Nevertheless,

there was no response.

Ignored -- a new sense of despair eroded Guinevere's heart. However, this

despair turned into a dark impulse, giving the dying Witch Queen final

strength.

Even though ignored, even though unwanted. The master must be

awakened no matter what!

”Alter ego of my mother, the Holy Grail and the sacred fountain of life. I

entrust everything to you from here on. Awaken the sleeping master, for

you must make him descend and appear once more!”

The Divine Ancestor was about to die, and would one day be reborn.

However, the next rebirth required centuries.

Guinevere's next life was far away in the future. But in her stead ~ she

entrusted her overflowing feelings of longing to the Magic Holy Grail,

instructing it through prayers to lay low in her stronghold of Brittany.

Fortunately, the vessel was still filled with the G.o.ddess' essence it had

absorbed not too long ago.

If several centuries were to pa.s.s, the essence would probably

metamorphose into a new Divine Ancestor and undergo rebirth. However,

there were already seven G.o.d-slayers in this world. In order to defeat them

and revive the apathetic master for another coming, a Divine Ancestor's

power was far too inadequate.

”Hence, O Holy Grail, everything is entrusted to you... Ah yes, you shall

become the new queen.”

Guinevere used her last remnants of magical power to perform a

summoning spell.

This manifested a circular disc, made of an alloy of gold and iron. Patterns

reminiscent of [Swords] were carved on its surface, numbering two... No,

three now. As soon as it was summoned, the count had incremented.

”Sir Knight... Lancelot du Lac's steel is now stored here. That's right,

instead of becoming Kusanagi-sama's authority, be the arrow for the

returning 'King of the End'... Please go forth.”

Hearing Guinevere's command, the circular disc flew towards the ends of

the sky.

Thus a conclusion was reached. The Witch Queen's consciousness

gradually rarefied and disappeared.

”O Master... O King of the End... Guinevere and Your Highness--”

Her final words were interrupted before she could finish.

Soon after Guinevere vanished.

In her stronghold, a forest in Brittany, two objects appeared.

One was a disc of gold and iron. The other was a golden urn -- the vessel

known as the Holy Grail.

This was the lakeside where the forest's owner and her guardian knight

had conversed in the past. More time pa.s.sed after the two divine artifacts

manifested.

Slowly, the Holy Grail transformed. What had been an urn made of gold till

now, was gradually undergoing change, acquiring supple flesh like a

human's, taking on human form.

”Yes, to rouse the lethargic hero who sleepeth yonder... That is one's

mission indeed--”

Viewed as a human, she appeared to be twelve or thirteen years of age,

like a p.u.b.escent girl.

Her short hair was silver as if infused with moonlight. Her pupils were pitch

black like condensed darkness. The exquisite beauty of her face seemed

child-like yet sacred, and furthermore, emanated a queen's solemnity. Her

entire naked body was filled with power no human girl could ever possess.

”Even though one hath been tasked with this mission, how should one

proceed? Other than that man, within this G.o.ddess' heart -- there also

seemeth to be a different man, one whom this G.o.ddess must defeat.”

Slightly distorting her lips, she bore a smile.

Just by closing her eyes, she could picture the face of the mortal enemy

carved clearly beneath her eyelids. The black-haired youth with black

irises. But surely, he was no ordinary man.

He should possess the ability to make her blood boil with excitement.

Without any grounds, the G.o.ddess firmly believed this fact.

”No matter. One still needeth repose for now. In the near future, this

G.o.ddess shall begin her journey, to exhibit the queen's valor and ferocity to

heaven and earth. Now let this newborn body rest fitfully...”

The young girl, born from the grail, murmured as she sank into the lake.

In order to cleanse her body and frolic in the lake water-

Meanwhile, back to Bousou again.

In the sky far above the ocean which had twice become the stage for

intense battles. Even higher than the clouds. Further than the atmosphere.

The celestial realm -- or rather, it is a place humans would call a satellite

orbit.

A little island lay there floating.

From the perspective of the ground surface, it appeared motionless all year

round ~ what is known as a geostationary orbit. Humans were unaware of

its existence. Even if they knew, they would simply dismiss it as floating

matter in a satellite orbit.

In the center of this cramped plot of land, an iron sword was embedded.

A mighty sword whose blade measured roughly 100cm in length. The

heavy double-edged blade was rather thick, resembling a woodcutter's

chopper in structure. However, it was now worn out and corroded, only

covered by rust.

Divine Sword of Salvation-

The personal sword of the Devil King-exterminating hero, the strongest

[Steel].

Afterword

The Campione series has finally reached the milestone of a double-digit

volume count.

In the supplementary booklet ”SDMP” that is bundled with the October

issue of Jump Square sold on September 3, there is even a preview of the

upcoming manga adaptation.

These are all thanks to the loving support of the readers. For this I express

my deepest grat.i.tude to all readers.

Furthermore, this volume has taken the challenge of a cherished NETA in

the industry. The one who inspired me was Rodotosu(P K h7v)-sensei,

thank you very much (laugh). Everyone who is going ”What?” because

they started reading from the afterword, please continue reading from the

start.

So, this time our protagonist and that certain problematic character have

finally appeared on stage together.

If one were to write about their similarities from an author's standpoint,

ignoring protests from the perspectives of the characters in question, the

ridiculousness of their personalities and behavior should be even clearer to

understand. After all, since each of the two firmly believes he (and only he)

is serious and proper, so naturally those kinds of ridiculous descriptions

became fewer...

If the page limit allowed it, I would also like to ask that person about the

keyword ”Arthur” appearing in this volume and the previous.

”The legends of King Arthur's origins used Celtic myths as an entry point.

But that is just a perspective that disproportionately magnifies one tiny

facet of the truth. If that man's prototype is to be demystified, one must

transcend the limitations of the hero Arthur, and turn one's attention

towards history... Or rather, the formation process of legends or

'pseudohistory.'”

This is just an opening line of sorts, with much more rambling to follow (wry

laugh).

If one day a foreign drama t.i.tled ”Alec's Adventure Series IV Chapter 12,

The Mystery of Fake King Arthur” is realized, perhaps everyone can listen

to his brilliant opinions.

When that time comes, all sorts of ”Da Vinci Code” conspiracies related to

the twelfth century English royal family and French n.o.bles, and even the

troubadours of the Knights Templar will be disclosed.

Finally, the next volume's story should be t.i.tled something like ”The Story

Continued” or ”Second Tale.” If possible, let us meet again in Volume 1 1 .

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