Vol 13 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5 - Black Blade, Hitherto Unawakened
Part 1
Directed by the G.o.ddess, lightning descended from the thunderclouds.
G.o.dou, Yuri and Ena had jumped into the stream together. They did not
mind immersing themselves up to their knees. After all, they were going to
get completely wet later.
”Take this, Yuri. For tying everyone together!”
Ena tossed a ball of red thread to her fellow Hime-Miko.
It looked like the type of thread used for sewing. Yuri apparently knew how
to use it already. Simply replying ”Very well!”, she caught the ball of thread.
Next, Ena took out a small wooden toy.
Simply stated, it was a mini-sized ”raft.” Ten-odd wooden rods had been
cut down to the same dimensions and bound together with string.
Placing this ”raft” on her forehead, Ena chanted spell words.
”The one who effects wondrous change shall enact a miracle.”
Then with a cry of ”Ei!” she tossed the ”raft” into the stream.
The palm-sized ”raft” expanded in size as it fell into the water, transforming
unbelievably into a real raft. G.o.dou realized at this time.
This was the j.a.panese version of the magic Erica used to transform her
beloved sword.
”Because Ena already performed a secret 'rite' on this thing, it should be
quite reliable. It is much st.u.r.dier than normal rafts built from wood!”
The make-s.h.i.+ft raft created using wizardry was a square roughly three
meters long. Explaining, its maker was the first person to sit down on it.
G.o.dou and Yuri immediately followed.
The make-s.h.i.+ft raft started to move along with the stream.
Whitewater rafting by inexperienced amateurs. A terrifying challenge was
about to begin.
— Woooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
G.o.dou and the girls screamed as they clung onto the raft.
The one-eyed giant — the cyclops. After being blown away by the [Boar],
this monster had stumbled and crawled his way to the stream, reaching out
with his ma.s.sive arm.
Nevertheless, the giant on his last breath exhausted all his strength at this
time and collapsed into dust.
But just as the trio breathed a sigh of relief, the G.o.ddess' voice was heard
from the sky.
'Are you going to flee as well, Kusanagi-sama!? Indeed, speaking of the
various G.o.d-slayers of the current generation, they are all great indomitable
heroes who flee with such alacrity as though they had wings!'
Her words were filled with sarcastic laughter. Furthermore...
'Nevertheless, I will never give up on you, Kusanagi-sama! Fufu, I shall
prepare a new a.s.sa.s.sin to replace the slain minions. Flee as much as you
like. So long as I live, the day of your sucessful escape from this island
shall never arrive!'
She was issuing a warning. However, the G.o.ddess did not seem like she
intended to pursue personally.
Was she taking precautions because she was cut by Ama no Murak.u.mo
no Tsurugi?
In any case, getting far away from the G.o.ddess as quickly as possible was
a good thing.
By the time G.o.dou turned his attention back to his surroundings, the sound
of thunder was already quite distant. Thanks to riding the flow of the
stream, they had now left behind the Fire G.o.ddess hidden in the
thunderclouds.
However, the make-s.h.i.+ft raft was not comfortable at all.
Due to following raging rapids, the feeling was naturally akin to a rodeo.
The raft kept jumping up at times while sinking into the water on other
occasions. The up and down feeling was quite frightening.
”By the way, you mentioned some kind of 'rite' just now. What is that?”
G.o.dou yelled while being shaken violently.
Although it was a model handcrafted by Ena, this raft give off a feeling as if
it were made of antique timber. Why?
”Uh, it's that thing. Amakasu mentioned it before. Using popular
terminology, I guess you could call it a s.h.i.+kigami spirit. Because this [Rite]
was pa.s.sed down in the Seishuuin family and used over the generations,
it's quite effective!”
”Ah yeah, that thing you see in television and movies!”
Called onmyoudou or onmyouji.'-^ G.o.dou recalled the relevant knowledge.
It seemed to be something quite unexpectedly valuable. But sitting here
without seat belts, one could easily fall off at any time. The trio hung on
desperately with both hands as they sat on the wooden raft. As they
stayed in this state, a short while pa.s.sed —
”O Kukuri no Himegami, I beseech you to watch over these skills of thread
spinning and tying!”
Yuri chanted spell words presently.
She seemed to be concentrating her thoughts into the ball of thread she
was clutching tightly in her hand.
”Everyone, please lie down!”
G.o.dou and Ena did as she instructed. Yuri also laid herself face down on
the raft.
Then the thread she was clutching began to move on its own. Like spider's
silk, it flew out of the Hime-Miko's hand!
The thread wrapped itself around the raft, layer after layer.
G.o.dou, Yuri and Ena looked as though they were tied up face down as
they lay on the raft. In any case, using the raft as a base, the three of them
were bound together by thread.
The thread wrapped around them repeatedly for ten-odd layers, binding
G.o.dou and the girls securely.
G.o.dou sensed magical power from the thread. This was probably no mere
sewing equipment but a real wizardry apparatus.
”This thread is strong enough to withstand cuts from bladed weapons.
Except for special circ.u.mstances, it will not break at all!”
In other words, this thread was as strong as metal wires.
Nevertheless, this did not change the fact that they were engaged in a
life-threatening event.
The raft continued to rise up and down on the water surface due to the
impact of the rapid currents.
Water splashed into their faces repeatedly and the raft dipped many times
underwater. Even when it floated back to the surface, they did not get that
feeling of salvation from death. The possibility of drowning crossed
everyone's mind.
With such momentum and speed, the raft kept colliding into certain objects
as the water currents pushed forward —
Ena had said ”much st.u.r.dier than normal,” but how st.u.r.dy was it exactly?
There would be collisions with rocks as well as driftwood, right?
Dangerous elements were innumerable if one tried to count them all. This
was the current situation.
During this time of danger, the two Hime-Miko by G.o.dou's side performed
spells to their best ability.
”O Great G.o.d of Arms! Hasten forth to welcome our arrival at this land of
the rising sun!”
”O Sai no Kami, please grant us your mercy and bless us along the road
ahead!”
Ena prayed to the guardian deity of warriors while Yuri pleaded to the
guardian deity of travelers for protection.
The Hime-Miko had been praying nonstop all this time. This was probably
what Ena had meant when she said to ”keep casting all the protective,
disaster warding and anti-drowning spells you can think of.”
Since things have come to this, all Kusanagi G.o.dou could do was believe
in them.
That said, faced with dangers he was powerless against, G.o.dou could feel
nothing but fright. Compared to a battle against G.o.ds, he lamented with
even greater feeling —
”l-l almost thought I was a goner...”
”S-Same here. To be honest, I was thinking I would never live to step foot
on j.a.panese soil again...”
”Oh my... How intense... In all sorts of ways...”
G.o.dou, Yuri and Ena finally relaxed and muttered.
Counting from the time they started the deadly voyage, an hour had
already pa.s.sed.
The raft the trio was riding managed to survive. Along the way, the current
brought them into collisions with hard rocks many times. Every single time,
there was nothing they could do but pray to the heavens. There were also
several times when the raft endured impacts with hard objects with a loud
”crash.”
In the end, they capsized roughly three times (although miraculously, the
raft righted itself every time).
In spite of all that, this raft that barely counted as a boat still endured,
transporting the trio to this place.
Fortunately, there were no waterfalls along the way. The water current
pus.h.i.+ng the raft was quite gentle now. This was because they had left the
mountains and finally reached flat lowlands.
Seeing that it was safe, Yuri had released the thread of wizardry a short
while ago.
Although they were completely drenched, the trio could at least relax and
rest on the raft after what seemed like eternity.
”By the way, your anti-drowning spells were really effective, Mariya and
Seishuuin.”
G.o.dou thanked them sincerely from the bottom of his heart.
Although their prayers did not show visible effects, he could not attribute
the safe outcome of their reckless rafting to any other reason.
”Yes. It seems like there were more benefits than expected.”
”To think you would say 'it seems like'... Didn't you guarantee it was going
to succeed with full confidence?”
G.o.dou smiled wryly in response to Ena's exclamation.
However, he noticed Yuri making an expression as if she wanted to say
something.
”Oh dear, those spells do not have 'visible effects on use' after all. They
feel more like invisible protection.”
”Y-Yes. Which is why we were able to arrive here safe and sound. What a
relief.”
”It probably wouldn't have worked if Ena was alone. But since Yuri is such
a good girl, Ena believed she would surely find a way to overcome all
difficulties.”
”Ena-san, please do not rely excessively on these spells in those kinds of
situations...”
I see. So that method of escape was actually beyond Ena's expectations,
huh?
G.o.dou was utterly shocked. This brave attempt at rafting was perhaps an
exceptionally risky gamble. That said, the fact of the matter was they were
saved as a result. After all, being carried by the water current like this
eliminated the need to walk, thus reducing Yuri's burden greatly.
”So long as we ended up alright, I guess I shouldn't fuss over it...”
G.o.dou sighed as he spoke. Oh well, they were safe anyway.
While the leader exhibited his natural easygoing personality, the voyage
continued without incident.
The one rowing was Ena who had somehow brought out an oar and was
casually charting their course. Despite lacking prior rafting experience, she
seemed quite used to using this type of oar.
From the raft they could observe tropical rainforest scenery on the
riverbank, quite different compared to the mountainous view in the
mountains. The temperature was also much higher, prompting G.o.dou and
the girls to take off their jackets.
A tropical zone. The land of constant summer heat again.
The clothes drenched from raftting should air dry rather quickly.
Soon after, the salty smell of the sea drifted across the river surface,
announcing the ocean's approach.
The trio looked at one another, recalling a particular warning. So long as
the G.o.ddess is alive, Kusanagi G.o.dou was absolutely unable to escape the
island. So, what exactly was going to happen — ?
Before boarding the raft, the trio had abandoned their burdensome
rucksacks.
Currently, they were only carrying minimal possessions such as water
bottles. Also, everyone should be quite tired from the rowdy farce that
lasted until now. G.o.dou particularly wanted Yuri to have a rest.
Calculating thus, G.o.dou decided to make a rest stop nearby and regroup.
As the sun set, the second night arrived on the island in the demonic
realm.
The trio of G.o.dou, Yuri and Ena was currently on a beach by the seash.o.r.e.
Everyone was gazing towards the ocean beneath the night sky. Soon after,
a boat sped across the sea to enter the cove that served as the entrance
to the island.
The engine-powered boat advanced nimbly, arriving at the beach where
G.o.dou's group was waiting.
”Thank you for waiting patiently.”
”The important thing is that everyone is safe and sound!”
The new arrivals at the beach were Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranjcar.
After reaching the beach, Yuri's psychic sensing could be used freely.
They had contacted the knights and decided to meet up tonight here.
Instead of flight magic, the knights traveled by boat in order to bring
provisions such as food and water.
But after a brief delightful reunion, they sat in a circle to hold a serious
conference.
Due to illumination by the moon and the stars, there was no need to use
flashlights.
”Reaching the seash.o.r.e is a good thing, but I'm positive making an exit
won't be so easy for me.”
G.o.dou spoke with resignation.
”However, it's different for everyone else — ”
”Are you asking the four of us to depart from the island, leaving behind
Kusanagi G.o.dou alone?”
”How utterly inane. On the contrary, this is the only point that is a little
fresh. But you couldn't really be considering that, G.o.dou?”
Liliana and Erica glared with reprimanding gazes.
Well, I expected this sort of reaction. G.o.dou shrugged and stopped what
he was going to say.
Hence, Yuri spoke up instead.
”The labyrinthine magical effects that fills this island... I believe it is indeed
Prince Alec's authority. After hearing His Highness' name mentioned by the
G.o.ddess, I saw the same G.o.d's sacred name that I once saw at the floating
island.”
”Cretan civilization's divine king, Minos huh? A deity of the earth with
connections to Poseidon.”
Liliana nodded.
”Yes. The authority Prince Alec used before... I believe the G.o.ddess is
likely sustaining it through some sort of magic.”
”How terrible. So what extent of divine magic does this G.o.ddess possess?”
As Ena grumbled about the enemy's myriad magical powers, Erica
interjected:
”A witch enslaving heroes as well as a sun deity... Although I can think of
several names, jumping to conclusions at this juncture seems too
dangerous. The issue of the 'Pan-Eurasian hero' also needs to be
resolved.”
”A witch related to a hero from some country huh? No idea.”
”Let's either wait for more decisive clues or when Yuri receives a spirit
vision. Right now, we're a little short on both.”
Erica and Ena nodded to each other. On the side, Liliana lamented with
chagrin:
”Furthermore, to think Verethragna's incarnations would be stolen...
Kusanagi G.o.dou, please be careful. The reduction of available combat
potential is a huge problem — ”
”Hmm?”
”Now that you have lost the [Ram], this means that you cannot revive as
usual when suffering from fatal injuries.”
”True, but being excessively cautious isn't good either.”
Although he nodded to acknowledge the blue knight's advice, G.o.dou
replied:
”If one falters in the face of a G.o.d, the already miniscule chance of victory
shrinks further into nothingness. Oh well, I just have to go all out with what
I have. Furthermore — ”
Suddenly remembering, G.o.dou looked at his right arm. His ”partner” was
still available and ready.
”I still have Ama no Murak.u.mo. Although as a weapon, it's not that easy to
use.”
This was not complaining or grumbling but simply what G.o.dou thought.
He did not think he could use Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi effectively as
a weapon. Perhaps this was just as well, since swords were such
dangerous existences.
Oh well, if the divine sword wanted to go on a rampage, it was probably
going to be disappointed.
”Your Majesty, Ena will work hard too. Because Ama no Murak.u.mo is Ena
and Your Majesty's partner.”
Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi's real user stated.
Perhaps Ena had already secretly heard the grumblings of this ”partner.”
Imagining this to himself, G.o.dou went ”I'm sorry” to apologize.
The situation was a bit — no, it was quite pessimistic. But in spite of all that,
so long as there is a will, there should be a way... G.o.dou resolved himself
in this manner.
Part 2
After the reunion and the conference ended, the team set up their tents to
camp for the night.
The tents were part of the equipment Erica and Liliana transported with the
boat. Just like last night, they were going to rotate in s.h.i.+fts and have one
person keeping watch while the others slept. As before, morning arrived
without incident.
G.o.dou finished breakfast and was feeling tense in antic.i.p.ation of the
upcoming battle against the G.o.ddess today —
But the current situation was not especially tense. In fact, one could say it
was the opposite.
A tropical zone's dazzling sunlight. The weather today was exceptionally
sunny.
A white beach. Completely free from pollution, this demonic realm's beach
was truly pure and pristine. Beautiful beyond compare.
There was the ocean as well. Facing this South Seas region of constant
summer was a clear, bottomless, emerald-green ocean.
Gathered here were girls in swimsuits, displaying their figures with freedom
and delight...
”No. Going swimming in this kind of situation, what on earth are they
thinking?”
G.o.dou reproached calmly.
The sight before him consisted of attractive maidenly figures that made him
embarra.s.sed to stare directly.
But in this case, the situation was already developed. With common sense,
full presence of mind and the spirit of critical appraisal, G.o.dou turned his
indifferent gaze towards the girls' gorgeous appearances.
First was Erica. G.o.dou originally expected her to wear a red swimsuit as
usual, but that was not the case.
Instead, it was a white bikini. Nevertheless, the two colors representing the
a.s.sociation she belonged to — red and black — were used to line the edges
of her swimsuit as decoration. This style of swimsuit, self-a.s.sertively
emphasizing her proportions to an excessive degree, was on the other
hand —
Quite usual of her.
Then there was Liliana, who adhered to her usual color by wearing a blue
bikini with a black pareo wrapped around her waist. Untying the pareo, her
astoundingly slim figure and slender limbs exhibited charm akin to that of a
professional beach volleyball player.
Yuri was also dressed in a bikini-style outfit.
Her swimsuit's elegance and pink material were quite suited to her.
According to G.o.dou's memory, Yuri only wore one-piece swimsuits in the
past. She was actually not very comfortable dressed like this, right?
Looking quite embarra.s.sed, Yuri attempted to hide behind the other girls.
But it was impossible to hide. Despite Yuri's slender physique, her bust
and posterior regions were rich with a curvaceous sense of fullness, clearly
visible due to wearing a bikini.
Finally there was Ena.
Just as expected, she was wearing a bikini.
However, its two-piece design had an especially adult flavor.
Although Ena's personality was cheerful and innocent, her figure rivaled
Erica in splendor. Furthermore, her waist-length black hair was full of
l.u.s.ter. Standing on the beach dressed in a black bikini like this, she gave
off an incredible sense of maturity as well as the charm of a mysterious
young beauty.
Equally beautiful. This was a blooming display of attractive young women.
”We're about to fight a deity. Why are you girls dressed like that?”
”G.o.dou, your way of thinking is too shallow.”
The one who rebuffed his common sense commentary was naturally Erica.
”Indeed, the battle is imminent. However, we still don't know when it'll
begin, right?”
G.o.dou frowned at what she pointed out.
She was right. The G.o.ddess' abilities were powerful and varied. In any
case, surely she already knew her quarry was at the beach since
yesterday. But yet she had not made any appearance.
Was she planning on preventing them from going out to sea, to instill a
sense of despair?
Or perhaps, banking on her advantage of being able to strike at any time,
she intended to let the hunted prey, G.o.dou, fall into anxiety and unease?
”It is not a good thing to wait nervously for an enemy whose arrival time is
uncertain. You'll just get all worked up for nothing. Rather, wouldn't it be
better to relax without compromising alertness excessively? Also, this is
preparation.”
”I don't understand that logic... But anyway, why a swim in the ocean?”
”Because we were going to be walking around the island, sufficient
swimwear was prepared beforehand for everyone. Since we brought them
here already, it'd be a waste not to use them. Also, isn't this simply more
fun?”
So this was the argument Erica used to convince the girls.
Turning his gaze, G.o.dou found Yuri going ”Seriously, Erica-san, this
again...” with a troubled expression, but the honors student did not seem
like she was going to voice her objections.
Liliana also went ”well, this is also battle experience” and simply stood
back with a sour look. One could ridicule the fact of her preparedness in
casually bringing a lifebuoy.
Speaking of Ena, she was smiling with her usual att.i.tude.
”Yes yes. Even if we waited with discipline akin to staying awake all night
in a besieged situation, nothing good would come out of it.”
Oh well, perhaps they really were right.
G.o.dou nodded and Erica smiled tenderly as she tossed male swimwear
over to him.
After changing behind a rock, G.o.dou found the four girls frolicking in the
seawater, their playful laughter greatly adding to the beach atmosphere.
To avoid exhaustion, he probably should not swim too strenuously.
”Your Majesty, please come over here for a while!”
Just as G.o.dou was about to enter the water for a light swim, Ena called
him.
”Oh my, since Your Majesty is in a position of waiting for the enemy to
arrive at this encampment, Ena thinks Your Majesty should make a display
of solemn dignity. Yeah, something that feels suited to a king's position.”
”Say, Seishuuin, I don't think sea bathing has anything to do with position.”
”Okay okay. Come, let's sit here for a bit.”
Invited to a patch of cool sand next to the sea, G.o.dou did as he was told.
As G.o.dou puzzled over Ena's intentions, the Hime-Miko of the sword
swiftly took a seat by his left. Then she pressed her body close to him,
leaning with all her weight!
The tender supple sensation caused G.o.dou to shudder in surprise.
But unlike Erica, this did not convey the kind of alarming feeling as if the
posture would progress into something even more intimate. Perhaps this
was actually what made Ena so perfect?
”W-What are you doing!?”
”Ena saw this in a foreign teledrama once. Like a mafia boss guy sitting by
the poolside with two ladies waiting on him, drinking c.o.c.ktails. Your
Majesty should do that too. Yuri, come over for a while!”
Ena called to her childhood friend who was a short distance away. Over
there, Liliana was floating casually in the water, sitting on a lifebuoy that
served as a piece of the boat's lifesaving equipment. Yuri was also wearing
a lifebuoy and the two girls seemed to be playing together happily.
Called by Ena, Yuri turned her head to look and hence discovered the
situation.
”W-What are you two doing over there!?”
”Fufu, you should hurry over here, Yuri. The two of us will play the roles of
His Majesty's lovers together.”
”You two, please do not engage in this type of behavior during the daytime,
especially outdoors.”
”Guh... What a situation of utter depravity! Even Kusanagi G.o.dou could not
possibly do that!”
”It's not like that, Mariya and Liliana! Seishuuin decided this all on her
own — ”
”l-ln that case, G.o.dou-san, you should hurry and separate from her.”
”O-Oh yeah.”
Conditioned by past scenes of being held captive in Erica's forceful grip,
G.o.dou had forgotten that Ena did not possess the same kind of monstrous
strength. G.o.dou immediately stood up, forcibly struggling free from the
Hime-Miko's body.
However, someone else immediately pounced on him from somewhere.
G.o.dou could feel an elastic and supple sensation on his back together with
a sense of volume.
More conspicuous than anything else was the immense strength of the
arms embracing G.o.dou from behind, wrapping tightly around his neck —
”G.o.dou. Do you intend to engage Ena-san in loving intimacy, neglecting
me on the side?”
The voice whispering in his ear was, of course, the usual familiar one.
”Ah, what happened? Erica-san arrived faster than Yuri. But no matter. We
two will play the role of His Majesty's lovers, how's that?”
”Role playing is redundant. Because I am truly Kusanagi G.o.dou's lover.
However.”
Erica declared proudly to Ena who listened nonchalantly. But a fearless
lioness' smile immediately surfaced on Erica's face while she and the
Hime-Miko of the Sword nodded at each other.
”Perhaps this is not such a bad idea. For a stubborn someone who
obstinately clings to his opinions, this is a good opportunity to let him
realize the unparalleled extent to which his behavior is the ant.i.thesis of
being human.”
”E-Erica-san. Since we are simply relaxing in preparation for battle, is this
not contrary to what you were saying just now!?”
”She is right, Erica. Besides, these matters should be the job of the grand
chamberlain, in other words, me. K-Kusanagi G.o.dou, you should not make
a l.u.s.tful face just because you are sandwiched between those two!”
”Of course I'm not! Could you please direct your sight to my attempts to
resist!?”
Dazzling suns.h.i.+ne. A white beach. And also the sea.
In any case, G.o.dou's entourage was enjoying these conditions while
”waiting” on standby without being excessively off guard.
Then roughly two hours pa.s.sed —
The first person to look up was Yuri.
Both yesterday and today, she had deployed her psychic sensing to cover
the vicinity of the beach so as to discover any emergency immediately.
Liliana also narrowed her eyes, casting her gaze towards the air.
Ever since last night, she had been using a spell that gave warning as
soon as powerful magic was sensed.
This was to avoid repeating the same mistakes as during the divine eagle's
attack and to prepare against the G.o.ddess who could arrive at any time.
Noticing Yuri and Liliana's reactions, Erica smiled courageously and Ena
nodded forcefully.
Back on the beach, the girls were currently dressed in their swimsuits with
a light parka and t-s.h.i.+rt to avoid getting cold. G.o.dou had also put on a
s.h.i.+rt.
While having fun, all of them had remained alert. Then it finally came.
'Kusanagi-sama, I cannot believe you are frolicking with these lowly girls!'
As the G.o.ddess' voice thundered, the originally sunny sky suddenly
darkened.
Dark clouds filled the sky with frightening speed. A gigantic silhouette of a
woman floated up onto this dark canopy of the sky. Slender as a juniper,
this was the shadow of the mysterious G.o.ddess.
Her head almost reached the clouds. Such was the size of the gigantic
silhouette.
'Fufu, only the tasteless would choose the company of such lowly girls. A
hero like you should love a suitable partner!'
”On the other hand, I'm pretty sure you're not the suitable one...”
Feeling that a reb.u.t.tal would be futile, G.o.dou simply muttered softly.
However, he renewed his spirits and looked up, yelling with a loud voice:
”Are you still refusing to come down here today!?”
The G.o.ddess' figure looked as big as a rainbow hanging in the sky, but she
was definitely far away.
She was watching G.o.dou and his group from up high in the distant sky.
When having a close encounter with a deity, a Campione's power would be
roused intensely. Due to the current lack of that effect, G.o.dou instantly
understood. Was the G.o.ddess highly wary because she was cut by Ena
once?
'Hmm. Kusanagi-sama, you have apparently summoned all your
subordinates. This time, I as the queen shall send troops to challenge you,
the king.'
”It's not just this time. Haven't you been sending your subordinates every
time?”
The enemy called herself the Fire G.o.ddess. G.o.dou felt that she must be
hiding something else apart from her name.
Although he wanted to keep questioning her, to probe the matter more
thoroughly —
'Fufu. A weak woman and a heroic warrior differ completely in their ways of
doing things. Kusanagi-sama, considering the courage it takes for a mere
woman to challenge a manly G.o.d-slayer, please show generous leniency.'
Things were not going well, The Fire G.o.ddess was messing up all his
plans.
G.o.dou had no idea whether it was on purpose or unintentional. However,
he was beginning to harbor certain suspicions at this point. Could she be
the ”most difficult” opponent he had met so far?
No matter how bad they were, all of his past foes had upfront personalities.
The kingly warriors, Melqart and Athena. Heroic Perseus. The Great Sage
Equaling Heaven who simply loved being the center of attention. Lancelot's
cool charging spirit.
Drawing a clear line between herself and those warriors, this G.o.ddess'
behavior often made a display of femininity.
”Oh yeah, it was mentioned she is a witch G.o.ddess.”
'Come, please let me treat you as a guest this time, Kusanagi-sama.'
While G.o.dou could not help but mutter, the G.o.ddess' voice resounded in
the sky.
'Fufufufu. I have prepared valuable a.s.sa.s.sins. After all, the power of divine
beasts seems unable to capture you!'
A glorious sacred beast descended from the sky amidst the dark clouds.
It was a white and unruly stallion, its entire body shrouded in golden
flames. Unlike the previous divine beasts, its body size was not abnormally
large. Although its build was robust, the size was still within common sense
for a horse.
Kicking its hooves in the air, the stallion flew nimbly through the sky. As
soon as he saw that sacred majesty, G.o.dou instantly realized.
”G.o.dou-san! That is Verethragna's incarnation — the [White Stallion] stolen
by the G.o.ddess!”
Yuri also knew from spirit vision. This confirmed G.o.dou's instincts.
Not only did she steal, she could also make use of them...
'Due to a lack of time, I was unable to make all of them my servants...
Kusanagi-sama, please enjoy a battle with your own kindred!'
Informed by the G.o.ddess, G.o.dou frowned.
The girls also looked up at the [White Stallion] with grim stares.
They too must have noticed the powerful G.o.dly powers residing in the
flying divine horse. A troublesome foe had appeared, one vastly
surpa.s.sing the ”firebird” that had received the G.o.ddess' protection.
Part 3
”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 a.s.s, with the edge of the sword.
Erica chanted the spell words of smiting in order to wield the [Sacred
Privilege of Extermination].
In response to her spell words, Cuore di Leone transformed from a slender
longsword into a barbed lance. Simultaneously, an oval s.h.i.+eld also
manifested in the red knight's left hand.
”They warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and
they slew all the males! And they slew the kings of Midian!”^ ^
It went without saying, this was Liliana's smiting.
Her magic saber, II Maestro, transformed into a silver crafted longbow, a
deadly weapon for firing sacred arrows of extermination.
These were the secret arts of combat magic that stood as the trump cards
of European knights.
Nevertheless, their target was Kusanagi G.o.dou's oft-used [White Stallion],
the symbol of Verethragna as the heaven-sent child of the sun.
'Very well, Kusanagi-sama, the heavenly horse that transports the
sun — Savor its power well. Fufu, even if its hooves of scorching flame
happen to incinerate you completely, my secret drugs can still revive you
from the ashes!'
”This is going beyond twisting my arms and legs off!”
G.o.dou angrily retorted from the ground in response to the a.s.sertions made
by the G.o.ddess' silhouette.
From the ashes — G.o.dou was suddenly struck with a thought; immortal
deities did indeed exist. In that case, G.o.ds capable of reviving the dead
might actually exist.
Hopefully not to prove this point, the [White Stallion] charged straight