In a group that is comprised mainly of females, there is someone sticking
out like a sore thumb. A single male.
If someone should think that they would be super happy or "This world is
too perfect", then there is something seriously wrong with them.
Recently, Godou had started to have this kind of viewpoint upon his
situation.
All in all, his shoulders felt very heavy, his mood was not good at all and he
felt very uneasy.
Godou had no idea why he had to leave Japan and come all the way here
to Sardinia, Italy for his summer vacation.
The layout of the island was similar to Shikoku (Japan), and was also
famous for being a summer vacation tourist spot.
Because of the surrounding emerald-blue seas, it grew to fame as a tourist
spot as celebrities frequently came here for vacations.
Originally, Godou and company had intended to stay on the area around
the western coast.
As the airport was very close to Alghero, there were also many attractions
nearby.
There were quite a few gothic, baroque and renaissance style buildings
which served as world heritage sites.
Lastly, to trump everything else, the breathtakingly beautiful beaches and
seas.
Except for the fact that it's slightly hotter than what would be comfortable,
this would be the perfect vacation spot.
Even so, Godou's mood had not improved much.
And all of it was due to being surrounded by females. From the time he
arrived until the current moment, four days have already passed. In this
time, Godou had not even a day of peace.
For example, this morning—
In a room in the villa they had rented, after a refreshing wake-up, Godou
had headed to the bathroom.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, someone had sprung a
surprise attack against him from the back.
Gagged, handcuffed and blindfolded, he was brought outside the villa and
placed upon something like a rubber dinghy.
About twenty minutes had passed.
Taking the rubber dinghy to the sea, Godou was finally released from his
bindings, and was given a ridiculous explanation.
"Finally, we can be alone together, Godou. I've been looking forward to
this."
The voice expectedly came from Erica Blandelli.
Twirling her blond hair with her hands and giving off an expression of
absolute happiness, Godou somehow felt like he was swooning, and
began his retort.
"No way is this a situation where 'we can be alone together', isn't it more
like a kidnapping?"
"That's not it... Because, it's all your fault that this happened."
Erica replied, still maintaining her immaculate smile.
In heaven and earth, I am the one and only, once said by Siddhārtha
[1]Gautama Buddha . This young girl's actions had always seemed to be
inspired from that phrase, hence Godou was already used to it.
"Whatever sins I have committed to deserve this fate, please tell me all
about it. I would like to have a peaceful life in the future."
"Of course, it is the sin of not wanting us to be together alone."
Upon the first day of arrival, Godou had already been a victim of Erica's
relentless and ferocious hugging.
After that, he had taken extreme caution not to be caught in a situation
where he was alone with Erica.
Will I be able to return in one piece? Did the chicken or the egg come first?
In order to prevent a tragedy and taking preventive measures, in the end it
would still lead to the same tragedy. If whatever I do will result in the same
ending, then isn't life just cruel and meaningless?
...Godou fell into deep thought, attempting to escape from reality via his
random inner monologue.
The Erica who was naturally wearing a swimsuit temptingly gazed at
Godou, her swimsuit revealing -a lot- of skin.
Their skin came in contact intimately, her face gradually getting closer and
her mesmerizing lips slowly closed the distance.
Not good. To continue escaping reality would result in fatality. To be
specific, it would not be strange for it to end in an engagement to Erica in
three days.
Comparing their physical strength, combat would not be a viable option.
From her combat capability, Godou would already be hanging by a thread.
Even in a war of attrition, stamina would only be slowly chipped away. If
that was the case, then he would entrust everything to that instance of
battle.
The amorously approaching Erica had relaxed her guard, and it was at this
moment that he took action.
"Ah, hold on a moment Godou! After coming this far with me, where are
you planning on going?"
"Sorry, but I'm going to head back by myself. Don't follow me!"
Stripping off his shirt, he focused on the shore in the far distance amidst
the rolling waves.
With all his might, he swam, not stopping even for a brief moment.
On the endless sea, he swam towards the shore which seemed like a
mirage in the desert. Not just his body, even his spirit was suffering from
this ordeal.
Finally, after what seemed like eternity, he finally managed to reach the
rented villa.
Mariya Yuri and Lucretia Zola were waiting together for him.
"Godou-san, where on earth have you been this morning?"
Yuri asked while standing in front of the door.
Indeed, she gave off the feeling of a traditional Japanese-style girl, but her
light-brown hair made her seem to be more than meets the eye. She was a
prim and proper beautiful girl with a sense of transparency.
However, the eyes of the usually level-headed Yuri were very frightening at
the moment.
Her eyes did not give off a feeling of undisguised danger, perhaps it was a
more quiet and tranquil stare. Also, one could feel a strong will and a noble
sense of obligation behind those eyes.
—Oh. Although I don't know why, somehow it seems that I have angered
Yuri.
Godou sighed.
In these few months, he had come to know that this expression was a sign
of danger. She was a girl that could be as gentle as Buddha, but also as
fearsome as Yasha.
At the same time, he looked at the witch under the eaves, who was
swaying on the rocking chair.
"Hoho, once, some Japanese female university students on vacation drew
graffiti on the San Pietro Cathedral. Unintentionally, I flew into a rage. Now,
I'm regretting it... What sad, deplorable behavior they showed me..."
Said Lucretia Zola, who was randomly spouting off various stories.
The beautiful witch with flaxen-colored hair and a body that mere words
could not do justice to, did not even glance over at Godou and Yuri even
once. Suspicious.
Based on that, should anything disastrous occur, most likely it would have
something to do with her.
"Godou-san, where exactly have you been to? Please face me, and listen
to me properly. That is only basic courtesy."
"Ah, sorry... Erm Mariya, is it ok if I ask what you are angry about?"
"I am not angry. Merely shocked. I came to understand that Godou-san,
although always speaking seriously, is in actual fact an impure person who
knows no shame, and thus I feel disappointed."
Although I had asked in such a nice and polite manner, such was the reply
I had received.
The degree of scariness in Yuri's eyes was increasingly steadily.
"I-It seems that you are misunderstanding something, what happened?"
"I am not misunderstanding anything at all. Earlier, I heard from
Lucretia-san, that early this morning, Godou-san and Erica-san, had snuck
out together alone... To, to accept that kind of tempting invitation from
Erica-san who is always up to no good and not even resist, you were
obediently brought outside..."
"No, it is because I was fully handcuffed, blinded and gagged that I could
not resist, there is no way I would have gone along willingly with that girl.
Don't misunderstand this!"
After listening to Godou's explanation, Yuri could only give a pained smile.
What does she mean by that expression? It was as though she was
mourning someone who had done something so utterly hopeless, like a
complete idiot, as though she was doubting how he would turn out in the
future, while revealing a Buddha-like expression.
"It is no surprise to me that you refuse to tell the truth. It is just as
Lucretia-san had said, it is times like these that men will continue to lie and
dig their own graves... I was mistaken in judging your character, how
filthy."
Mariya Yuri is a very smart, deep-thinking girl.
As she was raised as a ojou-sama, she had a very gullible side to her. Not
knowing the lies and trickeries of the world, she was very pure-hearted.
"M-Mariya. Although I don't know what she told you, don't just believe in
anything. Please believe me!"
"A man caught with his pants down will always say things like "Please
believe me", really, it is in no way convincing—Exactly like what
Lucretia-san had said."
That damn witch, what nonsense exactly did she feed her?
Godou, stared menacingly at Lucretia, whose face was currently covered
by a newspaper.
"Hoho, the Italian Prime Minister has been denying rumors about his
having of a hair transplantation surgery. He claims that it is a change in
lifestyle that resulted in the unnatural sudden spurt of hair growth. Hoho,
what a load of crap."
"Please don't badmouth people behind their backs, when you are also
guilty of the same thing. Why have you been telling Mariya a load of
nonsense?"
"Telling her a load of nonsense, that's surprising, I don't remember doing
that. Boy, it's not good to get lost in wild delusions."
Lucretia replied, finally putting down the newspaper that covered her face.
"I merely taught her a brief lesson on biology and social psychology. First,
about the stamen and pistil and their roles in fertilization. After that, about
how in recent times, young males and females would fall into the depths of
their youth, resulting in a certain ending which would greatly affect their
daily lives. And then, due to their own muddiness and dishonesty, what
kind of excuses men will employ to cover up their mistakes. This morning, I
only imparted these few basic understandings of humans to her, that's all!"
As she was saying that, she puffed out her chest as though it perfectly
explained her actions.
Lucretia Zola, the witch, was their host at this island of Sardinia.
According to his personal experience, and proof from various situations,
she was at least about six to seven decades old.
However, from what the eyes could see, she was a flawlessly beautiful
lady in her late twenties.
Underneath that, she was an advocate of 'fun above everything'. To her,
having fun was the single most important factor in any decision.
In the end, Godou had to spend an hour to explain to Yuri that he was
innocent. After all that, she still regarded him with a slightly suspicious
look. Not just that, she also mentioned something like, 'Since you have
gone to such great lengths to explain yourself, I will trust you just this once.
Please do not betray my expectations of you'. Godou totally had no idea
what she was so hurt about.
It was as though she were a young wife who knew her husband was
cheating on her, yet still endured with pure willpower.
Mariya Yuri is a miko who possessed something like clairvoyance, known
as "Reishi" (Spirit Vision).
Although she could see what cannot be seen, know what cannot be
known, she could not use this power as she willed. At times, it was a really
reproachful ability.
At any rate, to Godou, who had barely managed to make it back safely, he
had already met another crisis.
"Ara, Godou-san. Where have you been? Please hold on a moment, lunch
is almost ready."
Came a voice from the kitchen, from a girl who was busy working in the
kitchen while humming a tune.
Arianna Hayama Arialdi.
She had a Japanese grandfather, and is currently working under Erica as a
maid.
Lively, kind, serious and with a refreshing appearance. A gentle person
who wouldn't harm a fly; that was how good the impression Godou had of
her.
But this time, Godou felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
Anna, as she was more commonly called, was adding some zucchini, and
unknown shellfish-like things, among others, into the boiling soup. Her
stew was extremely dangerous. A few days earlier, Arianna had created
this soup known as 'The refreshing taste of summer', which had a taste
and appearance that words cannot possibly describe.
Erica and Lucretia did not even try to taste a single bit.
Yuri tried her very best, but could only manage to finish half of it.
In the end, it was left to Godou to dispose of it. The leftovers were fed to
the stray cats. Well, to be exact, the cats had run away the moment they
smelled the concoction.
Thus, Godou, ignoring his current fatigue from long-distance swimming,
made a request.
"Anna-san, you are always the one who makes all our meals. As I kind of
feel bad over it, please leave lunch's preparations to me."
"I can't do that, please, you don't have to be so kind to me. After all, I do
love cooking."
"No, please let me do it by all means! Leave it to me!"
Just like that, Godou had forcibly taken on the responsibility of making
lunch.
Afterwards, Godou, Yuri, Arianna, Lucretia and Erica who had just
returned, started to enjoy the lunch that was prepared together.
"Such a bland, sketchy taste. Also, the ingredients are not beautifully cut."
Said the gourmet Erica, who was sitting in the opposite direction, facing
Godou.
Surprisingly, to the Erica who would eat anything, she would pick the
portions of better quality whenever she had the chance.
Because of that, Godou did not prepare any frozen foodstuffs (Even in
countries that favored the slow food culture, would also sometimes make
use of frozen foodstuffs as ingredients). Really, people as extravagant as
Erica do exist.
"This must be because the chef did not have enough love. Clearly, even
though we love each other mutually, he only ever runs away... The
moment I let down my guard, he runs straight to another woman."
"It can't be helped, that is just how men are."
Of course, the one who replied with such profound, unfathomable truths,
was no other than Lucretia.
Directly opposite her, the person silently listening with a serious
expression, Yuri.
No, what this old witch said was definitely wrong, hopefully Yuri won't take
her seriously.
"A hooked fish is too valuable to be used as bait. Isn't it a very thoughtless
way of doing things? Even as a joke, it is a behavior ill-suited for the man
who possesses the title of 'King'. Oops, sorry. This is just the general
opinion, by no means am I referring to nor criticizing any particular
[2]
individual."As she said that, Lucretia nudged the shoulders of Godou, who was sitting
at her side.
She is doing this on purpose to infuriate me, isn't she?!
"Yes, however, even though that is the general opinion, it is not always
true. Overly enthusiastic pursuits result in a lot of problems, but, if you can
properly manage the relationships with your women, yourself and others,
that could also be considered as a form of forbearance... If possible,
please let me go in depth as to how Caesar was able to maintain his
relationships with many women."
"That's right, this would be useful for Godou to know. All for the sake of his
future."
"What kind of 'future' are you talking about?!"
Godou shouted, at Lucretia and Erica, who were saying whatever they
pleased.
Pressured to this extent, Godou's voice was loud enough to surprise even
himself.
"No need for your lessons, also, don't say it like I'm someone from the
Genji Era!"
"Ah, an exiled, shameful noble who spends every day wallowing in sorrow?
Living such a life, not forgetting the lovers you had once brought back to
the capital, such a lustful person... Ah, though to be honest, your life is
[3]
pretty similar to him, boy.""Ara, Lucretia, although I am allowing Godou to increase the size of his
harem, he probably already has six to seven wives and mistresses? As
expected, it is a bit too much."
"Please don't use such an expression from such a famous Japanese
literature to describe it! Godou-san, this is your fault! Because you are
always doing things that invite such misunderstandings..."
Aaah, what a mess.
Just listening to them made Godou extremely exhausted. What went in
from the right ear, goes straight out the left ear.
Kusanagi Godou had to endure events like this for four days straight. He
felt like he had almost reached his limits.
Aaah, I want to escape from this.
Part 2
Indeed, living together with just girls is, simply put, torturous.
Finally, he made it to the fourth evening of the vacation. In his room in the
villa, he had come to that conclusion. He should have become used to this
lifestyle by now, yet things had not quite gone the way he wanted. Godou
could not think of any other reasons why this was the case.
Godou, who played baseball from his childhood, had often participated in
group activities like camps and such.
While in the junior league and when he was a senior, the team would often
go overseas together to practice. In groups of large numbers, usually over
ten boys, they would always take care of their own respective laundry and
meals.
Godou had even experienced the hardball baseball Tokyo trials, or, even
better, the national trials to represent the nation at international events.
Participating in such events meant Godou had quite a fair bit of experience
lodging together with many others. Because of this, he was quite used to
living together with his fellow competitors, in an atmosphere filled with
tension. However, compared to those times, this was much, much worse.
With just guys, he didn't really need to care much about anything. There
was also no need to be mindful about anything in particular, either.
Furthermore, he wouldn't be in this much trouble.
Which is why, it is all because of the fact that they were all females that the
current situation was so dire. Definitely not because of their personalities,
nor conduct, nor glaring problems with their common sense or anything like
that.
—A case of sour grapes.
Godou couldn't help but think of this saying. Perhaps there were lucky men
out there living their lives surrounded by only kind, gentle girls... Although
from his point of view, it seemed like an impossible scenario.
Thinking that, he looked around the room again.
A room in the rented villa.
On the girls' side, Erica and Arianna shared a room, Yuri and Lucretia
shared another.
He stayed in this room alone. He insisted on it, after all, while they were
allocating the rooms. Such a snug and cozy place.
"... Well, getting past this lock won't even be enough to make Erica break a
sweat."
Very confident in his prediction, his shoulders fell again.
Someone that could stop the [Diavolo Rosso] from running wild did not
exist here.
Yuri, whom, theoretically could do so, turned out to be unexpectedly easy
to counter. Previously, she could control her emotions so well, yet
nowadays she seemed to regard Erica with an air of malice.
Arianna would not be able to oppose her master in any way. As for
Lucretia, she would only make things worse.
However, Kusanagi Godou would not give up because of this. After all,
being persistent was part of his nature.
"As expected, it is necessary to carry out that plan, huh..."
Taking care not to make a single sound, he snuck out the room.
Maintaining the level of stealth, he continued on his way out of the villa.
The sun had set some time ago, and it was pitch black.
European nights were surprisingly darker than those in Japan. Although,
with Godou's sharp night vision, this was not a big problem.
In the night, after walking on the road for roughly ten minutes, he reached
the entrance of a small grocery store.
In Italy, convenience stores were a rarity. This was a shop that stocked
only groceries and basic necessities, but now the doors were tightly shut.
However, as Godou's aim was not to buy something, it didn't matter.
His goal was the public payphone in front of the store.
Inserting a coin, he called the number that he had obtained from Erica
earlier.
(What is it, Godou? Do you need something from that vulgar man?)
(I remembered that he requested that I do something for him. I'm counting
on you.)
After nagging Erica who refused to give in for three hours, he finally
managed to get an answer out of her.
Now, the person who is about to be contacted, was one of the rumored few
in the world that Erica Blandelli outwardly disliked. Still, he was someone
that Godou got along well with. Someone to make use of, in this situation.
"... ... Oi, who are you? I'll say this first, I'm currently very busy. Get straight
to the point."
"It's me, Kusanagi Godou!"
Through the phone, came a rough voice that he had not heard for a while.
Instinctively, a picture of the owner of the voice came to mind. The
appearance of Genaro Gantz.
He was not particularly tall, yet he was very powerfully built.
[4]Also, he had a very manly beard. He had a sharp look in his eyes, and
he wore a serious expression.
On his head he wore a bandanna, anyone who saw him would have
thought he looked just like a pirate.
However, in the [Copper Black Cross], he was Erica's equal.
Among the Templar Knights, he bore one of the titles that held the greatest
honor, that of the [Great Knight]. It is certainly an impressive feat to
accomplish at the age of twenty-three, but even more impressive than that
was the fact that he already had a one-year-old child with his wife.
"Ooh, it's you, 'King', eh? It's been a while."
"Yes, it's me. By the way, Gantz-san, I came to Italy a few days ago..."
"You should have told me that you were coming beforehand, I would have
been there to welcome you."
He said something that made Godou a little happy.
Though he appeared to be coarse and rough on the outside, he was quite
a good-natured person on the inside.
Although his actions were far from graceful due to his hot-bloodedness and
he was greatly disliked by Erica, he could be described as someone who
had good intentions.
...Well, it's not that he doesn't have any faults.
"By the way, Your Majesty, have you properly finished the 'assignment'?"
he rudely asked Godou out of the blue.
People involved with the affairs of the magical or occult usually treat
Godou with a lot of respect, due to his Campione status.
Gantz is one of the few that did not do so.
His relationships with others was more, casual, so to speak. Godou was
rather pleased with this aspect of his personality, but however, during
these specific times he couldn't let it slide.
"N-no. I've been busy with various things, I haven't done it yet."
"What!? Idiot, haven't I told you many times before? If you're a true
Japanese, you have to hurry up and finish all four seasons, two hundred
[5]
episodes of 'Magical Sorami'!!""... ... Sorry."
Godou had seen that coming.
Because of how troublesome it would be, Godou did not bother to get
Gantz's contact information before his attempted get-away vacation.
Godou sighed to himself, at a volume low enough that the other party
would not be able to hear.
"Sheesh. I've even said this before, although they transform into witches
through magical cosmetics, and are still in training, the girls from 'Magical
Sorami' still managed to win the hearts and smiles of people around them.
Understand this, real magic comes from 'courage' and 'kindness'! That is
what I've learned from that show!"
Even though he was a bona fide mage, he still said that with such gusto.
Godou did not dare to say out his true feelings.
Although 'Magical Sorami' was a show that had already ended ages ago,
Godou had no idea why it was still so popular in foreign countries (It seems
like it has been repeatedly broadcast in Italy several times).
The first time that he tried watching the DVD that he borrowed, he got
rapped pretty hard by his sister Shizuka, and had gotten a condescending
look from her.
... ... If Gantz didn't have this weird fetish, he would have been a great
person to hang out with.
Godou felt regret, but he had to push away his true feelings due to the
things he had to say this time.
"Never mind then. I'll just have to invite you to my place and hold a movie
marathon. If we pull an all-nighter, we'll probably finish the first season by
the second day."
"I see. I don't really mind. Alright then, I'll go straight to Milan!"
Godou did not want to stay in this place for even a moment longer.
Having made up his mind to escape from this hellish place, he had no
choice but to resort to this call. Although he did not know if he could stay at
Gantz's place temporarily, before he knew it, he was already invited.
It's going rather smoothly. Godou felt as though he still had a fighting
chance, and his spirits soared with the surge of motivation.
Watching a show that was targeted at little girls under the age of ten; that
would still be better than what Godou had been going through.
However, problems immediately started to arise.
"...Ah, hold on a moment. Actually, it's a no-go. Definitely not now."
"Eh!? W-Why is that?"
"In any case, you won't be coming alone, right? That little devil—Erica
Blandelli—would come along with you, right?"
"Eh, seems like it..."
"That's how it is. If I invite you, that woman will definitely force her way into
my house! I'm very sorry about that! Right now, my cute little Angela is at
home!"
Angela is the name of Gantz's daughter.
Godou had seen her picture before, or at least, was forced to look at it by
Gantz. However, that is irrelevant at the moment.
"If she breathes the same air as that ill-natured woman, should Angela
grow up to be like that devil, that would be a big problem. For the sake of
my daughter's education, there is no way I'll let Erica come near my
house!"
"Please don't say things that have no scientific basis!"
"Just in case. For the sake of my cute little angel, I won't let any pests
come near. Don't hold it against me. Then, let's meet up another time."
With that, he hung up.
Godou, who was suddenly cast aside, had a sudden urge to use the power
he held as a 'King'. As a devil king, a Campione, to make Gantz take back
his previous words.
But he changed his mind right away. No, if he thought like that, wouldn't he
turn into a devil himself?
He should not abuse his status like that. Although, a devil king asking
someone, 'Let me go to your house to watch some anime DVDs' was
totally unheard of. What a laughingstock.
"... ... Back to square one. I'll have to continue this fight on my own."
Said Godou, who had just renewed his determination, in a low voice.
No matter what, I cannot return to the villa tonight. I should find a place to
stay the night, far from the women, in order to recover. The temperature
was pretty warm, thus there was no problem even if he were to sleep on
the streets.
... ... Although right now, he was trapped with indecision, clueless about
how to proceed.
No matter, Godou decided to just explore the street first, and come up with
something later.
Godou was thankful for the cool night breeze, so drastically different from
the blazing heat of the day. Of course, it was even more comfortable in his
room in the villa, but taking a stroll in the night was also good, in its own
way.
The night wind continued to blow ever so gently.
To be able to see the constellations in the night sky so clearly, was only
possible in a rural place with clean air.
Additionally, the shimmering silver half-moon hanging in the middle of the
sky.
Unlike the constellations, the same moon could be seen from Europe and
Japan. It was like the eternal companion in the night sky, Godou
remembered that he also had times in Japan where he gazed at the moon
like this. 'When was the last time?' he wondered.
While reminiscing, Godou continued moving forward.
He was not sure when it happened, but the muscles in his back had
started to grow tense, his limbs and body filling with strength.
Since defeating Verethragna in spring, he had experienced this feeling a
number of times. The changes that occur in the body of a devil king, a
Campione, when their natural enemies, the Gods, are nearby.
When he felt that, Godou gulped.
He had realized who the girl currently blocking his way was.
—Looking as though it could dissolve in the moonlight, hair of pale
glimmering silver.
—Looking as though they were made of the condensed darkness of the
night, eyes of pure black.
—The body of a very young girl, a goddess from ancient times.
Heretic Athena.
The goddess Godou fought and triumphed over in Tokyo, was standing
right in front of him.
Part 3
"It's been a while, Kusanagi Godou. To meet once again, I feel a sense of
elation."
Athena said, giving off a faint smile.
The sealed artifact of the ancient earth goddess, Gorgoneion.
The smile she gave off did not suit her, who had once again become the
goddess of earth and darkness, after reclaiming the artifact Gorgoneion.
No, this was the fearless smile of the goddess of war.
"... ... Why are you here, in such a place?"
"What a foolish question. You were the one who plunged right into my
territory. To meet again in this land, it is an inevitable fate. Don't you
agree?"
Putting it that way, that sure seems like the case.
This great goddess, Athena, her sphere of influence did not include just
Greece and North Africa, but also small parts of Asia close to the
Mediterranean sea. And Italy was right smack in the middle of that sphere
of influence.
"But, you have no reason to come specifically to where I'm currently
staying, right? Let me make this clear, I wasn't looking for you. Nor do I
have time to chat with you like we're good friends."
"Hmm... A reason..."
Under the moonlight, the ends of her lovely lips tilted slightly upwards.
Beautiful, dignified, yet ferocious was her smile. Overflowing with the will to
fight, the unmistakable proof of a warrior.
"You are a man of poor judgment. All I am doing now is paying a visit to
the victor, the one who had defeated me. Do not think that this is for the
sake of revenge."
It was not that Godou did not think that was possible, but rather that he did
not want to think this was actually happening.
He had started to break out in cold sweat.
Would he come out victorious if he were to face Athena in combat?
Probably impossible.
In the previous battle, he had only come out on top because he had used
the spell words of the [Sword] as his weapon. However, he could not
repeat that again. The [Sword] could only be used if the user had relevant
information of the enemy God, something he was lacking at the moment.
More than two months back, Godou had been fed information on Athena
via use of the magic [Instruction] by Erica.
Should one decide to make use of this magical art, it is possible to obtain a
large amount of information over a very brief period of time. However, the
information could only be retained in one's memory for roughly one day.
If the effects of the spell would remain indefinitely, there wouldn't have
been a need to study this much.
Although he was usually grateful for the existence of this spell, this time—it
would not be of use to him.
Even if he tried to recall the relevant knowledge regarding Athena, he
could not clearly remember the details, his efforts ended in futility. This
time round, he would not be able to use the [Sword].
What should I do? How can I fight?
I'll need a weapon besides the [Sword]. Which form can I use—?
"Besides having poor judgment, are you a man who's also poor at giving
up? I do understand... that right now, you do not possess the same
strength from last time. I can also guess why that is the case."
Athena said, scornfully.
Godou remembered that she was a goddess with multiple aspects.
A goddess who ruled over the earth and the underworld, a goddess of war
and also a goddess of knowledge.
It would be difficult to hide anything from Athena. Although, even if she
found out about that, it is not as if he had no other combat options...
Though, this was slowly turning out to be a hopeless situation.
Looking at Godou who had started to steady his resolve, Athena pouted in
displeasure.
"Come now, don't get angry. I have no intention of having a rematch... At
least for today."
She declared while scrutinizing him with a disdainful look.
"Kusanagi Godou. From our last battle, it has barely been two full moons,
has it not? In such a short period of time, to repeat the conflict between a
god and a Campione, don't you agree that it would be boorish? If I had
wanted a fight, then I would have picked a better place and time. Do
understand your current situation."
"So, why have you appeared before me, again?"
Godou asked while keeping his guard up.
Her previous words might have just been to give him a false sense of
security. A goddess like Athena should not have to resort to such tactics,
but one could never be sure.
"Hm, I feel that, between us, something exists that interlinks our
destinies—In other words, it might be that it is not fated for me to be the
one that defeats you."
That kind of destiny, I definitely don't want it.
Godou's terrible luck with women was definitely getting worse.
"That's why, as one of my enemies, I would like you to acquire enough
power and experience, was what I was thinking about. One day, you will
obtain the right to do battle with me—the queen who rules over the earth
and the underworld. When that happens, it would be time for the grand
finale, a battle that will be told of for ages."
"No, no thanks, things like 'looking forward to having a decisive battle on
Christmas', I don't want to hear it."
"To be honest, recently I have been feeling awfully excited rather often."
Athena replied, nonchalantly ignoring Godou's retort. As expected of a
high-ranking goddess, such perfectly natural arrogance.
"Perhaps it is due to the fact that I am sensing that a battle is approaching.
When I knew that you came here, I simply felt like coming out to have a
little bit of fun."
"A little fun?"
"Indeed. The experience gained from one day on the battlefield exceeds
that of a hundred days in training. Not to mention, if one were to fight
beside me, a goddess of war, and receive my teachings, it would surpass
that of what you would get from a thousand days of training. To train and
further improve your strength. Accompany me while I have some fun,
Kusanagi Godou!"
"C-Come again?"
Hearing that from Athena, Godou thought that his ears were
malfunctioning.
"I am ordering the inexperienced you to stay by my side and train your
skills. Should you find that disagreeable, then I will secure a rope around
that neck of yours and bring you around. Any objections?"
Naturally, it has already been decided. He did not have a say in it.
From Athena's body of a little girl, one could somehow feel a divine power
of deterrence. Looking over all life across the lands, the power of the loving
earth mother. Beneath the earth, she was the queen of the underworld, the
power that ruled death and darkness. Possessing unparalleled ferocity, the
power of a war goddess. Lastly, the power from the wisdom of a goddess
of knowledge.
To carelessly engage in combat with such a goddess would be extremely
foolish. It would be best to avoid that at all costs.
—Due to various reasons, Kusanagi Godou was accompanying a goddess
on her journey.
On an unrelated note, the villa that Godou and company had rented and
were staying in was along the coast.
Moving along the outskirts of Alghero's main street which was along the
sea, one could discover many villas, resorts and other buildings that
tourists on long summer vacations were lodging in. Her house, was one of
those buildings.
Alongside the azure sea, the white sands stretched out further than the
eyes could see.
In this kind of location, one would be able to fully enjoy just soaking in the
seawater, but, recreation and entertainment on the beaches of Sardinia
was not restricted to just that.
Yachts of different sizes decorated the seaside. Some were fighting
against the forces of nature, the waves—
There were also boats and ships at the harbor. Although in the area, the
biggest port was in Alghero, there were quite a few smaller ports scattered
along the coast.
The place that Athena and Godou finally arrived at was one of the small
aforementioned ports.
"Now, let us move out, shall we, Kusanagi Godou?"
"... where are we headed?"
"Although I mentioned this earlier, but I have been feeling unusually
excited recently. Being a goddess of war, it might be because I'm sensing
the approaching battle ahead. To have this feeling, I dare say that
something is going to occur very soon."
"Eh—"
"If we were to head towards the root of that calamity, we would then gain a
rough understanding of the situation. Let us cross this sea. To the unseen
enemy, shall we advance..."
"Is that so..."
"Therefore, that is our destination. Let us make haste."
"Wait a second, isn't that place just weird? Don't bring me to a place where
danger awaits, on purpose!"
Godou retorted.
General knowledge would dictate that the usage of the word 'therefore'
was inappropriate in that sentence.
"You are the weird one, I can already see the omen of battle. Fate has
decided for me to do battle, and it is my duty as a goddess to follow the will
of fate. I cannot refuse."
She said that with a powerful sense of responsibility.
How he wished that she would even spare a tenth of that sense of
responsibility for the people who will be caught up in that battle.
Sighing, having no other choice, Godou could only strengthen his
determination.
No matter what happened, a battle would only bring problems to the
nearby residents, like that incident in Tokyo. It was clear that the word
'consideration' did not exist in Athena's dictionary.
If that was the case, then all he could do was to prevent her from going too
wild.
Although he really wanted to escape at the first opportunity he got, he was
the only person around who could and would stop Athena from overdoing
it.
"You mentioned crossing the sea earlier, by boat?"
Speaking of the Mediterranean Sea, he could not help but think of the
ferries that travelled to and fro between Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica islands
and the Italian peninsula. However, at this time of the day, there were no
vessels moving about.
To Godou, who had sensed something amiss, Athena replied arrogantly,
"Can you not see the scores of boats before your eyes? Any of them will
do, we just have to pick one to use, why do you care about the trivial
things?"
"What you just said, those were the words of a petty thief! A goddess
should not resort to crime!"
No doubt about it, this little port was filled with sea vessels.
From small crafts that could only support a group of four, to high-speed
ships that were over fifteen meters long, Athena chose, and boarded a
small one, beckoning to Godou.
Godou apologized in his heart to the owner of that boat.
If he had time, he would definitely return the boat. Please forgive us!
After that, Godou took a seat next to where Athena was sitting.
"... Do you know how to operate this type of boat? Gods sure have strange
abilities."
"How would I know how to operate a man-made contraption? As long as I
follow the guidance of the stars, the whispers of the wind, all I have to do is
utilize my divine powers, and we will naturally arrive at our destination."
Saying that, Athena snapped her fingers.
By some unexplainable forces, she was moving the craft forward.
...Towards the sea ahead, which was shrouded in darkness.
She couldn't possibly be thinking of heading out to sea, just like that? Even
if they were skilled seamen from the Age of Discovery, they should also
bring the necessary provisions and equipment and the right crew, but now,
they did not even have a scrap of food or a drop of water.
Godou had started to feel that this was a very, very bad idea.
Facing the possibility of death on the seas, unable to even lodge a
complaint and leaving his life in the hands of this goddess, was it really ok?
Thinking that, Godou began to grow even more uneasy.
At any rate, before he realized it, it had become a strange situation where
this pair, once bitter enemies, were placed on the same boat.