Part 1
This story took place before Kusanagi Godou had gone to Nikkou and
confronted the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, just as the middle of
September was drawing near.
That night, everyone at the Kusanagi house was having a family-only
dinner. Three people were present: Godou and his little sister
Shizuka, as well as their grandfather Ichirou. The mother of the
siblings, Kusanagi Mayo, was not there.
Be that as it may, she was rarely at home anyway, so it was business
as usual.
The blond devil from Italy wasn't around either. The silver-haired
knight who unexpectedly caused so much trouble was not there
either. It really was family only.
In this calm atmosphere, Godou put his chopsticks to work on the
grilled mackerel.
"But I feel like I'm forgetting something..."
"You look strange, Onii-chan. What is it, do you want seconds?"
Shizuka asked while getting herself another serving from the rice
cooker.
"One more bowl, then. ... but I feel like I'm forgetting something
event-like. It's irritating that I just can't remember." Godou said while
holding out his rice bowl.
A large serving of rice was heaped onto his bowl before it was
returned to him. As it happens, Shizuka had given herself the same
amount.
Despite being of small build and petite stature, she was a hearty eater
of a little sister.
Not getting fat no matter how much she ate. Not getting smashed no
matter how much she drank.
These were the special features that the Kusanagis' mother
possessed. Like mother, like daughter; you could sometimes catch
glimpses of this in Shizuka as well. If possible Godou didn't want her
to inherit her mother's mental peculiarities like [Femme Fatale] or
[Vocation: Queen], but...
"You must be forgetting about Sakura-chan, right?"
"It's been about half a year since she entered college. She had to
promise that she wouldn't visit us here for at least half a year,
remember?"
"...ahh, right, there was that..."
Koudzuki Sakura was the Kusanagi siblings' second cousin.
Because of the upheaval accompanying the shift from the Meiji era[1]
to the Showa era[2], their grandfather was the only direct descendant
of the Kusanagi (although there were tales of others in Brazil and the
New Guinean archipelago).
But there were a decent number of people left from the branch
families.
Plus, the connections that the Kusanagis maintained with their
relatives in the countryside were strong. They'd been close to Sakura
for a long time, even though she was only distantly related.
"Sakura-chan, huh... she should've visited us more since she finally
moved to the city. I wonder why Uncle Koudzuki forbade her to visit
for half a year..."
1. Meiji era: represents the first half of the Empire of Japan during which Japanese
society moved from being an isolated feudalism to its modern form.
2. Showa era: the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa
Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926, through January 7, 1989.
"If he hadn't, she'd have started freeloading here before the end of
her third day in the capital," their grandfather responded while sipping
his tea.
He might be right; Godou remembered his cousin's personality.
She did her best but at heart, she was shy and often lonely. When
troubled, she often clung in tears to those she was close to. Godou
and Shizuka had often been the ones taking care of her. Considering
their respective ages, their roles should obviously have been
reversed.
At this point, the doorbell rang. Shizuka got up, calling out "I'm
coming!", and headed for the front door.
"Sakura-chan! It's been ages! Come in, come in. What happened? You
look so down..."
"Y-yeah. You see, Shizuka-chan, there's something I'd like some
advice on..."
Hearing the voices from the entryway, Godou glanced at the oldest
person in the room.
"Didn't I tell you back in the spring? As soon as her six months were
up in September, she'd come here right away. Talk about spot-on."
He was the very image of an earnestly muttering old man who'd seen
everything in life.
"You see, there's something I'd really like to ask of Godoh-kun."
Sakura said as she entered the living room.
Lined up on the table were grilled mackerel and sudachi[3], grated
radish, a salad of bitter melon and tomatoes, miso soup made with
nameko mushrooms, and other dishes, but since they had all known
each other for so long, nobody minded when she intruded on dinner.
She'd recently turned nineteen and become a freshman at a famous
metropolitan college.
But because of her cute, yet childish face, it wasn't unusual for people
to mistake her for a middle school girl.
"Can't I help you out, Sakura-chan?"
"W-well, I think it'd be better if I asked a man about this..."
Sakura dispiritedly answered Shizuka's question.
At times like these her face resembled a frightened little puppy's.
"If it's something I can help you with, just ask me any time... are you
sure you don't want grandpa to help you?"
He didn't know what this was all about, but besides manual labor, he
had no confidence in being more capable than his grandfather.
Kusanagi Ichirou was famous for his extensive knowledge and was a
master of dealing with people. He would often be consulted for his
sage advice. People even called him "Sensei" or "Master."
That wise grandfather smiled gently at Sakura.
"Sakura-chan, who do you want to help you out?"
"Uhm, if you can help me I don't really mind who it is, but if I had to
pick someone, then I'd really prefer, that is..."
Sakura was truly cute as she peered at Godou with upturned eyes.
3. Sudachi: small, round, green citrus fruit which belongs to the papeda subgroup of
citrus plants.
If she learned to make use of that look, she could probably become a
femme fatale.
"So it's decided. Onii-chan will listen to Sakura-chan's worries and I'll
take care of everything else," Shizuka said without a moment's delay.
The younger sister who played the role of an older one had always
been soft on Sakura.
Shizuka was pretty critical towards the band of girls thronging around
Godou, but was rather tame during her interactions with Mariya Yuri.
That sense of vulnerability given off by a sheltered classy young lady
probably stimulated Shizuka's desire to protect her.
"Alright, just talk it over in Godou's room. I'll bring you some tea
later," their grandfather casually added.
Godou noticed that he totally dodged the issue.
Their grandfather was often asked for advice, but he wasn't someone
who'd start meddling on his own.
He conversed with people in an aloof and indifferent way. Incidentally,
in his bachelor days, Kusanagi Ichirou had been popular as hell with
the ladies, but he had mostly kept it away from home.
His male friends, on the other hand, made themselves comfortable in
his room without his permission.
By allowing Erica or Liliana to come and go as they pleased, his
grandson was completely different.
Well, whatever. Godou shrugged.
He was glad to help his cousin with her problems. Plus, he was
obviously a lot closer in age to Sakura.
"Got it. I don't think there's much I can do but I'll try anyway."
"It's been so long since I've been in your room, Godoh-kun, but it
hasn't really changed."
"The last time was half a year ago, right? I didn't rearrange anything
so that's to be expected."
Godou and Sakura faced each other across his six tatami sized
room[4].
Godou's room was fairly empty. There was a bookshelf and a chest of
drawers, a fold-up table instead of a writing desk, and also a DVD
player and a TV.
He didn't put much emphasis on material possessions.
In his free time he went fishing or played outdoor sports. He also
would do some part-time jobs from time to time. He didn't have much
use for games. At most, he'd socialize by playing a round of Shougi or
Go. He'd rather rent than buy DVDs and CDs.
He'd read some books every now and then, but he didn't keep a
collection of his own.
The Kusanagi house used to be an antiquarian bookstore and much of
the inventory had never been disposed of. So whenever he felt like
reading something, there were more than enough books lying around
to satisfy his needs.
"So, Sakura-san, what's the matter?"
"U-uhm, you see, that is, I think you could stop with that now."
"With what?"
"I-I mean, calling me 'Sakura-san'. You can just call me 'Sakura'. Or
'dear', if you like."
Long ago he had called her 'Onee-chan', but at some point that had
changed.
Godou couldn't remember when that transition had occurred, and
casually replied: "It's fine like this, changing it is a pain... but that's
not what you wanted to ask of me, right?"
"I-it wasn't! I just happened to think of that!"
4. Tatami: type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms.
Sakura responded while turning completely red. But then she seemed
to come to a standstill. Uhm, well... she kept mumbling to herself,
and couldn't get to the point. She had never been very articulate.
It couldn't be helped. Godou changed the topic, trying to help her
relax with some small talk.
"How is life in Tokyo treating you? Have you gotten used to it yet?"
"...only a little bit. I'm quite uncomfortable in crowded places..."
Sakura sounded dejected.
The Koudzuki family's home was in Miyagi. When Sakura said she
wanted to go to a college in Tokyo, her father had made her obey a
single rule. He had forbidden her to rely on her relatives for half a
year.
Sakura had been horrified. She had planned on freeloading at the
Kusanagi's.
"Well you see, I understand father's order that I should try to live
properly without relying on anyone, I'm finally living on my own after
all... but being all on my own in such a large city made me feel really
forlorn..."
"Ahh... well, if you ever get lonely, just come and visit."
Godou felt awkward because he knew the real reason Sakura's father
had laid down the law.
In the beginning of spring, he'd spoken with Uncle Koudzuki over the
phone:
'In short, I'm making her a gold-digger.'
Upon hearing this unexpected expression, Godou had asked for
clarification.
'As I said, a gold-digger. A young girl lives alone in the big city for the
first time... to fill the gaps in her heart as quickly as possible, a man
is best, right? Our Sakura has a nice face and personality, but she's
too much of a late-bloomer. It's about time for her to get used to men
and get ready for marriage.'
'Aren't fathers usually against their daughters finding lovers?'
'Well, yeah, but this is a father's love, too. Sakura's not like your
mother. She can't make a lot of money on her own. But a girl can
always go after her husband's income. I want her to be happy, you
know.'
'Uhm, I don't think happiness is decided by money alone...'
'Sure, but that's the most important factor, y'know.'
This irresponsible uncle of Godou's was actually a tough police officer.
On the side, he served as a distinguished judo practitioner in northern
Japan and was an active role model for the younger generation.
Given all this, most people wouldn't guess what a renegade he
actually was. It might not be Godou's place to say this as the main
family's successor, but his uncle had obviously inherited the Kusanagi
blood.
'What are you going to do if some lowlife tricks her?'
'Then we'll make it like it never happened... your mother and grandpa
and everyone else.'
When Godou had asked whether he was joking, just to be on the safe
side, all he received was a villainous laugh.
He passed on letting Sakura in on her father's plans. She handled
such matters poorly, and would definitely spill the beans even if he
told her to keep it a secret. His allowance might be frozen as a
penalty, so the risk was too high.
"Did you make friends? Or maybe find a boyfriend?" Godou asked
tentatively. Sakura instantly flushed red.
"I-I don't have a boyfriend, really! But I made a friend... ah, it's a girl
of course, Godoh-kun. Don't misunderstand!"
"I've got it, really. So you made a friend? Good girl."
He unintentionally spoke as if praising a little kid.
In response, Sakura laughed happily. Her childishness was definitely
unbefitting given her age.
"So you see, my new friend taught me a lot, so I got a bit more
knowledgeable."
"Heh, what did you learn about?"
His older cousin was delighted. Her expression was terribly adorable.
She was so cute that Godou was at a loss for words after hearing her
answer.
"Ahhh, that's actually related to what I wanted some advice on...
Godoh-kun, if I said I learned to do magic, would you believe me?"
Crap. Godou felt great regret.
It is said that the lonely are easy prey for cults or occult sects. He
should have remembered that. It had been wrong to leave her
isolated...
"Don't be stupid, Sakura-san. Let's calm down and be realistic."
For the time being, Godou kept his appeal calm and sincere.
"There are things people can do and things they can't. And without a
doubt, magic falls in the latter category. Dropping a lump of fire from
the skies, recovering from deadly wounds in half a day or calling forth
huge monsters, that's just not something a human can do!" Godou
declared while having his heart thrown into disarray by countless
memories of having done just that.
Yep, he wasn't saying anything wrong. However, Sakura pinched her
lips like a child.
"It is possible! I really learned how to use magic!"
"Well, even if you say so... if I don't see it with my own eyes I can't
believe you."
"Sheesh, Godoh-kun you blockhead! Fine, right now I can't do
anything because I don't have my tools, so come visit me tomorrow.
I'll show you that I can do magic!"
Godou was startled. Could she actually use magic?
Godou ruthlessly crushed his anxiety that the Kusanagi family, which
should have no connection to magic or gods, had suddenly awoken to
the occult.
Part 2
After school the next day, Godou headed to Nishinippori.
The apartment building where his cousin lived was a ten minute walk
from the subway station.
It was a nice three-story building with an auto-lock system. It had
probably been built within the last decade.
As soon as he arrived, he got a call from Liliana.
"Yes, hello?"
'I am sorry this is so sudden. After school you were gone suddenly so
I was a little worried. Just so you don't misunderstand, I definitely
didn't want to hear your voice or see your face before you went
home. I had no such ulterior motives!'
Liliana's tone was somewhat awkward.
This was Liliana, after all, so maybe she had wanted to accompany
Godou as his bodyguard.
"Sorry for leaving without a word. I'd promised to meet an
acquaintance."
'An acquaintance... it cannot be a woman, can it?'
"Well, it is, but there's nothing going on between us, okay?"
The silver-haired knight from Milan firmly believed Kusanagi Godou
was a womanizer without equal.
As a result, she answered in a stern voice:
'If you say so, I will believe you. However please be careful. You must
pay meticulous attention so that your womanizing won't lead to
future...'
"I said that's not it. I'm hanging up."
Ending the call, Godou entered the apartment building.
"Ahh, welcome~. I'll prepare some sweets and tea right away, okay?"
"It's fine, don't bother. It's not like I'm royalty or anything."
Sakura's apartment, number 201, was in a corner of the building.
The interior of the studio apartment was attentively cleaned and
neatly put in order.
"So, Godoh-kun. About yesterday..."
Sakura was unusually agitated.
A few suspicious-looking items were placed on the round table in the
very middle of the room.
A thick, leather-bound Western book. A staff about thirty centimeters
long. A crystal sphere that looked like a mail-order special. Tarot
cards... all of the items looked cheap and fake.
But with his sixth sense as a campione Godou picked up minuscule
amounts of magical power.
Although incredibly weak, those items were the real deal.
"I'm going to use magic now, so look closely. Uhm..."
Sakura started flipping through the book. The sentences were written
in some kind of alphabet, but not in English. It wasn't Italian or any
other Latinate language, either.
"What language is that?"
"If I remember correctly, it's High German from the Middle Ages... I
think?"
"And you can read that!?"
Godou was surprised. He hadn't realized that his cousin's foreign
language skills were so advanced.
"No, I can't read it. But my friend translated most of the text..."
"You mean the friend from your college?"
"Yep. We are in the same class and we sat next to each other on our
first day."
Sakura was enrolled in the Faculty of Humanities at the renowned
Akinomizu Women's College.
So there were magi like Erica and Liliana attending that school for
ladies? Or was it one of the dozens of Japanese hime-miko?
"There it is. I'm starting, so pay attention, okay?"
After finding the right page, Sakura put a matchstick on the table.
And while looking at the opened book, without reciting an incantation
she just said:
"God of magic, please make my wish come true. Thank you♪"
She even clapped her hands.
"W-wait a moment, Sakura-san, what are you doing!"
"What? It's magic! Uhm, what's really important isn't the incantation
or whatever, but the spirit you put into it, and clearly understanding
what kind of magic you want to use."
So one doesn't need to worry about form. Ahem.
While looking at the proud Sakura, Godou remembered. When Erica
and the others used magic, their incantations (the girls called them
mantra or spell words) were quite suitable.
That being said, would this really work? Just as Godou started getting
anxious, it happened.
Crack. With a dry sound, the matchstick broke.
"See! Did you see that, Godoh-kun? The magic worked, isn't that
amazing!"
"...is this perhaps a spell to break matchsticks without using your
hands?
"It's not just matchsticks. I can also use it on toothpicks and small
pieces of bamboo!"
It seemed like Sakura's specialty so Godou kept his reply very
moderate. Which would be more practical anyway, a supernatural
power like spoon bending or Sakura's magic...?
Anyway, Sakura had just displayed a hidden talent that looked like
magic.
When she disappeared into the kitchen, saying she'd make some tea,
Godou picked up the Western book. The proof of the pudding is in the
eating, after all, and so he mentally ordered the remaining
matchsticks to break.
However, nothing happened at first. Right after he inclined his head,
wondering if he had failed...
CRACKCRACK. There was a loud noise. Outside the window, a tree
toppled by the roadside. One side of Sakura's room faced the street
and from the window Godou could see that one of the trees had
broken off by its roots.
Godou looked over at Sakura in the kitchen. She was peacefully
preparing the tea.
She hadn't noticed anything, so he nonchalantly placed the grimoire
back on the table as if nothing had happened.
"That was that, Godoh-kun. Now that you believe me about magic,
there's something I want to ask of you."
Sakura came back carrying two teacups on a tablet.
"Right, that's what this was about."
Trying to break matchsticks and destroying nature instead... The
strength of his magical power coupled with his lack of sensitivity was
a cursed combination. Godou reaffirmed that it was best for him not
to learn magic.
"I only learned about it recently, but... apparently there's a fearsome
great devil king in Tokyo."
"A great devil king?"
Somehow, that phrase seemed familiar to Godou.
Pushing his anxiety aside, Godou sipped his tea. Calm down. Sakura
couldn't possibly know about campione. As the person in question,
Godou was certain.
"Remember all those scary incidents that happened since the spring:
a highway here in Tokyo collapsed and the Tokyo Tower caught fire,
among other things... all of these were the fault of that great devil
king!"
What was it about those incidents that gave Godou a familiar feeling?
Calm down. Right now I need to be composed. I must possess an
unmovable, frozen heart.
"Godoh-kun, search for that great devil king with me! I want to ask
him to stop doing these horrible things! Will you help me?"
Godou's attempt to play it cool ended in utter failure.
About halfway through his tea, he started choking. Search for the
fearsome great devil king?
One of the seven devil kings himself? Could the world please stop
fucking around with him!?
Afterwards, they took the subway to Omotesandou. It was about six
in the evening.
The autumn sun bathed the stylish scenery of the Aoyama Doori in
orange.
"So, Sakura, why do you want to meet that, what was it, fearsome
great devil king?" Godou asked as he walked next to his cousin.
Apparently there was a [Magic Shop] in Omotesandou that she and
her friend frequented. The shopkeeper was very knowledgable, so
they were on the way there to ask her for help.
"Ehm, that great devil king person seems to be reeeeally perverted
and constantly lusts after girls."
"NO WAY! Don't believe all those strange rumors!"
Godou accidentally shouted. Sakura shrieked in surprise with a fearful
look on her face.
"W-what is it, Godoh-kun? Why are you shouting so scarily?"
"Ah, sorry. I thought you were talking about me, so I just reacted
instinctively..."
"Hehehe, you'd never be so perverted, Godoh-kun, you're too earnest
for that. I understand~."
Sakura smiled gently in spite of his lame excuse. She trusted those
she was close to implicitly. Doubt was unthinkable.
"Y-yeah, right, sorry for saying something so odd."
Godou was assailed by pangs of guilt from deceiving his pure-hearted
cousin.
"So you see, my close friend, she is from an ooooold family of magic
practicioners that long ago served His Majesty the Emperor"
Godou thought he had recently heard of another family just like
that...
He remembered the background of Seishuuin Ena, who he had gotten
to know a little while ago.
"Apparently there are other families with the same duty. And a little
while ago, the great devil king fell at first sight for a girl from one of
those families and made her his lover. He even forced her against her
will!"
"Don't spout nonsense! She did that on her own!"
He shouted without thinking once again.
Godou apologized to Sakura, who was close to tears.
"Again, sorry. I just suddenly felt the urge to shout. Ignore it."
"O-okay. So you see, my friend is worried. He might also force her to
become his lover. That's why I want to tell him to stop doing horrible
things. If I plead with all my might, I'm sure he'll listen, won't he?"
Godou thought about how some of his acquaintances might respond.
Dejanstahl Voban would ignore her without blinking.
That idiot Salvatore Doni probably wouldn't even understand what
Sakura wanted from him.
However, Kusanagi Godou was proud of his common sense. You could
say Sakura's goal had already been achieved. So he wanted to quickly
return home, but...
Ignorant of his wishes, his cousin entered a small alley.
"See, here we are. Is anybody in?"
The shop seemed to be a remodeled single-family house. Sakura
opened its door and announced herself.
The shop seemed to overflow with handmade goods-various
miscellaneous imported articles. [Kogetsudou] was written in small
letters on the doorplate.
Godou followed Sakura into the store. The interior was a mess.
Various goods with Chinese, Southeast Asian, Mongolian, Tibetan, and
Polynesian labels were lined up next next to each other. Accessories,
chinaware, clothes, furniture, different precious metals, fabric, folk
crafts and so forth were all mixed together.
Some of them held feeble magical power.
They seemed unexpectedly cheap for real magic items. From lows of a
hundred yen through a thousand yen, the price tags went up to
twenty or thirty thousand yen. Even more expensive articles could be
found in the showcases and behind the register.
Godou noticed a woman who looked like the shopkeeper. She was
quite young. For some reason she was wearing traditional Japanese
clothing and glasses.
"Oh my, dear customer, welcome~. How can I help you today?"
The shopkeeper talked to Sakura like she would to a regular
customer.
"Ah, I'm not here to buy anything today. I had something to ask you."
"I see, how unfortunate. But, because of the business we've done
recently, I can share some gossip with you for just a smile. Call it
customer service."
So this woman really was knowledgeable.
Erica and Liliana or Hime-miko like Yuri and Ena were surrounded by
an atmosphere that only the elite, those on the cutting edge of their
field, possessed.
But the shopkeeper of this general store did not.
Instead she was more like a grass waving in the wind, gentle because
she was not part of the elite.
"T-today I wanted to ask about the great devil king who is said to be
here in Tokyo."
"Great devil king, you say? Ahh, you mean the Campione~"
"The campi-what?"
"Campione. It's Italian. In English it means champion. Because the
first person to write about them was Italian, they've been called
campione ever since."
Godou nodded in silent agreement.
"Well, if that's all you want to know, I guess I can tell you for free as
customer service. There are only seven of those people in the entire
world. First of all, in America there is John Pluto Smith. He is a
masked hero fighting against evil secret societies. He even
transforms!"
"Masked!? Transforms!?"
"In nearby China, there is Cult Leader Luo Hao, the Ruler of the
Martial Realm. Somewhere in Arabia or Egypt is the Queen of the
Cave, the Eternal Beauty Mrs. Aisha. In Eastern Europe there is the
master of storms, Marquis Voban. England has their Prince of Black
Lightning, Black Prince Alec. And Lord Salvatore reigns in Italy, he
who slices through all existence."
That made for a total of six people. At this rate, she would start
talking about the seventh person.
Unaware of Godou's concerns, the shopkeeper kept going.
"And in our own country is the last one. ...until lately he was
shrouded in mystery, but various bits of information about him have
finally appeared."
"If I'm not mistaken, he's a totally perverted person, isn't he?"
"It certainly seems so. Apparently he hasn't laid his hands on just
black and brown-haired Japanese girls, but also on blond and silver-
haired beauties. He's a huge lecher."
"Even foreign girls?"
"Furthermore, he seems unexpectedly young. There's a rumor that
he's not yet twenty..."
"Doesn't that make him a minor? Uhh, I didn't think someone so
young could be so horrible..."
The two women were getting excited. Damn them for spouting
whatever they felt like.
While scowling, Godou observed the latest development. If this
shopkeeper happened to know his name...
"Could you possibly tell me the name of that perverted Devil King? I
have to meet him and ask him for a favor..."
"His name... lately his personal information has been fiercely
protected..."
Ge. The shopkeeper's reply unsettled Godou.
Didn't it sound like she knew his name, but couldn't carelessly
disclose it?
"His name is not well known, you see... a certain organization is
restricting that information. But they have made an exception for
me..."
"If you know, please tell me. I'm begging you."
Sakura bowed her head in front of the smug shopkeeper.
Damn. The shopkeeper was secretly enjoying this. He had to seal her
lips somehow! Godou thought of a certain object. Since he met with
Sakura right after school, he was still in his uniform. He also still had
his bag.
And luckily, inside the bag, he carried that...
He took out his student ID card and walked behind Sakura. He
brandished his ID card behind her back so that only the shopkeeper
could see his name and photo.
She shut up at once. She had a look on her face as if she'd just run
into a brown bear.
Godou put his index finger to his mouth, indicating 'Please keep this
confidential'. When he did so, the other person nodded vigorously.
"U-uhm... did something happen?"
"No, it's nothing at all. Also, I'm very sorry but the name of the
Campione here in Tokyo... I'm sorry but I don't actually know it. I am
really sorry but please don't ask about it anymore."
The shopkeeper babbled at the worried Sakura.
He had not intended to threaten her... Godou felt deeply apologetic.
"Ehhh. Didn't you say just now that you knew his name?"
Sakura was insistent, as if she were unwilling to consent to this
sudden shift.
Just then, another customer entered the store.
Godou was surprised. He recognized that face. It was a man in his
late twenties, wearing a worn-out business suit.
His name was Amakasu Touma. He was an enigmatic agent of the
History Compilation Committee.
"Oh, did I interrupt? ...now now, what do we have here."
While calling out to the shopkeeper, Amakasu looked at Godou and
smiled. However he did not speak to him. He probably wanted to
avoid careless remarks until he understood the situation.
"Ah! Amakasu-san, you came at just the right moment."
The face of the shopkeeper showed relief.
"Dear customer, you should ask this person about your problem.
Amakasu-san here is a specialist on that topic. He is way more
informed than I am!"
"Eh, is that true? Amazing!"
"And what might 'that topic' be, now?"
The shopkeeper was suddenly wildly gesticulating, Sakura was
infected with excitement, Amakasu couldn't keep up but played it
cool. And Godou sighed.
Part 3
"So, the young lady here wants to talk with the great devil king... am
I getting that right?"
Godou, Sakura and Amakasu had relocated to a nearby coffee shop.
They had nabbed some window seats and Sakura had just finished
telling her story.
Amakasu's pitying stare expressed 'You've also got it tough, don't
you, Kusanagi-san.' Sakura had introduced him as a 'relative and
escort.'
"Yes. My friend is worried that that person might take her by force.
Lately she's been really anxious..."
"You said you are enrolled at Akinomizu? So it's about the young lady
of the Renjou's..."
With nothing more than Sakura's self-introduction and a few brief
comments, Amakasu had identified the leak.
He was probably spot on. Sakura's eyes turned round.
Still, a civilian learning the name of a Campione... wasn't the History
Compilation Committee's information blackout surprisingly poor?
Godou stared at the agent with biting sarcasm, but it only earned him
a complacent smile.
"Well, I understand her concern. That great devil king is a rare
womanizer and playboy. Putting it bluntly, you can even call him an
enemy of womankind..."
Amakasu was smiling broadly. His joy was obvious for all to see.
"Well, I wonder about those rumors... I'm sure that person must be
troubled by the half-truths everybody spreads about him."
Godou tried to defend himself. At this point, Amakasu's face turned
evil.
"Oh, so you know him in person?"
"Ah, I haven't met him, but that's my gut reaction. I'm familiar with
that kind of situation. He probably just wants to live in peace, yet
people call him lustful and generally bother him. You should stop with
this gossip."
"Did something happen, Godoh-kun? You've been acting strange for a
while now...?"
When Godou suddenly started speaking so insistently, Sakura stared
worriedly at him.
Godou boldly ignored her stare.
"Sakura, you should also stop this. Amakasu-san here will certainly
inform him of your concerns. You don't have to act like a detective
and-"
"I will inform him? I feel very uneasy about that..."
Amakasu said he felt uneasy, but he sounded totally carefree.
"Please do something. You're the only one we can rely on."
"I'm far from brave enough to admonish a great devil king. And
there's so much other work that's piled up..."
"You just need to meet him and talk a little. That'll be enough to
make him understand."
"Wouldn't that be impossible? He's a ladies man like no other, I tell
you - he'd never listen."
"That's a baseless rumor. Don't pay it any heed."
"Hahaha, going by the rumors and his reputation, the man himself is
unaware of the truth."
Godou's request was simply rejected.
Dammit. Godou had underestimated Amakasu's fondness for playing
around. While smacking his lips, Godou steeled himself to give even
more ground.
"By the way, do you know that person over there? She's been staring
at us."
Upon hearing Amakasu's comment, Godou turned his eyes toward the
corner of the room.
As he and Sakura looked in that direction, Godou was surprised.
There sat a European girl with her glowing silver mane bound in a
ponytail.
The bizarre sunglasses and mask she was wearing might have been
an attempt at disguise.
"...What are you doing, Liliana?"
When he called out to her, the silver-haired knight twitched in
surprise.
"Y-you must be mistaking me for someone else. I d-do not know you
at all."
She tried to turn away. Godou stopped probing and wordlessly pulled
off her mask.
"If you have any excuses, say them now."
"Excusing myself is unthinkable. Th-That is right, I was just thinking
you might be in danger on your own. I am here to protect you. I
definitely had no wretched feelings like wanting to see the face of the
woman you ran off to see. Please don't misunderstand!"
Liliana took off her sunglasses while mumbling to herself.
She was obviously flustered. Well, whatever. Godou scratched his
head. She always acted like that.
"Got it. Anyway, come over here for now."
The tables could accommodate four people, so there was an empty
seat for Liliana. Now that Godou had noticed her, he couldn't leave
her on her own.
"Is it alright?"
"Of course. Well, as long as you want to."
"O-of course I have no objection."
She was so energetic that if she were a puppy, she'd be
enthusiastically wagging her tail. Liliana stood up. Her face was still
overly serious, but it looked awfully happy.
When she came to Godou's table, she asked.
"But still, why would you be here, Amakasu Touma?"
"By coincidence, completely by coincidence."
While scowling at Amakasu's reply, the silver-haired knight sat down.
Godou regretted that he hadn't told her beforehand. He believed she
wouldn't be careless because of Sakura, but...
"Are you acquainted with this person from abroad? And is she also
acquainted with Godoh-kun?"
"Ahh, who would believe the coincidence, my friend was one of
Kusanagi-san's acquaintances, too."
"Really? That's quite a surprise."
Amakasu's reply was inconsistent with Liliana's earlier statement.
However, Sakura didn't notice the contradiction. In spite of this
ridiculous bargain sale of [coincidence], she was nodding. Her purity
was dazzling.
"So what is her relation with Godoh-kun? I-is she his girlfriend?"
"Liliana my girlfriend? Why would you think so? We're just friends."
Sakura's question made Godou smile bitterly. "Right?", he said as he
turned to Liliana.
Unlike her rival Erica, she wouldn't try to make the situation any
worse.
"That is so. I am Liliana Kranjcar. I live my life with Kusanagi Godou,
his knight so to speak. If you will, think of me as his lifelong
companion."
Liliana's self-introduction was stern.
...the person in question probably didn't intend to, but her choice of
words was ripe with potential for misunderstanding.
Should he respond by saying 'She's bad at Japanese. Sometimes she
says weird stuff. Just ignore it.'? Unfortunately, her pronunciation was
flawless and that excuse was holier than Swiss cheese, too, but...
"AAHH, I see. So you're super-close friends with Godoh-kun?"
Sakura was smiling gently.
"If you're friends for life, that's how it is, right. It's nice meeting
you... but I'm relieved that you're not his girlfriend. Yepyep, Godoh-
kun couldn't have a girlfriend, right?"
Her smiling face was pure, free of the slightest hint of malice.
Godou was thankful for his cousin's extreme purity and trust. It got
her into all kinds of trouble, but her radiant heart was a wonderful
virtue.
Maybe she was overpowered by that angelic smile, but for once
Liliana could only reply "Haaa".
"...Kusanagi Godou, what is your relation with this woman? Is she
another lover, or maybe a secret wife?"
"Using 'another' here is strange. Why didn't you ask about 'friends' or
'family'? Sakura is my second cousin and more like an older sister."
Godou's answer to the stealthy Liliana was bitter.
"Oh no, Godoh-kun, didn't you say I wasn't your sister long ago?"
"Eh, what are you talking about?"
When Sakura cut in, Godou inclined his head.
"Remember when you were in elementary school? You suddenly
stopped calling me 'Oneechan'. When I asked why, you said you'd
marry me once we'd grown up so I couldn't be your sister. Don't you
remember?"
"...oh, right, now that you mention it..."
Godou considered that memory from his early childhood to be a
youthful indiscretion.
He felt like they really had had such a conversation long ago. Godou
had stopped calling Sakura 'Oneechan' ever since. Thinking back on
it, that episode gave him a nostalgic feeling of 'we sure were young'.
Though, he was still pretty young...
"So you see, like I told you yesterday, Godoh-kun, don't you feel like
calling me just 'Sakura' now? I think it's about time for us to start
doing that."
"But there's no reason to, is there? I said changing it is a pain, it's
fine like this."
"Sheesh, Godoh-kun. You're always like that."
He suddenly noticed Amakasu and Liliana staring at them in wonder.
"I see. Most intriguing."
"So genius does display itself even in childhood... so that's how it
was..."
Both of them were nodding in agreement.
Just as Godou was about to ask what they meant, Amakasu's
cellphone rang.
"Looks like a message from my boss. I must get back to work soon,"
the agent from the History Compilation Committee said.
"It is unfortunate, but I will have to excuse myself here. Could I have
a word before that, Miss?"
Amakasu addressed Sakura as he stood up.
"About our earlier conversation... I'm afraid I cannot grant your wish
to meet with the Great Devil King, the Campione. Please forgive me."
"B-but I have to see-"
"Right now your level as a magic user is too low. You see, in every
single RPG, you cannot encounter the great devil king at level two. At
a minimum, you'd have to be level twenty or thirty."
Amakasu put her off with a bogus argument.
However, Sakura quickly nodded with an enlightened expression.
Should he praise her for understanding this level of gaming slang or
be afraid for her for being tricked by such shoddy reasoning?
Weighing one side against the other, Godou became uneasy.
Given the path the conversation was taking, Godou knew what Sakura
would say next.
"Th-then, how do I become a powerful enough magic-user to meet
the great devil king?"
As expected. His prediction had already come true. Amakasu grinned
broadly.
It was the smile of a tolerant elder. And completely fake.
The aura he was giving off was like that of a fortune teller palming off
the jar of bliss or a salesperson quickly calculating the interest rate
for a loan for an expensive lithograph.
"Please relax. Through fortuitous [coincidence], a splendid coach has
already appeared. Liliana-san here is one of the most outstanding
witches I know. With her assistance you will definitely achieve a
dramatic level-up. Good luck!"
...He passed the buck. Just like the buck had been passed to him
earlier.
Unable to grasp the situation, Liliana pointed at herself, "Eh, me?"
Sakura looked at her with adoration, "Wahhh, you're amazing!".
During that gap in the conversation, Amakasu put his coffee cup on
the table.
In the next moment, the business suit-clad agent was by the exit.
Like instant movement.
After displaying that mysterious feat, he saluted.
Liliana and Godou were left behind to calm Sakura, who was eagerly
begging to be taught magic.
That night at the Kusanagi house. Godou was in his room when his
cellphone rang.
The display showed an unknown number. Godou still pressed the
button with conviction.
'Yo, Thanks for today. How did it turn out in the end?'
It really was Amakasu's voice. Godou answered while nodding.
"We somehow settled it but..."
Godou had repeatedly told the overexcited Sakura to calm down.
He'd told her that he'd do something about the situation so she should
go home for now. That had ended matters for the time being. Still,
the problem had only been postponed, not resolved.
'So isn't it settled? Tricking her with tons of lies must've been a piece
of cake. Ah, I already instructed her friend. There's no chance of her
giving away your name. Please relax.'
"...instructed?"
'Yes. While devious, I allowed myself to use a quiet yet effective
method.'
That left many possibilities. Should he probe deeper?
Godou was troubled, but Amakasu continued lightheartedly.
'But how about just coming out with who you are, honestly telling
everyone that you're that rumored devil king? It'd be much less of a
hassle that way!'
"As if I could do that. And anyway, I don't know why the heck people
are saying that about me! Plus, everyone's acting like I'm some
terrible lech..."
Amakasu rudely laughed off Godou's grumblings.
'Sorry for that. But you know, you get what you deserve, or
something. Hey, Kusanagi-san, why did you call Liliana-san over in
the coffee shop? You knew she'd be in the way, so why didn't you
chase her away?'
"I couldn't do that either. Having fun with everyone but her? What
can I say, I just didn't like the idea of doing so."
'Then what about your relative? I know she's pure and lovely, which
stimulates your desire to protect her, but frankly, wasn't taking care
of her for ten-odd years a pain? If it were me, I'd have made a
plausible excuse and abandoned her.'
"Hmm, it certainly was a pain, but..."
Godou scratched his head.
Amakasu's comments had been quite cutting, but nevertheless
correct.
"But abandoning her would be even worse. Actually I quite like her.
When she wants to rely on me when she's at her wit's end, I want to
do what I can."
'And by spoiling them like that you arrived where you are today. So
that's how you raise your flags.'
Godou couldn't understand Amakasu's comments.
'Should you ever need our assistance, please say so. We will do our
utmost to help.'
"At that time, please don't mess around like you did earlier today.
You're really going to help me, aren't you?"
'... Of course I am. Please have faith in me!'
The short pause between question and reply made the latter
completely unconvincing.
'But, well, this level of trouble is nothing to worry about. Deception
still works.'
"Deception?"
'Correct. Among the hime-miko, there are some who can alter
people's memories. Even without such a power, you can tamper with
memories through hypnotism magic. The devious move I talked about
earlier is a one type of such magic.'
Ethically, what Amakasu was talking about definitely fell in a grey
area.
His proposal was absurd. Godou was amazed.
But while he was amazed, he was grateful that such a method
existed. Giving it some thought, he hadn't pulverized some highway in
the capital or the San Pietro Cathedral in this case: Using such magic
was certainly a valid way to conceal the events.
—Take the evil with the good.
Because many of his friends and family were of dubious character,
Godou had naturally adopted that stance.
There were some problems you just couldn't solve with justice and
sound arguments. You had to face such crises with appropriate
responses.
Godou was relieved to end the call from Amakasu on a peaceful note.
Without realizing that his mindset was not peaceful or common in the
least, Godou got ready for bed.