"Well, because the harmful effect turned all the Santa Clauses in the area
grey, many people are still suffering from these disturbances."
The explanation was carried out in a composed manner from an old
acquaintance.
It was Amakasu Touma from the History Compilation Committee. He was a
young gentleman wearing a suit full of creases.
Their destination was located at the Nanao Shrine within the high grounds
of Toranomon, just within the borders of the shrine to be exact. This was
the shrine where Mariya Yuri was devoted to performing her duties as a
hime-miko. She was accompanying Amakasu at his side.
"Those who bought a Santa Claus mini-skirt costume for this special
occasion have no choice but to buy another one. The promotional items
specially printed with Santa Claus art must now be reprinted. The Santa
Claus illustrations that the children personally drew from the bottom of their
hearts and were looking forward to gift have now been ruined by a bad mix
of colors. Things like these were numerous. However,"
Even if the situation was the same as before, at a glance, Amakasu was
clearly giving them a type of dejected appearance.
But this time, Godou was naturally able to understand why.
He really believes the situation is harmless.
Yesterday, Godou witnessed the strange phenomenon where a Santa
Claus costume turned into a grey color. After school was over, Godou paid
a visit to the Nanao Shrine. Just when he was about to inquire with Yuri
about this matter, Amakasu showed up to explain the circumstances. But
while Amakasu was talking about the strange situation, his mood was more
relaxed than usual.
"Although it is a strange event, it is only so in this manner. It shouldn't be a
god stirring up trouble. Therefore, this inconvenience doesn't have nearly
enough significance for the necessity of a dignified Campione-sama right?"
"Since it would be Kusanagi-san's actions, it might instead cause the
strange phenomenon to go a step further and expand."
The person who cautiously stated this was Yuri. This was the History
Compilation Committee's suggestion — — no, this was exactly what they
hoped for presumably. They are requesting him to not get involved,
obediently staying put.
A devil king Campione is a prestigious being who would cause the break
out of a fire setting everything in flames.
Who was the person that said this phrase before? Godou pondered on this
indistinct memory while feeling this sort of prejudice against him was
unfair. I'm obviously different compared to those other guys — —.
"However, isn't it actually the breakout of an event?"
Putting those troubles aside for now, Godou complained in the following
manner.
"Yeah. It wasn't just the lone occurrence witnessed by Kusanagi-san in
Ueno. Within these past four - five days, this incident has already
happened more than ten times. The locations of these incidents include
Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Otemachi, Ginza, Shin-Okubo,
Ebisu, Sangenjaya... well, there are other various spots too."
"They are all places where there is a large flow of people..."
"Indeed. Some speculations can be established for this incident. But the
facts are basically what I have stated. I feel they are about right."
"Hey, that's pretty impressive. Why is this happening though?"
Godou felt admiration towards the capable Amakasu's special agent-like
rhetoric.
However, he instantly let out a 'hmm?' feeling puzzled.
"I'm afraid this is some sort of retaliation. This hatred towards Santa Claus
evolved from an unwelcomed class of people who are administering
revenge against those who have attained happiness and fulfillment! Hating
Christmas...as a result, they attempt to destroy the symbolic Santa Claus
figure where everyone can see! Something along those lines."
"Sorry, but the explanation you just gave contain some ambiguous terms."
"I agree. Whom does the so-called 'unwelcomed class of people' refer to?"
After Godou finished speaking, even Yuri, who spoke and conducted
everything with caution, raised a question.
Amakasu had this bad habit of unscrupulously using insider terminology.
"No, just hear me out. During Christmas there are numerous lovers who
appear to be brimming with happiness right? Among the people who see
this sight, those unwelcomed wizard related bastards will be enraged and
be unable to resist——what an unimaginable reality that would be."
Godou conjured a wry smile and once again inquired from Amakasu after
his explanation.
"Can you really solely change the color of Santa Claus using magic and
such?"
"This foolish matter of people delving into those kinds of dreary magic
types, forgive me I have never heard of such a thing. In contrary to what
one might expect, this is a high possibility. However, well..."
Amakasu momentarily paused at this point during his explanation.
"Even the witch Liliana-san — — even with her keen senses she couldn't
detect the aura of the type of magic that was used. She was only able to
attain bits and pieces."
Amakasu elaborated when facing techniques with large scale effects it is
comparatively easier to detect.
"There probably exists a user conducting some very clever concealment
tactics. Although, I can't figure out why someone would pull this kind of
idiotic prank and carry it out to this extent."
"A prank...?"
"I can't say for sure but the criminal might also be taking this very seriously.
However if we simply look at this strange phenomenon, it's really quite
insignificant. This is something that can be cleared up as soon as we send
out Committee members to investigate. Since this case must be handled
before Christmas, my side will do everything it can to figure out a solution."
Amakasu ensured Godou would stay out of the way by using a nonchalant
way of speaking to decline him.
After leaving the Nanao Shrine, the color of the sky had already turned into
complete darkness. Godou got on a tram at the Toranomon station, but not
for the sake of going home. He got off the bus at Ginza route's Ueno
station to return to the street he went to yesterday.
It was December, the end of the year. The streets were filled with a busy
atmosphere.
However, during this time period the one big event the high school
students were worried about, the final exams, had already finished. Every
year there would be final exams held during late December.
As a result, Godou was able to stroll the streets worry-free every night.
"Why would they care so much..."
Godou muttered while walking in front of Ueno station.
These streets were bustling with activity. There were the office workers
returning from work, students, young people dressed in casual etc., in
short the amount people outside were numerous. The night had just
begun. This time of the day served as the dividing line for the
commencement of formal nighttime activities.
Although it was already evening, the surrounding area was exceptionally
bright.
There were street lights, store lighting, bright billboards, the headlights
from the cars traveling along the road, etc. Thanks to all the illumination, a
person could easily survey this street. Well, Campiones have remarkable
night vision capabilities so regardless of whether or not it was completely
dark around him, there would be no inconveniences, even if the only
illumination source was from the evening starlight.
Godou roamed the streets of Ueno while deeply in thought. Recently there
was no way to comprehend much about the situation. He was unable to
remember his plans around Christmas and why that Liliana person, who he
supposedly knows, is spying on him. Furthermore there was the
emergence of the grey Santa Claus drama. Granted if someone were to sit
back and watch without any regards towards these matters, it would looks
as if none of these issues were consequential.
His chest was burdened with a troubling premonition.
Using a game of baseball as an analogy, perhaps the scenario's
development would be as follows.
In the first inning you score seven points thus leading by a huge margin.
However, the opponent nevertheless makes a comeback one point at a
time. On the other hand, your own side was unable to score any more
points. Without realizing it, the score had already caught up to a mere one
point differential — — just like that.
"No matter how I go about it, I still can't seem to understand."
Being a healthy male, Kusanagi Godou's physical endurance and his leg
strength in particular, was far greater than his intelligence. With that being
the case, visiting the crime scene 100 times, like in those cop flicks, to
continuously search that one location until finding the needed clues is not
necessarily a bad thing. In completing this simple task, he would put in his
utmost efforts.
Yesterday, Santa Clauses were being greyified on the street in front of the
station.
However, the Santa Claus figures, pictures, drawings, and outfits that were
all contaminated with the color grey have been disposed of a long time
ago. The streets were once again covered with the reds and greens of
Christmas.
Everything was returned to its original condition due to the laborious work
from these justifiably proud Japanese people.
However, right now Godou felt really infuriated towards this. He was
unable to find other clues — — just when he started pondering over the
current situation, his cellphone's ringtone sounded.
After retrieving his cellphone, he looked at the bright display screen and
saw it was Liliana calling him.
"Speaking of which, why do I have their phone numbers registered?"
Godou was baffled. It wasn't just the phone numbers of Liliana, Erica, and
Yuri, their emails and addresses were already registered as well. He
believes his relationship with them would be incapable of having this kind
of exchange of personal information.
In short, he decided to first put aside his suspicions and answer the phone.
'Seeing you come over here too is quite unexpected.'
Liliana suddenly stated this. 'Too'?
'Please do the same thing you did yesterday, turn your head around and
look behind you.'
Surely she must be kidding. Godou turned his head around and saw the
female knight, who was wearing personal attire for today, standing behind
him talking on the phone.
Part 2
The magic association Liliana was affiliated with was the "Bronze Black
Cross".
As its name suggested, the blue and black were the symbolic colors for the
organization.
This was perhaps the reason why whenever Liliana wore her personal
clothing, the two colors blue and black were bound to be somewhere on
there. However, today she was dressed in an outfit that consisted of a
rarely worn white mono-colored coat paired with deep gray pants.
Nevertheless, Godou noticed where they were.
It was on the scarf wrapped around Liliana's neck. The scarf's design
consisted of blue and black vertical stripes.
This applied to Erica as well. The European knight was surprisingly diligent
in this aspect. She would naturally display her own affiliation explicitly——.
Liliana, who was secretly being admired by Godou, stated her reason for
coming here.
"Regarding yesterday's situation where a Santa Claus changed colors, it
was assumably a prank devised by a magician somewhere. Disregarding it
would most likely be fine——But then something else occurred to me."
The two of them had kept their distance from the crowd of people
meandering about and proceeded to converse after arriving at a guardrail
alongside the road.
"In any case I'm also a magician. Even though I'm not on the same level as
Mariya Yuri, I'm still sensitive to the presence of magic. However, I wasn't
able to detect the bizarre event that transpired yesterday. Basically there
was someone very shrewdly concealing it I presume. Due to the
suspiciousness of going to this extent, I'm here to do a quick investigation."
Using a resolute tone, she spoke of the same uncertainties Amakasu had
pointed out.
The diligent Liliana had not neglected this matter so perhaps that was why
she wanted to ascertain the answer.
"Well Kusanagi Godou, why did you come back here?"
"For me it is…..although I have many reasons, ultimately it is probably due
to this gut feeling that I possess. I always felt very mindful towards this
situation and because of that I want to investigate its cause. I guess you
can say my intuition dictated so."
Godou stated his reply. Well, let's assume he did have many reasons.
However, regarding that perspective, they were changed to "gut feeling"
and "intuition".
Godou was worried she might be unable to understand this kind of
explanation.
"As expected of you, I get a sloppy animal-like reasoning."
Liliana heavily nodded, indicating an expression of understanding. Was
she thoroughly familiar with what kind of person Kusanagi Godou was?
Although Godou wanted to press the matter, he felt questioning her would
result in an annoyed response.
"Hey, if you don't mind...would you like to accompany me?"
"Accompany you!?"
Liliana suddenly went into a total state of shock.
"As in like a female escort accompanying a man!? E-Even though these
are the words spoken by a supreme Campione, this command is still quite
hard for a young girl like me to accept!"
"H-How did you construe it as that? What I meant was to investigate the
cause of yesterday's situation together."
Godou supplemented his explanation towards the flustered Liliana.
She was a strict and diligent knight. However, she seemed to be hiding a
very ordinary girl-like side of her. No matter what she encountered, she
would easily be side-tracked by romance.
Godou felt slightly distressed as he wryly smiled. This aspect was perhaps
to Liliana's advantage.
"P-Pardon my loss of composure...Going back to what I said, is this your
command as king?"
Liliana spoke after slightly blushing.
"The investigation this time would be akin to individual research. If it is a
request proposed by a Campione, the king of us magicians, to jointly trace
this mystery——no, even being the devil king's servant in investigating this
mystery is something I won't shy away from."
Her serious demeanor made it feel like she was challenging a barbarous
tyrant, or perhaps testing a person's moral character. Within the words
Liliana had said, it felt like there was this subtle meaning.
"I feel that if it is some outsider who doesn't know anything about magic
raising this request, I'll have to give it some thought. Being on the move
individually is comparatively more convenient since having to explain this
specialized knowledge would become very troublesome."
"I-I guess you're right."
In short, the meaning behind her words pointed to a "hindering outsider",
causing Godou to cower.
Indeed this was the case. The specialist Amakasu should have already
started his inspection. The talented witch Liliana was also on the move in
order to investigate.
There were no particular justifications for admitting a clueless outsider.
If a battle against a god did not occur for Kusanagi Godou, there were no
other uses for him. Compared to a normal person, he only had the
advantage in terms of physical strength. Well, if the opportunity arises in
which a heretic god does appear from this strange phenomenon, then it
would be a completely different matter. However, nowadays even that
situation would hold little significance.
Even so, he felt that he had to unravel this mystery of the grey Santa
Claus.
So wasn't it already mentioned before? There was the option of stating 'this
is an order from a Campione'.
After Godou deliberated over this enticing offer for about ten seconds, he
instantly gave up on the thought.
For the men who would say these words, as a devil king this would be a
different issue, but as a human being they would already be hopeless.
"I understand, I will find a way to do this myself then. I'm sorry for bringing
up a strange request."
After Godou made a candid apology, Liliana let out a sigh.
"Kusanagi Godou, during times like these you should proclaim 'this is an
order from a Campione'. By the way, you should've also punished the
disobedient Great Knight who didn't show respect towards the king...No
matter what the situation is you never resemble a devil king!"
In the end, she actually spoke in a startled tone to scold him. Furthermore,
she was resolute in her assertion towards the matter.
"However, fortunately I'm also an Italian knight. Despite the numerous
problems the devil king I pledged my loyalty to has, I have already adapted
to being an assistant. From now on when I am giving instructions——no,
when I am talking, please listen carefully."
"Eh?"
Her nationality was Italian but she actually has Croatian blood since she
emigrated from Eastern Europe. The fairy-like maiden with a complicated
ethnic background had a mischievous expression while making a
comparison between two Campiones.
Godou was astonished at Liliana's slight act of mischief and replied:
"Are you saying you will work together with me?"
"Yup. From the moment we convened I already had this intention."
"...Then, why did you say all those things!?"
"About that...why did I do it? It appeared as long as I pressed on in this
manner, you wouldn't be able to give out commands as a king...that's
how I felt."
Liliana suddenly revealed a gentle smile.
That was not her usual sternness, but rather an occasionally seen natural
side of her. Her innocent smile suited that of the girls around her age. For
some reason, this sort of smile made Godou feel very nostalgic. Brimming
with loveliness, his heart could not help but skip a beat.
"As a result, I wanted to give it a shot. I'm very sorry."
This type of apology presented no sense of regret. However, Godou was
actually incapable of saying anything in response.
"Didn't you discuss this with the History Compilation Committee just
recently? Ultimately it was impossible for you to adopt that hardline attitude
Amakasu has, thus you came here by yourself right?"
"Uhh..."
Godou was at a loss for words after she saw right through him. How did it
turn out like this?
The relationship between Liliana and him was not even that close.
However, it was quite unimaginable as to how she understood what type of
person Kusanagi Godou was. Godou also had a very clear grasp on the
temperament of Liliana Kranjcar.
This was all really hard to comprehend, but this realization would actually
make anyone happy.
All in all, Godou did get himself a capable helper.
"The part that I am concerned about is the phenomenon of Santa Clauses
changing color."
Liliana spoke while setting a teacup for black tea in front of Godou.
After they met up in Ueno, the two of them went to a single-family house in
Dangozaka. This house, which was Liliana's temporary dwelling while she
was in Japan, was fairly close to the Kusanagi household in
Nezu-Sanchome.
The two of them were residing in the living room which had windows along
the southern side. The sunshine seemed quite breathtaking.
"Are you referring to the color change from red to gray?"
"Yes...Well, perhaps it might not be as simple as just changing the
eye-catching primary color into a dull color. There was also the scene from
the spirit vision bestowed upon me during yesterday's quick inspection."
"Now that you mention it, there were quite a few things you referred to."
"I envisioned for a brief moment that the scenery of the streets changed to
a scene similar to that after the harvest. In addition, there was some sort of
divine presence that passed through and gathered what appeared to be
grain heads scattered along farmland after the harvest..."
"It seems to resemble farm work."
Godou spoke with very straightforward thinking.
"Yes indeed. If it is farm work, it would mean that the scene pertains to the
grace of earth. Perhaps the Santa Clauses losing their red color carries
profound significance."
Liliana began to thoroughly articulate her explanation.
"The Santa Claus referred to in Japan was originally Christianity's guardian
saint, St. Nicholas."
"St. Nicholas and Santa Claus...no matter how you sound it out they are
completely different."
"The reason is simple. Japanese people must have learned about the
culture of Santa Claus through America. However this social custom was
actually brought to America by an immigrant from Holland."
Liliana retrieved a notebook and began writing Latin characters on it.
"St. Nicholas is read as St. Nicholas when using a Dutch pronunciation.
The American pronunciation 'Santa Claus' resulted from what was
supposed to be pronounced as 'Sinterklaas' through an incorrect accent."
Saint NICOLAS Sint Nikolaas Sinterklass
After that, Liliana lastly added Santa Claus in conjunction.
"The image of Santa Claus spreading gifts to the children while riding a
sled driven by reindeers comes to mind when mentioning St. Nicholas.
This stereotype was established in America roughly around the 19th
century. The red outfit that became his raiment was instituted during a time
period much closer to the present."
"Ah...In that case, the juncture was triggered by the Cola company's
publicity activities."
After hearing Liliana say that, Godou recalled something.
The color red had become a recognized color for the well-known North
American beverage manufacturing company since the 1930s when they
wanted to raise winter sales figures by publicly advertising through the use
of Santa Claus. His image would always appear on posters and as
expected the color of his outfit was in red.
The red outfit of Santa Claus coming from the red color of a cola can, this
reality sounded like a joke.
"Before the red outfit wearing Santa Claus became a prominent public
figure throughout the world, there wasn't this kind of modern saying that
Santa Claus was the same existence as St. Nicholas, rather his character
was more analogous to some sort of fairy. During that period, the gifts he
dispersed were fruits."
"So to sum it all up, it wasn't gifts of hope."
"The fruits were ripened grains that were reaped from earth's bountiful
harvest——symbolizing the grace of earth. Dating back its origin, this
so-called Christmas was known as the religious ceremony for the Saint
who descends upon the winter festivities to bestow bountiful harvests for
the earth. This could be traced back to rituals held during ancient times."
"Religious ceremony..."
Even those refusing to accept the truth would be compelled to remember
the words "heretic god".
Overall, Godou felt he was able to understand the issue Liliana was
worrying about.
"Is it that one? For the time being, regardless of the identity of the current
Santa Claus, we should probably refer to him as St. Nicholas rather than
saying he is the Santa Claus from the time when red wasn't associated
with him. Maybe that guy will become a heretic god after arriving here."
"Not 'maybe', he will turn into a heretic god I presume."
Liliana simply agreed.
"I'm afraid that St. Nicholas, who has arrived at these grounds, possesses
the earth attribute of the god of bountiful harvests and divinity deriving from
the Catholic Saints."
"Is that really the case!?"
"Yesterday you couldn't feel the presence of a god. For that reason, I feel
like I might be overthinking this. But on the other hand, there is no way to
assert complete safety."
"I agree. In the end, we should perform a quick investigation for the sake of
caution."
Godou and Liliana both nodded. During times like these, their equally
serious personalities allow them to communicate more efficiently.
"The person in yesterday's spirit vision wasn't St. Nicholas, maybe the
revelation is connected to the origins of earth's essence. Let's just first try
to investigate with these clues ok?"
While the two of them were talking to each other, the door to the living
room was opened.
It was Karen Jankulovski, Liliana's exclusive maid.
This rarely seen outfit was not her maid uniform but rather it seemed to be
her personal attire which consisted of a blue coat and a black fur hat. Her
hand was dragging a suitcase with wheels attached, giving the impression
that she was about to go on vacation.
"Welcome Kusanagi-sama and welcome back Liliana-sama. I am very
sorry for being late in my greetings."
Karen spoke while having her head deeply lowered.
"You still haven't left yet Karen?"
"Mhmm. On the account of some urgent matters arising right before I
intended to leave, I had stayed here up till now...However, thanks to this I
was able to see some good drama, fufufu."
Karen was snickering while chatting with her master.
"I never would have thought Liliana-sama would bring a male Campione
into her house while I was away. Even though it's hard to keep a person's
lips sealed, please don't worry, maids are very adept at maintaining their
master's secrets."
"D-Don't get any strange ideas!"
"May the two of you slowly enjoy this evening. Well then, goodnight."
After Karen snickered and bestowed a bit of courtesy, she left.
"Where is that girl heading?"
"Eh, yeah, Natale is fast approaching. In order to let her celebrate the
holidays together with her family, I granted her a vacation for this special
occasion. After finishing her preparations she will head back to her home
country."
This so-called Natale was actually Christmas in Italian. In contrast to
Japan, most people in Europe would spend the holidays with their family.
This was probably the reason why she showed such consideration towards
her.
Going back to what was said, the sound of the Christmas's footsteps were
gradually drawing closer. Were they capable of finding the solution to this
problem before the arrival of Christmas...?
Part 3
It was currently December 18, the time of year was fast approaching
Christmas.
The graduation ceremony will commence in three days from now, therefore
the Jounan Academy seniors only had morning classes. However, today
Liliana was absent in class.
This was why after Godou finished his classes, he went straight to her
home without even eating lunch.
After pressing down on the gate's doorbell, the sound of Liliana's voice
came across the intercom.
'The door isn't locked, please come in.'
Since Godou was paying a visit to a girl's house, he felt very embarrassed
as he pushed open the door.
Moreover, the exclusive maid of the house had already returned to her
hometown in Italy. The owner of the house resided here by herself for the
time being.
Godou concealed his slightly wavering feelings as he entered the living
room.
Liliana was currently here engaged in work. The reason why she was
absent from school was for her to finish the magic preparations.
"Please be careful to avoid entering the center area of the map. Sorry for
the inconvenience."
Every place in the living room, including the tables and couches, was tidied
up. The object expanded across this spacious room was a huge aerial
photograph taken from the skies overlooking Tokyo. Its dimensions were
probably around three meters in length and four meters in width. Liliana
was crouching down on one knee over the map.
Godou noticed the location on the map where Liliana was situated was the
Bunkyo region.
It was Bunkyo Dangozaka on the map——Liliana was crouching over the
coordinates to this house.
Furthermore, it felt like there were quite a few incantations instilled within
this Tokyo district on the aerial photograph.
"You used some kind of magic on this right?"
"Yes, searching magic...I guess you could say that I carried out these
preparations in order to utilize this magic."
Liliana maintained her crouching position as spoke.
She extended her right hand and moved the fingertips of her index finger
and middle finger towards the map. Liliana, who was a Templar Knight and
witch, released an incantation from those fingertips.
"If it is precisely as we said yesterday in which the red lacking Santa Claus
is an existence related to earth's bountiful harvests, this existence might
discharge a slight upsurge in spiritual energy at the location where the
phenomenon happens. I plan on releasing a hunting dog to confirm this."
"Liliana, you raise that sort of thing?"
"Of course this is accomplished by employing a familiar called forth
through summoning magic. We witches are the miko descendants who
serve the goddess of the sky and earth. The attribute to summon a beast
and commanding it to pursue the spiritual energy of earth isn't really an
arduous task."
Princess Alice, Lucretia Zola, and Liliana Kranjcar.
These were the three witches Godou knew. It is said that they benefited
from being naturally gifted with manipulation magic unaccessible to normal
female magicians (for example those like Erica).
The scope of this type of magic was precisely witchcraft. Erica had raised
this subject at some point in the past.
She said 'even though I really don't want to admit it...but for the sky and
earth, in other words, magic involving the elements of nature, Liliana far
surpasses me'.
Except why was he unable to recall when it happened and where it took
place?
"However, if we choose to execute in this manner we must send the
hunting dog sprite toward Tokyo. Doing this will require time and effort...I
guess you can say that like anything it will have its dangers."
"Well, we can't just release those monster-like beings and not look after
them."
Godou had previously battled a magical beast familiar summoned through
the use of magic. Even a small causal disturbance could result in fatal
injuries towards humans.
"Hence I added voodoo magic to this map of Tokyo. When the hunting dog
is released on this map to conduct its probing, it enables a much quicker
result that is equivalent to actually being within the capital Tokyo."
As she finished speaking, Liliana moved her fingertips away from the
photographic map. It seemed like she finished casting her magic.
This so-called voodoo magic was a term from folklore. Say for example, a
person who was detested had their hair buried inside a doll that was to be
burned. In that case, the detested person himself would be burned to
death. Of course the result from this kind of incantation when one wishes
to exert supernatural properties on an object is akin to the object becoming
a replacement for the target itself.
"Are the preparations ready? Where is the hunting dog?"
"The preparations are already finished. This is it."
The object Liliana took out was a pig which she set down by her foot.
It was a doll in the shape of a pig. Two days ago, Liliana won this toy at a
video game center. It was designed to be palm sized, a style that allowed it
to be rocked about, but it had quite a sinister expression.
"...But upon inspection, it's just a pig doll."
"This pig doll is infused with spirit from the essence of earth. The reason
why I previously stated it was going to be a hunting dog was merely so you
could easily comprehend. I thought since we must pursue spiritual energy,
a spirit pig, an animal which avidly uses its sensitive snout, would be the
best choice. I'm about to start."
"Nah, it wouldn't have mattered whether it was a dog or pig."
Godou went on to state. Verethragna's authority, the [Boar], is also
categorized as a type of pig.
"For objects that are specially applied with some sort of wizardry magic, I
actually feel like compared to a doll, using something similar to a small
prop would have been better..."
"T-This happened to be the only thing I had on hand resembling a pig!"
Liliana seemed slightly embarrassed as she retorted.
"If we are able to confirm an upsurge in spiritual energy, then let's first try
heading towards the actual location ok? If there happens to be Santa
Clauses being grayified or if it already happened, there is a high possibility
it could be much more frustrating than a prank carried out by a magician
somewhere."
Regardless of which, the searching magic had already been applied
without a hitch.
On the large photographic map that Liliana had prepared, the pig doll was
slowly moving at a speed of around one or two centimeters per three
minutes.
As expected, no one was shifting the pig around, it was independently
crawling.
"However, waiting around is quite monotonous, how about we go eat
lunch?"
Godou brought up this suggestion. It had already passed noon a long time
ago and his stomach was still empty.
"Ah, no thanks. If possible, please help yourself since my undertaking
requires me to maintain the voodoo magic on the map."
Liliana replied in this manner towards Godou's lunch invitation.
"Then I'll probably just go buy something. Liliana, is there anything you
want to eat?"
Since his partner was preoccupied, he wanted to go run an errand for her.
From Godou's perspective this was a rightful concern that was to be
expected in this situation.
Liliana revealed an unhappy expression on her face. She frowned in a way
as if she was preaching something.
"Didn't I say this yesterday? The fulfillment of your role as a devil king
Campione remains significantly inadequate. This is the first time I've heard
of a devil king going out to buy lunch."
"That has nothing to do with it. I am different compared to guys like that old
timer Voban. I'm going shopping at a supermarket anyways, so I can pick
up some bread while I'm at it."
Godou shrugged his shoulders after he finished speaking. Liliana's
expression changed to that of complete astoundment.
"You should also find a butler or maid in order to distance yourself from
these miscellaneous tasks since you are one of the seven Campiones in
this world."
"A high school student having either a butler or maid following them, I
haven't heard of such a thing before either."
"Well then, Kusanagi Godou is certainly a godslayer. That being the case,
this moment makes for a great opportunity. Please begin slowly adapting
to the pleasures of being attended to by other people ok?"
Because of the perplexing words Liliana stated, Godou questioned her with
an 'eh?'.
To maintain the voodoo magic, the only necessity was to supply the
incantation while being within close proximity.
As a result, during that period of time a person is free to do other activities
without a problem——. Liliana put on her commonly used apron and
entered the battlefield that is a kitchen. Prompted by the replacement of
her sword with a kitchen knife, chopping board, flat frying pan, ladle, and
things of that nature, she was struggling.
"I-Is there anything I can help with?"
"No need to worry. As the king you should just relax and wait over there."
The well-intentioned proposal was outright rejected.
Godou could only watch from the kitchen entrance as the proficient cook
Liliana prepared the dishes. Having a girl cook for me personally is
really——.
What seemed to be a vertigo of mixed emotions and confusion had hit
Godou.
Liliana wore a black sweater along with blue jeans. After adding the apron,
a sense of determination could be perceived from this appearance. This
sort of adjustment gave him a very distinct feeling of having entered a girl's
personal domain.
The Godou as of now was neither a godslayer nor a Campione.
Continuously standing there in fear, he was simply a man who was still
unaccustomed to girls due to having no girlfriend experience at his age.
After waiting approximately thirty minutes, Liliana was finally done cooking
and had swiftly cleaned the cooking utensils. Lunch appeared to be ready.
However, right now the pig was still in the living room traversing around on
the map.
"Want to go outside and enjoy today's beautiful weather? Despite it being a
tad cold, at least there is no breeze."
Liliana had suggested this and proceeded towards the courtyard with the
plates containing the food she cooked.
In that direction was a circular wooden table with two wooden chairs.
Originally this set was most likely used frequently during the warmer
seasons. However, today was precisely as Liliana had said, the
temperature could be considered quite warm for the month of December. It
seemed like there would be no issues eating here in the courtyard.
Afterwards, the dishes were set on the table.
There was bologna pasta, warm vegetable salad, a piping hot bean soup,
as well as black tea stowed inside a thermos.
"Since I didn't head out to buy anything, I felt quite unprepared. There is a
possibility that it won't be compatible with your tastes..."
"I completely don't get which of these dishes were unprepared for.
Especially the pasta, it is very delicious."
Godou felt that the notification Liliana gave in advance was unfathomable.
The noodles and pâté were considerably rich in taste.
He actually thought they were those instantly made food products since
Liliana rapidly made these dishes within ten minutes.
But the gratifying taste was actually created through diligent cooking and
stewing for long periods of time.
"Actually, those noodles were prepared using the utmost simplicity since I
only recooked yesterday's leftover beef stew with a few added seasonings.
After that I just re-added some more minced meat..."
On the contrary, Godou felt admiration towards Liliana after being informed
that the cooking was simple.
This was the flavor of the dish wasn't it? By modifying the leftover food, a
new delectable flavor was created. The amount of time and effort spent
were both reduced. It indeed seemed quite reasonable.
Godou, who was a male in his teens, stuffed the food in his mouth as he
wolfed down the cuisine personally prepared by Liliana.
Such actions were solely due to the delicious taste. Furthermore, he was
eating face to face with Liliana, trying to find every possible way to hide his
own embarrassment.
After he had his fill, he proposed to clean the dishes himself. However, he
was actually denied from doing so.
Godou was unable to feel at ease when walking together with Liliana, who
cleaned all the dishes herself, back to the living room. The pig on the top of
the map had at one point stopped and laid there overturned.
Its abdomen was facing upward and it was trembling uncontrollably.
"It seems to have detected an upsurge in spiritual energy."
Liliana spoke in a grave tone after looking at the hexagram images
displayed from the magic she applied.
At that place was perhaps the next location where Santa Clauses devoid of
red might appear.
The location was Odaiba——Today was nearing Christmas, that scenic
gathering spot would without a doubt be filled with sweethearts.
"Well then, we should probably hurry over there and check it out."
Godou lowered his head in response to Liliana. This was probably
expected from him.
In order to pursue the mystery of the gray Santa Claus, he had to journey
to this scenic gathering spot together with an exceptionally attractive girl.
Also it was still just the two of them. Godou felt inexplicably embarrassed
toward this situation.
Part 4
They rode the JR tram to get to Odaiba.
After arriving at the location they would release the pig familiar allowing it
to try to pursue the aura from the strange phenomenon.
This was the type of plan Godou and Liliana agreed on from inside the
moving tram.
However, the situation surpassed their expectations; it transpired a long
time ago and by then it had already concluded.
Facing the devil king and female knight who entered Odaiba, the culprit
who initiated this disturbance had already called it quits.
The seaside that everyone was accustomed to had been created by using
land reclamation. This area was now a very popular entertainment venue
for gatherings and leisure.
Once they disembarked from the tram at Odaiba Marine Park station,
Godou and Liliana trekked towards a nearby area that was brimming with
liveliness. As expected, the number of large shopping centers designated
for the young male and female visitors stretched as far as the eyes could
see.
The strange phenomenon of Santa Clauses being greyified already
manifested here. All the Santa Clauses located here were infected with the
color grey. Their magnificent red color subsequently vanished.
Right now they had already lost the mood to confirm one by one whether
or not all the Santa Clauses were greyified.
After Godou sent an eye signal towards her, Liliana retrieved the pig doll
from her pocket. That familiar——was the so-called pig beast spirit of the
earth.
Once the owner placed the doll on the ground, she began to recite spell
words in a whisper.
"By the greed caused by the wild beast, go forth and pursue this
suspicious aura!"
The pig seemed as if it was gliding along the surface as it moved.
In contrast to the time it was moving along the surface of the map, the
movement speed at present was comparable to a nimble mouse. At the
same time, Liliana closed her eyes and used the Witch's Eye to enable a
vision transfer. The purpose behind doing this was to allow the Eye to
follow behind the pig.
However, Godou believed this sort of method would not result in any
important information. This incident will probably take some time to figure
out. However——
"Kusanagi Godou…..I discovered something strange."
Liliana reported what she saw. Ten minutes had gone by after that.
Godou squeezed himself into a large crowd of people and noticed it as
well. Using the pig that was pursuing the strange phenomenon as well as
Liliana's Eyes, he was led to this location.
Within the meandering crowd of people——all of the normal humans were
oblivious to that thing.
Even those who were directly facing this outlandishness were incapable of
rationalizing the situation. This was because to ordinary people the best
course of action would be to ignore it, hence the situation not being
surprise worthy. However, Godou was perplexed.
That thing was walking amongst the crowd of people like an ordinary
person.
The people within its vicinity were completely unaware of that thing's
existence.
It resembled some aspects of a human figure. It was using two feet to
walk, had two arms along with a head and torso.
In spite of that, the body was completely covered with what seemed to be a
grey sailcloth. The underlying skin and face could not be seen at all.
"What is that? It doesn't look like a god or divine beast."
"Nor is it a magician. No matter how you associate it, it's impossible to
classify it under the category of a human being. Perhaps it is a fairy or a
spirit of some sort."
Godou was flabbergasted as a result of Liliana's statement.
"In addition to gods, there are actually those kinds of guys roaming these
grounds!?"
"It wouldn't be on these grounds. They basically all reside within the
Netherworld. Only in extremely rare circumstances would they go to the
extent of coming to this side."
Liliana fixed her eyes on the Grey One and paced around him while she
spoke.
"It appears only Los Angeles's John Pluto Smith-sama has the capability to
transfer to the Netherworld and summon the residents from there for a
short period of time due to the authority he usurped from Oberon the fairy
king."
"Speaking of which, that guy seemed to have done something like that in
the past somewhere..."
Godou frowned after hearing the name of the North American Campione.
When did I encounter this guy before and what kind of things did we do?
"No matter what, let's first try to make contact with this grey colored guy.
Conversing with it——accomplishing this would be great."
If the other member was a god, no matter what kind of appearance it had it
would probably still be able to engage in conversation.
Well, there were certain times when traces of communication would feel
very enigmatic...However, no matter how you look at it, you would be
skeptical whether it is even possible for the Grey One to engage in
conversation.
Soon after, the Grey One left the crowd of people.
It was heading towards a lesser used coastal route. Was it planning to
continue roaming at a different location? Up until that point, Godou and
Liliana continued to close in on the Grey One.
After that, the target stopped in its tracks. It looked as if it was waiting for
the two of them to come over.
Could they actually peacefully make contact with it?—— Just as Godou
was looking forward to that possibility...
The pursued target conducted a series of movements that was beyond all
expectations. Slowly raising its right hand and spreading open its palm, a
knife-hand gesture was prepared.
Then in one swift motion, the Grey One placed the knife-hand gesture next
its neck and proceeded to chop its own neck off . What appeared to be the
head portion of the sailcloth swirled into the air.
"Huh, did it actually commit suicide!?"
The two of them quickly accelerated their pace. The sailcloth covered body
of the Grey One toppled forward.
Once they approached the corpse, Godou immediately peeled off the
sailcloth. The insides were shaped to look exactly like a human body.
The physical body seemed to resemble a muscular and youthful person.
However, it had a very black coloring.
Its pitch-black color gave the impression it was made of carbon while the
texture of it resembled that of charcoal. Also, once it came in contact with
the air, the charcoal-like body made a slight rustling noise as it crumbled
like a collapsing sandcastle.
"The head portion over here also collapsed..."
On the other side, Liliana spoke while inspecting the neck of the Grey One
who committed suicide by cutting its own throat.
She also ripped apart the sailcloth and looked inside——this should be the
area where the head and face were.
"What the heck is this guy..."
The mysterious person who committed suicide was apparently a spirit of
earth.
Facing this state of death, Godou was unable to comprehend the situation
and was left feeling stumped.
"Neither a human nor a god, this existence, who was responsible for the
annoying Santa Claus mystery, has now committed suicide——.It is
really hard to understand this incident."
Amakasu muttered through the cellphone as he sighed in sorrow.
The grey sailcloth and bits of black ash plummeted down at the location
where the suicide just took place.
"Upon normal inspection, the incident of Santa Clauses being greyified
should consequently have ended... I think this is the case. Well, I'll do a
quick inspection of the situation. All in all I'm very thankful that the two of
you were capable of supporting each other."
"...It seems like your inexplicably happy, am I right Amakasu Touma?"
"Of course I would be happy. It cannot get any better than having my
workload lessened."
Amakasu replied to Liliana's slightly derisive question.
In short, the History Compilation Committee would take care of the job that
dealt with the aftermath of an incident. Godou and Liliana originally held no
responsibilities in regards to this aspect. They now have nothing left to do.
The two of them headed back in the direction of the large shopping centers
for the time being.
"First hold on a sec."
After he first spoke to Liliana, Godou walked towards a crepe stand.
The food he bought used cooked apples mixed with cream, and then that
was mixed with caramel and orange sauce.
Even though it was a pretty warm for a day in the middle of winter,
however, this place was an area along the seaside.
It was quite chilly due to the winds blowing over from the sea. In that case
it would be best to not order anything such as ice cream.
"Which kind do you want Liliana? Pick your favorite."
"What are you really up to? Today's cooperation toward this common goal
was solely because it was the request of a Campione. I, Liliana Kranjcar,
never planned on accepting a salary from you."
The female knight spoke with a look of appraisal. However, Godou calmly
retorted.
"What are you going on about? Wasn't it Liliana herself that said I was
someone who wasn't aware of my role as a king? As a result of that, my
mindset had slightly changed."
"W-Why do you say that?"
"It is the duty of a king to give rewards to knights for their achievements.
No need to thank me, just accept this ok?"
Godou declared this and handed two crepes in her direction.
This was really for accompanying him in exploration, and there was that
lunch she made not too long ago etc. All the various things she did were
included in this act of appreciation. However he should probably avoid
saying it that sentimentally.
After being urged on in a slightly facetious manner, Liliana showed a bit of
courtesy towards this which felt somewhat forced.
"If it's like this, then as a knight I'll just have to accept this."
When she finished speaking, Liliana acquired one of the crepes.
Just like that, the two of them began eating their crepes, making a
crunching sound while they were doing so. Godou certainly did not have a
sweet tooth, although he did not particularly detest desserts either.
However, the unforeseen location they were in at the moment made it
impossible to calmly savor this kind of sweetness.
The reason was because his partner beside him was a silver-haired
European girl. Furthermore she had a fairy-like ambience and was
absolutely stunning, making her a particularly eye-catching girl.
She appeared to stand out even in Odaiba where there were a myriad of
young girls.
He had already noticed it while eating along the way. Even though they
were acting naturally, people from the crowd that circulated through here
gathered an interest in them.
Having said that, Liliana on the other hand looked like she was oblivious to
the attention they were receiving. She was completely composed like there
was nothing out of the ordinary. There was the fear she might think the
reason for the attention was due to her being an outsider.
The difference between her and Erica, who acknowledged her own beauty,
was astounding.
In any case, he was sure to be seen as her boyfriend by other people
because he was alongside her...Kusanagi Godou didn't believe he had
the capability to hook up with someone that had the looks and tolerance of
Liliana.
Godou contemplated on whether or not to say something after they
finished eating.
'Well then, I should probably be going now. Thank you for all that you have
done today——' these were the kind of words he thought about saying.
This was probably the proper and correct way to go about this. Since he
lived nearby there shouldn't be any problems riding the same tram back
with her. Although if he wanted to prolong their time together there were
numerous reasons he could come up with...
At that moment, a pair of lovers walked by right in front them.
The man and woman looked like they were young college students. The
female student was carrying a massive yet adorable teddy bear in her
arms. The dimensions of that teddy bear made it impossible to carry with
two hands.
Was it bought in some kind of doll store?
As he pondered on the thought, he unintentionally noticed the store that
the couple exited from. It was an enormous video game center.
"...It appears to be the same facility we went to before."
Liliana suddenly mentioned this as Godou had just finished eating his
crepe.
"Well, that is because this is a popular chain of arcades. The place we
went to before is of the same type."
"In other words, this place also has the opportunity to go hunting. In
addition to that, the teddy bear that we just saw was a humongous toy. I
don't have that category of children inside my bedroom..."
The way she muttered was as if she thought of some sort of plan. Liliana
was one of those types of girls who would call her doll related objects as
her children. Godou nodded his head, and while purposefully using an
uninterested tone, he said:
"I'm not sure if it is a prize from the video game center. If it is, something
that big would probably be set-up to be difficult to obtain."
Even though Godou was unfamiliar with what goes on within the industry, it
was very likely that this was the case.
"Even with the money spent on buying it from the store you might still be
unable to obtain it. We might as well just head home directly for today."
"No matter what kind of situation it is you must find a method to secure
victory. Your suggestion is really quite negative."
Liliana spoke in a manner that slightly ridiculed him.
She also cleared her throat with a cough and went to say with a hint of
embarrassment:
"I regret to say that I, Liliana Kranjcar, am not quite familiar on the sure win
methods and how to conduct myself in a place like this. I wish to have a
senior that possesses the corresponding knowledge to guide me for a bit."
What an exaggerated way of speaking, it pretty much meant: "would you
like to go to the arcade".
This invitation caused Godou to hesitate.
"Even if I had the knowledge and such as you said, I don't really go to
these kinds of places. Nanami and Sorimachi from our class look like they
would be somewhat familiar in this aspect."
There was a difference between large scale games, free games, and PC
games.
It could be said that Godou's knowledge on these topics were quite vague.
As a result, this was a perfectly normal way to decline someone. It was
basically the natural course of action to this situation right?
However, Liliana did not back down one bit to this degree of suppression.
She chuckled and said:
"Then it should just take about ten minutes total. Furthermore, my
compensation isn't some kind of cheap object that can be paid off
completely with just one crepe."
In the end, the event that was predetermined to be ten minutes prolonged
to forty minutes. Plus, speaking of the results——.
"We still weren't able to nab that big one."
Godou stated this after exiting the arcade.
There were four sets of doll grabbing machines that were equipped with
the teddy bear prize within this arcade. Furthermore, there was a
difference in their dimensions. There were extremely small ones like the
size of a cellphone strap, small ones that you could fit on your palm,
medium sized ones about as big as a football, and lastly there was the
exceptionally large kind that the pair of lovers were holding onto just then.
The largest item, being the highest benchmark, was of course the one
Liliana set her eyes on as her prey. However, the claw's strength was
particularly weak so no matter what you did it was unable to grab the toy.
Godou even lent her a hand but it was completely useless.
It was quite admirable how those pair of lovers were capable of acquiring it
so easily.
After expending a large amount pocket change and time, the two of them
finally gave up. Even though they were only passing by, if only they were
able to obtain it, then——.
"Well, the couple who were able to seize it could be considered quite
capable."
Although the inside of the store had become quite warm, at that moment,
Liliana still spoke with a calm expression.
She was holding onto two bear cellphone straps. These bear straps
actually had a male version and a female version that were modeled
slightly differently. The female one had a ribbon as well as a very gentle
expression.
Incidentally, Godou vulgarly called them 'male and female' and was forced
to correct himself by his partner.
"...Oh yeah, you can have the one over here."
Liliana suddenly handed him a cellphone strap.
It was the male, no, the boy bear one. Godou was confused.
"Are you sure? You went through a lot of trouble to gather a boy and girl
pair."
"Yeah. The boy and girl pair is like a pair of lovebirds on the same branch.
They probably shouldn't be separated."
Liliana stated her beliefs using a firm choice of words.
"However, I also want to share these with you. Although I don't know why
I'm compelled to think this way, in fact it is quite unimaginable...How
about this is just to commemorate today?"
The female knight's face suddenly blossomed with brilliance as a warm
smile surfaced upon her lips.
Perhaps because of this, Godou carefully accepted the boy bear. Honestly
speaking, even he was uncertain what the reason was. He thought it would
be fine as long as he treated the situation with caution.
However, because it was a small fictional object, it would really make
people feel a tad embarrassed.
"If this cellphone strap were to become mine then it would be a bit...well,
just allow me accept it for now. Perhaps at a later date I'll just give it to my
sister…..oh, I think that most likely won't occur."
"How you handle the item you received is your liberty. If you really decide
to do that, I would have to change my relation to this Kusanagi Godou
person."
Liliana sighed as they walked side by side towards the station.
In the end, they stayed together all the way until they reached Nezu.