Subsequently about ten minutes after contacting Yuri, Godou got in touch
with a certain someone.
In fact, he notified her by saying 'Santa Clauses are being greyified once
again!'. He also wanted to utilize that familiar she used in the past to
search for the culprit.
However, he relinquished that idea after sensing there was some kind of
indescribable danger.
Viewing it from the perspective of a baseball team, expectations would
dictate Kusanagi Godou to be either the fourth hitter or catcher. These
were the positions he was accustomed to ever since he was a child.
On offense, the pinch hitter was allowed to distance hit. On defense, the
pitcher and outfielders would be instructed to set up a containment. There
were no inconspicuous movements on his side.
However, the fourth hitter for some reason decided to bunt the ball.
The catcher, who was supposed to be like a calm and unwavering central
control tower, wanted to play in the outfield.
This type of vulgarness was comparable to the current situation.
Overextending oneself. The furthest thing from playing to one's talents.
Didn't Amakasu mention earlier? "This is something that can be cleared up
as soon as we sent out Committee members to investigate." Godou had no
wish to trouble others even though the problem would be resolved without
him doing anything personally.
Why did they have to operate in this fashion? They were still far from
having the right person in the right place.
He felt profoundly dissatisfied——.
This was why Godou was determined to get in touch with that person.
During times like these, he...no, she should be someone he could rely
on.
Presently on the 20th of December, two hours had passed.
Godou had avoided the gaze of Shizuka and snuck out of the house.
He boarded Amakasu Touma's car on Kototoi Street and headed off
towards Area 3 of the Chiyoda ward. The setup of this ghost house-like
western-style mansion gave the impression that they wanted to silently
conceal themselves along this alleyway.
This place was where the person in charge of the Tokyo division of the
History Compilation Committee resided.
To say that she was a beautiful girl would be too neutral and her voice was
too thin to be considered a beautiful boy. Incidentally, this woman was very
adept at fooling around and among strategists, she was quite problematic
to deal with...
"Thank you for being able to come my King. Today I, Sayanomiya Kaoru, a
person of humble talent, intend to use everything in my power to assist
Kusanagi Godou."
The person who greeted them at the front door was Kaoru who was
wearing a formal black butler's outfit.
She chose to speak in an incomparably exaggerated form, but the way she
conveyed it was very natural.
Her bout of courtesy was humorous but also very elegant. Chuckling,
Kaoru seemed to be completely at ease when she gave her witty greeting.
"I feel there is absolutely no need for this kind of flattery... Why are you
dressed up?"
"Since Kusanagi-sama wanted to personally come for a visit, I wanted to
try and spruce up a bit for the occasion. Let's put this matter aside for now,
please enter. Yuri and Liliana-san have already arrived."
Wearing a perfectly overdone men's outfit, this girl emitted a frivolous
expression towards Godou.
After being invited inside her residence, two of his old acquaintances
reappeared in the lounge.
"Godou-san, we were waiting for your arrival."
"We heard that the phenomenon happened again."
Seeing that this more or less turned into a formal mission for the
Committee members, Yuri wore her entire miko attire while Liliana was
dressed in a blue vest with black pants.
Godou and the others entered the spacious study together.
This area was actually Kaoru's office. It had also become the meeting
room to assess countermeasures against heretic gods many times in the
past. Godou proceeded to sit down on the couch. Afterwards, Liliana also
sat down to his right.
She was completely oblivious, sitting down as if it was her established
spot.
Their line of sight crossed paths. Liliana flashed an eye signal and Godou
responded by nodding his head. It was finally time to thoroughly
investigate the facts. The commencement of a critical juncture has
initiated.
"....."
"? What's the matter Mariya?"
Godou inadvertently glanced at Yuri only to see she for some reason held
a very staunch expression while gazing at him and Liliana.
After questioning her, the hime-miko suddenly became flustered and sat
down towards Godou's left.
"N-Nothing's wrong. Speaking of which Godou-san, I'm not sure when it
began but the relationship between you and Liliana-san has become much
more intimate..."
"Intimate——uh, well, compared to our relationship from before it has
improved slightly. Right Liliana?"
"Y-Yes I agree. Returning to that topic Kusanagi Godou, since when did
your relationship with Mariya became much friendlier compared to before?
As expected, this is probably the reason why there were rumors about
you."
"Eh?" Godou was puzzled after hearing Liliana satirizing him.
"Yes, that must be it. Despite having additional vacant spots, Mariya Yuri
sat by your side without the slightest hesitation. This is something I never
would have imagined until this day."
"——! ? T-This meeting is only to discuss matters regarding the
phenomenon in detail with Godou-san."
While replying, Yuri completely lost her composure due to fear from this
sudden criticism.
"Also, it was Liliana-san who started this."
"I-I had the position of assisting Kusanagi Godou for this situation. Being
his consultant, I'm only sitting at my natural post. And furthermore, even
the way you address him has changed..."
The latter part of Liliana's words became a whining murmur that was
difficult to hear discernibly.
No matter how one looks at it, he was caught between the two girls. The
atmosphere became a tad awkward.
During this time, Godou coincidentally remembered something. Being able
to strengthen his relationship with others was favorable. However, perhaps
their relationship was a bit more unrestrained in the past...?
"Hey. I see, so that was it."
On the other side, the calmly awaiting Kaoru who dressed up like a butler
seemed to laugh out of amusement and nodded her head.
They appeared to be waiting and watching each other's responses. Just
exactly what did she realize? Godou thought it was strange but also
expressed gratitude towards Kaoru. All of the responsibilities for the
arrangement at this location fell onto her.
In this chaotic situation, there was Yuri's spirit vision and the mysterious
trump card Erica held. These matters should be quickly sorted out. Out of
everyone gathered here, the most suitable candidate to accomplish this
was none other than Kaoru.
Therefore, he used his cellphone to contact Kaoru. Within an hour he
received a return call from her. At that time Kaoru straightforwardly told him
"the location arrangements for the emergency meeting has been set,
please head over at this time. Erica-san will be there as well."
Her ability and skill to get the job done were still as good as ever. If
Sayanomiya Kaoru was born in the right time period, she would have the
moral character of a 'feudal leader' or a 'bishop'. Who made such a remark
before?
"Looks like I made everyone wait."
Moreover, this girl seemed to take the role of a person who enters the
stage last. Her attire consisted of a red overcoat along with tight black
pants, paying tribute by pairing up 'red and black' as usual.
"After being contacted by Kaoru, I told Arianna to find the appropriate item.
She went through the entire house, spending thirty minutes to find this. My
maid, who also acts as my assistant, is really quite capable isn't she?"
Upon entering the study, she spoke with a tone of brightness. She didn't
even do anything but it was like a shameless admission nevertheless. She
revealed a broad smile, as expected of Erica Blandelli's temperament.
Erica suddenly revealed her findings which was a plain wooden chest.
The size of the cover attached to the top could fit into a person's hand. It
was black in color and looked quite decrepit.
A click sound was made as Erica opened the lid. The contents inside were
merely two, three dried up pieces of fruit that were about the same size as
a ping pong ball.
It resembled nothing other than some sort of dried up fruit.
"Out of the magic related items I brought to Japan, this was one that I
originally did not have on me at the time. It was not one of the items that
came from Milan either. However, why would something like this be mixed
in with the other stuff in my apartment? It is quite a peculiar predicament."
Erica was smiling while looking around inside the wooden chest. She had
a brazen smile that was without fear, like a malevolent lion skulking around
to get in front of its prey.
"If you trust the note attached to the top of the chest, this box appears to
be from the past——probably more than one hundred years ago. It was an
object brought to earth by a heretic god appearing in Turkey. Recently
there seems to have been various kinds of strange events occurring. In no
way can the name of this god be just a coincidental match to what has
occurred during these phenomenons."
"...Quit posturing. Hurry up and say the name of the god already."
Liliana interrupted her.
"What's so awful about a climax of this degree, Lily? I will never flounder
the chance to be on center stage. This stunt is something everyone should
know about me, Erica Blandelli."
After leisurely speaking, Erica suddenly announced:
"The name of the god is Saturnus. He was believed to be the god of
agriculture in the Ancient Roman Empire. He is an existence who gave the
populace crops and produce. Furthermore, he brought along the divine
festival that Christmas originated from."
Liliana gently nodded. It looks like she recognized the name.
Saturnus, it should be the first time he heard that name right? Godou felt
slightly ill at ease.
However, right now he had to ask about the doubts encountered from
before.
"The origins of Christmas?"
"During the end of the year in Ancient Rome, they would conduct a grand
festival for Saturnus every December. They dance, sing, drink wine, make
a racket, and heartily cheer with merriment."
Erica spoke with her usual clear-cut tone.
"The title of the god of agriculture originated from the appreciation of the
current year's harvest and the festival where prayers were held for a
bountiful harvest the following year. During this festival, there appears to
have been some sort of social custom where people present tree branches
and fruits as gifts to each other. After this social custom was popularized in
Christianity, remnants of it remained in various parts of Europe and
eventually transformed into a social custom where 'gifts were to be
exchanged during the festival hosted at the end of the year'."
"A couple of days ago I mentioned that Saint Nicolas was a Saint who
brought the fruits of harvest. Saturnus was also a god of agriculture but he
dates back much farther in time compared to the Saint of Christianity."
Liliana added on to that as if she was supplementing the explanation.
"By around the 11th century, Christianity had extended throughout Europe.
[1] [2]During a time much prior to that, Europeans worshiped Cronus , Freyr ,
[3]Dagda and other indigenous gods of agriculture. Nevertheless, following
the popularization of Christianity, these ancient gods were replaced by
Saint Nicolas. The birth of Jesus Christ served as a form of replacement
for the social custom of the great winter festival.
"Using our modern calendar, the harvest festival is held around December.
This wasn't a rare occurrence for those who engaged within the the realms
of agriculture. This festival was even held in ancient Egypt."
"Erica-san...may I take a look at that thing?"
Yuri shyly asked Erica who was recounting unexpected information. Her
gaze was cast towards the contents from inside the chest that the blonde
beauty held in her hands.
"Of course, you didn't have to ask. Perhaps if we rely on Yuri's power we
can see something that evades us."
Yuri walked towards Erica after leaving the couch.
She extended her hand to borrow the wooden chest of hers. Her pale
index finger and middle finger reached into the wooden chest, trembling
with fear as she touched the dried fruits dating over 100 years old.
Following that, Yuri's facial expression suddenly became very stiff. It
seemed like she had a pretty clear impression from her spirit vision.
However, instead of being jubilant, Godou actually felt worried because
Yuri's expression became excessively rigid.
"Does this mean it was an ominous proclamation?"
Yuri then anxiously replied to the worried Liliana.
"Y-Yes. I'm afraid that the massive power force I saw in connection to this
fruit was located somewhere in Tokyo Bay. Furthermore, this force exists
in close proximity to the city area."
Part 2
After Yuri described the scene she saw from her spirit vision, Kaoru winked
discreetly.
The person who received this wink was none other than her trusty aide,
Amakasu.
Even if his working attitude was extremely lackluster, it would still be
unthinkable for anyone to doubt the special personnel's abilities. He took
out a cellphone from his wrinkled suit and began negotiating with
someone. Shortly after, the conversation ended.
After thirty minutes had passed, Kusanagi Godou was sitting in isolation
aboard a speedboat along Tokyo Bay.
Who knows what sort of connections he had tapped into. The role of the
Official History Compilation Committee was to arrange a patrol boat from
the Japanese Coast Guard for Kusanagi Godou to ride on.
"The ocean is still freezing at night….."
"Indeed..."
Yuri chimed in during Godou's muttering.
Under these circumstances, it was inevitable that his body would be
exposed to the piercing ocean breeze on the deck of the boat. The howling
wind mercilessly snatched his body temperature. Furthermore it was still
evening, which meant even the benefit of the sun was gone in this dark
period of time. This further sped up the decrease of temperature.
"Mariya, don't you feel cold wearing that...? Oh yeah, there is a spare
coat on the ship, you should probably borrow it. Just placing it over your
body will be fine."
Yuri was wearing her usual attire which consisted of white robe plus a
hakama.
Wearing something as thin as this on dry land would still be chilly, but in
this case they were on a boat. In fact, Yuri's glamorous eyebrows which
were exposed to the ocean gust had already turned pale.
"No thanks. The clothing I wear can't be too thick, otherwise the sensing
will become slower. Even like this, there is no need to worry about me."
Because of the freezing ocean winds during the night, a person's body
would definitely feel chilled to the bone.
Even under these conditions, Yuri did not withdraw due to the cold nor did
she blow warm air onto her hands to warm herself. Rather, she firmly
straightened her body and sternly stood there.
"Was the sensing you mentioned before referring to your spirit vision?"
"It does include that as well as the psychic sensing. Right now the sensing
power is being extended in all directions to probe for the god's aura.
Because there needs to be a slight adjustment in its strength, the cold
temperature actually makes it easier to accomplish."
Right now the only people on the deck of the patrol boat were Godou and
Yuri. The hime-miko utilized an uncommon ability of hers. She was
currently looking for the location that matched the scene from her recent
spirit vision.
"Ah...so when it's cold it's somewhat easier to concentrate spiritually."
Godou utilized a sports mentality and nodded.
Morning exercises and martial arts activities during the winter time would
lead to a rush of adrenaline and an elevated mental concentration.
Perhaps those that loathe exercising were incapable of understanding the
appeal of this.
"Actually, within the religious practices of the hime-miko, one must bear
through winter's intense beatings."
"Very impressive. It has a miko-sama feeling to it."
"Yes, and with the other hime-mikos who were engaging in these religious
practice, we learned on the spot together. Everyone showed restraint in
spite of the adversity."
"Showing restraint in adversity?"
"In short, something cold can still get colder."
The hime-miko rarely joked like this. Godou wryly smiled and Yuri also
revealed a smile that resembled a sakura wafting through the air. Normally
this playful smile was never seen so it felt very refreshing.
"Then are you forcefully bracing yourself right now?"
"Honestly speaking, I am. My fingertips are so cold that they are practically
numb."
Yuri's smile felt like it was done in distress as she raised her white fingers.
Even as she did this, her finger remained firm. Her gentle expression and
manners were both peaceful as usual. The ability of this hime-miko to
show restraint under these conditions had already been practiced to the
point of perfection.
Although she said she didn't feel anything, Godou was still concerned for
her.
"Really...? Ha ha, looks like it. At least it would do you some good to
warm up a little."
Godou muttered and unconsciously grabbed Yuri's hand.
It was as cold as ice. Only after he confirmed that her hand was colder
than ice did Godou notice it. What am I doing? His and Yuri's line of sight
connected.
Until just now, the hime-miko was always trying her best to show restraint
under these rough conditions.
Her beautiful and composed facial expression in an instant turned
completely red as she lowered her head.
The reason was certainly because Godou was holding her luxurious
hand——.
"I-I'm sorry! I totally didn't mean to act so recklessly!"
Godou immediately apologized. It was very unfathomable. He naturally
extended his hand as if he felt he already held hands with Yuri many times
before. This explains why he unconsciously stuck out his own hand
casually for confirmation——.
Right now there should a scene where she would for sure say "what are
you doing!?" in rage.
Anticipating the hime-miko to be rightfully angry, Godou was mentally
prepared to willingly withstand her vehemence.
However, Yuri instead lowered her head in embarrassment and mumbled:
"I-I understand. My fingers have already warmed up a bit."
Speaking of which, Godou was still holding Yuri's hand.
To one's surprise, he had carelessly forgotten about releasing her hand.
But thanks to this, the temperature from Godou's hand was able to be
transferred to Yuri's hand, which slightly added some heat.
Surely enough, the tips of the hand, foot and such were much more
susceptible to the cold for women compared to men.
Godou, who had yet to release her ice cold hands, felt embarrassed and
unwittingly said:
"I-It should be fine after warming up for a bit longer right...?"
"Y-Yes, you're right. If it is too excessive then the sensing will become
slower. Just for a bit longer really...one minute, no, even if it's just thirty
seconds then..."
In response to Yuri's reply, Godou rubbed her hand.
Thirty seconds, no, a minute had quickly passed. However, he still wanted
to warm her up a little and slowly continued rubbing.
Afterwards, Yuri and Godou's line of sight matched up. The two of them
instantly lowered their gaze.
Yuri still hasn't said 'that should be good enough' to signal him to stop. As
a result, Godou never had the time to say 'it should be about time to
separate our hands'.
"Something like this won't affect your probing right?"
A calm voice interrupted them. Godou and Yuri released each other's hand
in panic and looked in the direction where the voice came from.
As it turns out, Liliana was currently walking in their direction with Erica
right behind her.
"I brewed some coffee even though we were in a rush. I thought that
Mariya Yuri would feel very cold in her mission to oversee the monitoring
so I felt very bad about this.
"O-Oh, I see! But it's nothing serious. Being slightly cold will allow the
sensing to become very sharp!"
Yuri involuntarily used a brisk manner of speaking in reply to Liliana who
was holding the thermos.
"Compared to this thermos, your body temperature seems to have
increased greatly... it's the same for Kusanagi Godou."
Liliana commented using a ridiculing tone while staring at the blushing
red-eared Yuri and Godou.
Both of them had no way to retort what she said. They could only lower
their heads and look down enduring the embarrassment.
"Well, isn't this the perfect time to take a break? Yuri, please take a break.
Letting someone with irreplaceable talent such as you have a rest is also
included within my duties."
Erica seemed to find this amusing as she interrupted them.
Furthermore, she gracefully chuckled while saying to her old friend and
competitor:
"Even though I clearly understand Lily's resentment, you shouldn't be too
hard on Yuri. Delving into a woman's jealous state of mind doesn't suit you
at all."
"J-Jealousy!?"
Erica's statement left Liliana staring tongue tied.
"Yes. Actually, I recently heard an uncanny rumor regarding you. Yet you
think it's some crazy fabricated statement. However, after you see it for
yourself you will understand that this rumor lived up to its word."
"W-What kind of rumor did you hear Erica?"
Godou inquired because he felt a troubling premonition.
Hence, the girl who had the alias of Diavolo Rosso raised her head of
golden hair which gave an impression of royalty and her pupils flashed with
a rebellious and judgmental intent towards the devil king.
"Of course I'm referring to the love triangle you three have!"
"What! ?" "Eh! ?" "Love triangle! ?"
Godou, Yuri, and Liliana were all speechless. Moreover, Erica was getting
more and more enthusiastic as she spoke.
"Due to the inadequate relationship Kusanagi Godou and Liliana Kranjcar
have, it appeared the two of them were recently going between each
other's houses frequently...In addition, news of Kusanagi Godou's
alternative lover was uncovered by Mariya Yuri. He even kneeled down for
forgiveness."
"I-Is it like this Kusanagi Godou! ?"
"So the rumors were true! ? Ugh, to think that I had been astutely deceived
by you before...!"
Most of what Erica said was true, however she snuck in subtle facts that
would lead to misunderstandings.
Yuri shivered at this revelation and gazed at Godou in shock.
As for Liliana, he was faced with a chiding look from her.
"With only the evidence from the situation, it seems that the referees' views
of you are quite unfavorable. However, there is something else I should
add. It's easy to believe that no matter what the circumstances were,
Kusanagi Godou would never have this sort of ambition. Because Yuri and
Liliana are both intelligent girls, you two mustn't be fooled by men like him."
Erica was nonchalantly judging Godou as she spoke.
"However I'm still very naive. Yuri and Liliana's complexion completely
turned into that of a woman. Looks like you used some brilliant method to
deceive the two of them, right Kusanagi Godou?"
"This is a misunderstanding! I haven't done anything to victimize them! You
two agree right?"
"Y-Yes. At the very least I haven't had this happen to me!"
"Exactly. At the very minimum he didn't do anything that resembled a
deceitful and spurious relationship to me!"
The dialogue of the two girls appeared to have some subtle implications in
response to Godou's question.
Plus, Yuri's gaze still flickered between Godou and Liliana while Liliana
utilized an investigative look at Godou and Yuri. Both of them carried a
depressed expression on their face.
Godou admitted defeat. He never thought it would turn out like this.
Nevertheless, Erica's arrival without a doubt strengthens the unity between
the girls.
Surely enough, when this girl arrived on stage the entirety of the situation
will be altered. Regardless if it was for better or worse, she always became
someone that people revolved around. Imposing her creative thinking
within a team, she would become the focal point.
While he was clarifying this point, Godou and the others each drank a cup
of coffee to warm up their body.
After that, in order to once again raise her concentration, Yuri distanced
herself from Godou and the others to be alone. She then closed her eyes.
Expanding her psychic sensing, she was probably probing the sea within
close proximity.
"How is Amakasu-san doing in chasing that spirit?"
"Well, he is only pursuing the prankster who covered Santa Clauses in
grey. I don't think anything out of the ordinary will happen..."
The red and blue knights were conversing while eyeing Yuri who was
currently concentrating on her psychic sensing.
Before setting out, Liliana had used the familiar from before to probe the
earth's aura.
Even though the matter with the most priority was the gate to Yuri's spirit
vision, that other aspect could not be ignored either. Hence, Amakasu
headed towards that location.
On the other side, Godou actually savored some sort of strange feeling
and felt uneasy.
If it was during combat, his concentration would be raised to a high degree
at will, transforming into his most optimal state. If a heretic god was nearby
then a sense of elation along with a violent surge of power for battle would
occur within his body and mind.
This was the body of a godslaying Campione.
Right now those feelings were totally nonexistent. Their destination was of
course very treacherous.
Just when Godou was pondering over this dilemma, Yuri finally opened her
eyes and returned.
There was actually nothing necessary to add regarding the struggle that
will happen afterwards. Because an intense battle did not come to fruition,
this subject was simply dropped.
Yuri's psychic sensing detected something on the waters of the Kasai
seacoast.
It was a large emblem made out of stone. A stone sculpture that seemed to
be carved out of a material like marble. The shape of a bird spreading
open its wings was visible.
What was bizarre about the sight was for a bird emblem to actually emerge
from the surface of the sea.
Moreover, it seemed like it was rooted there. Even though it was exposed
to the intense ocean waves it remained motionless. It was solidly
entrenched to the earth and fastened.
"..."
Liliana, who was looking at the emblem residing on the ocean surface from
the edge of the patrol boat, displayed an incomprehensible expression.
Her hand was holding onto the familiar——a doll that had the shape of a
pig.
"What's wrong?"
"This child couldn't sense the aura of the earth. Even though the power
from the fruits of the trees was connected to Saturnus, I still think that it
must be related to the omens of earth's bountiful harvests....."
Considering the various circumstances to this situation, thinking in this way
was only natural.
Godou could not help but look at Yuri. With her more efficacious spirit
vision powers compared to Liliana, she should be capable of discovering
something. Godou figured it would be like this. Consequently, the
hime-miko had an apologetic expression and said:
"I'm very sorry. Even I can't see what kind of power is hidden. All I see is
some sort of grey mist surrounding that emblem."
"Did you say mist?"
"Yes. To put it simply, it appears someone is hiding its true form."
After Yuri quietly finished speaking, she once again gazed towards that
emblem.
"Right now that emblem is emitting a power that corresponds to a god of
earth. Just then sprouts were germinating. Godou-san, if we get any closer
we might provoke it."
"Is this the divinity of the land that was born from the unidentified
omens...?"
"It looks like using ordinary methods will not work on this opponent!"
Liliana muttered while Erica on the other hand blatantly cut her off.
The knights' lines of sight were also fixated on the emblem on the surface
of the ocean. Meanwhile, Godou also noticed the enormous amount of
magical power being emitted in front of him.
As expected, this was the rejection between godslayers and godly
possessions.
The nerves will always tense up when there is a burst of increasing divine
energy.
A parasitic plant with a trunk, branches and dense flourishing foliage
resembling that of an evergreen tree, was growing vigorously nonstop!
At first it was a small shrub. Then it turned into an enormous tree right
before their eyes. The tree even appeared to be hundreds of years in age.
Finally, within a very brief period, a parasitic-like tree emerged at the
center of Tokyo Bay. The height had to be above thirty meters. The tree's
constitution was also proportional in magnificence to its height.
In terms of age, it certainly had the immense structure of a tree that was
over one-thousand years old.
His Campione instincts told him that it was not a heretic god. However, he
realized this existence was related to heretic gods since there was
definitely divine power lodged within the tree.
"Since this lesser god, a divine beast, had an organic form, this thing is
probably a divine plant or a divine tree."
Erica spoke admirably.
On the other side, the divine plant that suddenly sprouted rustled as its
branches swayed. It began to emit a solemn incantation from its entire
body.
It was simply in a frenzy, on the verge of confrontation.
"What a bastard, this tree actually wants to fight me!"
The vindictive aura and desire to battle emitted by the divine tree was
definitely towards him, hence it came after Godou.
Using his Campione battling intuition, he personally felt this was the case.
Even though it had the form of a tree, it was still an existence related to
gods. It appeared to show hostility towards the godslayer, but...
Just a moment ago, Erica compared it to a divine beast. In short, its
strength should be quite unsubstantial.
If it were to face a Campione, it would clearly be considered a weak
opponent——.
"Godou-san!" "Kusanagi Godou, over there!"
At this moment, the hime-miko and witch coincidentally warned him at the
same time.
Did they acquire a spirit vision? They were pointing above a certain thick
tree branch on the divine tree in front of them. Quietly standing straight at
that place was the Grey One——!
It had the same form as the one from a couple days ago with the sailcloth
covering its entire body.
During the follow-up at that time they found out that a few minutes prior,
Amakasu was within Tokyo near the Aoyama district and had encountered
the Grey One and pursued it. However, right at that moment was when the
Grey One appeared in front of Godou as well. His pursued target had
suddenly disappeared.
"Did this guy get resurrected over this period of time? Or did another
similar guy appear? Which one is it..."
Godou grumbled while investigating what its true identity was.
The Grey One was walking on top of the branch while touching the divine
tree's trunk. Following that, its sailcloth covered hand sank into the tree's
epidermis!
Soon after its hand was buried inside. Even the elbow and shoulder were
eventually engulfed.
In the end its remaining head, body, and feet were completely submerged
inside the divine tree. The Grey One had completed its assimilation.
Furthermore, Godou noticed something.
"It's withering...?"
Up until now it had been a thriving lush colossal divine tree.
The delicate green tree leaves instantly dried up. The appearance of the
tree branch and trunk seemed water deprived, dried up, withered. Shortly
after, the small tree branches started to fall off one after another. The
splash created foam on top of the water as soon as it crashed into the sea.
Furthermore, it was similar to the Grey One who committed suicide
before——.
The divine tree slowly crumbled like a building made of sand. Its remnants
drifted towards the sky as parts of it were carried by the ocean breeze.
What remained was the bird emblem floating on the surface of the ocean.
It still remained motionless despite the force of the ocean waves as if it
was rooted firmly on the ocean surface.
"This time did the Grey One kill the divine tree...?"
"It intentionally slaughtered its ally after meeting a Campione?
Understanding the reasoning behind this is impossible."
Liliana and Erica both spoke with a perplexed expression. Godou tried to
ask Yuri.
"What do you think Yuri? Since this has happened, do you believe the
disturbance will settle down?"
"W-What will happen...? I just have an uneasy feeling in my chest. If it
continues like this, the same thing will happen again——no, I feel this
situation may worsen."
Godou nodded as if indicating "yes" towards Yuri's worried declaration.
Had the large divine tree attacked a moment ago, the summoning of the
Boar would probably be enough to comfortably kill it. But without having to
do any of that, those guys had already vanished by themselves.
Perhaps this was the critical point in time——.
Part 3
Once the unexpected evening cruise at Tokyo Bay was over, Godou
returned home at one in the morning.
However, he did not go to sleep right away. He sat seiza-style on his
sheets and continuously pondered over the situation for about two hours.
Afterwards, morning came around with Godou waking up at six o'clock. On
a notepad, he wrote that he did not require breakfast and then departed
from the house before Shizuka woke up.
He then immediately snuck into the empty classroom and continued to
contemplate over the situation. Ever since yesterday, he became really
concerned over this matter. After reflecting about it without interruption all
the way till fifteen minutes before class started did he finally arrived at an
answer. Godou let out a heavy sigh.
In the end, it was going to end up like this wasn't it? This answer was one
that he could somewhat accept.
It was braving the risk of Shizuka saying "Why did you leave the house so
early in the morning!? Are you trying to stealthily hide something sinister
from me?" later on. After evaluating in solitude he had arrived at this
conclusion.
Soon after, he returned to his normal state of mind.
Liliana arrived at school and briefly conversed with the others. She
received an elegant greeting and a sneer from Erica as well as an
invitation by Nanami and the three idiots which went as followed, "The
maid coffee shop is already outdated, let's enjoy the winter special at the
frequently visited maid slushie shop, the large strawberry slushie".
During this time, before he knew it class had begun.
Today was December 21st. It was the day of the end of term ceremony.
After the ceremony concluded without a hitch, Godou welcomed the end of
school.
Winter break was currently underway. Of course, the insides of the
classrooms and school were still permeating with energy. There were
students who went out to play directly after school as well as a group who
discussed about the scheduled activities during break. However, Godou
chose not to participate in this kind of fervor.
He immediately left the classroom and seized Yuri from the adjacent
classroom.
Moreover, he repeatedly pleaded to her to inform him of the state of affairs
regarding the post-event processing for the event from yesterday night.
"Everyone in the committee were discussing whether or not we could shut
down this phenomenon...However, I'm afraid it was a god who created
that divine artifact. I think the probability of a human creating it is extremely
low..."
This was what Yuri anticipated.
After thanking her for providing this information, Godou headed towards
the gym.
"What's the purpose for asking me to come to this kind of place?"
Erica, who had come to this location, spoke with a commanding tone.
Whether slinging criticisms with polite sarcasm or acting mysteriously
ill-tempered, Erica's recent attitude towards Godou carried elements of
both. No, even before that he had always felt this way...
In short, the reason was probably because she wished to avoid having a
friendly conversation with him.
However, Godou wanted to converse with Erica right now. Even though
this was the case, he felt if he just brought up the topic upfront he would
easily be evaded in a graceful manner just like before.
So he thought of a plan which involved using an email to call her out.
After the end of term ceremony I'll be waiting in the sports field. P.S. Don't
run away——.
"Recently the amount of exercising I have been doing isn't adequate. I
would like to give my body a bit of a workout."
It was the baseball field for the academy's high school section. Godou
stood at the field's home plate as he spoke. Placed by his feet were
baseball bats, gloves, and balls taken from the sports storage room.
"Accompany me for a bit. You've played prior to class before so it should
be no problem right?"
Godou spoke as he grabbed a glove and baseball.
"Even if you are my opponent, I will still pitch an unhittable ball."
"You sure know how to flatter yourself. You ought to know that I, Erica
Blandelli, am a girl who can do more than just wield a sword right? There
are very few weapons that I can't utilize as I please."
Even though the provocation was unremarkable, it appears that he had
provoked her fighting spirit.
Unable to resist letting out a small burst of laughter, she picked up the
baseball bat. Simply just this behavior alone was like part of an agile dance
routine, a picturesque action.
Was this thanks to being born with athletic aptitude and a Latin sense of
rhythm?
"I was still thinking about the recent touchy feely business going on
between you, Lily, and Yuri and that you should receive a suitable
punishment. You asking for trouble like this actually really makes me
happy."
"W-What punishment? Hey."
What was her reason for being that easily provoked? Godou started to
complain in response.
"I didn't do anything to them. Our relationship only improved just a bit."
"Do you think only an improvement in relationship would result in a love
triangle? I can't believe this would happen unknowingly. Being as foolish
and unwitty as you, you wouldn't know how to read the mood and cower
away from girls. Also, during those times you always act carefree. Just
what I would expect from Kusanagi Godou's personality."
"D-Don't act like you can see through my personality!"
"See through you? Matters regarding you I always seem to——eh?"
Erica revealed a perplexed expression. Godou also had a feeling of
uneasiness. They were currently conversing during their pitching
competition. The communication link to their dialogue seemed to have
been severed by scissors...
"Forget about it. In a moment I will have you experience my supremacy!"
Erica brushed aside any hesitation and proceeded to put her hand on the
uniform's dress.
She tore it apart without any hesitation, making a tear on each side to give
herself more mobility. Furthermore, she raised the baseball bat in an
upward slant. She made this posture predicting she would hit a homerun.
Overall her appearance was like a drawing. However, that posture was
composed of gorgeousness. Even the aura of a slugger emanated from
her.
After being separated for so long, he once again experienced Erica's talent
and beauty. Godou felt inconceivably upbeat. As expected, without this
kind of behavior it would not be her.
Godou felt the corners of his mouth rise as he proceeded to the pitching
mound.
"Let's start with five pitches ok? If you are able to send a ball flying then
you win."
"Ara, giving me such advantageous conditions, are you sure about that?"
"Haha, it'll be fine this time. Here I come."
Following that, Godou pitched five balls in a row. Erica's baseball bat was
unable to even graze one ball. No, she actually didn't even swing once.
"Hey Godou...aren't the balls you just pitched overlooking the premise of
baseball?"
Within the words of the red colored devil carried a tone of criticism as she
muttered.
"The balls should be pitched directly towards me with the outcome of
whether I hit it or not being the competition in progress right? However, the
balls you pitched were all excessively too high or to the sides."
Precisely as Erica said, Godou's pitches were atrociously thrown.
The balls that Godou pitched staggered either too far to the side or went
above the blonde beauty standing in the batter's box. Because he
considered the scope of Erica's arm length and the length of the bat, he
implemented his plan to pitch in the places where she was incapable of
reaching.
"It's fine like this. Since my objective was to only avoid letting you hit the
ball, I never intended on issuing a fair competition."
As expected, baseball related sports are not mainstream in Italy.
Not even the knowledgeable Erica had heard of the concept of walking the
batter so Godou explained the intention behind this course of action.
"...So it's like that. This time I'll bear with the loss. Basically it's the same
as what you said before."
"Are you referring to the objective of avoiding attaining victory or defeat
upfront?"
With only this degree of explanation, a tint of understanding gradually
emerged from Erica's pupils.
We were easily able to converse. Maybe my relationship with this girl really
wasn't that bad.
Godou felt this was unbelievable as he took it another step further and
said:
"The divine tree, the grotesque Grey One and so on, I feel like the goal of
those guys is to prevent me from fighting. Isn't that why every time I get
close those subordinates would commit suicide?"
Ever since the divine tree located at Tokyo Bay crumbled, he had
always——.
After taking another look at the reason why those grey guys were that
suspicious, he had come to a decision. It was to listen to Erica's opinion
concerning this matter since he didn't understand the reason why.
If he wanted to find someone knowledgeable to help him, then Kaoru
would suffice. If a magic savvy knight was mentioned, Liliana
demonstrated even more flexibility. Compared to Yuri who is the kind of
person who possessed an abnormal spirit sensing ability, no other diviner
could be as good of a conversational partner.
However, despite all of this he still wanted to get Erica's opinion.
Why would he do that? Kusanagi Godou had already overcome many
battles to the death. However, due to her frequent support in many
instances during those battles——Erica also appeared to have a sense of
importance.
Without any basis for it, this was how he felt.
"If it's like this then there would only be one reason."
Once she heard Godou's opinion, Erica spoke in an imposing manner.
That clear cut tone gave Godou an indescribable feeling of reliability.
"To buy more time. It's hard to believe that their actions would serve for
any other constructive purpose."
"So I'm right?"
"Yeah. In short it's the equivalent of protecting a city. The soldiers in the
city surrounded by a large army will desperately try to defend to the death,
striving to engage in a defensive battle. By doing this, they are waiting for
allies to come rescue them.
Godou nodded while saying 'I see' towards the reasoning behind the battle
tactics Erica described.
The reason for buying time was uncertain, but based on her description it
would make sense.
"Except, if we were to account for non-constructive reasonings..."
"Are you saying there is a possibility that it isn't a constructive plan?"
"Yes. For example, since the enemy is closely pursuing them during the
defense of a city, situations where there are a loss of judgment occur quite
frequently. Without reinforcements they would blindly fight to the end.
There is also the situation right now with the intriguing actions done by
these guys...it could also be possible that it has ties to a religious
ceremony."
"Uhh"
In that case, there existed the possibility of it being irrational as well?
Upon hearing Erica's point of view, Godou suddenly felt a flash of insight.
"Then in that case, what you are focusing on could precisely be the
breakthrough to the nucleus of the problem. Being able to elaborate to that
extent is quite interesting."
"That's really flattering of you."
Giving an obvious praise would undoubtedly be good, but why does she
need to be so tactful?
However, this was typical of Erica so Godou forced a smile.
"As a noblewoman, I should at the very least reward a gallant knight.
Please be my temporary opponent once again."
After she finished speaking, Erica extended her hand towards the area
where the baseball equipment laid.
This time she picked up both the glove and baseball.
"Let me crush your ego as we decide a legitimate winner this time."
"Wait a second. You definitely mentioned giving a reward, how come it
feels like you want to defeat me?"
"The best reward is to simply enjoy the moment together where you and I,
Erica Blandelli, can decide on the outcome of a battle. Also, if you want to
win, a man would do it with his own two hands right?"
Erica had a fearless smile as she spoke. Sure enough it was her lioness
smile.
Fighting till the end? Godou also gave a heartfelt smile. For the moment,
backing down was not an option when his dignity as a man was called into
question.
This time Godou picked up the baseball bat.
Afterwards the two of them agreed to the ambiguous rule that if he missed
the ball then Erica wins, if it is hit then Godou wins. This was not so much
a competition, but rather them having fun playing ball.
Part 4
In the end, the two of them played ball all the way till the sun was about to
set.
Godou was currently walking along Nezu street where a section of it was
dyed in an orange hue by the sunset. Erica was by his side and the two of
them walked all the way here together.
Godou's reasoning for this was that it unknowingly happened.
Once the unresolved competition had concluded and the equipment had
been put away, Erica very naturally followed him after he said "well, it's
about time to go home".
Although, if he wanted to refuse walking together with her, there were
many reasons he could have come up with. However, overall he felt a 'this
is pretty good' kind of feeling.
Why does Erica want to follow him? Perhaps it unknowingly happened for
her as well. Superseding all this was an issue regarding...
"I feel pretty hungry after that thorough exercise."
He spoke of his animal-like desires in this manner. Erica was unfazed as a
result and instead ignored all the ensuing reasons for it.
"Same here. There's still some time before dinner, let's just find some other
place to hang out in the meantime."
"You're still the same as before, completely ignoring the necessity of
having a balanced diet."
"Those portions had already become the calories for daily consumption. I
haven't overlooked the intake and expenditure calculations in regards to
this aspect."
The two of them walked in jest to the Nezu Sanchome shopping district.
There were still a few minutes before arriving at Godou's house.
Just as Godou thought it was about time to say goodbye, Erica suddenly
stopped in her tracks.
"Actually, this has been on my mind for quite a while now. You could say
that I've been restraining myself like someone enduring the passage of
time, but there really is an indescribable flavor permeating the air here."
The place Erica was looking at was a Chinese restaurant that Godou
recognized.
To put it politely, a shabby looking restaurant would be a suitable
description. Indeed, its style, making the place known as the "town's China
shop", refers to the shop's structure that had been maintained all the way
since the Showa period. The restaurant was covered in oil stains and dirt.
The outer appearance would compel any teenage girl to immediately
distance herself from this establishment.
However, Erica was instead attracted to this decrepit and filthy place. With
that said, could it be that regardless of the restaurant's style and cooking
that were completely devoid of personality, as long as the disgusting food
still honored its characteristic flavor it would fit Erica's dietary lifestyle?
"So it's that one. Well, if it's Erica then she wouldn't mind" said Godou.
After all, he was a native inhabitant so the type of restaurant was very clear
to him. There was a provocative advertisement pasted on the glass door
entrance that had the words 'mud wonton, mud dumpling, mud ramen'
printed on it.
"It's a pretty interesting restaurant, I like it a lot. Well, goodbye."
"Godou, please hold on for a sec."
Just when he was about to take his leave, Erica grabbed his arm.
"You intend to provoke the expectations of I, Erica Blandelli, solely so you
can head back by yourself first?"
Erica spoke in a fearless manner while having dragged Godou to her side.
"If it turns out that it isn't as interesting as you guaranteed, I will hold you
accountable. So please accompany me a bit longer."
"Eh eh! ?"
I was undoubtedly close to home, why must I go with her? Godou
displayed an intention to decline her.
However, there was probably no way to overpower the intensity exerted
from Erica's strong muscles. In the end, he was dragged into the
restaurant by her.
After that, an hour had passed.
"I see, it's just a restaurant with freshwater fish cuisine containing a muddy
aftertaste."
After sampling practically all of the dishes on the table, Erica appeared to
speak with profound admiration.
The cuisines consisted of snakehead fish plus wonton made with celery,
carp repeatedly fried in oil, a steamed dish with eel and tofu, and there was
a dish they were attentively staring at named 'catfish mud dumplings with
sweet vinegar stuffing'.
"How should I put it? It makes people cast doubts on the original meaning
of a cuisine. It seems like they wanted to conceal the muddy odor by using
spices and specially grounded freshwater fish paste mixed together.
However, this will never fool me. So that's why they added a filling so
sweet that anyone would get tired of it."
"As expected, you really like those kinds of dishes that are difficult to eat
and the taste of anything crudely made."
Godou sighed in sorrow as he spoke to Erica who was analyzing the
cuisine's taste with vigor.
After glancing over the restaurant's menu and ordering many dishes,
Godou immediately gave up on eating at home. He already called Shizuka
to let her know he was going out to eat.
As a result, Godou maneuvered his chopsticks without worry.
After taking a bite off the carp fried in oil, he felt the texture of the crunchy
and flaky skin to be very well done.
It was not just some crudely made food, this place actually specialized in
freshwater fish cuisine.
"The father of the restaurant's owner seemed to have gone to China in the
past in order to go to school. As a result, he became fascinated with a dish
made out of a fish caught in some sort of Yangzte River tributary. He had
previously said that he generally studied authentic Cantonese cuisine.
Although, this restaurant's flavor isn't true Cantonese style."
This restaurant however was a place where the owner often carried out his
own culinary creations.
Especially items such as the catfish dumplings, it is doubtful whether or not
it even exists in China. This was why Godou had initially refused to enter
the establishment. Erica then cheerfully said:
"Since it's like this, let's also call Lu Yinghua at some later point in time and
let him have a taste. That kid was raised in Hong Kong——the cuisine
there originated from Cantonese cuisine. The Lu household in Hong Kong
should also have a Cantonese restaurant in business."
"Eh? Yinghua?"
Hearing this familiar sounding name gave Godou a jolt.
However, why is it that up until now I had forgotten this name? Lu Yinghua.
A name with Ying, a friend of the same age...? Where would I have
encountered this guy?
And right now there was this equally important matter.
Within his name was actually the word 'Ying'. On the confusing warning
email, the name Ying also appeared in the email sender's name——.
Could this be considered purely coincidental?
"Where is that guy and what's he doing right now...?"
"Ara, now that you mention it where did he go...?"
When this seemingly familiar person of importance was mentioned, Erica,
who was much more adept at gathering intelligence compared to any other
person and was frequently capable of grasping other people's movements,
felt perplexed.
Due to her uncharacteristic reaction, Godou couldn't help but put pause his
chopstick movements for a bit and began to ponder.
"If you don't mind, would you like to come to my house for a bit? You are
welcomed to have some tea."
Godou asked as soon as they exited the Chinese restaurant. Why does he
feel a bit reluctant to part ways with Erica?
Also, doesn't she feel the same as well? It was very intuitive to believe this
was the case.
"I suppose so. I don't want to be like some sort of vulgar person who
overstays...Even though I really want to say something along those lines,
perhaps it will be fine this time."
The foul-mouthed Erica avoided saying it straightforwardly like she would
usually do. Plus, it was obvious there was an unfathomable change
happening within her, something made her feel indecisive.
"However, I can't go. There's a place I need to pay a visit. This matter is
probably more important than your invitation."
After only saying a few words, Erica quickly took off.
Godou sighed. Even though he felt they got along during those past few
hours, maybe his belief was wrong? Well, there is nothing he can do about
it. Furthermore, Godou had some matters to carefully reflect on.
There was the name Erica previously said, Lu Yinghua, as well as the
email notifying him that there will be something revived during the winter
solstice. The sender was Lu Yinghua.
The so-called Ying was probably Lu Yinghua. In addition, what exactly is
the resurrection that was mentioned——?
"Onii-chan! What is up with you going on a dinner date with that blonde
haired study abroad student living near our house!? There's no use
pretending to be stupid because I was notified by a number of people who
saw you two at that restaurant!"
As he returned home and began thinking through things, Shizuka suddenly
started interrogating him.
Godou ignored her and returned to his own room on the second floor.
Where could he meet Lu Yinghua? After checking his cellphone for an
address, he realized that the number was registered on his phone.
He immediately called him, however he was unable to reach him.
Godou felt very anxious. Up until now he had been feeling a very intense
sensation of being trapped. The feeling was akin to being enclosed in a
maze.
However, the structure of this maze seemed to be pretty simple. Even if he
was trapped, couldn't he just pulverize the walls of the maze? If only there
was something to give him a push, he would clearly be able to do so!
While he was feeling extremely anxious, the cellphone displayed an
incoming call.
The display screen showed Seishuuin Ena as the incoming caller. He
recalled that she was the Hime-Miko of the Sword, Yuri's friend, and she
was someone whom he had seen many times before.
Nevertheless, their relationship is not at the point where they could
exchange personal contact info...right?
His memory was really vague so he was unable to think very much in
detail. In any case, he might as well press the talk button first to receive the
call.
"Ah, Your Majesty? It's been so long since we last saw each other! Right
now Ena is at Mount Mitsumine. Has the party's location been determined
yet?"
The voice coming from across the phone had a blunt, cheerful, and
optimistic feel to it.
Godou was at a complete loss towards her candidness and questioned her
in response.
"What do you mean by party...?"
"You know, the Christmas one. Ena would always go to the mountains
during these times so this kind of thing would actually a first for me.
Everyone will be eating an entire bird right?"
"Christmas party...?"
It was his first time hearing about this activity. No, was this really the case?
Didn't everyone go over this before?
——Even though it's a bit bold, I might as well take responsibility for the
task of hosting it.
——Well, incidentally holding a gathering within the house sounds pretty
nice.
——However, is a miko normally allowed to celebrate Christmas?
——I guess the level of strictness isn't to that extent. Furthermore——.
——Every year around this time Kaoru-san would become very ferocious.
Starting from around the 20th, every day she would be going out with the
girls. With a person as difficult to deal with as her, even the nagging from
her senior would prove to be useless.
'This year we will do it precisely as Your Majesty suggested. I will be done
with these religious practices before Christmas. For the time being Ena will
be staying here. Everyone wanted to go watch the New Year's sunrise
together. Would it be ok if we viewed it from Mt. Fuji?'
The vivid conversation and memory transferred through the phone was
enshrouded.
"My suggestion..."
'Of course, did you forget? Ah, well then, how's it going over there? Your
Majesty and cult leader-sama had just met. If you are still alive right now,
does that mean everything went alright?'
"....."
She kept on saying things that he could not recall, puzzling Godou.
As a result, on the other side of the phone, Ena whispered 'Your Majesty is
behaving really strange today'.
'Uh, what? Eh...so it's like that. It turned out like this huh.'
She suddenly started saying some strange things.
"What are you mumbling about, what's the matter?"
'Just then, the Ama no Murakumo updated Ena on the most recent
situation. It seems quite chaotic, but there is no need to worry. If Your
Majesty wishes to battle, call out the Ama no Murakumo. An action of that
degree should be able to easily break the curse.'
"Did you say curse! ?"
'Yeah, uh...my batteries are running out. Ena will immediately head to
Tokyo. As expected I must accompany Your Majesty in order to avoid
boredom!'
After leaving some brief words, the line was suddenly disconnected.
With that said, it was rather troublesome that Ena's cellphone would
always lag due to insufficient battery power. Furthermore, she was able to
use the cellphone as a medium to communicate with a guardian god.
An example would be with Susanoo. This time it was basically
communicating with the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi lodged within
Godou's right arm!
"——Oh yeah! Me and Seishuuin are both utilizing this guy aren't we!?"
Godou finally recalled bond he had to the Miko of the Sword.
In addition, he even comprehended the meaning behind Ena's words. The
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi was a divine sword under the possession of
Godou. For the most part he avoided using it as a blade, instead he used
this sword's treasure trove of useful functions.
One of which was the ability to break apart magic. Although, its abilities
appear to have no effect when used against gods and Campiones.
Nevertheless, against these comparatively weak forms of wizardry it was
easily able to absorb the effect, rendering it useless.
Godou directed his attention towards his right arm. The words 'awaken!',
which were directed to the hibernating sword, resounded within him.
Being among those with the blood of [Steel], he lacked interest in anything
other than combat matters. That was why other than in critical moments,
the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi would hibernate.
Ena appeared to be capable of engaging a sword of this disposition in
casual conversation while Godou was incapable of doing so.
——Are you calling for me, King?
Upon hearing that haughty reply, Godou immediately issued out an order.
"If you notice anything out of the ordinary, be sure to promptly give a
warning!"
'Didn't we go over this before? My demeanor is that of a faithful sword god.
There would be no harm in showing off a bit if you wanted to engage in
battle.'
"If it's a battle you want then be quiet and mind your own business."
Godou was conversing with the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi lodged
within his arm while hurrying towards Nezu station.
Fortunately it was already the dead of night. After 2 A.M. the number of
pedestrians present around Nezu were scarce in number so he didn't have
to bear the befuddled expressions of others.
"Hey, in order to disturb the area around me, he used a curse which had
messed up our memories. Can other people break free from the curse as
well?"
Just then, I was referring to the removal of the curse that altered my usual
behavior.
The results were quite significant, right now Godou had already returned to
his normal self.
Kusanagi Godou was the Campione residing in Tokyo. His partners
included Erica Blandelli, Mariya Yuri, Liliana Kranjcar, and Seishuuin
Ena——.
However, the only one with him today was the person of steel located
within his right arm.
'You could just have me out in front but there is no point in doing so.'
"Why?"
'This curse is from the heretic god of bountiful harvests...no, I bet he is
still plotting to have his newly born priest do something. Under all
circumstances when the one serving as a priest is present, even when the
curse is broken a new one will be reapplied. Unless you sever the root of
its cause there is no point in doing anything else.'
"Basically you're saying my entire surroundings are being enveloped by the
curse."
'Of course. A priest's power is to guide the people. Engulfing one or two
metropolises with this power that manipulates the minds of the masses
shouldn't be a surprise right?'
Rather than calling this mental manipulation, it would be better to say this
was the power to manipulate the masses.
Godou recalled Verethragna's Goat incarnation, a priest's power to
minister the hearts of the masses. This kind of psychic sensing previously
enveloped Tokyo's Hibiya district as well as the Nikkou district.
With that said, the psychic sensing utilized by Yuri was also capable of
being spread across a pretty large-scale area.
"In other words, the scope of this type of power is quite vast..."
To think we actually possess these types of troublesome powers.
Godou included himself within the concerning group of people who had
superpowers beyond belief.
"Well, since it's like this, having the range subjected to just being within
Tokyo is actually quite good."
So that was why Ena, who resided in the Chichibu mountains, was able to
evade being affected.
The curse this time was targeted towards Kusanagi Godou. This was so
the relationship of the Campione Kusanagi Godou and his partners would
drift apart, rendering them incapable of operating effectively. The objective
of those guys who brought about this matter was precisely as Erica had
predicted, they wanted to buy time.
For the sake of reviving the heretic god Saturnus!
"Overall we made a breakthrough. Now to figure out how to retaliate..."
'Hahaha very well, King. You can use this momentum to raise your fighting
spirit and battle recklessly.'
"I-Idiot! If the enemy were to avoid battling and retreat that would be the
best case scenario right? Don't always talk about these outrageous
matters!"
Having his desire to battle apprehended, Godou tried to cover up the truth
in a panic.
Godou rushed onto a tram towards Shinjuku. He had to meet up with Lu
Yinghua as soon as possible——It was imperative to first contact the
nephew of the mischievous sworn elder sister who had imposed a certain
mission on him.
Through the JR subway interchange route, he had arrived at Shinjuku
station.
Rushing past the vast station area, he headed towards the streets during
the evening. His destination was Kabukicho, a sort of high class downtown
area that most high school students should steer clear from.
Lu Yinghua was a young cadre leader representing the Lu household
located in Hong Kong——.
They have a maid related business establishment operating at Akihabara.
However, that is merely something experimental. It seemingly was meant
to try and establish a stronghold presence within the redeveloping
Electronic Street.
They were one of the so-called Chinese gangs. This group had a
stronghold located in Hong Kong.
In Japan, it should be said that their original sphere of influence was in
Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. Godou wanted to visit the place previously known
not too long ago as the Shinjuku business that sold beds of Japanese
variety.
By virtue of memory, Godou navigated through the Kabukicho crowd.
His destination was a certain rundown multi-tenant building. Heading
inside, Chinese restaurants, massage centers, mahjong parlors, and
acupuncture clinics etc. could be seen as he walked towards the flight of
stairs within the building to get to the uppermost floor.
The moment he entered the reputation lacking and brandless business,
Godou said:
"Pardon my intrusion, I wish to speak to the young master——would it be
ok to address him as such? I would like to speak with Lu Yinghua, can you
help me reach him? Perhaps you guys already know, I'm Kusanagi
Godou."
Within the firm's spatial arrangements were some cheap chairs and tables
for the business.
At first glance, this seemed to be the office of some small or medium
enterprise. However, the people on duty here seemed to be bald men who
were two meters in height and have tattoos pierced on their foreheads.
These casanovas wearing their gaudy suits clearly did not look like honest
people.
Furthermore, no matter how you look at them, there were people who
looked like short guys with thin, white beards, holding divine inscriptions.
They appeared to be nonreligious people engaging in soothsaying. There
were also effeminate men who were currently doing their makeup after just
opening up their makeup products.
In a certain sense, it could be said that it was a group where villains and
[4]heroes were mixed together like the Outlaws of the Water Margin .
They were all important members from the Japanese division within the Lu
household...one would think. Requesting them to give it their all was
Godou's first step for retaliation.