December 31, New Year's Eve.
Japanese citizens considered it a great event marking the changeover to a
new year.
Nevertheless, on this commemorative day, Kusanagi Godou was currently
exposed under the sun. This was intense sunlight one would absolutely not
find on the islands of Japan during winter.
Scorching sun. Air filled with heat and humidity. The familiar taste of
midsummer.
The city of Tokyo was approximately 35 degrees in latitude. Shifting south
from there by roughly 30 degrees, Godou's current location was practically
on the equator.
Geographically speaking, this was Borneo's northern shore, a city called
Kota Kinabalu located in Malaysian territory.
"I never imagined I'd spend New Year's in a place like this..."
Godou muttered with deep feeling.
Kota Kinabalu was the largest city in the region.
This ocean-facing city contained beautiful beaches. Resort hotels could be
found everywhere.
Godou was currently situated downtown where quite a few shopping
centers and food courts were concentrated. It was a crowded and
prosperous place.
"It feels nothing like New Year's Eve here."
"It feels strange for me. Ever since childhood, this is the first time I am not
busy with miko duties this time of the year..."
Yuri commented from beside Godou with a slightly concerned expression.
It was currently after 2pm and the group was taking a short break at an
open-air cafe.
Godou ordered iced coffee while Yuri had iced milk tea. In this tropical
zone where the weather was like summer all year round, it was only
natural to thirst for iced drinks.
There was one more item on the bill. Fresh avocado juice with condensed
milk.
This viscous drink, thick enough for a straw to stand upright in the middle,
was of course Erica's order.
"Indeed, only someone like Godou would be visited by troublesome
matters all the time."
The discussion held with Amakasu at the Cape Inubou hotel occurred two
days ago.
After Godou declared a direct assault on the enemy's stronghold, the
History Compilation Committee member immediately set about gathering
information.
While that was proceeding, Godou and his companions returned to Tokyo
and prepared to travel overseas.
Once everything was ready, they boarded a flight late at night on
December 30.
After a night's sleep on the plane, they landed in Singapore in the morning.
Then taking a connecting flight from there, they arrived today—the morning
of December 31, at this city of Kota Kinabalu.
In Godou's company were the four girls, Erica, Yuri, Liliana and Ena.
The one who organized this trip was surprisingly the girl known as the
[Diavolo Rosso].
"The History Compilation Committee is simply an organization controlling a
single country—Japan, without branch outposts or influence in foreign
lands... Hence, this time they are 'backing us up but not officially,' acting
entirely as sponsors who happen to be on site."
Shaking the light green juice as she drank, Erica explained.
"But even for you, the [Copper Black Cross] doesn't have branches
everywhere, right?"
"Not everywhere, but the [Copper Black Cross] happens to have
permanent staff posted here. This provides the credibility for us to be
introduced to a local person of influence. Since the [Heretic God] has been
causing them hardship, they are greatly looking forward to Devil King
Kusanagi Godou's arrival."
"W-What Devil King's arrival, it's not supposed to be like that..."
Godou's face twitched in response to hearing Erica's way of phrasing
things.
"By the way, Erica-san. What kind of person is this person of influence?"
Taking a sip of her iced milk tea, Yuri inquired.
Erica had selected Yuri as one of the people accompanying Godou on
their visit to the local person of influence. "Because Yuri's power is
probably needed" was her explanation.
"I heard that this country has neither an organization like Japan's History
Compilation Committee nor large scale associations like the ones in
Europe... But among the commonfolk there are those who live by fortune
telling and wizardry."
"Indeed it seems to be so."
Erica nodded and continued:
"In this part of Southeast Asia, there aren't any intelligence agencies or
associations with outstanding power and influence. But you see, wouldn't
former yakuza or mafia have quite a bit of prestige and influence in a place
like this?"
"Y-Yaku—!?"
"Come to think of it, that feels like a pretty good description of Yinghua's
family..."
"Yes, Hong Kong's Lu family is a classic example of cartel operations in
Southeast Asia and other places. A gathering of proudly competent talent,
spellcasters and even the poor, using them to operate various legal and
illegal enterprises."
The trio conversed in these matters as the drinks slaked their thirst. Then
they left the cafe.
Godou was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and hemp cargo pants which
he had not worn for quite some time ever since the weather cooled.
Erica had a red camisole and ankle-length black pants. Yuri, on the other
hand, was wearing a refreshing one-piece dress in white.
Leaving from Japan in midwinter, they were plunged into a land of summer
heat all at once.
Although it was a little sudden, the hot weather felt quite nostalgic after
months of absence. Indeed, there was an unexpected sense of freshness
and delight.
Furthermore, Liliana and Ena had gone out shopping for this "expedition."
Indeed, the streets of Kota Kinabalu was not their final destination. This
was merely a place along the way.
Godou and Yuri followed Erica as she walked. Along the way, the sky
suddenly gave rise to a downpour of rain. A shower brought by a squall.
As expected of a tropical zone. Apparently, chances of sudden showers
were quite high during the afternoon.
The trio frantically sought shelter in a food court.
After buying food to one's liking from a row of food vendors, one could sit
down and eat at an empty table. This type of sheltered food court was
quite common throughout the city of Kota Kinabalu.
"It really rains quite heavily here."
The pitter-patter of raindrops striking the rooftops and road surface was
quite intense.
Godou's clothes were completely drenched. Nevertheless, this unexpected
inconvenience was actually enjoyable, for it offered the experience of a
climate and culture completely different from Japan's. A very real sense of
concreteness.
"Anyway, since the weather is so hot, our clothes will dry soon enough..."
Carrying this sort of joyful mood, Godou turned to his two female
companions only to be rendered speechless.
Erica and Yuri were dressed in flimsy summer clothing. Due to being
drenched by the sudden rain, their clothes now clung tightly to their bodies.
Consequently, their bodies' lines of curvature became particular clear to
view.
Furthermore, Yuri's one-piece dress was white. Even her drenched
underwear was visible beneath her dress—
"G-Godou-san. Could you please stop staring like that?!"
"Oh my, what a rare act of initiative. Does this stem from the liberating
feeling of traveling overseas?"
Reacting to the girls' comments, Godou frantically turned his gaze away.
While Godou focused on directing his gaze elsewhere until the girls'
clothes dried, the trio strolled around the food court that provided shelter
from the rain.
Seeing all sorts of food displayed at the food stands, Erica narrowed her
eyes.
"Just as I thought, Asian places like this are the top choice for a chaotic
culinary experience. Although Japan is a country of comfort, it hasn't lived
up to my expectations in the area of food."
A bunch of total nonsense.
But Godou could understand. He could tell from a single glance. This was
indeed the type of place Erica would enjoy.
Representative of Malay cuisine was the spicy fried rice dish of nasi
goreng, made with chicken resembling yakitori meat and a sauce prepared
from peanuts and coconut milk. That could be considered the basics. Then
there was the Malaysian burger containing a hamburger patty wrapped in
[1]an omelette. This type of food could be considered the applied version of
Malay cuisine.
Chinese cuisine prepared by ethnic Chinese also added much variety and
color to the offerings.
There were also Indian curry shops as well as all sorts of global fast food
chains, etc.
There were even seafood shops where one picked fish from a tank to be
barbecued. Furthermore, tropical fruit varieties were sold, such as the king
of fruits, the pungent durian.
Other than pork which was conspicuously absent in Islamic areas, this was
truly the place for a chaotic culinary experience.
"It'd be nice to look for and have a fill of food to my liking..."
"Let's not eat now since we have an appointment later. How about we wait
until dinner time, okay?"
Stopping Erica, Godou gave Yuri a glance to seek her agreement.
To his great surprise, the Yamato Nadeshiko was unexpectedly staring at a
food stand with great interest.
"Mariya... Could it be, you're hungry?"
"Ah, no. Not at all. I am just curious."
Yuri answered shyly as she looked back.
"In the past when traveling in Vietnam with my family, I only tried noodles
from this kind of shop once. Thinking back, the food was really quite
delicious. Fufu, I remember we were eating it on the go."
"In that case, Yuri, you may count on me, Erica Blandelli."
The blonde devil winked at the sheltered young lady who was smiling
calmly.
"Back when I was in Hong Kong, I ate at stands like these every single
day."
"Really!? If I may, then I shall count on you!"
"Indeed. That looks about right, undoubtedly so."
Godou began to smile wryly in response to Erica and Yuri's enthusiasm,
seemingly sharing some sort of strange motivation.
Despite being clearly well-educated girls, they did not seem particularly
bothered by these vendors' hygiene.
"Erica aside, I never knew that Mariya had quite a strong-willed side to
her."
"M-Me, do I really seem strong-willed to you?"
Yuri murmured while smiling with a slightly delighted expression.
Godou's careless comment seemed to have pleased the dignified Yamato
Nadeshiko. While Godou was baffled by the reason, Erica mocked
sarcastically.
"What an idiot you are, Godou. Getting along with someone like Godou
would surely require Yuri to harbor a resolute will of iron somewhere in the
depths of her heart. It's something one would acquire and develop after
staying by your side for so long."
"I-I see..."
Recalling his various instances of unruly conduct, Godou expressed
understanding while Yuri smiled wryly with a troubled expression.
While they conversed on a variety of topics, the rain had stopped before
they knew it. The sky was clear and sunny once more.
Due to the rain just now, the air temperature had cooled somewhat, giving
a cooler refreshing feeling. Godou and Yuri continued to follow Erica,
making their way to a certain market.
In actual fact, they had already visited this place once already before
taking the break at the open-air cafe.
At the time, it was simply an empty clearing. But now, an hour later, tents
had been raised all over the place, with little stands and open-air stalls
lined in rows side by side.
Everyday sundries, vegetables, fruits and various wares were being sold.
However, most eye-catching of all was the seafood. There were not only
species commonly sold in Tokyo such as horse mackerel, Spanish
mackerel, barracuda, squid, but also colorful fishes unique to the South
Seas like the yellowback fusilier.
Glancing at these shops as they made their way, Erica finally stopped
before a certain tent.
This was a vendor selling everyday sundries. In the depths of the store
was a petite old lady, dressed modestly in a white shirt with a black skirt.
She had the lightly tanned skin tones of ethnic Malays. Alone by herself,
she was sitting in a folding chair.
Based on appearance, she seemed like a friendly "old granny."
However, she was actually the "person of influence" that Erica had
mentioned earlier. So she was the fortune teller and wizard who acted as
the leader of pickpockets, thieves and pirates in the area?
"Your Majesty, arriving from distant lands, a cordial welcome to you."
The influential old lady greeted Godou using broken English.
Then she clapped her hands together and bowed slowly towards Godou as
one would pay respects to a Buddha statue.
Part 2
Two days earlier at Cape Inubou, Amakasu was explaining about the
divine beasts' stronghold.
'The South Seas is a region of the ocean containing over a hundred
islands of various sizes, located west of the Philippines and northwest of
Borneo. These islands came in all sorts, with some uninhabited, some with
resort hotels built on them, while some housed military installations of the
various surrounding countries."
Amakasu sighed as he spoke.
'Reportedly, on the largest uninhabited island of them all, mysterious giant
creatures suddenly appeared several days ago... Yes, those two divine
beasts, the snake and the strange bird that came all the way over to Japan
last night to cause a commotion."
'They are already confirmed to have returned to the island in the South
China Sea after their defeat at Kusanagi-san's hands. It really reminds me
of those monster movies from the Shouwa era, this monster island
appearing in Southeast Asian seas...'
Although the tone of Amakasu's report was frivolous, there was little joking
in the content.
Hence, Godou and his group traveled to Kota Kinabalu to deal with the
problematic island. Using this city as a staging ground, they first
investigated the island's state of affairs—
And now in a Kota Kinabalu market, they were currently meeting a
representative of the local wizardry scene.
"We cannot express our utmost gratitude well enough for Your Majesty's
express visit..."
"D-Don't mention it. I intend to investigate the island's situation to get a
clear idea first."
Godou began to get flustered because the influential old lady kept bowing
repeatedly with her hands together to show her gratitude.
Rather than a king, it was more like being treated as a Buddha. This was
quite a difference in treatment compared to other people Godou had
encountered who were involved in the field.
"I will prepare ships immediately. But our utmost apologies... Though the
island surfaced three years ago, we know very little about it..."
As the old lady explained in an unhurried fashion, Godou was baffled by
the mentioning of "three years."
"Oh my, it was on a certain day three years ago, when that island had
surfaced on the sea by the time we noticed. It was a place that was
originally empty sea. Thus abruptly did it appear. The island has mountains
and forests. For such a rather normal-looking island to suddenly emerge,
the fishermen, the pirates and the navy were all greatly surprised."
Godou threw a glance at his companion. Erica nodded in response.
She apparently knew already but had kept it to herself for some reason.
"And the very strange thing was, once anyone lands on the island, they
could not get out..."
"Not get out?"
"According to our members who have set foot on the island, they naturally
got lost in the middle of walking around. Then for a good many days, they
were disoriented along their way to the beach. Only the lucky ones
reached the ship to return from the island..."
Godou recalled someone he knew.
Why would that guy be involved in this incident—? He looked at Erica
again to find her with an expression as if she wanted to say something.
"Indeed this is the case" was what she seemed to be saying.
"It is an island that did not exist in this country before. Hence, no local
sailor will approach it. Only people like us are privy to this knowledge..."
This island was not recorded on any maps or marine atlases, huh. As
Godou nodded, the old lady put her hands together again and knelt in
worship.
"We would be most grateful if Your Majesty could be so kind as to head to
the island for a look. Please, we are counting on you."
"Granny, may we have a look at the object?"
Erica interjected.
"The object... Ah yes, the thing that drifted to a nearby beach three years
ago, shortly after the island appeared. I believe it should be related to
some particular god..."
The old lady stood up and began to search a wooden box behind her.
She took a slender rod-shaped stone, roughly a meter in length, its girth
just barely small enough to grasp in one hand. Its uneven surface was jet
black like obsidian.
Godou could feel faint magical power emanating from the black stone.
Some kind of power resided in it apparently.
As soon as she looked at the stone, Yuri shuddered.
"Did you see something, Yuri? This object could be a divine artifact, so
please try to appraise it. Perhaps this might be a decisive clue?"
"V-Very well. This is—"
Asked by Erica, the Hime-Miko spoke an oracle solemnly.
"Using the divine artifact of creation, the mother created land out of the
primordial sea, summoning freshwater, nurturing lush vegetation... We
have already seen a similar item before."
Yuri deliberately added the last sentence, for apparently the same doubt
had crossed her mind.
Yes. Last time, there was also a mysterious island that suddenly appeared
in the sea. All who entered the island were disoriented by the magical
power of a labyrinth. Furthermore, the island was created using the alleged
nation-founding divine artifact that appeared in the form of a small tool—
Godou nodded, Erica crossed her arms, while Yuri looked worried.
Surely the trio must have recalled the same image.
Two hours later, Godou and his group were out at sea.
The tropical ocean was dyed bright orange by the glow of the setting sun.
A large sport fisher was speeding nimbly across the sea. More accurately,
it should be called a sunset cruise.
This was the ship prepared by the old lady at the market for Godou's
group.
Equipped with showers and air conditioning, the ship's spacious cabin was
like the living room of a house. There were even two rooms with cots. This
was a large ship used for living out at sea for days to enjoy the pleasures
of fishing.
—The waters of the mysterious island were located not far from Kota
Kinabalu.
Supposed to be reached before night, it meant they should be able to
observe the island's situation from afar before daylight ended. It would be
ideal if the deity incident could be resolved before it expanded in scale. For
this purpose, the trio converged with Liliana and Ena then proceeded to
board this ship.
Sailors from the old lady's subordinates were in charge of operating the
ship.
Presently, Godou and his friends were holding a strategy conference in the
cabin.
Seated, Liliana Kranjcar opened the discussion with a gloomy expression:
"This is simply speculation. Although there exist 'reasons for thinking so,' I
think subjecting a certain person to allegations would be jumping to
conclusions. Nevertheless, I shall still proceed with this thought."
She was dressed in casual clothing with a blue lacy blouse and black
shorts. Even so, Liliana spoke like a knight in a rigorous tone.
"I believe England's Black Prince is very likely related to this incident."
Possessing the labyrinth authority, Alexandre Gascoigne was involved in
the past incident of the Heavenly Reverse Halberd and the floating island.
As expected, Liliana was thinking of that commotion. It was only natural.
Everyone thought so too. After all, even Ena exclaimed with deep feeling
despite her optimistic personality.
"It's that saying, right? As suspicious as being caught with your hand in the
cookie jar."
Definitely suspicious no matter what. Godou voiced his agreement with the
possibility and nodded.
Also, Seishuuin Ena had finally changed out of her usual uniform after
leaving Japan. She was currently dressed in a short-sleeved parka with
cargo pants, a style common to men in summer.
The supplies Liliana and Ena had bought at the market during the day
were currently left in a corner of the cabin. The cardboard box was stuffed
full of equipment, clothing and food, etc. They had simply picked up
anything they thought might be useful for exploring an uninhabited island in
the South Seas.
"Think about it, that guy used rather elaborate methods when he caused
the Tokyo Bay commotion. He was also quite clear on how to use a divine
artifact like the Heavenly Reverse Halberd..."
"Because he had an opportunity to test out a similar plan before... This is
quite possible."
Godou muttered and Erica concurred.
This was a conversation that could easily veer into slander with one false
step. The only one who abstained from participating was Yuri, who listened
to everyone with a troubled expression. But perhaps she was simply born
naturally polite.
On occasion she would go "Indeed..." and nod in agreement. She did not
display any intention of objecting.
"So currently, where is that Gascoigne guy anyway?"
"Unknown as usual. But earlier, there were reports of him in Spain."
As Godou wondered, Erica answered immediately, fully prepared as
expected.
"Well, it's not like he'll answer honestly even if we ask him directly. Let's
continue to investigate step by step..."
While they chatted, the ship successfully arrived near the problematic
island.
They were about to reach the destination, the Indian sailors reported.
Godou and his group stopped their discussion and walked out onto the
deck which offered an expansive view of the South China Sea illuminated
by the evening glow of the sunset.
Were this a sightseeing trip, this scenery would definitely be quite moving.
However, the "island" ten-odd kilometers ahead was the lair where those
suspicious divine beasts resided. Moreover, anyone entering arbitrarily
would be imprisoned by the labyrinth's power. This was literally a demonic
realm.
It was definitely no small island, given its substantial visible area.
Rather tall elevations in the center of the island could be seen from the sea
afar. A rough estimate would place the altitude as comparable to ordinary
mountains. The island was covered with trees, offering a lush green view.
The ship cruised straight forward, landing on the island at a cove that
resembled an entrance.
"It's bigger than I imagined..."
Muttering to himself, Godou suddenly realized.
"Speaking of which, how long do Gascoigne's labyrinths last for? Left here
for three years already, it can still be sustained?"
"Assuming Prince Alec is absent from the island, the magical effects
should start dissipating after roughly three or four months."
"From then on, the magical effects will gradually weaken all over the
labyrinth. This is recorded in the Witenagemot's reports."
Erica and Liliana answered, highly knowledgeable.
"Then it isn't really that guy...? It's hard to imagine a busy guy like him
coming here regularly."
"Conversely, assuming he is going that far, this might be quite an important
location?"
"Alternatively, some kind of spell or divine artifact may have been used to
extend the duration of his authority's effects."
From the swiftness of the counterarguments, the moral failings of the
person in question were clear to see.
Oh well, this was all due to the deplorable nature of his habitual behavior...
In any case, the plan was set to begin investigating and scouting out the
island tonight. Although Godou was not much help in this regard, the girls
were a separate case altogether. Liliana's witchcraft and Yuri's exceptional
spirit vision were especially sure to produce results.
Hence everyone began to make preparations on the ship.
...They definitely could not afford to be careless.
Godou and Ena were both very sensitive to danger given their keen,
beast-like instincts. Erica and Liliana were also on watch in full alert.
Furthermore, Yuri was present with her incomparably sharp spiritual
senses.
Nevertheless, in spite of all that, no one was able to detect the imminent
arrival of the incoming attack.
—An astounding gust of wind suddenly swept across the ship's deck.
Completely caught unprepared, the ship's sailors and even Erica and
Liliana were blown away by the wind. With a series of splashing noises
sounding from the night sea after the sun had set, all of them fell into the
water.
The only one unaffected was Godou who was left standing alone on deck.
It was no natural wind. Most likely supernatural wind produced through
magic and divine powers, hence a Campione's body was unaffected—
"Godou!" "Kusanagi Godou!"
Erica and Liliana's voices were heard from the sea beyond the ship.
Sounds of the crew's screams suggested that everyone were unharmed.
Instead, the place of danger was actually Godou's side on the ship.
Namely, the large sport fisher's cabin. A familiar bird monster was casually
landing on top of the ceiling.
This was the divine eagle they had encountered a few days earlier. The
sudden gust of wind had been its doing!
Godou quickly came to a conclusion. Was this divine eagle able to make
effective use of some kind of cheating skill to teleport unannounced? Most
probably not.
Surely it was the Fire Goddess' doing—a spell cast by the unidentified
deity.
Part 3
Spreading its wings with intense vigor, the divine eagle prepared to take
flight. Its massive wingspan measured fifteen meters.
It flapped its wings forcefully. With the cabin firmly in the grip of its claws,
the rest of the ship attached was at its mercy. Effortlessly as though the
ship's weight was no burden, the divine eagle floated upwards—
By the time he noticed, Godou found himself and the entire ship already
flying in the air.
Night had descended completely. Countless stars were twinkling in the
black canopy of the night sky.
Different constellations were visible compared to back in Japan. This
tropical starlit sky was breathtaking in its beauty. The clear and bright half
moon was also shining with white brilliance.
"Uh, we're getting this close to the clouds!?"
Imperceptibly, they had already risen to quite a high altitude. Godou
frantically rushed over to the ship's edge and looked below.
The sea was a long way down. Although this was comparable to the height
that Liliana had flown him during the Saturnus incident, Godou completely
did not feel any sense of rapid ascent.
The bird really was quite skilled at flying.
Although Godou currently had nothing on him to secure himself, there was
no worry of tumbling off the ship to fall down from the sky.
The divine eagle was flying with great stability, apparently taking care to
keep the deck level. Thanks to this, Godou did not even lose balance
once.
Godou gazed at the divine eagle gliding leisurely on its outspread wings.
Its stately majesty as the king of birds could be felt from the divine eagle's
intrepid appearance, worthy of being called a sacred bird. Currently on the
ship's deck, Godou looked up to examine the state of the divine eagle that
was holding the cabin in its claws.
Although the divine eagle was in a completely defenseless posture with its
abdomen and throat exposed, one should not forget it was flying quite
stably.
It would take a bold move. Oh well, if he attacked despite the height, the
worst that could happen would be crashing down together. Perhaps there
was no need to be wary...
"Your Majesty!" "Godou-san!"
Godou jumped in surprise to hear sudden voices calling him.
Looking towards the opened cabin door, he found Yuri and Ena walking
out onto the deck. Come to think of it, these two were not seen when
everyone else had fallen into the sea. So it was because they were
actually inside the ship!
The two girls ran over to Godou's side.
"Let's summon Ama no Murakumo to give it a good slice—Never mind, I
guess we'd better endure the situation for now."
The same idea must have crossed Ena's mind as well. She muttered and
shrugged.
Carrying the three passengers, the ship was transported by the divine
eagle to the sky above the cove.
Owing to the bright moonlight and excellent night vision, Godou was able
to clearly discern the island's geography even though it was night.
A mangrove forest grew by the seaside. There were also tropical
rainforests which looked as though orangutans might roam inside.
In addition the central mountain peak looked about seven or eight hundred
meters in height above sea level. The divine eagle was apparently flying
towards this peak as the destination.
Godou went "Hmm?" and frowned in response to the sudden change in the
vegetation on the mountain. Strangely enough, these were deciduous
trees that grew on highlands. The tropical rainforest atmosphere was all
gone.
Of course, they were still in the tropics, but it was rather cool and breezy as
a result of the elevation. However, the altitudes here should not be enough
for highland vegetation to grow.
"As expected of an island inhabited by the gods. I can feel it. There is a
strong divine presence on this sacred mountain. It must be quite an
excellent sanctuary."
"Quite an intense sacred aura can be sensed from the peak. Perhaps the
goddess might be there."
Ena, the sacred mountain specialist, reported. Yuri also gave warning
through her sharp senses as usual.
Godou turned his gaze downwards. Was it that place roughly seventy or
eighty meters from the mountain slope?
As much as he wanted to wait till they were nearer to the ground before
taking action, delaying for that long might be too late. What should he
do—just as Godou agonized over the decision, the two Hime-Miko nodded
to each other.
"Godou-san. Please let us handle this."
"Don't worry, Ena will think of a way to deal with things. Ama no
Murakumo, please!"
Their words prompted Godou to make his decision. Nodding, he relaxed
his right arm.
Immediately, the divine sword, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, suddenly
manifested in Ena's hand. With a three-foot-three-inch blade, its had the
structure of a curved Japanese sword. The blade was jet-black in color.
"O divine blade of Ama no Murakumo, bestow upon me the bow and
arrows of honor!"
Using spell words to invoke the divine sword's spirit for divine possession,
Ena kicked hard against the deck.
Then jumping like a monkey, she delivered a merciless diagonal overarm
slash to the abdomen of the divine eagle that had been maintaining the
safety of this airborne journey.
Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! The divine eagle cawed loudly in pain.
Ena jumped again at this time, stabbing the divine sword into the bird's
right claw. Consequently, the divine eagle loosened its right claw's grip
from the ship's cabin. Crash!
The impact came. Unbalanced in the air, the ship was also losing
substantial altitude and fast approaching the mountain slope. Even a divine
eagle was unable to endure, finally loosening its left claw from the ship as
well. Thus, the large ship carrying Godou and the girls started free falling
towards the ground!
The mountain forest below was quite flourishing with trees. These could
act as a cushion to some extent but it would be naive to expect no injuries
from a crash landing like this.
The fate awaiting the trio was going to be no different from a plane crash
incident. However.
"Ameno Torifune, I pray to the god of the camphorwood ship, sturdy as
stone, swift as a waterfowl!"
"Bestow upon us the fulfillment of safe passage!"
The two Hime-Miko chanted spell words together.
The ship's descent suddenly slowed down rapidly. Like a falling feather,
the ship drifted lightly down from the sky, sliding gently along the mountain
slope and into the deciduous forest.
Although the speed of descent was reduced, the impact was still quite
substantial.
The trio fell over forward on the deck. The ship continued to slide along, its
momentum showing no apparent signs of abating.
Crash, clang, crunch, crunch. Terrifying noises rang out repeatedly.
Various parts of the ship were smashing into things.
Then the crash-landed ship finally came to a stop. Godou and the two
Hime-Miko breathed a long sigh of relief together. At least the trio were
safe and sound.
Among the three, Kusanagi Godou was the strongest and also held the
leadership role.
Standing up instantly out of a sense of responsibility, Godou looked up into
the sky.
SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK!!
The divine eagle let loose an acute cry and flew off somewhere. Was it due
to pain from the wound Ena inflicted, or had it received orders to return
from its mistress the goddess? In any case, the current crisis seemed to
have passed.
However, it was not yet time to relax completely.
Yuri looked worried while Ena displayed nervous tension as the two girls
drew near Godou.
They were currently situated on this island of the demonic realm. Even if a
thorough investigation was conducted before they entered, unexpected
occurrences were bound to appear.
Surely, this was only the beginning of a truly troublesome situation.
Godou's trio were not foolish enough to move about in the darkness of
night.
They intended to spend the night by the wrecked sports fisher, waiting until
morning before beginning operations.
This was the most prudent course of action in light of the current situation.
Godou, Yuri and Ena agreed unanimously.
Fortunately, they were well-stocked with food, mineral water and other
drinks. Various equipment for exploring the island were also prepared.
Using flashlights for illumination was not too inconvenient.
The trio started a fire using a lighter and boiled some water.
A simple and convenient dinner consisted of biscuits, instant coffee and
Malaysian cup noodles.
"Come to think of it, Erica is the only one I know who never eats instant
noodles. What about you, Mariya?"
During the Kisaragi incident, Godou had shared a dinner with Ena similar
to the one tonight, consisting of instant and portable food.
Then what about Yuri the quintessential high-class lady? It was a question
posed out of curiosity.
"I guess I have eaten it before. Although my mother hates that type of food,
I used to eat it secretly with Ena-san on occasion... Fufu."
"Well, the more people forbid us to eat it, the more we wish to try it out."
Yuri smiled with slight mischief while Ena grinned like a fellow accomplice.
Godou was glad to know they were already close friends from long ago.
Watching the two girls' postures as they held the cup noodles, using the
wooden chopsticks to pick up the noodles elegantly, Godou felt that their
excellent upbringing was clear to see.
Furthermore, due to the extremely cold mountain air, eating hot food felt
especially delicious.
Rather than a drop in temperature due to nightfall, it felt more akin to a
sudden change of season from summer to winter.
Godou was wearing a long-sleeved parka. Yuri and Ena were also dressed
in long-sleeved athletic gear including tracksuits and windbreakers. These
clothes were bought back at the city of Kota Kinabalu.
Expecting the possibility of entering the mountains or tropical rainforests,
the group had prepared long-sleeved clothes just in case.
"If only we could find a way to make contact with outside."
Godou muttered as he gazed up at the vast starlit sky.
Yuri and Ena had tried several different spells just now in an attempt to
contact Erica and Liliana. However, none of the spells could reach beyond
the island's exterior.
"Liliana-san's swimming abilities should be excellent as a witch so there
shouldn't be any danger even if she fell in the water. But it's a little worrying
that we can't confirm if they are safe."
"Even my psychic sensing is not working."
Ena commented and Yuri reported the result of her attempts.
"Reaching out from this mountain with psychic sensing to explore, I
encounter a massive obstruction along the way. It prevents me from
reaching out to anywhere farther."
Using wizardry for communications or exploration did not seem to work.
As late night arrived, the trio entered the ship and all slept in the cabin. To
facilitate collective action in case of emergencies, they stayed together in
one place.
Then they decided to take turns in keeping watch.
After all, there was already the precedent of the divine eagle appearing
instantaneously without warning.
With the trio in high alert, perhaps they could prevent being caught
unaware again. It was best not to be careless. Taking turns in the order of
Yuri, Godou then Ena, one person kept watch while the other two covered
themselves with blankets and slept.
The rest of the night went by peacefully on the island in the demonic realm
and the next morning arrived.
Taking care of breakfast through crude and simple food again, the trio
began to freshen up and get ready.
Had this been a simple accident, waiting patiently for rescue would be an
option. But since their purpose here was to gather information about this
mountain and island, there was no choice but to start acting on their plan.
After spending some time to choose necessary items to carry along with
them, they stuffed them into their rucksacks.
Along the way, Godou suddenly recalled something and asked:
"Can't we transport this stuff effortlessly using that whatever spell Erica
and Liliana use to summon their swords?"
"That type of spell only works on objects within a sword's size and weight,
so it does not help in a situation like this."
"Last time at Nikkou, we also tried spells to move our luggage, but just like
investigative magic, it didn't work either..."
In the end, all they could determine was that the situation left little room for
optimism.
In any case, once preparations were complete, the trio began to hike.
"Oh yeah, come to think of it, it's January 1 today!"
"Indeed! I am a bit worried, is Hikari's work at Nanao Shrine going
smoothly? Although she is quite reliable in general, as a miko she is still an
apprentice..."
"As the saying goes, New Year's Day is the time to plan for the incoming
year. I can't believe I'd run into this kind of commotion today."
Godou continued to move forward as he confirmed today's date.
Being used to hiking, Ena took the lead with Yuri following and Godou
holding the rear.
Under the bright illumination of daylight, they surveyed the surrounding
trees.
A deciduous forest. Sunlight streamed between the leaves to produce
scattering patterns of radiance, combining with the blowing wind to create
a glittering world of golden brilliance. The breeze blowing between the
trees was truly cool and refreshing. It was like taking an autumn stroll in a
European forest.
"But isn't this a tropical zone located near the equator..."
"It's getting difficult to distinguish the seasons now..."
"This is clear evidence of the fact that this is no ordinary island..."
While confirming the suspicious nature of the island as they walked
through the forest, Yuri suddenly went "Ah" softly.
Was this a sign of spirit vision? This prompted Godou to ready his posture
but very soon he realized the reason. The surrounding scenery was
transforming imperceptibly!
A forest without any roads. While pushing vegetation aside, they had
walked roughly thirty minutes through the same forest.
That was clearly supposed to be the situation. But without them noticing,
the positions, shapes and arrangements of the surrounding trees had
changed greatly. Baffled, Godou wondered if they were lost.
"Hmm... The sun's direction seems different from just now."
Ena frowned and looked up into the sky.
A deciduous forest. Sunlight streamed between the leaves to produce
scattering patterns of radiance, combining with the blowing wind to create
a glittering world of golden brilliance—This was no longer the case.
Compared to before, the leaves and branches of the trees grew more
densely, making conditions quite dim despite the daylight hours. There was
no longer a cool and refreshing impression.
"We seem to have entered a totally different place."
After murmuring, Yuri suddenly began to search her rucksack.
She took out a compass. Rather than pointing north, the needle rotated
slowly as if undecided over which direction was north.
"One of those so-called forests of wandering huh..."
"Not just the forest but the entire island also gives off the same feeling,
Your Majesty."
Ena's predictions were completely on target.
After walking for ten-odd minutes, their location changed without their
knowledge.
From forest to deep forest. From deep forest to the edge of vertical cliffs.
From cliffs to a valley. Then from the bottom of a valley to a corner of the
forest.
"...This time, we wandered off to quite a scenic location."
After walking for two hours or so, Godou muttered.
Advancing through the forest, they now chanced upon a small waterfall.
Cool, clear water was flowing down the waterfall, pooling into a flowing
stream.
Due to all the nonstop walking, Yuri with her low stamina was exhausted.
Thinking that, Godou decided to let her rest here for a while. As he turned
his gaze, he found Ena gesturing to him with her eyes. The hiking expert
was thinking the same thing. Godou nodded.
"Let's have a break here. It so happens that there's also water nearby."
After Godou announced, Ena approached the stream. Bringing her face
close to the water surface, she sniffed its scent.
Then after she dipped a fingertip into the water and licked it with her
tongue, the Hime-Miko of the Sword declared:
"Yes, this water is drinkable."
"I didn't know you could do that as well."
Godou laughed wryly but indeed it was uplifting news.
With a long journey ahead, it was uncertain how long their water would
last. A refill was needed badly. Meanwhile, Ena took out an aluminum mug
from her rucksack. Filling it with water, she brought it to Yuri.
The marching so far seemed like it was merely a casual stroll for the
Hime-Miko. Her footsteps remained quick and nimble.
"Ah... Thank you."
Thanking Ena, Yuri gulped down the water and smiled.
This was a slightly forced smile that one would make to lessen the worries
of others. Just as Godou expected, resting here was a correct decision.
"No matter what, spinning around alike this isn't making progress..."
Godou muttered and reached his hand into the stream. The refreshing
coldness of the water felt rather comfortable.
Their current situation was no different from being thwarted on every front.
Although battling gods had become an everyday activity for Godou, a
desperate situation of this sort was something new...
Seeing Godou stare blankly at the waterfall, Yuri leaned forward.
She gazed in the direction towards where the stream flowed. Ena asked
her fellow Hime-Miko:
"Did you see something, Yuri? If it's okay, tell us."
"Ah yes. I feel like the path to escaping our predicament should lie in the
direction ahead."
"Speaking of which, the people who escaped the island were those who
returned by sea. The direction the stream flows is towards the ocean, this
does make sense in a way."
After Godou nodded, Yuri suddenly shuddered.
A white aura rose up from her body. This was the aura of psychic sensing.
Following the direction of the stream's flow, the aura advanced, making its
way forward, forward nonstop. Yuri nodded emphatically.
"Indeed it is so. If I apply my sensing abilities downstream, I should be able
to use my power!"
Her report greatly shocked Godou. Ena immediately yelled out:
"Well done, Yuri! What do you sense right now?"
"Yes, this river converges with larger rivers and continues flowing down the
mountain—finally pouring into the sea. After entering the ocean, I can use
my powers freely without restriction—"
Yuri closed her eyes and concentrated as she explained.
Seas and rivers—"water" was apparently the key to breaking through this
demonic realm.
Godou nodded and remembered. The island's mistress had called herself
the Fire Goddess. Fire's weakness lay in water. Perhaps this might be
related.
"!? Erica-san and Liliana-san are over there! They are traveling on a boat
in the sea!"
Yuri called out happily. This important news interrupted Godou's
pensiveness.
Part 4
Godou found out that Erica and Liliana were arriving on an
engine-powered boat.
It was a fisherman's boat intended for fishing alone. It looked like they had
stopped the engine and were currently drifting on the sea near the island.
In fact, Yuri was using psychic sensing to send out thought waves for
conversing with them...
In this manner, Yuri's sensing powers established communications
between this corner in the demonic realm and the boat out on the sea.
Continuing to keep her eyes closed, Yuri extended her slender and
delicate hands into the stream. This projected images of Erica and Liliana
onto the surface of the flowing water.
These were said to be the images captured visually by the Hime-Miko's
psychic sensing powers.
The two Caucasian girls, one blonde and one silver-haired, were dressed
in t-shirts with light jackets. Under the dazzling sunlight of the South Seas,
they were surrounded by clear blue seawater.
A scene from the ocean, completely different from Godou's situation in the
mountains, was projected on the stream's surface.
'After falling into the sea, we gathered up all the crew who were swimming
in the water and flew back to Kota Kinabalu using Liliana's flight magic.
Everyone is safe and sound.'
Erica recounted what had happened after the divine eagle appeared.
Apparently they had not met any danger.
'This morning, we took a bigger fishing vessel out to sea again and
returned to the island's vicinity. However, the crew were afraid of
approaching the island...'
'We had the ship wait a certain distance away on standby as a mother
ship.'
'Erica and I borrowed a boat and came here. We are currently investigating
the island in various ways.'
Liliana entered the conversation to report on the situation. As a side note,
neither of them possessed a boat license. Nevertheless, Erica had
borrowed the boat using the reason 'Maybe I'll handle it. Isn't it supposed
to be a piece of cake?'
Despite the engine, a boat was simply another means of transportation
after all. Learning by emulating others was easy enough.
Erica appeared to be quite proficient. Oh well, since Liliana was present
and able to use flight magic, there was presumably little chance of being in
distress.
'I was thinking everyone must surely be alive. And it turns out just as
predicted.'
"I-Ignoring the matter of my survival, do show a little worry for Mariya and
Seishuuin, okay?"
Self-conscious about his own ridiculous ability to survive, Godou
complained on behalf of his two female companions. Erica responded
"Leaving that aside..." and began to ask about the the situation on the
island.
Godou explained concisely. Then Liliana spoke up.
'This happened last night. After returning to the city of Kota Kinabalu, we
tried interviewing a man who had fortunately survived and returned from
the island in the past.'
During the time from last night till now, the two knights had apparently
made the most of every moment.
Truly astute. As Godou listened admiringly, Erica continued:
'This is what he said. After going around in circles on the island, he
became despondent. In the end, he took an inflatable boat he happened to
be carrying and rowed desperately downstream. Although he had already
resigned himself to death, somehow he was able to return to the ocean.'
Rafting. This was the sport of navigating white water rapids.
Attempting that kind of activity on this island was surely quite dangerous.
Godou was deeply impressed.
"Escaping unscathed to the ocean huh..."
'Apparently it was thanks to his favorite hobby of competitive kayaking. In
any case, it looks like we'll just have to follow the water's guidance.'
'If this goddess controls flames, then water is precisely the substance for
sealing her power.'
Godou nodded in agreement with Erica and Liliana's advice.
'I have already confirmed, flight magic can only reach as far as the beach
on the island. If possible, please make your way there then we should be
able to instantly converge with you three.'
'Gathering everyone together is our first priority. If possible, it would be
best to avoid combat.'
The above was the content of the discussion Godou had with the two
knights from afar.
As the brief conversation ended, the images on the stream also
disappeared.
Having focused her attention all this time, Yuri opened her eyes, turned
towards Ena, who had acted as a listener throughout, and nodded.
It was off to a start again.
Following a river downhill was said to be taboo in situations of outdoor
survival.
Rivers and streams flowing in mountainous terrain were particularly prone
to flash floods. Were it to rain, the water volume could swell instantly,
sweeping everyone into the river. Due to the looseness of the soil, there
also existed the possibility of accidentally falling into the river.
Furthermore, despite being the interior of a suspicious demonic realm, this
was a tropical zone after all.
One could not help but worry about the sudden arrival of fierce wind and
heavy rain—localized rainstorms. The Borneo region was currently in
monsoon season and sudden showers frequently occurred during the time
from afternoon until night.
However, Godou and Yuri were currently accompanied by their companion
Ena, the child of nature.
Trusting in the girl who was capable of sensing incoming rain by smell,
they intentionally committed the taboo act with full awareness.
As if proving the correctness of the Hime-Miko's spirit powers, advancing
along the flowing steam brought them to an unfamiliar location.
The group was walking on fine gravel along the side of the stream.
Stones of various sizes were scattered all over the ground. Occasionally,
they had to make their way over large boulders or step into the stream,
immersing themselves up to knee-level in order to advance.
Given this situation, the various levels of physical stamina in the members
of the group were brought into full view.
Ena was like a fish in water. With motions as agile as a monkey, she kept
moving forward.
By herself, she could probably traverse such difficult terrain effortlessly.
But of course, she was not going to do that. She was mainly preoccupied
with assisting her childhood friend who lacked physical stamina.
Yuri panted heavily as she climbed the boulders while Ena backed her up.
When walking in the rapids, the trio had their waists tied together by rope
to prevent Yuri from slipping and getting washed away. Ena led the way.
"Oh I am truly sorry for being such a hindrance to you all..."
Yuri apologized with dejection as she made her way arduously.
Naturally, no one else thought that apart from her. No matter what, Yuri
was the true guide of the group, the indispensable compass.
In fact, there were times when the shores of the river were vertical cliffs.
Unable to follow the riverbank, they were forced to take a detour, leaving
the river and advancing by listening to sounds of water. However, due to
the labyrinth's effects, they somehow became lost in the forest.
Just as Godou panicked, thinking they were in a bad situation...
"Please go that way."
Following the direction Yuri indicated resolutely with her finger, they were
able to get back to the stream.
For Yuri's sake, Godou would stop for quick breaks from time to time.
Given his physical stamina, this level of exertion was completely not a
problem. He also had outdoor experience before.
In this manner, they traveled for roughly three hours.
Glancing at his watch, Godou found the time to be approaching 2pm.
Godou felt that Yuri's stamina was almost at her limits. Her eyes wandering
in a daze, her footsteps were weak and unsteady. Whenever anyone
spoke to her, she would be startled before attempting to respond. Seeing
her forcing herself to smile was heartbreaking.
"Let's rest around here for an hour or two."
Although they had been taking breaks every once in a while, it seemed like
it was time for a longer period of rest.
After Godou made his announcement, Yuri immediately showed an
expression of relief.
"U-Understood... Then I shall sit down for a bit over there..."
Yuri walked unsteadily over to the shade under some trees.
But she fell down along the way. Godou and Ena immediately hurried over
to help her up and laid her leaning against a tree.
She most likely collapsed from exhaustion. Resting against the tree trunk,
Yuri fell asleep with audible breathing noises.
"Making you suffer so much of this hardship because of me, I'm really
sorry..."
"Oh well, Yuri is enduring hardship for the sake of fulfilling Your Majesty's
expectations."
While Godou apologized as he gazed at the peaceful sleeping face of the
sheltered young lady, Ena commented with a smile.
This sort of answer from the Seishuuin family's eldest daughter revealed a
glimpse of her true nature. Above being a modern high school girl, she was
first and foremost a highborn Yamato Nadeshiko hailing from a prestigious
family steeped in warrior traditions.
"But it looks like it'll take at least three days to reach the sea if we keep
moving at this pace. Ena and Your Majesty can just make it, but Yuri
probably can't endure to the end."
"You're right. I guess we really have to try that method..."
Godou paced about as he contemplated the idea.
Then he turned to look at the stream that fulfilled the role of a guideline.
In terms of caloric consumption, the idea was vastly superior to marching
on land. However, the dangers involved were likely twenty times greater or
more. Furthermore, they did not have the necessary equipment.
"Your Majesty is so amazing. To think you've got an idea already. What is
it?"
"Yeah, didn't Erica and Liliana mention already? There was someone who
used rafting to get out to sea. But if amateurs like us with no experience
tried it, we'll definitely capsize along the way. Besides, without an inflatable
boat or oars, we can't even attempt the challenge."
In addition, trying to build a wooden boat would require substantial skill and
tools.
Precisely due to these reasons, Godou had abandoned this idea which
had zero chance of realization. However, Ena began to ponder in earnest
after hearing it.
"Seishuuin? This really isn't going to work. There's no need to ponder it so
seriously."
"No, although there are many problems in the details... It's not impossible.
So long as Ena and Yuri make the most of our spells, it should still work."
What!? Godou was greatly surprised by this unforeseen answer.
"Rather than getting cornered without any options because of worrying
about risk, it's better to commit to an attempt. But as expected of Your
Majesty, Ena couldn't possibly have thought up an idea like that!"
The Hime-Miko of the Sword remarked cheerfully with a smile of praise.
"I'm sorry, I completely don't understand what part of my idea is worthy of
your praise."
"No no, Ena always shows admiration for anyone who could come up with
even more ridiculous ideas. Besides, Your Majesty is a person who not
only has ideas but also puts them into action."
"Now that you put it this way, I don't feel like I'm being praised..."
With a subtle feeling, Godou put down his rucksack and began to
rummage through his luggage.
Yuri would probably want to have some light snacks once she woke up.
Godou readied his equipment in preparation for that.
On the other hand, Ena made a childish expression as if about to engage
in mischief.
Taking a knife, she slowly cut down branches from the trees growing on
the riverbank. Then gathering the fallen branches, she took out various
tools from her rucksack.
"~~~~~~♪"
Ena hummed as she engrossed herself in the unknown task.
Finishing preparations for outdoor cooking (which was not much to speak
of), Godou waited leisurely for Yuri to wake up and Ena to finish her task.
Forty minutes passed. With great satisfaction, Ena placed the finished
object into her pocket.
A little while after that, Yuri woke up and began to survey the riverbank
surroundings with a sleepy gaze.
Godou got ready.
Ena took out a bottle of natural stream water on which the words
"wonderfully delicious" were written on it. The water was poured into a
stainless steel pot they were carrying. Then Godou took out a small-sized
gas stove to boil it.
Once the water boiled in the pot, some of it was poured into three
aluminum mugs.
Then instant coffee and sugar from stick-shaped sachets were added and
stirred. The sugar portion was especially generous.
After that, Godou added bag-packaged instant noodles to the boiling water
in the pot.
While waiting for the noodles to cook, Godou called Yuri and Ena over.
"Fufu. This is so sweet and very tasty too."
Scalded slightly by the temperature of the aluminum mug's brim, Yuri was
drinking her coffee in a cherishing manner.
She smiled radiantly. In actual fact, people would find sugar particularly
tasty after exhausting themselves on a long walk. This was due to the
body's desire for energy replenishment.
"Say, Seishuuin, what were you doing just now?"
"Hmm, something I made just in case. I'll explain later."
Seeing Ena busy eating her noodles, Godou decided to pursue the matter
later.
He was quite hungry too. Godou wolfed down the noodles together with
the salty broth. On the other hand, Yuri was gracefully eating her noodles
with a satisfied expression.
Renourished, the trio cleared up efficiently.
Godou still had no intention of setting off immediately. Although they
needed to hurry on their way, it would be placing the cart before the horse
if this caused Yuri to collapse again. Let's rest a little while longer—Godou
thought to himself.
However, before he could give voice to his thoughts, he suddenly sensed
the approach of a situation that rendered his sentence moot.
A great noise was heard. It was the type of noise produced from trees
falling over left and right, trampled by the approach of some kind of
gigantic entity.
Ena stood up and gathered her concentration, directing her focused gaze
towards the noise.
Surprised, Yuri also did the same as her fellow miko.
Then the figure entered Godou's field of vision.
A giant, roughly fourteen or fifteen meters tall. Musclebound all over. Since
all he wore was a loincloth, his extraordinarily developed muscles were
clear to see.
And he was one-eyed. Instead of two eyeballs, he only possessed one.
A one-eyed giant. According to Greek mythology, this would be a cyclops.
Appearing before Godou's group was a new minion of the goddess.
Part 5
The cyclops looked down at Godou's trio from above, making a violent
snort.
He seemed quite excited. It would come as no surprise if he suddenly
attacked. Responding to Ena's consent-seeking gaze, Godou passed Ama
no Murakumo no Tsurugi's usage rights to her.
Then the jet-black divine blade suddenly manifested in the hand of the
Hime-Miko of the Sword in a display of steel might.
As Ena prepared to approach and attack the cyclops in one fell swoop,
Godou gestured to her to stand down.
There was not much point in skirmishing here against an enemy of merely
divine beast class. The mastermind was somewhere else. Godou looked
towards the expansive sky behind the cyclops.
"In any case, you must be watching this! Stop sending these subordinates
and come down yourself!"
Godou called out to the goddess who should be somewhere behind her
minion's back.
The response came instantly. Dazzling light descended from the sky,
glittering as brilliantly as sunlight reflecting off the surface of water.
Countless lights gathered together.
This dazzling brightness swirled in a vortex resembling a galaxy and
descended next to the cyclops.
'Fufufufu. I cannot but answer your summons, my dear. My most beloved
god-slayer!'
The goddess' voice came from the vortex of light floating in midair.
Godou could feel his body and mind overflowing with combat power and
rising emotion. Although she still concealed her appearance, her true body
was definitely present. Then a familiar cawing was heard.
SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK!
The divine eagle flew from the distant sky. The wounds Ena inflicted
seemed to have healed completely.
With the divine eagle gathered with the cyclops, the opposing side's
formation was ready.
"What the heck do you mean by 'most beloved'... You won't even talk to
me face to face."
'We can casually enjoy that kind of activity later.'
The goddess replied to Godou's grumbling in an inexplicably adorable tone
of voice.
'Ufufu. In my view, a man must first possess a strong body and heroic
mettle in order to become mine. My dear, by my eyes of a goddess', I can
tell you are my type of man. How about it, accept these loving feelings and
agree to my invitation, yes?'
"What invitation? Is it going to be... Twisting my arms and legs off again,
right?"
Despite the annoyance Godou was feeling, he still continued to converse:
"If you plan to take me by force, we'll simply have to resist. But I don't
really want to engage in violence. Why don't you give up on me and
continue living your life quietly?"
As a believer in pacifism, Godou tried his best to propose calmly.
However, the goddess in her vortex of light form did not answer. Instead
she seemed to be giving off an impression as though she was smiling
"fufufufu..." Godou sighed.
Just as Amakasu pointed out, this goddess really did seem to have stalker
characteristics.
In that case, Godou had no choice but to respond accordingly. He first
asked:
"Who made this island? Was it you or Alexandre Gascoigne?"
'Ah, what a truly nostalgic name. Speaking of which, he is also a
god-slayer of the present generation. Fufufufu, so it turns out that you two
know each other!'
A correct guess. Godou had mentioned Alec's name simply as a test, but it
turned out to be right on target.
Having gotten a lead, Godou nodded. But then the goddess' next words
caused him to go "Eh?" in great surprise.
'Just as you suggested, this island is something I created to reminisce the
age of myths, using the divine artifact given to me by him—His Highness
Alexandre, as proof of love. This isolated island, as a goddess' territory,
shall become the love nest for Kusanagi-sama and I!'
"P-Proof of love!?"
"Given by Prince Alec!?"
Yuri and Ena were simultaneously dumbstruck by the shocking news.
However, the goddess did not elaborate further on this topic. Instead, her
dazzling brightness intensified compared to before.
In response to the light, the divine eagle suddenly cried out.
SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWK!!
Even the cyclops began to yell sonorously in accord.
UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The savage divine minion stomped his feet. He seemed like he was all to
eager to start "twisting off" Godou's arms and legs. In that case, the
appropriate choice would be—
"For victory, hasten forth before me... O Immortal Sun, I beseech thee to
grant radiance to the stallion!"
Pulling out a trump card suddenly, Godou invoked his greatest firepower,
the [White Stallion].
This Fire Goddess had apparently caused all sorts of commotions over the
past few years. This was enough to satisfy the condition of "a great sinner
who had caused suffering to the people."
Obtaining victory in this manner would be best. Even if the enemy was not
defeated, at least a certain matter could be confirmed—
Believing thus, Godou summoned a second sun into the eastern sky from
where spears of white light were released to descend upon the earth.
Godou intended to engulf the vortex of light that stood as the goddess'
incarnation.
'O light of dawn, offer up to me the shield of gold!'
However, the goddess chanted spell words as if operating under
[2]
pre-established harmony.As her facade, the vortex of light spread itself out like a canopy to block the
[White Stallion].
In the past, Marquis Voban had used the sun god Apollo's authority to
devour these flames. This time, they were absorbed by the goddess'
glittering radiance!
"An existence capable of devouring light must necessarily harbor light
within as well, I see..."
Godou recalled Yuri's oracle from the past.
Just as he thought, this Fire Goddess was also a sun deity. Godou turned
his gaze towards the Hime-Miko beside him. However, Yuri shook her
head with a sad expression.
She was still unable to discern the goddess' true identity.
This meant they could not rely on the [Sword]. Without that weapon,
fighting an enemy in command of a myriad of divine powers would be quite
challenging...
"Your Majesty. Let's take Erica-san's advice and make a run for it as soon
as we find an opportunity."
Godou nodded in agreement with Ena's suggestion.
Having finished shooting flames, the sun in the eastern sky disappeared.
In its place, the divine eagle attacked from the sky while the cyclops on the
ground raised his fist to pummel Godou!
Ena instantly sprang into action. Performing a horizontal sweep with her
partner of steel, she called out.
"Night descends with pitch-black darkness at Makimuku's... Rising sounds
[3]
of the river herald a raging storm."A storm's spell words. With Susanoo's spiritual presence residing in the
Hime-Miko's body, divine possession was invoked.
Instantly transformed into a heaven-sent child of the winds, Ena raised
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi up high and swung, releasing a slicing
vacuum from the jet-black blade. Her target was naturally the incoming
divine eagle in flight.
Exhibiting its superb flying skills, the divine eagle evaded the vacuum
blade by ascending with breathtaking speed.
However, Ena swung Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi in response. The
vacuum blade instantly changed its trajectory to pursue the escaped divine
eagle.
Ena was employing a flying projectile for the purpose of severing the
enemy's wings.
Meanwhile, the cyclops' fist descended like an iron hammer—
Godou blocked with both arms. Naturally, he was using the incarnation of
the [Bull]. Since his opponent was the one-eyed giant, he might as well use
the incarnation of peerless might.
"Daaaaah!"
Godou grabbed the cyclops' fist and swung hard.
Employing the same principle as used in the track and field event of
hammer throwing, 180cm tall Godou was able to launch the 15m cyclops
into the air.
It was truly ridiculous to the extreme.
With a shocked expression, the one-eyed giant fell among the trees in the
forest. Naturally, this could not have inflicted a critical injury. Nevertheless,
it bought time for Godou to summon his next source of battle power.
"The one unblunted and unapproachable! Oath-breaking sinners be
purged by the iron hammer of justice!"
After an interval of mere days, he summoned the [Boar] again.
Within the blink of an eye, the pitch black flames manifesting in midair
transformed into a beast and descended on the ground.
This time, there were two targets—the cyclops and the divine eagle.
Although this was supposed to be a troublesome task, the [Boar] seemed
delighted instead and cried out with joy.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo...
This was the new power Godou had learned about not too long ago. The
preparation prior to releasing super shockwaves.
This groaning was about to turn into the most powerful artillery.
Immediately...
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAR!
Like last time, the [Boar] suddenly released a shockwave from its mouth.
The shockwave blew away the stately body of the divine eagle.
Godou had learned his lesson from last time. The flying king of birds was a
troublesome enemy capable of taking a "firebird" form. By focusing on
defeating it first, he could then handle the enemies on the ground.
Thus he ordered the [Boar] to roar heartily and release a great shockwave.
Even the divine eagle was unable to evade. Blown away by a direct hit, it
crumbled into dust and disappeared.
Nevertheless, the cyclops stood up once again during this time.
The one-eyed giant raised its arm towards the sky. Next, dark clouds
gathered densely in the sky and released lightning. The zigzagging lighting
struck the [Boar]'s gigantic body.
ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR!
The [Boar] howled in pain. However, Ena had already started running while
this was happening.
Running swiftly like a wolf, she swiftly took care of the cyclops, landing a
slice on his right shin. A full powered cut performed with Ama no
Murakumo no Tsurugi. Even the one-eyed giant was unable to endure
such an attack and fell backwards.
Ena sliced again. This time, she aimed at the left shin.
The [Boar] charged mercilessly at the unbalanced enemy whose legs were
both injured by slicing wounds.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!
Ramming at full power with its head, the [Boar] stabbed its two tusks,
sharp as swords, into the enemy's belly. Then withdrawing its tusks, it
slammed with its body again.
The cyclops was sent flying like a rag.
Lying on the ground, the giant was on his last breath. Landing a decisive
blow at this moment was probably no challenge at all.
However, Godou suddenly realized with surprise. Compared to the battle
at Kimigahama, the divine eagle and giant were rather fragile. Last time,
the Fire Goddess had clearly injected power into her minions to power
them up.
Why did she not do so this time?
'Indeed you are ferocious and brave... Now that is the hero worthy of my
attentions, Kusanagi-sama!'
Hovering in the sky, the vortex of light murmured.
The princess goddess' voice seemed to be filled with absolute confidence
and calm. Godou began to tremble without reason. His Campione instincts
had sensed danger and was warning him!
'In that case, I shall not be stingy. Come, you girls, demons of the wind!
Hum for the terrifying Devil King the song held in reserve, one he cannot
hear!'
A song of spell words. Godou instantly raised his magical power.
If the enemy was using magic, he should raise his magical power as high
as he could to deflect it. This was a technique commonly seen in battles
between gods and god-slayers.
In one breath, Godou heightened in his body the magical power belonging
to a Campione.
Everything was all set—That was what one would normally expect.
Nevertheless, Godou had a strange feeling, as if some "foreign body" had
entered his body...?
'Fufufu. Faced against a god-slayer accustomed to battle, quite a lot of
spells cannot take much of an effect. Hence I used the blowing wind to
carry a spell in an attempt to send it into your body's interior. Rather
successfully, apparently.'
Did the goddess achieve a similar effect as what normally required oral
intake!?
Godou was greatly shocked. Had he known about this, he surely would
have tried to resist. But now it was too late. Much too late.
What kind of spell had been cast on his body—?
Trembling, Godou saw a change occurring before his eyes. A great many
geometric patterns appeared in the sky, tracing out a glowing magic circle.
Then the goddess chanted:
'Come. Before a beautiful goddess, sharp swords are unnecessary, are
they not? Violent spears and arrows for shooting prey are likewise useless.
Shed your armor, throw down your shield, come to my side!'
Instantly, the [Boar] disappeared from Godou's sight. In its stead, a stylized
[Boar] emblem manifested in the magic circle in the sky.
"...Stolen, huh?"
Godou muttered in shock as he gradually understood.
The spell just now had stolen Verethragna's incarnation. He attempted to
transmit commands to the [Boar] but there was no response. He could no
longer feel the divine beast's existence at all!
'O great and valiant hero, hurry over to my side!'
The goddess proceeded to chant further.
Godou could sense something else being taken from within his body.
Immediately, the magic circle in the sky displayed emblems of a horse and
a bull. The [White Stallion] and the [Bull] were also taken.
"Godou-san! If this continues, all the incarnations will be stolen!"
Yuri suddenly yelled out beside him, her face full of worry.
"Please try your hardest to resist the goddess' spell! Hurry!"
This urgent command was completely unlike the gentle Yamato
Nadeshiko.
Nevertheless, this was due to the current desperate situation. Godou
raised his magical power again.
Silently, he recited Verethagna's scripture in his mind with great force. I am
the strongest, holding all victory in my hands. Man and devil, all enemies,
all who harbor enmity will be vanquished!
Singlemindedly focused on defeating the foreign object in his body, he
concentrated his thoughts on breaking the goddess' spell.
However, during this time—
More emblems continued to appear in the magic circle.
The patterns swirled like a tornado. Next were the goat, the ram, the
raptor—Defeat was imminent if this continued!
"Damn it. Is everything going to be stolen!?"
Yelling from the bottom of his lungs, Godou summoned all his magical
power to drive out the invisible enemy.
Then Godou finally sensed the disappearance of the rampant magic within
his body.
"Of the ten incarnations... Only three remain, huh."
Seven emblems were glowing in the magic circle in the sky.
Left within Godou's body were the three incarnations of the [Camel], the
[Youth] and the [Warrior]. All the rest had been stolen.
"She possesses the power to capture heroes and enslave them. Being a
glorious hero god, Verethragna has been ensnared by her powerful
qualities as a femme fatale..."
"What a troublesome ability to handle..."
Hearing Yuri's oracle, Ena muttered in shock.
Her reaction was perfectly reasonable. Faced with a completely
unforeseen attack, even Godou was completely stunned.
'Fufufufu. Kusanagi-sama, you should give up. Be my captive—this implies
becoming a goddess' lover, you know? Let us get along in harmony to
enjoy eternal love? Cultivating romance between a goddess and a
god-slayer should prove to be most amusing!'
Godou's only remaining weapons were Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi and
three incarnations.
But in the current situation, both the [Youth] and the [Warrior] could not be
used. Godou was also highly doubtful of the [Camel]'s usefulness in
dealing with a goddess who used magic.
Godou felt himself being cornered into desperation.
'Come, Kusanagi-sama. Please come to my side.'
Up until this point, the goddess had taken the form of a swirling vortex of
light.
This glittering brilliance changed in form to take on human appearance. A
woman's silhouette as slender as a juniper. Then her height expanded to
roughly five meters.
Reaching out with her slender arms, she intended to capture him.
Damn it! I can't just do nothing to resist!? A savage grin appeared on
Godou's face involuntarily. Just as he prepared to struggle to the bitter
end—
"I won't let you have His Majesty! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
With a vigorous yell, the Hime-Miko of the Sword swung Ama no
Murakumo no Tsurugi in a slash.
Infused with Susanoo's divine presence, the divine sword severed the
goddess' arm at the elbow!
'Kyaaaaaaaaaah!'
The goddess screamed, causing Godou to jump in surprise.
The goddess' silhouette form dissipated and reformed as the vortex of
light. Rising up into the gray sky covered by dense thunderclouds, it
seemed like she was fleeing from Ena and Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
To think the sword slash just now could display such might against a
[Heretic God]—
As Godou was overcome with surprise, the vortex of light entered the
cluster of thunderclouds.
Next, the dark clouds covering the sky kept releasing lightning and started
to attack their location.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!
Every time lightning struck the ground, rumbling thunder was produced
with great impact.
While avoiding this place, the goddess seemed to be firing off lightning
strikes nonstop. Thunder rumbled continuously without pause.
The lightning had yet to strike the trio of Godou, Yuri and Ena. However, it
was going to happen sooner or later.
If they continued to stay here, they would probably be burnt to a crisp by
lightning in a matter of minutes. Just at this moment—
"Your Majesty... The thing mentioned earlier is already prepared. Ena is
ready any time you want."
The Hime-Miko of the Sword murmured softly.
The thing mentioned earlier, could it be that!? Godou looked at the stream
and turned his gaze back at Ena. She responded with a fearless smile.
They were really going to do that!?
Godou could barely contain his surprise but he nodded deeply at the same
time.
Indeed, that was the only way to seek an escape route. He instantly made
his decision. Since Ena said it could be done, he would trust in and leave
things to her. However—
Kusanagi Godou had one more companion. What about her?
"...Mariya. I have a very ridiculous idea. I am very sorry for asking you to
accompany me in my recklessness, but could you please accompany me?"
Godou called out as he watched the stream.
Yuri went "Eh?" with surprise and followed Godou's gaze. Then she turned
to look at her childhood friend Ena's expression, only to see her gazing at
the flowing stream. Apparently garnering an understanding of what
everything meant, Yuri's expression stiffened.
But then her expression change immediately. With a dignified expression
worthy of her "Hime" title, Yuri nodded as she leaned close to Godou and
spoke:
"I am coming too. Godou-san, please take me along!"
"Yuri, accompanied by the two of us, His Majesty must be sent to a safe
place. Naturally, we will stay together till the very end. Are you ready?"
Ena also came to Godou's side. Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi had
already disappeard from her hand, returning to within Godou's body.
Yuri nodded with a resolute expression in response to her childhood
friend's inquiry.
"Great. As soon as Ena uses the spell, we'll all ride on it. Then just keep
casting all the protective, disaster warding and anti-drowning spells you
can think of and we'll be fine!"
As the Hime-Miko yelled, thunder rumbled overhead.
Using this as an impromptu signal, the trio of Godou, Yuri and Ena all
jumped into the stream—