Guided by the vortex of [Wind], Godou was brought to an unknown land.
Godou nodded, acknowledging the result of the instantaneous
teleportation performed using Verethragna's authority.
Finding himself on a riverside strewn with gravel, Godou was confronted by
a mixed forest's autumn leaves of vivid red. Clearly this was in a mountain
forest somewhere. Seishuuin Ena, who had "summoned" Godou here, was
a girl who trained in the mountains as if it were her daily homework.
She was currently a few meters ahead.
Ena usually wore that uniform from some high school who knows where.
However, this time she was dressed Japanese style with a white kimono
top, a red, male-style hakama and a pair of wooden geta clogs.
This attire was rather fitting for a miko and someone training in the
mountains.
Furthermore, she was wielding a wooden sword in a stance.
Her blade was pointed towards a certain direction—a familiar set of three
eyes!
A pair of slender eyes hovering in midair with a third eye that opened
vertically. Godou yelled out:
"Seishuuin! That thing is apparently the will of a god called Erlang
whatever!"
"Erlang... Could it actually be the Illustrious Sage, True Lord Erlang? This
thing was trying to take over Ena's body, almost succeeding in its surprise
attack."
While explaining nonchalantly, Ena still kept her gaze and the wooden
sword directed towards the enemy.
But judging from the tone of her voice, she clearly did not feel like she was
in danger. This was because she knew very well that she was the one who
had invoked Godou's [Wind] incarnation. As expected of the Hime-Miko of
the Sword, her boldness was exceptional.
"Rather than an actual god, this thing would be better described as part of
a god's will, left behind in the world... That's what it feels like. Because it
doesn't seem to have a material body, Ena thinks that as long as one
prevents it from possessing someone's body, there won't be much
danger."
Godou nodded emphatically in response to Ena's words.
As the user of the mystic technique, divine possession, she was more
experienced than anyone in the area of contact with gods. Together with
the fact that she possessed instincts like a beast, Godou was convinced
she must be right.
However, Godou and Ena immediately stared with their eyes wide open in
surprise.
The sun had already set, giving rise to a starry sky above. Radiantly
flashing blue spheres of light were now descending from the night sky.
These spheres of light floated down slowly like snowflakes.
The blue spheres of light landed on the three eyeballs. In the next instant,
the three eyes transformed into the form of a tall young man—his
handsome face bearing stern dignity and propriety. His attire was
reminiscent of Beijing opera costumes, Chinese in style and rather colorful.
It resembled the military leader costume the Great Sage Equaling Heaven
had worn.
Furthermore, he still had three eyes as if it were the most natural thing in
the world. The vertically-opening third eye was positioned on his forehead!
(Hereby stands the nephew of the Jade Emperor, the general commanding
the forces of heaven and earth, bearing the name of Erlang the Illustrious
Sage and True Lord. Kusanagi Godou, as the villainous Devil King, you
are the target I seek to vanquish. Prepare yourself.)
The young man announced his name and smiled clearly and candidly.
This smile was filled with the sort of magnificence belonging to someone
who was utterly convinced of his own righteousness.
On the other hand, the voice he used to announce his name was neither
clear nor candid. Instead, it sounded like a whisper.
This loudness should not be audible normally, but through suspicious
divine powers, the voice was delivered to Godou and Ena's earshot.
"It turned into... a god?"
"This is something along the lines of a god's legacy will or regrets
combining intimately with a body."
This sudden change greatly surprised Godou and Ena. However, there
was no time to ponder the matter.
True Lord Erlang manifested a bladed weapon in his hand. The front part
of the blade was shaped into three prongs—It's the double-edged trident!
"Watch out, Your Majesty!"
True Lord Erlang swung the double-edged trident to slash Godou.
Before the weapon could reach Godou, Ena stepped before him and
blocked its path, intending to protect Godou. However, her weapon was
merely an ordinary wooden sword—Godou immediately called out.
"Ama no Murakumo! Go and help Seishuuin!"
Alerted of the situation by Godou, Ena immediately threw away the
wooden sword in her hand.
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi suddenly manifested in her empty hands.
Similar in structure to a Japanese sword, the divine sword had a mildly
curving black blade. Swinging the sword she called her partner, Ena
slashed at True Lord Erlang.
The respective blades of the god and the Hime-Miko clashed together.
Then they began exchanging blows, two or three at a time—Godou and
Ena were dumbfounded once more.
Finding Ena's sword attack too difficult to evade normally, True Lord Erlang
took a great leap backwards. Indeed, Ena was a master of the sword.
Nevertheless, she should not be skilled enough to overwhelm a deity who
was known as a warrior god of combat. Despite this being the case, why
would he retreat...?
(—Hmph. Mobility is rather restricted since this is merely a crude body. I
shall have to wait for some time. Once I grow accustomed to this body, I
shall return for a rematch...) {{#ifeq: {{PAGENAME}} | Campione!:BR SS 6
}}
The god whispered. Immediately after that, the three-eyed, handsome
young man vanished like a puff of smoke.
"Oh? So that god appeared because of Ena and the rest? Sorry sorry."
"I have no intention of reprimanding you for that, but if you're going to
apologize, a little more sincerity would be more appropriate."
After recounting the series of occurrences, Godou voiced his objections to
Ena's airheaded apology.
According to Ena, this mountain was somewhere in a corner of Chichibu.
She was training in the mountains as usual, using the deep mountain aura
to cleanse and purify her body and mind.
"In that case, we'll just have to wait here for the strange god(?) to attack
again. After all, he only came to this place for the purpose of targeting me.
Plus deep in the mountains here, we won't be causing trouble to people
and cities."
"Yes, understood. Let's do that."
Ena grinned and calmly expressed agreement.
In actual fact, Kusanagi Godou and Seishuuin Ena were surprisingly
similar people. Both possessed animal-like instincts and personalities that
tended to take action before worrying, thus allowing them to act decisively
during emergencies.
Given these two as a team, prolonged strategy planning would be the last
thing one would expect.
"Then the last issue is where we should wait for that guy to appear.
Although we could just stay here, it's really quite cold."
Just earlier, Godou was still in the city center of Tokyo.
But now, he was in the deep mountains of Chichibu where autumn was in
full swing. The location was also at quite a high altitude. With only regular
street clothes, whether the wind or the night air itself, both felt rather chilly.
"Well, let's take Your Majesty to a nice place. There's a mountain hut not
too far from here."
Ena immediately suggested.
"I know the old man who uses the place when he comes here for gathering
mountain vegetables and hunting. Ena also keeps stuff like rice and miso
there for emergency situations. So we can make dinner there."
"Dinner eh? That's a really great idea."
Although Godou already had dinner earlier, it was not enough to fill his
stomach completely. Furthermore, a meal to warm up his cold body would
be most gratifying. Godou's eyes began to shine brightly.
Thus the two of them started walking along a mountain path.
Before setting off, Ena wrote a letter using notebook paper and an
oil-based marker she had brought. After folding the paper four times and
throwing it into the air, the letter suddenly vanished. This was mailing
magic for sending letters faraway. In this case, the destination was the
Sayanomiya residence.
This was for reporting Godou and Ena's situation to Kaoru, Yuri, Liliana
and the rest because cellphones had no reception in a mountain like this.
However, this spell could not be used unless the receiver's location was
known, which meant that Godou and Ena had no way of obtaining a
reply...
At any rate, Godou and Ena fulfilled their minimum obligation to keep in
touch.
Godou followed Ena along the mountain path which took them upstream of
the river. Sometimes they had to push vegetation aside and other times
they had to follow animal trails.
Naturally, there were no street lights or anything of that sort while they
traveled at night like this.
When they walked in areas with a clear view of the sky, the moon and the
stars offered illumination. The stars in the night canopy of the sky proved to
be an unexpected bright source of light.
However, there was no such blessing when moving amidst dense foliage.
During these times, it felt like wandering in darkness with something sticky
entangling one's body and Godou's only beacon was the view of Ena's
back ahead of him. Even an experienced hiker would probably have
difficulty advancing in these conditions.
On the other hand, Kusanagi Godou was a Campione.
In actual fact, given the "special constitution" of a godslayer, Godou
possessed rather powerful night vision.
Well, it was still impossible for him to see clearly in complete darkness. But
given "this level of darkness," there was no problem at all. Like a nocturnal
beast, Godou followed closely behind Ena.
Speaking of which, there seemed to be someone who had called
Campiones like Godou and others "god-slaying beasts"—
"Well, good night vision doesn't necessarily translate into hiking prowess..."
Godou muttered as he followed behind Ena.
Because she was the child of nature who treated mountain training as part
of her everyday life, Ena walked rather quickly despite hiking at night. And
to think she was also carrying a case containing her luggage—the "secret
box" as it was known in the world of mountain training.
Godou had to summon his best effort to keep up or else he would soon be
left behind.
That said, although his steps were not as quick and nimble, he did not pant
or become out of breath. For someone who had always taken pride in his
stamina, at least he succeeded in preserving his self-esteem. On the other
hand, it was quite likely that Ena had intentionally controlled her pace to
accommodate an "amateur" like him...
After walking a fair distance, they came to the side of a river again.
This place appeared to be upstream of their previous location. Godou
suddenly had an idea.
"If we're going to make dinner, it'd be nice to catch some fish from this
river."
"Yeah, but you won't have much luck fishing here. So it's best not to try."
"Really? The water looks so clear here, so I thought lots of fish would
inhabit it."
Ena's nonchalant answer puzzled Godou.
The Hime-Miko of the Sword walking in front turned her head around, a
grin displayed on her lips.
"There is a rapid current slightly downstream from here leading to a
waterfall. The current is so fast that even fish find it difficult to swim in,
which is why fish are rare in this area."
"Wow, this is really deep in the mountains."
The water flowing by should really be called the headwater or upper course
rather than a river.
Feeling impressed, Godou nodded.
Although he was an athletic proponent of outdoor activities with plenty of
camping and hiking experience, he had seldom stepped foot so deeply into
the mountains. Without Ena as his guide, he would most probably run into
trouble quickly.
At the same time, he was quite surprised by the [Wind]'s ability to transport
him instantaneously this deep into the mountains.
But then again, this was the incarnation capable of transcending
boundaries between reality and the Netherworld. Godou felt that so long as
conditions were satisfied, he could even fly across to the other side of the
globe.
Walking along this river, Godou and Ena soon arrived before a mountain
hut.
It was a crude wooden dwelling built not too far from the river.
Were it in a city, an old and decrepit building like this would have been
knocked down long ago. Not only was the entire house covered by a thin
layer of dirt, it was also making creaking noises.
At least it still had a roof and despite the thin wooden boards used, it did
have walls.
Given the current situation, it could be considered three-star
accommodations. Following Ena who behaved as if she were returning to
her own home, Godou entered with gratitude.
On their first encounter, Ena had brewed the same type of powdered tea
she was serving now.
Last time, Ena's casual yet experienced looking manner of preparation
resulted in very tasty tea. Currently, Ena was lighting up a fire on the
hearth which was already smoked black from use.
A pot of water was freshly boiled over it.
"Although this isn't anything special and it's just crude tea literally... Please
enjoy, Your Majesty."
Just as Godou expected, the crude tea Ena prepared casually turned out
to be really tasty.
Despite the poorly preserved tea leaves in the hut and the use of an
ordinary teapot one could find anywhere, the rich flavor made all these
adverse conditions seem like a lie.
However, Godou went "Eh?" in puzzlement after drinking the tea.
Fishing rice grains out of a sack, Ena tossed them into the boiling water in
the same manner as she had prepared the tea. She was quite casual
about it. Rather than standing in testament to her free and unfettered
personality, this simply gave Godou an impression of appropriate
casualness.
"Let me warn beforehand. Do not expect too much from the taste of Ena's
cooking."
"But I find your tea tasty as always, Seishuuin."
"Well, see, the art of tea has been part of a general's knowledge ever since
ancient times."
This daughter, hailing from a family that gave rise to generals in the
Warring States Period, explained in a pretentiously knowing manner.
Her original personality aside, Ena had received an excellent Yamato
Nadeshiko education as a descendant from the House of Seishuuin. Could
it be possible that cooking was one area she did not excel in?
Intrigued, Godou brought up another subject.
"That three-eyed guy... Do you think he can be considered a god?"
After the brief conflict just now, this was the question that had occupied
Godou's mind as he hiked.
The handsome young man transformed from the three eyes—
Whether facing the set of eyes or the handsome young man, Godou's body
and mind had filled with power for battle. This could be taken as proof of a
god. However, the enemy's avoidance of a battle with Ena seemed a little
contrary to the ways of [Heretic Gods]...
"Yes. It should be considered a god, probably. A god originating from the
talisman of the Illustrious Sage, there is no mistake that he is the hero,
True Lord Erlang, who defeated Sun Wukong."
Although delivered with a casual tone of voice, Ena still concurred with
Godou's idea.
"Then some sort of circumstance is preventing him from going all out, but
I've no idea what."
"You think so too, Seishuuin? Well, I don't think pondering about it any
further would yield anything useful. Since Mariya isn't here, let's just put the
matter aside for now."
No matter what sort of origins the enemy had, ultimately Godou still had to
meet him in battle.
Deciding that, Godou and Ena nodded to each other.
For this pair whose instinctual and beast-like skills surpassed their intellect,
agreement was easily reached in situations like this one.
If Erica was present, she would probably mock him sardonically, going
'Despite insisting your adherence to reason all the time, you always end up
acting the same way, Godou...'
"If you feel concerned, why don't we try asking Grampsy?"
Ena suddenly suggested.
"The talisman of the Illustrious Sage... This thing came from Grampsy and
company in the Netherworld. Some kind of divine talisman prepared
somewhere and taken for the purpose of sealing the dragon and snake
vanquishing hero, Sun Wukong."
"Susanoo and those guys huh... Well, forget about it then."
The ancient ones who acted as the History Compilation Committee's
"council of elders." The one acting as chief was Susanoo—recalling the
storm god who lived secluded in the Netherworld, Godou immediately
responded.
"That guy's not gonna give us an honest answer."
"Yeah, Ena thinks so too, actually."
Ena nodded as if pleased with their agreement. She smiled for some
reason.
"What's up, Seishuuin? You look so happy."
"Fufu. Because Your Majesty tends to share the same opinion as me most
of the time, it's quite easy to imagine what you're thinking. Other than Your
Majesty, there are very few... No, there's no one else who has a mind that
thinks like Ena."
"W-Why do I feel like I'm nowhere near as ridiculous as you, Seishuuin..."
"What are you talking about? Your Majesty is roughly a hundred times
more ridiculous than Ena."
Whether as a miko or a Yamato Nadeshiko, Seishuuin Ena was a girl
beyond the realm of normal.
Godou could not help but protest against such a comment coming from
someone like her. That said, after scrutinizing his own behavior, Godou
could only swallow the words he was almost about to spit out—
Could she have guessed what he was thinking? As if encouraging Godou,
Ena patted him on the shoulder.
"Cheer up. It's alright. No matter how ridiculous a person you are, Your
Majesty, we will always stay by your side. No need to mind Ena and the
rest of us, just continue to charge forward!"
"On the other hand, I wish you girls could restrain me before I charge
forward..."
"Then it won't be very interesting. Besides, no one can stop Your Majesty
when you're charging forward."
After commenting on Godou's personality with full confidence, Ena
changed the subject.
"By the way... Your Majesty has already decided to fight, right?"
"Well yeah. That Erlang whatever guy seems to have his sights set on me.
And if he really is a [Heretic God], then I need to take him down before he
raises a commotion. That's really the way it should be done."
"Then, umm... That is necessary after all, right?"
Godou stared blankly all of a sudden. What was that referring to? Hence
Ena whispered softly:
"The sword for slicing apart True Lord Erlang. It's a simple matter for you to
obtain knowledge about what kind of god he is. All you need to do is ask,
Your Majesty, and Ena will prepare immediately."
"Ehhh!?"
Asked by her so suddenly, Godou was rendered speechless. Then he also
noticed.
Ena had started at some point to look up to him shyly as if observing his
face for his intentions.
"B-Back in Nikkou when fighting side by side, Your Majesty has already
recognized Ena as your woman, right?"
"R-R-R-Recognition is a bit premature to say. Besides, I'd curse and scold
myself if I lived so irresponsibly as a despicable human being!"
"In any case, Ena is known publically as Your Majesty's woman. So it's
fine..."
"Fine—!?"
"No matter how many times Your Majesty wishes to kiss... It's fine. Yes,
Ena wants to kiss Your Majesty."
Hey hey. Isn't this behavior for instilling knowledge required for battling
gods rather than for the sake of kissing?
Godou wanted to say this but could not bring himself to do so. As he
thought, this was because mouth-to-mouth action was too shocking for
him.
"Back then was when everyone was together... But Ena really wants to
have a good and proper kiss with Your Majesty alone..."
Ena's lips trembled as she whispered softly. She was quite nervous.
The girl, unaccustomed to this behavior, was mustering her courage to
'plead' with him. In order to fight the god again, the trump card, the [Spell
Words of the Sword], must be prepared beforehand after all.
These thoughts swirled into a vortex in Godou's mind as dozens of
seconds passed. A brief moment of hesitation. But after overcoming these
doubts, Godou finally made his decision.
Reaching out with his hand, he embraced Ena's body that was slender yet
suitably voluptuous in all the right places.
"I'm relying on you. Please tell me about the god, True Lord Erlang."
"Ah..."
Godou used his lips to seal Ena's mouth just as she was about to whisper,
stealing her lips.
Smooch. With the coming together of mucous membranes, the harmonious
sounds roused Godou's inner passion to a blaze.
He separated from Ena's lips for an instant. The usually carefree girl
displayed a sad expression, reluctant to part. Her eyes seemed to be
pleading as she gazed at Godou, she did not speak.
She was feeling shy. This was an expression and attitude Godou could not
imagine coming from the way Ena usually acted.
Finding her adorable, Godou once again drew near her lips.
Ena's face instantly brightened up. Pressing their lips together, they began
to kiss again.
Godou sucked on the Ena's lips as she displayed a blissful expression,
enjoying a fulfilling feeling of satisfaction.
"Your Majesty, let's have another go... Okay?"
Seductive words came from Ena's lips.
As Ena panted heavily, Godou kissed her even more forcefully, sucking on
her lips.
On the other hand, Ena remained passive as if betraying her own request.
All she did was yield and accommodate Godou.
She was completely different from Erica in this regard and unaccustomed
to this behavior. She probably had little idea of what to do in this situation.
Finding Ena inexorably adorable like this, Godou inserted his tongue into
Ena's mouth and probed deep.
"Mmm... Ah!"
Surprised, Ena moaned. But unfazed, Godou began to explore her tongue
inside Ena's mouth.
The two tongues entangled each other and came together intimately as
one. Wetting each other's lips with their saliva, they gazed into each other's
eyes.
After a long and thorough kiss, Godou moved his lips away again.
Ena's face was blushing red from ecstasy as she nodded at Godou,
indicating it was about time to perform the "ritual." Godou covered her
mouth with his lips to substitute for an answer.
"Th-The Illustrious Sage, True Lord Erlang is an ancient Chinese god. He
is also known for his monster-slaying ability..."
Their lips pressed together, Ena seemed especially adorable as she
murmured softly, accompanied by weak breaths.
"His prototype was once thought to be a general from the either the Qin or
Sui dynasties. A man with great accomplishments in regulating floods.
However, like the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, he ended up
amalgamating historical facts with all sorts of folk stories to produce the
current form of True Lord Erlang's legend..."
Their lips pressed together, spell words passed from one to the other,
building a magical connection between the two of them. {{#ifeq:
{{PAGENAME}} | Campione!:BR SS 6 | |
}}
Knowledge about True Lord Erlang the Illustrious Sage flowed into
Godou's mind, the result of the spell words Ena had composed. Kissing
repeatedly in this manner, the two transferred knowledge.
Not long after, Godou nodded greatly.
Knowledge about an enemy god was the requirement for using
Verethragna's tenth incarnation, the [Warrior].
Once this knowledge was obtained, everything was ready. Godou
confirmed that he was able to use this weapon. Filled with gratitude,
Godou finally kissed Ena gently on the lips.
"Fufu. Ena is so happy to be able to help Your Majesty..."
After smiling adorably, Ena suddenly jumped in surprise.
She frantically separated herself from Godou's body. While engaged in
their behavior, they had embraced each other, driven by their heightened
emotions. Ena seemed to be suddenly embarrassed by her actions.
Avoiding Godou's gaze, Ena bowed her head, looking very shy. This sort
of behavior made her usual boldness seem like a farfetched lie. Seeing her
act so adorably, Godou decided he would feel bad if he extended her
embarrassment any further. Hence he decided not to strike up
conversation for now.
The pair remained silent for a brief while.
However, the silence was not awkward. Instead, there was a feeling as if
their hearts were connected and they could communicate without words.
Godou spontaneously looked up and found his gaze meeting with Ena's.
Feeling a little embarrassed, he peeked at Ena. Likewise, Ena peeked at
Godou and they both smiled shyly at the same time.
Regaining their composure after a while, Ena looked at the pot on the
hearth and said:
"Oh, looks like it's about done."
Thin porridge had been cooking over a slow fire during this time. Ena took
out two little containers carrying salt and miso respectively.
Worrying about this Hime-Miko who was unskilled in cooking, Godou
offered to help:
"If you don't mind, how about you let me do the rest?"
"It's okay, I want to test out the secret recipe I learned from an older man
I'm acquainted with."
"Secret recipe? Sounds quite amazing."
"It's quite simple really. I remember him saying it when he was boiling
something in a pot. No need to put too much stuff, just add enough miso to
make the taste palatable. That's what he said roughly."
Using her usual unrefined manner, Ena scattered salt and miso into the
thin porridge. After giving it a taste, she went "That's about right" and
declared her task complete.
Pouring the thin porridge into their teacups, Godou and Ena began to eat.
In terms of results, it was quite a satisfying meal.
As the taste of miso spread throughout Godou's hungry stomach which
had emptied as a result of physical exertion, the hot porridge warmed up
his cold body.
However, the best seasoning was actually the opportunity to partake in this
outdoor cooking with a kindred spirit like Ena here. Several hours passed
after the weapon was prepared and dinner was eaten—
Completely ready, Godou suddenly shuddered. Power coursed through his
body and his emotions began to rise. These were battle preparations.
A Campione's body and mind would automatically enter battle readiness
whenever a god approached.
As he gestured to Ena with his eyes, the Hime-Miko of the Sword nodded.
The two stood up and went outside the hut.
The approaching enemy should be the handsome god—the Illustrious
Sage, True Lord Erlang.
"I knew it huh..."
Just as expected, a handsome young man was standing outside the hut,
dressed glamorously. As Godou nodded at the sight, Ena instantly stepped
forward from his side. She intended to participate in the battle.
"Your Majesty, Ama no Murakumo please."
Godou slowly opened his right palm and granted her the divine sword's
usage rights.
This now allowed Ena to summoned the "partner" at any time. However, in
contrast to the girl who readied herself for battle, True Lord Erlang spoke,
using his whispering voice as usual.
(O child of mankind, untainted by evil, I have no intention of harming an
innocent girl. Only evil monsters are my targets for slaying.)
It sounded like a voice carried by wind from afar.
Under normal conditions, they should be hearing a candid and manly
voice, right?
Such was the impression given by True Lord Erlang(?)'s voice.
(Would you please stand down as a show of respect to the Illustrious
Sage, True Lord Erlang...?)
"Impossible. As His Majesty's woman, Ena is responsible for managing his
sword—this partner. I will protect His Majesty even at the cost of my life."
The jet-black divine sword suddenly manifested in Ena's hand as she
made her bold declaration. The Hime-Miko's entire body proceeded to be
filled with Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi's divine aura.
Using this technique of divine possession, Ena obtained combat power
allowing her to fight divine beasts, existences one step below gods.
True Lord Erlang smiled tenderly in response.
(Excellent resolve. Disregarding your foolishness of serving the wrong
master, my name of Yang Erlang shall be tainted if I should fail to
commend you for your loyalty. In that case, I swear I shall defeat Kusanagi
Godou without bringing you to any harm!)
He really acted so much like an "ally of justice" that one could almost see a
halo behind him.
It was quite fitting for a god known for benevolence and evil slaying.
Nevertheless, Godou was quite surprised. He recalled the [Heretic God],
Verethragna, he had met in the very beginning.
Thinking back closely, that youth was also a protector god of justice.
However, wandering on earth, he was devoured by the maniacal nature of
his heretic self, twisting his original divinity subtly, going as far as to make
him a menace to the inhabitants of Sardinia.
In contrast, True Lord Erlang the Illustrious Sage displayed such dazzling
splendor—
Incomprehensible. Godou cast his doubts aside for now. He currently had
to fight this three-eyed god.
"The Illustrious Sage, True Lord Erlang, was born as the nephew of the
emperor of the heavens, the highest god in the Daoist pantheon!"
Godou spoke spell words softly, taking on the [Warrior] incarnation.
In order to create the blade for slicing apart this benevolent god, he
continued to utter spell words.
"In ancient times, the sister of the emperor of the heavens descended
upon the earth and bore a child with a human. This child is True Lord
Erlang. As a soldier, indeed he served his uncle in the celestial realm."
Spheres of light appeared one after another in Godou's surroundings.
"However, the majority of his stories take place in the mortal realm,
including the subduing of Sun Wukong. Despite being a god, True Lord
Erlang made his residence in China's Guanzhou prefecture. After receiving
divine orders to defeat Sun Wukong who was causing mayhem in the
lower realm, he stepped forward to subdue the monkey."
Within the blink of an eye, the spheres of light now numbered in the
hundreds.
Like radiant stars in a galaxy, shining in the night sky, these were all
blades for slicing True Lord Erlang apart and weapons that moved in
accordance with Godou's thoughts.
Readying his deadly sword formation, Godou glared at his enemy sharply.
"A noble heavenly being who lingered in the mortal realm to fight and
perform benevolent deeds. In other words, a legend of a wandering noble.
Rather than a pure god of war, he was a archetypical protagonist from
legends of wandering nobles—this is precisely True Lord Erlang's
characteristic and the reason why the people revere and praise him!"
Responding to these spell words that carried the intent to attack, dozens of
spheres of light flew towards True Lord Erlang.
On the other hand, the three-eyed, handsome young man smiled
cheerfully despite being the target. He was quite composed.
(Hmph. To be honest, I already understand your sword quite well.)
These words, delivered with a smile, greatly surprised Godou.
(Indeed, the spell words for slicing through us gods is a troublesome
weapon. But so long as one knows its operating principles, one could
easily come up with quite a number of counters.)
"Counters!?"
As Godou watched in surprise, True Lord Erlang underwent a
transformation.
The three-eyed handsome young man instantly took on the form of a
monkey. Standing 160cm in height, wearing a yellow Beijing opera
costume, wielding the Ruyi Staf—this appearance belonged precisely to
the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong!
(Behold, I am not the divine lord, the Illustrious Sage. My family name is
Sun, given name is Wukong... The Great Sage Equaling Heaven hereby
announces his entry!)
The flying spell words of the sword all struck Sun Wukong/True Lord
Erlang.
However, these spheres of light, which were normally supposed to slice
through his divinity, only ended up bumping into Sun Wukong's body of
flesh. They were unable to cause any damage at all!
"This is a spell of transformation, Your Majesty. Like Sun Wukong, True
Lord Erlang is also a god skilled in transformation!"
"Using [Transformation] to become another god, thereby obtaining a body
unaffected by the [Sword]!?"
The spell words for slicing True Lord Erlang could not cut the Great Sage
Equaling Heaven.
Through Ena's warning and the [Warrior]'s eyes that could see through an
enemy's traits, Godou discerned what his enemy had done.
Furthermore, he discovered another fact.
Apart from the [Warrior], none of Verethragna's incarnations were
available.
Let alone the [Bull] or the [Raptor], even the trump card that was in certain
ways more precious than the [Warrior]—the [White Stallion]—could not be
used.
Godou frowned.
[Heretic Gods] and Campiones were existences reviled by the world for the
most part.
Consequently, the [White Stallion] incarnation was able to take a decisive
role in most of Godou's battles by exterminating the people's public enemy.
However, in True Lord Erlang's case—
He had shown consideration by refraining from harming Liliana, Yuri, Ena
and the others.
In other words, True Lord Erlang's actions embodied his existence as a
"perfect god of benevolence" who "only vanquished evil." Hence, he could
not possibly become the [White Stallion]'s target.
"None of my usual tactics work at all... So I guess the 'nemesis' Mariya
mentioned is this guy huh."
Finding the enemy more difficult to handle than expected, Godou muttered.
But involuntarily, his lips twisted in a savage grin, forming a grotesque
shape.
Fine by me. Even if I cannot use the spell words of the sword or the power
of the sun, I'll still continue to fight. No matter what, I will seize victory in my
hands. After all, that's exactly what I've been doing all along.
Fighting hopeless battles against enemies with no chance of winning—
Kusanagi Godou found himself gradually accustomed to this sort of
challenging situation despite his best intentions!
(Fufufufu. What sharp eyes you have. As a Devil King who stands as the
enemy of gods, this is more like it.)
True Lord Erlang whispered as if responding to Godou's fighting spirit.
Then Sun Wukong's body began to change. From a war god in the shape
of a monkey, he instantly turned into a tall and muscular old man.
This was a person—no, god whom Godou recognized.
"Grampsy!?"
Ena cried out. After taking on Sun Wukong's appearance, True Lord Erlang
transformed into Susanoo this time.Part 4
Kusanagi Godou and the Illustrious Sage, True Lord Erlang, began their
battle in front of a riverside hut.
This was a confrontation between the god-slaying sword wielded by the
war god Verethragna against the transformation arts employed by the
noble, evil-slaying god of China.
"Manifest justice in this world through these spell words of mine!"
Chanting the sacred warlord's incantation, Godou accelerated a portion of
the [Sword].
Over a thousand spheres of light, shining brightly like stars in the night sky,
surrounded Godou all around and overhead.
From among them, ten-odd spheres of light flew towards True Lord Erlang.
The three-eyed, handsome young man was supposed to be attacked by
these spheres of light, but his current appearance was that of a muscular
old man.
The enemy had taken the form of the hermit [Heretic God], Susanoo, with
whom Godou was acquainted.
(Fufu. This skill is employed for the sake of countering your spell words of
the sword. Savor it well.)
The flying [Swords] struck Susanoo/True Lord Erlang's body.
But Godou frowned. They simply struck without causing any damage.
The [Sword] turned out to be completely useless!
(These spell words are the blades for slicing True Lord Erlang the
Illustrious Sage... In that case, were I to transform into another god, I
should be able to withstand them more or less. It looks like my idea is
correct.)
"Looks like it, but then again, there should be limits to transformations,
right?"
He had transformed into completely unrelated divinities.
No matter how skilled in the spell of transformation, he could not possibly
keep this up indefinitely. Godou began to focus his gaze and stared at the
being who looked just like the old god Susanoo.
The [Warrior] incarnation, which controlled the sword of spell words,
possessed the power to see through an enemy's true nature.
Currently, True Lord Erlang could be described as weaving Susanoo's
divinity using the spell of transformation to cover himself like a layer of
clothing.
In this manner, Verethragna's [Sword] could apparently be deceived for
now—
Godou then discovered something. He could see a tiny crack in this layer
of clothing where True Lord Erlang's original divinity was leaking out.
So long as it could be seen like this—the enemy can be vanquished!
"I am the strongest, holding all victory in my hands! All evil-doers, tremble
before my strength."
Chanting spell words with certainty, Godou caused roughly ten spheres of
light to accelerate. Then the spheres flew before Susanoo/True Lord
Erlang one after another, and just before they penetrated that muscular
body—
(Make haste! To manifest endless divine powers, a miracle shall appear!)
Susanoo's lips moved to release True Lord Erlang's whispers. The enemy
was chanting spell words as well.
The storm god's appearance changed at this time, taking on a new form in
seconds.
"Another guy I know!"
Godou yelled.
This time, True Lord Erlang had become a glaring old man dressed in a
black coat.
An air of intellect combined with a pair of emerald-green eyes like a
tiger's—the enemy from the past, Dejanstahl Voban.
Furthermore, the instant True Lord Erlang took on the guise of Devil King
"Voban"—
Godou could no longer see the crack. After True Lord Erlang's original
divinity was concealed beneath the newly transformed appearance, the
crack was no longer visible.
As Godou watched in great surprise, the [Swords] struck Voban's body.
Once again, they struck their target without any effect. Apparently because
Godou could no longer see the crack, the [Sword] was unable to slice True
Lord Erlang's divinity inside.
This countermeasure stonewalled the [Sword]'s spell words...!
Godou glared sharply in defiance to the enemy's little trick. In response, a
refreshing smile appeared on Voban's face. A rather dissonant sight.
Indeed, the elderly man could not possibly smile so cheerfully.
This stood as evidence that True Lord Erlang was actually inside.
Since that was the case, Godou focused his eyes and stared again, in
order to find a similar imperfection in the transformation spell.
However, before he could succeed, True Lord Erlang took action.
(Make haste!)
Accompanied by brief spell words, he transformed again.
This time, he did not take on the appearance of a Campione but a deity
instead.
Godou jumped in surprise. It was a nostalgic silver-haired pubescent girl.
Although she was wearing modern clothing, she gave off a conqueror's
aura like a queen. This was the serpent goddess of darkness whom Godou
had fought in the past.
True Lord Erlang transformed into Heretic Athena, and at the same time—
(Light that reveals evil, manifest thus. Enact miracles to vanquish evil and
uphold justice, burn the heretics and weaken all evil!)
A vertical opening appeared on young Athena's forehead to reveal a third
eye. This eye suddenly shone brightly.
Instantly, Godou felt magical power flowing out of his body.
"Guh—!"
The third eye seemed to manifest the miracle of stealing a Campione's
power.
Godou recalled what happened during dusk.
When facing off against True Lord Erlang for the first time, he was also
drained of magical power in the same way.
Seeing as that was the case, Godou instantly raised the magical power in
his body in order to resist the miracle enacted by the [Eye]. A Campione's
body already possessed extremely potent resistance against magic and
authorities. So long as Godou was not caught off guard, he could prevent
his magical power from being completely drained. Nevertheless, he still
clicked his tongue.
Godou could still feel the magical power in his body siphoned off slowly.
As expected of his "nemesis." Godou could not defend completely.
Accompanying the loss of magical power, the [Sword]'s shining spheres of
light disappeared one by one from Godou's surroundings.
Then the enemy's counterattack came.
(Fufufu, now is about time for me to begin taking the offensive.)
Three-eyed Athena murmured as she approached.
With lightning speed, Athena/True Lord Erlang jumped in front of Godou. A
three-pronged bladed polearm manifested in the goddess' right hand.
This was True Lord Erlang's double-edged trident—using this weapon, the
enemy made a thrust towards Godou's heart!
A sure-kill thrust was arriving with frightening speed.
Just in the nick of time, Godou jumped left and managed to evade the
attack.
Campiones were blessed with exceptional concentration during combat.
Thanks to that, Godou was able scurry around with beast-like reflexes.
"It feels like this guy should be able to fight equally with that idiot Doni..."
Faced with his opponent's overwhelming offensive, Godou groaned.
Salvatore Doni was a genius swordsman for whom titles such as Sword
Demon or Sword God would not be excessive. At the same time, he was
also a Campione. Godou recognized that True Lord Erlang's martial
prowess were on the same level as that man.
Attempting to use the [Raptor] incarnation's divine speed to fight—would
be a poor decision indeed.
Masters on this level should be able to see through divine speed,
rendering it meaningless.
(Since I have grown accustomed to this body, my movements will not be
as clumsy as earlier. Come, fight me fair and square!)
"If you want to fight fair and square, then I hope you'd stop using those
absurd transformations!"
True Lord Erlang smiled and ignored Godou's retort, transforming once
again.
This time he turned into Athena's adolescent form, instantly growing taller
and lengthening the arms and legs. The clothes also changed into modest,
ancient attire—the original appearance Athena had recovered.
Seeing this, Godou attempted to search for a flaw in the transformation
again.
But just as he was about to do that, True Lord Erlang suddenly threw away
the double-edged trident in his hand. At the same time, the ambush took
place.
Ena slashed towards True Lord Erlang who was in Athena's form.
In order to avoid getting in the way of Godou's manipulation of the [Sword],
the Hime-Miko of the Sword had kept her distance from the battlefield,
lying in wait for a chance to make a surprise attack with the jet-black divine
blade, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
"Yaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Ena swung the divine sword overhead using the hassou-no-kamae
[1]stance. This was a strike using the body's full power.
Most likely eschewing all defense, this was a deadly blow focused entirely
on taking out the enemy. Furthermore, Ena was already in the state of
divine possession, having summoned Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi's
divine aura into her body.
Nevertheless, Athena/True Lord Erlang calmly evaded the slash with a
light twist of the body.
Not only that, he even swung his right hand like a whip in a flash during the
instant Ena moved past him. Effortlessly, he pushed the Hime-Miko away
with the back of his hand.
(O maiden, such ferocious vigor you have!)
"Guh—!"
"Are you okay, Seishuuin!?"
Seeing his companion sent flying by the god's blow and fallen on the
ground, Godou called out.
Ena swiftly got up before she answered and prepared the divine sword in a
stance once more. Her quick movements and imposing demeanor
indicated that she was not injured.
"No harm done at all, Your Majesty. Completely okay."
Ena reported her safety completely nonchalantly.
"Didn't the god, True Lord Erlang, mention just now? He will obtain victory
without harming Ena whatsoever. So there shouldn't be any danger."
"We can't possibly believe that guy completely. He could easily go back on
a verbal agreement."
"True. But then again, Ena feels like this god won't go back on his word.
How should one put it? Basically he absolutely won't do anything immoral
like that..."
Ena disagreed with Godou's warning.
Godou was mildly surprised, although he did secretly harbor the same
impression Ena got from the god.
Even if the fundamental nature of the divinity was benevolent, wandering
on earth as a heretic caused distortions at the same time, finally resulting
in a god of misfortune bringing calamity and disaster. This was what
[Heretic Gods] were supposed to be.
(Ho. There is no need to be concerned with trivial details of that sort.)
Keeping the third eye open, Athena/True Lord Erlang smiled.
(Your considerations are correct. I, Erlang, am not one of those who
shamelessly renege on their own promises. How about I swear an oath not
to harm you the slightest?)
Immediately after declaring thus, True Lord Erlang manifested a new
weapon in his hand.
First there was the bow in his left hand. Then there was the fist-sized ball
of iron in his right. The evil-slaying and righteous warrior god placed the
iron ball onto the bowstring and drew the bow to its limit.
The iron ball was shot like an arrow—This was the ancient Chinese long
range weapon known as the peddle bow.
Twang! As the bowstring sounded, the iron ball flew out. The target was
Kusanagi Godou, naturally. Furthermore, the iron ball released crackling
blue-white lightning as it flew!
Just as Godou and Ena readied their stances to receive the incoming
attack—
"Eli Eli lama sabachthani? Oh Lord, why hast thou forsaken me!?"
Godou and Ena both heard familiar spell words.
"O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night
[2]
season, and am not silent—"These were the Golgotha spell words, the trump card of the girl known as
the [Diavolo Rosso].
Just as expected, Erica leaped from the shadows amidst the trees,
wrapped in her usual red and black cape, carrying the lion's magic sword,
Cuore di Leone.
[3]
"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel!"The magic sword was currently infused with the spell words of resentment
and despair.
An ordinary human would probably die instantly upon close contact with
the sword. Using Cuore di Leone which had been imbued with this power,
Erica struck down the electrified iron ball head on.
Lightning scattered noisily as the two halves of the iron ball rolled about on
the ground.
The latecomer turned her head back to reveal a cheerful smile, her face as
glamorous as always.
"I seem to have kept you two waiting, Godou and Ena-san."
"You don't seem very flustered, on the other hand."
Godou calmly replied to the "partner" who had finally arrived.
Although this battle was playing out completely differently from past
conflicts, Godou found himself surprisingly calm and composed—
Simply the fact of Erica's arrival gave him such a feeling.
"Because I have appointments with other people sometimes. It's hard to be
in both places at once. But no matter, it's not like one could bring a million
reinforcements."
Erica asserted fearlessly, reminiscent of a lioness.
"Just as you already know, I, Erica Blandelli alone, am more valuable than
a million reinforcements. Godou, I shall prove my worth and compensate
my tardy arrival at the same time!"
Even though she was already late, Erica easily took the spotlight as the
protagonist in the scene.
This manner of entering the stage made full use of Erica's natural talents.
In response to Erica's appearance, the warrior god transformed from
Athena back to his original form.
This was True Lord Erlang the Illustrious Sage's reappearance as the tall
and handsome young man as well as the three-eyed warrior.
(Kusanagi Godou's direct vassals have gathered. In that case, I have no
choice but to show my true appearance once more.)
"Gathered?"
"Yes. I cannot possibly let Erica steal ahead and take all the credit!"
Answering in a stern tone, this was Liliana's voice which Godou had not
heard for the last few hours.
Wielding the bow of Jonathan in her hand, she walked to Godou's side.
Godou went "I see" and nodded. The girls must have rushed over from
Tokyo to Chichibu after receiving the letter Godou and Ena had sent
several hours earlier.
After arriving near this mountain, they used magic to search for Godou's
location, then flew here using Liliana's flight magic—
If that was how things transpired, it would only be natural for another girl to
be present. Just as expected, Yuri also came running, dressed in her miko
outfit.
"Godou-san, I have important news regarding True Lord Erlang..."
Yuri reported as soon as she arrived by Godou's side.
"About the noble one... The real identity of the True Lord!"
Godou was shocked by her words. He immediately swept his gaze towards
the rest of his companions. Erica, Liliana and Ena all nodded in response,
implying they will hold the god off for a while.
"Yaaaaaaaaaah!"
Ena rushed headlong with Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, charging at True
Lord Erlang. She unleashed a blazing slash.
The True Lord swiftly evaded the attack. Aiming at this opportunity, Erica
used Cuore di Leone to make a thrusting attack. Thrice in a row.
Although True Lord Erlang evaded the three thrusts successively, he was
thrown off balance slightly.
Erica instantly leaped to the right, creating an opening for Liliana to fire her
arrows.
The arrows of blue-white light shot by the bow of Jonathan were also
infused with the spell words of David!
(Fufufufu. These maidens are quite a handful to handle!)
With extreme alacrity, True Lord Erlang swung his right hand, striking down
the arrow of light with a karate chop.
Indeed, these were literally divine skills that only a warrior god could
possess.
Next, Ena used Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi again to perform an
overhead cut. It was a jumping slash that used the entire body's strength.
True Lord Erlang caught the divine sword with both hands in a display of
the secret arts of unarmed counters against bladed weaponry.
Ena, Erica and Liliana carried out their own attacks in continuous
succession.
Meanwhile, True Lord Erlang exhibited all sorts of divine skills, evading,
deflecting and blocking the trio's attacks completely.
However, Erica and the girls were not so pressed as to be driven back, due
to the fact that the True Lord only engaged in defense. Thus, the girls
succeeded in buying time for Godou.
During this time, Godou listened to what Yuri had to say.
"You saw what kind of god he is?"
"Yes. The True Lord Erlang manifesting here is not a [Heretic God].
Instead, he could be said to be... A [True God]."
Hearing Yuri's oracle, Godou was rendered dumbfounded. A true god? Did
that refer to a particular god?
"Godou-san, you already know that the Netherworld is the place known as
the Boundary of Life and Immortality. The Domain of Life refers to the
mortal world here. The Domain of Immortality is the world where gods
originally reside."
Yuri explained the structure of the world in a quick tone of voice.
"[Heretic Gods] do not exist in the Domain of Immortality. When gods
arrive in the mortal world by some chance occurrence, they are twisted and
become [Heretic Gods] who deviate from their original existence. The god
manifesting here is the True Lord Erlang who only exists in the Domain of
Immortality... So this should be an clone."
"You said clone? A clone of the actual Erlang?"
"Yes. It feels like the True Lord is transmitting his divine power from the
Domain of Immortality, thereby taking action with this clone. That is the
feeling I am getting."
"Come to think of it, that guy did mention something about a 'crude body.'"
Godou did not think Yuri's speculation was off. He nodded.
I see. So that was why he made a perfect display of how a evil-slaying
warrior god of benevolence should act.
"In that case, then the [White Stallion] definitely could not target him."
The unfortunate gut feeling he was having was now confirmed. Godou
sighed. To be honest, he was banking his hope on the [White Stallion] a
little.
Godou had wondered if the handsome god would expose his nature as a
[Heretic God] sooner or later.
In that case, the battle against him became even simpler.
"So Godou-san's 'nemesis' that I sensed last time, really turns out to be..."
"Looks like it's this guy. And indeed he's tough to handle, most truly."
"Umm, Godou-san? Despite saying that, your face looks rather calm."
"Hmm, yeah. It's basically thanks to you, Mariya, I am now able to steel my
resolve."
Godou smiled wryly in response to the incredulous Hime-Miko's query.
"Or rather, you've helped me muster my determination to test out a drastic
measure I wanted to avoid as much as possible. Otherwise, I really
wouldn't have wanted to do this."
"But even if I tried, I cannot stop you, right?"
This time it was Yuri's turn to sigh while Godou scratched his head.
"Since it has come to this, I can only say this to you: Please take care...!"
"Yeah. I will try my best to return alive. So that's that!"
Yuri's words were analogous to a virtuous wife bidding farewell to a terrible
husband who was setting off for a reckless duel.
Feeling gratitude for the gentleness in Yuri's gaze, Godou rushed towards
the god and the rest of his companions.
This was in front of the hut where he and Ena had stayed, the riverside
where he had passed by when hiking earlier in the night.
The trio of Erica, Ena and Liliana currently had True Lord Erlang
surrounded.
Ultimately, they were able to persevere till now only because the enemy
did nothing but defend.
While evading the girls' magic sword, divine sword and arrows of light, the
True Lord finally attacked.
First he shouted "Hah!" to immobilize Liliana. Then he poked Ena in the
back with his middle finger, sending the Hime-Miko of the Sword collapsing
on her knees.
Finally, he swung his arm like a whip and struck Erica with the back of his
hand.
Although the blonde beauty already used Cuore di Leone to block, she still
could not withstand the impact and was sent flying faraway.
Godou's arrival coincided with where she was flying, so he immediately
caught her.
"Are you okay, Erica?"
"Yes, I guess. What about you, are you ready?"
Held in his arms, Erica did not have any injuries. Indeed, the enemy was
truly a warrior god of benevolence. True Lord Erlang's earlier oath applied
to people apart from Ena and he intended to adhere to it to the very end.
"Yes. I will decide the match next so there's something I need your help
for."
True Lord Erlang displayed a light smile as he stared straight at Godou.
His companions could no longer pin him down so Godou explained
concisely.
"What I'm about to do will be quite risky so I'm relying on you. If it
succeeds, my life will be saved, so do your best."
"What completely vague orders. But you can thank me, Erica Blandelli,
right now."
The smile surfacing on Erica's face displayed a lioness' ferocity and a
queen's glory.
"I will show you that I am the woman who will surely meet your
expectations!"
"Yeah, I'm relying on you."
Ending the brief planning session, Godou sprinted towards True Lord
Erlang.
Now it was time to decide the match one on one. True Lord Erlang smiled
at the arrival of the final phase.
(Fufu. You have already discovered my true nature.)
"This is only your clone. Your real self must be hidden somewhere, right?"
(Hiding myself is truly regrettable. A true god has no way of traveling to the
mortal world. Or rather, the instant one leaves, one becomes heretical...)
True Lord Erlang's clone murmured in the same sort of incredible whispers
he used previously.
This voice was likely transmitted all the way from the Domain of
Immortality.
(Having taken an interest in you who has involved yourself with an old
acquaintance of mine, I was thinking of testing you a little. Coincidentally,
those miko happened to be randomly messing with my talisman.)
"Give me a break. If that's the case, could you not involve anyone apart
from me!?"
Saying that, Godou turned his attention to the sky.
There were still a few dozen [Swords] hovering high above.
"Go!"
A brief spell word caused all the [Swords] to begin moving all at once.
They were aimed at True Lord Erlang, naturally. One after another, the
spheres of light struck their target. However, it was still ineffective because
the True Lord had taken on Athena's appearance again.
While withstanding the attacks of the [Sword]'s spell words, True Lord
Erlang smiled using Athena's face.
(Kusanagi Godou. You cannot defeat me in this manner...)
"Of course I know that. So... please, Seishuuin!"
Godou made his request to the kneeling Hime-Miko. Ena instantly
understood his intentions.
"Yes. Ama no Murakumo, return to His Majesty!"
The jet-black divine sword disappeared from Ena and manifested in
Godou's hand instead.
The self-styled "partner" of the god-slayer, the god in the form of a sword.
Godou gripped the Japanese sword's hilt tightly as he glared at
Athena/True Lord Erlang.
Finally free of the [Sword]'s wave of attacks, the benevolent warrior god
drew his peddle bow and fired!
The iron ball was shot. Judging from its trajectory, it was aimed at
Kusanagi Godou's forehead. The iron ball sliced through wind as it traveled
but Godou evaded calmly.
Just as the iron ball was about to strike Godou on the forehead, he used
the [Raptor] incarnation.
This was the incarnation that could only be used in response to a high
speed attack. While using this incarnation of divine speed, Godou obtained
a light and agile body as well as overwhelming acceleration while
everything else slowed down—
The iron ball slicing through the wind slowed down all at once, allowing
Godou to dodge with ease.
However, the use of this incarnation caused severe heart pain to Godou
afterwards and also immobilized his body not long after that.
(Fufu. Do you really believe you can defeat me in the limited time you have
remaining?)
Seeing a time limit in Godou's course of action, True Lord Erlang smiled.
At the same time, he transformed from Athena back to the original
handsome young man. He must have concluded that there was no need to
transform once Godou no longer had the [Sword].
Just as he pointed out, there was little time remaining.
Hence, Godou had to decide the match in one fell swoop.
Wielding Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi arbitrarily, Godou pointed the
blade at True Lord Erlang and made a straight thrust. Using the [Raptor]'s
divine speed, he attacked in a straight line!
(Hmph, no matter what kind of divine speed, fast as lightning, I can still see
through it!)
Boldly asserting, True Lord Erlang swung his right fist in response.
A martial arts move capable of countering divine speed. This was a secret
art that both Salvatore Doni and Her Eminence Luo Hao had exhibited in
the past. Nevertheless, because of Erlang's "crude body" as Godou
expected—
True Lord Erlang's fist failed to strike down Godou. Instead, it resulted in
mutual injuries.
Godou pierced the flank of True Lord Erlang's abdomen using Ama no
Murakumo no Tsurugi.
True Lord Erlang's hook punch landed on Godou's left ribs.
"Guha!"
Suffering the horrifying attack, Godou felt intense pain.
It felt like being struck by lightning. Although the punch landed in the region
of his ribs, the terrifying impact coursed through his entire body. But at
least he survived.
On the other hand, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi was embedded deeply
in True Lord Erlang's flank. Although the divine sword was buried to the
hilt, there was not a single drop of bleeding.
(Hmm... This is getting challenging.)
True Lord Erlang's calm and composed whispers could be heard. As
expected, this was not his true body.
Godou grinned savagely in response. Now he could put "that plan" into
action...
Forcing his aching body to move, Godou kicked the ground and jumped.
(Hmm—!?)
Taking the skewered True Lord Erlang along with him, Godou took a leap.
The [Raptor] incarnation granted more than simply mobility of divine speed.
Jumping ability and lightness of the body were also greatly augmented.
Owing to this ability, Godou jumped into the river with divine speed.
The surface water current was quite rapid, with uneven rocks protruding.
Since this was quite far up the mountain near the river's source, the water
was not very deep, only reaching up to roughly knee or waist level at most.
Landing on a rock in the middle of the river, Godou jumped again.
Following the river, Godou aimed for some place higher, farther away.
(What are you planning, Kusanagi Godou!?)
Thanks to the giant leaps granted by the [Raptor], Godou obtained an
overhead view of the headwater's flow. About thirty meters away from the
hut where Godou and Ena had rested, there was a fast flowing waterfall.
Although the river was quite narrow at that point and lacked the
magnificence of a great waterfall, the height of the fall was quite
substantial. Probably a fall of forty or fifty meters roughly.
This was the type of waterfall that fishes could hardly swim through. Godou
nodded for it was exactly as Ena described.
'There is a rapid current slightly downstream from here leading to a
waterfall. The current is so fast that even fish find it difficult to swim in,
which is why fish are rare in this area.'
Making his jumps as high and far as he could, Godou finally reached the
air above the waterfall—
At last, Godou used his trump card, the one he really wanted to avoid
using.
"For victory, hasten forth before me..."
As the leap reached its peak, Godou chanted spell words as freefall
began.
From the air, Godou could hear the rumbling of the waterfall beneath.
"O immortal sun, I beseech thee to grant radiance to the stallion. O stallion
that moveth godlike with wondrous grace, bringest forth the halo of thy
master—!"
Only targeting great sinners who had brought suffering to the people, this
was the [White Stallion] incarnation.
And this time, the target was—Kusanagi Godou himself.
(Fuhahahaha! You wish to defeat me even at the cost of sacrificing
yourself?)
Despite the time being night, the rays of dawn appeared in the eastern sky.
Bathed in the rosy glow together with Godou, True Lord Erlang, currently
skewered by Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, was unbelievably laughing
with delight.
(T-To think you had the self-awareness of the great sinner you are!)
"S-Screw that! That's why I didn't want to use this method!"
(But then again, this means mutually assured destruction together with
me?)
True Lord Erlang spoke as he motioned towards the faraway bottom of the
waterfall they were freefalling towards.
He's not planning to resist? That's quite honest of him. In this very instant,
a chain carrying an anchor came flying from the ground and wrapped itself
multiple times around Godou's right foot.
True Lord Erlang whispered (Hmm!?) and stared dumbfounded. Godou
breathed a sigh of relief.
"That girl Erica managed it after all..."
The instant he murmured, the chain clattered as it began to tug Godou's
body.
This chain was created from Erica's iron alchemy. Launched into the air
from the ground, it began to drag Godou.
Then the sun's shining light came flying from the eastern sky. Godou
began to meditate silently: Reduce the scale of destruction as much as
possible. Reduce, reduce... He kept reciting in his mind.
If the [White Stallion] was used without restraint, the tragic incineration of
Palermo's harbor would be repeated.
But if he reduced the power as much as possible, he could limit destruction
to roughly the size of two or three yachts. As for the greatest scale of
destruction, Godou had no idea but the thought of testing it out never
occurred to him...
Due to reducing the power halfway, the size of the shining beam of light
shrunk all at once.
One resulting advantage was that the flames rushing through the sky
missed the original target whose position had deviated—Kusanagi Godou
who was being dragged by the chain.
In this manner, only True Lord Erlang was engulfed by the light and heat.
(Fufufu. What a fulfilling night, Kusanagi Godou. Should ill fate bring our
paths to cross again, a rematch with no holds barred would be nice. Let us
meet again!)
Godou barely managed to hear the handsome warrior god's parting words.
Perhaps he exhausted his good fortune in the scene just now. After saving
Godou from his crisis, the chain loosened and lost grip of him. Godou fell
straight down towards the waterfall beneath. Or rather than fall, he was
crashing down.
The only saving grace was that the waterfall directly beneath would break
his fall. Several seconds later, Godou crashed and sank into the water
while experiencing a terrifying impact.
Furthermore, his heart was suffering maximum pain and his body was
getting stiff with paralysis. These were all side effects after using the
[Raptor].
Am I going to die this time? Godou was struck with the fear of death. Oh
well, ever since becoming a Campione, he had already endured such
terrifying experiences repeatedly, numbering in the teens.
One could say that terrifying experiences were customary now.
Even so—Godou began to ponder with deep feeling. He really wished for
occasional opponents he could defeat easily with the [Ten Incarnations].
Facing opponents of that sort, he would not need to bear so much
hardship every single time...
As he prayed for this wish from the bottom of his heart, Godou faced death
once again.
"Are you okay, Kusanagi Godou!?"
Then someone extended a helping hand.
The god-slayer was saved by the selfless efforts of a friend, naturally,
rather than a goddess of salvation.
Jumping swiftly into the waterfall, Liliana pulled Godou out from the water.
Naturally, the silver-haired knight with flight capability would act the fastest
in situations like this one.
Supported by Liliana on the bank at the bottom of the waterfall, Godou
managed to sit up.
Very soon, he would enter the state of complete immobilization which
would definitely result in drowning. Despite his embarrassing state, Godou
desperately tried to speak.
"A-At least I survived... Thank you for saving me. But..."
Due to swallowing many mouthfuls of river water as well as the usual
paralysis, Godou could not speak very well.
Nevertheless, he still forced himself to express gratitude to Liliana. He
added:
"I-It's common for people trying to save the drowning to get into accidents
themselves... Be more careful..."
"No need to worry. Do remember that I am a witch, so I more or less know
several spells for preventing drowning. Witches are not only able to fly in
the sky but also skilled in swimming in the water."
Influenced by Liliana's giggling smile, Godou smiled in return. Come to
think of a it, a mermaid swimming freely in the water would be quite an
elegant sight.
Realizing he was saved as a result of this, Godou nodded gratefully to
Liliana—Then he noticed something at this moment and frantically turned
his gaze away.
To his great surprise, Liliana was dressed only in underwear. Her slender
figure was clad only in a two-piece set of violet lingerie.
"M-My apologies. I was thinking it would be easier to save you in this
manner, so I swiftly undressed before entering the water..."
"I-Idiot... I should be the one saying sorry about this. You shouldn't need to
apologize."
Liliana used her arms to cover up her chest in embarrassment.
On the other hand, Godou's body had started to become rigid, preventing
him from shifting his line of sight.
Consequently, the silver-haired knight desperately shrank into a ball, trying
to avert his gaze.
But then she suddenly jumped in surprise and leaned close to Godou's
face instead.
"U-Umm. I have a suggestion..."
Clearly it was just a simple question, but her voice sounded inexplicably
seductive.
Her usual, stern demeanor was gone as if it never existed. Godou gulped
in response.
"Kusanagi Godou. Your body seems to be in poor condition. I believe that
healing magic needs to be administered."
"Eh...!?"
"Th-This is simply an act of healing. So you must accept it no matter what!"
"B-But even if you say that so suddenly..."
As much as Godou wanted to stop her, Liliana slowly pressed her lips
close.
She intended to apply magic through mouth to mouth. As much as Godou
wished to evade, his body could not move. Furthermore, he found himself
attracted to Liliana's beautiful face and the moist-looking eyes gazing at
him—Just as he was about to accept the silver-haired knight's request—
"Wait a minute, Lily. Since everyone is here, you can't be stealing credit for
yourself, right?"
"S-Stealing credit is something that never crossed my mind. I am simply
worried about the state of my lord's health."
Erica expressed her objections with ladylike elegance. Although slightly
panicking, Liliana still retorted in a stern and knightly tone of voice. At
some point in time, everyone had arrived to this downstream location.
Erica, Ena had arrived. Even Yuri, who had contributed greatly, was
approaching as she panted heavily.
"Besides, I believe that Seishuuin Ena is the first person to steal a march."
Glancing at Ena's carefree face, Liliana stated.
"Kusanagi Godou must have obtained knowledge about True Lord Erlang
at some point in time. The one who took on the role of instruction could be
no one else but you."
"Yes. So that doesn't count as stealing a march."
Ena happily ignored the female knight's accusations.
"If someone else apart from Ena were present, then Ena wouldn't need to
do it."
"However..."
"E-Excuse me, everyone. Let us first put this matter aside for now. Do
remember that Godou-san fell from such a great height and was even
drowning, okay!?"
Yuri interjected with a slightly angry tone of voice.
"Our first priority is to take care of Godou-san before—"
"You have a point, but there's really no need to be too concerned with
priority at times like these, right?"
Erica smiled calmly in response.
"This person—Kusanagi Godou—is quite absurd in all sorts of ways, but
above all is his ridiculous aspect of being 'unkillable.' "
"That does sound about right, but Erica-san!"
Godou was greatly pleased by Yuri's care towards him in furiously trying to
convince the rest of the girls.
Oh well, as part of the common sense faction, Yuri would only accidentally
say something like 'that does sound about right' because she was caught
up in the mood of the situation.
In any case, Godou felt extremely cold in his completely drenched state,
unable to move his arms at all.
Whether the dispute between the four girls, fights against strange gods, or
even near death experiences like this, all of it could be considered a
frequent occurrence in his life. Nothing particularly shocking.
Godou took a deep breath, feeling inexplicably happy about the girls'
argument.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the Netherworld—
Two noble ones were standing face to face in a deep mountain hut while a
storm raged outside. One was the elderly god known as Susanoo, the
former [Heretic God] Haya Susanoo no Mikoto.
He was the storm god with intimate ties to Japanese imperial authority as
well as the proper owner of Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
"So, True Lord, what's your take on the brat?"
"A reckless and immature fellow. However, combined with the unruly
willpower he displayed in the end, it is certainly fitting for a god-slayer.
Speaking of which—"
The one answering Susanoo's question was the handsome warrior god,
the Illustrious Sage, True Lord Erlang.
"The heavenly child who slumbers... To me it is difficult to determine if he
is truly capable of defeating the god-slaying Devil Kings."
True Lord Erlang possessed the countenance of the [Noble Wandering
Hero]. This was also an aspect belonging to the heroic god nicknamed the
"King of the End."
"Are you filled with anticipation for something you sensed?"
"Hahaha. I believe that unruly fellow's exploits should not stop with battling
the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Should an opportunity arise in the
future, I will exterminate him for good."
True Lord Erlang laughed lightly and told Susanoo:
"In that case, I cannot idle here any longer."
"Hoho. My apologies for troubling you in various ways."
Almost simultaneously, True Lord Erlang disappeared from the thatched
hut.
The real True Lord Erlang could only exist in the [Domain of Immortality].
This time, only a small portion of his divine spirit had descended upon the
earth due to being summoned by the talisman of the Illustrious Sage.
Furthermore, this Netherworld was the homeward path leading to the
Domain of Immortality.
Along the way back, True Lord Erlang had a chat with Susanoo at the
latter's invitation.
Watching the True Lord vanish, Susanoo smiled with joy and refilled his
wine cup.