Having served as the battlefield, Pushpaka Vimana sank into the ocean.
Due to Lancelot's charge, the ship's core and flying functions were
damaged.
As a side note, Kusanagi Godou escaped safely despite falling unconscious
with severe injuries. This was all thanks to the dedicated efforts of the girls
serving him, rescuing him then using flight magic.
A double knockout between the Campione of the east, Kusanagi Godou,
and the "King of the End"—
It was said that this news reached the ears of every Campione within merely
three hours after the battle ended.
The first to find out was Her Eminence Luo Hao who was still in Tokyo.
Hearing news that "Her Eminence had flown towards Tokyo," her direct
disciple Lu Yinghua located her and reported to her.
Almost simultaneously with Rama's disappearance, Hanuman had also
vanished from Her Eminence's presence.
Presumably, a mysterious bond had informed Hanuman of his master's
condition. Thus, one was able to listen patiently to the latest developments
from the disciple who had rushed over to Haneda Airport's pier.
Upon learning of her sworn brother's victory, Luo Cuilian was the first to
nod with strong approval.
Then murmuring "hmm...", she gazed out into Tokyo Bay where Rama had
disappeared, lost in deep thought.
At the same time, the former chairperson of Greenwich's Witenagemot was
currently in a phone call with a certain Campione.
The other party was the guardian of Los Angeles, John Pluto Smith. This
was a long distance call made from a high-class residential district in
London to the west coast of North America.
After listening to the key points of the incident, the masked Devil King
responded:
'I see.'
"...That's it?"
'In the end, the root issue has not been resolved at all. I believe that the
current stage is completely meaningless despite the mixture of good and
bad news.'
Smith replied coldly to Princess Alice.
Besides, the princess was still having a high fever. She was lying in bed in
her bedroom, talking on the phone while leaning against a soft cushion.
'Also, one can assert with certainty that before Prince Rama's next
awakening, someone among my peers will surely start acting out of line.
Without a doubt.'
Leaving this unsettling declaration, Smith hung up.
The tone of his words were highly suggestive of what "acting out of line"
meant in particular. The eccentric who subscribed to secretism often acted
in this manner.
Only making cryptic remarks to pique others' curiosity then leaving them
hanging.
"Seriously, Lord Smith is always acting like this."
Alice pouted and grumbled.
However, a nosy visitor also happened to be present. Although he looked
very cold and distant, all that was needed were a few prompting words and
he would start explaining things in a friendly manner, even matters that she
had not inquired.
"Alexandre. I shall overlook your crime of entering a lady's bedroom
unannounced without even bringing a gift. Please share your thoughts with
me."
"Thoughts?"
"For example, countermeasures for sealing Prince Rama or the like."
"Hmph."
The man shrugging by the princess' bedside was Alexandre Gascoigne.
Coincidentally, he was paying a visit to gather information, just before the
princess made the call to Smith.
Black Prince Alec, the user of [Black Lightning]'s divine speed. To him,
even the mansion of a duke's daughter was a place that he could enter and
leave at will as though it were the British Museum.
Saying the same thing twice was too much of a hassle, which was why
Alice asked him to listen in on her phone call just now.
"Why are you suddenly unhappy? ...Aha."
Seeing Alec slightly displeased, the princess suddenly came to a realization.
Going as far as to completely forget her own feeble condition from the
fever, Alice laughed lightly with a chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"No, it's nothing. I simply have a hunch regarding what's on your mind.
Despite seeking the true name of the 'King of the End' for so many years, to
think you ended up losing to a History Compilation Committee member.
Something along those lines."
"What are you talking about? I totally don't care at all."
He was clearly speaking much faster than times when he did not care about
things.
Alice concluded her guess was correct. As though trying to evade Alice's
warm gaze, Alec turned his head to one side and spoke with boredom:
"Besides, a so-called countermeasure to seal Prince Rama—there's no need
to consider something like that at all. There's actually a very simple
solution."
"Huh?"
Alice was dumbfounded by these unexpected words.
"In other words, as long as the seven of us are here, the 'King of the End'
will gain strength accordingly, right?"
At a night market at Bangkok, the capital of Thailand...
A blond Caucasian young man commented in a frivolous tone of voice.
Salvatore Doni.
He was sitting at a snack shop with two plates of Pad Thai fried noodles
with his butler Andrea Rivera across the simple table.
Ever since disappearing from Italy, he had come to eastern Asia.
"I've got an incredible idea about this. Hear me out, Andrea♪"
"Fine, I'll listen but before that, let me finish my drink. After all, it's
definitely nothing respectable, a devilish idea. I absolutely refuse to listen
unless I gulp down some alcohol first!"
News from Japan had been transmitted through the magic associations of
the [Copper Black Cross] and the [Bronze Black Cross].
Having an detailed discussion with his lord about the matter, Rivera pulled
off his beer can's ring in despair and resignation.
"Isn't it a very simple matter?"
In the depths of the Austrian Alps, the old man in the rugged mountain villa
muttered.
Information regarding "King of the End" Rama was trickling in gradually
through Dejanstahl Voban's devoted followers in the world of magic.
"If the Devil King exterminating hero's power rises for the sake of fighting
seven godslayers... Then all I need to do is send the other six to their graves.
I, Voban, alone shall be enough to take on the 'King of the End.'"
This was inside a great hall where warmth from the fireplace was providing
excellent comfort.
Facing Voban who was sitting in an armchair, the young beauty smiled with
equal "warmth" as the air in this room.
"Fufu, Onii-sama, you're such a joker. I can't believe you're saying this
when you clearly hold me so dear in your heart."
"..."
Confronted with Madame Aisha who was like genial spring weather, the
Marquis frowned with displeasure.
Tokyo's Bunkyou Ward. Erica's luxury apartment.
Several hours had passed since the intense battle. Night had already fallen.
Kusanagi Godou was currently sleeping like the dead on the bed belonging
to the mistress of the bedroom. More precisely, he had died once already
and was currently recovering using the [Ram], the incarnation of
resurrection.
Three girls were currently watching over him by the bedside.
Needless to say, they were Erica Blandelli, Liliana Kranjcar and Seishuuin
Ena. Although Mariya Yuri was still in the Netherworld, she was probably
able to use psychic sensing to find out whether Godou was safe or not.
Ena turned her gaze to the pillow side by chance.
"Eh, what's that?"
"Something that Godou was carrying. It was kept in his pocket."
Erica answered. The object under the two girls' gaze was an arrowhead. An
arrowhead crafted from steel. Plain and ordinary in appearance. However, it
seemed to give off an air of calamity—Terrifying.
Also, the arrowhead was laid out over a purple silk wrapping cloth. This
silk cloth had been used to wrap the arrowhead.
"Somehow I have the feeling I saw it somewhere before. Also, it was
recently..."
Liliana felt puzzled as well.
None of these girls knew yet. This arrowhead was actually entrusted to
Godou by the Princess of Glass. In addition, Kusanagi Godou had been shot
by the same kind of arrowhead before in fact.
During the first battle against the "King of the End" in ancient Gaul, Godou
had been struck by the lightning of salvation. Back then, Godou had taken a
long time to recover from his coma. Even after waking up, his health had
not returned to normal.
Turning the weapons bestowed upon Prince Rama into the form of
lightning, that was the lightning of salvation.
The lightning that had caused Godou much hardship, its true identity was
the poison arrow that had rendered the Devil King Campione in a state of
coma. Furthermore, an arrow identical to those poison arrow—It was
currently lying by the side of Godou's pillow.
Back in the Netherworld, Kusanagi Godou had come up with an idea.
'If only one Campione remains, Rama won't be able to use the great ritual of
the covenant.'
Putting this solution into practice meant it was necessary to defeat all the
other Campiones.
Reading this idea through the power of spirit vision, the Princess of Glass
had bestowed this object upon Godou as a result. An arrowhead identical to
the arrows for slaying Devil Kings.
However, Godou was not the only one to think of this plan.
In fact, the same idea had occurred to all seven of them—
"Alas... My revered brother! My most beloved kin of blood, most honorable
and noble in the entire world!"
Facing Tokyo Bay at night, on a beach in Kisarazu...
A young man was standing there. He was lamenting and crying towards the
ocean.
The young man's face was completely identical to Prince Rama who had
perished several hours prior. However, unlike the great hero's pale
complexion, his skin was tanned.
As the Devil King exterminating hero's younger brother by blood, he was
the subordinate god protecting his elder brother as his shadow.
His name was Laksmana, the one who took on all distortion on behalf of his
glorious elder brother. In addition, the white monkey god of wind was
currently standing watch behind him.
Hanuman. In terms of heroic feats and great accomplishments, he was
actually not inferior to his lord Rama.
People sang praises to the master-servant pair together as "Rama and
Hanuman," not only in India but also various nations in Southeast Asia.
The showdown between the seven Devil Kings and the chosen hero was
beginning at last.
Hence, the first battle concluded and it was time to quietly await the second
battle's opening.