Campione! - Volume 13 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7




Chapter 7 - Farewell, Witch Part 1 "Fu... How long has it been since my true visage was last exposed to a man's gaze?" The goddess Circe spoke sonorously. In full display, her true appearance was gorgeous beyond description. It was not simply a matter of beauty. Godou found his gaze drawn involuntarily to her every move. Subtle changes in expression, shifts in her gaze. He felt attracted to these tiny details as if she exuded a movie star's dazzling charisma. Holding universal attraction, she displayed everything enthralling about a young beauty's charm. "Furthermore, even my battered body is now exposed — " Attached to Circe's body were prosthetic arms, legs and a lower torso, all crafted from brass. These body parts made metallic screeches as they moved. With a slow yet flowing motion, the goddess turned as if dancing. But Godou found himself involuntarily staring at the way she moved her body like a pure and innocent young girl. Transcending simple outward beauty, the sight was mesmerizing. Godou was treated to a sight of the goddess Circe's intoxicating qualities as a femme fatale. "Your body's condition... Is it really Gascoigne's doing?" "On the verge of His Highness' departure, we had a little altercation and this was the result... Fufu, I stand as the immortal goddess of dawn. To think my body could be pushed to this extent, how truly befitting of one bearing the title of a god-slaying warrior." The sun's divinity also carried immortal qualities. Godou recalled this fact. Despite her condition, she did not express any resentment towards Alec and even praised him with a smile. Such composure and resilience was truly befitting for a goddess. Nevertheless, her prostheses moved quite sluggishly as if they were very heavy. Was it because she became wary of approaching the enemy after Ena sliced her? But why? Godou felt a strange sense of certainty. He kept getting the feeling that this goddess, despite being sluggish in movement and on the verge of death, was not "weak." "Kusanagi-sama. I have revealed my true visage in order to make you my captive. This battered body is on display so that these cold arms may embrace you." The goddess' eyes were bright violet in color. Godou felt his spine shudder violently in response to her beautiful gaze. Rather than fear, he was reacting to the attraction of Circe's mysterious charm. "Fufu. Let me repeat myself once again. Please abandon that girl and choose me instead. Then I shall offer you love that is worthy of this wise decision!" Courtship coming from a goddess. Unlike last time, to think it would become such a troubling situation. Godou felt himself almost instantly captivated by Circe's irresistible charms. Compared to this goddess of dawn, Yuri in his embrace was ultimately just an ordinary human. No matter how cute and beautiful she was, everything paled in comparison to a goddess... However, Godou frowned, remaining unmoved. "So this is the goddess Circe's true visage..." Yuri whispered from within Godou's embrace. Gazing at the goddess, her face displayed unease. Simply by feeling the warmth of Yuri's body, Godou felt his fighting spirit rise naturally. Regardless, he felt incensed by the goddess' conspiracy to separate Yuri from him. He was also greatly displeased by her intention to defang him in this manner. "The splendor of my true visage can be considered one of my weapons... To think you are capable of suppressing those raging feelings, how truly befitting of the god-slaying monarch." Circe spoke cheerfully. She gave off a sense of classic elegance as suited to a transcendent goddess. Despite the rejection of her courtship, she continued to display such composure. The feeling she gave off was clearly different from before. "According to my initial plan, I was going to twist off an arm and a leg of yours, adding to my treasured collection. Fufu, now in compensation for all the trouble you have caused me, let me offer you even more tender loving care. I shall have all four limbs removed, eyes destroyed and your throat incinerated. Then crawling on the ground like a worm, you shall receive a goddess' loving affection!" At the same time as her terrible declaration escaped from her adorable lips — Godou felt a gust of wind blowing. Thanks to staying on alert, his senses was able to give an ominous warning slightly beforehand. "Godou-san! This is the magic for stealing Verethragna's incarnations!" Yuri also gave warning. She was probably paying attention too. Godou raised his magical power immediately and held his breath, trying to counter the magic by preventing himself from breathing the wind. Then a dramatic change occurred immediately. A nude girl, her body white and transparent, appeared out from the wind! "O girl of Harpyia. Please blow into Kusanagi-sama the goddess' incantation!" Circe commanded the semi-transparent girl floating in midair. In response to these orders, the "girl" twisted its body nimbly in the air. Her lips were approaching Godou's face and was probably planning to blow magic into him through a kiss. Just as Godou was about to react while protecting Yuri, a helping hand of salvation was offered. "O Eight Gods of the Mikannagi. In accordance to the protection of harmony, manifest tranquility!" These were Yuri's spell words. White light emanated from the Hime-Miko's body. This was a spell for radiating a Hime-Miko's heart of harmony by raising psychic sensing powers to the maximum. Godou had seen this technique of [Spirit Pacification] last used at Cape Inubou recently. Bathed in the sacred light, the girl of the wind was dyed white and then vanished. Rather than defeated, it would be more apt to say she was assimilated by Yuri's light. "Thanks a lot, Mariya!" "N-Not at all. Please do not mind me. Go ahead and fight as you wish." The Hime-Miko replied to Godou's thanks, but she began to pant heavily. The [Spirit Pacification] apparently drained her stamina drastically. Using it to suppress a wind spirit — a goddess' minion, took quite a substantial toll. Judging from the situation, Yuri would probably exhaust her stamina and magical power in one or two more uses. Furthermore, the Hime-Miko's trump card elicted an unexpected response from the enemy. "A maidservant capable of suppressing me, I see... This girl seems to be quite an excellent miko. Fufu, a miko's true path lies in serving the gods after all. Then I shall make use of you a little." The goddess Circe murmured these strange words. Accompanied by a metallic screech, she raised her left prostheic arm and pointed a finger at Yuri. Then her finger shot out. The index finger of brass flew straight at the Hime-Miko's throat. Leaving the goddess' hand, the finger flew like an arrow. Were it to strike on target, results would surely be fatal — ! Godou instantly sprang into action. Turning his back towards the finger arrow, he shielded Yuri behind him. As a result, the brass fingertip pierced him near the shoulder blade. But a Campione's body possessed excessive vitality with abnormal tenacity, which meant that he could not possibly be so fragile as to die from this level of attack — Or at least, that was how things were supposed to be. Godou felt intense pain from his back. This level of pain was comparable to getting stuck by Salvatore Doni's magic sword. "What... is this?" Furthermore, the wound felt exceptionally cold. The inside of his body was frozen. The severe cold felt like frostbite. Only his head felt inexorably hot, as if his brain was suffering from some giant burden, causing a thermal runaway. Strength drained from his entire body. "G-Godou-san!? Pull yourself together, will you!?" Come to think of it — This greatly resembled the time when Athena had blown [Death] into him. Recalling the past battle, Godou was shocked. Why would this be similar!? "The curse of the poisonfeather bird's toxins... Given these delicate arms of mine, I could not possibly inject this curse directly into the god-slaying monarch's body of the ancient warrior. Thus, I made use of that miko there." I see. She must have targeted the fact that I would protect Yuri as soon as she was attacked. Godou understood. As expected of the witch goddess, utterly ruthless and unscrupulous in her methods. Unlike Godou's past enemies which included war gods and the divine king, she used completely different tactics. Truly difficult to handle indeed. "T-To think that making enemies out of women would be this troublesome..." Godou could not help but mutter. This was a comment that would probably bring about intense protests from all the girls and goddesses with whom he had ever associated. However, based on this particular aspect, the "woman" named Circe was the most challenging. Damn it. Godou cursed in his dizziness and gritted his teeth. Putting forth all his strength to move his icy-cold body, he strove to ignore the pain but still he could not stop his knees from collapsing. However, Yuri caught him in her arms. She should be quite tired herself. Nevertheless, she gave Godou support the instant he was about to fall down. Godou was the one holding Yuri earlier but now it was Yuri's turn to hold him in her arms. "...I am very sorry. This all because of me. However, please be patient for a little while." Supporting Godou from falling, the Hime-Miko displayed a stern expression full of resolve. "Very soon, I shall enable you — Godou-san — to fight with full readiness. I will surely help your body recover and prepare for you the [Sword] to slice this goddess apart!" "M-Mariya..." "Please allow me to address the goddess of dawn with fearful reverence. Indeed you are the divinity that embodies womanly wisdom and femininity. However." Comporting herself with an air of nobility as befitted one bearing the "Hime" title, Yuri glared at the goddess. "Starting from this moment, I will protect this man for now. Even if you attempt any sort of spell, goddess, I will surely repel them. I will not allow you to harm a single hair on Godou-san's head!" Part 2 "Fufu. A girl making cute little chirps... Ahah, I am inspired with a wonderful idea. Let me transform you into a bird, to be kept lovingly in a cage." Circe smiled leisurely in response to Yuri's declaration. It was only natural. The difference in power level between a miko and a goddess was akin to the separation of heaven from earth. "Come. Until you welcome death's arrival, pray entertain my aural and visual senses." These spell words, chanted like a song, transformed into glittering sunlight akin to radiance streaming through gaps in dense foliage. Carried by the wind, these spell words flew with shining splendor. The target in their path was obviously Yuri who was supporting the collapsed Godou. However, the Hime-Miko's body glowed with sacred light once more. [Spirit Pacification] was the technique. Blocked by the white light, the curse for turning humans into birds was unable to reach Yuri's body. She had barely managed to defend against the goddess Circe's magic. However, unlike earlier, she did not succeed in dispelling the goddess' spell completely. Glittering like scattered sunlight, the dots of light gradually surrounded Godou and Yuri, pressing closer and closer to them progressively. The only thing shielding them was Yuri's [Spirit Pacification]. However, the white glow was gradually weakening. Humans were not supposed to be able to defend against the magic of gods. Most probably, Yuri's magical power was going to be depleted in a matter of ten-odd seconds and the light of pacification would vanish along with it. Nevertheless — Despite the poison corroding him from within, Godou did not feel anxious. He was currently under the gaze of Yuri's eyes of sagacity. She should have known from the very start that buying ten-odd seconds of time was enough. This was evidenced by the fact of the Hime-Miko calmly proceeding to the next action. In Godou's weakened state, she held his face gently in her hands, brought it close to her and kissed him. "Godou-san... I will convey to you everything about the goddess Circe, everything I have seen. The witch who made the hero Odysseus her lover and captive — Please turn this knowledge into the [Sword] for slicing apart Circe, the goddess of dawn!" Embracing Godou tightly, Yuri pressed her lips down as she whispered. As the images seen by the Hime-Miko began to enter Godou's mind, a vast amount of knowledge and words rushed about inside his head. "Oooh... What utter depravity!" Circe raised her left arm of brass towards Godou and Yuri. Rather than a finger, she shot her entire arm from the elbow this time. Carrying the potent poison like just now, or perhaps an even more vicious attack, the arm of brass was flying towards them! Yuri did not have any method to counter a physical attack of this sort. Just as Godou became startled... "Also, please lend your strength to me... Please share your power with me, the one protecting you! I will show you I can become even more powerful!" Yuri was sucking his lips forcefully. Although the act was slightly clumsy, it allowed Godou to feel intensely Yuri's entire heart and soul that she was pouring into her kiss of love. The Hime-Miko even inserted her tongue, contrary to previous kisses, going as far as to stir Godou's tongue vigorously, entangling the two tongues together. In that very instant — The white glow of [Spirit Pacification] enveloping Yuri's body, on the very verge of vanishing... The light strengthened all at once, brightly illuminating the surroundings and covering everything in a layer of pure whiteness. This intense light was several times more powerful than when she first used it. Furthermore, this pure white light destroyed the brass arm released by the goddess. In the instant before calamity would befall Godou and Yuri, just before it hit, the arm completely vanished completely. Godou was dumbstruck. The technique of [Spirit Pacification] not only suppressed a goddess' authority but even a physical attack launched by her as well! Naturally, this ultimate skill could not have been achieved by Yuri alone. She was currently sucking Godou's mouth and tongue in pitiful desperation. By casting a new spell, she was able to absorb from inside Godou's body. What she absorbed was the vast reserves of magical power that only existed in the bodies of gods and Devil King Campiones — Yuri's absorption of magical power was now reaching quite a dangerous level. Even for a premier Hime-Miko, storing this massive amount of magical power in her body would immediately cause ill effects. No, this amount was enough to endanger her life and cause inexorable pain. Nevertheless, absorbing for the sake of strengthening herself, she switched to using a Campione's magical power to sustain the [Spirit Pacification] spell, forcibly enduring the pain. Even so, her body must be suffering from immense strain... "O carriage of dawn, now is the time to descend from the heavens, to incinerate the Devil King to oblivion!" Scorching flames of conflagration suddenly spread out, engulfing the goddess' historic ruins. Circe released a spell, possibly because she predicted dire consequences if Yuri was left to do as she wished. The princess femme fatale hovered into the air and looked down at the burning ruins from the sky. However, even when standing in a vortex of flames — Godou and Yuri's immediate surroundings remained calm and peaceful, protected by the white light. Yuri was breathing hard but in spite of that, Godou could still clearly hear the suction noises coming from her repeated kisses on his lips in desperation. She was most likely in great pain already. Large sweat drops beaded on her forehead while her gaze began to lose focus. But even so, she did not seek respite, continuing to offer herself for Kusanagi Godou's sake — Yuri performed a great number of difficult spells in rapid succession. Her energy, stamina and concentration were all approaching their limits, most likely. This was evidenced by the change in her way of kissing. Up until this point, she had kissed passionately again and again, sustained by heightened emotions. But now, Yuri's kisses merely sucked at Godou's lips slowly with a series of "smooch, smooch" sounds. Despite the loss of her vigor, Yuri continued to kiss him nonstop, cautiously and attentively. With deep loving affection and earnest sincerity, she kissed Godou's lips, stirring his tongue repeatedly. "Godou-san... This is all I can do... But I do all this for your sake... So — so..." Gazing at Godou with her moistened eyes, she offered her lips to him as she whispered. She looked as though she could hardly stand and finally collapsed. This time, it was Godou's turn to catch her. The poison's effects had disappeared, thanks to Yuri's healing magic. Furthermore, the forging of the [Sword] within Godou's body was complete. It could be drawn at any time now. Although they were currently surrounded by a burning inferno, there was no feeling of heat and not even a spark drifted over. These were all part of Yuri's accomplishments. Godou hugged her delicate body tightly. "Mari... Yuri. I am fine now, so please rest for now." Embracing her, he whispered in her ear. Yuri had challenged her limits in order to help Godou recover to his current state. Furthermore, he was the reason for this frail girl's currently dire condition and could do nothing but accept her offerings. Filled with self-loathing for his uselessness, Godou hugged Yuri even tighter. "Fufu... Do not worry. I only do this because I like it." Yuri whispered as if she had read Godou's mind. In addition, she was smiling blissfully, taking the crisis in stride with such an expression. Godou instantly took on Verethragna's final incarnation, the [Warrior], and chanted the spell words. "I am the strongest, the one smashing through all enemies in my way!" Spheres of light — the [Sword]'s spell words manifested in continuous succession in Godou and Yuri's surroundings. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of lights floated in midair, spreading out like a sparkling galaxy. The flames of conflagration instantly disappeared with the manifestation of these spheres of light. Still hovering in the air, Circe murmured with a stunned expression in response: "Severing divine power..." Then she immediately switched to a sharp expression and landed on the ground. Her grim countenance was now unbecoming of her dream-like maidenly beauty. The goddess, who used magic as her greatest weapon, understood that the [Sword]'s arrival was quite unfavorable for her. The witch goddess Circe from ancient Greece had deep connections with the hero Odysseus. The spheres of light manifested here were all blades for slicing her apart — Meanwhile, Godou had helped Yuri to sit down on the ground for she no longer had the strength to stand. He nodded. Although she was completely exhausted, the Hime-Miko responded with a dazzling smile. Godou called out to this girl who supported him so resolutely: "I could only get here all thanks to you. I will absolutely obtain victory, so please wait a while!" "Yes!" This was a rare promise of victory that Godou rarely made. Gratitude and apologies for her should be saved until after victory. Godou arranged roughly a thousand individual [Swords] around Yuri in a defensive formation before turning his gaze towards Circe. "O scorching lightning, become the goddess' spear!" The goddess released lightning from her hand. However, a sphere of light flew into the path of the incoming lightning and instantly dispelled it. Seeing this, Circe frowned and glared at the many spheres of light filling the air like a galaxy. "Using the Trojan Horse to capture the city of Troy, the hero Odysseus subsequently wandered for ten years... Along the way, he reached the island of the sun god Helios' daughter Circe. She is the terrifying witch who casts magic on those who visit her island, turning them into wild beasts!" The golden spheres shone radiantly like a galaxy. Several thousands of light raced through the air, flying to Circe's surroundings, preparing to slice apart their target. Unintimidated by this sword formation, Circe invoked new magic. "O thorned one, flourishing in lush greenery!" Thorned ivies with roses growing on them began to creep out of the ground. Within the blink of an eye, they formed a small rose garden as Circe's protective barrier. Nevertheless, this was probably unable to stop Verethragna's [Sword]. Unfazed, Godou continued chanting spell words. "Of course, Circe also used magic on Odysseus, intending to transform him into a beast. However, her magic did not affect the hero who was under the protection of the gods. Instead, Circe fell in love with him and became his lover!" The [Sword] sped up and advanced towards Circe and the barrier of thorns and roses. By attacking from all directions, the thorns and roses protecting the goddess should be easily eliminated. The [Spell Words of the Sword] were blades capable of slicing through an enemy's divine power and divinity. Even things like protective powers and magic could be cut and destroyed. "Sons of magic, soar through the sky to become my army!" Finding the thorns ineffective, Circe used new magic. Sliced by the [Sword] and scattered in the air, the thorned vines of ivy and the flowers of roses transformed, from long and slender plants into brass dolls equipped with spears and armor. These brass soldiers were roughly the same size as Godou's individual [Swords]. Whizzing through the air, they flew to attack the dancing storm of [Swords]. — However. "Ultimately, Odysseus was still enthralled by Circe's beauty and remained on her island to live there indefinitely. Having forgotten about his homeland, he was delayed by a whole year. Using her beauty and magic to conquer heroes, weakening their power, obstructing their goals — these are the qualities of the witch goddess Circe!" Verethragna's [Sword] sliced apart all the little soldiers, pulverizing them. Conversely, none of the brass dolls were able to defeat a single [Sword]. Just like all past deities who had fought Godou in various ways, simply using divine power was not enough to defend against the [Sword]. However, Circe seemed clearly aware of this fact. Suddenly, immense magical power burst forth from her body. Compared to the amount residing in her body until now, her magical power had roughly doubled. Apparently, she had summoned the thorns and the brass dolls in order to buy enough time for accumulating this magical power. Then Circe poured this enormous amount of magical power into spell words. "O beast that stands as the Persian Warlord's manifestation. By the bonds of wizardry, heed my call now and come forth!" As expected, she used it. Circe used the trump card of the "incarnations" she had stolen from Godou. In the next instant, the ground behind Circe erupted. A certain gigantic entity blew away the stone steps of the ruins and rushed onto ground level from down below. To Godou, this was a very familiar creature — the [Boar]. The black divine beast, twenty meters long. Due to the long summoning time required, Circe must have hidden it underground ahead of time. Circe floated up into the air again and landed lightly on the [Boar]'s head. Godou frowned because he understood the problematic situation. The [Sword] for slicing through the goddess of dawn was unable to cut Verethragna's incarnation! Part 3 "Come, divine child of the sacred warlord. Exhibit your raging spirit!" Responding to Circe's orders, the [Boar] opened its jaws wide. Then the familiar rumbling roars came. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! As usual, the roars were accompanied by Shockwaves. Consequently, dozens of the wildly dancing spheres of light were blown away in the air. Perhaps due to the sacred powers residing in the roars, the spheres of light were not simply sent flying. The [Boar]'s attack caused roughly 30% of the [Swords] that were struck to pop like soap bubbles, disappearing in succession! " — Manifesting justice in this world through these spell words of mine!" Godou transmitted his thoughts to the [Sword], ordering it to attack Circe. The cluster of golden stars, glittering in the sky, responded to his thoughts and accelerated, beginning to dance wildly. ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAR! The [Boar] emitted a thunderous roar again and blew away the [Swords] as one would scatter tiny spiders. Just as before, roughly 30% of the [Swords] were destroyed. Yet Godou found it strange. Carrying Circe on its head, the [Boar] displayed no intention to move. Godou had expected it to charge ferociously as always — while feeling surprised, Godou sent a portion of the [Sword] to accelerate towards Circe. Dozens of bright lights rushed towards the beautiful witch like a meteor shower. However, at this moment — ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAR! The [Boar] roared again and blew away all the [Swords] flying towards its mistress. And again, a fraction of the [Swords] were destroyed. I see. Godou understood now. The [Boar] could be thought of as Circe's castle. Castle walls for defending her from the sword formation of spell words. Equipped with these roars, not only was the enemy in a securely fortified position, but the [Sword] could very well be destroyed completely as well. Furthermore, all Circe needed to do was focus on defense rather than have the [Boar] attack. "In that case, I'll have to besiege the castle for real — " Just as Godou turned his attention to the [Sword] to launch a concentrated attack for knocking open the [Boar]'s castle gates, Circe's chanting could be heard. "One who enacts justice, please direct me towards the light and the righteous path!" Immediately, the black goat suddenly manifested high above Godou's head. Back to its normal size, it was hovering leisurely in the air. Then from its body lightning was released, crashing down violently on the human directly below! "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Screams of pain escaped Godou's mouth. The strike was powerful enough to penetrate the magical resistance that resiliently defended against even divine powers. Godou had already tasted this lightning a few days ago at the island in the demonic realm. She was using the [Goat] incarnation again! Just like last time, the black goat exhausted its power with one lightning strike and disappeared quickly. "She's able to use two incarnations at once huh..." Godou had also attempted it once before, the technique of using two incarnations simultaneously. Realizing his opponent was using that ability, Godou groaned in shock. Although the lightning left no visible injuries on the surface of his body, pain and paralysis was spreading throughout. Even if he used the [Camel] like last time, it still would not have much of an effect. Also, Circe continued to chant: "Evil ones, tremble before me, the one possessing wings... My wings shall bring cursed retribution to you all!" Despite Godou's determined intention to attack the latest incarnation using the [Sword] with reckless abandon, he was too late. Although he could sense something flying towards him with lightning speed, Godou was neither able to dodge nor block its path using the [Sword]. His vision could not capture that level of speed — By the time he noticed, Godou's left shoulder was already sliced open by something akin to a sharp blade. Blood spurted out. Then an onslaught of pain arrived. "Gu... Uh!?" Enduring the pain, Godou looked up high to see a bird of prey resembling an eagle or a falcon, flying majestically amidst the [Sword]'s spheres of light that filled the sky. The instant Godou discovered the bird of prey, it instantly vanished. Godou could feel the Shockwave caused by the lightning speed of its descent. Immediately, a crack suddenly appeared on a stone step in the ruins three meters away from Godou. It was a mark left behind as if dug by some sharp object. — Divine speed!? Seeing the bird of prey appearing in the sky again, Godou realized it was the [Raptor] incarnation. The bird of prey had apparently used its sharp beak or claws to slice open his left shoulder just now. But just like Godou in the past, it was incapable of controlling its own excessive speed. This resulted in the poor accuracy of its attacks. Who knew if Circe realized the same thing, for she chanted new spell words. "O immortal sun, I beseech you to send forth dawn's horse-drawn carriage!" Gliding in the air, the bird of prey transformed into a bronco. Its fur was pure white. Enveloped in golden flames, this time it was the [White Stallion]. Furthermore, while all this was happening — ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! The tusked, black divine beast kept producing roars with Shockwaves, vigorously trying to sweep the air clean of spell words. If this continued, the [Sword]'s total destruction would only be a matter of time. Then there was the [White Stallion] manifested in the air. The golden flames all over its body were burning much stronger than last seen before. The [Stallion] looked as if it had resolved itself to ignite all kindling for the purpose of incinerating Kusanagi Godou together with itself to the bitter end. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, Godou knew that if he was struck by this attack, he could very well die for real — Since the [Camel] incarnation was not currently active, Godou did not have the same resilient vitality as last time. What should he do!? How could he fight his way out of this crisis!? Just as Godou gnashed his teeth in the face of this challenge — 'Godou-san. Even if the [Sword] cannot slice through Verethragna's incarnations, it can still sever their connections to the goddess!' A sudden lesson. These were thoughts transmitted through psychic sensing. Godou glanced at the user of psychic sensing for an instant. Surrounded by the [Swords] left behind by Godou, Yuri was nodding emphatically at him from afar while she sat collapsed on the ground out of exhaustion. Having received a spirit vision, the Hime-Miko promptly transmitted the knowledge to him. Moreover, Godou had wielded this weapon — the [Sword]'s spell words numerous times already. He was convinced he knew very clearly how to use it to realize Yuri's suggestion. Godou deliberately closed his eyes. Whether the [Boar] which kept destroying [Swords] with its roars or the [White Stallion] charging towards him from the air, Godou no longer looked at them. Compared to these two beasts, Godou had more important things to capture. Namely, the magic itself that had turned these incarnations into Circe's possessions. Normally, Godou was not capable of sensing that vague and ambiguous presence. Just as Erica described, he was a man with zero talent in magic. However — It was a completely different matter when he used Verethragna's [Warrior] and [Goat] incarnations. Whenever either of these incarnations was active, Godou was imbued with magical control surpassing all magi in order to manipulate spell words and lightning. Hence he was surely capable of seeing — The pulsation of power. The divine power woven by the goddess Circe. The telltale signs of an authority in use, one that concealed fire attributes. "That's it!" The instant he perceived it, Godou opened his eyes wide. Although the [White Stallion] overhead was falling like a burning meteor, Godou remained motionless. Instead, he gave orders to attack. Under his directions, two beams of light flew towards separate directions. One beam targeted the head of the [White Stallion] charging at Godou. The other flew towards the back of the [Boar], Circe's current mount. The two lights of the [Sword] splendidly severed what Godou had seen. These were the magically woven links that connected the incarnations to the goddess. At the same time, the [White Stallion] collided directly with Godou's body. However, he was completely unharmed. The [White Stallion] was reabsorbed into Godou's body. Furthermore, the violently howling [Boar] also vanished and returned to within Godou as well. Originally riding on the black divine beast's head, Circe was tossed into the air by the loss of her mount. Godou ordered five [Swords] to fly towards the falling witch like a meteor shower. This was in order to sever Circe's magic of [Hero Confinement], the secret art used to steal Verethragna's incarnations. — Slice. Godou could feel slicing on target. The five [Swords] pierced Circe's body one after another. At the same time, Godou recovered what had been stolen from him. The incarnations of the [Wind], the [Bull], the [Raptor], the [Ram] and the [Goat]— Although he could live without these powers, they were comrades who had accompanied him through situations of life and death after all. For this once, Godou nodded strongly to acknowledge the feeling of the incarnations' return. "Gun! Then I call upon the wheel of dawn!" Despite losing Verethragna's incarnations, Circe remained standing in the sky. Pointing her finger at the eastern sky, she chanted spell words. "I implore you to become my spear for piercing the ground, incinerating all existence!" Many stars were scattered over the South Seas' sky. During this inappropriate time, the sun rose from the east. Circe was probably planning on unleashing her strongest fire attack on the same level as Verethragna's [White Stallion]. The glow of dawn illuminated the South Seas and the uninhabited island with a rosy tint. Released by this sun, golden brilliance flew towards Godou on the ground. Nevertheless, Godou gave instructions to the remaining [Swords] in the air to intercept. Several hundred spheres of light sliced apart the golden flashes, destroying them before they could reach the ground. Even if the sun's strongest light was used as an attack, so long as it was Circe's authority, the [Sword] could cut it. That said, the blades of spell words were also diminishing in number through use. The [Swords] Godou created were almost entirely used up for intercepting sunlight. There were only about a hundred left — the ones Godou had ordered to form a defensive formation around Yuri. Godou turned his gaze over there and exchanged nods with Yuri. Now was the time for switching the remaining weapons from defense to offense. Godou and Yuri were thinking the same thing simultaneously. "Evil-doers, tremble before me! Hindrances, begone from my sight!" Godou accelerated all the remaining [Swords] and sent them flying towards Circe. The swarm of [Swords] proceeded to mercilessly slice through her as she stood in the air. "Kyaaaaah!?" Circe screamed as she crashed down to earth. Her brass prostheses also gave off breaking noises. Nevertheless, Godou's enemy was a goddess. This fall could not have caused any significant damage to her. On the other hand, Godou had felt clearly the slicing sensation from the sword. He had cut rather deeply into Circe's divinity. She was already carrying a half-dead and battered body. It would come as no surprise if she consumed all her strength and collapsed on the spot. But despite this being the reasonable outcome — "Gun..." The goddess made herself hover using magic again. Circe's left prosthetic arm was already lost from launching the earlier attack. Due to the damage caused by Godou's [Sword], her left prosthetic leg was greatly twisted out of shape while her waist area was also cracked severely. Panting heavily, she no longer displayed the elegance of a beautiful girl from fantasy. She was literally covered with wounds. Nevertheless, Circe still floated up into midair, casting her haughty gaze down at the god-slayer who had pushed her this far. Her beautiful face and sharp glare exuded unyielding vigor. She still intended to fight, resolved to defeat Godou by any means necessary, so as to treasure him like a toy in the exact manner she had declared. However, perhaps due to a Campione's animal-like instincts regarding battle... Godou still sensed that Circe was lying on death's door. She was currently about to collapse. Victory would be obtained simply by landing a blow or two on her — Godou was convinced. But in the face of imminent defeat, Circe smiled instead. "Fufufu. As expected, this body prevented the situation from developing favorably. In that case, I have no choice but to risk all on a gamble." A blue shadow manifested behind her, floating in midair. It was an ambiguous humanoid silhouette with a poorly defined outline. Clad in armor, an angular impression was exuded all over. Standing roughly five meters tall, its height was not impressive enough to call it a giant. Then there were the steel bow and arrows — Familiar weapons Godou had seen before. This was the being that Circe had called the "divine spirit of the bow." Using the [Warrior]'s ability to obtain deep understanding of target deities, Godou was able to see past his true nature. "This guy is the power you stole from Odysseus, right?" Godou spoke as he looked up at the figure and Circe. The authority to "strip hero's of their power using beauty and magic." Odysseus was the hero who possessed this power of bow and arrows and was also intimately linked to the goddess. Her ability to use a portion of his powers was not surprising. However. "Although probably stronger than divine beasts, I can't see him as a match for us." Godou spoke as he cast his eyes of the [Warrior] at the bow-wielding figure. Ultimately, this "divine spirit of the bow" was merely an imitation of Odysseus. An existence possessing an ego on the level of a divine beast but lacking a human's mind and intelligence. Godou did not think he could become Circe's trump card in her desperate situation — "Yes, it is exactly as you say. Please feel free to mock the superficiality of a desperate woman. I plan on using this to cast my final magic." Final? Just as Godou frowned in response to these dangerous words — Circe suddenly stabbed her remaining right arm prosthesis into her left breast. The sharp fingertips of brass dug into white and tender flesh, resulting in a spurt of fresh blood! While Godou watched dumbfounded, Yuri also gasped and went "Hmm!?" in the distance. The beautiful goddess' fingertips were stabbed where a human's heart would be located. Blood gushed out like a geyser but the flow soon stopped. This was a most bizarre move on her part. "By this crimson blood I swear upon heaven and earth. Should I fail to vanquish Kusanagi Godou in this trial of magic, I shall personally put an end to my immortal life!" What!? Godou was rendered speechless. Circe's declaration was filled with spell words. This was a curse. A coersive curse the goddess had cast upon herself. She had no choice but to do this in order to realize her goal — What a truly absurd curse this was!? But in the next instant, Circe's magical power expanded several fold! This level of power was comparable to that of Godou's past enemy, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, when he summoned Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravana. Godou was reminded of what his beautiful sworn sister, Luo Cuilian, had informed him before. A deity's strength was directly proportional to the intensity of their ego, obsessions and sense of identity! "I see... Swearing to defeat me with your last and only magic, even going as far as to bind yourself with a curse — you have elevated the motivating element of 'defeating me' to the maximum!" Godou trembled in response to his beautiful foe's cunning plan. He now realized clearly what prompted his sense of unease before the battle. The reason why he did not find this goddess, on the very verge of death, "weak" at all. It now made perfect sense logically, she was terrifying precisely because she was wounded. Because she was so close to death, Circe did not cherish life. Hence, she was able to lay everything on the line for the sake of defeating Kusanagi Godou, converting her life into a weapon even if the price was its forfeit. She even went as far as to make this task her greatest and only identity! ...The goddess of dawn, Circe, began to chant loudly. Using her immortal life as a price to obtain magical power, her goal was to release her final magic. "Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full many ways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy." Godou realized the true nature of Circe's magic. Indeed, it was that poem! "His guile and brilliance recognized by the people on earth, his renown even reached the heavens. His name is — " Odysseus! While the goddess chanted and Godou nodded, in that very instant — The bow-wielding figure — the "divine spirit of the bow" which was only a black shadowy mass, suddenly obtained a material body. A warrior fully armed with bronze armor, a steel bow and steel arrows. He stood five meters tall or so. Circe landed lightly on his left shoulder. "A subordinate god huh..." The hero Odysseus was definitely not the goddess Circe's subordinate... Perhaps he should be more aptly called an allied god.' Yuri whispered in Godou's ear using psychic sensing. Then accompanied by a massive crash that shook the earth, Odysseus landed on the ground. His left shoulder carried Circe while he wielded in his right hand the weapon of the "Pan-Eurasian hero," the bow of steel. The helmet's face was pulled down deeply, obscuring his true face. Nevertheless, Godou was certain that Odysseus was glaring at him with great hostility. "Is this guy the strongest steel? The one who manifests at the end of eras?" ' — No, the hero Odysseus does not appear to carry the traits of the [War Gods of Steel]. Nevertheless, I can sense astounding power coming from that bow. Please be careful, Godou-san!' Perhaps because spirit vision showed her the formidable abilities of this user of the blue bow, Yuri's voice seemed to be trembling slightly. But then again, since he was not a member of [Steel], Odysseus likely did not possess their troublesome abilities of "indestructibility." Godou took delight in this particular point then turned his glare towards the wandering hero. Part 4 "As the descendant of the great god Zeus, the indomitable hero Odysseus hereby arrives unannounced! I beseech the gods to hear me and bear witness! Please carefully observe my wit and guile, that which descends upon the earth again after eons of absence!" A deep, sonorous voice was heard from the bronze helmet. A rich desire to show off combined with a talkative manner of speech. Nevertheless, his words were not objectionable. Odysseus was famous for coming up with the "Trojan Horse" ploy. He was the wandering hero, not only valorous and cunning but also an eloquent orator. This sort of man would not give others an impression of boring rigidity. However, the summoner Circe proclaimed to the talkative giant soldier of bronze. "Your Highness Odysseus. Our reunion greatly pleases me... But please wait a while, for this place is my battlefield!" This announcement's effect was akin to inserting a key into Odysseus' vocal cords. In the next instant, out from the bronze helmet came nothing but groans rather than human speech. Goooohhhhhhhhhhg! This resembled a monster's howls more than a hero's cries. Listening to this howl with a satisfied expression as she sat on Odysseus' left shoulder, Circe nodded with a smile on her face. She probably believed that so long as a hero was valorous, wit and eloquence were redundant. "Well, I guess men pretty much all look like that in front of women..." Feeling slightly sympathetic for the hero, Godou could not help but let his true feelings escape. But of course, he still remained highly vigilant. Since Odysseus was giving off an exceptionally strong aura of killing intent, there was no room for carelessness. "Your Highness, please use your bow to annihilate Kusanagi-sama!" Goooohhhhhhhhhhg ! In response to Circe's command, Odysseus began to shoot. Nocking a steel arrow onto the steel bow, he drew the bowstring to its maximum limit. But instead of Godou, the arrowhead was aimed at the South Seas' starry sky. Whoosh! The steel arrow was shot, accompanied by the bowstring's sound, disappearing into the darkness of the night sky. Then a rain of arrows immediately descended from the sky above! Numerous arrows of blue-white light rained down upon the island like a meteor shower. The arrows most likely numbered in the tens of thousands. The massive number of arrows fell down upon every corner of the island. This was literally a rain of arrows. There was no place to run at all. If one were to stand there helplessly, dozens of arrows would pierce the body instantly — "Damn it!" Cursing away, Godou invoked the [Raptor] incarnation. This was the ability of divine speed only available when confronted with a high speed attack. From Godou's perspective, the pouring rain of arrows moved as if under slow motion playback. Meanwhile, he could travel at lightning speed. In order to evade all the arrows, this was the only incarnation he could use. There was no other choice. Running with divine speed, Godou picked up Yuri in his arms while she gazed speechlessly at the sky and cautiously dodged each arrow of light falling from the sky, one at a time. Not only for himself, but also for the sake of protecting Yuri. After all the arrows were finally evaded did he switch off divine speed. "G-Godou-san. Thank you!" "It's coming again. Although I will be swinging you around for a while, please endure for now." Just as Yuri answered "Very well!", Odysseus had already moved on to his next shot. Shot from the steel bow this time was not an arrow but a beam of blue-white light. Godou switched on divine speed once more and jumped to evade the light flying towards him like a laser. However, the bombardment of light did not end there. The blue hero shifted horizontally the light coming from the steel bow as one would sweep a spear. Then Odysseus yelled. Goooohhhhhhhhhhg! "In that case, I'll have to go up!" Godou jumped up to evade the horizontally sweeping spear of light. This was all thanks to the exceptionally light and agile body conferred by the [Raptor]. Feeling weightless even when carrying a load, Godou was able to dodge the light beam even when carrying Yuri. However, Odysseus then turned the steel bow towards Godou and Yuri who were high up in the air. In turn, the spear of light jumped up accordingly! Godou and Yuri were now transitioning to freefall after the jump. Since one must eventually fall after leaping upwards, there would be no way of evading the spear. Nevertheless, Godou "decelerated" his rate of descent. Slowly, slowly, they fell at a rate of roughly one millimeter per second. This rate of descent was almost like hovering motionless in midair. The [Raptor] was not only capable of acceleration but also unprecedented deceleration of this sort. During this time, the spear of light below them had already swept past and missed. After evading the spear, Godou accelerated again, bringing Yuri with him to land on the ground. Turning off divine speed, Godou breathed heavily. As expected of the bow-wielding hero, it was clear that subsequent arrows could not be dodged so easily. Godou was convinced that although he could rely on divine speed to evade, sooner or later he would be hit. Furthermore, prolonged use of the [Raptor] would produce severe pain in his heart, followed swiftly by immobilization of the body through paralysis. Godou and Yuri were fast approaching the time limit. "In the end, we still can't proactively decide the battle..." Godou's lips twisted involuntarily. Although grotesque in form, he was still smiling. Although Godou had cursed "Damn it!" just before using the [Raptor], he already expected this eventual development. He had to perform an attack to defeat Odysseus and Circe together while using the [Raptor] at the same time. In that case, there was only one choice. But this required his companion's assistance — "I have no objections, Godou-san." "Excellent intuition. Did you see it through spirit vision?" "No, but it occurred to me as soon as I saw your expression, Godou-san. Fortunately, there are no others on this island to cause trouble to, so let me assist you!" Once again, the two of them were going to unsheathe the uncontrollable "black blade"— With a stern expression, the Hime-Miko consented to Godou's spontaneous and reckless plan. 'But wouldn't it cause great trouble to you?' Godou refrained from asking this question. Instead, he released Yuri from his arms and set her down. "If I accidentally blow this island away like last time, we'll just have to continue drifting on the sea without a boat, let's go!" "Very well. And just like Odysseus, we will surely return to our homeland!" Having obtained Yuri's support, Godou summoned Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. The three-foot-three-inch, grand, black sword suddenly manifested in his hand. After being used as the medium for the "black blade," Godou's "partner" had succumbed to a "fragile" state. That was how intensely draining the technique was. Since a while earlier, Godou had started pouring magical power into the divine sword. In preparation for this situation, he had already begun doing so before the battle. Now he intended to activate the divine sword temporarily. Feeling that it was about time, he drew out the sword from his right arm and — 'Wait, king. Rather than attempting that troublesome magical technique, why don't you choose a different method? The tides of battle will turn favorable very shortly.' The divine sword's sudden advice gave Godou quite a surprise. But he instantly understood the message. Beside him, Yuri was gazing up into the night sky with a delighted expression. Blue light was flying towards the island — Indeed, it was Liliana's flight magic. Several seconds later, Liliana, Erica and Ena finally landed before Godou and Yuri. "Looks like we are just in time for the most spectacular scene!" Naturally, this relaxed tone of voice belonged to Erica. As Godou figured the reason why they came to meet up at this particular moment, Ena nodded with a smile. "Ena sensed Ama no Murakumo recover its consciousness earlier. Feeling a presence that seemed to be traceable, Ena asked Liliana-san to explore the direction indicated." "Luckily, we were already nearby, out at sea exploring the surrounding waters." Liliana explained. Godou was glad to see her usual, serious attitude again. The silver-haired knight stared at the bow-wielding archer of bronze. "The hero Odysseus... And the lovely-haired Circe? This is the goddess' true identity!?" Inspired with spirit vision, Liliana murmured the goddess' name. Erica and Ena tensed their expression as a result. Although the trio had just arrived, they were already prepared to battle at any moment. Truly quick on the uptake. ...Or rather, this was apparently the result of undergoing many trials in the company of Kusanagi Godou. In any case, the arrival of these reinforcements was more uplifting than anything. Since his companions were here, Godou did not need to risk drifting away anymore — Godou instantly cast his gaze down to turn his attention to the issue of his heart. His usage time of divine speed had clearly increased substantially compared to before. Although it was not his intention, this apparently stood as evidence of his growth and development as a Campione. Furthermore, Godou was struck by a firm belief regarding the [Raptor] incarnation. The pain and paralyzing stiffness could be eliminated if he switched incarnations at this juncture — ! Nodding to Yuri, Godou halted the spell of the blade. "Everyone, can I rely on you all to handle Odysseus' arrows briefly? Even a minute would be good enough. I will snipe the goddess during this time!" Godou stabbed Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi into the ground as he spoke. Ena immediately pulled out the divine sword and caressed the blade's body with her hand. The red and blue knights also summoned their favorite magic swords immediately. All preparations were complete. Godou chanted spell words with nothing to fear. "For victory, hasten forth before me. O immortal sun, I beseech thee to grant radiance to the stallion!" Circe had defended against and even made full use of the [White Stallion] incarnation before. However, the goddess was currently all covered in wounds and had little excess magical power. The situation was different from last time! "O stallion that moveth godlike with wondrous grace, bringest forth the halo of thy master — " "Guh... Your Highness Odysseus, please grant me your protection!" The sun rose in the eastern sky once again. This time it was Godou using the flames of the rising sun as a weapon. The spear of flashing white light approached. The target being sniped was Circe, the goddess on the verge of death, sitting on the left shoulder of the archer clad in bronze armor. But this time, she did not have the vortex of light she used for absorbing the [White Stallion] in the past. As the price for summoning the hero, Circe was no longer able to use magic. Instead, she had to let Odysseus, the shooter of magical projectiles, intercept the approaching [White Stallion] with his steel bow. Goooohhhhhhhhhhg! Odysseus held steel bow before him as a shield, treating it as the sacrifice for the [White Stallion]. A frontal clash between the hero with the steel bow and the heavenly horse that transported the sun — Godou infused his remaining magical power into the [White Stallion], trying to overwhelm his opponent. Odysseus in turn focused his magical power into his left hand and the steel bow to withstand the attack. Nevertheless, Godou sensed through his instincts that he would prevail in this frontal clash. Odysseus was a heroic god, but unlike Circe, he was not a sun god. Under the super high temperatures of the sun, his steel weapon and bronze armor were already melting gradually into a viscous state. Godou was going to win provided he continued to sustain the [White Stallion] like this. However, the hero of the bow made another move. Goooohhhhhhhhhhg! Odysseus opened his right hand and pointed it at Godou. Then from each of his five fingertips, a massive steel arrow shot out — a total five arrows all at the same time. It was like firing bullets using the fingertips as gun barrels. Five steel arrows. Normally, these would have pierced five holes in Godou's body. However. "Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city!" [1] "And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses!" [2] The red and blue knights used the smiting spell words to defend. Erica used her barb lance while Liliana used her sacred sword of extermination that had taken the form of a naginata. Together, the two weapons formed an X-shape and generated a magical shield in front of Godou and his companions. The power that protected the two sacred exterminators had now become a barrier for protecting the five of them! This protective shield managed to just barely deflect Odysseus' five arrows. The two knights' skills were astounding. However, the arrows shooting from the hero's right hand were not finished. Like a machine gun, Odysseus' five fingers shot arrows of steel continuously. More accurately this was not a hail of bullets but a second "rain of arrows." Godou decided he must defeat Circe before the knights' defenses gave way — Just as Godou turned his attention towards the [White Stallion] — Ena suddenly charged forward, taking Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi with her and leaving Erica and Liliana's magical shield. Lowering her center of gravity, Ena rushed towards Odysseus like a wolf. "Leave it to us, Your Majesty!" The Hime-Miko of the Sword hollered as she ran. In addition, Godou received the thoughts of the partner, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. By the time Godou found out what the divine sword and its user were intending, Ena had already rushed towards the rain of arrows as quickly as if she were flying. ...Just several days ago, she had used divine possession to the maximum limit without regard for her body. Even if she had already rested and saved up her energy, the time she could fight at maximum strength should be quite short. However, Godou already knew the strategy these "two partners" were using to overcome this disadvantage. Then just as Odysseus' arrows were about to pierce Ena in multiple places — Ena called out loudly. "I call upon you whose interests I shoulder, the name of Kusanagi Godou! Let us guide the summons of wind into the secret sword, for I shall turn it into Your Highness' blade!" The calling of his name by someone facing a deadly crisis. This was the condition for using Verethragna's first incarnation, the [Wind], thereby allowing Kusanagi Godou to fly to the caller's location. And now, Ena and Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi intended to summon this incarnation. But now was not the time for Godou to stop the [White Stallion]. For the second time after the battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Godou employed two incarnations simultaneously again after so long. While using the sun's shining light to pin down Circe and Odysseus, he used another incarnation at the same time. Rather than for flying instantly to Ena's side, this was for letting Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi absorb the [Wind] incarnation! "Gun— !" Godou gritted his teeth from the splitting headache. But it no longer hurt as much as last time. This also testified to Godou's growth as a Campione, gradually mastering Verethragna's authority bit by bit, strengthening his power. After obtaining the [Wind]'s power, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi and Ena turned into a storm in the shape of a human and a sword. Boom! With a vortex of wind swirling around her, Ena rushed forward just as the pouring rain of arrows were about to pierce her body. By the next instant, she had already reached the side of Odysseus who was engaging the [White Stallion]. Her speed was truly like the wind — Her running speed could already be described as instantaneous teleportation. Then Ena swung Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi and attacked twice. First she severed Odysseus' right arm at the elbow, eliminating the hand that kept shooting rains of arrows continuously. Then in her follow through, Ena amputated the left arm at the shoulder, the one holding the gradually melting steel bow that was blocking the [White Stallion]'s flames. Conserving her momentum, Ena continued to run forward, passing Odysseus from the side. Were she to stop moving, the [White Stallion]'s flames would surely devour her as well. Having absorbed the [Wind], Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi granted its user, Ena, speed like the wind and destructive power like a hurricane. This was the very instant when Ena obtained the [Sword of Wind] that even surpassed divine possession, the trump card of the Hime-Miko of the Sword. As for Odysseus, who had lost both arms — He was helplessly pierced by the [White Stallion] in the left shoulder and blown away strongly. Then Circe screamed from her seat on his shoulder. "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?" The goddess of dawn finally suffered the [White Stallion]'s direct hit. Part 5 The wandering hero, Odysseus. Just as Yuri pointed out, he was not supposed to be a member of indestructible [Steel]. But perhaps he really was as "indomitable" as he claimed. Despite having lost both arms and even part of his left shoulder, Odysseus still struggled desperately to stand up. Nevertheless, this action was interrupted halfway. The heroic figure, clad in bronze armor, gradually rarefied, finally turning transparent and disappeared. Rather than dying, his body could no longer be maintained on earth because his summoner's strength and magic were depleted. But this might actually be quite an astounding feat. Odysseus was able to exist on his last breath until just now, probably because Circe remained barely alive. "I'm sorry... This counts as my win, right?" Godou turned his gaze downwards towards the dying goddess. He had not let victory go to his head but was simply speaking intentionally in a calm tone of voice. Circe's brass prosthetics were all smashed beyond recognition, incinerated into pitch-black charcoal. An incomparably tragic sight. Yet Circe's own body of flesh remained so pristinely white and beautiful. She was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Large beads of sweat were flowing down her dream-like, beautiful face that displayed clear signs of pain. Rather than falling in battle, her appearance was better described by analogy to a tragic young beauty who had succumbed to fatal illness. Even when lying on death's door, she still exhibited her beauty in a manner most suited to her. Godou was astounded by this truly witch-like mystery and miracle. But perhaps it was related to the [White Stallion] that was used as the decisive blow. It was only natural that the attack from the horse responsible for carrying the sun would have limited effects on a sun goddess. Nevertheless, this damage should be enough to bring about the goddess' complete death. "Godou, please note that giving her a quick end at this time would be considered a form of mercy." Watching quietly behind him, Erica interjected. Yuri, Liliana and Ena were standing slightly further away, watching the end of the battle as a trio. Godou felt that Erica's suggestion did not carry her usual nuance of telling him to "defeat the deity to obtain power." Instead, these were words of knightly pride coming from a warrior accustomed to life and death on the battlefield. Her expression was quite praiseworthy. Godou could understand the reason. But indeed, the goddess Circe was different from his past enemies such as Athena and Lancelot. Furthermore, Godou felt that the lawless English guy was partially responsible for Circe's current predicament... Godou spoke to the goddess. "Hey, you gods can live secluded in places like the Netherworld, right? How about you head there while you're still on your last breath?" This seemed to be the most peaceable resolution of a battle between a god-slayer and a deity. However, Circe smiled at him in a dreamy and beautiful manner. "Fufu... Kusanagi-sama, you are really quite naive to make such a suggestion to a goddess you have defeated, despite being a god-slaying monarch. It is a delightful gesture coming from you as a man, but as a warrior, it is quite worrying..." Godou could not help but scratch his head to find a dying goddess worrying about him. Circe then continued: "Also, have you forgotten? Before I challenged you, my dear, I swore an oath of magic. It was going to be either victory or my death..." "I still remember. But if you travel to a place like the great spiritual realm, perhaps you could escape that fate?" "Well yes, were I to abandon my material body at this time to exist purely as a soul, perhaps — Although seeking refuge in the Netherworld in such a manner exists as a possible solution, that I do concede... Upon my pride as a goddess, I only wish to fulfill the meaning of life and death." Nearing her death, the witch goddess spoke words of enlightenment. If only she had reached this level of enlightenment earlier, then Godou could have avoided the need to oppose her in this manner. Godou sighed. He had been very angry before the fight, completely unable to forgive her for what she intended to do to Yuri. But apart from that, he could let everything else slide. After all, he had responded quite excessively in turn. "To me, this is already 'an eye for an eye.' I'd say we're even now." "Such incomparable absurdity is truly befitting of a god-slaying monarch. But unfortunately, half of my life as a deity was already taken by His Highness Alexandre. If only this half of a body is used as a sacrifice, the [Circle of Usurpation] belonging to that joke of a witch probably won't come into play..." "Hmm? What are you talking about?" Ignoring Godou's question, the goddess slowly closed her eyes. "Ah yes, but then again, you still possess that blade, Kusanagi-sama... In that case, there is meaning in sacrificing this battered body of mine... Listen carefully — Will you? Do not feel too depressed. By the life remaining in this half of a body, I, Circe, shall surely follow you, Kusanagi-sama..." With her eyes remaining closed, she continued but Godou could not comprehend her words. "Black blade... White — One day, these shall become the weapons you wield to form a cross... Fufu, I can already see it, Kusanagi-sama..." "Hey, are you still okay!?" Godou raised his voice, worried that Circe's final moments had arrived. Then Circe slowly opened her beautiful eyes of bright violet and exhaled weakly. "I am very sorry, Kusanagi-sama. I am already determined to offer my life as nourishment to the man with whom I have spent loving moments together..." "Who is this man you love?" "Of course I am referring to you, my dear Kusanagi-sama." "No, that's totally not the kind of relationship we have!" Godou protested loudly against the goddess who had finally turned back into a girl in love. Unfortunately, he was not the kind of person who could pretend to be her lover at a time like this. "Fufufufu. For a woman like me, this rustic simplicity is quite cute, you know?" Circe, who was smiling at the sight of Godou's panic, should be the one described as cute instead. If only this goddess could have acted in this manner from the very start, then things would not have come to this. Godou sighed again. "Ah yes, let me take these final moments to enact my vengeance on His Highness Alexandre for betraying my love. Regarding the great hero whom he seeks, you should search the Argo's pedigree if his true name is what you desire. I reveal this secret only to you alone, Kusanagi-sama!" While the goddess Circe recounted these words, an adorable smile remained on her face. Then immedidately, a strange sound of collapse came from her body. This was probably due to the curse she had placed on herself, most likely the sound of heart failure. In the next instant, Circe's body turned into sand and collapsed. "To think if d be the Argo?" "The ship that carried the band of heroes led by the renowned Jason... That ship used to find the golden fleece?" Erica and Liliana began to discuss the goddess' last words. On the other hand, Godou was experiencing an indescribable feeling. Despite clearly knowing the answer to the mystery Alexandre Gascoigne sought, this goddess kept completely silent about it throughout the time she spent together with that man. Godou was truly overwhelmed with the conclusion that "women are scary indeed..." But he did not say it aloud in fear of being overheard by the surrounding girls. In actual fact, Yuri happened to have walked over to his side at this very moment. "Godou-san, you have worked very hard. At the very least, we are all gathered here and reunited, safe and sound." "Yeah, I owe a lot to your care this time, Mariya. Thank you." Godou expressed his sincere thanks to the Hime-Miko who was comforting him with a gentle smile. But this elicited an unexpected response instead. Yuri stared at him with an expression as if she wanted to say something. "M-Mariya?" Silence continued. She seemed to be seeking something, that was what her gaze conveyed. Godou was then struck by a sudden realization. Perhaps back when he was immersed completely in the fight, Godou had naturally used "that way of addressing her." But now, he had switched back to the old manner of address, contrary to her request. Realizing the situation, Godou was about to go "Yu — " but could not bring himself to say it. Addressing her so intimately by given name made him feel very embarrassed. Seeing him unable to voice it, Yuri hung her head sadly. Godou frantically tried to speak her name again but it proved to be unexpectedly difficult. Seeing Godou muttering away because he was unable to say it, Yuri smiled with a chuckle. "It is fine to use the old way for now. Just use the easiest way to address me." Feeling the grace of her merciful understanding, Godou went "Mariya..." and hung his head. To think he would anger her on a matter like this, he really was quite useless. "However, if you continue to do that without changing your ways, my patience will run out eventually, you know? Please prepare yourself accordingly, yes?" Godou could not do anything but nod in response to this reasonable request. At this very moment — He suddenly felt it. A feeling as though a great weight was placed on his back for a fleeting instant. "Godou-san, that was the goddess Circe's — " Yuri was dumbfounded. She probably saw what had just entered Godou's body. "Power... Something similar to that has entered me... But will it become my new authority?" "Y-You mean...?" "That goddess seemed to be half dead and in an incomplete state. If that's the case, what is going to happen?" Although he was puzzled, Godou did not really care as much as his questions suggested. He would be quite troubled if he increased these ridiculous powers that ran counter to his pacifism. If he did not gain a new authority, all the better. Speaking of which, quite a fair amount of time had passed since defeating Lancelot. Why had he not felt the gain of an authority? While he was pondering over this — Erica, Liliana and Ena had already arrived by his side. Looking at Godou and Yuri, the trio began a strange conversation. "Seriously, there's a unique mood hanging over just the two of them. It really feels like something was already accomplished. Looks like we'd better check carefully, just as Erica-san suggested." Ena spoke with what appeared to be a worried expression. Liliana responded in a worried tone of voice: "Since Mariya Yuri is the one he drifted out at sea together, one could not be too optimistic... Indeed, given they were spending time together just the two of them, combined with the suspension bridge effect, clearly the matter cannot be ignored..." "I've already said it before. Yuri is unexpectedly someone who easily goes with the flow. More surprisingly, she's also quite a passionate person. In light of the need to confirm all our respective positions right now, an interrogation is unavoidable." "l-lnterrogation?" Godou frowned in response to Erica's mentioning of such an unsettling term. Hearing Erica's proposal, Yuri also interjected frantically. "E-Excuse me! After hearing everyone speak, it feels like some kind of problem between me — and Godou-san is being insinuated!?" "No, Mariya Yuri. You are not the one to judge whether there is a problem. We three will be the ones to do that." "I sincerely hope that you two could report in utmost detail what has happened during the time you spent together alone. Based on this report, we shall conduct the interrogation." Following up on Liliana's stern declaration, Erica also used a rare tone of voice lacking in her customary elegance. Even Ena looked up at the night sky with great intensity of feeling and said: "A while back when everyone was talking about whose home to invite His Majesty to, Ena never expected it would end up as Yuri's sole victory. I suppose one could call this a greed-less victory." "E-Ena-san. It is fortunate enough for everyone to be reunited safe and sound. Please do not talk about strange things like who won or lost, okay!?" "Th-That's right. Basically, isn't it ludicrous to start discussing with the assumption that 'there is something'?!" "Please keep your mouth shut, Godou. Indeed, you are normally harmless as a gelding. At least, basically." Erica spoke with an expression as if she were a solemn and composed queen in the process of impeaching a traitor. "Nevertheless, you tend to exhibit unforeseen explosive power on occasion, is that not the case? Hence this is basically a similar case. Our intention is to simply confirm if any exceptional situation arose. Please accept your interrogation obediently." This was the night when the five comrades finally reunited, safe and sound. The sky was filled with myriad stars. The island was surrounded by the South Seas' deep-blue waters. A literally open and dramatic location. Without any place to run. In actual fact, after calm consideration, Godou realized he had not actually done anything unaccountable. Nevertheless, when questioned about what the two of them had been doing alone together over those two days, Godou and Yuri inexplicably entered an alarming state of panic — References 1. t Joshua 6:16 2. t Numbers 31:7