Back when Erica heard about the Hime-Miko's fainting collapse, this was what she said:
'...Extraordinary spirit vision and aptitude for psychic sensing. Yuri and Princess Alice are very similar users of spirit powers. Furthermore, the Princess' health is exceptionally frail because her body has trouble withstanding those astounding spirit powers.'
Erica had used London's bedridden Princess as an example to illustrate.
'Fortunately, Yuri's health problems are not that severe. Nevertheless, that only describes the current situation. I'd like to observe her condition a while longer, but without allowing her to overstrain herself in the mean time.'
'Speaking of the Princess, indeed they are quite similar.'
Liliana had also nodded in agreement with her longtime friend and rival.
'Strangely enough, Mariya Yuri has a similar lack of physical stamina. Perhaps it is a sign of a person's strong affinity to the blood of the divine ancestors they have inherited..."
Although there was no evidence, this theory sounded quite plausible.
In actual fact, before coming to Italy, Godou had agonized over whether to leave Yuri in Japan.
"Could it be, Mariya, you're not feeling well...!?"
"N-No. Nothing of that sort."
Godou could not help but raise his voice, causing Yuri to be taken aback with surprise.
Since Yuri seemed to be telling the truth, Godou was relieved. In that case, what did she mean by "parting ways"?
"Actually... I saw it a while earlier. We will be parting ways—Godou-san, you will be going to a faraway place to start a journey."
"I will start a journey? Where exactly?"
Yuri had apparently experienced a spirit vision.
Of course, Godou believed her completely but he was still quite baffled.
"I do not know. All I know is that it is a place where one cannot easily return from... Hence, before you set off, Godou-san, I would like to inform you first. Regarding the new power you have received, Godou-san."
"Power?"
"Yes. Recently, I keep getting the feeling that... A power residing in your body, Godou-san, shall sublime and take on a new form."
"......"
"I originally intended to keep silent until it was absolutely necessary to reveal it... However, Godou-san, you may come across danger during your journey. In order to prepare in advance, let me remove the seal here right now."
Troubling advice was being offered by Yuri, a prudent member of the common sense faction.
Surprised, Godou wanted to adhere to passivity and reject the proposal.
"That sounds like something dangerous. I'm fine even if I don't obtain it."
"No. I implore you to prepare yourself. In order to take my place because I can no longer watch over you by your side, I do wish to provide some assistance to you now at least."
"Mariya..."
"H-Hence. In order to unseal it, I must cast a spell on you."
Yuri lowered her gaze and bowed her head, whispering shyly.
However, despite the trouble the Hime-Miko was having in finding the right words, she still continued to speak in a stuttering manner.
"W-We will be parting ways very soon. If you say 'maybe next time' like you did to Ena-san in the past, you will very likely forget, Godou-san..."
Hearing her bring up the promise between Ena and himself, Godou groaned in anguish.
But with this, what the Hime-Miko was seeking had become perfectly clear.
"S-So. If you do not mind, it is imperative that we—"
"Mari—Yuri!"
Godou decided he would never live it down if she was forced to finish her sentence.
Furthermore, her bold words incited excitement in Godou's heart.
He immediately embraced Yuri and took her forcefully by the lips.
"Godou-san...!"
"I did say I have no wish for that kind of strange power, however, I—"
"V-Very well. Let us begin together."
Gazing into each other's eyes, exchanging passionate words, the two of them kissed again.
This time, they both extended their tongues simultaneously and kissed like a string instrument's bow and string. Two sets of lips tightly pressed together, tongues caressing each other, saliva mixing together.
Then in Godou's mind, the image of a certain goddess surfaced.
"As expected of Uncle Paolo and Saint Raffaello. It looks like there's no need for me to enter the stage."
Erica murmured as she watched the two Paladinos fighting the divine beast valiantly.
In order to intervene at any opportunity, she had cast magic on Cuore di Leone, the magic sword of the lion, turning it into a pilum.
But judging from the current state of affairs, her assistance did not seem necessary.
Taking advantage of the moment when Saint Raffaello held the enemy's attention, exterminator Paolo charged, blasting the Deinonychus away from the old castle hotel where ordinary staff were still present.
Having secured the safety of the other personnel, the two Paladinos resumed the battle.
Paolo and Saint Raffaello did not attack over aggressively, instead choosing to dodge the divine beast's attacks again and again.
However, their blades would stab into the Deinonychus' vitals as soon as an opening appeared.
Consequently, the divine beast gradually weakened. Paolo and Saint Raffaello's position of advantage was unshakable.
However, they were not simply aiming for the enemy's defeat but also information concerning its nature. In case a battle against a similar divine beast was encountered again, they considered such a possibility—
"Lily, Ena-san and I, none of us are able to fight in this manner... Granted, these two hold the rank of Paladino, but their difference in level relative to us is all too clear to see."
If Erica and the girls were the ones fighting, they would surely be launching attacks nonstop instead.
In a fight against a divine beast, a single blunder could prove fatal. The risk of making such mistakes in a protracted battle increased as time dragged on.
Given that was the case, the best approach was to begin the battle with a full-out offensive to end things as quickly as possible.
However, such tactics were only possible with the support of her companions and Kusanagi Godou.
Erica and Liliana had only just grasped the basics of [Smiting]. They were still in training and could not be said to have truly attained the Paladino rank.
In any case, Erica observed the two Paladinos battling calmly.
"Eh!?"
Erica was shocked by the sudden transformation of the Deinonychus.
Its front limbs were originally much shorter and more slender than its tough hind legs. However, these small front limbs suddenly transformed into a pair of wings.
Covered with a thin membrane, a pair of wings similar to a bat's—
The Deinonychus had transformed into a black pterosaur. The size and length of its body remained the same. The beast still seemed rather agile.
"I can't believe it transformed!?"
"To think it was concealing this sort of power!"
As Saint Raffaello and Paolo watched in surprise, the pterosaur swept its tail at them.
Due to the protection conferred by the privilege of extermination, the two did not receive any significant injuries. However, the black pterosaur took this opportunity to flap its wings, taking to the skies.
Steadily rising in altitude, it flew towards the distant sky. It was trying to flee.
"Cuore di Leone!"
The instant she realized the enemy was escaping, Erica threw the magic sword she had already transformed into a pilum.
The pilum was already enchanted with magic for enhancing flight range and infused with the "spell words of resentment and despair."
Launched from the ground, the pilum turned into a flash of light, piercing the pterosaur's throat.
It worked. Suffering this fatal blow, the alrea
dy wounded divine beast crashed back down into the ground.
The fallen black pterosaur turned into a carcass lying on the snow.
But as a supernatural creature, it was probably going to lose its form and dissipate before long.
"A divine beast capable of transforming between two forms... Indeed, it is no ordinary dinosaur after all."
Erica murmured as she looked down at the fallen divine beast.
Not only her but also Paolo and Saint Raffaello, and even Yuri and Godou were running over. The entire group was watching the divine beast's demise.
"If Godou fought it like last time, we probably never would have realized. Most likely, he would have defeated it immediately."
"That which was born from bitter waters... The beast following its mother the serpent—"
Yuri suddenly whispered.
Judging from the blank tone of her voice, she must have received a spirit vision.
"Did you see something related to this divine beast? Is it really connected to a mother earth goddess from somewhere?"
"Impossible to know clearly. Really, I only saw a few things..."
Hearing Erica and Yuri's exchange, Saint Raffaello shrugged.
"Oh well, gods are not the only ones who can summon divine beasts anyway. Venerable divine artifacts, hidden sanctuaries, forbidden high-level magic, and the Campiones themselves are all possible candidates."
"Speaking of Campiones, where did Sir Salvatore run off to?"
"—Hmm?"
While listening to Paolo's wondering, Godou also heard other voices.
They were cries of 'Kusanagi Godou! Your Majesty!' Cries for help, carried by the wind from far away, calling for the protector. Godou listened intently.
Mixed with snowflakes, a gust of powerful wind was sweeping across the clear and sunny sky.
The voices in the wind was an incantation invoked by those seeking rescue from a desperate crisis.
"Wind... I can use the the [Wind] incarnation...?"
"Could it be Liliana-san and Ena-san!? They were supposed to be tracking down Sir Salvatore!"
"Let's head there immediately, Godou!"
Yuri and Erica were amazing.
As soon as they heard Godou muttering softly to himself, they immediately understood the situation.
However, Yuri only expended a slight amount of energy for psychic sensing in the ritual earlier. Was she tired? Her face did not look well. Godou did not want her to suffer too much strain. He immediately called out:
"Mariya, go and rest. Let's go, Erica!"
Picking up Erica in his arms, he invoked Verethragna's first incarnation.
The air underfoot began to stir, forming a vortex of wind, turning into a whirlwind. The power of instantaneous travel was manifesting.
Leaving behind Paolo and Saint Raffaello in their amazement, Godou and Erica flew away, riding upon the wind.
"Please be careful, Godou-san! I shall wait for you all to return safe and sound!"
The voice of Yuri praying for Kusanagi Godou's safe return could be heard.
"Should you not come back, I shall go find you! Absolutely without a doubt!"
Part 5
The forest in Casentino was covered by deep snow.
Since this had always been a mountainous area, the terrain was undulating with mountains and valleys everywhere.
Running across the snow, weaving through the treacherous terrain, Salvatore Doni's movements were as swift and agile as a fox or a snow leopard.
Apart from swordsmanship, he had also attained extraordinary mastery in other martial arts and physical techniques.
Given the case, if only his personality could be slightly more normal—That was a dream that all European magi shared.
"By the way, where is Sir Salvatore going, really?"
"For now, we've already passed over two mountains."
Liliana's fellow partner in pursuit, Seishuuin Ena, answered.
While maintaining a distance so that Doni would not discover them, the two girls pursued him as he ran swiftly.
This would have been impossible for ordinary people, but Liliana and Ena barely managed through the use of spells and agile movements. But actually, there was probably no problem even if they lost sight of Doni.
This was because he himself was following "some kind of trail."
The divine beast that was just sighted outside the old castle hotel—
The Deinonychus had apparently arrived by passing through these snowy mountains, leaving footprints on the snow. This trail was what Doni was currently following.
"He wants to find the divine beast's lair...?"
"Speaking of which, he does indeed look as though he is searching for something."
The dinosaur's footprints soon led Doni to a ravine.
Although the stream at the bottom of the ravine was tiny, this was actually the Arno river. Not too far downstream, it would widen into a large river as it flowed across the vast plains of Tuscany.
Taking a spring or summer stroll here by the side of a beautiful river was probably one of the greatest pleasures in life.
Doni's eyes began to shine when he arrived at this place. Liliana understood the reason behind his reaction, for she too could feel the divine aura distributed throughout this land, more abundant than most other places.
"The air here feels like it came from a venerable sacred mountain. Anyway."
Ena spoke up. The Hime-Miko who had been calm and composed was now getting nervous. She watched their target of pursuit with great wariness.
"There's an annoying feeling. The king over there looks as though he's up to mischief."
"You are most probably right. Whenever Sir Salvatore makes that kind of face, he almost always does something absurd."
Salvatore Doni's eyes were shining like a child's.
Ever since Liliana first encountered him when she was twelve, she had witnessed this look many times.
Starting with his duel against the heroic god Siegfried and continuing until the time when he sliced apart a mother earth goddess' stone pillar, each and every occasion was a troublesome incident without exception.
"We must find a way to stop him."
Steeling her determination, Liliana began to take action. Until now, she had been monitoring Doni from above without descending down the ravine. But now, she jumped down into the ravine with agility like a fairy's. Ena followed suit.
Standing face to face with Doni, Liliana spoke up:
"Sir Salvatore! What on earth are you planning to do?"
"Eh? You are Liliana Kranjcar and... Uh, that girl Godou brought along with the whatever name. You both followed me, huh."
Seeing Liliana and Ena, Doni began to grin.
"However, this happens to be perfect timing, yes? Could you help deliver a message to him? Tell him 'This is the game's starting point, so come here later if you want to play.'"
"This is omitting too much. Please explain clearly in proper sequence!"
Directed towards a Devil King, these words were rather rude.
However, Liliana was already quite used to dealing with Doni. It was imperative to avoid getting caught up in his ridiculous pace by making demands resolutely.
As expected, the frivolous Devil King went "sorry my bad" in response.
"Oh dear. The divine beast roaming this area looks like it came through a hole that leads somewhere."
"Hole—in other words, it is a corridor leading to another world."
"Yes, well said. I intend to go through that hole. Perhaps the world on the other side has many divine beasts and gods as their masters. I'd like to go on a bit of an adventure."
So this turned out to be the truth? Grinning to himself, Doni revealed his incredibly ludicrous intentions.
"This is going to be like playing an RPG, very cool, right? But playing by myself would be no fun at all, so I want Godou to play along with me."
"Which is why you followed the divine beast's footprints to this place... And you s
ay a hole should exist somewhere."
"Excuse me, Your Majesty. May I interrupt a bit?"
As Liliana summed up in exasperation, Ena interjected from beside her.
"That hole probably isn't open to passage all the time. It should open only when certain conditions are met, right? Like on a full moon or at a certain time. Otherwise, the surrounding area would be filled with divine beasts."
Even though she was a carefree child of nature, Seishuuin Ena was also a talented girl well-versed in cultural and martial arts.
Finding her reasoning compelling, Liliana nodded in agreement.
This type of "journey to another world" should only be possible under specific conditions. This principle could be called common sense in the world of magic.
However, unfettered by the limitations of common sense, the blonde Campione laughed with joy.
"This is not a problem. I hold a trump card prepared just for this occasion."
"Trump card..."
Immediately, powerful divine energy surged out of Doni's body.
Realizing he was planning on using his authority, Liliana felt her body shake suddenly. She was informed by an oracle which had descended through spirit vision.
Perhaps this authority originated from a secret cult in ancient Greece?
"The god of wine and harvests... The god ruling over secret rituals of madness. Could it be Dionysus!?"[4]
"Heh. To think you would know this, how expected of you, Kranjcar."
Doni's smile changed in nature.
From the frivolous smile of a cheerful Latin man, it transformed into the smile of a Devil King intent on fulfilling his godslaying arrogance to the very end—
"Precisely because it's you, I entrust the message to you without worry. Help me give Andrea a shout as well. If you screw up, then Godou will really be in trouble."
"Seriously, what the heck is wrong with you—!"
Liliana sighed and looked up resolutely.
Even though he was an astoundingly irresponsible man, nothing could change the fact of his being a godslayer. The only ones capable of opposing him were gods or other godslayers. In that case—Liliana communicated to her companion with a glance.
"Ama no Murakumo! Please lend your power to Ena!"
Ena swiftly understood Liliana's message and immediately summoned the divine sword Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi to her right hand.
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