As her kissing descended without pause like rain with great playfulness, Erica begged Godou as if wanting to be spoiled.
Her eyes were relaxed as if intoxicated, unlike their usual sharp and intelligent appearance. This rare facial expression, full of vulnerability, carried an unbearable sense of loveliness. However, this meant Godou was failing in his original goal —
Catching Yuri in the corner of his eye, Godou found her mournfully lowering her gaze.
No! Godou forcefully shoved Erica away, escaping from the confines of her sweet embrace.
"Godou, the healing spell is not complete, what are you doing!?"
"I-It is not necessary. I still feel this is not very appropriate. For the sake of battle, to engage in these activities so many times, that's... Kissing is not good."
"How could you still say that at this point? Didn't you ask me to swear eternal loyalty to you last time?"
Erica's reproach made Godou lower his gaze. Having said those words in the heat of the moment that time... It was a painful memory that continued to trouble him. Worst of all was Yuri's current shock at the matter.
"Eh? Eternal loyalty? What on earth is that about...?"
"Come to think of it, I don't think I mentioned it to Yuri yet."
Chuckling "hoho" to herself, Erica smiled triumphantly and answered Yuri with an intoxicated expression in her eyes:
"Godou was really a piece of work. He made me say something like this. Even if the world was about to be destroyed, I had to swear to stay by his side through life and death. Godou that time was very rough, very gallant, but also very charming. Even though I like the usual Godou very much, that kind of aggression is great once in a while."
"G-Godou-san! When did you and Erica-san...!"
"You people are so noisy... What on earth are you arguing about?"
Just as the troubled expression Yuri made a few days ago at Nanao Shrine appeared on her face once again, an awe-inspiring voice and the fragrance of spices drifted over.
Liliana had appeared, carrying the newly prepared curry.
"Nothing, umm... Actually, it's no big deal..."
Erica turned her face away, while Yuri became frantic, and only Godou was left to attempt an explanation.
After hearing the gist of the situation, Liliana couldn't help but sigh.
"Really... The matter of women entering into conflict over your affections, was exactly what I have been worrying about. As expected, it is imperative for me to stay by your side as your premier knight and assist you."
Liliana warned Godou with the same kind of tone as a wife would reproach an unfaithful husband.
"So, I have a great idea to solve this dispute here. Would you all like to listen?"
"Yes, please tell me, thanks."
Godou nodded.
Perhaps the witch Liliana could have some other method to apply magic to a Campione without needing mouth to mouth contact. Godou was filled with anticipation.
"I believe in situations like this, I should be the one kissing you to apply the healing magic. If you do not wish to see your lovers engaging in a quarrel over such a task, then let me do it as your premier knight. This is the one and only, and at the same time, best solution."
"That totally doesn't solve anything!"
Godou resolutely refused the loyal and capable, but frequently unpredictable knight.
Part 2
In the end, Godou went directly to dinner without accepting anyone's healing.
Godou decided to just endure it, since he should be fine after a good night's rest as usual.
The night's dishes included typical outdoor campsite cooking such as curry rice and barbecued meat. There was also fish that Erica brought back which were made into salt roasted salmon and rainbow trout. Along with boiled mountain vegetables, the assortment of dishes was quite a varied offering. They decided to have dinner outside instead of inside the wooden cabin.
Though they did not pick this place for the fun of eating outdoors, it turned out to be a way to increase the enjoyment of the meal.
Despite the delicious cooking, Godou's spirits remained low.
All would be well if he could handle things alone and put in all his effort. However, in a battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, there was the problem of whom he should kiss to obtain the knowledge required for the godslaying [Sword].
Previous incidents were all sudden emergencies that left him no choice but to take the lips of young girls by force.
This time was different. In the near future, a battle with the Great Sage was imminent, and preparations had to be made in advance. Should he ask Erica, Yuri or Liliana? What words could he say to allow them to act without being forced...?
Perhaps infected by Godou's melancholy, the dinner atmosphere was very quiet.
"Everyone should be full now, so let's begin discussing the real issue?"
At such a time, the only one capable of actively changing the mood was Erica.
"Victory could likely be very simple against the Great Sage... I believe so. What does everyone think?"
"Is it because of the fact that he suddenly stopped when he could have given me a finishing blow?"
Realizing what Erica was getting at, Godou offered his input.
"Yes, for the Great Sage, it was a rare opportunity to kill a Campione without breaking a sweat. But he suddenly gave up."
"It was definitely unnatural. He had no reason to show mercy at that time."
Recalling her memories from a few hours ago, Liliana could not help frowning.
"The first possibility that comes to mind, is that he is having trouble with his body. It bears mentioning that the Great Sage chose to steal Hikari's body in order to neutralize the [Keeper of the Horses]'s binding spell."
The one who presented her opinion was Mariya Yuri, the older sister of the possessed Hikari.
"In this case, Hikari's spirit powers have limits. Since she does not have the ability to completely dispel the great wizardry that seals the deity, her power is steadily consumed to maintain the effect. Once her body becomes too tired and unable to use disaster purification, would the Great Sage not be affected by the [Keeper of the Horses] once again?"
"That's right, which is why he avoided a battle with Godou. I don't think this speculation is over optimistic. It is a sound theory."
Erica spoke to sum up Yuri's speculation.
"But no matter how the situation develops, if Godou wants to defeat the Great Sage, the [Sword]'s spell words will be essential. Here lies the problem. Liliana and I are both unclear on the details of the divinity of the Great Sage as a Chinese deity. How about you, Yuri?"
"I too, only know the basics and none of the details..."
"If that's the case, then Mariya Yuri's spirit vision is our only hope to discern the true nature of that war god?"
Liliana pondered deeply with a troubled expression.
It was said that whether spirit vision succeeds in receiving divine insight was entirely up to fate. However, Yuri did possess outstanding spirit vision powers, and had great success rates in seeing through the true nature of gods. On the other hand, there was no guarantee in the timing of visions, which could be five minutes or even five years later.
"In all instances so far when I was able to discern a deity's true nature, it was always in the presence of a god or a Campione. Like the battles with Marquis Voban or Her Eminence Luo Hao, so this time I should be able to..."
Yuri spoke quietly with great resolution.
She usually did not employ her spirit vision with such fervor and initiative, but this time was different. Obviously it was because she was trying hard to save her sister. Godou also felt that he had to help her with all his strength.
However, Godou was still agonizing about the required ritual to receive knowledge about the Great Sage's divinity.
"By the way... Why can a monkey become [Steel]?"
In order to steer his thoughts away from the magical union, Godou ra
ised the question that had occupied his mind since the day time.
...With an inevitable confrontation against a deity, he no longer had the luxury of indulging his little wish of avoiding learning trivia about gods. Troublesome things sure had no end to them.
"Well... In Europe when wild beasts with the deepest connections to [Steel] are mentioned, dragons and snakes inevitably come up."
Liliana answered thoughtfully, and Erica nodded and agreed.
"That's right, it was quite clear from the case of Perseus. A hero of [Steel] is a warrior god who subdues a dragon or a snake, taking its power. But there shouldn't be any examples related to monkeys."
"Precisely because he subdued dragons and snakes, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven became the monkey god."
The one who spoke was the Japanese Hime-Miko Yuri.
"During the daytime at Toushouguu's divine stable, it was already mentioned that Japan and China had ancient legends about monkeys keeping watch over horses. Dragons and horses are actually extremely related existences, as evidenced by the ancient practice of calling exceptional stallions 'Dragon Horses.' Hence there is a saying that 'the heavenly horse and the divine dragon are one of a kind. Now that the horse has come today, a dragon's visit is imminent.'[28]"
In other words, there was the possibility that dragons and horses were interchangeable. Liliana interrupted.
"Though in different forms, dragons existed in both the east and the west. Do you all know why? It is because this sacred beast originated in Central Asia and the original prototypes were virtually the same in appearance. The European dragon's prototype is the ancient Sumerian dragon; that one is a classic. If we trace back the origins of the Chinese dragon, its appearance should also resemble the Sumerian dragon."
"Could it be... similar to a horse?"
"Yes, back in ancient times, the dragon's appearance was once described as 'a horse with horns.' As time went on, its image assimilated the [Snake], a symbol of mother earth deities, thus obtaining the scaly and slender body along with the shortened limbs. In the west, the dragon further received wings while its limbs became extremely short in the east, resulting in the current appearances."
Dragons and snakes were originally unrelated species. Perhaps it was their shared fate of being vanquished by heroes of [Steel] that caused them to somehow evolve into close relatives. Thus Liliana concluded.
"Speaking of the Great Sage, Journey to the West bears mentioning... You all might think that he is just a character that appears in the story, but in reality, he was a deity with a long history that is an amalgamation of all sorts of faiths and heritages. The legend of his journey accompanying the monk Sanzang[29] to bring back Buddhist scriptures, had spread to Japan at a very early age, and can even be found in Noh[30] plays."
Godou was very surprised by the things Yuri mentioned.
"Noh plays? You mean the likes of Kanami[31] and Zeami[32]?"
"Correct. The plays Great Prajñā[33] and Sanzou the Monk are thought to have existed during Zeami's time."
Just as Godou began to feel that Sun Wukong was very troublesome, Erica also began to speak.
"Anyway, let's end the optimistic speculation here. It's time we discuss the pessimistic scenario? Regarding Hikari who has been possessed by the Great Sage."
"You mean the case where she cannot be saved?"
The meaning exactly described by the label of "pessimistic." This was the question Sayanomiya Kaoru hinted at earlier.
Hikari's physical body was under complete control of the Great Sage. Could she be rescued by defeating that monkey god? Was this solution actually feasible...
"Yes. Admittedly, she is adorable, and I really look forward to her future possibilities. Personally I would want to rescue her no matter what, but the History Compilation Committee doesn't think so, right?"
"Yes, Sayanomiya-san did mention that in the worst case scenario, I can choose to abandon that child."
"That's right, I would have made the same decision if I were a core leader in the Committee. If Godou insists on rescuing Mariya Hikari, he cannot fight the Great Sage seriously, and this has severe consequences. Put it another way, if sacrificing just one girl allowed the defeat of a [Heretic God], it is actually a very cheap price to pay."
Erica's expression was very solemn. She likely brought up this issue to make sure priorities were straight even in the direst of situations. At the same time, she wanted to confirm the preparedness of Godou's determination.
Liliana frowned while Yuri listened with a worried expression. Erica's wording was an argument that Liliana could not possibly accept as a noble knight. For Mariya Yuri, it was like saying abandoning her younger sister was the best course of action.
As Godou entered into deep thought, Erica relaxed her shoulders and smiled.
"Relax, everyone. That was just the worst case scenario. We haven't even begun the battle against Great Sage, so worrying at this point is meaningless. Let's all rest for today. Our first priority is to save enough energy for the fight tomorrow."
Part 3
The area of Lake Chuuzenji was located across the Iroha-zaka route.
The mountain of Nantaisan was on the north shore, and had an altitude of 2486m above sea level.
Legends had it that the first person to reach the summit was Great Monk Shoudou, the founder of Nikkou. During the second year of the Tenou period, i.e. the year 782 CE, Great Monk Shoudou failed his second consecutive attempt to reach the summit. On the third time, he resolved himself, declaring that "I will not enter enlightenment unless I reach the summit," and finally fulfilled his wish.
This place was actually a volcano. Due to the high concentration of iron, the soil and rocks in the area had a reddish brown color. The Nikkou mountain range was both a volcano and a treasure trove of minerals, as well as a famous volcanic zone in Japan.
For a war god of [Steel], volcanoes and minerals were like the hot water used to bathe and cleanse a newborn child.
"For the purpose of increasing my power, there is no better place than this..."
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong muttered to himself on the mountaintop.
The body and the voice belonged to Mariya Hikari, but the personality and divine power were that of the heretical monkey god's. He sat on a reddish brown rock, muttering to himself.
Embedded in a giant rock at this high altitude, was a rusted divine sword.
The portion of the sword sticking out of the rock was around 3m in length, and was reminiscent of the sword in the stone from the story of King Arthur.
"Lil' Bro, you're finally here. But you should have appeared a while ago, what took you this long? What happened?"
The Great Sage asked with incredulity.
His eyes focused their gaze upon the strange person walking up the mountain path before him.
The newcomer had pitch black skin, stiff spiky hair as bright red as a burning flame, sharply shaped eyes, a wide gaping mouth, a necklace of nine small skulls strung together hanging around his neck, and he was wearing a simple and modest monk's habit.
His name was Vaisravana[34], the deity whom Amakasu Touma last identified as the "General of the Deep Sands."
"Big Bro, apologies for my lateness."
In spite of his vicious appearance like an evil spirit's, Vaisravana spoke very calmly, though his voice carried a sense of melancholy, like a person who suffered so much torment that he wanted to commit suicide.
"I met Middle Bro along the way and came together with him."
"Oh? That guy also appeared."
"Yes. The two of us walked a long way, but just as we approached this place, Middle Bro suddenly said: 'Lil' Bro, it has been a long time since we returned to the mortal realm. It'd be nice to take a break here.' I told him 'Isn't that a bad idea?' But Middle Bro replied: 'Stupid! The precepts of Buddhism may emphasize the Three Treasures[35] of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, but the world is much bigger than that. Booze, gambling, and women — boobs, butts, and lovely le
gs. In the mortal realm, these Three Treasures are waiting for us instead.' That was what he said."
Vaisravana recounted gloomily, but he took on a cheerful voice whenever he quoted the Middle Brother's lines. In contrast to his usual deathly gloomy demeanor, he apparently possessed a side highly talented in acting as well.
Hearing these words, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong whispered softly in amazement.
"Is that so? How ridiculous, his Three Treasures! So you guys are delayed for so long because you were seeking those frivolous Three Treasures?"
"Yes, Big Bro. That is why I left him half way and hurried over instead."
"Come on! Just like before, he is completely failing to consider the situation. Out with you, god of the mountain, transmit my voice to my silly little brother!"
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven performed a mudra with one hand and summoned a tree spirit. It was an extremely fragile divinity that could not take physical form in the mortal realm, and only possessed a spirit body with neither shape nor color, and no outstanding powers.
However, it was able to seek out targeted deities, and transmit voices across distances like the echoes of a Yama-biko.[36]
The results appeared a while after the instructions were given.
"—Big Bro, Big Bro! You're so mean!"
The third divine spirit finally arrived, flying on a black cloud.
Despite his chubby appearance and plump build, extraordinary muscles were hidden beneath the layer of fat. Furthermore, this person had a [Pig]'s face.
The face with a long snout was densely covered by short black fur.
He had round and shiny eyes, short and triangular ears that stood up stiffly, and two short but sharp tusks that protruded out on both sides of his snout.
"It's been so long since I last came to the mortal realm, and just as I happened to find a lively village, and was going to enjoy myself, Big Bro summons me over — that's so mean!"
The one who kept complaining was the black pig spirit, Zhu Ganglie.[37]
"Enough, you talk too much! You were never able to cease your obsession with the pleasures of the mundane world..."
"This is so wrong. Without good wine, good food, women and wealth, life in this world would be meaningless. Big Bro, you really must change your monkey-like but totally unfun lifestyle. Let the smell of cosmetics hang all over you... By the way, Big Bro..."
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