Campione 07

by Great Sage Equaling Heaven

  Continuing to defend against the attacks of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, she also seemed like she was reaching her limits. Her steps becoming unsteady, she needed to use the spear as a crutch in order to stand.

  Behind her, Godou narrowed his eyes, trying to catch up to the monkey king's god speed.

  "They compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword."[83]

  Out from the surface of the ground drifted a red mist that enveloped Erica's body. Immediately, the mist dispersed, causing a change in the impression given off by the red knight. Truly, she looked like a paladino and a saint.

  Straightening her back, she wrathfully glared with resolute eyes at the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in his god speed.

  "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."[84]

  "Oh!? What is up with this little lady? You even dare to dream of attacking Old Sun here in return!?"

  The Great Sage Equaling Heaven had intended to smash Godou's cranium with rapid descent this time, but the divine monkey who had swallowed Hikari was faced with a great shock. Standing between him and the Campione, Erica thrust her spear forward. She had been guarding her lord all this time but now she changed her stance to attack. To have that kind of residual strength — No, she should not have that kind of power!

  Right, Hikari nodded her head from within the belly of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

  The spell words used by Erica and Liliana constituted the [Sacred Privilege of Extermination], the ultimate secret rite of European magic and a power that rivals Seishuuin Ena's divine possession.

  As Hikari watched on, Erica's spear and the Great Sage's swinging Ruyi Staff began a direct frontal clash.

  The spear shattered. However, despite being divine weaponry, the Ruyi Staff also —

  The freely extending steel staff, 13500 catties[85] in weight, was split into two. It was unbelievable that the weapon of the war god possessing lightning divine speed could be destroyed by a mere human!

  Furthermore, this attack made Hikari feel the dormant depths of her heart stir from the impact. The feeling of watching a television broadcast disappeared. Her consciousness and feelings restored, she felt a rising tide of emotion wanting to support Kusanagi Godou and his other companions.

  ...Do your best, Erica-neesama!

  As if hearing Hikari cheering for her, the paladino continued her movements, wielding her broken spear to thrust at the Great Sage.

  However, her martial prowess could not possibly defeat the war god. The spear's attack was evaded and the severed Ruyi Staff came attacking.

  Erica-neesama was sent flying into the distance, falling onto the ground. Due to the great momentum, she rolled over many times on the ground before stopping. Completely motionless, she appeared to have lost consciousness. In the moment of crisis, she barely managed to block the Ruyi Staff's attack with her shield, thereby avoiding a fatal hit...

  The female knight, glamorous beyond compare, put forth everything in her power to serve her lord even if it meant soiling her appearance with dirt and mud. Hikari felt very sad to see her like this. God and Campione were finally dueling one on one, and the Great Sage swung his severed Ruyi Staff.

  Godou-oniisama showed no intention to dodge and raised his arms to guard his head and face.

  In addition to the Ruyi Staff, the Great Sage also kicked and punched his opponent on whim.

  But only when the occasional attack went through his defense and was about to hit a critical point did Onii-sama forcefully twist his body to evade. He was currently focused on defending and had completely halted the offense.

  However, Onii-sama's eyes sparkled with great intensity as he glared at the furiously attacking Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

  Though his eyes were as fierce as a wolf's, he continued to put all his effort into defending — why on earth!?

  'Godou-san is reserving his final strength in order to save you.'

  "Onee-chan!? What does that last part mean? Besides, Onee-chan shouldn't have this kind of power, right...!?"

  Hikari was surprised to find her older sister conversing with her through mental waves. This was the psychic sensing power that Princess Alice had used before, but though Onee-chan was a rare spirit vision user, she should not be a user of psychic sensing!

  'We will discuss this some other time... Godou-san will soon be out of strength because using that [Sword] causes heavy strain. At most he can use it at full power once, and he plans to use that final strike for your sake.'

  "How could this be! B-But if this continues, Onii-sama is going to be killed!"

  He remained standing no matter what kind of attack struck him.

  Even when he fell upon one knee, he got up immediately, never giving up on this fight. Watching this battle unfold, Hikari could no longer bear it. She could not bear watching Godou getting hurt any longer. And not just Onii-sama, Erica-neesama, Liliana-neesama and Ena-neesama had all fallen.

  'No other way... That is the kind of person he is. Even if he was about to be killed and close to defeat, he would never give up fighting. So please be patient and wait for that man to save you. I will also do my utmost to assist...!'

  Injecting absolute trust and determination, Yuri spoke with her thoughts.

  Even in a despairing situation or faced with gods as his enemies, he would never abandon his battle spirit or the will to fight. Precisely because of this, he was able to become a Campione and Devil King who usurped divine authority. Gazing intently at the eyes of the Campione, burning with fighting spirit, Hikari felt her heart beginning to race.

  Stuck in a situation like this, he did not stop fighting. Not only that, he aimed for victory, fighting for the sake of Hikari and all the people suffering as a result of the Great Sage.

  Her chest felt like it was on fire. She could not stand aside any longer! She was not a woman who could observe from the sidelines without doing anything!

  "Onee-chan... I also want to fight together! Though I don't know what I can do, if there is anything that can help that man obtain victory, I will put all my effort into it! So please tell him this: I have absolute trust in your victory, please fight to the very end!"

  'Very well, I understand... For the sake of Hikari, I will also do everything I can, so you have to do your best—'

  Ending the mental conversation with her older sister, Hikari furiously searched her thoughts. The only spirit power she possessed was disaster purification which could only affect gods slightly — limited to nullifying magical power or spells, but if the other party was a powerful god, then not much of an effect could be expected.

  How could she use it in a way to help Godou-oniisama, to help that person?

  Despite being stuck in a predicament where all he could do was defend one-sidedly, Godou endured with all his might.

  Entering into all-out close-quarter combat with a war god like the Great Sage Equaling Heaven would probably mean defeat in a few seconds. Even so, it was not yet time to use the [Camel]. Before Hikari is rescued, the [Sword] cannot be abandoned.

  However, the scorching heat felt even hotter than before and Godou's head felt like it was about to split open from pain. Using two incarnations simultaneously had reached its absolute limit, and there was no way to control it any further.

  The only thing Godou could do at this point was endure.

  But at least the [Sword] for counterattack was kept in his body, and acted as defensive gear which repelled the attacks of the Great Sage. Perhaps due to it being a weapon to neutralize the power of gods, it could be used as defensive gear? However, this notion was to
o naive. Though the damage of the attacks were lessened, the effect was far from complete absorption.

  This kind of passive approach was really unsuitable. That said, without putting his all into this kind of resistance, he would have been directly beaten to death by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

  "Hahahahahaha, starting from a while back, you've been taking hits obediently. What's up? Are you out of options!?"

  The Great Sage did not get anxious about defeating his enemy quickly. Instead, he calmly continued to beat up his opponent, sending Godou flying with a kick from the front and then using the severed Ruyi Staff for a horizontal sweep, finally aiming a spinning kick at Godou's temples.

  Godou was being treated like a punching bag, but he endured relentlessly. Bear it, I have to bear it.

  It was not yet time. The Great Sage had not shown an opening so if the light speed sword attacked, he would use his divine speed to evade at the same time. It was necessary to wait until the divine monkey got carried away and showed an opening, when an instant appeared for a guaranteed hit of the [Sword]. If one did not wait for an opportunity of assured success, there was no chance for victory!

  'Godou-san, just now I talked to Hikari who is inside the body of the Great Sage.'

  The whispers of Yuri's mental waves could be heard.

  'She has absolute trust in your victory, so please fight to the very end.'

  (What, she's still in good spirits... Really, don't go trusting in other people so easily.)

  Godou complained as he muttered to himself, but began to smile.

  This was the fierce grin of a warrior. The face of a man whose fighting spirit burned in the face of adversity.

  This was proof of the king who shouldered the hopes and prayers of others, turning them into power. If one were to say 'I fight only for myself' at a time like this, it would be clear lack of magnanimity. If you believe that I will surely win, then I must show you what the victory of the true warrior looks like.

  'Godou-san, the time for counterattacking has arrived. I will also assist you, so please use your power without reservation!'

  (Yes, I understand. I will be in your care, but it is still not yet time...)

  While he was secretly conferring with Yuri, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven suddenly halted his attacks.

  "Hmm, continuing to use a broken weapon will be a taint upon my divine might. Let me fix this first — Life and death are predestined. Fortune comes from the Heavens. The principal lamp has extinguished!"

  Using a mantra to apply divine power, the shattered fragments of the Ruyi Staff flew and returned.

  In an instant, they combined together, reconnecting, and restored the divine appearance of the precious iron. It would be impossible to resist the full might of the divine weapon — just as Godou trembled at that thought...

  The restored Ruyi Staff crashed down from above upon Godou's head. Impossible to dodge, was this the end!? However, Godou heard Hikari's voice at this time.

  'Evil be purified, Disaster be dismissed, Misfortune be exorcised, efficacious signs of the bearer of Fortune, I implore your manifestation!'

  This was transmitted via Yuri's psychic sensing, giving voice to the thoughts coming from the belly of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

  The cry of the young warrior, trying to use the spirit power of disaster purification to escape from the god's domination. Faced with the miko's staunch resistance just as he was using one of his most prized powers to attack, the Great Sage was met with a complete surprise.

  Shattered. The newly restored Ruyi Staff shattered once again.

  The result was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's attack missed its target.

  This was the spirit power that only Mariya Hikari possessed — disaster purification.

  Even the power of gods could be eliminated in part by this strange ability. The captive apprentice Hime-Miko greatly surprised the deity in a critical moment, and just as the monkey face of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven made a stupid expression —!

  "Now is the time, Mariya!"

  'Yes!'

  Noticing Godou's yell, the Great Sage pointed his index finger at the sky.

  This was the only chance for counterattacking. The white-colored second sun fired the [Sword] at the Great Sage Equaling Heaven while Godou's brain was being invaded by a terrifying amount of heat and pain.

  OWWWWW! His brain felt like it was boiling, but the pain immediately lessened by half.

  'Ah, aaaaaaaaah!'

  In return, Yuri's screams of agony could be heard from her mental waves because she had used psychic sensing to share the pain that Godou felt. However, to a Hime-Miko who was not a Campione, it must have been pure suffering—

  Towards Yuri who took on his pain, as well as the fallen Erica, Liliana and Ena, Godou vowed before he apologized to them.

  Sorry to have let everyone suffer, but in return, I shall obtain victory—

  The fired [Sword] pierced right through the abdomen of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven!

  "In one of the former lands of the Scythians, the Caucasus, the legend of the hero Batraz still remains. For the sake of training, the hero cast himself into a fiery furnace during his youth. The fiery furnace where he chose to train in the scorching heat was the place where dragons were slain and corpses were incinerated. In the end, having his body burned by the scorching flames, Batraz jumped into the sea to cool down, and thus completed his training. As a result, he obtained an immortal body."

  Using the [Sword] to separate the ectoplasm from the Great Sage's physical body, Godou searched deep to look for Hikari.

  "This legend is extremely similar to the beginnings of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong. Thus the Scythian hero shares essentially the same origins as the monkey. Without a doubt, the people who gave Sun Wukong and the Scythian sword god the same back story were the nomadic tribes who were assimilated into Chinese culture!"

  Yes, found her, I can feel Hikari's presence. Within the massive ectoplasm of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the skinny little human girl imprisoned quietly inside had been found!

  Godou charged forward and reached his hand into the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's abdomen, pulling her body out.

  "Onii-sama, I always believed you will surely come to save me!"

  Godou found himself tightly embraced by the little girl even younger than his own sister.

  As he held the miko-outfitted Hikari in his arms, Godou said to the Great Sage:

  "...Indeed I have taken her back. Now, it's finally time to fight a real battle without hindering restraints!"

  Chapter 7 - Gods and Godslayers, the Climactic Final Battle for Victory

  Part 1

  Godou was badly beaten up while the Great Sage Equaling Heaven literally had his belly cut open as suggested.

  Had either of them succumbed to their heavy injuries, it would not have been surprising, but they dulled the pain through pure willpower alone. Completely ignoring the state of their bodies and maintaining the heightened state of excitement, only gods and Campiones could be this reckless.

  Watching this scene unfold was Hikari who had just been rescued. She could no longer hear the thoughts of the person who had been speaking to her.

  Due to taking on a portion of the [Sword]'s burden, Yuri also reached her limit and had fallen unconscious somewhere. The second sun in the sky also vanished, having lost the [Sword] it depended on.

  "Hikari... Is your body okay?"

  "Yes! Thanks to Onii-sama and everyone else, I am completely fine!"

  "I see... Then hurry and leave this place and find a place to hide."

  Godou gently reminded the girl who was embracing him.

  "Why? I want to help Onii-sama! I also want to assist you like all the other Onee-sama!"

  "No, there's nothing you can help here. Besides..."

  Godou coldly released Hikari despite her earnest pleas, for the battle was just about to enter a climax.

  "I entrust everyone in your care, Hikar
i. Erica, Liliana, Seishuuin and your sister far away have all used up their strength. Go immediately to help and take care of them."

  "If I do that... I will be helping Onii-sama?"

  "Yes, please. You are the only one I can rely on now."

  It was now like being in the ninth inning with a one point lead. In order to guard this lead, Godou began to rouse the feelings of outfielders — nostalgic memories from his days as a catcher were even recalled. Treating the girl in his arms as a companion and entrusting her with important tasks, Godou stroked Hikari's head softly.

  As a result, the twelve-year-old apprentice Hime-Miko gazed at Godou with blushing cheeks.

  "Yes... I will do as Onii-sama says, but you must come back alive. If you don't keep your promise, I won't listen to Onii-sama's orders again. Will you promise me this?"

  "I know, in order to make you listen to me from now on, I will definitely return."

  As if praising an obedient child, Godou stroked little Hikari's head.

  Completely unexpectedly, Hikari drew her young face close and kissed Godou.

  "I heard from Ena-neesama and the others, that this is the only way to cast a spell on Onii-sama... This is a spell for treating fatigue, at least let me help you a little like this..."

  Hikari left Godou reluctantly and ran over to the collapsed Erica.

  There was a certain adult maturity to her... Hikari bore a rather feminine expression. Though Godou had been treating her like a little child, she should be trustworthy from the way she acted just now. Thanks to the spell, the pain had lessened greatly.

  "Ha! Kusanagi brat! It's unbelievable that you still have the energy to flirt with girls at a time like this."

  The Great Sage Equaling Heaven laughed with a sneer.

  "Looks like we can still have another round. Nice nice!"

  "You and I are both heavily injured, are you sure it's proper for you to be mocking others?"

  "Because I still hold a trump card, it doesn't matter... Watch, this is the thing I prepared just in case."

  Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the Great Sage's right hand. It was the body of Divine Ancestor Asherah! However, it was very small since her body had shrunk so much it was like a ginseng root. Despite being in such a state, the witch still seemed to be alive, for one could hear her breathing weakly.