Campione 07

by Great Sage Equaling Heaven

  The Great Sage Equaling Heaven took a bite out of this tiny witch.

  Aaaaaaaaaah! With the sound of soul-screeching screams, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven nonchalantly moved his lower jaw, chewed with his teeth and swallowed her, re-enacting a scene from the Journey to the West when he ate a ginseng fruit...

  In the next moment, from within the body of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven — out flowed a terrifying amount of divine power!

  "Huhahahahahaha! After eating the snake deity, I have recovered my energy! The peerless Old Sun has returned once again!"

  "T-That was the reason you took away that witch!?"

  The Great Sage Equaling Heaven restored his Ruyi Staff with divine power again, and swung it as quickly as lightning. Godou hastily rolled along the ground as the divine staff of precious iron attacked with great alacrity.

  Having lost the [Sword], Godou now needed to battle using other incarnations. However, the [Camel] could not handle attacks from the air while the [White Stallion] had already been used. Was there no other weapon remaining!?

  As Godou evaded the Great Sage's attacks, he heard a mocking voice.

  ...Finally asking me for help? What a troublesome man.

  An ice-cold feeling was dwelling in his right arm as the sword he had lent out just now returned to him. Now was the time to use the new weapon that had been waiting patiently to make an entrance.

  As the Ruyi Staff came crashing down, Godou jumped sideways with motions like a wild beast to evade.

  "Hmm, crap, did I hit too hard?"

  Missing its target, the steel staff was embedded into the ground. As the Great Sage pulled his weapon out, Godou adjusted his breathing.

  "Damn it... I clearly had no intention of using such a dangerous object as you!"

  Though he complained out loud, the corners of Godou's lips were upturned as if smiling.

  Since he needed to continue fighting whether he had a weapon or not, something was better than nothing.

  Seizing that one-in-a-thousand chance of victory in a hopeless situation, if one couldn't even do that, one was not fit to be a Campione — rather, not fit to be a man!

  "Hoho, you look like you too have a trump card up your sleeve. Then let us fight to our hearts' content, Rakshasa King!"

  The Great Sage Equaling Heaven jumped onto his golden cloud and flew into the sky.

  Accelerating again and again, the Great Sage intended to re-enter the realm of god speed. The new weapon in Godou's hand could not defend against that kind of speed but he was resolved to fight to the very end and obtain victory. No matter what kind of crisis he faced, if he himself didn't believe in his own victory, then of course victory would never grace him with its presence!

  Just as Godou planned to concentrate all his power in this despairing battle —

  A shooting star streaked across the sky.

  Resembling a heavenly flying dragon, it was a flash of brilliant blue-white light, one of the magic bullets shot by the warrior with the black cape!

  The dragon of light chased after the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who had took on the form of a golden meteor. But just as it caught up, the prey vanished. Was it because he had entered the realm of god speed? However, John Pluto Smith's bullet also disappeared. Both sides had reached god speed!

  'Damn, if that's the case, hah—!"

  The Great Sage Equaling Heaven who should have disappeared, suddenly multiplied rapidly in the air, filling the sky with over a hundred divine monkeys. This was a cloning technique! However, these clones began to explode one after another and were soon dispersed into mist, most likely struck down in midair by the divine speeding bullet. Beneath the glow of the morning sky, it was as spectacular as a fireworks celebration.

  'The Five Elements form a cycle of restraint, Metal counters Wood!'

  As his clones disappeared, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven chanted a mantra.

  Lightning was released from within the body of the divine monkey and collided with the approaching blue-white magic bullet.

  The magic bullet was finally destroyed, but the Great Sage's golden cloud also returned to normal speed, most likely because he was unable to use other spells while maintaining that kind of godly speed.

  "Making me waste unnecessary breath, so another unrelated godslayer is joining in?"

  "Unrelated? No, not at all. I came here expressly to bury you. Since John Pluto Smith is entering this battle, prepare yourself to be dragged into the depths of the underworld."

  The latecomer was obviously the masked Campione.

  The fallen girls could no longer be seen, apparently taken away by Hikari. She must have used healing spells since she should not have the strength to move everyone so quickly by herself.

  Anyway, the only ones gathered in this place were now gods and Campiones. Only these two existences and no other!

  "Hmph, what an audacious man... You have met my bros before, right? Let us display the solidarity of us sworn brothers, and defeat all the godslayers! From the ocean of the north, come, my virtuous little brother, Zhu Ganglie! From the territories of the west, come, my virtuous little brother, Vaisravana!"

  The entrance of John Pluto Smith caused the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's divine power to rise explosively.

  The two little figurines were thrown into the air.

  "Vanquishing devils, ripping evil spirits apart, star of the sword god which slaughters Rakshasa! Bestow upon me the sharp sword to vanquish my mortal enemies!"

  As the two figurines expanded in one motion, their appearance also began to change.

  The first to appear was the giant with a pig's head. Clad in black clothes with armor of the same color, he made his entrance as a giant god, standing 15m tall with three heads and six arms still!

  Next to manifest was the demonic deity with black skin and red spiky hair, standing on pillars of water that spewed forth like geysers, forming a dragon of water!

  "Hohohoho, I hope this time I can play a little while longer, Big Bro."

  "Appearing here in response to Big Bro's summon, I am ready to fulfill your every command."

  Manifesting behind the slowly flying Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravana shouted.

  Before the three deities, Godou spoke to his masked ally:

  "I am grateful for your help, but we are still outnumbered, the disadvantage of two against three remains."

  "I don't need you to teach me this kind of infantile mental math."

  Smith fluttered the cape on his shoulders in response to his junior's reminder.

  "On the other hand, there is also the saying 'two heads are better than one'... I think the current situation is rather fitting. Anyway, the main point is, I want a chance for me to show off. If you insist on keeping such a delicious situation all to yourself, that would make you a very stingy man, so lowly that I don't even need to mock you."

  Hearing him casually spout such roundabout words, Godou could not help but smile wryly. In such a situation, who could have expected him to make such comments when he was entitled to additional concessions.

  Watching the performance of the man before him who loved to role-play, Godou somehow felt a strange sense of intimacy with him.

  "What you seem to be trying to say, is that John Pluto Smith considers Kusanagi Godou a friend, and a man who won't pose a hindrance to you — is that right?"

  "Oh my oh my, you really think you can trust a mysterious man like me? Don't regret it!"

  Smith and Godou joked with each other as they stood side by side, looking up at the gods in the sky.

  This argumentative conversation felt unexpectedly delightful. Never yielding verbally, this quirk of his seems to fit quite well with me. Confirming that they turned out to be surprisingly compatible, Godou smiled.

  "You are really quite the busybody. My luck has always been great and I have never regretted any of my choices in companions. I don't expect this to ever change. Right, one more thing..."

  Godou recalled Sayanomiy
a Kaoru's phone call.

  Lu Yinghua had apparently heard the sound of some kind of commotion. If that's the case, of course it can only be that.

  "You know the idea that two are better than one... While three people are better than two... Right?"

  Change finally came to the petrified grounds of Toushouguu.

  The first to be sent flying were the worship and main halls at the core of the shrine. As if dynamite had been set off, the worship hall and the main hall collapsed as stone fragments scattered and flew with the sound of explosions.

  Next were the Gates of Youmeimon, followed by the divine stable, the five-story pagoda and the first torii.

  Explosions occurred one after another. Originally, restoring the entire area petrified by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was already a monumental task. Even so, seeing the important cultural heritage site destroyed so utterly, Sayanomiya Kaoru could not help exclaiming "oh my, I give up." On the other hand, Amakasu Touma closed his eyes in deep thought as if saying "that's going a bit overboard."

  The only one who could watch calmly was Lu Yinghua. Seeing the first torii — namely, the main entrance to Nikkou Toushouguu being demolished, he took into his hands the package he had been keeping on the side all this time.

  Then he immediately rushed into the smoke and dust cloud created by the shattered and pulverized stone.

  "Master, please get changed. I have brought you a change of clothes here."

  "Well done, you have become more attentive. You have earned yourself a little praise."

  "Master's praise is too kind, your disciple expresses utmost gratitude."

  Towards the figure of the beautiful maiden who appeared from within the white smoke, Lu Yinghua reverently handed over the package.

  "—A fish lives in the northern ocean, its name is the Kun! The Kun is so large, no one knows how many thousands of miles long it is. Transforming into a bird, its name is the Peng! The Peng's back is so vast, no one knows how many thousands of miles wide it is. Flying furiously, its wings are like clouds filling up the sky!"[86]

  As soon as the mantra was chanted, the ground suddenly became dark, but not because the sunlight was blotted out by clouds.

  A giant sacred bird — the golden-winged Peng came flying by. In the instant that this bird flew above their heads, the transcendent beauty's figure vanished.

  "With this, all the actors have gathered. It won't be very appropriate if we don't go and watch the finale."

  "But these special front row seats offer no guarantees for personal safety."

  Sayanomiya Kaoru joked around with her subordinate as she nodded in agreement.

  Part 2

  The giant sacred bird flew over the plains of Senjougahara.

  Estimated in proportion to its wingspan, the massive body must have been several hundred meters in size. Stunned, Godou looked up to watch the majestic entry of the sacred bird. This fellow must be carrying the final participant. But still, even if she wanted to travel here, was it really necessary to use such a conspicuous mode of transportation?

  The beautiful heavenly maiden suddenly descended from the back of the giant bird, wearing an outfit in the style of a mandarin gown that hugged and accentuated the wondrous curves of her figure.

  With mesmerizing lustrous eyes and pristine white teeth, her beauty could only be described as otherworldly.

  Drifting through the air and landing upon the ground like a feather, this person was no other but Luo Cuilian.

  "Thank you for your patience, Great Sage! As well as my little brother."

  Hearing her words, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven questioned:

  "Oh? Little brother?"

  "Correct. Kusanagi Godou here is the sworn little brother of me, Luo Cuilian. A relationship akin to you and your fellow brothers."

  "Haha! But are you able to become as large as us?"

  "In that case, we will defeat you all at once, burying your oath of sworn fraternity at the same time..."

  The sworn brothers of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven proceeded to issue arrogant instigating remarks.

  Zhu Ganglie's eyes, full of lustful desire, stared intently at Luo Hao; standing on the dragon's head, Vaisravana looked gloomy as ever despite his rhetoric; Luo Hao smiled in return with casual composure.

  "Hohoho, it's not a bad idea to decide right here which side's sworn siblings are stronger. Wouldn't you agree? Little brother."

  "Umm, actually it's not just us two, there's also another participant..."

  From Godou's point of view, he was just stating a fact.

  But his sworn elder sister, as well as senior along the path of domination, severely glared at him in response.

  "Do you intend to spoil the first chance for us siblings to fight in cooperation by inserting this man of suspicious origins!? Foolish! This is a profane insult to me, your elder sister!"

  Calling him a man of suspicious origins was quite an unpleasant manner of address.

  The one wearing a mask and black cape, dressed up like a theatrical actor and the man in question, whispered softly:

  (Oh... Elder sister eh? Having met for mere days and she's already taken such a liking to you... You are truly outstanding in the ways of stealing maiden hearts.)

  (Stop saying weird stuff about her taking a liking to me, please shut up for a bit!)

  Hearing John Pluto Smith's reply, Godou hastily retorted in defense.

  "Anyway, that's how it is. A rare situation with three gods appearing at the same time. If we are down by one person on our side, wouldn't it be shameful?"

  "Shameful?"

  Luo Cuilian reacted. As expected, her extreme pride meant that she was fiercely sensitive to such insinuations.

  If she were to say something like 'victory against superior numbers is an honor in the martial realm' then there would be no room for objection. However, such an argument would be more of a bluff than the result of some twisted logic. Even exalted as Luo Cuilian, her hubris should not be extreme enough to insist on dignity over practicality... At least, that was what Godou hoped.

  "If we don't prepare an army with the same formation as our opponents, it seems like there will be a problem with respect."

  "I see, that makes a bit of sense. Very well, I will accept your advice and we shall face them with equal numbers. As befitting for great generals and marshals, it is only right for us to lead armies into battle in the spirit of proper martial way... Still, little brother, something about your behavior displeases me."

  Luo Hao grumbled as she stared at Godou. What was she trying to say?

  "D-Displeased? I don't think I did anything wrong..."

  "Of course you are wrong. I am the martial pinnacle, the elder sister whom you should be offering the utmost respect. And how do you address someone of exalted stature like myself? I believe I have already taught you the most appropriate form of address."

  Godou could not help but sigh. Does that word really have to be said right now!?

  "O, O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o... Nee-san..."

  "You should be calling me 'Onee-sama.' I never expected a little brother with such poor memory. Fine, since it is the proposal of my sworn little brother, I will accept it."

  Having spoken, Luo Cuilian turned to the other Campione.

  "From my deductions, you must be the American [King]? My family name is Luo, with given name Cuilian and style name Hao.[87] I give you permission to join the ranks of my army in this battle and fight alongside me, Luo Hao."

  "What a unique greeting... I, John Pluto Smith, will offer the entirety of my humble services."

  Faced with the loftily delivered invitation, the king dressed in black responded effortlessly.

  Compared to the two-hundred-year-old demonic cult leader, the age-unspecified young man seemed far more mature. Breathing a sigh of relief, Godou and his two 'fellow kin' stood shoulder-to-shoulder, facing off against the three divine spirits.

  The giant three-headed-six-armed Zhu Ganglie.

  As well as Va
isravana standing on the raised head of his mount, the dragon of water.

  Finally there was the leader of these two gods, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong. Once again he stood upon the golden cloud and ascended, flying high up into the skies. The three versus three decisive battle was about to begin.

  "Hohoho, let me pick my opponent first! I choose the transcendent beauty, the godslayer who reminds me of the Moon Goddess! It is most fitting for her to be the opponent of the Marshal Canopy, the great Zhu Ganglie!"

  "...Come to think of it, you are the stellar deity that guards the northern sky."

  The Ruler of the Martial Realm frowned at the evil gaze of lust being cast upon her.

  "When it comes to the companions of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, one of the most notable is the evil-exorcising deity, the Marshal Canopy Zhu Wuneng. From a wild boar to a domestic pig, you are a deity widely known in folklore. In spite of all that, it is most deplorable for you to be reduced to such a shallow and lowly subordinate god."

  In Japan, boars were called "inoshishi" while domestic pigs used the kanji "buta" for distinction.

  When Godou received knowledge about the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, information was also gained about his subordinate gods.

  The Marshal Canopy Zhu Wuneng was once a military god serving the north pole's Great Emperor Ziwei.[88] At the height of his worship, most likely during the time from the Sui to the Song Dynasties, the three-headed-six-armed appearance in full armament was one of the favorite images depicted by artists.

  Frequently appearing in novels and plays, in the end he was linked to Zhu Bajie in the Journey to the West.

  For such a popular deity to be reduced to a lustful pervert like this... Flames erupted from Luo Cuilian's shoulders as if her anger had been lit on fire, manifesting a golden Benevolent King.[89]

  A solidly built figure that did not lose in any way to the giant Zhu Ganglie, displaying his impressive musculature half-nude!

  "A force is exerted! Great force vanquishes small evil!"