Campione 07

by Great Sage Equaling Heaven

  "Come on, could you all quiet down a bit? Yuri-neechan and all the other Onee-sama should know your bounds. Onii-sama just finished this severe and deadly battle. Really, you have all failed to be mindful of that!"

  Help came from an unexpected ally in the form of Mariya Hikari who had not been seen earlier. Held in her arms against her chest were cans of coffee and bottled tea and water.

  "I think everyone is acting a bit lacking in feminine delicacy... Right, Onii-sama, these are drinks I bought at the vending machine from a nearby restaurant. Which kind would you like?"

  "It's for me? Thanks."

  Having loudly chastised the older girls, Hikari immediately put away her intimidating anger and smiled at Godou.

  She must have been absent earlier because she took a long route? Figuring that out, Godou was very pleased with Hikari's thoughtfulness. After going through such an intense battle, his throat did feel very parched.

  Hikari proceeded to narrow her eyes and gaze at him with a tender expression.

  This expression and gesture did not match her young age, and should only be displayed by mature women.

  "Actually, I wanted to cook something for you, but it can't be helped in a place like this... By the way, I'm pretty good at making dishes. Not as well as Onee-chan, but for a student of my age, my skills are not bad at all. Next time, please enjoy a lunchbox prepared by me."

  "I don't really mind, but we go to different schools."

  "In that case, we can just go out together. Why not next Saturday?"

  "An acquaintance will probably be asking me to put in a shift for work... Eh? What is with everyone?"

  Starting at some point, the surrounding mood had changed.

  Erica deliberately shrugged with exaggeration. Yuri timidly gazed at Godou and her sister.

  Ena sighed uncharacteristically, saying something like 'Hikari ended up becoming His Majesty's woman as well, this is far too shocking.'

  "Kusanagi Godou, looks like I have won the wager this time. Let alone a month, the result arrived in less than a fortnight. This actually exceeds my expectations..."

  Then Liliana proceeded to say something incomprehensible.

  "No matter how things went, the fact of my winning remains unchanged. I, Liliana Kranjcar, will henceforth become your loyal vassal like no other, serving by your side and offering everything to you as your premier knight."

  Hearing her sudden unexpected victory declaration, Godou was speechless and completely bewildered by what she was trying to say.

  Greatly perplexed, Godou turned to look at the only other male remaining at the scene, Amakasu. What on earth was going on?

  "Kusanagi-san... Because you dug your own grave, I cannot help you."

  The observing ninja descendant teased Godou with a strained expression, trying his hardest not to burst out in laughter.

  "Hikari... What on earth are you trying to do!? I-If father and mother found out, do you know how they will scold you? Please think a little!"

  "It's okay, Onee-chan."

  In contrast to the older sister whose face was flushed red, the younger sister was very relaxed and complacent.

  "If I explained that we will be serving Onii-sama as sisters, I'm sure grandpa and grandma will be very happy. In that case, father, who married into the Mariya family, probably won't say anything while mother is just an optimist. I don't think she'll mind."

  Hoho. Hikari seemed to be laughing as if gloating over her victory.

  "My dear group of Onee-sama, this is the fact of the matter. Please instruct and remind me well from now on... However, please don't worry, as the youngest member, I will humbly get along with you all, especially Erica-neesama. Everyone, I will be in your care."

  "Looks like in terms of social aptitude, Hikari surpasses the older sister by far..."

  Erica murmured with great feeling as she reached out to Godou beside her.

  Then she pinched his upper arm hard.

  "Ouch! What are you doing!?"

  "In exchange for absolution from me, this little punishment is nothing, so stop complaining... Or perhaps in consideration for the future, it'd be best if I stab you once instead?"

  Completely ignoring Godou's protest, Erica pondered seriously.

  For some reason, Yuri, Ena, Liliana and Amakasu proceeded to nod vigorously in agreement.

  There was a beautiful little girl standing on the peak of Nantaisan, overlooking the distant world beneath where lights dotted the streets.

  If one were to look towards her hand, a heavy circular medallion would come into view.

  A circular disc made of an alloy of gold and iron, it was about the same size as the girl's fist. Engraved with script that was reminiscent of a [Sword], the girl gazed unerringly at its surface for quite a while, as the number of patterns incremented and a second [Sword] appeared on the circular sculpture.

  "After Perseus, it was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's turn to be destroyed, and both their steel have been left upon the earth. Clearly, that Great Sage will not be the last hero to manifest in this world..."

  The blonde girl who resembled a classic western doll looked to be about twelve or thirteen in age. It was the Divine Ancestor who introduced herself as Guinevere to Luo Hao previously.

  "When the Great Sage called upon the power to defeat devil kings and bring salvation to the world, I actually thought it might be possible, the destiny written in the stars for the 'one who manifests at the end' to become the strongest sword of [Steel]... Though incomplete, the Great Sage managed to make skillful use of it, as befitted the magnificent hero from the great land of China."

  Breathing a sigh, she put the circular medallion away and it was at this time that Guinevere noticed a presence.

  "Prince, though you may possess the power of god speed, you are really unskilled in the techniques of hiding in the shadows..."

  "Hmph, you witch. Your sense of smell is sharp as ever."

  From the shadows of the volcanic rocks, out stepped a man. It was Black Prince Alec.

  His real name was Alexandre Gascoigne. As suggested by his family name, he was the Campione whose ancestry traced its roots back to France.

  "I just wanted to find out what your true intentions are."

  "How scary... But regrettably, the open matter has already been settled. Guinevere will be heading back home now. So, let us meet again in Europe."

  "Very well, we shall meet again, Witch of Brittany."

  If the Black Prince were to pursue using godlike speed, even the Divine Ancestor would be no match.

  Knowing that the cold reply of the Black Prince implied that he had no intention of giving chase, Guinevere flew into the sky, enveloped in golden light.

  "What a waste of a trip... That said, the strength of this monkey called the Great Sage Equaling Heaven really was too abnormal. What was the source of all that power?"

  Watching the witch depart, Alec muttered to himself.

  After finding out there were three other Campiones present, he had deemed it unnecessary to intervene. But for the sake of discerning the nature of that power, participating in the battle would not have been such a bad idea—

  Ending his contemplation here, Alec shrugged his shoulders.

  It was pointless to dwell any further on a concluded incident. If another similarly alarming situation were to arise in the future, just start gathering information all over again...

  Translator's Notes and References

  Wandering Monk Sun(孫 行者): One of Sun Wukong's titles, Xingzhe(行者) means "wandering monk," a reference to his joining the Buddhist faith in becoming the disciple of the monk Xuanzang in the Journey to the West.

  Nikkou Toushou-guu: a Shinto shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, located in the city of Nikkou in Tochigi Prefecture. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]

  Tokugawa Ieyasu: the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ended the Sengoku (Warring States) era.[2]

  Hakama: traditional Japanese divided
trousers.[3]

  Ruyi Jingu Bang(如意金箍棒): the name of the magical weapon wielded by Sun Wukong, the protagonist of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.[4]

  Kao(靠): a type of military outfit often worn by actors playing generals in Beijing opera.[5]

  Kun(坤): one of the eight trigrams from the Book of Changes. The trigram for kun is ☷.[6]

  Mudra: religious hand gestures used in Buddhism.[7]

  Immortal(仙): in Chinese Daoist tradition, a sage who achieved immortality through enlightenment.[8]

  Qi(気): known variously as ki/chi/qi/chakra, an oriental concept of life energy. In Campione!, the concept is equivalent to magical power, and is the term used by Chinese characters, hence the romanization of "qi" will be used.

  Yueqin: nicknamed the "moon guitar," a stringed traditional Chinese instrument that resembles a lute with a round body.[9]

  Ba Gua Zhi Jing Ji Ji(八卦之精急急): the words of some kind of Daoist charm, "Ba Gua" refers to the eight trigrams of the Book of Changes.

  Li(里): a traditional Chinese unit of distance. 108000 li would be equivalent to 54000 km or 33554 mi.[10]

  Torii: traditional Japanese gate used as the entrance to Shinto shrines and also found within them. They symbolize a transition between realms.[11]

  Three Heroes and the Five Gallants(三俠五義): a Chinese historical novel set during the Song dynasty, with Justice Bao as the main character.[12]

  Outlaws of the Marsh(水 滸傳): one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it tells the story of a group of 108 outlaws during the Song dynasty.[13]

  Tanzhishentong(彈 指神通): a fictional martial arts technique that trained the fingers to great strength and precision, allowing a single flick to fire off innocuously light objects as deadly projectiles, break or disarm the weapons of opponents, or even attack at range with just the wind from the finger's motion. Widely known due to the immensely popular martial arts novels of Jin Yong.[14]

  Great Compassion Mantra(大悲咒): a popular Buddhist mantra in East Asia for protection or purification.[15]

  Onmyoudou(陰 陽道): literally "the way of the Yin and the Yang", mixing science and occult, a traditional Japanese philosophy based on Chinese concepts of the Five Elements and the Yin-Yang duality.[16]

  Shugendou(修 驗道): a Japanese mystical-spiritual tradition that melds ideas from various Buddhist sects, and seeks to attain enlightenment by becoming one with kami.[17]

  Dharani: Buddhist mantras involving meaningful intelligible phrases.[18]

  Imperial Capital: another name for Tokyo.

  Kantou region(関 東地方): the region covering the Greater Tokyo Area and consists of the seven prefectures of Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa.[19]

  Utsunomiya(宇都宮): the capital of Tochigi Prefecture.[20]

  Mount Emei(峨眉山): one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China.[21]

  Great Monk Shoudou(勝道上人): the Buddhist monk who founded the temple of Rinnou-ji.

  Wakoku(倭国): the ancient term for the islands of Japan before it was recognized as a country.

  Book of Han, Treatise on Rites and Music.[23]

  Sanzang(三藏): pronounced Sanzou in Japanese, the central character who Sun Wukong has to escort in the Journey to the West to retrieve Buddhist scripture.[24]

  Noh: a form of Japanese classical musical drama.[25]

  Kanami: Kan'ami Kiyotsugu (観阿弥 清次) was a Japanese Noh actor, author, and musician in the 14th century.[26]

  Zeami: Zeami Motokiyo (世阿弥 元清) was a Japanese actor and playwright, the son of Kanami.[27]

  Prajñā: one of the three divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism, meaning wisdom.[28]

  Vaisravana: one of the four cardinal protector gods of Buddhism. Equated with Sha Wujing (Sha Gojou in Japanese) from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West.[29]

  Three Treasures: the three things that Buddhists seek guidance from — Buddha (can be interpreted as the historical figure, or to seek the highest spiritual potential in all things); Dharma, the teachings of Buddha; and Sangha, the community of those who have reached enlightenment.[30]

  Yama-biko: an echoing spirit in Japanese folklore, often heard but rarely seen.[31]

  Zhu Ganglie(豬 剛鬣): one of the names of Zhu Bajie (Cho Hakkai in Japanese), the infamous pig spirit who was apprenticed to the monk Xuanzang and became Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. Taken literally, the name Zhu Ganglie means strong-maned pig.[32]

  Zhu Wuneng(豬 悟能): one of the names of Zhu Bajie (Cho Hakkai in Japanese), the infamous pig spirit who was apprenticed to the monk Xuanzang and became Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. Zhu Wuneng was the name given by his master, Xuanzang the monk.[33]

  Sha Wujing(沙悟凈): the third disciple of the monk Xuanzang and Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. Sha Wujing was the name given by his master, Xuanzang the monk.[34]

  Wu(悟): note how Sun Wukong(孫悟空), Zhu Wuneng(豬悟能) and Sha Wujing(沙悟凈) shares the same character "Wu" in their names.

  Book of Changes.[35]

  Mantra of Acala.[36]

  Mantra of Vaisravana.[37]

  Kulikaa: (Kurikara in Japanese), the Sanskrit name of Acala's sword of wisdom that cuts through deluded and ignorant minds.

  Three Poisons: the three root causes of suffering in life, according to Buddhism.[38]

  Acala: known as Fudou Myouou(不動明王) in Japanese, an angry wrathful guardian deity in Vajrayana Buddhism.[39]

  Kuukai(空 海): "The Grand Master who Propagated Buddhist Teaching"(弘法大師) was a Japanese monk who founded the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism.[40]

  True Lord Erlang(二 郎真君): a Chinese god with a truth-seeking third eye in the middle of his forehead. The greatest warrior god in the Chinese/Daoist pantheon, he is best known in Journey to the West as the one who pressured Sun Wukong and captured him for the heavenly forces.[41]

  Witenagemot: ("meeting of wise men" in Old English) a political institution in Anglo-Saxon England. In the Campione! setting, this organization deals with matters related to Campiones.[42]

  SSI: Sorcerous Sacrilege Investigation, an American organization that opposes the activities of sorcerers. In the Campione! setting, sorcery refers specifically to an evil variant of magic.

  Tachi(太刀): a type of traditional Japanese sword worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan.[43]

  MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

  MLIT: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

  Qinggong(軽 功): literally "technique of lightness", a Chinese martial arts skill that allows great agility and speed of movement. When exaggerated in fiction, it produces the effect of superhuman speed and even flight. Equivalent to [Leap] magic of western magi.[44]

  Red Torii(赤鳥居): picture can be viewed here.[45]

  Heart Sutra: Godou is reciting the Heart Sutra, one of the best known and most popular Buddhist prayers.[46]

  Yueqin(月琴): nicknamed the "moon guitar," a stringed traditional Chinese instrument that resembles a lute with a round body.[47]

  Cymbidium kanran(寒蘭): to be precise, the exact description is the Cymbidium kanran, a species of orchid.[48]

  Tiger lily: the flower Lilium lancifolium, renowned as the most beautiful lily in Asia.[49]

  Oath of the Peach Garden: in the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei became famous sworn brothers through an oath of fraternity.[50]

  Trout meunière: a French cooking method mainly used for fish, involving breading the fish using flour, frying it with butter and adding a particular sauce.[51]

  Yakshini: a broad class of female nature spirits from Hindu mythology, usually depicted as beautiful but vengeful.[52]

  Don Juan: a legendary fictional character, synonymo
us to "womanizer."[53]

  Cryptic quotes from the Book of Changes.[54]

  Avalokitasvara: called Guanyin(觀音) in Chinese and commonly known in English as the Goddess of Mercy, a bodhisattva venerated by East Asian Buddhists and associated with compassion.[55]

  Six Senses: in Buddhism, the mind is regarded as an additional sense.[56]

  Kao: a type of military outfit usually worn by actors playing generals in Beijing opera.

  Bagua(八卦): the eight trigrams from the Book of Changes. A reference to the story in the Journey to the West where Sun Wukong was locked into a cauldron for 49 days to be distilled into an elixir.[57]

  Psalm 22:22

  David: both Erica's Golgotha spell words and Liliana's Song of the Bow originate from King David's Psalms from the Old Testament of the Bible.[58]

  Energy center(丹 田): a pressure point located below the navel (about three finger widths down and two finger widths deep), it is associated with cultivating life energy (qi) and vital essence.[59]

  Ming: the dynasty ruling imperial China from 1368–1644. Journey to the West was written in the 16th century (1500s).

  Book of Changes, Wu Wang(無妄) hexagram.[60]

  Qimen-Dunjia(奇 門遁甲): A type of traditional Chinese metaphysical art, used for divination and various decision-making processes. Fictionally, it is also used as a category of supernatural spells and escape techniques.[61]

  Yin: yin as in yin-yang, the duality of complementary opposites. Yin represents darkness, gentleness, the moon, femininity, etc in opposition to yang which represents light, strength, the sun, masculinity, etc.

  Juunihitoe(十 二単衣): literally "twelve-layer robe", the juunihitoe is an extremely elegant and highly complex kimono that was worn only by court-ladies in Japan.[62]

  Genesis 27:26-28

  Kamaitachi(鎌鼬): literally the "sickle weasel," a Japanese weasel youkai believed to wield sharp claws while riding on gusts of wind.[63]

  Numbers 31:7-8

  Numbers 31:9-10

  Numbers 31:11-12

  Joshua 6:13

  Joshua 6:15-16,21

  Joshua 6:25

  Catty(斤): a traditional Chinese unit of weight, roughly equal to 600g. 13500 catties would be equivalent to 8100kg.[64]