"...Or rather, one could suppose this is his true nature that is normally repressed by reason and common sense, which has taken this opportunity to manifest itself, or something like that."
Yuri and Erica nodded in agreement with the conclusion following from Liliana's commentary.
No matter what, Kusanagi Godou's strange condition was real.
"Godou, why don't you play with us instead. I hope you can show a little restraint and not strike out at a foreign guest."
"You girls, what?"
"I'd suggest not. This man seems to be under the effects of Lancelot du Lac's curse."
Even though half-smiling, Godou reacted with surprise. On the other hand, Alec sternly warned them.
However, Erica displayed a glamorous smile towards the two kings in return, and casually declared:
"Oh my, despite appearances we did come here with great confidence, you know? Godou, even if it's you, don't underestimate me -- so that's the situation. Alec, I hope you can leave our lord for us to handle. If I were to impose on you any further, it would be most impertinent whether as a knight or a lady."
The two kings simultaneously displayed the same expression in response to her flowery words.
Godou and Alec's curiosities were piqued, causing them to smile.
"Good! Well then, I will leave matters in your hands!"
Plasma erupted from Alec's body. Looks like he is about to take flight as lightning.
Godou immediately raised his right arm in response, intending to counter with Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. In that instant, Erica and Liliana each threw a knife using summoning magic.
Without any hesitation, the two of them aimed directly at Godou's heart.
"What!?"
Greatly surprised, Godou tried to dodge.
Were he Salvatore Doni, he would have evaded effortlessly. But Godou did not know any martial arts.
Even though he excelled at relying on natural reflexes, using a Devil King Campione's concentration and survival instincts to evade enemy attacks with forceful suppression, it was definitely not the flawless motion of a martial artist.
Jumping back to escape the knives thrown by the knights, Godou could no longer tend to other matters.
Hence the command issued to Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi was delayed, providing what was to Alec more than enough time for preparation. Turning into a flash of lightning, the Black Prince instantly flew away.
"I never thought, you would attack me so suddenly..."
The knives thrown by Erica and Liliana were not fake trinkets or anything of that sort.
They were authentic knives made of iron and steel, which was why Godou immediately evaded them.
"What are you talking about? Without the intent to kill, how could it pose a threat otherwise? Besides, Godou can easily tank an attack of that level. It's very ordinary after all."
Completely unworried as a result, Erica explained without a care.
Liliana silently nodded in agreement. It seemed like Yuri was the only one who was worried out of her mind.
"Really... Even under Lancelot's curse, I am still unable to fly eh. So the fun with Gascoigne ends here."
Godou shrugged as he grumbled.
"Disrupting my rare opportunity for fun, what a bunch of girls who don't know their place! No other way, I shall have to educate you properly right here before starting a new game."
"Do you think we will accept such tyranny, Kusanagi Godou?"
Liliana frowned angrily as she spoke.
"It looks like in your current state, you are indulging your desires too much. It is a knight's duty to remonstrate a lord who has strayed from the correct path. For this, I, Liliana Kranjcar, shall have no choice but to draw my sword against you."
Declaring thus, the blue knight slowly opened her hand.
Her beloved sword Il Maestro had not been summoned yet. However, this stance expressed her determination to do so.
They had come here intending to liberate Godou from the strange curse. Erica and Liliana were both in battle attire. Red and black vertical stripes. Blue and black vertical stripes. These were their usual respective capes.
"Godou-san, please come to your senses. Even if it were truly as Prince Alec described, and you have been charmed by Sir Lancelot, only by overcoming it will you display the dignity of a king!"
Dressed in her miko outfit, Yuri also spoke out in reprimand.
Godou smiled wryly and tousled his hair. She really looked quite stern and awe-inspiring.
"If I really am a king, then I won't be concerned with such trivial stuff. All I want is to roam the land freely, taking steps as I please. If I meet some fool who rubs me the wrong way, having a little duel would be nice."
Neither arrogance nor madness.
He was natural and relaxed instead. A composed and unfettered impression that did not carry ferocity. Perhaps this was actually Kusanagi Godou's true nature -- Erica secretly thought this to herself.
Come to think of it, he had always been able to switch freely to using his power for battle.
A person who easily became friends and collaborators with members of organizations in various countries.
"This unhesitating Godou is truly a first sight. What a truly troublesome condition."
Erica grumbled as she felt impressed. Having borrowed the powers of people who were not present here, the preparations for lifting the god's curse were already complete. It was now up to the current team to take practical action. They must succeed at all costs.
Part 2
The Holy Grail had taken the form of Fake Minos.
The bull-headed giant god roared as it flew beside the white divine horse.
"URRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAALLAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
This bellow unleashed magical power and authority.
Turning raging spirit into spell words, thunderous roars shook the sky as crashing waves rocked the land.
Appearing before the eyes of Fake Minos as well as Lancelot and Guinevere riding the flying divine horse was the little island surrounded by rocky reefs.
Populated with strangely shaped rocky protrusions, it was indeed a castle of strange rock.
"Alexandre-sama's labyrinth, even though it has definitely been weakened..."
"A fake god and a god-slayer, even if they possess the same authority they cannot be truly equal. Apparently it cannot be nullified completely."
Riding astride the white divine horse, Lancelot and Guinevere conversed quietly.
"Nevertheless, since this point has been reached, only breaking in by force remains. Let Fake Minos charge into the labyrinth as a vanguard. Even if the labyrinth cannot be destroyed, it will serve the purpose of opening a path."
Lancelot and Guinevere entered the Devil's Sea with the bull-headed god of the labyrinth as their guide.
Rather than riding the waves, they were advancing through the sky. Only ten-odd kilometers now separated them from "Avalon." However, this remaining distance was the most arduous part of the journey yet.
First of all, amorphous mist blocked their path several meters ahead.
In addition, blown by terrifying gales, they were almost deported from the Devil's Sea.
Before they noticed, their course had veered off and no progress had been made towards the island.
Seawater gushed up from the ocean like a geyser, almost striking down the divine horse Lancelot and Guinevere were riding. These were all part of the Black Prince's authority -- the labyrinth's magical power which prevented anyone from approaching the island.
Every time Fake Minos roared, the labyrinth's magic was weakened.
"This cannot be allowed to continue..."
Lancelot muttered.
"One shall simply enchant Fake Minos with Insane Rush, so that it can attempt to create a breach by force."
"Sir Knight, please reconsider before pursuing such a reckless course of action. If you go ahead, it could cause detrimental effects on the Holy Grail which is being used as a catalyst!"
Sitting on the saddle, Guinevere voiced her opinion with a worried expression.
Nevertheless, Lancelot was unfazed by her concerns. Hoping to advance further while Kusanagi Godou was buying time for them, it was time to conclude things decisively here.
"O Minos, offerest one thy assistance!"
The ferocious bull-headed god gave a great roar of "OOOAAANNN!" in response.
"Thou shalt become the pioneer to traverse this sea. Chargest forth for the sake of this Knight and the beloved child. Thou only needst to aim for the labyrinth's exit, and dashest forward with insanity!"
These words comprised the curse.
The one cursed would become violent and ferocious, going berserk to achieve the goal at any cost...!
The effects were instant. Fake Minos who had manifested in the form of a bull-headed humanoid, now transformed into a complete bull. Abandoning its human qualities, it had turned into a beast god.
"QUOAAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!"
Ferocious bull Minos rushed forward like a shooting star, flying with astounding speed.
But as the bull continued to charge, an additional crack opened up on its body every so often. This was because it was a self-destructive rampage.
In just a matter of a few dozen seconds.
Fake Minos had crossed the labyrinthine sea as it exploded into a shower of shattered fragments.
At the same time, the magical power hanging over the Devil's Sea -- Black Prince Alec's authority dissipated. Through desperate rampage and sacrifice, Fake Minos had finally breached the labyrinth.
"How is the Holy Grail, beloved child?"
"Basically fine. How fortunate...!"
The golden urn hovered in the sky where Fake Minos had exploded.
Guinevere reported after a cursory glance. Lancelot silently nodded in acknowledgement. The indestructible divine artifact could not possibly have been damaged so easily.
"Then Excalibur can continue to be used."
"Well, this is a weapon that was revived forcibly after all, it won't remain functional for long. It should not be used except at crucial moments."
The quiet conversation was carried out with the view of Tokyo Bay laid out before them.
The rocky island floated ahead in solitude. The bizarrely shaped rocks were very conspicuous, giving the island a very distinctive look. This was indeed Avalon, the final destination of these two here.
However, just as Lancelot took up the reins, ready to advance...
Magical power burst forth from the ocean directly beneath!
"This is an authority!? --Of Gascoigne's doing!"
"Sir Knight, look at the sea there!"
A black sphere with a radius of twenty or thirty meters was submerged in the sea.
The sphere was emitting an extraordinary power. It was an attractive pulse which sought to drag down into the sea the divine horse that the white war god and the Divine Ancestor were riding.
"Magical sphere of avarice! This is the authority of attraction and compression that Alexandre-sama usurped from the gigantic beast Behemoth! No good, we're being pulled into it!"
"Laying a door guard at the final location beforehand, what thorough planning!"
The attractive pulse released by the submerged sphere immobilized the knight flying in the sky.
Lancelot kicked at her beloved steed's belly, ordering it to gallop, but it could not run. The divine horse attempted to follow the knight's orders and was moving its legs with full force. Normally, it could kick the air as if kicking ground, galloping with great speed. But now, the divine horse's legs were only waving in the air fruitlessly.
Not just the divine horse, but neither Lancelot nor Guinevere could move a single finger either.
They were immobilized by Alec's authority of attracting targets and never releasing them.
Lancelot summoned magical power, trying to break free from the authority's restraints, but it did not work. The source of this attractive force, the sphere, actually moved very slowly. But its attractive power was terrifyingly great in inverse proportion to its slow mobility. Even the white war god could not struggle free.
"Gascoigne, to think he actually set up this thing in the labyrinth..."
The instant Lancelot smacked her lips as she realized the Black Prince's trap...
A black humanoid silhouette could be seen from the corner of her eye. The profile of a mature female with a pair of white wings on her back. From the waist down, the body was serpentine while there was apparently a fish tail where feet would normally be found.
A grotesque demoness was flying in approach. With that speed and agility in the air, it really was flying like the wind.
Lancelot could not see any part of her other than her back. This was undoubtedly the authority Alec had usurped from the goddess Melusine![10] In the very instant the war god's attentions were drawn to the new enemy...
"Hmm!?"
The restraining force suddenly disappeared, greatly surprising Lancelot.
The attractive pulse sucking them in had vanished all of a sudden. The divine horse which had been galloping at full force was sent lurching forward. This became an opening.
Light as the wind, the queen instantly drew near.
Aiming at the opening exposed by Lancelot and the divine horse, the queen flew in with her pure white wings, grabbed Guinevere in her arms and made her getaway!
"Sir Knight!?"
Looking like an abductee, the Divine Ancestor desperately reached out with her hand. But immediately, the attractive force from the black sphere resumed once again.
The knight and her beloved horse were once again imprisoned by the attractive force.
"You, to think your target was the beloved child!"
Lancelot gnashed her teeth and yelled as her body remained immobilized.
Other than the back view of the abductor flying into the distance, nothing more could be seen. That direction was towards the "island" they sought -- Avalon. Was it returning to the place where the Black Prince was waiting?
"Prepare for a full gallop!"
It was imperative to struggle free from this force of attraction using full power at maximum speed! Lancelot instantly decided.
"There is no way out except by using full speed to break free. One must escape from being locked in this cage!"
Lightning was summoned from thunderclouds above. Blue-white flashes of lightning continually burst forth, striking the knight and the divine horse. The rumbling of thunder persisted nonstop, shaking the sky and the sea.
"Once filled with this power, this Knight and horse shall take the form of a white meteor. Beloved child, please remain unharmed until then!"
Praying as the thunder and lightning struck directly. However, was this going to work? She asked herself frankly.
Using the dashing gallop here would probably produce the same outcome as the fight against Athena last time. Lancelot would deplete her divine power and enter a state of exhaustion, thus hindering the battle against Alec. Compared to the duel with Kusanagi Godou, she wanted to keep all other fighting to a minimum. But doing things this way was looking bad!?
--Fine! Doubting inner monologue was cast aside.
Instantly steeling her determination, Lancelot continued to prepare for the dashing gallop. Escaping from this situation would also mean the divine lance Excalibur could be used. In any case, this weapon must stay in her own hand!
Lancelot's beautiful face could not help but smile beneath that white helmet.
It was a smile trembling with delight in anticipation of the approaching duel and farewell.
Meanwhile, Alexandre Gascoigne...
Leaving the cursed Kusanagi Godou behind for his lovers to handle, Alec had turned into lightning and flew away.
Entering the Devil's Sea in this manner, Alec could instantaneously travel to the depths of the labyrinth as the master of the maze. In this particular instance, that was the Floating Island's location.
Having usurped the labyr
inth authority from Minos eight years ago, he was fully accustomed to the ways of using it.
This was an authority of creation that could materialize a labyrinth as imagined.
Not only could it modify buildings above or underground, it could also convert locations into mysterious forests or mystifying fog which could not be exited once entered, with all sorts of variations, such as the Devil's Sea created this time. However, there was the restriction that this authority could not be reused until a month had elapsed after each use...
Nevertheless, Alec had not returned to the Devil's Sea.
The "island" and the labyrinth was a trap set to separate Lancelot from Guinevere.
The war god who was strong enough alone was now armed with Excalibur. Furthermore, Guinevere still held that particular trump card. Divide and conquer would be the proper strategy.
For this purpose, he had already chosen the stage beforehand near the Floating Island.
--During the Meiji period, for the purpose of guarding the imperial capital Tokyo, the Japanese military of old had constructed three island outposts in the sea offshore from Chiba's Cape Futtsu. These were Sea Fortress One, Two and Three.
Alec had chosen Sea Fortress Two.
This was an uninhabited island under the management of the Coast Guard where civilian entry was prohibited.
The lighthouse, still in use, was powered by solar batteries. Apparently, firefighting training was also conducted here sometimes. Given that the little island contained little more than ruins and debris, Alec could rampage here without any concerns.
Flying at lightning speed briefly, he could see the island beneath him.
Landing, he resumed human form and summoned the [Queen]. Other than the face concealing restriction, she was a convenient servant indeed, and quite a precious treasure in many ways.
He issued orders to her for capturing Guinevere. Within the Devil's Sea, he had already set up the Behemoth sphere beforehand. This was in preparation for the moment when the labyrinth authority was dispelled.
Ten-odd minutes later, the [Queen] finally returned.
An otherworldly beauty above the waist, her lower torso was some kind of fish and snake hybrid, with wings on her back--
The grotesque female familiar laid down on the ground the girl she had been carrying in her arms, then spread her wings and took flight. Making an exit as if she was embarrassed about her appearance. Her face must have been seen while she was abducting Guinevere.
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