Campione 06

by Flying Phoenix of Divine Mountain

  There was no tone of reproach in her words, for Erica had made the most rational decision. But reason and feelings were separate, there was no other way, for Erica it must have been a heart-breaking decision.

  "At least we already confirmed they are fine for now, so we're just lowering the priority for now. No problem, Godou is not someone who dies easily, I believe he will do his best to protect Yuri and Hikari."

  At this time, strategic decisions were more important than emotional outbursts.

  As Erica coldly analyzed, a sudden voice called to her.

  "—Since that is the case, why not allow me to go to the Astral Plane?"

  There was a young woman's voice, but no presence could be felt.

  Erica looked at the direction of the voice, and so did Liliana and Amakasu. For someone to approach these three without them knowing, was truly a rare feat indeed, so they were all quite shocked.

  "I am very unsuited to things like combat but I've been thinking all along about how I could be of help to you all... Fortunately I can be considered an expert in this area, so just leave it to me?"

  From within the cedar forest out stepped a blonde beauty.

  Roughly in her early twenties, she was wearing a luxurious white coat with long black boots.

  Beneath the coat was a short knitted dress and leggings, giving a kind of elegant feeling like "a princess who sneaked out of the castle for a stroll in the streets"... That was only natural, for she was a true noblewoman, and a [Princess] at the same time.

  As Erica caught sight of her gentle beauty, she was completely surprised.

  Having met her last time in London with Uncle Paolo, of course Erica would be shocked to find her in this kind of place. Smiling mischievously, she put her index finger to her lips.

  She really did look like she sneaked out.

  Of all the people Erica ever met, the most brilliant and elegant lady had made her appearance. A sense of opposition naturally sprung. If she didn't let the [Princess] witness her grace as a noblewoman, she would have failed her name of Erica Blandelli.

  "My lady—if you were to do so, it would be our most unexpected good fortune."

  Deliberately avoiding addressing her as princess, Erica paid respect to her.

  Acting as respectful as if this were a royal court, full of pride and pomposity.

  "My lord and our allies the miko are still inside. If possible, please grant them your assistance."

  Why and when did she come to Japan? These inappropriate questions should be avoided. When the right moment comes, she would likely explain her purpose herself. From the dialogue just now, it could be deduced that she already knew the basic situation, so Erica stated her request simply.

  "I understand, though I can't guarantee a hundred percent... But a success rate of sixty-five or so should be sufficient to assure you all."

  With a stiff expression, Liliana was watching the two converse. She had seen the [Princess]'s photo before, but the sudden appearance still made her greatly shaken.

  Amakasu simply shook his head and shrugged.

  "I see, so this lady here is acquainted with Erica-san... Is my assumption correct?"

  "If you accept that, it would be a great help, because there are many long-winded fellows about. Even if I took a casual stroll outside, they will get very angry."

  The [Princess] nodded, and added casually:

  "By the way, I have a suggestion. Since that Leviathan is a key factor in releasing the dormant [Steel], if you think about it, removing her should be enough to prevent the god's revival. Though it will be difficult, please consider it."

  She was a user of spirit vision similar to Mariya Yuri, and had attained great knowledge about gods.

  Advice from her wisdom was greatly respected by upstanding magi and knights as the words of a sage, and Erica expressed her deep gratitude.

  Part 3

  As the intense storm assaulted the little house in the mountains, Godou looked at the old man.

  This was his second time here, at the residence of the elderly god living "secluded" in the Netherworld, Susanoo. Opposite the cross-legged Godou, the solemn master of the house was sitting with one knee up.

  Behind him were the two other familiar characters.

  The flaxen-haired princess sitting formally in seiza[84], and the living buddha in the lotus position.[85]

  "Of all places, why on earth did I have to come here?"

  "Of course that is because my sword brought you here, just look carefully at Ama no Murakumo."

  Godou complained while Susanoo answered with frivolous tones.

  "So that sword really became my possession after all."

  Thinking back to the pain he felt before the transfer, Godou looked at his right arm.

  Backed into a corner by Luo Hao, they had already come here by the time he noticed. That time when they were transferred here must have been the will of Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, which cut through the wall of the sealing barrier to enable them to escape outside.

  True to the name of the divine sword that severed the earth from the Netherworld.

  "Oh, looks like you still haven't grasped it, but one day you will master the sword, right? It has been my longtime partner, oh, do treasure it well."

  "I have no intention of contravening the firearms and weapons regulations..."

  Godou sighed. Despite what he said, if this fellow had not appeared to save them, most likely they would have died there just now.

  Though he had no interest in picking up a sword, being ungrateful would bring retribution. At least the mystery was cleared up, the divine sword's most familiar location in the Netherworld was the residence of the original owner, so it chose to escape here.

  "Putting that aside, could you return the Mariya sisters back to their original form?"

  "No. Despite my straightforward character, I am a god after all. Even the monk and the princess will not easily appear before ordinary people. How could we permit humans who aren't even devil kings to appear in our presence? Anyway, you should just bear it for now."

  Susanoo's answer made Godou look at the combs in his hands.

  A pair of combs made from bamboo, one big, one small, were transformed from the Mariya sisters. When they transferred to this little house, Yuri and Hikari had fainted already. Godou then saw the elderly god muttering something unrecognizable which turned the sisters into a set of bamboo combs.

  Finding himself the only one unaffected, Godou was angry of course.

  But Susanoo had said they would recover once they left this house. As an apology, Susanoo alerted his miko Seishuuin Ena of the fact that the three of them were safe, thus temporarily appeasing Godou's anger.

  "To be able to turn two girls into something like that..."

  "The Netherworld is a very ambiguous territory that straddles the line between the fictional and the real world. That is why one can travel using thoughts, and gods like us can even change this world. Such a transformation is a piece of cake."

  Despite his violent appearance, Susanoo's explanation was surprisingly complicated. If the sisters cannot be recovered, what are you going to do? As Godou secretly thought to himself, the black-clad monk spoke.

  "By the way, have you caused some interesting commotion again?"

  "I 'caused' nothing, I was just caught up in things!"

  The mummy without bandages who became a buddha with a desiccated body. Godou strenuously objected to the monk who possessed such an appearance.

  "Please have a look, Rakshasa Monarch, the monkey king has now changed into this."

  The princess who wore a juunihitoe[86] style kimono, handed over a basin of water.

  Reflected on the water surface was the stable with the stone monkey, but everything from the chest up was flesh. The eyeballs were red in color with golden pupils. It was a very intriguing appearance.

  "To be honest, we are the ones who imprisoned the monkey king in the palace of the [Keeper of the Horses], and the central figure in
solving the problem is—"

  As the princess threw a glance at the monk in black, he showed his toothless mouth and said:

  "Exactly, back when I was still on earth, I did that thing."

  "It was you guys? Why would you do something like this... That monkey is a steel deity?"

  Godou felt they were a hopeless bunch, didn't they sow the seeds of conflict themselves?

  "That monkey king, is both a monkey and the possessor of the divinity of steel, a great hero surrounded by flames who subjugated dragons and snakes. Only extremely powerful [Steel] is capable of becoming the slayer of dragons or snakes."

  "Slaying dragons and snakes?"

  "Actually, my nation has a troublesome [Divine Child] currently asleep. A foreign god who drifted here from overseas, the divine child who is the strongest [Steel]. In order to prevent this god from waking up, we brought forth the monkey king to slay dragons and vanquish snakes."

  The strongest [Steel], from where had Godou heard that before?

  Somehow Godou had a sense of déjà vu, but the current pressing topic was the monkey.

  "Why are dragons and snakes very troublesome?"

  "You should already know, dragon and snake deities can make [Steel] more ferocious, and can also wake them up."

  Godou recalled the incident of the hero Perseus.

  What hastened his appearance was the presence of a dragon, it was much later when Godou was told of this.

  "By the way, you too have once fought with a snake deity of the southern barbarians. Had you failed back then, we would surely have carried out the release ritual of the [Keeper of the Horses] for the monkey king."

  "I keep hearing this term Keeper of the Horses, is that the name of that monkey god?"

  "No, it's the name of an official position, a post in the Heavens... Simply put, it is the task of watching over the stables, managing the horses of the celestial court, that is the job of the Keeper of the Horses."

  "By Heavens you mean?"

  "The world of the gods and immortals ruled by the Jade Emperor."

  A name appeared in Godou's mind, the original name of that playful monkey, his name as a god.

  Godou attempted to speak out the name. Susanoo suddenly went "Heh!" over his breath; the princess stared wide; the monk in black smiled silently, grinning like a villain.

  "You realized the true identity of the monkey god?"

  "I just happened to think of it. Damn it, he could very well be more famous than Athena!"

  Godou was left breathless, this was totally beyond the level of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

  If that kind of fellow was to rampage on earth, how serious a calamity could not be underestimated.

  "What could we do to seal that monkey once again?"

  "The one releasing the binding spell of the [Keeper of the Horses] is the Tang[87] monarch. Should you be successful in defeating her personally, the monkey king will fall dormant once again..."

  The princess spoke with worry. In other words, a battle with Cult Leader Luo Hao was required.

  Godou couldn't help complaining. This was like the metaphor of having a tiger at the front door and a wolf at the back. No matter which choice he made he was in trouble. But compared to fighting a wolf and a tiger together at the same time, it was better to just fight the tiger alone.

  Most importantly, he was worried about his friends back on earth, and wanted to return as quickly as possible.

  "I will try my best... So there's something I want to discuss. Can you send me back to the surface?"

  Faced with the decisive request, Susanoo and the monk in black looked at each other.

  "What should we do? We are neither this guy's enemies nor his companions."

  Recalling last time's incident, it was just as the elderly god described, and then the black-clad monk deliberate said:

  "No no, Old One, this counts as a wandering stray. It's not like we don't know him, even though we are not very close either. But we cannot go against the ways of gods for the sake of the ways of men. That said, the method to return the Rakshasa monarch to the real world... is a bit difficult for us."

  "Didn't you guys pull me in here last time on purpose?"

  Feeling like they were putting on a show, Godou questioned.

  "Last time, it was that idiot Ena who set up her tricks on earth. We have no ability to let you freely come and go from this place."

  Recalling the spell that Seishuuin Ena used at the school, does that mean I am stuck in the Netherworld forever!? Godou was very shocked.

  The one who interrupted at this point, was the princess possessing glass-like pupils.

  "Enlightened One, Old One, pray show some restraint in your jokes. Rakshasa monarch, please hold this carefully."

  She handed over a magatama[88] jewel.

  It was made of jadeite. Godou could not comprehend the princess' intentions and pondered in puzzlement.

  "This is just an ordinary magatama, but having worn it for so long, it is infused with my powerful psychic powers. For women linked to our snake blood, it serves as an excellent beacon."

  "Snake blood?"

  "If you're interested, try investigating the women known as divine ancestors. For example, those miko over there are my very very distant descendants."

  She showed a demure smile.

  "The miko seeking you in the Netherworld... This girl inherits the blood of snakes as a result of atavism. With this alone, she should easily find her way to your side."

  "To receive me... Yes! It must be Erica and the rest!"

  Making contact with Ena proved to be unexpectedly effective. Susanoo and the black-clad monk were likely aware of this and played dumb. Truly unpleasant characters, these old men.

  "Let me lead you to a place more convenient for the one seeking you... The rest depends on your capacity and tolerance, I wish you luck."

  "I am very grateful. If possible, I hope a day will come when I can repay your great kindness and grace."

  Godou immediately bowed his head in respectful gratitude.

  Naturally employing respectful manners towards the princess, was this what people called difference in character?

  In her basin appeared scenery never seen before. No instructions were needed, after all, she was the one who taught him the method to travel in this mysterious world.

  Godou watched the scenery reflected in the water as he concentrated and transferred there.

  By the time he regained his senses, he was at the edge of a lake.

  A scenic lakeside on a plateau, that was the feeling Godou got standing on this land.

  The water was crystal clear, and the blowing breeze was very comfortable. Along the bank were neat rows of cedar trees.

  "—Right, what about the Mariyas!?"

  He recalled the sisters who had been turned into bamboo combs.

  The two combs in his hands were gone, and Godou frantically searched his surroundings. Breathing a sigh of relief, he found the miko-outfitted Yuri and Hikari on the side of the lake.

  Shaking their shoulders, the sisters soon woke up.

  "This place... Are we still in the Netherworld...?"

  "Yes... Onii-sama... My head hurts... I can't feel any strength..."

  Hikari had been acting strange during the battle with Luo Hao, but it looked like she had recovered.

  Godou made a brief explanation of how they got to be transferred here.

  "So that's what happened, both of you were transformed... Do you feel fine?"

  "Yes, yes, it seems like it. We have no memories of the time when we were transformed."

  "I feel so tired, as if I had exhausted all my strength."

  Compared to the older sister who could answer affirmatively, the younger sister still looked groggy.

  "Anyway, since everyone is fine this counts as fortune amongst misfortune... By the way, just now they said someone will be coming to receive us, who knows how long it would take?"

  "Should be Liliana-san coming right?"

&
nbsp; Godou shook his head. Who knows?

  Erica didn't seem like she knew the magic to travel to this Netherworld, which meant it should be Liliana. But from the manner the princess spoke, it seemed like this wasn't the case.

  "I have arrived. Finally found you, Kusanagi Godou-san."

  "Wah!"

  Suddenly hearing his name, Godou jumped in surprise while Yuri and Hikari stared hard.

  Somehow a beautiful woman was standing before them.

  "Sorry to have surprised you all. You may not recognize me, but I am also your companion. Actually, I knew Erica Blandelli from before."

  With dazzling blonde hair, she was a beautiful Caucasian lady.

  Calm and smooth speech, elegant clothing, and a presence like perfume. Godou finally realized, it was a feeling that was very similar to Erica. Yuri looked at her incredulously.

  "...Spirit body? Are you using a spell of spirit body separation?"

  "Oh my, it's been so long since the last time I was found out so quickly. You are amazing."

  Bearing an elegant smile, she praised Yuri, who became quite fearful. Spirit body separation?

  Seeing Godou's doubt, the blonde beauty told him the truth.

  "Known as ectoplasm or spirit body in the world of magic, a rough explanation would be a doppelgänger of the soul that is created through psychic sensing abilities. My real self is currently lying asleep on a bed in London... Please keep this a secret."

  "I-I am really sorry, I saw it through spirit vision, and spoke without thinking."

  Yuri frantically apologized as the princess raised a finger to her lips, expressing her hope for secrecy.

  "No problem, even though it is top secret, I'm not going to sew up the mouths of people who know about it. Do I look as crazy as Cult Leader Luo Hao?"

  Mischievously batting her eyes, it looked like the beauty was aware of the mastermind behind this commotion.

  "Your request to keep this a secret, I got it. By the way, can you tell me your name?"

  "During this trip, I was hoping to call myself the 'mysterious beauty who wished to stay anonymous' all along... But the king's request cannot be ignored. No other way, I shall answer."

  A humorous self-introduction.

  The blonde beauty elegantly smiled as she named herself.