Campione 04

by The Hero

  "Oral... from the inside... ah, I see. That's what it was."

  Liliana turned her head to the side, while Karen was hiding her laughter.

  This girl was truly a demon, she had seen through him from the start, and turned the situation into a source of entertainment for her.

  Ignoring Godou's woes, the female master turned towards her maid.

  "What is it, Karen? I do not have a clue."

  "Fufu, as expected of Liliana-sama, how innocent... It is exactly what he said, oral insertion. In other words, mouth to mouth. A passionate kiss between a man and a woman. Have you forgotten, that legend of a maiden who offered her body to the devil king Campione in order to cast sealing magic?"

  ".... .... Mouth to mouth? A passionate kiss?"

  Liliana repeated softly, and blushed a deep red.

  "I, I see. Then, that time at Tokyo, in front of me, with Erica - th, those actions had such a meaning behind it!?"

  "Ah, wait, what? ... Yeah, well, that's how it is."

  In actual fact, that was merely Erica fooling around, but she did not need to know that.

  As it was embarrassing to say out loud, Godou merely nodded ambiguously. His answer had seemingly caused Liliana to realize a lot of things that were rushing into her head, and she was shaking slightly.

  "That time - you were not even the slightest bit concerned that we were around you, urged on by your passion and impulse, as though you were alone with your lover, with the sound of a viola in the background, to hold each other intensely, that time, was that!"

  Please don't use that kind of expression to describe it, although his inner self had really wanted to say it, he resisted the urge.

  "Although I had already thought so then, I'll say it once more! You are too shameless! To engage in those acts right before me, that passionate kissing scene!"

  Feeling deeply apologetic, Godou had been mistaken about her, he thought she had been empathizing with him.

  "So, sorry... Because it's that sort of thing, we can't do it this time round. Understood?"

  "Y, yes. I understand. As long as Erica is not here, we have no means of using that spell on you."

  "Why can't we? I think it's an extremely easy solution to our problems."

  And naturally, the person who interjected once again was Karen.

  With that, she touched on the topic which the king and the master had been trying to avoid.

  "Liliana-sama simply has to perform mouth to mouth on Kusanagi-sama, there is no problem with that, right?"

  "No, there is a problem! For me and Liliana-san to do that, would be really bad!"

  "Th, that's right. As a pure and chaste maiden, there's no way I can do that!"

  Godou and Liliana retorted simultaneously.

  However, Karen, like a stubborn child, continued on.

  "Now is the time of crisis when the [Heretic God] has descended upon us. The both of you, as a Campione and as a knight, please do not underestimate the severity of the situation. Indeed, it is a terrible thing to trample over the purity of a maiden, but the disaster that will be caused by the god is even more unforgivable - now, now, because of that Liliana-sama, please kiss!"

  This girl, as I thought, is fully enjoying herself!

  Godou was very sure of it, that while Karen was making suggestions with a serious face, but inside, she must be giggling looking at her master's troubled face.

  However, the little devil maid's suggestion was the right choice -

  Godou stole a glance at Liliana's face. Panicked, troubled, and a little bit of anger, but the silver-haired girl definitely knew the truth of those words. She had to make up her mind. It was evident that her resolve was wavering, and her expression weakened.

  - Godou suddenly felt the rush of power through his body.

  An indicator that a [Heretic God] was near, he hurriedly checked his surroundings, and then immediately realized.

  From the direction of the sea, on a pure white horse with large wings spread out wide from its back, rode the beautiful yet bold hero.

  "Come to think of it, Perseus is also capable of flying."

  Pegasus, the horse of the sky.

  Legend speaks of a divine beast that can soar through the heavens, born from the blood of Medusa, as well as sandals that can grant its wearer flight... Godou recalled about the Greek myths of Perseus.

  At any rate, this was quite the spectacular sight. It was overly showy.

  The place they were currently at was a rather wide open plaza.

  Many men and women liked to frolic around this area due to the snacks and beverage stalls that were concentrated around the area.

  In the skies that were lit up by the bright lights of the streets, the pure white Pegasus gracefully approached.

  The handsome man who was holding the reins put aside his sword at his waist, and then in his hands appeared a masterfully crafted wooden bow, a quiver on his back, his white cloak billowing with the wind. An extremely eye-catching appearance.

  "Hahaha! There you are, godslayer, I've been searching for some time!"

  The sound of Perseus' elated voice could be heard.

  The people on the streets, raising their heads and seeing the flying man and horse, started to scream, causing a stir.

  Watching the figure of the hero approach through the unfolding chaos and disorder, Godou grew incredibly nervous.

  "Liliana-san, do you think we can escape from the Pegasus with what you used earlier!?"

  ".... To be honest, I think it will be difficult. If we are counting on the divine beast from the legends to be slower than our magic, it is overly optimistic of us."

  An expected answer.

  Godou readied himself, as it would be pointless to try and run away.

  With nowhere to retreat, then there was only one option - go forward.

  "It seems there's no other way except to fight... I'll be going now. Should it become the worst case scenario, I leave the rest to you. At any rate, that bastard Doni should be fine, if it comes to that, find him and somehow have him fight it out with Perseus!"

  Leaving Liliana and Karen with those words, Godou headed directly for Perseus.

  Part 4

  A handsome man of bizarre appearance.

  As if made using CG, a Pegasus that could only have existed in movies.

  Appearing in front of the residents of Naples, it caused a huge stir.

  Some, upon seeing that, wanted to flee, others thought that it was some sort of performance, and there were also people who began to panic - at any rate, it was pure chaos.

  But most of the people were here to watch.

  Wanting to know what will unfold next, for the time being....

  Dismounting from the Pegasus, the handsome man, and an Asian boy that walked out from the crowds.

  In the night, in the plaza, the crowds surrounded the two of them, waiting for something to happen in anticipation.

  Ever since he became a Campione, this was the first time that he had to fight in front of such a huge audience.

  Wanting to minimize the amount of casualties, Godou asked without expecting a favorable answer.

  "Hey, if it's fine with you, I would like to change the location for our battle, is that ok?"

  "No can do. If we change the location now, it will ruin the mood."

  Flat out rejecting Godou, Perseus smiled, his eyes narrowing.

  "It has been a while since I've materialized in this world, and the human world has flourished greatly. To me, this has made my want to have our duel here even greater. To have such a glorious and elaborate setting for our duel, in those mythological times was impossible!"

  As he listened to the hero's speech, Godou began an analysis of Perseus.

  It was obvious to anyone that he was a full-blown narcissist. In spite of that, even having the appearance of a pretty boy, his intentions were not simply just to draw attention to himself.

  Only someone who had experienced the reality of the battlefield, fighting for
their life, would be able to possess such a degree of confidence.

  His [Individuality] was an intense presence, that even the smallest of his actions drew the attention of others.

  Whether that was good or bad, undoubtedly he had the abilities and power worthy of the term 'hero'. As Godou continued his analysis, Perseus started to make his move.

  He placed the bow he was holding on his back, drew his sword from his waist -

  And then he was right in front of Godou, closing the distance instantly.

  There were no excessive or complicated movements, he merely moved in a straight line, and simply swung his sword.

  However, it was incredibly fast. Godou instantly jumped towards the side.

  Perseus followed him closely, and threw out yet another quick slash.

  Godou barely managed to evade it, almost falling down in the process.

  Without even considering a counterattack, he was fully focused on dodging in his desperation. Kusanagi Godou, facing a warrior of such combat prowess and having nil martial arts background, had no other options.

  With such unrefined and forced evasive maneuvers, Godou finally lost his balance, falling down on the floor.

  Perseus immediately pressed his advantage with a ferocious swing of his blade.

  Almost like the speed and flexibility of a white panther. Godou managed to escape by rolling aside, but doing mat exercise-like movements on the stone paving hurt quite a fair bit. Be that as it may, it was infinitely preferable to being cut into two.

  "Hmph, this will not do. Although most godslayers usually have the bad habit of a 'disregard for one's appearance', you should not be one of those types? This simply will not do, to stand as a monarch above other men, you have to fight with an elegance and dignity of a king."

  "If I had enough room to do that, I would have!"

  Perseus seemed as though he were playing chess, and pointing out the wrong moves to his opponent, and Godou was the person shouting angrily at his opponent who was not even breaking a sweat. Finally, he stood up.

  Just as he thought, melee combat was unfavorable to him, and using the [Raptor] to escape was not feasible either.

  Perseus had not even used those techniques he had utilized against the dragon earlier. Not just the speed of a white panther, but that of a white shooting star. The speed of the [Raptor] could not even be compared with that.

  But, as for other methods of escape... there were some possibilities.

  Thinking of that method, Godou started to grow doubtful, if he were to use it, a large part of Naples' history and cultural assets would be destroyed, which was definitely not good.

  As he was thinking, Perseus thrust his sword forward once more.

  I'm almost at my limits, can I still go on? Godou stared at Perseus, and just as he realized there was no escaping the blade -

  A girl, with her hair of silver tied into a ponytail, barged onto the scene.

  Wearing a blue shirt, coupled with a black-striped cloak - a battle dress of blue and black, and carrying a long and beautiful sword. She was Liliana Kranjcar, without a doubt.

  "I'll be your second, Kusanagi Godou!"[15]

  As she said that, Liliana caught Perseus' sword with her own.

  No, she deflected it. Liliana took the resolute, determined attack with her saber held at a slight angle. Given the mass of Perseus' sword, it would not be surprising if her blade had snapped under the weight.

  However, Perseus' sword slid off that slight angle of Liliana's blade, and -

  His sword cut only air, before being embedded on the stone pavement.

  "A fitting blade for the hand of a graceful maiden you have there, young lady. For the sake of that godslayer, do you intend on crossing swords with me?"

  "Yes. Insolent it may be, but I will have the dragon-slayer, you, accept my challenge."

  A smile of ease appeared on Perseus' countenance and he pulled his sword out from the ground.

  On the other hand, Liliana Kranjcar displayed a difficult expression, strained with determination.

  The knight in blue lifted her saber, pointing it at the hero's forehead as she stood in front of Godou to protect him, ready to attack at any moment

  "Stop it, Liliana-san! I am this guy's opponent, so step back!"

  "I cannot obey that order! Although I have no intention of taking the place of that obscene Erika to serve as your lover, l, as a knight, am in no way inferior to her. With my valor, I will make up for my previous failure!"

  Even if you are a knight, there's no need to go this far, was what Godou would have liked to say, but he kept it to himself.

  Perseus smiled wryly as he slashed towards Liliana. Like a wild beast playing with its prey, it was a light-hearted attack.

  "Well said, young maiden! In the face of a god, yet be able to challenge him without faltering. That's an impressive spirit!"

  Swift, decisive and versatile.

  Perseus' continuous chain of attacks were the embodiment of the above style.

  No matter whether it was a fast, a heavy or a strong blow, Liliana desperately deflected all of them.

  Although she was a knight on the same level as Erika, to take on a god, was too arduous a task. As Perseus was not taking it seriously, she could barely keep up.

  To be able to challenge a god on even footing, one must first have power on par with the god's.

  An exploit like that, could only be done by someone like Salvatore Doni - the [King of Swords]. As someone who had far exceeded the limits of the human body, no matter how much of a genius you were, to match up to him was not something a single knight could accomplish.

  She understood that fact all too well, but had still become a shield for him.

  In this instance, Godou flung aside all his doubts and fears. I'll worry about that later, for now I'll have to grab that bastard hero's attention, and create an opening for Liliana to escape from danger!

  "Thus speaketh Lord Mithra. The sinful shall be met with justice."

  Godou chanted, words he had not spoken for a while, spell words of conviction.

  These were the words of power that summoned that, the pitch-black, ferocious, and most aggressive out of the ten forms.

  "May spines be crushed, may bones be broken, tendons torn; hair, brains, and blood mingled and trampled together with the earth! The one unblunted and unapproachable! Oath-breaking sinners be purged by the iron hammer of justice!"

  Where Godou stood - the plain stone floor had started to turn into a shade of black.

  A distortion in the space had opened, that which linked this world to the 'imaginary' world, and right after, a black form began expanding out on the ground of the plaza.

  "Hm? Finally gotten serious, have you, godslayer? This is your authority, isn't it?!"

  "Kusanagi Godou, what on earth is that form - !?"

  Perseus seemed overjoyed, while Liliana looked on wide-eyed, and then Godou liberated the fifth form of Verethragna.

  "Come forth, [Boar]! Listen well to my commands today!"

  The black floor was the clearest indicator that this world had been connected to the 'imaginary' world.

  And then, it came, the fiercest form, the [Boar] emerging from the ground.

  First, the fur.

  From the area around Godou and Liliana, and then all the way to where Perseus was standing, was black fur.

  The fur was unexpectedly fine and glossy, it was exquisite. There was also none of the odor or stench usually present on wild beasts, this was how the divine beast could be described.

  From the tip of its snout to its rear, it measured about twenty meters.

  From where Godou was, on top of it, he could not see its entire form, but any onlookers who could see the full terrifying, massive and ferocious form of the [Boar] - most likely would have been scared witless by its savage visage.

  Most likely the people watching were looking upwards now.

  Standing on top of the giant beast's back, Godou slowly rose up into the a
ir, like an escalator, the beast slowly lifting his body up.

  The [Boar] that had emerged from the land, finally could be seen in all its glory.

  Godou now had a bird's eye view of the city, as though he were on a rooftop.

  The Santa Lucia district directly in front of the Bay of Naples.

  It was commonly known that, from the history of this area, there was a royal palace that the King of Naples had once lived in, which has become a standard sightseeing spot. The folk song [Santa Lucia] had originated from that place.

  Godou and the [Boar]'s line of sight were fixated past the coast.

  That was the area they had been at earlier, the harbor of Santa Lucia.

  Further out into the sea on the protruded land, stood a castle of stone. (Also known as [Egg Castle])

  When Kusanagi Godou thought about destroying a large object, he would be able to summon the [Boar].

  In other words, he had designated that castle as the target.

  No matter how you looked at it, the castle was the most fitting target, it simply stood out too much, regardless of whether you saw it from the sea or from the harbor, it could be clearly seen, and also left a deep impression.

  RRUOOOOOOOOOO!!

  The [Boar] which was destruction incarnate, roared out into the night in Naples.

  "That's an interesting thing you called out, godslayer! But, what are you planning on? You cannot defeat me with merely that!"

  "Like this! Liliana-san, hold on tight and don't fall off!"

  Godou shouted at both the hero and the female knight standing atop the fur.

  And at the same time, the [Boar] kicked off hard against the ground.

  It charged towards the castle - no, to be precise, it jumped.

  The ground shook with every step, the stone pavement cracking every time its hoof landed. The target was the castle beside the sea, if it charged towards that, there would be widespread destruction, hence the jumping.

  Fortunately the castle's surrounding area was the harbor and pier, hence there was plenty of space.

  "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"

  "Mgh, this is - !"

  Liliana had let out a surprisingly cute scream, while Perseus was impressed.

  But the fact that both of them were not thrown off the [Boar] was indeed praiseworthy.