by The Hero
Then, what was that image that she had seen?
A brilliant, golden light. The fragments of the sun that rained down from the sky. Rays of the sun.
The hero who had combined all of these also had the attribute of steel, one of the gods of the sword.
Diana had said that he was 'One who came from Persia'. His name was Perseus. However, that was not enough. The true name of the god, no, the true origin was -
".... Ho. You, are a miko, aren't you?"
Athena who had discovered that fact, stared at her.
Liliana felt a shuddering chill, as though she were a rodent being stared at by a snake, an insect being hunted by an owl. She was in the same situation as those vermin, as helpless as them.
"Speaking of which, Kusanagi Godou has quite the talented miko serving him, back in his homeland. Fufu, a revelation, from only my words? Now then, should I allow you to return with the answer in your head..."
Like a predator playing with its prey.
With that kind of feeling, Athena pondered to herself. The sharp eyes of the goddess of knowledge had seen through the fact that Liliana had discovered something through inspiration - to Liliana, the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
Athena extended her hand to the chin of the taller Liliana, making contact with the tip of her finger.
If the finger were to turn into a weapon at that instant, it would not have been surprising.
Liliana instinctively held her breath, in the face of the death and darkness staring her in the eye. At the very least, she had to find some way to convey what she had discovered to Kusanagi Godou.
".... H, hold it right there."
Out of the blue, a voice was heard.
To Athena, it was a voice of the youth she had been waiting to hear, but to Liliana, it was the voice of a youth she did not expect to hear here.
"Finally appeared, have you. To have kept me waiting for so long, how rude of you."
"Kusanagi Godou! Why did you come here!?"
The precious miracle drug of paralysis - a cow or horse that drank that amount would have been paralyzed for at least half a day.
But the person, who was swaying and walking with unsteady steps towards them, was surely Kusanagi Godou. It looked like he had not quite recovered fully from the effects of the drug.
Given how unsteady he was, it would not have been shocking if he were to fall over at any time.
Even with his body in this state, he still looked at Athena with a sharp gaze.
".... What are you planning to do with her?"
"I am still thinking of that. This girl with neither manners nor proper upbringing, had obtained a revelation from within my words. Originally, I would simply pass divine punishment over her, however..."
"A revelation?"
"Correct. In order to discern the origins of the one you call Perseus, and furthermore, she almost succeeded in fully understanding his identity.... Now then, what should I do with her?"
Athena twirled the finger pressing against Liliana's chin, and slowly brought it downwards.
Gently caressing her neck, as if to warn her that she could break her body any time she wanted.
Continuing downwards, her finger applied a pressure on Liliana's chest, which could definitely not be described as full, as though telling Liliana that it could pierce through if she exerted more force.
Compared to any battle she had ever experienced, the current situation was far more dangerous.
Liliana's life was literally in Athena's hands, and she felt despaired.
"Let go of her, and as the price, I accept your conditions earlier!"
Frightening words escaped the [King]'s lips.
The pleading look in Liliana's eyes, telling him not to do it, had been in vain.
"Kusanagi Godou, isn't it too late to be saying that?"
"It doesn't matter, does it? You're a goddess, at least give me this much. I defeated you last time, too, to the humans, there's this thing called 'preferential treatment for the winner', it wouldn't be too far-fetched to do so."
"... Hm."
"The negotiation will be the same as what we had agreed on last time. You'll tell me Perseus' secret, but if that girl had managed to deduce it from her senses, it might be a little different from our initial agreement, but still, that shouldn't be a problem, should it? Do you find the terms agreeable?"
As Godou finished, Athena casually nodded her head.
Liliana seeing her worst fears become reality, could only cast her gaze downwards.
"Forget it, I'll promise you. Although it didn't go as I'd have liked it to, the both of us stand to gain from this ending, it's fine, isn't it?"
"No, I have one condition."
What is he going to request?
Athena looked over at the boy, raising her brows.
"Although I'll promise you, that one day I'll listen to any one command of yours, but this must never concern the people around me. The only one involved and affected by your command will only be me.... Would that be fine?"
"Though you had said that you agreed to the terms, you still demand for another favorable condition for yourself?"
Kusanagi Godou had unabashedly thrown out his condition.
Liliana was astonished to see such a serious and firm expression on his face.
"Try to learn more about human society. Moreover, aren't you the ridiculous and willful one. Against someone as self-centered as you are, using unreasonable methods to deal with them, that is the way of the Kusanagi family... And as you said, the result would be a gain for both of us."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then before that bastard hero comes back, I'll take you on.... Even if you defeat me, you still have to face Perseus in single combat, I highly doubt you'll take such huge risks."
Watching the exchange between the goddess and the boy, Liliana finally understood.
Kusanagi Godou was indeed a kind person, but he wasn't naive.
Showing others his sincerity, but at the same time, measuring the pros and cons, picking the best possible choice and telling them that he still has the power and authority. This was a pleasant surprise for Liliana.
"Hm, finally picking up your pace, aren't you?"
Acknowledging his qualification, Athena laughed, and added,
"Very well. In response to my request as a Queen, you have accordingly replied in the style of a King. How fitting of your status as a godslayer, and thus, I hereby agree with the deal.... girl."
Athena lifted her finger from Liliana's body.
And pushed Liliana lightly with a tap from her finger.
Just like that, she was sent flying, and was caught by the still shaky Godou.
"One last thing, this way you'll be able to completely see through his act - listen well, Perseus is a serpent-slayer from Babylon, and one of those who allowed that sun god to become a leader of the ancient east, was a person of your pioneer empire."
Person of the pioneer empire. Was she referring to a country that once existed on this soil?
And then, a leader of the ancient east, sun god, that brilliant light that could seal the power of Verethragna, which means that -
Liliana, who was in the embrace of Godou, understood at long last.
The inspiration that she had gotten from Athena and the knowledge she possessed as a mage had merged together, and she finally could understand the true nature of Perseus, and with that, she heaved a sigh of relief.
If that were the case, then having a power that could seal the divine power of Verethragna was nothing unfathomable.
"Have you understood? Then, there's nothing left to do... Kusanagi Godou, the next time we meet will be after your battle has ended. The outcome of that battle, none can predict."
Athena's shape started to distort.
The figure of the young girl began to shrink rapidly, becoming an owl with grey feathers and pitch-black eyes.
The goddess-turned-nocturnal bird flew off towards the horizon, and
then....
His body swaying severely, Kusanagi Godou collapsed to the ground along with Liliana whom he had been supporting.
"What's wrong!? Please get a hold of yourself!"
"I-It's nothing. It looks like I haven't fully purged the effects of the drug, and I can't fully use my strength..... I'm sorry, I'll have to leave things to you after this..."
"I, I'm very sorry, for the sake of someone like me - !"
Tightly hugging the weakened [King] to her chest, Liliana cried out.
The footsteps of the night drew closer as twilight approached. The appearance of the half-moon that hung high in the sky, seemed to her as if it were laughing at them.
Part 4
"Has this all been your doing!?"
"Fufufu, since you've already made it here, yes, you're correct, I am the mastermind behind this incident! The culprit behind this strange phenomenon!"
It looked as if it were an exchange from a cruel serial killer having the final showdown with a famed detective, as Erica Blandelli faced the immortal devil king.
Behind Erica who had chased him all the way here, was Mariya Yuri.
It was only when she was truly angry that she revealed that chilling cold and strict expression. (She refers to Yuri here)
Yuri's feelings were understandable.
Erica would have very much liked to thoroughly punish the failure of a human in front of her, and then teach him the proper way to live as a normal human being.
At the northern end of the island of Sardinia, the outskirts of Alghero.[20]
They were going to meet up with Kusanagi Godou who was in Naples, and just as they began to move, a strange phenomenon occurred.
Every electronic device had ceased to function.
The electrical appliances in the house could not be turned on, the car would not start, the gas was unusable, even the phone could not be used. Electrical, natural gas, steam, anything that was reliant on being powered by these had been rendered useless.
"Erica-san, this is just like the time when Athena had descended upon Tokyo...."
"I agree. If a [Heretic God] manifests here.... just when we were planning to go to Godou's side too, and such a troublesome thing had to happen."
During the afternoon this day, in the rented villa that Godou had once stayed -
The clearly worried Yuri had pointed out a question, and Erica nodded, with a not-so-happy look.
".... For now, I'll just probe around."
Lucretia was currently seated beside the window, looking outside with an annoyed expression.
She was using bread crumbs to attract birds, and then in a low voice, towards the sky, released the magic of [Bewitchment], a spell that turned small animals into familiars.
A magic art that could only be mastered by one possessing the disposition of a witch, one of the arts of [Witchcraft].
Even the publicly acknowledged genius Erica Blandelli could not perform it, hence they patiently waited for the results of Lucretia's work.
The old witch of Sardinia closed her eyes for a moment.
The birds who had become her familiars most likely were sent to scout up to the inside of Alghero, and a highly-skilled witch like Lucretia, would be able to feel everything that her familiars saw and heard.
And, through their eyes as an intermediary, [Spirit Vision] could be employed.
Though it would be nowhere as effective as Yuri's, Lucretia knew quite a few spirit vision techniques.
"The area around us, a strange curse - enveloped in some kind of compelling force, even the whole city too, quite the large area of influence.... equipment and devices used for a civilized life are being disabled, perhaps a barrier of [Restriction]?"
Ten minutes had passed before Lucretia slowly opened her eyes and explained in a curt tone.
The impatient Erica immediately tossed out a question.
"What about the harbor? Were the boats moving?"
"I've not looked into the exact details yet, but, even we have been affected to this degree, it would be too unreasonable to assume that the boats would be able to function. Even if we were able to get the boats working, there would most assuredly be other influences that this phenomenon will have, given the possibility of it having a massive range of influence. If it were me, I would not consider boats or planes to be a viable form of transport."
"I don't doubt that. Truly a defeat, if we were to leave Sardinia, those two options simply cannot be discounted."
Erica replied in a low voice to the languidly given report.
She was considering her current options of escaping from the island.
"Erica-san, are you perhaps thinking of.... disregarding the phenomenon occurring here, and heading straight for Naples?"
Her beautiful features strained with anxiety, Yuri enquired.
As expected, she's sharp. She had already guessed what Erica was thinking of from her expression.
"That's right. Over there, Godou is battling with the [Heretic God] - and it seems he had lost, but did not die. Right now, he is surely facing a crisis, if I do not help him, who will?"
The strange phenomenon that had occurred was indeed bothering her. How troublesome.
However, she knew her priorities, Erica Blandelli, above everything else, was the most worried about Kusanagi Godou - the Campione that she loved.
Travelling from Sardinia to Naples in about two to three hours was abnormal.
With regards to that, the power of the gods had to have been involved, some way or the other. Although Godou was more strong-willed than his appearance let on, but without sufficient support, he was a [King] that could not display his true strength.
At any rate, she wanted to be at his side as soon as possible, even if it were only an instant earlier.
For the sake of this goal, whatever happened with the phenomenon on Sardinia - she could not be bothered.
"B, but, Erica-sama, this is like that time in Tokyo, the area of influence might very well be immense, right? Although the matter of Godou-san's well-being is worrying, there's also the problem of whether we can leave the island..."
A troubled expression could be seen on Arianna Hayama Arialdi's face.
"Even that Athena could not engulf the entire Tokyo in darkness, and Sardinia is bigger than Tokyo. If we wanted to leave Alghero immediately, it would not be difficult to accomplish."
Erica immediately rejected her personal maid's uneasiness.
Cars and motorcycles being non-functional would only affect normal people. For mages, they could easily employ magics that enhance their mobility to reach the nearest city, or stables to obtain a horse.
".... No. That is simply no good, Erica-san."
The one who had suddenly stated that was Yuri.
"We must first resolve the disaster here, and then set out for Naples. A barrier that can disable the functions of mechanisms, is not a spell that a normal mage is capable of. Without a doubt, this is the work of a [Heretic God], or the magic of a similar existence."
"Of course I know that. But, to me, Godou is more important."
Hearing those words, Erica could not help but frown, and replied.
"Thus, I've decided that I have to leave this place as fast as I can. Yuri, what about you? Aren't you bothered by the fact that Godou is fighting a god on his own?"
"Of course, I am worried! Unbearably so!"
Yuri firmly responded, and her voice was trembling with unease.
From that beautiful face, a resolute determination could be felt. She was not as strong nor as resourceful as Erica, but this girl was, at times, far more courageous and noble than anyone else. This was the case now.
In times like this, one would feel that Mariya Yuri was indeed a Hime-Miko[21] - in other words, a [Princess].
She would control her personal feelings, and would care for people who she did not even know, speaking out for them, and understood the importance of taking action.
"Besides Lucretia-san, the strongest person on this
island is Erica-san. If you were to leave, how would the situation turn out? This phenomenon would continue, and if the damage radius increases even further, who knows how much havoc that would cause.... You understand this, don't you?"
A barrier that disabled the use of electrical devices and machines.
If it were only to happen within the villa, the worst that might happen is to suffer Lucretia's complaints over the lack of air-conditioning, but, should this affect the hospitals - who knows what terrible things might come of it.
If some airplane were to accidentally enter this barrier - neither would that turn out well.
Erica took a deep breath.
Her current self was neither calm nor public-spirited, a behavior unbecoming of a knight that protects, but the priorities in her heart did not change.
There was no other choice. In this case, she would have to resolve the problem the fastest she could and then rush towards Naples. To fulfill her responsibilities and aid the people, this was all she could do for now.
And thus, Erica and the others, began to spring into action -
Those were the circumstances in which the girls bore a grim resolution.
Arianna and Lucretia were on standby in the villa.
Erica who had combat capabilities and Yuri who had spirit vision were to scout the area around.
They began by splitting the workload this way, wanting to swiftly find the root of the phenomenon, destroy it if possible. If not, they were to bring it back for investigation.
- Perhaps they might encounter a [Heretic God], this expedition had quite the risk attached.
Yes, that was what they had intended.
"Somehow, I feel that everyone has become like Lucretia. Self-indulgent."
"To that remark, I'm afraid I cannot comment..."
They decided to head for the nearest street to gather information.
Erica and Yuri who had decided that, moved towards a small street known as Fertilia.
Every single device or gadget of civilization were under [Restriction], which puzzled the residents greatly. For now, there were not any signs of imminent danger...
They sighed over the fact that they could not lead a civilized life, but on the other hand, they continued about their lives in laziness and luxury.