Then the scenery changed again.
A chalk palace built next to a lake. An endless desert of hot sand with only an oasis offering respite. A vast plain where a giant bird design was carved on the ground. Dense forest where all sorts of poisonous insectivorous plants flourished. Streets evoking imagery from 1920s America in the Prohibition Era, etc...
The final destination was at the foot of a bare mountain.
Before their eyes was an ancient Greek temple. Stout marble columns stood upright in a rectangular arrangement with a roof on top. A small building.
"The appointment was clearly decided here, but the other party is absent."
No one else could be seen in the surroundings. As their guide, Alice, frowned, Yuri asked.
"Someone who does not reside here?"
"Exactly. Seriously, how could that person be tardy even at a time like this..."
"—Princess. Just as you say, I have only 'just arrived.' A minute or two's delay shouldn't count as being late, right? What do you say?"
A voice Liliana had heard before. Then came the clinking sounds of iron-studded boots striking the stone floor surrounding the temple.
Although Liliana had been in continuous state of shock all night, this was the greatest shock of all. The same went for Yuri. In a rare moment, the prudent Yamato Nadeshiko raised her voice:
"You are the person who set up this appointment to meet us!?"
"Hoho, how honored I am to know that you are so moved to see me."
The new arrival was wearing an elegant blue suit with a black cape. Covering the face was a masked helmet with a visor whose design resembled an insect's compound eyes. Worn on the feet were iron-studded boots.
The one who had made the appointment to meet them at the Astral Plane temple was none other than John Pluto Smith.
The Campione renowned as Los Angeles' guardian saint.
"The whereabouts and exploits of Kusanagi Godou and Italy's handsome king are not precisely the reasons why I'm here."
Coming through the mask, the tenor voice sounded as lively as that of a theatrical performer.
"I heard that they've gone missing due to a certain Madame using an authority that serves as a 'passport.' As a result, a certain old acquaintance approached me to cry and beg, asking for my help no matter what."
"Requiring your personal presence as a Campione, Smith-sama..."
"That's very normal. The only ones capable of opposing godslayers are their peers—other godslayers—and the gods. This is universal truth."
Reacting to Liliana's murmurs, Smith shrugged.
"Then I got in touch with the princess, hoping she could relay news to me regarding this incident. In addition, I heard that there were two miko who were able to 'see' the era where Kusanagi Godou had flown to. That said, I still haven't decided if I'm going to accept my old acquaintance's request yet."
The visor's compound eyes looked towards Yuri and Liliana.
"In any case, I troubled you two to make a visit, hoping you could assist me."
"Excuse me... May I ask who this 'old acquaintance' of yours might be, Smith-sama?"
In response to Yuri's question, Smith quickly raised his right hand and pointed a gloved index finger towards the interior of the temple.
"The one who lives inside. Well, this individual is not only difficult to please but also very neurotic and pessimistic... A most troublesome personality, at any rate. Let me just add that he is also a man who is troubled to no end by the commotion raised by my friend, Madame Aisha."
"Troubled to no end...?"
Liliana frowned, unable to understand what Smith meant.
Yuri's expression suddenly went blank. Her eyes also became glass-colored while she began to murmur on her own.
"The sanctuary belonging to the one who carves time... Recording everything in the world, the library keeping the records of the void..."
"You saw it. Impressive indeed."
Hearing the oracle Yuri spoke due to spirit vision, Smith nodded. On the other hand, Liliana was worried about her companion's hypnotized state. Furthermore, this only served to raise even more questions.
"To my tentative understanding, I take it that this place is not simply a sanctuary steeped in history. If possible, please answer another of my questions. Smith-sama, how are you related to the one who lives here?"
"A truly pertinent question, Liliana Kranjcar."
Liliana was shocked that the black-clad godslayer knew her name.
She had always thought that Smith was only aware of her as nothing more than Kusanagi Godou's follower. Seeing her reaction, Smith laughed and used his left hand to push his cape open.
Revealed beneath was still the blue costume. Carried in the holster on his hip was that gun.
"I have a number of important connections to the Astral Plane. This is one of them."
Smith drew the handgun from his hip.
"This was something forged by the dark elves living in this realm. To me, it would be something like the magic sword Excalibur."
The six-shot large-caliber revolver. The magic gun the color of gray steel.
It was the legendary handgun quite well-known as John Pluto Smith's weapon, a tool for firing the "magic bullet authority" usurped from the goddess Artemis. It was said that the vast area of the entire California state would be incinerated utterly if the authority's full power were to be unleashed...
This magic gun was an otherworldly weapon forged in the Astral Plane—
The Witenagemot's report had mentioned it. But hearing it directly from the man himself, Liliana felt an indescribable sense of emotion, possibly due to John Pluto Smith's "masked hero charisma."
"Come to think of it, I have heard that you are able to travel freely between the earth and the Astral Plane, Smith-sama."
"Ah yes, that is one of my insignificant privileges."
Smith replied to Liliana and returned the magic gun to its holster.
"That's the power I usurped by killing one of the fairy kings who rule the Astral Plane. Furthermore, I also inherited a king's duties and obligations from him."
"Duties and obligations...?"
"Including the Plutarch's Residence here, this entire level is part of the territory I rule over. Oh well, despite being king, I'm actually nothing more than an absentee figurehead. But upon receiving a definite request like this one, I still can't leave things unattended after all."
Fairy king. Plutarch's Residence.
Hearing unexpected terms, Liliana was overcome with astonishment.
"I came back to this place because I received a desperate plea regarding Kusanagi Godou, Salvatore Doni and Madame Aisha... To exterminate the three of them. So, what should I do?"
Straight from John Pluto Smith's mouth came a shocking statement.
Part 3
Kusanagi Godou: godslayer, Devil King, Campione.
Despite having no desire for them, he possessed numerous abilities beyond that of ordinary humans. Nevertheless, flying in the air or breathing underwater were not among them.
Hence, even someone like him would still be plunged into a desperate crisis once thrown into the Rhine that was almost about to overflow due to a sudden storm.
To escape this crisis, Godou made use of his greatest weapon.
His physical stamina. After being thrown overboard, he struggled desperately in the raging and turbid waters, swimming while trying to search for the capsized ship.
Especially shocking was Madame Aisha who was facing the same situation as him.
Despite her non-athletic appearance, she was looking for the capsized ship just like Godou. Meanwhile, the remaining companions—
"Anchor me, Cuore di Leone!"
First of all, Erica Blandelli started summoning the magic sword of the lion while falling into the river.
Manifesting in her hand, the slender longsword immediately transformed and turned into an anchor with a chain attached. Erica threw the anchor, causing it to fly at high speed to
wards the Rhine's shore.
She was roughly thirty meters from the shore.
Nevertheless, the anchor's flight and the chain's length both allowed it to reach the shore effortlessly.
The anchor hooked the ground with a clang, forming a lifeline connecting Erica to dry land.
Meanwhile, the other person, Seishuuin Ena—
"O Great God of Arms! I beseech you to grant me protection from drowning!"
This incantation to ward off drowning was magic that had been used previously on the goddess Circe's island.
While praying for protection, Ena desperately reached out.
The chain connecting Erica to the magic sword on the shore happened to be nearby. No, the clever blonde most likely threw the chain in consideration of the Hime-Miko's position. Ena gripped Cuore di Leone's chain with her right hand tightly.
Watching this scene, Godou was relieved. He turned to the woman beside him and said:
"Are you okay, Aisha-san!?"
"Y-Yes. I'm okay for now!"
But just at this moment, descending lightning struck Godou's ship directly.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
Falling from the sky, the thunderclap completely destroyed the small sailing ship that Godou and the Madame had finally managed to climb aboard.
"Godou, Madame Aisha!"
"Are you okay? Respond if you're still alive!"
Erica and Ena kept screaming in desperation but Godou was too occupied to answer then.
Swallowing the turbid water again, Godou could feel the impending threat of drowning. Nevertheless, he did not give up, refusing to let his life be tarnished by such a shameful demise. Desperately, he looked for an opening.
Drifting along the Rhine under the storm, Godou and Madame Aisha were alone. The timber and bits of wood from the ship's wreckage became their allies.
Godou immediately searched for large planks of wood. Although they could not guarantee his survival, at least he would be able to float above the surface.
"Aisha-san, hurry over here!"
"Okay!"
Godou reached out to Madame Aisha who was drifting beside him. In turn, she desperately tried to grab Godou's outstretched hand—She managed to succeed. Holding hands, Godou pulled her slender and feminine body to his side.
Then the two of them drifted, holding onto a plank of wood.
But the situation was still quite terrible.
The heavy rain continued to fall nonstop while raging winds roared.
The Rhine was already a large river to begin with. The sudden increase in water volume could easily cause a flood any time.
Amidst the roaring water currents, Godou and Madame Aisha were submerged many times and relied on the wooden plank's buoyancy to float back up. It was difficult to predict how long a single wooden plank could continue to keep them safe. Moreover, rocks, trees and boats from other unknown shores had been swept into the turbulent flow, resulting in the threat of colliding with them.
The way it looked, death seemed to be looming near—
This shipwreck incident was even more hazardous than last time's impromptu whitewater rafting on the "goddess' island" in Malaysian waters. Consequently, Godou was slightly preparing himself mentally for the worst.
Roughly dozens of minutes later...
"How surprising, we're saved at last..."
"It's probably because the power of fortune protected us!"
Without a watch, Godou could not tell exactly how much time had passed.
But currently, the Rhine's surface had calmed down completely. The storm had quieted down as suddenly as it had arrived. Drifting while hugging the wooden plank, Godou and Madame Aisha were both unharmed.
However, having soaked in water for so long, the cold was an issue.
Noticing that the wooden plank had already drifted near the shore, Godou kicked his legs in the water, shifting course towards the shore. Thanks to Madame Aisha helping out with her own kicking, they soon arrived ashore.
"A blessing in disguise, is that how it goes...?"
"Yes, between the misfortune encountered due to your pursuit, Kusanagi-san, and the fortune that saved us, it's fortune's victory this time."
For some reason, Madame Aisha was smiling leisurely.
Probably accustomed to tumultuous experiences, what horrifying survival ability. Nevertheless, Godou did not have the composure to smile, for he was confronted with new worries.
"I don't think I'll make it if another incident similar to that storm appears. If only there were countermeasures..."
"Yes, in any case, let me dispel fortune's protection."
"...What, that can actually be switched on or off at will?"
Godou had thought it was an uncontrollable ability like the corridor authority.
Stared at by Godou, the Madame smiled deceptively.
"Oh, please allow me to explain. Once begun, acts of fortune or misfortune cannot be stopped, so I had to wait until the storm subsided first!"
"Well, that's actually fine, I guess..."
By this point, Godou could not bring himself to say: Shouldn't you have switched it off the moment we met again? Looking at his right arm, Godou called upon the divine sword residing there, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
"By the way, Seishuuin and Erica are safe, right!?"
'Yes... They apparently left the water before us...'
The divine sword answered irritably.
Godou nodded. Due to drifting in the river with Madame Aisha, he was worried about his companions' safety and ordered Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi to relay confirmation of each other's situation between him and Ena.
True to the names of the Hime-Miko of the Sword and Erica Blandelli, they had apparently escaped the desperate crisis unharmed as well.
"Pass a message along to tell them we're fine. Then since neither side knows where they are, let's meet up at Colonia Agrippina."
'......'
Ama no Murakumo's response felt something like a person nodding their head silently.
After arriving in ancient Gaul, Godou had found out he could use the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi as a cellphone substitute. But since the divine sword was clearly unenthusiastic about communications unrelated to battle, relying on this unmotivated communicator for a way to meet up with his companions would be quite inefficient.
Coming up with a slightly better solution, Godou finally slumped his shoulders. Much more time seemed to have passed than expected, seeing as the setting sun had dyed the western sky red. Godou decided to halt their travels for today and prepare for rest.
"Anyway, something needs to be done about these wet clothes..."
The place where Godou and Madame Aisha went ashore was a deserted grassland.
Let alone a town, a single home could not be found. Due to the violent storm, there were no boats passing by on the Rhine. Godou and Madame Aisha were thoroughly drenched. Naturally, they had no change of clothes since their luggage had sunk to the bottom of the river along with the ship, but at least they escaped with their lives.
Looking at his optimistic travel companion, Godou was stunned for an instant.
Heavy from moisture, Madame Aisha's overcoat had been taken off and discarded in the water already. Currently, she was only wearing the white robe that resembled a one-piece dress.
Due to being thoroughly wet, her clothing was clinging tightly to her skin. Thanks to that, this excessively senior woman's perfect figure was readily apparent from a single glance.
Despite a very slender physique, her voluptuous breasts were like ripened fruit whose weight would bend branches whereas her posterior displayed mesmerizing curves.
Furthermore, she was not wearing a brassiere, an article of clothing yet to be invented in ancient times. Drenched white fabric became see-through, offering faint glimpses of the skin beneath.
Then there was her long black hair, thoroughly drenched, exuding an incredible air of seductiveness...
Finding his ga
ze suddenly glued to her, Godou frantically averted his eyes. Then Madame Aisha noticed her current appearance and instantly covered her bosom with her arms.
"U-U-U-Umm, let us s-start a fire!"
"Th-That's a great idea!"
Erica was able to start fires with magic, but she was currently absent.
Like Godou, Madame Aisha did not seem motivated to learn magic either.
On the other hand, she was carrying flint ready for use. Together with high-valued coins, it was kept in a small and bulging bag tied to her waist.
"Carrying this sort of thing with me has proved unexpectedly handy."
The graceful female Campione remarked readily.
Godou was quite impressed by how she was so accustomed to these terrible situations that she had acquired such insight. On the other hand, Godou had also secured a bag of the Roman Empire's gold and silver coins to himself, not unlike Aisha. Hence, all they had lost was their heavy luggage and there was no need to worry about money for their travels.
Using the flint, Madame Aisha started a fire on the dry grass and twigs that Godou had gathered. Once the small cracking fire was lit, Godou said:
"I'll head over there for now to see if anyone's coming. Just in case, I'm drying my wet clothing first."
"What is going on—Kyah!?"
Godou was taking off his shirt in front of Madame Aisha, causing her to question. Seeing Godou's exposed upper torso, Madame Aisha stared wide-eyed.
Completely unconcerned, Godou hung his wet shirt on a branch.
"See you later."
Having said that, Godou left the fire, knowing that Madame Aisha would probably remove her wet clothing to dry by the fire if he gave her some privacy.
Godou made his move in consideration of that. After all, this would dry their clothes faster and prevent catching a cold from wearing wet clothes. Godou's pants were also completely wet, but that could not be helped.
As a side note, by the time the fire was started, the sun had already set and night had fallen.
His skin growing cold, Godou was thankful that the current season was spring. Ignoring his shivering body, Godou endured while wandering along the riverside.
Although this area was grassland, there were many flowering plants above knee-height.
Campione 15 Page 5