A metal door could be seen ahead.
Smith opened it. Instead of a passage, behind the door was a room.
Inside this room, stone tablets were scattered all over the floor instead of floating in midair. Due to the great number of tablets that were haphazardly distributed, finding a place to stand was not easy.
In the center of the room, an old man with white hair and beard was facing a tripod-style easel.
However, placed on the easel was not canvas but one of the stone tablets. The old man was dressed in an ancient Roman toga with a bronze pen in his hand.
"New Year's Eve on this year... The Suebi and the Vandals will assist Alani cavalry to pass through the outskirts of Mogontiacum... The Burgundian king and his peoples have already crossed over to the Rhine's left bank and started interfering in Gaul's affairs... Soon after, the Goths will also arrive..."
The old man muttered softly while staring at the stone tablet.
"But three barbaric kings have already gathered in that place— In any case, this again requires corrections, corrections, corrections followed by nonstop corrections! Alas! This work is lamentable beyond compare!"
The old man finally broke down and roared with great intensity of emotion.
He even turned his wrath towards John Pluto Smith who had entered the room without consent.
"Listen well, king. This old man is utterly annoyed with this work. The history that we humans have compiled to this date is being rewritten again."
Despite seeing Yuri and Liliana following Smith into the room, the old man did not seem to care.
He simply glanced at them before turning his gaze back to the stone tablet.
Smith shrugged ostentatiously and spoke in a joking tone of voice:
"As much as you say that, you are still the guardian of time, eliminating traces of history's corrections and keeping records. Sometimes, you even head off to the past so as to intervene in history."
Head off to the past. These words greatly surprised Liliana and Yuri.
"Why don't you drop the personal emotions and dedicate your efforts to work? This is called the duty of labor."
"Indeed, so it is! But historical correction happens to be a rare event. Not to mention, there has not even been three incidents in the past millennia requiring this old man to personally visit the past. Someone being sent to the past by some trick of destiny and changing history is meant to be an exceedingly rare event!"
The old man's shoulders shook from rage as he muttered on.
"But that woman continually changes history on mere whim. She truly does not consider at all how great an effect her actions would make on the future! Not even once did she consider! Moreover, to think that three godslayers have traveled to the past this time!"
"In that case, you can fly over to that era and personally put a stop to their actions."
"You should know very well already. This old man's power is not enough to obstruct the barbaric likes of godslayers!"
"So you are asking me to kill three Campiones all at once?"
"Indeed! Aisha of Alexandria, Salvatore Doni of Siena and Kusanagi Godou of the Japan nation. You must hurry before they cause even more distortions in the passage of history!"
These were violent words directed towards three godslayers of the present generation, naming them explicitly. Liliana was particularly displeased by the request to kill Kusanagi Godou. Nevertheless, her curiosity was greatly piqued as a result.
Who exactly was this old man? The instant this question went through her mind, a number of images surfaced.
—An immortal but not a god. A person who had been liberated from the limitations of lifespan.
—A great historian in the past, a sage highly adept in the occult. Currently, he was the [Monument]'s administrator overseeing the carving of the Akashic records, the compiler of what proper history was supposed to be.
So, what was meant by proper history?
"When the actions of someone traveling from the future to the past causes giant distortions in history, proper history results by applying the smallest possible correction..."
Liliana's lips whispered on their own. Speaking of which, Kusanagi Godou had told her before.
At the god Susanoo's hut in the Netherworld, he had encountered beings who were not gods but had spirit powers exceeding ordinary humans. He remembered there seemed to be a black-clad monk there. This old man in a toga was probably someone belonging to the same category.
Also, Liliana noticed something as well.
She was told that outstanding users of spirit vision were able to instantly obtain spirit visions in the Astral Plane to answer their questions. So this explained it. As the storehouse for these [Memories of the Void], this place offered spirit visions far more easily than any other location. That was why even she was able to do it!
Liliana looked to the Hime-Miko beside her. Yuri nodded in response.
"Here in this place, carving time onto tablets..."
Accompanied by these spell words said by Yuri, one of the stone tablets scattered on the floor hovered into the air.
Among the large amount of Ancient Latin carved on it, Liliana discovered a certain passage.
'John Pluto Smith, accompanied by the duo of Mariya Yuri and Liliana Kranjcar, paid a visit to Plutarch's Residence.'
This was a record of "what had happened" at this place, summoned by Yuri from somewhere using spirit vision. On the other hand, John Pluto Smith spoke up:
"But Venerable One, how on earth am I going to kill the three you requested? Are you suggesting that a time corridor be opened to send me to their era?"
Hearing the masked godslayer laugh maliciously, the old man went "hmph" and frowned.
"This old man is not stupid enough to send a fourth troublemaker to an era where three of them are present already. King, you too, are an illegitimate son of Epimetheus. Undoubtedly, you will disrupt the flow of time when you roam the past, causing history to be rewritten."
"Wise judgment indeed, Venerable One."
Faced with such rude accusations, the masked Devil King simply smiled and shook his head.
"Regarding matters of disrupting the peace of the world, I am proudly confident that my ability is no less than any of my peers. But the mission is a tall order. Killing them should be impossible like this."
"Use what is at your hip—Just fire the arrows of Artemis."
"Uh-huh."
"Using the authority of arrows that you possess, you can shoot through a time corridor to strike targets, right?"
Liliana gasped. The old man spoke the truth—She knew through spirit vision.
From the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, Smith had usurped the authority of the magic projectile.
Due to having only six shots per lunar cycle, it was severely restricted in terms of firing rate. Conversely, the powers residing in the magic projectiles were strong and greatly varied. In a situation of super long distance sniping, it could even be used to snipe an enemy in Europe, all the way from North America.
With this old man's guidance, it was possible to fire a magic bullet from the Astral Plane into an era in the past—
However, Smith shrugged in an exaggerated manner.
"Do you really think it will succeed...? I can't guarantee a kill, neither do I have that sort of confidence. You should know how hardy and resilient Campiones are as a race, right? I don't mind taking a gamble, but surely they will be able to dodge metal bullets falling from the sky, no matter what? Alternatively, the bullet will graze past them in a stroke of luck."
"Hmm."
"Or rather, once they learn of the existence of an unknown sniper, wouldn't they cause new commotions as a result of heightened wariness? Ultimately, causing great chaos one cannot predict... I am rather reluctant to imagine. Presumably, history will be altered once or twice again?"
The old man groaned, probably unable to refute.
In reaction, John Pluto Smith spoke in a calm voice.
"Ra
ther than doing that, I've got an idea. For example, how about sending these two miko over to the era where the three Devil Kings are visiting? They are Kusanagi Godou's close aides."
He waved his hand rapidly in a motion to recommend Yuri and Liliana.
As usual, Smith's actions were as exaggerated and magnificent as a theater performer's.
"Among the three problematic characters, that man behaves the most seriously. Well, left to his own devices, on the other hand, he's actually not that different from the other two. However, given the presence of supporters to guide his path, he can contribute towards cleaning up the situation—That is what one can hope."
"Indeed that is possible, but ultimately, I still say no!"
Liliana and Yuri's eyes flashed.
It turned out that John Pluto Smith had brought the two of them here with the intention of sending them to the past. However, the toga-clad old man refused vehemently.
"That man is talented as a magnificent villain, capable of turning times of prosperity and peace into chaos, then taking advantage of chaotic times to seize the throne. Sending supporters over to a man like that would be utterly frightening!"
"...Now that you mention it, that does sound quite true..."
"...N-No, Liliana-san. Although it is quite true that for Godou-san as a person, the word 'chaos' does suit him rather well..."
Knowing Kusanagi Godou's character better than anyone else, Liliana could not help but murmur. Yuri's reprimands did not carry any anger, presumably for the same reason.
But since this old man possessed the power to open the door to the past, his help was necessary after all.
Just as Liliana exchanged nods with Yuri and was about to speak up to persuade the old man...
"Hmm...?"
The bronze pen left the old man's hand automatically and floated into the air. Then it moved on its own and began to write on the stone tablet that was placed on the easel.
"The great hero's arrival... To think it has been hastened fifty-two years ahead of time?"
Taking one glance at the content written out by the automatic pen, the old man was greatly stunned.
"Alas, O child of heaven, O sacred child of heaven descending upon the earth. That must not happen... A change that must not appear. Otherwise, historical correction henceforth will be quite difficult... No, if the situation could be cleaned up at this stage, perhaps—"
Then there was a long silence. Minutes later...
The old man finally looked up and rested his gaze on Liliana and Yuri for the first time.
"Girls who may serve to guide the king. Now that things have come to this, is there no other choice...?"
Did a critical emergency arise? The old man shrugged his shoulders while he spoke.
"But let me state first for the record. This old man can open a time corridor to send the two of you there. However, that is as far as my help extends."
"...After arriving in the past, we have no one to depend on but ourselves?"
Speaking up a step before the masked Devil King, Liliana asked her question.
Smith had already gone out of his way to bring them here. However, considering the fact that only the two of them were going to proceed from this point onwards, she must depend on her own wits to ponder the necessary preparations. One could not keep relying on others forever. This concerned a knight's honor.
"Indeed. Manifested in the land where you will be sent to is the heavenly child of destiny... The hero who exterminates Devil Kings. In your era, he is known as the 'King of the End'."
"—the 'King of the End'!"
Throughout the battles against the Witch Queen Guinevere and the war god Lancelot, this title had been heard many times.
The old man in the toga nodded at the speechless Liliana.
"To this date, that heavenly child has descended a number of times on earth and engaged the godslayers in battle. He also manifested in the land of Gaul during what your calendar would date as 458 CE. Back then, this heavenly child fought repeatedly all over Europe, even going as far as to cross over to Britain. After a long series of battles, he finally exterminated all the Devil Kings of that time period."
"......"
"But now, a monumental change has occurred in history. The 'King of the End' has descended fifty-two years too early, hence becoming a trigger producing historical change—Quite difficult to correct. If Her Highness Aisha and His Highness Kusanagi could make him lie dormant temporarily..."
"This message needs to be passed along to Kusanagi Godou, right?"
"Yes. However, the one who awakened the heavenly child is the goddess Artio was entrusted with the grudges and curses of the innocent populace. This will likely be a difficult mission."
The old man bowed his head wearily while he spoke.
"A journey to the past itself is already accompanied by hardship. Rare are the people who can come back after making the trip. Besides, this journey carries with it a difficult mission. Refuse now while you still can."
"No—I have already made a promise with Godou-san."
The one answering a step ahead of Liliana was Yuri, of course.
"—I promised I would find him before his return. I will accept this mission no matter what!"
Part 2
Kusanagi Godou was currently located in an empty space where darkness stretched infinitely.
Except for one light source. A white dot of light was shining like the brightest star, far in the distance, overhead.
Godou hugged his shoulders and began to wonder.
"I think I was in a similar place recently..."
Even when suddenly trapped in this kind of space, he was still able to remain calm.
As much it was not what he actively desired, this probably resulted from the experience he had accumulated as a Campione. Then there was his peer, the man not far away, currently looking around, this way and that.
"Hey Doni. We were just fighting the 'King of the End'... Right?"
"...of the End... Oh, you mean that sword god who suddenly popped up just now? Yeah, we were definitely trying to block that attack at the time. 'King of the End'... I think I've heard of this name."
Next to Godou, the blonde and handsome Salvatore Doni nodded.
In contrast to the desperate crisis earlier, Godou and Doni were completely unharmed, without even a single burn.
"I remember it's the god that Alec and that Greenwich princess were looking for, supposedly crazy strong. This is perfect. Once I meet him again somewhere, I'll just have a quick duel with him."
"As for me, I'd prefer to never meet him again, if possible..."
Unexpectedly informed of things, Doni had also heard of the 'King of End' rumors.
While expressing his contrary opinion, Godou also started to look for the third of his kindred. Since he was safe and sound, surely, she too—Indeed, she was here.
Madame Aisha was lying down a slight distance away.
"Are you okay, Aisha-san!?"
"Y-Yeah, well enough..."
Godou rushed over to call to her. The Madame made a gesture as though replying.
However, her consciousness still seemed quite confused. She turned her gaze to survey her surroundings.
"Surviving is more important than anything else..."
Staring at Madame Aisha who still could not speak with ease, Godou suddenly realized.
"This place is very similar to the 'corridor' that I passed through to reach the ancient world..."
"Ah, I see now. Now that you mention it, I find it familiar too."
Doni also nodded and agreed. If that were true, then the woman lying collapsed before them was their savior. Godou thanked her from the bottom of his heart.
"Aisha-san saved us, right? Thank you."
"N-Not at all. I simply combined my fortune's blessing with the corrective force maintaining ancient Gaul's history, thereby opening a fairy's corridor... That was how the three of us were saved."
"Come to think of it, your fai
ry's corridors tend to open automatically on their own."
"Uh... It is still ancient Gaul if we go out that exit over there. I intend to return after a while, but let's rest for now."
Madame Aisha pointed overhead while speaking.
A spot of white light was shining like a star at the place she indicated. Pondering something, Godou was reminded of what Ena said about the corridors simply being invisible.
If that description was correct—Godou tried asking:
"Does the exit leading to our twenty-first century still exist in this place? One that will take us back to our original time if we pass through...?"
"Hey hey, Godou. The battle is just about to start. Retreat is not an option."
"Like I'm gonna return on my own, leaving Erica and Seishuuin behind. I just want to confirm a possibility that just occurred to me."
"Kusanagi-san, that's very sharp of you. Honestly speaking, it does exist indeed. However—"
Under the two men's gaze, Madame Aisha clasped her hands together before her chest as though in prayer.
Then countless dots of light suddenly appeared in the surroundings. This scene was very similar to the innumerable stars scattered throughout the universe.
"Because every light here is a corridor exit, reaching the time period of your desire is quite difficult..."
"I-Is there any way to distinguish which exit connects to where?"
"High-ranking fairies from the Netherworld, used to time traveling, or guardian gods of travel are probably able to do it. But unfortunately, it's impossible by our efforts, Kusanagi-san and mine..."
"Looks like a shortcut is out of the question. I understand."
This was simply a whim of the moment. After Godou spoke cheerfully without any discouragement at all, the stars scattered througout the dark space disappeared overhead one after another.
On the other hand, careless words slipped out of the other man's mouth as his eyes flashed brightly.
"Hmm. In that case, choosing a random exit might be quite fun. Journeys to unknown destinations are just so exciting, aren't they?"
"Shut up with the nonsense, the guy who just said that the battle is about to start."
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