Giving Salvatore Doni a stern warning, Godou frowned.
This man could not be allowed to disrupt the past world any further. But currently, their first priority should be handling 'King of the End' Artos. At any rate, he was the Devil King-slaying war god and could very well indeed be the man who fought persistently until all Campiones were exterminated.
More important than anything else, there was that unforgettable warning... Godou sighed.
"Hey Salvatore Doni. I have an absolutely reluctant suggestion to make."
"What is it, my dear friend?"
"Temporarily putting aside my objections to your annoying statements, how about teaming up with me? Until the battle against that 'King of the End' Artos is over."
"Ehe."
Doni made one of those impressed smiles he rarely made, completely devoid of frivolity.
"Rather than rare, to be exact, this would be the very first time. I can't believe you're asking me to cooperate with you!"
"Please use a description with a little more tension in it, like a united front or an alliance, okay? Athena mentioned once before, that in a battle against the 'King of the End,' I will die for sure. All seven Campiones will be killed by that guy."
"Athena's warning, huh..."
"Besides, the other side still has that Artio goddess, abeit injured. Plus the unknown wind god. Even if the two of us cooperate, it's still two against three."
"Hoho, the odds are truly stacked against us."
"If you don't want to fight this battle where victory is uncertain, I'm not gonna force you."
"Are you kidding me? Fighting alongside my friend to confront a reckless battle, this is awesome stuff for furthering friendship. You and I, we're friends, right?"
"......"
"We're friends, right?"
"...I guess."
"Then it's fine, the alliance is established!"
In contrast to Doni who was suddenly smiling, Godou's face was covered by a bitter expression. But with this, the first of his preparations was complete. On the other hand, Madame Aisha spoke up in a fluster:
"E-Excuse me, Kusanagi-san. Then what should I be doing!?"
"Of course, it would be helpful if you could assist to make it three on three, Aisha-san... But is your condition okay? We're about to fight gods again."
It was readily apparent that Madame Aisha was greatly exhausted by the emergency evacuation just now.
Furthermore, she had openly declared a number of times that she was not suited to battle. That said, she apparently still held several secret techniques in reserve, such as 'reversing the healing authority' or the like, though it was still unclear whether they were usable in these circumstances—
As expected, the Madame bowed her head apologetically.
"I-I'm very sorry. Because the healing authority cannot be used on myself... I don't think I can recover immediately..."
"Don't worry about that. Remember, you just saved our lives."
Godou placed his hand on the Madame's shoulder and nodded at her.
"Just let Doni and me do our best. All you need to do is extend a helping hand if an opportunity arises for you to help."
"V-Very well."
Godou looked up to see the overhead light, shining brightly high above. Its position was slightly lower than earlier.
This was the exit that would lead Godou and the other two back to the ancient world. The exit was currently at a slightly lower height than before. Godou decided he had to finish the second of his preparations before the exit descended completely.
Just as he started to focus his concentration...
"Hey Godou. Of course, I respect Athena's warning that you brought up."
Salvatore Doni suddenly spoke up.
"But what do you think personally... No, what do you feel?"
"......"
Godou did not answer, for he was causing his entire body's magical power to burst out. There was no time left. The light overhead had already dropped to roughly the height of a small building. They were about to return to the hill where the mysterious hero had descended.
The second round was finally about to begin.
Part 3
"Those lights are the same as the ones fired off by Sir Lancelot's lance..."
"Probably the Divine Sword of Salvation..."
Murmuring away softly were Erica Blandelli and Seishuuin Ena.
The two of them were gazing in the direction where the three Campiones were facing earlier.
This was the hill where the pale-haired hero had descended, summoned by the goddess Artio's ritual. Earlier, during the instant when the divine sword's heavy blade was pointed at the heavens, a sphere of light had manifested in the sky like a sun, firing off an attack that pierced the ground—
Swallowed by this light, the godslayers had all vanished.
"Although they're not people who die so easily... But what if—"
"Ama no Murakumo's presence can't be felt either... But it shouldn't have disappeared from this land."
The hole piercing the ground measured roughly sixty meters in diameter. Even the [Boar] was defeated in one hit.
Even Erica was unable to stop herself from imagining gruesome outcomes. Without her usual cheerfulness, Ena spoke in dark tones.
But in the next instant, they discovered signs that things were "not as they seem." They stopped raising worries. Only now was the battle between gods and godslayers about to start officially.
Currently a black sphere had suddenly manifested high above the hill where the hero had descended.
This was the dark star for summoning a storm of gravity—Kusanagi Godou's newest weapon.
"Dawn's secret archives huh..."
This "black blade" was obtained through the guidance of the goddesses Athena and Circe.
Godou's preparations for using his new power had begun back when he was still inside the "fairy's corridor."
"Lend me the goddess' wisdom!"
This was the most powerful attack in Kusanagi Godou's arsenal.
However, raising it to maximum power required too much time. Using it to annihilate a group was relatively easy but sniping individual targets was much harder. Godou had come to understand these traits during his fight against Uldin.
—Hence, timing was the most important.
During the instant of returning to the ground from the corridor's alternate space...
At the same time, he sent the black star, having raised it to full power, towards the hill where the hero's faction waited!
"I'm relying on you, Ama no Murakumo!"
'Affirmative!'
Residing in his right arm, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi responded to Godou's command.
Two Campiones returned to the ground simultaneously. They found a crater behind them, sixty meters in diameter, so deep it seemed bottomless.
Before them was the hill where the pale-haired hero and the bear goddess were waiting.
Godou, Doni and Madame Aisha had returned to the hill. Furthermore, above the trio was a massive black star that was almost twice as large as the hole behind them.
'O steel that breaks a thousand blades, trample the enemy with a rampage of divine wind!'
The instant Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi issued the order, the dark star began to descend rapidly.
Its target was the hill where the gods stood, of course. At the same time, a rumbling storm began to blow violently.
This dark star was manifestation of supergravity capable of sucking in everything on the ground. Soil, vegetation, the stone circle on the hill, everything was being devoured by the black sphere together with the wind and the atmosphere.
Indeed, this was the gravitational storm of the "black blade."
"Hahaha! To think you'd obtain this kind of authority! As expected of Godou!"
"J-Just watching from afar, I never expected it to be so amazing!"
Doni was laughing with delight while Madame Aisha used her hands to hold down her overcoat, billowin
g in the wind.
The three Campiones were just short of being sucked in because, holding Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi up high, Godou did now give the black star permission to do so.
There were others who had escaped the gravitational attraction. Namely, the goddess Artio and the 'King of the End.'
"I call upon my avatar, the earth! The one turned into a mother!"
As a mother earth goddess, Artio chanted spell words.
The wound from Doni's sword was still carved on her abdomen as a red-black trail.
"By all means necessary, keep my son and I on the ground!"
Those without wings were not permitted to leave the earth.
Was this divine power invoked in adherence to this principle? Despite the pulls of the gravitational storm, Artio and the 'King of the End' remained firmly standing on the earth.
However, this type of resistance probably placed great strain on her. Artio's face was showing desperation.
Next, Godou's dark star rapidly descended on the fake duo of mother and son.
Probably at a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour. However, just at this moment, the pale-haired hero swiftly drew the Divine Sword of Salvation, thrusting the platinum blade towards the rapidly approaching black sphere.
Immediately, a gigantic sphere of platinum light blocked the dark star head on!
"......!"
Still silent, the pale-haired hero injected a vast amount of magical power into the divine sword.
The Divine Sword of Salvation produced light that was as bright as the sun. The ball of light was just as large as the dark star controlled by Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
The white sun and black giant star proceeded to clash violently in midair.
For Godou, this was a scene he had not witnessed for a long time, ever since the battle against Lancelot. The white sun shot out hundreds of lightning flashes. A gravitational storm raged violently in the surroundings of the dark star.
Indeed, it was a clash between equals. This was exactly the same as that time with Lancelot—!
"...Well, that should be about right."
However, Godou still poured the majority of his magical power into Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi which he was raising up towards the sky. At the same time, he commented indifferently.
Godou muttered quietly then threw a glance at Doni behind him.
"Indeed, perhaps there are some slight differences."
"I knew it, your view does agree with mine. As expected of my dear friend."
"There must be something we still don't understand yet. That said, the other side's power is supposed to be much stronger than ours."
Godou spoke quietly while ignoring Doni's words of friendship.
"I think we can take advantage of this opening."
"Agreed. Then I'm on it!"
Giggling, Doni rushed out.
He ran from the foot of the hill towards the peak, unsheathing his longsword as he ascended.
Watching him from behind, Godou could not help but click his tongue in annoyance. Who could have expected he would be so in sync with Doni?
Clearly it was their first time being stuck in the same boat!
Completely unaware of Godou's frustrations, the godslayer of the sword raced effortlessly up the hill.
A slender figure blocked his path ahead. Wrapped in white cloth all over, the warrior was also wearing leather armor with a mask.
This red mask covered the face completely.
On the other hand, the positions corresponding to the eyes were painted black in color.
Due to the mask and the white cloth wrapped all over the body, none of the enemy's skin could be seen. The unidentified figure was wielding in one hand a massive sword that was almost his own height.
"Ehe. This means you won't let me advance further, right?"
"——"
With a toothy grin, Doni slashed downwards vertically with his longsword. The masked warrior blocked the attack calmly. With extreme speed, he had raised the giant sword to block the longsword.
However, in blocking Doni's longsword, the great blade was severed.
Indeed, Salvatore Doni's magic sword was an authority capable of slicing anything into two. Let alone the opponent's body, even armor, shields and weapons were easily sliced through.
Doni's sword did not stop the attack's momentum and sliced at the enemy's mask at lightning speed.
However, just three centimeters before cutting the enemy's face open, surprisingly, the masked warrior effortlessly evaded the sword, jumping sideways rapidly at the same time.
This speed was like a gale's, whistling like the sound of blowing wind.
Then the masked warrior began to take further action. His movements resembled rapid punches. Currently, the black blade's gravitational storm was still blowing at ground level, but he was still able to ignore it with ease.
Every time he took a step with extreme speed, a whirlwind would result underfoot. He—or she—was probably a war god of gales, unaffected by the restraints of gravity.
"I guess you're the wind god from just now."
"——"
"I see you're trying to be a mute like your master. Hohoho, I don't really dislike this kind of preference."
The red-masked war god. A being that Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi exposed as a wind god and a sword.
A subordinate god of the "King of the End"? No. Godou shook his head. There was the example of Lancelot already. This god could very well have encountered the "King of the End" while wandering the earth and became allies. One could not jump to conclusions recklessly.
Meanwhile, confronted with the smiling Doni, the unidentified war god summoned a giant sword again.
"——!"
Holding a massive sword almost as long as he was tall, he charged Doni head on.
This speed was not simply gale speed. Rather, it was the speed of lightning. The same speed as Verethragna's incarnation of the [Raptor] or Alexandre Gascoigne's [Black Lightning]—divine speed!
Using divine speed, the masked war god kept making terrifying attacks.
To this point, he had been swinging his giant sword one-handed. Suddenly, it seemed as though he had increased to having twelve arms and twelve blades, attacking Doni's body from all directions.
As a result of divine speed, it looked like all twelve attacks were happening at the same time.
Nevertheless, Doni saw through all these attacks. Although it looked like twelve massive blades were slicing through the blond Campione, Doni's body simply flickered once like a mirage. Completely unharmed.
Salvatore Doni was a user of the mind's eye, capable of seeing through attacks even conducted with divine speed.
Finally, Doni made a rather casual forward thrust with his longsword, aiming to pierce the war god's mask.
It was a low-speed and leisurely thrust that did not seem like it belonged in a battle. Yet for some reason, the user of divine speed only barely managed to evade Doni's sword—No.
Seeing through Doni's swordsmanship was an exceedingly difficult task.
That was why the reaction was delayed. Just as the sword's blade was approaching right in front of his face, the war god barely managed to turn and evade successfully. This was Doni's divine skill that Godou had experienced before.
"——"
"You get it now, don't you? You're no match for me if you rely on speed alone."
The war god was probably making a terrible expression behind the mask. In contrast, Doni was flippant as usual and went as far as to say the following:
"Maybe your usual weapon is not a sword? Not to say something bad, but it doesn't matter even if you fought using your most skilled weapon."
In merely a brief exchange, he had already caught a glimpse of the enemy's martial arts.
After displaying what could be called the wise judgment of a martial genius, Doni laughed fearlessly.
"If you're only going to fight like this, I'm probably much stronger than you think."
The masked war god had apparently sealed off his best weapon on purpose.
Could it be that showing his appearance and weapon would be equivalent to exposing his true identity? Godou's curiosity spurred him to gaze intently at the war god.
But at the same time, he continued to hold Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi up high, pouring massive amounts of magical power into it.
Naturally, this was for maintaining the "black blade" and the gravitational storm. Overhead, the white sun of salvation was colliding with the dark star, resisting each other in a fight to annihilate the other.
Furthermore, the "King of the End" on the hill was doing the same as Godou—Or not, actually.
The pale-haired hero was running down the hill. Wielding the Divine Sword of Salvation, he slashed at Godou.
"Ack... He's not as strained as me!?"
In order to maintain the dark star, Godou was standing still, focusing his attention.
In contrast, the "King of the End" was running rapidly, finally arriving before Godou's eyes. Up above, the white star remained bright and dazzling. As expected, his latent ability was enough to surpass Godou's faction!
Then the Devil King-slaying hero swung his oft-used sword.
A diagonal slash, from shoulder to hip, was aimed at Devil King Kusanagi Godou.
Refined swordsmanship, fitting for a war god. Even though Godou's dynamic vision and concentration was able to see through a fastball traveling at a hundred miles per hour, he was still unable to evade a slash from the Divine Sword of Salvation.
Blood splattered everywhere. Rather than pain, Godou felt a scorching sensation spreading throughout his body.
A very severe injury. Nevertheless, as long as it was not fatal—even though failing to evade, Godou had still jumped backwards instantly using beast-like reflexes.
Moreover, a Campione's sturdy body, with bones harder than steel, displayed its true worth at times like these.
Still silent, the "King of the End" coldly faced off against the injured godslayer, readying his divine sword again.
With the sword's hilt raised up to shoulder height, this stance prepared an upper strike.
"Kusanagi-san! I shall heal your wound right now!"
"Don't come over! Aisha-san, you should retreat to a safe place—where Erica and Seishuuin are located!"
Campione 15 Page 13