Campione 08

by Trials of the Devil Kings

  Chapter 1 - Seeking the Mysterious Devil King, the Campione

  Part 1

  This story took place before Kusanagi Godou had gone to Nikkou and confronted the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, just as the middle of September was drawing near.

  That night, everyone at the Kusanagi house was having a family-only dinner. Three people were present: Godou and his little sister Shizuka, as well as their grandfather Ichirou. The mother of the siblings, Kusanagi Mayo, was not there.

  Be that as it may, she was rarely at home anyway, so it was business as usual.

  The blond devil from Italy wasn’t around either. The silver-haired knight who unexpectedly caused so much trouble was not there either. It really was family only.

  In this calm atmosphere, Godou put his chopsticks to work on the grilled mackerel.

  "But I feel like I'm forgetting something..."

  "You look strange, Onii-chan. What is it, do you want seconds?" Shizuka asked while getting herself another serving from the rice cooker.

  "One more bowl, then. ... but I feel like I'm forgetting something event-like. It's irritating that I just can't remember." Godou said while holding out his rice bowl.

  A large serving of rice was heaped onto his bowl before it was returned to him. As it happens, Shizuka had given herself the same amount.

  Despite being of small build and petite stature, she was a hearty eater of a little sister.

  Not getting fat no matter how much she ate. Not getting smashed no matter how much she drank.

  These were the special features that the Kusanagis' mother possessed. Like mother, like daughter; you could sometimes catch glimpses of this in Shizuka as well. If possible Godou didn't want her to inherit her mother’s mental peculiarities like [Femme Fatale] or [Vocation: Queen], but...

  "You must be forgetting about Sakura-chan, right?"

  "It's been about half a year since she entered college. She had to promise that she wouldn't visit us here for at least half a year, remember?"

  "...ahh, right, there was that..."

  Koudzuki Sakura was the Kusanagi siblings' second cousin.

  Because of the upheaval accompanying the shift from the Meiji era[1] to the Showa era[2], their grandfather was the only direct descendant of the Kusanagi (although there were tales of others in Brazil and the New Guinean archipelago).

  But there were a decent number of people left from the branch families.

  Plus, the connections that the Kusanagis maintained with their relatives in the countryside were strong. They'd been close to Sakura for a long time, even though she was only distantly related.

  "Sakura-chan, huh... she should've visited us more since she finally moved to the city. I wonder why Uncle Koudzuki forbade her to visit for half a year..."

  "If he hadn't, she'd have started freeloading here before the end of her third day in the capital," their grandfather responded while sipping his tea.

  He might be right; Godou remembered his cousin's personality.

  She did her best but at heart, she was shy and often lonely. When troubled, she often clung in tears to those she was close to. Godou and Shizuka had often been the ones taking care of her. Considering their respective ages, their roles should obviously have been reversed.

  At this point, the doorbell rang. Shizuka got up, calling out "I'm coming!", and headed for the front door.

  "Sakura-chan! It's been ages! Come in, come in. What happened? You look so down..."

  "Y-yeah. You see, Shizuka-chan, there's something I'd like some advice on..."

  Hearing the voices from the entryway, Godou glanced at the oldest person in the room.

  "Didn't I tell you back in the spring? As soon as her six months were up in September, she'd come here right away. Talk about spot-on."

  He was the very image of an earnestly muttering old man who'd seen everything in life.

  "You see, there's something I'd really like to ask of Godoh-kun." Sakura said as she entered the living room.

  Lined up on the table were grilled mackerel and sudachi[3], grated radish, a salad of bitter melon and tomatoes, miso soup made with nameko mushrooms, and other dishes, but since they had all known each other for so long, nobody minded when she intruded on dinner.

  She'd recently turned nineteen and become a freshman at a famous metropolitan college.

  But because of her cute, yet childish face, it wasn't unusual for people to mistake her for a middle school girl.

  "Can't I help you out, Sakura-chan?"

  "W-well, I think it'd be better if I asked a man about this..."

  Sakura dispiritedly answered Shizuka's question.

  At times like these her face resembled a frightened little puppy's.

  "If it's something I can help you with, just ask me any time... are you sure you don't want grandpa to help you?"

  He didn't know what this was all about, but besides manual labor, he had no confidence in being more capable than his grandfather.

  Kusanagi Ichirou was famous for his extensive knowledge and was a master of dealing with people. He would often be consulted for his sage advice. People even called him "Sensei"[4] or "Master."

  That wise grandfather smiled gently at Sakura.

  "Sakura-chan, who do you want to help you out?"

  "Uhm, if you can help me I don't really mind who it is, but if I had to pick someone, then I’d really prefer, that is..."

  Sakura was truly cute as she peered at Godou with upturned eyes.

  If she learned to make use of that look, she could probably become a femme fatale.

  "So it's decided. Onii-chan will listen to Sakura-chan's worries and I'll take care of everything else," Shizuka said without a moment's delay. The younger sister who played the role of an older one had always been soft on Sakura.

  Shizuka was pretty critical towards the band of girls thronging around Godou, but was rather tame during her interactions with Mariya Yuri. That sense of vulnerability given off by a sheltered classy young lady probably stimulated Shizuka's desire to protect her.

  "Alright, just talk it over in Godou's room. I'll bring you some tea later," their grandfather casually added.

  Godou noticed that he totally dodged the issue.

  Their grandfather was often asked for advice, but he wasn't someone who'd start meddling on his own.

  He conversed with people in an aloof and indifferent way. Incidentally, in his bachelor days, Kusanagi Ichirou had been popular as hell with the ladies, but he had mostly kept it away from home.

  His male friends, on the other hand, made themselves comfortable in his room without his permission.

  By allowing Erica or Liliana to come and go as they pleased, his grandson was completely different.

  Well, whatever. Godou shrugged.

  He was glad to help his cousin with her problems. Plus, he was obviously a lot closer in age to Sakura.

  "Got it. I don't think there's much I can do but I'll try anyway."

  "It's been so long since I've been in your room, Godoh-kun, but it hasn't really changed."

  "The last time was half a year ago, right? I didn't rearrange anything so that's to be expected."

  Godou and Sakura faced each other across his six tatami sized room[5].

  Godou's room was fairly empty. There was a bookshelf and a chest of drawers, a fold-up table instead of a writing desk, and also a DVD player and a TV.

  He didn't put much emphasis on material possessions.

  In his free time he went fishing or played outdoor sports. He also would do some part-time jobs from time to time. He didn't have much use for games. At most, he'd socialize by playing a round of Shougi or Go. He'd rather rent than buy DVDs and CDs.

  He'd read some books every now and then, but he didn'
t keep a collection of his own.

  The Kusanagi house used to be an antiquarian bookstore and much of the inventory had never been disposed of. So whenever he felt like reading something, there were more than enough books lying around to satisfy his needs.

  "So, Sakura-san, what's the matter?"

  "U-uhm, you see, that is, I think you could stop with that now."

  "With what?"

  "I-I mean, calling me 'Sakura-san'. You can just call me 'Sakura'. Or 'dear', if you like."

  Long ago he had called her 'Onee-chan', but at some point that had changed.

  Godou couldn't remember when that transition had occurred, and casually replied: "It's fine like this, changing it is a pain... but that's not what you wanted to ask of me, right?"

  "I-it wasn't! I just happened to think of that!"

  Sakura responded while turning completely red. But then she seemed to come to a standstill. Uhm, well... she kept mumbling to herself, and couldn't get to the point. She had never been very articulate.

  It couldn't be helped. Godou changed the topic, trying to help her relax with some small talk.

  "How is life in Tokyo treating you? Have you gotten used to it yet?"

  "...only a little bit. I'm quite uncomfortable in crowded places..."

  Sakura sounded dejected.

  The Koudzuki family's home was in Miyagi[6]. When Sakura said she wanted to go to a college in Tokyo, her father had made her obey a single rule. He had forbidden her to rely on her relatives for half a year.

  Sakura had been horrified. She had planned on freeloading at the Kusanagi's.

  "Well you see, I understand father's order that I should try to live properly without relying on anyone, I'm finally living on my own after all... but being all on my own in such a large city made me feel really forlorn..."

  "Ahh... well, if you ever get lonely, just come and visit."

  Godou felt awkward because he knew the real reason Sakura's father had laid down the law.

  In the beginning of spring, he'd spoken with Uncle Koudzuki over the phone:

  'In short, I'm making her a gold digger.'

  Upon hearing this unexpected expression, Godou had asked for clarification.

  'As I said, a gold digger. A young girl lives alone in the big city for the first time... to fill the gaps in her heart as quickly as possible, a man is best, right? Our Sakura has a nice face and personality, but she's too much of a late-bloomer. It's about time for her to get used to men and get ready for marriage.'

  'Aren't fathers usually against their daughters finding lovers?'

  'Well, yeah, but this is a father's love, too. Sakura's not like your mother. She can't make a lot of money on her own. But a girl can always go after her husband's income. I want her to be happy, you know.'

  'Uhm, I don't think happiness is decided by money alone...'

  'Sure, but that's the most important factor, y'know.'

  This irresponsible uncle of Godou's was actually a tough police officer.

  On the side, he served as a distinguished judo practitioner in northern Japan and was an active role model for the younger generation.

  Given all this, most people wouldn't guess what a renegade he actually was. It might not be Godou's place to say this as the main family's successor, but his uncle had obviously inherited the Kusanagi blood.

  'What are you going to do if some lowlife tricks her?'

  'Then we'll make it like it never happened... your mother and grandpa and everyone else.'

  When Godou had asked whether he was joking, just to be on the safe side, all he received was a villainous laugh.

  He passed on letting Sakura in on her father's plans. She handled such matters poorly, and would definitely spill the beans even if he told her to keep it a secret. His allowance might be frozen as a penalty, so the risk was too high.

  "Did you make friends? Or maybe find a boyfriend?" Godou asked tentatively. Sakura instantly flushed red.

  "I-I don't have a boyfriend, really! But I made a friend... ah, it's a girl of course, Godoh-kun. Don't misunderstand!"

  "I've got it, really. So you made a friend? Good girl."

  He unintentionally spoke as if praising a little kid.

  In response, Sakura laughed happily. Her childishness was definitely unbefitting given her age.

  "So you see, my new friend taught me a lot, so I got a bit more knowledgeable."

  "Heh, what did you learn about?"

  His older cousin was delighted. Her expression was terribly adorable.

  She was so cute that Godou was at a loss for words after hearing her answer.

  "Ahhh, that's actually related to what I wanted some advice on... Godoh-kun, if I said I learned to do magic, would you believe me?"

  Crap. Godou felt great regret.

  It is said that the lonely are easy prey for cults or occult sects. He should have remembered that. It had been wrong to leave her isolated...

  "Don't be stupid, Sakura-san. Let's calm down and be realistic."

  For the time being, Godou kept his appeal calm and sincere.

  "There are things people can do and things they can't. And without a doubt, magic falls in the latter category. Dropping a lump of fire from the skies, recovering from deadly wounds in half a day or calling forth huge monsters, that's just not something a human can do!" Godou declared while having his heart thrown into disarray by countless memories of having done just that.

  Yep, he wasn't saying anything wrong. However, Sakura pinched her lips like a child.

  "It is possible! I really learned how to use magic!"

  "Well, even if you say so... if I don't see it with my own eyes I can't believe you."

  "Sheesh, Godoh-kun you blockhead! Fine, right now I can't do anything because I don't have my tools, so come visit me tomorrow. I'll show you that I can do magic!"

  Godou was startled. Could she actually use magic?

  Godou ruthlessly crushed his anxiety that the Kusanagi family, which should have no connection to magic or gods, had suddenly awoken to the occult.

  Part 2

  After school the next day, Godou headed to Nishinippori.

  The apartment building where his cousin lived was a ten minute walk from the subway station.

  It was a nice three-story building with an auto-lock system. It had probably been built within the last decade.

  As soon as he arrived, he got a call from Liliana.

  "Yes, hello?"

  'I am sorry this is so sudden. After school you were gone suddenly so I was a little worried. Just so you don't misunderstand, I definitely didn't want to hear your voice or see your face before you went home. I had no such ulterior motives!'

  Liliana's tone was somewhat awkward.

  This was Liliana, after all, so maybe she had wanted to accompany Godou as his bodyguard.

  "Sorry for leaving without a word. I'd promised to meet an acquaintance."

  'An acquaintance... it cannot be a woman, can it?'

  "Well, it is, but there's nothing going on between us, okay?"

  The silver-haired knight from Milan firmly believed Kusanagi Godou was a womanizer without equal.

  As a result, she answered in a stern voice:

  'If you say so, I will believe you. However please be careful. You must pay meticulous attention so that your womanizing won't lead to future...'

  "I said that's not it. I'm hanging up."

  Ending the call, Godou entered the apartment building.

  "Ahh, welcome~. I'll prepare some sweets and tea right away, okay?"

  "It's fine, don't bother. It's not like I'm royalty or anything."

  Sakura's apartment, number 201, was in a corner of the building.

  The interior of the studio apartment was attentively cleaned and neatly put in order.

  "So, Godoh-kun. About yesterday..."

  Sakura was unusually agitated.

  A few suspicious-looking items were placed on the round table in the very middle of the room.

&
nbsp; A thick, leather-bound Western book. A staff about thirty centimeters long. A crystal sphere that looked like a mail-order special. Tarot cards... all of the items looked cheap and fake.

  But with his sixth sense as a campione Godou picked up minuscule amounts of magical power.

  Although incredibly weak, those items were the real deal.

  "I'm going to use magic now, so look closely. Uhm..."

  Sakura started flipping through the book. The sentences were written in some kind of alphabet, but not in English. It wasn't Italian or any other Latinate language, either.

  "What language is that?"

  "If I remember correctly, it's High German from the Middle Ages... I think?"

  "And you can read that!?"

  Godou was surprised. He hadn't realized that his cousin's foreign language skills were so advanced.

  "No, I can't read it. But my friend translated most of the text..."

  "You mean the friend from your college?"

  "Yep. We are in the same class and we sat next to each other on our first day."

  Sakura was enrolled in the Faculty of Humanities at the renowned Akinomizu Women's College.

  So there were magi like Erica and Liliana attending that school for ladies? Or was it one of the dozens of Japanese hime-miko?

  "There it is. I'm starting, so pay attention, okay?"

  After finding the right page, Sakura put a matchstick on the table.

  And while looking at the opened book, without reciting an incantation she just said:

  "God of magic, please make my wish come true. Thank you♪"

  She even clapped her hands.

  "W-wait a moment, Sakura-san, what are you doing!"

  "What? It's magic! Uhm, what's really important isn't the incantation or whatever, but the spirit you put into it, and clearly understanding what kind of magic you want to use."

  So one doesn't need to worry about form. Ahem.

  While looking at the proud Sakura, Godou remembered. When Erica and the others used magic, their incantations (the girls called them mantra or spell words) were quite suitable.

  That being said, would this really work? Just as Godou started getting anxious, it happened.

  Crack. With a dry sound, the matchstick broke.

  "See! Did you see that, Godoh-kun? The magic worked, isn't that amazing!"

  "...is this perhaps a spell to break matchsticks without using your hands?