Campione! - Volume 17 - Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1 - Augury of the Hero 

Part 1 

Winter rain.  

"Hmm..."  

Prompted by the sudden shower, Luo Cuilian looked up at the dark sky.  

Her residence was situated at Mount Lu in China's Jiangxi province. On a  moment's whimsical fancy, she had decided to take a leisurely stroll deep in the  mountain.  

The accumulated snow had dyed the mountain scenery with the color of white.  

Whether totally bare or still holding onto lingering leaves, all trees were enduring  against bone-chilling wind and the weight of accumulated snow.  

Melting and dripping, the snow solidified again as ice, forming transparent ice  columns in various places. Snowflakes and mist drifted in the sky, adding a color  of fantasy to this world of white and silver.  

Standing in this snowscape that could be called a wonderland was the  transcendent beauty, Luo Cuilian.  

Her attire was traditional Han clothing of silk. The lapel was tied using ribbons,  contributing to elegant airs as well as an image similar to the kimono's. The  sleeves of her upper garment were wide and loose while the skirt hem was long  enough to drag on the ground. Furthermore, it was currently raining.  

Nevertheless, Luo Cuilian's clothing was not wet in the slightest.  

Having reached the pinnacle of Daoist arts, it was mere child's play for her to  employ a rain-blocking spell. In addition, the snow-covered ground showed no  signs of either footprints or a trail from the dragging of her Han clothing's hem.  

Tarnishing this land of white and silver were only the footprints of hares.

As though having turned the weight of both herself and her clothing into  nothingness, she walked, jumped, dashed and demonstrated martial arts.  

Were one unable to overcome an environment of this extent, how could one even  claim proudly to have reached the pinnacle of the martial path?  

...Hence, upon Mount Lu on a winter's day, nothing existed that could confound  Luo Cuilian's beautiful face whose clarity and magnificence was akin to the  moon's.  

"Who could have expected rain on this very day...?"  

Luo Cuilian's Daoist arts were even capable of summoning wind and rain through  prayers to heaven.  

Just by looking up at the sky, immersed in the wind, she could tell what weather  would arrive the next day. Deciphering the climate of the deep mountains was no  challenge to her.  

Nevertheless, she had completely failed to sense the arrival of today's sudden  shower.  

"Some kind of monumental calamity manifesting between heaven and earth... Is  that an augury?"  

While she murmured to herself, the falling rain suddenly ceased at the same time.  

The gray clouds dispersed with astounding speed as the winter sun was hung in  the sky once more.  

Thereafter, Luo Cuilian immediately had a vision.  

Suspended in the sky, a white halo pierced the sun—This was the ominous sign  witnessed. Luo Cuilian was also blessed with outstanding sensitivity in  divination. This ability was able to call forth the oracles of spirit vision.  

"The sun pierced by a white halo..." 

Murmuring thus, Luo Cuilian turned around to make her way back.  There were things she must do as ruler of the martial realm and supreme [King].  

In the middle of February, Kusanagi Godou finally returned to his homeland.  

After arriving at Narita Airport from distant Italy, he then took an express train  from the airport to Tokyo.  

As it so happened, he got back to Japan on the last day of the vacation after the  third term exams.  

Although it was a brief trip on the calendar, for Godou and his companions, this  was a great expedition spanning multiple months, traversing between the past and  contemporary times.  

"This journey sure makes one's heart resonate with emotion..."  

Staring out at the scenery of the Bunkyou ward's streets, Liliana Kranjcar  remarked emphatically.  

Concurring "you can say that again," Godou smiled wryly. Having visited  Tuscany in winter, ancient Gaul and the island of Sardinia, they had finally  returned to Nezu's Area 3 in downtown Tokyo. One could call this a wholly  intractable journey.  

Driving the car to send the whole group here was Amakasu Touma of the History  Compilation Committee.  

They first made a trip to the Mariya residence at Toranomon in order to drop off  the two sisters, Mariya Yuri and Hikari, along with Seishuuin Ena. Right now,  Godou and Liliana as well as Erica Blandelli were getting off at Hongou Street.  

"Well then, everyone, first get some rest today. If any emergency comes up,  please contact me immediately." 

"You're heading over to Kaoru-san's place next, Amakasu-san?"  

Standing in the road, Erica asked Amakasu who was sitting in the driver's seat.  The sun was almost about to set. Soon, a winter dusk was going to arrive.  

"In that case, could you take me along? I have matters I'd like to discuss with her  too."  

"Unfortunately, I still have things to do, so I have to go to the library. That's the  one the Committee manages in Aobadai. There's a few things I want to research."  

"Is it about the 'King of the End'?"  

"Yes, that's right. I'm very concerned about the spirit vision that Yuri-san  received after hearing about the revived Athena's attack."  

"Are you referring to this?"  

Liliana nodded and interjected.  

"An evil dragon in the sea. The dragon summoned wind and clouds to blot the  sky and sun. Lightning flashed to illuminate the sea. The king shot an arrow,  piercing the dragon's chest—That was how it went, yes?"  

"Yes. I think I've seen these words somewhere before."  

Not expecting Amakasu to speak so candidly, Godou was surprised.  "So those are the poetic lines that Mariya said?"  

"If that is the case, it could be a massive hint to unraveling the mystery of the  'King of the End.'"  

"A segment from a certain land's heroic legend... This is the kind of impression I  gathered from the passage."  

Liliana leaned forward while Erica expressed her interest. 

...In yonder days, there was an evil dragon in the sea. The evil dragon summoned  wind and clouds to block the sun, causing violent lightning to descend upon the  sea. The king immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow, wounding the dragon  right in the chest— 

That was roughly the content. A story about a hero vanquishing an evil dragon.  

However, the History Compilation Committee's special agent smiled wryly and  shrugged.  

"I totally can't recall anything specific. Neither can I reject the possibility that I  remembered wrong. So let me do some research first. As soon as I figure out  anything, I'll call you guys."  

"We will also contact you as soon as we receive news about the earlier incident."  Liliana sighed with worry after saying that.  

"However, we really were too careless... I can't believe we let those two escape."  

One was the gentle noblewoman who was staying in a remote village in the  Italian region of Tuscany.  

The other was the frivolous Italian young man who had been traveling with  Godou before he left Sardinia.  

Possessing both ridiculous powers and troublemaking ability, these two  Campiones had shaken off surveillance personnel half a day earlier, suddenly  going missing.  

"That idiot Doni aside, I can't believe even Madame Aisha did the same."  Godou muttered in worry.  

"I just hope she won't cause a mess." 

"Godou, hoping alone is futile when pertaining to Madame Aisha. This  disappearance is tantamount to pulling the trigger to a massive disturbance in the  future... That's the kind of feeling I get. Want to have a bet?"  

"I agree fully with what you said, so there's no bet."  

"These words can just as easily apply to Sir Salvatore too, right? Definitely  unmistakable."  

Godou nodded to agree with Erica's opinion while Liliana murmured as well.  

Everyone was making rather blunt comments about the two terrifying Devil  Kings.  

"However, who we truly need to stay on guard against isn't those two. Rather, it's  Pallas Athena... As the reincarnation of Athena, resurrected as a Divine Ancestor,  and of course there is—"  

Erica deliberately omitted the name, but Godou knew what she meant.  

The king manifesting at era's end. The Devil King-exterminating hero. The "King  of the End." The pale-haired aristocrat whom he had battled in ancient Gaul. The  ultimate warrior whom the Divine Ancestors had spent a thousand years to locate.  

Liliana also said to the silent Godou:  

"According to Prince Alec's deductions, the 'King of the End' is sleeping in  Tokyo Bay or perhaps somewhere in the surroundings. Even Pallas Athena  should not be able to find him quickly... However, I am actually quite worried."  

"What do you mean?"  

"A giant disaster is approaching us with unimaginable speed—That is the feeling.  It started slightly before we returned to Tokyo."  

"..." 

Godou sighed. Liliana was a witch with powerful spiritual senses. Furthermore,  having experienced the journey to ancient Gaul, her spirit vision powers had  increased further.  

Perhaps that aristocrat was going to appear before Godou soon.  

"But in any case, Athena and her companions' final destination is here, Tokyo  Bay in Japan."  

Godou summed up in a relaxed tone of voice.  

Before the situation reached a state of emergency, there was no need to be on  excessive alert.  

"We will make preparations for intercepting the enemies when they arrive, so  standing by for now is fine. If possible, I don't want to make a big deal out of  things. Let's just recover our energy while gathering information from various  sources."  

In that case, resting in his own home was the best choice— 

Seeing off Amakasu driving off in a domestic car and parting ways with Erica  and Liliana at Hongou Street, Godou began to walk in the shopping district of  Nezu's Area 3.  

A used bookstore that had closed for business, located somewhere in this district,  was Kusanagi Godou's home.  

This shopping district, preserving the vestiges of Tokyo's traditional downtown  culture, was still quite prosperous in contemporary times. This place was both the  home of his family as well as his childhood friend. Also, there were many  neighbors whom he had known for a very long time.  

Standing at his hometown after what felt like an absence of several months,  Godou took a deep breath. 

The day of the inevitable battle—No, that was wrong. For the sake of the  imminent battle, he must give his body and mind sufficient rest.  

This was Kusanagi Godou's top priority at the moment.