Campione! - Volume 17 - Chapter 4.6

Part 6 

A great battle between the hero and the Devil King had taken place in the past.  

Godou was watching a vision of the battle as though he were in a realm of dreams. When the two combatants ended their match in the form of a double knockout, Godou suddenly woke up to a start.  

"This place seems to be..."  

Looking at the surrounding scenery, he was greatly surprised.  

In the beginning before seeing the vision, he was in a moonlit wilderness. However, his current location seemed to be a beach on a small island. After walking forward a few steps, he entered a primitive jungle with flourishing trees.  

This was where the ancient Campione and the "King of the End" had met their mutual defeat.  

Furthermore, the Princess of Glass was standing ahead of him. In addition, the two Hime-Miko who had accompanied Godou from the mundane world—Yuri and Ena—were both watching Godou with worried looks.  

After nodding to his two companions, Godou faced the Princess of Glass again.  "You... are the Divine Ancestor reincarnated from the goddess who was killed back then. Is that right?"  

"Indeed. My life was forfeited and taken away as nourishment for the crown prince."  

The beautiful princess with flaxen-colored hair and eyes of glass spoke quietly.  

"After being reborn as a Divine Ancestor, I went through a journey of wandering and came to Japan. Leaving behind the bloodline where the ancestors of those miko arose... Finally, I grew tired of life in the mundane world and chose to live secluded in the Netherworld."  

The Princess of Glass was actually the distant progenitor of the Hime-Miko.  

Since Godou had expected this already, he simply nodded lightly in acknowledgement.  

In fact, whenever Yuri showed signs of atavism, her hair would often turn flaxen in color.  

"Originally, Divine Ancestors would not possess the memories from their time as goddesses. But after coming to the Netherworld and opening the sealed gate to the past, I remembered what had happened in my previous life."  "I see."  

Pallas Athena had also recovered her memories as Athena.  

The same phenomenon had occurred to the Princess of Glass too. As Godou nodded, the princess asked him:  

"Then Kusanagi-sama, what are your plans regarding the prior promise?"  

"You mean destroying the 'King of the End'? That promise—of course I can't do it."  

Godou answered simply.  

"That guy is stronger than me far too much. Given an opponent like that, I can't guarantee victory for certain. Also, I'm a pacifist as well."  

"..."  

"Those gods are extremely powerful. As the battle intensifies, things could end quite tragically. I don't think deciding to 'kill' or 'destroy' from the start will work."  

"In that case, are you saying you do not need to know the crown prince's true name?"  

"Well about that, you still intend to help me out no matter how I answer, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have told me so much."  

Godou deliberately spoke in an assertive tone of voice.  

Somehow, he had a feeling about an idea he wanted to try out. Then a smile surfaced on the exquisitely shaped lips of the Princess of Glass, who proceeded to nod.  

"Even when confronted with the crown prince's power and the pain from fighting His Highness, you have not wavered from your own conviction at all. Truly remarkable. If I may be frank—"  

At this point, the princess smiled mischievously.  

She often displayed facial expressions and mannerisms very similar to a living woman's.  

"I have said this to the Old One, Susanoo, and the high priest many times in the past. That Kusanagi-sama is rather similar to the godslayer who caused the crown prince the most grief—His Highness with the ten lives. Consequently, when an emergency arrives, destiny ought to be entrusted to Kusanagi-sama."  

"Huh? Why can't I see any similarity between myself and that guy at all?"  Having watched the ancient Campione's life through the vision just now, Godou immediately rejected the idea.  

"No. In terms of being considerate to women, offering compassion to the goddess despite being enemies, hence shouldering unnecessary hardship, you two are quite similar."  

"Haah."  

The princess had tactfully dismissed Godou's protest. She continued:  

"However, that type of consideration also brings many rewards. Kusanagi-sama, it is precisely the reason why I concluded you have the capacity to cause the crown prince pain... So please confirm carefully for yourself the true name of the 'King of the End.'"  

Sudden praise. Godou went "eh?" and stared at the princess' beautiful face again.  

"This domain is sealed inside the main hall of Plutarch's Residence, where the records of the 'King of the End' are kept safe. Now that you are here, you should be able to see His Highness' true name and origins."  

A beach in the ancient past was where the hero and the Devil King had reached mutual destruction.  

The current location was a Netherworld domain constructed to be identical to that place. The riddle's answer sought by Divine Ancestor Guinevere, Alexandre Gascoigne and others was sleeping here—  

Without knowing it, Godou's side had been guided to this treasure of an island.  

While Godou was feeling surprised, and Yuri and Ena were bowing their heads politely, the Princess of Glass suddenly disappeared along with her glamorous Juunihitoe-clad figure, departing from the scene.  

"Plutarch's Residence where the Akashic Memories, the source of all spirit visions, are kept... This place does feel similar to that sanctuary last time."  Yuri was speaking softly in a pious tone of voice like a shrine maiden kneeling before a deity.  

Placing a hand against her lovely bosom bulging under the miko outfit, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Next, stone tablets emerged from various places in the beach of white sand where the three of them were situated.  

These square slabs of stone were roughly forty or fifty centimeters in length.  

Long passages had been written on the surface of the stone tablets in ancient Latin characters.  

Emerging from the sand like germinating plants, the number of stone tablets most likely exceeded five hundred.  

"Do all of these stone tablets contain information about the 'King of the End'...?"  

"Indeed. Once you acquire the knowledge here, the Sword's spell words can surely be forged..."  

The weapon for slicing apart the hero full of mysteries.  

The opportunity to obtain this weapon had finally arrived at Kusanagi Godou's side. However, it was not possible to decipher and memorize all of these documents that had been written in an unknown language.  

The only way to do it was to rely on Mariya Yuri's spirit vision and spells to impart the knowledge—  

Just as Godou intended to walk over to Yuri who was fidgeting from shyness...  "A-Are we starting, Your Majesty?"  

Ena asked.  

"Basically, umm. Ena also finds it quite indecent to make such a request, but..."  

"What's the matter, Seishuuin?"  

Ena was stammering, showing hesitation unlike her usually personality as a freespirited child of nature.  

Finding her acting strange, Godou inquired.  

"Ena also... wants to carry out the ritual together. The ritual to pass all kinds of knowledge to Your Majesty—"  

"!?"  

"E-Ena-san, what are you talking about!?"  

In other words, the three of them doing it together—naturally, Godou was not the only one feeling surprised but Yuri was greatly stunned as well. However, the Hime-Miko of the Sword still continued shyly.  

"S-Sorry. Ena will be left out at this rate, only to watch from afar... This makes Ena very sad..."  

Indeed, the ability to extract Akashic Memories was limited only to outstanding users of spirit vision.  

Naturally, this arena would be dominated by Yuri alone. However, that would mean excluding Ena, leaving her all alone.  

If possible, Godou still wanted to treat his companions equally, these companions who had supported him through thick and thin—  

Godou believed that sincerely. Precisely because of that, before using common sense to reject this highly problematic proposal after contemplating various considerations, he felt his heart waver somewhat.  

(I see, Seishuuin also—)  

Naturally, he glanced at the other Hime-Miko.  

Yuri was acting flustered from her childhood friend's request, unsure how to answer.  

"N-No matter what, to make the outrageous proposal of three people engaging in this kind of behavior, that would be far too shameless. W-We ought to show more restraint—"  

Face completely red, she protested. However, Yuri stopped mid-sentence.  

She must have recalled how "this kind of behavior" had already taken place many times already. Also blushing intensely from embarrassment, Ena then brought up that.  

"Y-Yeah. Ena had a feeling Yuri would say this. B-But at Nikkou and Gaul, we already did that kind of thing many times already. This time as well—Ena wants to proceed as in the past..."  

"Th-That really should not be how the issue can be settled."   

"You're right... Ena is truly sorry for saying such willful words. Ena did not mean to trouble you, Yuri, but Ena wanted to make a request no matter what..."  

The normally lively and cheerful Ena was hanging her head sadly. She must have realized she had said something very willful.  

"E-Ena-san."  

Yuri quietly and sorrowfully called out the name of the Hime-Miko who had backed down with forthrightness.  

She was wavering inside, unsure whether to obey her sense of shame and common sense or to prioritize her dear friend's feelings. Furthermore, if their places had been swapped... Perhaps she might be thinking about the same matter too.  

Godou reached out and embraced the distraught Hime-Miko in his arms.  

"Mariya, I've got the same request for you."  

"Godou-san!?"  

Hugging the hesitant Yuri tightly, Godou continued at the same time:  

"I feel really bad about pushing troublesome tasks on you all the time, but I'm very sorry, it looks like I'll have to continue being a good-for-nothing who does nothing but stupid things."  

"Indeed you are right. Godou-san and Ena-san are always saying unreasonable things."  

Yuri's body was only stiff in the very beginning.  

Immediately, she relaxed in Godou's arms and entrusted her weight to him. Very likely, she had been searching for an excuse to relent as well.  

Due to Godou's 180cm stature, the two of them had quite a large difference in height.  

Stooping lower, Godou brought his face near Yuri's lips and said:  

"If you dislike it, just shove me away immediately."  

"I shall not... do that. Although I honestly feel that you are someone who always makes things difficult for others, I am the one who promised to spend my life with you... However."  

Simply by conversing in whispers, they could feel each other's breathing.  

This intimate sense of distance was only possible precisely because the two of them had promised their minds and bodies to each other.  

"I shall have to make you spoil me next time, understood?"  

"Of course you can."  

Inspired with a sense of tender affection by Yuri's rare request to be spoiled, Godou began to kiss her.  

Yuri received Godou's lips in ecstasy. After a while, she opened her lips and called out to the childhood friend who had been watching them with an uneasy expression.  

"Ena-san too... Come here."  

"Certainly!"  

Yuri's invitation was this brief probably due to embarrassment. However, Ena rushed over to their side with vigor as though she were flying.  

"Now it is time to start gathering the knowledge about the 'King of the End.'"  

With Yuri's announcement, the surroundings suddenly changed. The hundreds of stone tablets embedded in the sand started to float into the air one after another.  

In response to that, Yuri's eyes shone with glass-colored radiance.  

"The king manifesting at era's end... The heavenly child sent to the earth to exterminate the sinful Devil Kings, the sleeping tiger lurking in the human realm, the bow-using hero shouldering the fate of wandering—His Highness' name is hereby received without a doubt."  

Declaring softly, the Hime-Miko reached towards her friend.  

"Please also accept the wisdom I have obtained, Ena-san."  

"Yes!"  

The two girls clasped their hands together tightly. At the same time, Ena's eyes also shone with glass-colored radiance.  

Yuri was using the spirit power of psychic sensing to share the knowledge regarding the "King of the End."  

Then the ritual of instruction finally began.  

"Godou-san. The goddess Circe had mentioned on her dying breath. The 'King of the End' is an existence linked to the genealogy of what is known as the Argo in Greek mythology."  

"Traveling on this ship were dozens of heroes with Heracles first and foremost."  

Ena continued quietly immediately after Yuri.  

Welcoming the two girls to his bosom, Godou sat cross-legged on the white beach. Hence, the two Hime-Miko followed, sitting down respectively on Godou's left and right sides. At the same, they leaned themselves tightly against him as well.  

The warmth and suppleness of the two maidens' bodies were being transmitted through the chihaya and the miko outfits.  

Smooch... Godou lightly kissed Ena who was on his right.  

"A certain member of the passengers was the 'King of the End'—That was not what she meant. The most crucial fact here, is what kind of ship the Argo was..."  At first, it was just a light touch on the lips.  

But by the second kiss, Ena was already pushing her lips tightly against him, then timidly, she inserted her tongue which Godou received in turn with his own tongue.  

Between the pair's lips that were intimately pressed together, the two tongues tangled with each other.  

After enjoying this intimate contact, Ena released his lips and it was Yuri's turn to kiss him.  

"Setting out from a Greek port, the Argo sailed for the Black Sea, reaching the coastal kingdom of Colchis. What the band of heroes sought was the kingdom's golden fleece, their national treasure—Using guile in addition to valor, the heroes finally succeeded in stealing the fleece..."  

"Then boarding the Argo, the heroes escaped from the kingdom of Colchis."  

"Namely, attacking another country after a sea voyage, plundering treasure to return to their homeland in triumph—the adventure of the Argo was a myth originating from a story of invasion and piracy across the sea."  

"The important element here is that of the 'invaders who traversed the sea.'"  

"Have you noticed it? Actually, this legend follows the same structure as the tale of Momotarou circulating in Japan."  

"In the ancient past, Momotarou sailed out to Onigashima to vanquish the evil ogres living on the island, finally returning to his hometown with plundered treasure, yes? Ultimately, this was also a story of invading pirates..."  

While weaving spell words as usual, Yuri continued to work her tongue carefully and nimbly.  

Pouring in thoughts and loving feelings that were more delicate than bold, she allowed her lips and tongue to moisten inside his mouth and licked attentively. Ever since his kiss with her back in June last year, Yuri's heart had gradually and spontaneously filled with sincere feelings of offering herself to Godou alone.  

Influenced by her childhood friend's behavior, Ena gradually lost the stiffness in her motions.  

When Yuri's lips let go, it was Ena's turn to seal Godou's lips, using her relaxed tongue to engage nonstop in a passionate kiss. In addition, with eyes of intoxication and fervent gaze, she stared at Godou.  

The trio's feelings and behavior were escalating without impedance, finally entering the official ritual—  

This was the same development as usual. However, just as Godou was thinking that, Yuri's breathing suddenly quickened.  

"Mariya?"  

"S-Sorry. I suddenly feel out of breath..."  

Not only Yuri but Ena beside her was also panting.  

In addition, the two girls were leaning against him from both sides, entrusting their exhausted bodies to Godou for support. Frantically, Godou held the two Hime-Miko, feeling surprised.  

Their entire bodies were unbelievably hot. If one were to measure their body temperatures with a thermometer, it would most likely show forty degrees centigrade or above.  

"The secret of the 'King of the End,' sealed away for over two millennia... Of all the spirit visions imparted so far, this one is the hardest to endure."  "A-After all, this is knowledge determined as taboo by the gods, Yuri."  

Ena replied to her childhood friend who was moaning in pain.  

"Although we are miko who have gone through training, we are humans with lifespans after all... Unless we proceed with caution, our minds and bodies won't endure—"  

Evident from this advice alone, she truly lived up to her name as the premier Hime-Miko who was accustomed to dealing with gods.  

Furthermore, Ena whispered while closing her eyes. Hence, the glass-colored radiance residing in her eyes began to envelop her entire body faintly.  

Then burying her face into Godou's chest, Ena said softly:  

"Y-Your Majesty, it's fine now, continue the ritual? A-Also, although it's okay to kiss on the lips like earlier... Ena hopes you can kiss somewhere else too."  

"What!?"  

"I-If the knowledge is left to remain in our heads as in the past, it will place a very heavy burden... Can try moving it to the body."  

"You can even do something like that!?"  

"After all, this is the Netherworld. Because this is the domain where thoughts and spirit rank higher than the body and matter, so this sort of thing is still possible."  

"B-But, what you mean by kissing somewhere else is—"  

"Y-Yes. All kinds of knowledge will be transmitted as usual just by kissing other parts of Ena's body. If you don't end the ritual quickly using this method, Ena and Yuri probably won't last to the end. Might collapse before all the knowledge is imparted..."  

Covered in faint glass-colored light, Ena whispered these words.  

Burying her face in Godou's chest, she even pressed her extremely welldeveloped bosom tightly against him. But ultimately, she could not muster much strength.  

Godou immediately kissed Ena's smooth neck and even licked with his tongue.  

Instantly, vivid images surfaced in his mind. It was the "King of the End" kneeling down submissively with his head bowed to be crowned. The one crowning him was an old man dressed in crude clothing. Probably a monk or a priest.  

"Ah—Your Majesty, did it transmit?"  

"Yeah, no problem. This method works."  

"Th-Then please. Kiss Ena even more—Ooh mmm!"  

While Godou slid his lips and tongue along the neck down to the shoulder, Ena's body suddenly began to shudder. It was as though her entire body had grown quite sensitive.  

Perhaps by watching her fellow Hime-Miko, Yuri grasped the technique as well.  

Letting the pale glass-colored light envelop her entire body, Yuri said to Godou:  

"I-I am fine now. So definitely, Godou-san, I can help—Ooh mmm!"  

This time, Godou kissed Yuri's earlobe.  

This was the same act he had performed in passing during the knowledge ritual in the past, prior to the duel against his sworn elder sister, Luo Cuilian. In fact, he had memories of kissing Yuri in that spot many times since then.  

The gentle Hime-Miko was expressing a sensitive reaction like before—No, it was even more sensitive this time.  

The ritual continued with force and vigor like raging waves in a storm.  

Induced with burgeoning passion, Godou continued to kiss the two Hime-Miko deeply and heavily without resting.  

Using his lips to kiss those lovely earlobes, pale necks and slender fingers, he even kissed their fingertips tenderly.  

His tongue moving along their necks to the vicinity of their voluptuous bosoms, he used the tip of his tongue to carefully examine and confirm the soft tenderness of their skin.  

Subconsciously, the two girls had already removed their chihaya over their miko outfits, even opening up their upper garments. However, none of the trio minded at all.  

Furthermore, Yuri and Ena were not just passively accepting kisses.  

Whenever they noticed Godou's lips departing, the girls would immediately bring their faces close to him, kissing nonstop.  

"Godou-san. The sword for slicing apart the great hero, the most authoritative in the orient..."  

"Now is precisely the time to master it. As long as it is for this purpose, Ena and Yuri can do anything..."  

There were times when Yuri and Ena took turns in kissing him with other occasions when both girls kissed Godou's lips at the same time, offering kisses of intense passion.  

Thanks to that, Godou would occasionally act out in excessive fervor.  

Allowing his tongue to slide along their backs, down to their waists, or even kissing their pale thighs or the like, that was going way too far no matter what. However, the ritual of excessive passion was taking full effect, filling Godou with an astounding volume of knowledge inside.  

In addition, Godou could finally feel certain.  

Given his current self, he was now capable to slicing that that man with the sword of spell words—  

Inside Godou's mind, he was no longer that whatever "King of the End." His true name and origins were already known. All information about the hero was clear to him now.  

It turned out to be the same hero as the name speculated by Amakasu Touma.  

With expressions of rapture, Yuri and Ena gazed at Godou. As for the red flush surfacing faintly all over the two Hime-Miko's bodies, that was the afterglow lingering from the ritual for obtaining this name...