Campione! - Volume 17 - Chapter 7.4

Part 4 

After Lancelot du Lac disappeared...  

To avoid distracting from his concentration, Godou focused singlemindedly on raising the [Storm Bringer]'s power.  

Naturally, Rama was probably still driving his chariot vimana somewhere in the sky. Currently, he no longer had any bodyguards left by his side. Hanuman was also engaged in a deadly battle against the recovered sworn sister.  

This was the perfect opportunity to attack Rama.  

Godou still had four holy swords of gold remaining, but two of them had already been reforged into blades for slicing Perseus and the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Unfortunately, swords could only change targets once.  

He had only two holy swords remaining for slicing Rama. Naturally, he could ask Yuri to find out Rama's position through spirit vision, then send the holy swords over. However.  

(Godou-san...)  

While he was thinking, Godou heard Yuri's worried voice.  

She had apparently seen it through spirit vision—Godou had a feeling that things would not go as easily as imagined.  

"Did I spend too much time on those guys...?"  

Perseus, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and Lancelot. While occupied with those three, the great hero of the orient might have prepared countermeasures to resist Verethragna's holy swords.  

—No helping it if that were the case. Standing on the plaza where he had faced the three heroes, Godou focused on maximizing combat strength.  

One or two minutes passed in this manner.  

"You're late."  

"My apologies. Preparing a certain item required some time."  

The sky chariot vimana finally arrived in the sky above the diamond-shaped plaza.  

Godou started the conversation and Prince Rama responded calmly from the charioteer's platform. Whether the plaza's shape or the calm conversation, everything contributed to a feeling like they were simply meeting up for a promised game of baseball.  

Realizing this, Godou laughed lightly.  

However, Rama was currently holding a steel longbow in his hand. In addition, the gigantic square of a magic circle behind the vimana was undoubtedly the Divine Sword Mandala.  

Godou was informed by the [Warrior]'s power of deep insight into the enemy's nature.  

Rama had gathered up the remnants of power from the four mandalas that had been sliced apart, thus managing to create a fifth. Undertaking this task must have took him quite a bit of time.  

Moreover, stabbed upright in the ground of stone tiles, next to Godou were the two holy swords for slaying Rama.  

In addition, there was also the [Storm Bringer] hovering high in the air—the black sphere of darkness known as a gravitational storm.  

Roughly twenty-four or five meters in diameter. At last, it had reached maximum power. The black sphere was making distinctive sounds, spinning rapidly on a vertical axis.  

Strong winds were already starting to blow towards the black sphere.  

Not just in this plaza. Wind was blowing across this giant ship of Pushpaka Vimana as well as the surrounding air space. This was the warning sign of the gravitational storm produced by the black sphere.  

Both sides were ready for battle. All that remained was simply pulling the trigger.  

Rama ordered his vimana to land. The master jumped off lightly and gazed in Godou's direction. Were this a baseball field, it would be roughly the distance from home to second base.  

The [Storm Bringer] was also facing off against the [Divine Sword Mandala] in the air, separated by a similar distance.  

Both were hovering in the sky roughly fifty or sixty meters above the plaza.  

The time for a decisive duel was imminent. Godou suddenly spoke up.  

"Let's put it this way, your weakness... Or rather, I already know how to defeat you."  

"Really? If it is not too much trouble, please tell me."  

Rama's curiosity seemed to be piqued. He leaned forward.  

This was probably his first time meeting someone pointing out a "weakness" in his completely awakened state. The aristocrat's reaction made Godou smile wryly. Actually, it was nothing special.  

"Well, you possess an endless supply of powerful weapons plus your magic power is quite astounding too. You're probably a thousand times stronger than me when attacking."  

Hoh, responded Rama with a nod.  

"That's why, no matter what, I must find a way to force you to defend. When switching to defense, you're probably about five hundred times stronger than me. Between offense and defense, it's pretty obvious which side is where openings will appear."  

Back when the sworn sister, Luo Cuilian, had landed the strongest palm strike...  

Since his awakening, Rama had endured that direct attack at one point.  

It could be called a fact that slight openings would appear when he engaged in defense instead of offense. The problem was that no matter which situation it was, Rama was still far more powerful than Godou.  

However, perhaps provoked by this inane joke...  

Rama smiled and went "I see." The rust-like layer of his expression seemed to thin out in a rare moment.  

"Understood, Kusanagi Godou. In that case, attack me with your full power. I, too, shall go out in full force against you, summoning my entire strength in order to defeat you without switching to defense."  

"I really wish a guy who's already strong enough without doing anything won't say stuff like going out in full force..."  

Rama's stern declaration and Godou's sighing grumbles...  

This dialogue served as the trigger to sparking the fight.  

The Storm Bringer and the Divine Sword Mandala were facing off in the air. The former was summoning a storm using gravity's power of universal attraction while the latter had turned into aerial artillery unleashing a barrage of thousands of lightning strikes.  

The mandala released over ten thousand bolts of lightning.  

The black sphere absorbed all of these attacks.  

Indeed, hanging in balance was a battle of offense and defense in equilibrium. However, Godou had already learned from the skirmish at Minamibousou previously.  

The sword's gravitational storm could only resist the Divine Sword Mandala for two minutes at most.  

During this time, unless he launched another attack to subdue Rama, there would be chance of victory. There was no time to hesitate within the limit of these few short minutes. Godou's only option was to unleash the Storm Bringer's power in full force at the "best opportunity."  

At the same time, he ordered Verethragna's two holy swords to attack.  

Stabbed upright on the floor of stone tiles next to Godou, there were two golden swords. One of them floated up and flew swiftly to attack Rama.  

However, an arrow suddenly manifested in Rama's left hand.  

The arrowhead was made of gold. Swinging this arrow like a short sword, the Devil King exterminating hero struck down Verethragna's holy sword. No, that was not all.  

Unbelievably, struck down by the golden arrowhead, Verethragna's holy sword easily shattered!  

"I heard from His Highness Perseus... The war god Verethragna is the retainer of the Persian supreme god Mithra."  

Without waiting for Rama to finish, Godou ordered his holy sword to attack again.  

This was the last blade for slaying Rama. However, the hero king of ancient India threw the arrow in his hand at the holy sword flying at him.  

The holy sword of gold and the arrowhead of gold clashed violently—  

The holy sword shattered. Continuing to fly with unabated momentum, the arrow stabbed into Godou's shoulder, which happened to be the base of his left arm.  

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"  

The wound felt scorching as though incinerated. Godou immediately pulled out the arrow with his hand and threw it at the ground.  

However, the heat was swiftly spreading from his shoulder to his left arm then towards his chest.  

At this rate, the heat was probably going to invade his entire body. Godou immediately raised his magic power to dispel the magical divine power harming him. It worked as planned.  

The heat subsided and Godou exhaled in relief. However, his left arm had become immobilized.  

Godou felt that this was not poison. Most likely, it was a power of light, akin to flames—  

While Godou concluded with certainty, Rama explained:  

"The weapon just now was what I requested directly from my old acquaintance, the god Indra, to borrow from the Persian realm of divinity, the arrow imbued with Sun King Mithra's power."  

In the past, Perseus had used the power of Mithras, equated to Mithra, to seal off Persian Warlord Verethragna's abilities.  

This was equivalent—Rather, it should be called the upgraded version.  

Speaking of which, Erica had mentioned before. Persian mythology of antiquity had its origins in the Indo-Aryan branch of the ancient Indo-European language family, given the geographic proximity. In particular, the war god Verethragna had deep connections to Indra, the god of thunderstorms. Perhaps this was indicated by both gods carrying the epithet, "destroyer of obstacles."  

As a side note, it was quite amazing that Rama could prepare such a weapon in such short time.  

"As expected of the great hero, supported by various pantheons... Is receiving sudden gifts of weapons part of his power too?"  

The same had happened during Rama's campaign against his fated rival, Ravana.  

Just as Rama was locked in a desperate struggle against his opponent, the Rakshasa King, his companion suddenly informed him of a certain matter. Namely, that among the arrows that had been bestowed upon him in the past, one of them was "Shiva's arrow, capable of killing even the immortal Ravana."  

Truly the hero who had the world and the gods standing on his side.  

In that case, Godou tried using another incarnation.  

"For victory, hasten forth before me... O immortal sun, I beseech thee to grant radiance to the stallion!"  

The [White Stallion] incarnation was able to use the glorious power of the sun.  

In response to Godou's spell words, a second sun rose in the eastern sky. It was currently the time of the day when the original sun was gradually sinking west.  

Next, the solar flare shot from the second sun turned into blazing white flames in the shape of a stallion, flying towards Pushpaka Vimana and Prince Rama.  

The hero, who had caused so many commotions this time, was recognized as "a great sinner causing hardship to the populace!"  

However, a new arrow appeared in Rama's left hand at this moment.  

"O arrow of the hero who had shot down nine suns! I beseech thee to bestow such miracles upon me!"  

A jet-black arrow. Both the arrowhead and the fletchings were jet black.  

It was quite similar to the arrow that Rama had used in Minamibousou last time. However, this was a deeper black. Godou recalled how Rama had called the previous arrow merely a "counterfeit."  

Most likely, this was the real thing—In front of the trembling Godou, Rama readied his bow of steel.  

Placing the jet-black arrow on the steel bow, he drew the bowstring to its limit then fired.  

The arrow flew towards the eastern sky. Striking the flaming white stallion that was rushing towards Pushpaka Vimana, the arrow instantly destroyed it.  

Even the sun's flames could be repelled and erased—What an ultimate archer to an absurd degree.  

Furthermore, the Storm Bringer was also about to reach its limit. The black sphere's storm of gravity was gradually weakening. Despite barely maintaining balance, in ten-odd seconds, it was probably not going to hold off the Divine Sword Mandala's myriad lightning strikes any further.  

As one would conclude, the ultimate archer needed to be handled by the ultimate knight.  

"I'm counting on you, Lancelot—It's your turn to enter the stage!"  

"What?"  

Hearing Godou's plea, Rama showed shock on his face.  

High up in the sky, even more distant than Pushpaka Vimana...  

It was a sea of clouds. The flying white horse was motionless at a point in that part of the sky. The gallant female knight was mounted astride the horse's back.  

The knight of the lake, Lancelot du Lac.  

As the former ally of the war god, the "King of the End," she heard her new lord's voice loud and clear.  

"Finally time to set off on an expedition, huh?"  

She had already made preparations for a lone charge.  

This was her prided secret technique. Charging with lightning speed from an astounding height, crashing to the ground like a meteor strike.  

This lone charge assault had created giant craters on the earth many times before.  

Using the magic power transmitted from her master, the godslayer, she unleashed a full-powered strike. In order to defeat her former lord. At this very moment, he had just shot two powerful arrows while controlling the Divine Sword Mandala. Compared to usual, he was in a more vulnerable state.  

"O lance. Lancelot du Lac's soul is entrusted wholly to thee. Attack!"  

Held in her right was the barbed cavalry lance. Held in her left was the oval shield.  

She was clad in chain mail. Her body was entrusted to the white steed. With both feet on the stirrups suspended from the saddle, all armament and equipment were ready.  

Carrying her, the beloved steed flew as though galloping on land.  

Accompanied by lightning released from the rider, they descended rapidly towards Pushpaka Vimana far away, down below.  

In this manner, the war god Lancelot du Lac turned into "white lightning." In just an instant, she arrived above the hero whom she was about to pierce. Indeed, it was lightning speed.  

Using the speed and momentum from the rapid descent, she made a thrust with the lance's tip!  

The aimed location was the heart of Rama the hero. The target instantly raised his steel bow above his head.  

"You still live, Lancelot du Lac!?"  

Using the steel bow to block the lance's tip, Rama cried out.  

"I thought you had perished in battle because the connection to the Discus vanished... To think you switched sides to join Kusanagi Godou. Is this the choice you have made!?"  

Neither the hero's voice nor expression showed any reprimand. Instead, he showed understanding.  

Perhaps, ever since his revival, he had already noticed the confusion that Lancelot was secretly harboring.  

While trying to knock her former master away together with the steel bow, the war god of the lance spoke in a radiant tone of voice:  

"Indeed! A debt towards that man and loyalty to you—It is precisely the determination to cling onto both that has compelled this knight to choose the path of betrayal!"  

Rama did not reply. He simply continued to smile faintly while signs of fatigue were displayed in his narrowed eyes like a layer of rust. It was as though he was saying he forgave her completely.  

Then an explosion—  

Unable to knock the steel bow away, Lancelot was still able to release the lightning's energy and heat from the lance tip all at once. This shockwave engulfed Rama, the plaza serving as the battlefield and even the giant ship Pushpaka Vimana.  

Clashing violently in the air, the black sphere and the Divine Sword's magic circle were both blown apart and vanished.  

Naturally, even her new master, Kusanagi Godou, was caught up in the explosion.  

But there was no helping it. These were his orders. He had said: Unless you attack prepared with the fact that I'll be caught in the wake, there's probably no way to seize an opening to attack Rama...  

Pushpaka Vimana was a flying ship in the shape of a perfect circle and looked as gigantic as a city.  

The result of Lancelot's charging attack was a giant crater in the northeast block with a diameter beyond four or five kilometers. It was practically like the site of a meteor crash. Furthermore, the culprit, the white knight, had charged even deeper, causing severe damage to the giant ship's core.  

The ground beneath Godou's feet kept shaking.  

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble. The vibrations were transmitting through the soles of his feet. The damage from Lancelot's charge had made the entire body of the giant ship shake like an earthquake, giving off thunderous rumbling.  

In addition, Lancelot was nowhere to be seen. After exhausting her power in the lone charge just now, she had vanished.  

Also, Prince Rama was currently standing sternly at the bottom of the crater—  

Even after getting struck by that charging attack, he remained completely unharmed.  

However, his entire body was giving off blue sparks. The exploding sparks kept releasing tiny electric currents. Also, his body was giving off heat—clearly much hotter than before.  

Standing near him, it would feel scorching like being in front of a furnace, let alone the scene of a fire.  

"Come to think of it, the same thing happened when Nee-sans attack landed last time."  

Godou spoke up.  

The instant of the explosion from Lancelot's lone charge, he had invoked the 

[Raptor] and ran as hard as he could with divine speed. Mustering everything at his disposal, Godou had fled from the crater-inducing explosion. In the end, he failed to escape completely and was swallowed by explosive wind and shockwave of lesser strength.  

Even so, it was still much better than staying in the center of the blast.  

Then he returned to find the man who had stayed there, healthy as ever.  

"This naturally happens after my awakening whenever I need to resist life threatening crises."  

Rama muttered with a light sigh.  

At the same time, lightning erupted from his right shoulder. Instead of merely sparks exploding, this was powerful enough to mercilessly blow nearby people away.  

Godou reactivated divine speed and evaded the lightning's attack.  

"Disaster has come. My body's heat has heightened excessively, past the point of conscience control. Gods or godslayers like you might not have much of a problem..."  

The rust-like shadow on his expression deepened, shrouding Rama's handsome face slightly.  

"However, innocent humans and the earth's mountains, rivers and vegetation have no way to resist. Attacked by my heat and lightning, destruction shall be wrought continually."  

"Is that why you didn't pursue Nee-san and me last time!?"  

"Indeed. Temporary respite would allow my body's heat to subside to a certain extent."  

During the duel at Minamibousou, after Godou and Luo Cuilian had fled, Rama had not given chase. This was in consideration of his effects on the humans and cities of the land.  

"Are you still able to fight?"  

"I can still manage. However, overly precise martial arts are beyond me."  

Rama manifested the mighty sword in his hand, its blade measuring 100cm.  

The Divine Sword of Salvation. Entering an upper stance, he faced off against the Campione of the present generation. This was most likely the final phase of the battle—Godou prepared his resolve.  

"Okay, let's continue."  

"Understood. We shall decide the victor, fair and square."  

Even in swordsmanship, Rama was an expert of divine level. He had displayed part of his skills during the battle in ancient Gaul when he was mostly using downward slashes performed from upper stances.  

In Japanese swordsmanship, the upper stance was apparently called the "posture of fire."  

This stance could not be used freely unless one showed vigor and intensity in attack. It was said that "fire" was a metaphor for the fiery spirit in aggressive offense. As one might expect, offense was ultimately this war god's true nature.  

This time, Rama took on an upper stance again. In response, Godou invoked the [Camel] on the foundation of the [Raptor].  

This was the combat incarnation of endurance and enhanced leg strength. The pain from Mithra's arrow gradually subsided in his left shoulder. However, Godou's left arm still remained immobile.  

Even so, this was a double activation of incarnations. The strain was starting to cause waves of intense headaches.  

Nevertheless, taking a risk of this level was necessary.  

"Come!"  

Rama repeatedly performed slashes from upper stances.  

These moves were both acute and magnificent as ever, but relying on the [Camel]'s combat sense, Godou kept evading them.  

Then just as he was about to counterattack, Godou clicked his tongue.  

Rama's body suddenly released lightning. Just as before, it erupted without his conscious intent. Instantly activating the [Raptor]'s divine speed, Godou barely dodged the attack.  

Hence, he had to end his offense without unleashing the kick. Furthermore, Rama attacked at this time.  

A strike aimed at Godou's forehead. Again, it was downward slash of the divine sword, swung from an upper stance.  

"Just handling that sword is tricky enough already, what a troublesome guy!"  

If he were to attack with a knee strike during an opening in Rama's sword strikes—  

Guided by the [Camel]'s combat sense, Godou was just about to take action.  

Lightning was released again. In addition, this powerful lightning swept everything away from Rama's surroundings—left, right, front, back. A slight jump backwards was not going to evade it.  

In the end, Godou used divine speed to retreat at least ten meters, thus managing to avoid the calamity.  

"Are things getting violent because his power is out of control...?"  

Until this point, Rama still showed finesse in technique and precision in all areas despite displaying overwhelming power.  

But now, it was different.  

He had turned into an plain warrior who released lightning while swinging his blade.  

However, this certainly did not count as a minus. Lancelot, who was devoted singlemindedly to charges, was another example. On the battlefield, there were many situations where elements of "simplicity" would end up trumping over "variety."  

Furthermore, Rama's body was starting to shoot lightning with rapid fire.  

Attacks were released without specific targets. Not just forward but also backward and to the left and right, in any case, indiscriminate attacks were launched in all directions at three hundred and sixty degrees. In addition, the range was not limited to the scorched surroundings.  

The lightning's range kept extending, even reaching dozens, hundreds of meters away. Currently turned into an electrode, Rama could probably destroy one or two cities just by wandering the land. What a truly absurd man beyond compare.  

Godou committed his final resolve. As suspected, he could only resort to that move.  

"In the end, I have no choice but to take a gamble."  

Activating divine speed, Godou charged at the Devil King exterminator.  

Instantly evading the rapid fire of indiscriminate lightning, he arrived before Rama. Then unleashing a kick from the [Camel]—In that very instant...  

(Kusanagi Godou! Unfortunately, time is not on your side!)  

Due to perceptions while divine speed was active, Rama's voice sounded garbled.  

Swinging the Divine Sword of Salvation diagonally downwards from an upper stance, he aimed at Godou's heart. Using the skill of the mind's eye, he had seen through divine speed.  

Godou could not dodge this attack. The divine blade pierced his chest.  

The mighty blade, 100cm in length, buried half of itself into Godou's body. The blade tip was probably protruding out from his back.  

Even so, Godou did not die on the spot. This was thanks to a Campione's vitality and the [Camel]'s endurance.  

"Seishuuin, use it!"  

"What!?"  

A figure pounced on the surprised Rama. It was Seishuuin Ena.  

Held in her hand, the mighty blade, three feet and three-and-a-half inches long, was of course, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. Using a one-handed upper stance, the Hime-Miko of the Sword swung the divine sword ferociously from above. Of course, she was also using the secret technique of divine possession.  

This girl was the strongest in combat power among Godou's companions.  

She had been standing by a slight distance away just now, biding her time for this opportunity.  

"O imperial blade of Ama no Murakumo. I beseech thee to grant me the warrior's honor!"  

Taking in the divine energy of her partner, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, she swung the blade with her entire body's strength.  

In addition, the jet-black sword still carried remnants of divine power from the Storm Bringer. Just earlier, the black sphere had vanished due to getting blown away by Lancelot's charging attack, not because it ran out of power.  

If this sword could be stabbed into Rama's body to unleash a gravitational storm directly—  

Perhaps the great hero's body might disappear, absorbed into Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. However, Rama was swift and perceptive after all.  

Instantly releasing the Divine Sword of Salvation, he blocked Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.  

A bare-handed block—Aiming at the jet-black sword swinging down overhead, he blocked the attack by clamping his hands on the left and right surfaces of the blade's body.  

Godou was still skewered by the Divine Sword of Salvation. Death was near.  

Nevertheless, he was still grinning ferociously in spite of that. Because he was convinced the enemy had fallen into his trap.  

"You finally switched to defense..."  

"!?"  

Having caught Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi in his bare hands, Rama was shocked.  

At that very instant, Ena drew a second sword. On this rare occasion, she had a leather sheath hanging on her belt. Using her left hand, she unsheathed the short sword and sliced the 50cm blade into Rama's abdomen.  

Ena could probably feel the impact of a solid hit through her left hand.  

However, there was no bleeding. Rama was not injured from the attack. After all, he was the man who had successfully withstood even Her Eminence Luo Hao's palm strike and Lancelot's charge, hence this was only natural.  

Be that as it may, the following words were engraved on the blade of the short sword that Ena was using.  

'The one who is, and who was, and who is to come.' In addition, golden magic power was leaking from Rama's entire body in the place of blood.  

Magic power was rising into the sky like a gas, spreading a golden canopy high in the air.  

"Could this be—?"  

'Woe! Naturally, 'tis one's curse upon thee.'  

What spoke to Rama was the second sword held in Ena's hand.  

This was the item that Erica and Liliana had forged together while Godou and the two Hime-Miko were in the Netherworld. This was to allow Athena to stab the sword of vengeance into her enemy despite not even having the strength to move her body—  

This trickery had been devised by Erica. Casting magic to alter form and appearance.  

Fortuitously, Athena's transformation into a silver snake had made her into an existence similar in composition to synthetic organisms created by magic.  

Also thanks to that, Liliana and Erica were able to work together on a common task successfully as a witch and a master of steel manipulation respectively.  

The short sword declared solemnly with the voice of a goddess.  

'O King Rama. The magic power in thee was taken from the Holy Grail—that which was absorbed from this Athena's body. As the original owner, it is one's wish that thou couldst return a portion of that power. A curse cast using a goddess' life as the price—Even one such as thee cannot resist.'  

In the past, Rama had fought the "godslayer with ten lives" in a final duel.  

There was a reason why the fully awakened hero of salvation was pressured into a corner. Namely, the wife inside him—the essence of the goddess Sita—had refused to cooperate.  

Her dying wish became a prayer that bound Rama's body, reducing his magic power to some extent.  

And that godslayer had ruthlessly made use of that, causing the battle to end in mutual annihilation. And now, through a goddess' will, the same situation had been recreated—  

"I see now. To think that even external appearances could be altered. It makes logical sense that I was unable to sense the serpent's presence."  

Rama showed an expression of comprehension. Golden magic power continued to spill out even now.  

A large fraction has already flowed out—Just as Godou was thinking that, Rama went "ooh..." with a painful look on his face.  

Due to Athena's curse causing his total magic power to decrease, his awakened state was dispelled as a result.  

The slicing wound inflicted by Ena cracked open wide, spilling a large amount of blood. The situation was now the same as back in ancient Gaul—Concluding that, Godou forced his body to move.  

"Dahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"  

Relying on force of vigor and the [Camel]'s endurance, Godou forcibly moved his body despite his pierced heart.  

Capable of traveling across the desert while enduring silently, the camel was the symbol of endurance and ferocity. Using this power to unleash a spinning kick, Godou launched his final attack.  

"Guh—!"  

The enemy instantly used his left hand to block the kick aimed at his temple.  

However, Godou used his entire body's strength to send Rama flying together with this hand. At the same time, he delivered explosive magic power through the tip of his foot.  

As a result, the Devil King exterminating hero was sent flying by this exploding kick of guaranteed death. Rolling continuously on the ground for a while, he finally came to a stop.  

A moment later, Rama pushed himself up with the last of his strength after suffering this strike of assured death.  

Staring into Godou's eyes—  

'We shall meet again, Kusanagi Godou—'  

Godou could feel Rama silently expressing his thoughts of a future encounter.  

Immediately, the hero's body shone with red light—Then came a violent explosion.  

The Divine Sword of Salvation, stabbed into Godou's heart, proceeded to vanish. This was the instant of Kusanagi Godou's third victory. But in spite of that—  

While his consciousness was gradually fading away, Godou activated the [Ram] incarnation. At the same time, he thought to himself.  

This was a shallow victory barely achieved by relying on assistance from many people and stacking several instances of good fortune together.  

But next time... Surely that was not going to work again.  

Hanuman was probably going to find a way to gather the necessary earth's essence required by the great ritual of the covenant. Athena was about to die too. Godou's hidden cards were practically all exposed. Ultimately, was that his only option left—?  

The idea the Princess of Glass had seen through before he took his leave from the Netherworld...  

Godou recalled that particular solution...