Campione! - Volume 18 - Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - The Eve of Civil War 

The hero of salvation, the king manifesting at era's end.  

His true name was finally revealed as Ramachandra. Half a day had passed since Kusanagi Godou last experienced a series of deathmatches against this man, whose name was abbreviated as Rama.  

It was currently after midnight. The date had rolled over on the calendar.  

After taking out his cellphone to check the time, Godou slowly began to speak:  

"My body is fine now... I'm heading back."  

"Huh?"  

Reacting in surprise to his words was Liliana Kranjcar.  

The location was a luxury apartment located in Tokyo's special ward of Bunkyou.  

Godou was currently in the living room of this apartment together with Liliana. However, Godou had been lying in bed earlier, resting his body that was on the verge of death after the intense battle against Rama.  

More precisely, it was a state of suspended animation.  

Nevertheless, he had now recovered to a state of full health after sleeping for several hours.  

This was due to using Verethragna's eighth incarnation, the [Ram].  

His clothing, soiled and tattered from battle, had already been changed. 

Furthermore, now that his body was fine, Godou decided he had better get home as soon as possible.  

"Since it is so late already, why not stay the night here? Your body had just been skewered during the daytime."  

"Yeah, but my body really is fine now."  

"Although I believe you, I am certain you must be exhausted after battle. Please have a good rest here until morning."  

This was a very common sense suggestion in the style of a very loyal and serious female knight. Nevertheless, Godou had other thoughts which he deemed more necessary to respect.  

"Yeah, but since it's Erica's... Staying over at a girl's home is a problem too."  

"It is not as though you two were alone. Besides, there are additional spare rooms. Seishuuin Ena and I both intend to stay here too."  

"You're weakening my resolve if you keep saying stuff like that."  

To be honest, his body and mind were definitely quite exhausted. Godou really wanted to get to bed as quickly as possible and sleep for three days and three nights just like that.  

Be that as it may, Godou still said the following:  

"If I go back in the morning, Shizuka might make a huge fuss again. I'd better go home quietly and sleep in my own bed."  

"Indeed, it is quite like you to care more about your relationship with your sister than the fate of the world."  

Liliana sighed.  

"However, please allow me to speak as your knight and housekeeper."  

Eventually, when Kusanagi Godou established his own house as a "Devil King," only someone talented as Liliana Kranjcar would be capable of managing the household as his adjutant, adviser and housekeeper.  

Thus, the girl of this caliber declared in a nagging tone of voice:  

"If you were to insist on returning home... Erica and I will use magic to lock this room, to imprison you within. Please give up on escaping. Rest properly on this bed until morning."  

"Imprisonment is such a scary description."  

"Cast all needless worries aside. Why not forget your prided immortal body and let yourself be treated like a human?"  

Liliana's half-joking suggestion brought a wry smile to Godou's face.  

Since she had said this out of benevolent intentions, he still felt grateful. Just as Godou was thinking of taking her advice...  

There was a very polite knocking at the door. "Please enter," Liliana answered.  "Pardon the intrusion. May I ask if you are feeling better now, Godou-san?"  

"Although Liliana keeps telling me to rest properly, I'm pretty much fine."  

A woman roughly twenty years old entered.  

Arianna Hayama Arialdi. A member of the magic association, the [Copper Black Cross], this black-haired beauty also served as Erica's personal assistant.  

The majority of her work fell under a maid's duties. Currently, she was also wearing a maid's apron dress.  

Then at this moment, during the instant when the door was shut...  

Godou sensed a rather inauspicious presence.  

Rather, he smelled it. A strange odor, slightly provocative, wafting in slightly from outside the door. An ordinary person might have failed to notice it, but for a Devil King Campione's sharpened five senses, this was quite sufficient as a signal for danger.  

However, in contrast to that kind of warning sign, Arianna-san spoke cheerfully:  

"Not at all. Didn't you receive very serious injuries today? You should rest for tonight until the next day. Otherwise, it would be bad if you ruined your health."  

This was the second time someone advised Godou after he had left the bed and was already changed.  

Ultimately, it was hard to talk back when even an older lady told him to stay. Even Godou had to back down. Arianna-san continued:  

"Oh right. Erica-sama left a message."  

"Message?"  

"Yes. She said she had to go out after receiving an urgent call from members of the association. She might not be returning tonight and would like you to go to bed first."  

Erica was very busy normally. From what Godou heard, she sometimes had to go out very late at night to meet people involved with magic. Especially tonight, which was not long after the "King of the End" had appeared. Perhaps that was why she had been called out.  

"Furthermore, Seishuuin-sama has already left to attend to matters of her own."  

"Even she left huh?"  

"I heard it was necessary for her to convene with someone from the History Compilation Committee."  

Someone from the Committee—Perhaps Sayanomiya Kaoru.  

Since the heart of the incident occurred in the Kantou region, the History 

Compilation Committee ought to be even busier than Erica and the others. Hence, there was nothing strange about this.  

Godou had a more pressing question to clear up, so he asked:  

"Got it. Putting that aside, Anna-san, could it be that you're currently... cooking something?"  

"Indeed, nothing escapes you, Godou-san. I was thinking you must be tired from your battle during the daytime, so I prepared a midnight snack. Using secret ingredients passed down the association, it is special soup for clearing away all kinds of fatigue instantly—"  

Upon hearing this terrifying confession, Godou immediately motioned with his eyes.  

Naturally, the target was the silver-haired female knight.  

Several months prior, on that night when the ingredient known as bear meat was delivered to her from the mountains of Chichibu, Miss Arianna had exhibited an abundance of unique innovation in pot-stewed cuisine.  

Apparently recalling the events of that night, Liliana immediately spoke up.  

"It is quite a shame, but Kusanagi Godou is about to set off. If he does not return home tonight, his sister Shizuka-san will be worried."  

"Oh dear, is that so? In that case, regarding the midnight snack, Liliana-sama, how about you and I—"  

"F-Furthermore, I must accompany him as his bodyguard! So that is what is happening. I think it is almost time to depart. Thank you for looking after us on all accounts!"  

Soup that could clear away all kinds of fatigue.  

Its effects must surely be extraordinary. However, all would be lost if the soup even cleared away one's consciousness and health.  

Hence, ten-odd minutes later...  

"What a close call just now..."  

"Anna-san's pot-stewed cooking is truly terrifying..."  

Godou and Liliana were currently walking in Bunkyou's Nezu area along the streets at night.  

Late night in February. Sure enough, the winter season's stars looked prettier. However, there were drawbacks too, of course.  

"It's almost March and yet the air is still so cold..."  

"However, it is slightly reassuring. If Prince Rama were still around, the night would probably feel warmer..."  

"Now that you mention it, that's true."  

Godou nodded at what Liliana had pointed out.  

Turning into the ultimate warrior through the Grand Ritual of the Covenant, 

Ramachandra caused the air temperature in the surrounding region to rise rapidly "simply through his existence."  

Accelerating global warming simply by hanging around, he was a being that pushed the world towards destruction.  

And precisely because of that, he was known as "the king manifesting at era's end"...  

He was reputed to be the mortal enemy of all Campiones. However, Godou did not bear any resentment towards him. Recalling that handsome face evocative of rust, Godou shook his head.  

He no longer had any wish to fight such a ridiculously strong foe.  

He no longer had any wish to fight such a likable man.  

Recalling that man who was impossible to call a mortal enemy based on that double significance, Godou said to his loyal knight:  

"I'm sorry for making you accompany me this late. Let me see you off at your home, Liliana."  

"Please do not say such silly things. I am the one serving as the bodyguard. It is my responsibility to accompany you to your doorstep."  

"But it's a bit bad to be escorted home by a girl."  

"I am not doing this as a girl but as part of a knight's duty."  

Erica's luxury apartment was located quite close to the Kusanagi residence and Liliana's home.  

All were easily reachable on foot. As a side note, this quiet neighborhood retained much of the trappings of Shitamachi, the low-lying and traditional area of Tokyo, and did not have late-night loiterers no matter the hour of the day.  

Although it was not a dangerous place, there were virtually no pedestrians passing by on the streets either.  

Walking along this kind of path, Liliana's expression changed abruptly. For some reason, she suddenly started fidgeting shyly.  

"What's wrong, Liliana?"  

"Oh, nothing..."  

After murmuring that, she suddenly leaned in close.  

That was not all. She even took Godou's left arm and started walking nonchalantly, arm in arm.  

"!?"  

"Because it is cold... This is necessary. It is also my duty as a knight."  

"A-As a knight?"  

"Yes. Hence, please do not say anything and just let us continue like this."  "S-Sure."  

Liliana hugged Godou's left arm tightly.  

Naturally, this felt warmer. Furthermore, this type of intimate contact would bring certain feelings of reassurance and fulfillment to the heart.  

Not limited to Godou, Liliana probably felt the same.  

By the way...  

How many times exactly had they engaged in this type of behavior under the pretext of lord and knight?  

This type of atmosphere would only arise when Godou was spending time alone with Liliana. Clearly it felt so embarrassing but it also fostered a unique mood that would ignite the pair's passion.  

Arm in arm, the two of them walked through streets at night.  

By the time they realized, they had already arrived at the shopping street where the Kusanagi residence was located.  

Godou could immediately get home just by entering this street. However, he looked into Liliana's eyes. As though wanting to tell him something, Liliana looked at him in return.  

"I'd like... to stroll for a bit longer."  

"W-What a coincidence. The same goes for me, actually."  

Thus, the two of them did not enter the shopping street at Nezu's Area 3.  

As a result, they walked along the outskirts of Nezu Shrine's neighborhood and even reached the vicinity of Dangozaka in Sendagi. Of course, they walked arm in arm the whole time.  

Along the way, they bought warm green tea and milk tea at a convenience store.  

After exiting the store, they naturally entwined their arms together again and resumed walking.  

Entering a small park, they sat down on a bench and pulled the ring off their drink cans. Thus, they took a break under this kind of cold sky—  

"Speaking of which, things were so rushed during the daytime that there was no time to confirm."  

Liliana slowly began to speak.  

"Umm... You returned successfully from the Netherworld with the spell words to slice Prince Rama apart. Mariya Yuri and Seishuuin Ena were the ones who accompanied you—"  

"Y-Yeah."  

Sensing the warning signs of danger again, Godou slightly raised the pitch of his voice. As expected, Liliana happened to pinpoint the most harrowing issue.  

"In other words, sure enough, the one you did it with—"  

"Oh come on! Who cares about this kind of thing, right!?"  

"I see. A far-out possibility simply occurred to me... Both together, was it?"  "!?"  

Godou was stunned, staring at Liliana with eyes that inquired "Why ask this?"  

Hence, the questioner with the keen intuition sighed then spoke in a voice of exasperation.  

"To be honest, I was merely fishing for an answer from you."  

"Eh!?"  

"It is already sufficient. Despite my wishful thinking, hoping it was not actually true, you easily took the bait. Then it probably proceeded in the usual manner, right?"  

"......"  

"However, Kusanagi Godou, you are obliged to take responsibility."  

"Obliged?"  

Suddenly, Liliana changed her tone of voice.  

Her tone changed from a strict knight's to that of a sulking girl.  

"Yes. Did you know? In religions permitting polygyny, there exists such a commandment. Thou shalt confer equal love to all wives."  

"......"  

"Then today, you did that with the two Hime-Mikos. Furthermore, if my hunch is correct... Several days prior, while tracking down Sir Salvatore, you spent a night alone with Erica at Sardinia. Perhaps that time as well—"  

Liliana was speaking quietly in an accusatory tone, demanding to be coddled in a slightly excessive manner.  

The two of them were sitting on a park bench late at night, staring intently into each other's eyes. Godou could touch her body again with just a simple reach of his arm.  

"I hate being the only one left out."  

"Liliana."  "Ah!"  

Of course, he could not remain unmoved now that she had said this much.  

Without a moment's delay, he suddenly pulled the female knight's delicate body over to him, sitting her on top of his lap. Then gazing in her beautiful face that was like a fairy's, he drew his lips near.  

Naturally, Liliana instantly closed her eyes.  

Their lips made contact.  

With smooching sounds, the surface membranes of lips entangled together, exchanging saliva between them.  

It was not limited to lips. Their tongues also sucked, licked, and savored each other intimately, fully indulging in the pleasures of a deep and passionate kiss.  

During this time, Godou embraced Liliana's body tightly in his arms.  

Although the girl sitting on his lap definitely did not have a voluptuous figure, the tactile sensation was extraordinarily comfortable. Furthermore, hers was a very feminine and supple body.  

Simply hugging this body of hers was enough to bring indescribable pleasure.  

Liliana also embraced Godou tightly in return.  

While Godou was sucking her lips in a fierce kiss, she responded with even more intensity in her tongue movements and hugged him even harder.  

After kissing like this for several minutes, the two of them finally separated their lips from each other.  

Although they had paused for one or two minutes in the middle, in the end, they still found it difficult to breathe. To regulate their quickened breathing, they panted heavily.  

Since it was a chilly night, their exhaled breaths were white.  

"Umm... However, perhaps I might be disqualified as a knight if I speak like this."  

Liliana murmured with eyes of rapture.  

They could continue their kiss at a moment's notice. That was how close apart they were while gazing at each other.  

"I hope you would not go home tonight. I want... to stay with you forever."  

"I don't feel the same way... I'd be lying if I said that."  

After whispering to each other, they burst out chuckling at the same time.  

Whether Godou or Liliana, both were in exceptionally heightened emotions desiring each other.  

"How about my place?"  

"Sounds good—Uh, Liliana."  

Suddenly coming to his senses, Godou asked.  

"Uh, umm, your place, well, isn't Karen there?"  

"Oh... Indeed, that is true."  

Karen Jankulovski was Liliana's personal maid and junior witch.  

Godou recalled the girl who lived in Liliana's home. Extremely wise in the ways of the world despite being teenager, she was also highly inquisitive and loved to play pranks on others.  

Remembering Karen, who was not easy to handle, the two of them calmed down.  

"......"  

"......"  

"Time to go home, I guess."  

"Indeed. It would be best to call it a day."  

Godou felt reluctant to part yet was okay with it at the same time. Feeling such subtle emotions, Godou muttered and Liliana concurred wryly.  

"Oh right, I almost forgot this."  

Liliana suddenly searched her pocket and took out a black arrowhead.  

An arrowhead crafted from steel. Unassuming at first glance, it was actually exuding a hair-raising aura of calamity. It was the gift from the Princess of Glass upon his departure from the Netherworld.  "You were carrying this. Could this be..."  

Recovering her keen intuition as a female knight, Liliana wondered.  

"The same item as the arrowhead we saw in ancient Gaul? Capable of rendering a Campione unconscious despite their resilient bodies, used in Prince Rama's poison arrows—"  

"Yeah. I actually received it in the Netherworld. I'm told it might come in handy."  "!"  

Liliana felt shocked. How sharp she was.  

She could instantly imagine how such an object would be "handy." Godou nodded at his loyal knight and spoke with a sigh.  

"A conflict is probably going to erupt between us Campiones next. It's going to be a contest to see who gets the right to fight Rama alone."  

The observation deck on the Tokyo Skytree...  

Here, Luo Cuilian was looking out to the rising sun.  

A night had passed since the battle against King Rama and his faction, thus bringing morning. Rather than waking up early on purpose, this was her usual time to rise daily.  

It was said that the Yang energy released at the beginning of sunrise was the purest.  

In order to absorb this Yang energy, she intentionally chose this hour of the day to practice neigong, a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual disciplines.  

Looking out at this scenery from 350m above the ground, the sacred sun could be seen rising slowly in the eastern sky. A most magnificent sight, one might say.  

Flying by her own power, Luo Cuilian could cruise at such an altitude no matter when.  

Even without constructing such a massive tower on purpose, she could view such a rising sun any time she wanted.  

"To think they would go out of their way to construct such a thing for an overlooking view of the city... How inexorably foolish."  

"Indeed. You are quite correct, Master."  

Attending to her was Luo Cuilian's one and only direct disciple, Lu Yinghua.  

Whenever in his master's company, he had to practice neigong together with her at the break of dawn. This was an unwritten rule between master and disciple.  

As a side note, there were also a number of similar high-rise towers located in the Greater China circle under Luo Cuilian's rule. Naturally, there was no need to report on every trivial detail of this sort.  

"By the way, my young eagle, I have a task for you."  

"Your wish is my command, Master. Please instruct your disciple Lu Yinghua."  

"All Devil Kings apart from me, their whereabouts, their movements... Inform all subordinates in the Holy Cult to report such information back to me in exhaustive detail."  

"Understood."  

"The one who needs to be investigated in the greatest detail is... That witch. Madame Aisha."  

Answering "affirmative," Lu Yinghua felt slightly surprised.  

There was currently a total of seven Campiones ruling the earth. Among them, Madame Aisha was undoubtedly the weakest in combat power.  

Naturally, the horrifying thing about Devil Kings was that they could not be predicted so easily like this.  

However, for the peerless Luo Cuilian to deem her as the one to be the most wary of... Reading Lu Yinghua's expression of surprise, the beautiful Cult Master spoke:  

"That witch is far more dangerous and troublesome than you imagine. She has already created hardship for me a number of times..."  

"Master, she has forced you into dire straits before? And more than once!?"  

"Yes. Although it is part of a past I have no wish to recall, I cannot deny it. After all, strife is about to begin."  

"Strife—against Madame Aisha?"  

"No, strife involving all godslayers as opponents."  

Feeling an urge to scream in shock, Lu Yinghua took everything in his power to suppress it.  

He must not embarrass himself in front of Luo Cuilian at all costs. Instead, he nodded with a resolute expression and asked indifferently:  

"In that case, will you take the approach of cooperation with Honored Uncle?"  

"Regarding this matter... I have devoted much contemplation. Indeed, it would be a wonderful battle for sworn siblings to join forces and defeat common enemies."  

For some unknown reason, a shadow of worry surfaced on Luo Cuilian's beautiful face.  

"Nevertheless, if the sworn sister were to obstruct the younger brother on purpose, leading to an all-out battle with no holds barred, an even more fortified and beautiful bond could be forged between the two of us. Such a concept exists too."  

"Huh?"  

Hearing these completely unexpected words, Lu Yinghua's entire body froze. For a promising young star of the martial realm, he made a slightly pathetic sound.  

"In other words, Master will become Honored Uncle's enemy?"  

"Of course. Rather than waste a thousand words, an exchange of pummeling blows would be preferable. This is how more of one's thoughts can be transmitted from one person to another. He will surely be moved to tears, understanding beyond a shred of doubt the sworn sister's love, more bountiful than the ocean."  

"...The result of mutual opposition also includes the possibility of Honored Uncle dying in battle."  

"Indeed, that is possible. Be that as it may, this is the fight to determine who is eligible to fight King Rama."  

Luo Cuilian smiled and started to imagine the upcoming conflict.  

"Should he lose his life on the path of battle, one would have no choice but to conclude that outcome as his limit. There is no need for unnecessary worries."  

The greatest civil war between the seven Devil King Campiones was about to begin in the near future.  

In a certain sense, the most formidable foe, no less than Prince Rama, was standing in Kusanagi Godou's way—The warning sign had already appeared.