Campione! - Volume 20 - Chapter 1.4

Part 4

「What happened?」

「A hindrance entered when it was good. But, when I think if it’s due to the act of someone……fufufufu!」

「Aren’t your mood really good# Sect Founder Luo Hao?」

「Even though you say that, but you yourself are too.」 

The words of Luo Cuilian who showed a smile that reminded one of the visage of flower caused Dejanstahl Vobal to also make a faint smile.

「Fu……! Both of us really can’t be helped! After all formidable enemy and powerful enemy that cannot be dealt by ordinary means are appearing one after another, letting us to taste worthy battle. This is what we are always wishing for a long time――for more than a hundred years!」

「Indeed.」 

In the mountains region of Okutama, mountains with similar elevation were stretching out undulatingly. 

Kumotori Mountain, Kokumotori Mountain, Nanatsuishi Mountain, Takamaru Mountain, Takanosu Mountain, Mutsuishi Mountain, and so on, there would be no end to it if the name of the mountains were to be listed one by one (though of course they didn’t know the name of each individual mountain). 

Both of them were currently on the peak of Takanosu Mountain. 

The place was an empty plot with a bit of space, there were only trees growing sparsely there. 

The lightning cloud that Voban called was already leaving from the sky. 

The air of the winter mountain was clear and serene, projecting the radiance of the stars with beauty that was impossible at the dull sky of the city. 

The moon tonight was bright although mist was hanging in the air. 

And then――

「How do you look at that?」

「That person too, as I thought he seemed to be safe.」 

The target of their gaze was Kumotori mountain that had became battlefield just a bit of time ago. 

The summit of the mountain was turned into a crater due to 

Kusanagi Godou’s attack! 

The Kumotori Mountain that was holed open. And then Kokumotori Mountain that was beside it. Continuing beside it was a rocky mountain Nanatsuishi, the gently sloping ridgeline was drawing winding wavy form. 

It was only this area――that was enshrouded by thick white mist. 

It was as though only that area was covered by thick smokescreen. 

It wasn’t a natural phenomenon caused by mountain weather that changed easily. It was clear for the two old veteran Campiones that it was the work of someone. 

That was why they were calmly acting as if they were 

‘observing like a disinterested party” ――! 

「According to my servant’s report# it seem that both Salvatore Doni and Aisha are already stuck inside the trap.」

「Possibly my little brother Kusanagi Godou is also in the same situation currently.」

「Then……sect founder! I’ll take a rest in this area! Chasing after fox that has burrowed into a hole in the ground is not my style.」

「Fufufufu. I have heard before.」 

Luo Cuilian already guessed that the old marquis was saying that as a joke.

「That the royalty of Europe would release hunting dogs into the forest to have them chase out the prey.」

「Hah. Actually I am bringing a pet dog here to at least help with the hunt! I think it’s about time soon to make use of it!」

「Then# I will――leave a clone here!」

「Hou, a clone of sect founder Luo Hao is it?」

「It’s not something usable in a match against expert! But# if it’s just for『hunting helper』that you spoke about# well……it should make do somehow.」

「In that case, we will meet again when the prey is driven out.」

「I don’t mind! Then# later!」 

Both devil kings turned their back on each other without even deciding contact method or place to meet. 

They began to walk quickly to different directions. Meaninglessly meeting face to face and staying at the same place idly were something preposterous for the two of them. 

After all both of them were in relationship where sooner or later they would have a showdown. 

It seemed the mountain stream where he encountered Laksmana was at Yamanashi prefecture. 

He was able to return until Tokyo’s western side that was around four, five kilometer northwest from there in less than a second using full speed sprinting was of course thanks to godspeed. 

There was a crater on the summit of Kumotori Mountain that was gouged out by Lancelot. 

Godou avoided that place by running in godspeed and advanced following mountain ridge until Kokumotori Mountain beside it. He almost reached the mountain summit―― 

There a white thick mist was spreading before his eyes.「Indeed, this mist give unpleasant feeling.」 

Godou immediately turned off the godspeed when he stepped into the thick mist. 

He was walking slowly with the same pace like a normal mountain climber while calling at his companion who taught him of this strange situation.

「So# everyone――Erica# Liliana, and also Aisha-san, my companions are all inside here then……」 

(Yes! I cannot feel everyone’s thought even when I sharpen my power of divine inspiration.) 

The one who answered him was the telepathic wave of Mariya Yuri. 

She had recovered from her exhaustion due to overusing spiritual power, and now she once more resuming to give support from the realm of the dead. It was a reliable reinforcement even though it was a formless one. 

(This mist――it’s a barrier that even my divine inspiration cannot peek into, that’s why I thought that if perhaps they are present inside it.)

「So that’s what Mariya feel!」 

(Yes! Though it’s only vaguely!) 

The『vaguely』that an excellent spiritual sight user said was more believable than the reasoning of a great detective. 

Godou understood that more than anyone else. That was the reason that he easily discarded the possibility that they had got away from Okutama area using flying magic or anything else and came here. 

After his skirmish with Laksmana, Godou dared to not move from that spot. 

That was because he wanted to avoid the foolishness of moving around in midnight at a snow mountain where he didn’t even understand his location. And above all else, it was also because he believed that if he waited then a support from his companion would surely come. 

His expectation wasn’t betrayed when Yuri sent telepathic wave at him from the realm of the dead. 

But, after the graceful princess shrine maiden taught Godou that he was still in Okutama Mountains, she also reported to him about the “mysterious thick mist” ――!

「This area, I have been taken here for mountain climbing before.」

Sometime he was invited to mountain. His acquaintances at the local shopping district or at his part-time workplace that liked outdoor would ask him. Tokyo people were a lot, so they naturally would head toward the nearby Okutama. 

Kumotori Mountain that got its head blown up in the middle of fierce battle. 

That place and this Kumotori Mountain was connected like 

“dumpling that was skewered by spit”! 

If one was walking following the mountain ridge from one summit to another summit, it actually could be traveled in just a few dozen minutes. 

If it was Erica and Liliana who possessed leg strength that was distanced from normal people, then surely that time would be even shorter. 

It strayed from the topic but, the mountain climbing route from Kumotori Mountain that was at the western edge of Tokyo, to the neighboring Kokumotori Mountain, Nanatsuishi Mountain, Takanosu Mountain, and so on that was advancing to the east was connected to the urban area of Okutama. 

It was a famous route that was used by many mountain lovers. 

Godou was in some distance from that “easy to walk path”! 

The bad field of vision due to the white mist made him wanted to make complaint, even so he wordlessly went down the slope. 

The snow didn’t pile up that deep# but as expected the ground was easy to slip on. 

However# Godou wasn’t particularly bothered! 

He kept the godspeed off while drawing out only the lightness from the avatar of『Raptor』――! 

When he gave it a try because he felt like it was possible, it turned out to be true. He was going down the snowy slope safely by jumping agilely. 

It appeared that Verethragna’s authority still had room to grow.

「……Though it doesn’t seem like they cannot be used for location guide.」 

Godou grumbled. Before he realized the descending slope had became gentle. There were only leafless beech trees around him. It was as though he had entered into a forest. 

He couldn’t see the front well# so he used both his hands to push his way through the trees and mist while advancing……! 

His direction sense was gone already. Just where was he going to?

「Hm?」 

Godou found something inside there.

「Dead Servant……」 

At his feet there was an indescribable corpse, a servant of Marquis Voban lying on the ground. 

It was completely dried up, a mummy that was only skin and bone. It was completely equipped with full plate armor and long sword like a Middle Age knight. 

And then――it was bisected into two from its head until its groin. 

The corpse that was split up straight was transformed from a living death into an unmoving dead body.

「Perhaps this is completely better rather than getting worked hard by that old man Voban.」

(I wish to courteously bury him as soon as the current situation calmed down……) 

Yuri sent her thought to him. 

They weren’t serving that tyrant because they liked it! He knew that from last year, when he confronted that devil king of Eastern Europe. When Godou was about to agree with the princess shrine maiden’s opinion# he noticed!「There are also others……?」 

He couldn’t see well because of the white thick mist! 

However, if he focused his eyes, there were Dead Servants collapsed inside the forest here and there. All of them were armed with sword type weapon and armor from old era. 

It seemed there were around twenty, thirty bodies just from a quick look. 

All of them――were bisected into two! Every single one was split right into two with vertical line from the top of their head until their groin. There was no other external wound. In addition.

「Even the trees got done in!」 

The trees growing around here, all of them had vertical slit――from the top until the root! It was as though they were hit by a giant hatchet. 

Different from the Dead Servants, even with the vertical slit, the trees were still standing up. 

By any chance――Godou suddenly got a weird imagination! That perhaps the cut object didn’t notice they were cut because the sharpness that was too great. In fact, the slashed part of the tree was really smooth. 

「Just whose work is this? Is it Erica or Liliana# don’t tell me it was Aisha-san……」 

(It’s just# a vague idea! But the face of Lord Salvatore came to mind.)

「As expected it’s that guy!」 

He was the suspect that came to mind the moment he saw the cut. 

That was why he said『as expected』. But what bothered him was, while fighting a powerful enemy like the marquis, Doni had the time to vertically bisect every single Dead Servant? 

Salvatore Doni wasn’t a hero of a historical drama where the fight was only against small fries. Here Dejanstahl Voban was clashing against the king of sword 

Doni# then shouldn’t the defeated Dead Servants here were also warrior or martial artist that were a cut above the rest when they were alive?

「That idiot, looks like he have various kind of dangerous hidden ball trick……」 

Come to think of it, when they were sent to the ancient Gallia. 

Doni produced something like a line of light from his sword and annihilated a bear pack with one slash. There was also the thing he did of exploding the target that he cut with his sword. 

Was he still hiding underhanded tricks like that―― 

While Godou was pondering, Yuri contacted him with telepathic wave sounding like there was something was difficult for her to say. 

(Err……about the talk of『how this was done』just now, there is continuation to it. Actually, from this white mist, I can strongly feel――the presence of Black Prince Alec! Before# when we entered the goddess island in Malaysia……this mist feels really similar.)

「So it’s Gascoigne!」 

Godou immediately comprehended when he was told that. Indeed it was similar. The hideout of the witch of dawn Circe, it was an “island that cannot be left” which was born from Black Prince Alec’s authority# 「Great Labyrinth」.

「I guess he defended somehow from being sucked when Aisha-san’s corridor was running wild before! Well# it’s just like that guy.」 

Rather, perhaps it should be praised that it was just as expected from the Black Prince Alec. 

Godou nodded earnestly. That ruffian prepared this trap to take control of Madam Aisha and Salvatore Doni―― 

(Go, Godou-san!)「Eh?」 

Yuri suddenly called his name and urged him to be careful. 

Black silhouette was slowly approaching him from inside the white thick mist. Could that be Alexander Gascoigne――no! It was obvious from the person’s silhouette that he was wearing a long cape.「Just why are you here?」 

Godou asked frankly.

「Aren’t you swallowed by the gate Aisha-san opened just now?」 

John Pluto Smith. 

The man that appeared from inside the mist was austerely dressed with black mask and cape. 

The holster hanging on his waist was storing a magic gun made from steel. It was a mystical arms that was forged at Astral world. 

That gun muzzle could shoot out『Artemis’s Arrow』, an authority that was an all-purpose projectile weapon――!