Campione! - Volume 20 - Chapter 3.3

Part 3

「I got the image that Tokyo is a large metropolis, but there are also a lot of place that looked like the sticks huuh.」 

Salvatore Doni murmured. It seemed that their current location was within Hachiouji of 

Tokyo metropolis on the map! However# they didn’t really feel that they were in human settlement for real because all this time they had been wandering continuously inside mountain. 

(As expected that it was different from deep in the mountains of Okutama though# the snow wasn’t piling up here!) 

Even though they were in mountain, but this area was undeveloped woodland near populated area with low elevation. 

There were also golf course, terraced farms, terraced rice-fields, a few housing, and so created on the open field that dotted between the mountains. However, this group avoided that kind of “place with good visibility” very carefully# and advanced within mountain forest as much as possible.「I heard that all the Campiones were rampaging at the edge of 

Tokyo and I rushed to there! After that it’s only inside the mountain aa~ll the time. It was like the time when I wandered at Nara or Kyoto at Kanto in the past.」

「Lily, how about your『eye』?」

「I don’t feel……any gaze! Surely even the farsighted Sect 

Founder Luo Hao has lost sight of us thanks to us advancing while hiding.」 

When Erica asked, the silver haired sword friend immediately gave her answer. 

Both of them together were ignoring the monologue of the 

Campione! It wasn’t the time for that! Liliana took a glance at the sky. 

The winter’s night sky was――obstructed by the branches of the trees# the sky couldn’t be seen well. 

But, this was fine. Sect Founder Luo Hao was using magic and placed『eye』at the height of sky. If they were at place without any cover, they would get discovered right away. 

……They withdrew from Kokumotori Mountain of Okutama using flight magic just a bit of time ago. However, right after they landed.

『We are seen by someone――most likely it’s Sect Founder Luo Hao……』 

Liliana who was responsible for the flight said so. The supernatural sense of the European witch(Strega) detected it. Luo Cuilian that was a Daogu――witch of ancient China with the power of clairvoyance was observing them. (TN: Daogu=Daoist nun) In addition, the sky was suddenly turning stormy. Strong wind was blowing, raindrops were raining, and even thunder was starting to be audible. Marquis Voban was calling storm. Liliana asserted that and stop the flight. 

Flight magic was a magic that used a witch’s magic power to move in the sky with only flesh body. It was far easier to be affected by weather than airplane. They might be shot down by lightning like that. 

Thus they landed at the west outskirts of Hachiouji and started walking through mountain.

「Well# no matter how far we walk# I don’t think we will be able to go out from Sect Founder Luo Hao’s gaze! There is a limit with traveling by foot.」

「Even if we procure a car from somewhere, perhaps the result will be the same.」

「Whether it’s the marquis or the sect founder, we cannot get away from the hunting dog chasing us around.」 

Dog’s howl could be heard while Liliana and Erica were in the middle of exchanging opinion. WAOO~~~~~~~~~N-.「My」 

Madam Aisha who had completely turned into a『frail girl』 whispered. 

WAOO~~~~~~~~~N-. OO~~~~~~~~~N-. OO~~~~~~~~~N-. Howl could be heard from everywhere. All of them came from different directions. 

Were fellow wild dogs calling at each other from different place? 

However, any optimistic view was immediately denied.

「This, must be the wolves of Onii-sama. There is no mistake.」

「Is that really true, Madam Aisha?」 

When Erica asked for confirmation right away, the eternal beautiful girl nodded innocently.

「Yes. I somehow came to understand it in my long association with Onii-sama.」

「Just as I thought, the servant wolves had been released too……」

「Though it seems that they still aren’t nearby# but perhaps it’s only a matter of time until we are discovered. By the way, Lord Salvatore.」

「What is it, Erica-kun?」

「Can I inquire about your body’s condition? The sword wound that was reflected by Prince Alec before this……」

「Oh maan# about that! It’s really very――bothersome see!」 

While his was a carefree tone, but for the first time Doni said『 bothersome』. 

A thick laceration was running through the upper body of the steel body. 

It was a wound that looked like steel that had hardened after getting melted. It ran from the left shoulder straight until the connecting joint of the left leg. It looked painful just from seeing it.

「This is because my attack got repelled back completely when I used my best slash, that Alec is also got bad personality huuh. Ahahaha」 

While it was a jovial laugh# but somehow there wasn’t vigor in it. 

Several hundred rune letters were still floating around at Doni’s surrounding, granting him the protection of steel. 

Surely it was active because he would be unable to move properly if the protection was lost. Or possibly he would die right away. 

In fact, the Campione of sword was whispering in small volume.

「It doesn’t seem like……I can fight in full strength for a while! 

If the sect founder or gramp attacked, I might got done in for real this time.」 

While his voice was light, but the content of the talk was a really grave confession. 

But, as expected from Salvatore Doni, he immediately made the following proposition.

「Or rather! Let’s return to more bustling city……right at the center of Tokyo and hide there. That way it will be harder for us to get discovered y’know!」

「Hiding tree in the forest, and hiding a person among the people.」 

Without delay, Liliana made a backtalk with sour face.

「That’s what Lord Salvatore wish to say isn’t it? That’s something that I find it really hard to agree with. Thinking about the commotion that the marquis and sect founder caused in Shinjuku last night……」 

Those words were filled to the brim with sarcasm and criticism toward the foolish king. 

Erica who was listening from the side was presuming to give no comment to that impoliteness. Her reservation toward the Campione of sword was thinning down in this few hours. If she opened her mouth, it felt like she would say something even more elaborately roundabout. 

Furthermore, as the result of all kind of things that Marquis Voban and Sect Founder Luo Hao perpetrated. 

For the moment Shinjuku area was sealed with the pretext of『 confirming infection outbreak of new virus』while the extrication and housing of the victims that were turned into salt statue was still continuing even now. 

Nearly a hundred werewolves were also being sheltered. 

But, there was also sighting report of werewolf that escaped from the scene, and the History Compilation Committee was in the middle of searching. 

Of course# Shinjuku Imperial Garden was still a “demonic forest” as yet! That neighborhood become like that just from the rampage of a few Campione.「We should take a bit of measure.」 

Erica waved her hand and used summoning magic. 

On the ground before her eyes――fifty lion statues in the size that could be placed on one’s palm appeared! All of them were made from brass. Erica put『puppet』magic on them. 

The fierce beasts made from brass suddenly moved. 

They stretched, scratching the back of their ear with their leg, or shaking their body with motion that looked exactly like living lion. 

As an alchemist that excelled in metal manipulation, Erica instantly changed them to automatic puppet. 

Liliana who had long time relationship with her immediately nodded.

「I see, a bait.」

「Yes! I’ll also『enchant』 the smell of us four before releasing them. This is the marquis we are talking about, he should be releasing quiet the number of wolves. We have to repeat various petty tricks like this and confused the pursuer even for a little bit.」 

Erica heightened her magic power while whispering and put enchantment on the brass lions.

「Lily too# can you help me with witch’s technique?」

「Right! I’ll use『concealment』to erase the smell of the real us and also make us harder to see.」 

What Liliana spoke about was the name of technique that witch and fairy used when they were hiding themselves. And then――seeing the great knights applying various tricks 

The King of Sword murmured.

「Erica-kun and Liliana-kun too are working hard! I too――it’s no good if I don’t also do the best that I possibly can huh!」 

It was quite a moving speech to be said by someone wounded. 

However, his action of taking his sheathed katana in hand and then glancing to the side at Madam Aisha while fiddling with the sword as though he would draw it out anytime was……! 

Of course, there was no way for the madam in question to not notice it.

「Do, Doni-san? I wonder why are you looking at me after saying that?」

「Haha, you see. Because it feels like even this wounded me can win against the current Madam Aisha. So naturally if talking about something that I can do right now with my all then that’s……」

「I’m greatly opposing the bullying of the weak-」 

Madam Aisha complained with teary eyes. 

「Doni-san# aren’t you more or less still a knight even if just barely!?」

「It’s hard if I’m told that but# see# there is a lot of wicked fellows among knights since the past.」

「I, indeed they are a lawless group that pillaged, burned, and slaughtered as they pleased at Middle Age period but, please at least put on the image of knight on white horse a bit more there-!」

「Lord Salvatore. Our master Godou too should be in opposition toward what you are about to do right now if he is here.」

「My lord# you are in alliance with Kusanagi Godou aren’t you?」

「But, right now we are in the middle of battle royal you know? Even if we are leaving alone Madam Aisha whose power is sealed like this# I don’t think there will be any interesting development from this.」 

He bluntly spoke something extremely heartless. In a sense this was a moment where a glimpse of Salvatore 

Doni’s abnormality could be seen!

「Also, I got a bit of thought. If the madam is cornered until『 Absolutely desperate deadly situation, super great pinch!』, then perhaps her power will suddenly return huuh―# like that! After all the Campione are like that, we all are full of nonsense.

」

「「…………」」

「Erica-san and Liliana-san# you two also don’t make face that seem to say『certainly that might be so』like that, please stop Doni-san!」

「Hahahaha. As expected from you two, you understand well about us.」

「You say that, but what are you going to do if I really dead then―@」

「No, no. There will be no meaning even if we do it without the resolve of『if I die then that’s it』. When terror or rage exploded just an instant from getting killed/died for real, it feels like various thing might happen then……」

「Hiiiih」 

Doni pushed up the guard of his katana with his thumb, making clicking sound from that# so the madam’s face was really convulsing due to fear of death. But, she suddenly yelled from realization.

「Please wait. I recalled something important just now!」

「Eh, what? Is it thanks to my threat?」

「It should not be called thanks but『fault』instead. Putting that aside. Before this I had heard something from fairy realm――from the astral world! There is『a temple for governing the history and flow of time of the world』there.」 

Something flashed in Erica’s mind from Madam Aisha’s declaration. 

She exchanged look with Liliana. Her old friend and also rival seemed to make the same connection. They nodded at each other. Yes. 

Guided by the masked Campione, visiting the holy ground at the end of Astral world――! 

It was an event that Mariya Yuri and Liliana Krancjar experienced. Erica and others also received the report about that story from them in the middle of expedition at ancient Gallia. 

Madam Aisha further spoke without noticing the exchange between the fellow great knights.

「I also heard that there is『gate of time』there too that connect to every age! It seems that it’s something like the stronger version of『Fairy Corridor』. Also, I was told that a specialist that would solve all kind of trouble related to time travel is there too.」

「Uh huh.」

「Even if my power doesn’t come back――if we go there, perhaps it’s possible to open again the corridor that was created in the cold mountain just now!」

「That’s fine! Besides」 

Salvatore Doni grinned widely like a mischievous kid. 

For a while he was lacking in luster because of his wound, but it seemed that his “Doni-ness” had come back a bit!「If that place is connected to every age# then perhaps it’s also possible to gather Campiones from the past in various eras, and we can do even showier tournament battle!」

「Let’s go# Doni-san!」

「Yeah. Our destination is that temple whatever in Astral world.」 

It was a terrifying sudden turn. The two Campiones was going to move out with mutual understanding in order to obtain new ammunition of strife.