Campione! - Volume 21 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2   Circle of Usurpation
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Part 1
My──true enemy.

When Godou tried to speak it out loud, it felt really fitting.

Hero Rama was someone who would annihilate all devil kings. He was a destined arch enemy of Kusanagi Godou, was how it should be. However, no matter what Godou couldn’t accept that.

Because that man, he might not be fighting by his own will.

That was the decisive difference with all the opponents he had confronted until now.

Whether it was god or fellow Campione, for good or bad they all challenged him into a battle energetically.

Rama wasn’t like that. Perhaps that was why.

「Other than the decisive battle against that guy, there are also other enemies that I have to fight no matter what. Perhaps, it’s something like that, Alice-san.」

「……How mysterious.」

Princess Alice smiled when she heard Godou’s mutter.

「I had the feeling that if it’s Kusanagi-sama, you will say something like that.」

「Is that so.」

Godou smiled wryly knowing that he was seen through by a woman older than him.

「My mind is really simple after all. Erica and everyone else also often guessed right at what I’m thinking.」

「Fufufufu. Actually there is one other person who also anticipated this.」

「Is it my acquaintance? Perhaps Pandora-san?」

「No.」

The self-proclaimed mother who hadn’t contacted for a while.

Godou was surprised when Alice denied that name. He thought that possibly the mother Pandora was the one who was most concerned with the confrontation of King of the End versus the victor of the devil king civil war.

Princess Alice spoke.

「That person──wished to meet with you. Actually, the one who taught me about the territory of the god(s) of fate was also the same person.」

「Hee!」

Godou’s eyes opened wide.

「I don’t understand why that person want to meet with someone like me. But I guess I want to say thanks for teaching important information. Is that person in Astral World as expected?」

「Yes. If it’s alright with you, I will show the way until there. And then」

The White Hime-miko bowed gracefully and said this.

「O our king. Will it be fine with you if I return to the surface ahead of you?」

「I don’t mind at all even if you don’t check with me like that.」

Godou answered even while feeling bewildered at the sudden respectful attitude of the princess.

「But, I’ll go saying thanks to that well-informed person or god, so isn’t it fine even if Alice-san goes back together with me?」

「I cannot. I have one other work to do.」

Princess Alice spoke with a chuckle.

「It’s because I understand Kusanagi-sama’s mind. Next time you won’t only look at the territory of the god of fate──you will surely enter into it. I am thinking to advance the preparation for that on the surface. I will also have Erica and others to help.」

「……Can I leave that to you!?」

「Please leave it to me, king. For the sake of the one who will fight as the representative of us mankind, I swear we will open the path without fail.」

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And then, they began moving once more──.

Moving from place to place using instant teleportation through the layers inside Astral World.

Princess Alice and Godou repeated that method of transportation around thirty times, and finally they arrived at the destination.

It was a confined land that had the most importance even in Astral World.

Because it was impossible to directly teleport there, they needed to take that many detours.

「Then, farewell Kusanagi-sama. I will be waiting for you at the surface.」

The princess’s figure vanished.

With this, it was Kusanagi Godou alone who entered this layer.

「So this time it’s a place full of rock……」

The wind was terrifyingly cold.

The bared rock surface emphasized the coldness even further.

Above his head was a heavy cloudy sky. He was on the middle of a mountain road. There was about one hundred meters until the peak of the mountain, furthermore there was only one path.

Perhaps the altitude was really high, because it felt like he was freezing from the cold.

It also felt like the air was thin. At this rate he might even got altitude sickness.

Although, he had Campione flesh body that boasted absurd toughness. Godou only felt slight difficulty in breathing before he got used to it immediately.

「Is this telling me to go until the summit as expected?」

Right after he muttered, he could hear a scream.

──uuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…….

It was a male voice. It came from the summit.

Godou resolved himself and started climbing. He soon arrived on the summit.

There unexpectedly──he found a bare naked man with robust body, lying down on the ground spread-eagled.

「uuuaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

The man was shrieking in anguish.

There were two hawks. They were frequently eating the stomach of the naked man. They tore his flesh, pecked at the intestine inside his body, and in the end they pulled out his guts.

Looking closer, the naked man’s arms and legs were linked to chains.

The chains were thick and looked really heavy, they were nailed to the ground with stakes.

With that the man should be unable to escape. Driven by righteous indignation, Godou rushed forward. He raised his fist toward the hawks that were fishing the entrails of the naked man and yelled angrily.

「You two, go away somewhere now!」

At that moment, the two hawks and the naked man vanished──.

Godou was standing alone on the summit of the unknown tall mountain.

It seemed that the sight just now was an illusion or something. Godou wondered what kind of meaning the episode just now had. He tilted his head「?」 in puzzlement, it was then a voice suddenly called to him.

「O child of man who should be dead, and yet were reborn into beast of godslaying.」

The naked man just now suddenly appeared beside Godou.

He was already wearing clothes. His clothes was a single long garment that was wrapped around his body in the style of ancient Greece. And then he was wearing round glasses with a silver rim.

His face wearing that glasses looked really unconventional and intellectual.

「You’ve done well coming here. My name is Prometheus.」

That was the man’s introduction.

「Rather than having long introduction, I thought that showing the torture that I once tasted──would be quicker. Do you also know of it?」

「……I, know it well.」

Godou nodded.

It was nearly one year ago already. He was taught by Erica who now became his irreplaceable comrade. It was along the way when they were chasing after war god Verethragna at Sardinia Island. It was nostalgic.

At that time, Godou was in possession of the grimoire『Secret Tome of Prometheus』.

It was a mystical tome that could steal god’s authority and then reuse it. In the middle of the strategy meeting in order to decide how to effectively use that power──

Erica and Godou exchanged this kind of conversation.

『Prometheus is a god that made appearance in Greek mythology……he is a descendant of the Titans. The meaning of his name is “forethought”. In other words he was a wise man who posses wisdom of foresight.』

『If I remember right, Prometheus was the god that shared <fire> to humans right?』

『Yes. The king of gods Zeus had no intention to grant excessive knowledge to humans. But, Prometheus who pitied their foolishness stole <fire> from heaven.』

It was a conversation of just a year ago.

It was an event at the journey where Kusanagi Godou killed a god. He remembered it really well.

Prometheus granted the stolen <fire> to the human race. As the result, although mankind developed civilization rapidly, the thief was captured by Zeus──

Godou narrated the outline of the legend in front of the person himself.

「As the punishment Prometheus was tied to Caucasus Mountain, and the inside of his stomach was pecked at while alive. But, he was an immortal existence. When the sun set his wounds would be completely restored. Prometheus tasted eternal torture until he was pardoned by Zeus.」

「Perfect. You remember it well, Kusanagi Godou.」

Prometheus praised like a teacher praising a test paper. And then, the wise man of Greek mythology slowly held out his right hand.

「Shake hand with me. I wish to show respect to you who will challenge the King of the End and fate.」

「I’m not……I’m only doing what I want to do.」

Godou grasped Prometheus’s hand while speaking matter-of-factly.

「There is nothing in it that need to be shown respect.」

「Then, I’ll rephrase it. I first discovered a seed. My little brother picked it up and planted it into the ground. I thought of the seed lowly, that the possibility of it blooming and bearing fruit is nonexistence, it would only rot pointlessly inside the soil but──. Right now, I am finally able to meet the fruit that is you.」

*Gu-* Prometheus put strength into his grasping hand.

「I am really thankful. Surely my little brother also feel the same. Well, I’m aware that all the fruits including you are bringing about much mayhem in the universe but……I won’t mention it. Beast of godslaying, Kusanagi Godou. Please share this excitement with Prometheus.」

「If it’s something like that……. By the way , Prometheus.」

Godou also returned a strong grip while asking.

「If I remember right your little brother is──Epimetheus? We are called as that person’s illegitimate child though.」

Godou naturally started talking without polite language. For some reason he was able to feel conviction, that the man before him could be trusted unconditionally.

Prometheus grinned and spoke powerfully.

「Yeah. This is a good chance, so I’ll tell you about the seed of godslaying──the <Circle of Usurpation> that we discovered.」

Circle of Usurpation. Godou was startled.

He remembered hearing it from somewhere. Come to think of it, the witch Circe whispered at the her dying moment.

──Half of her life was stolen by Alexander Gascoigne. Only the remaining half of her life could be circulated in the <Circle of Usurpation>, or something.

In front of Godou who was blinking in wonderment, the wise man Prometheus suddenly began to talk…….

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