Campione! - Volume Ex - Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1 – Kusanagi Godou’s “After That”
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Kusanagi Godou was a university student.

It was true. He attended a historically prestigious university as foreign student. Even then he didn’t attend the class satisfactorily and only worked diligently in “extracurricular activities or else field work”, but his social status was certainly a university student.

But, as expected his self-awareness as a student was thin.

The same with his attachment toward the city that was used as the origin of the university name. He was unable to call that city as his 『second home』 or something.

「This is a good city though, the food here is also delicious.」

Godou walked in Bologna city while saying that.

It was an ancient city of north Itay. If one had to speak about the city’s characteristic other than being a city with history, it could be also called as a 『university city』 perhaps. It was the center of long-established study and art.

It was one of the oldest universities even at Europe──.

That was Bologna University. After all it was established at 11th century. Its history compared to Japan’s prestigious school was at different dimension.

──Godou originally began his overseas student life in Milan.

It was the home town of Erica and Liliana. And a reliable guardian Pablo Blandelli was also living there. However two years ago, the nostalgic witch of Sardinia Island Lucretia Zola──his friend and also local wife in the end it was only the claim of the person herself requested him.

That day, Lucretia intentionally came to Milan and started saying this.

『I have a request for you in your capacity as one of the Campiones. Actually the university that I was enrolled at for a time……there is a secret library there that can only be entered by a person who walk the path of magic. A great number of “books with power” are being kept there importantly. Ancient document that record hidden wisdom, forbidden grimoire, epitaph of the age of gods……. And, recently a demand note from the library reached my address. They told me to return the book that I brought out before.』

『Could it be, you forgot to return the book that you borrowed and treated it as your own belonging?』

Godou spoke of the thing that the negligent Lucretia might have done.

But, the correct answer was an evil deed that surpassed his imagination. Sardinia’s witch spoke nonchalantly.

『No. In the first place it was a rare book that was forbidden to be taken out. I had a business and dozens of years ago I borrowed it without permission. And finally they discovered it.』

『……You just need to return it quickly.』

『Unfortunately, I can’t do that. You had destroyed it.』

『Me?』

『That grimoire, it’s called the Secret Tome of Prometheus. The trump card that was used when you accomplished your first godslaying.』

It was a very nostalgic past story. The encounter and parting of Kusanagi Godou with war god Verethragna with Sardinia Island as the stage.

Lucretia who exposed the origin of the item that changed Godou’s life spoke smoothly.

『And so, the talk was concluded with the agreement to transfer the godslayer-dono who was born in exchange of the lost book. You, go to Bologna for me.』

Thus, the light speed transfer to Bologna University was completed.

Of course the ordinary people had no way of knowing Kusanagi Godou’s name. But, he was recognized as the seventh Campione among Europe’s magician society. Such person transferred as a student to the prestigious Bologna University in major subject of archeology as well as magic. It was news that greatly heightened the university’s popularity.

Well, this transfer also had few demerits for Godou.

In the end, he was unable to stay for long whether in Milan or Bologna.

「I can’t stay for even one continuous week in Bologna and my boarding room, that’s really problematic as a student.」

The fellow residents of the apartment were surely thinking of Godou as a suspicious Asian person.

He frequently left Bologna and wouldn’t return for several days, and sometimes even for several weeks.

Even now he had just returned from Armenia’s Geghard Monastery.

He headed to the center of Bologna City with a fast walking.

「I want to try sharing room with other person like a common overseas student……」

He had this kind of living, so of course it was difficult to do that.

He didn’t know how he would explain his circumstance to his roommate. There was no way he could honestly speak 『A certain hero entrusted me with the fate of devil king extermination, so I kept getting called by various worlds. I also have the work of the devil king more or less』.

Besides, it was only sometimes but there were also those who visited him. Just like today──.

「Yuri! It’s great that you came!」

「Long time no see, Godou-san.」

It was a reunion at Maggiore Plaza.

Bologna’s center was also a plaza which was common for Europe’s ancient city.

If a tourist was sightseeing with this place as the starting point, they would be able to enjoy several famous places naturally. The fountain of Neptune, the historical Bologna University, the art museum and archaeology museum that was a palace in the past.

There were also many shopping mall and shops of brand item filling the place.

Around the plaza there was also many bars──what would be called as café or gelato shop at Japan.

Well, it was a convenient neighborhood.

He came to meet a visitor from Japan using that place as the rendezvous place.

She was one of his comrades who he had associated with since high school, Mariya Yuri──. Yuri who possessed loveliness and moderation that were similar with sakura petals smiled faintly.

The season was spring. It was early April. It was the season of sakura at this moment.

Both him and also her had passed the age of majority in Japan before they realized it.

Yuri ran toward him with small steps. She was wearing white shirt, khaki colored long skirt, combined with coat in thin grey color.

It was really fitting her. She gave off a tidy atmosphere.

Godou stopped walking and spread both his hands widely. He welcomed her with a wide smile──.

「I’ve wanted to meet you all this time. I’m really happy that you come this far here.」

「Eh──? Go, Godou-san, what’s with you so suddenly!?」

Godou hugged his beloved girlfriend as soon as they met.

Shocked by that, Yuri’s eyes turned round. She was being hugged firmly by Godou while raising her voice to scold him due to the too sudden embrace.

The refined Yamato Nadeshiko was perplexed by this outrage that was done in a crowded public place.

「Su, suddenly doing this in front of this many people……it, it’s embarrassing.」

「It’s alright. This isn’t Japan, no one is bothered about it.」

「Geez……. Godou-san recently became unlike Japanese people in what you’re saying and doing. Like how you hugged me like this without any hesitation.」

Yuri murmured with a slightly exasperated tone within Godou’s arms.

Godou laughed 「That might be so」 at what his lover pointed out.

「While wandering various countries and worlds, when I realized it I became like this. Looks like I got infected during my travels due to going to places that have a lot of skinship.」

He continued making excuse while feeling lovingly at the sensation of hugging Yuri who he missed.

「You know, it’s that. Perhaps humans who study abroad or change nationality would get infected by that kind of culture even if they’re Japanese……something like that often happens I think.」

「I know nothing about that kind of story!」

「I see. Well, it doesn’t really matter.」

「Geez. What a hopeless person you are……」

No matter how much she scolded him, Yuri’s voice was sweet and she kept being glued close on Godou.

Rather she was spellbound. She was entrusting her willowy body on him. Although she looked like a young lady who was brought up in an enclosed environment and detached from the real world, she was an owner of magnanimity that enabled her to accept all of Kusanagi Godou including his no good and egoistical side. Mariya Yuri was that kind of woman.

That was why, even when Godou suddenly went overboard by covering her lips with a reunion kiss──

「Nn……that’s too rushed……」

「But, there isn’t a problem even if I rushed it right?」

「Geez……」

Even though they were in front of public, she only muttered complaint while their lips overlapped. Yuri responded with a terribly happy look.

The two Japanese ascertained each other’s affection at the center of ancient city Bologna.

The one who poured cold water at such time was the voice of another woman.

「Godou too has changed completely. Well, the glimpse of that can already for a while now.」

「E, Erica-san!?」

「Yo. So you also came here.」

「I heard that Yuri headed to Bologna, so I hurried here from Milan.」

Yuri separated herself from Godou in panic, so he turned around to that direction.

A blond haired young lady was there without them noticing.

The pure blooded Milan person Erica Blandelli. Today she was dressed in black knitted sweater and chino pants. A scarf of brilliant crimson color was wrapped around her neck. She was clad in her usual <ruby>black and crimson<rt>rossonero</rt></ruby> coordination.

The two of them spread their hands widely without any prompting and hugged each other.

「I wanted to meet you, my beloved Godou.」

「Me too. Well, you are in Italy too so we are meeting frequently though. But that doesn’t mean that I think it’s alright if I don’t meet you.」

「Naturally. I won’t let you say that you got tired of Erica Blandelli.」

They conversed with their faces approaching and kissed each other’s cheek.

As expected it was different from their high school time, Godou had gotten used to interacting with this passionate woman and became able to have this kind of exchange really naturally.

And then, Erica directed a lady’s smile to Yuri.

It was truly the face of a mistress, queen, female ruler welcoming a guest.

「Now, first let take a rest somewhere. After that let me hear of all the accumulating topics. I’m also curious of what is going on in Japan!」

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They ordered espresso and panini’s at a nearby bar and had a coffee break. After that.

Godou, Erica, and Yuri. The three of them started strolling around town together.

They were currently at Maggiore Plaza. First they walked toward the nearby sightseeing spot, San Petronio Cathedral. After that they also intended to see the leaning tower of Bologna (there was other leaning tower than Pisa Tower).

This place was Europe’s ancient city that left behind a thick smile of the Middle Age. Even just by strolling aimlessly, tourists should be able to enjoy themselves a lot. However.

「That’s right. I’ve a report to make.」

Erica suddenly started talking.

「There is this corridor in Milan that Godou sometimes use right?」

「Yeah. The one that Aisha-san created a long time ago.」

That terrifying and bothersome authority the Fairy Corridor.

The ability that produced all over the world door that connected to other world. The metropolis Milan also had a product of that. It was under the management of the magic society Copper Black Cross.

That Milan’s passage was actually connected to a certain place in the astral world.

Using that, Godou sometimes would entrust 『news for the surface world』 to his acquaintance over there──like the princess of glass eyes or the black clothed Buddhist priest. He would lower his head to them requesting to please send the news to the people on earth because he was busy and didn’t have time to go back…….

Like that the letter from Godou who was wandering the parallel worlds would reach Milan.

「That corridor suddenly vanished.」

「What!?」

「……Godou-san. I believe the talk that I and Ena-san heard from Black Prince Alec is deeply related with that case.」

「Now that you mentioned it, you purposefully came here to report that huh.」

「In other words Yuri is having foresight of extremely serious situation then.」

She wanted to directly talk with him regarding a super important matter.

Yuri visited until Bologna with that kind of notice.

As the greatest authority of princess shrine maiden in Japan, Mariya Yuri possessed an unrivaled spiritual sight. Just what kind of bad omen she was sensing?

Godou stopped walking and carefully listened along with Erica.

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