Campione! - Volume Ex - Chapter 6.3

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「Are you alright, your majesty?」

「Isn’t your body at its limit already?」

「Well……I’m still barely alright, I think I can hold out somehow. I can force myself if it’s just for a bit more. It’s the critical moment here, so I’ll hold out for a little longer.」

「Acknowledged. Please leave the rest to me.」

「I’m counting on you, Liliana. Of course Ena and Yuri too. I’ll leave Aisha-san to you three.」

Kusanagi Godou withdrew from the battlefield temporarily using the godspeed of Raptor avatar.

He was surrounded by the women who were supporting him. Seishuuin Ena and Mariya Yuri, and also Liliana Kranjcar.

Madam Aisha was still sleeping carefree like usual.

Also, they were several kilometers away from the crater that Lancelot gouged out.

「……However, I’m in a really pained state here.」

Godou smiled wryly.

He was sitting on a tree’s stump in order to rest his body even for a bit. Although he cornered Verethragna somehow, his body was near its limit.

First was the fatigue from using the avatars of Raptor and Camel at the same time.

In addition was the damage he received from the lightning of salvation. Although that self-destruction was necessary in order to take the war god by surprise and activate Camel, as expected it was harsh…….

「But unlike that time with Rama, his weapon wasn’t filled with poison.」

Just that point alone was fortunate.

Numerous weapons that were bestowed from the gods and immortal beings were lurking within the lightning of the hero Rama. There were also some that possessed special effect like poison and the like. This time Godou was mutually assaulted by pain as though his whole body was going to be torn to pieces and a feeling of lethargy. But, well, he felt like he could still endure it somehow.

──Yes. The requirement to use Camel was getting deeply wounded.

In exchange he became resistant toward intense pain while using it, so he could move around quite energetically.

But, if that blessing was gone, the damage would become unendurable and stopped Kusanagi Godou’s movement…….

His head was feeling throbbing pain was the burden from using Raptor and Camel simultaneously even now.

Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi was also unusable for a while. It was dragged into the explosion that Lancelot caused and got damaged quite seriously. If he forcefully used it, it would only get broken into pieces.

His battle potential was less than half of his normal state. Godou spoke his wishful thinking.

「If I manage to K.O. Verethragna, then I won’t need to hang on anymore but──」

Right after that.

(……U, ku──what power……!?)

The astounded feeling of Lancelot was conveyed to him.

The conflict against Verethragna who should be defeated already was still continuing! And then, the one in disadvantage was obviously the war god of the lance──!

Godou whipped his pained body and slowly stood up.

「I’m going now. If the worst happen then everyone, do what you think is the best.」

Godou deliberately didn’t say anything about Erica who was left behind in Valencia because of her pregnancy and about the child who would be born soon.

Because these girls who had accompanied him until this point──would surely not do anything of ill intent.

Yuri spoke as the representative of the side who was seeing him off.

「Yes. I pray that the fortune of war is with you. Come back safely……I won’t say that to you. Because those words aren’t worthy of being words of parting to you.」

Those were valiant words that didn’t suit the graceful Yamato Nadeshiko.

「Yep. Show everything you got, your majesty. As expected, Ena want to see when Kusanagi Godou wins and achieves outrageous things.」

While those were cheerful and openhearted words, they were filled with resolve that was fitting for a daughter of samurai’s like Ena.

And then for the last, Liliana nodded to him.

「It’s my duty to compensate for my lord’s absence. That goes whether you’re alive or dead. That’s why what you should think about right now is only the battle before you.」

「Yeah. I’m really thankful to hear that from you all.」

In the first place, as someone whose child would be born soon, he shouldn’t challenge this kind of battle.

A parent has a responsibility to raise his child. However, even then the girls said that it was alright for him to fight. They gave a push to a good-for-nothing like him. He was really grateful.

──He had to go now. Godou ran off with the godspeed of Raptor.

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At the crater after everything was blown away.

There was only soil and sand in that leveled ground. There was no scenery drearier than this. There was only dust and dirt obstructing one’s sight.

That was why it was really standing out, the two people fighting at the “bottom” of the crater that was shaped like a mortar.

One of them was armed with a long spear and shield, while the other one was armed with the divine sword of salvation.

They were Lancelot who seemed to have lost her horse and Verethragna. The scene was similar with a fight in a mortar shaped stadium with audiences seats set up at the surrounding. Godou unconsciously muttered.

「It’s like an arena……」

And then, the one in disadvantage was lancelot.

Verethragna had been struck hard along with the ground by an overwhelming blow. Lancelot was also armed with a spear that was far superior in reach against a sword. And yet she was in a one-sided defensive battle.

She was unable to even thrust with her spear. She was only raising her shield to block the fierce attacks.

Verethragna swung and swung the divine sword of salvation without rest. He attacked incessantly to cut down the queen of the spear. The platinum sword and the youth’s body were discharging electricity without pause.

「Kuh……. What technique!」

「My apologies but even I can’t stop this momentum anymore. If you fear death, then be gone quickly from my presence, o war god of the west!」

Lightning was created each time Verethragna moved and spoke.

Electricity burst out from his whole body, burning the surrounding space. Front, back, left, right, diagonal, the electricity was flying to random directions.

Lancelot was pushed back and overwhelmed by that trackless lightning attack and the divine sword’s might.

「Rama too became like that before huh……」

So to speak it was lightning attack body. Godou recalled.

It was the form of the hero of salvation focusing on nothing but attack without minding about their appearance anymore. Furthermore, Verethragna continued wielding the divine sword with savage intensity.

Lancelot held up her caltrop shaped shield and desperately blocked the slashes.

*Giin, giin, giin!*

Each time the divine sword that was clad in lightning hit the shield, a dull metallic sound would reverberate.

As to be expected from Lancelot, she was somehow managing to defend against it. However, she could deal with the unceasing lightning attack from the divine sword and the youth’s body──

「Tsk. How fierce you are, war god of the east!」

Even the veteran warrior Lancelot shrunk back from the repeated blows of the lightning.

On the other hand, Verethragna who was in advantage was──wielding the divine sword and unleashing lightning with a vexed expression. He was also muttering as though to spit out his words.

「Good grief! The world really just won’t go as you want it to!」

Was he irritated by Lancelot’s tenacity?

Godou noticed the moment he was feeling dubious. His eyes were stolen by the lightning attack body’s fierceness, so he was unable to detect it right away but──an immense magical power was welling up from Verethragna.

「The dreadfulness of the power coming out from that guy’s body……I see!」

If that magical power was measured with number, than the result would surpass the amount that Campione like Kusanagi Godou or the other heretic gods had by multiple times.

That was right. When there were two or more godslayers, the King of the End would become even stronger──.

In order to accomplish the mission of devil king extermination, fate would back him up. This phenomenon had been witnessed multiple times. Godou immediately gave instruction.

「──That’s the Great Law of the Covenant! Come back Lancelot!」

The figure of the protector knight who was being pressed back vanished like mirage.

The time Lancelot could fight in full power was short. There would be no meaning even if she pointlessly held on. Verethragna who lost the enemy before his eyes turned his gaze toward Godou.

The youth’s body and the sword of salvation were still emitting crackling lighting endlessly.

But, the firing range was around five or six meters. It didn’t reach Godou who was at the distance.

「So you also can do that huh……」

Godou recalled. How the Great Sage Equal of Heaven also copied the Great Law of the Covenant.

It also felt like that doing imitation wasn’t fitting for the hero Verethragna who was always following the noble and righteous path, but it wouldn’t be strange even if he could do it. Godou could accept it in a sense.

Verethragna himself was speaking with cynicism somewhere in his tone.

「This person kindly bestowed it to me. It was really something to be thankful about.」

「Person?」

Godou tilted his head.

Right after that, a stone mask of lion appeared above Verethragna’s head.

「It’s a reasonable measure. At present there are two godslayers existing in this world, Kusanagi Godou and Aisha of Alexandria. In that case, erasing them using the Great Law of the Covenant is only most prudent.」

「Zurvan, so it’s you!」

A stone mask with living snake growing from both its sides was floating in the air──.

Based from what Godou knew, such object could only be Zurvan. And then he remembered.

「Come to think of it, Zurvan doesn’t just govern over time, you are also a creator god, and what’s more you’re a god of destiny too……」

「Indeed. My official duties also include maintaining and managing 《absolute fate》.」

Zurvan talked with a voice that sounded too particular.

His shape was too different from the god of destiny that he encountered five years ago, but this hermaphroditic god was also 『a bearer of fate』!

Godou realized the severity of the situation and grumbled.

「This is absurd. So this time I’m facing both the hero and the god of destiny together. Isn’t this even harsher than the time with Rama?」

Furthermore, Godou right now was fatigued on top of being seriously wounded.

He was using Raptor and Camel simultaneously until now, but the burden from that was giving him a headache that would reach the limit soon. It was hard to endure the pain that felt like it would split open his head.

He finally stopped using Raptor and left only Camel that was strong toward pain while──

「It can’t be helped. Guess……I’ll give up already.」

「What did you say!?」

「You will surrender the fight, and recognize your defeat? To think that a godslaying beast will possess such laudable character. From the experience of I, Zurvan, this strange occurrence is the first time in the universe. It’s worthy of my shock.」

Hearing the mutter of Godou──

Verethragna was astonished. Zurvan too was more or less expressing his 『shock』 even while his tone was still too flat.

In contrast, the person in question Kusanagi Godou was smiling fiercely.

「Don’t misunderstand me……. I’m not throwing away the match. I’m giving up 『winning as the matter of course』. Whether I’ll live or die, win or lose──I’ll decide them with a big gamble that leaves the matter to chance. Even I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ll have you guys go along with me.」

The 『fifth authority』 sleeping at the depth of his body. Godou called it out.

「I’m using it, the power of 《anti-destiny》. What I obtained when defeating the god of destiny of our world──the authority for opposing destiny.」

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