Campione! - Volume Ex - Chapter 6.5

5
「So it’s over……」

Zurvan saw it through from the height of the sky.

The flame blast from Verethragna’s White Stallion finally stopped burning. The war god and godslayer were burned to death together within it.

The giant crater that became a crematory was originally a site where everything was blasted away.

After the terrific combustion was over, there was only heat remaining. Well, the ground’s surface was still tinged with high heat, but that too would soon die down. The White Stallion that caused the great fire had left from the ground a long time ago. Its influence was thinning down each second so──.

When time the heat on the surface had lessened greatly, Zurvan descended down.

It was in order to confirm the corpse that became ashes.

「……It’s here.」

Kusanagi Godou. The godslayer who possessed the authority of anti-destiny.

He was an unexpectedly dangerous enemy. Although he chose to die by fire himself, he was still a threat. Zurvan who was a transcendent over time understood.

「As expected……」

Kusanagi Godou who should have become ashes due to the flame he summoned himself.

However right now that body was lying down on the ground without a single burn mark on it, heavily sleeping. This too was his ability.

The regenerative power that originated from Verethragna’s eighth avatar, Ram──.

「Kusanagi Godou can resurrect and come back even after he falls into the abyss of death. As I thought, it become like this. What incorrigible existence……」

The snake growing from the right side of Zurvan’s mask──.

It was still entwining around the handle of the divine sword of salvation. The snake’s head and torso were wrapped around the divine sword’s handle, holding it like a human’s hand would.

Zurvan swung down the radiant divine sword.

The destination of that blade was the peacefully sleeping Kusanagi Godou but,

The divine sword of salvation was deflected away. By a golden sword that interrupted from the side. Its user drew out a second sword──

「Why, Verethragna?」

Zurvan groaned.

The eyebrow of the lion stone mask was pierced by the golden tip.

The crack from there spread like web, and Zurvan’s body──the stone mask that resembled a lion crumbled into pieces.

The hollow parts that acted as eyes vainly stared at his attacker.

Verethragna who swung the golden sword shrugged his shoulders aloofly.

「You asked me why. That’s a difficult question.」

「Thy have……no motive to, kill me……」

「If I’m forced to say, it’s because you’re in the way. The unresolved matter that was the rematch has ended for now, and I’ve also finished doing my duty to the King of the End Mithra to some degree. Don’t you think I won’t be punished even if I do as I please from here? For that you who seem like someone who would punish me for that──need to be taken care of first.」

「Th……thy are also incorrigible……」

Zurvant left those words behind and completely crumbled.

He became scattered apart and his fragments were blown by the wind. They became ashes and scattered away.

Verethragna didn’t even glance at the end of the defeated. In exchange he glanced at the sleeping Kusanagi Godou and muttered 「Hmph」.

「Really what a foolish man. If my revival doesn’t make it in time, or if I don’t feel like getting in the way of Zurvan, then it would be the end of the line for you and yet……」

And then, his gaze softened slightly and he also announced this.

「In the first place, there isn’t any guarantee that I won’t take your head in your sleep!」

「Err……Verethragna-sama?」

「Come to think of it, the three of you also accompanied Kusanagi Godou. In that case he might be able to stave off the danger. Of course, it would be difficult for ordinary person to oppose god though.」

The three maidens had arrived unnoticed.

The one who timidly called out was Mariya Yuri. Seishuuin Ena and Liliana Kranjcar were also staring at the war god meekly.

「Don’t you ask in what way I resurrected. I am none other than the original user of the Ten Avatars. Verethragna is also in possession of the life of the Ram that will revive in its death.」

「We, we’re aware.」

「More importantly……Verethragna-sama assisted his majesty, is it because you two are friends just as expected?」

Ena asked bluntly replacing Yuri who was shrinking back in hesitation.

Verethragna displayed his usual archaic smile and,

「I wonder. Perhaps that is so, or perhaps it’s the result of derangement after getting deceived by that so called anti-destiny. It’s something that you three has no need to know.」

He wittily dodged the question with a willful tone.

And then he turned his back on Kusanagi Godou and his party, and left with light footsteps. He only stared forward and didn’t glance behind even once.

He intended to depart. Liliana noticed that and called out.

「Please wait! Is there anything that we should convey to Kusanagi Godou……!?」

「None. If the string of mysterious fate guides us, then one day we will surely reunite. If not then that’s it. it can be simply left to our favorable bond and inverse bond. ……Aah, but wait.」

Without stopping to walk or even looking back,

However, Verethragna said this toward the sleeping Kusanagi Godou.

「One day the time of decision will arrive. I said it the other day, 『Be strong to a degree that won’t put shame to your father and mother』. I’ll say the same thing to you, 『Have the strength to ascertain, what will be the best』. Those are my words to you as a temporary friend!」

Thus the death match with the war god of the east had its curtain closed like that.