Chapter 2 - Journey"s BeginningPart 1Thus, Susanoo"s spirit summoning ritual finally came to an end. Time topart ways — was what G.o.dou originally thought."Well then, since we still have the garden party, let"s go and get ready.Yuri, Ena, come over to my family"s secondary residence."Sayanomiya Kaoru smiled cheerfully as she addressed her two fellowHime-Miko.As soon as they heard her, Yuri expressed fear and wanted to escapewhile Ena bore a gloomy expression."F-Forgive me but I must be excused this year.""Same for Ena. I don"t wanna be in a situation like just now again. Sorestrictive and bothersome.""What are you talking about? Given this rare opportunity where all theHime-Miko are already gathered together, we should further harmonize ourrelations. This is the time for you two to shine in the lead role, you twopremier Hime-Miko."Kaoru smiled malevolently.In response, Ena resisted desperately while G.o.dou watched."But Ena has never partic.i.p.ated before, okay? There"s not much point inshowing up once for this year only, so why can"t I just leave like this?""Like I said, since you"re already here this year..."Deflecting Ena"s objections, Kaoru smiled at Yuri."Ever since it became known that you became G.o.dou-san"s romanticpartner, Yuri, many people wanted to get closer to you. Not only among theHime-Miko but also those related to the Committee. You"ll be able to meetlots of people at the garden party tonight, wouldn"t it be great fun?""N-Nothing of that sort. To be surrounded by so many people would be abit...""Please don"t say that. These are also duties that come inseparably withthe role of the First Lady.""Wait a minute. I cannot ignore the matter of Mariya Yuri as KusanagiG.o.dou"s legal consort — "Observing silently all this time, Liliana suddenly interjected."I believe you are not the type to take the unwilling away by force. Also,pressing others against their will is not your style.""My, you really got me good there."Kaoru smiled wryly in response to Liliana"s chivalric rescue.G.o.dou agreed with Liliana that such behavior did not seem fitting for thegallant and whimsical dandy."In actual fact, all of the Hime-Miko would like to hear Ena and Yuri"sanswers.""Answers about what?""Regarding their husband, as to what kind of person Mr. Kusanagi G.o.douis like. Also, about the rumored flamboyant lifestyle of His Majesty, in greatdetail."G.o.dou was shocked by Liliana and Kaoru"s exchange. Why is there aconversation about me!?"But if this questioning was brought up before the Great Purification Rite, itprobably would have prevented the ritual from starting. After all, asHime-Miko, everyone would show some self-restraint and refrain from suchdisgraceful behavior. But conversely, I was swarmed by an onslaught ofpeople seeking answers...""Regarding whether Mariya Yuri and Seishuuin Ena were going to attendtonight"s garden party or the like?""Liliana-san, you are completely on the mark. If Yuri and Ena are notbrought over to the garden party, my situation could get rather precarious.Also, before returning to their stations, the Hime-Miko might pay visits toNanao Shrine or Yuri"s home to sit down for a chat and some tea with Yuriand Ena. Given the situation, please come over to my home.""S-Speaking of which, before the ritual started..."Yuri expressed shock after listening."People kept asking me if I was going to attend the garden party... Sothose inquiries were about this!""Everyone has a burning desire to find out about what"s going on betweenyou two and G.o.dou-san."While G.o.dou was feeling shocked by the unexpected conversation, the girlwho had remained silent all this time spoke up."Hey Kaoru-san, are those who are not Hime-Miko barred frompartic.i.p.ation in this gathering?"Naturally, the questioner was Erica. Kaoru instantly replied:"No, staff of the History Compilation Committee are allowed to partic.i.p.ate,as well as people related to the Four Families and relatives of theHime-Miko in the area. There shouldn"t be a problem.""Then how about this? All of us will partic.i.p.ate. I think it"s a great idea."After the initial shock of Erica"s suggestion, G.o.dou gave up on struggling.Since Yuri and Ena were facing unnecessary troubles because of him, thiswas the very least he could do to help alleviate their plight —Hence, 6pm came around on that day.Kusanagi G.o.dou and his companions were taken by courtesy car to thegarden party"s venue.The location was Tokyo"s Bunkyo ward, unexpectedly close to theKusanagi home. A western mansion standing in a quiet greenified area, itclearly exuded the same style as the former XX residence.^A guess would place its construction date during the Meiji period in thenineteenth to early twentieth century. It was a building whose style wasretro yet modern at the same time.The property was equipped with a s.p.a.cious garden which could haveserved as a suitable location for the garden party, but due to the winterseason, the air outdoors would be too chilly.Consequently, the main venue today was presumably the banquet hall onthe first floor that offered a view of the garden from its windows."Well... In order to make Mariya and Seishuuin less conspicuous, perhapsit"s best that I show up?"Having made his decision already, G.o.dou muttered softly to himself.In a situation like this, especially when arriving in the company of a personwith a ridiculous enough t.i.tle of "Devil King," as much as it was unintended, one would inevitably become the center of public attention, of course.Several hours earlier, Erica had raised a good point."Ultimately, it is because Kusanagi G.o.dou is such a man of mystery thatpeople have no choice but to believe rumors. Attention would be focusedon Yuri and Ena who are relatively more approachable. Hence, G.o.doumust make a stately appearance, thereby causing people to behavethemselves in fear of the Devil King"s mighty name. During the gardenparty, please stand next to Yuri and Ena."As a result, G.o.dou arrived at the venue together with his companions.G.o.dou was dressed in a suit borrowed from Kaoru"s wardrobe. The feelingof the unfamiliar necktie made G.o.dou rather uncomfortable. Having madea trip back home, Erica was now attired in a beautiful crimson formal dresswith a black shawl wrap.Wearing a blue dress with a black corsage, Liliana appeared withmagnificence in no way inferior to her rival and longtime friend. On theother hand, the j.a.panese Hime-Miko were all dressed in kimonos.Yuri"s kimono had a cherry blossom pattern against a light violetbackground.This soothing design and color did not feel garish and was ratherwell-suited to Yuri. As for Ena, hers was a checkered pattern on a whiteOshima Tsumugi weave. For the Hime-Miko of the Sword who did notindulge particularly in fashion, there was surprisingly no sense ofdissonance in her choice of kimono.Without giving an impression of trying too hard to be stylish, she wassimply wearing it naturally."What should I do...?""You don"t need to do anything. Just lead us inside to make your grandappearance. People will naturally realize who you are."Already accustomed to such situations, Erica offered her advice.Really? Unable to relax, G.o.dou entered the great hall. The c.o.c.ktail partyhad already begun, with about a hundred attendees present.Naturally, the young women stood out the most.There were several dozen Hime-Miko dressed in miko style dresses andkimonos. They were cl.u.s.tered in small groups, chatting away excitedly, butthe entire atmosphere changed as soon as G.o.dou made his appearance.Everyone turned their gaze intently towards him and began to whisperdiscreetly to their companions beside them.There were also many men present. Young men, middle-aged men andelderly men from various age brackets.Watching G.o.dou and his companions, these men also began to converseamong themselves discreetly.But immediately they stopped as if apprehensive for some reason."With you leading the two premier Hime-Miko together with Lily and I tomake an entry, even if the people here did not recognize your face, theywould immediately recall your name."Erica"s words prompted G.o.dou"s realization.It was already widely known that G.o.dou"s companions and subordinatesincluded the blonde and silver-haired Caucasian beauties as well as thetwo famous Hime-Miko.Exactly as Erica pointed out earlier, these four girls were quiterecognizable as a calling card.Unable to calm his agitation, G.o.dou surveyed the venue.Not too far away was a table with lots of food laid out as part of abuffet-style offering. There was a bar where alcoholic and soft drinks wereserved."Something to drink?"Just when Liliana made her suggestion, Erica suddenly spoke up."Lily, let"s go over there. Come together with me.""What?""Although there is no longer any need to publicize the name of KusanagiG.o.dou, it is a different matter for us. Now is a perfect opportunity to let it bewidely known that the G.o.d-slayer is accompanied by the knights fromMilan.""I dislike this sort of method."Liliana frowned as she replied to the childhood friend in the crimson dress."It is enough for the name of Liliana Kranjcar to spread naturally throughthe pa.s.sage of time. Promoting oneself is counter to a knight"s modesty,and as a person...""It matters not for this once. It"s also G.o.dou"s first time to attend this sort ofoccasion."Despite Liliana"s refusal, Erica still continued."Having more acquaintances and contacts apart from Kaoru-san andAmakasu-san would facilitate getting things done. Besides, if we attractmore attention, Yuri and Ena-san will feel more at ease, and so will G.o.dou,obviously."■ ■■ I S 6 6 .The female knight in the blue formal dress acted as usual and nonchalantlysurveyed the surroundings.Without a doubt, their group was attracting the most attention. Amongthem, the most striking one was naturally Kusanagi G.o.dou himself.As advised earlier, G.o.dou tried to maintain a "calm" state of mind.But it was also true that he found it impossible to calm down. Even doingsomething so trivial as getting food to alleviate his hunger brought forthnumerous stares.Eating under everyone"s watchful gaze really did lead to indigestion —"This is also part of a knight"s duties, I suppose... Well then, KusanagiG.o.dou, I shall go with Erica.""Are you really okay with it?"G.o.dou asked. Liliana smiled with a chuckle."Yes. Although it is not particularly to my liking, I have experienced thesesorts of occasions several times before. On further thought, if I leave Ericaalone to publicize her name only, it would be a taint to Liliana Kranjcar"sreputation."Hence the red and blue knights parted with G.o.dou.They moved about in gorgeous formal dresses rather than their usualcombat capes.This fact alone made them quite striking in appearance. Red and blue. Theblonde and the silver-haired Caucasian beauties. Individually, they alreadyattracted a great deal of attention. It went without saying that the effect wasmagnified when they stood together in stark contrast against each other.Leaving strong impressions on others was only inevitable.As the two girls walked about, the gazes of the crowd were drawn alongwith them.Perhaps this was exactly why Erica chose to take Liliana along with her —G.o.dou suddenly noticed Yuri and Ena"s absence from his side. Taking afurther look, he found them by the buffet table, filling their plates withplentiful food.However, a few nearby Hime-Miko seemed to be engaging Yuri and Ena inconversation. After greeting their fellow Hime-Miko, Yuri and Ena returnedwith their plates full of food. G.o.dou inquired:"What were they talking about just now?""Hoho, regarding whether the gentleman over there was a certainsomeone from somewhere."Yuri smiled mischievously in a rare moment while Ena grinned like anaughty child. They were suddenly inspired with a mood of playfulness.The name of Kusanagi G.o.dou had clearly been mentioned."Since we took quite a lot of food, let us share and eat together."Yuri put down her plate on a neighboring round table.She had taken one plate while Ena had carried two, one in each hand. Miniroast beef sandwiches, carpaccio, seaweed rolls, dainty little snacks, etc. Itseemed to be an unrestricted c.o.c.ktail party combining Chinese, j.a.paneseand western cuisine.The two girls, who originally agonized over the prospects of attending thisevent, currently seemed quite relaxed instead.This fact alone probably made it worthwhile for him to come. Just asG.o.dou secretly felt gratified, a familiar face approached. It was Hikari."Onii-sama, although it"s only been a couple hours, I feel like it"s been quitea while since we last met!"Hikari greeted with a joking tone of voice.She was dressed in an adorable light pink dress. A few hours earlier, afterthe Great Purification Rite ended, Hikari had left the ceremonial sitetogether with the other Hime-Miko in preparation for the garden party."I"m so glad that all my Onee-samas are attending. From the way it lookedearlier, I was worried you two would skip out.""Well, that was what we thought originally...""Somehow or other, we were taken here."Yuri made a faint, wry smile while Ena responded to Hikari as if grumbling. "But Ena-neesama, it"s really great you came together with Onii-sama.""Really?""Yes. Actually, after the Great Purification Rite, everyone was asking me,"Could the gentleman we saw at the ceremony who just left really be...!?" Itwas quite troubling. Everyone was so concerned with Onii-sama"s trueident.i.ty..."G.o.dou felt intimidated. Come to think of it, Erica and Liliana wereaccompanying him back then at the time.For those informed about the G.o.d-slayer, Kusanagi G.o.dou, but did notknow his appearance, guessing his true ident.i.ty based on the situation wasnot particularly extraordinary."Everyone asked Onee-chan and Ena-neesama all sorts of things withgreat excitement. All the people were quite shocked that Onii-sama camepersonally to the venue."Hikari smiled as she explained.Part 2Then an hour pa.s.sed —G.o.dou was truly experiencing firsthand the c.o.c.ktail party effect.^Finally getting used to everyone all dressed up at the garden party, G.o.douretreated to the edge of the venue. All sorts of conversations about himdrifted into his ears.The attendees were in excitement over the Devil King"s suddenappearance — especially among the young Hime-Miko girls.After calming down somewhat, they started to converse, perhaps a bit tooloudly."So I knew it, that person is..." "Kusanagi G.o.dou-sama..." "An outstandingDevil King despite such a young age!" "Oh my." "Neither the RomanColosseum nor the Yokohama Bay Bridge could stand before his splendidmight." "Wow, amazing!" "I knew it, those who become Campiones are allextraordinary." "But, the infamy of his l.u.s.t is known all over the world...""Those two Italian ladies are said to be Kusanagi-sama"s lovers." "Maybeeven I too could... It"s troubling, but if the great Devil King wishes... Hoo.""Fufu, someone like you will definitely be ignored." "Yuri-san and Ena-sanhave been serving the king all this time, right?" "Reportedly, they evenaccompanied him into battles against G.o.ds." "How amazing.""Kusanagi-sama looks so kind and gentle on the surface..." "Despite aDevil King"s true nature that leads everything towards destruction, seethingand boiling in his heart like magma, he manages to conceal it skillfully!""Wow, so amazing!"This was the unusual scene of upper cla.s.s society known as the gardenparty.G.o.dou had previously heard that the Hime-Miko were quintessentialhighborn ladies.(After all, as a former house of n.o.bility, the Mariya household was anatypical world, far removed from the "mundane.")Consequently, G.o.dou was very concerned about the whisperings and ladytalk between the Hime-Miko. But oh well, most of the content was like that.None of the Hime-Miko voiced it directly, most probably in fear of theG.o.d-slayer"s mighty name, but they were greatly excited to find G.o.doumatching their expectations from rumors."This is making me unexpectedly uncomfortable...""1-1 am truly sorry..."By G.o.dou"s side, Yuri apologized. Ena had taken off ten minutes earlier,saying "I see some people I know!" Thus turning the pair into wallflowers."But why does everyone seem so informed about my affairs?""That is the obvious result of your position. Furthermore, it stems naturallyfrom your everyday behavior."Yuri answered G.o.dou"s question with a mournful tone of voice."It pains me to say this... But I believe the greatest reason why rumorsspread far and wide is rooted in yourself, G.o.dou-san.""R-Really?"Feeling the slight sigh in the Hime-Miko"s words, G.o.dou became fl.u.s.tered."As the saying goes, a rumor lasts seventy-five days, but G.o.dou-sanalways creates new headlines within thirty days, causing all sorts ofproblems..."Before one rumor could die down, seeds for another were already sown.In response to the criticism, G.o.dou went "Ooh..." while feeling mentallyexhausted. Recently, it was true that peaceful days never stretched longerthan a month. G.o.dou became slightly self-aware."Moreover, despite the way you are, G.o.dou-san, as the ones by your side,we not only failed to stop you but even went as far as to a.s.sist you with fullsupport..."Yuri sighed gloomily at her inappropriate conduct.With her serious personality, Yuri was perhaps rather troubled by thecurrent state of affairs, burdened by Kusanagi G.o.dou"s "persistent"perpetration of various atrocities. G.o.dou frantically responded:"I don"t think it"s your fault, Mariya. Since all rumors start because of me,therefore all responsibility rests on me too.""No, as someone who accompanies you along your chosen path, I cannotaccept such excuses for myself."Yuri shook her head with a stern expression."We are bound together by one shared fate. Hence, were any incidents orproblems to arise from G.o.dou-san"s excesses, I feel I must shoulder aportion of your culpability.""...I"m sorry."Bound together by one shared fate. Perhaps indeed that was the case.Since G.o.dou had recently experienced what things would be like withoutcomrades to a.s.sist him, he could not help but apologize pensively.As she watched G.o.dou apologizing, Yuri"s facial expression and tone ofvoice softened."Like I said, please do not say it is not my fault, okay? If you do not rely onme, it would imply that I do not belong by your side, G.o.dou-san. And Iwould hate that."Yuri looked straight into G.o.dou"s eyes and declared quietly:"Even if it means bringing trouble to all sorts of people, I wish to becomeG.o.dou-san"s source of a.s.sistance. In fact, I do understand this kind of wishis quite improper...""Mariya..."Unlike Erica and Ena, Yuri was an extremely serious young lady with astrong sense of responsibility.Seeing her pledge her support in spite of all that, G.o.dou was touched andovercome with grat.i.tude. Gazing pa.s.sionately at her, G.o.dou proceeded tosmile for some reason.Feeling the concreteness of the bonds between Yuri and himself, G.o.douwas filled with sincere happiness from the depths of his heart.On further examination, the Hime-Miko was also smiling in return,presumably experiencing the same feeling. Just as G.o.dou and Yurinodded at each other, inexplicably certain of each other"s thoughts andfeelings —(Wow, look over there, Yuri-san and Kusanagi-sama are gazingpa.s.sionately into each other"s eyes!)(Fufu, they"ve completely entered a world of their own!)(As expected of the world famous Devil King of l.u.s.t, completely unfazed byour gaze, pa.s.sionately whispering sweet nothings regardless!)The private gossiping between the nearby Hime-Miko entered G.o.dou"sears.Speaking of which, they were still present at the garden party, but G.o.douand Yuri had unwittingly forgotten.Suddenly embarra.s.sed, the two of them shifted their gaze away from eachother"s eyes."...E-Everyone was watching us all along.""...Y-Yeah, that"s right. But I don"t like having girls staring at me andgossiping.""...U-Umm, I think this is another result of your usual behavior. A-Althoughus getting caught up in the moment here on site is also problematic,G.o.dou-san, the real reason stems from your extraordinary displays infemale relationships after all.""...W-Where have all the others gone!?"In an attempt to prevent the conversation from drifting towards adangerous direction, G.o.dou asked frantically.Erica and Liliana had not yet returned. Taking a further look, he found theknights together with Kaoru who was dressed in her usual suit. They wereapparently introducing themselves to those related to the Committee andthe Four Families, to publicize their names and appearances.Erica chatted amiably while Liliana stood sternly beside her. Even from adistance, the scene was quite striking.On the other hand, Seishuuin Ena was —"Oh look, Ena-san is over there talking to people."Turning his gaze towards the direction Yuri indicated, G.o.dou was surprisedto find Ena conversing with an all-male group.Their ages ranged from young to old with all sorts. The majority sportedshort haircuts. Given the positive att.i.tudes displayed, G.o.dou felt that theycarried themselves with an air of martial artists.All members of the group seemed familiar with Ena and they conversedwith bright smiles.Discovering G.o.dou"s gaze, Ena smiled back at him and going "Well then,time"s up I guess!" to take her leave from the all-male group.Finally, Ena bowed her head reverently towards the oldest man in thegroup.This elderly man resembled Bodhidharma in both appearance and in hisslightly chubby build. ^ There was an incredibly dignified air about him.While the rest of the group were dressed in suits, he was the only onewearing a kimono.When their gazes met, G.o.dou nodded as a greeting. This prompted the oldman to greet in return, bowing his head deeply at a right angle.Rather than being influenced by the notorious infamy of the G.o.d-slayer andDevil King, it seemed more like it was his own nature to attach greatimportance to etiquette and respect. Indeed, a man pursuing the martialpath?"I"m back. I saw some acquaintances so I went over to greet them.""That"s what I figured. Who are those people?"G.o.dou inquired as Ena returned, who smiled and answered:"Instructors of swordsmanship. They taught Ena and Amakasu-san allsorts of things. Normally, they are active over at the History CompilationCommittee or the police. Sometimes they serve as acting masters at dojos.All kinds of different situations.""Oh just as I guessed. So these people came as well...""The instructor who resembles Bodhidharma is especially amazing. Limitedto swordsmanship alone, he is probably around the same level as HerEminence in China.""On Nee-san"s level!? That"s really amazing."If the Miko of the Sword judged so, it was probably true.Seeing G.o.dou greatly impressed, Ena went "Anyway, that aside..." andremarked:"From what the instructors said, there"s a place to rest upstairs where fewpeople go... Don"t you feel it"s about time we leave?"Ena made her suggestion with a mischievous look.G.o.dou exchanged glances with Yuri beside him and nodded quietly.Ten-odd minutes later.G.o.dou, Yuri and Ena were taking a break on the third floor.Not only were there sofas here but also long tables. Having suitably refilledtheir plates with food on their way out, they would be able to rest here forquite a while.Finally, there was some peace and quiet to enjoy their food. Taking uptheir chopsticks and forks, G.o.dou and Ena began to eat without needing tobe concerned about manners.Yuri"s appet.i.te was nowhere near as vigorous as those two, but still sheate from time to time."I knew it... Eating as usual feels the best..."G.o.dou exclaimed emphatically. Smiles blossomed on Yuri and Ena"sfaces."Oh right, by the way, Your Majesty, about that matter."G.o.dou was puzzled by Ena"s unexpected words. That matter? He had noidea at all.Ena pouted with displeasure in response."I knew it... You forgot after all because too many things happened? Thinkback. About what you said regarding when Ena returns from recuperatingat the ancestral home — and I requested so explicitly too."T G.o.dou recalled with alarm, feeling as if his body had been struck bylightning.Just before the battle against Lancelot, he had made a promise in order tocompel Ena to stay at the hospital. Unable to refuse her at the time, G.o.douhad bid Ena farewell after responding vaguely.After going through the commotions of Alec and the war G.o.d of the lance,the issue was brought up again —"S-Seishuuin, umm, how should I say this?""Ena mentioned before, I"ll wait for as long as it will take. That"s why I triedas much as possible not to say anything, waiting for Your Majesty to bringup the subject first."The Miko of the Sword was speaking with an expression like an angrychild. Listening on the side, Yuri was tilting her head in puzzlement."What kind of promise did G.o.dou-san make with Ena-san?""Oh Yuri, you should really listen to this. His Majesty is so terrible, well..."Saying that, Ena began to whisper in her childhood friend"s ear."K-K-Kiss!? G.o.dou-san, why did you make that kind of promise!?""B-Before I could come up with a good way to refuse, it was time to departfor London... Then I forgot about it.""This is a huge issue. There are no excuses for excessivethoughtlessness!"Oh well. This was yet another common scene.For the most part, the trio pa.s.sed their time happily and leisurely —"Ah, so you guys are here. Looks like you managed to find sanctuary."The new arrival was Amakasu.He was dressed as usual in his creased suit, a sight rather unsuited to thegrandness of the occasion."Ah yes, we are taking a break here because there are apparently no otherpeople. Hoho, it does feel a little strange."Having calmed down from her ferocious indignation earlier, Yuri smiled.Amakasu grinned wryly."That"s because the great Devil King has taken two beautiful ladies to thisplace for some fun, right, so all the people will not dare approach. Becausethey know Kusanagi-sama and his girls are here.""Eh? Is that the reason why!?"Yuri displayed shock while G.o.dou and Ena were also surprised. As thethree stared with their eyes wide, the wryness in Amakasu"s expressiondeepened."Indeed. But oh well, even if you three are not present, Erica-san andLiliana-san downstairs have taken the spotlight tonight. Isn"t that great?"Saying that, Amakasu sat down on an empty sofa as well.He was holding a tablet PC in his hand, a rather inappropriate device at abanquet. Noticing G.o.dou"s gaze, Yuri and Ena followed suit. Amakasubegan to operate the tablet"s touchscreen."Just as you noticed here, I"ll cut straight to the chase. — Yuri-san, asusual, we need to borrow your spirit vision powers again, so please lend usyour a.s.sistance.""Of course, no problem at all... But it is possible I might not see anything."Despite Yuri"s commendably fantastic spirit vision powers, she alwaysmaintained a conservative a.s.sessment of her abilities.But precisely because she always remained humble and modest, the spiritpower of clairvoyance could be maintained at the highest level.Conversely, one could probably take her current disclaimer as evidence ofher powers."Yeah, that would be enough already. After that, I"d like to inviteKusanagi-san...""Me too?" G.o.dou widened his eyes. Amakasu laughed."Don"t you want to try out Cape Inubou"s famous New Year"s specialty, theanglerfish hot pot?^ Of course, not just Yuri-san, everyone else is invitedtogether."Saying that, Amakasu showed the tablet"s screen to G.o.dou and the rest.A news program on One-Seg^ television was starting. Entering into viewwas — The Tokyo Tower. Several months earlier, this red and white towerof steel had caught fire as a result of G.o.dou"s battle against MarquisVoban.This matter was about to lead G.o.dou and his group towards the ocean, tobegin a new journey.A tumultuous curtain raising was taking place just as the new year wasrolling in around the corner.Part 3The following morning after the garden party, G.o.dou started preparing togo on a journey.Shizuka had already left the day before to spend New Year"s at theirfather"s place in the Caribbean, leaving G.o.dou completely alone thismorning. Carrying his luggage — a sports bag — on his back, G.o.dou set offfrom home at nine o" clock sharp.Today"s place for meeting up was Nanao Shrine at Toranomon Station.But G.o.dou did not head there directly. Taking the subway, G.o.dou firstwent to the Tokyo Tower at Shiba Park, the place where he had battled afellow peer and Campione back in June.The Tokyo landmark, which had been enveloped in flames by that battle,was repainted red and white over the various scorched and blackenedportions to match its original appearance. There was a certain atmospherehanging around like that of a building destroyed by war.For G.o.dou, this was a fateful location he was obliged to visit in contrition.Today, there were quite a lot of people around the Tokyo Tower as thoughthere was some kind of temple fair. Extremely crowded and lively. Many ofthese people probably came specifically for the view just like G.o.dou.All the people were looking up. Originally 333m tall, the Tokyo Tower"scurrent height was clearly shorter than that.The antenna and the top of the tower originally found above the specialobservation deck at 250m had been destroyed, resulting in the currentabysmal state. All the people gathered here, including G.o.dou, were staringat this tragic sight."Despite that ridiculous ordeal the old gramps and I put the Tokyo Towerthrough, it still managed to keep its original shape huh..."Of the surrounding people, some were rendered speechless while otherstook out their digital cameras. Fear, anger, all sorts of reactions could beobserved among the crowd.Out of all of them, G.o.dou was the only one sighing as he left the TokyoTower. This time, he actually made his way to Nanao Shrine. As a sidenote, the antenna and the pinnacle portion of the tower were destroyedyesterday at noon during the Great Purification Rite."Without any warning, vanished without trace like magic. Please take a lookbecause headlines like "Sudden Collapse Incident!?" are being reportedthrough ma.s.s media."Last night, Amakasu had explained while showing the evening newsthrough the tablet PC."Although a terrorist demolition was suspected at first, no sounds ofcollapse or explosion could be confirmed. Neither were any fragmentsfound near the Tokyo Tower. It"s almost like it was "disintegrated"completely.""Through the investigations conducted by us at the Committee, the actualcause was determined to be a particular incident.""A sniping attack."During the instant of occurrence, cameras were fortunately able to capturesomething. Something had flown from the east and embedded itself intothe topmost part of the Tokyo Tower, then during the instant when theantenna and the top of the tower disappeared —G.o.dou recalled Amakasu"s words as he stepped into Nanao Shrine.Everyone else had arrived already — Yuri and Ena dressed in miko outfits,as well as Erica and Liliana. Amakasu was absent because he was alreadydispatched to the scene the night before."We have been waiting, G.o.dou-san. Please come this way."As the Hime-Miko protecting this shrine, Yuri did not need to perform thatrole on this rare occasion.The whole group made their way into the depths of the shrine to find amysterious "arrow" laid on a blue tarpaulin. A two-meter long arrow madeof steel — a steel arrow."This thing... There really is some sort of divine quality residing in it."Liliana murmured as she looked at the long and ma.s.sive steel arrow.Possessing both the power of spirit vision and the knowledge of witches,her appraisal ability far surpa.s.sed typical magi in situations like the currentone."This is the arrow that struck the Tokyo Tower?""Yes. Investigators discovered it when they tracked down the immensemagical power lingering behind. Although I have no idea how much I cansee, I shall make an attempt to "have a look.""Yuri answered G.o.dou"s question solemnly.Meanwhile, Erica and Ena commented as they looked at the steel arrow."It carries a divine quality just as expected. This is yet another fairlytroublesome incident.""Well, it is definitely impossible for a human to snipe from the locationAmakasu said, no matter what kind of spell was used. So this time, abow-wielding deity appeared?"Ena"s unintentional comment gave G.o.dou a shock for some reason. Herecalled an old unexpected enemy — the name of Perseus. Because thatman also used a bow and arrows, right? Unaware of G.o.dou"sreminiscences at this time, Yuri lifted up the iron arrow in her pale whitehand.In possession of excellent spirit vision powers, she closed her eyes andbegan to speak in broken sentences."Bow and arrows forged from steel. The brave warrior who carries thisbow. Peerless arm strength... Relentless, unyielding... The one shoulderinga fate of wandering."As expected of Yuri, her spirit vision was successful."Traversing the great sea and hundreds of islands, finally returning to hishomeland... Piercing his enemies with arrows, recovering his beautifulwife... His name... His name is..."Could it really be Perseus? G.o.dou could feel his emotions roused inturmoil.Did that flashy and conspicuous guy come to j.a.pan to seek revenge?However, if it were really him, he would have made a more direct entranceinstead —As G.o.dou pondered while he waited for the oracle, Yuri opened her eyes."This is apparently all there is to it. Spirit vision did not succeed inrevealing the G.o.d"s sacred name hidden in the arrow.""You"ve done very well already. A lot can be imagined based on the manythings you saw through spirit vision."Ena comforted her fellow Hime-Miko who hung her head indisappointment."That"s right... Ena is reminded of "Yuriwaka Daijin," what about you,Yuri?" [6]"I cannot say. Although a lot can indeed be deduced, but if these eyes ofmine really cannot see it through spirit vision then..."Apparently, Yuri insisted on capturing the deity through feeling rather thanknowledge and deductive logic.Impressed with the answer of the miko who possessed excellent spiritvision powers, G.o.dou spoke up:"I"m sorry, but what kind of G.o.d is that whatever "Daijin" guy?""It"s not unusual for ordinary people to have never heard of him. He used tobe quite famous as the protagonist of a legend, which was even made intoa kabuki drama."Yuri immediately supplemented Ena"s answer:"Yuriwaka Daijin"s legend is an amalgamation of all sorts of beliefs from allover j.a.pan. Not only is the eagle serving him worshiped, but even his bowand arrows are venerated in shrines as divine treasures.""Just think of him as a mythical hero. Yeah, similar to Sun Wukong frombefore."And so, the two Hime-Miko briefly recounted the legend of Yuriwaka Daijin."Yuriwaka Daijin was the provincial overseer at Kyushu Tsukushi,renowned for his bravery and mastery of the bow.After partic.i.p.ating in an overseas military expedition, he was betrayed byhis subordinate along the way home and abandoned on a desert island inthe middle of the ocean. Upon returning to Yuriwaka"s territory, hissubordinate took over and did as he pleased unchecked.And even married Yuriwaka"s wife Kasugahime by force.But Yuriwaka escaped from the desert island and endured years of longtravel, finally returning to his homeland. Using his bow to shoot and kill thetraitorous subordinate, he recovered his wife and territory..."It was apparently an epic story of great tumult.Furthermore, it matched the content of Yuri"s spirit vision."There are many legends about the great Yuriwaka at Kyushu. Also atGunma Prefecture, there used to be stories pa.s.sed down about howYuriwaka opened up a huge cave in Mount Myougi by shooting an arrowfrom a great distance. Quite similar to this incident, I"d say."Ena added, prompting G.o.dou, who was completely unaware of theselegends, to express his sincere admiration.However, Erica and Liliana were contemplating the matter with a subtleexpression."Wait a minute, is it really correct to consider Yuri"s spirit vision within thecontext of j.a.panese deities? I"ve got the name of another candidate herowho matches the current oracle.""You too, Erica? As I thought, it does resemble that hero greatly, does itnot?"The European knights exchanged glances and Erica suddenly began torecite:"Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full manyways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy. "™This was probably an excerpt from some story? As G.o.dou wondered,Liliana swiftly followed up."His guile and brilliance recognized by the people on earth, his renowneven reached the heavens. His name is — "G.o.dou, Yuri and Ena, the three j.a.panese, stared with their eyes wide atthe sudden performance of harmony as the knights" voices sounded inperfect unison:" "Odysseus." ""The Greek leader who devised the Trojan Horse to capture the city ofTroy, the king of Ithaca, the indomitable hero. The main protagonist of theOdyssey which stands together with the Iliad as the two major ancient epicpoems of Greek mythology."G.o.dou had heard of the t.i.tle that Liliana revealed. Perhaps the book wasburied somewhere in the library of the Kusanagi home. Then Ericacontinued:"It"s virtually identical. Like the j.a.panese hero who returned home afteryears of wandering to display his valor through the bow... Odysseus did thesame.""Eh?"Having already heard numerous stories about how all sorts of myths andlegends spread throughout the continents, G.o.dou was convinced thiscould not be mere coincidence.Could the current perpetrator be a deity related to both Yuriwaka and theGreek myths —The two Hime-Miko looked at each other in surprise. In any case, since thespirit vision obtained from the iron arrow did not elucidate the name of theperpetrator, there was no choice but to head to the scene of the crime."First of all, let us converge with Amakasu-san..."Last night, the History Compilation Committee member had revealed thename of the location, Cape Inubou at Choushi City in the Chiba Prefecture.On the tip of the Bousou Peninsula, it was the easternmost part of theKantou region. From this location, an arrow was shot magnificently to snipethe top of the Tokyo Tower... That was what Amakasu reported.Using wizardry to investigate, the Committee had narrowed down theposition from where the sniping attack was launched. Cape Inubou was ahundred kilometers away from the Tokyo Tower. What kind of divine skillcould possibly accomplish such a feat — ?So many troublesome facts, thought G.o.dou with a frown.Part 4The usual chauffeur, Amakasu, had already left for the destination first.Although they could have asked for another driver, Ena had suggested"Wouldn"t it be nice to try out convenience store lunchboxes at the trainstation once in a while?" Furthermore, Erica and Liliana both felt ratherinterested in her explanation that this type of food on the go was part of the"j.a.panese traveling experience."Finally, there was Yuri:"To think this type of lunchbox existed, I have never heard of it before."She accepted the idea with an expression of resolve as she spoke. Thus,the means of transport was decided.Departing Nanao Shrine to reach the Tokyo train station, the group thenboarded the express train to Choushi City.As expected of the homecoming season around New Year"s, the trainsleaving the Tokyo station were completely packed.Fortunately, they already had a train compartment reserved in advance."So, how should we sit?""What you mean is where G.o.dou should sit and who will take the seatsbeside him... Right?""Ena and Erica-san, regardless which of you brought up this topic, do notethat you are causing trouble for others.""But since seats need to be taken anyway, why don"t Ena and Yuri just sitnext to His Majesty?""Oh my, Ena-san. To say the least, I have no intention of relinquishing theposition on G.o.dou"s right hand side.""Kusanagi G.o.dou, pardon my intrusion, but would you allow me to arrangethe seating?"Sighing, the silver-haired housekeeper directed the seating arrangements.First of all, Erica, G.o.dou and Ena were seated together while Liliana andYuri sat opposite to them.Then the journey began. Lunch consisted of the lunchboxes they hadbought earlier at Tokyo Station along the way.As a side note, the one who suggested the whole idea, Ena, had bought atangerine gelatin dessert, quite a rare product in recent times. She wasnow enjoying it with a satisfied smile. Confronted with station lunchboxesfor the first time, Yuri had compared them with great seriousness andconsideration finally deciding on kamameshi rice with a.s.sortedingredients^ ^ She was now eating it blissfully.G.o.dou had made a suitable choice among the Makunouchi stylelunchboxes at the station, with Liliana following suit and picking thesame.^"As the one in charge of the king"s personal affairs, personally verifyingwhat enters the lord"s mouth is also part of the job... Also, I think sharing"the same taste" would be nice."That was Liliana"s explanation.All serious and business-like to begin with, but subtly shifting in tonehalfway through...Finally, never one to miss out as a food adventurer, Erica was savoring herunusual lunchbox selection of the "Okinawa Product: Seagrape and BitterMelon Sandwich" with a subtle expression.After two hours or so, the journey concluded. The five had arrived at theterminus station of Choushi.This train station was still a short distance from Cape Inubou. A local staffmember of the Committee was arranged beforehand to pick them up bycar.G.o.dou and his group made their way from Choushi Station towards therendezvous point.Here at this fisherman"s harbor and fishing village, distribution was about tostop due to the upcoming New Year"s holiday. Hence, those employed inthe fishing industry were supposed to be in a leisurely state.But as expected of the winter break and tourist season, the streets wererather lively.With many tourists all over, the local specialty stores, fishmongers andplaces selling and serving seafood were quite busy. The lively atmospherewas wonderful with all the nodding and greeting going on." — !?"Liliana suddenly jumped with surprise as she pa.s.sed by a fishmonger"sstore. Various winter catches were displayed at the storefront, such aschunk-sliced marlin, winter mackerel, winter yellowtail, red bream, etc."Eh, I didn"t know that Liliana-san had an aversion to fish?""Of course not, I eat the vast majority of seafood."Ena"s suspicious question brought forth Liliana"s swift answer.As a country in Southern Europe, Italy was blessed with theMediterranean"s abundant fishing yield which formed a mainstay of Italiancuisine. Being used to seafood was only natural.But Liliana was timidly looking at the storefront as though she weresearching for something. On display was a ma.s.sive deepwater fish, ananglerfish roughly one meter in length. An old man who seemed to be theshopkeeper was standing beside it, yelling out to peddle his catch as hesliced up the fish to sell in smaller pieces.It was a dynamic demonstration of the selling style of fishmongers infishing villages."Then what"s wrong?"Liliana was making a troubled expression as if frantically pondering."N-Nothing... But just now, the name the shopkeeper called out wasprobably a certain name. It reminded me of the fish that Amakasumentioned yesterday that he was going to treat us to...""I think it"s called the anglerfish hot pot."After talking to G.o.dou yesterday, Amakasu had extended the sameinvitation to the knights. From beside Liliana, Erica proceeded to smile andspeak:"You are not mistaken. Indeed, Amakasu-san did ask us yesterday to lookforward to that hot pot dish. Hoho, it looks like it will be quite an excitingnew experience, Lily."Erica smiled matter-of-factly like a witch full of malevolence."That slippery undulating gelatinous body... Sloppy, sticky, flaccid, anorganism with jaws like the entrance to a dungeon. That is the dish weshall savor tonight. Let us prepare ourselves, everyone."Erica warned as she gazed at the deepwater fish"s appearance with amysteriously solemn expression.A description that evoked imagery akin to a b.a.s.t.a.r.d child born from evildeities manifesting as cosmic horrors. Turning her back to her childhoodfriend"s gaze, Liliana sternly declared:"W-What are you talking about? Even without prior preparation, this isnowhere near my threshold of fear. No matter what kind of ingredient, youcannot judge how it tastes without trying it once."Thus Liliana quickened her pace and leaped out in front of the group,walking away rapidly. Chasing after her, G.o.dou and the three other girlswhispered among themselves."Liliana seems rather helpless against disgusting looking food.""But due to her serious personality, she will try anything at least once.""Erica-san, since you already know that, please refrain from pranks of thissort.""Oh well, but anyway, this is commonplace whenever people try outseafood they"ve never had before. The person who first discovered kuchikomust be a strange one indeed.""That seems to be the ovary of the sea cuc.u.mber..."After that, they met the Committee member at the crossroads which servedas the rendezvous point. Expecting Amakasu, they were surprised to findinstead a man they had never met before.He reported that his acquaintance, the History Compilation Committeemember serving directly under the Sayanomiya family (Amakasu, in otherwords), had spent a hectic night running around to handle various matters.G.o.dou and the girls pitied Amakasu"s laborous plight as they got on the carto head towards the destination — Kimigahama.This was a beautiful beach located quite close to the lighthouse on theeasternmost point of Cape Inubou. It was also a park enclosed by abeautiful pine forest.The place was currently sealed off by members of the History CompilationCommittee and the local police. G.o.dou and the four girls were led past theyellow tape to enter the restricted area.Watching from Kimigahama, the Pacific Ocean in winter seemed quitedesolate. The waves were quite tall here and swimming was prohibitedeven in summer.Then there was the object in question — a steel crafted bow embedded in acorner of the beach. At five meters long, its dimensions were impossible forhuman use.The steel bow was stabbed into the beach like a sword. This Kimigahamabeach was the place the History Compilation Committee narrowed downas the sniping spot.The steel arrow was shot towards the Tokyo Tower from here. Then theCommittee members dispatched to this location on emergencyinvestigations had discovered this bow."Indeed I can feel a similar divine quality as that arrow..."Liliana murmured with a pondering expression as if she was sensingsomething through spirit vision."It does not have power on the level of a divine artifact. The divine aura isfar too weak to be something a war G.o.d used.""Maybe a bow and arrow wielding divine beast or demiG.o.d descendedhere?"□liana"s longtime friend and rival, Erica, concurred and offered anexplanation. Meanwhile, the other spirit vision user stared at the long andma.s.sive bow, then looked in surprise towards the Pacific Ocean in thedistance."What"s the matter, Yuri?""Ah yes, I saw it just now, the sacred image of a wandering hero — Wieldingsomething that feels similar to this bow. However, the feeling is not thesame."Yuri answered her fellow Hime-Miko"s query in trepidation."Something shining with brilliance — I should put it this way. It is just a littlebit, but I sensed a divine quality with the attribute of light.""Could it be light from the east... A deity who possesses a sun G.o.d"sdivinity?"Erica spoke with a keen gaze. Speaking of which, Yuri was looking outtowards the Pacific Ocean in the east."On further thought, this incident does have many elements connected tothe sun. The Tokyo Tower was sniped at noon with the sun at its peak,whereas this beach is the easternmost location in the Kantou region...""Then there is the matter of Yuriwaka and Odysseus."The blonde knight nodded and agreed with Ena"s observation.A j.a.panese folk story that greatly resembled the tale of the Greek hero.G.o.dou recalled Erica and Liliana"s casual conversation from during thetrain ride."Odysseus, the Achaean military leader who captured the city of Troy.Suffering the wrath of the G.o.d of the oceans, he was stranded on anisolated island. Meanwhile, his subjects back in his territory of Ithaca hadrun amok, taking over his wealth and property, trying to force Odysseus"wife Penelope to remarry after her husband"s presumed death.Thereafter, Odysseus received divine protection and finally managed toleave the island. After a long and wandering journey, he returned home inthe end to slaughter the depraved and violent suitors, recovering his wifeand territory — "Something similar to that. Staring at the five meter bow of steel, Ericamumured:"Come to think of it, there"s Odysseus" bow — the rigid bow that no onecould draw apart from Odysseus with his mighty strength. The otherwarriors tried as best as they could, but none of them could wield it."G.o.dou"s cellphone rang in his pocket at this time. It was a call fromAmakasu.I seem to be getting hungry. Staying at this beach probably won"t yield anyfurther progress, so it"s probably time to decide our next step with him...Thinking that to himself, G.o.dou reached for his phone.G.o.dou suddenly felt a sense of revulsion, as if someone was watchinghim —Surveying the surroundings, G.o.dou found the girls in his company simplylooking around in disbelief while the members of the Committee and thepolice were positioned quite far away. No one was looking in his direction.Was he imagining things?Shaking his head, G.o.dou reached for his phone again.Part 5Amakasu was waiting at their accommodations while G.o.dou and his groupwere being taken there.As soon as they encountered him waiting at the hotel lobby, he began toexplain.This was the seaside of Cape Inubou, the easternmost part of the Kantouregion. Nearby, large scale hot springs and entertainment facilities werefamous for their view of the ocean."Since it"s New Year"s, let"s simply have a stay over. Truth be told, I"mrather attracted by the prospects of the relaxation corner where Thai,Korean, Tunisian and Guam style ma.s.sages can all be enjoyed."That was what Amakasu appended at the end.During the night of the garden party, he was suddenly dispatched here toCape Inubou and had been busy with investigations and directinginformation control ever since. Consequently, the special agent lookedeven less energetic than usual.G.o.dou immediately answered "No problem" in response to Amakasu"ssuggestion.Thus, they decided to check in for now.From a super large bath facility offering a view of the Pacific, one could seethe ocean, dyed red by the setting sun.It was exactly sunset right now and Amakasu sighed with blissfulrelaxation."It seems to be telling us the stage is already set and waiting for you all.""What did you say, Amakasu-san?"G.o.dou was baffled by the mutterings of his fellow hot spring occupant.Naturally, both of them were completely nude right now."I had this feeling that bad things would follow if I didn"t get a good soak inthe hot springs to relax... But putting that aside. "Is Yuriwaka DaijinOdysseus?" Ahah, that"s Tsubouchi Shouyou."After listening to G.o.dou recount the girls" daytime conversation, Amakasumentioned a certain person"s name for some reason."Tsubouchi... The famous writer who lived during the Meiji period?""Yeah, that"s him. He was the first person to point out the similaritiesbetween the Yuriwaka legend and Odysseus" story. He proceeded topropose "Homer"s epic poetry was spread in j.a.pan during its early modernera and modified, thereby giving rise to the Yuriwaka legend" as a theory."Steeped in vast knowledge, Amakasu explained leisurely as he immersedhimself in the water of the hot spring.Forced to take off his gla.s.ses on such an occasion, Amakasu proved tohave unexpectedly clear and slender eyes. Furthermore, readily apparentfrom his state of nudity was Amakasu"s well-trained and muscular body.Virtually devoid of body fat, his physique reminded one of a boxer"s.Looking from this perspective, perhaps he really did have a "master ninja"side to him."The academic community back then apparently bought this idea and therewere many supporters.""...Back then?"G.o.dou listened to Amakasu"s subtle statement."Yeah, the theory was later rejected after being tested. After all, no onecould prove that the Odyssey had reached j.a.pan before the early modernera. Well, someone like missionaries could have spread it by boat viaChina or the Maritime Silk Road but that"s just considered wild fancy."The knowledgeable special agent smiled wryly as he explained."Besides, there exist even more logic-defying routes of transmission.Kusanagi-san, you"d probably agree with us, but if you consider theexample of Yuri-san, obtaining that sort of information is possible, right..."Amakasu made a bitter face, prompting G.o.dou to feel unsettled."Doesn"t that have terrible implications?""Bad or terrible regardless, it would not be unbelievable. Let"s talk about itin detail during dinner.""Okay. Then regarding tonight... Can I rely on your help?"In actual fact, G.o.dou had prearranged to room with Amakasu.This was his condition for a.s.sisting in the incident for G.o.dou had no wishto repeat the same mistake from the London trip. In order to preemptivelyrule out any chance of rooming with the girls for no apparent reason, sothat he could have a peaceful night during his travels.Hence, the girls were divided with Erica and Liliana in one room while Enaroomed with Yuri in another."Ah yes, well, Kusanagi-san."G.o.dou c.o.c.ked his head incredulously in response to Amakasu"s vaguenodding."About this matter, you don"t really have to be so uptight by this point,right? Just hurry up, cross the finish line and you"ll look all the more manlyfor it, you know?""Oh come on, since you"re the only adult here, Amakasu-san, could youplease worry a little about these issues!"The two males took a relaxing break in the s.p.a.cious bath facility.Meanwhile at another location —The resort facility was equipped with an outdoor hot spring that providedan expansive view of the Pacific Ocean, illuminated red by the setting sun.Although the open air and wind were a little chilly, the hot spring"s heatprevented the body from feeling cold."Phew..."Soaked in the hot water, Erica exhaled deeply. The four girls werecurrently gathered here."An outdoor bath by the sea turns out to be rather nice."Erica crossed her beautiful, long and slender legs under the hot water.She was currently relaxing her body and mind, leisurely enjoying a healingmoment.The waves broke noisily against the walls of the cliff, filling the air with thesmell of salty spray. Whether the beautiful sunset or the sea view dyedred — both were scenery one could not normally witness during a bath."It"s quite warm even for winter and there"s a great open feeling to this.""Last time, we all tried out the Nikkou hot springs at Lake Chuuzenji... Butsince it was a lake by the mountains, the atmosphere was completelydifferent!"Ena concurred with Erica"s commentary.Italy and j.a.pan, Southern Europe and the Far East. These two girls werecomrades born in countries separated by vast geographic distances.Nevertheless, they were both equally outstanding in the physical maturityof their figures. Well, perhaps Erica held a slight edge in all respects.However, that was going strictly by the numbers, a question of what themeasurements suggested on first sight.Based on visual impressions, they were essentially "evenly matched."Whether in the bulging voluptuous bosoms, slender waists or the round fullcurves of their hips, Erica Blandelli and Seishuuin Ena had met their matchin each other"s prodigious natural gifts."The Nikkou hot springs... Really was quite disastrous."Immersed in the hot spring, Yuri"s face went red. Rather than caused bythe water temperature, it seemed more likely the result of her recalledmemories."Th-That sort of behavior was really too inappropriate back then.Completely beyond the bounds of decency. Whether Ena-san or Erica-san,please do not engage in such bizarre compet.i.tiveness again..."Yuri"s sense of embarra.s.sment made her realize.Compared to those two girls, her own figure gave off less of an impressionof volume.Be that as it may, it was not an image of paucity. Rather, it was theopposite. Whether in her bust or hip measurements, Yuri"s physicaldevelopment was in full bloom. As a female, her body was flawless in itscurvaceous and supple figure.Despite her voluptuous body, Yuri"s figure gave others a delicateimpression at the same time.From a female perspective, Erica and Ena"s bodies were more seductive inthe sense of volume whereas the undulating curves of Yuri"s slender figureprobably left others with a stronger impression."Well, rather than asking those two to practice self-restraint..."Liliana lamented with great feeling. Her pale white skin, corresponding toher Eastern European heritage, was flushed red by the hot spring"s hightemperature."It would be far more constructive for us to keep our eyes wide open toprevent the same mistakes from recurring, Mariya Yuri."Among the four girls present, Liliana was the slimmest of them all.On the other hand, she possessed a fairy-like charm instead. Rather thanwomanly, it would be better described as a delicate and slender figure of"adolescence." Crystal clear and flawless, her pale white skin was like adoll"s.An unripened taste of dream-like attraction.Nevertheless, she was completely unaware of her own charm. Moreover,this seductive quality of hers was increasing without her conscious intent —In any case, the four girls each had their respective advantages.Enjoying the winter hot springs by the sea, this year they were rejuvenatingtheir exhausted bodies while accompanying the man who always insistedon membership in the common sense faction despite being p.r.o.ne toperpetrating terrible atrocities.Suddenly, Ena spoke up."By the way, Yuri, if possible... Even if it"s just tonight, let"s sleep togetherwith His Majesty, the two of us — wanna try that?""That? What are you referring to?"Yuri c.o.c.ked her head in puzzlement in response to the vagueness of thekey point."Yeah, that. Bring your ear closer and I"ll tell you.""Oh okay— Eh!?"Ena"s discreet whispers caused Yuri"s expression to freeze."A-An affair!?""Yes, that"s right. Something like that. As I mentioned before, His Majestyrefused last time.""Oh you mean that, when Mariya Yuri and I were turned into stone, whatyou forced Kusanagi G.o.dou to do..."Liliana made a suffering expression while Erica frowned."...Ena-san."Erica spoke elegantly in her usual tone of voice but with a subtledifference.Standing in stark contrast against Erica, Liliana was, of course, the firstand foremost opponent as part of the red-blue pair. But recently, it felt as ifthe approaches of the new formidable rival of Seishuuin Ena threatenedErica"s brilliance on occasion.She was another formidable opponent as Erica"s foil with differentcharacteristics from Liliana. Ena was the type of person whose wordsmanaged to occasionally disrupt Erica"s inner composure."But afterwards, I thought over it."On the other hand, Ena did not notice the subtle changes in hercompet.i.tor"s inner thoughts and continued ruefully:"Indeed Ena was refused back then... But I said I"d continue to wait.Waiting for His Majesty."Erica understood the att.i.tudes towards love presented by Ena"s heartfeltwords."If an opportunity comes along for even more heightened emotions, andEna and Yuri were to seize it deftly, perhaps success might oc