Chapter 7 - Farewell, WitchPart 1"Fu... How long has it been since my true visage was last exposed to aman"s gaze?"The G.o.ddess Circe spoke sonorously.In full display, her true appearance was gorgeous beyond description.It was not simply a matter of beauty. G.o.dou found his gaze drawninvoluntarily to her every move. Subtle changes in expression, shifts in hergaze. He felt attracted to these tiny details as if she exuded a movie star"sdazzling charisma.Holding universal attraction, she displayed everything enthralling about ayoung beauty"s charm."Furthermore, even my battered body is now exposed — "Attached to Circe"s body were prosthetic arms, legs and a lower torso, allcrafted from bra.s.s.These body parts made metallic screeches as they moved.With a slow yet flowing motion, the G.o.ddess turned as if dancing.But G.o.dou found himself involuntarily staring at the way she moved herbody like a pure and innocent young girl.Transcending simple outward beauty, the sight was mesmerizing. G.o.douwas treated to a sight of the G.o.ddess Circe"s intoxicating qualities as afemme fatale."Your body"s condition... Is it really Gascoigne"s doing?""On the verge of His Highness" departure, we had a little altercation andthis was the result... Fufu, I stand as the immortal G.o.ddess of dawn. Tothink my body could be pushed to this extent, how truly befitting of onebearing the t.i.tle of a G.o.d-slaying warrior."The sun"s divinity also carried immortal qualities. G.o.dou recalled this fact.Despite her condition, she did not express any resentment towards Alecand even praised him with a smile. Such composure and resilience wastruly befitting for a G.o.ddess.Nevertheless, her prostheses moved quite sluggishly as if they were veryheavy.Was it because she became wary of approaching the enemy after Enasliced her? But why? G.o.dou felt a strange sense of certainty.He kept getting the feeling that this G.o.ddess, despite being sluggish inmovement and on the verge of death, was not "weak.""Kusanagi-sama. I have revealed my true visage in order to make you mycaptive. This battered body is on display so that these cold arms mayembrace you."The G.o.ddess" eyes were bright violet in color. G.o.dou felt his spine shudderviolently in response to her beautiful gaze.Rather than fear, he was reacting to the attraction of Circe"s mysteriouscharm."Fufu. Let me repeat myself once again. Please abandon that girl andchoose me instead. Then I shall offer you love that is worthy of this wisedecision!"Courtship coming from a G.o.ddess. Unlike last time, to think it wouldbecome such a troubling situation.G.o.dou felt himself almost instantly captivated by Circe"s irresistiblecharms.Compared to this G.o.ddess of dawn, Yuri in his embrace was ultimately justan ordinary human. No matter how cute and beautiful she was, everythingpaled in comparison to a G.o.ddess...However, G.o.dou frowned, remaining unmoved."So this is the G.o.ddess Circe"s true visage..."Yuri whispered from within G.o.dou"s embrace. Gazing at the G.o.ddess, herface displayed unease.Simply by feeling the warmth of Yuri"s body, G.o.dou felt his fighting spiritrise naturally.Regardless, he felt incensed by the G.o.ddess" conspiracy to separate Yurifrom him. He was also greatly displeased by her intention to defang him inthis manner."The splendor of my true visage can be considered one of my weapons...To think you are capable of suppressing those raging feelings, how trulybefitting of the G.o.d-slaying monarch."Circe spoke cheerfully. She gave off a sense of cla.s.sic elegance as suitedto a transcendent G.o.ddess.Despite the rejection of her courtship, she continued to display suchcomposure. The feeling she gave off was clearly different from before."According to my initial plan, I was going to twist off an arm and a leg ofyours, adding to my treasured collection. Fufu, now in compensation for allthe trouble you have caused me, let me offer you even more tender lovingcare. I shall have all four limbs removed, eyes destroyed and your throatincinerated. Then crawling on the ground like a worm, you shall receive aG.o.ddess" loving affection!"At the same time as her terrible declaration escaped from her adorablelips —G.o.dou felt a gust of wind blowing. Thanks to staying on alert, his senseswas able to give an ominous warning slightly beforehand."G.o.dou-san! This is the magic for stealing Verethragna"s incarnations!"Yuri also gave warning. She was probably paying attention too.G.o.dou raised his magical power immediately and held his breath, trying tocounter the magic by preventing himself from breathing the wind. Then adramatic change occurred immediately.A nude girl, her body white and transparent, appeared out from the wind!"O girl of Harpyia. Please blow into Kusanagi-sama the G.o.ddess"incantation!"Circe commanded the semi-transparent girl floating in midair.In response to these orders, the "girl" twisted its body nimbly in the air. Herlips were approaching G.o.dou"s face and was probably planning to blowmagic into him through a kiss.Just as G.o.dou was about to react while protecting Yuri, a helping hand ofsalvation was offered."O Eight G.o.ds of the Mikannagi. In accordance to the protection ofharmony, manifest tranquility!"These were Yuri"s spell words. White light emanated from the Hime-Miko"sbody.This was a spell for radiating a Hime-Miko"s heart of harmony by raisingpsychic sensing powers to the maximum. G.o.dou had seen this techniqueof [Spirit Pacification] last used at Cape Inubou recently.Bathed in the sacred light, the girl of the wind was dyed white and thenvanished.Rather than defeated, it would be more apt to say she was a.s.similated byYuri"s light."Thanks a lot, Mariya!""N-Not at all. Please do not mind me. Go ahead and fight as you wish."The Hime-Miko replied to G.o.dou"s thanks, but she began to pant heavily.The [Spirit Pacification] apparently drained her stamina drastically.Using it to suppress a wind spirit — a G.o.ddess" minion, took quite asubstantial toll. Judging from the situation, Yuri would probably exhaust herstamina and magical power in one or two more uses.Furthermore, the Hime-Miko"s trump card elicted an unexpected responsefrom the enemy."A maidservant capable of suppressing me, I see... This girl seems to bequite an excellent miko. Fufu, a miko"s true path lies in serving the G.o.dsafter all. Then I shall make use of you a little."The G.o.ddess Circe murmured these strange words.Accompanied by a metallic screech, she raised her left prostheic arm andpointed a finger at Yuri.Then her finger shot out. The index finger of bra.s.s flew straight at theHime-Miko"s throat. Leaving the G.o.ddess" hand, the finger flew like anarrow. Were it to strike on target, results would surely be fatal — !G.o.dou instantly sprang into action.Turning his back towards the finger arrow, he shielded Yuri behind him.As a result, the bra.s.s fingertip pierced him near the shoulder blade. But aCampione"s body possessed excessive vitality with abnormal tenacity,which meant that he could not possibly be so fragile as to die from thislevel of attack — Or at least, that was how things were supposed to be.G.o.dou felt intense pain from his back.This level of pain was comparable to getting stuck by Salvatore Doni"smagic sword."What... is this?"Furthermore, the wound felt exceptionally cold.The inside of his body was frozen. The severe cold felt like frostbite.Only his head felt inexorably hot, as if his brain was suffering from somegiant burden, causing a thermal runaway. Strength drained from his entirebody."G-G.o.dou-san!? Pull yourself together, will you!?"Come to think of it — This greatly resembled the time when Athena hadblown [Death] into him.Recalling the past battle, G.o.dou was shocked. Why would this be similar!?"The curse of the poisonfeather bird"s toxins... Given these delicate arms ofmine, I could not possibly inject this curse directly into the G.o.d-slayingmonarch"s body of the ancient warrior. Thus, I made use of that mikothere."I see. She must have targeted the fact that I would protect Yuri as soon asshe was attacked.G.o.dou understood. As expected of the witch G.o.ddess, utterly ruthless andunscrupulous in her methods. Unlike G.o.dou"s past enemies which includedwar G.o.ds and the divine king, she used completely different tactics. Trulydifficult to handle indeed."T-To think that making enemies out of women would be thistroublesome..."G.o.dou could not help but mutter.This was a comment that would probably bring about intense protests fromall the girls and G.o.ddesses with whom he had ever a.s.sociated. However,based on this particular aspect, the "woman" named Circe was the mostchallenging.d.a.m.n it. G.o.dou cursed in his dizziness and gritted his teeth.Putting forth all his strength to move his icy-cold body, he strove to ignorethe pain but still he could not stop his knees from collapsing. However, Yuricaught him in her arms.She should be quite tired herself. Nevertheless, she gave G.o.dou supportthe instant he was about to fall down.G.o.dou was the one holding Yuri earlier but now it was Yuri"s turn to holdhim in her arms."...I am very sorry. This all because of me. However, please be patient fora little while."Supporting G.o.dou from falling, the Hime-Miko displayed a stern expression full of resolve."Very soon, I shall enable you — G.o.dou-san — to fight with full readiness. Iwill surely help your body recover and prepare for you the [Sword] to slicethis G.o.ddess apart!""M-Mariya...""Please allow me to address the G.o.ddess of dawn with fearful reverence.Indeed you are the divinity that embodies womanly wisdom and femininity.However."Comporting herself with an air of n.o.bility as befitted one bearing the "Hime"t.i.tle, Yuri glared at the G.o.ddess."Starting from this moment, I will protect this man for now. Even if youattempt any sort of spell, G.o.ddess, I will surely repel them. I will not allowyou to harm a single hair on G.o.dou-san"s head!"Part 2"Fufu. A girl making cute little chirps... Ahah, I am inspired with a wonderfulidea. Let me transform you into a bird, to be kept lovingly in a cage."Circe smiled leisurely in response to Yuri"s declaration.It was only natural. The difference in power level between a miko and aG.o.ddess was akin to the separation of heaven from earth."Come. Until you welcome death"s arrival, pray entertain my aural andvisual senses."These spell words, chanted like a song, transformed into glittering sunlightakin to radiance streaming through gaps in dense foliage.Carried by the wind, these spell words flew with shining splendor. Thetarget in their path was obviously Yuri who was supporting the collapsedG.o.dou.However, the Hime-Miko"s body glowed with sacred light once more. [SpiritPacification] was the technique.Blocked by the white light, the curse for turning humans into birds wasunable to reach Yuri"s body. She had barely managed to defend againstthe G.o.ddess Circe"s magic.However, unlike earlier, she did not succeed in dispelling the G.o.ddess"spell completely.Glittering like scattered sunlight, the dots of light gradually surroundedG.o.dou and Yuri, pressing closer and closer to them progressively. Theonly thing shielding them was Yuri"s [Spirit Pacification].However, the white glow was gradually weakening. Humans were notsupposed to be able to defend against the magic of G.o.ds. Most probably,Yuri"s magical power was going to be depleted in a matter of ten-oddseconds and the light of pacification would vanish along with it.Nevertheless —Despite the poison corroding him from within, G.o.dou did not feel anxious.He was currently under the gaze of Yuri"s eyes of sagacity. She shouldhave known from the very start that buying ten-odd seconds of time wasenough.This was evidenced by the fact of the Hime-Miko calmly proceeding to thenext action.In G.o.dou"s weakened state, she held his face gently in her hands, broughtit close to her and kissed him."G.o.dou-san... I will convey to you everything about the G.o.ddess Circe,everything I have seen. The witch who made the hero Odysseus her loverand captive — Please turn this knowledge into the [Sword] for slicing apartCirce, the G.o.ddess of dawn!"Embracing G.o.dou tightly, Yuri pressed her lips down as she whispered.As the images seen by the Hime-Miko began to enter G.o.dou"s mind, a vastamount of knowledge and words rushed about inside his head."Oooh... What utter depravity!"Circe raised her left arm of bra.s.s towards G.o.dou and Yuri.Rather than a finger, she shot her entire arm from the elbow this time.Carrying the potent poison like just now, or perhaps an even more viciousattack, the arm of bra.s.s was flying towards them!Yuri did not have any method to counter a physical attack of this sort. Justas G.o.dou became startled..."Also, please lend your strength to me... Please share your power with me,the one protecting you! I will show you I can become even more powerful!"Yuri was sucking his lips forcefully.Although the act was slightly clumsy, it allowed G.o.dou to feel intenselyYuri"s entire heart and soul that she was pouring into her kiss of love.The Hime-Miko even inserted her tongue, contrary to previous kisses,going as far as to stir G.o.dou"s tongue vigorously, entangling the twotongues together. In that very instant —The white glow of [Spirit Pacification] enveloping Yuri"s body, on the veryverge of vanishing...The light strengthened all at once, brightly illuminating the surroundingsand covering everything in a layer of pure whiteness. This intense light wasseveral times more powerful than when she first used it.Furthermore, this pure white light destroyed the bra.s.s arm released by theG.o.ddess.In the instant before calamity would befall G.o.dou and Yuri, just before it hit,the arm completely vanished completely.G.o.dou was dumbstruck. The technique of [Spirit Pacification] not onlysuppressed a G.o.ddess" authority but even a physical attack launched byher as well!Naturally, this ultimate skill could not have been achieved by Yuri alone.She was currently sucking G.o.dou"s mouth and tongue in pitifuldesperation. By casting a new spell, she was able to absorb from insideG.o.dou"s body.What she absorbed was the vast reserves of magical power that onlyexisted in the bodies of G.o.ds and Devil King Campiones —Yuri"s absorption of magical power was now reaching quite a dangerouslevel. Even for a premier Hime-Miko, storing this ma.s.sive amount ofmagical power in her body would immediately cause ill effects.No, this amount was enough to endanger her life and cause inexorablepain.Nevertheless, absorbing for the sake of strengthening herself, sheswitched to using a Campione"s magical power to sustain the [SpiritPacification] spell, forcibly enduring the pain.Even so, her body must be suffering from immense strain..."O carriage of dawn, now is the time to descend from the heavens, toincinerate the Devil King to oblivion!"Scorching flames of conflagration suddenly spread out, engulfing theG.o.ddess" historic ruins.Circe released a spell, possibly because she predicted dire consequencesif Yuri was left to do as she wished. The princess femme fatale hoveredinto the air and looked down at the burning ruins from the sky.However, even when standing in a vortex of flames —G.o.dou and Yuri"s immediate surroundings remained calm and peaceful,protected by the white light.Yuri was breathing hard but in spite of that, G.o.dou could still clearly hearthe suction noises coming from her repeated kisses on his lips indesperation.She was most likely in great pain already. Large sweat drops beaded onher forehead while her gaze began to lose focus.But even so, she did not seek respite, continuing to offer herself forKusanagi G.o.dou"s sake —Yuri performed a great number of difficult spells in rapid succession. Herenergy, stamina and concentration were all approaching their limits, mostlikely.This was evidenced by the change in her way of kissing. Up until this point,she had kissed pa.s.sionately again and again, sustained by heightenedemotions.But now, Yuri"s kisses merely sucked at G.o.dou"s lips slowly with a series of"smooch, smooch" sounds. Despite the loss of her vigor, Yuri continued tokiss him nonstop, cautiously and attentively.With deep loving affection and earnest sincerity, she kissed G.o.dou"s lips,stirring his tongue repeatedly."G.o.dou-san... This is all I can do... But I do all this for your sake...So — so..."Gazing at G.o.dou with her moistened eyes, she offered her lips to him asshe whispered.She looked as though she could hardly stand and finally collapsed. Thistime, it was G.o.dou"s turn to catch her.The poison"s effects had disappeared, thanks to Yuri"s healing magic.Furthermore, the forging of the [Sword] within G.o.dou"s body was complete.It could be drawn at any time now. Although they were currentlysurrounded by a burning inferno, there was no feeling of heat and not evena spark drifted over.These were all part of Yuri"s accomplishments. G.o.dou hugged her delicatebody tightly."Mari... Yuri. I am fine now, so please rest for now."Embracing her, he whispered in her ear.Yuri had challenged her limits in order to help G.o.dou recover to his currentstate. Furthermore, he was the reason for this frail girl"s currently direcondition and could do nothing but accept her offerings.Filled with self-loathing for his uselessness, G.o.dou hugged Yuri eventighter."Fufu... Do not worry. I only do this because I like it."Yuri whispered as if she had read G.o.dou"s mind.In addition, she was smiling blissfully, taking the crisis in stride with suchan expression. G.o.dou instantly took on Verethragna"s final incarnation, the[Warrior], and chanted the spell words."I am the strongest, the one smashing through all enemies in my way!"Spheres of light — the [Sword]"s spell words manifested in continuoussuccession in G.o.dou and Yuri"s surroundings.Dozens, hundreds, thousands of lights floated in midair, spreading out likea sparkling galaxy. The flames of conflagration instantly disappeared withthe manifestation of these spheres of light.Still hovering in the air, Circe murmured with a stunned expression inresponse:"Severing divine power..."Then she immediately switched to a sharp expression and landed on theground.Her grim countenance was now unbecoming of her dream-like maidenlybeauty. The G.o.ddess, who used magic as her greatest weapon,understood that the [Sword]"s arrival was quite unfavorable for her.The witch G.o.ddess Circe from ancient Greece had deep connections withthe hero Odysseus.The spheres of light manifested here were all blades for slicing her apart —Meanwhile, G.o.dou had helped Yuri to sit down on the ground for she nolonger had the strength to stand.He nodded. Although she was completely exhausted, the Hime-Mikoresponded with a dazzling smile. G.o.dou called out to this girl whosupported him so resolutely:"I could only get here all thanks to you. I will absolutely obtain victory, soplease wait a while!""Yes!"This was a rare promise of victory that G.o.dou rarely made. Grat.i.tude andapologies for her should be saved until after victory. G.o.dou arrangedroughly a thousand individual [Swords] around Yuri in a defensiveformation before turning his gaze towards Circe."O scorching lightning, become the G.o.ddess" spear!"The G.o.ddess released lightning from her hand. However, a sphere of lightflew into the path of the incoming lightning and instantly dispelled it.Seeing this, Circe frowned and glared at the many spheres of light fillingthe air like a galaxy."Using the Trojan Horse to capture the city of Troy, the hero Odysseussubsequently wandered for ten years... Along the way, he reached theisland of the sun G.o.d Helios" daughter Circe. She is the terrifying witch whocasts magic on those who visit her island, turning them into wild beasts!"The golden spheres shone radiantly like a galaxy. Several thousands oflight raced through the air, flying to Circe"s surroundings, preparing to sliceapart their target.Unintimidated by this sword formation, Circe invoked new magic."O thorned one, flourishing in lush greenery!"Thorned ivies with roses growing on them began to creep out of theground.Within the blink of an eye, they formed a small rose garden as Circe"sprotective barrier. Nevertheless, this was probably unable to stopVerethragna"s [Sword].Unfazed, G.o.dou continued chanting spell words."Of course, Circe also used magic on Odysseus, intending to transformhim into a beast. However, her magic did not affect the hero who wasunder the protection of the G.o.ds. Instead, Circe fell in love with him andbecame his lover!"The [Sword] sped up and advanced towards Circe and the barrier of thornsand roses. By attacking from all directions, the thorns and roses protectingthe G.o.ddess should be easily eliminated. The [Spell Words of the Sword]were blades capable of slicing through an enemy"s divine power anddivinity. Even things like protective powers and magic could be cut anddestroyed."Sons of magic, soar through the sky to become my army!"Finding the thorns ineffective, Circe used new magic.Sliced by the [Sword] and scattered in the air, the thorned vines of ivy andthe flowers of roses transformed, from long and slender plants into bra.s.sdolls equipped with spears and armor.These bra.s.s soldiers were roughly the same size as G.o.dou"s individual[Swords]. Whizzing through the air, they flew to attack the dancing storm of[Swords].— However."Ultimately, Odysseus was still enthralled by Circe"s beauty and remainedon her island to live there indefinitely. Having forgotten about hishomeland, he was delayed by a whole year. Using her beauty and magicto conquer heroes, weakening their power, obstructing their goals — theseare the qualities of the witch G.o.ddess Circe!"Verethragna"s [Sword] sliced apart all the little soldiers, pulverizing them.Conversely, none of the bra.s.s dolls were able to defeat a single [Sword].Just like all past deities who had fought G.o.dou in various ways, simplyusing divine power was not enough to defend against the [Sword].However, Circe seemed clearly aware of this fact.Suddenly, immense magical power burst forth from her body.Compared to the amount residing in her body until now, her magical powerhad roughly doubled. Apparently, she had summoned the thorns and thebra.s.s dolls in order to buy enough time for acc.u.mulating this magicalpower.Then Circe poured this enormous amount of magical power into spellwords."O beast that stands as the Persian Warlord"s manifestation. By the bondsof wizardry, heed my call now and come forth!"As expected, she used it. Circe used the trump card of the "incarnations"she had stolen from G.o.dou.In the next instant, the ground behind Circe erupted. A certain giganticent.i.ty blew away the stone steps of the ruins and rushed onto ground levelfrom down below.To G.o.dou, this was a very familiar creature — the [Boar].The black divine beast, twenty meters long. Due to the long summoningtime required, Circe must have hidden it underground ahead of time.Circe floated up into the air again and landed lightly on the [Boar]"s head.G.o.dou frowned because he understood the problematic situation.The [Sword] for slicing through the G.o.ddess of dawn was unable to cutVerethragna"s incarnation!Part 3"Come, divine child of the sacred warlord. Exhibit your raging spirit!"Responding to Circe"s orders, the [Boar] opened its jaws wide.Then the familiar rumbling roars came.ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!As usual, the roars were accompanied by Shockwaves. Consequently,dozens of the wildly dancing spheres of light were blown away in the air.Perhaps due to the sacred powers residing in the roars, the spheres oflight were not simply sent flying.The [Boar]"s attack caused roughly 30% of the [Swords] that were struck topop like soap bubbles, disappearing in succession!" — Manifesting justice in this world through these spell words of mine!"G.o.dou transmitted his thoughts to the [Sword], ordering it to attack Circe.The cl.u.s.ter of golden stars, glittering in the sky, responded to his thoughtsand accelerated, beginning to dance wildly.ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAR!The [Boar] emitted a thunderous roar again and blew away the [Swords] asone would scatter tiny spiders. Just as before, roughly 30% of the [Swords]were destroyed.Yet G.o.dou found it strange.Carrying Circe on its head, the [Boar] displayed no intention to move.G.o.dou had expected it to charge ferociously as always — while feelingsurprised, G.o.dou sent a portion of the [Sword] to accelerate towards Circe.Dozens of bright lights rushed towards the beautiful witch like a meteorshower. However, at this moment —ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAR!The [Boar] roared again and blew away all the [Swords] flying towards itsmistress. And again, a fraction of the [Swords] were destroyed.I see. G.o.dou understood now. The [Boar] could be thought of as Circe"scastle.Castle walls for defending her from the sword formation of spell words.Equipped with these roars, not only was the enemy in a securely fortifiedposition, but the [Sword] could very well be destroyed completely as well.Furthermore, all Circe needed to do was focus on defense rather thanhave the [Boar] attack."In that case, I"ll have to besiege the castle for real — "Just as G.o.dou turned his attention to the [Sword] to launch a concentratedattack for knocking open the [Boar]"s castle gates, Circe"s chanting couldbe heard."One who enacts justice, please direct me towards the light and therighteous path!"Immediately, the black goat suddenly manifested high above G.o.dou"shead. Back to its normal size, it was hovering leisurely in the air.Then from its body lightning was released, crashing down violently on thehuman directly below!"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"Screams of pain escaped G.o.dou"s mouth. The strike was powerful enoughto penetrate the magical resistance that resiliently defended against evendivine powers. G.o.dou had already tasted this lightning a few days ago atthe island in the demonic realm. She was using the [Goat] incarnationagain!Just like last time, the black goat exhausted its power with one lightningstrike and disappeared quickly."She"s able to use two incarnations at once huh..."G.o.dou had also attempted it once before, the technique of using twoincarnations simultaneously.Realizing his opponent was using that ability, G.o.dou groaned in shock.Although the lightning left no visible injuries on the surface of his body,pain and paralysis was spreading throughout.Even if he used the [Camel] like last time, it still would not have much of aneffect.Also, Circe continued to chant:"Evil ones, tremble before me, the one possessing wings... My wings shallbring cursed retribution to you all!"Despite G.o.dou"s determined intention to attack the latest incarnation usingthe [Sword] with reckless abandon, he was too late.Although he could sense something flying towards him with lightningspeed, G.o.dou was neither able to dodge nor block its path using the[Sword].His vision could not capture that level of speed —By the time he noticed, G.o.dou"s left shoulder was already sliced open bysomething akin to a sharp blade.Blood spurted out. Then an onslaught of pain arrived."Gu... Uh!?"Enduring the pain, G.o.dou looked up high to see a bird of prey resemblingan eagle or a falcon, flying majestically amidst the [Sword]"s spheres oflight that filled the sky.The instant G.o.dou discovered the bird of prey, it instantly vanished.G.o.dou could feel the Shockwave caused by the lightning speed of itsdescent. Immediately, a crack suddenly appeared on a stone step in theruins three meters away from G.o.dou. It was a mark left behind as if dug bysome sharp object.— Divine speed!?Seeing the bird of prey appearing in the sky again, G.o.dou realized it wasthe [Raptor] incarnation.The bird of prey had apparently used its sharp beak or claws to slice openhis left shoulder just now. But just like G.o.dou in the past, it was incapableof controlling its own excessive speed. This resulted in the poor accuracyof its attacks.Who knew if Circe realized the same thing, for she chanted new spellwords."O immortal sun, I beseech you to send forth dawn"s horse-drawncarriage!"Gliding in the air, the bird of prey transformed into a bronco.Its fur was pure white. Enveloped in golden flames, this time it was the[White Stallion].Furthermore, while all this was happening —ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!The tusked, black divine beast kept producing roars with Shockwaves,vigorously trying to sweep the air clean of spell words. If this continued, the[Sword]"s total destruction would only be a matter of time.Then there was the [White Stallion] manifested in the air.The golden flames all over its body were burning much stronger than lastseen before.The [Stallion] looked as if it had resolved itself to ignite all kindling for thepurpose of incinerating Kusanagi G.o.dou together with itself to the bitterend.Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, G.o.dou knew that ifhe was struck by this attack, he could very well die for real —Since the [Camel] incarnation was not currently active, G.o.dou did not havethe same resilient vitality as last time.What should he do!? How could he fight his way out of this crisis!?Just as G.o.dou gnashed his teeth in the face of this challenge —"G.o.dou-san. Even if the [Sword] cannot slice through Verethragna"sincarnations, it can still sever their connections to the G.o.ddess!"A sudden lesson. These were thoughts transmitted through psychicsensing.G.o.dou glanced at the user of psychic sensing for an instant. Surroundedby the [Swords] left behind by G.o.dou, Yuri was nodding emphatically athim from afar while she sat collapsed on the ground out of exhaustion.Having received a spirit vision, the Hime-Miko promptly transmitted theknowledge to him.Moreover, G.o.dou had wielded this weapon — the [Sword]"s spell wordsnumerous times already. He was convinced he knew very clearly how touse it to realize Yuri"s suggestion.G.o.dou deliberately closed his eyes.Whether the [Boar] which kept destroying [Swords] with its roars or the[White Stallion] charging towards him from the air, G.o.dou no longer lookedat them.Compared to these two beasts, G.o.dou had more important things tocapture.Namely, the magic itself that had turned these incarnations into Circe"spossessions.Normally, G.o.dou was not capable of sensing that vague and ambiguouspresence. Just as Erica described, he was a man with zero talent in magic.However —It was a completely different matter when he used Verethragna"s [Warrior]and [Goat] incarnations.Whenever either of these incarnations was active, G.o.dou was imbued withmagical control surpa.s.sing all magi in order to manipulate spell words andlightning. Hence he was surely capable of seeing —The pulsation of power. The divine power woven by the G.o.ddess Circe.The telltale signs of an authority in use, one that concealed fire attributes."That"s it!"The instant he perceived it, G.o.dou opened his eyes wide.Although the [White Stallion] overhead was falling like a burning meteor,G.o.dou remained motionless. Instead, he gave orders to attack.Under his directions, two beams of light flew towards separate directions.One beam targeted the head of the [White Stallion] charging at G.o.dou.The other flew towards the back of the [Boar], Circe"s current mount.The two lights of the [Sword] splendidly severed what G.o.dou had seen.These were the magically woven links that connected the incarnations tothe G.o.ddess. At the same time, the [White Stallion] collided directly withG.o.dou"s body. However, he was completely unharmed.The [White Stallion] was reabsorbed into G.o.dou"s body. Furthermore, theviolently howling [Boar] also vanished and returned to within G.o.dou aswell.Originally riding on the black divine beast"s head, Circe was tossed into theair by the loss of her mount.G.o.dou ordered five [Swords] to fly towards the falling witch like a meteorshower. This was in order to sever Circe"s magic of [Hero Confinement],the secret art used to steal Verethragna"s incarnations.— Slice. G.o.dou could feel slicing on target.The five [Swords] pierced Circe"s body one after another. At the sametime, G.o.dou recovered what had been stolen from him. The incarnations ofthe [Wind], the [Bull], the [Raptor], the [Ram] and the [Goat]—Although he could live without these powers, they were comrades who hadaccompanied him through situations of life and death after all.For this once, G.o.dou nodded strongly to acknowledge the feeling of theincarnations" return."Gun! Then I call upon the wheel of dawn!"Despite losing Verethragna"s incarnations, Circe remained standing in thesky. Pointing her finger at the eastern sky, she chanted spell words."I implore you to become my spear for piercing the ground, incinerating allexistence!"Many stars were scattered over the South Seas" sky.During this inappropriate time, the sun rose from the east. Circe wasprobably planning on unleashing her strongest fire attack on the samelevel as Verethragna"s [White Stallion].The glow of dawn illuminated the South Seas and the uninhabited islandwith a rosy tint.Released by this sun, golden brilliance flew towards G.o.dou on the ground.Nevertheless, G.o.dou gave instructions to the remaining [Swords] in the airto intercept.Several hundred spheres of light sliced apart the golden flashes,destroying them before they could reach the ground.Even if the sun"s strongest light was used as an attack, so long as it wasCirce"s authority, the [Sword] could cut it. That said, the blades of spellwords were also diminishing in number through use.The [Swords] G.o.dou created were almost entirely used up for interceptingsunlight.There were only about a hundred left — the ones G.o.dou had ordered toform a defensive formation around Yuri. G.o.dou turned his gaze over thereand exchanged nods with Yuri.Now was the time for switching the remaining weapons from defense tooffense. G.o.dou and Yuri were thinking the same thing simultaneously."Evil-doers, tremble before me! Hindrances, begone from my sight!"G.o.dou accelerated all the remaining [Swords] and sent them flying towardsCirce. The swarm of [Swords] proceeded to mercilessly slice through heras she stood in the air."Kyaaaaah!?"Circe screamed as she crashed down to earth.Her bra.s.s prostheses also gave off breaking noises. Nevertheless,G.o.dou"s enemy was a G.o.ddess. This fall could not have caused anysignificant damage to her.On the other hand, G.o.dou had felt clearly the slicing sensation from thesword.He had cut rather deeply into Circe"s divinity. She was already carrying ahalf-dead and battered body. It would come as no surprise if sheconsumed all her strength and collapsed on the spot.But despite this being the reasonable outcome —"Gun..."The G.o.ddess made herself hover using magic again.Circe"s left prosthetic arm was already lost from launching the earlierattack. Due to the damage caused by G.o.dou"s [Sword], her left prostheticleg was greatly twisted out of shape while her waist area was also crackedseverely.Panting heavily, she no longer displayed the elegance of a beautiful girlfrom fantasy.She was literally covered with wounds. Nevertheless, Circe still floated upinto midair, casting her haughty gaze down at the G.o.d-slayer who hadpushed her this far. Her beautiful face and sharp glare exuded unyieldingvigor.She still intended to fight, resolved to defeat G.o.dou by any meansnecessary, so as to treasure him like a toy in the exact manner she haddeclared.However, perhaps due to a Campione"s animal-like instincts regardingbattle...G.o.dou still sensed that Circe was lying on death"s door. She was currentlyabout to collapse. Victory would be obtained simply by landing a blow ortwo on her — G.o.dou was convinced.But in the face of imminent defeat, Circe smiled instead."Fufufu. As expected, this body prevented the situation from developingfavorably. In that case, I have no choice but to risk all on a gamble."A blue shadow manifested behind her, floating in midair.It was an ambiguous humanoid silhouette with a poorly defined outline.Clad in armor, an angular impression was exuded all over. Standingroughly five meters tall, its height was not impressive enough to call it agiant.Then there were the steel bow and arrows — Familiar weapons G.o.dou hadseen before.This was the being that Circe had called the "divine spirit of the bow."Using the [Warrior]"s ability to obtain deep understanding of target deities,G.o.dou was able to see past his true nature."This guy is the power you stole from Odysseus, right?"G.o.dou spoke as he looked up at the figure and Circe.The authority to "strip hero"s of their power using beauty and magic."Odysseus was the hero who possessed this power of bow and arrows andwas also intimately linked to the G.o.ddess.Her ability to use a portion of his powers was not surprising. However."Although probably stronger than divine beasts, I can"t see him as a matchfor us."G.o.dou spoke as he cast his eyes of the [Warrior] at the bow-wieldingfigure.Ultimately, this "divine spirit of the bow" was merely an imitation ofOdysseus. An existence possessing an ego on the level of a divine beastbut lacking a human"s mind and intelligence.G.o.dou did not think he could become Circe"s trump card in her desperatesituation —"Yes, it is exactly as you say. Please feel free to mock the superficiality ofa desperate woman. I plan on using this to cast my final magic."Final? Just as G.o.dou frowned in response to these dangerous words —Circe suddenly stabbed her remaining right arm prosthesis into her leftbreast. The sharp fingertips of bra.s.s dug into white and tender flesh,resulting in a spurt of fresh blood!While G.o.dou watched dumbfounded, Yuri also gasped and went "Hmm!?"in the distance.The beautiful G.o.ddess" fingertips were stabbed where a human"s heartwould be located. Blood gushed out like a geyser but the flow soonstopped. This was a most bizarre move on her part."By this crimson blood I swear upon heaven and earth. Should I fail tovanquish Kusanagi G.o.dou in this trial of magic, I shall personally put anend to my immortal life!"What!? G.o.dou was rendered speechless. Circe"s declaration was filledwith spell words.This was a curse. A coersive curse the G.o.ddess had cast upon herself.She had no choice but to do this in order to realize her goal —What a truly absurd curse this was!?But in the next instant, Circe"s magical power expanded several fold!This level of power was comparable to that of G.o.dou"s past enemy, theGreat Sage Equaling Heaven, when he summoned Zhu Ganglie andVaisravana. G.o.dou was reminded of what his beautiful sworn sister, LuoCuilian, had informed him before.A deity"s strength was directly proportional to the intensity of their ego,obsessions and sense of ident.i.ty!"I see... Swearing to defeat me with your last and only magic, even goingas far as to bind yourself with a curse — you have elevated the motivatingelement of "defeating me" to the maximum!"G.o.dou trembled in response to his beautiful foe"s cunning plan.He now realized clearly what prompted his sense of unease before thebattle. The reason why he did not find this G.o.ddess, on the very verge ofdeath, "weak" at all. It now made perfect sense logically, she was terrifyingprecisely because she was wounded.Because she was so close to death, Circe did not cherish life.Hence, she was able to lay everything on the line for the sake of defeatingKusanagi G.o.dou, converting her life into a weapon even if the price was itsforfeit. She even went as far as to make this task her greatest and onlyident.i.ty!...The G.o.ddess of dawn, Circe, began to chant loudly.Using her immortal life as a price to obtain magical power, her goal was torelease her final magic."Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full manyways after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy."G.o.dou realized the true nature of Circe"s magic. Indeed, it was that poem!"His guile and brilliance recognized by the people on earth, his renowneven reached the heavens. His name is — "Odysseus!While the G.o.ddess chanted and G.o.dou nodded, in that very instant —The bow-wielding figure — the "divine spirit of the bow" which was only ablack shadowy ma.s.s, suddenly obtained a material body. A warrior fullyarmed with bronze armor, a steel bow and steel arrows.He stood five meters tall or so. Circe landed lightly on his left shoulder."A subordinate G.o.d huh..."The hero Odysseus was definitely not the G.o.ddess Circe"s subordinate...Perhaps he should be more aptly called an allied G.o.d."Yuri whispered in G.o.dou"s ear using psychic sensing.Then accompanied by a ma.s.sive crash that shook the earth, Odysseuslanded on the ground.His left shoulder carried Circe while he wielded in his right hand theweapon of the "Pan-Eurasian hero," the bow of steel. The helmet"s facewas pulled down deeply, obscuring his true face.Nevertheless, G.o.dou was certain that Odysseus was glaring at him withgreat hostility."Is this guy the strongest steel? The one who manifests at the end oferas?"" — No, the hero Odysseus does not appear to carry the traits of the [WarG.o.ds of Steel]. Nevertheless, I can sense astounding power coming fromthat bow. Please be careful, G.o.dou-san!"Perhaps because spirit vision showed her the formidable abilities of thisuser of the blue bow, Yuri"s voice seemed to be trembling slightly.But then again, since he was not a member of [Steel], Odysseus likely didnot possess their troublesome abilities of "indestructibility."G.o.dou took delight in this particular point then turned his glare towards thewandering hero.Part 4"As the descendant of the great G.o.d Zeus, the indomitable hero Odysseushereby arrives unannounced! I beseech the G.o.ds to hear me and bearwitness! Please carefully observe my wit and guile, that which descendsupon the earth again after eons of absence!"A deep, sonorous voice was heard from the bronze helmet.A rich desire to show off combined with a talkative manner of speech.Nevertheless, his words were not objectionable.Odysseus was famous for coming up with the "Trojan Horse" ploy. He wasthe wandering hero, not only valorous and cunning but also an eloquentorator. This sort of man would not give others an impression of boringrigidity.However, the summoner Circe proclaimed to the talkative giant soldier ofbronze."Your Highness Odysseus. Our reunion greatly pleases me... But pleasewait a while, for this place is my battlefield!"This announcement"s effect was akin to inserting a key into Odysseus"vocal cords.In the next instant, out from the bronze helmet came nothing but groansrather than human speech.Goooohhhhhhhhhhg!This resembled a monster"s howls more than a hero"s cries. Listening tothis howl with a satisfied expression as she sat on Odysseus" left shoulder,Circe nodded with a smile on her face.She probably believed that so long as a hero was valorous, wit andeloquence were redundant."Well, I guess men pretty much all look like that in front of women..."Feeling slightly sympathetic for the hero, G.o.dou could not help but let histrue feelings escape.But of course, he still remained highly vigilant. Since Odysseus was givingoff an exceptionally strong aura of killing intent, there was no room forcarelessness."Your Highness, please use your bow to annihilate Kusanagi-sama!"Goooohhhhhhhhhhg !In response to Circe"s command, Odysseus began to shoot.Nocking a steel arrow onto the steel bow, he drew the bowstring to itsmaximum limit. But instead of G.o.dou, the arrowhead was aimed at theSouth Seas" starry sky.Whoosh! The steel arrow was shot, accompanied by the bowstring"ssound, disappearing into the darkness of the night sky.Then a rain of arrows immediately descended from the sky above!Numerous arrows of blue-white light rained down upon the island like ameteor shower. The arrows most likely numbered in the tens of thousands.The ma.s.sive number of arrows fell down upon every corner of the island.This was literally a rain of arrows. There was no place to run at all. If onewere to stand there helplessly, dozens of arrows would pierce the bodyinstantly —"d.a.m.n it!"Cursing away, G.o.dou invoked the [Raptor] incarnation.This was the ability of divine speed only available when confronted with ahigh speed attack. From G.o.dou"s perspective, the pouring rain of arrowsmoved as if under slow motion playback. Meanwhile, he could travel atlightning speed.In order to evade all the arrows, this was the only incarnation he could use.There was no other choice.Running with divine speed, G.o.dou picked up Yuri in his arms while shegazed speechlessly at the sky and cautiously dodged each arrow of lightfalling from the sky, one at a time.Not only for himself, but also for the sake of protecting Yuri.After all the arrows were finally evaded did he switch off divine speed."G-G.o.dou-san. Thank you!""It"s coming again. Although I will be swinging you around for a while,please endure for now."Just as Yuri answered "Very well!", Odysseus had already moved on to hisnext shot.Shot from the steel bow this time was not an arrow but a beam ofblue-white light. G.o.dou switched on divine speed once more and jumpedto evade the light flying towards him like a laser.However, the bombardment of light did not end there.The blue hero shifted horizontally the light coming from the steel bow asone would sweep a spear.Then Odysseus yelled. Goooohhhhhhhhhhg!"In that case, I"ll have to go up!"G.o.dou jumped up to evade the horizontally sweeping spear of light.This was all thanks to the exceptionally light and agile body conferred bythe [Raptor]. Feeling weightless even when carrying a load, G.o.dou wasable to dodge the light beam even when carrying Yuri.However, Odysseus then turned the steel bow towards G.o.dou and Yuriwho were high up in the air.In turn, the spear of light jumped up accordingly!G.o.dou and Yuri were now transitioning to freefall after the jump. Since onemust eventually fall after leaping upwards, there would be no way ofevading the spear. Nevertheless, G.o.dou "decelerated" his rate of descent.Slowly, slowly, they fell at a rate of roughly one millimeter per second.This rate of descent was almost like hovering motionless in midair. The[Raptor] was not only capable of acceleration but also unprecedenteddeceleration of this sort.During this time, the spear of light below them had already swept past andmissed.After evading the spear, G.o.dou accelerated again, bringing Yuri with himto land on the ground.Turning off divine speed, G.o.dou breathed heavily. As expected of thebow-wielding hero, it was clear that subsequent arrows could not bedodged so easily. G.o.dou was convinced that although he could rely ondivine speed to evade, sooner or later he would be hit.Furthermore, prolonged use of the [Raptor] would produce severe pain inhis heart, followed swiftly by immobilization of the body through paralysis.G.o.dou and Yuri were fast approaching the time limit."In the end, we still can"t proactively decide the battle..."G.o.dou"s lips twisted involuntarily. Although grotesque in form, he was stillsmiling.Although G.o.dou had cursed "d.a.m.n it!" just before using the [Raptor], healready expected this eventual development. He had to perform an attackto defeat Odysseus and Circe together while using the [Raptor] at thesame time.In that case, there was only one choice. But this required his companion"sa.s.sistance —"I have no objections, G.o.dou-san.""Excellent intuition. Did you see it through spirit vision?""No, but it occurred to me as soon as I saw your expression, G.o.dou-san.Fortunately, there are no others on this island to cause trouble to, so let mea.s.sist you!"Once again, the two of them were going to unsheathe the uncontrollable"black blade"—With a stern expression, the Hime-Miko consented to G.o.dou"sspontaneous and reckless plan."But wouldn"t it cause great trouble to you?"G.o.dou refrained from asking this question. Instead, he released Yuri fromhis arms and set her down."If I accidentally blow this island away like last time, we"ll just have tocontinue drifting on the sea without a boat, let"s go!""Very well. And just like Odysseus, we will surely return to our homeland!"Having obtained Yuri"s support, G.o.dou summoned Ama no Murak.u.mo noTsurugi.The three-foot-three-inch, grand, black sword suddenly manifested in hishand. After being used as the medium for the "black blade," G.o.dou"s"partner" had succ.u.mbed to a "fragile" state. That was how intenselydraining the technique was.Since a while earlier, G.o.dou had started pouring magical power into thedivine sword.In preparation for this situation, he had already begun doing so before thebattle. Now he intended to activate the divine sword temporarily. Feelingthat it was about time, he drew out the sword from his right arm and —"Wait, king. Rather than attempting that troublesome magical technique,why don"t you choose a different method? The tides of battle will turnfavorable very shortly."The divine sword"s sudden advice gave G.o.dou quite a surprise.But he instantly understood the message. Beside him, Yuri was gazing upinto the night sky with a delighted expression. Blue light was flying towardsthe island — Indeed, it was Liliana"s flight magic.Several seconds later, Liliana, Erica and Ena finally landed before G.o.douand Yuri."Looks like we are just in time for the most spectacular scene!"Naturally, this relaxed tone of voice belonged to Erica. As G.o.dou figuredthe reason why they came to meet up at this particular moment, Enanodded with a smile."Ena sensed Ama no Murak.u.mo recover its consciousness earlier. Feelinga presence that seemed to be traceable, Ena asked Liliana-san to explorethe direction indicated.""Luckily, we were already nearby, out at sea exploring the surroundingwaters."Liliana explained. G.o.dou was glad to see her usual, serious att.i.tude again.The silver-haired knight stared at the bow-wielding archer of bronze."The hero Odysseus... And the lovely-haired Circe? This is the G.o.ddess"true ident.i.ty!?"Inspired with spirit vision, Liliana murmured the G.o.ddess" name.Erica and Ena tensed their expression as a result. Although the trio hadjust arrived, they were already prepared to battle at any moment. Trulyquick on the uptake....Or rather, this was apparently the result of undergoing many trials in thecompany of Kusanagi G.o.dou.In any case, the arrival of these reinforcements was more uplifting thananything. Since his companions were here, G.o.dou did not need to riskdrifting away anymore —G.o.dou instantly cast his gaze down to turn his attention to the issue of hisheart.His usage time of divine speed had clearly increased substantiallycompared to before. Although it was not his intention, this apparently stoodas evidence of his growth and development as a Campione.Furthermore, G.o.dou was struck by a firm belief regarding the [Raptor]incarnation.The pain and paralyzing stiffness could be eliminated if he switchedincarnations at this juncture — !Nodding to Yuri, G.o.dou halted the spell of the blade."Everyone, can I rely on you all to handle Odysseus" arrows briefly? Even aminute would be good enough. I will snipe the G.o.ddess during this time!"G.o.dou stabbed Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi into the ground as hespoke.Ena immediately pulled out the divine sword and caressed the blade"sbody with her hand. The red and blue knights also summoned their favoritemagic swords immediately.All preparations were complete. G.o.dou chanted spell words with nothing tofear."For victory, hasten forth before me. O immortal sun, I beseech thee togrant radiance to the stallion!"Circe had defended against and even made full use of the [White Stallion]incarnation before.However, the G.o.ddess was currently all covered in wounds and had littleexcess magical power. The situation was different from last time!"O stallion that moveth G.o.dlike with wondrous grace, bringest forth the haloof thy master — ""Guh... Your Highness Odysseus, please grant me your protection!"The sun rose in the eastern sky once again.This time it was G.o.dou using the flames of the rising sun as a weapon.The spear of flashing white light approached.The target being sniped was Circe, the G.o.ddess on the verge of death,sitting on the left shoulder of the archer clad in bronze armor. But this time,she did not have the vortex of light she used for absorbing the [WhiteStallion] in the past.As the price for summoning the hero, Circe was no longer able to usemagic.Instead, she had to let Odysseus, the shooter of magical projectiles,intercept the approaching [White Stallion] with his steel bow.Goooohhhhhhhhhhg!Odysseus held steel bow before him as a shield, treating it as the sacrificefor the [White Stallion].A frontal clash between the hero with the steel bow and the heavenlyhorse that transported the sun —G.o.dou infused his remaining magical power into the [White Stallion], tryingto overwhelm his opponent. Odysseus in turn focused his magical powerinto his left hand and the steel bow to withstand the attack.Nevertheless, G.o.dou sensed through his instincts that he would prevail inthis frontal clash.Odysseus was a heroic G.o.d, but unlike Circe, he was not a sun G.o.d. Underthe super high temperatures of the sun, his steel weapon and bronzearmor were already melting gradually into a viscous state.G.o.dou was going to win provided he continued to sustain the [WhiteStallion] like this. However, the hero of the bow made another move.Goooohhhhhhhhhhg!Odysseus opened his right hand and pointed it at G.o.dou.Then from each of his five fingertips, a ma.s.sive steel arrow shot out — atotal five arrows all at the same time. It was like firing bullets using thefingertips as gun barrels.Five steel arrows. Normally, these would have pierced five holes inG.o.dou"s body. However."Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you thecity!" [1]"And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commandedMoses!" [2]The red and blue knights used the smiting spell words to defend.Erica used her barb lance while Liliana used her sacred sword ofextermination that had taken the form of a naginata. Together, the twoweapons formed an X-shape and generated a magical shield in front ofG.o.dou and his companions. The power that protected the two sacredexterminators had now become a barrier for protecting the five of them!This protective shield managed to just barely deflect Odysseus" fivearrows.The two knights" skills were astounding. However, the arrows shootingfrom the hero"s right hand were not finished.Like a machine gun, Odysseus" five fingers shot arrows of steelcontinuously.More accurately this was not a hail of bullets but a second "rain of arrows."G.o.dou decided he must defeat Circe before the knights" defenses gaveway —Just as G.o.dou turned his attention towards the [White Stallion] —Ena suddenly charged forward, taking Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi withher and leaving Erica and Liliana"s magical shield. Lowering her center ofgravity, Ena rushed towards Odysseus like a wolf."Leave it to us, Your Majesty!"The Hime-Miko of the Sword hollered as she ran. In addition, G.o.doureceived the thoughts of the partner, Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi.By the time G.o.dou found out what the divine sword and its user wereintending, Ena had already rushed towards the rain of arrows as quickly asif she were flying....Just several days ago, she had used divine possession to the maximumlimit without regard for her body. Even if she had already rested and saved up her energy, the time shecould fight at maximum strength should be quite short. However, G.o.doualready knew the strategy these "two partners" were using to overcomethis disadvantage.Then just as Odysseus" arrows were about to pierce Ena in multipleplaces —Ena called out loudly."I call upon you whose interests I shoulder, the name of Kusanagi G.o.dou!Let us guide the summons of wind into the secret sword, for I shall turn itinto Your Highness" blade!"The calling of his name by someone facing a deadly crisis. This was thecondition for using Verethragna"s first incarnation, the [Wind], therebyallowing Kusanagi G.o.dou to fly to the caller"s location.And now, Ena and Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi intended to summon thisincarnation.But now was not the time for G.o.dou to stop the [White Stallion]. For thesecond time after the battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven,G.o.dou employed two incarnations simultaneously again after so long.While using the sun"s shining light to pin down Circe and Odysseus, heused another incarnation at the same time.Rather than for flying instantly to Ena"s side, this was for letting Ama noMurak.u.mo no Tsurugi absorb the [Wind] incarnation!"Gun— !"G.o.dou gritted his teeth from the splitting headache.But it no longer hurt as much as last time. This also testified to G.o.dou"sgrowth as a Campione, gradually mastering Verethragna"s authority bit bybit, strengthening his power.After obtaining the [Wind]"s power, Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi and Enaturned into a storm in the shape of a human and a sword.Boom!With a vortex of wind swirling around her, Ena rushed forward just as thepouring rain of arrows were about to pierce her body.By the next instant, she had already reached the side of Odysseus whowas engaging the [White Stallion].Her speed was truly like the wind — Her running speed could already bedescribed as instantaneous teleportation.Then Ena swung Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi and attacked twice.First she severed Odysseus" right arm at the elbow, eliminating the handthat kept shooting rains of arrows continuously. Then in her follow through,Ena amputated the left arm at the shoulder, the one holding the graduallymelting steel bow that was blocking the [White Stallion]"s flames.Conserving her momentum, Ena continued to run forward, pa.s.singOdysseus from the side.Were she to stop moving, the [White Stallion]"s flames would surely devourher as well.Having absorbed the [Wind], Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi granted itsuser, Ena, speed like the wind and destructive power like a hurricane.This was the very instant when Ena obtained the [Sword of Wind] that evensurpa.s.sed divine possession, the trump card of the Hime-Miko of theSword.As for Odysseus, who had lost both arms —He was helplessly pierced by the [White Stallion] in the left shoulder andblown away strongly.Then Circe screamed from her seat on his shoulder."Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?"The G.o.ddess of dawn finally suffered the [White Stallion]"s direct hit.Part 5The wandering hero, Odysseus.Just as Yuri pointed out, he was not supposed to be a member ofindestructible [Steel].But perhaps he really was as "indomitable" as he claimed. Despite havinglost both arms and even part of his left shoulder, Odysseus still struggleddesperately to stand up.Nevertheless, this action was interrupted halfway.The heroic figure, clad in bronze armor, gradually rarefied, finally turningtransparent and disappeared.Rather than dying, his body could no longer be maintained on earthbecause his summoner"s strength and magic were depleted.But this might actually be quite an astounding feat.Odysseus was able to exist on his last breath until just now, probablybecause Circe remained barely alive."I"m sorry... This counts as my win, right?"G.o.dou turned his gaze downwards towards the dying G.o.ddess.He had not let victory go to his head but was simply speaking intentionallyin a calm tone of voice.Circe"s bra.s.s prosthetics were all smashed beyond recognition, incineratedinto pitch-black charcoal. An incomparably tragic sight.Yet Circe"s own body of flesh remained so pristinely white and beautiful.She was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Large beads of sweatwere flowing down her dream-like, beautiful face that displayed clear signsof pain. Rather than falling in battle, her appearance was better describedby a.n.a.logy to a tragic young beauty who had succ.u.mbed to fatal illness.Even when lying on death"s door, she still exhibited her beauty in a mannermost suited to her.G.o.dou was astounded by this truly witch-like mystery and miracle. Butperhaps it was related to the [White Stallion] that was used as the decisiveblow. It was only natural that the attack from the horse responsible forcarrying the sun would have limited effects on a sun G.o.ddess.Nevertheless, this damage should be enough to bring about the G.o.ddess"complete death."G.o.dou, please note that giving her a quick end at this time would beconsidered a form of mercy."Watching quietly behind him, Erica interjected.Yuri, Liliana and Ena were standing slightly further away, watching the endof the battle as a trio.G.o.dou felt that Erica"s suggestion did not carry her usual nuance of t