Chapter 5 - Where This Sword Shall StrikePart 1"For this incident, the scale of the affected area is extremely broad. Thework required for the aftermath and information control will surely be verytroublesome."Sayanomiya Kaoru explained to G.o.dou in her usual clear tone.This was at a beach within Kisarazu city, the place where Athena hadturned herself into a statue a few hours ago."In a certain sense, there"s actually a very simple solution. It all depends onKusanagi-san"s will."From the beach, there was a clear view of the ocean illuminated orange bythe glow of dusk.The young beauty"s statue stood all alone in this scenery. This exquisiteotherworldly beauty on her face, could not possibly be reproduced by anyliving artist. Furthermore, the p.u.b.escent but proudly puffed out chestdisplayed the G.o.ddess" haughtiness. A girl who acted this way probably didnot exist either.G.o.dou and Kaoru were the only two people bearing witness to thisbeautiful statue.The entire coastal area had already been sealed off by the HistoryCompilation Committee, preventing ordinary people from entering."My will, you say?""Yes. We have already confirmed the ident.i.ty of the deity causing all thesesupernatural phenomena. All we need is wait one whole day to pa.s.s, thenuse the [Sword]"s spell words. Take Ena for example. She, too, can teachyou knowledge about Athena.""Seishuuin?""I expected that sort of preparation would be necessary. A few monthsago, I ordered all the Hime-Miko to study western deities. Of course, notevery deity, but famous ones like Athena were included of course."Kaoru explained cheerfully. How astute of her methods.Not only as a Hime-Miko, but as an organization leader, she also hadoutstanding talents as a strategist."Even though Athena had turned everything into stone anywhere from thereclaimed area in Ukishima across the Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway to theUmihotaru artificial island. However, she did not cause any destruction,which is actually quite fortunate. As long as Kusanagi-san uses yourauthority, and severs Athena"s power by sweeping the [Sword] through theentire area, everything will be restored."That"s right. It was the same for objects, people, as well as animals andplants.Including Yuri and Liliana, everything that had been petrified could berestored.Currently the History Compilation Committee seemed to be putting all theirefforts into controlling information, and were busy sealing off the affectedareas.They had already controlled all news and prohibited the media frommaking detailed reports. During this time, an abortive incident of toxic gasleak near Kawasaki was reported... A fabricated news source.All sorts of methods were employed to publicize it, in preparation forcovering up the ridiculous truth.The biggest problem now faced was how to handle the families of petrifiedvictims. No matter what, failing to return home without any communicationwould worry friends and family, causing them to take action.If there was a way to resolve the incident swiftly, of course it should betaken.Personally, G.o.dou wanted to see Yuri and Liliana revived as soon aspossible.Nevertheless."Due to the current situation, I guess we need Kusanagi-san"s cooperationno matter what. It would be a great help if you could agree readily. Inaddition to that, at the same time as saving the victims of petrification,please slay Athena in her vulnerable stone form. If another incident couldbe prevented by striking at its root, then "all will be fine.""Kaoru"s request sent G.o.dou into deep thought.Right. If he took the opportunity to slay Athena then everything would beresolved.However, G.o.dou still stood there staring blankly. Ever since Athena hadturned into a statue, he had been idling on this beach for hours.That star which had displayed white [Swords] of terrifying power —G.o.dou believed that the one controlling it, Guinevere, would probablytarget Athena again.This G.o.ddess who had brought great disaster to human society, even if hewere to abandon her to her own devices, no one would complain, right?Time continued to advance, and night had fallen.G.o.dou was still idling on the seash.o.r.e accompanying Athena"s statue.He had just received a call from Amakasu, informing him that Ena wasarriving later to bring something over. He must have realized G.o.dou wasagonizing over something.However, Amakasu did not try to broach the subject.Intending to respect a Campione"s decision? Or leaving things alonebecause he gave up on understanding why G.o.dou was troubled? Thelatter seemed more and more unlikely.Anyway, even G.o.dou himself could not articulate why he felt so concernedabout Athena"s matters."She... Is really about to die?"Guinevere"s subterfuge. The matter of the Holy Grail. Athena"s variousbehavior. After much thought, G.o.dou reached that conclusion.A beach in early winter. A charming statue enduring against the icy coldsea breeze.Even though it had the appearance of an eleven or twelve-year-old girl,there was no child-like innocence in that face.Neither powerless nor harmless. She was the queen ruling over the highheavens, the bountiful earth and the dark underworld. The exaltedG.o.ddess.With death approaching, she had forced herself to pay G.o.dou a visit —"Why would she do that..."G.o.dou could imagine, but he was uncertain if he guessed correctly. It wasprobably too difficult to fill the cultural divide through his lone efforts.G.o.dou instinctively took out his cellphone.A warrior queen from the Bronze and Iron Age civilizations. What heneeded was someone whose brain was wired the same way."Give me a break, I can"t possibly talk to that idiot!?"Amongst all G.o.dou"s friends and acquaintances, one particular young manwas clearly furthest away from modern ways of thinking.The child blessed by heaven in the strange ways of the sword. TheG.o.d-slaying knight.Despite G.o.dou"s efforts to forget him, it was strange how that man alwaysmanaged to elicit a hostile response. It always felt like irrelevant concerns.That guy was like a Viking warrior who had conformed to modern life, buthe was not an appropriate conversation partner. Best to reconsider.As a result, G.o.dou decided to call someone else.He made an international call to Italy. Accounting for the current time of6pm with a time difference of eight hours, whether that person hadawakened or not was a rather delicate question —"What"s going on, G.o.dou? You finally couldn"t bear the loneliness of myabsence?"Instantly connected to Erica Blandelli, G.o.dou decided this would count asrising early for her.However, she was speaking in a cheerful manner unlike her usual tone ofvoice when getting out of bed."Even when you"re not around, I"m still very lively and not depressed at all.Don"t make up strange stories.""Of course not, it"s not like I"m Lily. I was just imagining how someonemight feel after losing me, an existence much like the sun."G.o.dou could only laugh wryly in response to her usual confident andimposing manner."Let"s put that aside. We have a real crisis over here."" Yes. And it truly seems like a real crisis."After a brief explanation, Erica commented with indifference.Furthermore, she even added the following remark calmly:"Well, whenever you feel lost, know that your heart has already made itsdecision. Just do as you feel. I will back you up properly once we convergelater.""My heart has already made its decision?"No way. Being unclear on what to do was the exact reason why he wantedto talk to someone.But Erica carried on indifferently."The Kusanagi G.o.dou I know, is a person who acts without a moment"shesitation when he wants to defeat someone. Yes, it is impossible toimagine someone who grew up in peaceful modern j.a.pan to have suchbold decisiveness.""I am a veritable pacifist and member of modern civilized society. Stopmaking these strange descriptions.""What"s wrong? I"ve always thought, that G.o.dou here, is similar to thoseearly equestrian tribes enamored with civilization. Acting civilized duringtimes of peace but completely merciless in battle. And about to beaccustomed to a vagrant life requiring great decisiveness."What was Erica trying to say? G.o.dou was getting angry.If that were true then he was just a selfish inconsiderate person. Thatwould be a ma.s.sive amendment to the character description!"Do you need me to point out all the similarities between you and thenomadic Mongolian horde that swept through China and various nations inEurope? In that regard, I"m sure G.o.dou you don"t need any help inunderstanding...""None of your business. But really, when I feel lost my heart has alreadydecided?"Even though he completely ignored the criticism that refuted his claim tobeing a modern human, he will keep the other piece of advice in mind."When are you coming back?""It"s not like I require special permission, but I won"t be able to board aplane immediately. With the current situation, I do need to return to j.a.panas soon as possible. We will meet up first before seeing how things gofrom there. Before that, please fight as you see fit."I see. G.o.dou nodded firmly, ending the conversation with Erica.She could not return immediately to support him, but without any worry oruneasiness, he will wait for the return of the companion whom he couldtrust to watch his back.In that case, it"s really up to myself how to handle things as I see fit —Guided by that notion, G.o.dou"s thoughts naturally fell in line. Yuri andLiliana in that state must be saved. The petrified victims all have to berescued no matter what. And then there was Athena, if that troublesomeG.o.ddess also had extenuating circ.u.mstances...Abandoning someone for the sake of another, that was not G.o.dou"s styleof doing things.I will adhere to my own principles no matter what.Part 2"Sorry you had to wait, Your Majesty!"Ena arrived on the seash.o.r.e half an hour after the call to Erica had ended.As usual, she was wearing that uniform from that school located goodnessknows where, with the cloth bag slung over her shoulder carrying aj.a.panese sword. In addition, she had brought food contained inconvenience store bags, as well as outdoor equipment such as sleepingbags."...You brought all sorts of things.""I was thinking perhaps we might need to spend the night here just in case.For the moment, Amakasu-san has also arranged for lodgings nearby."Ena lightly put down the luggage on the beach as G.o.dou spoke with hiseyes widened in surprise. Perhaps due to her martial arts training andrunning around in the mountains, her legs and back must be rather strong."I was absorbed in my thoughts and it totally did not occur to me. Thanksand sorry.""Don"t worry about it. Let"s make something to eat."Saying that, Ena immediately went to work gathering fallen twigs fromnearby.She seemed to be choosing dry twigs that were not soaked by seawater.Realizing the Hime-Miko"s intentions, G.o.dou also followed suit.A few minutes later, Ena used a lighter to start a fire with the twigs andpaper they had gathered.Thus a campfire was ready. Due to excellent night vision, the lack oflighting did not pose any inconvenience, but it was still rather chilly. Havinga fire for warmth felt really great."Seishuuin doesn"t smoke, right?""Right. But lighters and matches have all kinds of convenient uses, so Ialways keep them on me."True. They were tools with many uses out in the wild.Having responded like a child of nature, Ena poured mineral water boughtfrom the convenience store into an outdoor kettle, and started boiling thewater.Then she took out two portions of cup noodles.She placed deep-fried tofu into the noodles in clear broth, and set out allsorts of deep-fried food.Deep-fried pork chop sandwiches, BLT sandwiches, hotdogs and burgers.There were also various flavors of rice b.a.l.l.s such as salmon, tarako saltedroe, kombu seaweed and plum. It seemed to be an a.s.sortment of fooditems appropriately selected from convenience store shelves."Eating outdoors like this is rather delicious.""Yeah. Cities are so nice, so easy to collect ingredients. If this was themountains, gathering food would be such a ch.o.r.e."The two sat around the campfire and began their meal facing each other.Since he was rather hungry, G.o.dou didn"t bother with manners and swepteverything clean.The seaweed in the cup noodles turned out to be surprisingly tasty. Thetaste seemed to seep slowly into the depths of his tired body. Ena was alsoenjoying her food with great relish.She seemed like the type who could not resist this kind of junk food.G.o.dou had heard before that the daughters of the Seishuuin family wereraised as high cla.s.s ladies back in the village..."I have done this before, but it seems like it"s been a while since I went tothe mountains."G.o.dou recalled going on trips with friends who loved the outdoors.Spending time together with Ena was like having a male friend. Eventhough G.o.dou had grown more or less accustomed to getting along withgirls, it still felt very exhausting most of the time.Incredibly, this child of nature did not make him feel the same way."Does Your Majesty like visiting the mountains? If that"s the case, go withEna. Next time Ena plans on climbing the sacred grounds of Ukokusan. It"sa place where even locals do not venture for training unless they areveterans. A very tough challenge. It"s gonna be fun.""...I think our experience with "mountains" are on completely differentlevels."The invitation felt like it was no different from a one-way trip to the afterlife.G.o.dou smiled wryly at Ena who made her suggestion with completecarefreeness."If we"re going, let"s pick somewhere less challenging. How about amountain more suitable to novices, that even Mariya can make her way upwith effort?""...Yuri too?""Yeah. If we"re going out next time, let"s bring Mariya and Liliana along aswell."G.o.dou a.s.serted.With those two"s talents, they would not need to subsist on instant food allthe time.Perhaps they would even prepare exquisite outdoor cuisine. Well, eatingso casually today turned out to be quite pleasant too. However, it wouldnot be appropriate in situations where Yuri and Liliana were present.They would probably say something like prohibiting this kind of unhealthyfood...G.o.dou recalled Liliana"s pa.s.sionate diatribe against the evils of foodadditives and trans fatty acids."Let"s rescue them tomorrow. You"ll help, right? Seishuuin.""Of course. You can rely on Ena!"G.o.dou began to ponder as he listened to the upbeat voice of theHime-Miko.He must save those two girls, as well as the others. This was alreadyestablished. The remaining problem was how to clear up the whole story ofthe troublesome G.o.ddess. Ever since night had fallen, he had beentroubled by these questions...G.o.dou was about to throw trash into the convenience store bag when henoticed something."What"s that?"There was a piece of paper in the bag.A few words in English were written on it.The scribbled handwriting read "Watch out. Here comes s.n.a.t.c.her!""Beware of thief... Something like that? When did that get in here?""Sent by a spell — hmm, no, definitely not."The Hime-Miko stared at the note as she wondered.Now that it was mentioned, Erica had used that kind of spell before, calledsomething like mailing. It was convenient magic that allowed one to sendletters to anyone freely. Ena also sent a letter of invitation into G.o.dou"sdesk once, and most likely had used the same spell."The sensation of a spell... Completely cannot be felt. Probably someoneput it in there while Ena was traveling here. Or maybe it was placed whilewe were eating...""What?"G.o.dou was completely shocked.Nevermind Kusanagi G.o.dou, for someone to be able to elude SeishuuinEna"s senses —Who could possibly have such abilities? For the Hime-Miko of the Swordwith her beast-like sensitivity to have failed to detect anything. Truly adivine level of skill!Ena also seemed taken aback. She stared at the note with a poutingexpression.Leaving that aside for now, what did they have to "beware" of?G.o.dou suddenly remembered. He had almost completely forgot that thing.He took out his cellphone and called Amakasu. It might have been lostalready.Worried thoughts occupied G.o.dou for minutes as he waited —"No no. Shaking off stalkers sure is tough. Right, looks like I have a call, issomething up?""Amakasu-san! You"re okay!?"G.o.dou was rea.s.sured to hear Amakasu"s voice just as he was worrying.The special agent of the History Compilation Committee had suddenlyappeared on the beach in his usual sloppy suit, and was walking over.As befitted the ninja, astutely appearing and disappearing without warning."Could it be, that witch Guinevere showed up?""An excellent question, Ena-san. That presence just now really was thatlady. I had to use every single spell and technique at my disposal, and ranwith my life to get here."Amakasu responded to Ena"s question with a haggard face.Then he took out the Heavenly Reverse Halberd from the pocket of his suit— the divine artifact."I knew it, this thing should probably stay with Kusanagi-san... I thinkrunning away from magi along the likes of Divine Ancestors is too much ofa burden for me...""No. I"m really sorry, but I will continue relying on you for now."G.o.dou was very worried and felt sorry for forcing a troublesome task onAmakasu.However, he bowed his head."Didn"t Mariya say before, better not let this piece of stone get nearAthena? Even though it seems okay currently while she has turned intostone, but it might not last.""...What do you mean?""...Your Majesty, I knew it."Amakasu looked very surprised, but it was Ena who deduced the situation.G.o.dou explained a.s.sertively to the two of them, as well as to petrifiedAthena."Obviously I will save everyone who has been petrified, but I have to endthings decisively with her — I don"t know in what manner, but there will bea definitive conclusion for sure. Thus I was thinking, if it results in anothersevere disaster... My humble condolences."The great G.o.ddess had said that her fate as Athena had been blemished.G.o.dou felt it was hyperbole. Be that as it may, G.o.dou was also someonewho could barely be cla.s.sified as civilized. Really, just barely.Amakasu went "oh my, things will really get hairy" and looked up at thesky, then bowed to express agreement.Ena generously nodded with total acceptance.Nevertheless, G.o.dou really felt like scratching his head in revulsion at hisdeclaration, so typical of Devil King Campiones."That said, how should we proceed specifically?"It was now late at night.Having contemplated all sorts of things, G.o.dou muttered to himself."Athena"s petrification can be released with my sword, but the problem isthe Holy Grail..."He was currently in a room on the second floor of a local residence alongthe seash.o.r.e. The lodgings Amakasu had arranged. The next day will befull of trials and it was a blessing to be able to get a good night"s rest.This house was built on a spot that had offered a wide view of the coast.If Athena made a move they would immediately be able to react. G.o.dou"swindow faced the ocean. The statue of the G.o.ddess continued to standmajestically on the winter beach. Local policemen and Committeeemployees had already sealed off the area.It was already decided that G.o.dou would be alerted by cellphone ifanything out of ordinary was observed.As a side note, the entire house had been taken for the convenience ofpolice-related personnel. There had been other families who wanted toarrange for lodgings, but they were turned away with random excuses.The only one in this room was Kusanagi G.o.dou.It was already eleven o"clock at night. However, he still had no idea how to"come to a conclusion" with Athena... Without switching on the light, G.o.doustood at the window, continuing to contemplate.Light shone in through the window from the moon and the stars. It wasroughly as bright as streetlights. Due to G.o.dou"s excellent night vision, itwas more than enough.Kacha. The door handle turned and someone walked in."Still up, Your Majesty?"It was Ena. But G.o.dou was shocked by what she was wearing."What"s going on, Seishuuin, why do you look like that?""Uh yeah. It was time to sleep so I changed."In a rare moment, Ena was speaking hesitantly.Instead of her usual school uniform, she was dressed as a miko with apure white top and a bright red hakama.Now that he recalled, he had seen Ena"s miko appearance briefly duringthe battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven."You wear a miko outfit instead of pajamas?"Isn"t that kind of blasphemous... G.o.dou averted his gaze as he spoke.This caused the premier Hi me- Miko to explain frantically."It"s not always like this. But it"d be embarra.s.sing to visit Your Majesty indirty clothes. Without any other clothing on hand, I had no choice.""What are you talking about? Don"t you just wear the same uniform all thetime?""Yeah... But tonight, we are having an affair."Did he just hear alien language? What was that girl Ena trying to say?G.o.dou instantly denied reality. But of course, things would not be settledthat easily."On this very special night, I was thinking I should clean up a bit first? Ah,Your Majesty, the bed has been prepared. T-Then, I will be in your care."Ena showed a shy expression as she made a shocking statement.Furthermore, she went over to the prepared bedding and sat down veryformally in seiza.^"W-W-W-W-W-What kind of complete nonsense are you talking about! Itmakes no sense at all!""On the contrary."Ena was no longer shy but bore a resolute expression. Her eyes were filledwith clear determination. Bathed under moonlight, a white l.u.s.ter could beseen on her prim and proper beautiful face."Your Majesty plans on fighting Athena again tomorrow, right? Rather thanslay Athena in her stone form."That was correct. It was the only way to do things for a proper conclusion.A face to face duel. To determine the victor.Of course there were other options. The Holy Grail which had robbedAthena of her immortality. If a way could be found to remove and disableit...But taking into account what Athena truly wished for, this was it."Your Majesty has been wavering all this time, right? And disaster willagain descend upon many people. But everything can be solved — yes,everything will be solved. In that case, it"s time for Ena to display somedetermination."G.o.dou was shocked. Once again, he was reminded of how adorable Enacould be.Even though he had been unaware all along, this Hime-Miko was araven-haired Yamato Nadeshiko rivaling Yuri, as well as being a veryattractive girl.This truth was now suddenly presented before him.Part 3"Ena originally planned to teach you all the knowledge about Athena.Tonight, with Your Majesty — umm, I was thinking there should be all kindsof things that needed to be done. Your Majesty is risking your life in abattle against a [Heretic G.o.d], so apart from offering knowledge there mustbe something else. That"s what Ena was thinking...""A-Apart from knowledge!?"Before he made his poignant outburst, G.o.dou was already looking for anescape route.Ena must surely be talking casually. Perhaps all she wanted to do was playgames through the night.Probably Uno or Hanafuda cards. Or maybe card games likeT21 T31Concentration 1 J or Sevens. 1 J"Even though Your Majesty is very strong, there"s still a chance of death...So before Your Majesty sets off for battle, Ena"s body will accompany YourMajesty for the night, to help restore your energy. Perhaps in case of theworst outcome, Your Majesty"s lineage can be preserved?"Her intentions were explained rather concretely.In other words, she had not misunderstood the meaning of "affair" in anyway!"P-Please calm down, Seishuuin. Let"s just sit over there first.""I"ve been sitting down calmly from the start.""T-Then sit in seiza. Sit properly and listen seriously to me.""I"m already sitting in seiza. Ena has been sitting seriously all this time. It"sYour Majesty who needs to talk seriously."All avenues of escape had been blocked. Was there no way left other thana frontal confrontation?G.o.dou crossed his legs and sat down before Ena."Well, how should I put it... I"m very grateful for your offer, but I believe thatkind of behavior is only suitable for married couples. Is that clear?"He calmly questioned her in earnest.In any situation, there was no weapon more powerful than righteoussincerity. Probably."I"ve already said it before. Ena is fine being a woman of convenience. I"mnot concerned with formalities. Besides, hasn"t Your Majesty promisedalready? To have Ena by your side always."Ena objected with a pout. It was exactly as she described.It was no longer an issue of sincerity but a matter of mental preparedness."Ah, but then again, Your Majesty did tell Ena before. Don"t say anythinglike "being a convenient woman is fine" again. Sorry, Ena forgot."Isn"t this complete daydreaming?Ena seemed to have recalled the scene that made her think that.Dejectedly, she lowered her head. Head bowed, she began to hesitate asshe muttered to herself."Still... Ena wants to be Your Majesty"s bride."A direct expression of her wish.She displayed a shyness which made her usual unbelievable behaviorseem like a sham.Faced with Ena"s current state, G.o.dou began to feel his control slipping.He would not be able to hold out for long. This was bad."After all, I still want to dress in white all over and have some kind ofceremony... Can I?""N-N-N-N-No, of course not. Having said no, umm, rather, I should sayinstead, that kind of thing is too early for us!"Finding Ena far too adorable, G.o.dou diverted his gaze and desperatelytried to explain.If he had a little more experience in dealing with these situations, perhapshe could stay cool. But now he was reaching his limit. Being alone with agirl like this.Furthermore, they had unwittingly sat on the same bedding.Her body could be touched by a simple reach of the hand. This kind ofdistance was anything but rea.s.suring.Had it been Erica, G.o.dou would usually be on high alert to prevent themood from building up to such levels (though there were times when hefailed). But this time Ena had made a surprise attack, completely ruininghis usual precautions."Come on... Why doesn"t Your Majesty want Ena to stay with you for thenight?"I beg you, please don"t plead in such a cute manner.Even though G.o.dou wanted to loudly reject her, it would be equivalent toadmitting defeat. It would be disclosing the fact that he was about tosucc.u.mb."Ah, I see. Okay."Ena suddenly stopped trying to be difficult and lowered her gaze again.Looking down — she was staring at the blanket she was fiddling with herindex finger."A girl like Ena, is not that cute and not very feminine, and neither verydignified nor virtuous. Ena can"t possibly have that kind of personality, itcan"t be helped. And Your Majesty already has so many cute girls aroundyou...""Don"t say nonsense, it"s nothing like that."Faced with Ena"s dejection, G.o.dou instinctively reached out with his handwithout thinking.He placed his hand over her pristine white hand that was fiddling with theblanket, and held it tightly."You are a beautiful and cute girl. It"s me who"s not worthy."G.o.dou spoke sincerely as he gazed into Ena"s face and eyes."Really?""Hoho, really. Believe me.""Really... If Your Majesty says so, then Ena will not doubt."The Hime-Miko of the Sword finally smiled again, and slowly closed hereyes.Tilting her face up invitingly. The message was obvious.— No choice but to make myself clear. G.o.dou quietly pondered.It was true that he simply lacked the courage to cross a certain boundary.With Erica and Yuri, as well as Liliana. It was also true that the thoughts ofother girls were surfacing in his mind.However, Ena"s sincere offering of her heart finally made him realize.Why was he still unable to act decisively? The reason? The violent desireentrenched in the deepest reaches of his heart.G.o.dou nodded. I have to do what I have decided.Drawing near Ena"s face, he took her by the lips.Their lips pressed together, intimately caressing each other, melding theirsenses into one."S-So, Your Majesty, please forgive Ena for any failings in serving you..."After a long kiss, Ena"s lips released and whispered softly.Her meekness made her usual boldness seem unreal. However, as theHime-Miko tried to loosen the collar of her white garment, G.o.dou shook hishead once again."This is enough. It"s still too early for that.""Eh eh? Ena isn"t cute enough after all...""No, it"s not like that. How should I say it... I will... you — Could you wait forthe time when I finally have the ability to shoulder all the hardship sufferedby you girls?"G.o.dou pleaded quietly. His heart was no longer in disarray.He was a man shouldering the lives of the girls close to him. The worstkind of man, one like a devil.Yet at times like this, he had to rely on their sacrifices in order to fight.Facing the absurd G.o.ds, fighting them on humanity"s behalf.Furthermore, the girls not only offered their lives but even the purity of theirthoughts and lifestyle to Kusanagi G.o.dou, displaying great will and spirit toaccommodate him.By now, G.o.dou was strongly persuading himself."Even though I"m still a student, but anyway, the problem is, I feel like I"mnot worthy enough for you to go that far for me. I — don"t want to indulgemyself in that area. I cannot lose to selfish desire.""Cannot... lose?""Hoho, sorry. I"m very grateful for your kind offer, but listen, I"m going tosay some obstinate things."He was in intimate contact with both Ena"s body and mind.Who knew if other girls might join in the future? In that case, G.o.dou"severyday life could turn into a paradise for his own personal pleasure.However, indulgence in such pleasures could easily defang himself.For the sake of battle, resolute will to face all trials and tribulations wasindispensable —It could easily be eroded.That would be unacceptable. Fights with G.o.ds or trouble-making DevilKings could arrive at any opportunity."If I accepted everything you offered, I probably wouldn"t have survived mybattles to this day. It"s still too early. I must wait until I am worthy, only thencan I calmly accept such things."All was for the sake of battle. For victory.This attractive girl"s courtship came as a total surprise.However, I have to finish tasks of higher priority first. Thus I will becompletely obstinate.Well, perhaps there existed people who say stuff like "having someone toprotect might make me stronger." People who could make themselvessound very justified. I don"t care about such justifications.My enemies are not opponents that could be defeated by that level ofstrength.The man who completely ignored ordinary life in society, only seeking totrain himself to attain the level to slice G.o.ds apart.The G.o.ddess who went so far as to bring ruin to the world simply for thesake of defeating Kusanagi G.o.dou.That was the sort of enemies G.o.dou had."...I see. Well then, no other way. Ena will wait, Your Majesty."No matter how you worded it, this was a fool"s obstinacy. Why would Enasmile and answer so confidently?"That kind of thing, I can understand. Ena also goes into the mountainsfrequently, because my power cannot be used unless the body and mindare purified. Even though it gets quite bad, and sometimes it"s quitelonely."The mystical technique of divine possession was an ultimate skill forobtaining divine spirit and power. This had been explained before.The body and mind had to be pure in order to use the technique.Letting deep mountain air diffuse through the internal organs, reaching amental realm of absolute peace. These were said to be the user"s duties.They could not permit themselves to be contaminated by the mundaneworld"s filth.Hence Ena was obliged to enter sacred mountains frequently to purifyherself. Apparently she never stayed at the village for more than a monthat a time. This was not a life that any teenaged girl should lead.Nevertheless, she had chosen this lifestyle by her own will."Please rest a.s.sured. After all, Ena is still a daughter from a family ofwarriors."The daughter of the House of Seishuuin, the Hime-Miko of the Sword.Her ancestors included daimyo during the Warring States era, explainedthe Yamato Nadeshiko cheerfully."But there were also husbands who went off to war and didn"t return for adecade. Waiting for such long durations takes great resolution. So if I lookat it that way, I will definitely be okay."She was smiling staunchly as usual. Certain that G.o.dou would one dayreciprocate her feelings, Ena spoke:"T-Therefore. Waiting is completely fine."She expressed such a wish."Anyway, l-let"s k-kiss first, okay? If so, I still want more."With her eyes looking up at G.o.dou, Ena was as adorable as a young child."If you want to fight Athena, the [Sword] is essential after all? Also... It"svery sad. Previously, I could still bear it, but I really want to spend moretime with Your Majesty, and have more contact with each other."Furthermore, her eyes glistened with tears as she pleaded. d.a.m.n.G.o.dou cursed at himself. Faced with such words, how much further couldhe endure?!He proceeded to kiss Ena silently.No, it was not that gentle. He forcefully sealed her lips."Ah...mmm. Your Majesty, so forceful... Please be more gentle..."Even though she pleaded softly, no, denied. It cannot stop.G.o.dou savagely drew Ena into his arms and leaned forward all the way.He pressed his lips upon the Hime-Miko"s soft and gentle lips. Everythingshe released out of her mouth belongs to me — her breath, saliva, words,everything was mine. A violent kiss.Beneath one pair of lips, another pair was trembling.This subtle movement further excited G.o.dou.Gasping for air, Ena"s lips let go. But it was not allowed. G.o.dou opened hismouth even wider and completely sealed the Hime-Miko"s lips.The sounds of their panting mixed together within their mouths, whilesaliva also mingled as one."Mmm... Your Majesty is so bad. Ena can"t breath..."Ena tearfully whispered.Nevertheless, Ena did not try to escape from G.o.dou"s kiss. Instead shetightly embraced G.o.dou as she pressed her adorable lips against his,wordlessly expressing more of her joyful emotions.Hence G.o.dou had nothing to worry about.He forced his tongue into Ena"s mouth, searching for her tongue. Found it.Putting forth all his strength, he used his tongue to subdue Ena"s tonguethat was wriggling like a leech.Twisting, turning and tangling. Their tongues clicked as they licked overand over again. Then boldly teased each other."Mmmhmm. Your Majesty, don"t... do... do that any more."She was already pleading.This rare display of Ena"s willfulness. It meant things had to be kicked up anotch.G.o.dou kissed pa.s.sionately as he held the premier Hime-Miko"s hand,squeezing tightly with great force, as if trying to affirm her existence. Sheimmediately responded and held him tightly in turn.Right hand held left hand.Trying to establish further connections in addition to the mouths, theybecame one through natural thoughts and feelings.— It was at this time, that G.o.dou"s heart felt like it wasgalloping/rushing/speeding away.G.o.dou possessed the sword that was Verethragna"s final incarnation, the[Warrior] that wielded the blade of wisdom. The heretical sword of spellwords that sliced apart ancient deities.For the sake of preparing this sword, he was about to forge a link ofwizardry with Ena.Nevertheless, there was another sword.Indeed. Kusanagi G.o.dou"s swords were two in number.Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi. Whether Seishuuin Ena or KusanagiG.o.dou, the divine sword that acted as their "partner."Sword and sword. Double swords. Two users.In addition, there was a new weapon —Did this divine revelation come from a Campione"s instincts? Or did it comefrom Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi?It did not matter either way. For the sake of battle, anything and everythingavailable will be used."Seishuuin. Let"s adjust our plan slightly. Now our sword — we will see ifwe can draw out new possibilities from that guy.""Yes... To obtain a new power. Your Majesty and Ena together."Ena immediately nodded to G.o.dou"s soft whispers.All said and done, she was the miko intimately connected to Ama noMurak.u.mo no Tsurugi. She, too, had received the divine revelation aboutthe sword.Part 4"Wandering without aim, clearing up when the moon is seen, whence shallbe my heart"s final destination?"G.o.dou recalled his thoughts as he listened to Ena"s spell words.The spell used by Divine Ancestor Guinevere to instruct him, had alreadybeen explained by Liliana before she was petrified. It was most likelyimparted via [Mystical Indoctrination].[Instruction] only managed to teach knowledge and could not impartmagical skills.For spellcasting, it was said that aspects of feelings and mentalpreparation were more important than the knowledge component.However, [Mystical Indoctrination] did not carry such a restriction.It was super high level magic that even the silver-haired knight was unableto perform. The spell was also useless unless performed on someone whohad already developed magical power. Furthermore, everything would beforgotten after a few days."Ready... Let"s start again."As Ena whispered, G.o.dou approached and kissed her again.In the room of this old building. Two people sat on one blanket. Despite thesame location, a new and different ritual was about to start.G.o.dou began to speak as he pressed his and Ena"s lips together."The Holy Grail is the artifact created by Divine Ancestor Guinevere whenshe was still a G.o.ddess."The spell the Hime-Miko just performed was [Shared Spiritual Perception].It was not the usual instruction spell for pa.s.sing along knowledge. Byevoking impressions and subtle feelings in the heart, it was a spell thatallowed thoughts and emotions to be shared.A spell achieved by multiple spellcasters — it was said to have been usedduring magical rituals.A spell that failed to take form if the spellcasters" thoughts were in disarray."This artifact is like the medallion Erica once entrusted to me forsafekeeping. Impossible to damage or destroy. As if embodying the truth ofthe world."Then G.o.dou began recounting the Holy Grail"s origins.G.o.d-slayer and Hime-Miko of the Sword. Both were the users of Ama noMurak.u.mo no Tsurugi. In order to confirm the sword"s target, they spoke toand kissed each other.Since the [Spell of the Holy Grail] was still in memory, it could be taughtand imparted."Back when Guinevere was a G.o.ddess, the act of creating that astoundingartifact apparently consumed the majority of her life. An immortal motherearth G.o.ddess. And then she truly died, offering the remainder of her life tothe Holy Grail as her dying wish.""No way eh... Even deities are powerless against that divine artifact..."Respite for conversation, an opportunity to breathe. Ena busily pecked atG.o.dou"s lips.Unlike the kissing earlier, she went about gently. However, or perhapsbecause having experienced bold intimate contact earlier, this felt freshand delightful instead. In this manner, she calmly applied wizardry to theCampione."Consequentially, as the child of the Grail blessed by heaven, Guinevere isthe most intimate being born from it. I learned from her that the Holy Grailis a device for absorbing the life force of mother earth G.o.ddesses. And alsothe method of activating that power."Robbing a mother earth G.o.ddess" life, storing it as magical power.In short, that was the Holy Grail"s sole function. The white star — the onethat created [Swords] must have been some other divine power."The vessel itself, cannot be damaged even if cut...""Right. But it might be possible to specifically sever the activated ability..."Having confirmed the target, the two of them motionlessly gazed at eachother before resuming contact with a light kiss.In order to exploit Kusanagi G.o.dou, Divine Ancestor Guinevere had givenhim knowledge and spellcraft.Since she had forced them on him without permission in the first place,G.o.dou was perfectly justified in using them for his own goals. So let meuse them freely as I please.The problem was whether it will work or not.Will he be able to prepare properly and sever the Grail"s function? Aftersevering it, will he obtain the desired result? But no matter what, he had totry —"Then, let"s go. Your Majesty and Ena, the two of us will use Ama noMurak.u.mo together... Hold onto this sensation..."Ena murmured and slid her tongue inside.Entering G.o.dou"s mouth with trepidation, she helplessly moved about withweak movements, searching for the other tongue.It was only during such occasions that Ena truly cowered.G.o.dou laughed wryly and fiercely intercepted Ena"s incoming tongue,sucking on it pa.s.sionately."Ah!? 1-1 still haven"t gotten used to this... Stop being such a bully..."But Ena did not flee. So there was no cause for concern.Frolicking with Ena"s tongue to his heart"s content, G.o.dou then whisperedin Ena"s ear."This way... Come this way a bit. It"s very hard to act in concert otherwise.""Ah... Mmm, mmm. Got it, but don"t bully me too much..."G.o.dou proceeded to bite her earlobe lightly and began to lick. Ena"sbreathing became progressively feeble.She laughed and slightly adjusted her breathing.Then she leaned in even closer. Even though G.o.dou was sittingcross-legged, Ena simply bent down and planted herself onto him.She then wrapped her legs around G.o.dou.In this manner, the two of them embraced each other more tightly together,face to face.Ena"s body, which had always been so energetic, was now devoid of vigoras she tightly entrusted the weight of her upper torso to G.o.dou, leaningagainst him.Pressed under Ena"s amazingly voluptuous bosom, G.o.dou fullyexperienced that sense of weight which conveyed their intimate embrace.Her sweltering body was very supple with extremely smooth skin.G.o.dou enjoyed the sensations of Ena"s entire body as he moved his handsto her back, tightly embracing her."Fuah... T-Tighter, hold me tighter. Even closer."Ena pleaded as she seemed to frown painfully.So the stronger the sense of bondage, the greater her enjoyment? Just asshe wished, G.o.dou embraced her tightly with all his strength.Held in his arms, Ena looked like she was smiling with intoxicatedhappiness."Ah... Your Majesty"s heart... I can hear it beating so loudly.""Isn"t it the same for you? Seems like you"re busy panting away."Held tightly together, they could feel the beating in each other"s chest.Then they gazed into each other"s eyes, smiling at each other and kissedagain.The two were sitting together cross-legged, entangled with each other,endlessly exchanging kisses.As more magical connections were made, G.o.dou"s excitement wastransmitted to Ena as Ena"s intoxication pa.s.sed onto G.o.dou."Your Majesty, did you know? Ena can sense Ama no Murak.u.mo sleepingin Your Majesty"s body...?"As Ena whispered during the brief respite between kisses, G.o.dou nodded.The Hime-Miko of the Sword was the divine sword"s previous wielder.Compared to the current wielder, she was better able to sense itsexistence and skillfully wield it.Ena had sensed Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi hidden in G.o.dou"s rightarm. The feeling was transmitted."Ama no Murak.u.mo... Please conjure the image of being wielded by twopeople at once. Ena"s hand, overlapping with His Majesty"s hand... Raisedup high..."This time, she slurred her words as their lips came together while theykissed.The image depicted in Ena"s heart was transmitted. Then stored into thesheathed Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi. The Hime-Miko"s pristine whitehand grasping the sword"s hilt. G.o.dou also imagined it.Ena"s hand holding the divine sword, covered by his own hand and heldeven tighter."Ah... Don"t do that, Your Majesty... It"s going to hurt, please be moregentle, slowly... I beg you..."Ena expressed her pain drowsily. If he did not proceed with greater cautionFor the sake of preventing the adorable maiden from suffering, G.o.doubegan to concentrate as hard as he could.Reaching for the delicate hand with which she prided in herswordsmanship, G.o.dou slowly placed his hand over her palm, thenintertwined his fingers with those long, slender and pale fingers of hers.Even though the action was taking place within their hearts, somehowG.o.dou could feel the smoothness of Ena"s sweat-moistened skin.G.o.dou gently held her hand as he savored that exceptionally tendersensation."Yes like that... Slowly... Ah, a little off..."The two controlled the hands imagined in their hearts in concert.The overlapping fingers were slightly off, so they carefully shifted andrepositioned. Because they were not accustomed to this task, it was similarto feeling their way through absolute darkness."Ooh... Like that... Okay... Ah, no good, too much force... It strayed again...Mmm, mmm, right, over here is... Good, that"s the way — !"Finally, G.o.dou and Ena were able to grab a hold of Ama no Murak.u.mo inits scabbard.Ena tearfully smiled at G.o.dou, having finally accomplished the task soclumsily. She must be troubled by this unfamiliar type of cooperativeaction.Overcome with tender affection, G.o.dou once again stole her lips.This time, Ena"s tongue greeted him with initiative. She must have felt itabundantly.Mixed together, the viscous saliva moistened the corners of their mouths.Thoughts and feelings melded into one.Let"s get this over with in one go. A mental image appeared of the two ofthem drawing Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi out from its scabbardtogether.Unsheathing the sword and swinging it together in perfect unison. G.o.douand Ena forged new and deeper bonds with each other through Ama noMurak.u.mo no Tsurugi.Immediately, their surroundings were met with drastic change. Their roomhad been completely surrounded by fire.Part 5Illuminated by crimson glow, the room in the residence was entirelysurrounded by burning flames.Had this been an actual fire, it would have burned the entire building to theground. Abnormally scorching hot. However, G.o.dou and Ena were the onlyones not swallowed by the tongues of fire.Clearly this was the result of some supernatural phenomena. Furthermore,the culprit"s ident.i.ty was obvious."A fire... illusion? Why would that fellow do that?""Your Majesty, that... Has appeared before Ena and us."Prompted by Ena, G.o.dou noticed.Hitherto unbeknownst to them, Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi hadmanifested. Embedded in the floor was the magnificent three-footthree-and-a-half-inch blade. The splendorous sight did not befit thiscountryside residence.However, the visual impact of the burning flames was really quite afantastic sight."Hmm. Have you learned slightly how to use me?"G.o.dou finally heard Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi"s voice clearly.Even though he had heard it during the battle against the Great SageEqualing Heaven, it was much clearer now."It"s Ena. Did you appear so that we can wield the sword together?""Correct. It would be easier for me to talk to you two like this. This will alsomean less trouble for you."True. G.o.dou nodded in agreement with this impolite answer.The divine sword which had asked to be called "partner," had been quitemeddlesome all along."It"s true that this is easier to talk... But why the fire?""You two plan on forging a new sword, right? Fire is crucial in the birth of asword."Is that so? G.o.dou coldly stared at the fire illusion.This fellow really loved making scenes, and was probably kindred spiritswith the [Boar]."Well, that is the situation. In light of what your cooperation has achieved,the a.s.sistance I can provide has expanded in scope. This is commendable.King, I shall answer your request."Despite being G.o.dou"s possession, the sword rambled on defiantly.What kind of "partner" was this? The sword acted like it was an equal. ButG.o.dou did not mind."Then you are aware of that!?""Correct. Melding sword together with sword. Two swords into one. But donot get your hopes up too high. The target is an immortal indestructibledivine artifact. It is uncertain whether my power will prove effective..."The divine sword warned calmly. Even so, G.o.dou felt very gratified.Ena was also smiling as if elated. Perhaps she had always been incommunion with the divine sword like this."By the way, you"ve been following that old gramps Susanoo for a longtime, right? What on earth is that Heavenly Reverse Halberd thing?"G.o.dou brought up the question that suddenly entered his mind.Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi had been the ancient G.o.d"s personal swordfor eons."Ahah, that? No idea. And even if I did, no comment.""Well then, did the elders say anything about why they won"t respond toEna"s queries?""No idea either. Don"t care."After repeating these cold responses, the divine sword said:"Stop asking me these kinds of things. As a sword amongst sword G.o.ds, Iam also a divinity belonging to an extremely loyal clique, right? I only careabout things related to battle. Everything else is irrelevant. Trivial thingsthat only dull the sword"s blade.""Ah yes, you"ve said that before, I remember."Ena spoke as if remembering."But then, I already noticed during the time with the Great Sage EqualingHeaven. That monkey didn"t give off this kind of impression? Other thanfighting, he also liked having fun and playing pranks.""That guy is a half-breed, miko. A hybrid G.o.d who amalgamated variouselements and divinities besides a sword G.o.d"s. Completely different frompure [Steel] descending from the most primitive lineage. That type of fellowis nowhere near as pure as me, and displays much more complicated traitsas a divinity."So I see. There were many differences in origins between G.o.ds.G.o.dou felt impressed as Ama no Murak.u.mo continued to look down at himas it spoke:"So King, just show me a man"s mettle as a partner worthy of mycooperation. If you were to lose to an earth G.o.ddess, it would taint thehonor of us swords!"Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi and the illusory flames. Both suddenlydisappeared.G.o.dou and Ena finally finished the ritual.Chirp chirp, chirp chirp. It was the sound of birds twittering.Refreshingly bright morning rays shone in from the window.— It was a good night"s rest, thought G.o.dou as he lay beneath the blanket.With a little time before becoming completely wide awake, there was a verypleasant and comfortable feeling.Opening his eyes slightly, he surveyed the room.It was still the same room. After ending the ritual, G.o.dou had fallen asleepexhausted.He checked his cellphone by his pillow for messages — none. G.o.dou feltrelieved.Nothing seemed to have happened to Athena"s statue standing on thebeach. The embarra.s.sment of sleeping through an urgent message hadbeen averted.G.o.dou began to enjoy once again the warm and comforting feeling ofcontact with the blanket and human skin.He felt a little sorry for those responsible for guarding throughout the night.He must get up earlier and prepare properly for battle. However, what waswith this reluctance to leave the warm sensation of human skin...Hmm? Skin? Human skin?His mind instantly became fully awake. G.o.dou flipped the blanket over.— Seishuuin Ena was sleeping right by his side. Could it be possible, theyhad slept together!?The memories after the ritual were fuzzy. He must have been so tired heinstantly slept like a log.But Ena"s appearance.The Hime-Miko of the Sword had taken off her miko outfit.Scattered beside the bedding were various red and white garments shehad taken off. Did she remove them before or during her sleep?Anyway, before G.o.dou"s eyes lay Seishuuin Ena, completely naked.The manner of appearance every human was born with. Voluptuous in allthe right places, yet slim and delicate everywhere else, a miraculous figure.Last witnessed at the Chuuzenji hot springs, it was the sight akin toprecious white jade.G.o.dou came to realize that the object he embraced as he slept, tenderlytreasuring its warmth, and had even toyed with and enjoyed roughly, couldit be this!"...Ah. Your Majesty woke up — lyaaah!"Ena woke up at the worst possible moment.The drowsiness only lasted briefly. Immediately coming to her senses, shegrabbed the blanket and pulled it to her side.Covering up the naked body that was being illuminated by the bright raysof the morning sun. Frantically making cute little screams."S-Seishuuin... You slept here...""Yes yes. Using divine possession yesterday was already very tiring... Ithink I fell asleep immediately after the ritual. But the memories are veryfuzzy."Not only her face, the entirety of Ena"s pale white skin had turned red.It was readily apparent from the exposed portions of her shoulders andchest, as well as her thighs and bare legs."1-1 have no idea. It feels like after the ritual, Your Majesty and I simply fellheadlong into the sheets. And then went to sleep like that.""L-Like that eh?"The two were conversing stiffly with their faces all red."B-But. Something slightly worrying... Ena can"t remember taking clothesoff... Does that mean, Your Majesty removed them?""N-N-N-No, no way. Or rather... Probably not? Umm?"G.o.dou was shocked. Even though he was completely certain he had norecollection, it also seemed like Ena did not undress herself.Hence, it could not be a.s.serted either way. Could I have done somethingso b.e.s.t.i.a.l?Bearing the heavy blow to his self image, G.o.dou walked unsteadily over tothe window.Looking out at the beach before him. It was still heavily guarded.It was finally the day to reach an ultimate conclusion with Athena —References1 . t Seiza(IEll): traditional formal j.a.panese sittingposture. t Concentration: a card game where the object is to find pairs fromoverturned cards on thetable. t Sevens: a card game where players have to form sequencesgoing up or down in suit from thesevens, kipedia.org/wiki/Sevens_(card_game)