Chapter 5 - Incident"s Cause and True CulpritPart 1This situation had started during December .During then were Kusanagi G.o.dou"s last moments of peace. The entireworld was in tranquility just after the battle against Lancelot, the War G.o.dof the Lance, had ended. On December 3rd, he was leisurely at ease whenhis sister Shizuka"s birthday came around. Although the day for the end ofyear exams were fast approaching, when compared to a battle between adeity and a devil king, it wasn"t really a big deal.Well, there has been a bit of turmoil.Their grandpa had left for Bhutan four days before Shizuka"s birthday."Starting today, the responsibility of cooking will fall onto me for the timebeing. What"s something good I should fix up?"G.o.dou mentioned this in the academy"s courtyard while eating and idlychatting away.The scenery of his surroundings were still the same as before with thethree girls Erica Blandelli, Mariya Yuri, and Liliana Kranjcar by his side."Speaking of which, G.o.dou-san has made various kinds of dishes before.This has nothing to do with me."Yuri carried a warm smile as she spoke. She probably remembered thetime at Nikkou.However, in actuality G.o.dou had a reason for being indecisive."The problem is this. Occasionally cooking something is fine, but I feel likeI don"t have the ambition to persevere through an official daily cookingroutine.""Please don"t talk about these matters using that expression you useduring battle."Liliana made a smooth and natural a.s.sertion, however her expressionactually turned into embarra.s.sment.But there was no other way. Kusanagi G.o.dou felt that he possessed thecharacteristics of an honest and considerate person, however, he lackedthe discipline of a husband who enjoyed doing household ch.o.r.es and thedisposition of a manageable guy who was incapable of cooking."During times like these, I would have probably used curry to convenientlysolve this problem. If I were to use a large pan and fill it to the top, cookingsomething of that size would last three, four days. A simple yet convenientmethod."The reactions of the girls were all very subtle. Yuri cautiously went silent,but you could see she carried a slight bit of sorrow in her eyes as shethought about the meaning behind the question "Would this be ok?".Liliana on the other hand shook her head in distress as she thought "Sothat means this person is really ". Her face looked sullen as she sighed.As for the last person, Erica remained silent while she was eating hersandwich. Afterwards she said,"Hey G.o.dou, if it was me and you came to my house and continued toprepare those crudely made dinners several days in a row, I wouldprobably decide to revolt against the King after two days."Erica spoke with complete indifference."At least put in a little more effort. It"d be so boring if you did that.""I don"t have the guts to make those hazardous dishes that you findinteresting to put up a fight. As long as it can be prepared with simplicity,tastes good, and is nutritious, it would be good enough for me.""Even so, that is extremely dull. Doesn"t life basically revolve aroundeating?""Shizuka would probably also feel depressed as a result "After G.o.dou retorted Erica"s comments, Liliana spoke her own opinion.Yuri on the other hand casted her gaze downwards.What G.o.dou felt at this moment was the separation due to the differencesin culture between boys and girls.For the relatively easygoing, frequently exercising male, Kusanagi G.o.dou,there was absolutely nothing wrong with this sort of dietary lifestyleconsisting of "eating curry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days ina row".But, could it be that girls were different?He finished his lunch while still bearing the indecision to his problem. Oncehis afternoon cla.s.ses had concluded, his day of school was over.As soon as he returned home and put away his backpack, he would headout to purchase the ingredients for tonight"s dinner. What should Imake He stressed over this issue on his way back. Unexpectedly, hefound Liliana waiting by the entrance to his house.The Kusanagi household was located on the Nezu Sanchome shoppingdistrict.Since it was an old bookstore back in the days, the entrance on the firstfloor was directly facing the street of the shopping district. In other words,the silver-haired European girl standing at this location received a lot ofattention from the people pa.s.sing by and the neighbors. However, Lilianaremained calm and collected while disregarding their gazes and said toG.o.dou:"I was waiting for you Kusanagi G.o.dou.""Why are you here, is something wrong? Would you like to come insidefirst?""No, before going in we must first purchase tonight"s dinner ingredients."Liliana spoke firmly. G.o.dou felt puzzled and responded with "goingshopping?"."Since you, as our lord, said you didn"t have the att.i.tude to cook every day,as your number one knight it is imperative that I a.s.sist you. Let me handletonight"s dinner ok?""Eh! ?""Moreover, you don"t need to regard me as an outsider. Clearly all youneeded to do was mention "please cook tonight"s dinner". However, youneed to figure it out for yourself one day."â–¡liana"s complaint appeared to contain a slight hint of criticism in it. G.o.douhurriedly waved his hands,"T-There is no need, these problems only apply to my household.""Did you forget? I, Liliana Kranjcar, am the sole person who would certainlyundertake your personal tasks. Problems in the kitchen are of coursewithin my realm of responsibilities. Is there anything you would like to eattonight?"In the end, G.o.dou was unable to decline and thus they headed off togetheralong the shopping district.They went through butcher shops, vegetable and fruit markets, fresh fishstores, supermarkets etc.Just as G.o.dou retrieved his wallet to pay the bill, Liliana resolutely stated"the household spending is also part of my responsibilities".He had no choice but to just hand the wallet to her and let her decide howto spend the money (after all, there was no way to tell her to pay upfrontand allow him to repay the expense later).Afterwards they returned home. Liliana put on her own commonly usedap.r.o.n around her uniform and started to cook.G.o.dou was politely declined when he offered to help and was currentlybored while idly standing by.The door opened and Shizuka came in bristling with anger"Onii-chan! Rumors about you were already being spread throughout theneighborhood! I heard that today it appeared that Liliana-san andOnii-chan were together and specifically went to the shopping district toengage in a shopping date. Furthermore, you even handed your wallet toher, it"s like you guys are an engaged couple or newlyweds!"Well, what ensued was an argument. However, it would probably be bestnot to elaborate the details on this matter.On the contrary, the problematic issues arose only when he got up the nextday.Just as G.o.dou finished freshening up at six-thirty in the morning, thedoorbell rang.As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yuri wearing her uniform standingright in front of him.She was carrying a delicately made bento with an embarra.s.sed look allover her face."I"m very sorry for disturbing you this early. There is something I mustdiscuss with G.o.dou-san ""I usually wake up very early so it is fine, however, what"s the problem?"G.o.dou tensed up at this sudden morning visit."Could it be that a G.o.d has appeared somewhere?""No. It isn"t anything like that. Actually, Amakasu-san pa.s.sed on someinformation. He said that last night Liliana-san went to G.o.dou-san"s houseto make dinner.""H-How does that person know what happened here that night! ?"Amakasu is a descendant of the ninjas. His intelligence gathering could bedescribed as his forteOnce Yuri heard G.o.dou muttering to himself due to the unexpectedinformation that was gathered from him, Yuri"s expression slightly stiffened."Does that mean it was true?""Ah, haha. That girl Liliana seemed to have said "this kind of task is alsopart of my job", something like that.""About that, despite Liliana-san being your number one knight, if youcompletely rely on her good intentions, wouldn"t that feel inappropriate?Especially this time when the housework was to be done by G.o.dou-san.""I guess you"re right "G.o.dou lowered his head upon hearing her sincere advice."It"s different from everyone individually bringing food during the day.Yesterday I was spoiled by Liliana"s enthusiasm, however this is actuallyvery bad."Yuri offered her righteous opinion, but on the contrary, G.o.dou actuallyrejoiced upon hearing her words."Yes. Thank you Mariya. Speaking to me in this manner helps me out a lot.If I"m not capable of doing these type of things myself then that wouldn"t beright.""Ah, no. It is me, I was the one who spoke out of line."G.o.dou expressed his grat.i.tude while the gentle ojou-sama waspanic-stricken."I feel like G.o.dou-san is generally a well-behaved person other than yourindifference to your own conduct during important events."Yuri shyly gazed downwards and handed over the contents in her hands.She handed over the furoshiki that was in her possession the entire time."Here you go if you don"t mind, please accept this.""What is this?""I made some onigiris. If you don"t mind, please eat them in place of yourlunch.""I must say, during times like these I feel like I shouldn"t completely rely onother people"s good intentions. Especially this time since it involvesmatters related to housework."G.o.dou repeated his counterpart"s argument from before causing Yuri toinstantly raise her head."T-That"s how it should be! What I meant by having a sense of proprietywas referring to you having to behave appropriately in other aspects!""Even so, that"s still ""I want to help G.o.dou-san since you still are not used to doing housework.The complications that would arise from this is what I"m concerned about.Those that are close to you would of course share these same feelings ofconcern. So, if you don"t mind then "Yuri once again timidly handed over the bento.G.o.dou felt slightly perplexed but he still accepted it with grat.i.tude. He thensaid "come in and stay for a bit" to Yuri who was heading directly to school.Inside the bag were: salmon, plum, and bonito flake rice b.a.l.l.s with three ofeach kind.They were neatly arranged inside the bento box. G.o.dou immediatelythought about making some miso sauce and Yuri offered to help.Halfway through, G.o.dou"s role was reduced to being Mariya"s a.s.sistant asshe showed off how to prepare the Mariya family"s miso soup recipe"Onii-chan yesterday it was Liliana-san and now today it"sMariya-senpai, what"s going on? Both of them have come early in themorning!"It was obvious that this was the first thing Shizuka said when she enteredthe kitchen in the morning.By the way, Yuri and Liliana also accompanied each other shopping todayonce they got back from school."This issue is entirely the Kusanagi household"s problem. G.o.dou-san mustwork hard to maintain independency.""The responsibility of a.s.sisting the King falls to his retainers. I would rathersee him leisurely sit around and watch me complete his tasks."As they were shopping, the direction of their argument took on the form ofneverending parallel lines.During this time, Liliana"s gaze had the endurance of a composer who justfound inspiration for a composition or like a poet immersed in writingpoetry." No, wait a second. Actually in that aspect there arevarious residences with newlywed lifestyles where the bride expends alot of effort in the kitchen preparing dinner. The husband who isn"taccustomed to this field wishes to lend a hand. Their gazes accidentallyintersect, the young and tender emotions that arises it"s exactly likethis!"She nodded with approval as she spoke. Following that, she cleared herthroat and said "h-having it this way might not be so bad" and suddenlyaccepted Yuri"s viewpoint.As a result, when the three of them returned to the Kusanagi house, hestarted helping the two of them make dinner.On the way home, Shizuka once again became furious.After that, the evening of the next day came around.Erica, who had found this situation to be quite interesting when she heardabout it, brought a meat pie personally made by Arianna that had beenstored in the kitchen of the Blandelli household. Ena, who roams aroundlike a wandering traveler, also suddenly showed up and brought him twopounds of both brown rice and miso.Even Yuri and Liliana appeared together at that time .During this time, Shizuka placed a picture of her deceased paternalgrandmother and spirit tablet on the living room table."Onii-chan, come over here and kneel down for a bit. Please put your handagainst your chest, then turn around and reflect over what you did recently.Carefully reflect on this for a bit and afterwards apologize to grandma"sdeparted soul. Ah, hey, I"m not done speaking yet!"Being forced to do this without realizing what his immoral conduct was,G.o.dou evaded her to reach his room on the second floor in order to takerefuge.The other four people followed him inside. Erica started to snicker, Yuriwas completely embarra.s.sed, Liliana still kept her usual earnestexpression, and Ena showed no signs of concern ."Geez, Shizuka has recently been very irritable.""That means even G.o.dou could figure out how to solve this kind ofproblem. That was quite a difficult task."Erica commented on G.o.dou who expressed his discontent.In short, because of these unexpected circ.u.mstances it was made possiblefor his usual friends to all gather together inside G.o.dou"s room for the firsttime.Since it was an empty and dull room, even after fitting five people in there itunexpectedly didn"t feel very cramped.He took out what appeared to be either a seat cushion or sofa pillow foreach person there and all of them appropriately sat down."Well then, how capable is your Majesty at cooking?""It is hard to say after only one or two days."Seishuuin Ena"s question made G.o.dou wryly smile.She had arrived in Tokyo not too long ago after recovering from the injuriesto her body during the battle against Guinevere.Ena, who was also honing her cooking capabilities, smiled and said:"That"s perfect. Did Your Majesty go to Yuri and the others for cookinglessons today? Ena also wants to enter and study with Your Majesty."For the time being I should probably focus on my cooking responsibilities.G.o.dou had this kind of meager resolve.He didn"t want to push his responsibilities on the accommodating Yuri andLiliana since it completely matched the saying, give him an inch and he"llwant a mile. As a result, he asked them "can you please teach me the artof cooking".Nevertheless, in reality there was the restriction of his cooking level beinginadequate.While G.o.dou was dilly dallying, the girls had already decided on someother business to deliberate."Oh yeah, it"s almost Christmas. Can you teach me how to cook somethinginvolving turkey?""Will there be an event scheduled for this time of year as social conventiondictates? Are you celebrating the holidays together with Shizuka and yourmom?"After G.o.dou freely spoke, he was questioned by Liliana."No, there isn"t anything special being planned. Well, it just feels likeeveryday around that time there would be numerous visitors in the housewith Shizuka and I. Speaking of which, Nanami and the others previouslymentioned that as a guy you have to stay up and party till dawn. Givingthat a shot doesn"t seem so bad.""All the way till morning? It sounds like a lot of fun.""Mariya Yuri. If you say it like that, Kusanagi G.o.dou might actually considerpartic.i.p.ating.""Yeah. When you consider this gathering of his and the serious tone hehad not too long ago, he is heavily guilty of contradicting himself."Erica and Liliana"s tone hinted a bit of sorrow as they responded to thesmiling Yuri.Afterwards, the silver-haired knight cleared her throat and slowly began tospeak."I have a suggestion. Even though it sounds a bit ambitious, how aboutholding a Christmas party and having me be in charge of the invitations?""A party It has been quite peaceful recently so it sounds like a prettygood idea."Her suggestion came quite suddenly but G.o.dou nevertheless heavilynodded in response.However, today was December 9th. It hasn"t even been half a month sincethe battle with Lancelot. Knowing how long this kind of tranquility will lastwas quite an enigmatic matter."Well, I"m guessing it would be quite good to occasionally host a gatheringfor our group."Erica winked as she stated her opinion.Her manner of speaking really seemed to indicate she was already used toattending parties."Ah, however, can a miko normally celebrate Christmas?""Overall what we do isn"t that strict. However "Yuri wryly smiled towards G.o.dou"s inquiry. Afterwards she slightly becameat a loss for words."However?""Kaoru-san is amazing whenever it reaches this time of the year. Startingfrom the twentieth, she would have dates with girls every single day.Amazing people should behave like this, completely unfazed even whenfaced with the nagging of elders."Ena continued where her friend left off and explained to G.o.dou.Speaking of Kaoru, the girl she takes as her partner on a date is definitelyswapped every day. She has even developed the ultimate skill of havingChristmas dates with three separate people within the same day."Guess it would be best to not invite her ""Since she is someone who likes to be rowdy, I suspect she would stillshow up for a bit. However the problem lies on Ena"s behalf. Every yeararound this time Ena will head to the mountains to spend the holidays.""Hey Seishuuin, about those religious practices in the mountains, are youable to get a head start on it?"Ena clasped her hands and said "ah, I see" in response to G.o.dou"squestion.To the rigid Hime-miko of the Sword who wasn"t used to having a goodtime, G.o.dou couldn"t help but smile.Seeing this, Yuri exposed a graceful smile and Erica elegantly glancedover everyone as if she was a n.o.blewoman. Even though Liliana was theperson who had to invite other people and act as the host, she was stillvery happy.Just like this, the early parts of December have indeed been very peacefulfor G.o.dou and company.At this time, the person who brought the doom and gloom was the martialartist Lu Yinghua no, instead it was someone in this world whom hefeared the most, someone whom he was most humble to, a person whomhe was in contact with that was deemed the most supreme tyrant.Part 2"I"ve brought a message from Master."The current location was the VIP room of the Akihabara maid-themed teahouse, the "Peerless Statesman."Lu Yinghua spoke gloomily as soon as he spotted G.o.dou.Fourteen years old. A handsome youth with a slim but not particularly tallphysique. Nevertheless, an unmistakable sense of arrogance hung on hisface the same way dark circles below the eyes could not be concealed.Besides Kusanagi G.o.dou, Sayanomiya Kaoru and Amakasu Touma alsohappened to be present in the room.Those two were currently playing baccarat on one of the card game tables."From Nee-san? What a rare occasion."The unexpected report livened up G.o.dou"s spirits.It was currently after 10pm on the ninth of December after his discussionwith the girls about the party. After a lively dinner with everyone, G.o.douhad received a call from Lu Yinghua informing him "I just got back."Lu Yinghua had apparently made a trip back to Hong Kong for somereason.Hearing that he was back in Akihabara, G.o.dou looked forward to meetinghim again."Come to think of it, I haven"t contacted her all this time."The sworn elder sister Luo Cuilian. Style name Hao.^ The one peopleaddressed as Her Eminence Luo Hao. As well as being Lu Yinghua"smaster, she was the leader of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains.Friendship between gentlemen was as insipid as water J -- she was onewho lived according to this principle. Consequently, even though she andG.o.dou were sworn siblings they did not have frequent contact. In fact, thiswas the first time G.o.dou heard from her since parting at Nikkou."During my recent visit to the Mount Lu convent, Master suddenly said thefollowing."In a remote corner on the sacred peaks of Mount Emei, looking up at themoonlit sky.The transcendent beauty who rivaled the moon fairy was declaring in abeautiful voice as melodic as a musical instrument."Perhaps it would be a pleasant experience to admire the beauty of themoon together on occasion, just the two of us, siblings bound by oath. Myyoung eagle, I have a mission for you. You must take care and accomplishit as if it was your job."Hearing the demonic cult leader"s statement retold, Kaoru and Amakasuexchanged glances."Considering it"s Her Eminence, would things really be over with just moonwatching?""Hey don"t slander her. Even though she"s someone who can"t be left alonein urban areas, I think she"s quite affectionate in certain ways -- Eh, am Iwrong?"With a wry expression, G.o.dou objected to the two History CompilationCommittee members who were both older than him.Standing next to G.o.dou, Lu Yinghua shook his head with a complicatedexpression on his face."Listen to me carefully, Honored Uncle. If five or ten years had pa.s.sedsince you last parted, then sure, her words might seem a little plausible.But less than two months? Master in particular, cannot possibly desire areunion with her sworn little brother simply because she misses you!"Stated in no uncertain terms, a depressing sense of truth."I can guarantee with an oath, something suspicious is definitely going on!""Decidedly...""In any case, allow me to deliver this to Honored Uncle first. Master"sorders are to drink it up during the next full moon."Lu Yinghua handed over a little bottle containing a liquid that looked likemercury."What"ll happen if I drink it?""I expect it will lead to all kinds of trouble. Drinking it results in instanttransportation to Mount Lu where Master resides."G.o.dou shrugged in response to this rather problematic explanation that leftgreat room for elaboration.Well, it"s not like I"ll die -- thought G.o.dou to himself. Accepting the bottleand putting it away, he said:"When"s the next full moon?""It happens to be tomorrow..."Tonight, I"m gonna meet my elder sister in China--G.o.dou announced to the girls during lunch the next day. "No ordinarymeeting for sure" was Erica"s response. Saying that, she sighed. As forYuri, she pleaded "You must return safe and sound" with a graveexpression. On the other hand, Liliana offered her a.s.surance, promising"In the event of unforeseeable tragedy, I will take good care of little sisterShizuka."G.o.dou sent a text message to inform Ena who was currently training inChichibu."Please tell me about your experiences throughout the journey. However,it"d be best if you don"t die."Her reply did not seem like she was joking at all.In any case, G.o.dou could agree with her response in certain ways."Compared to tigers in human form, Nee-san sure is ten thousand timesmore fearsome..."G.o.dou muttered as he walked over to Shinjuku"s Kabukichou^ districtduring dusk.It did not feel appropriate to wear school uniform on this bustling street, sonaturally, G.o.dou had changed into casual clothing. He made his way to theaddress of a multi-tenant building. The office of Hong Kong"s Lu family waslocated on the top floor of this building, and Lu Yinghua apparently had aroom there for conducting daily affairs.Anyway, today"s destination was the rooftop of this building.Lu Yinghua was waiting right there. Furthermore, this nephew"s malesubordinates were using chalk to inscribe on the floor of the roof geometricshapes and patterns with lots of Chinese characters written on them."We welcome your grand arrival, Honored Uncle. We are now preparingthe magic circle."G.o.dou nodded to acknowledge Lu Yinghua"s martial arts salute, thenwaited for ten-odd minutes.By the time the circle was complete, the evening sun had already set andthe sky had turned completely dark. G.o.dou stood in the center of the circlewith only Lu Yinghua by his side.Mustering his determination, G.o.dou drank the bottle of silver liquid he hadreceived earlier.His first reaction was that it tasted really bad. A kind of indescribable tasterivaling Arianna"s efforts in pot-stewed cuisine. Furthermore, the instant heswallowed this viscous fluid, an exceptional sense of scorching heatseemed to be spreading from his stomach.This liquid"s effects were apparently quite astounding.It seemed to be the medium for applying Daoist arts to G.o.dou all the wayfrom distant Mount Lu.Due to the discomfort in his throat and the scorching feeling in hisstomach, G.o.dou collapsed to his knees on the floor of the rooftop. In thatvery instant...He was transported. The surrounding scenery of the Kabukichou buildingrooftop gradually dissipated and G.o.dou found himself no longer crouchingon the rooftop of the multi-tenant building in Kubukichou."Much time have pa.s.sed since our last parting, my little brother.""Nee-san...?"Hearing the beautiful voice he missed so much, G.o.dou groaned.Enduring the discomfort in his throat and stomach, G.o.dou stood up withgreat difficulty and surveyed his surroundings.This place was deep in mountains he had never been to, and consequentlynever seen before. Also, he had not been sent to the foot or even midwayup the mountain.Situated on one of the peaks of Mount Emei, this place was at substantialalt.i.tude. G.o.dou was standing on a protrusion of rock that resembled anobservation platform and offered a wide expansive view of the neighboringmountains and the world below.The greenery at the foot of various mountains, together with the swathes ofwhite snow near the mountaintops, looked as if they were far off in thedistance.Turning his gaze up, G.o.dou could see the sky filled with twinkling stars."I can"t see you, where are you?""Honored Uncle. Master is simply projecting her voice from far away."As G.o.dou looked around for signs of Luo Cuilian, Lu Yinghua informedhim.The nephew proceeded to kneel on one knee and salute with one fistagainst an open palm."Master"s might and virtue, rivaling the sun in the sky, becomes ever moredazzling for each pa.s.sing day. Your disciple Lu Yinghua reports his return,and at the same time, offers wishes of eternal longevity to wise andvalorous Master."G.o.dou was immensely impressed by how far Lu Yinghua went with thesewords of flattery.Luo Cuilian"s unique and wonderful voice was heard once more. But hermessage was exceedingly merciless."My young eagle, thank you for accomplishing your task. Now go back toyour training for I have prepared a suitable opponent. You shall be laudedif you achieve victory in one day. You pa.s.s if you do it in two. If it takes youthree days... Hmph, then I shall personally give you a good schooling.Nothing else needs to be said."Luo Cuilian had infused a certain power into these quiet words. Namely,the [Dragon"s Roar and Tiger"s Howl].The authority to turn her voice into Shockwaves of wind. The current levelof force was probably strong enough to send a light vehicle flying.ii 1 1 1Surrounded by the intangible Shockwave, Lu Yinghua took a great leapbackwards and crossed his arms in an X-shape to protect himself. True tothe name of the promising young star of the martial realm.Dodging the full brunt of the force, he was instead blown into the night skybetween the mountains. Furthermore, the magical wind continued to blow,pushing him further and further back in the air."Oowaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah . . . ! "For the very first time, G.o.dou heard the pitiful screams of his arrogantnephew.Lu Yinghua was blown away like a kite whose string was severed, fallingsomewhere amongst the peaks of the mountain range."This really doesn"t look good for Yinghua...""Do not worry. I have already summoned an appropriate opponent to theplace where this child will land. Leave him be for now."Luo Cuilian answered G.o.dou"s comment on a completely differentwavelength.Was the scene that just transpired an everyday occurrence for thismaster-disciple pair? Whether the disciple who could instantly react to anysituation, or the master who imposed her expectations upon him, neitherwere normal.Oooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooo. . . .Hearing the rumbling roars of a magical beast in the far distance, G.o.douspoke up:"Could that be Yinghua"s opponent?""Yes. Hoho... Even though I said two days would earn a pa.s.s, from what Ican tell, he pa.s.ses if he can hunt and kill this formidable foe within fourdays. So, how well will my young eagle perform?"The demonic cult leader uttered words that had long transcended therealm of strictness.G.o.dou remarked "she really is someone like that" as he nodded, praying tothe heavens for Yinghua"s safety."So, little brother. Come up directly along the mountain path. Your eldersister has been waiting impatiently."Urged by the voice of his sworn elder sister, G.o.dou got off the rock thatresembled an observation platform.He proceeded to ascend the mountain path. This place should besomewhere in the Lushan National Park in China"s Jiangxi province. Thesky was filled with stars and constellations without being shrouded by asingle cloud. A completely clear and lucid night sky.This splendorous canopy of radiant starlight was a view one could not findin gloomy urban environments."Since we are here to admire the full moon, I guess it"s lucky the sky is notovercast.""In accordance with prior wishes, I had the clouds blown away beforehand.Chasing after a cloud-hidden moon could be amusing at times.Nevertheless, tonight is the reunion of we sworn siblings after ourtwo-month separation. Truly, taking place beneath the bright full moon ismost ideal, hence those impertinent clouds have been driven away for thisoccasion."G.o.dou was merely remarking on something he noticed, but little did heexpect such a surprising answer.She turned out to be even more counter to common logic than imagined...G.o.dou thought to himself emphatically as he conversed with the swornelder sister"s voice. Soon after, he reached a pavilion.In an open area in the mountain, a little house with only a roof and no wallshad been built here.The transcendent beauty in front of this pavilion was the Campione whostood as the Ruler of the Martial Realm."You have arrived without trouble, my little brother, Kusanagi G.o.dou!"In this fashion, the sworn elder sister and younger brother were reunitedafter two months.Part 3Family name Luo. Given name Cuilian. Style name Hao.Despite having pa.s.sed the age of two hundred, she still possessed thebeautiful appearance of a late teen. Hers was beauty that put nature toshame and could bring nations to ruin. Indeed, such incomparable beautyof hers was truly transcendent.Tonight, she was dressed in Han Chinese clothing, in a style reminiscent ofa heavenly G.o.ddess.The elegance of her long flowing sleeves and lightly floating hemlines gaveone an illusion of having arrived at the heavenly emperor"s palace.But in actual fact, she was the warrior standing at the martial pinnacle andthe Daoist priestess who had reached the peak of Daoist mastery.Ingrained in her body were arts and knowledge completely surpa.s.sing allother Campiones."Why don"t you relax? Sit or lie down, whichever you want. Should you tireof moon watching, we can have a quiet conversation throughout the night.Hoho, as Devil Kings, it is not a bad idea to enjoy ourselves in a style intribute to the Seven Sages.Making such a suggestion, Luo Cuilian lowered herself on her own.And sat down on a white tiger(!) rug that had been laid over the floor of thepavilion.Another similar rug could be seen, most likely prepared for her sworn littlebrother. G.o.dou was currently wearing a winter coat, but it was merely oneintended for use in Tokyo. At the top of a mountain at such high alt.i.tudes, itwas completely ineffective.Chilling mountain air seeped into his clothes, mercilessly robbing G.o.dou ofhis body warmth.To be honest, the tiger fur rug was truly a blessing. G.o.dou immediatelybent down and sat cross-legged. At the very least, this should help keephis legs and lower torso warm.Running his hand through the striped pattern of the white tiger fur rug, itfelt extremely smooth."Was this really skinned from an actual tiger...?""Who knows? These were simply offered in tribute by members of the holycult some time ago. I"m not really aware of the details."The sworn elder sister"s uncertain answer fully convinced G.o.dou instead. Itwas definitely the real thing.He could not imagine anyone foolish enough to offer something inauthenticto Her Eminence Luo Hao."If you"re hungry, please enjoy some of these dishes. In order to receiveyou as a guest, your elder sister ended her long absence from the kitchen,bringing to life her arts of the kitchen knife once more.""Eh? Nee-san cooked personally!?"Luo Cuilian lightly waved her hand before G.o.dou as he watched in shock.Immediately, a number of large dishes appeared between them. Ladenupon them were three brightly-colored specimens of Chinese cuisine.The first dish seemed to be thick pork slices heaped over leafy vegetables.The second dish consisted often-odd springrolls arranged in a triangularshape. For some reason, the pastry wrappers were red in color.The third dish consisted of clear transparent soup. Even the wrappers ofthe floating dumplings in the soup were transparent, and they seemed tohold fillings made of diced meat and vegetables. Unbelievably, the fillingscontained all seven colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,indigo and violet, giving a bright and colorful display like a kaleidoscope."...Nee-san turns out to be someone really talented at cooking."G.o.dou remarked emphatically in admiration. Every dish without exceptionwas astoundingly phenomenal.This was not simply limited to taste. Even the appearance exhibited artisticflair like the creative masterpieces of a master chef. Combined with theextraordinary aroma, the visual impact truly made the viewer look forwardto the excellent taste."You absolutely must not disclose to others these skills possessed by LuoCuilian. Even though I once underwent training as befitted a daughter ofthe Luo family, I am now the Ruler of the Martial Realm. Putting on a showin the kitchen does not really suit my stature."Accepting the sworn little brother"s praise, Luo Cuilian smiled withsatisfaction."Expressly going against principles for the sake of offering hospitality to asworn little brother. Hohoho, even though it was fairly time consuming, theresult turned out to be surprisingly favorable."Faced with this incredible cuisine, G.o.dou eschewed modesty and took uphis chopsticks. First he went for the thickly sliced meat.Amazing! The pork was actually sliced to millimeter thickness then pileddozens of layers together in a manner akin to mille-feuille . The texture wassuch that it melted in the palate as if it were snow, dissolving into a richmeaty flavor.Next were the red springrolls. The crispy surface offered the sweet taste ofcarrots.The springrolls contained a sweet-tasting sauce. The fillings had a mixtureof several types of tubers with thickening added. The complex andwonderful interplay of differing sweet tastes immersed the tongue inpleasure without being overwhelming.Then there was the secret recipe of transparent soup and rainbow-coloreddumplings.Sipping the soup, a marvelously cool taste of sourness brought a greatrefreshing feeling to the palate. Biting into a rainbow dumpling, thedelicious taste of meat and fish, together with the savory flavor of a greata.s.sortment of vegetables played a harmonious symphony upon the tastebuds.G.o.dou was completely unable to fathom what ingredients and cookingprocesses had been used to produce these marvelous creations."Hmm. These are all wonderfully delicious without exception. It"s amazing."G.o.dou offered praise and admiration without flattery as he rapidly busiedhis chopsticks and his mouth."Is it possible that you cook for Yinghua occasionally?""Ridiculous. Cooking for the master is part of a disciple"s training. Reversalof the master-disciple relationship is not permitted. Tonight is the firstoccasion for me to step into the kitchen in seventy years.""...I see."Was this kind of life the reason his "nephew" became so depressed?This subtle thought occurred to G.o.dou as he savored the magnificentcuisine. All things considered, he was currently enjoying rare cuisine asuncommon as the occurrence of Haley"s comet.Anyway, just as G.o.dou finished the dishes offered as part of the swornelder sister"s hospitality...Luo Cuilian casually took out the moon guitar^ that had been placed byher side.As her fingernails strummed away gently, a heavenly melody seemed to fillthe clear atmosphere. The quick rhythm of her singing resounded as iffollowing the sounds of the instrument.Placing the qin on a curved stand,And sitting tranquil beside it, emotions contained.Why trouble to pluck or strum it?The wind on the strings makes it sound itself.^She probably played simply as the mood dictated rather than showing offher talents.Humming casually like an ordinary person, she strummed the musicalinstrument with her nails. But even in such an act, Luo Cuilian displayedmastery unsurpa.s.sed by anyone in the entire world.Even though he was the only audience, G.o.dou wanted to continuelistening along, mesmerized.But it was probably time for him to ask. About the matter her disciple wentso far as to a.s.sert as "definitely" suspicious."Nee-san. Do you have something you want to tell me?"G.o.dou"s probing question caused the sworn elder sister"s hand to pause inher playing."Now that you brought it up, yes, that is my intention. I wanted to recountan old tale.""An old tale?""Back then, I was already the Ruler of the Martial Realm, but due tovarious matters I was traveling in the ancient kingdom of the Turks.""Come to think of it, you recently came expressly to j.a.pan as well.""Over there, I chanced upon a rare divine artifact. Yes, a precious itemwhich had the ability to give birth to [Heretic G.o.ds] and release them uponthe world.""~A divine artifact that can give birth to G.o.ds!?"Divine artifacts, were objects similar to grimoires which had been etchedwith heavenly wisdom and the laws of sacred spells.It was common for them to possess the attribute of immortalindestructibility. These were objects that were very difficult to dispose ofonce they manifested on earth."After a convoluted series of events, I finally defeated the G.o.d that hadmanifested, and sealed the divine artifact"s power.""Ah... That"s great news."G.o.dou was relieved to hear the sworn elder sister recount her past victorynonchalantly."As a safety precaution, I took the sealed divine artifact back with me andkept it for the time being."The conversation seemed to be taking an ominous turn."A few days ago, I noticed the divine artifact had started recovering itspowers at some unknown point in time, and was once again about toproduce a [Heretic G.o.d].""Shouldn"t you get rid of such a dangerous divine artifact right awayinstead!?"He could already guess what Luo Cuilian was about to say.But G.o.dou suppressed the worry in his heart and went with the flow,probing further. No matter how unprecedented the actions of this swornelder sister were, he never expected the extent-And so, the beautiful demonic cult leader, showed an acute expression likea great general leading a million troops into battle."Of course not. What the divine artifact created was only a being less thana [Heretic G.o.d]. That kind of weak enemy is completely unworthy ofreceiving even a palm strike from me, Luo Cuilian. Dealing directly withthat kind of opponent would be a taint to my honor."The sworn elder sister who prompted G.o.dou"s ominous premonitions,followed up with this kind of statement."G.o.dou. Your insight as a king still seems rather inadequate. You need toreflect properly on this.""No, no, wait a minute. So Nee-san did you ignore that being less than a[Heretic G.o.d]? The thing created by that divine artifact! What happened toit next?""Hoho. Your elder sister was not careless. Naturally, there was a plan."The sworn elder sister displayed an arrogant smile.Not only did G.o.dou"s ominous premonition not subside, it became evenstronger. From his experience, it was certain that Luo Cuilian wouldproceed to reveal something completely beyond his expectations--"The divine artifact wishes to bring vengeance upon me. However,slaughtering that loser would taint the honor of me, Luo Cuilian. And so Icommunicated the following to the other party."Alas, this was the key sentence. As expected."My sworn little brother, Kusanagi G.o.dou, is located at the j.a.panesecapital of Tokyo. If you wish to have a rematch with me, Luo Hao, defeatmy younger brother first to demonstrate your strength. Then we shall see.""I knew it... At least tell me beforehand."As G.o.dou hung his head, the sworn elder sister smiled gently in return."This comes from your elder sister"s vast love, to bestow upon you this trialwith a merciful heart. Riding upon this victory, you shall continue along theglorious path of heroism.""Well, since the situation has already come to this, there"s no other wayaround it."Wow, my adaptability is surely surprising. Greatly impressed by himself,G.o.dou said:"Even though I know only two names out of the G.o.ds slain by Nee-san, itreally seems like you fought many G.o.ds in the past."To G.o.dou"s knowledge, Luo Cuilian"s victories included an Om pair ofBuddha Guardians and the G.o.ddess Gayatri.Well, this was the sworn elder sister after all. It felt like she had fought allsorts of G.o.ds in the past."Yes. The name of the G.o.d I slew a century and a half ago is Saturnus.^ AG.o.d from the Roman Empire and a.s.sociated with land and harvest.Furthermore--""Furthermore?""Although I get the sense there were all sorts of causes, I"ve forgottenthem."Recounting her victory, Luo Cuilian a.s.serted thus.As for this statement, rather than her memories of the past had faded overtime, it would be more accurate to say she never had any intention toreminisce over her past battles."The divine artifact seeks revenge... Nee-san, didn"t you mention that justnow?""Correct. The divine artifact, [Crown of Saturnalia]. Even though it is not aliving object it can carry a conversation. An existence infused with divinequalities to a certain extent. Since this sacred vessel displays will andperception, perhaps it is possessed by some kind of spirit.""The same kind of existence as Ama no Murak.u.mo!"Well, even if it was also made by the G.o.ds, Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugimust be ranked on a much higher level.However, there was no doubt the artifact was a troublesome existence.After that, G.o.dou was once again given "that elixir."The secret elixir which resembled mercury, said to be concoctedpersonally by the sworn elder sister.Informed that he would return to Tokyo by drinking it, G.o.dou had no choicebut to obey. Immediately, enchanted with the demonic cult leader"sinstantaneous transportation technique of [Terrain Reduction], G.o.doufound himself crouching on the rooftop of the mixed ethnic building inKubukichou.Naturally, Lu Yinghua was not present. He was still in the middle of hisspecial training(?) at Mount Lu.After arriving back in Tokyo, G.o.dou did not return home at once. Insteadhe instantly contacted his usual friends. A troublesome foe was apparentlycoming to Tokyo to defeat Kusanagi G.o.dou -- was what he told them."More accurately, it has already arrived."Deep into the night after G.o.dou"s return to Tokyo from Mount Lu, anemergency meeting was being held at the Sayanomiya residence.The one who spoke in an awkward tone of voice was Amakasu. Eventhough Ena was not present due to her mountain training, Erica, Yuri andLiliana had all hurried here. Obviously, Kaoru was also present."Indeed. More than enough time has already elapsed for it to travel here."Kaoru agreed with her subordinate"s opinion."But didn"t Yuri fail to sense any divine presence?""Yes. I have not had that kind of feeling at all lately."The Hime-Miko confirmed Erica"s question with great confidence."Produced by the divine artifact, also something not a G.o.d -- somethingless than a [Heretic G.o.d], that was what Her Eminence said?"Liliana asked for confirmation, prompting G.o.dou to nod and grumble:"Ah yes. Exactly that. d.a.m.n it, do I really need to go over there to askNee-san for more details?""What do you expect to happen? Considering Her Eminence, even ifG.o.dou goes there with a list of questions, I don"t think she will properly tellus everything we want to know.""That"s right. In this regard, even Lu Yinghua can only face her in panic."G.o.dou agreed with the red and blue knights" comments.Come to think of it, even for the youth who knew the demonic cult leaderbest, "face her in panic" was the best he could do."Regarding Heretic Saturnus, let"s start investigating from other avenues."Erica proposed as if trying to brighten the mood."Even though it was a battle between a [Heretic G.o.d] and a Campione thatoccurred a century and a half ago, it is very likely that records have beenleft behind by people near the scene and involved in the world of magic. Iwill contact Milan"s [Copper Black Cross] to begin urgent investigations.""That"s right. Turkey is actually not too far away from Italy."G.o.dou recalled it was a place regarded as the boundary between Europeand Asia.Thus ended the meeting that night, and the next day arrived.Amakasu had History Compilation Committee members running around allover Tokyo, but no clues concerning the divine artifact [Crown ofSaturnalia] had been found yet.Without the arrival of spirit visions, Yuri"s repeated meditation did not bearany fruit in obtaining divine revelation.Liliana also attempted to use witchcraft to investigate, but did not obtainany results.But there was other good news. G.o.dou received a call from Lu Yinghuathrough his cellphone."You"re safe and sound, Yinghua!""Yeah I suppose. Pursuing each other with that troublesome monster thatMaster had found from goodness knows where, running all over themountain made me half dead with exhaustion. I"m now taking advantage ofthe chaotic situation... no, resting near the foot of Mount Lu."Despite having the disposition of an extraordinary genius prodigy, he wassuch a crafty and slippery customer."That"s what Master said. If I can"t defeat it completely, I will surely suffer afatal counterattack from that monster. I have no choice but to defeat it in aslow but sure manner."Like master, like disciple? G.o.dou felt like Yinghua always had the ability tosee through the master"s bluffs.Even though G.o.dou was greatly impressed by Yinghua"s sharpperceptions, he still decided to go ahead and inquire about the matter."So Yinghua, what kind of monster is the enemy?""Uh, its body looks like some kind of cross between a tiger and a bull, pluswings as well as fur like a hedgehog. Its howls are similar to a dog"s. Canswallow a man whole in one bite. Cannot be hunted down like a normaltiger..."What he described was an unimaginable monster, supplemented further bya few outrageous statements.Yinghua definitely hunted tigers barehanded. Concluding that to himself,G.o.dou listened as Lu Yinghua continued:"Not only is it vicious, it"s also quite smart. A crafty fellow that cannot beunderestimated. What about this monster?""Defeat it as quickly as possible. Even a day earlier would be good. Thenreport immediately back to Nee-san."G.o.dou was well aware he was issuing difficult orders.Then he briefly outlined the issue with Saturnus that had happened so far."If you can say some good things to Nee-san, wouldn"t you be able to findout roughly what happened a hundred and fifty years ago, as well as thenature of that G.o.d? We need as much information as possible, every detailcounts. I know it"s tough, but you"re the only one I can rely on.""S-Since it is Honored Uncle"s orders, of course I will put forth my besteffort into it."Far away in distant Mount Lu, the nephew replied in a trembling voice."This is very challenging on many levels. Whether hunting the prey, or thetask after the hunt. In fact, the latter is three times harder than the former...Nevertheless, whatever, I will try to find a solution.""I am counting on you.""However, the surroundings of Master"s convent include not only the depthsof Mount Lu, but also a forbidden area sealed away by Master"s barrier.There"s no network since cellphone signals are out of reception, and evenelectricity, gas and running water are absent. So I will be out of contact fornow. Please understand."Indeed, such a description brought to mind natural reserves in j.a.pan suchas Yakushima^ or Shirakami-Sanchi } ^Recalling where the reunion with his sworn elder sister had taken place,G.o.dou immediately understood."After all, it"s a place where I can"t even bring in gaming devices for killingtime. There was one time when I brought a satellite cellphone and it wasmercilessly crushed. Master truly believes that the decline of moderncountries began with the invention of the steam engine.""That"s even earlier than Edison"s invention of electrical powerdistribution...""If something requires me to go to the village to handle, I"ll secretly try tosend a progress report by computer. Anyway, I don"t expect manyopportunities for that either.""Then just try your best without breaking the rules.""That"s good enough. I just need to borrow without asking for a minute ortwo."Offering mild advice to the foster nephew seemed to have secured aconfident guarantee instead."Oh by the way, if Honored Uncle wishes to contact me while I"m at MountLu, please feel free to give orders to my subordinates over at Shinjuku. So,Honored Uncle, Yinghua takes his leave."News from Erica came a few minutes after Lu Yinghua"s call ended.The manifestation of the [Heretic G.o.d] Saturnus in Turkey a hundred andfifty years ago. Members of the [Copper Black Cross] had successfullyconfirmed the sacred fruit he had left behind on earth.Part 4A small package was sent from the faraway place of Istanbul using Mailingmagic.The sender was Erica"s friend who resided in Turkey"s largest metropolis,Istanbul. He easily attained the desired results when he was dispatched tothe country where the demonic cult leader"s previous battle took place toinvestigate its traces.The first stop of his investigation took place within Turkey"s records whichrecorded a 200 year period of heretic G.o.d appearances.His focus was on the recorded history from 138 years ago where a G.o.dappeared in the Anatolia^ plains, so he immediately went to the scene ofthat occurrence. By interviewing an elderly magician, he was fortunate tofind out that his father was also an investigator for the battle in this region.Therefore, he immediately proceeded to hear out his father"s investigation.In the end, he had learned from those records that it was basicallysomething along the lines of a fight between an earth G.o.d and someCampione.However, he was fortunate to ensure himself that the fruits could bebrought back as data.It appeared that after receiving this report, Erica immediately contactedhim."Don"t worry about whether or not it"s ethical at this time. You can do ithowever you want it, just quickly send the fruits over here to me!"As a result, the little box holding the fruits was sent to her with astonishingspeed.It was said that these were the sacred fruits left behind by the heretic G.o.dSaturnus in the past. Yuri, who came into contact with the item, finallyreceived a spirit vision."The Crown of Saturnalia. The divine artifact giving rise to Heretic Saturnusis presently located at that place."In accordance to Yuri"s guidance, Amakasu quickly drove off to KasaiRinkai Park.The place where it took root was reportedly located not too far from hereon the surface of the sea .Actually, currently it was the night of December 11 th, the day after G.o.douvisited Lushan by himself."Within such a short time frame, we were able to arrive at the designatedlocation right away."G.o.dou muttered with mixed feelings while riding on the patrol boatborrowed by the History Compilation Committee through their connectionsto the j.a.panese Coast Guard.Thus, the need to issue such inconsiderate orders towards Lu Yinghuamight arise again.After depressingly thinking over this, Erica, who had a facial expressionindicating this was as it should be, exaggeratedly said:"This is just Kusanagi G.o.dou enhancing his formation. Even if you carefullyselected six or seven of the most elite figures in all of the magic guilds fromaround the world, you won"t find any place that can match us right? Ourbattle strength, investigation ability, spirit vision, magic power, negotiatingskills, and intelligence gathering are all very outstanding."Erica, Yuri, Liliana, Ena, Amakasu, Kaoru, and Lu Yinghua were allconsidered as part of his group.G.o.dou thought about these friends of his that he had grown accustomed toand nodded his head.After surveying each of the aforementioned people, everyone was clearlynot some type of superhuman (although there were many who possesseda high likelihood of becoming that sort of person). However, it is worthmentioning that the comprehensive strength of entire group was probablyat a very high level and balanced."Well, nevertheless you will be subjected to danger when your opponent isa G.o.d ""In our case, we practically had no confrontations with strange occurrencesor magicians."Liliana wryly smiled as she replied to G.o.dou"s thoughts.The scene consisted of G.o.dou, who was the leader, and the knights fromMilan. Plus, there was another member in the patrol boat who was a friendof theirs."But G.o.dou-san, is it ok to not inform Ena-san about this situation?""Uh huh, this isn"t some auspicious matter, we don"t even know what willhappen.""W-What do you mean?""If something unexpected were to happen to us, there would have to besomeone else to deal with the aftermath the most appropriate personwould probably be Seishuuin right?"G.o.dou felt his own words were a meaningless a.s.surance as he spoke.This was of course the worst outcome. However, if in the remote chance itdid happen then it would be all over. In fact, for this very reason, Amakasuand Kaoru were not with them on the patrol boat. Relevant membersshould take precautions so they are not all wiped out"Based on how she is, even if you request her to wait for the perfectopportunity over there, she will follow her own authority and come downfrom the mountain. For the time being we shouldn"t let her know.""S-So it"s like that "She must have remembered the personality of her childhood hime-mikofriend.Yuri"s expression seemed to have suddenly tensed after reluctantlyagreeing to that statement."I sense the aura of the previously envisioned Crown. Everyone please becareful."It looks like they were quickly approaching their destination. Not only didG.o.dou nod in response, but Erica and Liliana did as well.Afterwards, everyone was finally confronted with the Crown of Saturnalia.Rooted in the surface of the sea near Kasai was an emblem made out ofstone. The shape of it only resembled a sizable bird with its wings spreadopen.Suddenly, what appeared to be a parasitic tree grew on top of this bird.Furthermore, it was progressively increasing in size. In the blink of an eye,a 1000 year old giant tree no, a divine tree emerged.The divine tree"s trunk and branches permeated with hostility towards theCampione.In addition, it began releasing a very powerful incantation. It clearly wantedto combat G.o.dou."I never would"ve thought the day I would have to fight a tree wouldarrive "Moreover, it was on the surface of the sea in Tokyo Bay. There really mustbe a limit to the absurdity that occurs.Looking up at the majestic sight of the ferocious dignified colossal treefrom the deck of the patrol boat, G.o.dou calmly whispered."Is this basically the sprout of that heretic G.o.d Nee-san mentioned?""Who knows, there"s barely any viable data to make a judgment.""In that case, it would be best for the person who can determine what it isto examine it. Hey Yuri Yuri? What"s wrong?"Liliana kept to her own judgment. Erica on the other hand intended toentrust the evaluating to another person.G.o.dou and the others noticed it. The body of the hime-miko stiffened asshe stared at the thing in front of her. Standing on a branch of the divinetree was something wrapped in a grey sailcloth!For the time being it could be said its stance had a human-likeappearance. Resembling a blanket or coat, the grey sailcloth was wrappedaround his entire body.Just as its name implied, the Grey One had absolutely none of its fleshexposed."A spirit no, don"t tell me it is a divine spirit!? Is it a divine being whoserved a G.o.d in the past ?"Did she sense something? Yuri gazed at the Grey One in astonishment.After receiving the hime-miko"s attentive gaze, he dramatically rotated hisbody and hollered:"Oi oi. Miko from the island of the world"s farthest reaches! I beseech you tostop gazing upon my unsightly fall from grace!"A very coa.r.s.e ear piercing sound was made. It would give people theimpression of an indescribable, artificial way of speaking."It was humiliating, a history full of defeat. In ancient times, I retreated indefeat as I was chased from the throne. However, now there emerges anew king as a replacement!"The words he spoke simply looked like it was for self-entertainment."You are the strange crown the divine artifact"s willpower, a guardianspirit. You intend to retaliate against cult leader Luo Hao right?"G.o.dou tried calling out towards the Grey One who was sitting on a branchon the divine tree.True! True! My latest defeat was bestowed upon me by that beautifulG.o.dslayer. I sent an invitation to that person. I challenged her to battleonce again!"The Grey One shouted as he leaned back and squirmed.Erica and Liliana both sent an eye signal to each other. Yuri on the otherhand unsteadily gazed at him. At first glance his appearance would seemquite comical, however the other party was the embodiment of asupernatural existence! The girls couldn"t help but feel nervous."However, this is a complete surprise! My challenge had been declined.Instead, I get a young G.o.dslayer as a subst.i.tute! That would be you,Kusanagi G.o.dou. My new challenge is now directed towards you!""No thanks. As far as I am concerned, I hope you can leave immediately."G.o.dou felt awkward as he spoke."Any battle arrangement with me is just Nee-san"s doing.""Incorrect. I was comfortably overseeing the gathering of the people"sessence and energy to build up power, thereby allowing my sprout toawaken as the new Saturnus!"The Grey One hinted at the colossal tree he was sitting on.This tree"s sprout is the sprout of a heretic G.o.d? G.o.dou"s gazeintensified."Please, in the near future go to my divine heir, heretic Saturnus, and dobattle, Kusanagi G.o.dou!"Perhaps this is the first time a G.o.d related member has issued a request.G.o.dou frowned while being astonished at the same time."Ever since that defeat in the distant past, I have become a degenerateG.o.d. However, during this festive occasion, I can still gather divine powerwith this deteriorating body . Ha ha ha, a grand festival is needed toawaken this ancient frenzy so it can challenge you G.o.dslayers!Furthermore, more time is required!""What the h.e.l.l, after all this "G.o.dou sighed as he gazed at the Grey One who revealed an evil smile.Requesting a G.o.dslayer to let it finish its preparations in peace, the GreyOne appeared to be an underling to that divine artifact. Based on hisfrivolous manner of speaking, he doesn"t seem very bright. Instead, adunce would be a suitable description.However, since it"s like this . G.o.dou took a deep breath.He might as well display his own strength to make him quickly leaveTokyo."The one unblunted and unapproachable! Smashing covenants, sinners bepurged by the iron hammer of justice!"Suddenly the Boar was summoned. Its target was the gigantic divine treeright in front of them.Even though there was naturally some hesitation due to the potentialdestruction, this supernatural event quickly