Chapter 7 - Impossible BattlePart 1ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAR!The [Boar]"s howls reverberated across the battlefield.Using the smiting spell words to strengthen herself and her dragon mount,Erica started her a.s.sault as a sacred dragon knight. Ena also summonedAma no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi, making a comeback as the divine sworduser.The enemies were three owl-bear divine beasts. However, their masterArtio was currently not by their side.Seeing the situation advantageous to his side, G.o.dou nodded greatly."G.o.dou-san, you finally recovered!?""Then we should head over. We must support Erica and Seishuuin Ena!"Naturally, the two girls running over were Yuri and Liliana.G.o.dou discovered that the silver-haired knight was holding a slenderpouch, thirty by twenty centimeters in size. It looked quite heavy."What is that?""Authorized to use only once — A trump card. Even in a battle againstdivine beasts or G.o.ds, it will surely be effective."Although Liliana"s reply only served to pique G.o.dou"s curiosity, there wasno time for chatting.Since getting to the bottom of the matter was not essential, G.o.dou turnedto other issues instead."So, while Artio is still sealed whereas Erica and Seishuuin can easily winon their own, we should do something else first.""Of course, I shall help... So, what needs to be done?""I want to request the two of you to tell me what you know about Artio.Because she should be back soon, this is still necessary. Then there"s onemore thing."G.o.dou answered Yuri"s question calmly."My body still feels heavy, so I want to use magic to heal it. The same asalways.""I also think it"s quite bad for me to be troubling you all the time, Mariya andLiliana. I"m very sorry that I"m imposing my willful request on you again. Butvery soon, I will need to fight."Soon, the battle against Doni-Artio would begin.There was nothing more important. Battle preparations must be swiftlycompleted. Bearing these thoughts, G.o.dou spoke honestly and bowed hishead."So that"s the situation. Will you help me?""K-Kusanagi G.o.dou. Helping you in and of itself is not a problem at all.""Th-This task for us — requesting the two of us, w-what on earth is it...?""Exactly what the words mean. Did I express myself poorly? I"m referring tohaving both of you together applying stuff like magic to me."G.o.dou gazed straight at the two surprised girls."I don"t like having to choose only one over the other between you two.Since you are both present, if I must request this sort of thing... I want torequest both of you together.""Y-You are saying such outrageous things with a serious face!?""Y-Yes. G.o.dou-san, that is too indecent!""But by now, hasn"t this happened several times already?"There were the times before the battles against the Great Sage EqualingHeaven or Lancelot. Naturally, G.o.dou also clearly remembered the"customary ritual" undertaken with Erica and Ena together recently.Yuri and Liliana were probably recalling the same. Their faces suddenlywent red."Either way, G.o.dou-san here is not of right mind, is that not so!?""I agree. Perhaps right now, due to the reckless way he recovered hisbody, even his mind has gone weird!?"The girls remarked one after another. However, G.o.dou shook his head."No, it"s actually the opposite."" "Opposite!?" ""Right now, I feel like I"ve returned to my original state of mind, or put itanother way, back to the origin. Or maybe I should say that I"ve come tounderstand the importance of being myself... In any case, that"s thefeeling."This was probably influenced by the way that he deliberately made himselfrealize strongly about "doing the same as usual" during the battle againstthe giant bears.Furthermore, a large amount of magical power was currently seething allover G.o.dou"s body right now. Finally, he had retrieved his source of power.This provided maximum honing of the body and mind, as well as hisactivated thought processes.Calling it worked up would be slightly inaccurate."Without unnecessary impurities, the "pure self honed to unprecedentedlevels — That"s what I feel my current state to be. In actual fact, you can seethat I"m still my usual self, right?""l-lndeed, you do not look like you have lost your presence of mind..."Compared to the time when G.o.dou was on a rampage due to Lancelot"scurse, he was currently closer to the times when invoking the [Youth]incarnation dispelled all ambivalence to reach a state of serene lucidity.Next to Liliana who was cowering, Yuri sighed deeply."...Of course, I understand this as well, G.o.dou-san, but if this really is yourtrue nature, stripped of all pretense... Then you are utterly incurable. Ibelieve that it is a disposition no different from a fiendish brute"s.""Sorry. You are quite right on this point, Mariya. I have no words to refuteat all.""Being like this despite knowing fully in your heart, that is where you areincurable, G.o.dou-san."Yuri sternly whispered while coming over to G.o.dou"s side.Then bowing her head shyly, she murmured in a voice so quiet it wasalmost inaudible."H- However, I have already made a promise with that kind of person tofollow him forever..."Despite strongly chastising Kusanagi G.o.dou"s faults, she also fullyaccepted everything about him.This was the girl named Mariya Yuri.G.o.dou could not help but embrace her in his arms. Despite accepting hisslightly violent behavior, the frail Yamato Nadeshiko slightly pushed withher arms to resist as though trying to oppose their bodies from pressingintimately together."N-No, G.o.dou-san. D-Did you not say you are requesting for both of us?""Mariya Yuri! Are you actually planning to accept Kusanagi G.o.dou"ssuggestion!?""B-Because it cannot be helped either..."In G.o.dou"s arms, the Hime-Miko quietly sighed."Liliana-san, you should know already. G.o.dou-san is the type who doeseverything to the end once he makes the decision, going so far as to fightG.o.ds obstinately.""Mariya, I"m sorry you have to follow this kind of man.""G.o.dou-san, n-not yet — "G.o.dou tenderly approached Yuri"s face and sealed her lips.Resisting this hug, she mustered strength in her arms again, trying to pushG.o.dou away. Nevertheless, her lips softly accepted the boor"s mouth.Yuri"s tongue clicked as she sucked on G.o.dou"s inserted tongue.In response, G.o.dou whispered "Mariya..." With ecstasy written on her face,Yuri nodded."You are still calling me that even in this kind of situation... Did I not tell youalready?""Mari— Yuri...""Here I am..."After he called out her name, Yuri responded with soft whispers, full ofbliss, accompanied by intoxicated breathing.Next, G.o.dou and Yuri turned their gazes towards the silver-haired knighttogether.Always straitlaced, Liliana Kranjcar was enduring their gazes with atroubled expression. Then she returned a meaningful gaze."N-Not only Mariya Yuri but I am also someone you need? For the sake offighting the G.o.ddess.""This goes without saying. You are also someone I need.""a.s.sisting G.o.dou-san all on my own would be a bit difficult, after all..."A shared mood was produced between the three of them.With unsteady steps, Liliana walked over to the other two. Then suddenly,she kissed pa.s.sionately. Hugging G.o.dou"s head tightly, she proceeded tokiss directly.Her lips, beautiful as a fairy"s, sucked audibly on G.o.dou"s lips. After lickingG.o.dou"s lips for a while, Liliana inserted her tongue into his mouth insearch for his tongue. Once she found her target, she boldly wrestled themtogether.As though trying to make up for the minutes lost due to delay, her fervorwas quite intense."1-1 will stay forever by your side. As your knight... As your woman, I shallrespond to your requests no matter how unreasonable. So, let me aswell—""Liliana...""1-1 will stay by your side. So let the three of us — "Seeing Yuri quietly bringing her face near, G.o.dou stopped kissing Lilianafor now and sucked the Hime-Miko"s lips instead. This kiss continued for along time, their saliva mixing together, with mucous membranesharmoniously making mutual contact.When G.o.dou opened his mouth for a change of air, it became Liliana"s turnto kiss.The knight"s lips sucked the lord"s lips, writhing as though enjoying thesensations."Although I know that saying this is very inappropriate... My heart ispounding nonstop."Liliana whispered softly.Then with knightly fervor, she greedily sought G.o.dou"s lips beforereleasing her mouth.Seeing Liliana pant and breathe with satisfaction, this time it was Yuri"sturn to draw her face near, attentively receiving G.o.dou"s lips that wereapproaching to kiss.Then Liliana planted a light peck on G.o.dou"s earlobe.This inspired G.o.dou with a sense of mischief and he buried his face underYuri"s chin, letting his tongue and lips slide over the Hime-Miko"s pale neck."Mmm... Mmmmm."Yuri"s body shuddered and swooned while a moan leaked out.Then the trio faced one another again with Liliana and Yuri taking turns tooffer their lips to G.o.dou. Not only that but the two girls also suckedG.o.dou"s lips together, licking with tender affection.By the time he noticed, the sense of lethargy hanging over G.o.dou"s bodyfor the past few days had already disappeared.The two girls had applied healing magic to him.Finally, his body was fully recovered. While kissing, the silver-haired knightspoke to G.o.dou as he nodded:"Virtually all the legends regarding the G.o.ddess named Artio are lost by thetime of the modern age...""Even so, considering you two, you were able to see something, right?""True, but this is unacceptable, G.o.dou-san. To think you are relying on thepower of spirit vision like this."On the other side, with kissing accompanied by reprimands, Yuri wastalking."Because seeing something does not frequently come so smoothly. Due togood fortune this time, I was able to see the G.o.ddess possessing SirSalvatore"s body, hence sensing various things.""I too, managed to barely see a few things. Please make use of it..."Sometimes taking turns, sometimes simultaneously, the two girls kissedG.o.dou"s lips.Accompanied by such behavior, a vast amount of information also flowedinto G.o.dou"s body at the same time, regarding the G.o.ddess with the nameof bear, as well as her son.Feeling the sword"s spell words completed, G.o.dou clenched his fistforcefully.Next, the violent howls of a divine beast were heard.ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!The cry of a pitch-black gigantic boar. Turning his gaze over, G.o.dou foundall three of the owl-bear divine beasts lying on the ground, their bodiescollapsed into powder, gradually turning into sand.As expected, divine beasts were no match for the [Boar] plus Erica andEna.Having achieved glorious victory and completed its mission, the [Boar]roared and disappeared.Then Uldin"s pterosaur descended from the sky. Riding on the pterosaur"sback was Erica with the reins in her hand while Ena was sitting behind her."You"re here just as I thought, G.o.dou!""Your Majesty! Ena missed you so much!"After jumping off the landed pterosaur, Erica and Ena instantly ranover — Only to be shocked.Originally supposed to be left behind in the modern age, Yuri and Lilianawere now beside Kusanagi G.o.dou. Furthermore, they were both giving offunusual airs while sticking intimately to G.o.dou.Then Ena finally spoke up in a troubled tone of voice:"Uh, why are Yuri and Liliana-san here? By the way, what are you threedoing... Ah, hmm, what would be the proper thing to say right now?""E-Ena-san!? Th-Th-Th-This is, of course, the customary ritual!""Erica... Umm, we came for the sake of helping Kusanagi G.o.dou, so weare simply doing what is perfectly natural and expected — "Three of the girls in his surroundings were in panic. Only G.o.dou in themiddle remained calm and composed.Erica sighed deeply and strode determinedly over."G.o.dou. No matter the time or place, you really are someone who alwaysexceeds my expectations. With this, I now understand completely. I can"tbelieve you even summoned Lily and Yuri, who are not supposed to behere, to indulge in pleasure or whatever.""Well, there are many circ.u.mstances on our side as well.""And my, aren"t you quite composed? Have you gone weird from somekind of curse again...? No, you have suddenly changed your att.i.tude andstarted facing your inner heart with honesty.""You can tell?""Of course. I am the girl who has always stayed by your right hand side. Ican"t believe you did this without my permission — It"s truly unforgivable!However..."After making a strong a.s.sertion, Erica suddenly went speechless.Surrounded by Yuri and Liliana"s embrace, G.o.dou held out his handtowards Erica, causing the blonde beauty to frown. Nevertheless, she stilltook up his hand and walked over.Finally, confronting G.o.dou face to face, Erica murmured slightlyindignantly:"After all, Ena-san and I have been together with G.o.dou for the past half amonth, so we"re not in any position to criticize."I see."Or perhaps, things in this area are going according to your plans?""Of course not. I"m not smart enough to accomplish this kind of thing.""Apparently so. Not only do you do things as you please, but you"re alsovery adept at ordering us around, that"s the kind of talent Kusanagi G.o.doupossesses. Truly unforgivable as a person. So, what sort of magic do youneed? As one would expect, knowledge about Artio, isn"t it?""Including that, there"s also my imperfect state of health.""Oh well."By the time he noticed, Erica had already approached even closer thanYuri and Liliana.During the conversation, she had gradually drew near and was now closeenough to the point of being right in front of G.o.dou"s eyes and nose.Caressing G.o.dou"s face gently, she spoke while sighing."Since I"m already informed of the situation, I should be helping too... Thatmust be what you"re thinking.""If you could do that, that"d be a relief for me... Ouch."Erica pinched G.o.dou"s face lightly then whispered with a seductive gaze:"Please endure this briefly, you should wholeheartedly accept a reprimandof this level. Also, G.o.dou, you should be telling this to another girl apartfrom me, shouldn"t you?""Well, of course."Erica gestured with a slight glance, prompting G.o.dou to look at thedirection she indicated. As a result, the tardy Ena was suddenly startledand ran over."E-Ena too, as long as it helps Your Majesty, Ena will do anything nomatter what!"The Hime-Miko of the Sword also ran to Erica"s side and looked up atG.o.dou.Standing tall at 180cm, G.o.dou inevitably caused girls to look up at him.After he nodded at the girls in front of him, Erica and Ena tiptoed together,trying to bring their faces close to his. Hence, G.o.dou bent down toaccommodate them."I must allow you to be able to fight without reservation...""And this is Ena and everyone"s job..."As soon as G.o.dou finished kissing Erica, he immediately kissed Ena.Then he alternated between the two girls, engaging in mutual sucking,liking, savoring. Erica and Ena accepted G.o.dou"s lips in turn, respondingwith sucking and bold movements of the tongue. Occasionally, the threesets of lips would intimately entangle with one another, making itimpossible to tell which saliva was whose.Last time, there was the night of the trio"s reunion at Colonia Agrippina.At the time, the three of them had engaged in similar behavior, butinterrupted in the middle as soon as they regained their senses.But now, the trio"s suppressed feelings from that time were set ablaze oncemore. G.o.dou, Erica and Ena indulged themselves as though in a dream.During this time, the two girls also delicately applied healing magic toG.o.dou.To be frank, G.o.dou"s ailments had already been cured earlier —Furthermore, Yuri and Liliana were dumbfounded by this suddendevelopment. The silver-haired knight abruptly recovered from her surpriseand spoke up without warning:"K-Kusanagi G.o.dou"s premier knight is me. I cannot hand over thenecessary duties to you all...! Mariya Yuri, this is too early for you, allowme to take over here — ""What are you talking about!? E-Even someone like me, I am still able tohelp G.o.dou-san!"Liliana and Yuri hugged G.o.dou"s left and right arms respectively.Consequently, G.o.dou took turns in kissing the lips presented by the girls.The ritual ended up being conducted with all four girls together.Part 2Running out of control in this manner, the aberrant ritual finally came to anend.Recovering consciousness, the quintet endured unprecedentedembarra.s.sment. With G.o.dou in the center and Erica beside him, along withYuri, Liliana and Ena, they all looked very uncomfortable.Despite being a long-awaited reunion between the five, no one could findwords to speak.After all, they were well aware that they had gone too far, knowing fully that"mental confusion caused by magic or authorities" could not be used as anexcuse for their behavior.However, Liliana murmured to speak up at last:"What an utter embarra.s.sment for me... But it is all because of Erica. Nomatter what, you should not have forced your way in like that. Knowingyou, I am quite sure you were well aware that no further magic wasneeded, right?""W-What are you talking about, Lily? That was clearly just an excuse!""Speaking of which, I have been curious ever since just now. It feels likeErica-san and Ena-san are getting along much better than before...""Well, that"s because ever since arriving in this era, we"ve been throughthick and thin together. It"s not like it was prompted by some kind of specialoccasion, honestly, there really wasn"t!""l-ln any case, the current problem is Doni and Artio!"Despite being the princ.i.p.al war criminal, G.o.dou forcibly changed thesubject.If what he engaged in until now was considered "high-speed driving," thenthis would then be "normal-speed driving." In many ways, staying in "ahoned state" indefinitely was not possible."By the way, Erica, I"m surprised you were able to borrow Uldin"s dragon."Erica and Ena had set off on their journey a week ago. However, reachingthe forest, where the Hunnic G.o.dslayer resided, would take almost amonth, even on horse.Even water routes would not work. Unlike sailing downstream, this requiredgoing opposite to the Rhine"s flow, which meant that the trip should takequite a few days."I used magic to send a letter to Ruska and Clotilde, asking them to comeover. If Uldin"s pterosaurs were used, it takes less than half a day to fly tothis area."Erica replied. Worried about Madame Aisha"s charm authority, she andEna had fled Colonia Agrippina. Then after settling down at a suitable city,she had written a letter and used [Mailing] magic to deliver it to Uldin"sfortress."...Oh yeah. There is that kind of magic!"This was magic for instantaneously transferring light objects such as lettersto a specific location.G.o.dou recalled how Erica had used it many times in the past."Well, although Ruska and Clotilde helped to persuade, it still took quite alot of effort to mobilize Uldin. In the end, we provided information from ourside.""Information?""Yes. Basically, if things go well, he would be able to conquer ColoniaAgrippina effortlessly. Then there was the appearance of the DevilKing-slaying G.o.d, easily capable of slaughtering three G.o.dslayers. Isuggested that he should come nearby to confirm the veracity of these twofacts."Not only making this type of request on account of the alliance but alsostimulating Uldin"s desire and curiosity.This really was something that Erica would do. Reportedly, the HunnicG.o.dslayer was currently in the outskirts of Colonia Agrippina with his twowives, discreetly observing the situation.It was possible that he was currently watching the battlefield fromsomewhere."If G.o.dou is slain in battle here and only Madame Aisha is able to returnalone, Uldin will probably attack Colonia Agrippina with delight. So, how isthe Madame currently?"This time, it was G.o.dou"s turn to explain the situation on his side.After getting a rough summary across, they heard the sound of joyfulcheering.Due to the appearance of the three owl-bear hybrid divine beasts as wellas G.o.dou"s rampaging [Boar], even the Franks were struck by fright.On top of that, there were also a pterosaur-mounted female knight and aswordswoman wielding a black demon blade.When it first started, the Franks all ran away from these unknown people,but as the giant beast battle gradually intensified, they gathered in onespot.Roars of the giant beasts — particularly the [Boar]"s — went as far as toshake the sky, causing the air to ring from the aftershock of supersonicwaves.The ground shook violently when the [Boar] ran. It was like an earthquake.This situation not only brought terror to the warriors but also stimulatedtheir primitive sense of faith. Alas, this was undoubtedly a battle of G.o.ds,bringing the end of the world, that was what they thought...There were roughly two thousand Franks taking part in the battle.Casualties amounted to roughly one tenth of them, no longer able to fight.Although the able-bodied ones would probably disapprove of their fleeingcomrades, quite a number of people were being abandoned on thebattlefield.Before they knew it, the Frankish warriors were overcome with terror andpain, causing them to stop fleeing.However, the owl-bear divine beasts were all defeated right in front ofthem.The [Boar], the dragon rider and the demon sword user had left already.Saved from a crisis, the Franks were filled with joy, experiencingsomething known as liberation.Nevertheless, this only lasted but a moment, because a man was floatingup from a fissure in the battlefield.Despite bearing the same face as the man whom the Franks respected astheir great chieftain, he was already dead. The G.o.ddess, who bore agrudge against the Franks, had stolen his remains and was now controllinghis body."Hohohoho. Well then, let us continue the fight."In fact, what came from his mouth was the voice of a young woman.The warrior proceeded to draw a thick and heavy blade, raising it towardsthe sky. Countless sparks appeared high in the air. This scene greatlyresembled a night performance of dazzling fireworks.However, these fireworks did not dissipate, instead remaining above theFranks in the sunny sky above —"Well then, crude barbarians... Where are the G.o.dslayers protecting you? Ifthey do not show themselves, it cannot be helped. Then I shall first bringdivine retribution upon you all."Surviving and returned from underground, the warrior approached theFranks.Countless sparks were still shining brightly high up in the air. All it wouldtake was for a portion of these lights to fall down and all the Franks wouldbe annihilated effortlessly.Just at this moment, someone among the warriors called out "Lady Aisha!"This became the start. All the warriors began to call out. Lady Aisha, OurLady the Holy Maiden, please bring us salvation, extending your hands ofmercy towards us, Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy MaidenAisha, Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha, HolyMaiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha,Holy Maiden Aisha, Holy Maiden Aisha —"We beseech you to grant us salvation, Holy Maiden!"This rowdy commotion was caused by the charm authority"s cursecombined with being cornered towards the abyss of death.Then after that.From high above — a rainbow glow of light descended from between theclouds in humanoid form.This glow drifted gently to the ground, turning into a beauty in a whiteovercoat the instant it landed.WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!Intense shouting and yelling resounded throughout this plain in Germania.Indeed, Madame Aisha was supposed to have been devoured by thelightning of salvation.Bluntly stated, she did not actually die. As the saying went, never twowithout three — As implied by this proverb, fortune"s blessing opened the[Fairy"s Corridor] once again.This was the exact same method of evacuation used against the DivineSword of Salvation"s first attack.However, using this power exhausted Aisha greatly. It also made herutterly famished.Also, on her return to the battlefield, Doni-Artio was also revived togetherwith the divine sword, with the sparks of salvation"s lightning scattered highup in the sky. In addition, there were the Franks, cheering for the HolyMaiden"s name —"Oh dear."Aisha happened to land in between Doni-Artio and the Frankish warriors.Standing in the middle, she coughed drily once. After trying to make herface as dignified as possible, she turned to face the Franks.WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!The warriors responded to her with joyful cheers of surprise. Feeling happyabout this, Aisha waved to the warriors.She could hardly contain the delight she was experiencing inside.Since the divine sword-wielding Doni-Artio was approaching, she turned toface the G.o.ddess"s direction."You have revived as well, woman G.o.dslayer. In that case, allow me tosend you and those barbarians to the grave together. Hoho, what sort ofstrange tactics will you attempt to use to attack me next?""Why are things like this... When fighting only causes a chain reaction ofhatred and sadness..."Doni-Artio was pressing forward for a head on battle.Her fierce words brought a sense of sadness to Aisha"s happy heart.Artio was a tragic G.o.ddess who had forgotten love. If possible, Aisha reallywanted to save her. However, a desperate crisis was now approachingAisha and the Franks. What should she do?"Our Lady the Holy Maiden!" "Please save us, Lady Aisha!" "Please grantus mercy, Holy Maiden!" "Please offer us your hands of salvation!" "OurLady the Holy Maiden!" "Holy Maiden!" "Our Lady the Holy Maiden!" "HolyMaiden!" "Our Lady the Holy Maiden!" "Holy Maiden!" "Our Lady the HolyMaiden!" "Holy Maiden!" "Our Lady the Holy Maiden!" "Holy Maiden!"The people"s voices came from behind nonstop.Everyone was praying, hoping to obtain protection. Everybody was wishingfor the arrival of a savior who dared to oppose the G.o.ds. Also, she wascurrently the only one capable of protecting them!Phew. She took a deep breath. Driven by the situation and the mood,Aisha made her decision."Right now, I have almost no power remaining..."Due to entering the corridor for an emergency evacuation, she was alreadythoroughly exhausted.The queen of winter"s authority had already ended due to using the trumpcard, [Underworld"s Descent], and had returned to a healing authority.However, her healing powers were temporarily reduced after reversing theauthority.Right now, Aisha"s body did not have much of anything that could be calledstrength."Even so, I still wish to protect everyone! No, I will protect you all!"Absorbing the people"s cheering, an authority inside Aisha"s body stirredfrom slumber.No matter how perfect her body"s condition, this could not be used withoutthe populace"s support. Conversely, given their support — the voices ofthose seeking protection — No matter how exhausted her body, thisauthority would still bestow Aisha with the "power to defend the populace"!"Awaken, soul of steel! Exhibit to the world the sword"s lack of mercy!""Hmm— !?"This was the divine ability that Aisha had reluctantly usurped from adragon-slaying hero.Confronted with the imminent activation of the authority named by theWitenagemot as the [Jabberwock Slayer], Doni-Artio was dumbfounded.High in the air were the sparks summoned by the Divine Sword ofSalvation. There was also the immense cheering, singing in praise of theHoly Maiden.Seeing Doni-Artio and Madame Aisha revived, G.o.dou"s group went nearwhere the Franks were gathered. Just now, G.o.dou had asked Liliana touse flight magic.Then upon seeing the newest monster, G.o.dou was greatly shocked."Another new monster appeared!""Could it be a new minion that Artio summoned!?""N-Not that..."Next to G.o.dou and Erica, Yuri whispered in a trembling voice.The Hime-Miko"s gaze was directed towards an olive-skinned beautydressed in a white overcoat. Apparently blessed with a spirit vision"sarrival, Yuri revealed the oracle in a solemn voice."The one who summoned that thing should be Madame Aisha...!""A-Aisha-san is the one who summoned that dangerous thing!?""Speaking of which, the Witenagemot"s report did have records. TheMadame apparently has an authority that can summon an unidentifiedweapon..."Ena was rendered speechless. Liliana murmured as a result of recallingwhat she had read.G.o.dou"s quintet raced towards the center of the commotion. Doni-Artio andMadame Aisha were currently facing off in front of them. Numerous sparkswere shining brightly high up in the air.Furthermore, there was a steel monster hovering in the air.A warrior with an armored upper torso. However, the warrior"s obesephysique looked rather comical. Protected all over by steel armor, not asingle inch of skin could be seen.From head to waist, the height was over ten meters tall.Unbelievably, the lower half was "mist."Black mist was spreading out from the waist"s location.Also, black rocks resembling coals were continuously spewing out fromvarious joints and gaps in the armor. These rocks rained down on theground like black bullets. These rocks ranged greatly in size, from that ofhuman heads to giant boulders capable of crushing entire houses.On the other hand, ordinary humans would definitely be severely injured oreven die if struck by any of these rocks, no matter which size.The rain of rocks also fell upon the Franks" location, causing them to evadedesperately in all directions. Even so, they still wanted to watch over theirgreat chieftain"s battle —"Everyone!"Madame Aisha cried out loudly."Staying here is very dangerous, so please do your utmost to escape! Aslong as it is on the level of injuries, I will help heal everyone later!"Warned to evacuate from the danger, the Franks started fleeing all at once.Roughly two thousand warriors scattered in all directions one after another.The fleeing warriors were all loudly yelling "uwahhhhh, uwahhhhh!"While this was happening, the spewing of black rocks finally ended. Onlyblack smoke came out from the armored archdemon for now."O lightning of salvation, crush the G.o.dslayer"s avatar!"Doni-Artio gave orders, causing the sparks in the sky to changeimmediately.Flickering, the countless sparks formed the shape of a long snake,attacking as a "serpent of lightning." Naturally, the target was thesmoke-spewing armored archdemon.The serpent"s lower jaw was stopped by the archdemon"s left gauntlet thatwas of comparable size.Enduring the attack the archdemon opened its right hand to manifest alongsword of steel. But in that very instant, the "serpent" biting its left handreleased electricity from all over its body.Naturally, being in close contact with the serpent, the archdemon suffereda violent shock.Gaps in the armor violently spewed out a great deal of steam andnumerous fireb.a.l.l.s.Speaking of fireb.a.l.l.s, they would be more accurately described as flamingchunks of rock. The rocks fell on the ground, causing fires to spreadthrough the vegetation on the plain, burning intensely. In the worst casescenario, this could lead to a great fire disaster.The archdemon spewed off fireb.a.l.l.s when damaged —Using humans as an a.n.a.logy, this should be equivalent to bleeding.However, the archdemon endured the painful blow and stabbed thesummoned longsword into the serpent"s body. As a result, the serpent"sform collapsed and scattered as sparks.The archdemon"s longsword had returned the damage inflicted by thelightning aggregate.However, after scattering for a few dozen seconds, the sparks formed aserpent again.This time, the great snake wrapped its long serpentine body around thearchdemon"s armor, then released electricity. Suffering the secondelectrical strike with its full body, the archdemon stopped moving.Steam and fireb.a.l.l.s once again gushed out from the gaps in the armor.This time, probably more than two hundred fireb.a.l.l.s fell to the ground.However, sharp blades suddenly popped out from the five fingers of thearchdemon"s left hand, the one not wielding the sword.Using this hand, the archdemon reached towards the serpent, squeezingits throat, burying the five blades into it!As a result, the serpent scattered into numerous sparks, collapsing again.But immediately, it recovered its serpent form and pulled back slightly toface off against the armored archdemon.Then the two combatants attacked with sword and lightning respectively.Both sides suffered damage, causing the archdemon to spew manyfireb.a.l.l.s again while the serpent"s form collapsed for a few dozen seconds.This scene was repeated nonstop.This stalemate battle was a fruitless slugfest."Aisha-san, what the heck is that thing!?""Oh Kusanagi-san, your body has already recovered. Thank goodness!"As G.o.dou ran over with the four girls, the Madame smiled radiantly towelcome them.To think she was able to see that G.o.dou had recovered fully, MadameAisha"s eyes were truly amazing.But while this was taking place, the armored archdemon continued itsbattle, spewing fireb.a.l.l.s towards the ground as though bleeding from thedamage received...These fireb.a.l.l.s shot quite far away, ranging from hundreds to thousands ofmeters.Although the scattered Franks had already fled the battlefield, thesefireb.a.l.l.s were still able to reach them.Of course, they were not going to stand still foolishly to get hit. Thewarriors fled even faster.All the fireb.a.l.l.s basically traced out parabolas while being shot into thedistance.Being directly under the archdemon, G.o.dou"s group and Madame Aishawere quite safe. Well, that said, there were some fireb.a.l.l.s falling nearbyand getting caught up in the intense battle was very likely."Did you really make that armored monster come out, Aisha-san!?""Yes, summoned in order to protect everyone — the Franks — This is myavatar.""The issue of protecting aside, isn"t this completely dangerous?""This cannot be helped. After all, a power to protect everyone is still armedforce, a tool of battle... Whether those who wield weapons or those whorely on weapons for protection, all shall meet their ruin as a result ofweapons. The archdemon"s authority has always been telling me thisprinciple...""But no matter how n.o.ble your explanation, you still ended up summoningthat thing."Madame Aisha had clasped her hands together before her chest as thoughin prayer, closing her eyes.Despite carrying the righteous banner of "protecting the people," armedforce was still armed force after all.These were truly golden words that should be heard properly by everyshounen and shoujo battle manga protagonist who yells "I don"t need apower that hurts people, instead, I want a power for protecting those whoare precious to me" while simultaneously abusing the use of ultimatetechniques and weapons of ma.s.s destruction.Even so, characters wielded armed force while chanting such slogans forthe sake of protecting people...This seemed to be turning into meaningless deconstruction, so G.o.douwent for a change in mood."Anyway, Aisha-san, you"re completely occupied with sustaining thatarmor, right?""Ah yes. That"s pretty much the feeling.""I understand. Then I"ll find a way to handle the rest."G.o.dou motioned to his companions with his eyes. Cover me whennecessary was the message conveyed.Then G.o.dou began to advance, aiming to engage the enemy. Namely, hewas walking towards Salvatore Doni"s body that was approaching withleisurely footsteps together with the G.o.ddess Artio"s spirit.Despite the leisure pace of walking, this did not mean the enemy had effortto spare.In order to control the Divine Sword of Salvation wielded in Doni"s righthand, Artio"s spirit must expend the majority of her concentration towardsit.With thunderous crashes, fireb.a.l.l.s kept descending on the battlefield.In a corner of this battlefield, G.o.dou was finally engaging Doni-Artio in aduel, one on one.Part 3"I am the strongest, holding all victory in my hands — "G.o.dou chanted spell words to start using another incarnation.This was the [Warrior], wielder of the blade to sever the G.o.ddess Artio"sdivinity."You"re gonna lose for sure unless you still have something up yoursleeve... I"m going all out now."A hundred or so spheres of light manifested around G.o.dou, shining asbrightly as a galaxy of stars.Naturally, these were the sword"s spell words. In response, Doni-Artiomade a straight thrust with the divine sword in her hand, pointing the bladeat G.o.dou."I must have already mentioned. Do know that I wield the sword for slayingDevil Kings, yes?""Ultimately, that sword is not for you to use. Also, you almost died fromyour fight with Doni earlier and even gave the majority of your life force asan offering to that King of the End" guy. As a result, you"re already allbeaten up to begin with."The [WarriorJ"s powers also included the ability to gain a deepunderstanding of the opponent"s condition.G.o.dou could tell that Artio was not simply covered in wounds. In hercurrent state, it would not be surprising if she were to vanish any moment."I really wish you could leave the earth as soon as possible and livesomewhere secluded like the great spiritual world...""Do you think I will listen to such advice? G.o.dslayer!"Doni-Artio slashed with superb swordsmanship.Evidently, she still had strength to spare for swinging a sword. Trulysplendid swordsmanship. However, G.o.dou dodged quite calmly, thanks tothe [Warrior]"s powers of observation telling him the timing of the strike.Since things had come to this, it could not be helped. G.o.dou had no choicebut to counterattack with full power.If possible, he wanted to neutralize the enemy in slightly safer mannerwithout annihilating the G.o.ddess. But before considering that, he had toobtain victory first!"Artio! Your name carries the meaning of "bear." In Celtic culture, this is asymbol of warriors."G.o.dou muttered in order to control the spell words of the [Sword]."The Celtic Helvetians worshiped you. They are the tribes inhabiting theland we now recognize as Switzerland. The G.o.ddess Artio was the queenof the earth that they worshiped. Furthermore, she was revered as thefierce G.o.ddess of war by the warrior social cla.s.s..."Floating in G.o.dou"s surroundings were the many spheres of light — thesword"s spell words.Accompanied by G.o.dou"s chanting, these light spheres flew towardsDoni-Artio. This was a cutting attack that no swordsman could defendagainst, akin to machine gunfire."O blood of the evil dragon Fafnir, bestow upon me the fate ofinvulnerability..."Salvatore Doni"s lips composed spell words. A man"s voice.In that instant, over a hundred Norse runes surrounded Doni"s body.Rushing towards his body, the sword"s spell words were all deflected andproceeded to disappear.This was the authority that had given G.o.dou great trouble before — the[Man of Steel] that made the user virtually indestructible."What are your intentions, Salvatore Doni?""Oh my, it"s because the G.o.ddess"s power seems to have become quiteweak."As expected, the man"s voice replied to G.o.dou who was frowning from theunexpected interference. Doni-Artio"s face began to show the usualfrivolous smile."Thinking I probably could retake my body for a bit, I tried it out.""What I mean is why the heck are you getting in my way!?"The instant G.o.dou scolded in anger, Doni"s idiotic face resumed its dignityand intellect."To think you would resort to such petty tricks to break free from mycontrol, G.o.dslayer. No matter, you shall act as my arms and legs for thetime being.""Well, looks like taking my body back completely is a bit hard."Both of these remarks came from Salvatore Doni"s mouth.However, it started with the G.o.ddess Artio"s voice followed by Doni"soriginal voice. Furthermore, his face was working overtime toaccommodate the shifting modes between intellect and idiocy.While G.o.dou was dumbfounded by this bizarre performance, the comedyduo continued to converse."I have a suggestion. Since I can help out like just now, let me manipulatemy own body. With that, you can concentrate on controlling that whateverdivine sword while allowing me to duel G.o.dou as well.""What!?""Mutually beneficial, I think it"s a very good idea.""Still a man whose words are full of madness and insanity...""No no, I"m very serious here. Kusanagi G.o.dou and I are both fated rivalsand dear friends at the same time. The relationship"s quite complicated.Without this kind of opportunity, I won"t get a serious duel. That"s becauseG.o.dou is a guy who cares a lot about appearances and won"t do it withouta special reason.""Hmm... Despite eccentric, this suggestion is not bad..."A conversation conducted by one person playing two roles wasunbelievably developing towards cooperation.Like h.e.l.l you"re gonna succeed, saying that, G.o.dou once again summonedroughly a hundred spell words of the sword. In that instant, Doni-Artio"sreleased black mist that swiftly burrowed into the ground.Furthermore, the man, whose body had been possessed by the G.o.ddessuntil just now, smiled frivolously.It was a bright and cheerful but foolish smile, reminiscent of theMediterranean sun. Undoubtedly, this was his original look."Come! If you want to annihilate Artio, defeat me first!"Doni-Artio was still holding the Divine Sword of Salvation.However, the stance was completely different from before. He was simplystanding with the divine sword dangling in his right hand. An undisciplinedstanding posture where one could feel neither the intent to attack nordefend.Now this was the posture born from the foundations of Doni"s sword ofmental nothingness. G.o.dou gulped."Artio"s spirit already left, right!? Even if you want to act like an idiot, get agrip on yourself!""You"re right and wrong at the same time. The G.o.ddess"s spirit lingersslightly in my body. She can instantly return if she wanted to. Nothing lessexpected of a ghost!""Like I said, why are you trying to get in my way!?"G.o.dou shouted at the foolishly gigging Doni.Meanwhile, G.o.dou"s companions had gathered here as well. Erica, Yuri,Liliana and Ena. They neither said anything nor acted redundantly, simplysilently watching the battle that was about to erupt between G.o.dou andDoni. This was probably out of concerns that one should not recklessly getinvolved in a duel between Campiones.High above, the archdemon was still battling the "serpent."However, the armored archdemon had imperceptibly gained theadvantage. The serpent was now enduring violent attacks unilaterally andeven suffered many swings of the archdemon"s sword. With every attack ofthe archdemon"s, the serpent"s size gradually grew smaller.G.o.dou frowned.Was it possible that Artio chose to ally with Doni for some other purposethan focusing on the archdemon"s fight?"Hohoho, thinking about unnecessary things can be very dangerous. Ihope you"ll keep your eyes on me properly.""Shut up. This is my brain so it"s my freedom to think about whatever Iwant."Grumbling, G.o.dou pushed the incomprehensible puzzle aside.He glared at Doni again. As much as he hated to admit, this man was right."d.a.m.n it. The troublesome things causing changes to history are gettingeven more complicated!""Okay okay. This is also our destiny. That of standing in opposition on thisancient stage, a fight with the world"s fate on the line — ""Like anyone would accept this kind of absurd destiny. This man-madedisaster is all caused by you!""Oh dear, I seem to think that you"re responsible for 30% or so.""I knew it, you do have some level of self-awareness. Also, I"m onlyresponsible for 20% at most."G.o.dou declared while carelessly grouping himself with Doni as birds of afeather."It can"t be helped. I"ll agree to a duel, so promise me. If I win, you"ll stayobedient and listen to my orders until we return to the modern age!""No problem, of course. But you have to beat me first!""Say all you want. You ask for pain, you"re gonna get it right now."At a glance, the two Campiones seemed to be conversing casually.But G.o.dou noticed. Doni was already making his eyes and ears as sharpas possible, trying to find the opportunity to attack.Using his eyes, he observed Kusanagi G.o.dou"s movements, expressions,eyes, footsteps, muscle tension and center of gravity.Using his ears, he listened carefully to Kusanagi G.o.dou"s voice, heart beat,the pulsation of blood vessels, footsteps and breathing.Salvatore Doni was currently putting his greatest effort into getting a graspon Kusanagi G.o.dou"s every movement. Then taking half a step — rather, hehad quietly closed in by a toe"s distance.The two of them were separated by five or six meters at most.All he needed to do was take a big step and swing his sword, then hisblade would instantly reach G.o.dou"s body.Even so, Europe"s strongest swordsman did not do that. He was using hiseyes and ears to capture G.o.dou"s every movement as much as possiblewhile gradually closing in.G.o.dou breathed in. Doni quietly took a step, his foot brushing against theground.G.o.dou breathed out. Doni quietly took a step, his foot brushing against theground.I see — G.o.dou nodded. The [Warrior] incarnation possessed powers ofobservation capable of understanding the enemy deeply. This abilityinformed him.Doni was waiting. Waiting for the instant when G.o.dou showed an"opening."That said, this was not the usual kind of "opening" found in ordinarycombat.For example, if G.o.dou were to lose patience first and step forward toattack Doni — No, the instant he intended to take a step, Doni wouldimmediately accelerate.As naturally as water flowing downhill, he would get near G.o.dou and swinghis sword. Under those conditions, when Doni was taking advantage of anopening that one would not normally call an opening, G.o.dou would end upseeing Doni appearing in front of him suddenly. Indeed. Doni was able tomove in this mysterious manner any time, shrinking his distance as easilyas entering a friend"s home, to unleash a merciless strike of his sword."Against an amateur like me, there"s no need to use weird moves likethat...""On the other hand, seeing as you"re able to make this kind of remark atthis time and place, that already proves you"ve already lost the right to callyourself an amateur."Seeing Doni make a wry expression in response to his grumbles, G.o.dousnorted.He was now able to understand Doni"s movements which used to beincomprehensible before. This was likely due to further mastering the[Warrior]"s power as well as the experience gained from prevailing in manyh.e.l.lish battlefields.As much as it was not his intention, this did indeed serve as evidence ofKusanagi G.o.dou"s growth as a Campione.Compared to the last duel, Doni was much more cautious this time.Literally without exaggeration, he was seeking to cut his opponent intohalves. He did not consider needing a second or third strike at all. This wasprecisely the reason why he did not recklessly close in.Splitting Kusanagi G.o.dou into two using the first strike —That was Doni"s only goal. This was because he knew very well thatbungled damage to G.o.dou would surely result in punishment from the[Camel] incarnation.Conversely, G.o.dou was unable to use the [Boar] suddenly for a surpriseattack."I"ve said it before at Siena. We both know each other"s tricks very well.Hohohoho, although it"s very challenging, it"s also very fun..."Doni"s smile no longer carried the usual frivolity.A warrior"s expression. The expression of a man who enjoyed combat fromthe very depths of his heart —In contrast, G.o.dou did not harbor such a side. Currently, he had neitherreceived any attack from G.o.dou nor launched any attack from his ownside. Even so, a violent vortex of killing intent and fighting spirit had startedswirling between them while both sides bided their time.Compared to all the intense battles G.o.dou had experienced thus far, thiswas a completely foreign development.Perhaps this was what one would call a battle between "masters of martialarts." Rather than swinging the sword, it was more important to read theenemy"s intentions one step ahead, so as to aim for openings. Doni wasusing mysterious movement techniques to close in while shrewdlyemploying strategy before an opportunity arose.This was truly the ultimate stage in a clash between sword and sword, fistagainst fist —As soon as the first attack was launched, that was the very instant whenthe opponent was successfully killed in one hit.Doni held the divine sword, dangling in his right hand. Using this stance ofmental nothingness, he slowly closed in again. Clearly there was still morethan four meters of separation, but for some reason, G.o.dou somehow feltthat Doni was quite near already...Just at this moment.He caught sight of Liliana in the corner of his eye.Imperceptibly, she had somehow circled over behind Doni"s back. In herhand was the slender bag she had been holding — The heavy-looking"trump card."However, the silver-haired knight swiftly waved her hand, making the bagdisappear with magic.Oh well, even with someone behind his back, Doni was still able to keeptrack of her movements using that ridiculous ultimate technique, the mind"seye. Hence, he was very likely to notice. It was quite safe to a.s.sume thatattacking was not feasible.Nevertheless, Liliana"s action caused G.o.dou"s fighting spirit to be setablaze.In other words, what the loyal knight expressed was this: You must obtainvictory one-on-one no matter what.G.o.dou nodded to acknowledge this message. And also to tell her not toworry, G.o.dou twisted his lips in a savage grin.Kusanagi G.o.dou losing in one-on-one duel against Salvatore Doni...Absolutely forbidden. Not by anyone but Kusanagi G.o.dou himself!"Let"s go, Ama no Murak.u.mo..."Although G.o.dou had no intention of exchanging blows of the sword, he stillsummoned his partner the jet-black divine sword to his right hand.Seeing this, Doni muttered "Ehe.""I never would have expected you to draw a sword. How considerate.""This is for the sake of victory. However, I don"t plan on fencing with you.After all, I definitely won"t win that way.""Yes yes. Now that"s my G.o.dou, capable of saying such things. Ahhh,come to think of it, that storm-making thing from earlier is a bittroublesome. Then it doesn"t feel like winning a sword fight.""Don"t make me laugh. Before I can start the storm, you will have choppedme to death already."On the other hand, for the same reason, G.o.dou did not worry about Doni"sfourth authority.This authority, usurped from Dionysus, the G.o.d of wine and ritual madness,was capable of causing magic and divine powers to go berserk. Quite a fairamount of time was needed to activate this authority.Thinking here, G.o.dou smiled wryly.With both sides knowing each other"s hand completely, such an opponentwas truly challenging — How interesting!"Hohoho, you"re simply adorable, summoning your sword despite knowingthat.""Shut up. At least stop saying such nonsense!""Hey hey, that"s not what you said when we were establishing ouralliance.""That agreement was sc.r.a.pped a long time ago."In contrast to the fruitless verbal sparring, the ultimate stage wasapproaching.A powerful vortex was already starting to swirl in G.o.dou and Doni"ssurroundings.This was the warning sign precipitating the activation of the "black blade,"the secret technique entrusted to G.o.dou by Athena. Salvatore Doni was asword master in every sense of the word while G.o.dou was nowhere nearanything like that. In that case, G.o.dou must seek out victory in a mannersuited to himself... That was the idea conveyed by G.o.dou"s actions."There exists nothing I cannot cut! Of course, you are no exception!""Bring it on if you think you can!"Doni took a step and performed a diagonal slash from below.At the same time, G.o.dou swung Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi, usingthese two hands that used to swing a baseball bat on a daily basis,gripping the divine sword in the same manner as a bat.G.o.dou"s target was the supreme mystic sword — the Divine Sword ofSalvation — that Doni was swinging.Using the abilities of Verethragna"s incarnation, the [Warrior], G.o.douunderstood Doni"s swordsmanship. This was a diagonal slash aiming to cutfrom the left hip to the right shoulder, unleashed from the sword danglingfrom his right hand.In response, G.o.dou swung his divine sword to intercept using theprinciples of batting against a slightly low ball aimed towards the outercorner.Using his inborn dynamic vision, a Campione"s concentration, the[Warrior]"s powers of observation, along with a former batter"s swing...The multiplied effect of all these factors allowed G.o.dou to succeed on hisfirst try. He succeeded in stopping Salvatore Doni"s slash in midswing.—Clang!The Divine Sword of Salvation and Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi clashedintensely, producing a heavy metallic sound.However, Doni"s right arm glowed with silver light at this time. He wasusing the authority of the magic sword, the [Ripping Arm of Silver].Whether the frivolous Campione was swinging a bat or a blunt sword, thisturned the weapon into a blade where no existence in this world could notbe cut...!Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi"s blade measured three feet and three anda half inches. In other words, the length of a bamboo pole exceeding onemeter.Doni"s magic sword was clashing violently with this blade, twentycentimeters or so from the tip. Then Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi wassliced through at this position.Then Doni"s magic sword continued without stopping the slash"smomentum, cutting G.o.dou"s body in half — That was originally supposed tohappen."What!?"However, Doni ended up being the one surprised.Despite combining multiple superb sword techniques, his attack did notadvance any further. The Divine Sword of Salvation was stuck to Ama noMurak.u.mo no Tsurugi, like iron drawn to a magnet. This was due to thesupergravity residing in the "black blade."Causing a gravitational storm and producing the power to suck in allexistence required a lot of time for preparation.However, the level needed to attract a single sword was a completelydifferent matter. However, just when G.o.dou"s plan was taking effect, Donialso chanted spell words."O priestesses of Bacchus, be drunk with the wine of G.o.ds!"This was the authority for making magical power and divine abilities losecontrol.In a split second, Doni did the same thing as G.o.dou. Even though invokingthe full effect required a lot of time, it was also possible to activate quicklyto achieve partial effects —The produced effect caused the suction of supergravity to release for aninstant, thus allowing the Divine Sword of Salvation to separate from Amano Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi.Swinging the divine sword, Doni stabbed at G.o.dou"s throat directly.A thrust of a.s.sured death. G.o.dou instantly moved right, narrowly evadingthe attack. However, the sword ended up stabbing deeply into his leftshoulder. Both the shoulder and his left arm lost all feeling.A very deep wound. A great volume of blood splashed out."Yahhhhhh!"In exchange for the injury, G.o.dou invoked the [Camel]. Then he executeda spinning kick aimed high!A flash of the right foot. This high kick ended up striking Doni in the templesplendidly. However, the sensation on G.o.dou"s instep felt like kickingsteel — Doni had turned into a body of steel at the last second.Seeing as that was the case, G.o.dou sent magical power to the tip of hisfoot.An explosion was produced at the contact point between Doni"s templeand the foot. Due to the impact, Doni"s head and body began to sway.This was the move G.o.dou had learnt earlier during the battle against the"King of the End."The explosion"s shock should have permeated the steel body"s interior. Hisbrain apparently shaken by the impact, Doni fell over despite having noinjuries. The impact had caused a concussion.In that very instant, G.o.dou and Doni"s gazes met.The two of them confirmed each other as formidable opponents again.G.o.dou made a sour look while Doni smiled fearlessly with delight — thencollapsed. This was their second duel.Upon reflection over the battle afterwards, in actual fact, the two of themhad merely executed two attacks each.But despite merely two exchanges, the density of content was immense!G.o.dou exhaled deeply, relieved that he was safe and sound. Furthermore,he was finally victorious over his fated rival. G.o.dou could not help but raisehis right fist and Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi up high to express hisdelight.Part 4Kusanagi G.o.dou had defeated Salvatore Doni.At the same time, high up in the sky, the armored archdemon had alsopierced the "serpent of lightning" with its longsword. The lightningaggregate was thus completely annihilated. That minion or avatar ofMadame Aisha had won."At least it"s dealt with, just barely..."Collapsing from exhaustion, Madame Aisha bent over and sat down hardon the ground.Hovering in midair, the archdemon"s form gradually turned hazy anddisappeared."I"m so hungry I can"t stand it, I won"t be able to move for now...""You finally won, G.o.dou!""King Salvatore doesn"t look like he"s still possessed."On one side, Madame Aisha was collapsed on the ground in exhaustion onher own.On the other side, G.o.dou"s surroundings were exceptionally lively. Ericaand Ena had run over with smiles written all over their faces. Yuri andLiliana were also smiling slightly further away.G.o.dou nodded to his companions. Then Erica spoke with deliberatemischief:"By the way, although this victory is indeed worth celebrating, I still feel thatyou should control your joyful emotions a little. Tentatively speaking, youare still the self-styled pacifist after all.""Tentatively" and "self-styled" are unnecessary!"G.o.dou was still holding in his right hand the Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugithat he had been raising towards the sky. The divine sword"s blade wassevered twenty centimeters from the tip. Taken together with the stabwound that Doni had inflicted on G.o.dou"s left shoulder, these couldprobably be called wounds of honor.However, the battle was not over yet."The Divine Sword of Salvation!?"Liliana suddenly cried out while looking at Doni who was lying on the side.While the Campione was sleeping with a face like a baby"s, the DivineSword of Salvation had disappeared from his hand. At some unknownpoint in time, it had stabbed itself upright in the ground, ten-odd metersahead.Also, the divine sword was surrounded by a ma.s.s of black mist."The G.o.ddess Artio... No, it"s Artio"s divine spirit!"Yuri revealed the answer, presumably seeing with the power of spiritvision.Immediately, G.o.dou and his group"s surroundings started to glow. Thisplain that had become a battlefield — the vicinity — suddenly releasedgolden light."This is... the essence of the earth?"Surveying the glowing ground, Liliana murmured in trepidation.Furthermore, the black mist surrounding the Divine Sword of Salvationscattered."Allow me to thank you, G.o.dslayer of the sword. Using the time you bought,I gradually gathered the essence of the earth..."As expected, it was the G.o.ddess Artio"s voice."Hoho. This land shall wither for a hundred years, turning into a uselesswasteland... This too, cannot be helped. This essence and my soul shallserve as subst.i.tutes for the blood of resurrection..."G.o.dou was shocked. Speaking of which, what allowed the Divine Sword ofSalvation and the "King of the End" to awaken was the G.o.ddess Artio"s lifeforce, right?"Slothful hero, descend upon here once more — "Saying that, the mist, which was the G.o.ddess"s spirit, dissipated.Completely annihilated this time.Also, the golden glow released by the ground began to contract. However,G.o.dou felt bone-chilling terror. This was because the surrounding scenerychanged as the light dissipated.Simply stated, this had become a