Chapter 1 - Wound of the Divine LancePart 1The region of Brittany in France had a long history with England.The original inhabitants of Britain, the Celts, had lost their homeland to theAnglo-Saxon invasion. Around the fifth century, part of the Celts living inCornwall crossed the channel to settle in the westernmost peninsula ofFrance.People on the continent called them "Britons" which is where the name ofthe Brittany peninsula originated.Furthermore, the most legitimate of divine ancestors also had herstronghold secluded here.The Witch Queen Guinevere.Her appearance was like a cla.s.sic western doll with exquisite facialfeatures of a beautiful ten-odd-year-old girl. Clad around her slender bodywas a black dress reminiscent of funeral attire.The current location was deep within a forest, protected by a magicalbarrier.Somewhere in there was a little lake, with lush woodland along the water"sedge, adding a sense of greenery.Guinevere stood proudly on the lake sh.o.r.e, her sky-blue eyes of sapphiregazing at the surface of the lake."Sir Knight... Guinevere believes without a doubt."The figure of a knight in white armor could be seen on the surface, but hewas not underwater.This was simply a two dimensional existence projected as an image ontothe lake surface which acted as a screen."Sure enough, our lord the "King of the End" lies dormant in j.a.pan — thefar east. This is the only remaining possibility."(—Oh? And the basis for that is?)The knight on the water surface replied using a "voice" that ordinaryhumans could not hear.His name was Lancelot du Lac. Also known as the Knight of the Lake.As the guardian of witches at the pinnacles of heaven and earth, he wasthe war G.o.d protecting the divine ancestors."Intel left behind by my kin Asherah. That country once rounded up theancient tribe and concealed them. With the hero G.o.d Susanoo as theirleader, the special ability users who moved with him to the Netherworldhave been suppressing [Heretic Steel]."Guinevere explained in detail."Even the Great Sage Equaling Heaven was put to use through the GreatWizardry of the Dragon and Snake"s Seal... I had become suspicious eversince I learned of its existence. Unless something important was beingconcealed, there was no need to undertake such a monumentaloperation."(Come to think of it, that was the place you visited earlier.)Lancelot"s "voice" replied softly.He was not a typical [Heretic G.o.d]. As an underling whose mission wasguarding the Witch Queen, he was just a [G.o.d"s Shadow] maintained onearth."Yes. Due to the possibility of the sealed Great Sage Equaling Heavenbeing the "King of the End" — in order to ascertain if he was truly themaster we antic.i.p.ate, I attempted some stratagems."(However, that monkey king turns out to be a divinity quite different fromour master.)"Yes, it is regrettable that we know even less than those ancient fellows inthis regard. Which is why Guinevere stayed a while on that island toinvestigate, based on clues the deceased Asherah obtained from theKuhoudzuka family."The Kuhoudzuka was one of the Four Families leading the j.a.panesewizardry world, inheriting and adhering to ancient precepts. They werea.s.signed to various direct-controlled shrines and monasteries in j.a.pan,taking on important duties like at the Saitenguu in Nikkou.^"However, I discovered that out of all the shrines, there was one wherethey were responsible for some unknown mission, so I decided to pay avisit."(Hmm, if it is unknown then one can conclude it is "something deliberatelyconcealed," right?)"Precisely. Guinevere was lucky enough to succeed in spirit vision, andthat shrine turns out to be where the secrets of our dormant master lay. Ifwe can unravel this mystery, then the King who manifests at the end oferas will descend once more...!"Guinevere spoke as if in a trance.It must have been a good many decades since she was last reborn? Allthis time, she had been seeking the legendary hero king."I wonder if the key to the mystery lies in the lost memories of Guineverethe G.o.ddess... However, divine ancestors lose their previous life"smemories after being reborn. Even Sir Knight who once served masterdoes not know his location — correction, does not wish to know."Hence, the key to unraveling the mystery was lost.As Guinevere sighed, the white knight suddenly interrupted.(Hoho, this Knight"s only wish is to gallop across the fields, brandishing thelance, treasuring the ladies, and protect this way of life. Everything else istrivial and none of my concern. These are the reasons why this Knight hasbecome slow and cowardly.)Without a shred of hesitation or doubt.Galloping like the wind, swinging the sword like thunder. These were thetraits of the war G.o.d Lancelot.(If the comrade-in-arms is slain on the battlefield, why not just mourn hisdeath with the raising of swords and the singing of dirges, is that notenough?)A soldier through and through, only living on the battlefield.With this as his personal philosophy, the war G.o.d commented withindifference.(My apologies. If this Knight was not someone like this, the mystery wouldhave been cleared up sooner.)"No, Sir Knight is the most important one apart from the strongest of[Steel]. Do not be concerned. Rather than this, please direct your attentionto greater things."Guinevere gazed sincerely at the divine knight reflected on the surface ofthe water.She put her arms together and pleaded in earnest, begging:"I entrust you with everything, Sir Knight. Not as my shadow but as myguardian deity, [Heretic Lancelot], I beseech you to manifest."( — You realize this is a path of no return?)"Now that the place where master sleeps has essentially been identified, itwould be wrong not to take a gamble. I cannot repeat the mistake of losingto Alexandre Gascoigne six years ago."Guinevere"s previous stronghold was not located in this forest.The Fairy Realm — was the forest of fairies that connected to the placeknown as the Netherworld to humans or the Boundary of Life andImmortality as called by G.o.ds.The adventurous story of the Black Prince who discovered andsuccessfully invaded that holy sanctum —Stood as a painful memory of defeat to Guinevere."Due to falling into the Black Prince"s trap, the energy of the land we storedin the Magic Holy Grail... We lost the majority of it. The life force of thegreat earth mother G.o.ddess that we spent all our efforts gathering to offerto our master!"Guinevere once offered to hand over the Magic Holy Grail to Alec.However, she actually had no intention of following through. As the truelegitimate successor to the Holy Grail, she could simply summon it backany time by thought even if she temporarily gave it away.It was rather contemptible for Alec to see through that and attempt to takeit by force."If Sir Knight had been able to use your full power at that time, then theBlack Prince would have met his just deserts, and we would have beenable to protect the Grail properly."(The spell that sustains this Knight as your guardian... If that were to belifted...)It was unprecedented for G.o.ds to descend to the earth for the sake ofprotecting a particular person.What made this possible was thanks to the spell cast on Lancelot by acertain G.o.ddess. This was Guinevere"s previous incarnation — the greatmother earth G.o.ddess who a.s.sisted the King of the End in ancient timesand created the Holy Grail together.However, there was an arbitrary restraint. Lancelot could only manifest forshort periods of time when the Divine Ancestor was in crisis.(If this Knight were to become a [Heretic G.o.d], acting freely and goingberserk, even forgetting the original mission of protection in the frenzy ofbattle is very likely... Do you really wish to take such a risk?)"Yes, that island country"s Kusanagi G.o.dou-sama is a person sooutstanding that even Her Eminence Luo Hao holds him in high regard. Hehas even roped in the great John Pluto Smith from across the PacificOcean. If we were to start an incident, there will definitely be interferencefrom them. It is unavoidable."Six years ago, Guinevere had failed to understand the true nature ofCampiones.Now she knew. Devil King Campiones were like glowing embers thaterupted into flame at the slightest touch. Even if operations wereundertaken in secret, Campiones would still be able to see through them.Devil Kings were like lights that attracted moths in the way they discernedtheir mortal enemies the G.o.ds.Completely outrageous. They were the illegitimate children of the fool,killing and challenging G.o.ds that transcended humans.One could only prepare against them by considering the possibility of theimprobable happening.(In that case, girl, polish the divine blade left behind by the master, andmake it this Knight"s divine artifact!)"Sir Knight... That... To wake the Divine Sword of Salvation requiresobtaining steel that tears apart heaven and earth, causing the stars tocrash. You really want that?"Guinevere suddenly raised her head in response to Lancelot"s suggestion.( — Yes. Despite the lack of divine powers of prescience, this Knight canclearly smell the battle approaching in the near future. For that, this Knightrequires a new weapon. Something like that is the bare minimum!)The helmet"s visor obscured the white knight"s face, but Guinevere did notneed to see it.She was certain the war G.o.d Lancelot must be smiling, greatly delightedwith the premonition of battle."Yes... Yes! Guinevere will joyfully polish the sword for Sir Knight! Spirits ofthe earth who accepted my blessing! Offer up the Witch Queen"s treasure!"As Guinevere waved her hand at the ground, the surface was split open.Two items broke through the earth to appear.One was a ma.s.sive urn made of gold, standing at the height of a child"s.The other was a very long double-edged sword, but extremely worn andcorroded, full of rust.Though the two items came from the earth, neither of them were soiled bydirt.The large urn was the divine artifact known as the [Magic Holy Grail].The other was the steel of the King of the End"s sword. These can bethought of as his relics and avatars. Ever since the hero disappeared fromthe surface of the earth, his beloved sword also lost its l.u.s.ter and was leftbehind in the ground in its decrepit state.Part 2Half a month had pa.s.sed —On the plains of Thrace extending from southwestern Bulgaria.The suburbs of some city was visible from this place, a land full of beautifulplains. Beneath the majestic Balkan mountain range, this open countrystretched far and wide, covered by plains and farmland.Guinevere was using flight magic to descend upon this land. In the middleof this vast plain, a hole had been dug in order to bury the master"sdecrepit sword."O Steel of the King, I beseech you to awaken from this long slumber!"Guinevere chanted a song of spell words to carry out the current task.The sword was buried in the earth... All this was done to wake up the steelknown as Excalibur in King Arthur"s legends."More dazzling than gold, more pristine than silver, that is what you are.Born from the ashes of the dragon"s skeleton is the dragon-slaying steel.That is what you are!"A long broad sword that once shone with brilliant white l.u.s.ter.Its length approaching 100cm, this double-edged blade was actually quitethick, with a structure similar to a woodcutter"s chopper. However, it wasnow worn out and corroded without any l.u.s.ter, only covered by rust.This divine sword and the earth shared deep roots, and was thus buried inthe depths of the land. Now, the essence of the earth was being channeledinto the blade for the sake of restoring its lost power."The stars, the sun and the moon shall lose their brightness before you! Alltreasures shall lose their value before you! So please, I beseech you toawaken! Please let the girl who is your maidservant see the light oncemore!"There was a reason for selecting this location to revive the divine blade.The awakened steel was going to be wielded by Heretic Lancelot. Hence,choosing to awaken the sword on land with deep ties to him facilitated theforging of bonds between souls."Divine Sword of Salvation, steel amongst steel, the Witch Queenbeseeches your divine self to revive!"Finishing her chant, Guinevere raised her hand.Lightning descended upon where the ancient sword was buried. In the nextinstant, a short platinum-colored blade was suddenly thrust out.The length of the cutting edge was about 50cm or so. This shrunken sizewas the reborn form of the decrepit divine sword.Guinevere breathed out in relief."Please come and have a look, Sir Knight. Guinevere has finallysucceeded!""Succeeded... A word thou shouldst not use lightly. At the same time,yonder sharp blade is not something one can ignore, having witnessed thatthing!"The one who responded was an unexpected intruder.Guinevere"s face was full of shock as soon as she noticed the owner of thevoice."Your divine self has graced this land with your presence... Pray allowGuinevere to offer her salutations."Clutching the hem of her black dress like a n.o.blewoman"s curtsy, shebowed her head.Trying to suppress her panic as she greeted elegantly, Guinevereappeared composed but was being eroded by anxiety from within. Shenever expected this G.o.ddess to return here!Despite her appearance of a young girl, the G.o.ddess" slender body fullycarried the solemn presence of a matriarch deity. As the great mother ofthe earth, the queen of darkness, and the sky G.o.ddess of wisdom, she wasthe tripart.i.te G.o.ddess.Her name was Athena.The G.o.ddess from Greek mythology who had manifested as a [HereticG.o.d] a while ago.The divinity of the ancient earth mother G.o.ddess had been retrievedtogether with the mystic treasure, the Gorgoneion. Apparently, she hadbattled Kusanagi G.o.dou in j.a.pan a few months earlier..."For the past few days, one sensed an unusual spiritual presenceoverflowing in this old land of Thrace."Athena spoke softly like the whistling of the wind.With silver hair as if the moon had melted into it, she was in the form of anadorable ten-odd-year-old beauty, wearing modest garments in the style ofancient Greece.Facing such a girl, it would take a fool to mistake her for a harmless child.Pulsating with power that could not be concealed, one would naturallyrealize she was no ordinary person even if it was unclear whether she wasa G.o.d or not."One expressly came, suspicious of a premonition of calamity... One neverexpected that man"s maidservant to be polishing the steel of taboo!"The flames of wrath flickered in the child-like eyes of the G.o.ddess."Knowest thy shame, kin of the past. Ever since the forgone age of themyths, the descendants of we matriarchs have been irreconcilableenemies with steel that slays dragons and snakes. In spite of that, dostthou wish to sully thy hands with the filth of yonder blade. O far thou hastfallen!""Pray heed my words, G.o.ddess Athena, your divine self is severelymistaken. Ever since the forgone age of the myths, we daughters of theearth have always been bound to the fate of serving the heroes of [Steel].Though there are times when dragons and snakes turned their fangsagainst them, those occasions only lasted as ephemeral dreams."Compared to a real G.o.ddess, the Witch Queen was just an insignificantexistence.However, Guinevere held her head high and pleaded to Athena."We are the "Hero"s Attendants" who serve brave warriors. Even thelegends designated the G.o.ddess Athena as the beloved daughter of Zeus,the chief deity of Greek mythology. If your divine self truly believes this tobe erroneous please do point out corrections."" — O what sharp tongue thou hast."Athena narrowed her eyes and stared down at Guinevereunceremoniously."The maidservants of that man were all paragons of loyalty. No matterwhat age we speak of, they are still worthy of respect!"The divine ancestor"s objections seemed to have gradually calmed theG.o.ddess" anger.Athena was also a G.o.ddess of war in Greek mythology. Did she not have apersonality that viewed with favor those who risked their lives in battle?Guinevere bowed her head and answered with reverence.With a lofty stance, the G.o.ddess nodded at her childish posture."Very well, witch. One shall not pursue this matter for now. However, asmentioned just now, the blinding brilliance one witnessed... What is thatsteel?"Athena cast her gaze upon the white blade thrust out of the ground."As the G.o.ddess of wisdom, one recognizeth that steel. That man"s avatarthe "Divine Sword of Salvation," the blade born from his remains, is it not?"Amazing — Guinevere was thoroughly impressed with Athena"s eyes ofwisdom.To discern the divine blade"s origins from a single glance."Infused with new life... Though one doth not believe it can be used verylong, it will serve its purpose well enough. However, this relic must be yesole remaining trump card... If ye shall use it without reservation..."Guinevere saw Athena"s eyes turn into those of a snake"s."Discovered eh?"Athena glared with evil eyes, as befitted her ident.i.ty as the G.o.ddess ofsnakes —Guinevere"s body remained completely motionless. With the fate of life anddeath held firmly in the grasp of the supreme G.o.ddess, her body waspetrified with fear."Thou hast discovered that man? Found the tomb of the sleeping king ofsalvation who manifesteth whenever the end draws near for the earth?Where? Where doth that fellow lie dormant?""East... The far east, j.a.pan..."Guinevere whispered softly as she panted for air.The G.o.ddess finally displayed true solemnity.Sure enough, it was still impossible to resist. Guinevere felt absolute terrorfrom her innermost depths, and could only pray with all her heart.Come save me, Sir Knight! Lancelot du Lac!"Yonder island? One visited that place recently but did not sense thatfellow"s presence at all... Perchance it was very skillfully concealed?"The snake-eyed Athena"s murmurs were heard.Alas, it was a voice like the freezing wind. Simply hearing it was enough tomake the body tremble and lose all strength."Thou knowest, maidservant?"Guinevere shuddered in fear.She could feel the murderous intent seeping from Athena"s solemn voice."One"s mortal rival, that G.o.d-slayer inhabits yonder island. That man — willbe the first to be targeted with the awakening of the hero whose fate is tobury all devil kings. For the nearby Kusanagi G.o.dou, inevitable it must be.Nonetheless, it is one"s final wish to serve defeat to that brat..."Athena"s p.u.b.escent face had never shown this sort of tempting orseductive aura.As the G.o.ddess" flirtatious gaze focused on her, all Guinevere could thinkwas how to solve the current crisis!"One hath been waiting for Kusanagi G.o.dou to mature as a warrior. Beforethat time arrives, it would be quite inappropriate to let that man awaken. Inthat case, one shall bury thee here, plucking this young sapling..."The snake eyes were infused with a golden brilliance.There was not an instant left to hesitate! So, make haste!"Pray accept these apologies, G.o.ddess of snakes."Boom! The sound of thunder and the apology descended from theheavens at the same time."That girl is this Knight"s beloved child. Killing her is not permitted."Dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, and a flash of white lightningdescended — no.Rather, enveloped by white lightning and riding a white horse was theknight in white armor, Lancelot du Lac! He proceeded to launch the barbedlance in his hands.This attack turned into lightning once again, approaching Athena."Gun...!? Lightning and horse — the most primitive [Steel]!?"Athena instantly distanced herself from Guinevere, jumping backwards.The attack from the sky was evaded. However, in the instant before itstruck the ground, the lance took a right-angled turn and continuedforwards, flying towards the escaping Athena."Gun— !"The lance of lightning embedded itself deeply into her left shoulder,distorting the G.o.ddess" face with pain."As the G.o.ddess of wisdom, could your sacred eyes not discern thisKnight"s true name... As a matter of courtesy, let this Knight announce hisname. Lancelot du Lac. The Knight of the Lake as known by others."Leading thunder and his white steed into battle, the war G.o.d descendedupon the earth as he declared.Part 3"Sir Knight! Guinevere has always believed in Sir Knight!"Lancelot simply nodded at her emotional cries of grat.i.tude.Turning his gaze towards Athena, he suddenly spoke."This Knight apologizes sincerely for the rude act of pointing a lance at anunarmed opponent like you without even a sword. However, this was donefor the sake of protecting this Knight"s beloved child. Pray grant yourforgiveness.""Fu — Even if forgiveness is withheld, that lance still continueth to attack."Athena smiled despite her heavy injuries."One had almost forgotten, the mighty name of one called the [Steel] ofmist and thunder. Rumored to have become the retainer of that man, itmust be you!"Athena was the G.o.ddess of wisdom and war, as well as the earth, thedarkness and the sky.However, was it because of the G.o.ddess" heavily weighted warrior aspect?The injured Athena displayed an exotic kind of beauty, full of imposingdominance. Being bathed in fresh blood simply contributed to her glamorlike heavy makeup.Lancelot felt like uttering the word "beautiful" in praise and admiration."Worryest not. Even if challenged by the lance, one shall respond withforce. Twould be better to say, a little girl who knows not of battlefieldetiquette would be truly shameful. Ultimately, Athena is the heavenly childof death and war!"Athena suddenly grew in height, turning from a p.u.b.escent girl into a youngwoman of seventeen or eighteen years of age. With maturity came a senseof lively beauty and dynamic vigor. The beautiful girl"s appearance andpowers evolved all at once.The shoulder wound healed itself, closing up and stopping the bleeding.Like a grim reaper"s iconic weapon, a scythe with a long shaft manifestedin her right hand. Its blade was jet black. Embodying darkness and theearth — this was the weapon of the queen ruler of the subterraneanunderworld."Now then, comest with everything thou hast, Lancelot du Lac!""Much appreciated. This Knight expresses the greatest respect towardsyour courage."Lancelot respectfully replied atop his horse.Even though she had grown taller, Athena was still at a height whichrequired looking up to him. She laughed fearlessly."...But war G.o.d, one knoweth. Surely thou art not complete right now, yes?""Oh? Very clever of you."The process of undertaking Excalibur"s rebirth and cancelling theguardian"s spell started half a month ago.However, Lancelot had yet to be revived in any complete sense of theword."One"s wisdom informeth, thou art neither a [Proper G.o.d] nor a [HereticG.o.d]. Staying long term in this intermediate state, thy body hath yet toaccustom itself to this world. In short, thou spendst the majority of thy timewith a dazed consciousness, is that not so?"Lancelot slowly nodded in response to the G.o.ddess" question."Admittedly so. For the sake of injecting vigor into this Knight"s exhaustedbody, one must dive into thunderclouds every day to be struck by lightning.Without this, the body"s link to the earth feels like it is separating. Thanksto you, this Knight no longer needs to wander around aimlessly."Even while confessing his weakness, the knight remained relaxed andeasygoing."On the other hand, well, there is no cause for worry. This Knight hasproffered his utmost respect and thus will battle you to the bitter end,concluding with nothing but death itself!"Faced with a duel to the death, completely and utterly dauntless.As if seeing off blades of gra.s.s floating away on water currents without acare in the world."This Knight shall go full speed at maximum power to defeat Athena.Please understand that battle is what this Knight has long sought overthousands of days and nights, for this is Lancelot"s style. Turning intomadly blowing wind, becoming dashing galloping lightning, crushingenemies in an instant. Indeed, that is this Knight"s way.""Ha — ! Well said. Should that be the case, one shall respond witheverything as well!"Athena took a giant leap.This was a humongous leap that no bipedal creature could have takennaturally. In a single bound, she closed the 100m distance between herand Lancelot mounted on his white horse. She flew as elegantly as a whitebird with feathered wings."O Earth, knowest one"s determination! O Darkness, understandest one"srising emotion! As one along the matriarch"s lineage, Athena herebyjudgeth this follower of steel as the archenemy!"The adorable voice was shouting spells words loudly.Boom boom boom boom boom — With a terrifying sound that chilled one tothe bone, the ground began to rumble.Earthquake. The skies also began to darken, or rather, darkness wasspreading out. Somehow, the broad plains of Thrace were suddenlyplunged from daylight into a shroud of darkness."This Knight"s lord... This hand defiles your divine remains, pray grant yourabsolution."Lancelot quietly muttered as he calmly rode his white steed upon theshaking earth. Flying towards the sky, the divine horse and rider werecompletely unfazed by threats on the level of earthquakes."Tearing apart the ancient earth, penetrating the skies, Divine Sword thatbrings stars crashing down, now is the time for your return, to the hand ofthe Knight of the Lake, once again sounding the horns of war!"From atop his mount, Lancelot extended his hand towards the white bladeembedded in the shaking ground.Guinevere had awakened the new Excalibur. Immediately, the 50cm whiteblade left the ground"s surface, flying towards Lancelot"s hand!"Mystic powers of the Oak, lend your strength to Sir Knight!"Guinevere immediately used magic.An oaken shaft suddenly manifested on the summoned white blade, andproceeded to be held in Lancelot"s right hand. The combination of theblade and the long shaft was truly like a [Lance].Divine Lance Excalibur was born."The earth collapseth, the ground spliteth open, behold the G.o.ddess"violent song of destruction!"As Athena began to chant, the ground beneath Lancelot and the divinehorse collapsed.The earthquake attacking the vast plains became even more intense,creating cracks in the ground. At the same time, black snakes flew out fromthe raised ground, numbering in hundreds. Lancelot and his beloved horsewere entangled and swept down by the snakes baring their fangs, trying todrag them into the earth."O Winds of mist, blow forth."Upon his mount, Lancelot chanted.Mist began to flow out from all around him. Furthermore, the knight and thedivine horse"s material bodies lost color and form.The mist burst forth continuously, becoming thicker and thicker. It was likethe dense fog that hangs over lakes, with a visibility of less than 5m."...Sir Knight, may fortune accompany your battle!"Using flight magic, Guinevere fled for safety.Seeing her off, Lancelot who had turned into mist, muttered:"The G.o.ddess Athena... a dangerous and formidable foe."The authority of turning into mist was part of his immortality as [Steel].Mist cannot be struck. Mist cannot be cut. However, Athena was the rulerof the underworld. She held the highest authority over everything related todeath and immortality. It was only natural for her to be knowledgeable inthe methods of sending immortal [Steel] to its grave — But there was acatch."However, encountering this Knight is truly your misfortune. This Knight isthe galloping invincible divine sword that tramples innumerable dragonsand snakes. Even Athena, or rather, precisely because you are Athena,defeat is inevitable."He was currently displaying the martial arts of the sword which he hadattained to the highest perfection.This was the shocking strike of the ultimate dragonslayer. To Athena, thiswas a deadly weapon akin to a natural predator due to dragons andsnakes being the violent incarnations of the great mother earth G.o.ddess.Lancelot and the divine horse flew up in the form of mist, materializing inmidair.They flew into the thundercloud he had descended from when firstsummoned. Within the dark clouds where lightning crackled and sparked,the knight spoke softly to his beloved horse."Respond to the wish of the beloved child, smash apart the great andvenerated foe, we shall take the form of lightning, and this Knight"s life isentrusted thus."Lancelot readied the divine lance, pointing its blade forward.The white divine horse galloped forth. Towards the ground, where Athenawas standing!They had taken the form of lightning when saving Guinevere just now. Butthis time they were moving at lightning speed — G.o.d speed, and this timewith extreme destructive power as well.This impact and destructive power was comparable to a ma.s.sive meteordescending from the heavens.—Crash!A white meteor crashing down with the speed of lightning.It was a divine iron hammer that defies existence.The white knight and divine horse descended from the sky, charging at theearth like a G.o.d of destruction. Reaching the ground in an instant, thedivine lance was thrust out.Athena brandished the jet-black scythe, intent on deflecting the blade ofthe divine lance.This was the divine skill of the G.o.ddess who discerned the lance tipapproaching with G.o.d speed.Lance and scythe, the two weapons clashed together violently.A storm was created at the moment of impact. In the eye of the storm wereLancelot and Athena while everything else in their surroundings wereblown away by the cyclone formed by the impact.The earth crumbled beneath Athena"s feet.Vegetation growing on the plains of Thrace, the land and rocks were alldug up and blown away.The surface of the ground was transformed into a depression like a crater.The ma.s.sive area dug out was roughly 2 or 3km in diameter. Theatmosphere rumbled.At the bottom of this crater-like depression, the G.o.ddess and the war G.o.d"sclash intensified.Athena absorbed the essence of the earth, infusing peerless might into herslender girl-like arms. Darkness materialized into nine demonic snakeswhich attempted to crush Lancelot in their jaws.— However, the final result was most unexpected.In the end, Athena"s scythe was sent flying by Lancelot"s divine lance. Thedemonic snakes of darkness were annihilated by the resulting impact.It was achieved by a meteor crash descending from the heavens thatcollapsed the earth."Guh — gah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"Finally skewered through the chest by the divine lance, Athena gave offpainful cries.However, her snake-like eyes continued to stare at Lancelot. Relentless,her desire for vengeance continued to burn like fire!The white knight kicked at the belly of the divine horse, intending onfollowing through by severing the G.o.ddess completely. However, theG.o.ddess, pierced by the lance, gathered together the divine power of thegreat land, attempting to produce a force of repulsion to push backLancelot in his white meteor form.In kendo terms, it would be described as a situation of tsuba-zeriai.^Truly worthy of the name of Athena. Lancelot generously praised inadmiration as he called out to the girl he was protecting."Beloved child, now is the time to release the Holy Grail"s mysticalpowers!"(What is the matter, Sir Knight!?)Guinevere"s thoughts arrived, flying from far away."The Holy Grail has the property of absorbing the life force of great motherearth G.o.ddesses and storing it. Now is the perfect opportunity to obtain thelife force of the highest ranking earth mother G.o.ddess! Do not miss it!"(— ! Understood!)No further instructions were necessary.A golden urn, the Magic Holy Grail, suddenly appeared beside Lancelot."!? Knight of the Lake, what art thou planning — oh?""Because simply defeating you will likely not be enough to overcome yourimmortality. However, it would be an entirely different matter if the Grailabsorbs all your life force. Farewell, Heretic Athena. You were the mostsuitable formidable foe that this Knight had long awaited to battle."From the wound where the divine lance Excalibur pierced —The great earth mother G.o.ddess" life force of Athena was beginning to spillout and flow into the Holy Grail!"This seemeth to be some mysterious technique!"Athena wrapped the Holy Grail in black mist coming from her hands.Lancelot could tell that it was a corrosive gas. However, the Grailcontinued to absorb Athena"s life force. The golden vessel"s l.u.s.trousbrilliance did not falter!"This is the infinite power offered by this Knight"s lord, the vessel createdby sacrificing the life force of the earth mother G.o.ddess equal to your rank,we call it the Holy Grail."Lancelot explained nonchalantly to the shocked Athena."Seeming to be a material like earth, but not in reality. Divine wisdom, thatwhich is symbolized by the truth of heaven and earth. Even for you,Athena, it cannot be destroyed.""Guh... That so? It is like the Gorgoneion that one sought, an immortalindestructible vessel."Her beautiful face in pallor, Athena murmured.However, Lancelot was astounded by the G.o.ddess" pupils which had yet tolose their l.u.s.ter."One feeleth clearly. One"s life force shaven off, devoured by yondervessel."At some point in time, Lancelot and the divine horse"s motion had stopped.In the end, all effort had been spent in halting the meteor-like charge."This be the vessel that compeleth the maidservant of the white motherG.o.ddess to stoop so low? O Despair!"By this point, the Holy Grail had already taken the lives of a good manymother earth G.o.ddesses.Even Athena had no way of escaping. Nevertheless, the G.o.ddess did notlose the will to fight. She grabbed and forcefully pulled out the lancepiercing her chest. Blood gushed out in a torrent from the piercing woundbetween her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.Athena proceeded to display a smile of absolute despondency."However, one is the G.o.ddess of wisdom who claimeth all knowledge asher possession. A little toy like this Holy Grail, one never expected todiscover it so soon had this body not experienced it first hand. But thenagain, this doth not fit one"s style, so one shall undertake revenge!"Athena"s blood-splattered hands slowly turned towards the Holy Grail.Next, the great urn-like Grail began to fly towards Athena."Holy Grail that absorbeth life, one shall be keeping it!"Athena reached out with her hands to touch the Grail, causing the greaturn of a child"s height to vanish in an instant.It was absorbed into the G.o.ddess" body."One shall take leave for now, Knight of the Lake. Thou shalt repay theremainder at some other opportunity!"Having devoured the Holy Grail, Athena began to sink into the earth.Lancelot charged forth in pursuit and swung the lance.However, it was too late. The lance tip only managed to pierce air."What a mess... Who could expect things to have ended like this?""No, Sir Knight. Guinevere believes this result is absolutely notunfavorable."Just as Lancelot shook his head ruefully, Guinevere answered, havingreturned by flight magic.At the bottom of the crater-like depression marring the Thracian plain, theknight and the girl faced each other."Athena seems to have devoured the Holy Grail in order to suppress itseffects. However, Guinevere does not believe this is enough to halt thefunctioning of the life-absorbing Grail."Guinevere spoke as the one with a mysterious bond with the Holy Grail.The divine artifact created by the matriarch deity of all the earth G.o.ddessesthrough sacrificing her own immortality and divinity. As long as that Grailremained active in the earth, it was forever indestructible."Even if we just let it be, by this point it must have stored up a substantialamount of magical energy. No matter what happens, from now on there isa connection between Sir Knight"s divine sword and Athena"s grail.""Wielding the steel that splits apart the stars, is that so?"Lancelot muttered. In the battle just now, he merely used it as a bladedobject.The steel known as the legendary Excalibur had yet to exhibit its trueworth..."But before that form can be attained, will she manage to remove the Grailfrom her body?""Even if that happens, it may be just as well. Having swallowed the Grailinto her body to suppress it, Athena"s return will not take more than half amonth"s time""Then Athena will die, is that so? In that case, it might not be so bad."Lancelot nodded.A "way" always appeared in the end.Whether abandoned somewhere or separated by any distance, as long asthe Grail existed on earth it would continue to absorb Athena"s life.The divine artifact created at the cost of immortal life —This was its truly terrifying aspect. The wisdom and prayers of the G.o.ddessof death, had yet to be carved into the deepest reaches of the earth. Onthe other hand, the Grail"s powers extended to the furthest ends of theearth."In that case, girl, Athena is of no concern for now?""Yes. Guinevere will now go to j.a.pan, the island where master sleeps.Please grant your protection."Lancelot silently grasped the reins of his beloved horse, flying towards thesky which had recovered its brightness with the departure of Athena. Stillunaccustomed to the conditions of the earth, the full-powered attack justnow had already exhausted his divine power.He must take a good rest amongst the thunderclouds once again.Heretic Lancelot —Despite his overwhelming power of destruction, still could not beconsidered fully revived at this point.References1 . t Saitenguu(ffi^^): fictional shrine, name literally means "WesternHeavenly Temple."2. t Tsuba-zeriai: The situation where the distance between twoopponents are at their closest, with both players holding their shinaitilted and the tsuba (sword guard) locked against each other, attackingeach other"s grip and destroying each other"s posture.