Campione!

Chapter 3 - A Request Made to the Hime-MikoPart 1During the night of the visit to Odaiba, Godou was finally able to startreading his textbook.The final exams for the second semester were already over. However,Kusanagi Godou's test scores have slowly declined from their usual highmarks.Well, he had been entangled by an incident involving a god-sama and wasinvolved with numerous things.Although he could say it was simply due to a lack of preparation, he wasnot only a godslayer and demon king, but was also a high school student.As such, he should remain focused on his studies.Especially during the month after winter break when the all-importantaptitude tests took place in Jounan Academy.For that reason, Godou displayed diligence as he opened the textbook andbegan taking notes on the table within the room."Eh? Speaking of which, did I get into a battle with a certain god before thefinal exams?"He was suddenly a bit concerned about this matter in which he hadforgotten.It was now the second day. After the half curriculum of classes prior towinter break were over, Godou walked towards the library. He was situatedin a quiet place where he could study the contents of the second semester.If he ever got tired of studying he could always find a book to kill time.However, time was of the essence since he must return before the skydarkens.Actually, starting yesterday he was responsible for cooking.In the Kusanagi household when their grandfather was absent, Godou andShizuka would alternate the responsibility of cooking every couple of days.Lunches were to be prepared individually while the person on shift woulddo both breakfast and dinner. Once Godou came home he walked towardsthe kitchen.(Also, the schedule of shifts of course did not include their mother. Eventhough one of the reasons was because she was rarely home for dinner,the most significant cause for this was because she was their mother.)Today Godou planned on cooking with a pan which he filled with anabundance of vegetables, pork and afterwards he liberally (but in goodproportion) added pickled cabbages.The ingredients were cut and the time was also set on the rice cooker.Once that was all taken care of, Godou glanced at his cellphone that wasset aside and noticed a text message."Who sent this?"Godou, who didn't seem too interested, went to quickly check its content.He then shook his head, completely unable to fathom what it was.Not only did the email omit the name of the sender, but the email addresswas unfamiliar to Godou.The contents of the email were 'Progress report, concerning the incidentfrom the past, the resurrection will take place during the winter solstice,please be careful, Ying.'At the moment it seemed like a warning, but it was overly simplified.The report seemed like it was sent in passing by a staff member who hadinfiltrated the dangerous enemy ranks and began monitoring the enemy."The winter solstice mentioned probably refers to the day of the year wherethe night is at its longest."The day of the year where the night is at its longest, in other words the daywhen the earth is furthest from the sun.A very popular Japanese tradition was to take a hot yuzu bath and eatpumpkins^ every year during the 21st or 22nd of December.This year's winter solstice should betide on the 22nd of December.Incidentally today was December 19th. Seems like the revival will takeplace in three days"But who the heck is Ying and what is this revival?"Godou was currently contemplating over this. Revival just what is beingrevived?Godou tried to search for an answer within his mind but was unable tocome up with anything. If it is not something he can remember then itprobably lacked importance. Perhaps it will be fine even if he forgot?"However, during that time with the Santa Clauses we saw someonestrange during the investigation."Godou immediately changed his train of thought. However, who should herequest for help?Should he request Liliana again, or Amakasu? Neither of them wouldprobably be applicable. When all was said and done, one ambivalentkeyword came to mind. If only there was someone here who possessedclairvoyance, then it may be possible to obtain an answerNo, wait a second. Someone who possesses clairvoyance, isn't thatperson nearby?!After eating dinner with Shizuka and cleaning up, Godou returned to hisroom.The room was really an eyesore. The Japanese-style six tatami roomcontained a desk and chair, a Japanese-style wardrobe as well as abookcase. Anything that there was no room for was shoved in.As a result, Godou's room was very concise.He did not possess any unnecessary items, which gave a plain lifestylefeeling. Nevertheless, he still had items that were an eyesore.The reason for this was due to him not having the temperament to bestoring things, hence this was to be expected. Besides the desirables andnecessities, he would not mind doing away with everything else if he hadto.He would feel irritated if a large quantity of things were brought in.Only the minimum requirement of a necessity will do. Thisarrangement was much more lightweight, relaxed, and spacey.So contrary to what one might expect, Godou was really fond of this sort ofprofoundly plain room."Is my room really that lonely?"He was referring to something besides the contents within the room. It feltlike this place used to be filled with something, something very lively .While suddenly incurring this kind of feeling, Godou sensed something wasmissing.Many things that were desperately needed were now lost this was thekind of feeling that surfaced in Godou. An indescribable feeling of beinglost and forlornness sank into him."As expected, there is something that I can't piece together plus therelationship I have with those people hasn't really improved."There were a lot of suspenseful matters regarding the girls by his side andtheir interpersonal relationships. Even though the distance between himand Liliana has curtailed quite a bit, it would be meaningless if he wasunable to further deepen their relationship.His relationship with Erica was still the status quo. Also that girl seldomattended school and was as cunning as always. And then there wasYuri .Not only did she have clairvoyance, she was someone who had the abilityto use Spirit Vision as well.In this aspect, not only did she surpass Liliana, she also transcendedPrincess Alice."At the present, I would say Mariya Yuri's assistance is the most essential."But how should he request help from Yuri, the sheltered YamatoNadeshiko?She was someone who would evade getting into a discussion, aninconversable hime-miko."Eh? It's like that?"Godou felt a little uneasy. Yuri was indeed a highly ranked girl. Not onlywas she courteous by virtue, she was also conservatively polite. She wasvery passive towards making contact with boys making her unreachable.However there seemed to be a completely different side of her. Indeed, itwas like the gentleness of Guanyin Buddha^ who provided help to allliving things combined with the indignant nature of an Acala 1 Jreincarnation.'Til give it a try and see what happens "This kind of thinking was imprudent, parallel to some sort of evil thought.Godou appeared to have abandoned this kind of thinking as he shook hishead. No matter how he tried to play it off as a joke, the words of aCampione would never appear as an antic.But this was perhaps an opportunity for him to alter his relationship withYuri.After spending two minutes stressing over this, Godou picked up thephone and sent out a text message. A response should appear tomorrowmorning at the earliest."If I don't take any risks then there is no way to move forward. Did a certainsupervisor say something like that in the past?"Because he was incapable of openly stating his beliefs, Godou hadentered a tiger's cave.When the night passed, it was December 20th.Just as before, it was Godou's responsibility to cook for the Kusanagihousehold in the morning.The first was miso soup, which is made by pouring miso into hot water andboiling it into a soup, then adding potatoes to complete the soup. Theprewashed rice was then placed in the rice cooker for it to be cooked in anenvironmentally friendly system using the least amount of labor.Cucumbers, eggplants, and pickled radishes were also soaked together forfifteen minutes."Afterwards I should probably cook some vegetables.""All you did was place the cut up vegetables in the steamer on the kitchenstove for five minutes. You speak as if you are actually cooking Onii-chan.""What does it matter, it may be simple but at least it's very nutritious."Godou was trying to comfort his sister while opening the door to the fridge.He took out some natto 1 J , raw eggs, and nori and placed them on thekitchen table. After that, he presented it like a western-style buffet. Thesedishes should be enough between the two siblings.The older brother lazily made the food, however the chef for theKusanagi household was absent so there was no other alternative."Onii-chan, it's clear that you serve decent dishes while occasionallycooking, but once you start cooking on a daily basis you begin to slack off."But this is the case for the majority of skilled cooks.""Even if those skilled cooks cut corners, they would still be able to createexcellent dishes. However in Onii-chan's case, you are already putting inminimum effort before you reach the stage where corners should be cut!Because he was reminded of Liliana's culinary skills, he stated in thefollowing manner. However his sister had actually counterattacked.At this time the doorbell to the front door sounded. Has she arrived?"Who would be here this early?"Shizuka stood up and walked towards the front door while Godoucontinued eating. Perhaps his mind was entangled by doubt. After Shizukaopened the front door, a beautiful girl wearing her uniform came into view."M-Mariya-senpai!?"That said, the two girls had an upperclassmen-underclassmen relationshipin the tea ceremony club.Mariya Yuri elegantly lowered her head and spoke towards the startledunderclassmen."I'm very sorry for disturbing you guys this early in the morning, but I havesome urgent matters to discuss with your brother. Please forgive myrudeness.""Brother you mean my Onii-chan!?""Yes, would it be possible for me to accompany Kusanagi-san for a bit?"She was directly looking at Kusanagi Godou who was standing behindShizuka.Mariya Yuri had a stern and serious expression comparable to when anoble princess adjudicates over sinners.Regarding the godslaying devil king as an adversary, she casted anintense seriousness that was much different than the highly ranked girl'susual cautiousness. Godou felt his intuition was correct.This turned the originally conservative Yuri into a courageous, initiativetaking girl.He had successfully coerced her!However why did he have this feeling like he overdid it? There was thesaying you can't catch a cub without going into the tiger's den, but it felt likethere was a point where he had proudly stepped on the tiger's tailThe price of wanting to control the situation for himself felt like it hadspiraled beyond his expectation.Since it is like this, he might as well keep her company. Godou bracedhimself and responded to the princess's calling.Part 2Godou terminated his plans of eating together with Shizuka and decided tosave his breakfast in order to eat it at night.Fortunately clothing for him was not an issue. Godou put on the shirt fromhis school uniform and a coat, then immediately left after picking up hisbackpack.However, Shizuka's tone on the other hand had a mix of anger (I wonderwhy?) and bewilderment."O-Onii-chan, quit provoking other people. What did you do to makeMariya-senpai actually come to our house!? Could it be the blood inheritedfrom grandpa has finally awakened!? Afterwards you better explaineverything clearly to me!"T-There was no easy way to explain this, so might as well use a bit ofdeception right?The brother who was carrying these immoral feeling went towards the frontdoor and spoke to the hime-miko waiting for him."Sorry for making you wait.""No, it was me who first disturbed you without permission and I came offvery adamant. This sort of delay isn't a concern at all."After respectfully replying, Yuri started walking together with Godou by herside.That said, if the words she had used were elegantly and respectfullyspoken like they had always been in the past, the words would have sent awarm feeling to Godou's heart. This was because the maiden by his sidewas both adorable and stunning, thus making him feel embarrassed.However, the tone she used right now was filled with the dignity of a queenof winter.Just when they happened to leave Nezu Sanchome's business street, themight of this dignified feeling became much more powerful."Well then Kusanagi Godou, what was the reason for yesterday's textmessage?"Godou flinched after being suddenly questioned.Perhaps he was unable to speak about his aroused battle spirit caused byvarious circumstances?"It's nothing, just a few things I recently remembered ""No matter what position you hold, you still shouldn't do anything like this!"Yuri took out her cellphone and displayed the contents of the text sentyesterday towards Godou.Subject: Some matters we need to consult'Today there was someone who sought to discuss some matters with me.It seemed that he felt very anxious because he was being tracked by adeity. Since my abilities were applicable, I replied 'then let's eliminate thisgod'. After that, the god came looking to quarrel with me, making me feelsomewhat distressed. Once I crush that god, would it be better if he wassubmerged in Tokyo Bay or the Suruga Bay?'It seems Yuri's high class temperament and her hime-miko duties wereprovoked.Godou accurately anticipated this and purposefully sent her a messagethat would give her headaches by instilling apprehensive thoughts. He wassuccessful on his first attempt. As expected, Yuri was more than just akindhearted girl.She was also strong-willed, noble, and had a habit of preaching andnagging others.Even though he cowered in fear from her aggressive attitude, Godou didhave a strong sense of satisfaction. It would be contradictory to Mariya'snature if things did not turn out like this."You intentionally brought the heretic god into Japan and now you intend tocause mass destruction once again!? Your concern for the surroundingarea is completely inadequate!""W-Wait a second, Mariya."Godou replied, unable to resist anymore."Everything in that text was a lie.""A lie?""Ah, haha, I only did that because it was necessary."Following that, Yuri suddenly displayed a smile that was clearly verycharming. Nevertheless, it was a smile that would insinuate fear intoanyone. This was an expression of regret showcased by the beautifulprincess."Why must you do something like this?""No, you see, there never is an opportunity for me to talk to Mariya right?We are only able to have a proper conversation if I did something like this."Although he mentioned some pretty bizarre things, there was nothing elsethat could have been done.Godou lowered his head with dignity and spoke his heartfelt feelings withdetermination."I felt like if I tried to casually converse with you, you would evade myattempts.""So it's like that? Just now I was contemplating whether or not to cut off allconnections to the lying and irresponsible Kusanagi-san forever."The hime-miko declared this with a cold smile. That compelling force ofhers had also increased.However, Godou immediately followed up by yelling "Mariya" and closed ingreatly. The distance between Godou and Yuri was practically nonexistentas Godou looked straight into her eyes. In the past, whenever a beautifulgirl approached him, he would cower and be incapable of doing anything."Ku-Kusanagi-san!?""I will apologize as much as you want me to for lying, but please listen tome this one time."Godou said this with the highest level of sincerity."This is an unreasonable request of mine, but rather than having Mariyatreat me courteously, I would heavily prefer you to show anger and criticizeme without anguish. Even if you feel uncomfortable, you should stillcontinue to conduct yourself as such.""If possible, I hope you would scold me whenever I do somethingunacceptable in the future like you are doing right now. Basically me andthat idiot Salvatore Doni both need a person of this sort."A devil king is someone who is permitted to be unreasonably violent andlive an indulgent lifestyle that allows them to ignore other people's liberties.Someone who possesses powers of a Campione should not be sayingthese things to a mere human."So if someone must be selected, I hope that person would be you Mariya.Of course, if Mariya doesn't want to then I won't force you What do youthink?""Kusanagi-sa Godou-san "Suddenly, Yuri quietly stated Godou's name.This was really unfathomable since it was obviously an offensive change.However, Godou was not surprised with this new way of being addressed.Instead, it could be said that this label was familiar sounding or rather, itwas something he was accustomed to.Afterwards Yuri silently followed in kind with her head lowered like Godou.Her entire face turned red as she was probably very embarrassed.At this time Godou finally noticed it, his proximity with Yuri was extremelyclose. If his face was any closer it would be within kissing distance. Theyresembled lovers preparing to embrace each other.However, Yuri finally seemed to have responded with a nod.This made Godou feel ecstatic. The beautiful hime-miko, who wasflustered because of the close distance and wished to have someseparation, suddenly spoke in a whisper."Anything that the King No, if it is Godou-san's wish then I will try mybest in response. However, I have something that I want to say about this."Godou's back broke out in a cold sweat as sensed an omen of danger.Surely enough, Yuri suddenly sighed and held a sorrowful expressionwhile looking up at Godou."I didn't think Godou-san was lying.""Eh!?""I don't know why I would wishfully think that Godou would always besincere to me. Calmly thinking about it, there are clearly many strangeaspects to this. Nevertheless I still unconditionally trust you."Yuri's murmur was not of criticism but rather of sorrow.Her serene and grieving expression instead greatly provoked Godou'ssense of guilt."R-Regarding this, please allow me to once again apologize ""To earn a person's trust takes many years to accumulate, however losingtrust in a person only takes a swift moment I feel that what Godou-sanhas done this time should reflect what I have just said.""I'll do anything for forgiveness. Kneeling down, anything would be fine."This kind of uncomfortable situation was akin to being reprimanded.Deeply experienced, Godou did not hesitate when offering the highestlevel method of forgiveness seeking. He immediately utilized a prizedtechnique passed down within the family and knelt along the road. As aresult, Yuri's lonesome expression turned into a smile."It would have been fine even if you didn't do anything to this degree. I onlydesired to have Godou experience the same feeling that I justexperienced "Just like that she stopped him in his tracks. Godou pondered whilemaintaining his kneeling position.Phew, I'll never lie to Mariya again . Furthermore."S-Sawa-san, did you hear that !? Mariya-san and class five'sKusanagi-san? The two of them seemed to have said staying by eachother's side, is that a joke? Or could it be ""Of course, it's just as Miyama-san thought, this is virtually the same kindof conversation a married couple would have as they overcome a divorcecrisis. This means ""Not only were Kusanagi-san and Mariya-san dating, he even had anaffair !?""A guy like this is actually in our school. Class five's Kusanagi, I'm on toyou!"Godou heard this unfortunate intermittent whispering. Looking to his side,there were two girl students who appeared to be from Yuri's class locatednot too far away from them. The one with the glasses was Sawa-san, thepetite one was Miyama-san.Speaking of which, he would trek through here on a daily basis. Moreover,it was the only way to get to Jounan Academy.Other than Sawa-san and Miyama-san, there were a couple studentsstaring at them from a bit farther away! Sensing this dangerous situation,Godou spoke without hesitation."Mariya! Come over here!"O-Ok!Unwittingly, they went to the entrance of the Nezu Shrine. A hurrieddecision was made when selecting the shrine's courtyard as refuge,prompting Godou and Yuri to enter inside.Part 3Godou and Yuri ran towards the vast courtyard in the Nezu Shrine.Five minutes had already passed since that previous scene. It was unclearexactly when it happened, but the atmosphere between the two of themhad became tranquil and the mood strangely turned very positive.Godou discreetly tilted his head, just now he was clearly conflicted by hisown lie.Moreover it was tantamount to yesterday morning. Godou and Yurievidently had nothing to say, but their line of sight suddenly crossed paths.Yuri candidly lowered her head and gracefully smiled. Considering Godouhad said some outlandish things, this approach was appropriate.The taut atmosphere from before seemed like it was merely a farce."Godou-san, I actually noticed this prior to now."Yuri suddenly started talking as she casually walked in a uniform posture."I noticed that I no, we, forgot something very important.""You too Mariya!?"Godou was absolutely astounded. Could it be that Mariya's situation wasthe same?"Recently, I have been unable to remain at peace because I feel like I'veforgotten something important. It repeatedly felt like there was some sort ofprearranged plan around Christmas ""Christmas?""Ah, there was also the text I received from a person that I supposedlyknow which said something was going to be revived during the wintersolstice and that I should be careful. It was full of some vague matters thatwould make anyone feel very confused."The purpose of the unspecified delivery address was probably to preventthe identity of the sender from being discovered. However, up until nowthere was still no response and the intention to respond probably neverexisted.However, back to the main topic Godou thought of something whileYuri was talking. At this time, there seems to be someone who can fill inthe blanks for Kusanagi Godou.Just like Yuri, there also seems to be some sort of other person .Letting her cover his back and fighting side by side, sometimes she wouldbicker while other times she would share opinions and offer advice.Occasionally she would create complications that would drive peoplecrazy. However, they would also hang out together at times. What otherinstances would there have to be in order for her to be a suitable partner?Godou desperately reflected upon this bleary memory of his.However this was insufficient, it was still inadequate. If only there wassome kind of opportunity !Afterwards, Godou heard Yuri mention a divine revelation."Ever since ancient times, the winter solstice has always been animportant sacrificial day for welcoming the god of bountiful harvests. Thepeople express gratitude for the bumper harvest in the fall and feel veryjoyous towards the arrival of the winter solstice. Furthermore, theycelebrate the coming of spring and request the omnipotent to start storingpower."!? Godou looked to his side while Yuri gazed at Godou with a dazedexpression."What's wrong Godou-san?"Just then, did she use her spirit vision to obtain that divine revelation? Howtypical of her.Under situations which lacked awareness of the circumstances, her abilitywould oftentimes be able to grant useful declarations. Even in thiscondition where the situation was unclear, as long as they had her powerthen .Like having discovered a beacon illuminating the road ahead, Godouheavily nodded.He felt that the suspended hands of a clock have now clicked and onceagain started to move at an uptempo.In the end, Godou and Yuri arrived at the school together.Walking together within the school is still too great of a difficulty. This waswhy the two of them separated at the shoe cabinet located at the frontdoors of the school and headed to their respective classes.Tomorrow was already going to be the graduation ceremony and the dayafter on the 22nd was the start of winter break. Due to this, a complacentatmosphere was found within the school. Classes were going to end soonand all the teachers and students within the school were cleaning sortof like a mass cleanup. It was probably influenced by this kind ofatmosphere. Speaking of which, today Erica showed up.She appeared to be in charge of the cleanup group for the science room.She quickly brought some people who were students that in the sameclass as her and who had a pretty good relationship with her to go with. Ofcourse for Erica, displaying her own hard working attitude would probablybe implementing effective commands to instruct other people to quicklyfinish cleaningBy the way, Godou was part of the hallway cleanup group while Lilianawas part of her class class five's cleanup group.When Godou would occasionally enter the classroom, he felt as if thesilver-haired knight was eyeing him with criticism.But he bypassed the notion that she was concentrating on him. Believinghe was just overthinking this, Godou focused on his cleaning.Once they finally finished cleaning, it was time to head home. While Godouwas preparing to leave, the group of three consisting of Nanami,Sorimachi, and Takagi approached him."Hey Kusanagi, you always seem to be involved in these strange rumors.""Although I think it's just a joke, I should still do a quick confirmation. Youand Mariya-san this matter regarding the socialization with theoverwhelmingly top ranked girl of the Nadeshiko section in my school, wasit true?""F-Furthermore even though you guys already arranged plans formarriage, Mariya was depressed because you had an affair!"Godou frowned and muttered "huh?"."Although I know where this kind of silly rumor came from there has tobe a limit on circumventing the truth. If lies like these were spread around,it would create complications for me and Mariya."The indignant Godou said this while in a sour mood.Afterwards, the three idiots suddenly nodded their heads and displayed asmile on their faces."Ha ha ha, I guess you are right.""I just knew that you and Mariya-san becoming a couple had to be a joke.""There is eye-witness information saying you two were arguing on the wayto school. However the result was that you guys happily arrived at schoolwalking side by side after reconciling. This kind of strange information wasbroadcasted everywhere and we unwittingly came across this unconfirmedreport which instigated some suspicion towards you.""Ah, no, the arguing and coming to school together was true."What.. .Did. ..You. ..Say!?After Godou announced this fact, the expression of the three idiotschanged for some reason."The person telling this kind of nonsense was probably someone at thelocation and witnessed me and Mariya quarreling. However, therelationship is definitely not the same as what they said, I'mserious. Oh yeah, there is something I want to request from Nanami."Godou spoke to his startled friend who had a frozen expression."It's pretty tough to complete that game I borrowed from before, is it ok if Icontinue borrowing it?""U-Uh huh. It would be fine even if you borrowed it for a year or two aslong as you put your heart into it as you play. But Kusanagi, the things youjust said can we believe in them?""Huh?""What he means is, we still have faith in you as our comrade, beingone of the men who gallantly fights in solitude during Christmas against anempty reality, how could we not believe!?""No, I don't have any plans to battle anyone during Christmas, none atall ?"Having no plans, for some reason he hesitated right after he finishedspeaking. It seemed as if he had the feeling that something was awaitinghim.Part 4Afterwards, on the way back home, Godou headed towards thesupermarket.The purpose of this was to carry out the obligations of his cookingresponsibilities. For lunch, he simply tended to that by eating an onigiribought from a convenience store.Ok then, what should I eat for tonight? I could eat the leftovers from thismorning, but that will definitely not be enough. I have a lot of free time rightnow compared to my busy morning.While Godou started to reflect on the few dishes he could adeptly cook,one problem came to mind. After considering this matter, tonight's dinnermenu had to be prudently selected. How should he go about doing this?In the vegetable aisle of the supermarket, the perplexed Godou heard avoice."I happened to notice that you are doing something rarely seen from you ina place you infrequently visit."Godou looked back and saw Liliana standing there wearing her uniformand holding a backpack. She probably just departed from school as well."I hardly ever see you shopping in these kinds of stores.""Grandpa isn't here right now and today is my responsibility to preparedinner. Did Liliana come here to go shopping as well?"When Liliana's maid Karen was on vacation in her home country, it wouldnot be strange to see Liliana going shopping by herself. However sheresponded by shaking her head."No, I actually wanted to confirm something so that is why I came here tosee you.""Confirm?""I heard you ruthlessly plucked the Japanese hime-miko Mariya Yuri andmade her your possession. Furthermore, you even had an affair andabandoned her. What is this all about?""P-Plucked?"Godou stared blankly at Liliana who suddenly started talking incessantly."This is the only time where I won't assess you as wrong. Mhmm, nomatter how negligent you are on the battlefield like a monster, you arealways appropriately conscientious during everyday life.""A-Appropriately?""At best considered a person who became accustomed to living in society,yet still retaining a rather flawed notion of common sense this kind ofperson not only possesses many traits that cause other peoplecomplications but is also someone who pulls one's punches. This is exactlyhow I feel!""Is this how you see me Liliana ?""However, the actions you did towards Mariya Yuri were indeed tooexcessive. Unlike a gentleman, you lack the proper morality of a humanbeing. I was really wrong about you.""No, although I can assume where you heard this kind of rumor from."Godou used an indifferent tone to express his opinion to the aggressiveLiliana."You probably should've diligently double-checked this rumor against thefacts before coming to find me. How about you try giving a call to Mariya,she will definitely refute this claim and say there is no truth behind it.""Eh ?"Suddenly, Liliana's imposing manner waned as she sank deep intothought. After contemplating this over, she displayed a "oh crap" kind ofexpression."Well, let me ask you again, Liliana did you come here to go shopping?""J-Just forget about everything regarding this matter Kusanagi Godou."Liliana let out a sigh as she spoke.The red-faced Liliana pretty much reverted back to her serious demeanor."I'm sorry, after hearing the rumor, for some reason this kind of 'KusanagiGodou likes feminine charms and carelessly establishes relationships withother girls very quickly' impression surfaced and I very naturally believedthis rumor.""You were probably going off baseless facts!"In the end the two of them selected the ingredients together. To somedegree, this scene involving a devil king and knight selecting ingredients inthe fresh food section could be considered as some sort of parody."Going beyond that explanation, it's time to worry about tonight's menu.""Buy cheap ingredients that are exceptionally discounted. Using those tocook dishes should be fine, right?"Godou shook his head in response to the prevailing method Lilianaoffered."In fact, I did that yesterday as well as the day before. Don't you think thatconveniently cutting meat, fish, vegetables, and putting them all in a potwould be a very easy way to make them delicious? The tastes of mosttypes of foods are acceptable just by doing some minor cooking I wouldthink" said Godou.However, while he still had more to say, an inconceivable feelingdeveloped within him."As a result, two days ago I made chanko and saved the leftovers tosimmer in udon for yesterday's breakfast. After that, while I was makingpickled cabbages yesterday night Shizuka started to become agitated. Sofor this morning, I guess you can say the things I made were morecuisine-like."Once he recalled the expression of dissatisfaction on his sister again,Godou became irritated.He thought, how annoying can a girl get."So tonight's menu has to be selected carefully. However, because I'munsure what kind of dishes are acceptable to a little girl I'm feeling quitedistressed."Liliana sighed for some reason.Godou cringed. He felt his counterpart wanted to say "you are a personwho always needs someone else to take care of you"."Overall, I think I understand that you are definitely a loser instead of awinner in this domestic life battlefield."Godou cowered at this criticism that he was completely unable to refute."This is why I suggested the appointment of a butler and maid.""Whether it is yesterday or today, I will most likely never arrange such athing. Well, let's just say I will not approve of this even beyond five yearsfrom now.""Then that exhausts all your options. Looks like you need a charitablecounterpart."The moment he heard this, Godou blinked repeatedly in surprise.Liliana said charitable? Does that mean .Afterwards, an hour had passed.The silhouette of the fairy-like silver-haired European beauty could be seenskillfully making dishes at the Kusanagi household.Taking the cut up pieces of white radish, cucumbers, carrots, celery, etc.she turned the components into a salad and included some cream andcheese as dessert.Furthermore there were crunchy deep fried pumpkins, fried sweetpotatoes, fried lotus roots, and egg rolls made out of shrimp and avocado.She was able to create many vegetable and meat dishes in a conciseamount of time. Plus, she took Godou's leftover miso soup from earlier thismorning and added it to the curry powder. Following that, other ingredientssuch as bacon, lettuce, tomato, and so on were included. The result wasthe creation of a BLT (the abbreviation stands for Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato)soup that tasted like curry.When seeing those ingredients amassed together, at the time there was acertain curiosity as to what it was going to be morphed into.After giving it a quick taste, a brilliantly created Western style flavor couldbe detected. As expected, the workmanship could only be consideredadmirable if this kind of sensation was induced to others."I'm very sorry that these are only some casually made food."After finishing her cooking, Liliana apologized."At the very least I do believe my cooking isn't as atrocious as yours.""I guess so it definitely felt like the workload didn't really change.""I'm afraid you carry an 'as long as it is edible it is fine' kind of attitude whilehaphazardly cooking. However, I believe the art of cooking parallel toromance, some degree of passion is still needed.""Uh "While criticizing Godou's careless nature, Liliana appeared to havebecome a fearless speaker.This was probably self-inflicted. Godou cringed as a result."O-Overall you really helped me out a great deal, thank you. If it's not toomuch trouble, would you like to also stay here for dinner Liliana?""I don't have any plans for today but disturbing your family gathering isnot ideal, please forgive my refusal."Liliana used the perfect excuse to decline Godou's invitation.Well, there will always be some conflict no matter how many times aperson suddenly eats at someone else's house. In fact, the level of Godouand Liliana's relationship was also inadequate..Godou thought about this while nodding. However, he was really incapableof comprehending this situation. For some reason, seeing Liliana stand inthe kitchen of his house made him feel nostalgic. She was wearing auniform and a scarf, using a kitchen knife, while lighting the fire on thestove .Nevertheless, it was quite unimaginable as to how the European beautyfelt at home in an aged Japanese house that was unsuited for her. Sheassimilated to the setting of the Kusanagi household, making Godou feelvery nostalgic."Oh yeah, Liliana, this is your first time coming to my house right?""Eh? Yeah it should be, ah, no eh?"Liliana tilted her head and looked completely puzzled by Godou's inquiry."Today is certainly the first time, I think?""I also feel that is the case "The two of them were facing one another with their expressions aligned asthey were pondering.Although this should be the case, something feels very suspicious.Burdened with doubt, Godou looked directly at Liliana who possessed apure and beautiful complexion. Afterwards, Liliana shyly casted down hereyes and nervously looked around the kitchen."P-Please don't look at me like this, it'll make me feel veryembarrassed ""l-I'm sorry. I don't mean it like that."The flustered silver-haired beauty moved away from his line of sight.Seemingly wanting to change the subject, Liliana decided to speak up."Kusanagi Godou, you haven't really tidied up these past couple of dayshave you? There is a dirt stain in the corner.""Ah I did remember contemplating wanting to straighten up the place afew times.""Still as carefree as ever. I understand now, coming to disturb you todaycould be considered as fate's doing to bring us together."Liliana suddenly went to the hallway, opened the storage room, and tookout the vacuum that was placed in there as well as a duster and cleaningrag.She was promptly on the move as if she knew in advance where thecleaning tools were."Ah, I didn't intend to impress you with cleaning duties too!""Don't worry about it, the longer someone sees the stains in this house themore disgusted they would feel."As soon as she finished speaking, Liliana swiftly commenced cleaning.She first tidied up the things scattered along the hallway, bed and so on.Afterwards, it was of course time for the vacuum and duster to take thestage. They could reach places to clean that was inaccessible to acleaning rag."No don't, I didn't intend to trouble you to this extent.""Don't worry, I might as well do it while I'm here."Dressed up in a uniform and apron, Liliana was hard at work with thecleanup.This kind of routine-esque appearance gave people the impression thatshe was a newly-wed wife who undertakes the household duties all byherself. Not only that, a mysterious magical force arising from her enduringattitude made Godou's heart skip endlessly.In short, he was unable to just let her clean alone.As a result, Godou also helped clean in all quarters of the Kusanagihousehold. In Godou's point of view, Liliana seemed to behave as if shewas instructed by the King's request or something along those lines.Because of that, he decided to join her in the cleanup.During this occasional rest day, he sank into the awkward situationundertaking the role of a husband helping the wife of the house in tidyingup.This type of impression emerged in Godou.At its conclusion, Liliana went home upon completing one hour of cleaning."That said, people in Japan would thoroughly clean their house during theend of year "In the end, Godou muttered to himself.Although she was still far away from the meticulously cleaned first andsecond floor of the Kusanagi household, Godou still decided to wait for thereturn of Shizuka inside the sublimely transformed house along withLiliana's diligently prepared dinner.Soon after, the night had finally ushered in ."Onii-chan the situation regarding Mariya-senpai today was already aproblematic issue and now you bring a girl home!? There's no use playingdumb! Whether it's the dinner or the house that has become sparklingclean, it's obvious that it isn't Onii-chan who did it! Who did you bring over?It was Mariya-senpai wasn't it? Or was it another girl? It would probably bein your best interest to plead guilty!"That night, Godou's house was filled with the affectionate conversationbetween brother and sister.According to Shizuka, the silhouettes of girls had recently congregatedaround Godou. Don't be silly, I'm not the same as grandpa. Godou retortedin this way numerous times before finally driving away Shizuka.After returning to his room, Godou sighed in relief.At this time there was an incoming call on his cellphone. It was Yuri calling,Godou instantly picked up."Hello, is this Mariya?""Yes, I'm sorry for calling this late at night. If I may ask, are you free at themoment?"After the polite greetings the conversation got underway.This kind of etiquette and adherence to discipline is a trait of Yuri's. Godouwas surreptitiously happy to be able to talk to her.After hearing her voice through the phone, Godou immediately focused hisattention."In regards to that situation up until now, there is one thing to report.""That situation concerning Santa Clauses turning grey?""Yes, that phenomenon manifested itself this afternoon in the followingseven locations which seem to have all been confirmed: Yotsuya, Mejiro,Nakano, Yoyogi, Roppongi, Nakameguro, Yurakucho right nowAmakasu-san is currently on his way to investigate.""It's still recurring?"In the end, the Grey One committing "suicide" at Odaiba did not concludethis matter.Plus the event had occurred in an imposing manner where it appears to beplaying catchup for the last couple of days."After whatever you did was all said and done, were there anybreakthroughs? If only Amakasu-san had information to pass along ""In regards to this situation, I have an idea what it is.""Eh!?"Godou was stunned at Yuri's sudden admission."After hearing the reports, I was bestowed with a divine revelation throughmy spirit vision. At long last I saw it. Although, I'm not sure whether or notthis is accurate it's Erica-san.""Huh, why that person?"Could Erica really be the culprit? What does this all equate to?"Even though she is a bit deceitful, she isn't the type of person who wouldcarry out these sort of pranks.""I agree. However, I have a very strong feeling that the crux for solving thissituation at least focuses around Erica-san."Erica Blandelli, out of all the people Godou knew, she was the mostgorgeous and the most talented girl.What information was she withholding? Without any clues, Godou noddedhis head. Either call it quits or go through with it till the end no, sincematters have reached this stage, it would be best to bravely advancetowards the finale.References1 . t The yuzu bath, known commonly as yuzuyu, but also asyuzuburo, is said to guard against colds, treat the roughness of skin,warm the body, and relax the mind. Consuming pumpkins during theWinter Solstice supposedly helps prevent sicknesses as well.2. t Guanyin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion asvenerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The nameGuanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Observing the Sounds(or Cries) of the World".3. t Acala (literally "immovable" one.) is one of fierce, angry-facedguardian deities of Vajrayana Buddhism, otherwise known as esotericBuddhism, and is particularly revered by Buddhists in Japan.4. t Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermentedsoybeans. It is popular especially as a breakfast food.

Chapter 3 - A Request Made to the Hime-MikoPart 1During the night of the visit to Odaiba, Godou was finally able to startreading his textbook.The final exams for the second semester were already over. However,Kusanagi Godou's test scores have slowly declined from their usual highmarks.Well, he had been entangled by an incident involving a god-sama and wasinvolved with numerous things.Although he could say it was simply due to a lack of preparation, he wasnot only a godslayer and demon king, but was also a high school student.As such, he should remain focused on his studies.Especially during the month after winter break when the all-importantaptitude tests took place in Jounan Academy.For that reason, Godou displayed diligence as he opened the textbook andbegan taking notes on the table within the room."Eh? Speaking of which, did I get into a battle with a certain god before thefinal exams?"He was suddenly a bit concerned about this matter in which he hadforgotten.It was now the second day. After the half curriculum of classes prior towinter break were over, Godou walked towards the library. He was situatedin a quiet place where he could study the contents of the second semester.If he ever got tired of studying he could always find a book to kill time.However, time was of the essence since he must return before the skydarkens.Actually, starting yesterday he was responsible for cooking.In the Kusanagi household when their grandfather was absent, Godou andShizuka would alternate the responsibility of cooking every couple of days.Lunches were to be prepared individually while the person on shift woulddo both breakfast and dinner. Once Godou came home he walked towardsthe kitchen.(Also, the schedule of shifts of course did not include their mother. Eventhough one of the reasons was because she was rarely home for dinner,the most significant cause for this was because she was their mother.)Today Godou planned on cooking with a pan which he filled with anabundance of vegetables, pork and afterwards he liberally (but in goodproportion) added pickled cabbages.The ingredients were cut and the time was also set on the rice cooker.Once that was all taken care of, Godou glanced at his cellphone that wasset aside and noticed a text message."Who sent this?"Godou, who didn't seem too interested, went to quickly check its content.He then shook his head, completely unable to fathom what it was.Not only did the email omit the name of the sender, but the email addresswas unfamiliar to Godou.The contents of the email were 'Progress report, concerning the incidentfrom the past, the resurrection will take place during the winter solstice,please be careful, Ying.'At the moment it seemed like a warning, but it was overly simplified.The report seemed like it was sent in passing by a staff member who hadinfiltrated the dangerous enemy ranks and began monitoring the enemy."The winter solstice mentioned probably refers to the day of the year wherethe night is at its longest."The day of the year where the night is at its longest, in other words the daywhen the earth is furthest from the sun.A very popular Japanese tradition was to take a hot yuzu bath and eatpumpkins^ every year during the 21st or 22nd of December.This year's winter solstice should betide on the 22nd of December.Incidentally today was December 19th. Seems like the revival will takeplace in three days"But who the heck is Ying and what is this revival?"Godou was currently contemplating over this. Revival just what is beingrevived?Godou tried to search for an answer within his mind but was unable tocome up with anything. If it is not something he can remember then itprobably lacked importance. Perhaps it will be fine even if he forgot?"However, during that time with the Santa Clauses we saw someonestrange during the investigation."Godou immediately changed his train of thought. However, who should herequest for help?Should he request Liliana again, or Amakasu? Neither of them wouldprobably be applicable. When all was said and done, one ambivalentkeyword came to mind. If only there was someone here who possessedclairvoyance, then it may be possible to obtain an answerNo, wait a second. Someone who possesses clairvoyance, isn't thatperson nearby?!After eating dinner with Shizuka and cleaning up, Godou returned to hisroom.The room was really an eyesore. The Japanese-style six tatami roomcontained a desk and chair, a Japanese-style wardrobe as well as abookcase. Anything that there was no room for was shoved in.As a result, Godou's room was very concise.He did not possess any unnecessary items, which gave a plain lifestylefeeling. Nevertheless, he still had items that were an eyesore.The reason for this was due to him not having the temperament to bestoring things, hence this was to be expected. Besides the desirables andnecessities, he would not mind doing away with everything else if he hadto.He would feel irritated if a large quantity of things were brought in.Only the minimum requirement of a necessity will do. Thisarrangement was much more lightweight, relaxed, and spacey.So contrary to what one might expect, Godou was really fond of this sort ofprofoundly plain room."Is my room really that lonely?"He was referring to something besides the contents within the room. It feltlike this place used to be filled with something, something very lively .While suddenly incurring this kind of feeling, Godou sensed something wasmissing.Many things that were desperately needed were now lost this was thekind of feeling that surfaced in Godou. An indescribable feeling of beinglost and forlornness sank into him."As expected, there is something that I can't piece together plus therelationship I have with those people hasn't really improved."There were a lot of suspenseful matters regarding the girls by his side andtheir interpersonal relationships. Even though the distance between himand Liliana has curtailed quite a bit, it would be meaningless if he wasunable to further deepen their relationship.His relationship with Erica was still the status quo. Also that girl seldomattended school and was as cunning as always. And then there wasYuri .Not only did she have clairvoyance, she was someone who had the abilityto use Spirit Vision as well.In this aspect, not only did she surpass Liliana, she also transcendedPrincess Alice."At the present, I would say Mariya Yuri's assistance is the most essential."But how should he request help from Yuri, the sheltered YamatoNadeshiko?She was someone who would evade getting into a discussion, aninconversable hime-miko."Eh? It's like that?"Godou felt a little uneasy. Yuri was indeed a highly ranked girl. Not onlywas she courteous by virtue, she was also conservatively polite. She wasvery passive towards making contact with boys making her unreachable.However there seemed to be a completely different side of her. Indeed, itwas like the gentleness of Guanyin Buddha^ who provided help to allliving things combined with the indignant nature of an Acala 1 Jreincarnation.'Til give it a try and see what happens "This kind of thinking was imprudent, parallel to some sort of evil thought.Godou appeared to have abandoned this kind of thinking as he shook hishead. No matter how he tried to play it off as a joke, the words of aCampione would never appear as an antic.But this was perhaps an opportunity for him to alter his relationship withYuri.After spending two minutes stressing over this, Godou picked up thephone and sent out a text message. A response should appear tomorrowmorning at the earliest."If I don't take any risks then there is no way to move forward. Did a certainsupervisor say something like that in the past?"Because he was incapable of openly stating his beliefs, Godou hadentered a tiger's cave.When the night passed, it was December 20th.Just as before, it was Godou's responsibility to cook for the Kusanagihousehold in the morning.The first was miso soup, which is made by pouring miso into hot water andboiling it into a soup, then adding potatoes to complete the soup. Theprewashed rice was then placed in the rice cooker for it to be cooked in anenvironmentally friendly system using the least amount of labor.Cucumbers, eggplants, and pickled radishes were also soaked together forfifteen minutes."Afterwards I should probably cook some vegetables.""All you did was place the cut up vegetables in the steamer on the kitchenstove for five minutes. You speak as if you are actually cooking Onii-chan.""What does it matter, it may be simple but at least it's very nutritious."Godou was trying to comfort his sister while opening the door to the fridge.He took out some natto 1 J , raw eggs, and nori and placed them on thekitchen table. After that, he presented it like a western-style buffet. Thesedishes should be enough between the two siblings.The older brother lazily made the food, however the chef for theKusanagi household was absent so there was no other alternative."Onii-chan, it's clear that you serve decent dishes while occasionallycooking, but once you start cooking on a daily basis you begin to slack off."But this is the case for the majority of skilled cooks.""Even if those skilled cooks cut corners, they would still be able to createexcellent dishes. However in Onii-chan's case, you are already putting inminimum effort before you reach the stage where corners should be cut!Because he was reminded of Liliana's culinary skills, he stated in thefollowing manner. However his sister had actually counterattacked.At this time the doorbell to the front door sounded. Has she arrived?"Who would be here this early?"Shizuka stood up and walked towards the front door while Godoucontinued eating. Perhaps his mind was entangled by doubt. After Shizukaopened the front door, a beautiful girl wearing her uniform came into view."M-Mariya-senpai!?"That said, the two girls had an upperclassmen-underclassmen relationshipin the tea ceremony club.Mariya Yuri elegantly lowered her head and spoke towards the startledunderclassmen."I'm very sorry for disturbing you guys this early in the morning, but I havesome urgent matters to discuss with your brother. Please forgive myrudeness.""Brother you mean my Onii-chan!?""Yes, would it be possible for me to accompany Kusanagi-san for a bit?"She was directly looking at Kusanagi Godou who was standing behindShizuka.Mariya Yuri had a stern and serious expression comparable to when anoble princess adjudicates over sinners.Regarding the godslaying devil king as an adversary, she casted anintense seriousness that was much different than the highly ranked girl'susual cautiousness. Godou felt his intuition was correct.This turned the originally conservative Yuri into a courageous, initiativetaking girl.He had successfully coerced her!However why did he have this feeling like he overdid it? There was thesaying you can't catch a cub without going into the tiger's den, but it felt likethere was a point where he had proudly stepped on the tiger's tailThe price of wanting to control the situation for himself felt like it hadspiraled beyond his expectation.Since it is like this, he might as well keep her company. Godou bracedhimself and responded to the princess's calling.Part 2Godou terminated his plans of eating together with Shizuka and decided tosave his breakfast in order to eat it at night.Fortunately clothing for him was not an issue. Godou put on the shirt fromhis school uniform and a coat, then immediately left after picking up hisbackpack.However, Shizuka's tone on the other hand had a mix of anger (I wonderwhy?) and bewilderment."O-Onii-chan, quit provoking other people. What did you do to makeMariya-senpai actually come to our house!? Could it be the blood inheritedfrom grandpa has finally awakened!? Afterwards you better explaineverything clearly to me!"T-There was no easy way to explain this, so might as well use a bit ofdeception right?The brother who was carrying these immoral feeling went towards the frontdoor and spoke to the hime-miko waiting for him."Sorry for making you wait.""No, it was me who first disturbed you without permission and I came offvery adamant. This sort of delay isn't a concern at all."After respectfully replying, Yuri started walking together with Godou by herside.That said, if the words she had used were elegantly and respectfullyspoken like they had always been in the past, the words would have sent awarm feeling to Godou's heart. This was because the maiden by his sidewas both adorable and stunning, thus making him feel embarrassed.However, the tone she used right now was filled with the dignity of a queenof winter.Just when they happened to leave Nezu Sanchome's business street, themight of this dignified feeling became much more powerful."Well then Kusanagi Godou, what was the reason for yesterday's textmessage?"Godou flinched after being suddenly questioned.Perhaps he was unable to speak about his aroused battle spirit caused byvarious circumstances?"It's nothing, just a few things I recently remembered ""No matter what position you hold, you still shouldn't do anything like this!"Yuri took out her cellphone and displayed the contents of the text sentyesterday towards Godou.Subject: Some matters we need to consult'Today there was someone who sought to discuss some matters with me.It seemed that he felt very anxious because he was being tracked by adeity. Since my abilities were applicable, I replied 'then let's eliminate thisgod'. After that, the god came looking to quarrel with me, making me feelsomewhat distressed. Once I crush that god, would it be better if he wassubmerged in Tokyo Bay or the Suruga Bay?'It seems Yuri's high class temperament and her hime-miko duties wereprovoked.Godou accurately anticipated this and purposefully sent her a messagethat would give her headaches by instilling apprehensive thoughts. He wassuccessful on his first attempt. As expected, Yuri was more than just akindhearted girl.She was also strong-willed, noble, and had a habit of preaching andnagging others.Even though he cowered in fear from her aggressive attitude, Godou didhave a strong sense of satisfaction. It would be contradictory to Mariya'snature if things did not turn out like this."You intentionally brought the heretic god into Japan and now you intend tocause mass destruction once again!? Your concern for the surroundingarea is completely inadequate!""W-Wait a second, Mariya."Godou replied, unable to resist anymore."Everything in that text was a lie.""A lie?""Ah, haha, I only did that because it was necessary."Following that, Yuri suddenly displayed a smile that was clearly verycharming. Nevertheless, it was a smile that would insinuate fear intoanyone. This was an expression of regret showcased by the beautifulprincess."Why must you do something like this?""No, you see, there never is an opportunity for me to talk to Mariya right?We are only able to have a proper conversation if I did something like this."Although he mentioned some pretty bizarre things, there was nothing elsethat could have been done.Godou lowered his head with dignity and spoke his heartfelt feelings withdetermination."I felt like if I tried to casually converse with you, you would evade myattempts.""So it's like that? Just now I was contemplating whether or not to cut off allconnections to the lying and irresponsible Kusanagi-san forever."The hime-miko declared this with a cold smile. That compelling force ofhers had also increased.However, Godou immediately followed up by yelling "Mariya" and closed ingreatly. The distance between Godou and Yuri was practically nonexistentas Godou looked straight into her eyes. In the past, whenever a beautifulgirl approached him, he would cower and be incapable of doing anything."Ku-Kusanagi-san!?""I will apologize as much as you want me to for lying, but please listen tome this one time."Godou said this with the highest level of sincerity."This is an unreasonable request of mine, but rather than having Mariyatreat me courteously, I would heavily prefer you to show anger and criticizeme without anguish. Even if you feel uncomfortable, you should stillcontinue to conduct yourself as such.""If possible, I hope you would scold me whenever I do somethingunacceptable in the future like you are doing right now. Basically me andthat idiot Salvatore Doni both need a person of this sort."A devil king is someone who is permitted to be unreasonably violent andlive an indulgent lifestyle that allows them to ignore other people's liberties.Someone who possesses powers of a Campione should not be sayingthese things to a mere human."So if someone must be selected, I hope that person would be you Mariya.Of course, if Mariya doesn't want to then I won't force you What do youthink?""Kusanagi-sa Godou-san "Suddenly, Yuri quietly stated Godou's name.This was really unfathomable since it was obviously an offensive change.However, Godou was not surprised with this new way of being addressed.Instead, it could be said that this label was familiar sounding or rather, itwas something he was accustomed to.Afterwards Yuri silently followed in kind with her head lowered like Godou.Her entire face turned red as she was probably very embarrassed.At this time Godou finally noticed it, his proximity with Yuri was extremelyclose. If his face was any closer it would be within kissing distance. Theyresembled lovers preparing to embrace each other.However, Yuri finally seemed to have responded with a nod.This made Godou feel ecstatic. The beautiful hime-miko, who wasflustered because of the close distance and wished to have someseparation, suddenly spoke in a whisper."Anything that the King No, if it is Godou-san's wish then I will try mybest in response. However, I have something that I want to say about this."Godou's back broke out in a cold sweat as sensed an omen of danger.Surely enough, Yuri suddenly sighed and held a sorrowful expressionwhile looking up at Godou."I didn't think Godou-san was lying.""Eh!?""I don't know why I would wishfully think that Godou would always besincere to me. Calmly thinking about it, there are clearly many strangeaspects to this. Nevertheless I still unconditionally trust you."Yuri's murmur was not of criticism but rather of sorrow.Her serene and grieving expression instead greatly provoked Godou'ssense of guilt."R-Regarding this, please allow me to once again apologize ""To earn a person's trust takes many years to accumulate, however losingtrust in a person only takes a swift moment I feel that what Godou-sanhas done this time should reflect what I have just said.""I'll do anything for forgiveness. Kneeling down, anything would be fine."This kind of uncomfortable situation was akin to being reprimanded.Deeply experienced, Godou did not hesitate when offering the highestlevel method of forgiveness seeking. He immediately utilized a prizedtechnique passed down within the family and knelt along the road. As aresult, Yuri's lonesome expression turned into a smile."It would have been fine even if you didn't do anything to this degree. I onlydesired to have Godou experience the same feeling that I justexperienced "Just like that she stopped him in his tracks. Godou pondered whilemaintaining his kneeling position.Phew, I'll never lie to Mariya again . Furthermore."S-Sawa-san, did you hear that !? Mariya-san and class five'sKusanagi-san? The two of them seemed to have said staying by eachother's side, is that a joke? Or could it be ""Of course, it's just as Miyama-san thought, this is virtually the same kindof conversation a married couple would have as they overcome a divorcecrisis. This means ""Not only were Kusanagi-san and Mariya-san dating, he even had anaffair !?""A guy like this is actually in our school. Class five's Kusanagi, I'm on toyou!"Godou heard this unfortunate intermittent whispering. Looking to his side,there were two girl students who appeared to be from Yuri's class locatednot too far away from them. The one with the glasses was Sawa-san, thepetite one was Miyama-san.Speaking of which, he would trek through here on a daily basis. Moreover,it was the only way to get to Jounan Academy.Other than Sawa-san and Miyama-san, there were a couple studentsstaring at them from a bit farther away! Sensing this dangerous situation,Godou spoke without hesitation."Mariya! Come over here!"O-Ok!Unwittingly, they went to the entrance of the Nezu Shrine. A hurrieddecision was made when selecting the shrine's courtyard as refuge,prompting Godou and Yuri to enter inside.Part 3Godou and Yuri ran towards the vast courtyard in the Nezu Shrine.Five minutes had already passed since that previous scene. It was unclearexactly when it happened, but the atmosphere between the two of themhad became tranquil and the mood strangely turned very positive.Godou discreetly tilted his head, just now he was clearly conflicted by hisown lie.Moreover it was tantamount to yesterday morning. Godou and Yurievidently had nothing to say, but their line of sight suddenly crossed paths.Yuri candidly lowered her head and gracefully smiled. Considering Godouhad said some outlandish things, this approach was appropriate.The taut atmosphere from before seemed like it was merely a farce."Godou-san, I actually noticed this prior to now."Yuri suddenly started talking as she casually walked in a uniform posture."I noticed that I no, we, forgot something very important.""You too Mariya!?"Godou was absolutely astounded. Could it be that Mariya's situation wasthe same?"Recently, I have been unable to remain at peace because I feel like I'veforgotten something important. It repeatedly felt like there was some sort ofprearranged plan around Christmas ""Christmas?""Ah, there was also the text I received from a person that I supposedlyknow which said something was going to be revived during the wintersolstice and that I should be careful. It was full of some vague matters thatwould make anyone feel very confused."The purpose of the unspecified delivery address was probably to preventthe identity of the sender from being discovered. However, up until nowthere was still no response and the intention to respond probably neverexisted.However, back to the main topic Godou thought of something whileYuri was talking. At this time, there seems to be someone who can fill inthe blanks for Kusanagi Godou.Just like Yuri, there also seems to be some sort of other person .Letting her cover his back and fighting side by side, sometimes she wouldbicker while other times she would share opinions and offer advice.Occasionally she would create complications that would drive peoplecrazy. However, they would also hang out together at times. What otherinstances would there have to be in order for her to be a suitable partner?Godou desperately reflected upon this bleary memory of his.However this was insufficient, it was still inadequate. If only there wassome kind of opportunity !Afterwards, Godou heard Yuri mention a divine revelation."Ever since ancient times, the winter solstice has always been animportant sacrificial day for welcoming the god of bountiful harvests. Thepeople express gratitude for the bumper harvest in the fall and feel veryjoyous towards the arrival of the winter solstice. Furthermore, theycelebrate the coming of spring and request the omnipotent to start storingpower."!? Godou looked to his side while Yuri gazed at Godou with a dazedexpression."What's wrong Godou-san?"Just then, did she use her spirit vision to obtain that divine revelation? Howtypical of her.Under situations which lacked awareness of the circumstances, her abilitywould oftentimes be able to grant useful declarations. Even in thiscondition where the situation was unclear, as long as they had her powerthen .Like having discovered a beacon illuminating the road ahead, Godouheavily nodded.He felt that the suspended hands of a clock have now clicked and onceagain started to move at an uptempo.In the end, Godou and Yuri arrived at the school together.Walking together within the school is still too great of a difficulty. This waswhy the two of them separated at the shoe cabinet located at the frontdoors of the school and headed to their respective classes.Tomorrow was already going to be the graduation ceremony and the dayafter on the 22nd was the start of winter break. Due to this, a complacentatmosphere was found within the school. Classes were going to end soonand all the teachers and students within the school were cleaning sortof like a mass cleanup. It was probably influenced by this kind ofatmosphere. Speaking of which, today Erica showed up.She appeared to be in charge of the cleanup group for the science room.She quickly brought some people who were students that in the sameclass as her and who had a pretty good relationship with her to go with. Ofcourse for Erica, displaying her own hard working attitude would probablybe implementing effective commands to instruct other people to quicklyfinish cleaningBy the way, Godou was part of the hallway cleanup group while Lilianawas part of her class class five's cleanup group.When Godou would occasionally enter the classroom, he felt as if thesilver-haired knight was eyeing him with criticism.But he bypassed the notion that she was concentrating on him. Believinghe was just overthinking this, Godou focused on his cleaning.Once they finally finished cleaning, it was time to head home. While Godouwas preparing to leave, the group of three consisting of Nanami,Sorimachi, and Takagi approached him."Hey Kusanagi, you always seem to be involved in these strange rumors.""Although I think it's just a joke, I should still do a quick confirmation. Youand Mariya-san this matter regarding the socialization with theoverwhelmingly top ranked girl of the Nadeshiko section in my school, wasit true?""F-Furthermore even though you guys already arranged plans formarriage, Mariya was depressed because you had an affair!"Godou frowned and muttered "huh?"."Although I know where this kind of silly rumor came from there has tobe a limit on circumventing the truth. If lies like these were spread around,it would create complications for me and Mariya."The indignant Godou said this while in a sour mood.Afterwards, the three idiots suddenly nodded their heads and displayed asmile on their faces."Ha ha ha, I guess you are right.""I just knew that you and Mariya-san becoming a couple had to be a joke.""There is eye-witness information saying you two were arguing on the wayto school. However the result was that you guys happily arrived at schoolwalking side by side after reconciling. This kind of strange information wasbroadcasted everywhere and we unwittingly came across this unconfirmedreport which instigated some suspicion towards you.""Ah, no, the arguing and coming to school together was true."What.. .Did. ..You. ..Say!?After Godou announced this fact, the expression of the three idiotschanged for some reason."The person telling this kind of nonsense was probably someone at thelocation and witnessed me and Mariya quarreling. However, therelationship is definitely not the same as what they said, I'mserious. Oh yeah, there is something I want to request from Nanami."Godou spoke to his startled friend who had a frozen expression."It's pretty tough to complete that game I borrowed from before, is it ok if Icontinue borrowing it?""U-Uh huh. It would be fine even if you borrowed it for a year or two aslong as you put your heart into it as you play. But Kusanagi, the things youjust said can we believe in them?""Huh?""What he means is, we still have faith in you as our comrade, beingone of the men who gallantly fights in solitude during Christmas against anempty reality, how could we not believe!?""No, I don't have any plans to battle anyone during Christmas, none atall ?"Having no plans, for some reason he hesitated right after he finishedspeaking. It seemed as if he had the feeling that something was awaitinghim.Part 4Afterwards, on the way back home, Godou headed towards thesupermarket.The purpose of this was to carry out the obligations of his cookingresponsibilities. For lunch, he simply tended to that by eating an onigiribought from a convenience store.Ok then, what should I eat for tonight? I could eat the leftovers from thismorning, but that will definitely not be enough. I have a lot of free time rightnow compared to my busy morning.While Godou started to reflect on the few dishes he could adeptly cook,one problem came to mind. After considering this matter, tonight's dinnermenu had to be prudently selected. How should he go about doing this?In the vegetable aisle of the supermarket, the perplexed Godou heard avoice."I happened to notice that you are doing something rarely seen from you ina place you infrequently visit."Godou looked back and saw Liliana standing there wearing her uniformand holding a backpack. She probably just departed from school as well."I hardly ever see you shopping in these kinds of stores.""Grandpa isn't here right now and today is my responsibility to preparedinner. Did Liliana come here to go shopping as well?"When Liliana's maid Karen was on vacation in her home country, it wouldnot be strange to see Liliana going shopping by herself. However sheresponded by shaking her head."No, I actually wanted to confirm something so that is why I came here tosee you.""Confirm?""I heard you ruthlessly plucked the Japanese hime-miko Mariya Yuri andmade her your possession. Furthermore, you even had an affair andabandoned her. What is this all about?""P-Plucked?"Godou stared blankly at Liliana who suddenly started talking incessantly."This is the only time where I won't assess you as wrong. Mhmm, nomatter how negligent you are on the battlefield like a monster, you arealways appropriately conscientious during everyday life.""A-Appropriately?""At best considered a person who became accustomed to living in society,yet still retaining a rather flawed notion of common sense this kind ofperson not only possesses many traits that cause other peoplecomplications but is also someone who pulls one's punches. This is exactlyhow I feel!""Is this how you see me Liliana ?""However, the actions you did towards Mariya Yuri were indeed tooexcessive. Unlike a gentleman, you lack the proper morality of a humanbeing. I was really wrong about you.""No, although I can assume where you heard this kind of rumor from."Godou used an indifferent tone to express his opinion to the aggressiveLiliana."You probably should've diligently double-checked this rumor against thefacts before coming to find me. How about you try giving a call to Mariya,she will definitely refute this claim and say there is no truth behind it.""Eh ?"Suddenly, Liliana's imposing manner waned as she sank deep intothought. After contemplating this over, she displayed a "oh crap" kind ofexpression."Well, let me ask you again, Liliana did you come here to go shopping?""J-Just forget about everything regarding this matter Kusanagi Godou."Liliana let out a sigh as she spoke.The red-faced Liliana pretty much reverted back to her serious demeanor."I'm sorry, after hearing the rumor, for some reason this kind of 'KusanagiGodou likes feminine charms and carelessly establishes relationships withother girls very quickly' impression surfaced and I very naturally believedthis rumor.""You were probably going off baseless facts!"In the end the two of them selected the ingredients together. To somedegree, this scene involving a devil king and knight selecting ingredients inthe fresh food section could be considered as some sort of parody."Going beyond that explanation, it's time to worry about tonight's menu.""Buy cheap ingredients that are exceptionally discounted. Using those tocook dishes should be fine, right?"Godou shook his head in response to the prevailing method Lilianaoffered."In fact, I did that yesterday as well as the day before. Don't you think thatconveniently cutting meat, fish, vegetables, and putting them all in a potwould be a very easy way to make them delicious? The tastes of mosttypes of foods are acceptable just by doing some minor cooking I wouldthink" said Godou.However, while he still had more to say, an inconceivable feelingdeveloped within him."As a result, two days ago I made chanko and saved the leftovers tosimmer in udon for yesterday's breakfast. After that, while I was makingpickled cabbages yesterday night Shizuka started to become agitated. Sofor this morning, I guess you can say the things I made were morecuisine-like."Once he recalled the expression of dissatisfaction on his sister again,Godou became irritated.He thought, how annoying can a girl get."So tonight's menu has to be selected carefully. However, because I'munsure what kind of dishes are acceptable to a little girl I'm feeling quitedistressed."Liliana sighed for some reason.Godou cringed. He felt his counterpart wanted to say "you are a personwho always needs someone else to take care of you"."Overall, I think I understand that you are definitely a loser instead of awinner in this domestic life battlefield."Godou cowered at this criticism that he was completely unable to refute."This is why I suggested the appointment of a butler and maid.""Whether it is yesterday or today, I will most likely never arrange such athing. Well, let's just say I will not approve of this even beyond five yearsfrom now.""Then that exhausts all your options. Looks like you need a charitablecounterpart."The moment he heard this, Godou blinked repeatedly in surprise.Liliana said charitable? Does that mean .Afterwards, an hour had passed.The silhouette of the fairy-like silver-haired European beauty could be seenskillfully making dishes at the Kusanagi household.Taking the cut up pieces of white radish, cucumbers, carrots, celery, etc.she turned the components into a salad and included some cream andcheese as dessert.Furthermore there were crunchy deep fried pumpkins, fried sweetpotatoes, fried lotus roots, and egg rolls made out of shrimp and avocado.She was able to create many vegetable and meat dishes in a conciseamount of time. Plus, she took Godou's leftover miso soup from earlier thismorning and added it to the curry powder. Following that, other ingredientssuch as bacon, lettuce, tomato, and so on were included. The result wasthe creation of a BLT (the abbreviation stands for Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato)soup that tasted like curry.When seeing those ingredients amassed together, at the time there was acertain curiosity as to what it was going to be morphed into.After giving it a quick taste, a brilliantly created Western style flavor couldbe detected. As expected, the workmanship could only be consideredadmirable if this kind of sensation was induced to others."I'm very sorry that these are only some casually made food."After finishing her cooking, Liliana apologized."At the very least I do believe my cooking isn't as atrocious as yours.""I guess so it definitely felt like the workload didn't really change.""I'm afraid you carry an 'as long as it is edible it is fine' kind of attitude whilehaphazardly cooking. However, I believe the art of cooking parallel toromance, some degree of passion is still needed.""Uh "While criticizing Godou's careless nature, Liliana appeared to havebecome a fearless speaker.This was probably self-inflicted. Godou cringed as a result."O-Overall you really helped me out a great deal, thank you. If it's not toomuch trouble, would you like to also stay here for dinner Liliana?""I don't have any plans for today but disturbing your family gathering isnot ideal, please forgive my refusal."Liliana used the perfect excuse to decline Godou's invitation.Well, there will always be some conflict no matter how many times aperson suddenly eats at someone else's house. In fact, the level of Godouand Liliana's relationship was also inadequate..Godou thought about this while nodding. However, he was really incapableof comprehending this situation. For some reason, seeing Liliana stand inthe kitchen of his house made him feel nostalgic. She was wearing auniform and a scarf, using a kitchen knife, while lighting the fire on thestove .Nevertheless, it was quite unimaginable as to how the European beautyfelt at home in an aged Japanese house that was unsuited for her. Sheassimilated to the setting of the Kusanagi household, making Godou feelvery nostalgic."Oh yeah, Liliana, this is your first time coming to my house right?""Eh? Yeah it should be, ah, no eh?"Liliana tilted her head and looked completely puzzled by Godou's inquiry."Today is certainly the first time, I think?""I also feel that is the case "The two of them were facing one another with their expressions aligned asthey were pondering.Although this should be the case, something feels very suspicious.Burdened with doubt, Godou looked directly at Liliana who possessed apure and beautiful complexion. Afterwards, Liliana shyly casted down hereyes and nervously looked around the kitchen."P-Please don't look at me like this, it'll make me feel veryembarrassed ""l-I'm sorry. I don't mean it like that."The flustered silver-haired beauty moved away from his line of sight.Seemingly wanting to change the subject, Liliana decided to speak up."Kusanagi Godou, you haven't really tidied up these past couple of dayshave you? There is a dirt stain in the corner.""Ah I did remember contemplating wanting to straighten up the place afew times.""Still as carefree as ever. I understand now, coming to disturb you todaycould be considered as fate's doing to bring us together."Liliana suddenly went to the hallway, opened the storage room, and tookout the vacuum that was placed in there as well as a duster and cleaningrag.She was promptly on the move as if she knew in advance where thecleaning tools were."Ah, I didn't intend to impress you with cleaning duties too!""Don't worry about it, the longer someone sees the stains in this house themore disgusted they would feel."As soon as she finished speaking, Liliana swiftly commenced cleaning.She first tidied up the things scattered along the hallway, bed and so on.Afterwards, it was of course time for the vacuum and duster to take thestage. They could reach places to clean that was inaccessible to acleaning rag."No don't, I didn't intend to trouble you to this extent.""Don't worry, I might as well do it while I'm here."Dressed up in a uniform and apron, Liliana was hard at work with thecleanup.This kind of routine-esque appearance gave people the impression thatshe was a newly-wed wife who undertakes the household duties all byherself. Not only that, a mysterious magical force arising from her enduringattitude made Godou's heart skip endlessly.In short, he was unable to just let her clean alone.As a result, Godou also helped clean in all quarters of the Kusanagihousehold. In Godou's point of view, Liliana seemed to behave as if shewas instructed by the King's request or something along those lines.Because of that, he decided to join her in the cleanup.During this occasional rest day, he sank into the awkward situationundertaking the role of a husband helping the wife of the house in tidyingup.This type of impression emerged in Godou.At its conclusion, Liliana went home upon completing one hour of cleaning."That said, people in Japan would thoroughly clean their house during theend of year "In the end, Godou muttered to himself.Although she was still far away from the meticulously cleaned first andsecond floor of the Kusanagi household, Godou still decided to wait for thereturn of Shizuka inside the sublimely transformed house along withLiliana's diligently prepared dinner.Soon after, the night had finally ushered in ."Onii-chan the situation regarding Mariya-senpai today was already aproblematic issue and now you bring a girl home!? There's no use playingdumb! Whether it's the dinner or the house that has become sparklingclean, it's obvious that it isn't Onii-chan who did it! Who did you bring over?It was Mariya-senpai wasn't it? Or was it another girl? It would probably bein your best interest to plead guilty!"That night, Godou's house was filled with the affectionate conversationbetween brother and sister.According to Shizuka, the silhouettes of girls had recently congregatedaround Godou. Don't be silly, I'm not the same as grandpa. Godou retortedin this way numerous times before finally driving away Shizuka.After returning to his room, Godou sighed in relief.At this time there was an incoming call on his cellphone. It was Yuri calling,Godou instantly picked up."Hello, is this Mariya?""Yes, I'm sorry for calling this late at night. If I may ask, are you free at themoment?"After the polite greetings the conversation got underway.This kind of etiquette and adherence to discipline is a trait of Yuri's. Godouwas surreptitiously happy to be able to talk to her.After hearing her voice through the phone, Godou immediately focused hisattention."In regards to that situation up until now, there is one thing to report.""That situation concerning Santa Clauses turning grey?""Yes, that phenomenon manifested itself this afternoon in the followingseven locations which seem to have all been confirmed: Yotsuya, Mejiro,Nakano, Yoyogi, Roppongi, Nakameguro, Yurakucho right nowAmakasu-san is currently on his way to investigate.""It's still recurring?"In the end, the Grey One committing "suicide" at Odaiba did not concludethis matter.Plus the event had occurred in an imposing manner where it appears to beplaying catchup for the last couple of days."After whatever you did was all said and done, were there anybreakthroughs? If only Amakasu-san had information to pass along ""In regards to this situation, I have an idea what it is.""Eh!?"Godou was stunned at Yuri's sudden admission."After hearing the reports, I was bestowed with a divine revelation throughmy spirit vision. At long last I saw it. Although, I'm not sure whether or notthis is accurate it's Erica-san.""Huh, why that person?"Could Erica really be the culprit? What does this all equate to?"Even though she is a bit deceitful, she isn't the type of person who wouldcarry out these sort of pranks.""I agree. However, I have a very strong feeling that the crux for solving thissituation at least focuses around Erica-san."Erica Blandelli, out of all the people Godou knew, she was the mostgorgeous and the most talented girl.What information was she withholding? Without any clues, Godou noddedhis head. Either call it quits or go through with it till the end no, sincematters have reached this stage, it would be best to bravely advancetowards the finale.References1 . t The yuzu bath, known commonly as yuzuyu, but also asyuzuburo, is said to guard against colds, treat the roughness of skin,warm the body, and relax the mind. Consuming pumpkins during theWinter Solstice supposedly helps prevent sicknesses as well.2. t Guanyin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion asvenerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The nameGuanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Observing the Sounds(or Cries) of the World".3. t Acala (literally "immovable" one.) is one of fierce, angry-facedguardian deities of Vajrayana Buddhism, otherwise known as esotericBuddhism, and is particularly revered by Buddhists in Japan.4. t Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermentedsoybeans. It is popular especially as a breakfast food.