Campione!

Chapter 2 - The Three Spirits, Reunited onWakoku's^ Sacred MountainPart 1Kirifuri Plateau was about a few dozens of minutes away from the streetsof Nikkou City by car.These highlands were blessed with natural scenery such as MountAkanagi and Mount Maru, as well as the beautiful Kirifuri River. Other thanhiking routes, there were also ski resorts, ranches, golf courses and otherfacilities.Godou and his group had escaped to camping grounds in the area ofKirifuri Plateau."Ouch. It still hurts a lot..."Godou complained as he sat on a wooden chair on the porch of a littlewooden cabin.This was a camp site on the plateau. The aroma of nearby outdoor cookingwafted over. Almost all the tourists who came traveling as a family, as wellas Liliana and Yuri, were making dinner.Gazing up, one could see the beautiful autumn constellations twinkling inthe night sky.Despite the beauty of the scenery, Godou was still in a bad mood.He had taken a great deal of damage during the fight against Luo Hao. Anormal person would have died instantly from several dozen instances ofbroken bones and a couple cases of ruptured internal organs. Godou'sentire body was hurting like crazy, and he felt nauseous a couple of times.Most of all, he worried about Mariya Hikari.Being possessed by the Great Sage made her a hostage. He really wantedto go save her straight away, however —"With my current grave injuries, there's probably no way..."Godou sighed.His earlier self would have rushed in recklessly to save Hikari without asecond thought.But Godou had already become accustomed to these kinds of crises.Anyway, how could he prove that Mariya Hikari was currently the GreatSage Equaling Heaven? What could he do to drive the deity out frominside her body? How should he handle the terrifying divine power he hadjust witnessed?There were too many problems. What he had to do now was to findanswers to them.Since Luo Hao was not present, the only one here who could save Hikariwas Kusanagi Godou. As a man in this situation, if he were to lose controlto his emotions, that would be unforgivable stupidity.Warned by his sense of reason and responsibility... Godou was determinedto adhere to those principles.However, he hated his current self who was weighing trade-offs rationally,and would rather act according to his emotions. If he was just an ordinaryperson living a peaceful life, panicking should be the normal reaction to asituation like this..."Right, let me call Sayanomiya-san and see."Godou suppressed his self-revulsion, and took out his cellphone.What he needed the most right now was information. Dialing the numberrecorded in his contacts, the call immediately connected.'Wonderful, I was just about to contact you first. By the way, I already knowall about the outcome of your battle with that Cult Leader, as well as whathappened afterwards, so you don't need to explain.'"Could it be Amakasu-san who told you?"Godou made his deduction from Sayanomiya's words.That ninja descendant would definitely report important news like this, sothere was nothing to be surprised about.'You are correct... But I lost contact with him an hour ago. I am currentlydiscussing with my subordinates whether to list him as Missing In Action.'The History Compilation Committee Tokyo Branch Chief, who was also aHime-Miko, spoke softly in a slightly gloomy tone.Thanks to him, I'll have to come personally to Nikkou. So, Kusanagi-san,we will meet tomorrow morning. Please rest properly and conserve yourenergy for now. Whenever a god makes an appearance, Campiones aremankind's only saviors.'"Sayanomiya-san will be coming here as well?"'If Amakasu was around, I would have him on standby near Utsunomiya sothat I can make decisions based on his reports about the developingsituation. After all, with regard to news from the scene, the more accuratethe better.'It seemed like Amakasu was greatly trusted by his boss.Rather than listen to the report of someone else apart from him, Kaorupreferred going to the scene herself.'I am now summoning the personnel for the expedition to Nikkou. Oh bythe way, Ena will be arriving at the scene first, so she will be meetingKusanagi-san over there.'"It's Seishuuin!"'Yes. I suspect she will likely wander around first rather than show up atyour place immediately. However, she is a girl with very strong instincts, soshe will surely make her appearance at a suitable time. Also, the handlingof Hikari will be up to your decision. Whatever choice you make, I will bearcomplete responsibility.'"What you mean is... It's fine even if I give up on her?"Godou could not stop himself from uttering such cold words.At this particular moment, he felt the same revulsion for Kaoru as he felttowards himself just now.'Put it another way... If you were to ignore the plights of innocent citizenswhose only wish is to live peacefully, or even sacrifice them to save Hikari,we will follow your orders... Kusanagi-san, this is a special right andresponsibility that only you are entitled to.'"Special right and responsibility?"'Yes, perhaps you can call it a king's job, in other words, the right to makedecisions.'Godou finally understood what Kaoru wanted to tell him.The manner in which the incident should be resolved was entirely up toGodou's decision, because a Campione was not only a warrior, but also a[King] whose power lorded over the world.Entrusted with the heavy responsibility of the right to make decisions,Godou ended the phone call."Godou-san, dinner is ready."Yuri had returned to the porch to call for Godou.She had changed out of her miko outfit into a long-sleeved shirt and aflounced skirt. With goodness knows what kind of magic, the girls hadsomehow managed to retrieve the luggage they had left in Amakasu's car."Got it, Mariya. About the matter of Hikari...""Regarding that matter, actually I discussed it with Erica-san andLiliana-san just now. Since Hikari was using the power of disasterpurification to neutralize the Great Sage's [Keeper of the Horses] spell, sheshould be very safe. After all, it is the Great Sage himself who is protectingher now..."Yuri replied in a resolute and clear manner."Therefore, Erica-san and Liliana-san both agree that Godou-san shouldnot anxiously make a rash decision. As a Hime-Miko, I also approve oftheir opinions."Her words were full of righteous awe and responsibility, as befitting Yuri'stitle of "Hime."Yuri was not the least shaken by her younger sister's crisis. Wait aminute... Was she really completely unmoved? It was possible she wasonly pretending to be composed."Now that you mention it, where is that fellow Erica?""Chatting with the people who provided the camping grounds for us touse... She has already become very popular with them. It is very amazingof her, right? As soon as I mentioned to her we needed to prepare dinner,she helped me obtain the fish and meat we needed, and even got usdessert and fruit as well."Unlike the area around Toushouguu, it was very peaceful here. Erica wasapparently flexing her skillful diplomacy as usual."I see... That fellow's wounds are pretty much healed by now? I'm glad toknow that."Erica's injuries were definitely not light, but the healing magic hadapparently worked its effect.However, Yuri frowned at this moment."By 'that fellow' you must be referring to Erica-san? Does that meanGodou-san you still have not fully recovered?""Ah? No, I'm almost fine, you don't have to worry."Noticing his mistake, Godou frantically tried to tide things over."No lying. Why are you trying to pretend you are well?""This question... How should I put it..."Yuri's lips were shimmering with a colorful hue of pink as she questioned.Godou's vivid memories began to reawaken. He recalled the healing shehad provided during the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi incident, as well asjust now when she transferred knowledge for him to defeat Luo Hao.If Godou revealed the present poor condition of his body, she would likelyuse "that method" to heal him!"K-Kusanagi-san! A-As a Hime-Miko, though I have the duty to assistyou..."Yuri was apparently thinking of the same thing, and her highly respectableface turned bright red."However... My indulgence in those actions multiple times, still feelsrepulsive to a certain extent, making me hesitant in a number of areas...""You are completely right. Yes, I understand!"Wonderful, it looked like that could be avoided... Just as Godou feltrelieved, Yuri immediately declared rather problematically."However... If you are really in pain... I would still like to offer my power toassist you. All things considered, you were hurt for the sake of my youngersister, and for the both of us. If I can help you after all, I will still..."Yuri shyly lowered her gaze, but she was actually trying to convinceherself.Though she was so embarrassed that even her neck was red, Yuri still saidit out loud."After all, I... still want to.. .with you..."Godou swallowed hard. Yuri's stuttering made her even more charmingthan her angry appearance earlier.Of course he wanted to accept treatment if possible, but Godou couldn't lethimself force her to do that sort of thing. Absolutely not. With mixedfeelings, Godou fell silent.How did Yuri interpret Godou's silence?Yuri's expression went through agonizing, doubt and hesitation. Then shespoke softly:"We... We will be seen here, but I will not mind if we go over there..."Yuri whispered softly as she glanced into the wooden cabin.Hmm!? The meaning of her words turned out to be — Godou wascompletely speechless."Please wait a minute? How can you keep burdening poor Yuri with suchtasks, it's a bit unfair, oh? It is now time to assign areas of responsibilityproperly in a fair manner.""Erica-san!?"Unbeknownst to them, the [Diavolo Rosso] had begun standing outside theporch.Erica's red-tinged brilliant blonde hair was like a crown. As Godou staredback at her usual glamor, he somehow felt a sense of fright with a guiltyconscience."I believe that whether I or Yuri, both of us need to evenly proportion thetime to enjoy our love with Godou. After all, if unfairness is not corrected, itcould very well affect the harmony of the group. Say, Yuri, you've alreadydone a lot of things with Godou today, right?"" — !? Erica-san, why are you suddenly asking such a thing?"Forthcoming and inexperienced in the ways of the world, Yuri was aterrible liar. She did not even attempt a perfunctory answer, and easilyadmitted to the accusation."This is an equation that even a primary school student can solve. SinceGodou used the [Sword] in the fight against Luo Hao, who gave him theknowledge? There was only one person with the opportunity to do sotoday.""Y-Yes that is very true...""So it should be enough for today, right? Please let me have this rareopportunity to affirm my love with Godou. As for next time, no questionabout it, I will let Yuri have first priority — "What on earth was she saying in front of the primary subject!?Godou frantically jumped up from his chair, intending to escape.Silently, Erica drew near and pressed down on his shoulder. Though itseemed like she was simply resting her arm gracefully, the weight appliedwas terrifying. As usual, she was using her monstrous strength."Godou, sorry you had to wait for so long. Now that the conclusion is clear,let us enjoy our passionate moment together? Hoho, it's been quite a whilesince I last affirmed your tactile sensations like this."A seductive smile appeared on Erica's face as she sat on Godou's knees.The soft and gentle sensation from his knees delivered to Godou a verycomfortable sense of weight and pressure."Come, relax. I will help heal your injuries right away."Erica whispered softly as she leaned against him. Of course, her body alsopressed against Godou's chest, and Erica's voluptuous bosom felt likeelastic balls being squeezed between them."Hey, could you actually be intending to do that here!? Mariya is watchingright over there!""You are correct. Strike while the iron is hot. Before you change yourmind...""That issue never existed! I had no mood to do these things from the verybeginning — wan!"In the end, Erica's cherry lips sealed his mouth.Perhaps due to the lipstick she wore today, Erica's lips had a smooth andshiny feeling to them, and the taste was accompanied with much viscosity.The blonde beauty bit and licked Godou's lips and their tongues began totangle. The two of them exchanged saliva naturally, which mixed withintheir mouths. The sticky lipstick also began to be rubbed off."By the way, Godou, I hope you take more initiative in kissing me in thefuture. Though this is nice, I still love your unruliness last time. Hoho...Actually, every time I recall what happened then, my heart begins to race, Ibeg you, please..."As her kissing descended without pause like rain with great playfulness,Erica begged Godou as if wanting to be spoiled.Her eyes were relaxed as if intoxicated, unlike their usual sharp andintelligent appearance. This rare facial expression, full of vulnerability,carried an unbearable sense of loveliness. However, this meant Godouwas failing in his original goal —Catching Yuri in the corner of his eye, Godou found her mournfullylowering her gaze.No! Godou forcefully shoved Erica away, escaping from the confines of hersweet embrace."Godou, the healing spell is not complete, what are you doing!?""l-lt is not necessary. I still feel this is not very appropriate. For the sake ofbattle, to engage in these activities so many times, that's... Kissing is notgood.""How could you still say that at this point? Didn't you ask me to sweareternal loyalty to you last time?"Erica's reproach made Godou lower his gaze. Having said those words inthe heat of the moment that time... It was a painful memory that continuedto trouble him. Worst of all was Yuri's current shock at the matter."Eh? Eternal loyalty? What on earth is that about...?""Come to think of it, I don't think I mentioned it to Yuri yet."Chuckling "hoho" to herself, Erica smiled triumphantly and answered Yuriwith an intoxicated expression in her eyes:"Godou was really a piece of work. He made me say something like this.Even if the world was about to be destroyed, I had to swear to stay by hisside through life and death. Godou that time was very rough, very gallant,but also very charming. Even though I like the usual Godou very much,that kind of aggression is great once in a while.""G-Godou-san! When did you and Erica-san...!""You people are so noisy... What on earth are you arguing about?"Just as the troubled expression Yuri made a few days ago at Nanao Shrineappeared on her face once again, an awe-inspiring voice and thefragrance of spices drifted over.Liliana had appeared, carrying the newly prepared curry."Nothing, umm... Actually, it's no big deal..."Erica turned her face away, while Yuri became frantic, and only Godouwas left to attempt an explanation.After hearing the gist of the situation, Liliana couldn't help but sigh."Really... The matter of women entering into conflict over your affections,was exactly what I have been worrying about. As expected, it is imperativefor me to stay by your side as your premier knight and assist you."Liliana warned Godou with the same kind of tone as a wife would reproachan unfaithful husband."So, I have a great idea to solve this dispute here. Would you all like tolisten?""Yes, please tell me, thanks."Godou nodded.Perhaps the witch Liliana could have some other method to apply magic toa Campione without needing mouth to mouth contact. Godou was filledwith anticipation."I believe in situations like this, I should be the one kissing you to apply thehealing magic. If you do not wish to see your lovers engaging in a quarrelover such a task, then let me do it as your premier knight. This is the oneand only, and at the same time, best solution.""That totally doesn't solve anything!"Godou resolutely refused the loyal and capable, but frequentlyunpredictable knight.Part 2In the end, Godou went directly to dinner without accepting anyone'shealing.Godou decided to just endure it, since he should be fine after a goodnight's rest as usual.The night's dishes included typical outdoor campsite cooking such as curryrice and barbecued meat. There was also fish that Erica brought backwhich were made into salt roasted salmon and rainbow trout. Along withboiled mountain vegetables, the assortment of dishes was quite a variedoffering. They decided to have dinner outside instead of inside the woodencabin.Though they did not pick this place for the fun of eating outdoors, it turnedout to be a way to increase the enjoyment of the meal.Despite the delicious cooking, Godou's spirits remained low.All would be well if he could handle things alone and put in all his effort.However, in a battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, SunWukong, there was the problem of whom he should kiss to obtain theknowledge required for the godslaying [Sword].Previous incidents were all sudden emergencies that left him no choice butto take the lips of young girls by force.This time was different. In the near future, a battle with the Great Sage wasimminent, and preparations had to be made in advance. Should he askErica, Yuri or Liliana? What words could he say to allow them to actwithout being forced...?Perhaps infected by Godou's melancholy, the dinner atmosphere was veryquiet."Everyone should be full now, so let's begin discussing the real issue?"At such a time, the only one capable of actively changing the mood wasErica."Victory could likely be very simple against the Great Sage... I believe so.What does everyone think?""Is it because of the fact that he suddenly stopped when he could havegiven me a finishing blow?"Realizing what Erica was getting at, Godou offered his input."Yes, for the Great Sage, it was a rare opportunity to kill a Campionewithout breaking a sweat. But he suddenly gave up.""It was definitely unnatural. He had no reason to show mercy at that time."Recalling her memories from a few hours ago, Liliana could not helpfrowning."The first possibility that comes to mind, is that he is having trouble with hisbody. It bears mentioning that the Great Sage chose to steal Hikari's bodyin order to neutralize the [Keeper of the Horses]'s binding spell."The one who presented her opinion was Mariya Yuri, the older sister of thepossessed Hikari."In this case, Hikari's spirit powers have limits. Since she does not havethe ability to completely dispel the great wizardry that seals the deity, herpower is steadily consumed to maintain the effect. Once her bodybecomes too tired and unable to use disaster purification, would the GreatSage not be affected by the [Keeper of the Horses] once again?""That's right, which is why he avoided a battle with Godou. I don't think thisspeculation is over optimistic. It is a sound theory."Erica spoke to sum up Yuri's speculation."But no matter how the situation develops, if Godou wants to defeat theGreat Sage, the [Sword]'s spell words will be essential. Here lies theproblem. Liliana and I are both unclear on the details of the divinity of theGreat Sage as a Chinese deity. How about you, Yuri?""I too, only know the basics and none of the details...""If that's the case, then Mariya Yuri's spirit vision is our only hope todiscern the true nature of that war god?"Liliana pondered deeply with a troubled expression.It was said that whether spirit vision succeeds in receiving divine insightwas entirely up to fate. However, Yuri did possess outstanding spirit visionpowers, and had great success rates in seeing through the true nature ofgods. On the other hand, there was no guarantee in the timing of visions,which could be five minutes or even five years later."In all instances so far when I was able to discern a deity's true nature, itwas always in the presence of a god or a Campione. Like the battles withMarquis Voban or Her Eminence Luo Hao, so this time I should be ableto..."Yuri spoke quietly with great resolution.She usually did not employ her spirit vision with such fervor and initiative,but this time was different. Obviously it was because she was trying hard tosave her sister. Godou also felt that he had to help her with all his strength.However, Godou was still agonizing about the required ritual to receiveknowledge about the Great Sage's divinity."By the way... Why can a monkey become [Steel]?"In order to steer his thoughts away from the magical union, Godou raisedthe question that had occupied his mind since the day time....With an inevitable confrontation against a deity, he no longer had theluxury of indulging his little wish of avoiding learning trivia about gods.Troublesome things sure had no end to them."Well... In Europe when wild beasts with the deepest connections to [Steel]are mentioned, dragons and snakes inevitably come up."Liliana answered thoughtfully, and Erica nodded and agreed."That's right, it was quite clear from the case of Perseus. A hero of [Steel]is a warrior god who subdues a dragon or a snake, taking its power. Butthere shouldn't be any examples related to monkeys.""Precisely because he subdued dragons and snakes, the Great SageEqualing Heaven became the monkey god."The one who spoke was the Japanese Hime-Miko Yuri."During the daytime at Toushouguu's divine stable, it was alreadymentioned that Japan and China had ancient legends about monkeyskeeping watch over horses. Dragons and horses are actually extremelyrelated existences, as evidenced by the ancient practice of callingexceptional stallions 'Dragon Horses.' Hence there is a saying that 'theheavenly horse and the divine dragon are one of a kind. Now that thehorse has come today, a dragon's visit is imminent.'^"In other words, there was the possibility that dragons and horses wereinterchangeable. Liliana interrupted."Though in different forms, dragons existed in both the east and the west.Do you all know why? It is because this sacred beast originated in CentralAsia and the original prototypes were virtually the same in appearance.The European dragon's prototype is the ancient Sumerian dragon; that oneis a classic. If we trace back the origins of the Chinese dragon, itsappearance should also resemble the Sumerian dragon.""Could it be... similar to a horse?""Yes, back in ancient times, the dragon's appearance was once describedas 'a horse with horns.' As time went on, its image assimilated the [Snake],a symbol of mother earth deities, thus obtaining the scaly and slender bodyalong with the shortened limbs. In the west, the dragon further receivedwings while its limbs became extremely short in the east, resulting in thecurrent appearances."Dragons and snakes were originally unrelated species. Perhaps it wastheir shared fate of being vanquished by heroes of [Steel] that causedthem to somehow evolve into close relatives. Thus Liliana concluded."Speaking of the Great Sage, Journey to the West bears mentioning... Youall might think that he is just a character that appears in the story, but inreality, he was a deity with a long history that is an amalgamation of allsorts of faiths and heritages. The legend of his journey accompanying themonk Sanzang 1 J to bring back Buddhist scriptures, had spread to Japan ata very early age, and can even be found in Noh^ plays."Godou was very surprised by the things Yuri mentioned."Noh plays? You mean the likes of Kanami^ and Zeami^?""Correct. The plays Great Prajha^ and Sanzou the Monk are thought tohave existed during Zeami's time."Just as Godou began to feel that Sun Wukong was very troublesome,Erica also began to speak."Anyway, let's end the optimistic speculation here. It's time we discuss thepessimistic scenario? Regarding Hikari who has been possessed by theGreat Sage.""You mean the case where she cannot be saved?"The meaning exactly described by the label of "pessimistic." This was thequestion Sayanomiya Kaoru hinted at earlier.Hikari's physical body was under complete control of the Great Sage.Could she be rescued by defeating that monkey god? Was this solutionactually feasible..."Yes. Admittedly, she is adorable, and I really look forward to her futurepossibilities. Personally I would want to rescue her no matter what, but theHistory Compilation Committee doesn't think so, right?""Yes, Sayanomiya-san did mention that in the worst case scenario, I canchoose to abandon that child.""That's right, I would have made the same decision if I were a core leaderin the Committee. If Godou insists on rescuing Mariya Hikari, he cannotfight the Great Sage seriously, and this has severe consequences. Put itanother way, if sacrificing just one girl allowed the defeat of a [HereticGod], it is actually a very cheap price to pay."Erica's expression was very solemn. She likely brought up this issue tomake sure priorities were straight even in the direst of situations. At thesame time, she wanted to confirm the preparedness of Godou'sdetermination.Liliana frowned while Yuri listened with a worried expression. Erica'swording was an argument that Liliana could not possibly accept as a nobleknight. For Mariya Yuri, it was like saying abandoning her younger sisterwas the best course of action.As Godou entered into deep thought, Erica relaxed her shoulders andsmiled."Relax, everyone. That was just the worst case scenario. We haven't evenbegun the battle against Great Sage, so worrying at this point ismeaningless. Let's all rest for today. Our first priority is to save enoughenergy for the fight tomorrow."Part 3The area of Lake Chuuzenji was located across the Iroha-zaka route.The mountain of Nantaisan was on the north shore, and had an altitude of2486m above sea level.Legends had it that the first person to reach the summit was Great MonkShoudou, the founder of Nikkou. During the second year of the Tenouperiod, i.e. the year 782 CE, Great Monk Shoudou failed his secondconsecutive attempt to reach the summit. On the third time, he resolvedhimself, declaring that "I will not enter enlightenment unless I reach thesummit," and finally fulfilled his wish.This place was actually a volcano. Due to the high concentration of iron,the soil and rocks in the area had a reddish brown color. The Nikkoumountain range was both a volcano and a treasure trove of minerals, aswell as a famous volcanic zone in Japan.For a war god of [Steel], volcanoes and minerals were like the hot waterused to bathe and cleanse a newborn child."For the purpose of increasing my power, there is no better place thanthis..."The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong muttered to himself on themountaintop.The body and the voice belonged to Mariya Hikari, but the personality anddivine power were that of the heretical monkey god's. He sat on a reddishbrown rock, muttering to himself.Embedded in a giant rock at this high altitude, was a rusted divine sword.The portion of the sword sticking out of the rock was around 3m in length,and was reminiscent of the sword in the stone from the story of KingArthur."Lil' Bro, you're finally here. But you should have appeared a while ago,what took you this long? What happened?"The Great Sage asked with incredulity.His eyes focused their gaze upon the strange person walking up themountain path before him.The newcomer had pitch black skin, stiff spiky hair as bright red as aburning flame, sharply shaped eyes, a wide gaping mouth, a necklace ofnine small skulls strung together hanging around his neck, and he waswearing a simple and modest monk's habit.His name was Vaisravana^, the deity whom Amakasu Touma lastidentified as the "General of the Deep Sands.""Big Bro, apologies for my lateness."In spite of his vicious appearance like an evil spirit's, Vaisravana spokevery calmly, though his voice carried a sense of melancholy, like a personwho suffered so much torment that he wanted to commit suicide."I met Middle Bro along the way and came together with him.""Oh? That guy also appeared.""Yes. The two of us walked a long way, but just as we approached thisplace, Middle Bro suddenly said: 'Lil' Bro, it has been a long time since wereturned to the mortal realm. It'd be nice to take a break here.' I told him'Isn't that a bad idea?' But Middle Bro replied: 'Stupid! The precepts ofBuddhism may emphasize the Three Treasures^ of Buddha, Dharma andSangha, but the world is much bigger than that. Booze, gambling, andwomen — boobs, butts, and lovely legs. In the mortal realm, these ThreeTreasures are waiting for us instead.' That was what he said."Vaisravana recounted gloomily, but he took on a cheerful voice wheneverhe quoted the Middle Brother's lines. In contrast to his usual deathlygloomy demeanor, he apparently possessed a side highly talented inacting as well.Hearing these words, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukongwhispered softly in amazement."Is that so? How ridiculous, his Three Treasures! So you guys are delayedfor so long because you were seeking those frivolous Three Treasures?""Yes, Big Bro. That is why I left him halfway and hurried over instead.""Come on! Just like before, he is completely failing to consider thesituation. Out with you, god of the mountain, transmit my voice to my sillylittle brother!"The Great Sage Equaling Heaven performed a mudra with one hand andsummoned a tree spirit. It was an extremely fragile divinity that could nottake physical form in the mortal realm, and only possessed a spirit bodywith neither shape nor color, and no outstanding powers.However, it was able to seek out targeted deities, and transmit voicesacross distances like the echoes of a Yama-bikoJ 10 ^The results appeared a while after the instructions were given." — Big Bro, Big Bro! You're so mean!"The third divine spirit finally arrived, flying on a black cloud.Despite his chubby appearance and plump build, extraordinary muscleswere hidden beneath the layer of fat. Furthermore, this person had a [Pig]'sface.The face with a long snout was densely covered by short black fur.He had round and shiny eyes, short and triangular ears that stood upstiffly, and two short but sharp tusks that protruded out on both sides of hissnout."It's been so long since I last came to the mortal realm, and just as Ihappened to find a lively village, and was going to enjoy myself, Big Brosummons me over — that's so mean!"The one who kept complaining was the black pig spirit, Zhu GanglieJ 11 ^"Enough, you talk too much! You were never able to cease your obsessionwith the pleasures of the mundane world...""This is so wrong. Without good wine, good food, women and wealth, life inthis world would be meaningless. Big Bro, you really must change yourmonkey-like but totally unfun lifestyle. Let the smell of cosmetics hang allover you... By the way, Big Bro...""What is it, Middle Bro?""I just wanted to say that Big Bro's appearance is really cute this time... Aface like white jade, it's so pretty. Kukuku, those lips are just like cherries.This tiny little body fascinates me oh so very much..."Zhu Ganglie jumped down to the surface from the black cloud.Standing on the reddish brown rock, he kept staring at Mariya Hikari's facenonstop. And so, the Great Sage kicked a little stone by his feet."Hah — "The little stone flew into the air and smashed into Zhu Ganglie's forehead."Ouch! Big Bro, why are you so mean!""Nothing much, I just wanted to remind you that staring at this body witheyes of lust could be dangerous. Don't be too concerned.""I am very concerned!""By the way, Big Bro only possessed this little girl in order to release thebinding spell of the [Keeper of the Horses]... But you don't look too well."Vaisravana spoke in a gloomy tone, and the Great Sage nodded inagreement."Yes, the [Keeper of the Horses] took away my divine power and mettle ofthe Handsome Monkey King, turning me into a harmless monkey. Ioriginally thought that I could dispel the binding spell by possessing thismiko's body... But the fellow's power suffers from frequent interruptions.""What do you mean by interruptions?""The reason why I can maintain the consciousness of the Great SageEqualing Heaven, is because of this Hime-Miko's disaster purification. Butno matter what, this little girl is just a human. Using spirit techniquesconsumes stamina, making rest necessary and I cannot move freelywhenever the miko's body is resting. It is already quite fortunate for me tobe able to summon forth you two helpers."If this challenge was not overcome soon enough, it would become a fatalweakness.Thus the Great Sage chanted the dharani, and summoned two gods asallies.These two were the junior disciples who shared the same master with SunWukong. Through the effects of the Great Sage's powerful spell, ZhuWuneng^ and Sha Wujing^ — these two gods had heavenly originsand were summoned as [Heretic Gods] with the identities Zhu Ganglie andVaisravana.As a side note, their Buddhist names bearing the common character of"Wu"^ were only bestowed after they were subdued and became thedisciples of Monk Sanzang, hence the difference in names.Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravana were their original names before beingsubdued."Lend me your divine powers, so that I can break through the [Keeper ofthe Horses]. Simply weakening the binding spell is not enough. I mustutterly destroy the main culprit that prevents the recovery of my freedom.""I see, that's right.""Yes, acknowledged."Hearing the orders of their Big Bro, Zhu Ganglie smiled proudly whileVaisravana nodded.The Great Sage Equaling Heaven walked next to the divine swordembedded vertically in the rock."Qian is strength; Kun, of docility; Zhen, of stimulus to movement; Xun, ofpenetration; Kan, of what is precipitous and perilous; Li, of what is brightand what is catching; Zhen, of stoppage or arrest; and Dui, of pleasure andsatisfaction."^ 5]The Great Sage grabbed the blade of the divine sword with his hands andbegan to chant the spell words.The divine sword, which resembled a rusted stick of iron, instantlydisappeared and was absorbed by the Great Sage who had possessed thebody of Hikari Mariya.Using this opportunity, the spiritual and divine energies buried in Nantaisanwere drawn out and concentrated into the monkey king warlord of steel."O Wisdom of steel originating from the Far West, and divine might of iron!Using the pedigree of this divine sword as the foundation, I, Great SageEqualing Heaven, Sun Wukong enacts the spell to lift curses!"Absorbing the immense divine powers of Nantaisan and the divine sword,the Great Sage bellowed loudly.Flames appeared from behind his back. Like the intense burning fires at aniron forge, the pillars of flame gave off great heat."Namah samanta vajranam canda maharosana sphotaya hum trat hammam namah samanta vajranam canda maharosana sphotaya hum tratham." [16]As the Great Sage recited the spell words, Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravanajoined in as well."Namah samanta vajranam, namah samanta vajranam.""Om vaisravanaye svaha. Om vaisravanaye svaha. Om vaisravanayesvaha." [17]Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing — the three divine spirits chantedspell words with their hearts united as one.They were chaotic divinities that originated from the Daoist realm but alsobecame adherents of Buddhism. These are the complicated origins of themany different spell words they currently chanted.The chanting continued for several hours, and the sun began to rise overthe eastern horizon.Paying respect to the rising sun, the Great Sage Equaling Heavencombined the volcano's spiritual energy with the divine might of the sword,with assistance from the divine power of his two juniors. Finally, hesucceeded in the [Swordj's forging, and the flaming divine swordmanifested in his right hand majestically.This was the Kulikaa Sword^, the sword of wisdom that severs the ThreePoisons of Ignorance, Attachment and Aversion.^Superficially similar to Verethragna's [Sword] that Kusanagi Godou used, itwas fundamentally different. The Kulikaa Sword currently embedded in thegiant rock was a symbol of Acala and a divine sword that vanquished eviland lifted curses."Big Bro, you sure made something rare here.""This is a sword of [Steel] that hails from foreign lands just like me. Iborrowed it from the monk that has intimate ties with this piece of land."The Great Sage answered Zhu Ganglie's query briefly. The worship ofAcala^ was brought to Japan from China by Grand Master KuukaiJ 21 ^ Itis said that he was the one who came up with the name of Nikkou for thisplace, and also the one who left behind the Futarasan Stone Tablet in thebiography of the pioneering Great Monk Shoudou."Exorcising sword of justice that vanquishes all disasters — infinitelyincomparable to a human miko's disaster purification, sever the spell of the[Keeper of the Horses], and return to me my freedom!"As the Great Sage raised Kulikaa Sword high towards the eastern sky,flames burst out from the blade and shot out.The flames produced by the sword of wisdom were the weapons to lift thebinding spell of the [Keeper of the Horses]."But Big Bro, is this really OK?""Lil' Bro, what's the problem? I am just about to make a cool decisive pose,be quick with it."Vaisravana spoke gloomily to the Great Sage who responded as hemanipulated the flames."Very well, I will be frank. The great wizardry spell has been deeply rootedin these lands for the past three hundred years. Furthermore, it was putinto place not only by ordinary mortals but also with participation from thegods and wizards living in the Netherworld. If you suddenly dispel it,wouldn't the results be rather unpredictable?""You love worrying too much, my Lil' Bro. How could something like that bepossible — "The words had scarcely left his mouth when the Great Sage — MariyaHikari's adorable face became enshrouded by a layer of worry."In other words, such a possibility does exist?""Don't talk like it's for certain! We are gods, even if the sky falls down, we'lljust prop it back up!""Ah, Big Bro, please take a look. There seems to be something over there."Zhu Ganglie pointed to the east. The peaks of the Nikkou mountain rangewere shrouded by morning mist. Down below, Lake Chuuzenji and thestreets of the humans were illuminated by the hues of dawn."Oh, he came here just to suppress me!"From between the clouds of dawn, a spirit appeared in the form of ahandsome youth and descended with splendor.Wearing the traditional armor of ancient Chinese generals, he wielded athree-pronged spear. In addition to a pair of elegant and slender eyes, healso possessed a third [Eye] on his forehead.The handsome three-eyed divine general was the visible manifestation ofthe [Keeper of the Horses] binding spell."Haha, how thoughtful of them to reproduce the divine appearance of theTrue Lord Erlang^ to such a degree.""Big Bro, please hold back for now. The two of us will protect you here."Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravana did as they spoke and stood in front of theGreat Sage.In the past when the Great Sage came out to the surface world, he hadalways been taken back to Saitenguu by this spirit. Would the past berepeated again? This time he had the protection of his two sworn brothers.Facing the [Keeper of the Horses] spirit brandishing the three-prongedspear, Zhu Ganglie wielded his Nine-Toothed Rake while Vaisravanaattacked head on with a treasure staff that had a core of steel.As his sworn brothers guarded him, the Great Sage Equaling Heavenvigorously waved the Kulikaa Sword and threw it towards the eastern skywith a sound like slicing wind.Like a falling meteor, the flaming sword flew across the sky. Soon after, itfell and landed, embedding its blade into the surface of the ground, rippingapart the [Keeper of the Horses] wizardry cast on the lands of Nikkou. Themanifested spirit immediately vanished without a trace.With the disappearance of the three-eyed divine general, the Great Sageimmediately yelled:"Excellent, the interloper has vanished! From now on, we three brotherswill work together and build our kingdom of paradise on this vast land!First, let's gather my people and bestow upon them the blessing ofimmortality just like what I did in the past at the Water Curtain Cave in theMountain of Fruit and Flowers!""Hmm, I want boobs, butts and thighs. A place without women cannot becalled a kingdom of paradise!""Ah... I don't really have any particular desires, but I will give my all toassist you."With the collapse of the great wizardry spell, the imposing presence of thethree divine spirits greatly increased."By the way, Big Bro, now that the [Keeper of the Horses]'s cursed bondshave been broken, you don't have to stay in that miko any more, right? Areyou going to leave her body?""That's right, I should recover my original form — Hmm, why can't I changeback?"Hearing the Little Brother's suggestion, the Great Sage Equaling Heavenshook his body.However, there was no effect and the Great Sage was unable to leaveMariya Hikari's body."Looks like you've accustomed yourself to this miko's body more thanexpected.""Well, I guess there's no real problem to stay like this for now."The sworn younger brothers commented casually. Like the Great Sage,they were all very spontaneous in character and lacking in long termplanning."Yes, in time it'd probably peel off like a scab."As the Great Sage replied frivolously, an unexpected change occurred.Vaisravana and Zhu Ganglie's movements suddenly stopped and the twoof them petrified and turned into stone. Faced with two stone statues ofdivine spirits, the Great Sage became a bit displeased."The manifestation spell lost effect? Looks like not everything can gosmoothly after all."No matter, when necessary he will simply cast the spell again.Shrugging his shoulders, the Great Sage chanted a mantra and shrunk thestone statues of his brothers to the size of little fingers and placed them inhis pocket."Great, the preparations are now complete. Now for some fun!"From the mountain top of Nantaisan, the view overlooking the lands belowwas superb, just as recorded on Kuukai's Futarasan Stone Tablet.'Looking down there was a great lake. Not very wide in the east-westdirection / But stretching far along north-south. Silver snow covered theland / Golden flowers bloomed in the trees. The lake surface was agenerous mirror / Reflecting all scenery and colors. The mountain and thelakes complemented each other / The view was breath-taking.'The great lake mentioned was Lake Chuuzenji, but since winter had yet toarrive, the silver-white snow covering the scenery was not present.As the Great Sage used Hikari's eyes to survey the majestic scenery, hereleased divine power, spreading the dominating power of transformationfrom the surroundings of Nantaisan.On the nearby volcanic rocks, monkeys were continuously being created.Like the divine messengers released in the Netherworld stable yesterday,these monkeys' bodies were covered with golden fur that approached ashade of reddish brown with a metallic luster.The number of these sacred monkeys born from rocks reached severalhundred."My underlings, come here and serve Old Sun well! Gather your talentsand offer them to me! Look up high and witness the Great Sage's mightwhich once threatened the heavenly armies!"With one order from the Great Sage, the little monkeys squeezed closetogether and began colliding with one another. Their bodies merged intogiant bodies that grew larger and larger.When a hundred small monkeys came together, they became a singlegiant monkey about ten-odd meters in height.The appearance was the same as the giant ape divine beasts thatdescended at the Nikkou Toushouguu.A total of six giant monkeys were born, with arms longer than legs, andtheir bodies built like gorillas."Yes, go forth! If any enemies try to invade my territory, you guys will bethe vanguard for intercepting them!"The six giant monkeys descended down the mountain with great speedand agility in spite of their massive bodies.Having completed this, the Great Sage casually lied down on the ground.He was tired out from the various tasks and now needed to rest andrecover his energy....While all this was unfolding, trivial things were happening behind theGreat Sage's back without him noticing.A certain youth had hidden himself in the middle of the mountain a couplehundred meters from the top, and had been observing the events at thepeak.As a rare martial arts genius, he saw everything clearly despite the greatdistance.Unnoticed from beginning to end, he quietly began to descend from themountain.Of course, this youth was Lu Yinghua.Part 4That night, Kusanagi Godou had difficulty sleeping.He needed adequate rest in order to prepare for battle, but how did it endup like this? The reason was the scene that happened just before bedtime.After deciding everyone's rooms in the cabin, Erica followed Godou intothe same room."H-How much longer are you going to follow me for? I'm about to go tobed!""It's been so long since the last time we shared the night under one roof.Of course I have to make the most of this opportunity. Don't you think it'dbe nice for us to share a bed tonight?"Erica responded to Godou's questioning with a pure and innocent smile.Just as Godou was about to drive her out of his room, even Liliana andYuri entered. After understanding the situation, the silver-haired knightmade the following suggestion."Erica sure is a pain, Kusanagi Godou. I suspect such a noisy presencewill prevent you from resting properly. Thus I too, shall sleep in this room,and guard you while you rest!""E-Everyone please be mindful of the situation! For young men and womento sleep in the same room, how improper!"Yuri yelled with her face all red.Godou was about to agree with her completely, but Yuri's next wordssilenced him."I shall sleep here too, in order to prevent you all from doing anythingindecent!"Thus the beautiful Hime-Miko also made her declaration. In this roomwhich only had a single bed, three sets of futons were brought over."Mariya, how could you say something like that too?""l-lt cannot be helped... If you all stay in the same room, who knows whatcould happen, s-so I must come along."Godou questioned the girl who was supposed to be the most normal, butended up getting such an answer.Thus the sleepless night began. With four people packed in this tiny room,it would not be exaggerating to use the term 'overpopulated.' AlthoughGodou was the only person lying on the only bed, he was unable to closehis eyes.No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop noticing the other threepeople in the room.Before sleeping, the three of them had changed in their own respectiverooms. Liliana and Yuri were wearing common pajamas which looked likethey were brought from home, but it was still a look that Godou never hada chance to witness under normal conditions. On the other hand, Godoufound it incredible that he found himself unable to look at them straightdespite the simple thin fabric without fancy decoration. Besides, there wasthe problem of Erica.As usual, she went to sleep under the covers in just her underwear.A Campione's vision allowed him to see clearly even in the dark. With justa simple glance, he could see portions of Erica's bare skin as white assnow where they stuck out from under the blanket, as well as her blondehair that had been messed up by sleep. Godou frantically pulled up hiscotton blanket and tried his hardest to close his eyes and sleep.The breathing noises of the girls and their occasional dream talk troubledGodou immensely.Despite his excited state of mind, Godou's exhausted body still neededsleep. As his consciousness began to fade, he was able to doze lightly forabout two or three hours worth of sleep.When he regained his senses again, it was early in the morning, and therosy rays of dawn came in from the window."— W-What is going on? My body..."On the bed, Godou was greatly taken aback.His entire body ached exceptionally, and all major and minor jointsthrobbed with pain. There was also a sense of nausea. It was the first timehe ever felt pain like this."Perhaps... it's the injuries from the beating yesterday!?"Come to think of it, every time his body was struck by Luo Hao, he felt likehis body was accumulating serious internal injuries. Now it was evident itwas not simply his imagination. Once again, Godou was reminded of LuoHao's terrifying existence."Mariya... Where did she go?"Preparing to go back to sleep, Godou discovered that Yuri was no longerin the room.Erica and Liliana were sound asleep but only the Hime-Miko was absent.Her pajamas were neatly folded and placed on the blanket she had beenusing.If she had gone for an early morning walk, the current time would be a littletoo early...Deciding it was a bit strange, Godou quietly slipped out of the room.Leaving the wooden cabin, he took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.With the rising sun revealing itself from the backbone of the mountainrange, it was an excellent view of dawn.However, this meant that the battle against the Great Sage was drawingever closer.In spite of that, Kusanagi Godou was still full of hesitation."In the end I still can't be decisive... What a failure of a king."As he muttered to himself, Godou felt a person's presence.The Hime-Miko dressed in white garments and a red hakama wasapproaching him."You have woken up — King.""Where did you go? Mariya..."Godou was in the middle of his question when he noticed somethingwasn't quite right with Yuri.There was a lost expression on her face, and her eyes were out of focus,furthermore, her eyes were now — the color of glass!"Let me offer an answer to the King's worries. The sword of wisdom in yourarm can be of use in this battle. Its power not only slays gods but alsosevers a god's spiritual might, which is why it is called the sword ofexorcism. Even the monkey king's spell that imprisons the young little mikocan be severed."Yuri's glass-colored pupils wavered in a bizarre manner.In the past battle against Marquis Voban, Yuri also received divineguidance through spirit vision.However, her current eye color was exactly the same as the glass princessin the Netherworld. Come to think of it, she also mentioned once that theHime-Miko were distant descendants with the same bloodline as hers."Please do not forget, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's martial prowessis beyond equal. Whether your sharp blade can strike the Great Sage ornot, is up to your courage and determination. It will be a dire and desperatebattle. Oh my? Did I just say something?"Yuri's eyes returned to normal with their usual black pupils. She was back."You just told me... an answer to a question that had been troubling me."Godou exclaimed as he answered.Compared to Erica and Liliana, Yuri was not a very conspicuous personbut she held amazing powers.She was often able to give clear directions during times when they werestuck, and sometimes it even led to strategies that solved the root ofproblems."Really? If that is the case, then getting up early to meditate was notwasted for me.""Eh? Why did you do such a thing?""Since yesterday, I have noticed Godou-san worrying over many things... Iwas wondering if I could give you some advice, so I came out here to clearmy thoughts, and was hoping it would be great if I could receive divineguidance."Smiling gently beneath the rosy clouds of dawn, there was nothing morebeautiful than Yuri at this time.Spirit vision was a spell that only had a tiny chance of obtaining divineinspiration. To hope for divine guidance to descend actively in responsewas very wishful thinking. That was what Yuri explained in the past, so itwas quite unbelievable to see her being so proactive now.Godou felt very grateful to her, and he became strongly determined. Thisgirl's younger sister, Hikari who has grown closer to him as well, willdefinitely be saved by his hand!As Godou endured the impulse rising from deep within him, Yuri suddenlywhispered softly."Actually I had been worrying since last night, whether I should mentionthis matter to Godou-san?""What is this matter?""Yes, even though Hikari is an apprentice, she is also one of Musashino'sHime-Miko just like me. When a [Heretic God] brings disaster to the world,we must protect the people from being harmed by the gods, and put ourlives on the line. Therefore, if Hikari was completely possessed, I must giveup the notion of saving her."Sorrowfully averting her gaze, Yuri continued softly:"In truth, I know very well that I should not say such things — but still, nomatter what, I hope Godou-san can listen to my opinion..."Yuri was not being very forthcoming and meandered without getting intothe main topic.But her current attitude made her intentions even clearer. For Yuri whowas serious, honest and intelligent, she was hesitating because she knewvery well how irresponsible her request was.It's enough, I already understand. Godou wanted to make this girl morerelaxed."Mariya... I will definitely save Hikari. No matter what Sayanomiya Kaoruand the members of the Committee say, my top priority is to take backMariya Hikari from that monkey bastard. This is already decided. I willworry about the involvement of Nikkou City and the local residents someother time."Somehow, Godou felt a burden lifted from his heart once he openlydeclared his decision.Perhaps he was making an important conclusion right now. That was whathe suspected."G-Godou-san... Thank you... I..."Yuri lowered her head as tears streamed down.I beg you, and hope you can save my younger sister. This was theexpression of her gratitude to Godou for accepting her request conveyedwithout words."You don't have to thank me, you know. I haven't even fought the GreatSage yet. Perhaps when pressured by him and backed into a corner, Imight forget everything I just said, and defeat the monkey along withHikari, eh?""No you will not. Godou-san will definitely not do something like that. Iknow very well."Yuri spoke quietly but firmly.Those were the words full of confidence, spoken by the Hime-Miko whosespirit vision saw through everything."Is it because of spirit vision?""Possibly. I am not too certain of the reason myself, but I know Godou-sandefinitely will not abandon Hikari — a girl who has gotten close to you.Even if this is the result of spirit vision, I would say it only contributes half tomy certainty."Half? Godou felt intrigued by this strange indirect way of describing things.What did she actually mean?"The other half is my trust in Godou-san. Not as a Hime-Miko but asMariya Yuri begging you to save my sister."Bowing her head with propriety to make her request, Yuri spoke resolutely."Since this is a rare opportunity, let me clarify at this time. No matter howthe current incident comes to an end, I will follow you for a lifetime, untilyour path as a Campione reaches its conclusion, or the end of my life — ""Y-You mean until one of us dies?"This exaggerated description shocked Godou as the beautiful Hime-Mikoquietly nodded her head."Yes, just like the way your life has been till now, the prospects of apeaceful life will be slim. No matter what the final ending is, I hope that youwill allow me to stay by your side until the very end. Will you agree to thisrequest of mine?"It was quite a sudden and unexpected request. As Godou watched inshock, Yuri showed a faint smile as beautiful as a budding cherry blossom."You do not have to answer immediately, because I shall wait for youforever..."Bowing elegantly, she returned to the wooden cabin.It was three days ago when Annie Charlton finally received news thatAsherah was alive.Her elderly friend and collaborator, Joe West passed along the news as "acertain noble person providing important information."She wasn't sure where the news came from, but since her mortal enemythe witch was still alive, plus the additional fact that the most viciousCampione had been summoned from China and was planning somethingin Japan, Annie decided to book a flight immediately. Getting things donequickly and decisively was one of her qualities.She arrived at Narita airport around evening yesterday. Her destinationwas apparently a famous tourist attraction full of exotic allure.Afterwards, Annie called a taxi and headed to Tokyo. Her original plan wasto spend the night at a hotel for a good night's rest to relieve her body fromthe exhaustion of the long flight, then head over to the scene in question.However, once she received the emergency news from Professor Westthrough her cellphone, she immediately changed her plans.A certain noble person (most likely the former spokesperson of theWitenagemot)^ 2 ^ had sent a series of reports. A [Heretic God] had beensighted in the little city of Nikkou. Hence, Annie revised her plan to rest at ahotel, and decided to drive instead and rush to the scene, struggling withthe unfamiliar roads and adjusting to the steering wheel on the right.Even though she was tired and jet lagged, there was no time to take thingseasy any more.Annie Charlton was a woman with a great sense of justice andresponsibility. After driving a good many hours on the streets throughoutthe night, it was morning the next day when she arrived at the scene."I remember there is an organization in Japan equivalent to the SSI^. Itwould be best to get into contact with them to gather more intelligence.However — "Annie spoke to herself as she drove.A few years ago, she had the chance to visit Japan and managed to gainsome understanding of the country. She needed to get hold of the detailsof the current situation as quickly as possible so that she can defeat theculprit.Come to think of it, a Campione had also been born in Japan recently.Should she leave things for him to handle? But typical Campiones takedays or even weeks to arrive on scene to battle a [Heretic God]. If shecould resolve the incident before that happens, there should not be toomuch trouble."It would be best if this guy wakes up soon, for he seems like he canprovide a lot of information."Through the rear-view mirror, Annie glanced at the condition of the youngman lying on the back seat.Not too long ago, she had discovered someone unconscious near the riverof Daiyagawa. After examining the items carried on his body, sheconfirmed that many of them were related to wizardry.He could very well be a member of Japan's SSI (which seemed to becalled something like the History Compilation Committee).Annie Charlton did not know at the time, but this youth was AmakasuTouma and also the missing member of the History CompilationCommittee.References1 . t Wakoku(#tS): the ancient term for the islands of Japan before itwas recognized as a country.2. t Book of Han, Treatise on Rites andMusic. http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Han3. t Sanzang(HjJl): pronounced Sanzou in Japanese, the centralcharacter who Sun Wukong has to escort in the Journey to the West toretrieve Buddhistscripture, http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Xuanzang_(fictional_character)4. t Noh: a form of Japanese classical musicaldrama. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh5. t Kanami: Kan'ami Kiyotsugu (UPRlijft mfc) was a Japanese Nohactor, author, and musician in the 14thcentury. http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Kanami6. t Zeami: Zeami Motokiyo ("ffirPRl^ 7tm) was a Japanese actor andplaywright, the son ofKanami. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeami_Motokiyo7. t Prajha: one of the three divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path inBuddhism, meaningwisdom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism8. t Vaisravana: one of the four cardinal protector gods of Buddhism.Equated with Sha Wujing (Sha Gojou in Japanese) from the Chineseclassic novel Journey to theWest. http://en.wikipedia.Org/wiki/Sha_Wujing#Character_origins9. t Three Treasures: the three things that Buddhists seek guidancefrom — Buddha (can be interpreted as the historical figure, or to seekthe highest spiritual potential in all things); Dharma, the teachings ofBuddha; and Sangha, the community of those who have reachedenlightenment.http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Jewels10. t Yama-biko: an echoing spirit in Japanese folklore, often heard butrarely seen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama-biko11. t Zhu Ganglie(?i!li]it): one of the names of Zhu Bajie (Cho Hakkaiin Japanese), the infamous pig spirit who was apprenticed to the monkXuanzang and became Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classicnovel Journey to the West. Taken literally, the name Zhu Gangliemeans strong-maned pig. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie12. t Zhu Wuneng(lft§fb): one of the names of Zhu Bajie (Cho Hakkaiin Japanese), the infamous pig spirit who was apprenticed to the monkXuanzang and became Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classicnovel Journey to the West. Zhu Wuneng was the name given by hismaster, Xuanzang the monk.http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie1 3. t Sha Wujing(^tn the third disciple of the monk Xuanzang andSun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West.Sha Wujing was the name given by his master, Xuanzang themonk. http://en.wiki pedia.org/wiki/Sha_Wujing14. t Wu(tl): note how Sun Wukong(MH^), Zhu Wuneng(^tlf^) andSha Wujing(^ N t§}#) shares the same character "Wu" in their names.15. t Book of Changes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/l_Ching16. t Mantra of Acala. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala17. t Mantra ofVaisravana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai%C5%9Brava%E1%B9%87a18. t Kulikaa: (Kurikara in Japanese), the Sanskrit name of Acala'ssword of wisdom that cuts through deluded and ignorant minds.19. t Three Poisons: the three root causes of suffering in life, accordingto Buddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons_(Buddhism)20. t Acala: known as Fudou Myouou(^Fil)^I) in Japanese, an angrywrathful guardian deity in VajrayanaBuddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala21 . t Kuukai(^E/§): "The Grand Master who Propagated BuddhistTeaching"(^/i A Eft) was a Japanese monk who founded the Shingonschool of JapaneseBuddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%ABkai22. t True Lord Erlang(— ilPH^): a Chinese god with a truth-seekingthird eye in the middle of his forehead. The greatest warrior god in theChinese/Daoist pantheon, he is best known in Journey to the West asthe one who pressured Sun Wukong and captured him for theheavenly forces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlang_Shen23. t Witenagemot: ("meeting of wise men" in Old English) a politicalinstitution in Anglo-Saxon England. In the Campione! setting, thisorganization deals with matters related toCampiones. http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Witenagemott SSI: Sorcerous Sacrilege Investigation, an American organizationthat opposes the activities of sorcerers. In the Campione! setting,sorcery refers specifically to an evil variant of magic.

Chapter 2 - The Three Spirits, Reunited onWakoku's^ Sacred MountainPart 1Kirifuri Plateau was about a few dozens of minutes away from the streetsof Nikkou City by car.These highlands were blessed with natural scenery such as MountAkanagi and Mount Maru, as well as the beautiful Kirifuri River. Other thanhiking routes, there were also ski resorts, ranches, golf courses and otherfacilities.Godou and his group had escaped to camping grounds in the area ofKirifuri Plateau."Ouch. It still hurts a lot..."Godou complained as he sat on a wooden chair on the porch of a littlewooden cabin.This was a camp site on the plateau. The aroma of nearby outdoor cookingwafted over. Almost all the tourists who came traveling as a family, as wellas Liliana and Yuri, were making dinner.Gazing up, one could see the beautiful autumn constellations twinkling inthe night sky.Despite the beauty of the scenery, Godou was still in a bad mood.He had taken a great deal of damage during the fight against Luo Hao. Anormal person would have died instantly from several dozen instances ofbroken bones and a couple cases of ruptured internal organs. Godou'sentire body was hurting like crazy, and he felt nauseous a couple of times.Most of all, he worried about Mariya Hikari.Being possessed by the Great Sage made her a hostage. He really wantedto go save her straight away, however —"With my current grave injuries, there's probably no way..."Godou sighed.His earlier self would have rushed in recklessly to save Hikari without asecond thought.But Godou had already become accustomed to these kinds of crises.Anyway, how could he prove that Mariya Hikari was currently the GreatSage Equaling Heaven? What could he do to drive the deity out frominside her body? How should he handle the terrifying divine power he hadjust witnessed?There were too many problems. What he had to do now was to findanswers to them.Since Luo Hao was not present, the only one here who could save Hikariwas Kusanagi Godou. As a man in this situation, if he were to lose controlto his emotions, that would be unforgivable stupidity.Warned by his sense of reason and responsibility... Godou was determinedto adhere to those principles.However, he hated his current self who was weighing trade-offs rationally,and would rather act according to his emotions. If he was just an ordinaryperson living a peaceful life, panicking should be the normal reaction to asituation like this..."Right, let me call Sayanomiya-san and see."Godou suppressed his self-revulsion, and took out his cellphone.What he needed the most right now was information. Dialing the numberrecorded in his contacts, the call immediately connected.'Wonderful, I was just about to contact you first. By the way, I already knowall about the outcome of your battle with that Cult Leader, as well as whathappened afterwards, so you don't need to explain.'"Could it be Amakasu-san who told you?"Godou made his deduction from Sayanomiya's words.That ninja descendant would definitely report important news like this, sothere was nothing to be surprised about.'You are correct... But I lost contact with him an hour ago. I am currentlydiscussing with my subordinates whether to list him as Missing In Action.'The History Compilation Committee Tokyo Branch Chief, who was also aHime-Miko, spoke softly in a slightly gloomy tone.Thanks to him, I'll have to come personally to Nikkou. So, Kusanagi-san,we will meet tomorrow morning. Please rest properly and conserve yourenergy for now. Whenever a god makes an appearance, Campiones aremankind's only saviors.'"Sayanomiya-san will be coming here as well?"'If Amakasu was around, I would have him on standby near Utsunomiya sothat I can make decisions based on his reports about the developingsituation. After all, with regard to news from the scene, the more accuratethe better.'It seemed like Amakasu was greatly trusted by his boss.Rather than listen to the report of someone else apart from him, Kaorupreferred going to the scene herself.'I am now summoning the personnel for the expedition to Nikkou. Oh bythe way, Ena will be arriving at the scene first, so she will be meetingKusanagi-san over there.'"It's Seishuuin!"'Yes. I suspect she will likely wander around first rather than show up atyour place immediately. However, she is a girl with very strong instincts, soshe will surely make her appearance at a suitable time. Also, the handlingof Hikari will be up to your decision. Whatever choice you make, I will bearcomplete responsibility.'"What you mean is... It's fine even if I give up on her?"Godou could not stop himself from uttering such cold words.At this particular moment, he felt the same revulsion for Kaoru as he felttowards himself just now.'Put it another way... If you were to ignore the plights of innocent citizenswhose only wish is to live peacefully, or even sacrifice them to save Hikari,we will follow your orders... Kusanagi-san, this is a special right andresponsibility that only you are entitled to.'"Special right and responsibility?"'Yes, perhaps you can call it a king's job, in other words, the right to makedecisions.'Godou finally understood what Kaoru wanted to tell him.The manner in which the incident should be resolved was entirely up toGodou's decision, because a Campione was not only a warrior, but also a[King] whose power lorded over the world.Entrusted with the heavy responsibility of the right to make decisions,Godou ended the phone call."Godou-san, dinner is ready."Yuri had returned to the porch to call for Godou.She had changed out of her miko outfit into a long-sleeved shirt and aflounced skirt. With goodness knows what kind of magic, the girls hadsomehow managed to retrieve the luggage they had left in Amakasu's car."Got it, Mariya. About the matter of Hikari...""Regarding that matter, actually I discussed it with Erica-san andLiliana-san just now. Since Hikari was using the power of disasterpurification to neutralize the Great Sage's [Keeper of the Horses] spell, sheshould be very safe. After all, it is the Great Sage himself who is protectingher now..."Yuri replied in a resolute and clear manner."Therefore, Erica-san and Liliana-san both agree that Godou-san shouldnot anxiously make a rash decision. As a Hime-Miko, I also approve oftheir opinions."Her words were full of righteous awe and responsibility, as befitting Yuri'stitle of "Hime."Yuri was not the least shaken by her younger sister's crisis. Wait aminute... Was she really completely unmoved? It was possible she wasonly pretending to be composed."Now that you mention it, where is that fellow Erica?""Chatting with the people who provided the camping grounds for us touse... She has already become very popular with them. It is very amazingof her, right? As soon as I mentioned to her we needed to prepare dinner,she helped me obtain the fish and meat we needed, and even got usdessert and fruit as well."Unlike the area around Toushouguu, it was very peaceful here. Erica wasapparently flexing her skillful diplomacy as usual."I see... That fellow's wounds are pretty much healed by now? I'm glad toknow that."Erica's injuries were definitely not light, but the healing magic hadapparently worked its effect.However, Yuri frowned at this moment."By 'that fellow' you must be referring to Erica-san? Does that meanGodou-san you still have not fully recovered?""Ah? No, I'm almost fine, you don't have to worry."Noticing his mistake, Godou frantically tried to tide things over."No lying. Why are you trying to pretend you are well?""This question... How should I put it..."Yuri's lips were shimmering with a colorful hue of pink as she questioned.Godou's vivid memories began to reawaken. He recalled the healing shehad provided during the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi incident, as well asjust now when she transferred knowledge for him to defeat Luo Hao.If Godou revealed the present poor condition of his body, she would likelyuse "that method" to heal him!"K-Kusanagi-san! A-As a Hime-Miko, though I have the duty to assistyou..."Yuri was apparently thinking of the same thing, and her highly respectableface turned bright red."However... My indulgence in those actions multiple times, still feelsrepulsive to a certain extent, making me hesitant in a number of areas...""You are completely right. Yes, I understand!"Wonderful, it looked like that could be avoided... Just as Godou feltrelieved, Yuri immediately declared rather problematically."However... If you are really in pain... I would still like to offer my power toassist you. All things considered, you were hurt for the sake of my youngersister, and for the both of us. If I can help you after all, I will still..."Yuri shyly lowered her gaze, but she was actually trying to convinceherself.Though she was so embarrassed that even her neck was red, Yuri still saidit out loud."After all, I... still want to.. .with you..."Godou swallowed hard. Yuri's stuttering made her even more charmingthan her angry appearance earlier.Of course he wanted to accept treatment if possible, but Godou couldn't lethimself force her to do that sort of thing. Absolutely not. With mixedfeelings, Godou fell silent.How did Yuri interpret Godou's silence?Yuri's expression went through agonizing, doubt and hesitation. Then shespoke softly:"We... We will be seen here, but I will not mind if we go over there..."Yuri whispered softly as she glanced into the wooden cabin.Hmm!? The meaning of her words turned out to be — Godou wascompletely speechless."Please wait a minute? How can you keep burdening poor Yuri with suchtasks, it's a bit unfair, oh? It is now time to assign areas of responsibilityproperly in a fair manner.""Erica-san!?"Unbeknownst to them, the [Diavolo Rosso] had begun standing outside theporch.Erica's red-tinged brilliant blonde hair was like a crown. As Godou staredback at her usual glamor, he somehow felt a sense of fright with a guiltyconscience."I believe that whether I or Yuri, both of us need to evenly proportion thetime to enjoy our love with Godou. After all, if unfairness is not corrected, itcould very well affect the harmony of the group. Say, Yuri, you've alreadydone a lot of things with Godou today, right?"" — !? Erica-san, why are you suddenly asking such a thing?"Forthcoming and inexperienced in the ways of the world, Yuri was aterrible liar. She did not even attempt a perfunctory answer, and easilyadmitted to the accusation."This is an equation that even a primary school student can solve. SinceGodou used the [Sword] in the fight against Luo Hao, who gave him theknowledge? There was only one person with the opportunity to do sotoday.""Y-Yes that is very true...""So it should be enough for today, right? Please let me have this rareopportunity to affirm my love with Godou. As for next time, no questionabout it, I will let Yuri have first priority — "What on earth was she saying in front of the primary subject!?Godou frantically jumped up from his chair, intending to escape.Silently, Erica drew near and pressed down on his shoulder. Though itseemed like she was simply resting her arm gracefully, the weight appliedwas terrifying. As usual, she was using her monstrous strength."Godou, sorry you had to wait for so long. Now that the conclusion is clear,let us enjoy our passionate moment together? Hoho, it's been quite a whilesince I last affirmed your tactile sensations like this."A seductive smile appeared on Erica's face as she sat on Godou's knees.The soft and gentle sensation from his knees delivered to Godou a verycomfortable sense of weight and pressure."Come, relax. I will help heal your injuries right away."Erica whispered softly as she leaned against him. Of course, her body alsopressed against Godou's chest, and Erica's voluptuous bosom felt likeelastic balls being squeezed between them."Hey, could you actually be intending to do that here!? Mariya is watchingright over there!""You are correct. Strike while the iron is hot. Before you change yourmind...""That issue never existed! I had no mood to do these things from the verybeginning — wan!"In the end, Erica's cherry lips sealed his mouth.Perhaps due to the lipstick she wore today, Erica's lips had a smooth andshiny feeling to them, and the taste was accompanied with much viscosity.The blonde beauty bit and licked Godou's lips and their tongues began totangle. The two of them exchanged saliva naturally, which mixed withintheir mouths. The sticky lipstick also began to be rubbed off."By the way, Godou, I hope you take more initiative in kissing me in thefuture. Though this is nice, I still love your unruliness last time. Hoho...Actually, every time I recall what happened then, my heart begins to race, Ibeg you, please..."As her kissing descended without pause like rain with great playfulness,Erica begged Godou as if wanting to be spoiled.Her eyes were relaxed as if intoxicated, unlike their usual sharp andintelligent appearance. This rare facial expression, full of vulnerability,carried an unbearable sense of loveliness. However, this meant Godouwas failing in his original goal —Catching Yuri in the corner of his eye, Godou found her mournfullylowering her gaze.No! Godou forcefully shoved Erica away, escaping from the confines of hersweet embrace."Godou, the healing spell is not complete, what are you doing!?""l-lt is not necessary. I still feel this is not very appropriate. For the sake ofbattle, to engage in these activities so many times, that's... Kissing is notgood.""How could you still say that at this point? Didn't you ask me to sweareternal loyalty to you last time?"Erica's reproach made Godou lower his gaze. Having said those words inthe heat of the moment that time... It was a painful memory that continuedto trouble him. Worst of all was Yuri's current shock at the matter."Eh? Eternal loyalty? What on earth is that about...?""Come to think of it, I don't think I mentioned it to Yuri yet."Chuckling "hoho" to herself, Erica smiled triumphantly and answered Yuriwith an intoxicated expression in her eyes:"Godou was really a piece of work. He made me say something like this.Even if the world was about to be destroyed, I had to swear to stay by hisside through life and death. Godou that time was very rough, very gallant,but also very charming. Even though I like the usual Godou very much,that kind of aggression is great once in a while.""G-Godou-san! When did you and Erica-san...!""You people are so noisy... What on earth are you arguing about?"Just as the troubled expression Yuri made a few days ago at Nanao Shrineappeared on her face once again, an awe-inspiring voice and thefragrance of spices drifted over.Liliana had appeared, carrying the newly prepared curry."Nothing, umm... Actually, it's no big deal..."Erica turned her face away, while Yuri became frantic, and only Godouwas left to attempt an explanation.After hearing the gist of the situation, Liliana couldn't help but sigh."Really... The matter of women entering into conflict over your affections,was exactly what I have been worrying about. As expected, it is imperativefor me to stay by your side as your premier knight and assist you."Liliana warned Godou with the same kind of tone as a wife would reproachan unfaithful husband."So, I have a great idea to solve this dispute here. Would you all like tolisten?""Yes, please tell me, thanks."Godou nodded.Perhaps the witch Liliana could have some other method to apply magic toa Campione without needing mouth to mouth contact. Godou was filledwith anticipation."I believe in situations like this, I should be the one kissing you to apply thehealing magic. If you do not wish to see your lovers engaging in a quarrelover such a task, then let me do it as your premier knight. This is the oneand only, and at the same time, best solution.""That totally doesn't solve anything!"Godou resolutely refused the loyal and capable, but frequentlyunpredictable knight.Part 2In the end, Godou went directly to dinner without accepting anyone'shealing.Godou decided to just endure it, since he should be fine after a goodnight's rest as usual.The night's dishes included typical outdoor campsite cooking such as curryrice and barbecued meat. There was also fish that Erica brought backwhich were made into salt roasted salmon and rainbow trout. Along withboiled mountain vegetables, the assortment of dishes was quite a variedoffering. They decided to have dinner outside instead of inside the woodencabin.Though they did not pick this place for the fun of eating outdoors, it turnedout to be a way to increase the enjoyment of the meal.Despite the delicious cooking, Godou's spirits remained low.All would be well if he could handle things alone and put in all his effort.However, in a battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, SunWukong, there was the problem of whom he should kiss to obtain theknowledge required for the godslaying [Sword].Previous incidents were all sudden emergencies that left him no choice butto take the lips of young girls by force.This time was different. In the near future, a battle with the Great Sage wasimminent, and preparations had to be made in advance. Should he askErica, Yuri or Liliana? What words could he say to allow them to actwithout being forced...?Perhaps infected by Godou's melancholy, the dinner atmosphere was veryquiet."Everyone should be full now, so let's begin discussing the real issue?"At such a time, the only one capable of actively changing the mood wasErica."Victory could likely be very simple against the Great Sage... I believe so.What does everyone think?""Is it because of the fact that he suddenly stopped when he could havegiven me a finishing blow?"Realizing what Erica was getting at, Godou offered his input."Yes, for the Great Sage, it was a rare opportunity to kill a Campionewithout breaking a sweat. But he suddenly gave up.""It was definitely unnatural. He had no reason to show mercy at that time."Recalling her memories from a few hours ago, Liliana could not helpfrowning."The first possibility that comes to mind, is that he is having trouble with hisbody. It bears mentioning that the Great Sage chose to steal Hikari's bodyin order to neutralize the [Keeper of the Horses]'s binding spell."The one who presented her opinion was Mariya Yuri, the older sister of thepossessed Hikari."In this case, Hikari's spirit powers have limits. Since she does not havethe ability to completely dispel the great wizardry that seals the deity, herpower is steadily consumed to maintain the effect. Once her bodybecomes too tired and unable to use disaster purification, would the GreatSage not be affected by the [Keeper of the Horses] once again?""That's right, which is why he avoided a battle with Godou. I don't think thisspeculation is over optimistic. It is a sound theory."Erica spoke to sum up Yuri's speculation."But no matter how the situation develops, if Godou wants to defeat theGreat Sage, the [Sword]'s spell words will be essential. Here lies theproblem. Liliana and I are both unclear on the details of the divinity of theGreat Sage as a Chinese deity. How about you, Yuri?""I too, only know the basics and none of the details...""If that's the case, then Mariya Yuri's spirit vision is our only hope todiscern the true nature of that war god?"Liliana pondered deeply with a troubled expression.It was said that whether spirit vision succeeds in receiving divine insightwas entirely up to fate. However, Yuri did possess outstanding spirit visionpowers, and had great success rates in seeing through the true nature ofgods. On the other hand, there was no guarantee in the timing of visions,which could be five minutes or even five years later."In all instances so far when I was able to discern a deity's true nature, itwas always in the presence of a god or a Campione. Like the battles withMarquis Voban or Her Eminence Luo Hao, so this time I should be ableto..."Yuri spoke quietly with great resolution.She usually did not employ her spirit vision with such fervor and initiative,but this time was different. Obviously it was because she was trying hard tosave her sister. Godou also felt that he had to help her with all his strength.However, Godou was still agonizing about the required ritual to receiveknowledge about the Great Sage's divinity."By the way... Why can a monkey become [Steel]?"In order to steer his thoughts away from the magical union, Godou raisedthe question that had occupied his mind since the day time....With an inevitable confrontation against a deity, he no longer had theluxury of indulging his little wish of avoiding learning trivia about gods.Troublesome things sure had no end to them."Well... In Europe when wild beasts with the deepest connections to [Steel]are mentioned, dragons and snakes inevitably come up."Liliana answered thoughtfully, and Erica nodded and agreed."That's right, it was quite clear from the case of Perseus. A hero of [Steel]is a warrior god who subdues a dragon or a snake, taking its power. Butthere shouldn't be any examples related to monkeys.""Precisely because he subdued dragons and snakes, the Great SageEqualing Heaven became the monkey god."The one who spoke was the Japanese Hime-Miko Yuri."During the daytime at Toushouguu's divine stable, it was alreadymentioned that Japan and China had ancient legends about monkeyskeeping watch over horses. Dragons and horses are actually extremelyrelated existences, as evidenced by the ancient practice of callingexceptional stallions 'Dragon Horses.' Hence there is a saying that 'theheavenly horse and the divine dragon are one of a kind. Now that thehorse has come today, a dragon's visit is imminent.'^"In other words, there was the possibility that dragons and horses wereinterchangeable. Liliana interrupted."Though in different forms, dragons existed in both the east and the west.Do you all know why? It is because this sacred beast originated in CentralAsia and the original prototypes were virtually the same in appearance.The European dragon's prototype is the ancient Sumerian dragon; that oneis a classic. If we trace back the origins of the Chinese dragon, itsappearance should also resemble the Sumerian dragon.""Could it be... similar to a horse?""Yes, back in ancient times, the dragon's appearance was once describedas 'a horse with horns.' As time went on, its image assimilated the [Snake],a symbol of mother earth deities, thus obtaining the scaly and slender bodyalong with the shortened limbs. In the west, the dragon further receivedwings while its limbs became extremely short in the east, resulting in thecurrent appearances."Dragons and snakes were originally unrelated species. Perhaps it wastheir shared fate of being vanquished by heroes of [Steel] that causedthem to somehow evolve into close relatives. Thus Liliana concluded."Speaking of the Great Sage, Journey to the West bears mentioning... Youall might think that he is just a character that appears in the story, but inreality, he was a deity with a long history that is an amalgamation of allsorts of faiths and heritages. The legend of his journey accompanying themonk Sanzang 1 J to bring back Buddhist scriptures, had spread to Japan ata very early age, and can even be found in Noh^ plays."Godou was very surprised by the things Yuri mentioned."Noh plays? You mean the likes of Kanami^ and Zeami^?""Correct. The plays Great Prajha^ and Sanzou the Monk are thought tohave existed during Zeami's time."Just as Godou began to feel that Sun Wukong was very troublesome,Erica also began to speak."Anyway, let's end the optimistic speculation here. It's time we discuss thepessimistic scenario? Regarding Hikari who has been possessed by theGreat Sage.""You mean the case where she cannot be saved?"The meaning exactly described by the label of "pessimistic." This was thequestion Sayanomiya Kaoru hinted at earlier.Hikari's physical body was under complete control of the Great Sage.Could she be rescued by defeating that monkey god? Was this solutionactually feasible..."Yes. Admittedly, she is adorable, and I really look forward to her futurepossibilities. Personally I would want to rescue her no matter what, but theHistory Compilation Committee doesn't think so, right?""Yes, Sayanomiya-san did mention that in the worst case scenario, I canchoose to abandon that child.""That's right, I would have made the same decision if I were a core leaderin the Committee. If Godou insists on rescuing Mariya Hikari, he cannotfight the Great Sage seriously, and this has severe consequences. Put itanother way, if sacrificing just one girl allowed the defeat of a [HereticGod], it is actually a very cheap price to pay."Erica's expression was very solemn. She likely brought up this issue tomake sure priorities were straight even in the direst of situations. At thesame time, she wanted to confirm the preparedness of Godou'sdetermination.Liliana frowned while Yuri listened with a worried expression. Erica'swording was an argument that Liliana could not possibly accept as a nobleknight. For Mariya Yuri, it was like saying abandoning her younger sisterwas the best course of action.As Godou entered into deep thought, Erica relaxed her shoulders andsmiled."Relax, everyone. That was just the worst case scenario. We haven't evenbegun the battle against Great Sage, so worrying at this point ismeaningless. Let's all rest for today. Our first priority is to save enoughenergy for the fight tomorrow."Part 3The area of Lake Chuuzenji was located across the Iroha-zaka route.The mountain of Nantaisan was on the north shore, and had an altitude of2486m above sea level.Legends had it that the first person to reach the summit was Great MonkShoudou, the founder of Nikkou. During the second year of the Tenouperiod, i.e. the year 782 CE, Great Monk Shoudou failed his secondconsecutive attempt to reach the summit. On the third time, he resolvedhimself, declaring that "I will not enter enlightenment unless I reach thesummit," and finally fulfilled his wish.This place was actually a volcano. Due to the high concentration of iron,the soil and rocks in the area had a reddish brown color. The Nikkoumountain range was both a volcano and a treasure trove of minerals, aswell as a famous volcanic zone in Japan.For a war god of [Steel], volcanoes and minerals were like the hot waterused to bathe and cleanse a newborn child."For the purpose of increasing my power, there is no better place thanthis..."The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong muttered to himself on themountaintop.The body and the voice belonged to Mariya Hikari, but the personality anddivine power were that of the heretical monkey god's. He sat on a reddishbrown rock, muttering to himself.Embedded in a giant rock at this high altitude, was a rusted divine sword.The portion of the sword sticking out of the rock was around 3m in length,and was reminiscent of the sword in the stone from the story of KingArthur."Lil' Bro, you're finally here. But you should have appeared a while ago,what took you this long? What happened?"The Great Sage asked with incredulity.His eyes focused their gaze upon the strange person walking up themountain path before him.The newcomer had pitch black skin, stiff spiky hair as bright red as aburning flame, sharply shaped eyes, a wide gaping mouth, a necklace ofnine small skulls strung together hanging around his neck, and he waswearing a simple and modest monk's habit.His name was Vaisravana^, the deity whom Amakasu Touma lastidentified as the "General of the Deep Sands.""Big Bro, apologies for my lateness."In spite of his vicious appearance like an evil spirit's, Vaisravana spokevery calmly, though his voice carried a sense of melancholy, like a personwho suffered so much torment that he wanted to commit suicide."I met Middle Bro along the way and came together with him.""Oh? That guy also appeared.""Yes. The two of us walked a long way, but just as we approached thisplace, Middle Bro suddenly said: 'Lil' Bro, it has been a long time since wereturned to the mortal realm. It'd be nice to take a break here.' I told him'Isn't that a bad idea?' But Middle Bro replied: 'Stupid! The precepts ofBuddhism may emphasize the Three Treasures^ of Buddha, Dharma andSangha, but the world is much bigger than that. Booze, gambling, andwomen — boobs, butts, and lovely legs. In the mortal realm, these ThreeTreasures are waiting for us instead.' That was what he said."Vaisravana recounted gloomily, but he took on a cheerful voice wheneverhe quoted the Middle Brother's lines. In contrast to his usual deathlygloomy demeanor, he apparently possessed a side highly talented inacting as well.Hearing these words, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukongwhispered softly in amazement."Is that so? How ridiculous, his Three Treasures! So you guys are delayedfor so long because you were seeking those frivolous Three Treasures?""Yes, Big Bro. That is why I left him halfway and hurried over instead.""Come on! Just like before, he is completely failing to consider thesituation. Out with you, god of the mountain, transmit my voice to my sillylittle brother!"The Great Sage Equaling Heaven performed a mudra with one hand andsummoned a tree spirit. It was an extremely fragile divinity that could nottake physical form in the mortal realm, and only possessed a spirit bodywith neither shape nor color, and no outstanding powers.However, it was able to seek out targeted deities, and transmit voicesacross distances like the echoes of a Yama-bikoJ 10 ^The results appeared a while after the instructions were given." — Big Bro, Big Bro! You're so mean!"The third divine spirit finally arrived, flying on a black cloud.Despite his chubby appearance and plump build, extraordinary muscleswere hidden beneath the layer of fat. Furthermore, this person had a [Pig]'sface.The face with a long snout was densely covered by short black fur.He had round and shiny eyes, short and triangular ears that stood upstiffly, and two short but sharp tusks that protruded out on both sides of hissnout."It's been so long since I last came to the mortal realm, and just as Ihappened to find a lively village, and was going to enjoy myself, Big Brosummons me over — that's so mean!"The one who kept complaining was the black pig spirit, Zhu GanglieJ 11 ^"Enough, you talk too much! You were never able to cease your obsessionwith the pleasures of the mundane world...""This is so wrong. Without good wine, good food, women and wealth, life inthis world would be meaningless. Big Bro, you really must change yourmonkey-like but totally unfun lifestyle. Let the smell of cosmetics hang allover you... By the way, Big Bro...""What is it, Middle Bro?""I just wanted to say that Big Bro's appearance is really cute this time... Aface like white jade, it's so pretty. Kukuku, those lips are just like cherries.This tiny little body fascinates me oh so very much..."Zhu Ganglie jumped down to the surface from the black cloud.Standing on the reddish brown rock, he kept staring at Mariya Hikari's facenonstop. And so, the Great Sage kicked a little stone by his feet."Hah — "The little stone flew into the air and smashed into Zhu Ganglie's forehead."Ouch! Big Bro, why are you so mean!""Nothing much, I just wanted to remind you that staring at this body witheyes of lust could be dangerous. Don't be too concerned.""I am very concerned!""By the way, Big Bro only possessed this little girl in order to release thebinding spell of the [Keeper of the Horses]... But you don't look too well."Vaisravana spoke in a gloomy tone, and the Great Sage nodded inagreement."Yes, the [Keeper of the Horses] took away my divine power and mettle ofthe Handsome Monkey King, turning me into a harmless monkey. Ioriginally thought that I could dispel the binding spell by possessing thismiko's body... But the fellow's power suffers from frequent interruptions.""What do you mean by interruptions?""The reason why I can maintain the consciousness of the Great SageEqualing Heaven, is because of this Hime-Miko's disaster purification. Butno matter what, this little girl is just a human. Using spirit techniquesconsumes stamina, making rest necessary and I cannot move freelywhenever the miko's body is resting. It is already quite fortunate for me tobe able to summon forth you two helpers."If this challenge was not overcome soon enough, it would become a fatalweakness.Thus the Great Sage chanted the dharani, and summoned two gods asallies.These two were the junior disciples who shared the same master with SunWukong. Through the effects of the Great Sage's powerful spell, ZhuWuneng^ and Sha Wujing^ — these two gods had heavenly originsand were summoned as [Heretic Gods] with the identities Zhu Ganglie andVaisravana.As a side note, their Buddhist names bearing the common character of"Wu"^ were only bestowed after they were subdued and became thedisciples of Monk Sanzang, hence the difference in names.Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravana were their original names before beingsubdued."Lend me your divine powers, so that I can break through the [Keeper ofthe Horses]. Simply weakening the binding spell is not enough. I mustutterly destroy the main culprit that prevents the recovery of my freedom.""I see, that's right.""Yes, acknowledged."Hearing the orders of their Big Bro, Zhu Ganglie smiled proudly whileVaisravana nodded.The Great Sage Equaling Heaven walked next to the divine swordembedded vertically in the rock."Qian is strength; Kun, of docility; Zhen, of stimulus to movement; Xun, ofpenetration; Kan, of what is precipitous and perilous; Li, of what is brightand what is catching; Zhen, of stoppage or arrest; and Dui, of pleasure andsatisfaction."^ 5]The Great Sage grabbed the blade of the divine sword with his hands andbegan to chant the spell words.The divine sword, which resembled a rusted stick of iron, instantlydisappeared and was absorbed by the Great Sage who had possessed thebody of Hikari Mariya.Using this opportunity, the spiritual and divine energies buried in Nantaisanwere drawn out and concentrated into the monkey king warlord of steel."O Wisdom of steel originating from the Far West, and divine might of iron!Using the pedigree of this divine sword as the foundation, I, Great SageEqualing Heaven, Sun Wukong enacts the spell to lift curses!"Absorbing the immense divine powers of Nantaisan and the divine sword,the Great Sage bellowed loudly.Flames appeared from behind his back. Like the intense burning fires at aniron forge, the pillars of flame gave off great heat."Namah samanta vajranam canda maharosana sphotaya hum trat hammam namah samanta vajranam canda maharosana sphotaya hum tratham." [16]As the Great Sage recited the spell words, Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravanajoined in as well."Namah samanta vajranam, namah samanta vajranam.""Om vaisravanaye svaha. Om vaisravanaye svaha. Om vaisravanayesvaha." [17]Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing — the three divine spirits chantedspell words with their hearts united as one.They were chaotic divinities that originated from the Daoist realm but alsobecame adherents of Buddhism. These are the complicated origins of themany different spell words they currently chanted.The chanting continued for several hours, and the sun began to rise overthe eastern horizon.Paying respect to the rising sun, the Great Sage Equaling Heavencombined the volcano's spiritual energy with the divine might of the sword,with assistance from the divine power of his two juniors. Finally, hesucceeded in the [Swordj's forging, and the flaming divine swordmanifested in his right hand majestically.This was the Kulikaa Sword^, the sword of wisdom that severs the ThreePoisons of Ignorance, Attachment and Aversion.^Superficially similar to Verethragna's [Sword] that Kusanagi Godou used, itwas fundamentally different. The Kulikaa Sword currently embedded in thegiant rock was a symbol of Acala and a divine sword that vanquished eviland lifted curses."Big Bro, you sure made something rare here.""This is a sword of [Steel] that hails from foreign lands just like me. Iborrowed it from the monk that has intimate ties with this piece of land."The Great Sage answered Zhu Ganglie's query briefly. The worship ofAcala^ was brought to Japan from China by Grand Master KuukaiJ 21 ^ Itis said that he was the one who came up with the name of Nikkou for thisplace, and also the one who left behind the Futarasan Stone Tablet in thebiography of the pioneering Great Monk Shoudou."Exorcising sword of justice that vanquishes all disasters — infinitelyincomparable to a human miko's disaster purification, sever the spell of the[Keeper of the Horses], and return to me my freedom!"As the Great Sage raised Kulikaa Sword high towards the eastern sky,flames burst out from the blade and shot out.The flames produced by the sword of wisdom were the weapons to lift thebinding spell of the [Keeper of the Horses]."But Big Bro, is this really OK?""Lil' Bro, what's the problem? I am just about to make a cool decisive pose,be quick with it."Vaisravana spoke gloomily to the Great Sage who responded as hemanipulated the flames."Very well, I will be frank. The great wizardry spell has been deeply rootedin these lands for the past three hundred years. Furthermore, it was putinto place not only by ordinary mortals but also with participation from thegods and wizards living in the Netherworld. If you suddenly dispel it,wouldn't the results be rather unpredictable?""You love worrying too much, my Lil' Bro. How could something like that bepossible — "The words had scarcely left his mouth when the Great Sage — MariyaHikari's adorable face became enshrouded by a layer of worry."In other words, such a possibility does exist?""Don't talk like it's for certain! We are gods, even if the sky falls down, we'lljust prop it back up!""Ah, Big Bro, please take a look. There seems to be something over there."Zhu Ganglie pointed to the east. The peaks of the Nikkou mountain rangewere shrouded by morning mist. Down below, Lake Chuuzenji and thestreets of the humans were illuminated by the hues of dawn."Oh, he came here just to suppress me!"From between the clouds of dawn, a spirit appeared in the form of ahandsome youth and descended with splendor.Wearing the traditional armor of ancient Chinese generals, he wielded athree-pronged spear. In addition to a pair of elegant and slender eyes, healso possessed a third [Eye] on his forehead.The handsome three-eyed divine general was the visible manifestation ofthe [Keeper of the Horses] binding spell."Haha, how thoughtful of them to reproduce the divine appearance of theTrue Lord Erlang^ to such a degree.""Big Bro, please hold back for now. The two of us will protect you here."Zhu Ganglie and Vaisravana did as they spoke and stood in front of theGreat Sage.In the past when the Great Sage came out to the surface world, he hadalways been taken back to Saitenguu by this spirit. Would the past berepeated again? This time he had the protection of his two sworn brothers.Facing the [Keeper of the Horses] spirit brandishing the three-prongedspear, Zhu Ganglie wielded his Nine-Toothed Rake while Vaisravanaattacked head on with a treasure staff that had a core of steel.As his sworn brothers guarded him, the Great Sage Equaling Heavenvigorously waved the Kulikaa Sword and threw it towards the eastern skywith a sound like slicing wind.Like a falling meteor, the flaming sword flew across the sky. Soon after, itfell and landed, embedding its blade into the surface of the ground, rippingapart the [Keeper of the Horses] wizardry cast on the lands of Nikkou. Themanifested spirit immediately vanished without a trace.With the disappearance of the three-eyed divine general, the Great Sageimmediately yelled:"Excellent, the interloper has vanished! From now on, we three brotherswill work together and build our kingdom of paradise on this vast land!First, let's gather my people and bestow upon them the blessing ofimmortality just like what I did in the past at the Water Curtain Cave in theMountain of Fruit and Flowers!""Hmm, I want boobs, butts and thighs. A place without women cannot becalled a kingdom of paradise!""Ah... I don't really have any particular desires, but I will give my all toassist you."With the collapse of the great wizardry spell, the imposing presence of thethree divine spirits greatly increased."By the way, Big Bro, now that the [Keeper of the Horses]'s cursed bondshave been broken, you don't have to stay in that miko any more, right? Areyou going to leave her body?""That's right, I should recover my original form — Hmm, why can't I changeback?"Hearing the Little Brother's suggestion, the Great Sage Equaling Heavenshook his body.However, there was no effect and the Great Sage was unable to leaveMariya Hikari's body."Looks like you've accustomed yourself to this miko's body more thanexpected.""Well, I guess there's no real problem to stay like this for now."The sworn younger brothers commented casually. Like the Great Sage,they were all very spontaneous in character and lacking in long termplanning."Yes, in time it'd probably peel off like a scab."As the Great Sage replied frivolously, an unexpected change occurred.Vaisravana and Zhu Ganglie's movements suddenly stopped and the twoof them petrified and turned into stone. Faced with two stone statues ofdivine spirits, the Great Sage became a bit displeased."The manifestation spell lost effect? Looks like not everything can gosmoothly after all."No matter, when necessary he will simply cast the spell again.Shrugging his shoulders, the Great Sage chanted a mantra and shrunk thestone statues of his brothers to the size of little fingers and placed them inhis pocket."Great, the preparations are now complete. Now for some fun!"From the mountain top of Nantaisan, the view overlooking the lands belowwas superb, just as recorded on Kuukai's Futarasan Stone Tablet.'Looking down there was a great lake. Not very wide in the east-westdirection / But stretching far along north-south. Silver snow covered theland / Golden flowers bloomed in the trees. The lake surface was agenerous mirror / Reflecting all scenery and colors. The mountain and thelakes complemented each other / The view was breath-taking.'The great lake mentioned was Lake Chuuzenji, but since winter had yet toarrive, the silver-white snow covering the scenery was not present.As the Great Sage used Hikari's eyes to survey the majestic scenery, hereleased divine power, spreading the dominating power of transformationfrom the surroundings of Nantaisan.On the nearby volcanic rocks, monkeys were continuously being created.Like the divine messengers released in the Netherworld stable yesterday,these monkeys' bodies were covered with golden fur that approached ashade of reddish brown with a metallic luster.The number of these sacred monkeys born from rocks reached severalhundred."My underlings, come here and serve Old Sun well! Gather your talentsand offer them to me! Look up high and witness the Great Sage's mightwhich once threatened the heavenly armies!"With one order from the Great Sage, the little monkeys squeezed closetogether and began colliding with one another. Their bodies merged intogiant bodies that grew larger and larger.When a hundred small monkeys came together, they became a singlegiant monkey about ten-odd meters in height.The appearance was the same as the giant ape divine beasts thatdescended at the Nikkou Toushouguu.A total of six giant monkeys were born, with arms longer than legs, andtheir bodies built like gorillas."Yes, go forth! If any enemies try to invade my territory, you guys will bethe vanguard for intercepting them!"The six giant monkeys descended down the mountain with great speedand agility in spite of their massive bodies.Having completed this, the Great Sage casually lied down on the ground.He was tired out from the various tasks and now needed to rest andrecover his energy....While all this was unfolding, trivial things were happening behind theGreat Sage's back without him noticing.A certain youth had hidden himself in the middle of the mountain a couplehundred meters from the top, and had been observing the events at thepeak.As a rare martial arts genius, he saw everything clearly despite the greatdistance.Unnoticed from beginning to end, he quietly began to descend from themountain.Of course, this youth was Lu Yinghua.Part 4That night, Kusanagi Godou had difficulty sleeping.He needed adequate rest in order to prepare for battle, but how did it endup like this? The reason was the scene that happened just before bedtime.After deciding everyone's rooms in the cabin, Erica followed Godou intothe same room."H-How much longer are you going to follow me for? I'm about to go tobed!""It's been so long since the last time we shared the night under one roof.Of course I have to make the most of this opportunity. Don't you think it'dbe nice for us to share a bed tonight?"Erica responded to Godou's questioning with a pure and innocent smile.Just as Godou was about to drive her out of his room, even Liliana andYuri entered. After understanding the situation, the silver-haired knightmade the following suggestion."Erica sure is a pain, Kusanagi Godou. I suspect such a noisy presencewill prevent you from resting properly. Thus I too, shall sleep in this room,and guard you while you rest!""E-Everyone please be mindful of the situation! For young men and womento sleep in the same room, how improper!"Yuri yelled with her face all red.Godou was about to agree with her completely, but Yuri's next wordssilenced him."I shall sleep here too, in order to prevent you all from doing anythingindecent!"Thus the beautiful Hime-Miko also made her declaration. In this roomwhich only had a single bed, three sets of futons were brought over."Mariya, how could you say something like that too?""l-lt cannot be helped... If you all stay in the same room, who knows whatcould happen, s-so I must come along."Godou questioned the girl who was supposed to be the most normal, butended up getting such an answer.Thus the sleepless night began. With four people packed in this tiny room,it would not be exaggerating to use the term 'overpopulated.' AlthoughGodou was the only person lying on the only bed, he was unable to closehis eyes.No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop noticing the other threepeople in the room.Before sleeping, the three of them had changed in their own respectiverooms. Liliana and Yuri were wearing common pajamas which looked likethey were brought from home, but it was still a look that Godou never hada chance to witness under normal conditions. On the other hand, Godoufound it incredible that he found himself unable to look at them straightdespite the simple thin fabric without fancy decoration. Besides, there wasthe problem of Erica.As usual, she went to sleep under the covers in just her underwear.A Campione's vision allowed him to see clearly even in the dark. With justa simple glance, he could see portions of Erica's bare skin as white assnow where they stuck out from under the blanket, as well as her blondehair that had been messed up by sleep. Godou frantically pulled up hiscotton blanket and tried his hardest to close his eyes and sleep.The breathing noises of the girls and their occasional dream talk troubledGodou immensely.Despite his excited state of mind, Godou's exhausted body still neededsleep. As his consciousness began to fade, he was able to doze lightly forabout two or three hours worth of sleep.When he regained his senses again, it was early in the morning, and therosy rays of dawn came in from the window."— W-What is going on? My body..."On the bed, Godou was greatly taken aback.His entire body ached exceptionally, and all major and minor jointsthrobbed with pain. There was also a sense of nausea. It was the first timehe ever felt pain like this."Perhaps... it's the injuries from the beating yesterday!?"Come to think of it, every time his body was struck by Luo Hao, he felt likehis body was accumulating serious internal injuries. Now it was evident itwas not simply his imagination. Once again, Godou was reminded of LuoHao's terrifying existence."Mariya... Where did she go?"Preparing to go back to sleep, Godou discovered that Yuri was no longerin the room.Erica and Liliana were sound asleep but only the Hime-Miko was absent.Her pajamas were neatly folded and placed on the blanket she had beenusing.If she had gone for an early morning walk, the current time would be a littletoo early...Deciding it was a bit strange, Godou quietly slipped out of the room.Leaving the wooden cabin, he took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.With the rising sun revealing itself from the backbone of the mountainrange, it was an excellent view of dawn.However, this meant that the battle against the Great Sage was drawingever closer.In spite of that, Kusanagi Godou was still full of hesitation."In the end I still can't be decisive... What a failure of a king."As he muttered to himself, Godou felt a person's presence.The Hime-Miko dressed in white garments and a red hakama wasapproaching him."You have woken up — King.""Where did you go? Mariya..."Godou was in the middle of his question when he noticed somethingwasn't quite right with Yuri.There was a lost expression on her face, and her eyes were out of focus,furthermore, her eyes were now — the color of glass!"Let me offer an answer to the King's worries. The sword of wisdom in yourarm can be of use in this battle. Its power not only slays gods but alsosevers a god's spiritual might, which is why it is called the sword ofexorcism. Even the monkey king's spell that imprisons the young little mikocan be severed."Yuri's glass-colored pupils wavered in a bizarre manner.In the past battle against Marquis Voban, Yuri also received divineguidance through spirit vision.However, her current eye color was exactly the same as the glass princessin the Netherworld. Come to think of it, she also mentioned once that theHime-Miko were distant descendants with the same bloodline as hers."Please do not forget, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's martial prowessis beyond equal. Whether your sharp blade can strike the Great Sage ornot, is up to your courage and determination. It will be a dire and desperatebattle. Oh my? Did I just say something?"Yuri's eyes returned to normal with their usual black pupils. She was back."You just told me... an answer to a question that had been troubling me."Godou exclaimed as he answered.Compared to Erica and Liliana, Yuri was not a very conspicuous personbut she held amazing powers.She was often able to give clear directions during times when they werestuck, and sometimes it even led to strategies that solved the root ofproblems."Really? If that is the case, then getting up early to meditate was notwasted for me.""Eh? Why did you do such a thing?""Since yesterday, I have noticed Godou-san worrying over many things... Iwas wondering if I could give you some advice, so I came out here to clearmy thoughts, and was hoping it would be great if I could receive divineguidance."Smiling gently beneath the rosy clouds of dawn, there was nothing morebeautiful than Yuri at this time.Spirit vision was a spell that only had a tiny chance of obtaining divineinspiration. To hope for divine guidance to descend actively in responsewas very wishful thinking. That was what Yuri explained in the past, so itwas quite unbelievable to see her being so proactive now.Godou felt very grateful to her, and he became strongly determined. Thisgirl's younger sister, Hikari who has grown closer to him as well, willdefinitely be saved by his hand!As Godou endured the impulse rising from deep within him, Yuri suddenlywhispered softly."Actually I had been worrying since last night, whether I should mentionthis matter to Godou-san?""What is this matter?""Yes, even though Hikari is an apprentice, she is also one of Musashino'sHime-Miko just like me. When a [Heretic God] brings disaster to the world,we must protect the people from being harmed by the gods, and put ourlives on the line. Therefore, if Hikari was completely possessed, I must giveup the notion of saving her."Sorrowfully averting her gaze, Yuri continued softly:"In truth, I know very well that I should not say such things — but still, nomatter what, I hope Godou-san can listen to my opinion..."Yuri was not being very forthcoming and meandered without getting intothe main topic.But her current attitude made her intentions even clearer. For Yuri whowas serious, honest and intelligent, she was hesitating because she knewvery well how irresponsible her request was.It's enough, I already understand. Godou wanted to make this girl morerelaxed."Mariya... I will definitely save Hikari. No matter what Sayanomiya Kaoruand the members of the Committee say, my top priority is to take backMariya Hikari from that monkey bastard. This is already decided. I willworry about the involvement of Nikkou City and the local residents someother time."Somehow, Godou felt a burden lifted from his heart once he openlydeclared his decision.Perhaps he was making an important conclusion right now. That was whathe suspected."G-Godou-san... Thank you... I..."Yuri lowered her head as tears streamed down.I beg you, and hope you can save my younger sister. This was theexpression of her gratitude to Godou for accepting her request conveyedwithout words."You don't have to thank me, you know. I haven't even fought the GreatSage yet. Perhaps when pressured by him and backed into a corner, Imight forget everything I just said, and defeat the monkey along withHikari, eh?""No you will not. Godou-san will definitely not do something like that. Iknow very well."Yuri spoke quietly but firmly.Those were the words full of confidence, spoken by the Hime-Miko whosespirit vision saw through everything."Is it because of spirit vision?""Possibly. I am not too certain of the reason myself, but I know Godou-sandefinitely will not abandon Hikari — a girl who has gotten close to you.Even if this is the result of spirit vision, I would say it only contributes half tomy certainty."Half? Godou felt intrigued by this strange indirect way of describing things.What did she actually mean?"The other half is my trust in Godou-san. Not as a Hime-Miko but asMariya Yuri begging you to save my sister."Bowing her head with propriety to make her request, Yuri spoke resolutely."Since this is a rare opportunity, let me clarify at this time. No matter howthe current incident comes to an end, I will follow you for a lifetime, untilyour path as a Campione reaches its conclusion, or the end of my life — ""Y-You mean until one of us dies?"This exaggerated description shocked Godou as the beautiful Hime-Mikoquietly nodded her head."Yes, just like the way your life has been till now, the prospects of apeaceful life will be slim. No matter what the final ending is, I hope that youwill allow me to stay by your side until the very end. Will you agree to thisrequest of mine?"It was quite a sudden and unexpected request. As Godou watched inshock, Yuri showed a faint smile as beautiful as a budding cherry blossom."You do not have to answer immediately, because I shall wait for youforever..."Bowing elegantly, she returned to the wooden cabin.It was three days ago when Annie Charlton finally received news thatAsherah was alive.Her elderly friend and collaborator, Joe West passed along the news as "acertain noble person providing important information."She wasn't sure where the news came from, but since her mortal enemythe witch was still alive, plus the additional fact that the most viciousCampione had been summoned from China and was planning somethingin Japan, Annie decided to book a flight immediately. Getting things donequickly and decisively was one of her qualities.She arrived at Narita airport around evening yesterday. Her destinationwas apparently a famous tourist attraction full of exotic allure.Afterwards, Annie called a taxi and headed to Tokyo. Her original plan wasto spend the night at a hotel for a good night's rest to relieve her body fromthe exhaustion of the long flight, then head over to the scene in question.However, once she received the emergency news from Professor Westthrough her cellphone, she immediately changed her plans.A certain noble person (most likely the former spokesperson of theWitenagemot)^ 2 ^ had sent a series of reports. A [Heretic God] had beensighted in the little city of Nikkou. Hence, Annie revised her plan to rest at ahotel, and decided to drive instead and rush to the scene, struggling withthe unfamiliar roads and adjusting to the steering wheel on the right.Even though she was tired and jet lagged, there was no time to take thingseasy any more.Annie Charlton was a woman with a great sense of justice andresponsibility. After driving a good many hours on the streets throughoutthe night, it was morning the next day when she arrived at the scene."I remember there is an organization in Japan equivalent to the SSI^. Itwould be best to get into contact with them to gather more intelligence.However — "Annie spoke to herself as she drove.A few years ago, she had the chance to visit Japan and managed to gainsome understanding of the country. She needed to get hold of the detailsof the current situation as quickly as possible so that she can defeat theculprit.Come to think of it, a Campione had also been born in Japan recently.Should she leave things for him to handle? But typical Campiones takedays or even weeks to arrive on scene to battle a [Heretic God]. If shecould resolve the incident before that happens, there should not be toomuch trouble."It would be best if this guy wakes up soon, for he seems like he canprovide a lot of information."Through the rear-view mirror, Annie glanced at the condition of the youngman lying on the back seat.Not too long ago, she had discovered someone unconscious near the riverof Daiyagawa. After examining the items carried on his body, sheconfirmed that many of them were related to wizardry.He could very well be a member of Japan's SSI (which seemed to becalled something like the History Compilation Committee).Annie Charlton did not know at the time, but this youth was AmakasuTouma and also the missing member of the History CompilationCommittee.References1 . t Wakoku(#tS): the ancient term for the islands of Japan before itwas recognized as a country.2. t Book of Han, Treatise on Rites andMusic. http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Han3. t Sanzang(HjJl): pronounced Sanzou in Japanese, the centralcharacter who Sun Wukong has to escort in the Journey to the West toretrieve Buddhistscripture, http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Xuanzang_(fictional_character)4. t Noh: a form of Japanese classical musicaldrama. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh5. t Kanami: Kan'ami Kiyotsugu (UPRlijft mfc) was a Japanese Nohactor, author, and musician in the 14thcentury. http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Kanami6. t Zeami: Zeami Motokiyo ("ffirPRl^ 7tm) was a Japanese actor andplaywright, the son ofKanami. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeami_Motokiyo7. t Prajha: one of the three divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path inBuddhism, meaningwisdom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism8. t Vaisravana: one of the four cardinal protector gods of Buddhism.Equated with Sha Wujing (Sha Gojou in Japanese) from the Chineseclassic novel Journey to theWest. http://en.wikipedia.Org/wiki/Sha_Wujing#Character_origins9. t Three Treasures: the three things that Buddhists seek guidancefrom — Buddha (can be interpreted as the historical figure, or to seekthe highest spiritual potential in all things); Dharma, the teachings ofBuddha; and Sangha, the community of those who have reachedenlightenment.http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Jewels10. t Yama-biko: an echoing spirit in Japanese folklore, often heard butrarely seen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama-biko11. t Zhu Ganglie(?i!li]it): one of the names of Zhu Bajie (Cho Hakkaiin Japanese), the infamous pig spirit who was apprenticed to the monkXuanzang and became Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classicnovel Journey to the West. Taken literally, the name Zhu Gangliemeans strong-maned pig. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie12. t Zhu Wuneng(lft§fb): one of the names of Zhu Bajie (Cho Hakkaiin Japanese), the infamous pig spirit who was apprenticed to the monkXuanzang and became Sun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classicnovel Journey to the West. Zhu Wuneng was the name given by hismaster, Xuanzang the monk.http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie1 3. t Sha Wujing(^tn the third disciple of the monk Xuanzang andSun Wukong's junior in the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West.Sha Wujing was the name given by his master, Xuanzang themonk. http://en.wiki pedia.org/wiki/Sha_Wujing14. t Wu(tl): note how Sun Wukong(MH^), Zhu Wuneng(^tlf^) andSha Wujing(^ N t§}#) shares the same character "Wu" in their names.15. t Book of Changes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/l_Ching16. t Mantra of Acala. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala17. t Mantra ofVaisravana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai%C5%9Brava%E1%B9%87a18. t Kulikaa: (Kurikara in Japanese), the Sanskrit name of Acala'ssword of wisdom that cuts through deluded and ignorant minds.19. t Three Poisons: the three root causes of suffering in life, accordingto Buddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_poisons_(Buddhism)20. t Acala: known as Fudou Myouou(^Fil)^I) in Japanese, an angrywrathful guardian deity in VajrayanaBuddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala21 . t Kuukai(^E/§): "The Grand Master who Propagated BuddhistTeaching"(^/i A Eft) was a Japanese monk who founded the Shingonschool of JapaneseBuddhism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%ABkai22. t True Lord Erlang(— ilPH^): a Chinese god with a truth-seekingthird eye in the middle of his forehead. The greatest warrior god in theChinese/Daoist pantheon, he is best known in Journey to the West asthe one who pressured Sun Wukong and captured him for theheavenly forces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlang_Shen23. t Witenagemot: ("meeting of wise men" in Old English) a politicalinstitution in Anglo-Saxon England. In the Campione! setting, thisorganization deals with matters related toCampiones. http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Witenagemott SSI: Sorcerous Sacrilege Investigation, an American organizationthat opposes the activities of sorcerers. In the Campione! setting,sorcery refers specifically to an evil variant of magic.