Campione! - Volume 21 - Chapter 3.2

Part 2
The flame of White Horse could only be fired when attacking a great evildoer who harmed the populace.

Prince Lakhsmana who received all distortion and stain that his big brother Rama ought to bear possessed enough qualification to be targeted by it.

「GUuuuuuoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!?」

The handsome look that resembled the pure elder brother twisted in anguish.

Swallowed by the pillar of fire that descended from the sky, he suffered being burned alive.

「U──nuuh! I have to stake my life for the sake of elder brother!」

「You are noisy. In the first place, a guy at just your level is butting in too much.」

Godou felt no fighting spirit or instinct welling up.

Godou muttered with cold fury. His voice that sounded looking down at enemy of lower status from far “above” was truly in the style of a『devil king』.

「Stop crashing uninvited anymore into the match between me and Rama.」

「Kuuuuuuh!」

Lakhsmana’s figure was vanishing inside the pillar of flame.

He was killed──not. He didn’t deem it acceptable to get burned to death like this and personally chose to retreat. It was due to his tenacity of devoting his life for the sake of his elder brother.

……Well, it didn’t matter.

Godou emotionless nodded after taking care of one opponent.

His rage toward the lot who hurt his beloved girls was too big that instead of being violently emotional he entered a state of calmness.

──He had to scatter this kind of bunch even for a second quicker and then stayed close to his companions.

When he looked to the sky, two war gods were performing an even fight.

「You! How dare you forget your obligation to the prince and side with a godslayer!」

The god Hanuman who was soaring freely cursed in the air.

「It’s an act unbecoming for a god, Lancelot du Lac!」

「You are speaking nonsense. If you want to preach about the path of loyalty, then do it at another place. I am a god of knight, but at the same time a queen of horse-riding Amazon people, a chief of bunches of ruffians!」

Lancelot mocked the white monkey god who was unwavering in his loyalty.

「I will spur my horse following my heart’s want, and freely decide the enemy who I ought to bury!」

「Nuuh!」

「Right now you are my target, Hanuman!」

The war god Lancelot du Lac who at present became Godou’s 『lance』──

She spurred her flying white horse while readying her lance and shield.

Knight and horse was moving in a zigzag with speed that was equal like lightning chasing after Hanuman. In order to pierce him with the tip of the spear.

The monkey king who descended from wind god dodged with sharp turn and tried to circle behind the horse.

However, the moment the opponent approached her back, Lancelot and her white horse suddenly accelerated, took a steep climb, nose dived, she escaped the predicament with her air mobility.

And then, the repeated dog fight between the monkey god and knight god──.

Wind and lightning, the respective heaven-sent children of those elements were chased and be chased alternatively. Looking up at that spectacle, Godou was satisfied. In such situation, it wouldn’t be a problem even if he didn’t immediately give reinforcement.

「Yosh.」

Godou moved to his companions’ side.

Erica, Yuri, Liliana, and then Ena. First he took the wrist of the Italian girl who had the nickname of Diavolo Rosso. She had no pulse. She was cold like ice. The other three were surely the same.

But, Godou wasn’t perturbed anymore by only this much.

He had conviction. That ‘they can be saved if it’s me’.

He had a feeling of omnipotence. That ‘I am the one and only savior’.

That was the conceit of 『chosen one』 that was only allowed to hero or saint.

Yes. When the war god Verethragna of the ancient Persia──of the orient descended to the surface, he chose “a certain form” as his preference and protected the innocent populace.

A radiant fifteen years old youth. The sixth incarnation of Verethragna.

Godou chanted the words of power in order to awaken his own authority.

「I come for victory. I come for the sake of support, for the sake of healing, for the sake of justice, for the sake of good life. Welcome my coming with adoration!」

Salvation and protection could be shared to the people who risked their life for the sake of Kusanagi Godou.

That was the authority of Youth.

A few months ago was the last time he invoked this authority in the battle against Sun Wukong in Nikkou. Right now, white──sacred light was emitted from Godou’s whole body.

The power to display justice and miracle to the world became an overflowing splendor.

「O my retainers」

Godou kneeled, first he lifted Erica inside his arms.

「I disapprove of death without my approval. The divine protection of the sacred god of war won’t recognize even the tranquility of death. Savor the special privilege and suffering of the chosen, together with me……!」

He kissed the blonde haired girl who was dear to him.

Through the exchange of lips, the 『divine protection』 was sent in.

It was a blessing that he had given twice to Erica before. The same like before, and the time before that, with this immense vitality was breathed into her heart and body. In exchange of granting severe pain to her.

But, however.

「Nn……Godou──my Campione……」

Erica’s closed eyes opened in intoxication.

Her lips let out enraptured breath and sweet whisper.

Different from the previous two times. Erica’s heart and body had grown accustomed to this glorious ritual, she was already able to receive ecstasy and power of a chosen one without tasting pain.

However, there were still other three companions who collapsed.

Godou kneeled in front of them one after another, and repeated the kiss.

「I feel it, Godou-san’s power……. It’s really……amazing……」

「My king──. I swear I will repay this blessing so, i, is it fine……if I beg you to kiss me a bit more……?」

「Do. Don’t, your majesty-. It’s embarrassing to be seen in this kind of place……face that wa──」

With this everything was arranged.

Godou determinedly lifted his face and turned his gaze once more to the midair battle.

–

「I noticed it, war god of lance-dono!」

Hanuman finally stopped running away.

He came charging toward Lancelot and her beloved horse. While the monkey arms that were covered with white fur were swinging around a steel stick──with heavy weight attached on its tip.

*GAaaNN-!*

Lancelot lifted her shield and blocked the white monkey god’s stick above her horse.

「Ku……-!」

The queen of horse-riding people grimaced after receiving Hanuman’s great strength.

At the time when she was protecting Guinevere, her face was completely hidden by a full face helmet. Right now she was wearing a helmet that exposed her beautiful face.

Exposing one’s face and displaying one’s ferociousness were also the duty of a battle queen.

That Lancelot exposed an impatient look just for a moment──.

The war god Hanuman saw it fully and he chuckled.

「Fufufufufu, as I thought. I was thinking if this is actually the case since I saw your fighting style after you served Kusanagi Godou. It seem that you──are bound by time limit.」

「How sharp, white monkey-dono.」

The two war gods began a contest of strength using shield and stick.

When Haniman pushed, Lancelot also pushed back. When the stick with weighted tip was slowly pushing with more power, she also similarly applied strength to her diamond shaped shield…….

「The time you can fight freely to your heart’s content, it’s not long by all means from what I’ve seen, am I correct?」

「Fuh. So it’s meaningless even if I dodge the question.」

The war god of the lance smiled bitterly and nodded sportsmanlike.

Lancelot could only be active with her full strength and full speed in 『about ten minutes』 in human’s sense. The current her was in the end a subordinate god that Kusanagi Godou summoned.

「And then monkey-dono. You are turning into brute force approach because you estimated that my limit is near.」

「Indeed. The time for battle is ripe now……」

‘Guh!’ Hanuman pushed his stick even more.

The diamond shaped shield couldn’t push back against this. Lancelot’s remaining strength was running out. But she wasn’t losing mentally, the war god of the lance impudently grinned.

「Sun Wukong──you are different from that relative monkey of yours, you are intelligence huh!」

「Please don’t misunderstand. It’s because the legend of this humble one and King Rama, the anecdote of 『the guiding saint and the monkey companion』 was circulated in eastern countries, that the tale of such monkey-dono with single celled brain──that immature model was born. It can be said that he is a terribly distant relative of mine, but we have no direct connection.」

Perhaps there was something that he couldn’t yield as a serious and loyal vassal.

Hanuman was speaking with dissatisfaction which was unusual for him.

「I’m asking you to not compare Sun-dono with me too much.」

「Pardon me. At the dawn of my success in cutting my way through you, I will surely teach that to other people.」

「Aa──I say, that will be unnecessary.」

*BUN-!*

With brute strength, Hanuman swept his stick horizontally.

The shield was sent flying away from Lancelot’s left hand. It flew toward the empty air far away.

「I have not the slightest intention of letting you get away. If I let you go free, it will be unknown in what kind of form you will assist Kusanagi Godou. I will bring you down here with certainty.」

「Chih!」

The queen clicked her tongue, before her Hanuman called the wind.

*GOU!* Wind was groaning around the two war gods and began to rotate. The wind became a great vortex of air. It gave rise to──a tornado that was howling thunderously.

The white monkey midair and the goddess riding a horse, both sides were completely swallowed by the tornado!

「Farewell, god of lance. With this you have no path of escape.」

「Yeah. ……The same goes for you.」

「!?」

The impatience and bluff changed completely, into a warrior’s smile convinced of victory.

Witnessing the change in Lancelot, the white monkey god Hanuman was taken aback. The next instant, a howl that oppressed the growl of the rumbling tornado──resounded to the sky.

–

「Thus speaketh the lord. The sinful shall be met with justice.」

The air battle between the soaring Hanuman and the war god who was entrusted with role as decoy.

In order to seal the withdrawal of Lancelot du Lac, Hanuman produced a tornado high to the sky that was like a prison. It that timing, Godou’s words of power were chanted.

「The one unblunted and unapproachable, oath breaking sinners be purged by the iron hammer of justice! May spines be crushed, may bones be broken, tendons torn, hair, brains, and blood mingled and trampled together with the earth!」

*OOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooNNNNNNN-!*

From the burnt field ground that came to being from Arrow of Flame, a muscular huge beast flew out. It was the Boar that was twenty meter long.

The fifth incarnation of Verethragna that also ought to be called as Godou’s other self.

Without the black huge monster──leaped.

Aiming to high at the sky, it jumped using its whole body like spring. It was ascending steeply to the sky like a launched rocket.

It had became night unnoticed, the full moon was illuminating the ground with growing light.

The boar made a big leap as though flying toward that moon. The divine beast continued to climb steadily, and finally it growled in the air and charged into the tornado──

*OOOOOOOOooooooooNNNNNNNNN-!*

First, a howling voice containing ultrasonic waves negated the whirling of the tornado and dispersed it.

Furthermore the Boar’s large body didn’t stop its high speed steep climbing that was like a rocket, powerfully carrying the white monkey god of wind Hanuman to even higher height in the sky.

「NUOOOOOOH!」

The Boar was piercing Hanuman’s body with the two tusks on its nose.

Surely it wouldn’t become a lethal wound. The monkey who also excelled in supernatural power enlarged his own body and became a size that didn’t lose with the Boar’s large body.

「My father, wind god Vayu, please lend me the physical strength that can move even mountain!」

Hanuman yelled.

He wrung out all his physical power and flying power and attempted to push back the steep climb of the Boar. But, there Lancelot and her white horse charged.

The tip of the lance thrust into the forehead of the enlarged Hanuman!

「A knight’s gallop in full power and full speed──tonight we will gallop toward the stars, my friend!」

*NEEIIIIIIGHHHH-!*

*OOOOOOOOooooooooNNNNNNN-!*

The horse and the Boar responded to the command of the queen Lancelot. The three who served Kusanagi Godou poured all their magic power for flying and rising up.

The skewered body of Hanuman was pierced by fang and lance and rushing power, in order to grin him down!

Higher and higher──the gods and divine beasts were galloping to the night sky like a genuine rocket. When they reached super high altitude that likely crossed over the stratosphere, more than a hundred kilometer from the surface, it was then.

A conviction of 「Got him!」 welled up inside Godou’s heart.

His retainers had consigned the white god monkey Hanuman to oblivion. And the in order to confiscate his divine power, the mother Pandora should be rotating the Circle of Usurpation in the far beyond.

For a moment Godou’s shoulders became profoundly heavy.

Next power welled up through his whole body. It was the prize from murdering a god.

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