Campione 12

by Transient Holy Night

  Liliana saw a little boy around the age of five with his dad who were both smiling.

  The little boy was next to the Bunch of Heroe video game stations with an expression that was full of concentration as he pressed the buttons.

  Since they hardly come here, they should probably find something to play. Godou spoke and inquired:

  “Liliana, do you want to play something?”

  Because it was his counterpart’s first time at a video game center she roughly circled around the arcade first.

  There were crane games, many older and newer games, online games and card games that utilized a pretty large gaming platform, as well as a space for cosplay, etc.

  It was an awkward situation where she didn't know what to play first.

  “You are right…….Honestly speaking, I don’t have much interest in playing these things.”

  “Ah, as expected.”

  Godou nodded his head at Liliana’s open-heartedness. Her line of sight swept past all things game related, instead putting the emphasis on checking the arcade’s facilities and customers.

  Sure enough, this fictitious contrasting so-called lifestyle could only be found in the witches of a fantasy world.

  “Then, it’s about time that we go back. I apologize for forcing you to come here.”

  “Ah, no need to apologize. To be able to see a place a person like me wouldn’t normally visit alone gives me great satisfaction. Also, to say that I have no interest towards anything would be a lie.”

  Liliana cleared her throat with a cough. All of a sudden she moved her face close to Godou.

  “Please let me first confirm something.”

  “W-What is it?”

  The female knight’s serious face pressed closer towards his own. As a result, Godou became flustered.

  “Kusanagi Godou, can you keep a secret from other people? Especially from the one who claims to be my friend. If you can defend my secret even from that demon-like woman……then please come with me to that place.”

  Three minutes later, Godou proceeded to the second floor along with the gracefully walking Liliana.

  This floor contained crane games naturally arranged in at least ten different of categories. Liliana advanced towards the gaming station containing unusual fantasy animal dolls.

  "Buying a pair of dolls would of course be the fastest method right?"

  Liliana happily said this after just exchanging a one-hundred yen coin for the dolls in her hand.

  “However, I also feel that hunting them with my own hands is a good experience for me to have. After all, hunting is one of the many things that knights take pleasure in, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t you think it’s a little far-fetched to regard the doll grabbing games as a form of hunting?”

  “That’s nonsense. One has to personally follow their prey, using their own skill to execute the kill in order for the object to become theirs. You see, isn’t it essentially the same thing?”

  The stern female knight let out a rare smile.

  Godou controlled himself to not argue out his disagreement and spoke about another skepticism he had.

  “But, what is there to hide from Erica? Well it’s just a doll, isn’t it fine?”

  “No way! If she knows then that knight will keep saying over and over that Liliana Kranjcar has an arrangement of adorable dolls in her bedroom. I’m certain that woman will make a fool out of me. Could you allow this to happen?!”

  Godou let out an “oh” as he thought deeply about Liliana’s response.

  If even the extremely secretive novel writing was figured out by the other person, then this level of secrecy should have already been leaked from the very beginning---Well, it probably won’t make a difference even if this matter isn’t discussed.

  Even so, Liliana appeared to be indeed very joyful.

  She was facing video games that were unfamiliar to her and was struggling to obtain her target.

  Try and think about it. Arranging herbs, healthy foods, making desserts, knitting, etc., these are hobbies that girls usually liked and were completely proficient in.

  Even those that like velvet dolls and delicate things really don’t feel out of character.

  (If I were to bring her to play at a large-scale amusement park, it seems she would be even happier…..)

  Her stern appearance and atmosphere unwittingly faded away.

  At Godou’s side was the most “maiden-like” female, in reality isn’t it just Liliana?

  The novels were fine, the impression just then was fine, but it really felt like something was strange----.

  In the end, under Godou’s assistance she obtained five dolls.

  The two of them left the gaming center. The surrounding area was already dark, having completely entered nighttime.

  “Well, it should be time to go back right?”

  “Yeah, the timing was perfect.”

  Godou and Liliana both nodded their heads and started to walk on the path leading towards the bus station.

  Honestly speaking, there was also the thought of continuing together with her to go someplace to eat dinner. Furthermore, he thought about gradually increasing his relationship with Liliana. However….

  Inviting a girl to eat alone together would be an excessively difficult crisis for Kusanagi Godou.

  As a result, during the time they were silently walking--

  “After receiving the prizes…….? Did some sort of divine presence pass us?”

  Liliana’s footsteps suddenly stopped.

  Due to the hunting results, the feelings of the girl who was both a knight and a witch changed to that of extreme delight. Her face was getting clearer and clearer while her eyes were staring at the vastness of the sky. Could it be that she had a vision of the apocalypse?

  After Godou marveled over this, the sensible gaze of Liliana was restored.

  “Did you see anything?”

  “Yes. Please let me verify a point. Right now do you feel the presence of a god?”

  “No, none at all.”

  Campiones and gods are old enemies who are mutually aware of each other’s existences. Although it isn’t as if it wouldn’t work if they weren’t close to each other, if they were near a heretic god then a godslayers body and mind would be brimming with the power to fight.

  “Does this mean a god has come here?”

  “I don’t think so. However, it appears that we aroused the existence of a strange presence nearby.”

  An ominous matter was heard.

  Where can a suspicious monster exist within this vicinity? Godou looked all around.

  It was Christmas Eve, the streets were starting to become active but it also felt like something was unstable at the same time. This area near Ueno’s bus stop had a lot of people coming through here so it was pretty noisy-- --what?

  A portion of the people who were walking along the sidewalk looked like they were astonished at something.

  They were gesturing, talking, and whispering to one another while squeezed together around the display case of a small department store.

  Godou used an eye signal and Liliana responded by nodding her head. The two of them closed in towards that direction. They quickly understood the reason for the disturbance. This was because there were two young girls that were loudly talking.

  “It really happened in a split second! Just a moment ago, the figure of an ordinary Santa Claus changed to ‘that’ thing in a flash!”

  “Eh, you are kidding right? Wasn’t it like ‘that’ from the start?!”

  “Of course not! You better look closely!”

  They were standing in front of a large toy store. After cramming himself up towards the display window, Godou was totally in shock. What was there really was a substitute devoid of any beauty.

  Presently, Santa Claus could be considered a scene from Christmas.

  He was a jolly old man with white hair and a white beard who wore a distinctive red outfit.

  Because this wa
s a toy shop, the display window had a variety of Santa Claus figures placed behind it in order to raise the Christmas atmosphere in the streets.

  For the figure of Santa Claus that Godou was looking at, the entire body was gray.

  The red clothing was gray. The skin, white hair and beard were all gray. The bag over his shoulders was also gray. It made people feel that they were watching a black and white T.V., it was all in one color of gray.

  “A gray Santa Claus…….? No taste at all.”

  No matter how much you decorated it, there was no way to recover the essence of Christmas right?

  However, she just said “it changed like this in a flash”?

  “……Kusanagi Godou. It appears that something strange has happened.” Said Liliana as she opened her eyes which had been closed. She seemed to have used clairvoyance with the ‘Witch’s Eye’.

  “At this plaza in front of the station, all the Santa Claus……figurines, pictures, and even the people in Santa Clause outfits all turned gray.”

  “Are you saying that regardless of what color it is, they will all turn into the same color as this object?”

  “Precisely. This change carries some significance----however it is difficult to believe. But no matter what it is, every Santa Claus really did turn gray.”

  Liliana had a perplexed tone while giving her report.

  Godou tried to circle around the nearby area looking for any red Santa Clauses.

  But not even one was found.

  The drawing of Santa Claus on the poster was also gray.

  The Santa Clause doll decoration within the store turned gray as well.

  Furthermore, this kind of color change even affects the cosplay of Santa Clause for the young customers. In this situation, only the clothing changed colors though.

  Around twenty percent of the magnificence was lost in the composition-- --it just gave people this kind of feeling.

  Furthermore, in the streets that were already overflowing with the ‘grayified’ old philanthropists, the people who passed by were bewildered and dumbfounded.

  After returning to Liliana, Godou quickly said:

  “Was this strange phenomenon caused by the guy Liliana mentioned just a moment ago?”

  “It seems that thinking of it like that shouldn’t be wrong………this sort of thing is simply a prank. It’s hard to understand why someone would do such a thing.”

  In front of the knight who seemed to be puzzling over this, Godou held his arm.

  He could not remember what he scheduled before Christmas and now a small scale strange event has occurred.

  In comparison to a Campione who has been always battling gods, no matter how you look at it, this was entirely a small scale event.

  Although generally speaking, all of this was incomprehensible. However, looking at this situation, one point that was certain was this will be a troublesome matter.

  Chapter 2 - Pursuing the Gray Mystery

  Part 1

  “Well, because the harmful effect turned all the Santa Clauses in the area grey, many people are still suffering from these disturbances.”

  The explanation was carried out in a composed manner from an old acquaintance.

  It was Amakasu Touma from the History Compilation Committee. He was a young gentleman wearing a suit full of creases.

  Their destination was located at the Nanao Shrine within the high grounds of Toranomon, just within the borders of the shrine to be exact. This was the shrine where Mariya Yuri was devoted to performing her duties as a hime-miko. She was accompanying Amakasu at his side.

  “Those who bought a Santa Claus mini-skirt costume for this special occasion have no choice but to buy another one. The promotional items specially printed with Santa Claus art must now be reprinted. The Santa Claus illustrations that the children personally drew from the bottom of their hearts and were looking forward to gift have now been ruined by a bad mix of colors. Things like these were numerous. However,”

  Even if the situation was the same as before, at a glance, Amakasu was clearly giving them a type of dejected appearance.

  But this time, Godou was naturally able to understand why.

  He really believes the situation is harmless.

  Yesterday, Godou witnessed the strange phenomenon where a Santa Claus costume turned into a grey color. After school was over, Godou paid a visit to the Nanao Shrine. Just when he was about to inquire with Yuri about this matter, Amakasu showed up to explain the circumstances. But while Amakasu was talking about the strange situation, his mood was more relaxed than usual.

  “Although it is a strange event, it is only so in this manner. It shouldn’t be a god stirring up trouble. Therefore, this inconvenience doesn’t have nearly enough significance for the necessity of a dignified Campione-sama right?”

  “Since it would be Kusanagi-san’s actions, it might instead cause the strange phenomenon to go a step further and expand.”

  The person who cautiously stated this was Yuri. This was the History Compilation Committee’s suggestion — — no, this was exactly what they hoped for presumably. They are requesting him to not get involved, obediently staying put.

  A devil king Campione is a prestigious being who would cause the break out of a fire setting everything in flames.

  Who was the person that said this phrase before? Godou pondered on this indistinct memory while feeling this sort of prejudice against him was unfair. I’m obviously different compared to those other guys — —.

  “However, isn't it actually the breakout of an event?”

  Putting those troubles aside for now, Godou complained in the following manner.

  “Yeah. It wasn’t just the lone occurrence witnessed by Kusanagi-san in Ueno. Within these past four - five days, this incident has already happened more than ten times. The locations of these incidents include Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Otemachi, Ginza, Shin-Okubo, Ebisu, Sangenjaya...... well, there are other various spots too.”

  “They are all places where there is a large flow of people......”

  “Indeed. Some speculations can be established for this incident. But the facts are basically what I have stated. I feel they are about right.”

  “Hey, that’s pretty impressive. Why is this happening though?”

  Godou felt admiration towards the capable Amakasu’s special agent-like rhetoric.

  However, he instantly let out a ‘hmm?’ feeling puzzled.

  “I’m afraid this is some sort of retaliation. This hatred towards Santa Claus evolved from an unwelcomed class of people who are administering revenge against those who have attained happiness and fulfillment! Hating Christmas......as a result, they attempt to destroy the symbolic Santa Claus figure where everyone can see! Something along those lines.”

  “Sorry, but the explanation you just gave contain some ambiguous terms.”

  “I agree. Whom does the so-called ‘unwelcomed class of people’ refer to?”

  After Godou finished speaking, even Yuri, who spoke and conducted everything with caution, raised a question.

  Amakasu had this bad habit of unscrupulously using insider terminology.

  “No, just hear me out. During Christmas there are numerous lovers who appear to be brimming with happiness right? Among the people who see this sight, those unwelcomed wizard related bastards will be enraged and be unable to resist——what an unimaginable reality that would be.”

  Godou conjured a wry smile and once again inquired from Amakasu after his explanation.

  “Can you really solely change the color of Santa Claus using magic and such?”

  “This foolish matter of people delving into those kinds of dreary magic types, forgive me I have never heard of such a thing. In contrary to what one might expect, this is a high possibility. However, well......”

  Amakasu momentarily paused at this point during his explanation.

  “Even the witch Liliana-san — — even with her keen senses she couldn't detect the aura of the typ
e of magic that was used. She was only able to attain bits and pieces.”

  Amakasu elaborated when facing techniques with large scale effects it is comparatively easier to detect.

  “There probably exists a user conducting some very clever concealment tactics. Although, I can’t figure out why someone would pull this kind of idiotic prank and carry it out to this extent.”

  “A prank......?”

  “I can’t say for sure but the criminal might also be taking this very seriously. However if we simply look at this strange phenomenon, it's really quite insignificant. This is something that can be cleared up as soon as we send out Committee members to investigate. Since this case must be handled before Christmas, my side will do everything it can to figure out a solution.”

  Amakasu ensured Godou would stay out of the way by using a nonchalant way of speaking to decline him.

  After leaving the Nanao Shrine, the color of the sky had already turned into complete darkness. Godou got on a tram at the Toranomon station, but not for the sake of going home. He got off the bus at Ginza route’s Ueno station to return to the street he went to yesterday.

  It was December, the end of the year. The streets were filled with a busy atmosphere.

  However, during this time period the one big event the high school students were worried about, the final exams, had already finished. Every year there would be final exams held during late December.

  As a result, Godou was able to stroll the streets worry-free every night.

  “Why would they care so much......”

  Godou muttered while walking in front of Ueno station.

  These streets were bustling with activity. There were the office workers returning from work, students, young people dressed in casual etc., in short the amount people outside were numerous. The night had just begun. This time of the day served as the dividing line for the commencement of formal nighttime activities.

  Although it was already evening, the surrounding area was exceptionally bright.

  There were street lights, store lighting, bright billboards, the headlights from the cars traveling along the road, etc. Thanks to all the illumination, a person could easily survey this street. Well, Campiones have remarkable night vision capabilities so regardless of whether or not it was completely dark around him, there would be no inconveniences, even if the only illumination source was from the evening starlight.