Although he wanted to try his best to collect more information, there just wasn’t much time left.
After leaving the place, Godou planned on heading towards the Crown of Saturnalia’s original whereabouts. There was only a few hours left till the day of the winter solstice. It would be best to take action as soon as possible.
"——!? I-I won’t be able to help you, my utmost apologies! For atonement, in our faction we would be branded, but in Japan you actually have to cut off a finger right!?"
"The idea of doing either of them never even crossed my mind!"
Godou wanted to help up the host who was holding his knees while kneeling in a kowtow position.
Just when he was about to do that, a lively melody was emitted from the phone due to an incoming call. As a result, the host revealed a joyous expression. Godou appeared to have wanted to take the phone away from him as he picked it up.
"Is this Yinghua!?"
‘Oh, the voice of Esteemed Uncle. You being safe is all that matters......’
Lu Yinghua's voice rarely sounded so languish across the phone.
'No, I never would’ve thought that I had already been with my master for over ten days. I was stuck with a pile of chores and practice over here. Although I wanted to go back, there was no way I could have. Just now I had to go through a lot of trouble to deceive master and run towards a village with a phone......'
"Compared to this Yinghua, the email that mentioned something being revived on the day of the winter solstice, were you the sender?"
Godou interrupted the virtuous nephew.
'Yeah, about that situation, from the fragments master recalled, I was able to pry out some trouble. That’s why I sent out a high urgency report.'
So it was like that. Godou understood. Be that as it may, from the anxious tone of that email, there was the fear that he had to comply with his master’s commands, hence leading to an urgency of time. Since Godou repeatedly warned him to use the least rule breaking method, he probably adopted this form of intelligence gathering.
"The one being revived was actually referring to the deity Saturnus?"
'Yes. It is said that in ancient Rome between the dates December 17th and December 24th, a grand festival for Saturnus would take place during that week. During this festival, the people would endlessly feast in joy and carouse. Of course, the calendar was different back then.'
Godou did not understand Lu Yinghua's explanation.
"Well, how can you be so sure that Saturnus will be revived during the time of the winter solstice?"
'From what master said, no matter what calendar you use, it will definitely be on the day of the winter solstice. I’ve completely forgotten the reason why and it seems master will not say anymore on the matter.'
After Lu Yinghua used a careless tone to explain, he asked:
'However, why does Esteemed Uncle care about this matter? If it was Esteemed Uncle getting involved, then the sealing of the bizarre divine artifact would’ve taken place a long time ago. With that, the problem should be over with right? I believed this is definitely the case so I only informed you on what would occur on that day.'
That was typical of Lu Yinghua. He understood Godou's preferred method of battle very clearly.
Although he was cautious during the prelude to battle, once the battle commenced he had the advantage of immediately engaging in a blitzkrieg attack. Correct, if it was the habitual Godou, he would have faced off against the Crown of Saturnalia ages ago.
"No, this situation has become a bit more complicated......"
Godou briefly mentioned the matter regarding the Grey One's curse. After hearing about it, Lu Yinghua reflected on it for a bit and then unhurriedly began to speak.
'The ancient festival of Saturnus appeared to be an uncanny game. Switching identities......slaves and their masters would swap positions and such.'
"Switching......"
'Yes, the slaves would issue out commands and the master would have to comply during this shambled state of merriment for seven days and seven nights.'
Slaves becoming masters, masters becoming slaves.
"T-The curse this grey bastard casted on me is——"
'My belief is that it was the one I mentioned. Isn’t its purpose just to recreate the power from that game for Esteemed Uncle and the onee-sans? Furthermore, the curse will also restrict the companions at your side. It just seems like he is toying with Esteemed Uncle’s memories regarding his own status.'
"I knew something about that curse was strange. I never would’ve thought there existed that sort of backstory......"
'Actually, I heard that 150 years ago a terrifying, chaotic event occurred at the grounds which Saturnus made his descent. The people living in the city where he resided completely forgot about all the various boundaries in their life and went partying merrily. Families were not in the least concerned, work and obligations were ignored, morals and a sense of shame were all forgotten, the heart and soul were preoccupied with merriment, frenzy, drinking and chanting, forever on a singing and dancing binge.'
"Forever!?"
'Indeed. If it was edible then it was all gobbled up. Even muddy water and horse manure would suffice. Assuming the body was exhausted to the point where you couldn’t even move, there would be spastic movements as you continued to dance to the last breath.'
This was probably a scene in which his sworn elder sister Luo Cuilian had witnessed before.
Imagining that scene that could only be described as a disturbing feast of madness, Godou was left breathless.
'If you do not vanquish Saturnus, everyone’s behavior will stay like that till their death——this was what master told me.'
"Since he is the festival god of bountiful harvests, I thought he wouldn’t undertake something as heinous as this......"
'The curse Esteemed Uncle and the others were ensnared in seems to be a weakened version.'
As expected of a heretic god. Godou felt immediate actions were necessary.
Regardless of what the original deity's traits were, he triggered a disaster, meaning the trait of provoking disasters was certainly fulfilled. It was necessary to urgently check the situation with the emblem.
If only heretic Saturnus were to initiate some sort of peaceful conduct.
However, if things do not turn out like that then——
'Goodluck on your battle, Esteemed Uncle.'
Lu Yinghua spoke as if he could read Godou's mind.
'This is all I can do from Lushan. No, if I were to go over there and get inflicted by Saturnus's curse, then I probably won't end up as your comrade anymore. However, perhaps there is a way.'
"Hey hey. I'm definitely not as aggressive as Nee-san ok?"
'What the heck are you saying? You are the devil king-sama who defeated a god. For Esteemed Uncle's group, this isn't about a difference between strong or weak, instead it is about winning or losing isn't it!?'
Lu Yinghua cheerfully smiled at Godou's complaints.
'Plus if the enemy is crazed enough, Esteemed Uncle will also have the freedom to be as violent as he wants. Well, it will probably be an even match!'
Perhaps the one who was more knowledgeable about Campiones was this disciple of a devil king. Godou scratched his head in contemplation and then made up his mind.
Even though this time he didn't have anyone to fight alongside him, up until this day he always had assistance in all aspects of life. Only in this case was he unable to rely on the girls. However, even with that, if he didn't do anything——.
Godou unknowingly began to smile. The corners of his mouth took on a sinister form.
If you ask why, it is probably because the power restriction was negated. Thus, he could go at it with his full strength. He could finally rid himself of this issue imposed by the enemy which inexplicably caused him aggravation.
Needless to say, this was definitely not the resentment a pacifist should have.
Chapter 6 - Saturnus Revived
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br /> Part 1
Once he left the business office in Kabukicho, Godou got on a car and embarked towards the Kasai district.
He requested the Lu family for their assistance. Well, since they seemed to have determined that he was a being similar to the cult leader, just one glance at him would give them an understanding of his intentions.
However, this occurred after he, whom people would regard as someone they should distance themselves from as much as possible, lowered his head and carefully made his request. Despite doing so, the other party was still in a constant state of panic.
In short, after ten minutes had passed, a company van, belonging to Hong Kong's Lu family, drove along the shoreline on the coastal route to send Godou to his destination. However, the actual destination was in Tokyo Bay.
Godou intended to draw support from the power of the History Compilation Committee after arriving at Kasai.
"Wow! What is that!?"
Sitting in the driver's seat, the host exclaimed as such.
His line of sight was directed towards the ocean. He was distracted while driving, but there was a reasonable explanation for this. Tokyo Bay was radiating with splendor this evening.
There were several hundreds, no, several thousands of these tiny little light blue flames——.
The constantly swaying flames floated in the sky overlooking Tokyo Bay.
Although the Tokyo Bay route was a selling point during the night, they wouldn’t install those kinds of lighting.
"They are simply wisps of fire, or it’s probably fishing boat lights......"
Godou muttered from within the van as he gazed towards the sea.
He was still unable to sense a deity’s aura. The deity’s power was also undetected during the battle. However, he firmly held onto his belief.
He feared that the Grey One and the divine sprout were nearby the coast.
Glancing at the clock within the car, right now it was December 21st, 22:20.
It was hard to imagine what these deity related beings were planning to carry out during the early hours of the next day. However, the idea that there was no room for hesitation was probably undeniable.
"May I get off here? I'll head in by myself."
Godou made this request to the host sitting on the driver's side.
Godou rushed through Kasai Rinkai Park to reach his objective, the countless wisps of fire and the sea.
Even though the situation turned out this way, a location that was not only large but devoid of people at this late hour was optimal. He didn’t have to worry about causing havoc——well, maybe not.
"Looks like it will turn out just like before......"
Godou muttered as if he was scolding himself.
Even so, Godou was aware that his own state of mind wasn't stable. He had always felt that he understood the reason why. Ever since he became a Campione, he continuously battled against different opponents alongside other people.
However, tonight was the first time Godou was going to battle solo.
Well——. No matter what battle he faced, the person to rely on should be himself. He also believed that his companions were dependable. However, a person who couldn’t battle single-handedly would be unable to achieve victory in very dangerous situations.
For this reason he didn't mind battling independently.
None of his usual friends were present today. He won't deny that because of this, he has this empty feeling inside. Furthermore, he also couldn't deny that he had this impatient mood towards the culprit who caused this situation......
Godou did some fruitless soul searching as he rushed towards the wisps of flames.
Godou disregarded what was considered Japan's largest Ferris wheel and ran past the jogging trail into a vast field. This wasn’t even his maximum running speed as he chose to move at a slow jogging pace.
Afterwards, just when the man-made shoreline that was illuminated by the countless flame wisps came into view......
'Seems you’ve finally woken young godslayer, Kusanagi Godou!'
A human figure was currently heading towards him from the sea.
It was the Grey One, who was either the willpower of the divine artifact, Crown of Saturnalia, or a guardian spirit.
"You aren’t going to stay silent or commit suicide again are you?"
Hearing the Grey One speak, Godou replied in a quiet tone.
That was comparing it to what he imagined to be a tone filled with anger.
‘Under these conditions with you, who is now filled with a godslayer's will to battle, it will probably be impossible to buy any more time. However, there’s still a few hours till the winter solstice......you shall see later since no matter what I will hold out till then.'
The voice that leaked out of the grey sailcloth was brimming with the willpower of a challenger.
'I have prepared for people of the earth, a revival mechanism that will enable the god of bountiful harvests to awaken. For the power necessary to accomplish this awakening, I shall put forth my remaining divinity.'
Following that, the Grey One's body began emitting a strong incantation.
If we were to compare this to Godou or a heretic god, of course it would be considered very weak. However, it did surpass the strength of divine beasts.
'This holy date——with the date of the winter solstice approaching, my divine power also surges. Furthermore, it is combined with this city's population's spirit energy and life force!'
Hovering over Tokyo Bay were the numerous light blue colored flame wisps. These flames suddenly started to move, increased in speed, and rapidly descended. Following that, the flames collide into the Grey One's back and were absorbed.
The devil-like light illuminating the Kasai coast vanished without a trace. Facing towards him, the Grey One's magic power strengthened.
For a Campione such as Godou, the difference between their power was still very distant.
However, in comparison to just a moment ago, the Grey One approximately doubled his strength.
'I always have to assemble some sort of boring disturbance in a city. Now I'm in a predicament since you were tangled up in it......Well, there could be some value to this.'
Does he mean the greyification of the Santa Clauses? Thinking about this matter made Godou frown.
"Oh that? You divine beings seem to all inadvertently cause paranormal activities. You unwittingly let the world descend into chaos. What a mess!"
'Your followers probably mentioned this before. In the past I served under a deity.’
The Grey One appeared to be exultant as he laughed aloud. Speaking of which, Yuri originally perceived him as a divine spirit. Perhaps due to the loss of flesh, this was tragic fate of this deity's soul.
'If you mean a strange phenomenon on that scale, it could be evoked once again——No, it has already begun. Bear witness to the greatest miracle this lackluster god will bring about!'
Immediately afterwards, the bird shape emblem suddenly appeared in the skies overlooking the Grey One's position.
That of course was the Crown of Saturnalia. The emblem continued its ascension.
"After being on the sea, it went airborne!"
Godou exclaimed while looking up at the emblem which suddenly ascended rapidly.
What appeared to be an enormous parasitic tree emerged from the fields of the park. The incarnation of the 1000 year old divine tree grew at the same rapid pace as it did in the past.
The tree was still as large and stately as it was before.
"This guy will turn into a heretic god!?"
'Correct. Once the night is over, the grand festival will unfold. When the time arrives, my new sprout will be ready and ultimately grow into the real Saturnus! Pay attention carefully!'
Godou could sense it. The magical power residing within the divine tree was gradually increasing!
Once the divine tree's magic power reaches its peak it will probably become a heretic god. Looks like peaceful consulting was out o
f the question.
Usually Godou, who was in a bad mood, would call out the Boar to attack.
However, he already tried this maneuver before. If he does that the divine tree will probably just respawn again. What should I do? Which incarnation would be the right choice?
As Godou was contemplating this over, countless flower buds appeared on the divine tree's branches.
They emerged from the innumerable amounts of leaves on the thousand year old tree. On the branches, this myriad of flower buds began to germinate. In addition, these flower buds all bloomed into white flowers.
Not only that, but within a short amount of time, these flowers all wilted and produced a black fruit.
Just like that a slew of black colored fruits emerged on the branches of the divine tree.
Moreover, the shape of these fruits were abnormally frightening. They had approximately a one meter diameter spherical body and in the middle was a slit, sort of like the mouth of an animal.
Rustle........Rustle........Rustle........
Rustle........Rustle........Rustle........
The evening breeze shook the divine tree's branches, making its leaves rub against each other. An atypical, ear piercing sound was produced by the astonishingly large divine tree .
The fruits were ferociously barking like a wild beast, probably proclaiming its battle spirit towards Kusanagi Godou.
——His Campione instincts warned him that these fruits were probably very dangerous objects. But how should he defend? Were there any incarnations of Verethragna that could counter this kind of object!?
Just when he naturally shook his head......
"Do not worry Your Majesty. Even though it looks dire, Ena will find a way!"
Godou suddenly heard a familiar and lively voice. He looked back to see the Hime-Miko of the Sword closing in on him wearing her usual uniform——that person was Seishuuin Ena.
Part 2
"You’re here Seishuuin!?"
"Yup, I requested them to hurriedly send Ena from Chichibu to Tokyo."
Contrary to her title, the boldly smiling Ena didn't bring her sword today.
"Ena thought as long as she went directly to the location in Tokyo where the strange phenomenon was happening, she would definitely be able to meet Your Majesty. Hehe, Ena was very enthusiastic to come and assist Your Majesty!"
Campione 12 Page 18
