The tornado that could even blow the [Boar] into the air, capture it, and raise it to the sky.
Flying towards the center, the [Raptor] remained in control.
Not only was it not caught in the wind, it was flying in the reverse direction of the tornado's spin. Under some unknown principles, the [Raptor]'s high speed flying caused the tornado to gradually slow down.
This was too ridiculous. Godou felt fear as he stood lifeless, rooted to the ground.
In an instant, the tornado vanished.
However, appearing beside the [Raptor] was an object—the golden sword.
Giant golden steel, a massive blade just as large as the [Raptor]'s wingspan, it was a double-bladed sword.
This [Sword] floated in midair, facing off against the [Raptor], as if held in a stance by an invisible giant warrior, it was a most peculiar sight.
"As expected... That deity can change his form according to the situation. The war god possessing numerous incarnations is...!"
At some point in time, Erica had come to Godou's side.
The two of them no longer had the strength to run, and could only watch the battle between the [Raptor] and the [Sword].
With speed that was almost too fast to be seen, the [Raptor] flying in the air.
Every time wind blew like a sonic wave, the ground was made a mess. It had not yet reached the speed of sound, but it was still very fast.
Even so, the [Sword] still held the advantage.
Faced with the super-fast opponent, it was leisurely dancing in the air with elegance, continually making slashing attacks.
The skillful swordsmanship landed blows upon the circling [Raptor].
With every successful slash, golden feathers danced in the air as fresh blood stained the ground red.
The decisive moment of the battle finally arrived.
The golden blade made a deep cut on the giant body of the [Raptor], chopping it into two.
And then, the split body of the bird of prey turned into particles like sand and began to crumble. These particles were then absorbed by the blade of the [Sword].
However, this was not the end.
The golden [Sword] then pierced the goat that had fallen on the ground.
With the final blow—it should be described that way, the powerless giant beast lying on the ground had its neck pierced, it was an unhesitating finishing blow.
And so the [Goat]'s giant body also turned into particles of light, and were absorbed by the [Sword].
Somehow the rain had stopped, and the wind and thunder had vanished.
As the sun's rays reached the ground, the golden [Sword] suddenly vanished without trace.
Leaving behind Dorgali, ravaged by divine might, as well as the speechless Godou and Erica who was watching the sky with a very complicated expression.
Chapter 5 - I, Have Long Sought Defeat
Part 1
Ancient ruins and a beautiful ocean. These were known as Sardinia's most important tourist attractions.
All over the island were a total of over seven thousand stone edifices—Nuraghes.
The civilization that built these dated back to roughly the fifteenth century BCE. At that time, the people living on the island of Sardinia gathered around the nuraghes to build their settlements and lived there.
Then came the period of early history with the arrival of the Phoenicians.
They first made contact with the island as seafaring merchants. Finally in the year 509 BCE, the entire island of Sardinia came under the rule of the Phoenician city of Tharros.
Then the Romans came.
Under the rule of the Roman Republic and then the Empire, the Romans rebuilt the streets constructed by the Phoenicians, making it their own residence.
This was why Roman and Phoenician ruins existed side by side on the island of Sardinia.
The current location was now the province of Oristano, on the west of the island where there was an abundance of ancient ruins.
In order to open sea routes to reach the western coastline, the Phoenicians had established cities at Aristanis and Tharros.
—Especially Tharros.
These ruins were located on a headland protruding from the peninsula. Though half of it had sunk into the sea, it was still preserved till modern times.
It was a city built by the Phoenicians of Tyre—the people whose divine protector was Melqart.
"Melqart and his primary identity Baal were deities intimately related to Phoenician culture and customs. Have you heard of Hannibal?"
"The name of the movie? Or you mean the general who marched into Rome?"
This was the provincial capital of Oristano on the west of the island.
Like Nuoro it was a well-developed city, but closer to the sea. The wind carried the taste of seawater. Perhaps due to that, the air felt very free and open here.
It was inside a certain pizza shop in the city.
Seated at the open air tables, Erica and Godou were eating. Now that he thought about it, this was the first time for Godou to eat pizza in Italy.
This was Roman crispy and thin-crusted style rather than the rumored Neopolitan thick-crusted style.
"Of course, Hannibal means 'beloved son of Baal' while his father's name, Hamilcar... That one is 'Melqart's servant.' Both were very typical Phoenician names."
"...So, is this why we came here?"
The next day after encountering the giant beasts at Dorgali, the two of them had set off for this little town.
First they returned to Cagliari in the south, and then traveled west taking the car hired by Erica, arriving at Oristano after about two hours.
Erica had mentioned, the ruins of Tharros was approximately twenty kilometers away from the town.
The ruins of the foundation laid by Phoenicians, later enhanced by the Romans with aqueducts and other city functions, was now just a deserted tourist attraction.
"So, about that god with the golden sword, is there any problem? And the other guy—the fellow who claimed amnesia and disappeared, is it fine to let him be?"
"It doesn't matter anymore, I've pretty much solved the riddle."
Erica's response made Godou very anxious.
To Godou, rather than what they were doing, he wanted to learn more about the [Sword] god he saw yesterday.
The god that had defeated the giant beasts all over the island, the god that seemed closely linked to the youth. But Erica appeared to have completely lost interest in that god.
"Currently, the incarnations causing havoc all over the island belong to the sword god, right? That should be the most dangerous, which is why preparations should be made against them first."
"Even if the incarnations of the sword god appear, at most there will be one or two, and they will be defeated as soon as they show up. Which is why it is more efficient to track down the missing Melqart... Besides, I think I have a good idea of the identity of the sword god."
Erica's answer made Godou surprised, when did she investigate to such detail?
"You're amazing... Even though I didn't see you investigate, how did you find out?"
"Because I already spent a lot of effort finding out yesterday, it's probably a deity from around Persia or India... It feels more like a Persian god, because there was something like a hawk or an eagle."
Sitting in the open air, Erica spoke as she looked bored.
"But for you to say those monsters will be instantly defeated, isn't that judgment too early to make?"
"No problem. Even though the incarnations know they will be vanquished, they are still compelled to follow the principal body—So, end of discussion. I need to contact the local association and it will take some time. Do you understand?"
"Local? ...That's right, the secret associations between magi."
Godou was puzzled by the term association, but immediately recalled.
"Correct, this is the closest town to the Tharros ruins, so the chance of getting information is highest."
"C
ould it be, there's a god in those ruins?"
"That shouldn't happen. [Heretic Gods] usually avoid people, it is rare for them to stay in tourist spots. However, ancient holy lands and temples do hold some attraction for them. If the gods are near, the local mage associations should have noticed."
After this conversation, Erica left the pizza shop first.
When Godou suggested to make a phone call inquiry first, Erica explained that it was very impolite to make direct requests to local magi without meeting face to face.
It looked like there were all sorts of rules in the world of magi.
After that, Godou took a stroll in town to kill time.
Thinking carefully, it's been a while since he did something like a tourist, but there was no feeling of happiness. He had been meeting gods all along, and was now chasing after them.
—When Erica returned, the sun was already setting.
Without deciding on a time and place to meet up, she suddenly appeared out of nowhere, probably using that person finding magic she mentioned the day before.
"Coming here was right."
Those were Erica's first words.
"—Though it's not clear whether it's Melqart or the sword god, a [Heretic God] definitely descended near here. The local magi sensed the divine presence and are now panicking. Since I came here as a scout, I was able to obtain a lot of information."
"A god is coming again..."
Completely unable to hide his nervous tension, Godou's reaction made Erica show an expression that was hard to describe.
If you have something to say, just say it directly. This wasn't like her usual expression.
"What is it? You have some kind of worry?"
"Godou, may I ask... You're not going back to Japan?"
"Ah?" To the sudden question, Godou was taken aback. Up until now, weren't you the one who insisted on dragging me along, this ordinary Japanese?
"It's already come to this, like a patient in advanced stages of the disease, how can I just quit in the middle?"
He was certain he would regret it if he returned to Japan without seeing things to the end. Angry that he had lost sight of the youth again yesterday, Godou replied immediately:
"At least, without confirming the status of that guy, I do not plan to return."
"That guy—must be the boy, right? Even if you obsess over him, I don't think it will end well."
"...Not only the god, you even know about that guy?"
Erica answered the question with the same subtle expression just now.
In other words, she knew but did not wish to reveal the answer. This pessimism was unlike her.
"I know, but it's completely different from my initial expectations. But I think I understand the gist of it. I was worried it might come as blow to you, so I haven't told you."
Seeing Erica's expression, Godou realized he made a huge error.
He always thought she was an arrogant and self-centered narcissist, but she turned out to pay more attention to details than he imagined, and also had a thoughtful side to her.
Perhaps the reason why Erica didn't want to say more, was in consideration for Godou.
Realizing that, Godou fell silent.
...Thinking back, this was perhaps the earliest instant when the distance shrank between Kusanagi Godou and Erica Blandelli.
"However, personally, I have no opinion as long as the [Secret Tome of Prometheus] is here. Whether you carry it and tag along or give it to me and return to Japan, it doesn't matter to me. So if you are afraid, please return to your homeland, I won't stop you."
Perhaps Erica also noticed herself the sense of dissonance stemming from her concern for Godou.
Her attitude became stiff and she spoke rapidly.
Seeing such a reaction from her, Godou felt like laughing for the first time, so he immediately answered.
"Then it's decided. I will follow you to the end. Even if you say no, I will follow you, and probably bring you lots of trouble. Is that fine?"
"—Not fine, but whatever. From now on, you will continue to be responsible for my luggage. Be prepared!"
Seeing Erica act a little embarrassed, Godou nodded.
Thinking carefully, he had already spent three days traveling with her. It was pretty much time to make peace.
"Let me make this clear, all I need is this grimoire, don't misunderstand. To be honest, it's not like I need you at all. Understood?"
"Understood, carved into my heart."
Regarding the words mentioned by the youth about the [Secret Tome of Prometheus], all of it was reported completely.
After that, Erica carefully examined the grimoire dating from the era of the gods, manipulating it in various ways, but could only give up in the end. She still couldn't figure out how to use it.
The youth who could easily solve this problem that stumped the genius witch, who on earth could he be?
Part 2
The faint light of the setting sun had become true darkness.
With Erica in the lead, and Godou following behind, the two of them were advancing in a dark forest.
"Wait up, it's so dark I can't even see beneath my feet, go slightly slower!"
"How useless. Such poor night vision, you didn't train enough?"
"Ordinary people do not have that kind of training! Don't use your set of rules to view the world!"
Advancing as they talked, the only sources of light were the stars in the sky and the moonlight in the dark night.
A forest at night which could not provide any artificial lighting.
With only a flashlight in one hand, Godou walked with difficulty, while Erica moved quickly and nimbly in contrast.
Without relying on artificial lighting, advancing swiftly into the depths of the forest, she could see in the dark as well as if it were day.
Taking a taxi north from Oristano, it took roughly an hour or so.
The Nuraghe sa Bastia was situated in a vast forest nearby.
There were the remains of many poorly preserved nuraghes and settlements. Though the area also contained a number of well-preserved specimens, but from the perspective of tourists, this place was not popular.
However, in spite of that—
Before the sun had completely set, the majestic forms of the nuraghes made for excellent scenery.
Green thriving forests, and ancient towers standing tall.
Nuraghes were comparatively tall structures on this island, towering enough to look down upon the tops of the tall trees. Even from outside the forest, one could catch glimpses of the structures skillfully built with stone.
"...But aren't these nuraghes built by the civilization before the Phoenicians arrived? Whether Melqart or the sword god, why would they hide here?"
"Perhaps attracted by the spiritual presence of the sacred land."
On the way, Erica replied to the question Godou asked due to boredom.
"The presence of nuraghes indicates the remains of an ancient settlement. These settlements were even more sacred than temples or tombs. Attracted by the spiritual presence of the land, there are often cases where [Heretic Gods] intrude upon the residences of unrelated gods."
"In other words, living in another god's territory was more comfortable than their own?"
As they chatted like this, they finally entered the area around the nuraghe.
An empty field in the depths of the forest, it looked like a plaza with great visibility.
Though obscured by the spreading weeds, the remnants of all sorts of stone crafted structures could be seen.
Now that it's mentioned, nuraghes also had rooms and staircases.
This civilization peaked at around the tenth century BCE.
At the time, it is incredible to think such large scale construction could be undertaken in such sparsely populated areas. Godou felt that on some level, this represented advanced techniques beyond modern construction technology. With his only light source being the bit of light from the flashlight in his ha
nd, the feeling of regret was especially intensified.
At that moment, Godou suddenly felt a strong sense of chill.
—What was this?
There was an unbelievable feeling coming from a corner of the plaza.
His eyes were drawn to it.
There was only a large tree with a thick trunk, as well as a massive pile of stone from something that collapsed.
Hidden on the ground by these objects, was something like a cave.
Pointing his flashlight into the darkness, Godou focused his eyesight.
This was roughly triangular, there was a hole in the ground shaped like a triangle.
"What is that? There's a very unpleasant feeling, what is going on with me?"
Hearing Godou speak, Erica seemed to be mouthing to herself some kind of chant. She was probably using some kind of magic.
"...Godou, you're quite sharp, that must be the entrance to the temple. But..."
"But?"
"I am currently using a spell to sense for magic. And it looks like my hunch is correct. Magical power with a slightly unique feeling is leaking out from there, he is probably there."
He was referring to a god, of course.
Erica stared at the silent Godou, and then spoke.
"After we have encountered those supernatural phenomenon several times, your senses towards the presence of gods seems to have become very sharp, like an animal, miko, or Shinto priest... What unexpected talent. However, by itself it can't be regarded as a useful talent—who knows what may happen, wait for me here."
Leaving those words behind, Erica went forward.
Climbing over the stones, she jumped into the triangular hole.
Godou waited for a while, looked at the hole where Erica had disappeared, thought for a while and then finally with a cry of "damn it", followed after her.
...Within the hole were stairs leading down.
An underground temple.
For people that worshiped primitive nature, to think that they would possess such intricate buildings—
The knowledge and techniques of the ancients sometimes surpassed the average modern human. This was evidence before his eyes. Godou felt very touched, but he couldn't stand there for long.
The interior of the temple was also skillfully assembled with rocks, with the gaps filled in by using small stones.
Campione 03 Page 13
