"It's the thought that counts. I'm sorry for making you come all the way here."
"Oh right. Although this doesn't count as a congratulations gift, I do have a present for you, Onii-sama. I'll give it to you later!"
It was difficult to imagine someone so considerate and thoughtful was only just a sixth grader. Hikari smiled cheerfully while she spoke.
As a side note, the unexpected welcoming committee did not just include Japanese people. An hour after Hikari and Amakasu arrived, an American woman suddenly appeared in the hotel lobby.
"It's been a while, Kusanagi Godou."
"Annie-san!"
A missed friend, Annie Charlton.
She was the collaborator of Los Angeles' Devil King, John Pluto Smith. The cool beauty was dressed for midwinter in a trenchcoat and gray pants, matched by her short, fiery-red hair.
A dozen minutes or so later, Godou was sitting opposite Annie in the hotel's lounge.
Two steaming cups of espresso were placed on the table between them.
"Apparently, you've been doing as you please in fifth-century Gaul."
"If I had to describe it, I was the one restraining the willful and reckless Doni and Aisha-san..."
Godou raised mild objections against her sardonic remark.
However, Annie Charlton scoffed and said coldly:
"At 'Plutarch's Residence' in the Astral Plane... Smith heard from the old man who lives there. Reportedly, a certain Kusanagi Godou was building his harem in the land of ancient Gaul, enjoying a life of pleasure surrounded by numerous beauties."
"Th-They only gathered around me on their own without my consent, okay!"
Godou's group had made the Roman colonial city of Colonia Aggripina their final base of operations.
Out of excessive and unnecessary care, local bigshots had continually sent many beauties over to Kusanagi Godou—the man wielding the most influence and martial power in the region.
Back then, Kusanagi Godou's status in Colonia Aggripina was akin to that of a feudal lord.
To think she would know about the journey to the past, she truly lived up to her name as Smith's collaborator. Moreover, Annie's purpose for coming here was to retrieve the magic gun that had served as a trump card during the battle in Gaul.
Indeed. John Pluto Smith had entrusted his weapon to Liliana during that journey.
After returning the magic gun to her, Godou changed the subject.
"Oh right, what happened to history in that era after we returned? Did that whatever residence's old guy say anything else to Smith?"
"Nothing in particular that bears mentioning. Speaking of which, this is basically it."
Annie responded fluently to Godou's sudden questioning.
True to the image of a "capable woman," the cool beauty was intelligent and highly competent.
"Didn't history remain unchanged, broadly speaking? This is all thanks to history's corrective force and your side's devoted efforts."
"In that case, that Uldin guy also got killed by the 'King of the End'... Right?"
Uldin was the ancient Campione whom Godou had met in ancient Gaul.
Muttering Uldin's name, Godou began to ponder. Excessively strong, stubborn, a man who seemed unkillable. A warrior among warriors, a barbaric and crafty Devil King.
Although impossible to imagine, did that man still lose to the "King of the End" ultimately?
As though trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, Godou brought his cup of espresso to his lips. Annie did the same. At this moment, Godou realized that there ought to be other things to talk about.
"Oh right, Annie-san. Thank you very much."
Although still seated, Godou bowed his head deeply.
"Sorry for troubling you to come all the way over to Italy from America to retrieve the gun. I should be the one paying a visit to Los Angeles instead."
"Pay it no mind. I happen to be passing by anyway."
Annie shrugged and accepted his apology generously.
"Due to my—our conflict against the [King of Flies] organization, Smith and I have not left Los Angeles for a long time already. Hence, I wanted to go on a sightseeing trip as a long-awaited break, arriving here with intentions to tour Europe. Visiting this place did not require me to go out of my way."
"Even so, you're still doing a big favor. I'm really thankful to you."
The [King of Flies] sorcerer[14] organization led by Asherah had also appeared before at Nikkou's Toushouguu.
Godou had heard that they had been John Pluto Smith's mortal enemies in recent years.
Godou wondered if the care and concern expressed by the cool beauty stemmed from her worried feelings or from her natural personality.
In any case, Godou's gratitude towards her remained unchanged.
Thanking once again, Godou continued with a smile:
"Also, please pass this message to Smith: 'Thank you for your care. I will repay the favor one day. I'll pay you a visit once I find the free time.'"
"After hearing such words, he will surely reply with the following."
Asked to deliver a message, Annie responded by imitating Smith's tone of voice:
"'Understood. In that case, you should prepare as rich a return gift as you can. I won't accept any complaints about the interest being too high so I hope you prepare yourself for that—' Presumably, a reply along such lines."
Annie's facial expression remained stiff, serious to a fault as always.
Nevertheless, she had changed her tone of voice to mimic the masked godslayer's speech of subtle pretension.
This unexpected playfulness brought a smile to Godou's lips.
Finally, Annie finished her espresso in one breath then quickly left the hotel.
"By the way, Aisha-san, can I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure, what would you like to ask, Doni-san?"
After spending four hours in a friendly conversation with the loyal butler then escaping, the young Devil King was sitting side by side with the adorable female Devil King (age indeterminate) whose appearance suggested teenage at most.
The location was the bar in a corner of the hotel.
Salvatore Doni and Madame Aisha were currently sitting at the bar together.
"So, Aisha-san, since you spend long periods traveling everywhere, you should be quite knowledgeable in a broad range of things, right?"
"Not at all. You are too kind. My level of knowledge is really nothing special... Fufufufu. So, what would you like to ask about, Doni-san?"
Despite her modest attitude, Madame Aisha's expression showed that she was greatly pleased by his praise.
She smiled back innocently at Doni who was taking a gulp of whiskey. Placed before her was a glass of fresh orange juice.
Meanwhile, two knights were currently sitting at a table in a corner of the bar, staring at the two Devil Kings.
Erica and Liliana. Without drawing attention, they were warily monitoring the movements of these two super dangerous characters.
"Basically, the 'King of the End' we met earlier in ancient Gaul. Have you seen that god in other time periods? Or heard things about him?"
"No, there's nothing... Oh wait, however."
Just as she was answering, the Madame revealed an expression of deep thought.
"During my travels in China during the Tang Dynasty, I once heard about a 'hero manifesting in the latter days of decadence' who, in his quest to pursue godslaying Rakshasha kings, headed to the farthest ends of the orient—the nation of Japan. Hearsay of that sort. Yes, I remember that it was a great monk at Chang'an who accidentally leaked the rumor."
"I see I see."
Saying that, Doni nodded in acknowledgement of the Madame's reply.
Perking up their ears to listen to this conversation, Erica and Liliana exchanged looks to communicate.
Salvatore Doni was a Devil King who would dance with a lighter in a powder keg with total nonchalance as long as it satisfied his desires. Furthermore, he had always been search
ing for great and formidable foes. To think a man like him was collecting information on the "King of the End"...
Most likely, he was unable to forgot the power exhibited by the hero he had witnessed in ancient Gaul.
Of course, this was undoubtedly an ominous sign. Even though the time traveling incident had come to a conclusion, the dangerous embers surrounding the various Devil Kings were already gradually set aflame.
Part 2
"Eh, what happened to Amakasu-san?"
After seeing Annie off, Godou visited the Mariya sisters' room.
Inside the room were three people: Yuri who was lying in bed due to her fever, her little sister Hikari at the bedside taking care of her, as well as Seishuuin Ena sitting casually on a chair.
However, there were no signs of Amakasu Touma. Godou had expected him to be present.
"Could he have gone outside to ski or something?"
Godou brought up the first possibility that came to mind. Abundant snow had fallen just earlier in the lush Casentino forest and the surrounding mountain range. Currently, the outside world was a realm of silver.
In that case, skiing would seem like something attractive to try out as one of many winter sports.
Well, given Amakasu's laziness and indoor preference, Godou was doubtful that he would actually choose this type of sport.
Nevertheless, the answer waiting for Godou was even more unexpected than skiing.
"Oh, Amakasu-san said he's visiting the hotel's beauty parlor."
Ena's carefree answer surprised Godou.
"That guy went to the beauty parlor!?"
"Yes, Amakasu-san mentioned that he must get an oil massage no matter what."
Leaning her back against a cushion, Yuri sat up and provided additional explanation. Godou was reassured to find her more energetic than expected.
Furthermore, sitting by her elder sister's side, Hikari smiled.
"Saying that he needed to recover from the damage from sitting rigidly in the plane and the fatigue from driving all the way here from the airport of Florence, he ran over to make an appointment."
"Now that you mention it, I guess it's not that usual for a man to be frequenting that kind of place."
Rather than beauty treatment, Amakasu's aim was for relaxation.
Last time at Cape Inubou, Amakasu had also enjoyed all kinds of massages fully. Perhaps spending time in those types of places was his hobby. Godou understood.
"Well, it's no big deal anyway."
Smiling happily, Ena reached towards the bedside.
Placed there was a plate of apple slices, arranged neatly in rows. Picking a piece and popping it in her mouth, Ena continued:
"This time, the ninja's job is already being done by those people in Italy. He also said this is a pleasure trip."
"He's always busy and rushing everywhere after all."
"By the way, Onii-sama, I have something to report!"
Hikari suddenly smiled at the nodding Godou.
"I've already decided to enroll in Jounan Academy's middle school division starting this coming spring."
"In fact, Hikari already took the entrance exam last month... and passed successfully. Consequently, she will become our junior starting April. Please look after her, Godou-san."
After reporting energetically, Yuri bowed her head deeply while sitting on the bed.
Godou went "eh" and felt impressed. The school where he and the others were studying, Jounan Private Academy, required passing entrance exams to enter the middle school because it was not a public school.
"This is really something worth celebrating, but are you really okay with our school?"
"Yes, not only Onee-chan but Onii-chan and the other Onee-samas are also there. But apart from that, there's still one more thing to report. It's the present I mentioned earlier."
"Oh yeah, isn't that what you told me when you first arrived?"
"Although there's a couple of days left so it's a bit early, I'm not sure if I'll be able to see you on the actual day, so I'm giving it to you now in advance. Please accept this!"
"...?"
Hikari had taken out a square box from her bag. It was wrapped very beautifully. A slender box. It even had a cute ribbon wrapped around it.
What was this? Smiling, Hikari explained to Godou in his puzzlement.
"Yes, Valentine's Day will be arriving soon, Onii-sama!"
"...Oh right, I see now."
It probably contained chocolate inside. Figuring out the hidden contents, Godou smiled wryly.
Due to spending the past two months in early fifth-century Gaul, he had lost all calendar sense completely. However, calendars in the modern era were clearly displaying a date in early February.
"Also, since we go to different schools, it's quite true that we might not see each other on the actual day."
Speaking of which, it was still undecided whether they were going to return home before February 14 or not.
In light of that, even if Hikari gave her present a few days early, there was probably nothing wrong with that.
Godou gratefully accepted the wrapped box, smiling at the sixth grader who had given the present and could not help but stroke her head. If he did that to his own younger sister, she would express her displeasure by saying "Don't treat me like a child!" However, Hikari simply responded with a happy and radiant smile.
As a side note, the older sister, Yuri, had shock written all over her face. Ena was also making an expression of great surprise.
"S-Speaking of which, I have totally forgotten about this day..."
"Ena paid zero attention to the calendar on this side. So it's Valentine's Day, huh? Ena has heard rumors before. It seems like it's a day for giving chocolate..."
"So, I guess I'll have to start thinking of a present for White Day and congratulating you on getting in our school."
Deciding that a return gift was definitely required for Hikari's show of care, Godou muttered.
"Hikari, is there anything you want?"
"Nothing in particular. But if I'm allowed to be 'indulged'—I want to go out with you to have fun, Onii-sama! Like amusement parks, theme parks or aquariums."
"Eh? Together with me?"
Although he wanted to fulfill this request as much as possible, Godou hesitated.
Taking a girl out to leisure spots made him feel a bit embarrassed. Unable to agree readily, he found it difficult to answer. Of course, this did not count as a date. After all, she was a girl whose age made her like a little sister.
Nevertheless, Godou really felt embarrassed about spending time alone with a girl, just the two of them—
Seeing Godou searching for an answer, Hikari instantly said:
"Please, Onii-sama. You must take me, my Onee-chan, Ena-neesama, Erica-neesama and Liliana-neesama together somewhere to have fun!"
"Oh, I have to bring everyone along as well!?"
"Yes, of course!"
Being the only man in a group of girls, it still felt embarrassing. However, Godou believed that rejecting this request would be unseemly as an elder, so he smiled wryly and said with generosity:
"Sure, let's do that. Then we'll plan a schedule after returning to Japan."
"Really? I'm so happy!"
"When the day comes, I'll make sure you're treated as the main guest, Hikari."
"Fufufu. Please don't go out of your way, treating me the same as usual is fine."
While conversing with the upfront Hikari, Godou felt quite unbelievable.
Listening to the conversation that had just taken place before her eyes, Yuri was looking at her younger sister in utter surprise. Ena also looked as though she were whispering something like "Hikari really is amazing. She's got a bright future ahead."
"Mariya Hikari's potential really cannot be underestimated..."
After hearing about what transpired, Liliana commented with heartfelt emotion.
It was the second day after they had returned to the modern era. Going out by car, th
ree girls had traveled to a town named Poppi, not far from the ancient castle hotel where they were staying. The time was currently still morning.
Seishuuin Ena was accompanying Mariya Yuri whose fever had subsided.
Currently, the trio was shopping at a supermarket. That said, being located in a rural European town, the shop was no different from a Japanese convenience store in scale. The selection of goods was not very complete.
Currently, the girls were browsing the goods offered in the confectionery corner of this kind of shop.
As expected, the shop did not offer the same abundant variety that Japanese stores would have during this occasion. Even so, Liliana still pondered in concentration while murmuring:
"Prioritizing the rescue of Kusanagi Godou while simultaneously taking into the account the possibility that he would survive through his own power, even going as far as to prepare chocolate in her luggage beforehand. She must have calculated that this would leave him the strongest impression in the event that she is able to hand him the present during the stay in Italy..."
"D-Do Hikari's considerations go that far?"
"Although probably not to the extent of a wily female fox like Erica who calculates everything, she should have considered the possibility of that outcome, hence preparing for it. That is what I feel. Also, the return gift is another matter that must not be overlooked."
The silver-haired knight spoke next to Hikari's older sister, Yuri.
"Also, there is combining the chocolate's return gift with the enrollment celebration. Despite a wish to have a date with Kusanagi Godou alone, she deliberately requested to take us along. This approach makes it easier to obtain Kusanagi Godou's consent and also minimizes the backlash relative to other methods."
"By backlash, what you mean is... Coming from Ena and the rest of you?"
"Yes."
"Ena isn't going to reprimand Hikari for something of this level... Well, but perhaps Ena definitely would feel a bit jealous."
Commenting with slight surprise, Ena added. Liliana nodded.
"In any case, this is how things are. Using the incident known as 'giving chocolate,' Mariya Hikari has won a small victory. However, she is quite careful, or rather, I should say that she is subconsciously avoiding an excessive victory. Instead, by sharing happiness together with us all, she is probably aiming to avoid causing friction."
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