Campione 02

by Arrival of a Devil King

  Unfazed, Godou retorted against the criticisms of the old man.

  "Immature doesn't need to be said, Captain Obvious. As a substitute, I have my trusted companions. You probably pride yourself on your solitary superiority, right?"

  "This brat really knows how to bark. So, let's see who has more bite!?"

  Voban waved his hand downwards.

  Immediately, the death knights behind him moved at his call.

  Unsheathing their swords, raising their spears, to kill and defeat Godou! The first to approach were two knights, one red and the other blue, who summoned magic swords.

  "Lily, there is no need to defeat the death knights. We just need to protect Godou properly. That is our priority!"

  "Any other strategy? Understood!"

  To Godou's right was Erica, while Liliana took the left.

  Cuore di Leone and Il Maestro—the two magic swords traced spectacular paths nonstop, forming an impenetrable wall protecting Godou from the death knights.

  In terms of battle strength, the two of them were probably very close to, if not equal to the enemies before them.

  Compared to the dead who could only faithfully follow the orders of their master, there was an advantage to instant and flexible decision making and agile evasion. Furthermore, their base capabilities had negligible differences.

  This was true even though they were outnumbered.

  The ten or more death knights were intercepted by the two people Erica and Liliana.

  Still, Voban continued to summon servants out of the darkness—a mobile army of corpses.

  Amongst these warriors who resembled medieval knights, there were also soldiers armed with muskets fitted with bayonets.

  Corpses who wrapped their bodies with cloth and rope, swinging battle axes. There were also dead people who wore military uniforms dating from the earlier half of the twentieth century, and carrying what appeared to be ancient rifles. As if turning back time, there was a giant man who looked like a Viking from some unknown era. Amongst the dead, there were also those who wore Middle Eastern or Chinese attire.

  The [Dead Servants] whose ranks included a haphazard mix of all sorts of time periods, nationalities, and ethnicities—

  The firearms they carried appeared to be in no condition to fire. The blades in their hands were badly maintained, and heavily rusted.

  Even so, they were swarming in and swinging their weapons.

  —Erica and Liliana did not back down at their opponents the [Dead Servants].

  The dead attacked in bunches again and again.

  Once again, Erica had split Cuore di Leone into thirteen parts to be controlled.

  The magic sword of the lion floated in the sky like a ferocious bird of prey, and then flew, slicing continuously at the [Dead Servants]. Against the most powerful death knights, Erica stopped them by swinging her sword personally.

  Liliana stayed off the ground for the most part.

  She stood on the dead people's heads, shoulders, and even on their weapons, jumping around and flying without restriction. From above, she attacked from the air with her magic sword again and again, neutralizing her enemies.

  They completely avoided overextending themselves.

  Against the strongest death knights, they used hindering attacks and never engaged for too long.

  However, against the weakest servants, the magic swords attacked their fatal vulnerabilities with merciless abandon. Within a short while, many of them were removed from battle. In truth, the tactics of the two could be seen as despicable, but extremely solid.

  Completely low risk.

  Erica never left Godou's side, while Liliana never ventured too deep.

  What remained constant was guarding Godou above all else. This was possible due to the capabilities and judgment of the two.

  "I didn't want to do this originally, but there's no other way!"

  "Same for me! But, now what? Do you have a plan!?"

  Even in a situation like this, the two of them did not give off any sense of tragedy.

  Seeing Erica and Liliana kicking away the dead, Godou had mixed feelings.

  Though obedient, they were the victims killed by Voban's hand.

  The tragic fate of those who resisted the devil king and opposed him, but ended up defeated. As these people fell and stayed on earth as servants, they continued to fight for Voban after their deaths.

  Of course, Verethragna's authorities weren't anything good either, but there were still limits.

  —If he could, liberating them was the first thing Godou wanted to do.

  Godou sighed.

  In terms of strategy, it would be unwise. It was already established that the power of Erica and Liliana was sufficient to hold off the [Dead Servants]. It would be better to save his trump card for something else.

  Ending the summoning of more [Dead Servants], Voban approached with casual footsteps.

  Eyeing the powerful old king, Godou spoke decisively.

  "...Hey. Do you remember the first god you killed?"

  "Why are you bringing this up, boy? What does that have to do with you?"

  Voban sneered.

  His form changed. From man to werewolf, and then to a wolf—

  Was that really all there is to it, other than turning into a giant wolf? Knowing the destructive power of Verethragna's [Boar], Godou believed that this [Wolf] was the ability that he must be the most wary of.

  Voban's body expanded after transforming into a wolf.

  Once again, the vigorous body of the giant silver wolf returned, a terrifying embodiment of violence.

  —Currently in Godou's heart, resided two swords.

  However, the [Warrior] could only wield one sword at a time, and he must choose between them. Godou must decide between sealing the [Dead Servants] or the [Wolf]. This was a choice he must make, no other way around it.

  Casting his last doubts aside, Godou began to chant the spell words.

  "I know it. That bastard of a god you killed—the wolf god hanging around like night, hating mankind, I know it!"

  The light shined with brilliance and glory.

  The [Sword] of the spell words to kill gods. Shining with golden splendor, it formed numerous spheres of light and scattered.

  "Once known as Phoebus—the god whose name had the meaning of light. However, he was also the god with the night-like epithet 'nukti eoikôs.'[18] A bastard deity who possessed a massive contradiction between his appearance and his nature, that was the god you killed."

  The golden [Sword] fluttered in the air amidst spell words.

  Looking up, the view was mostly dominated by the giant wolf form of Voban—his silver fur and the strong body of a wolf, were being shredded in a crisscross manner.

  Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh !!

  '—What, what is that power!'

  Carrying roars and surprise, his yelling also echoed.

  "That ancient epithet Smintheus. —It means rat. And then there is Lykaon, Lyeios... words containing the meaning of wolf. The god of light whose origins stemmed from rats and wolves—the beasts of the earth and darkness. This is the key to interpreting this god!"

  This was the figure and nature of the god that Yuri observed.

  Obtaining that knowledge, Godou felt the spell words flowing out continuously from somewhere deep inside him.

  This was different from the times when Erica used spells to transmit knowledge. Though his mind was totally blank, his mouth spoke on its own. As his tongue moved without pause, spell words were spoken continuously.

  Using the heart to capture the god's form—and then speaking out the images. Simple as that.

  "The wolf with the essence of a rat, and the god who possessed dual attributes of light and night—in other words, Apollo. The twin brother of the moon goddess Artemis, the sun god who locked away darkness but was born underground! This is the name of the first god you killed!"

  Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh !!

&n
bsp; 'The spell words with the power to sever a god's power! Is this your trump card? Interesting!'

  Voban roared stubbornly.

  From the fur of the giant silver wolf, numerous [Wolves] were born. Each strand of fur transformed, turning into bodies the size of normal wolves, and started racing through the air.

  The golden [Sword] brought color to the night sky swirling with wind and rain.

  The light of the spell words twinkled like stars, and flew towards the silver wolf pack jumping through the air.

  In order to devour the [Sword], which flew back and forth around the giant wolf, the [Wolves] constantly lunged at the lights and attempted to bite them. However, the [Sword]'s spheres of light simply advanced from within the [Wolves]' mouths to cut their vigorous bodies into halves.

  Watching the victories repeating in the air several, no, dozens of times, Godou's determination continued to get fired up.

  Let's attack in one fell swoop!

  "Apollo's twin sister Artemis is the goddess of the hunt—one of the pillars amongst the powerful mother earth goddesses. The mother of these siblings is the great earth goddess Leto. And Apollo was once a deity belonging to the temple of the earth."

  Apollo's epithets appeared one after another.

  Apollo of Light [Phoebus Apollo]. Apollo of Rats [Apollo Smintheus]. Apollo of Wolves [Apollo Lykeios]. Apollo of Disaster [Apollo Loxias].

  This sun god had many little known contradictions. Godou once killed time at home by reading a pocket-sized edition of the Iliad. He found it quite strange at the time.

  The beginning of the Homeric hymn described how 'Apollo took on the guise of the dark night.'

  And then the god brought pestilence against the Achaean army. The eternally handsome youth. The sun god who loved and admired beauty. It was hard to connect his appearance with the descriptions of the things he did.

  "As proof of this, there exists a deep link between the earth and the beasts which symbolized him. Rats, wolves and swans—as well as snakes. Those tiny rats, restless in the darkness, could very well be Apollo's original form. The wolves used by his sister Artemis as servants, was the form of Apollo as the guardian dog of the underworld. The swan was also a symbol of the link between earth and the underground. Finally there is the snake—as one of the major symbols of most mother earth goddesses, it represents the cycle of life and death."

  Powered by Godou's spell words, the golden [Sword] flew across the sky.

  [Wolves] continuously flew out from the body of the giant wolf, trying to rip, bite and resist these swords.

  The brilliant light of gold and silver fought fiercely, showering the area with sparks.

  The eerie blaze of the supernatural aerial battle was carried out in a narrow region of the stormy night sky.

  "However, the snake which appeared in Apollo's myth was neither his companion nor his relative. It is the monster that he killed—which is why snakes appear. It is the serpent Python which guarded the sacred land of the Delphic oracle. In the past, the young Apollo slew the serpent with his bow and arrows, thus becoming the god of the oracle."

  Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!!

  As if trying to disperse Godou's spell words, Voban roared.

  Unable to resist the [Sword], the forms of the silver wolves disappeared as they met defeat repeatedly. The giant wolf with a monstrous body kicked at the ground, causing massive shaking on the surrounding surface.

  The attack's direction was aimed at Godou, obviously.

  Since the weapon could not be defeated, attacking the controller was the logical choice. However, that was easy to handle.

  "Python was the great serpent born from the mother earth goddess Gaia. Apollo had killed the serpent and became the patron of Delphi. Henceforth, his priestesses were called Pythia and delivered the oracle to those who came to seek the sacred Delphic oracle. —In other words, Apollo is the god who successfully killed a fellow brethren deity belonging to the earth."

  Godou strung the golden swords together and gathered the brightness.

  If he attacked here in a straight line, it would be just right. He will sever Apollo's divine power with one slice, and disarm Voban's weapon!

  "The underground which connects the earth to the underworld, symbolized darkness. What dispels darkness is light—sunlight. As a god born from the earth, Apollo also embodied the light which existed to kill his mother. Hence, his true nature has attributes of light mixed into darkness—and became the god of disaster Loxias."

  Giving off light brighter by several fold, a golden flash sliced at the giant wolf horizontally.

  Immediately, the giant body was destroyed. Shrinking, it turned back into the form of a skinny old man.

  "...I see now, the spell words which can overcome my authority. Such an annoying special move."

  Though clearly injured, Voban stood upright and unfazed.

  Passion and calm, iron will and glory, all these were mixed together and shone from the eyes of the ancient and powerful one as he glared at Godou.

  "An ability to adapt oneself against different situations. What a rare power... Amongst the current [Kings], John Pluto also has a similar ability. These types of authorities usually have restrictions. As long as I know the rules which bind you, victory can be easily obtained."

  Hmph. Though blood dripped from his forehead, Voban's lips showed a crooked smile.

  Godou heightened his alertness. The power of the old man's [Wolves] probably hasn't been suppressed completely. When it struck, Godou felt that the impact was very light.

  Seeing through the nature of the [Sword]'s spell words, Voban had halted his attacks just before the critical moment.

  "Don't worry, with your level of ability, it is still too soon to present a challenge. I will attack you straight on."

  The [Dead Servants] received Voban's orders, and changed their movements.

  Up until now, they had been attacking without pattern. But now they suddenly became extremely well organized. They temporarily retreated away from around Godou to regroup, and then attacked in waves.

  "Damn it! They are here again! So troublesome!"

  "Just when I thought it was getting too easy, but this will be bad!"

  Liliana and Erica were having difficulty holding them off, and clearly showed signs of anxiety.

  First, the weaker servants were used to take the frontal assault. When they occupied Erica and Liliana, the great knight level corpses immediately attacked.

  Clearly, Voban was manipulating the [Dead Servants] with his invisible will.

  "You were trying to solve the riddle of Apollo, right? Correct, the first god I defeated was Apollo, and my wolf was the sacred beast authority I usurped from him. However, your spell words—will they be effective against any god other than Apollo?"

  Controlling the dead was part of Osiris' authority, but even though he was aware of that fact, Godou could do nothing about it. No matter what, the [Warrior] form could only seal Apollo's divine power.

  It looks like Voban changed his method of attack in order to find the limits of Godou's [Sword].

  Erica and Liliana swung their magical swords and continued to battle. Though they fought without respite, the tide of battle had turned against them. Just as Godou agonized that he was being protected by two girls—

  "Godou-san!"

  Yuri's voice yelled out from behind him.

  "Please use the sword for vanquishing Osiris! You should have fulfilled that condition!"

  "It's true, but I have already used the [Sword] to seal Apollo..."

  Without enough remaining strength to answer, Godou could only whisper softly.

  Each of Verethragna's incarnations could only be used once a day. Furthermore, when using the [Warrior], the target had to be decided beforehand.

  "Don't give up! Whether Apollo or Osiris, both were originally deities with extremely similar characteristics. Use the spell words dormant in
your body, and forge the [Sword] you need right here!"

  Even Yuri spoke of something impossible. As Godou was caught in surprise, he surveyed the situation.

  Erica and Liliana were already at their limits trying to protect him. Enslaved by the authority of the underworld deity, the servants were fighting even after their deaths, and the old man culprit was just standing there gloating—

  If Godou doesn't give it a try, how will he know the result?

  Seeing Voban's confident demeanor, Godou felt pity for the [Dead Servants], and apologetic towards his companions in battle, and so he renewed his battle spirit.

  "Like Apollo, Osiris was also a god born from the earth!"

  The green-skinned god of the underworld, the judge of the dead.

  The nature of that god was the harvest brought about by the Nile river valley—bountiful grain symbolized attributes of the earth.

  "However, though born from the earth, he differs from the Apollo who became the brilliantly glorious sun god, Osiris is purely a god of the earth and the underworld—the close relative of the mother earth goddess, and just a god of harvest."

  Apollo and Osiris were both sons of mother earth goddesses—the root of the earth.

  Born in different cultures, but possessing many commonalities in attributes. On this basis, new power flowed into the [Sword].

  Speaking out the spell words against Osiris, the power was released to seal the underworld god of the harvest—!

  "After becoming the sun god, Apollo finally obtained the guise of the dark night. Night—the world dominated by darkness. The underground where Apollo scurries in the form of a rat is also the world of darkness. In other words, this is the mark of the underworld."

  The mother earth goddess, who nurtured all life, was not just a goddess overflowing with love.

  Winter brings with it death. Godou had learnt this when fighting Athena, the underworld deity who ruled both the night and the underground. And Osiris was the god of harvest born from the earth.

  Crops germinated and grew in spring, were harvested in summer and autumn, and welcomed death in winter.

  From death, they were reborn in the next spring, and grew once again.

  —In Godou's hand appeared a huge longsword with a golden blade. This was the divine sword forged to vanquish the god of the underworld who went through death multiple times and was resurrected.