"We created that island together and enjoyed a brief romance... Speaking of His Highness, he left because he tired of life on the island. And he even used his labyrinth authority as a lock to imprison me on there!"
"Ah, so it wasn't actually meant for disorienting intruders, huh."
Godou grumbled in response to the disclosure of this unexpectedly ridiculous truth.
But considering this goddess' temperament and that guy's personality, Godou could imagine more or less how things happened.
Her earlier mentions of "a divine artifact gifted as proof of love" or the like were all lies. Godou was convinced that Alec had approached the goddess with ulterior motives but fled halfway because he discovered she was more troublesome than expected.
"It took me four days to see through the labyrinth's magical effects and bypass them. During this time, that fleet-footed hero already went into hiding. I pondered whether I should destroy this island that had become a labyrinth, but it is the legacy of the man I once loved after all. Fufu, so that was why I built my residence on the island."
Confronted with the goddess' surprising confession, even Godou himself was overcome with a sense of amazement.
The goddess was unexpectedly adorable in certain ways and Godou began to feel slightly sorry for her. She did not need to specifically preserve something left behind by that man for that kind of reason.
However, this feeling vanished immediately.
"Ever since then, I stayed alone on that island for a number of years before venturing out to seek a suitable new love... And finally, I have found you, Kusanagi-sama."
Divine power overflowed from the lioness transformed from the goddess.
This critical moment had apparently arrived. Godou tensed his nerves.
"Very well, Kusanagi-sama. For the sake of the love between us, please have the maidservant walk over to this side. Fufu, I shall transform her into a pig or a goat and rear her where we live!"
"As if I'd let anyone do that!"
Yuri had been worriedly observing Godou's conversation with the goddess. Hearing the goddess' outrageous words, Godou immediately reached out and forcefully drew Yuri to his side, as if trying to use his body of a Campione's to protect her and prevent harmful spells from being cast on her.
"G-Godou-san!?"
Yuri was caught by surprise but Godou continued holding her in his arms as he turned his sharp gaze towards the goddess.
His prior sympathy for her was genuine. However, this was the first time someone provoked his temper to such a degree.
Yuri was trembling slightly. One could hardly blame her. For a [Heretic God], who only recognized humans as existences akin to stones, the extent of the goddess' obsession must have terrified her.
Nevertheless, Yuri lifted her head sternly at this time to stare in concert with Godou at the goddess.
She also embraced Godou tightly and asserted thus:
"It should be very clear to you now! Just as you can see, he shall never abandon me. H-He truly loves—he truly loves me as his wife!"
What!? An astounding declaration, completely beyond his expectation. Godou could not help but falter for a second.
"E-Even if you are a goddess, even if you are also capable of enacting miracles, you will never take Godou-san away from my side!"
Godou could not believe Yuri was embracing him tightly as she looked up at him with moist eyes.
She was seeking something, making an appeal to him. Enslaved by her gaze, Godou bent over slightly and brought his face closer to her.
In response, Yuri also shyly drew her face nearer to Godou's and even kissed him on the cheek.
Compared to Erica's passionate skinship, this light peck was a rather stiff display of loving affection.
But Godou felt as though his brain was about to boil, for he never expected her to do something like that—
"Because, great goddess, you have no intention of revealing yourself to him, and neither would you embrace him like this..."
Although Yuri spoke quite stiffly, these were actually words for provoking the goddess.
The goddess watched with displeasure as the two embraced. The lioness' eyes instantly narrowed. It looked as though Yuri's stinging words were right on target.
Godou now understood what Yuri meant when she mentioned another method she "would like to try."
When he asked her about it earlier, she had blushed and refused to divulge her plan.
This really seemed like an acting performance and provocation that only Erica could pull off. Yuri was working hard to realize the imagery she received through spirit vision. Finding the Hime-Miko who was hugging him tightly exceptionally adorable, Godou applied more strength in the arm he was using to embrace her.
Yuri also buried her face into Godou's chest. He whispered in her ear:
"Mariya..."
"Sometimes I wish you would call me by my given name... Only Erica-san and Liliana-san get first name treatment from you... I find it quite unfair. Even Ena-san has been complaining more and more about this recently..."
Although her voice was very soft, Yuri was sulking in a rare instant despite her gentle nature.
Erica and Liliana were foreigners. Calling them by those ridiculously complicated surnames would be quite a hassle—
Refraining from true explanations like these, Godou whispered "Y-Yuri..." in her ear and obtained a very quiet yet satisfied "yes..." from her in response. Judging from the current mood, one could hardly call this an act anymore.
Then Yuri looked up again and challenged the goddess again:
"W-Whispering sweet nothings to each other nonstop with him... A-Are you capable of this? I can feel from my spiritual senses. Indeed, your powers may be great and vast as a witch goddess... But as for your body, surely—"
"Shut up."
Surprised, Godou and Yuri tensed up in their expressions.
The goddess' airs changed. Hours earlier at the cottage, her voice had been cold and indifferent. Now, that was not all. Her current voice carried much greater solemnity than before.
A queen's majesty. The airs of an inviolable princess. The authority of a goddess—
She no longer displayed the frivolity of a girl addicted to love. Or perhaps this was actually her true nature?
Yuri's provocations seemed to have pressed a switch somewhere within the goddess.
"Such repeated insolence towards the goddess of dawn, oh how my rage seethes within me... That said, this could be considered a courageous act of a mortal girl. Fufu, as one who seeks and chases after love herself, even I am inspired to grant my blessing to such reckless behavior undertaken for the sake of love."
A calm voice.
Furthermore, the lioness' body proceeded to split apart into halves along the line of the spine.
A dark shadow emerged from the crack. Conversely, the lioness' body turned into sand and crumbled. Then the shadow took on a woman's outline and several seconds passed.
As Godou and Yuri watched, the shadow materialized into solid form.
A beautiful girl, her figure as slender as a juniper.
One would estimate her age to be fifteen or sixteen by appearance. Her lustrous silver hair was very pretty. With long lashes belonging to a girl of one's dreams, rosy cheeks and adorable cherry lips, she was the embodiment of maidenly beauty one could never forget on first sight.
If one were to pass her by on one's way, it would not be strange to dream of her that night.
However—her arms and everything below the waist were made of brass.
Her arms, legs and lower torso were made of brass prostheses. The metal was neither armor nor divine vestments. Godou's instincts told him she was bearing wounds that would never heal.
He knew from a Campione's warrior instincts. The goddess before him was half dead.
Carrying these wounds that would never heal as she continued to exist on the earth, this half-alive, half-dead goddess—!
"The goddess of dawn... Heretic..
. Circe!"
Then as her breathing quickened, Yuri finally whispered the goddess' true name.
Chapter 7 - Farewell, Witch
Part 1
"Fu... How long has it been since my true visage was last exposed to a man's gaze?"
The goddess Circe spoke sonorously.
In full display, her true appearance was gorgeous beyond description.
It was not simply a matter of beauty. Godou found his gaze drawn involuntarily to her every move. Subtle changes in expression, shifts in her gaze. He felt attracted to these tiny details as if she exuded a movie star's dazzling charisma.
Holding universal attraction, she displayed everything enthralling about a young beauty's charm.
"Furthermore, even my battered body is now exposed—"
Attached to Circe's body were prosthetic arms, legs and a lower torso, all crafted from brass.
These body parts made metallic screeches as they moved.
With a slow yet flowing motion, the goddess turned as if dancing.
But Godou found himself involuntarily staring at the way she moved her body like a pure and innocent young girl.
Transcending simple outward beauty, the sight was mesmerizing. Godou was treated to a sight of the goddess Circe's intoxicating qualities as a femme fatale.
"Your body's condition... Is it really Gascoigne's doing?"
"On the verge of His Highness' departure, we had a little altercation and this was the result... Fufu, I stand as the immortal goddess of dawn. To think my body could be pushed to this extent, how truly befitting of one bearing the title of a god-slaying warrior."
The sun's divinity also carried immortal qualities. Godou recalled this fact.
Despite her condition, she did not express any resentment towards Alec and even praised him with a smile. Such composure and resilience was truly befitting for a goddess.
Nevertheless, her prostheses moved quite sluggishly as if they were very heavy.
Was it because she became wary of approaching the enemy after Ena sliced her? But why? Godou felt a strange sense of certainty.
He kept getting the feeling that this goddess, despite being sluggish in movement and on the verge of death, was not "weak."
"Kusanagi-sama. I have revealed my true visage in order to make you my captive. This battered body is on display so that these cold arms may embrace you."
The goddess' eyes were bright violet in color. Godou felt his spine shudder violently in response to her beautiful gaze.
Rather than fear, he was reacting to the attraction of Circe's mysterious charm.
"Fufu. Let me repeat myself once again. Please abandon that girl and choose me instead. Then I shall offer you love that is worthy of this wise decision!"
Courtship coming from a goddess. Unlike last time, to think it would become such a troubling situation.
Godou felt himself almost instantly captivated by Circe's irresistible charms.
Compared to this goddess of dawn, Yuri in his embrace was ultimately just an ordinary human. No matter how cute and beautiful she was, everything paled in comparison to a goddess...
However, Godou frowned, remaining unmoved.
"So this is the goddess Circe's true visage..."
Yuri whispered from within Godou's embrace. Gazing at the goddess, her face displayed unease.
Simply by feeling the warmth of Yuri's body, Godou felt his fighting spirit rise naturally.
Regardless, he felt incensed by the goddess' conspiracy to separate Yuri from him. He was also greatly displeased by her intention to defang him in this manner.
"The splendor of my true visage can be considered one of my weapons... To think you are capable of suppressing those raging feelings, how truly befitting of the god-slaying monarch."
Circe spoke cheerfully. She gave off a sense of classic elegance as suited to a transcendent goddess.
Despite the rejection of her courtship, she continued to display such composure. The feeling she gave off was clearly different from before.
"According to my initial plan, I was going to twist off an arm and a leg of yours, adding to my treasured collection. Fufu, now in compensation for all the trouble you have caused me, let me offer you even more tender loving care. I shall have all four limbs removed, eyes destroyed and your throat incinerated. Then crawling on the ground like a worm, you shall receive a goddess' loving affection!"
At the same time as her terrible declaration escaped from her adorable lips—
Godou felt a gust of wind blowing. Thanks to staying on alert, his senses was able to give an ominous warning slightly beforehand.
"Godou-san! This is the magic for stealing Verethragna's incarnations!"
Yuri also gave warning. She was probably paying attention too.
Godou raised his magical power immediately and held his breath, trying to counter the magic by preventing himself from breathing the wind. Then a dramatic change occurred immediately.
A nude girl, her body white and transparent, appeared out from the wind!
"O girl of Harpyia. Please blow into Kusanagi-sama the goddess' incantation!"
Circe commanded the semi-transparent girl floating in midair.
In response to these orders, the "girl" twisted its body nimbly in the air. Her lips were approaching Godou's face and was probably planning to blow magic into him through a kiss.
Just as Godou was about to react while protecting Yuri, a helping hand of salvation was offered.
"O Eight Gods of the Mikannagi. In accordance to the protection of harmony, manifest tranquility!"
These were Yuri's spell words. White light emanated from the Hime-Miko's body.
This was a spell for radiating a Hime-Miko's heart of harmony by raising psychic sensing powers to the maximum. Godou had seen this technique of [Spirit Pacification] last used at Cape Inubou recently.
Bathed in the sacred light, the girl of the wind was dyed white and then vanished.
Rather than defeated, it would be more apt to say she was assimilated by Yuri's light.
"Thanks a lot, Mariya!"
"N-Not at all. Please do not mind me. Go ahead and fight as you wish."
The Hime-Miko replied to Godou's thanks, but she began to pant heavily.
The [Spirit Pacification] apparently drained her stamina drastically.
Using it to suppress a wind spirit—a goddess' minion, took quite a substantial toll. Judging from the situation, Yuri would probably exhaust her stamina and magical power in one or two more uses.
Furthermore, the Hime-Miko's trump card elicted an unexpected response from the enemy.
"A maidservant capable of suppressing me, I see... This girl seems to be quite an excellent miko. Fufu, a miko's true path lies in serving the gods after all. Then I shall make use of you a little."
The goddess Circe murmured these strange words.
Accompanied by a metallic screech, she raised her left prostheic arm and pointed a finger at Yuri.
Then her finger shot out. The index finger of brass flew straight at the Hime-Miko's throat. Leaving the goddess' hand, the finger flew like an arrow. Were it to strike on target, results would surely be fatal—!
Godou instantly sprang into action.
Turning his back towards the finger arrow, he shielded Yuri behind him.
As a result, the brass fingertip pierced him near the shoulder blade. But a Campione's body possessed excessive vitality with abnormal tenacity, which meant that he could not possibly be so fragile as to die from this level of attack—Or at least, that was how things were supposed to be.
Godou felt intense pain from his back.
This level of pain was comparable to getting stuck by Salvatore Doni's magic sword.
"What... is this?"
Furthermore, the wound felt exceptionally cold.
The inside of his body was frozen. The severe cold felt like frostbite.
Only his head felt inexorably hot, as if his brain was suffering from some giant burden, causing a
thermal runaway. Strength drained from his entire body.
"G-Godou-san!? Pull yourself together, will you!?"
Come to think of it—This greatly resembled the time when Athena had blown [Death] into him.
Recalling the past battle, Godou was shocked. Why would this be similar!?
"The curse of the poisonfeather bird's toxins... Given these delicate arms of mine, I could not possibly inject this curse directly into the god-slaying monarch's body of the ancient warrior. Thus, I made use of that miko there."
I see. She must have targeted the fact that I would protect Yuri as soon as she was attacked.
Godou understood. As expected of the witch goddess, utterly ruthless and unscrupulous in her methods. Unlike Godou's past enemies which included war gods and the divine king, she used completely different tactics. Truly difficult to handle indeed.
"T-To think that making enemies out of women would be this troublesome..."
Godou could not help but mutter.
This was a comment that would probably bring about intense protests from all the girls and goddesses with whom he had ever associated. However, based on this particular aspect, the "woman" named Circe was the most challenging.
Damn it. Godou cursed in his dizziness and gritted his teeth.
Putting forth all his strength to move his icy-cold body, he strove to ignore the pain but still he could not stop his knees from collapsing. However, Yuri caught him in her arms.
She should be quite tired herself. Nevertheless, she gave Godou support the instant he was about to fall down.
Godou was the one holding Yuri earlier but now it was Yuri's turn to hold him in her arms.
"...I am very sorry. This all because of me. However, please be patient for a little while."
Supporting Godou from falling, the Hime-Miko displayed a stern expression full of resolve.
"Very soon, I shall enable you—Godou-san—to fight with full readiness. I will surely help your body recover and prepare for you the [Sword] to slice this goddess apart!"
"M-Mariya..."
"Please allow me to address the goddess of dawn with fearful reverence. Indeed you are the divinity that embodies womanly wisdom and femininity. However."
Comporting herself with an air of nobility as befitted one bearing the "Hime" title, Yuri glared at the goddess.
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