Alexandre Gascoigne was speaking to the knight, his trusted subordinate.
"A suspicious commotion started over in Greenwich yesterday. Those people in the Witenagemot are frantically gathering data about the Asian region while those geezers of the Diogenes Club are pushing their old bones to hold meetings throughout the night."
"Hoh," muttered Sir Iceman, the premier knight serving Alec.
They were at a private museum located in the outskirts of Cornwall, a rural town at the southern tip of England. This conversation was taking place between the two of them in the museum's entrance hall.
Having just returned, the young Devil King called out to stop Iceman who happened to be passing through.
As a side note, this museum was the headquarters of [Royal Arsenal] under their command.
"It reminds me of what happened six years ago. When [Heretic Arthur] manifested, it made you decide to cooperate with that princess."
"Ah yes. Also, just like last time... That woman is still not around."
The superior and subordinate were talking about Princess Alice in their respective ways.
Alec went "hmph" as he started to talk about the beauty, his old enemy.
"Her body apparently remains in the mansion at Greenwich while the ectoplasm continues to wander all over the place. That woman must be chased down to gather information about this incident."
"If memory serves me correctly..."
After Alec declared his decision as the association's leader, Iceman responded sarcastically.
"Alec, you went away for a month without telling anyone and only came back three days ago. But now you're talking about another personal expedition?"
"That's neither here nor there. I can also sense quite an intense smell of gunpowder from this incident."
Dismissing his trusted subordinate's opinion rather readily, Alec made his declaration:
"There's nothing to lose in taking immediate action just to err on the side of caution. Although I'm sorry you'll have to continue holding the fort here, I'll be counting on you for the rest."
On this day, Godou received unexpected news through his cellphone.
After picking up the call which had no caller ID, he heard an old friend's nostalgic voice.
'I heard you went on a rampage in the world of the past, Kusanagi Godou.'
"It's you!"
He was hearing John Pluto Smith's voice again after many months.
The Campione of Los Angeles with an excessive penchant for self-performance. Although Godou was unable to see his masked face over the phone, that gentle tenor voice was still the same as before.
"Oh right. I've returned the borrowed item to Annie-san."
'Yes, I have already received it. That gun is in my hand right now.'
"You helped me out a lot in various ways. Thank you."
'Do not pay the matter a second thought. One day, you will repay me with interest.'
—How do you know my phone number when I've never told you? Godou decided that this was an unnecessarily tactless question, so he expressed his thanks for the magic gun instead and Smith graciously accepted his gratitude.
This was a conversation taking place several months after they last parted at Nikkou.
However, Godou was able to chat fluently with Smith as though making smalltalk.
Among the ranks of the Campiones that were filled with problematic characters, this man was the only one with whom Godou could build a positive relationship.
But John Pluto Smith was definitely not a respectable person. After all, he was eccentric in name and in fact, someone who devoted his efforts to a cosplay hero's activities every night.
Realizing this fact, Godou smiled wryly.
'Apart from that, I've heard many rumors. About the "King of the End," about Athena, about that noblewoman and the handsome Italian man going missing—'
"So Annie-san and Alice-san are your sources...?"
Annie was the American woman who served as Smith's collaborator whereas Alice was the duke's daughter with the blonde curls. Godou had also received plenty of help from them during the ancient Gaul incident.
'Then allow me to clarify my policy beforehand. At the current stage, I have no intention of heading over to intervene in Japan. That's that.'
"I really appreciate that."
'Indeed. Considering it's you, I knew you would answer like that.'
Smith's way of putting things made Godou laugh.
The masked eccentric intended to assist Kusanagi Godou through non-intervention.
During the battle at Nikkou, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, was able to amplify his own power so long as he was facing two or more Campiones. The "King of the End" also possessed the same ability. If he were to do the same thing again—
In light of that, Godou did not wish for any Campione to visit Japan on whim.
This was Godou's honest opinion. The same thought presumably occurred to Smith too.
'However, since our two peers' whereabouts are currently unknown, it is possible that my policy of non-intervention might end up meaningless and will be terminated.'
"Seriously. I really hope those guys can read situations a little."
'So it is decided. May fortune stay by your side.'
Thus ended the phone call with Los Angeles' guardian saint. Still wearing a wry smile, Godou hung up.
"Your Majesty, was that America's [King] who called just now?"
"Yeah, that Smith guy."
Asked by Ena who was present, Godou briefly described what the conversation was about.
They were currently at the study in the Sayanomiya residence at Area 3 of the Chiyoda ward. Sayanomiya Kaoru, a member of the History Compilation Commitee's core leadership, as well as the two premier Hime-Miko—namely, Seishuuin Ena and Mariya Yuri—were present.
"So Smith-sama expressed that kind of opinion—"
"Indeed, it is very helpful of him."
Yuri spoke softly with an expression gratitude while Kaoru nodded happily.
"The arrival of Pallas Athena and the three heroic gods is already the biggest disaster. If the various Devil Kings make their way to Japan successively, the islands of Japan are surely going to sink."
"..."
Godou originally wanted to answer Kaoru's lighthearted joke, but could not think of anything to say, because somewhere in the back of his mind, he considered the possibility of that really coming true.
"However."
On the other hand, the Hime-Miko of the Sword started speaking again in her usual carefree attitude.
"On further thought, both King Salvatore and Aisha-san already know about that Devil King-exterminating authority. Shouldn't we take precautionary actions in this area?"
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven had also imitated this authority of divine power amplification.
It was said to be a power invoked by the gods for the sake of slaughtering their mortal enemies, the Devil Kings, wiping them off the entire earth. The power of the ordained hero, only conferred upon a certain pale-haired aristocrat.
"Definitely true, that's the only piece of information that's clear so far."
Godou nodded in agreement.
"That idiot Doni is only good at tactical planning while Aisha-san's ability to survive is quite outstanding. There shouldn't be any problems from Gascoigne and old man Voban, so the only real risk turns out to be—"
Recalling a certain haughty character, Godou muttered.
A certain character who had participated in the battle against the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, personally experiencing the power of Devil King-extermination.
Furthermore, she was touted as lacking in neither valor nor intelligence. Even so, it was hard to imagine her fighting cautiously just because of that ridiculous power up.
"It's Nee-san after all, I guess..."
"Her Eminence Luo Hao... Umm, Godou-san. Actually, there is something I need to tell you."
Hesitating for an instant whether sh
e ought to speak, Yuri then continued:
"Although I am unsure whether it pertains to Her Eminence Luo Hao, recently, I have felt this kind of feeling. An aura of calamity—It is currently approaching Japan from the southwest direction."
An oracle spoken by the Hime-Miko with the highest level of spirit vision power in the world.
Godou felt greatly surprised. His sworn elder sister, Luo Cuilian, made her residence at Mount Lu in China's Jiangxi province. Simply stated, it definitely was southwest relative to Tokyo.
Could this be considered coincidence? Meanwhile, Kaoru spoke up:
"Actually, I've already asked Lu-kun for a favor just to be safe."
"What did you ask Yinghua to do?"
"In order to prevent news regarding this incident—Pallas Athena, the three heroes as well as the 'King of the End'—from reaching Her Eminence's ears at all, I asked him to secure the cooperation of those involved on that side."
That side. Kaoru was referring to the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains that revered Luo Cuilian as the Holy Cult Leader, as well as the Chinese martial arts circle that pledged allegiance to her as the most powerful martial artist of all time. Godou jumped in fright.
"She is someone who isolates herself from the mundane world and makes her residence deep in the mountains that resemble a wonderland. With Lu-kun first and foremost, there are only a handful of individuals who are able to make contact with her. If it works out, this method should be able to prevent Her Eminence from intervening..."
This was an arrangement very much in Sayanomiya Kaoru's wise style. Yuri and Ena's faces instantly brightened up.
Nevertheless, Godou's cellphone rang at this time. He had received a text message. Feeling a sense of foreboding, he checked it and saw that it was from Lu Yinghua.
"Nee-san has disappeared... She can't be found anywhere on Mount Lu?"
An ominous report had suddenly arrived.
Part 3
"I'm not the one scouting out the convent at Mount Lu."
This was the young man, Lu Yinghua, who stood as Luo Cuilian's one and only direct disciple.
A young leader from Hong Kong's Lu family, a clan of outlaws with a long and distinguished history, the handsome youth had entered Godou's room. Speaking of which, he actually did not come in through the main door either.
Godou's room was on the second floor. Lu Yinghua had suddenly entered through the window.
True to his epithet of "superiority in lightness," Lu Yinghua's agility was beyond even that of Liliana and Ena.
As a side note, the view outside the window was the sky adorned by an evening glow. It was precisely the bustling hour when residents in the vicinity of Nezu's Area 3 shopping district would go out to shop for dinner ingredients.
"Reportedly, the convent was discovered to be empty only when the Holy Cult's Glorious Messenger of the Right made his semiannual visit. Hence, a search all over Mount Lu failed to find any signs of her—"
After hearing about a mysterious position in the cult and the whole story of what had happened, Godou scratched his head.
Lu Yinghua had sent his text yesterday. To deliver a detailed report, he then went out of his way to visit the Kusanagi home.
"Even if she's not on Mount Lu, it's possible that she might be somewhere else nearby in the mountain range. At least she probably hasn't gone to urban areas."
"Why is that?"
"Because there hasn't been news like some city in eastern Asia getting destroyed."
Lu Yinghua's expression was quite serious.
He probably had no intention of making a joke. As expected of someone who knew the absurd personality of Luo Cuilian, the demonic cult leader, best.
"Whether Master's disappearance is connected to the 'King of the End' or not, let's reserve our opinion on that for the current stage."
"I agree. But you make it sound like she'll do things exceeding your worst expectations any time."
"It's the same with every Devil King, the Campiones. Including you, Honored Uncle."
"..."
Godou was unable to raise his objections against Lu Yinghua's comment that appeared to stem from deep enlightenment.
"Anyway, I'll do everything I can in this matter—"
Mid-sentence, Lu Yinghua vanished.
More accurately, he had jumped backwards so quickly that an ordinary human's dynamic vision would only have registered "an instantaneous shadow," opening the closed window without any sound and leaving the room.
It was definitely like a flash of lightning. As quick as wind.
Godou was only able to comprehend thanks to his familiarity with Lu Yinghua's skills.
Just as he was puzzling why Lu Yinghua had left, Godou heard footsteps on the wooden staircase.
"Onii-chan, who is there with you?"
Someone called to him from outside the door. His little sister Shizuka had arrived.
"...No one. I'm alone right now."
"Okay, then I'm opening the door."
A moment later, the room door was opened and Shizuka entered. She looked at Godou with a weird expression while staring with full surprise at the window that was wide open despite the winter weather.
"Was it my imagination...?"
"What's with you?"
"I heard a boy's voice from the second floor—Something like that. I even thought it was him, that guy with the family name of Lu."
"If he really were here, what were you planning to do?"
"Have a chat with him and ask for his phone number and email address. If he's willing, maybe even set a date to meet up some time. He always makes me curious."
If these were the seeds of a budding romance between young boys and girls, perhaps Godou should offer his assistance.
However, Kusanagi Shizuka was very similar to her mother and was born with a queenly aura. What she said about meeting up could probably be replaced by the word "summon." Very probably.
To prevent the misogynistic Lu Yinghua from suffering unnecessary hardship, Godou decided to feign ignorance to the very end.
"Oh okay. I'll ask him next time I see him."
"Whatever. Even without you worrying, Onii-chan, I can still make friends on my own."
Hearing Shizuka's indifferent response, Godou nodded generously.
The fact that he mentally replaced "friends" with "flunkies" must be kept secret.
"Oh right, Asuka-chan invited us just now. Basically, to go out with her to have okonomiyaki for dinner. Do you wanna go, Onii-chan?"
"Sure. Grandpa should be coming home quite late tonight."
"Okay. Then let's head over to Asuka-chan's place at 7pm or so tonight."
Tokunaga Asuka, the Kusanagi siblings' childhood friend, lived at a nearby sushi shop.
Hence, Shizuka left the room. Godou could hear her quick lively footsteps descending the staircase. Lu Yinghua proceeded to return to the room lightly from the window.
"...You noticed from the sound?"
"Yeah. Because I heard footsteps from the staircase, I realized she was coming up."
Hearing approaching footsteps downstairs even in a building constructed from steel-reinforced concrete and correctly deducing the identity of the approaching person as well—
Lu Yinghua had acquired superhuman hearing as a result of his harsh training as Luo Cuilian's disciple.
At merely the tender age of fourteen, he definitely deserved to be called a promising young star, a martial arts prodigy.
...However, apart from genius talent, he was also burdened with many negative assets including "being forced to endure inhumanely cruel training since early childhood," "living a life of seclusion for over eight years in the mountains since the age of three," "a great quantity of mental trauma giving rise to latent hostility towards women," ...etc.
"I have embarrassed myself in front of you, Honored Uncle."
"Of course not, you already have many things troubling you to begin with. Not increasing the number of hassles would be best. I agree t
oo."
The two of them had experienced many hardships due to female relationships.
There were many things they could mutually understand without needing long explanations. Like those girls who were close to Godou as companions, with Erica first and foremost, Lu Yinghua was a trusted comrade as well, but in a different sense.
Hence, after returning home, Kusanagi Godou was preparing for the predicted state of emergency.
However, he still went to school properly every day and had normal contact with family members such as his sister, mother and grandfather. As for interacting with neighbors, he would occasionally chat with his childhood friend, Asuka.
Although this was only to rest his body and mind, Godou experienced an incredible feeling.
As the days went by, one at a time, he felt his body's functions gradually grow stronger.
He was almost like an athlete carefully adjusting his body in preparation for a world competition.
What was recuperating was most likely the deepest parts of his body and mind.
The decisive battle was imminent.
As a godslaying warrior, a Campione's body and mind would subconsciously adjust Kusanagi Godou to peak condition in preparation for the decisive battle against mortal enemies.
That was probably the case.
When Amakasu Touma contacted him, Godou was able to react with composure.
'Kusanagi-san, it's now clear what the threat coming from southwest is.'
Several days after his return, Godou happened to receive a call just as he was going home from school.
'Athena—no, Pallas Athena—did not head to Japan directly. For the past few days, she was apparently present at the South China Sea. Namely, a small island somewhere between Taiwan and the Philippines."
The South China Sea. From Tokyo's perspective, that was indeed in the southwestern direction.
'She seems to have conducted an unidentified summoning ritual there. Leading multiple serpentine divine beasts, entering the Pacific Ocean from the South China Sea, she is currently advancing northwards without impediment. Rather rapidly by following the Kuroshio Current. That's the same method as the goddess who appeared at New Year's—Circe."
"Based on what you said, could it be that she discovered power there that was left behind by Circe, intending to reuse it?"
Campione! - Volume 17 - The Hero's Name Page 2
