"What's the matter, Seishuuin?"
Ena was stammering, showing hesitation unlike her usually personality as a free-spirited child of nature.
Finding her acting strange, Godou inquired.
"Ena also... wants to carry out the ritual together. The ritual to pass all kinds of knowledge to Your Majesty—"
"!?"
"E-Ena-san, what are you talking about!?"
In other words, the three of them doing it together—naturally, Godou was not the only one feeling surprised but Yuri was greatly stunned as well. However, the Hime-Miko of the Sword still continued shyly.
"S-Sorry. Ena will be left out at this rate, only to watch from afar... This makes Ena very sad..."
Indeed, the ability to extract Akashic Memories was limited only to outstanding users of spirit vision.
Naturally, this arena would be dominated by Yuri alone. However, that would mean excluding Ena, leaving her all alone.
If possible, Godou still wanted to treat his companions equally, these companions who had supported him through thick and thin—
Godou believed that sincerely. Precisely because of that, before using common sense to reject this highly problematic proposal after contemplating various considerations, he felt his heart waver somewhat.
(I see, Seishuuin also—)
Naturally, he glanced at the other Hime-Miko.
Yuri was acting flustered from her childhood friend's request, unsure how to answer.
"N-No matter what, to make the outrageous proposal of three people engaging in this kind of behavior, that would be far too shameless. W-We ought to show more restraint—"
Face completely red, she protested. However, Yuri stopped mid-sentence.
She must have recalled how "this kind of behavior" had already taken place many times already. Also blushing intensely from embarrassment, Ena then brought up that.
"Y-Yeah. Ena had a feeling Yuri would say this. B-But at Nikkou and Gaul, we already did that kind of thing many times already. This time as well—Ena wants to proceed as in the past..."
"Th-That really should not be how the issue can be settled."
"You're right... Ena is truly sorry for saying such willful words. Ena did not mean to trouble you, Yuri, but Ena wanted to make a request no matter what..."
The normally lively and cheerful Ena was hanging her head sadly. She must have realized she had said something very willful.
"E-Ena-san."
Yuri quietly and sorrowfully called out the name of the Hime-Miko who had backed down with forthrightness.
She was wavering inside, unsure whether to obey her sense of shame and common sense or to prioritize her dear friend's feelings. Furthermore, if their places had been swapped... Perhaps she might be thinking about the same matter too.
Godou reached out and embraced the distraught Hime-Miko in his arms.
"Mariya, I've got the same request for you."
"Godou-san!?"
Hugging the hesitant Yuri tightly, Godou continued at the same time:
"I feel really bad about pushing troublesome tasks on you all the time, but I'm very sorry, it looks like I'll have to continue being a good-for-nothing who does nothing but stupid things."
"Indeed you are right. Godou-san and Ena-san are always saying unreasonable things."
Yuri's body was only stiff in the very beginning.
Immediately, she relaxed in Godou's arms and entrusted her weight to him. Very likely, she had been searching for an excuse to relent as well.
Due to Godou's 180cm stature, the two of them had quite a large difference in height.
Stooping lower, Godou brought his face near Yuri's lips and said:
"If you dislike it, just shove me away immediately."
"I shall not... do that. Although I honestly feel that you are someone who always makes things difficult for others, I am the one who promised to spend my life with you... However."
Simply by conversing in whispers, they could feel each other's breathing.
This intimate sense of distance was only possible precisely because the two of them had promised their minds and bodies to each other.
"I shall have to make you spoil me next time, understood?"
"Of course you can."
Inspired with a sense of tender affection by Yuri's rare request to be spoiled, Godou began to kiss her.
Yuri received Godou's lips in ecstasy. After a while, she opened her lips and called out to the childhood friend who had been watching them with an uneasy expression.
"Ena-san too... Come here."
"Certainly!"
Yuri's invitation was this brief probably due to embarrassment. However, Ena rushed over to their side with vigor as though she were flying.
"Now it is time to start gathering the knowledge about the 'King of the End.'"
With Yuri's announcement, the surroundings suddenly changed. The hundreds of stone tablets embedded in the sand started to float into the air one after another.
In response to that, Yuri's eyes shone with glass-colored radiance.
"The king manifesting at era's end... The heavenly child sent to the earth to exterminate the sinful Devil Kings, the sleeping tiger lurking in the human realm, the bow-using hero shouldering the fate of wandering—His Highness' name is hereby received without a doubt."
Declaring softly, the Hime-Miko reached towards her friend.
"Please also accept the wisdom I have obtained, Ena-san."
"Yes!"
The two girls clasped their hands together tightly. At the same time, Ena's eyes also shone with glass-colored radiance.
Yuri was using the spirit power of psychic sensing to share the knowledge regarding the "King of the End."
Then the ritual of instruction finally began.
"Godou-san. The goddess Circe had mentioned on her dying breath. The 'King of the End' is an existence linked to the genealogy of what is known as the Argo in Greek mythology."
"Traveling on this ship were dozens of heroes with Heracles first and foremost."
Ena continued quietly immediately after Yuri.
Welcoming the two girls to his bosom, Godou sat cross-legged on the white beach. Hence, the two Hime-Miko followed, sitting down respectively on Godou's left and right sides. At the same, they leaned themselves tightly against him as well.
The warmth and suppleness of the two maidens' bodies were being transmitted through the chihaya and the miko outfits.
Smooch... Godou lightly kissed Ena who was on his right.
"A certain member of the passengers was the 'King of the End'—That was not what she meant. The most crucial fact here, is what kind of ship the Argo was..."
At first, it was just a light touch on the lips.
But by the second kiss, Ena was already pushing her lips tightly against him, then timidly, she inserted her tongue which Godou received in turn with his own tongue.
Between the pair's lips that were intimately pressed together, the two tongues tangled with each other.
After enjoying this intimate contact, Ena released his lips and it was Yuri's turn to kiss him.
"Setting out from a Greek port, the Argo sailed for the Black Sea, reaching the coastal kingdom of Colchis. What the band of heroes sought was the kingdom's golden fleece, their national treasure—Using guile in addition to valor, the heroes finally succeeded in stealing the fleece..."
"Then boarding the Argo, the heroes escaped from the kingdom of Colchis."
"Namely, attacking another country after a sea voyage, plundering treasure to return to their homeland in triumph—the adventure of the Argo was a myth originating from a story of invasion and piracy across the sea."
"The important element here is that of the 'invaders who traversed the sea.'"
"Have you noticed it? Actually, this legend follows the same structure as the tale of Momotarou circulating in Japan."
"In the ancient past, Momotarou sailed out to Onigashima to vanquish the evil ogres living on the island
, finally returning to his hometown with plundered treasure, yes? Ultimately, this was also a story of invading pirates..."
While weaving spell words as usual, Yuri continued to work her tongue carefully and nimbly.
Pouring in thoughts and loving feelings that were more delicate than bold, she allowed her lips and tongue to moisten inside his mouth and licked attentively. Ever since his kiss with her back in June last year, Yuri's heart had gradually and spontaneously filled with sincere feelings of offering herself to no one but Godou.
Influenced by her childhood friend's behavior, Ena gradually lost the stiffness in her motions.
When Yuri's lips let go, it was Ena's turn to seal Godou's lips, using her relaxed tongue to engage nonstop in a passionate kiss. In addition, with eyes of intoxication and fervent gaze, she stared at Godou.
The trio's feelings and behavior were escalating without impedance, finally entering the official ritual—
This was the same development as usual. However, just as Godou was thinking that, Yuri's breathing suddenly quickened.
"Mariya?"
"S-Sorry. I suddenly feel out of breath..."
Not only Yuri but Ena beside her was also panting.
In addition, the two girls were leaning against him from both sides, entrusting their exhausted bodies to Godou for support. Frantically, Godou held the two Hime-Miko, feeling surprised.
Their entire bodies were unbelievably hot. If one were to measure their body temperatures with a thermometer, it would most likely show forty degrees centigrade or above.
"The secret of the 'King of the End,' sealed away for over two millennia... Of all the spirit visions imparted so far, this one is the hardest to endure."
"A-After all, this is knowledge determined as taboo by the gods, Yuri."
Ena replied to her childhood friend who was moaning in pain.
"Although we are miko who have gone through training, we are humans with lifespans after all... Unless we proceed with caution, our minds and bodies won't endure—"
Evident from this advice alone, she truly lived up to her name as the premier Hime-Miko who was accustomed to dealing with gods.
Furthermore, Ena whispered while closing her eyes. Hence, the glass-colored radiance residing in her eyes began to envelop her entire body faintly.
Then burying her face into Godou's chest, Ena said softly:
"Y-Your Majesty, it's fine now, continue the ritual? A-Also, although it's okay to kiss on the lips like earlier... Ena hopes you can kiss somewhere else too."
"What!?"
"I-If the knowledge is left to remain in our heads as in the past, it will place a very heavy burden... Can try moving it to the body."
"You can even do something like that!?"
"After all, this is the Netherworld. Because this is the domain where thoughts and spirit rank higher than the body and matter, so this sort of thing is still possible."
"B-But, what you mean by kissing somewhere else is—"
"Y-Yes. All kinds of knowledge will be transmitted as usual just by kissing other parts of Ena's body. If you don't end the ritual quickly using this method, Ena and Yuri probably won't last to the end. Might collapse before all the knowledge is imparted..."
Covered in faint glass-colored light, Ena whispered these words.
Burying her face in Godou's chest, she even pressed her extremely well-developed bosom tightly against him. But ultimately, she could not muster much strength.
Godou immediately kissed Ena's smooth neck and even licked with his tongue.
Instantly, vivid images surfaced in his mind. It was the "King of the End" kneeling down submissively with his head bowed to be crowned. The one crowning him was an old man dressed in crude clothing. Probably a monk or a priest.
"Ah—Your Majesty, did it transmit?"
"Yeah, no problem. This method works."
"Th-Then please. Kiss Ena even more—Ooh mmm!"
While Godou slid his lips and tongue along the neck down to the shoulder, Ena's body suddenly began to shudder. It was as though her entire body had grown quite sensitive.
Perhaps by watching her fellow Hime-Miko, Yuri grasped the technique as well.
Letting the pale glass-colored light envelop her entire body, Yuri said to Godou:
"I-I am fine now. So definitely, Godou-san, I can help—Ooh mmm!"
This time, Godou kissed Yuri's earlobe.
This was the same act he had performed in passing during the knowledge ritual in the past, prior to the duel against his sworn elder sister, Luo Cuilian. In fact, he had memories of kissing Yuri in that spot many times since then.
The gentle Hime-Miko was expressing a sensitive reaction like before—No, it was even more sensitive this time.
The ritual continued with force and vigor like raging waves in a storm.
Induced with burgeoning passion, Godou continued to kiss the two Hime-Miko deeply and heavily without resting.
Using his lips to kiss those lovely earlobes, pale necks and slender fingers, he even kissed their fingertips tenderly.
His tongue moving along their necks to the vicinity of their voluptuous bosoms, he used the tip of his tongue to carefully examine and confirm the soft tenderness of their skin.
Subconsciously, the two girls had already removed their chihaya over their miko outfits, even opening up their upper garments. However, none of the trio minded at all.
Furthermore, Yuri and Ena were not just passively accepting kisses.
Whenever they noticed Godou's lips departing, the girls would immediately bring their faces close to him, kissing nonstop.
"Godou-san. The sword for slicing apart the great hero, the most authoritative in the orient..."
"Now is precisely the time to master it. As long as it is for this purpose, Ena and Yuri can do anything..."
There were times when Yuri and Ena took turns in kissing him with other occasions when both girls kissed Godou's lips at the same time, offering kisses of intense passion.
Thanks to that, Godou would occasionally act out in excessive fervor.
Allowing his tongue to slide along their backs, down to their waists, or even kissing their pale thighs or the like, that was going way too far no matter what. However, the ritual of excessive passion was taking full effect, filling Godou with an astounding volume of knowledge inside.
In addition, Godou could finally feel certain.
Given his current self, he was now capable to slicing that man with the sword of spell words—
Inside Godou's mind, he was no longer that whatever "King of the End." His true name and origins were already known. All information about the hero was clear to him now.
It turned out to be the same hero as the name speculated by Amakasu Touma.
With expressions of rapture, Yuri and Ena gazed at Godou. As for the red flush surfacing faintly all over the two Hime-Miko's bodies, that was the afterglow lingering from the ritual for obtaining this name...
Chapter 5 - You, the One Shouldering the Fate of Eternity
Part 1
"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another."[1]
"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead."[2]
The two knights, Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranjcar, were cooperating on a task together while chanting spell words at the same time, for the sake of accomplishing a certain magic.
Their location was the garage of a detached home in the Bunkyou Ward where Liliana made her residence.
The garage was large enough to park two large vehicles but neither Liliana herself nor her maid and housemate Karen Jankulovski could drive, hence the garage was merely an unused space at present.
"It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is rais
ed a spiritual body."[3]
Erica was chanting spell words for metal manipulation magic.
Placed in the center of the garage, the object made metallic clanging noises with splashes of scorching sparks, meanwhile changing its form slowly.
After all, this type of work was not quite suited to undertake at home.
This was iron alchemy, the magic for manipulating iron and steel. Erica's area of specialty.
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.."[4]
Liliana was also using witchcraft.
Through the passage of time, women who served as priestesses for mother earth goddesses became known as "witches. Hence, users of witchcraft were experts skilled in the manipulation of earth spirits.
On the other hand, iron was the symbol of harm to the earth. Digging the earth required hoes crafted from iron. Chopping down trees required axes of iron.
As the incarnation of iron swords, the heroes of steel seized nations through martial valor, annexing land. Defeating the dragons and snakes controlled by the earth mothers, they turned goddesses of the land into their wives and lovers.
—Consequently, compatibility was very poor between Erica's iron alchemy and Liliana's witchcraft.
That being said, the two of them were melding magic from two different systems together, like mixing water with oil, cooperating to create a certain object.
The slightest mistake and this magic would fail.
Furthermore, the spell would still fail even from merely irregularity in breathing or instability in magic power.
This was a task of extreme difficulty. Completing this project without issue in spite of that, this stood testament to Erica and Liliana's skills as prodigy level.
"It has finally taken form. It should be fine as long as it accomplishes the effect."
"That would be Godou's job, not ours. This is as far as we can achieve within our power."
The two Great Knights conversed while looking at the center of the garage.
Placed there was a short sword, whose blade measured 50cm or so in length. The blade's color was dull like lead and inscribed with the words "the one who is, and who was, and who is to come."[5]
Campione! - Volume 17 - The Hero's Name Page 15
