Campione 08

by Trials of the Devil Kings

The gigantic bull-headed god that had just landed on the beach was now sinking down into the ground. The beach it was standing on had suddenly turned into a viscous mass like a bottomless bog.

  The bull-headed giant was sunk down to its knees, then its waist, its muscular chest, its thick arms, and finally its majestic head of a bull. All sank into the ground.

  Completely submerged. Witnessing the scene unfold, Alec's own body also sank into the viscous ground.

  — This was the power later dubbed [The Labyrinth] by Princess Alice.

  A subterranean river was reconstructed into the interior of an underground building, creating a massive maze to trap the enemy. However, this was a divine power of creation that applied a threatening pressure on the enemy according to the user's intellectual level.

  This was the authority Black Prince Alec usurped from Minos, the god of the land and the labyrinth.

  Using this new authority, Alec created a massive labyrinth from the land.

  The passage was tiled with square stones and quite spacious. Its height around 10m or so and width around 7-8m, the construction of the passage was rather roomy.

  This passage extended in all directions like a spider's web, forming an intricate and complicated maze.

  As its creator, Alec had a complete grasp of the labyrinth's structure and layout.

  Including his own current location, the enemy's position, as well as everyone caught inside the maze. It was like looking down at the ground from far above in the sky.

  "My impression of this labyrinth... is pretty much the same as the one I unintentionally sneaked into recently."

  Alec shrugged as he walked underground.

  It was true, this place did in fact have the same structure as the labyrinth created by the god Minos on the island of Crete.

  Perhaps it was because the battle from a few days ago left behind such a strong impression. Without associating the impressions of that labyrinth, it should be possible to alter the structure to other forms... that was the feeling Alec had.

  This should be tested out in the future. Though a firm grasp had been obtained, new authorities often had many uncertainties. Often it required combat experience during first use to truly understand them.

  (In the few months after becoming a Campione, Alec gained a true and thorough understanding that "training" to master an authority was completely meaningless. No amount of time spent training could compare to experience. It could very well be true that one day of actual combat yielded better returns in understanding than even a full year of training. Perhaps the presence of tension was the reason.)

  "So that [Bull] is now... over there. Hmph, still moving after all."

  Alec had a firm grasp of his foe's position. It had fallen into a different place, a dead end 200m northeast from his current position.

  However, it suddenly began to move. Completely ignoring the complicated passages of the labyrinth, it was heading straight towards Alec. And extremely rapidly too.

  The battle against Minos last time was the same.

  Previously, that bull-headed god ascertained Alec's position through smell, and —

  "There thou art, god-slayer! With my two horns I shall cut thee to pieces!"

  With the sound of dynamite exploding, the walls of the labyrinth were being crushed and blown apart.

  Collapsing stone turned into dust, filling the air with flying debris.

  From behind this smokescreen charged the bull-headed god. Its body was no longer as gigantic as when it was on the beach. Probably about a tenth in size now with a height of 5m or so. It was a body size chosen to move easily inside the labyrinth.

  However, even shrunken in size, the [Bull] — the might of a god of the land was still exceptionally frightening.

  "ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR!!!"

  With the sound of roaring, the bull-headed god charged at Alec.

  So fast! That speed likely reached 300km/h, and was attained instantly. As befitted a god, this explosive power was beyond common sense.

  However, Alec was able to dodge this sudden charge.

  "— Hmm!?"

  The bull-headed god groaned with surprise. However, it did not slow down and crashed violently into the wall behind Alec.

  CRAAAAAAAAAAASH!!

  Crash. The labyrinth's walls were simply pulverized and scattered by the bull-headed god's collision.

  A majestic divinity of the great land. Its power, tenacity and penetrative power must be outstanding even amongst gods. These kinds of walls must be like paper to it.

  This must be how it crashed through walls repeatedly, opening a straight path to charge forward.

  Yes, it was exactly the same as what the god Minos did on the island of Crete.

  "Hmph... Couldst thou be —"

  The bull-headed god seemed to be muttering in doubt.

  Discerning the opponent's weapon from a single glance? Again it was exactly the same as the Minos from that time.

  Nodding, Alec moved his body as the bull-headed giant crashed towards him at super high speed once again. With this kind of speed, even a martial arts master would likely find it difficult to evade.

  But to Alec, dodging this kind of impact was a piece of cake.

  Using the same principle as before, Alec performed evasive maneuvers.

  Currently, he was only using half of god speed.

  In this state, the world around felt extremely slow to Alec.

  It was like the fast forward and slow playback functions on videos.

  Even if the bull-headed god used frightening speed it looked like a tortoise's crawl.

  Easily seen with clarity.

  Slowly approaching. Until impact was imminent in 5cm, 2cm, 10mm, 5mm, 1mm... At that instant, Alec raised god speed to the max.

  Dodging with the speed of lightning with a stride towards the side. However, it was only a 10cm sidestep and god speed was reduced to half immediately afterwards.

  (From an observer's point of view, it would have looked like he was squashed to the side as a result of being struck.)

  Maintaining god speed all the time caused a heavy strain on the mind and the body.

  For a human body, precise movements were the most appropriate. This was the wisdom Alec gained after experiencing many battles.

  "Truly the footsteps of god speed! The god-slaying warrior akin to thunderous lightning!"

  The bull-headed god began to transform. From a bull-headed giant into a humongous bull — !

  Like a small hill, the massive body like an elephant gave a sense of overwhelming strength.

  "Hmph, as expected. This method — it is enough to use the same trick as against Minos."

  Alec sneered and used god speed once again.

  Running. With supernatural speed, he began to traverse the complex passages of the labyrinth.

  Just as his enemy described, he was the warrior akin to lightning, distancing himself greatly in an instant. However, clearly this was not his full speed.

  The maximum was lightning speed, but this was only around fifty percent.

  Even so, this was fast enough. However, the gigantic ferocious bull was also catching up with unnatural speed!

  So fast! Clocking 300... 400... 500km/h, the ferocious bull was accelerating ever more furiously.

  Alec finally went full speed ahead, reaching the maximum in an instant, attaining complete god speed. However, the ferocious bull had also reached god speed!

  Following immediately behind!

  Furthermore, it was carrying overwhelming momentum.

  Alec twisted left and right along the complicated passages of the maze, even jumping down platforms occasionally.

  However, the pursuing god in the form of a ferocious bull smashed through the walls of the labyrinth, charging in a straight line. If this continued, it was obvious which side was going to cover more ground in the long run.

  Alec running away, or the charging bull?

  — The charging bull had a pair of thick s
harp horns on its head that rivaled the sharpness of swords and spears. These weapons were fast approaching, intent on accomplishing the goal of piercing holes into Alec's slender body.

  "Thunder, descend!"

  Alec chanted the brief spell words. Releasing the human body, he turned into thunder — the avatar of lightning.

  Abandoning his material body to become a mass of electrified plasma, the Black Prince charged at those horns of the ferocious bull that resembled battering rams of pirate ships. Naturally, it was futile to attempt the piercing of intangible lightning.

  Conversely, the lightning offered resistance. The ferocious bull's gigantic body was bathed in electricity, giving off loud scorching noises.

  "Oohohohoh!! God-slayer!"

  The ferocious bull god groaned briefly. Its violent charge did not stop completely, continuing to target Alec despite his lightning form. This level of electrical attack was clearly not enough to produce a critical hit.

  — Right. Alec nodded secretly to himself. The avatar of lightning had not been effective against god Minos either. His electrical attack did not produce enough effect, and the enemy had instantly discerned the weakness of this avatar.

  "However, I have seen through it, how to conquer thy impenetrable fortress of lightning. In that case, it shall fall!"

  Ahah, as expected. Even the dialogue was identical to that time.

  Alec's lips naturally distorted themselves into a mocking smile.

  At the same time, the ferocious bull god slowed down, returning to normal from god speed. Its distance from Alec instantly increased, but that was not because it had given up the chase. It was the opposite.

  "OOOOOOOLAAAAAANNNNNN!!"

  The ferocious bull god suddenly yelled out. It was a terrifying roar that was reminiscent of thunder.

  It was also a form of spell words. Sacred words for neutralizing spells and releasing a god-slayer's authority.

  Turning into lightning eliminated the burden of god speed, allowed electric strikes, and evaded physical attacks thanks to abandoning the material body.

  However, if dispelled, it becomes extremely fragile...

  If countered by a god or a Campione's spells, the lightning avatar could easily be dispelled. Perhaps if several magi of Alice or Lucretia Zola's caliber were to gather together for an attempt, even human magi might be able to disrupt it.

  Alec's body of plasma returned to human form. If this had happened while he was flying in midair, the result would have shared the same fate as Icarus with his melted wings. Luckily this was not going to happen this time.

  In the last battle with god Minos, this point in battle resulted in a desperate crisis.

  "Hoh, thou hast seen through my counter, what a man with sharp eyes."

  "...Of course, because this is the second battle."

  Alec muttered in response to the ferocious bull god's praise.

  The true identity of the foe before him was still unclear. So far, its manner of movement, strength and speed were completely identical to the god Minos at Crete. Let's verify in a little while —

  "Those who walk past my gravestone, whoever steps upon my shadow, I know each and every one of you!"

  Alec quietly chanted the spell words that naturally surfaced in his mind.

  The authority he had mastered not too long ago — the power usurped from Minos, will be used to discern this fellow's secrets.

  Clearing his mind, he recalled the structure of the labyrinth.

  The overlooking view from above surfaced in his mind. Yes, this is my domain. Any destination could be reached without walking, requiring only thought.

  In the next instant, Alec's body sunk into the ground as thought.

  "Sorry, I am the Master of the Maze. Let me try a little trick. If you want to fight me then you must catch up to me. Fake Minos!"

  These words were left behind.

  The labyrinth actually had ninety-eight levels. Its structure was extremely vast.

  Just now, Alec and the god were located on the seventeenth level counting from the top. Reaching the bottom would mean traversing eighty-one levels. So, how will the unidentified ferocious bull pursue?

  It was a massive circular space with a diameter of 10km.

  Alec was now standing in the deepest level of the vast labyrinth. Bare ground. Massive space. Located in the center were the altar and throne for worshiping the bull-headed god.

  These were all familiar sights from last time. The final battlefield where the defeat of god Minos had occurred.

  Crash! Crash! Crash!

  Strange crashing noises echoed in the quiet holy sanctum. Alec looked up to the ceiling, which began to show minor cracks. Pieces of stone clattered as they fell. Finally, the cracked portion became a great opening.

  The bull-headed human-bodied giant god jumped down from the opening. It landed with a great slam.

  Its height had returned to 30m. This powerful monster had used its gigantic fists to smash the labyrinth's floors, one level at a time, eschewing the use of stairs to descend directly.

  It must have decided that coming straight down like this was faster than searching for stairs on every level.

  "To think you finally caught up, Fake."

  Alec grumbled as he looked up at the familiar figure of his foe.

  "Even though it's an amazing power, your imitation really kills the mood. If you have the ability to copy another god's powers and appearance, make yourself better-looking for goodness' sake. Ugliness should have limits."

  "Warrior of lightning, dost thou intend to insult the divine esteem of I, the mighty king?"

  From above came a solemn voice. However, Alec responded sardonically.

  "I don't know what game you're playing, but ultimately you are just a well-made counterfeit of a god. Very likely you have recreated the illusion of thirty or forty percent of the original divinity's power."

  "...I as an illusion? What nonsense dost thou speak, god-slayer?"

  The bull-headed god looked perplexed as it spoke. Apparently, it had no awareness of being a fake.

  "Indeed, an illusion. If I had to put a finger on it, there is the fact that you have no soul. You don't have the heart of savagery shared by [Heretic Gods] as heralds of disaster. That is why you are so shamefully weak."

  The bull-headed god approached step by step. Alec coldly gazed up at its solemn face, speaking in a calm tone of voice.

  "The strength of gods is proportional to the steadfastness of their ego. Compared to the type of abilities or weapons they possess, obstinacy and intense desire are far more important factors in their power. Without this layer of meaning, there is nothing special about you."

  Fake Minos' giant body was threatening and full of tension.

  It seemed to have reproduced with great fidelity the [Bull]'s strength and charging ability from that divinity. However, it completely lacked the divine power of the [Master of the Maze], one which Alec considered far more troublesome. That explained why it only made use of strength to resist.

  Alec looked with despise at the bull-headed god's face high above him.

  "At this level, you can't even compare with a heretic god's subordinate deity. What a boring fake. Well, at least it could be said that fake gods have the value of being rare!"

  Will it work? Alec asserted with determination. He had enough of training and it was now time to use this power of the fake bull god properly.

  'If you have any objections, then just try smashing my body to smithereens!"

  "Fine. Smashing thy intricate creation seemeth a pity. But there is no other way to fully display the great power of I — king of the land!"

  "URRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAALLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

  Minos suddenly — rather, Fake Minos suddenly roared loudly.

  Of course, this was in order to use spell words of divine power.

  Fake Minos gathered together the spiritual essence of the earth and filled the underground space. This terrifying presence, must have
gathered power of the earth not only from the confines of the underground cavern but also the entire coastal area.

  Then Fake Minos clenched its fist and swung violently.

  Crack! The violent impact struck the floor of the labyrinth's deepest level.

  Immediately, the entire underground labyrinth shook intensely despite its vastness.

  CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!

  From the point of impact on the floor, cracks were gradually radiating out. The surface was littered with patterns reminiscent of spiderwebs and the cracks stretched all the way into the depths of the vast empty space.

  The cracks even reached up the walls, covering them with numerous crevices.

  Fake Minos roared once more, continuing to strike at the floor.

  Rocks from the ceiling of the hollow space shattered noisily and fell down.

  As Master of the Maze, Alec already knew that all ninety-eight levels were collapsing.

  "Fuhahahahahaha! God-slayer, 'tis apparent that thou canst move like a shadow within this labyrinth! But thy palace is about to collapse! — URRRRRRRRAAAAAAALLLAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"

  Roaring once again, it continued to strike the ground. Obviously, the shaking and destruction of the labyrinth became even more severe.

  Of course this could not be limited to physical impact. As a violent god of the great earth, some kind of powerful destructive authority must have been used.

  However, Alec was laughing from the bottom of his heart. This was perfect.

  During the time it took this thing to reach the deepest level of the labyrinth, Alec had already completed the most time-consuming [Summon]. All that remained was to wait for the signal of revenge!

  "Hear me, daughters of the endless night, daughters of the earth and shadow."

  These spell words formed the hymn offering sacrifice to the goddesses of vengeance.

  Guarding Alec, the infernal goddesses' black wings deflected all the stones and rocks falling from above, preventing every one of them from approaching his body.

  "Fighting evil with evil, repaying crime with crime, shedding blood for blood, knocking out a tooth for a tooth, thus vengeance begins. By the blood of the slain mother, tragic death denies all future attempts at filial piety!!"

  Standing on the violently shaking ground where crevices continued to appear, Alec did not lose his balance.