Campione! Vol 5 Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Date Proposal Part 1 At the History Compilation Committee, Tokyo Akasaka branch. After eleven o'clock at night. Amakasu Touma stayed behind by himself at the office. However, this office and state intelligence agency apparently did not have many employees. The office, which occupied an entire floor of a residential and commercial building, was lined by a number of desks. Piled high on the desks were all sorts of computers and doc.u.ments, all kinds of books (including manga) as well as all types of snacks and junk food, health equipment such as pressure point ma.s.sage tools, and toys targeted towards infants and older children. Someone working in the gaming, anime or publishing industries would likely mistake this for a compet.i.tor's office. In such a s.p.a.ce, at a certain reserved desk, Amakasu Touma sat behind a laptop computer — not hard at work, but browsing his favorite websites and reading anonymous message boards. However, he was not entirely slacking off. His ears and mouth were busy on the cellphone, communicating with his boss about work related affairs. "That matter has already been handled, don't worry, please have more faith in me." 'I wish I could do that.' Sayanomiya Kaoru's wonderful voice flowed from the cellphone. If teenage girls heard this kind of voice, they would likely cause a commotion with cries of 'iyaaah, that voice is super cool!' 'To be asked to have more faith in someone who bookmarks celebrity news sites and blogs of idols and voice actors on his work computer...' "That is serious intelligence gathering, it is very important to our work." As he shamelessly searched for excuses, Amakasu continued to stare at the online auction page in front of him. 'Other than that, have you discerned the intentions of the Old One?' "No, not yet, but up until recently he had not taken any interest in Kusanagi-san." The Tokyo branch of the History Compilation Committee -- Sayanomiya Kaoru and her trusted subordinate, Amakasu, had free rein to run the office as they pleased. "Speaking of recent events that could have garnered the Old One's interest, how about the incident at Naples? The battle against Perseus." 'Ah yes, Amakasu-san called him the Hero of Steel, right?' "Yes, Perseus is the archetypical hero of steel with the [Sword] attribute. Verethragna, who Kusanagi G.o.dou unwittingly defeated, also belongs to the same category." The ancestor of Verethragna, Mithra, also had a "born from stone" legend. There is also the Armenian war G.o.d Vahagn who has been called the brother of Verethragna. The hero G.o.d possessing flaming hair and beard, and born from the crimson sea. Stones, in other words, ore, the origin of iron. Fire, to melt ore. Wind, to start fires and fan the flames. Water, to cool the newly forged metal. The intricate relationships between the elements are all essential to the various sword G.o.ds. 'Just like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?' "Exactly. Using the legend of Excalibur as a starting point, there are numerous myths whose essence originated from the tale of the G.o.d of steel. To say that the 'Knights of the Round Table originate from Celtic myths' would be oversimplifying things." 'This is certainly quite a deep topic' "Of course, one must not ignore elements of Celtic myths, either. But in order to interpret those legends, the history of the multicultural nation formed by Britain and the Roman Empire must be considered. This should have been explained by Kaoru-san from the start." The young cross-dressing great-granddaughter of natural historian and founder of the History Compilation Committee, Sayanomiya Koremichi, apologized in a deliberate manner in response to Amakasu's wry complaint. 'Hahaha, sorry sorry. I've been busy with this and that, what with things like school and Hime-Miko etc., and don't have much time for studies anymore.' Currently, the top priority would be to scrutinize the movements of Seishuuin Ena, the vanguard of the elders. Having reached such a conclusion, the conversation ended. Amakasu decided to head straight home, so he locked the door and exited the building. Planning to have a meal, he walked over to a certain ramen shop in the Tameike-Sannou neighborhood and stopped in front of it. Tables for customers were placed both inside and outside of the shop. A server came to take his order when he took a seat at one of the outside tables. Without particular deliberation, he ordered a soy sauce ramen with a hard-boiled egg and a can of beer. At the same time, a beautiful woman approached him. No, calling her a woman would be excessive, it would be more accurate to describe her as a beautiful girl. Seeing the girl's face, Amakasu shrugged his shoulders. Trying to escape was futile as he would just be found again. He might as well say h.e.l.lo as usual. "It's been a while, Erica-san, and you are still so beautiful. Seeing you makes me so happy." "It hasn't been that long, Amakasu-san. You don't mind if I sit here, right?" Obviously, he had no right to refuse, so Amakasu nodded his head in an exaggerated manner. Erica took the seat opposite Amakasu. The twenty-something-year-old una.s.suming youth, special operative of the History Compilation Committee. Having exhausted the resources of the magic a.s.sociation Copper Black Cross, her social network in Tokyo, and her own wits, Erica finally decided to make contact with this man to maximize her intelligence gathering. "What a surprise for Erica-san to visit a shop like this." Amakasu spoke casually, apparently unfazed by her sudden arrival. Erica smiled as she carried on the conversation. "Oh my, I often visited roadside stalls when I was in Hong Kong." "Yes, now that it's mentioned, you did stay there for a year or so." "As expected of Amakasu-san, you have investigated already, just like a j.a.panese ninja superman." To this rare compliment, Amakasu responded with a subtle expression that was hard to describe. "Recently I've already begged someone else not to address me that way. At least call me a secret agent or a spy... Besides, if you use such a description, 'superman' is kind of redundant." "Is that so? No matter, I will respect your personal opinion." "Much appreciated." At this time, the server came with the menu, and Erica spoke without hesitation. "Do you have wonton noodles? And of course, shrimp wonton would be best." "Ordinary ramen shops in j.a.pan won't have that menu item, please go to a Chinese restaurant if you want something like that... Uh, this lady here would like to order the same things as me." Accepting Amakasu's order, the server left, and Erica made a frown. "To call themselves a noodle specialty shop, and yet they don't have wonton noodles." "Of course not. You should know, Erica-san, that there are differences between ramen shops in j.a.pan and noodle shops in Hong Kong. You've already been here for three months." Erica was irked by Amakasu's expression of ridicule. Somehow, it reminded her of G.o.dou's expression whenever he pointed out their "difference in upbringing." "How could I tell? This is my first time in this kind of shop." "Appearing to be wise and experienced, but actually a sheltered young lady from a high cla.s.s family, you're the opposite of Ena-san." Taking a swig of beer, Amakasu commented nonchalantly. Erica smiled. Certainly, the man she called a ninja was very observant. "Seishuuin Ena, that girl is not a high cla.s.s young lady?" "She is a young lady who received a perfect education since birth. The ultimate Yamato Nadeshiko. But in spite of that, the child was raised in a natural environment. However, Erica-san probably didn't come to ask about that, right?" "Yes, what I want to know is about her as a Hime-Miko." "You sought me out to ask about that? But there is no way I will answer that." "Is that so? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' that probably best describes our relationship right now." At that moment, the food arrived. Two large bowls filled with noodles. From the taste and color of the soup, it was clearly typical soy sauce ramen. As well as a can of beer, which Erica opened by pulling the ring off without any delay. "In j.a.pan, minors are forbidden from drinking alcohol." "Yes, but isn't this because you ordered the same thing for me? Besides, I am of drinking age in Italy, so don't worry." "What happened to 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'? Whatever, so the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Amakasu took the white spoon and took a small sip of the ramen soup. Erica also tried a mouthful, which turned out to have an unexpectedly complex taste, but it was not bad at all. "I've heard that, recently, you've been broadening your circles. If that's the case, then you should be able to obtain satisfactory information from those who distance themselves from the Committee... Especially the state of affairs in j.a.pan, you should have a decent grasp, right?" "It was rather troublesome, and other than the History Compilation Committee, I never knew about the Four Families who served the emperor and their power struggles in the wizardry world." A power struggle dominated by family clans rather than magic a.s.sociations. This was common in the world of magic, and was not really something surprising. However, it did come as a surprise to find out that the winning family were the ones running the History Compilation Committee. "Your side is responsible too, for you guys simply didn't care for inside knowledge about j.a.pan." "About a hundred and fifty years ago, the victor in the political struggle was the clan of your master at the History Compilation Committee, but it was not that complete or overwhelming a victory." As the foremost amongst the four, its influence did not surpa.s.s the second family by a wide margin. "Yes yes, it is correct that the Seishuuin family has been a troublesome existence to us, but anyway, since our side has the final say, it isn't that serious a problem." "That's what you say, but then why are you letting Seishuuin Ena do as she pleased right now?" "Well we do have our own troubles, not everything can go as smoothly as one wishes." Amakasu conversed as he ate his soy sauce ramen. When faced with food that does not match her tastes, Erica had the ability to completely ignore the flavor. Fortunately, she did not need to exercise that ability this time. The ramen tasted just as good as shrimp wonton noodles. Having finished two thirds of his noodles, Amakasu spoke slowly. "Let me provide a few tips then. But do not misinterpret this as a dangerous relationship between enemies of the same enemy, but that I simply leaked information when entranced by the beautiful young lady sharing a meal with me." "Hoho, I am honored." Malevolent smiles appeared on both Amakasu and Erica's faces. Perhaps these two people could be described as a fox and a tanuki dealing in a secret transaction. "Seishuuin Ena is the secret weapon of the elder known as the Old One. No matter what opinions this old man and his companions hold, we Committee members cannot ignore them." "Just like the relationship between the government and the Senate." "An apt description. Furthermore, the Old One has bestowed the divine sword to Ena-san." "Divine sword — could that be the Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi?" "Also widely known as the Kusanagi sword." "Ah, that's the same name as G.o.dou." "Just an ordinary coincidence. The family name Kusanagi is quite common in the areas of Akita and Sanuki, so I believe his ancestors most likely originated from there." So that's how it was. Erica nodded her head. If he had inherited the blood of those versed in magic, then it would be even better if he had more disposition towards magic. "That sword, could it be the real thing?" That name, belonged to the favorite sword of j.a.pan's famous heroic G.o.d. To name a fake after a legendary divine artifact was actually quite common. But Erica found it strange for herself to be suspecting Ena's sword as the authentic original. However, a sacred presence could be felt from the divine blade. Sure enough, Amakasu showed a troubled expression. "Well that depends on the definition of what it means to be the real thing. As one of the Three Sacred Treasures, the sword inherited by someone of the n.o.blest heritage is most likely a fake from an archaeological standpoint. However, that one, on the other hand..." "That one?" "Could be described as a treasure just like the real thing. To say any more would be disclosing trade secrets." "Understood. I'll simply think of it as the unlimited potential of 'made in j.a.pan.'" It seemed like the Hime-Miko and the History Compilation Committee still had many troublesome mysteries, and Erica decided she must be even more careful from now on. Like the Gorgoneion and the Secret Tome of Prometheus. If what Amakasu said was correct, the Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi would likely harbor the same hidden potential as those kinds of divine artifacts. However, those objects were originally tools that the G.o.ds made for themselves. They were not meant to be used by humans, and reckless use will result in death. If Kusanagi G.o.dou had not become a Campione, he would have died already. "I am becoming more and more interested in Ena-san's secrets. By the way, may I ask something a little more detailed?" Amakasu shrugged silently as if he had no intention of answering. With no other recourse, Erica could only change the subject. "Anyway, are you and Ena-san from the same school of martial arts?" "In terms of ability, of course she is stronger. Fighting is not my strong suit." "Compared to martial prowess, I've heard that Amakasu-san is even more talented in spells... Is that true?" From early on, Erica had taken an interest in this man's hidden capabilities. "You overestimate me. After all, I just run errands. There's no need for amazing powers, it's that simple." Erica politely nodded at Amakasu's excuses. Tonight's investigation has reached its conclusion. The next step will be to follow the clues provided by this young man, who truly cannot be underestimated. Erica smiled like a n.o.blewoman as she placed cash on the table and stood up. "What a pleasant conversation, let us meet again if the opportunity arises." "Personally, I don't really want to meet you privately like this. By the way, that Ena-san seemed like she was preparing some kind of trap or enchantment at your school. Though I have no idea what type it is, but seeing as it is set by the Hime-Miko who holds the divine sword — you cannot be reckless, please take care." Amakasu signaled with his eyes, having given Erica a crucial piece of news at the very end. Part 2 It was after school at Jounan Academy, in the tearoom of the tea ceremony club — "To be able to drink tea casually is so great, if it was on the mountains, just boiling water alone would be quite a ch.o.r.e." "Hooo..." Ena murmured to herself as she deeply exhaled. In her hand was the cup of powdered tea she prepared herself. Next to her were the tea ceremony club president, Hanabusa-san, and Mariya Yuri. "However, as someone who does not belong to this club, for Ena-san to come and go from the tea room so openly is a bit..." Ena possessed nimble agility surpa.s.sing cats and monkeys. In Yuri's mind appeared images of Ena using such skills to trespa.s.s and infiltrate the school. "Calling me an outsider is too much, Ena has already greeted all the club members from the president all the way down. Besides, I even brought souvenir gifts today, so at least treat me like a guest." "G-Gifts?" The greatly surprised Yuri turned her gaze towards Hanabusa-san. Embarra.s.sed, the kind-hearted tea ceremony club president proceeded to confess. "Yes, yes that's right — I just received from Seishuuin Ena-san all sorts of things. Look! Tea powder, some snacks, and then there's the tea ware!" "Could it be, that all the things were brought here from the Seishuuin home..." Yuri began to take a closer look at the tea-ware in use. She had never seen any of them. Actually it was rather alarming. Such high-cla.s.s equipment was not really appropriate for club activities. "By the way, you all don't need to be too concerned. These are just spare stuff that Granny back home had gathered. Tools are meant to be used." "True, but high cla.s.s utensils should be used somewhere more appropriate." "M-Mariya-san, c-could all these be very precious items?" "Yes, precious but not priceless. After all, things of this quality can be bought as long as you have the money. The most expensive piece probably does not exceed one or two million... President-san, get a hold of yourself!" At that unlucky moment, Hanabusa-san was holding one of the tea utensils with only one hand. Yuri and Ena looked after her as she entered a state of panic. Afterwards, Hanabusa-san declared that she needed to clear her mind and left the room. The s.p.a.cious tearoom was left with only two Hime-Miko as its occupants. Today was Friday, and because it was not a club activity day, there were no other members present. Yuri came because Ena's phone call summoned her. As for Hanabusa-san, it was her daily routine as club president to clean and dust the place. "So, why has Ena come to our school again?" Yuri could not help but interrogate Ena. "Last time, it was all your fault for creating that kind of situation for me and G.o.dou-san — " "But thanks to last time, Yuri and His Majesty's relationship has progressed slightly, isn't that good?" "No, not good!" However, it was true that the farce last time dispelled all awkwardness between G.o.dou and her. But Yuri would not be happy because of that. Besides, she began worrying again about what happened between Erica and Ena. "Did you really not have any conflict with Erica-san?" "No no, we just chatted a bit that time, and then I left immediately." "Then why did I feel the Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi stir that time?" "I only drew it out for her to have a look, it's that simple. Yuri, you worry too much." Yuri's sharp gaze focused on the relaxed Ena. "Though Erica-san sometimes brings trouble to others, but she is a girl who gives her all for G.o.dou-san... for the [King]. If you recklessly target her, you will incur a king's wrath. Please do not forget this warning, I sincerely beg you." "I know, I know. I'll do as you say." Did she really understand? Or is she just playing along? Unable to discern Ena's true intentions, Yuri could not help but sigh. This type of threatening warning should really be the job of the History Compilation Committee, but somehow they were giving a false impression of responding slowly to this matter. "Yuri seems to be worrying about something strange, but you have more important things to handle, right?" "Important things?" Due to Ena's sudden question, Yuri lost composure. "The matter of developing relations with Kusanagi-san. Now that it is declared that we will both marry into his household, the next step is... Of course, a date, right?" "Date!? Are you suggesting that G.o.dou-san and l-l-l have a secret rendezvous?" "Yes, exactly, or maybe you can call it a tryst?" "No way! Two people cannot do that unless they are married!" "Actually, this kind of thing is very common before marriage. Don't worry, come with Ena together to invite him. To have Yuri on the right, and Ena on the left. Kusanagi-san will definitely be happy to hug two beauties simultaneously, one on each side." Ena smiled innocently, stood up, and forcefully pulled Yuri's hands. Then the two Hime-Miko began searching the school for Kusanagi G.o.dou. Meanwhile, Kusanagi G.o.dou was — "And thus, let us commence the second meeting of the Judgment Council Censuring the b.a.s.t.a.r.d Kusanagi G.o.dou who Monopolizes the Two Great Beauties + Newcomer. Everyone, are you all ready?" "No problem. Let us bring to justice Kusanagi G.o.dou, public enemy of men." "Of course, on account of our love-communist ideals of equality, let us give our utmost in denouncing the bourgeoisie!" G.o.dou was currently a prisoner because of these three raving mad men. After school, he was covered by a sack and kidnapped. Next, he was taken to an unknown empty cla.s.sroom and thrown onto the ground with his hands and feet bound by transparent tape wound numerous times. The three perpetrators had paper bags concealing their faces, but G.o.dou, who knew their ident.i.ties from the start, simply spoke coldly. "Nanami, Sorimachi, Takagi... Though I already knew you were all idiots, I never thought your stupidity could reach such heights. Please let me go while your crimes are still minor." Hearing G.o.dou speak, the three idiots stared at him through the eyeholes in their paper bags. "Fool, we are not of those names." "That's right, we are not your cla.s.smates." "We are the allies of justice who devote our thoughts to the people and the country, please do not have any odd misunderstandings, okay?" G.o.dou had no doubt that if ultimate idiots existed in this world, surely it must be these three in front of him. "Uh... Though I don't really understand, but you guys must have many reasons, and I probably have areas I could improve, so just let out all your complaints and I will definitely listen to them." If possible, he wanted to be released as soon as possible. Thinking thus, G.o.dou offered a peaceful proposal, but the three idiots angrily scoffed. Their arrogant and hateful att.i.tudes continued unchanged. "You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, your mouth only speaks pretty words... Fine, then why don't you come clean with your crimes this past summer?" Summer? Hearing Sorimachi's question, the agitated G.o.dou feigned composure. If their living together on Sardinia were revealed, there would be a serious misunderstanding. This required a prudent answer. "During summer I was living an honest and simple life, and nothing odd happened at all." To this unconvincing explanation, Nanami muttered "Oh?" "Then Comrade S, please report your findings." "At the shopping street in Nezu Sanchoume where Kusanagi G.o.dou lives, this fellow was not spotted in the first half of summer from early July to early August." "Very good, suspicious point number one. Comrade T, what do you have to report?" "In the exact same time-frame, there were no eyewitness accounts of Erica who used to appear frequently in the Hongou area. Furthermore, even Mariya-san disappeared from her tea ceremony club activities during that period. It is my personal opinion that Kusanagi G.o.dou is the prime suspect based on these times." "As for suspicious points two and three..." Nanami spoke in an exaggerated tone, and watched G.o.dou's expression at the same time. "I say, Kusanagi, could it be possible that during the entire summer, you and Erica-san and Yuri-san were happily vacationing away together? Haha... isn't that a state of paradise like in a galgame?" "How could something like that happen?! No matter how stupid you are, please think before you speak!" Deliberately investigating my summer activities, how free are these people? G.o.dou marveled as he denied. In such a situation, lying was a temporarily solution. However... "Comrade S, is there any response on the lie detector?" "He just made a great big lie. My lie detector of the heart is beeping. To this fellow Kusanagi, divine justice must be served!" "That's right, evildoers must be executed! Let us cast righteous judgment upon this l.u.s.tful maniac!" Hearing the conclusions of the three idiots, G.o.dou frantically yelled. "Wait! What is this lie detector of the heart! That's just you guys guessing blindly!" "You betray your ignorance. This is something that can only be used by males who have long been deprived of the love of innocent girls. You can call it a kind of magic. A dirty fellow like you will never reach this level of enlightenment." Unexpectedly, Sorimachi gave a puzzling answer. Just as the surprised G.o.dou was about to speak to defend himself... "Your crimes stop here, for you fellows have gone too far." At that moment, the door to the cla.s.sroom flew open and the awe-inspiring voice of a girl was heard. Liliana Kranjcar, the silver-haired knight who hailed from eastern European ancestry, had arrived. "Kusanagi G.o.dou, rest a.s.sured, I will take care of them immediately." "Sorry, Liliana, I owe you one." The reliable knight has appeared, and G.o.dou expressed his grat.i.tude. This made Liliana turn her face aside shyly. "This is part of my mission, thanks are not necessary. Since I could not find you, I went searching just in case... If you have learned your lesson, then do not leave my side as much as possible. I would be grateful if you try not to increase my workload." G.o.dou forced a smile as he nodded, while the three idiots were clearly shaken. "You seem quite confident, but what difference will one more person make? We have three people here, the power of the crowd, hahahahahahahahahaha!" "Trash like you? I can easily handle three hundred. What a joke." Liliana retorted condescendingly to their cheap villainous threats. Hearing her merciless answer, the three idiots clearly began to panic. Though they had no idea of her true capabilities, they were already overcome by the spirit of the blue knight. "Wait, wait wait! Liliana-san. We are just trying to impeach Kusanagi G.o.dou for his crimes." "Foolish! Kusanagi G.o.dou is the one with righteous goals, who walks the king's path. Rather than let you idiots impeach him, let me show you what shame is." Takagi's explanation failed to placate Liliana, so Sorimachi posed a question. "1-1 object! You say that Kusanagi has a righteous heart, that idea is very problematic! This man is an evildoer who deceives and plays around with multiple women. Isn't he a s.e.xual predator and public enemy of women!?" "Do you three just plan on using such superficial slander to change my opinion? What pitiful fools..." Seeing Liliana's slightly dissatisfied expression, G.o.dou somehow had a bad feeling that Liliana was going to give a highly unusual reb.u.t.tal. "Yes it is true that he is an unparalleled lecher. He will play around with girls on impulse, and is the harem king who has tainted innumerable women. That is the undeniable truth." That is so not the truth! You've got it all wrong from the start. Not hesitating to exposing G.o.dou's faults, Liliana continued sorrowfully in a low voice. "I have already advised him, he should practice some restraint in playing around with girls. I swore to maintain our relationship for eternity and forever serve him by his side. I wanted to become a woman who offers everything she has to him willingly, and become his partner. However, his rampant fetishes are a part of him, and I have no choice but to accept them." Liliana turned her face a little awkwardly. Uh, if he were truly someone so despicable, then just abandon him quickly. G.o.dou could not help thinking that. "One day, he may burn himself through his womanizing... But no matter when, I will always be his support, and I swore I will definitely save him. As long as this sentiment persists, my heart will not be swayed by despicable slander." Liliana's forceful words were powerful, and overflowed with sincere touching emotion. However, the content sounded like something said by a female victim of some deception or marriage con. The three idiots had the same impression, and loudly protested. "Deceived women always insist on something like 'he did me no harm'!" "Hurry and awaken! Liliana-san!" "There are still many men in this world much better than him..." "I hope you all do not misunderstand. Kusanagi G.o.dou and I do not have that kind of superficial male female relationship. I am only his knight, and the companion who promised to stay by his side forever. We have sworn that we will face all trials and tribulations together no matter where or when, that is the relationship that we have." Without being aware, Liliana had drifted into a dreamlike state almost as if talking to herself. "Though the way he plays around with women will make it tough for me... Nevertheless, it will strengthen the bonds between the two of us, as long as I become the most special existence in his heart, and no matter what kind of woman he seeks, he will always return to my embrace in the end..." The man she is talking about must be one of those emperors or sultans, whatever you call them, that dominated the Islamic world a couple of centuries ago. She definitely cannot be referring to Kusanagi G.o.dou. As G.o.dou tried to escape reality, the three idiots stared at him and began to cry. "Beast! Making a harem and getting approved! Heavens! How could you allow something so unfair?!" "Is this conditioning? Is this the result of the forbidden act of s.e.xually conditioning a minor below the age of eighteen!?" "Am I crying...? Are these tears? d.a.m.n it, this is so despairing!" The three have been completely defeated, and at this time, the cla.s.sroom door opened again. "Ah, found it, Kusanagi-san turned out to be here." "E-excuse us for intruding." Two new girls have appeared, and they are the Seishuuin Ena and Mariya Yuri combo. "Uh, excuse me. We're in the middle of something. If you have something to tell me, could it wait?" "Just a few simple words, it'll be over in an instant. I came here to invite Kusanagi-san to our date tomorrow. That is, Kusanagi-san, Yuri, and me, Ena, the three of us together on a date." "Date!?" The shocked G.o.dou turned his gaze to Yuri who has turned bright red from the neck. "Ena-san! To have a date with G.o.dou-san... I have not prepared myself for that yet!" "If you haven't prepared yet, then prepare now. It's not easy for us to become Kusanagi G.o.dou's 'women,' so you need to take more initiative." Hearing these exchanges, Sorimachi's shoulders trembled continuously. "M-my ears must be having problems. How could I be hearing these alien words? Hahahaha, who could have thought that I, Sorimachi, would be so out of date, to be ignorant of the strategy of the simultaneous pursuit route..." After his accomplice's exclamation, it came to Nanami's turn to babble emptily. "1-1 must stay awake. That girl must be a fairy or a hallucination. It must be my imagination. Think about it, how could fiancees or beautiful girls volunteering to be a lover appear in a simple male high school. That only happens in fairy tales, we must have been caught up in some sort of ma.s.sive dream..." The two of them were hard at work denying reality. Could this be all my fault? As G.o.dou began to get the feeling of wanting to apologize... "Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!" Takagi suddenly roared. His ma.s.sive 185cm tall body began to shake all over. "I absolutely will not accept this! This woeful world, this unreasonable result, I absolutely cannot accept!" As he roared, he took the bound G.o.dou onto his shoulder. "Kusanagi, I will end our lives together right now!" "Wait, wait a minute, why does it have to end like this?" "Your existence has disrupted natural order. You are the destroyer of the world — an unacceptable existence! Let us start our eternal slumber together!" Inexplicably making a sacrificial decision, Takagi began to charge madly with G.o.dou on his shoulder. Leaving the cla.s.sroom and pa.s.sing through the corridors, he finally ran up the stairs. Though he has trained his muscular body in the kendo club, this mad charge was clearly out of the ordinary. "Calm down, Takagi! Why are you so impulsive!?" "Can't you even understand?! All the sad men on this planet — those who have never tasted love, and ostracized by all women outside of the 2D world — they have lent me their power!" Takagi carried G.o.dou and ran up the stairs in one breath. Liliana could only watch in shock at the speed and imposing manner of the escaping Takagi, whose male figure has surpa.s.sed the boundaries of ordinary humans and was now challenging the limits of the human race. Part 3 And then on the roof — The berserk Takagi has carried G.o.dou to the highest point in the school. "This place should be high enough..." Muttering to himself, Takagi reached the edge of the roof and was stopped by fencing that was meant to prevent accidents. The unsettled G.o.dou frantically looked down to see the sports ground not far below. "High enough? What high enough!?" "Of course it means to jump down from this height, is it high enough to kill me and Kusanagi." "If you commit suicide, your family will be sad! Let's settle this peacefully right now, okay!?" "Ho... My sister is not like your Shizuka. Every day all she says is stuff like 'brother is so unfashionable, go and die!' There is nothing left that binds me to this world." At that moment, someone had secretly crept behind Takagi and G.o.dou, and applied a series of karate chops. Mmm... Takagi was painfully laid low on the ground. "What!?" "G.o.dou, are you ok? I finally caught up." The one who knocked out Takagi, and caught G.o.dou before he struck the concrete floor, was Erica Blandelli. "I saw you were kidnapped and came to save you... But I hope I wasn't interfering unnecessarily?" "No, not at all. I'm saved. Really, thank you very much." As he expressed his grat.i.tude, the blonde girl set him down gently and ripped apart the tape binding his hands and feet. "G.o.dou, I hope you will express your thanks with action." "If it is something in my power, I will try my best effort... But what do you want me to do?" Erica could not help but laugh bitterly at the unhesitating answer that clearly lacked forethought. "Though I find your honest but reckless principles very cute, it is still very careless. It would be better if you carefully consider situations and be flexible with your judgment." G.o.dou felt slightly troubled at Erica's pa.s.sionate warning. Was it too careless to agree to do anything for her when caught in the mood of having been saved by her? Erica smiled gently at G.o.dou, but if you raised the hidden malevolence in that smile by 30%, then it would become the "devil's smile" that gloats from having played a prank on others. Just as G.o.dou gazed at his beautiful savior, and Erica was about to joyfully make her request... "Kusanagi-san, are you okay? Ena will save you right away — oh too late." A cheerful voice reached the roof, this familiar soprano voice belonged to Seishuuin Ena. "Naturally, Erica-san never misses out on a good opportunity." "Thank you for your compliment, not at all. Ena-san is also very quick to act." Ena had run to the rooftop without any loss of breath, and the red-tinted blonde Erica conversed amiably with her. Their dialogue was friendly but there seemed to be unexpected hidden barbs to their words. G.o.dou was mystified, what kind of relationship has these two developed? "Anyway, this incident has come to a close then? Kusanagi-san, please answer the question just now. If Ena, Yuri, and Kusanagi-san go on a date together, our feelings for one another can be deepened." Ena proposed without any concerns. Date. Now that it was mentioned, it was something that Kusanagi G.o.dou has never experienced before. Though he has traveled together with Erica to different places, there was never any date-like feeling. Moreover, this was a first date initiated by the female side, and both of them possessed extraordinary levels of beauty and attractiveness — no, definitely cannot accept. "Please forgive me but I must decline! I have no reason to have a date with you two!" "If you want reasons, they do exist. Yuri and I both will become Kusanagi-san's women, so you definitely have to look after us both, and from now on our relations will only get better and better." What was this girl openly babbling about? Hearing this woman talk nonsense, G.o.dou knew his face was becoming red. "Even if we go on a date, I will not go with you two together! Public opinion will not accept such a thing!" "Who cares what public opinion thinks, what matters is the feelings of the three of us... Ah, if Kusanagi-san wants us to alternate and take turns, then you can go first with Yuri." No matter how he protested, Ena brushed him off with minimal effort. G.o.dou felt a sense of despair. Ena did not have the same oratory skills or her social techniques as Erica. Instead, the Hime-Miko had the ability to turn any situation to her advantage. As G.o.dou was about to back down from the overly troublesome opponent, a helping hand was extended from beside him. "Ah, what a shame, but G.o.dou is going on a date with me tomorrow." The speaker was Erica of course, but G.o.dou's mood became even more depressed. This was a helping hand, no question about it, but if he reached out for it, he was just going to find himself in a new troublesome situation. "I have never had a date with a boy, so I want the first time to be with G.o.dou no matter what. Of course... after the second time, no one else but you can enjoy the privilege." "Uh, with our relationship, we don't have to specifically go on a date, right..." "It is precisely because it matters for our relationship that we need to date. Though we have traveled to many places together, they were all troublesome affairs, and we never enjoyed the pleasures of dating, so please do accept ok?" Erica was making G.o.dou spoil her by using a rare begging tone of voice. But at the same time, she still carried the determined and arrogant gaze of a queen, as expected of Erica. "Kusanagi-san, we have two people here, you can embrace both at once." "G.o.dou, quality trumps quant.i.ty. You are the only one in this world who can have me, Erica Blandelli, all to yourself. Don't waste it." As Ena affectionately called out to G.o.dou, Erica drew near and spoke softly. Her lips approaching his ear, whispering sweet words. No good. If that continued, she will most likely steal a kiss. G.o.dou felt his entire body stiffen. However, what attacked this time was not lips, but an ominous warning. "...By the way, let me say this, though it counts as my duty. G.o.dou, you remember the promise just now, right? The one where you agreed to do everything in your power as thanks. Ah, I also remembered, there was lunch a few days ago when you owed me a favor. I believe that a man who does not keep his promises at such a time would be the worst." G.o.dou renewed his unerring gaze at the beautiful face before him. It had become a smiling face no different from a devil. The [Diavolo Rosso] lightly nodded her head. "Erica, to make your proposal at such a time, don't you feel a little despicable?" "No other way, if I didn't do this, you will escape once again, I have to be serious once in a while." Speaking in innocent tones, Erica was truly maddening yet adorable. Now that he thought about it, ever since Liliana moved to j.a.pan, the blonde beauty's troubling ways had clearly decreased in frequency. Probably because the number of naggers apart from Yuri had increased, Erica was now behaving herself a bit more. Or perhaps she was one to adjust her style as the situation arises. She reduced those half-joking hugs but made up the loss by pouncing on sure-kill-opportunities. Eschewing the tactics of continual advances, instead turning to calculating moments of a.s.sured victory to attack critical weak points. Just like at this moment, the strategy of cornering G.o.dou with no avenue of escape. "Kusanagi G.o.dou, are you fine! Sorry, I am late." "G.o.dou-san, I hope you were not hurt!?" Running to the scene were Liliana and Yuri. The silver-haired girl was holding the slender Hime-Miko in her arms like a bridal carry. Most likely, it was because Yuri exhausted herself when the two of them ran along the corridors and up the stairs. Her physical stamina was clearly much lower than a normal girl's was. G.o.dou deduced so, but his inner thoughts became even sadder. No one had taken any concern for the safety of Takagi. These girls can be described as kind-hearted and merciful, and yet they treated him like this. G.o.dou finally understood, if only slightly, the pitiful life of the cla.s.smate lying sprawled over the concrete floor on the roof. "Since everyone is here, then let's start over. Kusanagi-san, who do you wish to date tomorrow? Do you want to pick the happy threesome with me and Yuri, or spend time as a couple with Erica-san?" In response to the contents of Ena's question, Liliana glared with dangerous eyes at Erica who was leaning against G.o.dou, while Yuri nodded sorrowfully. For some reason, G.o.dou felt like he owed everyone an apology, but he had no choice but to make a decision. "Ah, about this... I don't actually want to be alone with Erica, but due to some complicated circ.u.mstances, I have to go out with this fellow here tomorrow..." G.o.dou explained in a soft voice that could barely be heard. Embarra.s.sed and hanging his head, his neck was embraced by the blonde beauty. She was smiling like an angel but, to G.o.dou, she was truly the devil. Part 4 That night, Erica was lying on the bed in her own room relaxing as she reached for the cellphone. The first person to contact was Liliana Kranjcar. "h.e.l.lo, Lily, can we talk about tomorrow?" 'You deceived my master, and intend to plan shameless lechery for tomorrow. ...Fine, how do you plan to explain to me?' Liliana answered most unhappily. "I don't need to explain anything. For two people in love, a time and place not to be disturbed by others is necessary, so I would like to make a suggestion for you." 'Suggestion?' "Yes, after all, you will insist on being the bodyguard and secretly follow, but that will tastelessly spoil the mood, so could you not come along? That is my request." 'T-that I cannot agree. Protecting the safety of Kusanagi G.o.dou is a necessary measure.' "There are no safety issues if G.o.dou is with me. If you decline this request then it's a real shame. Your latest work will be published to the world through the internet. The whole world will know of Lily's talents." 'My latest work? How do you know of such a thing?' "What kind of story is it, that novel, eh? Leaving her home in the quaint French countryside to go traveling, a girl was captured by a handsome Sicilian mafia boss, and became his maid and lover. Remember to keep that piece of dialogue: 'I will make you unable to live without my body from now on...'" 'Ooh, stop! No more, please!' "Lily you sure are daring, even I felt embarra.s.sed just by reading it. Because of that, I still haven't finished the whole thing. Right, let me read to the end tonight." 'Please do not continue reading it! I will stay home tomorrow and not go out, is that fine?!' Liliana roared as if she was about to cry. 'You devil! How on earth do you do it, always knowing my secrets!?' "No comment. Trade secrets." Erica answered casually. Apparently, Liliana also suspected a traitor in her midst and had put more thought into both the location and the means to conceal her creative notebook. However, Karen has stayed a step ahead of her, successfully sending copies every time. Ending that conversation, Erica called Yuri next. 'h.e.l.lo, I am Mariya. Erica-san, how do you do?' "Are you free right now? About tomorrow, have you and Ena considered following me and G.o.dou tomorrow?" The kind-hearted Hime-Miko did not know how to lie. Certain in this belief, Erica asked directly. However, Yuri's response was rather emotional. '1-1 will definitely not do something so despicable!' "Then let's not talk about Yuri, but it is possible that Ena-san will follow us." 'No, I do not think that Ena-san will consider such details.' "So in conclusion, she does not rely on wits, but is someone who acts on impulse and instinct." Normally, such a mindless opponent would not be worth fretting over, but when rare people possess such wild beast-like instincts, they prove to be formidable foes impossible to predict with common sense. Regrettably, Seishuuin Ena was one of them. 'By the way... Erica-san.' "What is it? Relax, I know you're bound by many restrictions, Yuri, so I approve of your presence by G.o.dou's side and I won't cast you out due to that kind of girl's arrival. Like your feelings for G.o.dou, at the appropriate time, I will help you and G.o.dou get together." Yuri was the girl who possessed the miko disposition that she lacked, as well as an extraordinary level of spirit vision. To Erica, Yuri was the best supporting candidate she found in j.a.pan. Liliana once bragged that she could apply herself to all sorts of situations, but the partnership of Erica and Yuri greatly surpa.s.sed her in overall ability. In order to oppose the versatile blue knight, it was necessary to avoid distancing Yuri. Since other than her precious abilities, this miko had other qualities that did not lose to Lily. "I, Erica Blandelli, will never abandon those I have taken care of. If you believe in me, I will be very happy." 'I-I know I make things hard for Erica-san sometimes, but I feel that Erica-san is someone who can be trusted.' Yuri was exceptionally adorable when she acted shy yet honest. 'However, Ena-san has been my important friend all these years... I hope that you two can get along better.' "I don't plan on escalating things, but everything started with her." 'I am sorry... From a long time ago, that person has always loved playing practical jokes...' "It's fine, so long as Ena-san shows a friendly att.i.tude. I don't want to be in conflict with her either." 'Thank you, then we have chatted for quite a while. It is almost time to hang up... Ah, finally may I make a suggestion?' "Please." 'Umm... though Erica-san said earlier you will help resolve the awkwardness between G.o.dou-san and I, but you do not need to worry too much about that. Because if it is really necessary, I will work hard to find a solution myself!' Yuri went silent after saying those words, perhaps due to embarra.s.sment, she must have been trembling all over on the other side of the line. Imagining her state, Erica smiled, though this miko was sometimes a bit nagging, her nature was very kind, and she did things with great consideration. When acting together, she will most likely defer the role of leadership. And she loves G.o.dou very much, so she will never betray him. As an ally for the rest of their lives, her character is flawless. Though from our respective standpoints we will be competing for Kusanagi G.o.dou's love, it will be fine as long as I secure victory in a direct confrontation. Truly, it would be best to let G.o.dou marry Yuri as a concubine after me. They will be the first and second wives, guarding over G.o.dou by his side, and no other woman will be allowed to gain an opening. Occasional flirting is fine, but he definitely cannot be allowed to get serious with outside women. However, if it were women like Liliana with outstanding talent, exceptions could be made. But the first requirement is that they accept Erica's superior position. "I see, then let's do as you wish, I will cheer for you." Erica hung up the phone. Then, tomorrow will be the first date with G.o.dou. She will try to let G.o.dou decide their destination and the details of the activities; how will things end up? With great antic.i.p.ation, Erica went to bed early — a rare decision indeed.