Campione! Vol 3 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Fated Encounters Part 1 The Sardinia autonomous region consists of the island of Sardinia and the surrounding islands. The capital city Cagliari is a port located on the south of the island, and was first constructed by Phoenicians in the eighth century BCE. Even in Europe which had incomparably many ancient capitals relative to j.a.pan, ancient streets dating back to such historical origins were very rare. This was a relaxing street in the countryside, near the calm Mediterranean. This was also G.o.dou's first impression of Cagliari. "...I'll have a stroll in this little town for today, then take the train tomorrow to the town where Lucretia-san lives." G.o.dou was at the hotel room booked by his grandfather in j.a.pan. Though it was just a little three-story inn, its facilities were well-provided, and extremely clean though not very luxurious. G.o.dou sat on the bed, browsing webpages for maps and travel guides about Sardinia, making his plans for the next few days. The town where his grandfather's 'friend' lived was located in the center of the island. G.o.dou decided to take a break here for today, since his body needed time to recover from the jet lag and the fatigue from air travel. Having thus decided, G.o.dou looked out the window. It was slightly after one in the afternoon, and the Mediterranean sun gave off bright rays. The clear blue sky had not a single cloud. This kind of wide unrestricted view was not something that can be found in j.a.panese scenery. If he didn't go out to enjoy the scenery, it would be too much of a shame. As excited as if he was witnessing a sunrise, G.o.dou decided to walk out the door and leave the room to have a look. If he wanted to rest, he could do that in the evening. After all, he already came all this way, why not go outside and have a look? Leaving his luggage in the room, G.o.dou left the inn. In order to dispel the sleepiness, let's first find a coffee shop (the Italians seemed to call them cafes) and get a coffee and some snacks. Thinking that, G.o.dou surveyed the surroundings, but all the shops in view had their doors shut. Just as G.o.dou was feeling puzzled, he suddenly remembered. Now was the time for siesta — the afternoon nap. Though the practice was no longer common in cities like Rome and Milan, it wasn't so in a place like this. Still, not all shops were on break. After walking a little more, a coffee shop open for business was found on a little street. G.o.dou's Italian consisted of the basics he learnt from the tourist guide he read on the plane, or rather, the vague impressions he retained from that. But G.o.dou was not a person who fretted the small details, and it was pointless to be scared in this place. Besides, staff in this vacation spot should be used to travelers, so G.o.dou boldly stepped into the shop. ...It happened once before, at a little stall in Thailand. G.o.dou had unwittingly ordered and eaten some super spicy fried noodles. It served as a memory of his travels. The decor of the shop was rather plain. There were only six or seven customers, all middle aged men or older. No one dressed fas.h.i.+onably and they all had casual attire and looked very relaxed. They were gathered in the interior of the shop, watching a broadcasted football match on an old CRT television. G.o.dou walked towards the bar. The bartender who greeted him was a twenty-something-year-old youth. G.o.dou felt a little relieved, for no matter what country, the likelihood of someone being competent in English was highest amongst the younger generation... Of course, there were also many exceptions. G.o.dou used his broken Italian, aided by appropriate English to converse. It was exceedingly simple to order a cup of Espresso, but ordering food was very difficult, because even if you looked at the menu, it was impossible to imagine what the food looked like. G.o.dou looked towards those elderly men, and pointed to the Italian panini sandwich one of them was eating. Give me the same thing — that was how he ordered. The friendly Italian youth only repeated the words 'OK' throughout the entire process. G.o.dou poured two packets of sugar into the fresh coffee. This was because he once heard that pouring a large amount of sugar was the Italian way. The rich and sweet flavor was quite agreeable after all. As he pondered over this ordinary taste, G.o.dou was shocked as he bit into the panini. In between the two pieces of bread were prosciutto ham, cheese, as well as a kind of lettuce called rucola. However, the bread, the ham and the cheese were all particularly rich in flavor. This was absolutely delicious! After he finished, G.o.dou thanked the youth, settled his bill and left the coffee shop. Then G.o.dou began taking a casual walk around town. Sometimes he would take out the map and ask pa.s.sersby for directions. In j.a.pan, European and American tourists were unafraid of asking the locals for directions, so G.o.dou decided to imitate them. He tried to ask those who looked leisurely, so as to minimize the chances of hindering someone. Even though the local language wasn't English, communicating through gestures on the map was enough for G.o.dou to understand other people. Wanting to see the ocean, G.o.dou walked towards Cagliari bay. Hanging throughout the narrow streets were fresh laundry. Seeing these peaceful scenes, G.o.dou's mood was very relaxed as he reached a giant church — the plaza of a Duomo cathedral. He took a short stroll there, and then left the beautiful plaza. Starting from there, he could see Cagliari bay. Looking into the distance, the sea stretched from one end of the horizon to another, beautiful as an emerald. This kind of beautiful ocean was impossible to see in Tokyo, and G.o.dou felt his heart getting excited and his footsteps quickened. Walking down a street called Via Roma, he hurried towards the sea. Part 2 It was while G.o.dou was taking a stroll along the sea side when he encountered the youth. A youth was leaning against the wall of a building that resembled a warehouse, looking towards the ocean that he faced. He gave off a strangely wonderful feeling. It would be rude to call his attire unkempt, but that was the impression given by his coat. What was probably once a white coat, was now a dirty brown in color. The clothing itself was a bit tattered. Rather than something one would wear on this street on the sea side, it was more like something you'd find at a desert oasis. Without any doubt, he was about the same age as G.o.dou. Around fourteen or fifteen years in age, with jet black hair to his shoulders, skin the color of ivory, and most important of all, he was extremely handsome. G.o.dou could not help but feel drawn to him. There was a kind of androgyny to his facial features, and even among celebrities, G.o.dou has never seen a handsome youth like the one before him. — Suddenly, the youth's gaze began to s.h.i.+ft. As if noticing G.o.dou staring at him, he also looked straight back. And then he smiled. It was very common for Europeans and Americans to greet others with a smile the first time they meet someone and exchange glances, so G.o.dou presumed the youth was saying h.e.l.lo to him. "x.x.xx, xx, x.x.xx.x.x... x.x.xx.x.x." He was using a language G.o.dou had never heard before. It shouldn't be English, but G.o.dou did not have the confidence to be certain of that. Though Italian was easily understood once the vowels were emphasized, but there were many sounds which were difficult for j.a.panese ears to discern. "I'm sorry, I can't understand what you are saying." Hence G.o.dou could only use j.a.panese, shrugging his shoulders in response. In the situation of communicating as a foreigner, if gestures and facial expressions failed to communicate, then it was better to give up. "Oh, my apologies, then I shall use thy way of speaking." Suddenly, he was answering G.o.dou with fluent j.a.panese. G.o.dou was speechless but could only stare at the youth's face. "Well, hardly of significance, but a strange taste — no, dare I say smell — hangeth around thee, catching my attention, thus I spoke to thee." The youth's voice was slightly lower than a tenor and was probably in the baritone range. "A taste... I don't think I'm that dirty, does it smell bad?" "Payest no heed to it, I a.s.sume I have made a fool of myself, to have asked such a strange question." The youth spoke openly as he watched G.o.dou checking himself out. To ask such an embarra.s.sing question right from the start, but then the youth did not seem to be malicious. Those words could have angered the other person, but somehow the youth did not cause a sense of displeasure, was it a question of character? "Boy, acceptest mine apology for my misspoken words. Pray forgivest me, I mean thee no offense." The youth smiled lightly. His narrow eyes became even more so, and his lips curved. A very cla.s.sical smile. Rather it should be described as a smile as subtle as mist. "You really don't sound like you're apologizing, and why are you calling me 'boy'?" His features were very handsome, but his tone was rather arrogant, and felt like a superior talking to someone beneath his station. He was clearly about the same age, but he was calling me 'boy.' G.o.dou felt incredulous at this sense of imbalance. Clearly he could speak j.a.panese fluently. Was it possible that his j.a.panese usage was not learned through regular methods? "Though I think it's amazing how well you can speak j.a.panese, your usage is a little bit strange." "Worriest not these little things. As long as communication is accomplished by speaking, it is agreeable." He replied with a calm tone. The strange youth's explanation made G.o.dou smile wryly, but G.o.dou was extremely concerned about his irregular j.a.panese. "So, did you learn j.a.panese from watching stuff like dramas in ancient settings?" "Never have I heard of that. This language, when was the time I learned it? No matter, it is of no consequence, as long as we can communicate." "Then what is your name? My name is Kusanagi G.o.dou. I think you already know, but I'm from j.a.pan." "Of course I remember, my name, my birthplace... Eh, what is it?" The youth spoke very casually. But to this sudden unexpected answer, G.o.dou was speechless. "...Umm, may I ask, was your amnesia just now a joke?" "Of course it is amnesia. Correct, I have lost all memories of the past. A troublesome condition, and most vexing." Though G.o.dou still felt the youth was joking, he still made a suggestion. "If you really lost your memory, let me accompany you to the police or a hospital." "Unnecessary, though I have neither knowledge of my name nor origin, there is no immediate problem. All I need to know is the most important thing about myself." "The most important thing?" This was a strange person. Confirming this in his heart, G.o.dou continued to question. Whether or not he was speaking the truth all along, this youth definitely counted as a 'super' strange person. How expected of foreign lands, with vastly increased chances of meeting weirdos. "Yes, I am the victor. Victory is always in my hands. That is my nature. Facing any kind of conflict or enemy, unchangeable and unshakeable is my victory." "...Really." This extremely arrogant declaration was uttered from the youth's mouth calmly and simply. This guy's speech is completely unpredictable. Though G.o.dou was slightly taken aback, he also felt a little impressed. "It is true, I have long sought the taste of defeat for all this time, but none hath ever prevailed against me. By the way, whenever I start fighting I lose myself, and cannot avoid getting all serious..." Sighing as he gazed into the distance, the youth suddenly made a suggestion to G.o.dou: "How about it? Art thou interested in competing against me? Canst thou amuse me for a while?" "Anything, as long as thou art good at it. Games, martial arts, a battle of wits, horse riding, anything. By the way, this place seemeth to be near Greece, I remember that country hath a kind of compet.i.tion that made use of the entire body, rather interesting. Dost thou have something thou art good at?" Issued a challenge like that, of course one couldn't back down. And so G.o.dou and the youth began to search for a place that could be used for them to compete. Walking near the port, the two of them soon reached a corner of an empty field. Gathered there were about ten-odd youngsters who worked at the pier. They were playing street football, probably during a break or after work. This was probably their playground. Fis.h.i.+ng nets were hung everywhere, and seemed to be used as football goals. Right now there were two nets in use, and two teams were competing. At one of the temporary goals, G.o.dou found a set of rather familiar equipment. A baseball and a metal bat, as well as several baseball gloves. "...Come to think of it, professional baseball also exists in Italy." Recalling this, G.o.dou began to mutter to himself. Compared to the overwhelming popularity of football, baseball was like a flickering candle in the wind. The level of professionals was also rather dismal, but at least the sport existed. "Oh, thy talent lieth yonder, I look forward to it." "Ah, no, that's..." Taking notice, the youth walked towards the equipment. Though for an instant G.o.dou wanted to stop him, but he quickly gave up. After all what was to follow was a low level compet.i.tion. It was unlikely to worsen the condition of his shoulder. During this time, the youth had already started conversing with the group of youngsters in fluent Italian. Probably negotiating with the youngsters to borrow the equipment. Not long after, the youth made a thumbs-up sign and smiled. Negotiation successful. "Good, preparations are complete. Pray tellest me, how is this played?" "Oh, one side pitches the ball while the other strikes it with the bat." Catching the ball thrown by the youth, G.o.dou explained. ...This feeling from so many months ago. G.o.dou looked at the baseball clutched in his right hand. The powerful shoulder which denied base stealing even from relatively formidable runners... G.o.dou had already lost it. "...Yes, it appeareth thou art more suited for this side." Watching the hesitating G.o.dou, the youth tossed the bat over. "It is fine to sigh over an old injury, but treatest it not as a mark of shame. Getting injured is a natural part of the warrior's path. Only those who doth not fight remaineth uninjured. This is proof of thy past battles. " How does this guy know about my injury? G.o.dou stared at the youth's face, shocked, but his opponent was not showing any pity in his expression. Pity... Faced with a constant barrage these past few months, all he could do was act troubled and thankful with a superficial response like 'what a disaster...' It felt terrible, but somehow this youth did not make him feel that way. Those extremely cool eyes carried an intense sense of pride. What kind of person would have eyes like those? Solemn and majestic. This was a warrior — as described by the youth himself. "Hoho, actest not surprised. I am the one embodying battle and victory. As long as thou hast obtained results through battle, be they good or bad, I can discern it. Boy, there exist warriors who continueth fighting in spite of wounds or over exhaustion. There was once this person who judged it time to throw down their weapon, but that fellow choseth not to run. A true warrior." The youth smiled, but not in the faint and distant manner just now, but rather grotesquely. It was the first time for G.o.dou to see such a smile. Silently he accepted the bat. Who is going to lose to you? For some reason, his heart kept repeating that line. "Excellent! Good boy, good warrior! Quick, makest haste and beginest the match!" Once again, he returned to a child-like demeanor. It was also the first time for G.o.dou to meet an opponent who went through so many facial expressions so quickly. G.o.dou gradually began to take an interest in him. "OK, then I will hit the b.a.l.l.s you pitch. If the ball is thrown somewhere beyond my reach it's invalid. If I swing the bat and either miss or hit a ball rolling on the ground, then I lose for that pitch. How's that?" "Soundeth disadvantageous for you, wilt thou be fine? I am very strong." The two gazed at each other and smiled happily. Who would have predicted one day I would pick up a baseball bat again in this foreign land? The unexpected match gradually made G.o.dou excited. Part 3 The result of the match was very surprising. G.o.dou was able to hit the first few b.a.l.l.s and was winning in the beginning, but he began to lose, all the way to the end. The youth was throwing the white ball with a very sloppy posture. However, the b.a.l.l.s flew hard and fast. In terms of control, their trajectories could also be described as no less than perfect. Even amongst those of G.o.dou's generation, no other pitcher could throw such b.a.l.l.s. Middle school's Miura who greatly surpa.s.sed G.o.dou in natural talent, as well as the monstrous pitchers he met on trips to Korea and Taiwan, none of them were able to hold a candle to this youth on the island of Sardinia. His height not quite 170cm, the youth also had a very slim build. However, the strength of his pitches cannot be matched. "Are you sure you've never played baseball before?" "Yes, today is the first time, and it seemeth rather amusing." With over thirty b.a.l.l.s pitched, the vast majority ended in missed swings. The youth's pitching posture was without a doubt improvised, and he did not appear to have any prior training. However, his actions looked so natural. Clearly so random, but his motions were very elegant, and the result were straight fastb.a.l.l.s with substantial power. After the bat missed, the b.a.l.l.s continued with momentum that seemed as if it would break the fis.h.i.+ng net. "d.a.m.n it, it's no good, can we have a break? Let me come up with a strategy." Beginning to pant, G.o.dou asked for a time out. Genius? Was this what one called a real genius? No, G.o.dou felt it wasn't. The youth before him who claimed amnesia was not someone who could be described so easily with a simple noun — there was a feeling of something out of the ordinary here. But no matter how fast the b.a.l.l.s flew, they weren't completely impossible to hit. The first step is to get the eyes used to that level of speed. That said, even when he was the fourth hitter, G.o.dou was unable to hit straight fastb.a.l.l.s thrown with such power. What should he do? "Hohoho, panickest not. I am the one who is strongest and defeats all opponents. I merely wish to have a good battle, so please takest as much time to think as thou needst." Clearly words of such arrogance, but G.o.dou could not find a retort. In addition, the youth looked as if he wasn't even trying — G.o.dou could not accept losing like this, he must find a way to turn things around! ...Though the nearby youngsters were playing football some distance away, the youth's pitches were too amazing, and very soon, all of them had gathered beside him to watch. Seeing G.o.dou taking a break, they slowly surrounded him. And then the youngsters of Cagliari also took part in the compet.i.tion. Still, no one could beat the youth. Let alone scoring a good hit, even touching the ball was impossible for them. "Who the heck was that guy...? If someone described him as inhuman, it's believable." After pitching over a hundred powerful fastb.a.l.l.s, the youth's breathing remained regular. Neither did the power of control of the pitches waver. Watching the youth defeat the local youngsters so easily, G.o.dou was very shocked. Soon after, it looked like they were preparing to play football. The Italian young men put their arms around G.o.dou and the youth's shoulders and walked towards the football. "Hey, could you ask them a question for me. Is this OK for them not to go to work? It looks like they are playing too much." "Freteth not such minor matters... This couldeth be their way of doing things, is there not a saying 'do as the Romans do'? Thou goest and enjoyest thyself." Seeing G.o.dou worry, the youth smiled candidly. "Fine, whatever." Feeling that brisk Latin atmosphere, G.o.dou gave up on the answer. Perhaps it was because he had grown accustomed to the ridiculous personalities of his grandfather and mother, as well as the influence of their friends. Though G.o.dou thought himself to have a very serious character, he found himself possessing rather generous tolerance to meeting such a frivolous and strange character. If so, just do as the youth suggests and don't over think things, go have fun without worry. Wearing either t-s.h.i.+rts or vests, the Italian young men were most likely laborers. In other words, the majority of them were strongly built with arms, heads and backs akin to the statue of David. For an instant, G.o.dou felt intimidated but he immediately got used to it. G.o.dou and the youth joined the same team, and started playing street football. Even in football, no one could defeat the youth. Nimbly weaving the ball through his opponents, a.s.sisting his teammates near the goal by pa.s.sing the ball through the narrowest of openings, and personally scoring spectacular goals. Though he called it 'my first time' let's just ignore that. Anyway, that was the kind of performance he gave. In the endgame, the youth took the ball past five defenders and ended the match with a perfect curve ball shot at goal. His figure was like a G.o.d's. "Fantastico! Fantastico! Figlio Del Sole!" [1] A most emotional youth cried out. Ending the match without any regrets, the group surrounded the youth, cheering with smiling faces and emotional tears. Lavis.h.i.+ng him with Latin style praise such as calling him a genius and born of the sun. Soon, the sky gradually darkened. The slowly setting sun gave the harbor a shade of orange, and the two of them bid the Italian youths farewell. (In the end, they showed no signs of getting back to work, so it was pointless to ask.) The youth traded glances with G.o.dou, and they smiled at each other. "...Though it was a strange day, but I was very happy. How about you?" "I too am happy. Such games are not bad once in a while." G.o.dou who never thought himself the sociable type, was surprised to find himself getting so familiar with the youth in such a short time, without even knowing his name. However, it was not an unpleasant feeling. It felt like the days when he was still playing baseball and getting along with this team mates... That was the kind of friendly feeling he got from this youth. "I will be travelling inland tomorrow. What are you going to do next? If you plan on staying here for a while, let's meet again when I come back." "Yes, I too have things that I must do..." "Didn't you say you lost your memory, what are you planning on doing? What's the matter, just play football with those people just now. Or maybe even a proper baseball game with nine players on each side, but a much wider s.p.a.ce than this pier would be needed." "Oh? Thou hast lost the match, yet thou hast not learnt thy lesson?" The two chatted and laughed together. Sunset on a harbor street. A little sea side road illuminated a bright shade of orange. The day was about to end. If possible, G.o.dou really wanted to spend more time with this youth. Consumed with that thought, he became even more talkative. Which was why he failed to notice the shadow in the road ahead. This shadow was in the shape of a beautiful young lady. By the time G.o.dou noticed her, she had already begun the conversation. "Excuse me, the person who is walking there — I'm very sorry for the sudden intrusion, but I have something to ask." It was being said in Italian. Of course, G.o.dou completely failed to understand, but at that moment his attention was completely drawn by the girl who appeared before him. Just barely over 160cm, her height was not especially tall for European standards. However, there was a certain sense of dignity, how should one put it? Proud like a queen, standing there with such an imposing presence. Her long blonde hair fluttered against the sea breeze. Dressed in red, under the glow of the orange sunset and in contrast to her long blonde hair, the impression of the red color was especially intensified. Red like a burning flame and hair the color of gold, it was like the crown of a warrior, majestically perched upon her head. However, all this aside — the most important feature was the girl's beauty, from which G.o.dou could not tear his eyes away. Beautiful features as if the result of delicate craftsmans.h.i.+p, better proportioned than any doll, livelier than any model or actress, and completely saturated with n.o.bility and self-confidence, it was a face one could never forget after seeing once. "Please tell me all about the G.o.d that has appeared on this island. My name is Erica Blandelli. Consider it a return gift, as there is no need for you two to report your names." After a few days, it finally occurred to G.o.dou. If he knew she would say something so arrogant, he would never have let himself be attracted to her. Part 4 "...Hey, what is that girl saying? She looks very serious." "She wanteth us to confess everything we know. Simply put, it is a threat." "Threat?" This dialogue between G.o.dou and the youth, took place in j.a.panese of course. Hearing that, the blonde young beauty frowned with displeasure. For even this kind of expression to be beautiful as a painting, this girl was very amazing. Wearing a red top with black shorts, her clothing was a little ordinary despite her great beauty. However, due to the tasteful combination it felt very natural and unfettered, perhaps it was her unparalleled beauty and figure that caused one's opinion of her attire to improve. "...All roads lead to Rome. Do as the Romans do. What regrettable sayings. You are too foolish to come here with clearly no knowledge of Italian." The girl spoke again, a little furious. Ignoring the rather rude content, this time she spoke with very fluent j.a.panese. Perhaps she was in a bad mood because her cool entrance was spoiled. "I would like to ask you about the [Heretic G.o.d] incidents that appeared all over the island of Sardinia about three days ago. Bosa, Orgosolo, Barumini... You were sighted in all the places where divine presences were confirmed. This cannot be coincidence, right?" The girl finished speaking and looked at the youth beside G.o.dou. The places she mentioned were most likely locations on the island of Sardinia. Then that 'you' she was referring to must be that youth. Then again, what did she mean by [G.o.d]? Completely baffling. "I am Erica Blandelli, Great Knight of the magic a.s.sociation Copper Black Cross of Milan. Even in this remote place in the south, there are members of our a.s.sociation, and the person sighted I mentioned just now is him." Magic a.s.sociation and G.o.d. Hearing these strange terms, G.o.dou felt troubled. However, her tone of voice was too natural, and surprisingly there was no sense of dissonance. " — Who on earth are you? Though it isn't apparent, could you be a mage? A priest or deacon of some religion? If that's the case, there is nothing unusual about successfully summoning a [Heretic G.o.d] by chance. Anything wrong with my speculation?" Erica Blandelli was smiling with great arrogance. This was the first time G.o.dou ever saw such a conceited smile on a woman. How could she be so haughty, yet so glamorous at the same time? G.o.dou couldn't help but sigh at those two points. "Ah, I've waited for you for so long, and yet you respond with silence? No other way then, peaceful negotiations end here and it's time for battle. Trying to talk sense into people who cannot communicate is like casting pearls before swine." With such instigating tones, how was it ever peaceful in the first place? And then Erica continued: "Come, lion of steel. The one carrying the spirit of the lion, the steel that carries the essence of battle! Respond to my hand and voice! Your name is Cuore di Leone... The warrior inheriting the name of the lion-hearted king!" What happened in the next instant, completely overturned G.o.dou's common sense. "The knight Erica Blandelli swears thus, I will return your loyalty with my valor and chivalry!" The sword that suddenly appeared. The silver body of the blade was slender and elegant, like a beam of clear light bathed in the rays of the setting sun. "If you are someone involved with G.o.ds, you must have heard of the mighty names of Erica Blandelli and Cuore di Leone? I have no wish to use the red and black techniques against a n.o.body. Hurry up and tell me all you know with efficiency, swiftly and obediently." And then, Erica thrust forward before her the sword that was like a piece of art. Of course, it was targeting G.o.dou and the youth who showed a faint smile. "...What was that just now? Is that a parlor trick?" "Thou mayst consider that level of magic a parlor trick. It is not a particularly amazing spell." Sword, G.o.d, knight, magic, mage — ! Come on, what were all these terms. G.o.dou was very surprised. This was twenty-first century Italy, not medieval Europe during the dark ages. How could all these unreal terms appear? "Thou art an unruly little lady. To point a sword at me, even for warriors in the past, none have dared such barbaric acts towards me. The ignorant are truly terrifying." "Ah, so confident in your own abilities?" Towards the wryly smiling youth, Erica proudly puffed her chest. The tip of the sword was waving about like the tail of an animal. Even someone like G.o.dou who knew nothing about swordsmans.h.i.+p could tell that it was the motions of an impending attack. "If you'd like, I can prepare a sword for you. I, Erica Blandelli, will never let anyone escape from a duel of the sword. What do you say?" Hearing her conceited words, G.o.dou swallowed a mouthful of air. From the sword stance of this beautiful girl, she should be very skilled. Only someone who had reached a certain level of mastery could have such elegant poise, a functional beauty resulting from eschewing all of the unnecessary. G.o.dou could feel that this level of cool and imposing presence could not be simply the result of a beautiful appearance. "Thy proposal interests me, but sadly enough, I have no leisure to spare." "I see. There has never been a person who refused my invitation. To think I would have a first experience of rejection in such a place, how insulting." "Hoho, thou shouldst not say it so, I shall play with thee one day. But now — " The youth said to the elegant but regrettable Erica: "A more troublesome fellow is coming!" A sudden development occurred immediately afterwards. BOOOOM!! An extremely loud explosion was heard. To G.o.dou who was already greatly shocked by the events so far — He was now doubting his own sanity, but who could blame him? A gigantic [Boar] roughly fifty meters in body length had suddenly appeared in the sea, and was landing on the coast in a very strenuous manner, knocking over the surrounding buildings. This kind of scene was appearing before his eyes. Not only G.o.dou, but the sword-wielding Erica was also frozen. What was this? Could a scene seemingly from a monster movie be reality? Totally at loss, G.o.dou found his hand being grabbed at that instant. "Hey, boy, runnest! Makest haste and escapest!" The youth yelled as he ran, pulling G.o.dou by the hand. In order to numb his thoughts, G.o.dou followed and ran without thinking. So when he finally became aware of the dreadful conditions they were running towards, he broke out in cold sweat. "W-Wait! That direction you're running towards is too dangerous!" "No matter what, our escape route was blocked by the sword. This is the so-called tiger at the front door, and something at the back. Makest thy decision quickly! Only by charging into danger can there be chances of survival." Even under these circ.u.mstances, the youth was yelling joyfully. The place where G.o.dou was being led to was exactly where the [Boar] was rampaging. Probably the most dangerous place in Cagliari at the moment. "W-Wait up! I have unfinished business — " "If fate allows it, we will meet again! Goodbye!" Miss Erica seemed to be yelling something, but the youth continued pulling G.o.dou's hand as they ran. The fur and hide of the gigantic [Boar], was as jet black as darkness itself. Whenever the black giant beast stepped upon the ground of the harbor, the earth shook violently. "Roar!" Every time it howled, windows in buildings vibrated, and then shattered. Whenever it charged, multiple buildings or warehouses were demolished like small scale miniature models. From somewhere a fire started. Probably flammable oil kept in some storage. The disastrous fire gradually spread, and the harbor looked as if it was being licked by crimson tongues, then swallowed. Slowly the fire grew to a point where it looked like everything was going to be burned down. "...Thanks to this great fire, that troublesome woman probably gave up." G.o.dou stared at the burning blaze as he spoke with a bitter face. The girl called Erica had disappeared in the smoke about ten minutes ago. Seeing that she has not followed, perhaps it was time to head towards a safe direction. Currently, G.o.dou and the youth's location was at a corner in the harbor surrounded by fire. Though there was no immediate danger, the fire was gradually spreading. Furthermore, a couple hundred meters forward was the most terrifying [Boar]. All surrounding buildings that could be destroyed were already gone, but the beast did not charge over here. If it were to do so, G.o.dou and the youth would probably have their lives snuffed out like candles in the wind. "If this continues, we are going to be burned to death. How could we have escaped to such a place?" "If we escape before the flames devour us, there is no problem — that is the truth." Retorting against G.o.dou's complaints, the youth was surveying the surroundings. Annoyingly, the guy's handsome face still carried a relaxed expression. Despite the ma.s.sive fire burning away so near, the youth did not have single drop of sweat. In contrast to G.o.dou who was soiled by sweat and ash, the youth maintained his pure and pristine look. "Starting from just now, what are you doing? It looks very strange, did something happen?" "Yes. Actually I heard cries for help, it should not be my imagination." G.o.dou perked his ears but could not hear anything similar. "I can't hear anything like that. You must be mistaken." "No, impossible — I see!" Suddenly the youth began to take action. The direction he was heading towards, was exactly the place the giant [Boar] was destroying. "Where are you going? That place is dangerous." "Haha, if thou art afraid, pray returnest first. Forcest thyself not!" The youth smiled as he charged forward. G.o.dou hesitated for an instant, and then ran in pursuit. If they separated now, very likely he would not see him again. Most importantly, he had to carefully witness the reckless actions of this youth, thus G.o.dou decided. Running after the youth, G.o.dou strove to move his footsteps. Weaving through debris, kicking away stones, avoiding the scorching flames, coughing and tearful from smoke inhalation, and overcoming many difficulties, they ran for about five minutes. The youth finally stopped. His path ahead was blocked by many collapsed piles of construction materials. About an hour ago, these construction materials were piled in neat stacks up to roof height along the rows of warehouses. However, it was now a mountain of debris, and the intense fire was devouring the surroundings. The present challenge was most difficult to overcome. Without appropriate equipment, there was no way to advance. At this time, G.o.dou noticed there were human voices on the opposite side, crying and calling for help. From the sound, it was probably not just one person, but several or even a couple dozen. "Hey, boy. Thou recallest this location? This was the place where we were playing." The youth's sudden question made G.o.dou instantly remember. It was just as he said, this was the empty field where they had been playing football with the young men near the pier several tens of minutes ago. The warehouse had collapsed, mostly due to the [Boarj's rampage. Then it later caught fire, resulting in the current situation. "Those fellows likely failed to escape in time, and could only cry for help in sorrowful voices." "Those fellows? ...Could it be the ones we were just playing with at the pier!?" "Yes, the same. The ones we met are crying for help, and their voices have reached mine ears. This is one of my abilities, no mistake about it." Beyond the ma.s.sive pile of debris, something like Italian voices could be heard. Of course, the meanings were unknown, but it was easy to imagine them as cries for help. G.o.dou tried to find an alternate path around the debris, but was unsuccessful. G.o.dou tried to find a path through the debris, but was unsuccessful. G.o.dou tried to find a way to avoid the burning heat, but was unsuccessful. Complete failure! "What should I do?! How can they be saved?!" He couldn't help roaring in anger. Disregarding the burning fire, there was also the [Boar] several dozens of metres ahead, engaged in destruction. G.o.dou felt indignant. Due to that monster, how many people have been sacrificed? Thinking that, his heart lit up in anger. Watching G.o.dou, the youth smiled smoothly. "Thou seekest to save others before securing thy own safe escape. Thou art a boy with admirable qualities. Thy sense of justice is worthy of ten poems of praise bestowed by me." "Idiot, is this the time and place for something like that? Don't joke with me!" "I jest not. I shall save those fellows, restest a.s.sured... Boy, though the duration was short, but I am happy. Thou hath my thanks." The red flames illuminated the handsome face of the youth. Noticing a sense of solemnity, G.o.dou was silent. What on earth, what was going on with this guy? Why was there such a sudden feeling of greatness? — It was very strange. "Hoho, to have amused myself so much with a brat amongst the mortals, was truly unexpected. On a whim, I could not help but lead him around for fun, but it is almost the end. I must finish my mission. If fate willeth, let us meet again. May peace be with thee." The youth who should be shorter than G.o.dou, was somehow looking downwards at G.o.dou. However, there was no sense of dissonance. The youth before him currently gave off a very admirable and blindingly brilliant feeling, and it was impossible to think he was an ordinary human. He must be a very special existence. "Thou mayst leave now, boy. The direction thou followest hath no vortex of flame, only stable mortal life. Righteous character will not lose the light's blessing, thou shouldst go straight ahead. " And then he walked towards the debris where the people crying for help were. His finger pointed in the opposite direction, and then G.o.dou felt his body turn and walk there by itself, and then began to run! What was going on!? Shocked, G.o.dou desperately tried to stop his own footsteps. I can't leave just like that, G.o.dou strove to resist. "What a stubborn brat, thou resistest my spell words." "W-Wait a minute, give me a second. How can I run away alone? If I'm escaping you must come along, as well as the people on the other side. So—" "Thy thoughts are sufficient. I do not need thy a.s.sistance, because thou wilt only get in my way. Makest haste, escapest." The youth pleaded in gentle tones. "Such a shame to have lost my name. If my name was called during times of crisis, my blessing will be obtained. If I were my past self, I would never leave this holy phrase as parting words! So friend, I shall gift these words to thee — farewell! Makest haste and run!" The result was, this was the end. As the youth finished bidding farewell, G.o.dou's legs ran automatically. Impossible to stop, impossible to resist. Fleeing from the threat of the fire and the [Boar], running at full speed in a direction where there was no road. Unable to save the youth, or those people trapped at the fire — these thoughts made G.o.dou very depressed, but he could not stop his footsteps. Soon after, not knowing how he ran, G.o.dou escaped from the fire. For a moment he forgot his guilt for escaping by himself, and deeply exhaled in relief. — What followed immediately was despair. At some point in time, G.o.dou had arrived at the Duomo cathedral he pa.s.sed by in the afternoon. The great cathedral standing there. The place of wors.h.i.+p to pay respects to the divine, and offer one's prayers. Beside the quiet and pious structure, a ma.s.sive beast stood there, several dozens of meters tall, just as big as the Duomo cathedral — the giant black [Boar]. So well-built that it looked slightly fat, with a strong and vigorous body. The unexpectedly slim limbs, and a mouth containing frighteningly large tusks. A creature completely unlike the related animals that G.o.dou knew about. No matter how lively a boar, none were as ferocious or grotesque as this one. Its brutality made one think of a G.o.d, G.o.dou had never met anything so frightful in his life! Compared to this stone built church, this [Boar] was the true divine existence. G.o.d of fury, G.o.d of destruction, G.o.d of jet black darkness. Shock and awe and fear, this time G.o.dou's body was entirely frozen. ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR! ROAAAAAAR! After several roars which made the earth shake and the air tremble, the [Boar] pulverized the Duomo cathedral like an art piece made of paper. G.o.dou stared at the scene stupefied. Pieces of stone debris fell from the sky like hail. This was far too dangerous! Just as G.o.dou thought that, a gust of wind blew. At first it was a light refres.h.i.+ng breeze, but then it immediately strengthened into a gale, soon turning into a tornado. "...Wind? — Now wasn't the time to be so casual!" Yelling, G.o.dou immediately left the scene from the [Boar] and the church. The strange thing that happened afterwards, probably won't be forgotten for a lifetime. It was a duel between the tornado and the black [Boar]. In the area around the plaza of the Duomo cathedral, there were many of Cagliari's historic buildings. Like the Torre dell'Elefante^, Torre di San Pancrazio^ and others... There were also many Gothic and Baroque churches from the Middle Ages. At the location of these historical buildings, the tornado formed just now had swept the giant [Boar] into the air. How strong were the winds in this tornado? Devoured by the spiraling storm, the [Boar] was suspended in midair. Surrounding it, G.o.dou witnessed the sudden arrival of golden flashes of light. Swiftly and sharply, golden arcs sliced the [Boar]'s body into pieces. Gaaaaaaaah! The [Boar]'s roars filled the air, sounding like final death cries. Losing support, the ma.s.sive black body fell onto the ground, resulting in an extremely terrifying crash, collapsing a tower in the process, scattering stone pieces everywhere, and demolis.h.i.+ng many houses. And then the [Boar]'s body slowly turned into grains of sand and collapsed. The one that swept these grains of sand was the murderer — the tornado. It gradually subsided, turning into a strong gust of wind, taking away with it the sand which the [Boar] had turned into. What remained were the streets which had turned into h.e.l.l. Seriously damaged streets, the fire still raging at the pier, as well as people in chaos. People who only cared to escape. People who stood frozen. People praying to G.o.d. Crying, angry, terrified, hurt, sighing people. Amongst these crowds, G.o.dou walked by himself shakily. At some point in time, the sky had turned black. In the broken streets at night, G.o.dou wandered aimlessly alone. What happened to that youth and the young men at the pier? He really wanted to know they were safe. He wanted to know their current condition. Propelled by these thoughts, G.o.dou searched and wandered everywhere. In the end, he failed to meet any of them. Part 5 The next morning, the newspapers at the inn gave G.o.dou a complete shock. It was a newspaper based in southern Sardinia with Cagliari as its central focus, but yesterday's incident was not reported. There was a report and picture about a fire at the harbor, but after asking the innkeeper who knew English, all G.o.dou got was an answer like 'Yesterday there seemed to be a fire at the harbor area. You got caught up in it, right? How unfortunate!" And then a pat on G.o.dou's shoulder. Asking the others, no one in the inn knew about the [Boar] or the tornado. G.o.dou wanted to ask them in detail, but his verbal expression skills were not enough. Filled with doubt, G.o.dou settled his bill at the inn and left. Everything that happened yesterday should have been real. Anyway, let's go to the site of the incident, so G.o.dou left for the Duomo cathedral plaza. The demolished church, the destroyed streets. Construction workers were silently hard at work performing repairs. Who knows how long it would take to restore everything to their former appearance. "It really wasn't a dream..." G.o.dou muttered as he looked at the disastrous scene. Next it was time to check out the pier, but just as he made that decision a voice called him. "How casual of you to continue staying in this city. Where's the person who was with you back then? I am looking for his whereabouts, can you a.s.sist me?" Cagliari, damaged and destroyed everywhere last night. The one who appeared here was the blonde girl dressed in red — the owner of that unforgettably beautiful face. "...What, it's you." Her name was something like Erica Blandelli. Having a poor impression of her, G.o.dou responded very coldly. "Ah, where's the greeting? I've heard that the j.a.panese are very big on manners, could I be wrong? Or perhaps, it's you who is ignorant?" Erica spoke scathing words in an elegant tone. Even for someone like G.o.dou who was unaccustomed to handling girls, he could not stop himself from retorting. Frowning, and using as malicious a tone as possible, he counterattacked: "I've also heard that Italians were very amiable, but you don't seem to have that kind of gentleness." Silently they stared at each other for a moment. Very obviously, Erica's mood turned for the worse, but it was the same with G.o.dou. "If you were a gentleman, then I can lavish as much gentleness as you want. However, for you to act with such an att.i.tude towards a lady, unacceptable, completely unacceptable, you fail." "At least in the place I was born, girls who threaten others with swords are not considered ladies. This is due to your own brutality, do not blame others." And so, this was Kusanagi G.o.dou and Erica Blandelli's first conversation, which took place in the worst of conditions. Though neither of them were actually the type to say such offensive words on a first meeting, but the current situation was the worst. "Just an underling of a mage who summoned a [Heretic G.o.d], how dare you speak to me in such a manner?" "Mentioning that again? You've been going on and on about G.o.ds since yesterday, what are those? Could you please communicate with words that normal people like me can understand? You've been saying incomprehensible things all this time, and it's making my mind very confused!" G.o.dou furiously said those words. Hearing those complaints, Erica simply smiled, and then held out her hand. Clutched in her hand, was the travel bag on G.o.dou's shoulder. Directly pulling it over to her, G.o.dou completely could not resist her monstrous strength. G.o.dou was very surprised that he would lose to such a slender girl in strength. "Look, what is this? A holy relic giving off divine power — even for us magi of the Copper Black Cross, rarely will we possess specimens of this high caliber." What Erica took out from the back pack, was the stone tablet. B5 in size, wrapped in purple cloth, on it was carved a rather childish drawing that left one with deep impression. The object that some female friend of grandfather had brought to j.a.pan — "Ah, hey! Give it back! That's not mine. I came specifically from j.a.pan to return it to the original owner." "The original owner? This person is on the island of Sardinia?" "Yes. Speaking with such arrogance starting yesterday, you don't seem normal no matter how I look at it!" "...Such harsh criticism aimed towards me, I shall punish you in a little while. But first, I have a question for you, please tell me the name of the original owner." Like an owl having sighted its prey in the middle of the night, Erica's eyes were flas.h.i.+ng with light. "A divine artifact belonging to a group who summons [Heretic G.o.ds], I am very interested in this owner... Quickly, or would you like to be threatened by a sword again? While I'm still feeling generous, it would be wise for you to confess everything, yes?" Erica's eyes were as sharp as swords, though her tone was full of false gentleness. G.o.dou was about to act in defiance when he suddenly realized. G.o.ds, magic, the mysterious youth, Erica Blandelli. There were so many inexplicable things happening to him yesterday and he needed to obtain more information in this area. In the absence of that youth, the only source of information was this girl. "...She seems to be called Lucretia Zola, and is currently living at a place inland called Oliena. I was preparing to head there myself." Making his decision, G.o.dou explained directly. Hearing that, Erica frowned and stared at G.o.dou. 'Lucretia Zola? The Witch of Sardinia? An evil mage underling like you, going to meet her? ...How suspicious." Kusanagi G.o.dou and the mysterious youth. And now it was Kusanagi G.o.dou and Erica Blandelli. These two encounters, who could have expected them to develop into an event that would rock the world and the G.o.ds — but at this moment it was only the southern Italian countryside — just a scene on the island of Sardinia. References 1. t Fantastico! Fantastico! Figlio Del Sole!: Italian for "Fantastic! Fantastic! Son of the sun!" 2. t Torre dell'Elefante: Tower of the Elephant, a medieval tower built in 1307. 3. t Torre di San Pancrazio: another medieval tower in Cagliari.