Shiniki No Campiones Volume 1 Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Pa.s.sing Through the Night of Wooden Horse 1

And then, they pa.s.sed through the s.p.a.ce distortion once more──

Rokuhara Ren and his comrades returned to Sanctuary Troia.

It was evening. The fortress city standing on the hill was basked in the evening sun as though it was burning. It was dyed with sickening crimson color. As though the whole city was dashed with a great amount of fresh blood…….

The surrounding of the city was s vast plain. Ren was looking up at Troia from there.

「Rokuharsan. This might be a trite speech but, I have a good news and a bad news.」

Riona sent a white heron s.h.i.+kigami and projected what it saw into a hand mirror──

Ren immediately replied to Riona who scouted Troia with her usual spell.

「Then, start from the good news first.」

「First, Troia is still not defeated. And then most likely, it will fall tonight.」

「──Rionsama, Ren-sama!」

Princess Ca.s.sandra raised a tense voice to them.

「How can this be!? I have just seen a terrifying future! Aa, I have to immediately warn father and mother and also the people of Troi. Our country will be attacked by an unprecedented calamity after thi──」

「You don't need to say it, princess.」

Riona placed her index finger on Ca.s.sandra's pretty lips.

「If you explain it to us, Apollo's curse will activate. Putting aside this oafish goshujin-sama, I cannot resist against it. I will make the prophecy in the princess's place.」

「My, Rionsama will!?」

「Yes. I don't have the supernatural power of foresight, but I know the plot of mythology. We are residents of the surface world, where we're able to read every kind of mythology in the shape of books.」

「So it's a story that everyone in your country read!」

「And, please look at this. A wooden horse is being brought into Troia.」

Riona's hand mirror──was projecting a plaza.

It was a place that would also be used for the city's event like festival. A gigantic wooden horse was placed there.

This wooden horse's body length was around 50 meter. Its height was around half of it.

Wheels were attached on its four legs so that it could be rolled forward.

A great number of Troia people were in a festive mood around the huge wooden horse. They were laughing, rejoicing, holding each other's shoulder and hugging, drinking alcohol together, and making merry by singing and dancing.

Even Ren and the two girls who were at a distance could hear the hustle and bustle of the city.

However, the center of that festivity was the Trojan Horse…….

Riona spoke solemnly.

「First let me talk about the tale from the death of the hero Achilles until the wooden horse is gifted to Troia in summary. It's like in weekly serialized battle manga. After the strongest rival died, the manga will be in tedious state from prolonging the serialization. It's like that.」

「What do you mean Riona?」

「Balancing the number, small fights between fellow small fries as though to stall for time, it'll only become a repeat of pointless battles. Especially the son of the dead Achilles, he would make his appearance with fanfare, but then he wouldn't do anything really noteworthy, it's truly──」

「Aaa……」

It was an example that was really easy to understand for young people of modern j.a.pan. Ren muttered.

「So even the authors of Greek mythology were suffering from the prolonging of famous serialization weren't they?」

「But, when the master of bow and the strategist Odysseus start moving, the story is speeding up drastically.」

「The swindler-like person in Greek army!」

「After all he is the main character of the epic poem 『Odysseus』 where he does as he pleases with his cunning and cajolery. He suddenly makes the whole army to retreat in the middle of Troia's siege, leaving behind a wooden horse that he secretly built.」

「Greek people are hiding inside that stupidly big wooden horse isn't it?」

「Yes. People of Troia don't notice that and they get carried away thinking that Greek army has run away. They brought the huge wooden horse into the city as war trophy.」

「And, when night came from inside the wooden horse……」

「Several dozen heroes of Greece came out.」

The Trojan Horse episode that even Rokuhara Ren knew.

Due to this "sneak attack", Greece's allied army obtained victory.

It was already almost sunset while they were talking. The evening star was already rising at the eastern sky, it was a time period that could be called as night already.

And then, Ca.s.sandra who was staying still as listener spoke forlornly.

「I, it's exactly like what I saw. Furthermore not only the city will fall……」

「I also know about that. The wealth of Troia will be pillaged by the violent army of Greece and the city will be set in fire. The men will be ma.s.sacred atrociously, the women and children will be kidnapped regardless of their status as n.o.ble or commoner, and they will be turned into slave……. Princess Ca.s.sandra also won't be an exception, she will be violated by a hero Ajax the Lesser, become a slave of the enemy's army supreme commander Agamemnon, and soon she will arrive to a violent death──」

Riona intentionally calmed her heart and spoke without even a twitch of her eyebrow.

Ca.s.sandra didn't deny her words and only nodded once.

It was a tale of conquest and invasion that was irritating to even hear. Ren felt a righteous indignation that was out of character for him. In front of him, Riona concluded the mythological tale like this.

「But, even the "conceited feeling" of the people of Greece who are elated in triumph will be ended immediately. Their insolence enraged their protector G.o.ds Athena and others, where they will give them divine punishment. Zeus will cause a raging storm, while Poseidon will cause a tsunami. The whole Troia will sink into the sea, and the large fleet of Greece army that is in the middle of returning home──will mostly sink into sea to become sc.r.a.ps of sea……」

「So that's the conclusion of this war. We've to return immediately to Troia.」

Ren sighed.

「But, this side also has a lot of G.o.ds as their ally……. Say Stella」

「What is it Ren? I'll tell you in advance but──」

When he called his partner for the first time in a while, she didn't show her figure and replied with only her voice.

「It's pointless even if you expect something from me for the rough matter like fighting you know?」

「But, it's fine to call Apollo-san and others to help right?」

「I can manage somehow for that. Those guys are also coming here to be spectator anyway. But, if we call on them then the cold faced Athena and the rowdy Poseidon-sama will also give more effort than necessary so, in that case won't the war situation become tougher for our side?」

「That's right isn't it」

Now then, they returned to Sanctuary Troia without any preparation, but what should they do to go through this decisive battle…….

The sacred bird of guidance suddenly muttered in front of her troubled goshujin-sama.

「I don't know if it will be useful but, I recall this kind of legend. It's about the cause of Trojan War.」

「Aa, that beautiful G.o.ddess contest where Prince Paris chose Aphrodite?」

「No. It's not that──it's the hidden circ.u.mstance behind the scene.」

2

People laughed, raised their gla.s.s, hugged each other's shoulder, and celebrated the victory.

That kind of merry people were everywhere after pa.s.sing through the castle gate of Troia.

It was already like this at the entrance of the city. The whole Troia tonight must be rejoicing in the peace that was finally returned.

However, this great joy created an opening in the people's heart that would become the cause of tragedy…….

「Aa──!」

Princess Ca.s.sandra was at a loss of words as soon as she entered the city.

She must have seen it again. The future where her birthplace was destroyed by Greece allied army. Ca.s.sandra immediately approached the people of the city nearby.

「All of you, stop-. A lot of warriors of Greece are hiding inside that wooden horse! The retreating army will also return soon! If you don't hurry and escape then a lot of citizens will die, the day of destruction of this Troia will soon arrive……-」

The princess's voice was sorrowfully appealing in earnest.

Furthermore she didn't do it only once. Ca.s.sandra repeated saying the same thing over and over heroically toward the people. But, however.

「This woman, saying such sinister thing in this auspicious day that finally arrived!」

「Get lost! You make the wine taste bad!」

「You want me to break open you head!? This stupid crazy woman!」

There were even thugs who were going to throw wine bottle and rock at her.

Ca.s.sandra was fl.u.s.tered and frightened. Ren covered her behind him while tilting his head.

「It must be the curse's fault that her prophecy isn't believed but……isn't the people of the city also strange? Even though the Greece army has retreated many time before this, why are they being this happy this time?」

「They're also bringing in the obviously suspicious wooden horse so easily.」

Riona knitted her eyebrows while looking around the city.

「I'm feeling the presence of a sorcery all around. Most likely the reasoning of Troia people is being clouded and they're made to make ruckus──this is the dazzling of wild excitement. I think this is the "work" of G.o.ddess Hera or Athena.」

「Wha, what if we burn that wooden horse by our hand──」

「That's a valid tactic. But, the epic poem also include a scene where Princess Ca.s.sandra is obstructed by her fellow Troia people when she try to do that so……」

「Ca.s.sandra. First I and Riona will try doing something.」

「Ye, yes……」

Ren took the hand of the perplexed princess and walked rapidly.

His destination was the plaza. The place where the huge Trojan Horse was placed. Like that he walked forward for about a hundred meter from the castle gate but,

「Rokuharsan. It seems that obstruction number one will begin.」

「Yeah. I'm also feeling a dangerous presence p.r.i.c.kling me.」

「I, I also feel it. This is undoubtedly a G.o.d's──an omen that is sent by the great G.o.d who summoned the cloud Zeus! Aa!」

Riona warned him with a low voice. Ren easily replied back while Ca.s.sandra was in despair.

Right after that.

From inside the city of Troia──the festive people making ruckus suddenly vanished.

Instantly the place was transformed into a deserted city. This was Troia's largest major road that connected to the plaza. However right now there was only three people here, Rokuhara Ren, Ca.s.sandra, and Riona.

The incarnation of the sacred bird Yatagarasu immediately said.

「They must be planning to lock the G.o.dslayer Rokuharsan inside a "barrier".」

「What, barrier?」

「To say it in chuunibyou language, it's a magic attack that 『change the phase of s.p.a.ce to lock the target into an isolated s.p.a.ce where they can't interfere with reality and such』.」

This time the houses were gradually vanis.h.i.+ng from their surrounding.

At this rate the s.p.a.ce would become a s.p.a.ce with nothing existing in it except 『nothingness』 that stretched on forever. Just before that occurred, Ren──heightened the magic power residing in his body and mind in full throttle.

In order to oppose the sorcery trying to take him in.

「O lawful G.o.d the protector of the four cardinal points. O G.o.d Chintaku of the east, the south, the west, and the north. Repel the hundred of demon and exorcise the disaster──. Kyuukyuu Nyo Ritsu Ryou!」

Riona also took out four talismans.

Each had the color of blue, red, white, and black. The four talismans floated in the air. The black talisman as in front of the three of them, the red talisman was behind them, the blue talisman was at the right, and the white talisman took position at the left. They deployed a s.h.i.+eld using magic power.

And then the surrounding's transformation to nothingness──stopped.

The buildings, the major street, the ground they were standing on were returning to the s.p.a.ce where there was only nothingness spreading. But the people of the city was still vanis.h.i.+ng.

In exchange, the sky that would be entering the night fully was filled with dark cloud.

It was a rain cloud. The weather looked like it would rain anytime soon. The sound of thunder was also rumbling. Ca.s.sandra yelled anxiously.

「Ren-sama, it's the servant of the lord of storm Zeus!」

「Looks like it……」

When they noticed a man was standing on their way.

Curly hair, bearded face, white garment, and a royal scepter. The G.o.d of sky Zeus. Ren left behind his comrades behind and headed alone toward the enemy's boss.

「Stella. I'll count on you just as we discussed before.」

「That's really admirable for a man whose saving grace is his running away.」

The sovereign of Greek mythology grinned.

「Before long the great battle that will decide the fate of Troia will begin. I have prepared this place for you so that you won't be a hindrance to that, G.o.dslayer.」

「About that you see, I think there is no need for you to hold me back here.」

Ren said as easygoingly as he could.

He made a statement that was as unexpected as possible to attract the attention of the great sky G.o.d. It was a trick for that. In the end Zeus muttered 「Hou?」 suspiciously.

「You're planning to save Troia aren't you?」

「That's right. But, you……the king of the G.o.ds Zeus should have accomplished most of your objective right? I know, about this thing called G.o.d's plan.」

It was the knowledge that Riona had taught him just now.

Ren smiled beamingly while kicking on the ground. It was his signal to his partner Stella.

(Sheesh-. How dare he pushed around a G.o.ddess in order to bargain with Lord Zeus like this! You're getting too carried away, Ren!)

(Hahaha. I'll absolutely do just like we discussed before, so I'll count on you for the negotiation.)

He exchanged conversation telepathically with Stella=Aphrodite.

As the result, the mini beautiful girl who was Rokuhara Ren's other half appeared on his left shoulder.

Stella smiled with her best composed face. She didn't show the slightest hint that she took this bargaining role reluctantly and bowed beautifully to Zeus.

The belt that was wrapped around her small waist──was s.h.i.+ning in rose color.

She had activated her authority the Friends.h.i.+p Circle. It was to progress the negotiation smoothly.

「I wish to tell my lord Zeus. Our interests……is not necessarily opposing to each other. I made my appearance before your n.o.ble presence in order to ask my lord to recognize that fact.」

「Hmm」

Zeus stared hard at the shrunken Stella who looked like a doll and nodded.

「Very well Aphrodite. In deference to your face as fellow G.o.ds, I will listen to what you have to say. Don't make me bored during that time.」

「Please leave it to me, my lord.」

Zeus's voice became four gusts of wind that rushed to east, west, south, and north.

Stella=Aphrodite's respond was elegant as expected. Even though she was somewhat a good-for-nothing, she was still the G.o.ddess of beauty and love.

「This is something that I too have only known recently. That my lord Zeus is none other than the true mastermind who instigated this Trojan War.」

「Wait. The cause of this war is because of the "wrongdoing" of Troia's prince Paris.」

Zeus immediately objected. However Stella paid it no mind.

「That's at the surface. My lord's──true motive seemed to be 『to reduce the number of the humans on earth that has increased too many by causing a great war』, something like that.」

Mankind reduction plan by the chief G.o.d who was also said to be all-knowing.

Trying to cause a great war in order to adjust the human population that had increased too much. It was a motive with overly large scale. It was a talk that they had heard just now from Riona.

Stella talked further.

「It was a nice timing that Achilles's parents was holding their wedding ceremony at that time. Most of us the G.o.ds of Olympus were also invited to give them our blessing. But, my lord Zeus secretly arranged──so that only the G.o.ddess of discord Eris wouldn't be invited……」

「That's an inconceivable false accusation.」

「The angry Eris threw her divine tool the 《Apple of Discord》 into the party. She filled the apple with the curse 『The most beautiful G.o.ddess will obtain this』. Seeking the apple, I, Aphrodite, the war G.o.ddess Athena, and Queen Hera began to quarrel. In the end, we made Prince Paris to choose who is the most beautiful G.o.ddess……」

「After that I introduced the beautiful Helene to Paris, and in turn the opening of hostilities at Troia began. Everything is dancing on the palm of my lord Zeus……」

Stella continued speaking toward the sovereign who had fallen silent.

「Thinking back, when I thought that my lord was siding with Troia, the next day you would lend a hand to Greece. You granted your divine protection to both sides equally. So that the war will continue for long, that even more human will die──what does my lord think of this opinion?」

「Kukukuku」

Zeus finally leaked out a nasty laugh that was filled with implication.

It was an att.i.tude that was the same like confessing that he was the mastermind. Stella appealed to the fatherly G.o.d.

「Enough blood of humans has been spilled throughout the long war that span across ten years. And then in the coming decisive battle……my lord. Us G.o.ds who are siding with Troia and Rokuhara Ren here──will make the whole army of Greece to be on the receiving end of divine punishment. I believe that there is no need for the great G.o.d Zeus to personally bother with the purging of the like of G.o.dslayer.」

「Fumu. I'm amazed that you realized my……thought that I kept secret.」

Zeus grinned and spoke haughtily.

「However. The G.o.dslayer there is also an insolent person who broke into Olympus. Having matter progress following his plan is also not amusing in itself, isn't that right? Destroying Troia and burying this Rokuhara Ren while I'm at it, making the war to be even more brilliant is also not──」

「Zeus-san, at that time」

Ren intruded her.

「I'll use the authority I stole from Nemesis and escape from this strange s.p.a.ce somehow. And then, the raging storm and the great tsunami that apparently will occur in『this war's finale』 by you and Poseidon──I'll send it back as much as possible to Olympus.」

「What?」

「Nemesis-san is the G.o.ddess of retribution. And then she is also the G.o.ddess of justice. The bigger the sin and power of the target──the divine punishment that is sent back will also become heinously powerful. I won't know how far my power can go without trying it but……」

Zeus's gaze that was looking down on Zeus became grim.

The sky G.o.d was currently emitting a dangerous killing intent. Stella desperately appealed to him.

「My lord. In deference to your bond with this Aphrodite, I'm begging you to please rethink it. Listening to our request should be for the interests of both sides. I wish that my lord will pick the choice that will be the most profitable for you and Olympus──」

「Hmph. Certainly there is room for consideration. That's if that guy can really push back the storm and raging wave of us brothers. And then if it's the G.o.ddess Nemesis's authority, then perhaps……such thought crossed my mind.」

Zeus spoke with rough breathing.

「However Rokuhara Ren human, do you──believe that you'll really be able to do such feat?」

The king of the G.o.ds stared fixedly at Rokuhara Ren to measure his caliber.

「Pus.h.i.+ng back the mighty storm and tsunami that can destroy Troia……. If you go that far, then you also won't get away unscathed from doing that. To accomplish that, you will have to burn your whole life and wring out a power that will extinguish your soul and your whole body after all!」

They managed to make an opponent that was previously unapproachable to speak until this far.

It was the grace of the authority Friends.h.i.+p Circle. But, from here on it would depend on Rokuhara Ren's 『humanity』. Now then, could he declare 「I can」 in this place resolutely and obtained Zeus's trust──.

It was when Ren was hesitating of the choice for his next approach.

「E, excuse me, o great G.o.d Zeus, please allow me to humbly speak-」

The lovely princess Ca.s.sandra brought attention to her.

The beautiful princess who had been dumbfounded until now raised her voice bravely.

「If Ren-sama truly carry out what he spoke, then the palace of the G.o.ds, the holy ground of Olympus will end up half crumbling, and the blood of not few number of G.o.ds will be shed-. I don't wish to witness such future no matter what!」

Princess Ca.s.sandra was bestowed with the spiritual power of foresight from the sun G.o.d Apollo.

The blessing came along with a curse that no human would trust her prophecy. However, if it was the G.o.dslayer Rokuhara Ren, then that curse could be resisted.

That meant that of course the king of G.o.ds Zeus could also…….

The sovereign of the divine world of Greece glared at the terrified Ca.s.sandra with a terrible scowl, and then he clicked his tongue glumly.

That was the moment their negotiation with the chief G.o.d Zeus succeeded.

3

The impregnable Troia entered the late at night time period.

Due to their revelry to celebrate the victory, most of the citizens were dead tired. They were heavily drunk and slept like log. There were also people who continued making merry throughout the night, but their number was few.

And then──

Several dozen s.h.i.+ps were anch.o.r.ed at the cove in nearest distance to Troia.

The soldiers changed into small s.h.i.+ps and began to land one after another.

Everyone was paying meticulous attention to not make sound as much as possible while acting swiftly and orderly.

Greece troops that disembarked on the sandy beach of the cove numbered around twenty thousand people in total.

……There were people who were observing that happening.

The fortress city Troia. Ren and Riona were standing above the rampart.

「The people boarding those s.h.i.+ps are mostly normal soldiers. The prominent heroes of Greece should be hiding over there.」

Riona pointed at the opposite direction of Greece troop at the beach.

She pointed at the plaza inside Troia. The gigantic wooden horse that was brought in was showing its presence impressively there.

Ren tilted his head 「Eh?」.

「Someone is approaching the wooden horse. It looks he is wounded all over.」

「He must be the Greek person who surrendered to Troia along with the wooden horse. Even after getting thoroughly tortured, he continued saying 『Greece army has lost all fighting spirit and retreated』, tricking the people of Troia. It's said that G.o.ddess Hera granted him divine protection so that he wouldn't die no matter how much he get tormented.」

「A sneak attack that is helped out by the G.o.ds can't possibly be prevented huh……」

They didn't use anything like torch so that they wouldn't be discovered by Greece army.

The night sky was enshrouded in dark cloud. The moon and the stars couldn't be seen. But, the 『eyes』 of Rokuhara Ren who killed a G.o.d saw through the night's darkness like a beast. Riona was also the same.

Thanks to that, on the rampart that surrounded Troia──

They could clearly see the twenty thousand troops of Greece outside the city and the huge wooden horse that was brought inside the city.

「Rokuharsan. Greece army is starting to move.」

Around twenty thousand troops were starting to march toward Troia above the hill.

『Hybrid race』 like minotaur and Myrmidon people were also mixed among the troops. But, their pace and formation were orderly and in harmony. The army was controlled nicely.

The metal armor of Greece troops should make *kacha kacha* sound normally.

But, mysteriously there wasn't any sound. It seemed they applied trick like pouring oil into the sword's sheath or wrapping clothes around their armor.

They planned to gamble everything to settle this Trojan War through this night attack.

That determination granted them the discipline that was "unlike" them who weren't any different from pirate.

「We should begin too.」

「Understood. ──O spirit of fire, send the flame of Yatagarasu to those people」

Riona quietly threw a talisman from the rampart.

The piece of paper that was written with spell pa.s.sage flew for several hundred meters in an arc. It fell on the huge wooden horse at Troia's plaza──and in that moment.

The huge wooden horse was enveloped in intense flame and in addition large explosion also occurred.

*GOUUUUUUUUUUUN-!* The large stage tool of Greece army broke into small pieces. Riona watched it happened while letting out loud voice that didn't lose against the explosive sound.

「Normally it should be completely annihilated by this explosion but……!」

The plaza that was decorated by the wooden horse was completely enveloped in flame blast.

However, men rushed out from inside the fire──unbelievably there were nearly ten of them. Everyone was covered in soot and some burn injury on them, even so they still looked ready to fight.

「As expected from the legendary heroes of Greek mythology! They somehow endured that attack!」

「Can't be helped. We'll take care of them later, first we have to do something about the guys "outside"!」

Ren and Riona nodded to each other.

The two of them descended to outside the city with a rope that they hung on the rampart.

「……But Rokuharsan. Is it really alright?」

「It's fine. I've known that something like this will also happen since I first came to Troia.」

「Understood. I'll also consider it as the resolve of 『someone who became demon king』.」

Riona nodded. Ren crouched in front of her.

He stretched out his right hand, and touched the land of Troia with only his index finger and middle finger. This country had become a stage for war that had continued for ten years already. It was unknown just how much blood had been shed.

Even the things that Rokuhara Ren "saw" only in this short time only consisted of terribly gruesome battlefield──

「The G.o.ddess of RetributionNemesis pa.s.s divine judgment to misdeed that jeopardize life.」

Ren activated his authority with the memory of injustice he had seen with his eyes as the trigger.

Retribution──. Fundamentally it was an ability that deflected back the attack that was directed to Rokuhara Ren. But he could also apply "a bit arrangement" to it.

Yes. The authority of Ren and others 『the G.o.dslayer』 wasn't really something inflexible that stuck to the rule.

Speaking nicely it was flexible, but speaking clearly it was haphazard.

He could add various change in application based on his mood and sense at the time. He could realize a method of usage that he had never even imagined until that time.

A good example was the 『divine protection of retribution』 that he granted Ca.s.sandra.

The concept was created form a flash of idea that perhaps an attack that wasn't directed to him could also be deflected back. As the result, Ren learned that he could also use his authority like that. This time too he was going with the same intuition.

「I wish for the judgment of justice here.」

Just like how he wished for retribution to Ca.s.sandra's good will, right now he wished for retribution to Greece army that wished to atrociously trample the people and city of Troia. A good deed should be rewarded with good result. A bad deed should be rewarded with bad result.

Ren quietly talked to the 『power of G.o.d』 inside him.

「Say Nemesis……. I want to bring down the so called heaven's punishment to what the guys of Greece will start after this. Retributive justice, prompt divine punishment. Of course, if those guys won't do anything bad, then it's fine even if you don't do anything. But, such thing……is absolutely not the case right?」

Ren talked while heightening his magic power to maximum.

「Blood, then rage, hatred, despair of the people who were harmed and murdered by Greece's soldiers……this land of Troia has absorbed so much of those kind of things. All of those become the strength that stir up you──the G.o.ddess of justice and revenge, Nemesis.」

Ren crouched and put two fingers of his right hand on the ground while declaring quietly.

「That's why, I'll do it in your place.」

That was spell words to control G.o.dslayer's authority, the words of power.

The sacred words of power of revenge that was the oath of Rokuhara Ren──. And then right now, the right hand's index finger and middle finger were finally lifted away from the ground. Because he had poured enough magic power.

「The phenomenon of future has its cause in the past. O fate, manifest the entanglement of karma.」

RetributionNemesis, activate.

Monsters were crawling out from the ground due to Ren's authority.

If it was explained concisely──they were human corpse.

However, they were 『moving corpse』. They were walking properly even if their movement was awkward and shambling. The deads slowly headed toward the soldiers of Greece army. Their number was also great.

The moving corpses couldn't be counted in the units of ten or hundred.

About the same number with Greece army, around twenty thousand had come out from below ground──Ren who was the perpetrator of this instinctually knew that. And then, like tsunami the large army of living dead was descending on the Greece army that was currently approaching Troia…….

「U, UWAAAAAAAH!?」

「What's these monsters!?」

The soldiers of Greece yelled. The deads attacked them one after another.

They bit with their unspeaking mouth of corpse, grabbed with their rotten arms that looked almost falling off, bashed, gouged the enemy soldier's eyeball with their fingers. Those with pole, sword, spear, any kind of weapon would attack with those.

A regular scene of zombie movie or drama began.

Although the movement of the corpses were shambling, their arm strength was obviously far stronger than when they were alive. The Greece troops that should be strong were easily overwhelmed!

「GUAAAAAAH!」

「s.h.i.+t, how dare you!」

「Don't falterrr-! You guys, turn the table on them!」

Of course, the Greece army also counterattacked with all their might.

However, well, as expected it became a reproduction of the scene that was often seen in zombie movie type.

In the first place they were corpse, so the deads wouldn't mind it even if they were somewhat injured by sword or spear and continued to fight. As long as they weren't greatly damaged like having their limbs torn apart or their whole body bisected, the army of the dead wouldn't stop moving.

「Rokuharsan. That large army of moving dead──」

Riona spoke. The two of them climbed on the rampart once more and overlooked the battlefield.

It was to secure visibility and so they wouldn't get dragged into the melee.

「They're the people of Troia……who were killed by the Greece in this ten years of war aren't they?」

「Yep. Actually the Greece army still hasn't carried out their evil deed. But the retribution to the 『greatness of their sin』 that has acc.u.mulated in these ten years turned into Nemesis's divine punishment that came down on them.」

The deads were ma.s.sacring the soldiers of Greece while Ren and Riona were watching.

The armor and clothes they were wearing were in the style of Troia. Everyone sported wound that seemed to be from when they were murdered.

Corpse that was cut down with sword. Corpse that was stabbed with spear. Corpse that was burned by flame.

Corpse that was crushed by rock. Corpse that drowned in water. Corpse that was ganged up by a group and beaten to death. Corpse with crushed head. Corpse with incomplete limbs. Corpse. Corpse. Corpse…….

「I can only say that the authority of Rokuharsan and Nemesis is tremendous.」

Riona sighed.

「It has a prerequisite that the target is doing or has done some kind of "misdeed", even so to be able to cause divine punishment this great……」

「That's really true.」

Ren also sighed.

「It's still better if I'm just causing it──but I'm actually the one doing it, so perhaps it's not strange that I'm called something like demon king. Well, I came to Troia fully knowing that I might have to do this though……」

Right now many lives were being taken in front of his eyes.

He could see it as a just divine punishment of retribution. However, there was no denying that this was a tragedy that was caused by Rokuhara Ren's will and power. Although it was for the sake of preventing "even bigger calamity" that was approaching this Sanctuary and their own birthplace…….

Riona looked at Ren who was just a little bit crestfallen and said.

「Our objective is 『preventing the destruction of Troia so that the effect won't spread to earth』. Due to that, I believe that this development is unavoidable.」

「Is that how it is?」

「Yes. Trojan War is a muddy drawn-out battle that continued for ten years. Wanting a happy-go-lucky development like 『Everyone let's get along and live in peace♪』 from the sudden mediation of third party is──yes, an authority of brainwas.h.i.+ng will be essential for such thing.」

The voice of the high school girl who was also a great onmyouji sounded colder than necessary.

Perhaps she was being considerate to Rokuhara Ren who was feeling a kind of ashamed feeling and so she appealed that she was also complicit in this.

In order to respond to that feeling, Ren intentionally replied back with a voice that was lacking any tension.

「Brainwas.h.i.+ng huh」

「And also a gea.s.s-like ability that can force absolute compliance.」

「I see. If I can awaken to that kind of power and level up from being 『beginner demon king』, then I'll be able to change the plot of the myth in a smarter way.」

Ren smiled bitterly and muttered.

「Then, I'll try working hard a bit more.」

「Please do so. I too, if I have to choose a goshujin-sama anyway, then I'll want to choose a great demon king in the level like Angolmois who can shake the universe. ……But」

Riona's voice suddenly turned sharp.

「You should concentrate on the mission in front of you. The 『Death Army』 that Rokuharsan summoned overwhelmed the small fires, but it will be hard for them to face hero level opponent.」

「So those people has joined up already with the army!」

The hero Odysseus was ahead of where Riona pointed.

He drew his black metal bow to the limit and shot it powerfully. The sure-kill arrow flew for several hundred meters. Furthermore it also pierced through 50, 60 moving corpses altogether.

The Greece warrior that easily dispatched the corpses──wasn't just him.

One person swung around a splendid spear, scattering apart the corpses swarming him like brus.h.i.+ng off insects.

One person used sword, one person used his bare fist. They were also making great achievement.

「That must be the master of bow Philoctetes. That person who looks similar with Achilles might be his son Neoptolemus. There is also the lecher b.a.s.t.a.r.d Ajax the Lesser over there. Carelessness is forbidden!」

Ren nodded at Riona's warning.

Furthermore there were also the G.o.ds of Greece including Athena. The chief G.o.d had reluctantly agreed to make an agreement, but most likely they──

Although, their side also had allies. Ren muttered.

「Stella and Ca.s.sandra should be doing their best for us too, so let us work hard too and overcome this do-or-die situation. I'll count on you too Riona.」

4

「Night attack, everyone! The people of Greece lied in their offer of peace. Their aim is to launch a sneak attack on us!」

Princess Ca.s.sandra shouted herself hoa.r.s.e in appeal.

She was in the palace of Troia. Princess Ca.s.sandra returned to the palace in order to notify her parents, the generals, and the brave warriors at Troia's side of the danger.

Originally there shouldn't be anyone who would believe the warning of the cursed prophet.

However, the army that the "G.o.dslayer" Rokuhara Ren called out from somewhere outside the rampart and the Greece allied army began a night battle.

「Everyone, please hurry! At the Scaean Gate that my brother Hector protected to the death, Ren-sama and Rionsama who are of foreign birth are fighting hard by their lonesome! It will be our eternal shame if we the warriors of Troia arrive late to this battle!」

Ca.s.sandra ran around inside the castle and yelled as loud as she could.

The generals of Troia army who were tired from the party and slept soundly because of the alcohol were shocked by that lovely voice and woke up one after another.

This palace was located at the highest place of Troia city. Even though it was the middle of night, if they went out to the balcony, it was possible for them to listen and see the tumult of battle.

Thus──

While a bit late, numerous generals and soldiers marched from the palace.

They attacked the soldiers and heroes of Greece inside and outside the city. And then outside the rampart, the 『army of the dead Troia people』 of Rokuhara Ren was in the middle of fighting.

If that army combined their strength with Troia army that was sallying out from inside the city──

「We're as good as victorious……it will be great if that's the case. The other side still has old geezer Poseidon and Athena, and the heroes who are protected by that woman……」

「Aphrodite-sama.」

Ca.s.sandra turned toward the voice who talked to her from the palace's corridor.

When she noticed the G.o.ddess Aphrodite was standing there in her "shrunken form".

「Call me Stella when I'm in this form.」

「A, as you command. Stellsama.」

「Very good. Perhaps you who are a member of Troia royal family who descended from the bloodline of G.o.d are fitting to be appointed as my maid. Serve me properly from here on.」

「Ye, yes-」

Ca.s.sandra obediently nodded at the command of the haughty little G.o.ddess.

The two of them returned together to the palace. In the first place, Aphrodite who was a G.o.ddess who protected Troia was acquainted with several heroes and royalty. Stella would stand beside their pillow and urged them to sally out.

But, Stella's role didn't end with that.

She looked around the corridor restlessly and said 「You over there」.

She wasn't talking to Ca.s.sandra, but to a wild rat at a corner.

「So you come just as expected, o radiant Apollo. Can I ask you to call out to other like-minded fellows so they can also partic.i.p.ate in the battle tonight that will be the last decisive battle? Right now outside the city──」

「Your "companion" the G.o.dslayer is showing his real ability there isn't it?」

Unbelievably the dirty wild rat replied with a refres.h.i.+ng voice of a youth.

Ca.s.sandra went 「My!」 from being struck with wonder. It was the voice of sun G.o.d Apollo who once bestowed her with the spiritual ability of foresight and even a curse in addition.

Yes. Wolf and rat were sacred animals with extremely deep relation with this radiant G.o.d.

And then right now the belt wrapped around Stella's small waist was s.h.i.+ning in rose color. It was the activation of Rokuhara Ren's authority Friends.h.i.+p Circle.

「Fufufu, very well. I will join all of you in a united front, o Aphrodite who was born from foam. And also one of my beloved children, princess of Troia.」

He addressed Ca.s.sandra without looking guilty at all. Perhaps it ought to be said, as expected from a ruffian.

The wild rat glanced at the dumbfounded tragic prophet before quickly leaving.

「Our role is finished for the time being with this. What's left is to carefully watch how far Ren can fight against the b.i.t.c.h Athena as his opponent──」

「Ste, Stellsama.」

Princess Ca.s.sandra obtained a revelation beside Stella who was sighing in relieve.

The spiritual power that was granted to her from the G.o.d who had just left showed her.

「Please come with me without asking any question!」

「Wa──wait! How dare you treat me like a baggage, what's your intention!?」

Stella=Aphrodite's body was only as big as a doll.

Ca.s.sandra lightly lifted up the strange existence that was a G.o.ddess and an a.s.sistant to a G.o.dslayer with both her hands while going 『Hyoi』 and started running through the palace's corridor.

In order to change the future for sure this time using the power of foresight granted to her by G.o.d.

And then outside the rampart that protected Troia──

The sea G.o.d Poseidon arrived as the vanguard of the G.o.ds that protected Greece army.

「Fuhahahaha! As a tribute for the heroic Achilles who has departed, I will ──wash away Troia's rampart and palace!」

The wild G.o.d of sea was in his gigantic form this time too.

The dark cloud filling the night sky looked like it was clinging to the top of Poseidon's head.

This gigantic body was walking inside the ocean with loud sound *Zun-! Zun-!*. He stepped on the seafloor, parted through the waves, and moved forward with extraordinarily large stride step by step.

He was heading toward the city of Troia that was built on a coastal hill.

Large wave would be created each time the enormous G.o.d advanced a step inside the sea.

*Zazaaan! Zazaaan! Zazaaan!*

The surges pushed until the hill of Troia. It repeatedly shook the land.

It was truly the portent of『Sea G.o.d's attack!』.

But, above the hill that was washed by Poseidon's large wave──a radiant sun G.o.d appeared.

「Pardon me honorable uncle. Betting the dignity of us the outer G.o.ds, I will protect the wealthy golden city Troia to the death.」

The handsome Apollo nocked a golden arrow on a silver bow.

「Will you be able to slip through my far-reaching arrow and approach this city or not……. Please allow me the honor to watch the skill of Poseidon, the one who move the wave!」

「NUUUUUUUH!」

*Hyuuu-!* The arrow was fired from the silver bow.

Apollo's far reaching arrow shoot through even the large wave that the sea G.o.d created, drawing a smooth arc, and flrew toward the enormous Poseidon.

Of course it didn't end with just one arrow. Arrows were rapidly fired one after another like a sudden rain.

These numerous arrows stabbed the bluish black skin. Even so the wound that was like the sting of needle couldn't possible send Poseidon to death.

But each time the arrows stabbed Poseidon──

Apollo's arrow would explode *GOooOOOOON-!*.

The divine might of flame and explosion from the sun G.o.d filled the arrows. *GOOOON! GOOOON!* Explosions rose one after another. Pushed by the barrage, even the turned gigantic Poseidon was stopped on its track.

「d.a.m.n you, you impudent twisted brat Apollo!」

Poseidon swung down the trident in his hand──

It pierced the bottom of the sea. Right after that, the sea and the land were starting to rumble unstably. He caused an earthquake, furthermore it was a great earthquake that could change the geography.

The elder brother of sky G.o.d Zeus was a king who reigned over not only the sea, but also the land.

Causing earthquake was also one of his authorities!

「Oo, as expected from old man Poseidon.」

Apollo smiled gallantly even on the shaking land.

It was becoming hard to fix his bow's aim. However, he had already finished predicting just this much since a long time ago. The sea G.o.d who shook the land and the sun G.o.d of the far-reaching arrow began a contest of strength in the sanctuary.

In the battlefield where a fierce battle against the dead was unfolding──

The hero who was superior with bow than anyone in Greece yelled.

「Ooh. A skill that even this Odysseus cannot imitate──!?」

Silver arrow suddenly flew from far in the sky.

The soldier guarding him was pierced by it. Furthermore, the moment the arrow pierced the heart, the whole body of his retinue melted into mercury.

It was an astonis.h.i.+ng divine skill of bow. An excellence of bow shooting with subtle grace.

Odysseus who also excelled in bow technique had sharp eye like a hawk.

He noticed that there was a tall beautiful maiden standing on the rampart of Troia. He nocked a silver arrow on a golden bow.

「As I thought! That's the G.o.ddess of moon Artemis!」

Odysseus immediately fired an arrow with his black metal bow even while feeling admiration.

Of course he aimed at the G.o.ddess. However, the G.o.ddess who looked really similar with the beautiful G.o.d Apollo fired her arrow once more on the rampart calmly──

The arrow of Odysseus and the arrow of G.o.ddess Artemis.

They splendidly collided midair……not.

The arrow that was fired by the king of Ithaca, the wisest man of Greece army. It was magnificently sniped by the far-reaching shooter, the moon G.o.ddess.

The arrow of Hero Odysseus melted into mercury.

Artemis fired two, three more arrows!

「Nuo!?」

He couldn't fuss over appearance. Odysseus intentionally fell and rolled around on Troia's ground. He somehow survived the G.o.ddess's sniping.

He immediately crawled on the ground and hid behind a cover. He held his breath.

Artemis already turned her attention away from Odysseus.

She must have discovered a new target──most likely another hero of Greece army. Silver arrows were starting to be fired toward completely different direction.

「……Should I fire my arrow at Artemis?」

Odysseus asked himself, and immediately decided. That was foolish.

If he fired, the G.o.ddess of far-reaching arrow would notice his location. Trying something like comparing skill as archer against the shooter of the Sanctuary who surpa.s.sed himself, even being stupid had its limit.

Also, there was one more unruly G.o.d in the battlefield.

*Clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter!*

It was the sound of rolling wheels like thunder. The sound of a sprinting chariot that was pulled by two war horses.

「That's Ares, the king of steel sword clad in bronze!」

Odysseus immediately noticed.

The handsome faced war G.o.d Ares was driving his favorite chariot and ran around the battlefield.

After he pa.s.sed through, the corpses of Greece soldiers ──and heroes that were ran over to death were left behind in countless number.

It pa.s.sed while thoroughly scattering blood, flesh, entrails, and brain matter everywhere.

「UuuuuuRARARARARARARARARARAaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

Ares wildly yelled on his chariot.

The horse riding people of Scythia, Amazon, and Cimmeria often yelled with pa.s.sion. War G.o.d Ares was wors.h.i.+pped by such tribes──he was a wild war G.o.d.

Many of the countries of Greece held him in contempt as a G.o.d of the savage tribes.

However, Odysseus who was a veteran warrior with extensive knowledge knew.

It would be a different story if they had the direct divine protection of the princess G.o.d Athena, but in this overseas territory──furthermore in this land like Troia where the people excelled in rearing horse, they shouldn't oppose the war G.o.d of horseback riding lightly.

Odysseus stayed down on the ground waiting for Ares to pa.s.s.

「And where did that Athena go off to……?」

Odysseus talked to himself.

In this Trojan War, the G.o.ddess Athena would often appear at this kind of time in a transformed appearance to offer a helping hand to the heroes of Greece faction. That was becoming the custom.

However right now there wasn't any presence of the princess G.o.d with s.h.i.+ning eyes…….

The corpses of the dead Troia people became warrior that was trampling the Greece army.

The moon G.o.ddess Artemis and the war G.o.d Ares were using their bow as well as chariot to overwhelm not only the ordinary soldiers, but also the heroes that Greece allied army boasted.

Poseidon who appeared from the sky was obstructed from coming up on land by the bow of the radiant Apollo.

The land was shaking by the sea G.o.d's authority. The sea was fiercely raging. But, the earthquake as well as the waves were receding from a while ago.

It must be because Poseidon was forced to focus on his contest of strength against the sun G.o.d.

And then, at a corner of this battlefield──

Rokuhara Ren was facing the G.o.ddess that should be called as the enemy's ringleader.

「It has been quite some time, G.o.dslayer.」

The girl who was wearing green robe, G.o.ddess Athena smiled indifferently.

「What will bring this war to finish……will be the duel between me and you it seems.」

「Well, I think, perhaps that's true.」

The t.i.tle match will finally begin──. Ren muttered quietly.

5

「Come out Aegis, the instrument of protection bestowed to me by my father Zeus.」

A rectangle s.h.i.+eld with goat skin attached on it appeared above Athena.

It had a size that could snugly hide the pet.i.te Athena behind it. Ren had seen in Olympus how lightning could be fired from this Aegis s.h.i.+eld.

Right under the floating big s.h.i.+eld, Athena's attire suddenly changed.

「O staff of wings, o Gorgoneion. Appear to where I am together. In order to offer the fruit of victory to Athena who govern over wisdom and war.」

The war attire that was worn by Athena of the s.h.i.+ning eyes──.

White garment that looked really suitable for a G.o.ddess was accompanied with a silver cape.

A medal made from bronze was hanging from her neck. On its surface was the engraving of Medusa──『A female monster with countless snakes growing from its head in the place of hair』.

A golden staff appeared in her right hand. Bird wings were attached at the tip of the staff.

「Rokuharsan, I can go anytime.」

「Of course I'll count on you Riona! Help me with everything you got!」

It was the moment he gave the permission of "liberating the ability" to his reliable ally.

Toba Riona instantly transformed into the golden large bird Yatagarasu. She flew to the night sky of Sanctuary Troia.

However, Athena immediately muttered.

「It's disrespectful for mere retainer to intrude into the sacred battle between G.o.d and G.o.dslayer. In that case come out, my servant the black wings.」

A huge monster bird flew from the sky far away that was enshrouded by ash colored dark cloud.

It was a black owl with wing span that reached twenty meter. However, only its face was beautiful──it was a face of human woman. A bird monster with human face!

「You intend to compete with me!?」

The golden Yatagarasu and the human faced black owl were around the same size.

*KUeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*

The owl screamed just like a monster bird, then from its beak or rather from its woman mouth, purple flame that looked venomous was spewed out. Riona=Yatagarasu was a bird of fire, so something like normal flame would just get absorbed by her, and yet──

She flapped her golden wings.

The gust that was created from that blew away the purple flame.

It was a splendid defense. However to speak another way, the enemy was a user of flame that threatened even the bird of fire. Furthermore, the opponent was also dancing in the sky.

「Bring it on, I'll turn the table on you!」

Yatagarasu and the black owl rapidly climbed up higher and higher with a momentum that ought to be called as midair kaiju battle. Their contest of strength began.

On the other hand, Athena who was left on the ground was──

「O Aegis, release the thunder.」

In front of the large s.h.i.+eld that was floating above, a ball shaped lightning was generated.

It wasn't just one. Several sphere of light with diameter reaching a meter materialized and flew forward with intense crackling electricity.

Athena pointed with her winged staff toward Rokuhara Ren. The spheres flew with the speed of lightning.

「Uwah!?」

Lightning sphere, lightning sphere, lightning sphere, lightning sphere, lightning sphere, lightning sphere, lightning sphere, lightning sphere were approaching.

Ren waited for the critical moment where all of them would hit him, then he activated Nemesis's escaping speed and dodged. Dodged.

He jumped to right and left and completely dodged all of them.

It looked like a restless movement, but Ren's balance wasn't disturbed with each of his step.

A skilled dancer wouldn't tumble unsightly no matter how intense he danced, a boxer with excellent footwork would jump around freely inside a cramped ring, making all punches to cut only empty air. Rokuhara Ren's movement possessed a similar elegance like those.

However, he wouldn't win with just running away.

Ren dodged the thirty second lightning sphere while sprinting forward.

He moved toward Athena. He planned to strike with Nemesis's retribution from close range──or he was. But the G.o.ddess of war grinned.

「I can see it, swift G.o.dslayer!」

She swung the winged staff in her hand horizontally.

She predicted his movement that was stepping forward in G.o.dspeed and splendidly placed an attack on his track.

Ren performed head sliding as though falling diagonally to the front just before he got hit. With this he somehow dodged Athena's staff.

If an example was made in baseball term, the swing of a slugger was defied by a curve ball that fell vertically.

Ren slid on the ground.

However he immediately stood up with a nimbleness and flexibility like a cat.

「A splendid body movement. It deserves this Athena's praise.」

「As an opponent, that condescending praise doesn't make me happy at all……」

「Fuh. Are you feeling scared, G.o.dslayer?」

Athena provoked. However Ren answered flippantly.

「No. I'm a human who want to want as easily as possible at this kind of time. I don't want to get punched even once, and when I punched, I want to KO the opponent with just one punch. That's the most economical use of energy, and if I have to confess──that's what I've done most of the time when I'm facing human opponent until now.」

「Hou」

「After all that way consume time and calorie pointlessly the least, both for me and also for my opponent. But, when you're the opponent……I guess it might be impossible to do that.」

「Kukukuku. What a strange man.」

Athena snickered hearing Ren's opinion.

「It's said that when a G.o.d encountered a G.o.dslaying warrior, their heart will be swelling with fighting spirit and their body will be overflowing with strength to fight. Because G.o.d and G.o.dslayer are fellow arch-enemy who can't live under the same sky. However, even when I'm talking with Rokuhara Ren from this near……」

「You feel nothing?」

「Yes. It's really mysterious.」

「I've been told that before this too. Apparently because I'm a "variant" who got stuck with Stella──a G.o.d, so I'm not normal G.o.dslayer.」

「However, it doesn't change the fact that you are a G.o.dslayer.」

Athena told coldly.

「Rokuhara Ren. First I will bring demise to this Troia. The after-effect of that calamity should cross the 『gate』 of diversity world and reach until the surface world that is your birthplace.」

By surface world, she meant earth.

Athena smiled after giving that sinister announcement.

「Through that, the pollution to the mother earth from the foolishness of the humans──will be wiped. It will be a help for the land. Fufufufu」

「What will sink Troia are earthquake and storm and great flood……sorry but I'll say no thanks to that kind of present!」

「Then defeat me with force!」

Athena heroically howled. In respond, Ren finally──

Liberated all his stock. The numerous inhumanity and attack that he received in this Sanctuary Troia until now. He manifested all of them.

The s.p.a.ce around Ren──behind, above, left, and right of him.

Several divine tools appeared and floated lightly midair.

First was the spear that the sea G.o.d Poseidon wielded. Furthermore, the number was nearly twenty.

There was also the lightning that Zeus unleashed. It was a cl.u.s.ter of lightning that was crackling while waiting for the time it would be fired. If their number was counted it would be around twenty.

And then the same thing like the lightning sphere that Athena fired just now also appeared by more than thirty.

Also, there was also the s.h.i.+eld that the hero Achilles tackled him with and the sword of Ajax the Lesser, one of each of them. They were mixed among the armaments floating in the air.

And then, all those weapons and lightning──were grabbed by G.o.ddess Nemesis's hand.

More than seventy winged avengers manifested. Everyone was going to unleash an attack of retribution!

「Oo!」

The G.o.ddess's s.h.i.+ning eyes were opened wide from admiration and astonishment.

「So you control karma and reproduce the bygone past so boldly like this!」

「It's not the time to be stingy. I'll go with my all!」

Ren pointed at Athena with his index finger and middle finger glued together.

All the Nemesis simultaneously struck with spear, sword, s.h.i.+eld, lightning, and so on toward the war G.o.ddess!

「Kuh……. Put forth every effort to protect me, Aegis!」

The large s.h.i.+eld that was floating above Athena until now.

The protector that the sky G.o.d Zeus gifted to her descended to right in front of her. It then built a defense by enveloping the princess G.o.d with white light of protection.

The spear and lightning that Ren unleashed flew toward it.

*GUON-, GUON-, GUON-, GUON-, GUON-!*

The attack of retribution collided on Aegis s.h.i.+eld as well as the sacred light of protection one after another. Dozens of heavy collision sound echoed. However, Athena's defense wasn't broken through.

But, Ren muttered undauntedly.

「Sorry, I'm lying with not being stingy. I have this in reserve.」

「What!?」

A trident suddenly appeared in Ren's right hand.

The more than seventy Nemesis finished their attack and vanished, but replacing them, he manifested the attack that he received from Poseidon──one of his lasts.

He held it aloft to throw it toward the dazed Athena.

But, the war G.o.ddess suddenly smiled fearlessly. In that instant, the G.o.ddess of victory Nike flew toward the spear that Ren would throw!

Nike. She was a maiden that looked like Athena's elder sister with completely matching appearance. Wings of white bird grew on her back.

The torso of that beautiful figure──was pierced *gusari*by the spear's tip!

「G.o.dslayer, don't apologize for your falsehood. Using scheme is also something that I'm doing.」

The winged staff had vanished from Athena's hand when he noticed.

That staff instantly transformed into the winged G.o.ddess Nike who charged forward. With Nike using her body as s.h.i.+eld, this spear couldn't target Athena anymore!

「Farewell, Rokuhara Ren.」

Next the medal hanging on Athena's neck──the engraving of Medusa on its surface was s.h.i.+ning mysteriously from its eye part.

Right after that. The objects at the surrounding instantly became 『stone』.

Even the soldiers of Greece who were fighting fiercely were petrified. They became unspeaking stone statue.

Even the deads who were called by the authority of retribution were petrified, becoming unspeaking stone statue.

Their weapon and armor also became stone. The soil of the ground that Ren stood on was also becoming cold grey bedrock.

The medal that Athena previously called『Gorgoneion』.

Most objects within the area under the gaze of the monstrous woman Medusa that was carved there──would be petrified by its miraculous effect.

In fact, Rokuhara Ren──the G.o.dslayer's lower body from his waist below was petrified.

「Uu……!」

Ren was speechless. With this he was unable to display his escape speed that was his strong point.

「Let me tell you, G.o.dslayer. Athena is also a G.o.ddess who is employing the snake monster Gorgon. Without it, this battle might be your victory……」

The medal of snake woman hanging on the G.o.ddess's neck.

It suddenly transformed into a golden snake that leaped to the air.

It stretched until the neck of Rokuhara Ren who was ten meter ahead, in order to thrust its fang!

(Uu──!?)

He would die at this rate. He would lose. He refused such thing even if it cost his life!

The incoherent thought lit fire to his fear and battle instinct, heightening his reflexes to the extreme limit. Look. Look at the golden snake coming at him. Look at Athena's gaze too.

There was only ten cm left until the fang reached his neck. Nine, eight, seven──

The s.h.i.+ning gaze of the G.o.ddess that was fixed on him was grimly watching Ren's whole body……

「I wish for……the judgment of justice here!」

He chanted Nemesis's words of power and heightened his magic power as much as he could.

The stiffening of his lower body suddenly vanished. He broke the curse of petrification. Then he used all his strength to jump right behind him, jump, jump, jump──

The next instant, Ren was right at the middle of a lush gra.s.s plain.

It was a place that was easily five, six kilometer away from Athena and Troia city.

He somehow managed to escape this far with his G.o.dspeed escape. However, the golden snake firmly bit on Ren's neck. He was unable to escape completely because the petrification delayed him…….

The golden snake immediately vanished. It must be returning to Athena.

And then, a p.r.i.c.kling intense pain rushed through Rokuhara Ren's whole body.

「Is that a poisonous snake? This is a little, no, this is really bad……」

He muttered. His consciousness was getting faint.

He hazily witnessed──a golden large bird descending from the sky.

6

「Oo……how can this be……」

Hero Odysseus was wandering a cold city of stone.

The city of Troia. A fortress city with extreme splendor due to commerce. A horse rearing country that also possessed deep relation with a large country of the east Hitt.i.tes.

However right now everything inside the city of that Troia had become stone.

Whether it was the ground, or the trees growing on the street, or the wooden building, they were all turned into stone.

The soldiers and heroes of Greece and also Troia who were fighting on the street, and even the citizens who were running around to escape, all of them were turned into stone statue without question.

It was as though they were being stared by the snake monster Medusa in a posture that would start moving anytime.

「To think, that it will become this kind of development……!」

Odysseus broke into a large shop and lamented.

There was no change at the stone material that was used for the vast residence from the very beginning. But, even the remaining wooden part was completely petrified. And then the people, the fortune, even the food and everything else were all turned into stone.

But, the greatest problem of all was──

How even the glittering treasures like gold, silver, gem, and the like were also reduced into mere pebble.

Even though he had fought hard for ten years in order to plunder the wealth of this city to bring it back to his own country!

「Dammit, dammit! Who in the world is the culprit of this!?」

This time Odysseus climbed on the rampart that surrounded Troia and yelled.

It wasn't only the inside of the fortress city that was turned into stone.

Even the soil and gra.s.s on the plain spreading around the city were also turned into inorganic stone. Surely they were also cold like an ice field. It seemed that the binding spell of stone wouldn't be in effect if people went until the coast where Greece army disembarked but…….

「Hou. As expected from you, Odysseus. You somehow endured the eye of I and Gorgon and escaped from being a stone captive.」

A girl's voice talked to him even though he was on the rampart.

Odysseus prostrated. A battle dressed Athena had arrived.

「All the other humans ended up as stone sc.r.a.p. Well, those like Achilles, Hector, Paris, or Ajax the Great who seems like they would be able to withstand has vanished into nothing in the battlefield already. You who are the most better among the remaining people being able to stay safe like this……is something understandable.」

'Kukuku', Athena chuckled.

Even while prostrating, Odysseus couldn't just ignore what Athena had said and raised his voice.

「Of divine daughter of Zeus! By chance are you saying that you are the one who caused this unusual event!?」

「Indeed, that's what I said.」

「Look at the city! The treasure of Troia and also the people of Greece who should be bringing that home, even the women and children who should be enriching us as slave, due to your whim they──」

「d.a.m.n fool. It's not a whim.」

「Just now, what did you say!?」

「Fuh. I am also a G.o.d of wisdom. I've been aware since a long time ago, that the foolishness and haughtiness of all of thee will increase all the more to an unendurable degree after your victory in this war. In that case……」

Athena declared coldly to the astonished Odysseus.

The radiance of her eyes looked similar to a snake that was just a second before snapping at its prey. It was coldhearted as well as fierce.

「I think it's also fine to bring down the judgment to all of you people of Greece together with this Troia and its people. Kukukuku. Now let's see, perhaps I should just finish it like this.」

「Please wait, o Athena!」

「Oo, haughty Odysseus. I will spare your life as your reward from escaping the binding of stone. I allow you to depart to the faraway ocean.」

Athena grabbed the hair of the prostrating hero with her slender hand.

She threw him high to the sky like throwing a discus in a compet.i.tion. The direction was toward the sea. Odysseus's face was staying shocked while he was flying to the dark sea at the distance.

「U, OOOOOOOOH!?」

「Don't worry, when the time comes I'll allow you to return to your country Ithaca. Strive hard until that time.」

「O beautiful princess G.o.d Athena.」

The voice of sun G.o.d Apollo came from inside the darkness.

「Tonight you are really rough with your execution. You even released the eyes of Gorgon.」

「I got excited. There is no problem with that isn't it, o radiant one.」

They were at the center of Troia city, the plaza.

The giant wooden horse that was the hideout of the heroes of Greece──its wreckage that became little pieces was scattered. But, even those wooden splinters submitted under Athena's authority and became a mountain of rock.

「Troia that all of you protected is destroyed here but……this Athena also personally dealt the divine punishment to the warriors of Greece. Let us reconcile in our dispute with that.」

「Certainly, that point of compromise might be just right.」

The one who nodded was the G.o.ddess of moon Artemis.

With a thick cloud covering the sky, the moon that should be called as her other half couldn't be seen. However, on the ground, the G.o.ddess of far-reaching arrow was beautiful just like s.h.i.+ning silver moon.

「Elder brother. Shouldn't we close the books on the long Trojan War with this?」

「Perhaps that is so, little sister. Then my unruly friend Lord Ares, what is your opinion about this?」

「Now that the soldiers that should be destroyed has become pebbles, it can't be called a war anymore.」

War G.o.d Ares also got down from his chariot and came to Athena's side.

His figure of a handsome youth clad in bronze armor looked disappointed without much interest. In addition, right nearby the sea G.o.d Poseidon was making a similar expression.

「Hmph! I too have lost my touch, to allow a little girl to s.n.a.t.c.h away the spotlight like this from me. You can do whatever you like with this kind of war, I don't care!」

He stopped his skirmish with Apollo right after the binding spell of stone descended on Troia.

After that Poseidon shrunk his gigantic body until similar height to human before coming here to meet Athena.

Athena grinned fearlessly at her angry uncle.

「Then, elder brother of my father Zeus. I wish to borrow your authority for a while. In order to rinse Troia here with a great wave and wash away the fleet of Greece.」

「Very well. I'll leave the clean up to you.」

The sea G.o.d Poseidon vanished. Ares and Artemis also vanished.

They returned to the seat of the G.o.ds Olympus. The radiant youthful G.o.d who was left alone spoke with a smirk.

「Then, I will also depart. It will be good if you can clean this up without any accident, o divine princess.」

「What do you mean by that, Apollo?」

「What. My eyes that are seeing through the future caught a glimpse of the shadow of that youngster, that's all. It seems that man somehow escaped from the eyes of the snake G.o.d too somehow.」

After showing the broad smirk of a ruffian, the sun G.o.d Apollo vanished.

Athena who was left by herself──courageously smiled. If that person would stand in the way of the war G.o.ddess once more even after being bitten by Gorgon's fang,

「Fuh. At that time I will make him yield with my divine might without fail.」

Rumbling thunder could be heard.

Lightning was starting to move inside the dark cloud that was hiding the moon.

「So Rokuharsan couldn't escape completely even with his legs……」

Riona looked down at her fainted goshujin-sama and sighed.

She somehow defeated Athena's underling, the human faced black owl, but she was a bit late.

At a plain a few kilometer away from Troia that became a petrified city──. The area around here wasn't violated by the evil gaze of Gorgon. The gra.s.s was verdant.

Amidst that Rokuhara Ren collapsed with his back leaning on an olive tree.

He was losing consciousness. His face was pale and his lips was changing color to black with hint of blue. Riona summoned a talisman and put it on the j.a.panese youth's forehead.

The white talisman was instantly dyed black and became ash.

「It's an absurdly strong deadly poison. Against normal people it will be able to kill twenty or thirty thousands.」

The talisman wasn't for healing, but a talisman of spiritual examination to ascertain the cause.

That was why the talisman was showing effect. However, magic wouldn't work on this goshujin-sama. Even if she gave him medical treatment, it would end up in vain……if she did it normally.

「Well, I have been shown the method. There is no way Toba Riona cannot do the same thing.」

The problem was in the point that she would have to do that kind of thing to him…….

「Later I would have to make him absolutely repay this favor ten thousand times──no. Rather this matter ought to be buried in the darkness of history. It has to be treated as an act that never existed at all……」

On top of Riona's hand, the talisman of Mahamayuri mantra burned blue.

She was burning a talisman of divine mantra to heal all kinds of sicknesses. She then swallowed this fire and the blazer-wearing j.a.panese girl brought her face closer. She moved while her whole body was stiff with tension.

The maiden's soft lips, and the lips of G.o.dslayer that had turned bluish black.

Both firmly joined with each other.

「……-san. Rokuharsan」

「Eh? What happened to me, Riona?」

「To think that you will recover naturally from that state, it seems that G.o.dslayers like Rokuharsan has life force that is off the chart. You will be able to enter a power struggle against c.o.c.kroach even in earth after mankind is destroyed by nuclear war.」

「You said that my body healed from Athena's poison by itself?」

「It seems so. It's great isn't it, Goshujin-sama.」

Rokuhara Ren's consciousness and physical state recovered.

He tilted his head hearing Riona explaining it to him with a composed expression.

He couldn't imagine that his body would be able to recover naturally from the poison. And yet, right now he only felt a bit of p.r.i.c.kle from his neck that was bitten. It was really baffling.

However, he also had a personality that easily forgot how dangerous it was when the danger itself had pa.s.sed.

「Well, it's fine if that's the case.」

「Good thinking. That's the ideal comment, goshujin-sama.」

「I don't really get it but, thank you Riona.」

In front of the nodding Riona, Ren looked up to the rumbling night sky.

After that he stared at the direction of Troia that became a petrified city and muttered with a subdued tone.

「Looks like I can still make it in time for a revenge match……」

「……You're unexpectedly gutsy, Rokuharsan.」

「No way. If I can leave it on other people's hand, then I'll happily do so. It's because it doesn't look like other people can do it that I have no other choice. But」

Ren grumbled at Riona who was gazing in wonderment to him.

「I've also used up all my stock of retribution, so I don't know if I can win. Should I try giving it a go with the mindset of going for broke──」

Ren sat down and leaned on the olive tree.

It seemed he fainted in this posture. And then, it felt like there was a mysterious sweet and soft sensation remaining on his lips……. He stared at the beautiful face of Riona who was standing in front of him.

「Wha, what is it?」

「It feels like I'm recalling something important. When I look at Riona's face, something is stuck in my mind.」

When Ren answered, Riona looked alarmed for some reason.

「Wha, what could it be!?」

「Perhaps it's related to the big match with Athena. A really important matter──I know!」

When Ren yelled, Riona looked like she was startled from the bottom of her heart. It was at that timing.

A lovely voice of a girl called out from afar.

「Ren-sama! Rionsama!」

「Looks like you failed to die this time too, Ren! And the bird girl too-. I'll give you two my praise!」

Ca.s.sandra and Stella were approaching in great speed.

The two of them were surprisingly straddling a chestnut unsaddled horse. The one controlling the horse was Ca.s.sandra who was raised in palace. She was skillfully directing the horse only with both her legs that were at the sides of the horse's torso and her slender arms that were holding on the horse's neck.

Come to think of it──Ren noticed it this late.

「For some reason, since coming here I've never seen someone directly riding a horse……」

「It's because stirrup for the feet to step on is still hasn't been invented. But, if it's nomad people who got along with horse since they were born, riding horse like that is……ah, I see.」

Rioma muttered with a face that realized something.

「It's Homer's set phrase that described Troia as 『horse breeder country』. In the first place the equestrian tribe that considered horse as sacred also has relation as sworn friend with the female warrior tribe Amazon that is also equestrian people. The royalty, and even the princess having knowledge of horse riding and archery is quite plausible……」

「Thinking back, Ca.s.sandra also managed to shoot a bow accurately at Achilles……」

「Ren-sama! You're safe!」

Ca.s.sandra finally stopped her horse beside Ren and jumped down.

Ren hurriedly caught the princess's soft body. The pure princess of Troia hugged Rokuhara Ren tightly as though he was her blood related elder brother.

「The curse of Gorgon descended on Troia and Ren-sama is also defeated once──. I saw that future and hurriedly sneaked out from the city!」

「I was the one who searched Ren's location for her. Be thankful.」

Ca.s.sandra was talking tearfully, while Stella talked haughtily from above the horse.

They smoothly reunited with each other in an unexpected shape. And then, with this he would be able to use 『that method』. Ren was hugged by Ca.s.sandra while staring straight at his new partner.

「Hey Riona. Can I ask you for a "request"?」

Right now Athena was on a steep cliff that overlooked the night sea.

She stared to the sky from there and called to the dark cloud covering the night sky.

「The G.o.d whose thundering roar until beyond the faraway world, the greatest G.o.d who is the most glorious Zeus, son of Chronos. With our blood relation, I Athena will bring wind and rain to the sky.」

Thunder rumbled and lightning started to fall without pause.

Rain fell down in large drops. It should become a heavy rain soon. The wind too. Strong wind blew fiercely. It was truly the portent of a storm.

「Under the name of the bluish black haired Poseidon, I shall shake the sea. The authority of the s.h.i.+p destroyer, the king who possess the ocean and the land, watch it thoroughly.」

She was on a steep cliff that was located several kilometer away from Troia right now.

Large waves were surging on the whole coastal area, including this spot. Furthermore the waves came continuously. The waves. .h.i.t the cliff incessantly and splashed in white color. A great tsunami should come before long.

「Trojan War will come to a close with this! Those who have objection to my ruling can come forward!」

Athena yelled with fighting spirit and wild soul.

Ren listened to that while slowly approaching her.

「So you come, G.o.dslayer.」

「I somehow held on to my life, so I came in a hurry for a revenge match.」

「Very well. I too am feeling regretful due to our unsettled battle. Yes……I was wondering if it's all right for the divine princess of Olympus to win only by trickery.」

While she introduced herself as princess, her dignity was worthy of a queen instead──

Athena of the s.h.i.+ning eyes stared heroically at Rokuhara Ren.

「Let's settle it decisively this time. With a majestic attack of a G.o.d.」

「Roger. And, I'll meet that attack with a cross-counter.」

「It seems you are keeping a secret plan. Kukukuku. Are you planning to use Achilles's s.h.i.+eld?」

「Actually I was also seriously considering that method. But, I feel like that thing isn't suited for me……」

「A good thinking. After all, you are a warrior who commanded swift feet. A Rokuhara Ren who stop moving and hide behind a s.h.i.+eld is nothing special.」

They exchanged a battle of words while finally starting a head-on fight.

The tool that Athena chose at the end was Gorgoneion.

「My servant who is my other self, we're going to slay our arch-enemy!」

The medal that was engraved with the face of snake monster Medusa was thrown toward Rokuhara Ren.

Gorgoneion flew in the air while──turning into a lump of bluish black flame. Furthermore it was a flame in the shape of large snake that reached ten meter in size!

This bluish black flame didn't generate any heat at all. Rather it was emitting a chill.

「Kukukuku. It's the flame of Hades that burned in the white frozen soil at the end of the realm of the dead, stretching at the bottom of the dark land. An authority that is related to the mysteries of the Gorgons and Athena, taste it to your heart content!」

The bluish black flame in the shape of large snake sprang forward──

Of course Ren thrust forward the index finger and middle finger of his right hand.

「G.o.ddess of revenge, this is the time to bring down the divine punishment. I wish for the judgment of justice right here!」

His aim was only one. To reflect this bluish black flame directly to Athena.

The transparent avatar of Nemesis appeared behind Ren, protecting him. He burned the magic power he had to the limit and poured it into his thrusting two fingers.

Everything was in order to accomplish the retribution. However.

「Don't underestimate the princess of Olympus, G.o.dslayer! I'm not so powerless that I will fall behind the inexperienced you in a head-on contest of strength and authority!」

The snake shaped black flame and Rokuhara Ren's fingertip clashed in midair with both sides hanging on in place.

If this was a sword fight then it was a situation of sword locking on each other.

It was because the two authorities were struggling for supremacy. The divine power that Athena poured into this attack was so powerful it couldn't be reflected easily even with the authority of retribution.

And then, Ren's two fingers were gradually being pushed back.

It was only by a few millimeters each time, but he was slowly losing the contest──. It was truly a desperate situation!

「As expected, a super major league G.o.d is different……」

Ren grumbled with a small voice, then he roared loudly.

「In other words, this is the time to stand firm!」

「Oo!?」

Athena stared fixedly at Rokuhara Ren in wonder.

The right arm and two fingers that Ren thrust forward was enveloped in crimson flame!

「Secret words of fire and sun, purify and exorcist all kinds of sin and impurity!」

「Flame's words of power!? You have such authority!?」

「The girl who you treated as lower rank has a bit of it. I requested her using Stella's authority. That I want her to lent it for a bit.」

It was the same like when he received arrows from the sun G.o.d Apollo.

The crimson flame gushed out from Ren's right arm and fingertips. The flame immediately transformed into the shape of a bird, becoming a bird of fire that flapped its wings──

It swallowed the large snake of bluish black flame right from the front!

「The judgment of justice and the words of power fire, get along and help me out!」

The flame of intense cold that froze the realm of the dead, it was a contradictory existence.

The snake of bluish black flame──was extinguished inside the bird of fire that was blazing crimson.

Without a pause the bird of fire flew toward Athena, enveloping the very young looking G.o.ddess of war in flame. Her right half was burned by crimson flame, while her left half was burned by the bluish black flame of intense cold.

The power of Gorgoneion was splendidly returned as retribution toward its master Athena!

「OOOOOOOOOH!?」

The heroic great G.o.ddess was writhing in agony from the scorching heat and intense chll showering her.

Ren saw it through and nodded.

「Although you were cautious toward Achilles's s.h.i.+eld, Riona's strength had slipped out from your mind as expected. It looked like that girl wasn't even in your vision……」

「Then Aegis!」

The s.h.i.+eld of goat skin manifested above Athena. The tool of Zeus that unleashed lightning. However, Ren also took out a talisman from his pocket──the piece of paper that was given to him from Riona, and he threw it to the sky.

「Come, Achilles's keepsake!」

The talisman instantly turned into a round s.h.i.+eld and flew like a Frisbee.

It clashed with the rectangle s.h.i.+eld of goat skin Aegis. Both of them were sent flying to faraway sky.

「Ku……! Rokuhara Ren, I'll pay back this debt to you someday!」

Athena yelled angrily, then right after that.

The appearance of the G.o.ddess who was at her early teen suddenly changed.

She grew up by around five more years──into an adult beauty. She was clad in a white garment and on her back were bird wings. It was the G.o.ddess who used her own body as a s.h.i.+eld to cover Athena just a little while ago.

「Nike!?」

Ren was shocked. He wondered if it was kawarimi no jutsusubst.i.tution technique.

The whole body of the winged Nike was burned by crimson flame and chilled by the bluish black flame──she crumbled into pieces like sand.

The G.o.ddess who had been originally injured died in the place of her master.

And then, when he looked up to the night sky.

A Pegasus placed Athena on its back and flew away.