Campione! Vol 12 Chapter 3
Chapter 3 - A Request Made to the Hime-Miko
Part 1
During the night of the visit to Odaiba, G.o.dou was finally able to start
reading his textbook.
The final exams for the second semester were already over. However,
Kusanagi G.o.dous test scores have slowly declined from their usual high
marks.
Well, he had been entangled by an incident involving a G.o.d-sama and was
involved with numerous things.
Although he could say it was simply due to a lack of preparation, he was
not only a G.o.dslayer and demon king, but was also a high school student.
As such, he should remain focused on his studies.
Especially during the month after winter break when the all-important
apt.i.tude tests took place in Jounan Academy.
For that reason, G.o.dou displayed diligence as he opened the textbook and
began taking notes on the table within the room.
"Eh? Speaking of which, did I get into a battle with a certain G.o.d before the
final exams?"
He was suddenly a bit concerned about this matter in which he had
forgotten.
It was now the second day. After the half curriculum of cla.s.ses prior to
winter break were over, G.o.dou walked towards the library. He was situated
in a quiet place where he could study the contents of the second semester.
If he ever got tired of studying he could always find a book to kill time.
However, time was of the essence since he must return before the sky
darkens.
Actually, starting yesterday he was responsible for cooking.
In the Kusanagi household when their grandfather was absent, G.o.dou and
Shizuka would alternate the responsibility of cooking every couple of days.
Lunches were to be prepared individually while the person on shift would
do both breakfast and dinner. Once G.o.dou came home he walked towards
the kitchen.
(Also, the schedule of shifts of course did not include their mother. Even
though one of the reasons was because she was rarely home for dinner,
the most significant cause for this was because she was their mother.)
Today G.o.dou planned on cooking with a pan which he filled with an
abundance of vegetables, pork and afterwards he liberally (but in good
proportion) added pickled cabbages.
The ingredients were cut and the time was also set on the rice cooker.
Once that was all taken care of, G.o.dou glanced at his cellphone that was
set aside and noticed a text message.
"Who sent this?"
G.o.dou, who didnt seem too interested, went to quickly check its content.
He then shook his head, completely unable to fathom what it was.
Not only did the email omit the name of the sender, but the email address
was unfamiliar to G.o.dou.
The contents of the email were Progress report, concerning the incident
from the past, the resurrection will take place during the winter solstice,
please be careful, Ying.
At the moment it seemed like a warning, but it was overly simplified.
The report seemed like it was sent in pa.s.sing by a staff member who had
infiltrated the dangerous enemy ranks and began monitoring the enemy.
"The winter solstice mentioned probably refers to the day of the year where
the night is at its longest."
The day of the year where the night is at its longest, in other words the day
when the earth is furthest from the sun.
A very popular j.a.panese tradition was to take a hot yuzu bath and eat
pumpkins^ every year during the 21st or 22nd of December.
This years winter solstice should betide on the 22nd of December.
Incidentally today was December 19th. Seems like the revival will take
place in three days
"But who the heck is Ying and what is this revival?"
G.o.dou was currently contemplating over this. Revival just what is being
revived?
G.o.dou tried to search for an answer within his mind but was unable to
come up with anything. If it is not something he can remember then it
probably lacked importance. Perhaps it will be fine even if he forgot?
"However, during that time with the Santa Clauses we saw someone
strange during the investigation."
G.o.dou immediately changed his train of thought. However, who should he
request for help?
Should he request Liliana again, or Amakasu? Neither of them would
probably be applicable. When all was said and done, one ambivalent
keyword came to mind. If only there was someone here who possessed
clairvoyance, then it may be possible to obtain an answer
No, wait a second. Someone who possesses clairvoyance, isnt that
person nearby?!
After eating dinner with Shizuka and cleaning up, G.o.dou returned to his
room.
The room was really an eyesore. The j.a.panese-style six tatami room
contained a desk and chair, a j.a.panese-style wardrobe as well as a
bookcase. Anything that there was no room for was shoved in.
As a result, G.o.dous room was very concise.
He did not possess any unnecessary items, which gave a plain lifestyle
feeling. Nevertheless, he still had items that were an eyesore.
The reason for this was due to him not having the temperament to be
storing things, hence this was to be expected. Besides the desirables and
necessities, he would not mind doing away with everything else if he had
to.
He would feel irritated if a large quant.i.ty of things were brought in.
Only the minimum requirement of a necessity will do. This
arrangement was much more lightweight, relaxed, and s.p.a.cey.
So contrary to what one might expect, G.o.dou was really fond of this sort of
profoundly plain room.
"Is my room really that lonely?"
He was referring to something besides the contents within the room. It felt
like this place used to be filled with something, something very lively .
While suddenly incurring this kind of feeling, G.o.dou sensed something was
missing.
Many things that were desperately needed were now lost this was the
kind of feeling that surfaced in G.o.dou. An indescribable feeling of being
lost and forlornness sank into him.
"As expected, there is something that I cant piece together plus the
relationship I have with those people hasnt really improved."
There were a lot of suspenseful matters regarding the girls by his side and
their interpersonal relationships. Even though the distance between him
and Liliana has curtailed quite a bit, it would be meaningless if he was
unable to further deepen their relationship.
His relationship with Erica was still the status quo. Also that girl seldom
attended school and was as cunning as always. And then there was
Yuri .
Not only did she have clairvoyance, she was someone who had the ability
to use Spirit Vision as well.
In this aspect, not only did she surpa.s.s Liliana, she also transcended
Princess Alice.
"At the present, I would say Mariya Yuris a.s.sistance is the most essential."
But how should he request help from Yuri, the sheltered Yamato
Nadeshiko?
She was someone who would evade getting into a discussion, an
inconversable hime-miko.
"Eh? Its like that?"
G.o.dou felt a little uneasy. Yuri was indeed a highly ranked girl. Not only
was she courteous by virtue, she was also conservatively polite. She was
very pa.s.sive towards making contact with boys making her unreachable.
However there seemed to be a completely different side of her. Indeed, it
was like the gentleness of Guanyin Buddha^ who provided help to all
living things combined with the indignant nature of an Acala 1 J
reincarnation.
Til give it a try and see what happens "
This kind of thinking was imprudent, parallel to some sort of evil thought.
G.o.dou appeared to have abandoned this kind of thinking as he shook his
head. No matter how he tried to play it off as a joke, the words of a
Campione would never appear as an antic.
But this was perhaps an opportunity for him to alter his relationship with
Yuri.
After spending two minutes stressing over this, G.o.dou picked up the
phone and sent out a text message. A response should appear tomorrow
morning at the earliest.
"If I dont take any risks then there is no way to move forward. Did a certain
supervisor say something like that in the past?"
Because he was incapable of openly stating his beliefs, G.o.dou had
entered a tigers cave.
When the night pa.s.sed, it was December 20th.
Just as before, it was G.o.dous responsibility to cook for the Kusanagi
household in the morning.
The first was miso soup, which is made by pouring miso into hot water and
boiling it into a soup, then adding potatoes to complete the soup. The
prewashed rice was then placed in the rice cooker for it to be cooked in an
environmentally friendly system using the least amount of labor.
Cuc.u.mbers, eggplants, and pickled radishes were also soaked together for
fifteen minutes.
"Afterwards I should probably cook some vegetables."
"All you did was place the cut up vegetables in the steamer on the kitchen
stove for five minutes. You speak as if you are actually cooking Onii-chan."
"What does it matter, it may be simple but at least its very nutritious."
G.o.dou was trying to comfort his sister while opening the door to the fridge.
He took out some natto 1 J , raw eggs, and nori and placed them on the
kitchen table. After that, he presented it like a western-style buffet. These
dishes should be enough between the two siblings.
The older brother lazily made the food, however the chef for the
Kusanagi household was absent so there was no other alternative.
"Onii-chan, its clear that you serve decent dishes while occasionally
cooking, but once you start cooking on a daily basis you begin to slack off.
"But this is the case for the majority of skilled cooks."
"Even if those skilled cooks cut corners, they would still be able to create
excellent dishes. However in Onii-chans case, you are already putting in
minimum effort before you reach the stage where corners should be cut!
Because he was reminded of Lilianas culinary skills, he stated in the
following manner. However his sister had actually counterattacked.
At this time the doorbell to the front door sounded. Has she arrived?
"Who would be here this early?"
Shizuka stood up and walked towards the front door while G.o.dou
continued eating. Perhaps his mind was entangled by doubt. After Shizuka
opened the front door, a beautiful girl wearing her uniform came into view.
"M-Mariya-senpai!?"
That said, the two girls had an uppercla.s.smen-undercla.s.smen relationship
in the tea ceremony club.
Mariya Yuri elegantly lowered her head and spoke towards the startled
undercla.s.smen.
"Im very sorry for disturbing you guys this early in the morning, but I have
some urgent matters to discuss with your brother. Please forgive my
rudeness."
"Brother you mean my Onii-chan!?"
"Yes, would it be possible for me to accompany Kusanagi-san for a bit?"
She was directly looking at Kusanagi G.o.dou who was standing behind
Shizuka.
Mariya Yuri had a stern and serious expression comparable to when a
n.o.ble princess adjudicates over sinners.
Regarding the G.o.dslaying devil king as an adversary, she casted an
intense seriousness that was much different than the highly ranked girls
usual cautiousness. G.o.dou felt his intuition was correct.
This turned the originally conservative Yuri into a courageous, initiative
taking girl.
He had successfully coerced her!
However why did he have this feeling like he overdid it? There was the
saying you cant catch a cub without going into the tigers den, but it felt like
there was a point where he had proudly stepped on the tigers tail
The price of wanting to control the situation for himself felt like it had
spiraled beyond his expectation.
Since it is like this, he might as well keep her company. G.o.dou braced
himself and responded to the princesss calling.
Part 2
G.o.dou terminated his plans of eating together with Shizuka and decided to
save his breakfast in order to eat it at night.
Fortunately clothing for him was not an issue. G.o.dou put on the shirt from
his school uniform and a coat, then immediately left after picking up his
backpack.
However, Shizukas tone on the other hand had a mix of anger (I wonder
why?) and bewilderment.
"O-Onii-chan, quit provoking other people. What did you do to make
Mariya-senpai actually come to our house!? Could it be the blood inherited
from grandpa has finally awakened!? Afterwards you better explain
everything clearly to me!"
T-There was no easy way to explain this, so might as well use a bit of
deception right?
The brother who was carrying these immoral feeling went towards the front
door and spoke to the hime-miko waiting for him.
"Sorry for making you wait."
"No, it was me who first disturbed you without permission and I came off
very adamant. This sort of delay isnt a concern at all."
After respectfully replying, Yuri started walking together with G.o.dou by her
side.
That said, if the words she had used were elegantly and respectfully
spoken like they had always been in the past, the words would have sent a
warm feeling to G.o.dous heart. This was because the maiden by his side
was both adorable and stunning, thus making him feel embarra.s.sed.
However, the tone she used right now was filled with the dignity of a queen
of winter.
Just when they happened to leave Nezu Sanchomes business street, the
might of this dignified feeling became much more powerful.
"Well then Kusanagi G.o.dou, what was the reason for yesterdays text
message?"
G.o.dou flinched after being suddenly questioned.
Perhaps he was unable to speak about his aroused battle spirit caused by
various circ.u.mstances?
"Its nothing, just a few things I recently remembered "
"No matter what position you hold, you still shouldnt do anything like this!"
Yuri took out her cellphone and displayed the contents of the text sent
yesterday towards G.o.dou.
Subject: Some matters we need to consult
Today there was someone who sought to discuss some matters with me.
It seemed that he felt very anxious because he was being tracked by a
deity. Since my abilities were applicable, I replied then lets eliminate this
G.o.d. After that, the G.o.d came looking to quarrel with me, making me feel
somewhat distressed. Once I crush that G.o.d, would it be better if he was
submerged in Tokyo Bay or the Suruga Bay?
It seems Yuris high cla.s.s temperament and her hime-miko duties were
provoked.
G.o.dou accurately antic.i.p.ated this and purposefully sent her a message
that would give her headaches by instilling apprehensive thoughts. He was
successful on his first attempt. As expected, Yuri was more than just a
kindhearted girl.
She was also strong-willed, n.o.ble, and had a habit of preaching and
nagging others.
Even though he cowered in fear from her aggressive att.i.tude, G.o.dou did
have a strong sense of satisfaction. It would be contradictory to Mariyas
nature if things did not turn out like this.
"You intentionally brought the heretic G.o.d into j.a.pan and now you intend to
cause ma.s.s destruction once again!? Your concern for the surrounding
area is completely inadequate!"
"W-Wait a second, Mariya."
G.o.dou replied, unable to resist anymore.
"Everything in that text was a lie."
"A lie?"
"Ah, haha, I only did that because it was necessary."
Following that, Yuri suddenly displayed a smile that was clearly very
charming. Nevertheless, it was a smile that would insinuate fear into
anyone. This was an expression of regret showcased by the beautiful
princess.
"Why must you do something like this?"
"No, you see, there never is an opportunity for me to talk to Mariya right?
We are only able to have a proper conversation if I did something like this."
Although he mentioned some pretty bizarre things, there was nothing else
that could have been done.
G.o.dou lowered his head with dignity and spoke his heartfelt feelings with
determination.
"I felt like if I tried to casually converse with you, you would evade my
attempts."
"So its like that? Just now I was contemplating whether or not to cut off all
connections to the lying and irresponsible Kusanagi-san forever."
The hime-miko declared this with a cold smile. That compelling force of
hers had also increased.
However, G.o.dou immediately followed up by yelling "Mariya" and closed in
greatly. The distance between G.o.dou and Yuri was practically nonexistent
as G.o.dou looked straight into her eyes. In the past, whenever a beautiful
girl approached him, he would cower and be incapable of doing anything.
"Ku-Kusanagi-san!?"
"I will apologize as much as you want me to for lying, but please listen to
me this one time."
G.o.dou said this with the highest level of sincerity.
"This is an unreasonable request of mine, but rather than having Mariya
treat me courteously, I would heavily prefer you to show anger and criticize
me without anguish. Even if you feel uncomfortable, you should still
continue to conduct yourself as such."
"If possible, I hope you would scold me whenever I do something
unacceptable in the future like you are doing right now. Basically me and
that idiot Salvatore Doni both need a person of this sort."
A devil king is someone who is permitted to be unreasonably violent and
live an indulgent lifestyle that allows them to ignore other peoples liberties.
Someone who possesses powers of a Campione should not be saying
these things to a mere human.
"So if someone must be selected, I hope that person would be you Mariya.
Of course, if Mariya doesnt want to then I wont force you What do you
think?"
"Kusanagi-sa G.o.dou-san "
Suddenly, Yuri quietly stated G.o.dous name.
This was really unfathomable since it was obviously an offensive change.
However, G.o.dou was not surprised with this new way of being addressed.
Instead, it could be said that this label was familiar sounding or rather, it
was something he was accustomed to.
Afterwards Yuri silently followed in kind with her head lowered like G.o.dou.
Her entire face turned red as she was probably very embarra.s.sed.
At this time G.o.dou finally noticed it, his proximity with Yuri was extremely
close. If his face was any closer it would be within kissing distance. They
resembled lovers preparing to embrace each other.
However, Yuri finally seemed to have responded with a nod.
This made G.o.dou feel ecstatic. The beautiful hime-miko, who was
fl.u.s.tered because of the close distance and wished to have some
separation, suddenly spoke in a whisper.
"Anything that the King No, if it is G.o.dou-sans wish then I will try my
best in response. However, I have something that I want to say about this."
G.o.dous back broke out in a cold sweat as sensed an omen of danger.
Surely enough, Yuri suddenly sighed and held a sorrowful expression
while looking up at G.o.dou.
"I didnt think G.o.dou-san was lying."
"Eh!?"
"I dont know why I would wishfully think that G.o.dou would always be
sincere to me. Calmly thinking about it, there are clearly many strange
aspects to this. Nevertheless I still unconditionally trust you."
Yuris murmur was not of criticism but rather of sorrow.
Her serene and grieving expression instead greatly provoked G.o.dous
sense of guilt.
"R-Regarding this, please allow me to once again apologize "
"To earn a persons trust takes many years to acc.u.mulate, however losing
trust in a person only takes a swift moment I feel that what G.o.dou-san
has done this time should reflect what I have just said."
"Ill do anything for forgiveness. Kneeling down, anything would be fine."
This kind of uncomfortable situation was akin to being reprimanded.
Deeply experienced, G.o.dou did not hesitate when offering the highest
level method of forgiveness seeking. He immediately utilized a prized
technique pa.s.sed down within the family and knelt along the road. As a
result, Yuris lonesome expression turned into a smile.
"It would have been fine even if you didnt do anything to this degree. I only
desired to have G.o.dou experience the same feeling that I just
experienced "
Just like that she stopped him in his tracks. G.o.dou pondered while
maintaining his kneeling position.
Phew, Ill never lie to Mariya again . Furthermore.
"S-Sawa-san, did you hear that !? Mariya-san and cla.s.s fives
Kusanagi-san? The two of them seemed to have said staying by each
others side, is that a joke? Or could it be "
"Of course, its just as Miyama-san thought, this is virtually the same kind
of conversation a married couple would have as they overcome a divorce
crisis. This means "
"Not only were Kusanagi-san and Mariya-san dating, he even had an
affair !?"
"A guy like this is actually in our school. Cla.s.s fives Kusanagi, Im on to
you!"
G.o.dou heard this unfortunate intermittent whispering. Looking to his side,
there were two girl students who appeared to be from Yuris cla.s.s located
not too far away from them. The one with the gla.s.ses was Sawa-san, the
pet.i.te one was Miyama-san.
Speaking of which, he would trek through here on a daily basis. Moreover,
it was the only way to get to Jounan Academy.
Other than Sawa-san and Miyama-san, there were a couple students
staring at them from a bit farther away! Sensing this dangerous situation,
G.o.dou spoke without hesitation.
"Mariya! Come over here!"
O-Ok!
Unwittingly, they went to the entrance of the Nezu Shrine. A hurried
decision was made when selecting the shrines courtyard as refuge,
prompting G.o.dou and Yuri to enter inside.
Part 3
G.o.dou and Yuri ran towards the vast courtyard in the Nezu Shrine.
Five minutes had already pa.s.sed since that previous scene. It was unclear
exactly when it happened, but the atmosphere between the two of them
had became tranquil and the mood strangely turned very positive.
G.o.dou discreetly tilted his head, just now he was clearly conflicted by his
own lie.
Moreover it was tantamount to yesterday morning. G.o.dou and Yuri
evidently had nothing to say, but their line of sight suddenly crossed paths.
Yuri candidly lowered her head and gracefully smiled. Considering G.o.dou
had said some outlandish things, this approach was appropriate.
The taut atmosphere from before seemed like it was merely a farce.
"G.o.dou-san, I actually noticed this prior to now."
Yuri suddenly started talking as she casually walked in a uniform posture.
"I noticed that I no, we, forgot something very important."
"You too Mariya!?"
G.o.dou was absolutely astounded. Could it be that Mariyas situation was
the same?
"Recently, I have been unable to remain at peace because I feel like Ive
forgotten something important. It repeatedly felt like there was some sort of
prearranged plan around Christmas "
"Christmas?"
"Ah, there was also the text I received from a person that I supposedly
know which said something was going to be revived during the winter
solstice and that I should be careful. It was full of some vague matters that
would make anyone feel very confused."
The purpose of the unspecified delivery address was probably to prevent
the ident.i.ty of the sender from being discovered. However, up until now
there was still no response and the intention to respond probably never
existed.
However, back to the main topic G.o.dou thought of something while
Yuri was talking. At this time, there seems to be someone who can fill in
the blanks for Kusanagi G.o.dou.
Just like Yuri, there also seems to be some sort of other person .
Letting her cover his back and fighting side by side, sometimes she would
bicker while other times she would share opinions and offer advice.
Occasionally she would create complications that would drive people
crazy. However, they would also hang out together at times. What other
instances would there have to be in order for her to be a suitable partner?
G.o.dou desperately reflected upon this bleary memory of his.
However this was insufficient, it was still inadequate. If only there was
some kind of opportunity !
Afterwards, G.o.dou heard Yuri mention a divine revelation.
"Ever since ancient times, the winter solstice has always been an
important sacrificial day for welcoming the G.o.d of bountiful harvests. The
people express grat.i.tude for the b.u.mper harvest in the fall and feel very
joyous towards the arrival of the winter solstice. Furthermore, they
celebrate the coming of spring and request the omnipotent to start storing
power."
!? G.o.dou looked to his side while Yuri gazed at G.o.dou with a dazed
expression.
"Whats wrong G.o.dou-san?"
Just then, did she use her spirit vision to obtain that divine revelation? How
typical of her.
Under situations which lacked awareness of the circ.u.mstances, her ability
would oftentimes be able to grant useful declarations. Even in this
condition where the situation was unclear, as long as they had her power
then .
Like having discovered a beacon illuminating the road ahead, G.o.dou
heavily nodded.
He felt that the suspended hands of a clock have now clicked and once
again started to move at an uptempo.
In the end, G.o.dou and Yuri arrived at the school together.
Walking together within the school is still too great of a difficulty. This was
why the two of them separated at the shoe cabinet located at the front
doors of the school and headed to their respective cla.s.ses.
Tomorrow was already going to be the graduation ceremony and the day
after on the 22nd was the start of winter break. Due to this, a complacent
atmosphere was found within the school. Cla.s.ses were going to end soon
and all the teachers and students within the school were cleaning sort
of like a ma.s.s cleanup. It was probably influenced by this kind of
atmosphere. Speaking of which, today Erica showed up.
She appeared to be in charge of the cleanup group for the science room.
She quickly brought some people who were students that in the same
cla.s.s as her and who had a pretty good relationship with her to go with. Of
course for Erica, displaying her own hard working att.i.tude would probably
be implementing effective commands to instruct other people to quickly
finish cleaning
By the way, G.o.dou was part of the hallway cleanup group while Liliana
was part of her cla.s.s cla.s.s fives cleanup group.
When G.o.dou would occasionally enter the cla.s.sroom, he felt as if the
silver-haired knight was eyeing him with criticism.
But he bypa.s.sed the notion that she was concentrating on him. Believing
he was just overthinking this, G.o.dou focused on his cleaning.
Once they finally finished cleaning, it was time to head home. While G.o.dou
was preparing to leave, the group of three consisting of Nanami,
Sorimachi, and Takagi approached him.
"Hey Kusanagi, you always seem to be involved in these strange rumors."
"Although I think its just a joke, I should still do a quick confirmation. You
and Mariya-san this matter regarding the socialization with the
overwhelmingly top ranked girl of the Nadeshiko section in my school, was
it true?"
"F-Furthermore even though you guys already arranged plans for
marriage, Mariya was depressed because you had an affair!"
G.o.dou frowned and muttered "huh?".
"Although I know where this kind of silly rumor came from there has to
be a limit on circ.u.mventing the truth. If lies like these were spread around,
it would create complications for me and Mariya."
The indignant G.o.dou said this while in a sour mood.
Afterwards, the three idiots suddenly nodded their heads and displayed a
smile on their faces.
"Ha ha ha, I guess you are right."
"I just knew that you and Mariya-san becoming a couple had to be a joke."
"There is eye-witness information saying you two were arguing on the way
to school. However the result was that you guys happily arrived at school
walking side by side after reconciling. This kind of strange information was
broadcasted everywhere and we unwittingly came across this unconfirmed
report which instigated some suspicion towards you."
"Ah, no, the arguing and coming to school together was true."
What.. .Did. ..You. ..Say!?
After G.o.dou announced this fact, the expression of the three idiots
changed for some reason.
"The person telling this kind of nonsense was probably someone at the
location and witnessed me and Mariya quarreling. However, the
relationship is definitely not the same as what they said, Im
serious. Oh yeah, there is something I want to request from Nanami."
G.o.dou spoke to his startled friend who had a frozen expression.
"Its pretty tough to complete that game I borrowed from before, is it ok if I
continue borrowing it?"
"U-Uh huh. It would be fine even if you borrowed it for a year or two as
long as you put your heart into it as you play. But Kusanagi, the things you
just said can we believe in them?"
"Huh?"
"What he means is, we still have faith in you as our comrade, being
one of the men who gallantly fights in solitude during Christmas against an
empty reality, how could we not believe!?"
"No, I dont have any plans to battle anyone during Christmas, none at
all ?"
Having no plans, for some reason he hesitated right after he finished
speaking. It seemed as if he had the feeling that something was awaiting
him.
Part 4
Afterwards, on the way back home, G.o.dou headed towards the
supermarket.
The purpose of this was to carry out the obligations of his cooking
responsibilities. For lunch, he simply tended to that by eating an onigiri
bought from a convenience store.
Ok then, what should I eat for tonight? I could eat the leftovers from this
morning, but that will definitely not be enough. I have a lot of free time right
now compared to my busy morning.
While G.o.dou started to reflect on the few dishes he could adeptly cook,
one problem came to mind. After considering this matter, tonights dinner
menu had to be prudently selected. How should he go about doing this?
In the vegetable aisle of the supermarket, the perplexed G.o.dou heard a
voice.
"I happened to notice that you are doing something rarely seen from you in
a place you infrequently visit."
G.o.dou looked back and saw Liliana standing there wearing her uniform
and holding a backpack. She probably just departed from school as well.
"I hardly ever see you shopping in these kinds of stores."
"Grandpa isnt here right now and today is my responsibility to prepare
dinner. Did Liliana come here to go shopping as well?"
When Lilianas maid Karen was on vacation in her home country, it would
not be strange to see Liliana going shopping by herself. However she
responded by shaking her head.
"No, I actually wanted to confirm something so that is why I came here to
see you."
"Confirm?"
"I heard you ruthlessly plucked the j.a.panese hime-miko Mariya Yuri and
made her your possession. Furthermore, you even had an affair and
abandoned her. What is this all about?"
"P-Plucked?"
G.o.dou stared blankly at Liliana who suddenly started talking incessantly.
"This is the only time where I wont a.s.sess you as wrong. Mhmm, no
matter how negligent you are on the battlefield like a monster, you are
always appropriately conscientious during everyday life."
"A-Appropriately?"
"At best considered a person who became accustomed to living in society,
yet still retaining a rather flawed notion of common sense this kind of
person not only possesses many traits that cause other people
complications but is also someone who pulls ones punches. This is exactly
how I feel!"
"Is this how you see me Liliana ?"
"However, the actions you did towards Mariya Yuri were indeed too
excessive. Unlike a gentleman, you lack the proper morality of a human
being. I was really wrong about you."
"No, although I can a.s.sume where you heard this kind of rumor from."
G.o.dou used an indifferent tone to express his opinion to the aggressive
Liliana.
"You probably shouldve diligently double-checked this rumor against the
facts before coming to find me. How about you try giving a call to Mariya,
she will definitely refute this claim and say there is no truth behind it."
"Eh ?"
Suddenly, Lilianas imposing manner waned as she sank deep into
thought. After contemplating this over, she displayed a "oh c.r.a.p" kind of
expression.
"Well, let me ask you again, Liliana did you come here to go shopping?"
"J-Just forget about everything regarding this matter Kusanagi G.o.dou."
Liliana let out a sigh as she spoke.
The red-faced Liliana pretty much reverted back to her serious demeanor.
"Im sorry, after hearing the rumor, for some reason this kind of Kusanagi
G.o.dou likes feminine charms and carelessly establishes relationships with
other girls very quickly impression surfaced and I very naturally believed
this rumor."
"You were probably going off baseless facts!"
In the end the two of them selected the ingredients together. To some
degree, this scene involving a devil king and knight selecting ingredients in
the fresh food section could be considered as some sort of parody.
"Going beyond that explanation, its time to worry about tonights menu."
"Buy cheap ingredients that are exceptionally discounted. Using those to
cook dishes should be fine, right?"
G.o.dou shook his head in response to the prevailing method Liliana
offered.
"In fact, I did that yesterday as well as the day before. Dont you think that
conveniently cutting meat, fish, vegetables, and putting them all in a pot
would be a very easy way to make them delicious? The tastes of most
types of foods are acceptable just by doing some minor cooking I would
think" said G.o.dou.
However, while he still had more to say, an inconceivable feeling
developed within him.
"As a result, two days ago I made chanko and saved the leftovers to
simmer in udon for yesterdays breakfast. After that, while I was making
pickled cabbages yesterday night Shizuka started to become agitated. So
for this morning, I guess you can say the things I made were more
cuisine-like."
Once he recalled the expression of dissatisfaction on his sister again,
G.o.dou became irritated.
He thought, how annoying can a girl get.
"So tonights menu has to be selected carefully. However, because Im
unsure what kind of dishes are acceptable to a little girl Im feeling quite
distressed."
Liliana sighed for some reason.
G.o.dou cringed. He felt his counterpart wanted to say "you are a person
who always needs someone else to take care of you".
"Overall, I think I understand that you are definitely a loser instead of a
winner in this domestic life battlefield."
G.o.dou cowered at this criticism that he was completely unable to refute.
"This is why I suggested the appointment of a butler and maid."
"Whether it is yesterday or today, I will most likely never arrange such a
thing. Well, lets just say I will not approve of this even beyond five years
from now."
"Then that exhausts all your options. Looks like you need a charitable
counterpart."
The moment he heard this, G.o.dou blinked repeatedly in surprise.
Liliana said charitable? Does that mean .
Afterwards, an hour had pa.s.sed.
The silhouette of the fairy-like silver-haired European beauty could be seen
skillfully making dishes at the Kusanagi household.
Taking the cut up pieces of white radish, cuc.u.mbers, carrots, celery, etc.
she turned the components into a salad and included some cream and
cheese as dessert.
Furthermore there were crunchy deep fried pumpkins, fried sweet
potatoes, fried lotus roots, and egg rolls made out of shrimp and avocado.
She was able to create many vegetable and meat dishes in a concise
amount of time. Plus, she took G.o.dous leftover miso soup from earlier this
morning and added it to the curry powder. Following that, other ingredients
such as bacon, lettuce, tomato, and so on were included. The result was
the creation of a BLT (the abbreviation stands for Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato)
soup that tasted like curry.
When seeing those ingredients ama.s.sed together, at the time there was a
certain curiosity as to what it was going to be morphed into.
After giving it a quick taste, a brilliantly created Western style flavor could
be detected. As expected, the workmanship could only be considered
admirable if this kind of sensation was induced to others.
"Im very sorry that these are only some casually made food."
After finishing her cooking, Liliana apologized.
"At the very least I do believe my cooking isnt as atrocious as yours."
"I guess so it definitely felt like the workload didnt really change."
"Im afraid you carry an as long as it is edible it is fine kind of att.i.tude while
haphazardly cooking. However, I believe the art of cooking parallel to
romance, some degree of pa.s.sion is still needed."
"Uh "
While criticizing G.o.dous careless nature, Liliana appeared to have
become a fearless speaker.
This was probably self-inflicted. G.o.dou cringed as a result.
"O-Overall you really helped me out a great deal, thank you. If its not too
much trouble, would you like to also stay here for dinner Liliana?"
"I dont have any plans for today but disturbing your family gathering is
not ideal, please forgive my refusal."
Liliana used the perfect excuse to decline G.o.dous invitation.
Well, there will always be some conflict no matter how many times a
person suddenly eats at someone elses house. In fact, the level of G.o.dou
and Lilianas relationship was also inadequate..
G.o.dou thought about this while nodding. However, he was really incapable
of comprehending this situation. For some reason, seeing Liliana stand in
the kitchen of his house made him feel nostalgic. She was wearing a
uniform and a scarf, using a kitchen knife, while lighting the fire on the
stove .
Nevertheless, it was quite unimaginable as to how the European beauty
felt at home in an aged j.a.panese house that was unsuited for her. She
a.s.similated to the setting of the Kusanagi household, making G.o.dou feel
very nostalgic.
"Oh yeah, Liliana, this is your first time coming to my house right?"
"Eh? Yeah it should be, ah, no eh?"
Liliana tilted her head and looked completely puzzled by G.o.dous inquiry.
"Today is certainly the first time, I think?"
"I also feel that is the case "
The two of them were facing one another with their expressions aligned as
they were pondering.
Although this should be the case, something feels very suspicious.
Burdened with doubt, G.o.dou looked directly at Liliana who possessed a
pure and beautiful complexion. Afterwards, Liliana shyly casted down her
eyes and nervously looked around the kitchen.
"P-Please dont look at me like this, itll make me feel very
embarra.s.sed "
"l-Im sorry. I dont mean it like that."
The fl.u.s.tered silver-haired beauty moved away from his line of sight.
Seemingly wanting to change the subject, Liliana decided to speak up.
"Kusanagi G.o.dou, you havent really tidied up these past couple of days
have you? There is a dirt stain in the corner."
"Ah I did remember contemplating wanting to straighten up the place a
few times."
"Still as carefree as ever. I understand now, coming to disturb you today
could be considered as fates doing to bring us together."
Liliana suddenly went to the hallway, opened the storage room, and took
out the vacuum that was placed in there as well as a duster and cleaning
rag.
She was promptly on the move as if she knew in advance where the
cleaning tools were.
"Ah, I didnt intend to impress you with cleaning duties too!"
"Dont worry about it, the longer someone sees the stains in this house the
more disgusted they would feel."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liliana swiftly commenced cleaning.
She first tidied up the things scattered along the hallway, bed and so on.
Afterwards, it was of course time for the vacuum and duster to take the
stage. They could reach places to clean that was inaccessible to a
cleaning rag.
"No dont, I didnt intend to trouble you to this extent."
"Dont worry, I might as well do it while Im here."
Dressed up in a uniform and ap.r.o.n, Liliana was hard at work with the
cleanup.
This kind of routine-esque appearance gave people the impression that
she was a newly-wed wife who undertakes the household duties all by
herself. Not only that, a mysterious magical force arising from her enduring
att.i.tude made G.o.dous heart skip endlessly.
In short, he was unable to just let her clean alone.
As a result, G.o.dou also helped clean in all quarters of the Kusanagi
household. In G.o.dous point of view, Liliana seemed to behave as if she
was instructed by the Kings request or something along those lines.
Because of that, he decided to join her in the cleanup.
During this occasional rest day, he sank into the awkward situation
undertaking the role of a husband helping the wife of the house in tidying
up.
This type of impression emerged in G.o.dou.
At its conclusion, Liliana went home upon completing one hour of cleaning.
"That said, people in j.a.pan would thoroughly clean their house during the
end of year "
In the end, G.o.dou muttered to himself.
Although she was still far away from the meticulously cleaned first and
second floor of the Kusanagi household, G.o.dou still decided to wait for the
return of Shizuka inside the sublimely transformed house along with
Lilianas diligently prepared dinner.
Soon after, the night had finally ushered in .
"Onii-chan the situation regarding Mariya-senpai today was already a
problematic issue and now you bring a girl home!? Theres no use playing
dumb! Whether its the dinner or the house that has become sparkling
clean, its obvious that it isnt Onii-chan who did it! Who did you bring over?
It was Mariya-senpai wasnt it? Or was it another girl? It would probably be
in your best interest to plead guilty!"
That night, G.o.dous house was filled with the affectionate conversation
between brother and sister.
According to Shizuka, the silhouettes of girls had recently congregated
around G.o.dou. Dont be silly, Im not the same as grandpa. G.o.dou retorted
in this way numerous times before finally driving away Shizuka.
After returning to his room, G.o.dou sighed in relief.
At this time there was an incoming call on his cellphone. It was Yuri calling,
G.o.dou instantly picked up.
"h.e.l.lo, is this Mariya?"
"Yes, Im sorry for calling this late at night. If I may ask, are you free at the
moment?"
After the polite greetings the conversation got underway.
This kind of etiquette and adherence to discipline is a trait of Yuris. G.o.dou
was surrept.i.tiously happy to be able to talk to her.
After hearing her voice through the phone, G.o.dou immediately focused his
attention.
"In regards to that situation up until now, there is one thing to report."
"That situation concerning Santa Clauses turning grey?"
"Yes, that phenomenon manifested itself this afternoon in the following
seven locations which seem to have all been confirmed: Yotsuya, Mejiro,
Nakano, Yoyogi, Roppongi, Nakameguro, Yurakucho right now
Amakasu-san is currently on his way to investigate."
"Its still recurring?"
In the end, the Grey One committing "suicide" at Odaiba did not conclude
this matter.
Plus the event had occurred in an imposing manner where it appears to be
playing catchup for the last couple of days.
"After whatever you did was all said and done, were there any
breakthroughs? If only Amakasu-san had information to pa.s.s along "
"In regards to this situation, I have an idea what it is."
"Eh!?"
G.o.dou was stunned at Yuris sudden admission.
"After hearing the reports, I was bestowed with a divine revelation through
my spirit vision. At long last I saw it. Although, Im not sure whether or not
this is accurate its Erica-san."
"Huh, why that person?"
Could Erica really be the culprit? What does this all equate to?
"Even though she is a bit deceitful, she isnt the type of person who would
carry out these sort of pranks."
"I agree. However, I have a very strong feeling that the crux for solving this
situation at least focuses around Erica-san."
Erica Blandelli, out of all the people G.o.dou knew, she was the most
gorgeous and the most talented girl.
What information was she withholding? Without any clues, G.o.dou nodded
his head. Either call it quits or go through with it till the end no, since
matters have reached this stage, it would be best to bravely advance
towards the finale.
References
1 . t The yuzu bath, known commonly as yuzuyu, but also as
yuzuburo, is said to guard against colds, treat the roughness of skin,
warm the body, and relax the mind. Consuming pumpkins during the
Winter Solstice supposedly helps prevent sicknesses as well.
2. t Guanyin is the bodhisattva a.s.sociated with compa.s.sion as
venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name
Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Observing the Sounds
(or Cries) of the World".
3. t Acala (literally "immovable" one.) is one of fierce, angry-faced
guardian deities of Vajrayana Buddhism, otherwise known as esoteric
Buddhism, and is particularly revered by Buddhists in j.a.pan.
4. t Natto is a traditional j.a.panese food made from fermented
soybeans. It is popular especially as a breakfast food.