Chapter 6 - You, Born from Light Amidst Darkness

Pain was really subsiding. The warmth from the palm of her hand was very

comfortable.

"In the past, my mother would always do this where I was hurt. Even

though she was a normal person who did not know any spells, the pain

always receded gradually. So I know that it will work for Kusanagi-san."

"Ah ah, yes. Perhaps it really is like that..."

But of course, the pain in his heart was still there.

However, compared to enduring the pain just now, he found it easier to

endure. Godou finally relaxed his body a little... and then, noticed.

Without noticing when, he had started engaging in intimate contact with

Yuri.

The two of them had their clothes drenched by rain—Godou was wearing

his school uniform, while Yuri was wearing the miko outfit. Having

absorbed massive amounts of water, the fabric clung closely to the skin,

and mercilessly absorbed body warmth.

However, the parts in bodily contact felt warm instead.

Unlike Erica, Yuri did not use perfume or anything like that. But leaning so

closely together, a sweet fragrance could be picked up.

This was bad. Godou felt embarrassed from the bottom of his heart.

"Umm, umm Mariya, could you stay back a little? I think I'm much better

now."

"N-no Kusanagi-san. If there is still an effect, then it would be better to

maintain this. Also, if we do this our bodies can feel warmth... Umm, the

two of us can..."

Yuri also seemed to have noticed the same thing, and they avoided each

other's gaze.

The part which the miko's white outfit did not cover—the face turned bright

red as autumn leaves. Was it imagination? But body warmth also felt like it

was rising.

—Ten minutes later.

Most of the pain had gone away. However, it was still difficult to move the

limbs.

After experiencing a certain period of intense pain, the body became

powerless and could not move temporarily. This was the price of using the

[Raptor] form.

However, since one obtained unparalleled speed in return, perhaps it

couldn't be helped.

Maybe due to the lack of conversation, Godou tried his hardest to think of

other things.

In the tens of minutes leaning close together without a word being said, it

was like being tortured or interrogated. At least, if there was something to

chat about...

"A-anyway, about that old gramps. Mariya once mentioned it, right? The

usurped authority which allowed the manipulation of corpses. That one,

what was the god called?"

"...Osiris. The ancient Egyptian deity of agricultural fertility, and the god

ruling the underworld."

"...A god of harvest as well as the underworld? Why do I feel like I've heard

of this guy before?"

The goddess Athena was the dark deity of the underworld as well as the

great mother earth goddess.

Then wasn't it exactly the same as the battle that ended a month ago?

Godou felt doubtful.

"Perhaps it is just as Kusanagi-san thought. A fertility deity, who can turn

the earth into swaths of lush greenery, turns into a god of the underworld

when winter or night time arrives. Like Athena, there are two sides to

Osiris. However, he was a male god and not a mother earth goddess."

The mother goddess in Egypt was named Isis. The goddess of the earth

who was also the wife of Osiris.

Killed by one of the younger brothers of a desert god, Osiris' corpse was

torn to pieces and thrown into the Nile. The one who gathered the pieces

together was his wife Isis.

The pieces of the body were sewn back together by the god Anubis, and

revived.

Thus resurrected, Osiris became the king of the underworld, judging the

dead based on sins committed during their lifetime—

"And that is to say, the Egyptian version of Yamaraja[3]? Which is why

Voban can make the people he killed crawl out from their graves to

become zombies or mummies and bind them to the living world."

"T-that description is a bit crude, but categorizing it that way should be

correct."

After listening to the myths told by Yuri, Godou looked at his right hand.

...Still no good.

The god-killing golden sword. It was still uncertain whether the [Warrior]

form's power could be used.

"Can you tell me more about Osiris? I want to gather more intelligence as

preparation for the [Warrior]."

"I am really sorry. I do not know any more details... However, Marquis

Voban is not a god, right? So I do not think that the power to seal a god

can be used?"

Yuri wondered, surprised.

Godou had originally thought the same, but shook his head.

"The [Warrior]'s [Sword] can destroy a Campione's authority. If Osiris'

authority is sealed, then Voban will not be able to manipulate the dead as

his puppets. That guy will also weaken, and those people can return to

their graves... Ah, but perhaps the harder one to handle is the [Wolf]? If he

took on that monstrous form, I am out of options."

In the duel against Salvatore Doni, Godou had found out by accident.

However, thinking of the previous battle, Godou felt depressed.

The form capable of dueling Voban's giant wolf avatar would be the [Boar].

However, if those kinds of monsters were to battle in the middle of the city,

who knew how many innocent victims there would be?

"What kind of god was the [Wolf] authority usurped from? The first god that

the old gramps defeated... Even Mariya doesn't know, right?"

"Yes, I am sorry I cannot be of any help. Even I was surprised by that

[Wolf]—"

Suddenly, Yuri stopped talking.

Staring into empty space, murmuring in a soft voice.

"As the sun possessing the strongest light... The beast which swallowed

and assimilated it... Definitely cannot have attributes of darkness... If that

was the case, the existence of the god that brings eternal night will..."

"Mariya what is going on with you?"

Seeing her acting a bit strange, Godou yelled out.

However, Yuri still did not respond. If his hand could move, Godou would

definitely shake her by the shoulder.

"The god that can devour light, that definitely implies the presence of the

same light within him... However, this is not enough... The wolf is a symbol

of the earth and greenery... Not only the god of the earth but light as

well—Kusanagi-san!"

Yuri's eyes regained feeling.

Grabbing Godou's immobile body, Yuri said.

"Got it! I got it! The first god Voban fought—the identity of the god from

which the authority of wolves was usurped from, I saw it!"

Mariya possessed top notch power in spirit vision.

Godou thought of this fact. Very likely, in witnessing Voban's use of the

authority, the secret was leaked out.

"How amazing, Mariya. So which god is it after all? Name? Do you know

his myth?"

"Like the god Osiris, he is also a god of the earth and greenery. No, rather

than the earth, it is more accurate to say he is a god of birth. Darkness and

the earth are synonyms. The world dominated by darkness—which is to

say the underground is an existence combining darkness with the earth

together. However, he is made of the light born from darkness and the

earth!"

"He? So what is his name? Is it a god I should already know?"

"His oldest name was called light. The god of rats and wolves. The deity of

gold and silver!"

At this point, Yuri's shoulders slumped over.

As if she discovered her words were too fragmented.

"I am really sorry, even though it is completely clear in my mind, I cannot

express it in words easy to understand. Same for the name, it was

originally at the tip of my tongue..."

In other words, what she sensed could not be visualized easily into

understandable language.

Looking at Yuri who bowed her head, Godou understood.

Just like a mathematical prodigy who cannot explain how a formula can be

solved by instincts, Yuri who understood a god's true nature by direct sight

could not relay the information to mortals by words.

What should be done? She finally found a way to help, but it became

meaningless.

"I-I am sorry, Kusanagi-san. Even though you have done so much for me, I

cannot help at all... Even though I have this power, but it has not been

helpful at such a critical moment..."

Yuri looked like she was about to cry, and lowered her head.

She must be feeling deeply ashamed of the current situation.

This situation is actually not something she should be so concerned about.

If his body could move freely, Godou really wanted to pat her shoulder and

caress her head to comfort her.

At least say something. Godou did not show any signs of despair, and said

clearly.

"Don't think too much of it. When my body recovers, let's go find Erica. If

it's her, then the current hints should be enough to figure out which god it

is. So, don't lose hope."

"Ok... As a mage, Erica-san should be beyond first rate—wait a minute,

magic?"

Yuri nodded as she renewed her spirit.

And then she felt confused.

"So as mentioned, Kusanagi-san and Erica-san were using that... u-using

mouths, umm, to transmit knowledge, right? Up to now, you have done it

many many times, right?"