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"Godō" - Regular Speech
'My Everyday life…!' - Thoughts
"God Slayer!" - Heretic God/Powered Up Campione speech
"Fire!" - Magic/Authority Use
Beta'd By BigCC
Chapter 20: Athena's Last Gifts and Guinevere's Plot
Same Time
Mariya Shrine, Tokyo, Japan
The Seventh Campione stiffened as a familiar presence appeared nearby. Kusanagi Godō had just arrived at the Shrine to check up on Yuri, as she had been using her [Spirit Vision] fairly frequently at his request, when a familiar presence suddenly appeared nearby, a presence that instantly caused the hairs on the back of his head to stand straight up and his back to stiffen in fear.
"Athena." He muttered, looking around for the Heretic Goddess.
"Kusanagi Godō…" Athena said from the shrine. The Seventh Campione whirled about to look at her. Seeing that she was completely naked, he ordinarily would have blushed up a storm and turned away, but something else was drawing his attention away from her lack of apparel.
That being the gaping hole the size of a dinner plate in that was resting in the centre of her stomach!
"Godō!"
"Kusanagi-sama!"
"Kusanagi Godō!"
Erica, Ena and Lilianna came running up the steps to the shrine a few moments later, to see him cradling Athena in his arms as he knelt in front of the Shrine itself.
"Athena…who did this to you?" Godō asked softly, anger gathering in his eyes. His feelings toward this Heretic Goddess were…complex to say the least, but he couldn't help feeling the stirrings of righteous indignation seeing her in a state like this caused.
"As soft as ever, Kusanagi Godō." The dying Heretic Goddess chuckled. "You need not seek vengeance, for 'twas my own foolishness that caused this injury, and will ultimately be responsible for my death as a goddess. No blame rests with thine newest sibling for this."
"Jean Campbell did this?" he asked.
"Aye, but thrice times and more did she ask me to relent." Athena replied with a crooked smile. "And thrice times and more did this Goddess Athena stubbornly refuse to relent or retreat."
"Athena, how is it you are here if it was King Jean Campbell who dealt you a deathblow?" Erica asked carefully.
"Ah, 'tis the doing of the All-Knowing Woman, Pandora." Athena smiled faintly. "The Eighth Campione prayed to her to convey me here, and Pandora responded, opening a portal to the Netherworld to allow me passage to this land."
That little titbit had the two Great Knights wide eyed. Ena was shocked as well, but she was more focussed on Yuri and Hikari hurrying out of their house and over to them. Yuri gasped at seeing the fatally wounded Heretic Goddess and made her sister turn her head away, much to Hikari's displeasure.
As her body started to dissolve into motes of light, Athena looked up at Godō. "I have a gift and a request for thee, Kusanagi Godō. My gift is this…"
She reached up and dragged the surprised Campione's lips onto hers.
"AHHHH!" the girls yelled unhappily, even Hikari, who had managed to wrest herself free of her older sister's grasp for a moment. The golden glow that surrounded their mutual love interest stopped them short.
"Erica-san…is Athena…?" Yuri trailed off in disbelief.
"She's…she's transferring something to Godō….but I can't tell what." The Diavolo Rosso said in slight frustration.
As she pulled back from the kiss, Athena smiled up at the man who, she was reluctant to admit, had stolen her heart. "I hast granted thee divine knowledge, wisdom known only to the Goddess Athena… alas, 'tis not a true Authority, so I also bestowed upon thee one of my aspects…just as the Eighth Godslayer bears my [Aegis], so shall you shall bear my [Underworld Messengers]. Use them well."
"Athena…" Godō said in shock.
"My time runs short, so please heed me well." The Wisdom Goddess said with a wince as she struggled to hold back the destruction of her body. "I am a Goddess of the [Earth] and most of my power has been dissipated into the ether…as such, my death here shall reincarnate me somewhere in this land in the Far East as a Divine Ancestor. Mages, Heretic Gods and even thine male Campione brethren shalt seek me out and attempt to use me as a tool. I beg of thee, find me before they do…for only one such as thou, who has conquered my heart, shall take mine body in my new form. No longer being a Heretic Goddess, I shall harbour no ire for thee and shall be a strong ally for thee."
"I'd have sought you out even without that incentive, Athena." Godō said softly.
"I know…" Athena sighed with a contented look on her face. "In truth, 'twas more a means of persuading thine concubines to allow my entry."
This time, Godō's face did explode into a blush, along with Liliana and Yuri's own faces. Erica and Ena's faces were tinted slightly pink, leaving Hikari the only unflustered one among them. She loved her Onii-chan and she was, technically, his mistress, even although she was too young to do anything with him. She was content to wait until she was more grown up to truly be one of his women.
"My time comes…" Athena said softly. "A warning, Kusanagi Godō. Thine newest sibling shall come to strike at thee and seek to defeat thee. She does this at thine Divine Mother's request, to break thee of thine false pacifism. All she seeks is for thou to act in a manner befitting a Campione. She will not be dissuaded, she will not be convinced with words…especially as she can and will blame thee for my attack on her…and for the death of the Goddess Hestia. Fare thee well…I hope to see you soon…my Campione…"
With that, the Heretic Goddess Athena, Godō's longest surviving enemy and occasional ally, dissolved into golden motes of light, which swirled around him for a moment before fading into the night.
There was a moment of silence before Erica stepped forwards and laid a hand on her King's shoulder. "Godō…"
"What the hell…?" he whispered. "Pandora asked Jean Campbell to attack me? Why?"
"As much as you cling to your everyday life and try to hold yourself apart from the world of magic, Godō, you are a Campione, a Godslayer." His first companion told him quietly. "From the very beginning, you lost your chance at normality the instance that your grandfather sent you to return the Prometheus Grimoire to the Witch of Sardinia. Heretic Gods and Campione are not as forgiving as humans and mages are; that is something that all mages, Hime-Miko and Witches know. Words cannot dissuade them, not without hefty sacrifice. You've seen that multiple times up until now, haven't you?"
Godō winced. It was true. With Verethragna, Melqart, Salvatore Doni, Athena, Voban, Perseus, Ena and the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, Luo Hao and most recently Sun Wukong, he hadn't been able to convince them with anything other than force.
"And me wanting to have an ordinary, everyday life?" he asked wryly, having predicted Erica's answer.
"Equally impossible. Even before you slew Verethragna, you were not a normal person, Godō." The blond Italian girl said with a shake of her head. "As a Campione, you possess power beyond all others. Simply possessing it makes you stand head and shoulders above your fellow men. You trying to live an ordinary life is like someone wearing full samurai armour trying to blend into a crowd of kimono-wearing peasants."
The Seventh Campione looked away, not liking the way that the conversation was going.
"Furthermore…while she may not have had a reason before this, Jean Campbell does possess a proper reason to attack you now." The Diavolo Rosso said steadily, making her King look back around at her in shock. "Had you slain Athena when you first met her, she wouldn't have attacked Jean Campbell, presumably at her home. Imagine you being attacked by a Heretic God in the home you share with your sister and grandmother; that's what King Campbell just went through."
Godō blanched at the thought. That would be a living nightmare.
"I am curious though…" Liliana spoke up with a frown. "What do you suppose Athena meant when she mentioned the fact that she killed the Goddess Hestia, rather than the Heretic Goddess Hestia?"
"We should find that out." Erica agreed. "Athena was usually very precise in how she addressed someone, aside from herself, so if she referred to Hestia as a 'Goddess' rather than 'Heretic Goddess' then there is something rather odd going on."
Yuri was about to agree, when her [Spirit Vision] kicked in all of a sudden. She gasped and staggered as she was assailed by memories of the Netherworld.
"The First and Last Child of Kronus, the Goddess of Hearth and Home…" she said aloud. "Fire was born in the little bay and fire was extinguished there, yet the embers live on in a new vessel, to be born anew…"
Gasping as she collapsed, she was caught by both Ena and Godō.
"Mariya, are you alright?" Godō asked.
"H-hai…" Yuri blushed. She managed to stand up after a moment. "What was it that I said?"
"It was about Hestia, the firstborn and lastborn child of the Titan Cronus." Erica said with a frown.
"What did she mean by 'little bay' though?" Ena asked in confusion.
"The name 'Oban' literally means 'little bay' in Scottish Gaelic." Lilianna answered after a moment of thought.
"Most of it confirmed what we already knew…Athena killed Hestia…" Erica worried her lip. "But the part about a 'new vessel' concerns me, because it suggests that Jean Campbell has somehow earned an Authority from Hestia, in addition to the one she earned from Athena."
"Maybe Hestia gave it to King Campbell like Athena gave one to Kusanagi-sama?" Ena suggested. "Yuri, what did you see?"
"I…" Yuri hesitated. "I saw someone who must have been Hestia cradled in the arms of Jean Campbell, who was screaming in grief. She was crying and furious and…it was very hard to watch."
"A Campione…was crying for a Heretic Goddess?" Erica and the others blinked at that.
"It's what I saw." Yuri said flatly. "I also saw two other people in my vision…one was Rebecca Gardener, but the other one was unknown to me, but presumably it as Xie Yue, as she was Asian."
"What were they doing?" Lilianna asked.
"Rebecca-san looked just as devastated as King Campbell." The Hime-Miko replied with a troubled expression on her face. "That doesn't surprise me as she is a Hearth Witch; Hestia is the primary deity that her type of Witch venerates, after all. Xie-san was…she was kneeling next to King Campbell like a knight, but looking at her like a lover."
"Could Luo Hao have sent her to be Jean-san's mistress?" Erica asked with a blink.
"Possibly." Yuri nodded.
"Why though…oh." Liliana blinked. "She probably wishes to fight Jean Campbell, and sent Xie Yue as a bribe of some sort."
Godō groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That sounds like her. Right, I am tired after this, but before I go home…Seishūin, Mariya, can I ask you to send a message to the History Compilation Committee?"
The two Top Hime-Miko in Japan nodded.
"Tell them to start looking around Japan for Athena's Divine Ancestor form and to tell me if and when they find her." Godō said steadily, determination etched on his face. "She asked for my help and I'm going to help her."
"We will issue your orders to them at once." Yuri said with a gulp. The force of personality that he was exuding at that moment was startlingly different from his usual attitude outside of combat, and she wasn't ashamed to admit to herself that she found that incredibly attractive.
"Righieo, Kusanagi-sama!" Ena saluted, seemingly unfazed by her King's demeanour, but the tell-tale blush on her face told a different story.
"It's possible that she could appear back in Europe as well, Godō." Erica pointed out. "Just because she…she died here in Japan doesn't mean she'll reincarnate here. And that makes Athena's worries all the more prominent."
"Why was she so worried about being captured as a Divine Ancestor, Erica?" he asked her calmly.
"Divine Ancestors…they're more powerful than any ordinary human mage, but less powerful than a Heretic God or Campione." The blond girl said hesitantly. "They…any children that they have are almost certain to be Witches or Hime-Miko. They're so rare and the prize is so tempting that most mages can't help themselves."
"Rare…rare how?" Godō asked tightly, really not liking the implications behind Erica's words.
"In order for a Goddess of the [Earth] to become a Divine Ancestor, they have to lose almost all of their power as a Heretic Goddess." The Diavollo Rosso replied. "As Heretic Goddesses have literal seas of divine magical power within them, it is almost impossible for that to happen. By the looks of it though, with giving Jean Campbell one of her Authorities, you one of her Authorities and whatever knowledge that she gave you in addition to that, it would seem that Athena was tapped out, possibly the battle she had with Jean Campbell added into that as well."
"Right…right." The Japanese boy sighed. "Mariya, keep an eye out in your visions for Athena if you could."
"Hai." The Hime-Miko nodded.
After talking with his 'mistresses' a bit more, Godō ruffled Hikari's hair and headed home, quite emotionally drained from seeing Athena die. It was odd, really. From after he had killed Verethragna in Sardinia and returned home to Japan, Athena had been a constant in his life, ever since she first came after the Gorgoneion. She had been both a threat and an ally at various times, so to know that she was gone…that she was dead…was something of a shock.
That she had been killed by his newest 'sister' was something that made him feel…angry…towards Jean Campbell. He had let Athena go, so why hadn't she?
'No, that's not fair. Athena told you herself that Jean-san tried to make her turn back.' He scolded himself. He was letting his emotions get the better of him and trying to assign blame where it wasn't culpable. He was going to have to be careful when thinking about her, otherwise his anger would get the better of him.
That was something he loathed about being a Campione. The instinctive antagonism that he felt when confronting Heretic Gods and, to a greatly lesser extent, other Campione, was something Kusanagi Godō fought down with rigorous willpower. He hadn't ever wanted to become a Campione, and he refused to allow the instincts of a Campione dictate his life. It was why he tried to resolve things peacefully when he could, albeit with almost no success thus far, aside from convincing Luo Hao and John Pluto Smith to work together to defeat Sun Wukong and the two subordinate gods that he'd summoned.
Had there been even one fewer opponent, he knew that one or the other would have refused or even challenged him or the other Campione for the right to fight or something equally stupid.
'Is it really hopeless to want to live like an ordinary person?' Godō wondered as his house came into sight. 'I don't view myself as being any better than anyone else simply because I was stupid and desperate enough to kill Verethragna. But everyone thinks I'm some kind of out-of-control tyrant because I did! They think I'm like that idiot Doni and that hunt obsessed old man Voban!'
Out of the two comparisons, Godō wasn't actually certain which one offended him more. Doni was truly an absolute idiot with all the forethought that Epimetheus was capable of (precisely none) and all the care for others when his actions inconvenienced or harmed others that one might have for spilling salt, while Voban, the oldest of the eight Campione, was totally obsessed with the thrill of the hunt and 'alleviating his boredom' by hunting Heretic Gods. He had killed over a hundred witches and Hime-Miko in a ritual to summon a Heretic God when his boredom got the best of him, and Lilianna and Yuri had been two of the handful of survivors, which had scarred them mentally.
'On second thoughts, I'm definitely more offended about being compared to Voban; at least Doni doesn't intend to cause most of the chaos and destruction that follows him around. There's a sharp different between being an uncaring moron and an utter bastard!' The Japanese Campione thought with a shudder.
The Next Day
Living Room, Jean's Home, Rìgh Rubh'a, Scotland
"How is she?" Yue asked Rebecca worriedly. The Hearth Witch had just come down from Jean's bedroom, where the Campione had secluded herself after recovering from the after-effects of her use of Poseidon's Authorities.
"Depressed." The hazel-haired girl shook her head with a sigh. "Seeing Lady Hestia die in front of her like that was a shock. Up until now, Jean has always succeeded at accomplishing what she has set out to do, and failing to protect someone, even a Goddess who stood and fought of her own free will, is an even greater shock for her."
"I hope Lady Pandora was able to help her." The Daoist Mage said, worrying her lip. "Her Majesty did everything she could to defeat Athena; no one could ask any more of her against so powerful an opponent."
"I agree." Rebecca said with a sigh. "What is probably hurting Jean the most is that she panicked when Athena bound her, with the tail Jean forced her to cut off no less, and forgot to use her Authorities. That right there was the critical point of the entire fight. Had she kept her cool and acted appropriately, Lady Hestia would have left us peacefully and without the bittersweet tinge to the whole affair."
The tremble in her voice told Yue that, in spite of Rebecca's outward calm, she was very much upset by the manner in which her patron Goddess had returned to the Domain of Immortality.
"Do you blame Her Majesty?" Yue asked softly.
"No!" the Hearth Witch shook her head violently. "Given how well Jean has acclimated to being a Campione, I am surprised that something like this hadn't happened before now. It's a testament to how powerful Athena was that Jean lost her cool at such a critical juncture; she's managed to fight and defeat Poseidon, Davy Jones, Joan of Arc and Azazel without issue. I think that she panicked due to her limbs being bound; she does fear being unable to act if necessary, so..."
The Chinese girl blinked. "Is that possible?"
"People can fear many things, Yue." Rebecca replied sombrely. "Above all else, Jean desires to be free and independent of anything she doesn't accede to, and greatly fears being bound by the actions of others. Being physically restrained like she was must have been like a living nightmare for her. I couldn't blame her even if I wanted to; she was assailed by one of her greatest fears made manifest."
Despite the churning anger that she felt, Rebecca was telling the truth about how she felt. Jean was not at fault for her Goddess' death…the Seventh Campione, however indirectly, was at fault by not slaying Athena when he'd had the chance. It was a sentiment that she would express to the man personally if she ever had the chance.
Taking a moment to wryly wonder exactly when it was that she became brave enough to decide that she was going to shout at a Campione, Rebecca returned her mind to the present situation. "All we can do is be patient and wait for Jean to come to us. She'll just clam up if we try to make her open up to us."
Yue nodded uncertainly. "I'll bow to your better knowledge of her Majesty's way of thinking."
"Seriously, call her Jean." The Hearth Witch rolled her eyes. "Save the royal epithets for when we're in public. She much prefers informality and casual forms of address when she doesn't have to deal with what she calls 'Mage Association political bullshit' or be around where mages could hear her. I occasionally twit her with the occasional 'Your Majesty' in private just to tease her and she may take it to mean you're teasing her as well."
"Please don't give her ideas." Jean said listlessly as she walked in, her sleepwear of a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt making both of the other girls flush at the sight of their King's bare legs.
The Scottish Campione looked as if she hadn't gotten much in the way of sleep and her usually pristine red hair was tangled slightly, but she still somehow managed to look very desirable.
"Jean! I thought you were dead to the world!" Rebecca said, eyeing her King's state of dress with some subtle feelings of admiration.
"No, just…well, fed up with myself." Jean replied, flopping down on 'her' seat in the living room. Crossing her legs, she hid a smile as Yue and Rebecca's eyes followed their movement. "Mother Pandora helped me get over most of my…shall we say self-disgust? All that was left was for me to kick myself in the rear and get moving. We have important things to discuss today, after all."
The two women looked at one another before saying, "Oh?" in unison.
"Yes indeed." Jean nodded. Uncrossing and then re-crossing her legs, she leaned back and looked at Rebecca. "Did you know that, when you cast that spell to re-establish your connection with Hestia, she magically married you to me?"
"What?!" the Hearth Witch's eyes bugged out in shock. She grabbed her wand and cast a muttered spell to Hera. The red glow appeared around both Jean and Rebecca.
"No way…" Rebecca whispered, looking at her…wife…in disbelief. "Why would…I mean…I just…why?!"
"Because she knew your real feelings for me, Rebecca." Jean sighed, heaping a curse upon Hestia for this…prank. "She also knew that you needed a kick in the rear to get you out of your silly idea that you needed to remain a virgin to remain her High Priestess."
"Really?" Yue raised an eyebrow and the beet-red Hearth Witch. "Even I know that being a virgin is only a requirement of Priestesses of Vesta, not Hestia, and I'm from China!"
"Shush you!" Rebecca hissed at the Daoist Mage. "Both of them are basically the same goddess, so I figured I'd better act befitting a priestess of either of them."
"Hestia didn't appreciate the comparison when I brought that up." The Scottish girl said dryly. "So, are you in or out of the closet?"
Spluttering for a minute, Rebecca went beet red again and said quietly, "Out."
"Take your time." Jean said soothingly. "Now…how do you feel about me?"
"I…" Rebecca said with a swallow before continuing. "I've…always been aware that I…liked girls. I like men as well, but I've got very…distinct…tastes in my partners. I like strong-willed, take-charge people who are firm but gentle. You…when we first met, despite everything that happened, I couldn't help focus on how you stood up to Poseidon without hesitating or flinching, despite knowing what you were facing. It was…very attractive. Yet, not once since we've met have you ever been harsh or heavy-handed, and you even became so enraged when those idiots from the Brotherhood of the Night Sky kidnapped me. No one….no one has ever done that for me before. Not even my mother."
"Why?" Jean asked gently, a bit confused. From what Rebecca had said before, her parents were separated, with her mother being the only one in her life. Her father had disappeared off the grid when she was a child, but her mother had supported her.
"My great-aunt's doing, I'm afraid." The Hearth Witch scowled. "I looked over the contract that Princess Alice sent along regarding my now-cancelled marriage to Maxwell Harper. Jean, it was written and signed when I was three, and it had my mother's signature on it, as well as my grandfather's signature. That old hag must have bullied them into it and then made certain they didn't try anything to cancel it. She's been planning my life out since I was in nappies!"
Calming down a bit, she continued, "Now that I look back at my life, I can see that she deliberately tried to stamp down on my personality and independence starting from shortly after the contract was signed…but when I was five, I was declared the new High Priestess of Hestia and taken away to be tutored in the Hestian Mysteries, which stopped her plan flat. I was away from home for four years with minimal contact with my family. When I returned…my mother was distant from me, but I can remember her looking at me wistfully…I wonder what on earth Great-Aunt Eleanor said or did to her to make her stay distant like that?"
"Blackmail, forcing her to sign a magically enforced contract…" Yue listed. "Do they use Geas-enforced contracts here?"
"Geas? As in the Irish curse-vow?" Jean frowned.
"Yes, but…I…shouldn't think so." Rebecca frowned as well. "Geas-enforced contracts are illegal in Britain, not as much as practising sorcery is, but still bad enough that it would shame the family associated with the one who wrote it. Great-Aunt Eleanor wouldn't be reckless enough to use that, surely…"
"And the difference between a magically-enforced contract and a Geas-enforced contract is?" the Campione asked.
"Very simply, a magically-enforced contract depends upon the existence of the contract itself in order to enforce the terms and conditions written within them." Yue explained. "If the contract itself is destroyed, any binding force it has on those who signed it and the other parties it has mentioned in it is dispelled completely. A Geas-enforced contract hasn't got that sort of weakness; once a geas-contract is activated, it binds itself to the signed members and becomes a living force almost, so even if the contract scroll itself is destroyed, there is no effect on the geas. It also means that proving a geas-contract even exists is devilishly hard, because the usual thing to do is to destroy the contract itself immediately following the signing of it. There are also conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for someone to force someone else to sign a Geas-contract."
"Such as?" Jean asked, not liking the sound of this.
"A position of superiority." Rebecca answered grimly. "Great-Aunt Eleanor is officially the Elder Witch of the Piper Family, which is higher than my mother's own rank of First Witch. That means that she could have forced my mother to sign a Geas-enforced contract to force her to treat me distantly. Fortunately, limits have to be written into Geas-contracts aside from certain exceptions."
"Exceptions like the Victorious Enforcement." Yue informed Jean. "It's a specific type of Geas that a victor can enforce over the defeated one. As the jangle goes, 'Thrice do I take these boons, by right of conquest; over your servants, over your master, over you.' It means if you defeat those beneath your enemy, the ones above your enemy and your enemy themselves, you can enforce a Geas on them that has almost total authority over them…over their very life itself. If they break the Victorious Enforcement Geas, they die. If they even try, they are in a world of agony."
"Brrr." Jean shuddered. To lose control of your actions by losing a fight sounded like a veritable nightmare to her. "I take it that unless I make a promise with a Heretic God, that kind of thing can't affect me?"
"Correct. Campione need to have mortal magic injected into them for it to take effect, thus even Geas-contracts are utterly ineffective against them." Rebecca agreed. "Anyway, the point is that my mother started acting more like a mother when I turned sixteen, and started helping me against my Great-Aunt's machinations as much as she could. Not that it was much, but it was then that I started to have suspicions that my Great-Aunt was up to something…and I knew she wouldn't appreciate my…interest in the female form, so I buried it deep and acted like a 'respectable member of the nobility' so she never had a cause to react and possibly do something to me as well."
Letting out a bitter laugh, she added. "But after a while…after three years of hiding behind a mask, you start to lose sight of who you really are. My decision to remain a virgin aside, keeping up the act of a strictly heterosexual girl started to become less of a mask and more actually who I was…I was steadily losing sight of my real self…my real feelings. And then…"
"And then we met." Jean finished softly.
"Yes, we did." The Hearth Witch chuckled. "You…you were everything I wished I could be, even before your ascension as a Campione; you were strong-willed, independent, uncaring for the opinions of others, confident, and secure and open about your sexual identity and preferences. I honestly envied you."
"It wasn't an easy journey to get where I am." Jean admitted with a pretty blush.
"I can imagine." Rebecca nodded before blushing herself. "Still…I admit to getting a small crush on you when you faced down Poseidon. It grew as I got to know you better and when I saw you waltzing into that cell in Rouen to save me, I…honestly fell for you at that point. But I was scared because of what my family would do to me if I was ever openly declared to be your lover…and I did still believe that I needed to remain virginal to be Lady Hestia's High Priestess."
"Then Eleanor tried to force you to marry Maxwell Harper." Jean prodded.
"Yes…I took a chance and begged you to help me." The Hearth Witch sighed with a smile. "And it worked. I'm no longer under threat of being married off or put under a Geas scroll by my Great Aunt. I was still uncertain if I should even attempt to approach you, as you had said that you wouldn't make a move on me based on my 'mask's' heterosexuality. Then Yue here showed up, and…well, it's obvious that you're attracted to athletic women."
Yue flushed and looked down at her hands. Oh my, did she have to trim her nails already?
"I am, but don't sell yourself short, Rebecca." Jean said warmly. "You aren't exactly unattractive yourself."
This time it was Rebecca who flushed red. "Thanks…" she whispered.
Yue cleared her throat. "Um….not to distract from the main point of this discussion, but, Rebecca…is it normal for the families of the Witenagemot to be so ruthless with their own family members?" she asked. "Your great-aunt reminds me of my own family's actions towards me when I was sent to the Holy Cult of Five Mountains."
Pulling a face, the Hearth Witch leaned back. "No…normally there are little squabbles and a bit of feuding, but not usually this kind of…heartless manipulation." She said after a moment. "I have no idea why Great Aunt Eleanor is so…malicious. She was apparently like this before I was even born, if a few people from the Witenagemot are to be believed."
"Well you aren't under her thumb anymore." The Scottish Campione almost growled possessively. "You are my subordinate and, thanks to Hestia, you're my wife too."
The reminder of that made the Hearth Witch blush brighter. "Sh-she was likely able to do that because I assigned you the place in my Hearth that my…husband or wife would usually be." She managed to say. "Q-Quite why she did it, I don't know…not that I'm complaining."
"So what does it mean for us to be, ah…'magically married' like we are?" Jean asked.
"It means that to those in magical society, my name is now Rebecca Campbell, wife of the Eighth Campione Jean Campbell." The English girl replied, her face still pink.
"And you can't get a divorce." Yue supplied. "A magical marriage, enforced by the will of a Goddess, is literally impossible to break, especially since it's linked to one of your Authorities."
"Well I'm not complaining." Jean remarked as she purposefully ran her eyes up and down Rebecca's body suggestively. "And, speaking of Authorities, I have to use Hestia's one."
"Really? What is it?" Rebecca perked up.
"I call it [Prytaneum: The Flame of Olympus]." Jean replied and stood up, beckoning the others to follow her. Leading them to the kitchen, she walked over to the Hearth Fire floating above the kitchen counter. "Watch and you'll see what it does."
Closing her eyes, the redheaded Campione started to chant, he hands cupped in front of her chest.
"From the Flame of Olympus, taken from Hestia and gifted by Prometheus, man gained knowledge of fire." She spoke, words full of power. "With the flame of civilisation, they drove back the darkness. Sparks gather, let the Olympian Flame be reborn anew! Drive back the darkness and let the Light of the Gods bless this land in my name! Let those who feel loyalty to me draw upon thine power, let those who work against me know fear of thine wrath! For none holds the honour of the gods higher than Hestia!"
As she finished speaking, a pale blue flame the size of a grapefruit blossomed in between her hands before it shot into the Hearth Fire and turned it the same colour. It expanded to twice its size and then shot out two streamers of power that lanced out and struck Rebecca and Yue before either could react.
"Wha-!?" Yue eeped in shock. Then she blinked. "I…I feel more powerful! My reserves of magic have increased!"
"Jean, this is…!" Rebecca muttered in astonishment.
"This is the effect of my [Prytaneum] Authority." The Scottish Campione stated smugly. "Hestia passed to me her dominion of the [State] that she governed. It changed within me so that I can essentially claim a city or town as my own and empower those who follow me. All those who feel enmity towards me shall feel intimidation and fear as soon as they set foot over the boundary line of any town of mine."
"What are the conditions for its use?" Rebecca asked, her mind racing as she contemplated the utility of this Authority.
"Well first, I have to consider the town I'm going to claim to be mine." Jean replied, tapping her index finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Second, there can be no contesting claim to the city from another Heretic God or Campione. Third, I have to use the Hearth of a Hearth Witch as the medium to use my Authority on, and that Hearth Witch must be loyal to me for it to work."
"Given that it is Lady Hestia who granted it to you, and the fact that you have a friendly Hearth Witch at your side, I can see why it changed this way, but…I cannot see any rhyme or reason to your Authorities, my Lady." Yue shook her head in confusion.
"My 'Campione Theme' as Rebecca likes to call it is [Master and Commander], Yue." Jean answered as the Hearth Fire died down again and returned to its previous colour. "My Authorities take the form of an army, its general and the battlefield. [Mantle of Poseidon] allows me to alter the battlefield, the general terrain and the weather, as well as giving me personal combat abilities. [The Curse of Davy Jones] gives me the ability to exercise influence over my enemies by cursing them and granting me basic foot soldiers by raising the drowned dead. [Luminosité Eternelle] allows me to swear mortal mages, witches and Hime-Miko into my service, as well as empower my troops. [Black Armoury] allows me to supply my army with powerful weaponry. [Prytaneum] allows me to create strategic bases in cities that favour me and my troops whilst simultaneously disadvantaging the enemy. And of course, Athena's [Gorgoneion Aegis] grants me a powerful defensive Authority to use."
"I see." Yue said with a respectful nod. "I hadn't thought of it like that."
"Aside from Rebecca and Princess Alice, I doubt anyone's managed to put it together either." Jean replied in amusement. "Now, I hope someone did something to make the destruction of the bridge look natural as opposed to being crushed by a ginormous snake?"
"I did early this morning, Jean." Rebecca confirmed. "I aged key portions of the metal frame and weakened several portions of the wood so it looked as if it collapsed under its own weight during the 'unexplained storm' last night."
"I used my geomancy to weaken the grasp that the earth had on the support struts." Yue added. "It's a good thing that the house has its own generator and that the water supply comes in underground from Kerrera, otherwise we'd have to leave while the bridge is repaired."
"Make that replaced." The real homeowner of Rìgh Rubh'a stated firmly. "I never liked that stupid dinky bridge made of wood and steel. I'll try to get one put in made of stone. Much more permanent and better to look at. It'll take a while though, and builders aren't cheap. Looks like we'll be delving for more WWII artefacts, Rebecca."
"At least the Pucelle will get some use." Rebecca said in amusement. "And Yue can work on her tan while you're delving the ocean's depths."
"In the winter?! In Scotland?!" the Daoist Mage looked at the Hearth Witch in scandalised disbelief. "No way! Besides, I don't own a bikini…"
"Something that is easily taken care of." Rebecca smirked. "Hello? Hearth Witch here. I can make you a perfect bikini without much trouble."
Yue flushed and eyed Jean. "I-If…my Lady wishes it…I have no objections…"
"We'll…discuss it." Jean said delicately, visions of the two girls before her in bikinis dancing through her mind. "But it can wait until it's at least somewhat warmer, or we're in tropical climes. As nice as it would be to see both of you like that, I hardly think freezing your tits off is in the way to go about it."
Eyeing her as Yue breathed a sigh of relief at that, while Rebecca pouted slightly at her little prank being averted.
"I suppose I should tell you about [Gorgoneion Aegis] as well." Jean mused as she sat down at the kitchen counter. "It's an Authority with two aspects. One is [Gorgoneion Shield], while the other is [Shield of Aegis]."
"They sound…impressive." Yue blinked.
"[Gorgoneion Shield] summons a flying circular shield to intercept an attack for me." Jean nodded in agreement with Yue's words as she spoke. "It's engraved with the face of the Gorgon, meaning that no mortal can target it while its active and it possesses the same strength that Athena's scaled form possessed, so it should be able to withstand Godō's [White Stallion] Authority. It does possess a significant weakspot, however."
"Which would be?" Rebecca asked enquiringly.
"It's almost completely useless against the Authorities of a Mother Earth Goddess, as well as Serpents and Dragons." The Campione admitted sourly. "But [Shield of Aegis] is a good defence as well, as it covers that weakness. It summons an aegis in the form of a golden animal skin for me to wear. While it's active, I'm protected from most forms of attack, and most Authorities involving the heavens that Zeus reigns over, meaning lightning, wind, rain and the like."
"That sounds like it would be a very good counter for King Kusanagi's [Goat] Authority, as that lets him control lightning." Yue said, eyes wide.
"It might also affect [Sturm und Drang], one of the Authorities of Duke Voban, taken from the defeat of the Chinese Weather Trio, Bo Feng of the Wind, Yu Shi of the Rain and Lei Gong of Thunder." Rebecca added. "It lets him control a storm and everything that goes with it."
"Wonder which would be more powerful, my [Stormbreaker] or his [Sturm und Drang]?" Jean mused. "Eh, I don't really want to find out. We're staying out of the Balkans as long as we can help it; the last thing we need to do is run into my oldest brother, as it would almost certainly become a fight to the death between us."
"Good idea." Both Yue and Rebecca said in unison before eyeing one another.
"OK…so, let's just spend the day relaxing, and then tomorrow, we can get the ball rolling on getting the remnants of the bridge cleared away and then a new one built." Jean clapped her hands. "I'm feeling hungry, so who's up for brunch?"
A Couple of Days Later
Mongolian Steppes
"Thou art certain that the Eighth Godslayer shalt come to this land soon?" Lancelot asked as he beheld the rolling plains of the land of Mongolia.
"I made certain of mine auguries, Sir Knight." Guinevere confirmed. The Divine Ancestor stood with her elegantly made hair swaying in the soft breeze that swept across the Steppes. "In three months, the Eighth Campione shall do battle with the Third Campione on these lands, and it shall be an excellent chance to steal from her the Authority that she usurped from Athena."
"Very well, my lady, but might this humble Knight point out that even although the Grail shalt be recovered and ready to use by that point, using it to create a False Heretic God shall exhaust it temporarily once again." Lancelot pointed out. "And furthermore, to fight against one Campione would be a fair challenge for one, but to battle against two at once would be a waste. Even should this Knight join the battle, victory is far from certain."
"Sir Knight is wise and cautious and Guinevere acknowledges the wisdom of thine points." The Divine Ancestor said quietly. "Yet we must achieve victory here. Therefore, all measures must be taken. I hath discovered in my scrying that a group of sorcerers hiding in these lands."
Behind his helmet, Lancelot frowned. Sorcerers were users of foul and malevolent magics that had no benefit to mankind and typically harmed the user's body when used. Almost all other types of magic users actively hunted down and exterminated sorcerers and sorceresses wherever they might be found, something that the [Shadow of a Heretic God] thoroughly approved of.
"Must we use such…distasteful…cat's paws, milady?" he said with disdain and reluctance positively dripping from his words. "To consort, even distantly and remotely, with such foul scum sits ill with me."
"As it does with Guinevere, Sir Knight." Guinevere twisted her face into a genteel moue of disgust herself. "Yet even such foul and lowly beings can be used for our ends. Once their usefulness draws to a close, Guinevere gives Sir Knight full lease to deal out appropriate justice to the sorcerers for the crimes they have and shall commit."
Lancelot nodded slowly, recognising that his charge would not be persuaded from her course and that this was as much of a compromise as she was willing to make to him, so he took it. "Very well. Who are these knaves and how might they be of any possible use to us, milady?"
"To answer in reverse, they possess three Grimoires." Guinevere replied with a nod, recognising that her guardian had limits and that she had very closely pushed them. "I know not which they are, but if they use them in a ritual, they can summon the Heretic Gods to whom they belong, all that need be done is some slight manipulation of their memories and paranoia some small times over the next three months and we shall have appropriately disposable pawns to use against the two Campione. As for their identities…"
Brushing a hand through the air, Guinevere watched as it rippled and twisted before turning into a symbol that almost any modern person knew: a black Hakenkreuz in a white circle with a red background around it. The image panned out until a bunch of old men wearing the Hakenkreuz on robes came into view.
"They seem to call themselves the 'Thuleorden' and they seem to be remnants of a tyrannical regime from over fifty years ago." The Divine Ancestor mentioned lightly. "They are fools and murders, one and all, and the world shall be a better place once Sir Knight puts them to the sword…but for the moment, let us plan how to use them for now…"
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Next Chapter: A Parting of the Ways: Jean Sets Out Alone
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