Disclaimer: I do not own Campione or any of its characters. I only own my OC's

Sorry for taking so long to update. A lot of real life stuff got in the way of both my writing and my drive.

Chapter 33

The choked out light of sunset had made way for dusk, as the city of Tokyo slowly got darker and darker under the rain cloud covered sky. It wouldn't be long before it lit up once more, when the artificial lighting of the megacity would turn on and flood it with light. With how the rain was pouring it was hard to tell how much it would affect their visibility. A warning had been sent out for people to stay inside, the intensity of the rain making it unsafe to travel should it cause flooding, leaving the streets uncharacteristically empty. There were still those running to get somewhere dry and possibly safe, but for the most part the streets of Tokyo were desolate.

It was as Tokyo was at its darkest and quietest that Heracles was tracking down his quarry. Something that was easy, the ability to track and hunt ingrained deeply into his being, part of his very core. His earliest memories was as a hunter. Long before he had performed feats of impossible might and determination, had he been nothing more than a hunter of wild game. Before he had fought monstrous beasts and legendary beings, could he remember how his arrow had buried deeply into the thick hide of his prey as it let out its last cry.

He couldn't claim to ever have been human, at the same time couldn't he claim that he had started out as divine. And as tales and accomplishments were added to his myth, he remained on the side of humanity, vowing to be its protector even as he became more and more divine. To be a hero first, and to be a god second. That had come to be the core of his being as well, not because of origin, but from his own experiences throughout his long existence.

Heracles might not be certain that he was ever human, but he knew that he had always felt a closer kinship to humans than he ever had to other gods. Something just didn't sit right with him when it came to interacting with most gods, missing the time he had spent with humans every time they would speak with one another. So instead did he his best with protecting them from his elevated position, giving out his favor when it felt appropriate or necessary.

But it was from these sidelines that he came to know about Campione. Initially was he happy to see humans acquire the power to help and protect others, only to be horrified by how they used their gifts. They slaughtered and subjugated humans without remorse, as if they hadn't been human themselves previously. They were worse than any beast or monster he had ever fought back when he was alive, there was no reasoning with monsters afterall, these so called Kings did it because they wanted it.

It was this anger at the injustice that they wrought that had brought him over the threshold that separated myth and the mortal world once before. How long ago he couldn't remember, just that he had lied waste to every Campione that had gotten in his path with righteous fury. With his actions having eventually brought the attention of… someone… something… he couldn't remember clearly.

All he could remember about the meeting with… them… it, was that his deeds had seemingly been appreciated. Not that he had cared about that, only content with the fact that he had put a stop to their destruction…

There was about where Heracles' memories cut off, having no recollection of what he did or what happened after, nor why he had no memory after that. But what surprised him when his mind came to that realisation, was the fact that he didn't seem to care, seemingly content with the vacant gap that stood out inside his head. After all, he didn't need all his memories to accomplish what he had done once before: kill Campione.

Ayamari and Yagarish left his hands, disappearing in a flash of lightning and a rush of wind respectively before they could fall, leaving him empty handed. He would need both his hands for the weapon he wanted to use after all.

In a flash, not of lightning, but of light, appeared a bow in his left hand. Larger than even a longbow, as well as thicker than a bow usually was. It was carved out of wood, which seemed to be either naturally black in color, or had just been scorched perfectly to get that even shade along its length. Starch white plates of what looked to be bone were stapled along its arches in places where reinforcement would strengthen both its structure and power. The string meanwhile looked to be made out of hair, the only source of color on the otherwise monochrome bow, as it was crimson red, standing out noticeably as a result. Hairs of a beast slain from ancient ages past, which was no longer part of this world after all these millenia.

The faintest tug of a smile appeared on the Greecian hero's face as the familiar weight of his legend long companion settled into his hands once more, momentarily cutting through his determined expression. With seemingly minimal effort cleared he the height of one of the nearby skyscrapers in a single jump, the force he'd used sending out a shockwave that sent out a spider web of cracks and shook some infrastructure loose regardless.

His bow was his most prized weapon, remains from his time as the hunter, it had brought the end to countless foes as an implement of death. Even if those deaths had been brought about with the goal of bringing security to the people, was there no getting around the fact that he had ended the life of more beings than he could count. Most had been monsters and other beasts, but amongst them there had also been people, friends that had met their end by the pull of its bowstring.

Two arrows appeared in his right hand, the same kind as the one he had used against the slayer of Verethragna and Melqart previously. Pulling the string back, he took aim into the distance for his first target, currently unmoving from what he could gather, something which seemed to have been true ever since he awakened.

As he let go of the string shook the surroundings from the arrow immediately breaking the sound barrier as it took flight. Not that Heracles could give it any thought, having knocked and fired the second arrow before the soundwave even reached his ears towards the King he'd fought previously.

…

Godou felt as the hair on the back of his neck suddenly straightened, recognising the danger he was in before the source could even be seen or heard. He just knew that he was in danger all of the sudden.

His body moved on its own in response, swiftly turning around just in time for his hands to shoot out towards the attack. He had barely been able to perceive the arrow before he had already caught it by its shaft in hope of stopping it from striking into his chest, only for the force to send him flying back and off the building they all had been standing on.

Panic cries reached his ears as he fell down from the tall building towards the street far below. His rapid descent was the least of his concern at the moment however, feeling as the arrow was ever so slowly inching closer towards his chest despite how hard he tried to hold it in place. And because something in the back of his mind assured him that he would be okay from the fall.

The projectile refused to budge at his attempts to push it back, putting up a great deal of resistance in retaliation, which threatened to have it slip further towards him. He did however feel that it had budged slightly to the side as he tried to move it. So with all his might, calling upon all the strength he could possibly muster, lifted he himself upwards, while simultaneously turning away from the arrow. Turning his fall effectively into a dive, with the arrow now being the first thing that would hit the ground.

Just in time too, as just as he finished the motion pierced the arrow into the street. The resulting impact of it striking the ground caused a small crater as it sank in with considerable force, sending out great cracks along the paved surface. Godou could even feel as the resulting shockwave slowed his velocity, knocking the air out of his lungs as he collided with it. Leaving not much air remaining in his lungs as he smashed against the destroyed ground with a thud. Not hard enough to cause any real damage to his god slayer body, still enough to hurt quite a bit for a little while.

Godou breathed a sigh of relief as his body lay splayed out on the ground regardless, recognising the fact that the alternative would have been so much worse. He turned over, looking up along the length of the building he had just fallen from until his eyes found three silhouettes looking down towards him from the top. Seeing that he was alright, moved all three of the knights down from the building.

Erica was the first one down, followed by Liliana and Brenda simultaneously, as the red head was holding onto the silver haired girl as she flew down in a slower descent than that of the blonde knight.

"Are you alright, Godou?!"

The Japanese male sat up from his lying position, the pain mostly abated by this point. "Everything is fine, Erica. Although, I fear that we won't be able to use the roofs to traverse any further." His gaze turned upwards, seeing how the tall buildings along the street did nothing to cover the sky, eyes searching for any projectile that could be approaching. "Not that it might make much of a difference in the end regardless."

Erica turned in the direction the god slayer was looking, quickly understanding that what he was saying was true. With no cover over them would it be far from hard for Heracles to just snipe them down at a distance, even if their elevation had changed considerably. Her eyes almost frantically searched the sky for any sign of any arrows approaching them when realising this fact.

Only letting herself breath as she didn't spot anything that was any indication of approaching projectiles, though she was a lot more tense now than she had been previously since Godou had gotten back up. Even if she didn't see anything now, didn't mean there wouldn't be any later, as well as doubted that she would be able to react to its approach. The one that had been aimed at Godou had made him into nothing but a blur as he had caught it, having not been able to realise that he had been attacked until he had already started falling.

"I would recommend that we search for whatever cover we can get out here, or perhaps make it towards some of the narrower pathways" Liliana suggested as she landed besides the sitting Campione and kneeling knight, letting go of Brenda as they touched down on solid ground. "That way might we be able to minimize the available directions his arrows can come from. So long as he doesn't decide to shoot through buildings to reach us…"

The last part was mostly mumbled to herself, but still loud enough for the others to hear what she said. Both options were pretty much a possibility for most of them-

"No, he wouldn't do that."

-Except from the perspective of the one that he faced the Greecian hero for any extended time. While Heracles had certainly caused great destruction to his surroundings as a consequence of their clash, him firing that arrow made Godou certain about something. He never aimed to destroy when there was the possibility of humans being amongst the casualties, rather aiming for precision that would bring as little damage to the surroundings as he possibly could.

"He can't be certain that any of the buildings between us are devoid of people, which will deter him from fire through it. After all, he doesn't want to hurt humans, he wants to protect them. Even if getting to me would be easier, I feel that that is a principle he isn't going to cross any time soon."

The three knights took in everything he said, unsure if they actually agreed with what he was proposing and his reasoning. Even if what he said seemed sound from what little interaction they had had with the god of Strength, as he simply pushed them away and attempted to go after Godou again immediately after, not harming any of them in the process. But that could very easily be happenstance, as their confrontation with the Heretic god had been comparatively minor.

Fighting a rogue deity was already hard enough, potentially putting the lives of civilians in danger without their knowledge just didn't sit right with any of them. Regardless of whatever advantage they might gain from taking such an action.

Which is why it felt like a weight lifted slightly as Godou moved towards the nearest alleyway without their say so, his stride exuding confidence as he entered without hesitation. Seeing him walk without them made all three of them move along, with two of them mentally washing their hands of whatever consequences might befall them from their perspective. While the one remaining was ready to share whatever burdens her lord would have to bear.

…

Heracles' brow furrowed in irritation. Both arrows had failed to strike their mark, something he hadn't been prepared for to happen, considering one had just recently returned from death and would have been taken off guard, while the other was currently incapable of moving on his own. And yet had both of them managed to avoid being pierced by his projectiles.

But that wasn't what was irritating him. No, it was the fact that his former opponent had begun making use of his desire to protect humanity, to shield himself. Even though he couldn't deny it to be clever, was it still cowardly in his opinion. Especially since the protection it granted him wasn't perfect, just cutting off some of his options for shooting at him without endangering any civilians

He had wished to end the fight before it even began by taking them off guard from range, an option that was no longer on the table, as they would be prepared for him to fire towards them from now on. It would not stop him from continuing firing regardless.

Once more formed an arrow in his free hand out of the ether, immediately followed by another as he pulled the first one against the string of his bow and let go, catching and firing the second one upwards before gravity caused it to descend.

For a moment he followed the two hypersonic projectiles as they flew into the distance with his eyes. Before he himself started moving in the same direction, determined to make sure that his adversaries would perish regardless of whether his second volley reached them or not. Even if it meant he would have to dirty his hands up close, was that of little deterrent, his stalwart conviction never having wavered in the slightest.

It wasn't as if he regarded them as human anyway, for why would he lie about their true nature?

With a jump flew he after the arrows, soaring through the air like a large missile himself as he effortlessly penetrated the sound barrier. Drops of rain clung and flew off from him as the air rushed along his frame, the friction that was being generated continuously drying him to a degree. However, the rain was so plentiful that it had no visible effect-

Heracles felt danger approaching, turning his body in midair as the air became solid to him as he utilized his legendary might. He flexed the bottom of his feet to grasp onto the otherwise easily dispersible element, slowing him down while simultaneously remaining airborne.

The ancient deity scanned his surroundings with his golden eyes, while his other senses reached out to find what his eyes missed. His ears picked out every minute sound, unperturbed by the otherwise deafening rain around him. While his skin informed him of each slight shift in the air, everything from temperature to the wind. Most of his senses acting as a radar trying to find what it was that had triggered his esoteric senses, which was still sending warning signals in the back of his head, despite his human senses not picking up on anything that could have caused it.

He remained waiting, patiently, like a hunter lying in wait for their game. Arrow already resting against the string, ready to be pulled back and fired as soon as Heracles' could make out what had triggered his danger sense.

A shift in the air and warmer temperature brushed against his skin was the only warning he got, before a bolt of lightning charged straight into him from over the horizon barely a moment later. It had been enough to give him the time he needed to not be taken off guard by the attack, blocking the lightning bolt with the flat of his hand.

The spear of charged energy stopped in its tracks, as the god of Strength didn't budge in the slightest from his position up in the air, nor did his arm bend at the force pressing against it. He was a proverbial wall, standing indomitable in the face of this new challenge. That wasn't to say that the lightning bolt was completely ineffective, as the skin along his arm burned away from the heat, and he could feel as small hairline fractures started forming along the entirety of the bones that his blocking arm contained.

However, as the power of his Unmatched Body reacted to this new challenge, it returned to normal as it immediately began healing. Skin grew back where it had flaked away, while it and the rest of his body became more resistant to the heat. The small fractures that had managed to form in the bone sealed up so perfectly that they left no trace of their momentary existence. His whole body was being strengthened to such a degree that he would be able to take such a charge without suffering any damage next time it happened.

The bolt of lightning had already started losing its shape as it couldn't keep all its power going forever, discharges of high voltage electricity shooting off as it had quickly lost power after its initial impact.

His bow, which the Greecian had held in his other hand, disappeared in a similar flash to how it had appeared. Which left his unoccupied hand now empty as well, which he in immediate order balled up into a fist before it crashed straight into the sputtering remains of the lightningstrike. Passing through the element with ease and without repercussions as it was blown apart, leaving only a figure behind as it disappeared, seemingly the one responsible for the attack.

A figure he recognised, despite their garb being very different from the last time he had seen them. Shoulder length, honey blonde hair, with two longer braids framing her face. A face that was currently set into what he could only describe as a determined scowl, her brow slightly furrowed over her sky-blue eyes as they were looking in his direction. She was garbed in armor, only missing a helmet, with a cloak hanging down from over her shoulders, obscuring mostly her arms visually. He could tell that she was hiding something beneath the cloak, however, a weapon of some kind.

The Greecian hero didn't care about that, he didn't even care that she had attacked him. He was just happy to see such a familiar face, no matter the circumstances. "Hippolyta, it's good to see you again."

The scowl that was plastered on the woman's face eased ever so slightly for a moment, only for it to set back into place almost immediately. She didn't say anything, not because she didn't have anything to say to him, quite the contrary actually, but because she didn't trust that her mouth would be able to keep some things hidden.

Instead she reached for the weapon hanging by her hip, her lance having been dismissed once she realised how ineffective her charge had been against her fellow Greecian. The weight felt perfect in her hand as her fingers wrapped around the handle, a jolt of electricity running up her arm at the resonance between them. Like a hum of approval from the weapon, ready to be wielded by the one it considered its master. She didn't pull it out, not yet.

Lancelot steeled herself, letting out a slow and steady breath from her mouth, before she spoke. "You can't do this, Heracles."

The smile that had slowly been creeping up his face immediately disappeared at her words, needing no confirmation what she was referring to, already having a good hunch what it was. His hands clenched as raw emotions welled up inside, but they remained by his side for the moment. A fact that could change at a moment's notice, considering how volatile his anger could be.

So, the Protector of Humanity reigned in his growing rage to the best of his ability, keeping it from boiling over and stopping him from lashing out towards his former companion. However, something reacted to his sudden anger. Something that he had managed to suppress previously, even thought to have eradicated from his being, was slowly awakening again. A low, deep rumble forced its way out of his throat. A warning growl that shook the air like nearby thunder, sign of the storm brewing inside the legendary hero.

Drastically different from the rain storm that hung overhead, as even though it was only metaphorical, its capability for destruction would be far greater than that of the falling rain.

Lancelot tensed slightly as she noticed the change and felt the noise reverberate through her being, having to stop herself from turning around and run as her instincts screamed out in terror at his growing anger, instincts warning her that it wouldn't dissipate, and would rather continue to grow regardless of whether she talked or not.

Her job had been to get his attention, and now she got all of it.

"What are you talking about, Hippolyta?" The question held a great deal of bite to it, filled with such aggression that it almost shocked the former amazon that he hadn't lunged for her throat with his teeth at the same time. "Surely you aren't suggesting that I just let the Campione live, with everything they have done."

"Then how come you have attacked these two, they have done nothing to suffer your wrath."

Golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the anger barely held back from radiating towards her as it boiled in the background, slowly reaching critical level. "Their existence is crime enough. They are an affront to not only us gods, but humanity as well. Epimetheus' spawn always brings disaster to humans and their civilisations eventually, so I will put an end to them before they have the chance."

She didn't want to fight, but her options to keep him occupied were decreasing, mostly because of Heracles growing irritation was quickly starting to turn into anger. It wouldn't be long after that it would reach its zenith and turn into rage. A moment that the former Queen of Amazons was dreading with every fiber of her being would arrive. Doubting that she would be able to be anything more than a minor distraction to the great hero based on their previous encounters. Although-

The weight of the weapon in her hand felt reassuring. Familiar despite how impossible that should be, having only possessed the weapon for less than a day. And yet felt it as if she had owned it for far longer, every detail from every curve to each grove in it feeling like a reawakened memory.

-All the Knight of the Round needed to do was keep him occupied, to make sure his whole attention was entirely focused on her. And make sure that she survived. The rest would be taken care of by the Wizard.

Lancelot pulled out the weapon she had kept hidden beneath her cloak, the humming it had sent her growing in intensity at her action and thoughts, sending pleasant tingles up along her arm as it got ready for battle. What appeared from beneath the darkness was a sword, a longsword to be exact. The white and cerulean blue engraved blade is of a comfortable enough length to be easily wielded with one or both hands, without sacrificing too much reach or maneuverability. The way the light reflected off the polished metal was also peculiar, as rather than a sharp glint bouncing off the blade, dispersed the light against the sword's surface like that of water.

It was the gift/incentive her living nightmare had given her back in Italy, a masterpiece of a sword that Lancelot could compare few weapons to, while also seemingly having been tailor made for her in particular with how seamlessly it fit her. Its presence before her was solid reassurance, dispelling all doubt and fear that had slowly crept its way into her mind.

Heracles felt as the anger inside him rapidly grew at his former companion pulling a weapon on him. The reasonable part of his mind recognised that something about this anger wasn't normal, even for him, but its desperate cries were drowned out by the emotional part being overloaded with raw rage. This was enough to tip him over the edge, calling upon the powers he had acquired through one of the god slayer's he'd fought previously.

But no lightning nor wind would gather in his empty hands as he sought the power of Ayamari and Yagarish, his temporary connection to Melqart as a bearer of his name having run its course. A fact that only added to his wrath.

He let out a howl of rage, sounding more akin to a roar as it shook the air like a burst of thunder. The force of his vocal display alone almost sent Lancelot flying away in the explosion like the dispersing rain, the knight having to brace and steady herself to not be pushed back violently. She was ultimately pushed back, her positioning in the air not nearly as steady as solid ground would have been. Despite that remained the knight upright, her eyes never once faltering from Heracles' position.

A fact that saved her from being caught off guard as he was suddenly in front of her, his fist already halfway to caving her chest in with a solid strike. Experience and understanding kept her from turning into mist on instinct, knowing that doing so would not save her against this attack. Simultaneously he was too close and too fast for her to avoid the blow aiming to pulverize her ribcage and sternum.

Yet, despite recognising all those facts, was there not an ounce of fear welling up within Lancelot at her approaching doom. The once foreign object in her hands assured that she would make it, all she would need to do was to trust it.

Heracles hit nothing but rain as he finished his swing, the armored woman having disappeared right before he made contact, sending all of it flying at such speed that the friction between each drop and the air immediately turned it into steam. Her disappearance was not a feat achieved through superior speed, his Unmatched Body not having reacted to whatever it was Hippolyta had done. And yet, could his other senses tell that she was behind him, somehow having gotten around him.

The greatest hero of Greece spun around in relentless pursuit, his hand simultaneously moving to intercept the sword thrust he knew was coming. Effortlessly caught he the blade inside his clenched hand, the sharp edge of the magical sword not able to bite into his enhanced flesh as he held it stuck like a vice.

Only for his grip to falter as he felt it tear into his flesh moments later, actually managing to draw blood from him as the still blade tore his fingers and palm apart in his hand.

Lancelot immediately went on the offensive as she saw Heracles pull his hand away, going for a slash with the now distorted blade, its image warped by the water that rushed up its length at high speed. It initially failed to find any purchase as it hit Heracles' fortified body, almost bouncing off at the hardness of his skin. Only for the water rushing at ever increasing speeds to provide the additional cutting power needed to overcome his defence, leaving a gash in his side that was just deep enough to bleed.

Even as the former Amazonian queen saw the wound immediately start stitching itself together, it gave her confidence to actually accomplish her task, now knowing that she actually could hurt him. The question for how long that would be true forcefully pushed down, with the roar of the water rushing along the blade of her sword growing in response to her momentary worry.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the support, almost feeling like thanking the monster that had gifted her with this sword, this Authority. Not that she would ever thank Sitanada after all the nightmares she had suffered from being on the other side of her crusade.

"Thank you so much, Arondight." Lancelot raised the sword, her senses immediately becoming aware of all the water in her surroundings. Everything from the rain around them to the flooded streets below, all of it was at her behest to do as she wished.

…

"I know you see this as necessary doc, but considering that nothing has changed all these years, I feel that these examinations are just somewhat tedious." Regardless of her own feelings on the matter, had Tetsu simply gone along with the doctor's request. Her doctor, an old friend of hers even, had taken the opportunity to do a standard examination of the old injuries she had suffered in her fight against Voban during his last visit to the country. Making sure that nothing got infected and that they remained properly taken care of, especially her empty eye socket. "I know I might sound ungrateful, but I am just saying things as I see them. Also, you look like you are in desperate need of a rest, Ayase."

The woman sitting opposite to the retired Shrine Maiden looked up from the clipboard she was holding, her gaze grew vacant for a moment before it focused back on the blonde woman. Only one of the several signs that informed Tetsu that her friend had once again pushed away her need to sleep for too long. Her skin had grown considerably paler, something which made the bags under her eyes stand out considerably.

"Oh… I'll sleep… *yawn* after I am done with your examination… or possibly once Chizue gets discharged."

The blonde amazon couldn't help but have her remaining eye start twitching at hearing the words that came out of her practically only friend's mouth.

Ayase Saikyo was in many regards opposite to Tetsu, even down to some parts of their appearance. The doctor's hair was dark, long and wavy, while Tetsu's was blonde, short and mostly straight. Ayase as already pointed out was pale from lack of sleep, something the former Shrine Maiden wished she could claim was a rare occurrence, but it was honestly the norm. Meanwhile she was tanned from actually spending time in the sunlight. The fact that there was a difference in height was of little surprise, as the blonde woman was considerably taller than the vast majority of her fellow countrymen. Not that Ayase was short, just about average.

Their opposites went further than their physical appearances. Tetsu was a fighter that had been put through countless missions during her time with the Committee before her indefinite suspension/retirement. Ayase meanwhile had never been affiliated with any magical organisation directly, being far more accurately described as a freelancing doctor that had traveled all over the country and even outside of it on multiple occasions. And never once had she taken part in a fight. Tetsu was certain, she had asked her friend on multiple occasions. Tetsu was largely considered amongst the most gifted mortals in the magical world, while Ayase was largely lacking in that area.

And despite all of their differences were they the best of friends, having known each other since elementary school. Honestly an easier time when the expectations of adulthood had yet to start pushing down on them.

"Considering you yourself said that would take at least three more days before that, will I have to strongly suggest otherwise." The blonde woman objected to the tired woman as she removed her eyepatch without further fuss, revealing her most substantial injury from her confrontation with the oldest Campione. And yet, despite the scar all the way towards Tetsu's eye socket, she still looked back at her old friend with two eyes.

Although, it became quite apparent after looking at her for just a moment that her left eye was just an implant, lacking any semblance of life in the fake eye and its color being far too solid. It just looked ever so slightly off compared to the blonde woman's one real eye.

"Oh… *yawn* I guess… I did say that." The doctor began carefully inspecting the replacement eye and its surrounding area, making especially sure to look over the scar tissue in search of any abnormalities or changes that might have appeared since their last examination. "Everything… still… looks good from what I can see… Let us move on… to the… physical"

Even if Tetsu thought all of this was unnecessary, she went along mostly to calm down her old friend. Also, on the off chance that something had changed, she wanted to make sure Ayase could catch it before it turned into something more critical. So, in the end it was just as much for her own sake, to make sure she could remain by Chizue's side. To not leave her without a mother for a second time.

The tired doctor placed her stethoscope to the taller woman's back, above her left lung.

"Breath in…"

"Hold…"

"Out."

The dark haired woman moved her implement over to the otherside, giving the exact same instructions once more as she carefully listened through it. The stethoscope then drifted back over to Tetsu's left side, but a bit further up, over her heart.

"Hold your breath." the doctor ordered, her focus pushing away her tiredness as she performed her job and passion. She was still in critical need of sleep, but the longer she could focus on performing her duties, the longer she could ignore the siren call of sweet unconsciousness.

"Everything seems to be as it should be, nothing wrong with either your lungs or heart." All the fatigue had made way for a dedicated sharpness to Ayase's focus, cutting through her need for sleep and tiredness as properly returned to her element. It was something that the Shimizu matriarch had known the Saikyo women for… about as long as she'd known Ayase actually. There had been times that had been… concerning, to say the very least back in the day.

Ayase continued her examination with the same unwavering focus, which made it hard to believe that just minutes ago it looked like she would collapse into slumber at the slightest mention of sheep. In almost no time at all had the doctor jutted down and began comparing all of the amazonian woman's measurable body functions to her previously recorded values.

"Looks like nothing has made any drastic changes since last time. You are still in perfect health."

"Good to hear. Now, get some sleep. I have a stubborn child to get back to. Got to make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

"Of course. Couldn't possibly imagine where she might have gotten that from."

Tetsu, having been moving towards the door, stopped abruptly at the not so subtle implication her friend had made. There was no comeback she could retort with, fully aware that she couldn't refute what she was insinuating. The very reason she had lost her eye after all was just because of her own reckless nature, having thrown all caution to the wind when given the choice of giving up her daughter or taking on a Campione.

It was a miracle that she had survived, with the aftermath of having pushed her body and powers to their absolute limit requiring her to do these check-ups periodically. As Ayase had informed her that her heart had stopped beating at six separate occasions during the time she was unconscious. And while she had seemingly made a full recovery, wanted her friend to make sure that no other side effects would creep up unexpectedly.

"That is why I want to make sure she doesn't make my mistakes as well." Tetsu's voice was oddly solemn as she whispered those words, just barely enough for the doctor to hear her. It made it hard to tell if she was telling it more to herself than to Ayase, not giving her friend a chance to respond before walking out of the room.

But Tetsu didn't get further than closing the door, just staring down at the ground with her one working eye, the fake one hidden away by her eyepatch once more. Several thoughts were going through her mind a mile a minute, and they rooted her to the ground. The thought of Chizue following her footsteps and making the same mistakes she had terrified her, the possibility of one day losing her niece turned daughter filled her with despair.

Tetsu took a breath, feeling it shake as she drew in air by her nerves being slightly out of control. There was nothing to worry about, Chizue was safe, she had survived-

'I know that all of this is beyond me, I already fought him and lost, I am well aware of that… It doesn't change the fact that I want to help somehow. And if that means having to force my way through you, then so be it.'

-but she was also determined to put her own life on the line to fight this Heretic god. Just like the older woman had done herself once before when she had faced Voban. However, there was a major difference between the two of them, her daughter had someone that could physically hold her back and keep her in check, she herself didn't have such a person.

"I'm back-" the draft running along her face told Tetsu immediately that something was wrong. Her eye flew towards the wide open window. Not opened in the sense that someone had made use of the inbuilt mechanism to open it, but the entire window was entirely gone. Glass, frame, all of it gone, leaving an opening more than large for her daughter to get out from.

Tetsu didn't know what took over from that point, charging through the hospital with little care about who got in her way as she sprinted towards the entrance, bursting through the doors with enough force to loosen its hinges. She searched frantically through the rain to try finding her daughter, but there was no sight of her. Tetsu didn't like it, but she had a good feeling as to where her daughter had gone.

Tetsu let out a frustrated sigh as she stood in the rain. Seems like she would have to go home and get some stuff, she wouldn't let her daughter fight alone after all.

…

Godou wasn't entirely sure how, but he couldn't help but feel that for whatever reason he could almost sense everything that was taking place beneath the cloud covered sky. For example, had he a pretty good idea about where Heracles was exactly without having to rely on the pull inside his body, as well as the fact that someone was currently facing the god of Strength. The information provided did however only work outside of buildings, only expanding momentarily every time a door opened momentarily.

It also informed him about the approaching projectile that was another of Heracles' deadly arrows.

Godou stopped hastily, quickly backing away from the path he had been running previously. Just in time to not be in the way of the arrow's intersecting path as it flew straight into the ground, the force of it penetrating the ground unimpeded allowing him to avoid getting hit at all this time as it pierced the ground in front of him without hitting its mark. The resulting impact immediately cratered the surrounding area in a shower of dust and debris, which flew at such speed that even the smaller chunks hurt as they connected with his body. They probably wouldn't bruise.

That was however of little consequence in comparison what could have happened had the arrow hit him instead. It also didn't help that he knew that their adversary had fired two additional arrows towards his home as well, fearing what could have happened to the Kusanagi residence and its occupants.

Godou didn't give himself much time to ponder on that, having more pressing matters that needed to be taken care of in his mind. Letting himself be guided by this new sense of his as it led him back out into the open streets, no longer fearing for the possibility of any arrows raining down, being aware of the fact that the bow wielding deity was preoccupied at the moment.

"Come on, just a little further!" He called out behind him, his cry barely carrying through the deafening rain to the three women running to catch up to him. Whether they had actually heard him or not was of little importance to him, having more pressing matters to focus on at the moment. Godou did his best to focus on the feeling that told him everything about the city as he ran, trying to see if he could get it to find something, or rather someone, in particular.

With a gust of wind rushing past him sensed he how whatever this power was reacted to his wishes, as he suddenly became hyper aware of one figure quite a distance away, running from what he could tell with the distance they were covering. He couldn't help but breath out a sigh of relief at knowing that Shizuka was safe, and knowing that she had listened to him made something akin to pride well up inside him. The knowledge that she had trusted his judgment enough to keep going, putting as much distance between herself and his previous confrontation with Heracles when he had told her to run.

It also helped him in his own search, to hopefully make sure that Shizuka was safe after everything that had happened. He felt awful for allowing her to get mixed up in all this, he wished she could have just continued living a normal life, ignorant to the stuff that was hidden just out of view. Like how it had been before he was dragged into this wonderous world of magic and deities during his trip to Sardinia.

But how much would he want to undo in that case? Wanted Godou to only make sure that just Shizuka didn't become wrapped up in all this? Or if given the chance, would he choose to have himself be free from all of this as well?

He… didn't really know how to answer that, if he was honest. A part of him didn't like everything that had become part of his life since that fateful time in Sardinia. But at the same time, could he no longer imagine a life without all of this becoming part of his life, both the magic and the people intrinsically tied to it.

Erica, the knight that had held him at knife point at their first interaction. Only to turn into his strongest connection to the world of magic, as she refused to be absent from his life for any longer than a week.

Dante, the Campione that had helped him settle into his new role as a King, someone Godou felt he could always trust to have his back whenever he needed it the most.

He could no longer imagine his life without those two in it, and he was sure that with time would he come to fully accept everything that had happened to him. Even so, there was no turning back the clock anyway, all Godou could do was accept what had come to pass and live with the results. All he could do now was to try to survive and defeat Heracles.

But most importantly, was the first thing he had to do to find his sister and get her to safety as soon as possible.

Magic coursed through his body in a manner he wasn't familiar with, enhancing his body's already enhanced capabilities to a level he hadn't reached previously. Godou couldn't explain how he was doing it, as it somehow felt like second nature for some reason, despite never having done something like it before. His body just… seemed to know what he needed to do to pull this off.

It was kinda similar to how he knew everything going on within the city through some other power, his mind telling him to not question it even though it was something he was certain should have brought up questions to himself if he had actually given it some thought.

But that wasn't where his focus was, as his body sped forward, shrinking the distance between himself and his sister more and more. While simultaneously leaving the three knights behind, his current speed something that they couldn't keep up with properly, falling behind quite quickly. It wasn't the godspeed of the Raptor, or even comparable to its level of speed, but Godou was undoubtedly faster now than he had been previously, everything becoming a blur around him as he ran.

He came out into the open road, finally leaving all the alleyways and back roads they had been running through. The road was absent of cars and other people, everyone having heeded the potential flood warning from the rain and gotten to safety. But he could tell that there was one person still running along the street, seeking safety, the winds telling the Japanese King that his sister wasn't far away now.

Godou continued running, determined to not slow down until he saw for himself that Shizuka was safe, magical energy still thrumming through his body as he pushed it to run faster.

Eventually could he see her running form quickly getting closer.

"Shizuka!" Godou called out, just as his arms wrapped around his sister in a tight embrace, as if to protect her from the dangers of the world. "I am so happy you are alright"

Shizuka looked up at him, her momentarily terrified expression from his loud yell turning into one of relief, tears welling up in her eyes at seeing her brother, her own arms hugging him back. "Big brother!"

…

Dante looked at the arrow right before his eyes. He could barely believe it, that his situation had turned from bad to worse. He could see Mariya Yuri's expression of horror out of the corner of his eye, his body having no strength to turn his neck towards her. Leaving him to stare at the arrow, as it hovered harmlessly in front of him, right next to a second one that had failed to pierce him as well.

All because the hooded figure before him had decided to save him. The Italian King couldn't claim to have ever seen the man before, making his sudden entrance and protection all the more confounding. Especially considering that Dante could tell that the man was a Heretic god.

"Well, this seems like quite the predicament now doesn't it?" The hooded figure turned towards the wheelchair bound god slayer, letting the arrows harmlessly and gently float down to the ground. He pulled back his hood, letting his long pearlish silver hair to cascade down like a waterfall of pale mercury along his cloak. His amused eyes, which seemed to take in the entirety of Dante, was an ever changing kaleidoscope of changing colors.

Mariya Yuri spoke up, her voice shaking as she just like Dante could feel what this man was. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"Hmm… I don't think I will be revealing that first part for now." A platter as well as an assortment of food floated over to the long haired man, landing on the platter as it continued floating right next to the man. "It is of little importance to you guys anyway, as you currently have a far more pressing problem on your hands. A problem I will help you take care of, which answers your second question" The figure floated a bite sized piece of food over to his mouth from the levitating platter. "Mmm, this is very good I have to say"

Dante narrowed his eyes at the man's nonchalant attitude towards all of this, even though he claimed that he would help them. He very much doubted his proposition, seeing neither reason or means for the silver haired deity to be of any benefit to them in this scenario, as well as seeing plausible motive for even why he should be helping them. Rather the opposite, as getting rid of 2 Campione would be more of a benefit in the long run. "And why would you even help us to begin with?"

The hooded man chuckled a little at Dante's question, as if it was part of some kind of joke only he knew about. "Helping you and your friend would be beneficial for me in the long run, despite there being no clear reason why from your point of view. So, I guess you could call it a positive arrangement for both of us. But I won't force you, you can either accept my offer and get a fighting chance against Heracles. Or you could decline, and just wait until he comes here and kills you."

The weakened god slayer clenched his jaw, and immediately felt as his strength was drained from the action. He knew that the cloaked god was speaking the truth, having been unable to do anything since the conflict started. The runes all over his body hadn't lessened in their potency, keeping him weak. Keeping him helpless.

He wanted to get out there and fight. Wanted to be there to fight his natural enemy.

Be out there to make sure Brenda was safe.

"Very well, you have a deal."

The Heretic god's smirk turned into a full blown smile. "Excellent. Now it is time for me to get to work. Gotta make you able to fight somehow after all"

The tip of the silver haired man's fingers started glowing with a pale blue glow, before he pressed it straight into one of the many rune looking markings that was visible on Dante's body.

"I who once sat on the throne, never to return, shall advise the King."

A blinding pain shot from the mark as it was pressed on, only to almost immediately be soothed as the words of power of an Authority began to be spoken by the divine figure.

"My magic shall keep the balance, but the King shall have my blessing."

As the hooded man's hands traced along Dante's body, going from rune to rune, felt the Italian Campione as the markings alleviated their pressure on his body. Instead he felt pure magical energy fuel him. More than he had ever experienced before.

"Powers beyond the imagination of any mage shall fill your body and lead the way to Victory!"

Dante felt like his body was filled with an explosion of magic going off within him. While his body remained intact, it felt almost overwhelming, like electricity was running through his whole being.

"Now that you have gotten a taste of my support, need I to bring up my condition for keeping this Authority running."

The dirty blonde god slayer stood up from his wheelchair, no longer feeling the weakening effects of the runes. He turned his purple eyes towards the man that had helped him, the runes now running down along his cheek beneath his right eye.

"What would that be?"

The Heretic god's smile fell a little. "I need either you or your friend to be the one to kill Heracles."

Hope you liked it.

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