Good morning.
Mr. Amakasu...
Is something going on again?
That's a princess shrine maiden for you.
The largest disaster known to mankind will be upon us shortly.
Disaster?
Yes.
Actually, it involves Godou Kusanagi again.
Kusanagi?
I never would have imagined...
Yes.
If possible, I would like your help.
But I don't believe Kusanagi would ever wish to be a part of anything like that.
Yes, that's why I would like your verification.
Come on, don't keep sticking to me.
We've promised ourselves to each other.
It's natural that we'd walk together like this.
I don't think I ever promised you anything like that.
How long will you insist on being silly and hiding the truth?
I should ask you the same thing.
It's close.
I knew the Snake was here.
I seek the Gorgoneion.
Ancient Snake,
I implore you to guide the rogue queen's journey.
Once again, yield unto me wisdom from the darkness,
from Heaven and from Earth.
Godou Kusanagi is the Campione!
"Campione" is the title given to those who succeed in killing a god.
He is the King of Kings.
He is a demon that cannot be controlled by anyone.
This is the story of a young man who has become a Campione
and the women surrounding him.
Sharpen it
Slash it up
CAMPIONE! Slash it up
What do you want to know?
Hey, tell me
Prayers don't make it to Heaven
You smiled and all you said was that
You wanted to protect me
The usurper that forces people to know
What it means to be strong
Tell me everything about your soul
Within all the words that make up this legend
There are all of these feelings that connect us
The blade that showed your courage
Open the door and take the miracle
She's really beautiful, isn't she?
She transferred here from Italy, right?
There's a rumor circulating that she's of noble lineage.
From Afar, An Enemy Comes There's a rumor circulating that she's of noble lineage.
From Afar, An Enemy Comes So, that's why she's so graceful.
From Afar, An Enemy Comes
I see.
Well, ci vediamo.
What's wrong, Godou?
You don't look too happy.
I was just thinking about how popular you are.
Butterflies and bees always gather around a pretty flower.
It would be this way, no matter where I went.
Yeah, but I think people hate me because of it.
So that's Erica's boyfriend?
They don't look good together at all.
Yeah, seriously.
Uh, I'm...
Don't worry about it.
You already have me in your life; that's plenty.
What generates that self-confidence of yours?
It's not self-confidence.
I'm just stating reality.
Even if all your friends abandon you,
you lose all ties with your family,
and you end up alone,
you'll be happy with me by your side.
Someday, you'll understand what I'm saying.
How long is this going to last?
Oh, Mariya.
Good morning.
U..Um...
I'm sorry, but could I impose on you a bit, later today?
Erica just won't leave me alone...
Mariya!
Sorry, it took me a little longer to get here.
No, I apologize, as well.
I keep asking favors of you, a king.
I'm very sorry!
I told you to stop saying things like that.
I don't really want to get involved with this god or king stuff.
Truly?
Yeah, I keep telling Erica, but she won't listen.
But...
Is something the matter?
No, Mr. Amakasu asked me to do something for him again.
He said that he has information stating that you brought the Gorgoneion to Japan,
and he asked me to verify it.
Gorgo...
What's that?
It is a divine instrument said to bring about world peril.
A divine instrument?
You mean like a violin or something?
Why would you say a violin?
No, it was a joke.
A joke?
Stop joking around!
Sorry.
Anyway, divine instrument...
You mean like stone tablets and grimoires, right?
You don't have worry about that.
My grandfather's tablet was enough of a pain.
I wouldn't bring something like that to Japan.
Really?
Yeah, I swear.
Thank goodness...
So, what is this Dargo thing, anyway?
The Gorgoneion.
I've never seen it,
but it supposedly looks like a medal, about this big,
and there's a snake on it.
Since it's made out of stone, it's probably about...
Yeah, this heavy-
Erica gave it to me when I was in Rome!
Kusanagi...
I thought it was a congratulatory gift. Kusanagi...
It's not that big, so...
Kusanagi...
I did feel some magic coming from it,
but Erica gave it to me, so I didn't make too much of it.
You told me not to think of you as a king, correct?
Y..Yeah...
You don't consider what's happening around you carefully enough!
You are one of the few esteemed individuals that managed to become a demon king!
Please understand that each of your actions
affects everything around you!
I humbly ask you to keep in mind
that making a small mistake or doing something that isn't a big deal to you
might very well lead to the end of the world!
Mariya...
I can't tell if you're angry or just trying to be formal.
Anyway...
Yes?
The situation is grave.
Japan may become the prophecy's focal point.
Focal point?
When a certain god recovers its true form,
the Starless Night will cover the heavens,
and our world will be drawn toward the Underworld.
I didn't know there was any prophecy like that.
Princess Alice was the one who made the prophecy.
She ascended to the highest ranks of Heaven,
and her prophecies are said to have never been wrong.
The Gorgoneion is the Snake,
a physical manifestation of the Gorgon's divine power.
It will supposedly transform an ancient goddess into a powerful, vengeful being.
H..Hold on...
Then, why don't we just destroy it?
We cannot.
It is protected by strong magic.
It would take everything we have just to seal it.
And even that would require a significant amount of time and magic.
That's exactly right.
Erica?
It appears you've told Godou quite a bit.
Thank you.
But I, the Diavola Rossa, am the only one allowed
to love Godou or treat him as my plaything.
What are you planning?
You, an Italian mage,
have no right to involve this country in some disaster.
I've entrusted this matter to Godou Kusanagi, the new king, alone.
Nothing more.
But that's so irresponsible...
If the prophecy is true,
then only a king, a Campione, can possibly stand against it.
The outcome will rest entirely upon the king.
Am I wrong?
That's true, but...
Anyway, I'd like you to tell me something.
Could you use your sixth sense to see if you can detect something
from the Gorgoneion?
But that's so sudden...
A global-level disaster is approaching.
The Snake, enacting the cycle of shedding its skin to regenerate,
represents immortality.
You control both the bounty of the land and death upon this earth.
You, who trace your lineage back to the Great Mother...
Night...
Eyes of the night...
The goddess with silver hair...
Stripped of her age and rank...
Thus, she is young.
And thus, she is rogue.
Her name is...
Athena!
That was far faster than I imagined.
Can we really slow her down?
If we leave her be, the world will end.
Godou!
Fly, Boots of Hermes!
This way.
Our opponent is the daughter of Zeus.
You should be prepared.
Erica!
So you've come.
It has been a while, God-Slayer.
I am pleased we could be reunited.
So it was you...
I am the goddess bearing the name Athena.
God-Slayer of the East,
I would hear your name,
for we shall battle over the ancient Snake.
I have no reason to fight you!
You bore the Gorgoneion away.
Anyone who would take the Snake from me,
no matter who they may be, is my enemy.
Now, your name.
Godou Kusanagi.
Godou Kusanagi...
I shall remember that name.
Now, where is the Gorgoneion?
You don't appear to be carrying it.
As I thought, you can sense its general location.
Cuore di Leone!
I see, a strange god-slayer you are.
The power you have stolen from my compatriot should be minor.
However, the wit that makes Athena what she is
informs her that you are a threat.
Then, could you give up and leave?
Truly...
For the dance between god and god-slayer is an unproductive one,
which continues to wound both parties without end.
It may be wiser to settle a dispute with peace, not conflict.
Really?
However...
That will only bring about lethargy.
Godou!
Over here?
I am sorry.
You are a good man, albeit a god-slayer.
As a warrior, you are beyond all help.
And as a king, you are foolish.
One might say that those are necessary traits for a future hero.
I had wished to see your fate.
Forgive me.
Wh..What are- Forgive me.
Godou!
I seek the Gorgoneion.
May you set forth
to the Underworld's cold wasteland, the deepest part of darkness.
Oh?
So you took my deadly Words of Power, and you remain conscious.
Godou!
Erica...
Get out of here.
Godou!
Now, then...
How about we cut the corpse into pieces,
so you cannot use that meddling power of yours?
So she noticed?
Lion of Steel,
to you, I entrust the Words of Power of lamentation and anger!
Bathe in the holy blood of His last moments,
and manifest yourself as the Holy Lance of Longinus!
You, a disciple of Hermes and no god-slayer, will fight me?
Goddess Athena,
Erica Blandelli, Knight of Godou Kusanagi,
will protect her master, sword in hand!
They've already come into contact?
Is this right?
You would give your life for your master?
I am a knight!
And that is a knight's desire!
I see.
I commend you for pointing your blade at me.
Boots of Hermes!
It's been quite a while since I was last wounded by a human.
The curse of Longinus resides in this lance.
Even if you are Athena,
you cannot remain unwounded after a strike from my lance.
Accurate.
However, it is your misfortune, child of man.
Were you not unwaveringly loyal to your god-slayer,
I would have lovingly cared for you and granted you special protection.
Foolish.
A feint, is it?
Red bonds of the cross,
pierce the dragon's scales,
to gouge out its guts!
So you have played your last card.
Now!
Oh? Quite the elaborate trick.
Liliana!
Why are you in Japan?
Give me the Gorgoneion.
I can't do that!
It must be sealed at once.
Sealed?
Yes, I promised I would.
While they delay Athena, I am to seal it.
Your seal will mean nothing to a god.
We must still try it!
Fine.
Then, I'll just have to take it from you.
Get in!
Mr. Amakasu!
Yuri Mariya!
I'm just glad I made it in time.
I didn't think things would get serious so quickly.
So where's the Gorgoneion?
It's right here.
Liliana...
The Ram?
I understand.
So Athena injected the deadly Words of Power into me.
How do you feel?
Feel?
Oh, right.
I guess I was dead again.
How long was it?
It's only evening.
You set a new record.
You regained consciousness in two and a half hours.
The power of the Ram is gradually becoming your own.
Not that I'm too happy about it.
Sorry, you did all this for me.
You're a girl, but I let your skin be marred.
Thank you, but I don't want your words alone.
I want you to show me how you feel.
Uh, wait!
We're in the middle of a park.
Someone might be watching us.
Actually, why are you holding me like this?
Nope, you be quiet.
But...
Then, you want to go somewhere else?
How about the bed in my room?
We don't have time for you to joke around like that.
You're right.
Too bad.
Where's Athena?
Most likely,
chasing after the Gorgoneion.
It probably won't take her long to find it.
Mariya's...
She'll be fine.
She has someone helping her out.
But she's kind of difficult and a bit of a pain.
Someone helping her?
At the moment, the Gorgoneion is more important.
Athena will get her hands on it.
We can't avoid that any longer.
But...
What should we do?
There are two choices.
Either we let Athena regain her true form
and bite our fingernails as we watch the world fall to ruin,
or those with the power to resist must stand in opposition.
You're the one who gets to decide, Godou.
I can't get this nagging feeling out of my mind that everything is going just as you wanted.
That's not true.
You're the king.
A king always has paths he must travel awaiting him.
That's all.
And this is one of those paths?
That's right.
And there's no other way?
As long as I have enough knowledge about a god,
I can use the Golden Sword, right?
That's true,
but the amount of information to learn about Athena is enormous.
If I tried to tell you in words,
it would take at least one hundred days.
It seems there's no other way.
But I should say that I'm only doing this because of the dire situation.
Then nothing will be communicated.
You have to really want it.
Jeez, why is there such an annoying restriction on a god's Authority?
Hurry up, the clock is ticking.
I know.
Tell me everything you know about Athena.
As you wish, my lord.
You are the master of my sword,
and the king of us mages.
If you commanded me, I-
Just do it normally. If you commanded me, I-
You're okay with that?
Then, let's begin.
You've been so cold to me lately, so this is really fun.
You kissed Athena, even though you've been so cold to me.
I was really mad, you know?
I couldn't do anything about that-
Don't talk back so much. I couldn't do anything about that-
At times like these, you should just shut up and listen.
That's the trick to handling women.
The Gorgoneion was made
in the image of Medusa, who appears in Greek mythology,
a snake monster that was killed by the hero Perseus.
D..Don't use your tongue!
The Words of Power transfer faster this way.
Athena's father is the King of the Gods, Zeus.
Her mother is the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis.
The words "metis" and "medusa" actually have the same root.
That is, in "wisdom."
Medusa, the snake who bears the same name as Athena's mother...
Her head was presented to Athena.
Her head became part of Athena's shield, and Athena always carries it.
You could say that Medusa is also part of Athena's mother.
There is proof that Athena was also once the goddess of snakes.
Remember this.
The Snake that appears in myth is a fertility goddess of the earth.
In other words, an avatar of Mother Earth.
Wait!
What's wrong? Wait!
We're not done yet.
Look.
That's...
Looks like Athena is making her move.
What I seek is the Gorgoneion.
For this night, Athena will reclaim the ancient Snake!
CAMPIONE!
A paradise with flowers to pick
All caught up in the wind
A shadow passes through the light
Our simple days change in a flash
The etude has begun and the wings begin to unfold
Where do you want to fight?
Are you going to run away because you're scared?
Which is it? What are you going to do?
You'll ask yourself and decide
Love is a song that won't quit
Love is a door that guides you
Someday you'll overcome
The gods that give you trials and test you
We'll become stronger, raise each other
Move the person who kisses you with emotion
And awaken
With the nameless overflowing power that you have
The era of the rose, fit for a new age
Will become legend
You are the one who will recover the light during the Starless Night,
Godou Kusanagi!
God-Slaying King, call down the fire!
Rogue Athena God-Slaying King, call down the fire!
Rogue Athena