Godou stared out the small plane window, admiring the aerial view of Tokyo. They'd left Italy and flown through the night. It left Godou little time to do anything other than sleep and reflect on the week he'd just survived.
It started out simple enough. He was supposed to deliver a package for his Grandfather to an old friend in Italy. After his errand he expected nothing more than a nice vacation, some sightseeing and the opportunity to take in a foreign country. Instead, Kusanagi Godou, a normal Japanese teenager, fought a God.
Not just any old God either but the undefeated Persian God of Victory, Verethragna. When he emerged victorious Godou earned the title of Campione, Devil King, and all the baggage that came with it. Most would call it a gift, unimaginable luck, but to a simple man like Godou it was just unwelcome trouble.
Taking in the city's skyline, the newest Campione swore he wouldn't allow the new title to affect his routine. School would be starting soon and from there life would return to normal.
"Godou would you like a snack?"
'Right, normal.' He lamented.
He turned to the woman holding a small pack of crackers out for him. A blonde teenager named Erica Blandelli. Her full title was Erica Blandelli, the Great Knight of the Copper-Black Cross. She was a major name in one of Italy's premier magical organisations.
Taking the offered package, Godou paused after the first bite. "Erica, why did you come back to Japan with me?" He ignored how she settled into her seat and leaned in close.
"It's quite simple Godou. Your insistence on returning home so quickly forced my hand. Originally I'd planned on transferring to your school and moving in with you a few weeks after settling my affairs." Erica didn't notice, or didn't care, the way Godou flinched when she mentioned her planned living arrangement. "With the change in schedule we had to improvise. Annette will be following later this month with my personal effects."
"But that still doesn't explain why you had to follow me at all."
"Godou!" Erica's indignant tone caught the attention of a nearby stewardess. "How can you ask that? As your future wife it's only proper that we spend time together. Especially before more women pledge themselves to you."
The God-Slayer watched the stewardess give him a very strange look, then hurry over to her coworker and begin fervently whispering.
"Within the Hall of the Muses, by Great Apollo's law, no music shall echo to the unworthy."
Erica cast her spell softly and Godou felt it settle around him. His transformation, rebirth as Erica put it, came with an instant boost to his non-existence magical skills. This included being able to detect mortal spells with ease. Though his talent for figuring out just what those spells did was still abysmal. He guessed she'd ensured their conversation would stay private.
"It was also pointed out to me that upon your return you may very well face a dangerous obstacle."
"Another Heretic God?" he asked.
"No, another Campione." She answered as the plane rumbled to a stop on the runway.
Godou clamped down on his instinctual desire to ask for the plane to turn around. "Which one? You said I was the newest, the 7th. The only other Campione I've heard about was that Doni guy back in Italy."
Erica coughed awkwardly, "Yes, I may have been selective in my explanation. I didn't want you to panic." She confessed.
Godou stood and slung his backpack on while following Erica out of the aircraft. It was his first time on a private jet and the trip had been very relaxing up to this point.
"I'm more worried by your vagueness Erica."
"Well… as you know Salvatore Doni, the 6th Campione, is based in Italy. Luo Hao, the 2nd Campione, has her main fortress in China. Sasha Voban, the oldest of the current Kings, rules from Hungary. The 4th, Black Prince Alec tends to travel widely but has many bases in the United Kingdom. John Pluto Smith, the 5th, has dominance of the Americas." She succinctly listed.
Godou counted along in his head, trying to commit their names to memory. "That leaves the 3rd. Where are they? Russia? Africa?"
They passed through customs and came out in the baggage claim of Tokyo Airport. Standing by the gate was a trio of people holding a sign with "Kusanagi" printed across it. Godou didn't know who they were, only that they didn't feel normal.
From the outside nothing seemed out of place. In the middle was a woman, her burnt-orange hair was kept in a long ponytail with colourful clasps. She wore a simple skirt with a soft red jacket over a white blouse. The sign she was holding did nothing to hide the woman's huge… smile.
On her left stood a fair skinned man in a white and blue suit with a strange crest hanging from his wrist and long bangs framing the right side of his face. He looked indifferent to their arrival. Opposite him was a giant tanned man in an equally large muscle shirt with his arms crossed. His brown hair was pulled back tight drawing attention to his pronounced cheekbones, light beard, and scar. The giant was watching Godou intently.
Godou only noticed after taking in the strangers that Erica had frozen, her face was pale. "What's wrong Erica?"
Godou unconsciously stepped in between his friend and the trio.
He tensed when Erica didn't answer. He tensed more when The Bull from his Authority began stirring. The Bull could only be used if his opponent had supernatural strength of their own or was physically large enough. These people were not regular humans.
The potential enemies stiffened, then the woman stepped forward.
"Kusanagi-sama?" She asked.
"Uhhh… yes?" Her suffix use threw him off balance.
All three bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."
Godou blushed and quickly checked if anyone was watching three adults bowing to a 16 year old.
"What business do you have with my King?" Erica had snapped herself out of the daze and now stood confidently in the face of their greeters.
It was the Suit who answered, "You already know why we're here Blandelli. Our King wished to meet his new brother."
"We have a car waiting for us." The Giant added, "We'll take King Kusanagi home so he can freshen up, then bring you both to the meeting; should he accept our invitation of course."
Godou was stumped. Erica had talked a little about the privileges and politics Campiones dealt with but he wasn't sure how it all worked. The 3rd Campione was evidently aware of him while he was going in with almost nothing. Could he really afford to piss the other Japanese King off. Godou really didn't want to get driven out of his home country.
Peeking over he made eye-contact with Erica who gave a slight nod.
"I guess that'll work," he decided. "Please take care of us."
Godou spoke up after collecting his and Erica's luggage, "I'm afraid I don't know your names."
The woman gasped, "How rude of us! I'm Orihime Inoue."
"Uryuu Ishida, at your service."
Godou turned to the Giant. He looked like a professional boxer or a star basketball player but his voice was surprisingly soft for his size.
"Sado Yasutora."
That name tugged at Godou's memory, like he'd heard it before somewhere. Orihima ushered him along and the moment was lost.
"Come along Kusanagi-sama, let's not keep our driver waiting."
Their driver introduced himself as Abarai Renji. He was heavily tattooed with a deep-red braid. Godou's little sister Shizuka would've immediately labeled the man a dangerous thug. The machine was less of a car and more a souped up SUV with all the comforts Godou was sure a vehicle didn't need. The car ride wasn't too bad, especially compared to his last road trip with Erica's maid Annette.
Orihime kept him and Erica wrapped in conversation for most of the drive. She was perfectly polite in explaining her strange ideas. She was certain that rather than defeating the Persian God of Victory, Godou had actually beaten the Persian God of Zoos. The whole trip was quite relaxed and Godou even invited his escorts to wait in his home.
/
Godou stepped out of his shower and put one of his nice outfits on when he heard his sister yelling.
"GODOU!"
She sounded angry.
Entering the living room put Godou square in Shizuka's sight. She shared many features with him and their late grandmother, though she inherited the infamous glare.
"Idiot! You were only supposed to deliver a package." She admonished.
"I did!"
"Then why did you come back with some European mistress and a bunch of Yakuza!"
"Yakuza?"
Godou turned to look at his guests, sitting calmly with coffee and tea. Now that he thought about it, the group did seem suspicious. Particularly with the small skull icons stitched into their clothes, on their rings and noticeably tattooed on Renji's neck.
With a straight face, Shizuka asked, "Did you seduce a Crime Lord's daughter? Are you being held hostage?"
"Where did that come from!?"
Erica attempted to ease his sister's worries. "I assure you Shizuka-san, my father is a legitimate businessman who completely approves of my relationship with your brother."
Shizuka was too shocked for words, but her murderous gaze made it clear she held Godou responsible.
Cutting off another rant, the front door opened as his grandfather called a greeting. He walked in with armfuls of groceries. Despite being in his 70s, Kusanagi Ichirou had a commanding presence. Quite tall with slicked back grey hair and a well-kept mustache, Ichirou was "distinguished" as their grandmother used to say. In his youth he had been "devilishly handsome" and was quite the playboy before marriage.
Godou got up to welcome his grandpa. The frown on his guardian's face stopped that plan. Those wrinkled hands were clenched so hard there were dents in the soup cans. Goudou had never seen the old man so furious.
Ichirou shoved the groceries into Godou's arms and stepped past him.
"Sado" he hissed.
"Ichirou." the Giant answered.
Every eye turned to the aforementioned man reclining on the couch.
"Do you know this yakuza Gramps?" Sweet, innocent Shizuka asked.
Ichirou took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. "That man nearly stole your grandmother from me."
The Kusanagi siblings were shocked.
"Years ago" the elder continued, "when I was studying for my PhD, your grandma Chiyo and I met. It only took a few weeks to realize I was head-over-heels in love with her. Around then I found out she also spent time with Sado, a boxing-star from a rival university."
Ichirou grabbed a photo album from their bookshelf and flipped through it.
"It all came to a head when she told me Sado was leaving Tokyo to return home. He'd asked Chiyo to come with him."
Shizuka and Erica, now enthralled with the story, gasped.
"What did you do Gramps?" Godou asked.
"He challenged me to a fight," Sado interjected, "and lost."
Ichirou turned the album around to show a black and white photo. It was of a young Japanese man in vintage boxing gloves. He was sitting on a stool with swollen eyes and dark bruising across his chest and ribs.
"But Chiyo still chose me" Gramps declared.
Hugging the beaten Ichirou and holding an ice pack to his face was a young Chiyo. She was looking at her future husband like he was some kind of lost treasure.
"That's where I recognise you from Sado-san." Godou said. "You were at Grandma's wake!"
Sado nodded. "Chiyo was a special woman, I wanted to pay my respects."
The room absorbed these revelations quietly until Shizuka spoke up.
"You mean we could've had a cool Yakuza grandpa instead of a playboy?"
"Shizuka!" The Kusanagi men were shocked.
Her innocent comment eased the tension and had their visitors chuckling.
"I hate to interrupt this reunion but we really must leave soon. We don't want to keep Kurosaki waiting." Uryuu informed them.
"May I ask what an important man like Kurosaki-san wants with my grandson?"
"It just so happens that young Godou was recommended to us by Lady Zola." Orihime explained.
"Lucretia?" Ichirou mumbled.
"Gramps who's this Kurosaki guy? Is he their boss?" Shizuka whispered.
Ichirou turned to his granddaughter, "Kurosaki Ichigo is without a doubt the biggest name in Japan's historical industry. He's one of the biggest research sponsors and is responsible for a huge amount of historical sites being restored and protected after the war."
Considering the Kusanagi elder had spent his life as a prominent Professor of Folklore, his grandchildren knew he had deep ties to various museums and universities. To hear him call Kurosaki a big name really meant something.
"What does someone important want with Godou?"
"Your brother showed a knack for dealing with certain… delicate aspects of the historical world. Kurosaki would like to get his opinion on a few projects." Uryuu explained.
Shizuka didn't seem convinced but her grandpa nodded.
"Godou, Kurosaki-san is very influential and could be the key to some very big opportunities for you. Pay attention and be respectful, he's not the sort of man you want as an enemy."
Erica held back from speaking in her King's defense as everyone moved to the front door.
"I'll do my best Gramps." Godou assured him.
Waving goodbye, they piled back into the SUV.
/
The next stop was a small airfield outside of Tokyo where they boarded a helicopter. It flew south to Kyoto where another ride into the mountains brought them to their destination, Karakura. It was pretty plain in Godou's opinion. It had a highschool, a hospital and enough people bump it into small city territory. Orihime did point out the town's only tourist attraction, Karakura Shrine, when they passed.
"It's one of the biggest Shinto shrines on the island. The Shiba Clan renovated it during the Meiji Restoration. It has the privilege of housing the bones of many important Samurai and Bureaucrats from the Edo Period."
"Is there anything else special about it Orihime-san?" Erica asked.
"Funny enough, local legends say the original shrine was actually built thousands of years ago atop the gateway to Yomi that the Goddess Izanami tried to escape from."
"The same Izanami that King Kurosaki slew to become a Campione?" Erica could be subtle when called for, and Godou desperately needed some information on his fellow Demon King.
"The exact same." Orihime smiled, you might say indulgently, if you looked close enough.
They were let out in front of a modest restaurant near the centre of town. It was early evening and the establishment was already busy. Inside, they were greeted by a refined woman with shoulder length red-hair piled into a neat braid. She had a stylish shirt and vest with the restaurant name, "Yuzu's", stitched into her top. Renji gave her a kiss on the forehead as he walked further into the dining area, Godou was pretty sure the driver referred to the woman as his daughter.
The hostess turned back to them, "Welcome to Yuzu's Your Majesty." Her bow was picture perfect, "King Kurosaki is waiting in his private room, if you'll follow me."
The dining areas were divided into lower floors with traditional low-tables spread across. A constant backdrop of conversation and light laughter gave off a warm, casual atmosphere.
"Godou, we don't have much time to prepare, so listen closely." Erica whispered, "King Kurosaki is a private figure and I know very little about him. The first God he fought was Izanami, that was when he was still a young Samurai serving in the Boshin War. He travels often and seems to enjoy hunting Divine Beasts for sport. Some accounts describe him as unflinching, blunt, and disdainful towards authority. Nevertheless he is the head of Japan's, and perhaps Asia's, strongest magical society."
"Why are you only telling me this now Erica?" Godou was aware that Campione lived longer than humans, but to be meeting a Samurai who fought in a war that every Japanese student learned about was a kind of social pressure the 7th Campione wasn't prepared for. His stress was compounded by the looks he was receiving from various people scattered around the restaurant. A few of which felt similarly strange as Orihime, Ishida and Sado.
A bald man and his colourfully done up companion sized him up from the window. Closer to the aquarium a well dressed woman watched with curiosity even tugging on her (presumably) husband's scarf to draw his attention. In a darkened corner away from the main lights Godou swore he saw an older woman playing with a bell of all things tied into a large figure's hair.
"Because should King Kurosaki threaten you, or worse move against you, our best option is to escape using the power of The Raptor."
"Escape?"
"Godou, we are in the centre of Lord Kurosaki's home. His soldiers and strongest allies are no doubt waiting with bated breath for his next command. If your meeting turns hostile, we do not have the ability to fight off both the 3rd Campione and his followers. Remember to be cordial but not submissive, confidant but not arrogant. You may be the youngest God Slayer but you are by no means the weakest." Erica finished her pep talk with a subtle squeeze of Godou's hand.
"I'm never arrogant but I promise not to let this guy walk all over me either." He reassured her.
Their waitress stopped in front of a simple oak door at the back of the dining room.
"I know you will, you are my king after all." Erica leaned up, kissed Godou on the cheek before following their waitress to a nearby table.
Collecting himself, Godou knocked then opened the door. It was time to meet his new brother.
/
"Hey."
"Hello."
"You hungry?"
"I guess."
"Dinner should be ready soon, make yourself comfortable."
The private room wasn't large. Godou had been expecting a luxury suite but it seemed more like a place for employees to eat. There was a door and window connected to the kitchen, the muffled commotion of the cooks complimented the restaurant chatter.
Neither of them seemed in a hurry to speak, so Godou knelt down at the worn table across from Kurosaki. He took the time to really observe his new peer.
Kurosaki Ichigo looked 29, maybe 30. He had short, spiked orange hair with plain brown eyes and peach skin. Sitting back on his hands he appeared totally relaxed. Wearing a plain green shirt with the number "15" stitched in orange on the breast. Not quite the wizened old swordsman he'd pictured. All in all, he looked like a fairly normal guy (aside from the hair colour). Which was encouraging! Godou hadn't met many people connected to the magical side of the world that acted reasonably.
The kitchen door opened and a young woman carried a covered platter in, followed by other chefs with more trays.
"Sorry for the wait!" Her uniform was noticeably fancier than the other cooks, and when she leaned down to uncover a wonderful smelling chicken dish he noticed her name tag read "Head Chef - Kurosaki Yuzu''.
He smiled, "Thank you for the meal Yuzu-san. It looks delicious."
"If you want seconds just let me know." She turned showing off a strawberry pin keeping her light brown hair pulled back, "Ichigo-nee let me know when you're done, Karin wants us to visit her and Toshiro tonight."
Ichigo nodded with a frown, "Alright, thanks for the food Yuzu."
Godou waited until they were alone to dig in.
"Yuzu doesn't consider her place fancy or gourmet," Ichigo said between bites, "but her food's the best in town."
Swallowing down the last of his noodles Ichigo sipped a can of pop, looking pretty mundane from the outside. "How are you taking it?" he asked.
"Taking what?"
"The fact that you killed a God."
"Oh…" Putting his chopsticks down, Godou focused on the question, "not sure yet to be honest, wasn't really prepared for it. I just have to roll with the punches."
"I can sympathize." Ichigo cracked his back, "Can I ask you something Kusanagi?" He rested his elbows on the table. "What would you do if you had no responsibilities? No debts, no obligations. If you were a freeman in every sense of the word. What would you do?"
The question came out of left field, and Godou wasn't quite prepared for dinner-time philosophy. A voice, evoking Erica, said "Become the greatest of them all." That wasn't Godou's approach to life though. It was a good question and deserved an answer.
"Free others."
Looking up, Ichigo wasn't smirking anymore but full on smiling. "In that case, would you like some advice on how to retain your sanity while being a Campione?"
"That's possible?"
"Possible." Ichigo huffed, "Look at me, I'm probably the only sane person in this restaurant."
Godou heard a faint voice from the kitchen say, "Dad, no!"
That was their only warning before the door was kicked off its hinges as a blur slammed into his host.
"ICHIGOOOOO!"
The 3rd Campione went tumbling into the wall. Godou jumped up ready to intervene, mostly on instinct.
"Get off me Old Man!"
Godou paused at the strange name Ichigo called out. He backed up when the intruder was thrown bodily through the air, back into the kitchen.
"What the hell do you think you're doing you Old Goat, I've got a guest over!"
Ichigo marched over and put the man into a headlock while dragging him back to the table.
"I came to tell my good-for-nothing King some exciting news!" the captive declared.
The pair wrestled each other to the ground, shouting insults back and forth. Godou sat back down, feeling awkward as a bystander. Yuzu returned carrying a new platter. Sher stepped over the fight and bowed to the confused teenager.
"Please forgive Ichigo-nee. He can only pretend to be polite for so long. Enjoy dessert."
Turning to the scuffling Devil King, Yuzu rolled up her sleeves and jumped into the fray.
/
"Sorry about that"
"It's no problem Kurosaki-san"
Ichigo gave their now calm newcomer a smack to the head.
"Ouch! Okay, okay. My apologies King Kusanagi, Kurosaki Isshin at your service."
Isshin looked middle aged, he had slicked back dark hair and a small goatee. He wore a friendly grin that was significantly less manic than when Yuzu had pulled him off of Ichigo by the ear.
"Are you two related?" Godou asked, he didn't want to make assumptions. While Yuzu and Ichigo clearly shared a parent, Isshin didn't resemble either his host or the Head Chef.
"This is my waste of space fa-"
"I'm his father!"
"I see."
The three of them made light chatter while enjoying dessert. Isshin asked him about Tokyo, drawing Godou into a discussion how it had changed in the last hundred years. He almost forgot he was sitting with a potential rival, he even let slip his nervousness when dealing with Erica's declaration of love.
"What do you think of her?" Isshin asked.
"I've only known her for a few weeks."
"Then let nature take its course, love doesn't always happen overnight. Get to know her better. Find out what she's like when she's tired, angry, happy, hungry; those are the times love gets tested. Don't discount friendship either, Blandelli is loyal if nothing else and having friends to support you is just as important."
"You're pretty wise Isshin-san."
Ichigo's snort was louder than necessary, "The Old Goat isn't wise. He must know something about love though, my mother decided he was worth keeping around."
"I'll have you know Masaki was the one who pursued me!"
Isshin eventually left and Godou noticed the sun had set. He'd arrived some time around 4 o'clock and it was close to 10 PM now.
"I should check on Erica, she's probably worried that I'll somehow insult you."
Ichigo helped Yuzu take the dishes away and returned with a small take-away bag.
"Some leftovers."
Godou happily accepted the warm food.
Ichigo took a moment to lock eyes with Godou and truly look at him. The casualness between them faded and Godou found himself responding with his own body language.
"You're a Campione now Kusanagi. Your word has weight, your actions have consequences. You have to accept that your life has changed."
"Why? Can't I just stay plain Godou?"
"This is who you are. Camptiones are Campiones from birth. All that matters is if they can kill a God or not. Make no mistake, the rest of the world doesn't care that you want to be left alone." Ichigo looked back into the kitchen where Yuzu's singing drifted out to them. "You seem like a stand up guy Godou in a contest between you and the rest of the world, the world always loses."
Putting his hands down Godou felt Ichigo's "presence", for the lack of a better word, grow more pronounced.
"If you end up hurting this country or the people under my protection…"
That nagging feeling that marked Ichigo out from the rest of the surroundings became a gong chime and Godou felt his heart pump harder, his blood felt hot. It took him back to his fight with Verethragna. Faster than a blink, Ichigo's hand was around Godou's neck. He managed to lock Ichigo's elbow but had to use his other hand to keep the older Campione from hitting his gut.
Godou pulled The Camel up from wherever his Authority rested when energy burst from Ichigo's free hand. In a haze of white light a huge sword appeared in his grip. The blade was easily as tall as its wielder and had a white cloth wrapping in place of a real hilt.
"You wouldn't be the first upstart I've put down."
Backing off, Ichigo dismissed his sword back into light. The aggression left him too. Godou took a deep breath as he backed away.
"You're a Supreme Ruler now Kusanagi." Ichigo repeated. "Ignoring the crown doesn't make you a commoner, just a shitty King."
Godou retreated out of the room leftovers in hand. Yuzu was waiting in the dining room, the tables were empty.
"You seem like a very nice person King Kusanagi. Unfortunately Campiones, even the nice ones, can still be destructive."
"I guess that makes sense. Do you know where Erica is?" The blonde was nowhere to be seen. He kept his breathing under control, surprising himself with how calm he felt. A normal person would be a puddle of nerves.
"She's waiting outside. Rooms have been prepared for you and a driver will take you home tomorrow morning."
"Thank you for the meal."
Godou stepped out into the moonlight, entirely too at ease with what just happened.
/
Erica was sitting on a bench next to the restaurant doors staring at the moon.
"Erica?"
"Yes Godou?"
"Where are we?"
"Karakura Town."
"Then where did that come from?" Godou asked as he pointed. Erica followed his finger and went silent.
Stretching past the small Karakura skyline was a huge white wall, at least 5 or 6 stories tall. The white rock reflected the moonlight, covering the streets with a blue glow. Erica noted the actual buildings around them had shifted. Rustic twentieth century housing and the smattering of street lights faded, almost peeling away; revealing clay roofs, paved rock and people dressed right out of an old samurai film. In the span of a few seconds the deserted downtown grew into a bustling street market.
"King Kusanagi, Blandelli-san?"
Godou saw a familiar trio emerge from the bustling crowd. Orihime now wore a soft blue dress that covered her upper torso with a cloth band around the waist, the pins that rested in her hair that morning now gently trailed behind her.
Uryuu sported a priestly garb; a white shawl or a similarly blank long jacket. The strange rosary-like charm had a counterpart clasped to his shoulder. His left hand gave off a faint pulse of magic.
Sado didn't look altogether different, his muscle shirt and jeans had been exchanged for a loose robe that reminded Godou of a traditional dress called Hitatare. The giant's shoulders bore some strange red/black and red/white designs that Godou hesitated to call tattoos based on their otherworldly look.
"If you'll follow us," Orihime said, "we've prepared rooms for you in one of the guest houses."
Walking through a transformed Karakura town was an interesting experience.
"Orihime-san, the Seireitei is truly breathtaking." Erica commended.
"The Court of Pure Souls?"
"Records in Italy aren't exact," Erica explained to Godou, "it's believed that King Kurosaki built the Seireitei as a hidden base for his organization using an Authority he gained from Youchao."
"Isn't Youchao a Chinese myth? He was a demigod wasn't he?" Godou drew on his grandfather's history lessons. "How could he become a Heretic God?"
"Heretic Gods aren't restricted to being former deities. There's records of every kind of mythical figure breaking out of their legend. In fact many classical Gods were once Heroes or Demigods themselves." Orihime supplied.
"Back to Youchao. In 1951, King Kurosaki was witnessed fighting a duo of River Gods. During the fight he touched a handful of his followers and while he attacked, they managed to erect a dam large enough to direct the excess rain water away from a nearby nuclear power plant."
"And how does this relate to the Seireitei, Blandelli-san?" Uryuu questioned.
"In the 1960s, King Kurosaki reached out worldwide to trade for large quantities of magically rich building materials. Iron from old Dwarven mines in Norway, Clay made by the oldest Hindu temples in India, there's even a rumor that he negotiated with another Campione from that time for a crate of Faerie timbre."
"And he used it to build his own city?"
"Not just a city Godou. The Seireitei is a hidden fortress nearly untraceable by mundane or mystical means. It could only have been built with the power of an Authority. Very few have the honour of visiting. It acts as the headquarters for the Gotei, King Kurosaki's personal army."
Erica's description drew a displeased grunt from Sado. "They're not his army. The Gotei is Ichigo's way of protecting people. It ensures that Japan isn't reliant on one man to solve its problems."
"My apologies then Sado. The Bronze-Black Crosses' information comes primarily from an exchange with the History Compilation Committee done at the turn of the century."
"No doubt King Kusanagi will become familiar with them soon enough."
Godou had only been paying half-attention to the discussion. He was busy admiring the architecture. They crossed through a huge gate and were now entering some kind of enclosed compound where the number "3" was carved above the doors.
"Why would a committee be interested in me?"
He felt Erica's stare without even looking.
"Because Kurosaki's left them in the wind for the past 200 years. The Gotei severely limits their influence. They'll see you as an opportunity to raise their own standing." Uryuu summarized.
"Though a large focus for them will be keeping you and Ichigo away from each other." Orihime added. "Generally, when Campiones meet it's bad for everyone nearby."
Godou almost defended his pseudo-sibling but thinking about how close he'd come to using The Camel on his fellow King kept him quiet. They stopped in front of a small manor. Guiding them in, Orihime showed them to adjoining rooms connected to the back gardens.
"It was a pleasure meeting you Orihime, thank you for your hospitality." Erica said. "We'll only be needing one room though, goodnight!"
She pulled her King into the larger bedroom and shoved him to the bed. Setting herself down she told (ordered) him to tell her everything.
/
Following Godou's return to Japan and his meeting with Ichigo Kurosaki, the young man found life had both changed and stayed relatively the same. Shizuka still ribbed him for his supposed lack of morals and common sense, Grandpa still encouraged him to get out of the house more, and school was both annoying and calming.
His peace was interrupted by a run in with a Shrine maiden named Mariya Yuri and her offer to become a sacrifice to "keep his savagery from being unleashed on the innocents of Japan" had miraculously led to a full blown battle with the Greek Goddess Athena.
He'd won and despite Erica's misgivings, showed mercy to the Goddess of the Hunt. It was the day after that he wondered where Ichigo had been. Erica and Yuri were both surprised that he hadn't made an appearance. A telephone call from Orihime explained that unless Godou specifically asked for help, Ichigo would consider any Gods his younger brother encountered first as claimed. All he asked in return was that Godou agree to the same.
With that taken care of, the next concern had been his growing reputation as a "Harem-Seeker'' at school. His headache was soothed by his growing relationship with the girls. His potential romantic feelings for Erica were complicated by a burgeoning affection for Yuri worming its way into his heart.
Putting his concerns to the side, Godou focused on the latest disaster. The previous night's phone call from the King of Swords, Lord Salvatore Doni. The battle crazed Devil King had told him that Sasha Voban, the oldest living Campione, was in Japan and that Godou should take the opportunity to fight him. He'd prefer to ignore Doni's advice and was tempted to hunker down in his room until Voban left the country. Why go looking for trouble? Ichigo could handle anything Voban got up to and call Godou for backup if needed.
Part of his dinner with Ichigo floated in his thoughts, "Campione are disruptive, if not destructive, because of the Gods we fight. If another Campione comes into your territory, me included, don't ignore it. Chances are it'll bite you in the ass."
Godou decided to call his girls, maybe the HCC could tell him why Voban was in his home country. It couldn't hurt to be informed.
'Strange,' Godou thought looking at his phone, 'Yuri's not answering.'
/