“Back when Hela was just a mortal, she single-handedly suppressed the rebellion of Takeminakata,” Susanoo said calmly. “Therefore, we should treat this Mr. Hayden as a raging god and subdue him.”
At this point, Susanoo paused again, thought for a moment, and said, "Just to be on the safe side, send a squad of Oniwaban ninja as well. Gods, warriors, and ninjas—that should be enough."
The subordinate nodded, accepted the order, and left.
The order was thus conveyed verbatim to the two responsible gods. However, their reaction to it differed somewhat from Susanoo's.
"Even Futsu-no-Mitama-no-Kami has been killed, yet Father only wants us to suppress this immortal?" For example, Ame-no-Boru-no-Kami was very dissatisfied. "What is he thinking? Has he gone senile? He must still be bewitched by that foreign goddess!"
The Heavenly Sun God is one of Susanoo's five sons. If we use a rather strange method, he is somewhat of the same generation as Hayden.
Unlike Ame no Boshin, Takemikazuchi was not alarmed. Instead, he calmly said, "The great god has his own far-sighted plans. Don't make such a fuss."
"Takemikazuchi, Futsunomiya is your son." Ame no Boshin frowned. "You don't care at all that he was killed by that foreign immortal?"
“Why should we be sad that a useless son who is obsessed with honing his sword skills, whose combat ability is passable but whose other talents are inadequate died on the battlefield?” Takemikazuchi uttered words devoid of emotion. “To the point that we have to trouble ourselves, and even Susanoo himself, to take action, is truly—an incompetent person.”
The Heavenly Bodhisattva was speechless.
"Fighting ability alone is not enough. Only a god who possesses martial arts, wisdom, knowledge, etiquette, and haiku skills, and who also has a legitimate bloodline, is qualified to be the pillar of the divine land of Yamato. My son is not qualified." Takemikazuchi continued, "Lord Amanohaburi, you possess the noble bloodline of a great god, you cannot let him down again."
The Heavenly Bodhisattva God remained silent.
At this point, Takemikazuchi said thoughtfully, "However, Lord Ebisu is not only of noble lineage, but also proficient in many things and has considerable fighting ability. Perhaps by the time we arrive at the scene, he will already have the upper hand."
--------------------------------
(at the same time)
In the ruins of the Kyoto Prosecutor's Office, Hayden delivered a powerful uppercut to Ebisu's face.
If this punch landed on the ground, it would be enough to turn an entire neighborhood into a terrifying crater; if it landed on a mountain, it would be enough to turn a small mountain into a pile of rubble, or even to shred a large mountain in a devastating way.
Therefore, the current state of the Prosecutor's Office and the surrounding area is really not good. Just now, in order to fight Ebisu, Hayden used his great power to blast everything around him away, shattering buildings, breaking the Kyoto city defense barrier, and even blasting into the sky and splitting the ground with a wave of his hand.
Seeing Hayden's immense power and ferocity, even Ebisu was terrified and immediately turned to retreat. But Hayden would not let him go. Without giving Ebisu any chance, he stepped forward and smashed the entire illusion of the ocean with his staff, shattering it completely, even exploding the fishing rod artifact in Ebisu's hand.
"Guwa! Wait! Wait!"
Ebisu hurriedly begged for mercy, but it was too late. Hayden smashed half of his body with a single punch, and then used the "Sword of Words" to swiftly cut off his hands and legs, turning Ebisu into a human-shaped lump.
Strangely enough, although gods don't rely heavily on bodily organs, Ebisu, after being chopped off like that, not only lost a limb but also suffered a significant loss of divine power. He could only writhe and glare at Hayden with intense hatred: "How could you...know that..."
This is what is known as "Hiruko-gami".
For ordinary people of this era, most of the myths of ancient times are secrets. Sometimes, it's not just myths; even ancient fairy tales need to be reviewed by companies before they can be published or adapted for the media.
Why? Because myths and fairy tales aren't real; in fact, they're more real than reality itself. Sometimes, they not only reveal the names and deeds of ancient gods, but also tell you that those gods can be defeated, and even how to defeat them.
Hayden used to be the kind of magician who struggled to uncover the secrets of the gods, relying on fragments of ancient legends for information and evidence. But as he gained access to more and more sources of information, his situation naturally changed.
For example, Hayden already knew what was going on with this Ebisu-gami in front of him.
The Kojiki also records that the ancestral gods of Japan, Izanagi and Izanami, mated and gave birth to the rulers of the world. First was Amaterasu, the sun goddess, whose radiance illuminated the entire universe; next was the moon goddess, whose radiance was second only to the sun goddess, and who could rule in harmony with the sun; then came Hiruko, who, although three years old, was still unable to stand. Therefore, he was carried on a bird-shaped ship and abandoned with the wind; finally, Susanoo, the son of Susanoo, was born.
Hiruko-gami is the true name of Ebisu-gami, and also his oldest true identity. He was an abandoned child of the gods, born with disabilities and without hands or feet, resembling a leech, who was once abandoned by the Yamato gods.
Legend has it that Hiruko-no-kami drifted to a western country by ship, grew up there, and later returned to Japan with a complete body and divine power, becoming the present-day "Ebisu-no-kami". That is why Ebisu-no-kami is a sea god, and also a god symbolizing things that float from the water to the shore.
Hayden now used the Sword of Words to chop him back into a human stump, naturally causing him to suffer a great loss of divine power, far more severe than a god losing a limb.
Even so, Ebisu still had some backbone. Although he knew he was about to be defeated, he gritted his teeth and didn't continue to beg for mercy. He just glared at Hayden and said, "I never thought that I... would be defeated by the enemy in this home field where I should be absolutely invincible... But Mr. Hayden, you still can't escape. No one can defeat Mithra Bodhisattva. They can only deeply appreciate the greatness of Mithra Bodhisattva and then bow down and die."
Hayden ignored his mutterings and mercilessly swung his sword at the medulla oblongata! Ebisu, his head severed, finally erupted and scattered! "Sayonara!"
He truly lives up to his reputation as an ancient deity of the same generation as Susanoo in the Yamato pantheon. Although he is only a minor god, he is still a formidable opponent. In the final moments of that battle, Ebisu's free attack from a blind spot using his fishing rod and the mirage of the sea was a nightmare; Hayden was almost overwhelmed. Fortunately, the difference in their strength ultimately became apparent at the last moment.
Hayden wiped the enemy's blood splattered on his face as he looked up.
Killing is just a means to an end; he still has many other things to do.
381: Kill kill kill kill kill
After chopping off Ebisu's head, Hayden stood in the ruins of the Kenbishi Hall and looked up at the night sky.
He had blasted a large hole in Kyoto's defensive barrier with his great magic during the battle, exposing the unadjusted and unshielded sky. Fortunately, Japan's natural environment—especially that of a special place like Kyoto—was much better than that of any other country Hayden had ever lived in.
(Although I just unleashed an Elemental Vengeance using the power of nature, its power wasn't actually that great, at least not as strong as it was in North America.)
Hayden gazed at the clear night sky, at the stars, and began to think anew.
(The Yamato gods are not the nature gods of Japan; the land gods they betrayed are. However, the nature spirits' hatred for Futsu-mitsuma-no-kami isn't that strong... though it's not entirely nonexistent.)
Look at this clean night sky. Perhaps the Yamato Gods haven't actually polluted or damaged their own land... at least not to the extent that other large corporations have done.
Considering the performances of Futsunomiya and Ebisu, Hayden's thoughts, which had been temporarily halted by the previous battle, began to resurface. He pondered that Ebisu's words and actions did indeed align with Hayden's previous stereotypes about the Yamato Gods.
Originally, Ebisu was less a "sea god" and more a symbol of a god who was "abandoned overseas and returned with good things (wealth)." He was once a disabled infant of the divine race, abandoned by his parents and left on a ship to drift away at sea, accidentally arriving in the territory of the Mithraic group. It is perfectly reasonable for such a person to be inclined towards the Mithraic group. Therefore, it is not surprising that Ebisu's thoughts, actions, and decisions are closer to the Mithraic gods in many ways.
In contrast, Futsu-mitsuru-no-kami is clearly more like a Japanese god, including but not limited to his thought patterns. Although Futsu-mitsuru-no-kami joined forces with Ebisu-no-kami to fight Hayden, they were clearly not like-minded allies.
(...So, it seems that each of these Japanese gods actually has their own different ideas, right?)
Hayden stroked his chin, pondering to himself.
(I initially thought that all the current Yamato Gods were lackeys of the Mithra Group, but looking at it more closely now, it seems that's not entirely true... although they were still killed.)
That being said, he didn't see anything wrong with killing Futsu-no-Mitama, Ebisu-no-Kami, and the fifty Kenhii-shi. Everyone was destined to die from carelessness; it was fair. Besides, the enemies to come would probably be even more troublesome.
But all we need to do is kill them all! Let's wipe out all these evil gods and humans!
“Master, it seems you also destroyed part of the urban complex to the east during the battle.” Angela glanced at the distant city area. “There were also civilian casualties.”
“I didn’t blow that up.” Hayden shook his head. “I always make sure to direct the aftershocks upwards during the fight, and I was standing on the right side when we clashed. It must have been Ebisu’s destructive power that spread out that way.”
Ultimately, Hayden's primary motivation was still to save lives. During battles, he would still be careful to control the power of his attacks and direct the destructive force to areas that wouldn't harm innocent civilians.
But Angela frowned: "Master, I'm not accusing you of harming civilians. In fact, if you really wanted to kill everyone in the city, I wouldn't say it was necessarily wrong. The point is that you need to be clear about what you want to do, what you want to achieve it, what you need to do and what you shouldn't do, what price you're willing to pay, and what you absolutely must protect. Confusing means with ends, compromising for the means and then forgetting the ends—the more one yearns for ideals and strives for the top, the easier it is to fall into such a trap. Master, remember my warning."
Hayden fell silent for a moment.
Just then, Momiji emerged from the basement with Tanaka Sho, the rickshaw driver she had rescued from the interrogation room. Although her strength was not as great as the true god's, Momiji still possessed the ability to avoid danger, so she and Tanaka were not harmed from the very beginning.
However, at this moment, after Kureha crawled out of the basement, she was truly stunned to see Hayden holding the heads of Futsu-no-Mitama and Ebisu-no-Kami in his hands.
A few seconds later, when she realized what was happening, it was Hongye's turn to wail, "Master! I told you we can't just kill a god like that!"
"They've already come all this way. Should I be the one to be killed if I don't kill them?" Hayden shrugged. "Besides, they're all bad guys. I don't think their deaths are even remotely 'innocent.' On the contrary, they were killed too late."
He chopped off the heads of both gods. Although their bodies exploded due to the bursting of their souls, their heads remained intact. Hayden now held them in his hands, swinging them around.
"The point isn't about good and evil, sir! The point is that once this is done, the other Yamato gods won't easily negotiate peace when they come again. Even if it's for profit, or for face..." At this point, Momiji became somewhat dejected, "After that, it'll probably be Takemikazuchi leading his Yokozuna warriors. It will be difficult for you, sir, to withstand such a large-scale siege..."
Hayden gave Kureha a strange look: "Who said we were going to stay in Kyoto to defend against the reinforcements? We're not really here to fight the Yamato Gods head-on. Of course we're running!"
Hongye was stunned.
"We came here in the first place to find Asmodius, and we came to Kyoto to enter Ashihara Province. Now that our guide is dead and our whereabouts have been exposed, we should just head straight for Ashihara Province, break through that barrier, and get in to achieve our initial goal."
Hayden rubbed his temples.
"Killing is killing, anger is anger, but I haven't forgotten what I'm supposed to do. I know I can't solve problems by killing. I really know that."
Angela looked at Hayden with some suspicion, but did not refute him.
Hongye was speechless.
However, they were so busy talking about the next steps that they temporarily overlooked something else.
Just as Hayden was thinking this, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Why……"
The owner of that voice was Tanaka Sho, a rickshaw driver covered in wounds who had just been rescued by Hongye from the underground National Security interrogation room.
"Why did it turn out like this..." He slumped onto a stone bench amidst the ruins, on the verge of tears. "I have nothing left... I was reported, arrested by the National Security Bureau, and I lost my job. I don't know if I'll be arrested again, and I won't be able to take the civil service exam anymore... What did I do to deserve this..."
Even the money Hayden had given him was confiscated by the security bureau that arrested him.
As he thought about it, Tanaka Sho really burst into tears, weeping bitterly. He not only lamented his experiences and the interrogation and torture he had suffered that day, but also felt a vague sense of hopelessness, as if it was too late and he had no idea what to do next. All his original life plans and arrangements had been ruined, and there was no way things could get better.
It's like entering a dead end in the Dharma-ending Age with no exit.
While crying, Tanaka suddenly glanced at Hayden, then said nothing and immediately looked away.
Although he didn't say anything, nor dared to, both Hongye and Hayden immediately understood—the driver harbored some resentment, feeling that Hayden had ruined him. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to actually voice this thought. As for whether he actually had this thought… frankly, it was quite normal for Hayden to know that he might think that way.
When people are in pain and despair, they inevitably want to shift the blame onto others.
On the contrary, Hongye was stunned for a moment, then said with some indignation, "Master came to the Inspectorate to save you, and even killed fifty priests and two gods!"
Tanaka Sho remained silent. He wasn't stupid; he knew that refuting the gods would be tantamount to signing his own death warrant. So he simply grieved and cried—refutation and cursing were certainly useless. But if he cried well, cried cleverly, perhaps this kind-hearted immortal would lend him a hand?
He peered at Hayden with a sliver of hope and pleading.
In the end, Hayden shook his head and said to Tanaka, "Since you're unemployed anyway, and I've already destroyed the Kyoto city defense barrier, how about I teleport you to [New Sprout City] right now?"
Teleportation is something that can't be done casually within the enemy's barrier. But since Hayden has already gone all out, he doesn't need to worry about such things.
Tanaka Sho was taken aback when he heard this.
This was the second time Hayden had recruited him. Tanaka had refused the first time because he felt he could still have a future, something to look forward to, in Japan or back in his hometown. He could save money by pulling a rickshaw for two or three years, work hard, and then have the opportunity to improve himself and get a better, more promising job, such as a government employee.
But now all of that is certainly hopeless. Not only is it impossible for him to become a government employee, but it's likely that three generations of his family will never have the chance. Since his original life plan has failed, will Tanaka Sho accept Hayden's offer and simply choose a new, unknown path in life?
The answer is no.
Tanaka Sho hesitated for a long time, but still didn't dare.
How could he leave this place? What right did they have to make him leave? His life, his parents, his entire existence were all in this ancient city of Kyoto. Everything here was familiar to him since childhood, everything was lovely, as if he would be happy to die sitting here.
Abandoning his hometown and going to a completely unfamiliar place with a different culture and even a different language, to make a living in complete darkness—how could Tanaka Sho dare to do such a thing? He couldn't do it! It would be a betrayal of his previous life!
At least that's what Tanaka Sho himself thought. So he shook his head at Hayden.
“I have to leave Kyoto now. I can’t stay or hesitate. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Hayden frowned. “Those gods will definitely be chasing after me, so they might not bother you for now, or they might never bother you at all, completely forgetting that you were reported—rulers can be quite incompetent sometimes—but I can’t guarantee any of that. Are you sure you don’t need to run away?”
Hayden's words were true, or at least he believed them to be true, but this only made Tanaka Sho more hesitant—because it wasn't necessarily true.
So after hesitating for a while, Tanaka Sho said sadly and aggrievedly, "I don't want to fly away. My home is here... I want everything to go back to how it was before."
Before Hayden could speak, Angela next to him shook her head: "This alone is definitely not enough."
"...Then let me stay here." Tanaka closed his eyes weakly. "Let me go home."
This might be a foolish thing to do. But then again, nobody really knows what will happen. So Hayden didn't say anything more, just sighed. He opened the portable dimensional portal and poured out all the remaining yen banknotes and a considerable amount of koban (a type of processed gold ingot officially recognized by the Japanese government), which weighed quite heavily on Tanaka Sho.
"Take this. Anyway, I don't plan to continue my covert operations in Japan, so I shouldn't need the money anymore. Take this money, don't go home, hide for a while, and maybe things will get better."
And so, Hayden, Red Leaf, and Angela left.
Before leaving, Angela even blew on Tanaka to treat him. The money Tanaka had was more than enough for him to start over.
Even so, he held the last gift Hayden had given him, but for some reason, he didn't feel particularly happy.
Real money and gold are indeed very good, and theoretically they should make Tanaka very happy. But now he feels that these things are very illusory, as if the so-called "possession" is just an illusion, and even his own life and existence are in the hands of others, and he does not truly own them.
Why is this?
Tanaka Sho remained in a daze for a while before fleeing the scene with the wealth Hayden had left him.
As he passed by the Very Fast Rickshaw Company, he couldn't help but take a look from afar, only to discover something incredible: during Hayden's battle with the gods, one of the shockwaves unleashed by Ebisu had swept across the street and struck the Very Fast Rickshaw Company's garage, turning the rickshaw driver colleagues who had previously reported him, as well as the despicable Director Kobayashi, into a bloody pulp.
Serves him right! — Some people might think that way at this moment, but when Tanaka was holding the money and saw his former company, which had been bombed into ruins, in the distance, he had a sudden realization.
Twenty minutes later, the new prosecutors first found Tanaka Sho's hometown and arrested his parents. Then they investigated all the way to the lower city and found Tanaka Sho himself, finally managing to catch him.
However, as he was dragged away by the priests to be judged by the gods, Tanaka Sho felt no resentment and wailed. Because he had already understood.
No matter how hard you try, it's useless; you can't escape this cycle. What you "possess" isn't truly yours. Since "possession" is illusory, what's the point of "pursuing" or "losing"?
Conversely, there is only one thing that is real, and only one thing that is fair.
So as the priests dragged him away, Tanaka Sho prayed silently, to something he didn't know what it was, but vaguely felt had some connection to the good god Hayden:
Even the best doctor couldn't save his life, but it doesn't matter.
As long as that benevolent deity can kill everyone and make everyone die, he will feel it's fair and he will be satisfied. Because that's the truest thing!
Oh, God, I beg you! Destruction! Let this whole world be destroyed!
382: The Great Eastern Barrier
At 2:30 AM, at Kyoto Castle.