This is one of the countless tea rooms within Kyoto Castle. Inside, built to resemble a bamboo grove, is a small hermitage. In the courtyard paved with white stones, three ornamental white cranes, their wing tendons severed, move gracefully on their slender legs, quietly pecking at the moss growing on the stones.
Two deities sat facing each other on tatami mats, slowly savoring tea. The sound of water being poured into the tea room (a strange garden device where the weight of the water flow causes bamboo to gently tap stones) produced a crisp, wooden-fish-like sound, adding to the tranquility and elegance of the scene.
The tea room, completely soundproof from the outside world, is now a refreshing, Zen-like microcosm.
“foo—foo—foo—……Mr. Hayden’s actions this time were somewhat unexpected.”
Amidst the solemn sound of water being poured, the first deity smiled lazily.
"I originally thought that, based on his usual personality, he would retreat first, then be chased by Futsu-no-Mitama and Ebisu, and finally be forced into a predicament, and then resolve the situation in a more ingenious way. I didn't expect that this time it would be the other way around. He directly killed the two gods with a thunderous strike, and then slipped away, leaving Takemikazuchi and the others to chase after him with their hands tied."
These words made the second god nod as well: "His combat power is indeed higher than originally estimated, but that's not a problem. Having killed two Yamato gods, Hayden now has a way to die. The Yamato god clan will definitely fight him to the death."
Hayden's ability to kill two minor gods in a few minutes, and neither of them were non-combat types, was indeed beyond their expectations... but it wasn't to the point where they couldn't handle it.
So the second deity added, "Let's raise Hayden's combat power rating from 1.0 unit minor god to 2.5 unit minor god for now."
They were unaware that Ebisu and Futsu-no-Mitama were actually killed by Hayden one by one, and thought it was a two-on-one attack, thus raising their assessment of Hayden's combat strength.
...However, they also didn't know that Hayden's losses after this battle were practically zero. No matter how he fought, as long as he was still alive, Angela could fully heal him, restoring him to full health and mana.
A minor deity-level immortal mage waging guerrilla warfare in a country with only one great deity would create a terrifying situation, which everyone should understand. Therefore, even if Takemikazuchi and his group want to pursue Hayden, they must proceed with extreme caution.
...However, very few gods know that Hayden not only has combat power slightly stronger than that of a minor combat god, but also has unlimited stamina and recovery ability.
The existence of such a monster waging guerrilla warfare within the country is not just terrifying, but a monster that the rulers dare not even imagine in their nightmares.
Currently, the two gods who are weaving their schemes in the Kyoto castle are still optimistically thinking: "Even if Hayden is really that powerful and can defeat Takemikazuchi with his troops, his magic power will at least be greatly depleted. At that time, we can take advantage of the situation."
"Even if we take a more generous estimate, even if Hayden really defeats Susanoo and the entire Yamato God Clan's fighting force after defeating Takemikazuchi—at that time, if we then ambush such an exhausted sage, we will definitely win no matter what. No matter how strong he is, it will be useless!"
This idea is actually quite reasonable, and definitely not stupid. It's about cunningly using other people and gods to wear down the strong into the weak—in other words, the Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain! —However, this time, the opponent is a monster beyond common sense, and they are completely unaware of it.
It can only be said that, living in this world, whether you are human or divine, you will sometimes encounter things that are completely unreasonable. Therefore, perhaps we shouldn't always use the standards of what is taken for granted to measure everything.
“foo—foo—foo—”
The first god smiled gracefully with pleasure, thought for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Where has he gone now? Has he already left Kyoto?"
“He left a long time ago.” The second deity pointed to the 3D lantern display screen with gold trim and explained, “The last time we detected him was that he left the Kyoto metropolitan area, crossed Lake Biwa, and headed northeast. We haven’t been able to pinpoint his exact location since then.”
The first deity was somewhat surprised: "Even the company's radar system couldn't pinpoint the location accurately? He really is quite capable."
“It’s alright,” the second deity said calmly. “We know he’s going to Ashihara Province anyway. Now that we know his destination, it’s easy to lure the Yamato Gods there.”
“mu—foo—foo—foo—” The first god let out a complicated laugh. “Going to the Land of Reed Plains to find the sealed Asmodeus, this is truly hilarious. Does he really think that the very thing that defeated Mithra Bodhisattva four hundred years ago can now help him win?”
Both gods laughed.
"Anyway, the charges against us for trying to excavate the sealed Asmodius and the ruins of the last great war are enough for us to offer Hayden's head as a great achievement to the Buddha."
The laughter of the gods echoed in the quiet and elegant tea room.
If we offer the head of that troublesome Hayden to the Bodhisattva, they will surely be able to exchange it for wealth and glory in the new world, and it is not even a dream that they can be blessed with eternal heavenly bliss!
Everything is for the great Bodhisattva Mithra and the ideal world that is about to come!
--------------
Meanwhile, Takemikazuchi and Ame no Boshin had arrived in Kyoto with the Yokozuna Rikishi and the Oniwaban Ninja Army. After interrogating a certain rickshaw driver again, the two gods waved their hands, ordering the Kenbishi to take the driver away and continue detaining him.
"That Hayden is indeed a vicious criminal wanted by the Mithra Group. How dare he start a war like this in the city!" The God of the Heavenly Sun looked at the various traces and ruins left by the aftershocks of the battle between the gods in the city and said angrily, "At least a hundred people have been killed or injured in this battle!"
The Japanese war god, Takemikazuchi, is an old fellow who fought his way up from the war between the old and new gods. He didn't take Ame no Boshin's words to heart, but was only thinking about the information he had just received.
The rickshaw driver was very cooperative and told him everything he knew. Takemikazuchi examined his brain briefly and knew that this mortal driver was not lying.
In addition, Takemikazuchi quickly went to summon the brothel monsters and courtesans from the red-light district for questioning. Although these old god prostitutes were loyal to Momiji, they weren't really foolish enough to confront the Japanese war god head-on, and basically told him everything they knew.
Anyway, with Komakusa Tayu dead, these youkai courtesans knew almost nothing. They only knew that Hayden was Hayden, Momiji was Momiji, and that Hayden had a fully constructed battle god maid with him—however, the Yamato gods already knew all this, so there was no need for the courtesans to repeat it.
After all this fuss, when the interrogation ended, Takemikazuchi only learned one new piece of information: Hayden's purpose in sneaking into Japan this time was to go to the Land of Ashihara.
Why would the son-in-law of the Peacock King want to go to Ashihara Province?
Takemikazuchi didn't care at all about the property damage and casualties in Kyoto; after all, it was nothing. He was stroking his small mustache, deep in thought, his mind solely focused on this matter, and he had many thoughts on it.
The Ashihara Kingdom has been sealed by the Mithra Group ever since the great war four hundred years ago. However, the seal is not actually very tight. The Mithra Group does not station troops outside the seal all day long, but only keeps a close watch and instructs the Yamato God Clan to pay attention at other times. The rest of the work is left to the sealing effect of the Ashihara Great Barrier itself.
Therefore, people like Momiji, members of the ancient Japanese gods, could gain access to the Ashihara region by submitting an application to the Mithra Group, provided the application was approved. Although her superiors were known for making things difficult for her and were unlikely to grant such permission easily, it was theoretically possible.
In short, while Ashihara Province is a restricted area, it's just an ordinary restricted area. It's not the kind of top-secret, super-restricted area marked in red, where anyone crossing the line is immediately shot without warning, and only high-ranking executives of large companies are allowed entry. It's simply a sealed-off place that isn't open to the public under normal circumstances.
“Judging from Hayden’s past record, he’s not a fool. If he just wanted to enter [Ashihara Province], why would he make such a big fuss?” Takemikazuchi frowned. “There’s probably more to this than meets the eye. The Mithra Group… the Peacock King’s family was originally part of the Mithra Group. Could this be an internal power struggle within their company that has dragged our country into it?”
That's not entirely wrong, is it? Unfortunately, without evidence, we can't arrive at an answer just by speculating like this.
After thinking for a few minutes, Takemikazuchi said, "Lord Ame no Bokuhito, we must go to Ashihara immediately and intercept Hayden before he crosses the Ashihara Great Barrier. Otherwise, once he crosses the barrier and enters Ashihara, it will be very troublesome for us to capture him."
Ten no Bodhi was taken aback by this: "Why can't we capture him once we enter the Reed Plain? That barrier isn't there to stop us."
He is not an ancient god who lived four hundred years ago, but rather the son of Susanoo, who was born in the last four hundred years. Many ancient secrets are unknown to Ame no Boshin.
Therefore, Takemikazuchi solemnly explained, "Because we [Yamato God Clan] really cannot enter. Because [Ashihara Province] is the land we agreed to cede to the land god."
[Relinquishing the country]
That was four hundred years ago.
After their defeat and before the extinction of their entire tribe, the local god prayed to the god Mithra and swore an oath. He promised never to leave their dwelling place again, "to descend to the underworld and live forever in the distant lands," hoping for a pardon and to prevent their homeland from being invaded again.
Therefore, the Yamato God Clan cannot enter Ashihara Province, and in fact, they do not want to enter Ashihara Province, because it is not a place for modern living people to live.
Ashihara Country, whose true name is "The Country of Roots" or "The Country of the Bottom," is also known as the "Land of the Underworld."
It is a dark and unknown place that was sealed in a great barrier by the Mithra Group four hundred years ago.
It is a forgotten place rejected by the modern world.
——————————————————————————————————
Draw a straight line a thousand miles northeast of Kyoto, and follow it to enter the Tohoku region of Japan.
For four hundred years, this place has been a forbidden and abandoned land, far removed from modern human society, and is a border region of Japan.
In most parts of modern Japan, greening and environmental protection are actually quite good. The Yamato people haven't cruelly exploited and plundered the natural environment, which is much better than foreign mega-corporations.
Hayden had only been in the country for a day when he keenly noticed that the gods there were relatively protective of the land they ruled and were reluctant to allow it to be severely polluted. At that time, he thought that the gods of capital in Japan were different from those in other places and cared more about environmental protection.
...Now Hayden realizes that it's not entirely like that. It's more like different cultures in different places.
Far northeast of Kyoto, in a desolate wilderness stretching endlessly withered pine forests and abandoned rice paddies, Hayden, guided by the red leaves, is flying rapidly with Angela.
This is a desolate and barren land, the ruins of an ancient battlefield where no one lives. Four hundred years ago, at the end of the war between the old and new gods, an extremely fierce battle took place here, resulting in the deaths of many samurai, ninjas, and gods.
That unprecedented war in human history was so devastating that even today, ancient curses and evil spirits still linger here. There is no heavy metal acid rain here, because there is no industrial pollution, and no one even lives here. Instead, dark clouds overhead often swirl into vortexes, flashing with terrifying lightning. An ominous crescent moon, like a scythe capable of severing heads, hangs listlessly high in the sky.
Long, long ago, this place was a prosperous and lush land of reed fields, but now it is a world of death, like the banks of the Sanzu River, a cursed land that no one would deliberately tread.
Red Leaf led Hayden and Angela on a hurried journey, heading north and flying all the way to the deep mountains of the northeast.
This is the deepest part of northeastern Honshu, a wilderness of human consciousness beyond the reach of even the StarNet. Here, a desolate basin is enclosed by a yellowish-brown canyon. The fiercest battle of the war between the old and new gods once took place here. In the center of the basin stands a small hill, its ring of rocks arranged like jagged teeth, and many ropes are still entangled with shimenawa ropes.
The term "shimenawa" refers to a rope woven from rice straw, used in Japanese Shinto rituals to demarcate the boundary between the "divine world" and the "mortal world."
Strangely enough, although the place was extremely desolate, there wasn't a speck of dirt on these shimenawa ropes; they were as clean as if they were brand new. The paper pendants tied to the ropes were also spotless, showing no signs of having suffered from sun and rain or the wear and tear of four hundred years.
Hayden certainly possessed knowledge of ancient Japanese magic and religion. Since Momiji had brought him here and he saw these circular stone formations bound with shimenawa (sacred ropes), he knew that this place must be the key to the "sealed world of ancient Japanese gods."
So he turned to Momiji and asked, "Next, all we have to do is cross this shimenawa (sacred rope) to enter Ashihara Province?"
Hongye shook her head: "Master, if it were that easy, would I have taken you to find the guide before?"
Hayden frowned: "Komagusa Tayu is dead now, and there's no guide. Can't we just force our way through the barrier? For example, can I just cut this shimenawa rope?"
If you did this in a Japanese horror game, you'd almost certainly die a horrible death. Hayden, however, was too lazy to be afraid of such things.
Unexpectedly, Hongye's eyes darted away: "I... don't know either."
Hayden was taken aback: "...Huh?"
"I don't know what will happen if I forcibly remove the shoji rope," Hongye replied, feeling wronged. "Maybe we can get in, or maybe we'll block the road and we won't be able to get in anymore, or maybe everything in the entire Ashihara Province will be sprayed out... Master, we're already trying to pick the lock without the key, so no one can say for sure what will happen."
That makes sense. Hongye had everything planned out perfectly, but things turned out this way, so it's not her fault.
Hayden scratched his head, momentarily at a loss. What should he do now?
Are they going to try and break the barrier spell right here? Hayden certainly has the ability to do so, but time is a very real issue. If they delay any longer, the Yamato Clan's pursuers will definitely arrive. If they see Hayden and his group stuck here, they might just laugh their heads off... Hmm?
Thinking about this, Hayden suddenly had a wicked idea.
"Got it. Let's wait here for a bit."
383: Ninja & Necromancer
5:30 AM (卯时二刻)
Desolate ancient battlefield ruins
Ten black-clad ninjas were hurrying through the mountains. They wore tight-fitting black clothes soaked in a special secret medicine, and masks that concealed their faces. In the deserted wilderness, they remained silent, making no sound, and didn't even need to pant.
Although they don't need to pant or make any footsteps, they are three times faster than ordinary athletes, running across barren wastelands and rocky peaks without roads.
This is a cursed land of death, a barren and desolate place. Among the scorched and twisted vegetation, the resentment of the ancient dead permeates this haunted place.
As the ninjas run around here, their sobs can be heard drifting in the deathly silence between the two worlds, evoking a subtle sense of loss and terror.
This is a land of death and decay, a vast expanse of land stretching north of the Kanto region, a place seemingly devoid of life. Sand dunes, swirling dust, and rocky plains. Dark, heavy clouds blanket the sky, and howling sandstorms sweep across the ground. Even a mortal venturing here risks death.
Therefore, those walking here now are not mortals, but ninjas.
The term "ninja" refers to a Japanese fighting group that has existed in Japan since ancient times. Although they are of ordinary origin, they undergo rigorous karate training, fasting, and wooden dummy practice for at least ten years, often longer. They awaken during a spiritual test on the edge of life and death and are recognized by the gods, who grant them a license (certificate). They possess superhuman physical abilities.
Although they are mortals, they have cultivated themselves to an extraordinary level. In other words, they are actually closer to immortals, or even human immortals.
Although they are considered inferior to the gods, they are no longer regarded as mortals and are highly valued by the Japanese deities. Moreover, because all ninjas have undergone ritual trials that cross the line between life and death, their resistance to the pollution of death energy and the haunting of the undead is far greater than that of mortals, and even greater than that of some gods. Therefore, a total of thirty ninjas, divided into three squads, have been dispatched to scout out the enemy's tracks in this ash wasteland teeming with undead power, for the gods.
Ten or thirty ninja soldiers would likely be slaughtered if they encountered Hayden. But in this desolate wasteland where communication via the StarNet is impossible, even if ninjas are killed, they can still transmit their location to the gods through the connection between life and death if they encounter Hayden! Therefore, this is a very important and useful ninja mission!
"…………!"
Suddenly, the ninja at the front made a hand gesture behind him, a secret signal. Noticing the signal, the other nine ninjas stopped and hid in the shadows.
Then, they saw it.
In the heart of this wasteland, in a basin, on mounds of earth and stone formations built to appease the wrath of the ancient earth god—stands a wolf.
It is a huge wolf that may be ten meters long and has silvery-white fur.
Everyone knew this was clearly not something from nature; normally, a land wolf could never grow to such a massive size. Moreover, the ninjas saw a black light emanating from the giant wolf's body. It was a nauseating aura of death, shrouded in calamity.
To put it more bluntly, this thing is clearly a monster related to the "Land of the Dead" and the "Underworld," right?
(This is different from the intelligence we received beforehand... Shouldn't we be tracking Hayden, his ninja, and a warrior god's follower?)
The ninjas communicated with their eyes.
(How could there be such a strange giant wolf?)
(Bad luck... no, could it be that we've fallen into the enemy's trap...?)
That being said, since they were ninjas and their duty was to serve, they couldn't let unexpected strange things interfere with their work. The squad leader of the ten-man team gave a new hand signal, instructing everyone to spread out and avoid the strange giant wolf. After all, their primary objective was to find Hayden. Even if the giant wolf was eerie, if it didn't have a clear connection to Hayden, the ninjas obviously couldn't afford to waste resources on it.
The other nine ninjas followed orders and began to take a detour. Although the giant wolf looked strong, it shouldn't be so strong that they couldn't even avoid it. Of course, they also considered that the wolf might be a trap, so they were very vigilant as they avoided it, maintaining a state of alertness towards the giant wolf...
...Therefore, in situations like this, when one is too focused on obvious threats, even a ninja can easily leave a weakness behind.
In the blink of an eye! At that moment, a pitch-black shadow, as dark as the night, surged out from behind the ninja squad leader and pierced his chest from behind with a katana, penetrating his heart!
"Guwa!"
The Jonin class leader, who had suffered a fatal wound, couldn't even offer a greeting before bursting into a frenzy and scattering!
The remaining nine ninjas quickly distanced themselves, still shaken. At the same time, the dark shadow solidified and took on a human form.
She was a female ninja dressed in a tight-fitting black outfit, with her long black hair tied back in a single ponytail. Judging from her figure and appearance, she was probably only fourteen or fifteen years old at most, and her chest was very flat.
On her face, she wore a white fox mask that completely covered her entire face, making it impossible to see her expression.
The remaining nine ninjas dared not be careless at all. Not only because their squad leader had been ambushed and killed instantly, but also because they already knew the identity of this female ninja, and knew that she was the most terrifying enemy—Hayden's ninja!
"Nice to meet you. We are the Oniwabanshu, a ninja unit directly under Susanoo, ordered by Takemikazuchi."
Nine ninjas bowed to the female ninja in greeting. Ninjas are extraordinary, almost demigod-like beings. Therefore, before a battle, even between enemies, ninjas should greet each other as gods would, a sacred and inviolable ritual. This is also recorded in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters).
"Greetings, Oniwabanshu." The petite female ninja returned the greeting. "My name is... Tatsuko Ninja!"