Before Takemikazuchi could stop him, Ame no Boshin took flight, soaring high into the sky, looking down at Kaiden on the earthen mound, and then chanted a spell:
"May the divine fire be clear and bright! Reverence for my great and mighty God, I pray for the burning flames and the divine punishment of the great sun!"
【Yatagara】is the essence of the sun. In Japan, it is called Yatagarasu, and in China, it is called the Three-Legged Golden Crow. In other words, it is the spirit of the sun, a deity that can manipulate fire and sunlight at will!
The Heavenly Sun God spread his wings and took flight like the dawn's first light, like the sun rising from the eastern sky. His vastly outstretched golden wings showered golden fire upon Haiden and the entire hill. This was an ultra-high temperature flame, possessing the surface temperature of the sun, capable of easily melting and vaporizing even steel!
However, Hayden wasn't worried at all when he saw this scene. Instead, he opened his mouth and laughed heartily. As he laughed, his mouth opened wider and wider—and in an instant, a white shadow suddenly shot out from his gaping mouth, revealing a huge wolf with silver-white fur!
Hayden's beast form, the silver-white giant wolf Fenrir, spewed from his mouth, leaped up, and soared into the sky, pouncing on the Yatagarasu that was releasing solar heat, and bit it in one bite!
385: The Giant Wolf Within
Before Hayden came to Japan, his mother-in-law, Hela, had chatted with him enthusiastically about some past events.
A hundred years ago, the goddess Hela was just a mortal, the messenger and representative of the Peacock King. At that time, she, like Hayden, experienced a magical adventure.
However, compared to Hayden, Hela's adventures back then were more like an urban fantasy manga with a high school girl as the protagonist, without as many troublesome social issues as Hayden... Moreover, Hela was more carefree and didn't care about society at all.
So Hela's adventures a hundred years ago were much lighter: traveling the world, playing, fighting, and having ambiguous relationships with many gods, demons, handsome men, and beautiful women. And Susanoo was one of Hela's "male protagonists in shoujo manga" back then.
It's strange, I don't know why the Peacock King and Susanoo both like a crazy woman like Hyala. Maybe it's the "bad woman effect".
In short, a hundred years ago, remnants of the Japanese land gods instigated a rebellion, attempting to assassinate Susanoo. They wounded Susanoo with a dagger coated with the poison of the Underworld Curse, weakening him and plunging the leaderless Yamato gods into great chaos. The remnants then seized the opportunity to launch an armed coup using the power of the underworld.
At that time, the Yamato God Clan had not yet completed the [Yokozuna Warrior Unit], so it was not yet ready for actual combat. Therefore, their military strength against the undead and the underworld was severely insufficient, and they did not want to rely on the aid of the Mithra Group (it goes without saying what the consequences would be if they borrowed foreign troops to quell internal strife).
Finally, after much wandering, they accidentally got involved with Hela, who happened to be traveling in Japan. At that time, Hela was not a god, but a mortal "grand mage" level necromancer and alchemist, who also had good relationships with both the Peacock King and the Wotan Corporation. This kind of free grand mage, who was not formally affiliated with any large corporation but could borrow the power of many gods, was like a godsend to the Yamato God Clan at that time.
Moreover, although Peacock King is a Mithra deity, everyone knows that Peacock has a very poor relationship with the core of the Mithra group. Borrowing his power would make it less likely for problems to arise.
...But the Yamato gods did not expect that this matter would cause a new problem.
After being saved by Hela, Susanoo became deeply infatuated with her. In addition, the Yamato gods were thrown into chaos after Susanoo was ambushed, so Susanoo felt that even gods need to prepare a "heir apparent" and must have a "vice king" who can take over important matters in case of emergencies.
Originally, Takemikazuchi was both brave and resourceful, making him quite suitable. However, he was a Yamato warrior god, a crucial pillar of the nation's fighting force. If a major crisis were to occur in the country, Takemikazuchi and Susanoo would likely be among the first to be killed by the enemy, so he couldn't be chosen as the heir apparent.
At that time, Susanoo was very fond of Hela and wanted to pursue her and have an heir with her, who would also be a child with great resistance to death energy, so that they wouldn't fall into the same trap twice.
As we all know, Hela wandered among a bunch of gods and demons for several years, experiencing a shoujo manga-style journey of being pursued by many handsome men and beautiful women, but in the end, she still ended up marrying the Peacock King.
Susanoo, heartbroken and disillusioned after a failed romance, had no desire to pursue another woman, at least for the time being. However, the nation needed a crown prince, so he used his divine soul, spiritual jade, and other mystical materials to perform a newly developed grand magic, giving birth to five male gods. These five sons, each with different attributes, were randomly selected. Susanoo chose his second son, whom he felt had the most suitable attributes, as his crown prince and has been raising him ever since.
This is the origin of the Heavenly Bodhisattva God.
(Incidentally, within the Yamato God Clan, if Susanoo were to suddenly fall, the first-in-line commander would still be Takemikazuchi. However, the de facto heir would be Ame-no-Bokuhikami.)
The names of gods all possess meaning and power. His name, literally, means "heaven" (天), which implies being ordained by the heavenly gods, and "Bodhi" (菩) in ancient Chinese means "brilliant and radiant." The meaning of "sun" (日) is self-evident. He was named this because the god Bodhi of the heavens should be a deity as radiant as the sun in the sky. In reality, he is indeed the eight-legged crow (八丈銀), the essence of the sun.
All these secrets were told to Hayden by the goddess Hela the day before yesterday. She poured out all these somewhat embarrassing things without a care, sharing them with her son-in-law as amusement and intelligence. Hayden obediently accepted them.
Now, he takes advantage of this past secret to precisely provoke and insult the psychological weaknesses of the Heavenly Sun God, putting himself in an advantageous position!
Hayden's beastly incarnation, the white giant wolf Fenrir, seized the opportunity to leap into the sky and bite down on the Yatagarasu, the Heavenly Sun God!
Swallowed it!
Just as the name suggests, the giant wolf completely devoured the blazing flames of the sun crow!
"GAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The Yatagarasu screamed in agony!
Fenrir is actually devouring His divine power!
This ravenous wolf is an alter ego cultivated by Hayden using Slavic and Norse magic from the depths of his inner ferocity, violent desires, and fighting spirit. Recently, Hayden has been under immense pressure, and his rage has exploded. This unrestrained killing intent manifests itself in Fenrir in an even more powerful form!
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! The Wolf of Ragnarok will even tear the sun apart and devour it!
Of course, the others couldn't just stand by and watch the sun god be devoured alive by the giant wolf. But in his rage, He soared high into the air, and the sumo wrestlers, skilled in ground combat, couldn't save Him. The Yokozuna generally lacked ranged attack capabilities and couldn't fight off the ground. Although they could throw stones, their power comparable to field artillery, it was certainly useless against a god.
As for ninjas… while their ranged attacks are far superior to those of the wrestlers, they're not capable of taking down gods. Shuriken are primarily used for distraction in ninja combat. Karate remains the decisive factor. Although the Oniwaban ninja army can fly, they weren't designed for aerial combat. Taking to the air would only result in slaughter.
So in the end, only Takemikazuchi could come to the rescue: "Ame no Boshin, hold on! I'm here to help you!"
"Good for building and controlling thunder!" He summoned a two-and-a-half-meter-long bow made of laurel wood, nocked a demon-slaying arrow, and chanted, "Thunderous arrows."
Then Yamato War God released his arrows.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!
With a deafening explosion, the arrow fired from the great bow transformed into a bolt of lightning in mid-air! The arrow, now a divine thunderbolt, scattered sparks as it shot straight into the sky; the heated, expanding atmosphere roared, shaking the heavens. It released energy that could scorch the surrounding area, flying straight towards the white wolf pouncing on the golden crow!
Meanwhile, the sumo wrestlers below, though unable to attack, began to provide support. They roared and stomped their limbs on the ground once more. Their roars shook the air, and the ground beneath their feet crumbled and shattered. Moreover—this action actually exerted immense pressure on the giant wolf Fenrir, instantly making its body cumbersome and pulling it violently towards the ground!
Just as the Yatagarasu releases the divine power of the sun, the hundred Yokozuna warriors can also link their divine power together, gather it, and draw upon the power of the earth to inflict divine punishment on the giant wolf that pounces into the sky, causing it to fall!
The Yokozuna warriors held the enemy under control, and Takemikazuchi shot him dead with a single arrow. This is the significance of a god leading an army!
If Hayden doesn't help, he definitely can't defeat the Yamato warrior with his own beast, Fenrir.
Therefore, he certainly had no reason not to take action.
"Kurenai, go help Fenrir and catch Yatagarasu."
Before he finished speaking, the "Sword of Words" had already been spat out of Hayden's mouth, flying between the lightning arrow and the giant wolf.
"Takemikazuchi has ordered Angela and me to deal with him!"
The speed of the lightning arrow was the speed of thunder, but the [Sword of Words] was even faster! The divine arrow and the holy sword collided instantly, immediately unleashing a deafening explosion! The lightning and roar from this explosion even forced the Yokozuna warriors to temporarily close their eyes and shield their eyes with their hands.
When the bright light faded and they looked again, they saw that Takemikazuchi's lightning arrow had been shattered by Hayden's sword.
As the lightning dissipated, Fenrir remained clinging to Yatagarasu, seemingly about to tear off its wings and devour it.
This sight even made Takemikazuchi frown. He certainly couldn't just stand by and watch the Heavenly Sun God be devoured by the giant wolf. But with Hayden standing in the way and the arrows being cut down, the situation was already dire.
At the same time, Hayden was secretly surprised as he sensed Takemikazuchi's fighting power.
Takemikazuchi is merely a minor god. Although he is the second strongest god among the Yamato gods, he is ultimately just a minor god. This is because Japan has too few resources that have been utilized, its commercial gains in the global market are insufficient, there are too many gods, and there is also enmity with the land gods—most importantly, ultimately they are not fully capitalist, but still operate under a semi-feudal system. Therefore, there is only one great god in all of Japan, Susanoo; all the others, no matter how strong, are merely minor gods.
Therefore, Hayden originally thought that as long as Susanoo did not personally appear, he could kill any other Yamato deity in a one-on-one fight, and even crush them with a great advantage.
Unexpectedly, in this recent exchange, Hayden used the "Sword of Words" to cut down Takemikazuchi's arrow, and realized that Takemikazuchi's combat power was actually no less than Hayden's.
Takemikazuchi is the god of thunder, swordsmanship, archery, martial arts, and war among the Yamato gods. Archery is only a small part of his divine power, and not even his primary ability. His greatest strength lies in close combat, using martial arts and swordsmanship.
...Of course, the mage Hayden didn't want to fight him in close combat.
But Takemikazuchi isn't stupid either.
"The entire army supports the Heavenly Sun God!"
Just as Hayden commanded the red leaves, he immediately gave orders to the troops.
"Saving Him is the top priority! I will stop Hayden!"
Despite their lack of combat experience, the highly trained warriors and ninjas reacted immediately, shifting their focus to Fenrir.
But Hayden would not let them have their way.
He stretched out his right hand and gently touched the ground beneath his feet.
How much blood has been shed on this land, the stage for the final stage of the war between the old and new gods? How many grudges have been accumulating here?
Although everyone knows that the rule of the new gods is certainly better for the people than that of the old gods, this does not mean that the rulers of the new gods are benevolent, nor does it mean that they have not committed greater evils. In just these two days, Hayden has witnessed nothing but utterly tragic conditions.
Using the horrific scenes he witnessed as a starting point, Hayden sang: "Good deeds bring good results! Evil deeds bring evil results! The blade will surely return to you, and he who takes another's life will eventually take his own!"
This land has absorbed countless lives of blood, and the anger, hatred, and despair of those whose homes were taken and whose loved ones were murdered. Hayden sang to them quietly.
“It’s a futile effort,” Takemikazuchi said coldly. “The vengeful spirits of this land have been temporarily subdued by the [Four Streams] ritual. You cannot borrow the power of the dead.”
"You're too rigid in your thinking," Hayden retorted with a sneer. "Who said only necromancy can be borrowed? Do you underestimate the versatility of my magic?"
...What?!
Takemikazuchi was startled, but immediately realized what was happening and drew his sword.
At the same time, Hayden stood on the earthen hill, reaching out his hand to the warriors and ninja below, chanting his final words: "Today's consequences arise from past causes. May the entanglements of karma manifest here—those who seek to harm will surely be harmed! Those who commit evil will surely be cursed by heaven!"
Every cause has its effect. What kind of seeds you plant in the earth will determine what kind of fruit you reap.
As Hayden channeled his magic into the earth, he silently spoke to the "Outer God's power" within him—if Angela had truly given him such a thing, Hayden himself couldn't be sure—so he simply pondered:
(I know my murderous intent and ferocity are growing stronger today. I also know Angela is watching me with a very subtle look... but I still don't think I've done anything wrong. Karma must be repaid, and sins must be punished. The entire new capitalist society needs to pay for their sins; just because they built bridges and roads and enjoy a better modern life than before doesn't mean the evil never happened.)
(The fallen angels all say you are a stern god who hates evil and punishes the guilty. If my expectations are wrong, if I shouldn't hate these capitalist gods, then let the spell fail, and let all the backlash fall on me.)
(But if my expectations are correct, then I will ensure that justice is served and that evil deeds are punished!)
This is Hayden's oath, and also the curse of divine vengeance.
...He had barely finished thinking about it when something terrible happened.
Hayden heard Angela sigh in his mind.
Master, your expectation of justice is not wrong, and I see no problem with your desire to eradicate evil. Justice is right, and love is certainly right too.
【But there's something you've seriously misunderstood. You've really confused means with ends. Master, using righteous rage to pursue the outcome of love is unacceptable; at the very least, you must distinguish between primary and secondary matters. What exactly did you come to Japan for today?】
Why did you come to Japan?
Of course, it's to enter the [Reed Plains], find Asmodius, and find a way to deal with Mithra Bodhisattva... Ah.
Hayden finally realized what was happening.
(Oh no!)
The next instant, Hayden's spell activated. It didn't fail; it functioned perfectly, because his anger was indeed justified.
Due to the flow of cause and effect, the seeds that Hayden had secretly buried in the soil earlier sprouted quickly—before Takemikazuchi and the others arrived, Hayden secretly planted a large number of [Dream Flower] seeds on this land in two hours.
The Dream Flower can absorb death energy and transform it into life energy, or it can absorb life energy from the environment and utilize it directly. When Yokozuna sumo wrestlers used the Four Strands to pacify the soul, they also infused a large amount of their life energy into the earth. Now, all of this energy is concentrated in Hayden's magic, beginning to drive a karmic retribution.
Time—reversed at this moment.
Through Hayden’s great magic, thousands of ancient god monsters rose from the earth, and this time they were no longer corpses.
Through great magic, the endless resentment of this land, and the divine power of the Yokozuna warriors themselves, Hayden reversed time and forcibly pulled hundreds of thousands of undead back to the state they were in when they were alive!
This is not necromancy, but genuine resurrection! A resurrection that reverses time and life and death!
"For the sake of Ashihara Province! Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!"
Hundreds of thousands of resurrected dead, wielding their ancient yet new weapons, charged toward Takemikazuchi and his forces like a tsunami, or like a swarm of man-eating ants rushing toward a tiger.
This is really cool. But at the same time, Hayden has also realized that he has messed up a very troublesome thing:
His spell, by distorting space and time, has completely severed the passageway leading to the interior of the [Ashihara Country] barrier.
...Fine, Hayden. You've killed them, you've had your fun. But what about the important business now?!
386: The oriole is behind
Hayden's [Resurrection] spell resurrected approximately 100,000 ancient god-like monsters in one go!
The scene had turned into a chaotic free-for-all. Things that were usually only seen in picture books were suddenly appearing all at once.
The tiger demons, wolf demons, gorillas, wild boars, black bears, and tanuki cats were just common animal monsters that anyone could imagine. Flying steamed buns made of stone and wood were nothing to be surprised about. Hayden also saw many demons dressed in Japanese armor, wielding large katanas or iron rods, crawling out of the reversed timeline. Then there were giant, hairy spiders with human upper bodies, kappa, mountain children, weasels, ice pillar women, faceless people, hundred-eyed demons, walls that hopped, fleshy growths with only human faces, strange people with unusually long arms and legs, hairy snakes, bipedal turtles, stitched-together monsters with monkey heads, tanuki bodies, tiger claws, and snake tails, giant clams, giant cotton wool, giant Shiba Inus, and a wet giant that looked like it had just crawled out of the sea.
"It's so chaotic! There's absolutely no consistency!"
Hayden now understood even more why the Old Gods had suffered such a crushing defeat. This ragtag army of monsters, differing in size, function, and even thought processes, was beyond the comprehension of even the world's most brilliant military strategist; he could only order them to charge forward, not provide any sophisticated command.
"For the sake of Ashihara Province! Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!"
Some of the less intelligent monsters did just that after being resurrected. They were mostly animal-type monsters and probably didn't realize the passage of time. Their eyes, now flashing red like countless tiny flames, bared their fangs in anger, their bodies brimming with astonishing killing intent, like a flood bursting forth from a collapsed dam.
However, some of the smarter yokai, such as demons and earth spiders, shook their heads and noticed that the situation had changed. They looked around and sensed Momiji's bloodline power, so they moved closer to her first.
These great demons didn't truly know Kureha, because four hundred years ago, she was merely an obscure princess at the bottom of the royal family line. It was precisely because of her low status that the Mithra Group didn't completely eradicate her—that being said, Kureha's bloodline power was still genuine, enough for the resurrected demons to detect.
In short, the current situation is extremely chaotic.
Although the Yokozuna Rikishi Unit is the latest elite force developed by the Yamato God Clan, a hundred of them can't possibly defeat a hundred thousand.
Moreover, the 100,000 Old God demons resurrected by Hayden—they are truly alive! Since they are not undead, they are naturally not subject to the special [anti-underworld] Yokozuna warriors.
One hundred Yokozuna warriors and several dozen ninja soldiers were surrounded and attacked by 100,000 living ancient god-race monsters, and the scene immediately became very awkward.
The Yokozuna wrestlers were incredibly fierce, relentlessly unleashing powerful palm strikes. One wrestler could defeat ten kappa—only to be overwhelmed by twenty dog demons!
The situation was similar for the Oniwaban ninja. Even if they could fire a hundred shuriken, they couldn't defeat an enemy force a thousand times larger!