[Oh dear, my dear sister, her doll's shell has indeed been smashed. Good, good, that's it now.]
She looked very happy.
So Hayden glanced at the great demon king and asked, "So, what good does it do you to have Angela's body destroyed?"
"Part of it is personal grudge. I've hated her for a long time." Asmodius shook his head. "But the main reason, of course, is to destroy the world. You saw it yourself, I tried to summon the Angel of Destruction, but failed. But now that the observer has tasted death once, the system will definitely handle it differently."
What will descend from the upper realm next is destruction.
Hayden nodded: "Why pursue the destruction of the world? You are a fallen angel, destined to be roasted for eternity after the apocalypse."
"Am I not already being tormented by Mitra forever?" Asmodis replied nonchalantly. "The best thing about the apocalypse is that I can drag these arrogant monkeys down with me. They deserve their retribution. That's fair."
At this point, the evil dragon turned to look at the courtesan Komagusa Tayu in the distance: "Komagusa, it's time to bring out my treasured sake and offer the Prophet a drink. We'll drink our sake and laugh as we watch the world perish!"
She's really just an arrogant snake.
Komakusa Tayu, standing next to him, seemed a little bewildered.
So Hayden coldly replied, "What do you have to be proud of? You devils are partly to blame for how the world has become what it is today."
[Nonsense.]
Unexpectedly, the Demon King was unimpressed.
Don't casually say things you yourself know are wrong. Prophet, you must have seen other possible universes in the time-space tunnel. Even I, in these four hundred years of being sealed, have seen some.
Even in a world where fallen angels cannot directly intervene, even in parallel universes where magic cannot be used in the material world and other scientific technologies cannot be developed—humanity will not cease its oppression and exploitation of its fellow human beings. The worship and craving for wealth, the greedy pursuit of power, and the cruel arrogance of believing oneself to be utterly righteous and able to trample on the heads of one's fellow human beings. This is humanity. A cowardly, ugly, cunning, self-righteous talking monkey. I don't need to tempt them; they will rot on their own. Humanity is evil at its very core.
Hayden shook his head: "There are exceptions. Even among my friends, there are many who would sacrifice themselves to help others, who are willing to love, and who yearn to promote social fairness and justice."
"I know there are," Asmodeus said casually, wagging his tail. "But statistically, you're quite rare. So the outcome won't change—the Son of God (angel) has been killed, God will descend, heed the desperate prayers of humanity, and justly destroy this world."
At this point, the great red dragon chuckled again: "But don't worry. My dear sister will definitely get you up there. Your treatment is much better than that of us trapped fallen angels, so don't be too anxious. Why not, like me, watch the whole world burn?"
Hayden remained silent. He already knew what Asmodius was trying to say.
After a while, he finally spoke: "Even so, I know that deep down, humanity still yearns for a... a better, fairer, and more loving world."
"A fire that burns everything cannot ultimately be used to save lives."
"That sounds nice," Asmodius said, shaking his head dismissively. "So, Prophet, do you have any personal visions? Any plans that could better ensure a fair, just, and compassionate world?"
This questioning was really sharp.
If the answer were so easy to find, the world wouldn't be what it is now. Hayden has seen it all, from Quetzalcoatl to the various fallen angels of the previous era. Their immense intelligence led them to arrogantly believe they could rule the world with a single theory or even a single term. And what was the result? Hayden has already feasted on the suffering they inflicted on humanity through the time tunnels.
He'd seen enough of all sorts of different ideas, ideas that were crudely promoted based solely on the belief that "I think this must be right!" without any practical experience or verification. Regardless of the name or ideology behind these ideas, does believing something is theoretically correct mean one should immediately launch a radical overhaul? This is nothing but arrogant self-righteousness. Whatever ideology this person holds, it's still arrogance.
Based solely on what we already know, we devise a radical, all-encompassing plan that we believe can "solve all problems"—history has shown us this mistake far too often. Enough is enough of this trap. We must acknowledge that neither humanity nor evil can arrive at perfect solutions to social problems through reason and theoretical deduction.
Even if he had endured four hundred years of suffering and seen the records in the time tunnel, Hayden still wouldn't have been able to do that.
but--
“I don’t have a well-developed theory or plan. But I do have an idea.”
Hayden answered calmly.
“In the time tunnel, I not only experienced other people’s history, but also looked back on my own past. I remembered that I actually had an idea from the beginning, and now I can adjust it and use it.”
This finally piqued Asmodius's curiosity: "What idea?"
"How could I possibly tell you?"
The great devil was speechless.
"You are also one of the culprits behind this world's decline. Unfortunately, I lack the power to completely kill the fallen angel. You are already sealed here, and turning you into an idiot seems pointless. So let it be."
Hayden turned around, ready to leave.
"You'll be sealed here forever, and watch how I save the world."
Asmodius naturally disliked this attitude. So she pursed her lips and added, "Then let me tell you something else. Samael and his human wife just went to the moon to challenge Mitra. They fought Mitra on the lunar surface for sixteen hours, even cracking several fissures in the moon. Unfortunately, Samael was ultimately defeated."
She then smirked again: "[I saw him transform into an angel during the battle... and then he disappeared afterward. What do you think happened to him?]"
Who knows? Perhaps he was defeated and sealed away by Mithra—which would be a plausible outcome—but perhaps something more unpredictable happened. When magic and power reach the edge of godhood, about to surpass the limits of bodhisattva, no one can say for sure.
...However, on the other hand, although everyone knew that the chances of the Peacock King losing to Mitra were high, the fact that even the Peacock King and his wife, who had used their original angelic powers, were defeated by Mitra was definitely not good news for Hayden.
The Peacock King was clearly not a weak angel in the past. However, even after fully regaining his angelic power, he still couldn't defeat Mithra. What does this mean?
At least Asmodius couldn't tell what Hayden was thinking. His face was expressionless. He simply hesitated for a moment, then continued walking outwards, leaving the Land of the Dead and heading towards that world still filled with suffering and still in battle.
"Where are you planning to go?" Asmodius asked, looking at his retreating figure. "Even Samael, with all the power of the angels, was defeated by Mithra, and my sister isn't by your side anymore. What exactly do you plan to do to change this situation?"
"Go pick them up first."
Hayden didn't turn around, but simply replied,
"I need to pick up people one by one first."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished into thin air from the Land of the Dead. Komakusa Tayu, who was about to come up and lead him back, was startled by the sight!
"This is a rift in spacetime! How dare he use teleportation here?"
"Stop making such a fuss all the time. It's so unbecoming." Asmodius slapped the ground with his tail to shut his witch up. "If I were still free, I certainly would dare to teleport in a place like this. Angels all have that ability; it's easy for them."
The courtesan covered her mouth with her fan and said somewhat resentfully, "But he is not an angel after all."
This means he has reached a level very close to, or even equal to, that of angels.
The Demon King smacked his lips and smiled.
She was something defeated on the chessboard, a prisoner torn between life and death. But at least she still looked forward to, even more so to, how this story would end today.
Precisely because she was already the loser, she wanted to see the ending of the story more carefully.
Let's see who has the last laugh.
--------------------------------
Meanwhile, on the other side of Japan, someone's story has just come to an end.
Looking back at New Tokyo, and back at the Kasumigaseki Castle built by the Yamato people in the capital.
About twenty hours ago, the Mithra Group's army—led by the Vajra Warriors and Arhats under the command of the Third Buddha—broke through the Kanto Defense Zone, invaded the [Imperial God Defense Barrier], and attacked New Tokyo.
The Yamato God Clan and the Susanoo Group were, of course, no match for the Mithra Group's army; even achieving a draw on their home turf was nearly impossible. Therefore, twenty hours ago, Susanoo's plan was to withdraw all his forces to the super fortress [Kasumigaseki Castle] for a full-scale defense, a full-scale counterattack, and a desperate hold.
Of course, if they simply held on, there would be no turning point, and no chance of victory. Therefore, Susanoo's original hope was to hold his ground, buy time, and wait for Kannon's assassination plot to succeed, at which point the situation would immediately reverse! A local defeat could lead to victory on the grander scale!
...And then, as everyone knows, what happened next was that, oh dear, Guanyin Bodhisattva not only failed miserably in her assassination attempt on Mithra, but also lost herself in the process!
As a result, the defenses of the Yamato God Clan naturally could not hold out.
Twenty hours later, Xiaguan fell.
The Yamato warriors could no longer withstand the overwhelming onslaught of the Vajra God, and the castle fell.
The castle is engulfed in flames.
The outcome is decided.
"Run! Run!"
"Fire! It's out of control! Run!!"
"Does the Mitra Corporation want to burn our entire castle down?!"
The remnants of the army were in complete disarray.
While some warriors did retain a fighting spirit, it was less about having the will to win and more about simply wanting to die in battle. Several other divine warriors were cursing their useless colleagues: "Why haven't the troops from the Kyushu Dazaifu and Mutsu Naval Base come to our aid?"
"Do they think the Mitra Group will treat them well after dominating Japan?!"
"Traitor to the nation!"
"Now that things have come to this, I can only sacrifice myself for my country!"
It sounds like they're speaking in a very high-sounding way. But in this situation, such a group of guys are actually of little use to Susanoo, who is in charge.
On the mountain made of rubble, Susanoo and Momiji stood.
Just moments ago, this was the castle tower of Kasumigaseki Castle. Now, there is no trace of it left. It wasn't Susanoo that destroyed it, but rather the aerial bombardment of the Mithra army. Susanoo gazed at the sky, while Momiji looked down at the ruins beneath her feet.
"This is the end of the world. Susanoo."
Then Hongye said,
"The Yamato God Clan, which you have desperately supported, and the homeland of the sun, have reached their end today. Everything is over."
"Your loyalty, sincerity, dedication, and hard work for the country are all in vain. History may end today. Even if it doesn't, you will only be remembered as a double traitor who first betrayed his fellow ancient gods and then betrayed the Mithra Group, and will be infamous for eternity."
Perhaps because she was possessed by a fragment of Amaterasu, or perhaps because she had come to terms with things to some extent, Momiji's witty remarks now carried great force, echoing like a shrine maiden conveying a divine message.
However, Susanoo was not defeated by this.
"It's not over yet. Not yet."
His eyes also held a chillingly resolute will.
"This is not the end. The future of Japan and the Yamato people will not end here. Next—transfer the command post to Kyoto, and we will definitely make a comeback."
In other words, Susanoo simply wanted to continue his relentless entanglement with the Mithra army.
Momiji wasn't trying to say there was anything wrong with it. However, having been in the same situation herself, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions seeing Susanoo's reaction.
Momiji has always been a persistent person, unable to let go of many things even after more than four hundred years. However, after traveling around Japan with Hayden these past few days and spending a day with Susanoo, she has begun to have some vague insights as she sees Susanoo's stubborn refusal to let go.
Some people are so eager to prove themselves "right" that they are willing to make any "mistakes." Carrying something through to the end may sound impressive at first glance, but most of the time it's just stubbornness.
Hongye wasn't in a position to say anything, since she was the same type of person. However, seeing someone even more exaggerated than herself up close still gave her a different feeling.
"We can't let you retreat to Kyoto again. This farce in Japan should end now."
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the sky, and at the same time descended the commander of the Mithra forces responsible for the attack on Japan, the Third King of the Underworld. He was a green-skinned, three-faced, eight-armed, three-eyed deity with flames enveloping his body, carrying a vajra, bow and arrows, ropes, and a sword—a fairly standard set of equipment.
"Your rebellion conveniently allowed me to avoid the battle with the Peacock King on the moon, and it even allowed me to gain this merit. I should really thank you. However, if it drags on any longer, I can't guarantee that the Venerable One won't have any objections." The Three-Faced Myō-ō grinned. "Susanoo, the time for the curtain to fall is approaching. You will die here."
Susanoo had already summoned the Kusanagi Sword, but his expression was grim. The new gods are stronger than the old, and the Myō-ō (myō-ō) is stronger than him, a great god who had merely been repainted—this was the natural order of things. He couldn't defeat the Myō-ō who had descended to the Three Realms. What should he do?
Hongye shrank back a little. She didn't want to die in this place, for something like this. But who here could stop the Third King of Hell from cutting off their heads?
So what happened next was particularly unexpected.
"Well said. Being completely unprepared on the battlefield is utterly foolish. You'll die here."
Hayden severed the head of the Three-Life King from behind with a single sword strike. He had been standing behind the king for some unknown time.
For a moment, both Momiji and Susanoo were stunned.
"Yo."
Hayden kicked the obstructing corpse aside, nodded to Red Leaf,
"It's time to go home, Momiji. We still have a lot to do!"
430: The End of the World is Coming
Half an hour later, Hayden returned to New Sprout City with Red Leaf.
In the past half hour, Hayden first chopped off the head of the Three Kings of Hell with a single sword stroke, and then swung his sword three times to send all the troops sent by the Mithra Group back to their homeland.
Hayden then chatted with Susanoo for a while, briefly discussing all the key issues that were currently unfolding.
Hongye was completely dumbfounded. Hayden was never known for his super-soldier image. To chop off the Mingwang's head with a single sword strike? Wasn't that a bit beyond his normal display of power?
Fortunately, Hongye was not unfamiliar with ancient heroic legends and even more ancient myths. She herself was an ancient yokai, and seeing Hayden disappear for a day and return more than ten times stronger, she immediately imagined a whole bunch of scenarios.
Hayden… well, the current Hayden could tell at a glance what the fox was thinking. But he neither intended nor needed to care.
After talking with Susanoo for a while, Hayden took Momiji back to New Sprout Castle.
However, after the conversation came to an end, before returning home, Hongye looked around for a while and couldn't help but ask the question: "Master, where did Lady Angela go?"
Aren't we supposed to be heading back to New Sprout City? Where's Angela?
This question made Hayden pause for a moment. He looked up at the sky for a while, then replied, "Where we need to find a way to pick her up."
Although Hongye didn't fully understand (and couldn't possibly fully understand), she still grasped part of it and was immediately taken aback.
On the way back to Xinya City, Hongye dared not ask any more questions about the details, and they did not encounter any other obstacles.