Only Japan, this particularly strange place, did not experience a fierce anti-feudal bourgeois revolution.
This remote island nation was once ruled by two feudal, ancient god families who had closed themselves off from the world. One god family called themselves the "Tianjin Gods," and were deities transformed from local humans; the other god family were the land gods of the island nation, mainly deities transformed from natural spirits.
When the massive anti-Old God revolution was about to sweep into this small Far Eastern country, about to force the Old Gods to end their isolation and open their doors, the two Old God clans that jointly ruled Japan had to discuss what to do.
The ancient land gods believed that they should fight the new gods; in fact, there was no reason not to fight.
And what about Tianjin Shen?
They made a historic decision, unprecedented in Japanese history—a decision that is ironically wonderful.
The gods of Tianjin have betrayed us.
They abandoned their relatives and brought in foreign capital. They became the vanguard, suppressing the land gods, slaughtering their tribe, and annihilating all those who dared to disobey.
In this way, the Amatsu gods obtained sovereignty over Japan from the Mithra group. As a reward for their timely allegiance to the Mithra group, they gained control over Japan under their rule.
These feudal Tianjin gods "evolved" into a new bourgeoisie, opening the country to learn capitalist methods and enabling the old landlords to quickly learn new ways of exploitation and establish companies. However, at the same time, this also led to the Tianjin gods being different from truly new god companies like the Mitra Group, never eradicating the feudal remnants within themselves, with obvious aftereffects.
In addition, the old Japanese land gods, betrayed by their own kin and almost wiped out, would obviously not let the matter rest.
Tonight is the night of the full moon.
The dark skyscraper was filled with the stench of death.
A girl who looked to be under twenty, wearing a gray armored coat, was strolling leisurely through the skyscraper. Her appearance was strange; her skin was as white as snow, and the left half of her hair was also snow-white, while the right half was ebony black.
She didn't seem to be someone with martial arts cultivation; her steps were light but lacked the solid aura of a cultivator. Yet, as she walked through the skyscrapers, corpses lay behind her.
Here are human corpses. Corpses hacked to death, shot, bitten, or beaten to death. Their empty eyes no longer reflect anything.
There were also the corpses of mountain spirits, monsters, and even demons here. There were creatures resembling humans, as well as monsters that looked like a combination of humans and wild beasts. They were all either slain or shot.
Numerous corpses lay intertwined and scattered throughout the skyscraper, while the girl walked forward with an air of nonchalant ease. Ignoring the horrific scene behind her, she entered an elevator located deep within the building.
This elevator's destination is the sky garden in front of the castle tower.
After a smooth, synthesized voiceover began to play, the cylindrical elevator started to rise, filled with relaxing orange lighting and the aroma of tea, while the melody of a piano background music played repeatedly.
Namo San! Was this once a beautiful office building? How has it become a battlefield littered with corpses?!
The girl in black and white clearly didn't care about such questions. The elevator quickly arrived at its destination. She strolled forward leisurely. This floor was truly a sky garden, complete with a stately waterway, plaza, bonsai cedar trees, tree walls, water features, and torii gates. Deep within the garden stood a towering Kyoto-style tiled-roof tower... the castle tower!
At the other end of the floor, right in front of you, is the castle tower!
But just as the girl was about to reach the foot of the tower—oops! More than a dozen ninjas suddenly jumped out from the shadows of the tower!
They didn't even give the girl a chance to say hello before unleashing a barrage of deadly shurikens like machine guns! How utterly despicable!
This girl doesn't seem to be a god. If hit by such machine gun-like killing shurikens, even a sturdy golem made of stone or steel would be pulverized like paper or wood; how could a living human body withstand it?
At the same time, however, the girl pulled a silver revolver from behind her waist with her right hand. While this weapon was easy to carry and use, its range and magazine capacity were both inadequate. What use was a revolver against a dozen ninjas and their machine-gun-like storm of killing shuriken?
it works.
For Hela, the necromancer/alchemist who is half-dead, the original performance of a gun has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not it is used as a weapon.
Her right hand casually pulled the trigger on a dozen or so ninjas, without ever aiming; her left hand, meanwhile, traced a path in the air with alchemical fire. A flash of lightning, and the alchemical flames instantly absorbed and melted all the incoming killing shuriken!
What she fired from her gun wasn't a physical lead bullet, but a dozen or so demonic bullets made of blood-red Styx energy! Since there was no need for a physical form, there was no need to consider the magazine capacity of the revolver! The blood-red demonic bullets automatically tracked the life force of the enemies in mid-air, tracing arcs as they chased after the hearts of the dozen or so ninjas!
For Hela, the necromancer/alchemist, the pistol is merely a magical tool for channeling energy and performing alchemical spells!
However, just as these dozen or so ninjas were about to die from having their hearts pierced by the Blood River Demon Bullet—
【no. 】
Suddenly, a helpless voice, audible only to Hela, rang in her ears.
We are here to negotiate on behalf of the company, not to kill.
The dozen or so magic bullets immediately changed direction, no longer aiming for the heart, but instead piercing through the right knees of the dozen or so ninjas, knocking them to the ground, where they struggled while clutching their wounds.
Hela holstered her pistol, but looked slightly displeased: "They jumped out and attacked before we even greeted them!"
[Isn't it said that ninjas can launch a sneak attack before greeting you?]
The dozen or so fallen ninjas, no longer daring to court death, hastily fled. Hela, too lazy to entangle with these pathetic losers, simply continued onward.
Crossing the courtyard, climbing the stairs, and pushing open the door, the view suddenly opened up before me. The spacious castle tower hall resembled a temple, with massive pillars and several wooden sculptures of ancient gods overlooking Hela. Countless lanterns emitted a purple glow, illuminating the statues with lifelike detail.
Deep within the hall stood a high platform resembling an altar. There was no one else around, only a young man dressed in white linen, sitting cross-legged on the platform, a shimenawa (a type of rope made of rice and wheat straw) wrapped around his waist.
Good evening, Takeminakata-sama.
Hela clasped her hands together in greeting to the young man.
"I have been appointed by the Japanese branch of the Mitra Group to represent that Peacock King in making peace."
Who would shoot and break a dozen legs the moment someone walks in to make peace?
Conversely, on the other hand, it was also the local deity's side that first had a dozen or so ninjas jump out and launch an attack. Therefore, the young male god sitting on the high platform did not dwell on this point.
“I represent the Peacock King, who is also one of the oldest gods on this land, so I will speak frankly as the messenger of the old god king.”
Hela didn't bother to say much more; she didn't seem like the right person to act as an envoy for negotiations. The reason the Mithra Group entrusted Hela with this task was simply because she was the only one with enough influence to represent the Peacock King.
As for why they didn't send the Peacock King himself as an envoy to negotiate peace... what sane god would dare let the Peacock King into their home, let alone stand before them? That would essentially put their life in the Peacock King's hands. Within seven steps, a single sword strike could defeat an entire nation.
“Takeminakata God, although Susanoo Company certainly hopes that all of you land gods will die out, Mitra Group actually hopes even more that a group of native gods who can counterbalance Amatsu God will survive.”
So Hela spoke slowly, yet very directly,
"You also know that I represent the ancient god, the Peacock King. Although you and he are not the same type of ancient god, he still has compassion and is willing to vouch for you. As long as you and the Suqianwu Company divide your territories and do not interfere with each other, the Mitra Group will change its propaganda about you and stop portraying you as devils. At the same time, it will also help maintain peace between the two sides."
"The Peacock King also told me that ancient land gods like you must undergo regular blood sacrifices to maintain clear consciousness and sharp wisdom in order to avoid the decay of your soul. The Tianjin gods also have similar but different defects, but after they accepted the technology investment from the Mithra Group, they are no longer trapped in the troubles of the past."
"Now, as long as you are willing to accept a peace based on the division of territory and your respective rule, the Mithra Group is also willing to teach you the immortality technology of the new gods. Why not?"
Did I ask you to be so blunt?
The Peacock King complained helplessly in Hela's ear, but Hela pretended not to hear and just looked up to wait for Takeminakata's reply.
After a long pause, the ancient god prince, who was sitting cross-legged on the high platform, slowly spoke: "Using such high-sounding words, talking about teaching technology, isn't it actually just to bind us?"
"Once we get used to the new Mithraian gods' technology that grants us immortality, and become accustomed to the nectar and jewels you provide, how can we possibly go back to the old days?"
The prince of the Japanese land god even chuckled self-deprecatingly at this point.
"Actually, it's impossible now. Even if small Japan were to kill all those traitors from the Amatsu Gods, it wouldn't be able to stop the industrial revolution brought about by the new capitalist gods around the world."
“Nothing in this world can ‘go back to the past.’ The wheels of history have already turned.” Hela shrugged. “You understand this principle, so why do you still risk your own life, your subordinates’ life, and the lives of your people to fall into evil?”
The Earth God Prince sneered, "Falling into evil? You say my way of fighting is evil? Then I ask you, what is the right way? You say my fighting and resistance is falling into evil, then your so-called right way is to let people cut down trees without restraint, build factories, fill in lakes, and plant crops?"
"It's been less than a century since you last came to negotiate peace. As far as I know, no fewer than a thousand kinds of natural life on the land of Japan have been wiped out by your righteous path. The same words were spoken to my father by the Amatsukami a hundred years ago, and I believed them then, only to see the collapse of Ashihara Province in return. Now the Mithra Group is saying the same thing to me again. Do you think I'll believe it?"
"Or is it that the Mitra Group has achieved a state of equality for all beings, and can achieve immortality without depriving others of resources?"
Well, of course that's impossible.
Where in this world is there a perpetual motion machine that exists on its own?
So Hela simply raised an eyebrow: "Wow, so you feudal old gods consider yourselves holy kings who treat everyone equally? I'm not from that era, but I've at least read books, my friend. Those who grow grain go hungry, those who weave cloth go cold. Were the farmers and people on this island happy three hundred years ago?"
The voice of the Earth God Prince turned cold and hard: "This is your arrogance. Get up when the sun rises and sleep when the sun sets. Be content with the food that heaven and earth provide. Don't ask for more. Accept the cycle of running out of food and dying, and your soul returning to the Yellow Springs. Is that not enough?"
噫
Even Hela almost laughed at this ancient god.
No way! Of course not!
"It seems there's no hope of making peace."
So she pulled a small black metal door from behind her waist and slapped it against her waist. Black belts immediately popped out from both sides of the black door and secured it firmly to Hela's waist.
"Actually, this is for the best. I didn't come here for peace in the first place."
The young girl, in the prime of her life, wore a joyful, even somewhat terrifyingly cruel expression.
"In that case, I'll kill you first to reduce the turmoil and collateral damage of the war. That's the right way."
The Earth God Prince also stood up from the high platform, but his expression still held some doubt: "You? You're not even a member of the New God Clan, just a slightly stronger mortal. Even if you're the Peacock King's envoy, how much power can you borrow from him to dare fight a true god?"
"You don't understand anything at all."
Hela shook her head.
"The new gods were able to defeat the old gods because they had more efficient energy manipulation techniques. You don't understand the meaning of this statement at all, let alone what so-called more efficient energy is."
The Earth God Prince immediately frowned: "What do you mean?"
"The so-called most efficient energy,"
Hela took a white USB drive from behind her waist, inserted it into her belt, and then announced loudly,
"It's love!"
Why is this place filled with love?!
But just as the Earth God was momentarily stunned, Hela pointed a finger to the sky and chanted a spell:
"I submit to the Most Victorious King, Samael the Peacock Angel! I have become your vessel!"
No sooner said than done. Before the Earth God could react, another black USB drive had already appeared out of thin air on his belt.
The Earth God Prince felt a chill run down his spine. It was a powerful, instinctive intuition: something extremely terrifying was about to happen!
So without saying a word, he transformed into a black dragon and opened his mouth to spit out a bolt of lightning at Hela!
But in reality, Hela is no longer there.
Instead, he was clad in armor. A suit of armor, black on the right and white on the left, covering his entire body, and not made of metal. He effortlessly blocked the lightning bolt spewed by the black dragon.
Moreover, the black and white armor constantly exudes a cold, yet helpless, aura of emptiness, enough to evoke the most terrifying nightmares and the most hidden fears.
If I had to describe it, it's so thick you can feel it through your skin—
The scent of death.
Even the smallest dragon or snake will change.
Having descended into divine possession and become one with Hela (beasone), the Peacock King opened his mouth and slowly spoke,
Matter changes, people change, everything in this world changes, even death is not absolute stillness. Death itself is change.
The old ways simply won't work in the new era. If you remain stubbornly ignorant, you'll only face death.
Faced with the Peacock King, a demon-slaying monster, the black dragon now felt the true meaning of ultimate fear.
But it did not back down. Instead, it gritted its teeth, mustered its courage, and let out a final roar: "In that case, your so-called new god era will surely come to an end!"
The Peacock King tilted his head: "That's only natural, why do you need to say more?"
This era, too, will eventually face its inevitable decline and fall. I eagerly await to see what the next era will bring.
Then the prince of the land god was killed by the Peacock King with a single sword stroke.
Since then, economic activities in the Japanese archipelago have been almost entirely controlled by corporate conglomerates led by Amatsukami, with the Mitra Group exerting influence behind the scenes.
Until today.
But the rebellious earth gods—those demons—still linger there, waiting in those cold, deep crevices. Their lifespans, far exceeding those of humans, bring with them far greater patience. They have witnessed the rise of dynasties and the destruction of empires.
The ancient gods wait. They wait in the darkest corners. They know that one day, when the stars are in their proper places…
...Something they hadn't even anticipated was about to happen.
————————————————————————
【grim Reaper】
【Grand Arcana, Card No. 13】
[Keywords: End, Transformation, Rebirth, Termination, Beginning of a New Phase]
One generation passes away, and another comes. Nothing on earth lasts forever.
Volume Four: Tomorrow's Corpses
103: Why have children?
One year and three months have passed since Angela came to Hayden's side.