In legend, an eight-headed, eight-tailed calamity once ravaged the mortal realm, demanding blood sacrifices from all living things. One of the Mihashira-no-uzunomiko, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, used divine sake to intoxicate the beast before slaying it with the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Within its serpent tail, he discovered a resilient, divine blade. After bringing it to Takamagahara and presenting it to Amaterasu, it was eventually bestowed back to the mortal realm. This was the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, one of the Three Sacred Treasures.
Ousu no Mikoto was an imperial prince from hundreds of years ago, a figure existing in the hazy border between myth and history, during a time before the Yamato Court’s influence spanned the entire Japanese archipelago. Rumors claimed he had slain his own elder brother and led armies to conquer the enemies of the Yamato Court in every direction. It was even said that at the Ise Grand Shrine, where Amaterasu Omikami is enshrined, he was granted the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. With it, he established glorious military achievements, and his descendants became the direct ancestors of the current Emperor.
From the moment she saw the stories of Ousu no Mikoto in the archives of the Onmyoryo, Miketsu had almost immediately linked him to the ancient warrior claiming to be a Divine Messenger. It wasn't just because every detail of Ousu no Mikoto’s life matched her deductions about the messenger’s identity; it was because this theory simultaneously confirmed the origin of that sinister sword and the purpose behind the messenger's actions.
If the Divine Messenger was indeed Yamato-takeru-no-Mikoto, the legendary prince and hero of the Yamato Court from centuries past, then the sword overflowing with malice in his hand had to be the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. In mythology, this was the weapon Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the father of the Inari God, had pulled from the tail of the Yamata no Orochi. Logically, as a part of the great serpent’s body, it made sense for it to possess such a wicked power. Furthermore, according to the Divine Messenger's behavior, almost all of his power was derived from the evil blade, which aligned perfectly with the legends of Yamato Takeru.
Based on these points, Miketsu formed a bold hypothesis: after the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi left the possession of Susanoo and Amaterasu, it lost the suppression of their divine power, allowing the serpent's will within to awaken and corrupt its human wielder, Yamato Takeru!
"Hahaha... I didn't expect that you, Owl, were more than just a simple yokai warrior. To have such an understanding of human history and find clues to my identity from it..." Yamato Takeru laughed heartily, looking directly at Miketsu. His candid attitude was essentially a confirmation of her guess, yet he didn't seem at all displeased by the exposure of his identity.
"I merely read a few books; it's nothing worth mentioning. I am, however, quite curious about you. As a paragon of human glory, why would you willingly submit to an ancient evil that was already slain? Is it because of that sword’s influence?" Miketsu asked sternly, her eyes fixed on the man before her.
"Heh... What use is 'human glory'? Can it grant me extraordinary power and immortality as I have now? The Lord Deity gave me what the Court and Takamagahara could not. Naturally, I shall follow the Lord Deity with my whole heart and soul!" Yamato Takeru replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Miketsu was momentarily stunned by his response.
She had initially assumed his transformation into a follower of the serpent was due to the residual consciousness within the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi deceiving him. But looking at him now, it seemed that wasn't the whole story. His own character was deeply flawed. Then again, it made sense—rumor had it he killed his brother over a trivial matter, and many of his later deeds were far from honorable. Perhaps it was his own internal darkness that allowed the serpent's will to take root in the first place...
"After being slain and extinguished for so long, can the serpent still possess such power to grant you blessings?" Miketsu asked, her voice tinged with doubt. He answered without hesitation.
"You are mistaken. How could the Lord Deity be extinguished by those false gods of Takamagahara? He was merely sealed by a despicable conspiracy. As the true master of this land, He shall eventually return to the world!" As he spoke, Yamato Takeru tightened his grip on the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and raised it high.
"False gods of... Takamagahara? Do you even know what you're saying?" Miketsu’s heart skipped a beat. Weren't the inhabitants of Takamagahara righteous deities like herself? To hear them branded as 'false gods' by Yamato Takeru was jarring.
"I know exactly what I am saying. Hypocritical deities are not fit to rule this world. One day, they shall all fall, and the world will welcome back its original master. To ensure that day comes, you shall be the first to be destroyed here..." Even as he spoke, Yamato Takeru gripped the sinister blade tighter. Its purple-red light flashed brilliantly, and a chaotic aura of malice swept through the underground chamber like a gale.
"Witness the power of the Lord Deity—Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi!"
Watching the warrior brandishing the evil sword, Miketsu silently tightened her grip on the Demonic Fang Blade, and a storm of demonic energy erupted from it.
...
In the dense forest above the White Tiger Altar, the massive Tsuchigumo continued its tireless, frenzied rampage. It lashed out at Mokou, Menreiki, and the others who circled it in the air, launching constant attacks. Although the monster leveled vast swaths of forest and shattered rock, its efforts yielded little result. In its maddened state, the Tsuchigumo lacked the precision to swat these annoying "mosquitoes" out of the sky. Conversely, these "mosquitoes" were finding it extremely difficult to kill the beast.
"Tsk... This thing is way too tough! If I can only burn the shell, I can't set it on fire at all. In fact, it feels like this guy's shell is getting harder and harder!" Mokou complained loudly, soaring on her wings of flame.
"Its armor... has indeed grown sturdier. After being damaged and regenerating, it becomes even stronger," Menreiki said softly, flying amidst her tattered mask fragments. She could clearly sense that the cracks left by her Seven-colored Danmaku were becoming smaller. As the Tsuchigumo’s damaged carapace and limbs were continuously repaired by the sinister energy, they became increasingly resilient, causing the team's attacks to gradually lose their effectiveness.
"Dammit... At this rate, will it eventually just ignore our attacks completely? If it can just disregard us, how are we supposed to keep it pinned down?!" Mokou spat another jet of fire in frustration. If their attacks ceased to have any effect, their containment mission would be a total failure.
"We can't keep going like this. To deal with this thing, we need to gather our strength and strike its weak point all at once. We need to pierce right through and destroy it from the inside!" Makoto, flying nearby, finally spoke up.
"Pierce through? Even for a weak point, how much power would we need to gather to break through this thing's bulk? Besides, it’s not exactly going to stand still and let us hit it... We need more help!" Mokou said, glancing back toward the distance. Far off in the forest, the many Onmyoji of the Onmyoryo and the yokai under Owl’s command had finished dealing with the Servant Spirits and were rushing toward the battlefield.
Rate on N.U.
