Soul Severing

“As the God of Weapons, can all things be wielded as blades? Coupled with the immense strength of a God of War, it seems even the exaggerated act of turning a mountain into a sword is possible.” Watching Takemikazuchi-no-Kami directly drag a mountain peak and forge it into a sword, Miketsu remarked with a hint of awe. The power Takemikazuchi-no-Kami displayed before her was truly formidable, befitting his title as the strongest god beneath the Mihashira-no-uzunomiko.

“If it were the old me, who still needed a weapon to unleash my divine power, I might have been locked in a bitter struggle with you. But now, it’s uncertain who would win in the end. Unfortunately for you, you’ve met the current me…” Feeling the endless pressure of the mountain greatsword bearing down, Miketsu’s longbow of light began to transform. Its size suddenly surged, eventually forming a colossal blade of light a hundred meters long. Freed from the constraints of a physical weapon, Miketsu could now manipulate her divine power as she pleased. Previously, such a blade of light required Toga’s Narukami-ga to manifest, but now it was an effortless feat.

Miketsu swung the hundred-meter-long colossal blade of light forward. The mountain blade was instantly cleaved into two upon contact with the blade of light. Then… Miketsu swung the colossal blade of light again, bringing it down directly upon Takemikazuchi-no-Kami.

“Sword Body!!”

Seeing this, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami immediately discarded the half-mountain sword and channeled a vast amount of divine power to forcefully forge his flesh. Instantly, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami’s crimson skin reflected a metallic sheen all over his body.

At this moment, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami activated his Divine Domain as the God of Weapons to its fullest extent, transforming his body into the most robust and powerful weapon!

Thus, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami, his entire body transformed into a weapon, forcefully endured the colossal blade of light’s direct strike. He was pressed down by the blade, split directly downwards, and ultimately crashed into an entire mountain peak, which was cleaved into two from the middle. Afterward, Miketsu dispelled the colossal blade of light, and when Takemikazuchi-no-Kami reappeared, he was amidst the bisected mountain.

Lying weakly amidst a pile of rubble, the metallic traces on Takemikazuchi-no-Kami’s body rapidly faded, and even his crimson skin returned to its original color. Blood flowed from various wounds on his body. Although he had withstood Miketsu’s blade of light attack, he seemed to have paid an immense price.

“Quite tough, aren’t you?” Floating in the air, Miketsu calmly remarked, looking at the disheveled Takemikazuchi-no-Kami below. The resilience Takemikazuchi-no-Kami displayed now surpassed even the shielded warships of the Lunar Capital. Though, defending against that single blow had almost depleted his divine power.

Within the mountain, atop the rubble, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami slowly staggered to his feet, his body broken and weak. He raised his head and once again looked towards Miketsu in the sky. Even covered in blood, his expression of anger and majesty remained unchanged. He opened his mouth, speaking with weak gasps.

“Kura, Kura… Uka… no-Mitama-no-Mikoto… you… have committed a great sin. Now you must pay the price, the most terrible price…”

Seeing Takemikazuchi-no-Kami, staggering and barely able to speak, still using harsh words and showing no sign of submission or fear, Miketsu couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Was this Takemikazuchi-no-Kami’s divine virtue? As a being embodying the God of Thunder, God of War, God of Heavenly Punishment, and God of Weapons, his divine virtue must have endowed him with an incredibly fierce and ruthless character. He executed Takamagahara’s will with merciless majesty, and even when beaten to such a desperate state, he showed not a shred of fear or retreat.

Even these Modern Gods, bound within mythology, possessing power incomparable to mortals, forever lived within a false worldview and pre-set personalities.

In a sense, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami was also a tragic figure.

“You’re in this state, and you still won’t give up?” Miketsu slowly asked, looking at Takemikazuchi-no-Kami struggling below. He answered directly.

“Give up? Hmph… What a joke. I am Takemikazuchi-no-Kami… How can I retreat! Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto, though I don’t know where you learned so many evil arts to push me to this point, don’t think you’ve won yet…”

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami steadied himself, swaying, and extended his hand. A slit opened in his palm, from which a gleaming, cold blade emerged.

“Futsunomitama…”

From Takemikazuchi-no-Kami’s hand, a simple longsword extended. The moment Takemikazuchi-no-Kami gripped the longsword, his demeanor underwent a subtle change. Seeing this, Miketsu’s brows furrowed slightly.

In Miketsu’s eyes, the instant Takemikazuchi-no-Kami gripped the iron sword named Futsunomitama, the world underwent a subtle shift.

The chaotic Thread of Causality in Miketsu’s eyes exhibited an unusual deviation due to Futsunomitama’s appearance.

“Now, witness this divine sword, born with me, and its unparalleled divine ability! Even if you possess immense divine power, you cannot contend with it!”

As Takemikazuchi-no-Kami spoke, he gripped Futsunomitama with both hands, raising it high, preparing to strike down. Although there was no one directly in front of Takemikazuchi-no-Kami at this moment, it was impossible for this single slash to hit anything.

‘Take this, Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto, this is my final strike…’

Thinking this, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami stared intently at Miketsu in the sky. His gaze focused on Miketsu’s fair neck.

Takemikazuchi-no-Kami, also known as Takefutsu-no-Kami and Toyofutsu-no-Kami… The term ‘futsu’ is actually an onomatopoeia, mimicking the sound of a head being severed by a sword.

In Yamato Mythology, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami was born from the blood that splattered when Totsuka-no-Tsurugi severed the head of Kagutsuchi-no-Mikoto, the Fire God. Therefore, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami is a deity born from decapitation. His most fundamental Divine Domain is not that of the God of Thunder, nor the God of War or the God of Weapons, but rather… the God of Decapitation…

Decapitation is a hidden Divine Dmain, concealed beneath his glorious Divine Domains as the God of Thunder, God of Armies, God of War, and God of Weapons. He materialized the power of this Divine Doamin, forming a divine sword that was born with him. This is… Futsunomitama-giri.

When wielding Futsunomitama, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami returns to his most fundamental Divine Domain. As the God of Decapitation, he possesses an incredibly domineering ability.

That is… when the Futsunomitama sword strikes, the enemy’s head will surely be severed!

Ignoring defense, ignoring speed, ignoring distance… merely by the act of ‘striking down,’ the enemy’s head will inevitably fall.

This is Takemikazuchi-no-Kami’s most powerful killing move, and also the one he least likes to use. This kind of technique resembles the demonic sorcery he disdains, more akin to the methods of an evil god, and inconsistent with his widely known image as the God of Heavenly Punishment.

But now, facing Miketsu, whom he could not defeat by any other means, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami brought out this technique.