"It was not limited to the ruling class. Even amongst the commoners there was a commingling of ethnicities and nations, and the mixing of Han and nomadic culture. Naturally, the pantheon of gods was also affected by this."
Led by Yuri's sensing, there was no need to aim precisely. Godou was immensely grateful for that since his brain felt as if it was burning to ashes.
"And then came the archetype of the complicated hybrid deity — rather, the epitome is the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong!"
The [Sword] passed through trees, traversed mountains, crossed rivers and plains, and returned to town once again. The white flash penetrated all walls and obstacles in its path, slicing apart all the monkeys who were the Great Sage's underlings.
"Though Daoism, Buddhism and other mystic religions from China have many key differences, it is notable that the myths related to the Great Sage Equaling Heaven are particularly numerous. Most symbolic are the series of anecdotes including 'being born from stone', 'being scorched by the cauldron's fire', 'having a body of steel', etc."
The sacred flashing light raced across the lands beneath the morning glow.
This was the birth scene of a new ruler to replace the abominable monkey king.
"These myths are all common themes for the heroes of [Steel]. Born from stone, burnt in a furnace, obtaining immortality — namely, the body of steel. This is the process of a sword's forging. The furnace smelts iron ore to produce steel, and steel is forged into a sword. So-called heroes of steel are actually swords, or in other words, living sword gods!"
Severed by the solar [Sword], the people were all liberated from the rule of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.
They returned to human form once more.
Japanese monkeys, gibbons, chimpanzees, orangutans, mountain gorillas, etc —
All sorts of monkeys disappeared in an instant, and as if reborn, turned back into male and female, old and young. The time it took to bring salvation to everyone was most likely four or five minutes. This swiftness was only possible due to the light speed weapon.
Through Yuri's psychic sensing, Godou felt all the restored people collapse in deep slumber.
Standing in the plains of Senjougahara, Godou breathed out deeply in relief, knowing that all the people in the area had been saved.
Furthermore, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven gradually decreased his speed. What was he planning? The knights were careful not to lose their guard.
Finally out of god speed and returned to normal levels, the Great Sage leaped down from his golden cloud.
Standing right in front, he stared straight at Godou's face.
"Kusanagi, you... And these annoying humans, please remind yourself you are just flunkies! Be gone from my sight!"
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven roared at Liliana who kept shooting at him, as well as Erica who blocked his advance, sending the two Great Knights flying just like that.
"Hohoho... Eliminating all my underlings and returning them to human form, eh... How amazing, you did well! Hmph hmph, hohoho! It makes my blood boil."
The golden-gaze fiery-eyes were burning, and the red eyeballs and golden pupils flashed brightly.
"The miko I took away from you is right here."
Appearing from the Great Sage Equaling Heaven's right hand was a transparent sphere, as small as a golf ball. Inside the sphere, Mariya Hikari was lying down in her miko outfit as if asleep.
"Even if things have come to this... I still have many ways to deal with you. Let's say, for example, I will crush this fellow here like a bug if you dare resist."
The Great Sage swallowed the sphere containing Hikari and licked his lips.
"But I won't do that. Let's have an exhilarating fight with our weapons and fists to prove who is the strongest. That is the most important! Come, come and hurry! Let us decide who is the victor, and if you want to take back this little lady, slice open my belly!"
Pointing the Ruyi Staff at Godou, the Great Sage yelled.
"That is my plan right from the very start! Except it includes them as well!"
Standing beside Godou were the red and blue Great Knights, as well as Yuri assisting him using psychic sensing from the side. Leading them, Godou retorted without holding back:
"These people are all a part of me... They are my essential companions for defeating you. I will fight alongside them to put an end to you, and I won't allow you to call them flunkies!"
"I can't believe you indulge your lust to this degree... Fine, whatever, watch me, the Great Sage, send you all flying with a kick!"
The Great Sage stuck his Ruyi Staff into the ground.
Appearing out of the ground were the same sort of giant monkeys as seen before. This time there were nine! The appearance of these formidable foes made Erica and Liliana swallow a few quick breaths, while Yuri's consciousness also began to show signs of fear.
(...Ena expected this to happen from the start. So Your Majesty, please. Lend it — please lend Ena's partner to Ena to use!)
Godou suddenly heard a 'voice' which carried thoughts from the sword hidden in his right arm. Godou took notice immediately.
"Partner... Is it that fellow?"
Due to the request, Godou realized there could be no other possibility. Perhaps because the former user was under [Protection], Godou could now feel its existence more tangibly than usual.
Godou relaxed his right arm and passed the right of usage over. It went without saying that the name of the sword was —
"Come, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi! The imperial sword granted by my king, now is the time for it to be swung!"
With the sudden rise of wind, a loud and clear voice reverberated in the surroundings.
In the area before the giant monkeys — the underlings of the Great Sage, the wind gathered into a tornado, and the miko appeared in its center.
The Hime-Miko of the Sword — Seishuuin Ena.
Wearing the official attire of a miko outfit with chihaya, she held the nostalgic black divine blade in her hand. Her body was also infused with double the normal amount of Susanoo's divine power! Was this strengthened as a result of Verethragna's protection!?
"Yamato Yamato, elite of the nation, endless rolling green mountains, encircled by the walls of the summit, beautiful Yamato!"
Ena's spell words caused strong wind to blow. The destructive gales pinned down the giant monkeys, immobilizing them.
"Yaaaaaaaaaah!"
With a high-pitched yell, Ena charged forth to attack.
The gales easily imprisoned the giant apes, as befitting of the divine messenger of the god of storms. Faced against these enemies restrained by the strong wind, she ran forward as if completely unaffected by the wind herself.
Casually jumping onto the lower leg of one of the giant apes, she stabbed her partner into her enemy's weak point.
ROOOOAAAAAAR! The giant ape screamed in pain.
Ena proceeded to jump nimbly, flying high in the air she slashed Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi horizontally. This cleanly severed the carotid artery of the giant ape, slaying it immediately. Slicing through the critical weaknesses of the enemy, Ama no Murakumo destroyed a divine beast on the level of dragons.
Ena used the same method and cut down the giant apes one after another. Though the giant apes were poor in reacting, they were still able to mount an effective defense by the time Ena slew the third one.
Taking a deep breath, the giant apes inhaled the violent wind controlled by Ena, finally countering the intense gales and regaining their freedom. Ena must have been lying in ambush all this time for the sake of this surprise attack.
However, in terms of overall numbers, the odds were still unfavorable.
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven and six giant monkeys remained as their enemies. Thus the bleak second round began.
Part 4
The intense sound of battle woke Mariya Hikari from her slumber.
There were weapons flying back and forth all around and the chanting of spell words.
"The custom of regarding swords as gods, first originated from the nomadic equestrian tribe that invented, passed down, and spread their culture."
Hikari heard a familiar voice, chanting the spell words for slicing gods apart.
This was the voice of Kusanagi Godou — the youth loved by Hikari's various Onee-samas.
"That tribe was the Scythians, a fierce people from which the culture of nomadic equestrian herdsmen was born."
Every time he finished chanting a verse, the white-colored sun released a flash of light.
Creating formless blades for severing a god, these laser beams streaked across empty space at the speed of light. Furthermore, these horrifying weapons stacked up on one another to begin a continuous series of rapid and heavy attacks.
"That was not all that the Scythians invented. They were also a tribe skilled in forging iron. Precisely because they excelled at forging iron, the sword gods of steel were born."
Simultaneous slicing attacks came from four directions — up, down, left, and right, together with a triple series of attacks separated by timed delays.
"Herodotus was the first to record in history the name of the Scythians, and their use of the sword as the symbol of the Scythian war god Ares. The sword that stands upon the great earth, is the true artifact that stands in history as the symbol of the god of war!"
The continuous attacks of complicated flashing lights displayed fierce momentum.
However, it was far too unbelievable how all these attacks continued to miss Hikari's body by the frighteningly slimmest of margins.
Standing on the golden cloud, flying and gliding in the air, the Great Sage used all sorts of techniques to evade Kusanagi Godou's attacks. Sometimes he did tricks in the air similar to stunt flying, while at other times he flew with all his strength, charging at maximum speed. To be able to dodge light speed attacks, it truly was god speed.
In terms of pure speed, the swords of light should be faster actually.
However, the difference in speed was not decisive, and could be compensated through flying technique, though just barely.
...Right, the one fighting Kusanagi Godou was not Hikari.
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, had swallowed Mariya Hikari within his body.
"Acala's sharp sword is also one of them! The common theme of 'the sword god standing upright upon the earth', having scattered amongst the legends in various lands, east and west of the ocean, underwent various changes in the elaboration of the sword god's imagery!"
"Hahahahahaha! Correct, that's the truth!"
"Take for example a sword that had just been forged, which needs to undergo the operation of cooling by water. This takes form in the stories of heroes appearing after a passage through water. Achilles became the invincible hero having bathed in the River Styx of Hades; bathed in dragon's blood, Siegfried became the invulnerable hero as well, and you — Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, are the same as them!"
"Yes! In my case, there are the peaches, the Bagua Cauldron and the elixirs!"
"Thus the creation story of the Scythian sword god was passed down the ages, as proof of Sun Wukong being the war god of steel! Not only combining Daoism with Buddhism, but even the sword god legend from the nomadic equestrian tribes, the strongest hybrid was born! This is your prototype!"
"Kusanagi brat, well done! But so what!?"
The Great Sage Equaling Heaven scoffed at the Campione who was composing the spell words.
"Light as well as the sword of spell words... This move of yours may be a stroke of genius, but I have also understood one point. While you are using this move, your body is full of openings! Are you able to stop the ferocious attacks of Old Sun here!?"
The Great Sage nonchalantly made his cloud accelerate, and charged at Kusanagi Godou.
He had been protected by the three girls all this time. But now the one who took up this mission was —
"Come near now, and kiss me, my son. Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven!"[77]
It was Erica alone. Reciting the incantation for strengthening defense, she rushed over at the same time.
Stepping between Godou and the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Using the shield with reinforced durability to take on the Ruyi Staff's attack on behalf of her lord.
"Oooh—"
The glamorous and beautiful girl's face became distorted, most likely due to suffering the substantial impact on the shield.
Her knees began to lose strength and collapse, but she still resisted with all her might, continuing to guard her lord. The other two — Ena and Liliana were currently battling the group of divine beasts.
Of the nine giant apes only two remained. Spitting fire, blowing strong gusts of wind, they sent Ena flying despite her current state of divine possession. Liliana ran over to help at this time, using a cooperative strategy to defeat their enemies. She used arrows to provide cover for Ena to mount an attack on the retreating giant apes, and aimed at the weaknesses of those overly focused on Ena.
If these giant apes were left alone, they would instantly charge at the Campione, which is why the two girls must hold them off. This meant that only Erica was left to protect Godou. It was an arduous battle indeed.
"That's right, one of the homelands of the Scythians, the Caucasus is... Guh..."
"Godou!?"
The youth controlling the light began to feel a sense of dizziness. He had once explained that the incarnations usurped from the Warlord Verethragna could only be used one at a time, but now he was using two simultaneously. This must be greatly straining his body.
Taking advantage of this opening, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven plucked two strands of fur from his body and fired them like needles, striking each of the two underlings that were fighting against Ena and Liliana.
ROOAAR!! The giant apes were greatly roused. Accompanying the sound of roars, one of them charged at Ena while the other aimed its attack at Liliana who was trying to maintain the distance and firing arrows!
Its movements were even faster than before! The massive body over 10m tall was running with speed akin to lightning.
"Watch me end you with one slice of my sword! Haaaaaah!"
As one of the giant monkeys hammered its fist down upon Ena's head, the Hime-Miko of the Sword jumped to the side and evaded. Then with a single flash of Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, the counterattack amputated the divine beast's fist by severing the wrist.
This terrifying sword technique, which could only be performed by using Susanoo's divine blade, sent blue-colored blood splattering everywhere. However, this blood began to combust after it splashed upon Ena's body. As if oil had been added to a fire, the miko outfit and the chihaya, stained by the fresh blue blood, began to burn intensely.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Ena screamed in agony as the giant ape followed up with a massive swing of its left hand. Squashed between the ground and the giant ape's palm, the Hime-Miko was immobilized with pain.
"Wah!? Damn it... It's not over that easily!"
Vomiting blood, Ena summoned a whirlwind.
The whirlwind swept upwards, like sword blades that have been sharpened to incredible levels — the kamaitachi.[78]
The invisible sickle blades severed the giant ape's blood vessels, tendons and shins. Without even the chance to cry out, the giant ape turned into a pile of sand and collapsed.
Having obtained victory, Ena used the wind to extinguish the remaining fire on the miko outfit.
However, pushing herself to this point was the absolute limit and she laid herself down on the ground and remained motionless in complete exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Liliana planned to use the silver arrows to halt the advance of the second giant ape. Firing arrows into its left eye, shoulder and bulging chest, Liliana succeeded in making the giant ape give off roars of anger and pain, but it was not enough. Already approaching near, the giant ape suddenly reached out with its right hand and caught Liliana.
The slender fairy
's body was caught by a monster like King Kong. Having captured Liliana, the giant ape held its fist tight with all its might.
"Guuh... And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian—"[79]
With no other strength to support her but a Great Knight's pride, Liliana continued to recite spell words in spite of her condition. As a result of her struggling efforts, light descended from the heavens onto the blue knight.
"And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire."[80]
GAAAAAH! Incredibly, the giant ape wailed with suffering, relaxing its grip that was about to crush Liliana to death.
"And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses."[81]
Liliana was being surrounded by blue light as she readied her bow with a solemn expression.
This was not just the sight of a soldier but a paladino and a saint. With such an air that would compel people to sing praises in her name, Liliana set a silver arrow onto the bowstring.
The giant ape spewed forth intense flames from its mouth, but the sacred vestments worn by Liliana were completely free from damage. While resisting the flames, she shot the arrow into the giant ape's mouth. The impressively-built body of the giant ape instantly scattered into sand which blew away with the wind. However, Liliana too, had reached her absolute limits.
Having displayed overwhelming power, Liliana collapsed forward and remained motionless.
"Lily... So you used the Smiting spell words. That's right, in our current state, it is possible to use that secret ritual — And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them!"[82]
Having witnessed her childhood friend's valorous battle, Erica also chanted a new incantation.
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