Hearing this, Seiya revealed a genuine smile.
"Then I'll be waiting for you." With that, the golden sword fell.
The incantation-sword that could cleave divinity completely sealed the Giant God-Soldier here. And at this time, Ena Seishuin, who had been bound within, finally struggled to climb out. The corner of Seiya's eye swept lightly over her, and over the members of the Seishuin clan.
"You are the family of ritual officers who serve the God of Steel?" Seiya asked.
From among the anxious and terrified crowd, an old woman stepped forward. She glanced only for an instant at the Giant God-Soldier nailed to the ground, then maintained a respectful posture and addressed the God-slaying Rakshasa. "We are humbled and terrified. We are but a sinful clan that has not basked in the radiance of the God-slaying Rakshasa."
Ran Seishuin used the same words of flattery she had used for the Old Gentleman to flatter the man before her. But this young God-slaying Rakshasa was noncommittal to her words, flatly giving an order she had never expected.
"Then prepare the secret rite to summon the God of Steel. Let Him appear before me in His strongest form."
For a moment, the members of the Seishuin clan thought they had misheard. But soon, as if to confirm it, Seiya's expression changed for the first time. He maintained his posture of gazing into the distance and spoke in a tone that contained a certain belittling quality.
"No matter what kind of ceremony, no matter how precious the ritual site, or even if it requires the large-scale mobilization of a Hime-Miko mandala, prepare it all for Him. I want Him to be in a state of absolute victory, so I can trample his dignity underfoot."
After a moment of astonishment, the Seishuin clan understood Seiya's intention.
Certainly, Susanoo could continue to hide in the spirit world, to hide in a place no one could find. But if he did, he would completely lose all face to live in this world.
Gods are arrogant. Even a god who has lost his madness, like Susanoo, still maintains a fundamental arrogance. To be sought out by Seiya, and to have his challenge for revenge publicly declared, only for Seiya to turn around and prepare the conditions for his absolute victory—the Seishuin clan even believed that if Susanoo were willing to ask, Seiya would even allow him to choose the time and place.
Seiya was forcing his opponent, in this righteous and honorable manner, to engage in a death battle with him, the god-slaying beast who had trampled on the Old Gentleman's divine might.
—Dignity, or life?
For a human, there might be two choices. But for a god, from beginning to end, there was only one path to take.
In the spirit world, on this desolate mountain buffeted by storms, Susanoo also sensed the aura rushing towards him. Despite the distance of worlds between them, it was as if a sword were pointed at the space between his eyebrows, its edge terrifyingly sharp.
"To be forced into this situation... I'm being looked down upon by a young brat," Susanoo said, his voice filled with majesty and anger as he stood up.
But it was Tenkai Sōjō beside him who was anxious. He was just about to say something, but Susanoo stopped him with a raised hand. "If I remain unmoved, the gods will look down on me. Since that young God-slaying Rakshasa wants to return to Pandora so badly, then I shall grant him his wish!"
Seeing the Old Gentleman before him revealing his ferocious side, even Tenkai Sōjō, a living Buddha, was awed. Soon, he realized what this meant.
A gate to the void was pushed open, and from a strange country of islands spread across a sea of clouds, a weapon that was like a spear and a sword crossed the great thousand worlds and appeared in Susanoo's hand.
"Old friend, you've been waiting a long time too. Now I need you to cut off the head of a God-slaying Rakshasa for me." Susanoo gently stroked the humming blade.
—The Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, Ame-no-Habakiri.
This was a divine weapon that shone brightly in Japanese mythology. Its first owner was Izanagi, the father of the gods. The first time this sword displayed its power was to cut off the head of Kagutsuchi, the fire god whose birth had scorched the nether regions of his mother, the goddess Izanami, causing her death. At that time, from the blood that dripped from the sword's edge, three heavenly gods were born. From the blood on the hilt-guard, three more heavenly gods were born. And from the blood remaining on the hilt, two more heavenly gods were born. In legend, these were all gods related to the forging of the sword.
It was the demon-quelling sword that had defeated the Yamata no Orochi, the sword of the gods from which other gods were born, the ancestor of swords in Japanese mythology.
As Susanoo resolutely took a step forward, his figure became half-transparent, and even began to fade.
Although all he did was stride forward proudly—Tenkai Sōjō understood perfectly what kind of change had occurred in that moment. It represented his transformation from the reclusive Old Gentleman of the spirit world back into the Heretic God, Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
He had clearly retired from the stage for a thousand years, yet at this moment, he had once again become a Heretic God.
After having personally witnessed the strength of the God-slaying Pegasus, Seiya, according to Tenkai Sōjō's thinking, Susanoo should not have accepted this invitation. He should have even turned a deaf ear to the bold words he had previously uttered. After all, in the myths, he had a side as a fickle and inconsistent evil god.
In any case, this breed of god-slaying beasts was born for battle and would die in battle. It was just a matter of enduring for a few hundred more years. But as a monk who had known Susanoo for four hundred years, he also knew that this ancient God of Steel would not return to the form of a Heretic God without being certain of victory.
He must have a trump card that could decide the battle, perhaps even more than one. What would happen next, as a living Buddha in the realm of the undying, he had to clearly imprint into his eyes.
The living Buddha, who should have eliminated all emotions, felt a fear of the unknown welling up in his heart, as well as—anticipation.
In contrast, a change was occurring in the mortal world.
Hmm? Seiya, still in Tokyo, suddenly looked up to the northwest, a slightly astonished expression on his face.
The magical power of 'reverence' and 'fear' that permeated this land, this Far Eastern country, was in a single instant surging towards a certain point in the northeast, transforming into an even more sacred power.
Even the country itself was gradually transforming into a divine sanctuary belonging to a god as that aura sprouted.
"So you have that much courage, Susanoo," Seiya said with a genuine smile. "Very good. Keeping a promise is a virtue of the gods."
He didn't need the Saint's charity at all. As the Old Gentleman who had hidden in the spirit world and controlled this country from behind the scenes for a thousand years, Susanoo had long ago prepared a secret rite for himself to become a Heretic God in his complete form at any time. And the location was now in Shimane, the former Izumo Province.
Seiya waved for the Seishuin clan to no longer suppress the Ame-no-Murakumo. This divine artifact was originally a medium Seiya had prepared to forcibly summon Susanoo. Since Susanoo had taken this step on his own initiative, Seiya naturally would not stand in its way.
Since He had made a promise, he would allow Susanoo to increase his strength in any way. If he truly had the ability to summon all the heavenly gods of Takamagahara through a great pact, he would not stand in the way either.
His figure transformed into a rushing light, descending upon the coast of Shimane Prefecture, which was shrouded in a gray mist. The moment he appeared, a surging tidal wave of black steel enveloped the Saint's entire body.
The divine steel destroyed the coast, cleaved the surface of the sea, and, with unstoppable momentum, destroyed the Oki Islands in front of it as well.
Tens of thousands of shattered rocks flew like cannonballs. And at this time, Susanoo finally revealed His true form.
"Get it straight, boy! You are the challenger!"
_____
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