PDLP Chapter 217 That sword strike... was terrifying!
Chapter 217 That sword strike... was terrifying!
now.
Abe Shōkichi stood at the edge of the crash site in Izumo City, watching the barrier slowly dissipate before him, and a blurry outline within the barrier.
That was a head.
Even through the barrier, even with only a blurry outline visible, Abe Shōkichi could sense that the aura emanating from that head was many times stronger than that from the severed arm.
That aura...
Ancient, primitive, and brutal.
It carried a kind of oppressive aura that made his very soul tremble.
Abe Shōkichi clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He had a premonition—once he could see the head clearly, everything would be revealed.
Time passed by, second by second.
The sky grew darker and darker.
From the mountains and forests came the cries of night birds, shrill and piercing, echoing through the empty valley, sending chills down one's spine.
Abe Shōkichi stood motionless, staring at the increasingly faint barrier.
The runes on the barrier are extinguishing one by one.
With each one extinguished, the barrier dims a little more.
The outline of that head became clearer and clearer.
Abe Shōkichi's heart was beating faster and faster.
almost.
Soon.
at last.
Midnight.
The last rune extinguished silently.
The barrier has completely disappeared.
boom!
An extremely violent aura erupted from the center of the barrier, like a volcanic eruption!
The aura was so strong, so fierce, so violent...
In an instant, the ground within a radius of 100 meters was shaken and cracked!
Dust filled the air, obscuring the sky and the moon!
Abe Shōkichi felt a tremendous force strike him, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. He felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood!
He staggered back a few steps, knelt on one knee, and barely managed to steady himself.
The screams of agony echoed in my ears.
He looked up abruptly, glanced around, and his heart sank to the bottom.
The soldiers who were on guard duty were all lying on the ground.
Blood flowed from his seven orifices, his whole body convulsed, and he soon fell silent.
died.
They're all dead.
Those members of the Yin-Yang Bureau, though still alive, all suffered injuries of varying degrees.
Abe Shōkichi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stumbled forward.
"Sir!" someone shouted from behind, "Danger! You can't go any further!"
Abe Shōkichi ignored him.
His entire attention was focused on the center of the impact point.
There, as the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, a huge outline emerged.
Abe Shōkichi staggered as he walked over step by step.
Every step was taken very slowly.
Every step was taken with great difficulty.
at last.
He walked closer.
I see it clearly now.
It was a head.
It was about the size of a millstone.
The facial features are clear and lifelike.
On that face, the eyes were wide open, the pupils filled with fear and despair.
Abe Shōkichi stared at that face.
That face—
With sharp features, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes, even amidst fear and despair, one could still discern the majesty he possessed in life.
That face—
It was exactly the same as the statue of Susanoo, one of the three noble gods of Takamagahara, enshrined in Susanoo Shrine in his memory!
Abe Shōkichi froze on the spot.
My mind went blank with a sudden bang.
Susanoo.
This is Susanoo!
The Three Noble Gods of Gao Tianyuan!
Susanoo, who slew the Yamata no Orochi!
One of the most powerful deities in the mythology of the Land of the Rising Sun!
His head...
How did I end up here?
How could this be...?
Only a head remained?
Standing there, Abe Shokichi felt like the sky had fallen.
He had been waiting all this time.
Waiting for the gods to return.
When the cherry blossom country rises again.
Wait until those who once looked down on them kneel down and beg for mercy.
But now...
Susanoo's head appeared before him.
The eyes on that head were filled with fear and despair.
Those are the eyes of a god.
Those are Susanoo's eyes.
fear.
despair.
What is He afraid of?
What is He despairing about?
Abe Shōkichi stood there, his mind buzzing.
Behind them, the terrified screams of the Onmyoji could be heard.
"That's...that's..."
"Susanoo! That's Lord Susanoo!"
"How could this be... how could this happen..."
"Gods...could it be that the gods..."
His voice was filled with disbelief.
It's filled with a sense of collapse, as if my worldview has been shattered.
Some people started to tremble, some started to vomit, and some collapsed to the ground with empty eyes.
These people are all elites of the Yin-Yang Bureau.
But at this moment, they all broke down.
The scene before them completely overturned all their understanding.
The deity of the land of cherry blossoms, the noble god of Takamagahara, Susanoo...
Only a head remained.
Moreover, the expression on that head was one of fear.
It is despair.
What kind of being could make Susanoo show such an expression?
At that moment, Abe Shōkichi stood there, feeling his faith crumbling bit by bit.
Just then.
He could vaguely see that the head's mouth was opening and closing, as if it were saying something.
But the sound was very low and faint.
Mixed in the wind, it was almost impossible to hear.
Abe Shōkichi was taken aback.
Then, he took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and stepped forward.
He walked to the front of the head, knelt down, and kowtowed.
With his forehead pressed against the cold ground, he pricked up his ears and listened intently.
The sound gradually became clearer.
It is a single character.
A word that is repeatedly repeated.
"Sword...sword...sword..."
Abe Shokichi's heart clenched.
sword?
What sword?
He continued listening.
The head's mouth opened and closed even faster.
The sound became clearer.
"The sword...it's so terrifying...that sword strike...it was so terrifying..."
Abe Shokichi stood frozen in place.
In my mind, an image of a giant golden sword traversing the sky flashed into my mind instantly.
That sword.
Expel all citizens of the Cherry Blossom Country.
That sword.
Susanoo, is he referring to that sword strike?
Abe Shōkichi knelt on the ground, his whole body trembling.
He thought that the sword strike had only stripped him of his citizenship in the Sakura Kingdom.
But now he knows.
The impact of that sword strike was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
Even a god like Susanoo was slashed like this by that sword.
That Takamagahara...
still there?
The gods of the land of cherry blossoms...
still there?
Abe Shōkichi dared not even think about it.
But he couldn't help thinking about it.
If even Susanoo is reduced to just a head, what about Amaterasu?
What about Tsukuyomi Nobunaga?
What about the other gods?
They...
still there?
As Abe Shōkichi knelt on the ground, he felt as if he were slowly sinking into an abyss.
He realized that he couldn't see any future for the Sakura Country at all.
Just then.
The head's eyes suddenly moved.
Those eyes, filled with fear and despair, suddenly turned to Abe Shokichi!
Abe Shōkichi froze.
The moment he was stared at by those eyes, he felt as if he were being locked onto by some terrifying being, unable to even move a finger.
then.
A woman's voice echoed in his mind.
The sound was very soft.
Very ethereal.
It sounded like it was coming from a very, very far place.
It carries an irresistible majesty.
"Take Susanoo to the nearest shrine and sacrifice three hundred boys and girls every day, while we await the opportune moment."
Abe Shōkichi was stunned.
Young boys and girls?
Sacrifice?
He opened his mouth, as if to ask something.
But the sound had already disappeared.
That head, too, closed its eyes.
Even that violent aura instantly subsided.
Just like...
It was as if nothing had happened.
Abe Shōkichi knelt on the ground, his mind a complete mess.
Child sacrifice...
Waiting for the right opportunity...
What does this mean?
Is there any hope for Susanoo?
Is there still hope for Japan?
Abe Shōkichi took a deep breath.
Then, he kowtowed heavily.
His forehead hit the cold ground with a dull thud.
a bit.
Two times.
Three times.
Then he stood up.
Behind him, a subordinate approached, trembling, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
"M-Master...what should we do now?"
Abe Shōkichi turned around and glanced at him.
He glanced at the others again.
Those people were all pale-faced, with empty eyes, and trembling all over.
Some slumped to the ground, some leaned against trees and retched, and some held their heads and muttered to themselves.
Abe Shōkichi's gaze gradually turned cold.
What's happening here must absolutely not be leaked.
Not a single word.
Otherwise, Japan will be completely finished.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at his subordinate.
"Come here."
His hands trembled as he took two steps forward and looked at him.
His eyes were filled with fear and confusion.
"Sir...sir..."
Abe Shōkichi did not speak, but simply raised his hand.
Click.
His subordinate's neck was broken.
His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was agape, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't say anything.
His body went limp and he fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Those who were still alive around were all stunned.
They looked at Abe Shōkichi, at the corpse lying on the ground, their faces filled with terror.
"My lord! You..."
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
But before he could finish speaking, Abe Shōkichi had already made his move.
His figure moved through the crowd like a ghost.
With each strike, a life is lost.
Some tried to resist, but their strength was far inferior to that of Abe Shōkichi.
Some people tried to escape, but they were caught and killed before they could run more than a few steps.
Screams, pleas for mercy, curses...
Wandering through the valley.
But soon, it fell silent.
Dozens of corpses lay scattered on the ground.
Blood stained the earth red, gleaming eerily in the moonlight.
Abe Shōkichi stood amidst the corpses, his body covered in blood.
He looked down at the corpses, at the wide-open eyes, at the expressions of terror.
Suddenly I realized that I was no different from them.
They are all ants.
They are all ants struggling in despair.
But even ants want to live.
Even ants yearn for hope.
Abe Shōkichi took a deep breath, channeled his inner power, and thrust a palm towards the corpses.
boom!
A ball of flame erupted from his palm, engulfing all the corpses.
The flames were extremely hot, and the body was quickly burned to ashes.
When the wind blows, the ashes scatter and fall to the ground, mixing with the dust and becoming indistinguishable.
Abe Shōkichi stood there, watching the ashes scatter, and remained silent for a long time.
Then he turned and walked toward the head.
The head lay quietly on the ground, eyes closed, motionless.
Abe Shōkichi took a deep breath, bent down, and picked up the head.
The head is very heavy.
It weighs several hundred kilograms.
But at that moment, Abe Shokichi felt no weight.
He simply held the head in his arms and walked out step by step.
Walk past the scorched marks, past the scattered ashes, past the land stained with blood.
He simply held the head in his arms and walked out step by step.
Walk past the scorched marks, past the scattered ashes, past the land stained with blood.
Upon reaching the car, Abe Shokichi placed the head on the back seat and secured it with a seatbelt.
Then, he got into the driver's seat and started the car.
The roar of the engine was particularly jarring in the quiet night.