Chapter 112: The Rebellious Youkai and the Quest for Power

Somewhere in the Youkai World

In a castle that exuded an air of dread, a group of rebellious youkai gathered around the most fearsome-looking youkai. This youkai sat upon the golden throne of the Youkai World. It should have belonged to Seraphina Frostwind's father, but this youkai had destroyed him and seized his position as the King of the Youkai World. Leading the rebellion, it harbored a sinister plot to seize the eight most terrifying magical artifacts scattered across all three worlds. The youkai on the throne emitted a dark aura, exerting immense pressure on the psyche of its subordinates. After a moment, it spoke:

"I have been planning to overthrow the rule of the God World for a long time now, yet the progress of this plan remains at a standstill. What does this mean? If you are not a bunch of useless beings, why is this happening? Who are the three pathetic gods thwarting our plans time and time again? And what of the three dragon gods, our supposed allies, why are they incompetent? We have spent a fortune bribing the dragon gods within the dragon clan, yet we are only wasting our money on a bunch of incompetent fools! Can any of you tell me what we should do to reverse this situation? Five of the eight magical artifacts we seek have been snatched away by the gods right under our noses! Only three remain, are we just going to sit idly by like feeble insects and watch as the gods seize those artifacts before us? Remember, I am not the only youkai opposing the God World. If our uprising fails, I won't be the only one destroyed! At that time, you will also share my tragic fate! So, urgently devise a plan to overturn our previous defeats against the divine beings in the God World, you fools! I know obtaining those magical artifacts is not an easy task. But are we just going to wait for failure like a herd of fat pigs waiting to be fed? If anyone has any ideas, speak up, don't just remain silent like this!"

The entire hall fell into a silence of foolishness. After a moment, another youkai spoke up:

"If the dragon gods are weak and useless, why don't we seek the assistance of a bounty hunter skilled in combat? He is nearly immortal and can only be defeated if someone knows his greatest secret. The bounty hunter I'm referring to is 'The Slayer of God,' Raiden Kazama."

"I am well aware of this bounty hunter; he is very greedy, hence he will demand a very high reward!" The leading youkai of the rebellion replied with an unhappy tone. (Perhaps he regretted the cost.)

"But we have no other choice, Your Excellency!"

"Fine, fine! Then hire him to exterminate the trio of famous gods across all three worlds: Snow Sky-Dog, Mizuchi Haruka, and Kurogami Masayuki! But if he proves to be useless too, be prepared for my wrath!"

"Yes, Your Excellency! Long live Your Excellency!"

While the debate continued in the hall, another voice quickly dissented:

"We should not rely on a bounty hunter, no matter how skilled!"

Another youkai emphasized.

"We have failed before when seeking help from outside. Instead, we need to focus on harnessing the power and talents within ourselves."

But this opinion also faced criticism from some other youkai.

"Don't be foolish, we are not strong enough to confront the gods!"

Another voice spoke up.

"We need a quick and powerful solution."

As the debate raged on, a quieter yet distinct voice emerged from a young youkai.

"We should not miss this opportunity," she said. "There is someone who can help us, someone who has triumphed in battles against the gods before. That is The Green-Faced Ashura, a legendary warrior from the Youkai World."

"The Green-Faced Ashura?" the leading youkai asked, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

"Yes," the young youkai replied. "If we can persuade him, we can use his power to stand against the gods. We cannot miss this chance."

This dialogue heightened the tension in the grand hall. The youkai began to consider the young youkai's suggestion, some pondering, others arguing. However, one thing was clear: a consensus was slowly forming, and a new plan seemed to be taking shape in the minds of the rebellious youkai.

Meanwhile, in the God World

Mizuchi Haruka was engrossed in reading an old scroll that Snow Sky-Dog had stealthily brought from Seraphina Frostwind's home without her permission. The more she read, the more fascinated she became by the intriguing contents of the scroll, unable to tear her eyes away from it. Its enchantment seemed to hold a special magic that made Mizuchi Haruka lose track of time. (Lunchtime was approaching, and Snow Sky-Dog and Kurogami Masayuki were probably on their way to invite her to lunch at the Academy of the Gods.) After a while, when she finally finished reading the scroll, Mizuchi Haruka thought to herself:

"If the God of Love cannot help me win Snow Sky-Dog's heart, then the 'Black Robed Witch' - the oldest witch in all three worlds - might aid me in this endeavor. Hmph, I truly wasted no time contemplating the incomprehensible knowledge in that old scroll! But that's a task for another day, as seeking out the 'Black-Robed Witch' is no easy feat. Besides, I must do this secretly and with thorough preparation, so I'll begin this quest a few days from now. Now, it's time for lunch! Surely, by now, Snow Sky-Dog and Kurogami Masayuki have arrived at the academy's dining hall before me. Hah, those two are indeed gluttons with bottomless stomachs! Well then, off I go, concluding this morning's endeavors!"

While the rebellion of the youkai was still ongoing with debates and the consensus slowly forming, in the God World, Mizuchi Haruka had finished reading the old scroll. The enchantment and allure of its pages had made her lose track of time. As she concluded, Mizuchi Haruka pondered her intention to seek out the "Black-Robed Witch" - someone who could potentially assist her in complex relationships. But this task wouldn't be easy, and she resolved to prepare meticulously and carry it out secretly.

Meanwhile, lunchtime had arrived, and the feeling of hunger began to overwhelm all the students in the academy. Mizuchi Haruka left her room with the intention of meeting Snow Sky-Dog and Kurogami Masayuki, but not immediately. She needed some time alone to think and plan for the next steps.

In the hallway, she encountered Snow Sky-Dog and Kurogami Masayuki, who were chatting happily about the upcoming lunch. Mizuchi Haruka approached them, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

"Sorry for being late," she said, "Let's go for lunch!"

Both friends looked at her with concern. Snow Sky-Dog chuckled:

"No worries, we've been waiting for you. Let's go together!"

Mizuchi Haruka felt content with the warmth of this relationship. As they walked towards the dining hall, she couldn't help but think about the challenges ahead and her plans. This was an important step, a first step in her journey, but she knew many more challenges were awaiting her.

The adventure was far from over.