136 Heretic God

In Japan, there are many legends about snake gods. The most famous, of course, is Yamata no Orochi, as it is simply too well-known. However, summoning something like Yamata no Orochi is no easy task. Even if it were summoned, hoping to use it as a catalyst to unravel the curse would be wishful thinking. It would be better to first figure out how to defeat it, given that Yamata no Orochi is a main deity-level entity. Fighting it would require a tremendous amount of effort.

Other snake deities from Japanese mythology, however, are much easier to summon.

"Long, long ago, in the village of Amadani, located in the Tosa Nagaoka District of Honyama, there was a river called Akawari River. Upstream of the river was a deep abyss known as Otabuchi.

Legend has it that a snake god resided in this abyss. If anyone threw something made of metal into the abyss, the snake god would become enraged, unleashing violent storms. This terrified the local people.

It is said that in a village near the upper reaches of the Akawari River, there lived a man with an insatiable curiosity. One day, he went to the abyss to fish and quickly filled his basket. But when he returned home and opened the basket, he found that all the fish had turned into leaves.

In the same village, there was a man of unparalleled strength named Kunimiyama. One day, while returning from a trip, he passed by the abyss late at night and encountered a massive snake leisurely coiled across the road.

Kunimiyama, blocked from his path, asked the snake to move aside, but the snake remained motionless. Enraged, Kunimiyama grabbed a large branch and began fiercely beating the snake. Only after the snake retreated did he return home.

After this incident, the snake god began appearing in Kunimiyama's dreams every night, weeping and lamenting. Eventually, Kunimiyama fell into a mysterious high fever and died in agony. Before his death, his body became covered in scales resembling those of a snake."

"This is the legend of the Otabuchi Snake God. What they have summoned is this very snake god."

In the central plaza of the Western Heavenly Palace, a massive black serpent was restrained by a net of cursed energy. It had just been summoned, a fresh snake god. Unfortunately, this snake god was rather weak. Whether in myth or now, it could barely be considered a divine beast. Killing it might not even yield a divine authority.

However, it wasn't summoned to be killed but to serve as a sacrificial offering. The summoners used the cursed energy from the ley lines to forcibly restrain the snake god, preparing it for the ritual.

"It seems you've prepared everything."

Altair and Luo Hao stood at the entrance of the main hall, observing the pitiful, restrained snake god with satisfaction.

"Luo Hao, I'll leave the rest to you. If you need a shrine maiden, I recommend Kaoru Sayanomiya. She's a high-ranking shrine maiden and will undoubtedly be very useful. This will also allow her to serve her final purpose."

"Understood, Brother."

Luo Hao nodded with a smile. She was very pleased with Altair's arrangements during this time.

Originally, her plan had been to search the world for a Heretic God with the Dragon-Snake divine authority, bring it to Japan, gather the remaining clues, and finally release Sun Wukong from his seal. But now, she didn't have to lift a finger. All she needed to do was hold a knife to others' throats, and they would handle everything else. This efficiency was truly remarkable.

As for Altair, Luo Hao had gone from initially resisting him, to being convinced of his strength after being beaten twice, and now to fully submitting to his methods. Luo Hao was thoroughly impressed.

Truly worthy of being my brother!

"Elder Brother, please go and rest. Leave the rest to me."

"Alright. If you need any help, just let me know."

Altair nodded to Luo Hao and then left to find Lu Yinghua. He planned to watch the upcoming spectacle with him. What followed would be a battle between Luo Hao and Sun Wukong, and Altair intended to enjoy the show.

With the Dragon-Snake divine authority secured, the remaining two conditions were a sword capable of weakening the "ritual" and a shrine maiden to wield it using her spiritual power.

High-ranking shrine maidens were rare, but there were three present: the Mariya sisters and Kaoru Sayanomiya. In the original story, Luo Hao had used Hikari Mariya for this task. However, now that both Mariya sisters were under Altair's protection, she naturally wouldn't use Hikari.

"You will wield this sword."

Luo Hao coldly commanded Kaoru Sayanomiya.

Kaoru, who had just breathed a sigh of relief after the snake god appeared and the most difficult condition was met, was stunned. She couldn't believe her identity as a shrine maiden had been exposed. Desperate to survive, she attempted to explain.

"O King, are you referring to me? But this sword requires a shrine maiden to wield it in order to unravel the curse."

"So, you think I can't tell that you're a shrine maiden? Or are you trying to hide it from me? Think carefully. The consequence of hiding from me is the complete annihilation of both the Sayanomiya and Kusanagi families."

Luo Hao's voice was icy, and cold sweat dripped down Kaoru's back. The other members of the History Compilation Committee didn't dare to breathe, while the Kusanagi family members inwardly urged Kaoru to comply. Just as the Sayanomiya family had felt dragged into this mess by the Kusanagi family earlier, the Kusanagi family now felt the same about the Sayanomiya family. They just wanted Kaoru to agree quickly.

Having learned from Altair for so long, Luo Hao was now putting her lessons into practice. With a single sentence, she cornered Kaoru Sayanomiya.

While Altair delivered terrifying words with a smile, Luo Hao delivered them with cold indifference. Both were equally terrifying.

"Understood."

Luo Hao's command, like Altair's, was absolute. Kaoru had no choice but to comply.

The result of a shrine maiden summoning a Heretic God was often death, which was why shrine maidens were so rare. Those who survived after summoning a Heretic God were even rarer!

Although this time it was only to break a seal, whether she would survive after Sun Wukong was released was anyone's guess.

But she was doomed. Altair had said so.

At the airport, Altair had declared that no one could stand above Tooma Amatsu. Since Kaoru had admitted to being Tooma's superior, she had to die. After all, Altair was a demon king, and he always kept his word.

However, she would die after Sun Wukong was released, during the battle between the Campione and the Heretic God. This would ensure that her final bit of usefulness was fully exploited.

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