Chapter 17: Hikigaya's Conjecture

Chapter 17: Hikigaya's Conjecture

"A God Slayer?"

After completing his first massacre upon descending, Hou Yi put away his bow and arrows, then turned his gaze to the man lying on the ground—Hikigaya.

"I can't say it's nice to see you," Hikigaya said with a look of disgust. The air around them flowed subtly, separating him and the two girls beside him from the outside world.

"And to think the hero who shot down the suns would destroy the land—don't you find that disgraceful?" he shouted.

Although he wasn't fond of trash-talking, when the opponent is a god, there's no helping it.

Because such talk could buy time, help him find weaknesses in the enemy's responses, and most importantly, speech is the first channel for uncovering an opponent's identity.

This time was no different.

"Well said, but I descend now not as the hero aiding the mortal realm from myth, but as a subordinate god. So my actions are justified," Hou Yi replied with a hearty laugh, carelessly revealing his identity.

A subordinate god refers to a deity who has detached from mythology but does not defy it—instead, they rely on Heretic gods in the current world. It is because of the latter that they descend.

Gods in this state are weaker than when in myth or rebellion—a form of incomplete descent.

Yet they are still gods, with powers far beyond human capacity.

Logic that applies to ordinary people is meaningless to god slayers; likewise, when the opponent is a god, such logic fails just as much. A war god like Hou Yi possesses the trait of always seeking victory regardless of circumstances.

The gods' enemies—god slayers—were originally just weak humans. Even gods can fall into traps—they don't hold a monopoly on missteps!

However, Hou Yi's gaze flickered, and Hikigaya, encumbered by the two girls with him, did not initiate an attack.

Though they weren't his girls, having one snatched away by a god once was enough. Any more would hurt his reputation—building prestige isn't something only gods enjoy.

The two stood in a standoff for a long time. In the end, Hou Yi spoke first.

"My nature compels me to fight you now. But..." He looked regretful. "My father's command cannot be defied. I haven't gathered enough power yet. Nor are you able to fight me with full strength now. So, God Slayer, shall we postpone our battle?"

"Fine," Hikigaya nodded. "Leave. Next time we meet, it's you or me."

"That's the spirit of true nemeses," Hou Yi laughed. He then turned back into a blazing golden crow, flapped his fiery wings, and soared skyward, leaving Hikigaya and the others behind on a land that, though teeming with life, was in fact already dying.

Hikigaya silently watched the subordinate god's departure until he vanished from sight and his divine energy could no longer be felt. Only then did he withdraw his spell power.

Next to him, Mariya Yuri looked pale, while the little girl pouted angrily at the sky, her mental resilience making Hikigaya glance at her in surprise.

"Let's go," he said, taking Yuri's hand and lifting the little girl into his arms.

Yuri blushed as her hand was taken, but the little girl had no such reserve. Her tiny hands started smacking Hikigaya's head noisily.

"Egg-head! Dummy! Dummy!" she shouted fiercely. "Why didn't you hit him!?"

Such a temper—just how spoiled were her parents?

Not that it bothered Hikigaya in the slightest—he actually found it pretty fun.

And once again, Hikigaya had a deep realization—this world really does run on looks, starting from childhood…

"Okay, okay. Next time I'll beat him," he said. Lacking a beard, he couldn't play the "scratchy chin" game with the girl, which was a minor regret. Still, in an effort to seem approachable, he shamelessly nuzzled her cheek.

The little girl responded by smacking him even more enthusiastically.

Yuri, watching from the side, wore a dazed expression that said: "Am I dreaming or just losing it?"

She looked like she wanted to say something, but then hesitated, unsure of herself. Torn and conflicted.

But Hikigaya, busy playing with the little girl, didn't notice Yuri's odd behavior.

With no divine interference nearby, the journey away from Fist Spirit Mountain was smooth.

Especially when the outline of Jusenkyo came into view, even the little girl showed satisfaction.

However, when they entered, they found all the springs had dried up. The earth's energy was depleted. Where once not even a wisp of spell power could be sensed, now traces of divine energy remained.

This led Hikigaya to a bold speculation.

As the supreme god of the Eastern Barbarians, Emperor Jun's authority was centered on the sun and reproduction, tightly linked. From the dark bird to the three-legged golden crow, the number of legs on the solar bird symbolized an intensifying focus on fertility worship. Thus, reproductive power must be crucial to Emperor Jun—possibly the very root of his power.

In mythology, abundance is shown through reproduction—something even mythology novices can understand.

Among all this, the spirits of the land and crops play an essential role—especially the latter. Many grain spirits were even used as tribal totems, seen as ancestors.

The Egyptians' Osiris, widely worshipped, was also god of resurrection, rain, and grain. The growth and withering of crops and earth symbolize the cycle of life and death.

So Hou Yi may be collecting reproductive energy for Emperor Jun.

In Eastern myth, the sun is the most concrete embodiment of reproductive power. The divine arrows used to shoot down suns may also affect other beings with reproductive power. This clarifies Hou Yi's role—he is a god who seizes reproductive power.

That would also explain why, according to myth, Hou Yi was not killed by arrows but by peachwood—and why he was later deified as a god of exorcism.

Because while alive, Hou Yi was a god of fertility and harvest. The bow and arrow symbolized fertility. The peach tree was believed by ancient people to house divine spirits—making it a fitting weapon against him. When alive, he was a god of growth; in death, he became the opposite—a calamity god. As the god of "Zongbu" (a ritual for disaster elimination), the people worshiped him to drive away evil and bring prosperity to people and livestock.

Realizing this, Hikigaya felt fantastic.

Feeling good, he used a long-neglected attack—the demon claw combing move—since Komachi wasn't around, the only available target was the little girl.

Having been "attacked," the girl glared at him with a murderous intensity…

But Hikigaya, in his high spirits, couldn't care less. He turned to Yuri and said, "Things are going to get dangerous here. I think you two should go somewhere even further away. There's a family nearby—I'll take you there."

"Okay." Yuri nodded, holding back her embarrassment.

What she really wanted to say was: Can we talk about clothes, maybe?

But after traveling with him, she'd come to understand him a bit. What seemed like basic common sense to her might mean nothing to him.

As for the grudges and antics between Hikigaya and the little girl, the Miko—blessed with powerful spiritual intuition—wisely chose to stay silent.

Having not stopped it in the beginning, speaking now would only backfire. Knowing this, even with deep doubts in her heart, Yuri kept quiet.

She followed behind Hikigaya in silence, continuing forward.