Tokyo Gods Only Want Beautiful Priestesses

As an accomplice, Jingu did not intend to tell Ibuki about her affairs, but he did ask her a little.

"As for its usefulness... it is the body of the strongest calamity god, so it naturally has some supernatural properties, but it is of no use to someone who can travel to and from the deepest part of hell."

After all, it's just an empty shell. Just like people wouldn't mind eating a pine nut, but they wouldn't reach into a fire to get one.

For someone capable of traveling between the Avici Hell and the Great Crimson Lotus Hell, an empty shell is meaningless.

"As for alternatives to this..."

Even the ancient god of the Great Nation fell into deep thought for a moment, his ancient acquaintances' names being eliminated one by one from his mind.

After pondering for about a quarter of an hour, the Great God of the Nation finally came up with a suitable target, but he didn't know if the target was still alive.

"There is one, but she hasn't appeared for who knows how many years. She's probably still alive."

There was a hint of nostalgia in his tone, suggesting that he was probably an old friend of the Great God from many years ago.

"Go and look for her. I can't guarantee she's still alive, but if she is... that should be enough to meet the requirements."

The Ōkuninushi god waved his hand and summoned a map, pointing to the location of the shrine in Nagano Prefecture, which wasn't very well-known.

After seeing the shrine off, Ōkuninushi sat there alone in deep thought for a moment before disappearing into Izumo Taisha.

Atsuta Shrine, located in the heart of Nagoya, is also a shrine with a long history and a special status.

Moreover, it is more than a shrine; it is a treasure museum, housing thousands of precious items, including some of the top three treasures in Japan.

However, today, an uninvited guest arrived here: a thief eyeing the treasures within.

Completely ignored by the surrounding tourists, Ibuki glanced up twice, then walked in as if she hadn't seen the "No Entry" sign or the guards at the entrance.

Atsuta Shrine doesn't have any shrine maidens or anything like that, so its defenses in terms of mystery are zero.

Of course, this was not due to negligence, but because the deity enshrined at Atsuta Shrine was more reliable and more dangerous than the protection of mortals.

Passing through layers of restricted areas, and venturing deep into the treasure vault where even staff cannot enter, the spiritual energy in the air becomes as sharp as swords.

In the dim light, shrouded by layers of curtains, on the altar, was placed Ibuki's destination.

The Kusanagi Sword, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, is also a very special one, symbolizing martial prowess and conquest.

Susanoo, the god of Tianjin, is a symbol of conquering the calamity god Yamata no Orochi, and was later used by Yamato Takeru on the path to unifying Japan.

Later, it was enshrined as a separate deity in Atsuta Shrine, where it held a unique and distinct status.

Having obtained the body of the Yamata no Orochi, how could one be without the final piece of the puzzle: the peerless Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, retrieved from its tail?

Ibuki took a step forward, but she immediately noticed that there was another person in the shadows in this secluded room.

"Stop! The Kusanagi Sword is a ferocious and violent weapon that ordinary demons or gods can wield."

The Great God of the Nation emerged from the shadows, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty as he gazed at Ibuki.

Chapter 236 Living Sacrifice

In the dimly lit room, Ōkuninushi and Ibuki stood facing each other.

That's obvious, isn't it? If the thief wasn't intentionally destroying Hell, then it means he had other plans for the Yamata no Orochi's corpse.

After such simple thinking, it's not surprising that the thief would target the Kusanagi Sword.

As for whether the Kusanagi Sword, though nominally enshrined at Atsuta Shrine, actually exists or not, since it has never appeared before the world, such minor issues are no longer worth considering.

However, for now, the Great God's simple idea has been completely correct.

Without a second thought, it was clear that Ibuki was the one who stole the foundation stone of Hell. If it could be retrieved from her, even if the Shrine couldn't find a new foundation stone, they could continue using the old one.

Various thoughts drifted through my mind. The matter of hell is not a matter of this world, so it is not within the scope of the divine contract.

"I was so scared! I thought it was someone else, but it turned out to be my cowardly and fickle father. It's been so long since I've seen him."

Startled by the presence of the Great God of the Nation in the shadows, but upon recognizing who it was, Ibuki gave a somewhat mocking smile and performed a rather strange bow.

"Shut up, I'm not your father. Don't try to claim kinship with me, Shuten-dōji."

Faced with the rebuttal from the Great God, Ibuki merely smiled faintly, a slight upturn of her lips.

"I understand, I understand. This is what they mean by understanding your role right now, right?"

After she finished speaking, Ibuki's smile faded.

"Then so be it. As the supreme god of a great nation, why are you here? You are not supposed to interfere in mortal affairs, are you?"

"Even if I don't interfere, you can't take away the Ama no Kusanagi. Just getting out of hell is already a feat of your strength, isn't it?"

The Great God shook his head.

"Ah, you really know my skill level perfectly, but that's not necessarily true."

Behind Ibuki, another old monk appeared, bowing slightly to Ōkuninushi.

"Lord Ieyasu, even you might not be able to do it."

Just as the Yata Mirror can only be wielded by those of the Emperor's bloodline, the Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi naturally has its own special characteristics.

It only recognizes conquerors; only those who have conquered the entire continent and are the hegemons of the era can hold it in their hands, or they will die.

It was precisely this kind of fierce and violent deity that Ōkuninushi-sama decided from the beginning that Ibuki would not be able to obtain this sword.

As for Tokugawa Ieyasu, although he founded the Tokugawa Shogunate and unified Japan, his method of unification was somewhat opportunistic, relying more on political maneuvering than on sheer power.

As for his old friend, Okuninushi knew the nature of Ame-no-Kusan, not to mention that he himself was here.

"There's really no way around it. I never expected that there would be such a roadblock in front of the final piece of the puzzle. It was truly unexpected."

Although she wore a smile, Ibuki was far from relaxed. With Okuninushi and the Ama-no-Murakumo sword at her disposal, she should be thinking about how to preserve the existing pieces of the puzzle rather than trying to acquire the final piece.

After all, Tokugawa Ieyasu, that old fox, would naturally not go all out; the two were merely driven by self-interest.

They're just the same partners.

"No problem, no problem, you'll definitely get your hands on that sword. Why? Because I've been watching you the whole time!"

In the deep shadows where not a ray of light could penetrate, darkness coalesced into a form, with jet-black hair flowing freely and a demonic aura that could not be concealed in its deep red eyes.

"Well, I am the Sixth Heaven Demon King, Oda Nobunaga. If we are talking about conquerors who have dominated the world, how can we not include me?"

The ultimate pleasure-seeker, residing high in the Paranirmitavasavartin Heaven, the demon lord Mara, who surveys the world with his understanding of desire, arrived uninvited.

After giving birth to the four seasons, a life form that disrupts the balance of reincarnation, He was undoubtedly closely watching Hell's reaction.

Hell nearly collapsed, and its foundation stone was stolen, which led His attention to Ibuki. After learning the whole story, He couldn't help but reveal Himself.

However, His uninvited arrival naturally aroused the vigilance of Ibuki and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Moreover, facing this man who was once his monarch, and also his ally, and now is both an incarnation of Buddha and an incarnation of Demon Lord, is truly an interesting relationship.

"Rest assured, Lord Ieyasu, I am a celestial demon, and I only seek pleasure in the mortal world. Your schemes are quite interesting, especially interesting, ahahahaha!"

As he continued, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Sa-sa-sa! Let's get started, and I'll lend you a hand!"

In this cramped room, gods, Buddhas, demons, and monsters gathered, and conflict erupted as a result.

The conflict here has nothing to do with the fact that we arrived at the shrine in Nagano Prefecture following the information from Ōkuninushi.

Nagano Prefecture, a relatively unknown prefecture in Eishu, is also known as Shinano Province.

If it weren't for the help of the Great God of the Ninja Kingdom, the shrine would never have imagined that there would be something comparable to the Yamata no Orochi here, which could serve as the cornerstone of Hell.

However, Jingu did hear the name Nagano Prefecture somewhere before, I think it was in the game "Hyakumonogatari"?

The leader seemed to say that his hometown was in Nagano Prefecture, where the legend of Akakuchi Sujin (a deity worshipped by Akakuchi) is said to exist.

This Akakuchi Sujin, in a sense, is also the target of the shrine. It is said to be a deity with a head like a snake or lizard, and a very ancient posture.

After confirming the location, the shrine arrived at Lake Suwa. The group of shrines that surround the entire Lake Suwa, when put together, forms one of the oldest shrines in Japan, Suwa Taisha.

However, perhaps the situation is somewhat complicated, the shrine did not feel like it had entered the realm of the gods, as if the gods of this shrine no longer existed.

But that's impossible. Suwa Taisha is not declining. The number of tourists and believers is more than enough to support the existence of a deity.

Indeed, the chaos of the composite divinity led to a lack of subjectivity, and what problems arose from that?

Jingu sat atop a pillar erected within the shrine, pondering how to find Suwa Myojin, whose presence was utterly elusive.

This deity's divinity is too complex. Originally a native god of the Shinano region, he later merged with Takeminakata, a god from Izumo.

The conquerors and the conquered, the Amatsukami and the Kunitsukami, and the elements of the calamity-bringer were all mixed together, resulting in the name Suwa Myōjin having countless interpretations.

It could refer to an indigenous deity like Akakuchi-gami, or Takeminakata-gami, or even Hachiman-gami.

After all, this Red Mouth God used to demand live sacrifices every year, making him a genuine deity.

But... a human sacrifice?

Jingu gradually formed an idea in his mind.

Chapter 237 The Steps to Gods and Buddhas

Hell, in front of Yama's Hall.

Regarding the question of hell, the gods and Buddhas who came to help have already had a thorough discussion with Yama.

Although they were asked to investigate the incident among themselves and help find a new foundation.

But to be honest, the Enma didn't have high hopes for them finding a new foundation.

Greater hopes are placed on the now-powerful and influential Shinto shrine.

After the assembly ended, the gods and Buddhas dispersed, but some people took the opportunity to hold private small gatherings.

The gods and Buddhas who had been released from their confinement, including Benzaiten, Vaishravana, Ebisu, and some so-called "Gengen" (or similar deities) who were practically unknown, were now free to roam.

However, they all have something in common: they all have some connection with Buddhism.

"That is my suggestion. I wonder what your plans are?"

Having laid bare her words, the Demon Mother quietly observed the other gods and Buddhas present.

"This is outright tyranny!"

Vaishravana spoke first, but her somewhat impetuous manner was quickly restrained by those around her, and she was made to sit down.