I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

“These are all handmade,” Yuko said at the right moment, her tone maintaining a peaceful distance, with a standard, polite smile that she had practiced countless times in Inaba. “Please feel free to take a look, sir.”

She had already noticed the power hidden beneath his clothing, and the aura that set him apart from the ordinary people around him.

Combining the snippets of information I've heard these past few days—Abe no Seimei's garden, the blond-haired boy god—the answer is almost obvious.

Susanoo ultimately chose the small raccoon wood carving and a bracelet with a dark blue main color and a few small silver bells.

"That's all for now. Please wrap them up." He made the decision readily, his eyes sparkling, clearly intending to collect these little trinkets and give them as gifts.

Yuko nodded and skillfully wrapped the selected item with a clean handkerchief, her movements steady and discreet.

As she handed over the small package, their fingers inevitably touched lightly.

In that brief moment—

Susanoo's relaxed smile suddenly froze.

When he received the package, he didn't consciously try to sense it. However, the faint yet incredibly "familiar" scent of the girl before him emanating from his fingertips was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, unexpectedly stirring up a tidal wave within him. It was as if a string buried deep within his heart, long since covered in dust by the passage of time, had suddenly been plucked!

The aura is so similar! How could it be?!

The torrent of more than a thousand years of time instantly reversed before his eyes. In the cold and desperate depths of the abyss, it was that person who pulled him out of endless darkness and curses, gave him warmth, taught him strength, and taught him to uphold his beliefs.

That was the one he regarded as his father and his only mentor—Izanagi!

But... that's impossible! Lord Izanagi had already burned himself out completely in the fierce battles of the Age of Gods. It was Izanagi who personally confirmed it and personally erected the final tombstone for him!

The pain of losing loved ones has been a wound deep within his heart that has never truly healed for thousands of years, and it is also part of the source of his coldness and sharpness as the god of execution.

Surprise and a profound sense of absurdity overwhelmed him. Before rational thought could take hold, his body's instincts had already driven him to act.

He grabbed Yuko's wrist as she tried to pull it back, his grip tightening unconsciously with his inner turmoil. Overjoyed, he blurted out, "This aura... could it be Lord Izanagi?!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, his powerful divine strength, symbolizing judgment and thunder, flowed uncontrollably from between his fingers.

Tiny golden electric sparks, like fine snakes, crackled between his fingers and coiled around Yuuko's wrist.

This weak electric shock might be enough to cause instant paralysis for an ordinary person, but for Yuko, whose body harbors the power of multiple Personas, the effect was simply "nothing".

My wrist was gripped tightly, a sudden flash of electricity, and the other person called out a name that had only appeared in the scrolls of the Age of Gods.

Even Yuko, who had fought her way from the Eighty-Year-Old Inaba to the Shadow World, was instantly utterly astonished.

Her eyes, which often seemed nonchalant but were actually all-knowing, widened slightly, clearly reflecting the ecstatic joy and excitement on the blond boy's face, as if he had found a lost treasure.

"Guest?" Yuko blinked, gently patting the other person's hand that was tightly gripping hers with her free hand, her tone as calm as ever.

Chapter 159 My eldest son is a spendthrift!

"Please loosen your grip. You've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Narukami Yuuko, not Izanagi-sama~"

Although she wasn't strictly lying, a small thought flickered in her mind: Izanagi... While she did possess this deity in a certain sense, the idea sounded rather strange...

"S... Sumano (I'm sorry)!" Susanoo was jolted awake by Yuko's calm reaction and clear words, realizing what he had done.

The mighty God of Execution from Takamagahara was so out of line in the marketplace that he grabbed the wrist of a strange woman and shouted the name of the deceased creator god.

A strong sense of shyness instantly replaced his ecstasy, creeping up his cheeks and ears, and his fair skin was tinged with a distinct blush.

He released his grip with such force that it created a slight breeze.

Susanoo lowered his head awkwardly, not daring to look directly into Yuko's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, but the shock and confusion in his heart did not subside in the slightest.

It's not Lord Izanagi, but why is his aura so similar? That... sense of affinity that seems to originate from the very essence of our souls?

The tide of memories surged forth, almost drowning Susanoo. The sands of time rushed back, freezing on the days when Takamagahara was first established and everything was in ruins and waiting to be rebuilt.

At that time, he was just a young boy whose power was just beginning to emerge, and who had only recently been taken in and taught by Lord Izanagi.

He had witnessed firsthand the fleeting shock and... indescribable, deeply hidden emotions that flashed in the eyes of the noble and supreme sun goddess Amaterasu when the dashing Lord Izanagi led the new divine army past her.

Back then, in his innocent ignorance, he ran up to Amaterasu and asked, "Your eyes look so sad? Are you missing someone?" At that time, Amaterasu sat on the edge of her magnificent yet seemingly empty throne, gazing at the nascent lights of the human world below Takamagahara, and there seemed to be a very faint... bitterness on her lips?

She remained silent for a long time before answering in a voice that seemed to drift from afar: "That person... perhaps you will meet her in the very, very distant future."

“Her?” The young Susanoo tilted his head, even more confused. “But how can I recognize that lady? The one you’re waiting for, Amaterasu-sama.”

Amaterasu turned back, her gaze towards Susanoo filled with a complex emotion she couldn't comprehend at the time, as deep as the night sky reflecting a sky full of stars.

"She has the exact same aura as the person you respect most." The voice sounded like a sigh, as if it were speaking to him, or perhaps just to himself.

Back then, as a tiny little kid, I could only tilt my head, full of questions: The teacher's aura? My sister's crush? It was so complicated…

Time flies, and old friends pass away.

At this moment, when this aura, seemingly carefully preserved by time, transcends the barrier of a thousand years and unexpectedly lingers around the fingertips once more, even the ruthless and cold-blooded God of Execution in Takamagahara, the emotional shackles accumulated over a thousand years, collapse with a crash.

So... so the person Amaterasu had waited so long for, the one who had brought forth the hidden tenderness and sorrow of the aloof sun goddess—was actually a human?! And right now, she appeared before him? A thousand years later, in Heian-kyo, where divine power had waned and human life had returned, a miracle was happening at this very moment?

The shock struck Susanoo's heart like a hammer blow. He looked at the calm-looking girl, Yuuko Narukami, dressed in simple, ordinary clothes, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

After the joy, a strong sense of worry surged into my heart like an icy tide.

Lady Amaterasu has been asleep for many years... The ritual to awaken her is extremely dangerous... Should we involve such a... human... in this?

The instinct to protect instantly overwhelmed the excitement of recognizing each other. The person the sister was waiting for was important, but the possible "future" was too fragile.

What if something goes wrong? How will he face his sleeping sister? This responsibility is too heavy!

Driven by an almost instinctive desire to protect humanity, Susanoo made his decision almost instantly.

He couldn't risk letting her know more, nor could he drag her into that dark battlefield where gods had fallen. This calamity was something they, the surviving gods, should bear; it shouldn't affect mortals.

"This...pay up!" He uttered two ambiguous words, his voice slightly stiff and hurried. Before Yuko could react to this sudden action, the legendary executioner had already turned around abruptly, his figure disappearing into the crowded market almost as if fleeing in panic, leaving only a faint trace of lightning in the air.

"Eh??! Wait! Master! This is too valuable! I can't make change!" Yuko belatedly called out as she looked at the golden magatama in her hand, which was clearly no ordinary object, radiating spiritual energy and feeling heavy. However, Susanoo had already disappeared from sight, and only a bustling crowd was moving about.

What's going on here? Yuko Narukami stood there, looking down at the hot gold magatama in her hand. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the mysterious runes on it, the warm yet slightly angular texture feeling exceptionally clear.

She could clearly sense the immense divine power and intense protective intent contained within it, a stark contrast to his legendary image as a cold and ruthless "god of execution." Paying? Those two words seemed utterly ridiculous. The value of this golden jewel was probably enough to buy ten of her small stalls.

"Hehehe," Lady Fujiwara chuckled, covering her mouth, clearly quite familiar with this special guest. "That gentleman is a bit impatient, and his actions are often... well, unpredictable, but he has the kindest heart!"

Her eyes were filled with gratitude and respect, without the slightest greed for the gold jewel; rather, she looked at it as if it were a worthy piece of evidence.

"That lord is a great hero of Heian-kyo! Not long ago, when evil demons attacked Kyoto, it was he who displayed his divine power and led the divine light to drive away those harmful things! The peace that Heian-kyo enjoys today is all thanks to him!"

Lady Fujiwara paused, looking at Yuko's still slightly confused expression, and then smiled, "As for giving money... you haven't heard of it, have you? Our Lord Susanoo is famously generous! He especially loves giving gold to people he's helped, or people he likes!"

"Look, it's that little golden magatama in your hand! That's something truly used by the gods! Everyone secretly calls him... the Scattering Gold Boy! Today, this good fortune has fallen on your head!"

Chapter 160 Susanoo and Tsukuyomi have arrived, can Amaterasu be far behind?

"The Scattered Gold...Bodhisattva? The Golden Jade Boy?!"

Seeing the woman's "you got a great deal" expression, and recalling the blond boy's thunderstruck expression when he recognized Susanoo's presence, and his almost pathetic escape with the jewel, Narukami Yuuko remained silent for a moment. She glanced down again at the heavy, shimmering gold jewel in her sleeve, then looked up in the direction where Susanoo had disappeared. The chaotic crowd had long since returned to normal.

She raised her delicate eyebrows, and a sigh of ambiguity drifted into the air of the bustling market.

Alright, it seems that Heian-kyo is even more interesting than I imagined. It truly lives up to its reputation as the era of the great Onmyoji Abe no Seimei.

Susanoo was determined not to involve Yuko, who appeared to be just an ordinary traveler, in such a perilous matter as awakening the sun goddess. His hasty departure that day was the safest course of action, after weighing the pros and cons, believing that keeping her, who knew part of the truth but was powerless to protect herself, out of the storm was the most prudent course of action.

However, he underestimated the Onmyoji Abe no Seimei's ability to read people's expressions, and he also underestimated Ara's ability to perceive the flow of fate's threads, having already transformed into a god. This usually brave and straightforward executioner god, recently, had a thoughtful look in his eyes and a subtle, unspoken urge to speak. Under Abe no Seimei's gentle and clear blue eyes and Ara's silver eyes that had seen through countless ages, it was as clear as footprints in the snow.

During a break in the discussion about the awakening ritual, Seimei lightly tapped his palm with his bat fan, his words gentle yet flowing like a gentle stream, easily bypassing the silent barrier that Susanoo had deliberately built: "Lord Susanoo, you have been restless these past few days. Have you encountered any strange people or events? If you have any questions, please speak frankly, and we will do our best to help you."

Before he finished speaking, Ara's gaze had already silently landed on Susanoo's face, and that calmness itself was a silent question.

Susanoo paused, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. He knew that neither Seimei's wisdom nor Ara's glimpse of the future was to be underestimated. The leader of the War Gods instantly weighed the options in his mind: keeping it a secret would only increase his close friend's suspicions, and he might even investigate on his own. If Yuko were truly involved, it would be detrimental to her protection. It would be better to reveal only a limited amount of information, maintain control of the situation, and divert their attention from Yuko herself.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally loosened his clenched fist and said in a cautious tone, "At Mrs. Fujiwara's stall in Shimon-cho, I met a young traveler named Narukami Yuko. She... carried a peculiar aura, and I even gave her a gold magatama. I observed that she possessed no extraordinary power; she was an intelligent but ordinary traveler." He emphasized, "The awakening ritual will surely alarm the Yamata no Orochi, and is extremely dangerous. Mortals like myself should not and cannot get involved in it."

However, Abe no Seimei's interest deepened as he noticed the person Susanoo was trying so hard to downplay in his words—"Narukami Yuko." Ara's silver eyes rippled like a pebble thrown into a cold pool.

His "little trick" failed. In the end, he could only suppress his anxiety and solemnly accompany Seimei and Ara to Yuko's somewhat shabby stall.

Afternoon dust floated in the sunlight, highlighting three distinct figures, each capable of shaking Heian-kyo. Yuko, behind her stall, looked up, her silver-gray eyes calm as still water. They swept over the elegant, silver-haired, blue-eyed Onmyoji in flowing hunting robes, and then over the imposing figure of "True Tsukuyomi," with his long, flowing blue-black hair and muscles brimming with unfathomable power, before finally settling on Susanoo. He stood tall and straight as a spear, a hint of solemnity still lingering between his brows, like a silent mountain guarding a certain boundary.

The three auras clashed, making the air seem thick and tense. Abe no Seimei gently waved his feather fan, observing the overly composed girl before him. Susanoo silently took a half-step forward, conveniently placing Yuko's stall in a corner of his protective range. He was about to speak to ease the tension, starting with a topic like "admiring rare items," when Ara's silver eyes, capable of seeing through fate, locked onto Yuko.

To ordinary people, Narukami Yuko was merely a traveling girl. But in Ara's vision, he saw countless interwoven threads of cause and effect, and the radiance of the very essence of life. As he discerned Yuko's thread of destiny, a subtle "tremor," perceptible only to himself, flickered deep within his pupils. A slender yet incredibly resilient thread of destiny, as dazzling as molten gold, extended from the girl's heart, its other end firmly bound to Amaterasu, the eternally burning goddess slumbering in the sun. The very existence of this thread was an immense anomaly; it was no simple bond or connection of faith, but a profound entanglement at the level of fate!

"I see." A cold judgment formed in Ara's heart. Susanoo's desire not to involve her was utterly futile. Fate had already bound her tightly to Amaterasu. Her very existence might be the missing crucial link in the awakening ritual!

Susanoo sensed the atmosphere had become extremely tense. Seeing the invisible divine energy fluctuations appearing around Ara, he hurriedly stepped forward: "Miss Yuuko! You, you're not afraid! We mean no harm! Really! We just... we just..." He hesitated for a long time, then pointed forcefully at Seimei, then at Ara, "They heard you're a new traveler and just wanted to come and see you! To get to know you! To make friends!" Susanoo clumsily tried to explain, completely lacking the imposing presence expected of a god of execution.

Susanoo's words hadn't even finished when he said, "Lord Amaterasu needs you."

"Ara!" Susanoo's voice rose instantly, his divine power surging silently around him, the air being subtly compressed, emitting a low hum. He did not lose control, but his poised stance clearly conveyed his strong disapproval of his friend's rash actions.

Just as the invisible pressure and tense silence were about to erupt, the girl's voice rang out calmly, piercing the heavy air between the two gods. "What do you need me to do?"

Yuuko looked up, her sharp, silver-gray pupils meeting Ara's silver eyes, which seemed capable of freezing the stars. There was no question of "Why me?", nor any attempt to evade responsibility. To save Amaterasu? This wasn't a choice that required much deliberation. When she recalled the sun goddess whose pure smile could illuminate the entire Takamagahara, whose world was filled with childlike curiosity and affection, only one affirmative answer remained in her heart.

Since the fake Tsukuyomi has already been sealed inside Ame no Habakiri, let's just have a female ghost climb into bed.

Chapter 161 Divine Weapon——Tian Yu Yu Slash

The warmth of the steaming hot spring seemed to linger deep in her memory. In the misty steam, Amaterasu looked at her with a hint of shyness and helplessness. Her blushing cheeks were far more vivid and real than the divinity that controlled the flames.

The inexplicable warm feeling that rose in my heart at that moment was like ripples spreading across a lake after a pebble has been thrown in—silent yet profound.

The kindness contained in the golden glimmer that dispelled the dizziness of unfamiliar travelers, the unrestrained laughter in the bamboo forest path, and the natural intimacy when sharing wild fruits, had already drawn the unattainable sun goddess into her heart, making her something she wanted to protect.

Even Mary, who is the true form of Izanami, was willing to exert all her efforts to fight for that slim hope and lead it to a different ending. How could she possibly give up on the sun goddess in front of her, who, even in the midst of a cataclysmic vortex, still has clear eyes and a pure love and sense of responsibility for the world itself?

For that smile that could dispel the darkness, for that unwavering will to remain passionate about life in the face of cold nothingness, for that moment by the hot spring that warmed her heart, how could Yuko Narukami stand idly by?

After bidding farewell to the kind and hospitable Lady Fujiwara, Yuko Narukami, filled with anticipation and curiosity, stepped into the private garden of Abe no Seimei, the great Onmyoji of Heian-kyo.

The moment you step into the barrier, a refreshing atmosphere, unlike anything you'd find in the ordinary city, hits you.

The scene before me was like a living ukiyo-e painting. The courtyard was not extravagantly decorated, but rather exuded a natural elegance and dynamism.

Beneath my feet lies soft, fine moss, like a spread-out emerald carpet, with a few weathered stepping stones casually scattered among it. Though the artificial hill is not high, it appears vibrant with life, having absorbed a rich spiritual energy.

A trickle of water dripped from a bamboo tube in the corner, its crisp sound particularly pleasant in the stillness, flowing into a shallow stone bowl, attracting a few small carp to peek out.

What truly brought a smile to Yuko's face was the creatures frolicking in the courtyard. They weren't some great demons or giants, but rather some adorable little spirits.

They are playing, their faces beaming with pure joy and contentment; here, the existence of monsters is so natural.

A gentle breeze wafted by, bringing with it an even richer fragrance. On one side of the courtyard stood two exceptionally tall trees.

One tree is dazzlingly beautiful, with crimson peach blossoms rising like clouds and swirling pink mist; the other tree is graceful and elegant, with pale pink cherry blossoms fluttering down like snowflakes.

Although these two ancient trees do not reveal any human form, the graceful posture of their branches and the rhythm of their colorful blossoms easily evoke in one's mind a beautiful image of two graceful and charming fairy ladies playing and dancing among the tree canopy.

Yuko's gaze slowly moved along the corridor, eventually being firmly drawn to a unique presence deep within the courtyard, causing her to stop in her tracks.

It was a cherry tree that was older and more vigorous in form than the peach and cherry trees next to it.

Its trunk is extremely thick and gnarled, and its dark brown bark, weathered by time, is covered with deep, groove-like patterns.

Strangely, this ancient cherry tree was not surrounded by the rich demonic power of the peach and cherry trees next to it, but by a purer spiritual energy.

Just by getting close to it and standing in its shade, Yuko felt as if her mind had been cleansed and refreshed by a cool, clear spring, becoming exceptionally clear and transparent.

However, what makes this ancient tree particularly special is not just the tree itself, but also what stands at its feet, or rather, in front of it.

It was a sword.

A divine sword that exudes an invisible sense of oppression and murderous aura even when it is still—Ame no Habakiri.

It stands upright in front of the soil where the roots of the ancient cherry tree are intertwined, like an invisible boundary, or a silent guardian.

The sword has a condensed and deep metallic color, with fine and sharp golden lightning arcs constantly moving along the blade and spine, emitting a subtle but clear "crackling" sound.

What's even more unsettling is that, between the leaping golden lightning bolts, a wisp of ominous purple divine power would occasionally appear and then disappear.

These forces did not dissipate, but were bound to the sword by a powerful will, forming an invisible force field that slightly distorted the surrounding air, creating a tense atmosphere of impending thunderstorm throughout the area.

"You care about it a lot?" A cheerful voice rang out not far behind Yuko, breaking the almost frozen silence.

Yuko turned around and saw Susanoo, the blond-haired god who had caused a "misunderstanding" at Lady Fujiwara's stall. He had approached slowly without her noticing, his posture upright like a pine tree, exuding the unique heroic spirit and reserved manners of a young martial god.