Female Swordsman Training Dojo

"No one's going to talk? Fine, next question." Tsukuyomi's tone became even more sarcastic. "You all know about the collaboration between Hirahara no Shin and that woman Ame-no-Tsurugi. Although they don't mind you continuing to be gods, they require you to abide by the law; not to mention human sacrifices and marriages, even the collection of priestesses must follow their prescribed procedures."

Still remaining silent, these gods, resurrected, want to be superior beings, to act as all-powerful deities. They're not here to be public instruments, to be loyal servants of the Japanese people's wish-granting machines! Especially you, Taira no Harunobu—how many laws have you broken?! The number of your wives is almost as many as the shrine maidens of a large shrine combined!

But if you can't beat them, you just can't beat them. Talking nonsense won't help.

Tsukuyomi's handsome, effeminate face revealed undisguised mockery: "Then, the last question, and the most important one, is that both Taira no Harunobu and Amaterasu demand that all gods refrain from believing in or understanding Izanagi. What are you going to do?"

"Of course, I've disliked that old man for a long time!"

"He's always acting like he's old and entitled! And he even abandoned his wife of many years! He should have remarried long ago!"

"It is! It is!"

Seeing the gods suddenly become lively, Tsukuyomi shook her head without any surprise, not even bothering to mention that they had all been awakened by Izanagi, and went straight to the point: "Have you all forgotten where your Zanpakuto came from? Or do you all know how to make them?"

"What, you still don't know how?" As if they had finally seized the opportunity, the gods began to mock Tsukuyomi, who had been stabbing everyone in the heart.

Tsukuyomi herself remained unperturbed, still nonchalant: "Alright, at least we've solved one problem. So what are you planning to do about the first two? With whom?"

The gods fell silent again.

On one side is a familiar old boss, but he wants to cut salaries and benefits, and even change the contract to temporary; on the other side is a rising new company, but the management is strict and cumbersome, and even after get off work, they have to watch the monitor.

The seasoned veterans didn't want to choose any of them, but they seemed to have no other options.

So they decided to pass the buck: "Tsukuyomi, since you know so much about this, why don't you tell us what you want to choose?"

"Exactly! You're so smart, so tell me how to choose?"

Amidst the jeers, Tsukuyomi remained unfazed: "If you ask me, I wouldn't choose either."

A raccoon-like deity immediately chimed in, "Tch, I thought you had some profound insights, but it's just the same old stuff. So how are you going to deal with Amaterasu and that man's attacks?"

Tsukuyomi looked at him gently and said softly, "Fukuli, if you don't have a brain, shut up. Don't provoke me into taking action."

The god whose true form was a tanuki was choked, but he was no match for Tsukuyomi. Yamano no Kogami was no match for one of the Three Noble Ones, and even the least noticeable of the Three Noble Ones was still beyond his reach.

After rebuking the provocateur, Tsukuyomi continued, "Although Amaterasu and Hiranobu have both come to cause us trouble, you must know that their greatest enemy is always each other; their second greatest enemy is Izanagi, not us."

"So there's absolutely no need for us to be the first to stick our necks out. We just need to hold back for now and wait until they've fought to the death before we come out and reap the rewards. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman benefits. Do I need to explain this saying again?"

"Us? They could crush us with a flick of their wrist," a deity said. "Besides, we've only just been revived. How can we remain low-key and patient? If we don't recruit believers, we won't even be able to survive! We'll have to retreat back into seclusion sooner or later!"

"Moreover," someone chimed in, "even if we truly endure until they are both severely weakened, with our strength, we still can't be the ones stalking the cicada and catching the fish, can we?"

"You guys are stupid, but you won't admit it and insist on pretending to be smart." Tsukuyomi sneered. "You're all putting on quite a show. Don't tell me none of you have any information on the current gods?"

Silence, silence is the god of tonight.

"Endure hardship, absorb faith in remote places, gather materials, and forge a living god; I..."

Chapter 517

They could even feign compliance for a while, side with Amaterasu or that man, then incite competition between them, and even drag those bald and bald men into it.

"Finally, when all our gods and humans are complete and our strength is restored to its full glory, we will be able to return in one fell swoop and once again become the rulers of Japan!"

Tsukuyomi forcefully clenched her fist towards the sky, her voice filled with fervor: "The age of gods will surely return! We are the new Amatsu gods!"

The gods were swayed; the scene Tsukuyomi described was incredibly appealing and seemed quite feasible. Those gods who had already begun constructing their own gods were especially confident of victory. Could Hirahara Harunobu, no matter how strong, possibly outmatch the combined power of dozens of gods present?

Amaterasu is another story; the only thing to be careful about is not accidentally killing everyone in Japan while dealing with her. But it doesn't really matter if we kill them all; we can just buy or capture some people from other countries and raise them again.

Tsukuyomi regained her composure and said again, "Of course, surrendering is the last resort. We can stir up trouble for now by encouraging others to oppose Amaterasu and that man, so they won't have time to bother us weak, helpless, and pitiful guys."

“You’re so smart!”

"As expected of the Third Prince! His mind is indeed sharp!"

"I told you long ago that Lord Tsukuyomi was incredibly skilled!"

A barrage of unsolicited flattery swept over him, and Tsukuyomi's smile deepened. He raised his hands and pressed them down, saying, "Before everyone gets excited, let's get this straight—first, sign a full moon contract with me, or if someone tells on us, we're finished."

Indeed, once this scheme is exposed, those who try to play the victim will be ganged up on and killed by the other two parties. Secrecy is essential.

Considering the proposer and their respective abilities, the best approach would be for Tsukuyomi to preside over the signing of a contract. As one of the three oldest noble children, Tsukuyomi's abilities, while not as powerful as Amaterasu's, are nonetheless unique.

"However, how should the contract be stipulated?" a deity asked cautiously, afraid of angering Tsukuyomi, who had already become their leader.

"Let's keep it simple: no leaking plans or members; no attacking or restraining teammates unless both parties agree; violators will be instantly obliterated—is that acceptable?"

This was indeed an extremely simple contract, with clear conditions and punishments, leaving no loopholes or ambiguities. After discussing it among themselves for a while, the many gods present stepped over the two corpses and completed the contract with Tsukuyomi.

The hazy moonlight fell from the sky, and tonight the crescent moon seemed to transform into a full moon in the dim light, eliciting gasps of amazement from those fortunate enough to witness it. But before they could record it, the moon returned to its usual appearance, hanging quietly in the dark sky, reflecting the sun's rays.

Chapter 481: Sneak Attack and Ambush

In the Azure Sky Pavilion, the brilliant sunlight fell upon the thick barrier, creating a sizzling sound like oil being boiled over a raging fire. The intense heat even distorted the space itself, making the sky above the Azure Sky Pavilion appear bizarre and fantastical, like a fairyland. Within this trap, thousands of ribbons were intertwined, barely managing to block some of the sunlight and create a shady area.

The disciples remaining at the Azure Sky Pavilion stayed inside, just in case. Although Amaterasu's attack hadn't yet breached the Azure Sky Pavilion's barrier, a barrier without anyone controlling it certainly couldn't stop this powerful being.

"Asuka, you really value these people, do you even have the spare capacity to support this side?"

A majestic and arrogant voice echoed within the Ame-no-Tama-no-Mikoto Shrine, accompanied by a burst of intense light that tore a crack in the shrine's barrier. Countless ribbons surged forth, blocking Amaterasu's attack; the self-repairing barrier solidified once more, keeping Amaterasu out.

"Not going to speak? Or are you unable to speak?" Amaterasu smiled confidently, continuing to undermine the shrine maiden's confidence. "Don't even think about waiting for Taira no Harunobu to come back and help. That guy is probably having a passionate affair with that British dragon queen right now. He wouldn't even think about an old woman like you."

Amaterasu still received no response, but judging from the increasingly frantic ribbons fluttering below, the shrine maiden was indeed reacting.

So she continued, "To be honest, I really didn't expect that Taira no Harunobu would actually leave Tokyo on his own initiative, even though he only dared to send his disciples before; but it makes sense, doesn't it? After all, that guy never hides his lust, so it's normal for him to be bewitched by a Westerner... Do you think men really are all fickle? I wonder what kind of bewitching potion he gave Izanami, that she didn't drag him to the underworld and lock him up—"

The ribbon's movement created a brief opening, and Amaterasu's expression immediately sharpened. Her delicate body, which had been suspended in the sky, transformed into a blazing golden sun, and she attacked the opening with all her might.

The barrier of Amaterasu Shrine shattered instantly, and the ribbons sent to salvage it failed to reach the shrine maiden in time despite their best efforts. They could only watch helplessly as Amaterasu fell into the shrine maiden's hut.

It worked!

Taira no Harunobu, Izanami, and Asuka are currently the three greatest threats to Amaterasu. Izanami is relatively easy to deal with, at least for Amaterasu; the most difficult is naturally Taira no Harunobu—it's truly baffling how a mere mortal could become so powerful. Asuka is not particularly difficult to deal with, but she's not easy either, so it's best to seize the opportunity to eliminate her while her allies are away!

Furthermore, once Asuka is removed, without a readily available shrine and priests, even if Izanami's reputation far surpasses that of Ame-no-Tsurugi-no-Mikoto, the speed at which faith spreads will be greatly slowed down. Putting aside everything else, the various matters of receiving worshippers alone are a very troublesome affair, something most people couldn't handle.

"Go and sleep for hundreds of years, Asuka!"

Amaterasu smashed through the ceiling of the shrine maiden's mysterious hut, and scorching sunlight descended from the sky, striking the shrine maiden who wielded her Zanpakuto precisely—

The blazing sun crashed against the blue wind wall, unable to advance an inch.

“We really can’t let our guard down, right, Amaterasu?” Haruhiko distracted Amaterasu with his conversation.

"Hira Harunobu! What are you doing here—could that red dragon be Asuka!?"

Hidden to the side, Artoria resisted the urge to immediately transform back into her dragon form and bite Amaterasu, instead slashing her sword towards the back of Amaterasu's head: "Die! You evil god!"

Using the lives of believers to share the burden of harm—this is absolutely the act of an evil god! That's why King Arthur shouted with such confidence and righteous indignation!

"Tch—" The sun's flames suddenly dispersed, avoiding the direct strike of Excalibur, and then reformed into a human form above the large hole in the ceiling. It just barely avoided the filthy power that was quietly rushing towards it.

"Did you learn this trick from Xiao Yi?" Harunobu, carrying Tenka-maru, stood in front of the shrine maiden. "Speaking of which, shouldn't we stop what we're doing back home too?"

Amaterasu, her face cold, surveyed the room. The priestess remained seated behind her small table, her new Zanpakuto, still unfinished, before her; Hirahara Harunobu stood in her way, a doll-sized Izanami perched on his shoulder, while the Crimson Dragon Queen, wielding her sword, formed a pincer movement with him, both their eyes fixed on Amaterasu in the sky.

"It's all over there now, and no one was hurt." The priestess suddenly spoke, and ribbons appeared out of thin air around her. "Her goal has always been me, and she doesn't want to see you go crazy."

“It would be the same if I attacked you.” Harunobu replied briefly, looking up at Amaterasu: “Let me make this clear: if you lay a hand on my women, then the issue will change from a matter of justice to a personal grudge, Amaterasu.”

For the sake of justice, Harunobu wouldn't risk killing everyone in Japan to go to war with Amaterasu. But if it's a personal grudge, then Harunobu... well, he's not confident he can control his anger; perhaps that's what happens when power blinds you.

But he can't even protect his own woman, and he doesn't even seek revenge?

Chapter 518

Then what kind of bullshit justice are we talking about? He's not the kind of saint who would abandon his family and career for the sake of the world. He's just a good person with relatively normal values.

"Asuka isn't your woman yet," Amaterasu said coldly, refuting the flaw in Harunobu's words.

Qingxin nodded shamelessly: "Yes, not yet."

The deliberate emphasis conveyed his meaning, causing Amaterasu's expression to worsen. She raised her voice, her defenses faltering, "You mortal are far too insatiable! Aren't that red dragon and Izanami enough for you? And as a samurai, don't you know how to strengthen your body and nourish your vital energy?"

"Didn't you say that men are all fickle?" Qingxin continued to display his shamelessness. "Although I'm not fickle at all, I do like new things; as for my body, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. If you don't believe me, why don't you come and experience it for yourself?"

"You—" Amaterasu was so angry that her face turned red.

"Huh? You're blushing already? You're not still a virgin, are you?" Harunobu looked at Amaterasu. "Iori is at least a thousand years old. If you're her daughter, then you should also be... wow, a virgin over nine hundred years old?"

Although Harunobu admires people who remain chaste, regardless of gender, it doesn't stop him from mocking Amaterasu here.

But Amaterasu calmed down instead: "Izanami and I are not related by blood, and even if it were you, that organ couldn't withstand a temperature of 5,000 degrees, right?"

"You have five thousand degrees in your body?" Qingxin asked with skepticism.

Amaterasu smiled alluringly, gently lifting the hem of her long golden dress: "If you really want to try it, it's not impossible..."

This left Qingxin completely bewildered: "Huh, are you serious?"

Amaterasu slowly lifted her skirt, her smile alluring, her tone soft: "Since Mother is already with you, it wouldn't matter if I tried too... So, in that case, I'd be your woman too, and my dreams and ideals..."

Harunobu, seeing Amaterasu's superficial and seductive actions, urged, "Keep pulling her up, maybe I'll actually agree."

"Humph!"

Amaterasu snorted angrily, lowered her skirt, and covered her fair, lotus-root-like calves, plump toes, and beautifully shaped arches... To be honest, once you couldn't see them, they were actually quite alluring.

Under Harunobu's focused gaze, Amaterasu involuntarily curled her toes, but this did not affect her composure and dignity: "Hira Harunobu, let's make a deal."

The author says:

Author's Note: Update progress 2/30~ This chapter omits the return-to-town CG.

Chapter 482: The Bet

"What deal?"

Harunobu stopped staring at Amaterasu's feet and looked at her serious face: "Let me make it clear first, if you want to be my lackey, or if you want me to ignore your plans, then forget it."

Although Harunobu was not a saint, he was not a cold-blooded egoist either. Moreover, Amaterasu's plan had directly infringed upon the core interests of Ame-no-Mikoto and Izanami as gods.

"I know, the deal I'm talking about is about the attack we just had," Amaterasu said calmly, her face cold. "You don't want me to attack Asuka and your other women and allies; I don't want you to go and threaten those fickle yokai; and we probably don't want to see each other go out and start a bloodbath, right?"

Qingxin nodded, there was no point in hiding it: "But what's the point? As long as I stay here, you won't dare to leave? Or do you also have a 'Yellow Spring'?"

Amaterasu's "divine kingdom" and the Emperor's family are still in the Imperial Palace. If she dares to leave Tokyo, Harunobu will immediately follow her example and enter the Imperial Palace to start a massacre. Even if Amaterasu's divine kingdom cannot be found and the problem cannot be solved once and for all, simply changing the lineage of the Emperor would be a good way to hinder her.

—If you can't even protect your descendants who have been in the same lineage for ten thousand generations, are you really capable of being the only god?

Of course, if he were to actually do that, Harunobu would definitely pack up all his wives and disciples and send them to the underworld to prevent Amaterasu from going mad.

“You definitely didn’t come back from the underworld. I set up a magic array long ago.” Amaterasu exposed Haruno’s misleading statement, and then said, “The point is that we don’t have to spend so much effort on pointless precautions. And I’m not finished yet.”

Harunobu shrugged slightly and raised his left hand forward, signaling Amaterasu to continue.

"Hmph... Since you don't approve of my One God Plan, let's make a bet on it; anyway, my first goal is to kill Izanagi, and yours is the same, right?"

Harunoku nodded; this was beyond doubt.

"Then let's do this: the two of us will stay in Tokyo—Asuka and Izanami will too—and the rest of us will go out and expand throughout the country. In the end, we'll see who can capture the most faith and gain the widest number of believers to decide the winner."

"What's the stakes?" Harunobu stroked his chin. "While I don't really expect to resolve this stubborn guy with just a bet, we still need to go through the motions, right?"

"The losing party must acknowledge that the winning party's plan is correct and help the winning party advance the plan until Izanagi is killed; if they break the contract, they will suffer the torment of having their heart ripped out, their brains broken, and their souls burned and their bodies refined."

Amaterasu paused, and seeing that Harunobu and the others did not raise any questions, she continued, "Of course, if you continue with your current approach, when we have determined the winner, you should go directly to Takamagahara to settle accounts with Izanagi."

"Sounds good, quite reasonable." Harunobu's approval didn't please Amaterasu, because such an opening usually ended with...

“But if our plan can also limit Izanagi, why do you insist on becoming the only god? We could have been companions.”

"That's my personal privacy. If you can't accept it..." Amaterasu prepared to fight. Although her chances of winning against three, no, four, were slim, she knew she could escape if she wanted to, thanks to her "meat shield."

But Harunobu had no intention of making a move. Instead, he smiled and said, "You just said that killing Izanagi was your first goal. So, is your second goal, or your ultimate goal, to become someone who surpasses the gods and is above them?"

For the first time, Amaterasu showed a shocked expression, raising her right hand almost to attack Harunobu. Although she immediately tried to cover it up, no one present was so easily fooled, especially given how obvious her actions were. In the end, she could only lower her hand: "How did you know, Taira Harunobu?"

This time, his tone was no longer calm; it was even somewhat gritted-teeth.

“Maybe it’s because, well, Izanagi told me?” Haruno spoke the truth in an ambiguous tone, but Amaterasu clearly didn’t believe her: “Why don’t you just say that you are that kind of being... But okay, you’re right, but there’s no room for discussion on this.”

Amaterasu's resolute tone revealed her insistence, and Harunobu did not deliberately provoke this point, but changed the subject: "Alright, but we have to remove the clause in our bet that we have to help the winner implement the plan. We can just stipulate that both parties must cooperate to kill Izanagi."

“Alright.” Amaterasu nodded. Harunobu already knew that her ultimate goal was to reach a realm beyond godhood, so her scheme to take shortcuts and trick Harunobu into helping her was obviously doomed. But that didn't matter; as long as she defeated Izanagi, she would have plenty of time to take her time!

"So, what kind of contract should we use?" Harunobu asked a more serious question. "There probably aren't many contracts that can bind us, are there?"

"To be precise, there is absolutely no contract that can bind you," Amaterasu said coldly. "The corrosive effect of corrupted power on magic is absolute, even if it's purified into divine power."