Asura in Arknights

A ceremony is a ceremony after all. In addition to the framework of a wedding ceremony held in the presence of the gods, there are many other elements related to praying to the gods. As the person playing the role of the bride, Adele has a lot to do, and so does Leon.

Fortunately, these are not complicated, and given some time, Li Ang will be able to memorize them completely.

Li Ang also went to the next room to change into the embroidered haori hakama. This haori hakama, like the white kimono that Adele wore, has a history of at least a thousand years. It may be the prototype of these two kinds of clothing in the Terra world, and can be considered an absolute 'divine artifact'.

Perhaps it was because the clothes were a magical artifact, but after changing into them, Li Ang felt much more energetic and didn't experience the discomfort that comes with wearing new clothes. The clothes didn't affect Li Ang's mobility at all; in fact, they seemed to provide some boost.

Moreover, although this outfit appears to be made of fabric, it actually possesses considerable defensive capabilities. According to Li Ang's deduction, this loose-fitting fabric is even more defensive than some metal armor. Adele's white kimono should be similar, which can also ensure Adele's safety to a certain extent.

The most dangerous moment has arrived; completing this leg of their journey will be no easy feat.

Li Ang cut his wrist again, refining a pill from his own blood.

As time passed, the gunfire downstairs became increasingly intense, from one shot every ten minutes at the beginning to almost a dozen shots per minute now. The punitive forces' ammunition reserves were being depleted at an alarming rate.

At this time, it wasn't even completely dark outside. Although they didn't know the specifics, their intuition told Li Ang that things were definitely not going well. As the monster corpses piled up outside, the stench of decay had even drifted into the villa.

Just as Li Ang was considering whether to go out and check the situation, someone finally knocked on his door.

"Are they preparing to retreat?"

However, the disciplinary soldier who came to summon him could not confirm it either, only saying that the priestess had something to discuss with everyone.

When Li Ang arrived in the living room, he noticed that Xiong Ye's expression was extremely unpleasant.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Kumano wasted no time and told them directly about the current situation: "We underestimated these monsters. We can't stay here any longer."

The mutated monsters were gathering at a speed that was beyond imagination, but the Punishment Army's firepower was even more ferocious. The ten men left behind by Kumano were all top-notch fighters in the army, and the current situation was no challenge for them at all.

The only problem was... Kumano overlooked a seemingly insignificant issue—the corpses of those monsters.

The monsters kept coming to their deaths, but their corpses wouldn't disappear on their own. Although they had flamethrowers in their equipment, the fuel was limited, and it would be too wasteful to use them to burn the corpses. But if they didn't find a way to destroy the corpses, they might be stuck here and unable to get out.

Normally, Kumano could have had his men deliver more fuel, but right now, Sagazaki City is far from safe.

Kumano is still in contact with the main force of the Punishing Army. The city is in chaos, with those mutated monsters appearing everywhere. The Punishing Army is trying its best to maintain order in the city, but it is still unable to stop it from sliding step by step into the abyss.

If we were to send someone to carry fuel here, we would need at least a full squad or an armored vehicle. If there were too few people, they might be wiped out by the mutants on the way. But if there were too many people, the situation in the city could also get out of control.

Unable to make a decision, Kumano had to leave it to Rui to decide.

After listening to Kumano's description of the situation, Rui sighed slightly and said,

"In that case... let's begin, the Feather Robe Festival."

"Although it's a bit early."

Chapter 105 The Ceremony Begins

The ceremony was about to begin, and they had already started their journey to the Hagoromo Shrine, located halfway up Mount Koga, on the tour route, but this was three hours earlier than expected.

This error is still within a manageable range. Liu Yi has the ability to resolve this error, which is a unique advantage of ritual magic. Ritual magic allows for mistakes. As long as the error is controlled within a certain range, the spell will not fail. At most, the final effect will be affected to some extent.

However, modern Originium Arts is not so kind. If the spell unit construction fails, it fails. There is no such thing as a margin of error.

The punitive forces used several grenades to temporarily clear out the monsters that were constantly surging in from afar. Taking advantage of this opportunity, everyone left the villa, entered the armored vehicle, and headed towards the shrine on Mount Xianglu.

The ten elite punitive troops were divided into two groups, with five in each armored vehicle.

Li Ang and Adele were in the armored vehicle whose roof had been converted into a bridal sedan chair, while the rest of the people were in another armored vehicle. Although the combat power seemed to be unevenly distributed, in reality, Li Ang alone could completely overwhelm everyone present. If it weren't for saving some energy, Li Ang would have actually wanted to cram everyone into the first armored vehicle.

The unrest in the city is currently under control, with most residents being sent back to their homes to await news. The punitive forces left behind by Kumano in the city are able to maintain control of the current situation, but only for now.

Those mutated monsters are almost ubiquitous, and when they are parasitized by ordinary people, their mutation speed is also extremely exaggerated. They can gain a certain combat power in less than half an hour, and because of their terrifying appearance, ordinary people have virtually no chance of resisting them.

Therefore, Kumano's goal was clear from the beginning. They did not expect to protect everyone in the city, as that was simply impossible. Their current goal was merely to control the speed at which the pollution spread. Once the pollution spread to a point beyond their control, they would immediately give up and instead focus on clearing all obstacles in their patrol route. This was the most important thing.

The Feather Robe Festival ceremony cannot afford any mistakes; it is the city's last hope.

The monsters' social structure is similar to that of an ant colony. If the source of everything can be eliminated, the remaining aberrations will collapse on their own, allowing some of the people in Sagazaki City to survive. However, if the ritual fails, the entire city will surely be devoured by the overwhelming aberrations.

Therefore, they must ensure that there are no obstacles on their patrol route; it would be terrible if a few wrecked cars blocked their way.

Armored vehicles are not tanks, and there's no way to run them over.

When they left the university's residential area, they encountered considerable resistance. Many mutants had already gathered in this area. Liu Yi's decision to stay was absolutely correct. If they had delayed any longer, they would probably have had to pay several times the price to break through this encirclement.

Once they left the densely populated urban area, the pressure on them eased dramatically. This area was sparsely populated, and the mutants couldn't keep up with the speed of the armored vehicles on foot.

The armored vehicles sped along the highway, and soon the silhouette of a mountain peak appeared on the horizon.

At this point, there were only four hours left until the third day.

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"This mountain... looks just like Xianglu Mountain." Adele murmured to herself as she looked at the mountain peak outside through the observation port.

The others inside the armored vehicle were somewhat surprised, wondering what nonsense Adele was spouting. Wasn't this Xianglu Mountain? What did she mean by "similar to Xianglu Mountain"?

Only Li Ang could understand what Adele was trying to say; she was saying that the mountain was very similar to the real-life Fragrant Deer Mountain.

“That’s normal, after all, that’s the prototype,” Li Ang replied.

Li Ang was also quite interested in how the Great God of Light created this world.

Although Rui is an incarnation of the Great God, she is actually very independent and can be regarded as a separate person in some respects. If the entire Sagazaki City is compared to a computer, then the Great God is the computer's operating system, and Rui is the management software of this system.

The system is now on the verge of crashing due to an external virus. The management software is helpless and can only try to roll back the computer's version through the operating system. As for who built the computer, Liu Yi really doesn't know, as the Great God of the Ming Dynasty didn't impart much relevant knowledge to her.

All that is known is that countless years ago, a person who accidentally came to Sagazaki carried a treasure from the Yan Kingdom. After being transformed by the Great God, Sagazaki City came into being as it is today.

This is a copy of the real-world Red Carp State region, but from several hundred years ago, which is why there are subtle differences between it and the mountain they saw in reality.

When they heard the sound of the waterfall, they knew they had arrived at Fragrant Deer Mountain.

Soon, they felt the armored vehicle shudder slightly and stop in place. At this moment, the soldier driving in front turned around and said to the two of them, "The priestess asked me to tell you two to prepare yourselves, as the ceremony will begin soon."

"I see."

Adele seemed a little nervous at this moment, and Leon gently squeezed her hand to reassure her.

After Adele calmed down a bit, the two of them got out of the armored vehicle together.

As soon as they stepped outside, they saw the massive shrine complex in the distance, exactly the same as the one they had seen inside Mount Koro, but much more complete. Needless to say, this was the Hagoromo Shrine.

Rui has already entered the shrine and is making final preparations for the ceremony.

Once she stood on the platform used for the Kagura dance, it signified the official start of the ceremony.

It was only then that Li Ang realized what the strange platform on the other armored vehicle was for. It turned out that Liu Yi was actually dancing the Kagura dance on it... What a creative idea, just as creative as their transformation of the armored vehicle into a bridal sedan chair.

Dancing on such a mobile platform is a real test of balance. I wonder if Liu Yi caught me, but that's none of Li Ang's business. He and Adele are already seated in the sedan chair, quietly waiting for their consciousness to return.

As a clear, ethereal bell rang through the mountains, it heralded the start of the final ceremony.

Chapter 106 This is War

Because it incorporates elements of prayer to the gods, the Feather Robe Festival ceremony differs somewhat from the kind of divine weddings Li Ang knows. At least in a typical divine wedding, the bride and groom wouldn't sit in the same palanquin. No wonder Liuyi said they were offerings beforehand; this treatment does indeed resemble that of offerings.

The armored vehicle slowly moved forward with a rumbling sound, while Liuyi on the platform shook the Kagura bell in her hand, dancing to the crisp sound of the bell.

Although Liu Yi's dance steps are simple, they seem to possess a unique magic that firmly attracts people's attention, making them watch her figure on the stage, and even the passage of time seems to slow down.

Normally, Li Ang wouldn't mind watching the gods dance, but now is clearly not a good time.

Their descent from Xianglu Mountain went smoothly; they encountered almost no enemies. However, once they entered the city, everyone's nightmare began.

Monsters surged in from all around. By this time, the infection in Sagazaki City was completely out of control, and a large number of residents had been transformed into mutated monsters, engaging in fierce firefights with the Punishment Army, which had also gathered in the area.

The journey ahead would become increasingly dangerous, and Li Ang couldn't just sit in the sedan chair doing nothing. He had to be constantly vigilant against the monsters surging in from all directions, and if any monsters appeared that the Punishment Army couldn't handle, he would have to take action.

As long as they can hold out for this period, they will be safe once they enter the base inside Xianglu Mountain.

They are at a significant disadvantage in terms of numbers. Entering that enclosed space would actually make them safer, as the small space also means that they would not face a large number of aberrations.

"Fire! Fire!! Don't let those monsters get near the priestess!"

Kumano's roars kept ringing in the team's communication channel, giving Li Ang a headache. He only felt better after turning the volume down in his headphones.

Lifting the curtain of the sedan chair, one could see that the streets outside were incredibly lively, so lively that even the stone bricks paving the ground had melted, turning into crimson lava flowing across the ground.

Those monsters formed from mutated human organs didn't even have the right to approach this place; they were evaporated by the high temperature emanating from the lava river. Those complete mutants were nothing more than the lowest-level cannon fodder, and were harvested in large swathes like wheat amidst the gunfire.

The real threat comes from the monsters formed by the fusion of multiple aberrations. Although they are all strangely shaped, they are huge enough that small-caliber weapons are completely ineffective against them. They are like heavy tanks, charging towards this place with earth-shattering force. Perhaps only Victoria's steam-armored troops can rival them when they launch a mass charge.

Of course, the Punishing Army was not entirely without a chance to fight back. They seemed to have acquired some kind of heavy siege weapon, and amidst the deafening roar of artillery fire, they were able to clear a gap of nearly 100 meters in the waves of aberrations each time. However, after a brief delay, this gap would be filled by more aberrations.

The battle in the air was equally fierce, with many mutants evolving the ability to fly, appearing like a dark, oppressive cloud in the sky.

Several bulky-looking drones formed a pale blue net above them, protecting other vulnerable drones while also blocking the flying mutants.

Although Originium energy does not exist in this world, the Great God can obviously simulate the effects of these weapons in another way. If Li Ang were to disassemble the weapons used by the Punishment Army, he would be surprised to find that these weapons are just empty shells, and the internal structure is a mosaic that is impossible to identify.

As long as the Great Ming God hasn't lost, these empty shells can still play their role.

Without a doubt, this is a war, a war that would be difficult to occur even in the world of Terra.

The clear sound of Kagura bells drowned out the gunfire and artillery fire, reaching everyone's ears clearly. A foul-smelling rain of blood fell from the sky, but the road they were on remained unaffected, as the blood rain was purified by some invisible force before it hit the ground.

This was a genuine miracle. Every time the Kagura bell rang, the army's morale soared, which is why they were able to fight those monsters with such fearlessness. Even when surrounded by countless mutants, they could at least drag a few mutants down with them.

Such fierce fighting spirit is indeed awe-inspiring. Li Ang concluded that the Punishing Army must be considered the elite force of Iberia. Ordinary troops could not possibly possess such willpower. If the Punishing Army were to face an army without special designations, their morale would probably collapse in no time.

Unfortunately, this time they were facing a group of mindless monsters who had no concept of morale whatsoever.

Even if the soldiers of the Punishment Army were incredibly brave, and one person could kill more than a hundred aberrations, it would be of no use. Their physical strength was limited, while the number of aberrations seemed endless.

The disparity in numbers between the two sides was simply too great. The Punishing Army was like a small boat sailing in a storm. Almost every second, Punishing Army soldiers died in the mouths of the mutants. After all, these were pirated versions created by the Great God, and their combat power was no match for the real Punishing Army. This small boat was at risk of being swallowed up by the storm at any moment.

The ceremony is supposed to last about four hours, and at this pace, the team definitely won't last that long.

The Punishment Army has only lost a small number of men, so the battle seems to be at a stalemate. However, the speed of the army's collapse will only increase. When the casualties of the Punishment Army reach a certain level, they will be overwhelmed by the overwhelming mutants, and the army will collapse like a house of cards.

Before the ceremony began, Li Ang had questioned Liu Yi about this issue, but she said there was no need to worry... but now it seems that there is no need to worry at all.

Li Ang was prepared to forcibly tear apart the world barrier and escape with everyone. Although it would be quite risky, it was better than being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of aberrations. Even Li Ang was a little scared of so many aberrations. Even if hundreds of thousands of pig beasts were lying here, he could kill them until his hands were sore. What's more, these aberrations were much more powerful than pig beasts.

Just as Li Ang was hesitating whether to help clear out a wave of monsters, the ground shook violently the next second, and the entire convoy was thrown upwards a short distance amidst the intense tremors.

Sorry, I have severe writer's block.

rt

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Chapter 107

Amid the violent shaking, Adele lost her balance and nearly crashed into the wall of the bridal sedan chair. Fortunately, Li Ang pulled her back in time, preventing a tragedy.

Even Leon and Adele, who were sitting, were like this, which shows how chaotic the situation outside must be. But even with such a strong tremor, the soft ringing of the Kagura bell outside did not stop for a moment, as if it had not been affected at all.

The punitive troops formed a fairly dense defensive formation, and if anyone accidentally fell, it would trigger a very serious chain reaction.

Fortunately, it wasn't just the Punishment Army soldiers who were affected by the tremor; a large number of mutants were also knocked to the ground and thrown into chaos.

The Punishment Army, however, was well-trained and quickly regrouped amidst the brief chaos, taking advantage of the confusion to annihilate a large number of aberrations, briefly tipping the scales of victory in their favor.

However, this is only temporary.

The world operates entirely under the control of the Great God, and natural disasters like earthquakes will never occur.

So... what caused that tremor just now?

Soon, Kumano's slightly terrified roar over the communication channel gave Li Ang the answer: "Fire!! Bomb that monster to death! Don't let it... no! Blow up that building! Blow it in half!"

Peeking out from the bridal sedan chair, Li Ang finally understood the source of the fear in Xiong Ye's voice.

They saw a skyscraper with over a hundred stories collapse suddenly less than 500 meters away from them. Because it was so close, the collapse of this building caused the small earthquake that had just occurred.

What caused all of this was a giant snake that was over 200 meters long and had a head even larger than a heavy truck. It coiled around the middle of the skyscraper, strangling the building in two.

If you were to get a closer look at the long snake, you would discover that it was actually formed from the fusion of countless human corpses, with each scale inlaid with a face filled with despair.

This is not surprising, as the monsters cannot corrode inorganic matter, except for human corpses.

What made Li Ang feel somewhat uneasy was what that long snake was currently doing.

Just like before, it coiled around another building that was over 300 meters tall. Under the full force of the snake's strangulation, the carbon brick wall was shattered and tilted slightly in their direction.

Once that building collapses, even though carbon bricks are much lighter than reinforced concrete, those tens of tons of material are definitely not something that flesh and blood can withstand.

No wonder Kumano ordered his troops to attack that building. The mutant serpent's vitality was clearly very strong. Even if it was bombarded with artillery fire, it probably wouldn't be able to kill it in a short time. But blowing up that building would be much simpler, at least preventing them from being crushed to death on the spot.

However... Kumano's architectural knowledge was clearly inadequate, or rather, he underestimated the strength of carbon bricks. After a round of artillery fire, although the building became dilapidated, its main structure remained intact. In fact, the bombardment even had a counterproductive effect, causing the building to tilt slightly towards their position.

Now is no longer the time for Li Ang to consider whether or not to take action. If he doesn't act now, the entire team will definitely not be able to escape its range before the building collapses.

"Take care of yourself, I'm going out for a bit."