You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

The world seemed to suddenly lose all sound. Amidst the countless falling rocks as the rock layers crumbled, a terrifying rift pierced through the entire summit of Mount Fuji. The wind pressure that stretched out soared into the sky, splitting the clouds in two!

Chapter 363 Heavenly Clouds: A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on!

"Uhhhhh!"

As the shockwave, carrying countless pebbles, swept outwards, Susanoo was also thrown out amidst the billowing dust, his face filled with disbelief.

With the help of the natural formations of Mount Fuji and the incantations inherited from the Earth Mother Goddess, he elevated his divine status of "steel" to its extreme, returning to or even surpassing the time when he was still wandering the earth.

However, despite being a god of disobedience and having the advantage of playing at home, he actually lost in a head-on confrontation?!

"Ama-no-Kumara... a god of the same origin as me, even if there were one that could surpass me, would never have it so easily... Amaterasu? Tsukuyomi?"

Susanoo fell into the rift that Iori had cleaved open, with turbulent lava directly below. He flipped over and leaped into the air, releasing a large amount of lightning that wrapped around his limbs, barely managing to stand firm in mid-air. His disheveled hair and beard were constantly blown about by the rising heat.

His left chest and thigh were hit by the sword's force, and although his skin was torn and flesh was ripped open, not much blood flowed out, as if his entire body, inside and out, had been transformed into refined steel.

He looked up at the figure standing high above, shrouded in a layer of smoke and mist, his eyes gleaming as he continuously mobilized his internal magical power to prepare for the impending fierce battle.

At the same time, he also had some guesses about Iori's real name—judging others by his own standards, he naturally felt that "Aizen Iori" and "My Husband" were both aliases.

He shared a similar divine status, an Eastern appearance, and also wielded the Kusanagi Sword...

Susanoo is not the only one who can wield this divine sword. In mythology, he offered the sword to Amaterasu in order to gain his sister's forgiveness, as a token of recognition of Amaterasu's authority.

Afterwards, Amaterasu bestowed the Three Sacred Treasures, including the sword, upon her grandson, "Nigi-Nigi-no-Mikoto," which became a symbol of royal power.

Afterwards, the Kusanagi sword was passed down through generations and, in the hands of warriors like the Martial Lord, expanded the territory and conquered the Emishi. As the sharp blade of the conquerors, it also acquired the name "Kusanagi Sword".

Theoretically, all wielders of these divine swords could become rebellious gods and should rightfully be able to use the Kusanagi sword, but to say that one could suppress Susanoo...

That leaves only Amaterasu!

Susanoo himself has a legend of submitting to Amaterasu. Worshipping the Kusanagi sword is equivalent to placing the divine status of "steel" under the "sun god". Therefore, he can never surpass Amaterasu.

Of course, Amaterasu is a sun goddess who appears in a female form, so Iori's true name could be the dark side of Amaterasu—[Tsukuyomi]!

Tsukuyomi is also one of the Three Noble Children, but there are very few records about her. She is positioned as a moon goddess who matches Amaterasu, and is also the male face of Amaterasu. Her image is also confused with that of Susanoo. It is entirely possible that she will descend to the world as a "war god who wields the Kusanagi Cloud".

"In that case!"

Susanoo roared, and the world suddenly fell into darkness. The clouds that Iori had cut apart gathered together and transformed into thunderclouds as vast as mountains and seas.

He was clever enough to know that if Iori was Tsukuyomi, who was acting on behalf of Amaterasu, then as someone who had already been subdued by [Steel] once, he would not be able to win. Instead, he should abandon his heroic god image, which was good at attacking, and show the power and authority of the "Lord of Storms and Oceans"!

"I am the original master of the vast ocean. The storm summons my soul, and I roam the four wastelands to prove my mighty name in conquering the barbarians!"

A fierce wind howled, thunder roared, and the cold wind falling from the sky and the heat wave surging from the earth's core clashed, instantly causing thousands of silver snakes to dance wildly, a truly extraordinary change in the world!

In this terrifying scene, Susanoo wielded his divine sword to draw in bolts of lightning. His entire body swelled up, resembling a Vajra warrior enshrined in a temple. With his blue face and fangs, he looked like a demon from legend. With a great leap, he soared into the clouds and used the power of heavenly lightning to strike Iori, turning half the sky a fiery white.

Iori's expression was aloof. He held the Ama-no-Kumara, which was both a Zanpakuto and a Noble Phantasm, in his hand. The flawless blade reflected a sky full of lightning, as if echoing the light. When he swung it, it also burst forth with brilliant light, clashing head-on with Susanoo's black sword—one above the other.

boom! ! !

It was as if Thor had struck a drum; in an instant, lightning flashed, thousands of silver arcs tore through the sky, and the clouds surged like a tsunami.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Each collision triggers countless flashes of light in the atmosphere. These are natural energies drawn by the divine power, which become incredibly active through constant resonance. Any fluctuation will trigger a devastating lightning strike, turning the sky into a forbidden zone for life.

In these repeated battles, Susanoo grew increasingly anxious:

The lightning power he unleashed was even greater, but it was completely unable to harm Iori. In close combat, he was completely at a disadvantage, not only unable to find a single flaw in Iori, but also having his moves easily deciphered time and again.

If he were a pure god of war, or a god more focused on authority, he probably wouldn't have been so constrained when facing Iori.

However, he possesses both qualities, yet he cannot gain an advantage over Iori in either area. As a result, no matter how hard he tries, it's like trying to catch the moon's reflection in water; he is completely unable to threaten Iori.

What made him even more uneasy was that the battle had been going on for several rounds since the Netherworld, and both sides had used their ultimate techniques that consumed a lot of energy. Even Susanoo, who was supported by Mount Fuji, was feeling a bit strained, but Iori showed no signs of fatigue, and the vast amount of magical energy fluctuations he was surging through was even more alarming...

Although his curse power is still sufficient, Susanoo suspects that if this continues, he will be the first to give out!

"Hehe... You and I are indeed very similar, both having absorbed the strengths of many, without any weaknesses or shortcomings. If we want to determine a winner, it will probably take forever..."

"There's no other way, so let me use my divine sword to bring this battle to a close!"

In another clash, Susanoo suddenly retreated while pointing his longsword diagonally. A golden light flowed from the blade. Iori felt inexplicably uneasy, but only for a moment. She calmed herself and banished the distracting thoughts from her mind.

"What is this? Is it your spell?"

"Hahaha!"

Susanoo smiled confidently, his divine sword adorned with strands of gold, outlining intricate patterns resembling a mandala on its dark blade.

"The Yamato court of ancient Japan conquered the rebellious people with swords and armies, using the subjugated people as slaves and soldiers, and turning their power into its own."

The sacred weapon of the Yamato court, the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, is a symbol of this kind of force and plunder. Its divine nature grants it the ability to seize a portion of the enemy's power and convert it into its own.

Perhaps this is only a small part for you... but after merging with your divine power, the tide of battle will begin to turn!

When Iori heard this, she merely raised an eyebrow but did not show any excitement. She seemed to find it rather novel and was neither nervous nor worried about it.

...There was even a hint of disdain and mockery in it.

"Now is the only time to bluff... I am the Lord of the Path, this is Kusanagi's Blade, here I will display my plundering skills!"

Divine power is mighty!

Although it only stole a small portion of Iori's divine power, the black divine sword seemed to have undergone a transformation, emitting extremely astonishing fluctuations, and the cursed power within Susanoo's body also became more active.

What astonishing power!

Swords, plunder, then conquer! Forge for me blades that can defeat mighty foes!

Susanoo moved with dance-like steps, causing bolts of lightning to fall from the sky, his body bursting with golden light, his aura constantly rising—

"You barbarians who covet Ashihara no Chūgoku, kneel before the mighty sword of conquest!"

hum!

A colossal eight-headed figure appeared in the sky, then dissipated, transforming into a thousand-meter-long golden sword that tore through the sea of ​​clouds, descending upon Iori with an astonishing force capable of overwhelming the world—

boom! ! !

The mountain collapsed, the forest churned, and crimson lava spewed into the sky, shooting out in all directions like fiery meteors, turning Mount Fuji into a scene of purgatory amidst billowing black smoke!

"Drink up! It's over!"

Piercing through flames and gales, parting rubble and lava, Susanoo transformed into a streak of light and plunged into purgatory, slashing down at the hazy figure—

Clang!

The crisp sound of the impact jolted Susanoo back to his senses. He stared in astonishment at his divine sword, his pupils shrinking involuntarily.

Iori held the sword in his right hand without making any movement. He simply raised his left hand, extended his index finger and thumb, and easily pinched the blade of the Ama-Kusanagi as if catching a flying insect!

Neither the lightning wrapped around the sword nor its sharpness could cause Iori any harm!

"This, how is this possible!"

Susanoo cried out in fear.

What surprised him was not that his attack was blocked, but that the sword seemed to have lost control, making him feel as if he was fixed in place and could not move it forward even half an inch.

He no longer felt any connection to the sword Kusanagi. It was a divine sword that had been with him for thousands of years, yet now it felt completely foreign to him, and he could not feel any resonance with it...

Do not!

On the contrary, the moment he surged with magical power in an attempt to control the Ame-no-Murakumo, a sharp wave of magical power erupted from the sword, transforming into a solidified sword beam that pierced Susanoo's large hand, forcing him to cry out in pain and drop the divine sword.

That day, the Murakumo Sword flew into the air, spun around, and then fell back down, naturally landing in Iori's left hand.

Zheng!

The sword trembled, emitting a melodious metallic clang, subtly revealing its joy. Then, its brilliance subsided, and it remained still and undisturbed, clearly having submitted to Iori's command.

Susanoo clutched his wound, his eyes wide with rage, unable to believe or comprehend the scene before him: "Ama-no-Murakumo! Ama-no-Murakumo! What are you doing? Have you forgotten who your master is?!"

Iori casually fiddled with the black sword a few times, showing no particular surprise, and remained unmoved by Susanoo's shouts, as if she had long anticipated this development.

Susanoo, upon seeing this, suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Could it be... that you possess the same ability as me... that you also stole my divine power? Ame-no-Murakumo..."

Do not!impossible!

Kusanagi itself possesses the divine essence of "Steel," and as a subordinate deity, it has its own consciousness; it is definitely not something that can be plundered!

"Indeed."

Iori agreed with this statement, saying that the Usurper could indeed steal the enemy's abilities and weapons, but the success rate depended on the specific target.

The Black Sword Kusanagi is not just a sword; it can be considered an independent sub-god and, normally, cannot be taken away.

"I was also surprised. I originally just wanted to take back my power, but I didn't expect this sword to come along with me."

“...You mean...no, how is that possible…”

Susanoo was greatly shaken. An unbelievable thought flashed through his mind, and a strong sense of shame and resentment overwhelmed him.

"Ama-no-Kumara...you bastard! You actually surrendered willingly?!"

That's right!

Even the goddess of fate cannot control the free will of the gods. She can plunder divine power but can never control an object with an independent divine status. The only possibility is that Ama no Kusanagi actively surrenders!

When Iori activated its power, it not only did not resist, but even broke free from Susanoo's grasp and placed its ownership in Iori's hands!

It was precisely for this reason that the seemingly earth-shattering slash failed to make Iori shed a single drop of blood!

"Damn it! Bastard!!"

I am the conqueror! The plunderer! You are my blade, how can you submit to another!

"Noisy...what's so strange about that?"

Iori watched indifferently as Susanoo broke through his defenses, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

"As you said, the Kusanagi is a divine tool for conquering barbarians and enslaving disobedient people."

The only way to achieve this is through iron and blood, overwhelming violence, and only in this way can one stand out from the chaos of the world.

But what are barbarians? They are simply the defeated.

It is not that conquerors subjugate barbarians, but that they defeat everyone to be called conquerors!

Then, the problem becomes very simple:

At this moment, who is the 'barbarian' and who is the 'conqueror'?

"—!"

Susanoo's body trembled violently, his jaw clenched, and a ferocious expression appeared on his face.

Although he was aggressive, he was clearly aware of the essence of the problem: as a fellow Steel Hero wielding the Kusanagi Sword, Iori was superior to him in every way, and the Black Sword was the conqueror's blade, which would only choose its master who was the strongest!

The root cause lies in his theft of Iori's divine power... From that moment on, Ama no Kusanagi, realizing who was stronger and who was weaker, had already made his own choice.

This is not just betrayal, but also a way to protect oneself. In other words, Black Sword doesn't believe Susanoo can win at all!

Susanoo roared, summoning a storm that blotted out the sky once more, with bolts of lightning cascading down like waterfalls.

"Damn it! How many years do you think I've roamed the world? How could I possibly lose to someone like that in a place like this—"

"Then you're quite lucky."

Iori, holding a "Kusanagi" sword in each hand, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing Susanoo's words.

"If you want to be a god, then be a god; if you want to forge steel, then forge steel properly. But you insist on having a little bit of everything, whether it's the rituals of the Earth Mother Goddess or the methods of the Thief God. As a God of War, you're also cunning and scheming. Your divine nature is not pure."

Martial arts, magic, divine artifacts, authority... wanting everything yet mastering nothing.

It's quite a feat that they've survived until now without being attacked or condemned.

Having said that, Iori smiled and walked towards Susanoo, who was enveloped in lightning...

……

Ding!

[CG included]

【God Killer】