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Tochigi Prefecture, on Mount Nikkō
Ryo stood atop a low hill, his gaze fixed on the eastern horizon where the grand Nikko Shrine gleamed in the morning light.
He hadn't been there long when a breeze swept past. Out of the air appeared Luo Hao, graceful as ever, with one hand gripping a man in his late twenties. The young man wore a neat suit, a scholarly aura clinging to him even as he dangled helplessly in Luo Hao's grasp.
Beside her stood Asherah, the Divine Ancestor, who was studying Hikari Mariya with unnerving curiosity.
Under that gaze, Hikari flinched and instinctively hid behind Ryo's back.
Luo Hao noticed, but didn't bother to comment. Instead, she gave Ryo and Athena a small nod in greeting, then casually tossed the man in her hand onto the ground. He hit the earth with a heavy thud.
"This one," she said coolly, "seems to be the only heir of the Kuhoutsuka clan. I was retrieving the ritual blade and picked him up along the way. He'll do nicely to confirm the ceremony."
"Oh?"
Ryo glanced down at the unfortunate heir, then dismissed him with little more than a shrug.
"Athena. Asherah. Which of you wants to handle him?"
"I'll do it," Athena replied at once. "Asherah still needs to preserve her strength for when she takes on the form of Leviathan."
She stepped forward, lifted her hand, and from the ground slithered a small black serpent etched with intricate patterns. It darted forward, slipping past the young man's lips and disappearing inside.
The man convulsed, body trembling violently before rising stiffly to his feet. His eyes were open, but glassy and lifeless.
Seeing this, Ryo pulled Hikari out from behind him, placing her in front before turning back to Athena.
"You and Asherah stay here and prepare the ritual."
Athena inclined her head. "I've already unraveled the Kuhoutsuka ceremony. I'll transmit it to you."
She floated gracefully into the air, stopping before Ryo. With both hands, she cupped his face and pressed her lips to his, the ritual knowledge flowing into him in an instant.
"Ah!" Hikari squeaked, covering her eyes with her hands—though the gaps between her fingers were wide open, her face flushed red.
Asherah, standing nearby, sneaked a glance at Luo Hao. The martial goddess wore the same calm, impassive look as always, as if to say: 'Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures'
Asherah muttered inwardly, amused: 'Truly, birds of a feather flock together…'
Ryo stepped back, wiped the corner of his mouth, and said briskly, "Let's go."
He nodded to Athena and Asherah, then took the ritual blade from the controlled Kuhoutsuka heir and started toward the Shrine.
Hikari hurried after him, stealing envious glances at Luo Hao gliding effortlessly through the air. Compared to that, climbing the stone steps on foot felt humiliating.
They passed under the great torii and, rather than approach the resplendent main hall, Ryo veered toward a much simpler structure: the Shinkyusha—the sacred stable where the shrine's divine horses were kept. Two horses swished their tails idly inside.
Luo Hao stopped there, glancing at the painted monkeys along the stable's wall. Her lips curved into a cold sneer. "So, the edge of the barrier is here? Fitting, I suppose… for a monkey."
Ryo, already at the back entrance, looked toward the forest beyond. "The true shrine lies behind. Save your insults for when we meet the real thing."
"Very well." Luo Hao's eyes glinted as she followed.
'You really do plan to insult him to his face…' Ryo shook his head. Noticing Hikari struggling to keep up, he scooped her up without warning. Her startled cry echoed as he carried her forward at a brisk pace.
With Ryo's speed—and Luo Hao's—it took less than an instant to cover a hundred meters. Yet still they pressed on for several minutes, ignoring the unnatural distortions of the forest around them.
Four minutes later, Ryo halted. He took a single step—and the world shifted.
The forest dissolved, replaced by an opulent palace complex, built in the unmistakable style of Forbidden City. Their position was at its edge, in a remote corner that mirrored the stable outside.
Ryo let out a low whistle. "A copy of the Forbidden City? That's something~"
Luo Hao gave a sharp, derisive laugh. "So it really was hidden in the Netherworld. No wonder I couldn't find it a century ago."
The Netherworld—where the living and the undying overlapped, where spirit rose and flesh sank. Without precise coordinates, even Luo Hao had been doomed to failure back then.
"Ah! There!" Hikari pointed toward the open stable door.
On a pile of hay lounged a golden-furred monkey, barely eighty centimeters tall. Its coat shimmered faintly orange in the light. A dogtail grass stem dangled from its mouth as it reclined lazily, one leg crossed over the other.
"Well, this is a surprise," the monkey drawled. "A shrine maiden, fine—but two god-slayers as well? And one of you feels… strange."
Its eyes lingered on Ryo, narrowing slightly.
"Shame my name's been sealed away, along with half my powers. Otherwise I might have seen through the oddity wrapped around you."
Ryo's lips curved into a faint smile. "Golden Fiery Eyes, is it? I've always wondered if that sight could analyze the Cosmos."
"Oh? So that's what they were called—Golden Fiery Eyes? A fine name. Not that it matters. In a few days, I'll forget it again."
The monkey sighed and sat upright, resting on the haystack. Its gaze shifted to Luo Hao.
"You look familiar… Ah, right. The god-slayer from more than a hundred years ago. Here to challenge me again?"
"Unfortunately, I've no intention of leaving this place."
Luo Hao's lip curled. Her eyes swept the richly decorated stable with unconcealed disgust.
"Pathetic. Caged in a horse barn, reduced to a tiny, pitiful creature—without even the will to escape. How disgraceful can you get?"
The monkey scratched its head, unbothered. "Pathetic, disgraceful… words don't mean much to me. I'm just a monkey who's forgotten his name. Why waste anger on that?"
Luo Hao said nothing, but the rise and fall of her chest betrayed her fury.
"Easy, easy." Ryo stepped in, patting her shoulder.
The monkey's eyes lit up. "Oh? You two are close? That's rare. If memory serves, god-slayers aren't exactly known for camaraderie."
It tilted its head, thoughtful. "Strange. Seeing you reminds me of something I regret… though the details are fuzzy."
"What regret?" Hikari piped up, curiosity bright in her voice.
The monkey grinned wistfully. "Once upon a time, I settled in a peach orchard. There were seven stunning beauties there. But I only remember eating the peaches. Left in a hurry, afraid of being discovered. Looking back, I should've lingered—fathered a few little monkeys to keep me company."
The words left the group in an awkward silence. Even Ryo paused, while Luo Hao's expression turned… complicated.
Oblivious, the monkey scratched its head again. "Anyway, what brings you here, woman? If you've come to play, I don't mind. If it's for a fight, though, I'd prefer you leave."
Its eyes slid toward Ryo, sharp now. "Her, I've seen her moves. No interest. But you… you, I'd like to test."
Its stare grew keener, its tone grave. "A god-slayer that strong? Or… are you really a god-slayer at all?"
"Oh?" Ryo raised a brow. "Weren't your powers sealed?"
"Press me far enough, and I can still wield a little. And you—no matter how carefully you conceal yourself—here, your mask slips."
The monkey leaned forward, eyes burning. "To be blunt, I've never seen a human whose spirit skyrockets every ten seconds. Tell me, boy—are you truly human?"
"I'm human, and I'll always be," Ryo replied with a calm smile.
The monkey blinked, baffled. "Curious, curious… someone like you still calls himself human?"
"Enough idle chatter." Luo Hao stepped forward, her voice cold as steel. "Sun Wukong. I've come today to end you."
The monkey froze, then let out a laugh of recognition. "So that's my name—Sun Wukong. Hah. I'd forgotten."
He scratched his head, murmuring, "But if I want to leave here… I'll need the manifestation of a snake or dragon Heretic God—hm?"
Suddenly, his eyes sharpened. He'd sensed it: the divine power of the Dragon-Serpent flaring in the world outside. His gaze locked hungrily onto Ryo.
"Well, well. So you came prepared."
"Of course."
Ryo tossed the ritual blade, Zanryuuto, to Hikari and met the monkey's stare.
"Looks like you want to fight me?"
Sun Wukong stood tall now, sizing Ryo up, and grinned. "So drop the act. I can see it plain as day… you're no human. You can't be a human."
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