---o---
"Tsk, tsk. So even knowing I'm injured, that Susanoo fellow still wants to set the battlefield in a shrine connected to the Astral Plane?"
In a courtyard belonging to the prestigious Seishuin family of the Far East, a young man's voice rang out, laced with deep amusement.
"The Bandit God Susanoo has commanded us to invite you to the shrine where my humble daughter resides. There, he will do battle with you."
A middle-aged man, his eyes the same black and red as the Divine Key Jizo Mitama, performed a formal sitting bow before the young man who had appeared here without any warning, just like a samurai from ancient times.
The fanaticism in his eyes was strongly reminiscent of zealous extremists or crazed cultists.
A mature, stable, middle-aged man with the powerful air of a superior, performing such a grand bow to a youth whose face still held a hint of immaturity—it was a bizarre sight no matter how one looked at it.
However, with the existence of the Authority of a Herrscher, everything was perfectly logical.
The Herrscher of Erosion—a "god" who distorts the will of all biological and mechanical beings, dominating them completely.
Yesterday, upon learning that Li Zihan had actually come to the Far East to hunt, Sayanomiya Kaoru had swiftly handed over all intelligence regarding Susanoo.
She knelt quickly and sold him out cleanly.
It gave off a distinct feeling of "The Far East's magical world has long suffered under the bandit god Susanoo."
There were a total of four great families in the Far East, and three of them had immediately switched their allegiance.
Yes, aside from the Seishuin family, who were directly subordinate to Susanoo and not on the same path as the other three, everyone else had betrayed him.
The head of the Seishuin family, whose power was almost entirely derived from Susanoo, obviously had no intention of turning his back on his master.
However, Li Zihan felt that this family, with its close ties to Susanoo, might be very useful, so he asked Sayanomiya Kaoru for their coordinates.
And then—
And then, the head of the Seishuin family was hit with a Feather of Erosion, supercharged by both the Power of Erosion and psychic energy.
Naturally, he knelt.
At Li Zihan's command, he contacted Susanoo with extreme efficiency and fed his old master a great deal of information.
For instance, that the other three families were showing a tendency to collude with the new King.
For instance, that the new King's combat power was immense.
For instance, that the new King was here to slay the strongest 'Steel'.
And also—
That the King was injured.
The new King's Authorities were heavily skewed towards offense with poor defense, and he had been gravely wounded by Kusanagi Godou's dying counterattack.
Four pieces of information: three true, one false.
This was the message the Seishuin family delivered to Susanoo.
Li Zihan was very satisfied with what the head of the Seishuin family had done.
The fact that the old turtle Susanoo, who had his madness under control and could hardly be called 'Heretical' anymore, was willing to leave the Astral Plane was already a stroke of incredible luck.
After all—
As long as he was willing to come out, he would be dragged into another world.
An otherworld known as a Reality Marble.
That world of the mind, which belonged to a single person, had no connection to the Astral Plane.
Susanoo's fate was more or less sealed.
The next steps were to continue hunting Gods of Steel, help Sirin find her own prey, and then take his girls to slay other gods.
Relying on the information gap that had already given him an absolute advantage, the young man pulled a divine artifact from his pocket.
It was a medal made of obsidian, engraved with the likeness of a gorgon.
It was the divine artifact corresponding to the Heretical Athena.
The Gorgoneion.
In order to enhance his own power and grant his lovers the God-Slayer buff, Li Zihan had entrusted Kevin with a trip to Silly Italy.
His specific instructions were to retrieve this divine artifact and to check on the one guarded in the Italian city of Naples—the Hera Stone Pillar, an artifact capable of awakening the hero of steel, Perseus.
The hunting order was already set.
Susanoo.
The Sage Ape King.
Perseus.
The young man, who in a sense had always played the role of the hunter, narrowed his eyes.
He wouldn't be the one to slay Athena.
Just as he knew that a divine king, injured during his battle with Verethragna, was on the island of Sardinia in Italy, he wouldn't kill him either.
Melqart was a gift he was preparing for Sirin.
Athena's Authority, after she transformed into the Queen of the Underworld, would be a perfect fit for Seele, the Herrscher of Death.
The gifts he prepared for his girlfriends were truly a bit horrifying. Shoving the divine artifact in his hand into his shadow, he pondered when he should make a trip back.
"My King, it is time to depart."
Under the influence of the Power of Erosion, the head of the Seishuin family, his allegiance now shifted from Susanoo to Li Zihan, spoke.
"Mm, I understand."
Li Zihan held out his hand, and flames ignited in his palm.
Then, he pressed that hand against his own shoulder.
Before the horrified eyes of the Seishuin head, the flames—manifested from the power of the sun god Lugh—gnawed at the young man's flesh and blood like bloodthirsty demonic beasts.
In an instant, a ghastly wound appeared on his shoulder, extending down to his chest.
It was, without a doubt, a grievous injury that would absolutely affect his combat condition. On an ordinary person, it would be enough to land them in the emergency room.
However, for someone who had four lives per day and could accelerate his self-regeneration by simulating the Authority of the Herrscher of Death, it was not a major issue.
"My King, what are you—"
Completely unable to understand why Li Zihan would suddenly burn himself with solar fire, the head of the Seishuin family paled and hastily prepared to cast a spell to treat the wound.
He was stopped by Li Zihan.
"A lie is just a lie in the end. It won't fool a true old fox."
The young man, who didn't believe his acting skills could deceive a sly old fox like the Heretical Susanoo, grimaced at the burning pain from his shoulder and spoke.
He was certain that Susanoo wouldn't be waiting for him at the shrine as he'd told the Seishuin head.
An old fox like that was probably hiding somewhere he deemed concealed, waiting to confirm his condition.
If his injuries were truly severe, Susanoo would naturally strike like lightning, attempting to kill the one who had declared his intention to awaken the King of the End.
But—
If he discovered that Li Zihan's injuries were not severe, he would most likely resort to more roundabout tactics.
If that unorthodox God of Steel, who preferred conspiracy and schemes over displays of martial valor, were to truly hide and try to cook up some grand surprise, it would be troublesome.
So, let the facade become reality.
Or rather, use a truth to weave a lie.
The young man, who could wield solar flames that were fundamentally the same as Kusanagi Godou's White Stallion incarnation, casually tossed aside his tattered clothes and changed into a new set.
"Let's go."
The boy, now bearing a fresh scar, spoke to the middle-aged man who once served Susanoo directly.
"The hunt is about to begin."