"—"
"—"
Stunned by the manifestation of the very history of Japan, Rikka and Muramasa stood speechless.
"May."
He called out to his daughter, the Assassin Takiyasha-hime—the survivor who carried on his lineage after fleeing their family's massacre.
"Father! Ah, how I have longed to see you!"
"Mm. Go seal the Demon Gate. Unleash your sorcery before my eyes."
"Yes, Father! Ah, Master! Please take good care of my father!"
"Y-Yes!"
Winking at Rikka, Takiyasha soared into the sky, gathering dark energy as she flew off.
"How hateful, these wretched specters! How accursed, the court of old! Hatred, hatred, hatred! My curse and my regret are a poison far too potent for the likes of you! Anyone who stands in my way shall have their bellies rot from my malice—!!"
"...Restrain the curses a little."
Squinting as he watched his daughter fly away, Masakado turned back.
"Master. We must hurry to verify the safety of Onui and Tasuke."
"! Yes! Wait... Ruler-sama!"
"—Address me however you wish. Worry not; no curse shall fall upon you."
The Ruler—or rather, Masakado—chuckled quietly. Relieved by his unchanging, open-hearted nature, Rikka smiled.
"A-Alright! Let's go then, Ruler... no, New Emperor!"
Deciding against using his name out of sheer respect, she addressed him by his title instead.
"I'm going to check on Onui-chan and Tasuke-kun! Grandpa, wait for us!"
"I ain't worried anymore. With a top-tier guardian deity on our side, losing isn't even an option."
Muramasa turned to Masakado and bowed deeply.
"Look after those kids for me, will ya? Bowing to a god feels too natural to even feel grand, but..."
"I shall do what must be done. Swordsmith... take care of yourself until you reach the realm of Susa-no-O."
"...You see right through me, huh? Man, I really can't match you..."
With a wry smile, Muramasa patted Rikka on the back.
"Off you go. Don't show 'em anything embarrassing. Cut through whatever stands in your way with that dragon's roar of yours."
"Yeah! Let me lead the way, New Emperor!"
Raising the cursed blade, Juonzan, she improvised a dramatic battlefield declaration:
"When meeting people, reach out a hand!"
The greaves materialized upon her legs.
"When meeting gods, pray for good fortune!"
The gauntlets snapped onto her arms.
"When confronting evil, cut to the core!"
The dragon scale chestplate sealed around her torso.
"And wicked demons—GET CLEAVED IN TWO!!"
The dragon-headed helm settled upon her head.
Clad in love and evil alike, she embodied both the dregs and the hope produced by human history—a self-destructive mechanism, a miracle made flesh.
"The Principle of Ryuka stands here!! Human Evil, Fujimaru Rikka—for my mother, for the world—CHARGE!!"
The blood in her veins burned, roaring with fierce intent against evil.
Run, Fujimaru Rikka! Kick aside the horde of specters, and become the beacon of hope to pierce the Great Ley Line!
"I'm off, Grandpa! Armored Dragon Wings—DEPLOY!"
Unfurling her wings, she took flight into the demon-infested skies—Human Evil Rikka, the hope of mankind!
"Acting like a Kabuki star with that over-the-top intro... Take care of yourself out there. You're still just a kid, a young girl after all," Muramasa muttered under his breath, watching her recede into the distance.
With the protection of the New Emperor by her side, the Master streaked through the night sky, leaving a trail of blood-red light in her wake—!
The Village of Onui and Tasuke
"It's a divine guardian! A divine guardian has descended!"
"We don't need to fear these monsters! Everyone, protect the women and children!"
"What good is a meal if your wife and kids aren't around to share it?!"
Inside the House
"Samurai-sama... Dragon God-sama..."
(Please be safe... please don't get hurt...)
"Dau! Kyai!"
"! Tasuke..."
"Kyai! Dau! Uu-!"
"Are they... safe? You're sure they're going to be okay?"
"Uu-!"
"...Fufu, you're right. They'll be fine. Everything's going to be okay!"
"Onui! Tasuke!"
"Father...?"
"Look at the sky! Look up! She's up there! It really is—!"
"...Ah—!"
"Head Swordsmanship: [Yorimitsu]!!"
Using the armor of Human Evil powered by the magic of Dojigiri, Rikka drew both blades from their sheaths in a lightning-fast flash of spatial repulsion, slicing through every beast crowding the sky in a single, instantaneous draw.
"Four Heavenly Kings Strike: [Tsuna]!"
Using mud magic to fuse the two swords into a colossal anti-ship blade, she pulled it back over her shoulders and swung down with explosive force, driven by lightning repulsion and jetting mud. The shockwave cleaved through mountains in the distance.
"Four Heavenly Kings Throwing Art: [Urabe]!"
She hurled the cursed blade with all the force of a lightning strike—but fired without taking time to aim due to the sheer speed, the blade missed its mark.
"Four Heavenly Kings Mowing Art: [Sada]!"
The thrown Juonzan transformed into a crimson scythe of blood, sweeping across the sky in a single flash. In a heartbeat, the heads of the surrounding monsters were severed simultaneously.
"Whoops!"
She caught Muramasa—flying toward her point-first—and gripped him securely in her left hand, slaying every beast descending from above.
"Is everyone in the village...?"
"Dragon God-sama~! Over here!"
"!"
From far below, a young girl called out.
"Don't push yourself too hard~! We're okay down here~!"
"Dau-!"
Hearing their voices, Rikka let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Master. Our treasure is safe."
"Yeah! Thank goodness—"
"Then we must head toward the core. I know the location anchoring this Demon Gate—the cornerstone powering the ley lines."
When asked where this crucial point was, the New Emperor answered quietly:
"The place where my severed head flew to landing. —My Head Shrine."
The venue for their final battle was set by the New Emperor—
The Head Shrine
(Rikka... Yes. You are fine just as you are...)
(No way, no way, NO WAY?! How far, how deeply, how much further can this go—?!!!!!)
(This is no time for hysteria. They are coming. What will you do?)
(Is that even a question?! Their souls, their spirits—every single one of them shall be sacrificed!! Tremble, Black Rope! For the one who will strike you down approaches!!)
(...Yes, of course I understand.)
(Hurry, please. Before my hands take another innocent life...—)
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"