Suzuki Makoto severed a few flailing tree roots, his expression shifting as he turned to look at the entrance, which was fluctuating once again. What intrigued him this time was the unusual stirring of the Mortal Blade at his waist.
Wolf, who had just entered, wore a somewhat dazed expression.
Even for a highly trained shinobi, it was impossible not to be moved by this scene. After hearing so much about the "Lord Divine Dragon" outside, he had at least formed some expectations.
In any case, the Lord Divine Dragon was not supposed to be something writhing on the ground like a maggot chopped into dozens of sections, barely held together.
"The covenanter who serves the Divine Heir?"
The sudden voice startled Wolf, who instantly leaped away, his hand already gripping the Kusabimaru at his waist.
"Don't be alarmed. I sensed the presence of the other Mortal Blade. The Senpou High Priest once told me that the other Mortal Blade was taken by one who serves the Divine Heir. That must be you, right?"
The Mortal Blade at Suzuki Makoto's waist slid half a foot out of its scabbard before he pushed it back in.
Seeing this, Wolf breathed a sigh of relief. The other man was clearly here to slay the Divine Dragon. So, he unstrapped the tachi tightly bound to his back, removed the cloth concealing it, and showed it to Suzuki Makoto.
The Mortal Blade at Suzuki Makoto's waist grew even more agitated, forcing the man to gently press down on the hilt to soothe it.
"As you can see, this dragon is on its last legs. If you don't mind, could you lend me the Mortal Blade in your hand? It seems two Mortal Blades are needed to truly be effective against the Divine Dragon."
Wolf became suspicious.
"What if we both attack at the same time?"
"I'm afraid that won't work. A single Mortal Blade is not enough to slay the Divine Dragon."
Suzuki Makoto lied with a straight face.
The shinobi hesitated for only a moment. Seeing that the Divine Dragon was gradually reviving, he no longer wavered and tossed the red Mortal Blade in his hand to Suzuki Makoto.
The man caught the blade, Gracious Gift of Tears, then drew Open Gate from his waist, allowing the twin swords to meet once again.
What happened next was something neither Suzuki Makoto nor Wolf had anticipated.
A black dragon emerged from the body of the black Mortal Blade and bit down fiercely on the red Mortal Blade. The red blade merely trembled, showing no intention of struggling.
Suzuki Makoto looked surprised.
He had thought the note on his blade, Open Gate—[This blade has always longed to meet its brother again]—meant it wanted to fight alongside Gracious Gift of Tears. Now it seemed this fellow had actually wanted to settle a score with its brother for a long time.
The process did not last long. The Gracious Gift of Tears that Wolf had sent over had lost its original sharpness. Though it was a blade without a single nick, it now felt as if it were covered in a layer of dust, as dull as an ancient relic.
Meanwhile, the black Open Gate now had red patterns on its blade. The sword's aura, far from becoming overtly murderous, was now extremely restrained. Yet, just by holding its hilt, one could feel a power like boiling magma beneath a dormant volcano.
[Name: Mortal Blade]
[Status: Awakened]
[Note: What it hates most in this life are those who occupy a position but do nothing.]
Reading this note, Suzuki Makoto's expression turned strange. He looked at the still-clueless Wolf.
"Covenanter, do you know the origin of your Mortal Blade, and what special purpose it has?"
"I do not know its origin, but this Mortal Blade is named Gracious Gift of Tears. It can harm the Divine Dragon and obtain the Divine Dragon's Tears from its tear ducts—the Divine Dragon's Tears are the necessary offering to sever the Power of the Dragon's Heritage."
"Oh, I see... Then may I ask, since you can already defeat the Divine Dragon and cut its eye to get the teardrop, why not try to kill the Divine Dragon directly? If the Divine Dragon is dead, there would be no more Power of the Dragon's Heritage to be passed on in the world, right?"
The shinobi froze, then fell into deep thought.
That seems right. The prerequisite for obtaining the Divine Dragon's Tears is to defeat the Divine Dragon—so if you can defeat it, why not use the Mortal Blade to kill it completely, instead of just taking its tears and only severing the Power of the Dragon's Heritage in the human world?
Looking at the shinobi's expression, Suzuki Makoto realized this guy was just a tool; how would he know so much?
But he now understood the sentence in the note.
Clearly, Gracious Gift of Tears was forged specifically to deal with the Divine Dragon, while Open Gate was meant to open the gates to the underworld. Although both blades were effective against the [Undying], using Gracious Gift of Tears on the Divine Dragon was obviously much more efficient.
And for a blade born to sever undeath, severing the creator of true undying monsters was clearly more important. So, Open Gate desperately wanted to kill the Divine Dragon, but Gracious Gift of Tears, the very thing that could kill it, was only being used to perform acupuncture on the Divine Dragon's eye...
"Don't worry, I'm close to finding it."
Suzuki Makoto returned the true Mortal Blade to its sheath, then tossed the now mostly powerless Gracious Gift of Tears back to Wolf.
"I'll send you out. Tell them the Lord Divine Dragon inside is very tired and wants to sleep, so no one should come and disturb it."
Wolf caught the Mortal Blade with both hands and bowed deeply to Suzuki Makoto.
Before he had entered, the man had been able to cut the Divine Dragon down from soaring through the heavens to crawling on the ground. Now that he possessed the complete Mortal Blade, he would surely be able to slay it. There was clearly no point in him staying.
This was Suzuki Makoto buying him time—time to leave the Fountainhead Palace with his master.
With a casual slash, Suzuki Makoto opened a rift for him, and Wolf left the space.
"Now, it's just us again."
The Divine Dragon trembled, letting out a deathly wail.
Outside, the priests were all shocked to see Wolf emerge, and a look of joy appeared on their faces.
"How is it?"
"The Lord Divine Dragon is tired and does not wish for anyone to disturb him. If you wish for an audience, wait until the Lord Divine Dragon summons you."
Wolf's answer brought a sense of relief to all the priests. This was truly the answer they wanted most. It meant the Divine Dragon was fine, they didn't have to go in, and there was no need to disturb any higher-ups.
As for the samurai who went in earlier... they were unimportant.
"Then, I shall return to the Divine Heir's side."
"Please!"
The priests respectfully guided Wolf. The shinobi walked outside and saw that the area around the pool below was still brightly lit and bustling with noise. Clearly, the King of the Carp had not yet settled down.
At this moment, a plan had already formed in his mind. He immediately sped down the mountain and returned to Kuro's room.
"Lord Kuro, the King of the Carp is extremely agitated right now, but it has already moved to the deep water area. The samurai said they can handle it and do not need my help."
"Really, Wolf? Are you sure they can do it?"
Kuro stared intently at Wolf, not letting a hint of his shock show.
"I am certain, Lord Kuro—You were startled awake late at night and are no longer sleepy. You must be hungry. How about we get some supper?"
____
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