“Maybe I’m her sweetheart? This blade can only be drawn by her and her beloved. Hahaha, I’m just kidding with you. This sword has its own consciousness; it only allows itself to be used by someone it acknowledges.”
Once again, Ghostification occurred.
Killing intent, like boiling ink, surged more violently as it attempted to drown out the last of her humanity.
A non-human gurgling sound came from her throat, and the red light in her eyes flickered manically.
The consciousness belonging to Sakuraha Yoru was being torn apart and crushed.
“Sister Yue…”
Ri’s voice was as faint as a thread, as if he had used up his last bit of strength.
“Xiaoye… she’s not coming back… kill her…”
“Ri… what are you saying…”
Yue’s voice trembled.
The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi hummed in her hand, but it had lost its usual sharpness that could cut through anything.
“We… didn’t we come to take Xiaoye home…?”
Her question was as fragile as a candle flame in the wind.
The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was no longer invincible, simply because its blade was pointed at family.
The Ghostification of Xiaoye was followed by a chaotic but terrifyingly powerful and frantic attack.
Yue was soon covered in wounds.
Blood flowed from deep gashes that exposed bone, yet she continued to only block and retreat; the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi could not swing forward.
And Odin, the legendary Lord of the Gods and the mastermind behind countless storms, actually chose to flee at this moment!
He cast a cold glance at this entangled, near-destruction family, treating them like discarded, useless chess pieces.
His figure turned into a streak of light, leaving this cruel battlefield to this family destined for tragedy without hesitation.
The gaze of the God had departed, leaving behind only the heart-wrenching despair of mortals.
“Ugh —!”
The ghostified Xiaoye roared and pounced once more.
“Sister Yue! Do it!!!”
Ri shrieked with the last of his strength.
Seeing Ri’s eyes gradually turn hollow and Xiaoye’s completely maddened state, Yue’s world shattered.
In the next instant, the three figures embraced in a twisted, desperate manner.
Xiaoye — or rather, the shell completely consumed by the Ghost’s will — had an arm like the sharpest blade.
It pierced through Ri’s chest as he stood in front of Yue.
Warm blood gushed out, staining Xiaoye’s greenish-black ghostified skin and turning Yue’s face pale in an instant.
Ri opened his mouth as if to say something, but only bloody froth spilled out.
He looked at Yue with those eyes that were always filled with shrewd calculations; now, they held only endless affection and… a plea that was almost like liberation.
At the same time, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi in Yue’s hand, that invincible Divine Artifact, pierced Xiaoye’s heart.
It wasn’t because of precision, but because Xiaoye’s violent movements faltered for a second after she pierced Ri.
At that moment, her consciousness as a human made one last struggle.
Thus, she actively moved her heart toward the tip of her sister’s sword.
Yue closed her eyes, and two lines of bloody tears fell along with clear ones.
The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sensed the transformation in its wielder’s state of mind and let out a shrill hum.
The hideousness receded from Xiaoye’s face like an ebbing tide, and her expression turned into one of vacant peace.
She felt a familiar, warm force spread through her body.
‘It’s Sister Yue and Brother Ri…’
Just like a long, long time ago, amidst the ruins of the disaster that had destroyed everything, the three strangers had embraced for the first time to keep each other warm, promising to be each other’s only family.
It was a very familiar embrace.
She smiled softly.
“Since that was the case back then —”
“The way you measure if someone is worthy of becoming, it is never —”
“You have the heart of a lion, so you are destined not to be weak.”
“Was everything done by your parents and those who have sacrificed themselves to achieve God-Slaying since ancient times meaningless?”
A few figures flashed through X’s mind — a gentle man and a lively, cheerful girl.
“No, absolutely not. Their lives are definitely not meaningless,”
he suddenly said, unsure if he was speaking to himself or Lin Yu.
He had thought that the so-called X would be an incredibly fierce man, but he hadn’t expected him to be so soft and considerate, like a kind older brother next door.
“Take her and run.”
“You run too.”
“Someone has to stop him.”
“If it is allowed to release its Divine Sense, all of Hokkaido might —”
He reached into his pocket.
Inside was a toy Tang Rou had given him.
It was Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer.
‘Because I think he’s quite like you, Boss. You’re both very gentle people.’
‘He’s very gentle, but he’s no pushover.’
“Boss, this kind of situation is a great chance to confess.”
The girl’s voice echoed in his ears again.
Actually, he still felt some regret about not holding her hand tightly at that time.
“Take her and run,”
X whispered to Lin Yu behind him.
There are two types of unfortunate people: one who wishes the whole world was as miserable as they are, and another who hopes others can be happy because seeing others happy makes them feel a bit of warmth as well.
Just as Tang Rou said, he was the second type of person, possessing a deep-seated kindness and gentleness.
“What about you? You run too! This thing isn’t something humans can deal with!”
Lin Yu shouted at him while carrying Kobayashi Mirai on his back.
“Someone has to stop him, otherwise no one will escape. His Divine Sense will destroy all of Tokyo.”
“No need to feel guilty. Protect her. The future will eventually belong to you all.”
Without giving Lin Yu another chance to argue, he charged toward the monster known as Susanoo.
Without Vigus, Lin Yu couldn’t understand what Xiao Lin was saying at all.
However, from the frantic gestures and expressions, he could see that Xiao Lin was telling him to take Nagare-zakura and flee.
While the Vitality situation was good…
Lin Yu wanted to say something to her, but her movements were very fast.
She took Nagare-zakura and rushed back without looking back.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
He was instinctively enraged.
His physical stamina wasn’t very good.
Carrying a girl and running for so long had already left him panting.
But now, the girl he had desperately carried out had just run back, leaving him alone on the spot, gasping for air.
‘Who do these people think they are? Superheroes? Each and every one of them acting like they’re sacrificing themselves for the greater good.’
His pent-up emotions exploded at this moment, and he roared in his heart.
‘The opponent is a God! They’ll die, right?’
‘A creature of this level isn’t something you can handle at all. What’s the point of going back and throwing your lives away for nothing?’
‘No, absolutely not. Their lives are definitely not meaningless!’
X’s words suddenly popped into his head.
He looked in the direction Kobayashi Mirai had gone.
The girl was moving fast; she was now just a blurry speck of color from her hair in his vision.
After a moment of silence, the girl’s back had disappeared from his sight as she ran toward the so-called God again with her long blade.
What a resolute back, just like when Tang Rou saved them that time.
“No. 2, is it possible to kill that so-called Susanoo?”
he suddenly asked himself.
“Ah, you’ve finally come around.”
“Yeah. Regardless of whether that’s a God or whatever it is, help me kill that thing and save X and Kobayashi Mirai.”
“That means after this transaction, I’ll have one-fourth of body control.”
Perhaps killing a God would release something even more terrifying, but who cared?
He was fed up with this feeling.
Tang Rou had given her life to save him, so now he wanted to avenge her.
But X shouldn’t die, and Kobayashi Mirai shouldn’t die either.
No. 2 wanted him…
Between dying for some damn God-Slaying and the School…
X had already been —
“This is my hometown. If my master found out that I not only failed to protect the shrine but also chose to run away while my entire home was about to be destroyed, he would smack my palms after I go to hell.”
The Nagare-zakura in her hand traced an arc, clashing with the long blade in the monster’s hand.
This weapon…
The twin blades swung through the air in a fierce clashing.
Cracks appeared on the blade of Nagare-zakura.
This weapon was simply no match for the weapon of a God, the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
X and Kobayashi Mirai had already fallen.
With just a momentary touch, unlike Lin Yu’s Vitality, the two of them instantly began to —
He picked up the damaged long blade called Nagare-zakura from the ground.
In the next moment, the damaged blade actually began to repair itself automatically.
Another replica appeared in his hand as well.
Susanoo seemed to have noticed the strange boy in front of him.
Without delay, it held the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and slashed toward him with great speed.
He looked at the long sword in the monster’s hand and couldn’t help but marvel.
‘Truly a fine sword.’
‘Are you coming for me?’
“Hey, hey, hey. If I don’t protect you, what will you do if you get stabbed to death by one of those gray, dingy branches?”
The concern in her words was perhaps too obvious, as Yoru suddenly felt a bit shy.
She quickly changed her tune.
“Besides, it’s very dark. It’s scary to leave me alone in a pitch-black house.”
Mu Chengfeng did not speak.
Yoru became a bit anxious and walked toward him with a hint of anger.
Due to her height, she could only reach his shoulders to pat them.
Thus, Mu Chengfeng stared blankly as he let the girl pound his shoulders with her fists.
It was truly strange.
There was actually someone in this world who could get lost within a one-kilometer radius, yet they were searching for him in a strange city in the middle of the night without any clues, worrying that he’d be stabbed to death by some gray, dingy branch.
As she was hitting him, Yoru suddenly froze.
A drop of warm liquid hit her hand.
“Ah! You… why are you crying?”
Mu Chengfeng shook his head without saying a word.
“Did I hit you too hard?”
Yoru seemed to try hitting her own shoulder with the same amount of force.
After confirming the strength, she said, “Or did that branch hurt you? If it hurts, you have to say so. I can pat your head.”
“Pat my head?”
Mu Chengfeng finally spoke.
“Yeah! Back when I was in pain, my older brother and sister would hold me and gently pat my head. That made me feel much better.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Yoru stood dazed for a moment, then grabbed a corner of his clothes.
“Agh, I’ve been looking for you for so long, I’m tired. Let’s go back and sleep. My brother says if you don’t sleep at night…”
Yoru’s voice gradually grew quieter.
Mu Chengfeng felt a weight lean against him.
He looked down and saw Yoru leaning against him, having fallen asleep again.
Mu Chengfeng was suddenly very sad.
Why did it have to be him and Yoru working together?
If the one working with Yoru hadn’t been him, it would have been better.
Whether it was Kobayashi Mirai, Lin Yu, or Alexander, they would have definitely hidden this secret for Yoru.
Even if Yoru really was a monster, they would have protected her without hesitation.
That kind of irrational loyalty was so foolish yet so beautiful — so beautiful that he envied it.
‘Because I’m just an ordinary person.’