The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 278

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 277

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully 277

Journey to Heaven (3)

While Yu Seong-u, who had expended considerable stamina in the battle against Amaterasu, retreated back into the cave to recover, Amaterasu and Shuten-doji conversed outside.

“Shuten-doji, I roughly understand why you are with that human. Is it something you couldn’t let go of, even after all this time?”

“…Well, something like that.”

Amaterasu snatched Shuten-doji’s massive sake cup, downed the potent liquor, and exhaled.

“Revenge and hatred are evil karma. Shouldn’t you be relinquishing those to ascend to the celestial realm?”

“Born as an oni [a type of Japanese demon], with a cruel nature ingrained in me, how can I abandon it?”

“You can abandon it. You are doing it now. You are not ascending to Takamagahara [the High Celestial Plain, the residence of the gods in Japanese mythology] to mercilessly attack the gods, but silently walking towards your goal. That is proof that you have completed your preparations for ascension.”

Shuten-doji was rendered speechless by her words.

Susano-o was the god who beheaded his father.

Of course, Yamata no Orochi [an eight-headed serpent or dragon in Japanese mythology] had wreaked havoc, but still…

This was not mere revenge, but Shuten-doji’s cherished wish, so he could not stop.

And now, the summit was just around the corner.

“Just as he did, I too am entitled to take revenge on Susano-o.”

“I suppose so…”

Amaterasu said with a bitter voice.

“I respect your choice. You are entitled to it.”

With those words, Amaterasu vanished in a swirl of light.

Left alone, Shuten-doji waved at Yu Seong-u, who was just emerging from the cave.

“Friend! Let’s get going!”

***

While Yu Seong-u fought against the gods in Takamagahara, Schuel and Hong Seo-hwa began various operations in Japan.

Their first task was to clear the Abyss in Kansai.

They cleared the Abyss, which had been unassailable for various reasons, in one fell swoop, earning the favor of the residents.

Hong Seo-hwa and Schuel now possessed overwhelming strength, even among the S-class hunters.

The two of them could clear Abyss of the 2nd or 3rd grade.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

“It’s nothing!”

Moreover, the price was almost free.

On the condition that the artifacts and valuable materials from the Abyss were disposed of in Japan.

The Abyss they cleared were places that divers [dungeon explorers] had refused to攻略 [attack/clear] due to the lack of profit.

Places where the risk was high, but the reward was low.

The residents lived in fear of when the Abyss would erupt, but suddenly two people appeared and quickly dealt with it.

It didn’t take long either.

About four to five hours per Abyss. Hong Seo-hwa and Schuel’s firepower was tremendous, so they could easily clear it in that amount of time.

After clearing the three most urgent Abyss over two days, the two of them thought of Yu Seong-u.

“…Takamagahara, I wonder if Master is doing well?”

“He’s doing well.”

Schuel replied, snapping her fingers.

Then, a round sphere appeared beside her and projected a hologram into the air.

Yu Seong-u’s face was displayed, along with various numerical values.

It was a long-range status confirmation magic using the sphere’s magical engineering and Schuel’s magic.

Yu Seong-u’s values were generally stable.

There were a few times when it changed urgently, but it quickly returned to normal, meaning he had been in intense battles.

So, Schuel was looking at the hologram, expecting it to be stable this time as well, but she frowned.

“…Why is it like this?”

“What’s wrong?”

Hong Seo-hwa looked at the hologram that Schuel was looking at.

The values of Yu Seong-u shown there were very low.

Like someone who was about to die.

After staring at it for a while, Schuel erased the hologram and said.

“Well, he’ll be doing well. Right?”

“Right? Yes, he’s Master, so he’ll be doing well.”

So, they had to do what they had to do.

Yu Seong-u was like a younger sibling to Schuel, and like a nephew to Hong Seo-hwa.

Yu Seong-u was heading alone to the world of gods, struggling to awaken Knox.

So, they had to use their strength as much as possible.

Even if they couldn’t confront the gods like Yu Seong-u….

“Let’s go to the next one. We haven’t even reached half of our goal yet.”

“…Okay.”

Schuel yawned widely and followed Hong Seo-hwa.

Knox’s voice, which she hadn’t heard for days, lingered in her ears.

***

Takamagahara 4th Floor.

Yu Seong-u killed eight more gods on the 3rd floor and entered the 4th floor.

“The 3rd floor was also a different world, but this place is even more so than the 3rd floor.”

“That’s right. From the 4th floor onwards, truly famous gods reside.”

The Inari God was also a resident of the 4th floor.

In addition, the Seven Lucky Gods and others resided there.

Yu Seong-u raised his head and looked at the scenery.

The sky was filled with the night sky, but it was not dark.

Because the light of the stars pouring down from the night sky was illuminating the earth.

It was funny that the starlight alone made it as bright as day, but….

‘It’s definitely different from the 3rd floor.’

As the number of gods residing on the 4th floor was small, the area was also small, but the divinity felt surpassed the 3rd floor.

That was because all the major gods of Japan were gathered there.

There was nothing to do on the 4th floor.

On the 3rd floor, even miscellaneous gods were gathered, so it didn’t matter if he killed a few, but from the 4th floor onwards, he couldn’t easily deal with them.

And there were only guys who would cause a big problem for the Japanese archipelago if he killed them.

Shuten-doji said to Yu Seong-u, who was standing blankly and looking at the scenery.

“Follow me. Let’s go see my father.”

“Your father is….”

Shuten-doji’s father was Yamata no Orochi, a great monster surpassing the Three Great Evils of Japan.

A monster with tremendous power, enough to confront Susano-o, one of Japan’s highest gods.

After his death, his achievements as a great monster were recognized, and he was listed in Takamagahara….

“Don’t look at it that way. I’m taking you to help you fight Susano-o.”

“What can a monster do for me?”

“Many things. I’m sure you’ll like it too.”

Shuten-doji laughed heartily and led Yu Seong-u.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a place that was a bit different from the starry world they had seen when they entered the 4th floor.

The brightly shining night sky was the same, but there was not much land to stand on.

A huge river was flowing.

A fierce river divided into eight streams flowed with a quiet sound of water.

And in the center of the stream, there was a man in a yukata [a casual Japanese garment, a type of kimono] with high horns.

Shuten-doji walked towards him, with patches of blue-green scales visible on his body, bent one leg and said.

“Father, it’s been a while.”

Yamata no Orochi turned his body at his voice.

A handsome man with angular features. His bright yellow eyes contained reptilian pupils.

‘He’s strong.’

As a resident of the 4th floor of Takamagahara, Yamata no Orochi’s divinity was equal to that of Japan’s major gods.

The confidence and divinity flowing from his whole body swirled like a torrent.

Yu Seong-u unknowingly raised his tension in that flow.

However, unlike his sharp impression, Yamata no Orochi laughed heartily and said.

“Shuten! You’ve finally come! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting!”

“I’m sorry, Father. There was a bit of an accident.”

Shuten-doji explained the whole story.

Everything Yu Seong-u had done so far, even the meeting with Amaterasu.

After listening to the story with interest, he nodded and beckoned to Yu Seong-u.

“Come here.”

As Yu Seong-u approached with a wary face, Yamata no Orochi said.

“My eyes were not wrong. You are the one who will fulfill my long-cherished wish.”

“What do you mean?”

“Killing Susano-o. The eternal annihilation of the sea god and war god of the Three Noble Children [referring to Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susano-o, the three most important deities in Shinto mythology].”

Yamata no Orochi was killed by Susano-o in mythology.

That was because he had wreaked havoc too much….

However, he began a story that was a little different from what Yu Seong-u knew.

“Everyone knows that I was killed by Susano-o as a result of my havoc. But that’s a different story.”

The beginning of the Yamata no Orochi myth starts with the story of Susano-o.

Susano-o, who had committed a wrong, was exiled from Takamagahara and wandered the earth, where he met a grieving old couple.

The old couple had eight daughters, and Yamata no Orochi had been eating one of the old couple’s daughters every year.

Seven had been eaten, and the last remaining daughter named Kushinadahime was about to be eaten, so they were in sorrow.

Susano-o listened to the old couple’s story and set out to defeat Yamata no Orochi on the condition that he marry the last daughter, and in the end, Yamata no Orochi was defeated by Susano-o’s plan, and the story ends.

“But that is the story left in Susano-o’s oral tradition, not my story. I was listed in Takamagahara as the achievement of a great monster who confronted the gods, but….”

Yamata no Orochi received a sake cup and bottle from Shuten-doji, took a sip, and continued.

“I was originally a guardian deity. Living in eight waterways, protecting those who lived in the nearby land. They lived happily under my protection.”

He began an ancient story. The real story of Yamata no Orochi that no one knew.

How he had lived and what karma he was carrying.

“Then, external forces living in other lands set foot on the land under my protection. Humans under the protection of Susano-o.”

It was a war of invasion.

A lord and his wife, who wanted to expand their land, invaded, leading eight female warriors.

The lord and his wife and the eight warriors who had obtained the power of Susano-o were strong.

After numerous attrition battles, they succeeded in killing the lord and his wife and seven warriors at the end of the war, but the last remaining eighth warrior had a different power from the others.

In the end, Yamata no Orochi had to step in directly to protect the people, which gave Susano-o an opportunity to step in.

Two divinities collided on the earth, engaging in a fierce battle.

The waterways were reversed, and the earth cracked and split, changing the terrain.

“The battle continued for days. Susano-o, wielding a divine sword, cut off my heads one by one. The divine sword interfered with regeneration, so new heads did not grow, and eventually all eight heads were cut off and I died.”

Yamata no Orochi drinks again. As if trying to swallow the bitter memories he had.

“I couldn’t protect the humans who supported me. So, for thousands of years, I have been waiting for the time to cut off that bastard’s head. Bowing my head to the Three Noble Children, even taking a seat in Takamagahara.”

He puts down the sake bottle and cup.

As if he had let go of everything.

Yamata no Orochi’s bright yellow eyes shone with a fierce glint.

“Now is the time. The time when the blade I have sharpened will pierce through that bastard’s neck.”

Now is the time.