Clockwork Bride

Page 320

No matter what Susanoo says, she probably won't be angry now, because Komakusa Tayu has such absolute confidence in the impending destruction of the world, and anticipates and can accept this annihilating ending.

Similarly, Susanoo absolutely did not believe Komakusa Tayu's words. Perhaps an ideal ruler should always consider the worst-case scenario and take precautions, but when Susanoo heard Komakusa Tayu's words, he thought it was just the delusional ramblings of a yokai old woman, and regarded it as the wild talk of a foolish doomsday apocryphal.

"The barrier is damaged, creating a loophole between the [Yellow Springs Kingdom] and the real world, which will suck in the lives of the living—but this is not a big problem."

Susanoo said to Hayden,

"Let's retreat like this first, and then cover the surrounding area with a larger new barrier to stop its corrosive power from spreading further. Anyway, the passage has been cut off, so there won't be any major problems since the [Yellow Springs Kingdom] can neither enter nor leave."

Hayden scratched his head: "This is equivalent to completely giving up on entering the [Land of the Dead]. So what did I come all the way to Japan for?"

“You shouldn’t have come to Japan in the first place,” Susanoo replied, though his tone was relatively gentle. “This is our battlefield. You should return to your own battlefield and fight alongside Kannon to defeat Mithra. That is the right path to save the world.”

His idea was probably good, and he might not even be lying. Unfortunately, Hayden wasn't buying it. Rather, Hayden was now thinking from a different angle.

Komakusa Tayu actually intends to block Hayden from entering the Underworld, preventing him from contacting Asmodeus, and thereby destroy the world? Upon closer examination, this behavior is actually quite interesting, even laughable.

Hayden thought for a few seconds, then finally couldn't help but laugh: "I never thought I would be recognized by the King of Demons."

Since Asmodeus deliberately sent Komakutayu to annoy him, it means that the King of Hell truly believes that Hayden has the potential to change the fate of the world.

“Thank you, Komakusa Tayu.” So Hayden smiled instead, “You’ve restored some of my confidence.”

Komakusa Tayu, naturally puzzled, frowned: 【…What?】

But Hayden had already turned around and looked at Momiji and Susanoo behind him: "Gentlemen, I have made up my mind—I am going into the [Land of the Dead]."

Susanoo finally paused for a moment, then asked, "How are you going to get in?"

Hayden pointed to the swirling black hole in front of him: "I'm going to jump right in."

"...This sounds like suicide." Susanoo was finally stunned. "Entering the Underworld without proper procedures is a reckless act with a near-certain death rate. Besides, what exactly do you want to do by running in like this? Just to ask Asmodeus some questions that are not even certain to be useful?"

Rather, it was because Hayden felt that no other method would work. But of course, he wouldn't say it so bluntly, so Hayden just shrugged: "My constitution is special; the underworld's corruption has no effect on me."

Susanoo finally couldn't help but look at him suspiciously: "Are you and Hela really not related by blood? Are you really just sons-in-law?"

"That's a good critique."

Hayden pretended not to understand Susanoo's implication and turned to look at Kureha: "Kureha, you stay here. After all, these 100,000 ancient god demons still need a leader, otherwise there will be real chaos."

Hongye was immediately alarmed: "Master, I'm not good at this kind of leadership!"

"Do you think I'm that good at this?" Hayden shrugged. "Sometimes people only discover their potential when they're forced into something."

Then Hayden turned back to the black hole, to Komakusa Tayu within its vortex. She stood motionless inside, looking as if she had witnessed a cat transform into a human and begin eating other cats. "Confused" wouldn't even begin to describe the sheer volume of her expression.

"You really intend to...?" she said slowly, "to jump straight into the Yellow Springs just to ask His Majesty the Star Lord a few questions?"

"More or less. But not the same person."

Hayden tilted his head, not even needing to turn around, and asked directly, "Angela, things have come to this point, getting into this shouldn't be a problem, right?"

“This matter is rather complicated,” Angela replied thoughtfully, also gazing at the black hole. “However, I will certainly accompany you inside to see what it is.”

For Hayden, there was nothing left to fear.

He leaped headlong into the black hole vortex!

397: Life and Death

Hayden leaped into the black hole vortex that led to the Land of the Dead.

Eighty percent of the gods, demons, and monsters present were unhappy to see Hayden do such a thing. Unfortunately, none of them had a chance to stop him. Susanoo was most worried that Hayden's reckless actions would break the seal and release Asmodeus, so he frowned and was about to step in to stop him—

...However, Momiji strode forward and stood in front of Susanoo.

Originally, she was at most a low-level god, or even less, so of course she couldn't possibly stop Susanoo.

But now Hayden has imbued Momiji with the spirit of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Therefore, she is no longer just Momiji, but Tatsuko—a white fox emitting Amaterasu's radiance, a wish-fulfilling jewel illuminating the darkness. Susanoo can no longer simply kill Momiji, nor can he directly charge at her; he must stop for now.

Taking advantage of this fleeting moment, Hayden leaped into the black hole's vortex. His body disintegrated into countless tiny particles in the darkness and vanished.

Angela walked over leisurely as well. But just before entering the black hole, she turned around and bowed to the others.

“When we meet again next time, things should be completely different,” Angela said happily. “I hope that by then, everyone’s wishes will be fulfilled—though perhaps not in the way you imagine.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she jumped into the black hole vortex and vanished without a trace.

Susanoo, though worried that Hayden might cause trouble again and actually release Asmodius, couldn't very well chase him into the underworld, so he could only shake his head. He then turned to Momiji, frowning, "Why are you stopping me? Hayden jumping into the underworld is surely not something you'd want to see. What if he dies in there? Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I'm worried, after all, the master is so reckless."

Hongye sighed, her voice filled with frustration.

“But I must always trust the decisions that my lord has made, and I must always help carry them out.”

Standing up to protect Susanoo, it's impossible to say she wasn't afraid. But she did it anyway.

Unfortunately, such sentimental trust is highly unreliable to a ruler like Susanoo, causing him to frown again: "Truly loyal. What a pity, such blind loyalty to the son-in-law of the Peacock King."

“Four hundred years ago, I spared your life, a princess from a collateral branch with weak Bo Xun blood, because I believed you were rational enough and did not harbor any morbid hostility towards us. Even knowing that I had killed many members of your clan, you accepted the fact and endured humiliation to protect the lives of the remaining members. You did very well for the past four hundred years... but now you are abandoning the greater good of the nation for Xiao Zhong, which is no longer wise.”

"So what am I supposed to do with you now?"

Momiji, along with the 100,000 newly resurrected ancient gods and demons behind her, couldn't be allowed to run rampant. However, considering Hayden and the Peacock King's family behind him, Susanoo couldn't do too much to Momiji and her group of demons. Besides, they were currently in the midst of a great war; it was better to use all their resources to fill the gaps and deal with Mithra than to waste them on internal conflicts…

"Dajini Tian is dead. A Ming King may lead his troops to attack later."

Then Susanoo said...

"A samurai is not afraid to face a strong enemy. To die on the battlefield for one's country would surely be a samurai's greatest wish."

Even with the fragments of Amaterasu attached, Momiji could only be considered a minor god. Leading a hundred thousand ragtag demons and monsters, with the Myō-ō (myō-ō) commanding the army at the top, she must have faced a near-certain death.

“I will fight.” However, Momiji’s reaction to Susanoo’s words was indifferent. “But not because of you or your country, but because I believe in Master, and believe that even if we die again, he will resurrect us.”

At this point, Hongye wagged her large white tail and finally smiled: "We are people who have died once and been resurrected. You certainly wouldn't understand this kind of confidence."

Susanoo stared at her as if she had been bitten by a cat and then turned into a cat herself.

Then Susanoo replied, "That's fine. As long as it's for the continuation of our country and culture, I don't care about your specific psychological motives."

Hongye thought to herself, "This is probably the implication behind Angela's last words."

--------------------------------

Back to Hayden's side. He jumped into the black hole vortex, into the [Land of the Dead].

Of course, this wasn't Hayden's first time venturing into the underworld. He had already been to the underworlds of Mithra and Aztlan.

In comparison, Japan's "Land of the Dead" didn't seem so "amazing." As soon as Hayden rushed in, he felt as if he had stepped into a white mist.

He initially thought it would be a huge underground cave or extremely dark, but instead it was extremely foggy.

Hayden tried to look into the distance, but his vision was obstructed by the white mist, and he could see nothing clearly. Only two things were barely visible. One was Angela following behind him, and the other was Komakusa Tayu floating not far ahead.

Moreover, Komakusa Tayu was still frowning: "I never expected that there would actually be a madman who jumped straight into the underworld."

“I’m not going to die anyway.” Hayden raised an eyebrow and then raised his staff. “But if you don’t get out of the way, you’ll get a painful, eternal death.”

Actually, he was just saying it casually.

Unexpectedly, Komakusa Tayu clicked his tongue and actually stepped aside!

Hayden was now somewhat surprised: "Are you that afraid of me?"

"Not really," Komakusa Tayu answered honestly, "but just a few hours ago we saw the ghosts of two gods you killed drift in. It would be too foolish to confront you head-on again."

"Moreover, things have come to this point. Now that you've forced your way in and killed a bunch of gods, the destruction of Japan is inevitable. Mithra Bodhisattva will realize that someone has broken into His Majesty the Vault Star's seal and will definitely send the Myō-ō and his army to suppress and control the entire country. In other words, the world's strongest military force, equipped with the latest technology, is about to strike. Susanoo has no choice but to fight this time... and he is no match for the Myō-ō's army."

After all, even if Mithra's army consisted of only one-eighth of the forces led by the Ming King, its sheer numbers far exceeded those of the entire Japanese army, and its superiority lay in almost every type of troop and equipment. In a serious conflict, it was questionable whether Susanoo's Yamato army could even hold out for three to five days.

"Japan is doomed. This country, with its ancient traditions and era, is finally coming to an end."

Komakusa Tayu smiled slightly, and it was not an arrogant declaration of victory.

So after hearing her words, Hayden was somewhat puzzled: "Didn't you want to destroy the world? Why are you only talking about Japan now?"

"Although I've lived for a thousand years, the only world I've ever seen is Japan; after all, I've never been outside of Japan," Komakusa Tayu said nonchalantly. "Everything a person sees and comes into contact with is the world. What's wrong with that?"

That's not entirely without merit.

"Moreover, the whole world will perish as well, only a little later. The old and the incomplete will all be destroyed. All mankind will die on the day of God's wrath."

She celebrated destruction amidst destruction, and foresaw and anticipated even greater destruction. Komakusa Tayu made a bold statement, anticipating and accepting these countless deaths.

Hayden didn't comment on this, only nodding: "I can understand."

"You can understand?" Komakusa Tayu was now somewhat surprised. "If you can understand, why are you causing us trouble?"

“Understanding doesn’t equate to agreement.” Hayden’s tone was light, but his expression was somewhat gloomy. “He has suffered a lot of hardship and social injustice, and has been oppressed and bullied by the powerful. He can’t see hope anywhere, and he can’t get fairness and justice, so he hates it and longs for the fairest end of the world… Anyone with a little empathy can understand this, and it’s not surprising.”

To say that Hayden himself hadn't thought about this is a lie.

From the fire in New Jersey, the explosion in South America, to now in Japan, the pressure has been mounting and the anger has been building up—Hayden has recently found himself occasionally having thoughts of "wanting to blow the earth up." And Hayden knows that many people have similar thoughts from time to time.

Because of resentment, because of anger, because of the lack of hope, because of the feeling that the world is unfair—and indeed, the world is unfair.

"but,"

Hayden shrugged at this point.

"I kill because I want to save people, and I always have. So I won't be certain about the end of the world, but I won't criticize those who think that way for being weak. Because I understand."

To be consumed by apocalyptic fanaticism because of one's own suffering is an insult to those who strive to survive. However, to deny others' desire for the end of the world because of one's own happy life is also a denial of their suffering.

Both are real and exist simultaneously in this tragic world. To devalue one is to simultaneously devalue the other.

"So I'm going to try and see if I can save the world. If it's hopeless, I'll accept the end of the world—but at least I'll fight to the very end. Komakusa Tayu, as long as you stop causing me trouble, I'll leave you alone. If you get in my way again, I'll send you flying to the other side of the horizon."

After Hayden finished speaking, he turned to look at the thick fog and began to ponder how he could carve a path through it.

Angela, standing behind him, smiled slightly. Although it wasn't a huge improvement, returning to the right path after going around in circles was a good thing, as it strengthened his resolve.

Komakusa Tayu stared blankly at Hayden for a while.

After a long while, she finally spoke, "Okay."

What's good?

“We’ll take you to see His Majesty King Wengxing, who is also His Majesty Asmodius.” Although Komakusa Tayu seemed somewhat reluctant, she still said, “Whatever happens after that, and what it becomes, is entirely up to you and His Majesty. It has nothing to do with us anymore—anyway, no matter what you do, this country is definitely going to be destroyed.”

Although it was quite unexpected, Hayden immediately nodded: "Okay, okay. Anyway, please lead the way."

Komakusa Tayu clearly wanted to complain, but she held back and simply turned around and gestured with her fingers towards the thick fog.

The next instant, the white mist began to dissipate, and in its place, a strange space opened up before Hayden.

This is a void filled with scattered, faint light. Everywhere around, there is a light whose source cannot be discerned, radiating a warmth that lulls one into a deep sleep.

The scene was indeed dreamlike, but—besides that, the surrounding void was filled with a darkness deeper than any night in reality. Within this darkness, eerie and terrifying sounds could be heard everywhere.

Night and day coexist in this space, so it is twilight, a place of eternal twilight. In Japanese cultural terms, it is the "time of twilight," a place where gods and demons intersect with the mortal world.

The boundary between Yin and Yang, the boundary of twilight, the gap between life and death. In countless cultures throughout history and across the world, there are countless words to describe this place. Countless scenes overlap and coexist here, each shining with its own unique brilliance.

"I see." Hayden immediately understood. "That's why a guide is needed."

In a place like this, if you take one wrong step, the consequences could be worse than death.

"Stay with us, don't get lost."

Komakusa Tayu led the way, taking Hayden down into the lower part of this space, where they fell into the light.

During the fall, Hayden saw several faces and passed by them.

Every face looked the same, with no discernible features. They looked as if they had been haphazardly smeared with ink, their contours and details completely ruined.

Hayden realized that those black faces must be ancient dead trapped in this space between life and death. But for some reason, he couldn't make out their features. However, his intuition gave him a vague idea of ​​the reason—it was probably because they were too far away from him.

The objective distance between past and present, death and life, is an insurmountable barrier for humanity. That's why Hayden couldn't clearly see the faces of these deceased ancient people. Because he didn't truly understand them. Who can understand those who died four hundred years ago? How much empathy and resonance can modern people truly feel for those who died in ancient times?

To be honest, there weren't many. That's why Hayden couldn't even see the faces of these undead.

He could only see the very bottom of the path through which the light fell.

Because at its very center, at the very bottom of the underworld, lies a red dragon.

A crimson dragon with seven heads and ten horns.

Eight vajras, spears formed of golden light, pierced its body, pinning it firmly to the yin-yang crevice. Outside, thick shimenawa ropes enveloped it, completely isolating the entire space from the outside world.

huge.

No, simply describing it as "huge" is not enough.