No matter how hard Hikigaya searched, he couldn't find Luo Hao.
Two hundred years of being a shut-in certainly did sothing to her personality—utterly incomprehensible.
But right now, Hikigaya really needed the data held by soone familiar with Chinese mythology.
The reason was simple: the information provided by the Committee contained nothing of interest to him.
For soone like Hikigaya—who didn't slay gods by understanding them but rather used that understanding to acquire suitable authorities—this was critical.
You could say that unless the Great Sage Equal to Heaven personally showed up on his doorstep, or ran amok in Chiba, Hikigaya wouldn't make a move without satisfactory intel in this area.
As for the Committee? They could die for all he cared—he didn't have a shred of sympathy for them.
But while Hikigaya wasn't in a hurry—others certainly were.
Because the Great Sage seed to have gained an ally.
Just as Hikigaya was still complaining about how worthless the Committee's docunts were, the Great Sage and his ally made their move.
.
.
.
It happened at Nikko Tōshō-gū Shrine, just as the morning sun bathed it in dawn light.
A girl standing on golden clouds, dressed in a shrine maiden's outfit, and an absurdly handso young man suddenly descended from the skies above Tōshō-gū, overlooking the entire shrine complex.
The girl's face was obscured by a mask that strongly resembled a monkey's. She held the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the golden staff—leaving no doubt as to her identity.
"Hmm, this appearance still needs so adjustnts," said the girl—or rather, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, who had taken over the body of Mariya Hikari.
In the next mont, the shrine maiden's attire transford into imposing ancient armor, and the monkey mask vanished—revealing the missing Hikaru's face and a pair of Fiery Golden Eyes—red irises with golden pupils.
"Perfect. This should do it. Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone!"
Cackling, the Great Sage who had possessed the girl's body declared in a loud voice. Tourists, shrine staff, and even the hidden onmyoji all watched in stunned fear.
"I am the god who defies Heaven! Master of endless transformations! When Heaven and Earth first opened, I already was! The Three Realms were vexed by my existence. The gods of the Four Directions feared . The ghost soldiers of the Five Sacred Mountains raged at . I threw the Six Directions into chaos. The Seven Hells and Northern Dipper couldn't hold . Of the Eight Realms—who dares stand above ? The Nine Heavens couldn't catch ! I am the Lord of One Hundred Thousand Demonic Generals!"
Though the voice was that of a young girl, the divine majesty behind it was unmistakable.
And at that voice, the people below began to change.
Every single one turned into monkeys—big and small, male and female.
"Hahahaha! That's it! I am neither bird of the sky nor beast of the land— I stand alone as king! If any dare protest, then to the Hall of Heaven I shall go, and raise my weapon in revolt! Children—go, and make rry!"
As the Great Sage laughed wildly, the monkeys all began howling.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Mount Nikko turned into what felt like a zoo.
.
.
.
However, not every god enjoys the sound of monkeys screaming.
The one standing beside the Great Sage was clearly not a fan.
"What exactly are you trying to accomplish with all this?"
The Western god, radiant like the sun itself, wore an expression that scread: "Shut these things up or I will."
He seed to seriously be considering giving the monkeys a few slashes just to bring peace and quiet.
"Hey, Sunboy. You better not hurt my children," the Great Sage said with a sideways glance at this so-called fellow god, soone he clearly had little regard for.
"Taking on two hidden God Slayers at once is a real pain. So naturally, if I turn all the people like them into my children, they'll have no choice but to reveal themselves."
"Who're you calling 'Sunboy'?! Say my na properly!"
"'Sunboy'? You got indigestion or sothing?"
"It's Mithra! Ugh… just call Perseus."
"'Penis? That your kink or sothing?"
"You damn monkey! You trying to pick a fight with ?! I've been way too patient with you—show so gratitude!"
And just like that, the two gods started bickering mid-air.
The one accompanying the Great Sage was the Persian solar god known both as Mithra and Perseus.
His followers had once made Mithraism the state religion of the Roman Empire. Before the rise of the monotheistic god, the Western world had worshipped him for thousands of years.
He still couldn't understand how his na got so mangled in that monkey's mouth.
Must be because the guy really had beco a damn monkey…
"Gratitude? I am the free and untad Great Sage Equal to Heaven! I do as I please— I can save mortals from disaster, or bring them ruin. It was you people who lumped into the so-called 'Steel' classification. Yes, I'm a hero, but I'm not like you."
"I'm not here to argue philosophy. But it was agreed by all gods that when the ti cos, He must be awakened. You made that promise too."
"Exactly. That's why I haven't attacked you yet."
As soon as the Great Sage finished those words, his divine power surged again.
With one hand, he ford a mudra and began to chant:
"In ancient tis, there was Da Yu— A 19th-generation descendant of Nüwa,
Lived 360 years, ascended Mount Jiuyi, And beca immortal."
"During Yao's reign, the floods raged, People drowned and suffered. Da Yu, moved by compassion, Was born of the mountain spring at Shiniu."
"A woman nad Nü Di fetched water at dusk, Found a pearl-like stone, Swallowed it in fondness, Beca pregnant and gave birth after 14 months. The child grew up to know the water's source, And succeeded his father Gun in flood control."
"When Yao saw his rit, He nad him Yu, after the ancient water sage. Once, Yu leaped upon a stone and struck a drum. The Lady of Tu Mountain ca, Saw Yu as a bear and fled in sha. She turned to stone at the foot of Mount Song, And gave birth to Qi."
As the Great Sage chanted, Nikko Mountain began to change.
Gentle slopes rose into peaks, while so places sank into valleys. Dry ground split open, spewing water, forming streams and waterfalls.
Human-built structures were flattened or swallowed by the earth.
This was divine authority—words shaping reality, with only a thin line between fantasy and truth.
"Hahaha! From this day forth, this place is my Flower-Fruit Mountain! Children! What are you waiting for? Raise your weapons and rebel against the heavenly army!"
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
Monkeys howled from every corner of the mountains. Divine beast-like auras radiated from their bodies.
Perseus watched with cold eyes. The Great Sage's army was now fully assembled.
A faint smirk crept onto his face.
It was a pity that the young Western God Slayer wasn't here—otherwise, taking him out too would have been a nice bonus.
Perseus's divine sight turned toward the nearest human city.
He had once been a creator god, but also one of destruction—ending everything so it could be reborn anew.
This island, the breeding ground of God Slayers, was a place ripe for destruction and rebirth.
Yet within it seed to reside a descendant of an Eastern Divine King, soone with the power to suppress rebellion and restore order—a power equal to his own.
Perhaps that's the "interesting one" the monkey ntioned.
"Fighting won isn't really my style…" Perseus muttered inwardly.
But the Heroic Steel God had no intention of suppressing the malicious thoughts rising within him—thoughts unbecoming of a so-called good god.
He added to himself:
"I have a pact with the monkey… But if the enemy cos for first, That's not breaking the deal."
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