I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 177 Orochi Dragon
"Hehehe, I curse you, I curse you~~"

Under a dimly lit tree in the distance, an old woman with her back to the three people was pounding on something while muttering in a sinister voice.

The old woman had an iron ring on her head with three candles lit on it. As she pounded on it, the candlelight flickered, like eyes staring at Kishida Jun.

Bang, bang, bang!

As Kishida Jun took a few steps forward, he saw the other person's profile clearly; she was an old woman, skeletal and dressed in rags.

A face twisted beyond recognition by jealousy, resentment, and hatred; holding a hammer in one hand and an iron nail in the other, it was hammering a scarecrow into a tree trunk.

As the nail was driven into the scarecrow's arm and then hammered hard, Jun Kishida's arm twisted in mid-air.

Kishida Jun didn't care about this; instead, he confirmed the other party's identity.

"So she was born at the hour of the ox,"

The so-called "Woman of the Ugly Hour" is a kind of "evil spirit" in island folklore.

She was the reincarnation of a woman filled with jealousy and resentment. This woman, having lost her virginity and been abandoned, became an evil spirit after her death, consumed by hatred.

At the hour of Ugly (1-3 AM), evil spirits nail scarecrows to the sacred tree of shrines—a curse technique passed down from ancient times in this island nation. Three candles are stuck into an iron ring above the scarecrow's head. If this act of nailing the scarecrow continues for seven consecutive days, the cursed person will die. However, if this act is witnessed, the curse will be nullified.

I curse all faithless men—

"Then you've got the wrong person."

With a flick of her finger, the water dragon roared forth, tearing the 'Woman of the Ox' and the dimly lit tree to shreds in one gulp.

"These ghosts formed from the 'echoes of souls' are too weak."

"Young Master Kishida,"

“You are a Tiger-level expert.”

Hoshino Tanimura, who was holding Wataru Tanimura's hand from behind, spoke up. Since their meeting in the underworld, her personality had become more cheerful, and she had regained some of the youthful charm she once had.

She is no longer the cold and aloof 'Mrs. Tanimura'.

"How could these ordinary 'hundred demons' possibly be a match for you?"

Let alone Kishida Jun, even the two dogs from the Tanimura family could fight their way in and out of this underworld seven times: provided their 'spiritual power' isn't completely depleted.

As the three people and two dogs continued forward, a clearing appeared before them, and a group of people had gathered in a semi-circle, seemingly watching something.

With their height, the three of them could easily see over the heads of these 'ancient people' who were no more than 1.3 meters tall: it seemed to be an execution ground, with a dozen or so men of different ages being pushed out with their hands tied behind their backs. Judging from their standard 'moon-shaped' hairstyles, they should be from some martial arts family.

As these people were brought forward, a samurai immediately raised his katana; at the same time, a lieutenant stepped forward, grabbed the 'moon head's' hair bun, and stretched his neck.

Pfft

With a swift stroke of the blade, splattering gray-black blood, more than a dozen heads were severed!
Although its head had been cut off, the headless body did not lose its ability to move; instead, it continued to struggle, violently shoving aside the surrounding samurai with its shoulder, as if it wanted to continue fighting.

“It is ‘headless’,”

Looking at the bizarre scene before him, Jun Kishida spoke calmly.

"Legend has it that the resentment of those who were beheaded was transformed into a spirit: Once, a general ordered the beheading of a prisoner, who claimed that he had become an evil spirit and would surely seek revenge."

"Then the general pointed to the flag beside him and said: 'If you can truly become an evil spirit, then after you die, your head will fly up and bite the flag.'"

Despite being in the underworld of Hirasaka, Kishida Jun still had the leisure to educate the Tanimura family:
"As the executioner brought down his blade, the prisoner's head flew off and bit the flag."

Everyone was shocked, but the general calmly spoke:

"The prisoner's mind was entirely focused on holding onto the flag before he died; he no longer had any desire for revenge."

"So, these 'evil spirits' only repeat their last obsessions from their previous life?"

While asking a thoughtful question, Tanimura Hoshino waved her hand.

The Shiba Inu and military dog, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately pounced!

"right,"

As Kishida Jun nodded in response, the two demonic dogs, now five meters tall, slashed and bit these evil spirits, or rather, the lingering echoes of souls, that were only 1.3 or 1.4 meters tall, shattering them into pieces.

"The so-called 'hundred ghosts' are nothing more than people's last obsession, and I am no exception."

“Kishida, you will surely get what you want.”

Although they were once mortal enemies, they have now reunited in the afterlife.

Including those who are also under the command of 'Ghost Messenger White', let bygones be bygones regarding grudges in the 'real world'. Their current job is—

Clean up Hirazan!
"Although the 'Yomi-Hirasaka' is boundless, it doesn't seem difficult."

Just as Tanimura Watari opened his mouth, a roar suddenly came from afar.

"Roar roar roar roar roar roar roar~~~!!!"

???

Amidst a deafening roar that reverberated through the heavens, filled with boundless anger, sorrow, resentment, evil, darkness, slaughter, chaos, and decay, the entire 'Yomihirasaka' suddenly trembled violently: the sky trembled, the earth trembled, and even the hundred demons trembled!

"what's the situation?"

Before he could finish speaking, Tanimura Watari felt an invisible pressure descend upon him.

It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, causing him to kneel on one knee without warning.

"cross!"

Even Hoshino Tanimura crouched down under the invisible pressure.

As for the two ninja dog spirits, they immediately lay down on the ground, tucking their tails between their legs and not daring to utter a sound.

? ?
"What is that?"

Jun Kishida, who was barely able to support himself with the umbrella, felt his spine crack under the heavy pressure, and his feet sank into the underworld.

In the hazy, gray sky above the underworld, a sun suddenly appeared.
Red moon?

No, that's not the moon!
Because the 'red moon' rotated, the vertical black lines suddenly expanded, exuding a murderous intent as strong as magma, and a desire to devour everything.

It's the eyes—

Almost as soon as this thought flashed through Jun Kishida's mind.

The mist that had been shrouding the Yellow Springs was forcefully pushed aside by a colossal creature as large as a mountain!

It revealed an enormous triangular snake head; the 'red moon' that Kishida Jun had just seen was its huge eyeball.

Even more terrifying was the vertical growth in the center of the snake's pupil, shaped like a rooster's comb, but hundreds or even thousands of meters long—like a ferocious, sharp, white, bony blade, it was cleaving through the sky of the underworld with the domineering and savage power that only a super-giant creature could possess.

In comparison, the two long, sharp, pale-glowing giant fangs, constantly flicking out their bright red forked tongues, seemed rather ordinary and normal.

That's not all. As the gray sky was stirred, seven more equally ferocious and enormous snake heads appeared and disappeared in succession.

这 是
Yamata no Orochi!

The name appeared in the minds of the three almost simultaneously.

Compared to these monsters, whose heads are like mountains, or even mythical beings.

The three of them were like ants under the feet of a giant: every roar of that enormous snake head turned into a hurricane that swept across the heavens and the earth; every wriggle was accompanied by a shocking earthquake.

They didn't even look at them properly, let alone target them, but the three people and two dogs were unable to move, and only their souls were trembling.

Damn it, I have to get out of here right now!

Move, move—

Snapped,

Just as Kishida Jun was gritting his teeth and struggling, a hand landed on his shoulder.

The invisible pressure vanished instantly, and he regained his mobility. "Lord White Ghost Messenger?"

Turning to look at the person who came, they realized that only this sir could have saved them in this place.

"let's go."

As 'Ghost Messenger White' waved his sleeve, the two ninja dog spirits lying on the other side finally stood up tremblingly.

As 'Ghost Messenger White' led the three who had regained their mobility around, the two dogs followed silently behind.

"Whoohoo~~"

After returning to Fengdu, the city located beneath the Twin Sal Trees,
Tanimura Wataru, Tanimura Hoshino, and Kishida Junsai finally stopped, panting heavily.

"My lord, was that the Yamata no Orochi just now?"

When Kishida Jun stood up and wiped the cold sweat from his face, asking a question, 'Ghost Messenger White' nodded.

"Yes."

? !
It really was Yamata no Orochi.

In the legends of the island nation, this is the truly 'infamous' great demon.

It is no longer an ordinary demon, because its opponent is not a human, not an Onmyoji, not a samurai, but a god!
Legend has it that the rebellious Susanoo caused trouble everywhere in Takamagahara, which angered Amaterasu, who then went into seclusion. He was banished from Takamagahara by the gods and wandered around aimlessly when he encountered a couple and a young girl who embraced and wept bitterly.

Out of curiosity, I went up to inquire and learned that the couple were descendants of the mountain god 'Ōyamatsumi-no-kami'.

She originally had eight daughters (the Eight Maidens), but the first seven of them...

It has already been eaten by a giant demon called Yamata no Orochi.

Now only the eighth daughter, 'Kishida-hime', remains, but she is no match for Orochi and can only weep bitterly.

Upon hearing this, Susanoo volunteered to exorcise the demon, as he was captivated by the beauty of Kushinada-hime. The couple, upon learning that he was the younger brother of Amaterasu, readily agreed.

To protect Kushinada-hime, Susanoo transformed her into a comb and inserted it into his hair.

They also brewed eight jars of divine wine (eight wine cups) and placed them in the valleys of eight mountains.

The Yamata no Orochi emerged from the raging sea and, upon smelling the aroma of wine, each of its eight heads burrowed into one of the eight valleys to drink the divine wine. They then fell into a drunken stupor and fell into a deep sleep.

Susanoo seized the opportunity to draw the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, intending to slay the Yamata no Orochi. However, when he cut into the tail, the blade of the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi chipped, revealing a hard and sharp sword hidden inside. This sword was the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, which Susanoo later gave to Amaterasu.

Then, Amaterasu passed it on to the island nation's royal family as a symbol of their power!

Susanoo is a notorious violent maniac in Japanese mythology. He's the kind of person who doesn't waste words if he can take action, and he has killed quite a few gods.

The fact that it could force Him to resort to trickery and deception shows just how terrifying the Yamata no Orochi was.

"How could such a being exist?"

"This is Yomotsu Hirasaka. If the Yamata no Orochi isn't here, where is it?"

Ghost White interrupted Kishida Jun's subconscious murmur. The Tanimura couple next to him thought: That's right, even the mother of all gods, Izanami, died and fell into Yomotsu Hirasaka; it's only natural that the Yamata no Orochi would fall into Yomotsu Hirasaka after it died.

"Sir, then what about us?"

"Don't panic. A great demon like Yamata no Orochi won't care about us."

"What I'm worried about is whether the Yamata no Orochi will take advantage of the situation."

"Roar--------"

Just then, a roar that sounded like a car horn came from afar again;
Even though they were separated by an unknown distance, the words still reached the ears of Kishida and his two companions, making them feel a chill run down their spines.

The next second:
boom! ! ! !

The entire 'Yomihirasaka' is like an old table that has been kicked hard.

From the sky to the earth, everything was tilting and shaking violently! Only under the shade of the Sal trees could a pure land be found.

boom! ! ! !

The second loud bang came, and the whole world felt like a bell that had been struck hard.

Amidst the violent tremors, everything blurred. The gray sky, the ground extending from buildings of various eras, and even the strange and bizarre 'hundred ghosts' all turned into puffs of ashes in the shaking, creating a truly chaotic scene, as if heaven and earth had not yet been separated.

boom! ! ! !

As the third sound rang out, an eerie 'crack' echoed throughout Yomotsu Hirasaka, filling Kishida Jun and the other two with terror and a sense of impending crisis.

As they stared in disbelief, countless dark cracks spread across the distant sky in all directions!
Within the cracks, wind, fire, thunder, earth, and water surge forth out of nowhere.
Through the crack, they saw:

Skyscrapers, bustling traffic, and equally stunned crowds!

The scene beyond the crack was all too familiar to them, for that was where they lived—

Island nation!

"grown ups?!"

"No way, this is impossible."

Amidst the gasps of Kishida Jun, Tanimura Wataru, and Tanimura Hoshino, the ghostly white figure shook his head slightly, his face filled with sorrow and compassion.

"Alas, it's still too late."

"The Yamata no Orochi has opened the gates of the underworld,"

"We must send all the remnants of souls and spirits from thousands of years ago into the present world."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Osaka City,
"what is that?"

"Hey, hey, hey, could it be some kind of 3D projection?"

"A mirage, it's a mirage! It's a mirage, isn't it? You bastard, don't you think so—"

Pedestrians on the street stopped in their tracks and looked up at the 'shattered' sky: indeed, the sky had been ripped open with dark cracks, and through those cracks, one could even see countless beings that only existed in human imagination and nightmares:
The scene features a winding human centipede, a massive hill formed by piles of corpses, and all sorts of bizarre shapes.
"Those things"

Someone couldn't help but raise their hand and point to those dark cracks.

"Are they trying to squeeze out?"

Yes, that's right!
Those beings within the cracks are crowding outwards, ignoring the sunlight and the boundary between the living and the dead.

"Ahhhh!!!"

"It's an extraordinary disaster! Run!"

"Don't panic, don't panic! We're in Osaka, the Supernatural Countermeasures Division will be deployed soon."

In an instant, the city of a million people was plunged into a terrifying panic!

This scene is not isolated, but rather:

Eight places!

Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Shimane, Osaka, Kyoto, Yamanashi, Tokyo, Fukushima.
The sky cracked open with countless black fissures, and black rain fell, transforming into thousands upon thousands of twisted monsters that spread in all directions!

?

bang——

Break down the door and go out.

Monk Zhixiong stared blankly at the crack that had appeared in the sky in the distance.

what is this? !!

(End of this chapter)