Why can't humans do it too?

Amidst the leader's screams, which turned from doubt to high-pitched and terrified cries, Takemikado scooped him up and held him in his palm.

"Thanks to you all! You guys are really good! So good! Hahahahahahaha!!!" With such a wild laugh, Takeminakata staggered and limped toward Tamamo-no-Mae, his only remaining right hand still tightly gripping the human, but not enough to kill him, all he could let out was a howl that seemed to turn the world upside down.

As if grasping at a straw, Takeminakata raised his right hand high, using the human as a shield. He approached the fox, closer and closer.

Even Hizo, who was clutching his right arm, couldn't help but frown at such a disgraceful sight. However, Takeminakata couldn't care less about his ally's reaction; he only wanted victory! Victory and survival! He was the hero of Izumo!

Her disdain for the god's disgusting appearance grew stronger, but the hostage he held and brandished was real. Tamamo-no-Mae had no choice but to dodge with her increasingly weak body. The blood flowing from the wound on her abdomen had turned into real golden droplets, purifying the land corrupted by demonic energy back to its original state.

Despite his contempt, Hizo attacked according to the agreement he had made with Izumo Province. With Hizo's help from the side, Takeminakata pushed Tamamo-no-Mae to the point of almost being unable to hold on.

The giant fox ears could hear its subordinates calling her name and rushing over, but without exception, they were all stopped by the newly arrived demons. No matter how anxious they were, it was useless. In fact, many demons even revealed their weaknesses in the deadly battle because of their eagerness and paid for their lives in an instant.

Her life was already on a countdown. With each jump and each dodge, Tamamo-no-Mae could hear the weakening of her heartbeat. What flowed from her wounds was not just her blood, but the essence of her entire life.

Tamamo-no-Mae wanted to look up at the sun, but was forced to lower her head due to the subsequent attack. This happened repeatedly, and her consciousness gradually became blurred. Even the things around her were no longer clear, turning into mottled light and shadow, and even began to flicker.

She felt as if she had returned to hundreds of years ago, to the time when she was first born into this world... Everything was new and exciting. She loved the clear rivers, the icy snowmelt, the lush grass and fragrant flowers, and the starry sky above her head, and the unchanging sun—the sun she would always love.

The light was so warm, so bright, piercing through the sky and through the sea of ​​clouds, like a shooting star, like a rainbow... Light?

Light?!

Her gradually dilating pupils focused again, and Tamamo-no-Mae's body trembled, invigorating herself with even stronger pain as she gazed at the rainbow in the sky.

In fact, it wasn't just her; all the gods, monsters, and humans on this battlefield raised their heads at this moment, watching the beam of light that pierced through the clouds from the western sky. Takemikazuchi couldn't help but swallow hard; he was terrified.

Light from the west, from the heavens…?!

Is it just my imagination? The sun seems to have gotten bigger?

There was no whooshing sound as it fell through the air, and if not for everyone watching it, this beam of light falling from the sky would not have made any further noise. It didn't need much proof; its mere presence here was enough to make it undeniable.

The falling meteor floated right in front of Tamamo-no-Mae, and after a few breaths, even the light surrounding it dissipated, revealing a sword. It had no guard, and the hilt was merely wrapped in a strip of cloth. In terms of appearance alone, it could not compare to a jewel-encrusted sword. However, despite its simple appearance, it exuded an incomparably sharp and murderous aura, as well as a noble and condescending air.

Whether it's gods, monsters, or humans, everyone knows it. Even if they never saw it in the first half of their lives, they only need to see it once to know its name, the name that proclaims its existence to the world—Kusanagi Sword.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Deterioration

Hundreds of years ago, before he had degenerated into a monster, Tenjiki no Kuni no Akashi no Ame no Hidaka no Hikoban no Ninagami led the gods to descend to the land of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, wielding the Yasakani no Magatama, the Yata no Kagami, and the Kusanagi no Tsurugi as tokens of his rule over the earth.

The Yasakani no Magatama represents loyalty, the Yata no Kagami represents holiness, and the Kusanagi no Tsurugi represents strength.

For the gods and yokai of Izumo, this sword holds an even more extraordinary significance, as it was the weapon presented to Amaterasu by Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the grandfather of the gods of the Izumo lineage.

After Sull directly exposed everything hidden in the Yamato Kingdom and its real land, he naturally had no intention of collecting such toys. However, the other gods and monsters, including the oni, went mad in their search for the Yata Mirror and the Kusanagi Sword, apart from the jewel stolen by the nine-tailed fox. However, no matter how much effort they put in, they could not find them.

The Yata Mirror and the Kusanagi Sword seemed to have gained their own consciousness and hid away, which seemed to mean that their master still existed. This meaning made the gods and monsters who were searching for them secretly tremble with fear, but in the end they could not extinguish the flames of desire in their hearts.

Everyone thought that these two treasures would be lost forever, just like those treasures buried in history, never to be seen again. However, during this war, one of these treasures, which everyone had given up hope of finding, suddenly appeared. Everyone could imagine what this meant. They couldn't help but look up at the sun in the sky, but they couldn't see any further changes.

Ignoring the myriad forms of gods and monsters, all that remained in Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes was the white light before her, a sharp sword that could reignite her fighting spirit. Her enormous eyes reflected only it. Saliva mixed with golden blood and saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth as she approached it, sniffing it lightly, unable to resist the urge to lick it, yet also filled with fear.

Tamamo-no-Mae was also delighted, unable to tell whether it was the joy of being affirmed or the warmth that filled her heart.

The sharp teeth, delicate yet far from being merely decorative, had already approached the hilt of the Kusanagi sword, which was also humming softly and trembling slightly, as if anticipating the arrival of that future. In Tamamo-no-Mae's hazy eyes, she seemed to see that exquisite farewell, as beautiful as cherry blossoms—she holding the sword in her mouth, holding the blade horizontally, and unleashing a graceful fox dance as delicate as raindrops, until the last glimmer of light in her body was extinguished.

Not only her, but Takeminakata was also filled with despair once again because of Tamamo-no-Mae's actions. He couldn't imagine what kind of death he would face when the fox bit the Kusanagi sword. His expression was twisted to the extreme. Takeminakata stretched his right arm forward as far as he could to try to stop it, without even noticing that the human he was holding in his right hand fell to the ground.

The fox chuckled, her last sly smile. Her teeth had already touched the hilt of the Kusanagi sword, and in the next moment, a blinding light flashed by—everyone, whether it was Takeminakata, Hitera, or all the gods and yokai watching this scene, were stunned.

Tamamo-no-Mae finally closed her teeth, but she was puzzled. Why did she not feel anything between her lips and teeth? Why could she only feel the palate when she licked it with her tongue? It was filled with the taste of blood.

She finally realized where the sword was now.

The fox, shimmering like light, trembled. She slowly lowered her head, and even the light dimmed, rising like a sea of ​​fireflies startled in the night, drifting away in all directions. At the edge of her now transparent body, Tamamo-no-Mae saw the sword.

It pierced diagonally upwards from the gap under her ribs, penetrating her lungs and her heart. Her heart was in so much pain that she couldn't even breathe; she could only utter muffled, incoherent sounds with her mouth half-open.

Unbelievable, incomprehensible, Tamamo-no-Mae stared wide-eyed, her complex emotions, like a vast ocean, almost engulfing the battlefield. She had long foreseen her death, but if that was the case, why would she show such an expression at this moment?

It was doubt, hatred, regret, relief, sorrow, joy, satisfaction, despair… Why did she wear such an expression? What did she see in her eyes? What did she want to see in the last moments of her life?

It has spoiled.

Like a waterfall of flowing light, Tamamo-no-Mae raised her head blankly, looking around as if searching for something... but there was nothing there.

It has spoiled.

"What, what is that?" The trembling words came from a monster closest to the center of the battlefield. He had noticed the slightest change, but no one could answer his question.

Fog rose, black fog, rising from the depths of the earth, from an abyss unknown to anyone. It was as black as ink, and when it passed through the body, it only brought a slight coolness. This black fog was gathering, swirling like a vortex, condensing, and solidifying.

Amidst Tamamo-no-Mae's mournful howls, the black mist seeped into her body, staining every single hair. Standing beneath the shade of this colossal black tree, a black fox, yet also a gray fox, resembled wrung-out remnants.

Its half-bent front paws gracefully glided across its injured abdomen, and its black fur healed as if it had been sewn up, leaving no trace of its previous condition.

It was a fox, yet not a fox. Standing there was clearly a huge beast, but its reflection was human-like, even standing upright off the ground. The pitch-black shadow made it impossible to see its face or its clothes, but it was indeed human-like, a woman.

The shadow, which should have been a huge fox, stood there, its slender arm brushing past its ear, tucking the dark shadow, perhaps a strand of hair, behind its ear. It spoke, its voice soft and melodious.

"This humble servant..."

The deliberately drawn-out voice, as if singing, was more captivating than the most melodious birdsong. As it spoke, the gods and monsters closest to it couldn't help but tear open their robes and expose their chests, their expressions fervent. Their slightly parted lips seemed to want to cheer, yet they dared not disturb it.

"Tamamo-no-Mae"

Like a cute little girl skipping along, this dark shadow lightly touched its lips with its index finger and even tilted its head playfully. However, as soon as it finished speaking, all the gods and monsters who longed for it stretched out their claws in the same manner—tearing open its own chest and holding out its own hot internal organs with both hands!

Blood gushed out like a waterfall!

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Ghost Clan Suffers a Heavy Blow

It didn't matter whether it was Yamato or Izumo, or whether it was gods, yokai, or demons. Even those yokai who had once belonged to Tamamo-no-Mae and had used all their strength to try to get closer to this place at the last moment, all died here, at the same time, in the same place, and in the same way.

Even the pain of tearing open their own chests couldn't wake them. Even as they bled their last drop of blood and died, they were still smiling—a satisfied smile, as if their wishes had been fulfilled and they had no regrets left.

Like statues on a pilgrimage, the scene, though incredibly eerie, strangely exuded a sacred aura. Just seeing it made the monsters who had luckily escaped this calamity because they were on the periphery tremble with fear and couldn't help but let out terrified cries.

They couldn't help but be terrified, because these gruesome dead men, who just a few breaths ago had been living, breathing beings who had been shouting battle cries just like them, were now kneeling on the ground, their intestines spilling out of their abdominal cavities and already connected together.

No one expected such a scene to unfold. No one expected that the radiance descending from the sky would turn into a chain that would take away the Nine-Tailed Fox's name. It all happened so fast that Suer could only stare in disbelief, his mouth agape, completely unable to react.

Is it Amaterasu?

Is it Amaterasu?

Amaterasu killed... the nine-tailed fox?

Everyone immediately turned their attention to the sun in the sky, but the sun remained unchanged, without any alteration. However, no one could forget the scene from just now.

Or is it not Amaterasu? Is it a descendant of Amaterasu who exists in Ashihara no Nakatsukuni in Yamato Province?

The nine-tailed fox was killed by the Kusanagi sword, and the direction from which the sword light flew was to the west, where Yamato is located.

The sword dodged Tamamo-no-Mae's attempt to bite the hilt right before everyone's eyes, then plunged deep into her body from bottom to top, piercing her heart and completely severing the last vestige of life from the fox of light.

So who is standing in the middle of those countless corpses, being worshipped by them?

The once beautiful fox, as lovely as jade, has now turned into a dull black. This is not a simple transformation. Each of the scattered points of light, like a sea of ​​fireflies, has taken away a part of the being called Tamamo-no-Mae, and what has filled the gap is black mist seeping from the ground.

So... is it the Land of the Dead?

For Suer and Xinke, two tourists from outside the world, everything in this world is interconnected, and there are secrets that they can only see on the surface but cannot know inside.

The black fox stood in the center of the battlefield, while her shadow transformed into a human form, tilting her head back and spreading her arms in ecstasy, as if deeply enjoying the magnificent scene before her.

At the moment of her birth, she proudly proclaimed her name to the world. This monster, which appeared on the corpse of a nine-tailed fox, also called herself Tamamo-no-Mae. However, no matter what, Suer could not put her ruthless methods, which made no distinction between friend and foe, together with the gentle and kind fox she had been before.

He couldn't admit it, but what difference would it make if he didn't?

Even Suer himself knew that the monster in the distance was indeed Tamamo-no-Mae, or at least a part of her.

This momentous event that changed the entire battlefield situation happened in an instant. Like other gods and demons, he believed that the Kusanagi sword was there to help the nine-tailed fox, so much so that in the instant the tragedy occurred, he was not even given the chance to choose whether to follow Tamamo-no-Mae's wishes and watch her die.

The jade-colored fox did indeed foresee its own death, but Suer was absolutely certain that the path to death that Tamamo-no-Mae had planned for her would not include ending in this way. No one could ignore the many complex emotions that the jade-colored fox revealed in the last few seconds before it died, filled with unbelievable confusion.

If the birth of this new Tamamo-no-Mae was a sacrifice of the lives of many gods and demons, then her tragic death was the result of her resentment over her fate. However, in this corner enclosed by death, two lives still survived—Hitaru and Takeminakata.

Their survival was no accident, nor was it due to their superior strength. Even they themselves knew that they hadn't died because the fox had deliberately spared them... The black giant fox remained silent; it was its shadow that had been speaking all along. Was this really a nine-tailed fox?

As the impenetrable black shadow finally withdrew its outstretched arms with satisfaction, and as it slowly turned around to look at him, Kenjiro couldn't make out any specific expression in the black shadow. He was terrified to the extreme, and he didn't even realize that his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

He is probably going to die.

For some reason, he recalled the terrifying stories he had heard in the arms of his father, the god Ōkuninushi, when he was just a newborn baby. Takemina wanted to turn around and run away, taking the biggest steps, but he was also afraid that if he did, his head would be bitten off when he turned around.

'That's right, Firelight, there's Firelight!' His sluggish mind finally remembered that he wasn't alone. Takemikazuchi stiffly twisted his neck and slowly looked at the location of the strong oni. He seemed to hear the cracking sound of his neck.

The one-horned demon wasn't even looking at the black figure who called himself Tamamo-no-Mae. He just stared blankly at the corpses around him, demons of all sizes, regardless of gender or age. Their faces still held the fervor and intoxication of their last moments before death, the determination to sacrifice themselves.

This was an expression that should never appear on the faces of their demon race; they were all dead, all of them dead.

His strong legs slowly bent, and the next moment, Hizoshi knelt down in a daze, supporting himself with his hands to keep from falling. Otherwise, he would probably have been buried in the ground like many other corpses—those arrogant demons who were unwilling to obey even their own father, Amaterasu's grandson, had given their lives for a demon they had only seen for the first time.

After waiting for so many years, they finally gained the right to walk on the surface of the earth, but they did not even enjoy the beautiful sunshine and fresh air for long before they died. Huozhao was in pain, suffering for the ghosts who followed him.

These were the demons who trusted him the most, and were the ones he trusted the most, but now, after the birth of this pure black nine-tailed fox, not one in ten survived.

Chapter Fifty-Six: The God of War

He could still hear those angry shouts. Huo Zhao, whose heart was already numb, knew that these were the shouts of the lucky demons who were on the edge and had not been affected. They were terrified of the tragic deaths of their companions, and their fear fueled their anger. But he could not bear it any longer.