Why can't humans do it too?

"Shocking? An unacceptable reality?"

Yukari Yakumo repeated Sul's words. Although this man seemed to be persuading others to take risks, his way of speaking, which kept people in suspense and building up their interest, was truly... painful.

Such as those characters that only say half of what they mean.

"It's not convenient to go into details, just don't be too curious. By the way, do you know where Huozhao is now? I haven't found any trace of him in Izumo City."

Well, at least Yukari Yakumo is suffering right now.

"...He's in this city. Should I call him over?" Yakumo Yukari asked, squinting her eyes after a pause.

"Then I'll have to trouble you," Suer nodded and said.

Without a doubt, this deliberately suspenseful act was something he did on purpose, and he was even suppressing a laugh in his heart at this moment. Yakumo Yukari's curiosity had been piqued, but whether she would choose to risk going up to check it out was no longer important.

After his career ended, Sue didn't even know if the false, pie-like moon would still exist, or what the consequences of this box-like prehistoric era would be, but he didn't care.

Yukari Yakumo did not pull Hizaki directly into the palace through the gap, but instead sent a message and had the oni walk in through the main gate.

Sull had no intention of delving into the power struggles between Yakumo Yukari and this oni. Sull had never liked this oni named Hizo, and even the little brat he often kept by his side was more pleasing to Sull than him. Fortunately, Sull didn't need to force himself to like him.

There was no reminiscing or reconnecting with Huo Zhao during their meeting. Su Er simply paid a price to get what he wanted, and then waited for the full moon night.

It is very strange. It is just a false moon. It does not rotate or revolve. There is nothing between it and the Ashihara no Naka de. The light it emits is not reflected from the sun, but is its own light that is constantly emitted. Yet, it still miraculously changes from full moon to crescent moon. It also rises and falls with the sun, just like a planet that is constantly in motion.

The Tsukuyomi that was awakened by the magatama he brought with him probably acted like a battery. After regaining a part of himself, he gave birth to his... descendants. Those two women should be considered as Tsukuyomi's descendants, right?

In short, after Tsukuyomi has completely turned to stone and died, it is unknown how long this mooncake will remain lit. Perhaps one night, the creatures in Ashihara no Naka de will look up and find that the moon they have become accustomed to has only twinkled briefly before going dark forever.

"Can we begin?" Sul asked Yakumo Yukari calmly, turning her gaze away from the moon that seemed to exist between the solidified Milky Way in the sky and stopping her wandering thoughts.

"Wait a moment... there's still some time before midnight," Yukari Yakumo said, glancing at the moon's position before shaking her head slightly after a quick calculation.

Without replying, Suer simply stared blankly at the top of the Milky Way.

“Takamagahara…” It wasn’t Su Er, but Xin Ke who was standing to the side who was muttering to herself.

It's a bit too mysterious, so mysterious that Suer even suspects that all the anomalies of this era are related to Takamagahara, and the culprit is none other than the goddess Amaterasu. Even the legends obtained from the gods of Izumo, who are enemies of Amaterasu, show that Amaterasu is a god with an extremely good temper, who would only hide away if she was bullied.

Even the yokai mostly didn't have any ill feelings towards Amaterasu. When they talked about her, they mostly showed awe for the sun. The only thing that made the yokai scoff was her kindness, which they considered cowardly. Apart from that, there were no other negative comments about her.

But Sull suspects that Amaterasu is the deity who knows all the secrets of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, and is also a mastermind behind the scenes.

There was no reason, only an instinctive resistance to such a perfect being that everyone praised and had no flaws—Sur did not believe that there could be such a perfect god, let alone that these gods were more like humans than gods.

Chapter 124 Preparation

Sull never believed in fate or prophecy, but at this moment he believed in destiny. Just thinking about Nurarihyon's words about seeing Sull when he was young, and how he was accompanied by a winged woman, filled Sull with motivation.

Whether fate exists or not, it's best if it is real at this moment.

As for what kind of friendly interaction Xin Ke, who was crossing her arms and constantly tapping her arms with her fingertips like an anxious person, would have with Jibril after she came to this world... Suer could only temporarily stop thinking about this question.

That's something I'll worry about tomorrow, so why make myself suffer today?

Wait a minute, would Jibril even want to come to this world?

As midnight approached, Sull's tendency to overthink seemed to grow stronger. Even though his reason told him that the chances of Jibril refusing to see him again were slim, he couldn't help but fantasize about another possibility and repeatedly question himself.

This is generally referred to as torturing oneself—like the reaction of a teenager after sending a love letter.

That's not quite accurate; at the very least, neither Xinke nor Suer would agree with that analogy.

This doubt and frustration lingered in his heart, making Xin Ke, who shared his feelings, even more irritable, which was like adding fuel to the fire.

"arrive."

Yukari Yakumo suddenly broke the silence. The group was currently at the top of the mountain range that the city of youkai was surrounded by. The magical nature and the movement of the earth's veins had created a clear lake at the top of the mountain, which was covered with snow that never melted.

Unexpectedly, there was still a hot spring, but at this crucial moment, all the white water vapor floating above the lake had been waved away by Suer, and Yakumo Yukari was gazing at the center of the lake—or rather, the reflection of the moon.

"—The realm between reality and illusion."

Just as she had done before in front of Suer and Xinke, the blonde banshee simply pointed at the reflection with her fan with ease, without any sign of strain or difficulty. This time, she didn't even need Xinke to inscribe a spell to provide her with power; Yakumo Yukari was able to open this passage independently.

The banshee was growing stronger at an astonishing rate, but her strength was also a good thing for Suer. The lake, which was already as smooth as a mirror, no longer had any ripples. She had transformed from a simple body of water into a door.

"Thank you," Suer nodded to Yakumo Yukari before jumping through the door, then left a message after a moment's thought: "Be careful during this time, and protect your people."

"Be extra careful? What's going to happen—"

puff.

Yukari Yakumo was taken aback and wanted to ask something, but Sue had already jumped into the lake with Shinko, splashing water everywhere. The connection between the real moon she had established and its reflection in the lake was severed after Sue jumped in. Although Yukari Yakumo could rebuild that connection with a little effort now, she just stared blankly at the rippling lake, pondering Sue's last words.

"Is danger about to appear? Will it affect this area? Or... the entire Ashihara no Chukuni?"

"...What exactly are you going to do..."

Unable to know, she murmured to herself in worry. After taking a deep look at the gradually calming lake, Yukari Yakumo looked up at the full moon, her gaze then spreading to the Milky Way beside the moon. She suddenly remembered the strange phenomenon she had seen a few years ago, shortly after she had sent Sue away at his request. The Milky Way had started flowing again, but it had only flowed for a moment.

Ultimately, she gave up on her plan to investigate further. Yakumo Yukari waved her hand and created a gap beside her, just as Sue had said, she still had things to do.

Not intending to ignore Suer's warning, Yakumo Yukari prepares to gather a group of yokai—if used properly, her influence among yokai might rise even higher as a result.

That's a kind of gambling, too.

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

Suer never expected to step into this galaxy again so soon—at least when he arrived in that future modern society, he had no intention of returning, nor did he ever make any effort to do so.

But he is indeed standing here now, right next to this pancake-shaped moon, and only needs to take one step outward to reach the Milky Way.

'Plans can never keep up with changes... Human desires are truly terrifying.'

"You'd better not overthink it. I don't want to be sent to some weird place because of your overflowing hormones, you understand?"

Suer's reflections were interrupted by Xinke's sarcastic words, which made him sigh again. He felt as if he were carrying a hedgehog, and every move he made would leave his hands covered in blood.

There are some obscure and mysterious rules on this stagnant galaxy. After being frightened and suffering a loss because of the woman who suddenly appeared last time, Suer and Xinke realized that some of their actions on this galaxy had symbolic meaning and would also bring corresponding consequences.

Just as his subconscious step back sent him directly to countless years later.

"What? Is it still too difficult for you?" Xin Ke sneered disdainfully. "You should at least learn to evolve a little, Mr. Monkey. If you really can't do it, how about finding a secluded corner to slap yourself before stepping on it? Behind that rock over there, but don't expect me to help you."

Ah, I'm a monkey again.

Suer rubbed his face blankly.

"...You should know what those stones were before, right?" After thinking for a moment, Suer couldn't help but remind him, "I mean, you haven't forgotten that those were Tsukuyomi's corpse after she died, have you?"

"Of course? Isn't this enough to satisfy your perverted fetish?" Su Er was met with an even more astonished expression from Xin Ke. "Do you need me to help you?"

It goes without saying what they are supporting.

Suer was defeated on the spot.

No, this forest elf is too aggressive right now, and Suer feels he can hardly cope.

"Let's go, let's go," was the last thing Suer could say, his voice weak and feeble as he tried to change the subject.

"Can't wait any longer?"

Xinke was still pressing her advantage from behind, but Suer... pretended not to hear.

Once again, we set foot on the Milky Way. Our destination: Takamagahara!

This time, Suer was prepared to cause a huge scene.

He won't back down another step.

Chapter 125 Amaterasu

"You came."

"I am coming."

"You're still here."

"...So this is where I've come?"

After taking a deep breath, he stepped into the gates of Takamagahara with utmost caution. What Su Er never expected was that he would have such a martial arts-style conversation with the people inside, or rather, the gods.

When the other person uttered those three words, he subconsciously gave a corresponding reply. Unfortunately, the words the other person followed up with prevented Xiong Yaohua from fully showcasing his linguistic artistry.

"You knew about our existence from the very beginning?" Ignoring Suer's wicked humor, Xin Ke simply asked with a frown; she had already thought of too much.

"I watched you all fall into this world with my own eyes... and it wasn't just me," the goddess opposite replied calmly, but her words trailed off.

The plain-colored ribbons continuously emitted a pale blue aura. There were twelve of them, layered around the goddess's shoulders and sides. They did not appear messy or bulky. Their mere presence added a sacred aura to their owner, even in this environment.

Amaterasu—she must be Amaterasu. Even though she never revealed her name to Sull, Shinko was already certain of her identity. She was the same deity who suddenly appeared and startled Sull when he cautiously peered into Takamagahara after Sull first set foot in the Milky Way.

A woman as warm as the sun—at least for now, she is merely warm, not scorching or burning. Just by floating there, one can clearly feel the concept she represents, like the essence of a deity, a weak essence with a physical body.

This understanding only exists when one's gaze is not looking down.

A silent wail escaped as the body, bound by iron chains and with deep gashes from the stripped skin, writhed desperately as soon as Suer and Xinke entered. It resembled a blood-sucking maggot, not something to be feared, but rather something to feel disgusted... and pity.

It writhed desperately, as if trying to shout something, but the iron chain piercing its throat prevented it from making any sound. This terrifying scene, resembling some kind of barbaric ritual, added an eerie touch to the sun above it.

The goddess is the sun.

"So you've been watching everything we do?"