Chapter 523

As for now--

Novia and Rushana sat side by side on a bench, gazing up at the incredibly dark Tokyo sky.

Chapter 534 The Culprit! The Dainichi Nyorai!

Gautama Siddhartha's life was indeed eccentric.

Rushana thought to himself that he had taken a strange detour.

In his youth, he only knew how to worship gods and perform sacrifices, and everyone envied him; in his young adulthood, he only knew how to practice asceticism, think and trek, explore Brahmin, worship the eternity in Brahman, emulate those Renunciant, live in the Forest, endure the scorching heat and bitter cold, learn to endure hunger, and numb his body.

Although this path seems quite correct in hindsight, at the time it was seen by all those who expected Siddhartha to become Wheel-Turning King as a colossal folly, a grave Evil, and a terrible mistake, causing the gods and Rishi to feel disgusted, disappointed, and distressed.

Perhaps the Savior, having just embarked on another path, would initially be troubled, but then he would think of the people who were driven to the New City because of his birth, almost completely naked, their shoulders covered in dust and blood, exposed to the scorching sun, lonely, alienated, and filled with hostility towards the arriving ideal king—

People in the world who are poor and destitute.

So he'll probably think again: Let them think what they want, I'm willing to continue down this path.

"You're here."

Without a hint of joy or coldness in his tone, he slowly walked over to Novia, who had recently been on the streets of the Kanda Festival, and said this.

Upon hearing this voice, the dazed Rushana regained consciousness. He picked up the Philosopher's Stone floating on his forehead with one hand and rubbed his eyes in a panic with the other. Only then did he realize that the streets of the shopping district had returned to their former darkness, but the Kanda Shrine not far away was bursting with dazzling light.

Despite the somewhat jarring contrast, Rushana felt a sense of peace.

It was probably because of Novia's arrival.

"Are you tired?"

"Fine."

Rushana shook his head and added, "I just realized I'm not Buddha."

"His mood has changed so drastically that he's almost unrecognizable, Rushana."

"Anyone would be upset to know such a significant fact."

Nevertheless, Rushana smiled gently as she touched the bangs on her forehead, which, though authentic, were merely imitations of the six Ordination Marks of Savior, and were being gently blown by the breeze.

Although her appearance gives a strong sense of simplicity, because of the Longmen Great Buddha and the Nara Great Buddha, she possesses a childlike innocence and intellectual radiance. If she were to dress up a little, she would undoubtedly be a beauty that everyone would praise.

After all, the Rushana Great Buddha in Longmen Grottoes was modeled after Empress Wu Zetian. Known for its mysterious smile, it is the highest level of art, the most meticulously designed, and the largest Buddha Statue in Longmen, and is hailed as the Mona Lisa of the East. The Rushana Great Buddha in Nara is the largest bronze statue in Japan today. Its pedestal has a thousand-petaled lotus, with each petal engraved with an image of Shakyamuni Buddha Statue, presenting a picture of the Lotus Treasury World.

"By the way, may I sit here now?"

Please make yourself at home.

Following her suggestion, Novia sat down in her chair.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The waves outside Underworld Tokyo, suddenly surged unhappily toward the city's Bounded Field, and then receded abruptly. The horizon merged into the gloomy sky. The waves seemed to come from the ends of the world, as if they shared the same Melody as the waves. Then, Rushana spoke.

"... It's called Kapilavastu, right? The place where you personally taught."

"After the Kurukshetra War, the Brahmin split apart, and many similar kingdoms existed in the Land of Bharata at that time. However, the Ideal King would end the war would descend there, and for thousands of years, many Rishi and Deity had been watching that place closely. No one wanted anything to happen that would affect the Wheel-Turning King. From this perspective, it was more like a large-scale performance."

"Your teaching is actually very simple and easy to understand."

With an extremely serious expression, Rushana said, "Although it wasn't me, even from memory, I can deeply feel how happy Gautama was at that time, that symbol of knowledge and concentration—the lamp."

"That's just something any Teacher would say."

"But that explanation is really great."

A burning lamp illuminates the real world, dispelling illusions.

Having been shielded from all illusions by his father since childhood, Gautama, upon witnessing the truth, longed to escape this frivolous and hypocritical life, seeking instead a harsh but real existence.

"One should only obey the voice of one's own heart, not succumb to any external force, and wait for the moment of awakening; this is the only good and necessary behavior, and everything else is meaningless. I think this idea suits Gautama very well. Although he faced a lot of pressure in reality, generally speaking, his path was often difficult and often dark, but he still persevered."

Novia said this.

"That must have been really tough..."

Rushana scratched her head, her blue hair rustling with her movement. "What are you going to do with me next? Kill me? Or turn me back into Buddha Statue?"

"How so?"

"Although I was dizzy at the time, I still understood what those two were thinking. They wanted me to go to Eriri's side and become a sacrifice to make her something. Damn it, it's so annoying! Eriri was actually arranged like this!"

"I agree with that, but what's your opinion?"

Novia paused, "Do you hate Erice?"

"How could that be? Eriri may be annoying, but we're friends!"

Rushana shook his head very slowly. "To be honest, the thought that her fate will be the same as Gautama's makes me very unhappy. Although I don't want to die, there's nothing I can do about it. Helping her will only harm her, and staying put doesn't know when things will get out of control. My Wrath is simply unbearable."

Are you Wrath?

"Actually, it's just a little."

Rushana blinked incredulously, his fingertips trembling slightly as he pressed them against his chest. "More than Wrath, there's pain—"

"Because you still yearn for the path of Savior, right?"

Novia's voice sounded very faint in Rushana.

In an instant, Rushana murmured.

"You shouldn't say everything out loud; it's easy to become disliked."

"Some secrets need to be vented sometimes..."

Novia's lips curled into a smirk. "Otherwise, I might have had to vent."

"Vent?"

Rushana tilted his head slightly.

It would be hard for her to imagine Novia like that, especially since she was once Gautama's Teacher, a god of high status.

"I was friends with King Rama of the Treta Yuga Ages, and even the entire era. However, I was actually one of the murderers in his abandonment of Sita, but I still got Wrath and punched him a few times."

As if reminiscing, Novia narrowed her eyes. "Knowing full well who the real culprit is, but having no other choice, you can only vent your Wrath on innocent people like yourself. It's foolish, isn't it? Of course, I understand it's because of Asura."

"It's silly, but it's not a joke."

Rushana stroked the strands of hair that were being blown by the wind. "It's just that I couldn't help it. If I hadn't dealt with it, my mood would have worsened, wouldn't it? It's impossible for you to pretend you don't know anything, so even though you're Wrath, it's quite remarkable that you've suppressed it for so long."

These words were spoken to a very serious and very strong person who had waited a very long time, endured many misfortunes, and had to wait for only one chance.

Seeing Rushana like this, Novia paused for longer than usual before slowly speaking.

"The way you're saying it makes it sound like the whole world is my responsibility."

"Of course, after all, everyone in Bharata knows how to sing a verse about the Himalayas."

"After all," said Rushana with such certainty, "the Himalayas are the place closest to the sky. The joyful cries of the poor may sound distant, but even so, they still celebrate the hope in their hearts."

"That's nothing at all."

Novia hardened her expression. "I am not Savior of the people. I merely gave them the sword. They themselves are the fire that reignites them. To me, that is quite important."

Rushana understood perfectly what Novia was saying.

This perfectly captures the man's anxieties; it's exactly like that. After all, he's walking a difficult path, patiently waiting for the right moment to arrive. His profile is just too perfect... or rather, too beautiful.

"I can't understand your thoughts. Perhaps the real Gautama could understand, but with only a few hours of real memories, I have absolutely no experience to comprehend... However, I was very scared when I learned that I am not Buddha."

Unwittingly, Rushana steered the conversation back to the topic.

Perhaps because it was so sudden, she hugged her shoulders.

"But you're right, I'm still pursuing that path, because as a Buddha, I can naturally make everyone gentler, bring light to the world, let the Sun shine gently, so that light fills the land, and then the food everyone makes will taste much better."

"It sounds like the last one is more important."

"I'm so sorry."

Rushana sighed, "But if I persist, I might be killed by Eriri, causing her immense suffering. That would make me the worst person, and I don't want that... Anyway, it's all incomprehensible. Whether I'm just a manufactured thing or not, whatever the meaning of my birth, as for my pursuit of becoming a Buddha, I have absolutely no idea why. It might just be a passing fancy."

Is that really the case?

When Novia asked him a question, Rushana lowered his gaze.

Barefoot on the street, the small goods on the stalls fluttered in the wind, while her gaze remained unfocused.

"If Eriri and everyone else are safe and sound, then I'll be content. Because I think you are much more important than me, who is meaningless, so I think it's okay to give up my pursuits. No matter how you look at it, it's the right thing to do. But I..."

Perhaps it was because the words he was about to say were somewhat cold and dark that Rushana dared not look up and directly confront Novia's question.

"I don't want to be right this way. I want to make a mistake properly, even just once. I don't want to disappear... I'm sorry, I said something very selfish."

This answer made Novia smile, "If you're serious, then I have no reason to stop you. Everyone has selfish moments, but that's also a part of life. Whether the choice is right or wrong, as long as it truly comes from your heart, that's enough."

The unexpected answer made Rushana raise his head.

Is being selfish acceptable?

"Of course, you haven't become a Buddha yet, have you?"

Novia extended her hand to Rushana. "I can be selfish too. Back in India, there were many Rishi and gods who didn't understand what I did. But I thought that even if it was just one step forward, it would be worth it."

Although that road was often difficult and often dark.

The will of Brahman seemed to be advising the former Novia and Gautama, 'You should stay there.'

People come, people go.

Even if it weren't for the war-torn Bharata, it would be a perfectly normal sight.

They died too quickly, 'died' too quickly.

"In that case, I'm under so much pressure..."

That's also a form of selfishness.

Novia smiled and said, "I believe that people are not born to drag shackles, but to spread their wings. Harshness can only frighten people's hearts, and the biting north wind cannot blow away a traveler's coat. When the Sun shines on people, it can gradually warm them up, and they will take off their coats on their own... How about that? As the Lord of the Himalayas, yet wanting to go further and become the Sun, what do you think of such selfishness?"

Is it really possible?

"Certainly."

Their hands clasped firmly together, and Novia continued.

"So, are you ready to go to Erice?"

"Huh?! Together?!"

"Just you."

Novia asserted forcefully, then stood up.

"If I go, I'll get out of control!"

"Do whatever you want."

Upon hearing this, Rushana covered his face with one hand and looked away, for the words implied "selfishness."

"... Um, so, are we going to suffer together?"

That era is over.

Novia turned and glanced at Rushana, "Whether you're good or bad now, you can't survive without fighting."

Rushana thought to himself that he had taken a strange detour.

As a god worshipped by people, he was loved by all, and he brought joy and happiness to all. However, he could not make himself happy. He even followed the example of the Renunciant with Gautama, living like a man in the Forest, enduring the heat and cold, learning to starve, and numbing his body.

However, I guess I'm just like them now—whatever happens, I'm willing to continue down this path.

At least this way I feel comfortable.

Gautama Siddhartha, I don't understand how you felt at that time.

However, I will probably never forget the conversation between myself and my Teacher today, a conversation that 'you' had today.

Therefore, before attaining Buddhahood, I will carry out his will, correct his faults, win all his victories, Protection his reputation and glory.

Novia's will is the direction in which I, 'Rushana', move forward.

Then, in some world, in a normally functioning apartment in Tokyo.