Magatsu Blade

Beneath the pitch-black mountain, the two youths walked along the winding road toward the edge of the city. Dim streetlights shone on them, casting long shadows.

"I don't know." Lin Qiye shook his head.

"Then do you know about the Heavenly Gods and the Earthly Gods?"

"I know about that."

Back at the Training Camp, the instructors had specifically explained Japan's mythological system. Broadly speaking, Japan's gods could be divided into two factions: the orthodox gods led by Amaterasu Omikami, who lived in Takama-ga-hara—the Heavenly Gods; and the indigenous gods led by Okuninushi, who lived in the human world—the Earthly Gods.

From the very beginning, the Heavenly Gods living in Takama-ga-hara had wanted to conquer the human world and had repeatedly provoked wars. The two divine factions fought for a long time. In the end, Amaterasu Omikami sent Takemikazuchi down into the human world. He slaughtered his way forward until he reached the foot of the imperial city, conquered the land of Japan, and from then on, the Earthly Gods declined and gradually vanished from the human world.

"After the Earthly Gods were defeated, Okuninushi refused to accept his loss and secretly ordered the other Earthly Gods under his command to forge nine blades imbued with divine power. It was said that these nine blades contained the might of the Earthly Gods and possessed the terrifying power to cleave open Takama-ga-hara and take revenge on the Heavenly Gods."

As Amamiya Haruki spoke, he rubbed the dark-blue hilt at his waist with his palm.

"Before these nine blades could be fully forged, Takemikazuchi conquered the human world. With the Earthly Gods scattered and defeated, the nine divine blades were also lost among humanity, their whereabouts unknown.

"Because they were blades of vengeance forged by the Earthly Gods and possessed extraordinary power,