Izanami, Ruler of the Netherworld!

Netherworld.

As the final resting place for all living beings, the Netherworld has always been shrouded in darkness.

In the dim sky, terrifying flashes of lightning occasionally streaked across the blood-red earth.

The land was barren and desolate.

In the very center of the Netherworld, within an enormous palace.

"Izanami, the Big Thunder has arrived."

A maid dressed in a pristine white gown bowed respectfully toward the throne.

"Yes, bring him in."

A cool, clear female voice came from the throne.

The maid bowed and withdrew from the hall.

A moment later, the burly but missing-arm Big Thunder followed behind the maid and slowly walked into the main hall.

Unlike his previous arrogance in the Shinobi World, Big Thunder was now trembling with fear, constantly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

His steps were unsteady, and his face was frighteningly pale.

"Thump--"

Big Thunder immediately knelt down on the ground, his head bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Izanami!"

Big Thunder's voice trembled slightly.

Izanami, seated on her throne, remained silent, her indifferent eyes fixed on the Big Thunder below.

Big Thunder dared not utter a sound, much less get up; he could only obediently kneel on the ground, awaiting his fate.

A long time.

"I heard you went to the human world?"

Izanami withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and spoke calmly.

"Yes!"

Big Thunder answered with trepidation.

"Defeated by a human?"

Big Thunder's body trembled even more violently.

As one of the Eight Thunder Gods of the Netherworld, his reputation also represents the prestige of the Netherworld.

Yet, in the small Shinobi World, he was forced to retreat by a human!

This is...

You're disgracing the Netherworld!

"Grown ups!"

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Big Thunder quickly offered an explanation.

"I was indeed defeated by humans, but there's a reason for that!"

Izanami fingers lightly on the throne. "Oh? As a god, you were defeated by humans, and you still have the nerve to say there's a reason?"

This statement already carried a strong sense of dissatisfaction.

Big Thunder was startled. "My lord! Although that person is human, he has mastered the Will of the Sword!"

The sound of striking the throne paused slightly. "The Will of the Sword?"

"That's right!"

Big Thunder straightened up, stretching out his broken arm, "That human has mastered the Will of the Sword that even the gods have not mastered!"

Izanami carefully examined his severed arm.

Sure enough, a familiar fluctuation was detected at the break point.

Izanami frowned slightly, a look of shock crossing her face.

This fluctuation...

She knows it very well!

"Explain in detail."

Izanami barely managed to suppress her turbulent emotions as she spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

A sense of relief rose in Big Thunder's heart, as if he had survived a calamity, but he didn't notice Izanami either.

"In the territory I govern, there is a place called the Shinobi World. Everything was normal until one day, many souls that originally belonged to the Netherworld disappeared!"

"I went to investigate and found that the soul had been summoned back to the Shinobi World, and..."

"Rebirth through Reshaping!"

"Following the traces of the soul's dissipation, I found the Shinobi World and demanded that they hand over the soul."

Izanami listened quietly.

Upon hearing about the soul being reborn, his brow furrowed even deeper.

What is the Netherworld?

The place where souls rest after death.

These are the rules, and also the responsibilities of the Netherworld.

Calling back souls that belong to the Netherworld is a taboo matter.

Rebirth through reshaping is a provocation against the rules of the Netherworld!

In this respect, Big Thunder did not do anything wrong.

"But the humans of the Shinobi World wouldn't listen, stubbornly insisting on breaking the taboo and refusing to return the soul."

"Left with no other choice, I had to resort to force to suppress them and forcibly bring back those souls."

Big Thunder's face was filled with deep-seated hatred, and his teeth were grinding together.

"That human appeared, unleashing the Will of the Sword. Though I am a god, it is still, after all, the Will of the Sword..."

Izanami nodded.

Big Thunder is right.

Gods are far more powerful than many living beings, including humans.

But mastering the Will of the Sword is something that far exceeds the realm of humanity.

Even gods!

Very few people can control a certain kind of will.

Even she, the controller of the Netherworld, only managed to grasp the will of death with the help of the Netherworld.

Moreover, Big Thunder is merely one of the Eight Thunder Gods.

Being forced to retreat is normal.

"Left with no other choice, I had to consume the divine blood bestowed upon me by the master, hoping to defeat that human in one fell swoop."

"You consumed divine blood?"

Izanami's face showed a moment of surprise.

Divine blood is the vessel that carries her divine power.

Consuming divine blood can greatly enhance one's divinity, and with good luck, one may even be able to briefly use her will.

But.

The side effects of divine blood are severe; at best, it can cause serious injury and leave one weakened for a century.

Bad luck...

A god fell instantly!

"Yes!"

Big Thunder sighed sadly.

The divine blood did indeed greatly increase his strength, but the side effects were far beyond his tolerance.

Since returning to the Netherworld, he hasn't been able to muster even a trace of divine power.

Izanami looked at his severed arm and sensed the faint, almost imperceptible fluctuations of his divine power, and froze on the spot.

Even with the use of divine blood, the Big Thunder...

Still, they were defeated by that human.

"And then what?"

Izanami calmed herself down and continued asking.

"Later..."

Big Thunder shuddered as he recalled that final blow.

"He also seems to have grasped divinity..."

"That strike could slay gods!"

Izanami's pupils contracted sharply, then returned to normal.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave now and go find the Underworld Healer to treat the Divine Blood's injuries."

Big Thunder knelt down gratefully, and then, led by a maid, slowly left the hall.

Inside the great hall, only Izanami remained on the throne.

With her hand supporting her chin, Izanami's delicate face flashed with complex emotions.

Confusion, bewilderment, and...

Surprise.

"I wonder... are these humans from the Shinobi World the ones you're looking for?"

According to Big Thunder...

"They look very similar."

A voice, seemingly murmuring or talking to itself, slowly echoed through the main hall.