The monkey divine monarch who had been turned into a stone monkey,
was still imprisoned in the stable.
His body above the knee had returned to flesh, though below the knee was
still stone.
The walls of the stable reflected the sky on earth, and gradually it became
night.
The snake deity Leviathan that had originally hovered in the air had
crashed. Since the sacrifice required for his awakening ritual had
disappeared, the monkey divine monarch's revival was halted mid-way.
-- However.
"Since it has progressed to this point, perhaps that particular method might
work?"
Looking at the stone covering his legs, the divine monarch muttered to
himself.
Though the legs could not move, everything else were freed, so it may very
well work.
"If it doesn't work then I'd just go back to things as before, no harm in
trying. The Immortal tours the North Sea in the morning and returns to
[1]Cangwu at dusk -- hey!"
No explanation required. He was using his divine power to make his body
float.
[2]He rapidly formed mudra hand gestures in the air.
In the next instant, the monkey who held the position of Keeper of the
Horses was standing on a cloud, hovering in the air.
"Dragon-slaying treasured blade, open the way for me!"
He was giving order to Zanryuutou which was lying on the floor.
As he commanded the treasured blade infused with the miko's power of
disaster purification, it became a curse lifting sword. Though only for an
instant, the barrier of the [Keeper of the Horses] was broken.
Using that instant, the monkey divine monarch rode the cloud and charged
out of the walls of the stable.
--Success! Breaking through the barrier and flying through the corridor on
his cloud, he instantly leapt onto the surface of the ground.
Driving the flying cloud, the monkey divine monarch surveyed the ground
from the air.
It was the slightly familiar scenery of Nikkou mountain.
He was now liberated, but his legs below the knee were still made of stone,
so it cannot be called a full revival. At this time the divine monarch began
to sniff in order to locate that miko.
-- Found her!
The cloud flew to the foot of Nikkou mountain, reaching the visiting path
leading up to Toushouguu.
There were two miko and a woman with brilliant blonde hair, but his target
was only the little miko.
"See, I found you! Hahaha, you cannot escape!"
"--Monkey Divine Monarch-sama!? Why have you come to the surface!?"
"Hmm? So this monkey is the warlord of [Steel]...!?"
The older miko and the girl with the shiny hair were greatly surprised.
"D-Divine Monarch-sama!?" The targeted little miko opened her cute little
cherry mouth in surprise.
"Oh, this body would suit me perfectly. I'm sorry but I will be borrowing your
body for a while. Come! The thunder rolls under the sky, free from
insincerity. Great progress and success, advantage in faithfulness!"
Using divine power simultaneously with the mantra, the monkey divine
monarch began to transform.
Unlimited transformation skills were synonymous with his name, though
currently they had yet to be fully restored, he could still use a portion of
them.
Turning himself into a tiny golden sphere, he slipped into the little miko's
mouth. The invaded body now belonged to him, and the divine monarch
instantly gained control of the body and the mind.
The miko's body was now the possession of the divine monarch. Hikari
suddenly opened her eyes wide.
"Red eyes and golden pupils...!?"
"T-This is the fiery-eyes golden-gaze -- ! Does that mean Hikari's body has
been... by Divine Monarch-sama -- !?"
As the women's gazes were drawn, it looked like the holy eyes have
manifested.
Next it would be best to go find a mirror. Though he was just a monkey, he
cared a lot about his looks.
Yes. I am a monkey, but not the monkey divine monarch. Now that I have
possessed the miko of disaster purification, I can use her spirit powers,
and the remaining binding spell can be neutralized by her spirit power --
"OK, next it's time to get busy. I shall bring disaster upon the earth, and
have some real fun! Hahaha, goodbye, see you later!"
Using the miko's voice to warn everyone, he made a backflip in the air with
her body.
Once again riding a cloud flying through the sky, he still had not decided
on his destination. Might as well greet the god-slayers first. He had finally
retrieved his power as a god.
"Ah! ...This time it's Master's loss."
The one speaking with mocking tones was the delicate-looking youth.
Could he be Luo Hao's direct disciple, the young master of some family...
Lu Yinghua? Together with him, Erica and Liliana had come over. Seeing
everyone safe and sound, Godou finally felt relieved.
His heart suddenly felt a kind of cramp-like pain. This was the side effect of
using the [Raptor]. Very soon, his body will become immobilized.
Time was up. Godou clearly had no more strength for battle and no more
time, but why was it his victory?
"Y-You can also say I've lost, look how wounded I am all over."
Enduring the pain, Godou questioned.
Why was the youth favoring the enemy rather than his own master? How
unbelievable.
"Oh, looks like you didn't notice... Master has fainted."
Prompted by these words, Godou looked at the beauty once again.
Maintaining her kneeling posture, completely motionless.
"Kusanagi-san's last move, looks like it was very effective."
Lu Yinghua shrugged. The last move? What happened?
"Making use of the variation of speed, performing a feint with a slow move,
[3]
and then suddenly striking hard at the Jiuweixue pressure point, plus you
used some kind of authority right? It was probably due to that strong
attack, whatever, after all it's just temporary unconsciousness... Though
there were no heavy injuries, she is definitely down for the count."
Godou was very surprised, for he could not recall what he had done.
"Even if she didn't faint, Master should admit her failure. With her incredible
pride, though you are both Campiones, to be struck by an upstart kid in the
Jiuweixue pressure point which is just as critical as the energy center and
the Tanzhongxue, that's far too shameful."
"Y-You're exaggerating, actually I can't even budge. It hurts!"
The pain was increasing, and Godou's body began to stiffen. His
endurance reaching its limits, Godou tried to gesture at the unoccupied
girls with his eyes. I leave the rest to you girls, please!
"That's right... Godou did strike her in a critical spot, but him being heavily
injured is also fact. According to the result, in the end it should be..."
Erica pondered, while Liliana spoke with a displeased expression:
"A draw? Yes, that description may be more apt..."
"Yes, that's settled then. It's almost time to wake her up -- Master! Please
come to your senses, Master! Are you ok!?"
"Even though she only fainted lightly, would it not be better to do some
healing?"
Lu Yinghua shrugged in response to Liliana's suggestion.
"True, but whenever someone tries to touch her while she is sleeping or
unconscious, Master's body will automatically attack... Twisting people's
necks off as she sleeps with extreme ease, it's best to be careful."
This statement made Godou shudder in fear.
In other words, if he were to let victory overcome his senses, and tried to
use the opportunity to give the unconscious Cult Leader Luo Hao a
finishing blow, he could very well have died. Though obviously he never
had such intentions, it once again highlighted their vast difference in level.
"Mmmmm... Mmmmmm..." The lovely girl who terrified Godou finally
responded to her disciple's calls.
And then she suddenly opened her eyes. Raising her upper torso, she
began to cough in an adorable manner.
"This... This place is? What on earth -- ?"
"Master, your disciple Lu Yinghua has been diligently observing the
valorous battle between the two great warriors. Kusanagi Godou has
exhausted all his strength and cannot move a single step while Master
fainted. In other words, there is no victor here, and it's a draw, how's that
--"
With a perfectly respectful tone, Lu Yinghua reported the outcome to his
master.
Luo Hao was silent for a while, but very soon recalled what transpired.
She stared at her disciple, stared at Godou, and along the way stared at
the two knights at the back as well, and then her pale and beautiful facial
features went red, and she bowed her head.
"My young eagle, your description is very appropriate! Everyone, will you
please be dismissed!"
Continuing to keep her head low, she spoke.
Immediately after this, everyone at the scene heard the cheerful voice of a
young girl.
"Oh my, two Campiones, what happened to you two? How did you both get
so beaten up? Hahaha, I see, you guys were fighting again oh, what
vigorous and impulsive young blood!"
Though it was Mariya Hikari's voice, it felt like a completely different entity
was speaking.
Looking into the sky, Godou was very surprised.
Hikari was riding a little golden cloud hovering in the night sky.
Looking down from the air, her eyes were very strange. The eyeballs were
red as if bloodshot from smoke irritation, but the pupils were gold in color.
This was called fiery-eyes golden-gaze, which Godou only found out later.
The [Raptor]'s side effects made his heart hurt badly, and his body could
not move. However, he felt very excited, as if meeting a longtime rival, it
made his body overflow with fighting spirit.
Beside him, Luo Hao had recovered mobility and had forgotten the fatigue
of battle.
--Mariya Hikari had become a god, a [Heretic God].
A mask appeared on the young little miko's face, a white one with a
monkey's face with red around the eyes. Godou once saw it in Beijing
opera photos.
This was the painted face used when playing the role of the [Handsome
Monkey King].
Godou knew his name, but couldn't say it out due to pain.
"Finally awakened, Handsome Monkey King?"
Luo Hao raised her head and asked with determination in Godou's stead.
"Exactly, exactly, god-slayer who shares my homeland!"
The [Heretic God] used Hikari's voice to reply and then pointed at the
heavens.
"I am not the monkey divine monarch. I am the sky, the existence equaling
heaven --"
That solemn presence belonged to neither the cheerful and lively miko, nor
the humorous monkey.
"I am the monkey king born from stone, with infinite divine powers,
unlimited transformations, stealing elixirs from heavenly palaces,
alcohol-loving, peach-stealing, playing with martial arts, acting with ferocity,
exposing evil!"
In Hikari's hand appeared a steel staff.
"My surname is Sun, with given name Wukong. I crowned myself, the
Great Sage Equaling Heaven!"
[4]
Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong.This was the name of the powerful god who wielded the Ruyi Jingu
[5]
Bang.At the same time, in the surroundings of Nikkou mountain --
The people who had collapsed on the ground due to their life force
absorbed by the snake deity Leviathan.
They started to transform. Whether male or female, old or young, with their
different faces and all sorts of origins, their appearances changed and they
became active again.
Not as humans, but in the form of monkeys.
Currently in the vicinity of Nikkou Toushouguu, a huge number of monkeys
had appeared.
Furthermore, at the same time in Narita airport --
A woman from America walked by herself out of the arrivals area, and was
searching for the station for the express train she was going to take. As
she thought to herself, it had really been a long while since she last went
travelling overseas.
The past few years had been very busy, fighting sorcerers, monsters and
demons incessantly.
To her, this trip was a valuable opportunity to forget her previous failure.
Yes. That kind of guy should just be forgotten. That kind of man was not
her type in the first place. She must have made a mistake somewhere.
She must choose her partner more carefully in the future. The next one
must be more relentless, handsome, well-mannered, and stylish in order to
be her partner. All sorts of people live in this world, to think that there
existed women who would choose that kind of man as her lifelong
partner...
'Annie, the green bird of fortune will not visit those who deceive
themselves, oh?'
'In other words, sour grapes.'
Those dear old men would probably give comments like these if they were
here, thought the American lady to herself.
Her name was Annie Charlton, also called John Pluto Smith, the devil king
praised as a living legend in Los Angeles.