Chapter 213: The Three Divine Artifacts

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“What’s going on?”

“A yokai?”

Countless figures soared into the air, pulling up pillars of divine power between the earth and the “daytime.”

“Be careful! Don’t go!” the Hokkaido Shinto Lord came back to his senses and shouted anxiously.

At this time, those who had rushed to the front could no longer hear anything.

The huge pressure directly cracked their heads. A Kasen struggled to raise his palm to block it, barely holding on, but blood gushed from his throat.

In an instant, I don’t know how many people were crushed into meat paste, without even letting out a shrill scream.

“Ah!” After only four or five seconds, the Kasen let out a desperate and sad roar, and exploded with a bang, and the smell of blood filled the air.

The crowd on the ground stared blankly at the terrifying scene in front of them.

Everyone became ice sculptures, looking up at the gentle white light in the sky, so terrified they couldn’t breathe.

At this time, a golden light, a fireball, and a snowflake rushed into the sky and flew into the distance.

The sky was already the territory of the white light. The huge pressure enveloped them. Himegami Izayoi and Rikka felt as if their bones were about to drill out of their bodies, and their whole bodies were about to explode.

Even with their strength, they could only survive in the white light.

Only Kamibayashi Miko, since she had dealt with the Coral Demon Moth, her strength had improved by leaps and bounds due to the feedback of the Divine Medium’s spell.

But even now, she couldn’t catch up with the distant Minamoto Kiyomoto.

A golden line appeared at the edge of her body.

This golden line flowed like water, and also like a line in a painting, outlining her person.

Countless golden butterflies flew out from between Kamibayashi Miko’s black hair.

Outside her kimono, a wide and majestic white divine robe appeared out of thin air, embroidered with the sun, moon, stars, constellations, gorgeous insects, pheasants, tigers, and apes.

A majestic crown, with golden light as the thread and the sun as the pearl, appeared on her head.

With the life force, the pressure on Kamibayashi Miko’s body instantly disappeared. In the endless light, she turned into a sun and flew in the direction Minamoto Kiyomoto had gone.

On the ground, the ten-meter-high ice sculptures quickly melted. Wherever the sun passed, the snow mountains melted as if they had been scraped.

Hokkaido, which was covered in ice and snow, strode towards spring at a speed that the naked eye could not observe.

“Lady Miko!” Shirako’s cry echoed in the melting snow water.

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The mirror light of the Yata no Kagami in Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hand sometimes shone obliquely in the air, sometimes protected him like a shield, and sometimes cut through the sky like a sharp arrow.

The Taiko held the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The invincible sword edge could not even be fixed by the mirror light. It struck the mirror surface, stirring up waves of light.

The Ogosho and the magatama merged into one, sometimes vibrating. The terrifying sound waves were weakened by the mirror light, but still made Minamoto Kiyomoto dazed.

Every time Minamoto Kiyomoto came back to his senses, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was already in front of him, almost touching his neck.

He tried several times to fix the magatama first, but the magatama turned into a white flying needle, which the mirror light could not keep up with.

He wanted to fight the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi with all his strength, but the white flying needle hovered in the air, making a terrifying vibrating sound, distracting him.

Minamoto Kiyomoto had experienced many life-and-death battles, but the number of times added up was not as many as this one tonight.

As long as there was a slight deviation, he would either have his head cut off by the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi or have his forehead pierced by the magatama.

The white light that oppressed the entire Hokkaido was a huge halo formed by the aftershocks of the three’s battle.

‘Find a chance to turn into a demon body!’ Tamahime’s expression was solemn. ‘The Coral Demon Moth has merged with a part of the Divine Medium’s spell. Maybe it can absorb the life force!’

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s heart moved. In this gap that was not even a moment, the sky cloud sword brushed past his neck, cut open his shoulder, and almost took off his left arm.

The scattered sword qi split the vast white snowfield in half, forming two high walls of intertwined snow and air currents.

At the same time, the magatama flying needle silently flew towards the back of his head.

‘Behind!’

Minamoto Kiyomoto made a decisive decision and turned to shine the Yata no Kagami.

Enveloped by the mirror light, the magatama flying needle paused slightly. Just as it was about to break free, Minamoto Kiyomoto released the Yata no Kagami and shouted, “Haste!”

The Yata no Kagami and the magatama trembled at the same time and quickly stuck together.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s right index finger and middle finger slid together. The Yata no Kagami, carrying the magatama, turned into a white light and barely sucked in the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi that was once again close to his neck.

“Hah!”

The Yata no Kagami was like a magnet, firmly sucking the magatama and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and flew towards the night sky.

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was out of his hand. The Taiko was not panicked at all. He held his right hand in the air, and a faint blue divine power qi sword instantly condensed.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was controlling the Yata no Kagami, and his hands were too late. He could only gather his divine power in his eyes and shoot out a scarlet ray.

“Hiss—”

The sword and the gaze collided. The gaze was split in two, like a cutting machine and metal.

With the delay of his gaze, Minamoto Kiyomoto finally had time to raise his head, avoiding the encounter of having his head cut open. Only a blood line was drawn on his forehead.

He took the opportunity to turn around and rush into the snowfield.

At the same time, the Ogosho flew out of the magatama and pounced on him.

“Don’t let him turn into a demon body!”

There was no need for the Taiko to remind him.

Minamoto Kiyomoto fell to the ground. Before he could think, he sensed the divine energy of the snowfield, raised his hand, and met the Ogosho’s right hand.

The two of them shook violently. Black light and lead-colored light exploded, shooting out thousands of pillars of light in all directions.

The huge shockwave blew away all the snowflakes in sight.

Minamoto Kiyomoto remembered what Kamibayashi Miko had said a long time ago. Even if he had the demon body spell, as long as there were two Kasen, they could deal with him.

At this moment, he was one against two. Not to mention turning into a demon body, even if he made a slight mistake in his response, he would be doomed.

He was at a complete disadvantage.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was surprised, but the Taiko and the Ogosho were even more surprised than him.

The three divine artifacts could not be used just by getting them. Although they were not like ordinary divine artifacts and did not require the capacity to exceed the previous owner, they still needed a long time to break in.

The Taiko had been in charge of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi for seventy years, but it was still not seamless.

The Ogosho had obtained the magatama for less than twenty years, and many of the functions in the magatama still could not be used.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s cooperation with the Yata no Kagami was not seamless either, but the degree of break-in was almost the same as the Taiko’s.

This kid had been holding the mirror since he was a child, but it was only twenty years. Where did this kind of telepathy come from?
Compared to the three divine artifacts, the simple exchange of blows without divine artifacts just now shocked the two of them even more.

They were one Taiko and one Ogosho. Their strength was unquestionable, definitely above the Kyushu Shinto Lord.

Minamoto Kiyomoto, relying on his own strength, actually held on against the joint attack of the two of them.

If he was allowed to continue to live, wouldn’t he be able to reach the level of the three divine artifacts with his human body in the future?

Thinking of this, the Taiko and the Ogosho’s killing intent became even more determined, and their attacks became even more ferocious.

The tearing sword light, the fierce and unparalleled palm force, and Minamoto Kiyomoto’s hands collided one after another.

The roar was endless, and the light waves rolled. The vast snowfield was like a pool of aurora.

Under the fierce attack, not to mention turning into a demon body, Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t even use any spell that required a little time.

If it weren’t for his strengthened body, the continuous life force of the Laurel Crown, and the divine energy of the ice field, he would have been either split in two or had his internal organs shattered.

The Taiko had held the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi for seventy years. His swordsmanship could be said to be the best in Japan.

The Ogosho had no anxious emotions and no fear. He was a most sophisticated machine.

Minamoto Kiyomoto barely held on for a while, but he was still no match for them.

“Boom!” After dodging the Taiko’s sword, he met the Ogosho’s palm again.

The dazzling light exploded, deafening. Dozens of circles of light waves spread rapidly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was heavily smashed onto the ice field. Enduring the excruciating pain, he wanted to get up, but his body did not react at all.

His bones were all shattered.

The Taiko and the Ogosho did not give him any chance and attacked at the same time.

At this time, a ray of sunlight shot from the horizon.

“Dong!” “Dong!” “Dong!” “Dong!”

Endless light waves exploded, like a hundred blooming colorful chrysanthemums. The ice field was reflected in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Minamoto Kiyomoto turned his head and saw Kamibayashi Miko, wearing a white divine robe and a golden crown, repelling the Taiko and the Ogosho with a wave of her palm.

She glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto and then pressed towards the two of them.

With the strength of the Taiko and the Ogosho, they had no strength to fight back.

The Laurel Crown emitted a clear light, which flowed through Minamoto Kiyomoto’s whole body, healing his injuries.

He concentrated his thoughts and was about to turn into a Coral Demon Moth when a gust of wind blew, and a bone-chilling cold came.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s whole body stiffened. The boiling coral divine energy was like being doused with cold water and calmed down.

‘This place is not right,’ Tamahime frowned.

Minamoto Kiyomoto also found out. He had been concentrating on dealing with the Taiko and the Ogosho just now and had no energy to pay attention to his surroundings. At this time, he found that whether it was the aftershocks of the three divine artifacts or the exchange of blows between the three of them, they had not left a single scratch on the ice.

‘Akan!’ In his mind, he and Tamahime shouted at the same time.

‘We must leave this place!’

In the sky, the Ogosho flew backwards, his hands melting into a gelatinous state.

He glanced at his daughter, raised his head and let out a long howl. A white light suddenly fell, and the magatama let out a crisp sound.

Kamibayashi Miko’s body trembled. Countless images uncontrollably appeared in her mind: the time before she was four years old, the time she was alone in Hakusan Shrine, the day she met Minamoto Kiyomoto.

The Taiko did not make a move and stood in mid-air.

The Ogosho did not hesitate. The magatama turned into a thin light and flew towards Kamibayashi Miko’s forehead.

“Buzz!” The mirror light shot out, enveloping Kamibayashi Miko.

The Divine Medium in the magnificent robe, in the bright mirror light, was like the noblest goddess.

“You’re crazy!” Minamoto Kiyomoto flew over, hugged Kamibayashi Miko from behind with his left hand, and caught the Yata no Kagami that was falling from the sky with his right hand.

“I’m doing this precisely because I’m sober,” the Ogosho said coldly.

“Haha, well said!” The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi had not yet returned to the Taiko’s hand, but it was already striking Minamoto Kiyomoto’s head.

Minamoto Kiyomoto turned the mirror light and caught the sword almost at his face.

The shockwave hit. He hugged Kamibayashi Miko and crashed into the ice field again.

Before he could adjust his divine power, he felt a strange feeling behind him, as if he was not falling on the ice field, but on a row of nails.

It was the magatama.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s heart sank, but he was not flustered. As long as he protected his head and Kamibayashi Miko, everything else was fine.

But the magatama did not attack him. Instead, it aimed at the ice surface and released a heaven-shattering power.

“Crack!” The ice surface first cracked, and then instantly collapsed into a big hole.

Under the ice surface was not water, but a bottomless and terrifying black abyss. Strands of white mist, like wandering ghosts.

In this instant, Minamoto Kiyomoto and Kamibayashi Miko were covered in white frost.

“Taiko!” he heard the Ogosho’s loud shout.

For the first time in his life, Minamoto Kiyomoto felt a desperate fear.

The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi struck. The Yata no Kagami could block this sword, but at the moment of the collision, he and Kamibayashi Miko would fall into the bottomless abyss and into the mouth of “Akan.”

Could the Yata no Kagami, which had consumed its life force, take the two of them and escape from “Akan”?
Even if they escaped, could they dodge the attacks of the Ogosho and the Taiko?
“Kiyomoto!” With his unparalleled hearing, he heard Himegami Izayoi’s voice.

Without the Yata no Kagami, what would Koyako do?
‘Stop! You’ll die if you do this!’ Tamahime understood his thoughts.

Minamoto Kiyomoto summoned all his divine power, concentrated all his spirit, and at the moment when the Yata no Kagami and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi collided, he pressed the Yata no Kagami against Kamibayashi Miko and pushed her towards the distant point of fire.

“Bang!” He fell into the “water.”

‘Hurry up and turn into a demon body!’ Tamahime was almost roaring.

But it was too late. The ghost-like white mist entangled Minamoto Kiyomoto and his capacity.

The distance between him and the Coral Demon Moth’s capacity was still a step away, but he had become a stuck ant.

He could only watch as the opening in the ice gradually became smaller, and the starry sky gradually became smaller.

There was only cold and ink-like darkness around.

Himegami Izayoi caught Kamibayashi Miko. The Yata no Kagami swept across, and the Taiko flew backwards, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“You are the Lord of Kyoto?!” the Taiko said in surprise.

It was impossible for anyone to instantly master the three divine artifacts. Who else could exert the power of the Yata no Kagami besides the Lord of Kyoto?

Himegami Izayoi’s whole body was radiating with rosy light. The Yata no Kagami was buzzing, and a trace of fire overflowed from the white light, shining towards the ice cave.

“Seamless!” the Taiko said in a deep voice.

Being able to integrate one’s own divine power into the three divine artifacts was proof of completely mastering the divine artifacts.

The Taiko swept his sword horizontally, cutting off the mirror light that was shining on the ice.

“Lord of Kyoto, this ice field is Akan’s body. Not to mention a person, even if an ice block falls in, it will be frozen into nothingness!” the Taiko said loudly.

“Kiyomoto!” Kamibayashi Miko, who had suppressed her thoughts, flew towards the gradually shrinking ice cave.

The magatama buzzed again. Kamibayashi Miko’s whole body trembled and stopped in place.

Himegami Izayoi was speechless. The mirror light continuously hit the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, trying to save Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Behind the two of them, the Hokkaido Miko turned into a snow light and rushed towards the ice cave.

The Ogosho glanced at her and did not care.

The moment the Hokkaido Miko fell into the ice cave, the ice surface closed.

“Once the ice surface closes, they will follow Akan’s blood and flow in Akan’s body…” the Taiko moved the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi away. “That is, if their bodies still exist.”

Himegami Izayoi pursed her lips tightly. The Yata no Kagami pierced through the ice.

The ghost’s white mist wandered, and there was no sign of Minamoto Kiyomoto.

The Yata no Kagami flew to the top of her head and covered her. Just as she was about to jump in, a thin black light overflowed from the Yata no Kagami.

“Take care of the child,” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s weak voice.

“…” Himegami Izayoi suddenly stopped.

She lost her strength and knelt on the ice field, covering her face with her hands.

“Ah—” she let out a speechless wail.

The dark ice cave in front of her slowly and firmly closed.

Kamibayashi Miko finally came back to her senses. She turned around and looked at the Ogosho. Her eyes were very bright because of the tears.

“Ogosho,” the Taiko said, “why don’t we kill the Lord of Kyoto today? I’m old, it doesn’t matter. You’re still young. Don’t let her take revenge on you.”

The Ogosho laughed twice and replied, “Lord Taiko, you’re the one who pushed Minamoto Kiyomoto into the abyss. If she wants to take revenge, she should find you first.”

“Forget it,” the Taiko put away the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, his eyes drooping, and he looked as if he was about to fall asleep again. “This way, Japan has returned to balance. I can also die in peace.”

The two of them didn’t even look at Himegami Izayoi and Kamibayashi Miko, turned into meteors, and disappeared on the horizon.

Kamibayashi Miko, with tears in her eyes, landed beside Himegami Izayoi.

“You open the ice. I’ll go find him,” she said calmly.

The ice field was quickly covered with a layer of snow, as if “Akan” was asking her, where are you going to find him?

“I’ll find him eventually,” Kamibayashi Miko’s voice was empty.

Himegami Izayoi released her hands from her face and stood up.

“You want to commit suicide and go to the Yellow Springs to see him? Why don’t you stay and kill the Taiko and your father with me?” her eyes were red, her gaze was cold, and all her grief had turned into the fire of hatred.

“The Yellow Springs,” Kamibayashi Miko was stunned. “Yes, I can go to the Yellow Springs. Kiyomoto is still alive.”

Her face showed a happy expression. She turned around and was about to fly towards Yomijima Island.

The Yata no Kagami fixed Kamibayashi Miko. Himegami Izayoi hugged her from behind and buried her face in her back.

Kamibayashi Miko raised her head and looked at the snowy night sky. She felt Himegami Izayoi’s warm tears and the coldness of her own tears on her face.

“Kiyomoto…”

The two of them were together, as if a person was standing alone on the boundless snowfield.