[Big Annoucement!]
[Hi, everyone!! months since I talked directly here xD, not really the best talker (maybe because I spend all day reading...) anyway! as how prices of everything is going up and everyday life is getting expensive I decided to reduce the price of my sub on P@tr30n.
I don't want to make my readers stop having a good time so this is the least I can do.
To coushion a little the lost of money I added a tier for people that want to support me and have access to the polls for new fanfics and incoming events. Just a 1 buck one xD.
The next event will be a poll to pick one of my fanfic to get 10 extra chapters!
Thanks for your support!]
"Godslayer? Then your judgment is even worse than I thought." The curve of Akuto's lips deepened, carrying a trace of pity.
Ame no Murakumo had clearly failed to see through his true nature, mistaking him for an ordinary Godslayer.
Akuto's lofty attitude completely enraged the proud divine blade.
Looking down on ordinary divine weapons was one thing, but it was a top-tier sacred treasure with the rank of a subordinate god. It stood worlds apart from those mere divine tools that were nothing more than "equipment."
"Roar!"
With an inhuman bellow, Ame no Murakumo gave up trying to break free and instead threw all of its power into one desperate attempt at absorption.
Blinding black light burst from the dark blade. An invisible vortex formed at Akuto's fingertips, frantically trying to draw away his power.
As Susanoo's divine armament, Ame no Murakumo really did possess the trait of theft. It could duplicate cursed power or steal a small amount of strength. Against a Great Knight, or even an ordinary Devil King-class being, that kind of absorption could be fatal.
But this time, it had chosen the wrong opponent.
Even though Akuto had deliberately loosened the seal on his tightly condensed power, it was still far beyond what a mere Ame no Murakumo could ever hope to absorb.
"T-This is impossible! Godslayer... you... what exactly are you?!"
In just a few seconds, Ame no Murakumo's furious roar turned into stunned terror. It felt as though it was not trying to swallow a river, but attempting to devour an entire ocean.
The power of samsara pouring from Akuto's body was vast beyond measure, pure and densely refined, as though it had no limit at all.
Akuto could clearly feel the pull coming through his fingertips. That sensation was... well...
Sorry.
He truly felt nothing at all.
That faintly smiling expression never left his face as he watched Ame no Murakumo struggle in vain.
"Finished absorbing?" Akuto's voice was calm and flat, yet it carried a chill that made the heart tremble.
"If you've eaten your fill, then it's about time you were sent on your way."
Before the words had even fully fallen, the fingers pinching the sword tip exerted just a little pressure.
Crack.
The quiet but perfectly distinct sound rang out like ice beginning to split, suspended over the silent battlefield.
"G-Godslayer... y-you... what are you trying to do?!"
For the first time, Ame no Murakumo's voice carried unmistakable panic and fear. The calm but immovable force traveling through the blade filled it with dread.
"What am I doing? Obviously, I'm seeing whether breaking you will bring your master out."
Akuto smiled faintly and increased the pressure at his fingertips once more.
Craack!
This time, the sound of fracturing was clear and continuous.
Then, with a dull explosion, the divine blade that symbolized Japan's ancient valor, Ame no Murakumo itself, a sacred sword with a long history and overwhelming power, shattered inch by inch between Akuto's fingers like fragile glass.
"Eh?"
"Eh?! Ehhh?! My... Ame no Murakumo...!"
After several seconds of stunned silence, Ena's gaze finally focused on the pile of black fragments lying on the ground, still glinting with an ominous sheen.
Her beautiful face froze for a moment, her pupils widening instantly as she stumbled a step backward.
No...
Ame no Murakumo...
It was just... gone?
Crushed by this unfathomable "King" standing before her, using only two fingers?
A deathly silence filled the air, broken only by the gradually growing sound of the Japanese officials breathing harder and harder.
As heirs of Japan's Four Great Families, they all knew exactly what Susanoo represented.
Akuto crushing Susanoo's weapon could be taken as a declaration of war against Susanoo himself. More than that, it signaled the possibility of a future split within Japan.
And yet, despite all that, their families had already made their choice. No matter what happened, they would stand on Akuto's side.
What a joke. No matter how strong Susanoo was, he was still only one Heretic God.
Akuto's record, meanwhile, was famous even among Godslayers: he had shattered the prophecy of the Starless Night, slain four gods in the span of mere days, effortlessly defeated the Sword King Salvatore Doni and seized his territory, and even forced the Black Prince himself into what people were now calling a "humiliating retreat" before the new king, Akuto.
Yes, thanks to Princess Alice's colorful retelling as an eyewitness, the Black Prince, who had simply wished to avoid clashing with Akuto, ended up saddled with the title of a man who had fled.
But what else could anyone expect? Princess Alice had once been the chairman of the Greenwich Council of Sages. Even the Authorities of the Godslayers were named by her.
Since she had provided video evidence, and the Black Prince was hardly going to step forward and publicly explain that he had not actually run away, that label had more or less been nailed down for good.
In short, Kaoru already knew a great deal about Akuto and had come to a firm conclusion:
No matter what choice had to be made, choose Akuto.
So when she saw him crush Susanoo's weapon, she was only briefly surprised before a look of understanding flashed through her eyes.
Because Akuto ending up hostile to Susanoo was something she had expected from the very beginning.
The upper ranks of the Sayamiya family had already discussed the possible changes Akuto's return would bring. "Akuto will clash with Susanoo, or even become his direct enemy" had been one of the scenarios under consideration from the start.
...
Akuto raised a hand toward the shattered remains of Ame no Murakumo. As if called by something, the fragments flew straight toward his chest.
Vmm.
After a strange ripple passed through the air, the Authority of Ame no Murakumo was completely devoured by Akuto.
For now, taking Ame no Murakumo's Authority came first. As for usurping its existence within mythology itself... that could wait until later.
Whenever Akuto carried out "myth usurpation," he usually activated Genesis Burst first, making sure the aftershocks of his battle with the true body of a god would not spill out into the outside world. He had encountered no obstacles while consecutively taking the myths of three gods before this.
But since Ame no Murakumo's myth overlapped so heavily with Susanoo's, Akuto decided it would be better to wait until after Susanoo's battle with Indra before dealing with both of them together, just to avoid letting Susanoo notice anything as troublesome as myth usurpation.
He slowly withdrew his hand and brushed a bit of dust from his collar, as though everything that had just happened had been no more significant than casually swatting an irritating fly.
At the same time he crushed and absorbed Ame no Murakumo, Akuto heard the system notification ring out.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, for completing a goal from your previous life: crushing and seizing Ame no Murakumo.]
[Congratulations. Reward obtained: Ame no Murakumo - Revised (Authority Form).]
[Ding!]
[Due to the effect of Ring of Usurpation - End, the quality of Ame no Murakumo - Revised has automatically been upgraded to Red rank.]
[Ame no Murakumo - Revised: All attributes of Ame no Murakumo have been raised to Red rank. In addition, because the Host absorbed the Authority of Goddess Athena, the Black Sword, formed through the fusion of divine Authority and witchcraft, has now reached "half-awakened" status.]
Black Sword: Also known as the Sword of Beginning and End, and the Rite of Heaven and Earth's Creation.
It is a power created from the combination of the spirit granted to a Godslayer through the great rite of Athena and Circe, bypassing Pandora. Although it is not an Authority, it is extremely close to one.
Because the Goddess Sword granted by Athena can only be wielded by a goddess, a male Godslayer must instead fuse it through Ame no Murakumo and then activate it using the Secret Record of Dawn granted by Circe. Before obtaining the Secret Record of Dawn, it can still be activated with the help of a shrine maiden.
By combining Athena's Earth Mother goddess power with secret arts, and after a certain amount of preparation, it creates a dark celestial body roughly fifty to sixty meters in diameter. This forms a gravitational storm that draws everything into its center and erases it.
Originally, this was a secret art of the Earth Mother goddess left behind by Athena. With the aid of the Witch of Dawn, Circe, Godou Kusanagi was eventually able to control that power. The final guiding force, however, was Ame no Murakumo.
...
After the system's integration, the Authority that originally required the cooperation of the Dawn Goddess Circe can now be activated directly, without either the Secret Record of Dawn or the help of a shrine maiden.
However, the channels of activation through the Secret Record of Dawn and shrine maidens have still been preserved. If the Secret Record of Dawn and the cooperation of a shrine maiden are obtained, the power of the Black Sword will be further enhanced.
Note: Any "shrine maiden" possessing Earth Mother goddess traits, magical guidance traits, or sun god traits can amplify the Black Sword's power. Here, "shrine maiden" is merely a general term. In truth, the role played by the Dawn Goddess Circe within Black Sword is that of a magical guide shrine maiden. In other words, goddesses are also a kind of shrine maiden. Because a goddess possesses far higher divinity, the effect she produces far surpasses that of an ordinary shrine maiden.
...
"The Black Sword, huh..."
Akuto was very pleased with this newly fused Authority.
At its core, the Black Sword was a legacy Athena had left behind for Godou before she was absorbed by the Grail, a fusion of divine power and a Godslayer's cursed energy. It was an entirely new product born from the union of Athena's wisdom Authority, the power of the Earth Mother goddess, and a Godslayer's steel Authority.
Even in the original story, Godou Kusanagi had managed to activate the Black Sword with the assistance of shrine maidens, even without the help of the Dawn Goddess Circe.
As for Circe, after she was defeated by the Black Sword, she acknowledged Godou and gave him the Secret Record of Dawn, allowing him to control and activate the Black Sword more effectively.
Once he had the Secret Record of Dawn, not only did the Black Sword become even stronger, it also escaped the awkward limitation of needing shrine maiden assistance.
So, strictly speaking, all the Black Sword really required to awaken was Athena's divine power infusion and ritual bestowal. Circe had never actually been essential from the start.
That said, Akuto still felt there was every reason to go looking for Circe.
On one hand, he intended to meet the goddess head-on and prove that he had fulfilled the promise he made to her while traveling the world.
On the other hand, according to the system's description, because the Secret Record of Dawn was the original matching key, obtaining it would further increase the Black Sword's power.
In the original story, the Black Sword could already be considered one of Godou's strongest Authorities. If this enhanced version of the Black Sword could be strengthened even further, then Akuto was definitely interested in collecting and improving it.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]