Chapter 329
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 329: At This Moment, the Feast Begins
Hokusinn Kichyō gracefully wielded her sword, the Nine-Syllable Blade shimmering with a divine aura. Unlike Kuya, Hokusinn, as a half-human deity, carried divine energy gifted by the mountain gods.
Half of Kamitsumiwoikirihime’s divine essence had already been returned to Hokusinn Kichyō during the transference of souls, while the other half lingered in this place. The mountain god and the water god—two living deities—seemed bound by an inevitable fate.
Hokusinn Kichyō gently touched her blade.
“Is there anything you wish to explain?”
Kuya shook her head.
“There’s nothing for me to say to you. Even if I asked you to step aside, you wouldn’t agree.”
Hokusinn Kichyō’s lips curved slightly.
“Actually, I don’t dislike you.”
“Then please don’t stop me,” Kuya replied coldly.
“I can’t allow that,” Hokusinn said softly. “Kamitsumiwoikirihime cannot die.”
Kuya’s mask betrayed a mocking expression.
“There is no one who cannot die—not you, not me.”
“True,” Hokusinn agreed. “Everyone can die. That is why I must protect myself.”
Her sword trembled lightly.
“Hokusinn Itto-ryu, a style passed down through generations… Hokusinn Kichyō, ready!”
Kuya stared at her coldly.
“I have no grand titles to announce to you!”
She swung her sword, unleashing a brilliant blue aura. In an instant, the shrine was filled with mesmerizing, clashing currents. Two swords—one white, one blue—danced in deadly harmony, illuminating the sacred space like a divine ballet.
Kokonohana Nori found herself in the Underworld. She spent the day exploring her surroundings, surprised to find her body unaffected.
On the nights of December 15th, she had once been tormented by unbearable pain. Sleepless, the witch’s lullaby haunted her ears. She walked a tightrope of survival, where the slightest misstep meant plummeting into darkness.
But today, the tightrope beneath her feet had transformed into a wide, smooth highway, lined with protective railings. She touched her forehead, feeling golden light radiate from her fingertips. With a simple blessing, the red moon’s influence was banished.
For the first time, Kokonohana Nori understood the sense of safety granted to the witches under divine protection.
Yet, she quickly composed herself. There was no time to dwell on relief; the Underworld’s labyrinth awaited.
The maze, vast and treacherous, had shifted tonight. Dead ends now connected, forming new passages. Kokonohana Nori avoided the Hundred Demons Party and their curious minions, bending low and slipping past unnoticed.
Eventually, she found traces of the sword witch and followed them deeper into the maze.
“Dungeon?”
Kokonohana Nori crouched in the bushes, waiting for a monster to pass. She moved swiftly behind it, twisting its neck and crushing its soul.
Disguising herself with the monster’s blood, she infiltrated the dungeon as a food delivery servant. The halls were sparsely guarded, as many monsters had gone hunting that night.
In the depths of the dungeon, she found prisoners—tourists and villagers alike.
The guard, a stitched-up creature, noticed her approach.
“What’s that? Don’t come closer,” it grumbled, shaking its bloated belly. “Everyone left for the Ghost Feast, leaving me here to starve. Not even a bite of human flesh…”
“So, you haven’t eaten?” Kokonohana Nori asked with a sly smile.
“No! But when the handover comes, I’ll have my fill at Qianshi’s wedding feast!”
“Then open wide,” she said. “I have something special for you.”
The creature eagerly obeyed, only to have a sword thrust through its gaping maw. With a sharp upward motion, the blade pierced its skull.
“If you’re hungry, feast on my sword,” Nori whispered as the demon fell lifeless.
Inside the cages, the captives stirred anxiously.
“Stay calm!” Nori’s voice was firm but reassuring. “If you want to leave alive, follow my instructions. Any noise will alert the demons!”
She removed her disguise, revealing her true form.
“Funeral attendant?”
“Mizuko?”
Nori approached a cage and shattered its lock with her sword. Inside, she found Mizuko unharmed, alongside the unconscious Saki Jingūji.
“Thank goodness you’re safe,” Nori sighed, hugging the bewildered Mizuko. “What happened?”
Mizuko explained how she and Saki Jingūji had become lost in the labyrinth. Jingūji, weakened by the Underworld’s miasma, had absorbed the poison to protect Mizuko, damaging her soul in the process. Trapped and running low on resources, Mizuko had devised a plan to survive, waiting for help.
“I thought I could hold out longer,” Mizuko admitted, pale-faced. “But I misjudged… This place bends time and space.”
Nori nodded solemnly.
“How did you navigate this labyrinth?” Mizuko asked.
Nori hesitated.
“Perhaps… divine protection.”
In truth, the labyrinth had claimed countless lives. Yet, its secrets were unraveled not by gods, but by the perseverance of mortals.
“Funeral attendant, what now?” Mizuko asked.
“We wait,” Nori replied. Timing was crucial. Acting too soon would alert the remaining demons.
A golden light shimmered on Nori’s forehead. The time had come.
Demons approached, but Nori struck first. With a wave of her sleeve, a red crystal shot forth, erupting like a grenade and engulfing her enemies.
She turned to Mizuko, who was nibbling on a stale bun.
“After this, do you want noodles or more of that?”
Mizuko threw the bun aside, drawing her sword.
“For noodles! Let’s do this!”
Sengoku Shrine.
Black Snake Sengoku awaited the wedding procession, reveling in its perceived authority. But as the procession neared, the White Snake’s form dissolved, replaced by a young man bathed in the crimson moonlight.
The Black Snake froze, its body stiffening with fear. Blood sprayed as pain shot through its head.
The young man leapt forward, his voice resounding.
“The stage is set, the lights are ready, the guests have arrived.”
“Demons, spirits, feast! It has begun!”
