Book Eater

Chapter 361: Seimei’s Legacy (2)

Wuuong!

Theo didn’t even have the chance to avoid it, despite having transcended. The three artifacts were the true nature of the light. If they contained any hostility, his super sensitivity might have caught it; however, there were no such feelings at all. After a moment, Theo realized that the three artifacts were assimilating with his body, and he could use all three powers naturally without any sense of incongruity or rejection.

... Amazing. They truly are treasures worthy of being called divine artifacts.

There was an unbelievably dense amount of power flowing through his body. He could now fully handle a dragon heart, but the power of the three artifacts went beyond that. If possible, he wanted to try using it right now. Theo was looking down at his palms when there was a sudden sign of an attack.

“You thief―!” Kamiizumi, the young swordsman, couldn’t suppress his arrogance despite being reproached by his grandfather.

Magoshiro was a genius who became a swordmaster at the age of thirty and whose grandfather was called the greatest samurai. Who would’ve taught him to be humble? Nobutsuna sometimes told him to control his temper, but Magoshiro had a thick head and only listened with one ear.

How dare this outsider?! The Heavenly Sword is my fortune!

Despite not having the courage to challenge the Heaven and Earth test, it didn’t stop Magoshiro from considering the Heavenly Sword as his birthright. While everyone else was baffled by the artifacts suddenly diving into Theo’s body, Magoshiro raised his sword and stepped forward. Nobutsuna belatedly tried to stop him, but Nobutsuna couldn’t move faster than another master.

Kiiing-?

Magoshiro’s sword emerged from its sheath in one smooth motion.

Hoh, it is faster than I thought?

Theo analyzed Magoshiro’s drawing technique. The technique of acceleration by using the opposing force of the sheath and blade was quite interesting. It was a difficult technique to use unless the blade was a dao, but Randolph could probably use it far more flexibly.

No, can I imitate this acceleration with the magnetic field?

Theo only had time for that much as the tip of Magoshiro’s sword arrived at his neck. Theo had to move quickly.

Pajijik.?

He turned into lightning and raised two fingers on his right hand to form a blade. The power of the Heavenly Sword formed sword energy around his finger as he slashed downward.

“Heok!”

Sword saint Kamiizumi Nobutsuna saw it one step too late and moved. At this moment, lightning broke the whole world into two.

“Kuook! M-My arm...!”

Magoshiro’s right arm flew into the air, spraying blood. The aura blade of the god-sword, which could slice apart the clouds, had slashed cleanly through the swordmaster’s arm.

Theo felt amazed, but he kept his face carefully neutral. “You can see that I wasn’t too excessive on that boy.”

“... Of course.”

Magoshiro collapsed. The only reason his injury wasn’t more severe was because Nobutsuna had used his sword to block the attack. Otherwise, Theo would’ve taken Magoshiro’s life.

However, could this prideful grandchild overcome reality and the sense of loss? Nobutsuna sighed as he thought about the difficult future. He picked up Magoshiro and took a few steps back, expressing his intention to not intervene in this situation.

“There is no need for things to be difficult.” Theo said.

It was an irreversible situation. Theo thought it was a bit too much to come here and leave with only the divine artifacts. He still needed their help to overcome this disadvantageous situation.

“It may be hard to believe, but I came here because Abe no Seimei told me to. It is why I could pass the Heaven, Earth, and Human Test right away and also why the divine artifacts recognize me as their master.”

“...”

“...”

The Japanese quartet looked at Theo with disbelieving eyes. They didn’t have the courage to antagonize Theo, who had used their founder’s name. Besides, there was still some circumstantial evidence. Theo could see what they were thinking, but at that moment…

“Hmm?”

Something wriggled inside his body. Theo concentrated on the uncomfortable sensation. Suddenly, it burst out of his body like an exploding popcorn kernel and a flash of light.

“Oh! It is as good as I remembered. Is my soul treated as part of the subject?”

The same Seimei materialized in front of all of them.

“... Seimei. Did you use the Eight Jade Magatamas?” Theo immediately grasped the situation.

Seimei nodded in admiration. “Quite perceptive of you. That is correct. I can’t use my strength properly, but this is the immediate effect. Isn’t that right?”

The last question wasn’t toward Theo but to the other four, who looked like they had seen a ghost. Abe no Seimei was a living legend; his portraits were still hung in many places, and there were hundreds of adaptations of his biography in literary works. He might be over one thousand years old, but everyone in Japan knew his face.

"I-I greet Founder Seimei!” Suzuka was the quickest on the uptake and fell to her knees, with Nobutsuna and Toman quickly following. It was a bow that even the Japanese monarchy didn’t receive.

However, Seimei just nodded lightly and gestured for them to rise. “That greeting was enough. Child, I have a long story to tell you. Can you provide me with a space?”

“Of course, Founder! We will do our best!”

“Yes, thank you. And... the descendants of Kamiizumi?”

“Yes, Founder,” Nobutsuna replied respectfully.

Seimei pointed to Magoshiro. “I will pay my respects to all your hard work so far. But that child doesn’t have a good spirit.”

Nobutsuna blushed and bowed. “I am sorry.”

Seimei grunted, “He must’ve been born with that temperament. I will reattach the severed arm as soon as he grows up.”

“Yes! I will teach him strictly.”

“I believe you.”

Seimei finally turned to the waiting Theo. The humiliation of handing over the three divine artifacts to him was already forgotten. Seimei ignored the shocked and delighted Japanese masters as he pointed.

“Now, let’s separate. We have become two bodies, so can’t we move more efficiently?”

“To where?”

“The mountain nearby.”

It was the great mountain where Seimei had sealed the yokais in the past. As he stood in front of Japan’s most dangerous building, Theo accepted the proposal with a calm expression.

***

Kuoong― Kuoong―?

Birds cried out sullenly as they flew away from the dreary and twisted mountain. The bird’s reddish eyes, black feathers, and distorted body were proof that it had been bitten by a yokai. Decaying leaves crunched under his feet as Theo pondered as he walked to the mountain. The Oe Mountain that Seimei had led him to truly had a different ecology. The flora and fauna were well beyond normal standards. Ordinary humans wouldn’t be able to survive for more than a few minutes after entering this mountain.

“... At the very least, their instincts will be left behind. But for how much longer?”

Normal creatures knew instinctively not to approach Theo and didn’t dare do so. It was proof that their bestial instinct was suppressing the urge to attack and kill the living, but there were limits to self-control. Once their urges surpassed their instincts, the creatures would pounce on Theo.

I want to face the big ones before that.

It wasn’t scary. It was just annoying. If the number of creatures reached the thousands or tens of thousands, he would eventually become fatigued. He didn’t want to waste unnecessary energy in a situation like this. The flora and fauna of the mountain had been influenced by the yokai for centuries. Once they emerged, he would need to sweep away all the worms or weeds without leaving a single one behind.

At that moment, Goetia’s voice filled the quiet mountain air,

[Master, there is one life form approaching Master. No, two, three, four... They are continuing to increase. There are at least ten.]

“This seems to be the right place.”

Theo’s super sensitivity shivered sharply. It was proof that whoever was approaching him could seriously threaten Theo. The monsters from the old days were coming. His detection ability was halved in Oe Mountain, so Goetia had to pick up the slack. Therefore…

—Tuhwak!

Theo moved quickly as something sprang at him from behind a boulder. It had teeth strong enough to chew steel armor and crush rocks, and its speed was comparable or even faster than an aura blade.

Chaaeng!

However, it wasn’t strong enough. Theo reflexively punched out, and the monster was thrown back. Some of its prized teeth shattered, filling the air with shards. Even so, it wasn’t enough to take the monster’s life.

Hmm, more than one or two in the area. Are they small fries?

They were on the same level as the creatures he had seen in the swamp. It would be difficult for a master to cope if their numbers reached the double digits. The creatures abandoned their injured colleague and came rushing in.

“Hrmm.”

Theo changed his mind about the power of Magoshiro’s aura blade and his right arm. He wanted to apply some of the original strength of the Heavenly Sword. He could mix lightning with his brain in lightning form, but what would happen if he tried to do something similar with the Heavenly Sword. He unconsciously reached for his Sorcery.

Synergy-Harmonize.

Soul Caliber on his right arm was combined with the Heavenly Sword.

Fusion Complete: Beheading Heavenly Sword.

Theo swung his right arm horizontally. He didn’t care about distance and just emitted power. A green flash filled the mountainside, but there were no visible changes. The monsters were still rushing forward, and the atmosphere still looked chaotic.

The leaves cut in two slowly fell to the ground as the monsters’ momentum carried them past Theo. Without exception, all of them had been bisected. Some were cut at the waist, some from the throat, and some from the chest. The sword that cut the soul ignored any regenerative power, killing any flora and fauna that had become yokai.

“I don’t speak with small fries,” Theo’s harsh words filled the Oe Mountain. “The leader of this mountain should come out.”

Theo had come to a forbidden zone, which had been sealed for a thousand years, and spoke haughtily while spilling blood. A one-eyed giant holding a club growled at the provocation. The whole mountain bristled with tension, on the verge of starting a battle.

“... Kuh.”

Someone’s laughter broke the silence.

“Kuhahahahahat!”

A purple skinned giant appeared with a loud laugh and a monstrous presence. The giant had a metal clasp on his leather clothes and walked casually up to Theo. This giant was much stronger than Nobutsuna.

Theo looked up confidently and asked, “You are the leader?”

The giant laughed and nodded. “Kuhuhu, you are a funny guy. That’s right! The name of this elder is Shuten-doji, leader of Oe Mountain.”