"No way. I've already agreed to your request—how could I take back my words?"
Seeing Yuri's pleading, Aslan shook his head helplessly.
"Didn't you say it yourself? That you'd take their place? You can't just say you don't want to anymore and not replace them, right?"
"I…"
Yuri's eyes brimmed with tears, her mouth opened, wanting to speak, but she didn't dare say it.
She looked at the suffering Kuhoutsuka Family and History Compilation Committee members in the distance, her heart in turmoil.
Seeing Yuri's conflicted expression, Aslan smiled and casually called Lu Yinghua.
"Lu Yinghua, help me investigate her ten clans so she can see them one last time. After all, they're dying because of her."
"Understood."
Lu Yinghua turned to leave, not even glancing at Yuri. This made Yuri hurriedly speak up.
"No, please wait a moment."
"Your Majesty, please forgive my foolishness. I had no intention of taking their place. Please forgive everything I just did."
"The punishment they received is what they deserved."
Yuri knelt on the ground, gritting her teeth, speaking with her eyes closed.
"That's right, isn't it? Just refuse. Other people's affairs—what do you care?"
"Abandon your instinct to help, respect others' fate."
Aslan smiled and clapped, speaking with praise.
"Good. Stand up. Use your Spirit Vision to observe who's slacking. Who knows, maybe I'm in a good mood and won't let your sister become the Disaster Purification Hime-Miko."
Yuri obediently stood. At this moment, her face was expressionless, with only traces of tears remaining.
She was somewhat disheartened, but thinking she might save her sister, Hikari, she regained her spirit.
She continuously used her high-level Spirit Vision as a Hime-Miko, becoming a competent overseer.
After all, she knew well how dangerous undoing a Heretic God's seal was. The last time, she was captured by Marquis Voban to summon a Heretic God.
She nearly died during that ritual.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Under Yuri's supervision, the Kuhoutsuka Family's efficiency skyrocketed again.
A vast amount of materials was transported to Saitenguu's central plaza, where an altar had been prepared. They were ready to summon a Dragon-Snake to meet the seal's release conditions.
Facts proved that sometimes, if not forced, they wouldn't know how far they could go.
Initially, finishing before sunset was considered remarkable, but Aslan truly didn't expect there'd be such experts among them.
For her sister's sake, Yuri switched to a merciless mode. She almost didn't need a whip to urge them on.
After all, it was high-level Spirit Vision that could see the powers of Heretic Gods and God Slayer. Ordinary witches and Hime-Miko couldn't obstruct her at all.
Under Yuri's guidance, a massive pitch-black serpent descended, thanks to the cooperation of Kyoto's Four Great Families.
In Japan, there were many legends about snake gods. The most famous was, of course, Yamata no Orochi, because of its notoriety.
But Yamata no Orochi wasn't something easily summoned. Even if summoned, don't hope to use it as a trigger to undo the seal.
You'd better figure out how to defeat it first. Yamata no Orochi was at least a Main God-level being.
However, other snakes in snake mythology were easier to summon.
"In ancient times, at Mount Tsurugi in Shikoku, villagers who excessively felled trees angered the slumbering giant snake, 'Jigoku Myojin (Hell Myojin Snake).' The giant snake awoke, springs turned to blood, and the land became barren. The villagers sought help from the Mountain God. The Mountain God ordered them to offer a Sacred Sword, holy water, and a five-colored knotted rope as atonement."
"On a full moon night, Jigoku Myojin Snake appeared, gazed at the offerings, and said, 'I turn my body into an abyss, warning you to respect nature.' Afterward, the Snake God swallowed the land, transforming into a winding abyss with sulfurous vapors spewing forth. The villagers built the 'Jigoku Myojin Snake Shrine' beside the abyss and offered annual sacrifices, praying for protection."
"This is the legend of Shikoku's Jigoku Myojin Snake. The one they summoned is this Jigoku Myojin Snake."
In Saitenguu's plaza, a massive black serpent was bound by a net of magical power. It was a freshly summoned Snake God.
Unfortunately, this Snake God was somewhat weak. It was said to have only one small shrine, with no other fame.
Even after being summoned, it barely reached the Divine Beast standard. If killed, it likely wouldn't even yield a Divine Authority.
But summoning it was merely to use it as a sacrifice to awaken the Monkey God.
Aslan stood at the entrance of the main hall, looking at the weak, helpless Snake God bound by magical power, and nodded with satisfaction.
"It seems you've done quite well, especially Mariya-san, who made an outstanding contribution."
"So, I've decided to forgive your transgressions after the purge."
Hearing this, everyone immediately knelt, thanking Aslan for his mercy.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's mercy!!"
The next second, the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains' elders appeared again, killing five out of nine people on the spot.
"Your Majesty? Why!!"
Someone fortunate enough not to be chosen knelt on the ground, asking in fear.
Hadn't they fulfilled Aslan's demands? Why was there still a purge? They were utterly confused.
"Because you made two more mistakes earlier and didn't answer the King's questions accurately."
Lu Yinghua stepped forward, explaining in his childlike voice.
"The first was trying to stall, the second was daring to make Her Highness Athena a sacrifice. It wasn't said there'd be no reckoning later."
"The first mistake cost one, the second cost two, and so on."
Instantly, nearly everyone gritted their teeth, hating the two who dared step forward to answer but offended Aslan.
If not for their stupidity, why would so many have died?
Of course, Lu Yinghua was very understanding. He spared their families, keeping them out of the purge radius.
"Oh, one more thing. Considering Mariya Yuri's contributions, I've decided to exempt Mariya Hikari from being the Disaster Purification Hime-Miko."
"Please find another Hime-Miko with Disaster Purification abilities."
Aslan said with a wicked smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Seishuuin Ena! My Spirit Vision saw a connection between Seishuuin Ena and the God Susanoo! And she also has Disaster Purification abilities!"
As soon as Aslan finished speaking, Yuri immediately spoke up without hesitation.
In a world dominated by God Slayer, having ties to a Heretic God was a grave sin.
Yuri reported without the slightest guilt. After all, better her survival than her friend's. She had even been willing to die for them, but they planned to make her sister perform Disaster Purification?
At that moment, Yuri's sympathy for these higher-ups, especially the History Compilation Committee, dropped to zero.
(If you're not kind, don't blame me for being unjust.)
"Thank you for the information, Mariya-san."
Aslan showed a bright smile. He was still thinking of how to find an excuse to purge the remaining people.
Unexpectedly, Yuri handed him the reason.
In this world, ties to a Heretic God were indeed a grave sin. Especially in a country like Japan, secretly controlled by Susanoo.
If it leaked, being attacked by the entire world would be justified.
After all, it was a betrayal of humanity, a betrayal of the King.
"Then, Mariya-san, please be a guest at the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains for a while."
Aslan extended his hand to Yuri, gesturing for her to stand behind him, receiving his protection.
Yuri ignored the countless gazes from behind that wanted to skin her alive and stood coldly behind Lilliana.
"As for you all, it turns out you've been hiding a Heretic God."
Aslan playfully looked at the trembling crowd kneeling on the ground, then waved to Lu Yinghua.
Lu Yinghua understood his meaning.
Spare no one, except Seishuuin Ena.
He still needed Ena to capture Susanoo.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Inside Saitenguu, Aslan and Luo Hao arrived at a simple shrine.
It was the horse stable, where the shrine kept horses.
Currently, two horses were there, swishing their tails.
Luo Hao stopped here, glancing at the monkey murals on the walls and sneering.
"Hmph, the edge of the barrier is in a place like this, fitting for that monkey's status."
At that moment, Aslan, arriving at the back door, looked at the forest ahead.
"The real shrine is in the back. You can curse him directly when you meet him."
"Alright."
Luo Hao responded, then followed Aslan.
Only Ena remained behind, silently holding the magic-weakening sword and carrying the Kusanagi Sword (Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi).
She was captured without any resistance. The only pity was that Susanoo didn't dare emerge from the Netherworld, even though it meant losing the Kusanagi Sword formed from his Divine Authority.
Soon, the group saw a golden monkey in a horse stable within a palace in the Netherworld.
The monkey was about eighty centimeters tall, quite short. Its body was covered in golden fur with a hint of orange.
It lay leisurely on straw, chewing on foxtail grass, its right leg crossed over its left, swaying boredly.
"Strange. Why would your grandfather want to let you out?"
"And another Godslayer, plus a God? What a weird combination."
The monkey's expression was slightly odd as it looked at Aslan. For some reason, it could sense a familiar aura from Aslan's body.
"But unfortunately, if you came to pick a fight with me, I have no intention of leaving this place."
The monkey sighed, sitting on the straw pile, speaking to Luo Hao, who was eager to fight.
At that moment, Luo Hao looked around. Though it was a fairly luxurious horse stable, for some reason, she felt nauseated and disgusted.
"Truly pathetic. Kept in a horse stable. So short and lowly, yet you don't even have the desire to escape. There's a limit to being a loser!"
"How dare you say that?"
The monkey scratched its head, speaking with a helpless expression.
"I'm just a monkey who forgot his name. Loser or whatever, I don't feel anything."
"Even if you curse me in public, I don't know how mad I should get."
Luo Hao didn't speak, but from the rise and fall of her chest, she seemed extremely angry.
"Calm down. There'll be a chance to teach him a lesson later."
Aslan approached, patted Luo Hao's shoulder, and glared at the monkey with deep hatred.
Truly, it had no shred of honor left.