Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 403

If it was a long campaign, it was a long campaign.

This place was a field to rival the sea rather than land.

On top of that, whirlpools and all sorts of summoned forms crowded the area—and in such a place, hundreds of soldiers were charging a god with weapons in hand.

— You’re doing something worthless!

Susanoo swung Ame-no-Habakiri like a conductor’s baton.

Then the seawater arrows and Water Dragon Slashes surged at the phantom soldiers, trying to swallow them whole.

At that moment, Su-ho used a skill.

[ Blood Armory is activated. ]

The skill he used was Blood Armory.

The phantom soldiers already held Su-ho’s blood-forged weapons.

Even so, he used Blood Armory again to transform those weapons.

When Su-ho cast Blood Armory additionally, every kind of blood-forged weapon turned into a massive shield.

Kwagwagwagwagwa!!

The shields were Blood Shields large enough to cover their bodies.

Moreover, since the hardness of the blood-forged weapons was set based on Su-ho’s mana, they withstood Susanoo’s summoned attacks without breaking.

— What!

When hundreds of soldiers all raised shields and blocked his attacks, Susanoo was momentarily taken aback.

He hadn’t considered this development at all.

Therefore, it was a success.

All Su-ho needed was that one moment of carelessness.

Su-ho closed the distance to Susanoo in an instant and immediately used the next skills.

[ Memorize is activated. ]

[ Activating a skill stored in Memorize. ]

[ Weakening is activated. ]

To strike efficiently, Weakening was essential. Only then could he cram in maximum damage.

Susanoo reacted like lightning.

[ Sea God Susanoo-no-Mikoto uses Sea God Slash. ]

Fwoooosh!

When the enraged Susanoo invoked Sea God Slash, Su-ho’s figure right in front of him was blasted far back.

Even with Weakening applied, the damage was tremendous, as if he’d been hit by a dump truck—his whole body felt like it would shatter.

Just then—

“I knew you’d do that.”

— What?!

The voice came from below.

Turning his head toward the direction of the voice, there was Su-ho, waiting with a hand on the sword at his hip.

— How—?!

“Like this!”

[ Heart Slash is activated. ]

[ Enhancement is applied. ]

[ The power of Heart Slash intensifies. ]

Su-ho leapt at once and unleashed his blade.

Kwadadadadak!

The strike landed clean.

He had just used Sea God Slash, so he couldn’t use it again, and all the other skills were already active.

Thus, his only remaining defense was to swing Ame-no-Habakiri—but in his panic, he failed to swing it.

No— even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Su-ho’s Heart Slash would have lopped that off along with everything else.

— You damned wretch!!

It was a good plan.

Su-ho had accounted, on the spot, for Sea God Slash pushing targets away; he cast Weakening from range, then used phantom soldiers up front as a feint.

Su-ho immediately swung his sword once more.

[ Steel Severance is activated. ]

Kwagagagagagagak!!

The transparent barrier, the water summons that had been protecting him—all of it vanished.

Every kind of buff was layered on Su-ho, and Weakening was still active.

On top of that, with Heart Slash having connected, this Steel Severance was timed perfectly.

Fwooooosh!!

Light burst from Susanoo as he was cut down again and again.

That light seemed to swallow the surroundings for a moment like a flashbang, and at last Su-ho saw the notification he wanted.

[ You have defeated Sea God Susanoo-no-Mikoto. ]

[ Your level has increased. ]

[ All stats have increased by 1. ]

[ You have gained 1 bonus stat. ]

The level-up alert was a bonus.

As soon as the notice that Susanoo had fallen popped up, the roiling water summons all tumbled down at once.

Along with that, like water draining from a sewer, the sea-like waters that had filled the area quickly receded to the bottom.

However, Susanoo was still there all the same.

Of course, with the water pillar gone he had come down, but his presence remained, just like in the previous Gate.

“Phew.”

A stale breath slipped out.

He had just fought a fierce battle—of course it would.

Su-ho stepped up to the lingering remnant of Susanoo that hadn’t disappeared this time, either.

— ....

Susanoo looked at Su-ho with a blank face.

Su-ho likewise stared at Susanoo in silence.

Had he nothing to say?

Then that’s fine by me.

If Tsukuyomi was right, Susanoo would make him an Apostle offer.

Yet seeing him keep his mouth shut when the moment came—Su-ho found that even better.

If there was no offer in the first place, there would be no breaking his promise with Tsukuyomi.

Thinking so, Su-ho shifted his gaze toward the Rock Cave of Heaven, Amano-Iwato.

Right then—

— What is your name?

Susanoo suddenly spoke to him.

At his voice, Su-ho, who had turned his back, quietly furrowed his brow.

‘Ah, of course.’

He had almost thought it would pass quietly.

Come on—Tsukuyomi wasn’t just any god; he was of the Three Noble Children. As if he’d have made such a mistake.

Still, it didn’t matter.

He just had to refuse clearly.

Turning back, Su-ho met Susanoo’s eyes and said,

“Why ask my name?”

— I have a proposal for you.

“What proposal?”

— How about becoming my Apostle?

At that moment—

[ ■■ sighs. ]

[ ■■■■ squeezes their eyes shut. ]

[ ■■ bursts out laughing. ]

The Transcendents’ reactions poured down at once.

Oh, come on.

Tsukuyomi told me to relax, and they’re at it again.

Su-ho considered disabling the system notifications again—but decided to let it ride for the moment.

Ignoring the alerts, Su-ho said to Susanoo,

“Why would I?”

— Because I can give you what you want.

“What do I want?”

— With you people, it’s obvious. Money, women, power...... But above all, the most important is the strength that encompasses them all, isn’t it?

Not wrong.

With “strength” as he said, everything Susanoo listed would follow naturally.

But that statement was half right and half wrong.

What Su-ho wanted was only pure strength.

“I don’t care about the first three. If it’s strength, I’m interested.”

[ ■■’s eyes widen. ]

[ ■■■■ doubts their own ears. ]

[ ■■ holds their breath. ]

“But you—who’ve lost to me twice—say you’ll give me strength? Isn’t that a bit contradictory?”

[ ■■ laughs. ]

[ ■■■■ laughs and nods. ]

[ ■■ sighs again. ]

So noisy.

Do they have to react to every single line?

Su-ho finally turned the notifications off.

[ Disabling system notifications. ]

Silence.

Much better.

Only then did Su-ho refocus on Susanoo.

Hearing Su-ho’s words, Susanoo gave a sardonic grin.

— From your point of view, I suppose it could feel that way. But a Player of your caliber should know, shouldn’t you? That what you faced wasn’t my whole self.

“Of course. You’re under system restrictions, so you can only show strength within the difficulty the system sets. If this really were all of your power......”

Su-ho glanced at Susanoo’s wound, raised an eyebrow, and smiled.

“You wouldn’t even be allowed to sit at the same table as me.”

— Hahahahaha!

Susanoo laughed.

Did he think it was a joke?

Thing is—I’m serious.

Why would I share a table with someone who’s lost to me twice?

Still laughing, Susanoo said,

— Don’t worry about that. Among the gods representing Japan, I am one of the highest. Not even Amaterasu or Tsukuyomi can oppose me. You saw it yourself, didn’t you?

“Like hell I did. Did it never occur to you they might have been holding back?”

— If they held back, they’re fools. If they spared me even while so many gods were dying, that’s the height of incompetence and arrogance, isn’t it?

That, too, was true.

At this point, curiosity began to stir.

To be frank, among the Japanese gods Su-ho had seen, Susanoo did look the strongest.

Su-ho asked,

“Fine. Let’s hear it, then. Specifically, what power can you give me?”

— You know what god I am, don’t you?

“God of the sea and storms, right?”

— Correct. And seventy percent of the world you live in is the sea. To carry me on your back is to gain the power to claim that seventy percent.

“Nice sophistry. By that logic, Amaterasu is the sun god and can carry one hundred percent of the sun on her back.”

— But at night she can’t exert her power. And the sun only rises for half the day. That means it isn’t one hundred, but a half strength of fifty percent. Same with the moon’s power. Besides......

Susanoo pointed toward Amano-Iwato.

— That vaunted sun god ended up like that at my hand. What better proof is there that I am the strongest?

Oh...... this bastard.

Did his childhood worksheets pay off?

Without answering, Su-ho nodded, and Susanoo continued.

— Of course, in other countries there may be gods like me as well. Just as there are many sun gods, there may be many storm gods. But I guarantee it: bring me all the gods of sea and storm in the world, and none will be stronger than I.

At that, Su-ho chuckled.

Not really.

Of the sea gods I know, Poseidon right off the bat seems stronger than you.

But he didn’t say it aloud.

Rubbing his chin for a moment, Su-ho spoke.

“So, if you make me your Apostle, what do you get?”

— Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that. We’re not at the stage where I can speak of it yet.

Pity.

I thought I might learn one more secret about the Transcendents—but I guess some things are still off-limits.

After a moment’s thought, Su-ho’s lips curled again.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

— As expected. I knew you’d accept.

“On one condition.”

— A condition?

Su-ho raised a finger and pointed at Amano-Iwato.

Thud! Thud!

Amano-Iwato was still intermittently booming with thunderous noise.

“If you really want me, show at least a token of sincerity.”

— A token of sincerity?

“You can see the other Transcendents behind me, right?”

Su-ho folded his arms.

Susanoo’s gaze shifted for a moment to behind Su-ho, then back to him.

— Don’t tell me all three of those......?

“Yup. If I accept you, you’ll be the fourth. Don’t tell me you’re going to back out now just because there are other gods?”

— That is.......

I’d noticed them before, but I didn’t think they were actual heirs.

Susanoo hesitated, then nodded.

— Fine. Three or four—either way, I just need to keep my claim. And in time, you will surely......

You’ll fall for my power and break your contracts with the others, staying with me alone.

But he didn’t say that part aloud.

Susanoo asked,

— So, what token of sincerity?

“Simple. I want to get out of here easily. So hand over the strategy for that Amaterasu you turned into that state.”

Su-ho said it with ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ the most trustworthy expression in the world.