Hikigaya's God Slayer Story

Chapter 28: Night at the Shrine

Meiji Shrine is located within a forested area in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.

Situated in the heart of the city, right next to the commercial district of Shinjuku, it spans the entire space between Yoyogi and Harajuku stations, making it the largest green area in central Tokyo apart from the Imperial Palace.

This shrine, which enshrines the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, is a key stronghold of the Shinto faction and is currently maintained and administered by the Sayanomiya family.

Sayanomiya Kaoru walked along the southern approach path leading into the shrine. Towering ancient trees lined both sides of the path, but she ignored the scenery and the cool night breeze, walking straight until she reached the inner garden specially built for Empress Shōken.

As one of Tokyo's famous tourist attractions, Meiji Shrine is normally crowded even at night, but today the area had been cordoned off—no one would enter.

Inside the garden, all kinds of flowers bloomed.

Particularly notable was the iris field by the southern pond, where over 150 varieties of irises were cultivated.

It was the peak season—the irises were in full bloom, a major scenic highlight of the shrine.

Yet Kaoru, despite the beauty before her, had her mind elsewhere. She had no interest in sightseeing.

Emperor Meiji held great significance for the Committee—just as Emperor Jimmu did for Kyoto's Onmyōryō (Bureau of Onmyōdō).

Though the Four Great Families were all descended from warrior clans, they were aligned with Shintoism.

Their supreme status in Japan's magical society was established when Emperor Meiji made Shinto the state religion, with governance under government authority.

The Four Great Families were selected during the Meiji era to carry out this mandate.

Leveraging the military superiority of modern Japan and a string of victories in foreign wars, the Four Families gained considerable benefits by attaching themselves to the secular regime.

They grew into colossal powers controlling Japan's magical society.

But just like Japan as a nation during that time, the ancestors of the Four Families developed the arrogant delusion that they could trample the Chinese martial world across the sea.

What happened after that… well, it's too embarrassing to describe in detail.

Let's just say: the only reason they weren't destroyed was due to Amaterasu-ōmikami's divine protection.

Now, however, the Four Families believed they had another chance.

And this time, unlike before, the opportunity seemed far more promising.

Kaoru, though, felt no optimism at all.

She had always believed: if you could turn a bad situation into a good one, then you weren't wasting your brain.

The bad had already been done. Now it was time to do the good.

She walked to the iris field and gently brushed her hand over the plants, feeling their texture under her fingers.

Sayanomiya Kaoru had a beautiful face and an ethereal air that seemed disconnected from the mundane world.

Her androgynous appearance, combined with her preference for wearing men's clothing, earned her many close female friends.

If those friends saw her like this now, they might lose their composure.

And if a certain super massive dork (Hachiman) knew what was going through Kaoru's head right now... he probably wouldn't stay calm either!

In fact, odds were very high that this not-calm dork would drop a sun out of the sky on her just to make her cool off.

Suddenly, the light around her subtly darkened.

"How did it go?" she asked, without turning her head.

"Ah, it's mostly done. Though it was a bit rushed," replied a man standing behind her, his gaze admiring the scenery—and his superior.

His name was Amakasu Touma, a ninja—though you'd never guess it from appearances.

"But… is this really okay? If it's discovered, he'll probably be a little angry."

"Not a little—very angry," Kaoru corrected, turning around. "What I don't understand is: why, after all this time, none of you seem to grasp what kind of person he is."

"It's just hard to get a read on him," Amakasu Touma shrugged. "For someone his age to become a king… wouldn't you expect him to be a bit more reckless?"

"Yet he's unexpectedly steady. We haven't found a single weakness. Should I say, as expected from someone raised by Yomi? He's particularly unfriendly to us magic users."

"Everyone has a weakness," Kaoru reminded. "And don't forget—he only spent six months in Yomi."

She stepped away from the iris field and stood in front of Amakasu Tōma.

"Ena is completely useless. She's strong, yes, but in this area she's absolutely no good. Bravery and martial prowess mean nothing against a god-slayer."

As a fellow hime-miko, she didn't hesitate to speak harshly about her peer.

"She focuses too much on the sword. That's probably why her other abilities are so lacking. What a waste."

Her words were merciless, though her face showed no hint of regret.

"Have you explained everything to those girls?"

"Of course. To repay their benefactor, and serve the first Rakasha King seen in a thousand years—they're all eager to do so."

"I'm starting to suspect you told them too much. This is their personal choice.

We, as administrators, merely informed them of their benefactor's identity. Do I need to remind you of that?" Kaoru's cold stare made Amakasu's heart quiver slightly.

"My apologies… But are you sure it's okay not to inform Miss Mariya?"

"The Kyoto faction will tell her. The Mariya family are close friends of Kyoto's people. I'm sure they're already en route."

Kaoru's icy expression suddenly bloomed into a smile as radiant as spring flowers—but to Amakasu Tōma, it felt even more disturbing.

"Actually, wouldn't it be better if you went yourself, Kaoru-sama? If it works out, you could become Japan's strongest couple."

"Then it would be meaningless. Being the strongest in Japan—that's already been achieved."

"True enough. Well then, I'll take my leave. Any final instructions?" Amakasu took a step back. Kaoru had gotten too close—her proximity made him uneasy.

And that was rare. Usually, he could handle people with ease, but this girl always unsettled him.

What a pity. She was undeniably beautiful.

A hime-miko with brains as well.

If not for that particular obsession of hers, she'd be far more suitable than Seishuin Ena—not to mention Mariya Yuri, whose personality was even more problematic.

Amakasu had no expectations at all regarding her interactions with Hikigaya Hachiman.

He still remembered clearly—on that windy night in the bamboo forest, the pure savagery Hachiman displayed.

Trying to talk to someone like that about morality or duty was a joke.

That boy had more in common with the Demon Wolf King of Eastern Europe than with humans—both were walking powder kegs, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

He could only wonder… What will happen to Chiba tonight…?

Chapter 29: Isn't This the Cheating Cat Sister?

Just as Amakasu Touma had predicted, Chiba was indeed lively tonight.

It was a feast of blood and fire. Hailing from the dark, even after becoming a God Slayer, Hikigaya Hachiman still retained his entirely Yomi style, valuing an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

This didn't mean he retaliated only when provoked—instead, as long as you clearly expressed discontent toward him or made him feel unpleasant, he would straightforwardly take you down.

Undeniably, in the incident involving the destruction of the Yukinoshita family, many people had made Hachiman unhappy. And so, without hesitation, he ordered their execution.

And released his first original creation—Yukinoshita Haruno…

Thus, although Amakasu Touma had guessed the beginning, he could not imagine just how explosive the process and ending would be.

Explosive enough that, had he known, he might have started considering whether to run while he still could—before Hikigaya might suddenly erupt someday.

The idea that Hachiman might go easy on someone just because she was a woman had never even crossed his mind.

To Amakasu Touma, the biggest difference between Hikigaya Hachiman and other God Slayers wasn't his still-unfathomable Authority, but his personality.

He acted as if he hadn't become a God Slayer at all.

As long as he wasn't in a battle against gods, he lived exactly as he had before.

But this calmness terrified Kamakasu—it masked Hachiman's nature as a demon king more savage than any of his kin.

When he tore off that mask, he would never be swayed just because the person in front of him had a pretty face.

Compared to him, another person was equally aware of just how explosive this night in Chiba was—and deeply worried.

Liliana Kranjcar was currently flying above the city of Chiba.

The ongoing massacre below couldn't escape her perception.

As a descendant of a Divine Ancestor, whether witch or hime-miko, she naturally possessed talents no normal person could ever acquire through training.

Liliana hated slaughter, even though she was quite good at fighting.

Of course, she didn't think Hikigaya Hachiman would kill indiscriminately.

Their journey in Italy had made her understand him.

His ruthlessness and dominance were no less than Marquis Voban's, yet he was also cautious in using his inhuman power.

Unless provoked or faced with an enemy, he disdained applying his overwhelming force to the powerless, considering it a sign of cowardice.

This was something Liliana admired in her heart and was also why—though she hadn't pledged loyalty—she was still willing to serve him.

What she needed to do now was confirm whether anyone was using Hachiman's orders to carry out indiscriminate killing.

If so, she would stop them.

Since she was currently serving him, as a knight, it was her duty to ensure his will wasn't abused.

Witches loved the night—perhaps because they were descendants of the Divine Ancestors. As the fallen daughters of the serpent goddess, the blood of the Divine Ancestors contained extraordinary power.

Even after being diluted through generations of human propagation, it still retained mysterious efficacy, granting witches various special abilities.

Liliana soared freely through the night sky, taking in the entire city.

So far, the Yomi warriors had been quite disciplined. Whether it was due to respect for Hachiman or their own pride was unclear.

After all, the ones being executed were pathetically weak—not good people, certainly.

Only one location was an exception, and Liliana was headed straight for it.

There, she sensed two powerful presences.

They drew her attention, triggered a reaction in her blood—the blood of the Divine Ancestors.

She raced through the sky—

And then saw light explode in the black night—scorching light.

This light felt familiar to her. Though vastly weaker than the light she was accustomed to, it clearly wasn't magical in nature.

Along with the light, a fierce wind howled through the darkness.

Liliana finally saw them: two girls.

And she knew both of them.

She had seen them when Hikigaya returned to Chiba.

Though she hadn't spoken to them then, she had looked into their identities afterward.

One was the heir of the Seishuin clan, like her, carrying the blood of the Divine Ancestors.

The other… was a problem.

According to intelligence, she should've been an ordinary human.

But unexpectedly, she was so powerful—and what was this strange feeling?

Regardless, she had to stop them. If they kept fighting, they would drag others into it.

More precisely, it was the girl named Yukinoshita Haruno who would involve bystanders.

Though she had somehow gained great power, her technique was crude—she clearly had no control over it.

"Seishuin Ena! Yukinoshita Haruno!" Liliana shouted. "Stop now! Do you want your personal grudge to harm innocent people?!"

As her voice rang out, the two girls turned to look.

When they saw Liliana, they were momentarily stunned—then reacted in entirely different ways.

Seishuin Ena gave a heavy snort, then turned away as if she hadn't seen anything. Raising her divine sword high, she summoned even more powerful winds.

Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Haruno didn't display open hostility—but her words were utterly outrageous.

"Oh my, isn't this the cheating cat sister?"

Hearing this, Liliana nearly fell from the sky.

The literary knight Liliana… nearly had her brain split open by that one line.

She was furious—her cheeks turned bright red.

"Yukinoshita Haruno, what nonsense are you spouting!" she barked as she charged through the gusting winds, leaping to the ground and placing herself in front of Haruno.

Then, she released the seal on her magic sword— Il Maestro.

The originally long blade retained its curved form, but the hilt extended forward by over a meter. In Japan, this was called a naginata—the primary battlefield weapon from the late Kamakura to Muromachi periods, only replaced by the spear during the Onin War due to its unsuitability for dense combat.

Behind her, Seishuin Ena—seeing this transformation—also withdrew her summoned winds, now watching with great interest as the Il Maestro took its new shape.

She was no stranger to the naginata.

It was a required martial art for female warriors of Japan—a form of womanly bushido. Even today, it thrived as a modern sport.

In families like the Seishuin, every girl was skilled with the naginata—and Ena was a master of it.

Looking at the foreign woman who had stepped in front of Yukinoshita, Ena's eyes flicked, and a strange smirk appeared on her face.

She sheathed her divine sword and leaped onto a rooftop, sitting down leisurely—as if preparing to watch a show.

"Carry on, I'll just watch," she said with a chuckle.

"I love watching wildcats fight the most."