“Where are we actually going? Can you just stop being so mysterious?” Su Mo was being dragged along by Sakurai Mei, looking completely resigned to his fate.
“Don’t rush, don’t rush, we’re almost there…” That was the eighth time she’d said that today.
“I thought we were going to fight? Why aren’t we heading to a fighting spot?”
“This one’s different today. It’s a really big deal.” Sakurai Mei still wore that mysterious expression.
Su Mo had no choice but to keep following her.
They eventually arrived outside Tokyo City and climbed a mountain that didn’t look very high.
It was late May, early June, and the path was lush with greenery, which lifted Su Mo’s spirits quite a bit.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the city, he much preferred the peace and quiet of the countryside.
“Sister Mei, if you’d just said we were going hiking from the start, I wouldn’t have looked like some homebody glued to her phone, refusing to go out.”
“Who said I was taking you hiking? That’s just part of the journey.”
“Huh?” Su Mo was getting curious now. “What is it exactly that’s worth all this secrecy, refusing to tell me?”
“Oh, I told you, you’ll find out when we get there. We’ve held out this long, and we’re almost there now. Just bear with it a little longer.”
“Fine…” Su Mo was mentally exhausted. Riddle-people were his least favorite – they always left you in that mental struggle of ‘afraid going will be a loss, afraid not going will be regret.’
But thankfully, this time “almost there” wasn’t a lie. They soon arrived in front of a shrine.
When Su Mo saw the name on the plaque, his whole body trembled: “Jinja…”
“Well? Worth the trip, right?” Sakurai Mei raised an eyebrow, speaking proudly.
“Why the sudden trip here? You came here to fight?”
“Ah, you wouldn’t know this. Let me, your big sister, explain it properly.”
Sakurai Mei cleared her throat: “A long time ago, in the age of the gods, there was a demon king named Yamata no Orochi. It terrorized the land and was slain by a great god of that time – Susano’o-no-Mikoto…”
“So, the shrine was built to honor Susano’o-no-Mikoto, right?” Su Mo guessed immediately.
“No, what’s enshrined here isn’t Susano’o-no-Mikoto, but Yamata no Orochi.”
“What?” Su Mo was stunned.
This wasn’t following the usual script at all.
“You must be really curious why the shrine enshrines Orochi and not Susano’o. It’s simple actually. In its early days, the shrine itself was an evil force. Those believers who worshipped Orochi were called ‘Messenjā,’ and each one was incredibly powerful. If not for a great master from the Samurai Sect later on, the shrine would probably still be at its peak today.”
“So, the Messenjā here were beaten into submission by that great master and turned over a new leaf?”
“No, no, no. The great master, though powerful, wasn’t capable of that. Later, he reached an agreement with the shrine’s head: they would give the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi to the shrine and allow them to legally develop believers. The shrine would stop terrorizing the world and provide secret realm training opportunities for the Samurai Sect. Gradually, the shrine became what it is today.”
Su Mo glanced at the statue of Yamata no Orochi enshrined inside, muttering to himself: “So, both sides took what they needed. No wonder it’s been sustainable.”
“Exactly. And the shrine’s secret realm opening every five years is our top priority. Legend has it there are many magical treasures and secret manuals inside. Getting any one of them is a huge win.”
Seeing how mysteriously she described it, Su Mo probed: “Have you ever been inside?”
Sakurai Mei shook her head dejectedly. “No. The Samurai Sect gets twenty spots total each time. Five years ago, I didn’t have the status or strength I have now, so naturally, it wasn’t my turn.”
Then her face lit up with joy: “But this year, there’s hope!”
“With your strength, and you’re only ‘hopeful’?” Su Mo was surprised.
Sakurai Mei waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, just being modest. Actually, I’ve been one of the five pre-selected members for a while. Kusanagi Kurenai too, he was pre-selected last year.”
“So, besides the five pre-selected spots, there are fifteen spots that can be competed for, right?” Su Mo suddenly felt he might have a chance.
“That’s true in theory, but ordinary people don’t even qualify to compete, so how could they possibly have a chance?” Sakurai Mei shrugged helplessly, then quickly changed her tone: “Someone like you, with merits under your belt and Vice Leader Nishimura backing you, even if you weren’t pre-selected, you’d definitely qualify to compete.”
“So, bringing me here today is for…” Su Mo had a bold guess that needed Sakurai Mei’s confirmation.
“That’s right. Today is the qualification selection day. You’ll be competing against other contenders for one of those fifteen spots.”
Su Mo was secretly delighted. He hadn’t expected that, with it still being the end of May and a full three months until the September shrine secret realm opening, the spot selection was already starting. And he was among the contenders!
While they were talking, several people had already passed them and entered the shrine, all of them Samurai Sect members.
“Let’s head in too.”
Entering the shrine, they first came to a spacious square. In the center were various offerings. Seated on both sides were the shrine’s Messenjā, representatives from each branch shrine. They wore long black robes emblazoned with Yamata no Orochi, looking dignified and solemn.
All the selection participants were divided into two groups: one group had seats – five people total; the other group stood, numbering over a hundred.
Clearly, the five with seats were the five already pre-selected candidates.
Su Mo looked over there. Besides Kusanagi Kurenai and Sakurai Mei, he didn’t recognize the other three. Their strength levels were uneven. Including the two he knew, there were three B-ranks and two C-ranks. One of the C-ranks seemed very familiar with Sakurai Mei, and they were sitting together chatting.
Notably, among the three B-ranks, neither Kusanagi Kurenai nor Sakurai Mei had as high a status as the other B-rank. He was probably a Hinomaru-rank Samurai, second only to the Vice Leaders in the Samurai Sect’s hierarchy – truly the Sect’s high-end combat power.
Looking at the standing group, their overall strength wasn’t bad, but there were always some with connections, making the overall level somewhat unsatisfactory.
Once the numbers were roughly complete, an older-looking Messenjā stepped forward and announced the official start of the selection.
The first item of selection was worshipping the god – meaning everyone had to perform a kneeling bow to Yamata no Orochi.
Su Mo frowned slightly and instantly became the prettiest girl in the crowd.
Everyone else was kneeling, while he alone stood tall and proud, completely unmoving.
Suddenly, a wave of divine pressure descended from the central statue, heading straight for Su Mo.
Several Messenjā sensed something wrong. They turned and saw someone still standing. They anxiously tried to warn him, but Su Mo ignored them completely.
Sakurai Mei, in a gossipy mood, wanted to sneak a peek at who was so bold as to not bow on such an occasion. The sight nearly gave her a stroke despite her young age.
Oh my goodness, how is it you, my dear Chiba!
Others also turned to look at Su Mo, silently giving him a thumbs-up: Respect!
The divine pressure descended upon Su Mo’s head with lightning speed. The Messenjā were already shaking their heads, knowing that those who disrespected the god would face consequences ranging from mild illness to severe death – none ever met a good end.
However, Su Mo wasn’t just unharmed; instead, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a smile:
A god? It’s not like you’re the only one around!