Chapter 43: God is Coming
In the living room, Hikigaya was once again seated on the sofa.
Sitting across from him was Seishuin Ena.
This girl had been nagging him for ten minutes now. A lot was said, but it could all be summed up in one sentence:
"I've got a trap here, a huge one, darling. Wanna fall in?"
If that doesn't make sense, let's break it down further.
The great god Osiris is about to descend to Earth for a booty call. And since everyone has brains, they know that this kind of divine booty is way out of their league—so they've come asking for help.
As for the basis of this conclusion... well, Japan is currently experiencing widespread flooding. Some of it makes sense, but most of it doesn't—which is taken as proof that his full descent is imminent.
Of course, there's also a more straightforward and crude explanation—insider information.
So, the fact that this world has somehow made it from the savage days of ancient mythology through the classical era, the Middle Ages, the steam age, and into modern times is basically pure luck. Hikigaya felt that whenever people couldn't figure something out, they'd just say, "God did it."
Just like now. Since no one can figure out why there's so much flooding, the explanation is: Osiris is coming. And the most outrageous part is that the direct basis for identifying it as Osiris is some damn insider tip.
Screw that. If you bring me the so-called "insider" who provided that info, I swear I won't beat him to death.
But after thinking a bit with his slightly throbbing head, Hikigaya figured that the "insider" was probably none other than Seishuin Ena's grandfather in the anime—Susanoo-no-Mikoto, one of the three great heroic gods of Japanese mythology.
Given that, he decided there was no need to demand a brick-throwing duel.
Alright, no matter how you slice it, Uncle Osiris is coming—and that's bad news.
Because that bastard definitely won't let him go. Just a week ago, the guy only had one eyeball and still came to throw down with him. Once he's in his full form, he'll for sure come straight over to send Hikigaya to the afterlife.
This pit—you fall in whether you want to or not…
Being a god-slayer really isn't an easy gig. Anime is a liar. That marquis guy with the "I haven't met a god in decades" vibe is seriously misleading.
Gods in this world clearly just wander down on a whim. I mean, it's only been a few days since he finished fighting Set…
"Alright, I think I've got the gist." Hikigaya raised his hand to stop Seishuin Ena from continuing her chatter. "So, this so-called insider—is it Susanoo-no-Mikoto? Can you take me to him?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Seishuin Ena looked genuinely surprised.
She really should be surprised.
"You want to know?" Hikigaya sneered. "It's actually pretty simple—just go kill a god and you'll understand."
"Uh… alright, got it. I'll take you there now." The divine medium rolled her eyes and picked up the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi lying next to her.
This girl was pretty hardcore, always walking around with such a dangerous weapon—and no cop had ever stopped her.
That's why Japanese police are basically useless. No wonder they're always just background extras in Detective Conan.
As he was thinking that, the girl across from him casually drew her sword.
What the hell are you doing?
Hikigaya began seriously considering whether he should rush over and snatch the sword away, then give this girl's butt a good spanking.
Then he saw Seishuin Ena, even more decisively, stab the blade into the floor.
Damn it! That's his flooring!
The next moment, a dark shadow spread rapidly from the point where the sword met the floor, quickly extending beneath Hikigaya's feet.
He suddenly remembered: Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, as the weapon of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, had the power to transport people or objects to the Netherworld.
In the anime, Kusanagi Godou had traveled to the Netherworld this way.
That's a realm of life and undeath—essentially the mythological world of the gods, or what one might call the divine realm. Except that domain capable of housing gods must be far grander, richer, and more complete.
Very soon, a pulling force came from beneath his feet.
It was quite magical—because everything else in the living room remained completely still. The only ones affected were Hikigaya and the spellcaster, Seishuin Ena.
It was like standing on water. In a very brief moment, Hikigaya sank, and everything around him turned to darkness.
But it didn't feel like he was sinking into water, nor like he was exposed to air. It was indescribable.
Actually, the teleportation didn't last long. Almost as soon as he had the thought, light returned.
He could feel gravity again. Solid ground appeared beneath his feet.
That grounded feeling was quite nice.
Hikigaya looked around. He was now in a mountainous region.
The air was thick with the scent of soil and vegetation. Not far away, a small stream flowed crystal-clear and happily.
If it weren't for the total absence of any animals, he would've thought he was still in the real world.
The whole world had a misty, grayish tone. The sky looked gloomy. Though there was plenty of light, there was no sun in sight—nor any clouds.
A strong wind blew continuously through the mountains, with a light, misty rain falling.
The air was full of magical energy. It was extremely dense—or rather, this wasn't air at all, but something else entirely.
Clearly, this was the Netherworld.
Above his head, a figure descended—it was Ena.
Though it wasn't truly air, it flowed like air. So naturally, when Hikigaya looked up...
White.
"What are you looking at?" Ena, who had just landed, quickly covered her skirt in alarm.
Too late. He already saw it.
Hikigaya looked away and said, "Lead the way."
"We're already there," Ena pointed upstream of the creek.
Hikigaya followed her gaze. Upstream, not far away, there was a wooden hut.
The hut looked very old-fashioned and quite small—just a simple one-room structure.
Hikigaya pushed off the ground, launching himself in that direction like a spring, leaving Seishuin Ena behind.
After a few leaps, he was already standing in front of the hut.
Unlike modern houses, the door was a sliding type—truly an old-school design.
He slid it open and walked in.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, we meet again."
Wearing a kimono, sitting cross-legged beside the hearth with a cheerful smile, was the same bearded old man Hikigaya had once met by the sea.
Unlike last time, Hikigaya hadn't really looked closely at this uniquely styled god. This time, he could see clearly.
Rather than calling him an old man, he was more like a spirited elder—his hair and beard were still black.
By Japanese standards, his build wasn't just strong—it was massive. A truly imposing god.
"I knew you'd come," said Japan's heroic god, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, with a hearty laugh. "Come, sit. It's been a long time since I had a chat with someone who's killed a god."