Japan, Tokyo Branch of the History Compilation Committee.
The place that held a lively celebration yesterday, with joyful smiles on everyone's faces.
Now, amidst the chaotic scene, every face bore an expression as if their mother had died, like people poisoned by arsenic.
The cause had to be traced back to yesterday morning.
It began after receiving news that King of the End, King Arthur, was heading to China to purge a God Slayer.
The nation across the sea, powerful for two hundred years, showed signs of internal chaos. As neighbors, how could they not be delighted?
In a world with God Slayers, historical development was vastly different from a normal world.
Two hundred years ago, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown due to Luo Hao's rise. Since then, Luo Hao lived in seclusion, not interfering in worldly affairs. As for the new dynasty… with the Great Emperor above them, they didn't dare act out.
Their development couldn't be called smooth, but it was safe and conservative. However, for the small border nations, it was a bloody and tearful history.
What could be done when the empire's borders were constantly visited by barbarians?
Especially that island nation—it was a tragic tale full of tears.
If not for the covert support of O-Rōjō (Susanoo), combined with Luo Hao generally staying out of matters unless a Heretic God appeared, they barely survived in the cracks.
But this peace, until decades ago, was shattered when The Ruler of the Martial Realm learned of the Monkey God, sparking her great fury.
This led to the tragedy of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains' invasion of Japan, nearly causing the nation's collapse. Even the great nation to the west, after The Ruler of the Martial Realm left, took the opportunity to join the fun, dropping two massive firecrackers.
So many tragic stories.
Now, they finally awaited King of the End to purge the God Slayer, and the Old King would soon fall. How could the History Compilation Committee members not be ecstatic?
Their chance had come! The Old King was gone, and they still had O-Rōjō, Susanoo hiding in the Netherworld.
Wasn't this their chance to overthrow their superiors?
That was what led to last night's drinking party.
But before their hangovers could fade, everyone was jolted awake by new news.
What did it mean that King Arthur had subdued the Martial King with charm and planned to come to Japan to kill a Heretic God as a celebration?
And they also hoped Japan would know its place, voluntarily hand over the Heretic God, and not protect them.
What other Heretic Gods did Japan have? Besides the one at Saitenguu, there was only O-Rōjō in the Netherworld.
If either of them was compromised, it would be an unbearable burden for Japan.
At the very least, it would lead to the destruction of several cities and millions of casualties.
Who could still think of sleeping, damn it?
"Outrageous! How dare they make such an excessive demand!"
"Isn't King of the End supposed to purge God Slayers? Why is he also dealing with Heretic Gods!"
"Great, then go talk to that King yourself."
"Stop arguing! Better think of ways to undo the seal—that's easier."
"What did O-Rōjō say? Does he have a solution?"
"O-Rōjō said he won't show up, and he also said King of the End isn't King Arthur at all."
"Two God Slayers? Isn't that even worse?!"
"Ugh, what do we do now?"
"In this situation, we can only report the truth. What other choice do we have? We can't break the seal either."
"Sigh, if only we had a God Slayer too."
Preferably a naive young one, easy to deceive.
In the end, after heated discussions, progress on how to undo the Keeper of the Horses' seal remained zero.
After all, the method to undo the Keeper of the Horses' seal was clear. First, the Divinity of the Dragon-Snake must manifest. Second, the Zanryuuto Sword that weakens magic. Third, a Hime-Miko with Disaster Purification abilities wielding the Zanryuuto Sword.
The last two conditions weren't too bad, but the first was impossible. Manifesting the Dragon-Snake Divinity required a Heretic God with Dragon-Snake attributes.
Even if such a god appeared, the History Compilation Committee had no way to capture it.
So now they could only do as they did last time. But this time, they had learned. Most of their forces had been moved overseas.
After the two Kings were done causing havoc, they would return to clean up the mess or abandon Japan entirely.
They understood the principle of preserving people over land or losing both.
As for the common people at the bottom? Were they considered human? Weren't they just numbers?
The majority of the History Compilation Committee's senior personnel came from the Four Great Families. Each family controlled power in different domains.
And the one responsible for managing the Keeper of the Horses was the Kuhoutsuka Family.
This made it very convenient for the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains to purge and catalog Japan's senior personnel and high-ranking nobles.
Anyone related to the Four Great Families was a target. In other words, drawing a circle with the nine clans of the Four Great Families as the radius, everyone inside was a target.
Of course, Aslan didn't inform them beforehand of the consequences of not meeting his demands.
Because if he told them in advance, how could he catalog them? He wasn't Jewish; he prioritized precise strikes.
During the two days of preparation, the Four Great Families kept blaming each other, showing no intention of preparing.
Until one day later, Aslan and Luo Hao, along with Athena and Lilliana, boarded a plane and landed at Narita Airport.
At the airport's private lane, to prevent anyone from angering Aslan and Luo Hao, the History Compilation Committee cleared the entire area, leaving no one behind.
Only Amakasu Touma and the people he brought were left to greet them directly.
What could Touma do? He didn't want to come, facing two God Slayers directly, but who told him to be so unlucky?
"Amakasu-san, I'm a bit nervous."
"Don't be nervous… Not that saying that helps. After all, this is the simultaneous appearance of two Kings, unprecedented. Don't talk about you—I'm nervous too."
Touma gave a bitter laugh, his teeth faintly chattering.
The truly wise and well-connected had already prepared to go abroad. Some even planned to leave yesterday.
Japan this time would at least face a nation-destroying war like last time. Japan would be the one destroyed.
Touma could only hope that the top-tier Hime-Miko beside him could serve a purpose.
Mariya Yuri, one of the few high-tier Hime-Miko controllable by the History Compilation Committee. Also one of the few senior Hime-Miko with Spirit Vision to see the origins of God Slayers and Heretic Gods.
She was a rare commodity. Hime-Miko like her were valuable talents in both the magical world and the eyes of God Slayers.
Those who could see the trump cards of Heretic Gods and God Slayers were rare talents anywhere.
Even in a crisis like this, he had to go to great lengths to convince the History Compilation Committee to let him bring Yuri.
Touma could only hope a Hime-Miko like Yuri could buy time.
But was it really to meet the conditions for undoing the seal, or just to stall?
Touma sighed, thinking.
"Mariya-san, the two Kings have arrived."
In the tense moment, at the distant airport exit, figures appeared. A golden figure hand-in-hand with a beautiful woman in Hanfu, followed by two silver-haired girls, one tall, one short.
They were Aslan, Luo Hao, Athena, and Lilliana.
As for the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains and Lu Yinghua? Aslan knew Lu Yinghua disliked interacting with women, so he had already sent him to infiltrate and gather information.
With Lu Yinghua were a hundred and eight elders of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, each with the strength of a Great Knight.
"Mariya-san, it's up to your performance now. The lives of millions in Tokyo depend on you."
Touma whispered beside Yuri, then walked toward Aslan.
"Honorable King, welcome to your arrival—"
"I'll ask one question. Have you prepared what we requested?"
Aslan cut him off directly, asking straight to the point.
"Well, Your Majesty, we—"
"Have you prepared what we requested?"
Aslan interrupted Touma again, asking while maintaining a bright smile.
This immediately caused a drop of cold sweat to appear on Touma's forehead.
The brighter the other's smile, the more nervous Touma became. He didn't even dare speak, as the other had already asked twice. He feared if he let them ask a third time, they would act immediately.
"Not yet, Your Majesty."
Touma lowered his head, not daring to breathe, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.
"I see. After all, we're not demons."
Aslan showed a bright smile.
"Lu Yinghua."
"Your disciple is here."
At some point, the young man who suddenly appeared beside Touma knelt on the ground and saluted Aslan.
"Since they ignored my request, they must be taught a lesson."
"After all, I'm not a demon either. For the first time, the punishment is lightened. Nine out of ten will survive."
What did nine out of ten surviving mean? Instantly, Touma thought of a desperate situation.
Could it mean that out of ten people, nine would be spared?
Cold sweat soaked his clothes.
"Oh, almost forgot. Who are you?"
Aslan smiled, patting Touma's shoulder and asking curiously.
"My name—"
Before he could finish, Touma saw the smile on Aslan's face and the hand on his shoulder, as if warning him, and hurriedly changed his words.
"I am an external receptionist of the Official History Compilation Committee, primarily responsible for external reception work."
"Thank you for your answer."
Aslan released his hand, leaving Touma bewildered.
"Oh, one more question. Is your position in the Official History Compilation Committee among the top tenth?"
"It should be, right?"
Touma scratched his head, somewhat confused. The History Compilation Committee was a large organization. He happened to be at the level dealing directly with the Four Great Families at the top.
"Looks like it's just right."
Whether intentional or not, Aslan reminded Lu Yinghua.
After that, he led Luo Hao and the others away, leaving only Touma and Yuri, stunned with confusion on their faces.
Lu Yinghua patted Touma's shoulder and said with a smile, "Congratulations, you're very lucky."
"Two Kings were greeted by just one external receptionist. So, you must be the highest-ranking personnel in the Official History Compilation Committee, right?"
Understood! It all made sense!
At that moment, Touma truly understood. What was nine out of ten surviving? Wasn't that a one-in-eleven purge!
Touma was numb. Completely numb. He didn't dare say or ask anything.
He never expected that this mistaken order would make the upper echelons pay such a price.
"Relax, we definitely won't kill the wrong people. We investigated thoroughly beforehand."
Seeing Touma standing frozen like a fool, Lu Yinghua thought he was worried about someone slipping through.
How could that happen? Did he think the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains was just freeloading?
Not to mention in Japan, even the high-ranking Japanese nobles abroad were under their control. Guaranteed no one would escape or be missed.
Don't underestimate the quality of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains. And don't underestimate their ties to the nine clans!
Precise as a scalpel, that's the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains. Indiscriminate killing is what a demonic sect does.
(Isn't that even scarier?!) Touma complained inwardly.
But amidst his fear, Touma unexpectedly felt grateful. Grateful that he was assigned to greet the Kings.
Otherwise, he might have been purged too.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Inside Saitenguu, members of the Kuhoutsuka Family gathered. They were discussing how to handle the situation, how Touma's reception of the God Slayers went, and whether he could buy time.
History Compilation Committee personnel were also present, like the Tokyo Branch Chief, Sayanomiya Kaoru. She was Touma's direct superior.
She brought Committee members and oversaw from the side.
The major event of two God Slayers arriving, especially in Tokyo, couldn't be avoided.
Though not long ago, she had just woken up from the hangover of a recently ended party.
Why didn't she go herself? Of course, she was scared. She was a high-tier Hime-Miko. What if she was captured to summon a Heretic God?
Now, like the Kuhoutsuka Family members, she was extremely anxious, speaking softly with her subordinates.
"Any news from Touma?"
"No. The last report we got was that King Arthur and the Martial King had disembarked. They should be on their way now."
"How long until they arrive?"
"Based on the convoy's status, about twenty minutes."
"That soon?"
"It seems Touma didn't manage to stall much. Well, that amount of time wouldn't be enough to undo the seal anyway."
Kaoru held her throbbing forehead. She glanced at the Kuhoutsuka Family members nearby. That group was still discussing the pipe dream of whether King Arthur could be swayed by a beautiful woman.
"Keep monitoring the situation outside. As soon as the convoy arrives, we must greet them immediately."
"Understood."
All Committee members obeyed.
After twenty minutes of anxious waiting, the convoy arrived on time and stopped outside Saitenguu's gate.
Kaoru led her subordinates and immediately stepped forward to greet. The Kuhoutsuka Family members did the same.
The convoy stopped. In the first car were Lu Yinghua and Touma. Lu Yinghua, smiling and arm around Touma's shoulder, walked toward Kaoru.
This scene shocked Kaoru, who was waiting nearby.
"What's going on? Are Lu Yinghua and Touma that close?"
Kaoru's head was full of question marks, but she didn't dare step forward to ask.
"And that regretful look in his eyes—what's that about?"
For some reason, Kaoru saw a hint of pity in Touma's eyes.
"Excuse me, are you from the History Compilation Committee?"
Lu Yinghua asked with a smile. He was in high spirits now.
He, who deeply hated beautiful women, could finally act personally?
Though it was said that undoing the seal required a Hime-Miko with Disaster Purification abilities, Kaoru didn't have that ability.
The Hime-Miko with Disaster Purification was Mariya Hikari, Mariya Yuri's younger sister.
And someone useless, who happened to be within the purge radius… Acting against a beautiful woman was just too delightful.
"Yes."
Kaoru answered in confusion, looking at Touma with a questioning gaze, hoping for an explanation.
But for some reason, Touma kept his head down, not daring to look at her.
(I'm sorry, Branch Chief. For my sake, please sacrifice yourself.)
"What's your position in the History Compilation Committee?"
"I'm the Tokyo Branch Chief."
"What's the relationship between the person behind me and you?"
"He's my subordinate."
(I'm sorry, Branch Chief.)
Touma closed his eyes. The scene was too brutal for him to watch.
*BAM!*
Lu Yinghua instantly appeared in front of her and struck her chest with a palm.
Kaoru hadn't expected Lu Yinghua to attack directly. She was thrown back, spitting blood in midair, then crashed to the ground several meters away.
Of course, Lu Yinghua didn't kill her. After all, she was a rare talent Hime-Miko. Killing her would be wasteful. She had to be spared to summon more Heretic Gods.
After that, Lu Yinghua turned and looked at the Kuhoutsuka Family members nearby.
"I heard you haven't prepared to undo the seal?"
The leader of the Kuhoutsuka Family was the Crown Prince, Kuhoutsuka Mikihiko. As Saitenguu's manager, he had to step forward.
He immediately knelt in a Dogeza position before the car where Aslan sat, its window rolled down.
"Your Majesty, please forgive us, we truly—"
Then Aslan silently rolled up the window and closed the curtain.
*SREK!*
A gleaming blade pierced his chest.
And he wasn't alone. Other "lucky" spectators around were also selected for the purge.
Of course, these were all pre-selected—high-ranking but useless individuals.
Don't underestimate the quality of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains. They were professionals.
"First warning. Next time, it won't be nine out of ten surviving."
Lu Yinghua crossed his arms and said flatly.
"Any objections?"
Lu Yinghua asked with a smile to the remaining Kuhoutsuka Family members and History Compilation Committee members.
Unfortunately, they seemed too terrified, all mute and unable to speak.
"Not answering me? Seems like you object to the King's decision?"
"No, no."
Everyone hurriedly knelt, terrified that a late response would get them killed by the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains.
"Since there are no objections, get to work. Remember, undo the seal by tomorrow. If you fail…"
"Next time, it won't be nine out of ten surviving, but seven out of nine."
Using the gentlest tone to say the cruelest words, Lu Yinghua was also a fine seedling for a Devil King.
"Clear?"
"Clear, clear."
Sitting in the car, Aslan looked at the group nodding like woodpeckers, then turned to Luo Hao.
"Have you learned? This is how a true Devil King acts."
"You were too soft-hearted before and didn't do prior investigations."
Luo Hao nodded, hugging Aslan's arm and leaning on his shoulder.
"My husband's advice is correct. I'll keep it in mind next time."
"Witch, are you just going to stand there?"
Athena's voice suddenly rang out, startling Lilliana, who was still lost in thought.
Hearing it, Lilliana turned, seeing Athena's slightly annoyed expression at her sluggishness. She froze for a moment, then quickly reacted.
"Sorry, Your Highness Athena. I'll immediately share this information with Erica."
To warn the forces in Europe and tell them not to cause trouble.
Though Marquis Voban had tamed them well, time makes people forget. Sometimes, they still needed another lesson.
"At least you have some sense."
Athena snorted softly, speaking in a good mood.
Perhaps this girl could be trained. Athena narrowed her eyes, observing Lilliana from head to toe.
Unlike Erica, who was full of cunning, the purer Lilliana suited her taste better.
She felt a bit of pressure fighting alone by Aslan's side—pressure in various senses.