Chapter 31: The Fall of Water; I Shall Treat the Years with Gentleness, Though They…

“Go!”

The moment the sky-blotting killing intent pressed down, Izayoi Ame moved.

Everyone scattered from the platform. Du Shui unfurled her umbrella, and Yun Zhou summoned his Flowing Wind. Ying Huo, despite his expression of intense annoyance and resistance, did something rare: he summoned his Spiritual Body. It was a massive gyrfalcon with a wingspan exceeding three meters, the undisputed king of the 6th District forests.

Liu Ming frowned. Carried by Yun Zhou, he was suspended in the air, forced to inconspicuously pull himself closer to the other man.

The pressure this bird of prey exerted on his bloodline was far from pleasant. Compared to that, he would rather be closer to Yun Zhou, even if the man hadn’t released his Spiritual Body.

Though those wolf ears were also incredibly irritating.

Liu Ming thought with dead fish eyes as he was brushed by the ears that kept twitching back and forth.

A second later, the spot where the platform had just been was pierced by a massive, surging wave.

With just a glance, the Kraken had used its spiritual power to lock onto their positions and strike.

“The Anomalies are increasing. We have to get close to it as fast as possible!”

Izayoi Ame’s figure appeared amidst the tide of Anomalies on the sea. He used the bodies of those Anomalies as stepping stones to move across the water, swinging the Umizukigiri with casual ease. Infused with the power of absolute cutting intent, his strikes sliced every approaching Anomaly in half, turning them back into water that merged into the ocean.

Ying Huo and Yun Zhou tried to help, but they found the layers of the Anomaly tide were simply too thick. They couldn’t get anywhere near the Kraken’s main body.

And for a being like the Kraken, killing its tentacles was utterly meaningless.

Liu Ming knit his brows. Even Izayoi Ame was being blocked. Should he help Du Shui awaken those memories here?

However, the spiritual power of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto was extremely domineering. It had to be unleashed all at once in the first moment to maximize their chances of survival. If he helped Du Shui awaken those memories here, it was hard to say if she would reach the Kraken in time to deliver that final strike.

“I’ll try. Cover me.”

Izayoi Ame, weaving through the Anomaly tide at the very bottom, sent his voice to the ears of Yun Zhou and the others.

Hearing this, Ying Huo didn’t hesitate. With the help of his gyrfalcon Spiritual Body, he descended rapidly. He plucked a test tube from his trench coat, splashed the liquid inside toward the sea, and snapped his fingers.

In an instant, bright yellow flames erupted across the waters surrounding Izayoi Ame’s footing. Fire had a unique advantage against water-based Anomalies; for a moment, the fragmented tide was unable to get near him.

Izayoi Ame nodded in silent thanks. He raised the Umizukigiri, and the massive blue whale Spiritual Body seemed to feel a summons. It plunged out from the divided sea of clouds, charging straight for the cluster of tentacles protecting the Kraken.

Several giant, fish-shaped Anomalies tried to stop the blue whale, but they were pinned in place by a tangle of Flowing Wind and silver threads.

“I say…”

Liu Ming’s eyes glowed with the light of spiritual power, standing out vividly amidst the dark clouds. He yanked the silver-blue threads in his hands taut. The intersecting threads and golden Flowing Wind firmly ensnared the massive Anomalies below, rendering them unable to move.

“Did I say you could pass?!”

Yun Zhou leaped down, his Vajra Pestle carrying the momentum of a thousand tons. He smashed those Anomalies deep into the sea, the resulting spray nearly hitting Liu Ming’s face back on the platform.

Liu Ming: “Tch… Zero points!”

Izayoi Ame: “…I think I finally know why Black Swan let you people join this project…”

They were simply too violent. Even the only Guide among the four, Liu Ming, had a killing intent far heavier than that of an ordinary Sentinel.

With all obstacles cleared by the elite Correctors of Tree Tower Academy, Izayoi Ame no longer hesitated. The massive blue whale used its body to slam directly into the Kraken’s forest of tentacles, forcing the creature to gather all its limbs in an attempt to entwine the behemoth.

But the blue whale’s movements were far more agile than its size suggested. Izayoi Ame didn’t even have time to grip his blade; he extended his other hand, controlling his Spiritual Body to weave through the massive tentacles, drawing the Kraken’s frontal attention.

Izayoi Ame coughed twice. He tried to approach the Kraken while controlling the whale, but the swaying tentacles locked onto him instantly. The Kraken’s spiritual power surrounded him like a tidal wave, denying him any chance of getting close.

Yun Zhou and the others tried to approach as well, but because they were too close to Izayoi Ame, they were all pushed back by the waves of spiritual pressure.

Only Du Shui moved forward, the fastest and most direct of them all. The long blade hidden within her sharp umbrella cut through every lunging Anomaly with a chilling aura. Fragments of Anomalies scattered around her like falling petals as she advanced, as if the surrounding horrors were making way for her.

Time was of the essence. Only Du Shui was successfully bypassing the tentacles, rapidly closing in on the Kraken’s main body.

Izayoi Ame grit his teeth and finally made his decision.

He shot a deep look at Liu Ming, who understood instantly. Liu Ming shouted, “Yun Zhou, Ying Huo, make some noise!”

“Don’t know why, but I’m on it!”

Yun Zhou gave a reassuring gesture. Ying Huo sighed and simply unfastened all the test tubes from his coat, throwing them into the sea.

Golden Flowing Wind carried the bright yellow flames as they exploded across the ocean’s surface. Each tube’s detonation brought a continuous chain of fire. This prairie-fire-like commotion quickly drew the Kraken’s attention. The moment the pupils of those giant eyes turned toward Yun Zhou and Ying Huo-

“…Du Shui! It’s up to you!”

Izayoi Ame cast aside his indecision. On one hand, he commanded the blue whale to slam violently into the tentacles, tearing open the final barrier for the advancing Du Shui. On the other, ignoring the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he lunged somewhat disheveled onto the tentacle closest to her and threw the Umizukigiri toward her. “Consider this a return to its rightful owner!”

“What are you going to do without a sword?”

Du Shui shouted at the top of her lungs. Izayoi Ame shook his head, his tone sounding remarkably relaxed: “It’s fine. My swordsmanship has always been terrible anyway.”

Du Shui spun once in mid-air, using the buoyancy of her umbrella to catch the Umizukigiri with precision. She slid the blade hidden within her umbrella back into its sheath and, hearing his words, suddenly burst into a bright, genuine smile.

She remembered the day she and Kraken had first met the young heir to the District Chief in the laboratory. The fellow had run away on his own after being scolded by the Elder Council for failing his swordsmanship class.

“Your swordsmanship really is terrible.”

Du Shui nodded in firm agreement. She did not hesitate; gripping the Umizukigiri tightly, she charged straight toward the opening torn by the whale.

In her hands, the Umizukigiri no longer emitted the gentle ripples it had when held by Izayoi Ame. Instead, it was wreathed in coiling, crimson lightning.

“…Honestly, it’s enough if I say it myself. You don’t have to repeat it.”

The blue whale was being strangled by all of Kraken’s tentacles, letting out wails of agony, yet Izayoi Ame remained calm, even finding the breath for self-deprecating humor.

Tap.

Du Shui’s final step hit the ground. Holding her umbrella aloft, her figure took flight on the wind, gliding past the massive tentacle and the blue whale trapped within its grasp. Like a weightless dandelion, she soared directly in front of Kraken.

The massive, blood-colored eye was inches away, making Du Shui’s suspended figure look exceptionally tiny. Liu Ming focused his concentration. He was even wondering if he should give Du Shui a moment to gather her courage, but to his surprise, she moved before Kraken could even focus its gaze on her.

Suspended high above Kraken by her umbrella, she screamed: “Liu Ming! Help me cut through all of this! Kill this monster!!!”

She unleashed the memories of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto.

In an instant, countless memories and rages that did not belong to her came surging forth. It was as if she had become Umizukimi-no-Mikoto herself – from a lowly fisher girl on the coast during the era of chaos, to founding the Izayoi Family, and finally to the path of slaughtering the King of Anomalies, Y008.

Those memories were too magnificent, like giant ocean waves that could easily swallow her Mental Landscape whole. For a moment, Du Shui almost thought she was about to lose her own personality, becoming nothing more than a disposable tool for Umizukimi-no-Mikoto to swing a blade in fury.

But she didn’t.

Silver-blue threads coiled around her body, steadily blocking the impact of the power brought by those memories. A small silver-blue snake poked its head out from behind her, winding around her neck and diving into the threads. It brought no discomfort; instead, a cool sensation dissipated the heat brought by the pain.

In a flash, Du Shui regained her clarity. The impact of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto’s mental strength was redistributed through the silver-blue threads to the others. The waists of Yun Zhou, Ying Huo, Liu Ming, and Izayoi Ame were instantly bent by an invisible force. Even split among five people, the terrifying mental shock was enough to make them feel a heart-wrenching pain, as if their souls were being forcibly torn apart by a pair of hands.

But… it went no further than that.

Liu Ming gritted his teeth, his body nearly prostrate on the watery platform supported by Izayoi Ame. As the center of the transmission, the severity of the backlash he endured was deeper than the others. Despite this, he struggled to tug the thread extending toward Du Shui.

Along the silver-blue thread, the shock belonging to Umizukimi-no-Mikoto was channeled rapidly toward Liu Ming, while the power flowed into Du Shui.

Her eyes remained blue, but crimson lightning coiled out from her body, spreading along the curve of the Umizukigiri.

During the years of Y008’s first awakening, the Izayoi Family, led by Umizukimi-no-Mikoto, had forged eight blades to slay the giant beast. The Umizukigiri in her hand was the last one passed down, and the only one capable of withstanding the power of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto without shattering.

【”What are you going to do?”】

The voice in her mind questioned her with fury.

【”What should you do?”】

The voice continued.

【”For the Third District, for the Izayoi Family, for all the people screaming in pain under the shadow of the King of Anomalies… what should you do?”】

“I want everything here to shatter into pieces by my rage and the long blade in my hand!”

Du Shui cast aside her umbrella, letting it drift away into the distance with the sea breeze.

She plummeted from the heights, gripping the Umizukigiri tight. In an instant, crimson light exploded along her trajectory, flowing straight down Kraken’s body and extending onto the sea, dyeing the churning waves completely red.

“What… is that?”

Yun Zhou struggled to prop himself up, seeing nothing but a continuous expanse of red light.

“It’s lightning,” Liu Ming said, taking a deep breath.

The Shiranui¹, the red “unknown fire” that burned on the sea when Umizukimi-no-Mikoto slew Kraken, was not fire burning on water at all. It was lightning.

An all-destroying lightning, summoned by the power of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto, sweeping away everything in its path.

Du Shui gripped the long sword, gathering all of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto’s power into her hands, and unleashed a strike identical to that world-ending moment hundreds of years ago.

She fell with the pull of gravity. The power of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto carried a conceptual severance; as she moved, the crimson lightning left behind a trail of blade marks that completely partitioned Kraken’s body.

Kraken let out a miserable, pained lowing. Du Shui clenched her teeth and held the sword tight.

Crimson lightning and mental energy poured from her body as if being drained to the limit. She spoke in a soft whisper.

“Goodbye… Kraken… I hope you never wake again.”

The final blade mark sliced Kraken completely in half. After seeing the behemoth’s body begin to dissipate, Du Shui allowed herself to fall into the ocean.

The warm water enveloped her, and a faint smile touched Du Shui’s lips.

She had changed things, after all.

Because after this strike, she had exhausted all of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto’s power. There would be no mental energy of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto or power of Y008 remaining.

The experience she shared with Kraken would never be replicated by anyone again.

The titan of the sea had fallen.

Beneath the fractured sky, bathed in the first rays of dawn, the horizon glowed with golden light. The creature’s remains were dissolving as its spiritual power ebbed away, collapsing rapidly into twisted patches of color that fell alongside the flowing currents.

The entire Anomaly tide across the sea had been ground to powder by that strike capable of cleaving the heavens. Now, the remnants drifted upon waves that seemed minuscule compared to the previous chaos.

Yun Zhou and Ying Huo struggled to use Flowing Wind to chase down the flying wagasa², attempting to help Du Shui retrieve her umbrella.

Izayoi Ame hadn’t even had the chance to use his final Torii. The dual impact of the Spiritual Body and Umizukimi-no-Mikoto had sent him sinking into the depths. Only after several strands of silver-blue thread reached deep into the ocean was he finally pulled back up.

Fortunately, his Spiritual Body—the blue whale, which had shrunk considerably due to its heavy injuries—was still underwater, assisting Liu Ming in hauling Izayoi Ame to the surface.

Despite its reduced size from Kraken’s assault, the blue whale still measured nearly twenty meters. Its massive body needed only to crest the surface to create a temporary landing platform on the now-calm waters.

Liu Ming grabbed Izayoi Ame, dragging him with effort onto the whale’s back. Luckily, Izayoi Ame’s affinity with water had reached a high level; when he was pulled up, Liu Ming looked down and found him already awake.

“District Chief, you seem to be doing alright?”

Liu Ming sat down beside Izayoi Ame, poking him with a faint, knowing smile. Izayoi Ame struggled to lift his gaze. “What are you doing here?”

Because of his Spiritual Body, he certainly wasn’t going to drown. In fact, he was in the safest position of anyone. For Liu Ming to come running over now…

However, Izayoi Ame soon understood why, as Hozuki’s fleet was already drawing near.

Izayoi Ame let out a short laugh. “I see. Typical of the Liu Family.” So, it was a performance for the Izayoi Family’s benefit.

Liu Ming made no attempt to hide it, simply shrugging his shoulders. “What else? Everything I do has to be seen by them, right? Otherwise, why bother? What I want is the favor.”

Izayoi Ame shook his head. “It’s not just that. You helped Du Shui far more than necessary. I thought your joining that ridiculous Savior Squad was just a matter of being forced by the Council Chairman’s demands at the time…”

“It seems the Liu Family has other objectives after all.”

Liu Ming wasn’t surprised in the least. “The Council Chairman is very thorough. She didn’t actually need to pull me into this, but there are some things a man of honor simply cannot do. That’s fine; I can do them. You have what you can do, and I have what I can do. It’s the perfect arrangement. Everyone profits, so why not?”

Izayoi Ame stared at him with his triple-layered blue eyes and suddenly smiled. “The sense of justice I had in my youth always made me despise people like you. You remind me of those shrewd, unscrupulous types in the Izayoi Family.”

He paused, then quickly added, “But now, as the Family Head, I can only express my approval of your actions. Liu Ming, you will make an excellent District Chief for the First District.”

Liu Ming smiled. “Thank you. Fortunately, I’ve never held the kind of ideals you once did, so I don’t feel any regret when they’re lost.”

“Izayoi Ame, I’m glad you’ve realized that we are actually the same. Right now, your value as ‘District Chief’ has vanished as far as I’m concerned. Since Hozuki and the others have already seen me save you, they’ll have no choice but to feel indebted to the Liu Family. At least for this brief moment, your time belongs to you.”

Liu Ming didn’t look at Izayoi Ame, but the threads extending from his fingertips pointed unerringly toward where Kraken had submerged. Beneath the constantly peeling and shattering remains of Y008, upon the back of a massive Anomaly on the calm sea, stood the shrine maiden in the blue dress.

“Go see her. We’ll clean up here. She must be waiting for you to mourn with her.”

Izayoi Ame gave him a deep look, nodded, and rose to leave.

Only two words drifted back on the wind: “My thanks.”

Upon the sea, atop the yet-to-melt corpse of the dead Anomaly, Du Shui reached out. Several sparks of electricity flickered at her fingertips, like celebratory fireworks for a farewell.

It wasn’t the red electricity belonging to Umizukimi-no-Mikoto, but Du Shui’s own blue lightning.

The two jellyfish appeared behind her, but under the influence of that blue electricity, they rapidly collapsed and disintegrated. The traces of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto, which had been forcibly modified onto her, were fading fast, while Du Shui’s own Spiritual Body was restructuring itself.

The spiritual power that had been suppressed for years no longer had to maintain the form of jellyfish; it returned to its original shape.

It was a pale blue, beautiful, and gracefully fluttering giant electric ray.

“Congratulations. You finally have your own Spiritual Body.”

Izayoi Ame stepped onto the back of the Anomaly with difficulty, his frame still somewhat unsteady. Clutching his chest, he walked up behind Du Shui, looking up with her at the shattering remains of Y008.

“Yes. Thank you.”

Du Shui turned her head. Her hair seemed to melt into the sea breeze under the morning sun, causing Izayoi Ame to daze for a moment.

After the incident at the laboratory, Du Shui, who had been imprisoned, escaped. At the time, the Elder Council’s attitude toward her could be summed up in one word: “Eliminate.”

Izayoi Ame’s nominal “father,” the previous District Chief, was the Elder Council’s most loyal leader. His mind had been completely manipulated by Hela. Izayoi Ame had no choice but to lead a team to find the girl. Fortunately, perhaps by some arrangement of fate, he found Du Shui at the highest point of the East Island—the top of a financial skyscraper—before the Elder Council’s team could get there.

At that time, Du Shui was on the verge of losing her self-awareness, her eyes completely turned blood-red.

No one dared to approach. No one wanted to get near an Experimental Subject who was only a few years old but radiated red electricity from every inch of her body. Only Izayoi Ame approached her, making no attempt to avoid the swirling currents of lightning.

Izayoi Ame stood amidst the flickering electricity, his hand resting on the katana at his side. He remained still, silent for a long moment before finally asking, “You want to go see the world for Kraken, don’t you?”

Back then, Du Shui had been nearly unconscious, yet she seemed to recall something and nodded vigorously.

Du Shui looked up, her eyes showing a rare moment of clarity amidst the madness. She said, “Kraken has left.”

Du Shui had been just like this then, leaning against the glass railing of the rooftop as she turned around. They stood on a high platform, overlooking this bustling city, one of the most prosperous in all seven districts.

“I… I want to leave here too.”

I want to go see it.

Izayoi Ame sighed. “Then go. I’ll handle things with the Family Head for you.”

At that time, he was only a teenager, not even old enough to attend Tree Tower Academy.

The things he could do were so insignificant. Caught in the struggle between the former District Chief and the Elder Council, he was powerless. But at the very least, if he gave it everything he had, he could give her freedom. One day, she would find friends who could walk alongside her.

So Izayoi Ame devised a plan. He let Du Shui go, then secretly helped her erase her memories and mixed her in with the other experimental subjects being exiled from the Third District.

As long as she could leave the Third District, leaving this place gave her a chance.

At the time, Izayoi Ame thought it would be best if she never returned. If she came back, nothing awaited her but the relentless schemes and grief of the Elder Council.

It was better to forget. Forget him, forget everything that happened in the Third District, and live well, just as Kraken had hoped.

However, Du Shui had failed to forget after all, and she had ultimately returned here because of Y008’s summons.

“Truly detestable, this wretched fate.”

Izayoi Ame sighed, his voice very low as if speaking to himself, but Du Shui heard him clearly.

Du Shui nodded. “Indeed.”

But she clearly had more to say. “I still remember you. You were the one who let me go, weren’t you? Big Brother?”

She gave the last two words a playful lilt. Izayoi Ame froze, then quickly coughed to hide his loss of composure.

When he was a child, he would often run to the laboratory after being scolded by his father or the Elder Council to bring Kraken and Du Shui novel toys and delicious treats. Back then, relying on being a few years older, he had acted profoundly when the two little girls asked for his name: “Just think of me as a passing older brother.”

He hadn’t expected Du Shui to use that to tease him now.

“Just call me District Chief. Or Izayoi Ame is fine.”

Izayoi Ame felt a bit flustered.

“Fine,” Du Shui sighed. “I hate you, District Chief. I remember it clearly. I hadn’t even made a decision yet, but you dragged me off to have my memories wiped.”

“…Sorry. The situation was too urgent then. We were a bit late in our movements, and those fanatics on the Elder Council who were influenced by Y007 had already implanted part of Kraken into you… I was afraid that if we waited any longer…”

He truly was in the wrong regarding that matter, and Izayoi Ame’s voice grew quieter and quieter.

Du Shui smiled and didn’t pursue the topic further. “Fortunately, I found my way back to you all.”

Izayoi Ame sighed and patted Du Shui’s shoulder. “Du Shui… the Council Chairman’s plan is certainly not that simple. In any case, if you need help, find me. You are always welcome back to the Third District.”

Although the Second Elder had passed away, becoming a wandering soul under Y007’s command, his words remained in Izayoi Ame’s mind.

I will do my best to treat the passing years with gentleness, no matter how detestable they may be.

So he would no longer dwell on useless things. Like Du Shui, he would continue to move forward.

The two of them stopped talking, quietly watching Y008’s remains continue to dissipate until the sky grew bright and Yun Zhou’s loud voice rang out from the air.

“Du Shui! District Chief!”

Yun Zhou and the other two arrived with Hozuki’s fleet and pulled the two of them onto the ship. Yun Zhou circled Du Shui several times, only letting out a sigh of relief once he was certain she was unharmed.

“Thank goodness! Du Shui, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Yun Zhou’s eyes were still sparkling. Du Shui smiled. “Not only am I okay, I have a new Spiritual Body.”

She closed her eyes, and arcs of electricity flickered around her. As the power of Umizukimi-no-Mikoto faded, she finally possessed a Spiritual Body of her own.

“Whoa-“

Faced with the newly appeared Spiritual Body, both Yun Zhou and Ying Huo let out exclamations of admiration. Only Liu Ming, who stood to the side wanting to say nothing at all, silently took a step back.

Liu Ming’s mouth twitched as he hid his trembling fingertips behind his back. Why is it an electric ray… those things specifically eat sea snakes!

Translator’s Notes