Chapter 122
Chapter 122
3. The Sukui God
"I knew it..."
Miyaki took a step back, her lips trembling.
"I always thought it was strange. The legend never mentioned what happened to the family who offered their daughter as a sacrifice. If the story was meant to serve as a lesson about a god who watches over evil, then it should have told whether they were punished or repented. But there was nothing."
"There's more weird stuff than just that."
The God of Bountiful Harvest replied nonchalantly.
"That part about the ones who found the Sacred Tree giving it a name. It was already that kind of tree, so that doesn't make sense."
"Does that mean the god's form changed in response to the sacrificed daughter's wish...?"
"Then it becomes a question of what it was like before. The reason we don't know is because there's nothing to compare it to. Everyone who knew the past is gone."
"No way..."
"Those silhouettes burned by lightning—were they really evil spirits?"
The God of Bountiful Harvest raised the corners of their mouth, visible even beneath the mask.
"I figured it out after I took a bite. The trunk of that tree had fibers from old men, children, men, women—all mixed in. It wasn't just one girl. Probably more than a hundred people have been swallowed up."
The sound of trees swaying in the wind flooded the surroundings like ripples. Akitsu ground her molars.
"Just like Miyaki sensed, 'Sukui' was a name added later, inspired by the branch shaped like an arm and the leftover sign with the character for 'Ketsu'."
"Then, what's this god's true name...?"
"The Crucified God, I'd say."
"That's an old name too."
Amid the rustling of trees and the cool breeze, a dignified voice answered. It was a man's voice, unlike anyone present. There was no sign of anyone nearby.
"Above."
From high in the great tree, a pair of eyes peeked through the thick foliage like dark green clouds. The pale blue glowing eyes looked like condensed lightning.
Before Miyaki and the others could react, something dropped from the tree. A humanoid figure landed on the ground.
Standing before the three was a man with deep green hair, as if reflecting the color of the trees.
His well-defined features and smooth skin resembled a finely carved Buddha statue. He wore a pale white under-robe with a blue and green overcoat, an outfit that evoked both vegetation and the dawning sky.
Though he appeared to be a handsome man, the four arms peeking from his sleeves revealed he was something beyond human.
Slender, fragile female arms overlapped the supple yet firm arms of the man.
"How very..."
The God of Bountiful Harvest sneered. The four-armed man frowned in displeasure.
"You reek of blood. I imagine the stench of hell's cauldron would smell like you. To bring such a being here..."
The translucent blue eyes glared at Miyaki.
"You there, human—what is your purpose?"
"...I came to investigate you."
"Such vulgar behavior. I won't allow you to ogle my wife with curious eyes."
"That's not my intent. What we want to understand is your true nature."
The male god spread the sleeves of his overcoat and crossed all four arms.
"If you wish to hear, I shall tell you. My true nature is to fulfill my wife's prayer."
"By 'wife,' do you mean the girl who was sacrificed?"
"Indeed. She was oppressed by humans and chose to end her own life. Then it falls to a god to save her."
Each time the god spoke, a chill swept through the twilight forest. Miyaki hid her goosebumps as she replied.
"You made the man who was just here disappear, didn't you? Or perhaps 'absorbed' is the better word."
"Do you mean to reprimand me? Do you think that man had any value in living?"
"Neither you nor I have the right to decide that."
The four-armed god slightly lifted his nose and exhaled a cold breath.
"When my wife came to me, I refused the offering. I told her I lacked such power. She said that was fine. She had no intention of sacrificing her life for her village or family. She just wanted to escape this painful existence. She said that alone made me a worthy god. With her fragile body bent and her worn hands pressed to the ground, she prayed. How could I abandon her?"
"So, you took revenge on the villagers who oppressed her?"
"That's not all. I vowed to become a god who ensures no other unfortunate girl like my wife would ever be born again."
"That's not true."
Akitsu muttered briefly and pointed to the base of the great tree. Between the thick, entwined roots like a soft-bodied creature, a camera and tripod were embedded.
Miyaki's eyes widened.
"This is..."
The Sukui God glared at Akitsu through strands of green hair.
"First I thought you were human, but you too? Your scent is faint. Still young, are you?"
"I'm just like you. Born from human wishes. Unlike you, I can't do anything, but thanks to your story, I've begun to understand who I am."
"What?"
"You're not just someone who punishes those who oppress the weak. To maintain your identity as such a god, you even absorbed those who threatened your secrecy. Isn't that right?"
Akitsu's gaze pierced straight through. The four-armed god furrowed his brow and spoke gravely.
"Young god. Then what will you do?"
"Sukui God, I can't leave you alone."
"That's also an old name. I was once desired as a hero who judges evil. My current name is the God of Excellence."
Thunder erased his words.
A flash of lightning dyed the green forest. A delayed roar shook the trees, and the ground heaved.
"Miyaki!"
Akitsu grabbed Miyaki's arm as she was nearly blown away by the shockwave. The tempest shook the surroundings. Trees snapped from the roots and began to fall.
"This is insane...!"
Akitsu bit her lip and looked up at the sky. The god standing at the base of the great tree remained motionless, arms still crossed. Lightning poured down like a torrential rain, illuminating the world without boundary.
Miyaki and Akitsu ran through the forest, buffeted by the wind.
"We're in serious trouble like this!"
"I know. But I..."
Akitsu hung her head deeply, grinding her molars as if to suppress hatred.
"Bountiful!"
"You're coming to me for help?"
The God of Bountiful Harvest let out a grin and removed their mask.
"A god has to answer prayers, right?"
Like a cursed flower blooming, a mouth filled with layers of teeth opened.
As the ground rose and split, the God of Bountiful Harvest kicked off the earth.
A white whirlwind leapt through the lightning. In an instant, the wind closed in on the Sukui God, and a bony heel tore through the air.
"Evil god...!"
The Sukui God narrowly dodged, and the kick struck right beside him.
The trunk of the great tree creaked and caved in at the center. Scattered wood chips caught lightning and burst into flames.
"What's so evil about me? I'm fighting for humans, you know."
The Sukui God flipped his overcoat and extended all four arms. Before the lower two could catch him, the God of Bountiful Harvest stomped on the upper pair. Blood oozed from the slender arms.
"Don't touch my wife!"
"I'm not touching her."
The God of Bountiful Harvest bared their fangs. Just before biting down, the Sukui God swung up a thick arm.
Countless teeth shredded the arm and bit off the green-haired head.
A retaliatory bolt of lightning blasted the God of Bountiful Harvest away.
Riding the shockwave, they flew between the trees and landed vertically on a nearby trunk. Torn bark clung to their exposed fangs.
"If you're gonna feed me, make it the human parts."
The God of Bountiful Harvest spat out wood chips and saliva.
Amid the haze of lightning and dust, the Sukui God stood still. From the gouged right half of his face, tree limbs sprouted like octopus tentacles, repairing the wound. The Sukui God glared in displeasure.
"At least laugh or cry a little. Your wife's gonna get fed up with you."
"Don't mock me using my wife."
Lightning struck again. The God of Bountiful Harvest darted through the endless thunder, slicing trees to build a barricade without even showing the moment of the bite.
"To think an evil god like you would protect humans. Are you trying to let that girl escape?"
"I've always been on the humans' side. A rancher loves their livestock, after all."
"I suppose you're just using that human too."
"That sounds bad... But with all this noise, no one's listening anyway."
The God of Bountiful Harvest retreated using the collapsing trees as footholds. Behind them, a scooter covered in mud came into view.
The God of Bountiful Harvest kicked up the rear wheel with their emaciated leg.
The iron mass sliced through the wind and hurtled toward the Sukui God.
"Pathetic."
A bolt of lightning flashed, and the scooter exploded. The leaking gasoline ignited, and a fireball erupted.
"Gotta make use of human civilization's power too."
Fingers as thin as wire pierced through the flames. The God of Bountiful Harvest approached the Sukui God, unfazed by the fire clinging to them. Burnt chains coiled around their four arms.
A chain extended from the burning scooter and wrapped around the Sukui God. The God of Bountiful Harvest smiled with a scorched, blistered cheek, baring their teeth.
The chain spun. Like the manifestation of the Black Rope Hell, the burning chain hurled the Sukui God off the cliff at the forest's edge.