Chapter 196 The Black Sun Great Ceremony

Suren sensed that the officers of the 19th North Sea Fleet had entered the Imperial Garden, naturally to meet Emperor Meiji of the current Shinobu clan.

To be precise, they weren't there to pay respects, but to hold talks.

According to the status that the Sydonian Empire recognized for Oleg, the "King of the North Sea" was the legitimate lord of the vast North Sea, with territory including the four countries of North Continent.

Oleg's envoys naturally had the same status as the kings of the affiliated territories.

However, Suren also anticipated that the negotiations would not go smoothly.

Because he had asked Miko beforehand, and knew that the Imperial Shinobu clan's attitude would be very tough, and they would not compromise even if it meant mutual destruction.

After all, they represented not only imperial power but also divine authority.

If they were to yield, the entire belief system would immediately collapse, and the people's hearts would be unstable, which would be a real disaster.

Sure enough, not long after the pirate group entered, countless powerful auras suddenly erupted.

There were pirates, as well as those imperial family retainers who had been hidden in various places.

The two sides were tense and unwilling to give in, and their momentum grew higher and higher.

This made the Imperial Palace, which was originally full of flowers and birds, suddenly become turbulent.

However, in an instant, a domineering aura suddenly descended. It felt as if a black hole-like suction force had appeared all around, seeming to devour the entire palace complex. That terrifying, heart-palpitating pressure swept over everyone's hearts.

In an instant, the momentum of those strongmen representing Yamakage was suppressed and died down.

This was absolute suppression of strength.

In the library, Suren was still flipping through the books.

Feeling the domineering and unparalleled aura, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he muttered to himself, "Gluttonous Domain... The ability of a Tier 7 professional to control a method of law is truly terrifying."

The second awakening of "Gluttonous General" Ixchel Peon, [B-010-Glutton], probably meant that no one in Yamakage could match him.

However, the Shinobu clan was not without the power to fight.

Although Yamakage Country was indeed far behind the North Sea Fleet in terms of high-level experts, weapons, and equipment.

But they also had the "Power of the Gods."

Suren had seen the fourth floor of the library.

The foundation of the Shinobu clan was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

If they really fought, they were still confident of inflicting mutual damage.

But after the fight, wouldn't the Takeda shogunate become the fisherman who benefits?

And what role did "Sorcerer" Abe no Yasuna and the "third party" Katyusha family behind him play?

"It's very complicated..."

While reading, Suren's mind flashed through these thoughts.

The current situation in Yamakage was like a pool of muddy water, but he had no interest in political matters.

He only wanted to say goodbye when Miko came later, and then leave the library.

Tomorrow's "Black Sun Great Ceremony" was bound to have major changes, and the Imperial Palace was not safe, so Suren had to prepare early.

.......

Before long, the pirate group, who had come with ill intentions, left, teasing the palace maids and laughing and playing along the way.

As expected, they didn't fight, probably because they had negotiated some compromise conditions.

A quarter of an hour after the noise disappeared, Suren put down the book in his hand and finally got up.

He looked towards the entrance of the library.

At this time, Miko Shinobu, wearing a red and white shrine maiden's outfit, walked in.

Suren glanced at her, and his eyes paused slightly.

Miko was the Saiō who served the goddess Amaterasu. She had been fasting and bathing in incense for the past three days, preparing for tomorrow's great ceremony. Although her temperament looked fresh and elegant before, she still had some "humanity". Now, she was completely devoid of worldliness. There was even a faint layer of fluorescence on her body, and her aura was ethereal, almost divine.

She looked at Suren and bowed slightly as a matter of etiquette, "Mr. Suren, shall we take a walk together?"

Suren nodded in response, knowing that she wanted to see him off, and said, "Miss Miko is so busy, there's no need to see me off personally."

Before returning to Edo, there was still a mutually beneficial transaction. Now, Miko was taking time out of her busy schedule to see him off, which showed that she really regarded him as a friend.

A hint of emotion finally appeared in Miko's beautiful eyes, and she smiled faintly, "Mr. Suren is Miko's friend, so naturally I have to see you off personally."

Hearing these words, Suren's expression remained unchanged, but he felt the weight in her words.

Although they had been quite familiar with each other during these days, Miko had never mentioned the word "friend."

The situation in Yamakage was not optimistic, and she probably knew that after this meeting, there might not be another opportunity to say goodbye.

The two walked out and entered the Imperial Garden they had walked through before.

Last time, it was late at night, and the lights were bright.

Now, it was dusk, and there were large patches of red clouds in the sky.

The cherry blossoms in the garden were in full bloom, and the frogs in the lotus pond reflected the shadows of the two of them.

The two didn't speak for a long time, and only the faint sound of the wind could be heard.

Suren felt that he should say something, so he asked, "I saw the people from the North Sea Fleet came earlier. The negotiations weren't very smooth?"

Miko's white wooden clogs made a "clink" sound on the stone slabs.

Hearing this, she replied calmly, "The outcome of the negotiations doesn't matter. The high priest of Iga Shrine used divine arts to divine the result. The foreign invaders will be annihilated in the wrath of the gods. Naturally, there's nothing to worry about. The trouble now is the Takeda shogunate's actions..."

Divination?

With this level of divination, I'm afraid that "high priest" won't survive either.

But... that's not important.

The ending was actually that the North Sea Fleet would be wiped out by the gods?!

Suren raised his eyebrows when he heard this.

The topic that he had casually brought up seemed to have revealed a big secret.

But if the plot really developed like this, it would be even more incomprehensible.

As it seemed now, the North Sea Fleet was "invincible" in Yamakage!

What kind of power could destroy a 10,000-man fleet with a Tier 7 professional and super-modern equipment?

Could it be the Shinobu clan's secret methods?

The matter had become even more confusing.

Suren didn't ask any more questions.

Miko was willing to say such a top secret, which obviously meant that she didn't regard him as an outsider.

At the same time, Suren was inexplicably relieved, because he felt that these unruly pirates were more troublesome than the Takeda shogunate, and it would be better if a mysterious force could deal with them.

After a pause, Miko continued, "Due to pressure from various parties, the Takeda shogunate has mobilized a large number of troops to Edo in the past few days, which looks like they are preparing to fight those pirates. But in fact, they are targeting our imperial family. Seventy percent of the lords near Edo are loyal to Takeda Nobunaga. There will definitely be fighting at tomorrow's great ceremony. Please, Mr. Suren and Miss Chizuru, do not approach Iga Shrine, the Imperial Palace, and Mount Hakuyun. These places..."

At this moment, her expression and tone were devoid of any emotion.

Suren pondered, but didn't speak.

Although they weren't afraid of trouble, he and Chizuru were currently unable to get involved in this kind of national war-level battle.

After thinking about it, he asked, "What about that Mitegura Yuhime?"

Miko said, "Our intelligence agents haven't found her踪迹. She probably knew that she had been exposed and was hiding somewhere."

"Oh."

Suren's brows furrowed slightly.

Ever since he learned that Mitegura Yuhime was an artificial human [Pandora], he felt that there was another wave of "great conspiracy" brewing in the dark.

But at this time, there was no time to say more.

The two had already reached the palace gate of the Imperial Palace.

Miko stopped there and bowed slightly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Suren, I can only see you off here. After bathing in incense, I can't leave the Imperial Palace."

Suren nodded, "Okay."

He turned around and glanced at her, "Miss Miko, take care."

Miko's crystal eyes flickered, and a smile finally appeared on her lips, "Mr. Suren, you too."

........

Suren left the Imperial Palace and then found Chizuru gambling in a gambling den in Ginza in the western district.

Before long, the two were walking on the street.

After killing a deputy captain of the North Sea Fleet a few days ago, Chizuru also kept a low profile, changed into a ronin outfit, and wore a bamboo hat to cover her face.

She casually carried the linen-wrapped demon sword on her shoulder and patted Suren's shoulder with one hand, teasing, "How is it? Have you been getting along well with Miss Miko these days?"

Suren raised his eyebrows, "I had someone to take care of my food and lodging, so it was not bad."

He had been staying in the library these days, and there was nothing special to say, so he explained it in a few words.

"That's it?"

Chizuru didn't hear what she wanted to hear, and her expression was slightly boring, "Didn't anything special happen?"

"Oh, there really was."

Thinking of something, Suren said again, "I found a novel by Fujiwara Hayato in the library..."

As he said that, he told Chizuru what he knew.

When Chizuru heard this, she, who was originally not interested in any literary giants, suddenly became interested and was very surprised, "Does the Land of the Dead really exist?"

"Yes, I also find it a little hard to believe."

Suren shrugged, took out the [Ghost Train Ticket] and showed it, adding, "But it should be real."

He looked at the Edo residents on the street who were burning paper money to worship their ancestors, and a strong expression of contemplation appeared in his eyes.

Recently, the probability of ghosts and monsters appearing in the city had become more and more frequent, and this situation was very abnormal no matter how you looked at it.

He asked, "Chizuru, do you think this 'Land of the Dead Manifestation' might be man-made?"

"It shouldn't be."

Chizuru pondered for a while before saying, "Certain special cursed objects do have the ability to affect the real world on a large scale. But the current situation is definitely not something that ordinary [Sealed Objects] can create. Apart from those indescribable divine powers, I really can't think of any other possibilities. If there really is someone who can control such power, they probably don't need to wait for the 'Black Sun Great Ceremony' to replace the Shinobu clan."

"Yes."

Suren nodded, that's what he thought too.

Chizuru rolled her eyes and said, "However, the Shinobu clan's situation is very bad now. Miko's situation is not optimistic in tomorrow's battle..."

As friends, they naturally couldn't stand by and watch Miko in danger.

If they could help in some way, they would definitely take action.

But Miko's identity was very special, whether she was a princess or a Saiō, she was destined to participate in the chaos.

This was not an easy favor to do.

Moreover, given the complexity of the situation, Suren and Chizuru couldn't guess what would happen tomorrow.

They could only take it one step at a time.

......

As they walked, Chizuru saw a wine shop on the street and tilted her head to ask, "Are you hungry?"

Suren shook his head, "I just ate before coming out."

Chizuru: "Oh, then let's find a place to rest."

There was something to do tomorrow, so she had to conserve her energy, and she didn't plan to hang out in the gambling den.

The two walked a few steps and saw a high-end inn called "Benia", so they went to open a room.

Because she knew that the situation in Edo was very complicated, Chizuru had already arranged for Lolota and the other crew members on the ship to leave Edo in advance.

Now, it had become just the two of them alone.

But they were used to it.

After setting up a barrier in the room, the two began to meditate and sit cross-legged on the tatami mats in the inn.

Suren undid his Spider Spear armor and played with his strange puppets.

When he saw Chizuru took out that simple carving knife, his aura suddenly overflowed, and he asked curiously, "Chizuru, why do I feel that your sword intent has changed from before?"

This feeling was a bit like the feeling when Chizuru got the demon sword Sojasamushi, and her kendo realm suddenly rose a level.

"Yes."

Holding the sword in her hand, Chizuru's eyes always had a sharp look.

She smacked her lips and said, "A few days ago, that girl gave me the 'Secret True Transmission of the Akutagawa Ittō-ryū'. After studying it for the past few days, I have gained a lot of insight. My sword intent also shows signs of transforming into qi, and I have touched the threshold of the highest realm of kendo. It's a pity that I'm always a little short of it, and I don't even know where I'm lacking."

(Kendo Realms: Swordsman - Great Swordsman - Sword Saint - Sword God)

Speaking of this, she sighed, "Ah, if only I could ask a Sword Saint for guidance in person..."

There were not many people who could give her guidance in kendo at that time. She came to Yamakage for the sake of the contemporary Sword Saint, Akutagawa Ryuichi, but she didn't expect that he had already passed away.

Suddenly, Chizuru thought of something again, and her eyes were burning, "If there really are those ancient Sword Saints and Sword Gods in the Land of the Dead, don't even mention it, I really want to go and see."

Suren: "Are you talking about that Yagyu Jubei, the Sword Saint from a hundred years ago that we met before?"

Chizuru shrugged, "Yes. Unfortunately, I haven't met him since that day."

"..."

Hearing this, Suren's mind flashed.

A thought suddenly popped up in his mind: Could the Land of the Dead Manifestation have something to do with Fujiwara Hayato?

After all, that great writer was the only person known in the world to have been to the Land of the Dead.

Even a Shinto shrine maiden like Miko couldn't compare to him in terms of this knowledge.

However, thoughts were just thoughts, and Suren didn't know how to connect the two with a logical relationship that he recognized.

.......

The next day, Edo Castle became lively early in the morning.

The "Black Sun Great Ceremony" was the most important sacrificial event in Yamakage.

On this day, people would hold grand celebrations in order to use the festivities to attract the goddess Amaterasu to return to the human world.

The streets were filled with floats made by craftsmen these days, and the Phi Ii River was also filled with hundreds of colorful boats and cruise ships, and the banks of the river were full of people in盛装.

Sumo performances, geisha processions, lion dances, big drums...

The parade stretched for several miles, and they would follow the Phi Ii River from the South City to the Imperial Palace at the foot of Mount Hakujitsu, where shrine maidens would hold ceremonies and sacrifices. Finally, when the Black Sun descended, there would be a grand fireworks display, and then the Saiō Miko Shinobu in Iga Shrine would perform a Kagura dance to summon the goddess Amaterasu, and the sunlight would return to the earth...

This was a sacrificial procedure that had been going on for thousands of years.

Suren had seen it on the murals on the fourth floor of the Imperial Palace library.

The current situation was exactly the same.

Because Miko had reminded them, Suren and Chizuru did not approach Iga Shrine or the Imperial Palace at the foot of Mount Hakujitsu.

If a fight really broke out, the main battlefield would be like a meat grinder, and even with strong abilities, they might be affected.

The two of them were on a hillside several miles away from the shrine, observing with binoculars.

Because he had carefully asked Miko, and coupled with Suren's own half-baked astrological skills, he was sure that the solar eclipse would occur at about 12:15 noon.

There were still about half an hour left.

The two of them observed in the binoculars for a while, and they had already seen a large number of troops and warriors gathered.

Chizuru said, "The Takeda shogunate and the North Sea Fleet have both arrived. It seems that they are preparing to attack..."

Suren carefully searched in the crowd, "The shogunate general Takeda Nobunaga has appeared, but Mitegura Yuhime hasn't appeared yet..."

.......

On the other hand.

At the docks of Edo Castle, dozens of pirate ships of the North Sea Fleet were flying their flags in the wind.

The muzzles of hundreds of cannons had been raised in unison, aiming at the palace complex at the foot of Mount Hakujitsu.

As long as an order was given, these large-caliber cannons would bring Edo Castle round after round of firepower coverage.

On the deck of the main ship, the fleet commander of the 9th Fleet, "Gluttonous General" Ixchel Peon, and the officers had fully armed and gathered.

"Boss, the Shinobu clan is still refusing to sign the treaty!"

"Since those guys don't know what's good for them, then prepare for battle. Hmph, it's good, those guys won't submit willingly unless we use force to subdue them."

"Yes, Boss."

"Although we have signed the treaty, let's wait for the shogunate guys to make the first move. I always feel that Takeda Nobunaga has other intentions in his stomach, and we'll also test their determination..."

"Yes!"

.......

"There are two minutes left."

Wearing sunglasses, Suren looked at the pocket watch in his hand from time to time, and then looked at the sky.

Chizuru next to him was lying there, taking a nap with her eyes closed.

The weather was very good today, with not a cloud in the sky.

The sun in the sky was turning white, and as time passed, some black light threads gradually appeared on the edge of the sun's halo.

As it seemed now, there was no unexpected situation except for the expected North Sea Fleet and Takeda shogunate.

Suren was also very curious about the divination result that Miko said, what method would the gods use to destroy those dozens of pirate ships at the pier.

Also, does the goddess Amaterasu really exist?

"There's one minute left..."

Because they were watching the battle from several kilometers away, the two of them were very calm. No matter how chaotic the cannonballs were, they wouldn't be able to hit them in this direction.

The two watched as the sky gradually darkened, and the solar eclipse was about to begin before their eyes.

But suddenly, Suren's expression turned stern.

"Eh..."

Because at this time, his left eye identified something special.

The words [Sunlight] suddenly changed to [Some light with curse properties]...

Suren's first reaction was that perhaps the solar eclipse was different from other places because of Yamakage Country's beliefs?

But when he thought of the complicated situation in Yamakage, he had a faint premonition that was not very good.

Then, in a very short period of time, the sun in the sky was slowly eaten away by the darkness, becoming incomplete, a semicircle, and finally turning into a black sphere with a halo.

Looking closely, it was strangely black.

But at this moment, Suren saw something and suddenly blurted out: "Holy shit!"

Because at this time, the solar eclipse phenomenon that he identified in his eyes turned into a large string of descriptions of the cursed space.

[Fatal Novel - Land of the Dead]

Detailed explanation: A specially triggered cursed space, this is the world of the dead. Those who do not have faith in gods in the place where the light of the Black Sun shines will be sucked into the space: Even for top professionals, this is a 'T-level' space; After entering, the qi of the Land of the Dead will corrode the yang energy of the living, eventually assimilating them into ghosts. Spiritual power absorption, food, and drinking water will accelerate this process; Only by obtaining the approval of the gods in the world of the book can you come out.

Chizuru next to him was startled by Suren's exclamation and woke up suddenly, asking, "What's wrong?"

Looking again, Suren's face had turned as black as the sun.

Suren's eyes twitched violently, and his tone was shocked and unbelievable, "Something big has happened..."

Chizuru also immediately realized the seriousness of the matter, because she had never seen Suren so out of control.

Suren murmured to himself, "Just now... someone took advantage of the solar eclipse to pollute the sun."

"What???"

Chizuru's face was also filled with astonishment when she heard this.

She looked up at the dark sun and finally her face changed.

......

Seeing this, Suren understood everything after completing the last piece of the puzzle in his mind.

Fujiwara Hayato's novel about his experiences in the Land of the Dead had really been written!

It had also become a very advanced cursed object!

Novel Manifestation...

No wonder it was so familiar.

Suren thought of his experience at 88 Ginkgo Street in Old London.

Most importantly, someone had used this cursed novel to create a "T-level cursed space" and then polluted the sun, bringing all places illuminated by sunlight within the influence of the space.

Although he didn't know how large the scope of this cursed space could affect, at least none of the non-believers in Edo Castle would be able to escape!

No wonder Miko's divination result was the annihilation of the North Sea Fleet, so that was how it was...

Suren and the others originally planned to watch the fire from the other side of the river.

Thinking that they were so far away, and that they weren't wooden people, it would naturally be difficult for them to be affected by the main battlefield.

If there was an opportunity, they could still help Miko.

But who the hell would have thought that someone would throw out a shocking "trump card" before the battle even started!

He thought for a moment, and a thought flashed through his mind: "Mitegura Yuhime?"

But looking again, the surrounding scenery changed, and he had already been sucked into the cursed space by the black light.