User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater ∂: Those Who Change History, chapter 6

The black-clothed man sheathed his blade, the Kongō herd behind him falling instantly to pieces. As Shingen witnessed, the man’s skill was absolutely without match. Surely, he would be able to protect Shingen and his men, and perhaps even he would be able to drive back and suppress Nobunaga’s ambitions…

“Uesugi Kenshin,” Shingen began, approaching the black-clothed man. “I am truly grateful for your assistance. My men and I owe you our lives.”

“Please, milord, stay your praise,” came Kenshin’s response.

Uesugi Kenshin had arrived from the Kamigui headquarters not half an hour prior, and had been met with a herd of Kongō Aragami, a large simian beast with massive fists capable of smashing anything to dust. They had surrounded Kenshin, but with a single stroke of his black blade, the man unsheathed and re-sheathed his weapon, turning his back to the Aragami as they all fell to pieces simultaneously. No one could see what Kenshin had done — however, in actuality, Kenshin’s blade, in a split second, had extended its length and whipped across the bodies of the approaching Kongō, rending them apart like a sharp piece of wire.

Was this truly the power of those who wore the title of Kamigui? Surely, Shingen thought, this man alone should be more than capable of halting Nobunaga’s conquest in its tracks…

…but Shingen also realized that this was not why Kenshin had come, nor was it in his position to issue orders to the Kamigui agent. He was a contracted soldier outside of Shingen’s command. And besides, if he wanted to, Kenshin could likely reduce all of Japan to rubble… but the times, and their otherworldly foes, meant that this would likely not happen.

“Milord,” came Kenshin’s voice as he approached Shingen, “there is one thing I would like to caution you about.”

Shingen was on edge now. “…What is it, Kenshin?”

“Are you familiar with the Kojiki?”

Shingen did not like where this was going.

“I am,” he replied, “but what does this have to do with our current situation?”

“I will explained,” interjected Kenshin. “Surely you are familiar with the tale of the Yamata-no-Orochi, correct? In which the god Susano’o slays the vicious eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent and saves Kushinada-hime’s life?”

“I am,” Shingen repeated. “But please get to the point. What is it you are getting at?”

“What I am getting at,” replied Kenshin, “is that the Yamata-no-Orochi may not be as mythical as the legends suggest.”

Shingen shivered. “You… you mean…?”

“I do,” Kenshin continued. “Our reports for some time now have hinted at the existence of a sinister serpentine Aragami that slumbers deep beneath the bowels of the earth, an Aragami with multiple heads that commands divine golden flames. It is not a threat for now, but we must be ever vigilant in the case of its awakening…"

Kenshin walked off, leaving Shingen alone with his thoughts. Could the legendary Yamata-no-Orochi truly exist, asleep beneath his very feet?

He hoped he would never have to find out.

-

TO BE CONTINUED