Chapter 924

At the moment the hearts of both sides began to erode each other like the world itself, the entire Desire Palace trembled. Crimson curtains were torn by two utterly opposing forces—on one side, Ahiru's Mahākāla Dharma Image, black as night, three eyes wide open, the vertical pupil on his forehead flowing with lava-like light. He held a trident, surrounded by ash and flames, barefoot on cracked earth, each step making the palace's foundations groan. On the other, behind Uesugi Muneyuki in the void, five Wisdom Kings appeared in succession.

The first to manifest was Aizen Myōō, his entire body crimson, six arms each holding a bow and arrow, vajra bell, lotus flower, jeweled mirror, hooked rope, and cintamani. His flame was the flame of desire and transformation; drawing his bow, he shot arrows that became countless red lotuses, falling into Mahākāla's ash domain, blooming into a sea of red flowers.

Mahākāla's black flames swept over the flower sea; the flowers withered in the fire, then bloomed anew in the ash.

The second, Kongō Yasha Myōō, his entire body deep blue, three faces and six arms, fangs bared.

In each of his hands he gripped a weapon of subjugation; the vajra pestle traced white lightning in the darkness as Miyahara Toru charged toward Mahākāla, the pestle smashing into the chest of that black Dharma Image, the trident sweeping sideways to drive him back.

His destructive force caused a corner of the palace to collapse completely, bricks and stones turning to chalk dust as they fell.

The third, Daiitoku Myōō, ox-headed and human-bodied, his entire body blue-black, treading the Eight Beasts, symbolizing the subjugation of death, the most aggressive of the five Wisdom Kings; the Village Flower Palace charged forward with overwhelming force, colliding with Mahākāla, and at the moment of impact, the two forces erupted in a shockwave powerful enough to twist the very air of the entire palace.

Mahākāla's body was driven back two steps, but the vertical pupil on his forehead shot a beam of black light, striking the ox-head of Daiitoku Myōō; the Village Flower Palace was forced to retreat, and Shiva's incarnation suffered no true injury.

The fourth, Chunda Myōō, his entire body deep green, eight arms extended, each holding a different ritual implement, a snake coiled around his body. His domain was nectar and purification; wherever his power reached, Mahākāla's black flames hissed as if doused with water. Ash was purified into dust, and dust condensed into fertile soil. His snake bit Mahākāla's snake, and the two serpents entwined in struggle.

The fifth, Horse Head Wisdom King. Yaegaki Tetsuya's incarnation, his mane burning with dark red flames, the two eyes in his three-eyed gaze open, the vertical pupil on his forehead still tightly shut. He stood there motionless, flames burning silently in the air, consuming the remnants of black flame driven back by the other four Wisdom Kings until nothing remained.

Five Wisdom Kings, five powers, attacking Mahākāla's Dharma Image simultaneously from five directions.

Ahiru stood at the center of the Dharma Image, and on all three faces simultaneously appeared a smile.

His voice emerged from the chest cavity of the Dharma Image, low and thunderous, like the heartbeat of the entire palace: "Five Wisdom Kings, inconceivable—how exactly did you do this?"

Uesugi Muneyuki did not answer; he merely furrowed his brow.

The five Wisdom Kings all emerged, yet they could do nothing to this formidable foe before them?

Just how far has Ahiru's path of cultivation in the inner world gone?

"They cannot break my shell. Your strength, your perseverance, your desire—all slide past my laws like moths striking a transparent wall." Ahiru seemed to sense Uesugi Muneyuki's wavering, and he burst into a booming laugh: "You will die today! No one can stop my ascension!" He spoke the truth.

Though the five Wisdom Kings' attacks were fierce, each contact simply slid off Mahākāla's body. Aizen's red lotuses bloomed and withered in the black flames; Kongō Yasha's pestle scraped sparks on the black armor but left no cracks; Daiitoku's charge was blocked by one of Mahākāla's arms, like a mountain striking another mountain; Chunda's snake was entwined by Mahākāla's snake, the forces locked; Horse Head Wisdom King's flames burned, but their burning speed could not keep pace with the recondensation of the black flames.

Uesugi Muneyuki stood among the five Wisdom Kings, his chest heaving violently, his form entwined with Ahiru's true body, yet his judo skill was clearly inferior to Ahiru's—after all, Ahiru was an Olympic champion, and a single breakfall sent him flying in disarray, the Wisdom King Dharma Image also showing instability. "The ritual, Hinduism…… the rules, his laws……" Uesugi Muneyuki had no choice but to disengage from Ahiru, gritted his teeth, and thought. This fool had already revealed something.

As previously stated, the first characteristic of Hindu gods is the stacking of numerical values.

Then what is the second characteristic of Hindu gods?

Answer: rule-based urban legends.

The greatest feature of Hindu mythology is exploiting bugs.

What is exploiting a bug?

A classic example is Achilles' heel: the famous Greek hero Achilles, as an infant, was bathed by his mother in the waters of the Styx, so his body was deemed "dead" by worldly laws, meaning any harm could not injure him.

However, his mother held him by the heel while washing, so Achilles' heel was not washed; thus, when that spot was struck in the Trojan War, he was instantly killed.

Many wonder: if they had washed the ankle during the bath, would Achilles truly become invincible?

No, according to the Styx's law, if Achilles had been fully washed in Styx water, he would be a corpse, destined for the underworld, unable to remain in the living world.

And it is precisely because Achilles' heel was not washed—the one part of his body that remained "alive"—that he did not need to report to the underworld; but once that part was pierced, he died instantly, because that sole part had already been judged as dead, so his entire being was dead.

We must find a way to break Ahiru's laws!

Mahākāla's Dharma Image emitted a low, earth-splitting rumble.

He raised his trident to the sky, the palace's dome cracked open, and endless black smoke poured from the heavens.

The smoke coalesced into a massive, towering, pillar-like structure, its surface carved with ancient, unfamiliar patterns.

Lingam! One of Shiva's symbols, the source of creation and reproduction, and the ultimate condensation of all desire.

Ahiru's voice emerged from the chest cavity of Mahākāla's Dharma Image, laced with near-manic exhilaration: "Do you see it? Do you see my true power! If you wish to break my laws, you must first pass through my creation! But you are human—you cannot possibly harm it!" Uesugi Muneyuki stood in place, gazing at the frantically growing, nearly dome-piercing giant lingam.

Come on!

Just you can transform? I can't transform?

Horse head big, horse head come!!

Uesugi Muneyuki likewise went all out; the Horse Head Wisdom King's palm opened, facing upward, and a vajra subjugation pestle slowly rose from his palm. The pestle's body was uniformly dark gold, entwined with flame patterns, emitting a low hum in the air, like a weapon freshly tempered in furnace fire, every inch bearing the wrath of Horse Head Wisdom King and the obsession of Yaegaki Tetsuya.

Uesugi Muneyuki gripped the pestle; its flames instantly blazed skyward, the heat in his grip just enough to let him feel its presence.

He moved, gripping the pestle and charging toward the growing giant lingam, each step on the crimson carpet leaving a scorched black mark.

He leapt, gripping the pestle with both hands, concentrating all his force at a single point, and struck the base of the lingam.

Vajra Subjugation Pestle!

The two forces collided. At that instant, the entire Desire Palace emitted a sound like glass about to shatter—high-pitched, sharp, nearly piercing the eardrums.

The pestle and lingam shattered simultaneously, fragments flying in all directions, each carrying remnants of flame and black smoke. Uesugi Muneyuki's body spun once in midair, he landed and staggered, then dropped to his knees. He clutched his groin, squeezing from his throat a wordless sound. It was a sound he rarely made, a murky noise between pain and the unwilling admission of pain.

"Mmm!"

Ahiru stood opposite, likewise clutching his groin, and for the first time, all three faces showed a unified, distorted expression.

"Ah!"

Clearly, both individuals primarily cultivate the reproductive cycle.

The two men stood amid the slowly dissipating smoke and dust in the palace, maintaining the same posture, legs crossed, hands over their groins, knees on the ground, blood flowing incessantly, faces contorted, suffering immensely.

This blow caused both sides to pause.

And Uesugi Muneyuki also noticed the change within.

In Hindu mythology, deities—whether creator, preserver, or destroyer—share a common trait: their power often depends on certain conditions.

Shiva's power derives from his asceticism, self-control, and focus, but Mahākāla is Shiva's wrath incarnate, the personification of destruction. Destruction means an end, and after that end, the power wanes. Mahākāla's destructive force is not infinite. It is not a mountain without weakness; it is an erupting volcano.

The power of a volcano lies in its eruption, and the end of eruption is cooling.

Got it!

At the core of Mahākāla's Dharma Image, Uesugi Muneyuki saw a golden trophy, providing Ahiru with restorative energy. That's it!

It is the symbol of a two-time Olympic champion, the crown of the Judo Emperor, the conviction Ahiru exchanged his life for—also his most steadfast. As long as this trophy stands, Uesugi Muneyuki cannot harm Ahiru!

"I……can……touch……your……trophy……?" Uesugi Muneyuki suddenly gasped, word by word, breathless.

"What?" Ahiru blinked, then strained: "You……still……can……what? I……"

"That is... Ahiru's... trophy..." Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze passed through the dissipating smoke and dust, through the lingering afterimages of the Five Wisdom Kings, through the crumbling fragments of the lingam, and settled deep within the domain of his heart, where a figure stood, emerging from the darkness. "Understood." Shirakawa Mai appeared here in a white and red miko robe, leaving no footprints with each step. In her hand she held a large white bow that glowed with spiritual light.

The bow was dark brown in color, and the string reflected fine, moonlight-like glimmers in the dim light.

Drawing the bow and nocking the arrow, at the instant the bowstring was pulled taut, all the light in the Desire Palace seemed to be sucked into that bowstring.

Releasing the bowstring, the arrow flew forth. Its flight through the air was so brief that no one present could track its trajectory. It pierced the body of Mahakala's dharma image, penetrated the black, heavy, indestructible armor, passed through layer upon layer of destructive force, and struck precisely the golden trophy at the center of the dharma image.

"Ga~"