Chapter 263
Chapter 263
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 263
Chapter Title: Doll Play
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Evening had fallen.
Jin Se-young and I followed the shrine maiden's guidance to the back of the shrine.
In an instant, the scenery changed. It had clearly been a mountain thick with trees, but now it was a place with a flowing stream.
This area was protected by a barrier—no one without permission could enter.
"This way."
The shrine maiden spoke to us as we stood there in surprise. We followed behind her.
"Please take the seats indicated on your invitations. The event will begin in 15 minutes, so please wait."
A seating area for about 1,000 people appeared. A few people were already seated in the stands.
However, what drew our eyes was the waterfall at the center of the stands. A massive, refreshingly cool cascade poured down from above.
In front of where the waterfall fell was a large brook. Above the flowing water was a wide open space made of flat stones—it looked like a stage or an arena.
'They're going to duel there.'
We sat in our assigned seats.
Then, people began to flock in. The empty stands gradually filled with people.
"The people invited here are from prestigious schools with tradition, history, and power."
Jin Se-young said. I nodded. It was the same context in which Yeongcheon-ryu had been invited.
The people entering had different races, nationalities, and affiliations. But they all shared one thing: they were all experts on a level I couldn't dismiss lightly.
'That person...'
Cheonwoo Blade King Kwak Jeol. China's S-rank hunter whose strength was said to rival a thousand oxen. I never imagined he'd show up here.
And it didn't end there.
Shigeo. Japan's S-rank hunter, known by the moniker Divine Speed, entered as well.
The broadcasting staff already present were busy filming the S-rank hunters with their cameras. Some clueless reporters even blocked the S-rank hunters' paths to hurl questions at them. The shrine maidens were struggling to hold back the reporters.
The S-rank hunters, under the shrine maidens' guidance, took seats in the area where Japanese politicians were gathered. It was a VIP spot a bit away from us, with a great view of the arena.
'Two S-ranks came all the way here?'
I couldn't easily comprehend it.
S-rank hunters from any country didn't move lightly. They rarely even appeared at major official events.
'Was the Wind God Festival impressive enough to draw S-rank hunters?'
I could understand Shigeo, Japan's S-rank hunter, coming. This was Japan, after all. But Kwak Jeol's presence was a huge surprise.
"Oh, aren't you Jin Se-young of Yeongcheon-ryu? What a pleasant surprise running into you here."
Three men sat in front of us. Two of the men sat ramrod straight. They were scanning the surroundings so vigilantly that I realized they were bodyguards.
Jin Se-young slightly bowed her head toward the man who had spoken to her.
"Hello. It's been a while. I didn't expect to see you at Fuka Shrine."
"Haha. I couldn't ignore the invitation. Plus, I was curious about Japan's S-rank candidate."
He was a handsome man who looked to be around 30. He wore a luxury suit, and his hair was styled in a neat side part that gave him a soft yet refined appearance.
His gaze shifted from Jin Se-young to me.
"Pleased to meet you. Sung Yu-jin. I've long thought I'd like to meet you someday... but I never imagined it'd be here."
He extended his hand to me. I shook it.
"Yes. Sung Yu-jin."
"Haha. I'm Shin Ji-oh. Heir to the Dongcheong Shin Family."
Dongcheong Shin Family.
One of the five great families in Korea.
"It's an honor to meet someone I've only heard about in rumors."
I said. I'd learned about the Dongcheong Shin Family in university. A historic clan dating back to the Joseon Dynasty.
"Please don't put too much stock in those rumors. They're quite exaggerated—it's embarrassing. Ah, here's my business card."
"Business card... I don't have one, though..."
"Haha, no worries. Just accept mine for now. And when you get some made, give me one. I might seem rude, but I'd like to forge a connection with Yeongcheon-ryu's genius like this."
Shin Ji-oh kept the conversation going until the event started. This smiling, talkative man seemed quite friendly.
Shin Ji-oh showed more interest in me than in Jin Se-young. Yeongcheon-ryu's genius. Apparently, I was fairly well-known among Korea's martial schools. Probably because of that Dungeon Survival I'd participated in before.
Chalang!
The bell rang, echoing through the space.
Shin Ji-oh, who had been chatting away, finally fell silent.
"Well... looks like the event is starting."
With the bell's chime, the quieted audience all turned toward the waterfall. In front of the cascading water, a large palanquin floated in midair.
Inside the levitating palanquin was a woman. A shrine maiden in a red skirt and white top.
I straightened my back and examined her closely.
Snow-white skin and neat eyebrows. A sharp nose and red lips. She met all the criteria for a beauty.
Even beneath the loose-fitting shrine maiden robes, her figure was strikingly apparent. Especially her large breasts and hips. Right up my alley.
I swallowed hard as I stared at her.
Jjalrang!
She shook the bell again, and blue flames ignited around the palanquin. The blue flames began swirling around it.
Jjalrang!
This time, a radiant glow emanated from the palanquin. It was such a dazzling sight that the broadcasters frantically captured it on camera.
'Amatsuka Koyori. Shrine maiden of Fuka Shrine and A-rank hunter of Wind God Guild. Japan's S-rank candidate. Age 33.'
Traditional music began playing from somewhere, and Koyori started dancing to it. A mystical and beautiful dance. A dance offered to the gods.
'Also known as one of Japan's famous onmyōji.'
The event continued afterward. Of course, not just Koyori alone. After her dance, she vanished somewhere with the palanquin.
Other shrine maidens appeared to showcase Japanese traditions and culture, and politicians droned on with boring speeches about Japan and the world. They were as dull as a principal's address.
And at 8 p.m.,
the duel finally began.
Amatsuka Koyori and a man faced each other in the arena below the waterfall.
Focusing my mana on my eyes, I could see clearly despite the distance. Outside was pitch-black night, but inside the barrier, it was bright as day.
"I am Amatsuka Koyori, shrine maiden of Fuka Shrine."
Koyori bowed politely and spoke. The opposing man bowed just as politely in return. In her hand was a naginata, a polearm resembling a glaive.
"Ootsuki Gotaro of Ten gen-ryu."
Gotaro was a gaunt man wearing a katana at his waist. Dressed in samurai garb, with his hair tied in a traditional topknot like ancient samurai.
A quick internet search revealed he was an A-rank hunter. Notoriously known as a stuffy right-winger.
Jjalrang!
A bell rang from somewhere. The duel began.
Kaang! Kang!
Sword and spear clashed. Their exchange lasted over 30 seconds.
I saw Gotaro's face twist in strain. Koyori was effortlessly blocking his attacks.
'Even from here, the skill gap is obvious. The participants must feel it even more intensely. If Koyori wanted, she could end it in three minutes.'
Yet Koyori hadn't ended the duel even after five minutes.
'...It's for show.'
This was ultimately a spectacle. Broadcast across Japan and streaming worldwide online. Ending too quickly would bore the audience.
'Koyori's maintaining her overwhelming presence. She's using this to promote Japan and Wind God Guild.'
I glanced at the VIP seats. The two S-rank hunters looked bored, while the politicians wore satisfied expressions.
Gotaro, with his clothes torn here and there, gritted his teeth and assumed an iaido stance. I watched him more seriously now. The mana surging wildly from his body reached even the stands.
'This must be Gotaro's final struggle.'
Gotaro drew his sword. It was too fast for my eyes to follow properly.
A white sword beam over 3 meters long flew toward Koyori. She thrust her naginata into the ground and formed hand seals with both hands. Using onmyōdō.
The space in front of Koyori distorted. The straight-flying sword beam twisted upward, crashing into the barrier and vanishing.
Gotaro didn't stop, unleashing draw after draw. Five sword beams followed in succession, but the result was the same. Unable to pierce the spatial distortion, they flew into the floor, ceiling, walls—crashing into the barrier.
"...I concede. I have no strength left to swing my katana."
Gotaro sheathed his sword and lowered his hand.
"Thank you. Your sword arts were incredibly sharp."
"...Even empty words of thanks are appreciated. With you here, Japan's future is secure."
The duel ended. The audience erupted in applause. A quick check of the internet showed reactions going wild. Especially from the Japanese.
'It's blowing up.'
A few more events followed, but none drew as much acclaim as the duel.
???
Midnight.
I approached a pond near the shrine and sat on a conveniently shaped rock. I pulled out my smartphone.
My mind was a mess. Tomorrow, I would duel Koyori.
My goal was to land one hit on her and collect a strand of hair or a drop of blood.
But considering the skill she'd shown today, it wouldn't be easy.
'Blood is impossible... Aim for hair?'
Even hair had to be taken naturally. Targeting it too obviously might draw suspicion.
'If I use Moment of Insight right at the start... Hmm. It doesn't even work well on B-ranks, so no way it'd land on an S-rank candidate.'
My heart was quite troubled.
The silver lining was that Koyori would likely drag out the duel. It was a show, after all.
'So troubling.'
I fiddled with my phone absentmindedly. Launching the Playful Life app calmed my mind.
'By the way, what happened in Kill the Gayking? Did the world end?'
Browsing around, I spotted 'Kill the Gayking' in the endings list. I clicked it.
The screen changed. There was my avatar, Sex King, trembling on a throne.
'The interface is the same as auto-play. Let's fast-forward.'
Sex King began ruling the world using his almighty Infinity Power.
No woman refused his words. Over 300,000 ugly women rose in rebellion, but the result was pregnancy by lightning. The children they bore were all girls.
Daughters born to ugly women were mostly ugly, but occasionally beautiful ones appeared. Bearing a beauty worthy of Sex King's eyes turned their lives around 180 degrees.
For ugly women, pregnancy was a life-changing opportunity. But getting hit by Sex King's pregnancy lightning wasn't easy.
Sex King, aware of the social dynamics, rarely used it anymore.
To receive pregnancy lightning, ugly women needed '10,000 Labor Points.' Labor points accumulated through, as the name suggested, labor.
The status of mother-in-law was akin to nobility. They gained labor points naturally without working.
It could be seen as incestuous, but Sex King didn't care. He had transcended humanity to become a godlike being. Unbound by human ethics like incest, much like the gods of Greek and Roman mythology.
At Sex King's command, hundreds of thousands of women parted their legs.
"Fuck... I'm so damn jealous..."