The war had just ended, and the people were suffering.
The smoke of the Warring States period had not long since cleared, and the people of the realm had no time to rest and recover before they were once again dispatched across the sea to fight against Joseon and the Ming Dynasty.
Endless, endless.
"Those who went across the sea are likely not to return."
"Look, there are more and more demons."
In the plains of Izumo Province, humans were becoming fewer and fewer, and the Grand Shrine of Izumo, which had once guarded this land, paid no heed to this.
"Will the war end before October this year?"
"In October, all the gods will gather at the Grand Shrine of Izumo. Eight million heavenly deities will come here, and the world will call this month Kannazuki."
The desolate land was left uncultivated. Some people lay by the roadside, emaciated, watching the demons pass by.
The demons surrounded him, and after he breathed his last, they swarmed him. Some touched his arms, some his heels, some his liver, some his intestines, some half of his skull...
"After humans die, demons eat the souls of the living, thereby transforming from illusory monsters into reality."
"This country is completely finished. All the people in the world will become demons. For every person who dies, tens of demons will be born."
"When these demons that have become real die, new demons will be born from their dying wishes, and so it continues in an endless cycle..."
"They are only respectful to the shrine maidens of the Grand Shrine of Izumo."
"Are you also from outside? Were you brought here by the shrine maidens of the Grand Shrine of Izumo... Ah, then we are all citizens here from now on... And don't worry, although Japan is perishing, this is a paradise."
"You will understand soon..."
On the hillsides, along the wild paths, outside the desolate fields, by the dry streams, people wandered everywhere, talking everywhere. Those with slightly cleaner clothes were people from outside. They were told that by entering here, they had become citizens of Izumo Province, important descendants of the divine land, and could never leave.
While people were alive, demons would not attack them, but if they died, the demons would come to devour their souls, thus becoming real entities.
It was the same for the Japanese on the front lines. The more people died, the more prosperous and powerful the divine land became. Those who fell into the underworld became servants of the鬼神道 (Guǐshén Dào - Way of Ghosts and Spirits), and the people of Izumo returned to Izumo, giving birth to more demons.
"It's the same everywhere in this world."
"But here, we don't have to pay taxes or labor. We just need to live. Those who can't think straight, those who want to die, are fools."
"That's right. Outside of Izumo, it's the same everywhere. Rather than living in hardship, or dying in hardship, it's better to live here comfortably and peacefully, even if our souls are offered to ghosts and demons after death, it doesn't matter."
"If I can't even live properly, how can I fear what happens after death?"
So they said, working numbly. However, it wasn't really work.
The people of Izumo did not need to farm or labor. The shrine maidens of the Grand Shrine of Izumo would distribute food to them. They only needed to exist in this country and go to the Grand Shrine to pray at regular intervals, day and night. That was their job.
If they wanted to die, they were also welcome.
As the sound of bells rang out, on the hillsides, along the wild paths, outside the desolate fields, by the dry streams, the people heard the shrine maidens of the Grand Shrine of Izumo shaking golden bells. The sound of these bells crossed mountains and rivers, passed through forests, and swept over the plains, moving faster than wind and rain, and more swiftly than thunder.
"Huh? What is this... A grand festival is coming?"
"But it's not even October yet."
"What has happened to the country? This must be related to the outside world."
"In any case, it's a good thing... Fat meat and fish, delicious vegetables and fruits, and mouth-watering rice and grains. This is a grand festival of the gods..."
Some people uttered words of doubt, but they were quickly drowned out by the anticipation of others, and no more was heard.
So they knew it was time to pray again, though it was a little strange.
They soon gathered, forming streams of people, which merged into a sea of humanity, gathering from all corners of the land.
Giant red torii gates were visible everywhere. Shrine maidens guided people in front of the torii gates. People entered the torii gates one by one, and then a distance of a thousand miles was covered in an instant. Taking another step forward, they had arrived north of Izumo Province, in the vast mountainous wilderness where the Grand Shrine of Izumo was located.
There was a city here.
Reeds appeared, intertwined between the wilderness and the water, in large patches.
This land enshrined a total of three ancient gods, including Ōkuninushi (大国主神), the divine ruler of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (葦原中国) in the most ancient era. Together with Sukunahikona (少彦名神) and Ōanamuchi (大穴牟迟神), they were known as the Three Gods of Pioneering.
Of course, there was also the most important and most powerful god, Amaterasu (天照神).
The magnificent city near the Grand Shrine of Izumo was majestic and towering, reaching into the clouds. People crossed the torii gates to arrive here, and under the guidance of shrine maidens wearing fox masks, they began to proceed to the designated outskirts for sacrifices and prayers. People from all over the world converged here, just like the story that the common people passed down.
All eight million gods of the world had gathered here.
The sounds of sacrifice, the sounds of praise, the sounds of prayer, and endless wishes surged from each praying and sacrificing person. With their prayers, the three divine statues in the Grand Shrine of Izumo became increasingly bright and solemn. The golden and iron statues seemed to come alive, bestowing life upon inanimate objects, a great power akin to creation.
At the same time, in the giant city standing on the reed plains, as the people's prayers and wishes grew, it began to emit a brilliant light. This light, like flames, spread to every corner of Izumo Province. In the places touched by the light, more demons were born with the prayers.
However, after these demons were born, they were accompanied by abundance of produce and resources. Grain appeared in the barren land and scattered itself into the soil. Dry streams regained their vitality, with countless fish swimming in them. Trees grew tall on the decaying hillsides, and birds and beasts appeared one after another, entering the torii gates to gather outside the Grand Shrine of Izumo, willingly being slaughtered by the shrine maidens under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Meat, rice, fish, vegetables... Abundant meals were placed before everyone. The shrine maidens wearing fox masks told the gathered people in soft, alluring voices:
"This is food bestowed upon you by Amaterasu Ōmikami and Ōkuninushi Ōkami. To thank you for your efforts throughout the year, we are holding this grand festival in advance."
"Please do not be reserved. Eat all of these delicious delicacies."
The shrine maidens' voices were persuasive, and the people who had just arrived, looking at the sumptuous meals they could rarely afford in their lifetime, immediately dispelled their previous doubts.
This was truly the blessing of the gods. Perhaps only the chosen people could cross the divine barrier from the world of suffering and enter Izumo, the land of origin of the gods.
People were deeply grateful for the grace of the gods. At this moment, some began to recite the names and deeds of the ancient gods of the past. The Three Gods of Pioneering were all deities associated with agriculture, and only agriculture could give birth to a large population, so their existence itself symbolized the lifeline of the nation.
A peaceful halo emanated from the distant city of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni. Several wisps of divine smoke rose to the sky, and it was the same at the Grand Shrine of Izumo. As the wishes accumulated, they even began to burn fiercely. This could be considered the highest quality of incense and fire. Ordinary incense and fire were lit by the worshippers, requiring physical objects to communicate with the gods. However, with the continuous accumulation of a large number of wishes, it eventually transformed into the highest quality divine incense and divine fire.
The shrine maidens wore masks, and their faces could not be seen, but joy could be felt from their bodies.
However, while eating the delicacies, some people glimpsed something unusual.
Mirrors could reflect reality, so when those who came from outside still held mirrors in their hands, the shrine maidens would pay attention. They would go to collect those mirrors. No mirrors were allowed to exist here; only the Grand Shrine of Izumo could possess mirrors.
From the mirrors, some people saw that some of the delicacies appeared rotten and dusty. They rubbed their eyes carefully, but the mirrors had already been taken away, and the food before them was still so delicious. They picked it up and took a bite, and found nothing strange about it. Thus, they thought they were dizzy from hunger and mistook mirrors for mud, as they were in the wilderness after all.
"This is truly a good place. If you come here, you will never suffer again."
"We can enjoy blessings while alive, and it doesn't matter if our souls are given to demons after death. As long as those demons don't eat us while we're alive."
People said words of praise with gratitude, their faith in the gods growing more devout. They even believed they had accumulated great merit in their past lives, which was why they suffered half their lives in this one, only to enter the land of origin of the gods to enjoy blessings until their old age.
This is what people thought.
Suddenly, a patch of red appeared in the sky.
"Huh? What is that?"
Someone saw the red appearing in the sky, dyeing the clear azure sky like blood. They were curious, and the shrine maidens wearing fox masks also looked up at the sky.
A power that made them feel fear appeared at this moment, causing the blood of these shrine maidens to freeze as if it had fallen into hell!
What an ominous existence that was!
What a dangerous thing that was!
Under the protection of Amaterasu Ōmikami, under the divine power of Ōkuninushi Ōkami, and under the influence of... the power of that city, this was an otherworldly paradise, a place where gods enjoyed offerings, a land of humans and demons, and a crucial area within the divine land built by Emperor Jinmu that was forbidden to enter.
With immense divine power, and the prestige and fortune of a nation supporting it, ordinary monsters could not possibly enter here, nor could gods and cultivators who had betrayed Emperor Jinmu invade this place.
In fact, such a thing had never happened before. Although there were attempts to invade this place in the past, they had all failed. They had not even shaken the divine barrier, let alone the situation like this.
They were about to report to the ruler of that city, but it was too late.
That red color suddenly grew larger!
In three breaths, it covered a portion of the sky above the Grand Shrine of Izumo. In ten breaths, the sky dyed red had spread to the sky above Ashihara no Nakatsukuni.
Then, that red revealed its true form!
"BIG!"
A roar that shook the heavens and split the earth descended from the sky to the ground. To the ears of the people here, it sounded like a sudden clap of thunder, terrifying!
It arrived with a roar!
It descended!
That red began to press against the sky and the earth, transforming into a giant divine banner. The divine banner fell from the sky, roaring as it plunged into the mountains and wilderness of Izumo Province, not far from the Grand Shrine of Izumo. Instantly, red airflow rushed out from the divine banner, sweeping across the entire land!
The azure sky collapsed, and the celestial domain dyed red turned into a dark and gloomy appearance. The sky had no sun, and the earth was like a stripped disguise. The forests became rotten and decayed, the streams became dry and cracked, and the fields became places where desolation and corpses coexisted!
Then!
This red airflow reached the Grand Shrine of Izumo. People, in their panic, closed their eyes and covered their heads. The shrine maidens tried to resist, but the moment the airflow struck the first shrine maiden, the fox mask on her face decayed and rotted, revealing her true form.
With a horrifying howl, the shrine maiden's form and spirit collapsed. The body composed of vengeful spirits was shattered. The other shrine maidens, in their panic, tried to escape, but the storm came extremely fast, and its range was even greater!
The fox masks shattered, and the vengeful spirits vanished without a trace. The people swept by the airflow found that they had not died. Trembling, they opened their eyes.
The food before them had turned into long-rotted corpses. The delicious vegetables were the body hair of the corpses, the fat meat was the congealed oil from the human corpses, and the fragrant rice was a pile of sand and rotten soil mixed together.
Those that had willingly appeared from the forests and were slaughtered by the shrine maidens were all ancient human corpses.
In an instant, the faces of these people became incredibly terrifying. But then they looked at each other and found that some of the others, those who had eaten more, had grown body hair, some were swollen, some had large patches of rotten flesh, and some were dragging their intestines. They no longer looked human.
"Ah!"
Demons did not eat humans, so the people here had long forgotten the difference between humans and demons. It was only when they were devouring rotten corpse meat and corpse oil that they realized they were truly no different from demons.
They even looked similar.
As for the newly arrived people, they were now vomiting incessantly. The intelligent ones among them realized something.
Looking again at Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, the sunlight in the city still shone brightly, but what surrounded the sunlight was no longer auspicious energy, but waves of vengeful spirit energy, emitting strange and ominous howls. Accompanied by the red airflow that expanded the heavens and earth, the human world of Izumo plunged into great chaos!
And within the city, a voice filled with shock and anger shook the heavens and earth:
"Who are you, to dare to destroy this paradise here! Do you know how great a mistake you have made..."
There was no response from the red clouds in the sky.
Only a surge of ancient demonic energy transformed into a giant hand, which, with a single palm, smashed this mountain-like great city into dust from top to bottom!