================================================================== 17-3 Amano's challenge to vengeful god. From The myth of the shade. ==================================================================
	This, written in Japanese, was issued in Justnet in 1997 year, was translated to English in 2001 year. And, it, revised, was issued in Nyfty in December 5, 2004. But, since I don't know English so well, it doesn't know whether this expression is proper or not. Hiromasa Noguti.
But, at that time, suspicious silhouettes were creeping up on the shrine stealthily. Needless to say, it is Amano and his subordinates. Apparently, the number of them is more than five hundred. They, all wearing the camouflage clothes, were waiting impatiently for the sign of the attack. If the last secret ritual is completed at this shrine, vengeful gods and goddesses will fill this world with the various harm, coming out from each shrine. And, if so, the hierarchy of gods and goddesses wished by Amano will collapse completely. Therefore, Amano needed to shut the vengeful gods and goddesses in each shrine together with their detestable hatred kept from ancient times to the present. The believers guarding the shrine still aren't aware Amano and his subourdinates are by the shrine. Amano, when making the subourdinates hold the guns and so on and finishing arranging the subourdinates to the proper position, sent the sign of the attack to them at last. In a instant, the quietness of night falls broken. When the horrible sounds of gunfire resound around, screams and angry roars resounded around at once. The believers to guard the shrine fall down to the ground one after another, and it all breathed their last at once.
			On the other hand, Amano and his subourdinates, breaking the double doors of shrine in several minutes, invade into the shrine easily. But, it was impossible the effect of the surprise attack is kept for a long time. The believers in the inside of shrine, when again arranging the formation of defence at once, start to resist against Amano. And, insects with the vice flew about into the air, coming out of the believers one after another. It scatters the psychic poison toward Amano and his subourdinates one after another. This psychic poison was terribly violent for a low soul. Amano's subourdinates have nothing of the means for resisting that poison. So, they breathed their last one after another easily.
But, the believers of Kigon sect also were fighting in the defenseless condition same as Amano's subourdinates as well. The guns aiming at the believers are getting the psychic power given in the prayer by Amano. If those guns aim at the believers, it was certain they die. Uncanny insects and bullets are flying furiously, often crossing into the air. The floor of the shrine fell covered with many corpses soon. Takehira and even Sarume go into the ruin with the death cry. The shrine changed to the horrible hell in the copious blood and corpses soon. There is nobody besides Amano and two shrine maidens into the shrine any more. So, the maidens made all the insects aim at only Amano. The insects buzz increasingly furiously as if it is roaring. Then, they, when wrapping Amano completely, gathering around him rapidly, scattered the poison toward him all together. The shrine maidens sneer at Amano in the dauntless air. It seemed to be hard Amano relies on his good luck, any more. However, strangely enough, the shrine maidens turn pale suddenly. When it sees suddenly, insects wrapping Amano were burning one after another, wriggling into the air desperately. Then, it, becoming the sparks of fire in a instant, drifts into the air for a moment. Its ashes, falling at once, lay on the floor as if it is powder snow or other.
Amano is standing with the composed air in the middle of ashes like that while giving off aura of the anger as a flame. It seemed the insects' poison has no effect on Amano at all. Amano, holding the double-edged iron sword in his right hand, is staring at two shrine maidens. He, while burning the insects insistently attacking him, approached two shrine maidens gradually. The shrine maidens, knowing nothing to do any more, only step back little by little. Thereupon, Amano again took one step toward them. The sight of shrine maidens biting one's lip is showing their mortified heart. They, making its back lean on the double doors of the altar, were keeping the posture of defence. It seems it is thinking to protect the cave at the risk of one's life bravely. However, their faces, tensing with fear, looked terribly pale like a dead person.
"How do you wish to be killed ?". Amano, saying like that, sneers at the shrine maidens fearlessly. And, when shaking the iron sword slowly as if it threatens them, it adjusted the timing of putting them to death. But, at that time, Amano feels a atmosphere of menace across the double doors, not from the shrine maidens. He rolled on the floor instantly and hid oneself behind the pillar. Just then, double doors suddenly crack. And, next moment, horrible flames blew up out of the cracks of the broken doors with the loud crash. Horrible blast goes through the shrine in a instant. Narrowly, Amano was saved because of the pillar. But, two shrine maidens, blowing off, are lying in front of Amano. Their eyes looked to be sad somehow. Would it be the expression of the regret it was defeated by Amano ? Or, would it be the expression of the fear of falling into the hell ? At any rate, it was the expression of her unsatisfied heart. However, they can say nothing any more. Corpses smoking only were lying on the floor cruelly. Just then, Amano again feels the same atmosphere of menace as before. And, at that time, flame blowing out of the cracks of the doors drew the large arc, becoming the dragon of fire suddenly. While scattering the torn flames as if it is splash of blood or other, it rushes Amano with horrific speed. Amano sidestepped the dragon of fire instantly. However, strangely enough the dragon of fire, turning at once, attacks Amano continuously while undulating its body as if it is a snake or other.
		"What happened ?". Amano, unable to understand the circumstances, stared at the strange flame, in bewilderment. But, when it sees carefully, it isn't the flame. It, as a matter of fact, was the sight the fire colored beetles fly, swarming. White heat rays are edging the red beetles. It was giving off the mysterious light into the darkness. What a awesome sight it is ! Amano, losing his nerve slightly, took two steps or three steps backward. Just then, cruelly torn large door loses the balance suddenly while creaking weirdly, and falls down, aiming at Amano. He jumped backward in a instant narrowly. But, the wreckage of door collides against the floor, when grazing Amano slightly. At the same time, furious noise resounded in a instant. The inside of the shrine already is being shrouded in the dust. But, it slightly could see the weird cave across the floating dust into the air.
When it sees, suspicious red fluorescence given off from the cave is making the silhouette of someone float into the hazy cave faintly, dyeing the air in the dim red. It must be Cotosiro-nusi. Amano stared at the silhouette. However, when dust clears slightly, that silhouette, as a matter of fact, was the couple in question, that is, Cotosiro-nusi and Mihotu-hime. They, wearing the richly colored Japanesque dresses, are standing without movement. Mihotu-hime is surprisingly beautiful, but, As for Cotosiro-nusi, it looked uncanny terribly. His face is unusually pale, having the very thin lips colored like the blood color. When his slit red eyes glitter suspiciously, he gave Amano a fierce look, as if it is a Yama or other. It really is the vengeful god with the body. It seemed the secret ceremony almost was completed. Or, the last secret ritual also may have been completed. And, if really so, it is hard to defeat Cotosiro-nusi. However, the die had been cast. Now that thing has come to this pass, it can't get away from this fight any more. Amano, mustering his courage, started to walk toward Cotosiro-nusi carefully. Cotosiro-nusi's hard hairs are bristling horrifically as if it is flames blazing. He, while staring at Amano with horrible look, uttered the words of curse with the hatred. "You obstructed my secret ritual, I punish you, I will throw you into hell surely.".
Hereupon, fire colored beetles attacked Amano, again becoming a dragon of fire. However, Amano strangely is calm. He, when sidestepping the dragon of fire easily, raised his left arm high nimbly. When it sees, he already is holding a ancient bronze mirror to its left hand. And, the bronze mirror, when flashing in a instant, started to vibrate, humming weirdly. Just then, the dragon of fire, when wriggling in the air unsteadily in a instant, is made to decompose into the individual fire colored beetles. And, it each was struggling to escape from something painfully, hovering in the air desperately. It seems Amano is trying to suck the fire colored beetles into the bronze mirror. In spite of the hard resistance, the fire colored beetles, in a moment, were sucked into the bronze mirror. Cotisiro-nusi's face is distorted with the mortification. On the other hand, Amano sneered at Cotosiro-nusi like that with the relaxed look.
He says. "The god of Cotosiro ! You already are loser ! Go back into your shrine ! If not, I will give you everlasting death surely !". The god of Mihotu(Miho) feels fear and steals a glance at Cotosiro-nusi. However, Cotosiro-nusi doesn't look to be losing his nerve at all. Conversely he sneered at Amano with the enigmatic atmosphere, distorting his lips slightly. But, would it be by what reason ? Amano felt uneasy slightly and stole a glance at Cotosiro-nusi. Just then, Cotosiro-nusi shuts his eyes suddenly as if it ignores Amano. And, red aura of anger out of him fades out. Instead, he was wrapped in amethyst colored aura rapidly. It is the calm and very noble brightness. However, what does it mean ? "Humph! Perhaps this fellow resigned oneself to one's fate !". Amano murmured like that in sneer in spite of oneself. However, Cotosiro-nusi is not a simple ghost, is that horrible vengeful god. It can't handle him carelessly. Amano kept on watching his behavior carefully. Cotosiro-nusi already is floating into the darkness in white aura. And, his looks, becoming mild, looked very solemn as if it is Buddha or other. When it notices suddenly, it can see a mysterious fluorescence to the center of his forehead. It was the brightness like the amethyst or other.
		Soon, it, when leaving out of his forehead and floating into the darkness, changes to the mysterious spherical light. Then, it, while drifting slightly and making the surrounding air fluoresce in the thin purple as if it is a firefly, started to go down slowly and quietly. It looks, like, the falling light snow. It felt the scent of spring slightly for a instant. Cotosiro-nusi stretches out his left hand for the spherical fluorescence. Just then, the ball of light, trembling slightly, fell into his left palm. It bounces up like a rubber ball slowly one time. Then, it fell into his palm again softly and vanished as if a light snow melts into the ground. But, it can see left something on his hand. When it watches it carefully, several insects born just before were trying to open the wet wings. It is very colorful insects having the wings like the butterfly. However, their body and head looked like a ant. It must be chimera insect. It seemed Cotosiro-nusi, imagining an ant and butterfly, brought the chimera-insect to this world.
However, the chimera insects are very childish still, look to have nothing of evil thought. Rather, when it sees them frolicking on Cotosiro-nusi's palm, it seemed it is the insects to love. Amano keeps on watching Cotosiro-nusi furthermore. But, Cotosiro-nusi only regards the chimera insects gently. If it attacks Cotosiro-nusi, it seemed its chance is now. Cheeks and temples of Amano are twitching slightly. However, Amano doesn't show even the sign of action. Would it be because it was dazzled by the mysterious sight of chimera insects ? Or, would it be because it selected the watching because of the curiosity ? At any rate, Amano kept on watching the sight of them only in silence. The chimera insects are making their wings grow more firmly and increasingly beautifully. And, they rapidly came to be able to walk well and to fly very well. They, when fluttering the wings several times, take off out of his palm one after another. It could see the minute-scales of butterfly they scatter glitter on the flight path like a rainbow for a moment. When it notices suddenly, the outer walls of the shrine already are vanishing. And, the shrine had been filled to the sunlight of spring.
Across the columns of shrine dyed in the cinnabar, it can see Ume-bayashi(Japanese apricot grove) as far as the eye can reach. The chimera insects were flitting among the Ume-bayashi freely and easily. But, when it notices, it isn't a chimera insect. It was the sight of Miho wearing thin dress and flying elegantly. Pliant limbs of Miho to be seen slightly through the thin dress in the sunlight of spring look to be dazzling. What a beautiful sight it is ! Amano absorbedly was looking up at flying Miho upon the Ume-bayashi before noticing. But, at that time, something shouts "Be careful" in his mind. When Amano returns to oneself suddenly, it could find out nothing besides the darkness. When it looks around, it can only see narrowly Cotosiro-nusi is undulating the flames of hatred emitted out of oneself weirdly. "Damn ! where are the chimera insects ?". Amano, when suddenly jumping and leaning against the side wall with his back, paid the attention furthermore against the chimera-insects impossible to see still.
Just then, hum of insects resounds into the darkness suddenly. And, something attacked Amano with horrific quickness. Amano sidesteps the attack narrowly. But, at that time, he felt a nasty smell strangely. When it notices, it is the poisonous liquid secreted from the chimera insects. The chimera insects spat out the formic acid, aiming at Amano, and scattered the poisonous minute scales of butterfly into the air ceaselessly. But, Amano, while sidestepping the attack like that well, burns those poisons in the flames of anger. The formic acid evaporated in a instant. And, the poisonous minute scales of butterfly blaze, becoming the sparks of fire one after another. It seemed the sudden attack of chimera insects was finished in the failure. But, strangely enough, Amano feels pain to his left leg. When it gives that leg a glance, red blood was flowing out of the gaping wound. "What happened ?". Amano, bewildered a little, stared at the chimera insects. The chimera insects already are changing their four wings to the keen swords. Probably, it seemed those swords tore his leg, passing through the flames of Amano's anger.
		Anyhow, the steam of the formic acid, soaking into the wound of the leg, gives him the terrible pain. Amano, when his eyes grow dim strangely, started to feel the pain to his head gradually. And, the chimera-insects don't give him the spare times to raise the bronze mirror. Amano started to feel impatience with the ceaseless attack. Even if it can sidestep the formic acid and the minute scales, it is hard it protects oneself from the poisonous steam. Moreover, it couldn't assert those poisons don't erode the bronze mirror. On the other hand, Cotosiro-nusi with the appearance of Buddha, with the calm eye, keeps on staring at wriggling Amano with the terrible pain. And, at that time, The eyes of Amano already were vacant. It seems poison started to take effect. Amano fell into the slow moving condition rapidly. Now is the chance ! "You idiot ! Die out !". Cotosiro-nusi, when saying like that, sent the sign of the attack to the chimera insects at once.
 
Cotosiro