21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 927 - 920 Ōkuninushi
Chapter 927 -920 Ōkuninushi
Originally, whether they were Earthly Deities or Magatsukami, as the defeated, they were all sealed in Yomi.
Because Yomotsu Hirasaka was blocked off by Izanagi with the Senzui Stone, the denizens of Yomi were unable to enter the Human World; even those as powerful as Susanou and Izanami could not cross the boundary between life and death.
Speaking of which, as Susanou’s subjects, the Magatsukami fared relatively well. Being gods of calamity who were not well-regarded to begin with, hiding in the sea or skulking in Yomi did not make much of a difference.
However, for the Earthly Deities, the difference was significant—after all, the Human World originally belonged under their dominion.
In Japanese mythology, there is a famous story called “Ōkuninushi Concedes the Nation.”
The story tells of Amaterasu commanding her descendants to rule the Reed Plains in China, but the Earthly Deities, led by Ōkuninushi who resided in Izumo, refused to comply. Conflict broke out between the Yamato clan, led by Amaterasu’s descendants, and Ōkuninushi.
Amaterasu was forced to send deities down from Gao Tianyuan three times in an attempt to eliminate Ōkuninushi.
However, the deity sent down the first time ended up falling for Ōkuninushi’s daughter and even betrayed Amaterasu. He not only failed the mission but also killed the second deity, leading Amaterasu to personally intervene by casting an arrow down from Gao Tianyuan to eliminate the traitor.
The third deity sent down was none other than Takemikazuchi, a famous figure in Japanese mythology. Using his martial prowess, he “persuaded” Ōkuninushi to relinquish control over the Reed Plains in China. Earthly Deities living in Izumo either surrendered to Gao Tianyuan and transformed into Heavenly Gods or were driven to Yomi.
As for Ōkuninushi himself, he completely disappeared from Japanese mythology, and the Ten Hands Sword he inherited from Susanou was secured by the Yamato clan, becoming one of the three Divine Artifacts symbolizing imperial authority.
This myth is also documented in Japan’s official history as the Yamato Conquest of Izumo, which partly explains why Japan, a small island nation, has the title of Shogun—because the Yamato clan unified Japan through external conquests.
Still, Ōkuninushi’s disappearance from mythology—combined with the rarity of shrines dedicated to him—does not mean that Ōkuninushi was killed or banished to Yomi.
When Amaterasu incarnated and came to find Chen Yu, one of her specific requests was not only to block the Earthly Deities and Magatsukami from invading the modern world but also to prevent the return of Ōkuninushi.
Some may find it puzzling—why should a defeated deity be of any concern? After all, Takemikazuchi didn’t even battle Ōkuninushi directly but still pressure him into surrendering. Would it matter if such a deity returned?
But the truth is far more nuanced. At that time, Takemikazuchi did not overpower Ōkuninushi in combat but merely intimidated him into submission. This does not mean Takemikazuchi was powerful enough to frighten Ōkuninushi into a literal death.
The key issue lies in this: Ōkuninushi is a deity representing the state, and his Divine Authority revolves around the concept of the nation. freewebnøvel.com
During the Yamato conquest of Izumo, while Izumo was culturally and economically robust, the realms of Yamato and Izumo were equivalent to one of the sixty-four feudal domains in the later Warring States period—their national power was relatively limited.
As the lord of Izumo, Ōkuninushi could draw only meager strength from his Divine Authority tied to the state, as the concept of a nation was vague and weak at the time.
Yet, it was this fragile and indistinct notion of “nation” that enabled Ōkuninushi to become such a resilient leader among the Earthly Deities. It speaks to the immense potential inherent in his Divine Authority and rank, considering that the Earthly Deities were mostly Ancient Gods reliant on their own power, not new gods depending on faith.
Ōkuninushi might have been relatively weak back then due to the undeveloped concept of a nation, but now… Thanks to the Meiji Restoration and the efforts of its pioneering architects, the notion of Japan as a unified nation was fervently championed, transforming the fragmented feudal domains into a singular entity. The concept of Japan as a nation is deeply ingrained in its land.
Especially during the century from the Meiji period to the Showa era, Japan’s national cohesion and unity were unprecedentedly strong, imbuing the concept of a nation with immense power.
Should Ōkuninushi return and draw strength from this evolved notion of the nation…
With Amaterasu unable to personally descend, the only deity in modern Japan capable of containing him would likely be Inari.
Amaterasu seeks to prevent Ōkuninushi’s return because she only sealed his divine rank and soul; Ōkuninushi’s spirit has continued to reincarnate, living as a mortal in the present world.
The mission entrusted to Chen Yu was to locate this generation’s reincarnation of Ōkuninushi and prevent him from awakening his divine memories due to current events, thereby averting Ōkuninushi’s return.
Amaterasu chose Chen Yu for this task because Ōkuninushi’s reincarnation is someone very close to him—someone with a peculiar trait: people cannot remember his name.
As Ōkuninushi’s soul in reincarnation, his true name is Ōkuninushi, not the mortal name he currently uses.
This true name is also the key to Amaterasu’s seal on Ōkuninushi. As long as someone calls him by his true name and recognizes that he is indeed Ōkuninushi, the seal will be lifted, and the true Ōkuninushi will return.
“No wonder I’ve never been able to remember the Glasses Doctor’s name.” After learning the truth, Chen Yu couldn’t help but press his palm to his forehead. He hadn’t expected that the Glasses Doctor he casually ordered around all the time, whose name he constantly forgot, was actually the reincarnation of Ōkuninushi’s soul.
If he had known earlier, he might have adjusted his plans to communicate with the true Ōkuninushi for strategic alignment. But now that the plan was already set in motion, changing it would only complicate matters unnecessarily.
After some serious consideration, Chen Yu decided to abandon any attempt to secure Ōkuninushi as a potential ally and instead resolved to follow Amaterasu’s instructions to prevent him from awakening into his true divine form.
Achieving this is not difficult. After so many years, even shrines dedicated to Ōkuninushi have become few and far between. As a deity, his presence in Japanese mythology has faded to near obscurity. Even if there were believers devoted to Ōkuninushi, they would never think that a timid Glasses Doctor at a hospital might be the reincarnation of Ōkuninushi’s soul.
With this knowledge in hand, all Chen Yu needs to do is avoid calling the Glasses Doctor by his true name, and all will remain peaceful.
As to why Amaterasu revealed this to Chen Yu, it was to guard against those from Yomi seeking out Ōkuninushi’s reincarnation and awakening this formidable deity.
