Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2914 - 2915: Kireinaʼs Determined Heart

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”I donʼt want it.”

The craziest part of Obhedhrurʼs offer was that Kireina rejected him outright.

”What…?”

”I donʼt eat my foes anymore.”

”…?! Why? As Chaos Beings, itʼs the norm to consume the weak to become strong.”

”I donʼt need to do that.”

”…?!”

Even the other Chaos Kings glared hungrily at the seventhʼs corpse, yet Kireina felt no hunger at all—she had already eaten breakfast.

”I realized that I cannot become stronger by merely consuming life and absorbing or stealing their powers,” Kireina explained. ”True strength is born from the heart, from the soul, and from my own life and struggles. This power you see was built upon my obsessive struggle and my Repentant Enlightenment.”

Kireina swung her sword, slicing through the corpse and reducing it to ashes.

”I will never eat something to gain its power ever again! I reject my nature!” she roared. ”I reject the fate that has been placed upon me! I will cultivate, refine, and evolve my own heart in my own way, walking my own path!”

”…!”

”…?!”

”…!!!”

All the Chaos Kings, the Gods, her wives—everyone present—gasped in disbelief at her words.

This was Kireinaʼs path.

This was her decision.

And this was the ”oath” she placed upon herself.

By imposing such an immense oath on her very existence, Kireina gained tremendous power—as long as she never broke it.

The oath was simple: never consume living beings for the sake of gaining their power, abilities, or anything that qualified as such.

If she was genuinely hungry and her body required nutrients, that was fine.

But to gain power? She would only continue cultivating.

Thus.

By placing such an enormous penalty on herself—a being who had grown through devouring everything—Kireina ascended even further.

Her Heart Path Cultivation, through this battle and this oath, had grown even stronger.

From Star Shattering Realm, it was elevating to Celestial Vessel.

Once more, her Heaven, Earth, and Heart Paths aligned in the same Realm.

Thus, a crown of three colors manifested behind her, representing each path!

”Mom… has really changed,” Ryo muttered, gazing at his mother with immense admiration.

”I know…” Amiphossia smiled warmly. ”Wow…”

”Kireina… I see…” Zehe smiled bitterly. ”So you did such a thing…”

”Is it because of me?” Nanako wondered. ”Or for those you ate, and that even now, you feel sorry for? Is this your eternal grief?”

”Kireina-sama… to think you would push yourself so hard…” Kaguya cried.

”Thatʼs the woman I love…!” Brontes smiled, nodding firmly.

”Guuu! So cool! Mastaaaaa!” Rimuru cheered.

”Hah… so this is your resolve, darling,” Nesiphae smiled, crossing her arms.

”What is this nonsense sheʼs speaking about?” Amaterasu wondered. ”She wonʼt eat anymore? But she ate one of my fingers…”

”Technically, she turned it into her sword—she never really ate it, hohoho,” Tsukuyomi laughed at his sister.

”Tsk! Oi, should we really be relaxing right now?!” Sadako groaned, glaring as everything escalated further. ”Ryo-sama! What should we do? Is Kireina the only one that can do anything?”

”…No,” Ryo surged with power as he faced the Chaos Kings. ”All of us can fight as well. Even if these beings are enormously strong, they can bleed. We cannot fight alone, however—but together, as one!”

”As one! Yeah!” Amiphossia nodded. ”Everyone, anybody that isnʼt at our level, please grant us your divine and magic powers!”

”Kami of Takamagahara!” Amaterasu announced. ”Today we fight to protect our world against the invaders! These beings who thrive on destruction… we cannot let them trespass from Yomi into the World of the Living! We must fight… as one!”

”Thatʼs right!” Tsukuyomi nodded. ”As one!”

”OOOOHHHHHH!”

Thousands of gods roared in unison, turning into radiant stars and rushing toward Amaterasu, fusing with her body. Tsukuyomi did the same, lending his power.

”Nee-sama, I am counting on you. Please, work together with Kireina and let go of your grudge. This is our only way to survive.”

”Tsk! I know! I know!” Amaterasu said grumpily. ”I am not a fool, Tsukuyomi!”

”Then… letʼs become one,” Tsukuyomi smiled, transforming into a giant moon and fusing with Amaterasu.

What was born—alongside the many Kami who offered their power—was an incredible new Kami: a God of Eclipses, of the Moon and the Sun, wielding both Moonlight and Sunlight.

Controlling both the Heavens and Time, Amaterasu-no-Tsukuyomi was born.

FLAAASH!

”Alone we might not be enough, but together, we will protect Japan, our homeland! And humanity!”

A Titaness of Sunlight and Moonlight manifested, clad in a kimono of bright gold and silver. A crown representing the eclipsing sun and moon rested on her head, and her gleaming eyes shone with both gold and silver.

RUMBLE!

As she reached the limit of power she could contain, Amaterasu-no-Tsukuyomi rushed to aid Kireina. The remaining gods—a couple hundred—chose to support Kireinaʼs wives and children.

Even though they did not know them personally, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi vouched for their reliability, and the Kami quickly complied.

Turning into hundreds of stars, the countless Kami of the Japanese Pantheon began fusing into their Auras.

Ryo and Amiphossia remained on their own, while Kireinaʼs five wives unified into a single, ethereal cosmic giantess.

”Letʼs go!”

They roared in unison and rushed to Kireinaʼs aid.

At the same time, Izanami—still weeping on the floor—watched everyone fight to protect Yomi and the World of the Living.

Her tears turned to boiling miasma and nether, but slowly she stopped crying.

At her side stood a beautiful fairy.

Kireinaʼs Heart Avatar.

”Do you truly wish to stay here and weep, Izanami?”

”You are…”

”I know you went through a lot and that you were manipulated, but this is not the time.”

”But what can I do? Everything I ever try fails…! I…”

”I had considered killing you but I didnʼt do it, even though I had the power to. Thatʼs because I related to your pain and your obsessive struggle.”

”…”

”Izanagi was killed by the man who was manipulating you, and I killed that man.”

”…!”

”Youʼre now free, Izanami. Take your life with your own hands, and decide what you must do now—with the immense power you possess. With the Authority over Yomi you have.”

”I…”

”I will help you return to your original form.”

”…!!!”

”But first, you have to help us.”

”You… promise?”

”I do. And unlike the gods that betrayed you, I donʼt break my promises.”

Kireina hugged Izanami. Her Heart Avatar transformed into a red, blooming rose within Izanamiʼs heart.

Her mummified form suddenly regained its youth as power overflowed within her.

And a new power—one born from her very heart.

”I… what is this power?”

”I have the ability to awaken Heart Path in those who are qualified but had been unable to tap it or were not aware.”

”Heart Path?!”

”Izanami, with the powers you possess now, you can definitely be of help. Fight to help us protect our world!”

”…! I will!”

Izanami no longer hesitated. Transforming into a giantess around the size of the Eclipsing Empress Amaterasu-no-Tsukuyomi, she flew toward the battle.

After rejecting Obhedhrurʼs offer and destroying the corpse of the Chaos King he had betrayed in cold blood, Kireina gave him two options.

”Join me and help me kill your fellow Chaos Kings, or fight me and die by my blade. Your choice, Obhedhrur!”

”Hah… Hahahahaha!”

Obhedhrur laughed viciously, staring at his fellow Chaos Kings.

As a being made of chaos, he had little attachment to these entities he had been forced to coexist with.

But now that the opportunity had arisen to eliminate them all…

”Why not?”

He nodded and joined Kireina.

He was already far too different from his fellow Chaos Kings.

And Obhedhrur chose to embrace what made him special and distinct from them.

”Chaos Kings! From today on, I hereby drop my title as the Fifth Chaos King! I am merely Obhedhrur, a Wandering Warrior! I will follow my Heart!”

In that moment, Kireina smiled. Her sword sliced through his heart, releasing all his restraints. Obhedhrur awakened as a member of the Heart Tribe—the first inhabitant of the Chaos Plane to ever do so.

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