Chapter 548: Regalia and God! Bishamonten!
"Damn it, Kuguha! What are you doing?!" As Veena's Regalia, Kazuma was furious. Veena, also known as Bishamonten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, had completely lost the demeanor a god should have. She was corroded by black blight, her frenzied posture like that of a demon.
The white-haired man in a blue and white cloak was Kuguha. Even though surrounded by Bishamonten's strongest Regalia, he showed no fear. "Kazuma, don't you think Lady Bishamonten has adopted too many Regalia?"
[Inorin's Note: A Regalia (Shinki) in 'Noragami' is a spirit of a deceased human that a god can transform into a weapon or item. Blight is a spiritual corruption that harms a god if their Regalia sins.]
"…" Kazuma could not refute this. Bishamonten was a kind person and had adopted far too many.
"But what does that have to do with you betraying Veena?" Kazuma was worried. She was like a distraught woman kneeling in the mud, her eyes blank, allowing the blight to grow.
[Inorin's Note: The text uses 'stabbed', a metaphor for the pain a god feels when their Regalia is blighted. The more Regalia a god has, the greater the collective pain they endure from even minor transgressions.]
Facing Kazuma's questioning, Kuguha's expression was calm. "Why was she blighted? It's because of her false maternal instincts. As a 'Ma' clan survivor, you should know this has happened once before. I merely gave a slight push to what was bound to happen."
"You!!!" Kazuma's heart trembled. He hadn't expected Kuguha to know about the past. The Regalias of the first 'Ma' generation, due to suspicion, had fallen into chaos and blighted her. He had to ask the stray god, Yato, to kill them all to free her.
Kuguha's lips curled. "Besides, I have never blighted her."
"A web of lies! You're the mastermind!" Kuraha roared.
Kuguha covered his face and sneered. "I am eternally loyal to Lady Bishamonten, not to you foolish Regalias. Everything I've done is to restore her divine majesty." He laughed wildly. "Hahaha! I will become the guiding star for the reincarnated Lady Bishamonten, leading her to become a true God!"
With that, he took out a new mask. "Originally, I wanted to use Yato to make her reincarnate, but he lacked the strength. Luckily, he left me a new method."
As he spoke, the eyes of the Regalia surrounding him narrowed. They felt a strange power.
"No! Everyone, retreat!" Kazuma shouted, but it was too late. Black lines wrapped around their bodies, the ends connected to the mask. He tossed it into the air, and it hovered, lifting several Regalia. The next moment, powerful negative emotions poured into their minds.
"Ahhh!" they screamed.
Kazuma struggled to resist, yet could only watch his companions' bodies transform into grotesque black lumps of flesh. They had become Phantoms! In the last moment before his sanity was submerged, he roared, "KUGUHA!!!!!!!!"
Several lumps of flesh merged, writhing, transforming into a colossal masked monster. "Hahaha! Masked Phantom, fulfill my dream!" Kuguha shouted excitedly. As long as Bishamonten was killed and reincarnated, he would become her guide!
"Roar!" The monster opened its massive maw and bit towards the distraught Bishamonten.
Just then, applause broke out. "Just arrived and already saw a good show."
"Hmm? Who are you people?" Kuguha saw a calm man and five trembling women appear before her.
[Inorin Note:
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