Clockwork Bride

Page 158

Well, impurities aren't necessarily unmanageable.

Hayden touched his mouth, not answering directly, but instead said, "Don't dwell on this kind of question. Knowing about some things in classical magic beforehand isn't necessarily a good thing. Although I don't expect you to win, it won't do if your loss is too unremarkable."

Clearly, Panya's first reaction upon hearing this was, "Are you sure you're not kidding me?", but after thinking about it, she nodded anyway.

"Alright. Since you've put it that way, sir."

Rather than listing reasons and explanations for cause and effect one by one, perhaps a deeper form of trust is to think "What the hell is this?" in your mind while choosing to believe it.

...Of course, it's also possible that Pania is just much dumber than normal people.

"Speaking of which, sir, after talking about the competition for so long, what exactly are the events we're going to compete in?"

That's why she only thought to ask this question at this point.

Hayden had been thinking about this for a long time. So he simply tapped his mouth and throat with his hand and calmly said, "Let's have a singing contest."

Singing and dancing have been an extremely important part of religious ceremonies since ancient times.

"Just get yourself in the right mental and physical state and prepare for the competition. How can you possibly defeat death if you're not full of energy?"

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Soon, with the collaboration of two executives from the two major companies, the first-ever VTuber competition, in which all virtual idols could materialize in the physical world, officially began.

174: Sun Mythology

The inaugural "World's Number One VTuber Competition" was held in New Jersey. As a competition for virtual YouTubers, this event could, of course, be watched via the StarNet.

However, since the virtual idols participating in this conference all used new technologies, the competition process can also be seen in the material world.

So what do these viewers see when they excitedly enter the live broadcast room, or in the physical world when they enter the large stadium of the New Yatu Center?

Surprisingly, it was all darkness.

Empty darkness

Cold Chaos

And it seems to devour all life.

Upon entering the live stream space, the first thing viewers see is this, which must be quite surprising. Aren't they here to watch an idol singing competition? Why do they see this as soon as they walk in?

After all, they didn't know that this was not just a competition, but an ancient magical ritual, a festival, a colossal magic spell, and it also required the use of elements of Japanese Shinto culture.

Therefore, Hayden put a lot of effort into designing the whole process.

So initially, all the audience could see was darkness.

The cold darkness obscured everything, blocking out the light, blocking out the sun, like a heavy death.

This heaviness, this coldness, this emptiness, even seemed to press down on the hearts of the audience.

To be honest, this is a very bold performance design.

The darkness only changed at the very moment when the audience began to worry and even fear.

The light came.

At first, no one could see where the lights were coming from. After a while, the source of the light gradually became clear. A dozen or so scattered lights, some faint and some bright, each with a different color, were like twinkling stars in the night sky.

The light, like shooting stars, fell from the dark sky and landed on the ground, singing a beautiful song.

“Eight clouds rise and stand tall, emerging from the clear earth above the eightfold walls.”

The first white light, like a star, fell from the darkness to the ground, chanting a spell.

"Here I raise the imperial pennant high and earnestly request all the gods of the four directions to gather here from the highest heaven."

She was dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, holding a paper fan, dancing gracefully, swaying her snow-white fox ears and three fox tails.

Isn't that person none other than Momiji, the Tengu ninja who had made a secret agreement with Hayden before?

But it is more accurate to call her "the celestial maiden, Mara" now. With her melodious voice, she made this song, which had no instrumental accompaniment, resonate in the dark void.

Finally, as the priestess's song and dance came to an end, she solemnly stretched her hand to the sky, calling upon the names of the gods (idols). The stars cleared a path for them, and one by one, the many virtual idols participating in this competition descended from the sky.

"The bell of Gion Shrine tolls, telling us that all things in this world are impermanent."

"The flowers of the Sal tree have lost their color, and the most beautiful ones have faded like the vicissitudes of life."

"Extravagance and debauchery are short-lived, just like a dream on a spring night."

"The tyrannical and domineering will eventually perish, like dust rising in the wind."

First and foremost, of course, came the celestial maidens, virtual idols from the Mitra Group.

Next up are the idols recently created and launched by Smoke Mirror Company. They are a magical girl virtual idol group with the core concept of "jaguar", "eagle" and "feathered serpent".

They emerged from the darkness, yet sang aloud, calling upon the sun:

"O Sun, hear my plea. Let us nourish you with victory, let me add flame to your flame with my beating heart. In your name I created this darkness that embraces me, let this darkness become new life, and herald a new era!"

Of course, she also has a role in [Magical Girl Pazuzu]. She's not in any idol group, living freely and singing her own songs:

"Darkness, do not be arrogant! Do not underestimate a young girl's dream!"

"When your swords decay, peace will return!"

When the world is no longer filled with sorrow, even death will loosen its grip!

They descended one by one, and appeared one by one, each using different songs and dances to praise their own divinity, echoing the same theme.

That is death (darkness) and life (light).

After the contestants (celestial maidens) finished entering, it was the gods' turn to arrive.

The Vice Director of the Mitra Group, Dakini Tian, ​​and the goddess of the Smoke Mirror Company, Miktiti Kashiva—if the other contestants were starlight, then these two were the moon in the darkness. The two moons naturally shone upon the first seat. On behalf of the company, they offered their blessings to all the contestants.

Next, the most senior figures in the virtual idol industry—the Five Celestial Maidens—descended gracefully. The red celestial maiden [Miaoshan], the blue celestial maiden [Miaoyin], the yellow celestial maiden [Ganlu], the green celestial maiden [Miaoyuan], and the white celestial maiden [Mira]—were not there as contestants, but rather as industry veterans seated on the judges' panel.

Hayden, one of the organizers working behind the scenes, accompanied the distinguished guests. Even he felt a little nervous upon seeing the Five-Colored Celestial Maidens. To some extent, these five celestial maidens represented five board members of the Mitra Group, much like imperial envoys in ancient times—a force to be reckoned with.

They are old-style virtual idols and cannot be transformed into new ones. This is because the divine names they use are not yet dead, and they cannot draw power from death through their divine names to ultimately pursue the dissolution of the corpse into a god.

However, the Five-Colored Celestial Maidens didn't actually need to do such a dangerous thing. They were already the industry's overlords, revered by ordinary fans and trusted by their bodhisattva bosses. They were the mediators between bodhisattvas and ordinary people, and the saints who represented bodhisattvas in healing the hearts of their fans.

Although they are not really, they are almost, almost!—already incarnations of bodhisattvas.

So they still have to come today. As the pinnacle of virtual idols past and present, the [Five-Colored Celestial Maidens] must witness this competition in order to truly call it the "Number One VTuber Competition in the World"!

And so, the competition officially began.

Although the Five-Colored Celestial Maidens were seated on the judging panel, there was actually no need for a referee in this competition. The virtual idols simply needed to take turns going on stage, singing and dancing in the chaotic darkness, and the thoughts of the audience would transform into light, converging to illuminate her.

If any idol can ignite the most dazzling light, it is undoubtedly the champion.

But then again, what does this competition format have to do with classical Shinto rituals?

Of course it does.

Hayden put a lot of effort into designing the entire magical ritual.

"As everyone knows, there is such a story in Japanese mythology."

In the backstage area of ​​the live stream, he explained to the guests, who represented the five Bodhisattvas, the "Five-Colored Celestial Maidens,"

"The highest deity of Japanese Shinto, the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, was once so frightened and disheartened by her brother's unruly and tyrannical nature that she hid in a cave called 'Amanto-iwa' and disappeared. Since the sun was hidden in the cave, the light naturally disappeared, and the whole world fell into darkness. Demons, plagues, cold, and all kinds of disasters followed."

"So the gods gathered at the entrance of the cave and, in the dim light of the stars and moon, discussed how to invite Amaterasu out of the cave. In the end, they decided that force would not work, so they could only seduce her. They had the goddess of arts, Ame no Utsume, sing and dance at the entrance of the cave, and the other gods joined in the feast and merriment."

"Amaterasu was drawn by the festive atmosphere and felt puzzled. She asked from inside the cave, 'I've been hiding, why are you all so happy?' The gods outside replied, 'A god more honorable than you has arrived, so we are celebrating.' Amaterasu was curious and wanted to see what this more honorable god was all about, so she peeked out. The gods then pointed the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror), which they had prepared beforehand, at the cave entrance, allowing her to see her reflection in the mirror."

"And so, while Amaterasu was still startled by the reflection in the mirror, Hercules, the God of Strength, reached out and grabbed her, pulling her out of the Amato Rock. Suddenly, dawn broke, shattering the endless darkness, and the world was once again illuminated."

Some might hear this myth and wonder why there's moonlight even when the sun is hidden. Hayden can only say that's what myths are all about. Myths are, in essence, a varied record of facts and shouldn't be interpreted rigidly according to their literal meaning.

The Five-Colored Celestial Maidens listened with great interest as Hayden explained the myth to them. They already knew the myth, but Hayden's explanation was particularly interesting.

They didn't ask what Hayden's myth had to do with life, death, and resurrection, because they understood it all too well. Nor did they need to ask what Hayden's myth had to do with the current tournament, because it was obvious to them.

The white celestial maiden Mira chuckled and said, "This is a myth about the resurrection of the sun, isn't it?"

Hayden nodded: "Just as you said. I filled the magical rituals of this tournament with symbols and imagery from the mythology of the sun."

The warm and bright sun can certainly be a symbol of life and vitality. When it hides and disappears, plunging the world into darkness, it becomes an image of death.

Celestial maidens sang and danced, and the gods cheered and rejoiced, leading the sun god out of darkness. The sun set and rose again, from light to darkness and back to light.

This is the myth of the sun's resurrection. Moreover, this mythical imagery is applicable to the cultures of both the Mithra Corporation and the Smoke Mirror Company. The Smoke Mirror Company, rooted in the solar pantheon of Central and South America, understands the culture of the sun's cyclical alternation; as for the Mithra Corporation… well, as mentioned before, Mithra himself is a sun god!

The sun, high in the sky during the day, is unique, bringing warmth and life. It is common throughout the world to worship the sun as a supreme deity.

The white celestial maiden [Mira] who is now chatting and laughing with Hayden is an idol who borrows the name of the Bodhisattva Mithra. To put it bluntly, she is like a high priestess or saint of the Bodhisattva Mithra.

No wonder Hayden had to come and entertain them, and even then, he seemed quite distressed.

"Although it's not anything particularly rare, I specifically adjusted these parts to incorporate Japanese elements, so that it's fair to the contestants from both companies."

Hayden, without making a sound, added a sentence at this point.

"Of course, it might be fairer to [Celestial Maiden Mara]."

Mira smiled upon hearing this: "Mr. Hayden, is it alright for you to say this so directly?"

Of course it's great! Isn't it a sure win to be able to joke around with you bodhisattvas like this?

...Of course Hayden wouldn't say that out loud.

Mira, the white celestial maiden of Mithra, is a girl who appears to be about sixteen years old, more cute than pretty—at least Mira's virtual idol suit makes her look like a girl. Sitting next to Hayden, she has a pair of big, bright blue eyes that dart around, soft, fluffy pink hair topped with a bow, and a light, flowing pink and white dress that perfectly complements her appearance. She also wears white lace gloves on her hands.

As the central character of the Five Celestial Maidens, Mira possesses the greatest fame and appeal. Her gentle smile alone can influence tens or even hundreds of millions of fans. Although she appears kind and approachable, she is actually a terrifying figure with such influence that Hayden is genuinely afraid of her.

Because he knew exactly what these "Five-Colored Celestial Maidens" were. Because, in a way, they were Hayden's ultimate form.

The Five-Colored Goddesses are idols that borrow the names of five of the eight Bodhisattvas in the Mithra Group's board of directors, and can represent their will to a certain extent.

What about Hayden? He can also use Kallen's name and power, and he shares the same ideals as Kallen, so he can act on Kallen's will to a certain extent.

These new idols who participate in the competition, donning armor and dying as gods and demons, may have the potential to ascend to godhood, but they are experiments that require risking their lives, and they need to fight desperately for this opportunity that may lead to godhood.

These "Five-Colored Celestial Maidens" sitting on the judges' platform don't need to gamble with their lives. They are already the holy maidens of the current Heavenly God. As long as they perform well, they will naturally be promoted to goddesses by the Bodhisattvas one day.

They're both virtual idols, but it's really frustrating to compare them to real people!

Interestingly, Mira regarded Hayden as one of their own, and thus treated him with the same kindness one would show a senior: "I heard that Magical Girl Pazuzu, which you're producing, is also participating in this competition. Why didn't you incorporate some ancient Sumerian imagery into the ceremony?"

“There’s no need for that.” Hayden shook his head. “The current ritual elements are enough for her to utilize.”

As Hayden said, [Magical Girl Pazuzu] performed exceptionally well in the tournament. She had consumed a large amount of Secret Fire Food given to her by Angela over the past few months. While not as conspicuous as Hayden, she was still brimming with vitality.

Other idols mostly sing praises to the divinity they represent, in order to combat death and attract light.

【Magical Girl Pazuzu】sings her own song amidst the darkness and chaos, burning brightly like a torch in the darkness:

"Where can great music be born from rigid dogma and mediocre thinking?"

"Darkness! I tell you! You cannot obscure my gleaming eyes!"

So come on! Move forward step by step, towards your dreams, follow me! Win!

"My song is the freest wind! It lifts up the sun of my life!"

While such a self-centered style may attract a lot of fans, it is also understandably difficult to attract the largest audience—things with too strong a self-assertion are always hard to attract the most mainstream tastes, which is something that can't be helped.

So the brightest star in this game was ultimately someone else.

Just as Hayden had promised, there can only be one brightest star.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Burube, Yura Yurato, Burube.”

The Kagura dance performance of 【自在天女·波旬】 has begun.

From the void came the rhythm of a taiko drum and the melodious sound of a flute. The timbres of the two instruments complemented each other, weaving an elegant melody that echoed in the darkness.

Then—standing in the darkness, [Celestial Maiden Mara] began to dance slowly in time with the melody.

"Here, the heavens sing their songs, spreading their clamor, as the floating souls of those about to depart are bound together, summoned to receive their blessings."

While softly chanting incantations, she held a fan and spun around in place, once clockwise and once counterclockwise. Her body did not sway at all while spinning, demonstrating her skillful technique.

This space was a ritualistic magic space specially created by Hayden using elements of Japanese Shinto. When the [Celestial Maiden Mara] performs songs and dances here that perfectly match the elements of this space, it naturally unleashes its greatest power.

Space, setting, atmosphere—these elements, when combined, can create an almost magical effect. The power of atmosphere is immense, and besides, isn't this Hayden's magic?

In this magical space specially created by Hayden, her dance was so solemn, her singing so beautiful, that almost all the audience members were captivated by her movements. From the subjective gaze of these audience members, from every spectator's location in the material world or the star network, shimmering white light rose.