Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage Vol 2- Descent of Darkness

[Revised/Edited] Episode 13: The Tomb of Yamata no Orochi

"The Ancient Serpent rises from the abyss, seeking revenge against those who threw it back there"

*Lei*

I rubbed my eyes before opening them. We were in a building made up of wood. Not at all the stone and orichalcum that Iah had predicted.

Hanging at each corner were round jade bells, unmoving due to the lack of wind. Actually, there were no doors at all. Was teleporting the only way to get in?

"Where are we?" I asked. "Is this the right place?"

"This is the so-called 'Tomb of Orochi'. It's said to be where your clan's liege was said to have struck down our own liege, Orochi, 'The Eight-Headed Serpent'," Mr. Suzuran responded.

"Liege?" Nyima asked.

"What does he mean by that?" Adela questioned further.

"The one who struck down Orochi was my..." Iah started to say before stopping himself.

I stepped forward. "You mean to say that it was your uncle?"

Iah laughed and crossed his arms. "So, you figured it out?"

I nodded. "Yeah, awhile back. That's why you carry the title of 'no Mikoto'. You're the son of Tsukumu no Mikoto, the triplet brother of Takehaya no Mikoto, the first Magus Maximus."

"Tsukumu?" Nyima questioned. "Wait, isn't that the Yueliang clan's... Ohh, that explains why Xue keeps calling you 'Master' and 'Lord'."

Iah smiled and summoned a mirror out of thin air. "This is all the proof you need."

"That's the mirror that you were showing off to Ryuusei," Ayawamat said. He folded his arms as he stared at it closely.

I blinked. He showed Ryuusei the mirror? Wonder what for. Maybe to impress the kid so he would cheer up? I knew kid me would've been over the moon seeing that.

Mr. Suzuran glanced over at the mirror. "Yata no Kagami, the Mirror of Souls. So, you are related to Tsukumu. I understand you being his son, but why did he give you such an important item? In order to prove your identity? Also, why didn't you utilize it against my daughter?"

Mayu nodded. "You could've easily defeated me with it."

"Likewise with," Ren said, shrugging.

The mirror dissolved into tiny silver shards in Iah's hands. He sighed and stared at the silver light. "Yata is still fragile in my hands. I cannot summon it for long."

I blinked. Fragile? Was the strength of the mirror based on its wielder? Although, it was a legendary magical artifact, so it probably meant the summoner had to be extra amazing too.

Iah forced a smile and waved at us to follow. "Come. We have little time to waste. The ground is still uneasy. We can't allow those shadows to get further into the continent."

"Hey," I called out. "If you're the son of Tsukumu, then do you know why your grandparents didn't seal these portals during creation?"

"I don't. I didn't even know about the Abyss and the gates to this realm of eternal shadows until now. I'll be sure to ask Father when I can. But even then, I'm not sure how much he knows."

Nyima sighed. "The reasons don't matter much. Like Iah said, we have little time. Let's get going."

I watched as she walked ahead. Did Nyima withhold information from us? She knew the most about the Abyss. Who was she, really? To know about stuff that even Iah's father might not.