Something To Heat Up Over is the 89th chapter of the "Shuumatsu no Valkyrie: Record of Ragnarok" manga series.
Summary[]

Susano'o forced down to his knees after Soji's strike
Soji Okita slashes Susano'o no Mikoto across the chest and causes blood to spray from his wound. As Heimdall says that Soji launched a full-body strike in just a flash, Valhalla's best swordsman is forced down to his knees as he grits his teeth out of pain. Flicking the blood off from his katana, Soji is wearing a serious expression on his face before he brightly smiles. Humanity cheer him on as Heimdall asserts this is the blade of the Demon Child – the blade of the strongest Manslayer of the Bakumatsu. Isami Kondo and Heisuke Todo both pump their fists. Eisaburo Abiru embraces Kai Shimada as the two look joyous over Soji inflicting so much damage. Smirking, Hajime Saito questions why they're getting so hyped since this is Soji. Hajime believes this is just par for the course whenever it comes to him but Shinpachi Nagakura insists they're going to want to get hyped. Asking if the Gods saw that, Shinpachi says this is why they were feared as the strongest combat corps in Kyoto and he claims that this is the blade of the Shinsengumi. Recalling how Soji attacked with no stance and had bloodlust without bloodlust, Musashi Miyamoto calls that a state that's only achievable by a true swordsman, who's faced countless life-or-death battles. Kojiro Sasaki guesses it's precisely because the battlefield is Soji's "every day," that his sword is polished to such a point. Kojiro remarks on how Soji truly is something else. Göll is excited over Soji landing a blow in a match with the God of Swords and raves that Humanity is really, really awesome. But Brunhilde says it's too early for her to be celebrating and reveals, when it comes to the excellence of Humanity, the one most familiar with it is Susano'o himself.

Susano'o standing on top of Yamata no Orochi's corpse
Huffing, Susano'o takes in a steady breath before he manages to get back on his feet, smiling at how he's heating up. Why is Susano'o no Mikoto hailed as the progenitor of swordsmanship? Because of his title as the God of Swords? Or because of the myth of the Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi? No. Susano'o isn't the progenitor of "swordsmanship" but of the "sword" itself. When it comes to the questions of who is the progenitor of swordsmanship and what is swordsmanship, the answer can be found in Ancient Japan. Susano'o no Mikoto was born a flawless and perfect being. He stood at the peak of Japanese mythology as one of the "Three Precious Children" of the Gods. As his calling, he slew wicked Gods and Demons with just a stroke of his sword. Thus, he had grew to be revered with titles such as the "God of Swords" and the "strongest Godslayer." But after he had defeated his enemies, Susano'o's soul still remained cool and collected, often sighing about how easy it was. Then one day, Izanagi, the God of All Creation appointed the Three Precious Children to different places. Amaterasu Okami was to govern Takamagahara, the Heavens. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto was to govern Aounabara no Shionoyaoe, the seas. Susano'o no Mikoto was to govern Ashihara no Nakatsukuni, the lands, which Susano'o accepted without a doubt. Upon his descent to Izumo, having been sent to govern the lands, Susano'o began with an extermination of the monstrous beasts of Japan, including Yamata no Orochi, after which he obtained the Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi.

Susano'o witnesses a boy defeating the ogre with a sword
To fulfill his duty as a God, Susano'o swung his sword again and again. As he did, he unknowingly inspired the Humans that were watching him fight. After many years, at a village Susano'o went to visit by happenstance, he witnessed something that would change his godly existence. As he stood on a hill, Susano'o noticed a boy was standing in front of his little sister, being confronted by a large ogre-like creature, outside the village. As the boy wielded a sword carved out of wood, the ogre tauntingly questioned what his glare was for, advising him to value his own life more. The ogre demanded the boy give his little sister to him as he wanted to sell her off as a slave for a high price. The girl tearily begged for mercy but the boy told her to stay back. Though he shook, as her big brother, the boy promised to protect the girl. Susano'o found that admirable. With such an overwhelming difference in strength, the outcome of the fight was plain to see...or rather, it wasn't. When the ogre began bringing down his club to kill the boy, Susano'o was about to leap in to save him, only for the boy to meet the ogre's club with a slash of his sword, much to Susano'o's surprise. The boy deflected the ogre's club into the ground, causing the ogre to lose his balance a bit and fall forward. Jumping up, the boy smacked the ogre in the face with his sword and was able to knock him out, which had left Susano'o astonished. The boy received an enemy's strike, stepped in past it and cut him down. To Humanity, it was the basics of using a sword but it meant something different to Susano'o. Immediately after, Susano'o went up to the boy and he asked him what that was just now. Grabbing the boy by his shoulders, Susano'o frantically asked him how he took the giant down.

Susano'o begs the boy to teach him swordsmanship
The boy, taken aback, said it was a sword and that swords are things that let people as small as him win against foes like the ogre. The boy revealed that, in his village, they worked out many different ways to use a sword and he said that everyone was training and refining the sword to be even better. Susano'o was surprised to hear that "everyone" was doing it when the boy then mentioned how, in the village, they have a mural of "Lord Susa." Unaware that he was talking to Susano'o himself, the boy happily recounted how Lord Susa was a God who saved Humanity long, long ago. He said that Lord Susa was able to slay countless monsters much bigger than himself with just a sword, which the boy found incredible. He admitted everyone admires Lord Susa, prompting Susano'o to tear up. The boy smiled about how he had wanted to get better with the sword so he could be like Lord Susa one day. To the Gods and to Susano'o himself, the "sword" was a mere tool to wield divine power. It was something they swung to destroy their enemies. Yet, to the Humans, who were much smaller and weaker than the Gods, the sword had allowed them to create an "art" to conquer much larger foes. As he dropped to his knees, Susano'o said he was embarrassed and questioned what the difference was between the boy's sword and his own sword. Susano'o realized that calling the boy's a "sword" wasn't enough of a word as it wasn't a "sword"; using a "sword," the boy makes "art." Susano'o got up and called it, "swordsmanship." As the boy repeated the word he created, Susano'o no Mikoto, hailed as the God of Swords, knelt in front of the nameless young boy, as if it were perfectly natural. The boy tried to get him to stop but after he called the Humans incredible, Susano'o beseeched that the boy to teach him their "swordsmanship." Susano'o became the first God to beg a Human for something.

Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi surprised by Susano'o's decision to relinquish his position
Later on, in Takamagahara, in the shrine of Amanoiwato, Amaterasu Okami went over how Susano'o wanted to learn the sword from Humanity, despite being the God of Swords, making her question if he lost his mind. Susano'o told her that wasn't quite it and clarified to her that what he wanted to learn was swordsmanship. But Tsukuyomi no Mikoto repeatedly called him a fool and questioned what kind of difference that made. Calling it a fake word, Tsukuyomi angrily questioned to Susano'o if he was cosplaying a Human and if he was making fun of his siblings. Tsukuyomi believed Susano'o was being a brat but after Amaterasu addressed him, Tsukuyomi regained his composure and he reminded Susano'o that he was one of the cherished Three Precious Children. So for him to beg for teaching from vulgar and lowly Humans, Tsukuyomi declared that it was an unforgivable trespass, devaluing the majesty of the Gods. Susano'o agreed it was unforgivable and, with a smile, he offered to relinquish his title as one of the Three Precious Children, shocking his siblings. Tsukuyomi exclaimed that he had gone insane and Amaterasu wondered why Susano'o was so fixated on swordsmanship. Susano'o said it was because it heats him up. He recounted how he was born as one of the Three Precious Children and had strength befitting the title of the "God of Swords." He was worshipped by the masses and had always had everything his whole life. But Susano'o then declared to them that the swordsmanship of Humanity was different. It was something born from those with nothing, solely forged through their blood, sweat, tears and efforts. Susano'o wholeheartedly believed that "swordsmanship" was something that was truly limitless. Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu stared in silence as Susano'o happily asked them if they could stop themselves from indulging after learning of something so fun. For the first time since he was born, Susano'o felt his heart was heating up.

Susano'o watched all swordsmen across history, Kojiro Sasaki's last duel among them
Tsukuyomi was unable to understand what he was talking about, writing it all off as nonsense. But since Susano'o had found it fun, Amaterasu understood and she gave him permission to do what he liked, which came as a surprise, to both Susano'o and Tsukuyomi. However, Amaterasu labelled Susano'o a shameless God for begging the Humans for instruction and she went on to banish him from setting even one foot into Takamagahara again. As he knelt down, Susano'o accepted. Amaterasu then added one more thing. In order to avoid tarnishing the majesty of the other Gods, she forbade Susano'o from learning from Humanity directly nor was he allowed to reveal himself to them in any way. Thus, Susano'o was allowed to "learn" but was not allowed to be "taught." Despite that, Susano'o thanked his sister and he left, leaving behind his headpiece. Amaterasu remarked on how having such a foolish little brother was quite the pain and thus, Susano'o no Mikoto was banished forever from Takamagahara.

This time, it shall be me... who makes you heat up!!
From there, Susano'o took the form of a crow. Hidden from the gaze of Humanity, he journeyed far and wide. Alongside Humanity, swordsmanship grew for tens, hundreds and thousands of years, in both the east and the west, all over the world. The swordsmanship that these great swordsmen gambled their lives to create, Susano'o put his whole being into it and devoured it voraciously, continuing to refine it within himself. He trained in a cave alone, at one point, even practicing the moves of Soji Okita himself. All that Susano'o sought was the moment where his heart burns the hottest.
In the present, Susano'o tells Soji that when he saw the Bakumatsu, in the Kyoto that they are now standing in, he recognized that, at the core of their politics and ideology, was swordsmanship. Susano'o reminisces over how it was truly the greatest moment. Soji is impressed by how much Susano'o loves swordsmanship. Touching the wound he received, Susano'o is glad the day has come where he gets to fight the strongest Manslayer to the death. Chuckling and emitting an aura, Susano'o says that is why he wishes to repay him. As Soji's eyes widen, Susano'o takes a new stance with a crazed look, and proclaims it's now his turn to make Soji the one who heats up.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Soji Okita
- Susano'o no Mikoto
- Heimdall
- Isami Kondo
- Heisuke Todo
- Kai Shimada (No lines)
- Eisaburo Abiru (No lines)
- Keisuke Yamanami (No lines)
- Hajime Saito
- Shinpachi Nagakura
- Sanosuke Harada (No lines)
- Musashi Miyamoto
- Kojiro Sasaki
- Hrist (No lines)
- Brunhilde
- Göll
- Izanagi (Flashback) (No lines)
- Amaterasu Okami (Flashback)
- Tsukuyomi no Mikoto (Flashback)
[]
Chapters & Volumes | |
---|---|
Volume 1 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 |
Volume 2 | 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 |
Volume 3 | 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 |
Volume 4 | 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 |
Volume 5 | 19 • 20 • 21 |
Volume 6 | 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 |
Volume 7 | 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 |
Volume 8 | 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 |
Volume 9 | 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 |
Volume 10 | 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 |
Volume 11 | 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 |
Volume 12 | 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 |
Volume 13 | 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 |
Volume 14 | 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 |
Volume 15 | 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • B1 |
Volume 16 | 62 • 63 • 64 • 65 • 66 |
Volume 17 | 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • B2 |
Volume 18 | 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • B3 |
Volume 19 | 75 • 76 • 77 • 78 |
Volume 20 | 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 |
Volume 21 | 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 |
Volume 22 | 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • B4 |
Volume 23 | 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • B5 |
Volume 24 | 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 |
Volume 25 | 99 • 100 • 101 • 102 |
List of Rounds (Manga) | |
---|---|
1. Lü Bu vs. Thor | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 |
2. Adam vs. Zeus | 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 |
3. Kojiro Sasaki vs. Poseidon | 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 |
4. Jack the Ripper vs. Heracles | 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 |
5. Raiden Tameemon vs. Shiva | 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 |
6. Buddha vs. Bishamonten/Zerofuku/Hajun | 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 |
7. Qin Shi Huang vs. Hades | 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 65 |
8. Nikola Tesla vs. Beelzebub | 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 • 76 • 77 |
9. Leonidas vs. Apollo | 78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 |
10. Soji Okita vs. Susano'o no Mikoto | 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 |
11. Simo Häyhä vs. Loki | 98 • 99 • 100 • 101 • 102 • 103 |