- Lucifer, Izanami, Peter, Shiri, Yvere -
'They can't be serious?' Izanami slightly opened her eye.
Shiri looked around frantically before composing himself. "This territory will fall to ruin if Lord Izanagi and Izanami die."
"Not our problem," Peter poked his sword a little deeper.
"It'll create a power vacuum," Shiri argued. "Lord," he shook his head, "Izanami and Izanagi are what keep the current yokai clans in line."
"Not. Our. Problem," Peter glared.
"He's right," Izanami spoke.
"Who said ya could speak?" Peter twisted his sword slightly.
"Please," Shiri pleaded with Peter. "She knows what I'm talking about better than anyone else."
Peter looked to Lucifer. Lucifer nodded with fatigued irritation.
"Speak," Peter ordered.
Izanami took a deep breath and raised her head. "There used to be far more yokai clans than there are now. Before Ragnarök, we were in a constant rush of quelling civil wars and quashing rebellions. During Ragnarök, after Izanagi made his decision to have our territory remain neutral, we worked towards breaking what remained of the yokai dissidents."
Lucifer looked doubtful. "What about Susano'o? From what I understand, he's seen as a leader among the yokai?"
"SOME of the yokai," Izanami corrected. "Not enough. The clans that support Susano'o are a part of the allied faction. The allied faction is only one-third of the total yokai population."
"Lucifer," Peter growled.
"It's your choice," Lucifer responded quickly and looked at Shiri. "She didn't threaten just my life."
Izanami exhaled and lowered her head once more, accepting the outcome.
"Wait," Yvere said, drawing everyone's attention. "I think we should at least wait until we rendezvous with Death to make this decision. Making the choice now, like this, it's reckless. I hate her," She exhaled slowly. "But I don't hate the beings she rules over. Her citizens deserve at least a little hesitation on our part." She looked at Peter. "I'll accept whatever choice you make but please consider what I've said."
Peter ground his teeth and sighed. "Answer one question for me," he pulled his sword out of Izanami's back. "Can yer magic stop a blade that's inside of ya from bein' moved around?"
Izanami opened her eye and made eye contact with Lucifer. "No."
Lucifer looked at Peter and nodded.
"Try not to move," Peter shifted the placement of his sword's tip on Izanami's back.
Izanami coughed as she felt Peter's sword stab clean through her.
- Izanami, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu -
(Before Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi's imprisonment)
Izanami had demanded Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi meet her in the castle. Once the two arrived, Izanami wasted no time with explanations.
"You two will be tasked with helping me. Tsukuyomi, your magic will be integral in assuring a safe kill with minimal casualties."
Tsukuyomi looked from Amaterasu to Izanami. "I will not be helping with this."
"Neither will I," Amaterasu joined in.
Izanami didn't glare. She didn't shout. She spoke in the disappointed tone of a parent.
"You two must be mistaken about your places here. Either you've fooled yourselves into believing that you are equal lords with me and your father, or you think yourself vital allies of Death and Lucifer. Both are incorrect, and neither will be tolerated."
"Father's wrong," Amaterasu spoke confidently.
"Excuse me?" Izanami tilted her head slightly.
Amaterasu swallowed and continued. "More specifically, his methodology. I don't care if his visions say it's statistically better for the territory if we kill Lucifer, he's wrong."
"You," Izanami let out a deep sigh, "impertinent failure."
Amaterasu was surprised by the bluntness of the comment.
Izanami walked over to Amaterasu slowly while talking. "Your father and I ask so little of you," Her tone grew more threatening as she approached Amaterasu. "You nearly dragged us into a war with Purgatory years ago because of your conflict with Death," She was right next to Amaterasu, looking down.
"I-I..." Amaterasu was struggling to stay confident.
"What do you know of Death and Lucifer?" Tsukuyomi spoke up.
Izanami turned her head to look at Tsukuyomi. "Enough."
Amaterasu took a step back from her mother. "He's right. I fought Death--properly fought him, Lucifer as well. You and father have severely underestimated them."
Tsukuyomi conjured a white ring. "Death's magic cannot be absorbed, mother. His scythe cut through my rings as if they were paper when I tried deflection."
Amaterasu grew more confident, "What about Death's blight? Do you really believe that Death wouldn't plague our territory after you've killed a close friend?"
"'Our'?" Izanami questioned. "How dare you call it 'our' territory after this betrayal."
Tsukuyomi dematerialized his ring. "'Betrayal'? Are sister and I the ones who invited friends into our home only to stab them in the back?"
Izanami's face twisted into a glare of severe anger while Amaterasu looked surprised.
Tsukuyomi continued, "I thought--or hoped at least, that you and father were above this-this, greed. Father might say he is doing this because of the statistical outcome, but for me, father seems to be nothing more than greedy."
Izanami dashed over to Tsukuyomi in a blur. Tsukuyomi tried backing up but Izanami kept up in step with him. Izanami's voice had a shakiness to it that was difficult to discern between anger and sadness.
"Your father isn't greedy, he just wants the safety of our territory. He wants the lives of those he cares about," she poked Tsukuyomi in the chest, "to be protected."
Tsukuyomi stopped backing up and stood his ground. "I know the history mother," He looked deep into Izanami's eyes. "The yokai warring period, the yuki rebellion, the division of Yomi--ALL OF IT!"
Tsukuyomi's shout made Izanami step back. Amaterasu's jaw opened in sheer surprise at the sound of Tsukuyomi's shouting.
'I didn't know his voice could sound like that,' Amaterasu moved closer to Izanami and Tsukuyomi.
Tsukuyomi took a breath, "You and father always tried to shoulder the entirety of the burden of ruling. You always told Susano'o, Amaterasu, and me to train for the sake of our own safety, not because you wanted us to help you fight, but because you wanted us to be ready in case you and father should ever fall in battle."
Amaterasu tried to reason, "It's not too late, mother. Convince father to stop this and instead we can prepare for whatever other paths have been seen. Death is the worst opponent, always, no matter what father sees."
Izanami mumbled, "I...I can't."
Tsukuyomi went to leave the room.
"I can't let you leave," Izanami grabbed Tsukuyomi's arm.
"Mother," Tsukuyomi tried to pull himself free.
Izanami whipped around, throwing Tsukuyomi into Amaterasu. "You made your choice."
Kazuya entered the room. Izanami looked over at Kazuya and gave a defeated nod. Kazuya sank into the ground.
Amaterasu stayed defiant. "I'm leaving!"
Izanami sighed before shooting towards Amaterasu. Izanami grabbed Amaterasu's face, slamming Amaterasu into the ground in one motion. Tsukuyomi conjured three white rings.
"Boy, please," Izanami pleaded in a disappointed tone.
Tsukuyomi's hands were shaky. Izanami dashed, closing the distance between her and Tsukuyomi in an instant. Izanami's fist pushed deep into Tsukuyomi's side, breaking multiple ribs.
- Izanami and Izanagi -
(Past)
Izanami and Izanagi were on top of a gigantic mountain. The sun started to rise, revealing a look of anger on Izanami's face.
"WHY?!" Izanami shouted at Izanagi.
"It's what I saw," Izanagi defended, looking exhausted. "I saw-"
"I KNOW!" Izanami interrupted. "I don't want to hear the same answer again, I want to know the actual reasoning!"
Izanagi rubbed his face and then hung his head. He scratched the back of his messy hair and pointed his spear in front of him. A bare tree with multiple branches appeared. On each branch, a number appeared. Izanagi's tone was tired but clear.
"If a thousand paths appeared before you, some guaranteeing safety, some destruction, which would you try to walk down?" he clenched his hand and replaced the tree with a mountain of corpses, obscuring the sun slightly. "I'm tired of fighting. No..." He dropped the spear, canceling the illusion. "I'm exhausted. I am not the [Hunter], dear. I-I can't keep doing this forever," He put his head in his hands.
Izanami looked out at the sunrise. "That's why we should join Ragnarök. If we capture the territories that surround us, while allying with the other gods, we can finally free ourselves of this constant conflict."
"That might work," Izanagi sighed. "But I saw a path with less fighting and similar results."
Izanagi shook her head. "You're just desperate. What happened to the man who used to fight side-by-side with me? Kill a thousand, save fifteen hundred--remember? You haven't forgotten what that means, right?"
Izanagi flopped onto his back and stared up at the clouds. "So long as we save more than we kill, our actions will be justified. I've never forgotten nor will I," He tilted his head to look at Izanami. "The man you fought alongside, the one who's lying here right now, won't last much longer if things stay as they are."
Izanami sat down next to Izanagi. "Why now? Why at such a critical moment do you want to rely on that ability of yours that you yourself have insulted?"
Izanagi sat up. "Why do I exist?" he glanced at Izanami. "Just to fight until I die? When I was younger, less tired, I could accept that answer. Call it laziness, call it desperation, it doesn't matter. Let me prove it to you," he held Izanami's hand. "I'll do everything I can to make this decision the right one."
Izanami put her other hand on top of Izanagi's. "A thousand lives lost."
Izanagi smiled, "Fifteen hundred saved."
In the seemingly peaceful silence that followed, Izanami was quoting Izanagi in her head. ''Why do I exist?''