Blood oozed from my mouth, a rattling buzz thrumming throughout my chest, the telltale signal of pain.
I'm lucky I can't feel that right now.
Hell, I'm lucky I'll heal from this in general.
I'm just trying to figure out how this happened!
With a grunt, I grasp my sword's hilt and wrench it from my chest, gasping as the wounds, both internal and external, sizzle and heal.
I cough and gasp, hacking out several globs of blood, clearing the way for fresh clean air to finally return.
Huh, I think I might have also punctured a lung there.
"Well now," I grumble aloud, the Reapers before me going still and silent abruptly, "that was uncouth."
One of the Reapers snarls, and flies forward, right for me, with a burst of malicious speed and tanto poised at his side.
My aura explodes out around me, wrapping around my form like a cloak as my eyes spin and the world slows.
I can see him clearly, even as he 'speeds' towards me.
One slice, one cut, one down.
I breathe, and step forward, ready to meet him before his dagger can even reach its target.
Dance.
My aura pops, and my neck explodes with an almost comedic amount of red, as my blade cuts into its side.
…Huh?
I let go of the hilt just as I realized what I was doing, preventing the blade from even getting near removing my head.
Just for good measure, I grab the blade with a bare hand, letting the buzz from my neck and palm ground me, forcing it to keep me attentive.
A blink later, and I hiss, a gurgling annoyed thing, as a new buzz pierces my chest.
Along with what feels like a needle trying to pierce my very soul.
The grinning form of the Reaper looks down upon me, he cackles once again, twisting the blade in my chest, "So, not even you are immune, hmm Arahitogami?"
My answer?
Spit a glob of blood in his ugly little eyes, and bash my forehead into his nose.
The bargain bin ghost tries to disengage, but I won't let him, grabbing onto his cloak with an iron grip and holding him in place.
In the next instance, light erupts from within my closed fist, the creature screaming in absolute fear and terror at the mere sight of the purifying power.
Despite that, the Reaper lashes out, grabbing onto me as well, holding my arm in place as his friend flies by his side and rams his tanto straight through my wrist.
The light with my fist crackles and sputters out as I lose feeling entirely beyond my waist.
I snarl, a second needle striking my soul, though it has just as little effect as the first.
"You. Will. Die." Both things intone, a statement, a fact–
The buzz in my neck worsens only a slight fraction before I stop pushing the blade.
Caught it this time, though that was kind of obvious there wasn't it?
Now. Catch this.
My aura races down my arm, increasing the pace by which my grip slides down to the blade's hilt.
As soon as I grasp it, I swing, fire exploding from the blade as I do.
A wide horizontal arc of fire explodes out swirling around the turn of my blade and into the area around me.
Not a breath, not even a sword form, simply plain old swing at it extra hard.
Yet still, the Reapers screech, their forms evaporating into the same pitch-black smog before my blade and the flames can reach them.
Their daggers remain, however, even as their misty forms bellow up, riding the rising air created by the twister of fire around me.
With my neck healing, I manage a huff as I pull both daggers from my body, stabbing my blade into the ground to do so.
Shortly after they hit the ground, they burst into the same black smog.
Hmm, the wounds made by those daggers are healing slower than normal.
The feeling is returning to my hand, but it's slow, and both openings aren't as quick to shut as they should be.
So the tantos are their version of scythes then, and although they can't seem to pierce my soul, nor my life force for that matter, the blades are still very much necrotic.
Even to me.
Very interesting indeed.
Now if I only wasn't dealing with something as annoying as mental fuckery at the same time!
As the fire putters out around me, I quickly bash my foot into my sword's edge, cutting into its side.
I grip the bottom of the sword's hilt, focusing through the indicator of pain like a lens as I eye my immediate surroundings.
All is quiet.
Far too quiet.
…Where did those oni lolis go?
That thought was immediately answered, as I turned around.
Both girls hadn't moved from where I last saw them.
Except then, they weren't on the ground, their fists caked in blood, with both their faces not looking much better.
I narrow my eyes slightly. They're still alive, albeit barely, but I'm more focused on how they ended up like that.
Their fists, their faces, all the blood…
Did they beat each other to near-death!?
Cackling echoes throughout the area, and my grip on the hilt tightens as my body tenses.
"These two will have to do, I suppose." One voice calls, sounding nearly disgusted.
The other sighs, or I think it is, they sound exactly the same, "There could be worse hosts. Now shut it, and let's end this brat while we have the chance."
The black smog falls upon the two onis, soaking into their flesh like water to a sponge.
Wisps of smoke flicker from their bodies, as they abruptly begin moving, twitching.
A twitch here or there at first, then their arms and legs seize and flail, before eventually, they shamble onto their feet, bloody grins etched across their little faces.
"This will do nicely~..." 'Grapefruit' extols, summoning a tanto and, of course, licking its blade.
'Banana' seems to pout, "I still think these forms are rather…unsightly." 'she' summons 'her' dagger shortly after, pointing it at me.
Both still have the same voice, although it is especially freaky coming out of such tiny girls' mouths, I'll admit.
I, audibly, chuckle at the thought.
'Banana' blinks at that, "...What's so funny, Arahitogami."
I wave them both off, snickering, "Nothing, nothing…well, just thinking how, somehow, you're both looking much more scary than before."
That prompts both the body snatchers to blink before their faces scrunch up in sheer rage.
I scoff at them, "Don't be offended, it's a step up above the same basic, bland, literally copy-paste mook look you two had going on before. Be grateful you two got the upgrades in the first place."
"Grateful!?" 'Banana' cries, indignant.
"Mook!?" 'Grapefruit' screeches, somehow more offended.
"Ah, don't like that?" I smirk, amused, "Well, you two should also be glad because I kind of need those two girls around to lead me to Yomi. It means I can't just tear apart those bodies to get at you Grim Reaper knockoffs."
Before they can start ranting at my insult, I continue, "Fortunately! I have my way around that. Which leaves only one question…" I pull my sword from the ground, and thus my foot as well, it sizzles as it starts healing.
Then without further ado, I stab myself straight down in the stomach.
But this time, I meant to do it. My body will be its sheath.
The buzz, my mask to whatever mental fuckery is going on here.
I grin, from ear to ear, at the two oni puppets, as the two's faces morph into one of terror.
Aura explodes out and coats my fists, light glittering and sparkling within the honey-gold power.
The world's most deadly boxing gloves? On.
"Do you ever wonder…" I continued, a feral drive to my tone, "Where do Death Gods go when they die?"
With that, I explode forward with movement, the ground beneath and behind me shattering at my takeoff.
My fist meets 'Banana's' tanto as it's barely raised in time to stop my downward strike, the aura coating my knuckles stopping the edge from truly cutting skin.
The possessed oni's body creeks as the ground beneath it cracks, struggling to keep my fist from reaching it.
Just a few good hits, or a grab, that's all I need. Merely a medium to transfer my purifying power is all I need.
I can see it, the way they possess bodies, cladding them and smothering their victims' souls and powers with their own.
They almost act like a suit of armor, in a sense. When I strike, I won't need to worry about harming the girls spiritually. It'll all be blunted by the snatchers after all.
Once I connect, even just a few times, these guys are done, and I think on an intuitive level, they understand that.
That doesn't mean I don't have my own problems to worry about.
My free hand lashes out the side, grabbing the dagger and holding the possessed Grapefruit aloft by extension.
The sheer force of her falling downward swing makes my feet sink into the ground, cracking the immediate area as I had down to 'Banana' before.
Though their spiritual powers, Youki, and Youjutsu, may be inaccessible to the body sealers, they still have access to the oni's natural physical strength and durability.
In fact, I'd hazard to say that they're stronger.
Most likely due to the reapers' higher tier of existence so to speak, being half-gods. Assuming these Reapers are still like the Grim Reapers in that way.
Both 'Oni' grit their blood-soaked teeth as they try to push back against me, and in response, I breathe deeply.
Much deeper than I normally do.
I don't get to use this aspect of my power often, or at least it's more active applications, I mostly use it to reinforce my body and assist with my healing factor, as I haven't trained to utilize such abilities with my sword quite yet.
However, utilizing it hand-to-hand is a basic function.
Fiery sparks ripple from my fists, joining my light and aura.
I let 'Banana's' tanto cut through my aura, and strike my fist.
The look of shock, then the flash of triumph across 'her' face, came as quickly as it went when the fiery sparks burst from my fist and suffused the dagger.
I murmur, "Overdrive."
The dagger, promptly, explodes.
It combusts in a flash of black smoke and heat, I catch a glimpse of 'Banana' wide-eyed shock and beat red, sunburnt hands before I follow up with a kick straight to the stomach that sends 'her' small form reeling and ragdolling back.
Their faces are too damaged to take anymore, but their torso? Legs? Arms? Fair game.
They're Oni. They can take it.
I whirl on 'Grapefruit', pulling 'her' into the way of my fist as I turn.
Eyes wide and panicking, her dagger suddenly vanishes into black smoke, freeing herself from my grip.
Just as quickly, 'she' resummons the blade, only for I to take a step forward, far too into 'her' guard for her to block, and hit 'her' straight in the chest.
Light dances off my knuckles and lashes at 'her' form like lightning, 'she' screams, a blood-curdling howl of agony as the force of my blow sends her careening back with no resistance.
The body was twitching and convulsing before it even hit the ground, light sparking around it, black smog rolling and coiling and going back inside and out all over on repeat.
Not enough light in a single strike, hmm?
My head tilts slightly, before my full body turns, dodging a stab aimed at my back from the now standing 'Banana'.
'She' snarls as if a wild beast as I jump over a follow up wild slice, landing with a kick down into the ground.
Fiery sparks lash out from the dirt, exploding out around me in waves, blasting 'Banana' back across the ground.
I go low and kick off, gliding close to the ground as I follow after her in a blast of speed.
My fist rakes out, a straight jab aimed for her chest, but gets deflected by 'her' dagger, which 'she' uses as a shield, batting my hand to the side.
'She' followed up with a knuckle sandwich of her own, backed up by Reaper-enhanced Oni strength, right to my cheek.
My eyes spun, and I smiled as I let the blow land, even as I felt my jaw creek at the force.
The force which I seized for myself, and sent down to my legs.
Spinning around, and back by the force of 'her' punch, I lash my legs out, in turn taking 'her' legs out from under her.
But I'm not down yet, twisting at the same time, I kick up, planting my foot in 'her' stomach just as before, but unlike before, the kick sends 'her' ragdolling up with a guttural grunt.
My hands push out, hitting the ground, launching me up to follow as my halo flashes into existence behind my back.
I quickly overtake 'her' flight speed with my own, blurring ahead of 'her' in a streak of light, and appearing in 'her' immediate flight path.
I clench my fists tightly, as silvery white light erupts from seemingly every pore upon them, overtaking my aura, and cladding my fists so brightly that my hands can't even be seen beyond the constant sparks, flashes, and crackles.
This should be more than enough.
The small Oni's face barely had time to twist itself into one horror before my fists came down upon 'her' like a divine sledgehammer.
A column of light ruptured the air as the power of my blow sent the body straight back down into the ground, followed shortly after by sound.
A horrible, high-pitched, like nails across a chalkboard, static filled the air.
Banana's body was shaking, quivering, before stiffening as her mouth abruptly opened wide, smog pouring out in waves, crashing upon the light bellowing around them...and quickly being devoured.
I watched as the cloud of smog began being torn to shreds inside the light.
Even as it tried to make a coherent shape, trying to make hands or summon a blade to crawl and slash its way out, it couldn't, the light beating apart any attempt.
It felt like an eternity before the last puffs were finally devoured, and the light dispersed itself with a flash, but I knew it was only a few mesmerizing seconds.
Before all that remained was Banana's body, and a light echoing hum, the death throes of a being who brought death.
I slowly turned toward 'Grapefruit', whose mouth hung open, almost like they broke the body's jaw to do it.
Shaking, 'she' looks up at me.
"You're. Next." I state clearly, factually, and calmly.
'She' turned and ran.
'She' did not get far.
My mouth opened right after, but instead of more words, fire came out.
A jet of flames crashed down from the sky, exploding right in front of 'her', quickly cutting off her escape.
I fall from the sky as if a comet, crashing right behind her.
She whirls around, tanto forming mid-swing as she slashes wide through the ensuing dust cloud, trying to get at me.
I bat the blade to the side with one hand, while my free hand lights up with pure bursting silvery-white as I punch down to counter.
Yet, amazingly, despite me being in her guard, 'her' small form manages to dodge.
'Her' body makes an audible sickening cracking noise as it bends back and to the side unnaturally, my fist soaring past her with barely a few inches in a near miss.
I frown, as a grin filled with manic terror splits across 'her' face.
How annoying. Breaking your vessel to try and accomplish what? Inconvenience me if she dies?
'She' suddenly pulls back her tanto, before lashing out again with it, stabbing out.
I lean back, out of her small arm's reach, only for her arm to give a crack and for the limb to hyperextend right as it reaches what should have been its normal maximum range.
Grunting as the blade pierces my abdomen, I reach out, grab the hyperextended arm, and pull 'her' right up to me, grabbing and holding onto 'her' shoulders tightly to force 'her' to still.
"This'll do." I huff, and with that, my hands explode with light.
My eyes catch the tension in 'her' jaw before it happens.
The body's mouth suddenly shoots open, and black smog bursts out like a pilot ejecting from his craft.
Unfortunately, I was prepared.
My hands let go of her shoulders, shooting up just as quickly to grasp the smog and pull, wrenching the cloud from the oni's body entirely.
That same static screaming fills the air, as my light wraps around the smoke cloud, encapsulating, trapping, and beginning to destroy it.
For good measure, I slam the trapped Reaper into the ground, looking down upon it as it tries to form its body, right in the spot its eyes should be.
"Have fun~!" I 'wish' it off, as the cloud turns into puffs, then turns into a bright flash of nothingness.
Now, truly, only the dull echo of static remains.
I sigh, letting out my breath, looking down to see the tanto in my gut crack and turn to straight-up ash.
With those two gone, I pull my sword from my stomach, patting the wounds as they sizzle and heal with a satisfied hum.
Sheathing my sword properly upon my back, I then turn to the two oni loli's, wincing as I see the damages, especially to Grapefruit.
I decided to update mentally that those Reapers are very annoying little shits. Possession, some sort of mental death wish power, soul-cutting knives…yikes.
It's balanced by the fact they don't seem as powerful as normal Grim Reapers, but then again, those two could have just been weaker ones of the species.
It's not like I'd know how strong a normal Grim Reaper is anyway, never fought one.
Looking at the two oni lolis, I also don't think I've had to heal so much damage on someone else before.
Hell, I don't think I've ever tried healing someone before at all!
Well. First time for everything I suppose?
To start, though.
I walk over to Grapefruit, grab her very dislocated arm, and start trying to beat it back in place.
…It's at times like this when I wish I had access to the See-Through World, but I haven't mastered my mark enough to utilize it yet.
So, trial and error it is!
~ A New Sun ~
There was much trial and error before I finally fixed the girl's arm.
Thank all eight million plus deities in the world that Oni are tough bastards, and could take me slapping the shit out of them.
Otherwise, the poor girl might have a whole broken arm by the end of it.
Due to the fact I couldn't see into her body though, I couldn't tell how it was broken so the Reaper could dodge my attack that one time, so I just had to hope that would fix itself when I healed her.
Speaking of.
I ended up using Ripple, the fiery sparking energy I used against the Reapers earlier, to heal them.
I don't trust my light to not try and exorcize them on the spot, and it's also very slow even when it works on the whole life thing.
Ripple, on the other hand, specifically fucks up undead and adjacent beings, which means the girls should be safe.
It took some time, even with Ripple being the speedier healing option, but now I sit against a tree with two mostly healed, I think, oni lolis leaning into my sides.
Huh. That sounds like the start of a hentai.
I stare off into the horizon of this spiritual realm, knowing I am truly lost at that thought.
Luckily, my self-pity session is cut short by grumbles and groans coming from both of my sides.
"Ugh~...what happened…?" Banana mumbled out.
"The Shinigami happened…" Grapefruit responded with a pained huff, before finally turning slightly and seeing who she was leaning against, "...Ah."
"Hnnghh, so that's why the last thing I remember was you suddenly punching me in the face, you…" she turned as well, "...hi?"
I wave to them both, "Hey. Do you two feel okay?"
"It feels like someone dropped a mountain on my back." Grapefruit deadpanned.
Banana snorts at that, "Whatcha talking about sis, that's a great time!"
Grapefruit rolls her eyes, "An upside-down mountain." She clarified.
Banana winces, "Yeesh, okay, yeah, not as good then."
"How would either one be good?" I muse aloud.
Banana waves me off, "It's an Oni thing, don't worry about it. So!" She sits up, getting eye level with me, "You take out those utensil wielding shit heels?"
"Yeah," I waved her off in turn, "they weren't too big a deal, even after they tried to use your two's bodies as meat shields."
Both girls shiver deeply at that.
We got possessed!?" Banana shouted, disgusted, "Ew! Ewewewew! Sis! Where's the nearest lake!"
Grapefruit pointed a shaking finger, and Banana promptly ran off, screaming and gagging all the while until a resounding splash silenced her.
"Is…she gonna be alright?" I ask, mildly concerned and amused in equal measure.
Grapefruit nods slowly, "She'll be fine, it's just, being possessed by a being of death, when you know what that taint is like…it isn't pleasant." She then smiles slowly, "Thank you for your concern, and for not finishing us off when you could have, young master."
I shrug, "Kind of needed you two around still, and also…several other reasons I don't wanna list right now." Then, I blink, "Young Master?" I parrot.
She nods, a smile across her face, "Lady Izanami is your grandmother, so that makes you a Young Master, and us very appreciative~..."
"Oi." I deadpan, "Those hands go any lower, I'll blow your back out with fire instead of a mountain."
This entire time, she's been clinging ever so slightly tighter, and her hands have been damn near caressing my chest and abdomen.
She pouts at that, "Come on~ Young Master! We haven't had a man in…a really, really, long time…" she whines like a petulant child.
"Eh?" Banana chooses that time to come back, completely soaked and dripping everywhere, "We talking about fucking? I mean, I guess he's earned it. Though I still won't forgive you for what you said about big sis earlier, jerk!" She points at me. "Speaking of! I need to beat you up for that! Fight me!"
I can feel Grapefruit wiggle her eyebrows at me as I sigh, deeply.
"I don't have time for this." I state, sitting up, Grapefruit gasping as I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her with me.
"Hey! What do you think you're- EEHH!?" I, of course, do the same to Banana, cutting her off.
Briefcase lolis, acquired.
"Now," I huff, "the Entrance to Yomi, guide me."
Banana flails around in my grasp, trying, and failing horrendously to wrench my hold on her waist, "Hnnghhh! Hnnnghhhh!"
"If you resist, I'll uproot a tree, and spank you with it." I add dully.
Banana immediately goes still, "...please don't spank me." She mutters, all of a sudden way too softly and way too quietly.
I raise an eyebrow to that, just before Grapefruit chimes in, "She actually likes being spanked!"
"E-Eh!? Big sis!" Banana cries out, betrayed.
"Mhmm, mhmm," Grapefruit nods, and then continues, "she also acts like a loud obnoxious brat all the time, hoping some big strong exorcist will come along and, ahem, purify her~..."
"T-That's not true! Don't listen to her! Please!" Ah, now she sounds like she's about to cry.
My eyebrow twitches, my aura leaking from my form slightly.
"The Entrance to Yomi," I say again, calmly, "now."
Both girls squeak at that, before Grapefruit quickly pipes up again, "Down the path! I'll tell you when to diverge!"
I nod and start jogging, straight down the only dirt path nearby.
Finally, we're getting somewhere. Literally.
Though knowledge of the Shinkai, the World of the Kami, is rather limited, there are a few things I have parsed together.
For one, the place is a mirror to the modern mundane era, sans special exceptions such as Shrines, the World of the Kami is a return to an endless sprawl of nature.
This is why a dirt path being here is odd, especially as I reach its end, with it being cut off and consumed by the sprawl of foliage around us.
I look down at Grapefruit, eyebrow raised.
"Ah, take a step or two forward, then a sharp right." She starts, "Through the foliage, don't stop until you reach the mountain's base."
And so I did as such.
"How did the entrance end up so…buried?" I muse aloud.
"The one who used to take care of it stopped showing up." Grapefruit answered, voice downtrodden.
Banana huffed at that, "You mean he abandoned it, just like he abandoned everyone everywhere? Just like he abandoned the boss at first!?"
"Sister." Grapefruit says sternly, shaking her head slightly, "Enough of that."
Banana huffs, crossing her arms and looking away.
Abandoned Izanami first, huh?
Izanagi. My grandpa on the Kami side of things.
"Anyone know where he went?" I hazard to ask.
Grapefruit shakes her head solemnly, "Unfortunately, no. He's been gone a long, long time…he left even before the wars with the pantheons from the continent."
"Lucky bastard," Banana seethed, "if people did know, I'd be the first to show up and ram his divine spear up his ass."
Grapefruit sighed in exasperation, and I decided to leave the conversation there before Banana blew a blood vessel.
So on the journey went.
I reached the mountain base and was then told to run around it, heading left.
Until eventually, I ran into a hole in the side of the mountain.
Not a natural one, mind, but what looked like some blew into the side of the mountain with C4.
Grapefruit grimaced, "The last one to take this way to Yomi was Lord Susanoo, but uhm, he couldn't fit into the crevice leading the cavern. So he…yeah." She waved to the divine made entrance, Banana cackling all the while, while I rolled my eyes at my uncle doing his thing.
Regardless, I step through, and into the cavern.
Although to be fair, it's more like a…hall, than a naturally made cave.
Although covered in moss, and vines, and chipped to all hell and back, I could see markings and drawings layering the path forward.
There was even text, it looked Japanese, but also…not?
Old Japanese, perhaps. Or maybe it was whatever language Izanagi spoke. A primordial tongue?
Whatever it is, trying to focus on the proto-kanji makes my head buzz.
I'll leave that for now.
Eventually, the hall opens up into a supermassive chamber.
So massive that it felt like I suddenly stepped out into the middle of a completely hollow supermall.
Yet, despite that size, it's needed to house the titanic rock sitting at the end of the chamber.
Covered in moss, proto-kanji, and layered with several dozen ropes, it merely sat there.
Menacingly.
"Holy shit." I mutter, my eyes widening rapidly.
This thing could crush city blocks, it was that huge!
"So do I just," I put the two girls down, and stretch, give my fingers a good crack as I do, "like, push it really hard…or?"
Grapefruit chuckles, "Oh no, nothing like that. If you really are who you say you are, all you need to do is go up and ask him."
Him?
The Rock?
The rocks a deity?
You know what, thinking about it, how else would you trap a primordial Goddess of Creation somewhere?
"Well, alright then?" I oblige, unsure, yet walk right up the massive stone anyway.
Seriously, Ibaraki's true form looks like a baby next to this thing. How did Izanagi get it in here?
Shaking my head of those thoughts, I place a hand against the rock.
"Uh, hey? Rock…guy? Would you mind letting me through?" I ask, tentatively.
For a second, nothing happens.
Then I stagger back as what sounds like a bell chiming radiates from the rock, followed by golden white light erupting from proto-kanji symbols across its surface.
One by one, they light up, before the entire stone turns into a miniature star.
By which, just beyond it, through the translucent glow, I spot a hole. A normal-sized hole, hilariously enough.
A normal-sized hole, seeping with a darkness I can't see through.
I turned back to the oni lolis, "You two coming this way?"
Banana shakes her head, "Nah, we got our own, much faster, way back! That only we can use! Jerk!" She sticks her tongue out at me.
"We will probably be seeing each other again, however," Grapefruit adds with a sly smile, "we do have to report to the Lady that the Shinigami did something naughty again."
I chuckle at that, "Right, right…I'll be seeing you lot again then. Until then!" I wave them off.
Maybe the next time I see them, one of them will be less horny.
"Ah…we just have to introduce him to the others, don't we~?"
"...Always a sex thing with you big sis, why don't you get laid more?"
"I'm trying!"
…Somehow, I doubt it though.
Listening to the two bickering in the background, I walk off, through the glowing veil.
In a sense, I'd compare the feeling to passing through the film into the Shinkai, but more…slimy? No, thicker is better. It's like trudging through a swamp.
I have to work a bit for every step, but it's much easier than trying to lift the whole darn rock, I'd imagine.
But soon enough, I soldier through, not even hesitating to step straight into the darkness.
And promptly began falling.