There wasn't any time for him to say anything besides that.
There was barely any time for me to move.
The split-second look of pure shock on my uncle's face at whatever he did there not working exactly died about as quickly as it came.
Only to be replaced with more lightning, exploding from his form.
A lot more lightning.
My power focused around my hands, I pushed everything out of my palms as with a burst of movement, I barely managed to make it before the lightning wave struck.
The golden glow of my combined powers acted like an umbrella. It couldn't stop the encroaching wave, but it could divert his power around us.
"Hi there…!" I grit out through clenched teeth as the storm of lightning coils around us, "Nice to finally meet you properly! Kind of!"
Tobio, pressed his back against my own, shielding the big black dog in his arms with his body as much as possible as well, "Right back at you, I think?" He gives a shy chuckle, "Listen, I'm–"
"Sorry about all that happened a while ago? That you weren't in your right mind and all that blah blah blah." I snorted after answering for him, "Don't worry about it, I know. Now, is the best boy okay back there?"
I can feel Tobio blink at the back of my head, partly in bafflement, likely for me writing off his trying to kill me thing, while also being partly confused.
"Oh!" He perks up in realization, "You mean Jin!"
"Who else could I be talking about!?" I call out, grunting as my feet slide back slightly.
Man, is it just me, or is this lighting wave becoming less of a wave and more…concentrated?
"Of course, of course," Tobio chuckles good-naturedly, "Jin is…fine, I think. But he feels…loose? I don't know how to exactly describe it. We're usually so in sync, but I'm having trouble feeling him...it's weird."
Loose?
A memory surfaces.
Indra, in canon. He took Cao Cao and Georg's Sacred Gears.
Did my dear Uncle just try and do the same?
This little…!
The blue and purple wave before me starts turning into a bright violet and white stream.
My umbrella of power cracks.
"Well, I hope that 'weird' feeling doesn't hamper you at all for what's coming…!" I ground out, my feet digging into the ground as I try to stand my ground.
"It won't." Tobio muttered, resolute, and despite the literal plasma beam raging down upon us, it was crystal clear to my ears.
"Good shit." I reply in turn, smirking back at me.
The smile etched across his face is all I need to see.
Before I breathe deep and move.
Sun Breathing.
The dog in Tobio's arms melts.
Dance.
As I reach for my back, for my blade, Tobio is already moving.
As one, our blades fall, parting the near plasma stream in front of us with a roar of flame and darkness.
Susanoo's form finally appears as the energy disperses, an annoyed snarl on his lips as he lowers a sparking outstretched hand.
Reconstituted sword of Holy Spirit Power in my hand, just like the one I wielded earlier, I reach behind my head to my neck and rub out a crick.
"Don't let his sword even touch your skin," I warn casually, "the poison will dissolve you in seconds."
Tobio raises an amused eyebrow, "Anything else?"
"Yeah," I grunt, as my neck gives a relieving pop, "save his nose for me. That's the part of his body I'm going to break."
The dog boy cackled at that, "No promises."
Susanoo devolves into beastial growling at this point. I don't know why exactly though. Our casual remarks that hinted we are going to kick his ass, maybe?
Regardless, I think I may have broken him with all the shit talk, made him run out of 'YOU DARE!'s and shit like that.
This may have also extended to his tactics because he simply boar-rushed toward us immediately after the sounds escaped his throat.
Crimson flames erupt from my unmoving blade, creating light, and casting a small shadow behind myself and Tobio.
In the blink of an eye, Tobio vanishes.
Susanoo's eyes widen, as he whirls around toward his own shadow, just as Tobio bursts out from it, scythe swinging mercilessly for the god's jaw.
Let it at least be said, that despite my uncle's berserker rage at this point, he's still a god.
He caught the shaft of the scythe mere inches before the blade tip poked his cheek out, and immediately swung down with his sword in retaliation, a feral grin upon his face.
Just as his blade came down, and struck….through air, instead of flesh.
My sword glowed with a bright white light as I merely held it up, forcing him to cast another shadow that Tobio dipped out of.
"Sorry Grandma." I muse aloud, looking around as Izanami's darkness bubbles away into nothing, "But I think we got this now. Don't think dog boy can manipulate your kind of shadows anyway."
Susanoo turns back to me, "Do you now!?" And swings, a shockwave of air arcing out from his sword as he does.
"Ah!" I feign shock as I leap up and over the airwave, my illuminating light once against condensing around the blade, "So he can speak! Color me surprised!"
"You little brat…!" Storm clouds sparking with lightning whip and whirl around.
"Aren't you forgetting something, uncle?" I remind him with a smile, as all caring nephews do.
He clicked his tongue in exertion, just in time to round back once more and slash through the several dozen blade meat grinder that exploded out of his shadow.
"That's not what I was talking about~!" I whistle out cheerily, before launching the condensed mass of light from my sword in my best impression of an excali-blast.
With an annoyed grunt, he turns, meeting my attack halfway with an outstretched arm, physically parting the stream of life as it slams against his palm.
At the same time, the other side of his body, his sword arm, is dealing with Tobio's blades by trying to reduce the amount of shadows
Lightning erupts from his sword, flashing down and across the ground in a cone, spreading out as much as it can to disperse the black blades.
I grunt with exertion and swing up, redirecting my light beam up, before pushing every last bit of condensed power through the edge, all at once.
The result? The world's most sparkly flashbang, right above his hand.
Susanoo made a guttural howl of pure annoyance and rage as fresh new shadows stretched out all around him.
Tobio is quick to act, phasing from one of the newly formed shadows, ducking under a wild and wide swing from the bedazzled Susanoo, and slicing up.
Through one of his arms.
His sword arm.
In that one singular moment, the world felt like it stopped, everything became quiet at the sound of Tobio's scythe rending godly flesh.
Susanoo's head turns, the shock of the pain granting clarity enough to watch his forearm and sword fall.
Only when the sound of his sword clanking against the floor resonated across the throne room did he snap out of his shock.
And if I wasn't watching his face so intently, I would have missed it.
The split second way his face morphed into one of extreme unconditional fear.
Before it was replaced by his default, extreme unrelenting rage.
I knew what he was about to do before he even started doing it.
I was already moving, no, flying, forward, blasting like a rocket as flames blew out my heels, while my uncle lit up, bright.
He looked like the orb of a plasma ball lamp. A bright violet and purple aura covered his form, flowing across his body in violent coiling viscous waves.
All in all, he didn't produce much light, most of it being confined to his immediate area, not stretching out much further beyond.
But that's all he needs. Because Tobio is right in front of him.
Lightning begins erupting from across his form, as he brings his now only hand up, the aura around him condensing and building and twisting into the rough shape of a javelin or arrow.
I'm sure the only reason I'm catching any of this is thanks to my eyes, because it's only at this point does Tobio seem to realize something is coming and attempt to leap away, shock etched across his face.
There's no need, however.
I slam into Susanoo's chest right before he tries to bring the rod from god down.
As soon as I touch him, it felt like slamming into one giant wall, that was also a big fuck off taser.
But that's fine, I don't need to hurt him now, I need to move him!
So, my arms wrap around him, and taking one from Tobio's book, I lift Susanoo as soon as I slam into him, carrying the Kami away with me on my flight.
Beyond us, I hear a thunderous boom and see a pillar of crackling lightning flare up into the ceiling as rapidly flashing lights.
Though it's the roar of wrath from my impromptu passenger that tells me the most important part, he missed.
I see him raise his arm again, this time looking at me, only to be stopped with a grunt, his body jerking back as I slam the enraged god into the far wall with enough force to crack the entire side of the room.
Ah, Izanami's darkness is still in the other rooms, which means no going through and outside.
I can work with that.
As he raises his arm, I step back, raising my blade.
With a breath, I step to the side and go low, dodging most of the wild lightning cone that roars forth from his hand.
What I can't, I push my powers to work overtime fixing before the damage becomes too great.
Seared flesh is restored, seized-up muscles work freely, and I move.
Sunflower Thrust.
As I stab, crimson fire, light, and Holy Spirit Power swirl around my phantom blade's edge, and for one glorious instance…combine.
Golden flames roar forth, turning my blade into a drill as it bore through his lightning, and into his arm, stabbing clean through before twisting and setting the blade, impaling his arm stuck to the wall.
Susanoo tries to step forward and tear his arm free.
I rear my fist back, focusing as much of my powers as my arm can't handle without popping, before launching a savage uppercut into his face.
My fist meets his nose, and the impact explodes with fire and air, his nose cracking as his head snaps back into the wall.
My uncle's eyes widen in shock as his nose spurts blood.
I smile.
Tobio comes flying out of my shadow, vaulting over my shoulder to land a ferocious flying kick down to Susanoo's shin as he tries to lift out his leg.
The god gives a pained groan, and we both wince imagining the sheer pain of the charley horse Tobio just gave the guy.
That doesn't last for long though, as there is no letting up.
I follow up Tobio's attack with a spinning kick to Susanoo's side, the impact exploding in flames just as my first attack did.
Tobio lands a gross left hook to Susanoo's jaw.
I knock his head to the other side with a right haymaker to his temple.
Tobio slams his knuckles into Susanoo's gut, and we switch sides as the god roars in pain and tries to move, again.
I leap over Tobio this time, swiping Susanoo's face with a flaming kick, as Tobio slams his foot down on his other leg.
Eventually, I began losing count of how many hits exactly we dealt out, how many times we took turns beating his body into the wall, and how exactly we did.
If there was a part of his body that wasn't struck enough, we hit it, if there was a part we haven't hit in a while, we hit it again.
We weren't giving him the time to react, forcing him into a cycle of pain and violence that we refused to let end.
All he needed to do was give it up, and it would stop.
But as the jumping prolonged, I knew he wouldn't give it up.
That was only confirmed when his bruised body began emitting divine power from every single pore of his body, and a roar of anguish pain, and fury bubbled from his throat.
Tobio grabbed me as winds came out of nowhere, swirling around the storm god's form, and right before they bellowed out he pulled, yanking me back with him and into the shadows.
We reappeared on the opposite side of the throne room, as the entire side where we were was all of sudden enveloped by a hurricane.
Storm gray and black clouds swirled, spiraling like saw blades around the god, lightning and divine power forks between the clouds, and within the center of the storm, Susanoo hefts himself off the wall, tearing my blade from his arm and tossing it aside.
Divine power rolled from his form like ocean waves, the storm around him growing with each crashing wake.
The Palace begins to shudder, shaking as though a growing earthquake is striking it.
Within the storm, stone and tile are torn apart, ground, and blasted to dust within the winds and pressure of his raw might.
"I…will do whatever it takes…!" He grounds out through broken gritted teeth, "To see this to the end…! Even…even if I have to tear about the entire Palace…no…this whole Realm to do it!" He roars out.
Yet, it isn't one of wrath or rage, it's sheer, unadulterated desperation.
He grasps his head with his only hand left, stumbling forward, he starts rambling, and ranting, and, for lack of a better word, bitching.
And at this point? I zone most of it out.
It's the same tired old shit that he gave during his and I's talk, mixed with contradictory motivations, and heavy amounts of copium that makes even me do a double take.
I stand there, deadpanning, as my uncle rants and raves, about how every single sacrifice is worth it, how everything he's done will be worth it, and how he'll be better than Izanagi.
He stutters, he stammers, blood and saliva spitting from his mouth as he desperately tries to reaffirm to the world, to himself, that everything will be okay.
I can't help but think how long he's deluded himself into this type of thinking.
He told me I care too much, yet seeing the lengths he's willing to go for a single fucking sword that doesn't even possess any of the original Divinity of the god he hates so much makes me want to laugh.
He says it's all for her, his mother, he says he's better than his father, yet as far as I can see, he's disregarded her and in turn, has ended up exactly like him.
All this sacrifice, and what does he have to show for it?
Everything is falling apart around him, literally.
It's almost poetic If it wasn't so sad.
I turned and looked at Tobio, who was watching the gods break down with near-passive pity.
Seeing me look at him, he eyes me back, and wonders aloud, "We're going to have to kill him, aren't we?"
I sigh at that, "Yeah. Probably."
Tobio clicks his tongue, "If I had known earlier, I could have cut his head off earlier…"
I shake my head and wave him off, "No, no…it's fine. It's better this way."
Tobio tilts his head toward me in confusion.
This is what you were talking about, weren't you, Grandma?
The thing you couldn't do was kill him. What mother could put down their child? Especially one that cares for you, even in their own twisted messed up way.
I look back towards the storm, answering his questioning gaze with another question, "Say, dog boy, you said something about your gear being looser now, right?"
Tobio blinks at me, "Dog boy…?" He murmurs, before shaking his head, "Yeah, something like that." He confirms, "Why?"
I smile, as the storm draws closer, "Loose enough to let a certain something manifest?"
Tobio stares at me before it clicks into place, and his eyes widen, "I…think so."
"Without hurting you." I turn back to look at him and preface, just in case, prompting him to chuckle lightly.
Jin, the black dog beast, rises from his shadow, "Of course, though I can't pull out the true complete blade, I can get close enough." Tobio pats Jin's head, causing the dog to give a low rumbling bark before it opens its mouth wide.
Then I blink, as Tobio shoves his entire arm down the dog's maw.
Even the storm seems to slow at the sheer confusion the scene generates.
Only to stop growing entirely, as Tobio pulls out a blade made entirely of cursed black flames.
Through the dark fire, I can make out the hazy outline of a ruined double-sided old Japanese straight sword, cracked and chipped along its edges.
Susanoo has stopped talking at this point, now, he's staring at the sword, mouth slightly agape.
Tobio gives a queasy smile, then holds it out to me.
I blink at him once more, "Eh?"
"To use while you don't have your usual weapon," he waves the cursed flame sword at me, before adding with a stern look, "though I expect it back, of course. Even though it's not the real Ame-no-Ohabari I'm starting to feel a little ill without it…"
I take the sword, tentatively, shocked even though I probably shouldn't be when the cursed flames don't scorch my hands off.
I give him a chuckle back, "Yeah, I gotcha. So we should probably finish this up quickly?"
He nods, "Yes please."
"Say no more." I hold the sword up, "Yo, Uncle Susan."
His gaze snaps to me, growing manic the longer it lingers upon the sword.
"Cope, seeth, and mald in whatever fucked up place gods find after death," my smirk turns dark, "you're a big strong God, so who knows, maybe the experience will help you."
The look he gave me, somehow of both indignation and terror, was far too sad to describe.
"I'll carve a path forward." Tobio steps before me, Jin at his side melting into darkness, before leaping into his outstretched hand, quickly becoming a scythe, "Though this much divine power…I'll need to take it up a notch." He continues, musing aloud, "Can't use Abyss Side right now, too loose for that, but the standard Crest Side should suffice."
He looks back at me, "Ready?"
I nod, "Let's do it."
Susanoo's eyes widened considerably.
He knows what's about to come, and so he roars, his storm bellowing out like an explosion.
Tobio, or rather Jin, merely responded with a howl that seemed to eclipse the roar of the incoming storm.
And by Jin, I mean all the shadows of Yomi, as they crawl toward him, shaking and bubbling and swirling around Tobio.
Thus, Tobio began to chant, as the darkness subsumed him.
— Behowlest the slaying of one thousand mortals.
Ah, my second viewing of a Balance Breaker.
— Besingest the slaying of ten thousand goblins.
I have to say, his Abyss Side had more oomph to it.
It's still pretty strong, don't get me wrong, but Abyss Side was more…grandiose, I suppose.
Also, the chant was better.
Seriously, just goblins?
— Mine name, which tis immersed in deepest darkness, tis the Imitation God traversing the Polar Night.
Still, sends a nice shiver down the spine.
— O ye, perishest by mine own black blade
Tobio's form finally shifts, growing larger, looking almost entirely like a fully realized pitch-black werewolf with six inky black tails.
— Fools ye art, deformed Creator Gods!
The darkness explodes off him, as the now truly dog boy reels back his scythes, and blitz forward, appearing as if a speeding shadow even to my eyes.
In any case, I rocket ahead as well, not directly behind him, but as close as I can keep up with.
Yet, even without being right next to him, I can feel it when he does something to his scythe.
It's almost like its presence shifted slightly, the feel of edge as it cut through the air was being altered mid-swing.
If that makes any sense. It doesn't to me, but that sounds about right, I think?
Maybe a more apt comparison would be its aura suddenly shifting?
Regardless, I don't get much time to contemplate that as Tobio does exactly what he said he was going to do.
He carves a path through the rapidly encroaching storm, in a single swing.
His scythe blade cut through the wind, the lightning, the hurricane itself, all infused and brimming with Susanoo's divine power.
The storm dies out quickly after, whirling into nothingness, with the god who created it looking on, gobsmacked.
Slowly, but surely, blood began to trickle out of his mouth.
Only then does he look down, and see the black flamed blade embedded in his chest.
"Ah. Well. Shit." He coughs out a glob of blood to the floor, before collapsing on his knees before me, "I didn't even see…when did you…"
"Right after Tobio parted the storm, of course." I shrug, "When else?"
"Hah…" He wheezes slowly, trying to breathe, "Yeah, yeah. Listen, Nephew. You…take care of her…alright? I…I…"
I interrupt him with a big snort, "Stop being such a big fucking baby, Uncle. She can take care of herself just fine."
Susanoo gave a pained grumble, "You fucking brat…won't even…"
"No. I don't give a shit about your 'final' request," I tell him off with a frown, "because you won't stay a dead old man forever. Go visit Kagustuchi. Get scared straight, and come back better.
"Because if you don't? I promise you, the next time you see me…I won't need help putting you back in your place."
Susanoo's eyebrow twitches, and he glares at me, even as his form begins to dissolve into sparks, clouds, and mist.
"You and me then…next time…brat." He spat out his final words.
"Sure thing. Old manchild." I reply easily with a smirk.
His form dissolves entirely, the last look on his face bitter, yet resigned.
In his place, the sweet scent right after a summer storm filled the room.
And I finally let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding for a long time.
~ A New Sun ~
"Are the two of you alright?" A sweet, motherly, voice echoes out lightly, right behind me.
So of course, I yelp, turn around, and nearly start swinging until I see who exactly it is.
Izanami. She looks down at me, bemused, "Did I scare you, hmm?"
I huff, before admitting, "Yeah. Can't sense you, battle jitters haven't worn off yet, yadda yadda." I wave off to her giggling, and Tobio's chuckling as he approaches.
As he did, the black werewolf form around him melted off, sliding off his body like sludge, and pooling into the ground, becoming his shadow behind him.
From said shadow, the big black dog crawls out and struts over to…me.
"Ruff!" I blink down at the big scary dog that can tear apart gods as it makes a normal barking sound at me before it nuzzles against my hand.
"Uhhh…?" I slowly eye Tobio, who looks just as amused as Izanami does.
"He's trying to say thank you, for saving us. Speaking of…" He smiles, before bowing slightly, "Thank you, Lord Kusanagi."
I narrow my eyes at him, "You drop the 'Lord' bit this instant. Pretty sure we're beyond that at this point."
"Ah…?" He looks at me, before raising his head and rubbing the back of his head with an uneasy smile, "I…guess we are, huh? Eheh…"
I damn near rolled my eyes at him, but then Jin stopped nuzzling my hand and took a step back.
Before then opening his mouth wide.
I blink once more, before coming to the realization myself.
Ah, right. The sword.
I point at Jin while holding up the sword, "So do I just…?"
"Oh! Mhmm!" Tobio nods.
I shiver a bit, before shoving the sword made of cursed black flames into the dog's mouth, and down its throat.
Thank fuck that sounded just as weird in my head as actually doing it.
With that done, Jin closes his mouth, licks his lips like he just got a particularly tasty treat, and wags his tail as he nuzzles my hand once more.
I give the bestest boy head pats as Izanami walks over to Tobio.
"Tobio Ikuse," the goddess begins, "I would like to inform you that your grandmother is awake now."
Tobio's eyes widen comically, "Wait…what? How!?"
She smiles, "I awoke her myself. You may speak with her if you wish before I must send her back to her proper resting place."
"I…" He lets out a steadying breath, giving a quivering smile before bowing to her, "Thank you, Lady Izanami." He looks back toward Jin, "C'mon, Jin!"
"Roo?" Jin perks up, before racing away, just as Tobio starts running off.
I chuckle, watching the two run off.
Once the two are away, I go to Izanami's side, who is staring at the spot where Susanoo evaporated.
"...You couldn't do it, yeah?" I mutter slowly, "That's why you sat back and watched most of the time…because you knew what needed to happen, but couldn't do it yourself."
Izanami, eventually, gave a sad sigh.
"Perceptive, aren't you?" She reaches over, patting me on the head.
I shrug to that, "If I was a parent, I don't know if I could do the same, so I figured…"
She nods solemnly as I trail off.
I shake my head, moving past that topic for now, and ask, "So…now that he's gone, what now? When will he return?"
"With Susa gone, I'll temporarily take back the reins of ruling Yomi, as I have before." She explains softly, "As for when he'll be back…that depends."
I furrow my brow, "Depends on what? How much faith is in the Shinto Pantheon?"
She chuckles mirthlessly, "That's part of it, dear, an important part, truly…but what also matters is how much he wants to come back."
Ah. That explains some things.
"So…estimates?"
She gives an unladylike snort, "Minimum…maybe a little under a year. Eight or so months, I think. With the faith in the pantheon as a whole, and Susa's…drive…it shouldn't take years."
I hum at that.
I'll make sure to mark it on my calendar.
Several quiet moments passed, until Tobio walked back in, rubbing his face, in particular, his cheek.
Which was pretty much glowing red.
Despite that, he had a giddy smile on his face.
Until I turned to him, and started, "She told you to finally knock up your childhood friend, didn't she?"
He sputtered on his heels, nearly tripping over himself as soon as the words left my mouth.
He turns to me, absolutely befuddled, "H-How do you…"
"Light Novel tropes." I wave off, causing Izanami to giggle at my side, "Also because everyone knows you love her, but haven't locked her down yet."
"Ah…I suppose they do, huh?" His face burns red, matching the mark on his cheek, as he mutters wistfully.
"Welll~?" I probe once more.
He looks away, before sighing, "...She said if I didn't have kids by the time I finished university, she'd haunt me for the rest of my life."
I snort, not even surprised, "Yikes. Better get to it. I mean it too, if I find out you aren't smashing anyone after I saved your ass I'll curse you with harem protagonist luck for the rest of your life."
Tobio nearly face vaulted at my threat there, before settling for quickly nodding my way.
Even though he can kill me easily, and I don't know how to deliver that kind of 'blessing'.
Eh, it's the threat that counts.
Izanami covers her mouth as she grins widely between the two of us, clearing her throat as she walks over to Tobio.
"Now then, Tobio Ikuse? Allow me to undo the damage my brute of a son did to your Sacred Gear."
"Hmm? Oh! Right, right!" He nods quickly, seemingly very happy to be moving on to the next conversation, before calling out, "Jin!"
Best boy returns from his shadow, tilting his head as Izanami approaches and starts…snuggling him?
Both I and Tobio tilted our heads, as it didn't look like she was doing anything.
Also, the dog is purring, and I didn't think that was possible.
Then again. Said dog also swallowed a fire sword earlier. So…?
Whatever the case, eventually Tobio's eyes suddenly widened, he grabbed his chest as he let out a shuddering breath.
"W-What…? Jin?" He mutters, astonished.
Izanami sets Jin down, who starts prancing and dancing around, before leaping into Tobio's arms.
"Jin! There you are buddy…there you are…I can feel you again!"
"Arrroooo!" The shadows seem to howl just as gleefully as Jin does.
It takes everything I can to not outwardly 'Awww!' at the sight before me.
So I'll do it internally instead.
Awww!
After a few moments of Tobio hugging it out with Jin, he finally lets the dog down and turns to the two of us.
He bows, and Jin tries to follow along, "Thank you. For everything."
Izanami shakes her head at that, "It was nothing, truly."
I also waved him off, once again, before Izanami sighed.
"I suppose it's time for you two to go, yes?"
I suddenly snorted, loudly, "He can go, I'm staying for a little while longer."
Tobio accepted that without question.
Izanami though…looked legitimately confused.
"Huh?" She asked, "But…why?"
"Did you forget?" I raised my eyebrow at her, "I said I would, for you, remember?"
Izanami stared down at me like she was waiting for me to say sike or something.
When I merely stared at her back, she suddenly grabbed me, holding my body against her like some sort of long-lost teddy bear, and my face smashed into her chest.
"Y-You…remember…!" The poor women then begin to lightly sob, and hold onto me tighter.
As if I was going to suddenly disappear on her all of a sudden.
Though with this grip, I might die, so I very well could if I die and vanish like Susanoo.
All I manage out is a raspy, "Ack…"
"U-Um…Lady Izanami?" Tobio speaks up, finger raised, "I think you're crushing him…Lady Izanami?"
"Mmmmm!"
Ah. It's not a sword, not magic, not even Murphy that ultimately fells me.
It's titties. It was always going to be…the titties…