Eventually, Tobio managed to pry me out of Izanami's bosom.
Or at least I think he did anyway, I was a little too dazed to notice what exactly was going on around me there for a little bit.
Oxygen deprivation tends to do that.
Then again, I don't think I need to breathe to live, so…who can say what happened?
Beyond me nearly getting the life squeezed out of me, I mean.
Heh.
Anyhow, when I finally came to, Tobio had left.
Hopefully to set his relationship status straight once and for all, but I'm not going to hold my hopes up too high there.
Maybe he'll surprise me?
More importantly though…
"Fuck!" I hiss out between gritted teeth, my hands stinging and smoking as I drop the sword I just attempted to pick up.
The Ame-no-Habakiri, Susanoo's sword.
After Tobio cut his arm off, he shunted the blade temporarily into his shadow to prevent the god from picking it up again.
When he left, he left it behind, and I've been trying to pick it up, but the little shit keeps giving me acid burns.
Sure, it doesn't hurt because of my bullshit powers, but it still fucks up my hands something fierce.
Izanami, who has been watching my attempts this whole time off to the side, gives a light chuckle before strolling to my side.
"I figured after the first time, you would have gotten the hint…" She reaches down, and waves a hand over the blade, shunting it into the darkness, "Holy Spirit Sword it may be, but it's also a Divine Artifact, think something equivalent to the Norse's Mjolnir…not just anyone can pick them up and use them, even you…" she wraps her arms around me, and draws me in for a gentle hug.
Or snuggle? Judging by the fact that she's rubbing her face against the top of my head.
At least it isn't to the death anymore.
Heh.
Okay. I'll stop.
Also, that explains a few things…like why the thing is so bloody powerful.
Of course, it's not merely a Holy Spirit Sword, it's ability is too bullshit for that.
Still.
I cross my arms, and totally don't pout, "I thought it was stubborn, like its original owner."
Izanami hums mirthfully, "Oh, it is," she agrees easily, "but it would still never allow you to wield it."
"Damn." I let out a discontent sigh.
Honestly, it's usually not like me to be such a loot goblin.
But in this case? It's kind of required. Until I fix my sword, I need a weapon to use in the meantime.
And who knows how long it'll take to even find someone to fix it?
The only people I can think of off the top of my head are the Church.
Haha! Yeah. Nope!
Is there some sort of secret hermit blacksmith living in a mountain somewhere?
Maybe someone like that famous Japanese swordsmith guy, Masamune.
Could be he's still alive, or maybe his Spirit Inheritor is out there somewhere, and they can help?
Wonder if the guy would take commissions for armor as well?
Ah, one more thing to ask Uzume when I get back.
Amongst other things.
"I'm kind of surprised though," Izanani mutters, almost wistfully, "how you haven't noticed what you have gained quite yet."
"Eh?" I blink, "I gained something? Uh, I trained real hard, got stronger, yeah, but I don't think—"
"Look deeper, Noriaki." She interrupts softly, "Look inside."
"I…okay?" I utter, still not entirely sure what she's getting at.
I don't feel any different, besides stronger of course due to my training as I said, but there's no harm in doing a quick check I suppose.
So, I close my eyes.
Immediately, my mind's eye is filled with the scene of my sun beating in my chest.
The sun that is now also on fire.
Well, okay, that sounds like an oxymoron, but it's truly the best way to describe it now!
Usually, the sun looks like a distant sun to my psyche, when it beats like a heart, it pumps out power in the form of golden waves.
Simple.
Now?
The thing is surrounded by a corona of heat as fire rises off it like a wick to a candle.
I tentatively reach out to it, causing the star to beat once more.
Only this time, I'm shocked out of my mind's eye as the beat of power is accompanied by the loud clang of a hammer striking an anvil, and a roar of heat.
I'm left blinking several times in reality, as the next thing I hear is Izanami cooing as she tries snuggling closer to me.
"Waarmmm~..." She draws out happily.
I look down at my body, to see that I'm straight up radiating heat, creating visible shimmering waves of haze around myself.
"...Alright, Grandma." I start, only to be stopped as Izanami pouts all of a sudden.
"Hmph," she huffs, "Grandma makes me sound old…I feel way too giddy right now to be old…"
The fuck kind of logic is that?
Pretty sure she was just fine with me calling her that earlier too!
"Just call me…Nami!" She decides after a second.
I click my tongue, "Alright…Nami." I sigh as she giggles excitedly, "What's this about? Why am I suddenly a heater?"
"You're a bit more than that now, you." She chastises, booping my nose, "Now…do you know Susa killed Kagustuchi?"
I nod, slowly, "He elaborated that he killed him several times, yes."
She sighed sadly at the mention of that, before shaking her head, and continuing, "When a god dies…where do you think their powers go?"
"With them wherever they go, right?" I raise an eyebrow, "Why would they go somewhere else?"
"In most cases, yes, especially when it comes to other deities," Izanami beams with pride, and a little sadness, "but with us Kami…it's a tad different. We specialize in sharing, connection, and nature. But as something can be given…so too can it be taken away."
Oh. Oh.
"Susanoo stole Kagustuchi's power?" I uttered, drawing a slow sad nod from Izanami.
"It was one of the ways he kept him weak enough to take him down again easily when he revived." She elaborates, "When you ran Susa through with that sword, Kagustuchi's power, his divinity and Musubi, tried to return to the blade.
"However, the curse on that sword prevented that. So, it went to the closest compatible vessel instead…you."
Ah.
That certainly explains why I haven't felt anything different.
Adding fire on top of more fire isn't really a change after all, though it should mean I have stronger fire, I guess?
Certainly won't say no to that!
Hopefully, it helps make my flames easier to control outside of my body, that'd be nice to have.
"Well…that's neat, I guess?" I try, "More fire isn't a bad thing, never know you might need to burn something harder."
Izanami nods slightly, "That is one use, but you do know Kagustuchi was associated with more than simply fire, yes?"
"Huh? No, no I did not know that." I state, intrigued, "Hit me."
"He was not only the God of Fire but also the God of the Hearth as well." She begins, as though recalling an old memory, "Additionally, he was the patron of those who often worked with fire, such as blacksmiths, and ceramic workers."
Oh! The hearth?
Does that make me male Hestia now?
Eh. No. I'm far too violent for that.
But…
"Blacksmiths and ceramics, huh?" I muse aloud, scratching my chin.
…Why is my first thought that I may be able to make my ceramic gourds to train up my lung capacity?
Wait a minute, why would I need to make them? Inari holds domain over tea, yet she didn't need to make it, she summoned it right in front of me!
Izanami gives my cheek a little poke, startling me out of my train of thought with a giggle.
"Already planning things?" She asks, knowingly.
I chuckle back at her, "Very much so."
"I figured as much, but, ah!" She perks up, "Word of warning, with Susa gone and no longer administering the duties of Kagustuchi, that means such things now fall to you."
My face, instantly, falls at that.
"Oh don't worry so much about such things…" she pats me on the head, soothingly, "Kagustuchi isn't a widely revered deity, like say Inari, so your 'duties' now are more like…chores to take care of every once in a while."
"Oh yeah?" I stated, doubtful, "And these chores include?"
"Well, for starters, with Susa gone, you're going to have to go around and renew the blessings and power he instilled in people and shrines." She began, "They'll fade slowly over time without him around to maintain them."
I cringe, slightly.
Every Shrine? I don't know how many shrines Kagustuchi has, but that doesn't sound fun.
Not only that though, but blessings too? Like the ones given to the Himejima?
Ah. Well, I'm sure Suzaku wouldn't mind if certain detractors slowly lost their powers.
I blink as a new thought occurs.
Does this mean Suzaku technically worships me now? By proxy?
Oh fuck. I'm going to have to tell her that the god her entire clan worships has been dead and I now have his power.
That's going to be a fun bridge to cross for future Nori.
"Beyond that, you might be called upon during prayers or rituals to give blessings, or during a spell to invoke flames," Izanami continues easily, "but as I said, Kagustuchi shouldn't be so widely worshiped for such things to be a terrible inconvenience."
"You say that," I grumble, "but I won't be thinking that when some crazy ceramic worker wakes me up at four in the morning trying to make 'the perfect plate' or some shit."
All Izanami does is giggle at my future pain.
She does that a lot, I'm noticing.
When I first met her, she sounded and acted like some sort of mysterious distant motherly figure.
Her true personality is closer to that of an overly affectionate big sister though, isn't it?
So, I reach up and grab her cheek.
"Mah!?" She exclaims, blinking rapidly, "Noriaki!?"
"Alright, Nami." I start with a toothless smile, "We've got some stuff to do!"
"Uhm…? Like what?" She inquires, reaching up to take my hand away.
I pull harder, and she squeaks, flinching her hand while.
"Let's see," I look around the still very wrecked throne room, "Susan chucked my sword somewhere around here, so we need to find it. While we do that though, you and I need to have a talk."
"A-About…?" She muttered, sounding genuinely terrified.
My smile only grows wider, "About this idea, where gods sit back and let others, usually humans, deal with their messes…"
"E-Eh…? That's…I…Um." Izanami tries looking away.
I won't let her.
"Mmmm!"
"I will get the sandal." I threaten plainly.
"Wait! No, that's not…" She sags, looking at my glare, and concedes, "Okay…let's go."
I sigh, as I practically drag the Creator Goddess along.
Time to Daddy my Grandma, I guess?
…I'd say I'm going to Hell for that statement, but I'm already there, so it's fine.
In all seriousness though, this woman is affection starved as hell.
Next time I come down, I should drag my mother or other uncle who's hopefully not a bastard down here with me…
~ A New Sun ~
I give a long, tired, sigh as I walk into the grounds of my home.
It's several hours into the night now. I'm clad in a new yet basic blue robe I picked up at a store on the way here, my broken blade safely sheathed at my back, of course.
Mentally drained is a pretty apt descriptor for how I feel at the moment.
After 'Daddying' Izanami and finding my blade stuffed under a bunch of rocks, I did get the chance to laze around with her for a bit.
Should have guessed it, but the woman loves cuddling.
Following that though, I figured it was time to head back home, so Izanami granted me the ability the Oni Loli Brigade uses to travel between Yomi and the Earth on the fly.
Basically, all you do is step in a shadow and appear out the other end in Yomi, so to speak.
Due to my being a deity, I can bring people with me though, unlike the Oni girls.
The only problem is I still have to travel across the country to get back to say, the Palace, or home, it's not that kind of teleportation.
It's still better than having to run across the country twice over, shortening the travel time considerably.
Now that I'm home, I think I'm going to plop down in my bed, and lay around for several da-
Two pairs of glowing yellow eyes suddenly appear in the dark, before soaring at me.
I sigh with a smile, letting the inevitable collision happen.
When it does, I manage to stay upright, catching the two by wrapping my arms around them at the time of impact.
"Welcome back, daaaarling~! Nyah~!" Kuroka purrs out, nuzzling rapidly into my side back and forth.
"...Welcome back, Senpai." Shirone drew out quietly into my other side, significantly less animated than her older sister.
Not that I'm shocked. Poor girl sounds ready to pass out.
"Hello to you too," I chuckle, patting them both on the back, "what are you two doing still doing up, hmm? Figured you'd be asleep this late."
"I was." Shirone mumbled, too tired to be annoyed it seems, "She was awake playing video games, sensed you coming up, and woke me up…"
"C'mon Shirone, don't be like that, nyah~!" Kuroka eyed her little sister knowingly, "I know you wanted to see him as soon as he got back too!"
Shirone grumbles something into my robe, before speaking up, and simply stating, "Big sister is annoying."
Kuroka snickered.
"I wasn't gone that long, right?" I muse confusedly aloud, "It's only been…what, like around a day? Maybe?"
Not counting all the time I spent in Kuni, of course.
"Senpai should also shut up." Shirone grumbles further.
I cackle, and oblige her for now, zipping my lips and patting her head.
I give her ears little scratches, prompting soft light purrs from her, and do the same to Kuroka when she eventually sees and starts pouting.
Eventually, I decided that while being outside at night is cool and all, I'd rather be inside.
So, I pick the two up and hold them against my sides, although only Kuroka reacts at all, giving a lewd giggle as I grab their thighs and lift them.
Shirone finally reacts when I sit down on the bed with the two of them, smiling slightly, and claiming my thigh as a pillow as she lays back down.
Kuroka buries her face into my neck, still purring, before asking, "So? Anything interesting happen in the Japanese Underworld, darlinyah~?"
I shoot her an amused smile.
"Really stretching the limits of that catspeak, hmm?"
"I have no idea what you're talkinyah bout! Heehee~!" She denies it with a stupid smile.
Uh oh, she's learning.
I roll my eyes, "As a matter of fact, something did happen. I ended up meeting several female Oni's before I even got into Yomi. They–"
"Did you breed them, nyah~?" Kuroka suddenly asks.
Shirone twitches suddenly, and I spit out an imaginary drink.
"What? The fuck? No!" I quickly deny, "They looked like lolis for the most part! And I just met them!? I don't stick my dick in everything that asks for it!"
Kuroka nods, "Good, good, nyah~! I called dibs on kittens first!"
Of course that's what she focuses on.
Kuroka suddenly tilts her head, "Though…that reason is kinda weak, don't ya think darling~?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that? I'm not that kind of horny all the ti–"
"Isn't Shirone technically a loli?" Kuroka cuts me off.
I stare at her.
Just. Blankly.
"And weren't you, not even a couple of days ago, balls deep in her, nyah~?" Kuroka questions, lips widening with each passing moment into the mother of all smirks.
Ah. Well.
Hnmgh.
I look over, and down, at Shirone.
The Shirone, whose eyes are very open right now.
Hnmgh.
Yeah, fuck this shit, I don't think any amount of copium is going to save me from what's about to come.
"Hmmmm~?" Kuroka hums, slowly getting louder as she gets closer to my face.
Only for a little hand to grab her face and stop her dead in her tracks
Oh damn. I'm saved!
On the other hand, though, Shirone is slowly getting up.
A very awake-looking Shirone is slowly getting up.
Oh shit. Catfight.
"Not. Loli." She grinds out, staring colder at her older sister, "Petite."
"Hmm!" Kuroka smirks, "I don't know, Shirone! You haven't been letting your body grow since you cut off access to the natural world's Ki, so, technically–"
Kuroka's next works are cut off and muffled as Shirone clenches her jaw tighter, shutting her up, whilst narrowing her eyes at her.
"What was that, you perverted kudan?" Shirone states, tone dead, even as Kuroka's eyes widen in outrage, "I couldn't hear you past those overgrown sacks of meat you call tits."
Ah, the return of savage Shirone. Glorious.
Though, the fuck is a kudan? Is that an animal I've never heard of before?
Kuroka reaches up and tries to pry Shirone's hand off her.
So! While those two are distracting each other, I slither out between the two using my non-existent stealth skills and head off away from all…that.
I'm genre-savvy enough to know that, eventually, I will get dragged into that, and at that point, the possibility that my cock remains attached to my body drops significantly.
Sure, I can regenerate it.
But what guy would want to go through that in the first place!?
Besides, there's somebody else still up and about that I need to have a word with.
Right where I found her before, although this time, she's kneeling before that picture of my old man in her maid outfit.
Uzume turned as soon as I entered, visible confusion written across her face.
"When I sensed the two Nekoshou jumping you at the gate, I thought for sure I wouldn't see you until morning…" She mutters in disbelief.
I snorted at her, "You almost didn't, but then Kuroka did Kuroka things, and her sister took offense to that…" I sigh, waving it all off, "Besides, this is kind of important for you, and by extension, Mom to know, eventually."
Uzume blinked at that before her confusion was replaced by growing uneasiness, "Oh. Um, okay…i-is–"
"Dad wasn't down there, no." I shut that train down instantly.
Uzume gives a long sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, so then what's up?"
I sat down right next to her.
"Susanoo is dead."
"...Eh?" Uzume stares at the side of my face, "...Come again?"
"Susanoo is dead." I repeat clearly, "Me and Tobio killed him."
"...Oh." I saw the moment it finally set in, the realization, the weight of what I was saying, as it clicked in her eyes, "Oh. Shit."
"Yup." I sighed tiredly, "Dear old uncle was too far gone. I don't know if he lost it completely, or if there was some method to madness, or what…but yeah. We had to put him down." I give her a side eye, "Sent him to wherever gods go when they die."
If I wasn't looking for it, I wouldn't have caught it.
The brief snap into the dazed, haunted look that crosses her face, fills her eyes.
The way she stills ever so slightly to stop herself from trembling.
I curse, internally.
Uncle wasn't lying, was he then? About Uzume?
Shit.
The moment passes quickly, however, and Uzume swallows thickly, "Okay…okay okay okay…" She mutters rapidly to herself, "That's…certainly important, yeah. Ama would very much like to know about this as soon as possible."
"I kind of figured. Oh, yeah!" I add, "Tell her Yomi will be fine with Izanami though, and that she should really go down and visit her mother." I huff, exasperated, "Woman is one hell of a clinger…she could use the affection."
Uzume squeaks in…fear? And flinched back.
"You met Izanami!?" Uzume cries out, "And she didn't eat your soul!?"
Huh? The fuck? Is Izanami the boogeyman in Shinto myth now and I missed the memo?
Or is Uzume just being Uzume? Again.
I decided to further destroy her brain by casually following up with, "Also met Izanagi too."
"E-Eh!?" Uzume stared at me, wide-eyed, gaping.
I snorted.
Yup, she's broken now.
Sucks I won't be able to see Izanagi again though, and abuse that Time Chamber bullshit.
Susanoo was the only one who could get into Kuni, since when I told Izanami about it, she stated she didn't even know the place existed.
Also that such a move was typical of him.
Still unfortunate though.
finally manages to reboot as she shakes her head, quickly asking, "What happened down there!?"
I shrug, "Nothing much."
"Bullshit!" She immediately calls out.
I shrug again, "Eh. I'll tell you all about it in the morning, how about that?"
"T-Thats's! Hnngh…" Uzume groaned, "Fine…Fine. You must be tired, after all."
I smile at her, and pat her on the head, "Right back at you. Don't you know how late it is?"
"Eheh…Yeah. I guess?" She gives weakly.
"Go to bed. Now, Uzume." I order, calmly, but sternly.
"Eh!? Okay, okay! Jeez…" She gets up in short order after that, brushing off her skirt quickly as she does.
She bows to me, with a sigh, "By your order…" then turns to the picture of my Dad, and does the same, before scurrying out.
My eyes watch her back as she goes.
When she's gone completely, I give a deep sigh, pondering just how exactly I'm supposed to unpack and fix that new bundle of trauma dropped in my lap.
My first thought is, to come out with my knowledge and force it out from her in turn.
Which is a horrible idea, but it's not like she's been forthcoming with anyone else of her own volition about this, so?
Yeah, I'm kind of lost on this one.
I doubt going 'unga bunga!' and hitting this over the head with the subtlety of a giant slab of metal will work, this ain't a fight, and I'm no therapist, but I'm not that stupid.
Ugh.
I wish I was though. Fighting is much easier than mental problems.
The world would be a much better place if you could just fix every problem with a big fuck off slab of metal.
Or a stream of fire.
Either or.
I think I'll sleep on that for a little while, then decide what to do later.
Or maybe, I'll just drop it in my mom's lap and let her deal with it.
Maybe.
Doubt she'd be any better at fixing it than I would be.
I soon stand up myself, giving the old man a solemn bow before heading off myself.
I make it around halfway back to the main house before I sense someone, right outside the grounds, where the barriers protecting the whole place are set.
They're Kuroka's barriers, so I'm not worried about them breaking, but uh…
Why is that one guy who was here with Suzaku trying to get in?
And failing. Very badly.
What was his name again?
Hmm, Kouki Samejima.
Ah! He's the guy that told me to do nothing!
I cackle and continue walking back inside.
Sure, I could go out there, listen to him prattle angrily about how I interfered when I shouldn't have, all that shit.
Then when I point out casually how he's not truly mad at me, but himself for being unable to do anything, he'll attack me.
It'll all end with me stuffing his unconscious ass in a cardboard box and mailing him back to the bar.
Now, while that's fun and all, I'm not feeling it right now.
If he's still there in the morning though, sure, I'll humor him.
Though he wasn't there earlier, so is this his first time there, or was he here earlier…?
Eh. I'll figure it out in the morning.
Now, I'm going to go spank my cat girls until they stop fighting, then I'm going to use them both as pillows.
Nothing, not even the angry cat drill guy outside, is going to stop me!
~ A New Sun ~
In the Palace of Takamagahara, all is quiet.
For once.
Amaterasu trudges down the halls, for the first time in a long time, neither oversleeping nor getting no sleep at all.
She rubs her eyes with a small smile on her face.
Is this what pride and accomplishment feel like?
She completely misses the person-shaped hole in the hall as she walks past it.
It is odd, however, how quiet it is.
The court is not quite in session yet, but it's still early enough where courtiers and hanger-ons should be annoying her about something already.
She'll take this blessing, what with how everything has been so far.
Sure, it's not all bad.
After the whole thing with Grigori, integration of what the Shinto has been given has been going shockingly smoothly.
But on the flip side, Heaven, or the Abrahamic God, hasn't even been answering her regarding well, anything.
Not getting her sword back. Not getting in on dealing with the Grigori's fuck ups, nothing.
She'd almost say they ceased existing after Michael showed up, but the Devils were very happy to inform her that they are still active.
The very dead Astaroth Clan Heir via light spear crucifixion being displayed for an entire town in Italy to be cheered upon was a testament to that.
She was morbidly curious as to why the Devils were letting Heaven get away with it, but they refused to elaborate.
Regardless, she decided to stop pestering Heaven for a while.
In other news, she got to watch her son get hunted and nearly killed by a giant fuck off Oni.
That entire thing in Kyoto, in general, wasn't fun to watch.
Inari already had enough to deal with, what with the Grigori Deal, then Kyoto…
Although the way that's been going, Inari has hinted that all this extra work will be worth it once the other Yokai all join up in whatever she and Nori are doing.
She also not so subtly hinted to her that she'd break her son's hips if it succeeded.
Again.
Fun.
Then there's–
She stops as she finally enters the throne room.
The very, very wrecked throne room.
Where all the Heavenly Kami are sort of standing around, gapping at it, or expecting it to fix itself.
Technically, it will.
When her little brother - yes, she's older! She was born first! - gets off his hard ass and fixes it in Yomi!
Amaterasu sighs, understanding now why everything is so quiet.
She wouldn't admit it out loud, but this kind of damage…is a first, it's not nearly as bad as any of his other episodes.
It worries her. Slightly.
Yet there's work to be done, and so Amaterasu takes a seat on her throne and glares at the mingling masses of gods to get a move on.
Now then, where was she?
Right. It's lucky most foreign dignitaries can't or won't come up here, or else this mess would be much more of a problem.
She wouldn't let Odin and his ilk within several thousand miles of Takamagahara, even if he could enter here, but it's the idea that counts.
Perhaps within the next few months or so, she'll be able to stop negotiating with that old perverted tub of lard and get something concrete.
She sighs, only for her to perk up as her phone pings in her robes.
Pulling it out, and ignoring entirely the hard looks the older Kami bears at her for it, she sees it is a message from…Uzume?
Everyone backs away several feet, as Amaterasu begins laughing uproariously.