Chapter 39: Palace of the Dead III
Notes:
Hello everbody, I hope you have all been well. This one took a little longer than I would have liked but I got it done and I'm happy with the result. In the next chapter I'll recap the last half of the month in Yomi and we'll head out to fight some dragons. I probably won't get in the actually beginning of the event but we'll survey the competition instead. On an unrelated note, I'm really glad I didn't go the route of giving Ibaraki a kanabo as her main weapon. If I had of done that then I wouldn't be able to write her or draw her without thinking about Super Orion from FGO; The bow, the club, the fire aura, the BUSTER CRITS. They're unironically the same person except Ibaraki doesn't have a jealous goddess to punish her for her philandering. Semi related to that point, when this story heads to Olympus you better believe I'm writing Orion into the story, jealous Artemis and all (Maybe not jealous but certainly perterbed by his philandering. I like strong independent woman Artemis more than yandere waifu Artemis). Anyways, please enjoy this humble offering.
Chapter Text
After two weeks in Yomi, I started to fall into a rhythm. The first half-hour of the day upon waking up was spent meditating to focus my mindset for the day. Once that was done I would set off toward the training ground for a warm-up spar with Gomu-kun. I spent longer fighting the construct every day and I've nearly reached a point where I'm gaining ground in a fight with it rather than holding off my defeat. I know all the different responses it will have to my attacks by this point and how to best counter them, now all I need is to destroy it.
Once I either lose against Izanami's construct or stop making progress against it I move on to archery practice. With each day that passes I improve the number of arrows, I can fire at once and I'm currently nearing a thousand. Still, my accuracy is an issue when conjuring that many projectiles. I want to be able to maintain the perfect accuracy I have when firing single arrows no matter how many I fire at once. Otherwise, the end result would be a pathetic attack that an army of bowmen could duplicate easily rather than an attack from a being nearing divinity.
The rest of my day is spent studying scrolls while my clones search the other residences for anything useful. My clones have nearly searched through half the residences but still haven't seen one with a soul actively residing inside. I know that at least one resident is still living there since there is always a pillar of smoke billowing out of a residence at the other side of the pavilion.
Occasionally, when I grow bored, need to vent, or simply want to ensure my other skills don't atrophy, I throw myself into the hordes of demons outside the palace. Some extreme violence does wonders for my relaxation after pouring over dusty old tomes for hours.
Currently, I'm heading back to the palace through more undead and demons. While I do so I've found myself thinking about my interactions with Izanami.
She is constantly there to watch me during practice which has made me realize how little she has to do to rule Yomi. The fact that she can spend most of the day just hanging around with me would be concerning if I hadn't already seen the lack of souls in Yomi. If it was someone else I would probably be annoyed by their constant presence but Izanami is too sweet for me to be upset. I do however worry about how lonely she'll be when I'm gone.
A sword is swung at me by a demon that tried to sneak up on me and I catch the blade with my bare hand. A quick twist of my wrist snaps the blade and I drive the shard still in my grasp through the demons eye.
As I was saying before I was interrupted, I'm worried about the fact that Izanami so rarely has anyone to talk to as an equal. Sure she can order the souls that live here to keep her company but that isn't the same. To that end, I've cleared the rest of my day, forgoing training to just hang out with her. I plan to suggest that she reach out to the other leaders of the various underworlds and see if they would like to visit Yomi.
I growl as I hear the rhythmic clattering of bone as an undead horse charges at me, green flames dripping out the sides of its mouth. I throw myself at it, ignoring the flames that pour over me and crush its skull between my hands. When it still tries to attack me I punch at it with full force and the air around us crushed its entire body to powder.
Back on topic, I'm not sure which gods would be amenable to what amounts to a social gathering in Yomi nor do I have any real pull in other factions to force them to come. The only other faction I'm even slightly involved with is Olympus and only because I freed some nymphs from captivity.
Oh, man were they grateful too... I wipe the stupid grin off my face and clap my cheeks. Bad Ibaraki!
Ignoring the fact I have no pull to force anyone to come here, there's also the question of compatibility. It would suck if Izanami invited someone here and they insulted her and made her sad. If that happened I would need to find a way to kill a death god and I really don't need that on my plate right now.
Going over what I know about mythology… Maybe Hades and Persephone? Hades was always the nicest and most fair of the Olympians, especially of the eldest sons. Persephone also shares a common thread with Izanami in the sense that they were both cursed to remain in the underworld. Also, Zeus was one of the gods that wanted peaceful relations in DxD, right? Finally, any pagan gods probably have a lot to complain about regarding the Church so that would help them get along.
I would suggest Ereshkigal but my knowledge of her is completely polluted by the works of Kinoko Nasu. Anubis was always fair in media portrayals but in actual mythology, I know very little about him. Izanami gets along with Crom so maybe The Morrigan? Odin wants to reconcile with the other factions so maybe the Norse goddess Hel would be willing to meet Izanami?
I'll probably just make a general suggestion to her and hint at talking to Hades. It's better that she makes friends than I ruin it by interfering too much in who she makes friends with.
I snort in amusement as an image of Izanami, Hades, and Persephone hunched around a small table having a tea party crosses my mind.
I had asked some servants to let Izanami know I wouldn't be in the training yard this morning but rather that I would meet her later. Knowing how skittish Izanami can be I made sure to impress upon the servant that it would be a social meeting but who knows if that got conveyed properly.
I look at the palace in the distance and my gaze sweeps over all the demons and undead that stand in my way. Cracking my neck I plan out my route through the mass of enemies.
"It won't do for me to be late to see Izanami." I hear Byakko laugh over the sounds of the slaughter he's initiating off in the distance.
"Don't act like you won't enjoy killing everything in your way." I toss a grin towards his distant form.
"Well, that goes without saying." Shadowed forms are launched across the sky as Byakko's paw sweeps across the land and I whistle in awe at the distance some of them fly.
Enough messing around though. I explode into motion towards the mass of enemies, crossing the distance instantaneously. A tap of my foot propels me off the ground and my other leg shoots upwards in a fierce kick that shatters the skull of a skeleton. The manoeuvre doesn't even slow me down and I transition into a flying punch into the enemy behind the skeleton.
I land lightly on my toes and crouch low just in time for a bolt of black energy shrouded in green to pass over my head. Izanami had offered to make me some enemies with ranged attacks to keep me on my toes. Because of that I can spot several Liches nearby all aiming their magic at me.
My hand scoops along the ground as I bounce back upward and cork horizontally. The next shots of magic that had followed the first miss as well as I pass over them. At the same time, the rocks I picked up are sent rocketing towards my assailants with mechanical precision. The crystal orbs in the Lich's that hold their consciousness are all pierced by my improvised projectiles.
A massive set of jaws burst out of my intended landing site and time seems to slow as my senses are sharpened. A can see the flex in its tissues and the gleam of the venom on its fangs as its slit pupils lock onto me.
In mid-air I can't dodge without using magic but why would I want to dodge? I grin widely and relish the hint of confusion that enters the snake's eyes as I fall straight into its open mouth with my fist cocked back. As I extend my arm I flood the limb with Ki, the energy collapsing on itself as it falls down my arm like crashing waves. My knuckles scrape against the roof of the snake's mouth as that wave of Ki compresses into my fist, exploding out through the freshly made contact point.
Naturally, the flesh of the snake balloons grotesquely before exploding in a shower of gore. I fall through the freshly made hole in its head and conserve my momentum with a roll. I continue running towards the palace without so much as a glance towards the corpse.
"Not good enough," I shake my arm grimacing at the internal damage.
I'm much closer to compressing Ki into something explosive than when I tried the technique against Fujiwara but my flesh is still too weak to handle it fully. My body refinement while in Yomi has helped a lot in that sense with my resilience and strength having both risen noticeably but I'm still a long way off.
As I step through the threshold of the palace I remember I'm covered in blood and viscera. I burn that away with a spark of mana and wave my arm to disperse the smoke outside. When I'm finished I see a maid giving me a look of disapproval.
"You should not track dirt into this sacred place." I raise my brow at the tone but otherwise ignore her as I walk past.
"Hmph, disgusting savage." She turns her nose up at me and starts to clean the area I entered.
Yeah, most of the servants aren't very happy that I'm here and that is something I didn't learn until nearly a week in. Before then they must have been holding back because they assumed I wouldn't be here long, given I'm not dead and all.
The kitchen staff dislike me because I refuse to eat the meals they prepare, the cleaning staff dislike me because I'm alive and therefore produce dust, and the managerial staff dislike me because I take Izanami's attention away from her 'duties'. Basically, I'm universally hated by them because I'm alive and they aren't.
The problem for them is, I couldn't care less what they think and they can't meaningfully hinder me in any way. If I don't eat the cooks can't mess with my food, I hardly sleep so I don't care how clean my residence is kept, and Izanami is happy so I don't care how happy her subordinates are.
There are some exceptions though. The souls that I had resolved grudges for in the past all treat me cordially. By now I've had time to meet them all and see how they're doing. Unlike my meeting with the first person I killed, the rest seemed to be pleased with any answers I gave them. To me at least that makes sense, considering how much hatred they held onto after death. The souls that so fervently wished for revenge wouldn't be as beholden to something as empty as that selective pacifism.
I wind my way through the now-familiar hallways of the palace of the dead before making it to the throne room. When I push open the doors I see Izanami pacing in the centre of the room nervously. It would almost be amusing if it weren't sad how nervous she looks. I sigh, realizing that the casual nature of the meeting was definitely not conveyed properly.
"You don't have to be nervous, you know?" She 'eeps' in surprise evidently not noticing my arrival.
"I-I'm not nervous!" The tremor in your voice says otherwise. I close my eyes in exasperation before pasting on a gentle smile.
"Your servant didn't say that I wanted to hang out with you for the day, right? This is just a casual meet up between friends." Izanami's eyes widen in shock at my words.
"You consider me a friend?" Ugh, my heart. It hurts.
"One of my best friends. I genuinely enjoy spending time with you, Izanami." Her lips wobble and I imagine I'd be seeing tears if she wasn't dead.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm murdering Izanagi if I ever meet him. Let's change topics before she figures out how to cry despite not being physically able to!
"We can do anything you want today. Just tell me and I'll make it happen!" She looks at me both ecstatic and painfully unsure at the same time.
"Or we can simply spend the day talking, that works too." I see her sigh in relief when I give her that out. The pressure of picking an activity out of anything was apparently too much at once.
"I think I would prefer that." She grins shyly and twirls her parasol.
"Do you want to do that here then?" I frown as I look around at the throne room. This isn't exactly the best place for a casual mood but I can make it work.
"Um, I have a private garden in my wing of the palace. We could sit there and I could show you my flowers?" She opens a portal directly there and I take in the vibrant greenery. That's odd…
"I'd love that." Taking the initiative, I lead her through the portal after grabbing her hand.
I've been slowly increasing our physical contact with small things like a hand on the shoulder or holding hands over the past two weeks. I think my actions have helped her get more comfortable with her appearance but I honestly have no idea what the best way to help someone like Izanami is. She doesn't flinch as heavily when I initiate contact anymore so I must be doing something right. Her self esteem is still too low for my liking but I'm working on that too.
I shiver as I pass through the portal, still not having gotten used to the energy she uses to form them. I suspect a being with less vitality would die trying to travel this way.
Back on topic, at this point, I'm wondering whether I was brought here to train or make friends with Izanami. If it were the latter I'd be a little miffed at Susanoo. Not too upset mind you, especially considering it's something I would do in his position. If my mother wasn't content I'd probably bully people into being her friends too.
My eyes narrow as I take in the plants in the garden; more specifically I notice they are utterly devoid of Ki. The 'plants' if you can call them that are dead objects, not thriving flora as I would see in the lands of the living.
I glance at Izanami and everything clicks causing me to examine the plants in a new light. "This place is beautiful, Izanami. You did an excellent job making it."
She lets out a breath of relief and smiles at me. "I was worried you would be insulted by my plants, being a Sage. They aren't truly alive but... I care for them all the same."
I crouch down and feel the petals of a pitch-black fringed iris and feel it bounce with the contact. Turning my head I see a white wisteria tree that has its blossoms swaying in the nonexistent wind inside the garden. As I look around I continue to spot endemic species like magnolias, hydrangeas, even a few Japanese snake gourds. The colourings are off and there are some deviations in shape but overall it looks like a good variety of native flora from Japan.
I debate using Senjutsu to grow some living flowers before quickly deciding against it. Not only has she put too much effort into this place for me to insult her like that, but anything I grow would also only be fleeting at best.
While the sanctuary may be devoid of life, it's is full of tender love and care. The painstaking effort and time that Izanami had to have put in to construct this place from memory are easily evident in every detail. I wasn't lying when I said it was beautiful, this place is a true work of art.
Therefore, when I turn towards her I smile and compliment her work again. "They look exactly like the flowers at home. I love the tiger lilies especially."
She beams at me proudly and I know I made the right choice. Izanami excitedly begins to describe everything in the garden as she drags me along.
"I was inspired by your tiger friend so I added the tiger lilies in during the past two weeks! I couldn't remember what colours they are so I based them on his fur." I feel Byakko's embarrassment through our link along with a surge of pride. Being the muse of a goddess is high praise.
"Byakko is pleased, though he'll never tell you that himself." Izanami grins even as Byakko grumbles in my head.
Her eyes widen and she starts dragging me quicker, "Oh, come over here for a minute! Close your eyes too, no peeking!"
I laugh as I pick up my pace so she doesn't drag me along. My eyes stay closed as she leads me around a corner before we stop abruptly, "You can open them now."
Izanami is grinning as she gestures widely, behind her is a path that is situated between long rows of sakura trees in full bloom. Looking more closely at the cherry blossoms I notice a stark white colouration that fades into a dark black in the centre, contrasting the delicate pink and white that one would expect. Outside the colour differences, the scene draws to mind the feelings that one would expect from sakura viewing.
"I consulted with some souls while they were in Yomi to really set the scene. Issa-san was a big help." I laugh at the casual name drop of a famous poet.
"In my old home,
Which I forsook, the cherries,
Are in bloom."
I grin proudly as she gapes in shock at my utterance. "Um, yes, I'm surprised you're familiar with his work."
What kind of view do you have of me?!
"I'm not just a brute, I occasionally partake in the arts." I sniff haughtily.
I don't point out the fact that I overheard some of the lessons given to Akeno and Shuten by Zen Master Jun, and if I hadn't there was no way I'd even know who Kobayashi Issa was let alone be able to repeat one of his poems.
There may be some glaring holes in my education… Izanami doesn't need to know that though!
"Is poetry something you're fond of Izanami?" I ask as we walk along the path through the cherry blossoms. I discretely use some Senjutsu to cause petals to drift through the air.
She gasps in delight at the slowly fluttering petals, taking a few seconds to marvel at the spectacle before replying. "I enjoy art in general mostly. Pouring your experiences and emotions into something you make yourself is something special."
I hum in agreement. "I feel the same. I think my mother's dedication to the clothing she crafts really helped me appreciate more subtle art. Without seeing the time and dedication she puts into her craft I don't think I'd be able to appreciate things like poetry."
"Your mother is a seamstress?" I grin wryly at the incredulity in her tone.
"Yeah, crafting, in general, was looked down upon in my village but I always admired my mother's skills. She even got me started on archery." Izanami frowns and I feel her grip on my hand tighten.
"Other than Susanoo I don't even know what my children do outside their duties. Does that make me a bad mother?" Ok, no, this is a bad train of thought.
"How could that be the truth? Susanoo loves you doesn't he? The fault lies in your other children for not visiting you. If they visited I know you would know everything about them." She relaxes a bit but the guilt is still present in her tense shoulders.
"I've failed all my children though. My first two babies were born into this world already hurting and full of misfortune, my third child died because I couldn't survive his birth, and my other children aren't even truly mine." Izanami sniffles and I growl internally even as I pull her into a hug.
That settles it, I'm killing Izanagi no matter what. Deicide is locked in as a goal even if I have to burn the world down.
I pull back slightly and tilt her chin up so she's looking at me, "You haven't done anything wrong and anyone who says that the births of your children were your fault is going to become acquainted with my fist."
She giggles as I shake my fist while scrunching up my face and I continue, "Also, Susanoo is your child no matter what anyone says. If he thinks of you as his mother and you think of him as your son that's all that matters."
He gave me a shovel talk so he's even a good son in my book. "If Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi met you I'm sure they would love you as much as Susanoo does. It's their fault for not reaching out to you, not the other way around."
"Thank you, Ibaraki," As she stares up at me with gratitude I only then realize how intimate of a position we're in. Surrounded by sakura trees, falling petals, and in a close embrace. Thankfully I'm the only one to notice as we part soon after. I wouldn't have wanted to follow up positive reinforcement with a rejection.
"When I leave I'm going to get into contact with Amaterasu. I don't know how yet but I'll convince her to visit you." Izanami looks away and I can tell she isn't convinced.
"If she intended to visit me she would have already. You really don't have to. It's enough that my son, Crom, and now you visit me." I know she'll try to convince me she's fine so I leave it at that. Instead, I go for another angle.
"Have you thought of inviting some of the others who hold dominion over the underworld to visit?" Izanami bits her lip and shakes her head.
"I don't want to make any trouble for my children. What if I invite someone over and they have a bad time? They might try to make it a political incident." I blink in surprise not having thought of that. It's actually a decent reason but….
"If that happened then your children would handle it. I'm sure they deal with factional disputes all the time. Besides I'm convinced that nobody could meet you and be upset in any circumstance." I pause and make a show of thinking hard.
"Actually, no, you're right. If anyone met you and found out that they would have to leave your company they would become inconsolable. Entire factions would be dismantled because they would all try to move here." I nod to myself as Izanami becomes increasingly flustered.
I cup my chin and continue, "We could probably weaponize your cuteness that way. If every faction falls under your thrall, the Shinto Pantheon would rule over all-"
"STOP! That's enough!" She covers my mouth while squeezing her eyes shut and I can tell she would have an atomic blush if she could.
She glares at me suspiciously as she pulls her hands away and I start laughing.
"Ibaraki, stop bullying me!" She whines piteously and I simply laugh harder.
Eventually, she joins me in my laughter and I even catch a small smile. Yes, taking a break today was definitely worth it.