“Lady Amaterasu, thank you for taking the time to see us so quickly!”, her servants stated as they bowed their heads, “We have done an in-depth reconnaissance of the Youkai’s Territory, and made some terrifying discoveries. My Lady…it would appear that Lord Susanoo’s updates have not been accurate in quite some time.”
‘I knew it!’, Amaterasu thought as she hid her anger well, “Please tell me what you have found.”
“The Youkai population is a fraction of what Lord Susanoo has been reporting to us, they number just over ten thousand in total across the Human World. They have been massacred by the Devils to the extent that their lands were nearly unrecognizable to us.”, the servant reported, “Lady Yasaka, the current Youkai Elder, sought a meeting with you several times after taking the position over but Lord Susanoo denied her request. Not only that, he lied to her about the amount we were to receive in tribute during her first meeting. There was a ten percent increase in the amount, I doubt Lady Yasaka noticed as she was not privy to this information beforehand. Unfortunately, her mother and father were among those killed by the Devils.”
Knowing that her servants would not deceive her, Amaterasu took their words as the honest truth. Learning that her brother was stealing from the Youkai to line his own pockets and fill his belly, she became overcome by anger. Had he been present, she would have killed him immediately for doing such a thing to their most loyal subordinates. Keeping her anger in check, as she had an image to maintain, she waited for them to continue their report.
“Is that all?”, Amaterasu inquired after a few moments of silence.
“No Lady Amaterasu, unfortunately, that is only the beginning.”, the servant replied with a disgusted expression, “As Lady Yasaka did not know the full extent of our agreement with her people, Lord Susanoo has never sent aid of any kind to her people. In fact, he has not done so for generations even though our coffers have been dipped into on several occasions for them. Desperate to receive protection from the Devils, she pleaded with him for military assistance to which he gave her this paper…”
Handing her a sealed scroll with Susanoo’s personal seal on it, she opened the scroll and read the contents. Gripping the paper tightly as she read his list of demands, Amaterasu could not believe how blind she had been. Her brother was using his position to gather young women for his harem, even though he already had all the women he could want. Understanding now why tributes and prayers had stopped flowing to their realm, a scowl began to form on her face.
“Apologies Amaterasu, I was in the middle of a few things so it took me a bit too…”, Inari said as she entered and saw her expression, “Did I perhaps interrupt something I should not have?”
Ignoring her question for a moment, Amaterasu had a more pressing concern on her mind right now. The Youkai Faction was their main source of power, their prayers, offerings, and tributes were what kept their power strong. If they had gone to another Pantheon now, it would spell the end of their Pantheon in a matter of centuries.
“Did you find out if they are now under the protection of another Pantheon now? If so, which one have they gone to?”, she pressed them trying her best to hide the concern in her voice.
“The Youkai Faction has not switched to another Pantheon. All of those who would receive her request for an audience made even more outlandish requests than Lord Susanoo.”, the servant replied as they pulled on their collar, “They are receiving Divine Protection and assistance from the Otherworldly Deity Cole. Currently, he is having his men rebuild the Youkai territory while making much needed infrastructure upgrades. It is not only the Youkai who are under his protection, the Elves, Dwarves, and Succubi have all received his protection. All four factions now live on the Youkai’s land and are working together in relative harmony.”
“Cole…he is the one that killed Lord Lucifer and tens of thousands of Devils right?”, Amaterasu questioned, “Hachiman told me about that battle and the terrifying power he wields. He is the one responsible for destroying part of my landscape garden outside the castle.”
Turning to Inari now, Amaterasu was going to speak with her about the request she had when they heard the sound of armor running toward the room. Hearing a familiar voice apologize to her maid for showing up unannounced, the man told her he had important news to share with her.
“It is alright, he can come in.”, Amaterasu called out to her maid.
Letting him pass without any further issues, Hachiman ran straight to her office with a panicked expression.
“What has you so riled up? I have never seen you so pale before.”, she inquired.
“Yeah me neither, even the time you saw Susanoo naked you never looked this pale.”, Inari teased him.
“Please…do not remind me of that fat pig…”, Hachiman shivered recalling that horrid memory, “I came to report some news I received from Lord Odin and Neit, the Otherworlder Deity Cole has massacred Lord Hades, Lady Eleos, and many of Hades’ Grim Reapers. He single-handedly crushed them with overwhelming force in the Underworld.”
Dropping the paper she was holding, her scowl suddenly faded as a knot formed in her stomach. Knowing that Hades was among the Top Ten Strongest Beings in their universe, hearing that Cole killed him with ease made her nervous.
“Did Cole sustain any severe injuries during the fight?”, Amaterasu asked him with a bit of hope.
“No…Lord Hades did not manage to scuff his clothing let alone land a blow on him. From what I have been told, Cole permanently changed Hades into a mortal human and cursed him with perpetual reincarnation. He will never be a deity again for the rest of his days, and his enemies have been given free rein to kill him repeatedly.”, Hachiman said gripping his sword sheath tightly, “I learned that anyone that harms the Youkai Faction will be met with a fierce response, and I…I heard that Lord Susanoo did something unspeakable to them. My concern is-”
Cutting him off as she knew what he was going to say, she knew what needed to be done to prevent them from being next. Looking at Inari again, Amaterasu gave her clear orders.
“Inari, I need you to go to the Youkai Village immediately and seek an audience with Yasaka. We need to appease them to prevent Cole’s attention from being placed on us. Try to see if we can mend our relationship with them as well.”, Amaterasu commanded her, “Hachiman, I need you to bring my fat, bastard brother here immediately. He got us into this mess, and he will be the one to get us out one way or another.”
“I understand, I will leave immediately!”, the Kitsune Deity agreed before promptly leaving the room.
“As for the rest of you, I want you to summon the rest of our deities to the Great Hall. They need to know what Susanoo has done, and the threat we face. Not only is Cole a potential problem, without our supporters our Pantheon will start to weaken over time. If we are unable to make amends with the Youkai, we will need to thin out our group to buy us more time.”, Amaterasu said with a cold stare, “I know the first one that will be cut from our ranks.”
—Cole POV, Youkai Village—
Retrieving the dead Youkai, Dwarves, Elves, and Succubi from the Greek Pantheon, I brought them back with me to the village. Having Yasaka gather everyone in the Head Village, I began laying each body out for their loved ones to find them. Realizing what was going on after a few bodies were laid out on blankets, the weeping and wailing began.
Quickly getting all the remains laid out for everyone to sort through, families who found their loved ones broke down and fell to the ground unable to stand. Holding the people they thought they would never see again closely, I stood near Yasaka and watched from her side. Reuniting her with her parents and grandmother, the poor woman stood there gripping her kimono tightly trying to not cry.
“It is okay, you do not have to hold it in anymore.”, I assured her, “No one here is going to think any less of you for crying. Everyone in your territory has lost someone dear to them, they all understand the emotions you are feeling right now.”
“I know…it is just…I never thought…I would get to…see them again!!”, she cried as she finally broke down and fell to her knees, “I am sorry I could not save you!! I am so sorry!!”
Wailing as held her family’s pelts, I knelt down and gently rubbed her back to console her. Shaking as she cried louder, she cursed Rizevim’s name for doing this to them. Cursing the day he was born, Yasaka hoped that he rotted in whatever hell he ended up in for leaving her with all this pain. After a few minutes of heavy crying, she turned to me and dove into my chest.
Getting the feeling she needed someone to hold her, I wrapped my arms around her and let her continue crying. Letting her cry her heart out, eventually, the tears stopped coming and she managed to calm herself down. Thanking me for bringing the people she loved most back to her, she asked me for a favor.
“Could you come with me to bury them?”, Yasaka pleaded, “I cannot do this alone…”
“Of course.”, I told her as I helped her to her feet, “Lead the way.”
Passing by the weeping families, they thanked me over and over as we walked by. Telling me they would never forget this kindness I showed them, everyone swore to redouble their efforts to make a place where their loved ones would have enjoyed living.
Following Yasaka out of the village, she led me into the forest to a small clearing a few hundred feet in. As we entered the clearing, I could see dozens of small tombstones dotting the place. Curious about what this place was, as there was no clear path here, Yasaka ended up answering the question before I could ask.
“This is where the Elder Family buries our dead, our connection to the Leylines makes it difficult to be buried anywhere else. If we are buried too far from the intersection, it can potentially distort the lines due to the residual spiritual power in our bodies.”, Yasaka informed me as she walked over to where there were no tombstones, “I think here is a good place.”
Walking over to her, I detected a small amount of Spacial Magic released nearby. Locating the entity quickly, the person who came through did not harbor any ill intent so I decided to let it go for now. I could deal with them after helping Yasaka. Using Earth Flow to dig the graves, I broke some small chunks of granite off a nearby hillside and made the headstones for her. Helping her etch the names onto each of them, we gave them a proper burial and placed some flowers on their graves.
“Mother, if you can hear me, our people are on the right track to recovery now. I know you always wanted to see it for yourself, but unfortunately, the Devils took that opportunity away from you.”, Yasaka said looking at her mother’s grave, “Lord Cole has taken us under his wing and given us renewed hope for a brighter future. For the first time I can recall, our people are smiling and genuinely happy to be alive. I promise to work hard to make the future you always wanted for our people.”
Sensing the entity that teleported here approach us from behind, I could tell that it was a relatively weak deity. Unlike most I had met up till now, this one was likely weaker than Yasaka which made them a very minor threat. Keeping their distance and observing us, I returned my attention to the graves as Yasaka was done talking now.
“I want to thank you both for bringing such an amazing woman into this world. You raised one of the kindness, loving women I have ever met. Yasaka was ready to throw her happiness away for the sake of her people, and risked everything to make their lives better.”, I told her parents, “I give you my word, for whatever it is worth to you, that I will see to it no further harm comes to the Youkai Faction. Your people will eventually surpass your former glory days, and I hope you get to see that from your place in Heaven.”
Wrapping my left arm around Yasaka’s waist, I pulled her close to me before continuing.
“I know you may not like me, given my godhood, but I hope you will bless us in the future should we marry. Yasaka is an amazing woman and I would be honored to call her my wife one day.”, I said boldly, “I promise to support her in all her endeavors, and provide her with all the love and affection she could ever want.”
“Cole…”, she stated as she leaned in closer, “Thank you for coming to this world…you not only saved my people but gave me hope for a future. I was willing to throw it all away to Lord Susanoo for their help, but now…I could not do it because I have you. This is where I belong, right beside you.”
Giving me a kiss on the lips, our stalker could not help but let out a giggle. Turning back to where they were standing, we saw a busty, twelve-tailed Kitsune trying and failing to hide behind a tree. Peeking back out from behind the tree, the woman made a hand gesture to continue with what we were doing.
“Hehe, as a Goddess of Fertility, it does my heart good to see two lovebirds bonding. If you want, I can bless you so having his children will be easier.”, she said with a mischievous smirk, “I know she is ready, how about you?”
“Lady Inari!?”, Yasaka shrieked as her face turned red with embarrassment, “How long have you been watching us!? Please do not say things like that to Lord Cole, it is embarrassing!!”
Hearing the name Inari, I knew she was with the Shinto Pantheon making her part of the Pantheon that abandoned Yasaka and the Youkai. Shielding Yasaka from her, lightning started to crackle around me as pointed at her.
“I was going to let Yasaka decide what to do with you, but now I am sure you need to die. You dare to show your face around here after what you did to her and her people. If you came here to force them to take you back, you have another thing coming to you.”, I said as I went to attack her.
“Cole please wait, Inari is not like Lord Susanoo!!”, Yasaka pleaded, “She is a kindhearted person, do not harm her!”
“Eep!!”, Inari squealed as she ran forward and dove into a bowing position, “Please wait, I am not here to fight or force anyone to do anything. Lady Amaterasu asked me to come here on her behalf to talk with Yasaka. We want to make amends for Lord Susanoo’s actions, please let me explain!!”
“Lady Amaterasu, thank you for taking the time to see us so quickly!”, her servants stated as they bowed their heads, “We have done an in-depth reconnaissance of the Youkai’s Territory, and made some terrifying discoveries. My Lady…it would appear that Lord Susanoo’s updates have not been accurate in quite some time.”
‘I knew it!’, Amaterasu thought as she hid her anger well, “Please tell me what you have found.”
“The Youkai population is a fraction of what Lord Susanoo has been reporting to us, they number just over ten thousand in total across the Human World. They have been massacred by the Devils to the extent that their lands were nearly unrecognizable to us.”, the servant reported, “Lady Yasaka, the current Youkai Elder, sought a meeting with you several times after taking the position over but Lord Susanoo denied her request. Not only that, he lied to her about the amount we were to receive in tribute during her first meeting. There was a ten percent increase in the amount, I doubt Lady Yasaka noticed as she was not privy to this information beforehand. Unfortunately, her mother and father were among those killed by the Devils.”
Knowing that her servants would not deceive her, Amaterasu took their words as the honest truth. Learning that her brother was stealing from the Youkai to line his own pockets and fill his belly, she became overcome by anger. Had he been present, she would have killed him immediately for doing such a thing to their most loyal subordinates. Keeping her anger in check, as she had an image to maintain, she waited for them to continue their report.
“Is that all?”, Amaterasu inquired after a few moments of silence.
“No Lady Amaterasu, unfortunately, that is only the beginning.”, the servant replied with a disgusted expression, “As Lady Yasaka did not know the full extent of our agreement with her people, Lord Susanoo has never sent aid of any kind to her people. In fact, he has not done so for generations even though our coffers have been dipped into on several occasions for them. Desperate to receive protection from the Devils, she pleaded with him for military assistance to which he gave her this paper…”
Handing her a sealed scroll with Susanoo’s personal seal on it, she opened the scroll and read the contents. Gripping the paper tightly as she read his list of demands, Amaterasu could not believe how blind she had been. Her brother was using his position to gather young women for his harem, even though he already had all the women he could want. Understanding now why tributes and prayers had stopped flowing to their realm, a scowl began to form on her face.
“Apologies Amaterasu, I was in the middle of a few things so it took me a bit too…”, Inari said as she entered and saw her expression, “Did I perhaps interrupt something I should not have?”
Ignoring her question for a moment, Amaterasu had a more pressing concern on her mind right now. The Youkai Faction was their main source of power, their prayers, offerings, and tributes were what kept their power strong. If they had gone to another Pantheon now, it would spell the end of their Pantheon in a matter of centuries.
“Did you find out if they are now under the protection of another Pantheon now? If so, which one have they gone to?”, she pressed them trying her best to hide the concern in her voice.
“The Youkai Faction has not switched to another Pantheon. All of those who would receive her request for an audience made even more outlandish requests than Lord Susanoo.”, the servant replied as they pulled on their collar, “They are receiving Divine Protection and assistance from the Otherworldly Deity Cole. Currently, he is having his men rebuild the Youkai territory while making much needed infrastructure upgrades. It is not only the Youkai who are under his protection, the Elves, Dwarves, and Succubi have all received his protection. All four factions now live on the Youkai’s land and are working together in relative harmony.”
“Cole…he is the one that killed Lord Lucifer and tens of thousands of Devils right?”, Amaterasu questioned, “Hachiman told me about that battle and the terrifying power he wields. He is the one responsible for destroying part of my landscape garden outside the castle.”
Turning to Inari now, Amaterasu was going to speak with her about the request she had when they heard the sound of armor running toward the room. Hearing a familiar voice apologize to her maid for showing up unannounced, the man told her he had important news to share with her.
“It is alright, he can come in.”, Amaterasu called out to her maid.
Letting him pass without any further issues, Hachiman ran straight to her office with a panicked expression.
“What has you so riled up? I have never seen you so pale before.”, she inquired.
“Yeah me neither, even the time you saw Susanoo naked you never looked this pale.”, Inari teased him.
“Please…do not remind me of that fat pig…”, Hachiman shivered recalling that horrid memory, “I came to report some news I received from Lord Odin and Neit, the Otherworlder Deity Cole has massacred Lord Hades, Lady Eleos, and many of Hades’ Grim Reapers. He single-handedly crushed them with overwhelming force in the Underworld.”
Dropping the paper she was holding, her scowl suddenly faded as a knot formed in her stomach. Knowing that Hades was among the Top Ten Strongest Beings in their universe, hearing that Cole killed him with ease made her nervous.
“Did Cole sustain any severe injuries during the fight?”, Amaterasu asked him with a bit of hope.
“No…Lord Hades did not manage to scuff his clothing let alone land a blow on him. From what I have been told, Cole permanently changed Hades into a mortal human and cursed him with perpetual reincarnation. He will never be a deity again for the rest of his days, and his enemies have been given free rein to kill him repeatedly.”, Hachiman said gripping his sword sheath tightly, “I learned that anyone that harms the Youkai Faction will be met with a fierce response, and I…I heard that Lord Susanoo did something unspeakable to them. My concern is-”
Cutting him off as she knew what he was going to say, she knew what needed to be done to prevent them from being next. Looking at Inari again, Amaterasu gave her clear orders.
“Inari, I need you to go to the Youkai Village immediately and seek an audience with Yasaka. We need to appease them to prevent Cole’s attention from being placed on us. Try to see if we can mend our relationship with them as well.”, Amaterasu commanded her, “Hachiman, I need you to bring my fat, bastard brother here immediately. He got us into this mess, and he will be the one to get us out one way or another.”
“I understand, I will leave immediately!”, the Kitsune Deity agreed before promptly leaving the room.
“As for the rest of you, I want you to summon the rest of our deities to the Great Hall. They need to know what Susanoo has done, and the threat we face. Not only is Cole a potential problem, without our supporters our Pantheon will start to weaken over time. If we are unable to make amends with the Youkai, we will need to thin out our group to buy us more time.”, Amaterasu said with a cold stare, “I know the first one that will be cut from our ranks.”
—Cole POV, Youkai Village—
Retrieving the dead Youkai, Dwarves, Elves, and Succubi from the Greek Pantheon, I brought them back with me to the village. Having Yasaka gather everyone in the Head Village, I began laying each body out for their loved ones to find them. Realizing what was going on after a few bodies were laid out on blankets, the weeping and wailing began.
Quickly getting all the remains laid out for everyone to sort through, families who found their loved ones broke down and fell to the ground unable to stand. Holding the people they thought they would never see again closely, I stood near Yasaka and watched from her side. Reuniting her with her parents and grandmother, the poor woman stood there gripping her kimono tightly trying to not cry.
“It is okay, you do not have to hold it in anymore.”, I assured her, “No one here is going to think any less of you for crying. Everyone in your territory has lost someone dear to them, they all understand the emotions you are feeling right now.”
“I know…it is just…I never thought…I would get to…see them again!!”, she cried as she finally broke down and fell to her knees, “I am sorry I could not save you!! I am so sorry!!”
Wailing as held her family’s pelts, I knelt down and gently rubbed her back to console her. Shaking as she cried louder, she cursed Rizevim’s name for doing this to them. Cursing the day he was born, Yasaka hoped that he rotted in whatever hell he ended up in for leaving her with all this pain. After a few minutes of heavy crying, she turned to me and dove into my chest.
Getting the feeling she needed someone to hold her, I wrapped my arms around her and let her continue crying. Letting her cry her heart out, eventually, the tears stopped coming and she managed to calm herself down. Thanking me for bringing the people she loved most back to her, she asked me for a favor.
“Could you come with me to bury them?”, Yasaka pleaded, “I cannot do this alone…”
“Of course.”, I told her as I helped her to her feet, “Lead the way.”
Passing by the weeping families, they thanked me over and over as we walked by. Telling me they would never forget this kindness I showed them, everyone swore to redouble their efforts to make a place where their loved ones would have enjoyed living.
Following Yasaka out of the village, she led me into the forest to a small clearing a few hundred feet in. As we entered the clearing, I could see dozens of small tombstones dotting the place. Curious about what this place was, as there was no clear path here, Yasaka ended up answering the question before I could ask.
“This is where the Elder Family buries our dead, our connection to the Leylines makes it difficult to be buried anywhere else. If we are buried too far from the intersection, it can potentially distort the lines due to the residual spiritual power in our bodies.”, Yasaka informed me as she walked over to where there were no tombstones, “I think here is a good place.”
Walking over to her, I detected a small amount of Spacial Magic released nearby. Locating the entity quickly, the person who came through did not harbor any ill intent so I decided to let it go for now. I could deal with them after helping Yasaka. Using Earth Flow to dig the graves, I broke some small chunks of granite off a nearby hillside and made the headstones for her. Helping her etch the names onto each of them, we gave them a proper burial and placed some flowers on their graves.
“Mother, if you can hear me, our people are on the right track to recovery now. I know you always wanted to see it for yourself, but unfortunately, the Devils took that opportunity away from you.”, Yasaka said looking at her mother’s grave, “Lord Cole has taken us under his wing and given us renewed hope for a brighter future. For the first time I can recall, our people are smiling and genuinely happy to be alive. I promise to work hard to make the future you always wanted for our people.”
Sensing the entity that teleported here approach us from behind, I could tell that it was a relatively weak deity. Unlike most I had met up till now, this one was likely weaker than Yasaka which made them a very minor threat. Keeping their distance and observing us, I returned my attention to the graves as Yasaka was done talking now.
“I want to thank you both for bringing such an amazing woman into this world. You raised one of the kindness, loving women I have ever met. Yasaka was ready to throw her happiness away for the sake of her people, and risked everything to make their lives better.”, I told her parents, “I give you my word, for whatever it is worth to you, that I will see to it no further harm comes to the Youkai Faction. Your people will eventually surpass your former glory days, and I hope you get to see that from your place in Heaven.”
Wrapping my left arm around Yasaka’s waist, I pulled her close to me before continuing.
“I know you may not like me, given my godhood, but I hope you will bless us in the future should we marry. Yasaka is an amazing woman and I would be honored to call her my wife one day.”, I said boldly, “I promise to support her in all her endeavors, and provide her with all the love and affection she could ever want.”
“Cole…”, she stated as she leaned in closer, “Thank you for coming to this world…you not only saved my people but gave me hope for a future. I was willing to throw it all away to Lord Susanoo for their help, but now…I could not do it because I have you. This is where I belong, right beside you.”
Giving me a kiss on the lips, our stalker could not help but let out a giggle. Turning back to where they were standing, we saw a busty, twelve-tailed Kitsune trying and failing to hide behind a tree. Peeking back out from behind the tree, the woman made a hand gesture to continue with what we were doing.
“Hehe, as a Goddess of Fertility, it does my heart good to see two lovebirds bonding. If you want, I can bless you so having his children will be easier.”, she said with a mischievous smirk, “I know she is ready, how about you?”
“Lady Inari!?”, Yasaka shrieked as her face turned red with embarrassment, “How long have you been watching us!? Please do not say things like that to Lord Cole, it is embarrassing!!”
Hearing the name Inari, I knew she was with the Shinto Pantheon making her part of the Pantheon that abandoned Yasaka and the Youkai. Shielding Yasaka from her, lightning started to crackle around me as pointed at her.
“I was going to let Yasaka decide what to do with you, but now I am sure you need to die. You dare to show your face around here after what you did to her and her people. If you came here to force them to take you back, you have another thing coming to you.”, I said as I went to attack her.
“Cole please wait, Inari is not like Lord Susanoo!!”, Yasaka pleaded, “She is a kindhearted person, do not harm her!”
“Eep!!”, Inari squealed as she ran forward and dove into a bowing position, “Please wait, I am not here to fight or force anyone to do anything. Lady Amaterasu asked me to come here on her behalf to talk with Yasaka. We want to make amends for Lord Susanoo’s actions, please let me explain!!”
