PocketSnails does not own Okami or Spice and Wolf.

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狼と他の女神

Ōkami to hoka no Megami

Wolf and other Goddess

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I spun around in a circle, slashing at the last Imp guard standing before us. We discovered that Orochi's lair was hidden in the mountains west of Nyohhira. We had to travel south to reach them, but that was fine – it gave Chloe more time to make sure I was fully healed. And I was – I was in good enough shape to slay the three Imps standing guard at the entrance.

I stood there, panting once they were all defeated.

"Ammy, are you okay?" Holo said, walking up behind me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied.

"So, while the guards are dead, how are we going to get inside and to Orochi without being detected by all the other guards in here?" Lawrence asked.

I looked around, seeing little slips of paper – the ones that the Imps wore as make shift masks – in the back of the cart.

"I might have an idea…" I said, going and grabbing three of the slips.

"What is it?" Chloe asked.

"When I defeated Orochi in my wolf form, I wore a mask over my face so no one would notice. I was able to sneak in like that and defeat Orochi without being detected. So, I'm going to draw masks for myself, Holo, and Lawrence." I said slyly.

"And what of me?" Chloe asked fearfully.

"We'll use you as bait. Orochi kills only the fairest maidens in the land. And no offense to Holo, but you are a much more fair maiden than she, Chloe."

"Oh, um, uh, thanks, I guess." Chloe responded with a blush.

"You're welcome." I replied. "Now, as for those masks designs…"

I sat down, quickly drawing our masks: "シャガ" for Lawrence; "ランドロス" for Holo; and "アルセウス" for myself.

"Alright, everyone put them on." I said, handing Holo and Lawrence their masks as they put them on, me putting mine on as well.

"Is everyone ready?" Holo asked us politely.

"Yes." The three of us replied in earnest

"Then let's go save Norah and defeat Orochi!" She said with confidence.

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The dark figure watched as the foursome walked into the cave, where Orochi himself was hiding.

So, that's how they're getting in, they thought to themselves. No matter. I don't need any stupid masks to infiltrate this cave – the shadows are my friend, my infiltration.

As they finished their thought, they held their hand out in front of them, making a grey glyph appear around their feet. They then disappeared into the shadows, turning invisible…

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I walked into the main hall with everyone, Chloe in front of us. An Imp walked up and stopped us as soon as he noticed.

"Excuse me! What are you doing here with this human?" He asked us.

I turned towards him, clearing my throat to sound more menacing.

"Ahem! We kidnapped this human, and have brought her as a sacrifice for the great Orochi!"

As I finished my sentence, a great rumbling shook the entire mountain, and one of Orochi's heads pushed out from a hole in the ceiling, coiling around Chloe and pulling her through.

"Well, looks like Lord Orochi appreciates your offering. Though he might not know it's you…you might want to inform him – later, of course." The Imp then walked off, going about his duties.

"Ammy, we have to go save Chloe before Orochi devours her!" Lawrence said with worry.

"You don't think I know that?" I asked with annoyance. "But, there's an issue…"

"What?" Holo asked.

"You saw my battle with Orochi in Nyohhira. Even with Norah restoring my power, I was unable to beat him. The only way I can beat him is if I intoxicated him with 8 Purification Sake, but…"

"But what?" Lawrence asked.

"…the only way to make 8 Purification is with the holy water from the Hitoshio Spring in Agata Forest."

"And let me guess: Both locations are in your world?" Holo asked tiredly.

"Yes. And even if there was some here, I don't know how to brew, so we couldn't even make it." I said shamefully, realizing that I don't know everything.

"Hey! Make sure you don't spill that sake!" An Imp suddenly yelled, presumably at another. "Master Orochi will need something to drink with his sacrifice!"

We turned around, seeing the head chef speaking to some other Imps, who were pushing a rather large pedestal with a gold tokkuri on it. "That 8 Purification Sake is the best in the world! DO NOT spill any of it!" The chef said to the others.

"Well, that was pretty easy." I said.

The chef walked away, and the Imps continued pushing the pedestal. Holo, Lawrence, and I walked over to them.

"Hey, you guys need a break. This is quite a heavy pedestal. Go take one, we got this." I said.

"Wow, uh, thanks, I guess." One of them said as they walked off.

"Again, real easy." I said. Too easy… I thought to myself afterwards. We pushed the pedestal, stopping by the elevator.

"I have to go ring that bell eight times before the hole up there will open." I told Holo and Lawrence as they pushed the pedestal on. I walked over to the bell.

1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…The hole up top opened up, and I walked onto the elevator. Now into the throne room of Orochi himself…

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We walked into Orochi's throne room, and all we could see was a shrine that was surrounded by a garden with a large temple bell hanging in it on a large, stone pedestal. In the center we could Chloe and Norah laying in it, unconscious.

"Norah! Chloe!" Holo yelled out, rushing forward. As she did so though, the ground around the shrine began shaking…

The shrine itself then thrust upward a few feet, and began turning. Holo backed away from it, scared. The shrine moving jolted Chloe and Norah awake, scaring them as they looked around in confusion. Then the shrine went further into the air, and seven of Orochi's heads stared us down, the undersides of the serpent's body blood red, the backs pitch black. In the background, we could see the eighth head looking around in confusion, unable to turn to a point that it could see us. We all took our masks off, knowing that they were useless now.

"O wild god of the heavens…" Orochi began, "many years have passed since you defeated I, the great Orochi. How is it that you have not only retained your powers, but managed to reach me here?"

"I've heard enough! Bottoms up, big guy!" Holo yelled, grabbing the sake. She tossed it, and the fire head caught it in its mouth, drinking it up. It then tossed the tokkuri to the ground, not being affected by it.

"Haha! Naïve little wolf! Did you REALLY think I'd have the legendary 8 Purification Sake in my lair! Hah! Fools!"

"What do you mean?" I asked in surprise.

"That was not the 8 Purification Sake! Rather, it was a sake that would only increase my power thousand-fold! Prepare to die goddesses!" As Orochi finished his taunt, he began to glow in a golden light.

"Damn it! Well, now is a good a time as any!" I pulled out Thunder's Edge and my Celestial Brush. "Let's finish this!"

I slashed at him with a Power Slash my Celestial Brush, though no damage at all was done.

"That cheater has a barrier up! Ammy, what are you going to do?" Holo asked.

Good question Holo… I thought to myself.

Suddenly, Orochi's heads went up, and were staring at the shrine where Norah and Chloe were, ready to devour them both.

"Run you two, run!" Lawrence yelled in fear. The fire head approached them, its mouth gaping open…

"Hold it right there vile serpent!" A mysterious voice yelled. Everything stopped, even Orochi, and we all turned…

…and saw a young maiden, with blonde hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a white cloak over a white outfit.

"Nora! You came, I can't believe you came!" Norah said, clearly knowing the girl. Nora?

"Have no fear! Nora Arendt is here!" The maiden said. "Orochi and I have a score to settle!" Everyone looked in surprise.

"Nora?!" Holo, Lawrence, and Chloe all said together. Well, clearly I was out of the loop here. Suddenly, Orochi's fire head approached the maiden, mere feet from her.

"Well, who is this? Another mortal wishing to be a hero?" Orochi asked her. "You know, while you may want to be a hero, mortals are easy to tempt. How about this: I shall give you ultimate power! We can rule the world together, even defeat Yami Himself! Speak the words 'I wish darkness upon the world!' Utter that prayer to me, and you too shall gain dark powers beyond all comprehension."

Orochi's trying to tempt her! Will she buy into it though?

"Now, utter the prayer! Let the words come from deep within!"

Silence, while the girl thought it over. Then, she spoke:

"Oh, I shall!"

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For those wondering about the mask designs: Lawrence is "Drayden," Holo is "Landorus," and Ammy is "Arceus." Decided to base them on the Pokémon characters that would best represent them. And while I do know that Ammy is not the overall god of the Okami world, she is able to control all other gods' powers, so Arceus is fitting in my opinion.

PocketSnails signing off.