Pantheon Protectors
Chapter 21
"I am Ryujin, the Dragon King." the dragon-man extended both his arms into the heavens and made a storm form above him. Several lightning bolts struck the ground around them and one of them broke the entrance to Yomi.
Amaterasu unsheathed her blade and pointed it at Ryujin.
"Cease this, fiend! Surrender now or face our judgment!" she warned and looked at him.
Raijin balled up his fists.
"You're gonna be so afraid of us, lizard brain!" he chuckled.
Ryujin scoffed.
"I have no weakness like fear." he looked at Susano.
"Even gods feel fear, look at the minor ones." Susano taunted and stuck his sword into the ground and crossed his arms.
"The Old Gods perhaps." Ryujin extended his arm towards the storm god, "I am your new god, fools! Bow down or be destroyed!" he clenched his fist and hovered off the ground.
The dragon-man looked up at the storm above them.
"Proud of your little drizzle?" Susano stepped up and looked at the sky, "I'll show you something to be proud about..." he concentrated ahead.
The storm started to swirl and churn as Susano took control of it. Several lightning bolts shot down and the wind started to pick up so harshly that it nearly swept Raijin off his feet.
"Here's true power, you lizard." the storm god smirked and caused the winds to shake his enemy.
Ryujin scoffed and touched down.
However, the act of doing so caused the ground to split in two and launch Susano and Amaterasu away.
"Oh snap!" Raijin yelped and ran away from the earthquake. "Now you're going to get it!" he ran towards Ryujin with a superspeed punch.
KAPOW! The kami's fist struck Ryujin's cheek, only for the dragon to not even flinch.
"Hmph." Ryujin grunted and flicked the kami in the nose, sending him rocketing away and crashing into a mountain.
"Hm?" he turned to see Amaterasu charging towards him. "HRAH!" he crossed his scaly arms in front of him and blocked her swords.
"Take this!" Amaterasu spun around and kicked Ryujin in the face, making the god stumble and fall to his knees. "I warned you!" she raised her sword.
Ryujin caught her arm and threw her into another mountain.
"What- UNGH!" he was punched by Susano in the face, "ANGH!" he tumbled down a straight path.
"TAKE THIS!" Susano made a lightning bolt in his hand and fired it.
Ryujin looked up and smacked it away.
"I see how this will go..." He snarled and clenched his fists, "You will not surrender. You will be destroyed!" he roared and caused the nearby sea to churn and bubble.
Susano turned to see the ocean waves pouring into the land.
Amaterasu appeared and landed next to Susano.
"Let us finish h-" she paused when she felt Ryujin's power spike up.
Ryujin roared and caused the storm around them to form into a cyclone.
"I will show you true power!" he bellowed and raised his face to the stormy skies.
0000000
Izanagi's eyes opened in shock.
Izanami gasped in concern.
The minor gods inside the court stammered and looked around in fear.
"That's... impossible..." Sarutahiko murmured as he felt the power from his position. "Lord Izanagi, that power! It's... huge!" he held his spear.
"Launch an immediate attack!" Izanagi ordered his general and looked up to the sky, "I never thought the day would come for me to do this!" he pointed his staff to the heavens.
Izanami held his shoulders.
"I will not let you falter." she spoke into his ears and passed some of her power to him.
Izanagi started to glow green and the Nihon Gem shone brightly.
0000000
Ryujin finally finished powering up and set foot on the ground.
"Forged from the blood of the All-mighty." he looked at his muscles, "Crafted by a Primordial. With the aim to destroy the obsolete gods..."
"How did he get that much power?" Amaterasu stammered and looked at her brother.
Susano was not intimidated. In fact, he even laughed.
Raijin looked at the storm god, "What are you doing laughing at him? He's strong as hell!" he cried out.
Susano walked towards Ryujin with arms opened wide.
"Oh, how I've longed for an epic battle." he murmured as little storm clouds formed around him.
Ryujin smirked and looked at his challenger. However, his smile changed to a neutral face when Susano's own power started to rise.
"Perhaps I've underestimated the old gods." he growled and saw five lightning bolts strike Susano.
"Those are the words that will be on your tombstone." Susano spoke as the storms around him disappeared, revealing him with the same build as Ryujin.
"If I do not fashion yours first." Ryujin hissed and clenched his fist. "DIE!" he roared and charged at the storm god.
"Watch out!" Amaterasu jumped in and blocked his attack, "Take this!" he kicked Ryujin in the gut and sent him flying to the sky.
Ryujin flew until he recovered.
"Hngh!" he blocked one of Susano's punches and then one of of Amaterasu's solar beams. "I will gnaw on your bones!" he grabbed the storm god by the legs and slammed him into his sister.
Amaterasu was sent flying back, but shot out another beam from her hands.
"Susano! Watch out!" she charged solar power in her eyes and blasted Ryujin with the beams.
Ryujin snarled and punched her.
"I will devour your pretty face!" he grabbed her neck and slammed her down on the ground, "DIE!" he threw towards the horizon.
"No! You will die!" a yell sounded, and the dragon was picked up.
"Hngh!" Ryujin groaned as he accelerated to a high speed, "What-" he looked down and saw Raijin holding his waist.
"Susano! Now!" Raijin stopped and released the dragon.
Susano balled up his fist and struck Ryujin, who had been launched when Raijin suddenly stopped.
"Hmph!" he uppercutted the foe and flew up to meet him. "I'm not finished with you yet!" he punched the dragon again.
Ryujin fell back and recovered.
"I will slaughter you!" he roared and became angrier, "RAH!" he charged and pummeled Susano.
"HAH!" Amaterasu appeared behind him and launched her beams.
However, her attack merely bounced off the dragon-man's armor. "Huh!?" she said and was kicked into the sky.
"RAHHHH!" Ryujin roared and turned to Raijin, "I will-" he stopped to look at the sky.
Both the Sun and the Moon were in it side by side.
"What-" Ryujin saw a celestial arrow stick out of his chest, "Ah... AH..." he groaned and fell to the ground. The dragon rolled over and felt another arrow strike his back.
Tsukuyomi, in his physical form, touched down and pulled out another arrow from his quiver. "Let us end this horrid beast." he aimed and fired an arrow that blew Ryujin's head clean off.
Susano and Amaterasu touched down next to him.
"Nice shot." the storm god spoke as Ryujin's body fell to the ground and rolled over.
"I'm so glad you could come over and help." the sun goddess patted the moon god's back.
"Uh... Guys." Raijin pointed to Ryujin's body, which started to shake.
"Oh... not this again!" Susano yelled and charged a lightning bolt, "Not this healing crap!" he threw it.
However, Ryujin's headless body had caught the bolt and crushed it in his hand.
The four gods gasped.
Ryujin regenerated his head and glared at Susano.
"That Orochi made a noble sacrifice..." he snarled and roared so loud it blew them away, "I cannot be killed like you!" he charged and clobbered Susano with a flaming fist.
Amaterasu aimed to kick the dragon, but had her leg caught and she was slammed into Raijin.
"Take this!" Tsukuyomi aimed his bow and fired.
Ryujin caught his arrow and threw it back.
"I cannot be harmed by mere arrows!" he pounced on the moon god and scratched his face, "I can only become stronger with conflict!" he roared and threw Tsukuyomi into the ground.
"And I can only become stronger with food!" Raijin appeared and kicked the dragon's face.
"Hyah!" he punched and punched and punched, but Ryujin did not flinch.
Ryujin roared and punched Raijin into the horizon.
"I will consume you all!" he shot up into the sky and pointed to the sea, "My domain will see to it!" he raised his hand.
A large tsunami formed, much larger than the one the Orochi made, and poured into dry land.
"My domain will rule over all!" Ryujin roared and struck the three gods with his large wave, "DROWN IN YOUR PAIN!" he caused the water to shoot up and swirl around them.
"Agh!"
"Ungh!"
"AH!" The three scions were being pelted by swirling water and thrown around.
"Devour them, my servant!" Ryujin called out, and a giant sea turtle monster shot out of the waves beneath him. The sea turtle roared and used its large beak to pick Amaterasu out of the swirling waters and crunch her.
"AH!" Amaterasu screamed as she was bitten and sent into the water.
Ryujin followed behind and kicked the sun goddess out of the turtle's mouth.
"HRAH!" he drove her deeper into the water and slammed her down into what was once dry land.
In the swirling water, Tsukuyomi and Susano were still stuck.
"I can't focus!" Susano called out as he tried to calm the seas, "This usurper has taken the power of the seas from me!" he yelled.
However, Raijin came running in from the distance and caught sight of the large swirling water.
"Uh oh..." he mumbled and saw Susano and Tsukuyomi stuck in there. "I guess I have to save the day... again." he chuckled and ran around the swirling mass.
Under the waves, Ryujin was pounding Amaterasu's face into the ground with rage. He called upon his turtle monster to roll her over two times before grabbing her head.
"I will destroy-" the dragon stopped when he felt a burning pain in his hand. The hand grabbing her face started to turn red, and before long he pulled it away in pain.
Amaterasu's eyes shone and blasted the dragon with beams of sunlight.
Ryujin roared as he shot out of the water and stopped midair to hold his hand.
"You will pay for that you wench-" he stopped when he saw that his swirling water was dying down, "What the!?" he looked at Raijin running around.
"To your left!" was all that Ryujin head right before a powerful punch sent him flying away. Raijin chuckled and balled up his fist.
Susano flew out and towards the dragon god with a lightning covered fist.
"You will pay for that!" he punched Ryujin so hard in the stomach it made him fly up into space.
Amaterasu flew with Tsukuyomi to follow the dragon god.
"I have this, princess!" Tsukuyomi chuckled and aimed his bow, "FIRE!" he yelled and launched three of his celestial arrows.
The three arrows shot into space and followed Ryujin as he flew in there.
"Angh..." Just as the Dragon god recovered, the three arrows struck his knee, his chest, and his arm.
"HEAVENLY!" Amaterasu yelled and stabbed Ryujin through the stomach.
"To finish!" a new voice yelled, and Sarutahiko impaled Ryujin's other leg with his earthen spear.
"RAHHHHHH!" Ryujin roared and recovered his arrow injuries, "I will smolder you into ash!" he screeched and punched Amaterasu's blade.
It snapped.
Amaterasu fell back and looked at her blade.
"Ah... Ah.." she gasped and saw the blade go dull, "Im-Im-Impossible!" she cried out and saw the dragon god pull the other end of the sword from his body and struck Sarutahiko with it.
Ryujin shook his head and built up more muscle.
"He's getting stronger." Tsukuyomi murmured as he sensed Ryujin's power, "And he isn't even hiding it..."
"He is made from my blood." Susano flew up next to them and cracked his knuckles, "He must also get stronger through combat. If that is the case, it's an even better fight." he smirked and took off his hat.
The storm god gained a surge of power that made Ryujin look twice.
"Susano, you'll lose your sense!" Amaterasu warned, "The hat is the only way to keep your pride down! It's your contro-"
"Control is useless when this fool wants to destroy us." Susano responded proudly and glared at Ryujin. "So, 'tis war then." he chuckled and charged at the dragon.
Ryujin blocked his attack and punched the storm god, but was in turn hit by Tsukuyomi's foot.
"ANGH!" he was also hit by Sarutahiko and Amaterasu. "RAHHH!" he became angrier and greener with each blow, "SMOLDER!" he grabbed Sarutahiko by the neck and slammed him into Susano.
Amaterasu avoided a stream of fire from the dragon's mouth and then grabbed Tsukuyomi's arm.
"Do it, Tsuku! Fire!" she yelled.
Tsukuyomi jumped over his sister and planted three arrows into the dragon's body, "There is no reason to hold back! A THOUSAND HAND ARROW STORM!" he yelled and fired countless arrows rapidly.
Ryujin was pelted and was sent into space.
Amaterasu and Sarutahiko followed.
"Allow me, Lady Amaterasu." the earth god spoke as he raised his spear and charged, "Take this!" he yelled and neared the dragon god.
Ryujin looked up to see the earth god and blocked his spear and broke it with his knee, "SUFFER!" he grabbed the earth god's face and smashed it into the same knee.
"AUGH!" Sarutahiko screamed and fell back; his nose was broken and bleeding everywhere.
Amaterasu gasped and ran to his aid.
"Sarutahiko, let me help you..." she said and a stream of sunlight shone on the god's face.
Sarutahiko felt relief as his nose healed, "Thank you- Watch out!" he saw Ryujin charged and punched him with a rocky fist.
Ryujin fell back and snarled.
"TAKE THIS!" Susano fell out of nowhere and slammed Ryujin back into the divine planet. "LIGHTNING POWER!" he made a lightning bolt strike his hand and he threw it down to follow his enemy.
KAPOW! Ryujin hit the earth. KAPOW! The lightning bolt struck and exploded.
"RAHHH!" Ryujin came out of the crater, regenerated his arm, and blocked incoming arrows from Tsukuyomi. "I'm getting angry!" he beat his chest and immediately shot up into space.
"Take this!" Sarutahiko hit Ryujin with an asteroid, stumbling the foe long enough for Amaterasu and Susano to uppercut him straight into Tsukuyomi's arrows.
"AGH!" Ryujin groaned and recovered, "Ha... I cannot be outfought!" he regenerated his wounds and charged at the sun goddess.
Amaterasu blocked his scratch and Susano appeared to punch him back.
Sarutahiko grabbed the dragon god and made stones imprison him to his hands.
"Susano! Do it!" the earth god called out as Ryujin tried to fight his hold.
Susano nodded and charged with a lightning fist.
However, before the strike was made, Ryujin broke out of Sarutahiko's grasp and grabbed his head. The dragon god then slammed the earth god into Susano.
Sarutahiko fell back and covered his arm with stones.
"Time to meet your doom fist!" he yelled, "No one will destroy us!" he charged.
Ryujin growled and suddenly grabbed the earth god's stone fist.
"PEST!" he snarled and broke through the stone with sheer might, then the loud snap.
"AHHHHH!" Sarutahiko screamed.
"Sarut-" Amaterasu charged as Ryujin raised his claws.
"DIE!" Ryujin scratched the war god across the face, but before he could strike his throat Amaterasu kicked him away.
"Ah... Lord... Izanagi... I..." Sarutahiko floated in space.
"I'm not done with you!" Ryujin shoved the three scions away in bloodlusted fury and then slammed the earth god back down to the Divine world.
"RAHHHHH!" he turned to face his three foes.
"You will pay for that, fiend!" Amaterasu yelled and punched the dragon god across the jaw with solar power.
"You will not escape your judgment!" Tsukuyomi added and blasted the dragon with lunar vision.
"You will die!" Susano finished and shocked Ryujin with a powerful bolt of lightning.
Ryujin fell into the moon with a large explosion.
"Ha... Ha..." he panted and looked up to see Amaterasu coming straight at him, "Now I'm ANGRY!" he roared and avoided her fist, "TAKE THIS!" he grabbed her back and slammed her into the moon.
Several arrows landed around him.
Susano used the distraction slam the dragon into the ground next to his sister.
"Ama..." he reached for her but was grabbed by the dragon and sent crashing into her.
"SLAUGHTER!" Ryujin punched the two into the moon and came out the other side. "DIE!" he grabbed both of them and threw them back into the same hole they came out.
Tsukuyomi, who was flying through this hole, was struck by his sibilings and the three shot out on the opposite end.
"He's not tiring out..." Amaterasu murmured as Ryujin shot out of the hole and roar at them.
"He may be all-mighty too." Tsukuyomi murmured and aimed his bow.
"Hmph." Susano scoffed, "There is only one all-mighty... and that's this guy- UNGH!" a killer punch sent him flying into space.
Ryujin roared and grabbed Amaterasu's head.
"HRAPH!" he bit down on her neck and kicked her back into the moon.
"Stop righ- AGH!" Tsukuyomi was blasted away by fire and sent crashing into the moon as well.
The dragon god followed the two gods down and slammed Amaterasu into the moon, then blasted the rising moon god with his fire again.
"I WILL TURN YOU INTO ASH!" he focused on the moon god and made his fire stronger.
"AGH!" Tsukuyomi groaned as he started to get burned.
"Get off of him!" Amaterasu cried out and kicked the dragon in the back of the head.
"Oh..." she ran to her brother and called upon a sunlight to start healing him, "Please be ok..."
Tsukuyomi's burns healed and he stood up refreshed.
"Many thanks, sister." he smiled and looked at Ryujin.
"I will-" Ryujin was grabbed by Susano, thrown into space, and blasted by a lightning bolt.
"Let me help you out there..." the storm god sighed as he walked towards his two siblings, but then stopped when they felt a great power arise.
There, high above them, floated Ryujin, charging a great amount of power.
"Susano..." Amaterasu murmured in fear as the dragon shot out so much power, "He's going for you!"
"Let him." Susano scoffed "He has no f-" he stopped when he felt the power spike up.
For once in his life, he was actually concerned.
"BEHOLD THE DRAGON'S FURY!" Ryujin roared and started to shine bright gold, then rocketed off so hard it bent the space around him.
Susano yelled and was struck with a punch so powerful the impact of it on Susano made a quarter of the moon explode instantly. He was also sent through the moon, the sun, and the earth with that one single punch.
Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were sent flying into space while Ryujin was left panting and looking down at the devastation he had caused.
But it was all worse for Susano.
The storm god lazily floated in space with a huge scorch mark across his unconscious body.