Patronus Maximus
Chapter LV: Three's a Crowd
Throne Room
Imperial Palace, Takamagahara
The heavenly realm was concerned. News of the Three Great Yokai had reached them from Her Majesty's Yatagarasu. As far as they know, the mentioned creatures hold power rivalling the gods themselves. There are rumors they even rivalled the high-tiered ones like the three siblings who are classified as okami (great god) in the pantheon, but that has not been proven at all.
Susanoo and Amaterasu had called an emergency meeting with the gods about the daiyokai. Sitting seiza in parallel lines and facing each other were the deities assumed most prevalent in Shinto religion and their influential roles on human society. On the right are Bishamon, Inari, and an unknown god. On the left are Takemizakuchi and three other gods whom Inari recognizes along with on his left.
Sitting beside the lightning god was a man at the same height. He has chin-length wavy black hair and fire-red eyes with pale skin adorned in black-red samurai armor. A long white cloak of divine origin hangs from the left shoulder's pauldon. He is known as the bringer of death after the death of his mother, Izanami. He is Kagutsuchi, the God of Fire and Volcanos as well as Takemikazuchi's father.
Next to Kagutsuchi was a middle-aged man around his seventies with grey hair tied underneath his priest hat. His brown eyes showed elderly warm and eternal wisdom. In his hand is a folded fan that he uses to provide him gentle breeze as he wore a black Shinto priest's outfit. This deity is known as Tenjin, the God of Learning as well as Wisdom.
The god next to him was unlike the others in terms of appearance. He was a middle-aged man, but younger than Tenjin with short, spiky white hair and a tan complexion. His attire is a jinbei set consisting of kimono-like shirt and baggy short trousers. Aviator glasses covered his eyes, forever forbidding anyone to see his colors. This is Okuninushi, the God of Nation-Building, Medicine, and Business.
Shifting his eyes to the figure next to him, Inari observed perhaps the most important person in this war council. He wore a noble purple kimono and hakama with a yellow-golden headband around his forehead. His jet-black hair was tied in a knob at the back of his head akin to the human's Heian period. The god has the perplexing eyes with one silver and the other golden while his arms were covered with archer's bracer.
He is Hachiman, the God of Archery and War.
"We may begin," Amaterasu declared to her council. "The mortals in Honshu are facing a dire situation: Three Great Yokai's release. Lord Tenjin?"
The god nodded upon being called before saying, "Tamamo no Mae, the Nine-Tailed Fox. Shuten Douji, the Drunken Oni-King. Otakemaru, the Savage Kijin. Each are terrifying in their own, but together, I believe the humans on Honshu are in great danger."
"Let me go and I'll teach those daiyokai a lesson or two," Okuninushi said readily as he smacked his fist into his open palm. "It's been centuries since I've been to Ashihara."
Inari hummed in thought for a moment before speaking, "I too am worried about the humans, but they are not as vulnerable as they once were in centuries past."
"These heroes with… Quirks as they call them?" Takemikazuchi asked derisively before scoffing. "They are not doing it for their people, but for glory and reputation."
Hachiman shook his head, disagreeing with the lightning god. "You are wrong. I sense honor, loyalty, charisma in them. There is one the public admires and believes strongly in."
"Who?" Takemikazuchi asked in combined irritation and curiousity.
A pure white dove flew into the hall and perched itself on the war god's shoulder, "According to Yumi, he is called All Might, the Symbol of Peace. And he is facing one of the yokai." That received eyes on him, "Shuten Douji is his opponent. The hanyo onmyouji Abe no Seimei has trapped the nine-tails within one of his domes."
"Pardon my interruptions, but how does this concern us?" Kagutsuchi asked so suddenly. "As I'm sure everyone in this room is aware, we cannot interfere in earthly affairs under the pledge with the Celestials."
The room instantly grew silent when the word 'Celestials' was said aloud. Celestials are cosmic beings born at the Big Bang, the beginning of the universe. Eons ago, the Celestials visited Earth several times with the third time being exceptional. The third arrival was called the Third Host and had all of Earth's pantheons' skyfathers to gather for the first time to deal with the Celestials. They were given an ultimatum by the Celestials: risk losing access to Earth or refrain from interfering their activities in judging humanity's worthiness and evolution process for a millennium.
The fact that even a single Celestial holds power over a planet's pantheons of gods was demoralizing.
Almost all gods took this pledge and refrained from helping humans since then, which led to the end of the Age of the Gods.
"Inari's son, Naruto, is fighting Otakemaru," Hachiman responded as everyone's eyes widened at the news.
Chuckling at this revelation, Takemikazuchi's arm crackled with bits of lightning in excitement. "That cheeky brat got guts, but doesn't he know that gods' full power is reduced while on Earth?"
"His power is not reduced, Takemikazuchi," Hachiman replied certainly. "Even now, in our realm, I can feel it."
Before the lightning god can say anything, his father spoke again, "What is that fool doing?! He is breaking the pledge," Kagutsuchi angrily stated as flicks of fire glimmered off of his eyes. "Inari, haven't you told him about the Celestials?"
"I did," Inari replied with a nod. "But I forgot to tell him to take it." He cut off the fire god by continuing, "Thor of Asgard never took the pledge and he's aiding the human team Avengers as a member." Kagutsuchi growled while Inari closed his eyes, "Besides, Naruto's not the type to take pledges like that when lives are at risk."
"But isn't it a good thing?" All eyes shifted to Amaterasu, "I mean at least one member of our pantheon is helping the mortals at least."
No one but her brother answered the goddess-queen.
"Sister, if the Celestials realize that a god is helping humans, they may choose to destroy not only them, but the planet." Susanoo stated firmly. "If that happens, we will be left without a world, becoming refugees." He sighed while crossing his arms. "Although… Ah, I see." The storm god glanced at a proud Inari. "Very sneaky, Lord Inari."
"*Chuckle* Thank you."
Seeing his sister's puzzlement, Susanoo leaned over and whispered in her ear. Afterwards, Amaterasu's mouth opened like a fish. "I see. Well that's good, isn't it?" She hummed in thought while tapping her cheek with her thumb. "Still, can't we send some of us to help Brother Naruto?"
"Brother?" Kagutsuchi, Takemikazuchi, and Tenjin asked simultaneously.
Hachiman respectfully shook his head, "As much as Her Majesty wants to, the pledge restricts us from direct interference in human affairs."
And that is where Naruto comes in. Since he did not take the pledge of the Celestials, the God of Hope and Harmonious Nature can aid the humans. Since Naruto has also kept his identity as a god hidden from the world, he is not technically violating the pledge as well. As far as they and the Celestials know, Naruto is a human hero.
"… Still, we must at least be ready in case the fights are lost," Amaterasu retorted. "Hachiman."
"Your Majesty?"
"Ready your bow and arrow."
Standing up and bowing respectfully, Hachiman fixed himself, "Understood, Your Majesty."
"My Lady—" Tenjin spoke, but got cut off by the sun goddess.
"The pledge says direct interference," Amaterasu reiterated the content. "It never said anything about indirect interference like a strong wind."
"This is true, but who is this Naruto?" Kagutsuchi wondered as he glanced at his half-sister. "Before, Amaterasu was a timid, unsure ruler who let others decide for her. Now, she is confident and outgoing after his arrival. Plus, she sees him as a brother." This warrants an investigation into the adopted son of Inari and Leone.
"Have you made a decision?" asked Bishamon to her queen.
The goddess nodded as she declared her decision. "We will refrain from interference, but remain vigilant over the chaos in case circumstances changes."
"Hai, Your Majesty!"
In the back of their minds, both Amaterasu and Inari had the same thoughts about their mutual member. "Be careful, Naruto."
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Konohagakure (Replica), Seimei's Dome
Izumo Prefecture, Japan, Earth
Three is deemed a holy number. There are figures, both physical and conceptual, that relay this thought. In Japan, three is a venerated number. The Three Great Mountains. The Three Great Onsens. The Three Great Unifiers of Japan. The Imperial Regalia of Japan. And lastly, the Three Great Yokai of Japan.
And Japan needs three to face these legendary and fearsome creatures.
Patronus and All Might are two of the three. So, who is the third? Naruto did wonder about that before Konohagakure was formed in front of him. As much as he wants to stand there and nostalgically daze on his home village, Naruto must fight to defend himself against this daiyokai.
The daiyokai known as Otakemaru. Stories have this creature as extremely powerful, being able to command the weather and other elements.
Naruto will learn more about his opponent as soon the fight starts. And it has…
In the form of the huge demonically ball heading straight towards him.
Flashing through hand seals, Naruto saw the Hiraishin formula appear in front of him. "Hiraishin: Dorai (Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder)." The ball did not hit the shinobi as a barrier absorbed it until being consumed completely. He ignored the powerful winds behind him where a great explosion ignited. "Not bad for a first try."
"Barrier magic?"
"It's Ninjutsu, not magic!" Naruto took a calming breath before turning around to find the cloaked person… no longer cloaked. "You're just a kid."
A couple years younger than him, but still the figure is a teenager boy. He has neatly set light brown hair that reaches his neck and red-colored eyes. His attire is that of a black, loosely-fitting kimono that is more for women than men. A tribal-like tattoo burned green on his left cheek and reached the side of the neck.
"And you're perceptive."
"…"
"Fall."
"Huh?" Naruto suddenly fell to the ground, but he braced himself as his knees bent. Suddenly, his body felt heavy after the yokai spoke. "What the…"
"Your resistance is…"
"Eaken (Air Fist)!"
The yokai raised his hand and blocked out the air attack. His eyes widened a little when he found himself being pushed back. Naruto dashed at the daiyokai and punched him just as the latter blocked it. The clash between upturned the ground around them because of their opposing strength.
"You're strong."
"So are you."
With that said, both god and daiyokai vanished from sight, using their speed to try outpace each other. The Konohagakure replica continuously shook under the numerous shockwaves, causing buildings to collapse from the exerted force. From the last exchange, both combatants reappeared above the medical hospital's rooftop, grappling with each other.
"And your speed is something else for a god."
"Which one are you?"
Their feet dug into the concrete roof, breaking the building in half with the exerted force. Naruto pulled the yokai towards him and headbutted on his forehead. "Atama Hatto (Head Butt)!" A simple attack with a god's strength into it.
Half of the hospital collapsed from the combined loss of pressure and Otakemaru crashing through. Amidst the debris cloud did Otakemaru casually ascend to the sky as he gazed upon his godly opponent.
"That… somewhat hurts."
"At least I know my attacks affects you."
"From here on, they won't."
"Then I'll just try harder."
The god and daiyokai vanished once more as clashing shockwaves and explosions rocked the replicated village once.
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Imperial Kyoto (Replica)
Seimei's Dome, Uji, Kyoto Prefecture
The once flourished replica of ancient Kyoto as capital was littered with devastatingly deep craters, the aftermath of clashing physical power. A pagoda of the inner palace crumbled when one of the combatants crashed through it, not by his own actions.
"Ugh~" All Might lifted his head off the ground enough to see Shuten coming. He rolled backwards and immediately leaped towards his enemy from a set runner's position before crossing his arms and swinging them down. "Karorina Sumasshu (Carolina Smash)!" The nearby walls collapsed from the resounding shockwaves, but Shuten remained still.
"Weak!"
"That's what you think! Derawea Sumasshu (Delaware Smash)!"
Shuten did not dodge the right hook, but he was caught off-guard when it turned out to be a fake. All Might's real attack came in a left uppercut as the daiyokai's head shot up from the impact. But it came at the cost of All Might being hit by the kanabo as he was sent flying away.
Normally, weapons have no effect on the hero because of his invulnerability. This time is different as he felt the pain, not just from the aratama's fists. Naruto mentioned to him that deities and demonic beings have power that outclasses humans.
Putting that aside for later, All Might fixed himself and focused his next punch for throwing it in front of him. "Nyuhanpusha Sumasshu (New Hampshire Smash)!" The force into the technique propelled All Might through the air at high speed and crash against Shuten Douji's torso, using his body weight and large mass for more power.
A gritting grunt expelled out of Shuten's mouth as he got barreled into the ground while the force cratered the surrounding structures. Standing over the daiyokai, All Might caught the kanabo poised to hit him and yanked the weapon. Shuten's grip stayed firm, but that did not stop All Might from slamming Shuten on the ground multiple times.
"Yojutsu: Shuen no Hono (Demon Technique: Flame of the End)."
All Might gritted his teeth when Shuten's body suddenly burst into yellow flames. He winced after the flames engulfed both the kanabo and his hand before tossing both weapon and owner away. Inhaling air, All Might exhaled as his hand became fire-free, leaving behind nothing but some scuff marks despite the burning nature.
"More drink!"
Watching the daiyokai consume a greater amount than seen previously, All Might's sense alerted him when Shuten's cheeks swelled up tremendously. "Here it comes."
"Hoyoku no Bakufu (Phoenix Wing Wind Blast)!"
The entire surrounding instantly became exceedingly hot to the point of making All Might sweat. He stared shockingly at the humungous fire in the form of a phoenix. Its sheer size and wingspan spread as far as the hero can see. There is only one thing he can do as the flaming bird soared at him.
All Might punched hard against the makeshift phoenix's head. An explosive clash reverberated throughout the replica of ancient Kyoto from the burning blaze of Shuten Douji and the mighty strength of All Might. Both combatants could not hear each other's exerted efforts.
"Must push forward!" All Might declared as he threw another, equally powerful punch like the initial one.
The intense wind pressure pushed back the phoenix flamethrower albeit slightly. It was what All Might needed to know as his arms turned into blurs. More wind pressures added into the folly and the phoenix being pushed back towards Shuten Doji. All Might continue his rapid-fire approach as the phoenix's head started to cave in from the punches.
"Wait, its head?"
He messed up. Only the head and upper portion was being affected by his punches, not the entire body.
"Burn."
Was what a stunned All Might heard before he became engulfed by the flames that flanked the sides and rear, followed by a grand explosion. The flames spread all around the replica like a rippling wave.
"MORE DRINK!" Shuten Douji howled as his demonic ki shook the entirety of the replica.
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Plains of Nasu
Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture
The original Seimei nodded as his avatar informed him of the situation at the other domes. "All Might and Patronus are engaging Shuten Douji and Otakemaru." He grunted when the ground quaked from the force inside the construct. "I can feel the tremors from inside; no doubt Tamamoe no Mae is trying to break out, but her power is as amazing as ever."
"Master, what should we do?"
"The mainland will be devastated if she and the others escape my technique. I must transport them far away near the mainland to be safe."
"Where to?"
"A place where it will be difficult for them to leave if they manage to obtain victory."
The avatar blinked out of concern as he realized what his creator is speaking of, "Are you sure? I do not believe he would allow this."
"Japan is not only his legacy, but also hers. He would understand."
"Master, I strongly advise against this."
"Your opinion is noted, now I shall be off." Seimei channeled the necessary amount of ki as his crest albeit a larger version appeared underneath him and the dome. "Ryu (Flow)!"
The avatar of Seimei watched his creator and the massive dome sink into the Seimon before it dissipated, signifying the done deed. "I can only hope His Majesty will overlook this matter."
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Onogoro
Southeast of Honshu, Japan
In Japanese mythology, the great god Izanagi and his sister/wife Izanami arrived at the void where nothing existed. With the weapon given to them by their primordial parents, the divine couple created the first island where they would birth the first of the Amatsukami. However, the child was deemed imperfect because of a misstep in the marriage ceremony between the two deities. Then Japan's other islands were formed as well by Izanagi's life-giving weapon.
As it is the first island created, an immensely powerful atmosphere hover over Onogoro. It acts as a protective and invisible shield from almost all outsiders. To Izanagi, it is the most precious property to him as memories of him and wife. No one would dare to trespass the sacred land.
And yet he did.
Calming himself after feeling the heavy divine presence, Seimei cleared his throat just as his remaining avatars appeared with their domes. The uneasiness in the onmyouji's ceased when the atmosphere filled him with power. It was another reason he chose to come here as the divine aura bolstered his techniques' strength.
"I hope they settle this soon."
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Konohagakure (Replica)
The village was being torn asunder by the destructive powers of beings beyond the former inhabitants' imagination. Thundering shockwaves continues to rock the environment. The ones responsible reappeared in front of each other, exchanging fists that hit their marks.
Naruto grunted as did Otakemaru while trying to overpower each other. Neither of them did until Otakemaru turned his head sideways, causing Patronus to fall forward. The daiyokai took advantage and delivered an uppercut into the god's stomach. Naruto grunted, but held on as he grabbed both of Otakemaru's arms and used them like footholds to double-kick their next target.
Otakemaru's chin recoiled upwards and Patronus back-flipped from the double kick before slamming an energy sphere with blade protrusions against his chest.
"Futon: Rasengan (Wind Release: Spiraling Sphere)!"
"What… is this?!"
The daiyokai howled in pain as his chest was being shredded by the grinding and cutting nature of Patronus's attack. Naruto released and watched his completed Rasengan propel Otakemaru far into the distance after it morphed into a strong tornado. The ninja followed after him before the sight in front stopped his pursuit.
Otakemaru was already in his face, grinning in return. "My turn."
"He shrugged it off?" Naruto vanished away from a roundhouse kick and reappeared some distance. "Where'd he go?"
"Tosshin (Rush)."
Naruto swiftly turned as he swiped his arm with a knife-hand, only to hit nothing. That was a mistake since Otakemaru flanked him, unleashing thundering attacks. Naruto grunted with each hit landed on him, but quickly got his defenses up while being driven back. "Son of a bitch, this guy is really strong!"
"Do not fret, deity. I will eliminate all life in Japan to begin anew. Your death will be the first to ignite my goals," Otakemaru told Patronus as he continued his assault.
Patronus kept defending against Otakemaru's fast punches until his right arm glowed brightly. "Ougon Furesu (Golden Fleece)!" The armlet shined brightly as its energy expelled out forcefully against Otakemaru's latest punch. The attack rush ceased for a moment and Patronus rushed at Otakemaru.
Throwing a punch, Otakemaru's eyes widened when Patronus clashed his fists together to pin the former's arm, then kicked upward. "Morote Seiken Hasami Geri (Double Hand Rise, Inseried Kick)!"
It did not have the full impact as Patronus was struck by a fist that struck from above. Both attacks happened at the same time, thereby cutting their power in half. "Sankakutobi Enpiuchi (Triangle Leap Stretch Arm Hit)."
Reeling from the strikes, both males took notice of each other's physical conditions. Otakemaru had a few small scuff marks on his face while Naruto's ears were ringing from the pseudo-rabbit punch. There is one consensus that they share in common.
"He's strong."
Otakemaru pondered about this deity as he had no knowledge about him in the pantheon. Seven months ago, he sensed a great power unlike anything before. Could Patronus be the owner of said power? The fact he has the physical abilities of an okami seems logical. There are more ways to determine this.
"Shall we step it up?" Otakemaru formed a hand seal unfamiliar to Naruto. "Goka (Hellfire)."
Instantly the atmosphere around the village turned dark chaotic red, raising concern for Naruto. He looked up to find hundreds and hundreds of flame-streaking asteroids; a rainstorm of fire and rock fueled by darkness.
"I'll fight fire with fire then!" Naruto exhaled steady, a Karate breathing method. After putting the necessary amount of strength, Patronus kicked upwards while spinning rapidly. A massive tornado formed around him before turning into a dragon with whiskers as it dashed towards the asteroids. "Konoha Ryujin (Leaf Dragon God)!"
An intrigued Otakemaru watched the dragon avatar bulldoze through his technique's projectiles. He senses no magical energy in it. A physical technique? Once most of the asteroids were done, the dragon turned its attention onto Otakemaru with the maw open to devour him.
"Heru Purominensu (Hell Prominence)."
Another attack that came not from above, but below this time. Explosions fractured the village landscape as byproducts of emerged volcanoes. One of the volcanoes hit the origin of the dragon construct, setting it ablaze for a moment before it dissipated out of existence.
The airborne Otakemaru watched the spewing volcanoes, blackened skies, and flowing lava. It does look like Hell on Earth.
"Sutomu Shuta (Storm Shooter)!"
Seven green aura-covered tornados instantly formed around Otakemaru with little to no room to escape. Blue lightning streaked continuously between the swirling formations like elemental fences. The collective wind pressure spread across the village and single-handedly blew out the fires.
"… Is that all?" Otakemaru asked before the seven tornados swiftly closed in on him.
Lightning struck around the area, digging through earth and the nearby, partially undamaged buildings. The tornados clashed against each other while grinding their single target. "Goen no Baria – Faiya Fosu (Karma Flame Barrier – Fire Force)." The tornados were blown apart by a dark orange-red fire sphere with swirling purple energy around it. In the center was an unafflicted Otakemaru. "A counterpart to one of heaven's divine techniques, this negates the energy directed at me…"
His barrier's swirling aspect reversed itself and shot out like an encompassing web before they hit a particular building that stood beneath the stone faces.
"And they track the owner whose energy hit the barrier."
The somewhat dome-like building with the kanji 'fire' exploded from the lightning-like energy as splinters and debris splattered across parts of the village. Otakemaru stared at the destruction while being unfazed by the reverberating shockwave until he simply moved his head slightly to the side as a projectile passed by him.
He thought nothing of it until a distinctive yellow lightning-like flashed above him. Instantly, Otakemaru felt his skin being shredded by a grinder, causing him bare teeth in pain.
"Hiraishin – Ni no Dan (Flying Thunder God – Second Step)!"
Naruto released the Rasengan, causing the sphere to drive the daiyokai into the lava-stricken village. The strength of his technique created a crater big enough to bathe a hundred people as lava filled into it. Not letting up, Naruto quickly cupped his hands and unleashed a beam of chakra at the downed Otakemaru.
"Ryozan Burasto (Ryozan Blast)!"
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Imperial Kyoto (Replica)
Another, but stronger shockwave cut through a portion of the inner palace. It left a miles-wide mark in the earth while the flaming leftovers from Shuten's latest technique still burned, turning the sky partially black. The daiyokai stared at the spectacle who continues to intrigue him by the second.
All Might grunted in pain as his outstretched arm slightly trembled from the force of the initial attack. Despite the heat and potency of the flames, only parts of All Might's body were singed while steam emanated from his figure. Before Shuten could drink again, his face caved against All Might's knee.
"Colorado Smash!"
A flying knee strike with enough power to obliterate a country's flotilla.
Grabbing the connected limb, Shuten lifted All Might up before he slammed him down into the ground. All Might lashed out with his other leg and kicked Shuten's arm, forcing him to let go the grip. Shuten stumbled from the impact, but he used his arm as a pillar and kicked away All Might.
All Might back-flipped in the air and dug his feet to slow himself down before he dashed at Shuten Douji. "Mizuri Sumasshu (Missouri Smash)!" All Might shouted as he struck with a powerful knife-hand chop against Shuten's neck while passing by him.
"Now, that is… more like it!"
Shuten's outcry released his demonic ki as a powerful shockwave akin to Patronus's air attack. All Might crossed arms and braced his body when the shockwave reached him, audibly grunting with effort to anchor himself in his spot. His feet dug into the ground while the shockwave pushed him back slowly.
"This is ki that Patronus talked about, isn't it? It's so intense—" All Might's body glowed with the One for All's energy. "—but not overwhelming!" The moment he opened arms wide, All Might war cried as his energy exploded from the body. His own shockwave clashed with Shuten's shockwave as both struggled for dominance. "Derawea Sumasshu (Delaware Smash)!"
Advice from Patronus to not rely on punching in case of opponents who may possess equal or greater to his own. Plus, an extra trick or two that will prove handy in the future… which is today.
The clashing shockwaves climaxed as their combined forces leveled the rest of the imperial palace. Shuten's dash blew away the debris cloud and landed with his roundhouse kick hitting nothing but air. The daiyokai took a swig from his gourd before the ground quaked underneath him. It was lifted from the earth and turned over by All Might as he pushed the mass down on top of the momentarily suspended Shuten Douji.
"Here's more!" All Might let gravity pull him before somersaulting forward and punched with the added momentum once more. "Kariforunia Sumasshu (California Smash)!"
The huge earthly mass instantly broke apart under All Might's strength while debris covered the area. A shockwave from a secondary punch blew away the cloud, revealing All Might standing over Shuten with his fist pressing against the latter's cheek.
"…"
"…"
"Ha…"
All Might's eyes narrowed before he pressed his fist harder to keep Shuten pinned.
"Ha…Ha…Ha…"
"He still laughs?" All Might asked before being blindsided by a chunk of debris.
Shuten kicked the human off of him and exhaled his ki-fueled flame attack at the airborne All Might, but the hero fired off an air blast that extinguished the element. Dashing forward at each other, both Shuten and All Might clashed as their hands grappled to fight for dominance.
"Yes, YES! This is… what I want from you!"
Gritting his teeth, All Might resisted getting pushed back by Shuten. Both men exerted audibly as their feet dug deep into the ground. The combined strength violently cracked the earth, driving and deepening the fissure apart. Neither of them will concede to the other's strength. They will not concede.
For the first time in their lives, they found someone who possess the strength to challenge each other's. A true challenge. For All Might, Shuten Douji's strength by far equals or possibly surpasses his own. As for the daiyokai, he only expected the Amatsukami's strongest gods to face him. Mortals lacked the physical power and resorted to trickery like Raiko did to him at his party. This human however, somehow, someway, has it.
Shuten Douji has been waiting for a very, very long time and now time rewards him. With the human hero known as All Might.
"More fun to be had!" Shuten decried gleefully as he broke the contest, punching All Might while his side collapsed behind him. The daiyokai grabbed All Might in a shoulder hold and uppercut him to the sky. Seeing him helpless for a moment, Shuten leapt at All Might as the latter recovered and punched several times against this face.
All Might grunted when he got kicked in the stomach and fell into the fissure. He stabbed his hands and feet into the wall, slowing down his descent before climbing up.
"Come, human! Show me more of your strength!"
The daiyokai must have stomped the fissure as it broke apart and caved down. All Might jumped up wall-to-wall four times when he landed on the other side of the fissure. He turned around just as Shuten leapt him, sliding underneath the bulking mass and getting back up to rush at the creature.
Fists flew past each other as they smashed against their similar targets, causing All Might and Shuten's heads to turn forcefully. Neither of them got sent flying after digging their feet firmly, facing each other with steel faces of determination. All Might sent the first punch, landing squarely onto Shuten's cheek and quickly receiving a counter attack almost immediately.
The entire area around them cratered and cracked violently after each punch. They were duking it out like the boxers of old: punching and taking them without slowing down in their counters.
Each punch thrown was stronger than the previous one. All Might knew it and so does Shuten.
"I WILL—"
"—DEFEAT YOU!"
Their fists flew once more, followed by moments of explosive shockwaves that plastered the remaining replica of Imperial Kyoto.
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Onogoro
Seimei gritted his teeth as he exerted more power into his barriers. Despite his barriers concealing the occupants in a pocket dimension, the power and force exerted from the battles inside were proving to be too much. The evidence of that are the numerous spider-like cracks on the barriers. And they are expanding faster than Seimei can fix it with his ki.
"I expected this from those three, but Patronus and All Might…" He observed the battles with a secret 'eye' implanted in each barrier. "They are faring much better than I previously thought."
The barrier behind him concerned Seimei the most as it was the only one that did not have an ally fighting Tamamo no Mae. Her relentless bashing weakened the walls to the breaking point. He'd hope that the person he called for would arrive earlier, but that was wishful thinking.
"Master Seimei…"
"Yes?"
An avatar had arrived behind him through the Seimon. "There is a problem in the mainland."
"Is it more tenuous than this?" Seimei asked his shikigami.
"Aratama are pouring into Izumo province from Yomi's entrance."
"Are our people at the site?"
"No, the Hero Association have sent reinforcements to the area at hand. It does not appear they will help the mainland." Seimei 'tsked' disappointedly. "Master?"
"Place a barrier at the site and stay there," Seimei ordered the shikigami who left to do his bidding. "Please hurry, you two."
Those words were for naught as one of the barriers broke apart from the last attack inside. Seimei braced himself against the wind pressure and barely glanced over his shoulder when Tamamo stood behind him, her arm poised for a thrust attack.
"Die now, hanyo."
A worried Seimei quickly conjured a shield, but it shattered against Tamamo's strength. The limb never reached Seimei's back since the attacker got blindsided by a massive broad pillar that pinned her to a wall. "You're late." Seimei chastised the arrival.
"Hehehe, you know me, Son of Kuzunoha: I like to be late and make a dramatic entrance."
"Sooner would have been better."
"I had other matters to attend to."
"Like peeping on women's bathhouses?"
"…"
"…"
"So, Tamamo the Vixen is out…" Wukong stepped off the massive pillar before it shrank into its preferred form: the staff carried by him. "I'm guessing old drunkie and scorned lover boy are occupied."
"Yes."
"I understand Patronus, but are you sure about the grinning fanatic?"
"He can do it."
Hearing fists crackle underneath, Wukong looked at a nonchalant Tamamo no Mae approaching them. "Damn monkey… this isn't your home. What happened? Your mountain ran out of bananas?" She insulted directly to the Monkey King.
Twirling his staff before resting it on his shoulders, Wukong casually picked his ears. "No, but I heard there was a lusty vixen resurrected and Seimei asked me to deliver it to the taxidermist."
"Those were not the words I spoke of," Seimei chided the former daiyokai.
"You sure?" Wukong retorted curiously like a child. "Then that must've been me thinking how to skin a fox."
Her fingernails sharpened, Tamamo dashed at her new opponent who responded in kind. Staff and forearm clashed at high air as the two powerhouses shook the earthly realm, Tamamo on the offensive and Wukong defending with his weapon. But mastery and experience came in hand as Wukong side-stepped and slammed Tamamo away with the staff.
Tamamo recovered, but jumped away as Wukong had leapt towards her and brought down the now-oversized staff. Her left hand glowed ominous before it fired several dark ki streams at the airborne Wukong. His staff shrunk as Wukong twirled it around and parried away the incoming attacks, but one of them slipped through and hit him.
Recovering and stabbing his extended staff, Wukong retracted the weapon's length before swinging to hit an incoming Tamamo, only to touch nothing. He remained unfazed when multiples Tamamos surrounded him with no room for even a roach to slink through.
"Yojutsu Ogi: Kitsune no Bunshin (Demon Secret Art: Fox Clone)." The clones chorused, smiling viciously at their prey.
Chuckling in response, Wukong aimed his staff at one direction. "Lengthen, Ruyi." His staff instantly grew into a massive pillar in size and length, smashing around the numerous clones that faded into nothingness. Despite its increased size and weight, Wukong had swung the staff around like it was a baseball bat.
The legendary weapon in his possession is one that most if not all of East Asian inhabitants knows by heart: the Ruyi Jingu Bang (The Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod). It contains many abilities, but the one most known and annoying is its size alteration.
And Tamamo hated it.
There were still clones, but space was visible now as Wukong scanned his surroundings. The kitsune caught sight of the god's eyes; they showed stern golden-reddish colors.
"Kuso (Damn it)," Tamamo cursed under breath just as she got hit by Ruyi's end.
Huǒyǎn-Jīnjīng (Fiery Eyes Golden Gaze) is the name for Wukong's famous ability. It is what allows him to see all and everything evil no matter the potency or skill of the caster. Centuries ago, after eating the pills of longevity, the heavens imprisoned and punished the Monkey King by placing him in a cauldron to fry his body in order to recover the pills. Instead, his body became stronger than before and his eyes changed forever, granting him to be aware of any danger.
It is those eyes that allowed him to see the real Tamamo out of her remaining clones. And if that was not irritating enough, Tamamo grunted after being pinned against the sky as if it was solid wall. "What is this?"
From afar near the barriers, Seimei chuckled inwardly at Tamamo's expression. "Onogoro's protective shield also acts as a security fence meant to keep in unwanted trespassers for Izanagi's judgement." One of the reasons he chose the island in case the three daiyokai manage to win over their opponents.
"Now stay there like a good little cub you are," Wukong told the fox after stabbing Ruyi's other end into the ground next to his feet. "Well that was easy." He hummed disappointedly. "I thought I was going to get a fight from one of the three daiyokai."
He barely got the last word out when another Tamamo blindsided him, her claws piercing his chest and head. The Tamamo pinned by the Ruyi Jingu Bang disappeared and the loss of weight caused the staff to fall toward the ground. Yet despite the weight and power by the god and daiyokai, the land is not damaged at all.
"A clone…" The real Tamamo said disdainfully when Wukong disappeared like her clone as well. She deflected the staff when it flew at her.
Another ability of Ruyi Jingu Bang: levitation.
"Play."
Following Wukong's disembodied voice, Ruyi circled around with blinding speed and barraged at Tamamo. The female fox spirit deflected and blocked the attacks near effortlessly before she commanded telepathically to attack Wukong wherever he is. She took a quick glance around and saw that her clones were occupied fighting duplicates of Wukong.
Tamamo growled annoyingly. "That's right; the stupid monkey can clone himself too." And so can the staff as multiple copies dashed at her. She continued to deflect and parry the duplicates before expelling her ki like a dome to blow away the rest. Grabbing the last one passing by, Tamamo swung it around and hit away the other copies before she tossed the staff javelin-style.
One of the Monkey King's clones caught the projectile and swiftly threw it back at Tamamo with little more strength than hers. The fox's fist clenched tightly before slamming it against the duplicated staff. The Wukong clones glanced when they saw the staff shattered into pieces.
Although it is less powerful than the original, the Ruyi duplicates are still greatly powerful and durable enough. Instead of being upset, Wukong and his clones became amused at the action. "Not a lot of people can damage let along destroy a copy of Ruyi."
"Yojutsu Ogi: Kitsunegari (Demon Art Secret Technique: Fox Hunt)."
All the Wukong duplicates blinked owlishly when Tamamo's clones suddenly latched onto themselves with smiles on their faces. "Say goodbye~" They chorused before blowing themselves—and the Wukongs—up to sky high.
The original Tamamo watched the atmosphere lit by white flames from the explosions. The Kitsunegari uses the clones as portable explosives for maximum casualties and destruction. Though the effects are weakened by the island's holy air, the technique's second trait is about to happen.
White flames coalesced into one boulder-sized ball before it darted towards its target, which was an invisible Wukong. Seeing that it is useless, he became visible and glided across the sky and sent the Ruyi copies at the energy projectile. The Kitsunegari sphere swiftly darted in the small spaces between the duplicates before it picked up speed and smashed against a somewhat surprised Wukong.
Tamamo stared at Wukong as she snapped her fingers. The Kitsunegari swiftly encased the Xian before compressing itself out of existence. The second trait of the technique is to track down the owner of the energy that it had touched and squeeze him/her into nothing.
"Oh boy, that was close."
Growling to herself, Tamamo did not have to look Wukong pulling down his eyelid and tongue sticking out. "How did you escape that?"
Wukong didn't answer her, but the technique he used is one of his personal design from Taoist training. It allows him to instantly switch places with something or someone in his vicinity. The name is untranslated as the human language cannot accurately determine it. Closest translations for two of the characters are 'replace' and 'spot'.
"Not telling~" Wukong replied in sing-song before vanishing as a blur with pure speed.
Her previous scowl turned into one of anticipation before Tamamo disappeared as well. Multiple shockwaves shook the area, causing Seimei to brace himself and added several invisible magic circles around for extra protection.
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Imperial Kyoto (Replica)
There is a saying among all beings: "strength determines everything." For the truly strong ones, an unspoken rule exists between them: throw everything on the line against rivals.
Though they are of different species, this rule applies to them as well.
"SHUTEN DOUJI!"
"ALL MIGHT!"
Throwing punches, both All Might and Shuten's heads coiled back against each other's fists. The crater where they had stood during the entire slugfest deepened into 400 feet and the diameter nearing 75 miles. Blood of red and greenish-purple splattered on the ground from All Might's lips and Shuten's left cheek, respectively.
Cracks violently appeared throughout the sky as the combined force of the combatant's latest attacks. More shockwaves widened the fractures from each landed blow, growing in power and scale. The amount of force in their attacks would have leveled a region several times over.
That is what All Might knew sometime after his Quirk manifested and trained to control it. The science branch of the Hero Association theorized that his top strength is unlimited, but if left unrestrained, he could split the island of Japan in two halves. With the amount of increasing force by his and Shuten's punches, they could split not only the island nation, but other nations as far as the Philippines and possibly Hawaii.
"If it was not for the barrier, I cannot use my full power!"
All Might rolled his head to the side, reducing the power of Shuten's latest punch as he quickly looked forward and struck the daiyokai's cheek. A thunderous shockwave upturned the ground behind All Might as Shuten flew out of the crater until he crashed against the solid sky.
Jumping in one huge leap, All Might pulled back his fist only to be blindsided by Shuten as he freed himself and kicked the hero into the ground below. While in the air, Shuten barked in gleefully laughter as he licked the blood from his cheek. "Good, good! More drink! More blood! MORE FIGHTING!" Channeling his potent demonic ki, Shuten's arms blurred visibly as multiple blasts dashed at his opponent below.
All Might had the same idea as his air blasts collided with Shuten's in the air and space between them. The cracks in the sky violently spread out intensely than before, but it gained no attention from the hero and demon.
"Faster!"
"Stronger!"
"I—"
"—Will"
"WIINNN!"
Inhaling and exhaling quickly, green-red flames dashed from Shuten's mouth as it swept towards All Might like an ocean wave. Without interrupting his rhythm, All Might kicked out his left leg as the wind pressure put out the flames with ease. That was when he realized the lack of collision between his and Shuten's volleys.
"Kuso (Damn it)…"
The grin on Shuten's face widened maliciously when his fist smashed squarely against All Might's face, kicking up tremendous debris of dust and dirt. The cloud of debris got cleared out by another punch's force, revealing Shuten kneeling over All Might with his knee pinning the latter within crater.
"Oi~ Have some drink…"
Before All Might knew it, Shuten had grabbed his lips and forced them open as he shoved his gourd. The hero gagged upon the foreign liquid entering his body and instantly felt unbelievable burning like never before. It was actually the first time he felt something like this due to his invulnerability.
Actually, he feels his strength draining rapidly.
"W-what?" All Might strained internally. He lashed out, but his arms and legs did not respond to his commands.
"Confused?" Splashes and gargling came his way from All Might. "This is my special sake I made from Mount Oe's sacred water." He chuckled mirthfully. "The look on those self-righteous monks' faces when I tainted the waters with my blood and ki—they were funny and pleasant."
"Mount Oe?"
The mountain near Kyoto where Shuten Douji and his army of oni resided prior to the former's defeat. During the daiyokai's reign, he and his kin would march down to the imperial city and indulge themselves in slaughtering its citizens and destroying their livelihoods. Then Raiko and her Shitenno (Four Heavenly Kings) defeated the army of demons and its leader with deception and martial prowess.
"For us yokai, it is sweet and invigorating," Shuten explained, his gourd still pouring into the hero's mouth. "But for humans, they are sapped of their strength… Lightweights."
"Must… do something!"
"Humans are weak~"
He briefly stopped pouring the liquid, which All Might took advantage of. Lashing out with a wild punch that connected with Shuten's knee, All Might kicked mightily against the daiyokai's mass off of him. "Sento Ruisu Sumasshu (St. Louis Smash)!" The hero turned over on his front and coughed out the liquid as much as he could. "Some managed to get through, but I think I spitted out most of it."
Whether he actually did spit out most of the demonic sake will have to wait as All Might rolled to the side when Shuten stomped his previous spot. All Might swept the leg, kicking Shuten's balance as he fell to the floor, but the hero swiftly jumped on one hand and landed a roundhouse kick against the yokai's stomach.
Shuten rolled with the kick's force and lashed out at All Might, but not with any of his limbs. All Might was stunned when he found himself off the ground, held in suspension by Shuten's fire-colored long mane. It had split into five strands to restrain his arms, legs, and neck as they glowed like the sun.
"Looks like wannabe hero is a plaything," Shuten punched All Might's stomach, causing him to yell in response. "Here's more!"
His face frozen in flinching pain, All Might grunted as Shuten rapid-punched his stomach, chest and face relentlessly. "I must break free—" His vision turned blurry for a moment from a swift uppercut. "Before I lose consciousness…"
"Yokai are fierce…"
The rapid volley did not cease as the arms sped up even more against All Might's suspended figure.
"And strong…"
Shuten finished with his fist buried deep into All Might's stomach as the latter spat out spittle before the hair noose around his neck tightened its grip.
"And loyal to each other."
"L—yal?"
Being brought face to face with the daiyokai, All Might struggled to move any of his limbs due to the hair strands. "Humans are none of those things." Instead of the drunkard tone exhibited during their confrontation, a surprisingly solemn Shuten stared at the hero. "You destroy all that is not in your range."
"Range?"
"Yokai are main species on Earth!"
To his surprise, Shuten got hit by a headbutt from All Might after he glowed rainbow colors and broke the strand around his neck. The rainbow glow brightened around his limbs and tore the strands as All Might grabbed them before swinging Shuten like a bag of soccer balls.
Grunting upon being slammed into the ground, Shuten roared as his hair were set ablaze. All Might grimaced after his hands singed from the flaming hair, but kept his grip as he yanked on it and kneed Shuten's face… multiple times. Splattered flames were put out by the consecutive shockwaves until All Might let go of the yokai's hair after the last knee strike.
"Hatred fuels hatred. Prejudice blinds you to possibilities," All Might said at last, engaging with the daiyokai in conversation for the first time. " I cannot speak for the humans of the past, but the present—" He clenched his singed fists while Shuten stood back up on his feet. "—is more open-minded than before."
"Fool."
"I may be a fool, but this fool—" All Might pointed at himself with his thumb. "—strives to protect everyone to achieve peace." His body glowed once more as he summoned more power from his Quirk. "And I will not let anyone crush that goal!"
Smirking at the explosive aura coming from All Might's figure, Shuten howled as his demonic ki burst out of his body in response to All Might's declaration. The combined air pressure exhibited by their power shook the crumbled Kyoto duplicate and increased every second. Eyes of determination and gleeful excitement stared at each other while their auras intensified, resonating with the emotions from the combatants.
Nothing uttered between them as the aura-cloaked All Might and Shuten dashed at each other, their fists smashing into their faces while the opposing energies exploded on contact.
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(Moments Earlier)
Konohagakure (Replica)
Shockwaves never ceased to rock the destroyed village as fire, lightning, wind and water sporadically struck settlement. After the last one, a figure crashed into what used to be the Hokage office.
"Okay then, this is a little harder than I thought."
It was not Naruto, but Otakemaru. His clothes were torn from the battle and a few scuff marks present on his face plus arms. Other than that, he is not exhausted. That does not mean he has an advantage as well. In fact, his godly opponent has been in control of their battle for a while now.
"Speed. Strength. Toughness. It's as if he has access to his full powers in the human realm." It was common knowledge that gods lack their full powers when outside of their heavenly realms. Yet this god seem to have his full powers, but the kicker is… "He's holding himself back… against me?"
"Otakemaru… I admit I was nervous when I heard about him and the two." The legends about their might and powers concerned him when he read about them. His bout with Otakemaru does warrant the latter's reputation, but for some reason, Naruto feels somewhat disappointed. Could it be he reached a new level or is this overconfidence? "Oi… You're not doing what I think you're doing, right?"
"…"
"Come on! Out with it, Otakemaru. I can feel it in your attacks."
"…"
"…"
"… I can say the same about you, hero-god."
"…"
"…Can I ask you something?" Otakemaru asked before meeting Patronus in the air, their forearms clashing in a stalemate.
Narrowing his eyes, Naruto growled before answering, "What?" They broke their clash and put distance between them.
"Why do you fight?"
"Huh?"
"The humans… why do you fight for them?"
"Why do you ask?" Naruto asked back.
"Like you said, I too can feel your thoughts during our bout," Otakemaru said to the god. "I never thought I would meet a kindred spirit in a god during my immortal life."
"…"
"Your silence further clarifies my words."
"And?"
"You are a contrasting being; a deity who is more human than I've seen and yet I sense similar pain inflicted by them."
Patronus said nothing as his mind flashed to his early childhood. The scorn and isolation he suffered from the villagers that left darkness in his heart. He inhaled deeply before exhaling out the amount, "I say again: and?"
"Humans are vile creatures who believe themselves to be superior to everything on Earth—no, the universe," Otakemaru continued to speak while clenching his fists, a sign of constrained anger. "Anything they do not understand or won't understand, humans cast it out with unbridled prejudice and ignorance."
"Like the villagers and the humans here against the mutants."
Otakemaru glanced upward at the sky for a moment before returning his sight upon Patronus. "Do you believe peace can exist between yokai and humans?"
"I believe peace is possible for all species, so yes."
Chuckling, Otakemaru mirthfully responded, "That's a vague answer."
"You asked and I answered."
"I can see you have aspirations for peace just like I previously had."
"Had?" Naruto repeated internally. "That means…"
"I too had the inferior dream of peace between humans and yokai so long ago," Otakemaru chuckled derisively. "My aspirations paled in comparison to their envy and fears; even my few human followers turned against me."
Naruto said nothing as Otakemaru continue to talk about humans and yokai.
"The world today is ruined by their hands and the yokai suffers the consequences." Otakemaru scowled at humanity's blatant disregard for the Earth. "All manner of creatures from the lands should be free from human filth."
"… You're talking genocide."
"Oh please, the humans do it to themselves, but they won't even admit some of them that happened in the past!"
"The same can be said for yokai." Naruto retorted steely. "About South Korea's situation."
"That is yokai internal matters."
"But it is the same thing, Otakemaru." Naruto countered strongly. "It is not just humans who is capable of horrid actions." His eyes narrowed at the demon god. "All beings are capable."
"Even gods?"
"Even gods."
Otakemaru hummed in thought as he stared at the deity in front of him. "Rather than defending his fellow gods or trying to justify their self-perceived righteousness, this god admits that his kind—all species are flawed in one way."
"Yet despite inherent flaws…" Naruto continued speaking as Otakemaru's fingers flinched while dark clouds slowly formed above them, "gods, humans, yokai, all species have the capacity to do good, to forgive, and redeem themselves."
"…"
"Though it would be naïve of me if I said getting rid of darkness and trauma inflicted by is easy. And there are times when it is impossible to do so."
"…"
"You got nothing to say?"
What Otakemaru said next confused the shinobi as he did not expect to hear four words.
"Join us, hero-god."
"Huh?"
"Descend, Sanmyoken."
The last thing Naruto saw was a blinding dark, yellow, blue, and red that enveloped the entire duplicate replica.
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(Meanwhile)
Imperial Armory
Takamagahara
The interior of the weapons' room glowed brightly like Her Highness as if it reacted to unknown or familiar presence. Immediately, it gained the attention of the gods as they already entered the room. Both Susanoo and Amaterasu stepped forward when the origin of the light sporadically dimmed and brightened for a moment.
"Your Majesty, the weapon… it's reacting," One of the gods noted in awe while the others stared at the object.
An incensed Kagutsuchi clenched his fists discreetly inside his kimono sleeves. "But to whom?"
"Its chosen master," Susanoo stated certainly.
Amaterasu pondered about the state of the object's master, "Could it actually be?" She became worried since the Three Great Yokai's escape and the sword's awakening could not be merely a coincidence.
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Onogoro
Honshu, Japan
The sacred island of Izanagi was showered with debris following the explosions of the remaining domes. It gradually cleared from the area by the gentle breeze, revealing Sun Wukong standing on top of a car-sized white crystal cloud. Seimei stood behind him, slightly worn out from holding the domes for hours. Behind the duo was the unconscious and bloody All Might being healed by a Onmyo healing spell. Floating next to them was Patronus, flexing his arms.
On the other side facing the god, mage, and hero are the daiyokai. Other than Shuten Douji, the other two did not show damage from their respective bouts. However, they looked to be struggling with something. Seimei and Wukong knows this is because of the island's holy atmosphere. Weaker creatures would instantly turn to ash the moment they entered the island, which is a testament to the Three Great Yokai's power.
Their current forms most likely has something to do with that.
Otakemaru was no longer human as he assumed his true form. He was taller than even Shuten and All Might. His body's skin color turned deathly pale that glistened blue when touched by the sun while. The small horns increased in length and changed from red to ominous purple. A daito with fiery red blade and an orb attached to a tassel at the end of its pommel floated on his right with one of his left and the last in his hand. The sword on his left was larger than the other two, an odachi with a completely silver and ocean blue blade with a single tassel. The last weapon was a katana with a slightly more curved and completely golden blade as its tassels fluttered alongside the wind while resting in Otakemaru's hand.
"The Sanmyoken," Seimei said in awe and fear. "Shotoren, the Blade of Flaming Disaster—" He glanced at the daito before shifting to the blue/silver odachi, "—Daitoren, the Blade of Everlasting Ocean and—" His eyes rested on the final blade in the yokai's hand, "—Kenmyoren, the Blade of Heavenly Lightning. Those blades bear the power of heaven, earth, and hell."
Wukong chuckled in response with Ruyi resting on his shoulders. "So those are the great swords of Takamagahara?" He pointed one end of his staff at the swords' wielder, "So how did he claim them?"
"Legend and lore relay that the king of the demigods gave them to Otakemaru as acknowledge for cooperation with Takamagahara." Seimei informed his compatriots. "Obviously, this did not go well."
"No kidding," Patronus sarcastically responded while sensing the swords' power, "This is no joke. Kogitsunemaru's aura is nothing compared to those three." He glanced his bracer and shin guards. "The Adamantine and the Golden Fleece might protect me against them." Despite knowing his body is super tough due to being a god, Naruto knew his instincts as shinobi overrides his current physiology.
"Long ago, they were Takamagahara's valuable weapons comparable to the Imperial Regalia." An amused Wukong and puzzled Naruto looked at Seimei, "In fact, the Sanmyoken were the candidates to be the Imperial Regalia had they not been given away."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Thinking back to what Seimei said about the king of deimgods, Naruto tried to recall Japan's mythology. "As far as I know, there were not any demigods of sorts much less a king."
"Are they actually having a discussion in front of us?" Tamamo asked, clearly irritated by the sound of her voice.
"Cheeky bastards," Shuten cracked his neck side to side.
Otakemaru rolled his demonic red eyes while his swords. "I can tell our hooded friend is trying to figure out the identity of the king." Naruto gave him the bird in response. "It was Ninigi-no-Mikoto."
"Amaterasu's… descendant?" Naruto asked in shock before realizing something else, "WAIT A MINUTE! Tamae is a kid, so how could she have kids?!"
"Lady Amaterasu never had children; that's just human folklore," Seimei clarified, clearly debunking that particular historical myth.
Before anyone could say or do anything, an immense and dark pressure overwhelmed them. It was dangerous as Wukong dropped his cheerful smirk, showing the severity of the latest development. "You felt that, didn't you?"
"It is about time they arrived," Shuten remarked before taking a swig from his gourd.
Seimei grimaced at this development as he summoned his magic circle underneath him, All Might and Wukong. "Seiten Taisei (Great Sage Equaling Heaven), come with me!" The onmyouji looked at a puzzled Patronus, "Stay alive, Kibo no Kami (God of Hope)."
"Eh?" Naruto replied meekly before his allies left via magic circle. He and the daiyokai trio stared at the spot while a lone wind breeze by them. "DID THEY JUST LEAVE ME BEHIND?!"
"God of Hope?" An exasperated Naruto looked back at Otakemaru. "Hope is a dangerous weapon, especially for humans."
"Obviously, we need to crush that," Tamamo stated as she glowed a golden aura and her facial features changed.
The ground shifted underneath her hands and feet when she assumed all fours while growing in size. Her arms and legs grew in length while white fur with black streaks covered her body. Tamamo's face morphed feral with a snout as her blackish-red eyes glared at her prey. Her claws burrowed into the ground while her nine tails flailed about in the air.
"Three of us against one god, I like these odds," Shuten said as he picked his ear and pulled out his oversized, spiked kanabo.
His Sanmyoken glimmering with heavenly power, Otakemaru floated off the ground. "Do not underestimate him, Shuten. He has not even begun to show his power."
"Ha! He will not think to do so against the three of us."
Three of the strongest daiyokai in existence facing him down on Izanagi's island?
"Shit…"
Normally, one would panic, but not Naruto.
"Is what I would normally say." Patronus replied as he flexed his hands into fists. "But you made me one miscalculation, Shuten."
"And what would that be, puny god?"
"It's three of you against ten of us."
"Ten?"
It was for a brief moment, but the three daiyokai saw it. Them, to be corrected. Ethereal forms of nine different, towering beasts standing behind the god. And they looked ready for a fight against them.
END OF CHAPTER
