Ryoma sometimes wasn't sure if Oryou was his wife or his pet at times. Especially now, after 'becoming human', the former ancient serpent still retained some of her quirks from her time as a Phantasmal Being. She needed her hair brushed regularly, as they were no longer tough as steel. Sometimes he even had to carry her on his back, as she got tired of walking. Not tired as in her legs getting exhausted, but tired emotionally, as she missed just floating around. It was both cute and aggravating at the same time. But nevertheless, he believed that his wife was acclimating to being a human. Especially with her getting a handle on her hormones. He winced at the phantom pain around his hips as they made their rounds through the streets. If anyone told him Oryou would be like that in the bed…He blushed a bit and shook his head. Either way, he believed he had a handle on her at this point. Weird diet of frogs remaining aside.
Naturally the moment he thought so, Oryou promptly threw up on the ground. Amaterasu jumped with a scream, Haruhime covered her mouth as she stumbled backwards in surprise and Ryoma could only stare blankly at the…processed fluids on the ground. Same as Oryou, who had never looked so sad before, her head lowered with quivering lips.
"Ah. Poor frogs…"
"A-are you alright, Oryou?" Haruhime asked carefully, causing the strongest of the Far East to huff.
"It's mama." As the Renard blushed in embarrassment, Oryou rubbed her stomach before turning to her husband with her lips pressed together. "Ryoma, I feel weird."
An inkling of an idea crept up in his mind. He felt his stomach become heavier. It couldn't be…right?
"...do you have cravings? For food, I mean?"
Amaterasu and Haruhime both blinked slowly before they paled, realizing where he was going with this. His wife on the other hand merely tilted her head as she hummed thoughtfully.
"Oryou wants chocolate." She paused before frowning a bit. "Why does Oryou want chocolate?" She sniffed the air before her skin took a green tint to it."Also things smell weird. Makes me-Blaaaaaaagh!"
Once more, the ground was covered up by her barf. Ryoma did not register it however, instead taking off his head slowly with wide eyes. Amaterasu was torn between clapping her hands or running away, stuck in limbo. In the end, horror won over as she let out a whimper at the prospect of the future.
"Ooooooh nooooo…"
"What is everyone staring at Oryou for?" She asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Helplessly, Ryoma turned to the other girls, only for them to make it a point to look anywhere but his eyes. Welp, guess it was up to him. With a sigh, he stepped forward, putting his hands on Oryou's shoulders.
"Oryou, you have morning sickness…"
"But it's evening?"
Right, no dancing around this topic. He couldn't help but smile slightly. As much as the thought terrified him…it also excited him. Seeing him smile, Oryou was unable to hold back her own smile.
"Oryou." He took a deep breath. "You're pregnant."
She stared at him, eyes not even blinking. For a moment, Ryoma was afraid her brain stopped work. Then she wrapped her arms around him and proceeded to lift him up as she spun him around.
"Yay, yay."
Despite her monotone voice, he never had seen her so happy. He just had to laugh at that, as the people around them began to clap at the announcement. Unfortunately, unlike in many stories, pregnancy was never so…straightforward.
It has been quite some time since Ryoma heard his wife growl. Like, actual, flat out growl. A human throat was not meant to make such noises, and it was telling, as the Amaterasu estate was utterly devoid of any but the most brave workers. Oryou's stomach was bulging ever so slightly, yet the way their growing child was messing with her hormones was even worse than their first day incarnated as human beings.
"Not yay yay. Pregnant is terrible. Why is Oryou's baby so mean to Oryou. Oryou want to break something." She grabbed a nearby table and flicked her wrist. "Hap!"
Haruhime yelped and dove to the ground, as the table smashed against the wooden wall and broke through it with ease. Ryoma rubbed his eyes, bags underneath them, before he stepped forward and gently guided her to the bed. A dangerous glint shone in her eyes as she was about to pull him down on the bed with him.
"Ryoma, Oryou wants to have se-"
"Oryou, have a biscuit."
"Biscuit, yaaaay."
Completely distracted, she began munching away at the sweet. Ryoma let out a breath of relief and raised his thumb in response at Amaterasu's thumb coming from behind a door. The 'chiding' they received on 'noise complaints' was bad enough once. Never again. His wife rested her head on his shoulder, having calmed down somewhat at this point. Then she gently pulled his hand and put it on her stomach. He felt the warmth radiating from it and felt his stress wash away.
"Oryou really is human now," she whispered softly before glancing at Ryoma. "I won't outlive you."
He flinched at the memory. At his death, with his blood leaving his body. Regrets, of leaving behind a job half done. Sorrow, at leaving Oryou alone.
"Sorry. About that," he said awkwardly, causing her to shake her head, frowning deeply.
"Don't. It was Oryou's fault for being away."
He grasped both her hands and held them tight between his.
"It was never your fault." He chuckled lightly. "You can't protect me forever and all the time."
He didn't know why she was so obsessed with it. The role of an eternal guardian for him. He feared that she would break under the pressure eventually. Former mythical serpent or not, everyone had their limits. He wished she would take it more easy. Alas, Oryou was not that type of woman, instead crossing her arms in defiance.
"Says who? Oryou will never fail you again."
"Just don't overdo it," Ryoma said, a surrendering tone entering his voice. Then he lightly tapped her stomach, smiling at her. "You have a second life to take care of now, don't you?"
Her features softened up a bit before closing her eyes, content.
"Humhum."
To see her so relaxed…whatever caused their circumstances in this world, Ryoma couldn't feel grateful. After all, this was everything Oryou ever wanted with him, even if she never said it outloud. She can finally grow old and die alongside him. A dream come true at last. A dream he wanted to make sure to fulfill, no matter what.
/
If there was anything that Kaguya despised more than sand in her socks, it was wet sand in her socks. Not the end of the world, surely, but with how it chafed like literal wet shit against her feet…She growled as she pulled her sword out of one corpse out of many. That was why she hated the Far East and its many many many fucking islands sometimes. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve, glaring at the burning sun above their heads. They arrived here just as the sun was rising, which spoke volumes of how time consuming it was to go through each island individually and murder everyone on sight. Naturally after the first few islands, Evilus started to smarten up at this point. Trying to flee or bunker down. Unfortunately for them, the local Familia have prepared for this day more than Kaguya gave them credit for. As in, they prepared an entire blockade around the area. Which in turn meant that there were only a small support team around with food, medical supplies and gear, while the assault team consisted of the strongest they had to offer. The blockade wouldn't be able to stop anyone on Kaguya's level to escape, but it should be enough time for Oryou or Penthesilea to go after them like a shark after a group of seal orphans.
She didn't even jump when the building, a sturdy looking fortress in the style of the Far East, crumbled like a sand castle. Stumbling out was her dear captain, coughing furiously with tears in her eyes. Meanwhile, Penthesilea and Oryou waltzed out as if they were in a park, fist bumping each other without a care for the world. Wiping her eyes, Alise noticed the amused smirk from Kaguya. The captain sighed, twirling her hand, giving her permission. Twirling her dual blades to get rid of the blood, she tapped her shoulders with their blunt sides.
"Told you they had it handled."
"Hey, I needed to represent!" Alise stretched out her tongue. "Though next time, someone else goes!" She blinked before smiling brightly as she turned around. "Hey, Ly-"
"Kiss my ass," the Pallum said, flipping her off and not even looking at her as she went through the loot from the bodies, with Ryuu keeping overwatch.
"No," the elf responded before the question was even asked. Shoulders slumped, Alise didn't even bother asking Kaguya as she let out a small whine.
"Dang, and Arash is better outside…Guess I have to keep following them in…"
"Your funeral." Kaguya paused, giving Alise a worried look. "You don't just represent, do you?" She glanced down on the bloodstained rapier of hers. "How many did you offer surrender?"
Alise licked her lips, closing her eyes. Then she shook her head slowly.
"All of them." Her voice became wearier. More fitting her age as she smiled weakly. "Am I the only one trying to give them a chance here?"
"I'm still questioning why," Kaguya muttered. Alise in turn shrugged almost helplessly.
"On the off chance of saving someone from themselves. I mean, I don't fully believe it either but, y'know."
And didn't she know. Sometimes Kaguya envied Alise and Ryuu, for their dedication to justice. Then again, that was the main reason she loved them, didn't she? To see the light, to be the light. Role models that Kaguya would always yearn for.
"Recognize anyone?" Alise asked quietly, causing Kaguya to shake her head with a deep frown.
"Not at all."
"Are you sure?"
"I remember every single one of them," she replied with a blank look before licking her lips. "I'd have noticed."
"And that was the final one…" Alise looked around, seeing that none seemed to have found anything important. Crossing her arms, she tapped her skin with her finger. "Could we be wrong?"
"Questions for later. Let's meet up first."
Pushing through the beaches and wet sand, Kaguya couldn't but stare out at the horizon. At the waves washing away the blood that stained the area. A representation of how the world kept moving, no matter how many lives were lost. Uncaring. And yet, there was something beautiful about such mindless, simple matters, the movements of the ocean itself. Kaguya wasn't sure how long she lost herself at the sights, of forgetting her worries, her guilt, her shame, until Ryuu tapped her on the shoulder. Kaguya blinked, realizing that everyone was together at this point, seated on fortunately some chairs.
"Okay, okay, okay, time for a break! Eat up, we move on in twenty minutes!"
"I'm getting sick and tired of these riceballs…" Lyra muttered as she took a big bite out of it, leaning back on her chair as her feet dangled in the air. Kaguya scoffed at that.
"It's fast and filling, just chew the best food in the world, Pallum."
"I am starting to believe the Far East is being indoctrinated into loving this sort of food," Ryuu said in a dry tone, munching away at her food. Ryoma chuckled as he joined them.
"Technically correct I guess?"
Alise hummed as she looked to the side. Following her gaze, they saw that she was looking at the gods. The gods that decided to follow them to this, against all odds. Naturally most tried to object, but they were quite insistent in meeting the enemy god in charge in person. If nothing else, Lord Hachiman showed his skill as a Martial Arts god when uppity Evilus cultists somehow got past their guards. She still shivered at the sight of his fingers piercing through a man's skull as if it was made out of butter. They saw Ohma giggle in the arms of Amaterasu, who made lots of funny faces at him.
"I'm surprised you are leaving your baby in someone else's hands," Kaguya mentioned to Oryou, who swallowed a fish whole without even using her teeth.
"Oryou doesn't like it. But Oryou needs both hands." She smiled ever so slightly. "And Oryou trusts Amaterasu."
Kaguya couldn't help but stare wide eyed at the mother. Wow. Talk about growth. Arash meanwhile wasn't joining the idle talk, instead his eyes were focused on the map. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he pulled out a map, scribbling away. His actions caused them to lean over his shoulder, seeing that he was drawing connecting lines between the bases. Eventually, he tapped down on where they all intercrossed.
"This spot."
"Our scouts didn't find anything there," Ryoma muttered, yet rubbing his chin in contemplation.
"Then let's see if we find anything there."
Stepping onto the smaller boats, they began to row towards what could be considered the center of all the enemy fortresses. It was a small island once more, with what could be considered a lake in the middle. Kaguya saw the island come closer and closer. The last possible location for Nana. And yet, the closer they got…the more her vision began to darken. She put a hand on her chest, as it moved frantically for some reason.
Nana was there. Or maybe she wasn't. What would be better? Yes or no? Did Kaguya really want Nana to be-
A pair of hands covered her mouth, while other hands squeezed her shoulders. The darkness began to vanish as she saw Alise look her in the eyes with a worried gaze. Slowly, she removed her hands, as she nodded at her.
"Kaguya. Deep breaths."
In. And out. Her lungs shivered as they took in the air. They were about as private as they could be, with how the boats were spread up. She hated how weak her voice sounded as she stared at the front.
"I don't know if I should be here. I…I'm compromised."
"C'mon now, after all this time?" Lyra asked, but there was no heat in her scoff. Ryuu rubbed her back, pressing her lips together.
"You're afraid."
And wasn't that obvious? Her hand was shaken. Her, one of the strongest in Orario, was afraid of her own little sister. She let out an ugly laugh as she covered her eyes.
"I don't want to fail. I…I don't want to end up killing her."
"I won't say that won't happen." Alise muttered before smiling encouragingly. "But you made the decision to come here for a reason. For good and for ill. No matter what happens…we will be here. All of us."
For good or ill. Kaguya took in a deep breath. Yes, even if the worse were to happen…at least she'd be here this time. She wouldn't run away again. No, she mustn't run away again. This time, she would face her bloodline head on. Clenching her prosthetic hand into a fist, she was the first to step forward.
"Yes…yes, of course. My apologies."
Her Familia gave her proud smiles before Lyra clapped her hands together. Then she put her hands on her hips as she looked around.
"So, we're here. Aaaand I'm not seeing anything."
"You never see anything."
"Hardy ha."
Kaguya and Lyra smirked at each other. Meanwhile Arash walked forward with a hum. Pulling out an arrow, he aimed straight down the water and let it loose. Notably, it just went…down and down and down. Crossing his arms he looked around with a smile resembling a hound smelling blood.
"Look at that. Not shallow at all."
Without a word, Oryou stepped forward, with Penthesilea right next to her. Both began to stretch a bit, with the mother waving at her child, earning a cute babble from him. Then, the two dove down into the water.
"So that was planned, right? They didn't just go down there on their own, right?"
The silence to Lyra's questions were deafening. A quiet cough filled the awkward air, as they could do nothing but wait for the two women to resurface. It was then that the water began to shift, before sharks were flung up, torn and wounded deeply. Their corpses smacked down on the ground before Penthesilea and Oryou came up, their teeth bloodied with shark flesh.
"It appears they have tamed the sea wildlife," the Asura announced casually, biting into a chunk of flesh she had in her hand. Oryou didn't say anything at all, instead just feeding herself for all its worth.
"I wasn't aware you could tame monster sharks. Or I guess…regular sharks?" Alise grimaced a bit before turning to Ryuu. "Is there a difference?"
"Learn something new every day," the elf muttered, adjusting her fake mask. Once Penthesilea was done with her eating, she dusted her hands off before throwing her thumb over her shoulder.
"Anyway, we have found the headquarters. But since not all of us have diving…" She trailed off with a pointed look at the Astraea Familia. Then she twirled her hand. "There has to be a passage nearby to get in there. Keep your eyes open and start searching."
Kaguya frowned before glancing at the locals. They didn't seem offended at all, which implied they all had Diving as a skill too. Damn fish people. Nevermind that, there had to be some sort of secret cavern or tunnel or something on that island for non Diving Evilus assholes to get into that base. Naturally, that was easier said than done, because the island was not exactly that big. And because it was not that big, there was a certain lack of anything that would suggest a hidden entrance.
"Did you find anything?"
"I found a palm tree."
"I found more sand."
"Rock, rock, rock aaaand more rock."
"Oh hey, a sea shell!"
Kaguya could feel her eyebrow twitch at the clown talk she was hearing. Then she stared down at the wet sand with her lips pressed together. She swore if they actually had to start digging…She blinked when she spotted Lyra kneeling down, not having moved from that spot at all.
"Lyra, what are you doing over there?"
She didn't respond, muttering under her breath. Narrowing her eyes, she stepped closer, only to see the Pallum slowly run the tips of her fingers across another rock. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of it.
"Do you need a moment? The way you are rubbing your hands over that rock would make the Braver jealous."
"C'mon, sing to me…" Suddenly, she came to a spot. Her eyebrows rose as she ran her index finger over a spot a few times. Then, she inhaled and pressed down hard. A click sounded, before the ground began to shake, causing Kaguya to gasp. Lyra shot up to her feet and rose her hands up in the sky in victory. "BOOYA! NAILED IT!"
"Ain't that a bit too cliche?!" Kaguya shouted as she saw the sand and water split apart, only for some sort of mechanical building with gates to rise up from the ground. Weapons were drawn the moment the event occured, only able to gape at what they were seeing. The symbol of the Far Eastern word 'The End' ordained the closed gates of the structure as it came into view.
"It's Evilus!" Alise couldn't stop giggling as she clapped her hands at the sight of this."If Hans were here, he'd call them cliche incarnated!"
"You spend too much time with him! Don't!" Ryuu shouted, slowly moving and coordinating with the others to surround the emerging doors.
"Like I say, he's actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him!"
"It's been literal years at this point!" Kaguya bit back.
"The hell is going on here?!" Susanoo shouted, throwing his arms in the air at the sight of it. Eventually, the shaking ceased. As nothing happened for a moment, the warriors relaxed ever so slightly, but kept their weapons out. Penthesilea hummed before lightly slapping the back of Lyra. The force was enough to almost send her flying to the ground, but she stabilized herself with but a stumble.
"Not bad, Miss Tiresias."
"Never doubt my foresight, haha!"
"The question begs…will the doors simply open for us?" Shiki asked on behalf of everyone else. Ryoma adjusted his hat before giving a pointed look at Kaguya.
"Kaguya, can you give it a try?"
She blinked before comprehension dawned on her. If this was Gojouno property…She took a deep breath and approached the gates. Then, she touched the stone with her palm. Immediately, the symbol began to shine, glowing with power, before it was split in the middle. Rumbling, they opened up inwards, revealing an elevator of all things. Chuckling under her breath, she stared at her palm with a disgusted expression.
"Keyed to our magic. Or maybe it reacts to my blood in general? Either way…" She turned around, both katana back in her hands. "We shouldn't keep them waiting. Last chance to stay out of this."
Looks were shared between her Familia, a resolute nod coming from them. Penthesilea rolled her eyes in exasperation, as if the question itself was an insult. Ryoma and Oryou shared a moment with their son, giving him a kiss on the cheeks, before moving forward themselves. The three captains of Hachiman, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi stepped forward as well. The Gentle Fist turned to the support team accompanying them on their boats.
"You know the plan. If we don't return before the sun is down…assume the worst."
"Yessir! Good hunting! We shall remain as agreed on the closest island, observing from a distance!"
With those words, the gods were guided to the boats as well. They each gave their own encouragements as they began to row away.
"Remember your training."
"Get rid of the vermin, quickly."
"Don't ya dare kick the bucket!"
"I pray for your success!"
"Kick their butts!"
Cracking her neck, Kaguya smiled at Astraea before stepping into the maws of hell themselves. It was a bit narrow for everyone, but they managed without poking each other's eyes out. After pushing the doors back in their position, the elevator moved downwards. Nobody said a thing, due to the unfamiliarity with each other and the tension in the air. But as the elevator stopped and the doors opened once more, their eyes couldn't help but widen at what they witnessed.
"Whoa…"
"How in the…?"
A hallway stretched out in front of them. But instead of cold, damp rock or the like…they saw the beauty of the sea. Of the depths itself. For the hallway was made out of glass. The fishes swimming in schools, the predators menacingly guarding their territories. Plant life that only existed in the salty abyss of the ocean. What stood out the most however was the fortress before them. It rivaled the capital of Sekigahara, reserved for the most noble of nobles. No windows to be seen, naturally, but other than that, the rock appeared to be made out adamantite itself with how it was unbothered by the pressure around it. For a moment, all they felt was the wonder of being adventurers. Of discovering the new, no matter how deadly. But Kaguya was the first to shake herself out of it, snarling before moving forward. Her action caused everyone else to follow her.
"They may be murderers and fiends…but they know interior design," Kushinada mumbled reluctantly, earning a nod from her ally Shiki.
"When did they find the time and resources to build all of this?"
"Evilus has its ties everywhere. And I suppose they stole some ideas from Knossos," Arash figured, actually sounding impressed.
"What the devil is a Knossos?" Kushinada asked, just as the door opened that connected the glass hallway with the fortress. Opened on its own. The group tensed up, as they carefully stepped inside. When the last individual, Penthesilea that was, went past the door, the door immediately slammed shut.
The ground vibrated, and everyone could hear the mechanical whirring of gears and metal rope.
"This is a Knossos! Shit!" Kaguya snarled as she saw the walls moving in rapid speeds, forcing them all to dodge in sync.
"Do not get-"
Before Lyra could finish her sentence, the ground opened up with several pitfalls.
"-seperatedfuckmeeeee!"
That was when the actual bombs dropped into the room. They punched, kicked and headbutted them away before they could explode, but the force of them flung them around even more. That wasn't to mention the level four who didn't even dare to get close to those things, which forced them to move along the shifting walls as much as possible. With ringing in her head and the world tumbling around her, Kaguya groaned as she looked around…only to find herself alone in the dark.
"Son of a bitch…" Kaguya rolled her shoulders, frowning deeply before looking down the path before her. Just as she did so, the torches suddenly began to light up. She blinked, taking a step forward, only for another set of torches to light up in response. She spat to the side with a twitching eyebrow.
"Well, guess the fish has to bite the bait…"
With that in mind, she reluctantly walked down the path laid out for her, her blades clenched in her grasp.
/
"Ugggh…I hate fighting Evilus so much…"
"Is this a regular thing with you Orarians?"
"Kinda wish it wasn't, but what can you do."
Then Alise and Kushinada heard the clapping of several people. It was completely in sync, as they echoed through the hallways. Alise's eyes widened as she pointed the tip of her rapier forward. Youthful, with wrinkles, female, male. They were a large variety of people before them. Yet the similarity with Kaguya was uncanny. Talk about thick blood. Yet that was the least freaky thing of them all, as they moved completely the same way with their ringed eyes. Not a hint of deviation in their actions. A sweat drop slowly rolled down her forehead as she gulped nervously.
And then they actually started to talk. All at once, with the same echoing, twisted voice that Nana was supposed to possess when fighting Kaguya and Lyra.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome!"
Lyra growled, rubbing the back of her neck as Arash drew an arrow in his bow.
"You are a bit behind schedule, but we are gracious hosts!"
Ryuu stood back to back with Shiki, eyes narrowed at their opponents.
"Rejoice, for you have arrived in the most honorable funeral parlor!"
Ren exhaled, palm stretched out before him as Oryou took a protective, lowered stance with her arms open before Ryoma, whose eyes shifted between targets. Meanwhile Penthesilea huffed, already having a head in her hand as she looked down at the numerous targets. Back to Alise and Kushinada, the latter shuddered.
"I knew the Gojouno Clan was insane but this is an entirely new level of deranged…"
With an unsaid signal, the Gojouno split up between bodies, all moving seperately, yet led by one mind, as they jumped at their victims with all their might, martial skill and magic flowing out of the individual bodies like rivers being released from a dam. With their own warrior cries, the assault team answered in turn with their own radiance.
/
Unaware of any of the chaos happened in the sea, the gods' eyes didn't move away from the elevator at all. Just waiting, patiently, for something else to happen. But their focus wavered at the whimpering and crying of a certain baby.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, Auntie Ammy is here! Look look, blaaaaaa!"
"The baby is ruining the atmosphere," Tsukuyomi muttered. Astraea narrowed her eyes slightly at those words, but surprisingly Susanoo slapped the woman over the back of her head. She gasped, utterly offended by the action, only to be met by an unimpressed stare of Susanoo.
"Woman, the atmosphere is boring a shit. We just standin' here on the beach. Twiddling our thumbs."
"Perhaps I can perform my kata to pass the time," Hachiman pondered, rubbing his beard.
"Shit, I take anything at this point."
Just before the martial god could rise to his feet, a mortal with a spying glass let out a gasp of shock.
"Milady! Ship is approaching! It is bearing no colors!"
That got their attention swiftly.
"Where are they coming from?" Tsukuyomi asked, only to receive a shaking head as a response.
"Maybe we missed a tiny island. The place is big," Amaterasu suggested. Astraea frowned, folding her hands on her lap as their guards formed a protective circle around them. Whether or not they missed them didn't matter. What mattered was that Evilus was taking action now, the moment their strongest went down. Soon, the boat came to a stop. It was rather small all things considered, maybe able to fit a bare ten people on it if one was generous. The sails were furled in, only for the sailors themselves to reveal themselves.
In the robes of Evilus.
Just as they were about to step onto the beach itself, Amaterasu growled, allowing her divine aura to spread out. To her allies, it was comforting. Reassuring. A gentle warmth that even calmed Ohma from the rising tensions. Yet to her perceived enemies, it was a suffocating force, causing them to sweat furiously.
"Identify yourselves!"
"Take one step closer and I will show you what the sun feels like right up your face!"
"T-That will send you back to Heaven!" One of the cultists stammered out. Amaterasu in turn showed her teeth like a predator as she leaned forward.
"Yeah, and I'd take you up with me!"
Susanoo couldn't help but whistle. Astraea concurred, her eyes wide. She always assumed that Amaterasu was a pacifist at all. And this didn't change it, but she never expected this sort of steel. Tsukuyomi shared that opinion, blinking owlishly as she covered her mouth with her fan.
"Didn't know you had it in you."
"I have a baby in my arms," Amaterasu said dryly, causing the goddess of the moon to shrug.
"Fair enough."
Just as the pressure rose however, a calm voice pierced it.
"This distance is fine, puppets."
A female presence that commanded authority on its own washed over the field. It even made Astraea almost lower her head in reverence, same with her fellow gods. They quickly shook their heads, snapping out of it, but that it worked for just a moment…
"But milady-"
"Did I stutter?" A hand twirled outside the covers hiding her face. "My fellow gods are spectators of this event, just as me. Give them the proper respect."
The cultists lowered their heads in obedience. Then, the goddess snapped her fingers, creating a Divine Mirror. Astraea gasped as she saw Ryuu fight for her life alongside the local captain, dodging and weaving between the attacks of their assailants. A chuckle echoed in the area.
"Come on. Feel free to watch too. Are you not also curious?"
The gods scoffed at that. But given that it was pointless trying to prevent anyone spying on them, realizing that something was going on to outsiders, they summoned forth their own Divine Mirrors, overseeing the different battles, as well as Kaguya wandering through the hallway. Hachiman crossed his arms with an emotionless expression before staring at the covers.
"So the rumors were true. You are the power in the shadows that resides in the Far East…" His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"Izanami."
Susanoo, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi gaped at the information. Astraea covered her mouth, eyes wide open. Izanami. She was from a different 'sphere' than herself…but everyone knew about her. One of the oldest gods in heaven. One of the first gods to have descended. Yet she was always more a boogeywoman than anything, for she never made a name for herself. Never created a Familia worthy of legends. Instead, she was more like Ouranos. Just…not present at all to the public. And yet, here she was, joining hands with Evilus. The giggle intensified, as the cover opened up completely. Resting on some pillows as if she was inside her own personal throne room, the goddess played with her impossibly long black strands, which covered her face almost completely, only allowing her mouth to be visible.
"That's senpai to you, children. It's been a long time."