This story isn't dead. Like many of my other stories, I will come back when I have the time to write.
Interlude "Earth's Gods Descend"
"Are you all idiots?!" screamed Rory Mercury at the Japanese Nation Diet that was currently having an public open hearing regarding a petition for assistance by Falmart refugees currently living on Japanese occupied Alnus Hill
The listening politicians and staff clutched their ears as Rory's screaming became further enhanced by the microphone she had been speaking in.
Senator Kouhara Mizuki removed her hands from her ears and blurted, "Wh-What did you just say–"
"I asked if you were stupid, little girl," Rory replied in a condescending tone.
"That, that's terribly rude. Why do you say I'm an idiot?"
"Well, isn't that an idiotic question." Rory looked at the woman. "We have gone over the same question and answer for several hours already. Your infantry, armored vehicles and aircraft couldn't put a scratch on a single monster! The dozens of dead, hundreds of wounded, the loss of several armored vehicles and aircrafts came about not because the 'bad decision' of the current ruling party nor due to the JSDF 'mishandling of the situation'. There was nothing they could do. You are a stupid senator if you cannot accept the facts. If everyone here is as much of an idiot as you are, I am surprised how you were able to achieve your position, little girl."
"You don't seem to know how to speak to your elders, little girl."
"Little girl? Were you referring to me, by any chance?"
"Who else could I be speaking too?"
"Chairman!" shouted Itami as he rose from his seat.
"Witness Itami, do not speak without the express permission of this office!"
"I'm very sorry about that, but I feel Senator Kouhara has made a grave mistake..."
"Witness Itami."
Rory bit her lips and stared at Itami before returning to her seat. Her eyes seemed to be saying, "Don't interfere with me."
"Eh~ Senator Kouhara, and all ladies and gentlemen present. You may not believe this but Miss Rory Mercury is older than everyone present."
"What? To think she could be older than myself?"
The incredulous speaker was a heavyweight member of the Conservatives. He was 87.
"Yes, she is."
A disturbance swept across the Chamber, along the lines of "What nonsense is this?"
Someone even proposed that they ask the witnesses their age. However, someone else on the panel said, "It would be rude for us to directly ask a lady's age," so they had to let Senator Kouhara handle it.
"Then, how old are you?" asked the Senator.
"I am 961 years old," Rory replied slyly.
Even the senator fell silent with the rest of the room.
"Is she immortal?" someone asked.
At this point, another female voice rang out, asking how old the other witnesses were.
"I'm 165 years old," Tuka answered.
The male councillors shuddered, while the female ones swallowed. She was as beautiful as sculpted crystal, and she would stay that way forever, Tuka was a being of overwhelming beauty, radiating an aura of perfection that every other woman would strive desperately to achieve. That fact was driven further home now.
Everyone held their breath when they asked Lelei the question, and when she replied "I am 15," the men all sighed in relief. For these men, who equated youth to beauty, they would have to seriously rethink the way they looked at the Falmart.
After this, Lelei began her explanation for everyone in attendance.
According to Lelei, the Humans on the Falmart could live to an age of 60 to 70 years, health permitting. Most of the people on the Falmart were Humans.
The realization that the Humans on the Falmart were similar to themselves drew some consternation from the politicians, and it allowed them to relax a little.
Tuka, on the other hand, was one of the so-called undying Elves, and as one of the rare High Elves, her lifespan was so much longer than that of a regular Elf that she was effectively immortal.
Rory was not human either, but a demigod, which was to say she was a divine being incarnated into a flesh and blood body. Although she was immortal now, she had once been a human, and her physical age was frozen at the time when she had ascended to demigodhood. After a thousand years, she would cast aside her cloak of flesh and become a true god. In other words, the concept of age did not matter to her.
After hearing this, Kouhara wanted to grab her head and scream. Earlier, she herself had said that juniors should respect their elders. Her mouth, which had so proudly scathed older members of the Diet, was now unable to speak from embarrassment.
Laughter erupted and echoed throughout the room.
"This is very amusing to watch," said a figure as they materialized into the room. "If you mere mortals had you fun…" The room suddenly became chilly. "It is time for my questions to be answered."
"Who are you?" asked Rory in a serious tone while reaching for the familiar weight of her absent weapon.
"Everyone in this room should know," giggled the figure as their appearance fully formed so that everyone could see them. Their large, golden fox tails swishing around behind their back. "I am Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun, and Chief God of this land."
"Itami, didn't you say that your world doesn't have gods?" sputtered Rory.
"That was supposed to be the case…" Itami stammered under the pressure emitted by Amaterasu's divine aura.
"That is a complicated topic," Amaterasu giggled, "but we were in a state of death-like state until the Gate appeared."
"We?" Everyone in the room wondered in their minds.
"Stop hiding in the shadows," Amaterasu rolled her eyes as she glanced at certain directions in the room. "Come on out, Odin, Shiva, Jade Emperor, Zeus!"
This is happening on Gate!Earth (not Fate!Earth) straight after Tuka is rescued, the Fire Dragon is killed and Rory meets Itami. It is an open hearing happening at the National Diet (Japanese version of America's Capitol Hill) with Falmart inhabitants: Rory, Tuka and Lelei appearing at the Diet.
Also important take away! The monster that Rory was referring to this release is not the Fire Dragon. It is a Phantasm Species from Fate!Earth that the JSDF had the back luck of coming across
What do you guys think about what you read? Is it good, bad or meh? Any recommendations to improve? Please let me know.
Thank you for reading!