While Serafall and the devils chatted among themselves, Yasaka made her way back to her spot beside the table. "You were rather harsh with her," the kitsune commented slowly as she adjusted her tails behind her.
"It was necessary," Amaterasu replied simply. "I am tired of everyone trying to take advantage of us simply because we are known as a peaceful faction. I truly do not want trouble, but that has only encouraged those who do wish to exploit us to do whatever they want without fearing the consequences." The Sun Goddess pressed her lips together slightly before adding, "Especially the Biblical factions. I am tired of all their bullshit."
Yasaka let out a small sigh. "I understand very well, Amaterasu-sama. And believe me, I am growing tired of it too, especially with all the Fallen Angels who continue entering our territory."
Amaterasu nodded, the anger and resignation clearly reflected in her eyes. "I am glad that we are on the same page. I only hope you learn from all of this."
The kitsune frowned slightly upon hearing her. "W-what do you mean, Amaterasu-sama? I only..."
"Yasaka, I have known you since you were a little girl learning from your mother how to lead a faction," Amaterasu interrupted. "That is why I am telling you this." The answer caused Kyoto's ruler to open her mouth to protest, but she ultimately remained silent. After considering it for a few moments, she released another, far more resigned sigh. "Fine. Perhaps I would have considered the proposal if the conditions had seemed reasonable."
"And that is part of the problem, although it is not entirely your fault. It is also mine for being more pacifistic than I should have been," Amaterasu admitted, accepting her share of the responsibility. "I know you are always trying to prevent problems before they begin, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But avoiding conflict does not always mean yielding. Sometimes you are only giving the problem time to grow."
"Just look at what is happening with the Fallen Angels. They continue entering yokai territory to do whatever they please, despite the fact that we have asked Azazel and his companions more than a hundred times to keep their people under control. They never listen because they do not expect a serious response from us." Her expression hardened. "But when something truly serious finally happens, we will only have ourselves to blame for not acting sooner."
"You are right, Amaterasu-sama," Yasaka acknowledged while tracing a finger along the rim of her cup. The kitsune could easily imagine one of those Fallen Angels attempting to harm Kunou. The thought alone was enough to send a chill through her body and cause violent fury to begin rising inside her.
She quickly pushed the image from her mind, not wanting to cause another scene. "Still, I was surprised by the way you spoke about the Greek Pantheon."
Amaterasu looked at her curiously. "What is so surprising about it?"
"I do not know. It is simply that the way you spoke about the closeness between the Shinto and Greek Pantheons made it sound as though our factions were part of a much deeper alliance than what was publicly announced."
"That is because we are," Amaterasu replied without giving it much importance.
The naturalness of the answer caused Yasaka to raise an eyebrow slightly. "When exactly did these important negotiations between Takamagahara and Olympus take place?"
"There were no negotiations, Yasaka." Amaterasu placed her cup on the table before continuing. "Damon is far more than you know. I met him before the current world order among humans even existed."
Yasaka's eyes widened as she tried to understand what she had just heard. "That is.....wah...?"
"Yes, it may sound insane, but it is the truth," Amaterasu continued, not giving her time to finish stammering. "In fact, Damon and I are lovers. We simply decided that there was no longer any reason to continue hiding our relationship, so the closeness between our factions was the natural result."
Faced with the magnitude of the revelation, Yasaka completely lost her composure. Her golden eyes widened as she stared at her friend, trying to determine whether she had truly heard correctly.
"WHAT!? You and Damon... are lovers?"
"Lovers, boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and wife... call it whatever you want. The truth is that we have been together for many years," Amaterasu confirmed with such naturalness that she might as well have been discussing the weather.
Yasaka swayed slightly from side to side while holding her head.
"Here I was thinking that Amaterasu-sama would remain an old maid for the rest of her life, only to discover that I am the old maid." The kitsune pointed at her indignantly. "And the craziest part is that you have been with him for years and never thought to mention it. And here I thought we were friends!"
A satisfied smile appeared on the beautiful face of the queen of the Shinto Pantheon, clearly enjoying her friend's misery. "Of course we are friends, Yasaka-chan. You simply never asked."
Yasaka stared at Amaterasu in disbelief while pointing at her with a trembling finger.
"Amaterasu-sama, I asked you more than once why you disappeared for such long periods of time, and you never..." Amaterasu covered her mouth with one hand while letting out small giggles. "Do not be silly. I always told you that I was spending time with someone important," the Sun Goddess reminded her.
"Yes, but you left out the small detail of who that person was," Yasaka replied, glaring at her.
"I suppose you should have asked more questions, should you not? It is not my fault," Amaterasu answered, openly delighting in the situation.
Yasaka could only bring one hand to her forehead as she felt a headache beginning to form. The answer was so completely like Amaterasu that she did not even know where to begin complaining.
Seeing how lost she was, a playful gleam appeared in the Sun Goddess's eyes. "And since you are already so surprised, I should also tell you that Damon is the true God of Order within the Shinto Pantheon, not Ninigi. That is why his existence has always been of vital importance to us."
Yasaka stopped complaining immediately. "What did you just say?"
"His relationship with me and his position within the pantheon were never publicly known," Amaterasu explained. "Even among human records, only a few scattered references remain. Most of them are connected to his katana and ancient stories that survived in regions far from Japan."
Amaterasu paused briefly, allowing Yasaka to process the information.
"Outside our closest circle, very few know the truth. Both the human world and much of the supernatural world only possess fragments of the story. Some even believe that his katana was simply the first weapon of its kind known in Greece, without understanding the true connection that existed between Damon and our pantheon."
Yasaka considered the explanation with obvious surprise. On more than one occasion, she had wondered why certain ancient stories connected to Greece mentioned a sword resembling a katana, but she had never considered that those tales might hide such a direct connection to the Shinto Pantheon.
"Then those references were not simple coincidences," she murmured while organizing her thoughts. "Damon truly formed part of our history long before most humans even knew of our existence."
"That is correct," Amaterasu confirmed. "His bond with us is ancient, but the truth was always restricted to a very small group. Over time, much of that information was either lost or interpreted incorrectly."
Yasaka remained silent for several moments. Learning that the current King of Olympus also held a position within the Shinto Pantheon was genuinely astonishing.
It was not completely impossible for the same deity to be interpreted differently by several religions. Considering that thousands of belief systems existed around the world, that type of confusion had occurred more than once. However, among the largest and best-known mythologies, it was extremely rare for a god to possess domains and recognition within two different pantheons.
That elevated Damon to an even greater position within the supernatural world. Not only did he possess his own history within Japanese mythology, but he was also the lover of the leader of the Shinto Pantheon.
"I suppose that also explains why you spoke of his interests as though they were part of ours," she finally commented.
"Exactly. Damon is as Greek as he is Japanese in the eyes of many of us. The only problem is that the rest of the world does not know that yet," Amaterasu replied with complete naturalness.
The Sun Goddess remained silent for several seconds, considering her next words. "In fact, I have been thinking about building a temple for him in Kuoh."
Yasaka blinked, taken by surprise once again. "Uhh... a temple?"
"Yes. Now that the devils have lost their influence over the city, it would be a good way to publicly recognize his position within our pantheon." Amaterasu rested one hand on the table before continuing. "It would not have to be anything extraordinary. A proper shrine, a statue, and a few records explaining part of his history would be enough."
A small smile appeared on the Sun Goddess's face. "We could even attribute the discovery to a random human..... I do not know, perhaps we could guide one toward the correct information. I am certain humans would go insane over something like that. I believe the ones who are always studying us and other mythologies are called mythologists, are they not?"
Yasaka immediately understood the political value of the idea. A temple dedicated to Damon would not only recognize his Domain over Order, but would also make it clear that Kuoh was no longer under devil influence.
Furthermore, introducing new discoveries into the human world could gradually attract more interest toward Shinto. Important findings related to ancient religions were becoming increasingly rare, causing many people to lose interest in mythology. And in the end, no deity wanted to be forgotten.
"In fact, it could be a very good move, Amaterasu-sama," Yasaka admitted. "Although temples are no longer what they were centuries ago. Each human generation seems to believe in us less."
"I know," Amaterasu replied with a small sigh. "Many visit our shrines out of tradition, tourism, or simple curiosity. They ask for good fortune without truly believing that anyone is listening."
"That does not mean they have lost all their value," Yasaka pointed out. "Even when there is no genuine worship, those places still preserve names, stories, and customs. A temple dedicated to Damon could revive some interest in Shinto within Japan."
A faint smile appeared on Amaterasu's face. "Exactly. I am glad you understand my point."
Yasaka nodded slowly. She had already begun considering possible locations within Kuoh when she heard light footsteps rapidly approaching through the corridor. The door suddenly flew open, and a yellow-and-orange blur rushed inside at full speed.
"Amaterasu-sama!!!"
It was none other than Kunou, who appeared inside the room with a radiant smile. Although she attempted to retain some of the composure expected from Kyoto's princess, her excitement defeated any attempt to enter calmly. Her tails waved behind her as she ran directly toward the Sun Goddess.
Amaterasu barely had time to turn before Kunou stopped in front of her, her eyes filled with excitement. "I did not know you had come! Mother did not tell me anything."
"Kunou! We are busy with a meeting," Yasaka scolded, trying to maintain a serious tone despite her daughter's obvious happiness. "Besides, you should knock before entering. That behavior is not like you."
Kunou straightened her back as she remembered her manners. She quickly adjusted her clothes and performed a small bow, attempting to recover the dignity expected from a princess.
"My apologies, Mother. I heard that the meeting had ended, and I wanted to greet Amaterasu-sama."
The small kitsune tried to sound formal and regal, although her tails continued moving from side to side with far too much energy for anyone to believe that she was being completely serious.
Amaterasu smiled and placed a hand on top of her head. "You may call me Auntie when no one important is watching, Kunou."
The young kitsune immediately raised her head. "Then, Auntie Amaterasu!"
Before Yasaka could correct her again, a second figure appeared in the doorway. Kuroka stopped as she crossed the threshold. The playful smile she normally wore disappeared for an instant when she saw Amaterasu inside the room. Her eyes widened slightly, and her body tensed by reflex.
After encountering Serafall in the corridor, part of her had feared that the Maou had come for her head. Seeing the leader of the Shinto Pantheon now sitting beside Yasaka caused her mind to begin analyzing the situation rapidly.
However, Kunou was calm. Yasaka showed no concern either, and Amaterasu did not appear displeased by her presence.
Within seconds, Kuroka understood that she was not in danger. Her posture relaxed, and a sincere smile replaced the brief tension on her face. She then bowed deeply and respectfully before both leaders.
"Yasaka-sama. Amaterasu-sama."
Amaterasu observed the Nekoshou closely. Her expression softened upon seeing that she was healthy. "Kuroka. I am glad to see you."
The response caused the Nekoshou's ears to rise slightly. "I am also very happy to see you, Amaterasu-sama," she replied sincerely. Her usual playful tone gradually returned. "I must admit, I did not expect to find you here. This shrine is full of surprises today, nya."
The final word was accompanied by a brief glance toward the corridor through which Serafall had departed.
Yasaka immediately understood the reference. "I imagine you encountered Serafall."
Kuroka maintained her smile, although her eyes narrowed slightly. "We crossed paths for a few seconds. For a moment, I thought she had come to take me back to the Underworld."
Kunou immediately clung to one of her arms. The expression on her face became serious, or at least that was what the girl attempted to show.
"Do not worry, Kuroka. I would not have allowed them to take you anywhere." The small kitsune's firmness caused Kuroka to lower her gaze toward her. A playful, amused expression appeared on her face as she stroked the girl's hair and ears.
"I know, little princess. And I thank you for that."
"Nothing would have happened," Yasaka added. Her voice left no doubt about her position. "Kuroka, you are under our protection as long as you remain in Kyoto. You do not need to worry."
Amaterasu nodded in approval. "Serafall was intelligent enough not to try anything foolish."
Kuroka's shoulders fully relaxed after hearing both women. She trusted Yasaka, but receiving direct confirmation from Amaterasu granted her a level of security that even the Nine-Tailed Fox Queen could not replicate. As long as the Sun Goddess supported her presence, very few within the supernatural world would dare touch her.
Kunou quickly recovered her enthusiasm and looked back toward Amaterasu. "I was showing Kuroka around the shrine. I also showed her the garden, the main hall, and my favorite place near the pond."
"Kunou is truly a wonderful hostess," Kuroka commented with an amused smile. "She knows every corner better than the guards themselves, nya."
Kunou lifted her chin slightly with pride. "It is my responsibility to know the territory that I will one day have to protect."
The response caused Yasaka to smile with obvious pride. Amaterasu also looked at her approvingly before patting her head again. "That is a good way to think."
And just like that, Damon and the affairs of the supernatural world temporarily faded into the background. Kunou settled beside Amaterasu and began excitedly telling her everything she had done during the day, while Kuroka also made herself comfortable, shamelessly stretching her limbs for the amusement of the two women present.
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Thank You for Reading )
P@treon: Brotato
Words: 2650