Yuuto’s eyelids slowly peeled open, unveiling the bloodshot eyeballs underneath. He found himself standing in a black void with no ground, moon, or stars in sight. He saw his own body clearly, but everything else was enveloped in impenetrable darkness. A sudden gust of cold air chilled the skin on his back. Frightened, he spun around and stumbled backwards. Yuuto’s face scrunched in horror as he saw his father standing before him, his back turned to his son.
“…Osamu?” Yuuto mumbled.
Osamu paid him no mind. He was fixated on something else entirely. The moon eclipsed the sun, shrouding everything in shadow. The eclipse was like a ring of fire floating in the blackened sky, the only light in a land of endless darkness.
A sharp pain sliced through Yuuto’s head as Osamu’s voice suddenly echoed around him. He fell to his knees, gritting his teeth in agony as his father’s screams and desperate cries suffocated him.
“No! How do we stop it?”
“I can’t just let them die!”
“I should’ve died with her!”
“What do we do now?”
“There has to be another way! Think, Osamu!”
“Someone, please help me!”
“We’re running out of time!”
“Please, show me everything! I need to see it!”
“No…I could…I would never do something so terrible!”
“That’s not me! That’s not who I am!”
“Stop! Just stop it!”
“Why won’t anyone listen?”
“Can we avoid this if I just end it here?”
“No…That can’t be. Is that really how it ends?”
“I get it. I understand it now. There’s only one path to take.”
“What else am I supposed to do?”
“There’s no future where they all survive…”
“Amaterasu…I miss you.”
“It’s all happening exactly as we saw it would…”
“Just…give me some time to think.”
“There’s really no other way, is there?”
“We can’t let them get what they want.”
“Inari gave it to me. I won’t let them have it.”
“I see. I understand now.”
“There’s no hope…”
“They’ll die, but just think about what we’ll save.”
“We can’t tell them. They’ll only interfere.”
“It passed. There’s no going back now.”
“We’ll use Tsukuyomi to do it.”
“I never wanted this, but…”
“Taeko, I’ll do it. I’ll help you with the war.”
“So this is what peace looks like. It’s beautiful…”
“Whatever it takes to achieve it…”
“A world without war, unbound by dogma and ideology…”
“Each and every sacrifice will be worth it.”
“As many lives as it takes…”
“Taeko…This is how we’ll end it…”
Amaterasu stood over Yuuto’s maimed and bloodied body, watching as he breathed through a ventilator mask on his hospital bed. The boys legs were both blown off in the blast, leaving nothing but stubs beneath his knees. His entire face was wrapped in bloody gauze and the skin on his arms were red with burns.
Kiyoko, he lied in the bed across from him, wasn’t any better. A large, black piece of shrapnel stuck out of her head like a devil’s horn. Her right hand was blown off in the blast, but because of Yuuto’s protection, she didn’t lose any other limbs.
Though they had hospital equipment in the room, the building they were in was actually a Shinto shrine. Since major hospitals were targeted in the attack, the authorities had to get creative and turn certain spaces into makeshift hospitals, including grocery stores and stadiums. The exorcists did the same with shrines and temples to treat their wounded men.
Yuuto and Kiyoko lied in the shrine’s worship hall, their beds sitting in front of a large, wooden statue of Amaterasu herself. Candles and incense burned at the base of the statue while also providing gentle light for the night. Far off from the city, the night was quiet at the small shrine. No one could hear the wails of sirens nor the whirl of helicopter blades. There were no cries of grief from grieving widows or screams of terror buried beneath rubble and ash. Instead, there were crickets and a breeze carrying the scent of smoke. For just a moment, it was easy to forget that the nation was attacked that day.
Uzume’s voice rang out from behind Amaterasu. “My lady…”
Uzume’s soft footsteps grew closer to Amaterasu, who remained fixated on the kids. Uzume sat down next to Amaterasu, her socks gliding across the polished, wooden floor.
“Who’s leading the meeting?” Amaterasu asked.
“It’s Amatsu.” Uzume said.
Amaterasu smiled. “Was that part of your plan too, Osamu?”
By sheer circumstance, Amatsu, the god of evil, found himself standing exactly where Amaterasu once stood for Osamu’s referendum. He faced the many gods of Heaven in the auditorium, noticing that some seats were empty. Even some gods had been caught up in the attack. Without Izanami on their side, they couldn’t tell if those gods had died or not.
The fervor and glee the gods had when they voted to end Osamu’s life was now entirely replaced by terror and rage. They expected Osamu to fight back, but not to the magnitude that he did.
Not one of them ever expected Osamu to be capable of something so monstrous. Each and every god sat in their seats without glassy, lifeless eyes, gazing off into space. They finally realized who their enemy was.
“Today, the world witnessed an act of unspeakable evil.” Amatsu said. Over twelve-thousand people have been confirmed dead. That count is expected to rise. Though we’ve yet to find the culprits behind this atrocity, we do know who masterminded it. Osamu Ashikaga and Taeko Akiyama.”
Amatsu looked around at the few empty seats in the room. Some of them caught his eye. “Cunning as they both are, they couldn’t have done this without help. I’m sure some of you have already noticed that the seats of Izanami, Tsukiakari, and Kagutsuchi are empty. It’s not surprising, but it would seem they’ve shown us their true colors. To make matters worse, the Shoku Twins have disappeared as well.”
Horrified gasps filled the room. Each of the gods knew just how powerful the twins were, even with the seal of Heavenly Burden pacifying them. Knowing that Osamu had the twins on his side, they feared that he would destroy the world at any moment.
“As things stand, Osamu and Taeko have multiple goddesses on their side, the power of Bloodcraft, and even the Shoku Twins. That’s not even counting whoever helped them carry out today’s attack. Their attack was meant to cripple our exorcist forces and destroy our infrastructure. Frankly, they succeeded.
“Instead of settling this matter peacefully, Osamu and Taeko opted to drag down the lives of thousands of innocent people.” Amatsu said. “They crushed our city, murdered our exorcists, and inspired our fellow gods to betray us. At this moment, Osamu and Taeko are the greatest threats to this pantheon, to the entire world.
“What happened today was no ordinary attack. It was a monstrous act of war. Osamu has no intention of surrendering Inari’s blood and heart. If he learns to use the power of Bloodcraft, the world is doomed. He’ll have the ability to shape the world into his image. We cannot let that happen.
"My fellow gods, the world calls upon the might of Heaven to eradicate this unprecedented threat, to save the world from the clutches of two mass murderers. The world calls upon us to avenge the thousands of lives stolen by their evil plans. It is our duty to answer that call. We will show them that this pantheon meets terrorism and barbarity with righteous judgement.
“It will take more than terror and bloodshed to break our nation’s back. It will take more than fear to break our spirit. As long as one of us can fight, we’ll bite and claw our way towards peace! Swallow your grief and use it to fuel the fiery rage in your bellies! We have innocents to avenge! We have a world to save! Starting today, this pantheon is at war with Osamu Ashikaga and Taeko Akiyama!
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“Even as we speak, we have exorcists conducting a nationwide manhunt for Osamu and Taeko. They have been instructed to kill Osamu without spilling his blood. Our top priority is to take the power of Bloodcraft away from him, then punish his co-conspirators. Tomorrow, I shall announce the new members of our War Council. They shall lead us through this war from start to finish.
“Prepare yourselves, everyone. We are about to embark on the most important war in our history. Good or evil? Which side will prevail?”
The gods stood from their seats in unison and raised their fists in the air. They released a thunderous, collective shout powerful enough to split the auditorium in two.
“Good shall prevail!” The gods roared.
Amatsu raised his arms like a satisfied conductor. “Then let us fight! Fight until this evil is squashed! Fight until peace is restored! Fight!”
United against evil, the gods filled the Heavens with their shouts of rage. The pantheon was now united against Osamu and Taeko. Their crimes turned them into two of the most wanted people on the face of the earth.
And yet, the gods made one mistake. They recognized they were at war, but they had yet to realize they were being led into the maw of the Third Great Holy War.
After suffering the worst terrorist attack in their history, the surviving citizens of Kyoto were left in a daze. Confused and horrified, they had no one left to turn to but their own government. Thousands of people turned their phones, radios, and televisions to a press conference held in Tokyo by the Prime Minister of Japan, Hiro Sugita.
Camera’s flashed like lightning strikes in the night as Hiro marched down the steps of the National Diet Building, surrounded by a legion of Diet members and JSDF personnel. Also accompanying him were four men in white veils and red haori jackets. It was obvious to everyone they were part of the Tokyo Exorcist Division, a smaller branch than its Kyoto counterpart.
Hiro stood at his podium in a black suit with a white tie, his short, raven hair swept back without a stray strand in sight. A grieving nation yearned for his guidance and strength. Looking out at all the cameras, knowing how many millions of terrified people were watching, Hiro took a deep breath and began his speech.
“Good evening. Our nation has lived through one of its darkest days today. In a matter of minutes, thousands of innocent lives were stolen from us. Thousands are still missing, while thousands more are forever ruined by the loss suffered today. This nation was deliberately attacked by a group that conspires to destroy it, a group led by two individuals; Osamu Ashikaga and Taeko Akiyama.
“Though they attacked civilian targets, their true goal was to cripple the Kyoto Exorcist Division. It was both an act of revenge and an act of war. Osamu and Taeko are both traitors to this nation. They carried out this attack because they believed the Japanese people could be dominated. They believed we would cower beneath their terror and suffer their evil. They are wrong.
“As I speak, our government is sharing information with the governments of South Korea, China, the Philippines, and the United States about the nature of this attack and the people behind it. Given the extraordinary nature of this attack, this government has carefully reviewed Article 9 of the Constitution and is moving to amend it. Japan has long since surrendered its sovereign right to engage in war, but never did we surrender our right to defend ourselves.
“I swear to all of the grieving families out there tonight that the whole world hears your cries. We hear your screams. We feel your silent anger. I do not offer you any prayers tonight. I offer you action. I offer you a nation ready to fight against the evil that attacked us tonight. These terrible enemies must be stopped.
“Japan and its allies will aid the Exorcist Program in every way we can until we find and destroy these two traitors and their co-conspirators. We will not rest until this wickedness is brought to justice. Starting tonight, this nation is at war with Osamu Ashikaga and Taeko Akiyama.”
Around the same time as the announcement was made, Uzume and Amaterasu received the same news from one of their own exorcist officers. After speaking to him, Uzume shut the shrine door and returned to Amaterasu’s side.
“I heard everything.” Amaterasu said, standing from her seat. “Ironic, isn’t it? Taeko always wanted Japan to re-militarize. It finally does so for the first time in decades, and it’s to go to war against her.”
“You think they knew this would happen?” Uzume asked.
“I’m willing to bet they were counting on it.” Amaterasu said, her words muffled as she covered her mouth with her hand and gazed off to the side. The veins in her temple bulged as she thought hard about everything that was happening. “No sane person would drag the whole world into a conflict this massive unless they were confident they could win.
"Osamu and Taeko have something up their sleeve and we have no idea what it is. Carrying out an attack the world couldn’t ignore and then disappearing? It’s their way of forcing us to make the first move while we’re effectively blindfolded.”
“My Lady, forgive me, but I think you should be the one to lead the pantheon during this war.” Uzume said, her voice raised. “Heaven is making a terrible mistake! I understand they’d ask you to recuse yourself from all of this, but you’re the one who knows Osamu and Taeko best.”
“Oh, please.” Amaterasu scoffed. “They’ve all been waiting for a chance like this. Make no mistake, Uzume. They may be our countrymen, but they are not our allies. The power of Bloodcraft is at stake.
“It’s a banquet invitation for every usurper and reformist in the halls of Heaven. It’s a free ticket to reshape the entire world in their image. Whoever gets it can transform their own ideology into unquestioned instinct. They need me out of the picture, otherwise their golden chance is all for nothing.”
“…No matter what happens next, Amaterasu, I want you to know that I’ll always be on your side.” Uzume said.
Amaterasu snickered and turned her head away from Uzume. “Why have you been so loyal to someone as terrible as me?”
Caught off guard, it felt as though the air was sapped out of Uzume’s lungs. She held her hand over heart, feeling its pulse beat against her fingertips. “It’s…not something I know how to explain. But My Lady, when I find the words, I want to say them to you. Will you listen?”
Amaterasu turned away to hide her teary eyes and melancholic half-smile. She almost knew exactly what Uzume wanted to say, and yet, just like her, she couldn’t quite find the words for it either.
“Of course. I’ll be here to listen to you, Uzume.” Amaterasu said.
Uzume bowed her head as she clasped her hands together. Her heart’s rhythm slowed and the air returned to her lungs. All of her unease melted away, for no matter what was coming next, she’d face it alongside Amaterasu.
Watching the Prime Minister’s broadcast on her flatscreen television, Manami sat back in her beige sofa, the Italian sun pouring through her open windows and bouncing off her marble floors. Returning from her mission in Japan, Anne marched down the hall and entered the living room, standing beside the sofa Manami sat in.
“As you can see, everything went well.” Anne said. “We’re officially at war.”
“Indeed we are.” Manami mumbled, her eye fixated on the television. “Osamu, Taeko…I hope you know what you’re doing.”
And in Wales, the time to venture into the belly of the Underworld drew near. Taeko sauntered down the black marble halls of Moonglow Castle with an opened envelope clutched firmly in her hand, her long, raven hair trailing behind her like tendrils of darkness. The stained glass lining the walls drowned the hall in a radiant glow of purple and midnight blue.
Osamu stood waiting with Izanami at his side, his back leaned against the wall and his hands in the pockets of his black jeans.
“There she is.” Osamu said, straightening his posture.
“This just came in from Anne.” Taeko said, handing the envelope to Osamu.
Osamu peeked inside and took a folded letter out of the envelope. “A letter? How?”
Taeko held up her hand, rolling a golden teleportation coin along her thumb with her index finger. “One of Manami’s many tricks.”
Osamu unfolded the letter, silently reading the cursive words within. When he was done, he folded the letter back up and slid it back into the envelope.
“What’s going on?” Izanami asked.
“The Exorcist Program have declared a global state of emergency. Japan, the United States, South Korea, China, and the Philippines have all responded to the attack. We’re officially at war with the world.”
Izanami’s eyes widened in horror. She scanned their faces with a frantic gaze, her mouth agape and her tongue turned to stone. “Osamu…you carried out that attack knowing this would happen? You deliberately started a war with the whole world? How on earth do you intend to survive this?”
“This will be the biggest gamble of my life, but I need you to trust me, Izanami.” Osamu urged. “Making sure we have an army at our disposal is a big part of making sure we survive this.”
“A gamble?” Izanami gasped. “The last gamble we took ended with Inari and Cyanide both getting killed! Your gambles are the reason we had to give our kids over to the exorcists! Gambles are why Chiya is dead!”
“The last two were calculated risks.” Taeko corrected.
“Risks that weren’t worth taking!” Izanami retorted. “Now you’re telling me we have the whole world out to get us? How can you be sure any of us are safe? How can you be sure they won’t find this castle?”
“Izanami.” Osamu said. “Trust me.”
Izanami pounded her balled hand into her forehead. “You make it so difficult, Osamu…”
Another set of footsteps echoed down the hall, startling Izanami but not Osamu or Taeko. Hima and Carmilla turned the corner and approached the group. The two royal vampires donned long, black cloaks, black jeans, and black, long-sleeve shirts. Hima in particular tucked her shirt tightly into her pants, wearing a black, leather belt with a golden buckle in the shape of the sun.
“What are they doing here?” Izanami asked.
“Osamu is just as precious to us as he is to you.” Hima said, a sly smile across her face. “I don’t doubt you’d keep him safe, but we can’t be too careful, can we? Carmilla and I will join you on this little expedition.”
“You two understand that the Underworld is the most foul place in existence, right?” Izanami said. “It’s the home of demons and monsters, the birthplace of death itself. The last time Osamu and I went down there, we almost didn’t make it out.”
“All the more reason for us to accompany you.” Hima sang. “If I am to be the queen of a new nation, I can’t just sit around and let you do all the work. It’s time for me to get my hands dirty as well.”
“I must say, this is quite a bold plan on your part, Osamu.” Carmilla said.
“I know. This could easily backfire on us, but our chances at succeeding are much better with Izanami around.” Osamu said.
Hima looked around, noticing the people that weren’t present. “I’m surprised you’re not taking Tsukiakari with you. What do your wives think of this plan?”
“I haven’t told them yet.” Osamu said.
“Izanami, you didn’t mention this to them? That’s…surprising.” Carmilla said.
“I’m doing all of this for Osamu.” Izanami sighed.
“So, what exactly will we need to do in order to make an army out of the Underworld?” Carmilla asked.
“Right, I suppose we should go over that.” Izanami said. “First, we’ll need to venture deep into the Underworld. I’ll need to reclaim my lordship over the monsters there. After Amaterasu rescued me from that place, I gave my lordship to someone else. That person rules over the demons in the Underworld.”
“That sounds remarkably simple.” Hima said.
“Except that I have no idea if we’ll even be able to make it that far down, or if lordship has already been passed down to someone else.” Izanami warned. “Given the circumstances this system started under, it wouldn’t be surprising if the lord of the Underworld was hostile to us. I left them with the worst burden possible, after all. I honestly have no idea how any of this is going to go. We could all just be marching to our deaths right now.”
“That’s rich coming from the girl who can’t die!” Hima tittered.
“Aren’t any of you taking this seriously? How are you not terrified right now?” Izanami asked.
Hima took Izanami’s hands into her own. In a split second, Izanami realized Hima was shaking. She then turned to Carmilla and saw her chest rising and falling beneath her cloak as each breath she took was deeper than the last.
“We are scared, Izanami.” Hima said. “But compared to what happens if we succeed, death is nothing. Let’s put our best into this, shall we?”
“Very well.” Izanami nodded. “Taeko, Osamu, are you guys ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s do this.” Taeko said.
Izanami summoned her scythe into her right hand as everyone gathered around her. The each placed a hand on Izanami’s body so that they’d go with her when she teleported.
“Here goes nothing.” Izanami said with bated breath. “Three, two, one…”
In a flash, everyone disappeared from the serene halls of Moonglow Castle, far away from the earth and the war that was brewing on its surface. Together with Osamu, they all ventured into the very pit of the Underworld, risking it all to wage their war against the world.