Wounded and forced to retreat, Amatsu sat in his chair at the podium of Heaven’s auditorium. The entire place was filled to the brim with shaken and terrified gods. They almost couldn’t believe what they heard from Takemikazuchi. Among the endless sea of conversation were the few gods who sat in complete silence. They didn’t say a word, but their pale faces and thousand-yard stares told the stories of gods that just had their morale shattered.

No one expected Osamu to put up such a ferocious fight. They never expected him to unleash such unprecedented chaos upon the world. Amatsu wondered what would’ve happened if the pantheon had chosen another way to obtain the power of Bloodcraft. Perhaps they could’ve allowed Osamu to live until his wives passed on from old age. When he felt he was ready to die, he could’ve handed himself over to the pantheon peacefully.

Now the entire world found itself facing an enemy far too powerful to fight. What was the world supposed to do about millions upon millions of demons swarming the planet? Amatsu had the mightiest gods at his side. He had assembled Takeminakata, Omoikane, Omononushi, and Takemikazuchi, some of the best strategists Heaven had to offer, and none of it meant a thing.

Amatsu raised his fist into the air, silencing the room. The fearful chatter died down into a grave silence, a far cry from the thunderous roars that once cheered for Osamu’s execution.

“He got us.” Amatsu said, shaking his head. He tried to stand out of his chair, only to fall back into it. He was too battered and wounded to stand. “Osamu and his allies have opened up the Underworld and unleashed every demon upon the earth. His intentions are clear as day. He wants to destroy the world. He will spare none of us.

“As it stands, the gods are completely safe here. However, cowering in Heaven’s palace means that humanity will be eradicated. Osamu will wipe everyone who worships us off the face of the earth. If that happens, we all may as well just kill ourselves. Without prayers, a god will naturally cycle out. We know this all too well.

“At the same time, we have no hope of saving the world from this onslaught, even if every god here descended upon the earth to fight back the demons. At most, we could save Japan for a short while, but once they’ve destroyed the rest of the world, they’ll concentrate all of their forces on Japan. The nation will be wiped out, and the last safe haven for humanity destroyed.

“The Underworld was protected by a third party that was trusted with lordship. To take over the Underworld, Osamu must’ve had a capable ally kill that lord and take the crown for themselves. It’s safe to say he’s been plotting for this day for a while now.

“And what choice did we really give him? Wouldn’t you have all done the same if the gods themselves wanted you dead? Wouldn’t you despise the world if it turned your children into assassins threatened to kill their mothers? This pantheon played a role in creating the devil that is Osamu Ashikaga. We ignored his humanity and thought only of our ambition and national interests.

“Look at us now. Osamu is committing omnicide, and the only options we have are to either sit within these walls and wait to be cycled out, our throw ourselves into a battle we can’t possibly win. The entire world has been humbled today, but it is far too late. All of us should be rethinking our decisions up until now.

“We should each be thinking of what we could’ve done differently. We had so many chances to stop not only this war, but each preceding war. Our own want and ambition cursed us to create a nation we hoped would reign forever. But now…we may not even see another tomorrow.”

Amatsu chuckled to himself, thinking back at the pantheon’s long, brutal history. “Why was there even a choice between rescuing Izanami from the Underworld and founding a nation? Couldn’t we have done both? Couldn’t we have reached a compromise? Some of you were alive to see the first Great Holy War. Do you even recall why this was a point of contention?

“It must’ve been so clear to you back then. It must’ve made so much sense to start a war over this perceived, ideological impasse. Now that we’re here, faced with the end of the world, can you still recall what drove you so passionately? Or has it all faded away?

“All of our conflicts, our perceived differences, all of our meager justifications to force others to accept our way of thinking…it really means nothing when you know there won’t even be a tomorrow, doesn’t it?

“Now, more than ever, we must take responsibility for all we have done. We owe it to the entire world. Every god within these walls is to prepare for battle. If we’re going to die either way, then let us die protecting the very thing we so callously fought to defend.

“We only have a slim chance of saving this world from complete annihilation. In order for our counterattack to be effective, we need to target the lord of the Underworld and strip them of the crown. I’ve elected Takemikazuchi to take control of the Underworld. He’s best suited to handle the physical burden of lordship.

“If I had to guess who Osamu chose to steal the crown in the first place, I would say it’s Izanami. Tsukiakari’s a capable fighter, but the burden would be too much for her. I also don’t see Izanami allowing her to go through that. Izanami’s the only one I can imagine being able to handle the Underworld’s crown without breaking a sweat.”

“But…Izanami can’t die. No one’s ever been able to do it.” Takeminakata said, standing at Amatsu’s side.

“We don’t need to kill Izanami, just restrain her and take the crown back.” Amatsu replied. “Once we do that, we can command the demons to stop and force them back into the Underworld. That is our glimmer of hope. There’s still time to save the world. Please prepare yourselves. We leave within the hour.”

The gods dispersed from the auditorium. Judging from the lack of cheers or applause, Amatsu knew their morale was low. There was a silent understanding they were all being sent to their deaths, for they had no choice but to launch an all-out counterattack against an invincible goddess. None could deny that Amatsu was right. The gods had to act, and they had to act quickly.

Izanami, Shinju, Taeko, Yoko, Kagutsuchi, and Amatsuki all found themselves somewhere they hadn’t been in quite a long time; the abandoned bowling alley. With the sun eclipsed by the moon, the colorful radiance of the rows of stained glass was muted. Instead, the bowling alley was shrouded in a deep darkness comparable to midnight.

Amatsuki immediately took her phone out from her back pocket and began calling Aika. Taeko took a seat in front of the colored glass, her heart still running circles in her chest. No matter how deep of a breath she took, she felt like all the air was leaking from her lungs.

What she saw while traveling through Osamu’s memories was just a sliver of the burden he’d been carrying for years up until this point, and yet, it was enough to completely wind Taeko. Osamu wasn’t just burdened by knowledge of the future, but of the past as well. He had seen humanity’s long history of war, and how it all led up to the Third Great Holy War, the conflict that would end the world.

She couldn’t imagine what a severe mental and emotional toll it took on him to experience the past and future all at once. More than ever, she regretted getting him involved in the planning for the war.

Even if it wouldn’t have changed his own decision to travel through time and see the world’s history for himself, the slim chance that it could’ve made a difference ate at her like maggots to a carcass.

Kagutsuchi sat down with Taeko, rubbing her back to help calm her down. “Are you okay?”

“This my fault…” Taeko cried. “Everyone is going to die, and it’s all my fault.”

“Osamu lied to all of us, Taeko.” Kagutsuchi said. “It’s not anyone’s fault. The way it looked to me, he had already decided what he wanted to do long before we fled Japan. Right now, we have to focus on getting our friends to safety. That’s all we can do right now.”

“There’s something I still don’t understand…” Shinju said, watching through the windows for any signs of demons. “Osamu was able to control the Underworld regardless of whether or not it had a lord. So…what was the point of having Izanami take the crown? It wouldn’t have made a difference either way, right?”

“I don’t know.” Kagutsuchi answered. “Maybe he was hoping Mom would go along with all of this willingly? Maybe he did it as a backup plan in the event he couldn’t use Bloodcraft effectively, so he could initiate Dark Dawn by controlling my mother instead of having to control the entirety of the Underworld. There’s a thousand different possibilities.”

“Shit, she didn’t pick up!” Amatsuki cried, pacing back and forth. “I’ll call again!”

“I’ll try calling Rei.” Yoko said.

“I can’t believe it’s really come to this.” Taeko said. “He was supposed to agree to a small-scale release of the Underworld’s demons. That, plus an invasion by Minavere, would’ve been enough to crush the pantheon into submission. Our ability to open up the Underworld would serve as deterrence for as long as Izanami held the crown.

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“I know it’s not perfect. Maybe the world would find a way to fight back later down the line. If that happened, we probably would’ve had to do what Osamu’s doing right now.”

“That bastard…” Shinju chided. “We risked our lives over and over for him. What was it all for? So he could make an already shitty plan even worse?”

“I wonder if Gekko can talk some sense into him.” Kagutsuchi said.

Shinju scoffed, turning towards Kagutsuchi. “And why would he listen to any of us? He used us all. He has the Shoku Twins and the nation of Minavere at his side. The vampires won’t stop him from slaughtering the human race. To them, a genocide of this magnitude is perfectly justified. Hell, if anything, he’ll probably be celebrated as a national hero because of it.

“People like Osamu and everyone following him are the reason why history is the way it is. When we abandon all sense of right and wrong and follow the flow of circumstance, we always find ourselves justifying the dogma of a tyrant, or even the destruction of an entire race. Osamu just made himself the next tyrant in the history books, yet he’s convinced himself he’ll be the last one.”

“To Osamu, morality is enslavement.” Taeko said. “It stops us from making harsh decisions, even if doing so is the only way to solve a problem. He scorned the world for not considering all of its options, including genocide.”

“Easy for him to say.” Shinju said, whispering to herself. “He doesn’t have to live with his decision.”

“Rei!” Yoko cried. “Thank god you picked up!”

Yoko’s reaction drew everyone’s attention to her.

“Yoko? What on earth is happening?” Rei asked. “People were saying Osamu and Taeko were behind that terrorist attack, that there’s a huge war going on! You guys all just disappeared and I couldn’t get in touch with you!”

“I know, I know!” Yoko said. “Rei, listen to me. Where are you right now?”

Rei took a moment to breathe and fight back her tears enough for her to speak. “I’m in Kobe right now. The government just issued a broadcast ordering the evacuation of Kyushu. They said Osamu and Taeko were sighted there and that they’re sending out monsters to kill everyone.”

Just as Rei finished her sentence, Yoko overheard what sounded like helicopters coming from her end. Judging by the sounds, it seemed the JSDF and other military forces aiding Japan were mobilizing towards Fukuoka to stop Osamu.

“Yoko…” Rei sobbed. “I don’t wanna die…”

Yoko’s lips quivered and sagged. Hearing Rei fear for her life was enough to nearly make her break down. Yoko slapped her hand over her mouth, the bowling alley filling with the sounds of her sharp breathing. She shut her eyes tight and fought to keep her composure. She knew she needed to stay calm and reassure Rei she’d survive this.

“You’re not going to die, sweetheart.” Yoko said, her voice shaking. “We’re trying to stop Osamu, but we need to make sure you and Aika are safe first. She lives in Aichi prefecture now, right?”

“Aika…” Rei began. “Aika’s in Nagasaki, I think.”

“What? Why is she in Nagasaki?” Yoko recoiled.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Shinju said. “She’s in Kyushu?”

“She and her family are visiting her in-laws.” Rei said. “They were supposed to leave today. I’m not sure if they managed to get on their flight or not.”

“Shinju, check the status of all flights departing from Fukuoka!” Yoko ordered.

Shinju wasted no time in whipping out her phone and checking the flights. “The government was in the middle of evacuating Fukuoka when Osamu attacked. Commercial flights were being used alongside military planes to get citizens out.”

“Depending on how far Osamu’s gotten, those flights might still be trying to scramble out of Fukuoka.” Taeko said.

“You haven’t heard from her? Can you reach her, Rei?” Yoko asked.

“I’ve been calling for the past few hours but I haven’t heard from her.” Rei wept. “Yoko, is Osamu really doing this? He wouldn’t, right? It’s just not him! He’d never kill so many people!”

“…Don’t worry about that right now.” Yoko said. “Rei, you need to get your things and head as far north as you can. Just get in your car and go. I don’t think this is going to stop at Kyushu.”

“What about you guys? Is everyone okay? How are the kids?” Rei asked.

“Chiya…died. Kiyoko and Yuuto are injured, but they’re alive. Everyone else is okay. I have everyone here with me right now. Gekko is still in Kyushu. She’s trying to stop all of this. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be okay. Just make sure you get out of there, okay? They’ll probably issue evacuations for your area too. Best you get ahead of all the traffic.”

“Okay…okay…” Rei said, taking deep breaths. “I’ll pack my necessities and leave.”

“Good!” Yoko said. “I’ll call you again soon to make sure you’re okay. Remember to keep your phone charged.”

“Okay. Thank you, Yoko. I love you.”

“I love you too, honey. Stay safe.”

Yoko hung up and slumped her shoulders. She was half relieved that Rei was okay, but everyone’s worries immediately shifted to Aika.

“I can take us to Nagasaki, but we have no way of knowing which airport Aika was directed to for the evacuation.” Izanami said. “It’ll be impossible to locate her in a sea of fleeing people, especially with all the chaos going on.”

“Not to mention that the military is aiding in the evacuation effort.” Taeko said. “If they see any us, we might be shot on sight.”

“What do we do, then?” Amatsuki asked.

“I…I don’t know.” Izanami sighed.

All of a sudden, the beams of golden light came pouring in through the stained glass. Shinju looked through the windows to see if the eclipse was coming to an end. Her eyes immediately widened in panic as she realized the moon was still covering the sun. The golden light was pouring in from directly above the bowling alley.

“Izanami! Shield the building!” Shinju screamed.

Izanami clasped her hands together and erected a dome of purple aura around the bowling alley just before a barrage of golden arrows came raining down upon the building. The arrows exploded against Izanami’s shield, rocking the entire neighborhood back and forth. The shaking brought the girls to their knees, unable to stand.

Yoko, Amatsuki, and Kagutsuchi screamed in terror as they linked hands, completely unaware of what was happening. When the shaking stopped, a thunderous voice came blaring from above, echoing through the air.

“We know you’re there, Izanami! Come out and face Heaven’s judgement!”

Izanami and Shinju moved towards the windows and looked up. Hundreds of gods in white robes and veils levitated in the clouded sky above the bowling alley. Takemikazuchi led the gods alongside Omoikane, Omononushi, and Takeminakata.

“The gods are here!” Izanami said.

“So they’ve come to kill us…” Taeko growled, joining Izanami and Shinju at the window.

“I bring with me the full might of the Shinto pantheon!” Takemikazuchi screamed. “For the sake of humanity, for the sake of the world, we’re taking back the Underworld’s crown!”

Takemikazuchi’s words sent chills down everyone’s spines, but they especially bothered Shinju. Her pupils shrank and her skin turned as white as snow.

“So that’s why he did it…” Shinju murmured.

“I’m going out there!” Izanami raged. “The rest of you are going back to Moonglow!”

“Izanami, no!” Yoko screamed.

Izanami turned and summoned her black scythe into her right hand. “You’ll be safe there. If you come with me, they’ll just kill you all! I’m not losing another member of this family! I’m the only one powerful enough to fight them.”

“Mom, I’ll fight them with you!” Kagutsuchi said.

“No, Kagu!” Taeko urged. “You especially need to retreat with us!”

“Why? I can help her fight them! We’re both immortal” Kagutsuchi argued. “Mom, don’t fight them alone! I’ll have your back!”

“Listen to Taeko, Kagu! I need you to go back!” Izanami roared.

The bowling alley jolted back and forth as another barrage of golden arrows exploded against Izanami’s shield, cracking it.

“The shield won’t survive another volley!” Shinju said, grabbing Kagutsuchi’s wrist. “Kagu, just come with us!”

“But why?! Mom!” Kagtuscuhi cried.

“Kagu, listen to me!” Izanami shouted. “If they manage to pierce your heart, the both of us will die! That’s why I need you to leave! If you’re not around, they can’t kill either of us!”

Kagutsuchi was stunned silent. She didn’t understand what her mother meant. To her, it all sounded like nonsense. “Why would piercing my heart kill you?”

Shinju and Taeko pulled Kagutsuchi back with them as they gathered around Yoko and Amatsuki. Izanami took a deep breath before extending her palm towards the group. Kagu kicked and screamed, trying to break free from Shinju and Taeko’s grip.

“Thank you, guys.” Izanami said. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll come back for you when this is over.”

Izanami teleported the group away from Kyoto, sending them back to Moonglow Castle in Wales. Seeing them vanish was a great relief for Izanami. Now the gods wouldn’t be able to kill any of them, nor would they discover the secret about Kagutsuchi’s immortal body.

Izanami closed her eyes, savoring the few seconds of quietude and peace she had left. She didn’t want what was to come next, but the gods were leaving her with no choice. She stared at her blurred reflection in the blade of her black scythe, and all she saw was Izanami the Cruel staring back at her.

For a split second, she smiled. She remembered the day she went on a mall date with Osamu and shopped for a birthday gift for Aika. It happened nearly a decade ago, but to her, it felt like yesterday. She recalled how Osamu chased after her after she ran away. She could almost smell the sweet aroma of the flowers he brought her.

Her heart quivered as she remembered the words Osamu shared with her that day. Izanami had suffered the effects of thousands of years of war and hatred. She understood all too well what generations of conflict could do to a person. Her own heinous actions earned her the nickname Izanami the Cruel, and despite all the effort she made to grow past her own hurt and rage, she had always felt like a monster.

But Osamu saw past that. He saw a woman trying her damndest to become a better person. It was Osamu’s love that strengthened Izanami’s resolve to be better. It was his ability to look past all the carnage that eased the agony. It was Yoko’s deep love for everyone under her roof that made the nightmares go away. It was Isabella’s laughter that reminded Izanami of what it meant to have a family.

Aika’s resurrection and the great things she did with her second chance at life, Amatsuki’s will to forgive Shinju and Taeko, Gekko’s journey to find a normal life after years of war, it all meant so much to Izanami. Her heart overflowed with pleasant memories of the people she loved.

Those memories gave her the resolve she needed. If she had to choose between the remnants of her old family within the pantheon and the family she built with Yoko and the others, she would choose the latter.

Izanami stepped outside the bowling alley, her shield fading into a shower of purple stardust. She marched onto the street with her scythe in hand and the eldritch eclipse looming behind her. The gods faced her down as the wind tugged at their veils and pulled Izanami’s raven hair over her stern face.

“So you finally show yourself.” Omoikane mocked. “It’s fair to say you’ve had this coming for a long time, Izanami.”

“This is pointless. I can’t die. Believe me, I’ve tried it a thousand times.” Izanami said.

“We don’t need to kill you to stop the apocalypse.” Omononushi said. “We need only restrain you.”

“We will not let you terrorize this planet a second time!” Takeminakata raged. “We’re saving this world from you and Osamu!”

Takemikazuchi raised his fist, signaling the gods to gather their energy and weave kuji-in signs in unison. “This is it, everyone! Us or them? Extinction or salvation? War or peace? The deciding moment is upon us! Show no mercy! Fire!”

The pantheon made its choice. Izanami made hers. Perhaps it was destined to come to this. Perhaps it all could’ve been avoided. It was far too late for regrets now. All anyone could do was fight to the death.