Chapter Text
Countless gods were gathered, for today is the trial of a prisoner. Lady Kamuhitsuki raised the curtains of her audience chamber, indignation plain as day upon her face.
“Bring forth the accused.” the commanded.
A procession of priests and priestesses came forward, chanting as they held onto golden chains. They dragged along a muscular man with long unkempt black hair. He wore only ragged black pants. The flesh of his shoulders down to his hands were dark purple, and he had similar purple marks around his eyes. The chains bound his arms behind his back. Once he stood in a circular platform, the priests and priestesses pulled the chains taut, forcing him to his knees.
A small god then flew to sit beside Lady Kamuhitsuki. Pulling a scroll from his kimono, he began to unfurl it. After a moment, he put reading glasses on.
“The accused is to be sentenced for the following: theft of divine artifacts, defilement of sacred ground, corruption of a holy fountain, gross misuse of a demonic weapon, and…” he began reading, growing more concerned as he went.
“Why do you hesitate?” Kamuhitsuki asked.
“Is…is this charge correct, my lady?” he asked.
“All is as recorded by an eye witness. Continue.”
“Very well. Finally…he is charged with three hundred counts of…deicide…” the god read aloud, making many spectators gasp and others faint.
“Have you anything to say for yourself?” Kamuhitsuki asked the prisoner.
“These chains cannot bind me forever, and once I am free…I will kill every last one of you! The gods will pay for what they have done to us mortals!” he roared.
“Your lack of remorse is all the proof I need to know how to deal with you. You shall be executed, here and now! By my own hand! Bring me the Hamayumi!” Lady Kamuhitsuki roared.
That got the gods into an uproar of approval. Another group of priestesses brought a great bow decorated with sakura blossoms to her along with a sacred arrow. Drawing back the string, the arrowhead began to glow with a brilliant light. Loosing it, the arrow pierced right through the man’s chest. No wound was left behind as he lurched forward, going limp. All was silent. The man then suddenly roared back to life, suddenly jerking forward causing the priests and priestesses holding his chains to be yanked down. The slack in the chains allowed him to get free and leap at Kamuhitsuki, reeling back his fist to throw a punch. His fist collided with a farming hoe, stopping the blow in its tracks. The one holding the tool was Princess Sakuna. With a flick of her wrist, she spun the hoe and knocked the man flying back to the floor.
“Lady Sakuna! You said that you were too preoccupied with your harvest to attend the trial…” Kamuhitsuki gasped, looking quite relieved to see her.
“If I had known that he were capable of killing gods then I would not have brushed off your invitation. I came as soon as Kokorowa told me about his crimes. Still, I did not think a mortal would be capable of deicide, much less being unharmed by the Hamayumi.” Sakuna replied.
The man got to his feet and roared angrily, prompting Sakuna to leap down and counter another attempt to leap at Lady Kamuhitsuki.
“I am Princess Sakuna, daughter of Lord Takeribi the warrior god, and daughter of Lady Toyohana the harvest goddess! If it’s a fight you want, then I shall be your opponent!” Sakuna cried, aiming her hoe at him as she brandished a sickle in her other hand.
“You shall be the first!” the man roared.
The two locked in combat and Sakuna had zero issue with parrying and blocking attacks. That said, this man did still hit way above any mortal Sakuna had crossed weapons with before. Strangely, any wound she made on him began sealing immediately with no trace. His rage only grew and grew as their fight escalated. He slipped through her guard, making her gasp as he tackled her through the wall of the chamber into a free fall. The two exchanged many blows as they fell through the air, eventually smashing into a fruit cart. The two then leapt out, stared one another down, and charged once more.
The man’s eyes began turning red as their fight destroyed columns, broke doors, desecrated altars, and shattered walls. Sakuna’s patience with this mortal was growing thin very quickly.
The fight continued until it smashed through to the mountaintops leading to the Lofty Realm. Finally, the man’s arms ignited with dark flames as his canine teeth became sharp and elongated.
“...! It is clear how a mortal committed deicide now. You are possessed by a demon.” Sakuna spoke, readying to continue with greater caution.
“Princess, something is not right. Were he merely possessed then we would be able to leave permanent injury upon him.” Tama warned her.
“Noted.”
The two continued to fight, destroying part of the mountains as they went. He was hitting much harder now, and a purple stain was being left on Sakuna’s clothes where his fists struck. Roaring angrily, he unleashed a violent blast of flame that Sakuna cut in twain…when the blade of her sickle cracked.
“Tama?!” Sakuna gasped.
“This malevolent power…! Princess, this man is not possessed! He is…!” Tama began to tell her when Sakuna’s sickle shattered, causing her to take the man’s fist to her jaw, sending her flying.
“TAMAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Sakuna screamed as she flew into the ocean of clouds, the man in hot pursuit.
Everything went dark. All Sakuna could tell was that she hurt all over. Too much to be dead anyway. Opening her eyes, she was in a rather rickety hut. Bandages covered just about every inch of her. Tama’s hilt and blade, broken in two once more, lay just inches from her. She tried to reach over and every fiber of her being hurt as if someone were sticking every inch of her flesh with a hot iron.
The door to the shack then opened and who should enter but Myrthe. Only, her hood was missing, letting down long flowing golden hair. Sakuna had not seen her in years. In her hands was a bucket with water in it. Kneeling down beside her, Sakuna wanted to ask so many questions but lacked the strength. Using a dropper, she began strategically placing droplets of water around Sakuna’s face. It burned even worse somehow, making her cry and writhe, but it hurt too much to actually scream.
“Ssh. Easy, Sakuna. You’ll be able to speak soon. Curses as strong as the one afflicting you aren’t easy to heal. You are very fortunate to be a god. This level of infection would have taken the life of ordinary men.” Myrthe told her in perfect Yanato.
After several hours of excruciating agony…Myrthe began to move on to Sakuna’s torso, dripping water onto her. Sakuna had no concept of just how long she was in pain as Myrthe moved body part to body part. At some point she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, her body hurt way less. A dull aching pain at worst. Her bandages were brand new, so at some point in her slumber Myrthe must have changed them for her. Sitting up hurt a lot, but she had to check on Tama. Touching the handle of his hilt, the wood felt rotted in a way.
“Tama… Please… Talk to me.” she pleaded, though her throat felt strained as she did so.
She received no response, making her shed a tear. The door then opened, startling her. The man who entered was dressed as a ronin, wearing a dark purple kimono, a long raggedy red scarf, clogs, and a ronin gasa hat. At his hip was a sword in a simple black scabbard. He was carrying a small worn kitchen knife and approached her.
“S-Stay back…” she squeaked out.
The man knelt down by her and placed the knife on top of Tama’s hilt.
“Noble spirit, I beseech you to take refuge within this meager vessel. I know that your powers shall be left behind, but once your original vessel is purified we shall restore you at once.” the man spoke to Tama’s hilt.
“Purified?” Sakuna questioned.
Light then entered the man’s knife, allowing Tama to manifest.
“Tama…!” she gasped.
“I thank you, stranger. I fear that I would not have been able to avert corruption much longer.” Tama sighed.
“Who are you? Where is Myrthe?” Sakuna questioned.
“You may call me Mirou. I’m just a wandering ronin. Well. Least I was , till I washed up here. I’ve been stuck ever since. It’s thanks to Myrthe that we have this safe refuge.” he introduced himself.
Sakuna fought to her feet, but inevitably gave in and had to have Mirou help her walk. She clutched Tama’s new knife vessel to her chest protectively. It was just too painful to do much else on her own at the moment. Once outside and her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she saw that she was in a small settlement on the top of a mountain. It was roughly in the center of a great island that made Hinoe look like a sandbar in comparison.
“Where…are we, Tama?” Sakuna questioned.
“A place that even I have never been to before, my lady. Your father believed it to be a myth after spending decades searching the Lofty Realm for it. We are on the island of Shiranui, where a great demon was once brought to heel by the Primordial Wind God.” Tama answered.
“Miss Sakuna, I see you have already met Mister Mirou.” Myrthe spoke as she approached.
“So I didn’t imagine it. It really is you, Myrthe.” Sakuna smiled.
“You’ve grown so big since I last saw you, Miss Sakuna. I almost did not recognize you.” Myrthe giggled.
“C-Come on, I’m an adult already. Surely you’re imagining things.” Sakuna groaned.
“No, she is quite right, princess. You have grown quite a bit taller since last you saw her. I personally attribute your growth spurt to maturing in our time on Hinoe.” Tama smiled.
“Not you too, Tama…”
“Oh, you’re blushing.” Myrthe teased her.
“Wait! What happened to that man?!” Sakuna gasped.
“Oh, yes, we did find someone else washed up with you on the beach. He did not appear wounded, but his skin had severe curse marks similar to you, Miss Sakuna. A strong force seethes inside of him, fueled by an unending hatred towards the gods.” Myrthe replied.
“Where is he?” Sakuna asked.
“Hunting. He said that our food stores will run out sooner rather than later, which unfortunately is something I cannot disagree with. I do not have your natural gift for farming.” Myrthe sighed, looking sad.
“Tama. You said something about him before I lost consciousness. What was it?” Sakuna asked her familiar.
“Oh yes. That man is neither a mortal nor a demon, but something between. His hatred is transforming him into a demon, but his ironclad will is preventing his body from completing the transformation. It makes him indelibly dangerous as his body and soul are locked in a state of purgatory. More than likely it makes his mood and personality unstable as well. The aratama energy radiating from his transforming body can inflict powerful curses. Such as the one that now afflicts you, princess.” Tama explained.
“Come to think of it…I can’t feel any of my power. Like I’ve been severed from Hinoe altogether.” Sakuna stated, struggling to flex her fingers.
“Yes. I can cure the curse in time, but with how deeply ingrained it is I cannot say how long it will take. It could be years, perhaps even decades, before I can completely remove it.” Myrthe told her.
“Well isn’t that dandy…” Sakuna groaned.
“I will treat your body again before bed. For now, please, just rest.” she instructed.
Once morning came, Sakuna could at least walk again. She joined Myrthe and Mirou in the main house for breakfast…where she came face to face with that man again. He did not look any more thrilled to see her than she was to see him. Even so, he kept civil and remained seated with his legs crossed rather brutishly. Sakuna sat down across from him. Their gazes were locked together in shared animosity.
“Now, I understand that you two do not exactly see eye to eye, as Sakuna is a goddess. That said, all of us here are in the same boat so to speak. We cannot leave no matter how we try, and demons are everywhere on the island. If we are to find some means of leaving then we must all work together. I won’t ask you to be friends, but I will ask you to set aside your differences. Introduce yourselves, formally.” Myrthe insisted.
“He killed over 300 gods…” Sakuna growled.
“Soon to be more…” the man snarled.
“Enough of that, both of you. Surely there must be a way for you to see one another’s motivations. So begin with your names. Please? For me?” Myrthe pleaded, looking at Sakuna in particular.
“...Sakuna.” she grumbled, admitting defeat.
“Asura.” he huffed dismissively.
“Sakuna, and Asura. Good. Please, shake hands and share a meal together.” Mythre giggled.
“Don’t push your luck, lady.” Asura growled.
“I am not touching that psychopath.” Sakuna scowled.
“If you don’t…no food for either of you.” Myrthe told them, all with a smile on her face.
In the name of food, the two begrudgingly shook hands. Only then did Myrthe allow the group to begin eating breakfast.
“Hohoho. Despite their differences, it would appear that both are similar in being ruled by their grumbling stomachs.” Tama chuckled.
“We’re nothing alike.” both barked.
“Now, Miss Sakuna. Thanks to Mirou’s scouting around the mountain we have found a field perfect for farming crops. He has already gone to the trouble of making an irrigation system thanks to the mountain’s circulating water flow.” Myrthe told her.
“Really?” she asked, in spite of having her mouth full.
“Living on the road, you learn a lot of stuff. Course it does help that my folks used to tinker with stuff all the time.” Mirou chuckled.
“What about the demons?” Sakuna asked.
“Ah, small fry are a piece of cake. The big ones I’m careful to steer clear of though. Any smart ronin knows not to press their luck if they can help it.” he answered, looking confident in himself.
“A mortal capable of cutting down demons…?” Sakuna questioned, looking quite skeptical.
“I’ve got my sword to thank. Made by a real piece of work. Guy demanded I toss my old sword in favor of the one he made on the spot. Doesn’t look like it’s anything special at a glance, but boy howdy can it cut. This all happened after the guy spent a good few minutes insulting me. The nerve, right?! Can’t remember his name, but he said he’s looking for a way back to the Lofty Realm.”
“That sounds like Kinta.” Sakuna stated.
“Quite. It is pleasing to hear that he is doing well, assuming it is him.” Myrthe smiled.
The meal continued on in a strange peace. Up until Sakuna couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
“Hey. How come you hate gods enough to want to kill them?” Sakuna asked Asura.
“I see no reason to tell you.” he replied coldly.
“Please, Mister Asura. We are all friends here, no matter our origin. Can’t you share at least a little of yourself?” Myrthe implored him, gently touching his shoulder.
“...”
“Please?”
“From birth my entire life has been plagued by the whims of gods. No matter how well I try to do for myself, they always find some means to meddle. If not for their flippant interference in the lives of mortals…forget it.” he grumbled.
“It seems that his hatred for the divine may indeed possess some merit. To go as far as deicide still seems extreme to me, however.” Tama stated.
“For what it is worth, I also do not believe in meddling in the affairs of mortals if I don’t plan to follow through. If you stick your nose in you better be ready to take responsibility. Mortals are much like dogs once they get attached.” Sakuna sighed.
“...A rare stance, coming from a goddess.” Asura stated.
“Lady Sakuna is well aware of how fragile mortals are. For quite a time she lived with them on the island of Hinoe. She began to understand just how strong a mortal’s fortitude can be. She hunted for them, gathered materials for them, and even worried for their safety. One might even say she grew to love them.” Tama explained.
“T-Tama, that’s laying it on thick, don’t you think?” Sakuna grimaced, despite blushing.
“I love you too, Lady Sakuna.” Myrthe giggled.
“Didn’t think a god could turn that color of red.” Mirou snickered.
“S-Shut up!” Sakuna cried.
After their meal was over, Myrthe showed Sakuna to the field. It was conveniently just down the hill from her hut. It was in rough shape, sure, but still salvageable. The irrigation system Mirou had built was quite solid at the least, so leaks from the stream should be quite improbable. The warehouse, as makeshift as it is, had a few pouches of rice seedlings inside. Perfect.
“Tama. With these I can build influence over this island, correct?” Sakuna asked.
“Correct. With your power lost and my blade broken yet again, you will need to reestablish your divinity in whatever way that you can. Tying yourself to the land with harvested crops is a good start.” Tama nodded.
“Good. I shall begin tilling the field immediately.” she nodded.
“Lady Sakuna, you are still recovering your strength. Rest.” Myrthe scolded.
“If I don’t till the field I won’t be able to plant the seedlings.” she grumbled.
“Save it for another day. Come. I will treat your curse marks again before bed.” Myrthe insisted, pulling her along.
“Uuuuuuuuugh, fine…you win…”
Morning came swiftly and Sakuna actually felt a bit more energetic. She could get up on her own at least. After stretching, she made her way down to the field.
“Huh?!” she exclaimed upon seeing it.
As if by some miracle, the field was completely tilled. No rocks, no thick dirt clumps, in perfect condition for seedlings. Mirou then came up the hill.
“Mornin’. Something wrong?” Mirou greeted her.
“T-The field has already been tilled. Did you do this by chance?” Sakuna asked him.
“Me? Nah. Farmwork is probably one of the few skills that’s not in my utility belt. Come to think of it though, Asura was grumbling about going to lay down because his back was sore…” he answered, putting a finger to his chin.
“ That god-killing gorilla? Did he stay up all night tilling? Why would he do that for me? ” Sakuna thought to herself.
“Mayhaps that Asura fellow isn’t as bad as he appears.” Tama chuckled.