He won.
Even as they feel the Kotoamatsukami's presence leave, even as the barrier surrounding their arena comes down, it's still processing.
Amaterasu doesn't suspect it will for a while longer.
Right. She didn't doubt him at all! It's just, you know…she didn't expect it?
Okay, that sounds bad, but really it's nothing like that!
"M-My, um, m-my lady?" Omoikane stuttured out in a hush whisper at her side as he continued staring up the arena, his next practically locked in place, even as his glasses were halfway down her face, "Forget the explanation, what are we…supposed to do now?"
For one, her advisor, the actual God of Intelligence and Wisdom, was stumped.
Even in his most ridiculous moments, he usually had something to offer, even if it wasn't the greatest idea.
But now? Nothing.
Yeah, that tracks. She has no idea what to do about this either.
Uzume, at her other side, looked just as gobsmacked.
Around her, the other high-ranking Kami of her court stared with similar sets of expressions.
Even the masses that had gathered beneath the area were completely shocked and utterly still and silent.
Something like this has never happened before.
The Kotoamatsukami don't even fight, or at least, before her son turned up and got into it with one, she didn't think they did!
Even when the Primordials of other Mythological Systems would hit the battlefields during the Great War like a natural disaster, they never stirred.
Granted, it's not like Japan and the Shinto were ever attacked by an outside Primordial God before, but the threat there was never zero.
Yet they stirred not even a little bit.
She barely understands why the Kotoamatsukami are being a bit more active than usual now.
Sure, as he just proved, Nori is in a league of his own amongst them now.
Even when he's not accessing that power, he's still a force to be reckoned with against some of the stronger gods!
But that can't be all right?
Well. Whatever plans they may have had for him, she wishes them the best in trying to force him to do anything now.
Her mind sharpens as a golden light steps off the edge of the arena.
Like a dewdrop falling off a serene leaf, the point of golden light gently descends from the arena, heading down for them.
As it falls, that golden light rapidly begins to grow smaller and dimmer.
Until he touches the ground before them, not a lick of golden light left, no aura or anything, just the regular old Nori.
"I think I did pretty well." Nori muses with a smile in general.
Ama had to resist the urge to smack him over the head and tell him not to be a cheeky little brat after pulling off something like that.
Or maybe he deserves being able to talk like that, because he did pull it off. She supposes that's something to be smug and prideful about.
In the modern day, gods are rarely truly threatened. The only thing that could really kill Primordial Gods was other Primordials, or the scarce few monstrously strong gods, like Thor or Lugh.
In the modern day, that number has grown, and it would appear her son has joined their number.
Huh. Now she just wants to cuddle him and tell him how proud she is, damn it!
Fortunately, her gridlock on deciding just what they were supposed to do now is shared by everyone else around her.
Even Uzume. They all heard what he said, and yet, not a single peep.
After a moment of that, Nori rubs the back of his head, this small, almost awkward smile stretching across his face. At the same time, his sword just abruptly vanished from his other hand in a small flash of light.
"Tough crowd. Oh, well." He sighs, waving them all off.
She isn't the one who starts what happens next.
No, to her shock, it's Uzume.
Nori perks, his gaze drifting to her, as she suddenly drops onto her hands and knees and bows deeply into a full-on kowtow.
"Uh…?" Nori starts letting only, only to be silenced in turn, as Uzume seems to have started a chain reaction.
The other gods around her began following her lead. It started as a trickle, one at a time, and another kami would join the bow.
But very quickly, it became more than that.
In seconds, all the kami around her were bowing.
The masses surrounding the palace fell to their knees in tidal waves, following along even more fervently.
Not a word had been uttered, yet Nori couldn't have appeared more gobsmacked.
Well now.
It would be rude of her not to follow suit, wouldn't it?
As their Chief Goddess, kowtowing isn't something she can do, but…
She met his eyes and smiled.
Seeming to sense what she was about to do, he gave her a look which practically begged her not to.
Too bad~!
She clasped her hands in front of her waist, one over the other, straightened her back, and bowed.
Her smile never left, even as Nori let out a strangled breath, likely trying to comprehend what exactly he was seeing.
Though now that they got this far, she started wondering…
When are they supposed to stop?
Huh.
She doesn't know.
…Clearly, Uzume is the one to blame for this! Damn it!
~ A New Sun ~
How the hell is one supposed to react when you've got basically an entire realm full of gods bowing for you?
I'd look it up on Google, but somehow, I don't think I'd get an answer.
No, seriously, I have no fucking idea what to know right now.
I look back and forth, seeing every kami besides my mother on their hands and knees, kowtowing. Beyond the sole exception, they're all doing it.
Without even so much as a twitch or spasm, too. They're all so eerily still.
It's hitting a certain uncanny valley effect for me right now.
Which isn't helped by the sheer non-answer my head is giving me about what I'm supposed to do in this situation.
Well! Uzume started it! So I can safely blame her for this, at least!
She probably did it knowing I'd have know clue how to react to this.
Which, good guess, she'd be absolutely right.
Truth be told, I wasn't really sure what to do after Umashia fell either.
I just immediately started aura farming for the hell of it.
I also wasn't sure how the other kami would react to me beating up what amounts to one of everyone's grandparents.
Thankfully, they weren't mad. Truthfully, though, I sort of expected it.
Definitely didn't expect this.
My hand comes up, pinching the bridge of my nose as my mind races.
I can…actually feel my face heating up.
Out of embarrassment. Wow.
I can't say when the last time I felt that was.
After taking a moment to just breathe, I finally figured that a good place to start would be getting everybody off the ground first.
I approach my mother and the few kami gathered around her, and hold a hand out to them.
"Rise. Please." I speak, my voice low and quiet, but not utterly a whisper, "This might be a little bit much."
It took a moment, but for that moment, my stomach was twisted into a knot.
Then, Ama spoke, and that knot eased away, "Maybe so," she said, voice light yet proud as she eased out of her bow, "but to be fair, it's not like anything like this has ever happened before." Her smile strained slightly before she then admitted, "So, we really don't know where to go from here either."
Thank. Me! I'm not the only one!
Omoikane, or glasses, as I am considering renaming him in my head, rises not long after she does, also speaking up, "Admittedly, if you hadn't won, my Lord - and I mean no offense - this wouldn't be so difficult." He practically sighed out.
Fair enough, glasses, fair enough.
Uzume rose with a cheeky grin, but didn't say anything; she merely gave me a shrug.
As though a string of reverse dominoes, when the others sat back up, so too did the others, one by one, chaining down the line to the masses.
"It really is." Ama huffs, almost pouting as she crosses her arms, "If we hold a big feast or something now, honoring your victory, that would be disrespectful to the Kotoamatsukami."
"On the other hand, a feast celebrating your mere survival would have been fine, my Lord." Glasses chimes in to clarify before I could even ask.
Something's bugging me about that, though.
"How would it be disrespectful to them when they agreed to the fight in the first place?" I asked, eyebrow raising, "A match that they then lost?"
Glasses looked like he was about to answer, but Uzume got to it before him.
"It's because they're old." She stated, to which glasses suddenly looked at her in absolute appall, his glasses nearly flying off his face at the force with which he turned.
Ah. Respect your elders. Taken to the literal max.
No shock there.
"That," Uzume kept going, "plus, when Mikaboshi thought-"
She was abruptly cut off by a long, silent wheeze as Ama suddenly jammed her elbow straight into her side.
Without even looking.
Her smile seemed far stiffer.
Glasses looked paler.
It was like, for just a brief moment, the atmosphere of the area flipped on its head.
Then, right as Ama removed her elbow from Uzume's side, it was back, and her smile seemed to lighten up.
"The point is," Ama continued for her, "it's all about respect. For them, and you. Both of you deserve respect, them for their position, you for what you just accomplished, it's just…we need to think of something, alright?"
Okay.
I see how it is.
We're just going to brush off that name drop, then? The guy who I never heard of whose name literally translates to either August Star or Dread Star.
Do we have a kami Lucifer? Is he dead? Do I need to worry about this guy showing up at my door, alive, because he heard that I beat a Kotoamatsukami and wants me to 'rebel' with him?
If just the mention of this guy makes everyone freak out a little bit, he can't be good news, at least.
…Honestly, I probably am thinking a little too much into this.
The guy is probably dead, and since I've never heard about him, likely he never got enough faith to revive.
Especially if his thing is rebellion. Can't see Japan being into that as much, fortunately.
Well, in this case, it's fortunate. In some cases, they could definitely use a little more rebellion. Or at least a willingness to do so.
Still, something to keep an eye on, I suppose.
And something to ask Uzume about when we're not surrounded by a bunch of people who really don't want to talk about him.
Ah, well. For now, I should focus on dealing with this.
So I let Ama's very blunt shift of topic go, and rather plainly ask, "Do we need to think of something right now?"
Ama hums, before eventually replying slowly, "No…but, it would be better if we figure it out sooner rather than later." She scratches the back of her head and cringes slightly, "The longer we wait, the more kami are going to start getting antsy, and then they're going to start arguing about what should be done, and…" she trails off with a shiver.
Glasses fixes his glasses at long last, and nods, "That is correct. The masses tend to get…rowdy when it comes to matters of respect and honor."
My memory briefly flashes to when what basically amounts to a drunken rage barfight erupted right on the streets of Takamagahara.
That's putting it lightly, glasses, that's putting it really lightly.
I cross my arms and nearly grumble out, "Even if I say I don't want anything?"
Which I totally do want a party by the way!
Glasses gives me a small, pitying smile, "Unfortunately, they still would, my Lord."
Well, I would like one, but if everyone's just going to be annoying about it, then it may not even really be worth it!
Yeah, you know what? Fuck it, we can decide on this later.
"Of course." I huff, "Right, well, for right now, I think I earned some rest! We can figure this all out later."
My piece said, I lean down, and reach out with both arms.
"Huh?" "Eh?"
Ama and Uzume both blink as both my arms wrap around them.
"WOAH!? HEY!" "WEHH!?"
They then cry out as I pick them both up, bringing them up with me as I stand up straight, carrying them over either of my shoulders.
Light as a pair of feathers.
Unless we count Uzume's ass anyway.
Now then!
"If you need us, we'll be in her room." I tilt my head toward Ama, "So, unless you do, don't bother us, alright?"
Poor glasses just stood there, staring at me, almost like he was before everyone started bowing.
Completely and utterly gobsmacked.
It took me another word to smack him out of it, "Well?"
He perked up at my far sharper tone, before finally squeezing out, "Yes, L-Lord!"
I nod before walking off without another word.
On my way back into the palace, I spot a good few of the other kami conversing amongst themselves, although not all.
From what little I hear, they seem to be brainstorming ideas for what to do next.
For example, Takemikazuchi was talking to this far older, far plumper, old man; the guy actually kind of reminded me of Iroh, from Avatar the Last Airbender.
The old man was talking about some kind of parade, but Takemikazuchi simply gave an aggravated sigh and shook his head, causing the old man to look sad.
Everyone who wasn't engrossed in planning was looking toward me, similar expressions to the ones glasses just had on their face plastered across their's.
As I entered the palace proper, however, I barely took notice of one particular man, whose fists were clenched at his sides, and whose expression was far more miffed.
~ A New Sun ~
I threw both goddesses onto the bed as soon as I entered the room.
"Oof!"
"Ah! Oh my, Nori, so rough-"
I jumped in soon after.
Except, as Uzume started opening her mouth, Ama turned and brought her hand down.
And, as it would just so happen, I was also bringing my hand down as it came falling in.
It was perfection.
At the same time, Ama's hand and mine came down, right onto Uzume's ass, one for each cheek.
The sound that rippled out from the super unison spank felt like it echoed across the room, utterly silencing Uzume, her mouth wide open as though she was stuck in the middle of a silent scream.
All Uzume could do was twitch in pain before her face hit the bed, and she went limp.
Dead.
Heh. Drama queen.
Ama huffed, shaking her head, before looking my way.
"You really shouldn't do that in front of everyone, you know?" She admonishes me lightly.
"Is it a respect thing?" I ask, pretty much already expecting the answer.
She nods back, but adds, "That, but it's also an appearances thing. I'm the Chief Goddess, I can't be seen being carried around like that." She grumbles further, blushing a bit, "If you're going to do it at all, at least do it right. Don't throw me over your shoulder like a sack."
Here, I would quote something about her who calls herself the Chief Goddess is no true Chief Goddess, but really, it doesn't roll off the tongue. At all.
So, I decide to simply say, "I just beat a Kotoamatsukami, the hell is anyone going to do about it?"
Ama raised a finger at that, like she wanted to object, but found words failing to leave her mouth.
No, because really, what could they do?
Socially shun me? Like that will do anything when I already sit at the top of that ladder?
Fight me? HAH!
Now I know, I know. Traditions, customs, ceremony, respect, bleh~.
Here's the thing: if they want my respect? They're going to have to earn it.
If Ama doesn't want me to do it? Fine. But if someone else has a problem, they can stuff it.
They aren't Ama. They aren't even Uzume. Their opinion means less than nothing to me.
Maybe my ego is just getting to me after I basically cut a Kotoamatsukami in half, but hey, I'm allowed at least a little divine pride now and again, right?
"Y-You," Uzume speaks up, a finger slowly, shakily being held up, "should really take N-Nori's stance sometimes, A-Ama," the drama queen goddess fake croaks out, "it's useful, n-not giving a fuck sometimes…"
Although what she says does hold some truth.
To that end, Ama simply huffs and crosses her arms.
Silence ensues. But it's not awkward. It's nice.
It's also not the silence I had to deal with in that damn cave. That was oppressive. It was stillness.
I don't see how Ama slept in that place at all.
This bed, though? Real nice.
Really, the main reason I wanted to get away so much was because I am very out of it internally here.
I used up everything sustaining that power of mine, and I've run dry.
Physically, sure, I'm fine. But I'm so dry on energy that I couldn't even heal a scratch right now.
And that's not even talking about using any of my other powers, like my fire or light.
Even my ki is depleted, I can't even summon an aura of fighting spirit right now.
That's the toll using that for too long will dole me.
So, I'm going to enjoy recharging on a proper bed rather than in a gorge now.
As for tomorrow, well, maybe someone will figure something out? Or I might have to?
Either way, it'll get figured out somehow!