Amaterasu stared with pure terror as the Angel spread his full twelve wings and held aloft the anomalous lance in his hand, intending to sunder all of Takamagahara along with her and her brother.
His form shimmered and flowed, as if his body would turn into pure energy at any moment, similar to how a God would attain their true form.
And for a split second, she saw it.
A humanoid being made of pure energy with twelve wings extending like tendrils of pure light, enveloping the entire world within its grasp. He was faceless, featureless, and impossible to define as the energy that made up his body made it impossible to define him in any traditional way.
One moment, he appeared humanoid, in another moment, his body shifted to strange geometric formations. Then his form would change into eldritch shapes beyond comprehension, then it would change once again.
In this sea of constantly shifting energy form that lasted only a second, which was more than a lifetime for gods like her, the only constant was the lance made of kaleidoscopic energy.
Its weight pressed on her as if being suppressed by the weight of an entire world. And, maybe that was the truth of the lance.
She could sense the essence of a world from the lance, and it was not just any world either. From what she could sense, it was probably a realm on par with, or maybe even superior to, the endless paradise of her Takamagahara, which was a terrifying thought to consider.
She knew instinctively. If that lance was swung down, she, and every other god in her realm, would die, permanently, and Takamagahara itself would be sundered in two, both physically and conceptually.
If the Lance was swung down, the Shinto Pantheon would be scattered to the winds forever.
And so, with no other choice, she knelt in front of the Archangel known as Aetherion in defeat.
——————————————————————————-
Amaterasu was brought out of her dream-like state when she felt a burning sensation on her wrist.
Looking down, she saw the Heavenly Seal engraved onto her skin and her soul, lighting up with the power of Light, indicating that her new 'master' was calling her.
With a bitter look, the goddess of the sun got up from her throne and walked out of her home in Takamagahara, ignoring the odd looks and glares of hatred she was getting from the other gods.
On instinct, she reached for her forehead, but paused when she realised that her crown was no longer there.
Because it was taken as a token of conquest by the cruel angel that had broken her and her people like this.
Soon, she arrived at the exit of the realm where the guardians of her realm and her handmaidens bowed to her.
Yet, she did not miss the loathing in their eyes as she left the realm, which made her chuckle bitterly.
In the past, all of these gods and spirits would bow to her in reverence. Worshiping the very grounds where she walked and blindly following everything she said.
But now, they held nothing but hatred for her, which was understandable.
In their view, she and her brother were the reason why the gods and spirits of Takamagahara, and the realm itself, were enslaved to Aetherion's will through the new Heavenly System core installed in the heart of her realm.
Soon, she appeared above the Pacific Ocean, at the edges of the borders of Japan, marked by the wild Kamikaze winds that protected Japan both in the material and immaterial realms.
And there, floating in the tempests of the deadly divine gales, was Aetherion, casually observing the winds that would shred anything, even lesser divinity, into oblivion. Treating this divine protection as if it were a morning breeze.
The moment Amaterasu appeared, the Kamikaze ceased, alerting Aetherion to her presence.
"You got here pretty quick. I thought you would delay some more if only to spite me."
Amaterasu bowed with a neutral look.
"I cannot do that without some kind of retribution from you, can I?"
"Heh. I think I preferred that rebellious and conceited attitude of yours compared to this servile attitude, oh great Goddess of the Sun."
".....there is no need to make fun of me so, my lord. My kin and I are basically your slaves now, are we not?"
"Hm. I guess so. Then again, it was you who brought this upon yourself, so I guess this kind of attitude from you is probably the right move."
For a second, apocalyptic rage filled her very being as the sun's power intensified according to her emotion.
However, a single cold glance from Aetherion was enough to douse those flames of anger as if she was plunged into the depths of Yomi or Cocytus, reminding her who exactly she was dealing with.
"Not convinced? Then, let me remind you."
Aetherion turned fully to face her with a neutral look of his own.
"You could have had a positive alliance with the Heavens like the Hindu faction now has. I could have given you the blueprints of the Heavenly System to establish your own version of it in your lands, helping the mortal races and protecting them from other beings while also sharing the burden of my own System."
"All I asked in return was that you become true allies of the Heavens, protect the Humans, the Yokai, and every other mortal race that belongs on Earth. To protect those who have good Karma value and oppose those with bad Karma. To fulfill your duty as their patron gods and goddesses."
Aetheron's face gained an amused smile, but the cold fury in his eyes betrayed what exactly he was feeling, making Amaterasu tremble in terror.
"But no. You could not be bothered to do something like that, could you? What was it you said? 'Why should a goddess like you bother with mortals who can't even show you proper reverence and faith, and why should you help a priestess who can't even protect herself without your help?'"
Amaterasu remained silent, unable to retort as they were indeed her words. It truly was her belief that the modern-day mortal races did not deserve her and her kin's protection and help when they held so little faith in her and the Shinto Pantheon.
As for the Yokai, it is also true that she would ignore Yasaka, her priestess, most of the time because of how troublesome it is to deal with those bickering spirits.
It was a belief that she had always held, right from the time of her birth and the birth of the Shinto pantheon in ancient times.
It was the reason why she had fought the many neighbouring religions in those days, trying to see if they were worthy of being her neighbors through their strength, such as the Chinese Pantheon and even the ancient Hindu Pantheon, which were already around for a long time by then.
But now that she was on the receiving end of her own reasoning, she could not help but feel bitter.
Aetherion shook his head before turning away from her.
"Anyways, I am not here to discuss philosophy or such with you. I called you here to learn how things are going for my projects?"
"....They are going exactly as you asked. The Heavenly System node is being maintained by the energies of Takamagahara. The Karma system was bolstered further, along with enhancing the protection of the mortal races based on their karmic value."
"As for the GHW and the Seventh Heaven, they have already received the local support through Yasaka since she already serves as your servant."
Aetherion ignored the tinge of anger and bitterness in Amaterasu's tone when she spoke Yasaka's name.
"What about your duties?"
"....We are operating our domains as you demanded. Famines, Calamities, and other natural problems that plague Japan have been drastically reduced to make things easier for those who call this land home, regardless of their faith in us."
"Good."
The two beings floated in the air like this for some time before Aetherion spoke again.
"Go back and continue your work. Remember, if I hear anything about mortals in your lands being harmed due to supernatural causes-"
"-You will replace us. I know. I remember, my lord."
She spat out those words with venom as Aetherion grinned, circling her like a predator would, making a chill go down her spine.
"How the mighty have fallen. The famed Goddess of the Sun, who once spat on Zeus' face in defiance despite her power being significantly lower than the Greek King of the Gods, reduced to this due to her own hubris."
"It burns you, doesn't it?"
Then, his demeanor changed completely as his wings manifested fully, with his power oppressing her on a metaphysical level.
The sheer pressure of his power made the very ocean beneath them churn violently.
The look of pure disinterest from him made Amaterasu tremble like a leaf caught in a hurricane.
"Unfortunately for you, the age of you gods has ended. The times where the mortal races were at your and your kin's mercy are over."
"The times when we, otherworldly beings, born in our separate realms connected to this planet, rule over the natives of this world without consequences, are over."
"This age now belongs to the natives of the Earth. Specifically, to those who are truly good."
His brilliant blue eyes shone with such light that Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, simply could not look into them.
"And I will bring an end to this age, even if I have to drag all of you useless gods, demons, and monsters back to your realms kicking and screaming."
With a burst of light, Aetherion vanished, heading back to his sister so that they could go see the graduation ceremony at the Vatican, leaving behind the Goddess to stare helplessly into the horizon.
------------------------------------------------
Author Notes:
Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1