Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash, the peak of Kailas Range, lied near the source of several longest rivers of Asia. Its purpose served as the sacred place of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. It was also the location in which Shiva referred to as his 'humble' abode.
"Shiva-dono. It is almost time for the meeting to take place."
The God of Destruction opened his eyes as he continued his meditation. The woman who had just spoken to him smiled warmly, taking a seat next to him. Shiva allowed a smile to adorn his face as he closed his eyes once more.
"Thank you for the reminder, Parvati."
"It is my pleasure." The Hindu Goddess of Love, Devotion, and the source of all the power of Hinduism answered.
She sat closer to Shiva as she laid her head upon his shoulder.
"What is the purpose of this meeting, Shiva-dono?" She asked, "Is it about Amaterasu's child?"
Shiva opened his eyes, adopting a thoughtful expression.
"Issei Hyoudou is very peculiar. There is something strange yet special about him. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Indra's actions, and if Issei Hyoudou deserves to earn my blessing."
"Hmm?" Parvati hummed, "Your blessing?"
"That is correct. But the time for the meeting is short, so Issei Hyoudou shall best hurry with whatever he is doing at the moment. If he has the will to survive that is."
"If this meeting involves the knowledge of only Indra and Amaterasu's son, then why are the other deities involved? I am aware that most of the Gods and Goddesses have heard of Issei Hyoudou, but why the rest?"
"I believe it is about time the rest of the deities became aware of the Solar God, and if he has earned the right to achieve the status of a God."
Omniverse
The fundamental drives of the Universe looked upon the Shinto incarnation of the Underworld. The 'Above' Entity, Death, Oblivion, Chaos, and Order were silent as they observed the actions of Issei Hyoudou.
"Such a fool." Oblivion muttered.
"You call Darling a fool, I think of him as naive yet determined." Death stated.
"How do you figure that?" Order asked.
"No, Oblivion is correct," Chaos amended, "In spite of the son of Amaterasu's noble actions, he shouldn't have done that. Ejecting the ruler of Yomi out of her own throne and sending her all the way back to Takamagahara was unexpected, yet foolish."
"Why would he do this?" The personification of Non-Existence asked in a puzzling manner, "It's not as though Izanami asked him to free her from the realm of Yomi."
"Issei has performed many feats and actions that are unexplainable," The "Above' finally spoke, "But little darling always has a reason for what he does."
"That's right, my Creator," A familiar voice called out, "Amaterasu's child is not without his own intentions."
The five entities turned to look at the source of the voice, and only two of them showed clear reactions. One of them, being Death, shot the source an amused smile, while Oblivion scowled darkly at it. The 'Above' Entity blinked as she turned her head.
"Eternity. You have chosen a different appearance."
"It's been a long time, sister." Death greeted its sibling.
"Not long enough." Oblivion muttered darkly.
Like its moody sibling, Eternity had chosen to take on a different form. It had only performed this action on a whim, since it had all the time in the world to do anything. It now took the form of a tall, beautiful and slender woman with long light-aqua hair and matching colored eyes. In its new form, Eternity also wielded the symbol of infinity on its chest.
Chaos smirked as she turned to look at her sibling, while Order smiled gently.
"What is with this sudden arrival, sister? We don't see you for a while, and you appear just out of the blue. Did you miss conversing with your siblings that badly?"
Eternity delivered a smile that seemed to be warm yet off-putting, much to the great annoyance of Oblivion.
"The reason for my arrival is based on a mere whim of mine, Chaos. To see how Issei Hyoudou fares this time. It would seem at the moment, that he is at a great disadvantage. His solar energy, for instance, is of no use to him any longer."
"That's right," Order agreed, "As Oblivion stated before, Issei used most of his latent solar power during his battle against Indra. And because he was in his God-like form, that immense power drained his reserves quickly."
"And now," Death began, "Issei has most likely used the last of his solar energy to 'purify' Izanami from the effects of Yomi. Although I am feeling such excitement by the fact that Darling might actually suffer, I certainly do not want him to break. A broken Darling isn't much fun."
"Well then unless the son of Amaterasu thinks of something quick, he stands no chance against Amenominakanushi." Oblivion stated, "After all, he is the literal first kami and absolute of the Shinto world. It would be impossible for the little fool to defeat him. Even if he were to think of a plan, Amenominakanushi's power still dwarfs that of Issei Hyoudou."
Eternity's smile seemed to widen as her blue eyes narrowed. Oblivion's eyes twitched as it gazed at its sibling.
"Amenominakanushi informed Issei that he was going to be punished," The personification of Time and Reality uttered, "so the little munchkin is going to have do something to avoid that punishment."
Oblivion's own response was cut short as she widened her eyes in bewilderment at Eternity's choice of words.
"Munchkin?!" She repeated incredulously, "Do not tell me you have lowered yourself by giving the runt a 'pet name'!"
"And so what if I have?" Eternity teased, "Shinigami and our Creator have done so, so why shouldn't I have the choice?"
Muttering to herself, Oblivion sent Eternity a scowl that made the latter's smile widen even more.
"What is so amusing that you have to make such a facial gesture, sister?" Oblivion asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know, Onee-chan."
"Ugh!" Oblivion scoffed in disgust.
"Regardless," The 'Above' Entity began, "Little Darling should take care to be careful. Ouroboros is not the only one who is concerned for Issei."
Takamagahara
"T-takamagahara...!"
The Plain of High Heaven. It looked exactly the same the last time Izanami had ever laid her eyes on it. The origin of every Shinto deity tracked all the way to the realm.
Her body strained and frail, the only movement Izanami could perform, were the motion of her eyes. The Shinto Goddess blinked several times as she breathed softly. In her mind, she was beginning to gather strange thoughts that regarded Issei.
Izanami felt great confusion as she lay upon the grass fields of Takamagahara. She couldn't understand what had just happened. She remembered Issei summoning a colossal sphere of silver energy, and then using it to collide into her. Even though she felt intense pain, Izanami had the feeling that Issei wasn't trying to attack her at all.
Which made her even more confused.
"Why?" She uttered weakly, "Why would he do that?"
Izanami winced as she tried to move her purified body. The strain affected her greatly, prompting her to grit her teeth. She then widened her eyes as she felt her skin.
"I-I feel...!" The Goddess exclaimed in shock.
The constant numbness she endured within the realm of Yomi contrasted to what she was feeling right now. It was so foreign to her that she found it impossible to even feel this way. She didn't know what to feel at the moment.
Izanami staggered as she struggled to raise herself up. She hugged herself, slowly looking around her former home. Her black hair flowed in sync with the wind, parts of it covering her eyes. Izanami blew parts of hair away from her face.
"Why?" Izanami asked again.
Her legs trembled as she walked around her former home. Izanami hugged herself tighter, and stopped in her tracks, pausing in her movement.
"What?"
The accumulation of energy signatures rushed through her senses, prompting Izanami to widen her eyes. They were familiar to her, including the signature that belonged to the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. But she detected more. Thousands of them.
Izanami lowered her eyes as she collapsed to her knees, her body taking its toll once more. Taking a deep breath, Izanami looked behind her to see the entrance of Yomi. Her gentle eyes widened as she noticed something strange.
"What is this?!"
The entrance to Yomi was no longer present. The boulder that Izanagi trapped her long ago was no longer present. The entrance was nonexistent, with only fragments of the land of Takamagahara covering it.
Izanami gasped as she got up and walked forward, trying to edge closer to her desired destination. She felt an overwhelming amount of fear and worry rush through her. Long ago, she would refused the feeling, but at the moment, she was feeling vulnerable enough to welcome it.
She was finally free from the clutches of Yomi. Izanami had never thought it would be possible to escape, given that she had to ask the Gods of Yomi for permission to be released. Still, she was finally out!
But Issei...
Izanami widened her eyes further until her pupils constricted. She shook her head rapidly, wishing that the realization she had just discovered was not true.
"No! My little Issei!" Izanami cried out, "My little grandson!"
Izanami placed her hand on her mouth and winced again. She was so worried that she had almost missed the tone of the last three words she spoke. Earlier, she had spoken them in tremors of malice and bitterness. But this time, her tone of voice exuded that of a genuinely concerned...
Grandmother.
This feeling. It confused her to no end. It gave her a headache, and yet it made her heart beat at an even quicker pace.
Yomi
If Issei had a nickel for every time a member of his family, or even a member of the Shinto mythology wanted to kill him, he most likely would have been rich by now. Amenominakanushi was the progenitor of Shinto mythology, making him the 'father' of all Shinto deities. Which also made him...
'My great-grandfather or something? Well then again...'
Issei shook his head so he could concentrate on the situation he was in. He was trapped in Yomi, and as he looked towards the former exit, he noticed that there was nothing there. It was as though there was an endless path.
Did you not hear me, child of Amaterasu? You will not escape your punishment.
Issei reacted by widening his eyes.
"What do you mean?! What did I do?!"
Had he committed some sort of offense? He had never even met Amenominakanushi before, and he had already angered him somehow.
Izanami-no-Mikoto is the Shinto Goddess of Creation AND Death, foolish child. When she passed on, her ties to Yomi were deemed to be permanent. She was strictly forbidden to leave, even after the subsequent sealing caused by Izanagi. And yet, you released her.
That was why the first kami was mad at him? Because he freed Izanami from Yomi?
Issei frowned as he attempted to search for the physical form of Amenominakanushi. It was hard to see anything within the darkness of Yomi anyhow.
"That's why you're mad? Look, I mean no disrespect, but don't you see that Grandma didn't deserve to be sealed in Yomi in the first place? What Grandpa did to her was completely uncalled for!"
Such trivial matters matter nothing to me, boy. Realize what you have done and accept it. With the absence of Izanami to maintain her rule as the Goddess of Yomi, soon it will collapse into nothingness. In order to maintain it, another being shall inhabit it.
'Another being?! He's not suggesting...'
Fairness nor nobility matters nothing to a deity such as myself. Although freeing Izanami from the realm of darkness exuded nobility, it was a great offense. You will be forever sealed within Yomi, child of Amaterasu.
"What?!" Issei exclaimed, "You can't be serious! The realm of Yomi has still been around before even Grandma passed away! It was able to keep its structure before, so why not now?!"
This couldn't be happening. He thought he had finally solved his problems, defeating Izanami-no-Mikoto and freeing her from Yomi.
Do you genuinely believe that the presence of Izanami has not affected the realm of darkness? To the point that Yomi, as well as its creatures, requires a ruler in order to support its stability. There is no point for argument, child of Amaterasu. You WILL reside in Yomi-tsu-kuni, regardless of your feelings.
"No!" Issei shouted, "I won't let that happen! I made a promise to Ophis that I would come back to her!"
The Ouroboros Dragon? Such a foolish gesture. Why do you harbor such feelings for a worthless creature?
If Amenominakanushi had willingly gathered the energy to choose a physical form, he most likely would have raised an eyebrow in interest at Issei's words.
"Worthless?! Creature?!" Issei bellowed, his words louder than he had ever shouted before.
How dare he call his wife that?! Ophis wasn't worthless, not by a long shot!
"Don't call Ophis something she clearly isn't!"
She? You naïve fool. The Ouroboros Dragon is genderless. How can you harbor such love for a...thing such as it? It would be incorrect to refer to it as a female.
"You think that matters to me?! The fact of the matter is that Ophis is Ophis, and I love her just the same!"
Is that so? Then tell me, do you also share the same amount of love for your mother? With that knowledge in mind, I will simply target your mother instead.
Time seemed to stop around Issei as he heard Amenominakanushi's last sentence.
{...Partner?}
((Kid?))
[Isssssei?]
You seem hesitant to speak, child of Amaterasu. Do you not care for your own parent? At the moment, I hear no reply, which leads me to believe that she does not mean a thing to you.
The Solar God stood perfectly still, with the exception of his fists trembling. His face was covered by his brown hair, unseen to the naked eye.
And while we are on the subject of 'families', do you also care for that disposable human you refer to as 'Leiko'? As part of your punishment, I shall target both Amaterasu and her.
Issei's body shook more, his fists trembling as his fingers sunk into his skin, drawing blood. The images of his wife, his mother, and his adoptive cousin clouded his mind. The overwhelming fury that Issei hadn't felt in so long, was slowly resurfacing to the brink.
It is pointless to put up a front, Issei Hyoudou. Your Solar Energy has depleted to nothingness, rendering you only the power from the Two Heavenly Dragons, and that Yamata-no-Orochi creature. At that state you are in, it would be a foolish attempt to challenge me. With no Sun or any other massive stars to absorb, you are powerless. Not even access to the power of Medusa's Eye will go in your favor.
As Issei looked up to glare at the endless darkness, a formless portal manifested above him. The portal then expanded to a gargantuan size, giving Issei a bountiful view. The Solar God narrowed his eyes as he stood where he was.
'Space...'
He was looking into the atmosphere of space, where he remembered fighting Yoru during their second battle. As he looked further, he tensed when he saw the vast source of his powers floating within alignment to the other planets.
The Sun.
Do you see it, child of Amaterasu? The object in space? The very vessel of what your mother represents? The reason you exist at all?
'What's he planning?!' Issei thought as he felt his body freeze up.
...Now watch, as it disappears.
Time once again once seemed to go slow for Issei as he tried to move as fast as he could. He charged towards the portal, only to be repelled by it. Issei widened his eyes as he watched the obliteration of the colossal Sun.
"?!"
The pain was instantaneous, so intense that there was no possible way for Issei to become numb to it. For each second, the constant agony delivered to Issei was extremely aching. He immediately collapsed on the grounds of Yomi. His entire body throbbed, bringing him a degree of suffering he had never endured in his life.
{PARTNER!}
((Kid?!))
[Issei?!]
Not even the cries of Ddraig, Al, and the Yamata-no-Orochi were enough to rouse Issei out of his pain-induced struggle. The only reason he wasn't completely dead, was because of the body his wife and brother-in-law had created for him.
How does it feel, Issei Hyoudou? The catastrophic pain that shall remain constant. I told you that you would be trapped in Yomi forever. As my words are declared, so it shall be.
Issei lost the will to speak as he struggled to ignore his discomfort, which was difficult.
His eyes shot open, his left eye bloodshot with fury and intense agony. He tightened his shaking fists, trying his damnedest to fight off the pain, while at the same time, trying to think clearly.
What troubles you, child of Amaterasu? Do you wish to defeat me? If so, that is impossible. With the destruction of the Sun, you no longer possess the power to transform into the final evolution of your solar power, nor can you use any ounce of solar energy. As we speak, your body is weakening, rendering you a pitiful Godling.
A gigantic manifestation of energy appeared within the atmosphere of Space. The physical body size of Amenominakanushi towered over the size of Earth itself. There were so specific characteristics of the first kami's body, appearing as a regular form with glowing yellow eyes.
Issei tensed as he looked up at the enormous God, and gritted his teeth, his body shaking. As he went to move back, the pain Issei felt increased tenfold. Before Issei knew it, he was embedded into the ground, trapped within the cracks.
You are no match for my speed, you pathetic godling.
Amenominakanushi lifted his fist up, rapidly bringing it down past the portal and striking the defenseless Issei. For every punch the first kami delivered, the pain augmented to great degrees. The Solar God sunk deeper into the trenches of Yomi, until complete darkness blocked his sight.
M-my Issei!
He could see her now. Her long and silky black hair which cascaded against her back, sported a beautiful sheen. Her dark-gray eyes bore themselves onto him, shining clearly.
Shining? Why were her eyes shining? Those captivating eyes.
M-my little mate! MY Issei!
No...
It couldn't be!
She was crying!
The tears falling from her beautiful face set him off. Who would make his wife cry like that? He swore that whoever made her cry would pay dearly. He couldn't fail now!
He wouldn't!
It would seem that you failed to keep your promise to that worthless thing. And very soon, Amaterasu will slowly weaken.
Amenominakanushi raised his colossal fist and sent it down towards Issei. Brown eyes shot open, and with a display of willpower, Issei stood up and caught the large fist with both hands. Seconds later, the auras of the Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi covered Issei, allowing him to force Amenominakanushi backwards.
The first deity to come into Shintoism narrowed his eyes as he glared down at the son of Amaterasu. He then spotted a sharp object in Issei's hand. The God let out a faint scoff as he recognized the item in Issei's hand.
What's this? You are planning to use the spawn of Loki's fang in order to combat me? You foolish Godling. The fangs of Fenrir are notorious for their God-Killing attributes, but do not even think for a second that they will not work against you.
{Partner, this is a huge risk you are taking!}
((He's right! And even with our power, there's a chance your idea might fail!))
Issei closed his eyes as his entire body shivered.
"I won't him let him get away for insulting Ophis! I won't let him get away for planning to make Ophis cry!"
Amenominakanushi adopted a frown as he moved his fist once more. Issei then opened his eyes wide, and let out a bellow that would have impressed even the Great Red.
"I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT!"
With his declaration, Issei twisted the fang of Fenrir around in his hand, and pierced his chest with it. Crimson-blood seeped out as a result from the wound, but suddenly, a black coat of energy formed around Issei, covering him from head to toe. The energy dissipated, revealing Issei with a deep black aura and altered appearance.
With the fang of Fenrir embedded into his body, Issei's hair now sported a deep black shade, his eyes changed to a blue color, and his entire physique was covered by a smoky black aura. Droplets of Issei's blood mixed with the smoky aura, giving it a combined shade of crimson and black.
'Ddraig. Al. Orochi-chan. I'm going to need all of your help. As a team. As your partner.'
{(([Issei...]))}
The Two Heavenly Dragons and the Yamata-no-Orochi delivered their response in the form of their signature auras covering Issei. Amenominakanushi watched on with interest, until he lowered his head in disappointment.
A feeble attempt to conjure a plan, Issei Hyoudou. Stabbing yourself with the fang of Fenrir, while in turn would give you the additional attributes to destroy a God, was an idiotic plan. Since you are a God as well, the fang damages you just the same. While you could use the Welsh Dragon to boost the power of Fenrir's fang, the damage it delivers will kill you from the inside.
Issei merely glared at Amenominakanushi.
Although I shall give you just one credit. Using the power of the Vanishing Dragon to 'suppress' the effects of Fenrir's fang temporarily might help you. But even then, you will stand no chance against me. I have already informed you of the reality and situation. You will not survive and reunite with that thing you call a wife, causing it to dissolve into pitiful tears.
Glaring up at Amenominakanushi, Issei narrowed his eyes and flew up at the first kami of Shinto mythology.
"I WON'T LET YOU MAKE OPHIS CRY!"
A/N:
Be honest :)
Did any of you remember Fenrir's fang? The very artifact Issei won in his battle against Loki. Issei keeps his prizes for a reason. Winning the Eye of Medusa from his battle with Cao Cao, and Fenrir's fang from his battle with the aforementioned character and Loki.
God, that part was so much fun to write :)