Among all the gods residing in Ashihara no Nakatsukuni and the yōkai who have lived long enough, there has always existed a shared legend—or perhaps it should be called a foundational myth. This origin story remains consistent, whether one belongs to the lineage of Amaterasu or that of Susanoo.
Legend has it that when the world first emerged from chaos, Amenominakanushi-no-Kami was the first to take form within Takamagahara. He represents the fundamental essence of this universe and is the sovereign ruler of the High Celestial Plain. Subsequently, Takamimusubi-no-Kami and Kamimusubi-no-Kami were born in succession, representing the dual principles of Yin and Yang.
These three primordial deities were known as the Gods of Creation.and immediately after their birth, they vanished into the depths of Takamagahara.
At that dawn of heaven and earth, even Ashihara no Nakatsukuni had not yet formed. Floating in the vast ocean were only jellyfish-like entities, and from this primordial soup of life, Umashiashikabihikoji-no-Kami and Amenotokotachi-no-Kami were born. Together, these five deities constitute the "First Generation" of gods in this world.
Their power was beyond description, and they possessed no concrete form, let alone gender. Almost as soon as they were born, they faded one by one into the fabric of the cosmos, becoming the very laws of the world, never to appear again.
Perhaps they departed for other worlds or other universes long ago. After all, Amaterasu—a third-generation deity—has exhausted every scheme just to become a formless god like them. To that end, she did not hesitate to slaughter her own siblings and every deity in Takamagahara to pave her path.
Despite committing such an atrocity that "outraged both heaven and earth" Amaterasu faced no punishment or interference from any higher-generation gods. Coupled with the fact that those truly ancient deities had long since vanished, this silence spoke volumes.
It mattered little why Amaterasu, free from the restraint of her elders, would conceive such a deranged ambition, nor did it matter where those long-vanished figures had gone. At this moment, within a soul being crushed and through waves of searing pain, Sū ěr wanted only one thing: to win. To let Amaterasu die.
Any thought of flight had been scrubbed clean from the start. This wasn't because Sū ěr possessed some noble sentiment or ultimate realization regarding this world; rather, he and Amaterasu were standing on the same iron chain suspended over a bottomless abyss. If he took a step forward, Amaterasu had to retreat; if she advanced, he had to yield.
There was no hiding, no escape. Whether it was him or Amaterasu, the moment either lost their connection to this world, they would be crushed by its weight in the very next second.
Sū ěr felt no resentment about facing this deathmatch for the world's sovereignty. He knew that whether he stood his ground or not, Amaterasu was methodically advancing her plan. Facing her now, before her ascension was complete, was far better than fighting that loathsome goddess once she had fully evolved into a Primordial Deity.
At the very least, she still possessed a partially materialized body. And judging by the way the world was shattering—as if following a pre-set program—Amaterasu never intended to limit herself to Takamagahara alone.
So, there was no turning back, was there?
Until Tet reinforcement arrived, Sū ěr had neither gathered enough World Origin Power for a long journey nor did he have the protection of Tet divine authority. Under these circumstances, if Amaterasu successfully ascended to a formless god and the entire world vanished along with her, he would likely have nowhere left to exist.
Like a dawn light tearing through the dark of night, Sū ěr gripped a weapon forged from materialized energy. It looked as if he were holding light itself. It did not deal simple slashing or piercing damage; instead, upon contact with the surging waves of flesh, the energies neutralized and consumed one another, vanishing from the world forever.
But the sheer mass occupied by Amaterasu was too vast—so immense that Sū ěr felt as if he were at the bottom of a deep sea under ten thousand tons of water pressure. The battle unfolding in the depths of the world caused not only spiritual wounds and agony but also inevitable gaps in his movements.
Fortunately, he was not alone.
Swoosh!
Just as a crest of flesh, spewing corrosive poison, was about to reach Sū ěr back, a flash of golden light flickered. Their direction and very existence were warped in mid-air. In the span of a single breath, they convulsed, shuddered, and dissolved into pink pus.
Magic formulas fueled by spiritual power were constantly unfurling. Violent bombardments and explosions knocked down the pursuing tides. Yet, much like the days when they faced the Flügel, even the maximum output of the Elf could not cause a shred of damage to the Flügel. The helplessness Think faced now was of a different kind—there were simply too many of them.
Amaterasu seemed to have completed a partial ascension, becoming a formless, substanceless, yet omnipresent entity. The world was not yet "Her," but She was everywhere, existing in every corner of this sea of flesh, occasionally cackling as she lunged from an unguarded shadow.
Though they could communicate in an instant through their soul link, the situation was like dancing on a knife's edge; not a moment of respite existed. Sū ěr and Think kept their minds taut, focusing every ounce of attention on the fray.
Until feathers, radiating a faint white glow, began to drift down.
And then there were things that shouldn't exist in this world, yet were clearly manifesting now—Elementals.
Elementals emitting blue-white light pulsed through the night like the aurora borealis, resembling the first clouds of morning or drifting mist. These visitors from another world leaped about, exploring this new realm with curious delight.
Then there was the messenger who brought them—a presence announcing itself to the world with the most dominant aura. Holding a scythe, she soared at the highest altitude, looking down upon the scene below. Her massive, unfurled white wings and the sheer pressure radiating from her person caused even the near-manic Amaterasu to regain a sliver of lucidity.
The goddess once named after the sun, who now dreamt only of devouring all things, looked up in a daze of curiosity at this guest from beyond the world. This distraction caused Her to temporarily ease the pressure on Sū ěr, giving him room to breathe.
"Jibril," Sū ěr muttered, unable to stop a grin that bared his teeth. He raised a hand and waved to the figure in the sky.
It was wonderful that she had come—in every sense of the word.
"Hmph," Think snorted meaningfully as she materialized beside Sū ěr.
Yes, this was a reunion after a long separation. And as a souvenir and gift for that reunion—Heavenly Smite!!!