8 8 Breathe
[A/N*
1 How is the story so far is there anything I can improve on or ideas you want to share?
2 How are the fight scenes? I've been reading a lot of Sakamoto Days so I've been trying to show the adaptive fighting style they have in it
3 How do I start a patreon?
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People should be beautiful in every way - in their faces, in the way they dress, in their thoughts, and in their innermost selves but alas the only being capable of acquiring such perfection is a deity"
-Unknown
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'Breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breathe…breat-!
Wait am i breathing too fast?! Too slow?! Too many intakes of air…too little intakes of air
Am I even allowed to breathe? Will he kill me just for that?!
Beads of sweat cascaded down my forehead akin to a river of regret and despair as I questioned every possible action of mine that could have led me to this moment
Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why...Why ME?!
A singular bead hurried down the base of my chin before finally staining the floor below
The trembling grew in ferocity and my heart pounded against the cage of bone within
And the ever creeping urge to look up, to gaze upon the man- no monster that held my life in its hands
Only the sharp sting of rationality to bring me back to reality
'No! Don't even think about it Tenzin! You witnessed it how he blinded Matsumoto without batting an eye!
My eyes slowly moved across the floor to look at the scarlet liquid that poured from the man beside me's former eyes
The sight almost forced me to wretch at thought of what would happen if I dared to follow
If I even dared to twitch a single fibre or muscle in my body
Don't move or he'll kill you
Dont look up or he'll kill you
Don't speak or he'll kill you
Dont try to escape or he'll kill you
No matter what option I muddled over desperately they all led to one undeniable itrestible guardsman that blocked my path to freedom
Death
The soft sounds of savour rang in my ears as he relished in the meal brought about and reaped from the lives of our people
'Truly a malignant curse' my anger burned within my heart only to be quelled once more by the fans of logic
Without warning, the stentorian vice of the devil called out to those still shivering in fear, "Is this the food you bring for me?"
A heavy silence hung in the air, piercing the ears of the few until they bled with appprehension
Someone needed to speak but who?
Who would answer the call of the Devil as he grasps your hand and plunges you into the endless hell of purgatory
"…Y-Yes," Asahi answered the youth who prepared this dish answered. His name -sunlight - defining the subtle shine of joy he held when speaking to others around him. His talent in the culinary world was unmatched and his skill growing by the day onto he could fulfil such a task handed out by such a beast of chaos
"Are you the chef?" He questioned, his tone laced with a subtle distaste that my experience brought wisdom latched into immediately
'No! Asahi don't answer!
I know the boy he's far too young and naïve to know but if he answers he will just signed his death warrant
I tried to signal for him to stop to not be tempted by the Devils words but it was all for naught an oppressive force fell upon the room and drove my body further into the smooth wooden floor
My eyes were widened as I screamed internally until my head grew heavy with fatigue
"Y-Yes!" He shirked, clearly clueless to the icy reapers scythe that had embraced his neck and coiled around it like a serpent
"Vile" his words descended down like a guillotine and Asahis body sprayed across the walls horrifically painting them in a coat of deathly red that spoke whispers of the anger that brought about his untimely end
My mind silent.
No thoughts came to mind everything was a blur that I failed to catch up with and understand so I chose to sit and let the winds of death last by me apathetically
"My appetite has been soured, I was even in such a good mood after my earlier hunt - what a shame," the words of the monster spoke like nails hammered into the skin violently, "What a shame."
The echoes of murder rang loud in my mind and vowed my sanity
Was I really going to die here at the hands of the Gods mistake?
"P-Pleas-se! I-I have a wife! Chi-ildren!" A fellow advisor begged for his life on the ground, mentioning every single name of his loved ones at a chance of life to receive sympathy from the devil before it
But he had failed to account for one thing, taught to children since birth so they too shall not repeat such foolish mistakes
Love was worthless. A corpse that will also eventually succumb to the poison of the Devil
A scarlet vapour permeated through the room, scattering across the cold floor in the place of the former advisor as if to make a mockery of his helpless attempts at life
Leaving the sole man to kneel before The Mad God to be me
"You.. arise. I allow you to gaze upon me," It spoke with a sincerity that if I didn't know better I would've given in, drank the poison gratefully with a lack of hesitation coordinating my movements but I see through his façade
A monster as great as it can not be become as powerful without the art of trickery. That's it! The final lesson taught to me on the scriptures of Goddess Amaterasu
A monster always lies
But what choice do I have? Isnt it the will of world that the weak obey the whims of the strong what reason do I have to disob-!
"I will not repeat once more. Stand up or die" The stentorian order of its brought me to my feet in a matter of seconds and there I truly gazed upon it's true form...
I couldn't think let alone move but there I saw it for it's beauty
Flawless
"....How perfect," I uttered and as if the act of letting in it's enthral was a monument of enlightenment I had overcome, I felt free
My body grew light until I felt burdenless, the weight of the world relieved from my shoulders and serenity of life graced me with it's presence
Everything felt so warm
Who knew that the Devil's poison could be so sweet
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"How offensive," I murmured
The subtle taste of mediocrity plagued my tongue irking me to no end
The flavours of such a memory lacked the scent to pique my intrigue, the sweetness to enthral my tongue, the savouriness to increase my hunger for more
But worst of all its components, the love for the craftsmanship , the art of cooking.
The very same love that would sharpen his desire to hone his technique, and awaken his passion to reach new untold heights
He cared too little for his techniques, believed himself to be flawless in his profession excempt from the laws of master and amateur
And for that his work is truly subpar
For how can a chef that does love his dishes call himself a chef
And if that very same role of chef that solely defines him, he grew to become unworthy of it how could he continue to live?
I sighed allowing my arms to drape down my torso and wrap around my right knee as I sat unperturbed by the torso less body that stood up still defiantly in front of me
Don't be mistaken even if the meal was distasteful to say the least, my mood was truly high and I felt truly ecstatic at the day's revelation
A new path
A new parasitic road carved itself for me
A new way to cement my legacy as The Strongest
"Ke ke Those ordained by the Gods and The Gods themselves, amusing."
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[Flasback POV]
I stood at the very edge of the cliff that overlooked the anarchy occurring below
People screamed, prayed, worshipped and ran amongst the street all in hopes of reviving the dying sun
How laughable
These ignorant fools too blinded by zeal to realise the new period was about to begin with me at its helm
The Golden Age of War shall desecrate their land and slaughter their Gods
The Heian Era of this world!
"What a beautiful age to be incarnated don't you think Amaterasu!" I spread my arms out, taking in the chaos around me
I turned my gaze to the snivelling woman below being crushed within the grasp of Mahoraga, what an unflattering sight
A hateful leer was directed my way, with a wave of anger reminiscent of that brats
"Keep up that attitude and there may just be a massacre," at my words my lower arms formed a seal mimicking a dog and as of acting as a catalyst, large ferocious wolves arose from the depths of shadows painting the forest
Their sights set on the village below
"A bloodbath like no other," I hummed, my tone laced with warning
"N-No!" She stuttered out in between gasps for air as blood clogged her throat and asphyxiated
That's the spirit! The beast sunk back into the darkness however gheir scarlet irisises still littered the area in swarms
"I need answers so how about this… a binding vow between us." I spoke allowing no interruption, "In exchange for the promise that I won't kill those bugs below, you will answer my questions without fail to tell only the truth."
"Like I would make a deal with a curse like y-!" Mahoraga with a simple mental command gripped her arm and ripped it from her torso, discarded precariously down below
Even though, her now now severed stump of a limb began to heal, it was lousy… slow it didn't even compare to the regeneration she displayed earlier
It was a clear sign that our battle had taken its toll on her body.
She needed time to recuperate and return to full strength but I couldn't allow that so I needed to act fast
"Are you really in a position to refuse, fool?" I mused with a displeased expression
The silence between us hung low and it was almost palpable. It remained like that for a seconds before a weak 'yes' sounded from her mouth causing me to grin
The chains signifying our deal latched onto our souls and coiled around it like a serpentine initiating the path between us
In my battle and discussion with her, it was easy to discover her ideology rather than save the many rather than the few her naivety made it impossible to not create a third option- save all
She was the epitome of stupidity itself but it made her easier to work around and manipulate thats for sure
A blissful idealist too sheltered to realise people must die for the greater more beneficial outcome
"Now, are you the Goddess Amaterasu?" I questioned, lying down on the ground, resting on my upper right arm
She hesitated for but a second before nodding her head in affirmation
So my suspicions are deemed to be true not that it was any less obvious
"What about the other pantheons? Norse? Greek? Egyptian?" My curiosity lay insatiable and evey ferocious
I yearned for answers to my questions, what battles would I face? What gods would I slay? What knowledge would I come to obtain? How strong would I grow?
The creeping hunger, something I had grown to accept since my conception
A never ending well that thirsted for comprehension of the world around!
Her shock evident at my words
What? Was knowledge of the otehr pantheons not common in Japan
It's to be expected. I assume from popular media that Gods thrive off followers and worshippers like oarasites so what would happen if those very same followers and worshippers converted to a religion nof of their own….
Would they diminish in power? Become mortal? Would they cease to exist as a whole?
Even more questions riddled my mind…
"…Yes t-they do" reluntancy barely veiled by her tone
"Interesting." I acknowledged, contemplating the new pics of knowledge that would change everything
"What am I to you?" a vague question I admit but for something as vague as my origin in this world it was needed
The hatred for me was too close. Too personal. And I wanted to know why
"… the mistake of the Gods. Scum that plagued this Earth and took the lives of my mother and father! You filthy disgusting malevolent bein-!" A piercing sound echoed throughout the forest as aureate blood was spilled once more and the obsidian blade of the General penetrated her body
The Suns rays erupted from the weak sphere intending on eliminating the eldritch sword divergent but it was for no avail as it remained still at this helpless attack
"Too bad, that would've worked if I hadn't taken time for Mahoraga to adapt to whatever power of yours that was - granted it is the antithesis, it has no soul to burn"
Driving the blade further within, I listened delightfully to the melody of screams coordinated perfectly by the Divine Conductor before halting Mahoragas sadistic assault,
"The jail cell which I awoke to?"
"…The Shrine of Fuin. A prison with only one prisoner, built from the sacrificial remains of Izanami abd Izanagi who prothesised your life would bring about the death of all of Japan!"
Ah.. so that's why! That's why she is so clouded by hate
Hilarious
I chuckled a bit at her her words much to her displeasure as I revelled in her misery
We continue d our dance of questions and answers until I finally grew content enough to ask my final one
"Tell me, how does one become a God?"
Trepidation pf my words etched themselves into her face as she became enraged, anxious and…fearful?
"Speak." I commanded with superior authority
"…Followers," she began, "amass a following of a hundredfold and even more etch your name and conquests into the annals of history. Be worshipped for centuries to come and only then can you be ordained as a deity." Her words were clear and resonated with the icy chill of the air
"And gain access to divinity" she finished her head facing the ground in utter defeat
Following? Worshippers? Ordained?
Words so foreign to me yet so crystal it was impossible to not comprehend
I had be worshiped in the past, hailed as an imaginary God to the weak, a calamity they had to keep at bay with bribes and sacrifices
But this was different.
This opened a new path so distant from the jujustu I had so come to love but so parasitic in it's way they were like flesh and blood
Do I erect a cathedral where the bugs shall come to praise me as their divine king? No nothing as nonsensical and fruitless
It was rather simple really
A plan to fulfill all of the requirements for Godhood
To weave a story of blood
To bring absolue carnage to the world
I chortled at my thoughts thinking nothing of it at first but then I truly saw it for what it was.
A perfect way to be deified. And that small snicker became a symphony of laughter tahg erupted from the bowels of hell
I must have seen mad to the girl no hopeless, to have given up the goal of reaching the realm of Gods but I was far from that
I was never saner, my mind never clearer and my path never payed out so clearly
"God of Curses? AHAHA that doesn't sound so bad?"
I dragged Amatarasu from within Mahoragas grasp by the raven locks of hair at the summit of her head
"You won't be able to see it unfortunately but the world I shall create from the ashes shall be something even greater than even the Gods could create!" I raised her to my eye level, the gaze of my maddened four to her shivering two was a eighth to behold, "And you will be the catalyst that starts it all how does it feel! To force an ambition onto me? How admirable!"
"Die knowing that the new world," mg face contorting and transfiguring into something even more monstrous than before. My jaw and head widening into a size of sheer terror, "is in good hands!"
I devoured Amatarasu whole, leaving nothing but the dying sun that eclipsed and disappeared
The Queen of the Gods
The Sun Goddess
Amaterasu
Met her end as I gorged on her body gloriously
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A/N* If there's any mistakes or places which I c an improve on please say
Please send advice on how I can improve🙏
And as always please support ko-fi.com/honouredwriter*]
