VOLUME 3

Chapter 10: Until the Rising of the Sun…

I felt a jolt, almost as if I had been punched in the face.

I couldn’t tell left from right from front from back anymore, and while I was in this state of drunkenness, the world around me completely changed.

The first thing I felt was warmth on my cheek.

There was something burning right next to me.

“Like the fires of Kagutsuchi that burned Izanami to death, bright flames are both a useful tool and a dangerous monster if carelessly touched.”

My mother’s voice resonated through the air.

She was in her usual priestess outfit, with her spotless white robe, red hakama, and split-toed socks.

She swung a Shinto paper streamer (1) around in one hand and slowly walked.

She walked atop the flames.

“Our ability to use tools separates us from the animals. In order for humans to take their first step on the road to divinity, they must first conquer the monster that is fire. It is logical to say that fire burns, but spiritualists are able to bend logic to their will. You must thus master the n.o.ble ancient art of fire walking.”

This place was familiar to me.

There were a couple training halls in the mountains of Kyuushuu, where the Tsukuyomi Shrine was situated.

The bodies of humans were not imbued with much divinity at all, so to be able to confront inhuman monsters and the G.o.ds, spiritualists had to undergo intense training to gain powers that surpa.s.sed those of normal humans.

As my mother walked atop the menacing flames, not a single scorch mark appeared on her priestess clothes.

Fire walking was actually a type of training that you frequently saw in various religions and martial arts.

However, fire walking usually meant you were walking atop heated stones or iron bars, or thrusting your hands into a pile of hot ashes before cooling them… literally walking atop flames was a difficult skill you only saw powerful spiritualists doing in tales of legend.

However, we were at the Tsukuyomi Shrine, and spiritualists at this shrine specialized in supernatural powers so they could help manage all of j.a.pan. For them, they had to be able to do something like this with their eyes closed.

“Do not be afraid! After Kagutsuchi was conquered and defeated, many of the fundamental G.o.ds of creation were born from the ashes. Ihatsutsunoo, the G.o.d of minerals, Takemikaduchi, the G.o.d of lightning… destruction gives way to creation! So, chase yourself to the brink of death, and feel the power flow to you from gazing down into the abyss of destruction!”

I felt like I had just gotten thrown into the middle of a Dragonball episode…

“… To hear such arrogance from my own mouth…”

Suddenly, I heard a voice to my side.

Around me were crowded around a dozen new priestesses that my mother was training. They all looked terrified as they watched my mother walk across the fire.

Among that dozen was one who had her arms crossed and didn’t look particularly happy.

“It is quite unsettling to be shown an image of yourself from a time long past.”

“…… Mom?”

I softly called out to her, and she nodded.

“Are you over there, Sasami? It seems that our divine spirits – our souls – have separated from our bodies and are leading us back into the past. And we are then able to temporarily possess somebody there and move around like that. If we act too extravagantly, we may alter the past, but just talking like this should not cause any harm.”

“Yo! You guys over there?! I’m here!”

There was a Tsurugi-like priestess smiling right next to me.

“… But geez, this is some pretty insane training. Being human sure is tough. What’s the point of being able to walk on top of fire? I’d never be able to do it anyways. I’m pretty bad with hot stuff.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the Sun G.o.ddess…?”

I was a bit astonished at Tsurugi. At the moment, my mother turned to me looking rather pensive.

“Let me ask you once again, Sasami.”

She looked me straight in the eyes.

“Admittedly, I was acting rather impatiently the other day. Of course, I needed to move quickly, as I would not be able to stay in this world for an extended period of time. No matter how much one says that distorting reason is the spiritualist’s purpose, I deviated from the path too much. If I remained in this world too long, there was even the danger of me becoming a vengeful spirit like Sugawara-no-Michizane or Taira-no-Masakado.”

I didn’t really know how stuff like that worked, but…

I really had wanted to talk with my mother.

Once someone died, you would never be able to see them again.

But here I was talking to my mother again. It was a miracle.

My mother might have broken a terrible taboo and committed unforgivable crimes, but I was happy… and I didn’t want to make her efforts go to waste.

Earlier, I had failed.

I was being overly stubborn and my mother was being overly impatient, which had led it all to end in tragedy.

I would not make the same mistake twice.

I had betrayed my mother, gotten depressed, and shut myself into my room…

After that, it was just like Tamamo-no-Mae had said: I had felt regret.

I couldn’t forgive myself.

I felt terrible about how weak I was.

However, just curling up inside my futon and thinking about things for a long time wasn’t going to solve anything.

It just made everything hurt that much more.

So…

“Mom, I… no matter how many times you ask, I’m not going to go back to being the Tsukuyomi Priestess.”

“Yes, you have already said that.”

My mother wasn’t an impossibly stubborn person.

She was forward-thinking, a hard worker, and she was open-minded too.

“However, this is a precious power that we inherited from our ancestors. I cannot allow it to fall in the hands of someone with no motivation and who will not put it to good use.”

She said that without hesitation.

“So, temporarily… as much as time permits, I would like to take charge of the power of the Supreme G.o.d.”

Ahh, so that’s what she wanted.

“The power of the Supreme G.o.d is pa.s.sed on through incest. The swiftest way to pa.s.s the power on is to give birth to a child.”

“But I refused when I was asked to have a child with dad.”

My mother nodded.

“Yes. And if you refuse the standard methods of reproduction, then we must try different, even heretical methods. I remember the method that your ‘sarcoma’ used to take your power. It expanded your body, making you fat, before cutting itself off.”

A part of my body was cut off and by itself formed a new being.

In j.a.panese mythology, this was quite a common occurrence.

Take the second Yagami sister, Kagami. The Supreme G.o.d Amaterasu had cut off one of the cursed parts of her body, and that cut-off part gave birth to Kagami.

“We will thus take such a piece of flesh and imbue it with the power of the Supreme G.o.d, along with the strong will that is needed to take care of such power – namely, myself. Myself, who has crawled up from the Underworld in order to complete such a task. In other words, I will be reincarnated within that flesh.”

“Reincarnation, huh…?”

Tsurugi didn’t look too enthused by that plan.

“Well, I guess that’s better than that flesh being stolen way by an evil G.o.d at least…”

In the Shinto religion, without a leader to guide people, there were no absolute laws.

So there really wasn’t originally anything fundamentally “taboo.”

In other words, all the rules and restraints were self-imposed.

There were holy sanctuaries – shrines and such – where one could communicate with the G.o.ds, talk things out, and come to mutual understandings.

Everyone would find common ground, and set down vague, but flexible rules.

Instead of taking the correct route, Tamamo-no-Mae had used an underhanded trick by trying to alter history. It was a cowardly move.

This dialogue my mother and Tsurugi were having was very appropriate, and very much reflected the culture of this country.

Although, given the tragedy of Izanami trying the same thing, (2) Tsurugi couldn’t easily forgive my mother’s escape from the Underworld.

“Well, I’m pretty much retired now, so I’m not gonna raise a fuss either way.”

The former Supreme G.o.d scowled and continued.

“But something like this hasn’t been done before, and I can’t really guess how all the other G.o.ds are gonna react. Sure, this isn’t as bad as coming back from the Underworld, and I guess it really sounds like something pretty j.a.pan-like. I mean, we G.o.ds have been doing stuff like this for ages. I’m talking about the old divination rituals where lots of new G.o.ds got born. (3) But we’ve gotta make sure we do it right, or the old man might get angry at me.”

“We will have no choice but to beg forgiveness then.”

My mother straightened her back graciously.

“I have but a short amount of time in this body, so you will have to overlook this one instance. This would be a forced reincarnation as well. It is very likely that my newly birthed self will not be able to live for very long. However, even if it is only for a few years, I would be able to manage the power of the Supreme G.o.d for just a little while longer.”

My mother had tried her very best, and offered me a stay of execution.

“Sasami.”

My mother called out to me softly.

“In that time, you should decide. Decide the life you want to live and the future of this land. No matter what anybody else says, you are the current Tsukuyomi Priestess. You have a duty to shoulder this role that has been pa.s.sed down since time immemorial. If you intend to abandon that role, then you should do so in good faith. Do not persist in giving in and fooling yourself into pretending that nothing is wrong.”

As always, my mother was strict.

“What would you like to do with the power of the Supreme G.o.d? My thoughts on the matter have stayed the same. The world is changing, all borders are breaking down, and I cannot leave this land to the wild, rampant G.o.ds. We humans must thoroughly manage things, as we need the land to be bountiful and our defenses to be strong. That is why we need the Tsukuyomi Priestess, and a world that is convenient for humans.”

“Sure, I guess the G.o.ds here aren’t too reliable.”

I wanted to just give her a simple, honest refusal.

“They’re weak, never know what to do, failing at everything…”

Just like me.

“But, even so, it is not our place to build a huge fortress around everyone else and claim we’re going to protect them. It’s like we’re building a zoo… the G.o.ds may be weak and lost and fail all the time, but that just means that they can get over their shortcomings and grow. And once they’ve accomplished this, won’t that mean they’ve grown strong?”

I really couldn’t put it into words well, but…

“It’s hubris for humans to think they’re the only ones who should try hard. Let’s trust the G.o.d of this land more. Ever since Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended from the heavens, we’ve clapped a hand over our eyes and ears, forgetting to talk with the G.o.ds. We think that trapping all the kids in a pen and not letting them out is the same as protecting them. It’s as if we’re idiot parents.”

I tried with all my might to find the right words.

“But, getting trapped in a room, in your futon… that’s not paradise at all. Let’s send them all into the big world outside. Let them go to school, into society, and even if they get hurt, they’ll definitely get strong someday. They’ll grow into adults. This is the end of the age of protection. I want to believe in the G.o.ds more.”

For a long time, we had shut ourselves in the mountains and were carrying out our duties.

For the sake of this land.

For the sake of the world, and the humans living in that world.

We honed our skills, walked atop fire, and prepared ourselves to fight the battle alone.

But, that wasn’t how things really should’ve been.

“We have only borrowed the power of the Supreme G.o.d temporarily, and are keeping watch over it. This power does not belong to us. Who are we to not understand that and think it’s our right to protect everyone? We really don’t have to try this hard for the sake of the world anymore.”

So, I would no longer try.

None of us had to try anymore.

“I’m pretty useless and I always get tossed around by the power of the Supreme G.o.d. So, I’ll give that power to mom for a while. In the meantime, I’ll try to grow. I’ll become strong to the point where that power can no longer crush me.”

We had to bring an end to the night.

Under just the moonlight, the world would do nothing but slowly wither away.

“After that, I’ll take the power of the Supreme G.o.d back. And then, I’ll pa.s.s it to the being who is actually fit to manage this land: the next generation G.o.d and the Supreme G.o.d of the new era, Yagami Tama.”

This was heavy baggage we were given when Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended to earth.

And I would give it back.

“Until Tama grows up, I’ll watch over this power with mom. And that’ll be that. All in all, the Tsukuyomi Shrine is to blame for being so desperate to protect this power for so long. We’ve had this immense burden for so long that we’ve forgotten why we got it in the first place.”

“Is that really what you think?”

I didn’t know if my mother was okay with what I said… but she began staring off into the distance.

“I received the power of the Supreme G.o.d by choice. Your grandmother was still alive, and I voluntarily underwent the proper rituals to become the Tsukuyomi Priestess. In your case, it was my untimely death that thrust this role upon you forcibly.”

I could almost hear a hint of relief in her voice as she spoke kindly.

“And so, I a.s.sumed you were just spoiled. I a.s.sumed you just lacked discipline, and I made light of you. No, I was probably justified in thinking that before. However, through long contemplation, you reached this conclusion. You finally remembered our original purpose that was handed down to us during the era of G.o.ds, a purpose that not a single one of us has managed to fulfill.”

My mother softly placed her hand atop my head.

“Your mother is proud of you.”

And then, she awkwardly stroked my hair.

“I was the foolish one, the one that was mistaken…”

Tsurugi smiled at those words.

“Nah, you weren’t wrong. You two just tried way too hard. Having to do this annoying job for all this time… seriously, good work. Seriously, I appreciate it.”

Tsurugi then snapped her fingers and made an announcement.

“Well, it looks like we still have some time left. We came all this way, so why don’t we have a look around?”

We found ourselves flying through a swirling vortex, with all the timelines mixing together around us.

The three of us made sure to nestle close to each other so we wouldn’t get separated as we traveled to the past.

I saw various scenes flashing before my eyes.

Some of these scenes were from my own past.

We were in the Production Club room at Konohana Sakuya Academy.

Whenever I felt like it, I would go to the clubroom to chat with the others.

Kagami was there, completely engrossed in an animal picture book.

Next to her, Tama was doing her homework with tears welling up in her eyes.

I was teaching Tama how to work with fractions after she had begged me for help.

Tsurugi and my brother both had apparently finished their work for the day and showed up to the room. We took out a pack of cards and everyone got wrapped up in a game of Millionaire. (4)

For some reason, this turned into a game of strip Millionaire, and everyone began to aggressively target my brother. He soon lost all his clothes and ran from the room completely naked with a death grip on the briefcase he was still using to hide his face.

“What a happy happy life you all were leading…”

“Ehehe, right? Every day was really really fun!”

“Sasami, I’m pretty sure your mom is being sarcastic there.”

We talked with each other as we continued to leap across s.p.a.ce and time.

Now I was looking at an image of me and my brother, just after we had escaped from the Tsukuyomi Shrine.

The scene felt much more lonely than the scene from the clubroom we had just watched.

My brother had found a job and a home for us, and he had finished putting our living s.p.a.ce in order.

Meanwhile, I depended on my brother for everything and couldn’t do anything myself.

I blamed myself for being so weak, but out of my own stubbornness couldn’t tell my brother my honest feelings. I never thanked him, and everything just continued awkwardly.

I was sitting atop my bed in my spiritually barricaded room, hugging my knees.

I was probably getting crushed under the weight of my loneliness.

I couldn’t get anywhere, and was just filled with regret and guilt at having run away.

Tears welled up in my eyes. But I suddenly felt the bed swell up as my brother came leaping in.

— Kyaah?! Why are you in my bed?! How did you even get in here?!

— Your oniichan is always right next to you, Sasami-san!! Just pretend that instead of one oniichan, you actually have thirty!

— Shut up you c.o.c.kroach! Get out! Also I’m hungry so go cook something!

My brother was a pervert, so I didn’t have enough time to feel depressed.

That was probably what saved me.

“I am curious. How exactly did Kamiomi find a job and a house?”

“No idea. I don’t even think any records of us should’ve existed…”

“We just used alterations and managed that way. But Tsukuyomi… I dunno…”

We went back to an even earlier memory.

A very young me was dressed in priestess clothes and gripping tightly onto a crayon, drawing a picture.

It was Mother’s Day.

I had overheard from somewhere that such a holiday existed and was working hard so my mother would be happy.

I was planning on giving my mother a drawing of her.

Of course, I didn’t really have much artistic ability, so it wasn’t easy to tell whether I had drawn a human or a potato.

I went over and handed my mother the drawing, a look of happy confidence on my face. But my smile soon froze over.

— Do not draw, Sasami. Creating art is evil. When humans create art, they pa.s.s their wishes into what they create. And the wishes of those with the power of the Supreme G.o.d can greatly distort the world.

I saw my portrait being ripped into two in front of my very eyes.

— If you have time to play, then spend more time on your trainings and stop being such a failure.

My mother spoke those harsh words and I ran off, sniffling.

Things like this had happened time and time again.

“Wait, wasn’t that a bit over-the-top? You didn’t have to rip it…”

Tsurugi said that, but then…

In the now-empty hallway, we watched as my mother suddenly appeared.

She picked up the drawing which had fallen to the floor, and made it whole again by casting an alteration.

She stared at it emotionlessly.

— Hm? Juju-sama? What are you doing over there?

Startled by the sudden voice, my mother quickly hid the drawing in her priestess clothes.

After that, we saw my mother put the drawing into a frame and hang it in her room.

“Fufufufu, so you were actually pretty happy! You’re always so emotionless so it was hard to tell!”

“I have undergone numerous training to control my emotions. Also, it is true that drawing and other forms of creative production are very dangerous. It is a mother’s duty to scold her daughter before she develops any strange habits.”

“I see I see… mom, you actually hung that picture up…”

We went even further back.

To the scene of my birth.

My mother’s face was flushed and she looked in pain as she was handed a baby.

She hugged it delicately as if she was handling something fragile.

I saw a rare smile on my mother’s face.

I knew from seeing this that I had been a welcome addition to the family.

“Hey, look look! There’s some interesting stuff over here!”

“Uwah, ruining the mood like that… so, what is it? Oh, wow! It’s mom! She’s so young!”

“Hm. Your mother has always been young… geh, this is…! No! Do not look at that!”

Pulled by Tsurugi’s psyche, we found ourselves watching a different past.

I saw what was probably a teenage version of my mother with short hair, running around a field.

She pummeled a youkai with a single charm, trying to catch up to someone.

— Wait!

My mother let out a sharp yell and released another charm.

A big pile of rocks crumbled, blocking any path of escape for my mother’s prey…

It was a young, handsome boy. Actually, hey, this was my father when he was young, wasn’t it?

My father shook, his face pale, as he readied his sword, the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi.

He howled out at my mother as she approached him through the cloud of dust.

— Dammit! What does the esteemed next Tsukuyomi Priestess want with a failure like me?! You want to yell at me to train harder? To not go playing in the town? I’m tired of hearing all your lectures, neesan! And I’m tired of having to keep spending every day killing these dangerous monsters!

From how he said neesan, I inferred that my father had been my mother’s younger brother.

Well, we were a family that survived through incest, after all.

My mother ignored my father’s words, and slowly walked up to him.

— Ruza.

She didn’t have any emotion on her face.

— I like you.

— …… Huh?

My father seemed utterly confused, and my mother looked down at the ground, her cheeks going redder and redder.

— D-Die!

My mother threw a charm, blasting my father away.

“Wow! Wow wow wow wow!”

My mother was raising a fuss.

“Do not watch! Stop! Do not watch the mistakes of my youth!”

“Wait wait! Come on, I just want to see a teeeeensy more!”

“Okay, let’s go watch something else! Ah! Over there! Looks like it’s what happens after this! Let’s watch as the super serious prodigy and heir of the Tsukuyomi lineage @ Juju-chan chases after the delinquent dropout of the family @ Ruza, finds him in the town, and gets wrapped up in a boisterous romantic comedy…!”

“S. T. O. P! My youth was so filled with training that I was unversed in matters of love, and I acted like a complete fool… please stop watchingggg!!”

Time continued to rewind.

My young mother was sitting on an altar.

She was the sheltered daughter of the Tsukuyomi tribe who was being raised properly to be the next Tsukuyomi Priestess.

That was my mother.

My grandmother was the current Tsukuyomi Priestess, but her body was weak and she collapsed often, so she rarely showed herself in public.

My mother feigned ignorance, not showing any hint of her brilliance as she remained absolutely silent.

Everyone else ignored my mother… or maybe they didn’t care if a little kid heard them. They just continued to whisper.

Whisper about how much they were going to use the power of the Supreme G.o.d to advance their own interests.

About how much their personal coffers would swell, about how they were going to fulfill their every wish and indulge in pleasure.

Or about how they would defeat their rivals and rise up in the world.

Unsavory talk filled the air, and my mother just sat in the middle of it all, silent.

Why was my mother able to fulfill her role so seriously, so perfectly?

Was it because she didn’t have anything else to cling to?

Or was it because she didn’t want to become polluted like all the other adults around her?

Maybe carrying out this n.o.ble, precious role a.s.signed to her by the G.o.ds was the only way my lonely mother could feel at peace.

“How nostalgic.”

My mother muttered.

“Until I inherited the power of the Supreme G.o.d, I did not say a single word. I was ridiculed and called a fool, but I remained silent, listening to what everybody else was saying. Then, the same day I inherited the power of the Supreme G.o.d, I began to cleanse the Tsukuyomi Shrine. By that time, the shrine had already been dirtied by a long history of depravity.”

She sounded lonely.

“Certainly, it was a favorable time for us at the shrine. We had shouldered the power of the Supreme G.o.d for a long time, had become used to such power, and began to believe that we were special. Of course, even everything I did was nothing but a temporary patch. Was everything we had built up until now useless? Were we meddling where we should not have been…?”

“Seriously, stop regretting stuff. We’re here going to the past so we can get rid of all the regret, right?”

Tsurugi seemed a bit exasperated.

“No, what you’ve done hasn’t been useless. Honestly, I’m grateful and I feel awful for it. Making you hold onto this power for so long. I should’ve destroyed the Tsukuyomi Shrine a long time ago and taken the power of the Supreme G.o.d back. But I took advantage of you guys and procrastinated…”

It was rare to hear Tsurugi’s voice sounding so faint.

“Well, looks like our little detour ends here. We’re gonna make a huge leap now, so hold on tight! This might be a bit hard on you humans.”

With that, our journey to the past reached its final station.

I saw a dazzlingly bright world before me.

Everything was filled with brilliant light.

Were we above the clouds? In any case, I could see some fluffy things floating in the background, and through the cracks of those things, a huge blue sea below. There were also a number of sacred mountains in the distance.

It wasn’t even really clear how we were standing up above the clouds, but I straightened my posture and noticed a number of huge presences around me.

I instinctively understood what these presences were.

They were the forces of nature themselves, G.o.ds with immense levels of divinity.

It felt like Mount Fuji was bearing down on top of me. I cowered at the overwhelming amount of power I felt around me.

And then, I noticed.

The sun, which had always been above me, was slowly descending.

That sun was soon level with me, still shining brilliantly.

And this mysterious, exceedingly beautiful existence was holding three sacred objects.

A sword, a mirror, and a magatama jewel. (5)

The three divine instruments. (6)

I belatedly understood just where we were.

This was precisely the scene when Ninigi-no-Mikoto descended from the heavens.

The Supreme G.o.d came down and entrusted everything to her grandson, who had become human.

The other G.o.ds also descended together from Heaven to Earth, standing guard and becoming the first of all things.

They would rule, maintain, and tune the earth from now on.

“So, what do you want?”

The divine existence in front of me spoke in a teasing voice.

“This is where I just abandoned the power of the Supreme G.o.d because I was way too tired… this is where everything began, and we can do things over from here if you want.”

I couldn’t see her actual form through the blinding light, but for some reason I knew that she was smiling.

“I’ve rested enough. I’ve depended on you guys for way too long… for longer than was needed. And, you’re all just exhausted now. This is something that should never have happened. The sun herself said she had enough and stopped spinning. I really did something unforgivable.”

The Supreme G.o.d Amaterasu was directly in front of me, looking at me.

“In the end, I can’t tell you if all you’ve done through your history was right or not. You’ve experienced much pain, death, and this land has become chaotic like many entangled strands of hemp all because I didn’t want to try. That is my own regret.”

The Sun G.o.ddess held out the three divine instruments towards me.

“Answer me please. Was I wrong? I’ve been thinking about this for so long but I still don’t know… was I wrong to pa.s.s over such a heavy piece of baggage to you guys here? Maybe I should’ve tried just a bit harder?”

“Nah.”

I shook my head.

“Don’t feel remorse over our history, G.o.ddess.”

I’m sure my mother, whose heart was nestled close to mine right now, agreed with me.

“You tried hard for so long. You then took a short break, but now you’re back again. If you’re tired, then pa.s.s the baton. That’s the best, most efficient method if you ask me… so you weren’t wrong.”

I took the sword, the mirror, and the jewels, and mustered up all my strength in my words.

“We’ll… try hard for you until the sun rises.”

I smiled.

“Even if the moonlight may be a bit weak.”

“I see.”

The Sun G.o.ddess smiled, and let out a huge, catlike yawn.

“Well then… take care of it for me.”

And so, the days of legend ended, and the days of history began.

And the path we would walk was now completely empty of regret.

This was our time to work. This short, fleeting time, until the rising of the sun.

Our regrets had vanished.

The burdens on my mind, on my mother’s mind, on Tsurugi’s mind… they were lightened, if only by a little.

History was not altered, and we found ourselves back at the problem point when an anomaly first appeared in the timeline.

“Well then!”

Tamamo-no-Mae, the One who Dances on the Scales, spoke with triumph in her voice from within the Killing Stone Golem.

“Have a happy death, Tsukuyomi Juju! And so we draw the final curtain on the Tsukuyomi Shrine, and bring glory to Arahabaki!”

“Unfortunately for you…”

Suddenly, I felt a wave of power swirling in my mother’s body, even as it was on the verge of being crushed by the Golem.

“I have been temporarily entrusted with the power of the Supreme G.o.d by my daughter. I now have a duty to work hard for a number of years to come. I made a promise. I will not allow you to kill me.”

Spiritual energy swelled from my mother’s body as she struggled.

“Wha-… I knew something seemed strange!”

Tamamo-no-Mae looked shaken.

“Why is it that there is another heart… another divine spirit present in Tsukuyomi Sasami’s body? I should have been able to deal swiftly with an inexperienced girl like Sasami! Why did I have to awaken when there was such a powerful divine spirit mixed in?!”

“Sorry, but you were nothing but the fodder for mending a mother-daughter relationship.”

Suddenly, I heard a voice, and the Killing Stone Golem’s arm flew off.

A charm had been thrown at it.

“You might’ve waited ten years for the right opportunity but too bad. You have this strange ability to go to the past, and you happened to be inside Sasami, so I took advantage of that and used your powers.”

The one who was attacking was… Micchan, who had been blown away by the golem just moments before.

Wait, could she actually use charms like this?

Ah, Tsurugi was probably inside her body right now.

“There doesn’t seem to be much spiritual energy in this body… but there’s still some. If I concentrate all this energy, I can do this much. Well, but I think I’m at my limit here… the rest is up to you.”

“Gladly!”

The Killing Stone Golem’s arm had been destroyed.

My mother slipped out from the gaps in the Golem’s fingers, and then she swiftly teleported upwards while unsheathing her sword.

The golem’s head flew into the air, and the young me was liberated from the monster.

I saw my chance and quickly leapt into the young me’s body.

My mother caught me in midair, and we descended to the ground together.

We then turned around to face this terrifying monster who could change the past.

Tamamo-no-Mae was trembling.

“Y-You used me…? I am the pale-faced, golden-furred, nine-tailed fox. I am the one who has toppled nations and dynasties through intrigue and guile, and you used me…?”

Poison gas erupted from the golem’s body, and the headless monster charged at us.

“You will die… die a painful death! I will turn you into minced meat and serve you as an appetizer!”

“… My apologies, but I will not allow that to happen.”

My mother didn’t move, but just readied her sword, our hands still joined.

“Finally, I can fulfill the true role given to us by the Supreme G.o.d in times of legend… and I finally understand that role. I finally remembered the meaning of that role. Nine-tailed fox, you will not destroy this land. I will protect it until the rising of the sun… I, who was bestowed with the three divine instruments, will take pride in that!”

The battle ended in the blink of an eye.

My mother slashed her sword grandly, and the Killing Stone Golem was rent in two.

At the same time, the spiritual energy encased in her long sword exploded, sending Tamamo-no-Mae flying.

It was like watching fireworks.

My mother’s hand that was joined to mine felt hot.

Maybe because we had defeated Tamamo-no-Mae, the s.p.a.ce around us distorted and I saw static run through the air.

And so, this fleeting dream came to an end.

“Okay then.”

Micchan, or rather the lazy G.o.d inside of Micchan, let out a huge yawn.

“I’ll count on ya for a bit longer then.”

My mother and I both nodded at her words.

The sun pa.s.ses the baton to the moon, and the moon pa.s.ses the baton back to the sun. And thus the world continued to spin.

Towards tomorrow, one step at a time.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES

(1) She is waving around one of these.

(2) I believe we’ve seen mention of this myth before, but Izanagi and Izanami were the two founding G.o.ds of j.a.pan. Izanagi went to the Underworld to try to save Izanami, but failed because she had already eaten the fruit of the Underworld. He runs out with her chasing after him and blocks the entrance with a huge boulder. Amaterasu (i.e. Tsurugi) is born from Izanagi purifying himself after the incident.

(3) Tsurugi mentions “Ukehi,” which is a Shintoist divination ritual. Most famously, Amaterasu (i.e. Tsurugi) used it with Susanoo to determine the latter’s intentions – if she gave birth to boys, it meant Susanoo harbored no ill intent towards her. And she proceeded to give birth to five boys.

(4) Very similar to the Western card game a.s.shole.

(5) A magatama is a comma-shaped jewel. It’s one half of the standard yin-yang symbol.

(6) In j.a.panese mythology, these are the three things Amaterasu bestowed upon Ninigi-no-Mikoto when he descended to Earth.