Admittedly, it took a moment for me to get moving, sort of just staring at the consequences of my actions as I was.
Funnily enough? What finally got me moving again mentally was the same random guy in the crowd who was screaming earlier.
It was him screaming, though.
"UGH!"
…It was him getting sucker punched in the face by another random person and sent straight to the ground.
"Drop dead you warmongering dimwit!" The assaulter then proceeded to verbally tear into the floored guy, "You–"
He was cut off from his tirade by some other guy punching him in the face in turn.
And just like a chain reaction, it began to spread.
Starting from the second puncher getting punched in turn, loud yelling and ranting began to turn into a chorus of shoving and striking, spreading out like some sort of violent tidal wave.
…Me on a stick. I think I understand why Ama didn't want me growing up here now.
No time to worry about that now though, in the end, I get the feeling none of these guys out here truly matters.
They're a literal crowd of nameless, samely nobodies. The textbook definition of filler, but for Kami.
No, the real gods making the decisions are up there.
My gaze focuses intently on the Palace sitting above them all.
That's where I needed to be, yesterday.
After all, if I had told Ama, or at least Uzume so she could tell her instead, what I was planning, then none of this would have even happened.
I clicked my tongue and let a sigh out under my breath.
This is my fault; it's time to face the music.
…If I can even get to the music in the first place.
My gaze swept across the increasingly growing violent crowd, and it didn't take long to realize going through there would be a terrible idea.
If I transform into one of them and try to walk and weave on through, I'll probably just get jumped.
If I reveal myself, my power, there's no saying what exactly could happen. They could let me through easily, sure, but at the same time…these guys don't strike me as thoughtful.
I'll likely be mobbed or some stupid shit by desperate barely even courtiers wanting my opinion on all this.
Time is of the essence, but the only thing hampering said time is the possibility of the horde below interfering.
So, I'm going to have to avoid them entirely.
I back up, going to the opposite end of the roof, and lower myself into a runner's starting stance.
I'm suppressing my powers just so they don't sense me at all, so any speed I gain has to be all-natural.
Thus, just to be sure, I want a running start.
The faster I go, the less chance they'll see me, which isn't likely considering they're all beating each other up currently, but stacking advantages just to be sure can't hurt.
Flares of extremely meager amounts of divine power sparking amongst the crowd around the building act as my signal flare.
No more time to waste then.
With a single breath, I charge.
Reaching the end of the roof at a breakneck pace, I leap off it and fly straight to the next, my stride never slowing.
I am nearly knocked off course by a stray blast of divine power, though.
Make that several random stray blasts.
I was nearly at the Palace gates, just a few jumps more, I'd say, when, of course, something had to happen.
Said Palace gates abruptly exploded, with a great and deep thunderous bellow following swiftly after.
"WILL YOU FOOLS KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!?"
A lone man walked through the blown-out gates, clad in a full set of samurai armor, minus a helmet, holding an ancient Japanese longsword, a Tsurugi, thrumming with lightning of all things.
For a second, as I came to a screeching halt, I thought this guy was Susan, but after a moment, I quickly realized this was a different guy.
For one, this new guy was far weaker than the slow-to-revive storm god; the pressure this guy was emitting, while substantial, wasn't anywhere near that of my uncle.
That, and his face is completely different. Susan had a very punchable face, this guy, despite his very samurai general-type look, actually doesn't look like an asshole.
At his appearance and bellowing announcement, I immediately got down, hitting the ground so I couldn't be seen.
The crowd, though? They didn't follow suit entirely.
Oh, those nearest to the Palace did, of course. I saw them still, their divine powers shut down as soon as spiritually possible.
Not only that, their violent debating turned horror-filled utterances gave me the name of this new god.
"L-L-Lord T-Takemikazuchi!"
Oho? Now that's a name I recognize from myth!
The God of Thunder and Swords, one of the Kami specifically born from the blood splattered on Izanagi's sword after he killed Kagutsuchi.
Apparently, way back in the day when Japan was known as the 'Middle Country' and was in a state of chaos, this guy was sent down to pacify the land. Then, in the future, he sent down his sword to assist my ancestor in becoming the First Emperor of Japan.
A pretty important deity, I'd say, although not that high up there in the grand scheme of things.
Anyhow, though those closest to the Palace had gotten his memo, the others further out clearly didn't.
I could hear them still, the distant sounds of struggles, shouting, and fighting.
So too could the newly arrived Thunder God here, it seemed, as his frown grew into a scowl, and he raised his sword.
Without a word from him, the sword promptly crackled with power before letting out a massive boom, the crack of boiling not-so-distant thunder.
Causing what felt like the entire mountain to shake.
I had to hold onto the rough tightly to not be thrown off the damn thing, and I could hear that those on the ground weren't fairing well at all.
As one, shouts and screams of fear and indignation rolled out across the mountain, followed by the collective noise of several thousands of bodies hitting the floor.
Then, they promptly shook around on said floor like they were all being rattled around in a boiling pan.
All of this lasted a few moments, if that, before everything stilled once again and returned to peace and stillness.
Along with a sweet, blissful, quiet.
That, unfortunately, lasted for even less time.
"IF I MUST COME OUT HERE AGAIN…" Takemikazuchi continued, his voice resounding across the mountain like thunder, "THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FOR EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! DO YOU HEAR!?"
The blissful silence returned for a moment.
It was broken again, but this time in a much softer manner, by the Thunder God.
"Harumph." He grunted, tiredly, at a normal octave, something only those near the palace gates where he stood would be able to hear.
And without any more prompt, he then turned and proceeded to walk back inside.
With everyone close to the gates staring on in abject terror.
I give it five, no, ten more minutes before this short peace all falls apart again.
In the meanwhile, with everyone scared stiff and watching the higher-level deity in case he decides to cut a dumbass, I take this time to stand up, and make the final few leaps over, onto the grand palace roof itself.
My final quick scamper up the roof wasn't exactly dignified, I'll admit, I wanted this to be over with already, but I also didn't want to get caught.
It worked well enough, I think. I didn't hear anyone freak out below, so I'll take it!
Now, how do I get inside the palace properly?
Well. If it's anything like the Yomi Palace, which it does look like, just more golden, I think I might know a way or two!
Right into the Throne Room, in fact…
~ A New Sun ~
Takamagahara, the Plane of High Heaven, was an absolute clusterfuck this time of year.
Correction, the Heaven that her favorite Sun Goddess ran was always like this…not that Uzume had been to any other Heaven.
Though right now, she wouldn't exactly mind it.
Currently, Uzume was holding back her said totally favorite Sun Goddess from, quite literally, getting most of them killed!
"UZUME! YOU STUPID BITCH! LEMME GO! RIGHT NOW!"
Well, she's one hundred percent becoming ash after this, so there's that.
Oh yeah. By holding her back, she meant that literally as well, by the way.
Right now, Uzume was holding up her little short stuff of a Sun Goddess by the waist, as said Goddess flailed around wildly like a rabid poodle, trying to escape her grasp.
"I'll l-let you go if you promise not to grab your bow an-" Uzume wasn't allowed to finish, of course.
"I'M PICKING UP MY BOW!" Ama looked back, her eyes glowing and spinning wildly whilst she screamed back at her, "In FACT! HACHI! GET ME MY BOW! RIGHT NOW!"
Oh, right…they're also not alone.
Currently, they are in the Throne Room, though this whole song and dance they're doing now had started in Ama's room.
She had managed to escape Uzume's grasp a few times. She'd just had to chase her down and snatch her back up again.
Though by that time, they'd started gaining a crowd, as one tends to do when their chief god is screaming about nuking the center of the strongest religion on the planet.
Hachi, or Hachiman, their God of War whom Ama had just called out to, stood there silently, wearing a long formal and traditional gold and black, his ever-present spear held at his side.
His weathered old face simply looked at his chief god and said nothing, as he did exactly nothing.
He wasn't the only one amongst them, however.
Inari stood off to the side, amused by seemingly everything going on around her.
Omoikane, their God of Wisdom and Knowledge, stood amongst the circle of deities around them, worried and fretting. He wore the long white traditional robe those ancient Japanese magicians used to wear, alongside a pair of glasses.
Personally, Uzume always thought he kind of looked like a nerd, even before the concept came to be. Then, when anime became a thing, she was always pretty sure every 'smart glasses guy' friend character was based on him.
He was supposed to be Ama's chief advisor, but he wasn't doing much advising right now.
Not like Ama would take any he'd give right now.
There were others amongst them, a couple of dragon and oni-looking guys, gods of the wind, water, and lightning, and even more beyond them, both Earthly and Heavenly alike, though Uzume didn't care to register them in her head, despite how incredibly rare and nearly unprecedented all things considered this event is.
She was a bit busy, remember.
"Ngghhh! Hachi! What did I say!? MY! BOW!" Ama tried again, still attempting to claw her way out of her grip.
"M-Mmm!" Uzume bucked slightly as the obsidian-haired little goddess in her arms nearly flew out of them again.
Honestly, it should say something that Ama is so mad she doesn't even consider that she could overpower her quite easily.
Beyond just physically, after all…
Across the room, inside a crater in one of the walls, is the smoking figure of another kami, a silver-haired god whose violet eyes are deadpanning at the scene before him.
Tsukuyomi, the God of the Moon, Ama's former husband…and brother.
He isn't even supposed to be allowed here, but he came down once he heard the commotion to try and stop her.
And, well, Uzume got a front-row seat watching as she blasted him across the room with a single wave of her hand into the place he decided it would be a good idea to remain.
If he wanted to stay alive, that'd be for the best.
The thing is, he, Susanoo, and Inari are the only ones amongst them who come close to matching her.
If they were all together, they might be able to forcibly stop her rampage.
"Ugh! Damn you all! Uzu!" She turned and gave her full attention toward Uzume, "Let, me, go, NOW!"
"E-EEP!" Uzume cried out as she turned her full body just in time for Ama to open her mouth and for the stream of solar flames to pour out from her mouth.
Thankfully, though, due to her turning, she effectively moved out of the way.
Unfortunately, this made her essentially the wielder of a Sun Goddess flamethrower, which was waved toward all the other gods in the room.
A discordant chorus of roars and panicked shouts echoed out as the flames lashed out at them, causing them all to scatter.
In the edge of her vision, she sees the door to the Throne Room open, and for a second, hope enters her heart!
Takemikazuchi stood there at the door, looking into the room with a blank look on his face, his eyes tracing where the lashes of golden solar fire flew.
That hope promptly shatters as he promptly shuts the door without entering, muttering something to himself.
Uzume can't say she blames him.
Still, screw him!
Tsukuyomi twitched in his place in the wall, "...Siste-"
He barely got a single word out before he was engulfed by a lash of flames, and promptly shut up.
…Then, as the lash continued into more of a beam, Uzume realized that it was one hundred percent targeted.
She looked over and found Ama intentionally looking and eyeing him now, or where he would be in the golden inferno.
It was over soon after, leaving a charred Tsukuyomi who didn't look the least bit pained despite being a whole other color and within an actual smoking glowing crater.
He merely looked far more dead inside.
Ama gave a vindictive chuckle his way. "Now then," she uttered slowly, her pure golden aura slowly coming to life around her as she turned her head to face Uzume once again.
Uzume winced in pain; that aura was hot.
And not in a good way, either!
"I'm done playing around." Ama ground out, "Put me down, so I can get my bow, and make the Vatican not exist anymore!"
The hissing that followed wasn't from Ama, but from Uzume's hands and arms as they started to burn.
"A-Ama…" Uzume tried, but it was clear that she wasn't having it anymore.
"Don't Ama me! They deserve it! They've always deserved it! Especially now!" Ama fired back, somewhat manically, "Everyone knows it! Everyone else in the world would support us if we did! Because we'd have the balls to do what they won't despite Him existing!"
"Y-You can't be sure-"
"I'M SURE ENOUGH!" Her aura flared.
"A-Anghh!?" She cried out in sheer burning pain, yet refused to let go.
"You…You aren't even supposed to be here right now," Ama continued, ranting. "I'll forgive you…if you let me go right now."
Uzume had come almost as soon as she felt the fight begin right outside Japan, the fight between Nori and the Church's Strongest Exorcist.
She had no clue how that even happened! Last she heard, he was going after the sword. That was the plan, wasn't it!?
In any event, she rushed to Ama's side because she knew she'd be watching, and she didn't want Ama to do anything…rash.
Once it was all said and done, that's exactly what she had tried to do.
Never mind the fact that he was alive and fine after! Never mind the fact that something was off about all this in the first place!
No, all Ama saw was the Strongest Exorcist drowning and crushing her precious baby boy, and that's all that mattered to her.
So for hours now, she's had to deal with this.
If only one of her children were here, she'd listen to them, wouldn't she? If she could, she'd have gotten Nori by now, but…well, she's been busy!
"...N-No." Uzume grunts out, sternly yet simply, pushing through all the pain.
Ama's gaze sharpened before she gritted her teeth as rage took over her face once again.
Uzume promptly braced herself for the little girl goddess to start thrashing around in her arms once again, only instead, something pricked at the edge of her senses.
Maybe Tsukuyomi might have felt it as well, but Ama clearly couldn't, enraged as she was.
But she sure as hell noticed when something broke through the Throne Room's window, forcing her to perk up and half twist to look in the sound's direction.
Uzume, though, finally let herself sigh and sag down in relief.
Flopping onto the floor rather ungracefully was the young man she was just thinking about earlier.
"Uggghh…" Noriaki groaned, less out of pain and more out of annoyance, as broken bits of the palace's windows fell around him.
Then he looked up from the ground, saw the room, and just stared.
Half of the room was burning and black, Tsukuyomi was in a smoking crater in the far wall, and there she was, holding his mother like she was rabid possum…hell, with the look in her eyes right now? She probably looked like one was as well.
Uzume could see the moment realization set in on his face, and he grimaced.
Good! He knows this is his fault! Little jerk!
Now to start plotting what she can get out of this!
It took everything that Uzume had to not split into a mischievous grin as she began to plot…
~ A New Sun ~
Oi. Uzume. Why do you look like you're planning something really dumb?
Hnn, never mind, that's not the thing to focus on.
Better question!
I pointedly stared at Ama, "...why do you look like a rabid chihuahua?"
Seriously, her face is giving off those kinds of angry vibes, and although I have a guess, I don't think she'd crash out this hard over…me, right?
Right?
Unfortunately, or maybe rather, fortunately, my small female lookalike doesn't exactly give me a response.
Instead, as she sees me, her manic and twistedly grit teeth…look slowly smothered down with a frown, then a somewhat gaping stare.
Then, she's a blurred mass heading toward me.
I barely hear Uzume's shocked yelp as the purple-harried goddess is sent sprawling to the floor before it registers what exactly is coming my way.
In that moment, I release the hold I've had on my powers to keep them suppressed and myself in stealth, allowing them to surge to the surface as I catch the speeding goddess.
Barely.
She slams into me so hard, so fast, I'm sent skidding back several feet and nearly through the windows once again at my back, barely able to stop myself before that happens.
Yet, I manage, and my reward is…a trembling little goddess, clinging onto my torso for dear life.
"Jeez…" I huff, gently pat her head, and look around the room once more.
With my senses back, I can feel what I pretty much confirmed with my eyes. A flaming tornado blasted through here- Ama's flaming tornado.
Next to the throne, near the center back of the room, Uzume was left laid out. She's got these nasty-looking burns across her hands and arms that made even me wince.
Additionally, in the opposite wall, almost perfectly across from Uzume, is another person…though he's too charred black to make out.
I feel his divine power, though, and recognize him instantly from that.
Tsukuyomi, my other uncle.
He…doesn't look good, but his face isn't showing it, so I can't say for certain.
In the periphery of my senses, I can feel several other deities, all fairly strong, much stronger than the mob outside, sometimes several times over.
I recognize Inari amongst them, but not anyone else.
Slowly, they begin to poke their heads and peek in, clearly intrigued by my appearance.
I don't care about them, though, not right now, so I ignore them and carry on with what matters.
Lifting her whilst holding Ama close to me, I make my way over to Uzume, having to sort of waddle slightly because Ama refuses to move all that much.
When I do finally make it though, holding out my hand and healing the purple-haired goddess is far easier.
Uzume lets out a shuddering sigh of relief as I do, and when I'm done, I softly ask of her, "When you get back, could you tell Rose and Kuroka that I might," my gaze shifts to Ama for a split second, "...take a little while longer then I thought getting back to them?"
Uzume looks up at me and nods easily enough.
I then turn toward my other, probably cooler uncle, only for said god to hold out a hand and stop me from approaching altogether.
"Not a good idea." he voices, waving toward my current chest plate.
Which…fair enough.
"But…" I go to ask what he's going to do about being charbroiled.
Only for him to interrupt me by sliding off the wall and landing on his face, acting seemingly not worse for wear.
He shakes himself off, causing all the black char and sot to fall off him like he was in some sort of cartoon show, leaving his outfit, a blue and white traditional robe, spotless.
The only thing that marked him as hurt, kind of, was his skin being slightly tinted pink.
At my bewildered stare, he merely shrugged, giving me a small smug smile, "I figured out how to deal with her a while ago, so don't worry about me, alright?"
At his words, I nodded.
Then, I slowly reached out and lowered my chest plate's arm that was starting to extend and point toward him, steadily bringing it back against me.
With that all sorted, I looked down at the trembling goddess in arms before speaking aloud to everyone else, in or just outside.
"I'll be taking her to her room, alright!? Don't any of you disturb us!"
My shout wasn't meant with any objections, and so I turned and waddled away with her.
Inside the confines of my mind, I allowed myself to sigh, though.
Here I was, expecting an easy walk-in, telling everyone the good news before asking if it'd be fine to hit up Asgard for something…
Instead, as I look down, and see the trembling form of my mother looking damn near ready to burst into tears and breakdown, the full totality of what I'm getting instead steps in.
Consequences of my actions indeed.