4,224Author's Note:
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Chapter 27: The Meeting of Might
They were at the brink of war.
Ichigo had never thought that the carefully kept stalemate between the three Factions would be broken so readily.
Damn that lunatic, Kokabiel.
Yasaka had called him in a panic, and as each word she uttered over the phone had set into his ears, his heart was filled with more and more trepidation. A Cadre, one of the Lords of the Grigori, and his legions numbering in the tens of thousands, was heading straight for Kuoh Town where he would find Rias and Sona. Like lions on a foal. It would take but a blink of the eye for Kokabiel to kill the two and enrage Sirzechs and Serafall into declaring a war of insane vengeance. Falbium and Ajuka would follow them no question, and dammit all to Hell, so would he. The Underworld would be torn in two as the awful fighting erupted again, tens of millions would die within days and Sirzechs' rage may very well see the Underworld undone in its entirety.
To make matters worse, the Excalibur fragments were stolen from the Church by the Fallen and used as bait for the White Army. Bait which was taken: hook, line and sinker. Grim and fiery Uriel was leading his own Angelic legions across the sea to land in Japan and confront the Fallen. The Black and White Feathers would paint the sky in each angelic blood, raining Holy and Corrupted Light down onto the land and annihilating millions of mortals in the process.
And there lay the greatest of issues. The Shinto cycle of souls was already so broken, so fragile. The explosion of Human deaths from an Immortal War would shatter the balance, and break down the barriers between the living and the dead. The Chthonic realms would merge with the Earth, and the resulting miasma of death would spill on over, choking the skies and bringing untold devastation to the planet. Humanity would see critical harvest the likes of which that had never before been witnessed in history.
And through this all, a burning question lay on Ichigo's tongue.
How had Kokabiel managed to undo the mystical barriers of Japan? At first, Ichigo had suspected the traitorous shadows that lurked within Yasaka's court. But even they wouldn't have the means to undo the divinely wrought protections over the entire country. Which could only mean one thing: whatever treachery had sunk its teeth into his birth country, it went all the way up into Takagamahara. A serpent had pulsed its venom into the Plane of High Heaven.
Amaterasu's rage must be volcanic, Ichigo thought to himself. Her armies would be marshaling even now, which meant that he had little time to stop all of this before it devolved into utter chaos.
And still, still, there was one other thing that was cause for major concern on his part.
His eyes flitted over to his lover. Her countenance set cool and grim. He could see it in the way she stood, in the steel of her eyes: Tiamat was ready for war. And, a part of him realized, she may even be relishing it. For all her talk of turning points and catalyst for new ages, she was still a sovereign amongst Dragons. Battle and fury came as natural as breathing for her.
"Tiamat," he said slowly, swallowing his nervousness down. "There's one other thing."
She tilted her in an almost alien display of curiosity.
"Since Uriel and the White Army are crossing the sea to come here..." Ichigo hesitantly broke his eyes away from her for a moment before mustering the courage to settle them back on her and saying slowly, "Ryūjin has gone to confront him and bar them entry."
Tiamat didn't move, but her eyes collapsed into serpentine slits and the hair on his arms stood up as the air hummed with static.
Ichigo had to move with supernatural speed and grab hold of Tiamat's wrist as she turned towards the window, fully intent of launching herself into the sky. The moment his skin made contact with her's, a jolt of electricity shot up his arm and Ichigo winced hard as pain ripped through him.
As she turned back around slowly to face him, Ichigo took careful note the blue in her eyes surging with unbridled maternal rage.
"That is my son," she ground out from behind her quickly sharpening fangs.
"I know, I know," Ichigo said quickly. His other hand came up to soothingly touch her shoulder and electricity literally sparked at their touch. He also knew if that this was anyone else, Tiamat would have killed them outright and would be tearing through the skies towards Ryūjin. "Trust me, I know. But we must go about this carefully."
Tiamat let out a ferocious growl and the earth shook.
Great, the whole town is probably now awake thinking there's an earthquake.
"Listen, beautiful, please listen to me." He let go of her wrist and rubbed both of her shoulders consolingly. "I can't go fight Kokabiel. You know what happens if I use that much power in the human world. It's too dangerous. Especially here. That much demonic power could easily corrode the liminal barriers. Not to mention, if Uriel senses me and Kokabiel together he may throw reason to the wind and launch an all-out assault on Japan thinking the Devils and Fallen are working together."
"Let him!" she growled. "I'll dig out his worthless spine bone by bone!"
"Hey, no!" Ichigo did his best to force eye contact with the enraged mother. "We're trying to minimize conflict! Especially since Ryūjin will be right there! The goal is to keep as many people safe, remember? Which is why I need you to go confront Kokabiel for me while I stall Uriel. I can talk to him, get him to stand down. Convince him he's being played."
Tiamat threw her gaze to the ground in indecision, intellect warring with instinct. Ichigo took the moment to put both his hands under her hair and cupped her face.
"He'll be fine," he said firmly, allowing his conviction to seep through their bond and alleviate her motherly fears. "I won't let anything happen to him. So please. Let me handle Uriel and go take care of the Fallen."
Tiamat clenched her jaws and ground her teeth. Ichigo could sense the war within her, but he kept both his emotions and tongue in check. Time was of the essence; he couldn't afford to say or think the wrong thing and have her fly off towards the sea. Too much hung in the balance for wild emotions to influence decisions here.
"Fine, fine," she spat. A deep scowl etched onto her beautiful face. "But I cannot protect the little Devils and slaughter an army at the same time. Send the mutt and one of your pets to guard them while I rend the little crows apart."
"Done," he said immediately.
Tiamat did not look pleased at all, but at the very least she was willing to go along with his plan. Ichigo softened his hands on her cheeks and stepped in for a small kiss.
"Everything is going to be fine," he whispered against his lips.
She snorted. "Not for the crows when I tear their worthless wings from their backs."
Ichigo blinked, but then let out a small laugh. That was good. Tiamat would take out her temper on Kokabiel and his legions. But as he thought of the consequences...
His brow furrowed and he said to her solemnly, "Tiamat...keeping the girls alive and the barriers upright is paramount. But try to limit human casualties as much as possible...if you can."
"I will do what I must," she answered swiftly, a lethal resolve glimmering in her eyes.
Ichigo nodded to himself. That was better than nothing.
"Good hunting, little one."
"Good hunting, Tiamat," he responded.
And with that Tiamat stepped through the folds of space towards Kokabiel's forces, and Ichigo did the same towards Uriel's. Her to war, and he, hopefully, to peace.
Ichigo walked out of the dimensional fold. Hundreds of meters below him were the seemingly endless waters of the Pacific. Well into the depths of the night and this far from the pollution of unnatural light of human cities, Ichigo could make out the celestial map of stars and the streak of cosmic dust that was the Milky Way.
He turned his neck down, the full moon reflected ominously in dark and eerily still waters below. Ichigo closed his eyes and sent his senses reaching out, blanketing over hundreds of miles of ocean. Suddenly his eyes snapped open with recognition.
There.
He brought demonic energy into his feet, and went speeding away. Each supernatural step carrying him dozens of miles towards his destination.
Deep into the Pacific he stopped, and the ocean had shifted. Where before the water was still, here it rose in monstrous waves that reached so high they could easily swallow entire buildings. Far below, Ichigo could make out a faint blue glow that grew brighter by the moment. The light spread wider through the ocean and in response the waves rose higher until they towered to but a few meters below his heels.
And in one massive deluge, the ocean roared to life in a titanic wall of seawater. Rising high into the sky, the tip of a single ivory spike broke the surging ocean. And then another that was quickly followed by many more another. Continuing for well over a hundred meters, until one end of the watery wall shattered in truck sized globs of seawater, revealing a massive dragon's head that let loose a sky-shattering roar. Coils upon winding coils set free from the raging ocean, in scales of a radiant sapphire blue.
Ichigo's eyes widened as the former Dragon King's long body moved through the star-lit sky, dripping glowing blue droplets back onto the black of the night-stained sea. Two majestic horns backed his skull and his from his upper jaw two long whispers waving perpetually. Serpentine eyes that were an all too familiar shade of blue made his heart skip a beat. And those some eyes fell upon him.
Ichigo stood still in the sky, his stance open, but casual as he beheld the magnificent being before him.
So, this was Ryūjin. Japan's most legendary dragon and one of the prime deities featured in the myths of his homeland. The gigantic beast radiated both draconic and divine might in colossal waves of power that crashed over Ichigo. There was no denying it, Ryūjin was titanically strong. While Ichigo could not accurately gauge the dragon's strength at a superficial glance, he suspected that Ryūjin had more than double a Satan's strength. Maybe even more.
Ichigo felt the corner of one eye twitch.
Tiamat wanted to protect him? This dragon could probably tear apart Uriel without breaking a sweat! Never mind that he has the literal ocean to further empower him!
"Ah." Ichigo was broken out of his thoughts by the dragon's deep and guttural voice. "Mother's newest boytoy."
Ichigo scowled. "I'm not her boytoy."
Ryūjin snorted, sending gusts of wind over Ichigo's head and whipping his hair about his face fiercely. "That's what they all say."
Ichigo rolled his eyes.
Oh yeah. He was Tiamat's son through and through. He could see her mischievousness as well her casual disregard so easily dancing in those blue eyes. Shaking his head, Ichigo set his sight on the horizon. Uriel and his legions would be arriving any moment now.
"I am assuming," Ryūjin said as his massive coils shifted, "you are here to help stave off the latest annoyances to try and set foot on our lands?"
Ichigo never took his searching eyes off the horizon. "Yeah. Came here as soon as I heard from Yasaka."
The dragon let out a deep hum that vibrated the very air. "And if you are here, then mother has...?"
"Gone to take care of Kokabiel and his shits."
Ryūjin snorted again. "I almost pity the whelp."
Sapphire-blue coils moved about, and Ichigo found the dragon's head just an arm's length away. An eye as tall as he was peered down at him. "How did you manage that, by the way?"
Ichigo frowned. "What? Convince Tiamat to go fight Kokabiel?"
"No, convince mother to not devour little Yasaka on the spot?" the sea serpent asked with curious amusement. "She's never been good at sharing."
"No clue," Ichigo said with a casual shrug. "I think the two of them worked out something on their own. They usually exclude me from whatever agreements and decisions they come up with. I'm usually pushed around as they will. In return I can sleep with both of them."
Ryūjin opened his jowls and then shut them with an audible snap. Years with Tiamat let him know that was a dragon's way of showing approval. "Smart. Better to let the women fidget with the details while you reap the benefits."
Ichigo then blinked in confusion as he realized how surreal the moment was.
Wait. Why am I suddenly discussing my sex life with an ancient dragon when an angry army of Angels is on the way?
Also, how exactly was he supposed to define his relationship with Ryūjin? How does one relate to their girlfriend's son who was even older than they are? Ichigo wouldn't be calling Ryūjin his stepson, and he highly doubted the dragon would appreciate Ichigo suddenly asking to be called father. Never mind the fact that he and Tiamat weren't even married.
Ichigo turned to the dragon and regarded him with a look. "Hang on. Little Yasaka? What's the story there?"
The dragon's mane shook and powerful muscles rippled under those ocean-blue scales. With surprise, Ichigo realized that Ryūjin just gave a dragon's equivalent to a shrug. It such an un-Tiamat like thing to do. "I remember when she was born. I remember when her mother was born. I remember when her grandmother was born. To the point: I am old."
Now it was Ichigo's turn to snort. That, on the other hand, was a Tiamat statement through and through.
"She was a mischievous little vixen in her youth," the dragon said laughed with a sound was both deep yet quiet. "Climbed onto my head once."
Ichigo let out a short chuckle, but the smile on lips quickly died away then as a bright light suddenly appeared on the horizon.
"Ah," Ryūjin noted languidly. "They are here then. Hopefully I don't have to kill them all. Angelic blood stains so thoroughly, takes years to wash it out of the ocean. Not good for the sea life either."
"I'm sure it won't come to that," ichigo said dryly, but his fists were clenched tightly, his eyes sharp and narrowed on the swiftly expanding ball of light that was quickly overtaking his scope of sight. To others, it would appear the sun was rising, but Ichigo knew it was the mark of an Angelic army, marking the world in their light.
As the legions came closer and the light grew fiercer, the dark blanket of the night was beaten back and the sky and sea turned their daytime blue as rows and columns of thousands of Angels filled the sky. Ichigo's eyes swept deep through their ranks.
No.
Tens of thousands.
The overwhelming force of Holy Light emanating from the White Army made Ichigo scowl as instant distaste and hostility rose from within himself. His infernal nature completely at odds with the sacred force before him. A small, traitorous part of his mind whispered it would be easy to kill them all, that he could do so within a matter of minutes. And, while the temptation was there, he held himself in check. If not for his own sake, then the world which was currently hanging by a thread.
Ichigo's eyes peered through the ranks, his frown deepening. These weren't simple Angels with a single pair of wings. At the very least, the weakest of the army before him has at the bare minimum of four wings. And judging by what he was sensing, there were at least two dozen eight-wings and at least four ten-wings within the Host.
In other words, nearly thirty Angels that would be a match for Ultimate-class Devils were arranged in ranks before his very eyes.
If it came down to a fight, while not impossible, he could kill them all. But it would prove to be troublesome. Especially considering he was incredibly averse to releasing Zangetsu and his true form in the mortal world.
That kind of damage to the planet was unnecessary.
"Ostentatious as ever," the dragon beside him muttered before quickly rising to his full height. Ryūjin's divine aura tore across the sea and sky, pushing back against the Holy Light of the Angelic army and dimming their presence slightly.
"Insolent whelps! You dare intrude upon my domain? Turn back least I stain the sea with your blood!"
Ryūjin threw back his head and spread his claws, letting loose another ferocious cry. But this time, it was accompanied by such force that the storm-like gale pushed down at the ocean and sent sea-water spraying in all directions. The foremost angels of the army were knocked back into their fellows directly behind them. The clanging of their armor was deafened by the peals of thunder summoned by the former Dragon King as the skies were instantly covered by a terrible black storm. The amassing clouds churned into colossal pillars of wind that touched the ocean, spawning over a dozen waterspouts ready to grind and tear into the army.
Ichigo threw an appreciative glance about. He was impressed by the millions of gallons of seawater that violently rose into the sky. Not just the control over the sheer volume of the ocean, but the fact that every drop of it was saturated with draconic and divine might. He had no doubt that getting by even a single drop of that enhanced water would be the equivalent of having a truck dropped on one's head.
But then, through the wondeorus display of power, a single pulse of Holy Light rippled under the darkened clouds. Ichigo's gaze narrowed, his eyes filling swirlingcinto a demonic red.
From the diminished light of the Angelic army came forward a single star, one bearing twelve-golden wings and equally golden armor. Upon his brow sat a gem of white radiance set in a chain of starlight. His face mien was set cold and cut in unearthly beautiful. Ichigo's furious eyes traced fine golden eyebrows, an impossibly pale countenance that literally glowed in Holy Light and thin lips with just the slightest hints of pink to bring color to and alabaster face.
There flew Uriel, Archangel of Repentance.
Uriel spread his arms, and a wellspring of Holiness poured forth and lighting up the world around him like the noonday sun. Through, for all his sanctified might, Uriel was incapable of pushing back Ryūjin's divine power. Japan's sovereign of the sea could not so easily be pushed down, not by someone who was less than half his strength.
"I have no quarrel with you Wyrm," Uriel said lightly, his voice melodious and almost musical. It grated on Ichigo's ears. But as the Archangel's eyes fell on him, that cold and perfect face warped in disgust and undisguised animosity. "As for you, Satan, I would strike you down where you are did I not have more pressing matters to attend to."
Ichigo rose in the sky, standing eye to though far across from the Archangel. "Get lost, Uriel. This is no place for you nor armies."
Uriel's lips curled in disgust. "Vile wretch. Shame of humanity. Crawl back to the pits of the Underworld and consort with the lowest of Lucifer's spawn. You of all would dare to say I do not belong in this world?"
"I would," Ichigo said with a dangerous edge creeping into his voice. "Everyone knows the fragility of the dead in Japan. It's one thing for a lunatic like Kokabiel to march with armies, you should know better."
The Twelve-Winged Angel did not move a muscle, his face kept in a sneer of revulsion. "I do not need you to teach me things. I have trodden these battlefields long before your line was even conceived."
"Then back down," Ichigo warned firmly. "There's more at risk here than pieces of a long-broken sword."
"And what would the teething Satan know of Excalibur's marvel?" Uriel said derisively. "Long has the West sung of the victories promised by the Holy Blade. Of the sword that symbolizes the ideals of peaceful nations and cities shining in law-abiding camaraderie."
Ichigo snorted as he leveled Uriel with a flat look. "A weapon to symbolize peace. Now there's an idea forged in Hell."
Uriel's brow furrowed anger. "You dare..."
"It's a sword. And broken one at that," Ichigo said pointedly. "There are millions of mortal lives at stake. Once we've pried them from Kokabiel's corpse, we'll gladly hand you back the stupid fragments."
"I think not. Stand aside, Wrath. Kokabiel is ours to take by right of od old enmity."
Ichigo the grunt of frustration lodged in his throat. So that's what this is. Uriel didn't just want the Excalibur fragments, he wanted Kokabiel as well. A valuable hostage against the Grigori, not to mention a source of information as well, provided they could loosen his tongue. The White City was probably beyond vexed on how the fragments were stolen in the first place.
"Enough!" Growled Ryūjin, his claws spread and fangs bared. "I will not repeat myself a third time, Angel! You intrude upon my domain! Leave now or be struck down!"
Uriel's visage became grim. "I will do what I must. For Heaven's sake."
From his outstretched hand burst a stream of white fire that slowly condensed into a golden pommel and hilt that thinned into a long silver blade whose spine was marked with blue steel. Ichigo's eyes went wide as recognition hit him at the sight of the Holy Sword.
Ryūjin let loose a savage snarl. "You dare?"
Ascalon. The Dragon Slaying Holy Blade wielded by Saint George centuries ago.
Fuck.
Ichigo didn't think Uriel would be dumb enough to summon the sword right out of Heaven's Vaults in front of Ryūjin. The arrogant angel was going to get himself killed at this rate. Along with the tens of thousands of others behind.
Not willing to take any chances, Ichigo summoned Zangetsu to his hand in a burst of Hellfire.
"Enough!" Ichigo's voice momentarily warped demonically as his powers erupted to the might of a Satan in full. The ancient opposition between the Demons and Angels saw his aura clash with Uriel's, splitting the black clouds into the two halves for miles across the sky. "You're playing right into Kokabiel's hands."
Uriel pointed the sword at him, and instantly thousands of Angels summoned spears of light in their hands. "I will cut his worthless wings as soon as I am done gutting yours if you do not move aside."
Ichigo's grip on Zangetsu tightened as he ground out in exasperation, his patience wearing thin as his Sin started to bear itself to the forefront of his mind. "Don't you understand you radioactive pigeon!? You're doing exactly what he wants! He stole those stupid swords to lure you here! Think! Why come to Japan? Why bring those dumb fragments here of all places? He's going to kill Sirzechs' and Serafall's sisters to enrage them enough to declare war, all the while you and your stupid glowing ass march with an angelic army right into an emerging demonic one! Meanwhile he's sitting there with several legions of Fallen! For once in your ancient life, think! Think! That dumb motherfucker is trying to restart the Great War!"
Uriel's hand wavered briefly, but golden eyes narrowed in Holy fire. "And yet, I wonder. What part is yours to play in all this Wrath? That you would so readily be in the mortal world for Kokabiel's ploy."
Ichigo rolled his eyes in disbelief. "I was born here. I have personal matters here. Including but not limited to my own wife. For someone so old, you being an incredible moron right now."
"You dare insult me?" Uriel spat. "What guarantee is there you and that craven rat have not conspired together to corrupt Excalibur and use them against Heaven?"
Ichigo felt insulted and sent the Archangel a bewildered look. "Do you not see this sword in my hand?" -Ichigo waved the white blade like a stick - "Zangetsu could melt your dumb Ascalon into scrap in a matter of seconds. Why in Hell would I want pieces of a broken Excalibur? Again, think! There's what twenty, thirty thousand of you glow-in-the-dark morons? I go full power right now and it would take me all of two minutes to cleave though your collective asses. I don't need another sword aside from Zangetsu."
"AND SUCH A FINE BLADE IT IS."
And Ichigo's face fell as an absolute mammoth of a power crashed onto his shoulders and sent the world trembling. He could feel reality itself groan under the weight of the new power that intruded between the flaring surges of Angelic and Demonic auras. Lightning lit up the dark clouds: gigantic bolts of blue and searing white danced all across the sky and hundreds of arcs leapt from the sky to strike the sea.
The Angels, Ichigo and Ryūjin were all forced to use their powers to cover and shield themselves from the onslaught of the electrical storm.
A harsh blue light shone through the amassing black storm and as the very heavens opened, as a figure descended onto the world in unbridled glory. All the gathered watched with baited breaths as the light turned into a man that was well over four meters tall. He had long and wild black hair that whipped about in the tempest gale. The white robe that adorned him was opened, revealing a pale and muscular physique.
But most striking of all was the feral grin on those lips and the Japanese long sword that was twice the length of Ichigo's whole height, who's spine rested on the man's shoulder.
"SLAYING MOON! DID DEAR ELDER SISTER NAME YOUR SOUL SUCH IN HER ANIMOSITY WITH TSUKIYOMI?"
The tall deity gave a laugh that rang like peals of thunder across the oceans, and he threw back his head. "I SEE YOU ARE SHINING FULL THIS NIGHT, DEAR BROTHER. TELL ME, WHAT SAY YOU?"
Ryūjin rose and gave a slight bow of the head. "Greetings, Susanoo-no-Mikoto."
Thunder continued to echo as the deity laughed again. "AH, RYŪJIN. IT'S BEEN A LONG THIRTY-THREE YEARS SINCE WE LAST HAD A DRINK TOGETHER. HOW ABOUT WE GO TO YOUR PALACE AND DRINK THE NIGHT AWAY, DEAR FREIND?"
"I would enjoy that very much, my Lord," Ryūjin, but then turned his head towards the giant wall of Angels. "But I am somewhat occupied at the moment."
Ichigo took the opportunity to introduce himself and clasped both his hands together, being careful not to stab himself with Zangetsu, and gave a slight bow of the head. He knew enough about the legends to know how temperamental this one was. "Greetings, Susanoo-no-Mikoto."
If possible, the Storm Lord's smile grew even wilder. "AH, DEAR NEPHEW-
Suddenly Susanoo coughed and thumped his chest. "There we go, that is better. You will have to excuse the posturing, but it is quite important to make a strong first impression, dear nephew."
Ichigo said nothing, but relaxed his pose and threw a side glance towards the Angels. Uriel looked like someone had shoved a cup of vinegar down his throat. Ichigo did his best to suppress an amused snort.
"I am most pleased, Dear Nephew. You have not lost your native spirit!" Susanoo slapped his belly, sending a shockwave that pushed back the swarming clouds and sent many of the weaker Angels flying backwards. "Indeed, the swords of the West are so dull and artless. The smithing techniques of our homeland are vastly superior. Who would want some broken blade of inferior craft?"
Uriel instantly spoke up. "The Excalibur Fragments each possess incredible prowess! They have-"
A gargantuan bolt of blue lighting struck across the sky and thunder ripped so loudly that the force of the explosion sent Uriel reeling backwards.
Susanoo looked upon the angel with a frown. "Did your father teach you no manners before he died, little bird? You would interrupt me so?"
Uriel bristled with rage, though he could do nothing but glare and clench his hands. Everyone present was under no illusion; Susanoo could kill all the Angels gathered here with a single swipe of his sword if he felt like it.
The breathing storm shook his great dark mane. "Proselytizers, they are all the same. So eager to dump their problems on others. I will not lie, when Ddraig and Albion slaughtered your kind by the millions, I cheered for them."
"Do you intend to kill them, my Lord?" Ryūjin asked casually.
"Yes, I do!" Susanoo said with a cheerful grin and Uriel looked utterly horrified. Even Ichigo felt somewhat perturbed by how happily Susanoo admitted to wanton slaughter. However, it quickly fell away and the wild deity began rubbing his chin, a deep and prominent frown etched onto his brow. "Ah, never mind. Dear Elder Sister is rather insistent I not. And she is using that voice, the nagging one that lets me know if I disobey her in this, she is going to throw a meteor at my head. Again."
And then, as quick as the frown came, it was replaced by a wide and feral grin and Ichigo suddenly found that the point of Susanoo's long sword was aimed squarely at him. The Storm Lord gazed down at him with a mad gleam in his eyes. "But then, Dear Nephew, if the angels are to be left untouched, then at the very least you will entertain me, no?"
Ichigo's eyes went wide and he wanted to say no. In fact, he wanted to say hell no. But before he could answer, Susanoo's aura exploded, covering hundreds of miles in his oppressive power and his sword raised towards the Heavens, detonating the sky in a sea of lightning. "Come, Dear Nephew! Let us test the mettle of your Soul Sword and clash the weight of Heaven against that of the depths of Hell! Hahaha!"
Ryūjin began to slowly retreat and sent Ichigo a mental message. "I will have your remains sent to mother."
The corner of one of Ichigo's eyes twitched.
Suddenly, Susanoo's power disappeared and all the lightning in the sky instantly quieted down, disappearing without a trace.
As Ichigo threw a cautions glance at the divine in the sky, he noted Susanoo's stunned expression. "Eh? I can't fight him either? Dear Elder Sister, this is most unfair of you. You are essentially using me as a glorified traffic cone."
Susanoo's aura vanished entirely while his broad shoulders slumped and his fierce features turned into what Ichigo could only describe as being childishly petulant. "No, Dear Elder Sister, I am not talking back to you. I am merely making an observation of the ignominy of all this. Yes, yes, I understand. Yes, of course. But the next time an army comes I can slaughter them all wantonly, yes? Well, I am asking permission now, aren't I?"
Ichigo could only blink up at wonder as the legendary Susanoo was left bickering with Amaterasu from where ever she was. And, while he wasn't privy to her half of the conversation, he could only imagine how vexed the Holy Mother of Japan was on her end.
Susanoo let out a sigh. "Very well, then. It seems a clash of swords will have to wait another day, Dear Nephew."
Ichigo shrugged. "Drop by the Underworld. I have places where I can go all out."
Susanoo smiled wildly, and then turned his gaze towards Uriel. "As for you, little bird, send a prayer of thanks to my Dear Elder Sister. She has forbidden that I slaughter you and all of your eyesore of a flock. Nevertheless you will be permitted to collect your trinkets once the black winged ones have been dealt with by the Old One."
Uriel's mouth was twisted angrily, but he kept the pitch of his voice even and smooth. "We have only come for that which is rightfully ours! Kokabiel is wanted criminal and has stolen th-"
"I care not for your excuses." Susanoo's voice tore through the sky like peals of thunder. "That you would raise an army and bring it into our territory is a slight worthy of me taking all your necks. However, that I have just promised to exactly not do that, I shall instead settle for half."
Without hesitation, Susanoo snapped his fingers and instantly thousands of Angels exploded in a tidal wave of gore, sending blood literally raining down onto the sea below.
Having seen worse things in Hell, the sound of angelic remains pelting the ocean and the wails of utter despair that came from Uriel and the surviving angels only made Ichigo sigh in exasperation.
He should have agreed to Ajuka's offer of a vacation in an alternate dimension.
Author's Note:
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Question: Great Tiamat of the Primordial Waters. It was said Ryūjin is one of your children, who in turn is the maternal grandfather of Jimmu the first emperor of Japan. Was there any conflicting events in your time spent with the Shinto pantheon, how does that correlate together with Ryūjin?
Tiamat says: "Ryūjin's beginning is marked when the Oceans were still in their Primeval state. Understand, in the Primordial days, when magic ran strong in the eddies of reality, the Precept of the World were more alive and free, whereas now they are set and still. As such, Time itself was more malleable and not so linear, a strain your mortal mind cannot hope to understand. I was then in that sea far to east, for reasons that are my own, when Izanagi and Izanami reached from the Celestial Plane to raise and birth the land that the mortal theater calls Japan. The Waters, so imbued with Primordial might, moved mine heart at the sight of Making. Thus, I flooded mine own womb and gave birth to Ryūjin. Ever has he lived in the seas of his birth, a sovereign born from the wonder and love of the natural elements. A friend and fair ruler to all that know him. As for mortal descendants, to the point, I am ancient. Reach far back enough, and millions may yet claim me an ancestral mother."