The two gods stared at each other as their swords scraped against one another. "Tsukuyomi," said Ame no Murakumo. "What are you doing here?" "I am protecting the Lunar Priestess," said Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. "These girls have suffered enough." "You do realize that you are going against the order of the gods by stopping the Priestesses from performing the Last Rite, don't you?" asked Ame no Murakumo "That may be so," said the God of the Moon, "but the Lunar Priestess is my kin. And I will not let her nor the love of her life be hurt!" Even at half Ame no Murakumo's size, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto was strong enough to push the Sword God away. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto rushed at Ame no Murakumo, ready to strike with her blade, but Ame no Murakumo was ready with her two blades. Ame no Murakumo swung her blades, but Tsukuyomi no Mikoto was extremely nimble, dodging straight between the larger god's blades, stabbing Ame no Murakumo in the chest. Ame no Murakumo groaned in pain, but quickly pulled Tsukuyomi from her body and threw her across the land. Himeko and Chikane had to jump back several meters to keep from being crushed by Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's body. "Tsukuyomi!" cried Chikane. "I will be fine," said the Moon God. "Join with me, Lunar Priestess." "Right." Chikane jumped into the circular portal in Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's chest, Himeko in tow. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's blue eyes lit up and the god was instantly back on its feet. "All right, Ame no Murakumo," Chikane's voice said from the purple mech. "Let's settle this. I'll personally seal you away inside the Lunar Shrine and use your power to rebuild the world." "You don't have that power, Lunar Priestess!" Ame no Murakumo spat. The God of Swords rushed at Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, attempting to strike with its blades again. However, she was still not as fast as Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. Tsukuyomi simply rolled between Ame no Murakumo's gigantic legs and swung its sword upwards, leaving a cut from Ame no Murakumo's hip to the small of her back. Before Ame no Murakumo could recover from the attack, Tsukuyomi's blade transformed into its bow and the God of the Moon fired an arrow at the stunned God of Swordsmen, sending Ame no Murakumo flying forward as the arrow exploded. Ame no Murakumo rolled several times, but then managed to land on her hands on one of the rolls, pushing herself upward, keeping herself airborne long enough to regain her balance. She landed on her feet, facing Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. "Just what I would expect from the sibling of Susanou no Mikoto," said Ame no Murakumo. "You'll be seeing a lot more of her when you're sealed away," Chikane retorted, preparing to fire another arrow at Ame no Murakumo. Tsukuyomi started firing and Ame no Murakumo charged forward, blocking each arrow with her blades. Again, Tsukuyomi rolled between Ame no Murakumo's legs, but Ame no Murakumo fired the rockets on her back, throwing Tsukuyomi no Mikoto away before the Moon God could swing its blade. Chikane groaned as she felt her body hit the ground. "Why isn't Ame no Murakumo obeying you, Chikane?" Himeko wondered. "I don't understand it," Chikane replied. "I'm the Lunar Priestess, descendant of Susanou. According to the writing on the kamidana in that cave, I should be able to control her." Ame no Murakumo ran at Tsukuyomi no Mikoto again, jumping into the air and attempting to slice through Tsukuyomi with the blade on its right foot. Chikane rolled out of the way before Ame no Murakumo's foot could come down on Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. Chikane used the momentum from the roll to propel Tsukuyomi no Mikoto onto its feet, but barely had enough time to block the blade that Ame no Murakumo swung at it. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto pushed Ame no Murakumo back and continued firing its arrows at the God of Swordsmen. Ame no Murakumo blocked the arrows with the blades on her wrists and then fired a yellow beam of light from the spike on her head. Tsukuyomi stood its ground, catching the beam in its left hand, transforming the beam into an arrow. Ame no Murakumo, caught off guard by the sleight maneuver, did not have enough time to react before Tsukuyomi no Mikoto fired the beam back at her, knocking Ame no Murakumo to the ground. Before Ame no Murakumo could get up, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto was on top of her, thrusting its blade toward the Sword God's chest. Ame no Murakumo's green eyes lit up and she used the blade on her left wrist to pierce Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's blade! Although Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's blade was not cut in two, Ame no Murakumo's blade was lodged within it and Tsukuyomi could not free itself. With Tsukuyomi's blade rendered useless, Ame no Murakumo stood up and picked up the God of the Moon by the arm with her right hand. "Will you still not perform the Last Rite?" Ame no Murakumo asked. Although immobilized, Chikane exclaimed, "I will not let you separate Himeko from me again!" "So be it." Ame no Murakumo raised both of her arms, positioning Tsukuyomi no Mikoto above her head. The red jewels on the spikes on Ame no Murakumo's back started glowing as she prepared to fire another blast of energy at Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. At point blank range, the God of the Moon would undoubtedly perish. However, just as Ame no Murakumo fired the beam, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's blade opened up into the bow, freeing Tsukuyomi from Ame no Murakumo's blade. Because Ame no Murakumo was still holding Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's left arm, instead of falling straight down, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto fell to the side, under Ame no Murakumo's right hand. The beam that Ame no Murakumo had fired only dealt a glancing blow to Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's right side, sending it spinning through the air. Even though Tsukuyomi no Mikoto had only suffered a minor hit, the injury was still substantial, preventing Tsukuyomi from standing up after it hit the ground. "Chikane!" Himeko cried at seeing her beloved holding her side in pain. "The blood of a Priestess must be spilled!" Ame no Murakumo bellowed as she came running toward Tsukuyomi no Mikoto one last time. She raised the blade on her left wrist and thrust it downward toward Tsukuyomi. Chikane blocked the blade with Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's blade, but Ame no Murakumo raised the blade on her right wrist. "Oh no, Chikane!" cried Himeko at seeing Ame no Murakumo ready to bring her second blade down upon Chikane. Then, Himeko's eyebrows curved inwards and she clutched the Solar Priestess Blade in her hands. "No," she said, her voice suddenly filled with determination, "I can't let you do this." Her voice then raised in volume and she exclaimed with all of her heart, "I won't let you hurt Chikane!" The Solar Mark on Himeko's chest lit up and another blade, the same size as Tsukuyomi's, appeared in front of Ame no Murakumo, blocking the blade on the Sword God's right wrist! "What?!" cried Ame no Murakumo at noticing that her second blade had been blocked. Standing to the left of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto was another mech! It looked exactly like Tsukuyomi no Mikoto except that its weapon was on its left wrist instead of its right, its coloration was red instead of purple, its eyes were violet instead of blue, and the crest above the green jewel on its forehead was that of the Solar Mark! Chikane stared in awe at the mech that had protected her. "Himeko?" she asked. "Is that...?" Himeko looked at Chikane with a smile and finished Chikane's thought, "Amaterasu Oomikami, God of the Sun." The red mech pushed Ame no Murakumo away, allowing Tsukuyomi enough time to get back on its feet. Ame no Murakumo stared in awe at the nearly identical twin gods in front of her. "Amaterasu?" she asked. "You are here as well?" "I remember what happened now," said Himeko. "As I fell from the Orochi realm, I could feel the sun's warmth surrounding me, protecting me from the fall to Earth. As I waited for Chikane outside the former location of the Ogami Shrine, I could hear a voice in my head, the voice of Amaterasu." "Why was I not aware that Susanou had another descendant?" Ame no Murakumo exclaimed, as if demanding an answer to her question. "I'm not a descendant of Susanou," Himeko said. "I am not descended from any deity. Amaterasu told me that I have the power to commune with her because I am descended from a long line of priestesses, dating back to Empress Jinguu Kougou of Yamataikoku, also known as Queen Himiko. I never knew it before now because my parents died before they could begin my training as a priestess." Himeko held up the Solar Priestess Blade and said, "And with the power of Amaterasu, I shall fight to protect Chikane, just as she has used the power of Tsukuyomi to protect me!" Himeko and Chikane took identical stances as Amaterasu Oomikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto took stances just like those of their pilots. Ame no Murakumo spun the blades on her wrists several times before locking them both in their extended positions, striking a pose as well. Ame no Murakumo faced off against Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. The gods of the sun and the moon glared into the green eyes of the God of Swords, and Ame no Murakumo glared back at them. Ame no Murakumo rushed at Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, and Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi rushed at Ame no Murakumo as well. Even though the Priestesses outnumbered Ame no Murakumo 2-to-1, Ame no Murakumo was still twice as large as either of the Priestesses' other selves and had two blades instead of only one. Both parties were on equal footing with identical total size and identical number of blades. Metal clashed with metal several times a second, blades colliding right and left. Even against two fast, agile opponents, Ame no Murakumo was formidable with the ability to spin her blades about her wrists at amazing speed. "I can't get a strike off of her," Chikane said. "Her blades are too fast for the both of us." "Then we just have to use a different tactic," said Himeko, not having lost her confidence. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto kept Ame no Murakumo busy while Amaterasu Oomikami jumped away. Amaterasu Oomikami's sword opened up into a bow and Himeko fired several arrows at Ame no Murakumo. Ame no Murakumo was able to deflect the arrows with one of her blades, but at the cost of having to use only one blade to fight Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. "Good try, Priestesses," Ame no Murakumo said. "But I still have more than just two blades." Ame no Murakumo tried to impale Tsukuyomi no Mikoto by kicking at it, but Chikane jumped away and Himeko came rushing at Ame no Murakumo with its blade. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto started firing arrows as well. Again, Ame no Murakumo's attention was divided between the two celestial gods. Every time Ame no Murakumo tried to impale the one she was fighting hand-to-hand, the Priestesses would switch positions and continue their onslaught. "You can see just as well as we can that you can't defeat us when we're together, Ame no Murakumo," said Himeko. "Since you can't win, maybe you should start obeying me now," Chikane added. "I may not have won yet," Ame no Murakumo said, "but I have not been defeated either. This fight serves no purpose. It is a stalemate." "She's right, Chikane," Himeko realized. "Even with the both of us working together, Ame no Murakumo is still on equal footing. We can't defeat her simply with our swords and arrows." "Do you have any suggestions?" Chikane asked. "You cannot win!" Ame no Murakumo exclaimed. The Sword God threw her foot at Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, which jumped away again. Amaterasu Oomikami was about to strike back at Ame no Murakumo with its blade when the silver-white god jumped into the air. It aimed its head downward and fired its yellow beam at the God of the Sun. Himeko gasped as she saw the beam coming at her. Ame no Murakumo's sudden change of tactic caught her off guard and she barely had enough time to block the beam with Amaterasu's blade. Even though the blade took the brunt of the blast, Amaterasu Oomikami was still knocked to the ground. Ame no Murakumo's rockets fired and she dove downward, straight toward Amaterasu Oomikami, which did not have enough time to stand up. "Himekooooo!" Chikane cried, leaping in front of Ame no Murakumo. The weapon on Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's right wrist retracted and the God of the Moon caught Ame no Murakumo by clasping the spike on her head with both of its hands. The end of the spike was centimeters away from impaling Tsukuyomi no Mikoto through the neck. "Himeko! Now!" Himeko rolled out from under Chikane and fired another arrow at Ame no Murakumo. The arrow hit Ame no Murakumo in the side and exploded, throwing her high into the air. "Now is our chance," Himeko said. Chikane called out, "Sword of the Lunar Spiral..." "...Sword of the Solar Spiral..." Himeko continued. Then both Himeko and Chikane finished, "...unite!" Himeko clasped Chikane's right hand with her left and they pulled each other close, aiming their clasped hands toward the free-falling Ame no Murakumo. By the power of the Priestesses' incantation, Amaterasu Oomikami's left arm had fused with Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's right arm! The new arm was of a purple-red hue, half-way between the coloration of Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu; the arcs that made up the god's former bows were at right angles to one another, coming together to form a 4-pronged pincer; and in place of a hand was a hole straight through the middle of the arm. The Solar Mark and Lunar Mark lit up and the four arcs started spinning around. As their speed increased, the arcs blurred together, creating a semi-transparent orb in front of the arm. In the center of the orb, a bright, white light appeared. Slowly, the light grew larger and brighter. As Ame no Murakumo was about to land, Himeko and Chikane called out, "We call upon the power of the Overlapping Sun and Moon. The Sun's Corona becomes manifest under the shadow of the Moon. Amaterasu Oomikami, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, we call upon the combined power of your celestial beings. Bathe the world in your glow and vanquish your foes with your divine light." As the bright light met the boundaries of the semi-transparent orb, Himeko and Chikane called out, "Divine Light of the Eclipse!" The arcs opened up wide and a brilliant beam of white light exploded from the hole through the arm. Ame no Murakumo landed on her feet in front of the two celestial gods. As soon as she had recovered her balance and stood upright, she was hit squarely in the chest by the beam of light that Amaterasu Oomikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto had fired. The God of Swords was sent flying more than half-a-kilometer by the sheer force of the blast before she hit the ground, and rolled another half-kilometer before she came to a stop, flat on her back. Himeko and Chikane let go of each other and their other selves separated into their separate entities again. For several agonizing seconds, Himeko and Chikane looked at Ame no Murakumo, lying motionless on the ground before them. After what felt like hours of complete silence, Himeko asked, "Did we do it? Did we defeat Ame no Murakumo?" "We hit her with the combined power of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto AND Amaterasu Oomikami," Chikane replied. "I don't think anything could stand up to the power of the two celestial gods." Himeko and Chikane slowly walked toward the still-motionless Ame no Murakumo, making sure that she was not simply faking injury, preparing to take them by surprise. As the Priestesses approached, Ame no Murakumo still did not move. Large cracks had formed on Ame no Murakumo's hull, emanating from the place where the Divine Light of the Eclipse had hit her. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto extended the blade on its right wrist and aimed it straight at Ame no Murakumo. "Now," Chikane breathed. "I think we've demonstrated the power that Tsukuyomi no Mikoto and Amaterasu Oomikami possess." Ame no Murakumo raised her head slightly to look at the Moon God standing over her. "Perhaps NOW you will obey me," Chikane continued. Ame no Murakumo said in a weak but defiant voice, "You have not defeated me yet, Lunar Priestess." Just then, a strange feeling came over Chikane and she gasped at the feeling. "Chikane?" Himeko asked at hearing her girlfriend gasp. "What is it?" "I'm not sure," Chikane replied. "I suddenly feel this great sense of relief. As if a great burden on my soul has been lifted." Just then, Himeko saw a bright, purple flash explode from the Lunar Mark on Chikane's back. The strands of dark energy that had been plaguing Chikane were leaving her body! Then, the Solar Mark on Himeko's chest lit up. "Chikane!" Himeko said, "I sense an Orochi!" "What?!" said Chikane. "I'm positive," Himeko continued. "It's one of the Orochi Necks." "That's impossible," Chikane said. "We locked them all away, Orochi AND the Seven Necks." "What about the Eight Neck?" "How can that be? Orochi's power left my body. You can't be sensing ME." "It's not you, Chikane," Himeko said, the dread that she was sensing steadily growing stronger. "You never joined the Orochi against your will. What if the reason you were able to resist Orochi's power is because of the power that you have as the Lunar Priestess and a descendant of Susanou? Chikane, you're not the Eighth Neck of the Orochi!" "Then that means..." Chikane trailed off and she looked back at Ame no Murakumo. The threads of dark energy that had escaped from her body entered Ame no Murakumo's body through the cracks in her hull. Just then, an evil, purple light came through the cracks and the cracking of her body accelerated. When Ame no Murakumo's entire body was covered in cracks, the pieces of her outer hull exploded, exposing an Ame no Murakumo that was colored not silver, but a dark purple. Ame no Murakumo's mouth plate retracted, revealing a set of large, razor-sharp teeth. Ame no Murakumo swung at Tsukuyomi no Mikoto and Amaterasu Oomikami with both of her blades. The celestial gods blocked Ame no Murakumo's attack with their own blades, but were still thrown backwards several hundred meters. Ame no Murakumo got to her feet and roared at the Priestesses. "It can't be..." Himeko gasped, her eyes wide with horror. "Ame no Murakumo..." said Chikane, just as horrified as Himeko, "...she's the Eighth Neck!" To be continued... ---------- TERMINOLOGY: Himiko was a shaman and ruler of Yamataikoku, an ancient country in Japan during the Yayoi Period. Himiko's name literally translates as "sun" (hi) "priestess" (miko). ---------- OMAKE: Himeko clasped Chikane's right hand with her left and they pulled each other close. "Care to dance?" Himeko asked. A waltz started playing and Himeko and Chikane started dancing to it. Ame no Murakumo held her head and cried out in pain, defeated by the power of song.
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