As Himeko and Chikane descended and watched the Earth grow larger, they noticed that Madagascar was significantly smaller than they remembered seeing it on maps. Much of the country had been blown away, and the melting of polar ice and glaciers had caused sea levels to rise, submerging most of what was left of the island. Amaterasu Oomikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto landed and the Priestesses exited their other selves. Now outside of their mechs, they could clearly see how the world had been changed by Orochi's evil. The once-blue ocean and sky had been stained red, as if the fires of Hell had broken out on Earth. "Okay," Himeko sighed. "How should we do this?" "Well," said Chikane, "when I tried to get Tsukuyomi's attention for the first time, I called out her name and used my powers as the Lunar Priestess. Let's try that." "Okay." Himeko and Chikane both held up their o-fuda and closed their eyes. The Solar Mark on Himeko's chest and the Lunar Mark on Chikane's back lit up as they started chanting, "The brave and mighty Susanou no Mikoto. Let the river of sunlight fall on the country of Izumo. Banish the eight-headed dragons of the land once and for all by the blade of the Totsuka sword. Let Susanou's great prayers purify. Redeemed life, be for thy purpose. Oriko!" Himeko and Chikane waited for several moments, hoping that their prayer would elicit some kind of response from the God of the Sea. However, no response came. "It's not working," Chikane said. "Perhaps a more ritualistic setting is needed," suggested Himeko. Amaterasu Oomikami aimed the tip of her blade several meters in front of the two Priestesses and fired several bolts of purple energy at the ground before them. The bolts created a bonfire similar to the one before which Himeko and Chikane had recited the prayer to revive Ame no Murakumo. Himeko and Chikane continued chanting in front of the fire, "With the powers of all the eight-million gods, we pray that the God of the Sea, Susanou no Mikoto, will bless us with his presence. Release the god of Susanou and drive out those lives that ought to seek atonement. Shinchoku!" ---------- On the other side of the world, Yamata no Orochi felt lightning shoot through his body. His eight heads groaned in discomfort as he was hit with several mild electric shocks. "The Priestesses must have returned," the first head said. "They must be ready for another beating," said the third neck. "Good," said the fourth head. "I was disappointed when we failed to destroy them at our last encounter." "Do not be hasty," the eighth head advised. "They were able to break Hi no Ashinazuchi's chains before the rest of our attacks hit. Even without Susanou, they still have some power in them." "And even though we have not even encountered the Priestesses since then," the first head mentioned, "that shock that we felt was considerable." "We never saw them descend," said the seventh head. "They must be far away for us not to see them." "If they are as clever as I am," said the eighth head, "they would have chosen a place far away from us. Our body is large enough to be seen from space, so they must have known where we were. They would have chosen a place as far from us as possible." "Some place in Africa or the Middle-East?" the second head suggested. "We should leave now before they summon Susanou," the seventh head advised. "Do you think we should confront them again?" the first seven heads all turned to the eighth. "Yes," the eighth head replied. "It is best that we confront them." By the wisest head's recommendation, Yamata no Orochi began slithering southwest, across Asia to where the Priestesses were most likely trying to summon the only god that could possibly defeat him. ---------- "We call to the heavens to begin the ritual to stop the god," Chikane and Himeko continued their incantations. "God of Susanou, hear our prayers. Strike and exorcize the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi with the Ten-Fisted Sword." The o-fuda that the Priestesses held started glowing. The ocean swelled and clouds started materializing in the sky. "Chikane," said Himeko, noticing the environment start changing, "I think our ritual is having an effect." "Let's keep going," Chikane said, her confidence rising. The Priestesses closed their eyes again and continued their incantations. ---------- Yamata no Orochi rushed over the land as fast as he could, determined to find the Priestesses before they were able to summon Susanou. Even though they were the Shrine Maidens of the Moon and the Sun, and not of any other object in the universe, Orochi knew that they still posed a threat. The eight heads realized that there was a slim chance that with their power, they could have the ability to commune with the God of the Sea. With all of their memories of the past year intact, the Priestesses undoubtedly had a much keener understanding of the gods and themselves than they had in their previous lives. They had proven that when they revived Ame no Murakumo only a week after the month of Kannazuki had begun. ---------- "Come now, a time closer to the gods," Himeko and Chikane recited. "The great serpent shrine begrudging the world of humans, purify and tranquilize, using the power of the divine sword. Clean the impurities from the world. Please come, the God of the Sea, Susanou no Mikoto." A sudden gust of icy wind blew from the west, blowing out the bonfire in front of the Priestesses. The o-fuda in their hands suddenly stopped glowing. Surprised by what had happened, Himeko and Chikane looked at where the wind cad come from to find Yamata no Orochi towering over them, its fifth head extended. It was the head of Ho no Shuraizuchi that had breathed its icy breath to put out the ritual flames. "We found you, Priestesses," said the sixth head while the fifth head withdrew and joined the other seven. "You thought you could outsmart us," said the eighth head. "But you have no power in our world," said the first head, "the world of the Orochi." Amaterasu Oomikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto jumped in between the Priestesses and Orochi, shielding their pilots from the giant serpent. Himeko and Chikane entered their other selves and took stances at Yamata no Orochi. "I'm impressed," said the seventh head. "Your bravery and your stubbornness are quite amusing." "We may be brave," Chikane said, "but we are not stubborn!" Tsukuyomi no Mikoto rushed at Yamata no Orochi and struck at him with the blade on its right wrist. Just like before, the blade bounced of Orochi's scales. "You are persistent, aren't you?" said the second head as Tsukuyomi kept swinging. "You continue swinging that useless blade at me even after witnessing first hand its ineffectiveness." Suddenly, Yamata no Orochi growled in pain. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto jumped back, revealing a large cut in Orochi's side. "Impossible!" the eight heads exclaimed. "How could a celestial god have harmed us?" wondered the fourth head. "Look," the fifth head said, looking at Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. The other heads looked in the direction that the fifth head was looking and noticed that the blade on Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's left wrist had blood dripping from it. "This blade once belonged to Ame no Murakumo," Chikane said, holding up the silvery-white blade. "Once a part of your body, this is an earthly blade, able to inflict damage." "My, my," said the eighth head. "I was right about you, Lunar Priestess. You are as wise as I am. Although, it isn't at all surprising coming from one of my own descendants." "You're not going to play with my emotions any more, Orochi," Chikane spat. "I may be your descendant, but that no longer matters to me. All that matters is defeating you and spending the rest of my life with Himeko!" "How long will that last?" asked the first head. "Again, I have destroyed the world. Even if you do somehow succeed in summoning Susanou and defeat me, you will still end up locked away inside the Lunar Shrine. You will be parted from your beloved Solar Priestess again." "That's not true!" exclaimed Himeko. "Even if Chikane has to die, I will follow her. No matter what happens, I will always be by her side!" "How touching," said the sixth head with a very potent tone of sarcasm in his voice. "I love hearing your mindless banter," said the third head. "It brings me great joy just knowing that getting your hopes up will make your demise all the more painful for you. I could listen to it all day!" "There won't be an 'all day' for you, Orochi!" Himeko said. The two celestial gods jumped away and started firing explosive arrows at Orochi. Orochi spun his tail around, deflecting the blasts. "Ha ha ha," the eight heads laughed. "That tickles." The eight heads fired all of their attacks at the same time, eight beams of destruction going out in eight directions. Amaterasu Oomikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto dodged through the beams, continuing to fire their arrows. Ame no Murakumo's wing on Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's left shoulder started glowing yellow. The glowing moved down the arm that was attached to the shoulder and Tsukuyomi shaped the energy into an arrow, which it fired at Yamata no Orochi. The arrow made of yellow light exploded against Orochi's skin and the creature groaned in pain again. It was clear then that the left arm that Tsukuyomi had stolen from Ame no Murakumo was much more effective than the celestial gods' other attacks. "You're really starting to piss me off!" the fourth head roared. Ooube no Senazuchi's pincers extended from the head's mouth, firing its mysterious green light at the Moon God. Tsukuyomi no Mikoto dodged out of the way, but the ground below it exploded from a yellow beam of energy that the eighth head fired from his mouth. The blast threw Tsukuyomi into the air and Orochi threw his tail toward Tsukuyomi, trying to impale it with the blade that Ame no Murakumo had become. Amaterasu Oomikami jumped up and joined its left arm with Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's right arm. "Divine Light of the Eclipse!" Himeko and Chikane called out in unison. The blast of white light that the two gods fired was powerful enough to throw Orochi's tail in the opposite direction, allowing Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu to split and then jump to safety. "You two never cease to impress me," the first head said. "Even in my strongest form, I have been injured by you twice." "That arm that the Lunar Priestess plundered from Ame no Murakumo is the key to the Priestesses' power," the eighth head told the others. "That's the only thing we have to watch out for." "Right," said the third head. "The Solar Priestess doesn't matter. Only the Lunar Priestess has earthly powers. Amaterasu Oomikami's powers are purely celestial." "You might not be able to feel me," said Himeko. "But I can sure as Hell be seen!" Amaterasu Oomikami jumped into the air, across the line of sight of the eight heads of Orochi. Performing a barrel-roll in the air, Amaterasu Oomikami aimed its blade at the heads and started firing its bolts of magenta light at the creature's eight sets of eyes. The bolts hit their marks and each head roared in discomfort. Even though they had not received an real damage from Amaterasu's attack, the bolts as bright as the sun were just as harmful to Orochi's eyes as they were to a humans! With Orochi stunned by the light, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto had a chance to strike again. The blade on its left wrist started spinning and the God of the Moon jumped toward Orochi. The blade sliced into Orochi's skin, causing the beast to roar in pain. Chikane fired one more arrow created from Ame no Murakumo's power, causing the explosion it created to throw her away from Orochi before he could fire another attack at her. Amaterasu Oomikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto stood side-by-side as Yamata no Orochi tried to regain his senses. "Himeko," Chikane asked, "did you just say, 'Hell'?" Himeko tried to remember the words that she spoke. "'You might not be able to feel me, but I can...'" She looked back at Chikane and replied, much to her own amusement, "I guess I did. I said, 'I can sure as Hell be seen!'" "Grr," the eighth head groaned. Himeko and Chikane looked back at Orochi as he lifted his eight heads. "That's it," the head said, the anger rising in his voice. "I will not let you insects sting me any more!" Then, all eight of the heads cried out, "Blazing Earth Tremor!" Yamata no Orochi's body started shaking, sending tremors across the land. Himeko and Chikane had trouble keeping their balance as the ground shook below them. Yamata no Orochi aimed it tail toward the two celestial gods and started spinning the large sword in its tail just as Ame no Murakumo spun its blades. The spinning tail sent chucks of Earth flying at the Priestesses, bursting into flames as the tail came in contact with them. Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu blocked most of the flying chunks with their blades, but several of the smaller pieces collided with their hulls, causing their pilots considerable pain. As the tremors increased in intensity, pieces of Earth were more easily broken off and turned into flying balls of fire, flying straight at the two smaller gods. Himeko and Chikane could no longer stand up against both the burning land and the powerful tremors and they both lost their balance. As the celestial gods toppled over, their bodies were pummeled with large pieces of burning Earth. Himeko and Chikane cried out in pain as small, burning wounds opening on their bodies in the same places that their other selves were hit by the pieces of land. When the tremors stopped and Yamata no Orochi's tail stopped spinning, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto and Amaterasu Oomikami were badly damaged. Chikane and Himeko were just as badly injured. Barely conscious, Chikane turned her head to look at Himeko, lying motionless on the ground. Painfully, the raven-haired girl crawled toward the blond-haired girl sprawled out in a painfully contorted posture. "Hime...ko," Chikane choked out. "Yes!" the third head exclaimed. "Go to her. Try to save the Solar Priestess. Let's see what that thing you humans call 'the power of love' can do for you!" "Himeko," Chikane said softly as she made her way to her beloved. Holding Himeko's hands tightly in hers, Chikane said, "Please, Himeko. Stay with me. Don't die." "This is beautiful," said Orochi's first head. "What an exquisite show." "Himeko," Chikane continued her bittersweet confession. "Don't leave me. If you go now, please take me with you. I don't want to live without you." Chikane held Himeko's lifeless head in her hands. Her deep, blue eyes were transfixed on the unresponsive girl in her arms, memories of the Orochi's first attack entering her mind. Chikane remembered holding Himeko in exactly the same way after she had been injured by Take no Yamikazuchi the year before. 'No,' she said to herself. 'I kissed Himeko without her consent before. I can't do something so horrible to her again. Never again.' "Himeko," Chikane pleaded. "I beg you, say something. Let me know what I can do. Can I kiss you, Himeko? One last time?" Himeko opened her mouth, as if to say something, but no words came out. Chikane brought her ear close to Himeko's mouth. She listened closely and heard Himeko say in the softest whisper, "Yes." Tears burst from Chikane's eyes and she cried, "Himeko, I love you!" She held Himeko's face as kissed her more lovingly than he ever had before. As their mouths melded, Chikane felt a tingling sensation below her collarbone. Breaking the kiss momentarily to find out what the feeling was, she reached in the collar of her priestess uniform and pulled out the seashell that she had worn around her neck since she had returned from the Lunar Shrine. The shell was glowing! Chikane looked at the shell that Himeko wore around her neck to find that it was glowing as well! Chikane closed her eyes and started reciting the Shinto prayers again, "The masculine Susanou no Mikoto. The river of sunlight falls on the country of Izumo." Chikane felt the pendant around her neck start pulling at her hand, seeking the pendant on Himeko's neck as if with a mind of its own. "Eight-headed dragons of the land, diminish and fall to the blade of the Totsuka sword." "What's this?" Orochi's eighth head wondered as he saw Tsukuyomi's and Amaterasu's bodies begin repairing themselves. Himeko joined in the prayer, chanting in unison with Chikane, "We call to the heavens to begin the ritual to stop the god. God of Susanou, hear our prayers. Strike and exorcize the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi with the Ten-Fisted Sword." Himeko opened her eyes and said, "Chikane..." Chikane looked at the shorter girl and responded, "Himeko..." The two halves of the pink bivalve that Himeko and Chikane wore around their necks connected. A bright flash of light exploded from the union of the two halves of the bivalve, filling the region with brilliant, white light. Both Amaterasu Oomikami's and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto's bodies shone with their celestial light, rising to their feet not under their own power, but by some unknown force that seemed to be pulling them upright. Himeko and Chikane, now fully conscious again, watched as the light started dying down. As the light subsided, they both saw a figure in front of them. It was large, slightly taller than either Tsukuyomi or Amaterasu. However, it looked less like a mech and more like a person in silver armor. He had dark blue hair that waved in the wind, and a large, silver comb in the knot of his hair. But what caught the Priestesses' eyes was the sword in his right hand, a long sword with ten blades extending from the hilt. "The Ten-Fisted Sword..." Chikane said in awe. "Could it be...?" Himeko wondered. The figure turned his head toward the Priestesses, allowing them to see his face. He had a neatly trimmed, yet full beard and deep, blue eyes that were just as dark and mysterious as Chikane's. "It's him..." Chikane realized. "Susanou no Mikoto..." To be continued... ---------- OMAKE: "That's it," the eighth head said, the anger rising in his voice. "I will not let you insects sting me any more!" Then, all eight of the heads cried out, "Blazing Earth Tremor!" Yamata no Orochi's body started shaking, sending tremors across the land. "That's starting to get really annoying," Chikane said. "It's the same in every anime. The characters ALways HAVE to call OUT the NAMES of EVery SINGLE atTACK that they MAKE!"
Back to Spiral of Destiny Index - Back to Kannazuki no Miko Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction