Fading into Obscurity

In the Inari Secret Realm, within a forest, Miketsu looked at Suwako, who was lazily leaning against a tree. Hearing her words, she couldn't help but smile.

"What’s that? A nickname you came up with for me?"

It felt so chuunibyou, so embarrassing...

"No, it’s not a nickname I gave you. It’s what many Ancient Gods and mortals used to call you. Translated, that’s what it means. Every Ancient God has a series of titles based on their power and image. You have them, I have them, that snake has them, that worm has them... all Ancient Gods are like that. Some guys just love long titles. They get a sense of satisfaction when their followers and other gods recite them..." Suwako said, waving her hand dismissively. Miketsu couldn't help but feel a cold sweat.

"There... there are people with such tastes?"

"Of course. Don't forget that Ancient Gods were fighting each other all the time. Occasionally, their competition would deviate from actual fighting and turn toward some strange areas—like titles, for instance. Some Ancient Gods would get tired of fighting and start comparing whose title was more domineering. To be more domineering, you have to pile on more descriptive adjectives. Consequently, some Ancient Gods' titles grew longer and longer through this competition. Some of their titles couldn't even be finished in a day if read at a mortal's speaking pace," Suwako said slowly, reminiscing about the past. Miketsu's lip twitched.

"They really were bored..."

"Ancient Gods have infinite lifespans. When there's no fight to be had, they're bound to be bored. However, for most Ancient Gods, making up titles was just a casual game. But there was one Ancient God who became addicted to it. He gave himself a title so long it was absolutely appalling. Even if a mortal recited it for a hundred years, they wouldn't finish it," Suwako continued. Hearing this, Miketsu's lip twitched even more violently as she felt the urge to complain.

"If it takes a hundred years to recite, would anyone even remember it?"

"Of course not. No one bothers to remember such meaningless junk. Because his painstakingly crafted title was being ignored, that Ancient God went a bit mad. He decided to recite his own title personally, ensuring that every god and living being in the world would remember it completely and perfectly.

"He opened his ten thousand mouths and frantically chanted that absurdly long title he came up with. At that time, every living thing in the world could hear him yapping non-stop.

"To prevent other Ancient Gods from blocking their hearing, he specifically translated his long title into visual signals, olfactory signals, tactile signals, spiritual signals, dream signals... Every being in the world, no matter who they were or if they could hear sound, had to endure his yapping as long as they perceived the outside world. He even had the ability to yap in your dreams while you slept. His yapping literally bored a huge number of mortals to death, causing another round of mass extinction. Some Ancient Gods known for their perception were even driven insane by him." Suwako continued, showing an expression of extreme disgust as she spoke. Clearly, she had been one of the victims at the time.

"That’s truly... eccentric... And then? What happened to that Ancient God in the end?" Miketsu asked curiously, though she had already guessed the ending.

"What else could happen? He annoyed so many people; did he think he’d be left alive for the new year? A bunch of Ancient Gods, tired of being disturbed, went straight to him and literally tore the guy apart. I must say, tearing him apart was incredibly satisfying. I even kept one of his mouths as a souvenir. Even though the main body is dead, that mouth still recites those titles he compiled." Suwako waved her hand as she spoke. Miketsu couldn't help but think to herself that Suwako had some strange hobbies as well.

After hearing Suwako's words, Miketsu gained some understanding of Ancient God titles. She thought to herself that her own title was only four segments long, which wasn't long at all.

"Alright, let's stop talking about titles for now. Next is business. I wanted to ask you, what did you know about me when I was an Ancient God?" Looking at Suwako, Miketsu asked solemnly. She wanted to obtain specific information about her past self from Suwako, especially how she had fallen.

"You... Heh, if you want to know specific details, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Even among the Ancient Gods, I doubt anyone truly understood you," Suwako said bluntly. Miketsu was stunned.

"What? Even you don't know? As an Ancient God yourself, shouldn't you have lived in the same era as me?"

"We were in the same era, but to be precise... you were earlier. Before I was even born, rumors of the Fate Weaver were already widely circulated among the Ancient Gods and pre-ancient civilizations. The Fate Weaver is one of the oldest existences even among Ancient Gods, and also the most mysterious. Titles and legends of the Fate Weaver were everywhere, but almost no one ever saw her in person.

"The Fate Weaver was a recluse among the Ancient Gods who never stepped out into the world. No one knew where she was or what she was doing. Some younger Ancient Gods even doubted if she existed. I was one of them.

"Until I participated in the Chang'e War and witnessed the never-before-seen Weaver descend from the heavens, utterly defeat Chang'e, and seal her away. Only then did I see her with my own eyes. And then... the Fate Weaver never appeared again, right up until I fell."

Suwako spoke sternly while looking at Miketsu. After hearing this, Miketsu swallowed hard.

"In other words, you don't know how I fell either?"

"Yes. To be honest, I never expected you to be the Fate Weaver and still possess so much power. Although I only saw the Fate Weaver once, her strength left a deep impression on me. I’m also curious how such a powerful and ancient god could fall... but that likely happened after my own fall," Suwako said somewhat helplessly. Miketsu sighed in resignation.

"Sigh... You don't know either? But at least we can narrow down the timeline now. It should be after your fall, but before the birth of the current era..." Miketsu pondered. She hadn't expected her past self to be such a recluse among Ancient Gods, the type who never appeared unless something major happened.

Why did I want to hide from the world? Was I planning something? Or was I just a shut-in?

It was truly baffling...

Scratching her head, Miketsu stopped thinking about it for now and turned back to Suwako.

"Alright, in that case, let's move on to the next topic. I remember you once said that you mastered a way to revive Ancient Gods, right?"