The Rift

Mino Province, within a great mountain beside Lake Suwa.

Deep in the dense forest, a handsome man with a slender, lithe build, draped in a cloak of blue and white feathers, walked slowly through the thick woods. He surveyed the lush greenery surrounding him with a faint, lingering smile. He was the messenger god of Takamagahara, Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami.

"Heh... not a soul for miles, and the shrine is empty. It seems that fellow has a sharp nose for trouble and fled ahead of time..." Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami spoke softly as he plucked a white feather from his cloak. Holding it between his fingertips, he scrutinized his surroundings, the smile never leaving his face.

"So, where are you now? Suwa-no-Kami, protected by Takeminakata... if you were to run, where would you go? As far as possible, perhaps?" Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami’s wandering gaze suddenly fixed on a spot, eventually settling on an unremarkable pile of moss-covered rocks.

"Or do you naively believe... that the most dangerous place is the safest?" As he spoke casually, he flicked the feather directly toward the rocks. The feather approached the stones at extreme speed, but just as it was about to strike, the mossy rocks suddenly shifted.

Suwako’s figure rolled desperately to dodge the incoming feather. The projectile grazed the hem of her clothes before flying backward, piercing and snapping several large trees in succession.

"Hoh... I thought you’d keep up the act. Little wild god of Suwa, you weren't very professional with that stone disguise..."

Forced to break her camouflage, Suwako did not respond to Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami’s words. With a solemn expression, she slammed her hands onto the ground. Suddenly, four thick stalagmites erupted around Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami, trapping him within. However, they did not hold for even a second.

With a thunderous boom, the stalagmites surrounding him shattered instantly. Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami stepped slowly out of the rising dust, only to see that Suwako had already vanished.

"Still trying to run?" Seeing this, Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami showed no panic. He slowly floated into the air and dashed off at high speed in a specific direction. Moments later, he spotted Suwako below, sliding rapidly through the dense forest atop a stone slab. Seeing Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami catch up from above in mere seconds, Suwako’s brow furrowed even deeper.

"You didn't think... you could escape my eyes, did you? As the God of Missions, I never lose sight of my target..." Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami spoke slowly, his eyes filled with mockery as he looked down at her.

Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami was the God of Missions, the messenger and envoy of Takamagahara. Once he was assigned a task, no matter the distance or the obstacles, he could accurately locate his target and reach them swiftly.

This was why he had immediately seen through Suwako’s disguise and kept pace with her so easily. Because Suwako was his mission target, his inclusion in the subjugation team was essentially to ensure she could be quickly located and pursued.

With a wave of his hands, Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami whipped up a violent gale. For a moment, every tree in the forest swayed precariously, and leaves filled the air. Below, Suwako was blown off her stone slab and fell to the ground. As she struggled to her feet to continue her escape, she saw a robust man in a white kariginu appear before her. It was Futsunushi-no-Kami.

"Submit to your death... lowly little wild god..." Futsunushi-no-Kami spoke as he reached out and grabbed a nearby tree. He uprooted it with a single hand, and the tree twisted and transformed into a wooden sword over ten meters long. He swung the massive blade in a horizontal sweep toward Suwako. Powerless to block it directly, Suwako could only raise a stalagmite in front of her. When the stone shattered, she was sent flying by the massive impact, eventually crashing into the dirt.

High in the heavens, the majestic Takemikazuchi felt his heart skip a beat, a sense of crisis rising within him.

'What should I do... it seems that even if I don't act, she won't last much longer. But I can't directly pull any tricks in front of Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami. Am I really just going to watch this frog wild god be annihilated? If that happens, will Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto take her anger out on me?'

For a moment, Takemikazuchi was torn. If he helped Suwako, Amaterasu would notice; if he didn't, he feared Miketsu’s wrath. Caught in the middle, he felt both sides were equally dangerous. Now, he could only maintain his most dignified posture while trembling with anxiety.

Fortunately, this frog wild god seemed weak enough—so weak that Ame-no-Hinatidori and Futsunushi didn't even feel the need to waste divine power opening a divine domain. Otherwise, she would have been gone long ago.

'I have to find a good opportunity... For heaven's sake, hold on a bit longer, frog wild god...'

Takemikazuchi cried out internally, but at that moment, Suwako, who had just stood up, saw the giant tree sword descending toward her from above. With no time to dodge, she turned her gaze toward the ground.

Boom!

Accompanied by a massive roar, the tree sword shattered under Futsunushi-no-Kami’s immense strength. A cloud of dust rose from the earth. Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami decisively blew away the dust and the wooden debris on the ground, revealing a pitch-black hole.

"Ah... she really can run. This time it's earth-tunneling, but that still won't be enough to escape my eyes..." Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami said with a smile. Futsunushi-no-Kami spoke in a low voice.

"Stop talking. Which direction?"

"Here... she's currently digging in this direction. Just strike down here, you won't miss." Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami pointed. Futsunushi-no-Kami looked and raised his arm high.

Suddenly, Futsunushi-no-Kami’s arm transformed into a sharp blade, rapidly growing and lengthening. Once it reached over ten meters, he swung his hand down, cleaving the earth. The ground trembled and split open into a long rift, exposing Suwako as she was digging.

"I see you..." Seeing her exposed, Ame-no-Hinatidori-no-Kami smiled slightly. He threw a feather dart that pierced Suwako’s shoulder, the residual force sending her tumbling several times. She eventually collapsed at the bottom of the rift, unable to move.

"You can't run now, can you?"

"Hmph... nowhere left to run at last... For a lowly little wild god to hold out this long is commendable." Looking down at the scene, Futsunushi-no-Kami spoke in a deep voice as his bladed arm returned to its original form.

"Heh... is that so... To receive recognition from the heavenly gods of Takamagahara, I’m truly honored..." Pulling the feather from her shoulder, Suwako clutched the wound and propped herself up against the rocky wall, slowly standing. She looked up at the two orthodox gods above, a forced smile hanging on her lips.

"But... it’s not time for me to die again just yet..."

"Hmph... are you still clinging to some impractical fantasy? If you thank me now, I will make your passing painless..." Futsunushi-no-Kami snorted, but Suwako continued her reply.

"Yes... I should thank you. But not for granting me death. I should thank you for helping me dig this thing out..."

As she spoke, Suwako looked behind her. Through the gaps in the rubble at the bottom of the rift, she could clearly see a dark red fleshy substance.