High in the sky, a bolt of lightning was streaking across the heavens. Takemikazuchi-no-Kami was flying at high speeds to distance himself from the Eternal Worm, holding the diminutive Suwako in one arm.
The fierce winds buffeted Suwako's small face. Braving the intense pressure, she observed the world below before turning to shout at Takemikazuchi-no-Kami.
"Hey... Hey! If you're just trying to escape, this is far enough. Let me down now!"
Hearing Suwako's words, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami paused for a moment before descending rapidly toward the ground. Once they landed, he tossed Suwako aside; she nearly lost her footing and fell.
"Ugh... watch it, will you..."
Suwako grumbled, but Takemikazuchi-no-Kami ignored her and spoke bluntly.
"Tell Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto that, as she wished, I have saved you. However, it will be difficult for me to return to Takamagahara now. If I encounter any trouble in the future, I will come looking for her."
With that, Takemikazuchi-no-Kami soared into the air and quickly vanished into the sky. Suwako watched him disappear, adjusting her hat as she sighed in wonder.
'That girl... has her influence already seeped into the inner circles of Takamagahara? To think she could even win over their Heavenly Punishment Thunder God. I suppose I underestimated her a bit. Impressive...' Suwako murmured to herself, clearly interpreting Takemikazuchi-no-Kami's attitude as a result of Miketsu's infiltration of Takamagahara.
'Phew... I must get word to them immediately. I remember the branch shrine Kaki moved is near here. I'll head there at once...'
...
By the shores of Lake Suwa, a strange silence reigned. Over the ruined battlefield where the earth had been torn asunder and forests leveled, a hazy, otherworldly glow shrouded a large area.
Suddenly, this glow began to ripple with violent instability. Amidst a wave of distortion, the radiance vanished, and the objects it had concealed reappeared.
The massive, bloated body of the Eternal Worm stood upon the devastated battlefield. In its mouth, it held a strand of light, at the end of which a figure was entangled.
It was the battered Futsunushi-no-Kami. He was currently wrapped from head to toe in threads of light, his mouth bound so tightly he could neither move nor speak. He could only writhe and let out muffled groans, his wide-open eyes overflowing with endless resentment.
The Eternal Worm tossed its head back, throwing the bound Futsunushi-no-Kami into the air. He fell in a freefall, and waiting directly below him were the Eternal Worm's wide-open mouthparts.
The mouthparts snapped shut, and Futsunushi-no-Kami's robust body was consumed. With a series of crunching sounds, he was swallowed completely into the Eternal Worm's belly. As new divine power was absorbed, the patterns on the Eternal Worm's skin flickered, and its form swelled once more.
"Hehe... it seems you are making excellent progress..." Amidst a series of hisses, a small snake with purple scales crawled out from behind a rock. It looked up at the massive insectoid body and spoke slowly in a cold, chilling voice.
"Yes. This time I have not only absorbed energy but have a surplus. This will greatly reduce the time I need for pupation. It is only a pity that one of the modern gods seems to have escaped, taking that frog with him..." the Eternal Worm replied slowly to the Great Snake. It was now ready to begin pupation.
"It does not matter... whether she escaped or not is irrelevant. There is no possibility of her reviving in this era, so her existence is of no consequence." Staring at the Eternal Worm with a piercing gaze, the Great Snake continued slowly.
"Now that your energy is sufficient, find a safe place to pupate immediately. Lingering here is dangerous. Whether it is Amaterasu or Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto, they could arrive at any moment...
"I will still require your strength as payment later..."
There was a stern gravity in the Great Snake's low, cold voice, and the Eternal Worm responded directly.
"Of course. I am leaving at once. I hope that by the time I emerge from my cocoon, you will have returned to this earth..." Once the Eternal Worm finished speaking, it wriggled to the edge of Lake Suwa and plunged beneath the surface. Using the natural caverns at the bottom of the lake, it would enter the subterranean depths.
"Then... next comes my critical moment..." the small purple snake murmured as it watched the Eternal Worm disappear.
...
When Miketsu and Kanako returned from Takamagahara to the mortal world, they immediately flew toward the Suwa region in the east. They wanted to reach Moriya Shrine as quickly as possible to confirm Suwako's status, knowing she was currently facing the messengers of Takamagahara.
Just as Miketsu and Kanako were filled with anxiety, Miketsu suddenly received a message from Suwako via the little fox, Mutsuki.
"What? Suwako is at the Moriya branch shrine? Is she alright?" Inside the ship's cockpit, Kanako asked Miketsu with concern. Miketsu nodded in response.
"Yes... according to her, she is safe and tells us not to worry. She is currently at the branch shrine with Kaki, waiting for us to arrive." Holding the white letter with its still-wet ink, Miketsu spoke slowly to Kanako. Kanako let out a deep sigh of relief upon hearing this.
"Phew... that's good. But how on earth did that girl hold out against the messengers from Takamagahara? I heard they sent several powerful ones." Despite her relief, a hint of confusion appeared in Kanako's eyes.
"You can ask her that yourself when we get back. I imagine she had some kind of secret weapon..."
Miketsu replied dismissively, her gaze shifting back to the letter in her hand. As she read the words, her brow furrowed slightly.
In the letter, Suwako had outlined the general situation. Miketsu now understood what had happened. She had not expected that, in the end, the Eternal Worm would suddenly intervene and devour the modern god sent by Takamagahara to subjugate Suwako.
'So... this was your plan all along...'
Miketsu thought silently. She could now see the broad strokes of the Great Snake and the Eternal Worm's scheme.
First, they used some means to expose Kanako's protection of Suwako to Takamagahara, forcing Kanako to be recalled. Then, messengers were sent to eliminate Suwako. Finally... they lay in wait where Suwako was, seizing the opportunity to ambush the messengers sent down from Takamagahara.
Their target, from the very beginning, was neither Suwako nor Kanako, but the messengers sent by Takamagahara! The Eternal Worm needed to devour the divine power of modern gods as energy for its pupation!
And now, the Eternal Worm possessed all the conditions necessary for its revival. It was likely already pupating in some safe, hidden location. Once enough time passed, the ancient god of reincarnation would descend upon the world in its complete form!
Rate on N.U.
