The Battle Commences

High above the center of the Eurasian continent, the white-robed Daoist stood atop the clouds. Having heard the words of the Chief Gods from afar, he finally understood their intent and why they had moved to intercept him here.

Understanding these various reasons, the white-robed Daoist’s brow furrowed, his expression turning grave. He realized that the Chief Gods had likely been planning for this day for a very long time.

"So... to escape the current state of affairs, you intend to utilize the power of an ancient god?" The white-robed Daoist spoke solemnly as he looked at the two Chief Gods before him. The emperor nodded in response.

"Indeed. The venom of Yamata no Orochi can erode anything and corrupt all things—even the boundaries between realms. By controlling it and refining its venom, we can use it to dissolve the boundary between the Celestial Realm and the mortal world. In the end, there will be no barrier between the two.

"The future guided by the Mandate of Heaven is unstoppable. To change the fading fate of the gods, we can only rely on the power of the ancient gods... By utilizing a Prophet’s mythological creation, we can weaken and control even a revived ancient god." The emperor continued to speak as he watched the white-robed Daoist. Upon hearing this, the Daoist could not help but be moved.

"Impossible. To completely suppress a revived ancient god, one must fully activate the mythology through the Book of Investiture. Only a Prophet possesses such power. Yet, the power of a Prophet can only be held by a human vessel, and only for a single lifetime. Hieda no Are, the Prophet of Yamato Mythology, has long since passed away. There should be no Prophet left in this world. By what means do you intend to control an ancient god?" the white-robed Daoist demanded sternly. He had guided more than a few Prophets himself and was intimately familiar with the nature of their power.

Hearing the white-robed Daoist’s words, the emperor and the monk exchanged a smile. Then, the emperor slowly continued.

"True, a Prophet must be human and thus cannot live forever. The power of a Prophet exists for only one lifetime and vanishes in the next. It is precisely because we summarized and mastered this rule that we were able to leave room for manipulation within the Yamato Mythology, the latest to be created..."

The white-robed Daoist paused, suddenly understanding something.

"You interfered during the creation of the Yamato Mythology?"

"Exactly. Back at the dawn of the Yamato Mythology’s creation, we approached the newly ascended Chief God, Amaterasu. We had her find a way to preserve Hieda no Are’s prophetic power. Thus, before Hieda no Are’s lifespan was exhausted, she extracted the soul and sent the soul of the prematurely deceased to the Underworld. Yama then placed it in Sai-no-Kawara, where time flows slowly, until the moment came for reincarnation. Because the original lifespan had not yet ended, this still counts as being within a single lifetime." The emperor-clad Chief God replied. Utilizing the special regions of the Underworld to preserve Are’s soul and extend a single lifetime was the key to this plan.

"I see. So that is why Are died at the young age of thirty... It seems you have indeed been plotting this for a long time..." Stroking his long beard, the white-robed Daoist sighed. Finally, he continued to question the Chief Gods before him.

"It seems all the Chief Gods have aligned... No, since only the two of you are here to deal with me, it proves that the most critical one is not yet on your side. The others must have gone to deal with him." As the white-robed Daoist spoke, a flicker of relief appeared in his eyes.

"Yes. After all, that fellow has overlapped multiple mythologies. The contradictions between those myths have left his mental state in a problematic condition. The warring believers have left his mind chaotic and difficult to communicate with. Except for reacting to the revival of ancient gods, he has almost no self-awareness left. Therefore, he is not on our side."

After hearing the emperor’s words, the white-robed Daoist let out a long breath. With a sweep of his whisk, strange lights flickered around him, and a clear breeze began to blow.

"I will ask one last time. Do you... truly intend to defy the Mandate of Heaven?"

"This is not defiance. After today, we shall be the heavens. From this day forward, the Age of Gods shall never fade..."

Following those final words, a massive explosion erupted in the sky. The direct confrontation between the two sides officially began. To prevent the white-robed Daoist from interfering with the East, the emperor and the monk Chief Gods formally engaged him in battle.

...

Elsewhere, within the Celestial Realm, at the far edge of the heavens distant from Takamagahara, another magnificent divine war was unfolding. For the sake of the anomaly in the Far East, atop the peaks of layered clouds, a giant light orb resembling a sun cast out infinite radiance. Surrounding the light orb were countless strange "angels" of complex and abstract forms. They were the eternally loyal servants of the Light Orb God, facing a powerful enemy alongside their master.

Beneath the light orb stood three majestic figures upon the sea of clouds.

One was a man with a white beard and hair, his body robust. Clad in long robes and holding a scepter, his majestic eyes were filled with lightning.

Another was clad in heavy armor and a horned helmet, a cloak fluttering behind him as he held a long spear. Countless profound runes flickered around his body.

The last one wore a crown and long robes, his large beard meticulously groomed. Ethereal flames burned around him.

They were Zeus of Greek Mythology, Odin of Norse Mythology, and Ahura of Persian Mythology... and the one they faced was the most powerful modern god in this world. They had to prevent him from descending upon the East.

Zeus gripped his scepter as violent thunder rolled between the clouds. Odin brandished his spear, and profound runes began to construct powerful magic. Ahura spread his arms, and ethereal flames spread outward.

In response, the countless angels in the sky swarmed downward. The pure white light orb shone with brilliant radiance, and around it, three objects emerged.

One was a broken stone tablet, one was an ancient parchment scroll, and one was an ancient book.

These three items symbolized the three investitures of the Lord of Heaven. He was an absolute true god created after the overlapping of three mythologies. However, this was also the source of his endless contradictions.

...

The revival of the Great Snake had already caused the gods of the Celestial Realm to turn against one another. However, at the very source of all these conflicts, the most critical battle had also begun.

Clenching her fists, Miketsu soared forward and slammed a punch hard into Amaterasu’s avatar. The massive avatar shattered instantly, only to reform at high speed in another location.

"Why, Uka-no-Mitama-no-Mikoto? You are a god just like us. Why do you oppose our actions? Is it not good for the Age of Gods to endure forever?" Amaterasu’s avatar looked at Miketsu, speaking with a hint of doubt. She had originally thought that after informing Miketsu of their true purpose, the other would approve. She hadn't expected her to attack without a word.

"The Age of Gods enduring forever? Heh... what a joke. Was this power given to you so you could go and play at making the Age of Gods eternal?" Miketsu spoke as she looked at Amaterasu’s new avatar, beginning to crack her knuckles.

"A bunch of fellows who were clearly just humans before... they start getting cocky the moment they get some power... It’s truly disgusting."