[The End of Osamu Ashikaga]: Peace Through War

Kyoto had become a war zone. Unmanned, ruined cars congested the streets. Chunks of concrete, steel, broken glass, and blood littered the ground. Thick pillars of black smoke soared high into the air, turning golden sunlight into a horrible, red shade. JSDF helicopters hovered around the city, aiding with evacuation and the search for survivors.

Civilians walked the streets of their ruined city in a daze, their faces caked with blood and ash. Some hugged their loved ones and sobbed uncontrollably. Others just sat there with blank faces and lifeless expressions. 

On that terrible day, every citizen of Kyoto came together to help in the aftermath of Osamu’s vicious attack on the nation. Convenience stores, grocery stores, and restaurants opened their doors for survivors, giving the food and water until emergency personnel could arrive.

Over two-thousand people had been killed in the attack. With one of the city’s best hospitals in ruins, more were destined to die before they could be diverted to other hospitals. Even more were still missing, trapped under rubble and debris. Their chances of survival slimmed by the minute.

Amaterasu was incredibly lucky to have been in a secure panic room beneath Exorcist HQ before the final blast tore the place to shreds. She heard the rubble around her shift and creak. Slowly regaining consciousness, she realized the horror of her situation. 

She was trapped in pitch-black darkness and buried in a grave of broken debris. She tried to move her legs, but the debris proved too heavy. Everything was pressing down on her body, keeping her pinned exactly where she was.

Tears flooded Amaterasu’s eyes as she quickly realized how much danger she was in. She groaned in agony as she tried to pull herself out of the debris, to no avail. Frightened for her life, Amaterasu wept in the darkness. 

She didn’t want to die like this, trapped in a cold, dark grave among the corpses of her comrades, buried beneath the ruins of her suffering city. Alone, afraid, and unable to move. Thousands had died just like that, their lives cut short by the machinations of Osamu Ashikaga and Taeko Akiyama.

Suddenly, Uzume’s panicked, raspy voice echoed from above. “Lady Amaterasu! Can you hear me? Say something!”

“I’m alive! Please, help me!” Amaterasu sobbed. “Help!”

“Stay still! We’re digging you out!”

“I don’t want to die!” Amaterasu screamed. “I’m going to die aren’t I?”

“No!” Uzume screamed. “I won’t let you! We’re going to get you out of there, okay? Everything is going to be okay! You need to trust me!”

Amaterasu nodded her head as she cried, placing all of her trust in Uzume. “Okay…”

The debris piled on top of her shifted and lightened as Uzume and JSDF rescue teams continued to dig her out of her grave. Unable to save herself, the terrified Amaterasu thought back to her childhood. She remembered the days when the world was a much simpler place, where the Shinto pantheon didn’t exist, where Izanami was her doting mother and Izanagi her reliable father.

The happiness she felt, the love she had for her parents and siblings, it all came flooding back to Amaterasu in what she knew could’ve been her final moments.

“Mommy…I don’t want to die…” Amaterasu wept. “Please don’t let me die…”

All the way in Wales, a faint chill shot down Izanami’s spine as the girls settled into their bedroom. Sitting on the bed, she shot right up onto her feet with a horrified gaze and sudden gasp. Everyone immediately noticed her sudden panic and turned towards her.

“Izanami? What’s wrong?” Yoko asked.

Izanami’s black eyes welled with tears. Amaterasu’s helpless, desperate prayer echoed within her head. She felt Amaterasu’s life slipping away, the chill in her spine growing stronger with each passing second. The conflict she felt was unimaginable.

It was no secret that Izanami had a turbulent history with Amaterasu. Because of that history, a part of Izanami was glad to know that Amaterasu would soon be dead. After all, Amaterasu was the one who allowed the First Great Holy War to happen, for half of her own family to annihilate itself. 

She set the stage for the Warring States era of Japan, manipulating both the human world and the divine world just to drive out Bishamon and his league of traitors. And though their relationship had improved since then, all of that was ruined by the Inari Standoff.

And yet, nothing could match the sorrow of hearing Amaterasu call out for help as she was on the brink of death. Izanami’s history with Amaterasu, the wars, the bloodshed, the hatred, it all ceased to matter. In that moment, all Izanami knew was that her baby girl was scared, alone, and dying. Despite all that happened between them, a small corner of Izanami’s heart still loved her daughter.

“Don’t be afraid, my love…” Izanami whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Mommy’s here for you. I’ll always be here for you.”

Hearing Izanami’s voice echo in her head, all of Amaterasu’s fear and terror melted away. Even if she was going to die, her mother’s assurance that everything would be okay would allow her to go peacefully.

In that moment, shafts of red light broke through the debris and shined like spotlights onto Amaterasu’s soot-covered face. The sounds of whirling helicopter blades and the many shouts of men and women above became crystal clear to her hears. Amaterasu opened her eyes and saw Uzume’s bloodied face smiling at her from above.

“She’s here! She’s alive!” Uzume hollered. “Let’s get her out of here!”

Amaterasu immediately noticed that it wasn’t just the Japanese military aiding with the search and rescue efforts. She noticed some of them wearing American and South Korean patched on their uniforms. The whole world had witnessed the horrible attack on Kyoto and responded in kind. Everyone came together to help the suffering people of Japan.

With just a little more digging, Amaterasu was freed from the debris. Uzume and two male civilians jumped down into the ruined panic room, carefully lifting Amaterasu off the ground.

“Thank you…” Amaterasu cried. “Thank you so much…”

“Save your energy, okay? We’re going to get you out of here!” Uzume sang with relieved tears in her eyes.

One of the civilians put a stretcher underneath Amaterasu, while Uzume and the other civilian gently laid her on it. Uzume gave a thumbs-up signal to the JSDF and American troops above, and everyone worked together to hoist Amaterasu out of the panic room. 

Amaterasu looked around at what was supposed to be the office corridor of Exorcist HQ, but all she saw was the city of Kyoto, and dozens of soldiers treating and rescuing other people caught in the blast. Piles of burnt wood, concrete, steel, and body parts were all strewn about. The explosion had completely decimated Exorcist HQ.

“The kids? Did they make it?” Amaterasu asked Uzume.

“Yuuto and Kiyoko are severely injured. They had just managed to shield themselves before the blast. The shield didn’t wrap around Chiya in time, though. All we could find of her was her foot with her shoe still on it. Those three were right at the blast seat when it happened. I…doubt there’s much left of Chiya at all.”

Amaterasu looked to her right, seeing Yuuto and Kiyoko being hauled away on stretchers, both of them limp and covered in blood. Yuuto had four pieces of wooden shrapnel sticking out of his face and forehead, while Kiyoko was almost entirely nude, her clothes ripped off in the blast. Her right hand was missing its thumb, middle, and ring fingers. They’d live, but their injuries put them out of commission.

“Before he passed out, Yuuto said that Osamu and Taeko did this.” Uzume said. “They orchestrated the attack on Kyoto, and they had a lot of help pulling it off. He fell unconscious before he could say anything more.”

“But why?” Amaterasu asked. “Why carry out an attack this big? Why kill civilians and JSDF soldiers? Why get other nations involved?”

“I don’t know.” Uzume said. “If their plan was to tie us up so they could get away, they didn’t need to do all of this. Whatever their reasoning was, it was much bigger than just that. Either way, the whole world has witnessed what happened here. 

"This was an act of war, Amaterasu. The world and its governments will treat it as such. With all these civilian deaths, it’ll be treated as a crime against humanity. Osamu and Taeko will be branded international criminals. Once we recover from this, we’ll have to mobilize for war.”

Uzume clasped her hands and produced the ‘Zai’ kuji-in hand sign. A bright, blue light emanated from her hands, healing Amaterasu’s broken bones and internal injuries. She’d still need time to rest and heal, but at least she’d be in stable condition with Uzume’s healing.

“Osamu and his family are gone. So is Taeko, Shinju, and Kagutsuchi. Even worse, the Shoku Twins are missing.” Uzume explained. “Actually, everyone’s saying that the twins were the ones that blew up the prison and HQ.”

“The twins took his side?” Amaterasu asked, coughing.

“Yeah. I guess their love for him outweighed their loyalty to their own nation. It’s bad, Amaterasu. Even if Osamu only had the twins by his side, that would be enough to destroy the world. But that’s not to mention Izanami or Tsukiakari.”

Amaterasu closed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears summoned by the mere mention of their names. This war meant she’d have to fight against her mother and her own daughter. It was a hellish realization. 

Perhaps the Amaterasu from the Warring States era would’ve done it, but the Amaterasu now cared far too much for the people who were now aligned against her. Osamu, her son-in-law, Taeko, a once-trusted friend, Izanami, her mother, and Tsukiakari, her daughter. How could she possibly take arms against them?

“The world’s response to this will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen, Amaterasu” Uzume warned, watching as JSDF helicopters ripped through the sky above.

“That’s what scares me, Uzume.” Amaterasu said. “Osamu is ten times more dangerous with Taeko at his side. If they planned this together, I can only guess that they accounted for the world’s response to this attack.”

“What are you saying?” Uzume asked.

Amaterasu turned her gaze to the red sky and crimson sun hanging above her head. “I’m saying don’t be fooled. Everything is going exactly as those two planned.”

At Moonglow Castle, Hima pushed open the black double doors leading to the baths. Wearing nothing but towels, Osamu stepped inside with Hima and was blown away by what he saw. The bathhouse was larger than the entirety of his house in Kyoto. The floors were checkered, black and white tiles. The back wall was decorated by a massive rose window of stained glass, filtering the moonlight into a vivid splash of purple and golden shade.

In front of that window was a large, square, drop-in bath tub. The tub alone looked big enough to fit thirty people in it. Off to the right side of the room were walk-in showers with frosted glass frames, and to the left were faucets for washing hair, hands, and feet.

Hima tossed away her towel and marched ahead towards the showers, her milky skin sparkling in the moonlight. “Well? Come on, then!”

Osamu sighed as he removed his towel and stepped inside one of the showers with Hima. The shower handle creaked as Hima turned it all the way to the left, causing a stream of steaming, hot water to come out of the shower head. She tossed Osamu a pink pair of exfoliating gloves before putting in a black pair for herself.

“Really? Pink?” Osamu groaned.

“You get what you get and you don’t get upset.” Hima tittered. “I figured we should shower before we bathe.”

Hima grabbed a bottle filled with pinkish-white soap and dispensed some of it into Osamu’s hands. “Carmilla makes the soap around here. It’s vanilla bean with eucalyptus and roses.”

“Better than blood and ash, I’m sure.” Osamu said, rubbing the soap into his hands and scrubbing down his body.

“I must say, you pulled off quite an extraordinary attack.” Hima said. “Your name will live on in infamy for ages to come. Though, I do wonder why you specifically chose so many civilian targets. Wouldn’t it have been enough to just hit the exorcists where it hurt?”

“No, it wouldn’t have been enough. Nowhere near it.”

“Then simply getting away from them wasn’t your goal. Was all that carnage an act of revenge for your dear Inari?”

“No, it wasn’t for revenge either. The goal of this war is to stop all future Great Holy Wars and achieve world peace.”

Hima froze in place, casting a confused gaze upon Osamu. “Starting a war to stop all future wars? Doesn’t that sound a little paradoxical to you? I believe the last time someone said that was during the First World War. 

"The First World War wasn’t just followed by more wars, but it set the stage for the Second World War. War evolved to such a point that humans were capable of wiping out their own species in the blink of an eye. The idea of a war to end all wars is little more than a joke, Osamu.”

“Taeko and I can do it.” Osamu asserted. “We can succeed where all the other leaders and nations failed.”

“Making yourself an international criminal and instigating a war against your own nation will help you do that?”

“We both knew that in order to do this, we’d have to wage a destructive and brutal war.”Osamu said. “The truth is that the people of developed nations like Japan and the United States are lethargic. They will not concern themselves over atrocities and conflicts they perceive as separate from their own lives. 

"Some will take action to oppose these things, but most won’t bother. Japan hasn’t faced the prospect of invasion since the Second World War, while America hasn’t had to fight a war in its own territory since the Civil War.

“People think they’re safe and secure. They only hear about war from what they see on the news. This is especially the case for Japan. Our nation isn’t allowed to invade or embark on a war. Japan’s current generation has the privilege of never experiencing what it’s like. 

"They aren’t just pacifists in a war sense, but also a democratic sense. They’re isolated and small-minded, not even seeing how one conflict far away could threaten the safety of their nation down the line.

“I wanted to change this attitude. The best way to do that was to bring the war right to the civilians. I wanted Japan and the rest of the developed world to realize that their nations are not as safe as they think, that their security is an illusion. 

"War can ruin their lives, destroy their hometowns, kill their children, maim their family members, and it can happen when they least expect it. That pain, that misery, is a ticking time bomb. Taeko and I intend to use that time bomb to benefit the world and humanity as a whole.”

“A time bomb? How so?” Hima asked.

“Once society confronts the reality of war, protracted conflict becomes a revolting scenario. No matter how just their cause, no matter how sound their ideology is, the populace will pine for stability. The societal upheaval that results from war leads to a social and cultural rebirth, which in turn leads to peace.

“This almost happened after the Warring States era. After a century of prolonged war, Japan adopted an isolationist policy and lived in relative peace for over two-hundred years until the Boshin War. There were still a few conflicts along the way, but that’s just one example.

“I’m going to recreate that effect. The brutality of that attack was meant to sow the seeds of pain and resentment within Japan and the supernatural world. It will set the stage for society’s shift against war. That’s just one step in our plan. The next step…”

“Is founding this new nation. I think I see where you’re going with this.” Hima said. “Your next step is going to involve shifting the balance of power in the supernatural world, isn’t it? The Shinto pantheon has enjoyed its place of power for centuries. It’s never had to face another supernatural threat of equal power since the Second Great Holy War.”

“I’m not surprised you’re so perceptive, Hima.” Osamu laughed. “You’re right. Gathering the Yakutsk council and revealing your existence is so we can found this new nation. Our nation will be key in executing the second step of the plan. It’s my hope that we’ll win this war, and that most of the Shinto pantheon will be eradicated.”

Hima smiled as she leaned forward, her face mere inches away from Osamu’s. “Eradicated, you say? Osamu, you do understand what that means, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” Osamu affirmed, his mane of wavy, black hair covering one of his eyes.

“So you were lying when you told your wives you’d be honest with them from now on.” Hima tittered. “You must’ve been. As much as those girls may love you, who among them would support genocide? Have you considered the possibility that some of them might even try to stop you?”

“Yeah.” Osamu said. “I’m not worried. As you said, Izanami committed genocide against the people of Europe. She won’t support it, but she won’t try to kill me either. She’s too understanding and kindhearted. I’m glad for it too. If she tried to stop me, I’d have to kill her, but doing that requires killing someone else first.”

Hima’s brows shot up in surprise. “Are you really prepared to kill your wives if it comes down to it?”

Osamu shut his eyes and tucked in his lips. He didn’t need to answer that question. He had already sacrificed his own daughter to service his plan for world peace. It was then that Hima truly understood the darkness burdening Osamu. 

All that mattered was his dream of world peace. The suffering he’d have to inflict upon the world and his own family to achieve make that dream a reality was irrelevant to him.

“I see.” Hima said with downcast eyes. “We’ll take every measure to avoid that. However, your life is of utmost importance to us, Osamu. No matter who it is that threatens your life, we’ll respond accordingly.”

“I understand. Thank you, Hima. About the pantheon, I do want it to collapse after the war, but what matters most is what happens after the war. It’s also something I’ve been meaning to talk about with you.”

“Oh? Go ahead. I’m all ears.” Hima said, wringing out her gloves and rinsing soap off her naked body.

“I have two terms if I’m to help you found this nation. First, either Tsukiakari or Izanami must be installed as the pantheon’s leaders after the war.”

“It will have to be Tsukiakari.” Hima said. “Izanami was responsible for the Black Death that nearly wiped out Europe’s population. It was also the direct cause of my father’s death. No vampire will accept her as the leader of the Shinto pantheon. Tsukiakari, on the other hand, is the reason why I’m alive today. I think everyone will be happy if it’s her.”

“Can you promise that nothing will be done to Izanami out of revenge for what happened?”

“I’ll personally decree that any retaliation against Izanami is strictly forbidden. You just have to guarantee that Tsukiakari will be the one to take the throne, assuming she survives this war.”

“I’ll talk to her about it, then.” Osamu said, getting up to rinse the soap off his body. “My second term is that Amaterasu is not to be killed.”

“Oh? Now that’s interesting.” Hima giggled. “You intend to install a new queen without killing the current one? I would think that you of all people would bear the most hatred against Amaterasu, considering all that she’s done.”

“This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t hate Amaterasu at all. Not anymore. Quite the contrary, actually. I love her and understand her more than anyone else.”

“Well well, you certainly have my attention now. How did that end up happening? Isn’t she the reason your dear Inari is dead?”

“The night before the attack, I had an opportunity to speak with her, just the two of us. I didn’t know how I’d feel once I saw her again. It had been seven years. We both just…melted. Like babies. She didn’t want to see me die, and I didn’t want to get her wrapped up in this war. It was entirely out of our hands at that point.

“Amaterasu did continue the operation to find Inari, and she was involved in the initial phases of the Inari Standoff, but she lost control of the entire thing midway through it. The exorcists used the hostage situation to wrestle control of the standoff away from her.

“To me, that’s an obvious sign that there were gods in the background pulling the strings so they could try and get Inari’s Bloodcraft first. Giving me her heart and blood was probably the best thing Inari could’ve done. Better that we all lose than some rogue gods getting their way.”

“As I understand it, Amaterasu’s been dealing with internal conflicts and traitors for quite some time.” Hima said, moaning as she stretched her arms. “I think it’s completely understandable that so many gods are secretly plotting against her. The First Great Holy War, that entire ruse with the integration of Buddhist gods, it was all such a mess. If you ask me, I’d say she has it coming.”

“That’s what they all think.” Osamu said, frowning. “When I spoke to her, I got to understand things from her perspective. The First Great Holy War broke her. How would you feel if you had lost your mother in childbirth? 

"How would you feel if your father fell into a catatonic depression? Imagine the horror of seeing your family rip itself in half, watching the two sides slowly justify the eradication of the other. You try to stay neutral, but since you’re the brightest and strongest of them all, you’re asked to pick a side.

“Picking one set of siblings means destroying the other set. Doing nothing means that neither side will gain a decisive victory. The two sides might end up annihilating each other and the whole family will go extinct. 

"Imagine having to make such a horrible decision while you’re still a teenage girl grieving for her parents. You’ve never even seen war before, never mind a Great Holy War of that magnitude. The fate of your entire family rests in your tiny, incapable hands.

“That’s the horror Amaterasu endured. To this day, she’s blamed for making a decision she was never equipped to handle. Her story is a big reason why I’m striving for world peace. The First Great Holy War robbed her of everything and forced her to become something she wasn’t ready to be. The Second Great Holy War orphaned you and destroyed your nation. The Third Great Holy War will correct all of these wrongs.

“I only ever came to understand Amaterasu once I knew that I would have to found my own nation. Look at me, Hima.” Osamu laughed. “I’m making the same heinous sacrifices that Amaterasu did. I’m making the exact same choices, because there is no choice. Don’t think for one second that Amaterasu isn’t in pain. I know she is, because walking in her footsteps has been the most agonizing experience of my life.

“I don’t want her to keep suffering like this. I’ll relieve her of her crown so she can go back to being a normal girl again. Amaterasu, Inari, even me, we all became what we are because of the circumstances that pushed us, like wind tugging at our sails.

“War did this us. War has broken generation after generation. It robs good people of their personhood, transforming them into either cannon fodder without personhood, or instruments of the state without humanity. Soldiers, civilians, even the leaders behind the war all suffer.

“In order for this cycle to stop, war must cease to exist. You and Tsukiakari must inherit a world where the desire for peace takes priority over ideology and national interests. That’s part of the reason why this war has to be devastating and costly. Not just to shift social attitudes towards war, but to make it so surrendering is Amaterasu’s only option.

“Amaterasu doesn’t want to die, and she’s not ideologically driven to continue a war that has no way out. The other gods are different, but Amaterasu at least has enough sense to know when to surrender. After the war, our nation is to ally itself with the new Shinto pantheon and help it recover.

“We’ll build it into a superpower again. With an alliance in place, there won’t be any interference from foreign invaders or splinter groups. And since both nations will be superpowers, the idea of war between the two of you will have no merit.”

“You’re quite the enigma, Osamu.” Hima said, smiling. “You’re not some bloodthirsty tyrant. You don’t wage war for destruction’s sake, but for a goal you deem noble. You do it so you can leave behind a world that your loved ones can live in peacefully. And yet, you’re willing to commit such horrific atrocities to make it happen, even if it means sacrificing the very people you want to protect.

“But that doesn’t exactly guarantee another war won’t break out in, say, the next century. The horror you inflict on this generation will fade and become inspiration for the next generation to pursue more war. They’ll strive to correct the wrongs of history and the crimes you inflicted upon their country. 

"The deaths you inflict on people’s fathers, the shame and sorrow you wrought upon their families, it will all inspire the next generation to seek vengeance. New ideologies will arise from the pain you sow today, Osamu. By then, you’ll be long gone. You won’t be there to ensure peace anymore. The world will be right back at square one.”

“I have my own plan for that.” Osamu said, a slight smile on his face. “I have a way to ensure peace for the rest of human history. I’m working on it as we speak. These will be my three lines of defense against future wars.

“I’ll burn this war into the cultural memory of every nation involved. We do that by making it as destructive and brutal as possible. That will inspire society’s aversion towards war, my first line of defense. Our nations will enter an alliance as two superpowers, discouraging both external and internal conflicts that would lead to war, the second line of defense. The third…that’s the most important one. This last line of defense won’t fail, but if it does, the other two will still be there.”

“What exactly is this last line of defense? How did you conjure up the solution to all future wars in just a few years?” Hima asked.

“That…will need to stay a secret for now.” Osamu said. “Taeko and I want to create a future where no one has to die in another Great Holy War. No matter what happens next, our goal is world peace.”

Hima leaned her head back, wetting her long, raven hair. “A noble goal achieved through incredibly vicious methods. I wonder if you consider yourself in the right in all of this, Osamu.”

“Not at all.” Osamu said, folding his wet hair behind his ear. “No one is right. No one is wrong, either. So much of what led to this war, hell, so much of what led to the Inari Standoff was out of our control.

“What were any of us supposed to do about generations of resentment and hatred? How were we supposed to make all those wrongs right again? We couldn’t, so the exorcist did what they had to do, while Inari and I did what we had to do. War is a very personal matter for those of us on the ground. It’s personal for you too, isn’t it, Hima?

“If it were, I would’ve killed Izanami as soon as she set foot in my castle.” Hima laughed. “Carmilla, Tsukiakari, and Izanami all had a part in ending the cycle of hatred between us. Tsukiakari helped us when we needed it most. Izanami could’ve killed Tsukiakari, Carmilla, and myself, and she would’ve been a hero for doing so.

"And yet, she rejected it. She let us go and opted to spare and shelter Tsukiakari. When I learned of what they did back then, I knew that making this personal would’ve been a disservice to all three of them.

“Perhaps that’s the best way to stop the cyclical curse of war. Someone has to be brave enough to swallow tears of blood and just let it go. Otherwise, the hatred we breed now will infect the next generation. Don’t you agree?”

“Yeah.” Osamu said, nodding. “It’s just that, this time, neither of us could do that. If I had that choice, I would’ve done so.”

“Of course, because you were given the power of Bloodcraft. The Shinto pantheon couldn’t help themselves. Both sides truly believe they’re saving the world.”

“Speaking of the world, how long do you reckon before they find us here?”

Hima lathered some strawberry-scented shampoo in her hands and began scrubbing Osamu’s hair. He stood completely still, a little unsure of what was happening.

“Uhh, Hima? I can…I can wash my own hair.”

“But I wanna do it…” Hima pouted.

Osamu sighed, his lips curving upward into an amused smile. “Fine. Do whatever you want, your highness.”

“To answer your question, I don’t think they’ll be finding us here any time soon. There’s a strong chance that we’ll be hunted by multiple nations, but they’re not equipped to understand how the supernatural world works. As for the exorcists, I think it’ll take them a while to recover from the broken nose you gave them.

“They’ll be wrapped up in search and rescue, establishing a body count, and then searching all of Japan for you. Once they realize you’ve left the country, it’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack. What about the operatives that handled the attack?”

“Oh, Anne and the rest? They’ve probably already fled back to Italy. The bombs we used were on timers, so it gave them plenty of time to get away without being discovered. I think you might be right, Hima. We’ll be fine for a while.”

Hima smiled, exposing the pristine fangs beneath her top lip. “It seems all went well, then. Thank you, Osamu, for sharing your philosophy with me. I want you to know that we’ll stand with you, no matter what comes next.

Osamu released a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. I’m glad you understand, Hima.”

“Of course. I accept your terms for founding our nation, and as you requested, I won’t harm Amaterasu nor Izanami.” Hima said. “Well then, next topic of discussion. The lords of the Yakutsk Council.”