Celestial Trial

~~~⛩️~~~

Electricity surged through their muscles with the fury of a thousand ants as they both entered the grand celestial hall. Three majestic figures stood in the center of that enormous yet strangely welcoming room.

"Step forward," Takashi heard the deep voice of one of the deities, though their impassive expressions made it impossible to determine which one. They obeyed, walking with fear, until they stood at a respectful distance.

"Enma Dai-O, Ten-Tei, Kannon," in left to right order. Takashi wasn't a devout Shinto believer, but he knew who they were: "The supreme judge of the underworld... The ruler of the heavens... The deity of compassion. Of course, these deities exist, just like Inari said..." He couldn't complete his thought, feeling a shiver at the mention of the deity of death.

"You have lost, Inari," the deity in the middle continued from their elevated seat, dressed in a white robe, with an enigmatic face and an aura as serene and balanced as the scale in their hand: Ten-Tei. "You have been defeated by Izanami."

"I wasn't fairly defeated," Inari replied calmly but showed her discontent. "You all saw that Izanami set a trap for me, and so did Amaterasu."

"No one set a trap for you," Enma Dai-O retorted sternly and authoritatively from their throne of red velvet, barely allowing her to finish before their voice resonated in the room. "Izanami had every right to summon you, and you know Amaterasu can call upon you when necessary. And yet, you broke the contract and tried to take advantage, which led the goddess of the sun to strip you of your powers."

"What?" Takashi must have broken the record for how many times he thought it in such a short time. Good Inari, bad Enma Dai-O and Ten-Tei, and powerful Amaterasu, deity of the sun. That was all he understood.

“But it's true that Inari is no longer floating.” Turning his head, he saw that Inari was waiting for the verdict, sitting on her hindquarters, just like since the accident. “Are they really having a celestial discussion?”

"Oh, come on," Inari couldn't resist her playful dialect. "Amaterasu seems unable to detach from her mother, allowing her to attack my protectees cowardly. And you, oh majestic judge of the underworld."

"Silence, Inari," Ten-Tei's stern look didn't seem to affect her companion, the deity of judgment.

"It's Izanami, you should expect her to play by her own rules," Enma Dai-O continued aggravatingly. "And at least Amaterasu was born from the creator gods, not like a certain deity who separated from a serpent and a stalk of rice."

"Are they discussing each other's origins?" Takashi's disbelief in the celestial argument allowed him to relax a bit. It didn't last long.

"Silence! Kannon."

After another exclamation in her serene voice, the god of the heavens turned to the third deity, who hadn't spoken yet. The illuminated being of compassion standing on the right, who, according to Buddhist beliefs, bestowed mercy upon their protectees, was adorned in beautiful soft-toned kimono, accompanied by a serene, delicate, and benevolent face.

"Dear Takashi Ueda, my son. Today, we have summoned you to explain with love and understanding what will happen to your soul once the contract is completed. Do not fear, for we are here to guide you."

Her sweet words gradually soothed his heart, as if Takashi knew that everything would be okay despite what he was hearing.

"As part of the contract between Inari and Izanami, your soul will journey to the Underworld so that you can atone for your sins, as determined by Ten-Tei, before resting in peace."

"Eh?" Takashi jolted out of his state of tranquility. "Wait!"

"Takashi Ueda," Enma Dai-O's resonant voice infused a hint of fright into his gaze. "The judgment we shall give is fair and absolute. However, as a participant in a contract, you have the right to be heard. Speak, young man."

"What the hell is a contract?" If he said that, his chances of survival would be almost nonexistent.

The deities still felt distant, leaving only a very faint hope of a miracle. Surely, it didn't help that all three of them towered over five meters tall, surpassing Takashi's 170 centimeters by far, not to mention the diminutive Inari. It required gathering a lot of courage and bravery for him to start talking, despite the constant scrutiny of the celestial beings.

"This...”

But what did he have to say? How could he convince the deities, beings of infinite wisdom, to let him live?

Speaking from his heart, he resolved.

"I know I haven't been a devout believer all this time, but..."

His legs trembled as he noticed the deities didn't change their expressions, disapproval sending a shiver through his body. However, his mind cleared: that wouldn't change anything.

"But!" He noticed how Enma Dai-O scrutinized his soul firmly, but this time, he clenched his fists and held his gaze, though he changed the sentence. "I am also aware that I haven't been a perfect person. I had many flaws and mistakes, but I tried to correct them."

His gaze shifted to Ten-Tei, who evaluated his intentions from the center of the room, weighing the scale in their hands as if contemplating his deeds.

"I know I hurt people many times." His fears manifested in the form of the fight with Jun and the rest of the team. "And I truly regret it."

After Ten-Tei had held his gaze for a sufficient amount of time, Takashi turned to Kannon, who seemed to be the most compassionate deity. The deity received his gaze affectionately, as well as his words and his heartbeat.

"You know? Lately, since I came to Takachiho, I feel that something changed in me. Many times, I felt like I wasn't good enough, but recently, I started feeling better about myself. I realized that people don't want to hurt me and that I am valuable where I am. Thanks to my companions and Inari. And thanks to..." A bit of blush mixed into his pale skin when her image came to his mind. "... Nao. She was a devoted believer in Inari. But besides that, she's a wonderful person. Always with a smile when I needed it or a caress when I longed for it."

‘And a hand when everything fell apart.’ Or that's what he felt when he remembered Nao falling, to his surpise.

"All of this that happened to me... It's largely because of her. That's why I want to save her and be with her again."

Takashi felt so much more, but it all remained trapped in his throat due to nervousness as the three deities exchanged mystical glances and opinions.

"We have heard you, Takashi Ueda, Inari's protege," Enma Dai-O began when they turned back to him. "However, our verdict is unwavering, and it dictates that you will journey to the Underworld to atone for your sins before resting for eternity."

Takashi's eyes widened with each passing word, as his own heart seemed to stop.

"What?" It hadn't worked. "Inari, this doesn't seem like a trial but an execution! What do I do?"

He searched for his protector with a glance, but Inari didn't return the look.

"Inari," Enma Dai-O continued, "is there anything you wish to say before the bond is consummated, and your protege falls into Izanami's hands?"

"Into whose hands?!" Takashi entered absolute panic, feeling stunned. "Wait, please, you can't..."

Nao.

Suddenly, his legs gave way, and the pain he had been feeling in his chest loosened his emotions as Takashi fell sorrowfully to his knees. In that celestial trial, he was facing deities who had decided to end his life. It was the end of everything. He closed his eyes, his face against the floor, and wept inconsolably, waiting for the worst to come while his family and friends wandered through his mind.

"Please," his voice was so choked that it could barely be heard, "help me..."

But Takashi hadn't fallen for that reason. He had fallen because he had sought comfort from Nao, just like the time when he felt like the world was falling apart.

And Nao was no longer there.

He wanted to remember a moment when she was happy, something that always brought a smile to his face, but all he could think of was that it would never happen again.

"At least save her..." his voice was barely audible, just like his weak pounding on the floor.

“Nao, really... is no longer here...

… And despite all my efforts, I couldn't truly do anything for her.”

That was going to be Takashi's last memory as his mind slowly abandoned all hope: that he had failed to do anything.

“When will I stop wanting to save her?”

“When will I stop remembering Nao?”

“When will it all end?”

"I want to make a new contract," Inari exclaimed.