Unselfish Wish

Chapter 26- A Battle Between Gods

He stared at this... girl? He didn't know what to call her really, because the aura she was releasing was far more powerful than any demigod he'd ever met. On par with his sister, even. It had been a long time since he'd been enemies with Amaterasu, but their conflict had created several kami. Ugh, he hoped that was not the case here, because technically they were his children, even if it was totally asexual... Tsukiyomi would likely force him to reincarnate most unpleasantly if they somehow, made offspring from like, a hair she cut off or something. Jeez! This was not how he was expecting things to go.

"Fine, Lady Tachibana, I accept." If they were going to fight, she was going to have a title. A thin platinum crown with an oval moonstone in the center appeareed around her forehead. She frowned. He sighed. "It represents your title, that I just bestowed upon you. Since you are likely to belong to Tsukiyomi's court, regardless of what position you end up in, the crown shows that. You cannot challenge me offically without such a title." They continued to circle each other. "And just so you know, you need to wear that during any official event or capacity in which you represent the court." She nodded. He sighed again. "Are you using no weapon? I have the Imeperial regalia, as Amaterasu's representative." She laughed.

"Does the Imperial family know you've borrowed the original? Don't be so concerned Susano'o. You sound like you're worried you will hurt me. I'm quite tough, so don't hold back, okay?" His eyes drifted over her. He could see why his brother liked her so much. He grinned.

"Humans don't know the difference... I'm adding something to these... negotiations." He said thoughtfully. "If I win, you let me court you." Her eyes widened, then narrowed. Tsukiyomi growled in anger. They both gave him a glance, but refocused on their careful posturing.

"You aren't truly serious about that." She sighed.

"Oh? Am I not? How do you know?" He asked curiously. To be frank, he'd never been turned down by a human... or one that grew up thinking they were human, at least... ugh this was a mess, truly. In any case, rejection, outside of his sister, was a rare thing.

"Call it instinct. If I had to guess you just want to mess with your brother." There was that, he had to admit, but she was very beautiful and he knew even if he didn't love her she could entertain him for quite a long time. Perhaps distract him... "Besides, what makes you certain you will win at all?" She grinned. "First blood is the winner, are we in accord?" She asked.

"Agreed, but I am leaving my condition as is." He said as he finally lurched in to attack. Fumiko simply dancing away as if she weighed nothing, flipping over and landing briefly on his blade before jumping and flipping away. He growled in frustration. After a few more instances where he attacked and she danced away, he was getting annoyed. "Are you going to actually fight or just flit around as if you're a yosei?" She giggled as they circled each other. Tsukiyomi could only stand there and watch his bride-to-be battle his primordial brother. How could you do this without my help, Fumiko? He thought. He was frustrated that she managed to make a barrier that even kept him out. Had he been thinking rationally, he would have realized she was more powerful than he thought, but all he could think about was keeping her safe.

This time, as Susano'o leapt at her, she parried with the Honsho Masamune. Byakko snarled. She may have turned him down, but he had sworn his life to her, just as the other guardian beasts had. Their eyes met as their blades crossed, and she disarmed him as she flipped away again. What is she, a freaking gymnast? Susano'o thought. Dashing and rolling to grab his sword again, he sent some blasts of ice and thunder her direction, only for them to pop up underneath him as Genbu cackled audibly. Ugh, these guardians were such pains in the ass, he thought. Always throwing their weight behind the pure of heart.

"You going to rely on them to fight for you, or you going to use your own power, Lady Tachibana?" He taunted. It was fine and good if the guardian beasts were there as her weapons, but what about her own abilities? He knew she was able to purify things, and could control the weather, but making it rain wasn't going to help her handle some of the vicious vipers of the kami court. She glared at him, but walked over to where Tsukiyomi stood.

"One moment please, and I will set them aside." She stated. Susano'o nodded, easing his stance.

"It's not fair if he keeps the Imperial Regalia, Fumiko." Tsukiyomi hissed at her. She smiled at him.

"Are you worried for me, my beloved? You need not be. I shall win this." She said confidently, laying the relics on the ground near him. Their protests could be heard. "Shush my friends. You have been helping me train for this, right?" They continued to grumble, but their grudging assent was heard. She turned back to Susano'o and spoke as a prayer to Tsukiyomi. Please, my most beloved Tsukiyomi, let me unleash my full strength and save my grandfathers, so that I may take my place in Takamagahara.

"Granted." He whispered. A surge of energy rippled through the area towards Fumiko. She began to show a glowing aura, tiny lights dancing all around her like butterflies. When she twirled her wrist, the lights merged and formed a katana of light. Susano'o grinned. Finally, he thought, she's getting serious. Good. What followed was an intense battle of swords, each lunging, striking blades, dancing and twisting and dodging. It was nothing like traditional kendo, more like the fluid, graceful acrobatics associated with using a jian wu to dance. After thirty minutes of constant attacking, they were both lightly winded.

To say that Susano'o was impressed would be an understatement. She hadn't even tried to use additional magic as he had, simply creating mirrors of light to deflect his attacks straight back at him. Her butterflies continued to dance around her, caressing her and flitting about. A few times she had snapped her fingers, though he wasn't sure what that was about. Tsukiyomi knew, though. Their godly auras had drawn out some rather powerful and hungry Yokai, and she'd cleared them away with those snaps, simultaneously fighting and protecting the people within ten miles. He'd sunk to his knees in a seiza pose a few feet away from the relics, who continued to protest being forced to sit the battle out. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and was surprised to find a smiling Amaterasu.

"Well, well. It's not her full power, but she's made good strides on her own." She cooed.

"Full power?" He asked. She sighed.

"Sometimes I swear your love has got you blinded to what's right in front of you. That girl is no demigod, Otouto." She said, arching a brow. He stood and crossed his arms, his head tilted in question.

"Your Lady Tachibana is a full-blooded goddess. Always has been. Her human form has kept it mostly hidden till now. Her grandfathers' doing, of course. She would not have been born if they had kept it in their pants, after all."

"Is that why she asked Susano'o to guarantee their pardon?" He asked, looking back at his sweet Fumi-chan.

"She did, did she? How brave... and unnecessary. I wasn't planning to punsh them, because she is your bride. Plus, they really didn't hurt anything, didnt lie to my face, and she kept herself reined in so tightly she never caused a problem." Amaterasu shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Tsukiyomi felt a little annoyed that she seemed to know so much.

"All those kids that bothered her, she could have easily become vengeful and punished them- frankly, as is her right as a goddess- and it would not have been pretty, but she seems to have learned early that such outbursts can be dangerous, and chose to forgive their actions as long as it never got too serious."

"But she should have done something. I wanted to but I promised her I'd help them... I wanted to punish them so badly, Oneesan." She placed a hand on his arm, sensing his upset. Doing nothing had been a special form of torture for him.

"And that is why she is such a great goddess, and a wonderful woman." She smiled softly.

They turned back to the battle, to see Fumiko gracefully jump and twist behind Susano'o, placing her blade at his neck effortlessly.

"See, she could have done that the whole time." Amaterasu grinned. "But she didn't want to make Susano'o look bad."

Just then, one of the butterflies skimmed Susano'o's cheek, causing a fine line of blood to trickle to his chin.

"Lady Tachibana wins." Amaterasu called out, her delight clear. Susano'o simply looked shocked. He had underestimated her, as many before him had, and probably many after would. Her kind demeanor hid her will of tempereed steel. Susano'o bowed to Amaterasu.

"Bow Lady Tachibana, it's the queen." He whispered harshly.

Fumiko stared for moment before bowing low.