"Lady!"
"Lady!"
The yokai guarding her, though suppressed by the ancient divine aura, still struggled to gather around and shield her from harm. However, their yokai powers were completely nullified—they were powerless to act.
Possessing the body of Lady Yodo, the noblewoman she had taken over to bear her child, Hagoromo Gitsune clutched her belly protectively, fearing harm to her unborn child. She gazed in terror at the blinding sky, screaming in disbelief.
"This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! All the Takamagahara gods disappeared a thousand years ago—without exception!"
"There is no way a Takamagahara god still exists! Absolutely not!"
As panic gripped her, a voice from the unborn child within her womb, linked to the underworld of Yomi, whispered softly into her ears.
"Mother... do not be anxious...
Let ... be born soon..."
Hagoromo Gitsune caressed her belly with maternal affection.
"I understand, my dear... Whether or not the gods of Takamagahara still exist, I will do whatever it takes to ensure your birth."
She needed more human hearts and livers to nourish the child within her, to absorb even more yokai energy and resentnt.
...
anwhile, in the opposite world of Tokoyo no Kuni—Yomi.
This place was known as Yomi, the underworld where all beings—whether human or yokai—ended up after death.
Yomi was divided into two realms:
The upper level, the Netherworld, where the souls of the deceased were collected and guided by underworld yokai known as Netherworld ssengers.
The deeper level, Hell, also called Yomi-no-Kuni, where those who violated the laws of reincarnation—whether human, yokai, or god—were imprisoned.
Any being that disrupted the cycle of reincarnation was confined here.
In the past, the ruler of Yomi-no-Kuni was Izanami, one of the most powerful deities of this world, the mother goddess who birthed half of the Takamagahara gods.
She maintained the order of Yomi and upheld the cycle of life and death.
However, she mysteriously disappeared a thousand years ago.
Currently, the one who occupied the throne of Yomi-no-Kuni was none other than the most powerful onmyoji of humankind—the Lord of All Demons, Abe no Seii, also known as Nue.
...
Within the depths of this fiery hell, the ancient, overwhelming divine presence pierced through the Netherworld, reaching deep into Yomi-no-Kuni.
Powerful demons, yokai, and monstrous beings—far beyond the strength of even great yokai—shrieked in terror and agony.
"A god! A Takamagahara god! Damn it!"
"Damn it! If I could escape, I'd slaughter them all!"
"Let out!"
In the depths of Yomi-no-Kuni, among these terrifying entities, none dared to approach one figure.
A man with golden hair and a bare, god-like physique.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he seed to gaze beyond the underworld, into the mortal realm above.
"This ancient aura... and divine might comparable to that of Takamagahara True Gods... Could it be that not all the Takamagahara gods have vanished?"
"No... Yomi has no records of such divine power. Could it be that, after the disappearance of the great gods, so unknown deity has ascended to beco the new ruler of Takamagahara?"
As a half-blood born of a millennium-old fox demon and a human, he had pushed both his yokai heritage and his mastery of onmyoji arts to a level comparable to the gods themselves.
A thousand years ago, when he first touched the threshold of divinity, he discovered that the connection between Takamagahara and the mortal world had been completely severed. Through relentless investigation, he eventually arrived at a shocking conclusion—all the gods had disappeared from the world.
What stunned him the most was not their disappearance, but the fact that they had left behind their divine authorities.
Throughout his lifeti, he desperately sought to locate Takamagahara, attempting to seize its divine authorities, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never find it.
The only divine authority he managed to find resided within Yomi-no-Kuni, and it was none other than the authority of the Queen of the Underworld, Izanami-no-Mikoto.
However, to wield the authority of a god as a re human—and one of the two greatest divine authorities, no less—was nothing short of a fool's dream.
More importantly, the living could not enter Yomi, and the dead could not wield divine power.
Thus, he and his mother, Hagoromo Gitsune, devised an elaborate plan—upon his death, he would enter Yomi-no-Kuni and steal a sliver of the Queen of the Underworld's divine essence. Using his connection to his mother, he would be reborn into a new body.
In this way, he could establish a link to the authority of Yomi, and with enough ti, he would eventually beco the true ruler of the underworld.
Now, standing in the depths of Yomi, Abe no Seii's face twisted with frustration and malice.
"Damn it! The authority of Takamagahara that I could never find... has already been claid!"
"This... this is an unforeseen disaster! The ruler of Takamagahara will never allow the ergence of a new Yomi lord to challenge their control over the mortal realm."
"I must be reborn at all costs!"
Abe no Seii had already usurped control over Yomi-no-Kuni. A sliver of the Queen's divine essence now coursed through him, and the ancient yokai imprisoned in Yomi for countless years had all submitted to his rule.
For the sake of his rebirth and his mother's ambitions, even if it ant tearing open the gates of Hell, he would release these monstrous yokai into the mortal world.
...
Kyoto – House of the Onmyoji, the Keikain Clan
In the dimly lit chamber, a group of monks and onmyoji were seated around a board ga, the pieces scattered in disarray after being abruptly knocked over.
The ancient, solemn, and divine radiance pierced through the curtains, bathing the room in its golden brilliance.
A monk rushed outside, mouth agape, his wide eyes reflecting the rolling golden clouds that covered the sky.
"Th-this... All the evil miasma of Kyoto's night has been completely purified! Such divine power... Could it really be a god?"
The head onmyoji followed closely behind, his gaze filled with awe.
"Such overwhelming majesty... I had thought the gods had long since vanished from this world."
The monk, still in disbelief, scolded him, "Hidemoto, as the strongest onmyoji of our generation, you should show more reverence to divine miracles!"
Hidemoto Keikain gazed at the sky with deep reverence and solemnity.
"Tenkai, reverence for the gods should reside within the heart. The gods care only for sincerity, not outward displays of respect. Your understanding is still lacking."
As the greatest onmyoji of the era, Hidemoto Keikain understood the dark truth of this age.
This era was a world ruled by yokai.
Kyoto, in particular, had beco a playground for demons, a mortal city consud by darkness.
As much as he wished to protect the innocent, he knew that against monsters like Hagoromo Gitsune, who had lived countless reincarnations, there was little he could do.
But now...
The gods of Takamagahara had returned.
These were not re stray gods or wandering spirits.
The gods of Takamagahara were true gods, sovereign rulers of the world's natural order.
Stray gods were nothing more than lowly beings who had absorbed human faith and gained a sliver of divine power, re yokai masquerading as gods.
Hidemoto Keikain murmured, "Could it be that the gods of Takamagahara have finally grown weary of the corruption in the mortal world?"
As the golden clouds continued to spread across the sky, a voice as grand and gentle as an old father speaking to his children echoed throughout the heavens.
[I was once the god of humanity.]
[It is my duty to witness the rise and fall of mankind.]
[I once promised to bestow upon humanity civilization, ritual, craftsmanship, and a land to call their own.]
[I fought to cleanse the four corners of the world, safeguarding this fleeting corner of existence.]
[I have walked this world for over six thousand years, and even stone feels the weight of ti.]
[But I am the God of Contracts, and if humanity still seeks the covenant once forged,]
[I shall fulfill my unfinished duties without hesitation.]
The voice of the Takamagahara True God echoed throughout the entire world.
Humans gazed up at the vast golden clouds filling the sky, their hearts stirred by the god's words, which were as warm and reassuring as those of a father.
Though the words were brief, they carried an undeniable weight—revealing that this great god was one who had descended to the earth in ancient tis to guide humanity's civilization. He was a divine being who had once bestowed knowledge upon mankind and had forged an ancient contract with their earliest ancestors.
This god had existed for more than six thousand years.
For humanity, such an unimaginable length of ti was beyond comprehension; after all, their recorded history stretched back only two thousand years.
Legends passed down by word of mouth spoke of a ti when gods descended to the earth, and the world was far more prosperous and harmonious than the chaotic warring states era they now endured.
The god who had once guided the earliest humans—promising them civilization, craftsmanship, etiquette, and nationhood—had now witnessed the turmoil of the mortal realm from the heavens and was prepared to once again fulfill the forgotten contract with humanity.
In this warring age, the lives of ordinary people were as insignificant as grass, constantly at risk of being snuffed out by yokai, bandits, or the greed of warlords and feudal lords.
The deeper humanity fell into depravity, the greater the number of yokai that fed on their malice and despair. While so lords still sought to govern responsibly, the suffering of the common folk remained imnse.
Everywhere across the land where humans resided, people knelt and prayed fervently for the descent of the Takamagahara True God.
They had long grown weary of their days filled with fear, hunger, and uncertainty.
"Great God of Takamagahara, please protect our village!"
"Mighty deity, we beg you to drive out the yokai from our city!"
"God of High Heavens, please grant us a bountiful harvest next year!"
"Divine one, my child has been targeted by yokai—please keep them safe!"
"O rciful god, please bless us!"
...
In this world, the common folk were largely uneducated—knowledge was a privilege of the nobility. Their prayers were simple and sincere, resembling those of their ancient ancestors.
All they desired was to have enough to eat, to be safe from yokai, and for their children to grow up in health and peace—wishes that were pure and humble.
As if responding to their earnest pleas, a towering golden pillar of light descended from the sky over a city near the western lands.
The people of the city, startled by this divine phenonon, fell to their knees in reverence and awe.
Amidst their prayers, the golden radiance gradually faded, revealing a magnificent vermillion torii gate standing tall.
Upon witnessing this gateway's appearance, a thought instinctively surfaced in the minds of the people—"The gateway to Takamagahara."
This city, located near the yokai-infested western territories, was known as Hiji City. It was ruled by a beloved princess nad Izayoi.
Not long ago, the city's lord had passed away due to illness, leaving Princess Izayoi to take over the governance of the city. She was currently burdened with the challenge of finding a way to ensure her people were well-fed, just as her father had done before her.
She remained in a posture of prayer to the gods above, her dazed gaze fixed on the Takamagahara gateway that had appeared in the sky above Hiji City.
A single thought echoed in her mind—Is a god truly descending into my city?
In the next mont, her eyes widened slightly, reflecting the transformation of the gateway.
A divine figure, majestic and sacred, draped in a white hooded robe, stepped forth from the portal.
An aura of ancient wisdom and warmth, reminiscent of a benevolent father, emanated from him.
As the god erged, a dark golden, square-shaped halo ford behind him, composed of sacred sigils.
Zhongli stepped out from the gateway, clad in the divine garb he once wore during the Archon War. His golden eyes swept across the land, carefully sensing the rapid changes within this world.
Unlike Teyvat, this world lacked elental energy, but other forces were abundant—spiritual energy, demonic energy, sinister auras, and faith energy.
Regardless of how the world's environnt differed, the fundantal laws remained constant.
As the God of Geo and Contracts, Zhongli found that his strength had not diminished in the slightest within this new world.
In the brief seconds since his arrival, he had already grasped the world's general situation.
"The rules have lost their overseer... the gods have indeed perished."
In a world with multiple wielders of power, the burden of controlling the laws would be shared among them. However, he sensed no such division—the laws of Geo and Contracts lay unclaid.
At the sa ti, an imnse wave of faith energy surged toward him.
This power was overwhelming, comparable to the faith Liyue's people had accumulated over centuries.
He understood—this was the result of the miraculous presence bestowed by the Heavenly Principle.
As Zhongli imrsed himself in observing the world's transformation, the World Gate gradually shrank and descended.
Miraculously, the surrounding land expanded outward as if it had always been a vast, open plain.
In the end, the World Gate condensed to a height of about fifty ters and firmly took root at the heart of Hiji City.
Descending slowly from the sky, Zhongli gazed upon the ragged, malnourished people kneeling before him in devout silence, their eyes filled with desperate hope.
mories of three thousand years ago resurfaced—his first encounter with humankind, their pleas for protection echoing in his mind.
How similar this mont is.
Zhongli spoke, his voice deep and resolute.
"I am Morax, the God of Geo and Contracts. From this day forth, I shall establish a new nation here, nad Liyue. Do you wish to enter into a contract with and beco a part of Liyue?"
Princess Izayoi snapped out of her astonishnt and quickly stepped forward from the crowd, kneeling reverently.
"Divine One, I am Izayoi, Princess of Hiji City. I am willing to offer this city to you!"
Zhongli's golden eyes gazed upon the young woman, and he nodded.
"Izayoi, I do not seek to claim your city. You shall remain its princess. From today onward, you will assist in establishing Liyue and putting an end to this chaotic era."
Izayoi—her na was among those provided in the information by the Heavenly Principle.
From a human perspective, she was a tragic figure; but in the eyes of a god, her kindness was genuine.
With proper guidance, she could beco an excellent ruler.
Izayoi lifted her head, her gentle eyes filled with astonishnt and joy.
Though she had always been addressed as a princess, she was rely the daughter of the castle lord.
But now, the god himself had acknowledged her as a princess—she had beco a princess in the eyes of all mankind.
If the divine being intended to establish Liyue and bring an end to the chaotic era, did this not an he sought to unify the entire world?
As Zhongli descended upon the Inuyasha World, the golden clouds gradually dispersed.
At that mont, across the entire world—whether human or yokai—all had witnessed the god's descent near the western territories.
…
From afar, Toga, the Great Dog General, observed the slowly descending figure, sweat beading on his forehead.
Even his hand, which tightly gripped the Tessaiga, trembled slightly.
"Why did the Takamagahara True God not descend into Kyoto, where he is worshiped… but instead chose a small human castle near my western lands?"
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