THE ARCHAIC SKY

CHAPTER: THE HIDDEN STEEPLE OF GOLD

The realm was akin to an endlessly sky reaching colosseum that was made of golden granite. The assembly watched from above as a sinner faces off against a goddess. The intricate walls of yellow held up a bright sunlike ceiling. And upon a giant throne with a flaming sun, the goddess sat on a cloud, meditating. "your guts got bigger, Araceli" this was the domain of the lord of the sun, where her true consciousness lie.

She seemed to have many dolls for herself. The doll at the ascension, Sora, and the body from before she entered this realm. Perhaps this is where she resides when her dolls perform her duties for her. it seemed perfect, a realm untouched by transience, even the air felt different to Amara. Still, too still, as if the two of them were the only life to disrupt the peace.

There was no weather here, nothing for her to manipulate. She had to rely on her sheer strength alone. She summoned her spear. The stone platform Amara stood upon nearly crumbled when the golden rod grazed it's surface. "it seems not only humans want the arcane, but goddesses too lower themselves to such mortal arrogation?"

The goddess's true form was nothing like her dolls. She had arms that held up each of Jinsei's symbols. Rice from the paddy fields, pearls from the sea, a gold blade from the earth, and a wooden doll from the forest. There above her head a flaming mitsudomo. This was each of the elements of the rai clan. what was she doing with them? why was she not holding the symbols of the imperial clan instead?

Large red tassles hung from the sides of her throne along with the largest feathers of a phoenix. Her black dress was adorned in red and gold. And the ornaments on her hair only became even more like flames than before.

Behind her was a ring that immortalized a golden sun and phoenix. it almost seemed like an eye, since both her eyes are closed.

She sneered, "by the order of empyrea and her prince, I serve as their hand of heavenly punishment" when her eye lids fluttered open, a beam of pure sunlight fell towards Amara, causing an explosion so bright that it blinded even the goddess.

Amara stood silent, her spear spinning in a way that formed a shielf from the attack. The goddess's eyes widened, enraged despite the stone faced mask she had placed on. Himiko rose from her throne, she walked on bare air towards Amara, her eye shaped ring grew larger, now becoming a plate that held ancient seiran writings. From the edges, a thousand golden flaming rings rained down on Amara. They shot down, leaving golden smoke trails that looked like the arms of the sun.

The harbinger tore apart her own spear, forming smaller knives that floated and gathered at her feet, helping her up to the height of the goddess. There was no weather to manipulate, but the air was pure, it was perfect to bend into a shield that dissolved the goddess's rings with ease. With a flick of her hand, the shield exploded, causing all Himiko's jewelry to fly off, destroying the untouched beauty of the limitless tower.

The assembly gasped and shrieked but ultimately unharmed. Amara could feel the heads of the rai clan watch her like hawks. The more power she displayed, the more they wanted her in their grasp. All but a single head, the Hirai. Each of their eyes spelled worry. The newly appointed head of the Kinzokurai on the other hand was fascinated by her. he knew what she wielded, and it wasn't a saint's divine weapon. It was a relic of the dragons, and he knew what she had to do to take it.

All the arms of the goddess dropped their symbols, all but the one that held the golden weapon. The blade was a tachi sword, it was light yet large and it wasn't of metal. It was solarian material, meant to only be wielded by the goddess herself. It was a creation from Himiko's divine might, the musou isshin.

"eihi no hitotachi" Himiko sliced the air, rings and plates of the sun followed behind the blade like a visible gust of wind. the goddess looked as if she had sliced through a point in space, a beautiful demonstration of the omikami's might. a sword technique revered by the people nearly as much as the goddess. An undefendable blow from an undefeatable goddess.