Foolish Brother Odin

Chapter 353 Kagura Dance, but Amaterasu

On this day, according to established custom, the Palace of Pleasures welcomed its new principal dancer.

That's just how the Aesir are.

The higher the status of the enemy deity performing the dance, the more excited they become.

Tonight, the one performing the dance is none other than the former Fusang Goddess Queen—Amaterasu Ōmiko!

This is the first time a goddess of god-king level has performed a dance!

Not to mention the Asgardian servants who had never seen anything like it, even the old gods like Thor were seeing it for the first time.

As the first note of the background music played, the maiden Amaterasu, exuding a youthful charm, stepped barefoot onto the sandalwood stage bathed in blessed holy water. Her crimson kimono, adorned with twelve kimonos, fluttered gently in the night breeze, while the pine and crane patterns embroidered with gold thread shimmered in the glow of the campfire.

The tremolo of the shamisen pierced the night, and Amaterasu, the goddess, unfurled her sleeves like a scroll of crimson clouds. Her fair, delicate toes touched the wet ground, creating an illusion of gliding on water. This was no illusion; wherever her jade feet passed, they left continuous butterfly patterns on the dark brown platform. The five-colored tassels hanging from her waist struck the bronze Kagura bells, producing a clear and melodious sound that amazed the onlookers, the Aesir gods.

As Amaterasu rotated, the hem of Chihaya's dress burst forth with seven layers of radiant light, the sun and moon patterns made of gold foil flickering in the flames of the eternal fire in the temple. As she looked up at the skylight directly above the temple and spread her arms toward the crescent moon, the gentian buds in her hair suddenly scattered petals, pale purple fragments drifting toward Downs, who sat in the main seat.

Towns caught a whiff of sandalwood, reminiscent of a shrine, along with a hint of a young girl's fragrance.

This scene caused a Japanese divine messenger, who was responsible for providing accompaniment, to clench his prayer beads tightly.

Originally part of a ritual, Kagura dance was designed to convey reverence and supplication to the gods through music and dance. Over time, it gradually developed into an independent art form, while still retaining many religious elements such as rituals, prayers, and exorcisms.

The most ironic part of this Kagura dance is that the dancer is Amaterasu herself, and the object of her prayers is Downs Paulson, the extremely evil god-king who personally destroyed the Fusang world.

This extreme contrast imbues the dance with a sense of inverted chaos and taboo!
The Fusang priestesses responsible for playing the music were filled with extremely complex emotions. They both hated the giant god on the throne, whose name was pronounced as "Destroyer" and "Conqueror," and feared that if they made a mistake and ruined Amaterasu's dance, it would implicate all the remaining Fusang descendants.

From different perspectives, Amaterasu's actions are interpreted in different ways. The Fusang attendants see the goddess's eyelashes trembling in the firelight, like the trembling of a dying butterfly's wings; in Downs' eyes, it is that this noble conquered one is accepting her fate.

As for whether Amaterasu's silent blessing was sincere or feigned, Towns had no interest in knowing.

As the final drumbeat reverberated through the flames of the main hall, Amaterasu suddenly prostrated herself, her sleeves billowing out to form a magnificent golden silhouette. A Kagura bell rolled down beside a celadon cup filled with sake, startling the reflection of the stars within and shattering it into ripples.

"This is Amaterasu's surrender dance offered to the supreme conqueror—King Downs Paulson of the Asgard." The goddess Amaterasu slowly raised her head, and everyone could see the tears that had not yet fallen from the corners of her eyes.

Sadness, grief, submission, resignation, gentleness...

Amaterasu exemplified what it means to be a Fusō Nadeshiko (a woman who nurtures children in Japan) by setting an example herself.

Downs rested his chin on his left hand, a satisfied look on his face: "For the Asgardians, this dance seems rather unexciting. But as an experience of otherworldly customs, it's quite good."

Downs snapped his fingers, and the Fusang Band immediately withdrew. The goddesses who had been incorporated into the minor pantheons of the Aesir were about to take the stage.

Just when they thought they could attract the attention of the supreme god-king with their beauty, they were surprised to find that the god-king had taken Amaterasu away to the inner palace.

This made them both sad and distressed. Fortunately, even though His Majesty the King of Gods was gone, there was still Prince Thor to keep things in order.

This is actually a common practice.

Downs' divine power was too exaggerated. He repeatedly eliminated enemy pantheons, or annexed or destroyed enemy worlds. Even if he did nothing and sat in the main hall of the Palace of Pleasure with his aura concealed, no god dared to act recklessly, let alone play around.

His presence was more symbolic. Only when he left, allowing Thor, the god of the party, to take the lead, could everyone have a good time.

The door leading to the rear hall slowly closed, but the newly descended gods all looked on with envy at the long procession of goddesses behind Downs.

This is the military glory of the conquerors!
Upon entering the rear hall, the second Kagura dance began.

Unlike the slow, solemn music of the past, this time the music, played entirely by the priestesses, sounded more like a midsummer night's bonfire party, filled with bright and cheerful notes.

In contrast, Amaterasu's divine armor gradually showed signs of being "slightly damaged" and "heavily damaged" in battle.

However, she seemed oblivious to the strange, gusty winds that were blowing, her expression still filled with a sense of holiness. Only her increasingly misty eyes, and her flushed cheeks and neck betrayed her.

In the end, her excessively moist state even left shimmering reflections where she danced.

Finally, Amaterasu waited until a huge shadow enveloped her. She couldn't help but collapse onto the ground like a duck, gazing up at the enormous figure with a complex, strange look that was a mixture of infatuation and sorrow.

Towns asked in a deep voice, "Amaterasu, do you hate me?"

Amaterasu instinctively shrank her neck and lowered her head, then looked up, meeting Downs's gaze with a slightly distorted, fanatical look. Her red lips trembled slightly for several seconds before she spoke:
"I hated it!"

This answer surprised not only Downs, but also the goddesses like Freya who were watching intently.

Suddenly, all the goddesses chuckled softly in unison.

Aside from a few exceptions like Scáthach, Brunhilde, and Maeve, who else didn't go through this process?
The history of the Aesir gods is the history of the conquests of the god-king Downs!
However, Downs clearly harbors a deep-seated prejudice against the gods of Fusang.

"You will not attain the status of a true god within a thousand years."

This verdict is quite cruel.

But this is the price of the Fusang pantheon's betrayal.

Amaterasu bowed respectfully, saying, "Amaterasu will strive to improve every day and love Your Majesty more each day."

This……

Towns felt something was off.

However, as the name suggests, Kagura dance should be a dance that brings joy to the gods, right?
Whether Amaterasu was happy or not, Towns didn't know, but he was certainly having a good time that night.

The thought that Amaterasu Omikami, whom countless Japanese soldiers prayed to and worshipped for her protection, is now in such a state is unbearable.

Towns was even happier.

For some reason, just being the god of Fusang made Towns' attack speed increase dramatically.

The next morning, Amaterasu acted as if nothing had happened and helped Towns change his clothes.

(End of this chapter)