Kyomu Kaibyaku: Black and White

The Hall of Purification had adopted a solemn and expectant atmosphere. The light from the inscriptions on the walls glowed softly, radiating a divine energy that flowed through the sanctuary. At the center, Shizuhana lay resting, her breathing finally steadying after the intense visions she had experienced. Yet, unease was still evident on her face.

The echo of footsteps broke the silence. One by one, the gods of the White Pole began to fill the room, summoned by the urgency of recent events. Tathuvan had sent the call, ensuring that only the most trustworthy and powerful deities attended this gathering. Among them were Ceres, the leader of the Gods of the Dawn; Amayori, Hanuman, Rikumi, and Ruvyastra, who had insisted on staying to protect Shizuhana.

Ceres was the first to approach Shizuhana. "Shizuhana, we have been informed of what happened. Can you explain to us what you saw?"

Shizuhana opened her eyes slowly, observing the gathered gods. Her gaze moved across each of them as if evaluating whether they could grasp what she was about to share. Finally, she took a breath and sat up with difficulty, leaning on her Ame-no-nuboko, which rested beside her.

"What I saw…" she began, her voice laden with an indescribable weight, "is not something that can be explained in mortal or divine words. It was not a being, nor even a force in the conventional sense. It was like a void… no, something beyond the void. A force that does not act, does not desire, but is inescapable. I don't know how to explain it; it's 'easier' to experience the feeling than to describe it."

Rikumi frowned. "A force that does not desire? That contradicts the nature of all things in our creation. Even the Black Pole has a purpose, even if it's destruction. What you describe… is it an external force to our balance?"

"That seems to be the case," Shizuhana replied, tilting her head slightly. "It does not belong to the White or the Black. It is… indifferent. But the most unsettling part is that it is interwoven with our reality, as though it is an invisible foundation supporting everything we know. And I feel that the Alpha Manticore, with its sacrifice, did nothing but open a door to that force."

Amayori crossed her arms, her expression showing concern. "If what you say is true, this entity might represent a threat we cannot combat. How do we fight something that does not act, that simply exists?"

Hanuman, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. What you describe, Shizuhana, is certainly alarming, but we also know that even the incomprehensible can have a point of vulnerability. The question is: what did this force want by revealing itself to you?"

Shizuhana closed her eyes, recalling the vision. "I don't know. I didn't sense any intention, but I did feel a connection. It was as though my own existence was a thread in a larger loom, one that I cannot see or understand. This force did not seek me specifically, but the sacrifice of the Alpha Manticore opened a path, and I was the one who crossed it."

"Then, can we assume that this connection still persists?" Ruvyastra asked, her usual direct tone evident.

Shizuhana nodded. "Yes. I feel it even now—a constant presence, though not invasive. However, I fear that if we do nothing to understand it, it may manifest in ways we cannot predict."

Ceres reflected for a moment before addressing the other gods. "Ah. This transcends any dispute between the White and the Black. If this force is as fundamental as it seems, we must investigate it without delay. We cannot ignore it or assume it will have no impact on our balance."

"But where do we begin?" Rikumi asked. "We have no records of anything like this. Not even the oldest scriptures mention a force that is indifferent but omnipresent."

"Perhaps the answer isn't in the scriptures, but in what we've avoided exploring," Shizuhana said, her voice growing firmer. "The White Pole and the Black Pole have built their principles on a balance of light and shadow, but this force lies outside that balance. Maybe, to understand it, we need to look beyond our own rules."

The silence that followed her words was heavy. Each of the gods understood what crossing the limits of their comprehension entailed, but they also knew that ignoring this threat could be even more dangerous.

"Not again, Shizuhana!" Rikumi shouted. "I've told you before that such ideas are highly dangerous… and even forbidden! We live and will continue to live as the unchanging source of all life and color in the universe. That's what we were born for, and none of your dangerous ideas will change that—tell her, Ceres!"

Ceres raised a hand, stopping Rikumi before she could continue her tirade. His expression remained serious, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"Rikumi, I understand your concerns," he said, his tone calm but firm. "However, we cannot dismiss what Shizuhana has experienced. If there is a force that transcends our understanding, we must approach it with caution, not fear."

"Caution?" Rikumi took a step forward, indignant. "Caution means staying true to our principles! We cannot allow ideas like this to sow doubt in our divine mission!"

Amayori intervened, her voice serene but laden with gravity. "Rikumi, this isn't just a philosophical disagreement. If what Shizuhana says is true, this force represents a threat to everything we know, including our immutable laws. Closing our eyes won't make it disappear."

"And what do you propose?" Rikumi retorted. "That we abandon our principles on the whim of a vision? This sounds like heresy, not enlightenment."

The tension in the Hall of Purification grew palpable. Shizuhana, who had remained silent, finally raised her voice, determination evident in her words.

"This is not heresy, Rikumi!" she exclaimed. "It's a truth that none of us can ignore. If you, or anyone here, believe that our purpose is as immutable as you say, then perhaps we have already failed. Because a force that does not answer to the White or the Black is a sign that the balance we so fervently defend is not absolute."

The murmurs of the gods filled the space, an echo of uncertainty and disagreement. Some seemed to consider Shizuhana's words, while others, like Rikumi, remained steadfast in their opposition.

Ceres, who had listened in silence, finally spoke. "Hm. Looking at it this way… Shizuhana, what you propose not only questions our beliefs but also our very existence. Asking us to look beyond our rules is asking us to renounce who we are. Are you aware of the consequences of your words?"

"I am," she replied without hesitation. "I know that ignoring this force will only lead to our destruction. I am not asking you to renounce who you are, but to open your eyes to the possibility that there is something beyond what we know. Something that could change everything."

"This is unacceptable!" Rikumi stepped forward, her divine energy intensifying. "I will not allow this madness to spread! If we continue down this path, we will be inviting chaos."

The murmurs of the gods turned into a clamor as Shizuhana's proposal became clear. The sanctuary, which usually inspired reverence, now resonated with the tension of a heated debate.

"To abandon our color? Our essence? That is unthinkable!" exclaimed Rikumi, indignant. "The sacred order is the very source of our existence. We are the guardians of meaning, the bearers of the beauty that shapes the universe. To forsake that would be to betray our divine mission."

Amayori, though calmer, did not hide her concern. "What you're proposing, Shizuhana, goes beyond questioning our laws. You're asking us to stop being who we are. Colors are not just our manifestation; they are our reason for being. How could a god of the White Pole accept anything outside that truth?"

Shizuhana, standing in the center of the hall, remained unfazed by the growing opposition, gripping her Ame-no-nuboko firmly.

"Don't you see that this very rigidity is what keeps us trapped?" she countered, her voice a mix of frustration and determination. "By sensing something beyond balance, I realized that the sacred order is not absolute, but a construct we ourselves have shaped. What's the point of protecting a truth that cannot adapt to what we do not understand?"

"That's blasphemy!" shouted Hanuman, divine energy swirling around him. "The sacred order does not need to adapt. It is eternal, immutable, and perfect. To question it is an act of arrogance, Shizuhana, one that endangers everything we have built."

«Tsk—Even you, Hanuman…» Shizuhana thought to herself, disappointed.

Ruvyastra stepped forward, a stern expression on her face. "If I may, even if this force you describe exists, there is no guarantee that pursuing it under your proposal will benefit us. It could be a trap, a deception meant to lead us astray from our purpose. Have you not considered that this vision might be a test, a temptation to divert you from the path of the White Pole?"

"A temptation?" Shizuhana let out a bitter laugh. "I have felt nothing resembling temptation, Ruvyastra. What I saw is indifferent, distant, and yet essential. To deny it would be to ignore something fundamental about reality itself."

Ceres, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke, his voice resonating with the authority of the First God of Dawn.

"Shizuhana," he began, his eyes locking onto hers. "Your words are dangerous. They not only challenge our laws but also threaten to destabilize the purpose of the White Pole. The sacred order defines us, gives us power and purpose. What you propose is not evolution, but dissolution."

"And what if dissolution is necessary to find the truth?" Shizuhana countered, stepping forward. "The order we revere is nothing more than a veil, an illusion we have created to make sense of something we do not understand. If this force lies beyond us, then perhaps our purpose is not to protect order, but to transcend it."

"Enough!" Rikumi exclaimed. "This discussion cannot continue. Shizuhana has proven to be a threat to our mission. I propose that she be stripped of her position and forbidden from pursuing this senseless quest."

The clamor in the hall reached its peak. Some gods nodded vehemently, while others seemed hesitant. Shizuhana, surrounded by a circle of critical gazes, clenched her teeth but did not bow her head. She knew she was alone in this struggle, but she also knew that the truth she had glimpsed was too important to ignore.

Ceres raised his hand once more, and the chaos in the hall subsided into a heavy silence. "We will not make any rash decisions," he declared. "But it is clear that the majority here does not support the path Shizuhana proposes. Until we can determine the true nature of this force, her ideas will be placed under strict scrutiny. We will not allow the sacred order to be threatened."

Ceres's judgment fell like a hammer on the hall. Shizuhana looked at him with a mix of defiance and disappointment. "If you fear the truth so much, then you have already lost," she said calmly, before turning and walking toward the sanctuary's exit.

The gods watched her in silence, some with indignation, others with concern. But in Shizuhana's heart, a spark was lit. She knew this was not the end, but the beginning of a much larger battle.