Karmatic
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A New Sun Chapter 84
🕑 Added 2025-02-22 04:00:13 +0000 UTCChapter 84
~ A New Sun ~
I'm not going to lie.
I've got no idea how the hell I'm supposed to start this conversation.
Or, if I even should start one at all.
Instead, I'm lying in a bean bag chair in her room, probably the same one I was lounging in the last time I was here, with my mother clinging to my chest and using me as a body pillow.
Her room hasn't changed at all since then, by the way. Not that I expected it to.
Unfortunately so anyhow, because that means I've got nothing new to stare at as I sort of awkwardly pat the small woman lying on me across the back.
We've been like this for some time now, ever since we got in here…just like this.
She stopped trembling pretty soon after I plopped down, and her breathing had long since stabilized before even then, so at least that's something, right?
…Yeah, we can't keep staying like this.
"How are you feeling?" I softly try asking.
The room being as silent as it is makes the question sound far louder than I intended.
Despite that though? She doesn't even flinch.
Or do anything.
But I don't get nothing.
"...Mmm."
A sound, sort of like a hum, comes from her.
That's it.
But at least it's something!
Tentatively, I tried again, "So…how much of that battle did you see?"
This is something I desperately need to know, because depending on how much or what she specifically saw could color her impression of what happened drastically.
Something as simple as tuning in a little late, and seeing only from the point after Dulio attacked me, would give her a very different idea of what happened compared to actually watching the full thing, start to finish, for instance.
At my second question though, her breathing abruptly stilled.
Internally, I immediately began panicking, and as her grip on my clothes began to tighten, I braced for…something not very good to happen, even if I didn't know what I was bracing for.
Until she responded.
"Enough."
A singular word, the sound muffled as her face was dug into my robe, and that was seemingly all that I was going to get.
At least she didn't start breathing fire and shooting light out of her eyes.
I resisted the urge to click my tongue, instead slowly frowning up at the ceiling.
I'm quickly concluding that this isn't going to work.
By this, I of course mean this back and forth.
I don't want her to freak out again, so taking it slow might be a bit better, but at the same time…
Seeing her like this hurts.
It's all my fault, too. I know that. I didn't even think to tell her what was going on, or what my plan was, and it's not like Uzume didn't make it very clear that Ama here tends to get fairly…emotional. Easily.
And then ruled by said emotions even easier.
See the Throne Room from earlier.
So, how best to deal with everything?
Well, how do I deal with most things nowadays?
Oh yeah.
Head on.
And with minimal regard for my safety!
"So," I start again, this time far more casually, "I've got the True Longinus stuffed under my bed next to a pink bat that I made that specifically knocked the horny emotions out of people."
Silence.
Pure, absolute, pin-drop silence.
I feel the poor woman on top of my chest stop breathing altogether all of a sudden.
Until slowly, ever so slowly, she moves her head and looks up.
Her mouth was slightly agape, and her eyes were slightly bloodshot, though I don't recall her crying, so I'm not sure what that's about.
"I…wha?" She uttered, completely and utterly baffled.
Hey, look at that! Two words! Progress!
I nodded, and hummed sagely, "Remember that mass of Sacred Gear wielders that hit up Kyoto and Kuoh a little bit ago? Yeah, well, one of em' had the Spear of Destiny."
"Wha…Wait, but that, why d-didn't I…?" She began sputtering out.
I shrugged, "Probably because I didn't tell anyone else about it besides the girls back at my home. Well, most." I rub my chin, "I don't think Uzume knows."
She had been gone a lot around the time the thing with the Hero Faction went down, and I know I told Kuroka and Shirone, Rose found it by accident while cleaning…
When Uzume did get back, she was mostly passed the hell out.
After a moment, I nod, and amend myself, "No, I know she doesn't."
Unless she's crawling under my bed for some reason when I'm not there.
Not sure why she would be, though.
"Okay, b-but then…" She tries to find the words, but I can see it in the way her eyes cloud up, just how overwhelmed she is.
"Why didn't I say anything to you?" I ask for her.
After a moment, she gulps and nods, "Y-Yes, Nori, that's not something…"
I held up a hand, stopping the lecture I knew she wanted to give but wouldn't be able to word properly anyway.
I move my hand down, patting her on the head as I sigh before answering, "I decided, due to how unprecedented this kind of situation was, to keep knowledge of it on the down low. Not even all my girls know, and you not originally knowing isn't due to my not trusting you or anything."
"In fact," I pause to snort, "I'd wager you're far more trustworthy than Uzume. She'd get drunk and half the Japanese Supernatural World would know by midnight."
Ama merely blinked at me for that, before breaking out into a small fit of weak chuckles.
"Y-Yeah, yeah." She smiles, slightly, "You're probably right about that." Unfortunately, that smile quickly fades away, "Still, Nori, that…"
She takes a moment, putting a hand to her mouth and closing her eyes, taking a deep, deep centering breath, before exhaling, and looking at me with a far more focused and sharper eye than I've seen of her thus far today.
"I have…many, many questions." She stated simply.
"And I probably have the answers." I responded in kind.
What followed is basically the same conversation I've had before, twice over, with the others.
Why didn't the Spear disappear back into the system? Why did I take it? Why did I put it under my bed specifically?
That kind of stuff.
By the end of it all, Ama was looking away from me in slight shame, while I just gave her this knowing look.
"Come ooonn~!" I prodded, "Where would you have put it if I did give it to you? Hmm~?"
She started pouting, adorably might I add, before finally giving in and practically whispering, "...under my bed too."
Heh! Called it~!
I hummed and nodded along at her words, "They always expect a sealed up and heavily guarded vault, they never suspect the good ol' under-the-bed trick."
Ama huffed, smacking me on the chest, playfully.
I then proceeded to cackle like a season one villain from your average cartoon show, which only prompted her to continue smacking me more.
Each one was just as effective as the last, which is to say not at all, but still, she's trying at least!
Unfortunately, though, the good vibes have to come to an end, as I slowly calm it down, going into a long drawn-out sigh.
"That's all backstory though." I abruptly say, causing Ama to perk up, though not all that much, "As I'm sure you've already caught on…" I trail off slowly, and Ama picks it up.
"Mhmm." She hums, nodding grimly, "He came for the spear, didn't he?"
…Somehow, I don't think Ama likes Dulio all that much.
I wonder why?
"They came for the spear." I corrected her, prompting her to narrow her eyes at me.
"There were more!?" Ama exclaimed through gritted teeth.
Seeing obvious indications that her anger was rising once again, I moved, patting her on the head soothingly.
"Yes, there were," I state, calmly and softly, "but before you start trying to fire light out of your eyes, let me explain, okay?"
Ama's eye twitched, but she slowly nodded nonetheless.
And so I took it.
I explained, right from the beginning, all the way up to my bout with Dulio.
From my scouting out the Tokyo Cathedral for the Holy Spirit Sword to first seeing Dulio, to the Church Girls, forging the fake spear, everything.
Throughout the entire thing, I watched her face shift here and there, but to my surprise, the most consistent emotion on her face was…shock herself.
By the end of it all, talking about it just made me tired again, as though I had gone through it all once more for real rather than just speaking about it.
As for Ama? She looked…incredibly conflicted. Her eyes refused to meet my gaze, her mouth was a line, halfway between smiling and frowning, like it couldn't tell which way to lean.
Eventually though, after a long pause, she closed her eyes, and nodded, "That's, I…may have overreacted a little bit." She admitted with a sigh, "It was all so sudden, you know?" She slowly looked up at me, her eyes opening to reveal them beginning to mist over, "I felt the storms forming over the country, felt your power blast through them, and when it cleared, I saw your battle in the ocean, I felt…t-thought…"
Her grip on my robes shook with how hard she held on now, feeling like at any moment, the cloth could be torn with her grip.
"Uzume t-tried to calm me down, I know she did!" Ama lowered her gaze, her head, back into my robe, "The o-others as well, I just…I c-c-couldn't…Hnnn~!"
Her entire body began shuddering, and I took that as my cue to wrap my arms around her, and just simply hold her.
"I know, and I'm sorry." I uttered down at her, "I should have said something to you before I went through with it all, I should have known how'd you react to…that. But I didn't even think about any of that, and that's on me."
Trauma is a bitch. Especially for gods, apparently. Therapy as a concept doesn't seem to exist for them.
I know she'd be fine if smaller stuff went down, worried, probably, but she'd be fine. Big stuff like this, though? One of the stronger beings in the world turning up and me fighting him?
Even if it was part of the plan, even if I knew I ultimately wasn't going to die or anything, well…not giving at least a heads-up to her was kind of cruel.
A chorus of sniffles erupted in my arms, as Ama tried to reply, "...I-It's, okay, it's not really okay okay, but I know I o-overreacted…" She shook her against my chest, "Mmm! I hurt Uzu, really badly, and…and I guess Tsuku too, and I probably stirred up the entirety of Takamagahara something fierce, didn't I?"
I snorted, "Something fierce is putting it lightly."
"E-Eh!?" Ama suddenly perked up, allowing me to finally see the small streams of tears falling down her face, "Wait! They haven't started killing each other again, have they!?"
…Again?
"Uh, no?" I tried, concerned, "Last I saw, they were throwing around attacks though."
Ama groaned, her face falling back into my robe as she flailed her feet around and gave a muffled scream of, "Why are they like this!?"
What followed was a quick flurry of uttered, muffled, babbling, of which I managed to only pick up only a couple of sentences.
Stuff about cleanup being a bitch, and calling them the '8 million babies'...or something to that effect.
After she lets it all out, she lets out a low, tired sigh, and just lays there on top of me, once again still.
"...Sorry about that." She says, plainly, "They just…really get on my nerves. They're all sheep, and I still wonder why the Ancestors thought they needed to exist."
I winced at that. Damn. Harsh.
But also fair, they didn't exactly seem vital to running the place.
"Eh, don't worry about it." I wave her off, "I can see why you'd say that…unfortunately."
She chuckles dryly at that before adding, "Imagine having to live with them…"
I cringe and shudder, causing her chuckle to turn genuine, albeit only briefly before it dies down entirely.
At that moment, the two of us just lay there on that bean bag chair, content with the silence, still holding one another.
Until Ama broke it all with a sigh.
"You know, I'd love to stay like this for a long time, but I really shouldn't…" she starts mumbling, sadly, "I really should go clean up the mess I started, before it gets worse."
I hum, before stating, "I'm hearing a lot of should, not a lot of need to ya know?"
"I…I know." She grumbles, "I don't want you to go. In fact, I really should ground you. Make you stay here with me for a while!" She threatens with this adorable little angry pout.
I couldn't help the coy little chuckle I let out in response, before following up and adding, "You know, I'm not a kid, you technically can't-"
Ama holds up a finger to cut me off, interjecting with, "Well, actually, the legal age in Japan is technically 20, Nori. So, technically…yes, yes I can." She finishes with a smirk.
I blink, several times at that.
The legal adult age in Japan is twenty!? Since fucking when?!
Oh well, I have a counter to this!
I look her back, dead in the eye, "The legal age of consent in Japan is also 13."
That promptly caused her to flinch so hard she nearly fell off me and the chair, "W-What!? Nori! What does that have to do with anything!?"
"I'm just saying," I continue, "we probably shouldn't take the legal age of such things so seriously, ya know?"
Ama clicked her tongue at that, before slowly relenting, "Mmmm-Okay! Fine! I won't ground you, then, but I-"
This time, it was my turn to interrupt her, by booping her on the nose so suddenly, she perked up and went cross-eyed for a second trying to catch sight of it.
"I know," I smile at her, "I'll come back to visit soon, and I'll stay for a little while. Might as well. Been a bit curious to finally meet my half-siblings, anyhow."
Although, speaking of them, shouldn't they be around right now? Or did they cut and run once Ama here started getting a little… fire-breathy.
"So, we'll take care of two birds with one stone. How's that sound?" I raise an eyebrow at her and finish by asking.
Ama just stares for a second, before abruptly reaching up and grabbing my cheeks with both her hands!
Her stare becomes intense, drilling into my eyes as she asks, "...you promise?"
I nod, resolutely, "Yeah, I promise."
Another second of more intense staring that borders on becoming awkward follow, before she just as abruptly as this started, lets go of my cheeks, and nods, pleased.
"Good!" She exclaims, and beams a smile right back, one that was much stronger compared to before.
Can't say whether or not I'm looking forward to seeing more of this place, but I suppose time will tell there.
Oh, right, another thing!
"You know, I wouldn't mind staying around now," I start up again, adding, "but I got something else I promised to do first. Which has to do with partly why I originally came up here."
Ama tilts her head at me, "Oh? Partly?"
I nod, "Yup. One, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't start an inter-pantheon incident or something going to Asgard."
At that, Ama gave me a long, long blink.
"...Why do you want to go to Asgard, Nori?"
Oi. Why does she sound like she's accusing me of something already?
In response, I answer as simply as I can.
"It's for a girl."
"...A girl."
"Mhmm!"
Slowly, her face morphs to give me the most blank of all stares.
My face remains unchanged, still smiling straight at her.
It doesn't take her long before she gives it up, and sighs, "Okay, yeah, you can go to Asgard without incident, just showing up should be fine, if a little weird, we haven't started doing the big stuff we wanted to do together yet, but, visiting? Should be fine."
Nice!
Then Ama started pouting again, puffing out her cheeks, and grumbling, "Can't believe it, my son forgets to tell me about something like…that, but has enough foresight for doing something like this? Hmph!"
…You know what? That's fair.
"Yeah, yeah," I chuckle out, "I know. What can I say? My brain works in mysterious ways."
"You mean your brain works more like Uzu's, and every day I regret letting her near you more and more." She 'corrects' with the flattest deaf tone I think I've ever heard from her.
Not going to lie, that felt like a sucker punch straight to the gut.
But you know what? It's fine, I'll let her have that one. She deserves that at least.
I click my tongue, and change the subject back, "Anyhow, the other part of why I originally came up here?" Ama gives me an unimpressed look, clearly expecting something stupid.
"I got the Kusanagi back from the Church."
Which is why I made sure to memorize every detail of her face as the whiplash of what I said hit her all at once.
"...Wait what?" She asked, slack-jawed, eyes wide, looking at me in pure disbelief.
I did leave that bit out of my explanation of events and plan earlier, wanting that to be its own separate thing.
I nodded a couple of times, "Yup. Though to be more precise, they gave it back. Left it in a box next to me while I was out."
"...Y-You're sure?" She asks, quickly, almost a touch apprehensive or afraid, "You're positive it was the right sword?"
I nod once more, my smile growing, "I recognized the Holy Spirit Power in the core almost immediately. It's one of the treasures, the real deal."
For a precious few seconds, Ama just stares at me, like she's trying to parse out that what I'm saying is true, that there is no joke, no punchline, no gag here.
When she doesn't see any, because I'm not joking of course, her face slowly breaks out in a grin. A very wide grin.
"Heeheehee…" It starts as a low chuckle, and her entire body begins shuddering as if she's trying to contain whatever's coming.
It doesn't take long at all for her to fail at doing that though.
"Heehaa, hahaha! HAH!" Her chuckle turns into a full-on wheezing belly laugh, straight into my chest, as she clings to my robe for dear life.
I can't say I saw this reaction coming exactly, but it's still pretty good, so I'll take it!
"They got scammed! SCAMMED! Haaah!" Ama starts ranting in between fits of giggling, "That's what they deserve too! Gosh, I almost wish they would find out just how bad they got it! Just so I can watch their seething faces! Heeheeee!"
Hmm, she's not stopping. That's probably not good, is it?
Ah, well, I let her have this…feels like this moment has been a long time coming from her, so I'll just let her be.
Better a cackling giggling mess over a crying breakdown, anyway.
Internally though, I let out a light sigh of relief.
It was a little awkward at first, but I think I ended up going well, ultimately. Not the worst kind of drama I've had to deal with.
However, I suspect meeting the full extended family is going to be a slightly…different affair.
I hope not, but somehow, I doubt I'm that lucky.
In any event, I'll stay with Ama here for a little while longer, then head on back.
Normally, I'd be planning for my time with Rose, but frankly, I have no way of doing that since I don't know anything about Asgard in the first place.
The idea remains the same though.
I want to try and give Rose what she missed out on in Asgard, so surely she's gotta know of some places couples do stuff around there.
…If not, if she was that isolated, then I suppose we'll have to wing it!
Either way though, I can't wait!
~ A New Sun ~
Chapter 84 End
A little later then I would have liked, but we take these regardless! Also, the whole chapter's dedicated to Ama, ye. Originally, Nori was gonna leave and we were gonna start with Rose going to Asgard at the end, but the tone whip lash was a bit much like that, so I separated it.
Now, we start next chappy right away with Nori meeting up with Rose, and they can go about their thing unimpeded.
Comments
Karma Wizard
There will be, ya.
ItsDragonking
Pls say theres a chapter today
Duy
thx god since Oedipus complex is overdone in dxd fic
dragonkw213 .
*Puss Cute Cat Face* Pwetty Pwease? Lol.
dragonkw213 .
*Sad Noises* Aw
Karma Wizard
Nah fam, probably not.
dragonkw213 .
Also kinda wondering are we in for some Nori/Ama 'Bonding/Action' in the future or no not it the cards at all?
dragonkw213 .
Very nice chapter as always.
