Pantheon Protectors

Chapter 1

There stirred a violent storm in the middle of an open plain.
There was no sign of it before, but yet it churned and burst forth like runaway train.

A terrific lightning bolt struck the Earth with such a great might that it nearly parted the ground in two.

But in the midst of this powerful cataclysm was a form.

A being.

The great lightning bolt fractured and chained off across the ground in power. The storm that caused it started to lose its mighty power, but still gave off strong gales.

The storm gave one last hurricane force wind before it vanished, leaving small static bolts and hot steam in its wake.
The being in the middle of this event stumbled and fell to its knees.

"I... I have form again."
It was Raijin, who stared at his hands.
"Wait... what happened again?" He murmured and looked around.
"All I remember is... running."

The kami took in a deep breath and inspected his surroundings.
"Looks like home..." Raijin said as he took it all in, "Did the Primordial really give me another chance?" he asked himself as he walked around.

He spotted a shining glow in the East, and thinking it was the Celestial Palace, the kami started to sprint towards it.

Raijin sped up so fast he nearly outran the source of the light, forcing him to stop suddenly and leave a split in both earth and water.
"Huh? WAH!" he fell into the sea he was momentarily standing on.

The kami resurfaced and took a deep breath, only to see a most horrifying sight.

The light was not caused by the pantheon he had hoped to see, but by a giant... old woman?
Yes, it was a gigantic hag who was wielding Big Dipper in her hands- the cause of the light.

With a mighty shriek she swung the celestial object, striking the shore with such force it sent all the sand sky high.
"I WILL KILL YOU ALL!" the hag cried out and raised the dipper once more.

Raijin started to swim fast enough to gain a footing on the water.
"What is going on?" he asked as he set foot on land.

The kami spotted a flying figure going straight toward the giant's face.

A terrific lightning bolt struck the hag's face and sent her stumbling back in a fit of blind rage.

Raijin turned to see a man sprawled out on the beach in agony.
"Huh?" He ran to the man and saw it was no ordinary mortal.

It was a minor god from the sense of his aura.

"Agh..." he groaned and looked up, "Huh? Who are you?" he clenched his sword.

Raijin walked towards him cautiously.

"I am Raijin, god of thunder, wait, why am I even telling you? You're a god!"

The minor god groaned and stood up.
"What do you mean? I've never heard of you before!" he raised his blade.

"What? But It's-a me! Raijin!" Raijin did an awkward jump.

"You look like a demonkin! You're a monster!" the minor god yelled and swung his weapon.

Raijin caught the blade faster than the minor god's speed of comprehension and sent him down to the ground.

"I'm not against you!" he pleaded with the god.

"Halp! Halp!" The minor god cried out, "A demon-jin has gotten me!"

"Shh! No! Stop!" Raijin shook his head, "Listen to me, dude! Stahp!" he noticed the god had attracted attention.
"Oh no no no!" the kami murmured as two minor gods had noticed him, "Uh... Gotta go!" he let go of the man and sped off in between the two newcomers.

"Hi my name is Raijin nice to meet you good bye." he quickly shook their hands and ran off.

"What the?"
"Huh?" The two minor gods looked at each other.

Raijin stopped in front of the large hag and inspected the scene.

Giant old woman using celestial weaponry? Check.
The Big Dipper about to swing down and possibly send him straight to Yomi? Check.

Wait what.

Raijin yelped and sped away from the dipper before it struck
"Woah there, I said woah!" he looked up at the hag and heard something land nearby.

"If you are not going to help, get away!" a very familiar voice spoke.

There, in a smokey crater, was one of the most powerful gods Raijin knew.

Susano.

A lightning bolt struck the god when he raised his massive blade.

"What are you doing here, brat!? Get out-" Susano paused when he turned to see Raijin, "Ah! Another oni-jin!" he growled and raised his blade.
"Two against one? So be it..."

"Susano! Wait!" Raijin shook his head, "It's me, Raijin!"

Susano spat on the ground, which caused a rock to explode.
"I know not who you are, other than a filthy demon!" he roared and raised his blade.

Raijin gasped, then noticed Susano get darker.

He sped up to the point where Susano slowed down and looked up to see the giant about to stomp on him.

"No no!" Raijin rapidly grabbed Susano and sped off to a spot behind the giant hag.

Susano gasped when he saw he was in another place.
"What the!?"

The giant hag stepped down and felt nothing.
"Huh!?" she yelled and looked around.

Susano looked to Raijin, who was breathing heavily.
"What did you do to me, Oni-" he paused when he felt something expel from the kami.

"What is this? You... have a divine aura..." he murmured as he further inspected Raijin.

Raijin put his thumb up.
"I sense the same thing in you, Susano! Though... That's all I remember of you... your name..." he sighed and rubbed his chin.

"Who are you to know my name?" Susano asked him, then turned to face the giant.

"Enough! I will interrogate you later. For now, I must get rid of this pest!"

The storm god clenched his blade and jumped up to drive it into the old hag's left calf.

The giant shrieked and waved the Big Dipper around violently.
"YEEEEE! AHH!" she glared at Susano and swung her weapon.

Raijin sped up and grabbed Susano before the giant struck him.
"Hah!" He yelled and set Susano down in front of the giant.

Susano looked around in shock and once again turned to Raijin.
"How are you doing that?!" He asked the kami, who was catching his breath.

Raijin let out a short laugh.
"I do not know, to be honest..." he responded as he stretched his legs, "All I remember is running."

The storm god looked at the kami.
"Well... Keep it up." He said curtly.

The Giant Hag stomped the ground angrily and swung her weapon.

"I got this." Susano smirked and clenched his giant blade, "No constellation will bring me down!" he roared and stopped the Dipper with his weapon.

A shockwave shot out when the two objects collided.

Susano gave out a groan.
"BEHOLD MY POWER!"

A lightning bolt fell down from the sky and struck him, endowing the god with a power that allowed him to overpower the giant.

"WAHH!" The hag screamed as the small god started to lift her weapon.

"Do it now, Amaterasu!" Susano yelled.

Lo and behold, a shining streak of light shot across the sky and caused a massive explosion to strike the giant hag's chest.

Raijin stood in awe as the giant gave one last shriek before she collapsed and died.
"What-" he paused as the shining light descended and touched down in front of him.

It was one of the few faces still deeply ingrained in what was left of his memory.

Amaterasu, The Shining Light.

In her hand was her Katana and she was glowing so vibrantly that the kami almost forgot it was nighttime.

"Brother, you should have waited for me to arrive." The goddess spoke as she turned to face Susano, "We could have brought her down faster, together."

"Yeah, well I wanted to have a nice warmup." Susano cracked his neck and looked at Amaterasu, "You did a good job." He walked up to her.

"Susano!" Amaterasu pointed at Raijin, "What's that!?" she held her Katana.

Susano turned around to face the kami.
"Still trying to answer that question myself," He rubbed his chin, "He's not an Oni-jin, since I can sense a Divine Aura coming out of him... but I have never seen this god before in my life."

"Could father have made him?" Amaterasu asked as she inspected Raijin.

"Doubt it, we would have known." Susano responded, "And I doubt that a pair of minor gods made him too, since he is more powerful than any minor god..."

"Who are you and what is your business here?" Amaterasu looked at Raijin, "Are you with us or against us?"

Raijin gulped.
"I am Raijin! God of Thunder!" He spoke, "I remember you two, and the palace, and Izanami and Izanagi... but that's around all I know..."

"He knows father?" Amaterasu looked at Susano, "Could he be compromised?"

"So you say you don't remember all of your life?" Susano asked the kami, "Yet you know us, our father and mother, and the pantheon..."

"He looks like a demon..." Amaterasu murmured, "Do you think The Fiend could have made a demon that mimics a god?"

"No, I doubt he has the power to." Susano said, "Even the old man gets a strain from making a minor god, imagine someone of his caliber. Plus, he did help me fight the hag."

"What?" Amaterasu turned to face her brother.

"Yep!" Raijin nodded, "I used the only thing I know how to do... Running."

He gave out a deep sigh, "That's all I remember I did... Run."

"Everyone can run, what's so special about you?" Susano crossed his arms.

In the blink of an eye, his hat was gone and on Raijin's head.

"W-What?"

"Ah..." Amaterasu gasped as the kami twirled the hat, "How..."

"What, you didn't see that?" Raijin chuckled and put the hat back on.
"I told you, I can run."

"A speed so fast I could not comprehend it." Susano murmured and grabbed Amaterasu's hand, "If he is who he says he is, I do not think we should pass up this opportunity. We need all the help we can to protect our realm."

Amaterasu sighed.
"Shall we take him to father, perhaps he can tell us who this is..." She looked up at him.

"You!" Susano pointed at Raijin, "You will come with us to the palace!"

Raijin stumbled when he saw the god's fierce face.
"O-O-Ok!" he gulped and walked up to Susano.

"And don't you get any ideas of running away," Susano grunted and started walking away.

Amaterasu gave one last look back and followed her brother.

Raijin nodded and followed them away.