User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater ∂: Those Who Change History, chapter 7

''Far beneath the surface of the earth, far, far deeper even than the deepest caverns, there is a certain chamber. At the edges of this chamber are eight arches supporting an eight-sided wall. Beneath these arches, eight jars rest, crumbled to pieces. What could once be found within these jars, no one can be certain, but this is not what is important.''

''At the center of this chamber sleeps a being of great power. Formerly a majestic creature with eight heads capable of bring divinities to heel, what rests here now is a mere three-headed beast of golden and black fur, four powerful legs curled around it as it sleeps. ''

''One must wonder for a moment if such a beast dreams. If it does, what does it dream about? Does it perhaps dream of subjugating man and god beneath its manifold heads? Or does it dream, perhaps, about kidnapping fair maidens for sacrifices? Perhaps, even, it dreams about consuming the world’s finest sake, imbibing on the sweet water of the gods themselves.''

But no one can know for certain.

-

Far above the beast’s resting chamber, however, an entirely different matter was transpiring.

News of the Orochi’s presence and impending awakening had reached the ears of Oda Nobunaga’s camp. Now, the lone Kamigui agent in Nobunaga’s employ, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, had gathered Nobunaga and his high-ranking generals around him in utmost secrecy in a small forge at the corner of Kiyosu Castle.

“What I am about to impart to you here,” began Hideyoshi, “must not leave this room. The secrets of the Kamigui are of critical importance and could lead to the downfall of humanity if they fall into the wrong hands. However, in light of the increasing Aragami threat and the increasingly likely possibility of the Orochi’s existence and impending awakening, I feel that there is no other choice than to tell you everything I know."

“Everything you know?” inquired Mitsuhide. “Do you mean…?”

“It is precisely what you think,” came Hideyoshi’s reply. “I am going to instruct you here and now in the process of forging a God Arc, so that all of you might stand with me against the Aragami.”

From behind his seated position, Hideyoshi produced a cloth bag and released its drawstring. “I want all of you here to reach in and grab onto an item in this bag.”

“What exactly is in here?” demanded Nobunaga.

“Aragami body parts I have acquired in my battles against the Aragami,” replied Hideyoshi. “Each of these comes from a different Aragami, each possessing different strengths and individual qualities. Since Oracle Matter, that which makes up an Aragami’s body, possesses a deal of sentience on its own, I wish to find out which Aragami chooses which of you, and forge for you a God Arc therefrom.”

Nobunaga was astounded. “The Oracle Matter is sentient? The Aragami… choose us?”

Steeling themselves, Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, along with the other generals present, reached into the bag and closed their hands around the first thing they touched. Withdrawing their hands, those present laid their claims before them.

“Sir Nobunaga,” Hideyoshi began, “what you have before you is a blade from the arm of an Akai Ryūtei, the Crimson Dragon Emperor. This Aragami possesses qualities not dissimilar to those of the Ryūhi; it is clad in majestic red armor and commands the divine powers of ice. It moves faster than the eye can see and cuts down all in its path with three brutal blades on each arm. I believe it has chosen you because of your boundless ambition which will one day unite the land.”

Hideyoshi subsequently turned to Mitsuhide. “Sir Mitsuhide, what you have before you is the great blade-tail of an Arashi-nushi, the mighty Lord of Storms. This is a four-legged beast with a face of rage, arms that end in all-devouring maws, four mighty legs, a brilliant mane, and a deadly sword tipping its tail, a blade that commands divine lightning. I believe, Sir Mitsuhide, that this part chose you because of your indelible sense of right and justice, which pierces through evil and pursues a new tomorrow for Japan.”

He then turned to Nobunaga’s generals and repeated the process for each of them.

“Incidentally,” Hideyoshi added, “the blade at my side, Kazekiri, is forged from the tails of a Kyūbi, a majestic three-tailed fox Aragami that commands shearing winds and sinister dark energy. It chose me due to my nature as a fleeting cloud, traveling where I please and not being bound by anything. It has served me well over the past year as my right hand.”

“And now,” he continued, “let us begin the forging.”