Death will not be kind to you. [B-rank exam]

Era. The woman had been here several times in the last three months but what was the deal this time? Well, she was requested by this guild known as the Hidden Blades to eliminate a person of interest. It only took a moment to read through everything considering her outstanding memorization capabilities, so she dropped the envelope off and left rather quickly. A man by the name of Arthur Therin, who was a candidate for the Magic Council, was the target. This information was provided via a folder with a small packet of documents regarding his home, his frequented places, his work space and the magic he wielded. In her meeting with the Guild's leader, Amaterasu was given a jet black full-body suit which she was to wear when on tasks for the Hidden Blades. Humans were so needlessly careful about such things.

Regardless, the woman made her way to the home of Therin by crossing from roof to roof, thereby remaining discreet. For Void, the small details such as him having a partner did not matter much, if at all, to her. If it was necessary, she would eliminate everyone within the home without a second thought. Meanwhile, this uniform was extremely tight-fitting around the chest and legs. Perhaps it was intentional so that the suit would eventually feel like a second layer of skin... but unfortunately it was quite uncomfortable. She supposed though that on a good note, her body looked super sexy. Having a human form certainly had its perks in hindsight.

'Mmm... how shall we go about this? I want to enjoy it but I was requested to not attract attention.'

The Goddess sighed while Kusanagi responded to the query.

'Instead of focusing on killing this human, I believe you should be more intent on regaining the power you'd lost since being banished.'

'You make a reasonable point. I do have a goal to achieve after all. I suppose I should actually concentrate here if I want to continue toward that end then.'[/i]

Her companion mentally nodded and released some of its ethernano. At that moment, Amaterasu understood what she needed to do here. Kusanagi was a vital component in regaining her divinity, which meant she had to use it in order to evolve herself; she also had the perfect guinea pig just nearby. Remembering the documentation, Void took a little bit of interest in the target's magic, which was uncommon. Prayer magic. From information gathered, prayer magic was similar to summoning except it worked solely with deities and it was almost entirely random. The remaining determining factor was dependence on what deity was closest to him, whether it was physical closeness or spiritual. This magic granted him the power to control whatever that divine being could. There were also records though of failures, where the summoned deity didn't wish to help and thus left immediately. Clearly this human boy was full of himself, to think a God would always assist him in his times of need.

'Mmm, I see now. I can take advantage of that magic of his for my own benefit and kill him at the same time. Besides. A human cannot be trusted with that sort of power.'

'Agreed, my Queen. I will bring him out for you.'

Amaterasu nodded and then Kusanagi assumed a human form, which was that of an adolescent boy. He ran off immediately in search of Arthur Therin, who around this time would be returning home from a short day at work. Being close enough to said home, Void was able to tell that no one else was there, meaning his lover must have been working late on this day. Turned out this day was perfect all around. A short few minutes later, her companion returned with a man in tow whom matched those photographs in the documentation. At least he wasn't terrible-looking. Therin spoke calmly after a short sigh.

"This young man told me his mother wanted to have a word with me about something but I didn't expect to find someone clad in black armour from head to toe."

"Well, I suppose my son is correct. I do have something to talk to you about. In particular, it's about your magic. I heard that you could summon a God."

"Ah, I didn't realize I was so popular. I guess that's what happens when you become a candidate for the Magic Council. It's true that I can but it isn't as great as it sounds."

The woman cocked her head to the side since her face was entirely covered and Therin elaborated a bit more, though she already knew what he was going to say most likely.

"Unfortunately they don't always do what I ask of them, regardless of how much I plead. When it does fully work though, I've been able to help many people. I like to think it was a gift for my desire to care for my fellow citizens."

"Mmm... I see. The reason I had my son find you was because I have a request. If I'm right, then you'll be very... very surprised. How about it? Would you try your magic right now for me?"

"A-Ah, well I guess I could but it's a bit dangerous. I'd highly recommend you get some distance away. I'm not entirely sure what this is about but there shouldn't be any harm."

Humans. This was one of their famous flaws: gullibility. Void nodded and ran several meters in the opposite direction of their position. If the files were correct, the deity would appear more or less directly in front of Therin which would mean he would find out her identity. However that also meant something else... her existence would be acknowledged and would at that point regain another portion of her divinity. She turned to look at the man who cupped his hands in front of his chest as though he were in prayer and light started to gather around him. It was then that Amaterasu felt intense heat rise from deep within herself; her raven black wings consisting of hardened black flames spewed forth from her back and then her entire being was transported directly in front of Therin, as she hypothesized. The woman's black suit was still intact but now her eyes glowed straight through the black mask while peering down an the man whose eyes were still closed. When his eyes opened, he looked up and then fell to the ground in shock.

"I-I-I-Impossible... you're a-"

"A God? Yes, boy. I am Ōhirume Amaterasu."

It was only thanks to this armour that her divine presence did not leak out into the city. Perhaps on a special occasion, she would take a little time to thank the creator of this uniform. Void let her feet touch the ground directly in front of Arthur then, while Kusanagi lifted him up from behind to his feet.

"Death will not be kind to you for acknowledging me, Arthur Therin, but know this: I thank you for returning my existence to me. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, unlike most humans I have walked among for these past millennia."

Ōhirume wrapped her arms tightly around Arthur's torso and then her wings proceeded to consume them both in flame and light. The Goddess kissed him on the forehead then before those flames vaporized his entire being, including clothes and shoes. At the same time, for the very first time since being banished to the mortal realm, Amaterasu shed tears for a human. She had realized in that moment... what the other Gods had done was not just banish her... but they also sealed away her divinity, and her emotions, and her sense of self. As her wings began to disperse into nothingness, tears dried swiftly with the lingering heat and then... silence. Her being returned to that bottomless, deep calm; she took a breath. Kusanagi returned to his original form and moved into Void's left hand. With not a single shred of remains to collect, she walked off toward the hidden guild.

'Lets return to that place, shall we? He will want to know Arthur's gone.'

'Yes, my Queen.'