Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V2 Chapter 24.5

Between Talks “Could it be that the goddess is coming?”

In the divine realm, a place reserved for the gods, which sometimes manifests within the precincts of a shrine or as a temporary space created by a deity, an unexpected scene unfolds. 

On this particular day, within such a divine space, Izanami-no-Mikoto, the grand matriarch of Japanese mythology, makes an appearance clad in an apron, holding a trash bag in hand.

“Amaterasu! Look at the state of this room. I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I’m not saying you need to clean every day, but at least tidy up the trash and vacuum once a week, or air out the futon.”

“Whoa, don’t just barge into my divine realm… Mom.”

Contrary to what one might imagine a divine realm to be, the domain of Amaterasu Omikami, the great goddess, resembled a modest six-tatami room.

It featured a small kitchenette with a gas stove and a table buried under piles of snack bags. The center of the room was occupied by a futon, surrounded by an assortment of pet bottles, liquor bottles, cans, and instant ramen containers – in short, it was a mess.

“If this weren’t a divine realm, it would be crawling with bugs by now. Really, even though it’s a divine realm, it smells? What kind of life are you leading? And, you do bathe, right?”

“…I bathed a year ago.”

“Sigh. I know you used to be so diligent. But once you started to withdraw, you just couldn’t break the habit of seclusion. It’s troubling. Tsukuyomi manages well enough, and even Susanoo has found work, yet here you are.”

“Sorry. But, you know, once you get used to staying in, it’s hard to go out again. Lately, online games have been so much fun, hehehe.”

Chided by Izanami-no-Mikoto, Amaterasu was draped in a worn-out sweatshirt, her hair unkempt and messy. Her facial features might be considered attractive, but the thick-lensed glasses she wore seemed to diminish her beauty by half.

“I’ve discussed this with the old man. We’ve been lenient because you do attend the festivals properly, but there’s a limit.”

“Mom?”

“You’ll be taking on the duties of a land deity.”

“—What?”

“Recently, a land deity passed away, leaving a vacancy. The old man has informed the humans managing that land that you’ll be the successor.”

“…But, I’m the sun deity, you know?”

“A sun deity who secludes herself in the divine realm? I don’t think so! Now, off you go, or I’ll send you flying! Hurry up, pack up your video games.”

With that, Izanami-no-Mikoto briskly started cleaning up the divine realm. 

Amaterasu, unable to defy her mother, reluctantly complied. She saved her game, turned off the console, and tidied up her space, including shelving her books and storing away the TV.

“Alright, if you’re ready, then go!”

“Y-yeah.”

As Amaterasu hurried out of the divine realm, Izanami-no-Mikoto sighed heavily.

“Always eating instant noodles and never learning to cook. Kushinada-Hime is such a capable child in comparison.”

While grumbling and cleaning, Izanami-no-Mikoto suddenly remembered.

“Shoot. I let her go in those shabby sweats. But then again, she’s also a goddess. She’ll surely change into something appropriate when greeting the Minazuki family.”

Indeed, Amaterasu would descend upon the Minazuki household in her sweatshirt, but that story is for another time. 

Thus began Amaterasu Omikami’s tenure as a land deity.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

This is a tale from not so long ago. 

Thus, Amaterasu made her way to the Minazuki family, where a fateful encounter awaited her.