The room was abuzz with voices as everyone turned their attention to Lady Kimiko, who had just entered. Her presence, marked by the graceful sway of her nine tails and her calm, yet concerned demeanor, commanded respect.
“Lady Kimiko,” Lily greeted, relieved to see her recovery but also sensing the gravity of the situation as Kimiko gazed at the rain with a troubled expression.
Lily couldn’t resist following Kimiko’s gaze to the relentless downpour. “Lady Kimiko, do you know the cause of this unending heavy rain?”
Kimiko reflected on her vast experience. “In all my years, I’ve seldom seen such intense rain. It’s reminiscent of a time long ago when I was much younger, a time of great floods similar to this.”
The revelation that such an event had only occurred once in Kimiko’s long life astounded everyone.
Kimiko continued, “It was a dark era. The gods roamed the earth, celestial maidens descended to fight monsters, and demons freely emerged from Yomi. Humanity struggled to survive amid such chaos.”
“It’s been far too long… a memory from thousands of years ago, one that I can only recall in fragments,” Kimiko said pensively. “All I remember clearly is that this overwhelming deluge was brought about by a fearsome demon named Yamata no Orochi.”
“Yamata no Orochi?” echoed through the room, as surprise and concern flashed in the eyes of all the sisters and martial ministers present. Even Abe no Seimei, usually unflappable, showed a flicker of reaction.
The legend of the formidable Yamata no Orochi was steeped in antiquity, akin to the creation myths chronicled in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, where deities like Izanagi and Izanami
A more appropriate comparison within Japanese mythology to the legend of Yamata no Orochi would be the creation myths found in the Kojiki or Nihon Shoki, ancient chronicles which detail the origins of the Japanese islands and the deities within the Shinto belief system.
For instance, the story of Izanagi and Izanami, the divine couple who, according to legend, created the Japanese archipelago, would be a fitting parallel. These creation tales hold a similar legendary and foundational status in Japanese mythology as the stories of Pangu and Nuwa do in Chinese mythology. They are deeply ingrained in the cultural heritage and provide a backdrop for many other myths and legends, including that of Yamata no Orochi.">1