Kushinadahime heard what Amaterasu said. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she still smiled indifferently.
The will of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto is not a secret among the gods.
Previously, Omoikane was still in this space of wills, where he had a battle of wills with Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto herself.
Omoikane was known for his strong willpower, and with the added advantage of the Tsukuyomi Space, he didn't believe he could lose to Amaterasu in this contest of wills.
Omoikane a wave of his hand, five stone pillars, each several meters tall, appeared around him. Long iron chains were attached to the pillars, extending to pull Amaterasu's limbs up.
"Do you know, Amaterasu? When I faced Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, I suffered torment in this space for a whole month."
Of course, he eventually lost to me and became my servant.
And now, his abilities have become my abilities as well.
So I also want Amaterasu to experience what it's like to be pierced by a thousand arrows.
As soon as she finished speaking, the mist in the space suddenly condensed.
Countless slender silver needles shot out from the mist, piercing Amaterasu's limbs and torso like a torrential rain.
The silver needles pierced her body and then emerged. Amaterasu's limbs were bound by iron chains, rendering her unable to move.
The silver needle pierced through her shoulder, through her side, and out through her back. But she didn't cry out.
She didn't even frown. She just looked down, watching the silver needles pass through her body, as if looking at something she was used to seeing.
Kushinadahime frowned, then waved her hand again. The silver needles disappeared.
Instead, a huge saw appeared. The saw fell from above and began sawing at Amaterasu's left arm. The saw teeth grazed the bone, making a piercing sound.
Amaterasu's left arm was slowly sawed open from the shoulder, but there was no bleeding from the cut.
Amaterasu merely frowned slightly.
"So, this is your method?"
Kushinadahime remained silent; her Mangekyō spun, its patterns shattering and reforming. She increased the intensity of her movements.
The saw increased its speed and force. Amaterasu's left arm was completely severed, the severed limb falling into the grayish-white mist and vanishing into nothingness.
Then the right arm. Then the left leg, then the right leg.
Amaterasu remained silent; her brows furrowed even more, but her expression seemed more one of impatience than pain.
Kushinadahime stopped. She stared at Amaterasu's face, trying to find a trace of pain on it.
No, not at all!
Amaterasu raised her head and looked at her.
A slow, mocking smile crept onto her lips.
You think this torture will do me any good?
My flames are nothing but the burning of all things.
Compared to the abilities of other gods, it has nothing particularly special about it.
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto can pull a person into the realm of will, instantly rendering gods powerless.
You Omoikane the ability to control people's minds and rewrite the will of others.
Which of your abilities isn't more unique than my Black Flame?
But why was I able to become the lord of Takamagahara?
Kushinadahime did not answer.
"Because my abilities are not special," Amaterasu. "I do not possess Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto's will space, nor your Kotoamatsukami, nor Takemikazuchi-no-Kami's lightning, nor Susanoo's massive armor."
I only have fire, a special kind of flame.
Therefore, the only solution is to continue focusing on intensity. Only by delving deeper and perfecting it to its ultimate level can we succeed!
Train it until you can possess black flames, yet you are forced to call me the sun!
Her left arm grew back. It grew little by little from the broken end, like a branch sprouting from a tree trunk.
Amaterasu stretched her new arm and continued.
"After I became a god, no one taught me."
I have no one to ask for advice. I can only practice on my own.
When no one is around, I burn my body with black flames.
He was burning up until he passed out, burning up until he was almost dead.
Once they recovered, they would start burning again. Day after day, year after year.
"For every year I've been the lord of Takamagahara, I've tormented myself for just as many years."
Kushinadahime's expression changed; it was the first time she had ever shown such a change.
"So in this space, you can only torment me for a month, which is nothing more than something I do every day."
My God of Wisdom, then, display your wisdom and give your methods of torture a new twist.
I'm not done yet!
Kushinadahime gritted her teeth and waved her hand again. This time, more stone pillars and more iron chains appeared in the space.
Amaterasu was pulled into the air, her limbs pulled in four directions by four iron chains.
Her body was stretched into a straight line. Then, Kushinadajihime summoned more silver needles, more saws, and more flames.
She threw everything at Amaterasu: silver needles, saws, flames, stone spikes—everything she could find.
Amaterasu's body was constantly torn apart, burned, and cut up in space.
But Amaterasu didn't call out. She didn't even frown.
Is there anything else?
Kushinadahime stopped.
She was panting, Mangekyō in her eyes trembled slightly.
Her will was being depleted, the Tsukuyomi Space needed to be maintained, and Amaterasu's will needed to be suppressed.
But Amaterasu's will was much stronger than she had imagined, and all her methods seemed to have no effect on Amaterasu.
"You think you've won?" Kushinadahime asked.
"I have already won," Amaterasu. "You dragged me in here hoping to defeat me with your willpower. But my willpower is stronger than yours. The longer you stay here, the harder it will be to maintain this space. Your Mangekyō won't last much longer."
Kushinadahime stared at her. Then she smiled. It was a very light, faint smile.
"You're right," Kushinadahime said, "I can't hold out for long. But I didn't intend to win against you here either."
The Tsukuyomi Space shattered, and the grayish-white mist broke apart like a mirror, revealing the rift valley outside.
Kushinadahime's body was still in mid-air.
She had just leaped out of the trough and was falling downwards.
Amaterasu stood at the bottom of the rift valley, looking up at her.
She didn't act immediately; instead, she stood on the ground, which had been scorched into a glazed glaze by the black flames, and looked up at the falling Kushinadahime.
Her expression was calm.
Everything that happened in the Tsukuyomi Space just now seemed to her to have happened in the blink of an eye.
Kushinadahime landed, her feet making a crisp sound as they touched the glazed tile floor.
Her Mangekyō was still spinning, but blood was already seeping from the corner of her eye.
Tears streamed down Kushinadahime's cheeks.
Intense pain filled Kushinadahime's mind, and her vision seemed to blur for a moment.
Is it the curse of the Mangekyō?
Kushinadahime shook herself, trying to clear her mind.
Black flames rose from beneath her feet, like a black wave, surging towards Kushinadahime.
Kushinadahime dodged to the side, the black flames grazing her shoulder and burning through the stone wall behind her.
The black flames, like ocean waves, seemed to be spreading across the entire world.
The scorching heat forced Kushinadahime to constantly dodge.
It's so hot, I can't stay in this place any longer.
Tsukuyomi Space failed to eliminate Amaterasu's fighting power, Kushinadahime was already considering retreating.
He gave Amaterasu a long look, standing amidst the black flames, her eyes filled with Amaterasu.
Kushinadahime, no longer lingering, leaped away and swiftly escaped the battlefield.
Amaterasu watched Kushinadahime's departing figure without giving chase.
After a long while, Amaterasu sighed softly, her eyes filled with sadness.
"I'm sorry, Kukurihime-no-Kami."