KAMIYO Episode 13: Tsunoguhi-no-Kami — Green Vitality

Prologue: That Which Breaks the Beautiful Silence

Through the tuning of Uhijini and Suhijini, the world appeared to be complete.

Smooth sand spread over solid bedrock, shining golden in the setting sun.

It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight, as if the contents of a jewelry box had been spilled out.

However, something decisive was missing.

"Movement."

Apart from the wind caressing the sand, nothing moved. There were no breathing creatures, nothing growing.

That silence, too beautiful for its own good, harbored a coldness akin to a kind of "death."

Thump...

As if to break that perfect silence, a strange sound echoed from deep underground.

It was not the rumbling of magma, but a fresher, hotter heartbeat.

Thump, Thump!

Suddenly, the sandy earth heaved.

From within a fissure, a brilliant green light erupted.

The light spiraled upward toward the heavens, and from within its radiance, a single god burst forth with great force.

Chapter 1: The Roar of Tsunoguhi

The Fourth Generation of the Kamiyo-nanayo (The Seven Divine Generations).

His name is Tsunoguhi-no-Kami.

His form was that of a muscular, wild young god.

The clothes he wore seemed roughly woven from plant fibers, and on his forehead was a single small horn, symbolizing a "sprout" breaking through hard soil.

Uncontrollable energy of life rose from his entire body like steam.

As soon as he landed, he glared at the silent earth and raised his voice from the bottom of his stomach.

"It is too quiet! This looks like a display case in a museum!"

His voice echoed like an alarm clock waking a sleeping world.

"I am Tsunoguhi! The silence that is merely beautiful ends now. O Earth, do not sleep! Remember the heat of life hidden within you!"

To a world that was perfect but static, a male god bringing the dynamic concept of "Growth" had now awakened.

Chapter 2: The Call to Sprout

Tsunoguhi knelt on the ground and pressed both palms against the sand.

He did not whisper gently, "Grow."

Veins popped on his arms as he forcibly poured the energy of his own soul into the earth.

It was not the affection of a mother, but the hot, intense wave of a strict master encouraging a disciple.

"Sleeping seeds, how long do you intend to stay shut in your shells! It is time to awaken!"

The god's wave permeated deep underground.

"Kui" (or Gui) means a stake indicating a boundary, and also signifies the stems and trunks of plants rising from the mud.

With his power as a catalyst, the "possibility of life" sleeping in the soil underwent a chemical reaction.

The sand shook slightly, and small cracks appeared.

From there, timidly, vivid green cotyledons peeked out.

It was the birth of the first "Plants" in the world.

The god grinned and pointed at the sprouts.

"Yes! It does not matter if you are small. Step by step, push towards the sky! Show the spirit to grasp the sun!"

Chapter 3: The Explosion of Life (Big Bang)

Signaling the appearance of the first sprouts, Tsunoguhi stood up and thrust his fist powerfully toward the sky.

"Grow! High, and strong! Your green is the new singing voice of this world!"

At that moment, a chain reaction explosion occurred to the ends of the horizon.

Pop, pop, pop!

With audible sounds, countless sprouts burst forth to the surface all at once.

Moss covered the rocks, grass crawled over the sand, and saplings of trees stretched toward the sky as if competing with one another.

It was a dramatic change, like watching a time-lapse video.

The world, which had been only brown and gold, was painted over in vivid green in the blink of an eye.

The static landscape had begun to move through the energy of life.

Chapter 4: The Trial of the Storm, and the Father's Severity

However, newborn life is soft and fragile.

The atmosphere, disliking change, attacked again as a fierce storm.

Gusts raged, trying to mow down the young stems. Leaves were torn off, and trunks bent like bows.

"O God, save us!"

It looked as if the plants were screaming.

However, Tsunoguhi did not lend a hand.

He crossed his arms and stood like a Deva king in the storm, looking down at the desperate saplings with a fearless smile.

"Do not depend on me! If you break in a wind of this level, you have no right to grow in the first place!"

That attitude, appearing heartless, was the severity of one who knows true strength.

"So it comes, the trial! Blow as you wish. Do not fear, young lives. True strength grows not in a greenhouse, but in the storm!"

Chapter 5: Unyielding Green, The Will to Live

After the storm passed, the world had transformed completely.

Weak sprouts were culled, but the surviving plants had deepened their roots and thickened their stems in the process of enduring the storm.

They were no longer the frail greenery of before. They had evolved into "Trees" with sturdy bark and tough fibers capable of withstanding wind and snow.

Tsunoguhi walked up to a single tree that stood straight despite its wounds and slapped its trunk firmly.

"Magnificent! You endured well!"

In the god's eyes shone the tears of a father rejoicing in his child's growth.

"You who have overcome the trial are the true embodiments of vitality. Those scars are not marks of defeat, but medals of victory."

The greenery that overcame hardship possessed a dignity called "The Will to Live," transcending mere decorative beauty.

That was the essence of the "Vitality" Tsunoguhi wished to bring to this world.

Chapter 6: The Wish for Flowers Yet to Bloom

A green forest stretching as far as the eye could see.

A world overflowing with vitality.

However, Tsunoguhi suddenly stopped his hands and looked around with a hint of dissatisfaction.

There were only thick trunks and lush leaves.

The world had gained strength, but it lacked "Color." "Flowers" did not yet exist.

His role was to "Thrust out and extend (Tsunoguhi)." Raising the stems and building the skeleton was his limit.

"With my power, the stems have grown, and the forest is made. But this alone is too rugged..."

Tsunoguhi gazed at a soft, yellowish-green light flickering deep in the forest, far away.

It was the presence of his counterpart, who would accept his rough energy and sublimate it.

"Ikuguhi. My beloved sister (Imo)."

He looked up at the heavens, his thoughts turning to the next god.

"With your gentleness, please make the flowers of life bloom in this green. Give a beautiful future to the tips of these rigid stems."

The stems serving as the foundation have grown.

With the arrival of the next goddess, powerful life would finally face the time of "Flowering."