Despite their less than friendly encounter, they ended up as good comrades, as they shared the same ambition, that was to reach the pinnacle of power. They went on adventures together throughout the spirit realm, endeavoring the harshest of conditions. They went on raids to reduce the number of evil spirits and intrude upon the territories of powerful and intelligent spirits that hid in the caves, deep seas and forests, and mountain ranges, to gain insights.

Reaching their prime, they gained great strengths and met and unite with their respective life companions and leads their own group of subordinates until they took over the position of their household’s heads. Entering a new millennium and a new era, another great clans gathering took place. It was at this time, that the proposition of a Spirit Lord, to oversee the spirit realm of its peace and prosperity as well as protecting those who could not protect themselves, was made.

The heads of all clans at the gathering readily agreed. Who would not want the seat of the ultimate authority and power? And the proposition was to the best of interest to all spirits especially the weaker spirits. To be fair with the election of the Spirit Lord, a tournament was conducted with all clan heads participating. It was assumed and decided at the time, the Spirit Lord had to be the most wised and most powerful, and thus discourage attacks from evil spirits and spirit beasts.

At the time, Amaterasu was without objection the strongest spirit, but proved to be unreliable in terms of his…. intelligence. As the tournament concludes, while Amaterasu won against all clan heads, with Toriyoshi as second place and Vasiliki taking third, all clan heads voted for Toriyoshi for the position as he had both wisdom and strength. Amaterasu and Vasiliki who viewed him as close as real brothers had no qualms about the result despite slightly worried about Toriyoshi’s cunning and merciless side.

As they knew him inside and out, they were convinced that Toriyoshi’s hidden nature would put him as the most fitting Spirit Lord, where his heart would not waver if he were to pass harsh judgement to notorious spirits who deserved it. While his approachable and warm-hearted nature would pull all spirits to naturally attracted to and obey him. He would ensure that both humans and spirits were protected in his reign.

Amaterasu and Vasiliki both believed this. But what went wrong?

Years and years passed. The three conceived their own offspring and went about their ways in life.

They trained their children to become the next heads, and their children contributed to the great cause as great generals with an army of spirit warriors and spirit magicians against an army of evil spirits and spirit beasts.

Once in a while or once in every hundred years, a more intelligent evil spirit would rise and lead an army of evil spirits and spirit beasts to overrun the spirit realm, devouring whatever within their reach. At such times, the great-spirit households would combine their strength and thinned them out. But such battles were not without hardships. While they could reduce the threats of evils spirits and spirit beasts, they also lost a number of their own forces and talents. When the battles were over, cries of grief and mourn would be heard from all spirits and spirit households that lost their family.

It was the survival of the fittest. The spirit beasts and evil spirits hunger for prey in order to evolve into higher rank beings. While free and unaffiliated spirits and spirit households becomes stronger by exploring their spirit essence and their innate power through training, experience, knowledge and meditation, the spirit beasts and the evil spirits devour spirits or each other to evolve.

Such events repeated itself over and over for hundreds and thousands of years. This was the harsh reality of the spirit world.

-to be continued.