Little Pink Starfish

The Ever-Burning Mother recalled an old memory.

Let’s create a world.

On this tiny island.

Pointing to the tiny piece of land from high up in the sky.

Izanagi, who is now gone, suggested.

<For what purpose?>

The Ever-Burning Mother, burying her body among the clouds, asked. Her pale pink lips curved with curiosity. What use was there in creating a world on such a small piece of land? No, why is a world created in the first place? With such thoughts, the Ever-Burning Mother watched her partner’s expression.

It can become great.

Like the Savior Who Is One and All.

Must a god necessarily become great?

The Ever-Burning Mother pursed her lips and turned away, gazing at the far end of the sky. There stood the Savior Who Is One and All. A being whose true form even the dignified constellations could not witness. It is told that the supreme being, called the One God, created the world at some point.

Did he… create the world to become great?

The Ever-Burning Mother thought she didn’t know.

She believed all she knew was her partner’s genuine heart, smiling gently.

<You want to become a father.>

Sweeping aside her jet-black hair, the Ever-Burning Mother whispered to Izanagi.

Izanagi merely gazed silently at the Ever-Burning Mother, offering no answer. But sincerity could be read even without words. And so, the Ever-Burning Mother decided to follow Izanagi’s will.

They created a world.

On the tiny island.

An island once isolated and empty was filled with existence.

They pondered over the forms of animals and guided human lives in the right direction.

Before long, they realized even this land, so tiny compared to the vast world, was too much for the two dream-soaked constellations to govern.

And so they created gods.

They gave birth to gods. Gave birth, and gave birth again, and in the process, burned away.

<It is a common occurrence.>

The Ten Kings Who Rule the Underworld diagnosed the Ever-Burning Mother, who reached the underworld.

<As the number of constellations increases, so too do the deaths of constellations. From our perspective, this is a frequent occurrence.>

<Please rest here for now, humble though it may be.>

<Even if you choose to remain in the underworld, it is not our place to interfere. Many constellations have taken up places here.>

<One thing, please remember.>

<Do not consume the food of the underworld. Consuming the produce here means you consent to become part of the underworld.>

The Ten Constellations sat on their respective thrones, looking down at the Ever-Burning Mother.

Her appearance was beyond wretched. All her hair was burnt and tangled, her skin peeled away revealing grotesque emptiness. Twisting worms squeezed through the gaps, perhaps multiplying by feeding on the birth of gods. Her once radiant body was soaked in vomit and waste. All likely due to the pain of childbirth.

<First of all…>

The Ten Kings Who Rule the Underworld voiced their concern together.

<You need rest.>

The Ever-Burning Mother, her eyes unfocused from pain, looked around.

‘I’m sleepy.’

What remained inside the Ever-Burning Mother, crushed by pain, were only the most primal desires.

‘I’m hungry.’

She never expected Izanagi to come. Even if he did, she thought they could not return together. She didn’t want to show her grotesquely twisted appearance.

And so she fell asleep.

Twisted and deformed, she fell asleep amidst corpses that reached the underworld, among the regrets they failed to wash away before death.

And so she ate.

Having become a gluttonous beast, she tore apart and devoured everything with bared teeth, feeding on the creatures turned into hungry ghosts for their sins.

It’s alright. Let’s go back.

Izanagi spoke upon reaching the underworld.

The underworld was so dark. Because of that, she could not see the expression of Izanagi as he smiled while speaking. Had she faced him from the heavens, she could have sensed his true heart easily, but the underworld’s darkness concealed Izanagi’s inner thoughts.

Thus, the Ever-Burning Mother did not realize.

What is this foul smell?

Why does my partner’s voice sound so grotesque?

I want to see. I want to feel reassured.

Unaware of the hesitation filling Izanagi’s heart, the Ever-Burning Mother finally nodded.

<However, your body already belongs to the underworld.>

<This means… until you receive vitality on the surface, you will remain in a dead state.>

<Tell your partner. Never look back.> <Your partner is a creator god.> <Creator gods avoid gazing into death.>

<…Because they do not know the fear of death.>

The Ten Kings Who Rule the Underworld warned the Ever-Burning Mother.

What nonsense.

How absurd.

Death can be reversed so easily.

After delivering the Ten Kings’ warning, Izanagi smiled innocently and headed toward the world.

And she was abandoned.

<Are you afraid of me?>

Chasing Izanagi, who was fleeing to the surface, the Ever-Burning Mother asked.

<Am I filthy to you?>

Izanagi did not answer the Ever-Burning Mother’s question.

<Are you running away from me, who died giving birth to your child?>

The gate to the underworld was shut by Izanagi.

<…If that is your will.>

I will kill a thousand people a day.

I will bring everything you love to my side.

They are my children. Every one of them was born from my body.

So I will take them from you. If you leave me here alone, I will leave you alone in the world we created.

I don’t care.

None of my children would want something like you.

They will all run away from you.

You will be worshiped as a creator god and underworld god.

Even though every child was born through you, they will spend their whole lives fleeing from the death that is you.

The cold reply echoed from beyond the underworld.

The Ever-Burning Mother burned alone, shedding tears of blood.

Because she already knew.

Just as her beloved partner ran away, everything she had given birth to would spend their lives fleeing from the death called the Ever-Burning Mother.

---

<…You will die.>

Pushing away Han Iro’s body, the Ever-Burning Mother muttered.

<If you keep holding me like this…>

Han Iro gritted his teeth as he embraced the Ever-Burning Mother. The heat forming her body was so intense that it was no different from extreme cold. His body felt numb, his teeth chattered, and pain surged from the edge of all sensation.

It truly felt as if his body was burning.

“…Promise me you’ll stop!”

Han Iro shouted through clenched teeth.

“To say you’ll simply participate as a constellation in your contractor’s will—what is that? Are you following without any will of your own? That can’t be true. You…”

You know, don’t you? he asked.

“…You know you will lose.”

<Of course.>

The Ever-Burning Mother looked up at the sky.

At one corner of the sky, she saw the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell and the Star Hated by All. Just their advance was enough to send the legions of guardian angels crashing down. The gates of heaven would be closed by their hands. Her contractor would not become a constellation, and whether the one he sought to save was completed or not, in the end, that soul would return to where it belonged.

<Still, I will follow him.>

“…Why?”

<Because I am his god.>

<No, that is not so.>

Love Born with Bubbles declared.

<A god does not address a creation with honorifics. You see your contractor as an equal being. Reflect upon yourself. You are in love with him.>

<That’s not true. I am incapable of loving anything.>

<I never assigned qualifications for love.>

Love Born with Bubbles approached the Ever-Burning Mother.

Her touch embraced both Han Iro and the Ever-Burning Mother together.

<Love is the most noble emotion of all.>

Love Born with Bubbles whispered.

<But didn’t you say it is also a hideous emotion? I am the constellation who embraces twisted love, selfish love, and ignorant love. Therefore, I can declare this with certainty.>

You are in love.

Love Born with Bubbles’ voice flowed into the Ever-Burning Mother’s ear.

<Even so…>

The Ever-Burning Mother averted her gaze.

<Even so, what changes? Nothing changes. I will sink into the abyss with him. If he falls into hell, I will not turn away but go with him.>

<Yes, that too is love.>

But become just a little more noble.

Just a little. A little more noble.

With Love Born with Bubbles’ voice, bubbles that seemed about to burst filled the Ever-Burning Mother’s sight.

<Don’t just participate. Try to save the one you love. Don’t merely fear—raise your voice beside him.>

<But I…>

<You are not frightening. You are not hideous. Even if the one who abandoned your love saw you as terrifying and grotesque, know this. There is plenty of love to cover that. And you have found one of them.>

The Ever-Burning Mother closed her mouth.

“Let’s stop Aiden together.”

Han Iro muttered.

“Honestly, I can’t help but think he’s kind of crazy…”

A small laugh followed.

“But if someone as wonderful as you loves him, he must have been a good person once, right…?”

<I… I…>

The Ever-Burning Mother’s eyes grew moist.

It was not the blood-red tears she shed chasing Izanagi.

Transparent drops flowed down her burning flesh.

<Can I… guide him?>

“Of course.”

<Of course.>

Han Iro and Love Born with Bubbles whispered.

It is not just chasing.

Not chasing Izanagi with resentful love, nor chasing Aiden with fearful duty.

She can guide. She must guide.

With love.

The Ever-Burning Mother finally realized it.