Yato was a former god of war, brutally killing those who stood in his past and granted the wishes of discord. Even though he smiles and makes a fool of himself in front of Yukine, he hides his dark past. That was until he met you and everything changed.

Ryujin, or your real name (F/N) (L/N), in myths you were depicted as a dragon who ruled over all the seas and could transform into a human whenever you wished. People no longer believed in your existence and the number of worshippers decreased and eventually, you were forced to revert into your human form to conserve your godly energy.

You lived in your palace in which was situated in the deep waters of Takamagahara, far away from other gods. At least you still had a temple of your own with servants and worshipped by villagers who lived by the sea to pray for your protection.

You strolled around in the human world, bored out of your wits. It has become exceedingly boring for the past few hundred years with decreasing worshippers but your servants and regalia have not left you, they stayed by your side and served you as long as you remembered, even when you reincarnated, they guided you.

Just then a huge Vent appeared not far from you, it was strange a Vent this big wouldn’t have opened up by itself unless there was someone who deliberately opened it, and the only people you knew who could control it were only Kofuku and Izanami.

Summoning your regalia which was a naginata with a silvery-blue handle, you charged at the Vent which was spilling out Phantoms. The Phantoms noticed that a god was nearby and instantly targeted you while screaming ‘Nice smell!’

Small fries like them were nothing to you but they just kept coming, you were careful to dodge the projectiles that were hurled your way. Before you could even get to the large Phantom, it was already sliced down and disappeared into rings of light before bursting. You growled in annoyance at the person who had dared to take down your intended opponent.

Striding over to the god who was wearing a scarf and tracksuit, you held Ginki tightly and was ready to attack him if he tried anything funny. Upon sensing another presence, the said god turned to face you and he was about to say something too until he looked at you closely. ‘Revert, Yukine.’ He said and the two katanas he was wielding previously changed into a teenager.

‘How dare you—‘ ‘Hey, aren’t you Ryujin?!’ The aquamarine-eyed god looked at you in wonder. ‘Ryujin?! As in the Dragon God—Ryujin?!’ Yukine gasped. ‘I am, how do you know me? Who are you?’ You asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘Not to be rude, Ryujin-sama… But your dragon horns are growing out of your forehead and I recognized your silver-blue naginata.’ He pointed towards Ginki who reverted back into his human shape at your command.

‘Geez… Why is this happening again?’ You said as you touched your horn, they don’t normally pop out unless you wanted them to. ‘Forgive me, Ryujin-sama. But you must return to Ryugu-jo immediately, it is that time of the year already.’ Shirogane spoke in a deep voice as he bowed. ‘Ah. Forgive me, unknown god. I must take my leave now but you’re welcomed anytime if you wish to visit me in Ryugu-jo.’ And with that, you disappeared with Shirogane and the others.

Yato was left dumbfounded, he could not believe that he had met the legendary Ryujin with his own two eyes and lived to tell the tale. Even Kazuma, the know-it-all regalia of Bishamonten’s wouldn’t have possibly known about the Ryujin’s existence. Along the way, Yukine kept bombarding him with questions. He only entertained them since he too was in a good mood and he was curious as to why Ryujin had suddenly appeared on the Near Shore.

‘Hey, I thought Ryujin was supposed to be a man… I used to picture Ryujin tall and mighty, controlling all the seas and commanding sea creatures.’ Yukine said as he compared the image of his version of the Ryujin as depicted in myth and the real life beautiful Ryujin he just met with his master. It was just too different and it overwhelmed him.

‘Me too, Yukine. I thought Ryujin was a buff guy but turns out to be a beautiful goddess with some pretty kick- regalias.’ He smiled at the image of you floating into his mind. ‘Wait, she had other regalias with her too other than Shirogane-kun?’ Yukine widened his eyes at him. ‘Yes, but they’re hidden.’ The young regalia nodded and continued to walk.

‘Yatty~’ Kofuku yelled as soon as Yato stepped through the door, causing the giant regalia who was cooking in the kitchen to yell at her to shut up. ‘Hey, guess what? I met Ryujin today!’ Yato bragged. A huge crash was heard in the kitchen and out came Daikoku who towered over a reclining Yato on the tatami. ‘You met who?!’ His eyes could’ve popped out if it was going to get any bigger.

‘Oh, you met Ryu-chan? That’s wonderful~! It’s been a very, very long time since I last saw her though.’ She said, prancing around. ‘When was the last time?’ Yato asked, intrigued. ‘Let’s see… Hmm… I’d say it was about five centuries ago?’ His jaw dropped upon hearing how long ago it was.

‘Wow, that’s a long time…’ Yukine said in awe, looking up at Kofuku. ‘How did you even get to know Ryujin anyway?’ Yato asked again, munching on snacks Daikoku had made for Yukine. ‘Through Bishamon~’ ‘Of all gods, why her?’ Yato grumbled, even though he and Bishamon are on even terms, he was still wary of her.

‘Because she’s Bishamon’s elder sister.’ The room went silent at the shocking fact. ‘Wait what?! How did she even know her?!’ Yato burst out. ‘I don’t know, I think you should ask her yourself. I don’t exactly know everything about Ryu-chan, you know?’ Yato sighed in defeat and decided that he should pay you a visit to Ryugu-jo.

‘Where’s Ryugu-jo?’ Yato asked the first thing in the morning after he woke up. ‘Don’t be silly, Yatty, you can’t enter Ryugu-jo without permission! Besides, not a lot of people know where it is.’ Kofuku said, this let Yato down a little but he decided to ask Bishamon directly. Through Kazuma of course whom Yukine is training with.

‘What are you doing here in Takamagahara, Yato?’ She wasn’t pleased to see him but she knew she wasn’t in the position to reject his favours since he helped her out with Kugaha’s incident and she didn’t like owing people. ‘I’m looking for Ryujin, do you know where she lives?’ Yato asked bluntly, shocking Bishamon and all her regalias that were present.

‘How do you know that name?’ Bishamon asked, summoning Kinuha. ‘I… Uhh… Well… You see, the other day I was out with Yukine and stumbled upon a really large Vent so being a god, I can’t let those poor humans get dragged into it so I decided to help. So… When I got there, I saw someone slashing at all the minions and I let that god do it then went to kill the big one. I had no idea it was Ryujin until she walked right in front of me with horns growing out of her head, that’s when I knew it was the famous Dragon God.’ Yato blurted everything out.

‘So, what does this have to do with you asking me directions to Ryugu-jo?’ She edged closer as Yato stepped back. ‘She invited me to Ryugu-jo but she left in a hurry and kinda forgot to give me the address.’ He laughed sheepishly.

‘I can’t believe I’m doing this… Very well, I trust that she invited you and I’ll give you directions but this makes us even, alright? And don’t come prancing around my mansion as you wish or I’ll have Tsuguha maul you right where you stand, Yato. Mark my words.’ Bishamon warned and told Kazuma to direct them the right way to Ryugu-jo.

‘This is as far as I can take you.’ Kazuma bowed and left, leaving the two in front of a large red gate with a vast, sparkling ethereal sea right in front of them. ‘So, what now?’ Yukine asked, unsure what to do. ‘We’ll jump!’ ‘Are you crazy?’ The blond teen yelled. ‘Oh, shut up. Do you want to go see Ryujin or not?’ He glared at his young exemplar. After contemplating for a while, he nodded his head and the duo jumped.

Instead of drowning, Yato only felt like he was on land, his clothes were dry and he could breathe normally but the aquatic creatures swimming around were convincing him of otherwise. Both of them walked until they were stopped by six guards who had human bodies and swordfish for heads, wielding a spear in their hands.

‘Who are you? How did you get here and what is your business with the mighty and fearsome Dragon God?’ One of them asked. ‘I got here from Takamagahara with an invitation from your mistress.’ Yato said but the guard doesn’t look like he’s buying what he said. ‘You must be a god but I don’t believe you.’ After saying it, the guard ordered to arrest him.

Before the guard could lay a hand on him, a female voice resonating with power commanded him to stop. ‘You there! Stop what you’re doing this instant, he’s a guest of honour!’ Yato looked up only to see you wearing a gold robe with sashes and your hair adorned with ornaments.

At that moment, Yato knew he was smitten by your stunning looks. He could not take his eyes off of you know matter how much he wanted to avert his vision. ‘I’m terribly sorry with how my guards had behaved, it’s not exactly a good time for anyone to visit me either and I wasn’t expecting any guests. That’s why everyone in the palace are on edge right now.’ You apologized.

‘It’s fine but if you don’t mind me asking, why is it not a good time?’ ‘Because, my dear Yato god, it’s my shedding season and since my scales are made of pure gold, I can’t afford to have it stolen since they are also imbued with magical properties that comes from the essence flowing within me.’ You explained and smirked when he flinched at the mention of his name.

‘H-How did you know my name?’ He stuttered and glared at Yukine who stifled a laugh. ‘Well, word gets around quickly here in Takamagahara. I hear you found my place through Bishamon, yes?’ Yato only gave a nod. ‘There’s no need to be scared, the reason I invited you to my place was to settle our score last time and I’m very curious about your special Blessed Vessel here.’ You smiled at Yukine who only blushed and looked away.

Yato followed behind you as you led the way, fascinated by the palace’s intricate carvings on the pillars. As they arrived in a room, it was large enough for twenty men to spar, almost the size of a grand hall. ‘Are you going to be fighting me while wearing that?’ Yato asked as he scanned your figure, it wasn’t exactly the best clothes to spar in.

‘I assure you, this clothing will not hinder my movements. Unless you find my attire distracting, then I should go change into a more appropriate one?’ ‘No! It’s fine!’ Both Yato and Yukine said a bit too eagerly. ‘Well then, we should start. One of my servants will be the judge.’ A servant who was a wise turtle stepped forward and bowed.

‘Destroy, Ginki!’ You summoned and Shirogane turned into the naginata you were famous for wielding. ‘Oh, and Yato god, I too am a god of war.’ You smirked and crashed your weapon down. Yato was lucky he could evade the huge blow or he would’ve been blown to smithereens. He watched as you evaded his attacks smoothly, even Yukine was having a hard time catching up as he grumbled about how you moved too fast for his eyes.

You weren’t even the least fazed when his katana came crashing down, you didn’t break out in sweat when he was already panting hard while trying to keep up and here you are, wearing a robe that was dragging behind you. ‘I give up, Dragon God. You’re too strong for me…’ He panted as he reverted Yukine back to his human form. You did likewise to Shirogane as well.

Yukine walked up to Shirogane who was a young man with spiked, electric-blue hair and molten gold eyes, wearing a silver hoodie that matched with his black leather boots. Your exemplar was stoic around people he’s not fond of but gradually opens up a little even though he does not show any emotion on his face, but he’s extremely protective of you.

Shirogane was somewhat startled when Yukine asked him to teach a trick or two being a god’s exemplar, he was never the type to exhibit any emotion nor did you ever think he was able to but Yukine actually managed to crack up a small smile on the giant regalia’s face as he nodded. When Shirogane agreed, Yukine was really happy and looked at Yato who looked at you.

‘So, Ryujin… When is a good time for Yukine to come and train at the Ryugu-jo?’ ‘I don’t mind, you can come anytime you want. There’s large space for you to spar if you need and I’ll have Shirogane fetch you from the Near Shore, that is, if you would agree.’ You crossed your arms. Yukine begged his master with his puppy eyes which caused Yato to grow annoyed and finally give in to his demands.

Ever since that day, you and Yato would supervise Yukine’s training. Teaching him tips and spells a regalia should learn and in time, he mastered them all. And in that time, you and Yato had bonded into the best of friends, much to Bishamon’s dismay.

Today, you thought of bringing Yato to explore the other parts of the palace. The main part was always spring and you brought him to the eastern wing where it’s always summer, it was a bit hotter than usual but this was where the fishes swim the most and the treasures of the sea were also seen here in this part where it shined the brightest.

‘Wow… I thought the Ryugu-jo would be filled with scary dragon statues and soldiers but this is amazing! I can’t even describe it in a sentence!’ Yato gushed as he walked beside you, admiring the scenery right in front of him. ‘Wait until you see autumn and winter!’ You said excitedly, can’t wait to show him those parts of the palace.

Yato widened his eyes at this side of you. All his life, he was taught that dragons are scary and all the humans fear and worship the Dragon God. But this side of you that you rarely showed to anyone was far different than any of the rumours and myths had described and too him, you were far too beautiful to be expressed in words or compared to any of the finest and most exquisite jewels the world could offer.

As if his mind relinquished the controls of his body to his heart, his lips connected to yours in that moment. When he pulled back, all he saw was the girl he had grown to liked so much was flustered and the soft yellowish-orange rays of the sunset casting on her beet red face, making her look radiant and pure in his eyes and made him fall for her even harder.

‘I—‘ Before Yato could get a word out, you whipped your head upwards as your eyes became slitted. ‘Those humans…’ You muttered angrily under your breath, the water around you churning violently. ‘(F/N), calm down. Tell me what’s wrong?’ He asked gently, his brilliant azure eyes boring into yours.

‘It’s those humans, they are killing my subjects with their toxic waste. I feel their agony and I can no longer tolerate their inexcusable behaviour!’ You clenched your fist so hard that your nails drew blood from your palm. ‘Killing them will not bring you peace even though you’ve avenged your people, just scare them off a little. Maybe then they might learn their lesson.’ He advised.

You nodded, stepping out into the coral garden and took off your robe with your back facing Yato. Before he knew it, he saw your body elongating and grew larger in size. Transforming into a large gold dragon with glinting scales, you gave Yato one last look before swimming upwards and disappeared.

The sky swelled with grey clouds and heavy storms and the sea rippled violently in coordination with your anger, lightning flashed and followed by several thunderclaps. You rose from the water in your menacing form, towering over the human ships so much that they looked like mere ants from where you were.

‘How dare you soil my territory with your harmful wastes, you foolish humans! How many more of my subjects do you need to kill to satisfy your lust?!’ You roared, causing the waves to turn into ice and scaring them. You planned on killing them to get even for what they’ve done but after listening to Yato, you decided against it. Besides, there were a few humans on the ship who got down on their knees and prayed. You could hear their prayers clearly, asking you not to harm them and granted their wish, letting them go after freeing some of the ships that were stranded on the ice you’ve created.

It was tiring changing back and forth from your dragon form to your human form, once you got back, you found Yato standing in the same place as he was previously and smiling. You hugged him straight right after you landed, causing both of you to fall down. Even though you couldn’t see it since you buried yourself in the crook of his neck, you could feel an invisible smile creeping up his face.

‘So… I take it that you’re saying ‘yes’?’ He asked, his arms snaking around your slender waist and holding you tightly. ‘To what?’ You mumbled sleepily, not moving from your original position. ‘To the question I’ve never asked.’ He replied. ‘Mmhmm.’ You mumbled again and fell asleep soon after, feeling comfortable.

Yukine came looking for Yato and finally found him in the eastern section of the palace, he was startled at the sight of you sleeping in Yato’s embrace. ‘Shut up.’ Yato sent him a glare when he knew Yukine was about to comment on the situation. The young regalia only chuckled and left you and Yato alone.

Yato never knew he was capable of loving someone let alone be loved by someone after the evil deeds he had committed in the past but he was willing to throw them all away because he has a new purpose, someone to fight for and someone to come home to. And it was you who opened up a new path for him and made it all possible for him.