Izanagi clutched his wife's hand and nodded to her in encouragement as she continued to strain herself.
"That's it Izanami-san, one more push!"
Izanami nodded lightly in affirmation as she pushed again. She felt something in her lower abdomen snap as the healer pulled the baby from her body. A pain greater than anything that she had ever experienced before exploded across her body like wildfire and it made her suck in a harsh breath. It was so strong that she started slipping in and out of consciousness from it. Izanami laid down and attempted to relax her body. She could hear Izanagi frantically chatting at the healers in the room, as they rushed around to comply with whatever orders he was spitting at them. Izanami squeezed her husband's
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"Take me across the river."
The ferryman raised his head to glare at her before he extended his bony hand toward her.
"If you want to be ferried, you must provide me payment."
Izanami scoffed as she snatched her favorite comb free from her hair. Izanagi had given her the jewel-encrusted comb on their first anniversary and she had treasured it ever since, but now that he had trapped her within the literal bowels of Hell the comb was no more than a useless ornament. The ferryman took the comb from her pale hand and placed it in a pile of all of the other treasures that he had collected.
"Payment received. Get on."
Izanami nodded and boarded the small skiff. The ferryman pushed the boat off of the bank and began the journey back across the river. Izanami took the chance to glance over the side of the boat at the stagnant yellow water. She immediately regretted her decision. She felt as if she wanted to throw up. There were faces of dead bodies looking back at her. It was as if the river had devoured them.
"Once you get across this river, think long and hard about the decision you are going to make."
Izanami glanced at the skeleton over her