"My elder brother is supported by Lord Susanoo," Haruka finally said, the words coming out barely above a whisper but landing like a thunderclap in the suddenly silent dining hall.
Every single Hero who understood the implications—which was virtually all of them after three years immersed in this world's mythology and power structures—felt their blood run cold. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as the weight of that revelation settled over them like a suffocating blanket.
Faces went visibly pale, color draining from cheeks as fear took hold. Expressions shifted dramatically from merely concerned to genuinely, deeply frightened. Several Heroes actually took involuntary steps backward, as though physical distance could somehow protect them from the terrible weight of what they'd just learned.
