"Why do you hate me so much?"

Your question was very simple: "why do you hate me so much?" It didn't seem rational for a priestess to be this adverse to her own god. It didn't even seem like she was **** into a cult or held against her will or anything like that. So why was she even part of the sisterhood of priestesses who worshiped the name of Katappashikara?

"... It's not just you. It's all gods," she murmured from behind the door as you pressed your ear against it. "You were just the closest, so you were easiest to focus my anger on. You useless gods, living up in the clouds of the Kami Hinansho, never knowing what it's like for humanity on the ground, and yet judging us all the time... Holding this ridiculous pissing match that is the Kami Kurabe and brainwashing priestesses into fighting each other... I'll never forgive you for your arrogance, nor your generations of tyranny."

You pointed out here that she'd never actually met you before. What tyranny was she talking about? All you'd ever done is sleep and let humans govern themselves...

"And yet still acts of villainy are carried out in your name! You don't do anything to stop them!" she complained, loudly. "Countless atrocities have been committed under the guise of your orders! I joined that very order to destroy it from the inside... You're little better than the other gods!"

It stung to be hated so outright, but you knew there must be a story behind it all. If you were going to get closer to Keiko, you had to convince her that you were on her side. And in a way... you were. You told her that you hated the gods and their Kami Kurabe almost as much as she did. It's a pointless exercise in ego, after all... Why do gods need faith and battle-ready priestesses? Why can't they just sleep and let humans do their thing?

"... Katappashikara-dono..." Keiko spoke quietly from behind the door. You got the sense that she'd stopped dressing for a moment, surprised by what she heard. "I beg your pardon. I may have been acting foolishly. It seems we're in agreement: we both want to destroy the Kami Kurabe."

... Destroy is a bit of a strong word, isn't it? You asked what she meant by that.

"It's simple. I've trained to destroy every priestess raiment and humiliate every god. Together, we're going to dominate and abolish the Kami Kurabe from the inside out. When there are no more competitors left and all priestesses are branded with your tattoo, you will have no one to challenge you as you end the tournament. Then, with your power, you can free all worlds from slavery to their gods. We can live freely, as we were intended... In the old days, people decided for themselves what to have faith in. Gods didn't guide us, any more than in our imaginations. I have dreamed of a return to those days for my entire life..."

She's asking you to face the toughest challenge in all of godhood and then give up your very godhood for the sake of humans? That's ballsy...

But it actually works out perfectly for you. All you've ever wanted was peace and quiet, not any kind of rule over humans. There was no point in being stingy... you'd gladly relinquish it if it meant you could get out of you or anybody else ever being dragged into one of these Kami Kurabe. You told her as much.

"Katappashikara-dono, you don't know what a blessing it is to hear that from you," she sighed in relief. "Very well. I will represent you. I still can't fully forgive you, since you're a god, but I will do my best as your champion, for the sake of humanity... and for your beauty sleep, I suppose."

The girl still has a mouth on her, but it's nice that you finally found some common ground.

((Faith +1))