On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

First – Zhao Daiyu, Akio’s Territory, The Boundary, Tokyo

“Let the Lord’s wrath burn you to ashes, just as the pagan shrine here shall burn, the false idol overturned!” the man in white vestments, trimmed and edged with rich gold, solid-looking chainmail armour draped underneath, cried, raising his sword to the skies. Lightning answered, and a flashing bolt flew down, almost impossible to dodge.

“Oh fuck, Daiyu!” Violet cried, the vivid-haired, tattooed woman someone the likes of which Daiyu had never met until now, cried out in panic. She is an unusual woman indeed. I suppose I was too sheltered. Broadening my horizons, meeting many different kinds of people, it can only aid my Cultivation.

Her mind calming in an instant, Daiyu reacted, and from her Storage Ring on her finger, her precious birthday gift, she suddenly withdrew a heavy tower shield. The elongated, slightly curved rectangular bulwark, took the lightning head on, sparks yellow, green and combinations thereof scattering, and Daiyu felt her hair stand up on end, static heavy in the air, the tang of ozone itching her nose.

“I am fine! There are more enemies coming!” Daiyu cried back, her body small enough to be sheltered behind the shield, even as a blast of thunder echoed, buffeting her hair and clothing. It stings a little, sometimes I wish I was… a little bigger.

The Incorruptible Jade had no Storage Talismans left in its legacy, though she had heard a few of the other Sects had one or two, but Talismans were of limited use, unlike her precious, heartfelt gift. Feeling the urge to kiss the pretty ring on her finger, no, feeling a sense of longing and sweet pain that surprised her, she realised she was missing Akio, wanting to kiss him. Feeling a faint blush on her cheeks, she quickly stabilised her mood. This is not the time for that! I am Zhao Daiyu, the Black Jade That Remains Unbroken. In battle I am fierce and I show my enemies no mercy! Especially not this foe!

Darting out from behind the shield, Daiyu idly wondered just how lightning functioned in the Boundary, and why the air smelt of ozone and why there was thunder. Then her focus sharpened, and she withdrew a trio of bells from her storage ring, of pink, yellow and reddish-purple, the trio representing wind, earth and flame, while the charred yet still mostly intact shield vanished. I have been gifted much. And I shall put it to use…

Even as Daiyu was charging towards her opponent, who narrowed his cruel eyes in surprise at the sudden appearance of the shield which had blocked his deadly strike, Violet was also acting. A dozen fanatics armed with an assortment of mortal weapons, guns and grenades, opened fire. Violet was fast, obviously having been in a few heated battles before, as she ducked and weaved even while maintaining forward momentum. Of course, it was impossible to dodge everything, but she was wearing, as Daiyu was herself, a set of lightweight and strong armour crafted by Akio’s Fae artisans.

Violet grunted, impacts bruising her but doing little damage, so long as she protected her head with her arms, which she did, taking only minor injuries. With a savage grin, she raised one hand, and a shimmering purple scorpion-tail materialised, snaking out and lashing like a whip. Bones shattered, one crazed woman being hurled aside, before the tail sank its stinger into a second, the man immediately stiffening up, foam frothing from his mouth, skin blackening. The tail then slammed into a third man, even as Violet punched a fourth so hard his neck shattered, and a fifth woman was then sprayed with venom from the ethereal stinger, and she convulsed, flesh bubbling and melting.

“Martyrs all!” the man who Daiyu was charging cried, lowering his sword, pointing it at her. Daiyu instinctively dodged, and it was as well she did, as lightning flashed, narrowly missing her.

“Fools all.” Daiyu disagreed, furious at the waste of effort and life this all was. While he was speaking English, so Daiyu could largely understand him now, it hardly mattered. I have no need to hear his words. They are simply misguided justifications.

Time for… my new Technique. Daiyu’s proficiency had been growing, she never missed an opportunity to train. In that regard, she approved of Akio’s mindset, or grindset, as Shiro cheerfully called it. Crossing the distance remaining against lightning would be difficult, but not with her Storage Ring. Then…

“Fools? How dare you defame the new Martyred Dead! Blaze! Baraqiel’s Judging Sword!” Lightning gathered on the blade, forming a brilliant line of crackling light. Daiyu was charging headlong towards it, but she was unafraid. Qi flowed, and her Ring once more discharged the shield. Lightning so hot and dense as to be almost plasma slammed into the charred surface, and the shield trembled, even as the burning beam scattered. The shield warped and burned, but just as it was about to fail completely Daiyu withdrew it again, before resummoning it an instant later at a new angle, deflecting the remainder of the lightning, which flew off and pulverised a nearby wall.

More lightning sparked towards her, but this was a pale shadow of the beam she had just faced, and the shield appeared above her for a moment, blocking the sizzling beams, and as thunder boomed, the malformed shield finally gave out, breaking into fragments. Close enough, I suspect…

Taking a stance even as she covered the last few metres towards her hate-filled opponent, Daiyu cried out. “The Eight Trigrams! Summer flows to Autumn, to Winter, to Spring, and the Cycle renews!”

The bells in her hands surged with her Qi. Her Technique was wildly imperfect, cobbled together based on her memories of some of the oldest Jade Tags in the Incorruptible Jade’s archives, now long lost to her. I have always had an excellent memory though. It makes me wonder… the two Cultivators from Kunlun who sleep in the frozen north, what must they know that we no longer do? Can they fix my flawed workings?

Her thoughts sped up as her energy, both her Qi, and Yang and Water elements sparkling

“Xùn! Lí!” The pink bells shimmered, providing her the wind she lacked, and the purplish-red bells blazed fire. “Kūn! Duì!” Earth she could create herself, and the yellow bells amplified it, leaving her plenty for a later stage. The ‘lake’ was substitutable with her water element, she had no better reference for now.

“You bitch!” The man seemed to be moving in slow motion as lightning sparked along his blade once more, as he cried out in fury.

“Qián! Kǎn!” ‘Heaven’ was her weakest link. But the skies were sometimes called the heavens, so she used wind as a substitute. That dropped the power and stability of an already shaky Technique, but… it only needs a few moments… Water boiled, her Spirit Water that was a gift from her Dao Companion fizzing with power and making her feel as if she was in his embrace.

“Gèn!” ’Mountain’ again was abstract, but she had earth element to spare, and that was supported by her Jade, the strange Qi she had started accumulating like her, incorruptible, hard and unyielding. Beautiful too, I know. Though I only take pride in that now because I have he who I wish to look on me fondly…

“Zhèn!” Her Ring flickered and a number of bluesteel batteries flashed out, crackling with some of Shaeula’s lightning element, which she had donated. ‘Thunder’ was again abstract and made her Technique fragile, yet…

“Eight Trigrams, One Strike Of Summer!” She struck out, even as his lightning flashed, and in a moment of inspiration, Daiyu grinned. Her smile must have been something, as the man paused for just a fraction of a second, and Daiyu somehow wove his lightning into the Eight Trigrams, fortifying both Thunder, and strangely enough, Heaven, stabilising the harmony and balance.

Not all of the lightning, that feat was beyond her, and her armour shuddered, earthing the blast as it struck her, even as the man dodged her fist, only to be caught as she moved onto the next step.

“Two Strikes Of Noon!” Bone cracked as her kick caught his arm, and it bent, the sparking sword falling from his hands.

“Four Strikes Of Autumn!” Daiyu sped up, her body burning, Dantian struggling, but the man was flailing, and two of her hits got through, a punch breaking a number of his ribs, and a kick breaking his jaw.

“Eight Strikes Of The Afternoon!”

“I shall not… you bitch… fall here! I call upon you, oh Baraq…”

His energy surged, even as Daiyu beat him mercilessly, and she felt the danger, stepping up her assault. I never made it past eight in the practise, but… I feel this is the moment!

“Sixteen Strikes Of Winter!” His words were cut off as Daiyu’s vicious palm strike shattered his jaw, severing his tongue. Her knee slammed into his abdomen, and numerous blows struck at his vital points, transferring chaotic energies, the clashing elements, into his Chakra network through his acupoints and meridians. Daiyu’s body was protesting too. Even though the style was familiar to her, as she used Jade Yang Stance as the base, her movements were too charged with differing energies to be comfortable.

“Thirty-Two Strikes…”

Her enemy let out an inarticulate scream, unable to speak, clearly willing her to stop her words, but Daiyu was furious, and also elated. “…Of Night!”

As her body sped up, becoming a blur, muscles tore and bones cracked, but Chang’e shone her favour on Daiyu as ever, allowing the clumsy Technique to be performed without crippling herself. The man had stopped screaming long before all thirty-two strikes landed, and by the end, when Daiyu could no longer go on, energies scattering, coughing up blood violently, red and silver gushing from her, she staggered, the Eight Trigrams collapsing.

“A shame…” Daiyu spat blood, before wiping her face. “…I wonder what the Sixty-Four Strikes Of Spring would have been like…” Looking around the battlefield, paying no mind to the ragged, almost unrecognisable mess of flesh and bone on the ground before her, she withdrew the bells and spent batteries into her Ring. “Oh, I see you have finished up here, Violet.”

“Yeah, useless idiots.” She shrugged, and a dozen bodies littered the field behind her, many of them twisted and melted by poison. ”You okay? Shit, never mind, forget I asked. I forgot you can heal like crazy. Well then…” She glanced down at the corpse of Daiyu’s erstwhile opponent. “Nice moves. Didn’t give him much chance to react, did you?”

Daiyu nodded slowly. In the distance, horns and singing could be heard, and it was still setting her teeth on edge. Resolving to do something about it, Daiyu was about to suggest pressing on, when suddenly from behind them a great barrier of shimmering golden light appeared, a dome sealing off the shrine and its surrounds.

“Fuck. That’s…” Violet’s jaw dropped, and Daiyu nodded.

“Yes. I see as always, the sense of foreboding a Cultivator feels is accurate. But…” They watched as allies tried to assault the barrier, great blasts of light forcing them back. Narrowing her eyes Daiyu felt she would not be able to breach such a ward, not easily, nor quickly. “…we are fortunate, in a way.”

“Oh, how so?” Violet asked. All around them, battle was raging, though the Territory’s forces had the upper hand, as it seemed the majority of their powerful leaders were dead.

“We had the foreknowledge that Yōkai fox brought us. And…” Daiyu looked at the golden dome, bolts of energy still flashing from it in multiple directions, before turning away, face set into an expression of resolute anger. “…Asha should not be alone.”

“Oh. Yeah. Her. Shit, that’s right. But… you think she can… wait, who am I kidding?”

“Enough rambling. I wish to silence this annoying drone.” Daiyu turned and started sprinting towards the sounds of music. With a shrug, Violet chased after her, and soon they came upon a number of young men and women dressed in white, singing a mournful hymn, while others were blowing horns, banging drums and playing what looked like Konghou.

They call them harps in the West, no? I have seen pictures of Angels supposedly playing them in some of the books here.

The singers cried out in English, too fast and jumbled for Daiyu to make out much, but then, she didn’t need to. Rushing in, she charged directly at the fanatics, only to come under attack from blasts of sound which hit her like the thunder from earlier. She staggered, spitting blood, but was undeterred. Her Ring discharged a number of stored throwing needles, the spikes thin and wickedly sharp, and with her great strength she launched them, piercing a number of the singers in throats and eyes, as well as several of the horn blowers.

“Don’t leave me out!” Violet insisted, drawing in a deep breath, then blowing out a cloud of venomous gas. Those who had grabbed weapons and were rushing them were caught in it, and they cried out and gagged, vomiting, crying and starting to turn purple, the virulent toxins a potent and deadly weapon. “Just like a scorpion, don’t touch me carelessly, because I fucking well sting!” She crossed her arms triumphantly, purple scorpion tail materialising again, striking down more foes, even as Daiyu was pressing her own attack.

“Jade Yang Stance. Light Flowing Blossoms!” Brilliant petal blades of Yang energy bloomed, as she still had ample reserves of that, as little was used in her Eight Trigrams earlier. The shimmering, beautiful knives of light spun around her like a storm of cherry blossoms and were soon dyed silver and red as they fell, the musicians and singers worthless against her fury.

In the spring, I would dearly love to see the cherry blossoms with everyone. It… will remind me of home. And apparently it is a tradition here, to have a viewing party with close friends and family. Hanami, it was called, yes? The floating, gleaming blades of death made her think of that.

As Violet also finished her enemies, the oppressive waves of sound had fallen silent at last. Looking around, Daiyu quickly spotted something interesting, a number of ornate rectangular boxes, carved and decorated, seemingly made from stone, some of them chased with precious metals.

“What are they?” Violet asked, walking over and making to kick one lid off, but Daiyu stopped her.

“I am not sure, but… my intuition tells me they might be similar to my Ring.” She stroked the gift idly, as she thought. “If so, then our enemy has delivered us poisoned meat buns that actually served only to save us from starvation.” With a faint smile, she lifted a lid off carefully, but it was empty. “We should take these with us.”

“What about the battle?” Violet asked, as there were still pockets of fighting. “And the damn glowing lightshow over there?” She gestured to the golden dome in the distance.

“We shall serve best by eliminating the remaining intruders.” Daiyu decided. “Even bearing burdens, we can likely do so.” The boxes wouldn’t go in her Storage Ring, resisting with waves of purple sparks, so she was sure her guess was right.  Strapping several boxes to her back, she bade Violet do the same, which she did after a few grumbles.

“And then what?” Violet asked, and Daiyu’s gaze went to the distant shrine.

“And then, we shall reconvene there. I expect that Shaeula will also have dealt with her opponents. She is not one to be idly trifled with. She may look a butterfly, but in truth she is a fearsome hornet, her colours pretty but signifying danger. We can attempt to break the barrier and aid those within.”

“Fine, but… no matter if you call them pretty or not, no girl wants to be compared to a stinging bug. Just a tip from me.” Violet snorted, shifting the burden on her back, and suddenly she was doubled over, guffawing at Daiyu’s seemingly innocent answer, head tilted in a perfect attempt at innocence.

“Oh, but did you not compare yourself to a scorpion, Violet?”

“Shit, got me there… never knew you had a sense of humour. It’s cute…” she wheezed when she could speak again. “…come on, we have to get cracking. These bastards aren’t going to kill themselves, more’s the pity…”

With that, Daiyu nodded, and they were soon hunting down the remaining survivors, shattering the faltering Martyred Dead and capturing or killing the last human invaders, as without the presence of the choir and their instruments, the Territory’s oppression was at last depleting the foe…

***

Second – Izumi Kana, Kana’s Faith School, Tokyo

“No, no, no!” Kana panicked, thoughts racing, though she quickly calmed herself down as the bomb started to make a beeping sound as if ready to explode at any moment. The women were glaring at her evilly, and their eyes showed no fear of death as they raced towards her school.

What would Akio do? Or Shaeula, or Eri… or anyone? I know, they’d…

Kana realised no matter what happened, whether she was injured or not, she couldn’t let them detonate the bomb. Kana was hardly an expert in explosives, but it looked big and heavy, more than enough to cause some serious damage. My friends are inside, and a lot of ordinary, uninvolved girls… these bastards…

In what seemed a frozen moment, Kana’s mind churned. Kṣitigarbha’s Favour was hot within her, and she remembered how she had worked to make herself suitable for it, the hardest she’d ever worked in her life, up to that point. Of course, now I slave away every day, digging tunnels, reinforcing walls, moving equipment. It’s hard work, and I often wish I was able to spend more time having fun, be it with Akio, the others, or just my friends, but… it’s made me strong. And I was always proud, so…

Mind made up, Kana unleashed earth element in an instant. A ruby tide flowed into the ground, and Kana felt a brief moment of exultation, and more than that, a sort of pride that wasn’t about her looks and charm, but about herself as a person, and the hard work she’d put in. I wasn’t perfectly suited for this Favour, just… good enough. Well, nobody gets to say that Izumi Kana is good enough! I’m perfect! And… I’m so much stronger than before.

The hard hours of labour had refined her control of both aether and earth element, as well as improved her control over her Eyes Of The Shrine Maiden and the Earthen Womb. She hadn’t sought out Akio for him to check her growth, instead wanting to save it for a… special… occasion, but Kana was no fool, she knew, and could feel the difference.

“I’ll not let you hurt anyone at my school, bitches!” Kana roared, not realising everyone could hear her, until there were cheers and cries, her classmates and friends at the open windows.

“Too late, we shall all perish together!” one woman screamed. “But only we shall see the Ninth Heaven…”

“Nope.” Kana disagreed. The ground rippled like it was fluid, mud and stone shifting like soft clay, and the two women suddenly disappeared as though they were standing on quicksand, the mud sucking them and their bomb under. “I’m in no rush for the afterlife, thanks. I’m quite satisfied with the life I’ve got now.” Crossing her arms as they vanished from view, Kana waited, her heart hammering in her chest.

There it is. Her control over the Earthen Womb shook, as did the ground, fragments of dirt, grass and paving stones thrown up into the air, the ground arching up into a mound before collapsing in on itself, the ripples diminishing. Releasing a breath, her heart hammering, Kana contemplated what had just happened.

They’re dead for sure. They were trapped down there with the explosion. It’s not like they wouldn’t have died up here anyway. Stupid suicide bombers… Kana walked over to the casket they had pulled the bomb from, noting it was showing up as abnormal to her Eyes. That’s why I left it up here, didn’t suck it down…

Now she could hear the cheers from her friends, she turned, making sure her face was set to her usual smile. On seeing that, Mio-chan called down asking if she was all right, and Kana nodded. “I’m good. All safe, not a scratch on me.”

She got some dubious looks in return, but Kana merely dusted off her uniform, brushing dirt from her red blazer and chequered skirt. “I mean it. Anyway…” She took a deep breath, mind made up. “I have to go. I can’t see anyone else around here, and I don’t think our school is important enough for them to target twice. I… need to go to my shrine!”

“Are you sure?” Asami-chan asked, and their teacher stuck her head out of the window, telling Kana she should stay and wait for the police to arrive, stay where it was safe, but Kana merely shook her head again, laughing quietly.

“I’m sure. I knew what I was getting into. One thing I’ve always been is a realist.” Akio can talk all he likes about not wanting us to fight, that I’m a supporter, but… this day was inevitable. Even if we don’t look for trouble… trouble looks for us. I knew that already. Just how many times has my shrine been attacked? “Anyway, can someone come down here and grab this box?” She nudged it with her foot. “I think Akio will want it.”

“I’ll get it.” Hisano-chan offered. Other classes had heard the commotion and were now crowding their own windows curiously, and oddly enough, their attention made Kana feel a little better. I guess I have always liked being the centre of attention. The right sort of attention anyway. It was rough, being so beautiful. Now…it’s fine.

“Oh… and, don’t worry.” Hisano-chan shouted down, surprising everyone. “If anyone else does come… I’ll fight! I may not be much good, but…”

“I can too!” Maiko-chan agreed, and Kana nodded, slightly touched, eyes a little hot.

“Fine. I think it won’t come to that, and teacher should call the police, if she hasn’t already, but… do your best, and don’t die, okay? So long as you’re alive, Akio and Shaeula can put you back together, good as new.”

Remembering Eri and Shiro’s states in the past, Kana had confidence that was true. Taking a deep breath, she turned away, well-wishes from her friends and classmates in her ears, and the ground below her rippled, sucking her under, though not like the terrorists, this was gentle, almost kind, leaving Kana held in a bubble of clear space. Moving through the earth, ruby sparks fluttering around her beautifully, she considered her best course of action.

The tunnel actually cuts through not far from the school… if I head that way… Moving through the ground at the speed of a galloping horse, Kana now realised the importance of the work she and her fellow construction slaves like Grulgor were doing. It’s not just access for the factories, no… the tunnels were vital for connecting their points of vulnerability, and the planned underground bunkers and storehouses would offer safety to those like Kana’s family, who weren’t fighters.

A minute or so later she popped out of the wall of the tunnel, careful to repair it behind herself automatically, and then she giggled, shaking her head. I’m so whipped. The thought of causing setbacks to the work and delaying the schedule automatically makes me annoyed. Oh well…

Fortunately, her school was only a short train ride from the shrine, so she quickly began to sprint. Her speed certainly couldn’t be compared with the powerhouses of the group, but crushing any Olympic athlete was easy for her, and she could run at a sustained sprint for miles. Therefore it only took a few more minutes for her to arrive, and bound up the steps to Shirohebizumi shrine, already hearing the chaotic sounds of battle above. Her heart was starting to hammer unpleasantly, and her palms were sweaty, so she discretely wiped them on her skirt.

Emerging out into the chaos, Kana’s eyes were drawn to the nearby training school building. Most of the windows were shattered, and it looked rather burned, some flames licking fitfully on the outside. Kana felt a surge of anger at that, remembering how overjoyed she was when the school opened, giving her access to a gym, pool, sauna and rooms for her and her friends. Now… The blow is less painful, considering I have a home with Akio now too, but… I’m still furious! Don’t they know how long I wanted to have luxuries like this, and they go and destroy them?

Despite the chaos, screams, shouts, gunshots and explosions in all directions, the annoyance made Kana feel better, soothing her rapid heartbeat, and her head cleared. Trust me to calm down because of that. If Eri could see me now, she’d call me shallow.

That was a soothing thought as well. Her relationship with Eri was actually fine now, they both understood each other, and while they liked to spar verbally with each other, Kana had no issues calling her a friend. Eri does though. She can be such a… what does Akio and Shiro call it… ah yes, a tsundere. That only applies to people who aren’t Akio though. With him she can be full on psycho…

“All right then…” Kana quickly checked the situation. It actually seemed to be going better than she had imagined, if you ignored the damaged buildings and burned greenery. Grulgor, in his comical mortalform, bald-headed, muscular and wearing a suit that was now ripped, torn and scorched, was battling an opponent, constantly being set alight, but quickly recovering, his body flowing like her Earthen Womb, or turning to water before reconstructing.

Ixitt was sniping anyone who left cover, and that young Korean girl Suk-ja was with a number of the wounded, protecting them, not all of them people Kana recognised. Tourists, maybe? I know we’re a minor shrine, and Shirohebi’s not popular, but we are still a traditional shrine, so get the occasional visitor.

There was that foreign woman Luciana as well, and she was darting around like a dancer, gun and blade reaping a toll in lives. Kana felt a little sick, but insisted to herself it was all down to the burning smell of grass, trees and unfortunately, dead flesh… Yes, it’s horrible, but… wait a minute. Trees, burning?

A sudden horrifying realisation hitting her, Kana raced for the grove behind the training school where Asha’s mortal Tree was. Praying she wasn’t too late, she was a moment too late to notice when she almost ran into a figure wearing white, and carrying a rather surreal sight, a large scythe.

Just… how did he get through the streets carrying that? Kana’s first thoughts were inane, and she flushed, ashamed of herself, before her dark brown eyes narrowed, and she fully took in her opponent. He was a tall man, taller than Akio, perhaps six and a half feet tall. His white garments were a white hoodie, as well as white jeans. The hoodie was bulky, even considering his muscular arms, which bulged with strength. Is he wearing a bulletproof vest or some armour underneath?

The man turned his average-looking face on her. He was a Western man, white skinned with a small, neatly trimmed brown beard and short hair. It was his eyes that were abnormal, and Kana felt he was dissecting her like she was a piece of meat. I’m used to guys staring at me. I’m beautiful. But… not with such contempt. Now… how has nobody else seen him? Oh…

Kana’s head was aching, and she realised her Eyes Of The Shrine Maiden must have detected him. A brilliant rainbow aura was surrounding him, though the most prevalent colours were blue, indigo and violet, occupying nearly eighty percent of his aura. There was another fading aura, and Kana looked down to see a figure dissipating to ether, the corpse missing a head, and she felt sick again.

“What are you doing here, girl? And how do you see me? For none see the passing of the Memitim, only feel their breath.” His ferocious gaze hardened.

“Oh.” Kana took a step backwards, mind working. It seemed the man had crept up and killed what looked like one of Violet’s scorpion-people, and she suddenly felt a surge of both relief, and then disappointment in herself at that relief. No, they are living beings too. If it was Shaeula, or Hyacinth, Asha, or even Grulgor beheaded there, I’d grieve. Bastard. Kana clenched her fists, suddenly furious, and also desperate. Asha’s Tree, he’s too close to it…

“I fear now you have seen me, I must remove you. The great work cannot be hampered, and many brave souls will fly to the Ninth Heaven to afford this Memitim his due.”

Memitim? What the hell is he on about? No, who cares, he’s crazy, but I get it. While everyone is distracted, he can slip in and cause havoc. But it won’t be that easy. Not now… “Sorry, but this is my family shrine, and I don’t think you are welcome. Especially not when you are clearly crazy.”

“Crazy?” The man scowled at her. “I think you will find…” He suddenly seemed to disappear from her view, and Kana had a brief moment of panic, before she realised even if she couldn’t see him, she could see the aura of abnormality around him. She gestured, ruby light surrounding her in a halo, and the ground erupted into churning muck, sucking down around where the aura was. There… oh, wait…

Suddenly having a bad premonition, she leapt backwards, and tears were in her eyes as blood bloomed along her arm, her blazer and white shirt cut apart, flesh scored by cold metal. It was only a minor nick, but still terrifying, as for a moment she could see her blood hovering in the air, on the edge of the blade of the scythe. Then she leapt backwards, and realising she had missed trapping her opponent, she tried a different strategy.

This isn’t my first battle! I fought beside Akio and the others against that bear Kamuy. And I’ve grown since then! Earthen Womb did specialise in a certain type of manipulation, but Kana had trained and honed it, and attempted to master earth element as well, and in addition…

I got special permission from the school to wear this jewellery. We’re a faith school, so… it makes sense they’d be understanding. Besides… It was no mere necklace she wore under her shirt, but a golden two-headed snake, which formed a tight loop around her neck. The Earth Serpent’s Torc was her gift from Akio, a treasure of the Tower of London, and it significantly strengthened her earth element, and Kṣitigarbha’s Earthen Womb too. It also makes me more beautiful… not that I needed that. And… fertility…no, there’s no time for dwelling on that now, instead, I…

The ground exploded, mud showering in all directions, except at Kana, her control enough for that. For an instant the man was covered in muck and became visible, only for him to vanish again, mud and all. For a moment Kana was at a loss, and she ducked, seeing he was closer than she liked, and she felt something whizz past her head. Oh yeah, obviously that wouldn’t work. Otherwise he’d have to strip naked to go invisible. He must be able to do his clothes or things touching him as… her thoughts were interrupted as the scythe cleaved through her blazer again, drawing a line of fire deep into her side. Her clothing flapped open, but fortunately it only exposed her flank.

It hurts though! Damnit, it hurts! I won’t scar though, I’ll get Shaeula to buff it right off me! Blasting up more mud she plastered it on her wound. It wasn’t exactly hygienic, but it would stop the bleeding until Ether Healing kicked in, as the wound was troublingly serious.

“Sorry, your stealth isn’t perfect though…” Kana rolled, and she heard the impact of metal on stone. I only saw him for the moment, but… I’m picking up his ability with my Eyes, which is now somewhat offset to where he actually is…

“Kṣitigarbha, Shirohebi… I need your strength!” Kana cried out, exploding the ground again, this time into rock, not mud, and a forest of pointed cones like spears shot out, aimed behind where she could see the radiance with her over-stressed Eyes. Blood bloomed, and Kana could see it when it was free of the man’s body, and also see it dripping down a dozen of her thicket of stony stakes.

“Now we’re even. No, wait, we’re not… I’m a woman, you shouldn’t scar me!” Kana shook her head, hopping backwards, and not a moment too soon, as her spears of rock shattered, and she felt the whoosh of wind on her face as the scythe swung where her head was a moment before. Sweating, stomach lurching, she called more rocky spears, again skewering her enemy, though she could hear the ring of rock on something solid. Yeah, his body is protected, but…

The game of tag continued, and soon the man’s invisibility faded. He was panting, and his face was pale. His arms and legs were full of deep gouges and holes, weeping blood, and his hoodie was shredded, indeed revealing some sort of heavy, blade-proof vest which had seen better days but protected him from being skewered. As he held his scythe in trembling hands, he glared with such hatred that Kana no longer felt scared of him, but her emotions had come full circle to ridicule.

“Want to surrender?” Kana asked, but the man merely spat at her.

“Gross!” Kana muttered, dodging the spittle. “You’re not exactly making me sympa… thet…ic… to… you…” Her words slowed in shock, as suddenly around them a golden light bloomed in the sky, cutting through the smoke and the chaos. Kana’s Eyes were suddenly blinding her, a golden glow surrounding her in all directions like she was under vividly glowing water, and as she blinked, tears streaming, knifing pains in her brain, the man chuckled.

“I feel the presence of the Divine. And I am blessed to do his work!” The stone spikes shattered, and the man staggered on unsteady legs. “You exhausted me, bitch, and stopped me from claiming every sinner here. But I shall take your head at the least. Someone worshipping pagan idols will make a worthy prayer.”

Squeezing shut her eyes, Kana threw out all her power, and the hillside sagged, becoming a sucking quagmire around her. She was dragged down into the muck, and as she sunk, praying that this subsistence wouldn’t damage the facilities underground, she radiated earth element, turning the mud into a forest of spiky needles.

For a long moment, she worried it wasn’t enough, but once underground, she could no longer see the blinding shine that had disorientated her. Wiping her eyes as the mud parted around her, she sensed someone else, unmoving, and as she slowly rose out of the mud in her Earthen Womb, she brought up the man too. He broke the surface, and while his body was still intact, his arms, legs and fatally, his head, were full of more holes than a colander. With a grimace, Kana threw up at the grizzly sight, but her eyes were already starting to burn again, as it was like she was surrounded by the sun.

I don’t think I need to see it anymore… Glad that she had enough control to shut her Eyes off nowadays, Kana sighed in relief before being noisily sick again. Moments later a hand was on her back, and she jumped, alarmed, only to see it was Luciana, looking down on her, a concerned expression on her bloody face.

“Are you all right, chica?” She spoke in English, with the odd foreign word thrown in, though she could talk in Japanese a little too. Kana was glad it was her, as if any man saw her in such a state she’d die of shame, as her clothes were torn, she was plastered with mud and stained with vomit. As many of the Black Wolf Company, Luciana included, worked with Kana on the tunnelling operations, they weren’t strangers, so it was embarrassing still, but bearable.

“Yeah… yes. I’m… it’s just…” Kana shrugged, struggling to stand. “Why… are you here? The battle…”

“Is mostly over.” Luciana shrugged. “The big guy battered the fire-calling bastardo to death in the end, and I dealt with the snipers.” She drew one finger across her throat in a universally understood gesture. “Ixitt, little diamond chica, well, we overpowered the invaders. Mierda, it is a mess though. Now it is safe the police and army will be coming, and too many people saw, filming with their cameras, and streaming too, no doubt.”

Kana nodded, finally getting to her feet. “Oh… okay, but… something strange happened. Damn… Asha’s Tree!”  Stumbling off again, Luciana nodded, her smile proud and reassuring as she glanced over at the dead body and the wicked-looking scythe.

“El primero, the first one… it is always the worst. But… it was you or him, I know. So, what brings you here? Weren’t you at school?”

“They brought a bomb. I blew them up with their own explosion.” Kana shuddered a little. “But… I worried. Yes, we’re on the news here… not just us, the estate, everywhere! It’s… madness.”

“It’s all right, chica. Kana.” She used her name instead of calling her ‘girl’ all the time. Kana would normally be uncomfortable without honorifics, but considering Luciana wasn’t Japanese it didn’t bother her so much. “Tears are good. El veneno, the poison, tears wash it away, better than keeping it bottled up inside.”

“I’m not crying…” Kana insisted, only to touch her face and realise it was soaked. “Oh…well, I… I’m fine. Honestly.” She scrubbed at her face. “I must look a fright. Don’t let anyone else see me, I’ll die!”

“You look fine to me, Kana.” Luciana was sympathetic. “I think maybe tonight, we will not be having to dig tunnels, yes?”

Kana managed a faint smile. “I hope not. I’m wiped out. But… Asha’s Tree!” Kana suddenly sighed in relief as she saw the Tree still standing, unharmed. “That’s great. I had worried…” While nobody knew what would happen if Asha’s Material sapling was destroyed, nobody wanted to find out.

Someone called over to Luciana, and she shouted back she was fine and just checking something. The two of them approached the Tree, and thoroughly inspected it, but then…

“Is it me, or… does the Tree feel… how do I put this… atemorizada? Scared… the leaves, the branches… they tremble. No breeze, see?” She held up a licked finger to the sky, and felt nothing.

Kana nodded, having a bad feeling suddenly. Her Eyes triggered, and the golden glow overwhelmed her again. Blinking, trying her best to control them, she ratcheted it down to a dull glow, and could see it was some sort of weird dome, faintly transparent and shimmering. “You… you don’t see that? Kana asked, and Luciana blinked.

“See what? I see nothing.”

“Oh. Right.” Making up her mind, despite her exhaustion, Kana dropped to her knees. “It’s safe here now, yeah?” At Luciana’s nod, she lay down. “In that case, watch me please, I’m going to enter the Boundary quickly, I’ll be right back.” As her eyes squeezed shut, Kana followed her usual process, only to meet intense resistance. No matter how she pushed she was unable to enter the Boundary, and with rising panic, her eyes snapped open.

“I can’t get in? Can you?” As they swapped positions, Luciana also failed.

“No, I too am blocked. Mierda.”

As they exchanged troubled looks, Kana once more glanced at Asha’s Tree, and a leaf dropped off one branch, fluttering to the ground, where it sank into the mud. Swallowing nervously, lingering taste of vomit in her mouth all that reminded her of her momentary weakness at her actions here today, those worries pushed out of her mind by this new fear, she glanced up at the sky once more. What in Shirohebi’s name is going on in there? It must be an attack, but…

***

Third – Arisugawa Arisu, Saionji Gin’s Territory, Kinkaku-ji, The Boundary, Kyoto

“Such wretched futility.” Arisu observed, as the cry of victory resounded. At that moment, a great flaming bird came plummeting down towards them, wings wrapped around itself, before resolving into a young, dark-skinned woman with crimson hair around her like a cloak, and brilliant red eyes. On seeing Arisu, the young Phoenix flinched, looking down, and Saionji Gin-san, the jovial yet commanding priest of Kinkaku-ji, whose ability had reaped a great toll on the enemy during this battle, chuckled, amused.

“Now, don’t be rude to our dear friend Arisugawa-san, Akai.” He reached out in good humour and ruffled the Phoenix’s hair playfully. She squirmed, clearly annoyed, but she let him do it. “She is rather stern, but I am assured she is actually kind.”

“I’m tired.” Akai complained, wisely saying nothing about that. “The bad men, they cut and stabbed me a lot.” The Phoenix pouted, looking younger than her human appearance suggested. “I want to eat and go sleep!” Her red eyes were droopy now and she yawned, mouth opening wide.

“Very well then.” Saionji-san finished messing with Akai’s hair. “Go home and have a rest. Tell the apprentices to cook you something.”

Akai blinked sleepily and nodded, before heading inside the massive golden structure that was Kinkaku-ji here, the massive golden horns that swept above impressing Arisu as always. As she disappeared, Saionji-san smiled fondly at her departing back. “She may be childish, but she’s certainly a Divine Phoenix. Nobody but you defeated more of our enemies…” Saionji-san looked at another of their gathered allies, the maid, Hyacinth.

Now she… she is dangerous. And not merely due to her… abilities. Arisu had of course spoken to Akio-san about her, and the potential danger she posed, perhaps to the entire world. If unleashed at full power, it was hardly impossible for Hyacinth to turn Japan, as far as the winds spread, into a wasteland of death. It shows that the subtle is far more dangerous than the obviously destructive. Conjuring a surge of fire element to destroy a tank, for example, on the Material, would be a draining feat, but the same amount of Hyacinth’s wood and nature element could lay waste a city the size of Tokyo. Akio-san had looked sad then, and said that even if he perished, Hyacinth would not go berserk, even if Arisu did not entirely believe him.

I have spoken to White about it as well, and also the Red within her. Neither would countenance discussing… countermeasures. I have no wish to act precipitously, but… we should be prepared. Hyacinth was fundamentally broken as a being, Arisu knew it. She could see the fathomless well of darkness in her eyes, the seething cauldron of madness and hatred, that she too shared. Though compared to Hyacinth, my darkness is but a drop of ink in water. I thought I cursed the unfairness and treachery of those I trusted, but…

“No, she’s fine. So long as she has Aki and us, she’s healing…” White had said, and Red echoed her, surprising Arisu, as the Red Goddess was always pragmatic and cold. “Indeed. So long as he does not perish, she shall remain stable. Besides, having a weapon such as her in our grasp offers many possibilities. So fear not, we are watching her, and will help stabilise her poor mental state.”

“Yeah, if Aki does die though, she’ll break. But then… so will I. I’ll be right beside her burning the world. Shaeula too. You think Eri won’t either? The others, they’re too responsible. It’s kind of cute… but us… we’re all crazy in our own ways. You know it, Arisu. So… there’s no reason to worry. But…” White’s smile had turned wicked then. “You’d better do your best to protect Aki to keep that from happening. But… don’t fall for him, okay? I know it’s a big ask, but… I don’t want you as a rival!”

As if I would be so swayed. I have no wish for romance right now. I am still feeing too betrayed, too untrusting. But… burning the world… As Hyacinth spoke cheerfully, with that strange, elongated and drawling manner she had, Arisu set aside her thoughts. One thing is right. Hyacinth is a menace, she devastated the invaders. No, she does have reason still. And there are plenty of other ways the world will end. It will me a miracle indeed if there are any of us left ten years from now.

“Thooose wretched dead, they annoyed me. It reminds me ooof the bad times, of Woe.” Her eyes narrowed. “The Unseelie, they looove to disgrace the dead, use them. Hyacinth hates it, and seeing this made me furiooous. So I made them gooo back to death!”

“You did well.” Haanōbō, the strange masked Tengu nodded, her violet hair catching the eye, especially when paired with her brilliant golden eyes and the pure white wings on her back. She looked like what the West would call an Angel, and Arisu had enjoyed the upset that dichotomy had caused the attackers. “Invaders are to be defeated. It is our way! Those who trespass with ill-intent should be dealt with.”

“So bloodthirsty.” Saionji-san chuckled. “But in this case, I agree. Fortunately…” He turned to Yasaka-san, the older, weary man, with dark circles around his eyes and a sallow complexion. “…it seems Kyoto is well in hand. The last stragglers are being chased down by our forces and my Chosen. Their efforts to invade Kyoto have come to naught.”

“It seems so.” Yasaka-san agreed wearily. “But there are troubles elsewhere. A great many…” His eyes were moving as though he was reading a book only he could see. Arisu found that fascinating, and also rather troubling. As a woman who loved physics and science, and prided herself on her intelligence as well as her appearance, loathing the idea in the mainstream media that most actors were lacking in scholarly talents, she could accept and even understand how her Room worked. The same went for many of Red’s powers, and even elemental abilities, even if the classification of elements was an eclectic, idiotic mess.

Her lips curled into a smile as she remembered discussing it with White and Akio-san over a few drinks. Akio-san found it equally annoying and baffling, and he too rebelled at the idea of foresight, of destiny and fate. It denies all we are, robs us of free will. No… It was difficult for him now. He had accumulated another woman, and Arisu had given up feeling irritated over it. While she hardly spent as much time with him as White did, she understood him, and all of them too. So long as they never betrayed each other, Arisu would tolerate it. The issue was that Matsumuro-san, his newest … well, wife, she supposed… was the embodiment of belief in predestination and immutable fate. Even if that belief was shaken now. After all, her claimed fate was tossed aside. It makes me feel a little better about everything. If there are fates, our own wills can overturn them.

“…the Ring Gate is down, somehow.” one Mortal Engineer agreed, this one a ratkin, Arisu observed. “We’re stuck here in Kyoto. It’s odd. If the Gate was destroyed on the other side, I think the mushrooms would wither and die here too.” He scratched his furry ear, tail lashing, eyes gleaming. “It’s fascinating. I wonder what caused it…”

Ah yes. I get the inquisitive mind, but… now is not the time. With a sigh, Arisu shook her head, long, luxurious black locks flowing as she did so. “I shall go and see. I cannot believe that their Territory would fall, it has a great many powerful defenders, and Moira has been rigorous in preparing for such an event. But even so, discovering the reasons for this blockage is vital, as the Gate network is integral to our future plans.”

As everyone agreed, Arisu opened her Room, the slash in space still fascinating her, as did the Room itself. Fortunately, she had been able to relinquish her prisoner from South Korea, and he was now in custody within the Ministry, alongside the pervert who had tried to attack the idols from AKB0048, as well as several other Chosen criminals who had been identified by Yasaka-san’s Book and arrested by Detective Kato Reiji’s new squad.

Trying to step out again next to the Ring Gate, Arisu frowned. That is… odd. It was as if she was trying to push through solid glass with her fingers, and golden-violet sparks and motes of light scattered, giving her a headache. She tried several nearby places, and then finally her door opened, and she stepped out into Boundary Tokyo. Moments later, she was shocked at what she saw from the foot of the hills upon which the heart of Akio’s Territory lay.

What is… that?

[The Gate Of Naphtali Rejects The Ungodly!]

Upon the great golden dome of light which enclosed the hills were twelve equally spaced winged humanoids with a golden hue, representations of Angels, most likely, every thirty degrees around the circumference. One of these had spoken, and the language was not one she understood, linguistically, but she understood it mentally, on some sort of spiritual level. I find this unpleasant. The angel swung its weapon, and a brilliant beam of light flashed, and an explosion rocked the Territory.

Seeing Shaeula, the Cultivator girl Daiyu, and many others scatter from the blast, Arisu hurried over, the taste of spatial element and something else hanging in the still Boundary air. On seeing her approach, Shaeula brightened up.

“Arisu, it is most-most timely seeing you here. Can you use your Room to take-take us inside that?” She waved a hand at the dome.

“I am afraid not. I have tried, but it seems to be a sealed space of sorts. Perhaps a static version of my Room?”

“How frustrating.” Shaeula indeed did seem aggravated. “It is not-not good. Inside lies Asha’s Tree, Asha herself as well. The Anchor too. If…” She gnawed at her lip, before Daiyu put a hand on her shoulder. Shaeula then forced a grin.

“Of course. I am not-not worried Asha will die, nor that Akio’s Anchor will be-be destroyed. No, not-not at all.” Her words were clearly a lie, and Arisu raised an eyebrow, as supposedly she hated lying and liars, as did Arisu herself.

“Well, perhaps a little.” Shaeula amended. “Though…” She took a deep breath. “… honestly, we have-have a precaution. It is just… I believe this must-must have been done by one such as Mary Stuart. And she-she was a powerful opponent. I would feel much-much more reassured if I could aid them within, and the waiting…. It does not-not sit well with me.”

“We all feel the same.” Daiyu insisted, and even the South Korean woman, Kang-san, nodded. “But all we can do is struggle to breach the accursed dome.”

“I see. In that case, I shall return to Kyoto and advise them of the situation, and then bring back those who can assist.” Arisu suggested, and after receiving their thanks, she was soon stepping out in Kyoto again.

“What’s the situation? You look grave, Arisugawa-san.” Saionji-san observed.

After Arisu explained, he frowned. “Perhaps… it is not impossible my Gaze Of Avalokiteśvara might be able to pierce though it, but… hmm. I think we should take a moment to search for solutions.”

It was then that a horrible scream rang out, a heart-wrenching cry of pain, and Yasaka-san collapsed, losing his colour, silver mist rising from him, crimson blood with similar streamers of silver spraying from his mouth. Hyacinth and Haanōbō were soon on alert, expecting an attack, but Arisu shook her head.

“I have an excellent grasp on the space around us. There is no enemy. No, this seems as if…”

Saionji-san realised as well. “His Anchor? But… damn! His shrine is in Osaka! And it’s well protected, several other Chosen from the city registered with the Ministry, and we were paying them to guard it, so… damn it all!” He was furious, but not as furious as Arisu.

“I had said little at your choice not to discorporate your Territory as per the emergency plans for full-scale disaster, which we prepared after Kyoto.” Her voice was cold, and a fury was building inside her. Hyacinth was attempting to stabilise the spasming, broken man, but it seemed futile. “You are merely an ally, and your Territory is reasonably well defended, and right on Suzuki-san’s border, with help at hand. But… this.”

“Do you think I was breaking down my Territory, and struggling to do the same to White’s, for fun? Suzanne-san as well? It is a point of risk. Territories offer many benefits yes, but also vulnerability. And to leave one so far afield…” she continued her furious words.

“Yasaka-san’s Territory gave him a lot of boosts, and he needed them, his power takes it out of him, and… the focus of any attacks should have been here, and it was!” Saionji-san rubbed at his temples, feeling sudden pain. “Shit! Those fucking terrorists! It must have been them, yes?”

“That or someone else talking advantage of the chaos.” Arisu leashed her anger, as it was doing them no good. “Are there any others here who have Anchors elsewhere? If so, they should be warned…”

Saionji-san nodded. “I’ll return and make a call to Morita-san at the Ministry. As the Minister she should be able to access the records and send out warnings and check who is still unharmed…” As Saionji-san vanished in a hurry, Arisu turned to Hyacinth, whose efforts were proving futile.

“Come with me, and bring the poor idiot with you.” she ordered, and Hyacinth nodded, scooping up the fallen Yasaka-san and carrying his fading, fraying Astral body into the Room…

***

Fourth – Asha, Akio’s Territory, Shirohebizumi Shrine, The Boundary, Tokyo

“Perhaps we should leave this place?” the woman who had accompanied Asha, Tamamo-no-Mae asked. Behind her were nine bushy tails covered in brilliant golden-red fur, matched by her red-blonde hair that cascaded behind her like a cloak, flowing like silk. Her deep green eyes seemed to hold a myriad of emotions within, many Asha could not decipher, but right now there was concern in abundance.

“You are no warrior, yes?” the Yōkai suggested. No, to call her a mere Yōkai was disrespectful, she had the presence and the charm of a true ruler, and the deep sadness and weariness too. It was as if Asha was before King Orion or Queen Ariel, and the pressure was intense.

Tamamo-no-Mae’s beautifully decorated kimono was open at the waist, revealing a generous expanse of her enormous breasts, larger even than her granddaughter, who was similarly well-endowed. Asha herself was hardly small, but she felt outclassed at the raw seductiveness the foxes exuded, even if it was leashed somewhat.

“No, I am not.” Asha agreed. “However, I am not the weakling I was. A great deal of my power withered away over the long years of madness and suffering, but… I am confident I am reclaiming it, and will soon surpass my past self. Are you…” she asked, hesitantly, and Tamamo-no-Mae barked a laugh of mixed amusement and bitterness.

“Like you, I am not my best self.” Her tails lashed, troubled, and her face twisted, perhaps remembering her own torments, ones that Asha sympathised with, even if unlike her, Tamamo-no-Mae had a history of cruelties both grand and petty, to weigh down her conscience. “Akio, he has done what he can, and though sometimes at night I wake wishing he had not…” She shuddered at further remembered pain. “…I confess to not expecting to feel so… normal.” She clenched one elegant fist, her fingernails long and sharp, but also attractive somehow. “I can fight somewhat, if I must. But there is little point tempting fate. For fate can be cruel, and delights in irony.”

“I do not doubt it.” Asha found her own fate ironic, though the cruelty was fading from her mind, little by little. When a Dryad found her fated partner, gave her Kiss, she became more and more entwined with them, spirt and mind alike. Besides… Her hand went to her belly, where the seeds had been sown, and new life fruited. It is my redemption. To give life after taking so much away to survive. But also my joy… sisters, I shall not wither, not shall they.

“However, my Tree…” She eyed the smooth bark of her great Rhyming Tree, which like her was regaining former glories, no, perhaps it had already surpassed its past peak, as it was constantly absorbing more elemental energies and ether due to Shiro’s persistent blessings. Buffs, they call them…

“My Tree, it dwells in both realms at once, the mortal and the spiritual. In a way, it is like Akio himself.” She smiled fondly, her golden-yellow eyes reminiscing. “It seems to me we were certainly meant to be. For we grow more alike. But…” She shook her head, her own long and beautiful hair of auburn flowing. “…conversely, I feel what it feels. And it senses danger there too. Here at least you can exert your greatest strength, yes?”

“That is… substantially… true.” Tamamo-no-Mae agreed, frowning. “It does not matter, I suppose. What will be shall be. I suppose I must be a fool, to be grateful for small mercies. I suspect millennia of suffering does focus the mind on what little joys we can experience.”

“It does indeed.” Asha agreed, finding pleasure in all the little things, her gardens, the camaraderie with Hyacinth, who had also suffered as they had, and helped her grow many interesting plants. Her fellow sisters, who loved the man she loved. The mortal world. At first she had found it… unpleasant… too noisy, crowded and dirty, lacking greenery and nature, but Akio had promised that would change, and… There is much to love as well. I am a new me. I cannot be bound to the old ways.

“Since there is little point in retreat, we shall just guard this place.” Tamamo-no-Mae nodded. “There is much here of value. It is… terribly foolish. There is a saying about the danger of stacking eggs, no?”

“We would say putting all our eggs in a singe basket.” Asha chuckled gently. “But I understand. Our hands were somewhat forced by the need for strong earth element, but yes, as soon as we reach Rank Four, at least the Anchor and key Buildings will be relocated, and the Ring Gate Hub secured with further barriers and defences, and an isolated processing centre linked in. Hyacinth can grow the mushrooms, and we have identified a suitable area also rich in energies.”

“Prudent.” Tamamo-no-Mae sniffed, glancing around at the deserted shrine. Most of the non-combatants had been evacuated to shelters, and even now the battle raged all around the Territory. In the distance lightning flashed, explosions boomed, and irritating, droning sounds of horns and singing could be heard which set Asha’s teeth on edge, itched at her very spirit.

“In that case, we should… no, never mind.” Tamamo-no-Mae changed her mind, her tails stiffening, standing up. With a swift gesture she grabbed Asha, leaping backwards. The surrounding Defensive Emplacements opened up, bolts of prismatic silver energy stabbing out, towards a rapidly approaching cloud of dust and debris. A lance of dark wood came flying from the mass, striking an Emplacement, which shattered into a spray of aether, making Asha frown. It was then a great voice boomed out, and she staggered, feeling a great weight of aether and adherence all around her, almost as a physical pressure.

“Great Wall Of Twelve Gates!”

A colossal golden dome suddenly enclosed the hillside, mysterious, ghostly yet beautiful golden figures atop it, and Asha suddenly felt cut off, and the stirrings of danger pricked at her mind and spirit. It seemed she was not alone, as Tamamo-no-Mae spat out a curse.

“Damnable bastards of their corpse God! May their manhoods rot and their wombs be barren as dust!” Seeming to be angered, Asha watched as Tamamo-no-Mae raised a hand. Brilliant yellow and green lights converged, balls forming over two of her nine tails, and then they combined, and a forking beam of lightning lashed out, striking the golden dome. Ripples of light spread, and sweat beaded on Tamamo-no-Mae’s fair skin, only for three of the ghostly figures to cry out words that were understood on an instinctively spiritual level, something Asha was used to, being a Fae, but did not expect.

[None May Pass The Gate Of Reuben!]

[Evil Within The Gate Of Judah Be Repelled!]

[Foul Spirit, The Gate Of Levi Rejects You!]

Three gleaming blasts arched downwards, the ghostly figures swinging their weapons, sword, spear and axe, and Tamamo-no-Mae cursed again, before shoving Asha to safety. Asha panicked, but a gust of green guided her to a safe landing, even as the hillside exploded, two more nearby Defensive Emplacements reduced to ashes.

“Mae!” Asha cried out, panicked, as the glowing golden figures settled back to calm stillness, though she could see another one of them through the golden glow striking towards the outside of the dome. Distracted, she didn’t notice the great mass of debris and wood come to a stop, and when it dissipated, there was a man standing there, taller than Akio, muscular and powerful, his arms and legs straining against the silver chainmail armour he wore, each link seemingly forged in a cross shape. Over that he wore a white cassock, trimmed in gold, and one of his hands was resting upon a dark wooden wheel, nearly as tall as he was, ringed with wooden spikes, but it gave off an odd, almost metallic stench, and just looking at it made Asha shiver.

“Ah, there you are.” The brown-haired man spoke, hand tightening on his great wheel. His equally dark brown eyes at first seemed kind, but Asha could see that he was eyeing her as if she was an insect, a curiosity with little value other than to be stamped on.

“Me?” Asha took up a defensive stance, and the man chuckled, full of dark humour.

“You.” He agreed. “So many lives lost, the many Martyred Dead giving their service. All for you… and your accursed false Tree!”

At the venom in his voice, and the bile directed towards her precious Tree, her other self, she immediately acted. Vines ripped from the ground, her wood element surging within her, and she tried to ensnare the intruder. Under the light filtering through the translucent dome, which was dyed gold, Asha felt she had him, as the vines twisted around him, but moments later he flexed, and the vines shredded. Asha tried to call on more, desperate to halt him, but with a laugh he cried out some harsh words.

“In blood there is iron, and abominations of the spirit fear iron, and fear the true soul, for they have none!”

Asha suddenly felt weak and dizzy, and the man laughed. “Just the words lack potency, but the belief in the thing is the thing. You wretched spirits loathe the touch of it, and you should be pierced by it until you perish. That is one thing poor, useless Mary Stuart had right. If only her grandmother were still alive, the grand plan would not have been so disrupted. Magdalena knew how to wield the skewer…”

Seeing the man approaching, Asha reflexively backed off, her movements weak, her hand trembling as it touched her belly. Though behind her was her Tree, and as she watched, fighting the urge to scream and vomit, his cruel gaze turned to it.

“Eve was the one who persuaded Adam to taste the forbidden fruit. The Tree Of Knowledge… Knowledge is poison. Faith, and unyielding obedience to the Throne is all that is required of us. God knows, Man believes.”

The fanatical fervour made Asha shiver. “No, this filthy tree has grown too big, and must be uprooted, every leaf and branch hewn and fed to the flames, the trunk rendered to sawdust, and that scattered so that none shall try such again.” With a wicked glare he peered at Asha, still clutching her belly, and he grunted.

“And let no devilish spirit sire more of her kind. No, while the Lord allows for forgiveness, I do not forgive. For the wages of sin are death. And… this blasphemous Tree, your essence… it is a sin against the Ninth Heaven!”

“No!” Asha cried. Her fruits, her Tree, she would protect them! While she would die without her Tree, the reverse was not always true, and she could live on, perhaps, as a dream within its stately, ponderous existence. My fruits, My Akio, I only regret…

As nature element surged, a struggle as her body was still polluted by a painful adherence, Asha made ready to fight and die, only for a sudden explosion of ghostly bluish-green flame to burst between them, pushing back the intruder, who shielded himself with his great wheel. Moments later, Asha felt a hand on her back, and a cool energy entered her, purging the lingering taint of imagined iron from her body. Shuddering, she looked at her saviour, the wickedly grinning Kitsune Tamamo-no-Mae, whose kimono was fluttering in the backlash of her explosion, her hair and tails too. With one slow wink of her brilliant green eye, she spoke.

“You forgot me. How… mortifying. I suppose I am but a recent arrival. Yet…” She brushed imaginary dust from her clothing. “…such strikes were surprising, and did catch me off guard. But do you think little golden beams can defeat me? I have strode the world, toppling kingdoms, seducing kings, queens, princesses and princes alike. I am feared above all others, the greatest of Yōkai. And now… I am in a rather bad mood indeed.” She turned to glare at the newcomer. “You are not welcome here. Go now, and I shall let you live…”

The man chuckled. “I see. And who might you be, and where does your confidence spring from?”

“As barbaric as I remember. All your kind are the same. So convinced of their own righteousness. At least my mistakes, my crimes, my passions, I own, rightly or wrongly, for I did them at my own whim. You always have your excuse, anything is justified if he wills it. Besides, if you wish a name, it is only polite to give yours first, no?” Tamamo-no-Mae grumbled, her tails lashing.

“Politeness? To a monstrous sinner such as you? What insolence.” He turned and spat on the charred hillside, and Asha frowned at the disrespect of it.

“But… I am always in a good mood when doing the Lord’s work. And before I break the insolence out of you with the wheel…” He patted the dark, stained wooden monstrosity fondly. “…it will do no harm. I am Judgement-Cardinal Luca Aloisio, and this, the Rota Iudicii, is the Wheel of Judgement that will break you and this accursed tree!”

“We shall see.” Tamamo-no-Mae sniffed regally and disbelievingly, and as Asha watched on, the tension palpable, she introduced herself. “I am Tamamo-no-Mae, the one Kitsune that fears none knowing her name, cannot be tamed… no, I suppose that is no longer true.” She took a deep breath, chest heaving. “…No, I am Tamamo-no-Mae, the nine-tailed fox, and I shall be your doom, witless torturer! So stand and face me!”