On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor - Six Hundred And Thirty-One

“There’s nothing here. Not unexpected…” I observed, as we reached the northwestern coast where Sekka had found signs of the undead Kamuy’s incursions. The volcanic island of Mount Rishiri was visible in the distance, thick, dark smoke rising straight up into the silver-streaked and glowing Boundary skies, an occasional rumble heard even here, over the sound of the waves of icy water crashing against the barren shore. Though again, how there are tides when there’s no moon providing gravity here… or who knows? Maybe there is, and the moon’s out there in the Boundary too somewhere…

All that remained was a deep groove in the black volcanic sand that lined the beach, and a reeking, acrid stench that might have been the remains of the mutated dust element. “So, obviously the next logical step would be to investigate there.” I pointed across the sea, to where the island sat, some twenty kilometres away. “It shouldn’t be too hard for me to jump us over there with spatial element.”

“That is unwise.” Mae shook her head. “Yes, it would be swift, but if there are any… accidents… then it is not like being above land. The waters are cold, and what dwells within the deeps are not to be trifled with.”

“In that case, what do we do?” I asked, and Mae’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

“You do not think we Yōkai struggle to cross the waters, do you? The Night Parade moves between the islands with ease, and I have travelled to many lands.”

“I too. I have perhaps travelled farther afield than even you, grandmother.” Hana cheekily broke in, and Shaeula coughed ostentatiously, before mocking her.

“Should you be saying that-that here, in front of Akio? Do you think he is not-not aware of your travels? I most-most certainly am.”

Hana flushed, drawing her furry coat around her body, and put on an abashed, pitiful look. “That was all in the past, Shaeula. I was lonely and depressed. Do you have to bully me?”

Shaeula merely snorted, crossing her arms.

“All right, no need to fight.” I broke in. “So, how will we cross?”

“The easiest way is to ask Sekka.” Mae shrugged, and the Yuki-onna nodded slowly.

“Very well. I shall create a vessel. Though my capacity to defend myself while crossing the seas is reduced, so if there is trouble…”

“What trouble can we not handle?” Mae chuckled, her tails wagging, and I felt inclined to agree. Though there’s still no benefit in getting arrogant. I’ll be on my guard.

Shimmering icy energies shone around Sekka, and she breathed out, a wave of frost striking the crashing waves. As we watched, icy crystals rapidly precipitated, and then the ice expanded, frozen water assembling itself into a large flat shape, the sides curving up, like a large rowing boat, only made from glittering crystalline ice.

“Impressive.” I muttered, as the boat continued to grow, until it was more than spacious enough to fit us all in, and the sides had risen to be chest height on the pair of Oni with us, as well as icy benches having sprouted, and the front being carved into a sharp prow. “So how does it move?”

“I can manage that as well.” Sekka responded. “Ice and water are not dissimilar. But it takes concentration and precision.”

“When we do it, we break down trees and make a raft.” Red declared proudly.

“But then ya make me row the damn thing.” Blue grimaced. “I suppose we could do that if ya can’t keep up, Sekka.”

“It is merely crossing the narrow sea. I can do it.” she seemed almost offended.

“In that case…” I decided to calm the situation. Dealing with groups of disparate Yōkai is like herding cats, sometimes. Shaeula was giving me a commiserating look, but I cheerfully patted her head in return, my smile wry. You’re just as fond of causing trouble as the other Yōkai here. “…we might as well begin.”

I helped Shaeula into the boat gallantly, before doing the same with Daiyu, Tsukiko and Hyacinth. Seeing that, Hana clearly wanted me to offer her my hand as well, but at Shaeula’s mocking smile, she instead pouted and hopped in, tails wagging sourly. Her rueful annoyance intensified when I reached out to Mae, and Mae stared at me for a long moment before accepting, letting me help her into the boat.

Red and Blue jumped in calmly, their massive size and weight causing the craft to shake a little, scattering cold water everywhere, while Sekka looked on in shock, though she seemed to be getting used to what she felt was unusual behaviour from her long-time Kitsune acquaintance. Bintara moved before I could, though she let out a dull snort at the need.

“If this craft sinks, I shall be fine. The cold northern waters are not pleasant, I am used to warmer climates, yet I am the Bitan, the seas are my home.” She paused, thinking, before sitting down, the clothes I had used to cover the icy seats before now being recycled to make our frozen vessel a little more pleasant. “I am not sure why I am still needed. The two Tamamo-no-Mae wishes to save have been taken from here. My role has ended.”

“Maybe so, but you’re here now. I don’t want to send you home alone either. What if you were to run into another pack of the undead? I know you have to be strong, considering your Number within the Parade, but your strengths aren’t geared towards combat. I’d feel awful if you were hurt.”

“I… see.” That silenced Bintara, and she turned her head aside, horns nearly striking Hana, who snickered as if watching something entertaining. Lastly, Sekka and I boarded, and soon we were on our way. I used my Eyes to see just what she was doing to move the vessel, and it was quite educational. Stirring up water currents with carefully crafted bouts of freezing and melting indeed required great precision.

“I did not expect this.” Daiyu observed, shivering a little. “I have no love for the ocean now. It brings back bad memories.”

I nodded, putting an arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled close. Seeing that, Shaeula chuckled, but instead of monopolising my other side, she pushed Hyacinth over. She protested, but Shaeula was unmoved, and moments later, Hyacinth was against my other side, and her smile gave away her happiness. Shaeula saw that and winked at me but mouthed that I’d have to make it up to her and Tsukiko later. Sure, sounds fair.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be floating in these seas.” I promised. “If we do hit trouble, I’m confident of getting us back to the mainland at least.”

“How reassuring.” Sekka’s sarcasm was plain. “I am pleased you all seem so relaxed and have leisure to flirt. The seas are dangerous, and I know some of the strange, skeletal Kamuy came from the ocean. Or at least I surmise it so, from the evidence.” she amended, unwilling to state that definitively.

“True. Don’t worry though, we’re keeping an eye out.” I promised. Literally, in Shaeula’s and my cases. I know Daiyu is expanding her Qi Perception as well. The waters below were cold and deep, and through my Eyes I could see the glow of numerous sea creatures, massive eels, fishes and other beasts. Fortunately, they didn’t seem interested in our little boat that was bobbing on the restless seas.

“Wait. Do you see that?” Daiyu spoke up after a while, her keen senses detecting something odd. “The water ahead… it is hard to observe, yet…”

Oh, I do see it, now you mention it. Ahead of us, there was a disturbance in the water, the waves slowing down unnaturally for just a second at a certain point, and a thin, almost line-like break in the flow. Narrowing my Eyes, I quickly worked out the reason. “It’s a Territory barrier. Sekka, can you stop the boat?”

“I can…” she grumbled, doing so. “…but it takes greater concentration to hold the craft stable and motionless atop the surging seas.”

“Judging by the size of the island Mount Rishiri is on…” I ran some quick calculations. “…and we look like we’re about fifteen kilometres from the shore… yeah, if there’s a Rank Three somewhere close to the centre of the island, it would extend out to sea for a good few kilometres, just like we occupy a bit of Sagami Bay.”

“That is all very-very well, but… considering the disappearance of the other Chosen on Hokkaido, as well-well as the missing spiritual beings and Yōkai… why-why would this one still be here? Is it simply a matter-matter of strength or is there something far-far more sinister?” Shaeula pointed out what we were all thinking.

“That is not the only consideration.” Daiyu agreed, her black eyes narrowing as she surveyed the invisible wall ahead of us. “If we wish to proceed, it is unlikely the barrier will let us pass, as we are outsiders. If we then attempt force, it is likely to lead to conflict. Yet if we announce our presence, and the Chosen or other powerful being within is hostile… fighting upon the seas hampers us significantly.”

“Legally speaking, the Territory isn’t registered with the Ministry, so we can dismantle it. Come to think of it, no Hokkaido Territories were registered. Even with the likely low numbers involved that’s a bit of an oddity, but… we’ve so many things to keep track of it’s inevitable until the Ministry is fully staffed and all the systems are in place, we’ll have gaps. But…” I frowned. “I don’t feel right attacking without any cause. Even though destroying the barrier won’t cause lasting harm, it’s going to complicate matters. But… I’m wary of announcing our presence. Yes, I can protect everyone, but Tsukiko, you’re the most vulnerable…”

Tsukiko nodded solemnly. “Indeed I am. And I would not wish to be a burden to you all. We also wanted to investigate Rebun island, did we not? That should be outside the radius of this Territory. But considering where the drop of blood from Moshiri-kor-kamuy fell in the vision we shared that night…” She looked to the western flank of the smoking volcano, her face slightly pink from her reminiscences. “…we shall surely need to reach that location. Akio…” She gazed into my eyes, expression serious. “…you are moving there even now in the Material, yes? I shall return to you, and we will investigate there together. Once matters are settled here, and it is confirmed safe, if my expertise is needed… I have no fear for my Material form, while it is with you. It is not so vulnerable, regardless.” She shared a smile with Hyacinth and Shaeula, who were likewise using Throne bodies. 

“Fine then.” I agreed, and with a smile, Tsukiko dissipated, her Astral form reuniting with the forged Material one. With that one worry gone, I made my decision. “We’ll try diplomacy first. I’ll give a gentle knock.” I shot out a blast of wind, which indeed did splatter off the Territory barrier, scattering into jade sparks, accompanied by motes of spent aether. Having notified the owner of the Territory someone had come, assuming they were close at hand, I raised an arm, and launched a brilliant flare of light element into the sky. It bloomed like a firework, and Shaeula chortled happily at the pretty sight, as indigo sparks rained down overhead like a million glittering snowflakes.

“Quite the spectacle. It would be better with booze though, don’t ya think?” Blue was craning her neck, sparkling lights reflected in her eyes.

“We can celebrate later.” I promised, another blade of wind and burst of light shining amidst the dark skies, reflecting off the waves, giving them an almost glassy sheen. “Huh, nobody’s home?”

After a pause, during which Sekka was becoming exasperated, I considered my options. “We can’t spend too long here. But if we’re going to rebuild your Territory, Sekka, I don’t want to have to constantly station troops here or suffer casualties, even for the ice element. I’ll knock once more, after all, third time’s the charm, right?”

“That is amusing, Akiooo!” Hyacinth chuckled, and Shaeula winked, at that nod to their culture. As the light burst in the sky once more, only silence answered, but Daiyu suddenly stood, her stance one ready for combat.

“Something is coming. Below us. It is…” Before she could even finish her sentence, the word ‘massive’ swallowed by silence, a shadow passed below us, colossal and ponderous.

“We Yōkai may be able to cross the seas, but Oni belong on land.” Red rumbled, also preparing for battle, as was Blue. “You foxes aren’t much for water, are you?”

“Rude.” Hana declared, her tails standing on end, a halo of elemental energies rising. “I am a beautiful woman, of course I like to bathe, and keep my hair and fur smooth and silky. Go bully the Bakeneko instead, it is they who disdain a bath.”

Blue snorted at that, and while the banter showed how calm everyone was, as expected from such powerful combatants, I exchanged a quick glance with Sekka, who nodded. Yeah, her ice is stronger than ordinary frozen water, for sure. But whether it can take a hit is questionable, and even if it doesn’t…

The seawater was surging, and the gigantic shadow was growing. I made a split-second decision, and Mae, beside me, had come to the same conclusion, as we both used water element, generating a massive pair of waterspouts below us.

“Hold on!” I cried, as the boat rocketed unsteadily up into the air. I’m thankful we sent Tsukiko back. Even now in the Material, her body, the one I was left protecting, had opened her eyes, and we were enjoying a leisurely helicopter ride towards Mount Rishiri. Can’t rule out finding clues on the Material. After all, the moon shines there, doesn’t it? There’s a couple of small towns, but the overall population is tiny, under five thousand… so if the Chosen is from there, we have a chance of finding them.

Back in the Boundary, things were far less cosy. The surface of the sea bulged out, a massive dome forming, dwarfing our icy vessel. Moments later the ocean exploded, a gigantic creature, clearly a sort of whale, a narwhal, though my mind rebelled at that… Narwhals aren’t native to Japan, they prefer colder waters… though I suppose this is the Boundary… a single long horn more than ten metres long, accompanied by a quartet of shorter, four metre horns, crowning its colossal head, large enough to swallow us with a single bite. It’s forty damn metres long!

My Eyes flashed, the orange glow in mine a match to the ghostly blueish-black flames within the cavernous truck-tyre sized eyes of the angry whale. Immediately, I felt a stinging pain, the details not resolving properly, something I wasn’t used to recently.

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 “Fuck…” A little blood leaked from my right eye, obscuring my vision, and even as those around me cried out, the whale-creature, skin grey and oozing a foul black mist which dripped back into the churning, icy seas below, opened its mouth, a surging tide of elemental energies, darkness and earth, mixed together with water, gathering into an orb of oozing, stinking destruction.

“Big bastard, isn’t he?” Red grinned, showing no fear, even as our watery escape began to falter, the boat hanging in the sky, water raining down, forming fleeting, beautiful rainbows. “I think this will be a good fight!”

“I’m glad someone’s having fun!” I cried out. “It’s not normal!” I raised a hand and bombarded the whale with light element. Black mist shivered, and I could almost hear it scream, or maybe that was my imagination, before the grey, stony skin burned, but even the fierce lasers of light couldn’t penetrate fully, merely burning a metre or so into the twitching flesh.

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one to act. Mae, a veteran of hundreds of such battles, had her tails surging with multicoloured light, and growing to five metres in length. Nine elemental energies shimmered, forming a massive sphere, and with a cry she flung it. “Mountain Breaker, Ocean Drinker!”

The ball of energies merged into a single shining orb, and as silvery sweat cascaded from Mae, the impact struck home. The explosion was deafening, rocking the whale, ripping out a crater some seven metres across and five metres deep, exposing pulsating innards and massive, girder-like spars of blackened bone. Foul blood and black mist gushed into the ocean, but the whale ignored that, unleashing its blast of mutated dust element.

“Fuck me, ya be a big one. I like whale sashimi and unesu, not that we see much whale meat, but the salty blubber is irresistible…” Blue seemed to know no fear as the beam shot past us, Mae’s mighty strike turning the whale’s head just enough.

“I want one of those horns.” Red boomed, eyeing the longest. “That would make a mighty spear. For now, though…” He held out a meaty hand, and Sekka frowned, ice forming a pair of huge icy naginatas for the Oni. “…let’s go whaling!”

“We have other-other problems!” Shaeula’s Mystic Eyes were also scanning the area, and from the nearby Territory, she had spotted a surge of aether and elemental fire and earth. “Incoming!”

“Oh, I suppose it is time to show my worth.” Hana chortled. “Just watch my fifth tail shine! Golden Needles!”

Is that… metal element? I didn’t have time to ask, as I was continually blasting bolts of light into the wound Mae’s mighty strike had inflicted. Beside me, Bintara was waving a hand, and the ocean boiled, blades and tentacles of water reaching up to pierce and ensnare the massive creature even as it was falling back to the ocean below.

Fur separated from Hana’s tail, forming long, straight strands, and elemental energy was absorbed rapidly. Moments later, a surge of wind propelled them like bullets, striking the oncoming projectiles as soon as they exited the Territory barrier. Another volley pierced the burning eye of the whale, but it didn’t seem to notice. Instead, the horns began to glow menacingly, lightning crackling ominously.

“This is not-not good, but… fear not-not, I am here!” Shaeula raised her hand. The Oni had used their long weapons to inflict some slight injuries, but even piercing a metre deep into flesh was nothing to such a leviathan.

“Just-just attack. Hyacinth, do you-you have any tricks you can use?” Shaeula asked, and our maniacal maid nodded.

“Return toooooo the grave. You dare to attack Akiooo?” The white mushrooms, the Devouring Myrcolaxriaths, she had used to drain the ice element and spatial element from the Formation, sprouted from her body once more, and her hair streamed out behind her, the purple streaks glowing brilliantly, pale pink streaks joining the green within the black. Her eyes were a matching shade, crackling with sparks of violet and pink, and with a cry she unleashed her stolen elements. The ocean froze for a moment, Bintara’s watery conjuring becoming jagged ice, and the whale’s weight drove the spikes deep, shredding flesh and blubber, anchoring it in place for a moment even as the temporary ice floe exploded under the impact.

“Lightning is mine-mine to command! Foehn, take-take from it!” Shaeula’s unique element, the twin to my own Foehn, surged, and the lightning flickering around the horns of the whale dispersed, only to be fed back to Shaeula, usurped. Her own elemental lightning formed a crown around her, the icy boat, which had started to fall too, beginning to melt and fracture, forcing Sekka to expend strength repairing it.

Hana unleashed more of her own attacks to deflect the incoming barrage of projectiles from the Territory, while Mae seemed to be searching for something, another surge of nine elements combining into a devastating orb of destruction behind her…

“Lightning and water, especially salty-salty water, do not-not mix. Consider this my gift-gift for your ambush, creature!” Shaeula dropped her hand in a cutting gesture, and a beam of lightning, fortified by what she had stolen with Foehn, pierced the sky. The Whale, horns dimming, writhed and thrashed, the water dancing with shimmering sparks and snakes of lightning, and as the whale convulsed, it spat ooze and a cloud of acrid black vapour.

“Har. Har. Har! Die, you giant bastard!” Red roared, leaping from the boat as it hit the water, spearing the whale deeply. Foul black and silver blood scattered, staining him and corroding his skin again, but beside him Blue was there, and together, their icy spears were ripping out chunks of meat and blubber, chipping bones.

“It is not alone.” Mae declared suddenly. “Mountain Breaker, Ocean Drinker… Sky Shatterer!” She unleashed another blast of energy, and I felt the Boundary shake around us. Lightning streaked the skies above, the strange, dark aurorae simultaneously brightening and shading to a deeper darkness. The orb formed an afterimage brighter than Shaeula’s lightning attack, and moments later the ocean detonated, that was the only way I could describe it. Enormous amounts of water flared into steam, which then drew in air element and exploded. Fragments of other creatures, probably smaller whales, dolphins or similar beings, were shot into the air, and lightning to match Shaeula’s rumbled, a cloud forming from the tons of evaporated moisture sparking bolts down at random. The Territory barrier, while not directly targeted, shimmered, trying to brace the impacts, and as it weakened I made a decision.

“Shit. Diplomacy can come after we’ve dealt with the situation. We’ll make landfall and dig in. It’s time! Prominence…”

Time seemed to slow, the colossal narwhal opening its mouth again, gathering more dust element for another attack. With a cry of triumph, Red, who’s icy naginata had shattered, the end deep in the guts of the beast, flexed his muscles, straining so hard blood gouted from his nose, and tore free one of the shorter horns. With a laugh he thrust the pointed end into flesh, howling maniacally as he stabbed the whale over and over again.

Not to be outdone, Blue was deep inside a cavern our attacks had dug into the flesh, and her fists were shattering bones, though her own hands were raw and bloody, and the reeking black smoke was searing her like acid, and her eyes were full of blood, capillaries having burst, giving her an eerie bloodshot appearance.

Yeah, Tsukiko has no place in this sort of battle, not yet. “Dusk!” I called, the ring of black light, fringed with an aura of glowing brilliance, spun into existence. The beast before us cried out, raising its mouth, nearly shaking Red off, and a beam of dust element surged towards me, like a reeking tide of creeping acid. However, Prominence Dusk expanded, shielding the boat, and the impact made me tremble, the force of that strike, even as the beam was absorbed, significant.

“Red, Blue, move your fucking asses!” I cried, and Red, grimacing, showing his tusk-like fangs, leapt back towards the boat, his rage cooling. Blue, however, had gone berserk, tearing and biting at the innards of the whale. Seeing that, he hesitated, but Bintara lashed out with tendrils of seawater, and despite Blue’s desperate struggles, she was hauled out, though she was still howling and fighting Bintara, as if unwilling to leave the bloody battle.

Moments later, I converted the vast tide of dust element into my own, infusing it with more darkness element. The ooze burned with a blue flame, becoming a pure dust again, and the beam shot back out, striking the whale in one ghostly eye.

“Calm down, Blue!” Red cried, as our boat shattered, the frost falling away as Blue struggled against Bintara. He slapped her face, only to be gored by her horns and bitten in the shoulder. I didn’t have time to pay attention, as I was steering the massive discharge of dust element, and it ate through the huge whale-beast like a great razor. Despite that, the whale was just so impossibly large that even after slicing a dozen metres through it, bones and internal organs meeting the same fate as flesh and blubber, disintegrating, it somehow still endured, and its massive tail thrashed as it propelled itself towards us, ready to crush us with sheer mass rather than elemental attacks.

Oh no, I don’t think so… As Prominence Dusk faded into nothingness, spent, Bintara injected a long needle of water into Blue, and she fell into a stupor in Red’s arms. As the narwhal stormed us, the long horn closing in, but less of a threat than the size and speed of the shredded brute, walls of ice, wind and more blocked it for mere fractions of a second, but… That’s enough. All right, Tsurugi, time to wake up…

My hand was on her hilt, and her sleepy voice sounded. “Oh, it is morning already, father…? Oh, what is that? So ugly!”

It is. So… we need to cut it. Can you do it?

There’s nothing I can’t cut, be it the clouds, or the sea itself! She switched to rapid thoughts, as time was scant, only my Alacrity giving me the speed to react. I felt Tsurugi awaken, blade shining, and with a click she was unsheathed, blade naked in my hands as I swung with a strike that I expected Natsumi and Motoko would praise.

“Parting Clouds, Severing Oceans!” I declared, amused at how similar that move name I had just thought of wasn’t dissimilar to Mae’s. Everything seemed to freeze, as Tsurugi swept forwards, and made contact with the tip of the great horn.

Ouch! Hard, and it stinks. I don’t like it, not at all! But I’ll cut it apart, I’ll cut it all apart! There was a gentle humming, and the horn, so solid and crackling with the stirrings of another blast of lightning, began to part slowly, Tsurugi effortlessly slicing it. The whale seemed to halt, forward motion momentarily arrested, as the horn split. Moments later, a gush of reeking blood and mist spilled into the water, and the whale separated into two halves… behind it, the ocean formed a trench, dozens of metres, hundreds even, into the water, like a miniature parting of the Red Sea in Christian myth. Then the Territory barrier gave way, crumbling, and even the skies of the Boundary above cleared for a moment, the lightning scattering, before the world seemed to resume.

You have gained in strength. Your Level has increased from One Hundred And Fifty-Six to One Hundred And Fifty-Nine. Your…

Wind, water, ice and just sheer force was being used by everyone to push aside the disintegrating narwhal corpse. A huge amount of ether and adherence was scattering from it, as well as the other creatures Mae had blasted earlier, and we were all sucking it in, though in addition to the bounty, I felt the prickling of a darker energy. Ooze floated on the surface of the water, but it couldn’t touch us as Sekka, sweating profusely, covered in a layer of shimmering frost, in fact, had formed a massive wall of ice to deflect the deluge threatening to capsize our fragile, creaking vessel.

“Fuck it…” I cried. “The Territory barrier’s gone down. Everyone to shore.” I grabbed Shaeula and Daiyu, who had been observing the battle, her talents not particularly effective in this type of conflict, tossing them over my shoulders as soon as I sheathed Tsurugi, who was babbling in excitement about her ‘tremendous cut through the world…’ as she called it. The two of them clung on tight as I scooped Hyacinth into my arms and with Seven-League Wings Of The Chooser, effortlessly covered the distance to shore in a moment, appearing in a burst of violet sparks.

The Territory is hostile, there’s a drain, and… more barrages of fire, earth and aether were being blasted from the centre of the Territory, the volcano that towered above the island, wreathed in smoke, steam and ash, but Shaeula and the others were more than up to the task. Blinking back, I grabbed Red and the dazed Blue by the scruffs of their necks, quite a feat considering how much they overtopped me in height. I felt a weight on my back, and it was Hana, leaping onto me, clinging close.

“Oh, it is very much a shame I am wearing this thick fur coat, or you would be having more fun…” she began, but moments later I was dumping the Oni and her on the beach.

“…at least let me finish!” she cried out. Mae had grabbed Bintara and Sekka and had effortlessly leapt across the several kilometres to the beach and landed with an impact that showered us all with sand, ash and gravel, though wind element shielded us from the worst. Hana grumbled, brushing at her suddenly fluffed and unkept tails, before unleashing a tide of wind which swept aside the incoming barrage. “I do hate water though, so swimming did not thrill me.”

“We’re all here then?” I asked, checking.

“Yes, but Blue… she’s acting strange.” Red grumbled, clouting her hard again and again. “Snap out of it, you dumb bitch! It’s not like you to go berserk, that’s what I do!”

“Let me. I am sensitive to Yin and Yang.” Daiyu stepped up, placing her hands on Blue’s lower back, all she could reach. Qi spread from her, and Daiyu’s expression shifted a little, and I could tell she was troubled. “I see. Her Yin is extremely disarrayed. Some sort of negative energy…”

“I feel we have bigger, much-much bigger problems.” Shaeula observed, pointing. Further north of us, the beach we were on quickly became a dark, tangled forest of unpleasant, thorny trees, many of them already blackened and burned, and more of them seemed to be moving, tearing free from the ground, like wicked, malformed Ents from that famous trilogy of films. That wasn’t all though, skeletal bears, larger than the ones that had harassed Sekka, were pouring forth, and amongst them, hammering through the trees, towered a strange, shimmering creature of dark, ominous cloud and lightning, perhaps some sort of elemental, well over ten metres in height.

Po^^ni%$& ^&mu& [Sp$%^e^ Of ^%$en^e]

Oh wonderful. Another messed up identification. “Right then…” I grabbed the hilt of Tsurugi. “…Looks like we’re not welcome here, doesn’t it? I suppose you did say you wanted to earn a few more Levels, Shaeula…”

All that greeted me was amused, yet slightly nervous laughter. As another barrage of incoming attacks from the Territory were deflected by Mae, her expression radiating bitter contempt, I gave the order. “We’ll deal with the defences. We can always offer consolation ether later, once we’ve reestablished Sekka’s Territory. But for now… I want to know what the hell is going on here!”

In the Material, we had landed the helicopter on the beach, and as we stepped out, after I’d explained to Tsukiko just what was happening in the Boundary, she frowned. “Yes, I can feel it. There is definitely something… abnormal here. And… it does not care for me. Not at all.” She reached out and took my arm, clinging to me, unusual for her. “Of course, here with you, I am not afraid. But it is unpleasant.”

“Yes, don’t worry, both here and there, everyone will be safe.” I promised, looking up at Mount Rishiri. “All right then, let’s go…”