On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor - Six Hundred And Sixty-Eight – Contains Status – Shaeula 12

While the chaos was going on in the Boundary, everyone scrambling to follow the new plan, grouping up and heading out, others, such as Hyacinth, headed out to conquer and establish our new Ring Gate Hub, trailed by Mortal Engineers and craftsmen, ready to turn it into a fortified immigration centre and secure transit route. Here on the Material, I was by myself in the hotel, drinking a coke over ice, when my phone started going crazy, messages flooding in and ringing loudly.

That didn’t take long. “Hello Abe-san, you’re up late…” I greeted the lucky first caller to my phone, though the pinging of messages received and calls going to voicemail sounded incessantly.

There was a long moment of silence, before his exceptionally grumpy reply came back. “…sometimes you make it hard not to get angry, Akio-san. I was getting a good night’s sleep for once, only to be woken up by my aides rushing in. The skies over Tokyo are on fire, and our ALOS-2 monitoring satellite crashed and had to be rebooted remotely. It was nearly lost entirely… it picked up land deformations which… defied expectations and reality. It registered it as a Shindo seven event. Magnitude ten plus! Obviously that’s a mistake, as the ground seems calm, though we are picking up microquakes centred on Tokyo constantly, and there has been some localised minor damage, but no injuries reported as of yet. What the hell is going on? The Americans have been calling, as have the Koreans and others close enough to us to notice…”

“Ah. Well, on the bright side, if our satellites can detect the subtle spatial changes, then we’ll know when anyone else worldwide goes Rank Four…”

“We’ll know?” Abe-san was quite flabbergasted. “Are you blind? Look out a damn window!”

The bar I was in had the curtains drawn, but, peering out towards distant Tokyo, even hundreds of miles away, I could indeed see curtains of brilliant aurorae in the skies. It was the northern lights, just brighter, and also in many familiar, Boundary colours, though even as I watched they began to disperse and fade, moving away from the epicentre. “Yes, I suppose that does stand out, but there’s no need to panic. At Rank Four the changes supposedly won’t be that massive in scale. The earthquakes are probably just the shifting of space within the crust and mantle.”

“You say it so casually…” I imagined Abe-san was shuddering. “…you can’t just deform the shape of the Earth like that and anticipate no problems, but…” He took a deep breath. “It’s fine. It’s fine. Totally fine…” he repeated, as if to reassure himself. “…we had plans, though… I barely believed them necessary, even with everything I’ve seen. The Ministry is scrambling all personnel, and we’re briefing the media… can you do anything?”

Back in the Boundary… no, strictly speaking, where I was in Tokyo it was the lower Astral now… I was indeed making preparations. Arisu-san was preparing to return here, to grab a number of the Adamant idols to help her front WTV emergency broadcasts, and would be back soon, and in the studio with then in mere minutes. The spectacle is rather more… identifiable… than we’d been led to believe. I wonder… did having too much of the Boundary in Tokyo ready to be instantly claimed cause this discrepancy?

“Arisu-san and her team will be broadcasting shortly. We’ll take audience calls and post on our website too.” I suggested. “Really, there… isn’t much to be concerned about. In the shorter term, anyway. The spatial expansion might lead to some strange happenings, but we’ve laws in place to deal with that. As for… immigration… if we get an influx of curious spiritual visitors, they’ll be from my Territory, and overlapping my areas of control, so… the populace shouldn’t see too much to alarm them. And speaking of…”

The first thing I did was add our fourth Anchor Spire. It cost ten thousand ether, which was, even with our depleted stocks, rather trivial, especially since the surge of etheric tides triggered by the upgrade had boosted all our Ether Spires temporarily, and the time dilation of the surrounding area had increased, which compounded the gain. It was only temporary, and would vanish as quickly as it came, but even so, it was a welcome boost. The Barrier Enhancement Spire was essential to our security plans, and… sadly, Anchor Spires didn’t follow the rush build costs of ordinary Buildings. It was a full hundred and sixty thousand ether, but that was still acceptable. As is the next Rank. One hundred thousand plus one point six million. But we can’t really do anything else until we strengthen the Territory barrier, and more importantly, can create additional layers around the Anchor, and the Rhyming Trees, and also the Ring Gate Hub when Hyacinth finishes her work there…

Ordinarily before the morning we would have gathered around one and a half million, or perhaps a bit more, ether, but with the tides flowing and the extended time, to say nothing of Shiro’s absurdly stacking buffs, it was a certainty we’d have both upgrades by then, and likely a significant amount of ether left over to start planning new construction. It seemed sensible to deploy the new Ether Spires, but actually, we wanted to find areas of truly useful elemental energies, with a decent surrounding ether density, so waiting until we’d claimed the land we could seemed wiser, and any losses from that were trivial over the longer term.

We’ll also likely pull in a lot of extra ether from all the battles we’ll end up fighting to claim the land. Peaceful resolutions first, of course, but… there are surely a great deal of mindless or vicious inhabitants out there…

“…we can manifest barriers in the Material now and suppress hostiles. I’m not sure how it works, but ownership is going to be ever-more important now. Fortunately, we planned ahead. Anyway, calming the populace is first priority. Then we should make an updated map covering all land expansions. Though expect it to continue changing regularly, for at least a while…”

“More headaches. Are you sure you don’t want to be Prime Minister?” Abe-san asked, exhaustion and stress plain in his voice.

“I think I’m busy enough, thanks. I’ll have to decline. But I’m grateful for your hard work.” I replied, amused, and his sigh was loud.

“Oh, yes, you’re going for the Princess marriage route.” He got a dig back in on me. “And here’s me, neck deep in shit. Still, I suppose you don’t have it easy too.” he paused for a second. “Hotaru. Is she… behaving herself?”

I winced. I’ll have to handle this carefully. I promised I wouldn’t tell her father about her behaviour, though I probably should have. Though in the end, she backed off from doing anything truly terrible and was merely mortified and aggrieved that I wouldn’t freely take her when she offered. In some ways I have to admire her confidence. But I need more than just a pretty face and a good body to entice me nowadays… and excuse me if it’s not very flattering just to be seen as a commodity, a means to an end… That’s not enough.

“It’s a learning experience for her.” I hedged. “She’s… got quite the… intense… personality.”

There was a pained silence, before Abe-san sighed. “Look, if she’s caused you any trouble, I apologise. As a father, I just want to make sure she’s as prepared for the new world as possible. It’ll be a world for the young, won’t it? We old men are going to struggle to adapt.”

“You’re not that old.” I insisted. “And she’ll finish the Pilgrimage as planned and you paid for.”

“I see. And if… I wanted more for her?”

“That might be difficult, but there’s room for negotiation.” I offered, and his tone was slightly more cheerful.

“Trying to bribe and extort the Prime Minister, are you? Such political corruption, but… no, as a father, I want what’s best for Hotaru, even if she can be… difficult. You’ll understand those feelings yourself soon enough, I hear. I’ll… do what I can to accommodate your needs, within the law, of course.”

Nice job, Hotaru. You’ve put your father in a position he’s got to come down on my side on an issue or two. Hopefully you’ll learn that your own desires and actions don’t involve and affect only you.

“I’m sure it won’t be too onerous. Most of what I need is in place anyway.” I tried to reassure him. “But it’s certain we’ll have forgotten to plan for some changes, so… your voice in support of new Ministry laws could be crucial. You’re well respected, after all.”

“Respect? I’d trade it all for your popularity. If you ran for Prime Minister, you’d crush the vote. Anyway… I’d appreciate it if Arisugawa-san and her co-presenters could act quickly. I’ll be doing a national emergency broadcast in a few minutes, then speaking to world leaders who want to know what the hell is going on here. So having some propaganda… I mean information… available to the populace and our foreign allies would be welcome.”

“Don’t worry. Tan…” Rose too, through my Astral body… “…is filling her in with what she needs to say. But here are the basic points. Over the short term there won’t be any major changes. And the spatial distortions and land expansions… complicated as it is to imagine, shouldn’t affect the properties of Earth. I’d have expected a slight change in the gravitational force of Earth, since new, tangible land will be added, but apparently it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Isn’t that worse?” Abe-san protested. “That means the Laws of the world we took for granted as immutable are anything but.”

“Yeah. I get that. But you know what we can do. There are deeper, underlying Laws for sure, but… at least rocket launches won’t suddenly fail due to the changes in mass of Earth. I hear those calculations are on a knife-edge.”

“Actually, there is plenty of redundancy built in, but I know what you mean…”

After that we exchanged a number of brief pleasantries, before he had to hang up. Idly, I turned on the TV in the bar, ready to watch his press conference, while I considered who to call next. Arisu-san had headed off, fully briefed, and I found Tan and Rose’s explanations rather fascinating. Apparently the reason that the Material Laws seemed able to accommodate the changes was that the Boundary in some ways also locked in such changes. There were also planets without Boundaries that likewise ignored fluctuations and deviations, and those controlled by Astral Emperors could adjust their Material Laws to an extent as they willed it, creating magical, one-of-a-kind worlds. But in the Far Reaches, as they called it, a jumble of unclaimed and broken worlds, with a few low-key Astral Emperors scattered within trying to avoid being usurped by the Pantheons… many worlds were fully transient.

Yeah. I can draw some inferences from that. But what it means is we have a few years before the Boundary collapses at least. It should be decades, but… yeah, I don’t believe that. I’ll plan for a handful of years. It makes me wonder, if Tsukiko’s prophecy… no, I’m just putting it off. Focus. My mind was wandering, but I had to make my decision. Ordinarily, I’d call back Fujiwara-san, but due to the current situation with Miyu…

I’m not crass enough to say that nothing’s going on between us. Yes, the way things happened was a mistake, but… now I know her feelings, Michiru’s too, and also my own… yeah. I don’t feel like talking to him right now. I’ll speak to Ichijou-san, and he’ll pass it on anyway.

I dialled the number, and soon the boisterous old man was answering, his tone expressing surprise. “It’s not like you to call me first, Akio-kun. I do hope there have been no problems with Mayumi. If so, do forgive her, she’s still quite clumsy when it comes to friendships, especially with men. When she calls every evening, she does little but talk about you, Hinata-chan and her other new friends. It does this old man’s heart good to hear her blossoming, so… if she has caused troubles, do me a favour and be sympathetic, all right?”

Are all fathers and grandfathers the same? This is déjà vu. “It’s fine. Mayumi-chan’s been well-behaved as far as I know and should be meeting her Pilgrimage goals by tomorrow. Besides, I daresay she’s got far more to think about. And that’s why I’m calling you, rather than Fujiwara-san…” It’s not a lie. It’s not the only reason, but it’s true enough.

“How many times have I told you to call me Kira, Akio-kun? I know Shige thinks the same. You may be a young man, but looking down on you just due to our age and status is foolish. Itsuki struggles a bit, but… well, that’s understandable, no? Considering what happened to Takatsukasa house, and his son still in seclusion. And none too happy about everything he hears. That aside… if you’re calling me… then the factories…?” His tone was eager, and that lifted my mood too.

“Yeah. We’re imminently ready to go, and on a larger scale than planned.” At my words, I could feel him listening, so laid out the initial stages. “The power plant should be the first to go live, and it will help provide both ether and electricity, as well as charge the installed battery array. Ideally, we want to expand the array to provide emergency power for Tokyo and the surrounds in case of disaster, but small scale first. The recycling will begin, separating out materials, and the military assembly line… we anticipate it running within a day or so…”

“About time. Mayumi will be delighted to start earning some profit, and seeing you provide value for your stake in Ichijou Heavy Industries.” he teased me, before his tone was more serious. “Honestly, the advanced body armour and suppression weaponry might be needed sooner than we’d like. Outfitting all the Police in Japan, all two hundred and sixty thousand… it’s a big ask, and the military needs too… another quarter million… to say nothing of proposed more… militaristic weapons. All for defence, of course. They are the Japanese Self-Defence Force. No doubt Katsuro will be bending your ear, but don’t give him favourable treatment just because he’s your grandfather-in-law, do you hear me?”

“Sorry, but family comes first.” I returned his gentle teasing with some of my own. “But the gear for the Special Forces Tokushusakusengun is a custom job.”

As he complained to me, mostly joking, I then filled him in on the effect of the Rank Four upgrade, and back in the Territory, many groups had moved off to begin their tasks, but some had remained with me, of course. Among those were Miyu and Michiru, and I could see they were eager to get started, quite shocking for Miyu really, which again made me realise just how much she’d changed. Shiro had asked to take them Levelling, wanting to ‘get to know them better’, which had both worried the pair of them and made them happy, as it was a kind of tacit acceptance.

Of course, that had led to delays, as Tan had wanted to explain what she knew of a Rank Four upgrade, and while I pointed out Rose, Lin and Run could do it, in the new Wisdom World at the back of my mind, she insisted she would do it. It was rather cute seeing how competitive Tan got over me, and I knew Shiro would be playfully prodding her mentally over it.

I had considered getting Shiro’s buffs to attack the Lost Droplet within me, but she was exhausted and had to hand out more buffs to the Levelling parties for added safety and efficiency, so I decided we’d give it a try when matters settled down after tomorrow… today now, I guess.

“I see. The internal barriers work like this.” I mused and erected it around the Anchor. Not directly, in fact, we were covering the same area as the Jonan Hills estate, and also… the merge was strongest here, and also around Shirohebizumi and the factory site. Barriers also went up there, and the last land around the Ring Gate Hub site should be transferred to my name any time now, so when it was claimed, we’d protect that too.

“They use ether, of course they do, and are actually quite costly, but… that’s probably because we haven’t claimed all the area yet. Of course, that’ll push up the running costs for the overall barrier too but going from roughly three-hundred and fourteen square kilometres, to thirty-one thousand, four hundred and fifteen, a hundredfold increase… our overall ether generation would increase substantially if all that could be harvested.”

“I don’t get why everyone doesn’t have this Anchor Spire…” Eri asked. She’d remained with me too, saying she could Level later. Those most eager to gain strength, such as Daiyu, had already headed out, though our taciturn Cultivator had flushed while kissing me farewell, promising to return far more powerful, and then to take part in the planned monopolisation of me by my women for the day.

“…it’s clearly the best choice.” she finished, and Tan shook Shiro’s head.

“It may indeed seem that way, and for now, it is a safe choice, and one I do not disdain.” she disagreed. “But if a force can destroy the Territory barrier of an ordinary Territory of that Rank, then a stronger barrier will at best buy time, the same with internal defences. Such time may indeed be crucial, but there are many other potent options.”

I agreed. “Yeah, overall, boosting the effect of Ether Spires, pulling in overall greater resources, or other enhancements, might give a greater longer-term benefit. But… we’re going to take things cautiously, so this is the one we need for now. And maybe we’ll keep it. Speaking of…” We’d accrued another hundred thousand ether, so I added the Rank 2 upgrade to it.

Barrier Enhancement Anchor Spire Rank 2 further increases the strength of your Territory barrier, and all internal barriers, allowing greater numbers to be set up, and greater flexibility in their shapes and coverage. The more barriers you have, the greater the escalating cost in Ether to maintain them, though this can be supplemented by Adherence, Elemental energies and more with greater flexibility. A small reduction in overall ongoing cost escalation is granted.

“Our peace of mind should be worth the expense.” I remarked. “And since it even extends to the Material in areas we have full control of… our parents and families will be protected from any further Church attacks, for example.”

“It’s still incredible.” Eri observed, looking around. “I just don’t see how this is possible.”

“It’s not a bad thing, Eri. Far from it.” Hinata laughed. Motoko and Natsumi had obviously headed out on their own mission of self-improvement, like Daiyu, though they had to gently be talked out of guarding Hyacinth while she did her work. If anyone doesn’t need protection right now, it’s her.

Hinata had remained, more concerned with Territory progress. As she watched the impossible scene, her brown eyes sparkled with both awe and greed. “We were getting a little crowded here. I had wanted to buy up more of the surrounding estates, but even money can’t solve everything. If those living there are really attached to their homes, that two, three or even five times the value won’t persuade them, there’s nothing we can do. But here…”

She pulled out her Claíomh Solais, poking the ground with the blade idly. “…the land has expanded, just like we predicted. It seems to largely work around structures, but the natural land, like the hillside… yes, it’s around a thirty percent expansion so far, on average, though it’s still slowly shifting. At around seven million yen per square metre… your net worth just skyrocketed, Akio.”

“Thank the Kami it didn’t mess up the tunnels and other construction I’ve done. But… Shirohebizumi has expanded too, hasn’t it? Land out there’s nowhere near as valuable, but even so…” Kana blinked, thinking about it, and I patted her head idly, and she giggled charmingly, leaning into my embrace, and I tried not to see the envious glances Miyu and Michiru were shooting me. “…while technically we don’t own it anymore… we’ve multiplied our contribution to your efforts.”

“The factory site has also grown, which means we can increase our warehousing space. It’s more that doubled.” Hinata pointed out. “That’s huge, as storage for both incoming waste and outgoing goods was our major bottleneck.”

“If I may?” Miyu asked, and as everyone looked at her, she smiled as best she could. “I know you explained, so please do forgive me, but I am not as… accustomed… as you all to this. Just how did Shaeula manage this? Forgive me if I am wasting your precious time…”

“No, it’s fine.” I assured her. “Honestly, we’ve got more free time than most, as we’re managing things here, and don’t want to go crazy until things settle. Hmm…” I glanced at Shaeula, who was leaning on my other side, face pale from her efforts, but clearly very satisfied, and also enjoying the closeness, rubbing her head on my chest and shoulders, occasionally playfully kissing me. “…I think it would be helpful if I explained Shaeula’s status. Do you mind?”

She shook her head, amber hair tickling me. “Not-not at all. There are only we females of Akio’s here…” At her words, Miyu’s face flushed and she looked down, ashamed, but Michiru bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, nodding like an eager puppy, and it seemed that Shaeula’s favourability with her had rocketed. “…so I shall have-have no secrets.”

“You heard her.” I chuckled, before I pulled from memory what I’d checked a short while ago.

“The key here is… a conflux of a number of Shaeula’s breakthroughs. And also… the Fisher Queen Class. I’m very much pleased Estalian and Ffionnan are investigating the changes here. This… doesn’t reach them.” I warned everyone, stroking Shaeula’s head as she nuzzled me affectionately. “It’s… a bit treasonous. I worry about Hyacinth too, to be honest. I know she won’t betray us, not now, not ever, but… it might cause her pain.”

“I do not-not think you need worry.” Shaeula promised. “Hyacinth is Hyacinth and shall never-never be anyone else again. And I am not who she believes she failed. Because I am not-not alone. And I shall certainly listen to her, and to you.” She glanced around, at Shiro, at Tsukiko, who was waiting to join the Levelling group shortly, to Asha, who was eager to get back to her Tree, to Kana, Hinata and Eri, to Michiru and Miyu too, which made them both blush and fidget. “…to everyone. I am not-not strong or wise enough to do everything alone, take on the burdens myself. That way is simply folly. No… just as our Bonds, our Connections are what make us strong, so too-too does our love. The more-more, the better!”

“I wholeheartedly agree!” Michiru cried out. “I feel blessed to be here with Miyu-sama, here with Akio-sama, and with you all! I am so happy I could just…” She was cut off as Miyu, embarrassed, put a hand over her mouth, and Michiru blushed. Miyu coughed, and then bowed her head, forcing Michiru to bow too.

“I am sorry for her… exuberance. It has been… quite the day for us.”

“No kidding.” Shiro snorted, Tan having quietened, her own Eye having already gathered the information from Shaeula I was sharing. “You’re a pair of thirsty girls. Especially you, Michiru. I’m almost impressed…”

“You would be impressed, obviously.” Eri sniffed. “But that aside… yes, it’s been a busy day for us all. I’m looking forward to some peace and quiet soon.”

“I know just what you mean.” I agreed. “I ended up speaking to Ichijou-san instead of your grandfather, Miyu. I wasn’t sure what to say to him…”

“Nothing.” Miyu shook her head. “After all, we agreed to start from zero. And while…” She looked around solemnly at the others, mirroring Shaeula’s earlier actions. “…I consider myself a woman worth pursuing, my confidence does falter a little, when I see my rivals. Yet… I shall not be deterred. Michiru shall support me.” She removed her hand, and Michiru, understanding the mood, nodded.

“Indeed. We shall be bold, yet elegant. Sneaky, yet charming. The ways of the ninja will aid us!”

“I do not know about that.” Miyu chuckled gently. “But… I shall speak to grandfather of my intent to begin a leisurely pursuit of you, a courtship. It is not strictly proper, in the ways of the nobility, but… grandfather allowed you to seize me as a Vassal. He surely secretly expected it and might even be relieved.”

“Not too leisurely, I hope, Miyu-sama!” Michiru added, and she merely smiled knowingly, before bowing again.

“My apologies for derailing this important conversation.”

“It’s fine. Aki’s love life always takes priority. And this doesn’t even make top twenty of inappropriate times to flirt. El-oh-el.” Shiro sounded out the letters cheekily. “So… Fisher Queen. Shit, that’s like… Arthurian, yeah? Fisher King myth?”

“Of course you’d know.” I nodded. “The King and the Land are as one. Or in this case, Shaeula’s the Queen who knitted together the land. It’s also because she’s a Proxy…”

Proxy is a Class given to those who are not Vassals, nor servants, but Rulers in their own right, granted full rights and responsibilities over a substantial and significant Territory or land of significance, yet still subordinate. The ability to control and implement measures to benefit said Territories and lands significantly increases, and any bonus from a Throne Of Heroes, which is ordinarily doubled within a Territory, is now doubled once again when within a land or Territory the Proxy supports in their own right.

Fisher Queen is a Class with extremely exacting requirements, and to achieve it upon a lower World is truly unanticipated and improbable, yet… perhaps strangely fitting here. Even in the Pantheons such Kings and Queens will number a barest handful, save for one specific Pantheon, where they originated from. A Fae or similar Spiritual heritage of great purity or potency is required, Territory and land must be owned and controlled, a deep and substantial Connection that few possess must be tied to the land, and survive without breaking, and conviction and desire to see the lands and those upon them prosper must be ingrained within the Queen’s very Spirit.

This Class substantially increases League, as well as all Intangible Statistics, and Aether will hugely increase. If the land remains healthy, it shall be hard to fully perish, yet the land reflects the health of the Fisher Queen, so if she is wounded or slain, so too shall the land suffer weakness and loss until any wound is healed. Ether, Adherence and Elemental energy generation within the Queen’s lands is increased, and the fertility and natural growth of all within the land increases.

“Bad luck, Kana.” Shiro teased her, and she tossed her head, waving a hand.

“It’s fine. I’ll… get Shaeula to buff me with her winds before any sex… uh…” Kana turned scarlet, fidgeting. “…not that I’m planning that right away, just… we’ll have more time to date and play around soon, so… I can’t say it’s not on my mind, that we’ll progress to such a point naturally…”

“Yes, it’ll come when it comes. But… you see, Miyu… Shaeula had so much that she needed. First, her Eyes are growing closer to mine, which makes sense, with the Bonds we share, and the fact my Eye originally kindled from hers.”

Mystic Eyes Of Linked Perception draws on established Bonds and Connections to mimic the effect of Mystic Eyes Of The World Tree, though it can be quite stressful on the mind and Spirit, and is limited to what the original bearer can perceive. Overall ability to observe Ether, Soullight and related energies is enhanced significantly, and the strengths of these energies can be interpreted, up to a certain maximum threshold. All Skills involving Bonds and Connections are strengthened. [Class: Legendary] [Type: Law]

“This then coupled with the fact that she’s got incredible sensitivity to the space around her via Spatial Perception, though that’s grown too… and she mastered spatial element as well… she’s following in Arisu-san’s footsteps, though she’s still got a long way to go in that regard…”

Spatial Comprehension is the ability to seamlessly perceive and understand changes in the volume of space around you. It is particularly sensitive to fast-moving velocities and distortions that might be targets or attacks and can detect and sense the flows of changing spatial realms, such as when two discrete spaces cross, such as at a Spatial overlap for translocation, or when a Territory upgrades and merges with a higher level of the Astral. Perception-based Skills will be strengthened, as will all the senses. [Class: Imperious] [Type: Principle]

“Coupled with the fact that Shaeula’s the root of my Kin Bonding And Restoration… while she was lagging a little… she’s caught up and overtaken me again, I think. If anyone’s closer to Rank eleven now, it’s you, Shaeula. I never thought you could treat a whole land as Kin. But… it’s alive, the Court, isn’t it? A Territory is too. Not how we understand it, but…”

Indeed. Just as without the Allfather, our Pantheon would crumble, you are the Territory, and it is you. Your will and spirit, your Truesoul, manifest and dominant. Yet… you freely share with Shaeula, and she can thus act as your Proxy, and her nature lends itself to this… Dannan… a coincidence, or a legacy bloodline? Who can say. But yes, the Endless Knot does indeed lend itself to such ties, for the knot is the Land and the Ruler, bound inextricably as one… Rose added. In the Wisdom World the chatter was also about this, and Run was teasing Shaeula, saying she wanted to overthrow me, to which she rigorously denied that. Speaking out loud for those of us here to hear, she smiled rather shamefacedly.

“I know-know I overstepped, yet… I did so in full faith that I was doing it for you, Akio. Yes, for the land, for the Court, for the Fae-Fae too… but… all I am is yours, Akio.” Shaeula assured me, eyes earnest and pure. “And I did not-not want to miss this opportunity. I could feel the warping of space, the shifting, the burrowing threads of Connections worming through the Boundary, and what was behind… I did not-not think it suitable for you, for us! Not-not when we have the Spring! It is not-not an usurpation, though I did not-not technically have the right… we protect the Court, the Court protects us. A fair exchange, I do believe. Though…” she grimaced, as she struggled to explain what happened next, so I took over, parroting Rose’s explanation.

“Rose says that if we imagine the Astral as an ocean, though… with four dimensions, as time, while it only flows one way, as it must, else all reality would crumble, vaporise, reason and order meaningless, it ebbs and shifts.” Rose’s descriptions were rather poetic, and I found myself wanting to see such a sea with everyone, and Lin was the one who assured me I could.

“Whether the world you call home can be claimed or not… either way, we have claimed you, our Verr…” It was rather surreal seeing the mini Run teasing and poking at the fierce yet small Lin, but also quite amusing. “Be it we who descend on wings of white to Choose you as the Slain… do not fear, Rose and I can only Choose you now… as is the way of the Valkyrie… or even Divine Taṇhā who spirits you away, you shall see it, together with us all. But…”

“But Akio will do it. Whether it is difficult, or even impossible…” Shaeula and Eri spoke up at once, and Hyacinth was nodding along. She had told us the new Ring Gate Hub was almost ready, so as soon as the Rank 2 Anchor Spire was paid for, it would be time to fortify the hell out of that position with Emplacements, Barracks and more.   

“Just as you did. Yes.” Rose agreed. “Even so, we worry. Even Run does…”

“Grim too! Hel, even eldest Hilde is showing concern…” Run deflected playfully. “…we invested a lot into your world, and so far, only Rose and littlest sister Lin have reaped the rewards…” She puffed out her cheeks, and outside my mind, I was still explaining.

“The Boundary is a breakwater, a buffer, a dam… one which cannot last for ever. An eggshell, which will eventually crack and the tides will seek to fill. But… therefore the tides are not strictly positioned relative to the Material. The Boundary is, for it is a cloth surrounding the planet, and thus is close and fixed. Whereas the planet bobs and weaves in the tides. Always close, for the tides down here are shallow, at least while the protective Boundary lasts, but… not entirely congruent. What is there one day might be completely different the next.” I relayed her words, and then Shaeula finished for me.

“Indeed. It is how-how the Court Migrates. And… when I sensed the space beyond… it was not-not what we needed. So I acted. I did not-not think too hard. I let love-love be my drill that pierced the very heavens, the Boundary itself!”

“Yeah, to carry on that theme…” Shiro chuckled. “…you went beyond the impossible and kicked reason to the curb, because that’s how Team Aki rolls!”

“Exactly!” Shaeula agreed, nodding. “Though… at the end, even when I used the Eyes I had borrowed, my perception of space… the final hurdle was too-too difficult, yet… Akio’s Path could uphold it. After all… the Fisher Queen is connected to the land. I am only Queen as Akio is Connected to me, and me to him-him, as his Proxy, and… we have Kin Bonding. The land… the land is Bonded, but… it was too much for my spirit to bear. I am not-not Tan, no… but…”

“There’s the Path. It shook a bit, it was reckless, but… fortunately those on it aren’t weak, and… you only are Fisher Queen of my Territory, and a small area of the Court.” I nodded. “And…”

“And she got this Primary Adherent Class.” Eri puffed out her cheeks, expressing open jealousy, which pleased me. Lately she’d been too forgiving, too understanding. I wanted her genuine heart to shine through, and wasn’t alone in that, judging by everyone’s knowing smiles. “I was on the Path first!”

“Do not-not despair…” Shaeula smirked playfully. “Soon-soon you shall be. It is a sign the Path is growing well, is it not-not? And… Second Adherent or other such-such position still lies beyond. We shall compete for it. I welcome the challenge, Eri!”

“As do I!” she shot back. “My Lovers’ Link is still stronger, don’t forget that.”

“Oh, how-how could I? Regardless… the Path took the brunt and still bears a Connection, a Kin Bond, I can not-not otherwise bear. A Fisher Queen should be far-far stronger… perhaps even…” Shaeula shook her head, dismissing that melancholy thought. “What matters is the Bond holds, and now Akio holds it with me. After all… I am-am merely a Proxy, so if I am Fisher Queen… then Akio must-must be the Fisher King.”

“When you’re married. That’s how it works.” Hinata giggled. “Looks like you’re moving onto marrying Queens now, rather than Princesses.”

I nodded. “You’re all Queens in my heart…” I delivered that cheesy line with a straight face. “…anyway, for completion’s sake…”

Primary Adherent Of The Bondweaver Path is a Class given to one whose deeds on the Path have resonated with it yet not gained a specific Position as an Adherent. All effects relating to the natures of the Bondweaver Path will be strengthened and Skills and Classes affecting such will be easier to gain, Rank up and Level. It becomes easier to become suitable for a Position as a true Adherent as this Class Levels, but such is always at the discretion of the Ruler of the Path.

“I see.” Kana observed. “So it makes sense why Shaeula’s grown so strong. She’s got really great affinity for your Path, Akio. Fortune, Bonds, Connections… I’m jealous now.”

As everyone bantered playfully, Tan, having finally been satisfied that the explanations were in order, though she was still a little pouty that I’d let Rose explain the spatial incongruities of the Boundary, Material and lower Astral, led Miyu, Michiru, Tsukiko and even Kana off. While Kana did want to start the new needed construction, she also wisely thought getting in on some easy Levelling to boost her strength and maybe even Rank up some key Skills first was smarter, and I didn’t disagree. They were going to escort Asha back to Shirohebizumi, and then, once the new Hub was stabilised and Ring Gates were stationed across the Territory, such journeys would be a thing of the past.

That left Eri, Hinata, Shaeula and I to manage the Territory planning and upgrades. Back in the Material, the first broadcasts from the Prime Minister, Arisu-san and her idol presenters were ongoing, and I watched them with detached amusement as I kept an eye on the whole hotel with my Energetic Perception, keeping our slumbering Pilgrims free from any potential dangers. Tamami-san and Keiko-chan look great. Oh, can’t discount Asuka-san, she’s got surprising gravitas, and who can fear bad news when Ema-chan is smiling and giggling like that? By comparison, poor Abe-san seems a little lacking in comforting appeal…

The J-Alert broadcast system had sent calming messages to everyone’s smartphones, and the radio and TV stations were all reporting, either on the Prime Minister, some eyewitness tales and testimonies, or repeating WTV footage. I’d been watching, fielding phone calls and message so incessantly I was glad I was still sober. My phone rang again, and…

So persistent. Grumbling to myself, I finally answered his call, after ignoring him a half-dozen times.

“Hi, Adam. Don’t you have better things to do than bother me?”

There was silence for a minute, and I was sure I could hear him grinding his teeth, before he put on a jovial tone. “Oh, I suppose you must be busy. Your line was engaged constantly, but… it stands to reason, doesn’t it? Let me be blunt… what the hell happened? Our GBD and IONDS detectors in orbit picked up strange light readings over Tokyo. At first, it matched a detonating nuclear payload, or close enough to merit a closer inspection. No global launches were detected, but it’s not impossible the Chinese could have smuggled in a nuke and detonated it on site. With your kind, it’d be possible.”

“Or you could have done it.” I neither confirmed nor denied his speculation.

“Hardly. If we did it, why would the Pentagon be panicking and screaming at the NSA, and me in particular, for intel? Besides…” His tone was strained now, and I felt his real feelings might be leaking through. “…if we did and you survived… I’m dead for sure. Even though it would have nothing to do with me. I know you’d still target me. Really, I don’t know why you’re so cold.”

“Oh, I think you do. So, why not ask Christina or Mariam? Or your other sources?”

“What other sources?” he played dumb. “But yes, I’ll certainly ask Christina Bakker. All… above board. She can tell you what I’ve asked, full disclosure.” He paused and then shocked me so much I nearly spat out my coke. “She’s… a very beautiful woman, is Christina. A virgin too, surprisingly. I hear you Asians care about that a lot. Truthfully, plenty of Americans do too. How she could reach her age with those looks and still… no, I suppose I do get it.” He sighed bitterly, then seemed to realise that wasn’t fitting with his narrative.

“Anyway, all I’m saying is, it would be a shame not to scoop her up. You might be the only man who can handle her anyway. So… I’ll certainly be taking no action against her, and I’ll be very moderate in asking her for information. Do… take care of her. But… and take this as no disrespect to you, or any of your wives-to-be… America is full of women. Many beauties. Even Hollywood celebrities have expressed an interest in you. I could set up introductions. You’re half-British. Think… globally…”

He’s rattled. This isn’t like Adam. Why the appeasement?

“I’m good for now, thanks. As for Christina… yes, she’s my responsibility, but romancing her… in her dreams… unfortunately…” I couldn’t help but quip, the situation was unnerving me. “So, what’s eating at you, Adam?”

He ignored the question, before giving me a piece of very interesting information unsolicited. “The IONDS picked up the major flare over Tokyo. The lightshow was impressive, but not exactly localised, it swept out over much of central Honshu, and aurorae and strange displays of light are lingering in some places, but… unless one knows where you’re based, and has the capability to detect that there was a major spike of invisible yet detectable light and radiation around your home by Tokyo Bay, as well as a secondary surge towards Sagami Bay, unlike the visible light which is far from localised… pinpointing it as you would be tricky, though the global intelligence community aren’t fools. Most can surmise it by the location. You’re the Great White Shark looming large in a modest pond. Besides, your broadcasts… Arisu Arisugawa is certainly a star and a beauty, but think about it. Name an actress, I’m confident I could talk her into a meeting at the least…”

“Adam…” I warned, and he finished what he was saying.

“Fine. But the offer is there. Now… the lightshow quickly diminished, at least in what you call the Material. Our American assets have revealed that the other world has been chaotic ever since the burst, with greater time dilation and an uptick in resources. A veritable storm in the skies too. Unlike a previous acceleration we have on record, this one appeared with no warning and was oddly violent. But… our satellite coverage and technology are the best there is. Even China and Russia won’t see all we do. The traces were faint, but… we detected surges of the same invisible energy signatures across the globe. Cherenkov Radiation, Gamma-ray flashes, atmospheric heating… no wonder we thought it was a nuclear blast. Christina would explain better than I can, but our scientists expect that it is energies from that other world reacting with matter, kicking out electrons and almost functioning like a particle collider. The patterns though… there was a similar secondary surge, though of lower frequency, in China, as well as several others worldwide. Avignon in France, Vatican City… several in South America, India… the list goes on. Even a half-dozen in the ocean. Again, less intense, and likely a response, our boys and girls reckon, but…”

“I want that data.” I insisted, and he chuckled.

“I bet you do. And, while technically it’s classified information… Christina still has clearance at a high level. I call it Vermillion, but you can deem is as Top Secret.” He paused for emphasis, before continuing. “Of course, I had her feeds cut off, but she technically still had the position. I’m not one for throwing away potentially useful tools, even when they turn and cut the hand holding them. So I could send her the map, because that’s what it is, isn’t it? A map of fault lines and collections of power not too dissimilar to yours, yes?” He was annoyingly perceptive, and I remained silent, not wishing to hand him the advantage. Heairng no rebuttal, I expected to hear a smile in his voice, but was surprised to detect… relief?

“I’ll be able to send it her way, she still has an official laptop. Again, I terminated remote access privileges, but what was switched off, can be turned back on easily enough. In exchange… when Scryer and Christopher’s kids come back to America in the New Year… I need a favour…”

As he outlined what he wanted, I was wary, but also curious. He wants me to see if I can enhance Mariam’s Eyes, and also… come up with a countermeasure for brainwashing and compulsion? They were dangerous possibilities, but…

“…I’ll send the data to Christina Bakker as a token of my goodwill. I would ask for discretion, but that woman… she’s not subtle. Regardless… favours, be it money, women, political influence…” Now there was some pain in his voice as he offered me boons he clearly didn’t want to. “…or further information only the NSA can gather, do this for me, and I’ll be substantially in your debt. I can’t say why, but… it’s not aimed at you or anyone you care about or protect. I swear it on my honour, such as you believe I have, my country… and my own family.”

I nodded slowly, still hating Adam and what he’d done, and still might do, but… “Fine. I’ll talk it out with Christina, and also those I trust. If your data map is good, and we can’t see any traps hidden behind your request…”

“I understand. I’m not a fool. We have our differences, and our history, but… you’re the Great White and I’m not going to cut my wrists then start thrashing about in the water. I’d gladly die if it saved America, saved humanity… but a meaningless death isn’t the duty I signed up for.”

As he hung up, I turned my attention back to the TV, watching Arisu-san again, as she fielded audience calls, some rather hysterical, with admirable calm and poise, quickly answering with the minimum of clear reassurances. Drumming my fingers on the bar, I sipped on my coke, while back in the… Astral… time ticked down, ether flooded in, and soon it’d be time to begin the rush build of the Barrier Enhancement Anchor Spire…