On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Four Hundred And Four

The volley of water droplets tore into the packed ranks of the fiery spirits. Steam hissed, acrid and toxic, before the powerful Spirit Water counteracted the taint and the struck creatures melted, flames dimming and the ethereal bodies within boiling away. As they did so, for a moment the fragmented wisps of ether formed a faint silhouette of the beings within the flames, and from the more humanoid ones I got a fleeting sense of gratitude, some faint fragmented thoughts. I see. I remember Shaeula running into some enemies like these when she was in Kyoto, and it was from them she found out about mount Atago and the flame element there in the first place…

Even as I was considering this I attacked without pause, the barrage of water bullets a staccato burst like a number of machine guns, tearing through the ranks. I was not alone, Haru’s bolts of light also striking home, though the effect wasn’t as she hoped. This is where my sis would be handy with her sunlight element, or even Ren-san…

“Stay calm, during battle, a cool head and precise thinking is required.” Bell was saying to Motoko and Natsumi. As the ground around the burning wraiths blackened and shrivelled, she nocked an arrow. “At a distance, we have the advantage. A true warrior, a Way-Warden, leverages every gain they can get. After all, if we fall, then the Seelie Court is in danger.” Her arrow flew out, but the large bear-like flame she struck merely shrugged it off. Motoko and Natsumi followed suit, but as their wind arrows made contact, it only scattered droplets of burning yellow and sooty red, before the pierced foes increased in size.

“Don’t use air! It feeds flame.” I said urgently. “They aren’t corporeal, so they are a pain to fight. Luckily, Spirit Water is effective…”

On hearing that, Daiyu gave me a slight smile. “I see. Then I shall be the vanguard. I need to show my improvement, to the master of all.” She leapt forwards, her dark hair streaming behind her, and her water claws sliced apart a wolf-flame, before cutting down several small child-like creatures.

“You heard that, huh? Now I feel a bit embarrassed.” Setting that aside, I took stock of the situation, never letting up on my barrage of water bullets. Though my supply is hardly inexhaustible. Fortunately each only needs the barest trickle of Spirit Water to be effective… With most of my Split Thoughts concentrated here in the Boundary, since my negotiations in the Material didn’t require extra processing power, I was able to maintain my effectiveness. “If these were more of those blue-skinned little shits this would be easy. Then, spirits have always given us trouble…”

“That’s prejudice.” Haru-san said, sniffing, and I turned my head, surprised, only to see a small smile bloom on her face after a moment. Realising she was teasing me, I sighed, and she laughed. “Don’t mind me, Akio-san. As a ghost, I’m allowed to be mean to other ghosts, but you can’t. Dead woman privilege!” she unleashed more light beams, her focus narrowing, and this time the struck creature of flame disintegrated. “I thought so.” She muttered. “Light is dangerous to those like me. It just needs the proper adjustments…” her face screwed up momentarily, her expression grim. “They sure are noisy though. A constant babble of thoughts and emotions. Most of them hateful and vile. But… we should lay them to rest. It would be simple mercy.”

“I thought the bugs were bad… I hate this more!” Kana cried, but she was still thinking of how to act, despite her face being deathly pale. “My vision… they burn with a rainbow of abnormality, but the colours are all dark and tainted, like they are covered in muck. It’s nauseating. Stay away!” The ground began to draw in the spirits, liquefied earth and rock sucking them down. Unfortunately it was a stopgap at best, as they began to ignite the flowing mud, and foul steam was rising.

“Many thanks to you.” Daiyu called, taking advantage of the brief moment where the spirits were helpless. Her clothing was starting to smoke and burn, her skin likewise blackening before healing instantly, dead flakes peeing off to reveal pink skin underneath, before that too started to burn. She winced, her eyes narrowing, before the water-element claws disintegrated, forming up again into a long, thin blade. With her extra reach she slashed apart numerous foes, scattering them into ether.

“She’s certainly a natural genius.” I muttered, continuing to barrage our enemies. Turning to Motoko, Natsumi and Bell, I had an idea. “Give me your arrows.”

Wordlessly, they handed over their quivers, and I conjured water element, dousing the arrowheads in the purifying liquid. “This should make you effective. I’d do your swords too, but getting close to them isn’t something I’d recommend…”

Motoko nodded at that, seeing the constant trickle of damage Daiyu was taking from proximity alone. “Yes, we should choose the most appropriate actions, as Bellaera has indicated.” She paused for a moment, before chiding me gently, something she rarely did. “And you should not merely label Daiyu a genius. That dismisses the hard work she has put in her whole life, since she was a child. I respect her deeply as a senior in the combat arts.”

As Kana burst out laughing, her disgust momentarily forgotten, I shrugged. “You certainly told me there. I get it. She’s definitely a hard worker. But… hard workers can be geniuses too. She’s the best of both worlds. Now…” I turned to Kana. “… your turn.” I created a large ball of water with one hand while my other continued to fire into the crowd of blazing spirits. “I’ll infuse this into your mud…”

“I get it…” Kana said, while behind us, Bell and the two girls were lining up their next arrows.

“Remember, the arrowhead is wet and has extra weight, so that needs to be taken into account…” Bell’s arrow leapt free, and this time the perfectly placed shot to the head of a blazing beast felled it, the Spirit Water burning like purifying acid. Natsumi pumped her fist as her own arrow took down a blazing wolf, while Motoko smiled elegantly, reaching for another soaked arrow as her own shaft stuck deep.

“Here we go then…” Kana said, the now sodden mud turning into a sea of sharp spikes, rushing into the mob, breaking them apart.

“I’m not cut out for this…” Yasaka-san said, addressing Prince Shōtoku, who was watching the raging battle calmly. The numbers of our enemy were significant, and more were coming out of the trees and down from mount Atago, but overall we were making steady inroads. “… though it is a bit shameful letting a bunch of young girls fight for me.”

“Women are just as capable as men.” The Prince replied. “Tsukiko-sama is proof of that. And many kami and powerful Yōkai are female.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep our male dignity intact.” I laughed. Haru-san shook her head at that, more light pouring down, like a luminous rain, destroying a swathe of the attacking creatures.

“The only problem is, I’m burning water element keeping everyone else fighting…” I continued. I could probably unleash one huge attack and clear the area, but that would give the majority of the gains to me. While the danger is manageable it’s better to let everyone else shine… Drawing Storming Moonlight, I drenched the blade, but that didn’t seem to be enough. I have an idea… using aether I chilled the metal, until the Spirit Water froze, forming a layer of ice, shimmering white, blue, pink and orange on the metal. “Daiyu, I’m coming to support you!” I called to her, and she gestured with her free hand, not looking away from her blazing opponent, steps graceful as she darted in, dispatching it with a slash of her slowly evaporating water blade.

“All right then.” I declared, my opponent some sort of blazing mountain lion, which leapt at me, eyes burning black pits of anguish and hatred. “Go to your rest!” My steps were the footwork of Tsumura Arts, and keeping my balance perfect, while my body was in a position to effortlessly shift in any direction, I pivoted, the icy sword pierced the head of the lion, and it fell in two halves, the ice disintegrating it. For a moment the black flames in the eyes died down, and I thought I could see gratitude, before it was gone, ether scattering.

More flaming humanoids rushed at me, and I quickly began to hack them down, my speed a number of times greater than my opponents. The enemy ranks were thinning more and more under mine and Daiyu’s attacks, while arrows from the girls were taking out a number more. Kana was using her soaked mud to prowl the perimeter, sucking in groups of incoming enemies and rendering them helpless as they melted away, and Haru-san, perhaps sympathising with the tormented spirts, was putting out great efforts, surrounded by a shimmering halo of indigo and gold, looking almost as if she was Kannon herself, brilliant rains of light falling over the area, purging the flaming enemies.

“At least it’s good to have no moral dilemmas here.” I said, losing myself in the flow of battle. A burning wolf leapt at me, but I spun effortlessly, blade arching down, hacking it apart. I then charged, and three humanoid flame-beasts perished, steam rising, and while I wasn’t Haru-san and didn’t have her gifts I was sure that I could feel their joy at being released. “This battle is definitely a just one. We put them to rest and gain some experience and ether for doing so.” If only everything was so clear-cut…

As the fighting continued, we quickly gained the upper hand. I extended my senses with aether, the strain harder to due the two sensory streams running in different temporal channels, and noticed that the creatures were still congregating to attack us, coming out of cracks in the mountain, albeit at a far slower rate that previously.

“Keep going. We’ve got this!” I promised, and as we continued to cut down the burning, cursed spirits, Daiyu turned to me, eyes wide, shouting for us to retreat. At the same moment I noticed what she had, and called out urgently “Chen Na, barriers around us all. Now!”

As the woman, who had been stood waiting dully while we fought, urgently called on her barriers, a dome springing up, covering us all, trapping a few fiery spirits inside with us, which we quickly moved to dispatch, the skies above, their usual silvery un-light overshadowed by the burning of the flames on mount Atago, were blotted out, and a hissing sound filled the air. The barrier trembled, dull impacts bouncing off as arrows made from some black stone, perhaps obsidian, scattered against it, trails of orange energies like miniature comets left behind, only to fade. Other arrows fell into the remaining damned spirits outside the energy shield, which started to break apart, performing much as our Spirit Water and light attacks had done.

“You see them?” Daiyu said as she dispatched the last of the burning creatures. “My Qi sensing picked them up. From above.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, as everyone crowded around us, looking nervous. “I don’t normally extend my vision upwards, but since we are by a mountain I did so. Guess that’s an oversight I’ll have to put right in future.” I turned to Prince Shōtoku. “I’m guessing they are the Tengu of mount Atago then?”

Arrows continued to fall, the flow slackening, but more were still striking Chen Na’s barrier. Overhead several score humanoids flew, their wings covered in feathers like a crow’s, usually black, though brown, dark blue and even one with white feathers were seen. The white-winged one was wearing long black robes with orange detailing, and unlike the others, whose faces were obscured by ornate helmets or long hoods, this one’s face was bare, and it wore a long-nosed crimson mask, the eyes peering out of the slits a deep yellow.

“It seems so. Judging by the black and orange robes…” the Prince began calmly. “… it is one of the Onmyōji of mount Atago.”

“How can you be so calm?” Kana asked, sneaking close to me. “We’re trapped in here. If they can fly, I can’t do anything about them…”

“There’s no need to worry.” I reassured her, stroking her hair, which calmed her down. “We knew we’d come across them sooner or later. And if worst comes to the worst, I’m confident I can hold them off by myself while you all flee back to Haru-san’s Territory, it’s only a few hundred metres away.”

As I said that, the robed Tengu began an intonation. “Genbu, Lord of Winter, Master of Water, He Who Heralds Winter… I call upon the deep black ocean. Purge the unholy spirts and bring peace once more to the sacred mountain, let the cold stillness of winter and black waters reign once again.” The other Tengu had formed up around the robed one in the air, every position seemingly important, and aether surged.

“Black Water Purification: Sanzu-no-Kawa!” it cried, my eyes picking out some sort of talisman in its hand, which shattered in a surge of orange light.

“Not good…” I muttered, feeling the power in it. “That’s going to hurt…” I immediately reinforced Chen Na’s barriers with ones of stone. That blocked our view, except for mine, my Eye still able to peer through and observe. A tide of water was pouring from the sky, and as it washed away the damned spirits they vanished, first freezing solid, before dissolving into mist and dispersing. The barrier trembled, water slamming against it, and ice was creeping up it, putting heavy pressure on Chen Na, who was grimacing.

“It’s all right, I think you can hold.” I said, watching carefully. The ice was slowing, covering half of the dome, and the circle of Tengu above broke up, many of them reaching for their bows again. Arrows began to fall once more, but while they were powerful, Chen Na was able to fend them off.

“So what should we do?” Bell asked. “Being pinned down is the worst of places to be, but we have options. The best way to win a battle is not to need to fight at all. These are not the Unseelie, so…”

“The Tengu are territorial and fierce but can be reasoned with.” The Prince agreed. “The concern is of course how we are to open dialogue. Their arrows are powerful, and their Onmyōji Arts likewise. White wings are also rare and cherished, symbolising great spiritual powers. If you harm such a one, any chance of peaceful contact is forfeited.”

“Fortunately we have a little time, although…” the black robed Tengu was holding another talisman, the paper covered in ancient-looking characters. “… Chen Na, can you hold up? Good job so far, by the way.”

She nodded, mopping at her steaming brow. “I can… but not indefinitely. The ice, it is gnawing at my power, I can feel it, trying to force it to stillness.”

“I’ll do something about that.” I promised. Dismissing the wall of earth and stone I had used to reinforce the barrier, I asked Chen Na to make a quick breach.

“Are you sure?” Kana asked me, and I nodded.

“Like I said, it’s fine. Worst case, if I give the signal, Chen Na switches to bubble barriers on you all and you retreat. I’ll join you when you’re safe. But…” I looked up. “… I don’t want to abandon what we came for without trying.”

“He will be fine.” Haru-san said. “Do it, Na-san.”

“I shall join you…” Prince Shōtoku declared, and as we looked at him in surprise he waved his staff to emphasise his point. “You are currently the Chosen of Tsukuyomi, the heir to Tsukiko-sama, and oversee her rest. As a kami of Tsukuyomi-jinja, I must see this through. Besides…” he smiled benevolently. “…if you wish to negotiate with Tarōbō, even though he has disdain for us other kami of Kyoto, he will at least do me the courtesy of not killing me out of hand.” He paused, looking up through the barrier at the flock of Tengu, who were preparing another attack. “… at least I believe such to be the case.”

“Fine. Chen Na, put a bubble around him. If we’re relying on the Prince to attack, we’re screwed, so might as well make sure he’s properly defended. I owe Tsukiko-san that much.” There were giggles at that, and a bubble of shimmering energy formed around him. “All right then…” I continued, grasping the protected Prince with aether. “Now!”

The shield dimmed, a section momentarily disappearing, and then we were through. It sealed up behind us and I released the breath I was holding, as well as the bubble of force shrouding the Prince. Looking up, I called out. “Hold on a minute. We aren’t enemies! We’ve come to talk!”

A few arrows came my way, obsidian heads shining with water energies, but I quickly batted them aside harmlessly. Going to take a lot more than that now to wound me…

“Noble Onmyōji of pure white wings…” Prince Shōtoku said solemnly, which gave it pause for a moment, the yellow eyes under the mask swivelling to gaze at him. “We mean no harm or disrespect. Consider this an emissary to the noble Tarōbō. There is no need for battle between us. Not when the foot of the sacred mountain crawls with poor, tormented spirits.”

“Shōtoku…” the Tengu spoke, voice muffled behind the long-nosed crimson mask. “… this is not your place. Mount Atago belongs to the Tengu, we have guarded the sacred flame of the spirits for many long years. Be it the Hyakki Yagyō, mortal interlopers or kami, we will not yield!” the Tengu paused, head tilted, and seemed to be considering something. “Is this coincidence? No, surely not. The growing rift, the pollution of the flame, the growing number and strength of damned ones… is this your ploy, Shōtoku? Have you kami worked some dark art? Is that why Kyoto, the border between here and…” it trailed off, thinking hard, before reaching a decision.

“I have no idea what you are referring to. I am simply here to escort…” he began, troubled, but with talisman in hand the Tengu started chanting.

“Looks like things have gone south.” I sighed. “Prince, get back into cover and…”

“No, they are labouring under some misapprehension, surely.” He said solemnly. “We need to reach an accord, where we can talk freely. But… if you kill any of the Tengu, Tarōbō will be furious. Can you subdue such a host?”

“With all of you under cover? I think so…” I said, and he nodded.

“Then good fortune to you, and may Tsukuyomi watch over your actions kindly…”

As he retreated, the chant up above finished. “Black Water Purification: Sanzu-no-Kawa!”

Aether and water element surged in the air as the ritual formation magnified the effects of the talisman. A torrent of black water poured down towards me, already freezing around the edges, and I found I was grinning. This is what I need to clear my head. No killing, just… good honest battle. Wait, am I a battle junkie now? That can’t be right…

That thought taking a mere moment, I gathered Foehn, the blazing energy shimmering around me. “I’ve already seen that one…” I shouted, and Foehn roared, flame meeting water and ice, exploding into a massive cloud of steam, shockwave driving me a few steps backwards. There was a squawk of pain, and several Tengu tumbled from the sky, stunned.

Nope, not happening… I channelled earth element, mimicking Kana’s earlier efforts, and gloopy mud exploded upwards, arresting their falls. They still landed rather painfully, but they would live, though their armour and feathers were choked in sticky mud as they thrashed about, enraged.

“You dare?” the white-winged Tengu cried. “This is our land! We know of Kyoto, and the mortals who have come plaguing it. That is none of our concern, but…” the long nose pointed to Chen Na’s barrier. “Are they in there? I can smell humans…”

I don’t count anymore, huh? I’m kind of hurt… “We’re hardly plaguing it… damn it, at least stop trying to turn me into a pincushion while we’re talking.” I cursed, dodging a rain of arrows, wind element knocking them aside. “I haven’t used this one in a while, but…” for a brief moment I thought of Shaeula as I channelled a great gale of wind energy above me. “Jupiter Descending!”

The Tengu were pushed out of their formation and were struggling to use their bows in the gale, and a half dozen were thrown off balance, crashing towards the ground. “This is a casualty-free zone.” I stamped my foot, and the ground turned to a sea of liquid mud, ruby energies draining from me. Their landings were painful and inelegant, dirt splashing everywhere, but they would survive.

“Such troubles. I must not falter here!” the Tengu pulled out a different talisman, this one with characters in crimson ink. “Suzaku, Lord of Summer, Master of Flame, He Who Brings Forth Summer…” the remaining Tengu tried to position themselves into another formation, a different one, and I could see they were holding gemstones, rocks, bells, cups and more. Huh, is that some sort of weird Feng Shui?

“… I call on the bright flame of the summer sun, incinerate these unworthy invades, and return peace to this sacred mountain, where your flame burns eternally. Endless Fire Festival! Hi-matsuri!”

At that moment, the yellow eyes behind the mask narrowed, and a ring of deep darkness appeared behind me, ringed with a penumbra of brilliant, purple-golden light. “Prominence Dusk!”

The flames that poured down from the disintegrating talisman bathed me, but were drawn into the rotating ring at my back. Inky flames sprang up, and I grinned. “I like festivals. How about you invite me to one rather than attacking!”

“Is that a halo? Are you a kami of the Six Paths….” The Tengu said, stunned, as a large portion of the flames were returned towards it, the dark, flickering fires menacing. “… Tarōbō, I fear I have failed, the invaders will…” its words trailed off as the fire shot past, a series of perfectly placed blasts missing it and all the other Tengu, a feat that was clearly intended. It blinked in surprise, only to be struck from behind by my renewed Jupiter Descending. It was clever to use flame to counter my wind, but… I win.

The Tengu flailed, feathers scattering like a white blizzard. Others dived towards it, hands outstretched, only to falter as I wove beams of light into their paths. Jumping, I grabbed the white-winged Tengu by the throat and slammed it to the ground, as it let out a shrill cry. My foot was on the back of its neck, and I pointed down Storming Moonlight, the edge keen and touching the flesh of the Tengu below me, robe parting and flesh below leaking a little bead of blood. As the Tengu froze, I shook my head. “All right. I think it’s time we all calmed down and lowered our weapons, don’t you? This conflict doesn’t benefit anyone.”

Below my boot, the Tengu quivered, more blood beading on its flesh. “Very well. We can… we can converse!” The Tengu agreed. “Let there be no more violence! It will only draw the damned…”

“I think matters are resolved. Come and help tend to the wounded.” I said to the group sheltering under the barrier, and as the remaining Tengu flapped down to help their mired comrades, the barrier dropped. Prince Shōtoku strolled over, looking at the pitiful Tengu under my boot, and sighed.

“Akio-sama, please do let this pitiful one up. It is a great disgrace for a Tengu to be grounded so, since they are rulers of the skies and the high mountaintops. I understand your anger, but…”

“I’m not angry.” I said, surprising everyone. “We did come uninvited. Yes, if they were coming knocking on my Territory door, I wouldn’t go out all guns blazing, I’d ask questions first, discern their intentions… but I’d certainly be cautious.”

The white-winged Tengu seemed surprised. “Yes, that is only reasonable! The world is more dangerous than ever! There was some great event in Kyoto recently, the Boundary has been damaged greatly. This angered great Tarōbō and might perhaps be why…” it trailed off meaningfully.

Oho, is that it? “The damned you said? A growing rift, pollution of the flame…” I repeated its words from earlier.

“You have annoyingly good ears…” it muttered, but as I removed my foot and sword, it got to its feet, brushing itself down. Mud was staining the black robe, and the wings were in a bit of a sorry state, missing feathers and caked in dirt, and the nose on the mask was bent, but other than that, it was unharmed. Looking around us at the churned and destroyed battlefield, little tongues of Foehn still burning fitfully, it sighed. “But you are not wrong. Such a shock must be the reason we are facing calamity, and that is why you kami, the Hyakki Yagyō and these new humans who have taken power that does not belong to them are to blame!”

“That’s wrong!” Haru-san said, as she emerged from safety. The Tengu scowled at her, eyes narrowed.

“What would an evil spirit such as you know, Onryo?”

Haru-san flinched. “Why is everyone being prejudiced against me today?” she said after a moment, trying to shrug off the insult, and I growled menacingly.

“Don’t test my patience, Tengu. Haru-san has been through a lot, so don’t mock or dismiss her. Besides, she was there. When a monster of incredible hunger and evil attacked. We beat if off, hurt it… but the damage to the Boundary is what you can see. And it’ll be back. That’s one thing we wanted to discuss with Tarōbō.”

“It indeed is a fearful being.” Prince Shōtoku agreed. “Not of this world, yet somehow it has found its way here. Were it not for the actions of many, Kyoto would have been destroyed. Mount Atago would not have remained safe were the rest of us to fall.”

“I see. I would like to believe you, but…” the Tengu let out a muffled sigh, the others around us, their faces hidden behind hoods and helms, still radiating visible unease with their body language.

“Look, nobody died, and those flaming creatures were defeated.” I said reasonably. “We came here to negotiate with the Tengu of the mountain, and here you are. We might not have had a great first contact, but it’s true that we didn’t come here to fight.” Not the Tengu, at least. “So, cut the insults, and let’s get down to business.”

The Tengu paused for a moment, yellow eyes staring into mine, before nodding, a comical look with the bent-nosed and muddy mask. “Very well. This is a decision I cannot make myself. Great Tarōbō will likely be angry with me, but… I shall have to bear his fury without complaint.”

Great, seems like we are getting somewhere at last. Even so, there’s potential danger… seeing my meaningful glance at the girls, the Tengu shrugged, threadbare wings bouncing.

“Do not be insulting. If I give permission for you to enter the sacred mountain Atago, then so long as you do no harm, no harm shall befall you. Our hospitality shall be bountiful, the sake shall flow. And your timing is auspicious. We are to hold a great festival, in the hopes of purifying the flame once more… that is why we were hunting these doomed, cursed spirits, when we came upon you right on our borders.”

“I see. A festival, huh?” Guess my earlier joke was right on the mark. As the girls expressed their desire to accompany me, I weighed it up. Prince Shōtoku nodded, so I decided to take him at his word. I don’t want to deny them the opportunity to see something wonderful and exotic, but… I’ll have to be sure I can keep them safe from danger… “All right then. Lead on.” My gaze drifted up the massive mountain, to the burning glow at the summit. A sacred flame of the spirits, huh? It does make me wonder…