On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Three Hundred And Twenty-Eight / Side One Hundred And Twenty-Three – Zhao Daiyu

As I raced towards Haru-san’s Territory, I started noticing the presence of more soul lights forming in my Kin Bonding and Restoration, the numbers growing steadily. Before, I had just the two lights remaining, Ginneka, that cat Yokai who had saved Eri, who I was actively working to return to life, and her brother Kinneka, who I was allowing a trickle of energy to reach now. I owe her, not him. So we’ll restore her, and then see… but anyway, Shaeula is going to be enraged…

Pushing out my senses I could see a tide of hideous undead flooding towards the Territory, as well as several tanks and other human vehicles. Even as we watched, a great surge of flame was forming into a fiery elemental-type creature, towering an impressive ten metres tall. That’s not all…

A giant fiery chariot was racing towards Haru-san’s Territory, but it then changed direction, heading towards me faster than a car. Moments later it arrived, and I looked up to see that Tan was riding it, Shiro’s hair a blazing red, her one eye glittering brilliantly, a bright scarlet. On seeing me she smiled. Behind her was a girl I recognised, who was waving at me, her dress and hair dishevelled and dirty, a customary lollipop in her mouth, and some that I didn’t.

“Oh hey there, boyfriend of the boss!” Suzu-san giggled. “We meet again in Kyoto, must be fate! I don’t suppose you’re keeping Red and White hidden anywhere, I’d love to meet them again?”

“Be silent Suzanne-san. We haven’t the time for this.” The stunning yet somehow frightening woman behind her said. I didn’t watch much TV, so I didn’t recognise her, but this must have been Arisu, the actress Shiro was so fond of. Behind them cowered a smaller man, who looked away as our eyes met. Bunta-san then?

“Sorry, don’t be mad! We’re old acquaintances now!” Suzu-san complained.

“No, we really don’t have time for this…” Shiro said, as her hair was turning silver once more, her eye darkening. “... besides, stop flirting with Aki, as an idol, that’s a no-no, right?” I found her slightly jealous pout adorable, but we had no time for pleasantries. Shiro knew that too, as she leapt down off the flaming wheels. I winced, but she landed properly, even if her face did look a little pained for a moment.

“Aki, I have so much I want to tell you, but…” her gaze took in the distant fire elemental. It had reached out a hand and was trying to burn the defenders, as bolts of aether flew back and struck it, only to come up against a construction of water, steam scattering, obscuring the battlefield like a fog. Wait, is that… Moonlight Mist Realm?

“… looks like it’s all going to shit. Well, it’s been easy up to here, right?” She winked at me. “We got three.”

“Not bad.” I approved. “So, what did you want?”

Shiro fidgeted restlessly for a moment, before swallowing and steeling herself. “Damn, I’m so not a blushing tsundere. Shit, I wish we had longer for this reveal, but… Aki, I’m like you now. Properly. Not just Tan helping me out. Here!”

She stretched her hand and aether and adherence shimmered. I felt it entering me, a temporary surge of power, and my Eye responded.

You have been affected by Anesidora’s Blessing of Many Gifts. All skills and statistics will be strengthened temporarily, gaining up to a maximum of one Rank.

Surprised, I let out a dull whistle. Checking my status I could see that several skills had temporarily increased in Rank, and I was humming with new power. Before I could speak, Shiro kissed me greedily, face flushed. Behind us, Suzu-san whistled, while Arisu-san looked at us stone-faced, eyes glittering darkly. It was only a fleeting kiss, as time was of the essence, but it was passionate, our tongues swirling together. As we parted, damply, Shiro grinned. “See, now I can stand beside you and the others properly. I mean, I never saw myself as a buffer, I always thought I’d be DPS, right? But Tan saw through my heart, and knew I just wanted to be loved, needed.”

I wanted to ask her how she had gained a true Candidacy, but there wasn’t time, and I had my suspicious anyway. Tan. If I can do it, she surely can too. The two loose Favours I was holding weighed heavy on me as I felt my new strength. “Well, I’m happy for you, but we’ll celebrate afterwards. For now…”

“Yeah, I know. But I’m not done. Anyway, hop on.” She grinned. “We’ll talk as we give you a lift!” Shiro turned then, before realising it was several metres up to the fiery wagon-bed. With a smirk, I grabbed her in a princess carry and leapt up. When we landed, she pounded on me with her fist, and her eye turned red again, Tan urging her fiery chariot forwards towards the enemy.

“So, uh, Arisu, this is Aki. The guy I love. I wanted you to meet in better circumstances. But…”

“Yes.” She said frostily, looking at me with those judging eyes. “These are… trying… times indeed. I was not expecting to be dragged into a war. I expect we shall have much to discuss, such as compensation for our efforts.”

“Arisu!” Shiro gasped, shocked, but I shook my head, calming her.

“No, it’s only fair. After all, this is my fight.” My gaze went to the battle again as we closed in, flaming wheels eating up the terrain. Arrows wrapped in wind were flying from the Territory, and one tank was disabled, the main cannon pierced by several exploding arrows. Light was flashing too, brilliant laser beams, and I knew everyone was fighting hard. I guess Shaeraggo and Selensha came through the Gate. If so, the situation is dire… “I too wanted to meet somewhere nicer. A cosy, secluded restaurant maybe. As a friend of Shiro’s, I hope we can be friends too. Allies as well. We need to stick together.” I gestured. “This mess proves that, right?”

“Well, that’s for later.” Shiro said, though Tan was now in control. “Aki, I have a second ability too. Anesidora’s box contains all gifts, right? Well, that’s a lie, it isn’t like I can give you an ability you don’t have, even temporarily. But strengthening one… in addition to the general buff, I can give you a specific one, if one skill needed to be stronger for this mess, what would you pick?”

That’s easy. “My Eight Moons Chakra Network. It’s the foundation of all of my abilities.”

“Your wish… is my command. Hey, Tan, Tan, let me move. I’m supposed to be kissing him right now!”

Your Eight Moons Chakra Network has been temporarily strengthened by Anesidora’s Blessing From The Box. Your Eight Moons Chakra Network has temporarily been strengthened to Rank 8, surpassing another wall. All of your abilities have been strengthened temporarily, and you generate more aether and elemental energies.

As the fresh sensation of power boiled through me, the twin-stacked buffs massively enhancing my powers, Tan snorted. “You cannot steer the wheels of fire, princess. We would crash. Besides, I have no wish to share the sensation of your kiss.” Tan looked at me, her eye serious. “I see you bear several Favours, torn from those who would oppose you. So you can hardly object to my thirst, can you? I want that.” She nodded to the fire elemental. Light, wind arrows and more desperate attacks were pelting it, but any damage done to the colossus simply reformed. “With that, my stomach shall be full, my thirst quenched, for now.”

“No, you do what you must.” I agreed sadly. “Besides, I cost you one Favour, saving Shiro, so… well, these people came here to kill, so they should have no complaints about dying.” The fiery wheels were grinding enemies underfoot, and we then rammed into the disabled tank, having arrived. Leaping off, I landed, Cutting Twilight slicing through the tank chassis, severing it in half. Whoa, with this much aether and throughput, everything is so much stronger… my base stats had all gone up by around five hundred temporarily, and Body Enhancement pushed it even further. I feel pretty badass right now…

“Good luck, Aki.” Shiro said softly. “Don’t worry, Tan’s strong, as are the others, although…” she eyed Suzu-san sourly. “Some of us aren’t trying hard enough.”

“Aww, come on boss. I spent ages collecting them, I don’t mind risking my life, but what idol would risk her group?”

“Enough, Suzanne-san.” Arisu-san declared. A sudden beam of darkness that was flying our way, sucking out the very light around us, was swallowed by a slash opening in space, violet energies scattering. “We have no time for your childish conceits.”

“Oh no, I’m being scolded! Well, I can still fight, especially after the boss buffed us all up.” She reached out, grabbing Bunta-san by the arm. “Come on, get to it, Bunta! If you don’t impress in front of the boyfriend… no, fiancé of the boss, then she’ll be super mad! Later!” They hopped down, and she used her ragged parasol to start smashing the surrounding undead, making a sour face as debris and stale blood stained her already soiled dress.

“Flames of Thirst and Famine!” Tan declared, and the fire elemental was assailed by a tide of burning energy, only for a shimmering shield made from a glowing light to appear, blocking the attack. Tan scowled, twisting Shiro’s scarred face into a grimace. “Annoying. My Flames will not devour that… perhaps as they are of the same pantheon.” She clicked her tongue, before glaring at me. “Now, should you not have somewhere to be?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Shiro, stay safe. You too, Tan. And Arisu-san, we’ll talk later. Uh, Suzu-san, later. You too, Bunta-san!” As I raced off, wind, flame, earth and water cutting a swathe through the seemingly endless tide of monstrous undead, I glanced back, to see Tan surrounded in flames, burning her way towards the shield and flame elemental. Beside her was Arisu-san, looking imperious in her red dress, sending dangerous attacks elsewhere with a stream of violet energies.

There. I could see an enemy, the one casting the beams of light-drinking darkness. He was fixated on taking out Tan on her fiery conveyance, as she was definitely the most attention-grabbing of us. More darkness was being gathered, but against my new speed, I was upon him in mere moments. His eyes went wide, looking into mine, a mixture of anger, hatred and fright visible, before darkness suddenly shimmered around us like a devouring cloak, and his hand went for his bone blade. Nope. Cutting Twilight spun, severing his arm, and Foehn surged. The bone blade was incinerated, unable to resist the Foehn that had been buffed by Shiro’s new abilities, and though the darkness starting to corrode my skin painfully was a problem, with my stronger network and Ether Healing, I could resist it. Shiro’s a true Candidate now, huh? That’s… reassuring. Though I don’t know if she’ll think so when she hears the new grinding plan I’ll be putting together for her. Might as well leverage that lack of level cap…

“Sorry, but I don’t have time for pleasantries.” My Eye flared, giving me more precise information than ever before, and time seemed to slow. Multiple tendrils of aether and adherence formed around me, and with great precision I drove out the slime infesting him, before a flash of Foehn burned him and it to ashes.

You have gained in strength, Your level has…

No time to worry about such small boosts in power. At least I took the benefit, not the golden-eyed devourer, thankfully I had time for that. And with another enemy down…

Racing into the Territory, I could see Ixitt, Haru-san, Shaeraggo and his exhausted wife, amongst others. Ratkin and weaselkin were operating weapons of mortal engineering, holding their own, but the numbers of the dead were simply too massive to hold off indefinitely. On seeing me, Haru-san floated over, followed by Shaeraggo, both looking terribly weary.

“Akio-san, you made it back!” Haru-san gasped, trembling. “It’s a disaster, you have to hurry!” she declared.

“A disaster? Yeah, it looks bad, but you seem to be holding. I’ve killed one Candidate, and reinforcements are here, I think we can pull this off!” I argued, only for her to shake her head.

“Maybe. I wouldn’t be so sure, Akio-kun.” She pointed to the remaining tank, which was shielded by the mysterious energy from before, a cowled figure on top radiating dark malice. Even looking at him made Haru-san shudder. “That man there, he’s dangerous. Very. All of these corpses obey his orders, and even if we damage them, they rise again, unless we completely destroy them.”

The Judge of Death, I’m guessing. The girl warned me of him… he’s probably the most dangerous Candidate left out of our enemies… “Well, even so, with me here now I can…”

“No!” she shouted, surprising me, as Haru-san was always mild and meek, if sometimes playful now, in a bitter, gallows-humour sort of fashion. “It isn’t just here! Somehow the enemy has breached the Territory and is waging war on Tsukuyomi-jinja, but we can’t spare any more support with that… that demon here.” She spat, cursing the cloaked figure, surprising me yet again.

So it came to that, did it? I felt doused in cold water. It seemed that Tsukiko-san was right, her facing danger was inevitable. It was then Shaeraggo spoke.

“Akio. Where is my sister?” he asked. “We received word that there was terrible-terrible danger here, so I came through immediately. These… these dead things are of the worst sort. It is like fighting Unseelie filth.” He spat a gobbet of phlegm, his tired wife Selensha leaning on her ornate, crystal-topped staff chiding him gently.

“Shaeula’s out there. I know she’s safe.” I could feel that through the bond, as well as something else, something crackling and powerful. “She should be here any minute, seeing the fireworks.”

“Master Ulfuric leads the defence. There are others too. That Chinese girl came back all beat up and headed over there too, before we got word of the invasion.” Haru-san fretted, though not forgetting to sweep light over the oncoming hordes of the dead, melting them to ashes, the strongest attack anyone was using against them. “You need to go. Matsumuro-san… she needs you!”

“You need me, too!” I said, noticing her unease, and she shook her head.

“No. I… I sympathise with her. She must be so terribly afraid right now. With Shaeula’s brother here, and the reinforcements you brought…” she gestured towards where Tan and the others were trying to breach the shield, and had at least drawn the attention of the fire giant. “… we can do this.”

“I am here merely-merely for my sister…” Shaeraggo sniffed, loosing several more arrows into the crowd, winds tearing undead apart.

“No, Haru-san is Shaeula’s friend.” I warned him. “You think she’ll forgive you if you let her come to harm?”

He snorted at that unhappily, but he was still fighting, so I guessed he was fine with staying, and just being tsundere, like his sister used to be. But male tsundere are no good. Nobody likes them. I was torn on whether to stay or go, and time was wasting. Tsukiko-san, and Daiyu, Ulfuric and the rest, they were in danger, but if I left here, Shiro, Ixitt, Haru-san…

My contemplation was shattered by a great roar and a brilliant flare of lightning, thunder booming. I saw undead bodies being tossed in the air, the armour-clad Grulgor smashing through them like a living siege engine, followed by his trolls. A fiery hand from the elemental tried to swat him, but he darted aside, laughing. Behind him was spreading a tidal wave of decaying corpses, fungus blooming as the undead rotted, returning to dust, and above…

A figure was leaping across the sky on footholds of wind, a difficult technique, but as pinwheels swirled around her, darting and twitching, the beautiful girl raised a hand, and lightning forked down once more, slamming into the shield, which held, but was noticeably weakened. As thunder clapped, she leapt down from the sky, landing near us, a broad grin on her face, amber eyes satisfied by the shock she saw in her brother’s eyes.

“Brother Shaeraggo, it is most-most heartening to see you here, helping Akio. But you seem… surprised? Has the moon stolen your tongue?” Her grin was viciously self-satisfied.

“Sister, is that…” he began, only for her to cut him off, another spray of brilliant lightning leaving her hands, striking at the elemental once more, leaving a trail of brilliant afterimages and the boom of thunder behind it.

“Of course it is-is.” Shaeula laughed. “There was a kind enemy who was throwing about so much-much lightning element that scooping it up and making it my own was simplicity itself. I have-have always said I would be a Royal someday, did I not-not?” she paused. “Brother Shaeraggo, sister-in-law Selensha, you are falling quite behind. Dear sister Anna too. Likely my other brothers and father as well. How disappointing. When this is done… I believe we need a training camp.” Behind us Hyacinth had powered through, her vines sadly useless against the fire elemental, as they just burned up, her spores too.

“You should transcend your limits and learn at least-least a second element. If I can, Hyacinth can, Ixitt can… well, can you do no-no less?” She turned to me then, her happy, satisfied expression giving way to deep anger and rage. “Akio, I am most wroth. I can feel the dying of my kin, their spirits returning to me. But… not all have returned to me. I fear some few have been extinguished forever.”

“I know. The golden-eyed eater, the bone swords.” I agreed, reaching out to comfort her, but surprisingly she knocked my hand away.

“I shall be fine-fine, I promise. We have no time. Tsukiko, she needs-needs your aid.”

“But the situation here…” she stopped my words with one delicate hand.

“Here? You have me, Shiro, Hyacinth… three of your lovers working together. How can we lose? We have Haru too!”

“Please leave me out of it. I’m not involved.” Haru-san said, and Shaeula merely snickered.

“Well, even if you are not-not engaged to Akio, your powers are great. I know you feel-feel you are weak, but…” she watched as more light melted a swathe of the invaders. “… for this, your powers are quite-quite likely the best of all. Now, Akio, go!” she ordered me. “Save Tsukiko, save our kin from this dreadful fate. And defeat our enemies. They have done many cruelties. A true-true ruler repays evil unto evil, while remaining kind to the good.” She raised one hand, beautiful jade energies swirling around her. "May the winds of fortune blow with you in this battle."

As the fortunate winds settled around me, I nodded, torn, but resolute. With a last glance at my battling allies, I sprinted westwards, towards Tsukuyomi-jinja…

********

“Old Luo Jiahao…” Daiyu exhaled in shock. One moment she was resting in Tsukuyomi-jinja, her wounds slowly healing, helped along by the power of Bintara, the Yokai healer. The next, the Territory barrier had suddenly wailed, like breaking glass, and a large hole had simply been bitten out of it from below. The ground had exploded, and out from a rippling underground mess of liquid earth had appeared a solid stone sphere, which had shattered to reveal a number of enemy Candidates, as well as a group of spiritual beings from Chinese myth, and a number of Cultivators, first among them, someone she knew well, the Patriarch of Mountain Fang.

“Well, if it isn’t the beautiful daughter of Patriarch Zhao.” He said sadly, the horrific blob of transparent flesh in his arms twitching, tongues lolling out of many mouths drooling happily, a thick purple mist rising from it, endless corrupted Qi, no, aether, as Akio called it, pouring into the Candidates, fuelling their powers. “I hardly expected to see you here.”

Around them battle was ensuing. Prince Shōtoku, the other kami she didn’t know the name of, a number of Candidates from Kyoto, as well as the great badger Ulfuric and his forces, all were plunged into a fierce battle. Ulfuric was facing a number of the spiritual beings, and they were strong and fast, clearly above humans, but he wielded a great axe, hewing them down, fishy blue blood scattering as the handsome men and women were cut. He bellowed for runners to be dispatched, and some were able to flee, but others fell, cut down by Cultivators or other attacks. One was horrifically swallowed by the fleshy mass Lou Jiahao was holding, a number of tongues snaking out to drag in the squealing weaselkin, before it vanished in a spray of purple.

“Protect Tsukiko-sama while she retreats!” Prince Shōtoku shouted, but moments later a shimmering, transparent dome had been erected around the battlefield, and Daiyu felt the oppression. I… I cannot return to the Earthly Realm. This barrier traps us here…

Another Candidate had transformed into a six-armed golden giant three metres tall, wielding an assortment of nets, tridents and other weapons, while a third was vanishing into a strange fog, and then Ulfuric staggered, blood scattering from a savage wound in his thigh, rock armour shattered.

“Why… why would you do this?” Daiyu asked, taking up a fighting stance, striving to protect the healer behind her, knowing that as she had pledged to serve Akio, this healer was integral to his future plans.

“You think I had a choice?” he shook his head. “You should know my pain, Black Jade.” He sighed. “After all… your Sect is gone. Every. Last. One.” He punctuated the words harshly, but his face did show some sympathy. A Cultivator from another sect, Diamond Mountain, by the robes, did run at her, blade raised, but Daiyu moved swiftly, and with an open-palmed strike she broke his neck, blade falling from his hands, which she kicked away, disgusted by how it squirmed for her. The Patriarch of Mountain Fang merely watched, holding onto the hideous creature he chaperoned.

“Well, you will not grieve alone. After all, this has not gone as our new master planned.” He looked down at the salivating blob, as tongues lashed out, and Ulfuric lost his rock armour, the stone devoured. Spears struck at him then from the spiritual beings he was fighting, and blood scattered. He roared, his eyes turning dark and muscles bulging, drawing on all his strength.

“No, we had three targets that it wished to devour. It seems we shall only manage one. And most of us were supposed to be food as well, in the end. Well, I suppose you know that.” He looked sad. “I wanted to protect what was left of my Sect. Our Prodigy, the twins Mei’er and Min’er… they died. You failed. And so my son, my daughter, my wife… so many perished. But I do not blame you anymore. We have instigated our revenge. It will not be stopped now, not after what we have done here. Yes, you failed, but you lost as much as I did. And now we will both lose… everything!”

Tongues darted at her from the creature, and she barely evaded, a few drips of the saliva falling on her, the corrupted aether and spatial element in contained searing into her half-healed flesh, causing immediate dizziness. She stumbled, only to scream in pain as her flesh was gouged out, her healing starting to work, fortified by a gentle power. She half-turned, to see the horned head of Bintara looking at her, exuding aether.

“That corruption cannot be allowed to spread. Only death awaits those so tainted.” She pronounced, glaring at the creature and its bearer. “A fragment of what Lord Nurarihyon fears. So powerful for a merest proxy. I can see why he sought aid. Disgusting.”

As the battle raged around them, a chaotic melee filled with strange powers and devastating attacks, Daiyu concentrated her Qi, ready to strike a fatal blow, shattering all the meridians of the long-time friend of her father. Who is gone, as I feared. He has no reason to lie to me. So… I am the Incorruptible Jade now. I cannot fall here. No, I will rebuild. As Matriarch. I will find a suitable Dao Companion, and new disciples, and teach them the old ways, the scraps we received from Kunlun…

“We didn’t fail. We were misled. The Department pig who was sniffing us out was already dead when we got there, devoured…” she trailed off, and Luo Jiahao laughed as the tongues shot out towards her again. A volley of flames from a mortal engineer drove it back, only for said engineer to perish, a giant metal hand descending from above and squashing him with a sickening squelching noise, blood spraying her.

“Yes, you understand. The creature we are chained to, it got there first. A coincidence, most likely, but on devouring he who finds those with Heaven’s Blessing, he could too. And those of us the Party believes were responsible for the attack, us remnants, beaten dogs… well, it sought us out, enslaved us. Servitude or be consumed. What choice did we have? You have not seen it, felt it. Even the true rulers of Kunlun would have yielded, I believe this to be true, even despite the many injuries it still suffers, we had no other choice.”

“There is always a choice!” Daiyu yelled, tears streaking her face, for what reason she did not know. “You could have fought, or died with honour, for our Sects! Even thrown yourself on the dubious mercy of the Party! There is always another path!” The Dao… once one abandons it, it can never be reclaimed. These cowards, they… they broke. I… I will stand, even if it consumes me, even if I never again enter reincarnation. I have my pride still, my Dao!

“There is no point.” Bintara said, once more hewing free her soiled flesh. She herself was covered in wounds now, open, bleeding sores where she had been forced to sever her own injuries. The shivering jelly was happier now, tongues lolling, but all of a sudden it let out a dull howl.

“Another one it did not get to eat.” Luo Jiahao chuckled bitterly. “Our only consolation, it seems others are as hungry as this little beast.”

“There is no point in words.” Bintara repeated, one horn snapped off by her own hand, leaking a shimmering fluid full of powerful healing energies. “This ant will track in filth and hunt for prey because it is an ant, it knows no better, only self-preservation. Such an insect. Even so…”

“Even so?” Daiyu shivered as she was showered in the glowing fluid, her gift from Chang’e suddenly accelerating, repairing her many injuries, reinvigorating her. Her muscles swelled, tearing and repairing themselves constantly, and despite the pain she felt a boiling strength, as every part of her body endured destruction to exceed its limits. Soaked by her own fluid next, Bintara growled.

“Even so, these ants do a great deal of damage in their mindless parade. The Boundary here is thinning. Without care… well, no matter. We will not let it shatter.”

“No.” Daiyu agreed. Another Cultivator rushed her, but she easily dodged and her Qi entered him, exploding his meridians and lower Dantian fatally, silvery blood scattering. “No we will not. This Jade… it is Incorruptible. You ants will not soil it! Besides…” she grinned, as the barrier around them blazed with flame, a small gap opening momentarily. “We are not alone here…”