On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Two Hundred And Ninety-Four

“… so, we are all agreed?” Chiyo-san said, having taken the role of moderator that Bankei-san usually performed, by virtue of being one of the neutral shrines, at least up until this Conclave, and also by being the oldest there, supposedly a little older than Kudou-san, though of course I wasn’t about to ask her age. “To prevent a repeat of the unwelcome tragedy, not only will we respect Territorial boundaries for those registered with the new Ministry, those of us from the faith will actively cooperate to protect and expand, settling disputes over locations and resources with mediation, performed by a council, consisting of members selected from all the current factions. We will also make sure that coverage over precious sites of faith, such as the most important shrines countrywide, is secure and protected.”

“There’s still the matter of ranking them by order of priority.” Kudou-san said, stroking his beard. “In Kyoto, we have the advantage that numerous sacred sites are close together, but the numbers of the faithful who are Chosen is limited. More limited, now, I fear.” He sighed. “It seems we will struggle to protect them all.”

“For now.” I said, weary after several hours of fierce back-and-forth. Most of this had been agreed at Conclave in the afternoon session, but a good chunk of that had been wasted on recriminations and worries over the deaths, so this last session was needed. “As Saionji-san can attest, as a Territory grows, the area it can cover expands. Eventually all of Kyoto should be protected by a single Territory. Likewise, I’m hoping to expand my sphere of influence over Tokyo in due course. As of now I’m merely taking a good chunk of the outskirts and suburbs.”

“That would be beneficial.” Takakura-san agreed. “The nobility has few Chosen, and already…” he looked at me, and I knew what he didn’t want to say. The only known Candidate in the nobility is Miyu, right? And she’s already my Vassal. Probability wise, it’s not impossible there is another one, but if so, they are also keeping hidden. They do have the Candidates that Ichijou-san found, but protecting all the legacies of nobility throughout Japan with these numbers is futile.

“Well.” He amended. “The Three Great Houses, as well as Takakura house, and Tsumura house, agree that you can be trusted to control the spiritual side of Tokyo, though parts of it will likely be in other hands, correct?”

“Almost certainly. Tokyo should have a few hundred Candidates across it, even if some have already fallen, or chose not to participate.” I went over it again. “Even so, I intend to respect the autonomy of those who stay within the laws we are establishing, though perhaps being Vassals, or even relocating with my support, might be options to explore for them.”

“It would be comforting to have the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, and the residences of my family, under your aegis.” Yukiko-san spoke up. “I myself have experienced expanding the area of control I possess, around the Grand Shrine at Ise. It isn’t trivial. How long do you think your expansion will take? You boasted about your Territory to Tsukiko-san and me, so it must be soon, right?” she smiled a little, pushing up her red-framed glasses with one finger, as she peered at me.

“Soon? Hardly. Once you hit Rank 3, the jump to Rank 4 is massive. I need to sort a bit of other infrastructure first, and ideally gather significant quantities of resources ready for the push. There’s no way I can leave my Territory so weakly defended for years. Besides… now doesn’t seem to be a good time. I’m sure you’ve noticed, those of you who are Chosen?”

“You mean the way time there is fluctuating? Of course.” Saionji-san was again the one to answer. “It seems to be coming closer and closer to matching the time flow we experience here. Akai says…” he looked down at the still-sleeping phoenix, a little drool leaking from her mouth. “… that ebbs and flows in the tides of the spiritual world higher than we can reach dictate that.”

“Shaeula says the same. Looks like we are in a shallow etheric tide, a slowing. So we’ll gather less resources and take longer to construct improvements. It’s a bad time for lengthy upgrades.”

“I’m still amazed at how much detail you have about all these matters. I go mostly by instinct, although listening to you talk, I do get some ideas.” Yukiko-san mused. “I hope you’ll share information on how this all works, to benefit everyone.”

“That’s one of the duties of the Ministry, for those that sign up.” I agreed. “Although I also intend those who join my training school to have a grounding in such matters. After all, using them in combat… well, we’ve seen how that went. Far better to just know how to protect themselves, but have uses in Territory development, item crafting, healing and other supporting roles.” Interest and excitement for the training school plummeted after the deaths, though during Conclave I offered proposals and managed to reassure some that such reckless disregard for their safety wouldn’t happen under my watch. Some still approached Haru-san, confirming their interest though, mainly those with ambition, or bloodline powers they wished to enhance…

“Speaking of support… so, Uchida-san is understandably still in no fit state to make decisions, and Susanoo is effectively a splinter faction now…” I don’t regret taking Yamato-san’s power and giving it to Aiko. It was a sin to let it be wasted. I do certainly have other regrets though. “… I want to confirm that it is agreeable for me to set up a connection between my Territory and Kyoto, managed by Haru-san? I need to find a suitable location, but if so, Haru-san and my forces can cooperate to ensure safe expansion of Kyoto, as well as head off the disaster that Tsukiko-san saw in the near future.”

“I have no objections, of course. But I can’t help but notice you’ve been addressing her and Princess Mikasa very casually, Akio-kun.” Kudou-san grinned.

“Well, I don’t know if I’m the one she saw in her visions, and I don’t care. I’ve made up my mind to protect her and Yukiko-san, because I don’t want events like yesterday’s to happen again. And I have the power to do it. Besides, for the first time, Tsukiko-san took a chance, trusting to her own instincts, rather than to her visions. How can I, as a man, not respect that resolve?”

“Respect, huh? Of course, of course.” Kudou-san chuckled. “I’m pleased to see her getting along with you and the Princess. It warms this old man’s heart. Her duty to the Gods is a heavy burden, and I appreciate your efforts to lighten it.” He smiled, still toying with his long, white beard. “Well, anyway, I’m not a Chosen, and I haven’t had the Chirurgery yet. I’m an old man, so I’m in no rush. But those of mine who are, they are more than happy to have the support of you and yours. What say you, Gin?”

“Well, Yasuhide, you old fox, you know I’m in no position to say no. Besides, I’m a little hurt, Akio-san.” He put on a bright smile, but I could see the sly amusement in his eyes. “Yasuhide’s fellows here had the advantage of you helping expand their Territory. That foolish boy Yamato did as well, though that effort was wasted. Where was the help for me?”

“Well, I was closer to the other factions…” I began.

“Well, what abut our dear friend Kikuchi-san? I’m hurt that you didn’t use him as a bridge between us more. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. After all, we’ll be working together from now on, right?”

“Yes. Yasaka-san definitely needs to be supported to grow his strength.” I agreed. “His Divine Favour is excellent, but only if nurtured. When I get set up, I’ll be sure to have him taken out levelling, along with any others who need the growth. I’m not underestimating the dangers of Kyoto anymore, so don’t risk him without support.” I warned. Book of Providence is surely a power similar to The Future Reflected In The Moon, although querying future events seems to lead to backlash… Even if we were unable to use it frequently to detect future events, it was still able to gather information even my Eye couldn’t, so I definitely wanted to bring him up to speed, but his combat abilities were likely woeful.

“Bankei has no issues.” Chiyo-san agreed. “We wish for Kyoto to be protected, if it takes your aid, so be it.”

“Well, it seems that the ball is in your court, Akio-kun.” Kudou-san grinned. “How long will the setup take?”

As I discussed it, time was ticking away, and I explained quickly that I wasn’t sure, as it relied on procuring Ring Gates from a third party. When that was done we discussed a few more minor matters, such as increasing the number of Thrones that other Candidates had, and the meeting was finally brought to a close at around three in the morning.

“So, the Conclave is concluded. Though to the other shrines and temples, it finished five hours ago.” Chiyo-san yawned, and I knew how she felt. Still, for me it’s definitely mental exhaustion, not physical. It’s been a long weekend, long and painful. But as my mother says, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. I’m not sure I entirely agree, but…

“So, a question for you, Akio-san.” Saionji-san said, as we were preparing to leave, me for the Boundary, hopefully to quickly find a suitable location for a Territory, and also to investigate the nests outside Kyoto. I nodded my acquiescence, and he asked it, eyes searching mine. “Haven’t you ever thought of just taking charge? You have great powers, I know that. Perhaps I could defeat you with the Gaze of Avalokiteshvara, it is powerful, even if you suggest it is irresponsible to use it carelessly. But it is certainly not a sure thing. Akai here…” he patted the cheeks of the sleeping girl until she started squirming, muttering that she was awake. “… seems terrified of you and yours. You faced Nurarihyon from legend and lived to return, and apparently slew many from the Hyakki Yagyō. You have military and political connections, and a lot of knowledge, that perhaps only Yasaka-san might be able to rival.” His words were intense, and I could feel some of the others listening. “So why not seize power? It must frustrate you, seeing squabbling like the Conclave, or fools refusing to grasp what you offer because of a few deaths that were caused by someone who overreached without the necessary power or wisdom.”

I need to answer this properly. I’ve explained my stance several times, to the Prime Minister, Fujiwara-san and others. “I think in a way, I am prepared for it.” I said quietly, earnestly. “After all, like you say, I’ve gathered power and influence, and I’m not afraid to use it. But I want everyone to come together without being forced to, if possible. It’s the metaphor with the bundle of sticks, again, right? Besides, one person can’t do everything themselves, nor should they have to. So, I’m content to grow my strength, increase and empower my allies, and provide support to those who earnestly wish the same. But…” my expression hardened. “… I’m not going to let the selfish and the stupid jeopardise everything. I have people I need to protect, a country I need to protect, a world! A rising tide raises all ships, right? Well that’s why I’m prepared to share my knowledge and expertise, and I certainly want advice from people with more experience in all sorts of fields such as politics and business. I don’t arrogantly believe I’m always right. If people want to stand aside, not help, then I’m not going to force them. But I’m not going to overlook those that want to harm others, abuse their powers.” I took a deep breath after my long speech. “It would be lovely if everyone could prove they didn’t need me to take charge. After all, I was a humble freelancer, working on IT projects, just a few months ago. Now I run a Territory, and have countless lives to protect, both human and otherwise. I need enough power to make sure they are safe. Other than that, I’m not greedy. But Yamato-san was a harsh lesson. I thought I could protect my trainees, but they chose to follow someone else’s orders, and well, we all know what happened.”

“I get it.” Yukiko-san said. “I can see why Tsukiko-san offered herself to you…”

“Wait, what?” Kudou-san said, stunned. “She… did what?”

“Not like that, you dirty old man.” I said, embarrassed. “She simply allowed me to help carry her burden. Which I am glad to do. I’ve got broad shoulders, nowadays, anyway.” I smiled.

“After what you said to her, I’m not sure…” Yukiko-san began, before flushing, her eyes behind her glasses swimming awkwardly. “… well, never mind that. No, I’m pleased to be someone you want to protect. And… well, Conclave has been helpful. I’ve seen that I’m not alone. Being a Chosen of the Gods is a lonely trial. Knowing others carry the same, and are even willing to offer aid…” she placed a hand to her chest, pumping herself up. “I’m still scared, but I’ll do my duty as a member of the Imperial Family, even if I’ve always been out of the spotlight.”

“Well, Fujiwara-sama believes that your ambitions are necessary. Nobody who is not greedy has the drive to succeed against these odds. But he also approves that you are not avaricious. The way you handled his granddaughter cemented his faith in you.” Takakura-san said. “Just as the nobility, Imperial Family, shrines and temples, and the Diet have their own spheres of influence, leading their own areas, I expect you will become the leader of the Chosen of Japan. I hope you retain your willingness to allow others their share, and that resolve to work with others. Leaders are a necessity, Dictators, however, only lead to eventual ruin and rebellion….”

At those wise words, I nodded. Yes, my ambitions have certainly scaled up, and I am prepared to take charge where I need to, but I hope that I’m still doing it for the right reasons, not simply to accrue personal power and wealth. Well, don’t get me wrong, I need both, to protect those I love and give them a life they deserve, but I don’t want the means to become the goal. Yamato-san, you fool. At least you can become an example of what not to do for me… As we finished our last few conversations, I held in another sigh. Well, time to hurry to the Boundary. I don’t have long at all…

********

I nodded to the soldiers standing outside the hospital room where the twins, Keomi-chan and the girl from Hoeruokami shrine were resting. One opened the door for me and I strode in, Hyacinth behind me, a silent shadow. She had followed me to the Boundary, where after some searching we had found several unoccupied areas of elemental water and earth strong enough to support a Ring Gate. We had then journeyed to the edge of Kyoto at haste, where we were assaulted by more of the giant birds that had plagued us before. We had tried to reason with them, testing their intelligence, and after we had defeated a few, Hyacinth showing off her significantly improved might, they had retreated.

They definitely understood, although they seem territorial and aggressive. We had ran to the nests they had in the foothills around Kyoto, and gathered a significant amount of shed feathers, more than enough for further crafting, as well as a number of Etherites, including another precious blue one. Ixitt will be pleased.

Once inside the room, I could see the sleeping girls in bed, the soft beeping of machinery and their faint snores the only sounds. They’ll live, though apparently they are quite traumatised. Well, that makes sense. I think I’ve become numb to all the fighting, but I still remember my first battles, when even a zombie with a knife was enough to terrify me, almost persuading me to forget all about being an Astral Emperor, and I took a fair beating at the hands of Shaeula’s weasels… That was hardly the only time, too. In fact, in the early days, I had been injured a lot. To think I’ve reached the stage where I power through nasty wounds, relying on Ether Healing and my stats… I guess that might be my biggest change, how accepting of the danger I’ve become…

“Oh, you’re here too, Oshiro-san.” There was someone else in the room. Despite the early hour, it was Hikawa-san, who was watching his daughters silently. “So, did Conclave reach a conclusion?” he asked, though I could tell his heart wasn’t in it.

“Yeah, it panned out pretty much as I hoped. But we can talk about that another day. So, how are they? I hear they are being discharged tomorrow.” I asked, looking at the sleeping twins.

“I’m grateful.” He said solemnly. “The doctors here are amazed. They said such scars would have taken years of extensive plastic surgery and skin grafts to heal, and they would have been left with internal injuries that would have hampered their chances of enjoying a normal life, having a family.” His eyes misted with tears at the thought. “But with the healing you and Shaeula have been applying, as well as their bodies being surprisingly strong for young girls… well, there’s hope of a full recovery. Physically, anyway.”

“Don’t worry.” I promised. “Shaeula and I will have them good as new. As for the mental scars… well, the twins are tough. They showed that in the Boundary when they helped us all learn despite the discomfort they were shouldering. They can help each other. They’ll be fine.”

“I know.” Hikawa-san agreed solemnly. “But the others… their wounds may be healing, but what of her eyes?” he pointed to the dark-skinned girl who was lying in another bed, her face bandaged still.

“That… well, we’ll fix them. It’s just a matter of time.” I was sure about that, and Shaeula agreed. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to. We’ve fixed the misaligned and broken eye sockets, it’s just that the eyes won’t regenerate. I think it’s an issue of either mentality, or we lack the knowledge. After all, closing some of the scars on the other girls, or setting broken limbs, clearly regenerates more tissue than eyes would take. So it’s got to be either we subconsciously think of eyes as a whole new body part, as we can’t fully regrow severed limbs yet, though again, in theory it should be possible, or it’s that eyes are too complicated. If it’s the latter, well, we’ll be studying more medical textbooks on our return to Tokyo.” I’ll add it to the pile. I have more lessons in Chinese, and when that’s up to fluent, I’ll be learning ancient Chinese, focusing on the Kunlun dialect. I am very curious to know more about that heirloom seal we recovered…

I also needed a teacher in classic ancient Japanese as well, and while they were hard to find, Kudou-san believed he could put me in touch with an excellent scholar, who had some connection to a Tsukuyomi faction shrine, despite being a professor at Tokyo University.

“I see. That’s good.” Hikawa-san nodded slowly. “But… there’s the issue of her mind. This girl too.” He gestured to Keomi-chan. “She seemed rather hysterical when she woke up and realised what had happened. As for the other girl, her cousin is dead. That’s not something we can gloss over. Well, all of them knew the dead students. But losing family…”

“Yeah. Ether Healing doesn’t work on the mind. Though we do have a trump card. Haru-san has Mind Healing Light, which supposedly can help stabilise and cure mental ailments. I’m not sure if it can heal stress, depression and grief, but it’s worth a try. There are also… other options she could explore, though I’m loath to ask her, seeing what she’s already suffered.” Using her Sharing Light and Telepathy, she might be able to soothe the minds of others, though I expect that would come at the expense of sharing their pain…

“It’s a cruel world.” Hikawa-san sighed. “Well, if my daughters, or my son, need her aid, I’ll beg her, even if I must get on my knees, even if I must bow my head. I can’t help but feel I failed them. I put politics ahead of the safety of my family.”

No, I know where this leads. He’s thinking the same sort of thing I was until Yukiko-san, and then the girls, helped me recover. “No. the two things are unrelated. There’s no way you could have anticipated it. Even Tsukiko-san couldn’t, I wager. There are mistakes we’ve made, but not everything that went wrong can be laid at our feet. Even so, whether it was our fault or not, all we have to do is put right as much as we can. We can’t restore the dead, but we can make sure the living recover.”

“You… you have a stronger look in your eyes.” Hikawa-san admitted. “Determined. I respect that. Although…” his wan face broke into a mocking smile, a lot more like the old Hikawa-san, even if I could tell it was forced. “Tsukiko-san, huh? You certainly are close to the noble Lady Diviner now. What would your fiancées think?”

“Master says that nooothing is going on between them.” Hyacinth said, speaking for the first time. “I am nooot sure if I believe him, but it doooes not matter. I dooo not tell master who to love. If he wishes for her, then I shall simply have a new mistress tooo serve.”

At that, a quiet laugh finally broke free from Hikawa-san. “You certainly have your maid well trained. Though considering her nature, I would worry you might end up getting stabbed. Seriously though, you certainly do seem to attract the attention of powerful, important and most of all beautiful women. After all, you said behind her veil she was pretty, right?”

“Stunning.” I admitted. “Like a statue crafted by a genius. I did persuade her to take off her veil when she was with Yukiko-san and me, but I was saddened to see she put it back on for the afternoon session at Conclave.”

“So, you think that’s nothing?” he winked at Hyacinth. “She has never let anyone see her bare skin for years, decades, and she just takes off her veil when he asks?”

“Hey, I’ve already seen her with my Eye, and Yukiko-san is her dear friend, so…”

“I’m not sure a man who has so many girlfriends should be so clueless.” He complained. “Though to be honest, I doubt she would have romantic feelings for you anyway. She’s not been a person, but an idol, someone revered, rather than a woman. She probably doesn’t even understand such things. Although, for her to lower her guard so…”

“And mooore. She passed on her Divine Favour tooo master, saying it did nooot matter if he was the one she foresaw, he was the ooone that was there.” Hyacinth agreed with him, and her words shocked him.

“Seriously? Well, isn’t that fascinating.” He shook his head. “Yeah, I think you should be careful around girls and knives, Oshiro-san…”

As Hyacinth again protested that she would never do such a thing, the tense atmosphere calmed. With one final complaint of “I’ll never let you have my darling daughters, no matter what Shaeula says.” which puzzled me, as I had never expressed any interest in the twins for anything other than their powers, Hikawa-san said he was going to visit Ren-san, so I agreed to come too and look over him.

Yeah, the twins are definitely cute, and will be beautiful when they are older, but I’m not into middle-school girls. I found it awkward enough getting teased in Nishimorioka just because Shaeula can look a little bit loli in a certain light. Besides, I have more than enough on my plate. Well, it won’t be just me getting knifed then, Shaeula better watch out Eri doesn’t have a stab at her if she’s back to her old tricks again…

As for Ren-san, my opinion of him had improved for the better. He made the right call, fleeing, even though it was a trap. Better to do something risky than to do nothing when disaster hits. He made a good judgement call getting to us as soon as possible so that we could help. That saved lives, undoubtedly, thanks to the fact the Parade was toying with the victims. Yes, there was footage of Ren-san on the internet, causing us problems, but it was hard to hold that against him when the situation was so dire and so much at stake.

We passed the guards, heading to the next room, which likewise had soldiers outside. As the door slid open, the occupant turned to us, his face haggard, eyes dead. “Oh, Hiroto-san, Oshiro-san. Good… good morning.”

Uchida Ren-san. Ignoring the slight confusion of two different Ren’s being in the room, I nodded politely, feeling very uncomfortable around him. And for good reason…

“So, you’re here with Yamato-sama?” Hikawa-san asked, expression sympathetic.

“I am. He still has not regained consciousness.” He looked down at the sleeping figure below, linked to more devices than Hikawa Ren-san, who was sleeping peacefully in the other bed. Bandages were covering his body, and even as I observed him, faint wounds were opening on his face and neck, thin trickles of blood leaking out, running down his deathly pale skin.

A grim sight indeed. It looks like Nurarihyon hasn’t stopped toying with his prize, despite the fact I stole the Divine Favour. Once more I considered the consequences of my actions, before offering my condolences to his father, the hypocrisy stinging me. Well, done is done. At the time I made the best choice I could. Now I just need to learn to live with it…