ShipTeaser

  “Well, at least this training shouldn’t be painful.” I grinned. “Although I do want to tinue pushing your Ether Healioo.”

  Eri bit her lip at that, remembering the agony, but she nodded, resolute. Getting up from my p, she brushed herself off. “Something to look forward too.” she joked.

  “I’m tired Aki. You know I’ve not got much stamina.” Shiro sighed. “But… I guess you know what you’re doing, and are thinking of us. Fine. I’m out of aether though, so I don’t think I manage much.” Shiro got off my p as well, a touch regretfully, I thought. “You know, that was hough it’s usually the guy lying in the p of the girl in manga, right?”

  “Do not-not worry about what others do, only what we wish to do.” Shaeu smirked. “Now, I am curious. What-what shall we trai? I am eager, as I had little-little to do while you worked.”

  “As for aether, don’t worry.” I poio the sea. We were a bit outside our Territory along the coast, able to see the e geysers of elemental energy in the distance. “While the tide of aquatiemies has sed off for now, I’m sure we always draw out some more. Sagami bay is likely full of prey.” My smile was savage. “Of course, if we run into some aquatic Yokai who unicate, we’ll try for an alliance, bringing in some more troops ’t hurt.” Besides, the more Fae, Yokai and other intelligent beings I meet, the less appetite I have fhting them. Uhey o be destroyed of course. Some of the Night Parade surely qualified for that, of course, such as the Kijo, but others could be reasoned with, aodations reached.

  “So you want us to fill up araining? Monster, brute, pervert!” Shiro pined.

  “Hey, that st one is unfair!” I joked, to the ughter of everyone. “But you’re n. We have an advahat I appraise our skills, and Shaeu and I also see the flow of aether and your chakra works, as well as adjust them with Chirurgery. We o leverage this.” Whe a Ring Gate set up in Kyoto, we start w with Yasaka-san as well. He has a different sort of informative ability, but I suspect it find out things I ’t. Saionji-san should be ied in strengthening Yasaka-san as well, sidering he’s an ally… “There’s also one more source of information we have access to that nobody else does.”

  “Me?” Shiro asked, seeing my gaze, before realising. “No, Tan, right?”

  Yeah, Ortlinde, even in her brief few hours with me, imparted a lot of wisdom that at least pointed me in the right dire, even if it was rather st oails. So having Ta?hā, a being from a higher pne, one who might even be cssed as a God, to some extent, here to advise us is surely a great boon.

  “I do not wish to destroy your hopes...” Tan decred seriously, fully taking over Shiro, eyes and hair burning with iridest fme. “…but there is much wisdom I part to you. Mas of the higher Astral must remain just that. Secrets.”

  “I am curious as to why-why that is.” Shaeu inquired, her eyes sparkling with i. “Surely your lot has been thrown in with us now, has it not-not? Your as, to effectively take the Divine Favour meant for Shiro here and usurp her body are surely breaches of whatever agreement you did-did have with the other pantheons, am I not-not correct?”

  “I did not usurp the princess.” Tan protested huffily. “We came to an agreement. Perhaps the agreement was… rather more of be to me, but I did and always inteo honour my promises. Despite my lineage, and father having a… wicked… reputation, I do not believe I am evil, merely eager to secure what I wish. No, if you want to see true evil…” she cmmed up then. “Well, I ot speak of that, for it touches on the higher Astral and the mysteries.”

  “See, I don’t get it.” I shrugged. “I get that all you pantheons have some kind of agreement, Ortlinde said so herself, but really, as Shaeu said, you’ve already breached it. Who is going to know if you tell us a few things?”

  “It is far from that simple.” Tan protested. “There are always those that know. Oracles and seekers of truth, those that dig secrets free from the darkness where they are buried. The pantheons used to tend savagely with each other, many worlds destroyed, Territories annihited. Now… now we have a truce, though skirmishes, covert wars and sabotage is not unon. Amongst pantheons aween them. Shadow wars.” Tan shook Shiro’s head sadly, frowning as if to mock the stupidity of it all. “Though most of the spoils of the agreement goes to the Orue Throhe majority of worlds that survive, in themselves a minority, that does not meaernative is aer. So yes, like the Valkyrie from the World Tree, who smuggled such a delectable fruit down to you…” she was drooling again, and I imagined Shiro was writhing with embarrassment inside her. “… I made a choice. inally I was to pass on the Divine Favour aurn, but seeing the princess, her… fasating and vanishingly rare circumstances, I decided to take a risk. To gain a world for my father, ohat I trol… well, I would be being, as would my whole pantheon. Father and my sisters… we are not well liked within our sphere.”

  “I see. Well, your father does have an evil reputation.” I agreed.

  “Good and evil are retive cepts. What is beneficial for one is good, harmful is evil. But I am not here to debate philosophy. The risk was worth it, but now… I have lost my guarantee of this world being mine, have I not?” she gred at me, single remaining eye narrowed, crimson light leaking from within. “I still believe that your world has a greater ce of survival within my grasp. Though I dare say the princess will not fight you for it.”

  “No, I most certainly won’t.” Shiro mao protest. “Aki and I, when it es down to it, we’ll work something out. But it should be one of us, right? Oh wait, your sister has a Divine Favour too nht? Maybe you’d cede to her, since you are such a sis!”

  Mhter, and Eri shrugged. “He might, but Aiko wouldn’t take it. She’s a bigger bro than Akio is a sis. She’s tent to be his strength, I think.”

  “Whoa, is that even possible?” Shiro goggled. “My mind is blown!” Tan then regained trol, speaking sourly.

  “Enough. These are important matters, I find this humour inappropriate. I shall impart some small wisdom. Territories of the third, fourth and fifth ranks are any powerful beings trol such, drawing on their strength. I myself possess a Fifth Raory within the Pantheon, ohat puts your trifling nd to shame. I suspect that the Territory you call the Seelie Court is one such Fifth Raory. The gap from Fifth to Sixth, where the higher Astral resides, is far. Few existiories go from Fifth to Sixth. Gathering the resources, the ether, defending it for long, bitter years as it lies helpless… no, the safest way to a Sixth Raory is to grow a world from the shallows, anding it as an Astral Emperor. But even that is rgely doomed to failure, or another world joins the Orue Throne. I believed I could take advantage…”

  Okay, the gap from Third to Fourth Rank is massive, I know that. Even assuming for Fifth Rank it goes back to a tenfold jump, which I doubt… then Fifth to Sixth being another bottleneck, possibly even worse than Third to Fourth… my head hurts just thinking about it. If it wasn’t for me being more Fae-like, would I even live long enough to make this possible?

  Seeing my expression, Tan ughed. “You now see why few worlds survive? There are some pantheons that stand aloof, and prey harshly on worlds they find, sug them dry to fuel the slow growth of their owories, though these are usually the weaker ohere are also creatures who have carved out their owories, Astral Emperors of their own domains. They also hunger for strength, frowth. They are no match for the pantheons, of course, lying low when stronger beings cross their paths, but for ripe, fresh worlds, it is as easy as stamping on a bug when they are discovered.”

  “For someone who wasn’t going to say much, you said a lot, not that I’m pining.” I observed, and Tan shook Shiro’s head again.

  “Such secrets I divulge. They are merely fragments of knowledge any world that ects to the higher Astral, or has visitors from the tides above, will discover. No, I ot speak of specifics, of strength. That is what the Favours are for. If we wished to cim a world discovered, as happened in the past, well, if I exerted my true might, it would be trivial. But the Boundary would sunder and burn away under my radiance, and it would be a bea to others, to predators and other pantheons. They too would hurry to cim the resources and beings here. Battles would break out, and the world would likely be reduced to ashes in the crossfire. While nigh-numberless worlds dwell here in the shallows, and the pantheons enpass near-infierritories, the loss of so many could not be borne, not sihe… well, this I ot speak of.” Tan shuddered, looking frightened. “… do you think warring pantheons, with endless history of war, hatred aru, would just agree to a set of such restrictive rules?”

  “It seems this Orue Throne might.” Eri observed. “It seems like they almost always win, so it bes them.”

  “Of course it does, after all, they are the only Ninth Heaven.” Tan spat. “No other single pantheon is anywhere heir match. Though with allies…” she paused, befatherihoughts. “It was the Orue Throne who pushed most for restris on knowledge. The Six Paths, your World Tree, others… they had no wish to hoard knowledge so deeply. But to reach accord…” she shook her head. “My father agreed. After all, the Orue Throes petition, but certain Gods, it hates with a furious passion. My father amongst them.” She sighed. “I will say o thing, skirting the bounds of what I may reveal. Should this world an Astral Emperor, such a being will be of use itles above. Perhaps a few of the stro other humans and spiritual beings will also find favour, but the majority will be nothing more than numbers. Though even numbers have their pce. So do not grant. Even a powerful world is but a single world. Never fet that.”

  “Here. All that talking is thirsty wooork!” Hyath handed us some drinks, fruit juid honey mead. I looked at her, only to see silvery bodies of fish-creatures vanishing, turning to ether, behind us. Seeing my gaze, Hyath giggled. “The mistresses were engrossed ialk, Akio, and sooo were you. I did nooot want you to be disturbed, so I dealt with them.”

  “I see. Great job!” I praised her, rubbing her head, and she purred happily. “So, I get it. I think. A fresh world reag the higher Astral is merely a small chick, easily destroyed, but still has some value to the rger pantheons. I suppose if we look at it like this, all resources are better than not having them. It’s like adding ara Ether Spire. I’d take it in a heartbeat if I could. Well, Tan, thanks for that. I don’t want to get you in trouble, not when that might get Shired into it as well, but… I’m sure my course is a corree now.” It ’t just be me being strong all alone. Yes, I rength, strength to protect the Earth, and it looks like being Astral Emperor, while the first goal, isn’t the end goal, merely the start of a longer journey. No, if we are to survive, and not merely as a vassal, or even a sve, of the established, higher powers, we o show both value and enough strength to make us less of an easy target. To that end…

  “Tan, now I’m sure. Your whole petition is twisted in favour of the Orue Throne, as you call them. There’s probably some trick to it, that gives them the advahat you all agreed to. But fet that. I want my world to have a ce of somethier. First, I o stop it beiroyed. And then… I don’t want it to be just the leader of the world who has value, whoever that ends up being. I want humanity to be powerhouses, to matter. So to that end, I have some questions. Simple ohat I hope you answer without breaking yreement further.” I looked at Tan with ear hopes, and she sighed, defeated.

  “Very well. Your pleas have reached me, man. I ot divulge higher teiques or abilities, but a few scraps from the table, such as this Valkyrie provided, that I do. So, ask.”

  “We were talking about growth, and how I believe the reason why Ortlinde only gave me the seeds and as little actual poossible was to not twist my foundations, allowing my growth to be as pure and strong as possible. This is accurate, right?”

  “I believe so.” Tan agreed. “Everything is built upon foundations. If the foundation is rushed, unstable, or not prehended, future growth will suffer. Even if it is strong to start, eventually the unstable growth will lead to failure, a tahat halts progress.”

  Just as I thought. Well, knowing that… “So, from what I have gathered so far, the root of strength is the body, right? Material and Astral, the Silver Cord eg them as well? And the fual abilities to trol aether, and possibly adherence? Elemental abilities are flexible and powerful, but they seem oddly derivative.”

  Everyone was looking at me with i now, and Tan licked her lips, a hungry expression in her eye. “You are rather perceptive. Or is that the Eye you have?” she looked into my grey orb flecked with amber stars. “I believe I share this, yes. Material ws are the first foundation. There are many worlds that have teology far exceeding that which this p muster. Some has spread through the pantheons, though many disdain such things. Because Material yields to Astral.” Tan observed. “Though without the Material, the Astral holds no meaning. Then above that… I ot speak of this.” She sighed. “Adherehe trated power of belief… it is indeed more powerful thaher, yet also more finite. Your path is a hard one, but to build a tower that reaches the realms above, a weak foundation will simply not do.”

  “I wish to know more-more about elements. After all, Fae are creatures of the elements.” Shaeu insisted. Tan merely shrugged.

  “Answer me this. Earth, Fire, Air, Water. Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, Wood. Light and Darkness. Lightning, Ice, Wood aal. Why do these exist? Why are they grouped so? When you know the answer, you will surely uand.”

  Yes, I have wondered about that. Just taking the first group, Earth is a mixture of various periodic elements and pounds, fire is a chemical process, water is a pound, and air is a mixture. Then we have metal, which is a series of periodic elements. Ice is just water in a solid state… light is, well, light, but darkness isn’t even really a thing, just an absence of light. It doesn’t make sense, unless… ether and adherehey follow one rule. I think I’m on the edge of an answer…

  “I see-see.” Shaeu was close, too. “When Akio first mastered the wind, I did-did wonder how he ma so easily, but then his knowledge did indeed-indeed help me to grow my own mastery. Strange. Material ws, then yielding to the Astral. I think…” she toled with the cepts.

  “Right. Well, we’ve e a long way around my idea, but here goes. We then our cores. Levelling is a finite resource for you all right now. But stronger skills, that we work on. So, I io have us work oher manipution, our silver cords and our chakra works. I know it’s difficult, but all our other abilities seem to flow from these.” I looked at Shiro then. “We’ll be w on adherence manipution as well, but not today. I’m very low on adherence, most of mine was used to give my sis Yamato’s Divine favour.” Tsukiko-san did the same for me, giving me hers, as I didn’t have enough left to accept Tsukuyomi’s gift on my own.

  “That’s going to be tough. My chakra work is ruined, right?” Eri sighed.

  “As for us Fae, we struggle to manipute aether, do we not-not?” Shaeu agreed with Eri about the difficulty. “It is instinctive for us, like breathing.”

  “Yes, but you’ve already learned how to do it to a det extent, right?” I soled her. “And Eri, yeah, it’ll be hard, but it might also help us put you back together, I think. As for Shiro, it’ll make you stronger ahier. Besides, we have a lot of advahers don’t.” I used some of my owher, which lentiful, since I was just about to cross the five-thousand mark in terms of my Aether stat. “Here. Here’s what Eri looked like before she got tangled up with Ginneka.” I created a shining hologram of her work. “And here’s now.” Another one appeared, this one messed up and shifting. “Shaeu before, and Shaeu now she is a Kamaitachi as well as a Fae.” Her seven primary chakras were now surrounded by dark halos, orbiting them, only the lunar chakra free from this new addition. “And here’s Shiro’s, and mine.” Holding all the images was giving my Split Thoughts a workout, aurning my headache to me, which seemed to e when I was overstressing my mind. Still, no pain, no gain, right?

  “They all have a lot of simirities, but they look different.” Eri observed, and Shiro agreed.

  “Yes, mine seems to be ected to another, here. Is this Tan’s?” she asked, pointing to various strange offshoots.

  “I think so. My Eye doesn’t seem to be strong enough to fully ua, so I only see some of the overpping and eg parts.”

  “I should think not.” Tan said suddenly. “I would be greatly ashamed for a mere mortal to spy my secrets. After all, I am Divine!”

  “Akio, why is mine nooot here?” Hyath said, a touviously, and I once more rubbed her head, before adding it to the colle of holograms, further tributing to my ag head.

  “There you go. Now…” I looked at the sandy beach around us, out of reach of the tides of Sagami bay. elling some earth element, I created a wall, isoting an area. “…how about we get creative, and sketch these out in the sand?” The beach here is far han the coast ba the Material. Maybe we should open a beach-side café as well as the Treetop one?

  ********

  “This is so hard!” Eri pined. “And it’s really unfortable. Like bugs squirming under my skin!” she protested, as she elled aether, freshly provided by sin sea-creatures gathered by me. I had e up with some exercises to test strength and precision, and Tan, surprisingly, had let slip a few small ideas.

  “I know.” My Eye glittered amber, and I could see that her trol was being hampered by the flow of aether spilling from her twisted work. Even as I watched, the balls of water and sand Eri was moving started crumbling, and Shaeu yelped as seawater spshed her. As Eri apologised, I looked at Shiro, who ale and sweating, her scars burning painfully iion to the aether she was elling. Even so, she was living up to her boasts of being a genius, as her Aether Manipution had already reached Rank 2. She was also drawiher into her Astral body, stantly trying to nourish it, as the parts without Tan’s interference, and her silver cord, were feeble, merely Rank 1.

  “Damn, Aki, I agree with Eri. This is very difficult!” she pouted. “If I wasn’t such a wreck I’d get it, I just know it.”

  “I know, it’s not fair, right?” Eri joined in with her pints, sharing a sympathetic smile.

  “You just wait until you need-o reach Rank 6.” Shaeu joined in their pints. “Climbing over the first wall is most-most trying.”

  “Hyath is sooorry, I am bad at this.” She was juggling balls of sand, watg them fall apart regurly. “When I dooo not think about it I do it.” She demonstrated, and suddenly aether was flowing, gathering numerous balls of sand. “But when I try tooo do it sciously, it goes awry!” she looked downcast that she couldn’t meet my expectations.

  “No, that’s the point. Shaeu went through the stage of learning how to use aether sciously, and you have to as well. When you , you achieve far more than merely doing it by instinct.” I tio chivvy them up. “I already promised rewards for success with Ether Healing, right? I’m sure I upgrade the rewards, based on the number of Ranks you go up.”

  “That is far-far from fair.” Shaeu sniffed. “I am trying to shatter walls and breach bottlenecks, my task is much-much harder.”

  “True, but then, you are Shaeu, Duchess of the Spring of Clear Refles, princess of the Seelie Court, right? This should be nothing for you!”

  “Hmm.” She snorted, a little happy at my praise. As she agreed, getting back to her work, Shiro smiled.

  “Now that’s harem ma.” She praised me. “Ugh, I think I ’t get the aether to flow through me here.” she poio the area below her heart. “I feel it getting stuck. Help me out, Aki!”

  “All right.” my Eye fring, I ied my owher, making her shiver. I could have forcibly moved the flow for her, but instead I was gentle, guiding her, allowio feel the way it should be done. She shivered as I worked, though she opped her exercises.

  “You know, this is kind of perverted.” Shiro said, surprising me. “You are p your white stuff inside me.”

  “I’d say it’s more silver.” I sighed, gently flig her forehead. “Now that’s the sort of line Yasu-san might say. Although I suppose Aimi- might have said something simir reading her favourite BL stuff.”

  “Yeah, I never did get the appeal of that.” Shiro straihe flow reag her heart and slowly moving upwards. “Well, I think I’m good for now. Eri looks like she needs help too.”

  Indeed, Eri was watg our versation enviously, so, supressing a grin, I headed over to assist her, all the while balls of sand and water cirg me, my Split Thoughts stantly expendiher to manipute them. After all, p up the girls is important, but I ’t my own training…

  ShipTeaser