Onside the Boundary, I was greeted with the kami Chairo, the brown dog of the mountains, and his e followers. I found it hard not to giggle at the amusing appearance of the dogs, wearing their ically oversized hats and some even wore strange capes that looked a bit like a poncho. I mean, I’m not particurly fond of dogs, but I’m not as scared of them as my bro and Eri are. Though I don’t think there are many dogs that threaten my bro anymore…

  “Grr, wele back, child of the shrine.” Chairo growled at me. “Will you be seeking our assistance again?” He tilted his head ically, tongue lolling out. “I do not see your rade, the other daughter of this shrine, grr.”

  “Yeah, Eri won’t be returning for a while, so it’s just me.” I answered, feeling a little lonely. I have to shake it off. It’s only for now. Besides, Eri managed alone when I wasn’t able to enter with her. “I don’t think I need your support, but my bro will worry if I don’t take you up on it.” My excitement was bubbling up, and I closed my eyes, trating on the Divine Favour within me, picturing it as a sparkling mixture of golden and indigo light, much like the sunlight element I had obtained.

  “e forth, Golden Warriors!” I decred, feeliher flooding from me. I could hold a lot more within me now, but it still wasn’t enough to fully utilise the power I was given. Even so, folden statues appeared, golden women carrying various ons. Ohat looked a bit like Eri had an axe, while another resembled Shaeu somewhat, with a thin, rapier-like sword. A third carried a great shield, while the fourth was holding a brutal-looking spiked mace. Those two look a bit like Rika- and Yae-. Maybe they were on my mind?

  “Such a summoning, grr!” Chairo barked, surprised. “You have grown strong, daughter of the shrine.” He sniffed me, and I dropped back so that none of his drool got on the leather jerkin my bro had made for me. “That prr, it is of a God far beyond me. You now follow your brother, I see.”

  “I do!” I couldn’t help but smile, fiving the kami for nearly soakih drool. Yes, I’m walking with my bro now. Or I will be, when I catch up… “Like brother, like sister, right? Well, I o test out my new abilities, so if you could let me know if there are any ehat threaten the shrine, I’ll go take care of them!” I pumped one fist, psyg myself up as I would before a volleyball game, and then drew my bow, the brilliant, ruby-red on I had received from Shaeu’s brother. Well, it was really from my bro and Shaeu, I suppose.

  “Very well, grr. There are those who have wandered in from neighb Territories, who seek to cim this shrine, or prey upon us, grr.” As Chairo expined his foes, supposedly some rather rge walking trees, and their locations, I idly toyed with my bow. I want to challenge Shaeraggo again. Sure, he kicked my ass, showing me I’ve still got a long way to go, but you learn more i than victory, right? Besides, he did give me some helpful pointers as well… I truly loved kyudo, so being able to put it to use in arenas other than sport was thrilling for me. As the kami finished up, I nodded, eager to get started.

  “All right then, doggies, lead the way!” I decred, and four of the adherents of Chairoakitara shrine raced ahead of me, leading me up into the mountains, and I stifled angle at their antics. I followed, marvelling at the ease in which I was running over the rough terrain, my movements agile. The folden girls stomped after me, their feet crushing smaller rocks and stras underfoot. The mountains in the Boundary were home to lots of unpleasant creatures, many of which seemed to be giant is and araids, and I soon caught sight of one, a spider the size of a car, spinning webs across the paths between trees. Yellow, pound eyes bli us, and it hissed, venom dripping from oversized fangs that were like knives.

  “Yuck. Disgusting. I’m not scared of bugs, but I do hate them. Well, time to try out my skills.” I was an Archer of Light now, so I had to try and see what that meant. I remember bro saying I could add fme ht into my arrows, or create them myself. I guess I’ll do it like bro would. Experimentation!

  Drawing an arrow from the quiver I had been given, I fitted it to the bow, fming yellow energy springing to life. I then tried to add my owo that. Before, when I first lear, in a way that made bro really mad, I found it pretty hard to trol, but now it seemed far easier, and soon the arrow was bzing, my face feeling the heat. Yeah, maybe burning myself to uand fire was a little bit crazy, but it worked.

  Moving through the stages of kyudo rapidly, as speed was important, as Shaeu’s brother had taught me, I made to release the arrow, before shifting my aim a little, as I instinctively had a grasp of the path my arrow would take. And… loose. Releasing my indrawh, the arrow left my bow, pierg the air noticeably faster than I had ever managed before.

  The spider tried to scuttle away, crossing the web rapidly, but my aim was true, and the arrow pierced deep, purple ichor spilling as the spider wailed. Fme fred, and suddenly the spider exploded, burning flesh and chitin ed by the yellow bze. “Nice.” I remarked, sending another arrow out to end its suffering, the arrow pierg the spider’s head, before another explosion of fme mushroomed. Silver ether scattered, sucked into my body, and I started cirg it around my chakra work, it being far easier than ever. “I could totally get used to this…”

  ********

  “All right, there’s the first target.” I grinned, looking down from my perch amongst some rocks, bow in hand, golden warriors behihe walking tree was t some teres tall, with numerous bare branches reag out like dead, bony fingers. The trunk was weeping green sap, from knotholes that could have been eyes and a fissure that might have served as a mouth. Even as I watched, some scuttlile-like creatures were snatched up by the branches and ferried to the mouth, which ripped open with a tearing noise. Bugs were shoved iill alive, and the trunk closed, the grinding of bone apanied by mreen sap, and silvery-red innards.

  “Wow, Gross!” I decred, repulsed by the sight. Looking at the dogs apanying me, I addressed them. “I totally see why you want these trees gone. Well, I could snipe from here and be doh it, but that’s b.” I had tested the fme abilities of my arrows thhly now, and I could successfully jure a fming arrow out of nothing and shoot it, though that did tire me out much more than using the quiver. “I want to see the golden girls in a.” I gestured grandly, despite there being nobody to see me. “Attack, show me what you’re made of!”

  With my willed and, the folden femiatues raced forwards. The tree reacted, turning swiftly, only for the shield-bearer to ram the t brute. Despite being only a fifth or so of the height of the tree, the impact staggered it, driving it back. Branches shed down, g at the golden figures, only for the axe in the Eri-like statue’s hands to swing out and sever the reag branches, cleaving through the thick wood effortlessly.

  The rapier-wielder ierg the trunk, ripping open bark and sending green ooze scattering to the stony ground, though the damage to the massive tree was minor. The fourth and st, however, had more success, brutal spiked mace crushing branches and wood alike, bsting crater-like divots irunk.

  Yeah, this is awesome. I totally get how bro feels now. Battle is scary, but… it’s thrilling too. The warriors I anded were surrounding the tree, the dogs from Chairoakitara shrine merely watg the battle. Branches fshed down, and the statues were taking damage, scratches gouged deep into their golden frames, but they tio push, the shield-bearer blog the worst impacts, while axe and mace tio strike the trunk.

  It was then the sed of the walking trees crested the rise, this one even taller, maybe fourteeres high, trunk even thicker. It bellowed, green ichor spraying, sizzling on the ground, and on a tangled heap of roots began to slither towards us, weeping knothole eyes baleful and enraged.

  “All right, guess I should lend a hand.” I said, no longer tent to watch my golden girls bring down the brutish tree. Pulling back the glittering golden string of my bow, I felt fme bze ience, droplets of yellow and red falling to the ground. Well, lets try light this time… I trated on the sunlight within me, p it into the arrow, and the yellow deepened, being golden, flecked with sparking bolts of indigo light. The arrow vibrated, trembling with suppressed power, and I went through the steps of kyudo once more, the as sed nature to me.

  “My arrow… hits the target.” I whispered, releasing the arrow. Unlike before, it fizzed through the air, leaving behind a trail of deep azure. Immediately I k was one of the best arrows of my life, a feeling I hadn’t experienced often. Splihe size of daggers scattered, pinging off the great shield the golden warrior was carrying, inflig minor damage to the others. Moments ter the tree shuddered, before it started to sag, the weight of the tall tree uo support itself now a great gouge had been carved out of the side of the trunk by my arrow. For a moment it filed desperately, struggling to remain upright, only for the mace-wielding statue to strike, and with o wail the top se of the tree snapped off, tumbling to the ground heavily, branches shattering.

  “... and my arrow definitely pierced the target.” I was grasping at the edges of enlighte, but it slipped through my thoughts, vanishing like fog. The barks and warnings from the dogs snapped me out of my momentary reverie, and I blinked, seeing that the sed tree was almost upon us. “Wow, I o be more careful, I totally spaced out then. ’t do that in the middle of a match, right?” Pulling bay b once more I fitted another arrow, and fme bzed. The shot was true, digging deep into the bark of the charging tree, fmes springing up along the trunk. A sed and a third followed, and soon it was struggling to beat out the fmes with its branches, failing miserably.

  Well, the golden girls are finishing off the dowree easily enough, so I guess this one’s mine. Another arrow of light streaked out, striking where one eye was, bsting through the trunk, leaving a pte-sized hole through which the sky could be seen.

  “Well, that one wasn’t as powerful…” I admitted to myself, my reserves of light element dwindling. “Though I have to be ho, I’m definitely a lot stronger.” Switg baing arrows, aided by my bow, I nded an arrow ihe new hole, and fmes started burning ihe tree, until it looked like it was weeping tears of golden fme.

  I suppose I shouldn’t get too proud of being on target with all these arrows. It’s pretty hard to miss a target se at this range… soon the rger tree was like a fming pincushion, a score of burning arrows embedded deep, and my golden girls were engaging it, having finally destroyed the grounded enemy, the ether from it rest a k of my strength, leaving me buzzing with energy.

  “Wow, this bination is uable!” I grinned, watg as my statues forced the t tree back. I winced as one burning branch raked deep furrows in the golden armour of the smaller, Shaeu-like statue, rainbow ether scattering along with fragments of gold. “Well, maybe not uable…” I amended. “But it’s still a good bination.” More arrows left my bow, peppering the tree, and it was starting to tilt to one side, most of the branches nothing but burning stubs. The shield-bearer smmed the tree again, while the axe and mace were hag and smashing away, and the final, smallest statue was darting in and out, attrag the attention of the monstrous tree.

  “Ikuzo! Timber!” I shouted, first in Japahen in English, as with a final powerful swing of the heavy axe by my warrior, the walking tree colpsed, striking the ground with an ear-splitting cacophony. Fmes were burning deeply within it now, and bck, acrid smoke was drifting into the silver-streaked skies, though sihere was little to no wind in the Boundary, it was a strange sight, the smoke drifting straight up in long, regimented ns. The golden girls were tinuing to rain blows down on the fallen tree, and moments ter, the fmes must have inflicted enough damage, as the tree rgely disied, spilling a shower of glimmeriher, which I gdly absorbed, my body tingling.

  I feel it. Definitely. Jumping up and down on the spot, stretg and flexing, I could feel my body being more respo was subtle, but I worked my body enough normally to notice the difference. I must be levelling up. Well, it’d be unfair if these giant trees didn’t give a few levels, right? Stowing my bow, I asked the dogs from Chairoakitara to lead me towards where the other walking trees had been sighted…

  ********

  “Wow, aherite. I’ll take that!” I reached doicked up the shiny e crystal. Stig it in the belt around my jerkin, I couldn’t help but be pleased. Bro’s always looking for these. It’ll make a nice present. Though it ’t pare to what he’s given me…

  Following the dogs, we had defeated three more of the walking trees, though none had been as rge as the first two we had defeated, beiween six a metres tall. Again, my golden girls had taken the lead, holding back the trees while I peppered them with volleys of fming arrows, with the occasional light arrow mixed in, when explosive force was needed. I had surely gained a number of levels, and I was eager for more. “I just wish I could see my own statistiot knowing how much I’m improving sucks.” I pouted, before brightening again. There’s no way anything keep me down at the moment!

  “Well, I think I’ll explore the mountains behind us.” I looked out across the jagged, rocky peaks. I had been there a few times before, as the fire element Eri and I had learned was gushing from the rocks there. The ants that had been occupying the site previously had been cleared, but the various mountains and foothills behind it were likely teeming with prey. “Might as well get as strong as I !”

  “Grr, are you quite sure?” one of the dogs barked. “You have safeguarded our shrine, is that not enough for you, grr?”

  “No way.” I protested. “I’m going to keep going until I’m at least as good, no, better that that jackass Yamato-san. Otherwise how I face my bro? This gift, sure, I was patible, but that’s not to say others weren’t a better choice. But my bro e! I know why, my bro worries about me, about all of us. That’s why I want to reassure him, and shit, I want to prove that he was right to e as well, not just because of pity and worry, but because I’m badass, the right girl for the job!”

  The dogs gave me quite the iing look, a bit judgemental, I thought. Though expeg me to interpret the gaze of some dogs is asking a bit much… Still, there was no way I was bag down. My pride, both as a younger sister, and an athlete, was on the line. Besides, Eri managed with far less advahan me. I trated otered and cracked golden girls, aher flooded from me, their visages reknitting, the scars fading. When I was done, I wiped sweat from my brow, feeling rather drained. “Cool, so I repair them usiher. Makes sense I guess.” Even though I was very low oher, I wasn’t feeling like I was going to be kicked back to the Material, like what would normally happen. It seems that I’m stantly pulling in enough of a baseline of aether to keep me here for now…

  “Right, e on.” I decred, pressing onwards, keeping my eye out for more Etherites. Soon we reached the area of fme element, and that made me pause for thought. I know bro doesn’t have any fire element in his Territory. So if I could tribute some… no, it seems premature. I know sooner is better, for Territories, as it takes a long time to build, from what he and Shaeu told me, but… just like that idiot Yamato-san, I could be robbed of my power and hurt bad if someoroys my Territory, and I’m not staying in Nishimorioka forever… I could feel the ability to anchor a Territory, and it was tempting, like an urge that was hard to trol, but I had to remember it was my bro who gave me this ot Kannon. She didn’t e, she chose a moron. So I owed my bro, not Kannon.

  Leaving the gushing geysers of yellow fme energy behind, after I spent around an hour drawing in energy to replenish my dwindling supplies, I tio explore, my golden girls crushing the occasional giant spider or other nasty creature we entered. Soon though, we started to run into trouble. Chittering ants the size e dogs were gathering in groups numberio twenty, and as they saw us they started to attack, several ants trying to retreat while the rest engaged us.

  “Looks like the experience points have turned up!” I grinned savagely. The dogs from the shrine whiheir displeasure, but I wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. It’s definitely addictive, growing stronger, I see why my bro likes it. My first arrow pierced the head of the lead fleeing ant, sying it, while my sed ripped several chitinous legs from another, before a final arrow e.

  “Go, my golden girls, crush them!” I urged my warriors forwards, and soon they were engaged in ferocious battle. The rapier pierced heads, the axe and mace crushed bodies brutally, while the shield held back my oppos. When there ening I unleashed an arrow, pierg my foes, and as the dead mounted up, I exulted as more and more ether was drawn into me. The only issue was further groups of ants were being drawn in. We were sughtering them, but their numbers were increasing, and noere up against sixty or so… I do remember from biology css that ants give off a pheromone when they die, to alert other ants…

  Arrows were pierg the enemies with lethal accuracy, my instincts oo shoot, what trajectory to pick, almost instinctive, and I wao try my luck against Shaeraggo once more. I didn’t think I’d win, but I knew I’d do better this time. O with garish red and bck patterning on its chitin rushed at me, too close to shoot, and with a solid kick I flipped it over, allowing the dogs to savage it to death. Wait, the dogs… I had bee up itle, and hadn’t noticed that as the numbers of ants were increasing, the size too, some being far rger and armed with savage, slig jaws like pincers, the dogs had suffered a number of wounds.

  “Grr, we o fall back.” The bog barked, spitting a little blood, fnk sshed, brown fur dark with red blood, silver mist rising. “Numbers of enemies are too great, grr.”

  “Yes, but, we have the golden girls…” I said, surveying the battlefield, only to notice I was mistaken. Wow, shit. This isn’t good. Yes, bodies of ants were heaped high, dozens, scores of them deg to aether, and I was getting stronger by the minute, but as the number and ferocity of the ants grew, the golden girls were uo keep up. As I watched, the Eri-analogue with her axe stumbled, a leg mauled off by one of the rger ants. That ant died, axe buried in the skull, but other ants used that moment to attack, and soon it was limbless, golden arms snipped away. The smaller rapier-wielder was suffering simir indignities, buried under a writhing swarm of ants, and the other two were also hard-pressed.

  I sent a few arrows flying, driving back the mob, freeing the small golden warrior, only to see it was also in no dition to fight anymore. Aether left me, starting tee the limbs, but then a massive ant, bigger than any others, the size of a family car, trampled forwards, smashing the golden girl to pieces, a rainbow shower of aether all that was left.

  Damn, I get it. I got too cocky. All right… “Yeah, retreat!” I decred, using my warriors to hold off the ants, drawing their attention, while I scuttled away, boing a heavy toll os, the dogs fnking me. I’m not my bro. I ’t take on armies. Not yet…

  ********

  Opening my eyes ba the Material, I sidered what I had learned. “Damn, the Boundary is still pretty dangerous, even here in Nishimorioka…” I muttered. I could hardly even imagine what my bro, Shaeu and Eri faced, going against the Night Parade. Standing up and stretg, I cricked my neck, w out the cramps. Though ohing is for sure. I certainly grew stronger. Nothing I did tonight was in vain. I learned, and I saw what the golden girls do, and what they ’t. I may be better against a smaller number of stronger foes than a horde, but… ime, I’ll do better. I must have gained a few levels, maybe even a lot. Those ants… I’ll crush them. Their xp is mine!

  With my mind made up to tinue growing stronger, I smiled. “Sure, I lost today. But tomorrow… I’ll win!”

  ShipTeaser