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  On seeing the group gathered, I asked Hyath what .

  “Akio, they have sooomething to tell you.” Hyath pushed forwards two girls, one of which was Kana, and the other, the small, quiet dark-skinned girl Hotene-san, who was trembling a little. On seeing that, Haru-san, who was also mixed into the group, smiled a little and released a touch of soothing gold-tinged light, which washed over the girl, calmiremors.

  “I see.” I could use my Eye to find out, but sidering the triumphant, if embarrassed, expression on Kana’s face, I believed I khe answer, and it would only be fair to let them have their moment ing. “Well, I’m all ears.”

  Behind me, Eri Kana, and with that approval, she spoke. “Well, Akio. I’ve do!” She puffed out her det chest proudly, her shrine maiden hakama almost seeming to glow. Behind the group I could see Shirohebi, and while it was often difficult to read the emotions of that androgynous snake, I was sure I could see pride in the way it was looking on her.

  “Done what?” I asked, teasing, and she shook her head, ughing.

  “That won’t work ooday, Akio! You know what! Thanks to Shirohebi’s guidance, as well as Hyath’s, and with the twins and Haru- helping us all out…” I see she’s much more friendly with Haru-san now too. Great. “… I finally mao master earth element!” With that she raised her hand and the ground shivered, rocks lifting free and f a long stone rod, which she grasped, arm trembling a little at the weight.

  “And what about you, Hotene-san?” I asked the girl who we had saved from death in Kyoto.

  “I…” her expression was still gloomy, despite the success she had achieved. “Well, I uood it. Earth is dark and cold and lonely, as dark as when I was blind, and as cold as when I thought I was going to die…” she said, not what I was expeg. “…it be as heavy as the weight of that darkness, and…”

  “Hush now.” Haru-san said, striding forward and putting a hand on her head. Haru-san’s eyes narrowed as she ected her Telepathy, sharing the painful memories, releasing more of her Mind-Healing Light. As Hotene-san started to rex, Haru-san looked at me. “ I take her away for now? She’s done enough. It was all a bit much for her.”

  “That’s probably for the best. In fact, it’s pretty te, so anyone who wants to head home . But first… well done, Kana. I knew you had it in you!”

  “Well, if Eri-san or Aiko- do it, there’s no way I ’t, or it’d make me pretty pathetic, sidering my bloodline and spiritual gifts.”

  “It definitely would.” Eri agreed, and Kana barked a ugh.

  “You’re not supposed to agree with me there, but anyway…” she flung the staff she held, and with a shimmer of red energy, it shattered into a rain of needles, pierg the ground. “… I have to say, now I really feel special. My eyes may be more important a talent, but this definitely feels more magical.” As her friends from school gratuted her again, I turo Shiro.

  “Well, guess I need you to work a little harder tonight. I he general buff, and you ge my specifie to Adherence Manipution?”

  “I , though I’m damn tired, you svedriver.” She shot back. “What about your experiments though, Aki?”

  “Well, I’ve been . I’ll try again aime to get more crete data. But right now, Kana’s pulled it off, so…” I felt around the Favour from K?itigarbha, and another hypothesis roven. Yeah, Kana’s got enough affinity for it to be given it successfully now. “… we have other priorities.”

  Kana looked nervous, as well she might, as this was a big decision that would set the course of her life from now on. “I’m going to borrow Kana now. Great work today, everyone! Go a some rest and those of you who didn’t succeed, at least you’ve seen another couple of role-models to show it is possible!”

  “All right then, we o talk.” I poio the terra top of the Rhyming Tree.

  “Akio, we should go too.” Motoko said. “It would not do for us to be too exhausted at Hanafubuki tomorrow, not after missing a day of schooling.”

  “Yes. Well, Kana-san, good luck. I’m a bit jealous, I admit!” Natsumi said, and as I kissed the twoodbye then watched them depart, those of us that remained climbed the steps.

  “Akio, may I ask, what happened earlier? Hyath felt very clooose to you, very happy, but loots of pain. Is there sooomething wrong?” Hyath muttered as she joined us. Shirohebi was also following, an unusual occurrence. But it’s probably about Kana.

  “No, we were just experimenting with Kin Bonding. I’m sorry if it hurt, we’ll be careful iure, all right?”

  “Hmm. Well, I did nooot mind it. A little pain is nooothing really.” She said, and before I could answer, Eri did.

  “That’s not what you should say here. Even if you’re strong, Hyath, Akio doesn’t want to hurt us. What you should have said is something like I enjoyed being closer to you, we should try to reach that state without help.”

  “I hought you’d be oo give advice to a rival.” Kana said, taking a seat as we arrived at the top, looking out over my Territory. “When we first met, you were like an angry cat, puffing yourself up to appear rger and ward off your rivals, and any irls around Akio.”

  “I’ve ged. We’ve all ged.” Eri admitted, her cat-ears twitg in the breeze. “But Hyath… I guess I never saw her as a rival at all. She’s… well, I don’t think I could live with it if I didn’t give a little kindness, to let her be happy.” She paused to sniff, feigning irritation. “You, however, I could quite cheerfully see go elsewhere.”

  “Really? I know you’re lying, Eri-san.” Kana said happily as the rest of us sat down. Asha then appeared, smiling broadly, and soon we were feasting on fruits from the orchard, washed down with fruity, sweet honey wine and mead. “But to protect ynity, I’ll let you have this one.” Kana finished.

  “Yeah, save your tsu for Aki. It’s wasted on anirl.” Shiro ughed. Beside us, Daiyu was sitting quietly, but Shiro was transting for her, via Tan.

  “So, Akio, I… I do it?” she asked, and I nodded.

  “Yes. It looks like you host the Divine Favour now.” I said, and she tensed up, before letting out a long sigh.

  “Good. It’d be a shame if I went to all that effort and I wasn’t able to. Although…” she looked at Shirohebi a touch guiltily. “… I suppose I could see it as devotion to my kami. I’ve been a pretty disloyal and poor excuse for a shrine maiden up until now. Sorry about that.” She apologised, and Shirohebi shook its head.

  “There isss nothing to yourssself with. Timesss have moved on, I underssstand thisss. But it doesss pleassse me to sssee yrowing piety again. Perhapsss there isss hope your promisssesss ssshall be fulfilled, Akio.” The White Snake grinned, a surreal sight.

  “Yeah, I promised. Your shrine will be magnifit once again, and we’ll get you genuine worshippers. Well, I’ll leave that to your family, Kana, sihat seems to be the most respectful way, but of course, you have my full support.”

  “Thanks.” she muttered in an embarrassed, mosquito-buzz voice. “Speaking of support…”

  “Yes.” I said, meeting her gaze, my grey eyes serious. “Accepting the Divine Favour isn’t the same as this training. The Favours are priceless rarities, and if you take o means you are prepared to shoulder the burden in pce of someone else. Worse, it means submitting to be my vassal. I’ll be in trol of a lot of your life from then on, Kana, so be sure you live with that.”

  “Sounds like a marriage proposal there.” She smiled slightly, and I snorted.

  “You know it isn’t. Your love life isn’t for me to interfere with.”

  “Though if Shaeu was here, she would be saying ‘It is only natural to secure such a powerful, grateful female, is it not-not?’” Eri mimicked, to ughter from Shiro and Hyath.

  “She would. But… Kana, you have a lot of choices in your life. And you’re only young. There’s o rush.” Ign the gnces everyone was giving Daiyu, who was frowning as Shiro transted, I shrugged. “So, are you prepared?”

  “Of course I’m prepared. I always wao be special, valued, but without wanting to put in any of the work required for that.” Kana sighed, staring down into her half-empty cup ht e liquid. “I thought beiiful was enough, that because I was the prettiest girl around, I was guaranteed success, when I found the right man to love me, dote on me and treat me right. Sometimes… I hate myself.”

  “I get that.” Eri murmured. “I had almost exactly the same dream as you. Just it always had to be Akio. I’m n in that… it does have to be Akio.” She insisted, as if to reassure me, which was damn cute. “… but being a childhood friend, or simply beiiful… it’s not enough.”

  “No kidding. Look around.” Kana sighed. “Now that your face is back to normal, Shiro, you’re like a marble sculpture. Even the ese girl here is stunning. Well, I’m not going to say I lose or anything trite like that, but this sure is a gathering of stunniies, and this isn’t even all of them. You certainly have a type, Akio.” She chuckled. “No, I want to be a person who loves herself, and to do that… I have to grow. I’m definitely going to learn how to trol my Eyes of the Shrine Maiden and learn Chirurgery. I do that tht?”

  “Easier, I’d say.” I affirmed. “The extra power always helps.”

  “Well, that’s good to know. Maybe I’ll even go to the same Uy as your sister. I be her junior, her kouhai, and we’ll be Chirurgeons together. I bet that’d be fun, Aiko- is full of energy and very cute.”

  “Too muergy sometimes…” Eri muttered, earning mhs.

  “Well, Akio.” Kana stood, before bowing deeply to me. “I’m probably going to burden you a lot. Even as a Chosen like you, I’ll be immature and need a lot of guidand help. But… I’ll also do all I to support your aims and goals.” She turo Shirohebi. “You really don’t mind this?” she asked. “It feels disloyal.”

  “There are eight million kami. Believing in, even worssshipping more than one isss not a . No, asss long asss your heart truly ressspectsss the ssshrine, I ssshall be with you, and your adherence ssshall nourisssh me. Perhapsss asss a ssstronger being, you ssshall sssupport me all the more.”

  “I’m gd. And thankful too. If my father and grandfather could hear me now, saying how much I love the shrine, and my abilities, after all these years of doing nothing but wishing we could just sell up and move to the heart of Tokyo, live the lives of the rich… I think they’d cry tears of joy.”

  “Well, I ’t say I know you that well, but I remember making my own tough decision too. I guess you’ve grown up, girl.” Shiro said.

  “ing from someone Akio likes as much as you, Shiro, that means a lot. You do have that older-sister vibe too.” Kana ughed.

  “Older sister? Me? Seriously?”

  “I don’t see it.” Eri snorted, and once more we ughed and toasted each other, before Daiyu asked if she could speak, so I transted for her.

  “She says that this will be a hard path, as once you step onto it, there are no backwards steps, only a march through the endless future, overing hardships and enemies, until you stand at the top, and evehere is always a higher mountain looming beyond. It be lonely, aiming to be strong.” I think that’s your sadness speaking there, Daiyu. Well…

  “Tell her this.” Kana looked at Daiyu seriously, holy sidering her words. “I know. I’ll do it, because I want to be proud of myself, what I’ve achieved. It may be a long road, and the mountains may be high, jagged and painful, but… it won’t be lonely. After all, aren’t we all climbing them together? If one person slips and falls, well, won’t someone else catch them? You too, Daiyu-. If you fall, Akio will catch you. Or Shiro. Or Shaeu. Maybe one day, I’ll have that strength…”

  As I trahe reply, Daiyu’s eyes shot open, but she then smiled, slight, but enough so that everyone else could notice.

  “Right then. Since you’ve made up your mind… Kana, are you ready?”

  “Wao take my clothes off again?” Her hands went to the front of her hakama, cloth rustling, but from her smile I could tell she was joking.

  “No, I think I manage.” I ughed.

  “A shame. Well, there’s always aime.” Kana stood proud, waiting. “Akio, do it. Shirohebi, you girls… be my witness, to the rebirth of Izumi Kana! From this day forwards, I’m walking this road with you all!”

  Yeah, from the day we’ve met, I’ve always seen something in Kana. I know Eri used to despise her, but that didn’t st long, as… yeah, it’s been said, but I think they have a surprising amount in on. I think both of them shihe more they push themselves. Kana to find a goal in life, Eri in trying to be more than just a girlfriend to me. Well, I’ll watch over them both. It’s the least I do...

  I worked the plicated skeins of aether and adherence, iing K?itigarbha’s Earthen Womb within her Astral body, the favour ed around her root chakra and climbing up to where her womb was located in her Material body. As I started eg it all up, Kana shivered, and she must have ben feeling pain, as she was shedding silvery sweat, but she tio smile, reassuring me she could ha. Good girl. Well, in terms of patibility, she’s got earth element, already had spiritual abilities, and Shirohebizumi shrine is a fertility shri’s no wonder she has some aptitude…

  “There.” I felt adherence flood from me, leaving me low. As it poured into Kana, being oh her, sealing the Favour inside her, I bit down my own sigh of relief. The adherence drain on my reserves has plummeted now I only have one Favour in hand. That buys me more time to find a suitable host for Laverna’s favour, and I think that one is vitally important.

  “I see.” Kana blinked back her tears. “That’s… pretty impressive.” She smiled, and I had amber letters scrolling ay vision, announg that Kana had bey vassal. “Well, no going baow. I’m under your trol now. I just hope you don’t start giving me any inappropriate orders, I’d be simply helpless to refuse.” Her smile ained but proud.

  “I don’t bully Miyu, Haru-san or Kikuchi Shuta-san, do I?” I ughed. “Speaking of, was Miyu here tonight?”

  “She was.” Hyath firmed. “She did dance a looot, Akio. I enjoy looking at her, it reminds me ooof happier times, before… before the pain.” She sniffed. “Hyath likes her, she is gooooood.”

  “I like her too.” Eri grinned. “Especially since she has little i in men. I breathe easily arouhough that fshy ninja… she’s not quite right in the head, if you ask me. No way I’ll let her have your child Akio, you’re not some stud bull!”

  “Yeah, I think she’ll grow out of that.” I ughed. “She’s certainly a character. I hope that other ninjas aren’t like her.” Ninja, Onmyōji, Cultivators… I expect other tries that haven’t purged their a cultures have all sorts of shamans, witch-doctors, priests and cultists. I expect like the shrihey lost most of their power, but I would be o believe that others won’t be leading them tain lost glories…

  “Well, how about another round of drinks to celebrate Kana’s assion to the ranks of the Chosen? We discuss your Territory location aails aime.” As she agreed, I turo Shiro. “Oh, aime Miyu es to dance, I want you to test the effectiveness of your buffs on her, and…”

  As I outlined several more pns, Asha appeared with more drinks, ae the likely te hour ba the Material, we tio enjoy ourselves, the day having proved rather productive indeed….

  ********

  “Well, if you’d like to lie down oable, I’ll perform the Chirurgery.” I told the man who was a couple of years older than me. Behind me, Haru-san was taking notes, as was Hikawa-san, who was serving as my assistant today.

  “Right. I hear it hurts.” The man said, and I nodded.

  “Yeah, but it’s not so much physical pain as it is spiritual. You’ll also have disfort for a few days…” I expihis for the sixteenth time today. The prospective didates for Laverna’s Favour had been brought to Tokyo, and after signing all the tracts and agreements we required from them, I had sought to check their patibility. None had been successful though.

  As the man under me groaned as I used my Chirurgery absent-mindedly, so skilled I could now do the basic work in my sleep, I sidered the situation. These sixteen were amongst the stro in terms of tent gifts remaining in their bloodlines, so Chirurgery should help wake those up. At the least, that’s useful for us long-term, and as we have them agreeing to aid us on both grounds of the faith and the new Ministry, they should be an asset we leverage.

  My work done, Haru-san showed the unsteady man out to a waiting room, where he could rest and recover, before he would be returo his shri Osaka way. Hikawa-sa out a long sigh, looking down at his tablet. “So none of them were what you needed?” he asked, and I shook my head.

  “No. Well, what I’m looking for is quite specific, I’m afraid.” If it was elemental, we could probably raise affinity for it by teag a suitable didate the relevant elements, but this… well, with the adherence I’m colleg from Shiro, I hold onto it for quite a while, so I explore our options.

  Remembering this m, when I had finally repaired Shiro’s arm, I smiled to myself. She had been so happy she had thrown her arms around me in a hug, both of them, which had pushed her rather ample chest against mine, but she was too happy to notice for a while. When she did, she had turned so red I thought she would explode, and to cover up her embarrassment, she had swept me into a princess carry and mocked me for a while, while I let her, of course. Now it’s just the mass of scars and damage to her body and legs. It won’t be long now…

  Haru-saurned, shutting the door behind her. “A shame.” She observed. “Well, we could move onto the other prospects, right?” she said, bringing up een more names, who were rated B in likelihood, as far as we could guess.

  “Well, we sider it. Getting them Chirurgery and signing the tracts is not a bad thing, but I have my doubts they’ll be what we need. Well, a lot of important people from the shrines and temples will be at the funeral ter, so I’ll see if anybody there catches my eye. We rule out some more least.”

  “Oh yes, the funeral of the Lady Diviner.” Hikawa-san said softly. “You’ll not take it too hard, I hope?” he asked, knowing how upset I was after the deaths of our trainees.

  “I would, but… it wasn’t in vain.” I promised. “I’ll go, as I owe it to her, and also so that my resolve doesn’t waver. Besides, I wao talk to Yukiko-san again, I have something to discuss.”

  “I still ’t get over how casually you talk to the Imperial Princess, our Priestess of Ise.” Hikawa-san mused. “You must have nerves of steel.”

  “It’s not that.” Haru-san answered for me, with a ugh. “He’s just used to being surrounded by princesses. He’s got numb to it.”

  “You might be right.” I agreed. “It’s a shame you ’t be with me today, Haru-san, but you o be at the Diet.”

  “Yes, the legistion for the new Ministry is being passed today, assuming there’s by the Representatives. We aren’t giving it a , as Ministry for Spiritual Matters seems rather odd, unless you are in the know. Some of the legistion is rather… troubling.” She poi me acgly. “… the polygamy act most of all. You’re a sinful man, Akio-san!”

  “Yes, and uant too.” I admitted. “Hikawa-san, are you ing with me to Kyoto?” I asked, and he said he was.

  “Yes. I o be there. If Uchida-sama isn’t capable or representing what was Susanoo at the funeral, I o step up, for the sake of all our history. And if he is present, I’d like to support him. It isn’t like cve, where every shrine is sending representatives, but the major ones will be.”

  “That’s fihen. I just hope that the funeral goes ahead without any trouble. Security in Kyoto is tight, but the protests and marches aren’t dying down. If anything, the popuce is gettied up more by a’s dismissive responses and over attempting to be cautious.” Yeah, the st thing we want is any trouble at the funerals. I know that Abe-san asked if they could borrow Shaeu to use her befuddling winds as we discussed, to at least allow us to release some of the fn nationals we are holding, those willing to cooperate, and I believe the same goes for the families of the dead… The Prime Minister was defiroubled by such a means of pulsion, as was the Leader of the Opposition, but in the end it was agreed that those willing could swear by the winds, on a time-limited basis if they wished. I suppose promise is important… but sometimes you have to go beyond that.

  Remembering the se at the Diet where Hinata and I had id dowo all those important people, I shook my head. Damn, I still ’t believe I blew up like that. But I suppose it’s for the best. Well, tomorrow I have the meeting with Hinata and Takatsukasa house, regarding her adoption. Then at the weekend I’m meeting Shiro’s allies to firm up our own cooperation. And the week after, it’s the trip to the UK… damn, my schedule is packed, just like always…

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