ShipTeaser

  “That getup is crazy, boss.” Suzu was saying, and Shiro had to bite her lip not to respond. “I mean, your usual hooded white mask and robe is a real shame, if you’ve got it, funt it, right? Idols don’t get to be famous for wearing clothes that cover up their looks. But this…” she snickered, and Shiro felt a surge of annoyance.

  Hey, Aki made me this. Besides, I’m not one who wears items for the looks in games, I want the stats, the numbers, the power. Flig the bck, feathery armoured robe with one finger, she smiled coldly as it vibrated softly, giving off a gentle hum like a tuning fork. She cked the wind energy to make it vibrate properly, unlike Shaeu, so Aki had also given her several small bluesteel batteries loaded with wind, for emergencies. “Well, I think this is more suitable than a goth-loli dress.” She s st, as they prepared to ehe Ring Gate to Kyoto, Bunta following like a shy little animal, Arisu striding imperiously through like a queen, her head held high, eyes cold.

  “It isn’t like yoing to o impress ahere with your looks, Suzu. Least of all Aki. He’s mine, remember. I’m bringing you here to fight, uand?”

  “I get it.” Suzu giggled, produg another lollipop and sug on it happily, twirling around the purple and bck parasol that matched her dress. “Seriously, boss, I always knew you were scary, but to think you were this cute too. I’m an idol, if I had a sdal like stealing another woman’s man, well, that’d be career suicide, right?” she cocked her head adorably, blonde drill-tails boung, and Shiro idly wondered whether ging her own hairstyle might be worthwhile. “Besides…” Suzu tinued, scattering her idle thoughts. “… big sis Arisu wouldn’t like that at all.”

  “Enough of this. We have work to do. Work I am unvinced we need risk.” Arisu decred, and Bunta quailed at her frosty tone.

  “I told you, it’s beneficial in lots of ways.” Shiro promised. “Right, through we go.” I’ll feel better having Arisu in Haru’s Territory. If that suffers damage it’d be a blow, sure, but Aki could live with it and help her rebuild. Here… her gaze strayed to the silver spires.

  You are quite the worrier, princess. After all, was it not your iion t her here? Now you sed-guess yourself? There is no time for doubt. This is the time for deeds.

  I agree. Not that I’m worried about Aki or… no, I promised I’d never be tsundere. I just want to help. And if… if we profit a bit as well, all the better, right Tan?

  An amused snort was the only thought Shiro received iurn, and the world shuddered for a moment, her sciousness dist, and theepped out into Kyoto, followed by her rades. On seeing their arrival, Haru floated over, looking relieved, sending up a brilliant burst of light into the sky, which scattered into an array of colours before fading away.

  Fireworks huh? Pretty. “Hey, I’m here.” Shiro decred proudly. “And I’ve brought help. Where’s Aki and the others? What’s the situation?”

  Before Haru could ahe stone-faced Arisu spoke. “So, are you one more of his women?” her tone was arctic. For a moment Haru looked fused, before letting out a small, slightly bitter ugh.

  “Me? And Akio-san? Perish the thought. After all, what would he want with an already perished woman such as I?” she ughed again at her own pun. “No, I am merely a grateful ally, his vassal, ao lead the defence of Kyoto. I assure you, I am not one of his lovers, not like this one here.” She looked at Shiro, whed.

  “Besides…” Haru tinued. “And I’ll make this quick, as the situation is desperate, and your aid will be most wele…” she gnced behio where Ixitt was orchestrating a fiery defence of the Territory, ratkin and weaselkin firing long-barreled ons, and a forward squad unleashing clouds of what looked like a miniature version of Aki’s Foehn, burning some shambling corpses to ashes.

  “… but you may have seen me in the news. I was murdered. Worse than murdered. So I don’t think I have muterest in men right now.” She paused. “You… I reise you too.” At her words Shiro froze. Oh no, if she says anything to upset Arisu, it could be a bloodbath. I’ll have to step in, if Haru is destroyed, Aki will be furious abroken…

  “… it seemed a shame. I ’t say that I pay much attention to celebrity sdals, but… it sounds like you had a hard time. I get why you don’t trust men.”

  Shiro sighed in relief, as Haru didn’t bme Arisu, like so many who had believed the lies that had been spread about her did.

  “I do not like betrayers, cheats. Liars.” She enunciated clearly, but her frost had melted a little, Haru’s fate causio be sympathetic.

  “Well, Akio-san is no liar, arayal…” she ughed. “… he doesn’t have it in him. As for cheating… well, surely the girls are just as much at fault? There’s no secrecy, everyone knows what they are getting into, except perhaps poor Mori-san, and she admitted to allowing Shaeu in. Is it really cheating then?” she shook her head. “Seriously, we don’t have time for this. Akio-sa northwards towards Kinkaku-ji and the defehere, while Shaeu headed east. They could use the help…”

  It is time for me to step in. I have used the Favour we took long ago to find our prey. Three that I want, ohat you need. Now… there shall be some… disfort, princess. But for our strength, and your man, you surely endure, you not?

  Hey, Tan, wait a sed… Shiro squirmed as her hair fred into fiery red, her eye turning crimson. That was not the end though, as even her facial structure shifted, her body shape ging a little. As the Divine Possession activated fully, rather than the partial trol Tan had exerted before, Shiro cursed inside her head, her scars burning painfully. Shit, this bloody well hurts, Tan! My scars are agony… ’t we gently?

  “I am afraid … not.” Tan spoke out loud, now fully in trol, though Shiro realised that sihe Divine Possession was her own skill, so Aki had said anyway, if she struggled, she could exert a measure of trol over Tan. “… my own adherence is g with the remnant adherence from the broken tract. Fortunately… that healer creature has done well. Even though the scars have diminished little, the adherence polluting them from within has noticeably lessened, making the resonance less of a torment.” Eveone was different, with a faint at, and her manner of speech was sultry, seductive.

  This is less? Well, that damn well doesn’t make me feel aer! Well, I should be grateful, I suppose…

  Bunta was looking at Tan strangely, and Shiro felt a little ill at the ad, almost fervent gleam in his eyes. On hearihoughts, Ta him, and the timid man looked away.

  “Wow, boss, you look so different. Sexy too. There’s just an aura about yht? Dangerous and hot!” Suzu giggled. “Well, I’m sad to say it’s not an idol look, too… too lewd?” she giggled again, fishing out another lollipop to suck. “Well, shouldn’t we be off? I have to say though…” she finished with a happy whistle. “… yuy, Akio, he’s certainly got some things going on. Two Territories, ghost women, whatever those animal people have going ohere. Guns, fmethrowers. So cool!” she tio gush. “I thought this in Kyoto, but you sure pick them, boss! I totally ship the two of you together, promise!”

  “Be quiet, Suzanne-san.” Arisu said sternly, and she grimaced, nodding. “We have no time for such ramblings. You even said it yourself, we must make haste.”

  Tan nodded. “Indeed.” I exert only a fra of my power, as your body is tile to withstand my aether and adherence. Besides, destroying the Boundary would not be wise. Although… “There is a dark, filthy evil here. A hunger. It is not… pure… like mine own.”

  “Yes.” Bintara spoke then. She had followed Shiro’s group through the Gate silently, and had even ig when Tan had called her a healer creature, though she had frowned balefully. “These little humans, the dead things, those others… they spread a filth wherever they go, like burrowiles, or voracious ants. Their power is not wholly their own, but borrowed.” She fixed her dark eyes on Tan. “Much like you and this parasite here, human woman. So foolish, selling yourself to a divine creature. You will regret that, before the end.” She sossing her head, horns nearly striking Bunta, who scurried away. “But for now, Lord Nurarihyon wishes you healed. So I shall do it. Besides, I hate illness, siess and injury. It should all be gone from the world.”

  I guess good Yokai do exist then.

  Not good, as you call it. Merely different. Spiritual beings are her good nor evil, Divine beings her. Each type of being must act acc to its own whims and beliefs.

  “This is all very well, but time is passing…” Haru interjected, and Tan nodded.

  “Yes. It would not do to let our food vanish. One has been disposed of already.” She ughed cruelly, but Shiro thought Tan sounded alluring even doing that. “Fortunately it was not one we desired.” She turo Bunta and the others. “e. We go. One is this way.” She licked her lips seductively. “It burns hot. I would add it to our own fmes.”

  With that Ta forwards, moving rapidly, far faster than Shiro ever could, the others trying to keep pace. Seeing them struggle, Tan slowed a little. “Up ahead. I believe I hahis foolish mortal myself. But if there is support, I am ting on you.”

  “Well, Bunta’s power is pretty good, but…” Suzu looked up, a touch breathless, face pink from their exertions running through the streets of Boundary Kyoto, seeing rubble and faint sparkles of ether from killed denizens everywhere. “… it’s a strange ohat works better in the Real World than here.” She said as she took in the silvery skies above and the glitteriallic light they cast over everything.

  At her words, Bunta hunched in on himself, and Arisu frowned.

  “Suzanne-san, I’ve asked you before not to antagonise Bunta-san. Yes, with this light driving away most shadows, he is much diminished, but…” she made a gesture, drawing a finger across her throat. “… in the right moment, few survive Bunta-san’s strike. It may prove useful. As for you… you did n your puppets, did you?”

  “Don’t call them puppets! They’re backup dancers!” she insisted, pouting. “And no, I’m leaving them to manage my Territory. Buuuuuuuuut…” she drew out the word ically. “I’ve built up enough strength for another. If we find a suitable didate… oh, scouting for idol talent is the best! I’ll be the world’s first a idol ssh producer bination! All Japan, no, the world will know my name!” she gushed, looking around eagerly, not even fling at the numerous dispys of destru and age around them.

  Yeah, Suzu sure is cute, but she’s totally insane. What’s so good about idols anyway, I don’t get it? Tan, do you think there’s something wrong with everyohe Gods chose? I mean, I was ill and … well, bitter. Aki is a total hero-plex harem protag, Daizen was … well, Daizen. Bunta is a pathological coward, Arisu is… again, Arisu…

  A good question, and ohat deserves an answer. But not now. The favour I ed, that now dwells withi tells me that we are close to the first of our thirst-queng delights. As for bat, we have Daizen’s Favour too. Though I do not believe it should be needed for… this one.

  Emerging out into a temple pza, Shiro was relieved she wasn’t in trol of her own body, despite the pain the Divine Possession was causing her. Ugh, that smell. Burned wood, stone… and worse. And what’s with that grave-stink?

  “Oh wow, zombies! That’s totally disgusting. But…” Suzu paused, suddenly brightening up. “Zombie idols are a thing nowadays. I don’t have a zombie in my group yet. Arisu, you’ve got your room, help me find a cute one and capture it?” she twirled her parasol gleefully.

  “This is not a game.” Arisu warned. “See?” As they watched, detached, as the mob of tattered zombies was roaming about, a mixture of what looked like soldiers in military uniform, as well as ordinary men, women and children, attag any fleeing creatures they could see, as well as the great towers of crimson and yellow fmes that were ing the once-beautiful torii archways, rge ropes and fine buildings, Shiro wondered if they were all too callous. Aki would be pretty e this, I bet. Well, I’m sad, don’t get me wrong, but… well, it’s not happening to those I care about so…

  Some distance is wise, princess. The huma is fragile. Too much empathy destroy you. But being too unfeeling leads to a different end. The Buddha… well, I do not envy him, and even though he scared me… well, he did miss out.

  Still got your pride, huh? Well… at least we’ll be avenging the dead here, right?

  “We shall indeed.” Tan decred proudly. “Here he es.” She licked her lips again, before spitting. “It is a shame that the taste is tainted.” She stared at the newer, who had rolled in faster than a car, a human, monk-like figure, bald-headed and dressed in Buddhist robes. Blood was staining him, a thick yer solidifying and smoking in the heat of his favour, a pair of massive, burning chariot wheels. Even as they watched, he rolled over several of his own zombies, setting them abze, before crashing into a giant tree, shaking loose a number of small monkey-like beings, which he thehed out on, a cloud of shimmering fmes torg the fleeing creatures alive.

  “Halt!” Tan called, drawing his attention.

  “What’s this?” the man said, whirling around his fming veyance. “Oh, new victims? Amitabha, Amitabha, what a fortuitous meeting.” He csped his hands in a Buddhist prayer gesture, clutg a neckce of charred prayer-beads. “I grow weary of destroyihen temples. Though I fess, there are many delightful Buddhist shrines here. It will be a great sin to destroy them. I would curse and wail and spit at the damnation my soul will receive, Karma no doubt leading to losing my humanity, o see Nirvana.” His expression turned crazed, fmes leaking from his mouth as he breathed. “But fortunately, there will be h for this humble monk, sinner and murderer. So, I may as well sin until the very end!”

  “He is crazed. His sanity has goan decred. The monk breathed out a torrent of fmes, and Tan raised a hand, only for a vivid ssh of violet to appear in front of her, and the fmes vanished within.

  “Be more careful, White. No, I suppht now you are Red.” Arisu decred, a swift use of a fra of her Room swallowing up the fmes, sending them elsewhere. “I would not be pleased were that body to accumute further scars.”

  “There is no cause for .” Tan scoffed, and with a gesture her own fmes surged, surrounding her. “I am hardly so feeble as to fall to such a being. I am indeed offended…” she snarled. “… the Buddha, he walked on by. Now one of his adherents, following the hateful yet noble man, is reduced to this? I shall not stand for it!”

  “Yeah, the boss has some serious split personality going on.” Suzu ughed. “Well, with all this light around, I doubt you’ll get your time to shih this one, Bunta. Going to help me find my zombie idol? There’s some female ones over there. As long as she’s passable, I do some touch-ups…”

  Ugh, well, I suppose them handling the zombies will help us. Tan, what’s the pn?

  Simple. His fmes, while fierce, are nothing pared to our thirst, are they? Tan’s expression ged, to a ferocious snarl. “Fool, prepare to be devoured!”

  “You too? It seems that the world is full of greedy creatures nowadays. Ah, such a shame. Perhaps evil is the natural state of being?” he said piously. “Well…” he suddenly exploded into movement, fmes intensifying, as he roared towards Tan. “… this humble monk will not go quietly into oblivion. Not alone!”

  “Careful!” Arisu warned, readying her Room, but Tan shook her head, bzing hair rippling like a fiery waterfall.

  “Of this corrupted fool? Even vastly limited by this body and the Boundary, I have more than enough to deal with a fallen, capituting fool!”

  “Capituting? I would see you resist the golden-eyed brute! Some did and were ed. Those of us who submitted will end up devoured too, but…” he roared, smming into Tan with a fming wheel, momentum great. “… in the end, life is precious, it is not? Why should this humble monk end it even a moment longer?”

  Ouch, that’s damn hot…

  “No, it is merely lukewarm.” Tan said, her arms blog the fming wheel the size of a small building. Flexing, silently apologising for the additional pain that caused Shiro’s scars, she ughed. “Lukewarm and filthy. But also… entig.” The monk howled in rage, spitting dow clouds of fme, but most of it vanished into Arisu’s Room, and the little that didn’t ran down Tan like water in a shower, doing little but leave faint red marks on her pale skiween the scars, and trig from the faintly vibrating armoured robe she wore.

  “All will end in fire!” the monk ranted, fondling his charred prayer beads so hard the string broke, sending them scattering. “You ot resist me! Not with the cursed power…”

  “Yes, you have been strengthened. First, by the power of the one I seek for the princess. Do not fear, he will join you .” She licked her lips despite the strain of holding the wheel at bay. “And also… by that.” She observed the fitfully pulsing bone bde as his side, leaking violet vapour. “… it is part of something vile. Something that I am shamed to admit likely matches me in power. My true power.”

  Really? That strong? Wait, goldehat’s… that’s the reason we were offered a healer by the Night Parade, right? To face that? Shiro was worried, but Tan showed no fear, only annoyance. More fmes were raining down, and Arisu was sweating, her perfect, iposure starting to thaw, as she tio use her Room as a shield.

  We should sider this a mere skirmish against this foe. Sihis poor deluded man is drawing on a huge reservoir of aether from it, it is why he is so powerful. It is too much for the Boundary to easily bear, I fear. All over this nd, it is starting to suffer damage. Minor at first, but if not stopped…

  “…well, no matter. We shall stop it.” Tan decred. “Using borrowed power, such will never defeat me.”

  Uh, isn’t that a bit, no a lot hypocritical, Tan? After all, aren’t I borrowing your power?

  No, now part of it resides in you, truly. Your man has seen it, with that clever Eye of his.

  “This is vexing, so frustrating. I must calm down.” He reached for his beads, realised they were missing, and the monk then grabbed the sword and started rubbing it, heedless of the way it cut into his flesh and sucked on his blood. “I hate being ignored. And as for you, stop stealing my fmes. They were given to me by the noble…” he suddenly roared triumphantly, face twisted with glee. “Die, pt fool!”

  The sed wheel detached from him, spinning free and smming towards Tan from the side while she was still holding his other wheel back. Arisu panicked, her Ro to intercept it, but the wheel crashed through, scattering her efforts in a spray of violet and yellow sparks.

  Watch out… huh? Shiro looked on in wonder as Tan slipped one arm free from her burden, catg the other wheel. Her scars burned, but Tan merely ughed, trapped betweewo bzing wheels. “You believe I ot hold you back? I, Ta?hā, she who thirsts? I am true Divinity, ruler of a realm above this. My father would weep were I to fall to such as you, even limited as I am. Besides…” she licked her lips, eye bzing balefully, the fmes in her hair rising, f a glowing crest of what looked like pale yellow feathers, a pair of wings of fme and hair trailing behind her, a strange almost beak-like mask of white-yellow fire c her smiling mouth. “… even her man could do this much, as could that Fae creature. Poor deluded Raven, thinking them weak, suitable targets for vengeance. Well…”

  As the monk ranted and raged, trying to retrieve his wheels, Tan finished, prog “Well I never did get to eat a Fae, and that looks unlikely now. But as for you… I shall drink deep! Fmes of my Thirst, quench my Famine! e, take out what you were given and make it mine!”

  “his humble monk will live on…” he roared, as his fming wheels were ed in the bzing tide of her elongated hair. Fme met fme, an impure, purple-tinged one ing up against a yellow so ferocious it was almost white. The wheels began to colpse, and the monk sagged down.

  “… even a sed longer, a minute! I am not ready for oblivion!” he howled, suddenly dismissing his fming veyaan was caught by surprise, and Arisu shouted a warning, her Room opening. Seeing that, the monk threw himself aside. Even so, his trailiouched the door to the Room and Arisu closed it with her e-filled snarl, severing it. Blood gouted, and the monk frowned, vile bde in his hand shifting to the side, no longer aimed at Tan’s head.

  “I see. How careless of me. That wicked fragment could likely wound me badly. But as…” caught in the wings of burning hair like a bug in a he monk screamed. Taking no ces, Arisu severed the arm, not used to using the Room so many times in succession, falling to her knees. As the bone bde hit the floor, it tried to squirm away, a tide of purple rising, but Arisu narrowed her tired eyes, reising the simirities to her own ability.

  “No. I think not.” A wave of violet struck the purple, and moments ter the monk perished, being a bleached skeletohed in white fme, then a silhouette of ash, before soohat was gone.

  “Well, the creature that empowered the fool was trying to cim the prize at the end instead of us. But…” she eyed the bde. “Well done, Arisu. Now…” fme fred, and the bde screamed, a psychic screech that hurt their heads, tears in Arisu’s eyes, Shiro uo clutch her own head, forced to endure. Damn, this sucks. You’re not going to eat that shitty thing are you, Tan?

  Of course not. This vile slime will hardly quench my thirst. No, I shall merely destroy it. Intensifying her fmes, the bone finally melted, the goop remaining behind burning away, stinking and putrid.

  Well then, I have my prize. Now, is one for you.

  For me? Shiro thought, puzzled.

  Indeed. I know you best, do I not? After all, as that healer creature says so rudely, am I not part of you now? Even when we separate iure, as is iable, a part of me shall be with you, and a part of you with me. So I know… there is a Favour here you use.

  Really? Shiro was surprised. I thought that I wasn’t strong enough to survive a Divine Favour, which was one reason you decided to host within me?

  Yes. Tan thought wryly, as she watched Suzu and Bunta taking out the zombies. Suzu was doing most of the work, using brute force rather than any skill, her parasol funing as a fairly effective bludgeon, easily crushing skulls. Moments ter she cried out in joy, instead swinging her makeshift club at the leg of one zombie, and as it colpsed she browbeat Bunta into restraining it, dragging it into one of the few shadows uhe silver sky.

  You were too weak, tile, your body adapted for a world long past, where the ether density was far higher than now. Though such times will soon e again. But… you have grown, strengthehis Lovers’ Link… Shiro felt Tan’s amusement, and wondered what she really thought, sidering how she had failed to wihe Buddha, and had then abandoned all i in such matters. …it is quite the ability. Rather clever indeed. It ects on a deeper level, and affords you the ability to grow, as he does. And you have worked hard. Your strengths, your skills… you have been augmented enough to bear it, I believe. Ordinarily you would not be able to take a gift from another without g the embodiment of it, their Divine Anchor, the root of what it is to bee an Astral Emperor. But… I have my means. And I am not the only o seems.

  Wait, you mean… I’m going to be a true didate, no more level cap, real abilities? Uh, not that I’m not grateful for the ones I got from you… her thoughts were rag, and she found her lips quirking into a grin, not sure if she or Tan was the one smiling.

  Ihis Favour is quite patible with you, though you may be surprised as to why. Now… let us go. I would not have such a morsel snatched from you, dashing your hopes, and besides, there are a couple more that I wish to e myself. Your man made me promises, so he will be uo pin. Besides… A pair of fming wheels, this time wreathed in white-yellow fmes, appeared, as did a burning ptform. Tan held out a hand, helping Arisu up, where she stood, primly adjusting her dress, curious that the fmes didn’t burn her or her clothes.

  “Whoa, !” Suzu snickered, as she leapt aboard, Bunta following, an immobilised female zombie with a shattered leg, ed in dark, inky blue shadows over his small shoulder, his expression downcast. “So you got him then? Never had any doubt, boss. You sure like fire though, huh?”

  “Of course I do.” Tan decred. “My thirst is an ever-raging fme. So this suits me perfectly. It was wasted on this coward.” She spat, and the saliva sizzled in the fmes. “To think one following the Buddha would fall so low. Even my father would be gravely offended. Now, we o make haste.” The wheels turned, and they were propelled through the battlefield of Kyoto at a speed greater than a sportscar, fming wheels crushing obstacles and zombies alike uheir fming rims. Suzu was cheering at the spectacle, while Arisu and Bunta were silent.

  Besides… Tan finished her earlier thought, Shiro waiting eagerly for it. I dare say he will even thank me for it. He does cherish you greatly, princess. And he is a man who wants those he loves to be strong. It is the one quality of his I admire. After all, weak womeiful, are they not?

  Why does that feel like an insult? But I get it, I do. Aki does want to protect me, protect us. But he knows that if he does that without us being able to protect ourselves… she looked back at the distance, and imagined she could see ashes driftie the ck of breeze. … no, I don’t want to end up like that. Besides, I’m not weak. Not mentally. After all… she ughed inside her own mind. I repared to sacrifice everything, evee of the world, to get what I wanted. I’m a bad girl, I suppose. But I’m not a pitiful caged bird. Not anymore.

  No, and now you shall be able to soar. And the fate of the world still lies in your hands, those of you and the others. A different fate, but perhaps…

  Perhaps…?

  Enough of this. Queng my thirst has momentarily made me ptive. No, we have more still to do. We shall make haste… and with that she sped up still further, smashing through several debris-filled streets, reag a park near Nijo castle, where their oppo waited…

  ShipTeaser