“So, who’s the girl then, Aki?” Shiro asked, tilting her head, trying to pce her. “She seems a bit familiar, but…” Before she could say more her hair burst into fmes and her eyes turned crimson, and Tan was lig Shiro’s lips seductively.

  “Such a magnifit fire, one bursting with divinity. My stomach is still full, but I believe I could drink a little…” she suddenly paused as I karate-chopped her head gently.

  “No, there’s no way you get to eat a friend and ally, Tan. Stick to bad people.” I warned.

  “I was not seriously sidering it. But the smell is simply so alluring…” she protested, before Shiro wrested back trol. Behind her, Eri and Shaeu were ughing, havi Yukiko-san before and knowing who she was, while Kana, who also knew who she was, was shrinking, a little overawed. I don’t know why though, it’s not much different to Shaeu. Or is it because she’s the princess of your try, not a fn Fae one?

  “Shit, Tan, calm down.” Shiro pouted, rubbing at her head. “And Aki, that’s my body you’re whag! I’ve only just been healed, don’t break me again! Besides, if you damaged my brain, the world would weep!”

  Her humorous pints broke the tension, Yukiko-san looking on a bit bemused, the armour I had giveill part of her attire here in the Boundary. On seeing that, I introduced her. “Shiro, this is Yukiko-san, she’s the Imperial Princess of Japan, and Priestess of the Grand Shri Ise, as well as Chosen of Amaterasu.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Yukiko-san said gracefully, though she seemed a bit unfortable. “And to see you again.” She nodded politely to Shaeu and Eri.

  “Yes, it is good-good to see a fellow princess here, even if your title of Princess of Heaven still makes me rather-rather jealous.” Shaeu chuckled, and Eri also returned her greetings, drawing a curious gaze from Yukiko-san.

  “That was just what Tsukiko said. That’s not my official title.” She protested. “By the way… Eri-san… those ears and tail?”

  Eri flushed, embarrassed. “It’s a side-effey survival. Try not to pay it any mind. I’m embarrassed enough by it.”

  “Nonsense.” Shaeu scoffed. “I know you are pleased by the way it allures Akio, even now-now your tail is shing happily, is it not-not?”

  As the banter tinued, Kana spoke up, relieved. “Is it always like this? So… carefree? I’ll be ho, Akio. Sihis is my first time as a true Chosen, going out to fight properly… I’m scared. But everyone is so rexed, like it’s not a big deal. Am I wrong to be worried?”

  “I think… it’s because they are fident in their power?” Yukiko-san said to her, thinking. “I see you are wearing hakama, but I don’t recall seeing you as one of the Chosen at cve.” She inquired.

  Kana looked at me, asking for permission, which I granted with a nod. “Excuse me then, for not introdug myself further. I am Izumi Kana, daughter of Shirohebizumi shrine. I… only retly became a Chosen, and I am Akio’s vassal. This is my first time out and about like this, so I’m pretty nervous.”

  “I see. Only retly, huh? Well, at least you aren’t alohat makes a big difference.” She said ptively. “Shirohebizumi? That was one of the shrines who has a kami able to walk the world, right?”

  “That’s right…” as the two talked, I asked Shaeu how her day went, as I opened up my menu to check my Territory.

  “I was indeed rather-rather busy. Firstly, a delegation from Duke Formor arrived. Several dozen-dozen trolls, led by a giant. Hyath, Grulgor and my brother are… settling them in.” Her smile was cold. “Hyath does have a deep-deep grudge against the giants, sihey defeated and imprisoned her, and they know it, but she does not-not care, si led to her finding us, finding you. Even so, seeing her greatly increased strength, Grulgor’s too, it does-does make them wonder. My brother, he apply pressure from a political standpoint so…” she shrugged. “… I anticipate no trouble, and we use them to great-great effe our defehey do wish to be-be traio gain strength as Grulgor has, but… that is for ter.” She smiled. “Duke Formor is a proud, fiery and angry giant, but he is not-not a ing schemer like Duke Vulpatrius. He does-does wish for the defeat of the Unseelie, and has pressed for our pns on assaulting Samandrastrae. Of course, such is simply folly for now. I suggested that depending on where-where the Seelie Court ends up after the ransition, we may have other-other targets to attack first.”

  “I see. Well, extra forces are always nice, especially if we are going to go for a Rank 4 upgrade and the defences will be down. Assuming we trust them, of course.”

  So, the Dwarveer was done a couple of days ago, and sihen I just stu a Treasury upgrade to Rank 3, as it was cheap and would fill the queue for a while, besides, with the mines w away, extra space to store preetals and gems won’t be useless. So the current queues are at

  Ether Density Anchor Spire Rank 2 at just under y-six days

  Ether Spire Anchor Spire Rank 2 at the same.

  Ether Spire Rank 4 at two hundred and five days.

  Treasury Rank 3 at thirty-eight days.

  In terms of ether, we were holding just a bit ht huhousaher. The amount was nice, but I couldn’t help but ment the slowing that was dramatically redug how much ether my Territory ulling in. Ordinarily, over the st few days ierial we’d have made most of that from my Territory alone, but with time not being much faster here currently, and the reduced amount of ether gained due to the slowing itself… yeah, in a way we’re lucky that worthless e bastard gave out a lot of ether oh. In addition, everyone was w hard grinding, which was also increasing our stocks. So, in just a few days I rush-build Haru-san’s Territory to Rank 3, and then we look at preparing the ether for my own upgrade. Damn, I’m nervous…

  Shaeu was tinuing to boast, chest puffed out in pride. “At least the giant did not-not e empty-handed.” She was gloating. “A box of Etherites and some more preetals were-were given as… pensation… for the is that pgued us. Oh, they did not-not admit any fault of course, but they hoped such a gift would… help us fet about the past.”

  “And will it?” Eri asked.

  “No, however, I am not-not a fool, I will gdly take what is offered. There were blue and greeherites, as well as a great-great number of red, e and yellow ones. It makes the s my brother brought look paltry. Well, Ixitt was rather pleased.”

  “All right then. Well, we should get going.” I decred. “Today I’d like to push all the way towards Kiyomizu-dera and check out the situation there. Since we have a guest with us, we shouldn’t have any problems.”

  “Kiyomizu-dera? That’s the Uchida family shrine.” Yukiko-san said. “I suppose with Uchida Yamato-san being… indisposed, the shrine is unprotected.”

  “Yes, and it’s in reach of Haru-san’s Territory should she push to Rank 3.” I agreed. Gin-san could cover most of Kyoto from Kinkaku-ji with his own Rank 3 Territory, including Kiyomizu-dera, but the south would be out of his aegis, so it’s better to have Haru-san, who is more tral, go first. And I admit to being greedy, I want the light element there under our trol, as well as the Unique Building, if it still stands. It was easy for me to justify it too, sidering that Haru-san was a Chosen of Kannon, just like Yamato-sao be.

  “Hearing you talk, I’m rather surprised to hear how simple you make these matters. Yes, I strehe nds around Ise, with the graaterasu, but when you talk about Ranks like that, it does sound awfully ve.”

  “Yeah, Aki has all the cssic cheat skills.” Shiro ughed. “I know…” her smile was teasing, and I knew she was about to say something eous. “… why not bee a vassal to Aki? That way you be from all his cheats?”

  Yukiko-san paused for a moment, mouth fpping, before shaking her head. “That’s… not a good idea. As the Priestess of Ise, as a member of the Imperial Family, I ’t lower myself to be below anyone else. It isn’t that I don’t trust you… after all, Tsukiko chose you to be the oo save me and the other Princesses of the Six Paths…” at that, Shiro raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading on her face. “… but, no.” she looked at Shiro then. “Are you a vassal then? You seem far too proud for that.”

  “Me? No.” Shiro de. “But I don’t o be. I’m his fiancée, so…”

  “Another one?” Yukiko-san sighed. “You’re certainly… prolific.”

  “That he is.” Shaeu agreed. “Well, I am eager to get to fighting. All-all I have been doing is politics. First with Duke Formor’s delegation, and then-then with the Gover of Japan.” She yawned, a small hand c her mouth. “Befuddling winds, and more befuddling winds. I am quite fatigued, but a bout of bat will refresh me, I have no-no doubts.” She paused. “Well, from what-what Tsukiko said to Akio, I believe the two of you o get along, do you not-not?” As they looked at her quizzically, she pushed on. “After all, Shiro here is the Hungry Ghost. Quite-quite apt if you ask me.”

  “Really? You’re the one whose destiny Akio-san ged?” Yukiko-san was surprised.

  “ged my destiny, huh?” Shiro thought about that. “I guess he did. So, well, we might as well evaluate each other, right? How about a friendly wager? Seems like we both use fire, acc to Tan, so… whoever burns up more enemies owes the other a drink?”

  Yukiko-san looked surprised at the casual way Shiro was addressing her, so I stepped in. “Don’t take Shiro personally. She has no sense of formality at all, she treats everyohe same.”

  “I… don’t mind.” Yukiko-san shook her head. “I know I’m not much of a Princess, pin b me.”

  “Hardly.” I disagreed. “As Chosen of Amaterasu; b is the st way I’d describe you. Anyway…” I looked at Shiro, Eri and Shaeu, as well as Kana, who was listening with a pale face, uo shake her respect for Yukiko-san. “We don’t have all night. We might as well get started. I have to be ba Tokyo tomorrow…”

  ********

  “That’s pretty crazy.” Shiro whistled, impressed, as the dozen Sarugami in front of the group were engulfed by the bzing rays of fiery yellow light that emanated from the sun that had formed behind Yukiko-san. The gibbering, poorly-armed monkey Yokai barely had time to howl their death cries before being charcoal aher, even the ground below bubbling to magma, before cooling and vitrifying to a gss-like sheen. “I have to admit, your skills aren’t bad.”

  “It’s… not easy though.” Yukiko-san said, taking off her gsses, which were damp with her sweat. As she wiped them gingerly, mopped her brow then repced them, I noticed she was looking rather pale. “The Sun is powerful, but I ’t use it much before I’m exhausted.”

  “Well, let me show off.” Shiro boasted. “I do that too!” More of the monkeys were flooding down the nearby buildings, others cmbering up to the rooftops, red energy rising from them as they tried to turn the ground around us into a stinking quagmire.

  “Don’t worry, I ha.” Kana shouted, her own wave of earth element from her new Favour g, sparks of ruby and silver scattering. The ground that was in the process of liquefying solidified, and moments ter Kana frowned, her stare intehe ground shuddered, ks of rock crudely shaped into dagger-like projectiles breaking free and firing into the sky, striking several of the monkeys off the rooftops, silver and red blood scattering.

  “This never gets easier…” Kana said, watg as they toppled, falling broken to the ground, while others whooped and howled, trailing broken limbs. She then turned, as a hand was on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She turo see Eri, her cat ears flickering wildly, her onyx eyes kind.

  “Oh it does. You get used to anything, I promise. Besides…” Eri’s axe was red with blood, several monkeys lying sliced apart behind us. I wasn’t interfering much, only providing support, allowing everyone else to monopolise any levels we could gain. I doubt the Sarugami are worth muyway, though they do have numbers going for them, I suppose…

  “Look at it this way. These damn monkeys…” Eri raised one hand, her movements still jerky, and a wave of darkness poured ience, vivid blue fog surrounding the wounded monkeys, who started fighting amongst themselves or staring dazedly into space, unresponsive. Eri nodded in satisfa at her efforts, before tinuing. “… they’re not like those beings that live in Akio’s Territory, or even the Night Parade. There’s no reasoning with them, no on cause. They attacked us first, and tinue relentlessly, no matter how many die…” she pointed as another wave of fmes from Shiro and Yukiko-san ied the milling hordes. “… all they know is hate. So imagine, if they got loose oreets of Tokyo, no, even imagihey somehow got through the Ring Gate…” she paused meaningfully, allowing that to sink in. “Your friends, cssmates, they’re all there. Do you want to see them ripped apart by these beasts? If you don’t… well, best we take care of them now. I’m not prepared to see my friends suffer, just to avoid flict. That’s not the world we live in now.”

  Well said, Eri. It’s amazing how far you’ve e, though it’s also a little sad. I remember when you used to follow my sis and me around, quiet as a mouse, and now…

  “You’re pretty strong, Eri-san.” Kana sighed. “I’m surprised.”

  “I’m not strong. I’m weak, that’s why I know I have to fight.” She disagreed. “I learned doing nothing just lets what you want slip through your fingers. It’s a lesson you could do with learning.”

  “I’m not that smart…” Kana narrowed her eyes, and the ground under another charging mass of monkeys colpsed, turning their own tricks against them. Shaeu’s pinwheels, now thrumming with lightning as well as wind, dahe sparking, vibrating wires effortlessly carving apart the trapped enemies. “…but I’m not an idiot. I’ve lear, I think. Well, I’ve no choiow. I took this gift, this Divine Favour. So I’ll fight, until it doesn’t scare me anymore.”

  “That day won’t ever e.” I shook my head, firing off a few bdes of wind, cutting down a couple of stray Sarugami. “Fighting is always ily fearsome. Even if you’re strong enough to know they ’t defeat you, there’s always friends, family, the fact you only be in one pce at once… but it does get easier.”

  “I hope so. Well, I still hope my role is going to be more around support.” Kana managed a little ugh. “But… if you need me, I’ll answer.” Her smile deepened. “After all, I’m your vassal, right?” She winked, more rocky projectiles being unched into the distance, where the Sarugami were attempting to set up a crude barricade, pulling over debris to form a wall.

  “So is it me, or are they flirting up a storm back there, while we do most of the work?” Shiro said sourly to Shaeu, who merely ughed, and Yukiko-san, who was still radiating fmi, the ne pierg the barricade Kana had just bombarded. It instantly exploded into fming debris, the Yokai behind fshing into ash.

  “Well, I don’t really know all your retionships.” She sighed. “Poor Tsukiko… is this what she really wanted?” Shaking her head, she pressed on, the rest of us following, and soon we reached the edge of Yamato-san’s old Territory, Koda-ji and -in both visible.

  “Damn, it looks like the whole tribe of these monkeys has moved in.” I excimed, seeing several hundred more Sarugami swarming all over crudely structed walls, towers and battlements. There seemed to be a number of better-dressed, almost intelligent, leaders, and there was a number of colossal apes, each standing perhaps four metres tall, a rge wooden ptform hoisted onto their shoulders, upon which sat a single Sarugami, perched upon a crude stohrone. Poorly-made s were running from his wrists to a number of pitiful-looking creatures, most vaguely humanoid, but all having some animalistic or non-humaures, either Yokai or kami.

  “Well, these ones look like we talk to them, Eri-san.” Kana joked, her face pale.

  “You first.” She sniffed in response.

  A loud cry was raised, their scouts in the heaps of stohey were using for watchtowers the first to notice us. The cry was repeated, eg through the horde, and soon they had all formed up into a mob. Red light fred, and boulders were hurled towards us, each ranging from the size of a bowling ball up to the rgest which were the size of a big dog.

  “Ining!” I warned, my owh element surging, shattering the rocks that looked like they were heading our way, wind then gusting to deflect the shrapnel. “I think they have other ons too…” a dozen monkeys wielding crude bows were on the walls, ready to unleash a flight of arrows at us, while staff-wielding shamans in rags were direg their energies towards the ground.

  The massive monkey on his ptform let out a series of barked, noisy ughs, before drawing a long, jagged sword easily his height ih, the bde pitted and stained. With some unintelligible words he urged on his horde, which broke ranks towards us in a screaming mass, and when one of the captives made a whimpering sound, he griusks protruding from his mouth, before proceeding to kick the captive savagely until it stopped moving, blood staining the dirty wooden logs that made up the veyance. Kana looked away, biting her lip, Eri looked frustrated, Yukiko-san appeared a little sick, and Shaeu and Shiro watched on stony-faced.

  “Kana, Eri, stay back here and support.” I told them. Eri nodded, gripping her axe as best she could, while the pale Kana protested.

  “Akio, I’m one of you now, I …” her words paused as I patted her head, stroking her hair gently.

  “I know. And you’ve done well so far. But… we all have to start slow. Nobody wants you to get hurt. Besides, Eri ’t perform at her best, her work is still a mess, so somebody has to protect her, all right?”

  Kana sighed. “Fine.” Fmes blossomed as the Sun of Amaterasu surged, several dozen of the charging mob reduced to bone and ash, boiling mud erupting in geysers, sh down on the horde, burning through rags, fur and flesh alike. Shaeu was not idle either, her pinwheels hag into the host, while lightning element and bolts of light fell upon the archers and shamans on the walls. Tan had taken over Shiro, her hair casg like a fming, crimson waterfall, and more fires were added to the assault, blossoming in brilliant bursts, the smell of cooked flesh siing.

  “I don’t think… I do much to help.” She admitted, and I shook my head, drawing my own ons, the old spear I carried before and my old pair of first-geion pistols Ixitt made.

  “That’s not true. You help plenty. For a first outing, you’ve been brave, and you’ve surely gained a number of levels. So…”

  “I know. I’ll protect your precious Eri-san!” she affirmed. “Now go!” Ruby light flickered, and the ground formed a wall around them, with a small window so they could see out of it. Not bad, she’s pig it up fast. I know we’ve been giving her pointers on how to use earth, and her gift is earth-based, but… It ossible she was a natural. From their position of safety, Eri could unleash bolts of light and darkness element, while Kana could use her powers to cause the earth to erupt, or ter enemy attacks.

  “Shaeu, Shiro, Yukiko-san…” I called their names. “I’m taking down that big bastard, and freeing the captives.”

  “By all means.” Shaeu grinned wickedly, lightning fshing, thunder booming as apes fell, the wet mud they were creating dug the electricity, shog them. “I have no wish to face such a frightfully ugly-ugly creature.”

  “I have no wish to devour it.” Tan agreed.

  “I’m very tired. I think… I’ll hold the rear.” Yukiko-san agreed.

  “Right, then here goes!” I activated Body Enha and raced into the mob, which was already losing Yokai fast as the barrage of deadly attacks from the girls was taking a heavy toll, ether scattering everywhere. Yeah, as the Myids proved, genocide be profitable… My thoughts irreverent, my spear stabbed home in the head of one foe, and as it fell, I used my off-hand to fire the pistol. The bullet tore into the body of an ape before detonating with a surge of wind element, blood scattering. Another squeeze of the trigger, and another Sarugami toppled, headless. Even so, in that time, I had stabbed three more to death, so with a sigh, I put away the pistol. Yeah, these first geion ons don’t do me much good anymore. They’re better for the weaselkin, who don’t have our level of power…

  A pinwheel whizzed past me, the wire biseg a group of charging monkeys, their torsos tumbling free, and as the ground around me surged up, f a tide of bludgeoning waves, it suddenly solidified, and I could hear a cheeky “You’re wele…” from Kana. Light fshed, and a shaman tumbled, skull drilled by a focussed ser of light, Eri striking from a distance.

  “All right, time t you down.” My spear stabbed and pierced, bodies falling, and with my free hand I trailed vibrating strands of near invisible wind, matg Shaeu in cutting apart the hordes. I don’t want to waste Foehn or Promiwilight for a battle like this. I’d like to be full before the major battle…

  The crude panquin carried by the giant apes was in front of me, and the first huge monkey screamed as my spear shattered one k stumbled, panquin tipping, and my hrust took it through the , pierg through to the brain. Blood showered down, but with a flick of wind I deflected it, before my owh element softehe ground, and two more monkeys fell, legs snapped by their suddenly arrested momentum as they trod in the quagmire. Using that moment I leapt onto the wildly tilting ptform, only to dodge backwards as the Sarugami lord shed out with his long bde, spittle flying at me, hot breath ing in angry rasps.

  “So slow.” I slid aside, marvelling at how weak this was pared to some of the oppos I had faced retly, such as the kitsune or the Matriarch from the Night Parade, or the ice wielding Chosen, to say nothing of that damn golden-eyed e.

  The prisoners were being pulled along by his movements, blood sprouting from torn, scraped flesh, so I o end this fast. Wind whihe s, made from crude pig-iron and shaped stone, shattered instantly. The captives tumbled, but with Split Thoughts running I caught them all with more wind, gently l them to safety. Fme bloomed, and a group of enemies behind them buro bed ashes, Yukiko-san rushing forwards. “I’ll get them to safety!” she promised me, and I waved back at her, my spear blog a blow from the sword, before stabbing the ape in the chest. It should have been a fatal blow, but the Yokai roared, swelling up, muscles ballooning like a ical cartoon. The shaft of my spear snapped, and it grinned, ughing as it swung at me again.

  Too bad. Well, that on was old, Bjarki won’t pin too much about me breaking that one… My foot moved, smming into the sword, snapping it. My palm strike was modelled on Daiyu’s style, which I found rather elegant, and I struck where the spearhead was embedded, driving it in further. As the lord stumbled, coughing blood, I brought out the pistols again, and squeezed the trigger. Moments ter, the creature fell, headless. “Right then. Now for -up.” Leaping down, my booted foot ched into the skull of one of the surviving giant apes, and water bullets fshed, pierg the st oedly…

  ********

  “Well, looks like this is as far as they’d expanded.” I said, once we had mopped up the remaining Sarugami. Scouting the surrounding area had only led to us disc a few roving bands, which we had quickly purged. “I guess the threat is over. Though there’s a definite power vacuum in Kyoto now.”

  “Well, you did defeat several of the Yokai that cimed parts of Kyoto as their own, did you not-not?” Shaeu chided me. “And then the invasioroyed many-many shrines and lesser Territories.”

  “Yeah. The major ones such as the surviving Chosen, and the Imperial Pace, as well as a few other promi areas, are now isnds in a sea of uncimed nd. And the Night Parade has moved on for now as well…” I observed, watg as Shiro burhe remaining crude fortifications, Tan havireated, insisting such work was clearly beh her. “All the more reason we some order back to the sacred city.”

  The creatures we had saved were a minor kami from a fallen shrine who had somehow escaped the invasion, only to be captured by the newers, as well as three strange Yokai, who defied cssification. All four of them were grateful and pledged their loyalty, so after some emergency healing we had them sent bay Territory. Apparently the Sarugami tribe was one of many who lived in the mountains outside Kyoto, and they had lost a territorial dispute and were forced to risk Kyoto, normally a death sentence for them, but due to the unusual circumstahey quickly established a foothold.

  “To think that a massive group of Yokai like that weren’t your match.” Kana was impressed. “I guess I really did choose the right lord to bee a vassal too.” She winked.

  “Well, how was your first night on official duties?” I asked as we made our way to Kiyomizu-dera. The golden fountains of light were still venting energies, the density in the air increasing again, after we had robbed it all during our training. My Eye bzed, and happily I could still see the Glorious Idol Of Kannon, unharmed. a little prayer, that Kannon would accept Haru-san’s stewardship, and she could five me for destroying Yamato-san’s Territory, I looked to the girls again.

  “It wasn’t so bad. I’d have been scared on my own, but together… well, I felt safe. I didn’t like… killing… but when I saw the state those captives were in.... you’re right, Eri-san, Akio. If it was my family or friends in their hands, I don’t want to even think about it.”

  “As for me…” Yukiko-san said, clearly exhausted, her eyes tired behind her red-framed gsses. “… I admit it was o work together with others. Amaterasu ses all my enemies with fire, but… it’s exhausting, and having those I trust to watch my back is reassuring.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to be a vassal?” Shiro snickered. “Aki could watch you all the time then.”

  “I’ll pass.” She said, sitting down. “Well, it rofitable anyway. I feel stronger.”

  “Me too.” Kana agreed.

  “Even I managed a level. I guess quantity over quality works.” I ughed, havihe amber letters after ing up the remaining Yokai. “More importantly, we pulled in a lot of ether. If everyone keeps w hard, in the few days, we bring Haru-san’s Territory to Rank 3 and secure Kyoto. Perhaps then ush out into the surrounding hills.” I looked at Yukiko-san then. “Once my Territory is Rank 4, we’ll have to secure Kyoto and the surrounds as well. My Territory won’t reach Kyoto, nor even Ise Grand Shri just falls short of that, if my projes are right. So either Haru-san, Gin-san or you will have to step up. Well, we’ll worry about that wheime es.” I bit down on a yawn. “I have a busy day tomorrow. We should call it a night. Yukiko-san, it’s been fun. We should work together again whe the ce.”

  “Well, us princesses should most-most certainly stick together.” Shaeu agreed.

  “Apparently I’m supposed to be against this shitty golden-eyed blob, so…” Shiro began, and as the girls chatted, I turo Eri, atg, a faint smile on her face, looking a little lonely. She the loose a squeal of surprise as I pulled her into my p, head on my thighs, while I stroked her hair, ign Kana’s snickers.

  “Don’t worry. I know you feel bad that you’re still so unstable. But...” I bent down and kissed her forehead gently. “… just like Shiro, in time you’ll go from strength tth, fully restored.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “It’s just… well, never mind. I’m just the only human here who doesn’t have a Favour. Even Aiko does now.”

  “If I ever find an enemy who has ohink would suit you, I’ll grab it for sure.” I promised, Laverna’s Favour still weighing on my adherence.

  “I’ll hold you to that.” Eri said softly, and as I cradled her head gently on my thighs, watg the pretty py of light element streaking to the skies, my thoughts turo my ask, the nobility. Well, I guess my work is never done. Damn, I need a day off, I really do…

  ShipTeaser