Haru screamed out her emotions as her Blessing of Sharing Light took on all her buried fears, self-loathing, guilt and bme. It shot out from her like a glowing nova, and those who were not protected by the imprisoning barriers nearby shuddered and fell, spasming as the sensations, memories and feelings she had kept hidden within were forced into their brains. Only one person mao ride out the storm of her detonating anguish, and that was Hyath, who had somehow also escaped being trapped in the spherical barrier prisons.

  Tears glittering in her silver-violet eyes, she staggered, but was still pressing forwards. “Pooirl. Hyath feels for yooou, I do. But pared to what I… dooo not care to remember… well…” she gestured, and vines roared up around her, f a spiky wall of tentacles. A barrier tried to ensnare her, but with the cloud of filing thorny limbs, the sphere was uo form. “…best nooot to dwell on it. Sad times are ooover now!”

  Several tentacles shot out, coiling around the shield of the crazed man who called himself the Judge of Death, and began to squeeze. He looked pained for a sed, blinking his eyes, while the severed head he held keened silently, no voice heard as the lips moved soundlessly. “That was quite the fright. That light… it is not the one I wish for.” He knocked his bde-pierced hand against the barrier surrounding him, which rippled as it was slowly pressed.

  “I… I may be dead, but I have my pride!” Haru cried again, her eyes turning a brilliant golden-blue, a strange mirror to Hyath’s eyes. “You don’t get to judge me! Nor anybody else!” she gestured, and bolts of energy rained down, striking the barrier. Hyath tutted as some of her vines were severed, reinf them with more, preventing their oppo from moving.

  “Oh? Really? Your attitude is unseemly. The dead should know their pce!” A surge of aether flooded him, his body thrumming with it, and Haru felt her sciousness start to fade, an invasive preseraining to push her down, deep into the bottomless mire of darkness within her mind. Arms around herself, she let out a whimper as the darkness closed in, full of voices, his voice, tellio give in, to obey, to serve the master of the dead…

  “Bad man!” Hyath hissed, still shattering his attempts to cage her. The thorns on her vines were dripping a toxiom, and slowly starting to bore into the shell proteg the Judge, faint fibres like roots spreading, digging in. “Hyath has seen such eyes befooore, many times. The world does nooot need yooou!” she howled, pulling out more of her power, f a s of erupting mushrooms which detonated, filling the air in front of them with imperable spores, f a smokes.

  I… I won’t give up! I’m not weak anymore! I’m Suzuki Haru, Onryo! I’ve been through hell once, and died for it. I’ll not let myself go down without a fight again! Her dimming light fought back, eyes and body shining. Shooting a grateful look towards Hyath, she waved. “Thank you. If I looked into his eyes for much longer… well, I might have cracked.”

  “Think ooof something, you are smart, right? A servant, like Hyath? Yooou should help the mistresses!” she eyed Shaeu, who was trying everything to break free. At her words, Haru’s lips curled into a self-depreg smile, gentle and mog.

  “I’m not a servant, I’m an employee, there’s a difference. Well, to be ho, that’s mostly because Akio-san is a nice person. I’m his Chosen hero and Vassal, I only go home because of him…” as she spoke she began weaving light, p all of her willpower into it, as well as something else, the only thing that might work. “… so I suppose you’re n. But just as you take pride in being a servant, I take pride in my job. Jobs. I’ll be an important figure in the new Ministry, a Chosen of Kannon, Akio-san’s hero, and whatever else I want to be! I’m not limited like I was in life! I’m dead, and free to do what I want! Don’t think you ensve me!” she roared, all her a the unfairness of her life before she died p out, tears falling like diamond sparkles.

  “Such men only ever think of others as tools. Well, it is hardly fined just to men…” a voice said from behind her, and as Haru turned, she saw it was the woman in red who had apanied Shiro, stepping out from a ssh in space, hands smoothing her dress, cold, beautiful face expressionless. Getting a good look at her for the first time, she gasped in reition.

  “Wait, aren’t you Arisu…” she began, only to pause as she was gred at, dark eyes glittering with equally dark emotions, the likes of which Haru reised. Betrayal. Pain. Anger.

  “I am who I am. Myself.” She said, sidestepping the issue. “My point is, nothing you say will reach him. I know the sort. Too well.” She turned, eyeing Shaeu who was struggling behind her, desperate to break free. “We do not have long. I ot open my Room within the barriers unless I am already inside. I did try. However…” she smiled. “Are you not like White, very near here?”

  At those words, Shaeu’s eyes opened wide. A grin spread and she said but two words. “My thanks.” And with that, Shaeu slumped down, as if she had fallen unscious, her body resting within the barrier.

  “As for you…” Arisu began, only for the Judge of Death to roar in anger.

  “Enough! I Judge you all and find you wanting! Perhaps ih you shall be obedient! I o replenish my forces, these useless fools are all used up. Now, woman who has no business with the living, you shall be bound to me…”

  “Really? I don’t think I would like that very much. I’d rather be… dead.” Haru stuck out her tongue, despite her tears, and opened up her Telepathy full force. She wihe sudden rushing influx of thoughts aions from those around her bringing back terrible memories of when she believed herself insane, before her untimely end and subsequeh. “I’m not insane! I’m just… special!” She opened up her mind, elling everything into the head of her oppressor, amplifying it as best she could. The Judge of Death stumbled, staggering, his painful wave of andiher and something more faltering, and Haru found herself smiling. “And now, the finishing touch!” her light went inwards, sharing all her agonies with herself, which were thehrough her telepathy. The Judge shuddered, eyes going wide and vat, and the head in his grasp fell, spittle spraying from his mouth, followed by silver vomit.

  “Hurts, doesn’t it? Well, I’ll let you be the judge of whether it’s right to make others suffer like this. No, in fact, as the dead, I’ll judge you. Guilty.” The barrier failed, and Hyath’s thorns surged down, pierg flesh like a thousand poisoned knives. Now physical pain was joining his mental pain, only for a streak of lightning to pierce him, bsting one hand off his body, the sword falling away. Haru fli the sudden thuo see Shaeu, rushing out from the nearby Ring Gate, face pale with anger, lightning dang around her. She was followed by Grulgor, who hurled a round ball of metal the size of a shot-put, crushing the other hand, and as the bone swords fell, Shiro was there, crimson eye gring.

  “Burn. But you shall not quench my thirst. Even were I not full, your vile evil would turn my stomach.” Fmes fshed, only for Shaeu to grab her hand, stopping her. As she was gred at, Shaeu shook her head.

  “Do not-not kill him or her yet… the swords first.” She said, and the deity possessing Shiro, who was called Ta?hā, Haru believed, inquired angrily as to her reasons.

  “Why? If he recovers, he trap us again, or perhaps do worse. Those bubble barriers are potent. Perhaps they could even be used to crush us within, with more skill.”

  “Yes, quite.” Shaeu agreed. “Well, hence why I wish for you to stop. Hyath, do not-not kill him, but keep him immobile. Haru…” Shaeu reached out, patting her shoulder. “I know it must-must be painful, but tio assail his mind. Pour your pain into him. And then… how much ether do you have?”

  A strange question. Though during the battle I have gathered quite a lot, actually. “Nearly housand.”

  “I see. Not quite-quite enough. Well, no point h, is there?” With that she produced several greeherites. Handing them to Haru, she grinned. “I am so very-very proud of you. You have repaid Akio’s trust in you and proved worthy of a slot on his Throne, not-not just out of pity, but of worth.”

  “Really?” Haru managed, emotional. “I… I’m worthwhile?”

  “Of course. Now, prove yourself even more so. A Throne of Heroes. Rush-build it. A huhousaher should be enough.”

  A Throne? Here? Haru was fused, but she trusted Shaeu, so she began to form a Throh all her ether, rapidly strug it. All around them the barriers were breaking, and Ixitt stumbled over, eyes curious.

  “Princess, Grulgor, how did you escape the barriers?”

  “It was thanks to this one here-here.” Shaeu gri the woman in red.

  “I have a name. Arisu.” She said coldly.

  “Well, Arisu be cold and prickly, but don’t worry, you’ll all get along swimmingly, I know it!” Shiro said, taking over from Ta?hā for a moment. “But yeah, she’s real smart. And very experienced with spatial stuff. Her Room is crazy.”

  “Enough, White.” She chided, but Shaeu merely ughed.

  “Yes, I like you more-more than it first appears. It is simple. The barrier blocks wind attacks but not-not sound. Light attacks but not-not sight. It does not-not actually fun as a genuine barrier. It is most strange. So when I returo the Material, it had no cause to hold my empty Astral body captive. I then simply re-ehrough the Ring Gate, following Shiro.”

  “Following? I had a head start and you ran past me like a damn whippet. Damn girl, how high are your stats?”

  “High-high enough for many things.” She giggled. “All the better for … intimacy.”

  “Grulgor listened, and Grul worked it out too.” He said proudly, thumping his chest.

  “Yes, that was the most surprising thing of all. Grulgor, notorious blockhead, he is now quite-quite smart. Duke Formor will be most surprised, although he has already been outsmarted by him once. You know, I am actually quite-quite pleased Akio spared you, as he did me.”

  “I see. I think I get it.” Haru said, as the Throne formed. Pain was in her heart and head, the memories and thoughts she was sharing agony. “So, what now? Why do we need a Throne?”

  “Simple. Because I am most-most greedy, and I want my due for this battle. Quickly now. I want to go help Akio as soon as I !”

  Their battle seemingly over, Hyath having great fun pumping agonising and paralysing venom into the so-called Judge of Death, they rushed over, only for Shaeu to pletely ighe fallen man, and pick up the severed head. Wreng out the bone sword, she hissed, quickly bathing it in fmes, destroying it as Ta?hā had the others. The severed head rolled its eyes, trying to whisper something, but Shaeu pulled it up to her mouth and spoke harshly.

  “Well, how does it feel to be a sve to not-not one, but two worthless, abusive masters? You have a choice then. Why not-not serve a third? Well, you choose death, I suppose, but I shall make sure to take out all my ire on you before your life ih ends. No, choose a ce at life anew. I do not-not promise it will be long, nor kind, but… a ce is better than what you have now, no?”

  Seriously? That’s what she wants my Throne for? But I was going to use it for my new sisters, those who suffered at Kondou Kazuo’s hands… “Uh, Shaeu, if I may…” Haru began, only for Shiro to pat her on the shoulder.

  “Don’t worry. This is just a tempig, I get it. Aki pull out Divine Favours, right? Tan eat them too. Maybe if she proves a damn good sve, we find a use for her, assuming she survives but… whatever we do, it’s kihan being devoured by the slime still inside her, or sving away for eternity to that prick there.” She aimed a kick at the fallen man, before cursing as some thorns nicked her. “Shit, going numb already. That crap really is powerful, girl!”

  “Indeed. Why-why let this delightful shield escape us, especially with that trash having shown us how-how it be used?” Shaeu winked, before turning back to the head she held. “So, choose quickly. The future for you may-may be bleak, but the now-now, you know what hell that is.”

  I see. Well, I couldn’t have got this far without the support of everyone so… I spare the time now. Besides, Kyoto will definitely need rebuilding, so if I get to Rank 3, I have a sed Throne, right? The dead won’t have to remain alone much longer…

  Looking the severed head in the eyes, the aether still eg her to the fallen Judge of Death, the only reason she was, if not living, animate, Haru smiled, a touch mencholy, remembering her own choice, and her own cruel servitude to Kiku. “So, what do you say? If you ask me, being dead isn’t so bad, so long as you have a good master. I’m blessed, but what about you? I don’t promise to be kind, you’ve done a lot of evil here… but I do promise to at least uand your suffering.”

  Moments ter the head disied, and a body had formed, replig the appearance of the woman before Shaeu’s wind had dismembered her. Right, whoa, I get a lot of restris I put on her. Akio-san hasn’t really used any on me. He’s such a pushover, like the girls say. Not that I’d betray him anyway… well, I’m not so kind. We’ll go for the full set. Now, as for him…

  “And dead.” Shaeu grinned, stomping down on his head, shattering it. “Shiro, Ta burn this to ashes. I do not-not want him returning to haunt us like a bad dream. One-oe ghost is enough for me.”

  Haru giggled at that, relieved she could finally shut off her telepathy, before slumping to the ground, wrung out. “I know I should go help Akio-san and the others, but… I’m about finished. I… want to sleep for a week. But the dead don’t sleep. Well, I ierial, if I want… ugh, five me, I’m talking nonsense…”

  “You are fiven.” Shaeu said piously. “Brother, remain here in case there are any other enemies. Protect Haru aerritory at all costs. Hyath, follow me. Are you ing too, Shiro?”

  “Tan is full, but… sure, I want to e. Arisu, you’re pretty much drained, right? Stay here with Suzu and Bunta, protect this pce.”

  “Fine. I want to mess around with my new zombie idol anyway. I have it back?” The blonde girl with the drill twin-tails asked Arisu, who scowled at her, but opened up a small ssh in space, a barely moving corpse falling out.

  “In that case, Hyath, Shiro. Let us go now-now!” Shaeu rawards, towards the distant battle, and as the others followed, Haru watched them leave from her position on the ground, praying for their success. Be safe, everyone… “Now then… what’s your name? Do you even uand me?” Haru asked, able to fall ba telepathy to gain uanding if necessary, but when the ened her mouth hesitantly, the words were clear, if quiet and filled with dread. “Me, master? My name? Well, I… I am…”

  ********

  The didate wasn’t the only one who saw my mad dash across the battlefield. A brave Cultivator, who reparing to use a Talisman on Daiyu, instead directed the attack at me. “Five Element Talismaal. Grinding Dust!”

  A cloud of small metal particles was discharged from the Talisman, though moments ter a number of focused beams of ser light from me had pierced the Cultivator and a number of others, striking them in the head a, lessening the pressure on Daiyu. My speed carried me through the rasping dust, and even with my great Fortitude I found the dust annoying, my eyes and throat burning as the dust got inside my mouth and nose. Calling on water element, I washed myself out, all in a moment, before the assassin who was being ignored by everyone opened fire. At the same momehrust the bde towards the wounded Kinkawa-san who was struggling to safety, being oppressed by the mighty six-armed warrior.

  Nope. Wind gusted, and the bullet was deflected, sailing past the Prince, while my bde intercepted the bone bde, already radiating fire. The bone scorched, and the didate leapt backwards, shocked. Oh, pretty fast. But not at my level, not even close.

  “By Lóng Teng, how the hell did you see me, Japanese swine? Mist, Obscure me, fog his mind!” Aether surged as the ma me in hatred, and I did irongly feel the urge to look away, fet he was there and turn back to the fight.

  “Well, I have a good Eye!” I said, amber pierg the damp fog. “I admit, it’s really a good skill though. If my Determination and Resilience wasn’t sky high, I’d probably succumb.” Split Thoughts probably helps too.

  “I’ll kill you!” he gloated, moving deeper into the mists, and my Eye was struggling, though I could still see his outline. “I wish I could have killed more Japanese soldiers, ot some of their Heaven’s Chosen, but… no time. We have a hungry god of vengeao feed.”

  In the misty shadows I could barely make out his face, but I could see a broad, shadowy grin, full of malice, almost like a Dragon. “So, you killed people, huh? And it sounds like it wasn’t even for your survival, merely hatred…” I said as I ran into the mist. Taishakama-san and Daiyu were giving me odd looks, but then they couldn’t see the assassin like I could. My bde split space, and blood was shed, but it quickly melted into the cloying, dense mist. Munfire came back at me, but I shrugged off the rounds, feeling nothing now that I was under Shiro’s buffs. That shocked the assassin, who called out his own words, moving and dodging, trying to make my gaze lose him.

  “Go to hell! You Japanese, especially soldiers, you aren’t people, but demons! We remember! We’ll never fet the atrocities you’ve done! And now… war. A war you won’t win. Those who betrayed us will bleed…” I followed his voice, but the mist obscured even that, making echoes, and all of a sudden the man blurred into multiple shadows within the mist. “… and you pig demons will die in your millions!”

  Yeah, again, I get the hatred some Asians hold for the Japanese, but… is this really what any sane person would want?

  “Now, Guohua, do it! Kill the bastard while I have him distracted!” As the fleeing assaint spoke, his voice echoed through the mist from all the doubles. In that moment I was bombarded from all sides by a rain of rock, broken debris from the shrine such as burree trunks and branches sharpeo spears, wreckage from tates, shings of sacred ropes and more. The impacts were heavy, easily enough to break bones and crush a person to death, but to me they were more than manageable. One sharpened branch did mao pierce my skin, but it got hung up on my solid thigh bone, so I tore it out, still charging, my ears ringing as a rge boulder smmed into my skull. Furious Earth, I need Fortitude!

  Swinging my bde at one of the shadows in the mist, I watched it split apart and dissipate like a mirage, while from behihe didate appeared, pointing a very modern anti-tank grenade right at me. Yeah, that could clearly still kill me easily enough with a direct hit, but…

  “Lóng Teng is not something a fool like you …” blood sprayed as the strands of wind I wove behiook his arms, shearing through flesh and boh the ease of a bonesaw. As he screamed, stunned, I grabbed him by the neck.

  “A fool? Sorry, I could see the real you the whole time.” I headbutted him, stunning him. “I really think maybe you deserve to be eaten, but…” Just thinking about the blob of flesh, that even now was ing all the attacks bring thrown at it and the Cultivator carrying it, tongues easily slurping up wind ah element greedily, I knew I didn’t want to feed it. “But you still have to die.” I forced out the slime around his chakras and the divine favour with a multitude of aetheric strikes, heedless of the damage it was doing to his Divine Favour and his body. I wished I could take it, but removing it funally would take precious time I didn’t have. As fming slime, Foehn burning it, rained down around me, I quickly decapitated the foe with a sirike.

  You have gained in strength. Your level…

  With him sin, two things happe once. First was that three more enemies were revealed, the mist shrouding them vanishing. On seeing that, the three pahe one who was hurling rocks and other debris turo flee, while the other two grabbed onto each other and started sinking underground. The sed thing was that the vile blob of slime howled in inchoate fury, thrashing and twitg, a dozen tongues surging towards me, ehey moved quickly, but not faster than I could dodge, and I took that moment to race towards the golden six-armed statue, just as it had thrown down the Prirampling his leg savagely, breaking it. A brilliant beam of light from Kofuku Jizo staggered it for a brief moment, and Taishakama-sa out a sigh of relief, ushering Tsukiko-san away, despite his numerous injuries. She was horrified by the scale and fury of it all, her enemies indeed swarming over her shrine and Kyoto like ants, despoiling aroying all, leaving filth in their wake.

  “Fug hell!” I cursed. The golden warrior swung a spear at me, but I parried, my sword full of light element. Space twisted, but the spear ulled back, still able to fun as a staff without the head, and suddenly I was struck by a heavy mace, and my arm was ed in a of golden strands, wreng Cutting Twilight from me. “This bastard isn’t fast but he’s skilful. Hey Taishakama-san, where are the others?” I asked, using my physical strength to strike the statue, staggering it. My fists bled, but I cd them ih element and tinued pounding, dodging sweeps of the mace, a long hook, the and more, and soon the golden statue was on the defensive, golden body full of cracks as, silver blood weeping like rain from the wounds, his movements slowing.

  “Esu has returo the cycle of reination.” He said sorrowfully. “Fortunately his death was an honourable one, en by that.”

  I see. Shit. Well, he won’t be the only oo perish… “Well, he’ll be avenged.” I said, only for the golden statue to ugh, his voice cracked and pained.

  “You think so? Vengeance is what we are here for!” the statue cried. “Uhe rest, I have little dislike for you people. The past is the past.” The hook was gathering a brilliant radiance, and he ulling in an immense amount of aether emitted from the gibbering blob, fuelling it. “Only darkness avehe fallen light.” He said piously. I called fme and water, b him, but the light que. I could feel the radiance burning my skin, realising that it packed as muergy as my body held before Shiro’s buffs into one burning attack, the supply from the blob endless.

  “Darkness, huh?” I wasn’t great with darkness element, I’d never really got the cept of maniputing the absence of something, but si had ged to Shisu, the darkness of the new moon, I was having inklings. New beginnings. Accepting all.

  “Yes. We sin because we o do this. If we must be devoured, let us do so knowing that we have struck a blow for freedom and fairness, and quenched our need for revenge. I am putting my very soul into this attack, die happily knowing I will perish myself soon after. But your death will surely be a spark of a great fgration. I die happily for that. Now, farewell.” The light poured down on me like a torrent. I jured spirit water, rod fme walls, as well as wind, but none of them held more than a moment. But it was a moment I needed. My skin was scorg, despite my immeats it was like I had suffered a hefty sunburn, and I k would surely get worse. The fortunate winds were blowing around me like a cloak, urging me on, giving me a feeling that darkness would be lucky for me, luck I sorely needed.

  “Time to show me what you do, darkness!” I cried, drawing it out, f a circur, moon-shaped hole of inky darkness element. Aether, adherence, anything I could do tthen it was being poured out of me, the new moon, Shisu, shining darkly, as impossibly paradoxical that seemed. Even some of the fortunate winds was being drawn from me, feeding the darkness.

  “Draw… it… in…” Prince Shōtoku was crawling away, burned by the light even as he fled, and around us the ground was beginning to bake, steaming. The light was diminishing, the golden body of my enemy, one of the ones we had no real details on from Yasaka-san’s Book, beginning to lose its lustre, being dead and dim, the flow of blood being sluggish, the silver and red radiating a vile purple mist. Though at this rate… my eyes were bleeding from the brilliance, and though I was drawing it in, it wasn’t enough. Shit… emptyiher from my Territory, I still couldn’t pletely stem the tide. However, the winds call to me, telling me I o do this. Despite the urgings, I felt sret, but having little choice, I crushed the Chimerids, feeling power and adherence flow into me, the fortunate winds dissipatiirely, sinking into me along with the wind energy i within the Divine Favour.

  You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from level One Hundred and een to One Hundred and Twenty. All of your Material statistics…

  Your Skill, Heart Chakra Of Wind has advanced from Rank 5 to Rank 6, breag the first bottleneck. Due to the effects of Anesidora’s Blessing of Many Gifts your skill currently funs at Rank 7…

  Your Skill, Wind Manipution has advanced from Rank 5 to Rank 6, passing the first bottleneck. Due to the effects of Anesidora’s Blessing…

  Your css, Wielder of Elements, Cssic Western has increased from level 5 to level 6. This has increased further…

  “My soul is devoured. This is my twilight, but I shall not share it… alohe statue cried, but I was not listening. The adherend aether from the destroyed Divine Favour was fortunately just enough, and Shisu started to devour the light, moving across it like an eclipse, drawing it in. As it did so, the edge of the dark moon began to shine brilliantly, a gold and indigo hue.

  “No, you won’t share it alone. I’ll take your will onwards. You may have done evil here, but I’ll see the true evil punished. Your fate pays for your crimes, so… go in peace.” I promised, as the arms started falling from the statue, his very essence beien, the ughter from the many-mouthed blob of slime enraging me. Now my dark moon had sucked in the light like a bck hole, verting it into somethiher wholly darkness, nht. In the end, the sight was beautiful, and for a brief moment the battle around us halted, seeing the fathomless bck disk, with a brilliant prominence around it.

  “Well, for my… st… sight… I suppose… this will… do. I suppose I will… go ahead alone. Do as… you see… fit. Just beware… those who would… betray and use… you…” with that, the statue crumbled to dust, and the tongues lolled, the many mouths ughing, an ugly, grotesque, ‘sha-sha-sha’ sound.

  Feeling an intense sense of anger, I looked at the disk of energy in front of me, a mixture of light, darkness and even taining some fragments of the Divine Favour that had been shattered as the man, fuelled by the endless poisoned chakra of the blob creature, had poured his everything into a sacrificial attack to take me out before I could defeat him. It presive, powerful, reminding me of Foehn. It was also two elements, bound in one. But unlike Foehn, where I extracted the fme, and Shaeu the wind, two elements that supported, this was light and darkness, opposite, but also alike. And all mine…

  Tongues shot out from the blob, greedily grasping for it, hungry for what had beeed, but I expected that. Cutting Twilight was boiling hot, charged full of the six-armed warrior’s sacrificial light, and I pulled it to me with air and spun, using the great bde one-handed, and tongues were severed. The blob screamed, and the light was devoured from the bde, the edge starting to pit and crack… Oh shit, Bjarki is going to kill me for sure… but with my other hand I reached out, plunging my hand through the prominence of light into the accepting darkness, my darkness, the Shisu that had accepted the light, and I made it a part of me, the Masu, the full moon of pletion, of existing ws.

  You have gained a unique light and darkness, Promiwilight…

  ShipTeaser