ShipTeaser

  Entering the hotel restaurant, the brilliant lights of the Tokyo night shining trough the windows like a million neon fireflies, we were greeted by everyone, ay on their faces.

  “Akio, is everyone all right?” Eri asked, managing to turn her head, despite the disfort. She was echoed by many of the irls, and it was Aimi-san who first noticed who was absent. Her face cramped, going pale.

  “Wait, Akio-kun, where’s Shiro? She’s not hurt is she?”

  I shook my head as Shaeu and Daiyu followed me into the room, shutting the door behind us. “Don’t worry, Shiro’s fine. Well, she overdid it terribly and reopened her scars, but Hyath stayed behind to look after her.”

  “Is she going to be all right?” Hayato-san asked, and I noticed a ptop beside him pying footage from Kyoto. Damn, it’s just like the messages I had on my phone when I returo the Material. “That sounds pretty awful.” He finished, ed, and beside him, Hina-san looked as if she was going to cry.

  “She’ll be better than all right, I promise.” I decred boldly. “But she’ll be pleased that you’re ed.” I then g Yasu-san, who gave me a puzzled look. Yeah, I think I get whey Shiro has been pig on Yasu-san tonight. It’s to take my mind off the failures. But… The thought of the people that died, Esu, the civilians, our Fae, that still hurt, but this was a war. The first stages of it, most likely, but a war still. And saving those that mattered to me, winning, that had to be my aim. I was strong, aing stronger every day, but I wasn’t a God. I could only do what I could do. Besides, this time we prepared and did the best we could to not get blindsided. Sure, not everything worked as pnned, but pns only st until the battle is joined, right?

  “She was thinking of you, Yasu-san.” I said, smiling, and he looked puzzled.

  “Whoa, that’s unusual. So, what did she say?”

  I g Eri, then at Daiyu, who was looking rather nervous behihough perhaps not everyone could tell, as her expressions were fairly muted on her face. Eri paused, raising one eyebrow, a plicated expression on her face.

  “She said that she wishes she was here to … uh… well, never mind, you’ll get it.”

  “What the hell’s that, way to leave a bro hanging.” He sighed, before he and Shugo-san came over and spped me heartily on the back, wing a little as their hands stung. “Gd you’re okay though. It must have beey bad.”

  “So, Shiro, please crify her situation.” Hayato-san took charge like usual, and as I sat down, gripping a half-drunk bottle of sake and p myself a cup, I smiled.

  “Like I said, she pushed herself way too hard, but she was dong it all for the right reasons. Well, Tan was rgely doing the legwork. She had her other friends with her too. I suppose we’ll all have to meet up at some point. Though I worry Yasu-san will get squished like a bug by Arisu-san.” As he protested at that, I tinued. “Shiro actually mao bee a true didate, like me and my sis.”

  “She did? Wow, that’s crazy. But awesome!” Aiko giggled, looking at Daiyu and Shaeu, the tter of which gave my sis a thumbs-up and winked. “So, that’s not all that happened, is it? So, did you save the girl bro? Isn’t that the point of this?”

  Shaeu and I exged looks as she led Daiyu back to the group of girls. “Well, not like I’d hoped. But…” I gestured to the spirit light I could feel but nobody else could see… except surprisingly, Kana, who gasped.

  “I see them!” her eyes were glittering with aether, and with my owened senses I could see a shimmering rainbow in her dark irises. “So many glowing lights. Wait, I … is that the Lady Diviner?” she asked, awed, and I nodded.

  “Well done Kana.” I praised her, to giggles from her friends. “You’ve e a long way with your eyes if you see the souls resting in Kin Bonding. Yes, sadly she was right, as she so gleefully pointed out to me as she died…”

  “Hang on.” Shugo-san said, fused. “If she’s dead, why are you taking it so calmly? That doesn’t seem like you at all, Akio-kun, are you… are you all right?”

  Shaeu ughed loudly, trying to drown her own grief at the loss of some of her kin, as she poured herself some strong alcohol. “Well, because in the end, for some, death is not the end of all things-things.” She filled anss, giving it to Aiko. I frowned as it was strong whiskey, but she merely looked at me. I see. She his. Her bonds go deep, to lose any of them hurt her. The golden-eyed devourer is going to pay for this, and it ’t afford the bill. She then handed gsses to Hinata, Motoko and Natsumi, who took them gingerly, used to drinking a little, but rong spirits. “Here.” she tossed me a pair of filled gsses, while handing oo Daiyu. At that Hinata suddenly narrowed her eyes, realising.

  Catg the two gsses gracefully, not spilling a drop, I handed oo Eri.

  “A toast then.” I decred, ign whispers from Mio-san that Kana should take a gss too. Kana. Her eyes were still shining, and I had a strange feeling. Moments ter I was surprised, but also excited. So that’s how it is. I hought of that, but I should have. It opens… possibilities. “To the fallen, who fought bravely to save others and protect Kyoto.”

  “To the fallen!” my girls echoed, as did the others, swept up in the mood, Hayato-san looking pensive and thoughtful, the girls toasting with juice, or in some cases sake. Man, father would be pissed off if he could see all these underage girls drinking…

  “My kin who shall-shall return will earn my praise, and those that foul monster devoured, lost forever… they shall be avenged, and not-not fotten!” Shaeu shouted.

  “Yeah, we’ll build a mo. No, two. One in Kyoto, and one in the Spring.” I promised. “Tsukiko-san too. She gave her life for what she believed in… so, I’m gd…” I was surprised to feel warmth in my eyes, dampness. I think… it’s finally hitting me, we won, and while it wasn’t a perfect victory, those I love all survived, and Tsukiko-san, she’ll have a ce at freedom iure… “… that one day soon, she’ll walk again. If Haru-san be happy, Tsukiko-san too.”

  “I’m gd too.” Eri said softly, making a face at the strong alcohol, but drinking it dutifully. “She itiful womaiful, so ungodly beautiful, but tragic. Well done Akio, you freed her.” Eri uood how Kioration worked, so she khat Tsukiko-san was safe now.

  “Beautiful?” Yasu-san perked up at that, and I nodded, feeling the warmth of the whiskey within, holding down my Ether Healing so it would affect me.

  “She sure is. She’s as beautiful as Shiro, hard as that is to believe. She’s older, though she doesn’t look it. But she lived a life of always c her face, so nobody ever saw her, uood her. It was a life of sacrifice, of service, so… I want her life to be one she chooses for herself.”

  “Akio was the first to ever see her face.” Shaeu ughed, putting aside her grief again, drawing strength from my presence, and that of her sisters, and for a moment I realised anew why Shaeu was so eager to push irls onto me. Not being human and w about cepts such as monogamy, she saw it as a way te bonds. Make kin. And she drew her strength from that. Proud of her unwavering dedication to getting what she wanted, I then nearly spat out my drink as she tinued. “I-st moments, she boldly id down her iions.” Her smile was wicked. “Even as her Astral body crumbled to transparent dust, she did lean up and…” she made a kissiure with her lips, to much sternation in the room.

  “… no way. There’s no way anirl as hot as Shiro exists.” Shugo-san said, and Hina-san replied that if his girlfriend knew he thought that he’d be in trouble. Yasu-san had a different, equally stupid rea.

  “That’s not the issue! Akio-ku get to have two goddesses! Life isn’t that cruel! Spare a brother some mercy, man!” He reached out to shake me, and I chuckled, casually spping him away, only for Eri to speak up from her wheelchair.

  “So, what are we then?” she sniffed, irritated, and there was ughter as Yasu-san stammered to expin himself, insisting that she was definitely cute as well.

  “Seriously though.” I gathered everyone’s attention. “The battle was hard, and people died.” I looked at the ptop. “And it’s only going to get worse. But the dead would want us to keep on fighting for what’s right, and those who live have to get stronger.” I raised my gss again, and this toast was to “Growing strong!”

  “Speaking of…” Shaeu said, walking over ag Eri, wheeling her over. “… Shiro and Hyath should be here, but-but… they know.”

  No, I’m not going to be pathetic about this. Shiro was right. I’m past the point where I cim to be ed with feeling bad about my shamelessness. Daiyu is ear, loyal, decisive… I tell that just from the little time we’ve spent together, and she’s als, lonely, lost. And I want to help her. I ’t save every sad, helpless girl in the world, but what es into my sight… besides, it’s not just a matter of sympathy. Cultivation. If we could learn that, add it to our strength… I finished my whiskey, gesturing to Kana, who was looking particurly sour, as Shaeu gleefully transted for Daiyu, who was admitting to asking for me to be her Dao panion. When that was said, some of the girls were quite fused, until she expined.

  “Maybe he’s asking for you too, Kana-!” Mio-san whispered, and Asami-san agreed. She was one of the one’s who had been drinking, so was flushed and swaying.

  “Yeah, you go girl, make your move…”

  “Oh, shut it.” Kana said, before ing over to me, her eyes straying to the spirit lights. “Well, what do you want? It better not be to make me feel bad. You know, that first day I saw you and Shaeu, I thought you were a pervert pying with a young girl. Well, I was half right, you lecher!”

  Wait, has Kana been drinking too? No, I don’t think that’s it. She’s irritated. Well, she did say she wanted me to ask her out, so I guess seeing Daiyu e in ’t be fun for her. But there’s a differeweewo of them. Kana has options, Daiyu doesn’t. But then, isn’t that unfair to Kana? Shouldn’t like or dislike be the foundation…? Well, I’ll think about it. “I suppose I deserve that.” I admitted. “Well, if the situatios any worse, I might o invade Kunlun and see if they have any Shadow e teiques I borrow to split myself into ten or so…” at her puzzled look I waved a hand, dismissing my attempt at humour.

  “Yeah, I k.” My sis was saying drunkenly, as I took Kana to the er of the room. “So, spill, what do you like about my bro? Be ho… you tell your new sis anything!”

  “Oh, do be quiet Aiko.” Eri was trying to trol her. “This is serious!”

  “I am serious! I want to know what about my bro caught her eye! I o make sure she’s good to go!”

  Yeah… that one’s a tough one. Sitting down, being shamed by the versation I was listening to, I offered Kana a seat. She took it, and sighed. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  “I have a question. And it’s a serious one.” At my solemn expression, she put aside her own irritation, ahing I respected about her. She knows what she wants out of life, and is always posed. Eri called it fake, but I’d say it’s being an adult. I think she’ll succeed wherever she ends up in life. “You’ve heard it. People have died. And it’s only going to get more dangerous. But… if you could be like me, like Shiro, like my sis… would you want to be?”

  She swallowed, her throat w. She brushed a hand through her dark hair, thinking about it seriously. “You mean… a Chosen of the Gods, like you? Well, I’m not sure what Shirohebi would think…”

  “Put them aside. I’m sure they’d be happy that one of their shrine maidens was so blessed, and it would help spread their fame. But what they think doesn’t matter. What do you think?”

  “If this is some cruel prank, I think I’ll hate you.” She sighed. “While you were gone, I spent several hours training with your sister. Aiko- is super fun, ae being older, she doesn’t lord it over me like a senpai, she’s like someohe same age. She helped me a lot. I decided… I’m going all in. I want to be helpful. I see your struggles. Those.” She poio the spirit lights only we and Shaeu could see. “Shaeu too. I see that she’s putting on a brave front… no, she’s genuinely happy right now, bringing in that new girl…” Shaeu’s transtions were being more rapid, and Daiyu was shrinking under a barrage of questions. Yeah, I didn’t o hear that Daiyu finds my eyes attractive. That’s something guys say to girls…

  “… I don’t want to fight, but sometimes the fight es to us, right? like those Yakuza. Or Kyoto. But I will be a help, my pride as a shrine maiden, which I never had before, my pride as a woman, which I’ve always had too much of, and my pride… my pride as a person, which I’ve always had too little of, all demands it. So, if I had the ce, I’d take it. So, ready to level with me? Are you going to…”

  “No.” I said, and she immediately looked at me in surprise, before starting to tear up, trembling. Oh shit! “Wait, wait, let me finish!” I said, starting to pat her shoulder reassuringly as she started to cry.

  “Now that’s more like Akio-kun!” Yasu-san smirked as I panicked. “Good to see some things never… ouch!” Aimi-san hit him around the shoulders, exasperated.

  “I said… I’d be mad… if it was giving me false… hope.” She blew her nose, getting snot on my expensive clothes, but I didn’t care.

  “I’m not, I promise!” I said hurriedly. “Just who do you think I am?”

  “Someone who toys with the hearts of girls.” She sniffled, rubbing at her eyes. “Damn, now my makeup is ruined, I must look ugly.”

  “Never.” I assured her galntly. “I’ve thought you were pretty from the day I met you.”

  “See, that’s toying with my heart.” She protested, but managed a weak smile. “I was so high-tension after resolving myself, and then you go and say I be like you, and then that I ’t… if this is some trick to break my heart and make me vulnerable to your adva’s clever, but it isn’t really necessary…” she flushed.

  “It’s not that.” I shook my head. “Look, I don’t think that it’s fair to put young people through the sorts of things I faced tonight, well, my sis is a bit of a fearless airhead, so it’s a little different, but… look, ideally I’d like to find an adult, fully aware of the risks to take this on. But… Kana, I trust you.”

  “You… trust me?” she blinked, face still damp.

  “Of course. I made a stupid decision the first time I met you. I should have denied everything and just walked away. I en, careless fool back then. But it was all for the best. Really, the starts of everything were when Ortlinde first gave me this power, when I saved Shaeu, when I met you, and when I met Hinata. Those were the big turning points. If I’d have missed out on any, I wouldn’t be here now. So I owe you, in a way. That’s why…”

  “I’ll do it!” She grabbed my hand. “I’d just made up my mind, I’d be a fool not to.” Her expression ged back to the more usual impish, teasing Kana. “It doesn’t ge anything, if anything it makes my aspirations closer to reality. And we girls, we’ve talked a lot. If we were minding our own business and something like Kyoto happened, we’d have a ce, wouldn’t we? After all, we’re strohan normal people.” She shook her head, determined. “I’m still going to master my eyes, I want to be a Chirurgeon, like your sister aspires to be. But I be more, if I’m given the ce.” She released my hands, scrubbing at her eyes. “Damn, this is so uncool. It’s been a tough night.”

  “No kidding.” I admitted.

  “So, well, what God will I be receiving a Gift from?” she asked, and I once again had to unfortably backpedal.

  “Look, well, right now, none.” Before she could get upset again, I rapidly tinued. “You… well, it’s strange, but you are almost patible with the blessing of K?itigarbha’s Earthen Womb.”

  “Almost?” she tilted her head.

  “Yeah, I hought about trying to purposely ge people so that they’d be patible, but …” I ughed. “Shaeu’s fortunate winds blew when I was cheg everyo, and out of everyone here, only you have any patibility with the two gifts I carry. Mathematically, that’s not that surprising. It’s not enough, but…”

  “But…” she was leaning forwards, and I had to look away as her nee gaped. Seeing that, her smile returned.

  “…but, well it’s ah element gift. Shirohebi is ah shrine. You already have spiritual talents you’ve been growing, so I think, trusting in the winds… if you master earth element, you’d be patible enough.”

  “I see. Well, that was in my training pn anyway. I think if the twins and Haru-san help me, like we did with light element…” her expression ged, and the glow in her eyes was brilliant now. “Oh hey, I grasp your emotions a bit. Damn, you do like me. And trust me too. That’s why this is so frustrating… but, well, for now I’ll settle with being the best ally I be. So, I’ll be a vassal like Haru-san or Kikuchi-san’s father, right? That noble girl too. You’ll look after me the same way, right?”

  “Of course, but… you’ll o learn fast. If I find someoer before you…” she pced a finger over my lips.

  “Don’t be a fool, Akio. I may be young, but I’m not much youhan Aiko- or Eri-san. Besides, Hinata is the you, and I bet you’d give her a patible one in a heartbeat.” I had to agree with that, and she k. “Earth element huh. Well, I think Shaeu wao get that oht? Maybe we help each other out…” she mused for a bit, befrasping my hand. “… you’re half-British, right? Well, let’s shake on it like they do. Best regards, I look forward t with you. I’ll be Izumi Kah Goddess. Sounds awesome. Father and grandfather will be pleased too. You… you won’t regret givihis ce. I promise. Now… I o go interrogate that ese girl with the others. And I’m sure you have pces to be.”

  I nodded, my phone vibrating stantly. “I do. But I have to say bye to my friends first.”

  “Well, get to it then. Us girls handle ourselves. With Shaeu and Aiko- here, there’s nothing to fear. I think your new ese catch handle herself as well.”

  “Don’t say it like that. She’s a good girl at heart, I know.”

  “I’m sure she is. I know your type well enough by now, big bro.” she teased me. “Now get on with it. I’ll fill the others in.”

  As I watched Kana head back to the group, Shaeu grinning at her and g her on the back, obviously having heard our whispered versation, I headed back to the guys. “I’m going to have to go shortly. My phone is ringing off the hook. Well, there’s a lot to cover, and cover up.”

  “It must be hard.” Hayato-san said solingly, and beside him, the others nodded, Hina-san looking especially worried. I winked, surprising her.

  “o worry, Hina-san. I’m just here to advise, I’ve done my part, winning the battles. It’ll be on the politis to do the rest.”

  “Just… just don’t get too used to killing and dying, all right?” Yasu-san said, surprising us all. “You’ve always been a soft guy, it must be hard. Just stay the way you’ve always been. After all, you have to, for their sakes, right?” he owards the group of girls surrounding Daiyu and Shaeu. “If you bee strahey’ll worry.”

  “Hey, they aren’t all mine, you know.” I joked, but he shook his head, still serious.

  “Of course not, or else I’d spend all my savings on some yakuza to put a hit out on you.” He said, half-joking. “But… you are their mentht? That means you have a responsibility. Shiro too. If you do a worse job making her happy than I could have, I swear I’ll…”

  “Oh Yasu-san…” Aimi-san ughed. “Jealousy is su ugly look for you. Pretty usual though. What isn’t is… you were a little cool there. Don’t let it go to your head though. He’s right. We only saw fshes on our phones and the puter, but it looked bad. Remember all the shounen heroes we used to look up to? They value life, they protect others, but the best make hard choices when it ts. you be that guy?”

  I? “I already am.” I had decided, ever since I pulled the Divine Favour from Yamato-san. “I’ll reat killing as the first resort, I’ll always try and resolve matters in the most peaceful ossible, but some people…” Kondou Kazuo, the agents who shot the Detective, the more insane of the ese didates, drunk on vengeand hatred. “… some beings…” That golden-eyed fuck, for one, Duke Myrcoxriath and his deadly pn to make all existence himself… “… if I don’t stop them, even if it involves killing, then everyone pays the price. And… the more I shoulder, the more I have to protect, to love… the more determined I am to never let that happen.”

  “Fihen.” Aimi-san sighed. “That sounded pretty heroic, I admit. Just… well, we’re your friends, right?”

  “Yeah man.” Shugo-san chimed in. “We’ll keep you grounded, help you out.”

  “That’s right.” Hina-san agreed. “I think now more than ever, you need your friends. Shiro too. By the way, you said she’d be better than all right, but never expined.”

  “Trust you to notice, Hina-san, you’ve always been sharp.” I smiled. “Sure, she overworked herself, but she’s now pretty much the ultimate buffer…”

  “I always imaged her as mad DPS…” Yasu-san interrupted, and I had to ugh.

  “That’s what Shiro said. But anyway, she’s basically able to buff up all skills a bit, and one skill a lot. I Ranked up my healing skills, so coupled with her buffs and the healer the Night Parade sent us, who be buffed too… I think a week should see her healed, back to the perfect Shirohime we know and love..”

  “Seriously?” Aimi-sahed.

  “Why would I lie?” I tered. “When she’s fully healed, we’ll all go out for drinks. Then…”

  “Don’t say it!” Yasu-san pleased. “The thought of our pure princess being defiled… ouch!” Ign the punch he took from Aimi-san, I turo Hayato-san.

  “If you still want to help, here’s my secretary’s number. I daresay I’ll be busy, but we make time for Chirurgery, and then… we sort out wages, what you’ll be doing, and all the other details. Don’t worry about the bill tonight, take taxis home, I’ll pay.”

  “And what about them?” Hayato-san asked, ever the gentleman, nodding at the girls, Daiyu somehow looking small and weak, surrounded by eager questioners. Damn, okay, that is cute.

  “Hinata will take care of it. Anyway, it’s been good to catch up, sorry Shiro and I had to dash out like that, and I have to head off again.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Hayato-san assured me. “You’ve got pces to be, so we’ll speak to your secretary. Nothing has ged. Now I know we o help you out more than ever.” As everyone agreed, I felt relief. Yeah, no more lies. My family is onside, now my friends. It’ll be reassuring to have them with me…

  ShipTeaser