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  Approag the Diet Building, our car had to take a detour, as numerous police vehicles were set up in a perimeter, the police out in force to form a cordon, holding back the wave of protesters that were demonstrating noisily about the ese invasion. So far it seemed rgely peaceful, if heated, but the numbers were steadily increasing, already up to fifty thousand people outside the Diet, with more in cities and towns all cross Japan. There were thousands more outside the ese embassy, and instead of the police, the JSDF had been deployed there, as any act of trespass, or worse, violence against the ese on effectively their sn soil would escate tensions armingly.

  “I believe these are the rgest demonstrations sihe te een-sixties.” Motoko observed, and Natsumi offered her agreement. The two of them were obviously aware of the real reasons behind all this chaos, but the driver wasn’t, so they said little else. I merely listeo them talk, amused as I had spotted a disgruntled Detective Kato and a bored-looking, yawning officer Usui among the police at the barricades. Guess they really have pulled in all hands. Today’s the day to be a criminal, there’ll be no police about to stop you…

  With such idle throughs, we pulled through a road the police were keeping open, and as the car passed through two lines of protestors, I listened out, trying to uand publitiment, for ter.

  “Justice for the dead of Kyoto!”

  “ese aggression must be stopped!”

  “over is pathetic, we need fresh eles!”

  “Prime Minister Abe must go!”

  “More military spending! The JSDF needs reform!”

  “We should have nuclear ons too, deter ese expansionism!”

  The st one surprised me, given the rough history our try had with atomibs. Though in this time of trouble, I uand wanting power. Damn, what a mess. If only Nie Ling hadn’t had her power, we could have kept this disaster rgely covered up… I would have to deal with her soon as well as the didate Haru-san had bound to her Throne.

  “Sounds like the Prime Minister is going to have a hard time.” Natsumi remarked as we disembarked.

  “Indeed. Well, it is the price of leadership, to bear responsibility when things go awry. The nobility is no different.”

  “Well, this seems a little unfair, as he’s been doing the best he could.” I sighed. “Well, you go see your parents, I doubt you want to sit in on…”

  “No, I do.” Motoko disagreed. “I am the daughter of Tsumura house. Yes, my brother will i, and take on the military traditions our family has carried for many geions, but I wish to be involved. As a woman, I was never fated for such a role, but… now, I want it. And you will help me get it, will you not?” She leaned her head on my shoulder affeately as she walked, and Natsumi giggled over her ge, as she grasped my free hand warmly.

  “I’m just ied isumura Arts, so I’ll pass. But it’s great to see Motoko revealirue ambitions. Things… they feel different. And I feel happy to see it.”

  “Well, I’m not oo deny you, am I?” I smiled. “If nobody else objects, then I suppose that’s fine. Well, even if they do object, I’ll insist you’re my adjunct or something like that today.”

  “I thank you.” She grinned, flushed, kissing my cheek. Natsumi, not to be outdone, kissed my other, and when I asked her what that was for, she merely shrugged.

  “I just felt like it.”

  “Akiooo, I am feeling rather sad here alooone.” Hyath protested, so I had to give her a quick kiss too, and theopped our banter and flirting, as the time for it had passed. Soon we were shown to the meeting room from before. This time it acked full of people. Everyone from before was there, including Haru-san, who was here without rest after helping with the training on our Territory. Yeah, I o get her some time off soon…

  There was also Takatsukasa-san and Ichijou-san, the heads of the nobility all here for this crisis summit, as well as the leader of the Opposition in the Diet, Kishida-san. Haru’s father was there as well as several other heads of important Ministries. In addition, Motoko’s father Minoru-san was there, as were a couple of soldiers that I reised as other didates within the JSDF, though I hadn’t worked with them much, uh the Major and Lieutenant.

  The st guest was also a surprise. It rincess Mikasa, well, Yukiko-san, as I was calling her now. She was wearing smart casual clothes, not her shrine maiden attire, and her eyes behind the red-framed gsses she wore were equally red. When she saw me, she flinched, before her gaze wandered, as if trying to see something invisible. I get it. I’ll have to sole her ter.

  “Akio-san, so gd you could make it.” The exhausted, beleaguered Prime Minister muttered. “Take a seat, and we’ll get started. What a mess.”

  I pulled out two chairs, and got looks of surprise as Motoko and Hyath sat down beside me. I had te Hyath to sit as usual, but at least she was starting to be more of a wife and less of a servant when it ted, as Shaeu and Eri had expi length to her it made me look bad when she insisted on her role in pany.

  “I’ll be going.” Natsumi smiled slightly, nodding to Motoko’s retives iing. “I want to see my parents, tell them the good news. If I see your mother, Motoko, I’ll… let you talk to her.” With a polite bow she hurried out, shown the way by a secretary.

  “Motoko here is w as my adjunct.” I said quickly, to forestall protest. “She’s keen to be a w woman, and while the nobility does tend to disce that, I’m more than happy to allow it if it makes her happy. Besides, we have some matters to discuss that involve her.”

  Minoru-san was frowning, but Motoko’s grandfather extended us the be of the doubt. “What matters, grandson-in-w?” His expression was kind, and Motoko was turning pink in shame at knowing he knew she had bee a woman in truth.

  “Tsumura Arts. But we will discuss that ter. I see the Prime Minister looking fit to burst over there.” After some muted, nervous ughter, the Prime Mihanked me.

  “Yes, well, we should start. The situation could be worse I suppose. Now the public has had a day to stew and find out more about what happeheir anger is ing to a boil. In Kyoto the situation is rgely tained…” he looked at Saionji-san, who detailed the measures that had been taken. The old Susanoo fa shrines and those close to them had been… taken into protective custody… for now, and their access to the i and phones had been curtailed. The fn tourists who had mao avoid the J-Alert evacuations had been simirly detained prior to this, but had now been moved to very luxurious aodation, which had stilled most protests.

  “Those are just stop-gap measures though.” Abe-san sighed. “Akio-san, I am aware that you have access to a way to enforce tracts.” He looked at Ichijou-san, who had been uhe befuddling winds before so he could attend e pnniing. “I am hoping to make use of that, so that those willing to swear they won’t reveal anything untoward be released, adequately pensated of course.”

  Well, that’s a bit irritating. It seems we are ing up all the messes around here. But it does need doing… Feeling a little irritated, I noticed that Motoko had grasped my hand uhe table, and was giving me a ed smile. I shook off my gloom and o the Prime Minister. “Fine. I’ll get Shaeu on it, but we gather them all together? I’m not kidding when I say I have a ton of demands on my time.”

  “So far, there have been very few mentions of supernatural happenings, other than a few spiracy theorists.” Morita-san, the head of my Ministry, suggested. “I have to thank the Fn Ministry and our diplomatic corps…” she o the heads of those Ministries. “… fetting assistance from Ameri temporarily restrig and s access to the i. I find it ing as a sn Japaizen that a fn power has so much trol over our vital infrastructure…” as Abe-san fli her criticism, Kishida-san smiled broadly, enjoying his disfort. “… which is a matter to be addressed iure, I do believe, but it has certainly dampened down the fires. Though even America will fail to silence all voices.”

  “It’s a question of time. Korea is having terrible trouble with their own problems. They have an i happening as troubling as we do. Several other states worldwide are alsling to keep the popu the dark, and oer, rumours are springing up like mushrooms after the rain.” The Prime Minister pointed out. “So, we o assume that we have little time to prepare before we have to act.”

  “Weeks, not months, like we inally hoped.” Fujiwara-san spoke for us all. “Fortunately we have been proactive. The nobility is united in our will to see the best of Japan remain intact.”

  “Speaking of that…” I interjected. “Now might be a good time. Motoko, if you would?” I asked, and she stood, fag the crowd, her noble poise and grace, trained by the harsh schooling of Hanafubuki, shining through, and she showed no hint of nervousness.

  “I am Tsumura Motoko, proud daughter of Tsumura house, and fiancée of Akio here. I have to report that Tsumura Arts, like Kyūdō, is in fa ability that must not be lost, for it tains power and truth.”

  At that her father looked surprised, while her grandfather looked at me. With a smile, I tapped under my Eye, letting a little glow leak out.

  “Power? Truth?” Takakura-san, ever ed with matters of faith as well as nobility, asked.

  “Yes. My husband, he see what the value of something is with his eyes, and he has determihat Tsumura Arts are the derivation of an a path of martial arts, which will be the foundation of something great again. The nobility…” she turo the Three Grandfathers. “… they wish to protect the best of Japan, and I find this udable, after all, I am a true daughter of nobility, but… residering what is necessary and what is not should be looked at again. We must hrow out tools that aid us.”

  “I’m curious.” Ichijou-san asked me. “I know you have a lot of powers, Akio-kun.” Damn, her grandfather is still as annoyingly forward as Mayumi-san is. Must run in the family. “But are the arts really that special? After all, you managed just fine in Kyoto without them.”

  Motoko’s hand tightened on mine, hidden from view, and I found myself growing increasingly irritated. Taking a deep breath, my Resilience w, I nodded, answering him politely. “I think so. I myself don’t have a style, I’m just… well taught in the fuals. But to go beyond that is a challenge… besides, Tsumura Arts were inally a style from more than fifteen hundred years ago, wheentially wielded elemental powers with ons. I think that had value. I will certainly be trying to learn it.”

  At that, Motoko let out a quiet gasp, squeezing my hand.

  “I see. So it’s as old as that. That’s older than Tsumura house, right?” Ichijou-san grinned, satisfied. “Well, perhaps you are right. We should have an audit with the nobility, the faith… and the Imperial Family.” He Yukiko-san, who responded slowly, obviously only half-listening to the versation. “Who knows how many other teiques of value we have hidden away. Well, you’ll be busy, Akio-kun.”

  Tell me something I don’t know…

  “cve was an effort to do this already.” Saionji-san ughed. “I believe that Akio-san has been making progress on that front too.”

  “Yes.” Haru-san spoke up for me. “We have gathered a list of many bloodlines and their abilities. Most are pretty useless, but sidering the potential frowth now, we might be able to make something useful of them with Chirurgery. Some might even be suitable to carry Divine Favours.”

  “Increasing our number of known and loyal Chosen should be our top priority.” Morita-san decred. “This i proved that. I ask you a question, Saionji-san?”

  “By all means.” He agreed.

  “If Oshiro-san here wasn’t present, how would the situation have been for Kyoto?”

  He g the sleeping, drooling Akai behind him, thinking a little before answering. “Not good. We’d certainly have lost all of southern aern Kyoto, and the defenders killed there to a man, and to a kami. I… don’t think I have the fideo say I could have defended my owory, even with Akai here. I believe I could have escaped, but I would have abandoned my foothold there. No… likely all of Spiritual Kyoto would have been lost. I am a match for any one of them, I believe, but outnumbered so…”

  “With the Boundary lost there, then Nie Ling could have tio pull in citizens and we wouldn’t have been able to stop her.” I mused. “The death toll would be ruinous, and Kyoto would be a nightmare ghost town, nowhere safe.” Their pn actually wasn’t too bad. That e bastard would have been able to feed non-stop on kami and the citizenry, and anyoo try and take back Kyoto could likely have found eerritories bei up there… we could have lost it, definitely…

  “War going forwards is going to be very different. This is why we roories c all of Japan. Even the barren mountains and forests. We don’t want enemies getting a foothold within the wilderness.” Abe-san mused.

  “I had sidered your report on the pn to solidate resources, even these non-material ones, into Oshiro-san here a dangerous act of wilful misuse of power and authority.” Kishida-san mused. “I repared to oppose it, but on hearing what could so easily have happened… I don’t think there’s any more time to dey. Now, while the public is distracted by a, we should bring on board the remaining members of the Diet, and pass all the legistion we’ve drafted for the new Ministry of Spiritual Affairs.”

  “All the newly briefed elected Members should be watched carefully. Fujiwara security services keep an eye on them.” Fujiwara-san decred sternly. “It is for their safety iroubled times, of course. We have no wish for a fool stirred up by the events of the weekend to take it into their heads to attack our politis.”

  “And of course, the real reason is, to be able to monitor their phone, i usage and who they meet, to prevent leaks, right?” Ichijou-san ughed heartily. “As shrewd as ever, Shige.”

  “So, what do we do about the protests and the civil u?” one minister asked, one whose name I didn’t know. “That firebombing was a bck mark on us as a nation. The restaurant wasn’t even owned by a ese national, it was a Western Asian immigrant. I’ve also heard reports of anti-fner se on the rise, even against those who aren’t ese, such as Europeans.”

  “Well, the protests are a good outlet for their passion, even if it’s pying havoc with my ces of re-ele.” Abe-san ughed bitterly. “All we do is let them burn themselves out. The criminality though, that has to stop. But the police are stretched. We could draft in some soldiers as temporary support. I think that you wouldn’t instruct your Party to block that motiht Kishida-san?”

  “Not this time.” He agreed, but their pns were stymied by Minoru-san, who raised an obje.

  “We have more important matters to discuss first! The performance of our Special Forces in Kyoto demonstrated that Chirurgery is required for a soldier to be effective in modern warfare. The remaining Special Forces are waiting on standby, ready for Chirurgery, so I would ask you do it as soon as possible, son-in-w. In additios from your training school indicate further steps in the process, such as learning elemental powers. I admit, I find it hard to grasp just what those are, but it’s clear that our soldiers hat power! And not just our Special Forces, the Rangers, our officers, Fighter Pilots…”

  Yes, just as I expected. I mean, I get it, from a Japanese Gover standpoint, that’s defihe best solution, but… It wasn’t just me who was a little frustrated. Motoko was gring at her father, which surprised him.

  “Look, I uand the bes of strengthening the soldiers, and I do io finish my agreed-on Chirurgery on the Special Forces, just like I healed the injured. But as foing further, or more…” I shook my head. “Right now I want to trate on improving my own allies. This battle in Kyoto was a lesson to me as well. I don’t just need more power, I then those with me too. If I had more allies as strong as Shaeu, then perhaps Tsukiko-san’s death could have beeed.”

  Yukiko-san stifled a gasp at that, biting her lip, and I smiled at her reassuringly, deg to say a few words to calm her. After all, Tsukiko-san was thinking of her in the end. I’ll speak to her more ter. “Rest assured, Tsukiko-san was brave, and remairue to herself until the end. And you will see her again, Yukiko-san.”

  “You promise?” she asked quietly, and I nodded.

  “Of course I do. I’m many things, but no liar.”

  “I’ll trust you then, Akio-san. I know Tsukiko trusted you too. To the very end.”

  “If we could get ba topic…?” Minoru-san said. “I get that you are busy, son-in-w, but the needs of the try should be the first duty of any good citizen. Besides, the Ministry is going to provide you generous support so the least you do is aid us iurn. We offer the same rate as before as payment.”

  You meae that probably wouldn’t add up to the money I got from one healing of an injured patron Hinata brought in, even if I did the whole military? It was frustrating. Sure, I did want to help my try, and I was always happy to provide a quick win-win, but this was going too far. Motoko obviously thought so too, as her grip on my hand was tightening, and I had to grab Hyath with my other hand, as she was trembling with suppressed annoyance.

  “There are other unfinished matters as well.” Takatsukasa-san spoke up for the first time. We had a plicated retionship, as I was marrying his granddaughter who had been born outside Takatsukasa house, and he had also been healed by me from a rather grave illness. “I do appreciate your aid with the children of the Three Great Houses, but there is still much to do. As a pilr that supports the try, the nobility too should be prioritised for enha. Our childrehe future leaders of Japan, powerful in business and influehey should be protected and cherished.”

  Well, I suppose I didn’t mind doing the previous noble children. Honoka-san is Miyu’s sister, so I want to get on with her like I do Miyu, and Fujiwara-san has been good to me. Sakura-san is Hinata’s cousin, as was Minoru-san, and the others… well, it was fine. Annoying, but fine. I want Hinata to get along well with her peers and she wants it too, so a bit of annoyance is nothing, but… I was beginning to think perhaps I was going about things the wrong way.

  “I’m sure they are important.” I agreed. “But I ’t prioritise them right now. There’s too much going on, look around.” I poio the ss in the desktop, which was dispying footage from outside, where people were shouting and waving pcards.

  “All the more reason.” Ichijou-san piped up. “You o shore up your support with the nobility if yoing to get ahead, Akio-kun.”

  “Really? I’m marrying into nobility already. Hinata is Takatsukasa-san’s granddaughter, and I’m sure there was an agreement to treat her as a full member of Takatsukasa house, right? I should think my position is secure. Besides, I have that deal with your house too, Ichijou-san.” I said, fed-up.

  “Well, that’s true.” He ceded. “But you ’t have too many friends, where the power lies.”

  “I think we should take a break.” Abe-san said. “We are straying from the issues. We are in agreement we move forward with the legistion pn?” he sed the room. “No objes then. All the previously discussed ws will be passed, while this mess distracts the wider public.” He smirked at me. “That’ll be handy for yht now. Anyway, we’ll revene in two hours, after we’ve had time to take care of business.”

  “Fine. e on Motoko, let’s go.” She gave me a worried gnce, sensing my irritated mood, but agreed, followi, Hyath behind us, her own mood rather foul.

  ********

  “And you’re all done.” I spped the shoulder of the st Special Forces soldier, Chirurgery pleted at a rapid pace. I had great experienow, and with my Chirurgery having crossed the sed wall, and my work currently an order of magnitude more effit than previously under Shiro’s buffs, I was able to use Split Thoughts to grind through three or four at once. “I think that’s all of them, right?” I asked, and the didate who was overseeing the Chirurgery looked down at his ma.

  “ting the ones you’ve done before, this cludes the roster of the Tokushusakusengun. I thought it would take far longer.” He observed, having some uanding of aether.

  “Yeah, I thought so too, but practice really does make perfect. Even so, f it that way drains me far faster.” Without the better work, I’d have ran dry several times. I did have to borrow some from the Territory stocks too, but I just wahis damn projepleted…

  “Looks like I still have a little while left.” Cheg my watch, I still had a bit over twenty minutes until we revened. Just time to see Motoko and Natsumi’s parents…

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