Arangbō reached out, grasping a massive, thick wooden staff, both ends tipped with bed metal that was covered in small bumps. It resembled a giant version of Fungbō’s staff, except there were ns attached. This one looked crude and brutal, a pure on, rather tha. On seeing my gaze, Arangbō ughed.

  “This staff of mine has crushed many skulls over the long years, many enemies of mount Atago and Great Tarōbō. Fear not, I have no iion of killing you. But as the Spri, he who carries the will of Seiryū, I hardly let you triumph without a fight. Besides…” I could tell he was grinnih his mask, his eyes narrowed with amusement as he looked at Haanōbō, who was c herself with her hair, even now there was no need. “… as a brother, how I let you steal away my sister without seeing what kind of man you truly are?”

  “Okay, that line was kind of cool.” Kana giggled. “The worst thing is, I see you sayily the same to whoever asks out Aiko-. You’d like to crush his skull too, I bet! Maybe the two of you are more alike than you thought?”

  “Any husband for Aiko must be a warrior.” Motoko said stoutly. “She is like us, she loves her bow. Her Kyūdō is quite beautiful. To waste that on a man who has no skills, no bravery… even if Akio allowed it, I surely would not! I am her family too.”

  “That’s bold…” Kana giggled, and as Natsumi joined in, I frowned. I met Haru-san’s eyes, and she merely smiled, shrugging, as if to say it couldn’t be helped. True. I suppose I should be thankful that everybody is getting along, and my sis having more close friends and sisters is a good thing. She’ll be in Tokyo soon with the rest of my family… that’ll be iing, if a bit nerve-wrag…

  “I’m not pnning on taking her away. I see that the situation was unusual…” I began, and Haanōbō squawked out a few annoyed words.

  “I keep telling everyone, a mistake is being made here…”

  Arangbō ignored his sister, booming a ugh, swinging his staff. “Yes, your intervention has been ued. But I feel the prig of Fate at work. The fme must not fall, we have guarded mount Atago too long to let it be corrupted. So we shall accept your aid. That es above our pride. Pride is for the strong.” He looked at his brothers, a mog sneer in is voice. “Not for those who have drowned in the mud.”

  Fungbō growled at that, but said nothing, merely staring at me hatefully. He’ll get over it. If he doesn’t, I’m more than happy to beat the anger out of him again…

  “Like I said before, me winning doesn’t mean they are weak. I’m simply strong. As you’ll find out.” I took a Tsumura Arts stance, my tre of baurdy yet flexible. We weren’t using the prepared arena, sihis was a battle to showcase all bō’s strength. Seeing me readying myself, he chortled happily.

  “Yes, you are. But defeat is still defeat. Let your tears over your oppo being stronger bring back the dead lost to weakness. they? Excuses never wash out blood.”

  At his harsh words, I g the spirit-light of Tsukiko-san. It was getting brighter hour by hour, si no longer had to share the flow with Ginneka. The dull light of Kinneka was also orbiting me, but it was only receiving a trickle until I had bound Ginneka with my Throo be safe. And work out how to bloy voyeurism. “No, you’re right. I apologise.” I o him, surprising the massive Tengu. “I’ve lost those I should have been strong enough to protect. But… even so, it doesn’t ge the fact that there is always a new limit, a sky beyond the sky, as Daiyu might say.” She that, and I tinued. “Even i, I believe that the hard work that went int to avert it matters. And I hope…” I remembered Mine-san, the dead traihose killed in Kyoto when Nie Ling pulled them into the Boundary and more… “…that the dead find peaowing we did our best.”

  “I see.” Arangbō rumbled. “That is your philosophy, is it? Well then…” he swung his huge staff effortlessly, whistling through the air menagly. “… we shall see whether my strength overe yours. Are you not drawing your sword?” he asked me, eyeing it on my back, and I shrugged.

  “I hope not to . It’s a tool for killing, and this isn’t a battle, but a duel.”

  “I see. Bold words. But I agree. I shall only break a few bones.” Arangbō said happily. He turo his father. “Great Tarōbō, I, the Spri of your Four Dires, and oldest surviving child… I will prove that I am worthy to lead!”

  Tarōbō looked at him, his yellow robes covered in ruby letters and sigils a match to the crimson mask he wore that was chased with gold. The jewel shining iaff of Muted Desires flickered a little, giving off rays of brilliant light, illuminating him, and all eyes were on him. “Very well, my son…” he said solemnly. “Csh your wills and strengths, prove whose ideals burn the brightest. Begin!”

  Even as the word left the Tengu’s mouth, Arangbō was rushing at me, wings propelling him forwards. He was fast, but not possessing my more batributes, so I could easily react. I dodged the sweep of his staff, which bsted a crater in the ground, sh the onlookers with dirt and debris. He grunted, whipping his staff around surprisingly gracefully, and I blocked the blow, arms crossed, wanting to test his strength. The impact jolted my body, and my bones creaked, but I held my ground, surprising him. Not bad. A bit weaker than Grulgor, on a par strength-wise with Ulfuric. But… he doesn’t have Ulfuric’s impeccable skills…

  Seeing my grin, Arangbō let out a ugh. “Not bad. But I am just getting started!” A flurry of blows from his staff came at me from all angles, and even though I was several times faster than him, it was impossible to dodge them all. My hands, remembering the earlier training I had done in martial arts from YouTube videos, coupled with Tsumura Arts, formed open palms, defleg most of the thrusts and swings. Those that I couldn’t deflect I took on areas of my body that were the least vital, aher Healing quickly took care of those modest injuries.

  “You are strong… but strength alone won’t do.” I caught his staff, impact stinging my palms, and he grurying to pull it free. I let Body Enha surge, and suddenly he was uo keep his grip oaff, despite his strength. As I tore it free, he leapt backwards, wings spreading, a out a cry.

  “Seiryū, Lord Of Spring, Master Of Wood…” he cut his t short as I hurled the staff at him like a javelin. He caught it, though he was uo arrest the momentum and one of the metal ends smmed into his shoulder, numbing his wing, and he dropped to earth. “Saikou Aokigahara!”

  Greatest sea of trees, huh? The ground around us burst into life, great bark-covered vines ripping free in their dozens, verging on me in a scattering of brown energies. My thoughts were running fast, and I felt a little dizzy, as in the moment I was also just leaving a te-night meeting with Hinata, and the diy in pces and temporal flows was jarring.

  “I am not the most skilled with the use of the elements.” Arangbō admitted, as the vines surged towards me like a tidal wave of wood and greenery. “But when it es to sheer power…”

  “Power is good…” I agreed, my own surge of Wood element responding. Vines sprouted, grabbing and snaring some of the iniacles, slowing them, but it was insuffit to halt the attack.

  “You have it too? Iing. Fire, wih, now this… but you are too weak!” Arangbō crowed.

  “True.” He looked surprised as all of the vines around me fell, sliced apart, and St Moonlight was gleaming in my hands, wind and lightning wreathing the bde. “I o practise it more. But if Hyath was here, she’d show you what Wood element really do…”

  “Impressive.” Bell muttered, as the girls were cheering me on happily. “Your movements are certainly fast, no doubt about that.”

  “So, you drew your sword…” Arangbō flourished his staff. More vines rolled down towards me, blotting out the skies and the crowds, only for them to fall apart, a cage of wind threads arouting through them like a buzzsaw.

  “Yes, though I have other ways to cut. But I’m trying to practice. Round two then?” I cracked my neck, ag cool because I was trying to show the Tengu I was worth an alliance. And I suppose I do want to show off in front of the girls…

  “Why not?” Arangbō ughed, and his staff met my sword, the impact making him take a step back. Flustered, not used to being outmatched in terms of muscle, he swung again. I see. I parried, and swept my bde down. Blood bloomed, and his right arm was suddenly useless.

  “A Tsumura Arts ter… did you see that Motoko?” Natsumi giggled happily, and Motoko nodded, also excited.

  “Yes, and so beautifully dooo!” she praised. Daiyu, also watg, added her own insights.

  “It is not merely just swordpy. It is simir to how a Sword Cultivator would use their whole body and Qi to strike. Perhaps your arts hold more secrets than I expected…”

  “That badgerkin Ulfuric would likely pin about the sloppiness of the footwork, it still be greatly improved. Bad habits raining out, and with greater speed and strength, the easier it is to just let them slide until they are too deeply ingraio shift. But I am impressed anew…” Bell giggled.

  Even as the audience chattered amongst themselves, Arangbō was not defeated. Wood element surged, and viwisted around his wounded arm, f it bato use. With an aggrieved snort, he brandished his staff, charging anew, a rain of long barbed thoring from behind him and firing at me like a hail of bullets. Verdant wind energy fred from me, defleg the thorns, and my sword cshed with his staff, only for me to duside his defences as he staggered, the ft edge of my bde smming into his ribs. I then punched him in the head, shattering the nose of his mask, and he shook his head, momentarily dazed.

  “Careful, you fool!” Shungbō shouted, and the words seemed to snap him out of his daze. With a grunt he swept backwards, wings opening, and soon he was in the air above me, looking down, his mask a wreck.

  “I see I uimated you. Maybe I am just as foolish as the others. In that respect, only Haanōbō has some excuse.” He her, and she dipped her wings, puzzled. “But no more.” I could see his mouth uhe shattered mask, and though it was rgely hidden by a thick beard, I could see it twitto a grin. “I saw y down Fungbō despite him being in the sky, so I shall not be pt. But… try it if you !” he roared, exultant. Vines burst from the ground, and I called on fme element, burning them as they swung at me. I vanished in a spray of purple spatial element, and Arangbō rolled, dodging my sudden sword stroke as he anticipated my moves. He grinned, fpping his wings as he glided back, and his staff suddenly elongated, flying at me, the metal head surrounded by a halo of wooden spikes.

  “Are you a damn monkey now?” I pined, vanishing again. My Void Motion drained a signifit amount of my spatial element, so I couldn’t keep it up for long, which I suspected Arangbō was banking on. Time to set up my finishing blow then… I was enjoying myself, inally I started the duels to soothe my s Haanōbō’s treatment, but Arangbō, having seen my strength, was no loreating her badly, so now it was a duel with lesser yet still important stakes. Wind element surged from me, as well as some earth element, which was far harder to trol at this altitude. Haanōbō looked up as her feathers rustled in the sudden breeze. Perhaps she remembers…

  “How long you keep this up?” Arangbō ughed, flying higher. I teleported, and as I emerged I hurled some water bullets at him. He spun his staff, defleg them, though he did take some painful hits, blood scattering, but he was rather durable too, ign the falling droplets and scattered feathers. For around a minute we tio csh, and I came out better in each collision, Arangbō starting to look rather ragged, but as I nded on the ground, he was high above me, staff poised.

  “I am of the sky, you are of the ground.” He called. “I mean no offehat is simply the differeween us. You may ehe sky, touch it, but you will never and it. Now, you do nothing to me, so I suggest you cede.” He held his staff and elled wood element, the heavy rod growing until it was the size of a tree-trunk, a veritable battering ram.

  You think? Just as I thought that, a smile f on my face, Haanōbō sighed. “Brother, look up.” she called, and as Arangbō ed his neck, his eyes wide the swirling mass of wind element shining emerald above him. He barely had time to move before it smmed down on him, driving him down towards the ground. R, he used his staff to block the worst, flecks of wood shaving off iorm of boiling winds, and as he beat his wings frantically, managing to stabilise himself a dozeres overhead, I spoke.

  “Jupiter Desding…” I raised my hand, and the aether ah element I had been deploying was released, and from behind the jade torrent, hidden from view, a jured boulder dropped. “… Io Falls!”

  Arangbō, already off-bance from the wind, raised his staff, and it extended, smming into the rock, shattering it with great effort. As he elted with debris, he grinned. “You will need harder fists than that little pebble to stop me…”

  “Oh will I?” Void Motion surged, and this time my puruck the base of his wings, numbing them. He yelped, smming into the ground and I nded beside him, sword drawn, bared bde at his throat. “My fists hit plenty hard, trust me.” When it isn’t Grulgor as the projectile, Io Falls cks impact, I admit it…

  Arangbō looked up, but feeling the sting of etal on his neck, he waved a hand in surrender. “It seems so. I ache. But it was a good battle…”

  “I thought defeat was never acceptable?” I said meanly, and he barked a ugh.

  “Throwing my own words back at me? It seems you have proved a point. I surrender.”

  As he did so, Fungbō shouted out a curse. “Useless! You mocked me, and now you grub in the dirt just as I did!” he spat some stickly phlegm on the earth, disgruntled.

  “Hardly like you did. You did not just grub in the mud, you bathed in it, my brother.” Arangbō scoffed as he staggered to his feet. “I merely tasted it.”

  I didn’t see the o trample bō like the others, I had made my point, so as he rose, I stepped aside as he waved his wings, face twisted under his broken mask at the paiill felt. “Great Tarōbō, I fear all of your children have beeed. I would dread it was an ill omen, but…” he looked at the yellow-cd Tengu ruler, who nodded. Smming his staff on the ground again, he spoke grandly.

  “The challenges are cluded. Our champions are known. But these trials have beely tiring, so before you brave the rifts, rejoice. There will be more feasting and celebrations, libations to the sacred fme!” As the Tengu around us cheered, I exged a gh Haru-san, who giggled softly, amused. Yeah, more feasting… these Tengu sure do like to eat and drink…

  That thought left my mind, wheuro Haanōbō, his voice softening. “Daughter. Haanōbō of the Winter North, she who praises Genbu… go to him. Your brothers lie defeated, and as promised, you are now his.” he paused. “It seems you chose, so I wish you happiness.”

  Huh, what? Haanōbō seemed as fused as me, and more frustrated, as her wings fpped angrily, and she called out loudly. “I keep telling everyone I am being misuood! I am a Tengu of mount Atago, and one of the Four Dires, I have no wish to leave!”

  “But you showed him your bare face, sister.” Arangbō said, puzzled. “Why else would you carry such shame, unless you thought he was one you would share all with?”

  “Are you an idiot? No, I know you are…” she cried, frustrated. “I was already shamed beyond all reason. The three of you, rather, the other Tengu, all were looking at me as if I was a worthless woman, the sky deo me. I felt that no further shame could worsen the feeling in my heart. It was not… not… not that!” her little exposed skin was flushed, and I fancied even her white feathers were lightly pink, though that might have been a trick of the light. “He was kind to me, despite crushing my dignity, so… it was cathartic!”

  “I see.” Tarōbō paused. “But it is too te. To the victor, the spoils.” He looked at his crystal, glowing brilliantly. “Were I to break faith, most of this power would be wasted. We for our battle ahead. Besides, it is far from unusual for a man to battle brothers and fathers to steal a bride. And battle he did… at least you know he is a strong man, daughter. Not a Tengu, but powerful. If he was a mere human, I would never allow it, but he seems to be a kami like Shōtoku, though I have never heard of him. A new one, perhaps…”

  “He was a human until retly.” The Prince spoke up. “But now he is a spiritual being, with a lifespan equal to any, I am sure. There will be no sad tale of bitter partings due to age.”

  I thought you were supp Tsukiko-san, you traitor? “You’re not helping.” I hissed at the Prince, while Kana was ughing loudly, muttering that Eri was going to be furious. Turning to Tarōbō, I spoke courteously. “I too think there’s been a misuanding. Yes, I challeo win Haanōbō, but only as a sister. And taking her as a sister doesn’t take away her existing brothers.” I eyed them, and Fungbō looked away, still raging when our eyes met. “I merely wao stop her unfair treatment. Now you all see she did no worse than any of you… there’s no need for more, and even if there was, I wouldn’t take her from her home. When we clude our alliahen my Territory is literally a stohrow from here.”

  “Nonsense.” Arangbō ughed, vines having bound his injuries, f his numb wings to work. “Who uhe Gods would fight so hard just for that? I see why you might be taken with little Haanōbō, she is talented, and you saw her fad said she was… ah yes, cute. Even if we dismissed that in er and shame that outsiders set foot on our mountain for the first time in a thousand years or more, we would be derided as cowards. Do not be shy…” he cpped me on the back. “We should toast to your union! You seek alliance, what better way than tradition, a binding of family?”

  “There is no way you say yes to that, and then refuse us.” Bell giggled, also not helping. “Back me up here, my pupils. You would be delighted if I joined your family, would you not? We could train together more, and I would smooth your path into the Way-Wardens as the first human members…”

  “That does sound good.” Motoko agreed. “I never dreamed I could be a professional warrior, though the thought appeals. But we must grow stronger first.”

  “That’s right!” Natsumi agreed. “If we aren’t, we’ll just make Akio worry. He won’t stop us following our dreams like a noble son would, but he’ll always think of us. It’s our duty as noble wives, taking the best of it, to make sure that he doesn’t feel bad, or have s about us and our safety and loyalty.”

  “They’re a bit crazy, aren’t they Daiyu?” Kana was saying to her. “Me, I doly welore petition, but it’s hardly fair for me to say no, since I was st in. I may be many things, but I’m not that much of a hypocrite. I suppose there is one silver lining though.”

  “Oh?” Daiyu asked, a bit puzzled by the situation.

  “At least Akio split himself in two. That means even adding another few, we’ll still be able to spend as much time with him as before, maybe even a bit more.” she giggled. “I’m not tellihough, someone else do that…”

  I listeo the girls talk nonsense, holding in a sigh. “Look, Haanōbō, you don’t want it, I wasn’t looking for it. I uand. I came in, humiliated you…”

  “I hardly hate you.” she said. “You are a strong warrior, and you humbled my brothers when they looked down on me. And if you aid Great Tarōbō in sing the fme, our charge… I would be grateful. But everyone misuands us… this is not a story of great love from nothing.”

  “Isn’t it? It sounds pretty romantie.” Haru-san said, surprising me. She’s the st person I’d expect to think about the romance of a situation. “It was a very fateful first meeting, wasn’t it?”

  “I fess that is true.” Haanōbō nodded.

  “But life isn’t a romantiedy, even if your life seems like it sometimes, Akio-kun.” she giggled. “Haanōbō, I uand. But… you don’t hate him, it sounds like, or hold a grudge.

  The Tengu shook her head, violet hair floating. “No. Another intruder who I failed to defeat could easily have killed me, sin many Tengu, despoiled the mountain… instead you offer aid…” she paused. “Even if you do have your own motives. I have no hatred towards you.”

  “Then the answer is simple. Just do what Akiinally pnned. Be his adopted sister. He’s a sis through and through, so he’d always be good to you. And he’s right. You stay on the mountain. Sometimes we might request your assistance, but… family help each other, right?” she looked at me and winked slyly, and I suddenly heard her thoughts.

  It’s cute seeing you flustered. But really, the Tengu are right. Who would go to all this effort to gain a sister? It’s natural they think you had other motives. I would have thought so too, if I didn’t know better. But leave it to me, I know you want this alliance so we access the fme element, I’ll steer things the right way.

  “If both Haanōbō and Akio-kun say so, we should at least pretend to believe them.” Haru-san said professionally. “It doesn’t make a difference, does it? Besides, we have a more pressing matter.” She looked meaningfully at the fme burning iemple, and Tarōbō smmed down his staff.

  “It seems so. I have no great uanding of what s you outsiders have, but I believe you said you do not denigrate our s, so we should respect yours. Haanōbō…” at her name being called, she twitched her wings.

  “Yes, Great Tarōbō?”

  “You shall be the liaison for uests. See to your brother…” Arangbō ughed at that, while Fungbō looked murderous, and Shungbō merely seemed resigned, by the set of his wings. “… and his needs. Serve him well. Yet never fet your honour as the Winter North.”

  “I uand…” she bowed low, before turning to me. “Brother…” the word crept from her lips, with a little resignation. “… we should rest. Your strength must have beeed by your battles. I would not have you perish ihe rifts due to exhaustion.”

  “See that? He smiled when she said brother!” Kana ughed. “Aiko- is going to be mad too!”

  Ign her, I turo Motoko and Natsumi. “It looks like you’ll be missing some school. Is that fine?” I asked, and they said that their parents and the Three Grandfathers had said they could prioritise our tasks. I see. Hopefully we it up before too much time passes oerial, but… judging by the attitudes of the Tengu, this was no simple little dungeon…

  ********

  “I’m jealous, you know.” Hinata was saying, snuggled into my embra the back of the car. “Motoko and Natsumi are venturing into su exg pce with you.”

  “It’s not a date. It’ll be dangerous.” I chided, and she merely grinned, her usual teasing smile.

  “You’ll protect them, I know that. But… I have my own role.,” she gri the dots aop. “We get started as soon as the paperwork is filed for Nie Ling to be released into your custody, and that cat is able to enter our world. The Ministry is slowly dug tests oher depletion and exposure, but ideally if you squeeze in some upgrades to the e buildings soohan ter… we ’t be having our workers fall ill…” as she brainstormed, I grinned, ruffling her hair, and I kissed her forehead softly. She blushed, brown eyes moist.

  “Are Motoko and Natsumi showing you affe? They are quite shy.” She said, and I nodded.

  “That’s good.” She nodded. “Us noble daughters are bad at that, and the more he worse we are. I think that’s the sweetest ge of all. We love, just as our brothers do. Though Hiroto loves too easily.” She snorted. “I hear he’s had another fling at Uy. It’s only natural, he’s had the Chirurgery, and he’s rich. And like me, he has a good appearance.”

  “A great appearance, if it’s like yours.” I teased, enjoying her shy yet excited rea.

  “Oh you. Anyway…” her smile turned mischievous. “If Motoko and Natsumi aren’t going home tonight, theher am I. It’s a good time to get some things done.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, you’re younger…” I began, but she cut me off.

  “Yes, but I’m old enough, and your fiancée. Besides, I’ll be spending half the week living with you as soon as the st details of the e are finished. What will one night matter? I’ll tact father and grandfather. I want to talk to some of the girls.”

  “If you’re sure. I guess I don’t mind.”

  “Good.” She giggled. “I’d hate to think you didn’t want to spend time with me. Although…” she narrowed her eyes. “You should spend the night with Eri. She’s been through a lot. And I o go to the Boundary, and you’re already there.”

  The Boundary, huh? “So what are you pnning?” I asked, curious, and her smile iurn was cute and sly.

  “Something important. Don’t worry, as always I’m looking after your is, just like I always do. But… it’s exg. I hardly wait…” As she giggled to herself, I shook my head. Spending some time with Eri isn’t a bad thing, I’m delighted she’s healed, but… it does make me wonder why Hinata said that… At the same time, I was ughing and joking with my party on mount Atago, Haanōbō silently p me a cup of sake. Oh well, I trust Hinata. She’ll tell me when I o know…

  ShipTeaser