On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

“Well, this is a little awkward, isn’t it?” Hayato-san said, his expression wry. I found it strange thinking of Akio’s friends by their first names, especially since they were older, but they said they didn’t mind, and were so relaxed with Akio and therefore us, they only introduced themselves by their first names so I had no choice. I wonder if that’s because of Shiro? She seems to have a very… quirky… way of speaking, never using normal honorifics or polite speech. Maybe it has rubbed off on them?

“No kidding.” Yasu-san agreed. He was quite drunk, but he was still drinking more. Sneaking a glance at Aiko, I could see she was as well. I don’t really enjoy alcohol that much. But as an adult I guess I’ll need to get used to it. “Fancy Akio-kun and Shiro dashing off like that. Battle, war… it’s crazy.” He finished, taking another gulp of wine.

“Hey, you might want to be careful about what you say.” Aiko spoke up, her expression irritated. I knew she was upset about not getting to go with Akio, but also relieved. I understood that well. “Takagi-chan here is looking shaken. You’re her cousin, right? Step up! My bro wouldn’t let a girl he knows tremble in fear like that.”

“I’m… I’m fine.” Takagi-san said stoutly, trying to control her fears. The other shy girl, Kikuchi-san, was holding her hand, trying to reassure her, and I remembered the times in the past when Aiko had done that for me. But those days are long gone. I clenched the arm I was able to control, hating that my body wouldn’t respond to my will.

“It’s just… I never was involved in the mess at Kyoto, I was watching Red and White…”

“Red and White, huh? The idols? Cool…” Shugo-san managed quietly.

“… but when people I knew died, so horribly, when that girl was blinded, when poor Keomi-chan was hurt…”

The young-looking Keomi-san shuddered at that, before plastering a bright, idiotic smile on her face, but I knew enough about fake smiles to know how false it was. The scars from Kyoto were still fresh, and now Akio, Shaeula and the others were confronting that open wound again… gritting my teeth, I listened.

“… well, it just brings it back to me.”

“Cheer up, Hisano-chan.” Yasu-san finally stepped up. “Whatever happens… you’re safe here, right? Everything will be all right. Listen to me, your cousin!” he drunkenly punched his own chest, proudly. “If Akio-kun tries to get you wrapped up in any danger again, I’ll slug him good!”

“Like you could.” She shot back, but her smile was warmer. “Don’t be a fool, cousin. Oshiro-san could break you into pieces with just one hand.”

“Yeah, my bro is badass. Shaeula too!” Aiko insisted, and Hinata was nodding her agreement, Motoko and Natsumi as well. “They’ve fought and beaten many powerful foes. They faced down the Night Parade for Eri, the damn Night Parade!” she sighed. “I don’t know that much about how strong Shiro is, but with my bro and Shaeula, Hyacinth too, she’ll be fine. I don’t worry about that… what I worry about is… shit.” She cursed in an unladylike manner. “Why do these bastards have to come and mess things up? My bro’s got a tender heart. If he has to fight and kill other people, he’ll take it really hard.”

“Yes, I can see that.” Hina-san, the quiet-looking girl who was apparently Hayato-san’s fiancée, said softly. She was a quiet one, a little like I used to be, but I could tell she watched and observed carefully before speaking her mind. “So, why did you want to go as well?” she asked Aiko and me, her eyes serious behind her cute glasses. “After all, if you know how hard it is to take a life, why would you want to put yourself in a position where that is a necessity? This isn’t a game, is it? Isn’t Eri-san here already grievously hurt from last time?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Aiko spat, annoyed. Careful, Aiko. These are Akio’s precious friends. We can’t be too rude with them. Not that I didn’t understand her annoyance. Being questioned over something so stupid was definitely annoying.

“Why do you think I wanted to be strong? Just because it’s cool? Do you think I’m so shallow?” Aiko continued, all eyes on her. “No, my bro has always protected me, looked out for me. Eri too. Now he’s looking out for you girls, isn’t he?” she addressed Akio’s other fiancées, who agreed. “But who will look out for my bro? I hate being powerless.” She sighed. “Back in Nishimorioka, Eri and I, we just took from my bro. I mean, we tried to give back, but you know what a pain my bro can be…” she sighed, exasperated.

“He can be that, all right.” Yasu-san muttered.

“Well, then Shaeula came into our lives, and told us the truth bro was trying to hide, to protect us again. He was trying to carry it all alone, just like always!” she clenched her fists, face pale. “The idiot was doing it all again! Fortunately there was Shaeula to help carry it with him. I’m glad she’s there. And now there’s Hyacinth too, and others as well. But bro never learns does he, Eri?”

“Well, he does. But maybe you mean he’ll never change his core, no matter how many girls he loves, how much wealth and power he has, or even if he has to fight demons and gods.” I chuckled rustily, my heart aching a little. I’m scared. I got torn apart, I almost died. I don’t want to fight again. But I’m more scared of sitting here, waiting for Akio to return. I do trust him, and believe in him, but… if he dies where I can’t see him… why am I even still alive?

“That’s my point! And once more, he’s carrying the burden again!” she snapped. “I get it. Matsumuro-san is basically the sort of woman my bro goes all googly-eyed over. Really, I almost wish he’d go for a normal girl without any troubles for once…” she paused. “… well, maybe it’s best he doesn’t. If he starts hitting on normal girls, he’ll have a hundred in his harem before the year is out.”

“Yes, I don’t object to others joining us.” Hinata giggled. “It’s inevitable. But they have to be the right sort of woman, with things to offer. Just being pretty and nice isn’t good enough. After all, we’re disgustingly cute, right?”

The mood lightened a little by that well-timed quip, I nodded, and Aiko continued.

“I get it. I hate it, but I’m not stupid. Hey, no laughing you pair!” she scowled at Rika-san and Yae-san, who reacted to that. “My bro… there’s no one better for this. But even so… Eri and I, we want to help. Death is frightening, I want to live a long happy life, I don’t want to die. But not being there when my bro is in danger, despite all the times I’ve promised myself I’d do better, I’d be there for him next time… that’s worse.” She finished with a bitter pout, and Hina-san smiled gently.

“I see. You are definitely Akio-san’s sister.” She agreed. “As much as he’s very fond of you, you’re equally in love with him, right Aiko-san?”

“Love? Well… of course I love my bro. But I do get tired of the jokes. Shaeula’s really annoying in that regard.” Aiko pouted. “But of course we love our family. That’s family, right? Don’t you like Takagi-san, Yasu-san?”

“Of course I like Hisano-chan. Though she could definitely do with being nicer and cuter…” he began, only for Aiko to throw an empty glass at him, causing him to squawk in panic.

“Damn, you make my bro look good with women. Never say things like that, even if it’s true. Girls hate that shit.”

“He’s right.” Aimi-san said, speaking up. She had been withdrawn since Shiro left, and I wondered what was on her mind. “The best way to say that would have been of course I like my cute cousin, but I wish we were closer…” she finished.

“True. Well, Eri and I, we know we need to be stronger. Strength is everything now. And I thank my bro for giving me the chance. But… well, damn it all. Next time I’ll be there, and I’ll be strong enough so nobody can stop me! Right Eri?”

I nodded. “Yes. Bintara has given me exercises to do, strengthening my control over my Astral body. I’ll fix myself soon enough. And then…”

“You two are pretty brave, aren’t you?” Hina-san said, surprised.

“Hardly. It’s fear of losing what we care about. That’s more real to us than anything.” I shook my head.

“Well, I’m surprised and pleased you talked to us about this.” Hayato-san shot us a welcoming grin, and I idly imagined that yes, he would be very popular with girls. Not that I cared. “After all, it must be hard sharing such feelings and personal secrets with older people you don’t know that well, especially guys.”

“Well, you’re the friends of my bro we’ve never met.” Aiko shrugged. “If bro cherishes you, well, we need to get on as well, right?”

“Right.” Hinata spoke up. “After all, if you are going to come on board, we’ll be working together, for a long time.” Her smile turned impish. “Although first… Chirurgery. Though that will have to wait.”

“Chirurgery, that hurts, right?” Yasu-san said, nervous.

“Don’t be a big baby, Yasu-san.” Takagi-san said, having cheered up a little from our talk. “I managed, so a big strong man like you shouldn’t even scream!”

As they bantered, Hina-san finished her point. “So I finally understand. I guess all that talk from Akio-san about his sister and childhood friend was true. You are very close. I think that’s nice. So… just be careful. I don’t really understand what’s going on here, but… you might fear him dying, but he fears the same for you, I promise you. And having seen Eri-san here be injured, it’s no wonder he’s reluctant. So yes, work hard.”

“It’s the world of adults.” Hayato-san agreed, hugging his fiancée, who flushed in embarrassment. “Hard work is what matters. That and results. So yeah, show Akio-kun your results, and he’ll be reassured.”

“Wow, yeah, that’s totally my thing!” Aiko grinned. “That’s why I’ve been grinding the hell out of Nishimorioka non-stop… I’ll depopulate the entire mountain range if I have to!”

“I do believe Akio told you to be cautious…” Motoko warned, and there was more laughter, the tension dispersing. Talk turned to what had happened and what might be happening now in Kyoto, but Keomi-san was looking troubled, as if unsure of whether to speak. In the end, she sighed and opened her mouth gingerly.

“Uh, Aiko-chan…” she said hesitantly.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“… that golden Eri-chan you summoned… that seems awfully like what Yamato-sama could do, doesn’t it?” she winced at the sudden frost in Aiko’s sapphire eyes. “… hey, I… uh… I’m sorry?” she managed.

“No, I’m sorry.” Aiko apologised after a moment, gaze softening. “I just hate that guy so much. His idiocy is why my bro’s heart is scarred.”

“So, there’s a story there.” Hayato-san said, and we nodded.

“Yeah, there is. Not a happy one. But first… yeah. It is pretty much the same. When… when that moron Yamato was taken by the Night Parade, my bro tried to save him, but not even he could fight Nurarihyon and all the Hundred Demons… so he told me he managed to get the blessing somehow before the Night Parade could steal it or something…?”

I don’t think it was exactly like that, considering how depressed Akio was, but… it’s true enough.

“He can do that?” Kana-san piped up, interested.

“It’s not something that’s likely to happen much, so… don’t get your hopes up, Kana-chan.” She smiled. “But yes, apparently I’m compatible, so here we are. I’ll use it better than he ever did. But… it’s a secret, all right? At least for now. Bro doesn’t want people to fight each other for their powers, considering it’s a miracle this was even salvageable.”

“All right. I get it…” Keomi-san said at last. “But… maybe cake would seal my mouth?”

“You never change, Keomi-chan.” Kana-san laughed. Her expression then turned serious. “So, Aiko-chan, you wanted to go to University, and be the first of a new series of coaches and scientists combining Chirurgery and modern sports science, right?”

Aiko nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I’ll be the greatest coach ever, helping both athletes and warriors to hone their bodies and minds to perfection. I think it’ll be kind of awesome!” she boasted.

“But… are you still going for that? If you… well, if you are like Akio now, you don’t need to worry about that, you can just fight and grow stronger, right?”

“True. But why can’t I do both?” Aiko turned to everyone, especially the newcomers, Akio’s friends. “Here’s the thing. Chirurgery was never meant to turn girls like us into fighters. No, there’s lots of roles we can fulfil, working in my bro’s Territory in safety, doing jobs here on Earth. Look, and this is important, right? My bro always makes time for his family, friends and his lovers…” she grinned at that, and I blushed. “… because he says, if you can’t appreciate what you are trying to save, you’ll never be able to protect it.”

“Yes.” I agreed. “He worries that as time goes on and more and more troubles pop up, he’ll end up so busy he doesn’t have time for us anymore. That’s why we need to be strong enough to share his burdens.”

“It’s why I’m so pissed off at that moron Yamato.” Aiko followed up. “He took unprepared trainees into danger, completely disregarding their strengths. It made my bro wonder if he was making the right decisions. Stupid bastard, if he wasn’t in a coma, I’d beat the shit out of him.” She fumed. “But anyway, my point is, we have to do more than simply fighting and training. We have to have fun too. So yeah, I’m going to pass my exams, get into the best sports college in Tokyo, and live life to the fullest. Plus I get to stay with my bro and you, Eri. A win-win, right?”

“I envy you.” Kana-san sighed. “I want to learn Chirurgery and Ether Healing too. Akio said my eyes and my gifts were precious, but really… compared to Shaeula’s eyes, mine are worthless, and my gift of sensing emotions and thoughts is just a cheap, useless knock-off of the twins or Suzuki-san.”

On seeing Kana-san’s depressed expression I felt a bit guilty. After all, I didn’t like her to start with. I still don’t agree with Aiko that’s because the two of us are alike, but… I admit, she’s changed. She’s still arrogant and self-absorbed, but at least she’s honest.

As her friends tried to console her, I spoke up, surprising Aiko, who was grinning at me. You know why I’m doing this. Don’t be so smug… “Your gifts may be weak, but you have them, don’t you?” I pointed out. “And look at how useful the twins and Suzuki-san were when we were learning light element and Ether Healing. If you think they’re no good, train them. Akio is great at helping others reach their potential. I think… I think if there’s a reason why Akio is going to be the hero that saves Earth, it’s because he knows how to bring out the best in others.”

“Eri-chan…” Kana-san said, surprised at my support. “You think I can do it?”

“I know you can. After all, a selfish girl like you always gets what you want in the end, right?”

“Selfish, huh?” she looked at me, her dark eyes pensive. “Yeah, I admit it. I’m shallow and selfish. I just wanted a boy to pamper me. A hot, rich guy, one who can dedicate himself to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’d have given back. Being seen with a girlfriend like me is status, right?”

“Young girls sure are scary nowadays.” Shugo-san observed, and Yasu-san laughed.

“Yeah, no kidding, man.”

“I admit to being vain too. I’m beautiful. As beautiful as you, Eri-chan, or you, Aiko-chan. Or you nobles.” She smiled. “Sure, only having looks is a bit pitiful, but… well, now I want to have more. You’re right. Sorry, I get downhearted easily, especially when you show off, Aiko-chan.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry too. Well, I know just how you feel.” Aiko apologised. “When Eri was so far ahead of me, and I couldn’t use Lovers’ Link to catch up… it was eating away at my soul, you know? I mean, wow, I was even considering some drastic measures, until bro came through for me.” Her smile turned wicked. “You have it easier. But… yeah, bro’s never going to dote on you alone.”

“I know that. I don’t even know why I like him as much as I do. I guess it’s that I’m a shallow girl, liking his looks and his money, and the fact he keeps saving me. And the fact that he made me proud of my gifts, proud of something that I hated until now, something other than my looks. I wish they were better, but…” she smiled then, and I shook my head, defeated. I’m not going to stand in her way. If she can win Akio over… so be it. I don’t hate her anywhere near as much as I did when we first met, and things have changed. It won’t be easy though. Because while I won’t stand in her way, I’m nowhere near nice enough to help her, other than a few consoling words…

“… well, like you said, Eri-chan, I can train them, Akio helping me.” She giggled charmingly, and I could see that despite being older, Yasu-san and Shugo-san were blushing at her expression. “He can’t always be mine, but… I have friends to spend time with when he’s not with me, right? Although first, I need to be so useful he’s just dying to ask me to be his. I said I wouldn’t beg him, and I won’t. I’ll make my appeal by being somehow he can’t afford to leave alone!”

“Yeah, bro said that you girls will gradually get more like the Fae, so you’ll live a lot longer than ordinary people.” She smiled at the other trainees. “And even the Chirurgery will have a bit of an effect. Lucky you! But anyway…” she continued. “What do you think of that, girls? Kana-chan’s not deterred, even though my bro pretty much shot her down before.” she addressed Motoko and the others.

“Well, we look at things differently.” Hinata laughed. “Nobles often have concubines. And even the main wife is little more than a servant, even if there’s love. Really, the more I think about it, the more I learn…” she sighed. “… I wonder why I was obsessed with getting that sort of life. Well, now I want it, but only because we’ll change what it means to be the wives of the highest nobility. Right, Motoko, Natsumi?”

“That is true.” Motoko agreed. “I do not worry that Akio will have time for others. Indeed, I welcome it, for I would never be parted from Natsumi. I also have great respect and liking for you, Hinata, brave enough to challenge convention. And Eri, I thank you for your kindness in supporting us, though you did not wish to. I hope that we can love happily together, supporting Akio and each other.”

“I too never wanted to be parted from Motoko. And now I never have to. As for Akio…” Natsumi flushed. “I find myself thinking of him often, wanting to spend time with him. But even so, time with Motoko is joyous, and I find it fun to be here with Eri, Aiko and you others. There’s so much we don’t know about the world, right Motoko? But together, we’ll find all manner of fun things, without having to give up anything we feared we’d lose.”

“See?” I said to Kana-san. “I get it. I dreamed of being Akio’s girlfriend for years. When I got it I was so happy. But Shaeula was like a looming dagger in my heart. In the end, we worked it out, then… then these girls came along. But… we’ll live a long time. So if today, tomorrow, the day after, Akio is busy… well, the day after that, I know I’ll have so much happiness and joy with him. And the days we’re apart… well, before, I just had Aiko as a sister to me, even not bound by blood I’ve always seen her as my best friend and true sister. Now… now I have others. And it is sometimes frightening, sometimes frustrating, but always fun. So colourful, compared to the drab grey my life was back in Nishimorioka.”

“Well, you can’t compete with that, can you, Yae-chan?” Rika-san giggled.

“No, guess not. Damn, maybe if I’d have pushed harder on our date… no, Aki is a gentleman, right Ri-Ri? Despite everything.”

“That was enlightening.” Hayato-san said mildly. “I’m happy you trusted us enough to bare your feelings to us.”

“Well, you’re my bro’s best friends. Why not?” Aiko laughed.

“Well, if you’ll take some advice from an older man…” he continued. “… and bear in mind, while I’m not an expert, I too have a gorgeous fiancée.” Hina-san blushed again at that. “… I think that people don’t change easily. It sounds like even with all these new powers, Akio-kun is still the same man he was before. I know they say power corrupts, but… well, I think if you let Akio-kun love you, it’ll all work out. After all…” his smile turned wry. “He has a lot of love to give, it seems. He even roped in Shiro. And nobody seems too unhappy. I’m shocked, but… results matter, in the adult world. As long as you are prepared to take responsibility for your choices, nobody can tell you you’re not entitled to choose.”

“Yeah, never thought I’d see the day he melted our ice queen.” Yasu-san agreed.

“This calls for a toast!” Shugo-san declared. “To Akio-kun, cheat harem bastard extraordinaire!”

As Yasu-san agreed, Takagi-san started telling him he’d had enough, but Hinata interrupted.

”It’s fine. Akio can use Ether Healing on his return, and this evening was supposed to explain everything and help us get to know each other. We might as well… huh?”

Aimi-san was looking down, frightened. She had her phone out, and a livestream was playing. I suddenly get a bad feeling about this…

“Just what is this?” Aimi-san was saying, and as we all crowded round, Shugo-san and Hina-san also pulling out their phones to search, we could see the images of a pitch-black city, lit only by flames rising from a number of buildings, and the sounds of gunfire and desperate explosions could be heard. “This is Kyoto? Akio-kun, Shiro, they went here?”

“This is available for anyone to see? Not good…” Hinata frowned.

“Yes, grandfather and father should be working to keep everything covered up.” Motoko agreed, pensive. “Besides, I believe Akio expected the battle to be largely within the Boundary?”

Even as we watched, a bright flash flared, a surge of yellow flame appearing from nowhere, only for a dark fog to roll in, obscuring the image. Someone was commentating, their voice shrill, but I didn’t hear it, merely clenching my fist once more. Come on, Akio. Be safe. Shaeula, Hyacinth, Shiro… you as well, Suzuki-san…

********

The blob of slime squealed, a mental blaring that sent knives of pain through Luo Jiahao’s mind, disrupting his Qi unpleasantly, forcing him to centre himself, quelling the churning waves of energy. As he did so the blob squirmed and struggled, tongues that hung from the many mouth-like orifices twitching angrily, a faint haze of purple energies rising from them. It howled once more, and then was still, as if sulking.

“It almost seems… upset? Frustrated?” his companion observed, the girl Ling’er beside him. He had kept her close, for hers was a truly integral role, and one he was not eager to push on her. Perhaps she reminds me of my own daughter, slain in cold blood, so cruelly, unable to resist. No, if that was the case, then my need for vengeance should overrule such petty feelings. I am the master of the Mountain Fang, the Patriarch, I have no time for weak sentiments. Even so… hardening his heart, he looked at Ling’er, the young woman also shaken by the wave of corrupted Qi that had been scattered by the complaining blob.

“Whatever is wrong with it, it didn’t have to hurt us.” she pouted, rubbing at her temples. As a Chosen of the Heavens, she was certainly strong, but had no grounding in the skills Cultivators had learned and perfected over the years, so the petulant discharges had struck her hard. “But then, I suppose…” she sighed, and her next words showed she had a good head on her shoulders, for a young girl, a mortal, not one on the path of Cultivation. “… considering what a monster it is, it doesn’t care if we get hurt, so long as it gets to eat in the end.” Her dark eyes wavered, and Luo Jiahao could see fear in them. He was not ashamed to admit, he felt the same fear too. No, there is no time for that. This is the time for revenge. Though… where is Wen Qiang? He should be here now…

“Perhaps he got distracted.” Jiahao muttered. “After all, he does seem to hate the Japanese as much, if not more so, than the traitors who betrayed us. He is probably indulging in his anger.”

“What about you?” Ling’er pressed. “I know you are doing this for revenge, but… do you think it’ll satisfy your family? Would they want you to go this far?”

“My family? They were Cultivators, proud members of Mountain Fang. Yes, they would wish me to destroy their betrayers, show them the end we faced. And if not… they would be satisfied if I can ruin their plans. No matter how many innocents suffer. Do not mistake me, Ling’er…” his time softened, as he had no wish to scare the girl, especially with what she needed to do next. “… the days of Kunlun, where Cultivators could snatch a pretty girl off the streets and have their way with her, merely for sport, or a boy with backing could beat or even kill a commoner he claimed offended him, without anyone batting an eye, those days are gone. Likely never to return, until Kunlun does, if ever.” If they do return, I think they will find the world a rather changed place.

“As for now… well, the Five Great Sects, they are more powerful and arrogant… well, four Great Sects now.” He grieved for the Incorruptible Jade, a long-time friend to the Mountain Fang. Alas, when our forces failed to escape without notice, our end was written. But who would have thought that we would have drawn the attention of this creature in our futile struggles. Oh, would that we had left well enough alone, allowed the Ministry to chart their ruinous course. It would have been them who toil under the yoke of… he looked down at the mass of jelly in his arms. … this vile creature of realms far beyond our own.

“… yes, they could be arrogant, and have little time for those who do not Cultivate. But such excesses are not hatred. Even we treat our servants as lesser beings. But actively harming them for sport… no.” He left unsaid that if harming them could aid one’s Cultivation, many wouldn’t think twice about it. “… but for revenge… well, I have no disdain for the people of this foreign land, but all we can do is embroil our enemies in a war that might bring them down, will certainly cause them sorrow. Besides… it might buy us a little time before our own deaths. No, not just death. Oblivion.” He sighed. “I would see my family again in the next life, but if we are devoured…”

“I understand.” She sighed. “But I never wanted to fight. It’s why I’m called a rebel. Really… why must we use our powers to kill and hurt others? There has to be a better way.”

“Maybe there was, until we were ensnared.” He agreed softly. His bone blade was tugging at him, urging him towards the food that the creature had marked out. “And that is our sin. I am sorry, Ling’er. But the die is cast. Think of yourself, not others. If it was merely death… but our hope of the next life hangs on delay. And to that end, we need to feed it other prey. That I can serve my needs for revenge at the same time is surely Karma, Fate.”

“I don’t know if I believe in reincarnation, or the afterlife. Heaven seems such an unscientific concept. But…” she sighed. “Looking around, how can I doubt any longer? Especially when I am supposedly blessed by a God. But, why has everyone split up? We should have stayed together. It would have made it easier…”

“Maybe so.” He agreed. “But everyone has their own need to prove themselves. After all, who knows when the beast will grow ravenous, and devour more of us?” Luo Jiahao frowned. “Best prove more useful than others, so that those others become food first. Besides, we have the element of surprise. With all our powers combined, and greatly strengthened…” His thoughts turned to his old friend from Diamond Mountain, a traditionally close Sect to his own, said to be an offshoot created by a brother of Mountain Fang’s Patriarch many long years ago. “The Yin-Yang Karmic Desolation Measure Formation shows the corruption spreading, the walls between Spiritual and Earthly breaking down. Time… is not on our side. Everyone is hurrying, praying to the Heavens and Fate for solutions. We are no different. Now, Ling’er, are you ready?”

Tears in her eyes, she nodded. “I can do it. The great flow of power that circulates to us through that thing…” she eyed the quiescent blob, a faint violet mist rising, before seeing the same mist leaking from the bone blade she carried, and indeed, her own lower body. “… it allows me to do things I never could before. But it’s so… abhorrent.” She shuddered, and did start crying. “Nothing is a gift, nothing is free, is it? I can feel the energy it gives us eating away at me. I find it hard to sleep, the niggling pain burns at me. It will claim everything back it gave us, and more. We’re going to die, aren’t we?”

Yes, we are, Ling’er. But if fate approves we can find a death free from the beast. And secure vengeance for our dead. In time, our enemies will fall under its growing hunger, become food for its recovery. But right now, I need you stronger. The final step of our plan to embroil the traitorous Party and the Sects into a war, depends on it. “Nothing is set in stone. Even Fate can be changed, the Heavens challenged. That is what it is to be a Cultivator. We seize our own path with our own power. What we need most is time. Without that, no opportunity presents itself to us. We should be grateful it found those here it wished to eat more than us, though I will not lie…” he said, unable to completely mask the truth. “… when our use is no more, it will devour us. It has no mercy, no clemency, only greed.”

“I don’t want that. I never wanted any of this. If there is reincarnation or an afterlife, I’ll be going to a Hell when I do this!” she cried, broken-hearted.

“I think the Heavens will judge you had no choice.” He soothed her. “Now… it is time. Use your gift, usher the flittering butterflies into the world of dreams, let them awake as men and women, seeing the true world for the first time.”

“It’s difficult. My gift from Zhōu Gōng, it was to help others see this new world, or help the stranded traveller in dreams return to the safety of their home. Using it this way… it’s too difficult and cruel. They’ll… how many will die?”

“Less than the lives you might save, if somehow we can find a way free of this cursed creature.” He looked down at the blob with hatred, the tongues lolling out, drooling acidic slime, making a series of chittering noises that could have been mocking laughter. Does it know we plot against it? Well, how could it not? It barely even tries to hide our ultimate fate…

“You have the strength, and I trust in your skill. Do it, Ling’er. We will shoulder the crime with you. Now draw deep and let the dreams begin, or end. Butterfly, man, can we ever know?”

“Very well.” The intensity of the indigo glow around her increased, and she shuddered, blood trickling from her ears, nose, mouth and eye-sockets, as well as elsewhere, her clothes stained red, black and silver. “Zhōu Gōng, find those who know not the embrace of sleep!” she cried, and the surge of Qi… no, not Qi, a less refined, yet somehow also purer, form of spiritual energy… spread from her, vanishing into a realm beyond their sight.

“I feel them… it’s too hard. There are tens of thousands here, but… unwilling, distant, I can’t grasp them.”

“Just do what you can.” Luo Jiahao soothed her once more. “Fix on the closest. How many can you touch?”

“A few hundred, no, more.” Her eyes were thick with blood, black and red dripping down, silver mist rising, giving her a terrible, ghoulish cast. “I have them. All I can. If I don’t do it now, I shall break. The energy within me, it eats at me. I’ll be hollowed out, a husk!”

“Then do it. Pull them into our dream!” he demanded, and with a scream, Ling’er vomited blood down her front. The flow of her strange Qi that the Chosen of the Heavens shared surged, before dying off, glimmering stars of light shining around them, forming into dozens, hundreds, more… very confused people, men, women, children, the elderly. As they looked around, yammering in surprise in a language he didn’t understand, likely Japanese, his lips curled in bitter amusement as some of them simply lay down where they stood, eyes sliding shut, perhaps thinking they were still dreaming. Others were looking excited, glancing about with wonder.

“You did well, Ling’er.” He patted the staggering woman on her back gently. “Now rest. Your role is over for the moment. Now it is our turn.” He looked at the remaining few members of Mountain Fang, who had been waiting quietly and respectfully while the two of them had talked. “Now it is our turn.” He hardened his heart. “We cannot afford to be merciful. Although…” he paused, before giving one last order. “Do not use the blades of bone. Let these innocents find their way to the afterlife. The beast has claimed other food, he can pass on these morsels…”

Gripping his own bone blade, feeling it squirm hungrily, he watched as his Sect rushed towards the helpless civilians, and then, as they adopted combat stances, preparing their Arts, the screaming began, and Luo Jiahao squeezed shut his eyes. No. This is my vengeance. I shall not be a coward and close my eyes to it. My family, see how far I will go to secure vengeance for you. I hope, wherever you are, you know I am still thinking of you. Drawing on his Qi, his eyes opened, and with that he charged, fist swinging down on a stunned elderly man, and blood splattered…