Chapter 317: Two Hundred And Forty-Four

Bullets of shimmering water formed around me like a halo, the water incandescent with indigo energies, mixing with the orange glow of water element. For a moment, my expanded sight surveyed the area, taking in the numerous enemies, before I unleashed the water droplets, shooting them out with an additional acceleration from wind energy, like a hail of sniper rounds.

“Holy shit…” the Lieutenant said as they whizzed past him, piercing though tentacles and shambling humanoids alike, with a sickening hiss. As the dark ooze began to disintegrate, and dozens of smaller eyes were pierced, shattering into clouds of silvery ether, a faint steam began to rise, the air filled with moisture, although this time it seemed less toxic, cleaner. “That’s water?”

To be honest it worked even better than I expected… I fired off a second round of water bullets, this time aiming for the thicker, tree-like tendrils that were snaking towards us from front and back. The drops bored holes in the thick, slimy flesh, punching in deep craters, scattering inky sludge, but then the tendrils melted, as if the water was acid. Is it because it’s spirit water, or maybe the moonlight part of it..? The reason didn’t matter, what did was that it was highly effective, so much so that I decided it would be a waste to keep using it here.

“Nice. That’s from the Spring you and Shaeula captured, right?” My sis said as another flaming arrow struck home. She had pierced a red eye that had appeared in the sludge at the side of one of the buildings near us, and another shrill scream echoed in our minds as it burst, the vitreous jelly within igniting under the heat of her projectiles.

I nodded. “Yeah. Nice shot by the way…”

“Well, I’ve picked up a few hints from my contest with Shaeula’s bro.” she said proudly. “I felt myself get stronger there… but that means I’m done for now, right?”

“I’m afraid so, but you can always work on your skills.” I commiserated.

“Stay focused!” The major warned, his rifle barking as more aether bullets streamed out, blasting through the retreating wave of tentacles. “We are still surrounded, and a routing enemy is often a dangerous one!”

“Got it.” I agreed, using more threads of wind to slice and dice as much of the surrounding muck as I could. “Haru-san, can you try light element?” I asked, and after a moment, she nodded, focusing her will on her third eye chakra. Seconds later a thin beam of indigo energy streaked out, slicing a pair of thick tentacles in two, the edges cut clean like glass, faintly emitting steam, before they started to disintegrate.

“Not bad.” I said, praising her. “You’ve been working hard too.”

With swarms of scarab beetles eating the slime, flames from Nakano-san pushing outwards ahead of us, and my cutting strands of wind, we pushed forwards, ever-closer towards Takakura Antiques, but as we did so the pressure of darkness element was increasing. My sis and Miyu, who had the lowest stats, were starting to suffer, while even Haru-san, Kikuchi-san and the soldiers were looking uncomfortable, though Haru-san drew on her light element, easing her suffering.

“I’d say that the lair is still in Takakura Antiques.” I observed. “At least that hasn’t changed, but…” I looked at my flagging colleagues, except for Eri, who was positively aglow with flickers of blue light as her throat chakra pulled in and accumulated ever more darkness energy, her axe dancing as she sliced apart any tentacles that dared to snake near her, a broad grin on her face, her eyes gleeful. I wish I could follow suit, but… at Rank 1, my throat chakra was clearly not capable enough to handle the density of energy here, which outstripped the area around our Rhyming Tree significantly. I was still able to draw a little, but the rest was tugging faintly at my emotions, though my superior stats kept it from being more than a minor nuisance.

“… if we don’t do something, most of you will have to drop out. Well… Haru-san, can you use your Sharing Light on everyone? Well, except me and Eri. I think we’ll manage.” Eri grinned happily at me for that endorsement.

“Are you sure?” she asked, uncertain, wisps of indigo rising from her body, meeting the blue mist around us and dissipating. “If I don’t control it…” she left unfinished that she might end up subjecting the people here to her painful memories, which I definitely didn’t want for my sister or Miyu.

“Look..” I said, wielding my curved swords, slicing down several more zombies that shambled closer. One more fell, disintegrating, and I noticed it had been Miyu who had fired the pistol I gave her, her trembling hands causing the metal to rattle. But even so, she’d made a kill. Good girl. “You aren’t who you were before. You’ve gone home, met your father again, even managed to take up your career you thought lost to you forever. You’ll see your friends again too, one day. You’ve trained for this. I believe in you, Haru-san. I know you can do it.”

“Wow, damn bro, trying to pick Haru-san up too, while Eri watches? You’ve got some nerve.” My sis giggled, though it was a touch shrill with pain and exhaustion. Haru-san looked at me askance at that, and I shook my head in denial, but before I could reassure her, the Major spoke up.

“Relying on untested, unsure soldiers is a mistake. Far better to let them retreat, if you think you can handle this alone.”

“I’m with Major Sasaki.” Nakano-san agreed, hurling balls of flame forwards, turning a probing tentacle into flaming ashes. “This is a battlefield. I don’t know how you’ve managed until now, but mistakes don’t just get you killed, but those around you too.”

Well, yeah, I guess I have trusted to luck too many times. But I do believe in her. Still, there might be another way… I drew some spirit water out of my body, using it to soak the heads of everyone but Eri. My sis shook her head like a cat, water scattering. “Damn bro, I’m in a jerkin, no wet t-shirts for you. Wait, I feel better?”

“You should. There’s light energy in the water too.” I topped off her aether while I was at it. “Seriously sis, I think you should step out. You’ve had your gains…”

She bit her lip, looking into my eyes with hers, before she dropped her head in agreement, looking downcast. “Wow, you’re right bro. I’m being selfish. Sorry, it’s just I get tired of being left behind all the time…”

“I know. Still, I promised you are my focus for a while, and I meant it. Now, go back to the hotel and wait for our triumphant return.”

“Later Eri. Girls. Oh, and you guys too.” She grinned at Nakano-san. “I can’t wait until you see my bro’s flames. Bye!” With that I stopped providing her aether, and she rapidly expelled her remaining stock, until her astral body was unable to remain manifested. Sorry sis. But really, this is the right call.

The Major agreed. “Good. But we still have those who are not suited to the mission.” He looked at the pale Miyu.

“No. Sorry, but Miyu isn’t as weak as she looks.” Besides, she has such skills that not using them would be a criminal waste. “Miyu, can you dance?”

Everyone looked at me as if I had gone mad, but she, still in a version of her school uniform here, nodded. “I can, though not being in a kimono, it would feel quite strange.”

“Right. Then how about we see the dusk depart? As it’s a darkness element dance, it should work better here.”

“Dance, just what…” the Major began, but I stopped him.

“I do appreciate your help and advice. In fact, having you here has helped my sis realise this was a risk she didn’t need to take, so thanks. But you came here to learn from my expertise too…” my Eye shone amber, illuminating the surroundings, casting deep shadows. “… and I know Miyu can help us here, and the sooner she grows stronger, the better. There are so few of us who can do this, we all need to maximise our gains, or else all that awaits us is surely only regret.”

Miyu nodded. “I hate this. I never wanted this. I just wanted to spend time with Michiru, and dance, and play my piano.” She swallowed. “But…”

“Don’t be afraid.” Eri said, spinning her axe idly one-handed, which would have broken her slender wrist were she still the weak, ordinary girl she used to be. “We have your back. I was like you, I remember my first time…” she shuddered. “Scorpions, the size of a car! But Akio and Shaeula were there, and they made me strong.”

“No, you made you strong.” I said, ruffling her long, glowing hair. “I wanted to coddle you too much, but you told me I was wrong.” I looked at Miyu then. “Of course, I’ll still protect Eri from any and all dangers, but protecting isn’t the same as coddling. I needed to let her spread her wings. You have to do the same. After all, you have people to protect too, don’t you?”

Miyu nodded slowly, swallowing. But when she looked up, her eyes looked better, more determined, and then, her damp hair from my spirit water still sticking to her face, she began to dance, and I could feel the power of it, the surrounding darkness and aether responding to her call, the enemy Territory shivering, the effect of it on us lessening noticeably.

“The divine. I can feel it…” Kikuchi-san whispered.

“Yeah, I imagine it’s like Ame-no-Uzume dancing, from the myths.” Eri giggled, watching, her own darkness element responding to the dance.

“Funny you should say that…”I said, knowing it was indeed that kami who chose Miyu, and for good reason. “But that’s for later. Everyone feels better now, right?”

“I have to admit, I do.” The Major agreed. “Still, dancing like that in battle, she’ll be wide open to attack, an easy target.”

Miyu, who could still hear us, faltered a little, before regaining her poise and continuing. I watched her dance for a moment, before answering. “Yeah, ideally Miyu is too precious for the battlefield, and if she must be deployed there, then she’s a supporting role. But it’s the fastest, surest route to strength. So we’ll make sure she’s not an easy target, right Eri?”

She grabbed her spinning axe, grounding it with a crunch, cracking the stained pavement below. “Yes, so dance away Miyu-san. I’d love to see you dance in a proper setting. You’d look gorgeous in a kimono. I wish I knew how to dance traditionally, but… I don’t really do much feminine stuff. I guess hanging around with a tomboy like Aiko all these years has ruined me.”

“You’re plenty girly enough for me.” I said with a smile. “All right then. Miyu, can you move this way while dancing?”

She nodded, still wrapped up in her steps. “Slowly, I think.”

“Right then…” I declared. “Time to press on. I think our creature doesn’t like the effect Miyu is having on its Territory…” more and more tentacles were squirming this way, forming a writhing wave of them. “… so we’ll cut her a path, right to Takakura Antiques…”

“Right. An order I can get behind!” Nakano-san laughed, more flames launched from his hands and mouth into the swelling darkness ahead…

 

********

 

“Well, here we are…” I said, looking once more upon the warped dungeon where Shaeula and I had nearly lost our lives. The black void of the window was shimmering with colours, and with my Eye I could recognise the flicker of violet spatial energies, though they were hopelessly tanged in with the space around us, and not free for extraction. A shame. I still have that partial technique I got from that thieving cat….

“Man, I’m exhausted, and we haven’t even fought the boss yet.” Nakano-san said, the yellow aura around him much diminished.

“I’ve kept back some strength, but I too am hardly on top form.” Major Sasaki agreed. “Still, you seem fine.”

“Yeah, though I’m in a bit of a bad mood. All this crap killed and not one level.” I smiled, showing I was mostly joking. “Still, Eri, you’ve gained a few, haven’t you?”

She nodded, still enthusiastic, even though she was starting to flag.

“I imagine you all have as well.” I looked at Kikuchi-san and his cloud of divine beetles that hovered over him in a swarm, as well as the still-dancing Miyu, her uniform steaming silver with her sweat. Her steps were starting to falter a little, as she had been dancing for an hour now, and her stamina couldn’t keep up. “Take a break.” I advised her, but she shook her head.

“I can go on.” She insisted stubbornly. “If I stop, then the benefits of my dance will go away, and I’ll have to start from scratch again.” she continued to dance, though her movements were starting to lose their elegance. I think if she didn’t gain a few levels, she would have collapsed ten minutes ago. Normally she only dances for five to ten minutes at a time, twenty at a push in recitals.

“It’s true, she’s made a big difference.” The Major agreed, revising his earlier estimation of her. “Over time, the drain on us has grown weaker, and the enemies were sluggish and easy prey.”

“Yeah, but… now it’s my time to shine. So you can rest. Really. You’ve done well.” I praised her, and she finally stopped, slumping to the ground, muscles aching, breath coming fast.

“Look, it wasn’t as bad as you feared, was it?” I asked her, and she looked at me as though I was an idiot.

“Not as bad? It was worse…” she shuddered. “Horrible monsters, tentacles everywhere, the very air around us painful and depressing. There is no way it could be better!”

“She’s got you there Akio. This is way nastier than the mountains around Nishimorioka, or your Territory.” Eri grinned, enjoying seeing a girl scold me.

While I struggled for what to say in response, she continued. “Still, I understand. You did this for me. I can’t just ignore all this.” She gestured with a weary arm to the surrounding streets, still with snaking tentacles and unblinking eyes, which were now creeping closer, since the dance that was suppressing them had ceased. “And I need… I need to be stronger, else…I can’t do anything.”

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“That’s right.” I agreed, reaching out to pat her head, before realising what I was doing and stopping myself. I shot Eri a grin, and she rolled her eyes. See, I can learn! “It’s always better to have strength and not need it, than need it and not have it. Now, you’ve done your part. So go back and rest.”

“No, I… I’ve come this far.” She muttered, though I could see relief on her face as well, warring with her sense of responsibility. “I can see the end.”

“I’m sure you could.” I agreed. “I’m confident I can protect you in there, but the Major is right. Taking risks is foolish, today we are soldiers, fighting for Japan. I had two aims for you today…” Eri was hacking at some approaching tentacles, while Haru-san released bolts of light, and the beetles of Kikuchi-san swarmed. “… firstly, I wanted you to experience a pretty horrible part of the Boundary. Now you have, and so I can tell you most of it isn’t nearly so vile.” I smiled gently at her. “Around your Territory there’ll be ample opportunities for you, and when the situation at the Spring has settled, I’ll send someone your way to help you expand and gain more levels. You’ll have Koga-san with you then too. But you’ve gained enough for today. Go back and wait with my sis, she’ll be getting twitchy anyway, wondering what’s happening.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, and I nodded. “Look, I’ll tell your grandfather how brave you were, and how beautifully you danced. He’ll be impressed. Now… rest.” I watched as she disappeared, ignoring the loud clicking of Eri’s tongue.

“As for the rest of us… well, we have a job to do.” I unleashed wind and earth, striking down the packed ranks of squirming, twitching appendages that were cramming the streets. “Let’s end this. Once we are inside, I expect it’ll be like before, where…”

 

********

 

“This is disgusting…” Eri complained as she sank up to her knees in the horrid black slime that completely covered the floor like a shallow lake of filth. The walls and ceiling were crusted too, and it would be pitch black within, except for the ever-present non-light of the Boundary that enabled vision. The thick pillars that gave it a temple-like atmosphere made more sense now that I had been told what was trapped here used to be a kami, but the slimy columns were not divine in the slightest.

“It sure is.” I agreed, glancing around as the Major and the Lieutenant came flying through the spatial window, boots scrabbling for purchase in the vile jelly. Next in was Kikuchi-san, and last was Haru-san, who yelped as she flailed her arms to retain her balance, her legs mired in the muck. Eri quickly sloshed through the slime and steadied her.

“Yeah, it’s bigger than before.” I observed, the bleak interior having expanded. There were still scattered bookshelves, mannequins, clothing racks and tables half-submerged within the crap, with odd items scattered everywhere, and now with my Eye I could observe them, seeing the darkness energy radiating from them, being absorbed by…

Well hello, I expect you didn’t think you’d see me again, did you? A dozen massive, reptilian eyes opened in the ooze, glittering yellow and red, their slit pupils infused with inky blue darkness. My own Eye responded, and identified them as Thousand Watching Eyes, which was a touch worrying, as I hoped there really wasn’t a thousand of them. As the many pupils focused on us, the intruders into its domain, we felt a wave of pressure. The ceiling and floor began to bubble, and from that burst forth more of the slime zombies, as well as hordes of stabbing, needle-like tentacles that surged towards us in their thousands… I remember getting stabbed by those. Shaeula too. But nobody is getting hurt today!

“Foehn. Burn until there’s nothing left!” I declared, raising my hand, and the tide of golden-yellow flames boiled from me, swallowing up the swarm of slime-men and tendrils surging towards us from the sides, before engulfing several pillars, flames climbing towards the ceiling. The far wall burst into flames, the eyes within vanishing into the muck and reappearing further away, joined by several dozen additional ones, blinking their slime-encrusted lids lazily.

“Well shit. Now I’m feeling a little insignificant.” Nakano-san whistled when he saw my devastating flames surge outwards, consuming all in their path. “Your sister wasn’t shitting me.”

“No, she wasn’t. Well, maybe you’ll get here with practise and some levels.” After all, I’d imagine levelling up will strengthen his ability from Kagutsuchi. “Anyway, everyone, aim for the eyes! But they are tricky and hard to get, they’ll vanish into the muck unless you carve them away… like so.” My fine, vibrating threads of wind twisted, slicing a square out of a pillar, the eye within helpless to swim to a fresh area as the cube fell, only to be diced into tiny pieces, the eye exploding. Yeah, considering the trouble I had last time killing just one eye, this is better…

“Got it.” the Major said, his rifle shooting out a volley of enchanted rounds. Most of the eyes escaped into the murk, but one was struck, popping as the bullet pierced through the pupil cleanly.

“I hate it here already.” Eri was being besieged by tentacles, but her dress had deflected the worst of it, and her axe was hacking them apart like she was chopping lumber, the edge wreathed with fire, her modest flame energy concentrated into the bluesteel, bringing another laugh from Nakano-san.

“I don’t like it either.” Haru-san whispered, sticking close to Eri. A hideous ringed maw of tentacles and fangs burst out of the mire below, aiming at her, but Eri swung her axe, driving it back, before air blades from me carved it apart.

“Well, this suits my beetles, at least…” Kikuchi-san muttered as his host started devouring again, chewing at one pillar, hunting down a fleeing eye. Tentacles were spawned and swept through the swarm, but trying to strike down beetles with such attacks was like trying to punch fog.

“Right, time for water.” I formed another cloud of shimmering water bullets, and they sprayed out in an arc, peppering the walls and ceiling. Eyes tried to disappear to avoid them, but the slime disintegrated as the spirit water struck, and multiple eyes blew apart, shrill shrieks filling the air. My foot struck something solid, and I bent down to pull it from the knee-deep jelly below, revealing it was some sort of locked book. More loot, huh? Using Foehn was probably going to destroy some treasures here, which was a shame, but finishing the beast was my top priority. Still, I’d definitely take what I could find… As I thought that, tentacles erupted around me, dozens aiming for my head. Haru-san yelped in surprise, but my free hand drew a Fang and cut them apart at blinding speed.

“Don’t look at Akio, concentrate on your own battle.” Eri warned, and Haru-san flushed at the lecture from the younger girl. “Sorry.” She apologised, before light flashed, a brilliant bolt illuminating the murk and burying itself in a staring red eye, which exploded. “Oh, I got one!” She cried, a little excited despite her fears.

“Yeah, good job!” Eri praised her. “For me…” she swung her axe, the eye she was targeting retreating, a slime-man blocking the blow, even as the flames slit it in half. “… it’s a pain.”

“Maybe together?” Haru-san asked, and Eri nodded.

“Right, I force it to move, and you blast it.” she swung her axe through the muck below, unearthing an eye, tentacles sprouting from it to attack, only for Haru-san to pierce it with another brilliant arc of light.

“Nice.” Eri approved. “See, we’ve got this! It sure is satisfying to get revenge. I was so pissed off that day!”

Dozens of eyes were congregating on the high ceiling, peering down at us, and the slime around us throbbed, withdrawing to try and form a massive, colossal figure. There was no way I was going to let that pass, so I again drew on Foehn, feeding in wind energy for that extra kick, before flooding it out into the rising hill of black mud. The Foehn was swallowed up, yet continued to burn, and soon the creature broke apart before it could even finish forming, burning chunks and droplets raining down through the darkness, gleaming yellow and gold.

“Hey, that’s actually pretty.” Eri grinned, her axe finally making contact with an eye that was fleeing the flames, cleaving it. “Got one. Oh, Haru-san, your hands are empty, grab that please.” She said, spotting a discarded item, and Haru-san nodded, bending down to snatch it.

The slime is shrinking. It’s only ankle-deep now… I called upon earth energies, and the ground under me surged upwards, a pillar projecting me towards the cluster of eyes on the ceiling. The quicker ones fled into the shadows, while the remaining stragglers were quickly caught out by a storm of watery projectiles that hammered through them, blasting them apart. Damn, this is satisfying. It’s like going back to a newbie zone after levelling up a ton…

I spun, casting Foehn around me in a great spiral, drenching the ceiling, which was already starting to sag inwards in places as the support pillars were burned or otherwise destroyed. More eyes combusted in the fury of the hungry flames, and I finally levelled up. Silver ether was falling like snow, and I let the other candidates take it in, keeping their aether topped up, and fiery droplets of Foehn were also dripping down, with scarab beetles darting between them, feasting on tentacles as they tried to strike at us. It was a surreal and gorgeous sight…

“Careful…” Eri warned, backing off from the falling curtain of Foehn, her axe never stopping, though she was starting to tire, even with her decent stats. Light burst from Haru-san as her confidence grew, and slime sizzled away in a cone in front of her, bare stone revealed beneath, one more eye squealing and burning under the indigo glow. She had grabbed several items, as had the Lieutenant, having realised I wanted whatever we could save from the murk.

“I’d say we are winning. Still, as victory approaches that is the moment the enemy will struggle hardest.” The Major warned, and it seemed he was right, as the whole space vibrated then, a piercing squeal ringing out. The slimy mire separated, pulling apart, the flaming areas shoved aside, a few panicking eyes flitting frantically through the burning mess until they cooked, while the remainder surged into one corner, twisting into a parody of a Wyrm, long, thick body like a twisted tree-trunk, two metres thick, the head vaguely reptilian, but eyeless, the fangs writhing, sharp tendrils that oozed inky drool. The mouth roared, black spittle scattering, and then hundreds of eyes appeared, red, yellow, black… all hideous and with slit pupils. They focused on us, eyes rolling crazily, before it charged, moving surprisingly rapidly for its size.

“Shit…” the Major opened fire, his bullets peppering it, while flame roared from the Lieutenant. Eri, realising that was a fight she had no place in, hurled her blazing axe, and it struck the charging serpent of eyes and sludge, biting deep. It reared, tentacles spraying from the wound, only for light from Haru-san to scorch then.

Hope Devourer [Corrupted kami] was what my eyes saw it as now, and each individual eye was now a Sorrowful Watching Eye. “Right, that’s the target.” I confirmed, using the momentary recoil from everyone else’s attacks to unleash my own. Spires of rock tore free from the ground, piercing the creature, preventing it from moving. Several eyes exploded, and as the remaining ones struggled to break free, spawning tentacles, arms and other hideous protuberances from the jiggling body, the beetle swarm attacked, as did Haru-san with her remaining energy. Eri had taken the pistol from Miyu before she left, so she opened fire, her aim not brilliant, but with such a large target at this range she couldn’t miss, and the bullets tore craters in the murk, one unlucky eye blinded permanently.

“All right then…” I created another rocky spear, the ends hardened with so much earth energy it was gleaming like rubies. I injected most of my remaining flame energy into the shaft, and with my great strength and a burst of air to accelerate it, I flung the spear, sending it piercing through the beast. It chomped down reflexively even as it was impaled, and the Foehn within sprang to life. It writhed, tearing itself apart as the rocky lances prisoning it shattered, and as it screeched, flaming fluids burning the eyes one after another, I gathered my water energy for the finishing blow.

“This is for Azuki…” I said, as the water gathered into a shining sword-like form, glittering fragments of earth energy held within, sparkling. “Spirit Water Cutter, Ruby Moonlight!” I named it on the fly, ignoring the giggles from Eri and Haru-san, swinging down my arm, the sword transforming into a single long blade of high-pressure water, with gem-hard abrasive dirt within. It was a blend of water, earth and wind energies, and I was quite impressed with it. The Hope Devourer was not so happy, as the savage jet ground through the burning, torn body, bisecting it, eyes desperately fleeing, but being caught in the moisture that was spraying off it, casting rainbows in the air. The moonlight within was poison to it, and soon the beast was dissolving, a few remaining eyes washed out in a tide of inky filth, Foehn flickering fitfully as it continued to burn.

“Disgusting…” Eri said, stomping on a few of them, breaking them apart, while the soldiers finished off the others, and the scarab beetles feasted on the debris.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Eighty-Two to Eighty-Four. All of your Material statistics have increased by twenty-two. Aether has increased by fifty-eight.

Nice, that’s three levels in total. Honestly more than I was expecting. I briefly thought of my sis, who would be annoyed, as if I had only managed one more level she’d be able to get to nine. Well, I’ll make it up to her. Looking around, the remaining slime had dissolved into ether, as the Territory collapsed, the space around us shivering, violet sparks scattering. Uh, that doesn’t seem good.

“Okay, everyone out!” I gestured to the window, snatching up what items I could see around us with my remaining wind energy.

Eri grabbed her fallen axe and leapt through the shimmering portal, followed by Kikuchi-san and then Haru-san, who was sighing in relief.

“You too.” I told the soldiers, and after a brief moment of hesitation they were gone. I took one last look around, my senses tingling, and spotted the glitter of something wedged in the cracked stone floor. My wind hadn’t pulled it free, so I channelled a little earth, shattering the ground and hurling it my way. I snatched the object, before leaping through the rippling window, feeling spatial energies briefly, before I was tumbling onto the ground outside.

Looking up, I could see that the buildings around us that made up the Boundary version of Inuyama were shedding the tendrils and ropey tentacles that covered them, the black slime petrifying, before flaking away to powder that vanished into the still air. Eri reached down, helping me to my feet, and I dusted myself down too, curious at the small object in my hand. Looks like a seal of some kind… I pocketed it, and realised my arms were full of assorted junk.

“Here, let me.” Kikuchi-san said, taking the mismatched items off my hands.

“Great. We’ll sort through it all later. Hopefully there’s something of value there. Well, mission accomplished, right? So, how was it, being my liaison?” I asked, and the Major smiled.

“Intense. But it was surely an experience. I am not sure we could have handled that alone, could we, Lieutenant?”

“Well, I’d have given it a good go, but yeah.” He admitted, giving me a delinquent grin. “Maybe with the other guys too… but I think it didn’t get to show its true strength. You started by burning the bastard, then that water… shit, how many abilities do you have?”

“Well, who knows?” I shrugged. “Still, everyone must have grown stronger. If I got three levels, even though I did most of the work, I’d expect you all gained at least twice that. Maybe more.”

“I do feel stronger.” Eri said, but then yawned. “But I admit… I’m exhausted now. You and Shaeula were really lucky before. That horrible thing was brutal and disgusting.”

“Yeah.” I didn’t disagree. “Still, I’ve laid that ghost to rest, and more importantly, I have a benchmark of how far I’ve grown, now. Duke Myrcolaxriath was more dangerous, surely.” If I had to take on the Duke alone, could I do it? Before, no. Now, after gaining water and darkness, and a few other boosts? It’s not impossible, but it’d be stupidly risky and I’d put my odds at maybe one in ten, and that might be generous. Still, the gap has narrowed… hoping Shaeula was doing all right, back in the Seelie Court, I sighed.

“Oh well, I think we’ve done what we came for. Now all that remains is to see if the atmosphere here clears up and the suicides and disappearances go down. Though I think it’s too late for any Chosen here.” There should have been one, maybe two, by population anyway, but sharing a small, compact city with that… yeah, they’re dead, I bet. What a waste. “So, we should get back. My sis and Miyu will be worried about us. We can debrief when we return.”

“Sounds good. I know this isn’t my material body, but I still think I want a bath before we go.” Eri said. “How about you, Haru-san?”

“I… I guess so.” She nodded, still processing the battle, but she had performed well enough.

“Great, well, the tub looked big enough for two, want to go in together?”

As the girls bantered, the Lieutenant put a hand on my shoulder, again looking like a delinquent doing a shakedown, despite his uniform. “So, want to tell us about how you get guns to work here then? We’re soldiers, we should have weapons we are familiar with. And the Major… well, it makes him a little redundant, doesn’t it?”

“No, your ability has much greater potential.” I assured Major Sasaki. “Your ammunition is only limited by your skill, and it can be a spear and other long weapons as well, right…” Yeah, this isn’t awkward at all. We do kind of overlap here, what with my Foehn and Ixitt’s guns. Still, I don’t see why I have to feel bad…

As Eri and Haru-san disappeared, returning to the Material, I made good my escape as well, knowing the inquisition would likely continue momentarily…

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