On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Five Hundred And Thirty-Three

With a grunt of pain, I completed another space-traversing step, coming to a rest outside the hotel we had been staying at, stumbling and crashing very painfully into a parked car outside. My feet were barely held together by strips of sinew, now mostly just bones, and blood was sloshing from my boots when I moved. Yeah, doesn’t matter how tough I am, the adherence of the Geas is more than capable of overwhelming me… but…

Ether Healing was working and given time I would make a full recovery. As the owner of the car, which seemed to be a police vehicle, panicked, leaping out and pulling a gun on me, shouting at me to stop, I raised my hands conciliatorily. “Sorry. I’m with the guests here… though that may be hard to believe.” I looked down, seeing my ragged state. It had been thoroughly exhausting, using my new Skill to traverse the whole of South Africa in what was surely only minutes. Even with the greater production and efficiency of my spatial element, I was running on empty, only enough to make space travelling steps a few more times.

So yeah, this Skill doesn’t solve all my problems. At least not yet. Sure, I can get where I need to go fast, but if I had to make it back to Britain or Japan, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Unless I Rank up the Skill and my crown Chakra of course. I’ll work on it…

The stress of using so many complicated Split Thoughts had likely strained me, as my thoughts were racing a bit, but back in the Boundary, I was finishing up dealing with Dino’s followers, who had lost all hope seeing Dino vanish, his form of wind and lightning disintegrating. I was also further Healing Midas and Hermodike, making sure they would survive the Conquering of their Anchors and the subsequent removal of their Favours.

Taking a deep breath, letting my Resilience calm me, I was about to speak, when I head a familiar voice, though the words were slurred and hard to understand. “Watch… where you’re… touching, jackass. I’m fucking hurt…”

Glancing over at the hotel, which was crawling with armed guards, the police as well as a small military detachment, the rich and important guests being ferried out by their own security, I could see Aliyah and Trey being carried out by an emergency medical team on stretchers. I felt relief when they were still alive, despite having spoken to her only a few minutes ago. Seeing is believing.

“I need to question you!” the Officer was saying. “This is a restricted scene!” He pointed his gun at me, but I ignored him.

“Later!” I promised, rushing over. On seeing me, Aliyah cracked a smile, her expression wildly ghoulish with her face a ruin, teeth missing and one eye blind. “You… don’t look so good.” I managed, feeling rather guilty that she had to face Chosen despite not being one.

“No shit…” she managed. “I bet… I look… better than…  I fucking feel. But… you ain’t… got time to be here, jackass. The rich girl, her naïve… little bodyguard… and the old… man…”

Trey, who looked in better shape, though he had clearly been battered and shot a number of times, his limbs all braced up, grunted his agreement.

“Aliyah’s right. We’re not dead, so… you can fix us, can’t you? Get the hell out there and find them… letting kids die isn’t right. Besides…”

“…they trusted… you’d keep them… safe.” Aliyah managed, though the efforts exhausted her. The medics attending to her snapped at her to calm down and sleep, trying to administer anaesthetics to knock her out, but she cursed them to silence, before continuing, fixing me with her ghoulish ruined stare. “…I know the old man… would say he’s… used to kidnapping attempts… but… isn’t this why everyone puts… you… in charge?” The long conversation seemed to exhaust her, and she squeezed her remaining eye shut, before forcing out a final few words. “Prove you’re… worth it, bastard.”

“What my sis wants to say is… do what you can, no regrets.” Trey managed, bringing a weary snort from his sister. “This wasn’t your fault, but… that doesn’t always make it easier. Now… they can’t have gone too far… you got back so quickly. No idea how. But… shit, if they’re smart, they’ll go to ground, hide…”

I nodded, quickly pouring a little Healing into both of them. It wasn’t enough to effect any major repairs, but it further pushed them out of danger and eased their pain. “Don’t worry…” My Eye blazed brilliantly, stronger than ever, the amber glow surprising the police and military around us. I could see the commanding Officer, who seemed to be in charge, with the hotel manager, and he was coming this way.

“…they can’t escape me. They won’t escape.” Pouring aether into my Eye, further strengthening it, I felt a brief wave of dizziness as it was like I was a bird of prey, with incredible visual acuity. I usually do this when I’m stargazing with Eri… how I wish I was having that sort of fun now… It was harder on my brain, as I could also see through most ordinary obstacles, so the processing of visual data was abnormally high. Leaping up onto a nearby ambulance then up onto one of the ornamental trees that were planted on the approach to the hotel, I quickly clambered to the top, extending my visual range. There. Got you…

I could see a non-descript four-by-four truck speeding towards the outskirts of Cape Town. In the back, only Ichijou-san was close to calm, Mayumi-san was pale-faced and hyperventilating, a woman with a cruel-looking face beside her, while Katana-san was tied up with what looked like industrial copper wire, one arm broken, her face swelling. I guess she tried to resist…

There was a driver, as well as two strong-looking men, rounding off the passengers, and they were armed with guns. So I’ll need to be careful… but again, at least they’re alive. As the commanding Officer who was attending this incident shouted up to me, I ignored him, vanishing in a spray of purple motes of energy which quickly faded behind me like a shower of violet ashes, my recovering feet suddenly ripped apart again, bones cracking.

Landing suddenly on the bonnet of a car travelling around sixty kilometres an hour was nothing to me, but I did worry for the passengers, especially Katana-san, who was injured. Fortunately they’d all had Chirurgery, so even Ichijou-san was stronger than the average adult in their prime. I channelled aether, dispersing the force of deceleration, cocooning them, but the driver of the car wasn’t so lucky, his head slammed forwards into the wheel, stunning him. The other ordinary thug was thrown forwards, seatbelt preventing him from taking injury, though he was dazed, and his gun fell free.

The two Chosen obviously weren’t halted, and the stone-faced woman, a hint of cruelty in her eyes, brandished a pair of brutal-looking scissors towards Mayumi-san’s face. Mayumi-san was hollow-cheeked and with a dead stare, barely responsive, but as the woman declared “Whoever the fuck you are, back off, or else I might…” I unleashed a precise barrage of light and wind elements. The scissors fell from her hands as her wrist was pierced, blood blooming, and her body was punctured in multiple other places, cutting important muscles and tendons, rendering her helpless. The back window shattered as my wind struck it, glittering shards of glass showering out into the night, surrounded by a citrine glow. The woman then went sailing out of the window, trailing streams of blood, hitting the pavement hard and rolling across the road with a pained cry and curses.

The second Chosen was also targeted, but his skin was suddenly covered in a metallic sheen. It wasn’t enough to fully prevent my focused beams of laser-like light from doing him injury, but metal liquefied and seared his skin underneath. My wind slammed him, but his weight was heavier than expected, so he merely hammered into the door, which buckled under the impact, rather than flying out of the vehicle.

I can deal with that. Kicking through the cracked and pierced windshield, shattering it, ignoring the knifing pains in my feet, I grabbed the Chosen, driving into him like a spear. We crashed out of the car, and he landed below me, his metallic armour still shielding him from the worst impacts. His fists flailed at me, his face twisted into a rictus of pain due to the burns and craters my laser light had left on his skin, but I grabbed his wrists, my Eye glowing as my face twisted into a baleful expression.

“You shouldn’t have gone after those of us who don’t fight.” I warned. He tried to headbutt me, but my elbow cracked his metal plating, dazing him. “Now… you have to pay for what you’ve done…”

Screams rang out as I quickly severed free his Favour, not paying too much care in how I dealt with his Chakra network. A quick pass of Healing to keep him alive, and he had fainted, metal skin vanishing. His injuries were suddenly severe enough to keep him in rough shape, but I had little sympathy for him, especially seeing the wretched state of Katana-san and Mayumi-san’s withdrawn, terrified stare. I could see that Ichijou-san, with the experience of age, and the vigour of Chirurgery, was now trying to untie Katana-san now the opportunity presented itself.

The woman had dragged herself to her feet and was swearing in a sulphuric mix of what was probably Afrikaans, English and some other native tongues. She could barely move, but her eyes were full of hatred as she scowled at me, and a surge of aether was rising, poisonous fog leaking from her mouth, nose and ears. Behind me, Ichijou-san cried out a warning. “Be careful, Akio-kun! That smoke turns into deadly poisonous snakes, it killed my hired guards…”

“Too late!” the woman laughed, cackling madly, blood sheeting down her battered face, as she jerked and shuffled like a zombie. “May Mamlambo bring you the misfortune you deserve!”

“You’re a slow learner…” I observed, completely unconcerned. A jade typhoon surged around me, and the snakes of poisonous smoke were torn apart into a ball of compressed gas. I let a little leak out, and it burned the flesh of my finger I extended to it, but Ether Healing quickly adapted to it, restoring the corroding, blackening flesh to healthy pink in short order.

Mamlambo’s Brain-Eating Venom was what my body identified it as, and apparently it caused necrosis, swelling and fatal damage to the brain and nervous system. Though with my Ether Healing at the Rank it was, to me it was largely harmless. Seeing that, the woman snapped, howling and cursing, but moments later she was quiet, lying on the ground, rocking silently, as her Divine Favour was torn free, finishing this little skirmish.

Turning back to the hostages in the wrecked vehicle, I paused for a second, as my Eye flared orange all of a sudden, letters scrolling across my vision, along with a strange feeling of… comfort. Setting that aside for a moment, I wrenched the door free from the vehicle, before grabbing Katana-san and lifting her clear.

“It’s fine, let me deal with this.” I glanced at Ichijou-san’s hands, which were bruised where he had tried to use the fallen shears to cut the thick wire binding her. “Here.” I let out Ether Healing, soothing his aches.

“I am not the one in need, Akio-kun.” He insisted. “Ohta-chan here, she saw a chance when they were struggling to get us into the car and tried to help Mayumi escape…”

“Don’t worry…” Wires flew free as I effortlessly sliced them apart, though not before wincing as every step I was taking, and even standing right now, was less than fun on bloody feet. “I’ve plenty left in the tank. So, just what happened? Trey and Aliyah are alive at least, but I’ll have to take some time fixing them up…”

I pushed Katana-san’s broken arm into place, careful to numb her pain as much as possible. Bone knitted together and bruised and torn flesh began to regrow, the swelling in her face going down. I then frowned. “Sorry, this will hurt for a second…” I reached into the surprised girl’s mouth and gripped a tooth. With a sharp motion I pulled it free, and she yowled, even with the pain numbed. Moments later, her jaw began to itch, and slowly a new tooth was reconstructed, filling in the gap that was occupied by a broken molar.

“I’m grateful…” Katana-san muttered, looking at the broken tooth I was holding, which must have happened when she was hit. “But you shouldn’t be so careless with a woman. Hinata-sama will scold you.”

“She’d probably find it funny. Whether Shaeula’s corrupted her, or she was like that before…” I shook my head. “That’s not important. I’m not going to leave you needing dental work, and when it comes to teeth, it’s a lot easier to regrow a new one than fix a broken one. The same with Eyes… sadly…” Saying a silent prayer for Aliyah, I grimaced.

“I am glad they survived. They fought well and would have laid down their lives for us. Truly professional.” Ichijou-san approved. “Unlike the Chosen Ichijou house unearthed. Hinata-chan was right after all. They truly were inferior to you, Akio-kun. But then, nobody is invincible. Your companions managed to kill one of the enemies, by working together and putting their lives on the line.”

“I’ll be sure to give them a bonus, and I’d love to give them a vacation, but… not just yet.” Katana-san had regained her colour, and was working her restored arm, spinning it in circles to check her range of motion was restored. Seeing me watching, she flushed a little, before carrying on the explanation.

“Ordinarily, there was no merit in risking Ichijou-sama and Mayumi-sama’s safety by any reckless actions, but as we were taken away, I came to the conclusion that they wouldn’t hurt them physically, due to wanting ransom and not wanting to provoke the Japanese too far. I would only have been risking retaliation on my own person, which I was more than prepared to risk.” she confided, her word choice and tone much more relaxed and informal with me than I had ever heard from the quiet, reserved, often male-dressed girl. It’s not like I know her as well as Kazumi-san or Michiru-san, but… her attitude has changed.

“Mayumi-san…” She looked over at her charge, her face concerned, as Mayumi-san was still sitting there quietly. I had also knocked out the other ordinary thugs with precise flicks of wind, so there was no danger, but her quiet was… unnerving. If not unexpected. She’s been through a traumatic experience, it seems…

“…she started to panic. She was calm at first, but that woman…” Katana-san turned and glared venomously at the fallen Chosen who I had robbed of her Favour. “…couldn’t resist taunting Mayumi-sama with those scissors, saying what she’d like to do if the ransom wasn’t paid, about how a finger or an ear or a nipple would make a wonderful enticement to pay up, and that she could snip off something else daily until the ransom was paid…” If looks could kill, the woman would certainly be dead from Katana-san’s fury. “When the moment came that they tried to bundle her into the car, I saw my chance. I reacted, but… it was useless. I’m just not strong enough.” Her fury faded, now replaced by self-loathing. “I was right, fortunately. They beat me, but even I have value as a hostage, it seems. Though they did threaten to hurt Mayumi-sama if I tried anything in future. In ways that wouldn’t show up.”

“Don’t worry, they won’t be hurting anyone anymore. They’re done. You’ll make sure of it, won’t you Ichijou-san? Anyway, can you call a car to take you all to the hospital? I’ll meet you there to make sure everyone is fine. I have a … small matter… to deal with first.”

“Yes, I’ll handle it. This is an international incident. Another one. It seems you have either very terrible, or rather fantastic luck, depending on how you look at it.” Ichijou-san rubbed at his bearded chin idly, trying to regain his poise. “Oh, and enough with the formality. Just call me uncle Kira. And I’m sure Mayumi doesn’t need a stuffy -san from you. I would say she’s cute enough to be a -chan at the least!”

“Uncle?” I raised an eyebrow at his unusual request. Before I could comment on his advanced age, he snorted light-heartedly.

“Yes, while we are called the Three Grandfathers by the nobility, and it’s a title of respect, I’m as sprightly as a younger man, especially after your Chirurgery. Mayumi and my family won’t be burning incense for me any time soon, so yes, uncle will do.”

“As for me… I see you as a fellow warrior.” Katana-san dipped her head in respect and thanks. “You kept your word and saved us. So simply call me as you would a close friend. Though…” She paused for a moment, confused. “You were in Botswana. How did you get back here? There’s none of those Ring Gates here, is there?”

“And how’s Hinata-chan?” Ichijou-san… no, Kira-san, I supposed, asked, concerned. “I hope she’s safe too?”

I nodded. “Yes, there was trouble, a lot of it, and things got messy. I think my dreams of squeezing in a few side trips before I go to America have died…” I sighed at that. Still, a certain retrieval of Egil Andersen’s body and Seeds is better than a potential recovery from other locations. This has taught me I need to secure what I can and go from there. “…I think we’ll need Minister Morita-san in on this mess.” I said another silent prayer, this time to Morita Yuna-san, who was Japan’s Minister for Spiritual Matters.

“That bad, huh? Worse than this?” He frowned, and I shrugged in response.

“Potentially. Though so long as we get out of the situation without any major international tensions it will have been worth it. Though we lost two Chosen over this mess…”

“Better we found out they were unreliable now, rather than when you weren’t here to intervene.” Katana-san shook her head, coldly pragmatic, perhaps remembering their performance.

“Ohta-chan is right. It was a terrible experience, but… it worked out in the end. I always choose to look on the bright side. It’s why I became a monk in my golden years. Not that I was able to stick it out. Too wedded to Earthly pleasures, I’m afraid.”

As Katana-san laughed softly, Mayumi-san stirred, her thoughts seemingly rebooting. She blinked her brown eyes at us, before looking around, seeing the two Chosen who mentally tormented her lying beaten and broken on the road, the vehicle she was travelling in wrecked, with unconscious men inside. She shuddered, before gingerly clambering out, though her shaking hands betrayed her fear.

“She’s Katana, grandfather! I gave her a perfectly good name!” Mayumi-san’s voice was as bright as ever, though an octave lower, and the quaver in her words was another sign she was on the edge of panic.

“Maybe so, but… I think she’d rather be Ohta-chan right now.” At his words, the bodyguard blushed, looking down. “Anyway, Mayumi. Now isn’t the time, but… let this be a lesson to you. No matter how old our family, and how influential, a madman with skill and strength can undo it all. Now more than ever. But…” Seeing his granddaughter’s pale face, he relented. “We can talk about this later. When things have… calmed down somewhat. Hinata-chan should be involved as well. Since she carries the same burden now.”

“Not quite the same.” I shook my head. “Hinata… she can now protect herself.”

“I see.” Kira-san understood from my words. “A benefit indeed, but… problematic. Yes, poor Morita-san will have her work cut out for her. Anyway…” He made a call, and soon sirens were blaring, police and an ambulance coming our way. “…you have business, you said?”

“It shouldn’t take long.” I advised. “Then I’ll regroup with you all at the hospital. We’ll need a new hotel, anyway…”

“Are you… don’t go!” Mayumi-san suddenly grasped my sleeve, face ghostly white. She seemed surprised she had, and was embarrassed, but her fear overwhelmed her. “I… look, we could still be targeted!”

“It’s fine. I’m just stepping away for a couple of minutes.” I gently disentangled her fingers from my arm. “If there’s any danger to you all, I’ll stride back in a moment. Just like I did this time.”

For a moment there was silence, Mayumi-san looking at her hand I had touched, face pink, before she nodded, and managed in a tiny voice. “See that you do. Hinata… Hinata would be very sad were I to come to harm. I hope… you would be too, Akio-kun.”

“I sure would.” I agreed. Yes, Mayumi-san is incredibly frustrating, self-entitled and haughty, but… she’s Hinata’s best friend. And I wouldn’t want any girl to go through terrible kidnappings and be threatened with cruel tortures…

“Good. Good!” Mayumi-san’s tone grew firmer. “Katana, grandfather… we should be careful. Maybe we should take the guns?”

As Katana-san tried to argue why that was a terrible idea, I waved, before heading off a short distance, turning down some smaller, more deserted streets, my Eye guiding me. Once I reached my destination, I could see two figures dressed largely in red, ones I had expected, ever since this mess erupted.

“Rha! You look like some shit a monkey’s been throwing, Hero.” Nkosi sneered, though his expression didn’t look particularly hostile. “What happened to your fucking feet? You’re walking like an old woman carrying a five-gallon jug of water ten miles from a watering hole.”

“It’s simply the price of being fast.” I snorted, unwilling to humour the man. His beads had seen better days, a number of them missing, and others were smeared with blood, as was his chest, but he seemed unharmed.

“Indeed. It is like the tale of the Antelope, who on being called to aid Anansi, ran until his feet were bloody and raw to outpace the flames, carrying the spider on his back away from the bushfire. You strode on feet raw, yet here you are, in time again.” Zozibini spoke in a sing-song voice, as if narrating. “And the moral of that Spider Tale? No good deed goes unrewarded.”

“Good deeds, huh?” I frowned. “It was all you. From when the Scales Of Judgement were produced, to Midas and his attempt to take from me, Dino and his treachery, the attack on the hotel…”

“Best keep a civil tongue…” Nkosi scowled in what I could only feel was dramatic irony. “This isn’t Japan, this is South Africa! Our home. Rha! Show us some damn respect.”

“Oh I am. I’m resisting the urge to lose my temper.” I assured him.

“Don’t worry, great Nkosi.” Zozibini soothed, her beautiful dark hair swirling in the ocean breeze, perfectly matching the wine-red suit she wore. “He will not attack us. After all, he knows how the Spider weaves his Threads, and how they pull.”

“It’s not like we did nothing. We took out most of those sent to the hotel by that pair of dangling balls Dino. Is he… dead?” Nkosi asked.

“I should say so.” I agreed. “Midas and his wife aren’t, though… their story likely ends here. As for attacking…”

“I’m Qamata’s shining sun.” Nkosi scoffed, waving his spear. “If you do, you’ll get burnt to ashes.”

“I don’t think so.” I disagreed. “But… I’d like to ask about… As the Fairy Mmoatia, you have navigated this story, this web of interconnecting tales and strands of Fate and Fortune. Along with Osebo the Leopard, and those in your service, you evaded becoming a mere participant, strangled by the weavings of the web, and now your story continues, as a seed of the great Wisdom of the World.” I repeated the first part of the message I had seen once I had defeated the Chosen who abducted Mayumi-san and the others.

“That’s too perfect. Fuck me…” Nkosi wheezed, laughing uproariously. “He now calls himself the Fairy. You had him pegged, Zozibini.”

“As always, you are amused by the wrong thing, great Nkosi.” Zozibini chided him, before smiling at me, alluring and brilliant. She was gorgeous ordinarily, but I had a feeling she had a phenomenal Charm Statistic on top of that too. “Yes, none was better suited to be the Fairy Mmoatia than you. For you are not exactly human, are you?”

“Human enough. But that’s only a label, nowadays, and I’m sure you know that.”

At my words, she nodded. “Of course. The Ancestors and other powerful beings who dwell within the Ancestral Land… there are those who are peaceful, kind, sharing, wise. And those that are warlike, cruel, avaricious and foolish. Just as we humans are. In the stories, the Spider Tales, animals, forces of nature, tales themselves, have sapience, are beings as flawed and with the potential of us humans. Sometimes we forget that, dreaming that we are the masters of our fate. But no… we are just walking on spider webs ourselves.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re not culpable. People died.” I pointed out, and she shrugged.

“You wished your Seeds, no? Dino wished yours, as did Midas and his unfortunate wife. The players assemble, the tale was due to be lived. All I did was… participate, alongside great Nkosi here.”

“And what did you wish for? The Seeds?” I asked, and it was Nkosi who answered.

“Rha! Don’t be a stupid pile of rhino shit. That power isn’t for us! Too chaotic, too… hard to handle. No, I just wanted Dino and his group of hippo-fuckers dealt with.”

“But that’s a lot of South Africa’s Chosen lost… isn’t that a concern? I thought you were a patriot, the Lion of Africa?” I ignored his thoughts on the Seeds. He wasn’t wrong, it had led Dino to his ruin, but that wasn’t necessarily the fault of the Seeds, just that the temptation of power, the improper use, was too much for those without a strong will.

“And I suppose you let all the rotten fucks who get drunk on power just wander around Japan?” Nkosi scoffed, equal parts offended and amused. “Dino and his scum are vultures, hyenas. No, that’s a fucking insult to carrion eaters. They’re locusts. They’ll eat and eat without a fucking care, until nothing is left but ruin. Then they’ll turn on each other. Best cut out the rot.”

“Great Nkosi is so compassionate, the fate of Africa on his shoulders.” Zozibini laughed musically. “But to act ourselves… that is troublesome. Not just us here in South Africa and Botswana, but across the continent, we fight, we consolidate, and we make agreements. Some would call us warlords…”

“I prefer tribal leaders…” Nkosi muttered, and she continued.

“…but we are bringing harmony, protecting our interests and that of South Africa and its inhabitants. Much as you are doing in Japan. So… while we fight often, and many of us perish…”

I see. “It helps your cause now that I, an outsider, came in and dealt with them. I can be a warning, an incentive, and your hands are clean. I’m impressed.”

“You don’t sound very happy.” Nkosi chuckled.

“Because I’m not. You used me, and while I can live with that, for the right reasons… you put Hinata, Mayumi-san, the others in danger!”

Seeing I was furious, Zozibini shook her head. “You misunderstand. I merely tugged on the strands a little. To claim I direct the stories is hubris. I merely guide our roles a little. Had you not sought your Seeds, the tale would have played out rather differently, with Dino, the one you call Midas, and great Nkosi clashing. We would have suffered great losses, though I daresay in the end, we would hold wisdom, Nyame’s tales ours.”

“Take responsibility for your own actions, Hero.” Nkozi sneered. “Fuck, we do for our own. If you feel aggrieved, I don’t mind taking you on, spear to spear, but… sure, you lost a couple of guys, Chosen, you call them. I think whatever God smiled on them was more of an ass than Antelope, when Rabbit tricked her into a pot and cooked her alive. They’re useful for nothing but being prey for the strong.”

Appalled at his callousness, I grimaced. “And if it was your people who died to my scheming? I think just like Dino, you think because I’m polite and reserved and don’t like trouble, I’m a pushover!”

“Hardly.” Zozibini assured me. “It is simply that you are a reasonable man. I saw that during the incident with the Scales Of Judgement. It is hard to hide alterations to the Tales from me, I can sense tugging on the strands. You asked your little blonde girl to aid me. And no good deed goes unrewarded. She is now part of this story and received some of your rewards.”

The rewards, huh. It’s true… In addition to the amber text I had thought on previously, I also received two points in Foresight, two points of Fortune, and four points of Fate. Intangible stats were hard to raise, so the rewards weren’t insignificant. Despite that…

“You put those under my protection at risk! And one of the girls isn’t doing so well, she’s traumatised by the whole affair.” Fortunately, Haru can likely help, though I feel bad adding more to her schedule.

“Quit your damn bitching. Rha!” Nkosi shook his head, running a hand through his fiery hair. “You can’t expect to come to our country and treat it like it’s your own, taking what you want. Consider it a toll. Besides, you managed to protect what matters most, didn’t you?” He turned his head and spat, earning a disapproving frown from Zozibini. “So you weren’t asked if you wanted to take part. You ask everyone you’ve fought?”

“What great Nkosi means to say…” Zozibini interjected, calming the rising tension. “…is that stories without risk have no rewards. But we do feel a measure of responsibility, since you aided me, asking for nothing. But since it seems your companions are the wronged party… we shall ask them what they would deem as suitable compensation. I would not think you weak. Though being overly kind is weakness, many of the Spider’s Tales end poorly for those too naïve and soft-hearted to protect themselves and others. Yet just as in this tale, good deeds can be rewarded. But casting down Dino and Khumo is no easy feat. Even with your feet…” She smiled gently at my discomfort. “…I would perish in a moment, and great Nkosi… it would be a fight for the ages, lion versus alligator.”

“In your case, it would be more like tricking Elephant and Whale into pulling the rope against each other, not you, woman.” Nkosi snorted. “Now, we will come another day, to talk about this shit. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

With one final grimace, I nodded. “Don’t think this is over. I just need to make sure everyone is safe before we discuss this further.”

“Rha! I’m so scared of you, I’m shaking.” Nkosi snorted sarcastically. “Come, woman. It’s late… no, early, so I need my bed.”

With that the two departed, Zozibini smiling warmly at me before she turned away, and I was left scratching my head. I had a definite urge to punish them, regardless of their intentions, it had almost gone extremely badly for Kira-san and his granddaughter, Katana-san too… but in the end it wasn’t so easy. This isn’t Japan, I can’t do as I please. Honestly, I can’t even do it back home, though I certainly have more freedom due to my backing, so long as I don’t go too far…

I pulled out my cracked phone, sighing. I would need to buy a replacement, an expense I’d never have countenanced six months ago. There was a message from Kira-san, explaining they were on route to the hospital, but that the police and military of South Africa would be meeting me there, for an informal chat. Since the Japanese embassy was in Pretoria, instead the British Ambassador to South Africa was coming to assist us, since he was at the Kumba-Stillwater gala and hadn’t returned yet. The Japanese Ambassador was on his way, while the head of the local Japanese consulate of Cape Town was on route and would arrive imminently.

Yeah, this is going to be a headache and a half…

Back in the Boundary, I had finished with the Favour collection. I was actually holding five now, which was fairly unsustainable, though fortunately breaking down plenty of others had given me enough adherence to last for quite some time. Donovan’s old Favour, that from Taranis, was now paired with Shango’s from Dino, as well as the most suitable one remaining from his followers, a martial Favour from Nkunim, a god of victory in battle, and now the poisonous snakes of Mamlambo, and the metallic blessing from Ògún, a warrior and master of metalwork.

This is an even bigger bounty than when the Chinese invaded. But it’s a great loss to Earth. Though I daresay the Gods might disagree, as during this mini Kodoku ritual here, I swallowed up a lot of the other insects and grew stronger and more venomous…

Fortunately, the battles seemed over, so my flayed consciousness, overworked wildly having to perform so many attacks, feats and careful workings of Ether Healing and Chirurgery in both realms at once, was now able to calm down. Soon, I had restored Hermodike to reasonable health, and she opened her eyes, face twisted in an expression of pain, before she suddenly remembered where she was and what had happened.

“No, Dino… he… husband, where are you?” She looked around, only to gasp in horror as she saw Midas lying unconscious beside her.

“It’s fine.” I assured her, and she looked at me in fear, clutching her golden scarf, bracelets rattling around her arms, and aether began to rise, despite the loss of her Favour. “He’s lost the Territory and Ajé-Shaluga’s Favour, but I’ve Healed him through the worst of it, and like you, he’ll recover.”

At my words, the aether died down, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The scarf of golden hair and the other jewellery she wore were items crafted by Midas using his enhanced Favour, and they were actually rather potent in defence. If Dino had attacked her directly, rather than taking out her Territory, it might have gone poorly for him. Glancing at her husband, she turned back to me. “And Dino…?”

“Dead, I’m certain. If not, he’s like you. No, worse off, as there’s nobody to fix his injuries, and he doesn’t have those protective charms your husband gifted you.” Seeing I realised what her jewellery was, she clutched them tighter, and Christina scoffed behind me. She still looked terrible, all the effort I’d undertaken to fix her prior scars undone, but she seemed unconcerned about that, except when I glanced over to her, when she started to hide the worst of them with her hair, twitching and squirming shyly in a very off-putting manner. Still not done with her infatuation, I see. How… lucky I am. Do I just attract crazy women? No, that’s not fair to Hyacinth, she’s positively charming in comparison. Though if I must be fair… it’s not the same, as I know what Christina did, but Hyacinth’s potential acts of evil are in the distant past, in places I don’t know…

“If you think he is interested in your trinkets, you aren’t thinking clearly. He has better himself. Though I admit, I’m rather curious…”

Hermodike hugged the scarf close, backing off, and I scolded Christina. “Come on, that’s not helpful.” Turning back to Hermodike, I spent a while reassuring her, though it took an hour, until I woke up Midas, for her to fully calm down. As he woke, he glared at me, his expression furious.

“You… you destroyed everything!”

“Actually, you and Dino did that.” I shook my head. “Loki’s Seeds were as chaotic as he supposedly is. Even if you didn’t allow me to take them, you sparked this war by trying to take mine. And it was me or Dino, either way your Territory and Favour were done.”

“I still… feel stronger than before? Though there is a deep, lonely emptiness.” Hermodike offered.

“Yeah, the Favour is a source of a lot of strength, but your subtle bodies have been changed regardless. I simply fixed up most of the damage. It’s not the end for you both, I know a couple of Chosen from Britain who lost their favours during the battle in London. But they keep training and persevering, hoping to fight alongside Princess Eleanor once more. But it is the end of Midas and Hermodike. The Favours were damaged significantly as they were extracted. I wasn’t letting that bastard Dino have them. Not that the dead have need of much.”

“Adam will be very pleased. There’s one off his proscribed list.” Christina giggled. “Even if Midas couldn’t do what he feared and create dangerous metals, he was still worried about shocks to the global economy and confidence by the potential crash of gold prices. Change is the enemy of the powerful, after all. Stability keeps America as king of the hill.”

“I’m not sure how happy he’ll actually be…” I sighed, ignoring her. “But if you want to fight, you can’t do anything.” I warned Midas and his wife. “Your trinkets are decent, but…” I unveiled Storming Moonlight, and tapped my ragged, slowly regenerating Brigandine. “I’ve dabbled in crafting myself. I can handle it if you try me.”

“Husband, we should… give up.” Hermodike said at last, and with a bitter frown, Midas looked around to see the imprisoned members of Dino’s group, those that he hadn’t killed with his golden dust anyway, in similarly bad shape. He then glanced at the remains of Loki’s Chosen, the Seeds missing.

“It seems I lost. What a farce.”

“Yes, but we were dancing on other’s strings. There was another winner.” I pointed out, and Midas understood.

“I see. So, the spider herself strangled us. I should have known. We had traffic, I sometimes provided gold for… expenses… when they needed to secure untraceable goods.”

“I’m guessing weapons and so on?” I asked, and he nodded, aggrieved.

“I would have preferred to partner with them over Dino and his bandits, but… she advised against taking what we offered. Not that we were antagonistic… I have no need to rule. But in the end, I was strong, but my wife… her power was not suited for struggle. I question Ajé-Shaluga’s wisdom.”

“I get that. There are a few Favours I’ve seen that don’t seem a wise investment, but… actually, they can be surprisingly potent if used properly.” Like Minerva’s Favour. Yes, Yasaka-san has almost no combat power, but… Skills can be learned, elements obtained… and with a Book that answers questions, all these opportunities can be grasped, as can the weaknesses of your foes… I daresay Hermodike had similar opportunities to leverage her gifts… “It also seemed like you were meant to be a pair. But that doesn’t matter. Like I said, that path is closed to you. Fortunately, Dino’s group is wiped out, and it seems that Nkosi’s forces aren’t antagonistic towards you.”

“I have other enemies. But… I suppose at least the Americans will stop hounding us.” He glanced at Christina bitterly. She looked a bit unsure, and merely shrugged, so I offered my suggestion.

“If I sought further vengeance, it wouldn’t sit right with me. I’d have to kill your wife as well, as she’s a part of this. But… I’ve retrieved the Seeds…” And your Favours. “… but don’t misunderstand me. If Hinata had suffered harm, you’d see just how forgiving I truly am. Now… since you’ve managed to avoid the US agents for a while, you must have other safe houses? And I’m assuming you’ve been squirreling away gold? You’d have to be a fool not to.”

Midas nodded. “I hardly appreciate your tone, but you are right. Yes, we have gold hidden here and in other boltholes. We can survive.”

“Good. And your wife can still use the items you bequeathed her. So she’s not as vulnerable as she appears. I suggest you both think very carefully about what’s next, but if I were you, I’d be lying low for the foreseeable future.”

At my words, the two of them exchanged glances, before nodding. “We will… discuss it.” Midas agreed, so I left them to it for now. Adelheid and Titan were both recovering their strengths after the hard battle, while Christina followed me. Once we were out of earshot, she leaned in close, though I managed to avoid her pressing her chest on me. She still seemed… strangely pensive and vacant, but she was making an effort to act the way she was when we first met. “Go on then, you can tell gorgeous Miss Christina the truth. You have Midas’ Favour, don’t you? No way you’ll let that one slip your grasp. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to let them off so easily.”

Am I so transparent? “Actually, I don’t.” I shook my head, and she laughed.

“Oh, lying by omission, I see. So, who did you give it too? Your young fiancée, I’m guessing?” she pressed, and since she was going to find out anyway, I nodded.

“Yes, I put together both of their Favours, and Hinata was compatible. I guess you could say she’s the new Midas now.”

“I’d keep that from Adam.” Christina chuckled. “Though now I want to study her abilities. Honestly, matter transmutation seems one of the more impossible, unscientific magics…” As she rambled on, Adelheid stalked over.

“Are we done then?” she asked, and I agreed we were.

“Great. This was horrible.” She scowled at the battlefield. “I had enough trouble when people kept hunting me down in Berlin. But that was tame, compared to this. But I suppose we’ve had a pig or two, considering the end result.”

I cocked my head, not understanding, and she explained. “It means to find good fortune. You don’t say that in English or Japanese?”

“Nope.” I laughed, my good humour returning. “I’m not sure why pigs are lucky, usually they just get made into sausages, right?”

“I never thought about it.” Adelheid shrugged. “So what’s next? Shit, I could use a holiday. I’ve only been following you for a day or two and now this…”

“I think you might get your wish.” I sighed. “This is likely to turn into a whole diplomatic issue, so we’re likely to have to stay here a few days. But I daresay there’ll be ample time for you to relax and enjoy yourself.” I emphasised the word and she smiled teasingly, looking like a little girl, her voice going singsong and high pitched.

“That’s big of you, mister. I’ll be sure to enjoy myself, along with your pretty girlfriend! But you’ll give me some money, won’t you? I want to buy some treats…”

“Stop that.” I grimaced. “I’m not a pervert you know, saying it like that makes it seem like I’m bribing little girls. Besides, you’re the one that keeps telling me you’re not a kid!”

She chuckled at that. “I’m just teasing. Us Germans are positively renowned for our sense of humour. So… can we get out of here?”

“Yeah, shortly. Hinata should be making arrangements to deal with our captives up above, and we just need to work out where Dino’s survivors dived in from and have them arrested. Then…” I glanced at Midas, who was comforting his wife, and the scene made me sigh. Yeah, no point being overly vengeful. It wouldn’t be good karma either… “…you’ve got quite the helicopter ride back again.”

“Lucky.” Adelheid snorted. “You’re already there. Though…” She glanced down at my feet, which were mostly healed but my boots were still smeared in silver and red blood here, mist faintly rising. “On second thoughts, a nice helicopter ride sounds just delightful…”

***

“I still can’t get over that.” Aliyah touched her face, which despite her rich, dark chocolate skin tones was oddly pale from the pain, even mitigated, of having her ruined eyeball and defunct teeth scooped out by my expert hands. Blinking her refreshed blue orb, she grimaced. “If nothing else, that’s one hell of a power.”

“Calm down, sis. It’s not like it’s anything to be so shocked about, is it? I mean…” He nodded over at our guests, Miss Lindiwe and her father, who were here to apologise, since they held themselves responsible for Dino’s rampages, considering he came to their party uninvited. Not that they could have stopped it.

“…didn’t he cure her aggressive cancer? It’s all the same, flesh, bone, blood…”

“Yeah, for some reason in stories, Healing doesn’t replace lost blood. I’ve no idea why. It doesn’t seem logical.” I shrugged. “Oddly enough, the actual hardest part was fixing the lingering problems Ixitt’s salve caused. Nasty stuff. But it did help keep you alive, so I’ll count it as a win. But I won’t be using any.”

“Yeah, I can handle pain, if I have to. Don’t like it though.” Trey agreed. At that, Aliyah snorted, and they started bickering about their past experiences about getting shot and stabbed, and Aliyah mocked Trey for ‘bawling like a bitch’ when a bullet was dug out his bottom. He shot back by saying she cried like a little girl the first time she got knifed in the ribs, and Aliyah snorted, the sound like ripping cloth.

“Fuck you, Trey! We all know I’m the toughest of us, I mean, all my scars are badges of honour. They’re impressive, right?” she asked me, and I nodded, before we realised Trey was silent, before he sighed, slapping his head.

“Bragging about how Akio’s seen every inch of your body again, sis?”

Aliyah realised that was what she had implied, and she looked embarrassed and horrified for a moment, before growling menacingly. “I told you about that in fucking confidence when I was under duress, bastard! Besides, you’re just jealous that he’d ogle me and not you. You don’t have the tits and ass for it bro, and you have a few dangling bits too much for his taste!”

Seems she’s decided it’s her brother’s fault rather than mine. Well, that’s good… I went over to the TV and turned it on. This was one of the best rooms in the best hospital in Cape Town, so the TV could get programmes from America, Europe, all of Africa, China, and of course Japan. Since it was getting on for five in the afternoon in Japan, the charity concert had been in full swing for a while, but I was curious, so after some fiddling with the channels, we brought up the coverage. I don’t recognise the group dancing right now, but… I of course recognised the host, Arisu-san, who was looking absolutely stunning. Chosen don’t really need makeup as their skins are usually perfect, but she’s wearing a little, applied with great talent. Instead of her usual black or red gowns, she was wearing a white and gold dress, a little daring but not too showy, elegant lace sleeves and chest piece keeping it from being overly revealing.

“She’s one fine looking woman…” Aliyah stopped arguing with her brother to admire her on the TV. “Though she’s certainly not my type. I don’t like the cold ones.”

“That’s… Arisu Arisugawa, isn’t it?” Miss Lindiwe asked, having seen our interview when it was broadcast internationally, making FujiTV famous internationally, and quite the sum of money. Though Arisu-san hasn’t forgiven the executive… I think his name was Miyauchi Masaki… for breaking his agreement with her. Nor the hosts that interviewed us. I know something’s going on behind the scenes there, but I haven’t had time to ask about it. It’s not really in my wheelhouse, anyway…

“It is indeed.” I agreed. “She’s a friend of mine, and best friend of one of my fiancées. She’s also a powerful Chosen in her own right. And really, this is her comeback, to show the world she was wronged and betrayed. So… I’m sad I’m not there to see it.” I grinned then, remembering. One advantage of being able to mentally communicate with Eri whenever I want is I can find out how things are going. Eri’s not that excited about the concert, not like my sis, Yae and Rika-chan, nor Kana and her friends, but… she is being productive. Apparently she and Daiyu are paying special attention to potential idols for Daiyu’s Sect. I still can’t believe we’re going to end up with a group of Cultivators that are mostly famous idols…

“Fortunately…” I continued. “…there’s plenty of us there to support her. Shiro will be there, along with the others.”

“That’s nice.” Miss Lindiwe smiled. “But, as for your situation… I apologise again.”

“As do I.” Her father, Mr Mandla approximated a contrite, Japanese-style bow. “I do hope this doesn’t sour things between us. My daughter lives thanks to you.”

“It’s tough for you to face down Chosen, I don’t blame you for failing. Just so long as you keep your agreements with us. I’ll handle pushback from Nkosi and his crew.” After they caught me in their schemes, I’ll not let them interfere with us any further.

“That would be… appreciated. Gone are the days when money solves all these sorts of problems, it seems.” Mr Mandla laughed nervously. “Anyway, I have explained on your behalf to the military and the National Director of Public Prosecutions, many of the dignitaries at our gala have responded with support as well. The calls from Miss Hinata helped a great deal.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” Hinata was busy on the flight, though she’d be here soon. She had been making calls, trying to stabilise the situation, cashing in favours and promises made to her at the gala. Kira-san had also pulled strings, and with the support of the British Ambassador, and soon to be our Japanese one, once he arrived, we’d be able to make some headway.

“I do hope this doesn’t colour your impression of South Africa. I would hate that.” Miss Lindiwe apologised again. “It’s a fine country, and with good people. It’s just… things have changed.”

I waved away her apologies, and I didn’t blame them. The hotel, I was less lenient with. Obviously, they were totally unable to stop armed men and Chosen busting in, but… they didn’t even try, leaked our room number, and delayed calling the authorities. Those responsible, no matter how coerced, had to be held responsible, and I knew Kira-san would be extracting compensation.

“In that case, you know where we are if you need anything. Anything at all.” Mr Mandla bowed again, before retreating, Miss Lindiwe promising to return when Hinata was back, and also expressing a hope that Mayumi-san would be feeling better soon. I assured her she was just tired from her ordeal, and as she left, Aliyah snorted again.

“No shit. It’s enough stress to really make a kid exhausted. But… she’s tougher than she looks, I reckon. Maybe it’ll be a wakeup call for her? Rich girl thought she was the centre of the world. Plenty of folks like that in the good old US of A, for sure.” As Trey nodded understandingly beside her, she made her point. “Sure, she might have understood she was in danger of being kidnapped, on an intellectual level, but she always believed in her security. But nothing’s certain in life. Now it’s happened, and she’s watched her security die in that horrible way, and watched us get our asses kicked… though we did kill a fucker…” Since she seemed to want praise for that, I gave it generously, and she grinned, proud. “…it’s shaken her world view, and her feelings of safety. She’s one of the lucky ones. She’s only got mental scars, and she’ll get over it in time. You’ve got that ghost girl, Haru, who can help too. But… it changes a person, seeing the ugly side of the world up close.”

“Yeah, we’ve fought in many countries. And we’ve seen some shit that makes me question whether God exists. I can understand killing for power, for wealth, even for honour… but some bastards take pleasure in it. That Anja chick was like that.”

“Yeah, it’s why I don’t like mean women.” Aliyah agreed. “Her and her damn scissors, she got off on threatening the girl. Of course, you put paid to that. Good fucking job. But our point is… she realised that she can’t rely on being Mayumi Ichijou to keep herself safe anymore. And her family name don’t count for shit when the scissors come cutting, her flesh bleeds just as easily as a common girl from the slums. So… it’s a shock. She’ll either grow from this, or she’s hopeless.”

“Don’t worry.” I nodded, understanding her viewpoint. “Hinata won’t let her break, and she’ll force her to confront reality. That’s what friends are for, right?” I winked, and Aliyah laughed, back in good humour, now her injuries were Healed. Though she did insist I left a couple of the new scars. She’s an odd woman, is Aliyah. I thought women all wanted smooth, unblemished skin. They were all in places easily hidden by her clothes, though…

“No shit. Anyway, Trey and I need our rest, we went through hell out there, waiting for you to run your ass back here. And we ain’t answering any questions the cops ask until we’re good and ready. You’ve got things to do, so scram. We’ll watch this concert of yours…” She pointed to the TV. “…Asian girls are growing on me. I’ve always liked them cute. Some of those outfits are damn nice. Anyway… can you at least get us some beers? I’m convalescing!”

“This is a hospital, sis!” Trey protested, and she smirked.

“The best hospital. And we’re only still in for checks, and to make sure that the bastards who attacked us get nailed by the law good and proper. Getting the pre-Healing injury reports was a great call.” She enjoyed the thought of her enemies getting what was coming to them. “Anyway, don’t bullshit me, Trey. You want booze too, I know it. We always used to get hammered when recovering from injuries back at the Black Wolf base.”

“I admit, it sure would be nice to have something a bit stronger right about now. I’m feeling a touch wistful.” He agreed.

“Fine, I’ll have some booze sent up, some food too.”

“In that case…” Aliyah shook her head at me, though it seemed off, as her hair beads had been taken out at the hospital, and her frizzy hair was now hanging down rather straighter than usual, framing her face. “…like we said, you’ve got places to be. Just don’t forget the damn booze!”

As I left, shutting the door behind me, leaving them watching the concert and chatting, hearing the casual chatter that clearly showed they were used to surviving life and death struggles, I smiled, heading for the room where Mayumi was sleeping, Katana-san, no, Ohta-san, as I didn’t want to treat her just as a bodyguard, watching over her. I’ll just look in on them, check everything’s okay, and then… ugh, time to deal with more international politics… I can’t say I’d rather have Mayumi-san and Hinata in danger, but I prefer honest battle to this sort of diplomatic skirmish. Shaking my head wryly, amused at how much I’d changed, I sought reassurance from Eri, who began regaling me with some tales from the concert…

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