Two Hundred And Sixty-Two

Two Hundred And Sixty-Two

The trip to Ryōan-ji had given us a lot to think about. On our way back to the lodgings we discussed it, and the only conclusion we could come to was that nothing had changed. So Shaeula and Shiro had to live, else there would be disaster. Well to me, if either of them died, that would be the true disaster. Apparently one of the daughters of the Imperial Family was a Candidate too, and also needed to be saved. Well, I had no obligation to help her, but it was impossible to lie to myself, hearing about her potential danger, I would at the very least meet with her as the Diviner wished. The Diviner... I suppose if one can see the future, even if its imperfect, the urge to accept it will creep up on you. Still, she did seem committed to changing it, and no wonder... if she knows her precious friend is going to die, and Japan will be ravaged too... and I expect there’s more. When she talked about the Red Dragon her voice wavered... Shaeula had asked me on the boat ride back whether I thought I was the one the Diviner had prophesied, and I had answered that it was the wrong question. The right question was could I prevent the disasters to come and save these Princesses (and the Diviner) anyway?

I don’t know, but I know I might want to try... Opening the door to our section of the ryokan I was greeted by a bit of a scene. Kana and her family had returned, and Kana was lying on her back on a sofa, hugging a cushion to her chest and kicking her legs like a child having a tantrum, her friends, and surprisingly enough my sis and Eri, trying to console her. Her mother and father were around the table, drinking, and her grandfather was talking to Shirohebi, a bitter scowl on his face.

“What happened?” I asked, and it was Hikawa-san, who had also arrived, who answered me on their behalf.

“Welcome back, Oshiro-kun.” He smiled slightly, looking a bit embarrassed. “Well, the Izumi family managed to grab a minute with Uchida-sama, which is quite an honour for such a small shrine. However...”

“That arrogant prick!” Kana yelled, cheeks puffed out with annoyance, her face red. “... no time to listen to a little shrine like ours, that didn’t even boast any chosen.” She sneered. “Grandfather tried to reason with him, but...” she let out a frustrated yell and started punching the cushion, furious. “... it’s thanks to us that you are even here, Akio! We were the shrine that found you, I found you, and we brought Hikawa-san in! And now he gets all the glory! I’m so angry!”

“Relax, Kana-chan!” Mio-san soothed her. “I get that you are annoyed, but you don’t want Akio-kun to see you like this, do you?”

“Yeah, Akio-kun will put him in his place!” Asami-san agreed, and even Takagi-san spoke up.

“Well, sorry Izumi-san. At least... well, don’t you have your kami? Won’t that surprise him?”

Eri looked at me, her eyes asking how our trip went, but before I could speak, Hikawa-san apologised. “Sorry Izumi-san. I think that Uchida-sama naturally assumed that as the more major shrine, all the achievements were ours, especially since I helped Oshiro-san get permission to attend Conclave. And I had mentioned Ren and my girls and their new strength thanks to his Chirurgery.”

“I find it quite vexing.” Kana’s grandfather complained. “Uchida-sama did not even listen. It does not bode well.”

“He’s very stressed.” Hikawa-san apologised for him, before turning back to me. “It seems that Susanoo faction is under significant pressure, Amaterasu is in the ascendant. However he does want to know more about your Chirurgery, as he hopes it can offset their paucity of Chosen, apparently Amaterasu has more, even after the... well, the deaths.”

“Don’t do it, Akio. Please!” Kana said suddenly. “I’d hate it if you helped that jackass! Toss him aside like the trash he is! If you do, I’ll... I’ll make it worth your while!”

Eri rolled her eyes at that. “Do be quiet, Kana-san. Akio can’t make important decisions based on you having a fit of pique.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Eri-san.” Kana changed the way she addressed her, possibly in response to Eri being more familiar with her. “But if you were in my position, and someone stole all your achievements and told you that you weren’t worthy to stand beside Akio, you’d be fuming, right?”

“She’s got you there, Eri!” My sis agreed, and the other girls nodded. They hadn’t spent much time together, only a few hours, but it looked like they had already worked her out.

“Speaking of, how was your meeting, bro?” Aiko changed the subject, not liking the tense atmosphere. “That Kudou guy, right?”

At that, Hikawa-san’s focus sharpened, as it did for the Izumi men. They all looked at me questioningly, and I shrugged. “Well, it sure was interesting. I met Takakura-san there again, and also the Diviner. She had a lot to say.”

“She kept calling me a beast. It was quite-quite offensive.” Shaeula pouted. Hyacinth giggled, and started pouring us some alcohol. My sis snatched a glass and started drinking it too. When objections were raised she merely laughed it off, saying I’d heal her up. That didn’t please the elder Izumi, who was like my father, very old-fashioned, but since I was in charge here and she wasn’t his granddaughter, he kept his silence.

“In any case, I learned something interesting. It seems that the Imperial Princess is a Candidate too. Princess Mikasa.”

“Really? That will just further bolster Amaterasu’s position. The Grand Shrine at Ise is dedicated to Amaterasu, so even though she remains in no faction, being part of the Imperial Family, there’s a certain expectation...” Hikawa-san mused. “Do you know which deity?”

“Amaterasu.” I said, and he winced.

“That’s a good omen for them. The factions are named after Gods, but obviously the Gods themselves are not involved, but we are superstitious, certainly. It will seem an omen to those who are wavering.” He looked at me cautiously then. “So, what of Kudou-san. Is he going to support you?”

“Not yet. Tonight some of his Candidates are going to evaluate me, and I can scout them out. Even so... I’m appreciative of your help getting me an in with Uchida-san, but I don’t need support from someone who disrespects my friends.”

“Akio!” Kana cried, damp eyed. “I knew I could trust you!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” I warned her, causing her to pout again. “The situation has changed, I’m significantly more powerful with more allies than when I initially offered to aid him in return for some support. I want a fair arrangement. To that end, I’ll need to see him.”

“Good.” Hikawa-san said. “Because he wants to see you before Conclave. So if you are free now, we can go to Kiyomizu-dera. And bring these two.” He pointed to Eri and Aiko. “He’s curious about the Chirurgery, but these two aren’t chosen, nor are they from faith backgrounds, so seeing what they can achieve... it will likely impress him.”

“Cool, I wanted to go sightseeing. We should jump off the stage at Kiyomizu! It’s only thirteen metres, I bet we can take it! Then we get a wish granted, right?”

“Uh, it’d be a little risky with your stats, sis. Eri could tank it easily though.” I warned her.

“You sure? Well damn, that’s no fun.” She complained, only for Eri to say something surprising.

“I think you need Jishu-jinja shrine while we are there, Aiko. After all, if you are going to find love, it seems you need divine help!”

“No way, you betrayed me, backstabber!” Aiko howled, and the mood lightened. It also gave me an idea.

“Okay. Shaeula, ready to go back out? Hyacinth, you can sit this one out. I’ll take Aiko, Eri and Kana.”

“Me?” Kana said, surprised, dropping her cushion.

“Yes, you. You wanted to show Uchida-san you were important, right? Well, you were the one who found me, you weren’t wrong, so I’ll help you get the respect you are due.”

“Damn, that’s sweet.” Mio-san muttered, and Asami-san agreed.

“Good for you, Kana-san!”

“Are you sure about this?” Masaji-san asked. “I do feel our family and shrine was insulted, but there is no need to compromise your own interests for us.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Besides, it gives me an opportunity to see just how flexible Uchida-san is, and if he is someone I can work with. It’s too early to use Shirohebi as a trump card, and there’ll be the Candidates from Tsukuyomi faction coming over later, so having Grulgor and Hyacinth here makes me feel better in case of trouble.”

“Fine then” Kana bolted off the sofa, brushing down and straightening her shrine maiden hakama. “Mio-chan, grab me that brush, my hair is a mess. Damn, I do look a fright.” She caught sight of her reflection, and again there was more laughter, the tension lifting...

“Really? How very... amusing.” Shaeula sniggered, the only one who wasn’t impressed. “Such a tin female is not-not impressive.”

“Mind your tongue, this is a warrior of...” Yamato-san began, before Shaeula took a single step forwards, peering at the statue with her glowing amber eyes. With one small fist she surprised everyone, knocking on the gilded breastplate.

“Rather weak.” She scoffed. “Akio could break it with one-one hand if he wished. He would not-not even need a weapon.”

At that some laughed, and I could see one of the shrine maidens, who looked like a fashionable university student, with bleached blonde hair, one side shaved short, and numerous piercings in her ears and nose, smiling broadly, amused by everything. This mirth seemed to annoy Yamato-san and Uchida-san further, but in an act of self-control I could only applaud, they didn’t let Shaeula’s provocation tip them over the edge.

“Really? Well, would you be prepared to show the proof of that, Shaeula-san, was it?” Uchida-san asked, frowning.

“Just Shaeula. I am not-not from these lands.” She said, flexing one small fist. The next moment there was a loud clang, and the shield shattered, arm carried away as well. Hints of jade energy were dispersing, and Shaeula shook her hand, grinning. “A little harder than I thought. But you will kiss it better, will you not-not, Akio?”

Before anyone else could move, the golden warrior reacted, remaining arm swinging bared blade at Shaeula’s throat, moving quickly. I stepped forwards, making sure that my Might of the Furious Earth was still buffing my Fortitude. Catching the falling blade with my closed palms, I snapped it, before lashing out with a kick that broke the statue to pieces, leaving it fading back into ether.

“Yeah, that’s a bit dangerous. Not that I’m worried about Shaeula, no way some crappy golden sword is going to hurt her. But we have other people here.” I said. “Still, I have to admit, that’s a pretty great skill. I assume they are a bit stronger or you can call upon more of them in the Boundary?” I mitigated my casual insult by sprinkling in some praise, and I was genuinely curious. It’s got the toughness of one of Grulgor’s trolls, I’d say, if a little less strength. If he can call upon a few of those, he can expand without too much trouble...

Yamato-san looked shocked at the way Shaeula and I had manhandled and wrecked his golden warrior, but at my compliment he puffed up, regaining his poise. “Yes, you do well to recognise it. I can indeed call upon more of the warriors. Through dedication to Kannon, I can now call upon six at once.” He paused, before feeling he had to give some ground back. “You are quite impressive, Shaeula. You too, Oshiro-san.”

“Yes, he is.” Kana spoke up. “And I was the first from any shrine to find them. It’s thanks to me and my family he is even here!”

“Well, that’s true.” Hikawa-san allowed. “Though I did a lot of the legwork growing his support.”

“Hey, wow, no need to fight.” My sis chimed in, and she was seconded by the shrine maiden from Susanoo.

“That’s right. Like, that was totally a show. I’ve not had the chance to see anything like that since I got here.” She giggled. “Hey, nice to meet you, I’m Minatogawa Mine, but you all can call me Mine, cool? Minatogawa is such a mouthful. Our shrine is in Kobe, so we’ve had quite the trip down here. Our enshrined kami is pretty much a nobody, but it was pretty wild to meet him, you know?” she talked rapidly, as if she was worried people would stop listening if she didn’t say everything she wanted to. “But yeah, I had a dream of Ugajin, which was damn weird, let me tell you. Ugh, it needs to make up its mind whether it’s a man or a woman. Anyway, so I got these powers, and ...”

“Mine-san, can you please be quiet?” Uchida-san complained, and she shrugged.

“Whoops, sorry. I just got excited by the show. Uh... carry on!” she said, abashed. Even so, she winked at us, and I found myself amused.

“All right then. I think we have wandered off-topic.” I sighed. “I can improve the abilities of others.” I gestured to the girls. “But I’m also pretty strong with a few other tricks. And I have other commitments, so coming under you and running a shrine isn’t something I would be interested in, I’m afraid. An alliance, however... where both sides give and take, that I can do.”

“You’ve seen my daughters and son.” Hikawa-san agreed. “And these girls here are even bigger successes. The limit on those able to enter the spiritual realm is what each faction is running up against, right? Well, with Oshiro-san that limit can be broken.”

“It’s still dangerous.” I said. “Sure, there are boosts and gains, but most will be far, far weaker than those chosen by the gods.”

“Most?” Uchida-san noticed my phrasing, eyes narrowing.

“Well, there are obviously exceptions.” I patted Eri on the shoulder, and though she was shy, being with so many unfamiliar people, she steeled herself and nodded politely.

“Good afternoon. I am Mori Eri. Akio helped me a lot, and now... well, I’m nothing compared to Shaeula and some of the others, but... I can hold my own.” She said proudly, a flicker of flame on her hands as she displayed a little of her elemental abilities. “And I had absolutely no connection to any spiritual matters or any talents before this.”

“Except for hard work.” I hugged her, causing Mine-san to whistle. “I can open doors, but it’s up to those who step through how much effort they put in.”

Yamato-san was looking at us, deep in thought. “I see. Well, how about this?” he said. “I cannot show off my true value here. Why not take this to the spiritual realm? I was having an... issue, that if you are that confident, I could use your help resolving. And I can see with my own eyes just how strong these girls are. Will that be all right, father?”

Uchida-san considered it. “I see no issues. Take Mine-san with you, as well as Naruhito-san.” The Candidate I had spotted nodded, while Mine-san seemed pumped up.

Well, this is an opportunity, but even so... “Shaeula, Kana, you two stay here.”

Shaeula nodded, grasping my meaning, but Kana shook her head in protest. “No, I need to go, to show I’m not forgettable!” she tried to appeal to me.

“But... it could be dangerous.” I said, and she grabbed my arm fiercely.

“I know, but you are taking Eri-san and Aiko-san, right? Besides, with you there, I’ll be safe, won’t I?” she appealed to me, and I felt myself waver. Well, it’s true that I am confident of keeping her safe, but... fine.

“All right, but you do what I tell you without question, all right? No complaints!”

At that Kana blushed, and my sister snickered, while Eri rolled her eyes. I ignored them and turned to Shaeula. “Looks like it’s just you then. You get it?”

“Of course. Leave everything to me-me.” She promised. “Now, is there a room we can-can use?” She gets it. I don’t think that Uchida-san would pull anything, but leaving our bodies vulnerable is not a good plan. But Shaeula can defend us with ease...

“Before we do this though, it’s all very well evaluating each other, but it seems like you get the better end of the bargain here.” I said. “I assume you want us to deal with a problem blocking your expansion. That entails danger and benefits you a lot.”

“And why would you not want to benefit us?” Uchida-san looked at his son, who nodded. “After all, are you not looking for influence in our faction? Despite not being of the faith, Hikawa-san and... this shrine...” he gestured to Kana, annoying her again by his dismissal. “... as well as others, have vouched for you, and if you have the ear of Takakura-sama... well, the nobility should keep their noses out of our business, but faith cannot exist without support. So, consider this your entry fees.”

A bad deal. I know it, and Hinata would be complaining bitterly right now. But... “Fine. But consider that when you want further aid from me, I’ll be setting a similar price. Don’t regret this.” I lose a bit here, but longer-term...

“Very well. Show them to a side room.” Uchida-san said, and one of the priests led us to a modest alcove. Shaeula took up her position, guarding us, while the girls laid out bedding to sleep on. Kana looked at me, chewing her lip, clearly worried, so I patted her on the head.

“Don’t worry Kana. I get it. They do seem rather arrogant, but then they are men of power and influence. The nobility are the same way. That doesn’t make them bad, just... trying. Still, won’t that make it better when you finally show them they were wrong about you and your shrine?”

She nodded, smiling brightly. “That’s true. And I bet poor Marika-chan and her family went through the same shit. So... I want you to blow that guy away with your awesomeness.” She smiled. “The look on his face when you and Shaeula smashed up his statue... I loved that!”

“I bet you did.” As I slumped down, letting my consciousness drift, I was excited to see just what a shrine of this magnificence would look like in the Boundary...