Three Hundred And Forty Three

Three Hundred And Forty Three

“Simply put, we can use these to convert between lightning element and aether at will. That is spectacular enough, though I confess the lightning element generated is weak, a far cry from the power and fury the Queen, or even our princess commands.” Ixitt admitted, looking down for a moment before recovering his enthusiasm. “I would expect improvements in time, but for now...” he grinned, tapping the strange purple and transparent crystals. “The ambient ether density determines the amount of lightning element generated. In the lands of the Fae, it is higher than here, and while I need to run further tests in your Territory, as well as outside of it, in ether-poor areas, I believe it is a linear equation. The higher the ether, the more lightning is generated.”

“Makes sense.” I agreed. “But there are two problems I see.”

“Yes, well the first one is easily solved. I have been widely studying when I visit the mortal world. I am grateful you seldom restrict me, and only call upon me when I am needed, such as the recent battles.” He laughed, his good humour evident. “With access to the internet, many books, and also a wide array of like-minded correspondents, I have easily created a metal that changes the lighting element, by stripping out the spiritual aspect to the lightning, only pure, comprehendible power remains. And better still...” he slapped the silver dome. “... with powdered Etherites added to the bluesteel, and careful intent while alloying it, I have created bluesteel that can retain electricity, like a true battery. In fact...” he grinned. “I do believe that compared to these lithium-ion batteries you mortals often use, these bluesteel-Etherite batteries, as I call them, have a significantly higher ability to retain electricity. Bluesteel is as dense as aluminium, so ... well, if we measure by the litre, a lithium-ion battery is two and a half kilograms. The bluesteel-Etherite battery is around two point three kilograms. So it is a little lighter, and far less complex. But it is the ability to store and release energy is where it exceeds it in every aspect.”

“Uh... I may be off-base here, but... if that’s the case, why do you even need to make anything else?” Shiro said, scratching her head. “A better battery would basically take over the world. Everything pretty much uses batteries nowadays. Phones, Cars, Laptops...”

“Just how much better are we talking?” Eri asked. “It’s strange, I was answering questions on this sort of thing for my schoolwork earlier. Are we talking twice as good? More?”

“It depends on which Etherites are blended in during the process.” Ixitt smiled. “But as I have only used up to yellow, since we need our green and blue ones for Artificial Spires...” he paused.

“We will stick to by the litre, since it was the metric I used before. Consider the average, to be roughly six hundred and fifty Watt-hours, or around two hundred and forty Watt-hours per kilogram. Whereas the bluesteel-Etherite batteries, they can easily hold ten times that amount without any issues, and in my testing, I have even doubled that, though the efficiency of charging does drop noticeably much past two thousand five hundred Watt-hours per kilogram. Not that this is an issue, with the passive absorption.”

“Shit, Aki? Ten times? Ten times!” Shiro was stunned. “Well, no, it’s too soon to be excited. There’s still other issues. What about throughput? How quickly can it release the energy?”

“It can discharge the entire amount in one go, should one wish it.” Ixitt smirked. “And before you raise concerns about having such a density of energy and the radiant heat...” Ixitt once more slapped his prided device. “... heat is an aspect the batteries can absorb, so much of the waste is recycled as electricity. I confess it not being at all efficient, entropy again, alas, but of the emitted heat, ninety percent is reabsorbed, though only around ten percent of that lost energy will be used to recharge the battery.”

“What about battery life?” Eri asked next. “I always hated it, having an old hand-me-down phone.” She looked mournful at the memory. “Not that I was particularly materialistic, or cared what others thought of me having one so out-of-date. But... the battery would barely last a few hours on a full charge. It was old.”

“The battery does not degrade, as it is not a chemical process. It is applying spiritual laws to a purely physical process.” Ixitt said proudly.

“So, ten to twenty times the capacity, slightly less dense, better throughput, no degradation, and it even deals with the heat issue?” Shiro slumped down, flabbergasted. “Aki, forget whatever the hell you were planning! We are in the battery business now!”

As Ixitt laughed, explaining that the generator contained a significant amount of these batteries as well, so power could be saved while not being used, I pondered.

“No, there’s still several insurmountable issues. Firstly, the batteries are here. They haven’t been tested on the Material, so we can’t be sure any of this actually works there, and we can’t even get them there. Sure, we might be able to revolutionise my Territory, the lands of the Fae and more...” In fact, that’s worth doing in itself, right? Shaeula always does moan she wants mortal entertainment... it might not be impossible after all...

“Of course, I intend to vigorously work on these issues. I shall test it in the most ether-poor areas I can find. In addition, as for getting the batteries to the mortal realm, eventually, the two shall merge, correct? I believe then it shall be possible. But is there not a better way?”

Laverna’s Divine Favour. “Of course, that would work, but there are issues with that too. Firstly, the batteries would disappear when the blessing expires, which makes it useless. Secondly, relying on one person to move such a large amount of goods, even if we could, it would be too risky and problematic a supply chain.”

“Hmm, you are quite correct. I have ideas for a solution to the first issue, as for the second...”

“Well, putting that aside, could we even supply enough bluesteel and Etherites to create enough to supply Japanese industry? Our mines are producing well, but as for the Etherites...”

“All good questions. However, it seems that the hills around the Spring have a number of suitable mines. If managed carefully, they could provide significant rewards. There are likely many more in the mountains in your land here in the Boundary. We would need workers but...”

“Etherites are the bottleneck. Just how many went into this generator and all the batteries?” I asked.

“Well, three yellow, and quite a number of orange and red ones. Though I expect efficiency to rise. And perhaps...” he grinned, pointing to the field of Artificial Spires. “... it is likely possible to create our own Etherites. Currently they are a side-effect of the process of drawing in Ether, but could this be extracted and streamlined, I believe we can create a facility to create Etherites as well. Certainly up to yellow, perhaps even green.”Updated chapters at novelhall.com

“So, let me get this straight.” Shiro pointed out the obvious, and Eri was running the numbers too, looking pale. Motoko and Natsumi had the same response.

“You can make an Artificial Spire with a green Etherite, right? That pulls in ether. You then use that ether to eventually make another Spire. Now you have two pulling in ether, so you can make a third Spire twice as fast. Ugh, isn’t this an infinite loop of ether? Wouldn’t you be able to do anything that way?”

“More of the shit-throwing. Lovely.” Shiro cursed. Flame sparkled yellow and she unleashed a crashing wave of fire to meet the mud. The resulting explosion sent the foul-smelling smouldering muck everywhere, but I called forth more wind to deflect it.

“Thanks Aki. Fire isn’t so great against earth. And I don’t want to get any more of that crap on me...” The monkey reared back, an arrow in his eye, Motoko clenching her fist in delight at her great shot. Not wanting to be outdone, Natsumi put one in his throat, while Daiyu was leaping towards the second monkey. It ducked, swinging the inelegant scythe, but Daiyu pivoted gracefully, evading it by what looked like a mere hairs-breadth, but from my training with Ulfuric, I knew that was the sign of skill, not fortune.

“You take me to all the nicest places.” Shiro observed. “This is surely a highlight, having monkey demons constantly hurl what might as well be shit at us.”

“If you don’t want to be here, then you can go home!” Eri said, baiting her. She was concentrating on her own attacks, forming a laser of light that drilled into the monkey that had been pin-cushioned with arrows, dropping it, smoke rising from the hole bored in its skull.

“Well, I didn’t say that, did I?” Shiro retorted, a third monkey that had wandered in suddenly surrounded by a bubble of flames. It screamed reflexively, which was a mistake, as flames seared down its throat, charring it from the inside until it burst into a spray of ether. “I’m just building up some sympathy so wherever we go at the weekend will be suitably impressive.”

“Motoko, shall we move into close quarters next?” Natsumi was saying. “I’ve watched them, and one-on-one I believe our skills should prevail.”

“We should not be arrogant, but... I believe we have adapted to the change in our status.” Motoko affirmed. “Spears though, not swords. I have no wish to get too close.”

“I could kill these stupid monkeys, if only my body obeyed me.” Eri mourned, so I patted her head.

“It’s fine. Working on your elemental skills is just as important as your axe skills. Besides, I’m not doing much either, am I?” I was focussed on support during our power-levelling trip, but that was in part because all my concentration was on observing the effects of Shiro’s blessing from Anesidora, and the rate at which it was fading, and whether I could extend it by adding my own aether. My Eye is a godsend for this.

“Well, that’s because these trash-mob monkeys probably aren’t worth your time, right?” Shiro shrugged. “Come on Eri, cheer up. I know it’s a pain Aki can’t help you with your problems, but you’ll be fine in time, I’m sure.”

“I know. It’s just frustrating. Motoko and Natsumi will get stronger, and I’ll lose my advantage.” She watched as the two of them used their long spears to keep more Sarugami at bay. One was pierced in the gut, but with an angry howl grabbed the shaft Natsumi was holding. I made to move, but stopped as I saw her calm confidence. Releasing the shaft, she unsheathed the sword she carried and darted forwards, blade slicing deep into the monkey’s neck while it still struggled with the spear keeping it off balance. She then backed off and pulled out the spear, returning to her position next to the approving Motoko.

“That one levelled you up again.” I said, and Natsumi smiled brightly.

“That makes me wonder...” Shiro said, thinking. “What would happen if you were level-capped, then I used Anesidora’s blessing on Lovers’ Link? Would you be able to exceed your cap? Would the levels go away when the buff wears off? Would something else happen?”

“I’ve been thinking about that myself.” I admitted, stopping another monkey from howling to alert his comrades, Eri striking it with a wave of darkness that seemed to confuse and disorient it, leaving it easy prey for Daiyu. “But it’s not something I want to mess with right now, not after the pain we felt with Kin Bonding.”

“Your call.” Shiro agreed, before sighing as another half-dozen of the Yokai came scuttling in, clutching crude clubs and calling forth more torrents of disgusting mud. “Damn, no end to these bastards. Well, I guess I best go get my share of experience points...” As I watched Shiro join the other girls, flames flashing yellow as she burned a monkey, I grinned. Well, at least everybody is getting plenty of gains...

********

“If I never see another monkey again so long as I live I’ll be happy. Oh, wait, Yasu is at least close kin to them... a shame.” Shiro joked tiredly. She was helping Eri walk, her legs having stopped obeying her a little while ago. Beside me, Daiyu walked in contemplative silence, replaying the battles in her mind over and over again, looking for ways she could have done better, and Natsumi and Motoko were in high spirits, having gained a number of levels.

“Yeah, but in the end they stopped coming. You all must have killed a hundred or so of them by then.” I agreed. “If there are more of them down to the south, I guess they might end up being a problem for Haru-san at some point, so we’ll check again tomorrow. I’ll actually be in Kyoto, so we can meet up there.”

“The funeral, huh?” Eri observed, and I had a complicated expression on my face.

“Yeah. Those who died, including Tsukiko-san. They want to do it quickly, since the situation in Kyoto is pretty tense right now.” As we passed through the Ring Gate, we emerged back on the hill. “I should definitely be there. Not just because I’m effectively the frontrunner for the faithful right now, but because... well, I need to see it, feel it.”

“You’re not still blaming yourself, are you?” she pressed, and I shook my head.

“Well, not really. I knew she could well die, which is why I took the precautions of making her eligible for Kin Bonding. I can accept this outcome. It doesn’t stop me from wishing that I’d done better though. But a good enough is still a win.”

“Hey, Aki’s learning. I’m impressed.” Shiro laughed, only to stop as we came face to face with most of our trainees, who were waiting for us despite the late hour, Hyacinth grinning broadly. So, what’s going on here then?