Four Hundred And Fourteen

Four Hundred And Fourteen

“So, a rusty, pitted knife, thrust into a living flame, which swells, expands and explodes. Damn, that’s cryptic.” I managed, after we had gained what little information we could. The Book of Providence found it hard to answer questions about the future, which made sense. It could glean some knowledge, certainly, about more major events. The spirit light of Tsukiko-san in orbit around me flickered, and for a moment I thought I could hear her thoughts. Definite. Already Exists.

“Yes, I think it’s an external threat... oh the kami damn it all, I feel wretched.” Yasaka-san coughed, and there was a little blood in it. Seeing that, I slapped his back gently, allowing a little Ether Healing in.

“At least the damage is still a lot less than previously.” I commiserated him. I don’t know if you can hear my thoughts back, Tsukiko-san, but didn’t we already crush your definite fate? Maybe not perfectly, but it wasn’t bad for my first try. Any future we don’t accept, we’ll change. But... I remembered her talk on the differing weight of events, and it made sense to me, not that I was qualified to question how the abilities of a Goddess such as Minerva worked. But predicting something that is definitely happening has to be easier than something that might...

“Such a consolation.” He flapped his hand weakly at us, looking every bit his age. “Now you’d better go, the Tengu are starting to get restless. I’ll just lie here and drink. It makes us old men feel better.”

“I shall accompany him. Have no fear and go with peace of mind.” The Prince declared, and for a moment I believed he was looking at Tsukiko-san’s spirit light. With that he turned away, and I addressed Tarōbō, as indeed, the Tengu were starting to grow agitated, seeing as their own champions had entered one of the cracks in the mountain, and we had delayed our incursion.

“We’ll be going then. Rest assured, we will succeed.” I promised, determined. With one last look at the blazing flame within the temple, I turned to those accompanying me. “Is everyone ready?” I asked for the final time, and as they all agreed, Haru-san conjuring a number of glowing balls of light that hovered around us like will-o’-the-wisps, we approached the rift we were entering, spatial element leaking out slowly from it, the indigo mixed with other colours, shimmering like oil on water.Findd new stories at novelhall.com

“All right, I’ll lead, Daiyu is behind me. Bell, you take up the rear, Motoko, Natsumi, you support her. Haru-san, you, Kana and Chen Na take the middle.” As everyone agreed and got into formation, Bell nodded approvingly.

“The front and back are the most dangerous positions, while the centre can have a great influence on the battle from relative safety. I think those are good choices.” She turned to Motoko and Natsumi. “Bows at the ready. For now...” She pulled out her short sword that was belted at her waist. “Until we know what we are facing, let your senior handle this, all right?”

As we entered, the feeling of space opening up was felt, only to close back in on us. The outside world could be seen, and a few quick tests showed we could freely pass back out onto the mountain, so my fears were allayed to an extent. Worst case, if I have to go on alone, that’s what I’ll do. But ideally we should all grow stronger if we can...

“The Qi here is abnormal.” Daiyu muttered, looking around. The blessing from Tarōbō seemed to have improved their vision temporarily as well, an indigo gleam in their eyes, and coupled with the glowing light orbs we could see our surroundings. We were in a fairly narrow cave-like passageway, the walls black rock, with jutting obsidian spikes, that were as sharp as razors, further adding to the cramped, claustrophobic atmosphere. And the danger. The ceiling was low, just above my head, and the air was filled with an irregular hot wind, stinking of sulphur, rot and something else I couldn’t quite place, coming and going as if breathing.

“Such a lovely place for a group date...” Kana muttered. “Not the stuff of dreams... oh, sorry Daiyu, you were saying?” Kana apologised for her interruption.

“The Qi is distorted, wrong.” She said, elaborating. “It is a strange jumble, like a knotted rope heaped upon itself.”

I agreed. “Yeah, there’s spatial element, flame, darkness, a trace of wind... and it’s all mixed together.” I let my Eye glow and started drawing in the surrounding elements. “I can separate them out and absorb them, since I have access to them all, but it’s not exactly efficient...”

“Any strength you can replenish is wise.” Bell nodded. “A good warrior always rests when they can, eats when they can, and sleeps when they are able.” As the other girls nodded at the lesson, we started the slow, cautious trudge into the dungeon.

“So, about Yasaka-san’s words...” Haru-san said, her brown eyes constantly roving around, looking for danger, her hands ready to unleash light element.

“I have my suspicions, speculations. But that’s all it is. Speculation.”

“I do too.” she said. “We should share our thoughts. It might help to be prepared.”

“All right then. It could be that there’s something else in here than just the Lost Flame, but... an external threat... living flame...”

“Shungbō, right?” Kana proved she was paying attention. “That arrogant one in red. But I don’t see it. What would he have to gain?”

“I don’t know, but... maybe it isn’t him. The knife...” Natsumi said, thinking, always alert, scanning behind us cautiously. Her bow and an arrow was in hand, but the string was not drawn, as keeping a bowstring taut used a lot of strength and could damage the weapon over time, and she was too experienced for such a mistake.

“Yeah. Something from outside... or... no, there’s no way to know. But when we run into the Tengu again, we should be cautious.” I frowned, and Haru-san poked me in the back with one finger.

“Worried about your new sister?” she said with a smile, and I sighed, troubled.

“About them all. They aren’t our enemies, despite our hostile start. They are simply proud and isolationist, defending their Territory. We need stronger allies, just imagine how much easier it’ll be to defend Kyoto with access to mount Atago on our doorstep. And the flame element will push ahead a lot of Ixitt’s plans too...”

“Look, he’s not admitting it. He’s being cute.” Haru-san giggled to the girls, and as she did so I raised a hand.

“Enough joking around. They’re coming.” My Eye could see further than the others, despite the darkness, distorted space and churning mess of ether and elements. Perhaps a score of flaming creatures were coming, red, yellow and indigo mixed together, forming human-like and animal shapes. As they came into the view of everyone else, tension was rising, but I reassured them with a few words.

“Same strategy as always.” I began, only for the smaller balls of flame to rush at us at a rapid speed, catching us a little off guard. Raising my hand, water bullets flashed, and despite the small, fast-moving targets, most of my bullets landed. This would be easier with more Split Thoughts, but I don’t have that luxury. Although in an emergency...

Back in the Material, Eri and I were having dessert, watching the Tokyo skyline, and the hotel actually wasn’t too far from our planned new home. She had been rather caught off guard by the disaster in bed, my body reacting powerfully to the upgrade of Spiritually Pure Physique, but now her mood had improved. When I told her that I might need to revoke my Material body, she sighed, resigned, but agreed there was no point putting myself or the others in danger over her night out. Finishing her parfait hurriedly, she reached out and took my arm, inviting me to finish what we had started earlier...

Beams of light from Haru-san mowed down the last of the rushing orbs, and as the remnants scattered a little ether, arrows were falling into the middle of the charging spirits, Motoko, Natsumi and Bell all accurately striking them down. Kana was torn between helping or not, when she suddenly frowned. “The ground, it seems... everyone, get back!”

I turned, grabbing Daiyu who was at the front with me, the rest scattering, my Eye showing me the ground acting strangely. Suddenly the dungeon shook, fragments of jagged black stone falling, and the floor split as if an earthquake was striking, cracks spreading, fire element gushing out, this one indeed carrying the Lost Flame.

“Careful...” Kana said. “It’s not over...” Even as she said that, strange, shapeless hands came crawling out of the bottomless splits in the stone, followed by large, lumpy heads, without features except for two eyes burning yellow and black. That was followed by massive arms, ending in hands that were like massive maces, spiked and bulky.

“Elementals, huh?” I recognised them, though they looked quite different to the ones Shaeula and I encountered in Las Vegas. My Eye saw that they were Black Stone And Flame Elemental [Corrupted Elemental], and their strength exceeded that of the damned spirits we had been fighting.

“I don’t remember the Tengu mentioning these...” Haru-san said, dodging a blow from the first of the creatures, which was filling the entire narrow passageway, head scraping the ceiling, snapping off the sharp blades of glassy stone, which were falling like a rain of sharp daggers.

“They have a body though...” Kana said. “So they should be easier to break!” With a gesture, the cracks in the ground started to shut, stone rippling like mud, effort, sweat and ruby elemental energies wrung from her. The cracks snapped closed with a loud roar, and stone shattered, ether rushing into Kana’s body, replenishing her a little. One brutal elemental toppled, leg as thick as a tree trunk shattering, and Daiyu unleashed her Crushing Palms. The impact cracked the beast, one arm falling free at the shoulder, but as it broke, needles of stone tipped with sizzling, impure flame element scattered. Fortunately, I was prepared, and wind element gusted, blowing it away from Daiyu and Kana.

“Chen Na, barrier up.” I said, and she cut off the passageway with a shimmering bubble of force, leaving me and Daiyu outside. Seeing that, Daiyu’s usually taciturn expression softened, as she realised I trusted her to handle herself. She’s got the strongest recovery of anyone barring me, thanks to her Divine Favour, and she’s got skills. She can handle herself...

“Behind us!” Kana cried, and more stony elementals were being born. Another barrier cut them off, and Bell took charge. “Can you lower the barrier allowing only a part of the creature in?” she asked, and Chen Na managed a nod.

“I can, though it will weaken the bubble, and drain me faster.” she said after a moment.

“That should be fine. We will not take long.” Bell promised, and as the barrier behind me dropped a little, the arm, head and torse of one elemental reached through. Motoko and Natsumi, drawing their swords, leapt forwards, and the first blows rang off the stone, numbing their arms.

“We can adapt.” Motoko murmured, and wind element sheathed her blade, similar to some new Tsumura-style moves we had practised. Natsumi was only a moment behind her, and now, blades whirring with wind like a chainsaw, their swords cut deep, rock scattering, as the arm was sliced free. Flame scattered from the open wounds, but Kana was waiting, and she captured it with stone, smothering it. She then had an idea, her eyes lighting up.

“This thing is made of rock, right? So...” She gestured, and ruby energy flowed from her. The elemental shuddered, and then exploded, chunks of rock piercing through the golem-like elementals behind it as well, leaving them full of ragged holes like a honeycomb, several collapsing entirely.

Daiyu and I could spare little attention for that, our own battle fierce. I was providing cover for her, and as she attacked, her small stature giving her the advantage as the hulking elementals were restricted by their size, her small fists pounded them to pieces, showing her strength. When one cracked and flame gushed out, she used water element to douse it, and I noticed that each strike released Qi into the stone, weakening it, so every further blow did more damage.

“Let me try...” I said, engaging one of the last of our surprise attackers. Behind them were the flaming spirits, their bodies starting to morph and shift, flowing through the gaps in the barricade of elementals, so I quickly released a flashing burst of light element after shouting for everyone to close their eyes. Like a flashbang, a brilliant glow filled the hallway, and the flaming spirits melted away, purified. The elemental merely steamed a little, rock shimmering, but my next blow, light, but containing earth element, staggered it. The second created a magnifying effect, and the third shattered it, despite a surprising lack of force.

“I see.” Daiyu’s small smile grew. She was a quick study and could sense the elemental energy with her Qi Perception. Taking her cue from me, she slightly modified her own approach, and soon the last of the elementals fell apart, and we were left amidst rubble, ether and some burning flames.

“Careful.” I warned, looking at the tiny tongues of flame burning on the ground. “It’s Lost Flame.” My Eye flared, and I analysis it in more detail.

Lost Flame Of Naraka – This Unique Flame Element is a purifying Flame, burning away negative Karma, curses and impurity. However, it seems to have undergone some change, corrupted by a mixture of Spatial Element and lingering ???????? too powerful for it to purify, which has led to it becoming a Flame that attracts strands of both spiritual energy, emotions and Elements, burning them in a manner that fills, rather than empties.

“I see. That explains the damned spirits.” In fact, with my heightened senses I could feel a minute pull even from these small fires. “But I have a way to deal with this. Foehn!” A trickle of my own hungry fires engulfed the thin flames, and soon only Foehn was left. I felt a small measure of feedback, Foehn within me trembling, but soon that was gone, my Spiritually Pure Physique easily handling any leftover curses or grudges. Behind us, the battle had finished, and I went and devoured the remaining Lost Flame, including the ones captured in earth by Kana.

“A good fight.” Motoko said cheerfully. “Tsumura Arts truly is meant to be used with elemental energies. It explains the strange angle of the fourth slashing strike in the standard stances. I did wonder why the angle seemed wrong, but when one assumes it will be used to slice through heavy armour without using the edge of the blade...”

“That’s right!” Natsumi agreed. “And the footwork takes into account the possibility of debris being thrown off by the churning winds, leading to easy avoidance, while keeping poised to move as needed. Your ancestors truly were visionaries!”

I let them gush for a bit, before gathering everyone up. I took in the little ether left behind, before offering Motoko and Natsumi a recharge. Seeing Kana look envious, I stifled a laugh. “When you run low, you’ll get yours too.” I promised. “For now...”

“Yes, the flame.” Haru-san agreed. We continued downwards towards the steadily increasing glow, attacked by dozens, then scores of damned spirits. Motoko and Natsumi levelled up, and though their stock of blessed arrows were running low, I could always use Spirit Water to approximate more for them. Though that does make me worry for the Tengu...

As we reached the bottom, the narrow, dark pathways opened up, and Kana let out a low whistle. I get it. Yeah, that’s quite the sight. Flame element was gushing upwards from a massive crack in the ground, and my eye identified it as the Sacred Flame Of Mount Atago, yet it was heavily mixed with Lost Flame. It was surrounded by many hundreds of damned spirits, some shapeless behemoths multiple metres tall, and a number of the black stone elementals. As I watched closely, my Eye caught something moving deep within the crack, though even my Eye couldn’t break through the blinding glare of the torrent of spiritual flame. As the fire shuddered, sparks scattering, landing and forming more flaming creatures, the surrounding ether being drawn in, I frowned. Just what is that?