On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

One Hundred And Fifty-Eight

The first thing I noticed was that I was no longer in a sealed room. Instead I was in a large open wood-and-brick building that was strangely mixed with contemporary architecture. It was as if the modern police department had been merged with an old-style wooden complex. The eclectic, almost random amalgamation of wood, brick, metal and glass was otherworldly, and really quite impressive. I never get tired of the weird ways the Boundary differs from what I’m used to…

Still, there was no time to be lost admiring the bizarre scenery. I had to make my way through areas of the Boundary we had not charted, to reach Hisuikomushi shrine. But first… Yeah, I expected this… the dwellers of the Boundary had noticed me intruding on their Territory, and were eager to dispose of me.

I’d expected to maybe have to fight one or two that were in the room with me, like in Las Vegas, but since this is open-plan, I’m going to get mobbed…

There were numerous floating lesser spirits around, which disintegrated into ether as soon as they approached me, my natural absorption too strong for them, but the major foes were some sort of undead. They seemed to be split into two types. There were ones dressed as old-style samurai, pale, dead faces staring at me coldly, their eyes merely dark pits in which flickering flames lurked, but there were also… Ugh… gross. I imagine if I check the history of this place I’d find it was used for executions back in the Edo period…

There were pitiful male and female (and even some child-sized) undead, and their states were rather harrowing. Some were on fire, their skin blackened and oozing, while others were pale and wet, as if they had been drowned. Some were headless bodies, while others were merely upper bodies, crawling across the floor dragging themselves by bloody nails, entrails trailing out behind them. There were also impaled, crucified and hanging bodies, all making a bee-line for me.

I remember learning about cruel punishments for crimes back in the old days at school, but the teacher said it was largely a myth. Maybe he should come here and see for himself…

Putting aside those useless thoughts I brought out my weapons. I had a spear and a katana, both made of steel I had made myself. The little bluesteel the kobolds had dug out for me had been put to other uses, so I wasn’t as well-armed as before. Still, it would have to do. Kondou Kazuo and his attacks are really slowing up my progression. I’d have to defeat him for that if nothing else, but of course, now it’s personal…

The first samurai reached me, his own katana flashing at me in an orthodox style. His attacks were fast and practised, but the brief time I had spent with Ulfuric had taught me to recognise basic attack patterns with various weapons. Swaying aside my spear pierced right into its face, metal biting through bone. It staggered, headless, but somehow still able to fight. Ducking under a swing I kicked out, crushing its chest in. As it fell my spear stabbed down and it exploded into ether. I greedily pulled it in, converting it all to aether. I’d like to be full before we start the invasion of his Territory. I bled myself dry fighting those yakuza…

I didn’t have time to rest though, as a pair of burning bodies rushed at me, the heat stinging my skin. Hurling my spear I sent one tumbling, before dragging free my katana and slicing through the second with a great shout. It burst apart, and I wheeled, barely blocking another slash from a second samurai warden. The dead, eyeless face was trying to mouth words at me, but I couldn’t hear them. Instead of pondering this I called back my spear with aether, sending it flying into the back of the warden, bright spearhead bursting though its chest. In that brief moment I spun, slashing out multiple times, cutting free both arms and then decapitating him. This was enough to destroy the fiend, and ether fell around me like shining rain.

Yeah, these are a bit stronger than Kondou’s orcs, but nothing I can’t handle. I cut down several hanging and impaled victims, and stomped to death a crawling torso. More were coming, and with my spear and sword I killed them quickly. As my aether reached its peak, my chakras filled with light, I started using the energy to enhance my attacks, keeping topped up with the spoils and sending the rest as ether to my Territory for later.

I exchanged blows with a pair of wardens, blades clashing rhythmically, chips starting to form on the edge of our swords. A flaming corpse rushed at me from behind but I slid aside, letting the rushing zombie tangle in the blades of the samurai guards. Using that opportunity I speared though them, quickly breaking them apart.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from thirty-seven to thirty-eight.

Nice. Every gain in power is going to be crucial in the upcoming battle. I continued to fight the dwellers of this area, my katana eventually breaking from hard use. I guess that’s why Ulfuric uses western-style blades? Sure, the katana seems to do more damage, but they aren’t durable… unless I could make one out of better materials…

Still, there were several lying around from when I slew the wardens, so I grabbed one. I cut down more zombies, only to pause as a child-sized zombie trailing long wet hair like seaweed behind it shambled at me, droplets of water falling from waxy-white skin. Ugh, I know it’s just some sort of Astral creature, probably not the real child, and even if it was the soul of a victim of execution, killing it, allowing it to move on to wherever the dead go, would likely be a mer… my racing thoughts stopped as pain flared in my neck as silvery blood splattered from a long cut crossing my flesh.

Fuck. That was bad… my newly acquired katana lashed out, bisecting the child, scattering it to ether. Dropping the blade I placed a hand to my neck, using Ether Healing to seal the wound. Yeah, if I hadn’t reacted instinctively and moved my head, that blast of water the zombie spat would have decapitated me…

Annoyed with myself I engaged the remaining foes, taking them down quickly and brutally. No matter how much stronger I seem than my opponents I can’t get careless or have misplaced mercy. I thought I’d learned this lesson over and over. But I guess it didn’t stick… I could see why Ulfuric was unsatisfied with my combat senses. It wouldn’t matter how high my stats were if I kept making stupid mistakes…

Having finished up, I allowed Ether Healing to do its work, collecting the best of the remaining katanas to replace my broken one. I still felt more comfortable with the spear, but at close range the sword worked better. I would need to master both, as Ulfuric had suggested.

All right then, that took longer than I expected, but the rewards were decent. As the last warden fell, the Territory also failed, and while it was too far away from my Anchor to capture, a nice amount of ether was funnelled my way, which I banked. Leaving behind the prison, if I concentrated I could faintly see a shining silver cord trailing behind me, disappearing to where my cell was in the Material. I don’t think about it much, but that’s a weakness, right? When I travel away from where my material body is I’m vulnerable… though Shaeula did say most beings can’t see another’s silver cord…

Shaking my head, I put that aside for now. There was nothing I could do about it, anyway. Moving out into the Boundary proper, I was surrounded by numerous tall buildings, a mixture of modern and historic architecture. As if mirroring the vivid neon lights of Tokyo in the Material, numerous globes and streamers of pretty blue, green and purple lights were casting their glow over streets that were a mixture of tarmac, stone, wood and stranger things. What the hell, is that a river of boiling mud?

Tearing my eyes away from a side-street that had been transformed into a boiling, gloopy mass of brown mud, strange fish-like beings swimming within it, I started making my way back towards Hisuikomushi shrine. I seriously hope I’m going the right way… in the far distance, hidden by the dark fog that seemed to radiate out from the aurora-streaked Boundary skies, towering monstrosities that seemed to be analogues of Tokyo centrals’ many skyscrapers loomed large, impossibly tall, many outmatching even Tokyo tower. So if that’s the case, then it should be this way…

With no need to keep prying eyes from seeing my abilities, I tore down the unfamiliar, warped streets at an astounding pace, eating up the miles rapidly. I saw many astonishing sights, both wonderous and terrible. But one thing that was interesting was… Yeah, that feels like an Anchored Territory.

I skirted past an area, running into a Territory barrier. Silvery letters confirmed it. The barrier felt weak, feeble, perhaps a Rank 1, but even so… I knew there had to be more Candidates in Tokyo proper. I‘m not entirely sure where this lies on a map, but I think I’ve got the general area… It wasn’t a priority now, but later on, I’d have to pay this place a visit.

I continued my run, engaging any enemies that got in my way, mostly undead and giant insects, which seemed to be the most common enemy types by far. That made me wonder, but again, it was largely irrelevant now. I get undead, if they are the souls of the dead, and insects are supposedly the most common creature on Earth by multiple orders of magnitude, so why wouldn’t the Boundary be the same?

Several minutes later I arrived at the place we had arranged to meet, and was greeted by the sight of a great host, Shaeula rushing up to me gleefully and lunging at me, enfolding me in a tight hug. “Akio! Are you well-well? I worried for you having to traverse this land alone. I should always be at your side!”

Hugging her back and patting her head, I smiled in relief. “Yeah, I missed your company, definitely. When I first entered it was a bit of a full-scale brawl, but at least I’m all full of aether and ready to go.”

“These police will surely pay the price for impeding you, Akio. I am not-not willing to forgive their insolence!”

“That’s for tomorrow.” I laughed. “For now…” I looked around. Grulgor and his trolls, the Kamaitachi, the mages and musicians, the White Snake kami and several of his kin, as well as the Jade Beetle kami, Ulfuric and Ixitt. It was quite the host.

“We left several of the white snakes to maintain the salt wards, supported by the servants of the Jade Beetle, while our warrior weaselkin are defending our own Territory.” Ulfuric said. “They would prove of little use under the oppression of the enemy domain, and triumphing here only to lose our own realm to mischance would be the act of a fool. No true general would be so careless.”

Wow, was that a dig at me? I channelled Aiko again. “Yeah, I get it. Anyway, everyone here should be more than enough.” I turned to the Jade Beetle kami. “I’m glad to have your support, but are you sure you are up to this?”

“I am clik-clik grateful for your consideration. However I must reclaim my shrine and wash away this stain on my divinity. I still fear the cruel woman and her clik-clik binding nails, but I have realised I must do this, lest my divine spirit waver and dissipate.”

“Well, that is what we are going to do tonight.” I promised. “Glad to have you, you’ll be an asset. So, just like we had planned, we smash through the barrier then charge for the centre, right?”

“Grul will finally crush and break and eat all our enemies.” He gurgled. “Master is finally fulfilling Oath to Grul. Come.” He gestured to his trolls, hefting his repaired mace. “We BREAK!” he roared, spittle flying as he started slamming into the barrier, his trolls following, hurling metal balls and striking with heavy clubs.

“Uhh, guess we start then.” I shrugged, and everyone started damaging the barrier through physical attacks, saving precious elemental energies for when battle would be joined in earnest.

“So, have we seen any of those ghosts?” I asked, and Shaeula nodded. “They are patrolling their borders, but we have evaded their detection. Still-still, we will attract their notice now, will we not-not?”

“Yeah it’s unavoidable. So let’s take this barrier down.”

Shaeula and I started striking the trembling defences, and under the sheer weight of powerful attacks from myself, Shaeula, Ulfuric, Grulgor, the Jade Beetle kami, in addition to waves of smaller strikes from our support troops, the barrier collapsed with a shrill whine and the sound of breaking glass.

It's showtime. “Right, we don’t have long before the enemy gets here. Follow the plan, and surely we can win this fight!”