On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Two Hundred And Eleven

“If you are going to insist on fighting, can we take this outside?” I asked, and Ginneka looked at me curiously for a moment, before turning to her brother.

“What’s he talking about, nya? I’d have thought he’d have more of an advantage against our speed in here. I don’t get it, nya.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I interrupted them. “I don’t want the mansion ruined, it was a precious gift to Shaeula. I’d feel bad for Shaeraggo. Of course, I’d prefer if we could just talk this out rather than fight. Shaeula isn’t her mother.”

“Well isn’t that something?” Kinneka smirked, flexing his massive muscles. Beside him the maids, freed from the winds, were huddling together, the situation having wildly escalated out of their control. “You think you have the leisure to worry about a damn house? The dead have no need of material things.” Golden claws slid out to match his sisters’ silver ones. “And talk it out? Hardly. What’s to say other than with claw and fang, the way of the Bakaneko?”

“Well, I’m rather shocked that Duke Formor could commit treason just to kill Shaeula. He’s supposedly loyal to the Seelie Court.” At my words, Grulgor, who was looking very conflicted, began to scratch at his head, thinking.

“Treason, nya? So dumb. What treason? The Night Parade may be on… difficult terms… with the Seelie Court, but we are not enemies, nya!” she sighed, as if lecturing an idiot. “We are not supposed to be here, yes, but your Duke kindly allowed us passage. I even got to borrow a lovely skill, nya!”

“My sister speaks true.” Kinneka sneered. “After all, I don’t believe that she…” he scowled at Shaeula, who met his harsh green gaze with a calm, amber one of her own. “… is supposed to be here either, is she? Nobody is calling that treason.”

True. Damn. I doubted I would have any time to get information out of them during the fight, so this brief lull before the battle was my best chance. Plus it gives Ulfuric time to set up. If anyone has noticed this, it’ll be him… “Even so, Duke Formor clearly wants Shaeula to…”

“My, not at all, nya.” Ginneka shook her head, silver tail lashing. “Duke Formor never said he wants the girl dead. No, indeed, he has been sending her lovely gifts apparently, nya. He is most frustrated they have not been properly received.”

Yeah, that’s a euphemism if ever I heard one. I was about to speak when Grulgor came to a realisation, stomping down on the floor in glee, putting a hole in the floorboards. “Of course, Grul is known to not understand things. Grul must have been mistaken. If Duke Formor has no wish to kill the princess, Grul has no need to hesitate.” He raised his heavy mace, before looking at Shaeula. “Duke Formor is like Grul, hates weakness, especially those in power. Too many Fae dead because our leaders were weak. Little weasel was worst of all, all talk, pathetic. But now, princess, you have grown strong. I will talk to Duke Formor, he will like you now! Until then, we crush and break these useless cats! Then Grul worry about Oaths and what the right thing to do is.”

Really? I don’t think Grulgor is as stupid as he claims to be. He’s found a way to reconcile his Oaths, which helps us. As for Duke Formor… he clearly intended Shaeula to die, but… politics. I’ll worry about our response and revenge later. For now…

“So, nya. We might as well…” a loud booming noise interrupted her, and she staggered, a volley of heavy shells from Ixitt’s shotgun peppering her side, drawing small scatters of ruby blood. “Ow, that hurt, nya!” she glared, but as she moved forwards the wooden floorboards began to sprout buds, before they erupted into thorny vines, snaking out for her.

“Bad kittens must be punisheeed!” Hyacinth declared, following Ixitt’s lead. “Master can tooorment you suitably later. Hyacinth gets sooo excited thinking abooout it!”

“Stay out of this, you…” Kinneka roared, but Grulgor was there then, mace swinging to block him. “Insolent creature!” Kinneka caught the mace, muscles straining, but he was pushed back, digging furrows in the floor.

“Shaeula, rescue the maids!” I cried, ready to make my own move, but as Ginneka struggled out from the thorns she tossed her head, annoyed.

“This isn’t fun, nya. This is supposed to be two on two!” she declared huffily as she tore free, scratches on her skin already healed. “Guess I stole this for a reason. Go to sleep, nya!”

The jade energies of the befuddling winds surged over us like a tidal-wave. The maids fell first, unable to resist, and Ixitt staggered, slumping back against the wall, shotgun falling from his hands. Hyacinth remained standing, but her eyes slid shut. I felt an overpowering urge to shut my eyes, and perhaps I would have faltered before, but with my Determination and Resilience higher than ever, I took a moment to fight it off. I could feel Shaeula beside me, equally determined, but unfortunately Grulgor was not so lucky, toppling with a great crash, smashing through the nice table, sending wreckage everywhere. Shit, yeah, he’s weak to mental attacks isn’t he? It’s how he was beaten in the second Trial…

Refocusing my eyes, I could see that in those brief few moments the two Bakaneko had not attacked, but had instead each seized a maid, holding them by the scruffs of their necks. The maids had awoken, and were now crying out in terror, trying to protest that they were on the same side.

“I suppose we should try matters the easy way.” Kinneka growled. “Much as I’d love to spill your blood in battle, I’m not here to have fun. Though I do want to.”

“Nya, yeah, I’m not big for fighting, brother. I much prefer to do my wresting under the sheets, Nya.” She was holding Saeca, who was crying uncontrollably.

“Put me down-down!” she cried. “I’ve always been loyal to Duke Vulpatrius, done what he wanted! This isn’t the plan!”

“What do you aim-aim to achieve here?” Shaeula said, her voice cold, but I could hear a tremble in her tone. Her maids had indeed betrayed her, but even now she must have carried some affection for them still. “I do not-not understand.”

“Simple. If you don’t lay down your arms peacefully, we’ll rip apart your pretty little maids.” Kinneka smirked cruelly. “You really made a mistake here. When word you were successfully making inroads to that lost, blighted land, you became an eyesore, a problem.”

“Yep, nya!” Ginneka laughed, shaking Saeca, causing her to whimper and cry out in pain. “We were supposed to throw your body in the forest and pretend you died there. Guess it’ll be harder to cover up when the house here is wrecked, nya. Oh well, not our problem. I just came to steal your skill.” She looked at Shaeula, licking her lips. “A mix of the Night Parade and the Fae. Quite precious, nya.”

“So, enough of this. Don’t you have any regard for your maids? Sure, they may have been working against you, but aren’t servants closer than family to a princess, always with you? Weak and pathetic, but that is how you noble creatures are.”

Surely Ulfuric must have noticed by now. He should be getting set up… how much longer?

“Just lie down and die and we can even let your boy-toy go, nya… no, you wouldn’t believe that. I get it. Well, you will all have to die, but you’ll die anyway, nya, so why not at least save your maids?”

“I … they betrayed me. I will not-not put the others at risk for them.” She said, but I could feel her indecision.

“Yeah, but only you have to surrender, nya.” Ginneka purred slyly. “We’ll let the maids go, then fight pretty-boy here. If you believe he can beat us, then he might live, right?” Her words were persuasive, too persuasive.

“No, I… Akio. If it was Eri or Aiko there, what would we do…?” she shook her head slowly, before she jolted, as I grabbed her hand, squeezing it painfully. Our amber eyes met, as I had been using my Eye to see.

“It isn’t Eri or Aiko. And even if it was, losing you for them isn’t what they or I would want.”

“But… but...” she began, and I kissed her, still keeping my perception strong, in case the cats tried to attack us while I strengthened her resolve.

“But nothing.” I said, as our lips separated. “If that day comes, we’ll deal with it. But today isn’t that day. Wind Eating Breath!” I whispered then, and her eyes widened as she realised.

As her hungry winds devoured the subtle traces of befuddling winds that had been hidden behind the strong command from earlier, Ginneka clicked her tongue. “Nya, was worth a try. Guess you get your wish after all, bro. you always did love the taste of blood on your claws, nya.”

“True, but as a matter of principle, we don’t make idle threats. A shame. At least it won’t haunt your nightmares for long, bastard daughter of the Night Parade.” Kinneka said coldly.

“Wait, no, princess, I never wanted to kill you! All I did was sell some info, make you think-think some…” her words were cut off as Kinneka tore off her head, dropping her bloody corpse to the floor.

“This is all your fault, princess!” Saeca cried. “If you hadn’t been…” and with a bite, her head was severed, Ginneka changing her head into a giant cat-head momentarily to devour her.

Shaeula looked away, feeling pain in her heart as the corpses fell. The other three maids raced for the door, but a lashing tail from Kinneka slammed into them, breaking bones and hurling them to the corner, where they lay limp.

“Bastard scum.” Shaeula growled, her own lip dripping with blood, her nails digging into her palms likewise. “They may have hurt me, but they needed-needed to make amends, They were… still my kin.” She whispered, eyes going wide, and as I felt what she did, I masked my own grin. It wasn’t time for that.

“Well, let us just dispose of all these other fools and we can get to it, nya.” Ginneka said, moving towards Hyacinth, only to scream as Hyacinth snapped her silver-violet eyes open, her mouth gaping, a spray of mist leaving it. She blocked the spray with one arm, only to yowl in torment as fungus and mushrooms began to sprout, devouring her flesh.

“Punishment time, Hyacinth enjoooys this!” she chortled.

“Shit, nya. Careless.” Ginneka tore off her infected arm, letting it strike the ground. She then blurred, and was suddenly whole again. “That was a pain.”

“Sister!” Kinneka made to move in, only to have Grulgor’s massive mace slam into him. He shrugged off the blow, staggering a little, but it bought us enough time for me to call out to the awakening Ixitt, before charging in myself.

“Ixitt, a couple of the maids aren’t dead! Get then out, we’ll need them for evidence later!” Besides, Ixitt isn’t a fighter, especially not up close. He’ll only get killed.

“I am on it.” He said. Ginneka raced his way, only for Shaeula and Hyacinth to block her, while Grulgor and I stepped in front of Kinneka. It was then that suddenly the mansion was filled with music, uplifting and majestic, and fresh strength flowed through us.

“Nyaaaaaa! Such annoying music!” Ginneka snarled, her ears lying flat against her skull, tail standing on end.

“I find it rather charming.” Shaeula disagreed, yellow and green energies forming around her. “Though it is not-not as good as the songs in my favourite anime.”

“I wish I could hear that toooooo!” Hyacinth muttered, the wooden wreckage in the room twisting into a cage of vines.

“Perhaps you shall, soon enough.” Shaeula reassured her.

Meanwhile, I was facing Kinneka, Grulgor beside me. “You shouldn’t have killed the maids.” I declared, pissed off. “I hate those who betray their allies most of all. Besides, doing it to hurt Shaeula… I have to repay you tenfold!”

“So brave.” Kinneka scowled, also discomforted by the music. “Such a loyal mate. Pathetic. If the death of some traitors can wound her, I do not see the resemblance to her mother at all.”

“Grul says shut up!” He threw a meaty grey fist. Kinneka blocked it and retaliated, claws ripping deep furrows in Grulgor, but he ignored the injuries, his acidic blood burning the floor and the exposed skin of our enemy. He then struck again, and Kinneka dodged, only to run into my Twin Fangs, blades slicing into his shoulder deeply. Fuck, he’s fast, as fast as me. So I missed his throat.

“I can’t concentrate with this fucking racket, sis!” He cried, leaping backwards, blurring momentarily as his sister did, closing his deep wounds. “Call the hunting cats!”

“But… nya, fuck off!” she snapped at Shaeula, as a wind blade ripped into her chest, momentarily showing bone before she healed mysteriously. Tearing free from the thorns, her skin bubbling up painfully with toxic spores before she once more sliced them free, wincing, she called a warning. “I still have the skill I borrowed, but how will we get home without it, nya?”

“We’ll manage somehow!” Her brother snapped back, clawing at me, but I leapt away and parried, severing several of his golden claws. A punch from Grulgor rocked him, and he spat blood, eyes wild with rage. “The music is making them stronger and I can’t keep my balance. We need to shut it up!”

“Nya, fine then. You owe me, bro. I hate using up skills. Though I guess I’m getting some good ones… nya, stop interrupting me!” she miaowed in pain as flames licked over her fur and flesh.

“Who waits for their enemies to stop speaking?” Shaeula scoffed. “I am not-not some idiot villain waiting for a transformation sequence to end.”

“Bitch.” She spat, smoking blood staining the floor. “Fine. Now everyone outside will die too, hope you are happy, nya!” With that the cat-girl leapt backwards, getting some distance, before her eyes turned a deeper blue. A slash in space opened, slicing apart the far wall of the mansion, showing the sky and the sight of weaselkin troops, musicians and Ulfuric all formed up, before dozens of large cats poured out, looking like panthers, only with keen, intelligent eyes. “Go kill them all, kitties! Nya, wade in blood!”

“Grulgor, go back them up!” I cried, seeing the host of cats racing towards our troops. The first was met by Ulfuric, who cleaved it in two, but more were racing past, running into a wall of weaselkin with spears, mages behind cleaving them with blades of wind launched over their allies.

“Gurl says this cat is strong. Can you kill it?” he gurgled.

“Can I? It’s not…” I ducked in close, spears of rock shooting from the floor, piercing his flesh, though several stray shots flew higher, wrecking the ceiling, a rain of furniture tumbling down to shatter on the ground. “…whether I can, but how I do!”

“Grul understands. Grul will smash stupid kittens.” He strode over, grabbed his club and rushed out of the wrecked mansion, his mace smashing the spine of one cat, his free arm grabbing another by the tail and flailing it around, crashing it into several nearby hunting cats.

“Your arrogance will be your undoing.” Kinneka snarled, leaping at me, talons flashing. My Eye shone, helping me read his movements, and I met his attacks, bolstered by the buffs from our musicians. Even so, I was pushed back a little, judging his physical strength to still be a little higher than mine. Still, I have other tricks than mere brute force.

The ground below us rippled into mud, and he clawed at it fitfully, struggling to escape. My swords flashed and I would have struck a fatal blow, except he transformed into a small cat, freeing himself. Rushing at me, growing larger in an instant, using his sudden greater mass and four-footed stance, he drove me back, and I suffered some nasty claw wounds in my thigh, though Ether Healing was already starting to repair the injuries.

“This was supposed to be easy, nya. I’m pretty mad right now!” Ginneka snapped, her tail splitting and multiplying until there were a half-dozen behind her, lashing out like whips. Hyacinth took several hits, her blood scattering, but she was undeterred, turning her spilt gore into spores, forcing tails to disappear as they struck her, devoured. Shaeula took that opportunity to bathe Ginneka in more flames, and her silver fur smoked under the intense heat. “But this is no fun. Still, for the skill I want… for now, I’ll take this, nya!”

Shaeula stumbled, her fire element usurped from her. Even so, she had been through numerous battles now, and resorted to using fine vibrating wires of wind. Ginneka stumbled, her legs sheared clean off, and she fell, surprised.

“Are you trying to draw Akio’s eyes with your awful body on show-show?” Shaeula scoffed. “Why would he even look at you, when he has-has me?”

“And me toooooo!” Hyacinth joined in with the taunts. Ginneka hit the ground, before she was suddenly in her silver cat form, growing in size until she towered over the girls.

“Brother, this is very fucking annoying, nya. I think I’m more interested in killing them than I am in their skills now. Though I’ll still steal of course!” She spat, which then ignited into a gush of flame that scorched the area, setting the mansion on fire. Hyacinth protected them with a wall of vines, but under the intense heat they were starting to fail, flames leaking through, poisonous smoke rising. “I’m going to eat these bitches, nya!”

“I quite agree, sister!” Kinneka growled, engaging me with blow after blow from his massive paws, which I desperately parried, his golden claws striking sparks from my blades. “It’s very personal now.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” I cried, leaping onto his back and stabbing my swords in, trying to sever his spine. The golden fur was tough to cut, but my blades rent space, and suddenly I felt a crunch, his back legs and tail suddenly going limp and dragging. “Call this off and we can talk. But this is my final offer, before this is to the death!” I don’t want to kill other intelligent beings who could be our allies unless I have to, but these fuckers make that resolve hard…

I was thrown off as Kinneka blurred once more, assuming human form, his shattered back healed. He cricked his neck, eyeing me with absolute contempt. “You think you can win this? We are having more trouble than we had planned for, but the cornered mouse often tries to bite the cat. And the cat is always winning in the end.”

“Oh do shut-shut up!” A burning lance of indigo light nearly beheaded the cat-boy, only his quick reflexes saving him. Shaeula was brandishing her dagger of light in his direction, while Hyacinth was holding off Ginneka, her maid outfit torn and bloody. On seeing me looking she wiggled her bottom, the torn skirt hiding nothing. Still a pervert I see, but I’m starting to find it endearing. I must be sick myself.

“Weasels are not-not mice.” Shaeula grinned, a second burst of light flashing out. The sounds of flighting outside was intense, but I could hear Grulgor and Ulfuric bellowing and shouting, so I trusted it was in hand. The music was still playing, after all.

“Fucking bitch, nya.” Ginneka shrank, slipping through the vines, before regrowing and turning cat-girl again, just with one massive arm that struck Hyacinth aside. She made to strike down Shaeula too, but just as she had aided me, I returned the favour, rocky bullets filled with Foehn and propelled by wind striking her, the bullets piercing into her flesh before shattering, tongues of the greedy flame burning her cruelly.

Her yowling was a shock to our ears as she screamed in agony. She tried to brush off the flames, only spreading it, before changing form to scatter them away. Even so, some were still clinging to her, scorching her flesh and fur. Her eyes glowed, and suddenly I felt a wrench within, as Foehn and my elemental flame was pulled from my control. My body and chakra network ached, the solar plexus chakra churning. It hurt, my body and abilities working far above their limits, and worse, all the energy was going to Ginneka.

“Shit, even when I take it, it still doesn’t stop burning me, nya…” she sliced at her flesh, carving the remaining flames away before she was pristine again. “But it seems a really nice flame. And better…” she eyed me like a predator looking at prey. “How is it you have her skill too, nya, the one I wanted? Guess I can take it from your corpse then, lucky me!”

“Swap opponents!” I cried, unwilling to let Shaeula face Foehn. She looked at me, troubled for a moment, before rushing to engage Kinneka, her blades of wind slicing out, scoring great gouges in his flesh. Even so, he powered through, and Shaeula only barely managed to evade, more vibrating wires slicing deep into him as he rushed her, seemingly heedless of injury.

“Burn away, nya!” Ginneka breathed out a tide of Foehn, supporting it with flame energy she had stolen from me and Shaeula. I was already moving, but even so, some flecks fell on me and started burning painfully. The whole back half of the mansion exploded in bright citrine hellfire, and I idly though of the butler. If he’s still here, he’s dead for sure now…

“No thanks. Stealing isn’t a good thing. Didn’t you learn any better?” I thrust rock spikes from the ground into her, again causing significant injuries, but she quickly healed. More flame shot my way, and I blocked them with more walls of stone.

“Annoying, nya. Why won’t you just all die?” Ginneka rushed me, shrinking to leap over the wall before sprouting multiple mouths within her torso in some horrific, poor Cerberus imitation, to spew a rain of Foehn down. “As for theft, the strong can do as they wish. That has always been the way of all worlds, nya.”

My stone defences failed quickly, but I had used my speed to get behind her, blades slicing her clean apart, but again she blurred into cat-girl form, seemingly unharmed. Fuck, we’ve killed these bastards three times over already but they just keep fixing themselves.

Meanwhile, Shaeula was having a hard battle against Kinneka, her speed and strength being below mine and her fire energies having been stolen. Even so, using her wind she was giving a good account of herself, shocking and frustrating the golden cat. One paw slammed down on her, and Shaeula coughed blood, but then a wind prison formed around them both, filled with an array of slicing strands. For a moment I couldn’t see what was happening within, but then the barrier shattered. Shaeula was clawed down her face, her cheek laid open and one arm dripping red and silver, but the giant cat was once more unharmed.

“Futile. No matter how many times you wound a Bakaneko, we can always recover.” He growled, fang-filled maw opening wide, tongue lolling out. “Still, I admit you have impressed us. The blood of your mother runs within you indeed, must as I hate to admit that.”

“I appreciate that-that. I’d appreciate you dying more!” She pulled out her jade bells and the collapsing, flaming mansion exploded outwards, her wind surging in a fierce gale.

I have to take advantage of this moment. But how? I struggled to come up with an instant solution, but the battered Hyacinth wasn’t done, unleashing a spray of black spores that engulfed Ginneka.

“This again, nya? Just stay down and die peacefully, useless idiot!” Ginneka said, changing shape to shed the spores, before she sneezed, her nose red and dripping. “Wait, what’s this, nya? NYA?” Her eyes met mine, and changed from her bright azure to a murky navy colour, drool dripping from her mouth.

“No, no.” She shook her head, breathing heavily. “I do want to have some fun with you, pretty boy, but I need to kill you and steal that skill, nya.” She shook her head again, as if to clear it, buying me a few moments as I could feel flame anergy and Foehn being pulled from my body at an alarming rate. “So few worth keeping, nya. Though here’s one I stole a long time ago. Void Motion.” She disappeared, and suddenly I was thrown back, landing heavily, her paw on my chest, pushing down. Slobbery drool was landing my me, and her breath was hot.

“That one hurts to use, nya. But it was one of the few worth making a part of me permanently. Brother, have you finished her yet, nya? I itch inside, I need to mate!” She looked at me, licking my face with her large, rough tongue, her arousal plain even in her giant cat form. “I can take this flame skill and the copy of hers after I’m done.” Her rumbling purrs sent vibrations through me.

“The bitch is proving annoying! But it won’t be long.” In cat-boy form he had broken her arm, the bells lying on the floor, surrounded by Foehn, so she was unable to reach them. Indeed, the bottom of her bloody yukata was starting to catch fire, and the situation looked grim, but her eyes were showing no fear of defeat as she clutched her dagger. “Stop fucking about and finish him!”

“Fucking, nya. No, no I can’t!” she sneered, shaking her head, trying to clear the darkness element that was eroding her reason, inflaming her passions. “Sorry handsome, but your skills are going to be mine. I can only hold a few in my soul permanently, nya, and you have two worth keeping.” I felt a wrench within, as Kin Bonding and Restoration flowed into her. As I felt my connection with Aiko, Eri, Shaeula and her weaselkin diminishing, I snarled with the pain and the cruel sensation. No fucking way I am letting it end like this…

My swords flashed, slicing through the leg that was pressing me down. Ulfuric would kill me if I dropped my weapons, even taking an unexpected hit from this stupid bitch if a cat. Even then Gnneka barely flinched, and she roared, flames pouring down on me, the glittering wave of Foehn devastating.

“Burn away, so I can make your skills mine, nya!” She crowed as the air filled with searing heat, the floor caving in, the foundations of the mansion collapsing. “With these, I can easily climb the Night Parade!” She purred in satisfaction, only to grunt as a heavy weight, my weight, slammed into her, eyes shut from the flames, relying on the vision of my Mystic Eye, which could work even when my eyelid was shut apparently. I was ablaze with Foehn from head to toe, far worse than when I had fought Shaeraggo, and only the insulating layers of wind and mud I had expended most of my remaining strength to cover myself with was able to keep me alive.

“What, why won’t you die, nya? I don’t like persistent men, I’m the hunter!” She tried to throw me off by changing her shape, shrinking to the size of an ordinary housecat, but before she could use her Void Motion I caught her tail, wreathing it in flame as she cursed and cried out. Another shapeshift and she was free, teleporting away, only to run into a cage of vines that sprung up, Hyacinth moving her burned and shredded body forwards, heedless of her injuries.

Two can play at that… aether flared and I moved at a similarly blinding pace, scattering burning droplets in my wake like a river of burning stars. Even as my body protested the savage speed, I slammed into Ginneka, throwing us towards Hyacinth, who was grinning, rising waves of nature energy gathering.

“You wouldn’t, nya! He’ll die too!” She protested, suddenly massive, cracking my bones with a savage twist of her new momentum. Even so, I seized her ears. Even as she flickered smaller again, I was still holding on, resolute as she bit and clawed at me, the Foehn burning around her scorching hot.

“If your shapeshifting is so good, why are you only around ninety in rank?” I scoffed, even as a cloud of the most lethal spores Hyacinth could muster washed over us. Many of them ignited around me, but even so, some were finding their way through the flames that clung to me, settling in the mud I wore as insulating armour, sprouting, roots digging into my flesh.

“Nyaaaaaa, help me brother! Kinneka!” She cried out as the spores began to devour her, virulent toadstools and fronds of sickly red and white fungus rippling free from her flesh. She changed her form often, shrinking, growing, sprouting new limbs and tails freely, but one thing only changed in size and shape, never vanished.

“Your shapeshifting sure is one hell of a cheat, but you always have to have your head.” I mocked, as the cat mewled, one eye already consumed, vile white froth spilling from her throat. “You shouldn’t take what doesn’t belong to you, bitch. And threatening Shaeula is even more reason for your death.”

“Sister!” Kinneka roared, seeing her pitiful state. He surged towards us, only to stumble, all four legs severed by Shaeula as she lashed out with whipping wires of air, mimicking her pinwheels. Legs sprouted again, four, eight, a dozen, looking like some sort of hideous centipede, before a bolt of light struck him in the head, staggering him, sending him spawling into the flames of Foehn that blazed around us in the ruined mansion.

“Nurarihyon will… never… let me go unavenged, nya!” Ginneka coughed, teeth falling from her rotting body. Even as she changed forms, shrinking and growing, the new areas began to corrode at ever-increasing pace, sprouting toadstool towers and milky growths. “And my brother will… kill…” her words were cut off as I slammed my burning fist through her rotting skull, exploding it viciously, the iron-hard bones that protected it from normal injury now porous and spotted with fungal roots.

“Ginnekaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Kinneka howled, slamming me, heedless of the flames burning around me. Even as he drove me backwards, my bones shuddering from his force, I felt energy surge into me, my chakra network receding to normal, Foehn returning to my control, the Kin Bonding and Restoration slamming back into my soul, a heavy weight coming with it.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Fifty-Eight to Sixty. All of your Material statistics have increased by eighteen. Aether has increased by forty.

Your Skill, Foehn, Inextinguishable Blaze has advanced from Rank 3 to Rank 4, having grown ever hungrier in the hands of a consummate mistress of theft. It has absorbed traces of spatial element, making the blaze harder to halt and control.

Your Skill, Solar Plexus Chakra Of Flame has advanced from Rank 4 to Rank 5. After being forcibly usurped by a thief and pushed to its limits, Your Solar Plexus Chakra now generates significantly more flame energy and is better able to handle variant and unique flames, such as Foehn.

Your Skill, Kin Bonding And Restoration has advanced from Rank 3 to Rank 4. Your Bonds were usurped, but remained unbroken, clinging on with all their strength to not shatter. Now retaken, your bonds are stronger than ever, and you will more rapidly restore those who fall, Astral forms reknitted from your aether and the strength of your sorrow. Your ability to share strength and knowledge with your bonded kin grows, and all skills that strengthen bonds will grow in power. Your love for your kin has soaked into the bond as you fought to reclaim it and protect those precious to you. You have learned the skill, Lovers’ Link. This skill has been subsumed into Kin Bonding And Restoration. You may now share a Rank of Lovers’ Link with anyone you love deeply enough to have true bonds with. Something unexpected has also occurred, a ??????????????????? which has remained within the cage of bonds.

Those images burned through my Eye in a mere moment. There were others, an increase in affinity for flame and spatial elements, and a few others, but none of that mattered right now. The battle was still ongoing.

“I shall flay you to the bones and throw your skull before Nurarihyon, praying he can keep your soul chained for eternity so I can…”

“Shut up!” I exploded the Foehn away from my already lightly-cooked body, even the multiple layers of wind and earth insulation not enough to prevent me taking significant wounds. Even so, the pain was bearable. Like being out in the sun for hours with no sunscreen, just way worse.

Flames and burning mud showered him, and even as he shrank to avoid it, Shaeula channelled all of her strength into a single Emerald Wind Prison, the cutting edges keeping him trapped, the whirling edges like deadly grinders.

“You are strong, true.” Shaeula breathed, hurt worse than me, but still standing proudly. “Stronger than I, if not-not much more than Akio. But all you have is strength and your ability to recover from great injuries. You are naught but a more frustrating Grulgor.” She mocked him as he was trapped within the sphere, unable to use Void Motion like his now-deceased sister.

Some faint growls and words were coming from within the sphere, but the words were trapped by the winds, unheard. I took a moment to look around. Grulgor, Ixitt and Ulfuric were all wounded, but they were surrounded by mounds of slain cats, bodies piled everywhere, and the musicians were still playing, even though their throats and fingers were raw. I guess Ulfuric’s training was worth it. The buffs we had received had made quite a difference.

“Yeah, that bitch of a sister was far more threating with her stealing. But in the end, it’s just like the stories. Bakaneko and other Yokai cats are cunning but are always less threatening than they appear.” Something stung at the back of my head, and I ignored it. “In the end, they were assassins, when it came down to straight fighting, we have the strength to overcome most enemies now.” I’m almost sad the bitch didn’t rob more of my skills, all the ones she took were powered up when I got them back. Though I guess if she took my wind or earth, the Foehn would have roasted me.

Hyacinth rushed over and hugged me, and since we were both wearing shreds of clothes it was rather stimulating. Still, I didn’t have the heart to throw her off, as her spores had saved the day, definitely. “So, Shaeula… are you sure?” I asked, ignoring the ache within.

“They killed my maids, traitors though they were-were, and would have killed you, despite your offers of negotiations. I have no mercy for such fools, none-none at all.” and with a grimace she clenched her fist, and the wind-orb contracted, blood and ether scattering.

You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from Sixty to Sixty-One. All of your Material statistics…

The remaining cats immediately surrendered, and the weaselkin rounded them up. I felt a heavy weight enter me, and Shaeula shuddered, energy playing around her, changing her subtly. It looked painful, so I investigated her with Ether Healing and Chirurgery, only to find her chakra network had slightly changed, some of the paths rerouted, minor chakras glowing brightly. My Eye inspected her, and I gasped in shock. Seriously?

“So, it is over then.” Shaeula breathed, looking up at the sky, which should have been impossible as we were in the mansion, but now all that was left were a series of burning walls, flames sending sparks into the endless night sky like shooting stars. “I fear Shaeraggo will be most wroth with the way his gift-gift was treated.”

“No kidding.” I scratched my head sadly while Ether Healing worked on me. “But… well, I know some kobolds, they do fine work. Maybe we can renovate the replacement to our tastes a bit more?” Well, this puts a bit of a dampener or our conquest of the Spring, doesn’t it?