On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Two Hundred And Seventy-Two

At her pronouncement, there was chaos. Saionji-san, who was aware of her portents, if not the contents, opened his eyes wide, shocked at the scale of the prophecy, whilst many others were panicking. Even so, the Diviner was unmoved, and she clapped her hands once, the noise quiet, yet seeming to cut through the hubbub, everyone captivated by her. A soft, silver glow seemed to radiate from her, drawing everyone’s eyes.

“Peace. There is no cause for panic. I am the Diviner, I see the future, blessed ripples of light on the surface of a lake, the reflected moon of Tsukuyomi.” Her veil that covered her face moved softly with each of her breaths. “I was perhaps the first. I am not arrogant enough to believe I was the only one in this world gifted the true powers of the Divine. Other countries have other Gods, and I would not dare to say they are any less real than Tsukuyomi.” She turned and I could feel she was looking at me then, and the gazes of the rest of the hall followed her. “In fact, I now know foreign gods to be as real as our own.” She took a long breath.

“But ever since I was but a small child, I have been able to see the future. Clouded, wispy fragments, dreams and allegories. Hard to interpret, but over the years I have grown skilled in it. But some may ask, what use is seeing the future? The answer is simple. Not all events are fixed. We have turned disaster aside many times, though we have failed often too. But now…” she raised her arms, and the silvery glow intensified. Shaeula seemed to find it soothing, as she was leaning into me, her face flushed, and I could feel it resonating within me, the High Moonlight Spirit Water that was trickling from my sacral chakra responding. “… I, who somehow was reached by Tsukuyomi before this current state of affairs, I have now received his true blessing, and I am one of the Chosen of the Gods.”

At that declaration, further murmurs went around the room. Chiyo-san turned back to me, her expression curious. “I am not surprised that the Lady Diviner was chosen. What do you think, Akio-kun?”

“Well, from what I know, the Gods choose based on affinity. And I guess nobody has more affinity for Tsukuyomi than the Diviner. So it makes sense. Though if we knew why she had such powers long before anyone else, that might answer a lot of important questions.”

Chiyo-san frowned, thinking. “I see. Well, we should listen. She is going to speak again.”

Once more her soft clap echoed, drawing all our attention. “Being Chosen is an honour, and a burden. But I am long used to burdens.” Her strange, ageless voice cracked a little, so subtly that likely only the Candidates around us could pick up on it. “But with Tsukuyomi reaching down from the silver skies high above to gift me his power, I can see more clearly than ever before. And what I see… six disasters, each one greater than the last. The shadows loom over us, over Japan, yet it is not just Japan alone that is in danger. Should we fall, the Earth will follow, and in the darkness, there will be no moon, no sun, no stars. Only silence and death.”

Her grave pronouncements had captured everyone, and I now understood more of why she was so afraid. Such a heavy burden for anyone to bear, let alone on those slender shoulders. Light, Darkness and Twilight. I had no idea what twilight was, but … well, fuck prophecy. If someone needs to stop it, then I’ll step up. I’m no fatalist. If we grow strong enough, we can fight. I didn’t believe in that sort of thing, although, just like with my Foresight, which was still blaring an irritating warning at the back of my mind, I wasn’t going to chance ignoring it anymore. As I thought earlier, better to be prepared for no reason than be unprepared and regret it forever…

“I believe it is as Kudou-sama and Bankei-sama say.” She continued, captivating everyone. “The Gods have given us the power to stave off the end. They do love us, their lost, errant children, and though they cannot intervene directly, they have given us the tools to save ourselves. If the end was inevitable…” she said, a soft whisper, as if to convince herself, that the speakers spread to all corners of the hall. “… then why show me? I believe Tsukuyomi to not be so cruel.”

Yes, I agree. This Red Dragon she talked about… if it’s an actual dragon, it can die. Duke Myrcolaxriath seemed impossible to defeat, yet with preparation, neutralising his strengths, it was possible. A Dragon is no different. And if it’s a metaphor for something else… well, power is the answer. And we are growing strong.

“So, I ask everyone, put aside your selfishness, your squabbling. This is about more than the return of our gifts, the grace of the kami and Gods restored to us. No, this is about survival. Of our country. Of the world. Of humanity. I beg of you… come to a decision, and prepare.” She sat down silently, and I could see her shoulders trembling under the silk.

For a long moment there was silence, before Kudou-san nodded at Bankei-san, who stood, taking centre stage. “Powerful words from the Lady Diviner. Come to a decision. That is why we are here, and why we do not stand alone. For this humble one, I… I would urge everyone to remember that we serve the Gods, and our faiths lived through fifteen hundred years of hard times. We must not shame those who came before us and the memory of those hardships by becoming careless and selfish when such hardships have finally ended… huh. Do you have something to say?” he asked, as in the back benches of the Amaterasu faction, one old man was looking furious, talking to his neighbours loudly. Saionji-san looked annoyed at one of his followers being disruptive, but he allowed Bankei-san to moderate.

“Of course I do.” The man stood, arms crossed, scowling at everyone around him. “I am not one to dismiss the words of the Lady Diviner.” He nodded, showing her some respect at least. “But… a decision? Why? Those of us who aren’t Chosen, what changes for us? Knowing the Gods are real? We knew that anyway! We are the true faith! Respect, honour? That will go to all the larger shrines as always, and the new Chosen. What can we do, what can we achieve?”

Others from the Amaterasu and Susanoo seats echoed their agreement. As a ripple of unrest spread, Bankei-san tried to calm it down. “Peace. We were going to discuss this shortly, but since you seem so adamant, we can talk a little about it now. Though I am disappointed. Haven’t we always believed that the strength of one was the strength of all? Our united front has kept us safe all these years.” He shook his head wearily. “Hikawa-san, if you could speak?”

“Of course.” Hikawa-san stood, drawing all eyes. “Now, we have decisions to make about how much we share with everyone here. I am in favour of full disclosure.” He looked at me then, a fleeting glance. “… as I am sure everyone here can be trusted. After all, we have kept our secrets for fifteen hundred years, I’m sure that we can keep the secrets of our Chosen now. And as for your worries… well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed too. After all, did you envy the Diviner and hate her for her gifts? I doubt many of us would be able to bear the weight she has over the years. Or is it simply now that it isn’t merely her, you got jealous? Well… fear not.”

“What do you mean?” the man said, still angry. “And it isn’t envy, I simply feel that our voices will mean nothing, opposed to those who have divine favour.”

“Really? Well, I’ll take your word for it, to spare your feelings.” Hikawa-san shrugged. “Instead, let me tell you a story. Hikawa-Kawagoe is an old and powerful shrine, you know that. Well, our bloodline is strong, and all three of my children inherited some spiritual gifts. Strong ones by the standards of anyone but the noble Lady Diviner.” He nodded to her respectfully. “… but even so, little tricks compared to the distant past. Yet…” he paused dramatically. “… now, thanks to a course of special training, the gifts of my children are flourishing. And many other shrines have taken part as well, across Susanoo and also those of our friends in the unaffiliated seats.” He winked at Chiyo-san, who stood, voicing her agreement.

“Indeed. My troublesome granddaughters went through the same process. They showed great growth. But perhaps words will not suffice, though during the interval, feel free to go seek them out and confirm for yourself.” She snorted, before looking at Eri, who returned her gaze, puzzled. “It is your time to show off, girl. After all, are you not Akio-kun’s greatest success?”

“Yes, I think it would be quite-quite good for you to bask in the adulation of these people.” Shaeula said. “You trained to be of use to Akio, did you not-not? His fame will soar, and many will seek out his aid, should you show your efforts.”

“But…” Eri muttered, shyly, before taking a deep breath, steadying herself. She glanced around with her obsidian eyes, seeing everyone looking at her, before she stood and strode to the front, where Hikawa-san met her. “… you know I don’t like being the centre of attention.” She growled, her voice a whisper only he could hear, or those with exceptional hearing such as myself.

“Yes, but you do want to stand proud as Akio’s fiancée and someone who can help him, right?” Hikawa-san was shrewd, he also knew how to cajole her. She sighed and nodded, and he turned back to the crowd, looking at Takeyabashi-san, the priest of Chairoakitara shrine. “You know this girl, right?” he asked, and Marika-san’s grandfather nodded.

“I do indeed. She is a resident of our humble little town in the mountains. Our shrine is a modest one, venerating a minor kami, and our bloodline has thinned, so we have no gifts left. That doesn’t matter though. Mori-san here is an ordinary girl, unrelated to shrine matters, and yet, she has laboured and now has power. My granddaughter, she too returned this morning able to use gifts that only those of the thicker bloodlines such as Hikawa-san have boasted up until now. And I have seen Hikawa-san’s children. Their strengths have grown, even I could see that.”

“Thank you, Takeyabashi-san. Yes, your granddaughter is a friend of my children, so our shrines are close too. No need to be so humble. Besides… your shrine is the home shrine of someone else, right?” he grinned. “I think your days of being just a little shrine are over.” He turned back to the restless crowd. “But talk is cheap. We all saw the Golden Warrior of Kannon. Mori-san, why not show off?”

“Fine, but I can’t do anything that impressive. Ugh… I hate this.” She complained, before raising her hands. Above her left hand a ball of flame shimmered into existence, the size of a baseball, and in her other hand, a similar, slightly larger ball of light formed, though it was wobbling uncertainly, sparks flickering off it. Addressing the crowd, her smile was nervous but captivating, and I could see several of the younger men (and even some of the older ones) admiring her in her hakama. Sorry but make a move on Eri and if she doesn’t kill you, I will.

“I’m not very good with light, it doesn’t suit me.” She said, bringing the two balls together, merging the elements, creating a glowing, fiery orb, like a miniature sun. She turned to the Princess, and surprised me with her next words. “I may not be able to match your sun, Princess, but…” she tossed the orb upwards, and as it fell, it struck the floor in front of her and Hikawa-san, before it detonated, punching a smouldering crater in it several feet across. As the crowd panicked, Bankei-san was calling for calm.

“Oh, sit down!” Eri declared, stamping down, putting another hole in the wooden floor with her strength. Damn, I do hope they don’t expect me to pay for repairs. The floor is just wood, but even so, it’s antique…

“That was… impressive, Mori-san.”  Hikawa-san said finally, as calm returned. “And just to be clear, you have no spiritual gifts at all, no bloodline?”

“No.” Eri shook her head. “I’m just an ordinary girl. But I wanted to be stronger, so… so I can stand beside my fiancée.” She was sure to get that in to ward off other girls. “And now I am, and I get stronger all the time. But I wish I did have some gifts, like Chiaki-san and Chiasa-san. Then I could be more help…”

“Well, I’m sure they’d be pleased to know you respect their talents.” He said, before turning to the first protester. “So, I hope that answers your question for now. There is much more to say, but we have to leave that for later. There is hope for the powers in everyone’s bloodlines to be renewed. I would suggest everyone start remembering the stories from their ancestors, to work out what they were. Oh, thank you Mori-san, feel free to take a seat again.”

As Eri sat down, all eyes on her, I reached over and took her hand, and in front of everyone she boldly leaned in and kissed me, her tongue darting into my mouth. Her face was red and her breath hot, but even so, she was determined to show everyone how close we were, so I couldn’t let her down. As we kissed, Shaeula was snickering beside us, and Haru-san looked away, her pale face slightly pink.

“So, back to you, Bankei-san. Hopefully we can continue. It’s a long day, we don’t have time for too many interruptions.” Hikawa-san took his seat at the front once more, while Yamato-san and his father looked at him approvingly. Saionji-san was looking at us, though, his expression thoughtful. He then stood, walking over to the moderator.

“I think it is time. A little earlier than planned, but it follows from here.” He took the microphone. “The size of a shrine matters little. We all worship the kami, the Gods. And shrines that worship lesser-known or local kami have one great advantage.” He paused for dramatic effect, knowing how to work a crowd. “We have shown you a resurgence of spiritual powers, Princess Mikasa has shown you the flaming sun of Amaterasu, while the Lady Diviner has revealed her blessing from Tsukuyomi has deepened immeasurably. We have even seen an ordinary girl display spiritual power the like of which has not been seen for centuries.” He nodded at Eri. “But all this is circumstantial. What if… what if we could ask the divine itself? Akai, it’s time.”

There was a long moment of silence, and with a sigh of exasperation, he repeated himself. “Wake up Akai, this isn’t the time to be sleeping!”

“What… I wasn’t sleeping!” a languid voice came from the Amaterasu seats, and up popped Akai, her hair across her face. She wobbled towards the front, staggering unsteadily. “I’m here, I’m here. What the…” she stepped in the hole Eri had gouged in the floor and stumbled, falling on her face. “Ouch, why is there a hole here?” She pouted, her ruby eyes tearing up.

“Try and have some dignity.” Saionji-san sighed, and I couldn’t help but agree. She’s a spiritual being, but she seems a bit… scatter-brained.

“Sorry, sorry” she said, joining him up on stage. “Oh, so many people, and ugh… they are here.” She glowered at Shaeula and I, nervous.

“This is Akai. You may wonder why she is here. But the answer is simple.” He paused once more, a slight smile on his face showing he was enjoying holding everyone’s attention. “I too am a Chosen of the Gods. And during my wandering in the lost spiritual realm, I did happen upon something fascinating.”

At that Uchida-san looked rather perturbed, as did his son Yamato-san, but Kudou-san was giving a knowing nod.

“Kinkaku-ji has an ornament on the roof, as I am sure you are all aware. A Phoenix. So imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a young phoenix chick, sleeping amidst the splendour that is my temple in that realm. Initially she was wary, aggressive, but… we soon came to an agreement. And here she is. Akai, do it.” He nodded at her, and she gulped, before suddenly she too was ablaze, her dark brown hair fluttering out behind her like flaming wings.

“I think my father and grandfather are going to be annoyed…” Princess Mikasa muttered. “This is the third time we’ve set the hall on fire in only a few minutes…”

“Yes, I have no wish to burn this sacred place.” Saionji-san agreed. “That will do, Akai.” And with that the phoenix let her flames die down, her hair returning to cover her shy face. The ground under her was charred and glowing, so after another round of extinguishers, he was ready to confront the uproar. Everyone was talking about spiritual beings and their ability to walk the earth.

“Now Akai may not be a worshipped kami at Kinkaku-ji…” he began, only for Akai to interrupt.

“All Phoenix are divine. I am no exception!” she pouted, cheeks puffed.

“Yes, I know.” He said, a touch exasperated. “Let me finish. Just go back to sleep for now.”

“I wasn’t sleeping!” she complained, scuttling off the stage and back to her seat, shooting Shaeula and I wary glances as she went.

“But there are kami too. Those of you who tend to minor shrines will likely find your own, should you be so fortunate as to enter the spiritual realm.”

“But how can we? We aren’t blessed by the Gods!” one woman cried, and Saionji-san grinned.

“Shuta-san, can you advise her?” he asked, and over on the Amaterasu side, he stood, the Jade Beetle beside him. His nerves were showing, but even so, he bowed and spoke.

“I am Kikuchi Shuta, priest of Hisuikomushi shrine. I am a Chosen of the Gods, though not a God of these sacred shores.” There were murmurs of discontent from the crowd at that, causing him to swallow reflexively before continuing. “And this… this is my kami. A true, genuine kami of Japan, walking the mortal realm, the Material.” He said, using my terminology, as was becoming the habit of my allies. “And to answer your question… my daughter, Maiko, she has little spiritual talent, though now she has undergone some of the same training as Mori-san over there…” he nodded at us. “… she too has entered the spiritual realm at Hisuikomushi. Anyone can, with the proper assistance.”

“So you mean…” the woman said, and Saionji-san took over.

“Thank you, Shuta-san. And he is not alone. Look around, and you might see other out-of-place figures. Most are kami and others like Akai, here today to prove the truth. The world has changed, and it is ours! Faith will once more be accepted as being as true as science!”

At his declaration, the applause from the Amaterasu faction was deafening. Even a number from the other factions were joining in.

Yeah, it’s hard to argue with that. Real, demonstrable power is back, and since many wielders are now strong enough to defend themselves, and it is no longer just a mere few, the dangers of being used as test subjects and lab rats is reduced. But there are other dangers…

“Yes, not only will we be accepted, we will blaze the path humanity will follow!” Saionji-san declared arrogantly, only for Bankei-san to speak up.

“Well, we need to decide what path we will follow first, which is why this Conclave is called. Everyone, take five minutes to cool your heads from these revelations, and then… the leaders of Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi will outline their wishes and plans for the future. Judge them wisely, not blindly, for this humble one would hate for us to be led astray by hysteria and wonder, when so much is at stake.”

“Yes.” The Diviner said, taking her cue from his words. “Deciding unwisely may not just doom us, but all of humanity. Take time to pause, to think, and to pray…”

Shaeula, Eri, Haru-san and I exchanged glances. Yes, for the ordinary members of faith it’s been one shocking event after another. The Golden Warrior, The Princess, The Diviner, Eri, Akai, more… the mood was changing, and I needed to decide how best to chart our own course through the political intrigue, to achieve the results we wanted…