Two Hundred And Twenty-Three
The White Snake kami nodded, bobbing its whole coiled body, tongue flickering out. “Yessssssssssss. I am prepared for thissssssssss.” It radiated a dignified aura, regal in vestnts and pointed hat.
“Just to clarify, if you accept a slot from my Throne of Heroes, then you’ll have an obligation to be my ally. I have no intention of abusing that, but that’s how it has to be. Still, having you able to be physically present during this eting of all the shrines and temples in Kyoto would likely be huge in impact. I won’t say you’ll be the only kami who will be there, but I doubt there’ll be many. It’ll make a statent. Besides, you can see your followers who’ve looked after your shrine faithfully all these years.”
“I have t the daughter of the sssssssssshrine, yessssssssss. No, you have acted in good faithhhhhhh with ussssssssss. I sssssssssshall not refusssssssse at thisssssssss late sssssssstage.”
“Fine then. In that case, here.” My Eye blazed amber, and a mont later the White Snake Kami, Shirohebi, was one of my chosen heroes.
Your Class, Kami-Blessed, has increased from level 5 to level 6.
The kami glowed brilliantly for a mont, his divine aura increasing, before the bright light dissipated, and what was left there was a tall, thin, androgenous figure, with long white hair, a narrow face and yellowish-brown eyes. Racially the kami looked sowhat Japanese, yet there was a definite foreign tinge to its visage.
Well, its stats aren’t amazing for a kami, but I already knew that from its performance during the battle against the Raven Knight. Still, with a bit of work Shirohebi can flourish. I did promise to make it stronger and gather faith for it. But what really intrigues is…
Divine Star Chakra Network- A perfect chakra network, made up of seven nodes, supported by a trunk pathway and nurous branches, as well as a Divine Spark, which resides within, at the Root of Divinity. This network processes aether as well as adherence. Ether is drawn, converted to aether and circulated around all seven nodes, while adherence is drawn in and circulated to the Divine Spark.
Divine Spark – The core of Divinity, comprised of concentrated adherence, compressed over many years. A Divine Spark will take on the aspect of Divinity that the adherence embodies, offering positive benefits to all actions regarding said embodint, and also dramatically increases the League and Fate of the bearer. [This Spark resides in the root chakra and embodies the Earth, Fertility and Snakes]
Adherence Manipulation – The ability to use adherence to create miracles. Adherence can be expended to permanently strengthen skills and abilities, or it can realise impossible feats in a manner similar to aether, though it has a greater effect. Adherence spent in this manner cannot be recovered, and will reduce the overall power of the Divine Spark.
White Snake Domain of Earth – The Divine mandate of Shirohebi, the White Snake kami. Being near this kami will slightly increase the power of earth elent abilities. Snakes will also be slightly strengthened, and blessings will be applied to reproduction for believers and those the kami favours. This affect can be strengthened by expending Adherence.
So Shirohebizumi is a fertility shrine, huh? I never knew that. I’m going to have a lot of fun ribbing Kana about that. Though of course that doesn’t matter. What does is… a different type of chakra network, Divinity and adherence. Those were what mattered. Shirohebi was a minor kami in a local shrine, but if adherence could be used to strengthen one permanently, then more powerful, worshipped kami and gods should have staggering power. And I’ve already gained the path to utilising adherence by being a Kami-Blessed, though I still don’t know how, and my Ether Spires should be gathering small amounts of it.
“Isss there anything wrong?” Shirohebi asked, and I shook my head.
“No, it’s fine. Just admiring your abilities. Kami sure are sothing else. I didn’t know you were a fertility god.”
“Yesss, sssnakesss are often sssymbolsss of fertility. I ssshall blessssss your union with many children, ssshould you wisssh it.”
“Well, one day, certainly.” Children with Eri and Shaeula I get. With Hinata, Motoko, Natsumi… Hyacinth. That still seems a bit of a hurdle for . Well, thinking of Hyacinth… I turned away, looking at the maid who was trailing behind , still lost in thought. I once more confird my feelings, before making my decision. Whatever happens, she’s owed a reward. And if I can help her, I want to. She’s suffered enough.
“Hyacinth.” I called her na, and she jolted, shocked out of her thoughts. Her eyes opened wide, and she bowed politely.
“Yes, what can I dooo for you, master?”
“Hyacinth, you’ve gone above and beyond what I could ever have expected of you. I’m very proud of you.” I reached out and rubbed her head. Normally that would have excited her, but she was now eyeing a touch warily. “I’m not a Fae, I don’t know or care much about Seelie, Unseelie or anything else. I only see Shaeula, or Ulfuric, or you, as individuals. As long as you are a good person, I’ll accept you. And whether you are a brownie, a boggart or sothing else, I know you are worthy of happiness.”
“Master…” she whispered, eyes glittering with silvery tears. “… I dooo nooot… I…”
“Look, just listen, okay?” I said, seeing her turmoil. “I get that you’ve been hurt before. I can’t imagine how terrible your life has been up to this point. But I want you to know that I accepted you. Shaeula too. And those that we accept, we’ll never let face any hardships. I hope that you’ll stay with us forever, and if you want to, then I have a way to help you so that you can even travel to the mortal world with us. You want to see where we live there, right? And spend more ti with us, et the other girls I love?” I’ve no idea what I’ll do if she says no to this. With her mastery of deadly spores, she’s a walking bioweapon, and she’s not exactly stable. But I think I’m a good judge of character. She craves approval, kindness, a purpose.
“et… the ooother mistresses?” Hyacinth said slowly, my hand still stroking her hair. “See… the ooother hooo?”
“Yes. I think they’ll like you, so you don’t need to worry. All you have to do is stay by our side, and together we’ll make your future so bright it blows away the past. But you have to accept my commands when you beco a chosen of my Throne. Can you do that?”
She nodded. “I can, ooof course. After all, Hyacinth will always listen to yooou, master! Nooothing will change!”
“Good. Then… here.” Hyacinth looked blank for a mont, before accepting the offered ennoblent. The mont she did so I felt the connection between us, and sothing else. Her eyes, they suddenly look clear, less pained.
Your Class, Fae-Souled, has increased from level 25 to level 26.
“I feel so clooose to master nooow.” Hyacinth marvelled. “It is like I am connected to yooou!”
“Yeah, that’s right. we share another bond now.” I said, pulling her in for a hug. She grinned, looking more her usual self, her pale skin flushing. “Can I appraise you? I’d like to check your abilities.”
“Hyacinth has nooo secrets from master. If yooou wish it, I can get naked, sooo you can see my everything!” Her smile was lascivious and lustful as usual, but there was a hint of sothing else, sothing more impish, humorous than usual. I gently rapped her on her forehead with my knuckles, and she pouted a little.
“That’s for later.” I smiled, causing her to redden further, squirming in my grip. “For now… this may feel a little uncomfortable.” The amber glow spread from my Eye, and once more I was checking a status sheet.
Another one with a dreadful Resilience, huh? Her stats are decent other than that for a level zero, but it’s amazing she functioned with her mind so shocked. Her and Hyacinth are the sa, it seems. Still, Kannon huh? That’s so irony, as her blessing led Suzuki-san into being defiled and murdered… also, I’d have thought she’d mostly concentrate her blessings on the shrines and temples that worship her. Still, if Japan alone has several thousand Candidates, I suppose there’s no rule a god or goddess can only have one candidate, is there? I wonder if there are any comrades out there who have been chosen by Tyr too? I set aside the fact that her skills were pretty high Rank, especially compared to my level zero status, when I had to work mine up almost entirely from scratch. I guess that was the easier way that Ortlinde ntioned. My guess is Suzuki-san would find it very hard to focus on anything but her gifts of light. Though whether that still applies now she’s under my rule…?
“I feel strange.” Suzuki-san remarked. She had cald down a little, much like Hyacinth did. “It’s like… like I can feel you watching . It’s… strange. I can’t really describe it any other way.”
“Sorry, is it bad?” I said, and she shook her head.
“No, not bad. odd. Anyway, I feel more like my old self. I don’t hate it.” She shook her head once more, as if to clear a fog from it. “And I can do this, I think.” Suddenly her body was back to how she used to look, solid and tangible. “I’m still dead though.” One hand started turning transparent again for a mont as she looked at it. “But… I think I can live a mostly normal life. Thank you.”
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