Two Hundred And Twenty-Eight – Reworked Version
“Just what are you doing? Such a strange light…” Miyu-san said, uncomfortable under my intense gaze. As Koga-san was making the tea, she was also alert at the glow, in case it was dangerous, and I could see her feet twitching, as if she wished to rain more needles down on .
“It’s a skill of mine. A Rank 2 one.” I said, fishing for information. If I’m going to help out, I need paynt. Everyone has been really clear on that. And I don’t think they are entirely wrong. I was feeling a little sorry for the sheltered girl, especially after my interactions with Hinata, Motoko and Natsumi, but their situations were very different to the girl in front of . After all, I’m working with her grandfather, and most of the protection for my family and workplace cos from him. I do have Grulgor, Hyacinth and Shirohebi now, but if I tie them up on protection detail, that wastes a lot of my hard work getting the Thrones to Rank 2. Unless there are so other benefits that make it worthwhile of course. “So, what skill did you get from A-no-Uzu? I’m guessing it must be a decent Rank?”
“Rank? I do not understand.” Miyu-san said, taking an offered cup from Koga-san, taking a sip, though my eyes could see the minute rattles of the porcelain, betraying her unease. “As for these skills, the Goddess told I would dance for the Dawn and dance for the Dusk, but that was all.”
I see. Dance-related skills? I’m guessing buffs and debuffs? I’m curious but that can wait. “I see, so do you have a status screen that details all your statistics, such as your strength, intelligence or anything similar? Like the display in a video ga? Also, did she tell you about your Territory?”
At the barrage of questions, Miyu-san frowned, masking her emotions behind another draught of tea. “Video gas? I have heard of them, but we are taught to avoid such vulgar things at school, along with television that is not educational.”
At that Hinata giggled, shaking her head. Yeah, Nichibotsu is heavily involved in such vulgar things. No wonder she’s looked down upon, despite the wealth of her family. “I’m afraid she doesn’t understand you, Akio.”
“Who are you to speak…” Koga-san began, annoyed at her interjection, before she caught my glare and backed away, face falling, her skin behind the mask red.
“She’s soone your mistress here asked for help. So it’s only natural to be polite to soone you are begging favours from, right?” I notice I didn’t get a cup of tea, that ninja girl isn’t coming near . “This is Miyu-san’s house, right?”
At my lack of -sama Koga-san twitched, irritated, but she still nodded.
“Well then, I need so blank paper and so pencils. Ideally coloured ones.”
“I have a sketchbook in my room. Fetch it, Michiru. I shall be fine here.” She declared. “If Oshiro-san wished harm, you would not be able to stop him, right?”
“I apologise for my worthlessness, mistress. My father will be disappointed in and no doubt increase my training tenfold!” She shot another glare, before opening a locked door in the wall of the large room. Not just one lock, there’s three, and they all look fairly industrial. As Koga-san disappeared inside, I caught a glimpse of a room decorated in calming pastel shades, and the corner of a grand piano.
“So, are you doing that?” Hinata asked. “If so, will Miyu need to take off her clothes?”
At that Miyu-san halted, cup held motionless in the air, while Koga-san, returning with a large sketchbook and a case of pencils, suddenly leapt like a frightened rabbit. “Strip the mistress? I knew you were not to be trusted! Mistress, he wishes to despoil you and then you will be forced to marry him to spare your family from disgrace! Such evil, it cannot…”
“Oh please.” Hinata snorted. “Why would he want to do that? He’s already got such wonderful fiancées.” She stuck out her chest proudly. “Besides, I expect Fujiwara-sama already has plans. My cousin… well, never mind that.”
“Hinata, I know you ant to lighten the mood, but these girls don’t get the humour.” I sighed. “No, I won’t be needing you to strip to your underwear, Miyu-san. My Eye has ranked up, and I’m not doing any actual Chirurgery at this stage, so this should suffice. Now stop being annoying and give the paper.” I demanded, and Koga-san stalked over, gingerly handing paper and pencils to .
“One thing I don’t get is…” I said, as I quickly wrote out a fake character sheet with so random numbers and made-up skills on. “… why didn’t you decline A-no-Uzu’s offer? If you were that unhappy, then…”
“Decline?” Miyu-san shook her head. “How does one deny the divine? I woke one night in a strange place. It was a dream, surely, yet everything was so real, and I was fully aware of myself. Then the goddess appeared, draped a necklace of leaves around my neck, and told I was to ‘nurture the sacred Sakaki tree to save what I could from the destruction that was coming’.” She shuddered, teacup rattling on the saucer furiously. “Decline? Such a nonsense. Why should I have to do this?”
“I would do it in your place in a heartbeat, mistress! Koga ninja are ready for battle, always!”
“I thought this a lot.” Hinata mused, interrupting the heavy atmosphere, and I could tell she was going to make a joke. “From school, we are taught that ninja were supposed to be stealthy, inconspicuous. But you are always standing out and dressing ridiculously. Even your sister isn’t as flashy as you, Michiru. Not very ninja-like, if you ask !”
I had finished my fake character sheet, as well as a chakra sketch of an ordinary person. I was now moving onto what I rembered of Kana’s, which was pretty much flawless as my mory had reached photographic a while back. Though oddly enough despite that, I still forget things, mostly unimportant matters or things I’d actually wish to forget. It seems Resilience interacts weirdly with a lot of ntal states.
“Well, father did leave the family when he was young to marry mother, and was disowned, though grandfather still allows sister and I to visit on occasion.” She shrugged. “So father doesn’t follow the old teachings as written. Father believes that bodyguards must stand out, and clearly warn off any attackers. The true secret of stealth, he believes, is in the attacks themselves.” She raised a fingernail at , and I could once more see the embedded needles, glittering darkly. Yeah, I think she’d be more likely to hurt herself or Miyu-san with those, rather than an enemy.
“Bodyguards should be flashy.” Hinata agreed. “But why not have a decoy guard to do that, and have you by her side looking like just a friend? Wouldn’t that be more ninja-like?”
“But father says we need to show off our skills in the modern world, or else we’ll be underestimated and looked down on…”
Yeah, this is all nonsense, but at least the mood has improved. I was now sketching a detailed image of Miyu-san and her network. Since my Eye had improved, more minor details were visible, and I could peer beneath her clothes to an extent and still make out the glittering lights of her capillaries and chakras. Enough for an indication, anyway. I still wouldn’t fancy Chirurgery like this. Idly I spoke. “Yeah, well, it seems like you are more the orange jumpsuit type of ninja. I’m pretty disappointed really, I’d like to et a real ninja one day, I bet I could learn a lot.”
“Orange jumpsuit? I don’t get it.” Koga-san said, before realising I had essentially disparaged her and called her and her father fakes. “My ninjutsu is real! I simply choose not to…”
“Enough.” Miyu-san was rubbing at her temples, eyes squeezed shut. “Please, Michiru. No argunts. We have asked them for aid, we can swallow a little insult if we must.”
“It isn’t really an insult. Just expressing my disappointnt.” I said mildly, to a laugh from Hinata. “Anyway, I’m pretty much done for now. There is one thing of note to draw your attention to, but anyway, here.” I approached Miyu-san, who opened her eyes again nervously. As I stretched out my hand and handed her the papers she snatched at them, before retreating a little.
“This is… a status screen?” She said, puzzled. “I do not understand. How can you asure things such as this? It would be like declaring I had Piano Playing Rank 3. How foolish.”
“Anything can be asured, against the right scale. If you knew who was the worst at Piano in the world, and also the best, could you not split the skill levels of musicians between into Ranks? We do it in a way, with competitions and status such as amateur, professional, teacher, and more, right?” So, Kikuchi-san, Suzuki-san, Kondou Kazuo, and now Miyu-san, none of them have status sheets. I’m now certain that the Examination skills were a big part of my own blessing from Tyr. But that can’t be it all. No, looking at Miyu-san now…
“That is true.” she conceded, flipping through the sheets I had torn from her sketchbook. On reaching her own she paused, frowning.
“You see it, right? Around your neck and your forehead?” I was surprised I could see it now, and when I looked down at my own wrist with my Eye I could see a similar occurrence.
“Sakaki leaves.” She nodded. “Like the necklace the goddess gave .” Her hand went to her forehead. “But here too? And what are these coloured balls and lines?”
“That’s a visual representation of your Astral subtle body. That world in the dream the irresponsible goddess pulled you into is called the Boundary, the junction between the Astral and Material worlds. And yes, it can be dangerous. But Miyu-san, you were chosen. One of around two thousand in Japan. There probably isn’t more than a few hundred thousand worldwide. I get that it is frightening, but this is an opportunity…”
“Opportunity? For what?” she shuddered. “I am already a doll, my future mapped out, the only say I have in it my piano and dance. Even Michiru will be dismissed when I graduate from Hanafubuki and get married, I will not even get to choose my bodyguards. No, everything will be dictated by my husband.”
“That can’t be true. I’m not telling Hinata what to do all the ti, am I?”
“Well, yes, you are very different to the nobles, Akio.” Hinata sighed. “I think any husband chosen for a granddaughter of Fujiwara-sama is likely to be entitled and overbearing. Before, I’d have said that would be a small price to pay for being seen as true nobles amongst nobles, but these few weeks have changed . I sympathise, Miyu.”
“I do not need your sympathy, I need this curse gone! I am not giving up what remains of my freedom for this! What have the kami ever done for ?”
Apart from the life of wealth and privilege? Well, who am I to judge. I guess being poor and happy like Eri and my sis is better than being wealthy and miserable, right? “Well, I’m not saying it is impossible.” I can think of two ways, based on what I know and have guessed, but I don’t like either of them… “But you’d need to fully understand the risks and ramifications…”
She brightened at my words, hope springing in her eyes, interrupting before I could fully explain the dangers. “You can do it? You can free ?”
“Maybe. I’ve ideas but I still think it’s a foolish plan on many levels. There’s a solid chance you could be injured or even die.” I pointed to the paper she was holding, and bade her compare hers with an ordinary person. “See all the differences? The subtle bodies are linked, so if the foreign parts are removed, it might have a serious, potentially life-threatening impact on you. That’s assuming it even works at all.”
Koga-san gasped, and Hinata looked troubled. Miyu-san looked down, gathering her composure.
“I see. I suppose it is too much to hope for the works of a Goddess to be undone so easily, or without price.”
“Look, I get you feel you have no control over your life. Hinata was the sa. Motoko and Natsumi too, they are bound by the expectations placed on them. But they chose to reach for a way to grasp what they wanted.” I grinned self-deprecatingly, shaking my head. “Maybe I’m an idiot, taking them all. I’m certainly a bastard.”
“Hey, that’s an.” Hinata joked. “You made a wise decision!”
“We’ll see.” I smiled back, before looking at Miyu-san earnestly. “Don’t you think that this is a heaven-sent opportunity for you to take control of your life? Power and influence. If you have that, then you can dictate your own terms.”
“Hardly. Against grandfather, I would still end up doing what he wanted. I’m just a doll, looking pretty but ultimately hollow.”
“No you aren’t!” I was annoyed, so I raised my voice. Koga-san twitched, ready to intervene, but Hinata waved her to stop, gesturing to wait. “Would a doll or a puppet have called here, to defy a goddess and your grandfather alike? Look, I get it. at first I was a total coward. I nearly gave up several tis, and when I fought the Wyrm, I ended up shivering in fear in my bed afterwards, rembering its breath that could have annihilated without a trace. But then I rembered, each and every ti… if not , then who would protect those I love? So if not you, who else can do it, Miyu-san?”
“Listen to him.” Hinata urged. “Akio is an expert, isn’t he? He’s fought more battles than anyone. Perhaps he could help you. You wouldn’t have to be alone.” She sighed. “I’m jealous. I don’t want to fight either, but those of us at the training school, Aiko, Eri… all of us are eager to join him there, share his burdens. But you, you were chosen. It seems a waste to abandon all that. If I could take it from you, I would, in a heartbeat!”
“The training school. Yes, grandfather gets reports. Ordinary people, granted new powers.” Miyu-san mused. “Even so, they are no match for you, are they? They will only suffer and die in vain, much as a small house would if it angered Fujiwara or Ichijou houses. No, I’ve made up my mind. I wish to be free, even… even if I have to risk everything!”
My words aren’t reaching her. Well, that makes sense, why should she listen to ? Even my Majesty and Charm won’t make soone who has absolutely decided change their mind.
Before I could speak, Hinata spoke up. “So, you’ve decided then, Miyu. A cowardly, foolish decision, but it is your life. So, what does Akio get out of helping you then?”
“Such insolence!” Koga-san gasped, and Miyu-san showed a significant reaction, puzzled and affronted.
“Oh co on, you surely aren’t that stupid.” Hinata was equally displeased. “Akio told you there’s a risk. If you are injured, or even die… how can you compensate him for that? Fujiwara-sama would surely seek to crush the man who hurt his treasured granddaughter. At best, he would lose all his supporting backing from the nobility, except mine, of course. It may even lead to imprisonnt or banishnt. Surely you aren’t so naïve to expect Akio to chance that for free. Even if it all works, he has done you a priceless service, has he not?”
“I am Fujiwara Miyu, and…” she began, but Hinata cut her off with an angry snort.
“… and you’ve already rejected the responsibility as a Fujiwara daughter, hence why I give you no honorific. You can’t abandon your duty, give up this power that benefits the nobility, Japan as a whole, and expect to blindly do as you say. Akio isn’t even a noble. Like you said earlier, he doesn’t work for you, he’s only an ally and far too kind! Besides, even if you could promise Fujiwara-sama would not respond, even if you were to be injured, Akio would grieve. He’s soft on girls in need.” She turned to then. “So, I know what you are thinking, Akio, and speaking for all your wives, I forbid you to try, unless Miyu offers sothing of appropriate value! You’ve offered her good advice, and I know what you were going to say next, sothing like… but you won’t be alone, I can send people to help you, protect you and your Territory… right? Well no, you need to think of your own, no, our own Territory. You aren’t responsible for Miyu. You are for us!”
Am I so easy to read? I was going to suggest teaming up with Suzuki-san, as she’s a vassal of mine so I could aid them to fortify a Territory… still, Hinata is right. I have to draw the line sowhere.
Miyu-san seed shocked at being spoken to in such a manner, perhaps nobody ever had before. Even so, she wasn’t a foolish girl it seed, as she did not imdiately respond. I could hear a noise though, angry and grating, and it was Koga-san grinding her teeth, clearly infuriated.
“I… if it is money, I have a little, but…”
“Money? I am supporting Akio, grandfather too. Any money you could scrape together would be unnecessary.”
“I don’t have anything else. I doubt you an to allow Oshiro-san to watch dance or listen to my piano!” She said, a touch shrilly. “All I have is what you see! It is all any of us have! Invisible chains and regret!” She began to tug at her dress then, loosening the collar, Koga-san rushed at her, but she batted her off. “Do you an for to offer him my body? Ruin my honour, disgrace the husband I do not know yet? Well, if I must to be free of this curse I will, but know this…”
“Enough! Hinata didn’t an that!” I declared, seizing her hand before she had done much more than unbutton a few small fastenings by her neckline. “Stop, okay? Calm down.”
I turned my gaze on Hinata then, who by her guilty look certainly hadn’t ant for this outco. “I know you an well, but see? It always ends up this way. Why does everyone assu all I want is to make love to pretty girls?”
“You really don’t know? Maybe you should search your feelings on that one, my dear fiancé.” Hinata smiled, still looking guilty. “You might want to let her go now. I think she’s short-circuited.”
I turned, and indeed, Miyu-san was scarlet and trembling, her hand still clutched in mine. Oh shit, I forgot these noble girls have no contact with n outside their families. Releasing her quickly, I stepped back. “I… just calm down, all right? We can think about it carefully.”
“Mistress. I shall attempt to kill the enemy, and then die to pay for the failure.” Koga-san declared, eyeing with a complicated gaze, but Miyu-san shook her head finally, black hair swishing, her exposed throat gulping weakly as she struggled for words.
“No, leave it, Michiru. I was… I was foolish. This whole ss… I do not know what to do. Nor what I can offer in paynt.”
“Look, can we all just sit down and think about this again? I think decisions made in haste are going to be repented later.” I declared, and as everyone nodded I moved the chairs closer, picking up the discarded printouts. “Look. It is a gift. I have my own worries, of course I do. The Conqueror class for one. Though when it levelled up destroying Myrcolaxriath I felt a little better.”
At the strange terms the ninja girl and Miyu-san looked at , puzzled. “Never mind. Let just say, I think there’s more to all this that we don’t know. But what I do know is this. You can keep hiding your power, but on the day you run into an enemy like Kondou Kazuo, or soone you care about dies in front of you because you chose not to use what you were given, you’ll regret it. But it’ll be too late for tears then. Or you can give it up, take the risk. You might be seriously injured, or die. The risk of soone seeking you out will fade, then, but the world is changing, and you will still suffer through lack of strength one day, lanting. Or you can fight, grow stronger.”
Looking at her network with Rank 2 Eyes I can see her supposed gift is heavily entwined with her network around the throat and third eye chakras. Unlike mine, which runs into my silver cord. If I had to guess, I’d say that my earlier theories were right. Ortlinde has given a much lower starting power, but I can grow in any direction I have the aptitude, luck and will for, whereas Miyu-san, likely Suzuki-san and Kikuchi-san too, they will end up focussing most of their growth on their unique abilities. That isn’t to say that they can’t gain other powers, only that it would be significantly more difficult. If they all started as a five, and would struggle to get much past a seven, say, then I started at a one or a two, but am now up to an eight and have no end in sight.
Of course, there were endless possibilities for to have died due to having weaker abilities during my early battles, a stronger power would have enabled to coast through them, probably, but then against the Myconids, I would have been less prepared, weaker overall, and likely all of us would have perished. Coupled with Conqueror, and what happened the last few tis… yeah, I’m confident this will work, that I can remove A-no-Uzu’s Candidacy from her. As for her safety…
“If you make your stand, you’ll find your own value. I’d welco an ally, and if you are worried about your grandfather using you, well… I’m not sure how much sway I really have, but I can ask him to respect you and your struggle.” Or perhaps… hmm, that’s the seed of an idea there…
“You see how generous Akio is? If you were to co clean, his value to Fujiwara-sama would likely diminish, his support funnelled to your growth. Even so, he offers his support.”
“Yes, I see I have misjudged you a bit, Oshiro-san.” Miyu-san apologised.
“Call Akio. We are both pawns of the gods, right?” I smiled, my tone kind.
“I still do not wish to bear this burden. I am terribly weak and hollow. At school everyone thinks too ek and shy for a daughter of Fujiwara, am I correct, Hinata?”
“That’s right. Your cousin Honoka-sama is more energetic.”
“Honoka-sama. I see.” Miyu-san sighed bitterly. “Well, I am indeed ek, and my hollowness is filled with fear. I just wish to cling on to what I have now. If the future is as grim as you say, well… at least I have this mont. I am sorry. I understand you are genuinely thinking of . But… I would rather savour the ti left at Hanafubuki, even knowing it is but a fleeting dream. After all, that is how I dance. lancholy, loss, longing. All is art.”
“I’d sure love to see that dance. I bet it is beautiful. Look, you love dancing right, so why not dance for , clear your mind, reaffirm what you love? Then we’ll talk about this. Seriously.”
“I have already made up my mind. There is little to talk about. But if you are to do this great favour, the least I can do is allow you to see my dance.”
“Great.” I smiled, curious, having never seen traditional dancing before. “I think you need to understand just what you are risking…”
********
The dance stopped, Miyu-san in her flowing kimono pausing, motionless, glittering beads of sweat on her face. For a mont there was silence, before I applauded loudly, impressed. “That was magnificent. Not like what I imagined either. Traditional dance sure is sothing.” And yes, you can almost feel the sorrow, the longing, and also the solitude, the frozen heart within. It really is an expressive artform.
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