Two Hundred And Forty-Four
Bullets of shimring water ford around like a halo, the water incandescent with indigo energies, mixing with the orange glow of water elent. For a mont, my expanded sight surveyed the area, taking in the nurous enemies, before I unleashed the water droplets, shooting them out with an additional acceleration from wind energy, like a hail of sniper rounds.
“Holy shit…” the Lieutenant said as they whizzed past him, piercing though tentacles and shambling humanoids alike, with a sickening hiss. As the dark ooze began to disintegrate, and dozens of smaller eyes were pierced, shattering into clouds of silvery ether, a faint steam began to rise, the air filled with moisture, although this ti it seed less toxic, cleaner. “That’s water?”
To be honest it worked even better than I expected… I fired off a second round of water bullets, this ti aiming for the thicker, tree-like tendrils that were snaking towards us from front and back. The drops bored holes in the thick, slimy flesh, punching in deep craters, scattering inky sludge, but then the tendrils lted, as if the water was acid. Is it because it’s spirit water, or maybe the moonlight part of it..? The reason didn’t matter, what did was that it was highly effective, so much so that I decided it would be a waste to keep using it here.
“Nice. That’s from the Spring you and Shaeula captured, right?” My sis said as another flaming arrow struck ho. She had pierced a red eye that had appeared in the sludge at the side of one of the buildings near us, and another shrill scream echoed in our minds as it burst, the vitreous jelly within igniting under the heat of her projectiles.
I nodded. “Yeah. Nice shot by the way…”
“Well, I’ve picked up a few hints from my contest with Shaeula’s bro.” she said proudly. “I felt myself get stronger there… but that ans I’m done for now, right?”
“I’m afraid so, but you can always work on your skills.” I commiserated.
“Stay focused!” The major warned, his rifle barking as more aether bullets stread out, blasting through the retreating wave of tentacles. “We are still surrounded, and a routed enemy is often a dangerous one!”
“Got it.” I agreed, using more threads of wind to slice and dice as much of the surrounding muck as I could. “Haru-san, can you try light elent?” I asked, and after a mont, she nodded, focusing her will on her third eye chakra. Seconds later a thin beam of indigo energy streaked out, slicing a pair of thick tentacles in two, the edges cut clean like glass, faintly emitting steam, before they started to disintegrate.
“Not bad.” I said, praising her. “You’ve been working hard too.”
With swarms of scarab beetles eating the sli, flas from Nakano-san pushing outwards ahead of us, and my cutting strands of wind, we pushed forwards, ever-closer towards Takakura Antiques, but as we did so the pressure of darkness elent was increasing. My sis and Miyu, who had the lowest stats, were starting to suffer, while even Haru-san, Kikuchi-san and the soldiers were looking uncomfortable, though Haru-san drew on her light elent, easing her suffering.
“I’d say that the lair is still in Takakura Antiques.” I observed. “At least that hasn’t changed, but…” I looked at my flagging colleagues, except for Eri, who was positively aglow with flickers of blue light as her throat chakra pulled in and accumulated ever more darkness energy, her axe dancing as she sliced apart any tentacles that dared to snake near her, a broad grin on her face, her eyes gleeful. I wish I could follow suit, but… at Rank 1, my throat chakra was clearly not capable enough to handle the density of energy here, which outstripped the area around our Rhyming Tree significantly. I was still able to draw a little, but the rest was tugging faintly at my emotions, though my superior stats kept it from being more than a minor nuisance.
“… if we don’t do sothing, most of you will have to drop out. Well… Haru-san, can you use your Sharing Light on everyone? Well, except and Eri. I think we’ll manage.” Eri grinned happily at for that endorsent.
“Are you sure?” she asked, uncertain, wisps of indigo rising from her body, eting the blue mist around us and dissipating. “If I don’t control it…” she left unfinished that she might end up subjecting the people here to her painful mories, which I definitely didn’t want for my sister or Miyu.
“Look..” I said, wielding my curved swords, slicing down several more zombies that shambled closer. One more fell, disintegrating, and I noticed it had been Miyu who had fired the pistol I gave her, her trembling hands causing the tal to rattle. But even so, she’d made a kill. Good girl. “You aren’t who you were before. You’ve gone ho, t your father again, even managed to take up your career you thought lost to you forever. You’ll see your friends again too, one day. You’ve trained for this. I believe in you, Haru-san. I know you can do it.”
“Wow, damn bro, trying to pick Haru-san up too, while Eri watches? You’ve got so nerve.” My sis giggled, though it was a touch shrill with pain and exhaustion. Haru-san looked at askance at that, and I shook my head in denial, but before I could reassure her, the Major spoke up.
“Relying on untested, unsure soldiers is a mistake. Far better to let them retreat, if you think you can handle this alone.”
“I’m with Major Sasaki.” Nakano-san agreed, hurling balls of fla forwards, turning a probing tentacle into flaming ashes. “This is a battlefield. I don’t know how you’ve managed until now, but mistakes don’t just get you killed, but those around you too.”
Well, yeah, I guess I have trusted to luck too many tis. But I do believe in her. Still, there might be another way… I drew so spirit water out of my body, using it to soak the heads of everyone but Eri. My sis shook her head like a cat, water scattering. “Damn bro, I’m in a jerkin, no wet t-shirts for you. Wait, I feel better?”
“You should. There’s light energy in the water too.” I topped off her aether while I was at it. “Seriously sis, I think you should step out. You’ve had your gains…”
She bit her lip, looking into my eyes with hers, before she dropped her head in agreent, looking downcast. “Wow, you’re right bro. I’m being selfish. Sorry, it’s just I get tired of being left behind all the ti…”
“I know. Still, I promised you are my focus for a while, and I ant it. Now, go back to the hotel and wait for our triumphant return.”
“Later Eri. Girls. Oh, and you guys too.” She grinned at Nakano-san. “I can’t wait until you see my bro’s flas. Bye!” With that I stopped providing her aether, and she rapidly expelled her remaining stock, until her astral body was unable to remain manifested. Sorry sis. But really, this is the right call.
The Major agreed. “Good. But we still have those who are not suited to the mission.” He looked at the pale Miyu.
“No. Sorry, but Miyu isn’t as weak as she looks.” Besides, she has such skills that not using them would be a criminal waste. “Miyu, can you dance?”
Everyone looked at as if I had gone mad, but she, still in a version of her school uniform here, nodded. “I can, though not being in a kimono, it would feel quite strange.”
“Right. Then how about we see the dusk depart? As it’s a darkness elent dance, it should work better here.”
“Dance, just what…” the Major began, but I stopped him.
“I do appreciate your help and advice. In fact, having you here has helped my sis realise this was a risk she didn’t need to take, so thanks. But you ca here to learn from my expertise too…” my Eye shone amber, illuminating the surroundings, casting deep shadows. “… and I know Miyu can help us here, and the sooner she grows stronger, the better. There are so few of us who can do this, we all need to maximise our gains, or else all that awaits us is surely only regret.”
Miyu nodded. “I hate this. I never wanted this. I just wanted to spend ti with Michiru, and dance, and play my piano.” She swallowed. “But…”
“Don’t be afraid.” Eri said, spinning her axe idly one-handed, which would have broken her slender wrist were she still the weak, ordinary girl she used to be. “We have your back. I was like you, I rember my first ti…” she shuddered. “Scorpions, the size of a car! But Akio and Shaeula were there, and they made strong.”
“No, you made you strong.” I said, ruffling her long, glowing hair. “I wanted to coddle you too much, but you told I was wrong.” I looked at Miyu then. “Of course, I’ll still protect Eri from any and all dangers, but protecting isn’t the sa as coddling. I needed to let her spread her wings. You have to do the sa. After all, you have people to protect too, don’t you?”
Miyu nodded slowly, swallowing. But when she looked up, her eyes looked better, more determined, and then, her damp hair from my spirit water still sticking to her face, she began to dance, and I could feel the power of it, the surrounding darkness and aether responding to her call, the enemy Territory shivering, the effect of it on us lessening noticeably.
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