On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor Side One Hundred And Seventeen – Mori Eri / Luo Jiahao, Mast

Side One Hundred And Seventeen – Mori Eri / Luo Jiahao, Master of the Mountain Fang Sect

“Well, this is a little awkward, isn’t it?” Hayato-san said, his expression wry. I found it strange thinking of Akio’s friends by their first nas, especially since they were older, but they said they didn’t mind, and were so relaxed with Akio and therefore us, they only introduced themselves by their first nas so I had no choice. I wonder if that’s because of Shiro? She seems to have a very… quirky… way of speaking, never using normal honorifics or polite speech. Maybe it has rubbed off on them?

“No kidding.” Yasu-san agreed. He was quite drunk, but he was still drinking more. Sneaking a glance at Aiko, I could see she was as well. I don’t really enjoy alcohol that much. But as an adult I guess I’ll need to get used to it. “Fancy Akio-kun and Shiro dashing off like that. Battle, war… it’s crazy.” He finished, taking another gulp of wine.

“Hey, you might want to be careful about what you say.” Aiko spoke up, her expression irritated. I knew she was upset about not getting to go with Akio, but also relieved. I understood that well. “Takagi-chan here is looking shaken. You’re her cousin, right? Step up! My bro wouldn’t let a girl he knows tremble in fear like that.”

“I’m… I’m fine.” Takagi-san said stoutly, trying to control her fears. The other shy girl, Kikuchi-san, was holding her hand, trying to reassure her, and I rembered the tis in the past when Aiko had done that for . But those days are long gone. I clenched the arm I was able to control, hating that my body wouldn’t respond to my will.

“It’s just… I never was involved in the ss at Kyoto, I was watching Red and White…”

“Red and White, huh? The idols? Cool…” Shugo-san managed quietly.

“… but when people I knew died, so horribly, when that girl was blinded, when poor Keomi-chan was hurt…”

The young-looking Keomi-san shuddered at that, before plastering a bright, idiotic smile on her face, but I knew enough about fake smiles to know how false it was. The scars from Kyoto were still fresh, and now Akio, Shaeula and the others were confronting that open wound again… gritting my teeth, I listened.

“… well, it just brings it back to .”

“Cheer up, Hisano-chan.” Yasu-san finally stepped up. “Whatever happens… you’re safe here, right? Everything will be all right. Listen to , your cousin!” he drunkenly punched his own chest, proudly. “If Akio-kun tries to get you wrapped up in any danger again, I’ll slug him good!”

“Like you could.” She shot back, but her smile was warr. “Don’t be a fool, cousin. Oshiro-san could break you into pieces with just one hand.”

“Yeah, my bro is badass. Shaeula too!” Aiko insisted, and Hinata was nodding her agreent, Motoko and Natsumi as well. “They’ve fought and beaten many powerful foes. They faced down the Night Parade for Eri, the damn Night Parade!” she sighed. “I don’t know that much about how strong Shiro is, but with my bro and Shaeula, Hyacinth too, she’ll be fine. I don’t worry about that… what I worry about is… shit.” She cursed in an unladylike manner. “Why do these bastards have to co and ss things up? My bro’s got a tender heart. If he has to fight and kill other people, he’ll take it really hard.”

“Yes, I can see that.” Hina-san, the quiet-looking girl who was apparently Hayato-san’s fiancée, said softly. She was a quiet one, a little like I used to be, but I could tell she watched and observed carefully before speaking her mind. “So, why did you want to go as well?” she asked Aiko and , her eyes serious behind her cute glasses. “After all, if you know how hard it is to take a life, why would you want to put yourself in a position where that is a necessity? This isn’t a ga, is it? Isn’t Eri-san here already grievously hurt from last ti?”

“You never change, Keomi-chan.” Kana-san laughed. Her expression then turned serious. “So, Aiko-chan, you wanted to go to University, and be the first of a new series of coaches and scientists combining Chirurgery and modern sports science, right?”

Aiko nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I’ll be the greatest coach ever, helping both athletes and warriors to hone their bodies and minds to perfection. I think it’ll be kind of aweso!” she boasted.

“But… are you still going for that? If you… well, if you are like Akio now, you don’t need to worry about that, you can just fight and grow stronger, right?”

“True. But why can’t I do both?” Aiko turned to everyone, especially the newcors, Akio’s friends. “Here’s the thing. Chirurgery was never ant to turn girls like us into fighters. No, there’s lots of roles we can fulfil, working in my bro’s Territory in safety, doing jobs here on Earth. Look, and this is important, right? My bro always makes ti for his family, friends and his lovers…” she grinned at that, and I blushed. “… because he says, if you can’t appreciate what you are trying to save, you’ll never be able to protect it.”

“Yes.” I agreed. “He worries that as ti goes on and more and more troubles pop up, he’ll end up so busy he doesn’t have ti for us anymore. That’s why we need to be strong enough to share his burdens.”

“It’s why I’m so pissed off at that moron Yamato.” Aiko followed up. “He took unprepared trainees into danger, completely disregarding their strengths. It made my bro wonder if he was making the right decisions. Stupid bastard, if he wasn’t in a coma, I’d beat the shit out of him.” She fud. “But anyway, my point is, we have to do more than simply fighting and training. We have to have fun too. So yeah, I’m going to pass my exams, get into the best sports college in Tokyo, and live life to the fullest. Plus I get to stay with my bro and you, Eri. A win-win, right?”

“I envy you.” Kana-san sighed. “I want to learn Chirurgery and Ether Healing too. Akio said my eyes and my gifts were precious, but really… compared to Shaeula’s eyes, mine are worthless, and my gift of sensing emotions and thoughts is just a cheap, useless knock-off of the twins or Suzuki-san.”

On seeing Kana-san’s depressed expression I felt a bit guilty. After all, I didn’t like her to start with. I still don’t agree with Aiko that’s because the two of us are alike, but… I admit, she’s changed. She’s still arrogant and self-absorbed, but at least she’s honest.

As her friends tried to console her, I spoke up, surprising Aiko, who was grinning at . You know why I’m doing this. Don’t be so smug… “Your gifts may be weak, but you have them, don’t you?” I pointed out. “And look at how useful the twins and Suzuki-san were when we were learning light elent and Ether Healing. If you think they’re no good, train them. Akio is great at helping others reach their potential. I think… I think if there’s a reason why Akio is going to be the hero that saves Earth, it’s because he knows how to bring out the best in others.”

“Eri-chan…” Kana-san said, surprised at my support. “You think I can do it?”

“I know you can. After all, a selfish girl like you always gets what you want in the end, right?”

“Selfish, huh?” she looked at , her dark eyes pensive. “Yeah, I admit it. I’m shallow and selfish. I just wanted a boy to pamper . A hot, rich guy, one who can dedicate himself to . Don’t get wrong, I’d have given back. Being seen with a girlfriend like is status, right?”

“Young girls sure are scary nowadays.” Shugo-san observed, and Yasu-san laughed.

“Yeah, no kidding, man.”

“I admit to being vain too. I’m beautiful. As beautiful as you, Eri-chan, or you, Aiko-chan. Or you nobles.” She smiled. “Sure, only having looks is a bit pitiful, but… well, now I want to have more. You’re right. Sorry, I get downhearted easily, especially when you show off, Aiko-chan.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry too. Well, I know just how you feel.” Aiko apologised. “When Eri was so far ahead of , and I couldn’t use Lovers’ Link to catch up… it was eating away at my soul, you know? I an, wow, I was even considering so drastic asures, until bro ca through for .” Her smile turned wicked. “You have it easier. But… yeah, bro’s never going to dote on you alone.”

“I know that. I don’t even know why I like him as much as I do. I guess it’s that I’m a shallow girl, liking his looks and his money, and the fact he keeps saving . And the fact that he made proud of my gifts, proud of sothing that I hated until now, sothing other than my looks. I wish they were better, but…” she smiled then, and I shook my head, defeated. I’m not going to stand in her way. If she can win Akio over… so be it. I don’t hate her anywhere near as much as I did when we first t, and things have changed. It won’t be easy though. Because while I won’t stand in her way, I’m nowhere near nice enough to help her, other than a few consoling words…

“… well, like you said, Eri-chan, I can train them, Akio helping .” She giggled charmingly, and I could see that despite being older, Yasu-san and Shugo-san were blushing at her expression. “He can’t always be mine, but… I have friends to spend ti with when he’s not with , right? Although first, I need to be so useful he’s just dying to ask to be his. I said I wouldn’t beg him, and I won’t. I’ll make my appeal by being sohow he can’t afford to leave alone!”

“Yeah, bro said that you girls will gradually get more like the Fae, so you’ll live a lot longer than ordinary people.” She smiled at the other trainees. “And even the Chirurgery will have a bit of an effect. Lucky you! But anyway…” she continued. “What do you think of that, girls? Kana-chan’s not deterred, even though my bro pretty much shot her down before.” she addressed Motoko and the others.

“Well, we look at things differently.” Hinata laughed. “Nobles often have concubines. And even the main wife is little more than a servant, even if there’s love. Really, the more I think about it, the more I learn…” she sighed. “… I wonder why I was obsessed with getting that sort of life. Well, now I want it, but only because we’ll change what it ans to be the wives of the highest nobility. Right, Motoko, Natsumi?”

“That is true.” Motoko agreed. “I do not worry that Akio will have ti for others. Indeed, I welco it, for I would never be parted from Natsumi. I also have great respect and liking for you, Hinata, brave enough to challenge convention. And Eri, I thank you for your kindness in supporting us, though you did not wish to. I hope that we can love happily together, supporting Akio and each other.”

“I too never wanted to be parted from Motoko. And now I never have to. As for Akio…” Natsumi flushed. “I find myself thinking of him often, wanting to spend ti with him. But even so, ti with Motoko is joyous, and I find it fun to be here with Eri, Aiko and you others. There’s so much we don’t know about the world, right Motoko? But together, we’ll find all manner of fun things, without having to give up anything we feared we’d lose.”

“See?” I said to Kana-san. “I get it. I dread of being Akio’s girlfriend for years. When I got it I was so happy. But Shaeula was like a looming dagger in my heart. In the end, we worked it out, then… then these girls ca along. But… we’ll live a long ti. So if today, tomorrow, the day after, Akio is busy… well, the day after that, I know I’ll have so much happiness and joy with him. And the days we’re apart… well, before, I just had Aiko as a sister to , even not bound by blood I’ve always seen her as my best friend and true sister. Now… now I have others. And it is sotis frightening, sotis frustrating, but always fun. So colourful, compared to the drab grey my life was back in Nishimorioka.”

“Well, you can’t compete with that, can you, Yae-chan?” Rika-san giggled.

“No, guess not. Damn, maybe if I’d have pushed harder on our date… no, Aki is a gentleman, right Ri-Ri? Despite everything.”

“That was enlightening.” Hayato-san said mildly. “I’m happy you trusted us enough to bare your feelings to us.”

“Well, you’re my bro’s best friends. Why not?” Aiko laughed.

“Well, if you’ll take so advice from an older man…” he continued. “… and bear in mind, while I’m not an expert, I too have a gorgeous fiancée.” Hina-san blushed again at that. “… I think that people don’t change easily. It sounds like even with all these new powers, Akio-kun is still the sa man he was before. I know they say power corrupts, but… well, I think if you let Akio-kun love you, it’ll all work out. After all…” his smile turned wry. “He has a lot of love to give, it seems. He even roped in Shiro. And nobody seems too unhappy. I’m shocked, but… results matter, in the adult world. As long as you are prepared to take responsibility for your choices, nobody can tell you you’re not entitled to choose.”

“Yeah, never thought I’d see the day he lted our ice queen.” Yasu-san agreed.

“This calls for a toast!” Shugo-san declared. “To Akio-kun, cheat harem bastard extraordinaire!”

As Yasu-san agreed, Takagi-san started telling him he’d had enough, but Hinata interrupted.

”It’s fine. Akio can use Ether Healing on his return, and this evening was supposed to explain everything and help us get to know each other. We might as well… huh?”

Aimi-san was looking down, frightened. She had her phone out, and a livestream was playing. I suddenly get a bad feeling about this…

“Just what is this?” Aimi-san was saying, and as we all crowded round, Shugo-san and Hina-san also pulling out their phones to search, we could see the images of a pitch-black city, lit only by flas rising from a number of buildings, and the sounds of gunfire and desperate explosions could be heard. “This is Kyoto? Akio-kun, Shiro, they went here?”

“This is available for anyone to see? Not good…” Hinata frowned.

“Yes, grandfather and father should be working to keep everything covered up.” Motoko agreed, pensive. “Besides, I believe Akio expected the battle to be largely within the Boundary?”

Even as we watched, a bright flash flared, a surge of yellow fla appearing from nowhere, only for a dark fog to roll in, obscuring the image. Soone was comntating, their voice shrill, but I didn’t hear it, rely clenching my fist once more. Co on, Akio. Be safe. Shaeula, Hyacinth, Shiro… you as well, Suzuki-san…

********

The blob of sli squealed, a ntal blaring that sent knives of pain through Luo Jiahao’s mind, disrupting his Qi unpleasantly, forcing him to centre himself, quelling the churning waves of energy. As he did so the blob squird and struggled, tongues that hung from the many mouth-like orifices twitching angrily, a faint haze of purple energies rising from them. It howled once more, and then was still, as if sulking.

“It almost seems… upset? Frustrated?” his companion observed, the girl Ling’er beside him. He had kept her close, for hers was a truly integral role, and one he was not eager to push on her. Perhaps she reminds of my own daughter, slain in cold blood, so cruelly, unable to resist. No, if that was the case, then my need for vengeance should overrule such petty feelings. I am the master of the Mountain Fang, the Patriarch, I have no ti for weak sentints. Even so… hardening his heart, he looked at Ling’er, the young woman also shaken by the wave of corrupted Qi that had been scattered by the complaining blob.

“Whatever is wrong with it, it didn’t have to hurt us.” she pouted, rubbing at her temples. As a Chosen of the Heavens, she was certainly strong, but had no grounding in the skills Cultivators had learned and perfected over the years, so the petulant discharges had struck her hard. “But then, I suppose…” she sighed, and her next words showed she had a good head on her shoulders, for a young girl, a mortal, not one on the path of Cultivation. “… considering what a monster it is, it doesn’t care if we get hurt, so long as it gets to eat in the end.” Her dark eyes wavered, and Luo Jiahao could see fear in them. He was not ashad to admit, he felt the sa fear too. No, there is no ti for that. This is the ti for revenge. Though… where is Wen Qiang? He should be here now…

“Perhaps he got distracted.” Jiahao muttered. “After all, he does seem to hate the Japanese as much, if not more so, than the traitors who betrayed us. He is probably indulging in his anger.”

“What about you?” Ling’er pressed. “I know you are doing this for revenge, but… do you think it’ll satisfy your family? Would they want you to go this far?”

“My family? They were Cultivators, proud mbers of Mountain Fang. Yes, they would wish to destroy their betrayers, show them the end we faced. And if not… they would be satisfied if I can ruin their plans. No matter how many innocents suffer. Do not mistake , Ling’er…” his ti softened, as he had no wish to scare the girl, especially with what she needed to do next. “… the days of Kunlun, where Cultivators could snatch a pretty girl off the streets and have their way with her, rely for sport, or a boy with backing could beat or even kill a commoner he claid offended him, without anyone batting an eye, those days are gone. Likely never to return, until Kunlun does, if ever.” If they do return, I think they will find the world a rather changed place.

“As for now… well, the Five Great Sects, they are more powerful and arrogant… well, four Great Sects now.” He grieved for the Incorruptible Jade, a long-ti friend to the Mountain Fang. Alas, when our forces failed to escape without notice, our end was written. But who would have thought that we would have drawn the attention of this creature in our futile struggles. Oh, would that we had left well enough alone, allowed the Ministry to chart their ruinous course. It would have been them who toil under the yoke of… he looked down at the mass of jelly in his arms. … this vile creature of realms far beyond our own.

“… yes, they could be arrogant, and have little ti for those who do not Cultivate. But such excesses are not hatred. Even we treat our servants as lesser beings. But actively harming them for sport… no.” He left unsaid that if harming them could aid one’s Cultivation, many wouldn’t think twice about it. “… but for revenge… well, I have no disdain for the people of this foreign land, but all we can do is embroil our enemies in a war that might bring them down, will certainly cause them sorrow. Besides… it might buy us a little ti before our own deaths. No, not just death. Oblivion.” He sighed. “I would see my family again in the next life, but if we are devoured…”

“I understand.” She sighed. “But I never wanted to fight. It’s why I’m called a rebel. Really… why must we use our powers to kill and hurt others? There has to be a better way.”

“Maybe there was, until we were ensnared.” He agreed softly. His bone blade was tugging at him, urging him towards the food that the creature had marked out. “And that is our sin. I am sorry, Ling’er. But the die is cast. Think of yourself, not others. If it was rely death… but our hope of the next life hangs on delay. And to that end, we need to feed it other prey. That I can serve my needs for revenge at the sa ti is surely Karma, Fate.”

“I don’t know if I believe in reincarnation, or the afterlife. Heaven seems such an unscientific concept. But…” she sighed. “Looking around, how can I doubt any longer? Especially when I am supposedly blessed by a God. But, why has everyone split up? We should have stayed together. It would have made it easier…”

“Maybe so.” He agreed. “But everyone has their own need to prove themselves. After all, who knows when the beast will grow ravenous, and devour more of us?” Luo Jiahao frowned. “Best prove more useful than others, so that those others beco food first. Besides, we have the elent of surprise. With all our powers combined, and greatly strengthened…” His thoughts turned to his old friend from Diamond Mountain, a traditionally close Sect to his own, said to be an offshoot created by a brother of Mountain Fang’s Patriarch many long years ago. “The Yin-Yang Karmic Desolation asure Formation shows the corruption spreading, the walls between Spiritual and Earthly breaking down. Ti… is not on our side. Everyone is hurrying, praying to the Heavens and Fate for solutions. We are no different. Now, Ling’er, are you ready?”

Tears in her eyes, she nodded. “I can do it. The great flow of power that circulates to us through that thing…” she eyed the quiescent blob, a faint violet mist rising, before seeing the sa mist leaking from the bone blade she carried, and indeed, her own lower body. “… it allows to do things I never could before. But it’s so… abhorrent.” She shuddered, and did start crying. “Nothing is a gift, nothing is free, is it? I can feel the energy it gives us eating away at . I find it hard to sleep, the niggling pain burns at . It will claim everything back it gave us, and more. We’re going to die, aren’t we?”

Yes, we are, Ling’er. But if fate approves we can find a death free from the beast. And secure vengeance for our dead. In ti, our enemies will fall under its growing hunger, beco food for its recovery. But right now, I need you stronger. The final step of our plan to embroil the traitorous Party and the Sects into a war, depends on it. “Nothing is set in stone. Even Fate can be changed, the Heavens challenged. That is what it is to be a Cultivator. We seize our own path with our own power. What we need most is ti. Without that, no opportunity presents itself to us. We should be grateful it found those here it wished to eat more than us, though I will not lie…” he said, unable to completely mask the truth. “… when our use is no more, it will devour us. It has no rcy, no clency, only greed.”

“I don’t want that. I never wanted any of this. If there is reincarnation or an afterlife, I’ll be going to a Hell when I do this!” she cried, broken-hearted.

“I think the Heavens will judge you had no choice.” He soothed her. “Now… it is ti. Use your gift, usher the flittering butterflies into the world of dreams, let them awake as n and won, seeing the true world for the first ti.”

“It’s difficult. My gift from Zhōu Gōng, it was to help others see this new world, or help the stranded traveller in dreams return to the safety of their ho. Using it this way… it’s too difficult and cruel. They’ll… how many will die?”

“Less than the lives you might save, if sohow we can find a way free of this cursed creature.” He looked down at the blob with hatred, the tongues lolling out, drooling acidic sli, making a series of chittering noises that could have been mocking laughter. Does it know we plot against it? Well, how could it not? It barely even tries to hide our ultimate fate…

“You have the strength, and I trust in your skill. Do it, Ling’er. We will shoulder the cri with you. Now draw deep and let the dreams begin, or end. Butterfly, man, can we ever know?”

“Very well.” The intensity of the indigo glow around her increased, and she shuddered, blood trickling from her ears, nose, mouth and eye-sockets, as well as elsewhere, her clothes stained red, black and silver. “Zhōu Gōng, find those who know not the embrace of sleep!” she cried, and the surge of Qi… no, not Qi, a less refined, yet sohow also purer, form of spiritual energy… spread from her, vanishing into a realm beyond their sight.

“I feel them… it’s too hard. There are tens of thousands here, but… unwilling, distant, I can’t grasp them.”

“Just do what you can.” Luo Jiahao soothed her once more. “Fix on the closest. How many can you touch?”

“A few hundred, no, more.” Her eyes were thick with blood, black and red dripping down, silver mist rising, giving her a terrible, ghoulish cast. “I have them. All I can. If I don’t do it now, I shall break. The energy within , it eats at . I’ll be hollowed out, a husk!”

“Then do it. Pull them into our dream!” he demanded, and with a scream, Ling’er vomited blood down her front. The flow of her strange Qi that the Chosen of the Heavens shared surged, before dying off, glimring stars of light shining around them, forming into dozens, hundreds, more… very confused people, n, won, children, the elderly. As they looked around, yamring in surprise in a language he didn’t understand, likely Japanese, his lips curled in bitter amusent as so of them simply lay down where they stood, eyes sliding shut, perhaps thinking they were still dreaming. Others were looking excited, glancing about with wonder.

“You did well, Ling’er.” He patted the staggering woman on her back gently. “Now rest. Your role is over for the mont. Now it is our turn.” He looked at the remaining few mbers of Mountain Fang, who had been waiting quietly and respectfully while the two of them had talked. “Now it is our turn.” He hardened his heart. “We cannot afford to be rciful. Although...” he paused, before giving one last order. “Do not use the blades of bone. Let these innocents find their way to the afterlife. The beast has claid other food, he can pass on these morsels…”

Gripping his own bone blade, feeling it squirm hungrily, he watched as his Sect rushed towards the helpless civilians, and then, as they adopted combat stances, preparing their Arts, the screaming began, and Luo Jiahao squeezed shut his eyes. No. This is my vengeance. I shall not be a coward and close my eyes to it. My family, see how far I will go to secure vengeance for you. I hope, wherever you are, you know I am still thinking of you. Drawing on his Qi, his eyes opened, and with that he charged, fist swinging down on a stunned elderly man, and blood splattered…