Seven Hundred And Nineteen

As the massive angler-fish beasts surged forwards, the dangling flesh orbs in front of their gaping, fang-filled maws began to glow with light and also crackling, actinic sparks of what seemed to be lightning. As they beached, squirming, parasitic tentacles like fleshly lampreys burrowed out from between their scales, forming crude legs which also had flailing, jagged teeth. Beside me, Hana was gagging, face pale at the spectacle, but Liz was watching calmly, with a detached curiosity, perhaps driven by wariness, as Henry supported her.

“This…” Father was lost for words, and suddenly looked up, as overhead hundreds of shadows flickered over our army, as the catapults on the waterborne coral palace discharged, as did ballista-like outgrowths, launching lance-like shell spears in a barrage. This was accompanied by barrages of rocks tossed down by the flying enemies, and the spray of vomited water, lightning and light from the anglerfish, arrows and coral bombs from the mermen and more.

This is… beyond what our reports said. Huh… Running Split Thoughts I decided whether to intervene, but I wasn’t alone in that.

“Emerald Wind Prison: Third Form!” Shaeula cried, and others echoed her.

“Hihi’irokane Fleece!” Hinata yelled, while Tan stomped her foot, and her Flames soared out, even as a massive giant of flame sprouted into existence before her, hands outstretched as if to hold up the skies.

“Phalanx!” Motoko commanded, and the warriors of Adamant bunched up, which might have seemed rather contradictory when trying to avoid what was effectively a massed artillery barrage, but as they overlapped their thin shields, they began to pour out aether, faces growing pale, and the shields hummed, combining their defences to form a barrier. Ixitt’s really outdoing himself… maybe one day we’ll all be wearing power-armoured battlesuits if he has his way. Still, the League difference there would be a problem…

 “This is where I miss the stupid redheaded bitch…” David grumbled, mace in hand as he watched the rain of destruction fall towards them in slow motion. “Bellona’s Ward sure would have been great about… now.”

“This is… rather fatiguing…” Liz’s Barrier was the first to soak up the oncoming storm, and it held… briefly. Despite adherence being drawn in from all across Britain, there was a limit to what her body could hold and process. I kept topping her up and using Ether Healing, but then the barrier collapsed, and she let out a long sigh.

“I suppose battle is for the young, after all. Still, I hope it was enough, young Akio.” At her inquiring gaze, I nodded.

“Yeah, the faster-moving lightning and light beams were mostly stopped by it. Now, against physical attacks…”

Multilayered barriers of flame, wind and golden dust were slammed by shells, spears and more, but only a few projectiles made it through, and while a couple of Adamant were injured, Nozomi-san wincing and crying as a spear pierced her shoulder, though she kept her shield up despite that, there were no fatalities.

“They… did it?” mom asked, almost despite herself. Her face was white as a ghost, not that Haru would have appreciated that comparison, but relief flickered over it as the storm of attacks died down, to see that Eri and Aiko were unharmed, Aiko’s Sister Army forming a defensive wall, leaving some of them cracked and deformed, but still functional.

“It seems so…” Hana breathed, but Henry knew better, shaking his head.

“This isn’t good… to misquote Sun Tzu…” Liz snorted at Henry’s pretentious words. “…when attacking a dug-in enemy with fixed artillery, the answer is… be the one with the artillery position…”

“That was Sir Terry, not Sun Tzu, Henry. God rest him. He’d have loved to see this day. Taken too soon…” Liz grumbled, but despite her fatigue, her eyes were sharp. “But Henry’s right. That took a lot out of the girls, didn’t it? I know I can’t call Eminent Domain again…”

As we watched, the mermen were suffering horrendous casualties to our firepower. Aiko drew back on her bowstring, pumping in a tide of her blazing Brilliant Scarlet Sunlight, and a coruscating sphere formed. She loosed the arrow, her stance perfectly like Kyūdō, just with the swiftness Shaeraggo had tried to teach her, and the arrow streaked like a meteor, and one of the anglerfish swallowed it, before detonating spectacularly, flames exploding from every orifice, a mist of reeking, fishy blood scattering.

“Wow, she did it!” mom aped my sis, colour coming back to her cheeks, but even as that fish-monster fell, crabs and turtles were clambering over it, and the turtles were breathing out beams of water and even shooting spears of ice.

We weren’t the only ones to notice the situation, as the group of fellow Nordic Chosen who’d come with us to observe, barring Carrie, who had decided to stay back in the Material with me and the few from Adamant, had strolled over. They weren’t part of our formation, having advanced a fair way behind the battle lines, but even now they were eyeing the fierce, messy conflict.

“Hey, it’s been impressive, but… it’s looking pretty grim.” Väinö chuckled. “You want me to get stuck in? Sea-based battles are kind of my thing. Jumalauta, I could certainly do some damage.”

Astrid shook her head. “I doubt I would be of much use here, but… covering a retreat…”

Meanwhile, Dorte’s eyes were flashing, as she gazed at me, a complicated expression on her face. “You need to step in. Otherwise people will die. Is your pride…”

I held up a hand to stop her. I noticed that Ekaterini hadn’t said anything, but she was observing the battlefield with the same practised, measured gaze as Liz had.

“Väinö, you’re more than welcome to get involved in the cleanup, fish out a few benefits. But… Dorte, I’d want you to have a little more faith. If not in me… then in them. After all…” I watched with pride, my expanded vision taking in the whole battlefield. “…we’ve clawed our way up through the blood and the muck step by step, but not alone, never alone. When one falls, we offer our hands to pull them back up, when we falter, others push us from behind, and now…” Watch.

Tillyae, her long white hair flapping in the backwash of explosions and chaos, organised her players, and behind her, the Adamant idols, Suzu included, formed up, Miyu at their head, and a song began to play, Tillyae waving her conductor’s baton as if she was simply hosting a concert, despite silvery blood on her dress. Yeah, all Fae really are quite gorgeous. But… in this moment, she seems almost sacred, as does…

Miyu began to Dance for the Dusk, and as the massed ranks of Adamant’s idol contingent mirrored her moves, the air felt heavy, darker, a faint blue glow beginning to form, and the front lines of the enemy began to slow, creating openings. Seeing the danger, several of the massive draconic fliers dived down, but…

“I think not!” Michiru leapt onto the shoulders of Natsumi, who was drawing back an arrow, and catapulted herself into the sky. The backwash of the force drove Natsumi into the stony ground below, but she merely smiled, adjusted her aim, and a broad-headed shaft plunged into the eye of one, sending it diving wide, to slam fatally into the ground. Even as that happened, Gurenyari Twin was in her hand, and she impaled another flyer as it swooped low.

Meanwhile, Michiru raised her hand, and lightning flashed, striking and stunning the final descending flier. As its eyeballs smoked, she pulled out a Mortal Engineering grenade from under her skirt… shit, that’s… well, it’s very Michiru. I’d best be carful putting my hands under there when she entices me to… she tossed it, and the beast’s head exploded. Even as Michiru fell, covered in splatters of stinking gore from the headless flier, Natsumi finished defeating another foe, and rushed over, jumped and caught her.

Not only there, but Daiyu had begun something big. Yu-mi, her Koreans, and also a squad of weaselkin, were covering her, and I felt the pricking of small injuries opening and closing on my body, the faint connective lines of adherence between my finger and those of the women there humming and thrumming invisibly to anyone but me.

Even as the catapults on the fortress blasted out a second volley, Daiyu was finishing up, the swirls of multiple elements around her, as she gazed, her black eyes solemn yet stern, upon the distant fortress.

“Xùn! Lí!” Bluesteel batteries were circling her, disgorging the purest elemental energies harvested from us all. Natsumi’s wind, and Aiko’s flames. “Kūn! Duì” Kana’s earth element, my water. Around Daiyu, Qi was condensing into a beautiful yet complicated pattern of lines of light and darkness, Yin and Yang.

“Qián! Kǎn” This time, she used metal for Heaven, Hinata’s Hihi’irokane. More water surged, Daiyu’s own, the balance wasn’t flawless, Daiyu was still fumbling her way through without anything to guide her but her prodigious talents and old scraps of her Sect’s teachings and what extra Mae and Tan could add, but… the Trigrams solidified around her, elements drawn into six of the eight corners of the Bagua she was crafting.

Go on, you can do it! It was almost as if Daiyu could hear my thoughts, though such was impossible, but she cried out the final two words. “Gèn! Zhèn!” More earth, this time Asha’s, again, the balance of her Trigrams off slightly, reducing its power, but even so… Shaeula’s lightning surged around her, and Daiyu slammed her hands into the ground.

“Eight Trigrams! Mountains May Fall, And Seas May Boil, But The Heavens And The Earth Will Turn, All Becoming Dust!”

The eight elemental streams combined, and for a moment nothing seemed to happen, the heavy, portentous feeling, as if the air was dense, like water, only growing. Then Daiyu’s body exploded. Mom cried out in horror, but father… yes, you’re no fool, are you, dad? …glanced at me and saw I wasn’t acting.

Indeed, Daiyu, well, calling her fine was insulting, as she’d tried to meld and contain a power far beyond her within her body, and the backlash had caused terrible injuries. Yet even now, her body was regenerating rapidly, and she had succeeded, at least partially.

The ground split, swallowing up swarms of mermen, plunging them down to their deaths. Then the ocean parted, and that wrung out a rare religious exhalation from mom. “Oh my God, it’s like Moses…” as well as Finnish swearwords from Väinö.

“Impressive.” Ekaterini breathed. “Yet…” As the energy which sliced the seas connected with the fortress, one corner of it, around a quarter, exploded, mermen torn apart by the hail of jagged fragments the eruption produced, and the seas turned red and silver with gore. The whole fortress shuddered, and it drew the attention of the invaders momentarily, allowing our forces to reap a heavy toll.

“…it seems too much so, if you understand what I mean?” Her question was pertinent, and I nodded.

“Yes. Even discounting the potent elemental energies we all contributed, you’re right. But that’s Cultivation, isn’t it?” I could see she had no idea what I was talking about, so I decided to share some of my speculations, and as I did so, the Tiānyìèguǐnǚ Bell chimed softly on my wrist, as if signalling agreement. Almost as if Hisui is listening. No way though, right? She seemed rather terrified of Tan’s anger…

“…so yes.” I finished my rapid talk, even as Yukiko, guarded by Ellie, who was being supported by healing from Mary-Jane and Callie, tanking terrible injuries by regenerating even faster than Daiyu, called upon the fury of Amaterasu’s Sun, and the seas boiled. Once more, she was burning huge amounts of fiery elemental energies from her Territory, but I was told my sis had also set up Elemental Silos to plunder fire and earth from the volcanoes around where we freed Mae, so we had reserves.

“Cultivation has dangers other Paths don’t seem to, but… I think the multiverse is fair. Conversely, their Techniques seem to pull from other strengths than just their own. I think the Bagua touches on the Path, and if performed properly, that’s why Daiyu can launch a strike even I’d be impressed by, Though…” Amaterasu’s Sun had incinerated the exposed catapults and ballistae, and indeed one more corner of the citadel in the ocean had collapsed, and I felt the small Territory nearby break.

So it might not even have been Rank Three? Two maybe… looks like if we left this alone though, the south coast would become a foothold for seaborne invaders. We need to make sure we scout Japan’s coastlines thoroughly to prevent the same happening there… after all, Earth’s about seventy percent ocean…

“This is…” The swirling melee, now the fortress was being dismantled, Tan joining in by having her fiery giant hurl a burning wheel at the distant structure, shattering another set of spires to burning rubble, was chaotic, and father blinked. “…it is too fast. How does everyone keep up?”

“Beats me. You get used to the way time seems to slow down in combat though. Adrenaline, dopamine, it all floods in.” Henry added, before smiling ruefully. “I guess you did manage to be the artillery after all.”

I nodded. Even those like Tsukiko, who were far from combat powerhouses, had elemental attacks they could bring out, and a streak of shimming indigo light pierced a turtle, sending it crashing over its own allies below, grinding them to a bloody paste.  Beside her, Chiaki-chan and Chiasa-chan were supporting, their faces resolute. “The mental acuity from Chirurgery is surely helping. Otherwise the Knights and the Adamant troops would be dead before they know what happened…”

“Yeah.” Henry’s expression was grim. “It’s a miracle you haven’t had fatalities. This conflict is fierce. Worse than anything I faced, that’s for sure.”

“Yes.” Dorte broke in, her expression hard. “This is an unconscionable risk. We should be shouldering this responsibility, not… not untrained men, women and even children!”

“I thought that too.” I agreed, astounding her. “But I was wrong. This is our world. We should all come together to protect it. Besides… being weak has caused endless grief.”

“Yes, my little Eri. When she was maimed, I felt I might die.” Hana sniffled, and mom put an arm around her shoulder, consoling her. “Thank you, Emi. But…” Watching Eri, who had darted in on black Tengu-style wings, her axe flashing, severing a massive, spike-encrusted tentacle which was about to blindside a beleaguered Yae and her squad, as well as Haru, who was flitting about, unleashing lasers and flames to protect other injured or overwhelmed groups, I gestured to the battlefield. Even as I did so, Shaeula called up a Wind Prison to protect another squad, and Bell, Teare and the others with high ranged firepower were culling the predatory fliers.

“…see? Everyone knows who they have to protect. Strength in numbers, and in unity. And I’m the last line of defence, but…” I paused, my Eyes glowing. Dorte noticed too, as well as Ekaterini. Then moments later, Väinö did, but not by ordinary perception. That’s honestly genius. He has watery tentacles of mist extended over the battlefield, almost impossible to detect.

“We should act! Else there will be horrific losses!” Dorte cried urgently, and that worried my parents, but my smile was knowing, even if I was ready to unleash dozens of pinpoint laser strikes in an instant if necessary.

“Trust in them. Like I do.” I urged, and indeed, what played out next was quite spectacular.

Hyacinth reached out with one arm, seizing the throat of something that appeared in a faint blur of blue light. Not only that, but at the same time, with a hissing, sibilant cry, the Yǐngzidúyè Centipede she’d claimed from Zixin’s schemes, lashed out, one set of fanged jaws sinking into the skull of another figure shimmering with blue motes, cracking it, while the second head ripped out the throat of a third assailant.

“A foooooolish endeavour. Did you think we did not notice you, pests?” Hyacinth was shaking a sea-creature. It was a merman, but a smaller, slender version, covered in iridescent scales which seemed to function as some sort of optical camouflage, but… yeah, not working here. Too many people with various fancy Eyes and other perception methods such as Qi, as well as…

They were enemies, so even if not perceived, Miyu’s Dance was constantly applying darkness element damage, and the faint blue sparks of that punishment were clear tells that hidden opponents were close.

Kokuren and Byakuren appeared from their own stealth, cutting down some of the fishy assassins, while Shaeula’s Pinwheels wrapped up more, slicing them apart with the whine of vibrating wires. My sis shot down several, and Daiyu, having largely recovered from her injuries, crushed the skulls of yet more. All around us, the sly fishmen were perishing, and indeed, even the larger turtles, crabs and anglerfish were starting to accumulate damage from Miyu’s Dance.

Seeing that, the anglerfish cycled up more of their electrical and light attacks, but simultaneously the four of them perished. Both eyes of one were sniped by the Elves, Tan’s flame elemental crushed a second, the third was… fuck, that’s… creepy… One of Suzu’s backup dancers split open, a forest of spears launched from within, in a flash of purple, and the fish-monster fell, impaled like a reverse hedgehog, leaking brackish blood. Did she… link a Spatial Storage to her Karakuri puppet?

The last… that died hardest of all. “I think nooot. Be content with your watery home, do not seek…” Hyacinth’s hand flexed, her skin seeming grey momentarily, though it might have been a trick of the light, and the head lolled, limp. She tossed the corpse at the last fish, and even as lightning discharges fried the body, it disintegrated, spreading into a mass of virulent spores.

 The fish sneezed, lightning arcing to its nearby allies, burning them, before it started screaming, lamprey legs flailing and biting, inflicting horrific friendly fire. Its trailing lanterns waved, light lashing out, sending steam rising as it struck the waters, other beams bisecting a turtle and the fishmen upon its back, before it turned and fled, making for the water, even as mushrooms and fungal growths were sprouting. It plunged into the murky ocean, knocking loose toadstools which exploded into pastel-coloured spores, afflicting the fishmen around it, before desperately swimming for the ruined aquatic castle. It was too late, though, as soon it sank, only vile slime rising to the surface of the bloody sea.

“That’s…” Words failed Väinö, and even Ekaterini was swearing in Greek. Henry scratched one cheek, his tone full of forced joviality.

“I’m glad she’s on our side. I’m fairly certain that her existence violates the Biological Weapons Convention. She’s a walking war crime…”

“A person can’t be in violation.” I chuckled. “Besides, I don’t think that these mermen are signatories…”

Several Adamant warriors had been wounded by the assassins, as was one of the Knights, though Sir Arthur beheaded the assailant moments later. David was chewing him out, even as his mace, a massive slab of spiky metal, caved in the skull of an armoured crab, and Adamant had closed Ranks, the wounded brought to safety for Healing.

“It seems we’re winding down…” The weaker, plentiful fishmen, who were a threat due to their numbers, were collapsing, Miyu’s Dance overwhelming them. With the pressure of that diminishing, as well as the massive reduction in supporting fire from the castle and the anglerfish, our advance had pressed to the shoreline. Some enemies had appeared on our flanks, from other nests, but as we were aware of those locations, or at least some of them, from British reports, we had prepared.

“…so, maybe it’s time to act.” The conch horns sounded again, their numbers curtailed, a mere rumbling instead of thunder, but the sea boiled, bunching up in a massive hump, and moments later, hundreds of even larger tentacles ripped free, waving like a forest of living, spiky trees. Beneath those was a slimy, round creature perhaps forty metres in diameter, skin covered in numerous yellow, darting eyes, and sharp, beaked mouths. The tentacles unfurled, reaching out to lengths of hundreds of metres, and my Eyes identified the creature as a Kraken-Spawn.

Our forces were reacting to this new threat, and I grinned to see that already Hyacinth’s spores seemed to have afflicted it, but it was barely taking any injury, and the reason was surely that the body was covered in a thick, slimy secretion, which protected it similarly to the barrier creams and special rubber suits did for us when we fought the Myconids.

“If you want to show off, now’s the time.” I told Väinö, and he nodded, cricking his neck, the big man smirking at me.

“Sure. I’ve seen enough. Besides, that big Kulli is too much for your girls, yeah?”

Astrid flushed, but giggled, hand over her mouth, acting younger than her age. It seemed she recognised the word, as she shook her head. “It does have a lot of phallic tentacles. It’s hideous…”

“Mom, dad, uncle, auntie… watch closely.” I insisted, as I flexed my legs, and though I answered Väinö, my gaze wasn’t on the Kraken-Spawn. “And trust me, they can handle it…” Even as I spoke, fire, light and other attacks were slamming into the towering sea-beast, as well as gunfire, but even the high-calibre magic sniper rounds from Bell and Teare were doing little, the slimy mucus and thick rubbery blubber and tough chitin of the colossal creature forming tank-like multi-layered ablative armour.

“…but I’m Japanese.” At his quizzical gaze, I was the one smirking now. “We all have a bit of a worry leaving girls near tentacles, you see!”

Henry snorted a laugh, then pretended to cry out as Liz knuckled his head. I leapt, covering the distance to the shore in a single bound in a spray of spent spatial element, carrying Väinö and Dorte with me, though I was very careful only to take her wrist. We appeared at the frontlines, where Aiko’s Hihi’irokane Sister Army was fighting a losing battle against the mass of tentacles, though several were oozing rivers of silver blood.

“Hey bro. Glad you could make it…” Aiko was weary, she’d expended, even drawing on me through Brother’s Bond, a great deal of energy. Only seven Sisters remained, and their light and flame weapons had dimmed to just dull embers. From above, Eri was flitting about clumsily, accompanied by Haanōbō and other Tengu, but their attacks were little more than pinpricks to the brutal creature.

It’s a big bastard… Eri grumbled, even as she flapped aside from a flailing tentacle, the suckers spitting inky venom at her. A massive block of ice was conjured by Haanōbō, and it fell like a meteor, slamming into the tentacles the creature used to shield itself, momentarily pushing it underwater. …and tough. But it isn’t so dangerous, is it?

Well, it’s no pushover, sure. But yeah, its League, while a cut above the other creatures which attacked us, is, what, mid-teens? Quite a few of you can rival that.

It’s probably worth a lot of Levels, though divided by everyone here… my sis sounded disappointed. So, uh…

Eri’s thoughts were angry and frustrated as Aiko clearly hinted about what she wanted to know, but I remained calm. Put on a show, sis. They’re aghast, they thought they understood after doing a bit of safe, guided Levelling, and hiding away when the Church attacks happened. Hana gets it more, she remembers you, Eri…

Much as I hate to admit it, I’m very much like my mother. Eri sighed. She’s spitefully delighted that Emily… The absence of the usual mother-in-law was telling. …has to see Aiko enter into a relationship she doesn’t approve of. Well, who cares? If they can’t see from this, I’ve no time to waste forcing them to understand. It’s our lives!

Okay, okay. Focus. I’ll help out a bit, and so will our newcomers, but…

Yeah. You want the mastermind, bro, not the miniboss.

Exactly.

After that momentary conversation, I unsheathed the sleeping Tsurugi. Hoo. Hah. Mmm. Father… tasty. Mmm… Her cute mental snores and mumbling were the accompaniment to my slash, which split not only the skies above, thunder roaring amongst the aurorae, to match the enraged, tumultuous bellow of the beast, but a dozen of the thick tentacles. A small number squirmed and twitched, more of the lamprey-like parasites oozing out of both sides of the severed appendages, tying them back together where they regenerated with a stinking hiss, but the rest fell into the ocean, sinking while throwing up great plumes of tainted water.

“Damn…” Väinö whistled. “Nice strike. I saw it on TV, over the Palace, but it’s more impressive in person. Guess I’ll have to step up my game.” He spat up at the hulking creature as it thrashed its tentacles in pain. “You think you’re a Kraken, yeah? The water’s my domain!” The sea erupted again, and hundreds of watery tentacles, similar in scale to the Kraken-Spawns’, rose and started grappling.

“Big bastard, yeah?” Väinö sweated, as orange light surged, his water element potent as his Favour activated. Momentarily holding the overgrown squid in place, he made an opening for my sis, amongst others, and she put all her energy into one more arrow, and it blasted a crater in the chitinous armour, blood leaking from the scorched edges.

“Excellent!” Shaeula cried. “If we crack this beast-beast like it is but tasty seafood, then Hyacinth can do her worst. Now-now, we must control it, bind it… Jupiter Descending!” Shaeula swung Mortal Fragarach, and a massive tornado of jade winds slammed down from above.

“Bind it, you say?” Dorte grimaced. She drew my attention, as she raised her arm, and my Eyes could see the shimmering Seeds, or rather, the eight she had remaining, the others already having merged with her. She had an oddly low Level, but considering what her Favour was… It’s not about the numbers, it’s about the hax…

“Tyr, I need no spoils from this battle, no more than you needed reward for offering your right hand… let it be bound. Stage One! Lædingr!” Chains of aether surged, and metal element was also present, which interested me. The loops of chain ensnared the Kraken-Spawn, even as I sliced through a tentacle which was surging towards my sis. She shot me a grateful smile and then turned to Kana.

“Do me a Favour, Kana-chan? Give my Sisters a boost, yeah?”

“Kami damn it, I’m exhausted.” Kana pouted. “But whatever!” She gestured, and the mud and stones below boiled up, forming a gushing ramp over the churning ocean which sped the Sisters towards the blasted hole .

“Grul is going too!” he roared, running along the makeshift ramp, and David grinned like a madman, tossing him his massive mace, which the big Troll caught.

“Wreck the overgrown pussball!” David roared, before turning to his Knights. “I don’t expect you bastards to be like Grulgor any time soon, but take note of his guts. He may be a Troll, but he’s a real fucking man, get it?”

No argument from me there. Sparing him was one of my better decisions, even though it was a hilariously stupid risk. Fae are just… unpredictable. “Team-up?” I called, and Grulgor grinned, raising the mace and slamming aside a tentacle, even as the chains Dorte had conjured shattered.

“Second Stage! Drómi! I’m Norwegian, you bastard!” Dorte shocked me by yelling. “I’m a marine biologist! I live on the sea, study it and the animals and fish within! Fuck. Dritt! Shit. Bastard. Faen i helvete!” She was cussing up a storm in both English and I presumed Norwegian. “And you… don’t… exist!”

As the Kraken-Spawn was sliced savagely by the exploding first set of chains, a second, thicker, heavier set materialised, and it was actually drawing aether from the beast, which enabled Väinö to tighten the grip of his own watery tendrils. Then there was a flash, and Natsumi flew past us, Utsuroihebi Twin slicing a deep groove, but unable to cut a flailing limb. She few upwards, and rained down arrows of light, before darting to shore, her movements with Chollima’s Favour honed by both her earlier sparring with David and battle.

“It is useless, Natsumi. We must be deployed where we can do the greatest good!” Motoko advised, and Hinata had joined her, and they had gathered Adamant to mop up the remaining mermen and sea beasts, their efforts made easier by Miyu’s continuing Dance, supported by Tillyae’s songs and backup from the Adamant idols.

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” Natsumi swept out with a beautiful cut, bisecting a merman, before spinning and thrusting the blade behind her into one of the few remaining stealthy enemies.

“I think this sea’s a bit different to the ones you study…” I chuckled at Dorte, half my attention on the water. A sun bloomed, and the fortress finally collapsed, Yukiko, fortified by Magatama’s powers and Shiro’s layered buffs, becoming effectively a mobile thermobaric weapon.

For a world so close to our first visit, this is… rather humbling. Rose chuckled. Honestly, everyone’s rate of growth is frightening. Is it the Seeds? Talent? Or something else. If I’m being honest, I’m sorely tempted to break the Compacts and come pick you all up now, yet…

It is elder sister Brunnhilde who has an odd weakness for tossing the bones. But… in this moment, I am inclined to gamble all on this toss. Lin chided her, and Rose giggled.

Oh yes. One toss pays for all in Taflkast, as in life.And I am feeling very Fortunate in this moment.

The heavy chains of Drómi were still struggling, so Dorte cursed once more, before biting her thumb. “Take my strength, for I need the Third Stage…” She then paused as I grabbed her hand, and trickled in Ether Healing, sealing the cut.

“No need to pay for a win here. Trust me, we have this.” I assured her, releasing her hand, and she clutched at it, her expression blank. I turned back to Grulgor, who was hurling the Sisters inside, where Aiko detonated them, making the massive Kraken-Spawn thrash in its bonds of iron and water.

“Io falls?” I cried out, and Grulgor actually laughed at me, before playfully retorting.

“Grul will show you a little trick. Grulgor would ask for a rematch, but even when I was stupid, Grul would not be foolish enough to think I can best you. Being second…” He glanced at Hyacinth then, and Shaeula, at Eri, Aiko, and others… “Being near the strongest …” he amended. “…will have to do. Now then…”

I blew wind, and Grul soared up, darting through tentacles, and time seemed to slow down, my Split Thoughts pushed to their maximum. It was like Henry said, battle always seemed both like time stood still, and like hours passed in mere moments. Flashes of light, fire, wind, water and stranger elements flickered around us, the staccato burst of gunfire, and even some heavier, RPG-style artillery that the elites of Adamant had brought out now that we were effectively facing one armoured, static foe, roaring past me.

With my extended vision I could see Nozomi-san, Yae, Kanami-chan and her friends, Sakura, hell, even Mayumi was clumsily aiming a weapon, Ohta-san reassuring her by her side, all of Adamant doing their part and not just them. David and the Knights were aiding Motoko and Natsumi, Haru, Yu-mi and her cadre providing support, while Michiru cast lightning at any enemies which broke the lines and approached her dancing best friend, lover and master.

Moments later I grinned to see Sayuri-chan appearing behind one crab, leaping atop it and slaughtering the fishmen it carried, though she had tears in her eyes and a pout on her face, before she tossed a grenade into a gap in the shell and leapt off, followed by the explosion. Still further beyond, I could see Liz, Henry, Ekaterini and Astrid, alongside our parents, watching on. Judging by the stunned expressions on mom’s and father’s face, Junpei’s and Hana’s too, it seemed the point was getting across.

Right then. Everyone’s performing wonderfully. I can do no less. “Jupiter Descending. Io…”

“…Annihilates!” Grulgor cut me off, his voice booming around the battlefield before… he became light, a vivid indigo streak. Fucking hell! He’s mastered Light Absorption? He kept that quiet…

I could almost see Grulgor grinning at me, as if enjoying his prank. In fact, his whole body split into a grin in the instant where he travelled downwards, probably only my Eyes able to catch it. The Kraken-Spawn screamed, and even Dorte, Väinö, Shaeula and the others winced at the cacophony, which was like a sonic grenade going off by our ears.

Moments later, steam rose, as Grulgor had pierced right through the beast, opening up a three-metre-thick gash in it. To the Kraken-Spawn, it was a painful but far from mortal wound, like a non-fatal stab to the shoulder for a human, but…

It’s enough. I slashed away another massive tentacle with Tsurugi, and then Hyacinth strode forwards, imperious and prideful, and she smirked as my gaze followed her ample chest.

“You have all done well. Now let Hyacinth end this battle fooor good.” She surged with nature energy, and vines grew and twisted around her arm, forming what looked almost like a cannon barrel. As Grul burst from the seawater onto the shore, in a liquid form now, gradually resolidifying, the Kraken-Spawn tried to retreat, tearing free from Väinö’s watery tendrils and cracking Drómi. Hundreds, thousands, of the lamprey-like eels squirmed from the massive wound Grulgor had left and were nibbling at the edges, trying to seal the tear, but Hyacinth was quicker.

Levelling her vine-wrapped arm, she pointed a finger. “Yooou are not welcome here. This is mistress Eleanor’s land. Begooone wretch!” There was a flash of light, and a single mushroom was sent soaring like a railgun round, passing through the mass of squirming maggot-like eels, before detonating. Yet there was no explosion of light or flame, only a gentle hissing and a quiet sussurus. A puff of vivid purple spores exhaled from the hole, forming a falling cloud, and the Kraken-Spawn shuddered.

Fucking… hell. I think… Adam White isn’t entirely wrong. I trust Hyacinth, but… with power like that, she could totally destroy the world, or at least all life on it…  Rose, Lin, how do the Pantheons deal with such?

My Eyes could see that the mushrooms and fungi erupting in ever-more-rapidly spreading cascades within the Kraken-Spawn were similar to the Ring Gate mushrooms, but… instead of creating a portal they were creating localised distortions in space, effectively ripping it apart for a brief instant, basically liquefying and vaporising it from within, maybe even shredding atoms and molecules, and with each spatial tear more spores were spread. Half of the tentacles were thrashing in their bondage, the other half falling limp to the ocean, the Kraken-Spawn dying at an accelerating rate.

It’s not usual for such dangerous powers to be in the hands of those who do not have either the mental fortitude, wisdom or responsibility to use them wisely. Rose suggested. And of course, power counters power. Were someone to act rashly and cause destruction… yes, there would be deaths, but… destroying a whole world? Unlikely.

I… suppose… that’s reassuring?

It should be. Yet… Hyacinth truly is a terror. Rose shuddered.

Why, thank you! She took it as a compliment. “Now then… come ooout, little lurker. Your pet is dead, and there is nooo escape.”

Of course Hyacinth noticed. Shaeula too, Daiyu… Väinö and Dorte as well, my sis, her Eyes are good. Kana had noticed, and not through her eyes, and Haru likely picked up stray thoughts…

 Not everyone was aware though, so as the Kraken-Spawn broke apart, ether scattering, though a portion of it seemed to… dissipate, perhaps due to Dorte’s ability, sinking beneath the waves, dying, toothed lampreys leaking out, I kept my guard up. From the shattered, burned fortress, which was also largely sunk beneath the seas, a waterspout rose, two figures indistinct within it.

The Fossegrim [?????????]

Glitonea [?????????]

My Eyes could glean no information, which kind of annoyed me. Oh, come on…

…

… …

… … …

The Fossegrim is wearing a treasure that obscures Wisdom.

Glitonea is possessed of a power that defies Wisdom.

I get it, I get it. But this seems to be cropping up a lot recently. You couldn’t tell me about the Geas on my sis’ treasure, nor on Chiasa-chan’s…

… … … Hah.

Wait, did a Tree just sigh at me?

My mental amusement was cut short as the shadowy figure of the Fossegrim raised some sort of object within the waterspout, and suddenly music rang out, unlike the cruel, deafening conch horns of the mermen, this was pleasant, jaunty, sounding like a violin or some other stringed instrument, yet…

Wow, yuck, I hate it, bro. Make it stop…

What a caterwauling. Yes, it’s like nails scratching on a chalkboard.

It is most disquieting indeed.

It is very unpleasant, I agree. I am only grateful I am not here in person to hear it.

Yes. I shall slay them to return the silence…

My sis, Eri, Shaeula, Asha, who was still back in our Territory, and Hyacinth, all found it repulsive. My expanded vision could see Shiro was also dismayed, pulling her golden mantle around herself tightly, but other women…

“By Tyr, shut up!” Dorte grabbed her palms, rending them open, blood spilling, as she ground her teeth hard enough to crack one. Behind us, Daiyu was cycling her Qi, while Motoko and Natsumi were following Dorte’s example, running their hands down the blades of their weapons. Strangely, Grulgor, Väinö, David, the Knights, Sir Arthur… we all seemed unaffected, which immediately raised red flags.

“Yes, I rather think…” I glanced over at where Miyu was still dancing. “…that the only music I want to hear is Tillyae’s.” With that I conjured a multilayered wall of wind, blocking out the unearthly music, and the women around us relaxed, as if freed from an almost hypnotising spell.

For a moment, I had the feeling this Fossegrim was still playing, until the shadowy shape within the water stopped. I could have sworn it, or perhaps he, judging by who the music affected, titled his head at me, as if in consternation, before the shadowy figure of Glitonea leaned in.  Perhaps they were talking, but…

My thoughts were interrupted by a massive, booming hum, like a colossal wineglass vibrating. Soon, it was joined by a second, slightly off kilter, but equally loud humming, as if a badly tuned harmonic. The sea started to boil again, and I heard Väinö curse, hoping it wasn’t another Kraken-Spawn, but as a mist rose, cold, clinging and with a rather familiar touch, I heard Haru’s shocked thoughts, which she’d inadvertently shared with me.

Ghosts? Not Onryō, but certainly… my kin, I suppose…

As the water seethed and ghostly ships rose, first, transparent sails which were likely once square, but were now ragged strips of cloth, then barren, wooden masts and long, sleek, shallow vessels with a dozen broken oars on either side, the two cliffs behind us boomed again. The wailing noise was shifting, and now mist was on the land too, and it quickly became a deep fog, and within it we could see faint, flickering lights, like Will-o'-the-wisps, often in pairs, and hear the faint, echoing wails and groans of what perhaps was once human…

The hell? I thought when we beat the Kraken-Spawn, we could take down the mastermind and finish up, but… nothing’s ever that simple, is it?