On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

One Hundred And Thirty

After returning to the Boundary I had linked up with Shaeula again, pleased that she had fully recovered from her wounds. I had succeeded in removing my scars as well, so was feeling quite positive, until we ran into a problem. Several new Defensive Emplacements had appeared in the enemy Territory, which made our avenues of attack narrower.

The spectral woman was also proving problematic still, her attacks vicious indeed, and even Grulgor was forced to retreat from her overwhelming wave of attacks, his armour dented and scratched. Which of course I had to fix…

I was unwilling to try a full-on attack, since the casualties were likely to be heavy win-or-lose, and while we could bring back the weaselkin, we had already lost too many trolls and white snakes in the past, so losing any more would be unacceptable. With that said, I put my time to use, once more trying to master earth and dark elemental energies, though once again I failed, merely gaining slight, barely noticeable insights into their nature.

The upgrade was also slowly ticking towards completion, and ether was starting to pile outside my Silo once more from natural accumulation and our kills, though it was still far from the large amount we had prior to my spending it. Fifty-two astral days to go. Nearly half done… If our Territory was Rank 3, I was confident that would be more than enough advantage to win, but it was not to be, not yet. Still, as long as the stalemate continues, our advantage grows. Or it would, if only… Sadly my Anchor was in a place far too hard to defend. When the Territory upgraded I would definitely see if I could relocate it…

After bidding farewell to Shaeula once more, I returned to the Material, where the local time was early Friday morning. I spent a little time practising martial arts and spear techniques, before grabbing a quick shower and getting dressed in comfortable clothes, because today was the day I was going to move to the Shrine. It’s also the day my parents and the Mori’s are due to arrive… ugh, my stomach hurts…

Opening the door to my apartment I ran into Karen-chan, who was dressed in her work clothes, a white shirt, charcoal skirt and jacket pairing. On seeing me her expression brightened. “Good morning Akio-kun. Are you heading to the shrine today? I was just going there now. My office needs setting up. I can then get to work on your… unusual request.”

“Yeah, assuming everything looks good I’ll move today.” I said as we walked. We passed by a listless-looking older man who was peering out of the window at us with lifeless eyes. I think that was Tanaka-san, right? I heard he was let go by his company a few weeks’ back…

Karen-chan averted her eyes. When we were safely away from our apartment block she let out a sigh. “It makes me feel bad, seeing him. That was me, just a few days ago… poor bastard.” She turned to me then, expression serious. “I won’t forget what you’ve done for me, Akio-kun. A second chance is a precious thing. I won’t let you down, I promise!”

“I’m sure you won’t.” I smiled wryly, and I realised that I was half-reaching out for her head, to stroke it and ruffle her hair as I would have done for Eri or Shaeula. Changing the motion into brushing back my own hair at the last minute I thought I had managed to get away with it unnoticed. Damn, what was I thinking? Karen-chan is no young girl. I’d never have lived down the shame. I’ve spent too much time with girls who like that recently. Damn, I’ve become such a normie…

We made small-talk until we reached the shrine. There were dozens of workmen everywhere, and the noise of heavy machinery could be heard, roaring and growling away. My interest piqued, I went over to the proposed site of the new training facility, to find several industrial diggers scooping out vast masses of soil and rock, while other workers were drilling down metal foundation struts into the bedrock, following a series of marked-out areas.

“Damn, it’s pretty noisy. I feel bad for the Izumi’s.” I half-shouted over the noise as I backed away, heading towards the outbuildings at the other side of the hill. “Sorry it isn’t the best working conditions for you, Karen-chan. I’ll consider that when your monthly bonus is calculated.”

“It isn’t so bad. it isn’t like I’m taking phone calls or anything like that yet, so I can just listen to music. Besides, it’s a little quieter over here.”

“Hmm, yeah, it is.” I agreed. We could still hear the construction clamour, but at this distance it was merely loud background noise, like sitting next to a major road. It should be bearable living here… and once the foundations are set, it should be better…

“So, you want to take a look?” Karen-chan asked, seeing me eyeing the outbuilding I had designated as my new home. “I made sure everything was done, so I think you’ll be satisfied.” She smirked then. “I can’t believe you ordered a big bed. Definitely room for two. Planning on having a fun time with your childhood friend? I get to meet her later, right? I can hardly wait. Who knows what I’ll say?” she grinned.

“You can say whatever you like, as long as you can help convince my father what I’m doing is on the level here. I don’t envy you; you’ll earn your bonus this month.”

“He can’t be that bad.” She said as she opened the door and we stepped inside. “It isn’t like you are doing anything illegal, so he should be pleased, right? I don’t really know what’s going on myself, but I’ve spoken to the family that owns the shrine, so I know it’s legitimate.”

“If only that was the case. My father … well, you’ll see.” I bit down a sigh. Looking around I was impressed. The interior was cleaned up and had been aired out, the splintered and faded walls replastered and painted, the floor now polished wood, with matting laid down over it. Even the cracked windows had been replaced.

Yeah, it’s big. Nice. Opening the doors and checking out the other rooms, I could see the master bedroom, which indeed had a large bed, fit for two. There were also wardrobes and other furniture that I had ordered. There was two smaller bedrooms, which were also furnished. One for Shaeula, and eventually for my sister too…

There was also an office room, and I could see that the internet had been connected, ready for when I moved my PC in. The kitchen and dining area was also refurbished, with new appliances plugged in. The final room to check was the bathroom, and as I entered I let out an exhalation of pleasant surprise.

“Yeah, I am pretty certain you are planning on having naughty fun.” Karen-chan teased me again. “That’s a big bathtub.”

“Hey, it was already there, so it’d be a shame not to use it.” I protested. “Still, they’ve done good work in a few short days.” The bathtub glimmered, taps and other plumbing replaced and the surface re-enamelled. The toilet had been converted to a western style, and the shower area had also been replaced. It had cost a ton to rush everything, but it was worth it.

“Well, this place sure beats our apartment block, right?” Karen-chan said. “I’m jealous. Oh well… you want me to call the movers and bring over your stuff?”

“Nah, I can do it myself.” I declined it, not because of the cost, but because I might as well treat it as a workout. “So, how’s your office? You have everything you need?”

“It’s all in hand. I’ve kept the receipts, but you did say I can make myself comfortable. I didn’t skimp on the chair.”

I shrugged. “If it encourages you to work better, it’s a small price to pay.”

“I’m not sure if you are a good boss or just a pushover.” Karen-chan grinned. “Anyway, I’m going to get set up, then I’ll start researching that shrine. Man, every day is crazy now. in a good way.”

Leaving me to it, Karen-chan left to set up her office properly now it had been repaired. I then jogged back to my apartment, working up a sweat. Loading up a backpack and a series of heavy bags weighing many kilograms, I then jogged rapidly back to my new home, before unloading the stuff. Now I look at it, I’ve spent way too much over the years on manga, anime, games and figurines. Considering how tight money was… well, a man had to have his hobbies. But now that I had a girlfriend, no, a fiancée, I felt a little… abashed… at having them in my… no, our… room.

As a compromise I started unloading them in my office instead. It’s a luxury having a separate space to work in, for sure. I made several more trips, even lugging back my TV and Computer in one go. Several passers-by shot me odd looks as I jogged with my burden, but since it was at the borders of what a very fit person could do, I didn’t feel any need to hide my skills.

The next trip, I ended up carrying the antique doll that contained the spirit. It was still immobile and silent, and even when we entered the Boundary it merely sat there, no signs of life, but… It’s pretty creepy, but Shaeula felt we needed it, and we risked a lot for it… Dropping it off in my new office, it was time to bring Shaeula over.

Her Material body was still lying there, as still and lifeless as the doll. That was going to be a problem. I could carry her, she was pretty light, but if anyone saw me… yeah, no way I’d talk my way out of that one easily… With that in mind, I decided to enter the Boundary for a bit, and swap with Shaeula so she could walk to the Shrine and come back from there.

“Master, you have returned with some haste-haste. Is there a problem?” Shaeula asked when she spotted me. She was discussing some plans with the White Snake kami and her Kamaitachi.

“No, nothing to worry about. It’s just we are moving into our new home, and I don’t want to be arrested carrying around your Material body. Could you pop back to the Material and head over to the shrine? I’ve set you up your own room, so you can return there. Oh, and you can ask for anything else you want to make the place your own.”

“I see, well as a princess I shall not-not hold back. I must live in the luxury I deserve. But for now… I shall return soon. All is quiet here, so you should have little to do.”

With that, she departed, and I asked about the current situation. It was much as Shaeula had intimated, although apparently our scouts had noticed further strange buildings starting to appear, probably more Defensive Emplacements.

If they take an Astral day to build, like mine do, then they can only build so many, but it’s still problematic. The longer we drag this out, the harder a successful invasion will be…

********

“So, I’ve gathered some preliminary information.” Karen-chan said, handing me some printouts, leaning back in her very nice chair. She wasn’t kidding about breaking the bank on it. Oh well…

Taking the documents, which seemed to be a combination of internet articles, Facebook postings, and clippings from a local newspaper, I browsed them.

“So, I believe the shrine you mean is Hisuikomushi, it matches the location and description.” Karen-chan continued. “It’s a minor shrine with no notable deities, and the area of Tokyo it is in has an… unsavoury… reputation, with organised crime and poverty rife. It’s like a mini-slum.”

Reading the documents I could see she was right. Police reports of local gang-fights, prostitution and more. But what was interesting was… yes, these Facebook posts…

“Quite the coincidence, isn’t it?” Karen-chan looked at me, pondering. “Were you expecting something like this?”

“Not exactly.” I admitted. “But… good job finding this. So, the master of the shrine, Kikuchi-san, is in a coma, and has been for quite a while.” The timing is very suspicious. The start of summer break isn’t that long after I was visited by Exposition-san…

“Yes, I feel sorry for the children. They have no mother according to posts I found, and the son had to come back from University to look after his school-age sister. But they are poor, so… those hospital bills must be ruining them…”

“That is odd, yes.” I wonder how they are paying…

“So, was this the kind of thing you were looking for?” Karen-chan asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, not bad, not bad at all. I wouldn’t have thought to use Facebook and social media. See what else you can find out next time, but for now, take a break. I’ll let you know when you need to meet my father.”

“Roger that.” She saluted lazily. “Well, until later then.”

After she left I considered the information. Very suspicious. I thought maybe the master of the shrine was my rival, but now… that seems unlikely. I would have to see if Hisuikomushi was a true shrine. No doubt Izumi-san could tell me…

********

“So, about an hour then?” I said, and the girl on the other end of my phone, Eri, spoke brightly.

“Yes, we are on the last train before Tokyo station. So, have you finished moving?”

“Yeah, everything went smoothly. So, do you think you can find the shrine, or should I come meet you all?” Damn, the time of my doom is approaching…

“I think we can manage. It’s near where we stayed before, right?”

“Yeah. You just take…” I explained the route to the shrine, and where my new abode was.

“Great! Well, we’ll see you soon, Akio. Love you!” she said, and I flushed at her open affection, especially since I knew my parents were listening. Still, I was a changed man, not repeating past mistakes so…

“Yeah, I love you too. I’ll show you my new home, I think you’ll like it.”

After she hung up, I let out a long sigh. The time was approaching, so I dropped a text to Karen-chan to get ready, and also brief Izumi-san on what he needed to say. Checking on Shaeula, her body lying still in her own room, I made sure that the door was shut tight, to prevent any mishaps.

Once I’ve survived this, I can concentrate on dealing with my enemy in the Boundary. I had thought thinking that would make me feel better, but the knots in my stomach were still there like lead. Old fears die hard, I guess… Making one last check of my new home to make sure everything was in order, I decided to have a few fortifying shots of hard alcohol to steady my nerves…