On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Four Hundred And Eighty-One

“I can’t say I expected you to hold a competition over it.” Yukiko-san said, surprised, holding a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, the aroma rich and pleasant. We were sitting in a small but upmarket café in Kyoto, not too far from Tsukuyomi-jinja, Tsukiko’s old shrine. No, I suppose it’s hers again now. Despite everything, Tsukiko still respects and venerates Tsukuyomi, and sees herself as the Diviner, a shrine maiden, and I don’t want to take that away from her. I owed Tsukuyomi as well, since I was now carrying his Favour.

“Don’t you feel sorry for Tsumura-san and Hori-san?” Yukiko-san continued. She was wearing large sunglasses instead of her usual fashion glasses, as well as a broad-brimmed hat to shade her face. Beside us, Tsukiko was also wearing similar accessories, though her hat was a baseball cap, looking a little odd over her long hair, and she wore a medical mask over her lower face. After all, we have the Imperial Princess, as well as Tsukiko and her unearthly beauty here. We don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. And Tsukiko is feeling particularly nervous today, and it’s making her remember she hasn’t shown her face under her veil in decades prior to recently. “After all, you gave Izumi-san and your sister Favours without such selection. They might think you don’t cherish them or think them capable.” Yukiko-san finished.

Before I could speak, Yasuhide-san, looking rather smart in casual jeans and jumper, completely at odds with his usual priestly attire, spoke up. In fact, nobody is dressed like members of the faith today. Tsukiko is in jeans as well, with a high-necked wool jumper not able to mask her ample figure. “It does seem a little unfair, but this old man thinks that there must be reasons, right?” He too was drinking coffee and looked the most relaxed out of all of us. “I know for a fact you treasure them.”

“You’re right. There are a lot of reasons.” I agreed. “Firstly, I’m now seeing a path to strength that really doesn’t require a Favour, though that will certainly only work for those close to me…”

Tsukiko, who was far from her usual demure, elegant and calm self, clenched her own cup of coffee tightly, taking a long breath to calm herself before speaking. “Yes, Eri has done little but boast about it since her return. Though none of us possess the strange half-Yōkai nature she now is blessed with, her strength is not derived entirely from that. Those of us who embrace you will find their strengths enhanced in proportion to the connection between our hearts.”

“And have you embraced him, Tsukiko-chan?” Yasuhide-san asked slyly, and the coffee cup momentarily fell from Tsukiko’s hand, before she used her enhanced reflexes to grab it before it spilled. Behind her sunglasses she was no doubt looking at him with some bemusement and annoyance, and her visible face and ears were pink. Yukiko-san looked on, rather surprised at the change in her friend.

“I have not… not properly.” Tsukiko admitted, regaining her poise. She turned to me, and even though her mouth and eyes were covered, I could tell she was smiling gently. “But I believe I wish to. I have long denied myself the simple pleasures of an ordinary woman, and now I wish to make up for all I have missed.”

“That make sense, and I’m happy for you, Tsukiko.” Yukiko-san said slowly. “But… are you sure you should be so hasty? I mean, I’ve naught against Akio-san, in fact, I consider him a friend, after what we’ve been through…” she paused, realising her words had sounded harsh, before making up her mind to continue. “…but a relationship is something very different. I would never claim to have sacrificed what you have, Tsukiko, but as Imperial Princess, I know how hard it is to find someone who sees us for who we really are, who can give and not just take, who can…” she paused, embarrassed. “…I think I have said too much.”

Yasuhide-san was chuckling happily, and Tsukiko merely reached out a hand, grasping Yukiko-san’s, squeezing it reassuringly, a physical contact the aloof Diviner would never have considered before. She’s changing. We all are. “No, you have spoken out of consideration for me. As your friend, I am grateful for that.” Tsukiko said gently. “But I have not been hasty. I harbour no feelings of disdain towards Akio, far from it. In fact…” her exposed skin was now a deep red. “…quite the opposite. I find myself thinking of him as much as I do Tsukuyomi, may the God forgive my inconstancy. That moment, where he promised me I would not die, the time he saved my spirit from final dissolution, the moment of my rebirth, that time in the hot springs…” her flush was now almost purple. “…each memory seared indelibly into my being.”

“One of those things doesn’t sound like the others.” Yukiko-san pointed out, but she wasn’t angry or upset, merely a touch resigned. She sighed, as if to emphasise that, before looking at us seriously. “I’m just concerned. Akio-san is a good man, and I can’t deny he cares deeply for you, considering the risks he undertook, the feats he performed, just to lead us to this happy ending. If it was only that, I’d applaud you two getting together, and I’d be the first to celebrate. But… you’ll never have all his heart or time. I don’t criticise, everyone seems happy enough, but… since you denied yourself so much, I want your future to be perfect!”

“I know. You’re not telling me something I’m not aware of, and honestly, it gives me nightmares.” I admitted, but I reached out and took Tsukiko’s free hand, wanting to transmit my true feelings. “I know my heart, and I know I can protect them, cherish them, and more importantly, help them all grow, and unleash their true potential, to be the best, happiest selves they can be. Tsukiko is no exception.” I promised. “But I know I want to spend time with everyone, and they with me. I do despair that I can’t give everyone the time they need to truly be content. But…” Despite the sunglasses, I stared into Yukiko-san’s eyes. “…I promise you, I’ll make it work. Because I chose this too, and they are all worth it, Tsukiko no less than anyone else.” I squeezed Tsukiko’s hand, and she returned the gesture.

“I see.” After a moment, Yukiko-san agreed. “In that case, I have no further complaints. I’ll hold you to it though. Tsukiko is my dearest friend, if you make her unhappy, you’ll answer to me.” She said, though her smile was rather impish.

“You have no need to worry. The time I have spent with Akio may be scant, but it has been meaningful. A mere hour now stretches into colourful eternity, whereas before the months and years blurred into endless, grey days filled with nothing.” Tsukiko reassured her friend. “I am happier in this vivid, dyed world, where a moment makes my heart race. Besides, the others believe in him too. He cannot mislead everyone. I place my faith in them, who place their faith in him.”

Yukiko-san fanned her face, suddenly hot. “That was quite the declaration. I never imagined you would speak so passionately about love.”

“She was saved from her greatest fears by him. What woman can ignore that?” Yasuhide-san snorted. “But we got rather off the subject.”

“We did.” I agreed. “The Favour… it’s important, but what with the reveal of Aiko’s new talents, I’m concerned. It makes me hesitate to give anybody close to me one for the moment, but I also don’t want to deny them a chance.”

“A bad business, that.” Yasuhide-san said softly, the sickly-sweet romantic mood of moments before vanishing. “While KBS didn’t broadcast the leaked footage here in Kyoto, I saw it on the internet. I’ve tried calling Kiyomizu-dera to speak to Uchida Ren-san, but I was told he was absent. He’s not at the hospital either, though Yamato-kun still lies comatose. I worry… though those members of Susanoo who refused to join the new Ministry and our alliance have assured me that all is well. I didn’t want to mention much in case they were still unaware… a mess.”

“As the Diviner, I can attest that you had a greater purpose to take the Favour.” Tsukiko promised. “But I fear now I will be seen as compromised. For I was the pure shrine maiden who was for Tsukuyomi and the Gods and Kami of Japan only, and now… now I have been soiled by mortal desires and my own wants.”

“I thought you said he hadn’t embraced you?” Yukiko-san pointed out, and Tsukiko let out a small laugh, quiet and dignified.

“I have my purity, in body, but not in heart. My lips have been taken.”

“Kissing is romantic.” Yukiko-san understood, or thought she did. If she knew we did irrumatio in the hot springs, she’d be shocked.

“Anyway…” I changed the dangerous subject hurriedly. “In addition, there are benefits, it helps show Adamant and my other allies I’m prepared to share the wealth, not just hoard it for my women and me, and it won me some goodwill from Princess Eleanor. We’re allies bound together, but the closer we are, the more we can trust each other, the better. There’s also the fact that I’m a student of Tsumura Arts myself, now. I can hardly claim to be an expert, unlike Motoko and Natsumi, but I know enough… I think a Favour for them ideally should be either balanced around all aspects of their combat style, or something completely different. But that’s just my thoughts. I also don’t have the heart to deny them a chance at the power they crave. Hence… this competition. It suits all my needs, and my conscience.”

“You do think of them. I hope you’ll give Tsukiko just as much consideration!” Yukiko-san said, and surprisingly it was Tsukiko who spoke up for me.

“I know he will. The tears he shed, the sweat and blood he shed for my sake prove it. Besides…” her tone turned sly, one I seldom heard from her. “You would never have agreed to allow Akio to Enthrone me if you did not believe he would be good to me. I know he offered you the choice.”

Yukiko-san agreed. “I get it, and I do trust him, but… I have to stick up for my friend, don’t I? Us women who have struggled to find a worthy partner have to stick together. Though now it’ll just be me all alone…”

“Maybe I’ll introduce you to Eleanor, I think she has the same worries.” I promised jokingly, before becoming more serious. “Anyway, the competition continues. Haru has had to go back to South Korea, but apparently there’s been some successes with mastering light element, though the competitors all seem to have made an agreement not to tell me just yet. Motoko and Natsumi are skipping school, which is bad, but at least it’s Saturday so they only have half a day of classes. As for my Astral body…” I grimaced, feeling the pain of my simmering blood. “…fortunately, I don’t need to bring my Material body into the resonance yet, but even without that, it’s far from comfortable. But I want to gather as much ether as quickly as we can. I doubt we’ll be lucky enough to Rank up to four before whatever disaster my Foresight products and Tsukiko dreamed of hits, but the sooner we have Rank four and can bring a vast area under our protection, and we can improve our Territory barriers, the happier I’ll be.” Shiro’s complaining about being a buffbot again, but she knows the importance of what we do here.

“Speaking of such matters…” Yukiko-san said, changing the subject. “I did have something important to discuss, but I don’t think today is the right atmosphere for it. It’s more important to set Tsukiko’s mind at ease. I know you are terribly busy, but… could you visit me at the Imperial Palace sometime soon? Tsukiko can come as well, of course.”

The Palace, huh? I’ve lived in Tokyo long enough, of course I’ve visited the grounds. But maybe I’ll get to see areas only the Imperial Family get to? “Sure.” I agreed, curious. “Any hints though?”

Yukiko-san sighed. “All I can say is, it’s to do with the Imperial regalia, and also… Onmyōji.”

Onmyōji huh? Sounds interesting. If the shrines and temples have some spiritual powers left even after all these centuries, it stands to reason that Onmyōji exist too. I mean, Cultivators do, Daiyu proves that… My interest piqued, I was a little disappointed when Yukiko-san wouldn’t say any more, and then it was time for us to leave, heading to Tsukuyomi-jinja, where Tsukiko would be meeting her parents again…

********

“This…” the elderly man, his face careworn and wrinkled, lost his ability to speak for a moment, as he stared at Tsukiko, now without her glasses, mask and hat. Beside her, his elderly wife, Tsukiko’s mother, who I met at the funeral, was tearing up, mouth gaping. I glanced sidelong at Yasuhide-san, who merely gave a barest hint of a shrug, intimating that he did tell them of Tsukiko’s return. They likely didn’t believe it. Not that I blame them.

“…is that you, daughter? No… if you are… I can call your name again. Our Tsukiko!” he finished.

At his words Tsukiko blinked, her own eyes damp. She squeezed my hand with her own, and her cool voice was hoarse with emotion. “Yes, father, mother. It is I, Tsukiko.”

“But we went to your funeral. We’ve seen miracles, but… this. Yasuhide-sama said you had risen from the grave, but even for one so beloved of the Gods as you, daughter, it seemed impossible, despite Yasuhide-sama’s promises before. We thought them mere velvet lies to ease our broken hearts…”

“So… so beautiful.” her mother choked out, between her sobs, her eyes locked on Tsukiko’s bare face. “You were a pretty child, but to… to think… our daughter… our full moon… has grown up so… beautiful!” Her sobs only increased in intensity, leaving Tsukiko a bit at a loss, unable to relate to her parents because of their strained relationship. Compared to Shiro’s, though, there was no malice, only a mistaken premise that led to a sad parting of the ways, and lonely estrangement.

“Yes, she is.” I agreed. “We meet again. I apologise for putting you through these weeks of suffering, but… at the time I wasn’t strong enough.” Tsukiko squeezed my hand again, supporting me, and I continued. “Tsukiko died, but you said it yourself. She sacrificed everything for the Gods, so it would be unjust indeed if there was no hope at all. Fortunately, though her body died, her spirit lived on, as we promised you then, even if you didn’t truly believe us. And now…”

“Now I can walk the earth once more.” Tsukiko’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “I understand why Haru makes such jokes now. Here, in front of my grieving family, who had accepted my demise… I feel incredibly out-of-place and uncomfortable. But…” She reached out with her free hand, wiping tears from her mother’s damp eyes. “Feel the warmth of my hand, the reality of my touch. I was dead, but now I am not.” She looked at me fondly, and her mother looked down, to see our hands intertwined, surprising her.

Her father, also starting to recover from the immediate shock, narrowed his eyes, peering at my face. “I… wait, are you Oshiro Akio? You’ve been on television. We don’t watch it much, but…”

“Yes. My saviour, the man who performed a great miracle for me, and the heir to my duties to Tsukuyomi.” Tsukiko introduced me to her parents. “He is also the man I have chosen. And who chose me over fate itself.” With an act of great bravery, she leaned up and kissed my cheek. Yukiko-san looked away, red-faced, and Yasuhide-san laughed, while her parents looked at me, stunned. Seeing that, I used my free hand to turn her head gently, and I kissed Tsukiko on the lips this time. It was tender and modest, not using our tongues, but it was more demonstrative than a mere peck on the cheek.

“You are greedy.” Tsukiko accused me, though she didn’t sound displeased.

“I wanted to make it clear to your parents.” I told her, before turning to them and bowing. “We’ve met before, at the funeral, but now we meet under different circumstances. So let me be clear. I know I’m not the ideal man for a son-in-law. My other women may sour you on me… but I’ve come to love Tsukiko, and not just because she’s beautiful on the outside, but because of her inner pride and beauty.” Tsukiko and surprisingly Yukiko-san blushed deeper crimson at my heartfelt words. “She is like the moon, always watching over us. Her life has been one of service, of denial, offering herself to others, preventing disasters and steering Japan on a better course. And I’ll never disparage that. Doing good should always be praised. But I hate to see good go unrewarded. And while I’m not the perfect husband, I’ll be the husband Tsukiko can love and be proud of.” I end up giving speeches like this far too often. At least Tsukiko’s parents aren’t liable to try and kill me, like Shaeula worried her father might have…

“I have few complaints.” Tsukiko agreed. “Mother, father… I have never hated you for our estrangement. It is hard, being an object of piety. Few saw me, only the responsibility I carried. I was forced to hide myself, even my name, for the sake of Tsukuyomi’s prophecy… and Akio unmasked me, spoke my name, and led to this. Now I stand before you… and while I am the Diviner still, and my duty is something I will not surrender…” She met my gaze then, her beautiful ruby eyes shining. “…I will share it with you. Because I want to help you, so you do not have to end up like me, weighed down by impossible destiny.”

At those words, she turned back to her parents. “Look at me, see me. I confess to being wholly unsuited to being out in the world, away from seclusion in Tsukuyomi-jinja. I still struggle to bare my face, to hear people calling my name. But everyone is very kind, and they make allowances for me. I can be friends with the others, with their families. I can learn to experience the emotions and milestones I passed by, while on my lonely pilgrimage. But one thing I have missed is family.”

At her words, her parents teared up again, but she shook her head. “Do not cry. This is the past, and all involved meant well. And were you the parents who instead of pushing me towards my duty, instead took me away, let me grow up a normal girl, then perhaps I would have lived a happier life, but instead, if I found out that the many lives I saved, the Destinies I overturned, were instead cast aside for my own sake… I would have grieved. Though now… my life, my sacrifice is not merely my own…”

“No, and it never really was. Yukiko-san and Yasuhide-san always cared.” I disagreed. Yukiko-san made a noise of surprise, but she looked at us warmly. “But now, you can no longer sacrifice your happiness, because doing so destroys not only your happiness but mine, and those of all your sisters.” I declared.

“I know it well.” Tsukiko agreed. “I railed against the Definite and wished for it to change. And it did. Proving that I was wrong. Destined, Definite, nothing is set in immutable stone. It is only a matter of will, power, and luck.” She turned back to her parents. “Fortunately, Akio has all three in rather impressive quantities. So please, approve of my choice, and… it is not too late to start anew. After all…” She smiled, a brilliant expression that stopped my breath, her beauty intensifying. “If we cannot start again after a rebirth, then when can we? Like the moon waxes and wanes, so too should our lives, and our relationships can be built anew, this time to last.”

“Can we? Can we?” Her father said, only for her mother to surprise us all, leaping forward and pulling Tsukiko into a hug, something she had not experienced since her early childhood, barely remembered. Tears flowed, and her mother wailed, sobbing, though the sounds were not filled with pain.

“My daughter, my Tsukiko… mama is sorry, I am. I never… should have… let you go through life… alone!” As she wept, Tsukiko patted her head gently, as if their roles were reversed, parent and child switched. I turned my attention to her father, smiling warmly.

“Can you? No, it’s more a case of will you? And you will, because I saw your grief at her funeral, and I see your joy now, even if you are confused and disbelieving. Besides, we’re family now, so let me give you some advice. If it’ll make you happy, just do it. If you let your past regrets prevent future happiness, then you’re a fool. And I doubt Tsukiko’s parents could be fools.”

“He’s right, you know.” Yasuhide-san said, stroking his long beard regretfully. “I feel bad too. Pushing the burden on Tsukiko-chan all these years. But it seems to me everything will work out all right. After all, Tsukiko-chan is still young, compared to us. She has ample time to make up for her past losses.”

“I could have done without the ‘compared to us’…” Tsukiko pouted, surprising everyone. At their shock, she shook her head. “Before I did not care, but now I am a woman in a relationship, I hardly wish to be thought of as old. I wish Akio to see me as young and vibrant, and a delight to be with!”

“Oh, I do, rest assured.” I kissed her lips softly again, and then turned to Yasuhide-san. “Looks like the initial shock has given way to calm, so maybe we should all sit down and have a proper talk?”

********

“When Yasuhide-sama told us that you were reborn, I thought it possibly a cruel trick, though part of me hoped it was true.” Tsukiko’s father said quietly. We were inside Tsukuyomi-jinja’s modest building, where Tsukiko had dwelt a long time. Seeing her look around wistfully made me decide that she should spend more time here. With the unprecedented pace that Ixitt and his crew are building the underground tunnel and facilities in Tokyo, I wonder… could we build similar connecting Kyoto, Tokyo and the other major cities of Japan, and sites like mount Fuji and even Yukiko’s Grand Shrine at Ise? Hell, can we even cross the seas, linking us to Korea? No, that’s probably too grand an undertaking…

“Yasuhide-sama wouldn’t lie to us. He told us that Oshiro-sama…” her mother began, but I interrupted her gently.

“Please, mother-in-law, we’re family now. Just call me Akio. Otherwise I’ll feel uncomfortable.”

“Akio-sama… Akio-san… then.” She said hesitantly. “…you promised you were keeping her sleeping soul safe, and that she would return. We believe in the Gods, in miracles, but this was too strange.”

“I remember now. I was hardly thinking clearly at the funeral, but you assisted us to move the burned bones, the katsuage. And we asked if you and our daughter would be together.”

“And we will be!” I promised, hugging Tsukiko close. Despite her embarrassment she endured, and Yukiko-san watched on warmly, and perhaps with a trace of envy. Don’t worry, you’re a good woman, Yukiko-san, you’ll find someone, I know it. Trying not to think of Eri’s usual complaints over what she expected to happen, I continued speaking, while several shrine maidens in bright hakama, particularly trustworthy ones from the now defunct Tsukuyomi faction, were waiting in silence, ready to serve us more tea or snacks. “To which I hope you can support us.”

“I don’t know…” her father said, surprising me, only for him to shock me by giving us a weary smile. “What man wishes for his only daughter to be swept up by a predatory wolf? We have to be especially wary, as our Tsukiko…” he said the name proudly now. “…is so very beautiful!”

“Father!” Tsukiko said, surprised. “Even in jest…”

“You are as serious as ever.” Her mother said emotionally, wiping at her eyes, though these tears were ones of contentment. “As a little child, she loved the moon so, and her dreams were important to her as well. No, her visions. For we supported her in discarding her dreams for the good of others, of faith. But… it seems it was not all for naught.” She looked at me then, and despite her being a frail, elderly woman, there was steel in her eyes, along with a trace of self-loathing. Though if they can rekindle their family relationship, I hope that will fade in time. “You will make my precious Tsukiko, the daughter we lost twice over, happy?”

“I will.” I declared and meant it. “Hey…” I had an idea, and while I probably should have talked it over with Tsukiko first, I knew she would be pleased. “…why don’t you move to Tokyo? We have plenty of room on our estate, and it’s not just my family that lives there. I’m sure Tsukiko would feel better about it having you close at hand. It’ll be hard to repair your relationship at a distance, and you’ve lost out on so much already, you should seize every moment, and what better way than to be close at hand, living with your daughter?” More to the point, it’s safer. They can be protected, and not used against us. “My mom will welcome you warmly. After all, she really likes Tsukiko, and not just because she’s beautiful. She thinks I need an older woman to look after me, and she doesn’t count Shaeula as older. I mean, Hyacinth would clearly be the eldest, but I get why mom doesn’t treat her that way…” Though there’s Asha. Now that she’s pregnant, she definitely exudes that motherly aura…

“He’s speaking of other woman in front of you, Tsukiko.” her father complained. “Are you sure he is the one? Do not merely let gratitude lead you down the wrong path once again. Prioritise your happiness, not your sense of duty! This time… this time we will stand by you, no matter what you decide!” As he exchanged glances with his wife, who nodded, Tsukiko merely laughed, relieved.

“I am glad that you finally see me again, not what I carry. And that you will support me if I choose to reject my saviour. You have become braver, standing up to him would require great courage.” Her smile was beautiful again, and somehow teasing, the gap between her usual behaviour enticing. “But fear not…” she cupped my cheek gently. “…who knows the touch of Destiny better than I? This was meant to be, and I am content. After all, you even think of my family.” She turned back to her parents, who were now looking fondly at their daughter, their earlier shock and grief subsumed by the realisation that their daughter was truly returned to them. “Yes, I know you have lived in Kyoto for your whole lives, but I would be grateful if you would move to Tokyo. You will be well looked after, and Akio does not lie, his mother is very kind, if rather energetic. Besides, you can watch over us, and see that we speak the truth, that I am well loved.”

“It’s amazing how fast they accepted your return. I know we said it at the funeral, but… I would have thought us merely liars.” Yukiko-san said, taking a sip of tea to calm herself. She was clearly overjoyed for Tsukiko, and that made us happy too. “Of course, I suppose with the way the world is now, with talk of magic and mystery on every news bulletin and talk show, it might be easier to believe. And the proof is right here, after all.”

“Your Imperial Highness, we would never doubt you!” Tsukiko’s father said quickly, and Yukiko-san rolled her eyes. They had been amazed when they realised that their reborn daughter’s truest friend was the Imperial Princess, and despite Yukiko-san’s urgings they steadfastly refused to be informal with her like they were at the funeral. “Besides… this is no dream. We are not our daughter, to see such truths in our sleep.”

“That feels vaguely insulting.” Tsukiko mock-pouted, enjoying the atmosphere. There was laughter, and Yasuhide-san leaned back in his chair, well satisfied.

“It all worked out in the end. It wasn’t as bad as you feared it would be, was it, Tsukiko-chan?” he asked, and she shrugged gracefully.

“No, though despite my outward calm, my stomach was in knots, and I felt rather unwell. Fortunately with Akio and Yukiko here, I knew I could face this.”

“No praise for me? I’m hurt!” Yasuhide-san complained, to more good-natured laughter.

“I simply do not know how to face you both yet. And I expect you have the same worries.” Tsukiko said, to their agreement. “But we have this chance. I offer my prayers to Tsukuyomi, for even though the vision of the man with light, darkness and twilight being our saviour may have been wrong, it led to your determination to be the person that saves us. But there is more to come.” She glanced over at Yukiko-san, who swallowed.

“Yes. I don’t wish to spoil the mood, not now everyone is happy, but… it’s still not over. You’ll help me, right Akio-san?”

“Of course.” I promised. “We’re friends, after all.” I opened my mouth to say more, when my phone rang. Pulling it from my pocket, I glanced at the caller, surprised. Yes, I did give her my number when we met that one time, but I wasn’t expecting to ever receive a call. I wonder what it’s about…