On seeing the group gathered, I asked Hyacinth what was up.

“Akio, they have sooomething to tell you.” Hyacinth pushed forwards two girls, one of which was Kana, and the other, the small, quiet dark-skinned girl Hotene-san, who was trembling a little. On seeing that, Haru-san, who was also mixed into the group, smiled a little and released a touch of soothing gold-tinged light, which washed over the girl, calming her tremors.

“I see.” I could use my Eye to find out, but considering the triumphant, if embarrassed, expression on Kana’s face, I believed I knew the answer, and it would only be fair to let them have their moment of bragging. “Well, I’m all ears.”

Behind me, Eri nodded at Kana, and with that approval, she spoke. “Well, Akio. I’ve done it!” She puffed out her decent chest proudly, her shrine maiden hakama almost seeming to glow. Behind the group I could see Shirohebi, and while it was often difficult to read the emotions of that androgynous snake, I was sure I could see pride in the way it was looking on her.

“Done what?” I asked, teasing, and she shook her head, laughing.

“That won’t work on me today, Akio! You know what! Thanks to Shirohebi’s guidance, as well as Hyacinth’s, and with the twins and Haru-chan helping us all out…” I see she’s much more friendly with Haru-san now too. Great. “… I finally managed to master earth element!” With that she raised her hand and the ground shivered, rocks lifting free and forming a long stone rod, which she grasped, arm trembling a little at the weight.

“And what about you, Hotene-san?” I asked the girl who we had saved from death in Kyoto.

“I…” her expression was still gloomy, despite the success she had achieved. “Well, I understood it. Earth is dark and cold and lonely, as dark as when I was blind, and as cold as when I thought I was going to die…” she said, not what I was expecting. “…it can be as heavy as the weight of that darkness, and…”

“Hush now.” Haru-san said, striding forward and putting a hand on her head. Haru-san’s eyes narrowed as she connected her Telepathy, sharing the painful memories, releasing more of her Mind-Healing Light. As Hotene-san started to relax, Haru-san looked at me. “Can I take her away for now? She’s done enough. It was all a bit much for her.”

“That’s probably for the best. In fact, it’s pretty late, so anyone who wants to head home can. But first… well done, Kana. I knew you had it in you!”

“Well, if Eri-san or Aiko-chan can do it, there’s no way I can’t, or it’d make me pretty pathetic, considering my bloodline and spiritual gifts.”

“It definitely would.” Eri agreed, and Kana barked a laugh.

“You’re not supposed to agree with me there, but anyway…” she flung the staff she held, and with a shimmer of red energy, it shattered into a rain of needles, piercing the ground. “… I have to say, now I really feel special. My eyes may be more important a talent, but this definitely feels more magical.” As her friends from school congratulated her again, I turned to Shiro.

“Well, guess I need you to work a little harder tonight. I need the general buff, and can you change my specific one to Adherence Manipulation?”

“I can, though I’m damn tired, you slavedriver.” She shot back. “What about your experiments though, Aki?”

“Well, I’ve been observing. I’ll try again another time to get more concrete data. But right now, Kana’s pulled it off, so…” I felt around the Favour from Kṣitigarbha, and another hypothesis was proven. Yeah, Kana’s got enough affinity for it to be given it successfully now. “… we have other priorities.”

Kana looked nervous, as well she might, as this was a big decision that would set the course of her life from now on. “I’m going to borrow Kana now. Great work today, everyone! Go and get some rest and those of you who didn’t succeed, at least you’ve seen another couple of role-models to show it is possible!”

“All right then, we need to talk.” I pointed to the terrace on top of the Rhyming Tree.

“Akio, we should go too.” Motoko said. “It would not do for us to be too exhausted at Hanafubuki tomorrow, not after missing a day of schooling.”

“Yes. Well, Kana-san, good luck. I’m a bit jealous, I admit!” Natsumi said, and as I kissed the two girls goodbye then watched them depart, those of us that remained climbed the steps.

“Akio, may I ask, what happened earlier? Hyacinth felt very clooose to you, very happy, but loots of pain. Is there sooomething wrong?” Hyacinth muttered as she joined us. Shirohebi was also following, an unusual occurrence. But it’s probably about Kana.

“No, we were just experimenting with Kin Bonding. I’m sorry if it hurt, we’ll be careful in the future, all right?”

“Hmm. Well, I did nooot mind it. A little pain is nooothing really.” She said, and before I could answer, Eri did.

“That’s not what you should say here. Even if you’re strong, Hyacinth, Akio doesn’t want to hurt us. What you should have said is something like I enjoyed being closer to you, we should try to reach that state without help.”

“I never thought you’d be one to give advice to a rival.” Kana said, taking a seat as we arrived at the top, looking out over my Territory. “When we first met, you were like an angry cat, puffing yourself up to appear larger and ward off your rivals, and any other girls around Akio.”

“I’ve changed. We’ve all changed.” Eri admitted, her cat-ears twitching in the breeze. “But Hyacinth… I guess I never saw her as a rival at all. She’s… well, I don’t think I could live with it if I didn’t give a little kindness, to let her be happy.” She paused to sniff, feigning irritation. “You, however, I cold quite cheerfully see go elsewhere.”

“Really? I know you’re lying, Eri-san.” Kana said happily as the rest of us sat down. Asha then appeared, smiling broadly, and soon we were feasting on fruits from the orchard, washed down with fruity, sweet honey wine and mead. “But to protect your dignity, I’ll let you have this one.” Kana finished.

“Yeah, save your tsundere act for Aki. It’s wasted on another girl.” Shiro laughed. Beside us, Daiyu was sitting quietly, but Shiro was translating for her, via Tan.

“So, Akio, I… can I do it?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yes. It looks like you can host the Divine Favour now.” I said, and she tensed up, before letting out a long sigh.

“Good. It’d be a shame if I went to all that effort and I wasn’t able to. Although…” she looked at Shirohebi a touch guiltily. “… I suppose I could see it as devotion to my kami. I’ve been a pretty disloyal and poor excuse for a shrine maiden up until now. Sorry about that.” She apologised, and Shirohebi shook its head.

“There isss nothing to concern yourssself with. Timesss have moved on, I underssstand thisss. But it doesss pleassse me to sssee your growing piety again. Perhapsss there isss hope your promisssesss ssshall be fulfilled, Akio.” The White Snake grinned, a surreal sight.

“Yeah, I promised. Your shrine will be magnificent once again, and we’ll get you genuine worshippers. Well, I’ll leave that to your family, Kana, since that seems to be the most respectful way, but of course, you have my full support.”

“Thanks.” she muttered in an embarrassed, mosquito-buzz voice. “Speaking of support…”

“Yes.” I said, meeting her gaze, my grey eyes serious. “Accepting the Divine Favour isn’t the same as this training. The Favours are priceless rarities, and if you take one, it means you are prepared to shoulder the burden in place of someone else. Worse, it means submitting to be my vassal. I’ll be in control of a lot of your life from then on, Kana, so be sure you can live with that.”

“Sounds like a marriage proposal there.” She smiled slightly, and I snorted.

“You know it isn’t. Your love life isn’t for me to interfere with.”

“Though if Shaeula was here, she would be saying ‘It is only natural to secure such a powerful, grateful female, is it not-not?’” Eri mimicked, to laughter from Shiro and Hyacinth.

“She would. But… Kana, you have a lot of choices in your life. And you’re only young. There’s no need to rush.” Ignoring the glances everyone was giving Daiyu, who was frowning as Shiro translated, I shrugged. “So, are you prepared?”

“Of course I’m prepared. I always wanted to be special, valued, but without wanting to put in any of the work required for that.” Kana sighed, staring down into her half-empty cup of bright orange liquid. “I thought being beautiful was enough, that because I was the prettiest girl around, I was guaranteed success, when I found the right man to love me, dote on me and treat me right. Sometimes… I hate myself.”

“I get that.” Eri murmured. “I had almost exactly the same dream as you. Just it always had to be Akio. I’m not wrong in that… it does have to be Akio.” She insisted, as if to reassure me, which was damn cute. “… but being a childhood friend, or simply being beautiful… it’s not enough.”

“No kidding. Look around.” Kana sighed. “Now that your face is back to normal, Shiro, you’re like a marble sculpture. Even the Chinese girl here is stunning. Well, I’m not going to say I lose or anything trite like that, but this sure is a gathering of stunning beauties, and this isn’t even all of them. You certainly have a type, Akio.” She chuckled. “No, I want to be a person who loves herself, and to do that… I have to grow. I’m definitely going to learn how to control my Eyes of the Shrine Maiden and learn Chirurgery. I can do that too, right?”

“Easier, I’d say.” I affirmed. “The extra power always helps.”

“Well, that’s good to know. Maybe I’ll even go to the same University as your sister. I can be her junior, her kouhai, and we’ll be Chirurgeons together. I bet that’d be fun, Aiko-chan is full of energy and very cute.”

“Too much energy sometimes…” Eri muttered, earning more laughs.

“Well, Akio.” Kana stood, before bowing deeply to me. “I’m probably going to burden you a lot. Even as a Chosen like you, I’ll be immature and need a lot of guidance and help. But… I’ll also do all I can to support your aims and goals.” She turned to Shirohebi. “You really don’t mind this?” she asked. “It feels disloyal.”

“There are eight million kami. Believing in, even worssshipping more than one isss not a concern. No, asss long asss your heart truly ressspectsss the ssshrine, I ssshall be with you, and your adherence ssshall nourisssh me. Perhapsss asss a ssstronger being, you ssshall sssupport me all the more.”

“I’m glad. And thankful too. If my father and grandfather could hear me now, saying how much I love the shrine, and my abilities, after all these years of doing nothing but wishing we could just sell up and move to the heart of Tokyo, live the lives of the rich… I think they’d cry tears of joy.”

“Well, I can’t say I know you that well, but I remember making my own tough decision too. I guess you’ve grown up, girl.” Shiro said.

“Coming from someone Akio likes as much as you, Shiro, that means a lot. You do have that older-sister vibe too.” Kana laughed.

“Older sister? Me? Seriously?”

“I don’t see it.” Eri snorted, and once more we laughed and toasted each other, before Daiyu asked if she could speak, so I translated for her.

“She says that this will be a hard path, as once you step onto it, there are no backwards steps, only a march through the endless future, overcoming hardships and enemies, until you stand at the top, and even then, there is always a higher mountain looming beyond. It can be lonely, aiming to be strong.” I think that’s your sadness speaking there, Daiyu. Well…

“Tell her this.” Kana looked at Daiyu seriously, honestly considering her words. “I know. I’ll do it, because I want to be proud of myself, what I’ve achieved. It may be a long road, and the mountains may be high, jagged and painful, but… it won’t be lonely. After all, aren’t we all climbing them together? If one person slips and falls, well, won’t someone else catch them? You too, Daiyu-chan. If you fall, Akio will catch you. Or Shiro. Or Shaeula. Maybe one day, I’ll have that strength…”

As I translated the reply, Daiyu’s eyes shot open, but she then smiled, slight, but enough so that everyone else could notice.

“Right then. Since you’ve made up your mind… Kana, are you ready?”

“Want me to take my clothes off again?” Her hands went to the front of her hakama, cloth rustling, but from her smile I could tell she was joking.

“No, I think I can manage.” I laughed.

“A shame. Well, there’s always another time.” Kana stood proud, waiting. “Akio, do it. Shirohebi, you girls… be my witness, to the rebirth of Izumi Kana! From this day forwards, I’m walking this road with you all!”

Yeah, from the day we’ve met, I’ve always seen something in Kana. I know Eri used to despise her, but that didn’t last long, as… yeah, it’s been said, but I think they have a surprising amount in common. I think both of them shine the more they push themselves. Kana to find a goal in life, Eri in trying to be more than just a girlfriend to me. Well, I’ll watch over them both. It’s the least I can do...

I worked the complicated skeins of aether and adherence, inserting Kṣitigarbha’s Earthen Womb within her Astral body, the favour wrapped around her root chakra and climbing up to where her womb was located in her Material body. As I started connecting it all up, Kana shivered, and she must have ben feeling pain, as she was shedding silvery sweat, but she continued to smile, reassuring me she could handle it. Good girl. Well, in terms of compatibility, she’s got earth element, already had spiritual abilities, and Shirohebizumi shrine is a fertility shrine. It’s no wonder she has some aptitude…

“There.” I felt adherence flood from me, leaving me low. As it poured into Kana, becoming one with her, sealing the Favour inside her, I bit down my own sigh of relief. The adherence drain on my reserves has plummeted now I only have one Favour in hand. That buys me more time to find a suitable host for Laverna’s favour, and I think that one is vitally important.

“I see.” Kana blinked back her tears. “That’s… pretty impressive.” She smiled, and I had amber letters scrolling across my vision, announcing that Kana had become my vassal. “Well, no going back now. I’m under your control now. I just hope you don’t start giving me any inappropriate orders, I’d be simply helpless to refuse.” Her smile was pained but proud.

“I don’t bully Miyu, Haru-san or Kikuchi Shuta-san, do I?” I laughed. “Speaking of, was Miyu here tonight?”

“She was.” Hyacinth confirmed. “She did dance a looot, Akio. I enjoy looking at her, it reminds me ooof happier times, before… before the pain.” She sniffed. “Hyacinth likes her, she is gooooood.”

“I like her too.” Eri grinned. “Especially since she has little interest in men. I can breathe easily around her. Though that flashy ninja… she’s not quite right in the head, if you ask me. No way I’ll let her have your child Akio, you’re not some stud bull!”

“Yeah, I think she’ll grow out of that.” I laughed. “She’s certainly a character. I hope that other ninjas aren’t like her.” Ninja, Onmyōji, Cultivators… I expect other countries that haven’t purged their ancient cultures have all sorts of shamans, witch-doctors, priests and cultists. I expect like the shrines they lost most of their power, but I would be naive to believe that others won’t be leading them to regain lost glories…

“Well, how about another round of drinks to celebrate Kana’s ascension to the ranks of the Chosen? We can discuss your Territory location and details another time.” As she agreed, I turned to Shiro. “Oh, and next time Miyu comes to dance, I want you to test the effectiveness of your buffs on her, and…”

As I outlined several more plans, Asha appeared with more drinks, and despite the likely late hour back in the Material, we continued to enjoy ourselves, the day having proved rather productive indeed….

********

“Well, if you’d like to lie down on the table, I’ll perform the Chirurgery.” I told the man who was a couple of years older than me. Behind me, Haru-san was taking notes, as was Hikawa-san, who was serving as my assistant today.

“Right. I hear it hurts.” The man said, and I nodded.

“Yeah, but it’s not so much physical pain as it is spiritual. You’ll also have discomfort for a few days…” I explained this for the sixteenth time today. The prospective candidates for Laverna’s Favour had been brought to Tokyo, and after signing all the contracts and agreements we required from them, I had sought to check their compatibility. None had been successful though.

As the man under me groaned as I used my Chirurgery absent-mindedly, so skilled I could now do the basic work in my sleep, I considered the situation. These sixteen were amongst the strongest in terms of latent gifts remaining in their bloodlines, so Chirurgery should help wake those up. At the least, that’s useful for us long-term, and as we have them agreeing to aid us on both grounds of the faith and the new Ministry, they should be an asset we can leverage.

My work done, Haru-san showed the unsteady man out to a waiting room, where he could rest and recover, before he would be returned to his shrine out Osaka way. Hikawa-san let out a long sigh, looking down at his tablet. “So none of them were what you needed?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“No. Well, what I’m looking for is quite specific, I’m afraid.” If it was elemental, we could probably raise affinity for it by teaching a suitable candidate the relevant elements, but this… well, with the adherence I’m collecting from Shiro, I can hold onto it for quite a while, so I can explore our options.

Remembering this morning, when I had finally repaired Shiro’s arm, I smiled to myself. She had been so happy she had thrown her arms around me in a hug, both of them, which had pushed her rather ample chest against mine, but she was too happy to notice for a while. When she did, she had turned so red I thought she would explode, and to cover up her embarrassment, she had swept me into a princess carry and mocked me for a while, while I let her, of course. Now it’s just the mass of scars and damage to her body and legs. It won’t be long now…

Haru-san returned, shutting the door behind her. “A shame.” She observed. “Well, we could move onto the other prospects, right?” she said, bringing up nineteen more names, who were rated B in likelihood, as far as we could guess.

“Well, we can consider it. Getting them Chirurgery and signing the contracts is not a bad thing, but I have my doubts they’ll be what we need. Well, a lot of important people from the shrines and temples will be at the funeral later, so I’ll see if anybody there catches my eye. We can rule out some more names at least.”

“Oh yes, the funeral of the Lady Diviner.” Hikawa-san said softly. “You’ll not take it too hard, I hope?” he asked, knowing how upset I was after the deaths of our trainees.

“I would, but… it wasn’t in vain.” I promised. “I’ll go, as I owe it to her, and also so that my resolve doesn’t waver. Besides, I wanted to talk to Yukiko-san again, I have something to discuss.”

“I still can’t get over how casually you talk to the Imperial Princess, our Priestess of Ise.” Hikawa-san mused. “You must have nerves of steel.”

“It’s not that.” Haru-san answered for me, with a laugh. “He’s just used to being surrounded by princesses. He’s got numb to it.”

“You might be right.” I agreed. “It’s a shame you can’t be with me today, Haru-san, but you need to be at the Diet.”

“Yes, the legislation for the new Ministry is being passed today, assuming there’s no revolt by the Representatives. We aren’t giving it a name yet, as Ministry for Spiritual Matters seems rather odd, unless you are in the know. Some of the legislation is rather… troubling.” She pointed at me accusingly. “… the polygamy act most of all. You’re a sinful man, Akio-san!”

“Yes, and unrepentant too.” I admitted. “Hikawa-san, are you coming with me to Kyoto?” I asked, and he said he was.

“Yes. I need to be there. If Uchida-sama isn’t capable or representing what was Susanoo at the funeral, I need to step up, for the sake of all our history. And if he is present, I’d like to support him. It isn’t like Conclave, where every shrine is sending representatives, but the major ones will be.”

“That’s fine then. I just hope that the funeral goes ahead without any trouble. Security in Kyoto is tight, but the protests and marches aren’t dying down. If anything, the populace is getting heated up more by China’s dismissive responses and our Government attempting to be cautious.” Yeah, the last thing we want is any trouble at the funerals. I know that Abe-san asked if they could borrow Shaeula to use her befuddling winds as we discussed, to at least allow us to release some of the foreign nationals we are holding, those willing to cooperate, and I believe the same goes for the families of the dead… The Prime Minister was definitely troubled by such a means of compulsion, as was the Leader of the Opposition, but in the end it was agreed that those willing could swear by the winds, on a time-limited basis if they wished. I suppose compromise is important… but sometimes you have to go beyond that.

Remembering the scene at the Diet where Hinata and I had laid down the law to all those important people, I shook my head. Damn, I still can’t believe I blew up like that. But I suppose it’s for the best. Well, tomorrow I have the meeting with Hinata and Takatsukasa house, regarding her adoption. Then at the weekend I’m meeting Shiro’s allies to firm up our own cooperation. And the week after, it’s the trip to the UK… damn, my schedule is packed, just like always…