“It’s not like I expect to be able to transfer abilities…” I said as I peered deep into Shaeu’s Chakra work, the night moon chakras cirg around her ordinary ohe one orbiting her lunar chakra seeming subtly different, f me to pour aether into my Eye to sharpen the image. Even with the signifit processing power of my brain nowadays it was a challeo prehend it. “…if it was that easy, then why would the Pantheons need us? But… certain things must be possible, right? Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to impnt Divine Favours in us, and I wouldn’t have been able to remove them with Chirurgery.”

  “That’s true.” My sis agreed. “I wouldn’t have my powers if you couldn’t. So what’s your point?”

  “My point, dear sister…” I adopted a teasing tone, knowing she was trying to hide her eagerness. “…is that uher abilities, eye powers seem to be trated in the eyes themselves. It’s very much like that ah the ninjas we watched as a kid. There’s likely more to it, but… I think it’s an avenue for experimentation. After all, I know I regee an eye, as I did it for Shiro.”

  “Speaking of Shiro…” Shaeu mused, preening proudly as I looked at her ily. “I believe we should-should call her here. If we are going to do delicate, potentially dangerous work, then her buffs to Chirurgery would be most-most necessary.”

  “True.” I ceded. “Though I did want to keep other people’s involvement to the minimum while experimenting, it makes sense. Perhaps Tan might be able to offer some advice. She was delivering a Favour to Shiro, so she must have some knowledge.”

  “But will she tell us?” Shaeu shrugged. “I do not-not think she will disclose too much, although…” she tilted her head, smiling. “…she has been rather casual in some of the things she has said retly, so perhaps I will-will be pleasantly surprised.”

  “Are you going to call Eri over too?” my sis asked, and I shook my head.

  “Nht now she’s sitting through a lecture from Daiyu on the very basics of Qi Refining. It’s iing, I’m learning a lot myself.”

  As soon as I had agreed to summon Shiro, Hyath had disappeared, likely to fetch her, though I probably could have do with my Material body. My sis ughed, imagining what was going on. “Yeah, I ’t quite get over the fact you be in two pces at once, bro. I like it though, it means you spend more time with us! So, is it a lewd lecture?”

  “Nope, we aren’t discussing Dual Cultivation at all. Daiyu says I’m in no way qualified to teayone, she takes Cultivation very seriously. It’s cute.”

  “I know she is. She looks like a doll. Then so does Shaeu. But you’re more a Western doll.” My sis gri her. “That’s cool then. If it’s safe, I want to learn as well.”

  “Everyone will. Daiyu misses the cept of a Sect too. So our participation will be a fort to her.” I agreed. “Fenius though, she’s actually very good at expining it, and I use my Eye to further see what’s going on, breaking it down into uandable stages. Though using my Eye in both realms at once really is too mue.” Fortunately I follow the lecture without it, si’s just theory at the moment.

  “Informatios really are the best.” Shiro agreed, appearing with Hyath in tow. I was surprised at how she arrived so quickly, and on seeing that, Shiro sighed theatrically. “I was here to buff Asha’s Tree anyway, so it isn’t like Hyath had to e ach me from our new home. She’s filled me in briefly. Shit, you’re crazy as ever, Aki! I hought you’d end up going so far. But… it’s n.” She tapped her eye, smiling. “It works perfectly, so worst case, nobody is going blind, unlike said ninjas.”

  “You heard all that, huh?” my sis said, embarrassed.

  “Hyath mentio.” Shiro chuckled. “For a spirl, Aiko, you have some otaku is. I guess that’s iable with Aki here looking after you in your formative years. But I think we’re lucky. Who else would think about doing this? The noble girls are at school, Daiyu and Eri are training, so that leaves Asha and Tsukiko.” Shiro finished. “Are we bringing them in? They both came with me to Shirohebizumi this m.”

  “I am already here.” Tsukiko slipped out of the shadows. “I saw myself reflected iers. I was i pain, but everyone was gathered around me, cheering me on, supp me, and my tears were happy ones as they fell into the rippling ke below. It was a vision that should have been frightening, but it was f, having my face, myself, bare to the world, feeling the warmth of others.”

  “Damn, that’s somehow both sad and uplifting.” my sis sniffled, touched. “Don’t worry about anything, Tsukiko-!” she paused, suddenly unfortable. “…is what I’d like to say. You shouldn’t worry… but yeah, I remember my own training iher Healing. It was agonising, and…”

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “Rank six is doable. We’ve already got experien pushing through the first bottleneck. But it’s probably the worst pain I’ve ever felt, for hours and hours, even days…”

  “It will nooot be so bad.” Hyath promised, surprising us all. “I have been practising by myself. I knooow eventually you wish for all to be able to share this strength sooo…” she giggled, her expressiole. “I have listened and studied. The mortal wooorld holds mas.” She reached out, and with a smile I extended my hand, knowing what she would do wouldn’t harm me. A surge of spores billowed, c my arm, and I felt a strange, numb sensation spreading. My body tried to resist it but I trated, preventing my body from acclimatising to it, and soon the whole area felt cool and tingly.

  “Dooive me.” Hyath said apologetically, before her nature energy surged and a razor-sharp vine grew from the ground, pierg into the area covered in the fungal growths. For a moment my body resisted, before the bde dug deep, and blood scattered, silver and red.

  “Yeah, it still hurts…” I said, a slight smile on my face. “But it’s definitely less than it should do. Does the fungus secrete ahetics, or a the paiors?”

  “I dooo not know. But it works…” she seemed surprised as I pulled her into a hug. My body quickly healed the bleeding cut and absorbed the fungus, while I stroked her head gently.

  “Good job. You’re always thinking of us. In fact…” I looked around happily. “That goes for everyo’s the little things like this, the small thoughts of ways to help us grow strohat have got us to where we are today.”

  It was then that Shiro’s hair turned a brilliant red, fmes flickering, and her suddenly ruby eyes glimmered with straion. “Yes, it has been fasating, watg for such a short time and seeing what has been achieved.” Tan said. “Yoals are udable, though you surely ot believe you are the only oo think of such methods?”

  “Of course not.” I finished praising Hyath, releasing her, ign the sloppy grin on her face. “In fact, it’d make no seo assume that beings such as you and the endless number of people that dwell in your Pantheon wouldn’t have e up with such trainihods. In fact, I was hoping to get some advice, if it didn’t overstep what you say…”

  “Advice?” Tan snorted sourly. “You are correct, many paths to poursued amongst the myriad worlds of the many Pantheons. Cultivation is one such path to power, one well-honed and optimised over many long millennia. Martial training, crafting, pursuing the secrets of Laws… growing stronger by stant battle. All of these and more are noble pursuits. But do you think all strive for this? The worlds of the Pantheons are innumerable, and on many worlds the ordinary exist, not too dissimir to this p you call Earth. Yes, there are those you would call Chirurgeons, who repair damage to the spirit, the immaterial, much as you do. But few would risk such practises. But then… Eyes to see with are hardly onpce. While those of a certain level of power would have no need of them, having other sehe powerful are often the jealous, hardly eager to share the secrets of their strength.”

  “What she’s trying to say, Aki…” Shiro took over, one eye darkening. “…is that she doesly know if it’ll work. It’s not impossible, but rather… impulsive.”

  “Yes.” Tan agreed. “You should not measure yourself as a standard. While we are seo give gifts so that some grow to be useful, strong enough to trol a world, your rate of growth is rather unpreted. It would normally be the work of a decade or two to cim a Territory of the fourth Rank, yet your pace towards it shocks me. And you are not alohere will be others too. This world has many surprises.” She looked at Shaeu and Hyath. “The strength of the dwellers amongst the lower reaches of the Astral here also impresses.”

  As Hyath giggled, Shaeu nodded regally. “Yes, I am pleased that you do-dhis, Tan. There surely seem to be anomalies. Yourself included, no-no?”

  “Yes. Though I am far from the only one.” She looked at Tsukiko, frowning using Shiro’s face. “Yift from Tsukuyomi seems to predate the agreement by some years. And there are other plications.” She paused then, shaking her head, fming hair swaying. “But enough of that. You wish my thoughts oher you could transpnt an Eye? Perhaps. But whether your Eye would return to its state when regeed is the question. It all depends on what drives it. For now, I would suggest great caution. If it was so easy, would not the armies of the Pantheons be full of such?”

  “Yeah, as I thought.” I nodded. “Shiro, you buff up my Eye first?”

  “You sure you ha?” she said, taking over from Tan again. “I remember st time.”

  “Yeah, I think so. I’m not going to faint if I focus all my willpower. Hold on a sed, I’m just going to tell Eri and Daiyu I’m out for a bit…” With that done, I dismissed my Material body so I could trate everything oask at hand.

  “Are you sure, Tsukiko?” I asked her sent. “There’s no need for you to give more than you already have.”

  “I am Matsumuro Tsukiko now. But I also take pride in being the Diviner. I have lost strength. I gave it to you freely, as I hope to…” her voice started to shrink, as she remembered our as i springs. “… offer more and receive iurn. But...” her determination came back, and I couldn’t deny her. “I am still the Diviner, and I resped worship Tsukuyomi. My role was ended, but now…” She looked up at the sky, where dark aurorae rippled, as if seeking a moon beyond. “…I am an image not reflected iers. My Fate is what I make of it.”

  What I say to that? With a smile I held out my hand, and then after some brief discussion of who would be attending to who, the pain began…

  ********

  “Bro, you’re such a damn sadist.” My sis ale-faced and whimpering, though her blue eyes were resolute, showing no desire to quit. Her whole arm was covered in two types of fungal growths, oo numb the pain, and the other… “Shit, I see bone. Should my bohat colour? I don’t think it’s supposed to be bck. Hey, why do we even have bones here?”

  As she babbled, I soothed the pain with my owher Healing as much as I could, while not repairing the damage. Instead, my Eye was shining brilliantly, able to look into my sister’s body with far greater crity than previously. There’s still a lot of unused works, even if we sider all the stuff Daiyu uses for Cultivation. It’s almost fractal, branches and sub-chakras propagating on an ever-smaller scale. Perfectly adapted, my ass. The Eight Moowork might be a perfee, in sards, in that it’s a closed system with high efficy, but it’s clearly not the best that ever could exist. Shaeu and Daiyu prove that…

  “He sure is, Aiko.” Shiro also said between gritted teeth, her breath ing fast. “I thought I was used to pain, sidering my injuries before, but this really is hideous. Tan, why don’t you e out and take a turn?”

  “If I do that, you will gain no be.” Ourned red as she answered zily, but I thought I heard a trausement in her voice as she usurped a moment of trol from Shiro. “Besides, my body is hardly fragile enough to be harmed by such. And the beautiful should not suffer injury needlessly.”

  “So what am I? Some ugly e?” Shiro groahe teasing at least focussing her mind. As I reached out, I touched my sister and Shiro in various pces, trag the lihey should flow aether through, tig their works with whisper-light pulses of my own energies, stimuting their performance.

  “This would be so embarrassing if I wasn’t dying…” my sis excimed.

  “You were the one who asked for my help.” I reminded her. “Shaeu could have looked after you, instead of Hyath and Tsukiko.”

  “It is nooot fair, but I will never give up!” Hyath promised. The best method, using the brutality of her modified Myid Death Spores, simply wouldn’t work on Hyath, so Shaeu was using wind, fme and even light and lightning to inflict careful injuries on her. Beside her, Tsukiko was looking down at her own arm, which was a mess of bck boils, growths and bloody scabs. Even though she must have been in agony, she met my eyes, giving me a reassuring smile, and my sis made an indelicate noise of frustration, swearing loudly.

  “Shit bro, seeing her looking so calm and tent, it makes me sound like a whining brat. Ugh…” she looked down at her own arm, trating, and my Eye could trace the flow of aether within her.

  “You o push it into your Silver Cord as well, the flow’s just a trickle. Unless you bahat, you won’t adva further.” I warned.

  “I know, I know! Damn, your eyes are cheaty as hell…” she cried out. “Maybe I will steal yours!”

  “You should know-know that Akio mao reach Rank four without those eyes.” Shaeu scolded her. “Though it took him far-far longer and much-much more effort. You have the advantage of being stronger aer prepared than we ever were.” She then turo Hyath, her eyes shining. “No-no, the flow there is wrong…” Light fshed, trag several lines over the bleeding and burned skin. “I know we Fae dle to manipute aether, it es instinctively to us, but we must-must master it. It is… foundational.”

  “At least you’ve got to Rank three.” I praised her. “And really, Rank four isn’t too far away. Get your flow baeady and I think you’ll crack it. And when you get to Rank six, I’ll feel safe…”

  “Yeah, I get it. I have to watch out for bad people at uy, so being able to purify alcohol and drugs is a good thing. Really, you’re way too overprotective bro.” she sighed, eyes sched up as she groaned again. “But I’m gd you care. Even if you are killing us here…”

  “I’m already at Rank four.” Shiro crowed, and my sis stuck out her to her.

  “Sure, but you started at three.” She protested sourly.

  “Hyath knooows your pain.” She soled my sis despite her own injuries. “I have nooot been able to improoove the Rank of my Ether Healing. I am Rank three, just as you are. But Akio is suffering wooorse than we are, I promise you.”

  “I’m not.” I shook my head. “It’s true I hate to see this, but pain now is safety ter. If there was another way I’d take it in a heartbeat though. It’s hard to watch.”

  “It’s hard to endure, never mind watch!” My sis was stig her to at me now, but her momentary loss of motivation ushed aside. “How are you doing, Tsukiko-?”

  “It is not the most pleasant of experiences I have had since my return.” she admitted, her humour surprising us. “But even pain is something I hought I would feel again…”

  “Shit, Aki, if Tsukiko turns into a masochist, yoing to have one hell of a time in the bedroom!” Shiro ughed. “But I know what you mean. When I wasn’t strong enough to enjoy life, or do pretty much of anything without colpsing, even a fresh new bad experience was worth having.” Seeing my raised eyebrow, she shough her breathing was ragged. “No, you pervert, I’m not talking about that sort of bad experience. You know you were my first and only. I have my pride. But… you’ll never get it unless you’ve hit ro, I guess?”

  “Since everyone is talking so much, maybe we should up the iy?” I teased, and Shiro and my sis hurriedly disagreed, throwing themselves bato their training. It’d be easier with the twins and Haru helping share the pain, but even with Hyath’s numbing fungus, we are going far harder than when we were in Kyoto, so it’s not fair to ask them…

  As I watched and made adjustments, my Eye tio observe. I was most curious about the es between the Divine Favours and the wider works, as well as how Tan art of Shiro, and also the brilliant silver seeds that were around my wrist and a part of me, which supposedly housed Tyr’s Divine Favour too. There’s also Shaeu’s eyes. Now I see more clearly, there are innumerable tiny branches, capilries and even nearly unnoticeable chakras within her eyes, so I don’t think just yanking them out would be enough. Oher hand…

  “I am not-not afraid.” Shaeu met my gaze. “I would-would have given you my Eye when you awakened your own. I am prepared to take the risk. Besides, I know, even if I lose one eye, you will not-not stop until it is perfectly restored, just as you did-did for Eri, Shiro and Tsukiko and their losses. If our eyes could be shared theruly bee a forone-none gainsay.”

  “True. I’d never five myself until you were perfect again. But more than that, your family would kill me.” I recalled my promise to Shaetanao. “Hurting you wouldn’t be easy for me, I gave Oaths.”

  As we discussed the meaning of that, my sis finally let out a cry of triumph. Her flolit perfectly, and using my Eye I could see her Material body as a hazy shadow, and it too was healing nicely. “Good job sis, Rank four at st!”

  “The best thing is the pain has dropped. Still hurts like hell though!” she pined. “But… knowing that when this is done, I’ll have the reward of a perma powerup… no way I’ll give up.” Her fists ched, all her muscles and tendons screaming from the pain. “Rank six for the win, no surrender until that bottleneck breaks!”

  “That’s the spirit!” I enced her, before turning my attention to the others. I watched for a number more hours, my aether to replenish their stores as they weakened, until Azuki, the little Zashiki-Warashi, appeared with a sulky expression on her face.

  “There you are.” She said, before seeing the watg Hyath and smoothing out her tone. More politely she bowed to me. “I was looking for you but were not to be found. You have had a phone call, one of some urgency. So I was tasked to find you.”

  “Who called?” I asked, and apparently it was Hinata’s grandfather. “All right, I’ll make a Material body again and give him a call…”

  As a body formed for me, I hurriedly returo the office at Shirohebizumi shrine and borrohone off Karen-. Dialling up Fukumoto Kenji, he answered quickly.

  “Ah, Akio-kun, so gd you got bae. I am sorry to disturb you, I know you’re very busy. But I’ve had tact from someone seeking to meet you, and I think it would be to everyone’s advantage if you did. Apparently they watched the broadcast too, which finally persuaded them you were a person they o talk to.”

  “I see. And just who might that person be?” I asked. Meanwhile, Shiro and my sis were beiremely petitive with each other, while Tsukiko and Hyath quietly tiheir efforts.

  “The chairman of the famous corporation of the Doosan group… no, I suppose they call them Chaebols in Korea… Park Do-yun. They specialise in heavy equipment manufacturing, as well as some side busihey are a rival to Ichijou house, and not on that much smaller a scale, despite South Korea being a small try.”

  “I see.” I mused. “I doubt they’ve heard about our industrial pns, uhey are very skilled at industrial espionage. So just what do they want?”

  “Since Park Do-yun called me himself, I of course asked. From what I gathered, it’s reted to your abilities as a Chosen. He wouldn’t say more, though when pressed, he did cede that he hoped you would accept his unreaso heartfelt request, as he put it. It sounds rather problematic, but in such situations lie opportunity.”

  “True.” I agreed. “I’ll hear him out anyway, that doesn’t e anything.”

  “Just as I expect from Hinata’s husband. Bold.” His tone ged and was sly. “So, how was she? To your satisfa?” I flushed at his i question.

  “A gentleman ells.” I demurred. “But I loved her before, and I certainly don’t love her any less now.”

  “I am sure she’ll be delighted to hear that. Now, when I pencil in a meeting?”

  “Not tonight, I’ve already made promises with Kana. Tomorrow should be fine. Oh… wait, I’ll probably be meeting another businessman tomorrow.”

  “I see. Curious.” Kenji-san pushed for more details, and after a while he agreed it might be iing to have them both present, using them to impress each other. Though Buck is a businessman of a far smaller scale, he still owns one of the biggest s of Irish bars and pubs in America, which is no small pany.

  “I’ll let you make the arras.” I said, and with that done, I checked the time. We’ve been at it lohan I thought. They’ve been brave. My Material body headed back towards my new home, to prepare for a date with Kana, while the rest of my overstretched attention was oraining.

  “What did-did they want?” Shaeu asked, and as I expined, Shiro looked troubled.

  “It’s going to be something annoying, I just tell, Aki.” She warned me.

  “Yes, it probably is.” I ceded. “But there’s no harm in hearing them out. Now, enough of that.” My Eye was glowing as I tio observe everyone. “Keep pushing, those Rank ups will e!”

  “Svedriver!” Shiro ughed, and my sis let out a rallying cry, hyping herself up through the pain that was making her nauseous. I have to step up my game as well. But… I don’t really want them to see what I’m going to do …

  “Just do it, bro.” My sis said, reading my expression. “It’s going to be something crazy and reckless, just like we’re doing now, so… oh shit!” She let out a shocked gasp as I exploded my eyeball. It wasn’t the ohat held the Mystic Eye, but there was still a spike of pain. Moments ter though, my eye regeed in a surge of aether.

  “That’s Rank nine for you. I barely o do anything.” I ughed to distract myself from the shock. “it’s not even the pain, it’s the psychological impact. Oh well…” I blinked, quickly establishing everything was w properly. “Now for the truly fun part…” Aether surged, and with incredibly delicate motions, Shaeu frowning and me advice, I mao remove my eyeball wholesale, holding it in my hand. Yeah, this is truly unpleasant. But… releasing my hold oher Healing, I allowed it to recreate my eyeball, and just like I had ended up with ara little finger spare, now I had an eyeball sitting on my palm.

  “I see-see.” Shaeu ughed. “Oh, that is quite the amusing thing for me to say. Now…” Suddenly she reached up and with a fsh of wind, blood scattered, and soon my sis was vomiting nosily, a silver mess scattering onto the ground, as Shaeu flourished her own amber eyeball at me. “…I uand your aims, but surely it makes more-more sense for us to do it this way. And if I remove it myself, you have not-not hurt me, so my father and siblings ot-not pin!”

  Yeah, this is why I wao do this quietly alone, but… she’s right in a way. It would be easier. As she used water element to wipe the red and silver gore from her face, her eye started tee in its socket, a fairly ghastly sight. “All right. If you’re sure… the’s do this. At least…” I managed a smile for my sis, Shiro, Hyath and Tsukiko. “…we’re all suffering together now!” Even if it doesn’t work as I hope, the experience should allow us a better uanding of our bodies and the iion with Chakra works. Any knowledge is valuable, and maybe I even push Chirurgery to Rank ten. I wasn’t sure if Rank ten was the end of it, I had a feeling it wasn’t as I had previously beeed by my Eye that Lovers’ Link could go higher than ten. It also seemed strange for someoo have the maximum possible level of proficy, there were always greater heights to scale.

  “How about a wager?” Shaeu ughed, and I remembered the st wager and what it e. In the end, everyone is happier for it, but…

  “All right. You’re on!” my sis jumped on the suggestion, and soon Shaeu was outlinierms. Okay, the challenge seems equal on both sides, but the prize for the winners, the lranting one wish… nope, I’m going to have to win this ohough it seems everyone feels the same way… Everyone’s motivation iking, and the looks in their eyes were no longer ones of pain, but of anticipation and resolution. Peering at the eyeball in my palm once more, I held in a sigh.

  “Right then. You asked for it. I won’t lose this time!” I promised. “Shaeu, I take a look at that eyeball?”

  ShipTeaser