On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Side One Hundred And Sixty-Three – Izumi Kana

I still can’t believe it. I’m a construction worker now. Kana let out a tired sigh, as she was underground, not too distant from Shirohebizumi shrine. The cavern was hot and noisy, a large number of bodies and some heavy machinery that rattled and rumbled incessantly all packed together in a raucous mass, and sweat was trickling down her neck and back under the unfashionable overalls she wore. My underwear is damp. Ugh, I wish I was taking a sauna at the shrine, or taking a dip in Akio’s hot springs… no, there’s always later.

“Are you well, ssshrine maiden?” one of the white snakes that followed her kami, which were somehow here in the Material, thanks to the Chinese woman, asked her, concerned, and Kana managed a laugh.

“I’m fine. Just… it’s terribly unpleasant down here. Hot, sweaty and noisy. A beautiful girl like me should be above ground.” Despite her words, Kana didn’t entirely mean that. Her baggy overalls were in white and red, somewhat resembling her shrine maiden hakama, a nice touch that Hinata-chan had provided. And as one of the most central figures to this scheme, Kana did feel a measure of pride, and a sense of accomplishment. Although I feel more accomplished taking a bath afterwards…

Not far from her, a big, black-skinned man with bulging muscles laughed crudely, the large drill he carried effortlessly falling silent. He said a few words to Kana, but it was in English, and Kana barely understood much of it. It was then that the ratkin Ixitt, currently in his human form, said something back, and the man laughed, his companion, a tall, Caucasian man with dirty brown hair, slapping him on the shoulder affectionately, and after some more rapid-fire English, which made Kana regret she hadn’t put more effort into learning the language, Ixitt addressed her. Everyone seems to speak it but me. Really, I wanted a lazy life of being pampered… but that’s no longer possible. I can’t be the only one to sit back and do nothing. Even Eri will laugh at me…

“He meant no offense.” he said cheerfully. Ixitt was in his element, watching a combination of his techniques and human ingenuity. Kana sometimes found him puzzling, but she appreciated that without his expertise and that of his fellows, Akio would have had a far harder time implementing a lot of his plans.

“He was just saying ‘at least there are some girls to look at down here’. Then his friend reminded him you were ‘the woman of the boss’ and not to get cocky.” He snickered his usual odd laugh.

“The conversation seemed a little long for that.” Kana pointed out, and Ixitt shrugged.

“Yes, they mentioned the woman Luciana, who is wearing the new uniform.” Ixitt nodded over at the far end of the room, where the pretty olive-skinned woman with hair a different brown to Asians was indeed wearing a silver and black military-style uniform. A glow of both red and green shone around her, and Kana was impressed.

“Those uniforms, huh? Yeah, I see more of them around, but only on women. I’m not an idiot, there’s something going on. It has Shaeula’s sticky fingers all over it.” She paused, before shaking her head. “Not that it’s got anything to do with me, I’m sure. Though I certainly hope they didn’t step on Eri’s toes. But if it’s some sort of honour, I get it. She’s something of a genius, right?”

“Yes, a hidden gem, it seems.” Ixitt snickered. All around him, his fellow ratkin and weaselkin were fussing over a number of small silver spires studded by beautiful crystals and shining Etherites, and it felt very comfortable here. “She is the only one to master two elements so quickly, and more impressively, opposing elements of wind and earth. It makes sense that the princess wishes to get hold of her.” Seeing Kana watching his artificial Buildings, he nodded, proudly. “I see you admiring my Boundary to Material Connections, yes? They are rather complex and fiddly to make, and are great devourers of Etherites, but with the products of the Materia Tree, it is doable. Though I do worry, if the strange Yōkai from this land, Ginneka, does not return soon, we will be set behind schedule as our devices are returned to the Boundary.”

“Yeah, but… what Akio is doing is far more important than a day or two here, right?” Kana interjected, slightly offended, and Ixitt snorted a strange laugh again.

“Yes, you are quite correct. I must say, I find it rather heartwarming that you do take his side so.”

Kana’s face felt hot, and she knew she was blushing. Still, drawing on her dignity, and the charm that had made her incredibly popular with boys her age and older university-age men alike, she smiled. “Of course. I’m no fickle woman. I support my boyfriend, you know!”

“Yes, well, you are here, are you not?” Ixitt agreed. “And this may not seem a glamourous task, but it is a vital one. And it will be important for your Shrine too. And speaking of…”

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“My turn again, huh?” Kana sighed, before pumping a fist, trying to hype herself up. “Yeah, okay. Is Grulgor ready? Now there’s a sight I doubt anyone ever thought they’d see.” She giggled a little, remembering the sight of the burly, bald man in work overalls like her, eagerly working like a miner.

“Yes, wonders never cease. And better still, he has cowed the giants and trolls Duke Formor sent to us…”

“I’m trying to ignore the giants.” Kana couldn’t help but glance over, where huge, crude-looking humanoids varying between three metres in height up to nearly ten metres, were working impossibly huge pickaxes, shovels, mallets and more, rock shattering and earth ferried away. “I mean, there’s the cubed mass law, right? Height increases linearly, but mass expands exponentially. How do they even stand?”

“Giants are strong.” was Ixitt’s only answer. “Yes, I know of the law of which you speak. I had never considered it before coming to the Material. We Fae are mutable, and adopt many forms the Material would otherwise reject. And it is true that they burn through aether quickly. Fortunately Nie Ling is here to return them to us when they disappear.”

“Yeah, but last time, that worker got injured by a falling hammer when one just up and vanished.” Kana pointed out.

“True. Though he was sent for healing, the princess was gracious enough to work a little of it, so there was no lasting harm. We now have taken precautions. Nothing of this magnitude of innovation comes easily, or risk free. Have no fear, you will be free from harm. I would not have Akio wroth with me. I would likely not survive it.” Ixitt grinned, showing his teeth, and Kana had to laugh, a nervous giggle.

“He wouldn’t kill you for an accident. But it does feel good to know I’m one of those he’ll get angry for.” I worked hard for it, when I was always the one who wanted to be pursued. But… I have no regrets. Well, maybe just one… Kana felt her face heat as she remembered the first night at their new home, when she had fled the hot springs. Even now, it wasn’t truly regret, but there was a certain feeling of what might have been that still lingered. No, I can have that any time I want. I’m going to enjoy things in order! I’m not a child who can’t take her time!

“In any case, Grulgor is here.” The burly troll appeared, grinning, face and bald head smeared in dirt. He needed no safety equipment, for any accidents he simply regenerated away.

“Yes, Grulgor is eager to proceed. It is not as fun as crushing, breaking and smashing powerful enemies, and Grul envies those who are fighting in this Korea even now… but growing stronger is something Grulgor dearly wishes for. And it is enjoyable enough.” Grulgor flexed his massive arms, stone crusting his hands, and water was dripping from his fingers.

“It is heartening you have awoken to the joys of learning.” Ixitt nodded. “I myself have learned much, and am indeed strong. So…” Ixitt turned to the one person that seemed incredibly out of place, and Kana felt a little sorry for him, while also enjoying his awed reaction to everything, including her, as she was treated as a VIP by everyone here, despite labouring just as everyone else did. I’m not one to worry over being respected because of who my boyfriend is, as getting a stellar boyfriend is a talent in itself. I see where Eri is coming from, but honestly, just being there for Akio isn’t a bad thing in itself.

“I still can hardly believe any of this.” Kikutake-san, the man who was the age of Kana’s grandfather, said, rubbing a hand across his greying head, brown eyes wide. “Yes, I’ve seen the videos, I watched the talk-show with your… boyfriend…” Kana nodded. “…Izumi-sama.” He continued after her confirmation. “And when Fukumoto-sama and Ichijou-sama approached me initially, giving such strange specifications, I thought this would be a job for years. Instead… this speed and scale is simply beyond belief. Architecture and construction will change forever!”

“I’m not so sure.” Kana shook her head. “It’s not just anyone that can do this. You think it’s easy?”

“Oh, no, I mean no offense…” Kikutake-san was flustered, and Kana felt a brief twinge of amusement at how eager he was not to offend her, before she smiled gently, not actually wanting to be a bitch.

“And I didn’t take any. Nowadays I’m usually in a good mood.” She assured him. “I meant it more practically. Ixitt, you can explain, right?”

“I can indeed.” He smiled knowingly. “Setting aside the issue that such users of earth element are rare indeed, it is far from easy to use such powers here in the mortal world. Elemental energies are resisted significantly less than aether, it is true, but the effort required to achieve the same effects is at least an order of magnitude more, so elements run dry quickly. Of course… we can counter that to an extent. This area falls under Akio’s Territory, and already has Boundary to Material Connections deployed, and we also have these mobile ones. The ether density here has grown, reducing the extra resistance to using abilities. It is still several times less efficient, but that is enough to make steady progress. But to use all these requires a great deal of logistical and strategic supports. It is likely infeasible for others at this point in time. Likewise, the materials here…” he nodded at the bluish-silver metallic frames and bars several trolls were lugging over, as if the items weighing hundreds of kilograms were mere sacks of potatoes. “…they are manufactured via a convoluted process. Though I suspect in time, rivals might appear in terms of such.”

“Nope.” Kana disagreed. “While I agree it’s stupid to think that only we can do something like a project of this scale, certainly at least in Japan, and probably in Britain too, Hinata-chan won’t let our monopoly go to waste. She’ll be hatching plots to sell materials for a profit and choke off other competitors, mark my words. She’s not one to let a chance pass, and she’s greedy.”

“By Hinata-chan, you mean Takatsukasa Hinata-sama, granddaughter of Fukumoto-sama and Takatsukasa-sama?” Kikutake-san asked, and Kana nodded. At that, he looked a little pained.

“I see. I did hear the rumours one of Oshiro-sama’s fiancées was that girl. It must be tough for you, Izumi-sama.” He commiserated with her, looking more like a kindly old uncle now than a Japan-renowned architect and designer.

Tough? Really? Well, I suppose that’s a normal reaction. I guess now that I’m hanging around so many unique people, I’ve lost a lot of those feelings. “Hinata-chan’s easy to handle, though it seems she does get carried away a bit too easily. But a girl loves who she loves. And I’m bad at giving up, even if sometimes I wanted to. No, Hinata-chan is always considerate, and if you need something, she’ll make sure you get it, and only the best at that. It’s the same here… you think when the factory, tunnels, bunkers and underground docks are done, that’s it? I wager even now there are plans being drawn up for buildings using the new materials. Cost isn’t an issue anymore, it’s quality.”

“Quite so.” Ixitt agreed, looking at the architect warmly. “Yes, while you are the only one working on this project, as it concerns the security of the family and Territory of Akio and the princess…”

“Yes, I am sworn to secrecy, not even my office staff have been involved in the designs, and I don’t have a computer that connects to any networks storing things!” he assured us hurriedly, and Ixitt continued.

“…other projects have been started, regarding buildings, monuments, transportation systems… a rework of significant parts of the suburbs of Tokyo around Shirohebizumi shrine. The results were… mixed. Assuming that this project functions as we hope, you will be offered an attempt at formulating some designs. At least this time you will be able to involve your whole firm.” Ixitt barked a laugh, and Kikutake-san looked interested, before sighing.

“I would like to see this done first. I am not able to rest until I know that I have not disappointed Fukumoto-sama, Ichijou-sama, and of course your boyfriend, the Hero of Britain, Izumi-sama.”

“Yeah, they aren’t people to disappoint. But Akio isn’t unreasonable. If things go wrong that are out of our control, he won’t blame you. But… breaktime is over. I want to go home at a decent hour, you know!”

“Indeed. And since we are proceeding even faster than anticipated, thanks mostly to you, Kana, and the labour Grulgor has drafted in, we should continue! I rather imagine you will enjoy having the underground line between your shrine and your second home.” Ixitt agreed.

“Yeah. Getting chauffeured or even flew in by helicopter is awesome, but nothing will beat the ease of just popping down some stairs, getting on a pod and getting whipped right over to the other place.” Kana agreed. I was a little worried Akio would lose interest in Shirohebizumi shrine. I guess I really should thank Asha.

“All right then… you first, Grulgor.” Kana stepped back, and the troll thrust his hand into the solid stone in front of them. His flesh rippled, and the stone started flowing onto his arm, forming jagged yet largely uniform spikes, Grulgor’s yellow eyes narrowing in concentration.

“Isn’t that… strange?” Kikutake-san asked, noticing that Grulgor was manipulating the stone differently. As expected from a top architect, his attention to detail was phenomenal, and he had noticed the changes.

“Of course. Grulgor is hardly interested in construction. But he wishes to grow stronger, and so this doubles as training, even if it is somewhat less efficient. He is improving his mastery over earth and water by shaping it with great effort. He has become much better. And much stronger.”

“Grulgor knows… throwing big boulders is often less useful than a simple dagger. Strength is power, but finesse is might too!” he grunted. “Grulgor mocked Ulfuric, thinking the badger did not rely on his strength, but tricks with weapons. Grul was a fool. Strength is found everywhere!”

“How the princess laughs when she remembers all the insults she heaped upon your intelligence.” Ixitt snickered. Grulgor tactfully ignored that, which to Kana’s mind was showing he wasn’t an idiot, and now orange sparkles surged, and water began to drain through the rock, absorbed into Grulgor, his own flesh starting to liquefy. Ugh, it’s creepy as hell, but it’s certainly impressive!

Kana wasn’t the only one who thought so. “This is incredible. I had assumed that with the water table around here that the surveys and ground penetrating radar picked up, work would be delayed while it was drained and the resulting voids and unstable faultlines stabilised, but…” the architect enthused.

“Indeed. Grulgor can draw it out, and then…”

“I’m up.” Kana stepped forward, careful to avoid the mixture of water, and watery Grulgor at the rockface. “Ksitigarbha, do your thing!” She didn’t need to say anything to use her ability, but somehow it just felt right to at least thank the Goddess whose power she had inherited. Using the Earthen Womb, the rock liquefied, and as trolls passed through the metal bars, made from an alloy of steel and some strange metal from the Boundary, which remained stable and in the Material after experimentation, Kana sent them through the liquid mud, positioning them as planned.

“Grulgor is right…” Kana complained, wiping away sweat that was stinging her eyes. “…precision like this is hard…”

The gathered Fae who used water and earth element, as well as the mercenaries who had trained in earth, grouped up and started unleashing their elements, helping Grulgor drain away the water while the rock Kana was manipulating was stabilised and hardened. Pockets of mud and empty voids left by the drained liquid, as well as cracks and fissures weakening the overall structure, were filled in by iron-hard stone, once the GPR and other devices the Mortal Engineers held were checked by Ixitt and Kikutake-san, making sure the metal reinforcements were properly positioned. After around fifteen minutes, they were done, and Kana sat down on an offered chair, taking a break.

“Here.” She took a hot tea, surprised it was the architect who proffered it to her. Seeing her reaction, he took a sip of his own tea, as he watched the final finishing touches being applied, the walls being smoothly tiled at an alarmingly fast rate by application of various techniques. “I still can’t believe it. Weeks of work, often filled with problems, especially with subsurface water in rock types like the survey showed here, done in under an hour. It shakes my confidence, but…” he smiled, and looked a little like a child then. “…it’s also sparking my creativity! With materials of far greater tensile and compressive strength, yet density comparable to aluminium, as well as stronger wires and the ability to transform and reinforce mud and stone without wholesale replacement and anchoring… the heights of buildings will surely exceed our wildest dreams! A strong, stable foundation, even in earthquake-prone Japan…”

Kana smiled as he rattled on, drinking her tea, exhaustion weighing heavy on her. There was no way that she could keep up such a pace, ordinarily, but… Ixitt thought of everything. Oh well… honestly, work is hard, but it doesn’t feel bad. So long as I get plenty of holidays and fun times, being a working woman isn’t so bad. And it makes my dad happy. These last few months, I’ve finally started feeling dad and grandfather are proud of me…

“…so yes, I’m delighted. That even when magic sweeps the world, architects and craftsmen will still be needed.” He finished, as Kana eyed the large drum-like barrel which contained a significant amount of bluesteel, charged with earth element.

“Of course it will.” She replied, finishing her tea, taking a towel from one of the mercenaries, wiping herself down. “Magic… uh, I suppose if you want to be correct, you should call it elemental and aetheric abilities, I hear architects value terminology…”

“I stand corrected, thank you, Izumi-sama.” he said graciously, and Kana flushed, embarrassed she had lectured a much older, professional man, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Uh… yeah. So… it’s not like you can just do anything. There are rules that apply there, just like here. Sure, it can do stuff science can’t, at least not yet, but working with science gets the best results.” That’s what Akio says, and he’d know. After all, he built up everything from nothing. And honestly, I’m a big part of that, introducing him to the shrines and temples. I’m pretty proud of that. It may not have seemed much, but I’m a part of his story. And his girlfriend. She reminded herself again, before going to a barrel and starting to drain it of earth element. Though this doesn’t get rid of the fatigue. Maybe Ginneka won’t come back and all this will return to the Boundary, then I can get a break. No… the quicker I’m done, the quicker I don’t have to do this again. Anything after this will be a luxury, not a necessity.

“That is rather reassuring.” Kikutake-san agreed. “I would hate all I’ve worked for all my life to be obsolete. Aren’t you tired?” he asked her then, and she let out a long sigh.

“Yes, I’m exhausted, but… I’m not fighting for my life, unlike at mount Atago, so this is nothing.” Freshly charged, she pumped her fist. “So, what’s next?”

The architect consulted the plan. “Now the foundation and framework is in place, it seems the southern loading dock, and five hundred metres of tunnel. A big job.” he conceded, eyes curious. “How long do you see it taking?”

“We will not know until we try…” Ixitt considered it. “…but from the previous data, I estimate we can certainly finish that today, and perhaps the final strengthening of the first underground area. Then we can use any remaining time to get ahead of the dirt and stone removal for the next expansion.”

“I see. Being ahead of schedule is a luxury. Even we must face some unexpected delays…” As the two of them talked, Kana merely shook her head, chuckling a little. Looks like I won’t be getting that early night after all. But then, that just means Akio will pamper me more when he sees how hard I’ve worked. Akio… I know you’ll be all right, but… keep Haru-chan and Aiko-chan safe, okay? I know they can probably handle themselves, like Shiro, but, even so… I’m happy with my life right now, I don’t want the relationships I’ve made to change!

“Might as well make the best of it. Hinata-chan is probably too busy to spend any time with me, preparing things for Akio right now, but Eri should be about, I think she was visiting the shrine today since Asha comes often.” Listening to the instructions of the architect, Kana put her hands on the wall and invoked the Earthen Womb again, Grulgor also supporting her, becoming a mass of rock beside her, towering as tall as one of the giants. As the rock rippled like wet mud and formed into a great, open archway nearly thirty metres tall and wide, she found herself smiling. Considering we were like oil and water when we first met, Eri’s actually rather fun to hang around with. And Mio-chan and Asami-chan should be at the training school. Serious little Marika-chan and poor Hotene-san, Keomi-chan and others too. I wonder if Asami-chan has won Ren-kun over fully yet? Surely it’s just a matter of time, she’s like me, a girl who knows how to get what she wants…

Yes, there were definitely things to look forward to. As the great doorway solidified, she stepped aside, watching many giants and trolls lifting huge doors into position, like ants carrying heavy loads. Oh… I’ll have to move the securing bolts like I did the reinforcing metal bars earlier, right? If I consider I must surely be strengthening my skills too, I’ll get through this… With that final thought, Kana had no other leisure for idle distractions, and she threw herself into the task, eager to get done…