On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

“What is this? Have I been sent to the front lines?” I mused aloud as I descended. The battlefield was clear now, and hundreds of thousands of warriors were facing off against the enemy. Humans that looked just like us, of all different ethnicities, Elves, both fair-skinned, dark-skinned and a few more esoteric types, Dwarves, Trolls, what looked like Fae, and stranger beings… it was quite a spectacle. But that was nothing compared to the enemies…

There were titanic round spheres seemingly composed of darkness, multiple staring eyes opening on the surface and blinking balefully, before melting away and vanishing, only to appear elsewhere, reminding me a little of the corrupted Kami we had defeated in Inuyama. Huge mouths opened on the spheres, trying to devour the warriors opposing them, and my Eyes flashed, trying to observe them, only to notice a problem.

Huh, that’s strange… I could observe the movement of aether and adherence as usual, but I wasn’t getting any information, not even question marks. Puzzled, I swept my gaze over some of the other, larger monstrosities. One type… though calling them types seemed to be a misnomer, as even the strange spherical monsters had significant variances, some starting to sprout clawed arms, others expanding to greater size… towered high on spindly legs, the height of apartment blocks, with forests of long, wiry black tentacles sprouting from where their heads would be…

Why can’t I see their details? It was as if I was cut off from the World Tree. That gave me an idea, so concentrating on the connections I still felt via Lovers’ Link and other methods, I reached out, and after a blast of discomfort, my Eyes trembling painfully, I could finally grab some information.

Annihilation-Class Unknown Entity – A being from an unknown realm. Resistant to all but the strongest attacks and adapts if repeatedly exposed to the same type of assault. Particularly resistant to Aether.

All that for… not very much. I slowed, landing on the ground, though that was more a mental conceit, as I had no body. Looking around, I winced as the sweeping tentacles, hundreds of metres long, ploughed through the charging warriors like a cascade of wrecking balls. The warriors weren’t weak, far from it. While I was stronger than the majority of them, it was certainly like having an army comprised of David or Eri, and that was a luxury Earth didn’t have.

“Is… this going on now?” I was frustrated, my vision expanding around me, covering all angles, seeing scenes of reckless heroism and bravery, sacrifice and loss. One warrior, whose strength clearly even outmatched mine, faced one of the spherical blobs, holding it off while his battered forces retreated, carrying their wounded, only for him to be snared by black tongues that swept from opened orifices that could barely be described as mouths. He was hauled in and bitten in half, and even as he died, he unleashed a detonation of wind and flame that staggered the creature, but the black, almost slimy skin quickly regenerated.

“To Valhalla! For the Allfather!” a Valkyrie cried, wearing shining plate armour of gold, phantom white wings opening up behind her, blotting out the sky. She wielded a golden spear, and lightning flashed as she threw it. It pierced the monstrous sphere, and it reared backwards, spitting out the head and one arm of the brave warrior it was devouring. Lightning continued to pour down, a blinding torrent, and the creature opened hundreds of smaller mouths to shriek, filling the battlefield with waves of falling warriors, the weaker ones nearby unable to endure, ears bleeding, brains exploding.

Fuck. That is unpleasant…

It was as if I was watching from behind a layer of glass. I could hear and see everything, but it was insulated from me, muted somehow. I wished I could interfere, seeing the tragedy unfold was harrowing, but honestly, what could I even do?

“I pray it is not too late. May your Truesoul be the core of a new self within Valhalla!” The Valkyrie landed, penetrating the vile black smoke that was pouring off the monster. She enfolded the head within wings of white, and a ghostly, transparent version of the warrior appeared, and the beautiful Valkyrie, her hair a shimmering cyan whipping in the breeze, rejoiced, only for her emerald eyes to open in horror as a massive, towering beast came barrelling towards her. She was disarmed, her energy still blasting into the spear that was pinning and eroding the first enemy, so she had little choice but to face the sweeping tentacles, which had now morphed into a series of drills, scythes and spikes.

“For Sigrún and the Allfather!” she cried out, defiant, and just as it looked as if she was going to be swept aside, even as her aether formed a massive defensive barrier, another Valkyrie slammed into the mass of tentacles, wielding a huge crescent moon axe. This one was like Grimgerde, muscular, tall and handsome, and she had white hair and black eyes, though now her hair was red, and one of her arms was gone, even as her axe had cut through the black mass, space severing, she was splattered with her own gore as the tentacles ravaged her. Armour had shattered, and blood bloomed through her torn stomach.

“You always… were too… reckless… Gunnr…” the wounded Valkyrie laughed, coughing blood. Even one-handed her axe was moving, and I watched her heroics with a bitter feeling in my heart. I tried to call upon Foehn, light, anything to distract the closing beast, which was sprouting endless new tendrils ready to strike, but nothing happened.

“…always trying… to look good… for the younger sisters…”

“Herja!” The Valkyrie, presumably Gunnr, cried out, as the tentacles swept down. With a roar, the world around us shook, and a tide of adherence, elemental energy and aether surged. Tentacles exploded, and the beast staggered, but it wasn’t enough, and the sickening sound of crunching bone echoed…

Fuck. Fuck. …fuck. Watching that was horrific, and Gunnr roared, her scream just one of countless on this bitter battlefield. It was then that silver streaks, each containing indescribable energies, rippling gold, pierced the battlefield, and the lightning-struck orb was penetrated, blowing apart in showers of black ooze which quickly dissipated as if it was an illusion. The towering killer of Herja fell too, several bolts blowing truck-sized holes in it, yet it struggled, and it took a third bolt to finish it.

Soon, the battlefield fell silent, but it was littered with the dead, and the cries of the injured filled the air. I again asked if this was happening now, and finally Verðandi spoke to me. “This is the Present. A Present. A sliced Present, a reflection. Offered as an… illustration.”

As if to prove her words, the battlefield, which seemed to stretch out for hundreds of miles, blurred, and soon I was surrounded by grass that wasn’t trampled into muck and sodden with blood. On one side were thirteen black creatures, while on the other endless thousands of defenders, Valkyries circling above.

“An illustration? So… this happened? They died?” I asked, and Verðandi’s voice was matter of fact.

“Such happens every turning of Sól and Máni. If it does not happen in your sight, does it not exist? The tapestry is woven, even if none see to appreciate it. Upon your world, is there no suffering, no hardship? No starving children, orphans by war, brave soldiers dying for what is right, earthquakes, volcanoes, despair?”

“Of course it happens. But that’s a specious argument. I’m not God, I can’t solve everything. Even Gods can’t… else you wouldn’t have posed your question. So I’m to save even a single extra life here, huh?” The battle started again, and I watched it through, the same grim conclusion playing out, nothing changing. The lights at the end flashed, piercing the beasts, and my Eye identified then as the Light Of Hel-vegr. The adherence and aether packed into each bolt was stunning, likely more than the entire output of my Territory compressed into a moment.

Isn’t that what they say about the lasers trying to kickstart fusion research? That they use the equivalent of a country’s whole energy output, just for a mere trillionth of a second or so?

“Grief is natural, but… the pattern demands all must give their lives to protect the whole. To dismiss the bravery of the Einherjar is an insult. Though…” The Goddess paused, and for a moment, her cold, almost emotionless façade seemed to crack. “…these creatures are an affront to the inherent Laws that we understand. Those that are devoured… that is the true tragedy.”

The Present reset again, and I was momentarily distracted by the huge amount of power that took. The gap between mortals, powerful beings such as Mae, and the True Divinities, was simply incalculable. “Dead is dead, although…” I frowned. “No, that’s not true, is it? Nie Ling and the others were threatened with their spirits being consumed, yet… I get the feeling that wouldn’t be a true end. The Truesoul…”

“You are rather perceptive for a mortal. Has Goddess Taṇhā been speaking of what she should not? Or perhaps…”

“They didn’t say anything that was forbidden by the agreements.” I insisted. “And even if they did, well, when we win our Trial of Three, you’ll defer any punishment and give me my hundred years, right?”

“Insolent, you are.” Verðandi mused. “It may not be forbidden by the Compacts, but sharing such knowledge unwisely leads to disaster. Physicality, Mind, Soul. Just as the Past, Present and Future exist, so to do these concepts. The Past is behind, the Present becomes the Past, but the Future is eternal, stretching endlessly. So too the Truesoul… or so all believed.”

“But it can’t be, can it? Otherwise, Favours can’t exist.” I pointed out, and the Goddess actually sighed, sounding very ordinary for a moment.

“I have little wish to speak of this.” She changed the subject. “Your little Trial has no strength to bind our words, but we are the Norns. We are responsible for cataloguing and guiding the fates of all under the World Tree. But… these creatures disrupt the weaving, many threads snipped untimely, unable to see their futures. What was inviolate… can be destroyed.”

I nodded, understanding. Yeah. The Material, physical form is easy enough to understand. But… it gets a bit muddier when you talk of the Spiritual. After all, Haru’s form, and the Kijo Matriarch, when she abandoned her Astral flesh, is different to Shaeula’s, for example… but she called it the Mind, which makes sense… the way aether works is via mental imagery… and… Spawning Spires and Barracks… hmm…

As the battle replayed around us once more, I set that aside. “Let me just answer your accusation from before. Of course I know that there are those suffering I could help everywhere. I struggled with it. My Healing can save many lives. I’ve got money, I can make a difference to so many… but there’ll always be more. And… everyone has a right to a certain amount of selfishness. I put my family, my friends, my lovers, my comrades first. That doesn’t mean I don’t care though. We’ll revolutionise the technology of the world, hopefully eventually eliminating terrible poverty. Some… well, honestly, me and mine… we’ll have more than others, that’s just the way reality works. We’ve earned it through our own struggles… but we’ll also dedicate a portion of our efforts to training Healers and other means to gradually eliminate as much sadness as we can. And that’s why this dismays me…” I glanced around as the doomed battle between the two Valkyrie and the mass of seething darkness and tentacles played out again. “…Valkyries are close to my heart now, so… it troubles me, thinking of Rose, Lin, their sisters… facing this and dying…”

“I see. It is… natural to prioritise one’s own.” Verðandi agreed. “Though often, to secure the Future, compromises must be made in the Present. Now… your Trial is upon you. Enough stalling…”

“Right.” I nodded. “So it’s like an RTS, along the lines of Warcraft. The issue is… these units aren’t data, but irreplaceable living beings, so… the usual strategies won’t work.” I paused. “The Hel-vegr seems effective. Firstly, why not build more?”

“It is far from simple. You may think we are mighty, and we are…” Verðandi was proud. “…yet no matter how strong one grows, how majestic the Territory, resources are always limited. The Hel-vegr is a defence, but a finite one. And…” I could feel a pressure around me, and a scene within this frozen Present appeared, showing one of the fierce black creatures being grazed several times by the brilliant silver bolts of energy. Then it was struck dead on and… it only staggered. “…they adapt. This one killed many, until Divine punishment brought it down. Indiscriminate use of such power can prove… dangerous.”

“I see. Yeah, obviously I should have expected you’d have considered that. I’m just one man. In fact, I don’t see how I can help. I’m not giving up!” I insisted hastily. “It’s just… I don’t know much about your resources, or the enemy, and… I’m sure you and your fellow Gods have considered all the possibilities.”

“Of course. Just as we weave the tapestry, many threads of heroes, generals and warriors with wisdom and cunning are spun within the pattern. But… wisdom is found in unexpected places. Now…” The scene reset. “Begin!”

Taking a deep breath, I tried shouting out some orders, and though the moment seemed to shiver somehow, a strange, momentary slowdown affecting the scene, the troops I addressed did obey my orders, and changed direction. All right then… I have to save a life… though… this Present is already the Past, isn’t it? Nothing I do here will actually save them…

I could feel Verðandi’s faint sadness but set that aside for now. What I could save were the Valkyries from punishment, and me, Shaeula and Tan from servitude. And I can learn while I’m here. Even witnessing a true battle in the upper Astral is a priceless experience…

“Now, while I probably could save some lives by ordering some forces to run and stall until the Hel-vegr fire, I’m guessing that’s not in the spirit of the Trial. And while Urðr was playing tricks… that’s not who I am. So…” It pained me to watch the events play out, and I wasn’t sure how much effort and strength it took for Verðandi to continue resetting this sliced present, so I had to observe and learn fast.

My memory now was excellent, so I remembered the majority of the actions taken by the brave warriors fighting futilely to stall the abominations until the Hel-vegr could clean them up. Therefore, I had to change the situation. A squad of men, Elves and Dwarves, led by a burly Troll who was around the same level of strength as me, were trying to hold off one of the smaller orb-like fiends, gradually losing warriors as each second, disgusting, fleshy tongues and spindly, grasping arms, shot out and started ferrying seized victims into the fang-filled mouths that drooled dark slime.

Watching their attacks, I could see a variety of elements, mostly earth and fire, which seemed to have little effect. Direct attacks, unless very powerful, such as the Hel-vegr, or the lightning spear from Gunnr, weren’t the way to proceed.

“Create a pit!” I called out, and those who could wield earth element poured it into the ground, while others spun aether into a force that was sending dirt and stone flying. Unfortunately, that removed some of the pressure from the monster, as despite their attacks having little effect, they were annoying the beast. Tongues swept out and defenders were shattered into a fine mist of crimson and silver, or hauled screaming into the dark mouths.

Fuck. I’m glad this isn’t really happening right now… The idea was sound, so I called on a group further back, not directly in battle, to repeat the act, and soon a vast hole, like an open mineshaft, appeared. Unfortunately the beasts, which seemed mindless and frenzied, had enough intelligence to avoid the obvious trap. However… the second one…

There was the sound of something snapping, and the thin shell of stone that covered the second pit collapsed. The spherical beast tumbled down into the darkness, and there was a sickening crunch. I raced over to the pit, my consciousness shifting instantly, not bound by a physical presence, and within the hole I could see the creature shaking, body trembling. It let out a hideous cry, not as powerful as the massive, towering tentacle beasts, but still enough to slow nearby warriors.

As it thrashed around, I was well satisfied, as it seemed this one had been taken out of the fight. However, my excitement was short-lived, as jaws clamped onto the walls and double-jointed legs ending in feet with wicked talons pierced the shaft, and it began to climb rapidly, speed shocking me. Okay, these bastards are slippery…

It probably wouldn’t be too much effort to collapse the walls where it was ascending, dropping it again, but the fall had seemingly done no damage, and if the same resources were used to keep it isolated as to fight it, there wasn’t any benefit. Back to the drawing board…

“We have tried many such schemes and stratagems.” Verðandi sounded almost amused at my failures. “At first, the encounters were isolated, trivial. The Astral is home to many unexplained phenomenon, creatures and realms. Clashes happen often, no Pantheon is settled. But their numbers and strengths grew, and soon all were beset. And we discovered… no, that is not relevant here. What concerns you is we have tried all conceivable means. Yes, we have laid obstacles, dug traps… it is a challenge, as their predations are erratic, often unexpected, but some of the more common fronts have been suitably… fortified.”

“Not making it easy for me then.” I chuckled wearily, again watching the chaos and slaughter. “If they didn’t adapt it wouldn’t be such a problem. It means that immense power is ultimately the only defence. Hmm…” I let out a groan. I don’t much like revealing this trick, and honestly, I’m sure that many in the Pantheons have a proper understanding of light element, but… Gunnr and Herja struck a chord with me, and seeing the brave warriors giving their all to defend their Territory and their homes, it reminded me of Kyoto, and our own desperate battles.

“All who can use light element, gather on me.” That caused chaos, as a small number of troops were pulled from their positions, opening the ranks to panic and chaos. Oddly enough, a Valkyrie other than the two I saw perish flew down, and she waited for my orders. Their reactions are so life-like, perfect, even though this is just an illusion, a reflection…

“That is your misapprehension.” Now Verðandi seemed smug. “Nothing that is without the frozen Present can enter, yet all that is reflected is reproduced flawlessly. To themselves, they are real, though… outside this transient Present, they have no Future, for the Future is singular and the Present and the Past cannot now influence it to turn aside… other than the methods Urðr speaks of.” she allowed grudgingly. “But naught you do here can reach the Future. Yet… you can still affect the Future by other means.”

I nodded. “Yeah, if I succeed in demonstrating something helpful, well, a life saved here may not matter in the grand scheme of things, being as they will all vanish anyway, but… it matters to me, and it might matter to those knowledge saves in the future.” My whole foundation was based on knowledge.

I had wondered why so many knowledge cheats had been handed out, which at first seemed rather feeble and likely to get their Chosen killed, but I had quickly understood. Even Yasaka-san, who I would have to see on my return to Kyoto, and help him recover from his coma… fortunately, all the Levelling we made him do fortified him enough the shock of his Anchor and Favour being Conquered didn’t kill him… could certainly have put it to use. Asking the Book ways to train Skills and Level efficiently could have turned him into a powerhouse, after all, even I managed, and to start with my stats were my own pathetic ones, surely lower than the benefits Yasaka-san had accrued from taking the Favour.

“All right. The Hel-vegr, we’re going to try and replicate it on a smaller scale. It might not work, but…” One of the towering tentacle beasts… Maybe I should call it a tentacle-tree? It looks a bit like a cylinder with tentacles in place of branches… started stomping our way, and those that tried to halt its progress were either stomped to bloody paste, swept aside by the flailing fronds, or worse, sucked into a jagged split that opened in the trunk and were swallowed.

Even though I’m not part of this, it’s still terrifying… There was definitely something uncanny about the strange beings, a faint itching, making my spirit shudder. It wasn’t just their size, power or disturbing appearance. Duke Myrcolaxriath was as hideous and otherworldly, but they didn’t prick at my spirit like these creatures did. “If this is what they face in the upper Astral all the time, I’m definitely not ready…”

After I muttered that, I gave the order, and beams and blasts of light struck the oncoming beast. Smoke rose, and it flinched a little, but no appreciable damage was done. “Yeah, rather pathetic. A couple of you have some talent, but…”

More blasts, but the beast had adapted, and wasn’t even flinching now. Moments later, tentacles swept down on us. The Valkyrie put up a fight, but that was it, and I grimaced in frustration as the battle wound its way to a conclusion once more, the Hel-vegr firing.

“Such will not prevail.” Verðandi unhelpfully stated, as the reflection reset once more. “Overwhelming with numbers is largely futile, but without the sacrifice of the many, the few cannot exhibit their true strengths.”

“Sacrifice.” I rolled the word around my mouth, frustrated. “I hate that. But… how can I criticise their bravery? Their nobility?” Letting out a sigh, I asked a question, before calling over all the light element users at the start this time. “You’re aware of the Material nature of light, I presume?”

“To an extent, yes.” Verðandi agreed. “You speak of the fact it is an elementary building block of the Material world, containing finite amounts of energy. The Spiritual aspects are more interesting, and more relevant against such terrors as we face here. Mere physical might is useless.”

“Maybe so. But there’s no reason that the two aspects have to be separated. You’re also neglecting one part of the explanation. Yes… light has fixed energy levels, a quanta, and each photon acts as you say. But… it’s also a wave. There’s one property of a wave that makes it interesting…” I researched light element to make my attacks as affective as possible. Arisu-san is somewhat of an expert too…

Gathering up all of the light element users, I explained what I wanted. Some of them understood immediately, but many didn’t. Sadly I wasn’t able to use my own abilities here, as that would be ‘something without’. But my explanation, which I suspected that the Goddess was using to influence them to follow my orders, was barely sufficient.

“The thing about waves is, you can pile as many in one place as you want if done with care. Constructive interference. You can’t pack more earth element or flame element into the same space. You can make earth denser, harder, sharper, or flames hotter, but with light element… you can stack it up…” That wasn’t all. “You can then also focus it…”

Calling upon other elemental users, lenses of wind and mirrors of earth and metal were formed. Then a bolt of light surged out, blindingly brilliant. Sadly it was still too messy, and the struck beast merely roared, a crater bored into dark flesh, which rapidly exuded a foul ooze and regenerated. The second bolt of light was better, staggering it, but the third scattered off it harmlessly.

“Damn, these things really are awful.” I shuddered. “They become accustomed to attacks fast and are hard to damage. It makes me worry… have you noticed them getting stronger and more resistant over time?” This round was lost, so I concentrated on trying to instruct the light users in better ways of overlaying their light constructively. Wavelength was a difficult concept for some of them, though their grounding in Material Laws weren’t terrible, they just were more practically based, so they quickly grasped it after some explanations about ripples on water. I supposed that made sense, as a lot of science was predicated on applying knowledge to improve life, but if it could be easily replicated by Spiritual Laws, the pursuit of enlightenment was inevitably likely to falter, only the curious few taking it up.

“They certainly grow stronger and more numerous. As for their… resistances…” Verðandi’s voice sounded calm, but I was sure I heard a faint undertone. “…the beasts are hard to destroy. That is undoubtedly the truth. As their numbers and strengths increase, it is only natural they should become more resilient.”

“I see. The Hel-vegr still seems to be effective on them, unless you only graze them a few times. But if I were you… I’d be worried that it’s not that they individually adapt, but… that they are sharing their findings.”

“If that was the case, would you have us simply retreat, concede ground, offer worlds to them?” Verðandi asked, further slight anger creeping into her tone.

“Of course not.” I shook my head. “How can I advise you? I’m just here to win a Trial. I don’t have much knowledge. I’m guessing even your World Tree doesn’t. But… if it was me, I’d try and take down the enemies individually in one go. That way if they are sharing some sort of Connection or Bond… they’re unlikely to last long enough to transmit their experiences. Better still…” I remembered Herja could use spatial element. “…isolate the space around them. It might not work, my Bonds aren’t hampered by this sliced Present, but every little helps. Of course, I’m aware that might put pressure on your already stretched resources… and if other Pantheons aren’t doing it, and they are all linked…”

Damn, I’m talking big here, but it’s just arrogance. I’ve no right to make suggestions. At least not without any results…

“Matters are seldom so simple. Survival comes before all. The tapestry is already disarrayed. As threads are severed untimely, the pattern frays, and voids are left where colour should be…”

“Voids, huh? That gives me an idea… at least for now…” As the Present reset once more, I called upon the forces I had before, as well as Herja. I wanted a beam of focussed light element again, but this time I had a plan to maximise the ‘one-hit kill’ potential. My explanation was more succinct, and I knew those who needed more help, and so the bolt of brilliant light that was conjured was barely visible, the higher energy of the light pushing it towards violet and beyond. The beam even seemed to ripple the space around us as it shot forwards, and the target was struck, this time rearing back in pain, bellowing. Black ooze scattered, and my Eyes analysed it as best I could. It seemed… to be almost entirely made of aether, just traces of soullight present within it.

“Now!” I cried out, and Herja descended on illusionary wings of light, her axe flashing, and space split, a vivid sphere of violet forming around the monster, though my Eyes could penetrate that barrier. The beast roared again, pierced by the same bolt of light that had wounded it. Then again, and again… over a fraction of a second, it had been impaled dozens of times. Yes, each burning explosion was slightly weaker, some of the energy absorbed by the beast, but… the spiritual is as important as the physical… ordinarily the beam would attenuate, absorption, scattering and reflection each time the light strikes weakening it rapidly. But the spiritual properties of the light can offset that. I’ve not had to think much about it before, as I’ve only used light element to snipe single targets, so it didn’t matter, or was even desirable, for the beam to fade after that…

With a soundless cry, for the spatial dome swallowed the squealing howls and rebounded it upon the beast, a mess of waves interfering both constructively and destructively, the beast shuddered. The sphere collapsed in on itself, space constricting, as Herja released her conjuring, and the enemy perished, turning to a faint smog, which my Eyes could barely discern. Adherence, maybe… and a lot of soullight… huh…

It was a fleeting glimpse, but I made sure to remember it. “All right, can we go again?” I called, and we repeated the attack on a second of the smaller enemies, still not confident of defeating the larger tentacle-trees. As that one collapsed, the Hel-vegr started to fire, and as one of the tentacle-trees was winged, numerous vile tendrils torn free, Herja accelerated. It was breathtaking, and once more I regretted her death, which I was too late to do anything about.

Your sacrifice won’t be forgotten. Not by anyone, least of all me. I’ll… look after your younger sisters. I promise.

She opened up a spatial void, and the light of Hel-vegr entered it, barely diminished after skimming the enemy, and it was redirected, appearing right behind the beast, piercing it and blasting it apart. The shockwave collapsed the spatial tear, and sent Herja flying, but as more bolts from the Hel-vegr poured in, the battlefield was cleansed, and… others died that Herja could live in this frozen moment, and some of the others too, but…

“I see. Ingenious. The strong are… often wasteful.” Verðandi mused.

I nodded. “No kidding. I think there’s mileage in training groups of light element users to be mini, mobile Hel-vegr, through… if I’m not mistaken, it’s the adherence in the Hel-vegr that really gives them their punch…”

“You see too much, with those Eyes of yours. Sigrún’s sisters have much to answer for.” Verðandi sounded almost exasperated, her tone was the same, but I was starting to detect the subtle, emotional nuances she kept hidden.

“Not for at least a hundred years.” I shook my head, reminding her. “Besides, we’re all friends here. Anyway, light element is probably not the only element you can reuse in that way by a bit of spatial redirection, but it’s one of the easiest due to the sheer speed of light. Once it was in the folded dome… well, I’ve never played it myself, but there’s a famous old arcade game, mom mentioned it once or twice… Asteroids. You had to shoot down all the space rocks, but there was only one screen and it wrapped around, so bullets would fly off one side and come from the other. So, why not do the same with your attacks? I get that it’s not always feasible, it takes a strong spatial element user, which I presume aren’t exactly that common, even up here, but… it’s all about overwhelming force.” I paused. “Also… how do these creatures adapt? I didn’t notice it resisting the laser we launched this time. Whether it was too quick, as it all happened in mere fractions of a second, or… because it’s the same beam…”

“Your thoughts are strange indeed. This… Asteroids… I can see it in your mind, yet… odd. How very… puzzling.”

Wait, you can see my thoughts?

“Of course. Your thread is spun within my loom. You… are a part of this tapestry now.” She paused. “Already you are Verr to two foolish Valkyrie. That is enough to give me leave to weave your thread.” I then heard the faint clicking of shears. “And Skuld is perhaps overeager to see just where your journey ends.”

“Hopefully a very long time from now, surrounded by those I love and our children, grandchildren and more… Rose and Lin included.” I countered, and Verðandi offered faint laughter.

“You have very humble dreams. So, you have saved more lives than were lost. But… a question. What have you learned?”

“I’d say it’s what you should be learning that matters, but…” I considered it. “It seems that they don’t usually come in big numbers, though each of them is extremely dangerous. Would that be right?”

“We are fortunate their numbers are scant… though some large-scale incursions have occurred. The greatest danger is… more terrible ones that only we Gods can face with any surety.”

“And I’m guessing you Gods can’t simply respond to every attack? No, you wouldn’t be able to… and I’m also surmising one of you perishing would have terrible consequences for morale, and maybe for the Pantheon as a whole… well, I can’t advise on that, but on the smaller scale… best to engage them at range, none of these had ranged attacks other than sweeping with their tentacles and those screams, and they seem to be swift but lack mobility… practise more with forming up groups to use light element as artillery, coupled with spatial users to trap them and focus attacks. The less wasteful and quicker you can dispose of them the better…”

Verðandi was listening, so I listed off a few other suggestions. She didn’t want to say much about the creatures, but I gathered there were a number of other, more dangerous types, which were far beyond my means to brainstorm a solution for, but… “Normally in a battle against a small number of powerful foes, you’d surround them and focus them down… but that doesn’t work if they adapt to attacks. So you need ways to create dangerous combination attacks, using your assets properly. I’m sure you are already trying that though.”

“Despite that, some of your insights have been… refreshing.” Verðandi agreed. “Now…” With that, the present, which hadn’t repeated, vanished like a popping bubble, and I found my consciousness back with the others.

“Did you triumph?” Tan asked, and Shaeula snorted, amused.

“You should not-not ask. It is Akio. Of course-course he triumphed!” Her amber eyes held only warmth and confidence, and Tan paused for a moment, perhaps a touch flustered, before she spoke.

“I was just asking.” We didn’t miss the faint, embarrassed defensiveness of her reply, and she knew it, her expression shy. She then narrowed her eyes, putting on an imperious mien. “It is simply poor manners to assume. I assure you, Shaeula, I and the princess have no less faith in his successes than you. The man who can exceed the Buddha in my eyes can hardly be weak.”

“Yes-yes, whatever you say.” Shaeula waved a hand cheekily, frustrating Tan. “So, I am quite-quite curious. What did you see?”

“A battlefield. A sad and terrible one.” It was all I was prepared to say, and I glanced at the watching Valkyrie, pity and understanding in my eyes. Seeing that, Lin shrugged.

“We Choose… or we did… Choose the Slain who deserve to continue onwards. It is inevitable that some of us are slain ourselves. We go where the fighting is fiercest, and we never relent, never back down, for the brave warriors deserve our best in turn. But the loss of every older sister grieves us.”

“Every sister is elder to you, Lin. Though… maybe there’ll be a new cohort soon?” Run chuckled.

“Regardless…” the oldest, Gerhilde, spoke for them all. “I believe in you, hero our youngest sister chose, the owner of a Path we have all pledged to believe in. But you did not answer the question. Did you triumph?”

It was Verðandi who answered. “Indeed, the first question has been answered to my satisfaction, and those unasked, relating to the Present, have been edifying.” She was back to a stern, almost emotionless façade. “I have gleaned but little, yet little is not worthless, and the thread leading from here may be woven with care.”

“In that case…” The Valkyrie were relieved, and Rose gloated. “…Akio, surely you have the advantage now, since it is your question to Divine Verðandi. I trust in your ingenuity.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Honestly, it’s easy now. There’s a number of ways I can’t lose. First, I could use a paradoxical question that defies logic. Answer my question by giving me an answer that will win me the Trial. If she doesn’t answer and satisfy me, I win, but any answer that she gives that would satisfy me can’t, as by definition it isn’t answering the question correctly if I don’t win. Likewise…” I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully. “I’ve seen a little that I probably shouldn’t know about. It wouldn’t be hard to expand on that and ask for an answer on something Verðandi can’t speak of. But…” I suddenly apologised. “…sorry. It’s not fair to you all, but… I’m going to take a chance here. It’s too important to miss out on.”

Grimgerde shrugged. “Bravery should never be apologised for. But make sure you do not confuse bravery with recklessness.”

“It’s fine. Shaeula assures me she already knows how to handle Skuld. We’ll win, I promise. It’s just… I don’t like putting you through additional stress when I could wrap this up now.”

“Stress?” Gerhilde shook her head. “Compared to the battlefield, this is a mere trifle. We have no intention of holding you back. We own our actions.” She smiled at Lin, who seemed surprised the stoic, eldest of her sisters would display such an expression, her ruby eyes gleaming. “Our youngest sister convinced us, and… we are Valkyrie. We have no regrets.”

“Besides…” Rose agreed, her smile rather teasing, reminding me a little of Shaeula. “Win or lose, we will see you again one day. Since the Goddesses have demanded your servitude, at worst our punishment won’t be too cruel, else you would carry a grudge, and not give your all.” As Skuld clacked her shears, Rose’s pearlescent eyes were smiling. “Regardless, our threads shall not be cut here. Show me what captured my attention, my Verr!”

“Indeed.” Lin was unwilling to let Rose get all the attention. “You are my Verr also, never forget that. I chose you, and also Dorte. She is also precious to me, though… not in the way you are now. Protect her, guide her…”

“Guide mine too. They are both quite talented, you’ll like them. Though not too much, I hope.” Rose chuckled, and then Brunnhilde sighed.

“Enough. Keeping Divine Verðandi waiting is disrespectful.” The motherly, buxom Valkyrie then stared at me. “Please continue. Just know… we stand behind you. And will accept your selfishness. For you came to our aid, and who of good character can spit on such unlooked for kindness?”

As the other Valkyries signalled their agreement, I boldly faced the Norns, Shaeula and Tan beside me. “Very well then. Seems like we are all on board. In that case, Verðandi, please satisfy my curiosity about a matter of the Present.”

As she nodded regally, I felt Shaeula’s hand take mine, squeezing it gently. I felt a gentle knocking against my other hand and glanced down, only to see Tan’s fist clenching. Since she was obviously too shy for what she wanted to do, I seized her hand, and she shot me a crimson-eyed look of protest, only to quieten down after a second, Shiro no doubt scolding her. Her skin was hot, almost uncomfortably so, but I quickly got used to the heat, and, with both of them supporting me, I asked my question, though not before reassuring Verðandi I would keep it fair.

“Of course, I’m not one for cheap tricks, and your question was more than fair enough, so should you need any context or additional information I’ll be happy to provide it. Anyway… to my question. Divine Verðandi, please answer me. In this Present moment, with my current resources and allies, what should I be doing to empower and prepare myself and my allies to succeed in me becoming Astral Emperor of Earth, maximising my chances and all of our strengths?”

My question asked, there was utter silence. Tan was smirking at her fellow Goddesses, seemingly well pleased, while Shaeula’s teasing smirk was knowing and confident, as she prepared for her own Trial. For a moment, we all looked at each other, before Verðandi answered me.

“A… broad question. In the Present, you say? Very well, let me satisfy your… curiosity…”