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  “… has happened here? Quick, see if…”

  “… this foul-smelling ooze, it is poison? Should we call grandfather…”

  “… a disaster, if Akio dies, I don’t know what I’ll…”

  “… please, just, just wake up!”

  Fragments of panicked versation intruded in my fragmented sciousness, as if I was listening to voices from deep uer. Still, even as I realised I was hearing voices, my mind began to clear, and I found myself feeling strangely refreshed, all my senses sharp, even by my lofty standards.

  “Why did this have to happen today, of all days? He’s still breathing though, I feel his breath.” Wait, that’s Hinata’s voice. I hear her. She sounds upset. Is this my fault? I don’t wao cry… It was a bit of a struggle, my body feeling strangely unfamiliar, but my eyelids started fluttering as I struggled to open them, my body twitg as muscles began to fire, feeling as if they had been unused for years, rather than merely the few days I had been in the lower Astral.

  “I think he’s waking up.” Kazumi-san observed, and Hinata gave out a cry of relief. It was then my eyes popped open, to see Hinata crouched over me, face damp with tears, her beautifully arranged hair and stunning white dress all stained with some indescribable bck filth, inky goo on her pale skin. Even so, as she saw my eyes open she cried in relief, closing her arms around me in a hug.

  “Oh, thank the gods. I thought you had died!” Hinata decred, burying her fa my befouled shoulder, before coughing and gagging.

  “Shaeu isn’t moving or breathing though.” Kazumi-san said o me, a little panicked.

  “It’s fine.” I said, my voice sounding strao me. “She’s still in the lower Astral, so her Material body is unoccupied.”

  “Oh yes, I do remember hearing something about that before.” Kazumi-san said, relieved. “So, just what the hell happeo you? The room looks like the set of a horror movie.”

  Hinata nodded, face still pressed against me. She took a shuddering breath, calming herself. “I thought something terrible had happeo you! There’s all this wretched, foul-smelling goo everywhere. And you wouldn’t wake up!”

  Damn, I made her worry. I’m the worst. Still, yes, what is all this crap? I remember leaking a bit of it in the lower Astral, then when I woke up it started to pour out of me. I know, I use my Eye to check. My Eye fred e, and the glow was far more brilliant than usual, drawing a gasp from Kazumi-san who was looking oidy suit also befouled with the gunk present in the room. Casting my gaze around, I could see the whole bed I was sleeping on was soaked with dark filth, and that sadly included Shaeu’s mortal form, which was lyio me, almost entirely drowned in obsidian slime. Oh damn, she isn’t going to be happy. I wrinkled my nose, even with my brain filtering the smell to tolerable levels, it was still dreadful.

  Expelled impurities – These remnants have been purged from your physical body, ing your meridians, pathways and dantians, as well as your acupoints and chakras. All living beings naturally accumute impurities as the world itself and the act of living is ily impure, and these impurities naturally inhibit the accumution of Heavenly Qi, and lower the quality of Earthly Qi one absorb and hold within the body.

  Okay, I think I kind of get it. It seems my body has expelled a ton of impurities, which is this vile crap. Heaven ah Qi, huh? Sounds very Cultivator-ish. That decides it. I think ese should be the first nguage I learn. I’ll get Karen- to look into a tutor for me…

  “It’s a good job I came early. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to make it to Miyu-sama’s party.” Hinata decred, having calmed down while I thought. Her face was still rather pale though, beh all the dark impurities she was smeared with. At her words I g the clock, and realised I had slept for a number of hours. Oh shit.

  “Your outfit and hair is ruined.” I said, saddened. “I’m pleased you worried about me, but you look a fright!”

  “Hmph!” Hinata decred, thumping me a few times, wing as her hands struck me. I could hear Kazumi-san’s relieved ughter as Hinata grew angrier. “Of course I was worried! You told me you were away doing something dangerous, and then I e back to see this? You think I’m not going to…” I cut her off with a kiss, our lips meeting. After a while we broke away, and she grimaced. “Ugh, you taste disgusting right now. You need a baith. I do too.”

  “We’ll o get a new dress and accessories for you. Luckily the suit and items you picked up for Akio-san are in the car. I’ll call and have someone bring them ht away.” Kazumi-san said, taking charge and leaving the room, pulling out her phone.

  “Right, we o do something about this. The bedding will all need burning as well. It’s unsalvageable. The bed too, probably. Luckily the floor isn’t carpeted. Poor Shaeu. She’s covered in your mess. I think she might be mad. Just what is this, anyway?” Hinata stood, her nose wri the truly vile smell.

  “I think it’s impurities. My body has beeing them.” I scratched at my head, my hair befouled as well, knotted and tangled. “You take the first bath anyway, as it takes girls loo get ready, right?”

  She looked at me then, a faint blush on her cheeks. There was silence for a moment, before she shook her head in denial. “There’s no time. We ’t be te for Miyu-sama, and we’ll be cutting it fine as it is! No, we should go in together. You’ll need me to scrub the filth off you!” The blush intensified, but she met my gaze boldly.

  Seriously? Us, ih, together? I felt myself heating up as well. Before I could speak, she carried on. “Well, I am your fiahere’s nothing weird about it, is there? I know that you are not supposed to see me naked until my wedding day, if we follow noble ers, but you’ve… well, you’ve gone further with Eri and Shaeu, right? I be adaptable!” She decred, looking angry at me, which I felt was a little unfair, as that had happened before I had eve Hinata. Though I guess she is very cute when she’s jealous. And it is pretty fttering she cares so…

  At my silence she looked down, fists ched, biting her lips. “You don’t want to? I… it isn’t like yoing to abando this stage, are you? No, you wouldn’t, I know that. Am… am I not attractive enough to… uh, wait, you stink!” She protested, as I was there suddenly, pulling her into a hug.

  “Don’t think that! Sure, the way we got engaged wasn’t ideal, but… I’ve accepted it, and now… well, I ’t imagi being with you. But even if I’ve had fun with Eri and Shaeu, I never have with you, so it’s still embarrassing. Besides, you are younger…”

  “Having fun? We are simply washing each other in an emergency.” She pouted, though she was still flushed. “Besides, yes, I’m youhan Eri and Shaeu, I know that. But I’m still a woman, old enough to get married! More than that, I’m a noble! I’ve been raised from birth to be the perfect wife! I … wash a man’s back! And anything else, too.” Her words trailed off towards the end, and I knew from talking to Shaeu ahat the noble girls had very little uanding of men, sex aionships. Indeed, she was bright red now from our tact, but even then, she looked adorable, so I stroked her hair, kissed her agaie her protests, before sweeping her up in my arms, princess-style, carryio the bathroom…

  *********

  “I hope this isn’t biohazardous waste.” Hinata said, not meeting my gaze, her whole body flushed pink, as we washed the remnants of the impurities off us and down the drain with the shower. When I had disrobed and revealed the parts I had that a girl like her didn’t, as well as my muscur body, Hinata had bee quite distracted. She was even more embarrassed than wheook her own clothes off. She was naked, her hair unbound from its tidy style, still soaked from the rinsing from the shower. Her skin ale, as if she had seldom been exposed to the sun unshielded, and her body was lea she had a det volume in her chest, which I had noticed before as she usually wore quite daring gowns for her age, but when she was naked, it was much more apparent. Damn, this is embarrassing. But I’m not doing anything improper! She’s right, we are engaged, having a bath together isn’t stra’s just skinship, improving our retionship. Knowing Eri was likely to be annoyed when she heard about this, and that Shaeu would snicker knowingly, I trated on maintaining my calm, not wanting to scare Hinata with any of the more… aroused… physical respohat would be normal in this situation. Luckily my already stelr trol over my bodily funs had increased signifitly due in part to my increased levels, and more to… my whole body and physique has ged…

  As if my thoughts were pin on my face, Hinata spoke shyly. This seems to happen a lot retly. Shaeu and Eri are good at reading me, and now it seems Hinata too. Is it a skill all girls have? It doesn’t show up on their character sheets… “You’ve ged somehow. Once we got the impurities off your body, I could see your body looks different. No, not different, I guess. Your skin, hair, they all look so , tidy. There isn’t even a blemish. I’m envious.” She smiled thee her embarrassment at being naked beside me in the modest bathroom the penthouse had. “Girls would pay anything for that. We could make a killing. I would certainly like it, though I could do without all the goo.” Her shy smile turned impish.

  Yeah, my status has improved a lot. The hard battle with the Myids and Myrcoxriath, then abs the double-mutated water element… everything has not been for nothing. There have been other ges too…

  Spiritually Pure Physique, huh? That was the only skill I seemed to have gained, but several skills that were close to Ranking up had increased, especially ohat seemed to deal with my body, such as my Silver Cord, Chakra work and also my Mystic Eye of The Tree of Knowledge. A few others like Foehn grew again, but that might be for other reasons…

  My vision was definitely clearer, and I could make out something strahere was more ether about than normal here oerial, due to it being my Territory and the Boundary to Material e w, yet despite my signifitly higher Aether stat aer Silver Cord (all my abilities had jumped a lot when my skills increased, and I was sg myself with those numbers), I was actually pulling in somewhat less ether to vert. It wasn’t a huge difference, but didn’t make much sense. Oh well, might as well check out the details of my new skill.

  Spiritually Pure Physique – Your subtle bodies have reached a state of higher purity, rejeg and expelling the impurity aive karma that accrue within the physical matter, spiritual works and meridians. All skills reted to your subtle bodies will be strengthened, and your resistao misfortune, curses and poisons will be signifitly increased. You naturally reject the most inferior forms of Earthly Qi and have a slight affinity for the pure Heavenly Qi. Qi within you will be slowly purified, though this effect currently ot elevate Earthly Qi by more than a single Rank. As the Physique intensifies in strength and purity, this effect will increase, and Fortune will increase signifitly. However, by perf ????????? that accrue ive ???????? the Spiritual and Pure nature may be lost.

  Damn, even though my Eye ranked up, I still get question-marks? Though to be ho I make a guess. Not sure if I’m right, but I bet that sihe body rejeegative karma, doing evil deeds might poison the skill. This is pletely different to the sort of skills I’ve gained so far. It also talks about Qi versus ether aher. Yeah, this definitely seems in the Cultivation wheelhouse…

  Hinata let out a sigh of awe at the furious glowing of my Eye, bright flecks within glittering like a billion amber stars. “I feel shy if you look at me like that.” She said, instinctively c her chest, although that didn’t cover every dangerous area.

  “Oh sorry, was my gaze wandering? I was just cheg why my body threw out all of the poisonous gunk. Looks like my new skill is responsible. It’s also why I’m lookier, I’d say, as my body and even my Charm have got quite the boost.”

  “Lucky.” Hinata pouted. “Still, I don’t know if I want to fight, you were doing something really dangerous, right? Will you tell me about it while you… wash my back?” She mao say, flushing crimson.

  Well, I do o accrue good karma, so treating Hinata right and being kind to her is surely a good deed, right? Well, so long as karma doesn’t insist on monogamy… With that inane joke in mind, I got up and moved to Hinata, sitting behind her. “Just rex. I’ve washed Eri and Shaeu ih, I’m actually quite good at it now.” And with that I reached out, using a cloth to wipe at her back. She shivered under my touch, her skin scalding hot, but even so, she held her ground. She turned her flushed faine, and grinned, nervous but happy. “To think I’m doing this with a man, even my fia isn’t very noble.” She let out a giggle. “Still, I’m happy.” She leaned bae. “Every day is exg. And I feel quite lucky. I get to follow my dreams, and at least my husband is handsome and brave!”

  “You’ll make me blush.” I grinned, and I was embarrassed. Resilience didn’t help much with that.

  “I’m serious. I know I already apologised for entrapping you. I know you still feel bad about betraying your promise to Eri and Shaeu. But… this isn’t just about what I get, or who you profit. I genuinely like you, I don’t want you to ever doubt that. I hardly believe it myself. It all happened so fast, but it feels right.”

  I made sounds of idle agreement as I trated on washing her body. I ed her arms, and her hair. She was used to it from having maids at home, as befit a noblewoman, but my touch was very different, causio shiver.

  “I want you to tell me everything you do, just like I want you to know everything I do.” She tinued, as I bundled up her damp hair. “So, what were you up to?” I showered down her back, and she turned, her arms dropping, so I hardly knew where to look. Before I could answer her, she looked down, embarrassed. “Oh, and don’t fet to wash my front too. I o be if I am meeting Miyu-sama, and it was you who dirtied me, so take responsibility!”

  Yeah, it’d be more ving if you weren’t as red as a tomato saying that. “Isn’t that… a bit lewd?” I objected, and she shook her head.

  “It’s just washing me. My maids do it all the time. You wash Shaeu and Eri like this, right? Am I not your fiaoo, just like them?”

  “Well it’s different, for several reasons.” I muttered. “Still, if you insist… anyway, let me tell you about the war with the Myids. It’s pretty grizzly, so I hope it doesn’t upset you…”

  At least if I’m trating on telling a story, I don’t have to trate on… my hands felt soft flesh, and Hinata shivered, letting out a little moan, but I chose to ighat. “… so anyway, you know Shaeu is a princess of the Fae, right? Well, long ago, they lost a very important sacred site to an enemy called the Myids, and it just so happeo currently be close to a mansion her brave us, and…”

  As I tio wash Hinata, my mind that of a perfect gentleman, she listened in rapt fasation to my story, interjeg at appropriate points…

  ********

  “I think that was the best oute you could have expected.” Hinata said, lounging against me ihtub. We were both now, and the smell had dissipated, at least from us. Damn, I still smell the stenpurity from my room, I don’t know if Shaeu will return to the Material before I am finished with our party and her up, but if she does she’ll be mad. I had best leave her a note…

  “After all, if you ’t cim it for yourself, selling it for suitable favours is the least wasteful choice. If you gain stewardship of it, then that’s a foundation for eventual ownership.” She pursed her lips in thought, and I kissed her, surprising her. It was a chaste brushing of the lips, but even that pleased her.

  “Oh Akio, I see you ’t resist me. I’m happy!” She giggled.

  “Sorry, you’re at your cutest when you are thinking about politid profit.” I decred, and her grin deepehis time she kissed me.

  “Well, you are at your most handsome when you are looking at girls you like. Well, this spirit water seems powerful. And if it makes people more beautiful when their impurities are expelled, it could be sold for many millions to rien, or used to secure political favours. The applications are endless.”

  “Yeah, but it’s tough to make. I might be able to scrape up a drop or two if I pour all my water energy into it, but that’s not suffit for much. Ideally I need a source of water energy for my Territory. Then I fill Elemental Silos and use that.”

  “Have you tried the o?” Hinata mused. “Ten kilometres from the Shri’ll be tight, but you could reach Sagami Bay, right? If you find ahat suits your needs, I i in the properties around there?”

  We tio talk about our potential pns, and my heart felt warm. Yes, I felt bad for Eri and Shaeu still, but it was fading, repced by warmth. Hinata was being precious to me, and perhaps I was too easy, but I defy any other healthy male who liked girls to harden his heart against such a cute, ear girl as Hinata was. That’s odd…

  I was using my Eye to see how much aether Hinata tained, and I noticed something odd. My own body was repelling some ether, it ushed away by my silver cord. trating harder, I could see that the ether was seemingly separated into different… colours, maybe? No, they aren’t actually coloured, not like elemental energy, but it’s how I’m visualising it. Most of the red and reddish-e, for want of a better description, of ether, which sadly made up most of the ether around, was not being absorbed by me anymore. Only the ish and rarer yelle motes were being drawn in.

  Is ether… Qi? Or the foundation of Qi? If so… what is Heavenly Qi? I had po when I struggled to tame the double-mutated water, and had not cluded anything crete then. Reaffirming my idea to learn ese then e some Cultivatioed tent for ideas, I was caught a bit off-guard by Hinata’s ent.

  “I don’t really want to fight, but I think everyone will o be strong. I ’t rely on Kazumi alone.” She pumped a small fist to motivate herself. “So, Lovers’ Link.”

  At that I coughed, choking. She smiled, patting me on the back. “Dep breaths, deep breaths.”

  “Yeah…” I managed, rec quickly. I couldn’t help but take in her naked body, lounging ier. “Lovers’ Link… it’s too soon for you. Marriage first. I’m not… I’m not going to disrespect you or your parents by pushing things too fast.”

  “I see. So Eri was right, it is gained from sex. I half thought she was lying to me as she wao keep it to herself and Shaeu.”

  Eri, what are you tellihat sounds like the sort of thing Shaeu would do! Before I could formute a response, even my incredible stats struggling to get me out of trouble, she tinued. “So, I hear your sister has the skill too. Suspicious. Surely you didn’t…. I mean, she does really love you, and you her, but even so…”

  “No way! Totally no way! My sister and I are totally normal! I just… well, I grant a single Rank of the skill to those I have a very deep love for that also loves me back. There’s nothing wrong about that!”

  “I see.” Hinata said, satisfied. “Well, to be ho, I like to think I’m the most worldly of the girls in Hanafubuki, but spending time with girls in your hometown, I realised I know a lot less than I thought. Sex. I ’t say I’m not ied. Eri was delighted on her birthday, wasn’t she? Still… it’s too soon for me. This is enough.” She snuggled me, our skins toug. “But… don’t you love me enough to grant me a Lovers’ Link? I’m pretty sure I love you enough!”

  That decration made me blush. “It’s not that simple. It’s more… there’s no going back. I don’t love someohout meaning it.”

  “Good.” Our lips met again, her head leaning in. As she pulled free she sighed. “her do I. I’m not such a cheap girl. There’s no going back for us, is there? Together forever. So I’m not scared of your love, or a liween us. Please. Prove to me, to you, to us that our love is true!”

  “Fine. I suppose it doesn’t matter, does it? After all, we are naked in a bath together. I’d be a total bastard if I broke your heart now, and I have to keep my karma up! Okay then… here.” I trated on my feelings for Hinata, as well as the skill Kin Bonding aoration. On doing so, I could feel a faint liween us, and homing in all my thoughts upon it, I could feel Hinata’s feelings for me. Curiosity, passion, even ones like lust that she barely uood herself. And yes, love too.

  “I… hoeople live without this? I uand the merits ed marriages, they are good for the nobility and good for the family, but… to miss out on this love.” She blinked back tears. “You like me. You care about me. You want me. I’m happy. I believed you when you said you did, and that you fave me for trig you into the e, but I always worried…” It was then that the boled, and the skill was granted. Hinata gasped, the feelings between us solid, and she grabbed me, throwing me down into the cooling waters of the bath, arms around me.

  “I love you! You love me! I’m standing on the same level as the others!” Before I could ansere kissing, deep and passionate, and we lost track of time until a loud cough could be heard behind us, and Kazumi-san and an older womahere, carrying a fresh dress and accessories.

  “Are we interrupting? We could e back, but you’ll be te for Miyu-sama…”

  As we separated hurriedly, scarlet with shame, Kazumi-san shook her head, a wry, pleased expression on her face. “… well, I’m happy for you, Hinata. It seems your fears were groundless.”

  “Oh, do shut up Kazumi.” She pouted, heading for he edge of the bath, gng back at me shyly. “How could he not love me? I’m perfect. Still… firmation is always nice.”

  I rolled my eyes at that. But the timing was actually good. I was getting carried away with the moment and the sudden Lovers’ Link. Damn you Resilience, do your job and keep me calm and posed!

  *********

  “… so, even though I have gathered enough of this aether, and Kana-san was willing to take me and the others in, I decided to wait. My first time should definitely be with you!” Hinata decred. She was holding my hand in the back of the nice, expensive fn car we were being chauffeured in. We could no l, as we were both dressed anew, me in the armoured-cloth suit I had issioned, exped gentleman’s’ jewellery as well, while Hinata was in atering white dress, with delicate d silk decorations, also paired with expensive neckd hairpins.

  “First time huh…” That choice of words makes me shiver after earlier. Still, I know she doesn’t mean that. “Well, the immediate chaos is over. I might have to support Shaeu, but the Myids are defeated. I make time to give you all the tour.”

  “Great, I hardly wait. So… I might as well get those levels tht? Since I . I just hope they don’t get addictive, or I might want Lovers’ Link to grow…” at her impish smile I patted her hand, uo even kiss as it would smear her makeup.

  “Yeah, I think you’ll have to be tent with what you get. Against an average thug, the stat boosts from eight levels would give you an advantage, nobody would expect a young girl like you to have that speed or power. So anyway, Miyu-san. Just what should I expect?”

  “I don’t know. She’s the oldest Fujiwara granddaughter, and thus one of the queens of Hanafubuki, but she’s super shy. The only time she ever is with aside her bodyguard is when she does traditional dance or piaals, and even then she’s distant.”

  As the car pulled up in front of an expensive block of dos in the heart of the most exclusive area of Tokyo, I frowned, deep in thought. “So what does she want?” I asked, as I opehe door to help Hinata out.

  “I have no idea, and that is what worries me. If it was Sakura, I could guess, maybe even Mayumi. But Miyu-sama? I have no clue…”

  Great. Oh well, Fujiwara-san is bag me, so I had best be respectful of his granddaughter. Taking Hinata’s hand I escorted her to the door, feeling the presence of some strong people inside. Pushing the inter I took a deep breath. “Good afternoon. I am Oshiro Moonstone Akio, esc Fukumoto Hinata, as requested.”

  ShipTeaser