On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

The inside of the shrine building in the Boundary was quite different to what I had seen in the Material. It was richly decorated with white and crimson hangings, as well as golden ropes. It almost looks the part of a major shrine… I wonder what a huge shrine like the ones they have in Kyoto would look like…

My mind was wandering a little, the situation rather uncomfortable. Still, I was unable to escape as Eri and Shaeula each held one of my arms, guiding me towards the back of the shrine until they found a suitable room. Entering, I swallowed nervously, as the small room was cosy, and contained what looked like a pile of blankets, again in white and crimson.

“This will suffice, will it not-not, Eri?” Shaeula asked, and Eri nodded, still pink from nerves, but her face was resolute, dark eyes showing strength.

“Yes, we… we can talk here.” She answered, and she pulled us down, so we were all sitting on the blankets, still tight together.

Well, I’m going to have to grasp the nettle here… “Eri, when Shaeraggo asked you who you were, you said that you…” I began, but Eri tightened her grip on my arm, forestalling me.

“Please, this is hard enough. Just let us speak, all right?” Eri said, and beside her Shaeula nodded agreement, her own amber eyes shining with emotion.

“You know, I’m a selfish and possessive girl.” Eri smiled self-deprecatingly. “I don’t know if I used to be, but finally getting what I wanted, who I loved, after having given up… well, it’s changed me, maybe. Or perhaps it just brought out who I’ve always been. Now I won’t ever let you go.” She looked down at her bare finger. “I hate it that my engagement ring isn’t here… I look at it all the time, and it reminds me that the dark times are over, that we’ll always be together…” she turned her gaze on Shaeula, who was listening quietly, though her tension was plain to see, her hand gripping my arm so tightly it was a little painful, and I could feel faint tremors in her fingers.

“… if it wasn’t for Shaeula, and Aiko, and my parents, and even those two idiots back home, I don’t think I’d have had the courage to take the final step and finally tell you how I felt. And if I didn’t, you never would have either, would you?” her obsidian turned, peering into mine so fiercely it was like she was seeing my soul. “I don’t blame you. I don’t. Though it does make me feel a little sad.”

I opened my mouth to speak again but she blocked it with her free hand. “Shush now, I said we are talking. I get it, I do. Aiko and I, I guess we always remembered that day back then, when you stood against that dog, protecting us. And many days after, always there, looking out for us. You became something giant in our eyes, a hero. So we never saw that you were suffering too, that you were fragile and in pain deep inside. Even if I could have…” she paused, shaking her head in annoyance. “I’m pretty selfish deep down, I’m not as nice as everyone thinks. I love you, Akio, I think I always have, even though when I was young I didn’t understand what that emotion even was. So I think…” a trickle of tears leaked from her eyes. “… even if you only agreed to be with me because you felt sorry for me, or because you thought you had to, I’d have accepted it, and I’d still have been happy. Though I’d have always been left wanting more. Like I said, I’m pretty selfish.” Her smile was brittle, and I shook free of her restraint, knowing I had to speak now.

“No, Eri, no. no!” I protested, somewhat annoyed. “You think I’d marry you just out of sympathy? Out of obligation? That isn’t true at all.” Not now, anyway. But if I’m being honest… at first…

“You are a poor-poor liar, my Akio.” Shaeula piped up from where she was watching in silence. “True, I can tell you have always deeply cared for Eri, and she surely is quite-quite beautiful, any male would be happy to court her, but at first, that night under those fireworks… you were simply carried away with thoughts of what would make Eri happy, were you not-not? Rather than your own happiness?”

“I…” true, it was very hard for me to see her as anything but a sister at first, but that quickly changed.

Seeing me pause, Shaeula smiled in triumph. “Do not-not mistake our questioning. We understand now that genuine love has bloomed. It is easy to see-see from the way you look at Eri. Those feelings of being a brother, wanting to protect, they have changed. Now you wish nothing more-more than to have Eri by your side, to love and hold her, spend your life with her. I am not-not wrong?”

How could you be wrong? Going on genuine dates, spending time doing things lovers do… making love… I could feel my body heating up at the memories of Eri lying naked below me, so passionate.

“It’s those eyes. I see it.” Eri said quietly. “When you look at me like that I know you truly want me, truly love me, not as a child, but as a woman. When I see them, I’m deeply happy. The world just seems perfect, bright and full of hope. But…” I was drawn in by her poise. She looked so fragile, yet also so resolute. “… I see you looking at Shaeula with those same eyes. It’s hard.”

I was shocked. I’m looking at Shaeula with eyes of love? “No, you must be wrong. Eri, when I promised to be your boyfriend, and later, when I asked you to marry me, I promised you I’d always love you, always be faithful. I’m no liar, I meant every word. I’ll never betray you. how could I? I’m in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“I know, I do, and it makes me so happy to hear it. I’m the same Akio, I’ll always love you too, I’ll never let any other man touch me. The very thought sickens me. I also want to spend the rest of my life with you! But…” she turned to Shaeula, who was still extremely nervous, her breath coming fast. “… Shaeula loves you too. As much as I do.”

I know. I’m not an idiot. When she’s spelled it out so much, and even kissed me… but I’ve already…

“You remember on the flight home from Las Vegas?” Eri continued. “You looked so cute sleeping.” She giggled. “But we had a talk. Shaeula and I. Later Aiko joined in. Hmph, your sister, do you know what she said?”

No, how could I? I shook my head.

“She said that she loved both me and Shaeula, and since she couldn’t decide which of us she wanted as a sister-in-law, she thought you should choose both of us. She’s such a bad friend, isn’t she?” Eri’s laughter was mirthful, but with an edge of sadness.

“She seriously said that?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“She did indeed.” Shaeula joined in. “Your sister is wise, seeing past the bounds of your mortal conventions. I shall be proud-proud to have her as a sister-in-law.”

Whoa now, you are getting ahead of yourself…

“Anyway, we talked, and we realised a lot, about ourselves, each other. You.” Eri sighed. “It’s pretty similar to the horrible question you asked me earlier. If we could benefit from … ugh, if I had to touch.. do… things with another man… could I accept it, could you accept it?” she shuddered, biting her lip.

She was still holding my arm tight, but I managed to manoeuvre it around her, pulling her deeper into my embrace. “That’ll never happen. I promise.”

“I know.” Eri said tearfully. “But if I thought it would save you, I could do anything, even that. Afterwards I think the guilt would eat away at me, and I think… I think I would… not be able to live with it. Live at all…”

“No, just like we said to Shaeula, you can’t kill yourself.” I knew how her mind worked, and I needed to make it clear. “Even something like that, we could get through it. It’ll never happen, I promise, but I’d spend my life healing your heart…”

Yes, that’s just why I can’t return Shaeula’s feelings. Do I… do I like Shaeula? Yes, she’s adorable, loyal, haughty yet kind, her dreams are grand… Do I… do I love her? It doesn’t matter. I can’t. “I already made my choice, Eri. And I don’t regret it. if I did, it wouldn’t be fair to anyone. If I imagine how bad I would feel if you were to… well, you know. So I could never put you through the same feelings of pain and helplessness that I would feel. I love you way too much to ever do that.”

“Yes, if you were to cheat on me with some.. some whore…” she said the foul word with venom. “… I’d be crushed. I’m so happy you love me enough to see that. But… do you really think Shaeula is just some vile woman like that?” she had more tears in her eyes as she turned to Shaeula. “I’m so sorry I called you those terrible things in Las Vegas. I wanted to say that for a long time, but… no, I need to be braver, face what has to be faced. So, can you forgive me?”

“It is all-all in the past.” Shaeula patted her head with her free hand. “I understand your emotions were running high then. And I know you do not-not truly despise me. When we talked on that plane, you listened, even though you did not-not wish too. And when you called yourself Akio’s first wife… Eri, thank you for accepting me. I have pledged you shall not regret it, and I mean it!”

“Just hang on a minute…” I broke in, panicked. “We were just saying there is no way I could ever put Eri through something like this…”

“And I am just saying Shaeula isn’t like anyone else!” Eri was starting to get annoyed, red-faced and tearful, and my heart jumped at the sight. She’s beautiful even when angry. “We all have to be honest here. Otherwise we’ll regret it for ever. When you saw her tears, when she thought she had failed, had lost you… Akio. Don’t lie to me, to us. Akio, you love me, right? As a woman.”

“I do.”

“And… you love Shaeula, right, as a woman? It doesn’t matter whether it’s allowed, or whether you can. Just say the words. Until we reach the truth we can’t solve anything.”

God, now I feel like the younger one. She’s being so mature, even though it hurts her. So, do… do I really love Shaeula as a woman? I’ve lived and fought with her for so long now, laughed and cried with her, our dreams are intertwined. And the soft, wet feeling of her lips, the touch of her hand… Fuck, I’m such a cheating wretched bastard. I’m the worst. But…

“I’m sorry Eri. I know it’s not really cheating, but… I’m my heart I’ve been unfaithful. I do. I do love Shaeula as well. We’ve been through so much, I don’t think any man could have resisted falling in love…”

At my words Shaeula started crying. She had told me several times I was the only male for her, but I had never explicitly returned any feelings. Shit, that just makes me feel worse… I’m only making everyone sad…

“I don’t need excuses. I’m a little… well, no, a lot jealous, but… like I said, I can see it in your eyes when you look at me, there’s love for me, more than I deserve. So now, let me be clear. Akio. I love you as a man, as my soon-to-be husband. And Shaeula…”

Shaeula mopped away her tears and waited, barely able to contain herself for the words that were about to be spoken.

“… you are a friend who is starting to be as precious to me as Aiko. I’ll never forget how you pushed me towards this happiness, how you’ve started training me to defend Akio, how you said you’ll make my life full of joy… so I accept you. I accept us. I’m still first wife though. A privilege of being the childhood friend. Now, what do you say?”

Wait, this is moving way too fast, and nobody is asking for my input…

“I love Akio as a male. I want him to be the only one. He is the other half of my soul, the full moon to my new moon. I have told him this, but his loyalty to you-you is too great, Eri. I am a little envious of you. As for you… you are a precious friend to me-me, and I believe that together with Akio, our futures shall be bright indeed-indeed.”

“So, there. Everyone has spoken. So we all know. There’s no point hiding it any further, is there?” Eri said. “As first wife it’s my job to manage these things, so Akio… you love Shaeula, so don’t make her suffer any longer. Just… just don’t neglect me either, all right? The wrath of a first wife is a terrible thing, right Shaeula?” she winked.

“If Akio is such-such a fool, I shall punish him myself.” She approved, her smile radiant.

No, no. no. Harems only work in stories, in real life it’s just cheating. It won’t be acceptable, even if Shaeula isn’t human. She’s living as one most of the time so it’s still…

“Stop thinking too much. I’ve said it isn’t the same. Sure, I doubt everything will go smoothly. There’ll be hard times and tears, jealousy and worry. But… just like when you fought Shaeraggo, and hurt yourself so horribly…” her arm tightened, remembering the state I was in. “… as long as in the end we are all far happier than the sadness caused by the pain, we win, right?”

“A male is judged on the calibre of the females he makes happy. I have said this often.” Shaeula said, her gaze hot and intense. “You feel selfish, unworthy, I know. You think I would be happier having a male to myself. But you are still a fool-fool. You are ten times the male any other I have met is. So even split with Eri, that still means I have five-five times the joy.”

“If you feel unworthy, just… be better.” Eri echoed. “I’m not sure how you can be, as we already love you so much. But if you just try… you’ll come to accept this. Even Aiko wants you to romance us both!”

“I can see your reluctance. It hurts my heart, and I am not-not happy. But I suppose your deep loyalty is part-part of your charm, and something I can respect as a Fae, bound to honour given word. But allow me to remove your last excuse. You remember when we were both training our talents with the wind-wind?”

Of course I do. It was gruelling, but without that, the foundation would not be set for us to… oh, seriously? She wouldn’t!

“I triumphed, and you promised to honour one request I shall make without question, did you not-not? And now… my request is, please grant Eri’s wish, and do not-not feel ashamed or guilty. It will be an act of love, for both Eri and for me. It shall be the first step on your path-path to greatness as a male.”

“Akio. My love. My wish is, you’ll always love and treasure me, and will marry me. And you will also always love and treasure Shaeula. You’ll marry her too, though how we’ll make it work… wow, I wonder what a Faerie wedding is like?” in the moment she subconsciously imitated Aiko, which cut the tension.

I surrender. Eri, Aiko, Shaeula. They are the three most important people to me in this world. And they all want this. And it… it isn’t as though it is some hardship, is it? I feel shitty, like I’m taking advantage of them, yes, but Shaeula is right. If I become a man that can love them both and make them happy, what’s the problem? And if I’m honest… I’ve long looked at Shaeula with lewd eyes. She’s stunningly beautiful and very exotic… I’ve… well, I’m a healthy guy, of course I’ve dreamed of doing lewd stuff with her!

Seeing me turn over the thoughts in my mind they both waited, Shaeula looking tense, Eri more relaxed, a knowing look in her eyes. Yes, she’s known me forever, she can read me too well…

“I hope you two won’t regret this.” I said at last, my mind made up. It was fighting the tide, which only ever ended one way, and besides… honestly, if Shaeula told me she was marrying some other guy… I’d hate it. Yeah, I just have to face facts. I’m as bad as any other man, wanting every beauty that comes my way…

“We won’t, so long as you put in the effort. And you can do that for us, right?” Eri said, letting out a long, tense breath.

“Akio can do anything he puts his mind to. I have seen him work-work miracles. Loving such beautiful, charming females as us should be no hardship in comparison.” Shaeula was crying again, this time bright droplets of joy. “So, it is settled, no?”

“I guess.” I was beaten. “I apparently did a bad job of Eri’s engagement by taking her to get a ring first, so it’s only fair I blow yours too, Shaeula. Will you marry me? I’ll figure out how it all works later.”

“Of course I shall!” Shaeula leapt on me, pushing her lips to mine. This time she forcefully drove her small tongue between my lips, seeking my warmth. Eri’s arm was still in mine, and I could see her blushing as Shaeula attacked me. Somehow that just made me feel hotter, more excited. I responded instinctively, and for a long moment we tangled our tongues together, before Shaeula parted from me, a thin trail of saliva forming for a moment.

“That was indeed better than before.” Shaeula grinned, face flushed. “I no longer have to watch you with envy, Eri. I hope it was not-not too painful for you to see?”

“I was jealous, but… I can bear it.” Eri shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Anyway, I’ll leave you two to it… you probably want to…” Eri flushed scarlet.

“No need to flee.” Shaeula laughed brightly, pure joy in her tones. “We shall bond in the Fae way, a proper joining of spirits at last. I would be honoured if you can witness it as first wife and a female I respect greatly. You shall not-not be too embarrassed.”

Forgive me Shaeraggo. I’m properly going to defile your beloved sister now…

“I don’t know about that…” Eri said quietly, before moving to the corner of the blankets, away from us. “… and I still really don’t know how I’ve earned your respect. But I’ll stay then. You two… enjoy yourselves?”

 

********

 

It had taken Shaeula and I a couple of hours to recover enough aether and elemental essence after our hard Trials to be able to perform the mixing of our spirits. Eri’s nervousness had finally died away as we spent the time talking about the situation and our future.

Yeah, it’s still hard to believe I’m one of those harem protagonists now, with two girlfriends… ugh, I still feel a sting of guilt. That isn’t all I feel though…

Shaeula was sitting on my lap, facing me, having doffed her armour, only wearing her usual yukata, and since my clothes were scorched rags still, there was a lot of skin contact. Yeah, just like breathing and other bodily functions, libido seems to work just fine here in the Boundary. That still makes no sense though…

“So, are you ready, Akio?” Shaeula asked me, face upturned. In answer I kissed her again, having done an awful lot of that during the last few hours. Eri had got jealous of watching us, so I’d kissed her plenty too. Shaeula laughed then and said that was the first wife making sure everything was fair…

“You know, I’m actually pretty curious now.” Eri said, now sitting comfortably watching us. With everything out in the open we had finally been able to reconcile the tangled mess of feelings we held, and some of Eri’s worries had finally been put to rest. “Do you think I’ll ever be able to do this?”

“I would say it is not-not impossible.” Shaeula answered. “After all, you have a lunar chakra now-now, though it is perilously fragile and will need much work. When it is stable, I see no reason why you can not-not join your essences like we can.”

“That’s a relief.” Eri did indeed look happy. “If I couldn’t, well, I wouldn’t blame you both, but I feel so much better knowing I won’t be left out. Oh, sorry, don’t let me interrupt you two.”

As she fell silent, I looked into Shaeula’s eyes, grey into amber. Shaeula had explained what I needed to do, and it was very similar to how I had saved her life in the desert, but… even before then, when Shaeula tried to create a lunar chakra for me, when we first met, she did something reminiscent of that to save me. Perhaps this was predestined from the start, and fighting it was hopeless.

Drawing on aether, wind and flame, all the essences I possessed, I cycled them through me, allowing them to soak through my chakra network, taking on the very flavour of my soul. Shaeula was doing the same, and as we held hands I could feel a pulse within her. Closing my eyes I searched for it.

I can feel the bond we share, that she is my kin. But that isn’t all… through that bond I could feel small pulses of flame, wind and glittering aetheric energy, and each little burst reminded me of Shaeula, mercurial like the wind, yet passionate as a flame, and loyal, driven… But there are more bonds too, just as deep… I could feel a link between Shaeula and my Territory, which was also then passed through to me. It was the Throne of Heroes. But even then, there was more. There was another deep bond between us, that of her Pledged One, and it too resonated. As the energies welled within us, Shaeula spoke, her breath coming in hot rasps.

“Now-now, push outwards and allow-allow our essences to mix-mix, flowing to our-our lunar chakras.”

She’s getting excited again I see… energy flooded out of me, reminiscent of last time, but somehow far more intimate, erotic. Now that I understood what I was doing, and wasn’t in a panic, the feeling was exquisite. As energy was leaving me, more was pouring in to take its place, and with it I could feel Shaeula’s emotions. Trust. Loyalty. Hope. Love. Any doubts I had were blown away as the energy penetrated me deeply, moving up my chakras, circulating, while I could also feel myself penetrating her…

“This… is so much… more than I could-could have… ever… dreamed of!” Shaeula moaned, and her lips sought mine once more, her clasped hands clenching mine painfully. “Oh, by the King and Queen…” she moaned as my tongue slurped hers greedily.

“I don’t think you should be talking about other men right now, even if it is your king…” I gasped meanly, and she responded by biting my lip aggressively, drawing silvery blood. I could taste cold iron, and her passion was inflamed. One of her hands came free from mine and was clutching my back, small nails scoring lines in my flesh. Since I had a free hand now I reached out and slid it inside her yukata, grasping her modest breasts fiercely, groping her soft skin, feeling her nipples harden under my caress.

“Uhh, was I this embarrassing when we did it…” I vaguely heard Eri mutter something, but it was lost from my thoughts almost instantly, as we continued our aggressive caresses, my mouth full of Shaeula.

“It is… it is… I am you, and you are-are me!” Shaeula shouted, as our essences reached each other’s lunar chakra simultaneously. The heavy feeling of knowing each other magnified explosively, and energy gushed free in a great release, rapidly passing through the upper chakras of the throat, third eye and crown.

Shaeula squealed, and I was lucky I had withdrawn my tongue else I could have suffered a nasty bite as she spasmed, her body shivering. I too felt a sudden shock, my whole body feeling as if it had been dipped in boiling water. Reflexively I pulled her even closer to me, as if I was trying to merge her within me. Our heartbeats were rapid, yet it was almost as if there was only a single heart beating, two as one.

“Oh Eri-Eri…” Shaeula managed to force the words out in-between rapid breaths. She looked so beautiful, almost ringed in a halo of glowing light, that I couldn’t help but continue to play with her, my hand sliding down her smooth belly, tickling her. “We must accelerate your-your training. You must-must try this-this. It is-is magnificent.” She was barely coherent, and let out another squeal as my hand slid down further, finding her pussy. My finger slid across the opening, stimulating her gently.

Wait, it isn’t just like she is surrounded by a halo… I can definitely see one…

In addition the silvery letters announcing a further class-up and various skill increases were also visible, but that wasn’t important right now. Seriously, why does sex always tend to strengthen me? Am I the protagonist of some erotic tale? I don’t think so! Seriously though… what is going on?

All around me there was numerous strange sights. They were so exotic that I stopped my roaming hands, causing Shaeula to moan in disappointment. I could see the burning halo of light within Shaeula, eight shining vortexes of brilliant white energy, though three of them were surrounded by orbiting rings of bright colour, yellow, green and both yellow and green respectively. I could also see fine branches of light all though her body, like twisting veins and arteries, only transporting glittering droplets of molten light rather than blood. There were other wonderous sights too, such as swirling clouds of various shades of green that swept around her back, and also the souls of her Kamaitachi that remained slain, in clear and vivid detail.

“You see it-it, I can tell.” Shaeula let out another hot breath, squirming against me, her yukata sliding from her shoulders, exposing her sweat-slicked upper body. Her flesh was hot against mine, and it was arousing me all over again. Still, I could be patient. Barely. “I can tell-tell everything about you-you! This is the world I see-see with my eyes-eyes.”

Her mystic eyes? How? Looking around I could see that the sky was full of hidden colours. There was much red, drifting motes the colour of the earth essences that were exhaled behind the shrine, as well as flecks of green, and also some deep blue sparks, and faint spots of orange. As my gaze roamed around I saw Eri sitting by the wall, her legs crossed, looking red and uncomfortable. As she met my eyes she blushed and looked away.

“Sorry, I guess we got too heated…” I apologised, but couldn’t help staring at Eri, fascinated by this new way of looking at the world. She too was containing capillaries of light, though the amount was meagre, and the threads seemed to move, like they were floating in water or swaying in the breeze. She also had eight whirlpools of faint white light, though they stuttered and hiccupped drunkenly, barely stable.

Wait, what’s that…? As the motes of green light passed by, they were drawn into our bodies, circulating until they reached the heart or lunar chakras. But Eri… when the deep blue sparks passed her, they were pulled into her body, eventually accumulating at her throat, before eventually disintegrating and being exhumed as a faint blue smog, leaving her. Worried, I turned to Shaeula.

“I know Eri has a weak network, but what’s going on there? Should we be concerned?”

At my words Eri stopped squirming, looking at us with mixed interest and worry.

“I do not-not feel it is a great problem. It merely seems Eri has an-an aptitude for the Darkness element. That-that Rhyming Tree is constantly spreading darkness over-over our Territory, and we have-have no way to expend it, so the density gradually increases. Eri is merely drawing it in-in unconsciously.” Shaeula smiled then, in mocking good humour. “It is oft said those who-who tend to Darkness are quite-quite wicked, with deep greed and jealousy. I guess such-such tales are clearly wrong-wrong, for you are so very kind to share-share… ugh…” seeing Shaeula being so playful made me want to bully her, so I groped her exposed chest again, flicking her sensitive places. After some more wrestling with her, Shaeula continued. “Enough, I am trying-trying to talk-talk!” Pouting, Shaeula looked at us both seriously. “I have noticed this before-before, but it was not-not a matter to worry about-about. Darkness is rare-rare indeed, and she would not-not encounter it in her daily life. I had forgotten that-that we have a Rhyming Tree-Tree here. Still, even with your fragile network, Eri, it should do-do you little harm. At worst, it would-would unbalance your emotions towards the more-more expressive and primal-primal…”

“I see. I had wondered why I was feeling so strange at times… I thought it was just the stress of everything that happened.” Eri mused. Then her eyes strayed to us, my free hand having descended to Shaeula’s lower body, again playing with her pussy, causing her to moan softly. “Err, I’m feeling a bit… err, are you done with your spiritual love? I think I should leave you to it…” she stood, careful to keep her legs tightly together, walking awkwardly.

“Yes-yes, it was magical indeed, but our spirits are bound as one-one, now and forever, are they not-not, my Akio, my husband? I can feel-feel a new bond between our lunar chakras, one that-that will be eternal.”

I could feel it. It was yet another tie between us, though this one seemed to transmit fleeting thoughts and emotions. It was not mind-reading, not even close, they weren’t words or phrases, but even so, it was intimate and mystical. “Yeah, we are definitely deeply connected. I don’t think Shaeraggo will be happy when he finds out though…”

“Who cares about my stupid-stupid brother? Forget him-him, who was it that said we need no-no talk of other males?” Shaeula scoffed, snaking her arm around my neck and pulling me down for a kiss. “In fact… mmm…” she muttered as I greedily sucked on her lips. “… I think we should try the-the mortal way next. After all-all, I shall be the bride of one….”

“I’ll… just see myself out. I’ll be back later.” Eri muttered, hobbling out of the room awkwardly, but we barely saw her go as a surging hot passion consumed us.

“I have-have been waiting some time for this.” Shaeula said, pulling down the ragged remains of my trousers. When she saw what popped out, erect and pulsing, she looked at it with interest, licking her lips with her small tongue lasciviously. “As-as have you, it seems.”

Her small hand reached out and gently started caressing my glans, sending jolts of pleasure through me. Unable to help myself I pulled off her yukata completely, then slid down her small white panties, which were already turning see-through with her nectars. Shaeula flushed with arousal, but did not stop touching me, in fact she brought her head closer to my penis, until she was within touching distance. Gingerly she reached out with her tongue and licked me, and it was like an electric shock. I moaned in pleasure, and Shaeula giggled, her tongue still moving, licking my glans and down the shaft, while her hands moved down to my balls, caressing them tenderly.

Not to be outdone, I returned to caressing and playing with her pussy, though this time I slid my hand through the thin amber thicket of her pubic hair, up to her clitoris. Gently massaging it, the wet ruby appeared, and Shaeula stopped her licking, arching back in pleasure. “Just what-what is that feeling?” She gasped, but I showed her no mercy. This’ll show you I can give pleasure as well. Just where did you learn such techniques?

A bit meanly, I asked her that question, and she looked at me, face flushed, breath coming fast. “Learned? I do not-not understand. I just felt I wanted to do it, to taste-taste you… ahh, wait, not so… something is rising. The world… it is pure white-white!” Shaeula’s back arched as she writhed around the blankets, discharging a spray of droplets across the sheets. With my shared vision they looked like miniature shooting stars, glittering as they jetted across the firmament.

I let Shaeula recover for a minute, until she was calm again. “That-that was amazing. As-as good as the Fae way. I can-can see why the Queen has her mortal lover… ugh, I feel-feel so weak. I fear I can not-not continue to toy with you. Still, we are not-not done yet, are we?”

“No, the main event is coming.” I confirmed. “Just lie back and enjoy it, though it can hurt a bit the first time, I don’t know if your mortal form is the same as us. I’d better check, I wouldn’t want to injure you.”

Shaeula nodded weakly, still panting, her bare skin flushed a salacious pink. I reached down to her pussy and opened the folds gently, exposing it like a pink flower. She shivered a little, letting out soft moans as I inspected it. Yep, how… exactingly inappropriate…

“The attention to detail of your human form is shocking. You even have a hymen. So I’m afraid this might hurt a bit. You’re also really small. Much smaller than Eri, so…” the white film was visible within, protecting her mortal chastity.

“If Eri can do-do it, so can I. I fear no pain-pain. Compared to-to fighting Ulfuric, it will be nothing-nothing at all-all.” her doubled words were picking up in frequency as she grew more aroused. “Now come-come. Until I have felt-felt your…” she giggled. “… your large rod inside me-me, and you have-have released your-your seed, I shall not-not truly feel I am-am yours!” she spread her arms wide, welcoming me in, and once more I felt she was simply beautiful. I still couldn’t shake the tinge of guilt in my heart that I was somehow betraying Eri, but my head (and more importantly, my lust) was telling me this was best for everyone, the only route to all of us being happy. Even if I seem to be getting far more benefit than the girls… no, like they said, if I’m ten times the man anyone else is, they win, even sharing me. Mathematics, right? I held in a self-deprecating laugh. Whether that was true or not, I would need to rise to be a man worthy of them both.

Pressing my penis to her entrance, I could feel the moisture, warm against my flesh. The smell was sour, similar yet subtly different to Eri’s. No, I shouldn’t compare then. Eri is Eri, and Shaeula is Shaeula. As her body twitched at the contact, I gently started pushing into her, sliding her salmon-pink flesh walls open.

“Uhh, ahh… you-you are filling me up-up…” she moaned, writhing beneath me, fuelling my already raging arousal. I pushed in further, only to run up against the obstruction of her hymen. I reached down and grasped Shaeula’s sweaty hand, before leaning in to kiss her tenderly, our tongues melding together gently, without the ferocity of our prior exchanges. Through our shared connection, our merged lunar chakras, we could feel each other’s pleasure, our joys. Our… our love. It was long past the point where we could deny we loved each other. I remembered the day we met, when I had almost killed her, and she had yielded. Then shortly afterwards, despite having sworn Oaths that she could have cheated her way out of, she saved my life, stabilising my ruined chakra network. We had been through a lot, and while I wasn’t one to discard the notion of platonic friendships between men and women… we had been too deeply entwined for us to stay merely friends or colleagues. Pulling my lips away from hers I muttered words she had been wanting to hear for so long. “Never doubt it Shaeula. I do love you. So now, let’s become one.”

She smiled, her vagina tightening around me, clamping hard as the pleasure of my words shook her. I took that moment to push forwards, my penis forcing through the barrier after a little resistance. Shaeula moaned a little, only to gasp, panting hard as I forced myself all the way in, our bodies knocking together. Wow, all in. Shit, that’s lewd. I know I did this with Eri, but it still surprises me it all fits inside…

“I feel-feel you, both in my spirit and in-in my body. Such joy-joy.” Shaeula gushed, and we kissed again. She was crying, and I wiped away her tears. She blinked at me, amber eyes shining. “I am-am fine. I was just overcome with-with emotions. Now, do-do continue. I wish to be the same-same as Eri.”

I started moving, slowly at first, before picking up speed, feeling squeezed tight as I stirred up her insides. It wasn’t as though I knew what I was doing, after all, I was a virgin until only a week ago, and had only had sex with Eri once, but… I can’t read her mind, but I can feel when she is happy, or in pleasure…

Using that knowledge I started varying my thrusts in terms of speed and angles, and it was like a fun game, seeing how I could make her gasp in pleasure. She was shaking like a leaf in the breeze, her expression loose, and I savaged her mouth with mine, biting gently on her lips and tongue, getting more aroused by her reactions. I could feel a hot weight too, the pressure on my groin rising, like molten lead.

“Ahn, ahn, ahn…” Shaeula was moaning seductively, and her body was trembling more intensely, similar to when my hand was caressing her clitoris.

“I’m… I’m ready to blow. Are…”

“Yes-yes.” She bit down on my lips, drawing blood. “I am rising to the moon-moon… oh-oh!”

“Me too! Shaeula, I love you!” I roared, as I thrust again and again. Shaeula convulsed once more, soaking the sheets below us, her moans shockingly loud. I’m glad this isn’t in the Material, here we only have Eri to hear us at least… were my final thoughts, as I let out a loud groan, my jet of semen blasting out into her, along with…

With my Mystic Eyes I could see two streams of power, the first coming from Shaeula, flowing from her lunar chakra, down through her network and then out through the swirling vortex of her sacral chakra, flowing into mine. This was joined moments later by a flow from me, following the opposite path through to her body. That energy spread throughout her body, soaking into her network, absorbed into the flow.

“So warm inside-inside…” Shaeula sighed, letting out a long breath of release. “… and I can-can feel energy flooding within. I can see-see mine flow to you as well…” she pulled my head down to her chest, where I could hear her racing heart, as well as the faint sizzling of aether and mixed elemental energies.

I was exhausted, which was strange, as the physical exertion should have been nothing to me now, but the tiredness seeped into me, and for a while I lay there in Shaeula’s embrace.

“I now believe I understand what happened with Eri.” Shaeula mused. “I do not-not know how, yet when you took-took my Kin Restoration and changed it-it, it became a skill that not only connected the soul, but the body-body as well. And so when your body and soul joins with another, it releases your own-own energies, the essence of your body and spirit, in response.” She had an expression of wonder on her face as she gently stroked my hair. “And my skill too-too, it has become the same. So as you release to me-me, I release to you. It is yet a further bond between us.”

“It’s not dangerous, is it?” I managed, concerned, remembering that Eri had issues, but she shook her head, sweaty amber hair tickling my bare skin.

“No-no, it is not as long as one has-has a network that can contain the sudden flow of power. In fact-fact, I believe I now know why Eri was rendered so unstable.” Her expression changed, her one of spent lust replaced with inquisition. Raising her voice, she called out. “Eri, I know-know you are listening. Please come in-in. We must speak.”

The sliding door creaked open, and Eri peaked in, as flushed as we were, her onyx eyes darting about. She saw us lying naked and exhausted, and an expression of envy flickered across her features before she quashed it with force of will. Oh Eri. I’m sorry. You are trying hard.

“I hope-hope your heart could bear this.” Shaeula giggled. “I found it quite-quite the burden in Las Vegas, listening and unable to be a part-part of it.”

“My heart could, but I still hated it!” Eri somehow managed to turn even redder, now looking like her skin was scalded. “I don’t know why, but the more lewd things you started doing, I could feel… oh I don’t want to talk about this. Can we change the subject? Anyway… congratulations Shaeula, I guess I should say, though I don’t feel like it!”

My Mystic Eyes seemed to be fading, as I could barely observe the subtle workings of Eri’s Astral body, but I could see that her dwindling stocks of aether seemed to have increased, pooling around her sacral and lunar chakras, mostly. That’s odd…

“I see, I see.” Shaeula grinned. “Yes, I felt-felt the same during your time, Eri. Did you satisfy…”

“No way!” Eri cut her off, curling in on herself, mortified. “That’s only for Akio to… ugh, gods, why are you being so mean to me? Haven’t I sacrificed enough?”

“Sorry-sorry!” Shaeula laughed. “I just wished to confirm… Akio, can you move for a-a moment?”

I rolled off her, and she got to her feet, still naked, a dribble of blood and semen running down her thighs. Seeing where my eyes were drawn to Eri scowled, but Shaeula padded over to her, still smiling. “If you are jealous, then I believe it is only fair-fair to let you have a turn. Akio can manage, can you not-not?”

Before I could answer, Eri shook her head. “I thought you said it’d be dangerous to expose me to much more energy? I mean, I want to, of course I do, but…” she seemed unsure, but Shaeula patted her on the head, comforting her.

“Now-now I have seen how it works with my own eyes-eyes, I believe I can-can manage it. And here, in the Boundary, my ability to fortify your subtle body will be-be much greater. I believe it would be to your benefit. Perhaps we can-can resolve the issue entirely?”

“If we could sort it, I’d feel more assured.” I said, making up my mind. I sat up, patting the sheets beside me, though I soon realised they were rather stained with… various secretions. “I’ve been worried about your body, and … well, you are my fiancée. Of course I’d feel sad if I can’t hold you close, love you.” Damn, it’s still hard to be so bold about it, especially since I’m sitting here fresh from deflowering Shaeula. But it’s how I really feel. I do want to love Eri, bring her joy…

“So, um, of course I want to make love to you again, Akio, after all…” her voice dwindled. “… I can’t fall behind.” She gathered her courage. “But… does that mean you’ll be watching, Shaeula? That’s… really embarrassing.”

“Hardly. We are females of the same male. There are no secrets between us-us.” She grinned wolfishly. “The first time is a sacred thing so-so should be done in private, but now-now… what have we to hide? Yes, I shall need-need to watch, to perform Chirurgery on you to integrate the energy Akio will pass you from his heart and soul-soul. I believe it will work, and if not-not, I can vent the energy from you, so there is little-little risk.”

Shaeula seems really pumped up. I think it’s worth it, there’s no better time… besides, seeing the red-faced and clearly aroused Eri was stoking my own flames of passion again. If I am going to be a bastard shitty harem protagonist, I’m going to make sure I love my girls as much as I can. No stringing them along or making them feel unwanted…

“I want it too then. Come on Eri, you decided this was what you wanted, remember? Shaeula gave you her reward and you asked for this. It’s too late to worry about it now.”

“I’m not worried!” she protested, creeping closer, and my nose could pick out her aroused smell too. As if she could sense this, she looked away, pouting. “I just didn’t think it would be so embarrassing.”

“Come now-now, no need to be shy.” Shaeula pushed Eri gently, and she stumbled towards me. I caught her in my arms and pulled her down to me, resting her in my naked lap. Our lips met, and her tongue sought mine, aggressive in her embarrassment. That stimulated my own lust, and my penis rose, ready for action once more, tangling in her clothes, my precum soiling the fabric.

“Ugh…” Eri breathed as our lips parted. She looked down, seeing my erect member, and flinched a little, though her dark eyes were starting at it fixedly. She reached down a gentle hand and started stroking it, sending more shivers through me. Her touch was different to Shaeula’s, touching different places, giving a different feeling of pleasure. Still, it was magical. Unable to contain myself I started stripping her, and soon she was down to just her bra and panties. Unhooking the bra, I started sucking on her breasts, and Eri gave out whimpers of pleasure, her hand moving faster and faster on my penis.

Oh shit, that’s good… no, wait, time out…!

“Eri, hang on, you should… too late, oh, cumming, I’m cumming!” I cried, Eri’s stroking hand enough to make me erupt. Pearly fluid splattered all over her thighs and underwear, mixing with her own liquids that were soaking through her panties. Eri looked down in shock, while Shaeula burst out laughing.

“I believe you pleased him greatly Eri. That seems-seems such a waste though.” Shaeula dropped a hand to Eri’s thigh and scooped up some of my semen. She brought it to her nose and sniffed it gingerly, before dabbing at it with her pink tongue.

“Shaeula, what are you doing?” Eri asked, but Shaeula merely continued to lap at it, her expression a mix of curiosity and wonder.

“It-it is harmless enough is it not-not? I was just curious. You should try-try some. It is our Akio’s precious love, after all.”

Okay, Shaeula is extremely aggressive sexually it seems. Whether that’s because she’s a Fae or not, I don’t know…

Eri steeled herself, and as Shaeula held out her hand she stuck out her tongue, scooping up some of the liquid. Swallowing it, she pulled a face. “it’s bitter…”

“Sorry about that.” I apologised, but both of the girls laughed at me.

“I think it’s fine. I’ll get used to it, I guess.” Eri said. “Still, I’m glad this is that weird Boundary place. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to return to my hotel with my panties covered in your… ugh… your cum.” She was adorable as she said dirty words, the gap with her normal image truly moé.

“Yeah, my bad. Well then, we’ll just have to take them off.” I pulled down her underwear suddenly, exposing her drenched pussy. I bent down and started slurping at it, tasting her sour nectars. Unlike last time though, this time I also exposed her clitoris, remembering how it had driven Shaeula to ecstasy. Using her own love juices to lubricate it, I started working it with my finger, and Eri responded, her body spasming.

“I’m so… so embarrassed! Akio’s… Akio’s eating me up, and Shaeula issssssss watchinggggggggggggg!” her words turned incomprehensible as I brought her to an orgasm. She convulsed, back arching, her arms still holding my head to her groin. “I’m… leaking…” she whimpered, and suddenly a stream of hot urine sprayed into my face, surprising me. Yeah, this tastes… funny…

Closing my mouth after gulping down the first surprise I endured as Eri’s bladder emptied. Again, super weird that she can do that with an Astral body. I really need to unravel the mysteries of this place… well, that’s for later. Right now…

Eri was face down, hiding in the sodden sheets. “Don’t look at me!” she commanded. “I’m a grown girl, and I wet myself! I don’t think I can live with the shame.”

“Uhh, well I’m no expert, after all, you are Shaeula are the only girls I’ve been with, but I’ve certainly heard other guys talking, and they say that girls can do that when they experience too much pleasure. So… it’s kinda like a compliment, I’m not upset or disgusted.” Beside me Shaeula giggled, and was pointing at Eri’s lower body. I understood what she meant.

“So anyway. Eri. I love you. So come on, show me your smile, and let’s have sex!”

Eri turned over, face still teary. Still, her onyx orbs were shining. Reaching up, we entwined our fingers, then started kissing. Gently I moved my penis to her entrance. It wasn’t exactly rock-hard, but I guessed it would still do, yet before I could move Shaeula had grabbed my penis, stroking it once more. I quickly felt blood rushing down below, and soon I was fully ready to go again.

“I shall be watching.” Shaeula smirked, backing off. Eri and I exchanged glances, and then I started sliding into her. She moaned, but this time there was little discomfort, her hymen already gone.

“I’m all right.” Eri moaned. “Just… just go. I want you to feel good!”

“How could I not, together with you?” I queried, sucking on her tongue, licking her lips and teeth, smearing my saliva into her mouth which she greedily swallowed. I began to piston, my penis sliding in and out of her soaked pussy, precum mixing in, lubricating her insides. Wet, obscene sounds echoed, followed by Eri’s moans.

“It’s not a dream…” she muttered between kisses. “If it was just once I could have imagined it, but no, I’m here, one with you!”

“Yeah, if it is a dream, it’s one that will go on forever!” I panted, the now-familiar feeling of nearing climax rising once more. I changed angle, thrusting deep into Eri, rubbing against her more sensitive spots, and she too was nearing her orgasm.

“I want… I want it inside me, like before!” Eri shouted, the emotions and pleasure of the moment catching up with her. “I want it!”

I want it too… with a last burst of activity I ground against her insides, repeatedly thrusting, and Eri exploded with pleasure, drool leaking from her mouth, which I licked at greedily. I could feel it… not just my semen, but all the energy within me was rushing down to pool around my sacral chakra and sexual organs. I let out a yell, and my sperm, the volume somewhat diminished after my previous discharges, gushed into Eri’s body.

“Yes, I remember this feeling. Like hot water poured inside me…” Eri gasped, the afterglow of her orgasm joined by the sensation of my own ejaculation, as well as the sudden outrushing of energy from my body that poured into her. During the course of our sex, I had completely lost the ability to see using the Mystic Eyes, but Shaeula was ready.

“Yes-yes, it is happening as I expect. Fascinating, I have never-never heard of such a phenomenon before.” She placed her hand on Eri’s belly. “Have no-no fear, now I understand what I am dealing with, I can make adjustments properly.” Her amber eyes blazed as she started weaving aether into Eri, using her Chirurgery.

“I’m feeling weird.” Eri said as Shaeula worked. “It’s like when I do the exercises you taught me, but it’s so much more intense.”

I had pulled away from Eri, letting Shaeula work, so I just watched in silence as the two naked girls talked, Shaeula moving her hands to various places, face twisted into an expression of intense focus. “Indeed-indeed. Your Astral body is at the fore-fore here, and it is much-much closer to the power of aether, the spiritual. Still, I must-must work on your Material body as well-well. It is quite the challenge, yet having experienced the-the burst of energy first-hand, I can-can better manipulate it.”

The Chirurgery continued for a while, Shaeula being exhausted by the end of it, so now she was resting, her head in my naked lap. She’s still naked too. Damn, I’m starting to feel horny again… no, I’m going to have to hold it in, we’ve done enough.

Eri was flexing her body, again, also still unclothed, an expression of wonder and joy on her face. “I can feel it, the flow of energy, no, aether, isn’t it? And it’s so easy to draw it in!”

“Well it would-would be.” Shaeula answered, her voice cracking with exhaustion. Yeah, you fought two hard battles, made love to me in both the Fae and mortal ways, and then did really hard surgery on Eri. No wonder you are tired… I stroked her head gently as she talked, and she squirmed into a more comfortable position.

“Using the aether that Akio instinctively poured into-into you, and my not inconsiderable talents…” she couldn’t resist boasting, but it was warranted. “I have-have managed to stabilise your chakra network. It is weak-weak indeed, but fully functional, with one exception…” she pouted, annoyed. “Your lunar chakra would not-not become solid, despite my efforts. Still-still, I believe that just like Akio’s did, if you continue to train, it will settle.”

“I won’t let up.” Eri promised. “How could I, after seeing this world? If I am going to be the first wife, I need to be at least as strong as you, right Shaeula?”

“You can dream-dream, Eri.” Shaeula scoffed, but her humour was gentle. “You will have a long-long road ahead if you wish that.”

“But we’ll walk it, the three of us together, right?” Eri said solemnly, and we both nodded. Then she giggled. “Aiko is going to be so jealous, I’m even further ahead of her now!”

“Well, that-that is easily rectified, is it not-not?” Shaeula smirked. “I believe that Akio would pour power into her-her if they were to…”

“Shaeula, no! Bad, bad! No more girls other than us, especially not Aiko! You know that’s so wrong!” Eri protested, and Shaeula burst out in wicked laughter. As they continued to squabble, I looked down at Shaeula in my arms, then over at Eri. What a day this has been. Battles, near-death experiences, Shaeula. Eri. I don’t know whether this is right, but I know that here, in this moment… seeing them fight playfully… it feels right. Once more I confirmed my resolve. We would need strength, so much so that neither anyone on Earth, nor any future threat, would be able to hurt us…