The Second Archon War, Imperatix Umberosa 5 (Patreon)

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Sometimes, especially at night, Ami was still sad. She knew her parents were dead, and she had gone to the shrine near the Thunder Sakura tree to put up pictures of them and burn some incense in their memory. Murasaki had lit the sticks for her, and she’d said a prayer, hoping that her mother and father would be happy, wherever they were.

“Raiden, what happens to people when they die?” Ami asked, frowning at the ceiling as she lay staring up at the floor.

“They pass on to the Realm of Souls, where they remain for a time, before they are reborn anew,” Raiden answered, looking up from one of Ami’s manga. They’d brought her stuff from her old home to the hotel room, and Raiden had seemed interested in the Hello Kitty comics.

“Ok.” Ami sniffled, and Murasaki came and nuzzled at her, crooning softly.

To her surprise, Raiden set down the comic and came to kneel by Ami’s bed. “You are troubled by your parents' deaths.”

It wasn’t really a question, but Ami nodded, her throat feeling like someone had grabbed it and she couldn’t swallow. She sniffled again, scrubbing at her tears.

“Do not be ashamed. Sorrow is a part of life. Shed your tears, and then move on. A warrior must never allow themselves to look backwards, only forwards.”

“What about you? Will you die?” Ami whispered.

Raiden was silent, and reached out, stroking Ami’s hair gently. “Eventually, even the gods fade away, like the passing of thunder. But it is my will to bring about Eternity in Japan. A nation and a people who will endure forever, never eroding, never failing, an endless cycle of constant rebirth, a storm that will never cease.”

“I’d like that,” Ami whispered, sitting up and trying to smile. “Can we do something? I…I’m bored of sitting around just reading manga and watching TV…”

It had been a week since she’d been rescued by Raiden, and a few days since those jerks in Tokyo had said Raiden was a bad person. That was obviously a lie. Raiden was Awesome and Super Cool and clearly could never do anything bad, ever. That was just impossible.

“I suppose it would be good to go out amongst the people. Get dressed, and we shall go for a walk.”

The clothes that Ami had now were not like the old clothes she’d had. They were very fancy; a silk kimono, and instead of sneakers, she had the funny wooden shoes. The kimono was pretty and very comfortable, but she sort of wanted her sneakers back. Raiden wore the funny wooden shoes though, and if Ami wanted to be cool like Raiden, she had to dress like her.

Outside the hotel door, Mushu stood up from where he’d been sitting when they came out. He wasn’t wearing his sentai uniform any more, having traded it in for a green kimono. He had two swords now, which was really cool. Ami wanted a sword, but she’d been too afraid to ask Raiden. Most grownups seemed to think cool stuff like swords was too dangerous for kids, even if Ami was already eight. She would be nine on October 19th, which was almost ten!

“Take us to where there are shops. I wish to purchase several books,” Raiden told Mushu. His real name was Kenta Wang, but everyone called him Mushu anyway because he was a super cool sentai.

“As you wish,” Mushu agreed, and led Raiden and Ami outside. Furtively, Ami reached her hand out to Raiden, and smiled when Raiden silently took it. Raiden wasn’t her mom, of course, but, well, she was the grownup who was looking after Ami, so she was kinda like a mom. Murasaki floated along at her side, seeming excited to finally be leaving the hotel.

Outside, Ami looked around eagerly, watching as the people went by. Nagasaki wasn’t like it used to be, with a lot of rebuilding and many people still living in tents, which Raiden visited and sometimes Ami got to come along. Off in the distance, Ami could see the flicker of lightning as bolts reached down, striking the Thunder Sakura tree that made the electricity work.

The people moving around didn’t look as sad as they used to just a week ago. They still didn’t move about as happily as they were before the attack, but Ami could see people laughing and talking to one another. A lot of them had started wearing kimonos and wooden shoes too. It wasn’t most of them, but anything that Raiden did was automatically cool, so Ami understood why people would copy her.

The cars still mostly weren’t working, since Raiden couldn’t make gas. Kenichi said they could make electric cars to run off the Thunder Sakura, which Ami thought would be nice. For now though, they could walk, as the shops weren’t too far from the hotel.

As they went, people bowed to Raiden, murmuring prayers and thanks to her. A couple looked upset and moved out of her way without bowing, earning them a glare from Mushu, but Raiden ignored them, striding along without a care in the world.

Mushu brought them first to a bookstore that had some interesting books, but was mostly boring. It had lots of adult books, and Raiden had Mushu pick out several volumes for her about history and politics and other grown up stuff. They did have a Mulan book, which Ami asked Raiden if she could get, and Raiden said yes!

Then Raiden just picked the books up and started to leave, which made Ami pull on her sleeve. “You have to pay for them. You can’t steal.”

Raiden blinked, then actually blushed faintly. “Ah, yes. It has been…some time since I have gone out amongst the mortals. Too long.”

It turned out Raiden didn’t have any money, and the shopkeeper tried to give her all the books for free, talking about what a great honor it was to have Her Excellency grace their shop.

“No. An offering can be of food or spirits, or of one’s self, but not a book,” Raiden said firmly. She wrote out a note, which she sealed by burning an intricate design of three spiked helixes and sakura blooms upon it. “Take this to the treasury, and they shall give you what you are owed.”

“Uh, my lady…I can just use my credit card,” Mushu said, coughing and handing it over.

“Credit card?” Raiden asked, frowning.

“Uh, yes. I suppose I could pay with cash, I do have my wallet with me,” Mushu explained.

Then Raiden made Mushu get his wallet out, and show her the various bills and coins he had. She held up a 500 yen, studying the Paulownia plant on it. A bit of electricity sparked, and Raiden shook her head. “I sense no potential within this piece. It is not like mora. What investiture gives this coin value?”

“Well, uh…” Mushu looked helplessly to the shopkeeper, who looked embarrassed.

“Daddy said money is a ‘fiat currency.’ I dunno what that means but he said that we don’t use gold or silver or sea shells anymore, and that money is just valuable because we say so. He said something about dollars and oil too but I didn’t understand it,” Ami explained. She pointed to the coins and bills. “Those are yen, not mora. They make ‘em at the bank and daddy watches them until people do some work, then he gives the money to their boss and the boss pays them and that’s the ‘economy.’ Daddy said the economy was bad because Leviathan was eating all the ships and Japan was getting poor, but you killed Leviathan so now we can be rich again!”

“Your father was a banker?” Raiden asked.

Ami nodded, then sniffed and looked down. “Yeah. I miss him.”

“He seems a wise man, to have instructed his daughter so well. Thank you, Ami,” Raiden said, and patted Ami on the head. That made her feel a lot better, and she smiled happily.

Mushu got to carry the heavy books, which was a lot like when daddy went shopping with Ami and mommy. When they left, Raiden saw an ice cream store, and walked over, looking eagerly at the sweets.

“No, you haven’t had dinner yet. You have to eat your dinner before you get ice cream,” Ami said, pointing to a WcDonalds. “Also, they got ice cream there too, and also burgers!”

Raiden wrinkled her nose. “I do not wish to eat a booger.”

Mushu snorted and started coughing, while Ami sighed heavily. “No, a BUR-GER. And fries! And don’t say flies, it’s not funny. Come on, I’ll show you!”

Soon, Raiden and Ami both had Happy Meals. She hadn’t realized until she’d ordered that Raiden was a grown up and probably didn’t want a Happy Meal, but Raiden didn’t seem to mind, taking out her burger and studying it.

“Thanks for the food!” Ami said. She paused, considering. “Do you say thanks? Since you’re the Thunder God and all.”

“I say thank you to whoever has prepared a meal for me. It is only polite. I…I do not cook. After the last incident…so many dead…it is best if I do not.”

Ami shrugged, and eagerly bit into her burger. Raiden ate as well, her expression lighting up as she tried the greasy food. “This is quite excellent! It reminds me of cuisine from Mondstadt! They favored bread, meat, and potatoes as well, though not in such a wonderful combination.”

“Where’s Mondstadt?” Ami asked curiously, taking out her toy. Darn. She got the stupid cricket Cri-Kee instead of a cool one like Mulan with her armor or Mushu and his gong.

“It is…far away,” Raiden said absently, looking sorrowful for a moment.

“What toy did you get?” Ami asked, pointing to Raiden’s box as she fed Murasaki some french fries.

Raiden reached within, pulling out Shan-Yu, which made Ami sigh.

“You got the bad guy…”

“Hmm, yes. A villain most foul,” Raiden agreed, and picked up her drink. She took a sip, and her eyes shot open wide. She hastily guzzled it, then pushed the cup at Mushu. “I require more! What was that nectar?!”

“Um…coke?” Ami said. Not knowing that she had just introduced the Raiden Shogun to both highly concentrated sugar AND caffeine in one cup. The world would never be the same.

Raiden ended up drinking six cups of coke and eating an extra large ice cream cone, and most of Ami’s extra large ice cream cone, because Ami just ate the cone and left the part in the cup alone.

“An excellent repast. Now, where is the store that sells the Hello Kitty books?” Raiden asked.

“You mean, a manga store?” Ami asked. She suddenly grinned. “Can we get Card Captor Sakura!? Mom says I’m old enough now, I have the first volume!”

“Yes, I intend to find more of Sakura’s adventures, I found them most interesting,” Raiden agreed.

“Uh, are you sure, your excellency? That’s otaku stuff,” Mushu said, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“Yes. I must read the rest of her adventures,” Raiden decreed, and Mushu reluctantly led them to a manga store.

Upon arrival, Raiden went up to the awestruck proprietor and demanded, “Do you have Cardcaptor Sakura?”

“Um…yes?” the owner said, slowly standing up and looking a bit confused. The other patrons of the store looked equally awed, several of them bowing to Raiden or whispering amongst themselves.

“I will take one of every volume. Do you have any other works by the author? What was their name?”

“CLAMP!” Ami supplied. “And my friend Natomi told me about Inuyasha! Do you have that too?”

“Uh…yes…yes we do! I see you’re a shojo fan, your Excellency!”

“I am not a little girl,” Raiden said darkly, looking suddenly baleful.

“I am! We want manga!” Ami said. Then she noticed the figure of Sakura, in her cute outfit with her staff and some cards too! She raced over, eagerly taking the figure off the shelf. Then she noticed the price tag, and her expression fell: 5000 yen was definitely too much.

“Ah, you have a toy of Sakura. Ami would like it. She would also like the one of Syaoran, and the stuffed Kero as well,” Raiden ordered.

Yen signs in his eyes, the shop owner hastily piled up several dozen volumes of manga and the expensive figures.

“Tell me, do you have a card game known as Genius Invocation TCG? I had heard tell of it before,” Raiden asked.

“Genius Invocation TCG? Can’t say that I have,” the shop owner said. “We, uh, we have Pokémon cards though…”

“I like Pokémon!” Ami said eagerly.

And that was how they bought every single booster box the store had, along with a link cable, two Game Boys, and Pokemon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. Mushu was looking a little worried by the end of the spree, but Raiden patted him on the shoulder.

“Do not fear, the treasury will refund you.”

“You don’t have a treasury,” Mushu grumbled.

“Do we not collect taxes?” Raiden asked, sounding puzzled.

“Er, well-”

“I must speak with the Mayor then. Taxes should be levied, and a portion given to the Shogun as tribute,” Raiden said with a shake of her head. “I always let Yae or the Tri-Commision handle such things, but it seems I have been lax. I will rectify this.”

“As you say,” Mushu said, sighing. “Good thing I had some savings from before. Guess I”ll need a merch line now that I’m on the side of the angels.”

“Wait, are you Mushu?! Can you sign some stuff for me!?” the owner asked.

Mushu opened his mouth, but Ami held up a hand. “Only if you give him a discount!”

She wasn’t really sure what that was, but her mom was always saying you should buy things if you could get a discount.

“How does 10% sound?” the owner offered.

Ami looked at Mushu, who shrugged. She turned back and gave the owner a thumbs up, and Mushu and Raiden signed several things before they left, Mushu now heavily laden with the results of their spree.

Ami skipped along, Murasaki floating along with her, content. It was getting late, but she wasn’t sleepy yet. This was the most fun she’d had in a long time, and-

Murasaki suddenly growled, and Raiden held out a hand, protecting Ami. An instant later, there was a popping sound, and five people, four men and a woman, appeared in an alley nearby.

One of the men yelled something in American, and all four men ran forward, howling like demons. Ami screamed and ducked down as one drew a knife, which became a dozen knives, and threw them all with a gesture at Raiden. Another split into two and jumped Mushu, both clones bearing clubs with nails hammered into them. Another assailant grew four additional arms, a gun in each hand pointed at Raiden. The girl in the alley conjured up a bubble around herself, floating into the air as she drew a gun as well..

“Inferior,” Raiden said in a bored tone.

She drew her sword in flash, and both the men attacking her fell to the ground, dead. There was a roar behind them, and Mushu became a long, sinuous dragon with whiskers that crackled with lightning, twin horns of purple crystal. Man cried out and made another clone, but Mushu’s claws ripped both in half before his breath flickered out, lightning striking the man dead on the spot.

The fourth survived, but only because Murasaki had zapped him with lightning, causing him to fall to the ground, where the little dragon pounced on him, savaging the man’s face with savage bites.

“Get him, get him Murasaki!” Ami urged. She looked up to see the bubble woman screaming and firing her guns. Raiden jumped into the air, slashing with her sword, which sparked slightly. Ami’s eyes went wide as she realized that Raiden had just cut the bullets out of the air. Then Raiden cut the hand of the girl off, and drove her to the ground.

“Who are you?” Raiden asked, even as the girl screamed and wailed, holding up stumps that gushed blood and made Ami feel sick. No. That girl had tried to hurt her and Raiden! She was a Bad Guy!

“Hmph.” Raiden touched the girl, and lightning flashed. The bleeding stopped, but the girl whimpered, cradling her smokin stumps to her chest.

“I ask again: Who are you?”

“Fuck you, Nip. Leviathan rise again!” She said in broken Japanese, then the woman started speaking American, apparently only having learned the Bad Words in Japanese.

“Pathetic,” Raiden said with a snort. She stood, even as two policemen ran down the street, blowing whistles frantically. The people around them had panicked, some running, others falling to the ground in horror and awe.

“Take this wretch into custody. And that one as well, if he lives,” Raiden said, motioning the groaning man Murasaki had finished with. His face was a bloody mask, which made Ami realize that having WcDonald’s and ice cream for dinner wasn’t healthy as she brought it back up.

Raiden ended up carrying Ami home that night, and putting her to bed. As she lay there, Raiden gently stroking her forehead, Ami asked, “Can I learn to use a sword like you and beat up bad guys?”

“Of course. The blade is an important art for any young lady of breeding. We shall begin your instruction tomorrow,” Raiden agreed.

Ami decided her new mommy was amazing all over again. Even if she did get very sick with what Mushu called “lactose intolerance” later that night.

Once, the sight of not just one, but two United States Carrier Battle Groups had been enough to bring any rogue nation to heel, and check even global powers like the now defunct USSR or the former People's Republic of China. It had been the ultimate expression of global military power, unmatched in its might and ability to be anywhere on the global in a frighteningly short amount of time, then deliver a massive amount of firepower even far inland.

Now, Alexandria mused, she herself could sink every ship in the fleet in relatively little time. There were few major countries that didn’t have at least one or two capes capable of the same, be they a tinker with a superweapon, a blaster who could melt holes in the best ship’s armor, or a master who could drive the crews mad and turn them on one another.

The day of the common sailor or soldier and the machines they used being supreme on the battlefield was over. That said, the United States still had a powerful military, and its carriers were still a potent expression of political and military will.

Still, the fact that the aging CV-62 Independence was a part of this fleet showed the decline of even US military dominance. The aging carrier should have been retired by now, but with global shipping devastated and the once unstoppable US economy teetering on the brink, there had been no new carrier hulls laid down, and the Navy was doing its best with what it had.

For now, Alexandria was aboard the flagship CV-66 America, engaging in some of her least favorite duties.

“-confirmed it was the Fallen, specifically the Cowleys who attacked Raiden,” Ambassador Christopher was saying, looking at some papers in his hands as he continued his report. “We sent you the footage we managed to get.”

“I saw,” Alexandria said, making a slight face. It had been utterly brutal and ruthless. All five Cowleys, considered potent enough capes on their own, attacked from complete ambush and even broke the Rules by using guns.

They had been like sheep to the slaughter. Raiden had barely even slowed down, and Mushu had revealed a new form. It was odd for a Shifter to show what was a radically different form after an established one, but not unheard of. The little girl was some sort of Master or perhaps Tinker, and they had to gather information on her as well. Reports indicated Raiden had taken on an orphan as a ward after killing Irezumi for killing the girl’s parents. Not unusual for a nascent warlord to take on other capes, though what Raiden was doing buying a bunch of comics and toys was anyone's guess.

Or whatever Raiden’s fixation with Mulan was. Alexandria hadn’t seen the movie, she didn’t have time for such things, but it couldn’t have been that good.

“There were two other attacks today. Seems there are enough idiots willing to take you up on that insane Kill Order you issued, but they were all small timers who were turned into grease stains before anyone could ID them,” the ambassador continued.

“The real heavy hitters will bide their time,” Alexandria said with a shrug. “The Crowleys are to be expected. They were Fallen cultists, and Raiden just killed their god.”

“Speaking of gods, I know it’s in the report, but I want to reiterate that Raiden’s started a genuine religious movement here,” Christopher warned, taking off his glasses and frowning into the camera.

“Japan had various cults that worshiped capes before, and it’s hardly unique in that,” Alexandria said dismissively. There were even some groups that worshiped her, which was unbelievably creepy.

“Yes, but those didn’t break into the mainstream. Ms. Alexandria, I don’t think you fully appreciate how widespread the worship of Raiden has become here in only three weeks,” Christopher said, his tone half pleading, half grim. “The newscasters are referring to her in ways that indicate divinity. Shrines everywhere have put up pictures or totems to her as the reincarnation of Amateratsu or the Buddha or what have you. She’s got serious groundswell in a country that if you’d asked me last month I would have said was mostly indifferent to religion.”

“She’s that popular already?” Alexandria asked, frowning and sitting up slightly.

“No offense, but she’s an Endslayer. People are grumpy the world over from what I can tell, though a lot of folks are also upset because of that whole power outage thing. A few claim it wasn’t her, but I think that’s just denial. That’s not really an issue in Japan, as power was mostly out here anyway. We got hit by those Earthquakes, sure, but it’s real hard to tell which of those were from Leviathan trying to sink Kyushu and which were from Raiden,” Christopher explained.

“In your evaluation, is she a threat?” Alexandria asked.

That got a snort from the ambassador. “Now you ask me? Bit late for that. Sorry, sorry. The answer is complicated, but my gut says yes. She’s got Tokyo real nervous, and she looks like she’s making a power play. She’s even declared herself the Shogun, you know what that means?”

“I’m aware. That’s going to tap into Japanese nationalistic sentiment.”

“No kidding. She’s got some support in the government from the rightwingers, and some moderates. Generally the types who don’t like us filthy gaijin anyway, a sentiment Raiden shares. My analysis is that she’d be an unmitigated disaster for the United States if she takes power. Almost as much of one as that Kill Order was.”

“It was necessary,” Alexandria stated firmly. “We cannot be seen to allow capes to escape the consequences of their actions even if they can take out an Endbringer. The price was too high.”

“I think the Japanese would mostly disagree with you,” Christopher sighed, as someone from off camera called to him. “They-what? No shit? Right now?”

“What’s going on?” Alexandria asked.

“Turn on the news,” Christopher said. “BBC’s picked it up, so has CNN.”

Alexandria turned on a second television, and a moment later tuned it to the news.

“We return now to our latest breaking story: The CUI has declared war on Raiden earlier today, along with the People’s Republic of Korea. Analysts are reporting that there’s a massive build up of ships outside Japanese territorial waters, and that they have made comments that the Yangban will take any means necessary to remove Raiden, up to and including an invasion of Japan.”

“Fucking hell,” Christopher swore, shaking his head. “This is gonna be bad.”

“Let Japan know that the United States and the Protectorate can do nothing to intervene so long as Raiden remains at large,” Alexandria said, standing.

Christopher’s eyebrows rose. “That’s the play? Well, I’ll need to check in with the State Department and the President before I do anything.”

“Make the call, and do it fast,” Alexandria said, and turned off her television. Then she went to inform the Admiral. Things were accelerating quickly. But so far, all according to plan.

Within the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, an old man sat with his advisors in the garden, sipping tea. Unlike many of those in the City, the Emperor remembered the last time Japan had been at war, and the disastrous consequences. Though he had left the city during the Firebombing of Tokyo, he had seen the aftermath, and had known many who had died in that great conflagration and the war.

“So, China looks to settle its grudge with us,” one of the other old men commented as they watched the sunset.

“So it seems,” the Emperor agreed. During his life, the Emperor had never had any real power. His father had been more than just a figurehead at the start of his reign, but had not ended it as such. Privately, the Emperor had always felt his father had led the country to ruin and somewhat envied him his throne. But only in his weaker moments.

“What will we do?” another asked.

“I have already done something,” the Emperor said quietly, looking into his cup of tea.

“You’ve spoken to the Prime Minister?”

“Yes, but he insists we can solve this matter with diplomacy, or perhaps the Americans,” the Emperor said, making a face.

“That’s folly! Surely we could-”

“I have made my decision. I may not have the power of my ancestors, but I am still the Emperor. Prepare the throne room for the morning,” the Emperor ordered, and stood, groaning softly as his old bones ached. He was too old for this. The world he’d been born into had been different. No capes. No demons. No gods. How much had changed.

He went to his bed, where he embraced his wife, then lay down, unable to sleep. In his mind, he had already resolved that he was to be the last Emperor. A small price to pay.

He arose before dawn, and dressed in his finest robes, then seated himself on the Chrysanthemum Throne.

And with the dawn, She came.

She was dressed in antiquated purple lacquered armor, with an ornate kabuto and menpo that showed the face of an angry god, lightning flashing in her eyes. She bore the two swords at her side, not even discarding them to come into his presence. She was accompanied by a dozen retainers, each of them dressed in a traditional kimono and bearing the swords of samurai, their backs emblazoned with that three forked helix she had taken as her symbol. At her side, of all things, was a young girl of no more than eight, who bore her standard. Odd, that choice. The standard was of the finest purple silk on a traditional sashimono that depicted a purple background, with a white circle that showed a sakura tree bearing more of the triple forked helixes.

Though her retainers bowed to the Chrysanthemum throne, she did not. The reporters in the room quietly took their pictures as their cameras rolled. The Emperor was old, but he knew how the game was played. He stood from his throne, something that simply was not done.

And then he bowed. Not too deeply, a bow between equals. And Raiden returned it, though slightly less deep than his.

Perhaps that was appropriate, considering what he was about to say.

“Lady Amateratsu. Japan has need of you once more,” he said.

“Speak, Emperor of Japan. I am listening,” Raiden said, her voice crackling like thunder through her mask, and filling the room to the point that many flinched.

“Once more the land comes under threat, from one more grievous than even the demon Leviathan that assaulted our shores such a short time ago. We are beset on all sides. We name  you our Shogun, and ask that as Shogun, you defend Japan and its people from these foreigners who would destroy us,” the Emperor said, raising his fan and pointing towards the West.

“So I have heard. There is a legend in these lands. The legend of the Kamikaze, the Divine Storm that swept away barbarian hordes that would have destroyed this land twice before.”

Raiden slowly rose up in the air, a nimbus of power beginning to radiate around her as she spread her arms. “I am the Kamikaze. I am Raiden, the Narukami Oshogo, God of Eternity and of Japan. These mortals shall know my wrath for daring to insult me, and threaten my people. Know this, O Emperor. Your prayers are answered this day. No foreign soldier shall set one foot upon my soil, no alien vessel of war shall foul my waters. I go now, so that the Divine Storm will safeguard Japan once more!”

With a crackle of thunder, Raiden vanished. the Emperor sank back into his throne, feeling exhausted.

It was done. But at what price?