128 Japan (1/2)
Nearly half a day after leaving the frozen ocean, the espers reached the Suruga Bay of Japan. There were three cities located on the bay, one to the north, one to the west, and one to the east. However, the city to the west looked like it had recently been demolished by a massive tsunami.
Tai, Ed, and Rubi stood on the port side of the ship, staring at the devastated city.
”This is the place.” Tai smiled as he eyed the surroundings. ”Seems that Shizuoka was the unlucky victim this time around.”
”The Water Nightmare hit things hard.” Ed sighed while shaking his head. ”There's hardly anything left of it. Reef city was in far better shape after its nightmare attack. Hell, even Atlanta was better than this.”
”Mm.” Tai nodded. ”The Water Nightmare doesn't usually cause as many deaths as the others, but it can easily wipe the slate clean for a coastal city. The economic damages it causes are off the charts.”
”So.” Rubi interrupted the conversation. ”What exactly are we doing here?” She glanced at the ruins of the city. ”I doubt we'll be recruiting anybody from that mess.”
”True.” Tai agreed. ”Any survivors have likely already been shipped out, though there are probably a few newly awakened espers that refused to leave the ruined city. That tends to be the norm after any nightmare attack.” He pointed north, towards the city of Fuji. ”We'll check out the ruined city first, and then head northeast to Fuji to get a map. After that, we'll be going to Mount Fuji to go mutant hunting!”
”Mount Fuji?” Ed's eyes widened in surprise. ”Will the Japanese let us? If that mountain has a manullium mine, then the Japanese government will have a firm grasp on it.”
”It'll be fine.” Tai waved his hand dismissively. ”Hopefully.” He muttered under his breath as he walked away. He began shouting orders to the crew to guard the ship. Only a small task force of a dozen espers were entering Japan so as to minimize any commotion they might cause. After all, they were a ship full of foreigners, so it made sense to attempt being discreet.
Tai, Ed, Rubi, and nine other powerful espers exited the ship. All of them were able to fly, as Tai had wanted the task force to be fast, efficient, and adaptable. Ed stared at the various wind, fire, and light covering the flying espers. Despite having similarities between them, it was obvious that each esper had their own unique power. This was consistent with what Ed had always seen in the past. 'No matter what way I look at it, their powers don't match up with the 49 paths.' He frowned. 'My own original power doesn't match up with a path either, otherwise I would have sensed it by now. What makes stress awakened espers so different?' He wondered.
They soon reached the ruins of Shizuoka. Large lakes of water decorated the ground. What little remnants of the city that remained seemed to consist mostly of the foundations of buildings. Mutants roamed all over the city, making it no safer than the wilderness.
Rubi walked ahead of the group, deterring most of the mutants that came near. Waves of fire pulsated off her body. Each step she took caused the ground to tremble as if there was a miniature earthquake. As most of the mutants in the area were related to water, they were more than happy to avoid the strong rings of fire that continually emitted from her.
”What's her power?” Ed curiously questioned Tai.
”Hmm...” Tai waved his fan towards his face. ”I can't be sure of the exact details, but it seems to be related to vibration, fire, and earth. If she ever manages to walk the seven paths, it'd be better for her to focus on the earth element.
”Oh, and why is that?” He asked.
”That's a secret, but just know that it relates to the steps beyond the paths.” Tai grinned.
”Is it normal for espers to focus on only a single element?” He glanced at Tai. ”I've noticed you only seem to focus on the paths of fire, but from what I know, all natural espers should have at least two elements available to them.”
”Mm.” Tai nodded. ”Dividing your attention too much will usually cause an esper to fall behind their peers. Most espers in China focus on a single element regardless of how many are available to them. If they ever make it far enough in their cultivation or if they reach a dead end, then they might start focusing on other elements.”
”And why haven't you done that?” Ed grinned, knowing Tai had been stalled at the final step of acquiring the purple origin element of fire.
”Humph.” Tai snorted. ”As the heir to the Fire Dragon Sect, how could I possibly switch to another path before mastering fire? I'd be throwing my entire inheritance and face out the window. The old bastards of the sect would install one of their own sons or grandsons to replace me in a heartbeat.”
”Seems like rising to the top of an organization is difficult anywhere.” Ed sighed as he reminisced on his own failings to climb the ranks of various groups before he had set out to create his own. He knew that he had actually gotten quite lucky with how thing had worked out so smoothly in the early stages, though most of it had been ruined by the government soon after.
As the group continued their journey, they came across a series of simple barricades and fences. It seemed to be a temporary settlement similar to the one Ed had stayed in at Reef City in the past.
Suddenly, several men wielding steam rifles peered over the fences. Their eyes quickly widened in shock and fear as they saw Rubi's powers still in effect. ”FILTHY ESPERS!” One of the men yelled in Japanese. ”This is Sinless territory! Leave or we'll shoot!” He threateningly aimed the gun at them.
”What'd he say?” Rubi turned around and questioned Tai, confusion covering her face.
Tai was just about to speak when Ed suddenly interrupted him. ”They said they're with Sinless and that they want us to leave or they'll shoot.”
”Bastards!” Rubi yelled as she slammed her fist together. ”They want to start something with me?!”
”Calm down, calm down.” Tai hurriedly gestured towards her before turning to Ed. ”You know Japanese?” He questioned, surprise covering his face.
Ed rubbed his forehead, confusion evident in his eyes. ”No, I've never learned any languages other than English...”
”Can you understand what I'm saying right now?” Tai asked.
”Of course I can.” He frowned. ”But that's not English...?”
”Right, it was Mandarin.” Tai nodded while rubbing his chin. ”Tell me, Ed. You've absorbed souls in the past, right?”
”A couple of times.” He nodded.