Otogibanashi (IC)

[Verg Avesta]

Ryuuan Kamei
Morning
Rashomon Gashi

"Oyakata-sama?"

Ikkou's voice finally snapped Kamei from his reverie. For a moment, he felt as if he had been in a long slumber. That girl's, that dancer's way of moving, her elegance... it had mesmerized the ever-hungry man. It was like a painting that he wanted to hang on his wall, a beautifully painted scroll to add to his collection, a foreign work of art to display on his desk... he wanted to own it. To add it to his collection.

But while he had been captivated by its beauty, the bird had flown elsewhere, along with its current guardians. Not to mention there was something more important to focus at the moment.

"Ikkou," Ryuuan's deep voice called out to the courtesan. "Send runners to the establishments we are still respected in, but be discreet. We need to find out if the women on the display windows at night have seen anyone. The police... they are focused on their leads of magic and its ilk, but what they fail to understand is the nature of humans. This is a city. Nothing stays hidden. Humans are all pack animals, and nothing goes unseen, no matter how well hidden. We simply need to catch the red thread to follow."

"U-understood, Oyakata-sama," Ikkou said and bowed deeply to Kamei. "What will you do in the meantime?"

"I think it's time I visited some of my esteemed guests," Kamei said and scratched his chin. "I expect some of the yakuza are still sleeping off their hangovers at Rakka-ya. I shall talk to them. I shall find out what they know. I want to find if there is something else that connects these victims other than their gender."

Having said that, Ryuuan Kamei pushed his way through the crowd to return to his brothel. Well, pushed may be a wrong word. People automatically hurried out of his way, a man towering over most and shaded by a paper umbrella of immense size. The green girl next to her told of his status, and not many wanted to cross him. As Kamei walked, he paid special attention to the monk that had been gazing after the dancer. Most of the attention the girl had gathered was innocent enough, but others...

... well, you could never be too sure.

[palad1n]

Shiratsuyu-Hime
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

Shiratsuyu doesn't know whether to be horrified or thankful.

As she saw the man fell unconscious from the punch, Shiratsuyu instinctively took a step back. The young woman who had "saved" her is tall, and with one eye covered with an eye patch she was quite the intimidating figure to say the least. She opened her lips, trying to say something, but found herself to be tongue-tied; the princess realized that she really has no idea whether the young woman had truly saved her from something terrible or if she's an aggressive person who attacked someone who hasn't done anything yet.

But from how she spoke, Shiratsuyu wanted to believe that she's the former.

"I... thank you." She began, bowing in appreciation despite realizing that the woman probably dislikes someone of her stature if her saying of 'princess' is of any indication. She really wanted to go back now, realizing how out-of-place she is in the outside world like this, but at the very least she'll wait to see whether the young woman had anything to say to her.

It's the least that she could do for her savior.

[Katie]

Kurogane Kanae
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

A relieved sigh escapes her lips. It sounds as gentle as freshly powdered snow. All her stress is released, as if she has a priest exorcise her demons. This brief moment of tranquility is absolute bliss. She feels like a real human being relishing in doing a good deed, acting on her passions yet performing moral acts all the same. Only people could even care about this kind of nuance.

A demon still lurks in her heart, though, and it tells her that she should destroy this man even further. Tear him to shreds. Make him pay for the thought of even sinning. Her hands shake with an inhuman fury, and she clenches them, looking at the girl she just saved.

Her clothes—imperial. An actual princess. How absolutely funny.

“Don’t thank me,” Kanae says, lip quivering. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You should… you should find your bodyguards and go.”

[palad1n]

Shiratsuyu-Hime
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

Shiratsuyu doesn't know why the woman's lips quiver when she said that, but she merely nodded and started to turn and leaves, not wanting to stay in this place any longer than she should have.

But...

"Thank you, kind stranger."

She believes that the young woman has a good heart, so she thanked her savior one more time before walking away, hoping that she wouldn't meet more trouble on her way back to the castle.

[Katie]

Kurogane Kanae
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

It suddenly dawns on her that she is throwing away a lead, someone who could possibly guide her on the right track about that shipment. Her family’s blades, stolen and repurposed as gifts to appease the nobility and the shogunate. They are her birthright and hers alone. And she will get them back, no matter what it takes.

The reaffirmation of her current goal, something more solid than nebulous revenge, reignites her drive, and her passion, and she decides to catch up with the girl, the pace easily doable. It’s hard to miss someone like her.

“Apologies,” she says, “I forgot something.”

Kanae realizes she looks incredibly indecisive, shame and embarrassment repressed underneath the surface of her ironclad exterior. It’s merely a question to a social superior. There are many things to be worried about, but the mistake has already been made.

“Do you know anything about an imperial shipment to Edo? Bearing the finest arms a metalworker could produce.”

[Kirby]

Asakami Shiori
Morning
Forests Near the Main Road

The man appears to calm down, at much as one can calm down at sword point, as he steadies his breath. He still looks nervously at your eyes, aware that something’s not off about them, but he can’t quite tell what yet. You feel a faint sense of tentative confidence in him now, as he’s thinked you’ve been convinced.

“We— us, all of us— we were hired for this. I don’t know the details, but—” he looks frustrated, as he frantically tries to remember more, to convince you not to kill him.

“A lord! I-it was a lord! I never saw ‘im myself, but that’s what they said, they said we’d made it big, I only know because Boss brought us along for the ride, but he said, he said— the lord sent someone for this job, told us to raid some convoy passing by at this time of day, to bring the statue to him—”

He shakes his head. “He said he’d pay us, some up front and some later, gave boss a weird mask and said it’d make him unbeatable, unrivaled. And, and…”

He frantically searches for something to say, but fails to come up with anything else. From what you can gather, he probably has nothing that he knows, no more information to spill.

[palad1n]

Shiratsuyu-Hime
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

While the young woman catching up to her was unexpected, the question she asked is even more so.

Shiratsuyu stopped walking, thinking about the implication of the question. Why would she need to know about an imperial shipment, one which bears their finest arms? She might just be curious, but somehow the princess knew that wasn't the case; the fact that her savior had let her go before catching up to ask the question means that this information is important for her. If she were to have any knowledge about it, she's sure that she would be extremely nervous, trying to decide whether to tell the woman or not with their respective consequences.

Thankfully she doesn't have that knowledge, so she answered the question truthfully.

"I did hear about an imperial shipment to Edo." Shiratsuyu confirmed before giving an apologetic smile. "However, I'm afraid I didn't know any details more than that; even the fact that it bears the finest arms a metalworker could produce is a news for me."

Having finished all that she needed to say, the princess merely waited for the incoming disappointment from the young woman, the same apologetic smile still present on her face.

Even if it hurts, she needed to keep her composure as a member of the imperial family.

[Kirby]

Fujou Ran & Kuze Yuzuha
Morning
Rashomon Gashi

Shinsui blinked.

“What, wha—”

Fujou Ran & Kuze Yuzuha
Morning
A Roadside Inn

You all find yourselves in an inn, by the roads near the Yoshiwara entrance, sitting around a table; Ran and Shinsui on one side, and Yuzuha on the other. The table is silent, and the inn relatively empty, save for an old man fanning himself in the corner, sipping on bowls of wine, seemingly too inebriated to notice or care for your presence. The silence is awkward. A young waitress comes over and sets a pot of tea at the table. She pours the tea, steam rising from chipped cups.

Today, they’re serving grilled chicken skewers, and dango.

Shinsui fidgets uncomfortably at the table, shooting looks of irritation at Ran, and looks of what could either be apprehension or discomfort or wariness at Yuzuha— though of what, only one of you should have an idea. He tries to keep a dignified act, but it’s clear he’s out of his element here. If anything, even more so than he looked at the flower town.

The waitress, done with the tea, gives a polite bow and leaves to the back room. Her eyes linger on Shinsui for a moment, and she hurries out. You see Shinsui trying not to scowl.

Shinsui seems content enough to not speak, taking care to look at anything but the two of you. For a moment, his and Yuzuha’s eyes meet, but he breaks contact as soon as it came.

And so you’re left in silence again.

[Kirby]

Kimura Amana
Morning
Forests Near the Main Road

The man’s dying, but he seems to consider you for a moment. Perhaps a last act of spite, against those who led him and his comrades to his death. He manages to choke out only a single word.

Flowertown—

And so he dies before you can end his pain, mouth ajar mid-breath, eyes glassed over.

For a moment, silence. One of the other guards approaches you.

“Shall we get going? Or wait for her?” He looks to the forests, the direction the other Hunter girl had disappeared off to. “To be frank, she should be capable of making it back on her own, considering her talents. Given the present situation, it wouldn’t do to wait, lest reinforcements arrive.”

And that was true; Edo was close, and your destination nearly within reach. But you sense that there’s another reason to his desire to head out.

You feel something in this forest. Something in your Hunter’s blood, like sparks of fire. It’s not the same reaction you feel when confronted by a demon, but it’s something. Perhaps residual energy from the mask, or the coalescing grudges of the slain bandits, or traces of something that once walked here before. You feel a violent repulsion brooding in your blood, but your normal senses see nothing but a silent forest.

[Kirby]

Ryuuan Kamei
Morning
Rashomon Gashi

You make your way through the streets, out to visit some frequent associates. Some had holdings in the flowertown, running the theatres and brothels, and in some cases, gambling dens, though those were usually more out of the way in these parts, lest government agents catch hold of them.

You make your way to the north of town, where the crowds had thinned, approaching the establishment of a certain Kurosumi, whose “family” had owned the land since before you were what you are. They were owners a kabuki theatre tied to a brothel, that dealt partially of the likes of their own onnagata actors. While that alone did not make them yakuza, they were rumored to have been connected to a series of gambling dens on the outskirts. As the owner of the Rakka-ya, you knew these rumors to be true.

They were also prolific enough so that nothing in the flower town could escape their eyes— at least, you hope this still is the case.

As you approach the venue, another figure passes you by, just leaving the establishment. From their appearance, it’s unclear whether or not they’re a man or a woman, but you immediately recognize them as a yakuza— a member of the Ryougi family, if you recognized the tattoos on their back. A family that even you knew little about, other than that they were feared, though for what reason, such was never made clear.

The figure passes by you without so much as a glance.

You reach the gates, and several of the staff greet you. They look unnerved, tense, though whether from the visit before, or your visit now, you can’t quite say. Before they let you enter, however, a man appears at the door. The owner of the establishment.

“Oh?” A faint smile. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of your patronage, Mister Rashomon?”

[You]

Fujou Ran
Morning
A Roadside Inn

MP: 420/430

Enjoying some of the dango, Ran looked at the other two apprehensively. The Oumono looked very nervous to say the least. It was expected though, they were on official Organization business and here was the Nora. But, was it really that much of an issue though? A bureaucrat like Ran would know.

Yes, it was a big issue.

But honestly, was it really that big of an issue.

No matter how many times Ran asked himself that question the answer was always yes, it was a pretty big issue.

What was less of an issue was how when they had entered the store Ran had cast a ward around the table. The old man in the corner may seem to be drunk, but in a city like there, the walls had ears. And considering this was already a big issue, Ran didn't want to make the issue any bigger.

Ran smiled to the dancer and introduced himself as an official who worked at the city and like she had seen, they were investigating what happened at Rashomon Gashi.

"Your skills and abilities were certainly unique. Do you mind introducing yourself to us and answering a few questions about what happened?"

[Kirby]

Kurogane Kanae
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

With a disappointing answer, you’re left alone again.

You’re mostly out of leads. They have, at this point, all either gone or dried up, and all you’re left with is the knowledge that the shipment is, if it exists, probably somewhere out in the highways. Like that’s helpful.

It does strike you as strange that a member of the Imperial family wouldn’t know anything about such a shipment, especially one of this importance, but then again, she doesn’t seem like she’s linked with the military or the shogunate. Perhaps those of her standing aren’t as well-informed about this sort of thing?

Whatever she does or doesn’t know, you’re alone again. All there really is left for you to do is to wander.

So you’re walking about the town, eyes peels for people to ask, only coming across low-level clerks and vagabond ronin. It’s only morning, but it’s hot, the sun beating down like embers, making the air stuffy and chafing and an all-around pain to breathe. The smell of this place doesn’t help, either, what with being the sticks and all. That’s not what catches your attention, though. You’re being trailed.

They’re trying to be discrete, but they’re failing badly at it. You notice, lurking out of the corners of the alleys following you a good distance back here and there, muscled men, tattooed men, men with blades hanging at from their sides and scowls and glares from their faces. You come across a clearing, a village square, and see them. They lurk wordless, silently watching, like a cat after their prey, backs arched to pounce. But they don’t move. You have a faint inkling of what could’ve earned their interest.

The other villagers are hurrying inside now, closing doors and windows, hushed whispers and hurried movements, eyes averted and fearful. You stop.

Now, what could a bunch of men like them want with a gal like you?

[Kirby]

Shiratsuyu-Hime
Morning
Somewhere?

You’re lost.

You can’t quite remember the way you came, and that fact’s starting to dawn on you, a gnawing panic rising in your chest. You intended to head back to the castle, where you’d be staying for the time being, but you can’t even find that.

You headed back to the main city, leaving the village behind. And that’s about all the progress you’ve made

Townspeople mill about you, shooting you odd stares, but you’re just not sure what to do. You could ask, of course, but you stick out too much. Who are you, to them? Would they want anything to do with you? Would they be intimidated by you, or try take advantage of you? Uneasy thoughts lurk in your mind. You start to quicken your pace.

Not that it helps. As much as you try, you can’t retrace your steps, and the town’s too much of an unfamiliar land for you to figure it out on your own. Surely, your bodyguards must be looking for you, but do they even know where to look? How long would it be until you’re found? At this rate, you won’t really have a choice.

You stop on a bridge, and look about yourself.

You’re in a market, you think. There are stalls all about you, selling food and trinkets and other little things— eels in little pools, where chefs took them and deftly cut them them for the grill; candied fruits strung up in bunches by threads, like ruby-red lanterns; the smell of grilled meats over coals, the men at the stalls fanning the smoke.

They’re set on a street split along its length by what seems to be an artificial river, bridges linking the two sides. The streets are lined with shops, restaurants and inns, women selling textiles, artists selling colored prints, posters plastered on the walls advertising kabuki theatres and festivals.

You feel something flutter, despite being alone, and afraid, and vulnerable to who knows what. This is the first time being out like this on your own.

[Mormarth]

Kimura Amana
Morning
Forests Near the Main Road

The man before me chokes on his lifesblood, clawing at air to fuel something- some word, I lean in a hairsbreadth, wordlessly coaxing the bandit to go with some manner of atonement on his honor.

Flowertown, the word passes his lips, then is followed by a hollow rasp as his soul departs for whatever fate awaits him.

I close my eyes for a moment, solemn, I ask his spirit for forgiveness that I was unable to live up to my promise. Even if he was the lowest of men, he was a man, and deserved to be treated justly, even if he did not extend that courtesy.

I reach out for a moment, hesitantly, then sweep shut the eyes staring at the world.

I rise to my feet, dusting at my legs fretfully.

Slowly, unsure of myself, I clasp my hands together and bow my head.

Footsteps approach from behind, slow and deliberate, clearly audible.

I half-turn to listen to the approaching guardsman with my usual calm reserve.

“Shall we get going? Or wait for her?”

He looks off into the deeper forest, indicating the fellow Hunter who'd leaped off in pursuit.

“To be frank, she should be capable of making it back on her own, considering her talents. Given the present situation, it wouldn’t do to wait, lest reinforcements arrive.”

The more the merrier, I say. Let's have ourselves a regular party!

The blood-drenched voice from the back of my mind chortles greedily, eager to whet more of its gluttonous blade with the essence of life.

There is a scent in the air, a phantom buzzing along my skin, something is close by, even the Guardsman, with his untrained mind, likely feels a malase.

Hohoho, exotic treats today, ehahah~

I take a small breath, puffing it though my nose impatiently, producing a rather unladylike noise.

I turn to the Guardsman fully, "Quite, we have a job to do, Asakami-san will catch up in due time, for now, let us proceed to Edo."

...

My lips twist in a grimace as a low pressure is exerted at my temples, the spirit making its displeasure known.

Still, it had fed well today, so Akaittou's irritation was a mild annoyance.

As I follow slightly behind the leading guardsman, I school my features and adjust my posture, even if my clothing does not suit, I must keep up the proper appearance.

I will likely have to seek a change of clothing before the delivery.

[Katie]

Kurogane Kanae
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

The sun pounds at her like a hammer, as if she was the heated metal in need of refinement. Disappointment has made her tired, and she wants nothing more but to go inside and take a short rest before continuing her aimless search. But her will was iron, and she would persist. Her parents had not raised a weak daughter. Her aunt did not call her a stubborn brat for nothing.

She would not falter, not when there was blood to be shed.

And speaking of blood to be shed, she noticed the hawks circling her quite a while ago. It was in an oni’s nature to be bloodthirsty, and she, like the rest of her family, had an appetite for combat. That she could not deny, even if she claimed to be an artisan. Kanae sighs and tries to center herself—she will not make a brutal display of them. She will be simple and elegant, like that idealized samurai. Like someone who isn’t a monster.

“I’ll give you warning—do anything funny and I will break you in two.”

A declaration to her assailants in the shadows.

[Reiu]

Asakami Shiori
Morning
Forests Near the Main Road

Shiori notes down the information mentally. A lord, who had hired the men to bring the statue to them. Not much, but it was better than nothing.

Now, what to do with this man? She could simply let him go, of course. There was no reason for excess killing.

She tightens her grip on Hakuei.

Hakuei Nagamitsu. A weapon of history, forged for bloodshed, and thus desiring bloodshed. He wished to kill this man; the question was, was it the path she should take?

---Make your mark upon this world.

A voice.

Prove them wrong. You are no mere phantom, and this is how you show them.

She thought of her brother. He who improved not only objects but the lives of people, he whose existence undeniably added to the world.

She couldn't be like him.

But,

"Ah, yes. Finally."

Maybe, just maybe, in this way, she could be a little closer.

To one who can truly leave their mark upon this world.

"I'm sorry."

The man held in place by his disabled legs, she slashes her weapon across his throat. Without pause, she turns her back to the man's dying gasps, and leaves to regroup with the others.

...She wonders if he had family, and hopes he did. After all, few would miss a lone mercenary without ties to the world. And a loss not felt is no loss at all.


If she could not add to the world---then she would take from it.

It was as simple as that.

[palad1n]

Shiratsuyu-Hime
Morning
Somewhere?

Once again, she is lost.

She should have expected this. Even if she successfully leaves the village there is still the city to be navigated, and she couldn't find the castle she's supposed to be staying.

Silently, panic and fear grows in Shiratsuyu's chest.

It is the common mistake made by someone that is plagued by curiosity, who had spent all of her life inside the castle with books. The thought that because she had read much and had gone outside with guards and escorts, she is ready to explore the outside world alone.

Reality is, of course, that much harsher.

The people of Edo doesn't know her, unlike back in Kyoto; That was the biggest mistake that she had made. She had foolishly went outside here, in an unfamiliar city, simply because she is used to the smiles and kindness that everyone had shown her back at home.

Here, there is no reverence to be had; No smiling faces and polite bows to wherever she goes. The people here only gave her odd stares, and that made her hesitate to even ask for directions. Who is she, an imperial princess, here in the center of the shogunate?

It gnaws on her being. She wanted someone to help, to see a friendly face so that she could brave herself to ask, but there is none to be found. She even wished for a moment to see the face of her only friend, yet the possibility of meeting her here is close to nil. Shiratsuyu could only keep walking, for if she were to stop she would only stand out even more among the sea of people.

It was only after she reached a bridge and being alone that the princess could finally stop, catch her breath, and took the time to truly observe her surroundings.

It seems like she is currently in a market area of some sorts, which is separated by the river and connected by the bridge she is currently standing on. Normally she would have admired the sight of seeing something new, no matter how desperate she might be at the moment, and yet right now she couldn't even afford to do that.

Because despite being alone, she could felt something flutter.

She is a halfblood, and while she doesn't know whether that actually gives her more edge in sensing whether something is amiss compared to normal humans or not, the princess just felt a sudden chill running up her spine at how vulnerable she is. She doesn't know to what exactly she is vulnerable to, but if someone is actually hunting her because she is a halfblood or because she is an imperial princess...

She is exhausted, and her feet hurt - she had never walked this long or far before - but the feeling of danger and urgency made it possible for her to move her legs in search of an inn to alienate the feeling of vulnerability she is currently having.

Hopefully nothing dangerous would happen along the way, and she could ask the innkeeper for the direction back to the castle.

Innkeepers are supposed to be nice and helpful, right...?

[Kirby]

Kimura Amana
Morning
Toukaidou Highways

The guard nods, accepting your reasoning, though Akaiittou seems to grumble— as much as something like it can grumble, anyway— at no promise of further violence. And with that, you head on your way, back to the roads.

Edo’s not far, now. The forest starts thinning, villages and city outskirts visible on the horizon. Farmers and villagers marvel at you as you pass, and you start to notice now that you’re a bit more blood-soaked than you’d like. Nothing a nice rest at an inn can’t fix, anyway. At this rate, you should arrive at your destination before noon.

But as you make your way through one of the outskirt villages, you come across a strange sight.

Kurogane Kanae
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

You feel leers all about you, as you speak to the clearing. As if on signal, the men start stepping out of their shadows, surrounding you on all sides, faces twisted into malice. You count about twelve of them, but from the looks of it, they were all typical thugs, just like all the rest.

“Ya think we’re just gonna let what ya did to our boys here slide, huh!?”

A man steps forward, with an ugly face and a thuggish accent, wearing a short blade on his side and a cocky expression, sizing you up. His hand is tense, ready to reach for his blade. He looks at you as if he’s not the one shorter than you.

You hear murmurs about the thugs, picking up phrases like ‘Doesn’t look so tough’ or ‘This is who they got beat up by?’, words just as cocky as the leader who stepped forward, save for the fact that none of them seem keen on approaching you themselves. Even the leader keeps a safe distance, about five or six meters. The only ones who don’t seem so cocky among the bunch are some familiar faces— save for a black eye— one of the thugs you beat up at the inn. Only he wears an expression of fear and betrays real wariness, as if he’d love nothing better than just to run.

It’s a pain, a bunch of bullshit you shouldn’t have to deal with, especially when you have something so important to do, except—

You see it in the distance, a short distance away. Horse drawn carts, a carriage carrying something, armed guardsmen— and a woman— and some of them bloody. They came from the highways.

You can feel it, finally. This is what you’ve been looking for. And yet—

“Hey, HEY! Where tha’ hell do ya think you’re looking, HUH!? You deaf or somethin’!?”

You have your hands full with an unpleasant distraction.

Kimura Amana
Morning
A Village at Edo Outskirts

You see a girl being accosted by a bunch of thugs.

You can’t quite pick up their words, but you hear angry yelling, see tattooed men surrounding the girl at the village square, which you and the escort would pass by. The girl herself is tall and armed, as far as you can tell. She doesn’t quite look like a samurai, or a member of the Edo police, nor does she look like a yakuza herself. But she seems to look about herself with irritation at it all, of this whole situation.

Normally, such an incident has nothing to do with you, strictly. If anything, the police could probably handle it, if they make it in time. But that’s not what you’re thinking about.

You feel the presence of a demon.

A bead of sweat rolls down your forehead, and it’s not from the beating sun. Your blood’s heating up, and Akaiittou too seems to be waking up from his slumber, at the promise of imminent bloodshed. You feel a demon in their midst, but can’t quite pinpoint its location.

Someone among that crowd, someone dangerous.

[Ayakashi]

--- Kuze Yuzuha A Roadside Inn Morning HP: 170 MP: 500

Ah, yes, introductions: an essential part of common courtesy whenever one met another, and something important that Yuzuha had seemingly forgotten. Everything had happened so fast after all, but still, the young woman felt rather ashamed that even though she had been treated to a meal, she somehow had not told them yet what her name was.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I haven't even told you my name yet..."

A deep apologetic bow followed her meek words. She bowed so deeply that one might've thought she'd accidentally bump her head into the table... a crisis that she averted by a hair's breadth. While to Shinsui and Ran it might seem like she was just terribly sorry and thus, remained at the lowest point of her bow for an unusual amount of time, the reality of it all was that she had just bitten her tongue out of nervousness.

Perhaps the near-silent yip that escaped might've given that away.

"My name is Yuzuha, Kuze Yuzuha. I am a wandering performer who has been blessed with the knowledge of many dances. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, raising her head back up, mustering a smile as natural as possible to salvage her screw-up.

Yuzuha's tone, pose and mannerisms was perfumed as before with the airs of a noblewoman, or at the very least someone who had been brought up to follow an aristocratic etiquette, but there was always this unusually strange interplay of servility and humbleness which one would expect of a Shrine Maiden.

"I thank you for your praises, but I do not think that my skills are that unique... this was all thanks to the Kami that answered the pleas of the people."

Of course, downplaying her powers was always what she would do. Yuzuha never was supposed to even display them so recklessly in public, and it was only because of her desire to help and her sudden fascination with Asakami Shinsui that she had done it.

But she was here to help, wasn't she?

"I would be happy to answer any of your questions, but, uhm... what happened where exactly? I've only recently returned here."

Was it about her dance? Did they think that Yuzuha somehow knew more about the recent murders? All of this didn't' exactly make her feel comfortable or at ease, but she was ready to answer.

[Kirby]

Asakami Shiori
Morning
Forests Near the Main Road

And so the man dies. Not even your curse could change that.

You start making your way back to the main road, retracing your steps. No other bandits come after you, and there’s no one to accompany you for your walk, save for Hakuei.

When you reach the forests by the highway, you notice the others are gone, though the rest of the surviving bandits are dead. They’re probably went ahead. You know where they’re headed anyway— follow the highway. And so, you could easily catch up to them, if you moved now, but you take a moment to look about the bloodstained glade.

The bodies of the dead stick out to you, if only because of how different they seem. One seemed to have gone in relative peace, eyes glassy and unmoving, face pale and drained of blood. The other, on the other hand, is missing a head. Decapitated? No. Where his head once was, nothing but pulverized fragments of skull and brain matter remained, a smear of blood against the forest glade.

As you make your way to the highways, something catches your eye. A glint of white where the bandit leader’s head used to be.

Staring back at you from the forest floor, you see his mask, pristine and untouched. The face of a demon.