While she tended to Kakita she replied with her fan, Yes we do.

She understood. Good. Unless either has more to say to him, he politely backs out, staying near in case any have questions. Otherwise, planning on writing a report and get the Crane and the Bat the notes he promised.

Doji Tsubaki wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 12:25 am

Fool couldn't even keep himself together. How inopportune.

With an inward sigh the Doji let out a shriek of terror, "Demon!"

It was fairly convincing.

In the scrum of alarmed courtiers and mobilizing bushi, Kogi turns to her fellow tea connoisseur. "Oh dear, are you all right, Doji-san? Do take deep breaths. Whatever it is is gone now." She glances at the ominous sky, and back again to the older woman.

Bayushi Kogi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:01 am

In the scrum of alarmed courtiers and mobilizing bushi, Kogi turns to her fellow tea connoisseur. "Oh dear, are you all right, Doji-san? Do take deep breaths. Whatever it is is gone now." She glances at the ominous sky, and back again to the older woman.

Tsubaki offers a wan attempt at a smile and follows her instruction to breathe, "Oh, Bayushi-san. My apologies for my lack of decorum... it's just they told us things like that were sealed away now."

Doji Tsubaki wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:02 am

Bayushi Kogi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:01 am

In the scrum of alarmed courtiers and mobilizing bushi, Kogi turns to her fellow tea connoisseur. "Oh dear, are you all right, Doji-san? Do take deep breaths. Whatever it is is gone now." She glances at the ominous sky, and back again to the older woman.

Tsubaki offers a wan attempt at a smile and follows her instruction to breathe, "Oh, Bayushi-san. My apologies for my lack of decorum... it's just they told us things like that were sealed away now."

Hearing this and Hisomu Kuni's advice about taking as many precautions as possible. Moshi moves to first clean up whatever blood is on the floor if no one is doing so already, then moves to ask a question of the head figures.

Doji Tsubaki wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:02 am

Tsubaki offers a wan attempt at a smile and follows her instruction to breathe, "Oh, Bayushi-san. My apologies for my lack of decorum... it's just they told us things like that were sealed away now."

"When you flood an ant nest, there are often ants left wandering outside," Kogi says, her voice understandably tense. "Was that truly a demon? Have you seen one before?"

Bayushi Kogi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:09 am

"When you flood an ant nest, there are often ants left wandering outside," Kogi says, her voice understandably tense. "Was that truly a demon? Have you seen one before?"

"No, only the legends. But it burned from jade and turned into a bird - what else could it be?"

Kakita bowed deeply to the two princesses, “No further thanks are necessary. I have done nothing more than I swore to do for your mother as a young boy.”

He rises to his normal height, “Nothing brings me greater joy than for the truth to have come to light in a means we all can see and accept. The way of the duel has not failed us. The path forward is perilous, no doubt, but at least this way we may traverse it together.”

He bowed to the pair of them again.

He then turned to the Spider, “Thank you for your help Hisomu-san. I’m sure your help will be needed in the days ahead.

"Your welcome, Kakita-san"

Doji Tsubaki wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:11 am

Bayushi Kogi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:09 am

"When you flood an ant nest, there are often ants left wandering outside," Kogi says, her voice understandably tense. "Was that truly a demon? Have you seen one before?"

"No, only the legends. But it burned from jade and turned into a bird - what else could it be?"

"Is that what that green shine is? Jade?" Kogi's eyes widen a bit, flicking toward Kakita for a moment. "I was only a little girl in a village that hadn't heard of the Empire when Lord Hisomu was rescued, I... I've never heard of demons turning into birds or imitating men for so many years as this one would have to..." she shakes her head in discomfort at that thought.

Bayushi Kogi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:38 am

"Is that what that green shine is? Jade?" Kogi's eyes widen a bit, flicking toward Kakita for a moment. "I was only a little girl in a village that hadn't heard of the Empire when Lord Hisomu was rescued, I... I've never heard of demons turning into birds or imitating men for so many years as this one would have to..." she shakes her head in discomfort at that thought.

Tsubaki nods, "All I know is myth and legend but if that was not a demon I am not sure what is."

Doji Tsubaki wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:40 am

Tsubaki nods, "All I know is myth and legend but if that was not a demon I am not sure what is."

"How..." Kogi lowers her voice, clearly uncertain what to think. "You said that was jade on Kakita-san's sword? I've heard of people doing that on the great rescue, but I didn't know what it looks like. How did he know to use it? Hada--um, the demon. He was just like a man, walking, speaking..."

At the same time as her instincts tell her there's something off about Tsubaki's reaction to the situation... there's something even more off about, well, the situation itself. Kogi is understandably rattled.

Bayushi Kogi wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:49 am

"How..." Kogi lowers her voice, clearly uncertain what to think. "You said that was jade on Kakita-san's sword? I've heard of people doing that on the great rescue, but I didn't know what it looks like. How did he know to use it? Hada--um, the demon. He was just like a man, walking, speaking..."

At the same time as her instincts tell her there's something off about Tsubaki's reaction to the situation... there's something even more off about, well, the situation itself. Kogi is understandably rattled.

She shakes her head, "I do not know. Perhaps this explains his supposed odd behavior. If he had some inkling already of the danger in our midst."

Kakita wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 3:21 am

Kakita bowed deeply to the two princesses, “No further thanks are necessary. I have done nothing more than I swore to do for your mother as a young boy.”

He rises to his normal height, “Nothing brings me greater joy than for the truth to have come to light in a means we all can see and accept. The way of the duel has not failed us. The path forward is perilous, no doubt, but at least this way we may traverse it together.”

He bowed to the pair of them again.

He then turned to the Spider, “Thank you for your help Hisomu-san. I’m sure your help will be needed in the days ahead.

Shosuro returns, bowing deeply to the Emperor. "My apologies. Even I was unable to catch up before it was too far ahead."

She waited until she was dismissed before moving over to Kakita, looking at his shoulder. Despite checking the wound, she has a warm smile. "You did it. Is your shoulder all right?"

He nodded and smiled softly, “I still have it. I expected to lose it with the trajectory I took… I was fortunate.”

He looked intently into her eyes in a look of gratitude… it was she who gave him the knowledge he required to excise this poison… and his eyes expressed the deepest gratitude for her help.

Genji's eyes widened. That certainly was a thing that happened.

He glanced to Kakita and then the demon bird and then stuff.

"Well fought Kakita-san."

It seemed that everyone was either questioning each other or seeing to Kakita, but Susumu has heard from his Emperor: capture or kill the bird. While not the best, Susumu had at least been trained to be a hunter safety he follows along,, hoping to track the path by more of that black ichor.

With the immediacy of the moment over, connections begin to be made.

Ohshitohshit it's real. It's really real and it's here.

It wasn't to say that Susumu had doubted his liege lord, or the concerns of Ryoshun Rei. His parents were not ones to exaggerate, and the notes on the rescue expedition were often graphic. But the idea of Jigoku's danger had been that: an idea.

Now, here it was staring him in the face.

(Attempting to track the bird)

Kakita wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:57 am

He nodded and smiled softly, “I still have it. I expected to lose it with the trajectory I took… I was fortunate.”

He looked intently into her eyes in a look of gratitude… it was she who gave him the knowledge he required to excise this poison… and his eyes expressed the deepest gratitude for her help.

She met them with a warm smile. "That's the important thing, ne?"

She stepped aside when Genji spoke to him, but stayed close by.

Dojihime nodded and went back to her sister's side, little did she know she would be dealing with a second crisis in the second time slot.

So.

This was all about complexity addiction? Finding the most convoluted way to test a potential Jigoku shapeshifter with a sacred blade?

Ayumu could think of a hundred ways such a result could have been achieved far more easily. This particular plan turned out almost fine in the end, but he was worried it would become a precedent for people "taking the matter into their own hands, using with their own blade". A path littered with corpses of wannabee heroes and wrong culprits.

Had Shinsei been warned about this for instance, maybe his crow could have pinned down the demon-bird before it had reached the high sky and the whole affair reached its end today.

Instead, they now had to organize the hunt of something that could shapeshift into who knows how many animals and persons at the scale of the Empire. The milk had already been split, no time for regrets, only for the sponge.