[EA, D8] Court Part 5

[Kakita]

Kakita turned and put himself between Rei and the thing which stepped forward…

Hand quickly going towards his blade…

[Shiba]

Shiba rose suddenly, pulling out his blade, stepping in front of Yuzuru. "Who- What are you?"

Bayushi emerges from behind the dais screen, as well, standing beside his brother.

[Hisomu Matsu]

"Demonfuckers!" Matsu's eyes went wide, and in an instant, her hand went to the hilt of her weapon again, watching the revelation.

Now a better reason to have called emnity against the house of Doji.

[Hisomu Kuni]

Kuni is ready to cast at an instant, moving closer.

[Bayushi Sasori]

Sasori's eyes widen at the creature. Then saw Bayushi behind the Emperor and nodded. Instead of the flimsy fan now Sasori's strengthen one was in the off hand.

[Ryoshun Rei]

Rei's tanto was in hand as she prepared to call on the Void.

[Shosuro]

Shosuro stepped out from among the throng, pulling out her sword, a light green sheen along the edge.

[Jiyo Sora]

Shosuro stepped out from among the throng, pulling out her sword, a light green sheen along the edge.

So that's where Kakita got it...

Sora raised his own blade into a ready position... with a similar sheen.

But I brought my own.

[Bayushi Kogi]

Untalented though she was in its use, Kogi had her sword in hand as well.

[Yoshitsune Chizu]

Although unarmed and unarmored, Yoshitsune Chizu could not do less than the others: the Crab moved forward to help keep the monstrous creature from hurting anyone.

[Doji Tsubaki]

"I suppose I should apologize for the delay... Dear Doji has been a thorough bulwark against my incursion into Yume-do," she sighed. "It is a struggle just to get this far. Fortunately, that not entirely useless relic of my old self was here. Humans are quite resilient, as well." She says the last almost affectionately.

"To answer your question, you may call me the Harbinger. I bring a wonderful message. You see, I didn't understand Ningen-do for so long... Thousands and thousands of years, how could it stand up to the toughest things I could come up with? You sealed the portal, this time, though. There was no way in, so I had to try to find my way to you elsewhere."

"Do you know what I found? Dreams. More dreams than you can imagine. Every little bit an insight into the mortal mind. Sometimes I saw worlds that could have been. Where they fought back against you. Where other Kami won the tournament. Where they explored the true reaches of this realm. They know their potential, deep down, they conjure its shadow in their dreams, and you should be terrified of them, Children of Amaterasu. An infinite potential, to be heroes, to grow strong, to become monsters. It's so beautiful! One day, they could eat stars."

"My message is to them. To join me, and reach that potential! I want to indulge in it, too."

She glanced around. "Just think - your fears, erased. Those things you lost could be found. Your Clan could be pre-eminent. You could discover the secrets of the universe. Consider it, and come find me. You will know how."

"And if you don't don't accept... You will serve the ones that do after I twist you into monsters."

She glanced around, smirking at those who had pulled swords. "Oh dear, how very intimidating." She looked back to Shiba. "It has been a thousand years. This time, I am going to claim your people. Prepare yourself."

With that, her body seemed to melt and burn away into nothingness simultaneously, leaving only the burns in the tatami as evidence of her passage.

[Jiyo Sora]

I'm going to be very, very busy in the years ahead.

He sheathed his sword.

But at least we've got a reach. You plan on using humans to enslave the world? I'll fix your ass.

[Hisomu Kuni]

Kuni frowns. He had no idea what that thing was.

[Yoshitsune Chizu]

Chizu wrinkled her nose at the foul stench emanating from the burned, melted thing and commented dryly, "Well, that has to be the worst smelling camellia (tsubaki) I've ever encountered."

[Hantei Genji]

Genji frowned.

"Well, now I think I'll stick to wine for a while." Genji glanced at his cousin.

"Hime-chan....I think your clan needs some internal reviews." This was wonderful. Twice in the same day.

[Hantei Kinsen]

“Dreams… that’s what it wanted from me, then…” Kinsen lets out in surprise.

[Isawa Kyosei]

Kyosei, after checking on his wagons and ponies, cleans up, then heads to the Audience Hall. Time to practice his etiquette again...

Why was there a scorch mark on the tatami? He looked around confused.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki was present as she (almost) always was, dressed down a bit in robes of white and red and her hair partially pulled back in a braided bun that was secured by a fine hairpin of gold.

Ko was not a face which would have been expected at court. With Satsuki being the face most expected of them, and Yatsufusa being far better with words than Ko could ever hope to be, Ko was often allowed to see to herself or other matters. However, following the previous night being both traumatic and one where she was not near Satsuki as she usually was she found herself with just enough a need to find and check in with Satsuki to brave this uncomfortable place. Dressed in her robes, and with different facial markings than she usually wore, Ko found her way through those present until she was able to approach Satsuki's side.

Brow furrowed with a seriousness to them that relaxed a little upon the relief of having found her way to Satsuki.

"Ko!" The princess called out in surprise, as she had been worried for where her friend and companion had gotten to.

However questions about that could wait as she stepped close to the other woman. "You won't believe what happened earli---" And then something unbeliveable happened again as yet another Crane turned into a demon.

Unlike the previous time, this time she got to dive into Ko's arms. "What the fuck?!"

Knew I was right to tell that voice to fuck off in my dream!

[Isawa Kyosei]

Kyosei blinked. 'She . . . swore. In front of the Emperor. What happened!??!'

"What... what happened?"

[Jiyo Sora]

Kyosei blinked. 'She . . . swore. In front of the Emperor. What happened!??!'

"What... what happened?"

Sora drifted closer to his fellow Imperial.

"The War is coming. Only this time, the Realm of Evil saw fit to issue a formal declaration. It's going to be an interesting future, old friend."