“Breach” (
Summary[]
On November 4th, Chihiro recaps with Shiba what he had learned so far. As he disconnects from Enten, he wipes sweat from his brow, noting it is difficult to connect for long, likely due to the Storehouse's nature as a subspace. The two sit on a park bench as Chihiro confirms to Shiba that the Storehouse is a subspace, as it extends infinitely in all directions. Shiba remarks he'd have just teleported over if it were in the real world. The two then decide to investigate how the Storehouse is passed on, Chihiro calling Hakuri over from where he had been playing with Char and Hinao.
Chihiro asks Hakuri if he has seen clan leadership be passed down, and Hakuri recalls his grandfather Sora retired after being struck by illness. Sora passed on clan leadership and ownership of the Storehouse to Kyora in a private ceremony between the two of them held in the Sazanami clan cemetery, which Hakuri says holds sacred power. Shiba and Chihiro decide to figure out how to conduct the ceremony and pass control over the Storehouse to Hakuri. Chihiro internally wonders if there really is any insurance in place considering ownership of the Storehouse does not automatically pass on upon the former owner's death, and questions whether Kyora was telling the truth when he said the Storehouse would disappear on his death.
The door within the Storehouse.
Two days later, on November 6th, Chihiro and Shiba sit in a car. Chihiro tells Shiba about a door he had seen, which floated in the air and was not connected to any room. The two consider the possibilities of what it could be; the door is not an auction item, as everything within the Storehouse is encased apart from weapons meant for combat. The door is also not how Sazanami clan members enter and exit, as they are moved in and out of the Storehouse by Kyora, usually present to feed the captives. The two conclude the door must be an emergency door, considering Kyora may have lied regarding the Storehouse disappearing on his death; rather, all that disappears is conventional access to the Storehouse. Hence the door exists so the Sazanami can take goods out of the Storehouse if a clan head were ever to die without passing on Storehouse ownership.
Seeking to prove their hypothesis, Chihiro calls Hakuri over from where he is enjoying ice-cream with Char and Hinao. Chihiro sketches the door and asks Hakuri whether he has seen it before. Hakuri initially hesitates, Shiba noting that knowledge of the door must be highly classified information, but Hakuri eventually recognises the crest on the door.
In the present, as Shiba cuts the chandelier in the foyer, the noise resonates into the Rakuzaichi auction hall on the floor below. Kyora notes Chihiro's group must be here, and have likely uncovered the emergency door's existence. The location of the other side of the emergency door is then revealed; it is built into the floor of a locked room within the Sazanami clan's heavily sealed underground cemetery, the Naginojoen (
Shiba takes Yuu and teleports to a car where Hakuri, Hinao and Char sit in a car. Shiba asks for Hinao to watch Yuu as he teleports with Hakuri into the auction building, as he remembers the first stage of their plan; Chihiro entering through the front using Cloud Gouger; which, while usable, is very close to breaking. Chihiro had decided if Cloud Gouger were to be used up, he would be the one to do so.
Chihiro uses Mei.
In the present, Chihiro activates Mei, placing the handle of the bisected Cloud Gouger within his mouth and letting lightning cloak his body to amplify his speed. Using his wakizashi as his main weapon, Chihiro easily shreds through a group of guards. As more guards arrive in the darkened room, they decide to track the light source; being the glowing blade of Cloud Gouger. Chihiro counters this by throwing the blade in front of him to throw off the guards before slicing them down with his wakizashi and catching Cloud Gouger once more. Abruptly, light once again fills the room, as four sorcerers had repaired the chandelier, now watching Chihiro from above. As one sorcerer comments on Chihiro's blade-throw tactic, a nearby wall explodes, revealing Hiyuki, who casually greets Chihiro.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- On November 4th, Chihiro recaps with Shiba what he had learned so far.
- Chihiro confirms the Storehouse is a subspace, as it extends infinitely in all directions; making it impossible to exist in reality.
- Hakuri recounts there exists a ceremony that takes place in the Sazanami clan cemetery where leadership of the Sazanami family is handed down, and that it was last held when his grandfather was sick so his father took over.
- Chihiro and Shiba plan to force the ceremony to occur in order to transfer clan authority to Hakuri.
- On November 6th, Chihiro relays the existence of a door to nowhere in the Storehouse.
- Chihiro dismisses the possibility that it is for sale due to not being in a compartment and not being a weapon for Kyora or his subordinates to use.
- Chihiro states entrants to the Storehouse are teleported in and out by Kyora, not using the door. Based on this information, Chihiro and Shiba conclude the door is an emergency door for use in case the Sazanami leader dies without transferring authority.
- Hakuri recognises a crest on the door when Chihiro sketches it to show it to him.
- In the present, the sound of the chandelier falling is heard throughout the auction hall, and Kyora realises Chihiro has learned of the emergency door's existence.
- The emergency door is revealed to be located in a heavily sealed and locked room on the floor below the auction hall; said floor being the Sazanami Clan's cemetery, the Naginojoen.
- Kyora is glad to see Chihiro has arrived, as if Chihiro dies and Enten is rendered usable its price will elevate.
- Shiba teleports to Hinao's car with Yuu, drops him off and teleports away with Hakuri to begin the next stage of their plan.
- Flashback dialogue indicates Kuregumo/Cloud Gouger is close to broken, and only a sliver of the blade is remaining. In the present, Chihiro uses Mei as a cloak similar to Sojo, amplifying his slashing speed with his wakizashi.
- Four sorcerers arrive and fix the chandelier, restoring light to the area.
- Hiyuki busts through a wall and greets Chihiro.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author's Comments | |
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Takeru Hokazono |
This year is honyaku (a type of year of bad luck) for me, so I went to have it exorcised. I want to go through this year with no major issues. Go away, bad luck!
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