Blackout (
Color Spread[]
Cover[]
Chihiro sits on a rooftop, Enten held close to him. Behind him, Moku lies upside down, legs propped against a wall and eyes directed towards the sky. Ro lies beside Chihiro, legs crossed in the air and arms held over the roof ledge. Sumi sits on the roof edge, arms and legs crossed.
Summary[]
Samura frowns as he notes Chihiro is covered in the stench of blood, and Chihiro is flabbergasted as he takes in the sight of Uruha's bloodied form on the ground and Hakuri's unconscious form to the side, realising that Samura has killed Uruha. As Chihiro sees Hakuri, Samura tells him that Hakuri isn't dead. Turning back to Samura, Chihiro shakes as he thinks back to Hiruhiko's words and the Hishaku's actions, yelling that the Hishaku killed his father and demanding why there would be any reason to let the Hishaku obtain the Enchanted Blades.
An unsettled expression on his face, Samura recalls that he had heard about Chihiro's quest of revenge and his ownership of a seventh blade, and urges Chihiro to set down his sword and let him handle it. Chihiro ignores him, panic and fury enmeshed on his face as he yells that he will kill Samura if he is an enemy, Enten at the ready. Before he can move, Samura speeds past him with Tobimune, downing Chihiro with a single devastating slash. He tells Chihiro the latter doesn't need to do anything and kneels to pick up Enten, but Chihiro and Enten both suddenly disappear.
Looking to a nearby roof, Samura identifies the individual responsible - Shiba - and notes it took him long enough. Shiba is highly concerned by the situation; Chihiro gravely injured, Uruha dead, Kumeyuri usable by the Hishaku; and questions Samura. The blind swordsman replies that the Hishaku know their sins and plan to unveil them, bringing the country down. He states the truth is a curse chained to them so long as they were known as 'heroes'. Correctly assuming Shiba hadn't told Chihiro, Samura agrees he was better off not knowing, and departs in a flutter of feathers, stating this would be the end. As he leaves, Shiba's shouts to Chihiro ring out in the air.
Two hours later, Yoji Uruha and Chihiro Rokuhira are both confirmed to be deceased.
Sometime later, Hiruhiko sits in an almost-deserted warehouse, his colleague previously on the train station with him using his sorcery to repair and reattach his right arm; Hiruhiko's left limb currently a stump. Yura sits at a nearby table. Hiruhiko recounts that Chihiro had disppeared just when their proper fight was about to begin, but his colleague reckons Hiruhiko got off lucky considering he had lost both arms. Hiruhiko vocalises his realisation of Chihiro's strengths, before asking Yura why he couldn't use Kumeyuri at the moment. Yura replies it was a precautionary measure given Samura would be arriving soon. The Hishaku physician is nervous as he wonders if Yura told him where they were, but Yura merely replies that as they were dealing with an Enchanted Blade wielder from the Seitei War, their freedom would be somewhat restricted.
Samura activates Owl
Somewhere in the city, Samura activates Owl, the technique sending two gigantic owl eyes peering down across the city. Quickly locating the spirit energy signatures corresponding to the Hishaku, feathers herald Samura's arrival through the warehouse doors. Samura criticises the Hishaku's plan, noting there didn't need to be so many casualties. Yura retorts the ends justify the means; they had achieved proper possession of two blades and damaged Hakuri. Samura comments that it would be easier if they had simply given him Tobimune, but Yura notes several Hishaku members (such as Hiruhiko) were against the idea of involving Samura so heavily. Samura concedes the point so long as Yura upholds his end of the deal, the two's fifth fingers buzzing with a small black band quickly materialising.
The Hishaku physician recalls that after Kunishige's death, Yura had moved to Samura's house and made a deal where Samura would assist the Hishaku to kill the Enchanted Blade wielders, in exchange for Yura revealing each Hishaku member's identity, the identity of the Hishaku's insider within the Kamunabi, and the locations of the Enchanted Blades. Yura then notes the degree to Samura's actions; including killing Chihiro. Samura notes Chihiro would've gotten in the way of his goal, and Yura praises Samura's conviction in opposing the wielders.
Hiruhiko interrupts, shocked that Samura killed his 'friend' that he was going to battle to the death with. He shouts that he will avenge Chihiro by killing Samura eventually, to which Samura acknowledges his contract with Kumeyuri and promises that he will battle the Hishaku to the death in time. The Hishaku physician contemplates this, knowing the risk in their deal with Samura; while killing the remaining wielders would be easier, Samura's information on the Hishaku themselves would make it easier for him to kill them all; hence Samura was a significant threat to the Hishaku as well.
Samura recognises that the Hishaku had sealed and relocated Kumeyuri and notes it is a good idea; he adds if a blade were to be unsealed, he would be able to detect it no matter what, and threatens the Hishaku not to bother trying anything with the blades. Hiruhiko stares on impassively while his colleague watches nervously, knowing Hiruhiko with both arms and Kumeyuri would be no match against Samura with Tobimune. Yura then reports new information to Samura, stating the remaining two Sanso have been evacuated and speculating Shiba's involvement. He reckons around a week will be necessary to identify the Kamunabi's new strategy, and Samura tells him to make contact after doing so, before vanishing.
The Hishaku physician asks Yura if they would be able to deal with Samura, believing their reliance on him to be a risky maneuver, and that they had played their 'trump card' (Samura) too soon. Yura replies that though unfortunate, the decision was necessary; and in any case he wouldn't have made the decision if it was too risky. He stands and tells his subordinates they need to get more serious with their actions as well.
Elsewhere, Samura internally proclaims that in one week, everything will be over, and Chihiro wouldn't need to become like himself and the other Seitei War veterans.
Within an infirmary, Chihiro opens his eyes.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- Chihiro is shocked by Samura's apparent betrayal and murder of Uruha and attacks him, but Samura cuts him down in one strike, urging him to forget his pursuit of revenge.
- Shiba arrives and Samura tells him the Hishaku know about the sins of the wielders in the Seitei War, and that their plan is to unveil the sins and destroy the nation. Samura then leaves.
- Uruha and Chihiro are both confirmed deceased.
- Within a warehouse, Hiruhiko is getting his arms reattached by his colleague that was previously at the train station with him. Yura has ordered Kumeyuri sealed and hidden in expectation that Samura will arrive.
- Samura activates Owl, the technique generating two gigantic owl eyes manifesting over the city that can detect spirit energy signatures. He then appears at the warehouse the three Hishaku sorcerers are at.
- The terms of Samura and Yura's deal, made when Yura approached Samura at his house after Kunishige's death, are revealed.
- In exchange for Samura's assistance in killing the Enchanted Blade wielders, Yura would give him the identities of the Hishaku, the identity of the Kamunabi insider in allegiance with the Hishaku and the locations of the Enchanted Blades.
- Hiruhiko learns that Samura has apparently killed Chihiro and flies into a rage, promising to avenge his 'friend'. Samura assures him he will do battle with the Hishaku in time after the remaining wielders are killed.
- Yura tells Samura the Kamunabi have evacuated the Sanso and reorganised their forces, and thus it would take a week to identify the changes. Samura tells Yura to contact him and leaves.
- After Samura leaves, Yura notes they need to get more serious with their actions.
- Chihiro opens his eyes within an infirmary.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author Comment | |
 |
Takeru Hokazono |
| |
Featured Media[]
