Smoke Signal (
Summary[]
Remembering the bounty placed on them by Sojo that the Clone Sorcerer had mentioned, Chihiro helps Char onto his back and stands up, beginning to walk out of the alleyway and prioritising escape. Entering an intersection, Chihiro sees the Oni Mask Sorcerer in front of him, who wonders how much Sojo will pay. To his right, a sorcerer begins chanting while to the left another sorcerer engorges his arms, which begin to emit smoke. Chihiro places a shaky hand on Enten's hilt and the Oni Mask Sorcerer rushes forward as the sorcerer with engorged arms jumps high.
Before he can unsheathe Enten, however, Soshiro Azami appears behind Chihiro and tells him to put Enten away. Chihiro does so and Azami leaps into the air, kicking the mid-air sorcerer away. The Oni Mask Sorcerer hesitates, recognising Azami had relied on his speed rather than sorcery. The chanting sorcerer turns to Azami and as he reaches his hand out to the sorcerer, cuts begin to appear over his fingers. Landing on the ground, Azami comments on the sorcery while the Oni Mask Sorcerer recognises Azami's badge. With a bloody hand, Azami speeds towards the panicking chanting sorcerer and downs him in one punch.
He turns to the Oni Mask Sorcerer, a bolt of energy forming between his left hand's fingertips. The Oni Mask Sorcerer promptly raises his hands in surrender, voicing that he didn't know Azami's organisation was involved and preferring not to interfere. Knowing Azami must be a colonel or higher due to being in plain-clothes and still wearing a badge, the Oni Mask Sorcerer teleports away, not wanting to oppose the nation. Azami greets Chihiro who returns in kind, and Azami mentions while the matter of the bounty wasn't his assignment, he could still drop them off. Chihiro asks if his hand is okay while Char asks who he is, and Chihiro tells her that Azami works for the Kamunabi, a government-affiliated organisation of sorcerers who handle large-scale threats to the nation rather than individual requests.
The three arrive at Cafe Haru Haru, Azami greeting Hinao and Shiba. Hinao asks if Azami has come to take Char somewhere safe (which surprises Char), to which he clarifies that while he wants to, the Kamunabi's mission hadn't changed since the war: 'to eliminate any threats to the nation.' Shiba expresses his dissatisfaction with the Kamunabi's lack of desire to interfere in individual circumstances, expressing relief that he had left the organisation. Char toys with her jacket, excited by the news that she can stay with Chihiro.
At Shiba's prompting, Azami tells him that the Kamunabi's leaders want to meet with Shiba to discuss Sojo's interest in Char and Chihiro, as well as to figure out Shiba's intentions. He explains not all of the Kamunabi's leaders are aware of the existence of Chihiro and Enten, only those who helped Kunishige hide. Azami reminds Shiba that given the Enchanted Blades' threat, he should be confiscating Enten, but had refrained from doing so or informing the Kamunabi given his personal stake in the situation; though he notes he couldn't cover it up easily when Shiba and Chihiro were so public with their actions, asking how Shiba had let things go out of control.
Shiba defends his actions, explaining that the situation is different, especially as Chihiro was capable of fighting now. Azami acknowledges that despite his mere three years of experience, his wielding of Enten was indicative of his strength in body and mind. Shiba then goes on to mention a certain event would undoubtedly have come to attention soon enough, and rhetorically asks Azami if he really believed they would stay covert forever, given the rising tensions. With Shiba commenting on how he had uncovered information himself and the event must be another reason why the Kamunabi leaders want to see him, Azami reveals the event to Chihiro: the largest black market auction, held once a year: the Rakuzaichi, which would occur in a month's time. The Enchanted Blade Shinuchi had been slated to be auctioned, with Genichi Sojo listed as the seller.
Sojo meets with the Hishaku
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Genichi Sojo provides a report to two members of the Hishaku seated in front of him, outlining that everything is proceeding according to plan.
Shifting back to Cafe Haru Haru, Chihiro realises Sojo's possession of Cloud Gouger and auctioning Shinuchi is effectively proof of his ties to the Hishaku. Azami reveals the Kamunabi have blacklisted Sojo for over a decade, though he has skilfully continued his operations in the criminal underworld through his cunning and strength despite their attempts at countering him. He emphasies to Chihiro that Sojo is beyond Chihiro's current capabilities. Receiving a notification on his phone, Azami tells Chihiro that his subordinates have removed Sojo's bounty. He adds that though Chihiro had grown, he wasn't ready yet, and he should leave Sojo and the Rakuzaichi to the Kamunabi.
Chihiro verbally accepts, though Azami and Shiba easily see that he is lying, Shiba light-heartedly noting Azami might as well take Enten if he really wanted to stop him. Azami momentarily stares at an image of himself, Shiba and Kunishige in their youth on his phone before snapping it closed and placing it in his pocket. Half-turned towards the door, he notes the Hishaku's had limited activity following Kunishige's murder, but this was a new level of boldness for them. Expressing his belief that the Hishaku had something planned with the Enchanted Blades that could impact the month, Azami tells Chihiro that with the Rakuzaichi occurring in a month, they had to do everything possible to be ready.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- Chihiro and Char begin to leave the area but three sorcerers confront them, seeking the bounty.
- High-ranking Kamunabi member and Kunishige and Shiba's old friend Azami arrives and defeats two of the sorcerers, the third hastily fleeing.
- The Kamunabi are introduced as an organisation of sorcerers aligned with the government that focus on large-scale threats to the nation.
- Azami accompanies Chihiro and Char back to Cafe Haru Haru, where Shiba and Hinao are.
- Azami tells Shiba that the Kamunabi's leaders want to see him, some of them having been unaware of Chihiro and Enten's existence.
- He reminds Shiba to keep things covert but Shiba responds that Chihiro can fight now, and the situation would be changing due to the newest Rakuzaichi.
- Azami tells an unfamiliar Chihiro that the Rakuzaichi is the underworld's largest auction where Sojo has been stated to have submitted the Enchanted Blade Shinuchi.
- Sojo meets with two members of the Hishaku to confirm everything is going as planned.
- Azami advises Chihiro to leave Sojo to the Kamunabi, which Chihiro is opposed to. Knowing he has no chance of convincing Chihiro otherwise, Azami instead tells Chihiro that they need to be prepared for the auction in a month's time at all costs.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author Comment | |
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Takeru Hokazono |
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