Illusion (
Summary[]
Samura lands on a nearby piece of scaffolding and activates Crow, feathers completely filling the area. Toto is worried and tells Hiruhiko it would be best if they left. Hiruhiko's rational mind agrees, but he is adamant that this is their one chance to capture Iori, planning to capitalise on Samura's distraction due to his daughter's presence. Hiruhiko activates Banquet immediately before Samura appears next to him and decapitates Toto before slicing off Hiruhiko's head and arm. Nearby, next to a startled Iori, Chihiro recalls that Tobimune manifests spirit energy in the form of feathers which Samura can sense through, and when Samura uses Crow he can exchange positions with any of those feathers.
Sensing something is amiss, Chihiro calls for Kuro: Shred and sends several small goldfish away. After bending down to pick up Kumeyuri, Samura turns to the group below and asks about the situation, asking if Ro and the Masumi broke the seal. Ro hesitantly disagrees before Chihiro responds that Iori had broken it herself, Samura immediately telling the Masumi to reimplement it. Iori then speaks up, asking if Samura was going to say nothing to her after being away from her for so long, while she had been constantly thinking of him, causing Samura to grit his teeth. Abruptly, the group is interrupted by Hiruhiko's severed head mockingly calling out 'father,' before Hiruhiko's head and body as well as Kumeyuri melt and fade away.
The building then seems to heave and shift around them in a nauseating manner, Ro quickly realising something internally was affecting them. Samura immediately realises what is happening; Kumeyuri's technique Banquet causes intoxicating hallucinations, which Chihiro, Samura, Iori, Ikura and the Masumi were affected by, pale rings in their eyes indicating they have been affected.
Chihiro acknowledges that Hiruhiko managed to act first given Samura's distraction by his daughter's presence and Samura is annoyed by the convincing aspect of the hallucination. The yakuza continue to attack, and Moku mutters that they don't seem affected. Iori clutches at her head with one hand while Chihiro begins to move away, yelling at Samura to protect Iori. Seeing several yakuza move in towards her, Samura swoops in and cuts them down in an instant. Moku asks where Chihiro is heading and Chihiro replies with clear eyes that he is after the culprit.
Elsewhere, Hiruhiko and Toto rest in a hallway, Hiruhiko remarking that Kumeyuri is incredibly useful. Toto comments on Hiruhiko's wounded state and states they don't need to take any risks and can escape without difficulty, but Hirhiko refuses, saying they needed to take the one chance they had to retrieve Iori. Toto immediately catches on that Hiruhiko is lying as there was no way he was thinking that strategically, and notes Hiruhiko's actual aim is to resume his fight with Chihiro; much like a child who wants to play just a little more at a video game. Hiruhiko asks if he was that obvious and Toto says it was, especially given how long they've known each other.
Hiruhiko fully accepts he simply wants to resume his fight with Chihiro and Toto sighs, before Hiruhiko adds Chihiro was already on the way. A goldfish conspicuously lies at the end of the hall. Elsewhere, Chihiro internally remarks the Kuro he had sent out were for locating Hiruhiko, and he had searched inside the hotel given Hiruhiko's limited expertise and thus range with Kumeyuri. Knowing Kumeyuri's abilities, Chihiro had previously reinforced his inner ears using Nishiki, hence why he had been less affected by Banquet.
Water droplets fill the air as Hiruhiko spots Chihiro at the end of the corridor, and he tells Toto that he will pursue Iori, and this time he will win. Chihiro dashes forwards with Nishiki active and clashes blades with Hiruhiko as Toto is knocked aside. Hiruhiko demands Chihiro try to kill him this time and Chihiro responds that he will now that he has identified Kumeyuri's location. On the roof, Iori watches Samura nervously as the yakuza fall around them and the two prepare to talk properly for the first time in years.
Somewhere within Tokyo, sometime earlier, Yura and his fedora-wearing colleague stand discussing events. Yura states Seiichi Samura is the Hishaku's strongest asset at the moment, and so they had to use him carefully and sacrifice him at just the right moment for the greatest possible gain; as was his fate. Yura muses that one step in achieving this fate was his daughter; though depending on how the battle at Kyoto was faring, they would need to fire two 'arrows'. Yura points downwards and states Shinuchi lies deep beneath them, right below where they were, still undergoing its sealing process. His colleague comments it is right in the middle of Kamunabi Headquarters, a formidable obstacle.
Around them, civilians begin to look upwards, and the fedora-wearing man does so as well, adding it would be a difficult task. Above, Owl has disappeared from the sky, and Yura says it is time for them to act. His colleague kneels down and aims his hand at the ground, tree branches beginning to arise from beneath.
Quick References[]
Chapter Notes[]
- Samura descends to a nearby piece of scaffolding and activates Crow. Hiruhiko uses Banquet immediately before Samura decapitates him and Toto and retrieves Kumeyuri.
- Chihiro activates Kuro: Shred and sends the goldfish away. Samura sees Iori and Ro tells him she broke the seal on her own.
- Samura tells the Masumi to redo it as Iori begins to shout at him, asking if he had nothing to say to her after many years.
- Hiruhiko's severed head begins melting, as does Kumeyuri, before fading away. The building around them begins moving nauseously in a disorienting manner, which is revealed to be the work of Kumeyuri's technique Banquet, which can create hallucinations.
- The yakuza around them begin to attack, seemingly unaffected. Chihiro runs off to pursue Hiruhiko and yells at Samura to protect Iori, and Samura does so, slicing down a group of yakuza approaching her.
- Hiruhiko and Toto have retreated to a nearby hallway, where after Toto questions him Hiruhiko reveals he wishes to continue battling Chihiro and not retreat.
- Chihiro arrives, having reinforced his inner ear using Nishiki to fend off Banquet's effects slightly, and clashes with Hiruhiko, now determined to kill him after having located Kumeyuri.
- Within Tokyo, Yura and his fedora-wearing colleague stand directly above Shinuchi's location within Kamunabi Headquarters. As Owl disappears above them, the fedora-wearing man kneels and summons tree branches from the ground.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Author's Comment[]
| Author Comment | |
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Takeru Hokazono |
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