Hishaku

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Hishaku
The Hishaku's insignia, which each member has tattooed on the back of one of their hands.
General Information
Japanese	毘 (ひ) 灼 (しゃく)
Romaji	Hishaku
Leader(s)	Yura
Other Members	Hishaku Sorcerer Hokuto Uran Hiruhiko Kuguri Toto Bingo Yukisada 1 other unnamed sorcerer
Affiliate(s)	Kasen Multiple Kamunabi traitors
Previous Affiliate(s)	Korogumi † Genichi Sojo † Sazanami Clan Seiichi Samura
Status	Active
Debut
Manga	Chapter 1

The Hishaku (毘 (ひ) 灼 (しゃく) , Hishaku) are a small, elite group of ten sorcerers who are responsible for the murder of Kunishige Rokuhira and theft of six of his Enchanted Blades three years ago, and are as such the targets of Chihiro's revenge.

They are the collective main antagonists of the series, serving as the major overarching antagonists in the Vs. Sojo and Rakuzaichi Arcs and taking a more direct role as the main antagonists in the Sword Bearer Assassination Arc.

Overview

The Hishaku have existed for an unknown period of time, and began to make bolder actions and change their method of activity four years prior to the start of the series. The organization consists of of ten elite sorcerers led by Yura and their expertise in sorcery is so great that they have been compared to monsters. Members are identified by a tattoo resembling flames on the back of one of their hands.

They are the ones who killed Kunishige and stole the six Enchanted Blades he crafted. Chihiro's quest to locate both the Hishaku and Enchanted Blades is motivated by the need to recover these stolen katana and seek revenge for his father's death.

The Hishaku have also made connections with many other organizations and individuals, such as the Korogumi, Genichi Sojo, and the Sazanami Clan, in order to further their own objectives.

Due to their operating in secrecy, very little information about the Hishaku is known to the nation at large, particularly their objectives. Their newest aim is assassinating all former bearers of the Enchanted Blades in order to break their Lifelong Contracts and render the blades (which the Hishaku have in their possession) usable. According to Seiichi Samura, the Hishaku also plan on revealing the horrific actions inflicted by the sword bearers during the Seitei War and bring chaos within the nation.

Strength

All members of the Hishaku are extremely adept in sorcery. Three of them were capable of subverting a barrier placed around the Rokuhira residence set to alert veteran sorcerer Togo Shiba; despite only ten seconds passing between Shiba detecting something amiss with the barrier and his arrival at the Rokuhira residence, they had already managed to kill Kunishige, destroy the residence and steal the Enchanted Blades by then.

Hiruhiko, who was sent to assassinate Yoji Uruha at Kokugoku Hot Spring, easily defeated and slaughtered the Sanso's remaining elite Kamunabi fighters who were his bodyguards, despite them wiping out a squad of sorcerers armed with Datenseki.

Kuguri, who was tasked to kidnap Iori, is a highly skilled swordsman, able to easily cut a moving bus in half while sprinting down a busy street. Another among the Hishaku's swordsmen is Hokuto, who killed Ibuki Misaka in a one-on-one duel three years ago while also controlling an armored doll to support two of his colleagues in their attack on Kunishige Rokuhira.

One member was capable of 'planting' trees within people, as seen with the Korogumi Yakuza boss, and was able to set it to grow out of his body and burst his head open as soon as he was about to reveal information on the Hishaku. Another member has shown the ability to reattach severed limbs, given the limb in question is recovered.

The Hishaku's leader, Yura has an incredibly high level of skill in sorcery, being able to wall off an entire corridor using trees with ease. He was additionally able to break an incredibly strong seal, estimated by Shiba to require a highly skilled sorcerer ten years to break, in just three years.

Strength in combat aside, the organization also has notable influence, having made deals with major underworld names including the Sazanami Clan and Genichi Sojo. Having consolidated various sources of funding, the Hishaku have also hired sorcerers and yakuza of little renown for their objectives, such as during their attack on the Sanso on the 9th of November. As noted by observers such as Moku, these hired thugs have occasionally seemed brainwashed and acting uncontrollably in an almost insane manner.

Members

Yura

Leader

Hishaku Sorcerer

Hokuto

Uran

Hishaku Sorcerer 2

Hiruhiko

Kuguri

Toto

Bingo

Yukisada

Korogumi^†

Genichi Sojo^†

Sazanami Clan^?

Seiichi Samura^‡

Kasen

Kamunabi Insider

Older Shigyu Brother^†

Younger Shigyu Brother^†

Ishihira^†

Under duress

Transformation Sorcerer^†

Knives Sorcerer^†

Core Station Traitor

Under duress

History

Past

Yura prophesizes a second Malediction.

Eight years before the present, Yura went to Seiichi Samura's house, where he noted he was there to talk the sins of the sword bearers, and a disaster that would occur as a result several years from then. That disaster was the reappearance of Akemura Soga's Malediction technique which had killed 200,000 people after the Seitei War; an unparalleled act of mass murder that had been covered up by the Japanese. Samura was greatly surprised to hear that Yura knew the truth and about the prophecy that Yura had told him, and before Yura teleported out he told Samura the latter had a job to do.

Not long after, Yura began spreading leaflets within the city Samura was living in, detailing the peace treaty and Soga's subsequent massacre, accompanied by a forged photo of the treaty's signing. He later discussed his action with his fedora-wearing colleague, stating that it would inevitably increase mistrust of the sword bearers over time.

The Hishaku's attack on the Rokuhira residence.

The Hishaku first began changing their method of activity to be more prominent four years before the present. At some point in time, an insider within the Kamunabi leaked Kunishige Rokuhira's whereabouts to the Hishaku. Three years before the present, Uran and the fedora-wearing Hishaku sorcerer, as well as an armored puppet controlled by Hokuto's sorcery, attacked the Rokuhira family's home. They killed Kunishige and stole the six Enchanted Blades, instilling within Chihiro a desire for vengeance against them. Hokuto himself went to the residence of former Cloud Gouger bearer Ibuki Misaka and killed him in one-on-one combat.

Shortly after Kunishige and Ibuki were killed, Yura arrived at Samura's house with three of his colleagues outside the house as backup, introducing his organization as the Hishaku. Yura admitted they had killed one of Samura's fellow sword bearers but they were there to negotiate, not kill him; though Samura viewed it as more of an open threat. Yura instead emphasised the danger of the returning Malediction, noting Shinuchi's flowers remained on the island; a symbol of Soga's enduring bloodlust despite his sealing.

Yura declared his goal was to eliminate Soga and wield Shinuchi in order to end Malediction's presence. He again offered for Samura to join them in order to atone for his sins and protect the future. Samura was highly suspicious of Yura's intentions but decided to agree in order to monitor the Hishaku.

The two confirmed a deal regarding the former bearers of the Enchanted Blades, where Samura would assist them to kill the other bearers of the Enchanted Blades from the Seitei War. In return, Yura would provide Samura information on the Hishaku's members, their insider within the Kamunabi and the locations of the stolen blades.

According to Hiruhiko, the Hishaku mainly engaged in preparations for three years following the theft of the Enchanted Blades. Several months before November, Yukisada underwent the process to become a Vessel of the Kamunabi's Core Station, in order to gain partial control of their barrier system.

Roughly three years after the theft of the Enchanted Blades, Yura managed to break the seal around the box of Magatsumi, though he left the rope in place and the box unopened.

Around October 1st, Genichi Sojo was given the Enchanted Blade Cloud Gouger by Yura in hopes of improving the quality of Sojo's Datenseki research, emphasising that the Datenseki was a higher priority than Cloud Gouger at the moment.

Vs. Sojo Arc

Sometime before the present, the Hishaku began providing support to the Korogumi, a Yakuza organization, in return for regular payments. Chihiro attacked the Korogumi, aiming to extract information about Hishaku from the boss of the Korogumi. The Korogumi leader began to reveal information but was summarily executed by branches growing from inside his body, having been planted within him by the Hishaku.

Sometime later, Genichi Sojo met with two members of the Hishaku, Yura and his fedora-wearing colleague, to report that 'everything was going as planned' following his publicised submission of Shinuchi to the Rakuzaichi done to mask the Hishaku's identity as the true submitter.

Later, after the conclusion of Chihiro's duel with Sojo on the 14th of October, a Hishaku sorcerer arrived to pick up a briefcase Sojo had left in the courtyard, before disappearing. Yura would later personally entrust the stabilised Datenseki within to Kyora Sazanami for him to use at his discretion.

Rakuzaichi Arc

Seven days prior to the Rakuzaichi, on the 1st of November, a member of the Hishaku dialled Kyora Sazanami, asking about his run-through of the auction. Kyora inquired into the reasoning for their selling of Shinuchi, but the Hishaku member refused to comment, merely stating they wouldn't do anything that would put the Rakuzaichi at risk. They brought up the danger of the seventh Enchanted Blade, but Kyora revealed he wasn't too concerned about it, even though he'd probably lose in a fight against a blade, and maintained that Shinuchi would not pass into the hands of those who didn't follow the auction's rules.

"I'm the leader of the Hishaku. I'm responsible for the murder of your father."

On the 8th of November, Yura was present incognito at the Rakuzaichi, mingling with several other guards. As Chihiro ran towards him on his way to the Naginojoen, Yura created a wall of trees to prevent Chihiro from progressing and confronted him, commenting on Cloud Gouger's limited power now that it was broken. Chihiro attacked him but Yura immediately kicked him into the wall of trees and summoned branches to trap him. He then revealed his identity and involvement in Kunishige's murder to Chihiro, and as Chihiro asked why the Hishaku had put Shinuchi up for auction and killed his father, Yura replied his end goal was to wield Shinuchi.

Yura did not bother to deal with Chihiro, as he did not pose a threat with the damaged Cloud Gouger, and instead offered to talk, desiring to see how Chihiro's hatred had grown. Chihiro refused, resonating his desire for Cloud Gouger to die at his side and using Mei: Shred to burst from the wall. The two's battle resumed, Chihiro now able to even sever Yura's arm, but the latter was nonplussed and kept pace with him even without using sorcery. Considering the situation, Chihiro announced his desire to kill Yura at a later date and burst through the wall to the other side, surprising Yura.

An armed Hiyuki Kagari then walked down the stairs behind Yura, preparing to engage him but having not seen his hand-crest. Yura refused to fight, having already achieved his goal of meeting with Chihiro, and he acknowledged the Rakuzaichi was the Sazanami's area of concern, not his own, before promptly forming a hand sign and teleporting out, Hiyuki then recognizing the crest on his hand.

Following Yura's departure, several Hishaku members attended a meeting presided over by their leader, now with arm restored. There, the Hishaku members questioned Yura's decision not to open Shinuchi's box himself, and Yura revealed he intended for Kyora to make use of Shinuchi during the Rakuzaichi in order to test how the blade's bearer would react.

Sword Bearer Assassination Arc

After confirming the Kamunabi had taken possession of Shinuchi, the Hishaku were glad to see their plans were being fulfilled. Yura noted it was time for them to begin their next move.

On the 9th of November, the day after the Rakuzaichi, this move was revealed to be a directed assault on the Sanso where the former Enchanted Blade bearers were kept under protection. Yura placed the operation, the Hishaku's manpower and their semi-stabilised Datenseki weaponry under Hiruhiko's command, viewing it as an opportunity to let him experience more of the world and develop his psychological maturity.

The Hishaku hired 68 external sorcerers and equipped them with their 34 Datenseki weapons, and Hiruhiko oversaw a small force of these Datenseki-wielding sorcerers to Kokugoku Hot Spring, the Sanso where former Enchanted Blade bearer Uruha was located. The first attack of the sorcerers failed, and the attackers were all killed, leaving Hiruhiko to wipe out Uruha's guard force. Hiruhiko would then take four of the sorcerers' corpses and wait at a train station.

Uruha managed to escape, fleeing 8 kilometres away to the nearby Atago station. Some other sorcerers dispatched by the Hishaku located and engaged Uruha, but Uruha quickly dispatched them, meeting up with Chihiro and Hakuri, who had been dispatched by the Kamunabi to protect him. The group boarded a train headed to Senkutsuji Temple, and at one stop Uruha spotted the corpses of his former guards, but kept his cool and merely watched on stonily, not goaded by Hiruhiko's attempt to lure him out. After idly remarking to his colleague how pleased he was that Yura had given permission for him to move after three years of preparation (which he found boring), Hiruhiko boarded the train and entered the carriage Uruha, Chihiro and Hakuri was in, finding Chihiro standing opposite him with Enten readied.

Hiruhiko uses Blood Crane.

Hiruhiko ordered several more contracted sorcerers to attack Uruha, who fended off the assaults while Chihiro prepared to engage Hiruhiko. Chihiro activated Nishiki while Hiruhiko used Blood Crane, sending forth paper cranes towards Chihiro. The cranes cut through the bodies of some of the sorcerers, becoming covered in blood, and briefly flew into Chihiro's eyes, disrupting his vision as Hiruhiko grabbed a sword and sliced downwards.

Chihiro parried and broke the sword as Hiruhiko transformed the cranes into shurikens, directing them towards and impaling Uruha, their intended target, as he mocked Chihiro's lack of focus. Chihiro then used Kuro in the same way as Magatsumi's 'Centipede', summoning two goldfish to perform a circular slash around the area. Hiruhiko quickly ducked and Hakuri dragged Uruha downwards beneath the slash, which killed the remaining sorcerers in the room.

Knowing Chihiro was struggling to both protect him and deal with Hiruhiko, Uruha urged Chihiro not to worry about him, prompting Chihiro to attack Hiruhiko and dive out of the train with him. As they landed, Hiruhiko was excited at the possibility of Chihiro no longer holding back and moved some paper butterflies to provide Datenseki to the sorcerers Chihiro and Uruha had previously dealt with and thrown out of the train, calling them the 'Anti-Enten Special Forces'.

Hiruhiko briefly questioned Chihiro if he thought he had made the right decision with leaving Uruha and Hakuri when there were already sorcerers headed towards Senkutsuji Temple, but Chihiro ignored him. Hiruhiko lackadaiscally noted he and Chihiro were the same age and both had similar exposure to the idea of murder when young (himself at the age of 3), and stated they could be friends given they were both natural-born killers. Chihiro was disgusted at being compared to a member of the Hishaku and slashed forward just as Hiruhiko vanished in a flurry of papers to a nearby theatre. There, Hiruhiko used his sorcery to guide the Datenseki-wielding sorcerers in their fight against Chihiro, pondering the use of the Datenseki all the while.

The fight progressed to the theatre's rooftop and the four combatants crashed through the roof, Chihiro rapidly slicing through the three attackers, horrifying the nearby audience. Hiruhiko once again claimed he was the only one who could understand Chihiro, only for Chihiro to rebuff him once more. Irritated by his seemingly conflicting intentions, Chihiro asked Hiruhiko whether he wanted to kill or befriend him. Hiruhiko believed they could become friends by trying to kill each other, having never had a friend before and not knowing any better.

He activated his paper sorcery to surround the area, knowing that if Chihiro were to try and cut his way through, he would risk the safety of the audience. Chihiro refused to attack and Hiruhiko used paper cranes to slash at Chihiro, though Chihiro used Nishiki to reduce the level of damage his body took. Chihiro then activated Kuro, engulfing the area in a massive wave of black goldfish that blanked out Hiruhiko's vision before slashing off Hiruhiko's arms and holding him at blade-point, ordering him to talk.

Hiruhiko asked him why he would go so far to protect the civilians, and Chihiro responded it was because he refused to kill innocents, refusing to accept the Hishaku's ways despite them both being killers. Hiruhiko was incredibly confused, having thought the two of them as the same. Chihiro told him he refused to accept all killing to be the same, not wanting to betray his role models' ideals, and that their difference in belief was why they sought to kill each other. In a moment of deluded understanding, Hiruhiko realised their attempts to kill each other due to their differences was what friendship was.

Hiruhiko transports Kumeyuri and Tobimune above.

Hiruhiko decided to reveal information to Chihiro, stating that the Hishaku were a group of 10 sorcerers led by Yura, and their plan to attack the fortress involved hiring 68 external sorcerers and making use of the 34 Datenseki weapons in their stockpile, with the overall operation placed under Hiruhiko's command. He apologized to Chihiro for not showing up to fight with a proper weapon, but declared they would be able to fight as proper equals soon. Unbeknownst to Chihiro, Hiruhiko had flown Kumeyuri and Tobimune over the theatre using his sorcery.

In a playground, Yura conversed with the Hishaku member previously accompanying Hiruhiko, bringing up how the Kamunabi had reinforced their defences at both remaining Sanso and their HQ. He mused that Soga was likely in Tokyo, and the Hishaku would need the force of at least an Enchanted Blade to attack. When his subordinate questioned his decision to give Hiruhiko command of the operation, Yura responded they had multiple backup plans to act as a safety net in case Hiruhiko could not carry out his plan perfectly, plus a trump card in the form of their alliance with Samura.

Hiruhiko had dispatched the majority of the sorcerers wielding Datenseki along with a member of the Hishaku to Senkutsuji Temple for personal reasons. Among them, according to Yura, was an aversion to relying on Samura's assistance, an attitude shared by other members of the Hishaku. Datenseki-wielding sorcerers flooded Senkutsuji Temple and the Hishaku Sorcerer took action, several branches destroying numerous parts of the temple building where Samura was. The sorcerer was nonchalant as he noted his defacing of the religious site.

Samura attempted to goad the Hishaku Sorcerer down, but the Hishaku Sorcerer remained in his position on a branch several metres above, before detonating several smoke-laden explosives using branches to counter Samura's senses of smell and hearing. The Hishaku Sorcerer ordered more sorcerers to attack, but they were cut down, Samura having detected their hostile intent. The Hishaku Sorcerer decided to instead send in his tree branches, noting with satisfaction that Samura could not sense the inanimate objects as one managed to graze him. The Hishaku Sorcerer ordered the sorcerers to attack alongside the tree branches to overwhelm Samura.

The Hishaku Sorcerer continued to observe as the Masumi sorcerers arrived and assisted Samura, and was pleased at the sight of Uruha and Hakuri also arriving, as all of his targets were now in one place. He redoubled his forces's efforts upon spotting that the building was crumbling, and witnessed the Masumi successfully use a mandala to teleport Uruha, Samura and Hakuri away. Almost immediately after, Samura rushed back into the temple with Tobimune in hand, swiftly killing the Datenseki-wielding sorcerers. The Hishaku Sorcerer quickly left the scene, wary of the threat posed by the blade and knowing the Hishaku's alliance with Samura meant that the victory was theirs.

Hiruhiko activates Kumeyuri.

At the theater, Hiruhiko noticed Tobimune had gone missing and commented that they had failed, but the Hishaku would still kill Soga and render Shinuchi usable anyway. When Chihiro maintained he would prevent the sword bearers from dying, Hiruhiko engaged Chihiro in a discussion about Soga's morality, especially after seeing the destruction caused by the blade at the Rakuzaichi. Hiruhiko then mentioned Samura believed all the former sword bearers including Soga should die, before dropping Kumeyuri on the stage, distracting Chihiro and forming a contract with the blade, activating it. Chihiro was then transported to Senkutsuji by Hakuri, disappointing Hiruhiko. His colleague then met up with him and the two moved to a warehouse where his colleague began treatment to reattach Hiruhiko's arms.

Samura and Yura discuss their deal.

Yura was also at the warehouse, and quickly ordered for Kumeyuri to be sealed away, knowing Samura would arrive soon. With Tobimune's technique Owl, Samura rapidly found the three Hishaku members' location and appeared in a flash of feathers, briefly debating with Yura regarding the events at Senkutsuji. Yura brought up how he killed Chihiro, and Samura responded Chihiro would've gotten in the way of his goals. To the side, a furious Hiruhiko shouted that he would avenge his friend. Samura assured him he would get his chance to fight after they killed the remaining sword bearers.

The remaining Hishaku member in the room internally pondered how Samura merely viewed his deal with the Hishaku as a means to access information, acknowledging his great threat. Yura then told Samura that the Sanso had been evacuated and that he would inform Samura once they had consolidated their information in a week's time. Samura accepted this and left. The Hishaku sorcerer questioned Yura's decision to have Samura in play so early, and Yura replied they didn't have too much of a choice, but the decision had not been a hasty one and they would mobilise more thoroughly soon.

Kuguri bursts into Iori's classroom.

On the 13th of November, Yura ordered two of the Hishaku, Toto and Kuguri (who was carrying Subaru's Enchanted Blade alongside a regular katana), to move to Kyoto and locate Iori Samura. He informed each active team within the Hishaku that 'it's almost time'. The two attacked Iori's school and rounded up the female second-year students, Toto planning to taste-test the blood of each one to find a match for Samura's. Ro interrupted them and while Kuguri was distracted, Chihiro attacked him with his wakizashi, Kuguri hastily blocking with his katana.

Seeing Chihiro was hesitant to fight, Kuguri was dismayed, before Toto pointed out the escaping Sumi and Iori and the two rapidly entered a car, a driver in hot pursuit. Toto questioned why the Masumi were being so public with their escort of Iori, though Kuguri was more preoccupied with his dissatisfaction with Chihiro. Ro then blew up the car and killed the driver, and while Toto was trapped underneath the car, Kuguri dashed forward to continue the chase.

As Kuguri nearly reached the motorbike, Chihiro leaped forward, grabbed a katana from the motorbike and clashed blades with Kuguri, and Kuguri was satisfied to see Chihiro's determination to fight had arisen once more. Announcing his desire to have a proper sword fight with Chihiro, Kuguri expressed his ire that his desire came into conflict with his job to capture Iori. Struggling with this conflict even as he clashed with Chihiro, Kuguri suddenly realised Chihiro's swordsmanship was lacking, before Chihiro voiced that he planned on advancing his sword skills in the heat of battle.

Disgusted by Chihiro's apparent refusal to learn the art of swordplay properly, Kuguri lost his desire to fight and charged after Iori. Chihiro then emulated the Iai White Purity Style and sped forward to clash with Kuguri once more. Kuguri was impressed that Chihiro had managed to expertly use a sword style, and once again focused on Chihiro, eventually deciding to set thoughts of his mission aside as he sought a meaningful battle.

Kuguri voices his frustration.

After being learning that Chihiro had begun emulating the style without Uruha or Samura's continuous teachings, Kuguri was bewildered given the complexity and difficulty related to learning the style. Chihiro then escaped with Ro using a transportation mandala Ro had drawn, and Kuguri was frustrated to both fail in his mission and lose a worthy opponent. Kuguri then reconvened with Toto and reported what had just happened, Toto noting the detection sorcery they had been using to track Iori was not finding any signals; they had lost her.

Kuguri and Toto split up to search the various locations in Kyoto impervious to the detection sorcery over the course of that night. Eventually, Toto (followed secretly by Ikura) checked the Kyoto Bloodshed Hotel and teleported Hiruhiko in, the latter using a hairpin to kill a guard and tie his hair before taking the guard's sword, wanting to use the hotel guards as a way to improve his swordsmanship.

After briefly confirming Chihiro was in fact alive with Toto, Hiruhiko's determination to improve was renewed. Yojiro Sengoku then prepared to confront Hiruhiko, slashing forward using the Reigen One-Sword Style. Hiruhiko was initially overwhelmed by the strength of the blows, dodging several attacks before using an unorthodox strategy to sever Sengoku's left arm when the latter lunged forward. As Sengoku calmly noted his injury and questioned who Hiruhiko studied under, Hiruhiko lackadaisically replied he was a student of freedom.

Having developed a sword style based on constantly shifting his sword arm and grip and staying mobile to avoid the opponent tracking his sword, Hiruhiko utilised the unpredictability and lack of consistency innate to his attacks to kill Sengoku and devastate the hotel staff. After reconvening with Toto, the two figured out Iori was in the building and Toto instructed Hiruhiko to head upstairs and capture her alive while she called for reinforcements. Hiruhiko then carried Sengoku's severed head up an elevator where he encountered Chihiro and Iori.

Chihiro and Hiruhiko meet again.

Hiruhiko expressed his satisfaction that he had found Iori before throwing Sengoku's head as a distraction and slashing at her, Chihiro blocking the hit. Chihiro then forced Hiruhiko into a nearby elevator and cut the wire, the elevator plunging down to the first floor. Hiruhiko and Chihiro struggled to clash mid-air before landing, a nearby defeated staff member handing Chihiro the key to the hotel's lantern and noting Hiruhiko's swordsmanship seemed invisible.

Having observed Hiruhiko's movement in detail, Chihiro realised Hiruhiko's style revolved around inherently not following a pattern and was able to track Hiruhiko's sword and parry it, Hiruhiko surprised at Chihiro's ability. The two swung at each other again, blades almost reaching each other before both evaded. Both Hiruhiko and Chihiro were surprised by the other's speed, before consolidating themselves and preparing to resume their fight. Ikura then suddenly appeared, and after screaming his determination save Iori regardless of the wounds he could incur Chihiro gave him the key and told him to head upstairs.

Upstairs, Kuguri advanced from an elevator onto the roof, confronted almost immediately by Ro. A large force of seemingly-brainwashed yakuza then attacked from the outside of the hotel, forcing Sumi and Moku to escort Iori away. The hotel's clientele began entering from the elevators to join the pursuit of Iori, and Ikura appeared behind them, yelling out to Iori that her friendship with him was dear to him and she had to make it back safely. The desire to protect ordinary life catalysed the complete destruction of the seal on Iori's memories, and Iori rapidly stole a katana and blocked an attack aimed at Ikura.

Hiruhiko hit an elevator button and Chihiro sped forward but Hiruhiko blocked, Chihiro realising his speed was insufficient. Moving back, Hiruhiko systematically tossed his blade between his arms before rushing forward. Chihiro blocked before preparing another slash. Hiruhiko jumped upwards and chastised Chihiro in a lax manner, mocking the concept of tradition and mimicking Chihiro's White Purity Style stance.

Testing the stance, Hiruhiko pushed off the wall and slashed down with speed, Chihiro realising in shock that Hiruhiko's endeavour was successful. Pushed down, Hiruhiko saw his elevator was ready and headed in. As he stood in the elevator, he thought back to the unorthodox tactics he had used against Sengoku, knowing they wouldn't work once Chihiro had identified them. Deciding he needed speed rather than trickery to kill Chihiro, Hiruhiko readied himself in the White Purity stance. As his elevator opened at the roof, Chihiro's opened opposite to him and the two dashed towards each other using the style's extreme speed; though Chihiro, after seeing Iori's usage of the style, was able to utilise the style better and slashed down Hiruhiko, severing his blade in two.

Kumeyuri and Enten.

Toto immediately teleported Hiruhiko onto a nearby ledge before Chihiro could follow up his attack. Hiruhiko reported that while he was hurt, his blade had taken some of the damage for him while breaking, so he could still fight, and demanded she give him Kumeyuri. Toto complied but was hesitant, given unsheathing Kumeyuri would instantly alert Samura and even if Hiruhiko had a better grasp on sword technique, he was still wounded. After observing Chihiro conversing with Iori, Hiruhiko reasoned Chihiro would draw Enten and bring in Samura either way; plus, he refused to let the fight end as it had. Toto was doubtful but the two saw Chihiro reaching for Enten, and Hiruhiko called out Kumeyuri just as Chihiro did the same for Enten. On cue, Owl disappeared above them and Samura arrived, Tobimune active and gigantic black wings holding him aloft.

Kuguri quickly hid behind a piece of scaffolding away from him, watching the situation. Toto was anxious and once again recommended they leave as Samura activated Crow, and Hiruhiko agreed, but decided they only had the one opportunity to capture Iori, quickly calling forth Banquet and disappearing with Toto to a lower floor of the hotel, leaving behind an illusion of the two's forms that were swiftly sliced down by Samura. Hiruhiko's illusion head then mockingly called out 'father' as Iori began shouting at Samura, shortly before Banquet began affecting Iori, Samura, the Masumi, Ikura and Chihiro's perception of the building, causing the landscape to appear shifting nauseatingly.

Within the building, Hiruhiko commented that Kumeyuri was incredibly useful. Toto told him that they should leave while they could but Hiruhiko was adamant in his desire to stay and pursue Iori; though Toto was quick to notice the notion was merely a front for wanting to continue his fight with Chihiro, which Hiruhiko admitted to. The two then noticed a black goldfish at the end of the hallway, shortly before Chihiro charged in and locked blades with Hiruhiko, Toto knocked aside. Hiruhiko demanded Chihiro seriously try to kill him, and Chihiro stated he had no reason not to after locating Kumeyuri.

The Hishaku Sorcerer contends with the Kamunabi Headquarters' barrier.

Shortly before Samura deactivated Owl, Yura and his fedora-wearing colleague were standing on a Tokyo street directly above Shinuchi's location within Kamunabi Headquarters. Yura stated Samura was their greatest asset and thus they had to use and sacrifice him for the maximal possible gain, as was his fate. Iori was key to solidifying his fate, though Yura noted depending on how the situation in Kyoto progressed they would fire two 'arrows', gesturing below them to Shinuchi's location. The fedora-wearing man noted Kamunabi HQ would be a notable obstacle, before looking upwards to see Owl disappear. Yura commented it was time and the fedora-wearing man kneeled, summoning tree branches from the ground.

Seeing Chihiro was reinforcing his ears to lessen Banquet's effects and presuming Chihiro was holding back due to seeing Samura as his real opponent, Hiruhiko decided to aim to kill Samura first, asking Yura about his idea through Toto. Toto relayed Yura was fine with it so long as he retrieved Tobimune, and Hiruhiko sent Toto off to hide before activating Play and using it to maneuver the corpses in the hotel hallways towards the roof. He then strengthened Banquet's effect, both to make the hallway he and Chihiro were in appear longer than it really was and to bombard Samura with past images of his daughter suffering. Believing he had to show Chihiro his sheer determination, Hiruhiko was adamant that he had to kill Samura.

Commenting that Samura may be unbeatable in a direct fight but vulnerable on the inside, Hiruhiko increased Banquet's strength further, completing obscuring Samura's senses using illusions. Samura was frozen long enough for several corpses to stab him, and as more approached the still-affected Iori, Samura forced himself into the way of over a dozen lethal blows. On the roof, Kuguri witnessed Samura use Suzaku to heal himself, shocked at the sight. Within the corridor, a sea of black feathers heralded the arrival of the unharmed figure of Samura. Hiruhiko was shocked and Samura stated Hiruhiko had said and done enough, flames present around his eye scars.

Hiruhiko uses Play to destroy the hotel.

Samura told Hiruhiko he was now powerless while Hiruhiko questioned Samura's ability to resurrect. Still mid-clash with Chihiro, Hiruhiko reared back as Samura abruptly appeared behind him and increased Banquet's strength. While momentarily disorientated, Chihiro amplified Nishiki's strength shortly before the three clashed with their Enchanted Blades, the force producing a shockwave that horizontally bisected the hotel building. Knocked back, Hiruhiko decided to pour everything into his next move, activating Play and relying on his natural disregard for objects translated through the True Realm to transform Play's effects from manipulation to destruction, resulting in massive cracks manifesting over the hotel building's upper section.

Hiruhiko then brought more corpses into the destroyed hallway, attacking Chihiro with them while he was dealing with the environment crumbling around him. Single-handedly driven in his desire to fight Chihiro to the death, he sent a swarm of corpses after Samura, who manifested wings and flew out the window up to the roof. Believing Samura was out of the picture, Hiruhiko shouted that it was time for their battle to Chihiro, but Chihiro did not respond. Looking up, Hiruhiko saw Samura ignite his wings with Suzaku's flames and fly straight down to Hiruhiko's location, slashing off his right arm while the flames completely undid the damage done to the building. Hiruhiko was sent flying to a nearby wall, left crying in disbelief. Samura picked up Kumeyuri and prepared to engage Chihiro, who stood with Enten raised.

Samura turned back to Hiruhiko, aiming to finish him off first, but Kuguri abruptly swung in from a door to Samura's right. With a quick slash Samura severed Kuguri's katana, and in response Kuguri unleashed Twilight Wave, the massive blast annihilating the wall and continuing onwards. Dodging the blast, Samura noticed Kuguri and Hiruhiko had escaped. In an alley near the hotel, Toto teleported in with Hiruhiko, Kuguri quickly joining them. Kuguri and Toto lamented their mission failure while Hiruhiko was almost comatose, remembering how Chihiro's eyes had been full of indifference, not even hatred, when they looked at him.

The Hishaku forces enter Kamunabi Headquarters.

In Kyoto, the fedora-wearing sorcerer began engaging the barrier surrounding Kamunabi Headquarters, tree branches destroying the street inadvertently and the sorcerer noting the barrier was strong. After the Kamunabi took down the barrier surrounding the first floor, seven individuals entered the building. Three of them entered through the west gate, Hokuto's armoured puppet accompanied by the Shigyu Brothers. The elder brother detected 24 sorcerers nearby, and when the younger asked if they would attack them the elder deemed them not worth the effort. The three continued into the central area of the floor, the Threat Elimination Grounds, where the brothers were excited upon seeing a powerful opponent had come to face them: Soshiro Azami.

The younger brother readied spikes of material mid-air and hurled them at Azami while the elder used his sorcery Yellow Chains to bind Azami in place, before the two stepped into close combat. Azami was more focused on the Hishaku member, having recognised him as one of the three who killed Kunishige. He leapt over the spikes, broke the chains and downed the brothers in one hit each, before turning to Hokuto's puppet.

The fedora-wearing sorcerer, after triggering the barrier enough that the Kamunabi retracted it over Level 1, moved to a nearby restaurant, where he made himself a hot drink and flipped open a notepad with a pen, tracking the Kamunabi agents they had forced to do their bidding using hostages. Once Ishihira killed himself and unleashed the pine branch trap within his body, the fedora-wearing sorcerer crossed his name off and told someone via phone to let Ishihira's daughter go, before musing that it was now time for their soldiers to move.

At Level 5, two of the Hishaku-aligned Kamunabi traitors, one sorcerer capable of transforming their physical appearance and another wielding knives on chains, eliminated the Kudo squad including their commander Kashima before attacking Hakuri. As Hakuri fled, Uruha arrived and slashed forth at them.

Within the Threat Elimination Grounds, Azami stood over the defeated form of Hokuto's puppet, clueing on that something was up; especially as the other four reported entrants were nowhere to be seen, and the Threat Elimination Grounds was the only way down. Outside the grounds, four Hishaku sorcerers (including Uran, Bingo and Yukisada) sat on seats before Yura approached them. Seeing an old Kamunabi member nearby, Yura asked him why he hadn't run like the others. The old man replied he wanted to see Kunishige's killers with his own eyes, and frankly thought them no more than common crooks skilled at skullduggery, refusing Yura's request to tell him where the bathroom was.

Yura proposed instead that he flip a coin and the old man call it; should Yura win, the old man would show him where the bathroom was, and should the old man win, he could kill Yura. The old man called tails, but Yura flipped heads, commenting the gods were on his side. The old man pointed out the location and Yura left, Yukisada following him to talk. Yura told him it was fine to be nervous; Yura himself was nervous, but he believed nervousness preceded victory, and in any case, Yukisada was the Hishaku's strongest fighter. Returning to see another of their colleagues had set up a transportation spell on the ground, said colleague stated they would only have an extremely small window of timing.

The Hishaku quintet transport behind Uruha and Hakuri.

Just before 10:00, one of the sorcerers at the Level 6 Core Station took down a portion of the barrier around the Hishaku earlier than the arranged time due to Izaru's scrutiny; while Izaru incapacitated the sorcerer immediately and the operator restored the barrier, it was enough for the five Hishaku sorcerers to arrive at Level 5 before Uruha and Hakuri. The transformation sorcerer leapt forward at Uruha and Hakuri but slashes from above cutting into him heralded the arrival of Kiri Shirakai. The Hishaku prodigy leapt forth to engage Uruha but Uruha kicked him into a wall, using his sorcery Koen to amplify the force of his attack.

The high-collared Hishaku member was concerned but Bingo was less so, readying his sorcery Mako and summoning a massive demon head with a gigantic maw roaring down the hallway. Uruha traded force for speed and slashed through the demon head while continuing on to the Hishaku. The high-collared Hishaku member readied a book and Yura drew a katana to parry Uruha's blow. Uruha commented the Hishaku would be surrounded with many Kamunabi agents attacking them, and Yura agreed there were many different kinds of people present; in any case, the Hishaku were only there to cause confusion, for they held another card; the death match. Bingo then summoned many small demon heads around the area.

Azami saw Hokuto's puppet began to disintegrate and knew its controller was elsewhere. Said controller, Hokuto, was at a cigarette shop, noting the Executioner was more tough than a puppet could deal with. The fedora-wearing Hishaku sorcerer then called him, and Hokuto noted the puppet had just gone down against Azami. Hokuto's colleague it was time for himself to step in, and upon hearing his unenthusiasm reminded Hokuto that his sorcery was excellent, but his swordsmanship was his real strength, reminding him of his dual presence in the assassinations of both Kunishige and Ibuki.

Hokuto brushed it off, especially as he had been disappointed with the battle he had with Ibuki, who was clearly out of shape. The fedora-wearing Hishaku sorcerer then received a notification that Uruha was alive, which instantly caught Hokuto's interest, and he immediately set off to Kamunabi Headquarters.

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Etymology

• 毘 (ひ) : Means 'help' or 'assist'.
• 灼 (しゃく) : Means 'burn', 'scorch' or 'become red-hot'. Used in compounds that similarly refer to heat. May reference the fire-based teleportation multiple members of the Hishaku use.