"Mmm… so that is how it truly is," Yorimitsu responded, drawing in a long, heavy breath as the weight of her words settled over the room. "You have survived an incredible amount of suffering..."
Shion nodded silently. She slowly let go of Yorimitsu's hand and turned around, presenting her back to him. With deliberate, fluid movements, she untied the upper fastenings of her uniform and loosened the tightly wound sash that concealed her skin. As the fabric dropped away, her bare back was fully exposed to the dim light of the chamber.
"Ha…?! What on earth is that?"
Yorimitsu's eyes were instantly glued to her flesh. Etched across her pale skin was an intricate, breathtaking mural.
"Mmm… what is this?" Yorimitsu murmured, his pupils dilating. Inscribed on her back was a fierce, red-faced demon with its jaws torn open in a silent roar, brandishing a massive spear. Entwined around the fiend, binding it tightly, was a majestic azure dragon that seemed to breathe spectral fire directly onto the beast. The two titanic entities, ink-like forms, subtly shifted and rippled, moving across her skin as if they were alive.
Suddenly, a heavy pressure flooded the room. Yorimitsu felt his consciousness being forcefully yanked toward the mural. In a flash of vertigo, the walls of the chamber vanished. He found himself standing in a vast, empty void, looking up in sheer awe as the colossal azure dragon and the red-faced demon waged their eternal war right above his head.
"Huuu... huuu..."
Yorimitsu gasped, violently tearing his gaze away to break the illusion. He forced his eyes toward the wooden floorboards, his chest heaving as his heart hammered against his ribs. 'What the hell was that just now? I felt like my soul was being sucked straight into the epicentre of their battle.'
Without a sound, Shion pulled the sash back over her shoulders, tightly securing the binding fabric to conceal her flesh before pulling her uniform top back into place. Turning back around to face him, her dark eyes locked onto his. They stared at one another for a long, heavy moment, the unsaid weight of the revelation hanging thick in the air.
Finally, Yorimitsu pushed himself up from the low table. "I understand. Your secret is entirely safe with me."
He turned and walked toward the exit, his mind racing with the tactical implications of what he had just witnessed. Remaining seated on the mat, Shion said nothing, her silent gaze following his shadow until he finally stepped out into the night.
…
'That was truly something else... So much was happening right under my nose in my past life, and I didn't even notice. The legendary Hattori clan is completely dead, and their sole surviving princess is hiding right here under our roofs,' Yorimitsu mused as he navigated the quiet paths. 'And what the hell was that moving tattoo on her back? The mere presence of it felt utterly suffocating. I've never seen anything like it in either of my lifetimes.'
He stopped mid-step, looking up at the setting sun.
'I wonder what Shion ultimately wants to achieve. Is she desperately plotting her revenge, or does she simply want to live out a quiet, hidden life? If it's vengeance she's after... I will gladly give her the strength to take it. I know exactly how invaluable her talents are. Having her loyalty by my side in the long run will change everything.' Yorimitsu's thoughts churned dynamically as he stepped out into the open courtyard.
"Taisho..." A sharp voice called out through the stillness.
Yorimitsu blinked, his thoughts instantly locking away. "Ah, Gabimaru."
Yorimitsu strode forward, meeting him at the midpoint of the central path. 'What is wrong with him? His spiritual pressure feels uncharacteristically turbulent,' Yorimitsu noted, his sharp eyes assessing the boy's rigid posture.
"Can I ask you a question?" Gabimaru spoke, his wide, intense eyes boring directly into Yorimitsu's face.
"Huh? Of course. What is it that you want to ask?" Yorimitsu responded smoothly. His voice remained perfectly calm, his posture relaxed, yet his eyes stayed deadlocked onto Gabimaru.
"How did you get so str—" Gabimaru cut himself off abruptly, the words catching in his throat. He clenched his jaw, his pride flaring. "Tch… never mind. I'll see you at the gates tomorrow morning."
Without waiting for a response, Gabimaru turned on his heel and continued his walk, brushing past Yorimitsu as he walked into the shadows.
'What on earth is wrong with him?' Yorimitsu wondered, glancing back over his shoulder as Gabimaru's shoulders disappeared into the corridors. 'It seems he has a massive weight on his mind as well.'
Yorimitsu let out a quiet sigh, cast one last look toward the horizon, and continued his steady march back to his own chambers to prepare for the road ahead.
Yorimitsu spent the remainder of the night sitting cross-legged atop his straw mat, deep in meditation.
"Master!" Inoue's voice resonated crisply inside Yorimitsu's mind, breaking his concentration.
"Huuu..." Yorimitsu exhaled a long, steady breath. A thick cloud of spiritual smoke billowed from his lips, spreading lazily across the floorboards before dissipating into the corners of the room. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"I can feel my Reiryoku finally stabilising now," Yorimitsu noted aloud.
He looked up to find Inoue standing directly in front of him. The Cat spirit's two magnificent tails waved rhythmically through the air, but there was a striking anomaly: his left eye was now glowing with a faint, brilliant golden luminescence.
'Inoue's form has shifted yet again,' Yorimitsu observed silently. "What is it, Inoue?"
"Master, that Yasamusa fellow told me to deliver this to you," Inoue communicated. He opened his jaws wide, revealing a small, pristine wooden box nestled inside his mouth.
Yorimitsu reached out and picked up the item, prying open the lid. The very instant the seal broke, a sharp, fragrant herbal aroma flooded the entire room, clearing his senses instantly.
"Tch... I might have just gotten myself into an immense amount of unnecessary trouble," Yorimitsu muttered, his brow furrowing deeply.
"Huh? What do you mean by that, Master?" Inoue tilted his head, his golden eye blinking.
"This is Kōraijinsan," Yorimitsu murmured, staring down at the rare substance. "I was just wondering where on earth I was going to source this material, and yet he hands it directly to me. How could he have possibly known that I needed it?"
"What is it used for?"
"It is the primary ingredient required to heal Shion," Yorimitsu explained, his mind racing.
"Oh…?!" Inoue perked his ears up in surprise.
'Just who or what is Yasamusa?' Yorimitsu wondered grimly. Shaking off the creeping paranoia for now, he closed the box, tucked it away safely into his robes, and closed his eyes to sink back into his meditative trance.