[Senkumo Saga: Book of Blossoming]: Out With the Old

With Kaga won, Tsukiakari and her troops made their trip home with their heads held high and their spirits even higher. As promised, Kaga would venerate Shinto deities alongside Buddhist ones, with Bishamon receiving the larger share. Their victory would put more coin in their coffers, and give them a degree of control in the region.

It was early in the morning on May 31st, when the troops made it home, the sun just beginning to rise above the misty hills in the far distance. Everyone took a collective sigh of relief when they reached the main gates of the mansion, knowing they’d be able to rest soon and take some much needed, warm baths. Taeko stepped down from her horse, waving her sheathed blade in the air in view of the tower guards. 

“Hey! We’re all here! Open the gates," Taeko shouted. 

“Lord Tsukiakari is back! Open the gates!” the tower guard relayed to his comrades.

Everyone could hear the chain of calls and responses beyond the walls until the wooden gates were pulled open by two armed guards. On top of her horse and wearing the black hood of her wooly cloak, Tsukiakari led the walk inside. Judging by its excited neighs and constant wagging of its tail against its snow-white skin, it seemed even her horse was glad to be back. 

“Welcome home, everyone," Tsukiakari cheered. “I want each and every one of you to get some rest and a warm meal! You’ve earned it!” 

Her troops responded with thunderous cheers as they followed her inside the mansion, but their cheers died down into silence as they all filled in through the gates. Everyone came to a complete standstill as they were greeted by a wall of armored Senkumo soldiers blocking their way, each of them tightly holding spears against the ground with their polished, gleaming blades pointed skyward. 

“What the hell is going on," Taeko questioned with worry. 

Tsukiakari dismounted her horse with her hand wrapped firmly around her sheathed blade, her sandals crunching in the dirt and tiny rocks of the field grounds. She was utterly confused as to why her own troops formed an armored wall against her. Mutiny? An internal coup? A protest of sorts? 

But to her surprise, the spearmen before her all knelt on one knee in perfect, rehearsed synchrony. All of them removed their helmets, revealing their smiling faces just before they took a large, collective breath. Together, the men and women shouted so that all of Earth and Heaven could hear them. 

“Happy birthday, Tsukiakari!”

No words could describe the flustered, tomato-colored shock on Tsukiakari’s face as she was suddenly bombarded by cheers and hugs from her female recruits, and raised-weapon salutes from the males. Mayumi and Ebina, sharing a horse together, both erupted into tear-inducing laughter. The Otonougi twins, wearing the biggest smiles on their faces, playfully roughed up Tsukiakari’s hair with their fingertips, encouraging her to step forward. Laughter, being as contagious as it was, spread all around the base.

With her beautiful brown hair let down and her glittering hazel eyes fixated on her lord, Ayadachi stepped through the cheering crowd with a large wooden tray in her hands, bearing an assortment of manju and daifuku made especially for Tsukiakari. She too knelt on one knee, her hair swaying over one of her eyes in the breeze. 

“Happy Birthday, Gekko! From the Senkumo clan to you!” Ayadachi proudly proclaimed. 

“Wait a minute, who told you about my birthday? Who sold me out?” 

“Guilty," Taeko admitted with a raised hand. “I know you don’t like surprises, but I just had to! I told the men your birthday was coming up before we arrived in Kaga. Kept them motivated to stay alive!” 

“Go ahead and try them, Gekko," Mayumi encouraged. 

Everyone, especially the younger, prepubescent girls in the crowd, watched with laser-focus, some of them riding on the shoulders of the taller males to get a good view. 

“T-Thank you very much, everybody,” the war goddess stuttered. 

She took one of the manju presented, taking that first, soft, sweet bite into it. Tsukiakari hadn’t had manju in so long. She almost forgot what it tasted like. But that particular batch...it was made with love.

“Question," Tsukiakari said with her mouth full. 

“Y-yes, my lord?” Ayadachi asked nervously. 

Expecting harsh critique of the manju, everyone’s hearts laid in deep suspense, the blood flowing through their chest feeling like it had gone as cold as ice. Just how was their lord going to react to this? 

At last, Tsukiakari spoke. “Would you think ill of me if I ate all of these in one night?” 

Proving to be much more lighthearted than anyone thought, Tsukiakari got a collective chuckle from her cheering troops, smiling at Ayadachi for all of her efforts. 

“Not at all! Eat away! And again, happy birthday!” 

“Save some for me, you glutton," Taeko demanded. 

“I would like some too. Manju was not a very common sight back home," Ebina briefly explained. 

“I call first serve on the daifuku," Mayumi declared.

“There’s no need!” Ayadachi assured. “I made enough for everyone! Stop being so competitive!”

While the base erupted in celebration, Tsukiakari waved towards Chiya and Yachi, signaling them to approach. They did so and leaned in so she could speak into their ears.

“I need you two to get Ebina into the medical ward. She has an injury that needs to be looked at. Summon Bishamon after that, please.”

The twins nodded. They immediately pulled Ebina away from the crowd, carrying her towards the medical ward. Exhausted from the battle and needing the rest anyway, Ebina went with them without incident.

Two days passed since the Senkumo’s return from Kaga. Bishamon was away from base when the Otonougi twins delivered him his summons for Ebina. However, he had just one more errand he needed to run before he could return to tend to the matter.

Radiant shafts of sunlight poked through the cover of towering trees as Hachiman and Bishamon walked together on a dirt path in the forest of Kyoto. Hachiman wore a lavish, red kimono with black lining, while Bishamon wore only his usual, black Senkumo kimono. Bishamon’s hair was tied back as gentle breezes brushed through the trees and gave flight to the wings of birds above them.

“So, the Kaga Rebellion was a smashing success, huh? Now that's just beautiful to hear, Bishamon. “That Tsukiakari girl has rolled in an obscene amount of prayers," Hachiman bragged. “Our other two friends are quite pleased with her progress.”

“Sure..," Bishamon moaned.

It seemed to Bishamon that Hachiman took absolutely none of this seriously. After all, Hachiman benefited from all of this while Bishamon had to do most of the legwork. 

“Come on, I know you're not a very bright kid, but why the downcast look, huh? Summer is on its way, the heat is rolling in, and even the birds are singing your praises," Hachiman cheered.

“Why did you intervene in the Kaga Rebellion, Hachiman," Bishamon sternly questioned.

“Intervene? My, my, whatever could you possibly be talking about, my dear former student?”

“Don’t play dumb. Hachiman. It doesn’t suit you.”

Hachiman scoffed and crossed his arms behind his head of messy, grey hair.

“You're the best archer in the entire pantheon," Bishamon continued. “There isn't a single arrow you fire that doesn't have intent and a message behind it. So...talk.”

“Tsukiakari's progress is astounding, Bishamon. Because of her, veneration of Shinto deities is increasing, and even gods like me who risked fading into obscurity have a lifeline now. However...it's not as fast as it could be. She's magnificent, but there are a few little things holding her back. I'm simply helping her let loose.”

“What do you hope to achieve? What do you want to do to her?” 

“Make her even more cruel and powerful than either of us could've ever imagined. You know better than me, Bishamon! Her powers are amplified for every battle she throws herself in. Who knew our princess would grow up to be such a fearsome woman? She truly is calamity incarnate,” Hachiman concluded.

“Why was Ebina your target? Why her first," Bishamon asked.

“No reason, really. It was either her or the Taeko girl, and Ebina was just unlucky enough to have caught the arrow.”

“Because of you, Ebina has been unable to walk since her return to base. At this rate...”

“You'll have to let her go," Hachiman presumptuously finished.

“I see no reason not to just have her in a non-combat role. Ebina is at least capable of running an effective shinobi unit. Her mind is sharp. That much is useful to me.”

“Fool. Isn’t loss part of war? Tsukiakari won’t realize her full potential until she experiences that loss and all the hatred that comes with it. You’re far too soft on her.”

As Bishamon considered his master’s side of the issue, an unnaturally heavy pounding on the ground alerted them. It sounded like iron hooves hitting against the ground, growing closer towards them.

“Stop," Bishamon urged, both of them stopping for a few, silent seconds to listen.

“What is that," Hachiman mumbled cautiously.

Glimmering just a few yards ahead of them was something they knew was divine the moment they set eyes on it. A stag stepped forward out of the cover of trees and brushes, completely made of hardened iron, yet, moving as if it were made of flesh and bone. Its antlers were as sharp as any blade, and its very stature was like that of a god.

“Oh! It's you," Hachiman recounted.

“You know this one," Bishamon asked.

“You do too, Bisha. You've just never seen him like this.”

Bishamon stepped forth, hoping to confront the stag on friendly terms. “Fellow god, please reveal your true form.”

The iron stag opened its mouth and filled the entire forest with skin-searing heat as a highly concentrated blast of white flames built up between its jaws. The sweltering fire was violently flung from its mouth like a missile, right towards Bishamon and Hachiman. 

Bishamon quickly grabbed Hachiman and leaped through the towering trees just before the mountain-shaking explosion went off behind them. The end of Bishamon's scarf was ablaze with the searing, white flames that almost engulfed him and his master. As he landed, he realized a shrine was in the distance behind him, built on top of a single spire of land surrounded by the sunlit, glittering water of the lake.

“Woo! Talk about a rush! It's like he's gotten younger," Hachiman cheered.

“Even if he's just playing around, that's no way to introduce yourself," Bishamon furiously insisted. 

The iron stag came charging right out of the wall of white flames and immolated bramble, right down the slope towards Bishamon. He lowered his head as his hooves stomped down the slope, pointing his deathly antlers right at the war god.

“Whoa, hey! Be careful, Bishamon,” warned Hachiman.

“I've got him!”

Bishamon stood his ground and stopped the stag's powerful charge with his omnipotent grip, grabbing his antlers and pushing back against the stag. The force of their meeting was like a sudden, short burst of hurricane winds. Bishamon grunted and struggled as he lifted the stag and began to spin around with it, over and over, until they both grew disoriented. 

He timed himself and let go at the right moment, throwing the iron stag into the lake. A heavy splash ejected enough water in the sky to cast a large shadow over the forest. Drops of water came raining back down on them as the two gods waited anxiously for the iron stag's next move.

“Enough of these games," Bishamon shouted. 

“Bishamon, do you feel that? That shaking..," Hachiman observed.

The iron stag was no longer a stag, but a colossal, iron whale that flew out from the depth of the lake in all of its awe and magnificence. It became clear the air was its ocean as it took flight as naturally as the birds did. The shrieks and yells of the iron whale circling in the sky scared away every flock of bird in the area. Bishamon could hear them fly away, and he could hear their panicked paws and hooves even in the distance.

“Haha! Now you're just showing off," Hachiman teased. “I think he gets it now, so just come on down!”

The whale rapidly shrank size and morphed into the shape of a young man, his features vignetted by the light of the sun shining behind him. The young man fell hundreds of feet from the air and landed in front of Bishamon and Hachiman. Upon seeing his late-teen face, his skinny, yet muscular physique, his long, blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and the bear fur coat he wore, Bishamon began to realize who his sudden attacker was. 

“Is that...Oyamatsumi," Bishamon questioned in shock.

“Bingo," Hachiman confirmed.

Despite his young appearance, Oyamatsumi stood just barely shorter than Bishamon as he extended a hand of welcome, after so rudely getting the jump on them. Those blue eyes of his glimmered with youthful energy and a pride becoming of a brother of Amaterasu.

“My sincerest apologies, Bishamonten," Oyamatsumi sang sarcastically. “I was so eager to try out some new moves in front of you that I just couldn't help myself!” 

Bishamon’s eyes blinked repeatedly. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing “You’re...Oyamatsumi? What happened to you? Why are you younger now? Did you reincarnate?” 

Oyamatsumi reeled back his hand of welcome and used it to pat down his wet hair.“What do you two geniuses think, hmm? I suppose you can say I got into a bit of a scuffle with Izanami.”

“Your mother? Over what," Hachiman asked. “She's so gentle and sweet, you wouldn't think she'd ever fight anyone over anything! It’s completely unheard of!”

“Sarcasm, huh," Oyamatsumi scoffed. ”Well, it’s a bit complicated. Izanami seems content on limiting my power wherever I go. I was proposing to Amaterasu that she should re-centralize the roles of maintaining war, the sea, and the mountains to me. The older gods like Hachiman and I feel like we’re being phased out by the newer ones. When new deities emerge and do the things we were once responsible for...well, I'm sure you know what happens. That's the end of a god's existence. However, Amaterasu declined. It set legal precedent for the rest of us, the old guard. Well, that conversation shifted to Amaterasu at least lifting her restrictions on the use of Mt.Fuji. When the Onīn War started, I suggested we should use the mountain and cause a massive eruption to bring the humans to heel, before things could boil over and get ugly. But Izanami, the goodie-two-shoes of Heaven, shot down my proposal, instead insisting that some pair of deceased twins be made into deities. Amaterasu said that, because such an action would threaten the lives of so many people, the authority to make the decision ultimately falls with Izanami.”

“And so, she refused," Bishamon finished.

“A tragic story, isn't it? I challenged her to a duel and lost. I died in that fight, so that's why I'm like this now, and that's why I wanted to test you a bit, Bishamon.” 

“I know Izanami is strong, but is she really that strong? Did she seriously beat you in a fair duel," Hachiman asked.

Oyamatsumi sat down against one of the nearby trees, crossing his legs and twirling a twig between his slender fingers. “I think the rumors are true. Izanami can't die. She really lucked out when she was appointed as the goddess of death. It's too important of a job for Amaterasu to entrust to anyone else, and because life is always in supply, death is always in business. She can never outlive her purpose as a god. Regardless, my recent defeat and dwindling prayers means I’m pretty much done for. I’ve been condemned to death by my own mother.”

“You see, that's what we've come here for, Oyamatsumi," Hachiman explained. “Bishamon is building a new nation. He wants to save the country from future wars caused by the government, and he wants to save us older gods from cycling out.” 

“If you're willing to keep every detail you learn here in absolute secrecy, I may just let you in on something that can prolong your life," Bishamon offered. “You must not share any of this with the other gods. No exceptions. However, I expect something in return from you. I hope nothing is impossible for the brother of Lady Amaterasu.”

Bishamon's sudden proposal had the hopeless Oyamatsumi’s ears by the lobes. “All right. I can keep a secret. Tell me about this new nation, Bishamon.”

Three nights after their return to base, Taeko, Tsukiakari, Ayadachi, and Yachi paid a visit to Ebina’s room in the medical ward. Ebina lied naked upon her bed, her body covered in beads of cold sweat. Taeko sat at her bedside, holding her hand while Yachi poked at Ebina’s toes and soles with a scalpel with a focused set of eyes. Ayadachi did the same to Ebina’s legs, going as far as making shallow cuts into her skin. Tsukiakari leaned against the back wall of the room, biting her nails as she watched Yachi and Ayadachi work on Ebina.

“No reaction," Yachi noted.

“Lift her leg," Ayadachi ordered.

Yachi lifted Ebina’s left leg, then her right. “They’re like noodles.”

“What does that mean," Taeko asked.

“Ayadachi, I’ll speak to Taeko and Gekko outside. You should wash Ebina down and get her clothes back on," Yachi suggested.

“…Thank you, Yachi. Leave her to me," Ayadachi said.

Tsukiakari and Taeko followed Yachi out to the lantern-lit hallway, where Ebina wouldn’t be able to overhear them. Yachi looked into their dewy, yearning eyes. They wanted answers. They needed to know what was happening to Ebina.

“What’s going on, Yachi," Taeko asked.

“I’ve seen my fair share of injuries since the war started," Yachi began. “Everything from gut wounds to missing limbs. Ebina’s wound is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. You said she was struck with an arrow, but her hip has been completely destroyed. The way things are now, it doesn’t look like Ebina will ever walk again. Her life as a soldier is over.”

Taeko’s heart jumped up into her throat. She sat down on the nearby bench with her hand over her chest, shivering beneath her robes.

“Right now, being paralyzed is actually the least of her worries," Yachi added. “Her condition is getting worse by the day. I’m honestly not sure she’s…”

“Stop," Taeko cried. “Don’t say that…”

Yachi bowed her head. “I’m so sorry, Taeko.”

“There has to be something we can do for her," Tsukiakari said. “We can’t just let her die.”

Yachi leaned in and whispered. “If her condition doesn’t change soon, we’ll have to start thinking about what’s best for Ebina.”

Yachi backed away and bowed to her lord before sauntering back into Ebina’s room. Tsukiakari stood there paralyzed, her hands glued to her hips. Taeko’s chest and throat tightened as she sobbed into her hands.

“This isn’t your fault, Taeko," Tsukiakari said. “We need to focus on doing our best for Ebina. That’s all we can do for her now.”

The next morning, Taeko got up from bed and rushed over to the medical ward right away. Birdsong echoed across the deep blue sky, the sun still yet to rise. Most of the clan were still in their beds, tossing and turning, sleeping in much later than usual. They deserved their rest after their victory in Kaga.

Taeko stood before Ebina’s door, her heart racing in her chest. She took a long, deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Ebina? Are you awake?”

“Come in!”

To Taeko’s surprise, it was Mayumi who answered her, not Ebina. She quietly opened the door and closed it behind her, seeing Mayumi sitting at Ebina’s bedside. Ebina was awake, but still bedridden by her injuries. Just seeing her eyes open and a weak smile on her face filled Taeko with joy.

“I saw your bed was empty, Mayumi. I thought you’d be checking inventory or something," Taeko said.

“That can wait. I had to see how our little angel was doing," Mayumi sang.

“Feeling any better, Ebina," Taeko asked.

Ebina shook her head. “Not really.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve got a great medical team here. Ayadachi, Yachi, and the others really know their stuff," Taeko assured.

“Ebina was telling me some of your childhood stories," Mayumi interjected.

Taeko smiled. “Everything she says is lies, Mayumi.”

“Is that so? You losing a game of tag and eating a caterpillar as punishment did sound kind of weird to me…” Mayumi snickered.

“The hell, Ebina? You told her that," Taeko recoiled.

“It was one of your best moments," Ebina said. “You didn’t even spit it out.”

“Mayumi, go ahead and check our inventory. Quickly, before you hear any other embarrassing stories, please.”

“As you wish, Taeko," Mayumi tittered. “Ebina, get well soon, okay?”

“Thanks, Mayumi," Ebina said.

Mayumi closed the door behind her, leaving Taeko with Ebina. Taeko released a sigh of relief, thankful that Mayumi wouldn’t have to hear any more of Ebina’s stories. She sat down in the bedside chair, grasping Ebina’s hand in her own. She heard the door slide open, followed by a sly whisper.

“Caterpillars…”

Taeko snapped her head around right as Mayumi shut the door again. “Mayumi! I swear. See what you’ve done? She’ll never let me live that one down now.”

“Sorry, I was feeling sentimental this morning," Ebina admitted.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you had enough energy to entertain her like that.”

“No, she was the one entertaining me. Her reactions brightened my day.”

Taeko sighed. “…I’m starting to worry about how much you told her.”

Ebina suddenly went quiet as she stared into Taeko’s eyes. Her smile faded into a frown as Taeko planted a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

“I had a dream about Mom last night," Ebina said.

“What happened in it," Taeko asked, rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb.

“She screamed at me. I don’t know why. She was so angry with me…”

“It was just a fever dream, Ebina.”

“It felt so real…”

“Our mother has no reason to be angry with you. There was nothing for us back in Kyoto. Look at us now, Ebina. We’re serving a real war goddess and we’ve got Bishamon’s support behind us. Our folks would be proud of us. I know Dad would be for sure.”

“Taeko…”

Taeko’s hand was rocked by tremors, shaking Ebina’s hand along with it. Taeko didn’t realize it until their conversation came to an abrupt stop. She quickly slid her hand into her sleeve and lowered her head.

“I’m sorry…” Taeko whispered.

Taeko almost went back to that night in that house, with that bloodied hammer in her hands. Echoes of her own agonized cries, as well as her mother’s, faintly returned to her. Every nerve in her body remembered the brutality of it all, the extreme hesitation she fought back to bludgeon her own mother. Most of all, her heart remembered the most cruel act she committed back then — lying to Ebina.

The following night, Tsukiakari and Taeko went to visit Ebina in the medical ward again. This time, the halls were filled with the echoes of Ebina’s visceral screams. They spotted Yachi and two other nurses rushing into Ebina’s room, all of them clad in white robes. Tsukiakari and Taeko looked at each other, then sprinted over to Ebina’s room to see her for themselves.

Ebina lied naked in her bed, crying in agony as Ayadachi took her scalpel and began cutting away at infected tissue in her wound. Taeko only caught a glimpse of Ebina’s hip wound, but what she saw looked as though a shark had taken a bite out of Ebina’s side. An entire chunk of her hip was just gone. Her bed sheets and old bandages were stained red and yellow from the blood and pus that leaked from her wound.

“Hang in there, Ebina!” Ayadachi shouted, carefully cutting away at the necrotized, pus-soaked tissue.

Ebina’s screams shattered everyone’s eardrums, stabbing into them like ice picks. The pain she was going through was a kind of hell on its own.

“What’s happening?!What are you doing to her," Taeko screamed.

“Gekko, get her out of here! Leave!” Yachi ordered.

“Taeko, let them work," Tsukiakari begged, dragging Taeko back out into the hall.

“Ebina! Ebina," Taeko cried.

Tsukiakari managed to drag her out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Taeko tried her hardest to push past her, only to be forced onto the nearby bench. Once she sat down, Taeko leaned forward and cried into her lap, her face soaked in tears.

“I don’t understand! She was smiling earlier," Taeko sobbed.

“Her wound must be getting worse," Tsukiakari said, Ebina’s screams still reverberating from down the hall.

“Ebina…I’m so sorry, Ebina…” Taeko cried.

“Come on, we should leave the medical ward for now. Ayadachi can handle this.”

Taeko nodded as she stood from the bench, taking Tsukiakari’s hand and letting her lead her out of the ward. The base was smothered by heavy fog that night. They could barely see five feet in front of them. Even when they ventured out into the courtyard, far away from medical ward itself, Ebina’s screams rang in their ears as though they were right there with her.

It was late in the night when Ayadachi emerged from the medical ward, finding Taeko and Tsukiakari sitting among the flowers. The fog had cleared up a little bit as the moon illuminated the base in a veil of ghostly, blue light. Taeko shot onto her feet as soon as she noticed Ayadachi walking towards them.

“How’s she doing," Taeko asked.

Ayadachi swept back her hair and sighed. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“Isn’t there anything you can do," Tsukiakari questioned.

“We’ve tried everything we possibly could. Her wound is too massive for her to live through this. I managed to cut away the infected tissue for now, but there’s no way for us to prevent the wound from getting infected again, and Ebina will have to go through the same agony. If we keep repeating this, her condition will worsen until…”

“Is she conscious," Taeko asked.

“She’s resting right now. Yachi is keeping a close eye on her," Ayadachi answered. “Taeko, I know you don’t want to lose your sister, but I don’t think the choice is ours anymore. I’m begging you, do the right thing. The longer we keep Ebina here, the more she suffers. I don’t think I can take much more of it…”

Ayadachi shut her eyes and fought back her tears. Ebina’s dried blood stained her hands and even found its way beneath her fingernails.

“Don’t put that poor girl through any more suffering than she’s already had to bear," Ayadachi advised.

Ayadachi bowed and excused herself, leaving Taeko and Tsukiakari alone in the middle of the courtyard, a full moon looming above their heads. For minutes that felt like hours, neither of them said a word. Tsukiakari recognized that she didn’t have the right to speak on the matter, even if the right answer was obvious. Taeko herself had to make that decision.

Neither of them could believe the irony of it. It was the exact same decision that Taeko ran from years ago. Now, it was coming back to haunt her.

“Why is the world so fucking cruel, man," Taeko cried.

“…Bishamon’s on his way here. I think we should wait until we get his opinion. He might be able to do something for Ebina," Tsukiakari said. “I’m real sorry, Taeko.”

“If any other family had adopted her, she wouldn’t have a gaping hole in her hip right now," Taeko said. “She wouldn’t have had to see her father die, or have a sister that killed her mother.”

“Don’t say that," Tsukiakari protested.

“She wasn’t supposed to be fighting a god damned war! She knows how to read and write. She’s good at math. She could’ve been anything she wanted. Now she’s fighting for her life. I don’t understand, Gekko. How did everything get so fucked? Why couldn’t we just be left alone? Why couldn’t they just pick an heir and talk things out? Why resort to war? Why kill everyone and destroy everything?”

“…I don’t know why. It just…happened. Now we’re all wrapped up in this. Life as you once knew it is over. I went through the same thing in Heaven. It was like everyone lost their minds and didn’t care what was going to happen next.”

Taeko dried her tear-soaked face with the sleeves of her black robes. “It’s like no matter what I do for her, the world just wants her dead.”

That windy, dark night, Bishamon arrived at Tsukiakari’s base, dismounting his red horse at the gates. Since it was so late, Bishamon was welcomed without any fanfare. Most of the base was sound asleep. He made his way over to the medical ward to meet with Tsukiakari, Taeko, and Mayumi in Ebina’s room.

Bishamon exuded such a calm and confident aura that his very presence quelled everyone’s anxiety. It felt as though the problem had been solved just by him showing up, like he could protect the girls from anything and everyone.

He sighed as he gazed upon Ebina. The girls could already tell he had nothing good to say. To be sure, Bishamon spent what felt like hours examining Ebina’s body and wound, never saying a word. He undid the bandages around Ebina’s hip to see exactly what kind of damage had been done. As soon as he saw her gaping wound, his eyes darted across the room as if they were trying to wipe the sight from their memory. He immediately closed the bandage back up, folding stray strands of Ebina’s hair behind her ears.

Ebina's untied, wavy, white hair was fanned out in all directions as she laid her head on her pillow. Her face was calm and reserved, ready for almost anything Bishamon could possibly say to her.

“There’s nothing we can do for you. I’m sorry, Ebina.”

“There must be something we can do! You're a god," Mayumi pleaded. 

“I am not a god of healing or medicine. There’s no surgery or treatment on Earth that will stop what’s coming next.”

“Oh my god…” Taeko sobbed. Her last shred of hope had been destroyed.

“Tsukiakari. Come with me out to the patio," Bishamon ordered. “I have to talk to you. Taeko, please get Ebina out of bed and get her sandals on.”

“Is she going somewhere," Mayumi curiously asked.

“...Tsukiakari, the patio," Bishamon urged.

They all looked at each other in profound confusion. Tsukiakari knew the task he had for her was no good. She could sense it on his heavy, almost disappointed breath. The thing is, she also had something to talk to him about. The full moon stared at them like a giant eye in the sky as they walked onto the patio. The gentle sound of the small, garden ponds below turned Bishamon's eyes towards the lotus flowers that sat above its fresh waters. Tsukiakari took her position and knelt behind Bishamon with her head bowed and her fist planted on the patio.

“Excuse me, Bishamon, but if I may...there's something I need to talk to you about as well.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” 

“...I think I need some time off from battle.”

“Time off? Why?”

“I think…I’m starting to unravel a bit, Bisha.” 

“Explain.”

“It's...hard to say...”

“Out with it, Tsukiakari.”

Tsukiakari sighed. “When I watched Masachika commit suicide, I...it made me terribly excited. I felt so sick of myself, and yet, I was also aroused for some reason. I feel like I’m not totally in control of myself anymore, like a part of me gets lost when I’m out there. Masachika was just a glaring example of that.” 

“I expected something like this to happen. You’re still fairly new to war, after all. Very well, you and your men can take a break, if need be. It would be best if we maintained a low profile for now, so soon after our victory in Kaga.”

Tsukiakari bowed her head. “Thank you, Bishamon. Now, about Ebina, I think we should get consent from Taeko first. It’s her sister, after all.”

Bishamon sighed. “No, Gekko. We won’t be doing that. Ebina will die by your hand. Taeko cannot be the one to do it.”

Tsukiakari could only hear the sound of Bishamon’s voice, and the blood rushing through her head. The polyphony of cricket chirps, wind, and swishing leaves all died out in silence. She didn’t want to believe what she just heard.

“…Why? It should be her sister," Tsukiakari urged.

“It’s because they’re sisters that Taeko cannot be the one to do it. When I took those two in, they had just escaped the most miserable situation you could possibly imagine. They had lost both of their parents in just one year. Their entire lives were turned upside down by bloodthirst of the Ashikaga clan.”

“I know. Taeko told me what happened.”

“The first base was still under construction. It had been raining all week. Those two girls screamed and hollered outside our front gate until we opened it up for them. Two young brats soaked to the bone, caked in mud. Ebina was silent the whole time while Taeko begged us for food and water. She got on her knees and bowed her head into the mud. She said she’d even be willing to have sex with the men if we’d give her food. When she began taking her clothes off, one of the men draped the Senkumo robe over her shoulders, told her she didn’t have to do anything like that. The both of them broke down.”

“Taeko…” Tsukiakari cried.

“She was just a child. She should never have had to endure such a nightmare. She had to resort to the most desperate and shameful acts to keep her sister alive. That’s just how much she loves her. Do you understand what I’m saying, Gekko? If you allow Taeko to do this, it will twist her in ways you could never imagine. All of that love, all of that pain and sacrifice will have been for naught. The thought of what she’ll become if she goes through with this herself…it’s terrifying. That’s why you have to be the one to put an end to this.”