Just as how the fabric of this universe is upheld in binary between REIKAI (Spirit Realm) and KENKAI (Visible Realm), so the human soul is bifurcated between the mutual states of KON (spirit) and HAKU (corporeal). As such, it has been posited that there exists two antithetical living energies which may manifest in all sentient beings: RYŪŌ, representative of self-determination and order, and KYŌKI, representative of mania and chaos...

From YŌGARI: AS AN ART AND TRADITION (circa 845) by Kōzuki Sokyō

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Horiki stood silently at the back corner of the office with his wrists bound together at his back. A thin length of chain secured his cuffs and leg shackles to the rails of a metal bench affixed behind him; the gleaming metal links clicked and coiled against the tiles as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Two other men resided to his left, wordless and sullen-faced and similarly fettered. Horiki studied them closely from the corners of his eyes. From their ragged attire, one could easily assume they were nothing more than local vagrants who'd been busted for loitering or something of the like. Nuisances for sure, but ultimately harmless.

His nose wrinkled reflexively as a pungent whiff of body odor registered from the fellow next to him.

Harmless. Not to mention filthy.

The ensign stood only a scant few meters away, the bold JUSTICE logo mocking them from the off-white of his uniform. He was leant languidly over the counter as he spoke loudly into a miniature Transponder Snail receiver. A handheld Tone Dial sat near one propped elbow, emitting a steady stream of tinny folk music which drowned out the voice on the receiving end.

"...yessir, I'm pretty sure it's the fella Vergo-san spoke bout last week. Sim'lar height and build. Not to mention em scars. By God aren't they a sight. Uh-huh. ...Well there ain't no more em transport ships comin by this week I don't think...."

The stench was growing worse by the second. Horiki shuffled sideways as far as the chain would allow him, timing his steps such that the sound was completely blanketed by the swell of music. He began to fidget with something behind his back.

" ...Yessir. Don't you worry sir. I'll see to gettin him processed and fingerprinted with the other two for now. Worst case we'll jus keep him here nice and mum til Vergo-san sends someone over to fetch him. Yessir. Thank you sir."

The ensign hung up and strode around the counter to retrieve a set of keys from a locked compartment, humming along to the Tone Dial as he went. Horiki grew very still. His eyes remained glued to the Marine as he came back around to unchain the first man and escort him over to one of the barred holding cells.

"This way now, sir..."

The door clanged shut, its respective key turning with a quiet click. Horiki breathed out through his nose and relaxed his shoulders. His hands slowly uncurled behind his back. Like receding tendrils, the telltale sheen of midnight pitch gloving his fingers ebbed away into the usual pallor of his flesh.

The short length of chain connecting his handcuffs now hung limp between his wrists in neatly desiccated halves.

The ensign stepped back over to the bench and raised his left hand to the second arrestee's elbow to guide him around.

"Erm. If you could just..." He cleared his throat and made a vague motion with his free hand.

Horiki ducked his chin and moved out of the way accordingly.

"Yeah, jus like that. Thank you sir." The Marine stepped between the two arrestees and turned fully towards the second man. His neck stooped downwards at a slight angle as he leaned in to unlock the latch securing the chain.

Horiki slowly brought his hands out from behind his back. He remained stock-still for a moment, staring with wide unblinking eyes at the Marine who stood there still fiddling obliviously with his keys. Then he lunged. Locking his right arm around the ensign's neck, he hauled back and upwards in one swift motion, sending them both crashing down to the floor.

"Shit!" The second man nearly tripped over his chain as he staggered away, watching the attack unfold in wide-eyed amazement. The one already in the holding cell let out a cry of alarm.

The ensign began to sputter and thrash, hands flying up and beating furiously against Horiki's arm. His legs pedaled horizontally along the floor in a futile attempt to regain purchase. Horiki lay back and tightened the headlock, fighting to keep them both supine. He wove one foot in between the Marine's flailing legs and twisted the chain between his shackles around one kicking limb to restrain it. He could distinctly feel at the juncture of his elbow the column of that scrawny throat, the frenetic throbbing of it as it wheezed and gasped and strained against the vice of his crushing grip. Horiki's face seized up in a wild contortion and his eyes gaped wide open up at the ceiling in an almost prayerful sort of fixation.

The Marine's elbow jabbed repeatedly into his abdomen. He was trying to get ahold of his service revolver now. A mess of thrashing limbs, they lost balance and began to roll sideways. The chain securing Horiki's leg shackles to the bench tautened but didn't give away. The metal edges dinted painfully into his ankles.

The ensign's face was turning blue. His right hand started to come up. Horiki saw it from the corner of his eye and hauled them sideways with renewed force, crushing the limb beneath their combined bulk. He pierced the second man with a maddened glare.

"He has his gun," he seethed from between gritted teeth. "Right side. When it comes up, kick it away from him."

The man started and stared. "What?"

Wheezing, the ensign started to squirm harder. They began to cant leftwards again.

"Kick, goddamnit. I said kick!"

A scuffling sound, followed by the harsh clatter of metal against tile. The ensign grunted in pain but continued to thrash.

"He still have it?" Horiki snapped.

"Sonofabitch won't leggo!"

"Don't let it up til he does!"

He kicked frantically. Again and again. Another clatter. Then a deafening explosion pierced the air.

"Oh, fuck!" The man wilted to the floor, squirming like a worm against his restraints. His agonized wails only registered in a dull, muffled quality as the ringing in Horiki's ears died away.

The Marine continued to struggle, but his strength was rapidly dwindling. Horiki saw the barrel of the revolver come up again and pitched sharply to the left. The ensign's face collided with the edge of the bench with a sickening crack, leaving a bright crimson splotch behind. His eyes rolled back into his skull and the weapon fell free from his slackened grip. Horiki slammed him twice more for good measure and squirmed out from under him. His eyes had long grown crazed, his breathing now shallow and frenzied. With stilted movements he crawled over the Marine's unconscious body and straddled him by the waist as much as his leg shackles could allow him. Then, splaying his fingers wide around the man's skull, he plunged his thumbs into the Marine's eyes.

The ensign returned to consciousness with a guttural scream, limbs jolting into motion as he fought to scrabble free. That strange ebony coating marbling over his hands once more, Horiki leaned his weight over the man's upper body and began to squeeze viciously. His thumbs gouged deeper and deeper into the sockets. Blood spurted up around the base of the hilted black knuckles and overflowed in thick, swarthy rivulets. Teeth gritting in concentration, Horiki applied further pressure, tautened flesh blanching against bone. The plates of the ensign's skull cracked and buckled within his gore-drenched grasp, before caving in entirely with a moist squelching sound. The Marine's shrieks quickly died away into choked gurgles. His limbs gave one last jerk before going limp.

Breathing heavily, Horiki kept his hands in place and listened to the quiet rasp of blood as the ensign shuddered beneath him and died.

The keys had fallen to the floor within arm's reach. Flinging the chain and ruined cuffs aside, he took it up in his bloodied hands and slowly freed himself of the leg shackles.

"You alright?" he asked, rising to his feet.

The second man now lay curled up in a puddle of his own blood on the floor, clutching at his thigh and sobbing.

"Motherfucker got me in the leg!"

The metallic gleam of the fallen revolver caught Horiki's eye. He stepped over the corpse towards it.

"In the leg where?"

"I dunno," the man moaned, still rolling this way and that. "Oh but it hurts like a bitch I tell ye."

Horiki drew closer.

"Let me see."

"Oh God jus look at this blood. Jus look at it. Tell me I ain't gonna die."

Horiki knelt and placed a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.

"You won't die, my friend," he said. One corner of his lip lifted ever so slightly. "Now look up here and thank me for indulging you in your delusions."

Breath stuttering, the man looked accordingly - almost as if he were driven to under compulsion. Horiki leveled the revolver and shot him straight between the eyes.

The remaining arrestee had shriveled back to the furthest corner of the holding cell. Trembling like a leaf, he whimpered and put his hands up in a placative motion when Horiki straightened and turned his way.

"Please sir," he stammered, shaking his head. "Please d-don't. I-I don't mean no harm."

Horiki tilted his head and studied him through the bars with mild interest. Stepping over the pool of blood growing between the two bodies, he sat down at a careful distance and leaned his weight against the wall. "What got you here then?"

"S-Sir?"

"I said what got you here?"

"T-they catch me fishin here against regulations sir."

"Fishing," Horiki repeated. He was staring down at his hands now, turning them over this way and that over his knees. "Is that what you do for a living? Fishing?"

He nodded rapidly. "Yessir. Fisherman. I catch them scarlet fang eels out off the coast. Been doin it here my whole life. Jus couldn't afford them new license fees they imposed since year fore last, t-that's why they bring me here into custody. I ain't ever hurt nobody in my life." The man gulped, shoulders jumping erratically. "Please, please don't kill me sir. I-I promise I won't talk-"

He cut off with a flinch when the Transponder Snail on the counter suddenly began to drone. Expression falling flat, Horiki glanced at it before turning back to face the cell.

He brought a bloodstained finger up to his lips and smiled.

"Shhhh."

He climbed to his feet and shuffled over to the counter and shut off the Tone Dial. He went still for what felt like another eternity, letting the creature's monotonous trill fill the uneasy silence. Then he reached out abruptly and activated the receiver.

"Stuart. You there?" the Transponder Snail mimed.

That low, monotonous voice was all-too familiar. Not to mention the inflection and mannerisms. Just as Horiki thought. His depthless eyes roved over to the ensign's mangled body, then back to the cowering man in the cell.

"I'm afraid your man is hardly in the state to talk," he answered.

The snail's eyes thinned. When Vergo spoke again, his voice came out a low growl.

"Who is this?"

"Exactly who you think it is." Horiki let out a soft giggle as the Snail's lips immediately pitched downwards into a menacing scowl. He rested the receiver on the countertop and walked to the cell, the key ring dangling at his fingertips. "Do you have an idea as to why I'm here, Vice Admiral?"

There was an excruciatingly long pause.

"Yeah. I do," the snail finally responded.

Horiki smiled.

"You should consider yourself fortunate that I'm granting you this audience in the first place. Normally I wouldn't be so obliging - but you already know that." He paused deliberately, allowing ample time for his words to fester. "I would like to speak to him. Personally."

"You know that's out of the question. He dictates the terms. No one else."

"Funny how you've said those exact words before. Look how that's turned out. Five, six years wasted chasing down a ghost that never existed in the first place. No... not even that." The cell door swung open with a grating squeal. Horiki stepped past the threshold and stared down at the cowering fisherman. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he crouched down to be at eye level. "Six years of his time wasted is more like it. You're only the messenger after all. Just another disposable tool in his arsenal."

Vergo snarled.

"You have a death wish, Horiki."

Horiki chuckled lightly.

"Alright. We'll see about that." His free hand swept upwards with a flourish and hovered inches away from the fisherman's quavering, tear streaked face. "Rest assured you'll hear from me again. Very soon. Perhaps you'll be more accommodating then."

"Not if we find you first. And mark my words, we will. He'll make you his own personal project once he hears about this."

"We. Ah, yes. Indeed." An unnerving grin settled over Horiki's expression like a mask. "Well, then how about you tell him I said this, Vergo."

Horiki's bloodied fingers twitched, then abruptly curled. The aura between his hand and the man's face began to shimmer and ripple, forming diaphanous wisps of energy that were dragged back into his clawed grasp in swirling vortices. The fisherman's eyes popped wide open in shock. He let out a choking sound before his face went entirely blank. His body slumped back entirely, chin sinking into his bony chest. Froth began to dribble from the corners of his slackened mouth.

"If my abilities are what he so desperately seeks, he'd best be served coming after me himself." Lowering his hand, Horiki leaned back on his heels and smiled placidly into the snail's slitted eyes. "Where would the fun be in it otherwise?"

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THE GREAT CULLING (1125 - 1131) refers to the second major political reunification of Wano which brought an end to the Warring States Era. Under the just cause of His Majesty Kōzuki Nabeyaki, all rebellious factions under the five central daimyō families (Amatsuki, Shimotsuki, Kurozumi, Fūgetsu, and Uzuki) were subjugated after a grueling military campaign, and the traditional feudal system was reestablished though with major reforms. Shortly thereafter, another minor revolt was staged by the radical Tenkū-jō faction of House Uzuki which was swiftly quelled under the leadership of pro-Kōzuki generals Shimotsuki Ryūtaro and Shimotsuki Shinnosuke (see Appendix for individual biographies). As per Lord Nabeyaki's orders, the clan heads of the anti-shōgun factions were brought to Flower Capital and beheaded, their vassals stripped of their titles and forcibly expelled from Wano by the dawn of the next decade. [...] Due to the historical aggregation of Kyōki users in the upper class, it has been estimated that roughly half of the existing Kyōnōsha population was exiled, the majority of whom were previously employed as yōgari, or yōkai hunters. Indeed, in Shōgun Nabeyaki's eyes the complete restructuring of Wano's yōgari tradition was as necessary as it was significant a ramification of the peacemaking process.

From WANO-JITSUROKU, VOLUME IV. (1326), compiled by various authors

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"Can't you just put it away for now? I don't want to have to look at it more than I have to!" Kushihashi Riyu looked down at the salmon-flavored rice ball in her hand then back at the offending object, nose crinkled and whiskers twitching vigorously as she added: "Especially while I'm eating!"

"It's in a box," came the offhanded response.

"Still!"

"Still what? You can't see it so what's even the issue?"

The ermine Mink let out a childish huff and muffled her next words with a bite of onigiri. "It's the fact that I know it's sitting in there, staring. That's what gives it the creep factor, y'know?"

Her companion only gave an absent nod. She was a young woman, about in her early twenties, with sharp blue eyes which provided an almost eerie contrast to her pale skin and silver hair. With one slender hand resting protectively over the lid of a cylindrical wooden box propped between them, she sat with painstaking rigidity in the traditional seiza style. Her expression, focused yet guarded, made it clear her mind was elsewhere.

It was uncharacteristically warm that day given Amenoka-jima's usual wintry climate, and as such the two had opted to wait outside before they were called into the main councilroom to report to the elders. Sitting side by side close to the edge of the darkwood veranda – one of many which overlooked one of countless courtyards populating the ancient shrine – they were granted a widespread view over the assemblage of tiled rooftops and rugged stone walls crisscrossing the sprawling mountainside.

A soft breeze whispered through the trees, teasing out a few tentative notes from the overhanging wind chimes. Riyu gulped down the last bite of her onigiri and turned to stare at her companion, narrowing her large brown eyes.

"Aneki," she said.

There was no audible response.

"Anekiiii," Riyu whined, poking insistently at her companion's arm. "Oi, earth to Arisa! Are you-teia even listening?"

"Oh." Murasaki Arisa blinked and started, her hand momentarily jerking away from the box lid before receding back down to it, birdlike. "Sorry Riyu. What was that?"

Riyu folded her arms, eyes slitted in suspicion. Despite all her puerile tendencies, the Mink had an unusual knack to reading cues - even without the additional crutch of Kenbunshoku Haki. Strangely enough, an unmistakable similarity could be drawn with her adoptive father and retired shrine elder Kushihashi Shichizaemon when it came to such a knack, even despite the two of them not being blood relatives.

"Are you-teia stressed about the council?" she asked.

The hand resting over the lid curled ever so slightly.

"I was just thinking over everything I wanted to say," Arisa answered carefully.

"Do you-teia suppose they'll grill us that hard?" A tinge of anxiety bled into the Mink's voice. "I mean, sure, we might've gone a little over the deadline, but... but still! We got the guy in the end, didn't we?"

Arisa cracked a small smile. Sometimes Riyu could be about as transparent as she was perceptive. It was true; they had been delayed by a couple days in completing the assignment due to a nasty bout of food poisoning Riyu had suffered after a detour to an island festival, during which the Mink had helped herself to an entire cartload of cheap mochi cakes that had gone bad. Such a reason, though quite harmless in the grand scheme of things, was far beyond what their elders considered to be an acceptable excuse for a delay, and Riyu was probably all too aware of this fact. In reality, however, she didn't have much to worry about. This mission was so low-level in the grand scheme of things that Arisa highly doubted the elders would even notice their tardiness. Even if they did, the chances of it being brought up were still pretty much nonexistent if Arisa had anything to say about it. There would be plenty of other important matters to discuss.

"Yeah. We did," she agreed. "So it'll be fine. As long as Kurowashi-sensei is there to back us up."

A few paces down the corridor, the doors to the councilroom slid noiselessly open. A robed man Arisa instantly recognized as Hokyū - her great uncle's attendant - soon materialized, ushering out a young student. She glanced up at the teen as he passed. His face was unfamiliar to her, but the sash on his tunic indicated his status as a novice. Possibly one of Hachinobe's students, she reflected.

The student ducked his chin respectfully at the pair before disappearing past a corner. Hokyū glanced over to them and nodded. Finally, it was their cue to enter.

In the meantime, Riyu still appeared to be stewing merrily away over the prospect of a chewing out.

"Even if Kurowashi-sensei isn't in, you don't have to worry, aneki!" she declared as she scrambled to her feet, puffing out her cheeks in defiance. "I got real thick skin! I can do all the explaining if you-teia want!"

Arisa smiled and rose to her feet.

"Thanks, Riyu. But there are a few things I want to bring up on my own, so I think I'll be okay handling this one." She glanced at the wooden cylinder at their feet and grinned, her voice assuming a mock innocence. "Oh, and you forgot this."

The response was wholly anticipated yet none the less amusing. Riyu immediately jumped back as if to recoil from a live snake.

"What do you mean, I forgot?" she barked. "You take it! N-no way I'm touching that thing! It's b-b-bad luck!"

Arisa laughed aloud.

"It's hard to believe that a yōgari from Amenoka-ji could be this squeamish," she chided, stooping to take the box up in both arms.

"Hey!" Riyu shot back, tail bristling. She hung back momentarily before following at a safe distance as Arisa rose and started down the corridor. "You take that back, aneki! T-This has nothing to do with yōkai, alright?"

"Sure it doesn't, Kamome-dono."

"It's j-just the eyes that get to me, alright? Seriously, just imagine those dead creepy eyeballs staring at you through the walls! Ugh, just the thought of it makes me wanna hurl!" Riyu hugged her shoulders, shivering melodramatically. "How it doesn't bother you at all is a wonder to me, aneki!"

Arisa hid another laugh and waited for Riyu to catch up, before they turned and continued down the hall together. Hokyū stepped aside at the threshold as they approached. As usual, his placid black eyes gave nothing away, though it was obvious he had been observing them from afar. He effectuated a humorless smile and bowed low at the waist.

"Chidori-dono. Kamome-dono."

Arisa smiled stiffly back and likewise dipped her chin in greeting as she passed. Scurrying after her, Riyu grinned broadly like a child and threw him a mock salute.

The councilroom, like all other rooms at Amenoka-ji, was of a minimalistic design – devoid of furniture and naturally lit via the windowed doors which faced the inner courtyard. Even with their gazes lowered as they entered, the pair knew the seating arrangement by heart, having learned through countless repetitions. Silently padding past the threshold, Arisa knelt and set the box down at her side. Then, facing the elders, she bowed her head low and waited.

A faint papery rattle sounded as Hokyū shut the sliding doors behind them.

A familiar voice finally broke the silence.

"You may look up."

Arisa exhaled and raised her head with great propriety, taking in the solemn faces that attended her.

Similar to most other surviving remnants of the exiled daimyō clans, Amenoka-ji's cast of elders was comprised of the clan heads of its most loyal retainer families: Takagishi Yoshikazu, Kushihashi Shichizaburō, and Isseki Yanjirō. Their families were household names renowned across the Uzuki clan remnants, boasting of heritages spanning centuries and traceable to Wano's aristocratic yōgari class of yesteryear. Now, united behind Uzuki Misokatsu – Arisa's great uncle and founder of the Amenoka-ji faction – this trio was responsible for advising their lord on all executive decisions pertaining to the order's operations, as well as maintaining diplomatic ties with the other clan remnants.

As for today's council, only two of the three elders were present – Arisa had known this beforehand courtesy of Riyu. Kushihashi Shichizaburō was currently away visiting the Amatsuki clan remnant near the Calm Belt, and it was his elderly father Shichizaemon – Riyu's aforementioned guardian – who had been summoned to mediate in his place. The switch up had been a pleasant surprise when Arisa had first learned of it, for Shichizaburō, though fiercely loyal and a formidable yōgari by his own merits, was a stickler for rules and could be difficult to reason with at times. His retired father, on the other hand, already viewed Arisa favorably thanks to her longstanding friendship with Riyu and was thus all the more likely to come to her defense should the tide turn against her.

As if to read her thoughts, the old man caught Arisa's eye from where he sat to the right of Uzuki Misokatsu and gave her a smile of reassurance. She smiled tentatively back.

There was a younger man seated to Shichizaemon's right, who Arisa immediately recognized as Uzuki Donabe, a distant cousin of her mother's and, more pressingly, a member of the Uzuki clan's Tenkū-jō faction. He was not an elder, but his presence here indicated that he must have been permitted to attend the meeting as diplomatic consul. Arisa was unaware of the reasons behind this particular visit, though if she were to hazard a guess, it was one of countless attempts to mend relations between the opposing factions within the family.

Despite being the largest of the five daimyō clan remnants, House Uzuki was infamously rife with internal conflict, with animosities between certain factions rooting back centuries during times leading up to the Great Culling. The split was purely along ideological lines, chiefly marked by the rivalry between the anti-Kōzuki Tenkū-jō bloc and the more traditionalist Osoegawa bloc. The expulsion of both factions from Wano after Kōzuki Nabeyaki's ascension did little to unite the clan; if anything, it only served to immortalize the grudge, as the two opposing sides blamed the other for their collective banishment.

And so things remained to this present day. In fact, the Amenoka-ji faction, the youngest of the three at less than a hundred years old, had originally been formed under Uzuki Misokatsu's leadership under the desire to mediate between the two sides and facilitate unification. To the surprise of no one, such lofty aspirations were still yet to be realized - though it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying on Misokatsu's end. Arisa had to admit that much. Uzuki Donabe's presence here most likely served as her great-uncle's most recent endeavors in peacemaking, though the notable lack of an Osoegawa representative spoke volumes to how well things were going with regards to that.

Directly across from Shichizaemon and to Misokatsu's left sat Takagishi Yoshikazu – more fondly known by his codename Kurowashi by both current and former students of the order – appearing now to effectuate a perfect picture of stoicism, with his arms folded over his chest and his terse green eyes directed straight ahead of him in stormy concentration. Though he would later on become highly venerated for his mastery and contribution of novel techniques in Kyōki-based combat, Kurowashi-sensei had first achieved notoriety for his slaying of the twin cannibal yōkai sisters Yamanba and Iwate when he was still in his late teenage years. His fame followed him even after his retirement from field work, as evidenced by the large influx of students grudgingly sent to Amenoka-ji from the other exiled clan remnants when he took on the role of lead instructor at the shrine. He was as fair as he was strict despite his seemingly unforgiving disposition, winning over the respect of the majority of his pupils. As a former student herself, Arisa knew that he too could be relied upon in taking her side as long as she stayed within the parameters of reason.

She moved her gaze to Kurowashi-sensei's left, where Isseki Yanjirō resided, though she was forced to quickly look away upon realizing that the third elder was already staring directly at her with an undisguised scowl etched over his features. She clenched her jaw in order to maintain a neutral expression, fighting to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest.

The ever-reticent Isseki was a wildcard, infamous for causing many a veto and quarrel alike in this councilroom. Not due to his talkativeness, mind you – one could count with a single hand the number of times he spoke more than half a minute's worth of time in a meeting – but simply through the matter of sheer unshakeable will. While Kushihashi Shichizaburō could aptly be described as being bullheaded in his beliefs, one could at least hope to reason with the man. Yanjirō was of an entirely different breed altogether. Paranoia paired with a stubbornness of galactic proportions, uncanny intelligence, and a seemingly infinite capacity for maintaining long standing grudges... all of these made for a headache-inducing combination, and Isseki Yanjirō, with all his eccentricities, embodied such combination perfectly. Indeed, for even the most trivial of requests to be considered by Uzuki Misokatsu in a timely manner, all one could do was to hope against all hope that Yanjirō's opinion would just so happen to be in exact alignment with the petition in question.

And by all appearances, it seemed Arisa was out of luck this time.

She eased out a breath, stymying back a rise of annoyance as Yanjirō slitted his eyes further, before tucking his hands into his voluminous sleeves and looking away again.

Misokatsu coughed. Arisa quickly looked up and straightened her posture.

"It's been a while, Uncle," she said solemnly, bowing her head again.

"Chidori. Kamome." The old man nodded to them in greeting, referring to them by their code names as he did with all active yōgari in the order. He held a folded fan in his right hand, which he began tapping against his knee in rumination. "I trust that your travels went well."

Arisa raised her chin.

"Yes sir."

Riyu scooted up next to Arisa and bowed dutifully.

"Yes, my lord!"

Misokatsu grunted.

"You both were over at... Vira Kingdom, correct? How is the situation over there?"

"It hasn't changed much from last time," Arisa answered tersely, keeping her eyes directed down ahead to the tatami floor. "There is civil unrest, yes, but everything seems to have fallen into a sort of stalemate. Every other week rumors circulate of an impending uprising, though nothing ever seems to come of it."

Isseki Yanjirō spoke up unexpectedly.

"Have you seen or heard anything to confirm that the Revolutionary Army may be getting involved?"

"Support for the revolutionaries is growing daily, sir!" Riyu readily responded. "But we haven't noticed anything substantial as of yet."

"Whether or not they decide to get involved, something is bound to happen sooner or later," Kurowashi-sensei uttered dryly. "It's a precarious situation for us all around."

"Aye," Shichizaemon chimed, sallow jowls quivering as he waved a knowing finger. "You could say that dread and resentment do more to sicken the soul than open spite. And the Kyōgui are opportunistic sons of bitches - and let's not get started on the Kodera-Ikki. We'd be fools not to assume that they will start stirring up trouble down there sooner or later given the state of things."

Arisa stiffened slightly at the prospect, fingers curling over her lap. Unlike normal yōkai, of which there could be both benevolent and predatory kinds, Kyōgui were a special grade of yōkai that were considered exclusively hostile. Hybrids, to be more exact; an affront to nature, if one were to go by the rhetoric of more extreme yōgari factions like the Tenkū-jō Uzuki.

Kyōgui, in essence, were former humans who had killed and devoured the Kyōki, or life energy, of an existing yōkai, thus allowing them to imbibe themselves with whatever supernatural abilities that yōkai had possessed. The consumption of foreign Kyōki was understood to be a highly dangerous practice, permanently warping the sanity of the offender and afflicting them with an insatiable thirst for more Kyōki. This would in turn result in a snowballing effect as the affected Kyōgui would be driven down an irreversible path to doom, preying upon both humans and yōkai alike before ultimately succumbing to their own insanity - a hefty price to pay for the powers they had robbed in life. Deserved, in a sense, but terrifying all the same.

Even with their own fates being set in stone, the collateral damage wreaked in the lifetime of a Kyōgui was truly catastrophic in terms of the number of innocent lives lost. This made them high priority targets for yōgari compared to your standard run-of-the-mill yōkai. Even then, what made them truly dangerous was their affinity for organization – ironically their most human trait. Indeed, the formation of countless Kyōgui-adjacent secret societies enacted as a perpetual scourge to the yōgari class all throughout Wano's turbulent history. In the centuries following the Great Culling, the most renowned Kyōgui faction to emerge outside of Wano was the the Kodera Ikki, which had been founded after several rogue yōgari-turned-Kyōgui operatives infiltrated and eventually subverted the Kodera clan, a now-defunct retainer family which had once served the Fūgetsu clan remnant in the West Blue.

Knowing how the Kyōgui operated, Kushihashi Shichizaemon's concerns were thus well-founded. Civil and social instability did wonders to prime the general population for yōkai possessions; to the leadership of the Kodera Ikki, Vira Kingdom's precarious position likely presented itself as an irresistible opportunity.

"Indeed." Kurowashi-sensei was nodding in agreement with the old man. He turned to Uzuki Misokatsu. "My lord, it may be worthwhile sending out a few scouts to monitor the situation long-term."

"It would be a good opportunity for some of our novices..." The fan came down again, this time stilling between the thumb and forefinger of Misokatsu's free hand. His voice grew brisk, dismissive. "Very well! I'll leave it to you, Yoshikazu."

Kurowashi-sensei bowed.

"I'd be honored."

Misokatsu's dark eyes swept up to meet his grand-niece's gaze.

"And what of the mission, Chidori?"

Arisa dipped her chin again, before turning and lifting the wooden box. Hiding another smile at the way Riyu scrunched up her face slightly and sidled back, she rose and set it down a few paces closer to her great-uncle. Then she returned to her original spot and knelt again.

"Kamome-dono and I humbly present to you the head of the Kyōgui Tobari Sadamichi, formerly of the Fūgetsu clan remnant."

Misokatsu stared at the box, tapping his fan against his knee again. Presently, his eyes flicked leftward.

"Yoshikazu. If you will."

Kurowashi-sensei bowed again and rose. Arisa watched on, anxiously searching his face for any indication of disapproval as he knelt by the box, lifted the lid, and carefully undid the cloth coverings wrapping the severed head. He stared down at it for some time, before carefully shutting the box and returning to his seat.

"There is no mistake about it, my lord."

This evoked a faint nod. The fan folded partially open then clapped back shut like the closing jaws of a snapping turtle.

"Well done, both of you."

Arisa bowed again, with Riyu doggedly mirroring the motion.

"Impressive!" Uzuki Donabe suddenly exclaimed. He was studying Arisa very closely with his arms folded in a ruminative stance. A wide grin split his lips. "Hunting a Kyōgui is an impressive feat, especially so early on! I suppose it's only to be expected for Yoshikazu's pupils, eh?"

"Oh, you're too kind, sir!" Riyu cried, turning to him and ducking her head low in deference. "But ane-...Chidori-dono and I, we're hardly worthy of such generous words!"

"Hah! So damn polite! Is this the infamous Amenoka-ji propriety I hear so much about?" Donabe laughed aloud. "But I speak in jest. Your progression truly is remarkable, both of you! Nearly indistinguishable from our own standards at Tenkū-jō, in fact!"

Arisa smiled coolly as she waited for Donabe's laughter to fade, before turning back to Misokatsu.

"There is something I'd like to bring up, if I may," she ventured.

The fan froze in the air, and for a moment she could have sworn to have seen a flicker of unease flit across her great-uncle's guarded expression. She forged on regardless:

"It's regarding the Kaku Kaku no Mi."

Kurowashi-sensei visibly stiffened. Misokatsu shared an unreadable look with Isseki Yanjirō.

"Go on."

Arisa eased in a nervous breath.

"In between our normal assignments, Kamome-dono and I have been making some progress with regards to the Fruit," she began. "Based on the last several targets, we were able to unearth some communications between several information brokers and one of Joker's contacts in the Navy which confirms that he is still actively searching for it."

"Even after all these years?" Kurowashi-sensei raised an eyebrow, a tinge of amazement creeping into his voice. "Joker's underworld connections are said to be unparalleled. One would have expected him to have found it and fed it to one of his subordinates by now."

"We found it to be very strange as well!" Riyu piped up. She slanted a knowing look at Arisa. "Aneki- I mean Chidori-dono and I think that this could indicate three main possibilities."

"The first is that the Fruit still hasn't regenerated," Arisa explained. "Though we think this is nearly impossible given how long it's been since..." She faltered. "....since its last user was killed."

Kushihashi Shichizaemon was nodding along.

"Aye, you might as well rule it out entirely," he agreed.

"The second is that it has regenerated but is still yet to be eaten. That in and of itself could be due to a myriad of reasons – someone may be purposefully hoarding it as a bargaining chip, for example, or it simply hasn't been discovered yet. Again, given how much time has passed, it's very unlikely.

"The third possibility is the most plausible in my opinion based on our knowledge that Joker has only recently intensified his search efforts. It's that the Fruit has been eaten, but its new user is deliberately hiding their abilities in an attempt to conceal themselves from Joker."

Arisa deliberately stopped to gauge her uncle's reaction. His face remained a study, but the slight forward bent to his posture indicated that he was listening closely.

Kurowashi-sensei folded his arms.

"Kindly explain your position," he urged.

Arisa assented with a terse nod.

"Joker's attention towards the Fruit was reinvigorated only recently," she began. "Before that, it seems that the entire operation had been stuck in a dormant stage of sorts, with its scope only limited to black market auctions based in Sabaody Archipelago. Something changed several weeks ago though, which renewed his interests enough to kickstart active searches across several islands through several mercenary rings." She paused again and raised her chin slightly. "We believe that a certain instigating incident must have occurred around that time which alerted Joker to the fact that the Fruit had been claimed. It could be that the Kaku Kaku no Mi user displayed their abilities publicly for the first time, whether that be on purpose or by accident."

She hesitated again and turned to Misokatsu.

"For what it's worth, Uncle, this only strengthens my belief that shadowing Joker is our only feasible option to find the Fruit within a reasonable timeframe. It isn't widely known that he is after the Fruit, so if there is a new user and they are knowledgeable enough to hide from him, then it's most likely that they are a known rival of his - perhaps even a past associate. With Joker expanding his search, I believe it is only a matter of time before their identity is brought to light. It will be of utmost importance that we be prepared to act accordingly when that happens."

"You mentioned that Joker is coordinating with a contact in the Navy," Isseki Yanjirō challenged, eyes narrowed. "Then it could very well be that this new user is a Marine. Perhaps an officer in the upper echelons of the hierarchy – that would be well out of Joker's reach. Surely we would be better off handing off this search to your father and the Amatsuki clan remnants."

Arisa winced and shook her head.

"We did consider that," she answered quietly. "But the correspondence indicates otherwise. Besides, this contact seems to be pretty high-ranking himself. If the new Kaku Kaku no Mi eater was to be a member of the Navy, Joker would have learned of it in a heartbeat. Then his movements now wouldn't make any sense. He would be better served attempting to bribe the user to his side or hiring an assassin to get the Fruit back into circulation."

"He may very well be exploring either of those options," Yanjirō cut back. "You would have no way of knowing."

"That's pure conjecture, Yanjirō-dono, and you know it," Shichizaemon broke in before Arisa could rejoin. "We should act on the available evidence." He turned to face Misokatsu. "As for me, my lord, I agree with Chidori-dono's assessment. Following Joker's trail is the only way forward. It is a shame we probably won't be able to obtain the Fruit ourselves, but nonetheless, an ironclad alliance with its user is imperative to ensure that their abilities will never fall under the influence of the Kyōgui."

"I also concur with Shichizaemon-dono and Chidori-dono," Donabe declared stolidly. "Any measure which hastens the destruction of the Kodera Ikki has Tenkū-jō's unwavering support!"

Arisa let out a breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding in, the tension partially easing from her shoulders as a torrent of relief cascaded her lungs. She had expected Shichizaemon's backing, but Uzuki Donabe's approval was as unprecedented as it was welcome.

She turned to the both of them and bowed her head slightly.

"Donabe-dono, Shichizaemon-dono - thank you," she murmured beneath her breath.

Misokatsu glanced at Kurowashi-sensei.

"Yoshikazu. What about you?"

A small silence bloomed. Kurowashi-sensei's verdant gaze kept flitting between Arisa and Riyu, before finally coming to a rest over the box containing the slain Kyōgui's severed head.

"I am in agreement with Shichizaemon-dono and Donabe-dono. We must never allow the Kodera Ikki to be in a position to control the user of this Fruit," he said, voice prudent. "The only thing which troubles me is the prospect of a potential confrontation with Joker's forces. The importance of this mission entails the minimization of casualties at all costs. If you are to pursue this lead, my lord, then I would advise you to consider assigning a more... experienced yōgari to this case."

Arisa's breath stalled at the back of her throat.

"With all due respect," she blurted out, bowing her head low. "I believe it would be incredibly shortsighted to reassign us at this stage!"

In the uneasy silence which followed, the full magnitude of her mistake crept over her as silent and suffocating as a rising tide. In the heat of the moment, Arisa had failed to recognize the simple calculation behind Kurowashi-sensei's words. His suggestion had been too inflammatory, too much of an obvious departure from his past positions to be genuine. Instead, it must have been an obvious ploy to gauge her emotional attachment to the case - one she had fallen for hook, line, and sinker.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Arisa raised her chin to appraise her audience. Her hands curled into fists in her lap as she steeled her voice and forged on.

"If Kamome-dono and I were to be switched out, I expect it would take several weeks for our replacements to accustom themselves with the workings of Joker's underworld circles. It would cause an unnecessary delay - during which the Devil Fruit user may very well be identified. And that isn't even considering the fact that their unfamiliarity in their new role may jeopardize their own safety."

"Aye. I too believe that a reassignment this late would be unnecessary," Shichizaemon hurriedly added. "You are being too harsh, Yoshikazu-dono. Both Chidori-dono and Kamome-dono have done more than enough to prove their worth to this order."

Kurowashi-sensei kept his eyes trained to hers for another breathless beat, a flicker of concern lurking behind the manufactured challenge in his gaze. He then turned to Uzuki Misokatsu.

"What say you, my lord?"

A deep sigh rumbled the old man's chest.

"We had been contemplating this matter long before we called both of you in," he finally said. His eyes flicked sideways. "I suppose now is as good a time as any to bring up my main concern."

Snapping the fan shut, he leaned in with slitted eyes.

"Tell me, Chidori. What are your true intentions behind this mission?"

Arisa's voice shook a little as she spoke.

"To secure leverage over the Kaku Kaku no Mi user... for the protection and longevity of the Uzuki clan."

Misokatsu's faded gray eyes flicked over to an empty spot to the left of Isseki Yanjirō.

"She resembles Towa more with each passing day – don't you think, Donabe?" he finally uttered, more to himself.

Uzuki Donabe bowed dutifully.

"Indeed, Misokatsu-sama!"

Arisa's hands tensed once more, a surge of conflicting emotions resonating beneath her ribs in a dull ache – of grief and betrayal, of longing and hatred. Eyes still trained on the empty spot, she envisioned a familiar face from her distant childhood memories – the fleeting apparition which accompanied that seldom uttered name.

A flash of burnished silver hair. Pale skin. Strong but delicate hands. Keen gray eyes as clear as cut glass.

Uzuki Towa.

Towa-san to the Children of Amenoka-ji; Uguisu-hime to the rest of the world.

(Mother.)

Recollecting herself, Arisa leaned in desperately.

"Uncle –"

Misokatsu raised a hand to halt her impending entreaty.

"I know that you are lying." There was not a hint of anger or disappointment to his voice, only a calm resignation.

Sharp pin pricks of pain registered as her nails bit deep into her palms. Arisa fought to quell her rising anxiety and shook her head.

"I'm not."

"You are. It is obvious to me, to Yoshikazu - to anyone paying attention - that your convictions have been misplaced from the very start! If you fail to recognize that then you are lying to yourself, Chidori." His voice hardened. "Can you really tell this council that you've rid yourself of all doubts regarding Jasha's death?"

"I –" Arisa faltered and squeezed her eyes shut.

She couldn't say anything more. Couldn't bring herself to. Not here. Not like this. The sudden tightness in her throat ensured that.

Nothing interrupted the span of silence which elapsed afterwards, save a muted rustle of fabric as Misokatsu rose to his feet. The elders quickly turned to face him, bowing their heads in unison as he stepped off the low platform and started down the central aisle, before coming to a stop before the two yōgari. Arisa cracked her eyes open to slits, watching as his feet came to a stop directly before her. There was another pause, as if he were contemplating his next actions, before he knelt to be at her level. She stiffened momentarily as he gently tapped the side of his folded fan against her shoulder.

"You didn't do it, Chidori," Misokatsu enunciated slowly, clearly. "Have some faith in yourself. Never mind what the Navy says - they are trying to pin this on you due to their own incompetence in finding the actual culprit. You are blind to your own innocence because you blame yourself. It is only natural to feel this way, but the sooner you realize that your sentiments are misplaced, the better off you will be. That is all."

Arisa remained stock-still, eyes directed stubbornly to the floor as the pressure of the fan fell away entirely. Misokatsu gave her one last knowing look before rising to a stand and raising his voice.

"I will take Yoshikazu and Yanjirō's suggestions into consideration, but for now, I wish for the two of you to proceed as before." His eyes swept over to her and Riyu. "I will summon you both if my decision warrants a reassignment. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord!" Riyu vociferated.

Arisa closed her eyes again, waiting for Misokatsu to return to the platform before she spoke again, her voice quieter this time.

"There is... one more thing I wish to bring up to the council."

"Another request?" Yanjirō questioned sharply.

Arisa started to shake her head, before drawing herself up short.

"In a way," she relented, voice uncertain. "More like a request for guidance."

Misokatsu seated himself facing the elders once more.

"You may speak."

"It's still regarding the matter with the Devil Fruit," Arisa said. She hesitated again. "During the last several contacts we've made, Kamome-dono and I have noticed that a certain pirate crew keeps showing up in the near vicinity. It isn't definitive proof that we're being followed, but it's to the point where we can't just chalk it up to coincidence."

"Pirates?" Donabe repeated incredulously. He let out a dismissive snort. "I wouldn't worry about it, Chidori-dono. Barring Yonkō-level crews, the vast majority of pirates are unaware of the existence of Kyōki or even yōkai."

Yanjirō sighed, as if annoyed by the prospect of being in agreement with someone for once.

"He has a point. Joker is an infamous character in the criminal underworld. We aren't the only ones with more than enough reasons to target his people."

"Still..." Riyu trailed off, looking unsure.

Arisa straightened slightly.

"We were unsure of how to proceed in the case that a direct confrontation occurs," she elucidated. "That's all, really."

"If they are actively interfering with your work, then the answer is simple." Uzuki Donabe looked over to Misokatsu, a grim smile capturing his features. "Isn't that right, Misokatsu-sama? You would give them permission to engage, would you not?"

Riyu sweatdropped slightly and glanced over to her companion.

"Well. Um. The thing is...."

Arisa sighed in resignation and relented with a slight nod. The young Mink deliberately cleared her throat and turned to the elders with a deadpan expression on her face.

"Thing is, this is a Supernova crew we're talking about here."

One could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. Then:

"A what?!"

Translations:

Wano-Jitsuroku* (ワノ実録): The True History of Wano

Nabeyaki (鍋焼き): A traditional udon dish.

Yōkai-gari (妖怪狩り) / Yōgari (妖狩り): Yōkai hunter or the practice of yōkai hunting

Kyōki (狂気): Literal translation: "Insanity" or "mania." In this context, consider it to be an in-story mechanic similar to how Haki, while technically having a dictionary definition in Japanese ("ambition" and/or "gumption"), describes a powerset in the One Piece universe.

Kyōnōsha (狂能者): Kyōki user.

Tenkū-jō (天空城): Tenkū Castle. Literal translation: "Heavens Castle"

Aneki (姉貴): Big sis

Chidori (千鳥): Dotterel; also can be read as "thousand birds"

Kamome (鷗): Seagull

Kurowashi (黒鷲): Black Eagle

Amenoka-jima (天之火島): Amenoka Island

Misokatsu (味噌カツ): A Japanese dish - deep fried pork served with miso-based sauce.

Kodera-Ikki (小寺一揆): The Kodera Rebellion. Literal translation: "Little Temple Rebellion"

Yamanba (山姥): Also pronounced Yama-uba or Yamamba. A cannibalistic yōkai which takes on the form of a mountain hag. In most folk stories, she is depicted luring travelers to her lair to kill and eat them. In some variations, she eats infants.

Iwate (岩手): In Japanese folklore, this is the name of a woman who goes insane after accidentally killing her own daughter and transforms into a man-eating onibaba (ogress) yōkai.

Donabe (土鍋): A glazed clay pot which can be used over open flame. It is used to make udon and other traditional Japanese hot pot dishes.

* - Reference to the Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku, which is one of the classic texts of Japanese history.

Fun fact: There was a real-life samurai clan with the name Kōzuki which had territory in the Harima region during the late 1500s. Though the English pronunciation is identical, the kanji spelling is slightly different. The fictional Kōzuki is written as 光月, meaning "light moon," while the real-life one is written as 上月, ("upper moon"). Additionally, the real-life Kōzuki clan was nowhere near as influential as the Kōzuki shōgunate in One Piece. They were subjugated relatively quickly during Oda Nobunaga's campaign into Harima, after which their lord Kōzuki Kagesada was forced to flee his castle and commit seppuku. The more you know!

Other notes: Oda's convention of naming the canon daimyos after traditional Japanese dishes has always felt slightly ridiculous to me, but I decided to implement it all the same for several of the Uzuki OCs (Nabeyaki, Donabe, Misokatsu, etc.) to make them fit in better with the universe.

Thanks for reading,

-shiba