───

     HIMARI LIFTED UP HER SLEEVE AS SHE covered the lower half of her face, feigning distress, as her viridescent eyes slightly drooped.

"is something the matter, lady himari?"

"oh dear...it is quite embarrassing, however, I must get it off my chest! on my way back, my family's samurais were massacred right in front of my eyes. it was truly terrifying...even my maid was scared witless", himari pouted, making many around them gasp.

     "who dares harm the daughter of my most loyal daimyo?"

     "right? some people just don't know when to cease to exist", himari sighed, making naoya clench his fists.

     "but I don't blame them. after all, they must have not been in the right state of mind. anyways, I was hoping you'd allow me to create my own little group of guards...since it's quite unsafe these days", himari softly requested.

"of course! safety is one of the top priorities! pick anyone you'd like", ashikaga hastily stated, making himari smile.

"thank you for your benevolence, lord yoshiaki!"

once ashikaga had dismissed everyone, hotaru immediately praised his daughter on her baffling performance.

     "himari, you've truly exceeded my expectations with that one", hotaru smiled, making his face slightly more wrinkly.

     "thanks dad, but—"

     "oho? well if it isn't himari-san...it's been a while hasn't it? how was your time spent repenting your wrongdoings?", a voice interrupted, making himari sigh.

     "what a beautiful night this is...pity it's being ruined by some pest~"

     "himari, that is no way to speak to naoya", hotaru reprimanded, though himari could care less.

     "pleasant seeing you, hotaru-san. would you mind if I spoke to your daughter for a moment?", the male with blonde hair and green tips had requested.

     hotaru hesitantly allowed it, as himari gave him a thumbs up, proving that she'll be fine.

     "okay, what do you want?", himari sighed, making rumi cautiously tug on the woman's sleeve, as she worried that things might get ugly.

     naoya's eyes widened ever so slightly, surprised at the sudden change of tone that was projected at him.

     he couldn't believe how much himari had changed in these five months that she's been away, as she used to always cling onto him or chat with him whenever given the chance.

     naoya grinned.

     "I see you've taken up the zen'in family dog...pity he doesn't have any powers, but I suppose himari-san prefers the leftovers, huh?"

     tōji glared at the male, as himari snorted.

     "zen'in dog? where? I only see one, and it's the one right in front of me. this is fushiguro tōji, and for your information, having powers ain't shit. if you're so entitled as to thinking that you're better than someone because you have something that they don't, you're going to get your ass handed to you", himari stated, making rumi, itadori, and tōji pause, meanwhile sukuna smirked.

     naoya's confused expression contorted into anger, as he suddenly clenched his fists, about to raise his hand against the female, if it weren't for gojō stepping in.

"naoya-san~ what a great night it is to take a walk isn't it?", gojō cooed, making the dual-haired male grit his teeth, as himari stared at nanami and getō.

'nanamin....I WILL PROTECT YOU!!! is that the real getō?? I mean...he doesn't have a stitch across his head...and did he always look so damn attractive?'

"himari-san, it's been a while since we've talked, hasn't it?", gojō grinned, snapping the red-haired woman out of her trance.

     "huh? where did naoya go? and I guess...?"

     "young master naoya left while you were zoning out", rumi whispered.

     "say, how'd you actually think of such a brilliant way to celebrate lady yoshiteru's party?", gojō asked, looming over himari, who had backed up a few steps, hitting her back against tōji.

"as much as our lady would love to talk, she's got a curfew, so hope to never see you again", tōji bluntly stated, as with one swift motion, himari was carried by his right arm without any trouble.

himari stabilized herself by propping her arms on tōji's broad shoulders, as the male hastily turned around and walked off, leaving with itadori and sukuna beside them.

rumi quickly bowed in apology, as she skipped towards the four that had already mounted the carriage.

himari cleared her throat as tōji made no attempt to let go of the woman's waist, to which everyone else could sense the tension in the air.

"rumi, can you start making a list for my new group of samurais? I think I'm going to have three teams: bronze, silver, and gold", himari smiled, to which rumi had nodded.

"lady himari, which team will I be in?!", itadori excitedly asked.

"bronze", the woman immediately replied, making itadori physically sag at her answer.

"huh? but why...?", the boy slightly pouted, making himari clench her chest.

"yūji baby, I would love to put you in gold, but that's only reserved for five people...if they agree, of course".

"eh, five? who?"

"maki-san, there's a letter for you!!", a cheerful voice exclaimed.

     the green-haired female snapped her head around as she stopped her training momentarily.

     the teenage girl thanked the child of the inn owner at inn that she's been residing at, as she ripped open the envelope, taking out the folded paper.

     'to the best zen'in of all times: zen'in maki,

     I, nakajima himari, formally invite you to join my squad of samurais that include male and female of all ages.

     it doesn't matter where your skill level is at, as I promise that you will improve under the guidance of the gold team.

     there are three teams, and you've been selected to be in silver.

     for more information, please come to the nakajima estate on the second of april. this is NOT a scam; just come see for yourself.

from your lovely sponsor: nakajima himari'.

maki furrowed her brows as she checked the envelope, to which indeed, there was a special seal from the nakajima clan.

the green-haired girl huffed as a smile found its way onto her face.

"interesting".