Chapter 35: The Negotiation Wrecker

The next day.

"Matsudaira, I heard something..."

Ayaka, his foster sister, sidled up to Matsudaira Inomaro. Hesitant, she whispered, "I heard that Master Hyakusuke of the Lower Ninja Corps went to a teahouse outside the camp, even took a courtesan with him, and didn't return all night. Who knows what he was doing?"

"Is that so?"

The old man, Matsudaira, was brushing his beloved horse with a mane brush. "That isn't particularly surprising, though... Master Hyakusuke is a man, after all."

The old samurai didn't even look up as he asked, "Lady Ayaka, where did you hear such strange news?"

Faced with the counter-question, Ayaka grew uneasy, her fingers twisting together in front of her chest. "W-well, the servants here at the headquarters were whispering about it..."

She had been eavesdropping.

"Ayaka."

Suddenly, a voice echoed behind her. As the young girl turned, something lightly tapped her on the forehead.

"Ouch."

"Gossiping behind people's backs is not a very good habit, you know~~"

Tsukigaro Yoake had appeared behind her at some point. She was dressed in a deep purple kimono, holding an exquisite bamboo flute, her fingers toying with the tassels. "Master Hyakusuke did no such thing; it is merely a misunderstanding being spread by others... Furthermore, if rumors like this reached the Kurohime-yama clan, it might lead to his punishment."

"I-I'm sorry," Ayaka apologized timidly.

"Apologizing to me won't help." Yoake reached out, gently stroking her cheek, and continued, "Just be more careful next time."

"Are you finished chatting?"

The old man, Matsudaira, interrupted them. "It's about time... shall we prepare the carriage? Are we heading straight for Lake Yukiyasha?" The old man sighed softly, adding, "Though, no one knows if the venerable 'Sword Saint Kounsai' is still at Lake Yukiyasha."

"Eh? Who is that?" Ayaka had never heard the name.

"He is one of the Four Sages, a master of the sword," Yoake explained. "The Sword Saint hails from Ezo; his real name is unknown. We only know he calls himself 'Kifune Kounsai.' The old master is the great hero who ended the demon chaos a hundred and fifty years ago... Besides him, there are the Spear Saint, the Bow Saint, and the Fist Saint; all were mighty warriors who stood against the five Demon Kings."

"Old Master Kounsai is also connected to the founding of the Oboro-ten Ingetsu style, which the ancestors of the Tsukigaro clan established," Matsudaira added. "The first master of the Oboro-ten Ingetsu style was inspired by Master Kounsai to create his own swordsmanship; in that sense, he could be called a progenitor."

"Is that so?" Ayaka was quite surprised.

"Because of the events in the Northern Mutsu territory, which may involve the land of Ezo across the strait (Hokkaido), we hope to gather some information from the old master," Matsudaira continued. "Also, Lord Kounsai is long-lived and incredibly knowledgeable; we hope to ask him about lifting the curse on our young master..."

"After all, the Ezo people are a long-lived race, unlike us short-lived mortals. They live for a very long time; it is said that elders in their clan can live to be a thousand years old," Yoake explained briefly.

The Ezo people, referring to the indigenous Ainu of Hokkaido, were not human in *The Brightness of the Oborozuki*, but rather a demi-human race. Humans have only a few decades of lifespan, while the Ezo can live for hundreds or even a thousand years. It is said their ancestors shared blood with the black dwarves of Norse mythology. In appearance, the Ezo have light-brown skin, pointed ears, and while they are generally not very tall, they possess excellent stamina.

Furthermore, the Ezo are skilled in iron-making, smelting, and the crafting of cursed tools and weapons. They are powerful artisans who master secret techniques, allowing them to forge divine weapons of immense power.

Of the Four Sages appointed by the Imperial Court after the Great Chaos ended, the Bow Saint and the Spear Saint had long since passed away after one hundred and fifty years. Only the Sword Saint Kounsai and the Fist Saint remained in the world.

"Come to think of it, the eldest princess of the Kurohime-yama clan is also a disciple of Master Kounsai. She spent four years serving by his side, learning swordsmanship and the technique of forging cursed blades," Matsudaira recalled.

"Eh... but if Miss Kohagi is a disciple of Kounsai, why don't we just ask her to introduce us to the Sword Saint?" Ayaka asked.

"We have asked... but Miss Kohagi claims she does not know the old master's whereabouts. This Sword Saint is accustomed to wandering the world, his footprints covering all sixty-six provinces. No one knows where he is now..." Matsudaira offered a bitter smile. "According to that young lady, there is a small hut near Lake Yukiyasha where he occasionally stays. She told us to go there and try our luck."

Hearing this, Ayaka nodded, though she only half-understood. She was not an exorcist and lacked the aptitude; she rarely encountered such intelligence in her daily life.

"Everyone, if I may."

Suddenly, someone behind them coughed softly, interrupting their conversation. Ayaka jumped, noticing it was Hyakusuke, who was not wearing his black fox mask.

"The ox cart is ready. Lady Yoake and Lady Ayaka, please board." Hyakusuke forced the words out in a raspy voice.

Yoake did not speak. Her long-lashed eyes looked toward Hyakusuke. Across the distance, her pitch-black pupils met his. Suddenly, a second later, the two averted their gazes in silent, mutual understanding.

The atmosphere grew awkward...

...Eh? What is going on here?

Ayaka's mouth parted slightly. She keenly sensed the strange aura between Yoake and Hyakusuke.

*Gulp.*

The foster sister swallowed, her dry, tight throat feeling as if she had gulped down a lump of sticky air.

*What... what is this? Did something happen between my older brother and Master Hyakusuke?*

A strange silence permeated the space between the two. Both stood motionless, barely shifting.

—Silence. A silence that seemed to weigh upon the body and permeate the air.

Everything was unclear.

Ayaka's skin tightened with tension, and cold sweat broke out. An absurd feeling surged from the bottom of her heart.

In a place she didn't understand, in a place beyond her reach—something unexpected seemed to have happened to her "brother," causing whatever had transpired between him and Hyakusuke.

*No... no, this is very bad.*

Ayaka was often thought of as having a direct personality, but in truth, she simply had vivid emotions, which allowed her to use something like feminine intuition to strike at the heart of an issue.

She had a vague, lingering feeling that the Tsukigaro Yoake she knew—her "brother"—was drifting further and further away, perhaps no longer being her brother at all, but turning into something else.

*No, absolutely not...*

A trace of panic flared in Ayaka's heart... It couldn't be, it just couldn't. She shook her head desperately in her mind, as she linked it to a terrifying possibility—

*This is the only thing that must never happen. Brother, you must not let yourself fall into depravity!*

"Let's get going," the old man, Matsudaira Inomaro, clearly lacked any advanced ability to "read the room." He happened to break the silence at that exact moment. "We had best get going quickly. I hope it doesn't rain today or anything..."

"That's true, we should get going..." Yoake suddenly reached out and took her foster sister's hand. "Ayaka, let's go."

"Y-yes."

Ayaka was practically dragged forward by Tsukigaro Yoake.

*B-brother... what are you really?*

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

However, the moment Tsukigaro Yoake passed by Hyakusuke, she curled her lip in a cold huff.

At the instant he heard that huff, Hyakusuke couldn't help but straighten his spine, his pores contracting. After Yoake left, he sighed deeply in his heart. At the same time, an intense, indescribable fatigue washed over him, causing his shoulders to slump involuntarily.

"...The talk failed."

This was something Hyakusuke hadn't anticipated—as for the reason, it all went back to last night.

...

A showdown.

A showdown was necessary.

Hyakusuke thought to himself that Tsukigaro Yoake was a reasonable person in the game.

...As long as he could persuade her, he would surely gain her assistance.

*If I can win her over with words, I can gain the help of this destined protagonist. I can also tell her the information I possess to speed up her awakening and growth...*

Even if she had become a woman, it didn't hinder her from growing stronger.

Furthermore, by using the information he held to avoid various plot traps, he could easily solve the world-ending crisis.

Hyakusuke even began to daydream. After Tsukigaro Yoake grew stronger with his help, the two of them could join forces and dominate.

The destined protagonist would be responsible for the "dominating" at the front, while he, the player, would be responsible for the "strategy" in the back.

They could become the strongest duo in the game.

—A beautiful future prospect shimmered before his eyes.

"Is it you... Miss Yoake?"

He stared at the young girl once more. The evening wind parted the clouds, and moonlight spilled bit by bit onto the earth.

Beneath the thin moonlight, she wore a purple kimono, her long, raven-black hair tied in a bundle behind her, her fairly large chest hidden beneath the garment. Even her standing posture, with the gentle slope of her shoulders, radiated a delicate beauty.

Bathed in that moonlight, anyone would be drawn to the girl who exuded such a calm and gentle aura.

"No, I should call you Lord Yoake."

Hyakusuke's gaze did not leave her. He opened his mouth slightly, directly revealing the other party's identity.

"Eh... Mi-ah?"

Her true identity revealed, Tsukigaro Yoake shrank her neck in surprise. She fell into a panic, involuntarily emitting a strange sound like the cry of a small animal.

"Woah... n-no, it's not me."

Her eyes darted back and forth, looking flustered as she moved her feet backward.

Hyakusuke mustered his courage and forcefully grabbed her wrist.

"Please wait, Lord Yoake."

He said in a deep voice, "Just now, it must have been you who helped. If not for the sound of your flute, I would not have been able to handle that vengeful spirit in the graveyard... I must thank you."