chapter 8

Timeskip 2 months

These past months since Shiro saved Jinako, since Shiva had seen fit to grant him the Brahmastra, something which only his Ancestor had obtained previously. Speaking of said Ancestor, Karna couldn't help but be proud of his descendent when he had heard the news of Shiro's recent achievement, accomplishing such a difficult task.

As such, he had taken it upon himself to train Shiro on how to use the Brahmastra, knowing from past experience that much was needed for it to be fully mastered, let alone to a point where Shiro could use it effectively in battle. The Astra had been exactly like what Shiva had said when Shiro had seen the damage uon using it for the first time, he could honestly say that it would be on par with a nuclear warhead if he wasn't careful. Karna taught him the Brahmastra Kundala, a projectile that gained his fiery attribute which from one blow was likened to a nuclear weapon (considering what he'd seen, Shiro had been inclined to agree). It also could be used on a bow, and would serve as Shiro's hidden trump card, having bestowed Brahmastra with the sweltering heat effect of his Mana Burst (Flames) to increase its already wide effective range and power exceptionally.

He could use it to imbue his spear with flames by rapidly spinning it, before subsequently throwing it high into the air. Random projectiles of flame would then rain down over a period of time, though he could only use it when he was not donning his armor since it would rapidly drain his energy. Another thing Karna had taught him was the laser beam, one which appeared as a visualization of his intimidating stare from his right red eye normally hidden by his hair, resembling a beam shooting from his eye, kinda like almost similar to a famous comic book superman.

But, Shiro was not the only one training at this point, for Jinako had also decided to train with him after a week of recovery. He could still remember it, even now.

Flashback

"I want to join you, Shiro."

Shiro paused his thoughts whilst heading to his usual training area, as Jinako approached him. Turning to look behind him at her, the boy saw how she had a determined facial expression as he looked at her. ".... what, what do you mean Jinako?" he questioned whilst wondering where this had come from. Not to mention he wanted to know if he had heard her right.

Turned out he did when she elaborated on what she had previously stated. "I want to join you on hunting those... Apostles." At the end there, Shiro saw how she winced at the mention of the word Apostles, though there wasn't any hesitation regarding Apostles themselves, but more along the lines of what they had done to her according to what he saw in her eyes.

Still, he couldn't just accept such a blatantly reckless request like this, and not just due to his warrior pride either. ".... what makes you think I would accept you, Jinako? You saw in your dreams how dangerous they are." he questioned, reminding her of their time inside her mind when he had fought various monsters to get her out into the real world. Those didn't even count as TRUE Apostles in his mind, and he knew what they were really like so he had enough experience to say that.

Something which Jinako was aware of, though it didn't stop her from pressing her case against him. Her eyes heated up with a look which almost left Shiro stunned, for it looked so similar to what he saw whenever he looked in the mirror: the gaze of someone with a burning desire for revenge. "They killed my mother, ruined my life so I want payback for what they did, including those God Hand." she explained.

Even so, Shiro still didn't think she would be ready for such a thing, nor did he think she fully understood what kind of journey that she would be choosing to undertake. Unlike him, she had the choice of living a peaceful life with her father and grandfather. ".... still, you would be a bigger target because you are a demigod, which they will use to try and find you." he told her.

Jinako nonetheless vehemently shook her head, letting her long brown hair sway about in the directions she shook it in. "I don't care if they do find me, if they do then I'll kill them. I'll kill every one last of them I will pay them back for what they did to my mother." She explained, narrowing her eyes at him. "Even if you say no, I won't stop until all of them are gone."

For a moment, Shiro pondered on what to do here, he would have tried to say something, but since Jinako had that look in her eyes which he usually had, Shiro understood the fact that she would do this whether he accepted or refused her help. Also, he wasn't foolish enough to think that he could take on an entire army of Apostles all by himself, he'd barely survived against them back during the Eclipse. As much as he wanted to do things on his own, Shiro saw benefits to having competent companions as well, benefits which had been broadened thanks to his Ancestor���s guidance. Thus, in the end the male sighed, looking like he had given up on changing the girl's mind. "..... fine, but if you die it won't be on me."

"Thank you, Shiro."

"Think nothing of it. In any case, you need to get yourself into proper fighting form, so go to your father since you may have inherited some of his powers."

Flashback end

As such, Jinako had done just that, requesting to be trained by her Father in how to fight and become powerful enough to contest against Apostles. Of course, her father had not been too much of a fan of this, mostly out of fear that he'd lose his daughter but Jinako had persuaded him into it. She'd wanted to avenge her mother no matter what, she just couldn't rest knowing that even though they'd killed a REPRESENTATION of the Apostle in her mind, the REAL one was still out there somewhere, causing bloodshed and chaos whilst getting off scot free for what it had done to her.

Thus, with a heavy heart, Ganesha had agreed to train her but he'd made SURE to let her know how it wouldn't be easy for her, that she could stop at any time she wanted. Though, her desire to get stronger wouldn't allow her to stop even if she wanted to. She had her pride, and even though she had managed to get her body to a decent standard of functionality after some practice, she HAD to get better for her vengeance. Something which as much as he didn't want to admit it, Shiro could understand. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, Shiro could respect that in a person in all honesty.

Though Shiro, Karna and Ganesha had to admit, Jinako DEFINITELY had potential. As a Hindu demigod, Jinako's intellect should be high, specializing in science and wisdom. She'd become quite a skilled fighter as well, ending up being capable of keeping up with the likes of Karna which he had praised her about. She also has good analytical skills, using her seemingly useless knowledge of otaku culture as a tool to analyze some peoples plans when she gets the right information.

Furthermore, since she was a demigod of Ganesha the Remover of Obstacles, she could forcefully purify the aspects that make Ganesha "A god that removes obstacles", making an absolute and impenetrable area that could be considered her 'Domain', one that cannot be entered and no action can be taken against unless they had her permission. It was one that would appear whenever Jinako used her ability as a God who removed obstacles, with its versatility not losing out to the also heavily versatile Rashomon. If it was used offensively, with absolute force, it would end up wiping away and even push back any obstacle/attack in front of her eyes. Of course, it could be used as an absolute shield as well, one that protected her from any obstacle/attacks when used defensively which made her a rather deadly opponent on the battlefield.

In addition to this, she could use her Divine Energy to create projectile attacks like she did with her Dangos on that Spider-Mom, which led to that form she'd taken during that specific battle. Apparently, according to Ganesha since she was a pure Demigod unlike Shiro, she had more access to her potential with divine energy than him which resulted in that form coming out faster. It was known as the 'Godly Trigger' which functioned in a similar way to the 'Devil Trigger' which Jinako had mentioned from a game series about hacking away at Demons stylishly, an alternate form which boosted her strength, speed and endurance with a healing factor to boot. Karna had mentioned to Shiro that perhaps some day he too could attain his Godly Trigger, but it would take longer and he would have to work harder than Jinako due to being a descendent, not a direct Demigod.

As for her weapon and martial skills, they were coming along nicely as she had decided to hone them in case she ran out of her divine energy, her preferred weapon of choice being a pair of Axes, ones which she kept sheathed on her hips. Their names were Hoarfrost and Okin, and these Axes had been given to her as a reward for her doing so well in her training by her Father. Apparently, they were Axes which had icy elements imbued into them, thus they could potentially freeze the opponents they struck to slow them down or stop them entirely. For now though, she could only use one of them at a time since she hadn't gotten the hang of dual wielding yet.

In current times, they continued to train with Karna on their physical attacks. That is, until a servant approached them. "My lord, lord Vishnu is requesting lord Shiro and lady Jinako." The servant explained, having gotten onto one knee and lowered his head.

Upon hearing this, Karna raised a brow for a moment as he wondered what Vishnu would want with these two. A few seconds later, his eyes widened when he recalled how that specific God had been one of the leading experts on Apostle-related matters… something which pretty much defined these two considering their goals. "I see, they will be there soon." he finally spoke after a moment's worth of contemplation.

"Ok, by your permission." The servant responded, standing upright before turning and leaving the area. As they watched the Servant go, Shiro and Jinako then put away their weapons before saying goodbye to their teacher.

In no time at all, they now walked through the large, vast halls. Though, their silence didn't last long as Jinako glanced over at him, her eyebrow arched. 'Hey Shiro, you think we finally have the chance to hunt those Apostles?'

Shiro glanced back at her, arching a brow of his own as well. 'I hope so, we can finally get the chance to hunt them. I've been craving the chance to finally sink Kurogane and Rashomon into those bastards.' he replied, the male and Jinako hearing the sound of Rashomon growling in eagerness, excited at the thought of shredding through Apostle flesh.

This was a conversation that happened not through the movement of lips, but of thoughts instead. Not long into their training, Shiro and Jinako had discovered that they had the ability to give out mental thoughts to each other. They discovered this ability when Jinako mentally wondered how Shiro could put so much pressure on her during training, to which he had naturally answered that question. However, she hadn't actually said it out loud which had caused them to become quite... surprised, to say the least, not to mention confused and concerned.

Fortunately, when they had sought help from Ganesha who had been their supervisor at the time since Karna had other matters to attend to, the Elephant God had then theorized how they obtained this ability was a side effect of when Shiro had gone into Jinako's mind. Apparently, the side effect came from long-term exposure to this, combined with the close proximity to each other's minds. Apparently, the spell Ganesha had used sent Shiro right into her mind at the time, but this had various potential effects since the brain was so incredibly complex. Such effects could have included memory loss, becoming retarded, or worse becoming braindead. However, the one which could be considered the 'best outcome' was that the minds would become so intrinsically linked to one another that they'd establish a 'connection' to one another, giving them the ability to transfer thoughts to one another via signals through this 'channel' after the brains were separated.

Turned out, Shiro and Jinako had gotten this mental link, which was not only a lucky break for them but also a pretty useful ability, as well as a powerful connection between the two. When in case they were separated, they could know where they are at and how to find each other when they get lost aside from being able to telepathically communicate. Though, through some tests they had discovered that the link could be turned on and off, that Jinako could hear his Sacred Gear when the link was activated, as well as the fact that the further away from one another they were, the fainter their voices in each other's heads until the link could no longer be used as a means of communication.

Now, as they approached a massive Indian doorway there sitting on the air was a tall, attractive man with tan skin and a muscular build. He had golden eyes and very long, purple hair tied up into a ponytail. He wore floor-length purple and white robes, a white turban with feather decorations, and pointed red shoes. He also seemed to like wearing a lot of jewelry, similar to a modern woman Shiro had mentally noted, though the link had been shut off so nobody would be the wiser.

As they approached him, the man opened his eyes showing yellow colored irises as he saw them before smiling. "Ahhhh it's good to meet you two: descendent of Karna and daughter of Ganesha."

Jinako stepped forwards whilst Shiro remained silent. "It is lord Vishnu, how can we help you?" she questioned, knowing that between the two of them she was the more sociable of the two. Shiro COULD do it, but he's way more blunt than her, she could use her many conversations with him as a reference to this.

Something which Vishnu somehow knew if the knowing smile on his lips was any indication. "Straight to the point I see? Alright I have a mission for the two of you, you see I need Jinako to act as a diplomatic person to go to the shinto territory where you will meet the shinto gods there." he told them, much to the confusion of the two teens.

"Diplomatic? Why can't you send someone else, someone like my father or any of the gods? Surely you must've had another reason why you're sending us..." Jinako questioned, tilting her head in confusion. As the elder of the two, Jinako being 19 compared to 18 year old Shiro, she had to assume a more responsible role for him as his elder. Though that didn't mean Shiro would let her order him around like a damn slave, something which she wouldn't ever do anyways.

Still, her words seemed to amuse Vishnu as he let out an interested bout of laughter at her observation. "Hah! You're just like your father, always the smart person. The true reason why I'm sending the two of you is because some time ago an Apostle escaped our territory despite our containment efforts, efforts that we have had set up for a long time. Despite our best efforts, it won't be long until the rest of the supernatural world finds out about their existence, so it's time to make our move. Jinako you are to act as a diplomat with Shiro acting as your bodyguard in this foreign territory. Once you're there, you will investigate their territory to find the Apostle, find it and kill it. Do you two accept?" he asked them, though in reality he knew that the moment he had mentioned about the Apostle he had already gotten their answers.

Proof came when Jinako nodded, a grin of excitement spreading across her lips as a look of sadistic glee started forming in her eyes. "We accept, lord Vishnu." she told him, an almost haunting giggle escaping her lips that, though Vishnu wouldn't admit it, sent chills down his spine.

Though, that was NOTHING compared to the downright beastly grin which Shiro sported, the faint silhouette of Rashomon in it's true form looming over him whilst mimicking his grin asbest it could, its lightning bolt-shaped eyes burning like the fiery pits of hell depicted by humans. "Finally, I get the chance to hunt them down." he mused, a faint chuckle that promised nothing short of chaos escaping his lips.

Despite how utterly nervous he felt inside Vishnu made it a point to conceal these feelings behind a pleased smile. "Good, now good luck on your mission. I've already received permission from them for this, so don't worry about any hostile welcoming committees. Once you two are there, find the Apostle and utterly PURGE that abomination from this world before it continues its rampage. Oh! Also take this."

Vishnu then threw a disc to Shiro as he caught it. Bringing the thing to his eye level, the descendant of Karna saw that it was a battle disc, one with golden color though he didn't sense much power from it. "This disc is proof of you two being sent by me, just in case they don't recognize you. Whilst they do know that I'm sending in a representative to act for the Hindu Pantheon, it's best to have backup plans if things go awry, which they tend to do more often than not. Now then…."

SNAP!

A magic circle appeared in the middle of the room as Vishnu summoned it, prompting the two kids to walk to it. As they did so, Vishnu spoke one last time. "Good luck once again, you two. I have faith that you will succeed."

Jinako nodded her head. "We will lord Vishnu." she replied whilst Shiro just nodded, wordlessly.

They then disappeared as Vishnu looked at it before sighing. "You sure it was a good idea to send them Shiva?"

A figure was out of the column, it was Shiva hiding behind the column. "Yes it was Vishnu, it's time we have to make our move since the God hand is becoming more active."

At this, Vishnu glanced at him with a concerned frown."But one of them is your granddaughter, Shiva. You're sending her to a dog eats dog world." he stated.

Though, it wasn't something the other God wasn't aware of, as he stepped out into plain view. "I know Vishnu, and normally I wouldn't have let her near those things, but two circumstances change this: one, she's got a grudge against the Apostles for what happened to her mother. Two, Karna's descendent told us that there is a fifth God Hand member, one that was formed right under our noses. They are complete which means they will make their next move, meaning we will have to make our move against them quickly, it's time we no longer have to be held back."

"I see..... I don't like this, Shiva."

"Me neither, as much as it pressures my heart and my wives, especially Paravati, we have to. They need to become stronger in order to stand against the God Hand. You know as well as I and all the Hindu Gods just how powerful yet monstrous they are."

"... I'll trust your judgment on this one then Shiva, I hope your future predicting is right."

"I hope so Vishnu but sometimes the future can be unpredictable."

"Indeed Shiva."

Later, within a large forest deep within Japanese territory, all remained silent and normal. Skies remained clear due to it being a rather beautiful afternoon, with the air being as clear as it possibly could be. That is, before a magic circle appeared within a small clearing which then rose upwards, forming a pair of silhouettes which materialized into a proper physical form. Once this happened, the magic circle dispelled, leaving the two teens Jinako and Shiro alone in the vast wilderness.

Looking around for their target, Jinako then turned to her fellow companion with a quizzical look on her face. "Do you know how to look for the Apostle Shiro?" she questioned him, prompting the male to shake his head negatively whilst pocketing his hands inside his coat.

"No, they would come to us instead Jinako." he replied simply, proceeding to walk forwards in a seemingly random direction.

So, she went and followed behind him, hands behind her back as she kept pace with him. "What do you mean?" She questioned once more, a frown on her lips. Between the two of them, Shiro had the most experience with these kinds of things so she found it strange that he would answer in such a way.

In response, the male glanced behind him at her through the corner of his left eye. "Simple, see this brand?" He questioned, moving his body so she could see the Brand of Sacrifice on his neck. The moment she saw it, the blackette couldn't help but wince since the Brand alone looked like it had been burned into his skin… something which she wasn't that far off on to be frank. "Those damn Apostles can sense it's presence, not to mention the spirits of the dead are drawn to this thing like a moth to a flame. The more Apostles sense it, the more I have to slaughter them. Most of the time it happens at night since that's when they are the most active, not to mention that there's literally NO place for me to rest since they can come at me at any time. It's why I sleep for so few hours." He explained, frowning as he recalled the multiple attempts of finding a place of safety where the Apostles and Spirits wouldn't be able to get him, only for them to end in vain which forced him to confront them head on every time. He'd gotten quite good at killing them by now though, so it wasn't all bad. Another thing came to him as he thought about this, prompting Shiro to gesture to her stomach with his left hand. "Also, with your demigod heritage there is no way they would ignore you, either. Best be ready for combat at any time, cause that's the kind of world those who are branded like me are forced into."

The way he looked at her at that moment, it sent chills down her spine as a worried frown marred her lips. Judging from what she'd heard from him, it would seem like that Brand would draw out their prey to them, in addition to the fact that it acted like a radar alongside a beacon for these creatures. She didn't know how to feel about such things, but yeah. "I see... So, we just walk around until the Apostle comes to us?"

"Pretty much."

Shiro's simple reply came swift and precise, so Jinako looked around the vicinity with observant eyes, already planning on what they should do next until that time came where the Apostle would come to them. "...We could get lost here without any food or water Shiro, so we should probably find shelter. How can we have the energy to even fight these things without having anything to eat?" she questioned him after a moment's worth of silence.

For a moment, the white haired male remained silent though he had stopped walking. He'd paused to think about it for a few seconds, before he placed his right hand over his blindfold-covered face in indignation, exhaling through his nose. "... hhhaaaa, I hate it when you're right. Hold on." He told her, getting her attention for what he had in mind. Her confusion only grew though when the white haired teen put his fingers inside his mouth before blowing a whistle.

WHISTLE!

It lasted only a few seconds, but the pitch had been quite high, almost enough to fill their vast surroundings. Afterwards, Shiro took his fingers away from his hand whilst they waited there in the clearing. After a few minutes of waiting, an increasingly confused Jinako looked at Shiro whilst being unable to handle it anymore. "Was that supposed to do anything?" she asked him.

"Wait for it."

NEEEEIIIIGGGGHHHH!

A horse sound was heard as they looked up, and whilst Shiro's face remained impassive though his blindfold made this a bit harder to see, Jinako's jaw fell open when they saw what looked like a horse running through the air, descending down towards their position from the clouds above until it stopped by them. It was a majestic horse that was black on everywhere on its skin, including its hair.

Gazing upon it, Jinako's eyes looked like miniature galaxies with all the stars in them, quickly showcasing how enamored with the horse she had become. "What…. Is that horse?" she questioned her companion.

Said companion strode forwards"This is a black horse that came from Vayujit, Karna's horse. I call him blackjack because of his black fur." Shiro replied as he stroked the horse's fur softly and tenderly.

"I see... it looks beautiful. I've never seen any horse like this."

The boy nodded his head at those words, before proceeding to explain what that had been the case for his new companion. "That's because this is a divine horse, one that's always taken care of by the servants in hindu heaven. Karna wanted to give me a horse incase if I don't have any energy to run or walk."

Jinako nodded her head in understanding of this point, she herself knew that one's stamina wasn't limitless like one would like to think, so having transportation would always be essential. "That makes sense."

After she commented about this, Shiro proceeded to hop onto Blackjack's back, which had a Saddle already prepped with some reins strapped to his snout (yes, the horse is male). Once the boy had gotten himself comfortable, the male had Blackjack trot over to Jinako's side as he put his hand for Jinako. "Get on. We can look for shelter easier this way." he told her, and if she were to see his eyes at the moment then she would see the intensity behind their gaze.

Still, Jinako nodded her head in agreement, a light shade of pink on her cheeks as she took the outstretched hand in hers. She then used it to hop onto the horse's back, ending up sitting behind her male companion with her arms wrapped around his waist for support so she didn't fall off. Shiro then made Blackjack go forward by cracking the reins, prompting them to enter a slow gallop. They pass the forest and through the mountains as they look at the ocean on the right before Shiro focuses on going to shelter.

Later

A while of riding later, the two teens slowed down when they approached a huge shipyard, one which looked to be quite populated with all kinds of people going about their business. Before they entered the village, it was decided between them that they shouldn't bring a horse into it, so Shiro whispered something into Blackjack's ear which prompted the horse to run off. Fortunately, according to the white haired male, Blackjack was an intelligent divine horse which knew how to avoid danger not to mention had strong vitality. Hence, why he would be fine out in the wilderness.

Afterwards, the two casually walked along a pathway through the shipyard, and along the way Shiro and Jinako kept their guards up since various men around them had been trying to 'discretely' (meaning, out in plain sight) eyeing the feminine of the two lustfully, something which disturbed the 19 year old gir on multiple levels. As someone who had been 'defiled' by men before, her own family no less, she held even more distaste for such looks than the average woman, thus she stayed closer to her 'bodyguard' (Shiro, who 'convinced' the men to leave them alone thanks to his intimidating appearance) as they walked around. Sometimes for those who intended to ignore the warning signs and sweet talk Jinako out of her companion's space, Shiro would pull out his spear for intimidation which did its job in telling the pervs that he meant business. As such, they backed away from him before they could get themselves hurt, or worse.

Eventually, they reached a building which looked to be like some kind of residential area, where two guards with old fashion guns abruptly pointed their weapons at Shiro (who had Kurogane out still), prompting him to stare back at them. Before anything bad could happen though which would only make their mission harder in the long run, a man's voice got heard from a short distance away. "Hey boy, what's you and the girls business here?" When the masculine voice spoke, both kids looked up and saw a man with so many tattoos on his body, face, and head. He looked like the type of person who one shouldn't mess with, if they didn't want to have a bad time that is.

Seeing that Shiro wouldn't mind starting a fight here judging by her past experiences with him and how he gripped his Spear's shaft, Jinako chose to be the mediator of the two. "... We are looking for food and shelter for the time being." she told the man, who hummed thoughtfully for a moment. He did give Shiro the stink eye for a bit, though, which the male returned in full.

Nevertheless, professionalism was necessary at the moment, so the man cleared his throat and asked the following question of her. "Hmmmm and how much you will pay for it, girl? We don't accept paper money since it is of no use to us."

Shiro then put a hand on the inside of his coat before throwing it to the man as he caught it, when he opened it he saw a silver coin with a square hole in the middle. Since they are in a remote area where people don't adapt to the modern day, Ganesha gave Shiro all the money for the people who liked the past era, just in case they didn't want modern money.

The tattoo man pulled a silver coin as he inspected it before seeing the real deal, which resulted in him nodding his head in approval. "Hmmmm... it's a pleasure doing business with you two.. Now then, I must be off so these men will guide you to the food area. Remember, no funny business or else." he warned the two at the end there, getting some silent nods from the two teens. With that said, the man left as the two guards then pulled away their guns before beckoning them to follow them.

As they followed the two guards, the teens then passed a wooden door where they heard the sounds of people screaming within, prompting the curious Jinako to ask one of their escorts. "Um, sir? What are those people doing in there...?"

One of their escorts soon replied whilst not looking back at them, his tone that of nonchalance which sort of reminded her of how Shiro usually acted towards anything that wasn't to do with training or the Apostles. "That's the arena where a special guest, a half breed girl, is fighting. She's becoming quite famous over the past week."

"I see…"

A half breed girl? When she heard that, a pang of camaraderie befell the young half indian girl who looked down in contemplation. Judging from what she had heard, she had run into a fellow hybrid, something which she found herself gradually becoming excited about since back in the Indian heaven she had been the only Hybrid in there and she didn't really socialize with too many people outside her father, Shiro and her grandfather Shiva. Mostly due to her trauma with her family making it difficult for her to trust people so easily. Her father and grandfather were exceptions since they were her 'true' family in a sense, whilst Shiro… well, one could say he was both her knight in shining armour (although she'd actually refer to him as the black spearman more than anything) as well as the man who would become her first companion in her quest for vengeance against the Apostles for what they'd done to her.

But, even so Jinako knew for a fact that living like that wasn't the healthy way to live, not to mention that the possibility of meeting a fellow Hybrid wasn't something which she could ignore either. Thus, she turned her curious yet hopeful gaze to the descendent of Karna as she proceeded to question him. "Hey Shiro, do you think when we have the chance, we can go visit that arena?"

For a moment, Shiro remained silent as he eyed her out the corner of his left eye. He didn't even need to open a mental link to read her thoughts on this matter, they were pretty much written all over her face, though he could understand her position on this. He had noticed how sometimes she would have these brief flashes of loneliness in her eyes during training, and back then he had been confused as to why though he didn't ask, Karna having told him that girls have many secrets and were complicated creatures. However, upon hearing the news about this girl as well as her true nature, Shiro had begun to realize why Jinako had those lonely moments, though he nonetheless felt internally frustrated at why she couldn't just tell him these things herself. He'd give his opinion to her straight and without any BS, so she knew exactly where he'd stand.

Still, this mission took priority since this was the first time he got to hunt an ACTUAL Apostle instead of them being drawn to his Brand. That was something which both of them knew, yet the more he looked at her gaze the more Shiro realized that she likely would pester him about this till he agreed. Therefore, with a roll of his eyes the white haired male gave a long sigh. "As long as it doesn't waste our time, yes, let's hope nothing will go wrong."

"...I stand corrected."

"...Next time, don't say that ever again."

"...Agreed."

Just for forty minutes after the two had gotten food and water for a few days, a riot broke out in the area which resulted in people going left and right in a frenzied panic with there being no signs of things calming down soon.

Whilst Shiro and Jinako looked around whilst walking, a young girl suddenly appeared in front of them, already on the offensive as she slashed her sword in Shiro's direction. Luckily for him, his instincts remained on point, alongside a warning growl from Rashomon, resulting in him grabbing the weapon by its blade and holding it in place. He didn't feel too threatened, if at all actually, so instead of just bisecting the attacker in front of him, Shiro looked to see who it was instead. Thanks to this, his blindfold-covered eyes laid sight upon a young girl clad in tattered clothing, like some kind of beggar one would find on the streets as her eyebrows were kinda odd to Shiro. However, the way she struggled to get her sword out took his attention once again, making him put the matter of her weird eyebrows aside for the time being. "So… you are the cause of the commotion." he muttered, narrowing his eyes behind his blindfold.

"There!"

People were aiming at Shiro and the girl as he looked at Jinako before sighing.

"I'm going to regret this."

He let go of the girl as he pulled out his Nightingale, an action which surprised others(except Jinako) as he shot the pursuers. Afterwards, he glanced behind him at her before a japanese man came to them.

"Ushiwakamaru!"

"Lord Oishi!"

The man came to her as he looked at Shiro and Jinako, confused for a moment and wondering whether they were friend or foe since they didn't look anything like the locals here.

However, that would soon be concluded in the next few seconds, when more men came shooting guns at them. Instinctively, Shiro summoned Rashomon from the back of his Coat to protect them by forming it's barrier in front of them, all the while he spoke without looking at the two. "If you can stop looking at me, it's better to get out here. Looks like these guys have lumped us all together as enemies to be captured or killed."

"Alright young man, lets go!"

Following this statement from the japanese man, Shiro dispelled his Sacred Gear whilst he shot at the shooters with his Nightingale Bow. All the while, he ran with Jinako and the now christened Lord Oishi as well as Ushiwakamaru.

Just as they made it close to the entrance, a lot of men got behind them, and if things kept going like this then they likely would have a major annoyance on their hands. Therefore, as a man who liked to take action rather than speak, Shiro stopped running, turned around to face the incoming men before he pulled his Nightingale's bowstring. He filled it with energy to form an energy Arrow, before he then released it.

BOOM!

His divine arrow caused massive damage to the shipyard, killing the pursuers as well as slowed the advancing survivors, just like he had intended. Thus, Shiro turned around and broke into a sprint, running to the others as the man had two horses seemingly prepared beforehand. As for Shiro, he whistled again and, unlike before, Blackjack seemed to race through the streets at high speeds like it had known something like this was going to happen inevitably. Not really questioning it, Shiro got onto Blackjack's saddle-covered back, with Jinako mounting it as well resulting in her being behind the boy like before. Thus, with a quick flap of Blackjack's reigns the two were off galloping out of the Shipyard.

Later

After a while of riding, the group arrived at a foggy area where the plants and the ground looked like they were burnt. Oishi and Ushiwakamaru were standing as they held the horses' rails, Shiro was also standing as Jinako stayed sitting on the horse before Oishi turned his head to the two teens, a look of gratitude in his eyes. "I thank you for helping us escape, young man."

In response, Shiro crossed his arms under his chest whilst frowning. "We were caught in between by those men, looked like they were going to shoot me because they can't tell the difference between an ally or enemy." he stated, getting an understanding nod from the man.

The man also stroked his chin whilst humming thoughtfully. "True... young man, where are you and the girl from?" he asked her.

For a moment, Shiro and Jinako glanced at one another, unsure as to whether they should say the truth or not. After all, normal people weren't meant to know about the supernatural world according to the hindu pantheon… as well as any other pantheon, since if they knew then war would surely follow, not ending well for anyone. In the end however, it was reasoned that since the man didn't look too surprised when Shiro used his skills back in the shipyard, that he had an awareness of the supernatural, so Jinako made the following statement in response. "We are in a diplomatic meeting with the shinto gods as lord Vishnu assigned us." she explained, Shiro holding out the Disk which Vishnu had given them as proof of their claims.

Also true to their thoughts, the man once again nodded his head in understanding, confirming that he indeed had awareness of the supernatural. "Ahhhh I see, well you've come in a bad time." he said in a grim tone.

This didn't bode well for the two teens, to which the girl in rags known as Ushiwakamaru questioned him with worry on her dirt-ridden face. "What do you mean lord Oishi?"

"Lady Asano is going to be married in a week."

"WHAT?!"

"Huh? Why are you surprised, isn't a wedding supposed to be good?" Shiro questioned, not knowing what the big deal was. According to Brihanna (and even Jinako when he had idly questioned her about it one time) a wedding was something that a lot of women wanted in a committed relationship, so why was it being treated like something akin to a disease by these two? Did one of them have a thing for this 'Lady Asano' person or something?

For a moment, the japanese natives traded looks with one another as well, until eventually the man looked back at the two teens with a troubled expression on his face. "..... I suppose I should tell you. Two weeks ago, my father was bewitched by a witch, then he got framed for attempting to kill Kira, a high ranking official. Afterwards, he was forced to commit seppuku in atonement, and thanks to this Kira used this chance to obtain Asano, my sister as his bride. They were about to kill us if I hadn't put down my honor to save ourselves." he explained, looking down in sadness at the end.

Something which Ushiwakamaru noticed and decided to offer some words of comfort. "You did what you had to, lord Oishi."

After hearing this, Shiro internally wondered if there was more to it than this that they weren't telling them, but put it aside in order to satisfy a more pressing matter. "Then why haven't you done anything to him?" he questioned, since it would be easy to just dispose of an official if he remembered what had happened back during the Crusades correctly. Officials weren't really that well trained in the art of combat, which meant that they made for quite easy kills on the battlefield. Therefore, he didn't get why this man hadn't been killed already, not to mention that this tale wreaked of suspicious activity… activity of the Apostle kind.

Oishi shook his head at the naivety in those words, before proceeding to explain. "It's not that simple young man, we were outnumbered and were forbidden to take revenge by the yokai elders as they didn't want to ruin their image when a diplomat was coming… which now that I think about it, that meant you two."

Well, didn't that sound like a lot of political BS to him, or what? Still though, the fact that the man had this kind of thing going on, combined with the look he saw in his eyes, eased Shiro's internal indignation a bit. He respected vengeance after all. "I see... you intend to still get your revenge?" he questioned, though at this point it felt more like a formality.

Something which the man agreed with as Oishi nodded his head, the embers of fiery vengeance filling his eyes mixed with firm determination as he gripped his fists tightly. "..... yes. This injustice is something I must cleanse from this earth. More than that, I cannot rest until I avenge my father and restore my honor, even if it means breaking the elders law." he explained, prompting Shiro to nod his head in understanding as he prepared to leave. He knew that it wasn't his business to interfere with their revenge, since he was an outsider, not to mention that his instincts told him that this wreaked with Apostle influence. Meaning that the enemy would likely be nearby so he would just have to search the area and wait till he got a reaction from his Brand, then investigate from there.

Just as he made to hop onto Blackjack, however...

".... we'll help you Oishi."

The words of his companion forced him to stop moving mid stride, his eyes wide with shock behind his blindfold whilst his jaw had fallen open. He then turned to Jinako who looked at the japanese natives with a firm look not unlike their own, prompting him to use their mental link to question the girl's motives for doing this. 'Jinako!? What are you saying, we can't be involved with them, it's not our business!' he yelled mentally.

Though she didn't glance at him this time, she indeed responded through their link. 'Shiro, think about it. If we help them, then they can help us in finding the Apostles. I get this feeling that this whole incident is either completely or partially an Apostle's influence anyways. I know you feel it too, Shiro.'

...Tch, she had him there. "... Fine we will, I can respect your vengeance." the boy finally responded, signifying both his acceptance of her words and his agreeing to join them on this mission. At least if he agreed not only would he be able to get to the Apostles, but he'd likely get to them faster than if he were to search around on his own, and there was no guarantee that the Brand would be able to lead him to it anyways.

Of course, seeing him relent like this caused the two Japanese natives to blink in owlish manners, disbelief etched onto their features. The one who regained the ability to speak first turned out to be Oishi, who directed his gaze towards the white haired male in particular. "You will? But the Shintos will think of your pantheon as enemies for helping us, your image will be ruined." he exclaimed, concerned and why wouldn't he be? He'd been a person in a position where he had to think about these things, so of course he'd be worried.

However, he didn't anticipate the response Shiro would give, and so readily at that. "I don't care about the reputation or my image, I'm not like those people who would seek fame or glory." he told the man, shaking his head and crossing his arms under his chest. Shiro knew a few in the Band of the Hawk who had been like that, fighting solely for being famous and 'getting all the bitches they wanted' according to them. He never liked that kind of attitude, especially since it had brought his friend Brihanna discomfort… never really understood why he always felt like that around her, even now the thought of her being possibly taken away by Apostles to be devoured nearly sent him on a rage.

Whilst he thought about this, Jinako gave a comforting smile towards the two. "And besides I'm the daughter of Ganesha so they can't get mad at us. If they do then they have to face my grandfather Shiva." she explained… with a rather uncharacteristic yet cheeky grin as she stuck out her tongue whilst bonking herself on the head.

A gesture which weirded the man out whilst it made a small smile form on Ushiwakamaru's face, but nonetheless Oishi lowered his head in gratitude with a matching smile on his lips. "I see... thank you for this, I swear on my honor to repay you." he told them, meaning every word.

"Save it for when this is over, old man." Shiro stated, perhaps a bit harsher than he had intended though. Plus, he had heard from his ancestor how hung up on honor that the residents of Japan had once been in the past, with some villages still keeping those traditions active similar to how his Village had done with the medieval period. "Besides, if we're right, then this whole scheme is even worse than you know."

"..... you are indeed correct, young man. Let's discuss our plans, Kai is protected by thousands of his men, also protected by witchcraft... I apologize for my previous blunder of not heeding your warning, Ushiwakamaru."

"It's not your fault lord Oishi, you just didn't realize it when I didn't have any proof to show you."

"I know, but we need to gather our men first."

"Alright, follow me."

With that, Oishi, Ushiwakamaru and Shiro got onto their horses as he followed Oishi to where his men were.

Later

They were in the forest again as they galloped through the area.

Once they were at the river, the group of riders saw a fat man washing himself before he looked up and saw the four of them approaching. He quickly recognized one of them as he turned to the other men who were camping. "OIII YASUNO ITS OISHI! HE'S BACK!" he bellowed, and following this the men gathered to see their lord that was just across the river.

The four Riders then went around the lake before they were at the mens camp, all of them gathering around Oishi as he got off his horse before he was approached by a young man who gave him a short katana. "Father."

"Well done Chikara." Oishi declared with a nod and a small smile. They all bowed down to him before they all sat down in front of them as Ushiwakamaru was not far from them. Though she wasn't part of the men's gathering, it didn't mean she didn't have any company since she had been joined with Jinako and Shiro as they listened to him. "Today we may be ronin, but now the time has come. What I propose... ends in death. Even if we succeed, we will be hanged as criminals for defying the elders' orders." He brought his shortsword in front of him as he spoke.

"I take a vow before you, that I will not rest until justice is done, will not sleep until our master, my father, lies in peace. I will not pray unless it is to ask for heaven's forgiveness for sending Kira to hell!"

All the men cheered for their lord's declaration, pretty much confirming that they would follow him, even into the jaws of death.

'Huh… this reminds me so much of the Band of the Hawk… back during… better times...'

'...Shiro���'

Soon as they calmed down an old man brought out an old looking map. "There are two ways in. the main gate here and this point beneath the west hall. Both are heavily guarded. We are low in numbers, but we are skilled in combat, so if we can hold out long enough so we can kill Kira." he told them.

"You know he used to travel to his ancestors' shrine to offer prayers, but now he stopped going there."

Oishi blinked at this when one of the Ronin told him this. "What do you mean?" he questioned.

A question that got answered by the same man as he looked into the centre of the gathering which was occupied by a small bonfire. "You see, a long time ago Kira was traveling with his father to prayer at his ancestors' shrine, but they were taking a long time so people got worried that something bad had happened to them. That is, until Kira was the only one who arrived back before scouts could be sent out to find him. Back then, he had said that they were attacked by some roque yokais. There was some rumors that a farmer had seen the whole thing, that Kira used some kind of ritual to kill his father."

This caught Shiro's attention as he went to the group before he asked them. "A ritual?"

The same man who had spoken before nodded, his features of grimness as he shuddered, slowly becoming like someone who had just woke up from a nightmare. "Yeah... even when I was still a samurai there, a fellow samurai told me that when he passed his room, he saw a silhouette of Kira transforming into something… something which he didn't dare go into further details of for some reason. Then the next day, that same guy disappeared without anyone knowing where he had gone."

A disturbing tension filled the camp as the men and Ushiwakamaru reeled at this news, whilst Shiro and Jinako glanced at one another quickly sharing their thoughts through their mental link. Just from those details alone, this 'Kira' person sounded like he warranted their investigation, since that sounded WAY too suspicious for them to ignore it. If their assumptions were true ...Then Kira might have become an Apostle. Though they couldn't tell the Ronin that since one, they would likely not believe them, and two they wouldn't really change their minds about their goals considering their stubborn determination and what they had seen of the Ronin so far.

"Then, we need to act fast if we want to get revenge on that bastard. Fortunately, his shrine is on our way. We'll see if we can find anything there if your assumption is true." Oishi declared, getting hums of agreement from the other Ronin. If they wanted to get revenge on Kira for sullying their master and their honor, then they would need the adequate equipment for them to do so.

"I understand lord Oishi, but even if we know the route, we will need more men to storm the castle."

When one of them brought up that point, Oishi addressed it as well. "Then we'll get them, you and Chuzarmon and Okuda will gather as many of our former samurai as you can and meet us here at a farmhouse Horibe has found for us." he told them, listing the names of those who he wanted to get the job done.

Then, another complaint was raised by another Ronin. "Forgive me sir, but how can we succeed without good swords?"

Oishi then put his sword to him. "Take mine. When we meet again, I'll have more waiting for you. The rest will go to Uetsu, the finest sword makers in this land work there."

"Why is the half-breed here?"

"She is my loyal retainer."

"We can't take her with us. She's not a samurai." A ronin stated, narrowing his eyes in thinly-veiled disgust towards Ushiwakamaru. Just as he went to her position and made to hit her, something which the girl seemed to have suspected judging by her lack of reaction to it, her eyes along with everyone else's (save for Jinako whose eyes narrowed) widened when Shiro stepped in. He got in front of Ushiwakamaru and pointed his Kurogane at his throat, stopping the man's advance though this still didn't stop the look of hatred he sent to the half-breed girl's way.

Oishi then put his hand at Shiro's spear as he spoke. "None of us are samurai anymore, leave it be. Young man, if you would please."

For a moment, his Kurogane remained on the man's throat, with just one flick he could have just beheaded the man for his idiocy right then and there, however a look from Jinako stopped him. Shiro then reluctantly pulled his Spear back from the man's throat, putting it on his back as he glared at him before going to another spot.

Oishi then made an announcement. "We will leave tomorrow, so rest up men. We will need it for the trials ahead." he declared, with the other Ronin nodding their heads in acknowledgement.

Then the men separated as Shiro leaned on a tree, closing his eyes and shutting himself down for the night like an organic machine. Although that did not mean that his instincts weren't on high alert, thanks to his many battles the ability to wake up instantly from slumber at the slightest hint of killing intent remained steadfast within him.

Back with Ushiwakamaru, the girl had her head down as she sat to rest herself, that is before Jinako went on over to her. "Hey Ushi… you alright?" she questioned, getting a curious look from the girl who raised her head so she could look up at the other girl.

"Ushi?"

Jinako nodded, a small smile on her lips as she sat beside her. "Yeah, its a nickname. You never had one before?" she questioned, getting a shake of the head from her in return. The half-indian girl frowned briefly at that, sensing deep sadness within the girl even though she looked like she had gotten used to it, though she instead chose to focus on something else for the time being. "Well, I'll call you Ushi for now,and you can think of what to call me. I'm Jinako by the way, it's nice to meet you."

On Ushiwakamaru's end, she looked at Jinako like she were some alien object which she'd never seen before, hinting to the demigoddess that she had never really had a conversation or anything close to a proper friend before. Something which she wanted to change in the future, so why didn't she start now? "...It's nice… to meet you, too. Also, your companion stood up for me… so thanks goes to him, as well."

"No problem." Jinako replied, glancing over towards the seemingly asleep Shiro although as she briefly opened he rmental link to him she could tell that he had a lot on his mind which wasn't unordinary or anything. So she closed it and looked back at the fellow girl. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... Why do they call you a half-breed? If you don't mind me asking, that is..."

For a moment, Ushiwakamaru frowned as she looked down at the ground, and in that moment Jinako felt like she had gone a bit too far since they hardly knew one another. However, that moment vanished when she spoke. "..... because I am not a full blown japanese blood... I'm half chinese." she explained.

Jinako's eyes widened at that, though to Ushiwakamaru's surprise she didn't have anything else to indicate her reaction, no hate or disgust in her. Were there people like her out there in the world, too? "Oh…. but how is that a problem?" Jinako questioned, tilting her head in confusion.

Once again, the half-chinese girl looked back down at the ground, her eyes becoming unfocused as memories flowed back into her mind, making her lips move almost like they had their own will. "You see, I was scorned ever since I was a little girl, because my mother had an affair with my father which resulted in my birth. That affair brought great shame to my family, to which they responded to the situation by abandoning me inside a forest, leaving me to die a lonely death there. I had been alone, hungry and confused… Back then, I would have died via starvation until lord Oishi and his group of Samurai found me, bringing me back to their home afterwards. Not long had passed before they had adopted me as a foundling. After the first few years of my life, which I can barely recall now, things had improved and I was cherished by my adoptive family. Despite that however, my birth family recognized me as soon as one of them had seen me. As a result, they had told everyone that I was a result of a shameful marriage. They hated me, scorned me." She explained, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Perhaps... I shouldn't even exist."

Now THAT horrified the daughter of Ganesha, as she quickly put her hands on her fellow girl's shoulders. "Don't say that!" she shouted, much to Ushiwakamaru's shock. Yet, Jinako kept going. "You have someone who cares about you, like Oishi." she exclaimed.

However, it didn't seem to raise the girl's mood much as she looked down at the ground again. "Even he can't protect me forever, Jinako.... I doubt there are any other people who care about me, a half breed born from such a sinful union." she remarked bitterly, her eyes shining with repressed emotions that seemed to have been that way for a very long time, yet only now with someone talking to her she was able to let them out. Perhaps it was stupid of her to open up to a literal stranger too, but considering the circumstances, and that she had heard that opening up to people one didn't know can sometimes be easier than opening up to close friends… perhaps she just had to take the chance lest her emotions overwhelm her and made her do something she'd regret.

"..... you know, I used to think about the same thing Ushi."

"Huh?"

After a moment of silence, Jinako took her hands off the other girl's shoulders whilst resuming her previous position, though her words had indeed caught Ushiwakamaru's attention judging by the confused look she sent her way. This prompted her to elaborate on them. "When I was young, my mother died because of a monster who attacked us, which forced her to commit suicide. For years, the other side of my family abused and scorned me, saying that I was the cause of my mother's death. I alway wished that there was someone who would take me away from them, even finding myself to the point where I got in a deep sleep that I almost wouldn't awaken from." She explained, her eyes melancholic as she remembered those times. Even now, she could feel the fresh fury and resentment she had for her so-called 'relatives' that her mother had. There was practically NOTHING that they could do to earn her forgiveness, they would never have it nor would they ever want it if what she remembered from them was accurate.

When she heard this, Ushiwakamaru furrowed her brows as a sense of confusion mixed with a growing surge of kinship started to swell up inside her. "You… were scorned by your family too, then… that makes us similar…" she remarked, Jinako nodding in agreement as the two girls looked towards the bonfire, sharing a moment of silent sombreness. That moment then got shattered when the half-chinese girl looked towards her again. "But then, you spoke in past tense, so what changed?"

"Oh that?" Jinako started, a soft smile on her lips as she tilted her head in the direction of the outwardly slumbering Shiro, prompting Ushiwakamaru to look at him after a few seconds of trying to figure out what she meant.

"Him?"

Jinako nodded her head at her fellow girl. Perhaps she could get used to having a fellow girl as a friend, since she'd been surrounded by guys ever since she'd woken up from her coma. It wasn't like she wanted any more guys in her life though, considering what her family had done to her purity. "Uh huh, him. Shiro came to me and, through some complicated circumstances, informed me that my father sent him to get me out of my dreams. Back then, the monster had locked me in a pyramid within my own mind, trapping me with memories of my trauma. He tried so hard to get me out of there, to the point where he would risk his life just to save me, someone who he barely knew. Thanks to this, we not only managed to help me wake up, but I finally met my father and grandfather, who true to my hopes gave me the love of a family that I had wanted for so long. It was all because of Shiro that I was reunited by my father."

After hearing her story, Ushiwakamaru reeled at this information, taking in the revelations about how these two knew one another. "I see..." she mumbled under her breath as she glanced over at Shiro for a moment, before looking back down. She wouldn't admit it, but part of her envied Jinako a little for having someone help pull her out of that hellish experience, and though their circumstances were still different she could still see some common traits between them. Her guardian Oishi did his best to treat her like his ideal daughter, whereas Jinako's father did the same when they were reunited.

"Ushi, I'll say to you what my grandfather said to me: no matter what there is always other people who would care about you."

"..... thank you for that Jinako….. By the way, this Shiro character… is he… you know, a kind person?"

Upon hearing her ask her that, Jinako chuckled a little whilst sweat dropping awkwardly, since 'nice' was the last thing she could say about him. Even if the situation sounded like it, Shiro was hardly the knight in shining armour her scenario depicted him as, he wouldn't hesitate to rip apart those who he didn't like. Plus, his brutality had been shown just now when he had almost decapitated that Ronin just now, so she could hardly call him kind, not like the so-called 'princes' in the fairy tails that her mother used to read to her when she had been a toddler. "Well….. He's mostly a stubborn guy and almost a loner type. You piss him off, and you may find yourself either spending your life as never completely whole ever again…. Or he would just kill you right then and there.��� She explained, remembering the way she had interacted with him back during the whole mindscape thing. However, despite this a softness could be seen in her eyes as she looked back at Ushiwakamaru. "But, once you get past that and actually get to know him.... He can be the softest person you've ever met."

".... I understand."

"Alright let's get some sleep, tomorrow we will have leave right?"

"Indeed, good night Jinako."

"Good night Ushi."

Timeskip

A group of people rode across the land, that group consisting of Shiro, Ushi, Jinako and Oishi. Their goal being to gather the weapons that they would need to equip the various Ronin with so they could finally get their revenge on the one who wrongfully murdered their master and got away with it.

As they traveled the land they saw a village just over there as they reached it. They put their horse away at the front entrance as the village was quiet, too quiet that it was almost abandoned. They looked around to see if anyone was there, so far they haven't found anyone before they come across a black armored samurai as they all turned to the group of ronins. "Who are you?"

Oishi responded whilst concealing the killing intent he felt inside. "We are a group of travelers, I am in a diplomatic meeting for the shinto faction. These men are farmers who are helping us travel. They have come to buy tools on their way."

"This is lord Kira's village now." The samurai went to Chikara as he took his hand as he inspected it. "These are not farmers' hands."

It was then Ushi made a move as she pulled out her sword as she slashed the samurai before others went to her.

Following this, Shiro leapt forwards from Blackjack, then slashed all of them in one strike with his Kurogane, however one of them had managed to avoid a fatal strike at the last second unlike his buddies, thus that guy tried to get away by scrambling across the ground like an animal.

Not willing to let that happen, Ushi grabbed the enemies bow and arrows before she took aim and shot perfectly at the soldier.

After that soldier fell to the ground, dead with an arrow going through the back of his head, the group looked at them before Shiro then went to the corpse. Kneeling beside it, he grabbed the katana it had, before he unleashed Rashomon in it's Threads form which took the other corpses' Katanas. Afterwards, he turned back to the others and held the spoils out before them impatiently. "Well, what are you waiting for? Grab these swords if you want them."

"... take them." Oishi ordered, prompting the others to take the swords Shiro had looted from the corpses.

Whilst doing so, Chikara then faced his father. "Father, these swords won't be enough for the rest of our soldiers. How can we get more swords?" he questioned, frowning. They'd only gained a few weapons for themselves thanks to these 'donations', but it wouldn't be enough for all 47 Ronin to do their task.

Something which the man also seemed to be aware of as he scratched his chin in thought, his eyes sporting an intense gaze as he locked himself in thought. ".... we will look for more swords, Chikara. Right now, we have to go to the farmlands where we can find other places to get swords. On the way, there is the shrine where Kira used to pray, we will stop by and see if we can find any clues on if Kira has indeed become something abominable."

"As you wish, father."

"Everyone once you've gotten a grasp of your swords' feelings, we will travel through the shrine to see if the rumors are true."

"YES, MY LORD!"