Chapter 36: The Bard and the Cat

He was born with all the blessings that a child could hope for. A spoon to always feed him whenever he's hungry, an imposing house that will shield him whenever there's a storm, wealth that will easily satisfy his everyday needs, and talent that comes with intelligence to continue his prosperity in life.

Although there was something missing. Would it be the usual problem of the wealthy regarding the lack of endearment with their family? Possibly, an unrequited love, a girl that he cannot reach even with all the wealth he had? Maybe having a lot of friends just to find out that they're there for him just for his money? Or, is there something else entirely?

"...me-sama…? Kirisame-sama?"

"..Ugh."

He was stirred awake by his secretary who seemed to be worried about something. His eyes kept on squinting as he was still in the middle of getting himself all back up. He touched his face, and as soon as he did so, he sweats a little despite the cold breeze being given by the air conditioner. His expression was someone who is struggling about something even when he has everything in line.

Seeing this, his secretary's worries became more and more warranted. She immediately prepared some invigorating tea for him in order to lift some of his stress.

"Kirisame-sama…please tell me if there's something I can help you with…"

"Tch! You can't-!"

Kirisame looked away before he spoke some harsh words to his worried assistant. He then remembered something that Kurai said back in their meeting…

'Kirisame, I can't see your face clearly.'

After having that thought, Kirisame punched a hole in his desk, ultimately splitting it in half. The tea and some other files on top get scattered as a result.

"You know what I'm going through and could do something about it, but why won't you!!? Aren't you regarded as compassionate and omnipotent!?"

His secretary begins to shake in fear after witnessing her Lord do something outrageous out of the blue. After just a short while, she steeled herself and walked towards him.

"K-Kirisame-sama! Please take a hold of yourself!"

As Kirisame turns his gaze towards his secretary, he notices her sudden change of reaction. As for the secretary's point of view:

'J-just for a moment…I thought I couldn't see Kirisame-sama's face.'

"Harumaki…what did you see..?"

Kirisame asked with a frightful expression.

"I…I saw you wearing such a frightening expression unfit for yourself!"

Harumaki swiftly changed course.

After hearing her reply, Kirisame squints his eyes yet again and his expression changes. He then lifts himself back up and wears his coat.

"Call for maintenance and replace that shitty desk. I'm…going to freshen up." He then left with his car keys on hand.

"Kirisame….sama…"

— — —

Going back to Hokuto, Kiyoto and Yato were about to engage in a battle against an unknown man equipped with a Shamisen and wearing what seems to be a Unique type of mask. The man also wears a feathered hat, partnered with a brown bard outfit which makes him look like a traveling musician.

As for the mask, it has a plain white hue with a single yet compact, straight peeping hole for the eye. When in the other person's point of view, the wielder could be seen with a single eye only which glows in red.

"I hope you're just here to share your music and not the cause of this mess pal."

Yato said as he took his mask that was hanging from his waist…well, supposed to be.

"...."

"Aaaah!! Of course it's not with me! They're always gung-ho about leaving masks behind since there are no troubles inside the Shrine they said!"

"Yato, can you secure the injured then…if there will be a fight, leave it to me."

Kiyoto takes his hood off, revealing his cracked mask. The bard then reacted in a way that anyone can tell that he's surprised.

"Okay, I'll trust you on this. Just don't push yourself too much, this kind of incident is bound to attract the attention of other guards, so you just have to buy time."

Yato gives his instruction as he waits for them to clash so he can tend to the injured individuals behind the bard.

The unknown man then jumped back, it was high enough to reach the edge of a house's pointed roof.

"Tsk. Looks like he means to fight. Good luck!"

Yato rushes towards the injured and tends to them. Kiyoto meanwhile, tries to converse.

"We would like to avoid unnecessary fighting as much as possible, but what's your goal in doing this!?"

"....."

The bard did not answer his inquiry, but instead, he began to play a tune with his shamisen using a plectrum called a bachi. Upon playing it, Kiyoto feels a certain vibration that is surrounding him, his instincts are telling him to immediately get out of that certain space which he did so by leaping to the side.

BOOM!

A small-scale explosion then occurred in the area where Kiyoto was once standing. Kiyoto shielded himself with both of his arms from the shockwave it caused along with the small debris of stones.

It didn't stop there as the bard continued to play his shamisen, it can be seen that he is too absorbed into playing, as if he was performing in front of a crowd. The vibrations can be felt again, upon which followed up by multiple explosions, scattered across Kiyoto's surroundings.

Boom! Bam! Bang!

"Agh! Is he just aiming at random now?"

Kiyoto finds himself running and dodging around in circles without even closing the distance between him and the bard. Which is also the goal from the start, he does not need to win for now, he just needs this incident escalated and be brought to a close.

But something feels amiss.

'What is this bard's goal to start with? It also looks like he doesn't care about getting attention at all, it's as if…he is doing it indeed to attract attention?' Kiyoto thought to himself after observing the bard's movement.

After a short while, the Shrine guardians finally arrived along with what looked like a Senior one. He can be distinguished from the others by his golden vestments and the staff he is wielding. Also, the mask hanging beside his head.

"Move aside dear guest, we are sincerely regretting allowing such barbaric individual inside the town. Don't involve yourself further and we will personally deal with him."

A merry, young Priestess then closes in to Kiyoto and clasps her hands.

"Don't worry dear guests! You can put down your mask and leave this one to Toshihiro-sama!"

As she looked closer, the Priestess would notice the crack in his mask, though she shrugged it off due to her carefree nature.

"Ahh…then I'll be leaving th-"

A strum from the Shamisen can be heard once again, as the vibration becomes stronger, everyone jumps to dodge the inbound explosion.

Bang!

"Such brutal prowess should not be used unhinged." Clang!

Toshihiro spins his staff and clanks the ground with its base, making a continuous clunking sound of chimes.

"Hrm?" The bard reacted.

The incoming explosion didn't occur as if the trigger just vanished.

The opportunity created by Toshihiro then makes way for his fellow guardians to charge towards the bard, jumping from roof to roof.

As they close in, the bard would snap his fingers as a signal for backup. Someone then appeared in front of Toshihiro, a figure of a slim woman wearing a mask with cat-like ears and its outlying aspects.

"Hmm. Looks like our suspicion of a group infiltrating the sacred grounds is correct. How many of you are there?"

Toshihiro pointed his staff towards the unknown woman after raising his question.

As expected, an answer was not given, instead, the woman dashes towards him with diagonal steps and on all fours, like how a cat would.

Toshihiro made use of his staff as a weapon and shielded himself against the woman's attack. While the two of them are locked in a clash, the bard can finally use his attacks again since Toshihiro is busy.

"Watch out!"

Kiyoto shouted to the charging members as he read the situation.

The bard then produces a fiercer tone with his instrument, making the vibrations more intense causing for the inbound explosions to be more violent.

BANG!

The guardians still managed to dodge a direct hit, but some of them got injured after getting blown away by a violent shockwave.

"This can't go on any longer."

Kiyoto jumped and landed on a roof, whereas he used the force from his feet to land from one roof to another roof far from the previous one he landed on.

Noticing this, the bard focuses his attention to Kiyoto and aimed his timed explosions at him. Kiyoto manages to dodge and remain on the roof despite experiencing strong shockwaves, but then he felt the vibration in front of him as he was dashing.

Kiyoto clenched his fist, he used the force from his feet once again to advance himself forward. BOOM! As the explosion occurred, he made use of the shockwave from it to deliver himself towards the position of the bard.

"!!?"

Making use of the shockwaves force, Kiyoto landed a heavy punch towards the bard who shielded himself with his right shoulder, causing him to slide for a few meters while struggling to stand still.

Kiyoto then rushes towards him, aiming for a capture until the bard finally shouted something:

"Millie!!"

The woman who is currently fighting Toshihiro turned around and leaped towards the bard and grabbed him. The bard then whispered: "We've done enough distraction for now, let's return." The woman nodded and leaped away towards an area where there is an abundance of trees, whilst carrying the bard on her back.

"....."

"What the…"

Kiyoto was speechless. It was confusing after all. In the first place, what would they gain by causing this much destruction and making enemies out of the shrine guardians? And how such an individual gets past by the torii gates and its attendant.

He doesn't want to get too much involved, but then something happened. The path that the two escapees took, has a bed of sakura leaves scattered around, forming a direction.

Let the sakura leaves guide you. That's what he remembered back then in his dream.

"It can't possibly be, right…?" Kiyoto mumbled to himself