---

His eyes shot open as the meeting came to a close. The other pillars were certainly interesting, unfortunately the interactions witnessed here told him little about them as people, though he has some insight into their priorities when it came to business. Saburo the Crane Pillar sees the larger picture, it is true, with the progress of humanity, comes it's old traditions to come under threat. He who has lived in a city before is well aware of this, but his old man had considered opening a dojo to keep the art alive at least. Furthermore a hidden threat. He has heard them uttered before but rarely if ever by name. It appears he is yet privvy to those matters. Still, Saburo sees that there is more than two forces at play, or possibly to come into play.

Next predictably the Love Pillar Maria seemed to care for others, in this case the River Pillar himself. From a pragmatic perspective, losing one of the Pillars is pretty big, if they can rein him back in, that would be avoiding a huge loss. It was not realistic, but the idealistic approach always gives humanity to one's thoughts. He expected no less from a woman of the cloth.

The Sea Pillar Kikumi has prevention in mind. The vulnerability presented by a Pillar defecting was indeed a pressing matter. If this event got out to others, then it would expose them to further dangers and instability, and of course, such an event was unacceptable. Of course next, was the Spirit Pillar. At first he thought these two were sisters, due to their similar features, but that appeared to be false. Regardless, the Spirit Pillar Fushigi seemed to focus more on the message, and the punishment. Indeed, how they execute him would be important... In his opinion if they have him willingly seppuku, it would send the message that the River Pillar had realized he was in the wrong, and took responsibility for his actions.

Everyone had already dispersed while Kuuto remained within the hall, standing by the old man. It would be inappropriate to leave right this moment, furthermore he wondered if there were to be any directives for him. As far as he knew, the one who left their estate and defected with the Pillar was Kurakumo. A name he remembered, as he remembered the names of all at this estate, for security reasons. He did not know the student very well, and as far as he knew the other students were a bit wary around him due to his glare. Though while that was the case... The attendants didn't seem so pervasive around him.

For now he awaited for what would come next... In actuality he hoped to be dispatched, despite his calm demeanor, he was still young, and exhibited young desires. Besides, he sought something to keep his blade polished.

@Aviaire

---

Tatsuo let out a small sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose and resting his hand upon his sword as he silently watched a good handful of recruits spar with one another, separated in different parts of the room and testing their fellow recruits strength in one on one duels. It was good and all to see them so eager to train, it was just a shame half of them were too sloppy with their sword work. They had spirit and determination, but they’ll need more than that if they’re going to make it past their first mission. Tatsuo was brought out of his thoughts as a yelp reached his ears and glanced over to see one of the recruits fall over. He arched a brow before noticing a dribble of blood escape from a freshly busted lip of the young man in his late teens. The fallen recruit cursed in frustration and seemed to struggle to get up, his arms shaking as they attempted to push him up. The young female recruit who was sparring with him noticed his struggle and went to help him up, but Tatsuo frowned and turned towards them. “Stop," he ordered with a stern tone. The female recruit jumped a bit as he spoke, not expecting him to speak seeing as how he’s been silently watching over them all this time.

“But-”

“I said stop,” he repeated himself with a hard look before glancing to the fallen and wounded recruit who looked up to him with confusion. “Don’t help him, he won’t learn from his failures,” he stated firmly before crossing his arms and locking his eyes with the fallen recruit. “Now, get up,” he commanded before he began to tap his foot impatiently. The young recruit took in a deep breath and slowly forced himself up to his knee, nearly crumbling down to the floor again.

“Isao-san please let me help him, he’s been training since last night and hasn’t rested yet. He’s just exhausted,” the young female recruit stated as her urge to help up her sparring partner seemed to grow. Tatsuo arched a brow and began to inspect the young man, noticing a few bruises scattered along his arms and a few bags under his eyes. He definitely looked like shit, but Tatsuo wasn’t in the sympathizing mood.

“You think that matters? If he was facing a demon then he’d be torn into several pieces by now. Demons won’t help you and they won’t give you time to rest, they’ll consume you and be on their merry little way,” Tatsuo spoke before giving the fallen recruit a harder gaze. "The Corp doesn’t need more food to send to the demons, we need Slayers who can actually perform their duties,” he paused for a moment before placing his hand atop his sword. “So what are you? Food, or a Demon Slayer? From what I’m seeing you don’t have much of a future wielding a sword,” Tatsuo coldly stated, earning a glare from the recruit before he slowly forced himself up with gritted teeth. The recruit had new flame lit within his eyes before he turned to his sparring partner and falling into a fighting stance.

“Eh? Wait you need to rest, we can-”

“It’s fine, I can keep going! Please, lets keep going,” he pleaded to his concerned partner. She seemed hesitant at first, but quickly went along with her partner and fell back into their training. Tatsuo watched the pair continue practice before hearing a light chuckle from behind him. Tatsuo turned towards the source and frowned slightly to see a familiar face. Emi Sakao, Tatsuo’s own personal headache.

“Well this is certainly a surprise, you’re actually working for once,” she said with her usual smile and chuckle to see Tatsuo’s frown. “Are you finally growing up?” Tatsuo felt a brow twitch and sighed in annoyance.

“Who says I’m not grown up? I have this position for a reason,” he defended before crossing his arms. “What is it? I’m not in the mood for your gossip today,” he stated with an unamused tone. Emi rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile.

“Oh come on Isao-san, don’t take out your anger on little old me. It’s not my fault the rain ruined your plans for the day,” she said before chuckling at Tatsuo’s face, a frown growing more sour. He had hoped no one had noticed him slip away earlier, wanting to avoid an earful from Kikumi. It seemed he failed to do so however and let out a long sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. Emi chuckled again and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay quiet just for today since you decided to actually work for once,” she said as she placed a finger over her lips to promise her silence. Tatsuo let out a huff before looking away towards the training recruits. Emi followed his gaze and turned to the recruits with a smile. “You know you should be a little more thoughtful towards the students, I know you see their hard work just as much as I do,” Tatsuo remained silent before his gaze hardened.

“They have the drive and determination, but that won’t be enough. They need to be ready and have more time,” he said as he tightened his grip on his swords grip. “I have a feeling they won’t have much to spare,” he muttered. Emi glanced over to him with a straight face before letting a small smile came to her face.

“That’s why we’re here, we’ll do all we can to prepare them for their duties. After they leave all we can do is wish them luck and trust they will succeed,” Emi said with confidence clear in her voice. Tatsuo soaked in her words before letting out a small sigh. He already knew that was the case, but it always bothered him in the back of his thoughts. He’d never have to think about these things while sleeping.

“Ugh, what a pain in the ass this is,” Tatsuo muttered with a sudden tired frown, his urge to crawl into his bed growing by the second. Emi chuckled before an excited glimmer came to her eye.

“Oh, I just remembered! Do you remember that waitress who kept looking over at you that one night? Well she…” Tatsuo held back a groan as Emi’s gossiping came into the conversation out of nowhere and mentally prepared for her ramblings.

---

A groan escaped Tatsuo as he rubbed the back of his head and walked through the halls, his boredom mixing well with his irritation, only souring his mood even further. His soft and warm bed remained in his head, continuing to urge him to drop his duties and fall into his usual routine. He’d be sleeping in one of his hiding spots by now, enjoying some peace and quiet. The same uneasy feeling from before though has kept him from ditching his duties. It annoyed him to no end, but his instincts haven’t done him wrong yet so he wasn’t about to ignore it. With a small frown he came to a stop in front of another room filled with recruits training, a new round of recruits sparring with new partners. He silently watched them with a bored gaze and let out a small breath before hearing a familiar voice from behind him. A small sense of relief came over him before he turned to face his master, Kikumi. Tatsuo gave a small huff as she acknowledged him actually working before peeking his curiosity as she insisted he would need to keep it up.

It was rare to get a compliment from her and Tatsuo had little time to enjoy before she fell back into her usual serious attitude. As she leaned forward and began to inform him of their issue in a hushed voice. Tatsuo tightened his grip around his sword as she revealed a traitorous Pillar on the loose, confirming the uneasy feeling he’s had all day. A Pillar had really turned traitor? The thought irritated Tatsuo and formed several questions within his mind, but he simply remained silent and nodded as she asked if he understood. He didn’t like the idea of bringing in more recruits, but he had no say in the matter. Soon after her short pause Kikumi continued to speak, giving him an order to watch for anyone who seemed ready to ditch like the Pillar, the order only worsening his mood. With a heavy sigh Tatsuo nodded and glanced over to the training recruits.

“I got it, I got it. I’m good at sniffing out a few rats, I’ll keep you updated,” he replied before looking back to Kikumi with a straight face. “When can we hunt this traitor down though? I’ll be happy to cut off the bastards head,” he stated with a small vicious smirk spreading onto his face. It had been a few weeks since his last mission and they had started to become boring. Hunting a Pillar though sounded like an actual challenge and the perfect way to rise in the ranks. It was also much better than working around here.

---

Sayuri watched from where she’d moved to as the meeting progressed. She couldn’t tell what it was about but the importance was obvious considering the Storm Pillars body language. She was so focused she didn’t even notice the other two approach her and wait. When the group started seperating it was obviously a heavy topic. Even Saburou seemed tense. Her suspicions where confirmed when he came out, took a breath, and simply said they were leaving without even asking for his haori.

She nods and starts following him back, “Good. I don’t like it around here. Everything about the Storm Pillar is uptight.”

On the trip back she makes sure to return his Haori on the train that they took.

---

Once they returned she made sure to stick near Saburou as he gave orders to gather all the documents about their supplylines incase he had anything he needed her to do. What he had to tell her was worse than what she was expecting.

“The River Pillar betrayed us? I didn’t see them there but I never expected that... So that’s why you’re checking the supply lines. It makes sense,” she frowns at the rest of it, “Oh fantastic. That’ll be a joy. I always love spending time with him.”

She sighs before smiling, “I’ll be sure to. May do some light training but I’ll be sure to get enough rest.”

---

With a short bow he simply responded with, "of course". The answer was simple, there was no need to talk himself up. The thought of turning one's blade upon another member of the corp though, was of course taboo. This was a unique circumstance, of course, that being related to a traitor. He had seen this man grumpy, but today he seemed to be quite furious. His eyes perceived a kind of aura from him, not too much unlike that of a furious oni, indeed, he seems quite livid today. It appears he must be wary of the Spirit Pillar too... Perhaps prudent. Of those who attended, only the Spirit Pillar's words felt... Excessive, and not for her vulgar language either. Regardless, he already dismissed himself and began to see to preparations. A cage is it? To obtain some crows. Suppose he should bring a bag too, if there are any freshly laid eggs, they could take them and raise a new batch alongside a mother group.

Well, crow rearing was not exactly their priority anyways. He should travel light regardless. He stepped away towards the quarters and asked for a bag, and a bird cage. He was sure there would be some at the estate, but going prepared never hurt anyone, except the demons he's had to hunt of course. While this was being prepared he saw to his blade, sliding it out of it's sheath he took a cloth and some oil to it, giving it a quick polish before he would set out on his journey. Based on the maps, this would be a few hour trek. He may not encounter anything for this entire journey, to and from, but in actuality he was just excited to be going out after so long. His face never changed as these thoughts ran through his head.

As soon as that was prepared, he thanked the attendant, and began heading out on his journey. They even kindly gave him a small lunch box for his trip, to which he gladly thanked them for.

---

The response that the student gave to Kiyori upon her mild outburst came over as very dejected. She knew she was in the right, but peering upon the students broken body nonetheless made her heart ache. Considering the circumstances, she was too harsh and it must have left a sour impression upon the new recruits. As she looked to her feet stepping through the mud, she made sure to remember to carry and protect the boy if he were to fall unconscious.

 

Gerard nodded as she spoke, though the narrowing of his eyes made it clear that he still had to consciously break down every Japanese word she spoke before fully understanding it. “Ok,” he said, “I will do that!”

With that, the large man strode right on over to the Storm Pillar. It always confused him how he should address shorter people, especially with Japan’s super big omega respect for seniors, but this time, at least, Gerard chose to do a squat so he was eye to eye (or maybe even shorter) than the renowned master of the Breath of Storm. “Hello Mr. Pillar,” he spoke, with a slow cadence, the inflections off at some points. “Thank you for hosting the…for meeting everyone in your...house.” The foreigner followed with dipping of his head, the best bow one could do when already squatting. With all formalities done, he smiled at the man, stood up, and walked off to follow Maria out.

---

A flicker of laughter escaped from Kikumi at her student's enthusiasm. "Good. I'd imagine the Spirit Pillar will be doing most of the 'hunting'. There will be excitement for us too, but for the time being we should enjoy the peace while it lasts. The only heads we will be cutting off right now are from demons." Having more students was good for the corps. The estate was well defended too, considering it was filled with demon slayers. Still, Kikumi couldn't help but feel a little threatened by recent events. She would be fine. She was a Pillar after all, and that kind of position is not something to be taken lightly. But as for her other students - a lot of them were fairly new demon slayers. Big enough of a threat, and so many of them... it would never end well.

Ah. She had forgotten Tatsuo was there. She looked up and blinked at him, registering his presence once more. "We will see what the future holds. Keep up the good work. I wouldn't keep you around if I thought you were not capable of it." Kikumi gave him a small smile, sliding her mask back into place. She was about to continue when she was interrupted by a sharp tap on the shoulder. Behind her, a woman of about average height with long brown hair. She smiled sweetly, watching Tatsuo with unclear intent, and looking rather entertained. "Welcome back, Mori-san."

"Ah, Sakao, Kikumi said. "Any news? Possibly the only person she knew in the estate that consistently did what they were told. It was a little absurd. It wasn't like Kikumi worked them that hard, at least by her standards.

"Not too much. A broken window somewhere, and there's new blood waiting for you at the front gate. Oh, and Tsurugi said he was looking for you," Emi chirped. "The tall one, that is. He arrived while you were out. I think he's probably chatting up some of the ladies in the ward, if you'd like to appease him."

"I see," came the monotonous response. "Sort out rooms for the new ones."

"Ah, but I just finished- never mind. Of course, Mori-san," Emi sighed. Still, she kept her smile up, waving at the Pillar and Tatsuo as she began to walk off, making her way along the longest route possible. Kikumi watched her as she walked off, nodding appreciatively. "You could do with taking after her. This is a start, at least. I'll be seeing to those newcomers now. Come if you'd like, consider it a break. Unless you'd like to keep on working."

She left before he could answer, as per usual. Whether he wanted to come or not wasn't something she needed to waste time over. Besides, the new slayers didn't need to be kept waiting for too long. They were always especially pessimistic when they were fresh, and it would be best to get them settled in as quickly as possible. The sooner they were off her hands, the sooner they could start training. That was what made good demon slayers.

Kikumi slipped out of the gate, surveying the new slayers. Ten of them all, looking about as miserable as she had expected. A few of her subordinates were helping them with their belongings - though the newcomers rarely had very many. There wasn't a lot of storage space in the estate anyway. She watched as her underlings began to clear away, leaving only her and her new students. She bowed to them, before continuing to stand in silence for another agonising minute. When she finally spoke, it was underwhelming.

"Welcome to the Sea Pillar Estate."

The gate had to be silent, otherwise it was impossible to hear Kikumi's voice over the lull of the sea and the soft chatter coming from the estate. "I am Kikumi Mori, the Sea Pillar. I hope you will make the most of your time here. Your training begins tomorrow. Get some rest." Nothing particularly motivational or thrilling, but simple and straight to the point. With a slight gesture, she prompted her staff to open the gate fully. The new slayers were free to go inside and get some well-deserved food and rest, though they tended to be reluctant to be the first inside. Or, they could pester her with questions. They'd either do it then or later, so it didn't really matter to Kikumi.

As long as they became competent demon slayers, anything was okay. That was her job, and that was their fate. That was all there was to it.

---

Night | Itoshi Estate | with: Jun _@SilverPaw + Gerard_@ERode

---

As Maria and Gerard once again boarded their carriage back towards the Love Pillar's own estate, the blonde woman took her time explaining exactly what was discussed at the summit: the River Pillar's betrayal, the thoughts and considerations of the remaining Pillars, and ultimately each Pillar's assigned duties. Minatozaki wasn't an undisputed leader among their group, but he was the eldest and during strange times like these, his wisdom was well regarded - despite this stormy delivery of it. Maria once again supposed she could have left Gerard back at the estate, but she wanted to let the Church Rep know immediately of the situation, so he had time to mull over his course of action. She planned on utilizing his great strength, but if he or the Church had other ideas... well, she wasn't technically his superior anyway.

The carriage rolled on and after a few hours the rain seemed to let up, just as they arrived at the gates of the Itoshi Estate. Maria swiftly exited the carriage, greeting the gate guards and quite pleased at how Jun and the other senior slayers had mobilized since she'd been away. She spotted Jun and smiled at her, though she turned briefly back at her large companion.

"Gerard," she called over her shoulder, glancing at the man, "<<Now that you've heard everything, you're free to take any action you see fit. However, should you wish to help us directly, please meet me at my personal quarters in a few minutes.>>"

Maria then approached Jun, and though she was quite satisfied with the way Jun had carried out her orders, there was no disguising the grim feeling that had hung over the Sister since first receiving the crow from the Storm Pillar.

"Sakai-chan," Maria started, resisting the urge to ruffle the girl's hair, "You got my message, I take it?" At least, she assumed she had considering everything seemed fine. "I have new orders for you. I'll see you in my quarters soon to receive them so that you can get an early start in the morning." Normally the Pillar wouldn't think twice about sending her charges on assignment anywhere in the estate, but the fact she directed Jun to her personal abode spoke of one thing - discretion.

She nodded to Jun, and with that, the Love Pillar visited a few places around the grounds to calm the nerves of those staying there. She didn't stay in a single place for long, just popping in and out to reassure those who needed it. She found Ebisu and commended him for his work, confirmed that Nakamura was still on his way back from another assignment, and promised to catch up with Fukutomi before she made it back to her own home. The hour was getting late, but she'd rather let Jun know what was going on as soon as possible. She'd taken two other senior slayers with her as she got back to her quarters.

With a fresh pot of green tea poured out into cups, she sat everyone down in her guest room. Her expression was neutral as she relayed the information.

"As you now know, the former Pillar Tamagawa Ichirou has defected and run off with a demon and a student of the Storm Pillar. We don't know why, but it doesn't matter. Our mission is to keep hunting down demons. They won't stop until they are dead, so there are always more people to help," she paused to take a sip from her cup. "Recently we've caught wind of multiple demons gathering in the Ōita Prefecture. I want you to investigate the area, find out the reason they are flocking there and, of course, destroy them." Maria kept her face turned toward her tea cup, but she flickered her gaze subtly up through her lashes to take in the expression of those opposite her. She didn't like it, but she had to watch for any signs at all that those in her care may be thinking of defecting as well.

"However, there are still Demon Moons at large. If you encounter one on your mission... don't throw your life away. I'll be joining you all on this mission eventually, but I have some matters to attend to first. Retreat if you need to, and we can regroup together to finish it off."

After a few tense moments, Maria's expression broke into a relieved smile. As far as she could see, her charges didn't seem like traitors. She wouldn't stop the Storm Pillar's investigation, but just studying them during this conversation but her heart a little at ease. She regarded them warmly and asked, "Any questions?"

---

CRASH! Yoshirou swung his club into a nearby vase, causing the man behind the counter to shutter back in fear. The shop itself seemed to be a rather small one, with various old treasures on display, from jewels and various bits of pottery to even pieces of old samurai armor. The owner of the store seems to be a middle-aged man with graying hair, sporting a more western business suit. It would be all white if not for the bits of yellow that stained the lower portions of it, likely caused from Yoshirou's successful act of intimidation.

"I better have yer' investment by the end of the week!" Yoshirou looked down at the shopkeeper, his chin raised and his club leaning against his shoulder.

"Y-you damn brat! I already said I'll have your money ready by then! Just how do you expect me to-"

"Brat?" The Fortune Pillar's cub hit the ground rather heavily in a sudden clink, startling the shopkeeper once again. "I'll have ya know I'm well near 30! Do I need to teach ya how to respect your damn elders, old man?!"

"I-idiot! I'm older than you! Hell, I'd be old enough to retire if I didn't have a family to feed! You'll have your money by tomorrow, just stop breaking my stuff!" The store owner, despite being frightened by Yoshirou's acts of aggression, continued to hold his ground, crossing his arms and puffing his chest out with confidence.

"... Tsk. Whatever." Yoshirou turned away, starting to get annoyed. "Just think about the debt ya said you owed me... Grand opening's soon and yer contribution would be greatly appreciated." As he made his way out of the shop, the store owner breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dumb thug... of course I didn't forget. If it wasn't for you, my son wouldn't be leaving to study at Kyoto by now." The shopkeeper knelt down, pulling out a crate full of vases identical to the one that the Fortune Pillar smashed moments ago. It was a good thing that the market's full of forgeries, and judging by the amount of vases left, this wasn't the first time Yoshirou came to visit, it seemed. As he replaced the shattered vase, he began to think back to the night he met the Fortune Pillar... the night his family's life was saved.

"I do wonder, though... why's a brute like that looking to start running a restaurant, anyway?"

@Aviaire

---

Tatsuo rolled his eyes and exhaled through his nose in slight annoyance as Kikumi stated the Spirit Pillar would be hunting down the traitor instead of him, another chance in climbing the ranks diminished with his duties here at the estate. “Great,” he muttered under his breath before rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. It was honestly a pain in the ass getting stuck with this job, all he wanted was to get back in the field full time instead of baby sitting these recruits. Only reason he puts up with it all is because his position has him working under a Pillar. Plus the estate had some nice spots to nap at, it was hard to pass that up. Tatsuo was soon brought out of his thoughts as Kikumi spoke up again, congratulating him for his work and assuring him she kept him around for a reason. He arched a brow in slight surprise at her comment before simply replying with a shrug and a small smirk. It was slightly refreshing not getting chewed out again, but soon enough it’ll just make him tired and get him in more trouble.

A familiar voice quickly caught his attention and he glanced over to see Emi, his headache from her ramblings from earlier gradually returning. A small frown came to his face as she informed them of a new wave of recruits that had just arrived. Just another pain in the ass. With a small irritated huff he shook his head as a familiar name came up, Tsurugi. That man knew how to have a good time, but his arrogance was nearly as irritating as Emi’s gossiping. It didn’t surprise him to hear how he was chatting with the women in the ward again. Honestly he’d prefer to be there instead of working. Tatsuo gave a quick nod as Emi waved goodbye as she went to prepare some rooms for the new recruits before glancing over to Kikumi as she said he should take after. He scoffed slightly at the comment with a smirk, being like her was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

A low huff escaped Tatsuo as Kikumi gave him two options; come with her to welcome the new blood, or keep working. He gave a small frown of disgust at the thought of working some more and lowered his head in defeat as he followed behind her, unable to agree or not to the options given to him as usual. Silently he followed behind her before they finally reached the gate to be welcomed by the sight of the new recruits. A small frown came to his face as he got a good look at the new blood and held back a sigh, not the least bit surprised to see the poor looking wave of new students. For now he kept his thoughts to himself and let Kikumi address the new blood along with her brief welcome. A small smirk of amusement came to his face as he heard her usual boring speech before watching the new recruits file through the gate and into the estate.

Once they were gone Tatsuo gave a small chuckle and rested his hand atop his sword before glancing over to Kikumi. “Dull and straight to business as usual huh? Maybe you should have Emi write up a new speech for you, make it a little more warm and welcoming. Maybe lose the mask too,” he said with a smirk before letting out a small sigh. “I swear though, every new batch of recruits that come through here get more and more pathetic looking. At the rate we may as well just start feeding the demons our recruits,” he muttered before his smirk fell to a small frown at the thought. “How many do you think will get past their first mission?” he muttered coldly, a small glint of dread at the thought flashed in his eyes as he looked towards the gate the recruits just walked through. A small part of him hoped they would all be successful, but he knew many of them would meet a bloody end.

---

---

Jun nodded at Itoshi-sama and while her superior made her rounds, spent her time loitering around the estate, pestering a few students into short physical training sessions. As the time of daylight gradually passed, however, Jun was left mostly to her own devises, so she gave into performing some light stretches and cool-down exercise, before she made her way to the Pillar’s personal quarters. She was led into a guest room, and sat politely in a kneeling position, sipping at the offered green tea as she listened.

So, the matter of the traitor Pillar was left to someone else. Fine. At least she was given a mission of destroying a demon gathering hot spot. “Sounds good to me. I’ll destroy and torture them or whatever, but I wonder if they will want to share information…Well, in any case, just leave it to me. Until later, then, master,” Jun bowed, stood, and left. Packing was a swift matter, and before long, she was ready to leave.

Jun arranged for the same carriage Itoshi had used to convey her to the nearest train station, though before departing, she did wait long enough to give that foreigner the opportunity to go along with her if he wanted to. Regardless of whether he chose to do that or not, however, she let the vehicle carry her to her destination, and took the opportunity to nap a bit. She was lucky enough to catch one of the last trains departing to a town in Ōita Prefecture, and drowsed during the ride. Jun had had to travel with her sword and uniform concealed underneath regular clothing, of course, but if it meant she could get a drop on any demons, she’d do more than that.

Seeing as it was still night-time when she arrived at her destination, Jun chose to go on a leisurely night-time stroll – all for the sake of attempting to find any demonic activity, of course. She took care that her posture reflected confidence and posture, despite this being an unknown location to her. Perhaps she should attempt finding a red-light district; those were well-known for operating during the night, and might even attract a demon or two amid the humans. Besides, people with lowered inhibition were more prone to sharing information – or rather, what in the eyes of others might be seen as drunken ramblings. But if multiple people alluded to a demon, even drunks’ opinions could be taken into account. And so, Jun went on her way, traversing the town, low-key keeping an eye on things.

Well, where demons were congregating, slayers were too. Though the defection of the River Pillar was something to be concerned about, Gerard honestly couldn’t care too much about the implosion of an organization. He dealt with cannibalistic monsters, not annoying humans, after all. His decision was more or less made before he even entered the room, and consequently, the large man was really only there to enjoy the tea. Oita Prefecture, find demons, and kill them. Easy enough, honestly. He drank more tea, nodded once at Sister Maria, and departed, soon finding himself on a train heading northwards to Kyushu.

…

He overslept.

Was it food, too greasy and delicious to refuse? Was it some accursed Demon Blood Art, to thwart his arrival in the prefecture? Was it just that the rocking motion of the train triggered his infantile instincts, lulling him to a good night’s rest? Regardless, Gerard was woken up quite some time later by the train conductor, who spoke such terrible English that he may as well have just spoken in Japanese. Scratching his head, the sleepy giant ducked under the doorway, stumbled out, and let out a cavernous yawn. Where was he now…

Though he could more or less speak Japanese with some degree of proficiency, Gerard still struggled with kanji, and that mortal weakness visited him with the gravitas of a nail through his wrists as he stared at the sign at the station. It was late now, of course, and from experience, he was certain that anyone who WAS awake would either fight him or run away from him. Well, maybe if he were lucky, he was still in Oita. With that hope in his heart, Gerard sauntered off in search for lodgings, or even just a shed to nap in.

He was not lucky. He was in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, a good sixty kilometers away from the border of the Oita Prefecture.

---

Daylight | Itoshi Estate

---

"Itoshi-sama."

The Love Pillar looked up from her desk where she'd been drafting a few letters. One to the Vatican to ensure them of Gerard's continued health, though she wasn't sure that was a top priority for them she was sure there was a least some people who wanted to know. The other, to the Spirit Pillar's estate. Fushigi had made it quite clear many times that no one was invited to her estate, but Maria intended to visit anyway. As such, a quick note to be delivered before her actual arrival was her way of being polite.

Maria quirked a brow at the young woman at her door, a messenger of a messenger. "A guest for you. From the, um, the army." Now that was unexpected.

"Thank you," Maria said, smiling lightly at the girl who nervously returned her smile. The girl left to go about her other duties and the Pillar sighed, slowly putting her papers away. She'd been expecting the Storm Pillar's men sooner or later, not the Imperial forces. What could they want? To shut down the church on her property? She certainly wouldn't allow that. She was a powerful citizen despite being only half-Japanese. Would they come to try and take her students? Absolutely not---

Snap. Maria blinked and looked down at her hand where her writing utensil had broken in half. She breathed out heavy through her nose. Whatever they wanted, she'd find out soon enough.

The blonde Pillar made her way out to the small building she used to house guests. She settled herself in, sitting seiza at the table inside. Her sword was at her side, clearly visible. She nodded to an attendant, signaling him to let the Imperial envoy inside. Her visit to the Spirit Pillar's estate would have to wait. She dearly hoped that her apprentices were safe in their mission.

---

So others were here already. He would expect as much, need only send a message and those already near can be dispatched, whereas he had a full trip to go through. Still he walked on into the estate grounds as if it was not strange. He was told not to pay them no mind... But seeing as they were here first, paying them no mind and waltzing in to do as he pleased would be even more suspicious. Not that it was suspicious for him to be here. The Storm Pillar commanded authority and law amongst the Corp, more or less his presence would not be any different to that of a detective. Regardless of whether or not he was approached, he with an air of authority already began to speak. Approaching the nearest of the agents,

"I assume you are all here under orders from the Spirit Pillar? Excellent work, making it here so quickly. I am the Tsuguko of the Storm Pillar, here on his behalf to see to information and evidence in regards to the River Pillar and his betrayal. By the Storm Pillar's authority I would demand that all relevant evidence to be presented to me for inspection, hopefully we can cooperate on this matter", he does not plan to take it if he can help it, but anything damning, he may very well need to present directly to the old man. He has a writing set in his bag, if there are certain pieces of evidence that are good enough for just note-taking. Hopefully he will not have to walk the line between justice and the rules of the corps, and this investigation sect is friendly enough to cooperate with him.

It may best be to assert himself as someone in a greater position than them. It would be difficult for them to go against him if that was immediately understood. Regardless the orders of their direct superior would be priority, so long as he doesn't ask for anything that would conflict with that, it should be okay. He had some doubts that they would present everything to him, so he would need to enter and do his own investigation too.

---

"Lose the attitude, Isao," Kikumi said coldly. "I doubt any of us have the will to listen to me talk for an hour. Not after what they have just been through." Then, at his mention of the demons, she fell silent for a few seconds. "...We cannot change their decisions. We can only hope they can leave here strong enough to last." Her voice carried a sorrowful tone, but she did not look at Tatsuo, continuing to stare at the new recruits. How long was 'last'? A year? That still did not seem like enough. It was not uncommon for new recruits to be young, too. These were children that were being sent to the grave.

At least she wasn't being told when they died, and she wasn't the one ordering them to fight. Still, she knew the answer to Tatsuo's question - quite a few, but considerably less than Kikumi would like. He received no answer, only met with the quiet contemplation of his master. Hopefully none of the new ones had heard what he had said. Suffice to say, it wasn't the nicest thing to hear after just arriving at the Sea Pillar Estate.

When one of the new recruits, a girl, broke the silence and dropped into a deep bow, Kikumi did the same in response. Her company didn't seem too happy with her, but respect was something the Sea Pillar valued. Perhaps her position was making her soft. "Mori-san will do," she said once she had stood up straight once more. "I am as much your teacher as I am your fellow human." That would do for motivation. Then, she turned to the side.

"Isao, please take them to eat something," Kikumi muttered to her subordinate. "After that, consider yourself to be free for the night. Others will handle everything else." She gave him and then her new students a nod, before turning and swiftly walking back into the estate. It seemed to be getting late now. Still, Kikumi had many things to do before she could rest. For once, babysitting her subordinates was not one of them.

---

---

Jun ambled along the streets, glancing casually around as she sought hidden corners and secluded alleyways and run-down shops, though she certainly didn’t ignore the more resplendent of the establishments as she passed by various locations. She was thinking of stopping somewhere for a drink, to try and gather information more directly, but just then, two young women ran by her, both covered in cuts and bruises. One was a slender, dark-haired beauty, taller than herself, and the other was an even thinner though somewhat shorter blonde – though that foreign looking hair was most likely a wig. Both wore make-up and were dressed somewhat revealingly, never-mind that whatever or whoever had harmed them had shredded their clothing, so it was barely holding onto them. At a glance, Jun guessed that the damage was most likely caused by a human, perhaps by one of those debt collectors or the like. Nonetheless, there was a possibility that they were harmed by a demon, and even if that wasn’t the case, Jun supposed she could offer them temporary protection in exchange for information.

That decided, the flame breath user dashed in the direction of the injured females, and though they’ve advanced several meters ahead of her since Jun last saw them, catching up was no chore. To the people around her, she would most likely appear as a simple strong gust of air displacement, a mirage that most would dismiss as mistake, figment of the imagination, or the result of having drunk to much. Of course, if a fellow demon slayer or perhaps a demon was watching, they could identify her as a member of the Corps at a glance. Jun caught up to the women just as they entered one of the small, grungy side-streets, though they did not notice, as her steps were light enough for untrained people to remain largely unaware. The demon slayer slowed down, slinking behind her target in what from an outsider’s perspective would seem like an incredibly suspicious action. Hit with the sudden realization that she was putting off the inevitable, she tsk-ed, the slight sound alerting the females. They turned around, obviously panicked. “Hey,” she called out, though not quite loudly.

“D-did they send you?” the blonde one asked bravely. The black-haired one drew a sharp looking hairpin somewhere, clutching it in trembling face.

“And who might they be?” Jun asked in a drawl, cocking her head slightly to the side and jutting her chin out, an expression conveying both curiosity and a sense of superiority.

“Hey, let’s dash, she’s not involved,” the hairpin-holding one whispered to the other.

Before the blonde could reply, Jun tsked. “Oh, but I am involved now,” she rebuffed the pitifully armed female. “Listen, I just want to talk. I could even solve your problem for you if you give me valuable enough information,” she declared with supreme confidence. However, what she was genuinely considering at the moment was that she could offer the females temporary protection at best, though if the situation was dire enough she could send them in the direction of the Itoshi estate…

“Haah? What could a girl like you do?” the blonde asked rudely in disbelief.

Jun smirked. “You didn’t notice that I was following you ever since you ran past me, did you? Besides, there is this…” she nonchalantly pushed the coat covering her to the side a bit, revealing the hilt of her sword hidden beneath it for but a moment. The females both looked startled, and backed half-a-step away from her. “If I had wanted to kill you, I already would have,” Jun sighed. “Don’t worry, I use this only to cut down monsters,” she said, somewhat sarcastically, because she knew the pair would believe her phrase to be metaphorical. “So, do you two have some place we could discuss this? Or do you seriously want to stand here and wait until whoever harmed you to find this shitty back street?! Not like it’s the most secluded spot ever,” she grumbled.

“So you wait and head them off,” the blonde challenged.

Jun smiled nastily. “I won’t do a thing for you until I know what’s going on. And I just stalled your escape long enough that if we don’t relocate right now..." she paused for the dramatic effect. "Well, it wouldn’t be good for you, would it?” She scoffed, as if she truly didn’t care what might happen to the women. Honestly, if some ruffian showed up just then, she’d probably beat them up and protect the women even if the opponent wasn’t a demon and she technically shouldn't be getting herself involved in events not at all related to demonic activity.

“You bitch,” hissed the blonde. The taller one, however, took a hold of her companion’s sleeve, and whispered to her urgently. The blonde grimaced furiously. “Fine. Let’s go,” they both turned, proceeding down the alleyway, though they both kept a firm eye on her as they walked. Jun affected her most bored expression, and followed.

---

"It's not anything serious you don't think, right?" Kanami asked. She was a small girl, constantly obscured by a grey and black cloak much too big for her stature. Sat on the engawa, wrapped into herself, watching the rain and one of her only friends dance in the courtyard, she seemed to vanish into the thing, with only tufts of white hair and a set of vibrant blue eyes peeking from under its feather-styled hood.

The number of children who numbered among the Demon Slayer Corps had disturbed Kankuro for longer than he could remember, but he respected Kanami's tenacity. Her drive. And, in some ways above all, her skill. Strength wise she was ill fitted for wielding a sword, but over the course of their training together he had time and time again watched her use her speed, size, and silence to her advantage. Her title as First Hummingbird was in every way earned, he believed. Finding himself on the receiving end of her blades in his imagination was a concept he could nought but dread.

"She said 'Old Man'. When isn't it bad news with 'im?" he retorted, punctuated with a wide swing of his spear. He followed with a flourish to act as a feint, then twisted into a thrust, which transitioned quickly into a spin around his waist, and close quarters, shallow cut to the legs. With the Spirit Pillar gone, he had nothing more to do than continue training, until either she returned, or a Crow arrived to give him an order. For the past two weeks, he had been off duty, in order to hone his Breath Style with the Spirit Pillar. The lack of ongoing operations was starting to bore him, though he shunned the thought, "You're worried, I get it. She'll be back soon."

Through the wind, the rain, and the focus of imaginary combat, he barely noticed the sound of a Crow, high above their heads, battered by the ongoing storm. Kanami's head turned to the sound, with speed enough to draw Kankuro's own attention. Though she looked less than imposing, he dexterity and speed in a single moment beyond superseded his own - she was stood and the cloak was parted, arm outstretched into the baleful rain. The hood was down, leaving her shoulder length, grey-white hair to flutter against the sieging winds and the spiral designs of her attire. Even through the blanket of water, the Crow could recognise the action, and dived into the courtyard to grip onto Kanami's arm, and be allowed into the dry expanse of the engawa. Attached to its leg, in a small, wooden housing to prevent water exposure, was a message.



The Spirit Pillar Estate had over the years developed its own cipher. Written in Latin English, and comprised of over half a dozen variables, the Spirit Pillar herself rarely used it. Despite teaching the key to all those under her, she believed it took much too long to decode, as well as trusted her scouts not to be so careless as to misplace the messages and orders they were sent. Kankuro had a clear view of the message over Kanami's shoulder, who was already deep in thought, shifting each letter mentally. Compared to her, his grasp on the cipher was basic at best, but he could tell that only a small amount of effort had gone into complicating the decryption. The Spirit Pillar wanted it to be read quickly, but only by the people meant to read it. She most likely wanted it burned soon after. After two minutes, it was already decoded, and laid bare for Kankuro.

"Guess I'll take... Ichigo, Shou, Nana, and Hinako. Get Mayuri on alert, will you?" Kankuro instructed, as he turned and ran through the sodden courtyard, towards the living quarters for the other scouts. Over his shoulder, he could see Kanami nod, raise her hood to cover even more of her head than before, and enter into the section of the estate behind her.

---

River Pillar Estate, @Sho Minazuki

---

By the time the Storm Tsuguko had arrived, seven scouts of the Spirit Pillar had already taken up residence in the former River Pillar's Estate. Two were stood at the entrance to the building proper - two extras from the initial unit of five, which Kankuro picked up along the journey to act as guards. Three were inside, including Kankuro himself, inspecting and carefully rooting through every corner and inch of the estate for any evidence that could explain the River Pillar's actions, or convict him of the treason he had been accused of. And around the complex, out of view of the front entrance with the numerous, free roaming Kasugai Crow's that called the River Pillar's Estate their home, two further scouts were attaching messages to a number of the birds, and sending them away. Almost every aspect of their dress was normal, comprised exclusively of the black, standard issue uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. On their faces, however, they wore white, featureless wooden masks.

The moment Kuuto approached one of the guards, the other ducked into the building. The remaining scout simply stood and listened to the Storm Tsuguko's words, left hand on the scabbard of his blade, not threateningly but on alert. After a couple more moments, the initial scout exited the building, flanked by what was obviously the leader of the investigation party, if only for the chequered grey and black haori over his shoulders. Instead of a sword at his side, he took his steps with a spear, tapping it with every pace like a walking stick.

"I appreciate the offer, Kirizanto Kuuto-san. I'm The First Wolf to Fushigi-sensei. But you're not gonna be able to see anything yet. Standard operating procedure - only the Spirit Pillar can give you permission to enter, and nothing is allowed to the grounds." his words were slightly muffled by the mask, but his tone was clear. And though not in an offensive stance, his body language was clear as well. Regardless that this man was the Tsuguko of the Storm Pillar - Kankuro was the closest thing Yuu had to a Tsuguko. He was prepared to enforce the rules if necessary, but his words maintained that these were orders, and that the Storm Pillar, though senior, did not supersede the Spirit Pillar in rank. With luck, Kuuto would understand, "Fushigi-sensei will be passing through here on her way to the estate to check our progress. She'll give you permission then."

---

Ordinarily, waiting would not be a problem. Still, if the Spirit Pillar Fushigi did not hide things from him, then it still won't be a problem. There were other objectives he can fulfil while he was here after all. Considering the type of incident they were all dealing with, coming to blows is the last thing they needed, and even the smallest incident can be taken more seriously than it ordinarily would. Their alertness and observation of procedure was duly noted. He was surprised the young man, the First Wolf knew his name.

"I had no idea my name was known by others within the corp, but very well, if she is to be here soon then I can wait. Please keep in mind that hiding evidence will also be treated as treason at a time such as this. As I'm sure you're aware of the situation we're trying to deal with. For the time being I shall see to other matters around the estate. The River Pillar's unfortunate decision has left us with frozen communications, after all", he responded. Based on what he was carrying, a bag containing a cage, it wasn't hard to figure out what this matter might be. There were many crows around this estate, some were already cawing idly as they spoke. Surely, one cage's worth was but a drop.

If he would be allowed to do that, by the time the Spirit Pillar herself would arrive he should be able to fill the cage without much trouble. The cage could hold something like several to a dozen. Not much, but considering they are a vital communication resource, even a few were valuable. Hopefully, Kankuro in turn would be understanding. The Spirit estate as he is aware have their own sparrows too.

"Before I see to that allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Kirizanto Kuuto, the Tsuguko to the Storm Pillar. Heir to the Kirizanto family of demon slayers and practitioner of the Breath of Sky form", he stated.