"Lord Takamori said that his traitorous daughter, Setsuna, is training Varjan archers in Ōmiya. I know this frightens him, even if he tries to hide it. If we don't find her and end this, there may be no stopping the archers, and no hope for Ōmiya Springs. We need to see Lord Takamori immediately."
-Takeshi Oja

A villager woman remarked to the taskforce member as the latter passed by.

"You better watch out if you're passing Yabo Forest, yokai. It's haunted by angry spirits... Dead samurai, eager to spill blood."

"People go into the woods and never come out. Varjan and Shizuyaman alike! The bodies that turn up have all been killed by Shizuyaman blades..."

A peasant man eating barbecued meat on a stick was startled when the taskforce member approached. It appeared he has news.

"Yokai! You have to tell Lord Takeshi, there is another samurai noble who survived Sanjo Beach. His name is Lord Tonchiki. He's in his abode southeast of here. If you go see him, I'm sure he would join your cause."

"Err, maybe not. I guess you'll need Lord Takeshi himself to convince him."

A villager sitting on some stone steps in the temple stood up when the taskforce member approached. "Yokai, I've heard of a small resistance group gathering in the Imahama Area. I believe they're headed by that shrine priestess that started a fight here not too long ago."

"They're recruiting farmers and fishermen to their cause. Brave, but it'll be dangerous if they're not trained."

"Dealing with these students of the Heavenly Strike was more difficult than we thought. They have already thrown back two of the taskforce. However, the yokai fought them separately and at different times, so perhaps a more cooperative approach would be more fruitful."

-Takeshi Oja

Alice's expression stiffened; she'd been assumed, accosted, accused, and now actively patronized by this pompous, presumptuous, peasant man-child in armor painted up like a rainbow!

For the first time in a long time: she was done being diplomatic.

"I don't have to take this," Alice says, raising her right hand.

Carroll went for a swing at Whimsy - her unestablished, yet eternal rival - before catching nothing but air, as her body was yanked, and she snapped into Alice's grip.

"If you won't afford me passage to Hama Island, so shall I take myself there under my own steam..." Alice says, as Carroll groaned underneath the sudden exertion of pressure.

Unable to speak, Carroll felt Alice... no, she could feel what was underneath Alice... breaking her hold, more and more, as they debonded. Taken to task, Alice spread her roots over Carroll, and absorbed the Cursed Sword in reverse.

Her legs were coated in slime from her waistline to her toes, and to spread out even further behind her - doubling her leg length, as the slime fused them together into a long, thicc tail, covered in serpentine scales. Above her waistline, an explosion of mycelium growth spread across her nude form, and fashioned into dominatrix attire, as the mycelium thickened and colored black, and bound together by thicker roots.

Her face reshaped, as it melded with the one that Carroll had stolen off Shizuka, and red washed over her blonde hair, before she flexed her arms, and ran her fingers through the long tresses.

"Now," Alice sighed, with a hiss, "I can just swim to the island..."

There was a solid ten seconds or so where both Whimsy and Liliana were utterly lost as to what had happened, before Liliana flew over to Alice and papped her tail. ”Lady Alice, I thought you were a mushroom queen, not a snake! How’d you do that?” she asked, while Whimsy sailed back to her side and clung to her back in its usual position.

Entrusting the care of Kazennosuke to the others, Shizuka followed the signatures of demonic energy he sensed nearby. In addition to Alice and Carroll, he also sensed Liliana and her magic at work. By the feel of it, Carroll and Liliana’s…weapon(?) were fighting. If memory serves, the name of her blade was Whimsy. He sighed mentally, for whatever reason it seemed the members of the taskforce were always getting into disputes of some kind. He sensed the chi of another human present as well, that one was with Alice. It appeared he was going to stumble upon quite the scene when he arrived, but braced himself nonetheless. He thought of giving them another lecture, but most of the members never listened to him anyway. His existence as this team’s captain was becoming rather depressing.

Bracing himself as he did, nothing would have prepared him for the sight he stumbled upon.

Arriving at the shore, he indeed saw Alice along with Liliana, the former arguing with some knight wearing flamboyant rainbow-colored armor. However, off to the side their respective weapons appeared to be fighting. The sight of Whimsy clashing with her opponent was an odd one, since it was a wooden sword wielding itself. It was like she was being wielded by a spector. But the form that Carroll had assumed rattled Shizuka to his very core. The swordsman stopped dead in his tracks and anyone close enough to see his face would be disbursed by the expression on his face.

As if affected by a delirious sense of shock, Shizuka stood motionless as he took in Carroll’s new form. She had taken the appearance of a painfully familiar lamia, complete with crimson hair and a white kimono with purple lining. ”Th-This cannot be!” he uttered. Not a moment after, the phased in front of Whimsy, stopping her attack on the lamia. ”Enough.” He coldly said. He then turned to Carroll, still wrecked with disbelief. He knew it was Carroll, the signature was unmistakable. But, her appearance couldn’t be denied.

”You.” He continued. ”Why, why do you look like her?! Like…Yurika?” The cold solemess had almost left his voice, replaced by that of an almost broken man…

There was no hope of getting an answer, as Carroll was sheathed by Alice's power, and the answer was snatched away with her.

Sensing that this was going to be crazy awkward, Liliana would shrink down and slink back a little. ”Oh, uh, hi Shizuka! Fancy seeing you here.”

Alice looked to the distance; Hama Island was due across the way. She'd plenty of strength to get there. Her focus was so sharp and tunneled, she didn't even notice Shizuka nor his distress.

Hell, she'd forgotten Liliana was even there, as she slithered for the pier's end.

Shizuka watched as Alice recalled Carroll to her side and began to merge with her, taking on a new form. She still kept her overall lamia appearance, but her clothes changed to something more…risque and questionable. Perhaps not so much for a mamono. Her hair retained its crimson color, but the style changed and she wore it completely down. She paid no mind to Shizuka, or anyone else for that matter as she slithered toward the pier. She apparently had her sights set on going off to that island in the distance. Noticing Liliana address him, he turned to her, being snapped out of his stupor for a moment.

”Liliana-chan.” He said. ”What…exactly is going on here?”

Of all people to ask, Liliana might have been the absolute worst pick for an explanation. ”Uhhhhhhhhhhh…” Liliana started searching for an answer. ”Its…a-a Wonderland fashion statement! Yup!” Liliana said, clearly in a cold sweat. She had no idea. But, she would fly over to float just before Alice, saying: ”Hey wait, Lady Alice, Shizuka is talking to you. It’d be rude to just walk away…”

Alice narrowed her eyes; a discontented hiss escaping her, as Liliana brought her to pause. For a moment, she was tempted to swat her, and her tail made aims to do so, as her temptation turned to follow-through without much thought.

It was as simple as a flick of a tailbone and Liliana was sent flying across the pier, letting out a sound not unlike a kicked puppy.

"Hrm!?" Alice straighted up, and looked around, seeing Liliana flying across the pier at speed, but her was better, as she swooshed across the wood, and caught her.

The fairy was unconscious, wings lying still as she laid in the palms of Alice’s hands.

"Liliana!" Alice shouted, laying her down, before applying pressure to get chest - tooling back her monstrous strength to get some utterly powdering Liliana's functionally paper mache bones - and pinching her nose to breathe into her.

”A Wonderland fashion statement…?” Shizuka honestly didn’t know what he was expecting. He looked at his fae companion with a blank expression, wondering what to make of her answer. It was obvious that she just made it up on the spot, and at this point he should’ve been used to it. She then zipped away to fetch Alice, who had ignored them up until that point. Alice, not wanting to have anything to do with her or anyone else, swatting her away with her large tail. ”Liliana-chan!”

Alice then, having a change of heart, caught the little sprite in her hands before she was sent crashing into a tree. Seeming to feel a sudden spout of remorse, Alice attempted to resuscitate the unconscious fairy. Shizuka stared at the pair for a moment, still trying to process the lingering emotions that built up from earlier. Walking closer to Alice, she still looked like that person in the face - and it was still bothering him a bit.

”Gods, you certainly didn’t hold back, did you?” Said the swordsman, standing over the pair. He knelt down beside her and placed a couple of fingers on the side of Liliana’s neck. ”Thankfully, she doesn’t appear to be seriously injured, she should wake up just fine in a while.”

He then got back to his feet, and looked off to the island in the distance. ”What’s the rush with getting to that island? Off on another request? I could go with you, perhaps we can talked about earlier while on the way.”

In the process of receiving CPR, Liliana would slowly open her eyes after the chest compressions, then immediately shrieked as Alice’s face pressed its lips against her. She was, like, the size of a flower, so she genuinely thought she was getting eaten by the new Queen Lamia. As such, Liliana passed out AGAIN, white as a sheet with Shizuka able to literally see her chi leaving her body.

Liliana spooked Alice into standing up, so she didn't notice Liliana passing back out, before she took in Shizuka's question. "Yes," she answered, before explaining the quest that Carroll had picked up, "Now, what do you want to talk about?”

”Why don’t we start with your appearance.” Shizuka began. ”You certainly didn’t show this ability during training.”

The swordsman, now in somewhat better control of himself, tried to keep his composure whilst questioning his queenly companion. Her face made it quite difficult, however.

”Your face, it…it looks like hers…” His eyes waved, past emotions that the man tried his best to put into the background swirled wildly within his psyche. ”Was it during our temporary union? Di-did you peer into my memories?”

"Madness Assimilation," Alice says, "My trump card, so to speak. The natural ability to Assimilate things," she says, "However, being brilliant as Mad Hatter are, we can borrow things more definable - shape, form, power..."

"I didn't look into anything in your past, though, darling," Alice says, caressing his cheek, tickling his skin with her soft fingers, "But, I can, if you like..."

In truth, Alice was forcing Carroll’s [Possession Slime] to work in her favour - but, Shizuka didn’t need to know that. After all, trickery was her bread and butter.

”Trump card?” Shizuka said, seemingly more confused than before due to her answer. From what Shizuka could tell, it was some sort of psychological warfare. Why else would she be taking on the likeness of his dead lover?

She seemed to be making good use of it too, stroking his face with her delicate fingers, much like she did.

”You still haven't answered my question.” He replied stoutly, grabbing her wrist, preventing further caressing. ”If you possess such an ability, why use it to take on this form specifically?”

The man's anger was starting to boil, feeling as though his mind and heart were being toyed with.

Alice tilted her head. "You aren’t making sense," she says, "All I did was steal Carroll’s power to manifest a physical form that is more adapted for swimming..." Alice frowned, her fingers lingering, "You would fault me for using my sword?" As she spoke, she leaned in, and asked: "Or, would you rather use your sword on me?"

That... was Carroll.

It seemed the Mushroom woman had no regard, or rather understanding, the amount of shellshock that came with Shizuka speaking with a woman who looked just like his former love. It was made worse when he heard a familiar voice, her voice. ”You dare?!” He snapped, losing his composure. His sword was instantly pressed at her throat, his eyes now looking completely different. Not really human anymore, but now distinctly reptilian, much like they did back then.

”No more of this. How you use your weapon is of no consequence to me, within reason. However, you will not toy with me! Either that, or you’re simply oblivious to what you’re doing. In which case, perhaps I should educate you on the dangers of fiddling with a slayer’s heart.”

Alice would easily sense that the chi stirring within Shizuka is the stark opposite of what she’s felt from him up until this point. No longer a gentle wave, who’s violent ebb came and went as soon as a transient breeze. Now, it was wild, like a vicious storm with crackling lightning and thunder that shook the earth. It may feel as though she’s talking to an entirely different person.

Alice grinned - no...

...she beamed.

An uncharacteristic violence shone in her expression, as if... something was itching to be free and rampage. She didn’t seem concerned with the blade at all, as she swished her tail. "Dangerous," she hissed. "Cut me..."

Not even a moment after Alice uttered her dare, she would find herself blown back in the direction opposite the shoreline, nearly back at the edge of the wooded area. As she attempted to get up and dust the foliage off of her, she would feel the bludgeoning sting of a scabbard on her stomach and find herself pinned against a tree.

”Is everything a godsdamn game to you?” He snapped. ”Only a fool treads on thin ice with such glee. I can’t tell if this is some act of irksome hedonism or if this is just the way you are. I don’t really care either way, but have enough sense to show some damned self-awareness. ”

Alice and Carroll would begin to feel an uncomfortable frost along with the scabbard pressed against their flesh.

"Nnnn...!" Alice cried out, as she slammed into the ground, and bounced into a tree - assisted by the tidal wave of rime that washed free of Shizuka. For a moment, she seemed to be in a state of struggle...

...only to smirk.

"Rainbow."

Shards of ice erupted from her skin; a veritable pincushion of frost struck against the foreign frost.

"Eruption."

Gouts of flame erupted from the earth; torn free of the prison by the slams of powerful tail.

"Zephyr."

Blades of wind whipped into a frenzy; pulling flame and frost into a scalding whirlwind.

"Shatter."

Plates of stone rose and fell upon the whirlwind; imprisoning her target,

"Heavenly Strike."

Alice aligned her tail with Shizuka, but her aim was not true - vines of slime adhered her to the tree he’d beaten her against, and the blade of lightning sheared open the side of the elemental prison, allowing Shizuka to escape.

"No! I am not finished!" Alice shouted, as the vines grappled her tail.

"Shizuka! Help me!" Carroll shouted.

Shizuka seemed to dismiss the whirlwind of flame and frost as negligible, not flinching even at the stone prison Alice made in an attempt to trap him. He already noticed the opening in the stone that would allow him to escape.

”Attempting that technique again, are we?” He said, almost mockingly. ”You’ve no experience using it with an actual sword, let alone a makeshift tail. ” He instantly phased out of the opening in the stone and Alice’s attack hit only an unfortunate tree, splitting it in half. The large chunk of wood fell on the forest floor with a thunderous thud.

”Don’t fret, queen.” He said, noticing how Alice seemed stuck to the tree he pinned her to. ”Your attack wouldn’t have hit its mark regardless.”

However, upon hearing a plea for help in her voice, it stirred the swordsman further. ”H-How dare you say that to me!” He said, clearly starting to break down again. ”Again, you use her voice. Apparently my words mean absolutely nothing to you.” He said in a more sinister tone. Small sparks of fire, rhime, and stone fell onto the ground around Shizuka as he grimaced toward the Mamono.

”That’s fine. I have to remember that you guys are pretty stubborn. That’s just fine.” His tone whiplashed from menacing to a strange calm. He walked over to Alice/Carroll as he spoke. Oddly, he seemed to adhere to Carroll’s pleas, and peeled her slime parts off of the tree. He then placed a hand on Alice’s stomach, was he caressing the wound he inflicted from earlier?

”Hyourangeki.”

It seemed not, as Alice would be plagued by a stinging cold again, along with being blown back by a large ball of permafrost. Stumbling backwards, by the time she was able to look up, she would see Shizuka had hopped his way into the air. He was visibly channeling a strong electric current with his index and middle finger, his eyes wild with rage.

”Let the indignation of the Azure Dragon be the one to teach you the lesson! Kaminari! ”

If Alice didn’t do something, she would fall victim to a severe lightning bolt…

A bolt of lightning that would nearly split Alice cleanly in twain.- allowing for a violent flourish of mycelium and mushrooms and assorted fungi to explode forth from the lightning strike wound; a deep, burning cut that cleaved the length of her crown to sternum, and peeled back her face and chest.

As Shizuka landed, he'd see Carroll on the ground, and feel the hateful Demon Energy of something inside the heavily damaged Alice.

He could feel its animosity, as it peered at him through one bloodshot eye from within a shell, as brain, ribs, and abdominal organs grew due to the cancerous, fungal growths.

"Nnn..." Carroll reached out for "Alice" - spreading her parasitic slime to try and reach her.

It would become obvious to the samurai, Carroll wasn't antagonizing him... she was begging to be saved by him.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!" Alice says, voice coming from much deeper within. "Madness! Madness! Madness!" she threw her head to the side, spores gushing out of her, "Cursed Sword... Cursed Sword... O', frabjous day... It's time to slay!"

Alice was suddenly over Carroll, foot raised above her, "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!"

Shizuka’s eyes widened as he saw what his attack had unveiled. He wondered if that plant husk that vaguely resembled a woman was what Alice really looked like. He didn’t focus on it for too long, as he noticed Carroll off to the side, now fully resembling that woman. She laid helplessly on the ground, appearing to truly need assistance. If this was an act, it was certainly an impressive one. He knew of Alice’s trickery, and the only reason it worked the first time was because Shizuka purposefully walked into the trap.

Alice seemed to be taking the act too far, however, as she was about to stomp the cursed sword into oblivion. Without thinking, Shizuka acted on instinct alone.

”Stay the hell away from her!!” He exclaimed, having already snatched Carroll out of harm’s way. Putting her down for a moment, he drew his sword again and channeled a powerful wind around it.

”Uryubutosen: Toppu.” Shizuka let loose a barrage of countless slashes that were accompanied by a maelstrom that would hopefully injure and knockback Alice enough to where the fight would end.

" Curious, Curiouser, Curiousest..." Alice says, as the blades past by; slicing and dicing, lashing and slashing, but not bothering her, as she walked forward in the storm - thick roots keeping her steady and firm. "You won't imprison me again! I won't go back into the darkness! You can't make me!" she screamed, "But, I can break you. I can! I can! I will!"

Alice didn't cease to move, however, she was slowing down. As she stood before Shizuka, her movement was down to zero, and she seemed to stop functioning.

"Hurts..." Carroll says, removing her hand from Shizuka's sword hand - bit of parasitic slime dripping off his blade. Reattaching her facsimile of an appendage, she placed her hand against Alice's broken face, and spread across her skin.

Shizuka could sense a nightmarish torrent of hatred disappearing behind a pleasant wall of... well, Alice.

"Nnnn..." Alice groaned, as she rubbed her temple, "Ooowww... My head aches..." she groaned. " What happened here? Last thing I remember is... ... ... ...where'd that asshole knight go!? I wanted to give him a piece of my mind! Pissed me off so bad! Talking to me however he pleases!"

Carroll dropped to the ground; falling into her weapon state, and silent.

All the slashes had behind them was wind, so it did little to slow down the plant woman who continued to walk forward in spite of Shizuka’s attack. She then started to utter things that didn’t make sense to the swordsman, she might as well have been speaking gibberish. Suddenly, Alice’s pace began to slow, until eventually she stopped completely. Did Shizuka’s attack have an effect on her after all?

Whatever was the case, Carroll slipped away from Shizuka and went back to Alice. She spread across Alice’s broken body, repairing all of the damage that had been done and restoring her to her original appearance. Alice, now restored, didn’t seem to remember the rage-filled clash they just had, and was instead complaining about that strange rainbow-colored knight from earlier. Carroll, apparently drained of all her strength, laid bare on the ground. Unable to sustain her manifested form, she reverted back to the appearance of her axe form.

Shizuka honestly didn’t know who to process the scene that just played out. He closed his eyes and sighed, he then promptly punched himself in the forehead. While his forehead was now bloody, his eyes had returned to normal upon reopening. As for Alice, he really didn't see any point in being mad anymore. After all, he could see now that Alice didn’t really do anything wrong, as she pointed out earlier. In fact, the swordsman felt a bit of shame, and it was a boon that she didn’t remember what had just happened.

”I imagine that the knight is still at the beach” He replied in a gentle, but tired tone. ”He might still be there if you look.”

Leaving Alice to her devices, he walked over to Carroll, and picked her up. ”Carroll, I think I understand now.” He said. ”I won’t ask you to forgive me, as I don’t deserve it. But, I hope that you don’t take offense to dining on my chi in order to restore your strength.” Holding her should be enough for her to do that, he thought.

”Though, I would still like to talk about a couple of things once you wake up…”

He might get his desire sooner, rather than later, as Carroll shifted and gained consciousness in his air; though, she maintained her form as an axe.

It seemed to work, Carroll roused and was regaining consciousness. Carroll had maintained her cursed axe form, however, as opposed to the…other one.

”Good, you’re awake.” He said. ”Now that you are, I wanted to apologize again for earlier. I…” He trailed off for a moment, soberness enveloped his face. ”That previous form you had of that lamia woman, it…she was someone from my past. Someone who is a reminder of my greatest tragedy, and sin.” He grimaced, still trying to cope with the shock.

”But, that doesn’t excuse my actions. I attacked a comrade, which is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. You’re within your right to hold it against me, but know that I swear to you that I won’t ever do it again. But, if you don’t mind me asking, what was Alice referring to earlier?”

Carroll didn't seem to answer for the longest, before she avoided the question, entirely, by asking: "Is that why I couldn't see anything but her? No mother? No aunts? No sisters? No friends? Not even a grandmother. Just this woman, so deeply entrenched in your mind. Of all the forms I could pull from..."

”I’m afraid that I grew up without having any of those in my life.” The swordsman replied. ”Although, I did have some friends of course. They come and go, as you’d expect. Sometimes on good teams, sometimes bad. But, it’s nice to know that you were prying into my inner thoughts during our previous union…”

He then looked at Alice, who started making off for the beach, likely back to the rainbow knight and Liliana. ”You still haven't answered my previous question.” He said. ”Does Alice resent you for some reason? What happened between the two of you?”

"You act as if that's something I can control! As if, I wanted to!" Carroll shouted, "Don't pretend like you understand my existence, Shizuka! Being what I am, at the whim and will of vapid women, easily broken Alices, and -- " Silence, sudden and deafening. Carroll, metaphorically, bit her tongue, before she turned away, as best a weapon could. "The past is the past. What right do you have to ask me mine, yet hide yours? If you want answers, you have to give them, too. Tit for Tat, the oldest bargain."

At some very dramatic point in the EPIC Shizuka vs Alice/Carroll clash, Liliana had absolutely gotten blown away due to being unconscious, tiny, weighing as much as a leaf, and also comedic effect. Having gotten tangled up in some twigs above the epic duel, Liliana had bore witness to pretty much every word and blow shared.

…This…seemed like something she was bad at.

Rosebud would be better at this. Mostly because Rosebud was better at everything, but also because she was a mature lady.

But eventually, the fairy would untangle herself and sit atop a branch, quiet as she observed the two. Probably the quietest Liliana had been since arriving as she let the two discuss their worries and remained quiet. She had a feeling if she interrupted now, the two would never talk fully. A knight knew at least a tiny bit about chivalry…and right now, an eavesdropper wasn’t what was needed. So Liliana would quietly take flight and leave, letting their words remain only to each other, and instead returning to the Rainbow Knight’s pier to await her potential companions.

Taking a seat at the pier, Liliana would dip her legs in the water and let out a lighthearted sigh. "...Maybe…Rosebud would say I did a good job."

"As my First Bladeflower, you did amazingly good at whatever you did," Alice says, looming over her; eyes glowing crimson in the shade of her hair, as she bent over.

Alice beamed, and stood up."What did you do," she asks, "Be extra cute, as usual?"

"Nope!" Liliana said, proudly crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes. "I minded my own business."

"Well, good on you," Alice says, picking her up, as she plopped down on her spacious rear, and looked out to Hama Island. Holding Liliana like a teddy bear, the Mushroom Queen sighed, "I feel... different... Do i seem different?"

"I’m not sure," Liliana said, before getting a good look at Alice since her eyes had been closed for dramatic effect. "Did you do something new with your hair?"

"Hmmm.... no, same as it's always been," Alice says, unaware of the fact that her new body was much closer to what lie underneath.

Liliana tilted her head. "...You sure?"

Alice nodded. "I'm feeling grand," she says, before poking Liliana in her belly, tickling her, "Silly, little fairy~"

Liliana curled up, using size trick to not get super tickled from one finger. "Won’t work! Fairies are IMMUNE to tickles! Its part of training."

Alice smirked, making little vines to tickle her underarms, belly, neck, and soles. Liliana's immunity would be challenged.

Liliana stood smug and proud as she was completely immune to the tickling at hand, before wiggling her fingers. "Wah! Hah! Hah! I’m invincible, Lady Alice! Now prepare for a counter attack!" she said before shrinking down and going for the sides.

Alice chuckled, but not from the attack. She didn't have a nervous system to feel with; reactions to pain were subconscious remnants of her Humanity - long lost to the mushrooms within.

As a result, she could focus on shifting Liliana around, and squeezing her arms together - squishing Fairy between big ol' tiddy.

"Gotcha," she smirked, as she looked into her cleavage, and stuck her tongue out at the Faekin.

Thoroughly stuck, Liliana would try to wriggle free.

She would have to escape the impossible: pudding tits.

Shizuka stared blankly at Carroll for a few minutes, not because he had no intention of answering her question but rather because he wasn’t sure if he had the stomach to. ”Carroll, I -” He started, cutting himself off for a moment. ”I imagine you want me to start with the woman who you took the likeness of, based on my memories.” Holding back his begrudging emotions, he swallowed the decade long pill of bitterness he had been holding all this time.

”Her name was Yurika. You obviously know who she was to me, based on the emotions you felt. Along with my unacceptable outburst. It was sometime ago that I participated in a war on the Zipangu mainland. My campaign was one of blood, hypocrisy, and self-righteous indignation. In it all, that woman, Yurika, was my light. With her, perhaps all of the bloodshed wouldn't have been for nothing. Yet…” He brought Carroll eye level. ”In spite of my so-called skill and conviction, I couldn’t protect her when it mattered most.”

Carroll was silent for the longest, before a hand formed from her haft, and held his, as slime purged from the weapon, and shaped like a lattice into shape, before being given form and purpose. "We aren't so different, I see..." she says, letting his hand go, "I've been waging the same, fruitless war for 199 years with Alice... though, I have done so for much longer before her; taking and breaking weak-willed, weak-minded Mamono in an effort to kill the woman that birthed me, loved me, and then discarded me once I became a boring and ugly toy..." Carroll hugged herself, teeth gritted, before she continued, "That... woman... is nothing more than a construction of my power, a shell... a cage... a puppet, put to task until she breaks."

Carroll hissed, sucking her teeth, "She was so weak when I caged her. But, she's learned... grown to anger... grown to rage... Next time, she won't hesitate to shatter me, and I'll deserve it for what I've done to her for going on two centuries..."

”I fear that your story is a bit more…eccentric than mine.” Shizuka said in a more light-hearted tone. His mood seemed to have oddly improved as he spoke to her. ”However, in both our cases, it seemed that rage and seeking self-serving justice has ultimately done neither of us any good. You’ve used people, eventually leading to their end. However I’m in no position to judge you for it.”

Shizuka made no reprehension as Carroll formed a hand and placed it on his, if anything he seemed to be welcoming it. ”I’ve killed many people during that time. Many of them weren’t even warriors, simply civilians. Civilians who held important political positions, but all the same they were individuals who could do little to defend themselves against me. All in the name of a revolution that I fooled myself into thinking that I understood.”

He then turned back in the direction of Alice. ”But, you say Alice will want retribution for what you’ve done to her. Well, I suppose she’s within her right to feel that way. However, we’re both testaments to the fact that there is no salvation in revenge. Only emptiness, or at worse, more suffering.” He tightened his grip on Carroll’s hand. ”As I said, infighting among taskforce members is not allowed. I myself have failed at this, and I will take full responsibility for that. However, that’s all the more reason why I won’t allow it. You’ve my word that no further harm will come to you.”

He then looked away for a moment, not forgetting that he had his sword pointed at her throat but a moment earlier. ”You’re well within reason to deny my aid. After what just happened, there’s no reason for you to trust me anymore…”

"I struggle... not to..." Carroll says. "Having touched you... felt you... I changed..." she says. "It is my nature; irrefutable, that I would feel trust in my husband."

”H-Husband?!” He nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard those words coming out of her mouth. It shouldn’t be a surprise, unlike the natives, most knew what happens when a human male and a mamono share an intimate moment. He couldn’t help it, though. Talking with her felt like the most natural thing in the world. For the first time in years, he took no issue with relaxing around her, expressing his past and grievances.

Making an uncharacteristic blush, the swordsman suddenly lost the gall to look Carroll in the eyes. ”U-Uh, you know, they say that people shouldn’t rush into these types of things, haha…”

"I told you, I can’t help it," Carroll says, "A Cursed Sword seeks a strong husband, a man worth his sword arm," she says, "If I could defy my nature, I would not burden you like this. A broken blade like me is no good to you."

”Well, as I mentioned before, you can feel free to dine on my energy to restore your strength and repair your body as needed.” Carroll would feel any barrier or resistance Shizuka put upon his chi had significantly lifted. This would thus allow for optimal chi absorption, which would hopefully improve Carroll’s condition. Due to the swordsman’s strength, perhaps it would not only heal here, but increase her strength by at least a few spades.

"I'm still wearing her face, though," Carroll says, "That's cruel to you and your memories."

”In a vacuum, that would be true. However, it's just an ability you have that you didn't ask for, and it wouldn't be right for me to hold it against you.” He said, trying to ease her apprehension.

”You know, even now I still haven't really gotten over her death. Instead, I've let it lead my life up until now. I've tried to tell myself that if I save enough lives, the gods may take pity on me and allow me to be by her side again when my time comes.” He gently caressed Carroll's cheek as he spoke. ”Instead of serving the political interests of disgruntled and power hungry men, I would wield my blade to defend the peace of civil affairs. Perhaps then, I could find some value in my blood-drenched life. Perhaps, you having her face serves as a reminder that she will always be with me, along with the time we spent together. If seeing her face causes me pain, it just means that something in me needs to be addressed.”

Shizuka brought Carroll in close for a small embrace, but did nothing at first. He wanted the choice to be hers, so he would allow her to begin when she was willing and ready.

"This face is not a permanent affair. It will change... for better and for worse..." Carroll says, "But, if it can bring you peace... " Carroll pecked his cheek, stealing bits of energy with her lips, "Well, at least, I can manage that much with countdown on my head."

It had been some time ago since the ronin had felt the romantic touch of another, not since Yurika in fact. He had nearly forgotten how it felt, having pushed all of those past feelings into the background. Lightly chuckling, he gently pulled his cheek back from Carroll for a moment.

”Carroll.” He whispered, ”You won't be able to fill up on energy like that.”

He then quickly brought her in, planting his lips on hers. Now having her locked, he meant for her to indulge herself a little more than with some tiny sips.

Shocked, for the first time in shy of a half-millennial, Carroll took the hint in earnest, and slipped her arms around him, as her tail coiled around his legs - since he was allowing her to be wrapped around his body. Gazing at him, face-to-face, the Cursed Sword smirks, "Itadakimasu~"


After a little while, he looked down at her eye-to-eye.

”You…feeling any better?”

"Right as rain," Carroll says, before chirping, "darling~!" and giving Shizuka a quirky, cute smile.

For a moment, Carroll was hesitant to feel like she did, but, no-one would know, no damage would be done; her scent would long wash off Shizuka by time they returned home, and their dalliance would be a fond memory.

That was the right way of things.

She was sure of that much. It would be foolish to think she'd make it beyond this moment.

”It’s my pleasure to be of help.” He said. With a grunt he got up. ”Do you need to rest a moment?” He looked over toward the direction of the pier again. ”I’d say normally the shore would be a good place to wash up, but perhaps we should find a spring or river along the way back to the temple.” He looked himself over for a moment, making a grim face at the amount of dirt and foliage that was now stuck to his clothes. ”Once again, my favorite haori suffers…”

With a sigh, he casts a bit of water magic that swirls around him for a little bit, washing away the grime and broken leaves. While it was now a bit cleaner, it was now dripping wet. He elected to simply take it off and wear it over his shoulder. With his black robe top now visible, the tone contours of his frames were now on display. Despite his slender body, Shizuka was surprisingly cut, though if one took into account his trade it would be par for the course.

”Before coming here, I went on a mission with Io-san and Yuki-chan, and we had recruited Kazennosuke to our cause. He’s a powerful swordsman and another ally of Takeshi-dono. He’ll no doubt be a great help.”

Picking his shikomizue up, he placed it by his side, then walked back over to Carroll. ”But, enough about that. Let’s head back, shall we?” He then blushed for a moment, nervously scratching his cheek. ”Also, uh, wanted to say…thank you. I…much enjoyed our little…moment.”

"Don’t we still have an entire mission to accomplish, though," Carroll asks, "That whole swordsman on the beach thing?" Carroll rose up, sitting on her coiled tail, as she fixed her kimono; giving Shizuka a little show, before she stowed the goods away. "As for rest, I don’t get exhausted. I just mimic whatever the form I’m in should do. I can go eternally, however," she says, smirking. "In all manner of sword fighting."

Carroll pulled her obi tight, and looked to the shoreline, and the dock as a whole. "You don’t have to thank me," she says. "This was a welcomed dalliance. Perspective." Carroll’s expression was somber, speaking volumes in-between her spoken words. "Wonderful, I’d say. You’ll make a fine husband one day," she says, before setting off. "...hm."

Whatever Carroll intended to say, she left to die on her lips, as she made her way back to the docks. It had been an eventful day, to say the least, but she needed to be realistic. Shizuka was not hers, he had far more sensible prospects back at Terauchi Temple.

A doddering crone like Io.

A flighty disaster like Lunatea.

Even a hotheated wind-bag like Kerry.

At least, they had more to offer; sense and security.

A man like Shizuka didn’t need a second sword.

”Ah, yes.” He responded to Carroll reminding him of why she and Alice came out here in the first place. He chuckled a bit as the weapon brought attention to her assets. Telling him that he’d make a fine husband, she slithered away back to the pier and her host. It seemed her strength had been restored to the point where Alice was once again bound to her will.

Shizuka stood there, pondering on various thoughts that whirled around in his head. He never once thought that he'd end up copulating with a weapon of all things, one that took the form of his dead lover. It was, of course, more nuanced than that. A gentle breeze had blown, and Shizuka looked in the direction the wind was blowing as leaves sailed along the current. He took one last look at her as she made to leave. ”Take care on your mission, Carroll. See you soon.”

He then began walking off back to the temple, thinking it’d be best to regroup with the others. As he walked, a lite smile was on the swordsman’s face. It was a strange feeling, like a lingering darkness that had plagued the back of his heart had been lifted, if only even slightly. Yurika. I know that you’ll always be with me. I won’t hide from my feelings anymore. More importantly, I know that I cannot do everything on my own, and I will cherish the comrades I’ve made. I will rely on them, as they rely on me. So rest, my beloved, his listless wanderer will continue on in this turbulent era and I’ll save as many lives as I am able.

”Thank you, Carroll.” He made one last utterance, as he walked off on the horizon.

"Baka... I said, don't thank me..." Carroll sighed, once Shizuka was long out of earshot, as he bade her farewell and good luck. Luck wasn't something she needed, but a miracle, and that wasn't something she deserved. Despite the strength returned, the hold she had over Alice was fragile, and would shattered in due time, if stressed.

At the very least, she could be shattered with somewhat of an absolved soul - her blade had guided Shizuka to some form of peace with himself and his past, but looking into the water, she only saw the sad face of a woman that meant nothing to her.

"Would revenge even soothe my soul at this point," Carroll asks.


Gasping, Carroll turned back; baring her bladed fingers to slice through Alice -- only for nothing to be there.

Alice was still at the docks, tiddy sandwiching Liliana.

"This is bad..."

She was in Her head, now.

"...I'm sorry, Shizuka. Your lover is going to die twice..."

Steeling herself, figuratively, Carroll readied to head back to Alice.


”What do you mean, Carroll? I said that I would protect you, didn’t I?” The Cursed Weapon would turn to find Shizuka standing right behind her. ”From the way you spoke, you assured me that you were fine and that you had things under control here.”

He walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. ”But, your chi tells me a different story. It’s almost like you’re preparing yourself for a death on the battlefield. Listen. I can understand why Alice would bear animosity towards you, and she perhaps deserves some form of retribution for it. But, I’d say the retribution can simply come in the form of living her own life, on her terms. There’s no need for you to suffer anymore.”

"WAH!" Carroll yelped, as she turned around - AGAIN - and nearly beheaded Shizuka before stopping herself with her tail. "Why would you sneak up on me!?"

”We’d often tease each other during our leisurely time. This was my method.” Shizuka responded with a smirk, not minding the tail inches away from his neck. ”You know, I thought about heading back to the temple and taking you with me. But, it seems you’re dead set on this mission. So, as the captain of the taskforce, I’m taking it upon myself to supervise the operation on Hama Island. Sounds good to you?”

Carroll puffed her cheeks up - embarrassed, indignant, and annoyed, and obviously smitten and pleased.

"Just don't get in the way, baka..." she huffed, turning to tsundere her way back to Alice and Liliana.

”I’ll maintain a light hand, Carroll. Worry not.” He replied. He followed right behind the cursed blade, chuckling lightly. He was amused that while she acted irritated, she obviously was hiding her delight at the sentiment.

"Callooh, Callay, O’ frabjous day..." Alice purred, as she kneaded Lilianna playfully between her breasts. "Soon... Soon..." she purred, turning to look at the approaching Cursed Sword and Samurai with a glowing, blue eye, "Off with her head..."

Smiling, Alice’s blue eye return to red, and she continued to tease and torment her unofficial Bladerflower.