Seiki knew a haunted house when he saw one. Tucked between two moss-covered boulders at the bottom of a steep rocky valley, the black-roofed residence looked as if it was slowly being swallowed by the Earth. Only half its front gate was still standing, the other half now a pile of rotting wood in an overgrown patch of grass to the side that might have once been a garden. Shredded strips of paper covered the ground at the entrance, looking suspiciously like Spirit Wards meant to prevent evils from emerging but which had been torn to bits by the things they were meant to contain. “This is the place?” Seiki grimaced as a timely wind blew across the bottom of the valley, eliciting a creaky groan from the house. “I thought we were going to be fighting demons.” It was what Kiku had implied when she had invited him to come along, and the reason why he had equipped his Hikari and not his newly acquired Asateru. The ghastly sight, perhaps unsurprisingly, had the completely opposite effect on Mairin [Level 17]. “Well, this certainly doesn’t look like a Demonic Clan lair. So it’s not a dungeon, you said?” The kitsune turned to ask her friend. “It’s more of a, uh… trial?” said Kiku of the White Crane Order [Level 28]. “And Hiro told me to use as many Shinshioka pieces as possible, to up the chance for…” She gave a casual shrug. “Well, I’ve never done this either, so I’m not entirely sure.” Seiki had a feeling the obake girl knew more than she was letting on, but Kiku had been tight- lipped about their exact goal. She was serious about Shinshioka gear, however, and had all slots equipped with Shogun-issued pieces, some of which were from a lower-level set to make up for the pieces she had not collected, and so he trusted that she knew what she was doing. The residence was fifteen minutes east of Shinshioka, hidden in a Wilderness corner Seiki was sure he would never be able to find again. Even Kiku had had to consult her hand-drawn map several times before they managed to locate the obscure mountain path that led to it. “We’re trying to get what again?” asked Mairin. A mysterious smile crept onto Kiku’s face. “Loot.” “And for some reason you need to have Shogun-issued Shinshioka Army gear stuff?” Mairin let out a short breath. “I can get more this afternoon once I get the troops unlocked. Seiki, you’re showing me where to go, right?” “Of course.” Seiki grinned. Curiosity was indeed a powerful motivator. Both Mairin and Kentaro had agreed to start getting their troops ready, if only to tackle the mystery of the alleged hidden demon door in Kitane Keep. “About time,” said Kiku, a knowing half-smile on her face. A look passed between her and Mairin that Seiki had no idea how to interpret, but the kitsune chose not to follow up on the topic and instead turned her attention to her equipped weapon. “Now I only have this light pearl thingy that the Shogun gave me a long time ago. Is it gonna work?” “You can try,” said Kiku. “But I don’t think it’s enough and whatever’s in there is probably going to kill you.” “You mean the ghost can try.” Mairin giggled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “We’re talking about Tier Two Evader here.” Seiki blinked. “You mean you leveled the - never mind.” He sighed as the white fox disappeared through the crack in the front door. “Don’t look at me.” Kiku laughed. “She hasn’t told me either. But, yeah, some of our clan mates have managed to level their Path already. Mostly Crafters. If you have the [Demonsbane] Element and the [Shinshioka Patriot] one I’d use those, but honestly I don’t think it matters that much.” Following the end of the Festival, there were endless theories about how the new Path system worked and where to get quests to start leveling a specific Path, but the Society was yet to publish an official guide. Seiki was currently using his [Loreseeker] Element in combination with [Demonsbane], but to further the conversation would likely lead to the question of where he had got the former element in the first place, so he simply nodded. As they made their way toward the entrance, Seiki was not surprised to feel the temperature drop by a few degrees the closer the were to the house. Behind the broken front panels lay a long, cold, empty wood corridor that greeted them with the smell of old dust. “This is going to be a maze, isn’t it?” said Seiki as his eyes adjusted enough to make out a wall of shoji panels. Unsurprisingly, Mairin was already nowhere to be found in the dim shadows within the passageway. “I guess so.” Kiku grabbed her black and red wand and gave it a little wave as if to test it out, which Seiki guessed was her official Shinshioka Army weapon which she had not used in a while. “To be honest, I have a bad feeling about this place.” “Me, too.” Seiki looked around. From where he was, he spotted four shoji rooms, marked by carved handholds on the sliding panels. Directly in front of him was the biggest of them, occupying a total width of eight panels, flanked by a smaller room on each side. Another sliding panel blocked the right-hand end of the corridor, which seemed to wrap around the building and presumably led to more inner chambers. “Any method to this at all?” “Hiro said the layout of the house is different every time, so I guess we should just wander.” Kiku paused for a moment. “Allegedly the challenge will… find you.” The ominous comment at the end was barely a raspy whisper, which was most likely not in Kiku’s voice at all. Feeling an inexplicable chill, Seiki whipped his head around to find himself alone in an abandoned corridor. “Of course, perfect timing on the instancing,” Seiki muttered, and was suddenly made acutely aware of his own obtrusive presence in the house by the absolute silence that immediately descended. Deciding not to wait for the challenge to discover him, he reached for the closest door. Seiki braced himself for a nasty surprise as his fingers touched the cold wood on the handhold. The door slid open smoothly. Nothing jumped out from the darkness behind it. Following was a brief moment of apprehensive stillness before the panel hit the end of the railing with a distinctive clack loud enough to announce the intrusion to the whole house. Seiki held his breath. Still, nothing moved, and he paused to let his eyes adjust further. The opening had lent the room enough light to show the furnishings in a grayish hue. The space appeared to be a sitting room, very much like how a clan would design their ground- floor reception hall, with floor cushions laid out on tatami mat around a lacquered wooden floor table. Along the far and right walls were low display shelves, occupied by simple, elegant ceramic containers. Large calligraphic scrolls decorated the walls, which to Seiki’s untrained eyes seemed to hold an impressive amount of artistic value. The left-hand panels bore paintings of flying cranes and gilded pine trees. That was when it struck Seiki what was odd about the place. Despite the shabby outward appearance, the interior was immaculately kept. Rubbing his fingers together, he found no trace of dust from where he had touched the door earlier. The owner was wealthy. And they were still there. Another clack sounded from somewhere to his left. Seiki spun around, his ears quickly judging its source. Someone, or something, had entered the room adjacent to the one he was in. A second later, faint whisperings followed: a rhythmic shhh-shhh-shhh of something dragging lightly across the dry floor. Seiki held his breath, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword. The sound grew louder as it proceeded deeper into the next room, the shhh-shhh-shhh hissing steadily at the speed of cautious footsteps, perhaps from shuffling socks, perhaps from long kimono sleeves on the tatami mat, perhaps from something worse that he did not want to imagine. It stopped abruptly as if in response to having been noticed. Now that it was close enough, Seiki could pinpoint its exact location. Whatever had entered was now right behind the middle of the left- hand wall, behind two symmetrical painted dancing cranes. It took Seiki a moment to realize there were carved handholds on the panels where the birds’ black beaks touched: there was a door there that he had previously missed. Tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, Seiki waited for the inhabitant to come through the sliding door. The panels gave a shrill squeak as they cracked an inch apart. Seiki tensed, his Hikari half-drawn, but the doors moved no further. Between the panels was a strip of impenetrable darkness from the room beyond. He waited, straining his ears for clues of what could be there, but the commotion had ceased. The next ten seconds passed in a state of perfect stillness. Perhaps the inhabitant was waiting for him to make the first move. Or perhaps it had already left after spying on the visitor. Seiki decided it was a better idea to face the challenge now than prolonging the potentially endless game of hide-and-seek. Drawing a deep breath, he strode forward and pushed the panel to the side. From the way it had creaked earlier, Seiki had expected the panel to be stiff. Instead, door slid open with surprising ease. The polished wood frame slipped out of his hand from the excessive force, grabbing the subsequent stacking panels with it as it traveled the whole length of the railing to open the space into a large L-shaped room. The familiar clack from the end of the railing rang out in the watchful silence of the house. Nothing moved within the vicinity. In front of him appeared to be a small pantry, with two large wooden tubs for storage lined up next to a wooden cabinet. In the corner was perhaps a floor stove, cold and covered with a piece of cloth. Feeling oddly exposed in the extra space that had appeared, Seiki moved closer to the pantry as he continued to study the additional room. The left-hand wall had yet another door panel that presumably led back to the front corridor. This maze was going to take a while to navigate. From behind him, a gust of cold wind blew, followed by an inverted clack as the door suddenly released. Seiki spun around, his heart jumping to his throat. The whole wall was sliding back, slamming shut to him in the new pantry room. The room was still empty. Another quick glance around showed nothing else but the storage tubs and the cool dark coal stove. There was no window that could have let in the air current, let alone one that could have moved a door panel sideways. He tried the sliding panel again. As expected, it no longer budged. “Of course.” Seiki could not help noting his growing unease. Perhaps the house would slowly lead intruders deeper and deeper into it, until it was impossible to escape and the challenge decided it was time to show itself. On the bright side, at least there was an obvious path forward and he would not be stuck walking in circles. Seiki turned to find the other door that would lead back to the main hallway. “Maybe it’s all-” A white face was staring at him, a woman’s face, floating in the middle of the empty space where the door panel had been a second ago. Seiki’s brain vaguely registered the lack of a body below it as his unfinished sentence died in his throat. The face was thickly powdered, making it difficult to guess her age. Long black hair hung from both sides of her head, the end lay in hapless swirls on the floor. The head moved forward for a closer look at him, dragging her loose hair over the tatami with a frizzled shhh. A part of Seiki wanted to laugh at the obvious jump scare, but he found no real amusement in the sight. His hand was halfway to the hilt of his sword when the blood-red lips parted. “Lost, young man?” The woman’s voice was strangely low, civil, through a little strained. Her expression hinted at displeasure but did not bear overt hostility. Seiki let his hand rest on the hilt of the Hikari as he recovered his breath. Perhaps what could talk could be reasoned with. “Uh… not exactly.” “Not very polite coming in uninvited, don’t you think? And I very much prefer that door closed. This room isn’t meant for guests to see.” The woman’s head glided closer, her eyes narrowing, her hair eliciting another chilly shhh as it dragged across the floor. Seiki unconsciously took a step backward. “I was-” Seiki swallowed the rest of his words as he saw that she was not a disembodied head after all. The back of the head was connected to a long white neck that had extended all the way around the corner and through the door, very much like a milky serpent, except for a lack of scales. The surface of the neck was pale skin all the way, along with a line of thin human hair along whole length of the nape. Seiki suppressed an involuntary shiver at the unsightly proportions. “My go-shujin-sama is no longer here, but don’t think I allow these petty intrusions.” The woman’s voice tightened. The neck extended forward, raising like a snake preparing to strike. Seiki was about to draw his Hikari when the woman suddenly blinked, the suspicion on her face replaced by curiosity. “Shinshioka soldier, are we?” Her eyes darted up and down, taking note of his half-complete Shinshioka Army gear set. Eventually her gaze settled on the sheathed Hikari on his waist. “My go-shujin-sama did have some connection with the Shogun’s army.” Her voice softened as she sank into thoughtful contemplation. “And he did have a fondness for all things related to it, despite my warning. I take it that you’re looking for something here?” She took a moment to decide before nodding. “Many young soldiers had come to him looking for counsel. You could say he had quite a following. Come with me.” Her head started to retreat backward out the way she had come in. “Name?” “Seiki.” “Rank?” It was Seiki’s turn to blink. He never thought it mattered outside War Games. “First-rank Unit Chief.” The woman raised her eyebrows. “Not bad for someone your age. You must have seen combat, have you? Now are you coming along or are you just going to stand there and stare?” Seiki reminded his feet to move. “Sorry. It’s just… So this is the, uh, challenge?” He could not break his gaze from the disturbing motion of the head retreating through the door. “A challenge? Yes, it’s an incredibly bothersome challenge for me to keep you unruly folks from wandering in.” The woman let out an annoyed grunt. “Although I suppose I can make exceptions for my go-shujin-sama’s… followers.” “I’m not sure if-” “Ah, say no more.” A knowing smile lit up on her lips. “I know Lord Ojima punishes you simply for visiting. Don’t worry, no one will hear about this.” Deciding he should simply play along, Seiki said nothing else as he followed his host down the corridor. “My late go-shujin-sama served the Lord Shogun, too, you see.” The woman let out a sigh. “Not this one. The previous one, or, well, perhaps the one before that. It’s hard to tell now that I’ve stopped caring about politics. He never had any official rank, but he was a respectable counselor. The Lord Shogun listened to him. You’ve been to the Lord Shogun’s court, yes?” “Uh… yes…” Seiki was not sure if getting weekly Missions counted. “I’d stay out of it as much as possible if I were you.” Seiki took the opportunity to study her label. Rokurokubi Lady [Level Unknown] The label did not reveal much, but without a health bar it was clear she was not going to turn on him just yet. Seiki wondered if she would turn out to be a human-headed serpent. It was entirely bizarre following the unusual host through the house from one room to another as the Rokurokubi Lady continued to make casual conversation as if not aware at all that there was anything abnormal about her appearance. Seiki noted expensive decorations on the walls, and the fact that inner part of the house seemed to be in a much better condition than the entrance, but mostly he found it impossible to draw his gaze away from the head. They eventually reached their destination: a window less room in the deepest part of the residence. Several shelves on one end full of scrolls and bound documents denoted it as a study. On the side of the room were several storage chests, covered with a large piece of canvas. Sitting on a floor cushion in the middle of the room, hands on lap, was a body clad in a dark purple patterned kimono. The head, pulled back by the shortening neck, eventually settled back on its shoulders, and his host suddenly transformed into a completely ordinary lady of good breeding. “This was where he worked,” said the woman, a hint of nostalgic warmth in her tone as she saw Seiki looking around. “Those chests hold many a precious research document. His life’s work. He was making advanced discoveries, too, but then… then the curse took us.” She sighed and shook her head. “The curse?” Seiki wondered if she meant her current state. His host ignored the question and she reached into her long sleeve to retrieve a small wooden box as she continued making small talk. “By the way, has war broken out yet? Never mind. Of course, it has. Terrible business. Just as I told my go-shujin-sama. You see, he never wanted to get involved with any of that. He was beyond petty politics. All he was ever interested in was the arts.” Her eyes suddenly twinkled as she laid the wooden box down on the floor in front of her and slid the lid open. “This kind of art.” Gray smoke poured out from the container, the thick fume appearing nearly liquid as it formed into a small pool on the tatami floor. Then it started to rise, building layers on top of itself as it raised off the mat. For a brief moment, it reminded Seiki of his Enenra Bonfire. From the dark column of smoke, two red-glowing eyes suddenly snapped opened. A hideous screech filled the room. Seiki’s instinct told him to draw his weapon, but the smoke dispersed just then, revealing a black bird hovering in the air. Roughly the size and shape of a raven, its wings flapped noisily as its cunning red demon-like eyes stared at him. “One of his toys.” The Rokurokubi Lady smiled fondly at the bird as she held out her arm, letting the bird settle on her kimonoed wrist. “Delightful, is it not?” Not quite sharing her sentiment, Seiki gave a noncommittal grunt and focused on its label. Yamikarasu [Rank 9 Demon]. HP 961/961. The information baffled him. “So it is a demon? And… a ranked demon?” The woman made no acknowledgement of his comment. “Not everyone approved of his creations. They called it evil arts, called him terrible names, accused him of atrocious things. Luckily the Lord Shogun was wise and put an end to all the gossip.” A smile touched her lips again. “How about this, Seiki? You fend off three attacks by my Yamikarasu and I’ll have a gift for you.” Seiki blinked, feeling unexpected relief. “Okay, so this is it. This is the challenge.” The woman smiled. “I suppose you can call it that.” Seiki nodded as he eyed the bird again. The task sounded deceptively simple. The Yamikarasu had barely a third of his health, and while Seiki had never encountered a Rank 9 demon, it was as low as a single-digit rank could be. “How… uh, serious will these attacks be?” “Oh, it’s going to try to kill you, of course,” said the Rokurokubi Lady casually. “As you can see, it’s not a common raven and therefore not bound by normal animal instincts… like self- preservation and things like that.” Seiki was starting to suspect a catch. “So, the challenge is to fend off three attacks… as in not getting hit at all or-” “You’re permitted to continue through injuries. As long as you’re alive when you’ve managed fend off three attacks, I’ll consider it your victory.” Somehow the clarification worried Seiki even more. There was definitely a catch somewhere, unless this was simply an easy reward for those who chose to explore the untrodden paths of the Wilderness. “You said fend off, so I suppose dodging doesn’t count?” “No.” The Rokurokubi Lady shook her head. “The attack must be stopped without you taking any damage.” Seiki glanced around. “Should we maybe try this outside?” It was not only because he hated fighting in a limited space but also because he was sure the place would be thrashed in a matter of seconds. His host laughed. “Don’t worry, young man. My go-shujin-sama mastered many kinds of arts. He was also a powerful enchanter, you see. Nothing you or this little Yamikarasu can do can leave the tiniest scratch on anything in this room.” Her expression suddenly turned grim, as her patience started to run out. “Draw your weapon to start.” You have entered the Koketani Rokurokubi Lady’s trial. You have 15 minutes to complete the trial. Leaving the area will result in the abandoning of the trial. With the notification giving him some peace of mind, Seiki studied the raven again. The best- case scenario would be if he could just Parry the attack three times. Predicting the angle of the attack might be a challenge, but Parry was quite lenient when it came to precision. As long as the bird’s single attack did not have the potential to be fatal, it would be quite simple. “One way to find out.” The raven launched into the air as soon as Seiki’s hand touched the hilt of his sword. A shrill screech escaped its beak as it shot at him, gleaming black talons outstretched. Seiki pulled up his Hikari to Parry, shifting his grip on the hilt as the blade left its scabbard. The impact flashed silver as metal met sharp claws. First attack fended off! Two more left! Despite the ordinary speed of attack, the force of the blow was unexpectedly strong. The bird seemed to weigh a hundred times more than it looked. Seiki grunted as he strained his arms against the force of the impact, and was hardly surprised when his energy drained to zero. “Tricky, isn’t it?” said the Rokurokubi Lady sympathetically. Seiki was not sure if she had meant the comment for him or the bird. Another notification followed: You are now affected by the Yamikarasu’s Curse of Forgotten Talent. Parry is unavailable for the next fifteen minutes. What followed felt nothing like a normal ability on lockout. It was as if a thin layer of smoke had wrapped itself around his contact points, preventing him from pulling energy through them. Seiki grimaced at the strangely sickening sensation that accompanied the condition as another realization dawned on him. Normally he was allowed another free Parry at the expense of letting his weapon go flying. With this unorthodox lockout smoke, he had no idea if that would even work at all. The raven screeched again as it took another dive at him, and Seiki leapt to the side, jumping twice over the storage chests in the way as he looked for a better position. “That one doesn’t count,” said the Rokurokubi Lady. “I know,” Seiki muttered, his eyes fixed on the bird, all his sense on guard now that he knew the bird was much more lethal than it looked. He still had several more tools in his arsenal, and he was not yet worried. Continuing its attacks, the bird feinted once, twice, swooping close by changing its course at the last second as it perhaps tried to bait him into spending his charging energy. Seiki stood and waited, his sword held out forward with both hands, suddenly thankful for how small the area of effect of some of his abilities were, since it had trained him to be very precise in his reaction time. As the Yamikarasu finally came within range, Seiki activated Blood Rush for a new bout of energy as he stabbed down his Hikari in a Vertical Spike. True to what the lady of the house had claimed, instead of piercing the mat, the tip of the silver blade came to a stop a hair’s breadth above the tatami floor. The effect, however, fired, cutting short the raven’s screech as it froze it in place. The bird hung in midair for a split second, before dropping listlessly to the floor like a stuffed specimen. The Rokurokubi Lady gasped in alarm, deep concern taking over her expression, but the raven recovered as soon as the two-second stun expired. Beating its wings angrily, it leapt into the air once more. Second attack fended off! One more left! You are now affected by the Yamikarasu’s Curse of Forgotten Talent. Vertical Spike is unavailable for the next fifteen minutes. The bird had taken no damage. Its eyes burned bright crimson as it charged again, filling the room with a shrill cry. Seiki turned to let loose a Slide toward the edge of the room. He knew he still had several options. His Crimsonfire Tekko would most likely break the attack, and the Shussebora Protection of the Sea shield would most likely allow him to strike the bird out of the air with his bare hand, but there was something else he wanted to try first. Running to the side of the room, he reached down to grab the edge of one of the silk coverings on top of the nearest storage chest. The pale yellow cloth flapped as he spun around and cast it like a fishing net over the demonic bird. Linking another Slide into one motion, he burst in the opposite direction, letting go of his sword and grabbing other edges of the cloth, before bundling it up like a sack. The bird struggled wildly, yanking left and right, its claws and beak scraping harmlessly against the silk. Third attack fended off! You have completed the Rokurokubi Lady’s challenge. Speak to her to proceed. The Rokurokubi Lady had a thoughtful expression on her face as Seiki handed trapped bird back to her. “That was interesting,” she said as she carefully loosened her grip on the mouth of the makeshift bag, letting the Yamikarasu transform back into thick gray smoke and snake through the opening toward its original wooden box. The lid slid shut with a tiny click, and the woman returned the box to her sleeve. Her eyes were still on Seiki. “You had other skills you could have used.” “Yeah-” “Was my raven not worthy of your sword?” Seiki hesitated. “Well, you seemed to care a lot about it. I didn’t want to… I mean, we can go again if you’re not happy.” The Rokurokubi Lady started laughing. “Says someone who Parried with the flat side of his sword. I can’t say I have seen that before.” Seiki blinked. “I suppose I did.” Demon or not, the raven was clearly a pet. The woman smiled. “Sit down, Seiki. I have something for you.” From her sleeve, she produced a small ceramic bottle, which she set on the floor between them. “You could call this a byproduct of my go-shujin-sama’s pastime.” Light-infused Choji Oil [Temporary Item Enhancement]. Applying the solution to a named weapon allows it to gain the Light-infused property for five minutes or until it has dealt damage equal to the user’s maximum health, whichever condition is met first. May only be used on named weapons. Can stack up to twelve times. This item is personal and may not be sold or traded. Seiki stared at the unexpected gift, several connections clicking in his head regarding why Kiku had insisted on him coming here for this challenge. “This means I can use my-” “There’s more.” His host interrupted him with a smile as she reached into her sleeve again for another item: a slim paper scroll, which she set down carefully next to the ceramic bottle. “And this is for showing me something new. Call this a little extra gift from me… for a kind soul.” Jihi Seal of Temporary Lenience. For the next ninety seconds, the user takes 90% less damage. Dealing any direct damage to an enemy or player cancels the effect. Requires an Enhancement Slot or a Free Slot and overrides any existing skills or modifications in the Slot. The Seal can only be used once and disintegrates upon expiry of effect. Seiki studied the item, for a moment not sure of its value. It offered near invincibility for ninety seconds, but was extremely expensive to use, as it meant sacrificing some other thing important enough to have gone into a Slot in the first place. “Thank you.” He looked up at his host, deciding that there were more significant matters to ask. “About your Yamikarasu-” “Ah, that’s one of my go-shujin-sama’s most well-kept secrets.” The Rokurokubi Lady’s eyes twinkled as her red lips curled into a mysterious smile. “Let’s wait till we’re more acquainted before we broach that subject, shall we? This isn’t really a good time.” Her meaning became apparent a second later when footsteps came bounding down the hallway. Seiki turned to look as the door slid open, admitting Mairin and Kiku, both of whom appeared flushed with excitement. “Did you get it?” asked Kiku. “Never mind. You’re here and not in the graveyard, so I of course you beat the challenge.” Seiki nodded. “So what’s this mystery reward?” asked Mairin. Neither of them showed any sign of acknowledgement of the Rokurokubi Lady, and Seiki glanced back at her, only to find an empty space where she had been a few seconds ago. “Oh, yeah, the room moves when the challenge is over,” said Kiku before he could ask. “It puts you back at the exit near the front door.” “That’s convenient.” Seiki placed the Rokurokubi Lady’s gifts on the floor for his friends to look at. He looked around again, and guessed there was a good reason why the study did not have a window. Mairin plopped down for a closer look at the rewards. “This Seal. The game knows what you need, doesn’t it? I mean, with all the people trying to kill you recently.” Seiki chuckled. “I suppose so.” “But both single-use items?” said the kitsune uncertainly. “It’s nice, but, you know, single-use.” “It’s farmable,” said Kiku. “Not sure about the Seal, but definitely the Choji Oil, yes. Hiro has a small collection, and he likes to use it on the last boss of Amato Pass. It significantly cuts down the time when you can use your own sword, you know, especially with his new lockout-reducing Enhance that basically one-shots the demon healers.” Seiki looked at the obake girl. He had not mentioned Asateru. Nor did he have it equipped. But then again loot logs were public, and there was no doubt Kiku had brought him here to give him access to this particular item. “Which reminds me to try the last door combination,” said Mairin casually. “I want to see the ghost. I could hear her going around the house and the doors kept changing, but I’m sure there’s a pattern to it.” Kiku laughed. “I don’t think it’s a puzzle. She only talks to Shinshioka soldiers.” “Well, we’ll see.” Mairin giggled. “Be right back.” The kitsune disappeared out the door as Kiku continued to explain. “The ghost lady pops up for you again every new moon. Since time goes about three times as fast in here, that’s about ten irl days. The challenges are different every time, and for the first four or five times you do it, I think she gives you a Choji Oil. At least that’s what Hiro-” “You know, you don’t have to keep doing this,” said Seiki. “I really appreciate you telling me about this place and I’ll definitely be back, but you don’t need to try to make up for what happened at the White Crane Hall. That was a long time ago. It’s really okay.” “Oh, don’t worry. I swear this isn’t another recruitment attempt.” Kiku grinned, before her expression turned serious. “I have an important question for you.” “Yeah?” “You remember the named Pottery scroll?” Seiki nodded. “Of course.” “We’re going to try to get it again. We managed to get the exact same treasure poem, so we’re running the Temple again and maybe it will still be there. This time, I’ll immediately learn the skill as soon as we get the scroll, so no safety box, no surprise ambush.” Seiki took a moment to parse the onslaught of information. “Yeah, I got Pottery to Level 30.” Kiku let out a pained laugh. “But it’s worth it if we can get to the bottom of this. This time it’s going to be just hime-sama, Hiro and me, and maybe you, if you want to come. Ippei’s welcome as well if you want to tell him. I already asked Mairin, and she told me to ask you first, since she didn’t want to, well, influence your decision in case you might… never mind. You see, we’re even keeping Fuyu out of it and didn’t go through Ichikeya.” “Where did you get the poem from?” “Hime-sama found an… alternative source-“ “Is it Gin of the East City Bandits?” Seiki blurted out. Kiku’s eyes widened and she stared at him for a moment. “How did you know?” Seiki suddenly started laughing, not sure what he felt was relief or misgivings. “It was a hunch. It’s like when you’re feeling along a tangled cable and you can’t find exactly where the knot is.” A tiny smile was already blooming on Kiku’s face. “I take that as a yes?” “It’s a yes.” Seiki nodded. “Not Tuesday, but any time after that.” “How wonderful, Seiki-san.” Kiku brightened. “It’s settled then. Now are you gonna show me your brand new fancy named sword so I can tell Hiro I’ve seen it? It wasn’t Mairin who told me, by the way. She’s very protective of your privacy. The record was up for a few hours, until someone wiped it off both your log and the sword’s item log. And… from your reaction I suppose it wasn’t you or anyone you know?” Seiki groaned. “Well, it could have been the Socie- okay, never mind.” He shook his head as he forced himself to accept the fact he had been trying to avoid thinking about. Everyone who made it their business to know what his was up to already knew. A small smile lifted the corner of Kiku’s mouth, amused, sympathetic, but most of all intrigued. “That’s some real messy cable, huh?” Seiki returned a smile as he looked at her. “Maybe we’ll finally find the first knot when you get your Pottery scroll.”
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