Sureiyazu

Episode 57: Link

Aya finished reading the letter out loud to everyone around the table. 

"Then we'd better go," said Akuma finally. 

The Sureiyazu exchanged glances and headed out. 

~~~

This time, as the four traveled along the road alone in silence, it was not with relief, but with uneasiness. 

"Why do you think she asked for us to go alone?" Akuma asked. 

"Yeah, I don't see why she cares what kind of help we have as long as the job gets done," said Kasai. 

"I would guess that it is a test of some kind," Aya thought out loud. "To see if we are as good as they say we are." 

"Duh," said Yuri. "We'll ace it." 

"Yeah," Akuma agreed after a moment, but it was mostly to convince herself. 

~~~

Clouds hung low and grey over the mountain. 

"They should have received the letter by now, Captain," said the soldier, to punctuate the silence. Rin had a habit of sitting on the balcony and looking at the sky for long periods of time, with seemingly no notice of the weather, no matter how cold. 

"Good," Rin answered simply. 

The soldier looked around to say something, her face growing redder each moment she wasted. "Do you really think they'll make it? That's a very important mission you've entrusted them with. We had the raid carefully planned out already." 

Rin looked annoyed, at best, at having been interrupted a second time. "I have faith in them. And if they fail, they were not worth the effort. Sukai will inform me if they die." 

The second-in-command was somewhat used to Rin's offhand mentions of death. "Forgive me for asking, Captain, but won't much of our plans be ruined if not even the Sureiyazu can handle a moderately powerful demon? What will we do against Sennome?" 

"We will slay it or die trying." 

"Of course." 

So there Rin sat, with her second-in-command beside her, for another full minute before this time Rin herself broke the silence. 

"I do hope they succeed." 

"So do I," the second-in-command agreed. "For the sake of Sekai. And our dignity." 

"For the sake of all three worlds," Rin said. "It's as my husband Hideyoshi used to say. Everything thrives on balance. No one world can become more powerful than the others without also destroying itself." 

"He was a man very wise beyond his age," said the second-in-command. "There wasn't a soldier in this army who didn't consider him their second father." 

Rin smiled slightly to herself in an uncharacteristic way, fiddling with her scarf - the last gift Hideyoshi had given her before his untimely death. "I don't need a Spirit Eye the way Akuma has to know that he is still with us, Michi." 

"Y-yes, Captain, I-I can feel it too," the second-in-command gushed, surprised at the fact that Rin had used her first name. 

"Do not act so flustered," Rin scolded fondly. "You've served the Army of Sekai well for ten years, since you were a child. I would practically consider you my own." 

"You do me too much honor, Captain." 

~~~

The next day, as the Sureiyazu were still away, the others were outside.