- Later that day... -
Chiyo brought Ei, Aether, and Paimon towards a location at the foot of Mount Yougou based on Ippei's description. After that, Chiyo excused herself and bid them a safe journey through the hideout that they found. The oni maiden is still worried about (Katsuo) and his extended absence isn't helping at all.
She decides to find him, starting by heading up the steps into the Grand Narukami Shrine where she thought (Katsuo) may be in after he declared his intention about questioning Miko. As she did, she came across Omura off all people. She waves at him to catch his attention.
Having noticed Chiyo, Omura gives her a bow. "Greetings, Lady Chiyo. Is there anything I can help you with?" He asks.
"Greetings to you, too, Omura. Is your master at the shrine right now?" Chiyo asks Omura who shakes his head.
"I'm afraid not, Lady Chiyo. I just left the shrine and I didn't see Master (Katsuo) there." Omura answers, much to Chiyo's confusion.
"What? Where did he go?" Chiyo asks him, practically demanding the answer.
"W-We're not sure, but he was heading east the last time we saw him when he jumped down from here." Omura would answer her question.
What could he be planning to do?
Chiyo's expression turns serious. (Katsuo) wouldn't leave like that without a good reason. Her mind wandered to the sword he wields, Kazemoya and thinks that it might be the reason for all of these. (Katsuo) must be stopped, whatever the terrible thing he might do. He must be in danger now... or he is the danger, she thinks to herself.
"Omura, find your fellows. Follow your master, tail him, and keep him from doing anything brash." Chiyo sternly instructs Omura who blinks at her sudden suggestion and serious tone.
"W-What? Why should we tail him?" Omura asks her, confused and concerned.
"Look, I can explain later, but right now, there is no time to lose." Chiyo says to him. Although she said those words, she decides to briefly explain what she meant anyways. "Your master might not be himself when you see him again. There's something going on with Kazemoya." She tells him, surprising the young enenra. "Kazemoya might be doing something to him. If you can, disarm him and get the blade out of his reach."
"But, we can't hope to fight him, Lady Chiyo! Even if we team up, he's far too powerful!" Omura says to her, worried and unable to believe that Chiyo is giving them such an outrageous instruction.
"I know, but all you have to do is get Kazemoya as far away from him as possible. You don't have to fight him directly." Chiyo tells him. She looks back at the entrance of the shrine, remembering her original intention in coming here. "Omura, see what you can do. Bring your fellows with you and catch up to (Katsuo) as soon as you can. I will catch up with you once I am done here." She instructs him again. Though Omura is still skeptical, he is now worried about the wellbeing of their master and agrees to help out.
"Understood. Once I have gathered the other three, we'll set out immediately." Omura says to Chiyo. He bows to her before leaving to fetch the other three disciples.
Chiyo watched him for a moment before entering the shrine. Unbeknownst to her, she is about to see something that she will never expect at all.
Stepping into the central area of the shrine, she finds Yae Miko speaking to a shrine maiden with noticeable white hair. However, Chiyo is quick to notice that the shrine maiden in white has ears and a rather fluffy tail reminiscent of those of kitsune. No. The woman is no simple shrine maiden, especially since there is a comforting aura that the oni maiden felt when her eyes looked at her.
Chiyo walks slowly while keeping her eyes on the white haired shrine maidens.
Miko notices Chiyo and her expression turned into that of surprise, obviously not expecting the oni maiden to visit so suddenly. She failed to anticipate that and so was not able to mask the white haired woman's signature in time. The woman looks behind her, curious about what Miko saw. To her surprise as well, she sees Chiyo, an old friend.
Chiyo's eyes widen at the sight. After looking at the woman carefully, she recognized her as one of her closest friends.
"S... Saiguu?" Chiyo murmurs, debating whether or not if her eyes are deceiving her.
Saiguu smiles as Chiyo slowly walks up them. Miko looks at Saiguu who nods, implying that it is fine — not that they can do anything about it now. Miko nods and the white kitsune turns back to the oni maiden.
"Yes, Chiyo. It is me." Saiguu replies to Chiyo.
In an instant, Chiyo threw herself at Saiguu and embraced her in a tight hold. So tight that Saiguu already is struggling to breathe.
"Ahh... C-Chiyo, you're holding maybe a little to hard..." Saiguu breathes out and Chiyo lets go, but not before holding the kitsune's arms. "Phew. You're still strong as ever, haha." She comments with a chuckle.
"S-Saiguu? Since when...?" Chiyo trails off, utterly confused but at the same time, she is beyond happy to see her again.
"Not long." Miko interjects, answering for Saiguu.
"Not long? How come you never told us about this, Miko?" Chiyo questions the Guuji. Saiguu holds her arms to get her attention.
"I told her to not to disclose my return just yet." Saiguu answers to Chiyo who then asks her why. "I had planned for something. It's for (Katsuo)." She replies.
"For (Katsuo)? What is it?" Chiyo inquires. Saiguu hesitates for a moment before answering.
"Chiyo... I was the one who unlocked the seal of Kazemoya." Saiguu admits. Upon hearing that, Chiyo stepped back two paces away from the kitsune. The eyes of the oni maiden had a glint of disbelief.
"W-What? You're the one who...?" Chiyo trails off, unable to believe that one of her closest friends is responsible for (Katsuo's) terrible predicament, and to think that a returned Saiguu of all people is responsible. "Why? Why did you do that? (Katsuo) is—"
"(Katsuo) will be fine." Saiguu reassures her. "He needs this."
"I don't understand. What does he need and why?" Chiyo questions Saiguu, slowly losing her trust to her friend.
"Power." Saiguu briefly answers. This silences Chiyo for she was not expecting that word.
Power? What does (Katsuo) need for power? He is already powerful enough that he was able fight toe to toe against the Raiden Shogun during the battle for Inazuma — it was even hypothesized that he can defeat Fatui Harbingers with ease. Why now?
"This doesn't make any sense..."
"It is a... precaution." Saiguu would respond. "We all know that (Katsuo) desires nothing more than to protect Inazuma. He sacrificed much — for me, for you, for everyone. Stubborn he may be, he must understand that he requires power once again."
"..." Chiyo stays silent, unable to reply.
This is practically forcing power onto him and Chiyo is very apprehensive about it. The requirement to make (Katsuo) accept something that he doesn't necessarily desire has brought Chiyo into doubt, especially since Inazuma is a peace now. Whether the two kitsune have foreseen something that requires someone of greater power or not, neither of them mentioned anything.
"But, what of the the sword in his possession? Is it going out of his control?" Chiyo would inquire to them. If her fears are true — and she hopes that they are not — she has to know the truth.
Saiguu shakes her head. "It's far worse than that." The white kitsune answers. "All that matters is that as long as Kazemoya is connected to him, it will remain a muted catastrophe. It is much more dangerous if the sword leaves his hold, hence he must keep it close to him." She adds and Chiyo stares at her.
"What...? You mean, if he lets go of Kazemoya, the spirits inside will be released?" Chiyo inquires and both Miko and Saiguu confirm her assumption.
"That's one way to put it." Miko would say. "His power was the only thing keeping it from breaking open, so to speak, like a buffer. It is more than powerful enough to keep it sealed until now." She adds.
Chiyo's eyes widen. She had just realized her mistake of sending the disciples to stop (Katsuo) and wait for her. They must not disarm (Katsuo) whatsoever or else, disaster may come forth. It is exactly what he is trying to avoid. Maybe it is the reason why he went east because he thinks that he may not be able to keep the seal from inevitably breaking and wanted to be as far away from them as possible. If Kazemoya is taken away from him, it would be over.
"Oh no..." Chiyo murmurs ominously, her worry growing rapidly. Picking up her sudden change of tone, the two kitsune question her about what she is thinking. "... I've sent the young enenra to stop (Katsuo) and they might exchange blows soon." She admits and the two gasp in shock.
"What!? No... No, this can't be happening! They must not break Kazemoya out from his grasp!" Saiguu exclaims, horrified.
"... There might still be time! I have to go now!" Chiyo says and the two nod.
"Saiguu, we must start on a spell that will at least suppress (Katsuo's) power!" Miko says to Saiguu who agrees without question.
"Chiyo, if there is still time, you must go, now!" Saiguu tells Chiyo who wastes no time and jumps down from Mount Yougou to catch up to the enenra disciples. "(Katsuo), please, steel yourself." Saiguu murmurs to herself as she follows Miko back inside the main building. "I know you can fight them..."
- Yashiori Island, nearly an hour later... -
The oni maiden made her way west with all haste, caring not for the dirt that stuck onto her garbs. The urgency of the situation is rapidly deteriorating; she has to reverse her mistake and stop the disciples from removing Kazemoya from (Katsuo's) grasp. Hilichurls attempted to ambush her at some point, but she merely sliced her way through them all.
The rōnin that she employed months ago saw her dashing through the beaches at great speeds. Confused but but seeking to earn her favor and guarantee for a new life in the Bakufu, they went after her anyways with the intention to help her in whatever mission she has.
Chiyo soon arrives at Yashiori Island. There, in the distance, she sees the disciples on a brawl with the elder enenra, but Kazemoya remains in the hands of the latter, thankfully. However, the situation is still not over and Chiyo rushes to stop them.
(Katsuo), baffled at the situation where he is now fighting is own disciples, struggles not because of his numerical disadvantage, but because he has to consciously channel his energies to Kazemoya to maintain its seal. The channeling is already taxing on him, and the unprecedented assault of the disciples has put his situation on par to failure.
The disciples themselves are surprised that they are able to fight (Katsuo) much better now. They figured that something is causing him to be weakened, with Jutsurai even suggesting that Kazemoya is draining him of his life force, a conclusion he came to after being informed of the intention.
The reason why their master hasn't noticed it yet and continues to keep the sword with him evades them, but if Jutsurai's assumption is true, then they must take Kazemoya away from him in order to save (Katsuo).
They are mislead, of course. None of them know that. Soon, they will pay the price.
(Katsuo) backs further away after parrying for the umpteenth time. Time is almost spent entirely due to the interruption of his disciples. He would ask himself or them how it all came to this moment, but seeing as time is an unattainable luxury now, he couldn't even do that.
Ever since the start of their clash, the place has been wordless. There were no words uttered; only the clash of blades were the sounds that were heard in this afternoon in Inazuma.
(Katsuo) is losing his strength from both channeling his power and the attacks he has to weather. This has never happened before and it felt alien to him to be put in this state of weakness. A moment of distraction might just the disciples enough time to disarm him of Kazemoya, something he understood is their intention.
"(Katsuo)! Everyone, stop!" The familiar voice of the oni maiden would sound through the dusk. Her figure would appear and (Katsuo) sees her approaching indeed.
"Chiyo...!" (Katsuo) murmurs, causing him a brief moment of distraction.
That brief distraction was more than enough for the best fighter of the disciples to perform the strike that will accomplish their mission. Jutsurai morphed into his true form and rushed at the elder enenra, soon materializing and precisely striking the tsuba of Kazemoya.
"Jutsurai, no!" Chiyo shouted to the Watatsumi enenra as she witnessed the deed, but it was too late.
Jutsurai heard her words too late and his sword removed Kazemoya from (Katsuo's) hold. A spark of grey lightning emanated for a moment when it left his hand. It is the start.
Kazemoya cluttered onto the ground as the grey sparks grew in intensity. The enenra realized their mistake and they have no way to stop it — they don't know how, and it is too late.
The grey sparks soon reached a certain intensity; the power in that specific area would be felt by everyone present and it almost seemed to be suffocating. Soon, a rift in reality was formed by the sparks, leading to a void that no one but (Katsuo) knew the existence of. (Katsuo) himself felt fear for the first time in his long history since the Cataclysm.
Losing his grasp that locked the powers inside was the final straw. With nothing stopping Kazemoya from gathering power, the group was doomed.
The grey rift slowly opened as a pulling force became apparent and is increasing in pull strength rapidly. No one knew what to do; (Katsuo's) fear has been realized and the beings that he has slain are coming to enact their vengeance, and he will never be able to stop them all.
Out of nowhere, tendrils shot out of the rift and towards the group. Being the closest to the rift, Omura is the first to leap into action.
"Watch out...!" Omura summons his nodachi and slices at the figure. To his surprise, despite him infusing his weapon with the same power as that coming from the rift, his weapon merely passed through the appendage. "Argh! What!?" He exclaims in shock. He has no time to react properly, however, as the appendage rematerialized and wrapped itself around his torso, pulling him into the rift. "Agh—! Let go of me—!" He struggles, but it was in vain as he is doomed, finally being pulled into the rift, disappearing from their view.
"No! Omura!" Ujio shouts as he watched Omura disappear into the smoke. "Curses! I—!"
Before Ujio could finish that sentence, Enkō loses his footing and is lifted into the air. On the way, he accidentally collides with Enkō who also loses his balance and is lifted as well. They both are rapidly pulled and disappeared into the rift, fearfully yelling before they are muted by the dark force.
"Ujio, Enkō, no!" Rikku yells, seeing both of her fellow disciples and a partner brought into seemingly a doomed fate.
"Rikku, take my hand!" Jutsurai shouts at Rikku while holding onto a boulder on the ground. Rikku is about to reach out to him when—
"Pointless struggle..." A disembodied voice emanated from the rift. Right after the unknown individual said those words, an unseen force pulled on Jutsurai, causing him to lose grip of the boulder. Rikku is on his way and they collided with each other before they, too, are sucked in, screaming in terror.
"Rgh! Damn you, Kusanagi!" (Katsuo) angrily shouts as he saw what happened to his disciples while feeling that the rift is increasing in pulling strength. He sees Chiyo on the ground, struggling to hold on against the force of the portal. He reaches out a hand for her to grab on. "Chiyo!" He calls at her.
"(Katsuo)!" Chiyo shouts, desperately trying to grab hold of (Katsuo's) hand in vain. Without a hold, the oni maiden is unfortunately sucked into the rift as well. "Agh—!" She screams in horror; her voice abruptly cut off as she is completely engulfed by the rift.
"No! Chiyo!" (Katsuo) yells in horror as he saw his love get pulled into the rift.
He looks at the grey rift, having lost hope in saving them. Before he another thought could enter his head, multiple smoke figures poke out of the opening. None of them have any discernible features and the only notable thing about them is that one of them is larger that the rest.
"(Katsuo), your hold has failed." The largest of the figures mockingly spoke to (Katsuo) as it slowly came out of the rift, seemingly struggling to do so. You... You must be him, (Katsuo) thinks to himself; his expression switches from horror to anger.
The elder enenra isn't about to let them get out of Kazemoya, not without the risk of total destruction. He immediately changes his tactic; if he cannot stop the rift from opening and himself from being taken as well, he can instead stop them from leaving, at least for a time.
"Not if I bring you with me...!" He grunts while casting both his innate powers as well as the element of Electro.
As he, too, is sucked into the rift, he threw the electrified smoke like a snare to every single shadow figure attempting to exit. With them caught, (Katsuo) finally let himself be taken into the realm, taking the figures with him and pulling them back.
"No! You insolent...!" The larger figure complains as they are pulled back into the rift without issue. "RRRRAAAAAAAAGH!" They let out a furious shriek just as they are pulled back in completely, with the rift finally closing in on them, leaving no one behind.
Kazemoya remains laying on the sand, glowing ominously in a grey light for a moment before it dissipated...
- Inside the realm of Kazemoya... -
One would be forgiven for assuming that the unknown realm inside Kazemoya would be one of pure void, or, at the very least, one filled with tempestuous storms. The last thing anyone would expect is a paradisiacal realm.
Much to the surprise of its newcomers, it is exactly what it is.
For a moment or two, the scattered group of enenra and an oni forgot that they were brought here against their will. The beauty of the realm was something... odd and uncanny yet fitting. The enenra in particular feel quite at home, feeling that Kazemoya designed the realm for their kind. It wouldn't be farfetched; Kazemoya was (Katsuo's) weapon for millennia, forged and meant to held by he only. As for how Kazemoya managed to create the realm itself, perhaps they may find the answers here.
Ujio found himself on a beach of sorts. He was laying on the sand when he came to and immediately recovered his weapon that was nearby. He inspected his surroundings; he saw a place devoid of life from a first glance and, for some reason, it felt familiar. He kept looking around for his friends and master, but he couldn't.
Turning his attention to the sea, he wondered if he could find other islands like the one he is in. Sure enough, he does see a few from the distance. If they got scattered as they were sucked into the rift, chances are that the others might be in those other islands.
"Greetings—" A male voice would suddenly call out to Ujio.
Startled, he turns towards the source and brandished his sword. He was ready to fight whatever trickery there is in this realm, only to see what looks like a middle aged man wearing traditional Inazuman clothing. Adding to the mysteriousness of this realm, the man seemed to have come out of nowhere and is just barely reacting to Ujio's defensiveness.
"Are you lost, young one?" The man would ask him. Ujio, still utterly confused but wanting to find answers...
"I... Who are you?" He asks the man.
"Ahh, you must be a traveller. Or a shipwrecked sailor? Mm, either way, you're lucky I found you today." The man shakes his head. "Ah, yes. You may call me Katashi." He introduces himself.
"... Ujio." The young enenra does the same after a moment of hesitation. He lowers and unsummons his weapon, seeing as the man is not a threat. "Say, where am I right now?" He would ask the man who became surprised at his question.
"Why, you're in Yashiori Island, young one."
...
"... What?"
Ujio's confusion only grew in that moment.
Elsewhere, Enkō and Omura were fortunate to have found each other rather quickly. After getting their bearings and weapons back, they started observing their surroundings, watching the mysterious yet familiar landmarks of their location.
"Anything, Omura?" Enkō would call to Omura who is observing on top of a tree.
"Still nothing." Omura replied before turning to his true form and landing on the ground near Enkō. "Hey, have you noticed something about our powers?" He would ask Enkō.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, our innate powers." Omura reiterates. He looks at his hand and morphs it into its true form of black smoke. "I don't know about you but... it feels a lot easier to use them in whatever this place is." He states.
Confused, Enkō would do the same to his hands. He, too, would notice the ease of switching to their true form. He frowns in curiosity. Something is amplifying their innate powers here...
"... You think this place is, like, powering us?" Enkō asks Omura who shrugs.
"Probably. It's just a conclusion, but considering what has been happening to us here..." Omura gestures to the paradise-like realm while shouldering his nodachi so it can be ready for any encounter. "It's probably the reason." He adds and Enkō hums in agreement.
"Well, no time to ponder about it. We have to find the others as soon as possible." Enkō would say to the larger disciple who agrees. They set out to look for their companions, unaware where to truly start and oblivious to the fact that they are being watched.
Somewhere else, Chiyo woke up and found herself on a patch of grass. After regaining her senses, the oni maiden would look around to see the beautiful realm before. Predictably, even she became confused as the grey rift that pulled her and everyone else in inspired dark thoughts. A paradisiacal place is the last thing that they considered would appear before them.
That said, how did this realm come into existence? How did Kazemoya, (Katsuo's) millennia-old artifact, managed to create its own realm? And, why did it bring them here?
(Katsuo)...
...
...
"Wait, (Katsuo)...!" Chiyo exclaims to herself.
She has just realized that she had been separated from (Katsuo) and everyone else. After being pulled into the rift, she had lost consciousness for an indeterminate amount of time only to wake up all alone in this field of grass. She doesn't know how this realm was created, why they were brought here, or if it is the reason for (Katsuo's) plight, but she has to find her mate no matter what.
Especially now since (Katsuo) needs her help solving this problem. That, and only he would know what to do in this situation.
Before she could leave to find (Katsuo) and the others, however, she felt a familiar sense of danger coming straight at her. Through her sharp intuition and reflexes, Chiyo immediately brandishes her newer sword and just barely managed to deflect a blade strike that was meant for her neck.
Chiyo just managed to get a look at the attacker, but they were all smoke. Her eyes widened at the prospect of meeting another enenra after so long. It seems like an auspicious event to see that the enenra lives on and not tethering on the edge of extinction. However, the attempt at her life by this particular enenra set those thoughts aside—
"Hmph. Another intrusive oni." The individual would speak in a strong feminine voice before materializing to reveal her human appearance. What Chiyo saw shocked her.
Black hair and an almost white skin. Barring the style of outfit that resembled something from the old days, it had a generous amount of red that gave it a sharp look. Even the way she holds her sword is strangely familiar. It almost looks like...
"R-Rikku?" Chiyo would mutter, confused as to why the disciple is attacking her. The attacker would look at the oni maiden in a similar confusion.
"Who's Rikku...?" The female enenra would muse. "Nice name, though. But I'm afraid that you have the wrong person." She prepares to clash with Chiyo once more, raising her blade for a slashing angle.
"W-Wait, this is a misunderstanding!" Chiyo says to her, trying to reason with her. "I came here against my will! Whatever I did, I didn't mean to offend you!"
"... You oni and your lies. You cannot deceive me!" The female enenra would have none of it. "Return from whence you came!" She infuses herself before charging at Chiyo, clashing blades with the oni maiden once more in a big misunderstanding.
The two warriors clashed with one another in a storm of sparks. For some reason, despite Chiyo's strength and skill with the blade, she is struggling against this Rikku lookalike. Something is wrong here; she doesn't feel any weaker or anything, but it feels like she is on the turf of the enenra and that they are much stronger here for whatever reason.
Still, Chiyo manages to defend herself through her fighting experience and was able to deflect attack after attack. The enenra, however, sends a powerful strike that Chiyo managed to block, but the sheer strength behind it sent her skidding across the sands.
"(What is this?! She is so strong!)" Chiyo thinks to herself after clashing with the Rikku lookalike. She breathes in an out, trying to catch her breath.
"... Tch. Not bad, oni." The enenra breathes, seemingly winded herself. "Heh. Been a while since I fought your kind but still... I don't remember anyone that has your kind of mastery of the blade. It kind of reminds me of Master (Katsuo)." She comments with a light chuckle. Chiyo's eyes widened at the mention of the name of her lover.
"You know (Katsuo)?" Chiyo inquires and this causes the enenra to look at her curiously.
"... Well, yes. He's the Master (Katsuo), the Mikaboshi Shogun." The enenra would answer without a hitch. Chiyo tilted her head in confusion.
Mikaboshi Shogun? It has been five hundred years since she heard someone refer to (Katsuo) in some obscure but prestigious title, but never has she heard of ‘Mikaboshi Shogun’. In the present day, he's no longer referred to as such titles, being most commonly known to everyone as the Mist-Blade Sentinel in the modern day. If he is known as such here...
"H-Hold on, this doesn't make any sense!" Chiyo exclaims, utterly confused. She shakes her head in an attempt to clear everything in her mind. "Is this realm recreating the past?" She asks herself, though she obviously does not have the answer yet. "No, that can't be. What is the Mikaboshi Shogun? Or rather, who?" She murmurs to herself.
"What realm? What past?" The female enenra would say, just as confused as she is. "I don't know who you are or what you know, but you're not making any sense."
"I know that! That is what I just said!" Chiyo retorts at her with a flustered face expression. The enenra blinks for several moments before sighing and sheathing her weapon.
"Hmph. Seems like you're not exactly a threat, oni." She would comment.
"If only you listened first..." Chiyo murmurs. The enenra hears it.
"Hey, your kind aren't exactly friendly to us. In fact, you're probably the first oni that isn't immediately hostile." The enenra tells her.
"Wait, what?" Chiyo murmurs confusedly, though her confusion also seems to confuse the enenra before her.
"..."
"..."
"... You're not from here, are you?" The enenra would ask Chiyo after an awkward moment of silence.
Chiyo stopped herself from replying just yet and looked around. The place looks familiar yet alien. Not only that, but also the fact that they may or may not have gone back to the past, or a past created by this strange realm.
It could be that the realm is using (Katsuo's) memories to recreate people he had known before, hence probably why the particular enenra before her knows who he is. Could it be that she is one of (Katsuo's) disciples from back then?
Chiyo turns back to the enenra. "Say, who is (Katsuo)—"
"That's Lord (Katsuo) to you." The enenra would cut her off which somewhat annoys her.
"Lord (Katsuo). Who is he to you?" She would finally ask him.
The enenra scoffs but plays along anyways. "Ryuzoji Riina, disciple of Master (Katsuo)." She proudly introduces herself.
Once again, Chiyo is put on a surprising revelation. Not only that she is confirmed to be (Katsuo's) former disciple in their world, but something else...
This female enenra possesses the same surname as Rikku. They are both from the enenra clan of the Ryuzoji; the clan has went into decline in the present day which solidifies her assumption that this place is a recreation of some form of the past. Riina must be Rikku's ancestor. She has to be. They look too indistinguishable for it not to be the case.
Still, more pressing matters must be prioritized. She has to find (Katsuo) and the others still. Thinking that Riina might know where to find him, she asks her if she could bring Chiyo to where (Katsuo) is.
"Master (Katsuo) is not available. He is busy in the capital with bureaucracy." Riina tells Chiyo.
"I can wait. I just need to find him. It's urgent." Chiyo tells her. "You can come with me to watch me if you want. I don't mean trouble, believe me." She adds, practically pleading already.
Riina looked at Chiyo from head to toe, taking note of her more proper clothing that seems to be reserved for nobility. She wondered if this oni maiden is someone of great status from somewhere. She has to be, if her excellent swordplay is anything to go by.
"... Hmph. You seem civilized enough." Riina comments.
Chiyo deadpans her but shrugs. "I'll take that as a compliment. Just so you know, I'm not exactly the stinky, hulking kind you may or may not be familiar with." She remarks.
Riina chuckles. "Hah! You have humor, too!" She grins, pleased with this particular oni. "Fine then. I'll bring you back to the nearest village for now." She tells oni before gesturing for her to follow.
Chiyo would follow Riina. However, her mind drifted to the things she mentioned to the oni maiden.
She referred to (Katsuo) as the Mikaboshi Shogun. She concludes that it is something that must have replaced the title of Raiden Shogun in this reality. That must be it.
This realm isn't recreating the past. It is creating a future — alternate reality — one where (Katsuo) became the ruler of Inazuma. But, that doesn't add up. (Katsuo) himself never desired to take such a mantle of power and he is loyal to the Raiden twins, even fighting alongside them in the Archon War to help them secure their seat. He has never made any attempts to depose the rulers of Inazuma and is a rather contented individual.
Or perhaps, it became his title when he presumably temporarily took over the Shogunate? If so, then it doesn't explain how someone from long ago could appear. Chiyo promptly rules that possibly out. Countless thoughts and yet, no definitive answer.
The familiar yet unfamiliar lands, oni in a conflict with enenra, Ryuzoji Riina, the Mikaboshi Shogun...
Is this realm truly recreating the past?
Or is it building a hypothetical future?