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What are you doing here, Papa?

Wh-Why are there so many bad people lying on the ground? Did you kill all of them?

It's alright, Kajimachi is safe. Uncle Tessai's looking for you—

I-Is that Aunt Setsuko? Grandma Kinue, too... did the bad people kill them? Even Tetsuya?!

Let's go, Papa, we need to tell Uncle Tessai—

Wh-Why are you pointing your blade at me?

Uncle Tessai! Something's wrong with Papa—

Papa?!

Yes, your father had killed Tetsuya in his madness. But what do Setsuko and my mother's death have to do with him? Hadn't he been protecting them?

I told you, Tetsuya... not just him, but what happened to your father too, it was all the fault of those wandering Oni! None of this would happened, if not for them!

Besides, since when did I say that you needed to take responsibility for what your father did?

I'm not taking responsibility for him.

All I know is that... I was just like him at the time.

It was either me or Kinbee who killed the candidate. It wouldn't have been anyone else.

But it could have been me.

And if things had gone on, it would have been me, sooner or later.

The aging Oni grabs a shogi piece from the table and smashes it to bits on the ground.

Yes, I was angry at your father, but you've always been like a daughter to me!

Do you know who I was thinking of when I made that Oni face on Hannya? Do you know why I gave you the shield before you left?

It was for you that I made Hannya, so that you wouldn't repeat the mistakes of your father!

That fallen noble house where I bought the materials and craftsmanship once had a splendid collection of legendary weapons.

The stories say that they stole the secret arts of a temple, allowing them to craft weapons that were not only incredibly sharp, but also able to suppress the madness of the Oni.

I didn't know if it was real, but the craftsmanship certainly was, and I made the shield intending for it to be my final work.

But I felt hesitant at the ultimate step.

The handle?

The handle.

According to the laws of the secret art, the part connected to the palm must be polished by the wielder personally, until it fits comfortably in the bare hand.

It was like someone had poured cold water over me... the intention, clearly, was to make one learn self-discipline.

What discipline would it take to polish a piece of metal until it fits comfortably in the hand? There would be no need for any secret art!

So I never gave you the shield, which was why everyone who felt themselves up to it had designs on the clan's leadership.

That's why there were so many internal clashes at the time. High-ranking members looked for any opportunity to take each other out, but it was the rank-and-file who suffered the most, and even the honest folk of Kajimachi became caught in the struggle...

...That's how the events of that night came to be.

Hoshiguma is silent.

Karma, karma!

Right or wrong, things have come too far. There is no way to turn back the clock.

How has Lungmen been?

If life hasn't been kind, take your weapon, and we'll have Kinbee's head, if that's the last thing we do. We're descendants of warriors, and we'll have a warrior's death.

If life has been alright, then leave now, and never think about Kinbee or me again. What happened between your father and I is between the two of us. It's not your fault.

Stop going against your heart for the greater good. It's not your place to do so.

Lungmen...

...has been kind to me.

For the first time tonight, Tessai sees Hoshiguma's gaze meet his.

I'm glad to hear that.

But I'll go with you.

Why?

If this is indeed karma, then I want to clean up the loose ends before I go back to Lungmen.

Very well.

Give Hannya to me.

You've decided how to reforge it?

The reforged Hannya would already have been yours, if you haven't been running around with that Momoka girl.

What's this ribbon?

A gift from my friends in Lungmen. I've been using it.

Take this. It's a step forward that you've learned to make compromises. I wouldn't bet against you, if you faced Chi Xiao once again, wielding the reforged Hannya.

It's a good thing to reforge Hannya, but... there's someone I need to rescue. Kinbee's got Moriuchi.

The information broker who sells oden?

The reforging of Hannya can't wait.

The kaidan were fabricated by Kinbee. The only people who know this are you, me, Momoka... a certain kami, and Moriuchi. Kinbee would never let him walk.

It's partly my fault that he's in danger. I need to help him, fast.

I've got something for you, if you need a weapon.

The old man takes out a dusty box from a corner.

What's in the box?

Your old outfit and sword. I've kept them in decent enough condition.

The one that you wielded that night. Take it.

Unless you mean to tell me that you've not changed one bit these twenty years.

Alright.

I see you haven't lost any of your guts.

I've been meaning to ask. What have you been doing in Lungmen?

Your clothes are a little too plain for a triad, but it doesn't seem like you've been leading a quiet life either. What's going on?

Oh, er, I joined the Lungmen police.

Come again?

I work for the L.G.D., the Lungmen police.

You—pfft, hahahahaha!

No wonder the room stinks of cop!

Are you really going to Kajimachi, Mifune-san?

This is between me, Tessai, and Hoshiguma. I have to put an end to it personally.

If things go according to your plan, Tessai will yield, even without Hannya.

Does the idea of Hoshiguma coming back upset you so?

I don't see the need for it.

True, you would have much more work to do if she came back. I'll tell you this plainly, since you'll someday take over for me.

What do you think is the most important to living well in Mitsukue?

Unity?

No... the most important thing is beauty.

A fine appearance will turn the people's prejudices on their head. You and I, we all benefit from it.

If I kept looking like a thug, they would've kicked me off camera the first time I was on TV. I never could have built Kinseki Channel into what it is today.

It's important that we conduct our business with the proper look, with beauty.

There is an Ursine author—his name escapes me—he says that if a gun appears in the first act of a story...

Then a Lateran must hold it by the third act, at the latest.

I believe there is a Columbian group by the name of Blacksteel that uses guns as well, Mifune-san.

Well, you know what I mean.

Mitsukue is too big, and it has grown too quickly. A lot of times, it's hard for us to tell if we're doing the right thing...

And so, we must make sure that everything we do has a proper beginning and end, that everyone is in their proper place, and the trigger of every gun is pulled by the end. This is the proper appearance. This is beauty.

If I get your meaning... you want to see everything through to the bitter end.

Think of it however you want. Feel free to put my words to the test, once you become the Fourth Chairman of the Kinsekikai.

Right now, though, you should prepare to deal with Hoshiguma.

She is a tough one.

But she is an Oni, and one who has already gone berserk once.

Have you heard of an individual by the name of Qui'lon?

All I know is that he lived a very long time ago, and had something to do with the Oni and the temples.

Setting aside those old warrior stories, it's this legend that Tessai talked about the most.

I don't know if they are true, and they're often contradictory. For example, Tessai has told at least three different versions of how Qui'lon died.