Shun'e's tent

"Ne, Lady Shun'e, may I ask you a question?" Yayoi inquired as she tied a blue zhongyi around Shun'e's body.

"Nani, Yayoi-chan?" Shun'e replied back.

"How come you don't wear the colors of Emperor Haji's court?" Yayoi questioned as she began to place a white quju decorated with blue butterflies over the zhongyi.

"Fufufu~ Yayoi-chan, that's a question for Haji, not me," Shun'e said as she places her fingers gingerly on the black collar on her neck and gave Yayoi a meaningful smile.

"...If you say so, Lady Shun'e." Yayoi obeyed as she tied a blue sash with silver/gray snowflakes around Shun'e. She later took Shun'e by the hand and led her to a chair in front of a vanity.

"Yayoi-chan, can you do me a favor?" Shun'e asked as Yayoi began to brush the white cascade of hair.

"What would you like me to do, Lady Shun'e?"

"Give these to Haji."

With that said, Shun'e held a section of hair from the right front side of her head with her right hand. In her left hand was a shard of ice.

"Lady Shun'e! What are you doing?! Wait, is that ice in your hand?!" Yayoi gasped as the left hand came down swiftly on the section of hair. Now, the front side of Shun'e's hair was longer on the left than on the right.

"Like I said, Yayoi-chan. Give these to Haji or tie the strands around each of his arrows."

"Lady Shun'e, why? Why did you do that?"

"How would a mortal instrument defeat an immortal, without a little intervention~?"

"But..."

"Yayoi-chan, give these to Haji or tie these around the arrows that he will be using," Shun'e commanded. Her tone held a power that was equal to Emperor Haji's tone when he spoke; not even Empress Yu would speak in such a tone.

"Ne, Shun."

"Nani~?"

"Why can't you sound like that?"

"Fufufu~"

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

(In a demonic voice) "Kneel."

"..."

"Oh, let me try."

"Ara, Kai~. You can try if you want to."

(In a sea demon's voice) "KNEEL."

"Kneel!"

"KNEEL!"

"Kneel~"

"...Ikkun, what are Kai and Shun doing?"

"...Just ignore those two..."

"As you wish, Lady Shun'e." Yayoi said submissively and bowed before exiting Shun'e's tent to head towards Emperor Haji's tent.

"Haru, why can't you be like that?"

"Hajime... shut up."

"Haru is fine the way he is."

"Indeed. I wouldn't change anything about him. He's the 'Holy Mother' of Six Gravity."

"Ah... arigato ne Kai, Shun..."

"Maa, I wish 'Haru' isn't so delicate. Even Kuroda is able to break 'Haru'."

"Agree."

"Arata! You!"

"Haru, shake it off."

Yayoi stopped at the flaps of Haji's tent before asking "Emperor Haji, may I come in?"

"Who wishes it enter?"

"It's me, Yayoi."

"You may enter."

With that command, Yayoi entered the tent and found Emperor Haji seated at his desk with an ink brush in his left hand, a scroll in front of him, and his right hand was by his temple. Laid out on the table, next to the scroll, were Haji's bow and his quiver of arrows. From an outsider's perspective, Emperor Haji was merely deep in thought; however, those close to Haji, such as Yu, Yayoi, even Shun'e, knew that the emperor was had a tight grip on his brush, creating barely visible cracks on the bamboo handle. His right hand cast a shadow over his eyes, which held confusion and frustration.

"Emperor Haji, what is plaguing your mind?" Yayoi thought as she made her way to Haji and his table. As she walked closer to him, she could hear him muttering and bitterly laughing. She took a seat in front of Haji and cupped the left side of his face with her right hand. Her left hand moved to Haji's head and began to stroke his hair gently.

"Emperor Haji, what's wrong?" Yayoi questioned as Haji focused his attention on Yayoi, and a few moments later, removed her hands from his head.

Haji smirked before flicking Yayoi's forehead multiple times.

"So Haji's forehead flicking is his version of Hajime's Iron Claw."

"It sounds nicer than Iron Claw."

"I agree!"

"Of course, you would. You guys are always receiving Iron Claw!"

"Then you want me to flick your forehead next time?"

"The way you said that makes me want to reconsider that option. But it doesn't hurt to try."

"Arata!"

"It does sound nicer than Iron Claw. Wonder what it would be called. Iron..."

"Koi!"

"I'm sure, with all that knowledge in your head, it's a simple answer." he teased before frustration decorated his pretty face once again.

"Itai..." Yayoi hissed as she rubbed the abused area. She continued, despite the pain, "The answer is quite obvious. No mortal can defeat an immortal with just mortal instruments."

"May the gods help me in doing so." He murmured before taking out an arrow from the resting quiver and examined it.

"I think a goddess has given you help."

"Would you mind specifying how Yayoi?"

"Emperor Haji, Lady Shun'e wishes for me to tie these around your arrows. Although I don't know why, I have a slight clue why. May I?"

Haji looked conflicted before agreeing to the request. The bundle of hairs was split between the two and they both began to tie several strands around each of the 8 arrows. The pair worked in silence before Yayoi interrupted the comforting silence.

"Emperor Haji, there is something I would like to discuss with you. May I confide in you?"

"What do wish to discuss with me Yayoi?"

"I have been with you during the majority of your life and I have worn the colors of your court: black, purple and orange. When you bought Lady Shun'e into your court, you allowed her to have her own set of colors: white and blue. Now I wear the colors of you and Lady Shun'e." Yayoi confided and gestured to her hanfu, black with blue floral accents, "Why doesn't Lady Shun'e wear the color of your court?"

"Sō ieba, Shun'e wasn't wearing any clothing that has the colors black, purple or orange. She is always shown wearing something white or blue."

"Oh! Haji's and Shun'e's color scheme match Hajime's and Shun's color scheme in the Origin: Light and Dark stage play. Hajime's costume was black and orange. Shun's costume was white and blue."

"Sugoi Ikkun!"

"Arigatone, Rui."

"A few years ago, Shun'e was a huge supporter of mine. She appeared in front of me, wearing my colors, but I disregarded her. During that time, I was an ambitious king, who refused anything but the best from the people. My ambition had to be their ambition; what they thought was unnecessary." Haji reminisced.

"The people still loved you." Yayoi insisted.

"Yet there were those who feared me, Yayoi."

"Despite them fearing you, they respected you," Yayoi assured.

"But I have you, Yu, Shun'e, and others to thank for my shift in perspective about governing the people."

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves."

"That may be true...that was the last arrow. May the gods bless us. Oh, sō ieba, Yayoi can you give this to Shun'e?" Haji requested. He stood up from his place by the desk and walked towards a stack of lacquer boxes. He took the top two boxes and returned back to Yayoi, who was starting to stand up from her position by the desk.

"What are these?" Yayoi inquired as she took the boxes from Haji's hands. One was a square box made of dark red wood and an inlay of a gorgeous mikan tree. Yayoi couldn't help but wonder if the box was actually moving since the box itself was vibrating in her hand.

"Eh! Diablo!"

"Ara~ Diablo has made his appearance!"

The second box was a hexagonal box with silver engravings decorating the cover.

"They're for Shun'e. She requested them and I didn't have time to give them to her when they arrived last week."

"I'll take my leave now, Emperor Haji."

With that said, Yayoi bowed before leaving Haji's tent. Before she was outside, Haji declared "Yayoi, you don't have to call me Emperor Haji. Just call me by my name. You've known me as long as I have known you."

"As you wish, Emper...er...Haji." Yayoi stuttered before scurrying back to Shun'e and her tent.

In Shun'e's tent

"Yayoi-chan! Welcome back! Did you do what I asked you to do? How was Haji? Yayoi, you're forehead is red! Are you okay?..." Shun'e babbled from her seat by the vanity.

"I'm alright, Lady Shun'e. You don't need to worry."

"...Oh, what's in your hands, Yayoi-chan?" Shun'e observed.

"Emperor Haji wished for me to give these to you." Yayoi curtly said.

Yayoi placed the two boxes on the vanity. Shun'e took the small silver box and smiled.

"This box isn't for me, Yayoi. It's for you." Shun'e extended her arm out to Yayoi, who retracted the box from Shun'e's hand.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Yayoi exclaimed as she opened the box. Inside the box was a silver circlet with two silver flowers hanging from the middle of the chain, in between the two flowers was a charm of a bird in flight.

"It's from me and Haji. I wanted to give you something in thanks for all that you do for me. So, thank you, Yayoi-chan. Oh, Yayoi-chan, let me put on you!"

Shun'e stood up from her chair and gently pushed Yayoi onto the seat. Yayoi looked into the mirror. Shun'e was right, her forehead now sported a red mark. As Yayoi was examining her forehead, Shun'e carefully wrapped the silver crown around Yayoi's head and pinned the connected pieces to the blonde hair. Yayoi felt a cold sensation on her forehead and looked at her reflection. It was perfect.

"Arigato, Lady Shun'e."

"Fufufu~Just called me Shun'e, Yayoi-chan." Shun'e giggled as she reached over to the mikan lacquer box.

She took the mikan box from the table and places the box on the ground. "Welcome home, Diablo!" she cheered as the mikan lacquer box twitched and started moving at a rapid pace around the tent.

"EH! Lady Shun'e, WHAT IS THAT?!"Yayoi shrieked

"Fufufu~ It's alright Yayoi-chan." Shun'e replied with a meaningful smile.

Before Yayoi could say anything, drumbeats echoed in the mountain range.

It was time.