The next day, after the ayakashi under Nurarihyon had spoken together regarding their eccentric Supreme Commander, two men appeared at the nobleman's mansion. They were shown into the receiving room, and they sat before Yohime's father.
"We have come here today because we would like to make Yohime-sama a concubine of Hideyori Toyotomi," he spoke in a monotone, pushing forward an extraordinary amount of gold to accompany his words.
Yohime's father was in shock at the staggering amount of gold before him.
Whoa! What a stupendous amount of money! The Toyotomi family this is beyond what I had hoped. Well done, my daughter!
"What do you think?"
He didn't even pause before he thought his next words.
"That is a great honor, however…how to put this…"
"What might be the problem?"
I brought my daughter up so carefully, and she possesses magical powers! More! I need to hold out for more!
Faking tears, he held a cloth to his eyes.
"Well, you see, I was sure I'd marry her into a noble family one day, but to make her a concubine… is, how to put this, is a little below my daughter, yes?"
Looking back to the men to gauge their reactions, he was overcome by terror when the man sitting on the right stood and his head blew up to 3 times his size.
"Don't be greeeeedy!"
He screamed in a voice that immediately marked him as ayakashi. Grabbing the gold, he loomed over the terrified man and beat him with the golden coins.
Yohime's father died in a pool of his own blood and insides stuffed with the money he had let rule over his life.
"There's your money."
"If you weren't so greedy, you could have lived."
Two Omyoji ran into the room demanding what happened. Upon seeing the ayakashi, they asked each other why the barrier didn't keep them out.
The smaller ayakashi held out a frayed piece of rope.
"Barrier? You mean this?"
They rushed to attack, but were easily slaughtered by the tall one.
The sun was barely setting when Nurarihyon came through the doors to Yohime's room.
"Yohime, I've come to hear your answer"
However, the sight that met his eyes was not what he expected. Instead of his woman, there was the mangled bodies of the omyoji, the smell of death and blood, instead of the sakura of Yohime's hair. One lone man was kneeling in the gore, his face etched in shock and grief.
"What happened here?"
The Keikain turned to the voice.
"You're Nurarihyon. Ah, I see. The faint presence was you."
Said ayakashi's voice turned hard with a sense of urgency.
"Forget about that, where's Yohime?!"
"If it wasn't the work of your followers, she was taken away by ayakashi."
"Ayakashi targeting Yohime…"
Could they be ayakashi who believe in Ikigimo?
"Where did they go?"
The slight hesitation should have warned him, yet it did nothing to stem the flow of dark emotions that invaded him at his words.
"Osaka Castle."
Fury coursed through his veins making his blood boil.
How dare they take what was his!?
Spotting the taimato sword his woman had used when he first visited her, he snatched it up. Turning his gaze to Osaka Castle, which was peeking out from the tree line in the moonlight, he hissed through his teeth.
"Hagoromo Gitsune!"
Pink petals passing
Scents above so high
Painted porcelain perfection
Blossoms caress the sky
Swaying silent shroud
Suitors strolling by
Pink petals passing
Lover's gentle sigh
Pastel hues falling
Slow fluttering grace
Pink petals passing
Lining streams in lace
Pink petals passing
Smoothest transit by
Soft essence floating
In most subtle lullaby
Inducing springtime slumber
Upon a satin shore
Sailing with the current
Pink petals pass before
Mary Fumento
A/N Another beautiful poem crafted by creativve people. *sigh*
Ah, well.
Thank you for reading, Reviews are the ice cream to my apple pie!