Yorimitsu had brought this on himself, and he full well knew it.
Demonkind loathed him. Humankind despised him. His clan wanted nothing to do with him. His shikigami wanted to kill him. He had become the most hated man in the whole of Kinki, if not the entire Japan, and he had no one to blame but himself.
But the truth remained that no human but him were aware of the new danger looming over humanity, a danger far greater than what Yamata-no-orochi posed. And yet, he was alone without a single soul at his aid, unable to raise an army against this threat. He knew no one would listen to him after all that he'd done. And so, deep inside a mountain cave hidden from the sight of the usual traveler, inside an impenetrable kekkai that granted him invisibility from outsiders, Yorimitsu trained himself, strengthened his powers for one single purpose.
To face the threat alone.
Hizamaru knew that missions should always come first, especially ones that determined the fate of his kind. Yet, he couldn't help feeling bummed at the amount of time he and his brother were allowed to have to spend with one another before both of them were sent on this mission. Anija barely spent five minutes at the Citadel, and yet…
Nobody angers my brother twice and gets away with it.
Surprise would be too light a word to describe Hizamaru's reaction at that one gesture, at the words Higekiri said. He was left speechless, unable to say, to do anything but inwardly utter one word.
Anija…