Kotoha heard sobbing. As she walked towards the sound, the voice was clearer. "No… He loves me! He loves me… He loves me…" Kotoha found Leiko in her human form, her beautiful kimono ruined and her beautiful grey eyes, full of sadness and empty.
Leiko immediately looked up to find Kotoha, watching her with concern, "Ano… Where's Kotono-chan?" Kotoha asked her politely.
Takeru immediately noticed Kotoha was missing; he looked up to see her, talking to Leiko. The Lord instantly was at her side, "Do not come a step closer…" He threatened as he stepped in front of Kotoha.
The Shinkengers and Samurais noticed Leiko, "Witch! What have you done to my cousin?" Kenta asked with a look pure of hatred as he approached.
"Hmpf!" Leiko looked away, she picked up her katana and put it back in her shamisen. She walks away and evaporated with purple fire swirling in the air.
"Don't tell me… Kotono…" Raiko stuttered, not wanting to finish her sentence.
Kenta looked at his lucky bandana that he gave to protect Kotono, Had it not work? His tears were threatening to fall down as he did not see Kotono, thinking that Leiko had killed Kotono.
"KOTONO!" Chokichi screamed, trying to find his best friend.
Ryunosuke, Chiaki and Genta split up and quickly searched the area for Kotono. Mamosuke was comforting Raiko as she sobbed quietly at the fact that Kotono was not there.
"Tono-sama… Kotono did not lose, did she?" Kotoha asked Takeru with worry as she sees Kenta is going to shed tears.
"That is not certain as we do not see Kotono's body… we have to search for her!" Takeru declared as he joined Ryunosuke in searching.
After a while, everyone was calling and searching for Kotono. They tried to call out her name at their top of their voices but there was no respond. Daigoyou searched high in the sky, trying to spot Kotono from a bird's eye view. It had been half an hour and there was still no sign of Kotono.
"It's no use!" Chokichi declared as he dropped to his knees and sobbed quietly. Mako quickly bent down to comfort the younger boy.
Kenta looked away from everyone. "Kotono died in a battle… in the end, she saved 10 or more people because she showed up in a battle with Leiko…" Mamosuke stated wisely.
Ryunosuke patted Kenta, "You must be proud of your cousin, she died for fighting in what she believes in… and that is protecting the people…"
"She is a true samurai…" Genta stated and the Shinkenger silently agreed with the truth, admiring how Kotono, who has not even turn 16, was brave enough to fight in a battle with Leiko.
Takeru sighed as he looked up at the sky, seeing a tiny bird flying. Its wings spread and gliding across the sky: It's an Eurasian Tree Sparrow… He recalled from reading one of his books. The small bird suddenly reminded him of Kotono.
A symbol of loyalty, Takeru remembered his father told him about the bird. She may not be big or strong like a ShinkenRed supposed to be but she stuck to being a Shinkenger because of her brother. Her loyalty to her family: She was ShinkenRed because of her brother, she battled Leiko because of her mother. She vowed to look for her biological father when she is done, being a kagemusha. Loyalty… is the quality Kotono has.
The Sodophone was ringing, Takeru picked it up, "Jii… Nani? Hai! We will be there." The lord looked at everyone, "Kotono is at the Tengen Temple."
The revelation that Kotono is not dead, brought a smile of relief to everyone. Kenta, Chokichi and Raiko who had been crying, were suddenly full of energy. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kenta said as he dragged Takeru, with everyone following.
~*~*~*~*~*
Hikoma quickly made his way to the Tengen Temple when the Chief Priest called to tell that Kotono was there. His thoughts were on the young samurai, he was almost certain that she was the Shiba Head. That was his instincts from the very beginning because when he first saw Kotono, she put flowers on the grave of Takeru's father. Who would put flowers at a grave, especially for someone they do not know?
As he made his way up the stairs to the Temple, he noticed the Chief Priest heading in the direction of the grave for Takeru's father. Hikoma decided to follow. He was right. There was Kotono, arranging the flowers on the grave of Takeru's father before bowing to pray respects to the grave.
"Tell me… child… What does this grave mean to you?" The Chief Priest asked gently, Hikoma hid behind the trees. The Chief Priest continued, "Is this person related to you?"
Kotono stood up and turned, Hikoma was shocked at the amount of bruises and wounds on her. There was blood, bleeding from her right shoulder. "Child! You must have medical attention this instant!" The Chief Priest fussed once he saw her appearance, and quickly urged the monks to bring medication for the young samurai.
"Please… it's nothing.." Kotono protested but the Chief Priest insisted on getting her wounds treated, he brought her to a room where a few female servants came and began their treatment.
Once she was dressed with bandages and freshly clothed, with an arm sling. Hikoma decided to make his presence known, "Kotono…"
"Hikoma-san?" Kotono greeted. The Chief Priest came in with tea, he offered the guests tea. "So… what does that grave mean to you?" Hikoma asked Kotono.
"Yes, what is so significant about that grave? Is that person related to you in any way?" The Chief Priest asked before sipping his tea.
Kotono sighed, she looked at her cup. "My guardian… Sakutaro-san, but I called him Jii, told me that this person was a kagemusha too… In some ways, I feel some connection with this person, maybe because he is a kagemusha like me. Jii says he is also a good person. So I paid respects to him, asking him to watch over me…This doesn't make sense, does it?"
The Chief Priest smiled, "You do remind me of someone familiar though…"
Hikoma had to agree with the statement, still he cannot exactly pin-point who…
"KOTONO!" The Chief Priest and Hikoma turned to find Kenta, rushing to his cousin and crushing her to a bear hug, "Thank goodness you are all right! For a second, I thought you were…"
"Dead!" Chokichi finished before he took a seat next to Kotono, "How did you survive?"
Kotono smacked her head, "You guys forgot that I have been trained by the best?"
Mamosuke smiled while the two fussed over Kotono, as always, Raiko noticed Kotono's arm sling, "How did she hurt you?"
Kenta and Chokichi noticed her arm sling and fussed, "You let her hurt you?"
The Shinkengers, Mamosuke and Raiko sat down and made themselves comfortable. Hikoma quickly poured tea for everyone.
"You told me not to defend myself every single time she attacks!" Kotono protested.
Kenta and Chokichi glared at her, "Okay… Fine! It was like this…" Kotono began to recall the battle that everyone thought Kotono had lost.
~Flashback~
Kotono swung her Shinkenmaru upwards but Leiko shoved her katana, piercing through Kotono's right shoulder.
Leiko smirked at the fact that she had won, she thrust her katana forward, making the blade going deeper to the wound.
The young samurai wanted it to happen as she had imagined it, she dropped her Shinkenmaru from her right hand. Leiko saw this action and knew that she would be able to kill Kotono at long last.
But the Gedou did not expect that Kotono would catch the Shinkenmaru with her left hand and swung a swift execution on Leiko as she took a step forward, making Leiko's katana deeper her wound.
Once Kotono sliced Leiko, the Gedou fell to the ground, "You got cut on purpose… to create an opening?"
Purple fires were released off Leiko as she transformed back to her human form, "You must be something…It seems that you had won this battle."
The young samurai wordlessly took out the katana from her right shoulder, the process was painful as she pulled the long katana, from her injured shoulder.
Just as Leiko held out her hand to receive the sword, Kotono threw the katana at a further distance and it landed on top of a hillside, near the sea. The young samurai coldly spoke, "You must never come near my mother again!"
She held her Shinkenmaru to Leiko's neck. The Gedou nodded, Kotono put her weapon down and walked away.
"You lived up to the expectations of a Shiba Head." Leiko called out as she walked away. Kotono never expected a compliment from Leiko as she grew up, receiving insults from her. She de-henshin and turn to gave a final nod at Leiko, before walking away.
The Gedou was shocked at how familiar Kotono's eyes were. She was brave… Leiko had to give her that, she did not expect her to make a move like that. She then searches for her katana and looked at her weapon, the Gedou remembered the battle.
One thing that stuck out to her was Kotono's voice, "So everything was a lie, he didn't love you, did he?" She clutched to her weapon and stated, "No… He loves me! He loves me… He loves me…" The Gedou hugged her katana tighter as she tried to deny Kotono's question.
~End of Flashback~
So that's what happened…Takeru sighed as he thought of the battle that took two days ago. The lord watched Kotono training her Shinkenmaru with her left hand. It was a miracle that her wound healed quickly, thanks to the herbs and medicine that the Chief Priest has provided. Despite the fact that her right shoulder hurt a little and there was a lot of constant nagging from Kenta, Kotono stubbornly insisted on training.
Hikoma chuckled as he sat down next to his lord. "Jii... What is so funny?" Takeru asked, feeling curious on what his guardian think of Kotono.
The old samurai examined the young samurai before commenting, "She reminds me of Kotoha… from her sword work. Her close relationship with Kenta and Chokichi, reminds me of how Chiaki and Kotoha first accepted Genta as the 6th Shinkenger and get along with him pretty well." Hikoma commented.
"Are you saying that I'm not best friends with Genta?" Takeru pouted.
"No…sometimes when Kenta fusses over Kotono, reminds me of you and Genta when you were younger… The time when both of you are mischievous and young…" Hikoma smiled at the memory. "But… Tono… The person that Kotono reminds me of the most… is you…"
Takeru looked at his guardian, "Really?"
"I was surprised when it was revealed that she was a kagemusha. But it made sense on why she reminds me of you… because the both of you had similar upbringing. The both of you were brought up to be the Shiba Head and at the same time being a kagemusha…"
"At least she did not have to hide from her comrades that she was a kagemusha…" Takeru admitted.
Hikoma gave his lord a sympathetic smile, "Yes… I guess Kotono is lucky in a way…"
"I wonder what would it be like if Takeo gets well?" Genta wondered out loud with his thoughts. Everyone turned to look at him, Genta stroked his chin, "Takeo would be ShinkenRed…"
Kotono who had heard the elder sushi-seller, felt hurt by his words. It's not that she did not want her brother to get well. She always pray that Takeo would be cured and be able to live a normal life but that would mean… that he would be able to fight as ShinkenRed, leaving Kotono…
So I am a substitute for Onii-san all this time? The realization made Kotono felt more stupid. Kenta went to hit Genta on the head for saying that. Kotoha remembered the look on Kotono's face because she was once like that as well. The ShinkenYellow was about to approach Kotono but the bell of the gap sensor rang.
"Gedoushu…" Kotono whispered.
"Minna! Let's go!" Takeru ordered. "Hai!"
As everyone exited from the mansion, they took out their Sodophone while Genta was the only one with the Sushi-changer.
"IPPITSU SOJOU!"
"IKKAN KENJOU!"
The Shinkengers and Samurais arrived at the destination. There were Nanshi Renju, attacking civilians. "We'll handle them!" Takeru declared as the Shinkengers moved to attack the Gedoushu with the Samurais, helping to get civilians into safety.
There was an aura of an Ayakashi that the Samurais felt among the civilians. Once the kuroko helped them, Chokichi declared, "Ayakashi! Show yourself!"
"I see it now…" An Ayakashi appeared out of thin air and glided towards Chokichi, "Slacker."
Chokichi hesitated before he felt purple electricity bursting before him, sending him off into the air. "Chokichi!" Kenta and Kotono called out to their best friend.
"What are you doing?" Raiko asked the Ayakashi but he just replied, "Father-complex."
Huh? Raiko felt the same purple electricity exploded from her, she soared into the sky before landing and damaging a building.
"Raiko!" Mamosuke called out for his sister, the Ayakashi approached him from behind. The ShinkenBlue strike the Ayakashi a few times but the Ayakashi advanced towards him and said, "Bachelor for life."
Who do you…? Mamosuke felt the purple electricity ruptured and he flew across the street, away from the Ayakashi.
"Mamosuke!" Kenta cried out him, running towards him while Kotono attended to Chokichi and Raiko. The Ayakashi moved towards the ShinkenYellow and stated, "This time, I will defeat you with words, ShinkenYellow. Identity Crisis!"
Kenta became the next victim as the purple electricity made him took off into the air, before landing down to the ground, breaking the solid concrete road.
The Shinkengers came into the scene, "Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi?" Kotoha asked in surprise.
Kotono held her Shinkenmaru firmly as she faced the Ayakashi, "What you say… are all lies!"
"I just tell the truth…If that hurts you, it's your fault!" The Ayakashi stated.
"Kotono!" Kotoha cried out as the young samurai made her way towards the Ayakashi. The young samurai swung her Shinkenmaru, attempting to strike the Ayakashi but he was ducking from her attack and stated, "If they are all lies, then they shouldn't hurt…"
"If it hurts, it shows that it is the truth!" The Ayakashi then examined her. "Try it out yourself!" He jumped off a few feet from her. Kotono ran towards him as he commented, "You are an Illegitimate child!"
The six-year-old Kotono was fidgeting in her new kimono. "Kotono! Stop it, you should not act like this because you are the Shiba Head…"
"Hai… Sensei…" Kotono took a deep breath before sitting at a table to represent the Shiba Head. She was at an event where Samurais from old respectable families come to meet yearly.
"That's her… She's an illegitimate child! Her mother gave birth to her and she was not even married to the man!" Kotono heard a nearby lady gossiped as she walked past by.
She looked at her Sensei who told her, "Ignore it!"
Kotono thrust her Shinkenmaru forward and did not have the same effect as the others. "What? That can't be!" The Ayakashi announced while trying to duck from Kotono's Shinkenmaru. Kotono was going to hit the Ayakashi but he said, "In body and mind… You are a liar!"
"Ryu-sensei…" The seven-year-old Kotono timidly moved towards her substitute sensei whenever her own sensei could not train her since she has the responsibilities of the Shiba Head.
"What is it, Kotono?" Her sensei who was a male, smiled gently at her as he patted a seat besides him.
Kotono sat down besides him, "Am I a liar?"
"Why would you say that?" He frowned, "You are a very honest person."
"It's just that…" Kotono hesitated, "You know… Onii-san is the real Shiba Head but sensei keeps on saying that I should introduce to people that I am the Shiba Head and I should act like one! But… that would mean I lie!"
Her sensei smiled as he gently ruffled her hair, "Kotono, you are never a liar. As long as you know that the truth, it does not matter…"
The Shinkenmaru struck him, "It can't be!" He tried again, "Loner!"
The eight-year-old Kotono was crying in the garden, "Kotono!" She looked up to find the wife of her substitute sensei coming towards her, "What's wrong?"
Kotono wiped her tears but whimpered, "I wanted to play with some of the girls in the street but they say I am a loner!"
The elder woman took the weeping Kotono in her arms and patted her head, "Kotono, you are not a loner!"
"I am! They say I spent a lot of time at home and have no one to play with!" Kotono protested.
"Ah… but they are wrong. They don't know that you play with your cousin Kenta and your best friend Chokichi. Mamosuke and Raiko think you are fun to be around with!" The elder woman gently told her.
Kotono shook her head, "But they are older than me so they always spoil me!"
The elder woman chuckled, "You almost forgot…" She rubbed her nose with Kotono's, "You have your Onii-san Takeo. You will never be a loner if these people love you…"
The Ayakashi took damage from Kotono's Shinkenmaru. He was angry at the fact that his words have no effect on Kotono. "How about this? Weak!"
The nine-year-old Kotono spun her Shinkenmaru with the Kabuto Disc. Orange flames sprung off the Shinkenmaru but the power was too great and it repelled Kotono, sending her backwards.
"Hime! She is weak!" A middle-aged man commented to Kotono's sensei.
Her sensei sighed and walked away, "Hime! I still do not understand why you chose this girl as the kagemusha. She is a girl! You should have chosen a boy! Her Mojikara is too weak." The man still complained as he followed Kotono's sensei. Both of them exited to the Shiba mansion.
Kotono sighed, "I can do it!" She looked down at her hands, blood were oozing out of her fingers, "Can't I?"
"It's not enough…" Kotono looked up to see her best friend's father and the person she looks up as a father figure, "Tan-sensei?"
"To use this Hiden Disc, you would need twice the Mojikara you have now…" The elder man walked towards her and sat down besides her. "Right now… You're far from there."
Kotono let out a frustrated sigh, she watched in envy at Mamosuke and Kenta who are eleven-year-old, battling each other at the other side of the garden. "I can never be as strong as them… Their Mojikara are stronger than mine… Because I am a girl…"
"You are not Mamosuke. You are not Kenta. You are Kotono! You are not weak. All you can do now is struggle to become stronger. " Kotono looked up with surprise at Tani-sensei. "You have the Mojikara to use the Kabuto Disc."
"Eh? Really? Then why…" Kotono asked.
Tani-sensei grinned at Kotono, who is like a daughter to him, "Maybe…You need something do start it up?"
"Rekka Daizanto!" Kotono's Shinkenmaru was spun to turn into her personal weapon.
"N-no fair!" Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi cried out as he stepped back. Kotono ran towards him and swung the big weapon around to hit him. The Ayakashi took damage, "That.. can't be!" He turned around to return to the Sanzu River.
Kotono stopped as she took several deep breaths. The Shinkengers watched her in amazement, Kotoha stepped towards her, "Kotono?"
She turned around and saw the Kuroko helping the Samurai, "Kenta-niisan!" Kotoha sighed as she failed trying to talk to Kotono again.
~*~*~*~*~*
"Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi's words are aimed to hurt you mentally. The mental damage becomes physical damage." Hikoma kindly explained to the four Samurais who had been victims of the Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi's verbal abuse.
"But there is nothing to fear as long as you do not forget your samurai presence of mind." Takeru stated at the Samurais who looked ashamed.
"I was caught off-guard! It won't happen next time!" Mamosuke declared. Mako patted his back gently, "Hey, I know what's it like…"
Raiko banged her fists against the floor, "How dare he? How can he be so cruel! Father-complex…" Ryunosuke gently stated, "You like kabuki, don't you? It's nothing wrong that your father introduced you to the world of kabuki. It can't be helped if the relationship is special." Raiko looked up at Ryunosuke, finding his words are true, "Hai! Arigatou!"
"Identity Crisis?" Kenta muttered. Genta walked up to him, "You were born and raised in France, right? But you are Japanese citizen?" Kenta nodded, feeling guilty, "Sometimes I feel like I am French, other times I feel Japanese." Genta smiled at the younger chef, "There's nothing wrong with knowing and experiencing two cultures." Kenta smiled, feeling better already, "Arigatou!"
"Damn him!" Chokichi cursed. "Hey! Take it easy, it didn't hurt that much?" Chokichi glared at Chiaki, "I know I am a slacker but the words he said to Kotono are cruel!"
"But she was the only one unaffected." Takeru pointed out.
Chokichi glared at the lord, "Even if she is unaffected, that does not mean that she is hurt by them! That Ayakashi still managed to find the words she despised the most! She must be somewhere in a corner, trying to forget it!"
The Shinkengers looked to see that Chokichi was right, Kotono was missing. Where could she be? Kotoha thought. She volunteered to look for her. The ShinkenYellow quickly went to the garden to find Kotono playing the bamboo flute.
The young samurai suddenly stopped, remembering the Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi's words, playing around with her insecurities and self-esteem. She took out the letter from Takeo. Her brother has been staying in the hospital for a few months now, since he missed Kotono, he always writes her letters.
Kotono,
are you doing well? Onii-san knows that he shouldn't write too much but… I couldn't help stop worrying. So I wrote another letter. After all, Kotono is the youngest samurai. I'm sure you get hurt and go through many painful times. Despite that you are doing your best as ShinkenRed. Even now, I want to come now running.
Kotono crushed the letter. Onii-san wants to be ShinkenRed… The thought of her brother being ShinkenRed, made her feel uneasy. She wants her brother to get well but she could not help but feel selfish because she wants to be ShinkenRed as well. I have no right… to think like that! If Onii-san gets well… what would happen to me?
"What a waste of paper!" Kotoha took the letter from Kotono and smoothed the paper out, "Your Onii-san still worries about you…"
"I am a substitute for Onii-san…" Kotono gave a bitter smile.
Kotoha was about to comment but the bell of the gap sensor rang again. As Kotono got up, Kotoha quickly said, "You are no one's substitute. Only you are ShinkenRed... Your Onii-san is the Shiba Head."
~*~*~*~*~*
Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi was testing his abilities to see if they still work. So far, people had taken his verbal abuse and ended up taking the physical damage as well, Why did that ShinkenRed? The Ayakashi became even more frustrated, it was not supposed to happen!
"Gedoushu!" The Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi turned to see the Shinkengers and Samurais. He knew that the ShinkenRed he wanted to defeat is the shorter one. "My business is with that ShinkenRed girl! Nanashi Renju!"
The Nanashi Renju sprang off from the ground and began attacking the Shinkengers and Samurais. The Ayakashi glided towards Kotono. "Illegitimate child! Loner! Liar!"
Kotono kept on going, "It does not work on me!"
"My words are absolute! I will definitely defeat you with words!" The Ayakashi declared, "Abandoned child!"
"I'm fine!" Kotono stated before striking the Ayakashi.
"Fill-in for your brother!" The Ayakashi shouted. Kotono hesitated. Purple electricity came off her, making her fly up to the sky and fell back down. Kotono de-henshins as she hit the ground. "KOTONO!" Chokichi and Kenta cried out.
The Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi danced around in circles. "Yes! I told you I will defeat you!"
Kotono looked up and saw an airplane flying past by in the sky.
"Kotono… Remember… Be strong." Takeo stated as he folded a piece of paper, "You are the Shiba Head, no matter what people say about it. Do not listen, only words will bring you down if you let them." Takeo threw his neatly-folded airplane out of the window.
The younger sister went to the window to watch the airplane fly, "Do not fall! Continue flying!"
Only words will bring you down if you let them… Kotono struggled to get up.
"What? That is not possible!" The Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi exclaimed.
Once Kotono stood to her full height, "Is that all you got?" She took out her Sodophone and wrote Stone and waved it to the Ayakashi.
The Ayakashi Zuboshimeshi hesitated, "Fill-in…" The small perfectly formed stones were clumped into the Ayakashi's mouth, disabling him to talk. Kotono was surprised with her Mojikara. Her stones did not glow red as they used to.
Kenta and Chokichi who had been watching this, were surprised. "There's no fire in the stones…Kotono's Earth Mojikara is… working?"
"So Kotono can control Fire Mojikara and earth Mojikara?" Takeru asked out loud. Kotoha, who had heard the statement, turned to watch Kotono as she struck the final Nanashi Renju.
"Using words to hurt people…guys like you are the worst!" Kotono took out her Sodophone, "IPPITSU SOUJOU!" She henshins to ShinkenRed and took out her Shinkenmaru with her Shishi Disc.
Kenta placed his Saru Disc in his Shinkenmaru, "Kotono! Use this!" He threw his weapon to his cousin.
Kotono caught it with her left hand. She then placed both Shinkenmaru onto the ground and spun them.
"SHINKENMARU! KAEN NO MAI!" Kotono swung her right hand at the Ayakashi and then used her left hand, "TSUCHIKEMURI NO MAI!"
The elements from both attacks, combined and destroyed the Ayakashi, erupting the Gedoushu in flames. The Nanashi Renju who had been battling, fled from the scene.
"She did it!" Mamosuke and Chokichi bumped their fists together. Kenta smiled at Kotono, Finally Kotono… You always wanted to use your Earth Mojikara but sensei didn't let you. Now you can use both Fire Mojikara and Earth Mojikara perfectly. A sense of pride swirled around Kenta as he was going to his cousin.
"Kotono…" Kenta gently called but his cousin did not reply as she fainted. He quickly caught her, "Kotono?"
~*~*~*~*~*
The Shinkengers and Samurais sat down in the main hall. "Kotono… must have been hurt by the Ayakashi's words…" Raiko stated.
"She shuts them all within herself unconsciously…" Mamosuke expressed his thoughts. Kenta kept looking at the door where Kotono is sleeping inside for 36 hours straight.
"I don't understand…" Chokichi scratched his head, "Wasn't Kotono's Mojikara destroyed by the Onibidama?"
The Samurais looked at Takeru for answers but Hikoma answered them for him, "My guess is that… when the Ayakashi placed the Onibidama in Kotono… The Onibidama destroyed the seal that was placed on Kotono's Earth Mojikara…"
"But wouldn't Kotono be sick like Takeo?" Raiko asked.
Mamosuke agreed, "Takeo is sick because he inherited both the Fire and Earth Mojikara…Earth puts out the fire… weakening Takeo's Mojikara as a whole."
Hikoma sighed, "Again… This is my theory… Kotono's Earth Mojikara is sealed, she has been able to build up her Fire Mojikara, making it stronger… I guess both the Earth Mojikara and Fire Mojikara is balanced in her… That's why she is not sick… There are some records of Samurais who are able to attain Mojikara of different elements…"
"Kotono is one of them?" Kenta asked of his cousin.
"It seems Kotono is more powerful now…" Hikoma concluded. "That was why she was able to heal so quickly… Do you remember the time she put out a shield to protect you while she battled Leiko?"
Everyone nodded, they were still puzzled at how Kotono was weakening from the battle, yet her Mojikara for the Shield remained strong.
"I think the shield is strong because of her Earth Mojikara that had been released since the seal is destroyed by the Onibidama… The Gedoushu must watch out for Kotono…" Hikoma chuckled.
There was a yawn, everyone looked up to find Kotono walking into the main hall, in her pajamas.
"How are you feeling?" Kotoha asked.
"Eh?" Kotono was puzzled.
Mako gently said, "Don't you feel sick?"
A growl erupted from Kotono's stomach, the young samurai blushed, "I'm hungry…" Everyone laughed.
Gomen! I realized I had been focusing on Kotono too much... I hope you guys are not sick of her... If you are, Gomenasai! *bows*
I will try to include in the other characters! So... for now, Kotono is pretty much the main character... Hope you understand! hehe :)