Mitsui Hisashi

A sudden bang of the cell doors made me jump, and I sat up alarmed to see a group of six Councillors arriving. Trailing along behind them was a familiar nervous face.

I was on my feet at once, though the chain around my neck connected to the stone wall did not permit me to reach the bars.

"Kiminobu?" I breathed in alarm, fear erupting. Had they changed their mind? Would Kiminobu be condemned together with us?

But the Sword Master shook his head meaningfully and gestured for me to be seated. I remained standing anyway.

"We have a proposition," the Chair stated, staring through the bars at us.

My face must have visibly tightened in mistrust.

"Your condemnations are highly unfortunate..." the Chair continued, looking between me and Kaede with a simperingly inauthentic expression of regret, "...knowing that your intentions were not bad but that you were merely misguided, it would be regrettable to see two talented apprentices such as yourselves lost to the darkness."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

The Chair cast me a commiserating smile. "I'm sure you realise that maintaining a positive relationship with us, the Council, will serve you much better than allying yourselves with our enemies."

I glowered at him. "You are exiling us. What the hell sort of relationship are we supposed to maintain?"

"A rather exceptional one," the Chair admitted. "The demons are... stronger than we anticipated."

"Is that so?" I spat, words dripping with sarcasm.

"Though your fall remains a necessity, I offer you a chance to serve the interests of the light, and help defend against the rising strength of the under-realm."

I scoffed. "And how do you expect us to do that?"

"For example, by rely of information. Or even by..." the Chair hesitated before he said, "…reducing the demon numbers, when required."

Even I was shocked. For a moment I stood stunned. Then I folded my arms in disbelief. "You want me to kill for you?" I snarled at him. "After you condemn me for the same? How hypocritical can you possibly get, you arrogant son of a-"

"Mitsui," the Sword Master interrupted me quickly. "Please. Just... listen first."

I gave a snort of contempt. "I'm listening. What the hell do I get out of this?"

"We are prepared to make three concessions so you may fulfil your role," the Chair held up three fingers, "Firstly, we will arm you with swords of the finest quality."

I rolled my eyes and looked unimpressed.

"Secondly we will allow you access to the twelve mansions. They are ancient sites protected against demons. Though they have been neglected since the wars I am confident you can make them habitable. No black-blood may cross their thresholds although be wary; they will not provide defence against the fallen."

My eyebrows ticked in interest. Though I didn't like it, even I could see that the Council's offer would solve most of our problems. I'd already decided to help Rukawa pursue revenge, so it seemed I would have to accept the offer even though the idea of playing running dog to the Council made me want to spit.

But then the Chair explained the third concession, and the tables truly hit their tipping point.

"Finally," he said, "we will appoint an emissary to liaise with you. The task will require frequent crossing of the gates, and a special permission will be granted for this purpose. Responsibility for the emissary's safety and protection on the mortal plane will fall to you. Due to the very particular nature of the role, the sword master has insisted that it could only possibly be fulfilled by one-" here he lifted his hand to indicate.

"Kiminobu?" I breathed in a disbelieving rush.

"That is correct."

I stared at Kogure through the bars. Kogure stared back at me, his eyes full of an eager, desperate love. A ballooning feeling of relief and warmth rushed over me at once.

We didn't need to speak. Everything was said in those stares.

My eyes moved slowly to the Swordmaster. I was probably his most troublesome student. For years I had accused him of aiding the Council in holding us back. I had shunned his advice, acted rudely and contemptuously towards him, and given him a thousand reasons to detest me.

"Thank you," I whispered hoarsely, suddenly having to blink back tears of relief.

I would be able to see Kiminobu. Nothing else mattered so long as I had that. I would have done anything. Truly.

The old man only shrugged.

"Do I take it that you accept our offer?" the Chair asked. "In exchange we ask that your loyalty remains with the Council. That you act as our arm upon the mortal plane. You might think of yourselves as..." he paused and considered for a moment, "...as slayers. Like the mortals of old."

I took only one quick glance at Rukawa, who hadn't given any indication one way or another, and decided to speak on his behalf. "Yes," I said quickly, nodding my head. "Yes. We accept."

A sword. A base. The chance to see Kiminobu. When I thought about it, there really wasn't anything else I could possibly have asked for.

I knew, of course, that the only reason they were making these concessions was because I would be a threat to them. And they rightly had good cause to fear me. I understood, too, that they were in effect keeping Kiminobu hostage, a way to ensure my obedience to them.

I wasn't without pride. I would be lying if I claimed not to detest how they were manipulating me. But what choice did I have? They'd handed me a muzzle, and so I put it on and wagged my tail for them.

I could see the self-satisfied expression on the Chair's face - congratulating himself for so cleverly using Kogure as leverage. He motioned, and a crate was brought forward. Packed inside, I saw for the first time the three swords resting upon shredded silk.

"These are relics from the last war," the Chair admitted. "But they are blessed steel and will serve you well. We grant them to you for your use and protection. You may name them as you will."

I chose the largest sword, a little disbelieving that I was permitted to pick her up, balance her in my hand, a weapon as powerful as this while I myself was still chained to the wall as prisoner condemned.

The moment I touched the hilt, I heard her. She filled me up. Replacing despair with purpose. She was strength and power and anger. A very pure echo to the twisting of my heart.

"Vengeance," I named her immediately. I did not need to think. I gazed into her steel and saw in her depths the shadows of slaughter. A warning to the thousands who would fall to this blade. The blade of the First. The strongest.

"Mercy," Kogure named his blade soon after. He'd chosen the lightest and thinnest, in a metal almost pure white, well suited to him. It would be the least burdensome to carry across the gates.

The remaining sword was left for Rukawa. He did not choose it, he only received it with a dull look, staring at it as if he did not know or could not imagine what it was.

Rukawa sat silently, as he had all along, staring down at the bright metal. The blood caked over his cheek was reflected in her lines.

This last sword was beautiful. I tried to imagine what Rukawa saw in her. Perhaps something untouched and pure. Though she was a weapon made to kill, she looked delicate and lovely. Her body yet unstained. Never tried against real flesh. A virgin sword.

Rukawa took a shuddering breath, the air twisting in his throat, tightening uncomfortably. A flicker of pain moved over his face.

"Well?" the Chair wanted to know.

Rukawa turned her slowly, inspecting the steel, hunting for a flaw. Something that would have revealed her true, ugly purpose.

But she was flawless.

He closed his eyes.

I watched him silently. Perhaps that is the sword, I thought then, that will one day defeat Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Rukawa gripped her tightly, his lips moving in silent, tiny motions.

"What name?" the Chair demanded again, aspirated by Rukawa's silence.

Rukawa finally opened his eyes and glanced up through his fringe as if noticing for the first time that any of us were there.

"Innocence," he told us. "Her name is Innocence."