Kanbei and Shichiroji entered Kouguya, Shichiroji having to see someone first before returning to Hotaruya, He left Kanbei to drift, agreeing to meet where the road to Hotaruya began at dusk. It would give Kanbei time to mope away from a Shichiroji who wanted to see none of it.

Kanbei meandered around a still partially recovering Kouguya, seeing places that evoked memories and wincing inwardly. Too many reminders of painful sacrifices. That was why he wandered. If he wandered, he wouldn't attach memories and faces to places, and so be haunted with the images that places and situations made him remember. There was where he met Kikuchyo for the first time, there was where he met Katsushiro. After a while he just stopped walking, standing in the middle of the street.

He had no purpose.

He had no direction.

It was funny, but without a war or battles to fight, he was lost, confused. It was frustrating. He felt eyes on him, and looked around warily, and his hand found its way to his side. He gave a visible flinch when he remembered that he no longer had his sword. It had been a part of him...what had possessed him to do that? Now he really had no skills that could help him survive. He sighed inwardly and began moving again, needing something to occupy his time instead of thoughts that dragged at his spirit.

Kyuuzou coughed hard, his body shaking with fatigue and pain. He opened his eyes slowly, and the pain within them was staggering. He had felt Kanbei nearby, and so had desired to see him. he had done something that the demon wanted, he thought it shouldn't be too bad to see him. He had stood and started walking to the main street where he felt Kanbei when all the air in his lungs was knocked out of him. He had staggered and leaned against a wall, but caught his breath and began walking again. It became hard to move his legs, as if he was walking through thick mud, but he persisted. When that hadn't stopped him, sharp pinpricks of pain had worked their way across his entire body. He had pointedly ignored it, his legs back to working order. He had nearly reached where he could see Kanbei when it felt as if his body was being torn in two. He had shuddered, but continued to stubbornly walk, until he reached the sunlight.

There.

There he was.

Kyuuzou fell to his knees, slumped against the wall, even as he just looked at Kanbei.

Kanbei appeared depressed. Probably blaming himself for all their deaths at Kanna Village. He saw Kanbei notice that someone was watching him, but Kyuuzou's eyes closed on their own accord, making Kyuuzou want to snarl at the demon had he been stupid enough to desire more torment. It seemed as if the desire was enough, for the pain in his body doubled. He looked down at his hand in a haze, and where he could see skin, there were the blood-red runes dancing across his body. He heard a harsh voice rasp in his mind,

I gave you this body. I gave you this new chance to accomplish what you want. I control what you do.

Kyuuzou took a ragged breath and nodded his head slightly in understanding. He was no masocist. Very well, this was just another master to serve under. If his hand ever slackened, Kyuuzou would use it to his advantage. He had no desire to die from stubborness.

He had to settle two scores before that.

The pain slowly receeded as he felt Kanbei drift farther away from him. When Kanbei was out of the range of his senses, the pain finally ceased. He slowly stood, not knowing that the residual demonic energy still remained in his eyes. He shook his head and his eyes gained their sleepy, nonchalant cast again.

It looked like he was an assassin again.

He stepped away from the daylight and drifted into the shadows, the weight of his swords on his back the only comfort he currently had.