The Tengu and The Samurai: Investigation

"Hey, time to change shifts."

"... If it's all the same to you, I'll just keep on guard."

"You need to change shifts, you look like a zombie."

"I'll be fine."

Two soldiers of the Tenryou Commission are currently on duty guarding the emergency room. One soldier was recently brought back from a patrol duty that needed immediate medical attention, his arm and leg completely amputated, blood rushing out like a geyser. It was honestly a miracle that he'd manage to survive long enough to get help. The one currently guarding the emergency room was the brother of the one receiving treatment, and he hadn't left the guard position ever since his brother was admitted, refusing every and all attempts to have him get off duty.

"Taiga, it's been 3 days. You need rest."

"I'm not leaving my post. I will not leave my post until Wataru wakes up!"

"Taiga please, this isn't healthy!"

The two soldiers were going back and forth, neither giving up ground and arguing about the fact that the man hadn't left post for so long, until a commanding voice broke up the squabble.

"That's enough!"

The two look over to see that their General, Sara Kujou, had walked toward their location, no doubt to check on the condition of the young soldier who was brought back, and overhearing the commotion, decided to see what was happening.

"Madam Kujou!" The two exclaimed.

"Soldier, you are to change shifts with your colleague as appointed." Sara had gotten the gist of the conversation from what little she heard, and decided to finally put a stop to this squabble.

"With all due respect Madam, I refuse that order."

"Taiga?! What are you doing?!"

Normally Sara would've said something regarding the insubordination she was experiencing, but due to knowing the soldier's relationship with the injured, she decided to hear him first.

"It's my fault Wataru is like that to begin with. I wasn't available when they assigned me to the patrol so he volunteered to fill my slot instead… I'm supposed to be the one in that room, not Wataru… not my little brother…" The soldier got on his knees, and for the first time in 3 days, showed the emotion he was bottling up for the sake of watching over his brother. His eyes filled with tears that were streaming down his cheeks like waterfalls almost immediately, the regret that he had pouring out like a leaking barrel.

"Do you think your brother would want to see you in this condition?"

"... Huh?" The soldier looked up to his General in confusion at her statement.

"I understand your pain, but your brother wouldn't want to see you killing yourself for his sake. As your General I command you, get some rest. And then you can resume the duty of watching your brother." The statement the General gave was a lot softer compared to the ones she made prior, as it was clear to her the extent of this soldier's love for his brother and just how much it was eating away at him.

"... Understood… General." The soldier collapsed almost immediately, with his colleague catching him.

"Get him to an inn and then take over the shift."

"Yes Madam Kujou!" The soldier carrying his colleague immediately started running toward the direction of the inns, and while doing that, Sara, with a grim look on her face, opened up the doors to the emergency center.

—-

"How's his condition?"

"We're keeping him stable… but honestly, even if he does wake up it's likely he won't ever be the same again."

"... I understand." The General of the Tenryou Commission looked over to her wounded soldier. When she saw his condition, she had to make an effort to hide the emotion she was feeling, an effort that was made harder when she heard about the rest of the patrol squad. Her face was the same stern and focused look it always had, but inside, she was absolutely furious that something had killed her soldiers, especially in such a brutal and violent manner.

"I almost forgot to mention General, but the ones who brought him back said that he was muttering something when they found him."

"What was it?"

"They said he kept rambling about a 'demon'."

"A demon?" Sara now had an extremely confused look on her face. A demon? She certainly got the impression that the only thing cruel enough to do this would've been a heartless and depraved monster. But certainly those ramblings weren't anything literal right? "No, of course not. As irritating as he is, that bone headed Oni could never do something like this." Dismissing that line of thought, Sara looked up at the doctor again. "Thank you for the information."

"Of course Madam Kujou." With those words, the doctor went back to work, while the General would leave the emergency room. Clenching her fist, she would rush back to the Tenryou Commission headquarters and make a statement. "ALL TROOPS ARE TO BE SEARCH FOR THE CULPRIT WHO MURDERED THE PATROL UNIT! WE WILL FIND THE MONSTER WHO DID THIS IF IT'S THE LAST THING WE DO!" With that statement, the soldiers in the Tenryou Commission gave a mighty uproar. All of them have heard of what happened to the patrol who went to Yashiori Island. They wanted justice for their brothers-in-arms. And they make sure whoever or whatever was responsible will pay.

—-

"Hmm… curiouser, and curiouser." On the outskirts of Fort Fujou was a young man with auburn hair examining a crime scene with great interest. The scene was a murder, no, a massacre, of a group Ronin that had massive slash wounds, numerous arrows, and even shattered armor pieces and indents in their bodies, and it's observer was none other than the Tenryou Commission's greatest detective, Shikanoin Heizou. "It's beyond a shadow of a doubt that the one who did this was the same as that case… but even so…" The young man took note of the aura that was leaving the Ronins bodies, this aura was the result of a curse left by the Serpent God, Orobashi, who was slain on this very island. A curse called Tatarigami, a curse that caused sickness and calamity wherever it spread, and greatly empowered those who were unfortunate enough to fall victim to its possession. "It makes this all the more concerning. Whoever did this is powerful enough to wipe out Tatarigami enhanced samurai?" Just as Heizou was collecting his observations, he sensed something approaching him. Sensing malicious intent, Heizou got into a battle ready stance, the Vision on his hip glowing, and was preparing a forward strike imbued with Anemo energy, waiting for whatever was approaching him to show itself. He would soon dissipate that energy upon seeing what came out.

"Help… me… ngggh…" The thing that came out was a Treasure Hoarder with Tatarigami leaking from his body, one that collapsed the moment he saw the young detective, dying as he hit the ground.

"..." To say Heizou was surprised was an understatement. He saw the look on the man's face before he collapsed to the floor. "Fear…" An emotion that was supposed to be unknown to those possessed by the Tatarigami, for all it knew was rage and malice, but the fact remained that whatever caused the Treasure Hoarder's condition, even with the Tatarigami possessing him, was able to instill such a feeling of dread that it caused him to run away. "This just got a whole lot more complicated." Heizou made notice of where the Treasure Hoarder came from and it was clear to him that whoever the culprit was, they were currently either at or heading for…

—-

"The Serpent's Head." The General of the Tenryou Commission thoroughly read the detective's report and when she was through, she turned to the detective. "Excellent work as always Shikanoin." The young detective merely shrugged in response.

"As if there was ever any doubt about my intuition."

"Still as much of a headache as always…" The General said in a monotone, unamused voice, with the detective grinning in response. Sara, not skipping a beat, said, "I'll assemble a squadron at once. We head for the Serpent's Head as soon as possible." As she turned to walk away, she suddenly stopped when she felt the detective put a hand on her shoulder.

"Madam Kujou, I know we've had our differences and troubles in the past… but from one colleague to another, be careful." The detective, contrary to his normal free-spirited and lively nature, now had a sense of urgency and genuine concern in his voice, something that caught even the stalwart General off guard, but she quickly regained composure.

"If you of all people are expressing concern, then Mare Jivari has frozen over." The General joked before later saying, "On my pride as General of the Tenryou Commission and the right hand of the Almighty Shogun, I will bring back this culprit without fail. You have no need to worry, Shikanoin."

"Figured, but thought I might as well remind you given how stubborn you tend to be." Heizou shot back, this time Sara didn't give a response, and both walked their separate ways.

When she got back to the Tenryou Commission headquarters, she prepared a squadron of soldiers and set out for Yashiori Island. Ironically the last time she set out there was for battle against the Watatsumi Resistance during the civil war and now she was going there to apprehend a monster, an irony that was not lost on her. "This time, there will be no retreat."

—-

As the squadron was walking through Yashiori Island, they were all stone faced, disciplined, eager to get the thing that massacred the patrol of Nazuchi Beach, the General, making note of the environment as she lead her men, "The island where the Almighty Shogun struck down the Serpent God Orobashi… and the reason for Watatsumi Island's hatred against the mainland… to think that the time where the two finally unite could almost be upon us. But the time for those thoughts is neither here nor the-" Any and all thoughts that any of the squadron had were cut off when they heard the bloody screams of Hilichurls, followed by a meaty slash. The squadron rushed to the source, near the Serpent's Head and were greeted to,

"By the… Shogun…"

"What… is this…"

The squad of soldiers couldn't believe their eyes, Hilichurl and Samachurl bodies emitting Tatarigami aura lined the floor, completely sliced apart and flayed in such a manner that it made some of the soldiers even feel pity for the monsters, and then they looked towards the center of the field, a man in armor wielding a massive sword and greatbow on his back, completely bisecting a Tatarigami-enhanced Mitachurl with little effort, the Mitachurl's shield being completely shattered with what appeared to be a single strike. The General leading the squadron wasted no second, and drew her bow at the man.

"HALT! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" Sara said at the top of the voice. The man took notice and turned around, and with that she got a better look at him, and noticed that he had no Vision anywhere on his personage, which made his slaughter of the curse-empowered monsters all the more strange. Any further thinking on that matter would cease when the man finally spoke.

"I have no need of a name… For those who gave me my name are gone." The man readied his sword and took notice of the woman currently preparing an arrow to shoot at him. He could tell there was something off about the woman, an inhuman quality, but for what that was, he couldn't tell yet.

"Did you murder my subordinates at Nazuchi Beach?" Sara wasted no time, and asked, no, demanded that question at the man, who responded after what felt like an eternity.

"If they were your subordinates… then I pity the fact they had such a weak leader." The man finally said. Sara, in an uncharacteristic rage, let her arrow fly, to which the man responded by deflecting it, a trick he learned from his Shinobi nemesis, before rushing at her at an inhuman speed.

"!" The General was barely able to get out her sword to block the ensuing strike and felt the force behind the blow. "This man is strong, inhumanly strong. He's not a Vision wielder but even in spite of that it's taking me a considerable effort just to block his strike!" The two were in a deadlock for minutes before the man jumped back numerous feet away after sensing one of the soldiers was preparing to take advantage of the clash.

"Hmm… maybe your men aren't as weak as I thought."

"YOU BASTARD! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO WATARU AND THE OTHERS!" The soldier who tried to strike the man shouted, before being stopped by his General.

"You and everyone else, retreat to Fort Fujou."

"What?! Madam, you can't be serious!"

"He's not an opponent any of you can fight. He's not a Vision user, but even still it took me a lot of strength just to block one of his sword strikes. If we have any chance of capturing him, I need to fight him alone."

"... You all heard our General, retreat until further notice!" The soldiers retreated from the battlefield, sensing their leader's concern and determination, as much as they hated it, they knew they would only get in the way, so they would pray… no, they would count on their General coming back with the man in chains.

"... You care a lot for your men do you? An admirable quality… but a fatal one." The armored man, in a shocking display, let Sara's soldiers retreat.

"I'd rather perish than ever lose sight of my humanity."

"Your 'humanity' huh? A sick joke coming from a Yokai." That comment caused Sara's eyes to widen, but the man didn't care and continued, "What use is humanity if it hinders your ability to protect that which you love." Sara shook off the comment that he made earlier and responded.

"My humanity is what fuels my ability to protect my nation and its people. If it weren't for it I would've never been able to see the corruption happening under me… if you say that's weakness, then you truly are the monster that I thought. And there's no use talking with a monster." Sara readied her sword in a kasumi no kamae stance.

"I agree…" The armored man put himself in a battle ready stance, his tachi in hand at his side with his free hand above it, echoing the statement that his Shinobi nemesis said to him when he faced him atop the dojo on the Ashina estate. "Face me…"