Miko opened an eye when Rumia appeared in front of her, somewhat surprised.
"What brings you here at this sort of time? You know Seiga wouldn't be here at this time, she'd be with Yoshika." Miko said. "Or are you looking for Futo?"
"Actually, Toyosatomimi, I'm looking for you."
At this, the Taoist Saint opened both eyes, and got out of her prayer stance. "Very well, I must say, it's not often you seek my advice or aid, and you know I make a point not to interfere unless I am either the only one who can, or are asked to do so."
"So as not to abuse your power of reading desires, I know." Rumia said, before she closed her eyes and sighed. "The question is, can you turn off your power?"
"I can always hear ten voices. Right now, since we are the only ones here, I hear the Ten Voices within you." Toyosatomimi said. "So no."
"Then if you know what my desires are saying, you should know why I need your help already." Rumia said.
"Each of your voices is split between various desires, Rumia. They never align. However, I can hear a conflict about Kasen. One of your desires is to, simply put, punch her in the face and another is hesitation because she 'seemed nice' when you met her. Everyone has inner conflicts such as this, even myself." Toyosatomimi explained. "However, I can confirm that Kasen holds a dark desire within herself. She keeps the desire muffled, although not to the degree Seiga keeps hers. I can tell she wants to eliminate something, but I knew not what it was until I heard your desires."
Rumia explained the situation, and about Kasen's past and betrayal of the other Deva. Miko listened, her face showing no emotion except mild curiosity.
"I am no stranger to hermits having questionable pasts. I was taught by Seiga, after all." Miko sighed. "Futo killed Soga. I myself misled an entire nation. Soga and her family were involved in two bitter clan wars, with the Fujiwara and the Mononobe. Indeed, I should have expected Kasen to also have a dark past. It seems all hermits do. Even you do, Rumia."
"I never knew you lot all had your baggage as well. Being a Saint and all, I expected your past to be squeaky-clean Toyosatomimi." Rumia said. The saint laughed.
"Everyone has skeletons in their closet, you would do well to remember that. Gods, Saints, Humans and Youkai alike! The problem is letting your past go and move on, which we have all done, but it seems that Kasen has not. I shall assist you in making her move on, by force, if need be. If her dark desire is the downfall of her own race, I cannot allow it, as a former ruler myself!"
"Yes, move on from your past, and work towards a new future." Rumia said. "Look at me now compared to a few years ago. Look at Rika. Soga and Futo are like sisters now, despite Futo killing Soga. Although I didn't know that Mokou's family was involved with theirs."
"It is funny how things work out like that. The last of the Mononobe, Fujiwara and Tojiko all live in the same area, no longer at conflict, over a thousand years later."
"Anyway, we should not waste any more time. I shall open a path to Kasen's personal retreat." Miko said, before pointing her Shaku to the side, which glowed and opened a portal, which the two stepped through.
One could easily have mistaken Kasen's house for the Hakurei Shrine, as it was basically designed as such, with a few minor differences, such as the lack of a donation box, and different surrounding trees. The Hermit stood at the front of the shrine, with several small animals around her. The animals scattered when they noticed the saint and the youkai approach.
"My, how rare it is for you to come here, Miko." Kasen said, bowing. Miko did the same. The oni looked at Rumia. "I would have rathered you not bring the daemon from Makai here, but I guess she has a reason."
"I'm sorry, but last I checked, I'm a pretty divine being, all things considered." Rumia said.
"Anyway, what brings you here?" Kasen asked.
Miko remained quiet, apparently knowing Rumia's plan from her desires.
"I wish to have a little sparring match with you. Miko is interested in my potential and what I have learnt from Futo." Rumia said.
Kasen smiled for a moment, before she punched Rumia without warning, sending her flying away, crashing into some sort of barrier that was the edge of Kasen's hermit retreat.
"What do you take me for? A fool?" she asked, still sounding peaceful and kind. "You come to my retreat, and ask for a spar out of the blue with such a bold-faced lie. The only reasonable motivation would be that you heard from Yuugi or Suika about me. That's also the only way Miko would have come here with you. She would know what your aims are, after all."
Rumia got up. The punch Kasen threw hurt, but it wasn't quite as bad as Suika's. Either that or her body was getting more resistant to Oni's punches after taking so many recently. "You think I would fall for such a bold-faced lie? You only know it's a lie because you're an Oni, and Oni instinctively hate liars!" Rumia snarked.
Kasen's eyes flared, before she jumped at Rumia with a roar, attempting to punch her again, this time, into the ground. However, Rumia moved too quick, and all that happened was that the ground splintered.
"Do not call me an Oni!" she hissed. "I don't want to be associated with those monsters; those devils!"
"So, this is the darkness within you. The side you hide from everyone." Miko said. "I was right in coming here. Kasen; the rest of us Hermits have moved on from our chequred past and let it go, you need to do the same as well. Despise the Oni all you want, but your desire to make them crumble is too much!"
"You would take the side of those brutish monsters?" Kasen said, looking a little taken aback.
"No! I take the side that doesn't involve destroying a civilization! That doesn't support turning two races against each other into war! As a former ruler, Prince Shotoku, I cannot sit by and watch you do this!"
Kasen looked from Miko to Rumia, before looking at her bandages.
"No you don't!" Rumia said hurling a sphere of Dark Energy between Kasen's arm and the bandages. Miko also formed orbs of light by pointing her Shaku at the area.
Kasen scowled. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think I can fight both of you at the same time, not without ruining my chances against the other three. I've been storing power for the last hundred and ten years for the purposes of killing them." Kasen said. "Only then might I be able to change the Oni from the brutes they are."
"There's nothing wrong with what the Oni are! You just personally hate it!" Rumia said. "You shouldn't make people change because you don't like them!"
"Then what are you trying to do now?" Kasen asked, before she vanished, leaving her realm to Gensokyo.
Rumia stood still, looking stunned. The question Kasen posed as she left hit hard.
"What you are trying to do is change someone for the better, and for the purpose of others." Miko said, placing her hand on Rumia's shoulder. "What Kasen is attempting to do is to change others for her own desires. The two are a world apart. Your aim is selfless, hers is selfish. You need not worry about her words."
"No, that's not the problem. The problem is how she believes what she is doing is right. It reminds me of Rika... she might have had good intentions to start with, but they became too extreme, she became willing to achieve her goals by any means... like Rika did."
Miko smiled. "You really have grown." she said. "Well then, if Kasen has left for Gensokyo, and stated she has been saving her energy for this fight, we should go and help the other Deva."
"You're coming too?" Rumia asked, shocked.
"I told you, did I not? I cannot allow Kasen's ambitions to succeed, if only because of my own selfish reasons. I wish my intentions and motivations were as pure as yours." Miko said. "I think you will find that I do not get in the way, even in a fight between the Deva and the daemon that had to be exiled from Makai."
"What, you thought that I thought you weak?" Rumia asked. "I always thought you were actually pretty strong. I mean, you're on even ground with Byakuren, and she's REALLY strong."
"I'd like to think I'm a little stronger than her." Miko said. "Eh, I've never seen you fight, and Byakuren's been taught by Shinki, and I've seen her fight." Rumia said. "I guess it is fair that you would judge me as an equal to her and not greater then, especially with the Shinki part factored in." Miko said, before she opened a gate to Gensokyo.