August 24 2023

The Foreigner from a Distant World

Chapter 13

The Predicament at Sea

(Some time after Chapter 9)

"Thanks for coming. I would have done this myself but I'm not quite confident about it." Hachiman says while watching Yuria and Touka style and cut his baby's hair.

He waves numerous colourful toys in front of her to get her attention and also to make her stay still. The infant is entertained by one of her favourites - a white fluffy stuffed toy in the image of a fox. This toy was made by Hachiman himself many moons ago. His daughter seems to be content watching him talk to her other toys as if he was narrating some kind of play which is made evident by her teething on her left fist, a sign that she is a happy and excited baby.

"Fuyumi-chan! Look at Daddy!" He says and uses her toy to poke her chubby belly causing the baby to squeal and try reaching for it.

"Ahahahehehe!" Her high-pitched giggles are a norm in his home.

"Don't worry about it Vice-Commissioner. I like doing this kind of thing and Fuyumi isn't as fussy as my little siblings," The young lady says while holding Fuyumi in place on her lap. "How do you want me to do her hair?"

"Keep it short: she has a habit of putting it in her mouth and I don't want her to choke on it or something. When she gets older I'll let her grow it out. Oh and drop that title, I told you many times before to address me normally when no one else is around." said Hachiman and proceeded to poke the girl's cheek as a reminder.

Her mother Touka who is guiding her daughter's scissors and wooden comb with her words laughs at their exchange. "We are family to him now Yuria, best to go along with it. Right, Hachiman-kun?" He nods in agreement with the woman who is the closest thing to a mother to him in this world. For his father, it will be Commissioner Horimoto who has treated him with love as if he were his flesh and blood. Even his three children treat him like a beloved sibling, most of all Kujo Ren and Little Ako.

"Sorry, I am still not used to it." The silver-haired girl admits flusteredly after being corrected.

"Hachiman-kun, where is her other sock? It appears to be missing from her left foot." Touka points out to him.

"Oh, it must be somewhere around here. She was crawling around the place while I was writing in my study."

"Understood." She says and stands up to start her search for the missing sock. She checks Fuyumi's room next to Hachiman's and does not find it. Then she goes to Enri's room as well as near the entrance and still does not find it. Finally, she goes to his study which also serves as his room and after going around the place, she finds the missing sock directly underneath his desk. The infant must have crawled there where the sock wrested itself from her foot. Touka crouches and retrieves it. She was about to exit the room when she saw something in the corner of her eye.

It was a small white porcelain teacup imported from the distant land of Liyue resting on a desk with all manners of scrolls and documents placed in an organized fashion. As a servant of the Tenryou Commission led by Lord Horimoto, she has seen many of its kind before.

However, something about this teacup made her stop. It was hidden behind some of the scrolls and books as if they were deliberately placed there. She carefully picks it up and takes a quick whiff of it.

"!" Her fears are confirmed.

Suvorova Touka is startled when something whizzes into the room and stops in front of her. She breathes a sigh of relief when she realizes who it is.

"Shiki-chan, it's just you…" The paper shikigami familiar nods after being acknowledged takes Fuyumi's missing sock in its little hands and then flies back out of the room. Hachiman had modified and upgraded the familiar immensely with multiple functions serving as an Artificial Intelligence of sorts. Now that he is in civilian life, for the moment at least, the shikigami's main role is to serve as the guard of the father and daughter.

Touka peeks out of the room, "Hachiman-kun, can you come here for a moment?" He puts down the toys and heads to his room where Touka is patiently waiting for him and sitting on the floor with her legs tucked under her in a typical Inazuman fashion.

"Please sit." She says and he follows without question.

She smiles sweetly at him and he starts thinking if he has done something wrong.

"How are you doing Hachiman-kun? Have your wounds fully healed?" She starts. It takes him a moment to respond to her question.

"The scabs have mostly fallen off but the scars will stay. The doctors forbade me not to carry heavy things while the ligaments in my foot, shoulder and fingers heal." He says.

"You are still walking with a cane, yes?"

He nods, "Commissioner Horimoto lent me one since my foot still hurts a bit."

Touka hums at his reply. She knows his current condition but she just had to make sure first while she thinks about how to tackle the elephant in the room.

"What about your studies in the military academy and the Tri-Commission since you're already the official Vice-Commissioner?" Hachiman had been promoted a short while ago much to the surprise of many in the Tenryou Commission. He received the full backing of the Kujo Clan and endorsement from the clans he has connections with. The latter belongs to the clans who are indebted to him.

And of course most important of all, the blessing of the Almighty Raiden Shogun.

It was not without controversy, however. For a humble commoner with an unknown background who possesses such vast knowledge, in the current time of Inazuma at least, to quickly rise the ranks from an aide to the second most powerful man in the Tenryou commission in less than two years is virtually unheard of and impossible to imagine. Thus, many were convinced that he was the son of Kujo Horimoto and another woman since his wife passed away shortly after giving birth to Little Ako or that he was some relative and fellow clan member from Kannazuka.

Many of Hachiman's colleagues who belonged to higher classes of society and those who had worked longer in the Tenryou commission envied and despised him, feeling themselves cheated and robbed of the position that they coveted for themselves. But they could not touch him nor inflict harm upon his person for they feared the wrath of the Kujo Clan and its retainers and by extension Her Majesty the Raiden Shogun, the Electro Archon of Inazuma. Targeting such a high official in the Tri-Commission would incur her blade upon them. Aside from his dubious and largely mysterious background, they cannot find anything to use against him aside from the rumours about himself and a certain Kitsune shrine maiden. And even that is out of the question for they fear the Electro Archon should they do anything to Yae Miko.

Of course, Hachiman knows this and remains steadfast and professional in his work which also caused more ire and jealousy to fester as they thought that he was goading and arrogant at them.

"I go by carriage since it's much faster and because of my foot."

"When can you return to the field? Or will you finish your officer training first?" Touka asks although she already knows the answer.

"Whichever comes first, but I am in the mind to stay in the Tenshukaku to help Commissioner Horimoto with his duties and responsibilities." He replies.

Touka nods seemingly satisfied with his answer. As for Hachiman, he finds her questions strange: not the questions themselves but the fact that she already knows all of them beforehand.

"Where is Enri?"

"She is at the training grounds with the other instructors and recruits."

"And Ritsu?"

"She moved out a while ago when the winter chill arrived. She cannot stand the cold here at the edge of the island, not that I blame her." He shrugs, "If I can, I'll move out here since it can get freezing in the early mornings. But my work prevents me from doing so."

"What about Lady Yae? You two are close yes? I fondly remember when she would visit you while carrying all manner of books in her arms." Touka peers at his face to see any kind of reaction that might be off.

Hachiman shrugs. "We used to exchange letters when I was at the front but she suddenly stopped sending them to me. It has been several months since then."

"Do you know her whereabouts?"

"According to the shrine maidens in the city, she is to the far south on the island of Seirai."

"I see…" She says quietly and turns to point at a cup of tea on his desk: the same one that she found earlier. Hachiman sees it as a command and wordlessly gets up and takes it into both of his hands.

"Do you know what that is Hachiman-kun?" She says in an even tone.

"Tea."

She shakes her head. "Yes, but not just ordinary tea. It is Moon Tea."

"Moon Tea?" Hachiman arches his brow at the unfamiliar term. He has spent more than four years here in Inazuma and today is the first time he has heard of such a thing.

"Tell me, Hachiman-kun, are you seeing a woman lately?" She narrowed her eyes at him as she spoke. Despite not possessing a Cryo vision, her words made him feel as if the temperature in the room had dropped significantly.

Hachiman just barely stops himself from gulping and rubbing his leg with his hands. His dark eyes gaze upon her brown ones unblinkingly afraid that any movement he makes might reveal the truth to her. He manages to maintain his composure and sports a doubtful expression. "What does me seeing a woman, if that were true, have to do with Moon Tea?"

"Moon Tea is not your average tea - it has magical properties and can only be made under the light of a full moon. The process to make it is very difficult and it takes time to make it properly." Touka replies.

"And what purpose does it serve? It sounds very important."

"I'm going to be blunt Hachiman-kun: you already know me for a while. You have been sleeping with a woman haven't you?" She says bluntly in a tone that allows no argument whatsoever.

"..."

"Do. Not. Lie. To. Me." Her tone made his blood run cold and her eyes looked as if they were peering into his soul itself. Hachiman had slain many foul creatures in the past, from Lawachurls, demonic owls and crazed Yokai to fierce Riftwolves and mutated forest animals. This time, he feels like he is in front of a large snake coiled and ready to strike at any given moment. And no matter what he does whether by utilizing reiatsu, ninjutsu or omnyodou arts, he will still get bit by the snake.

"Uwah… She sounds like my mother!" He muses in his mind and averts his gaze from her eyes with his head slightly drooping like a child about to get scolded.

Seeing the drastic change in his body language, Touka relaxes and adopts a more amiable tone. "It is nothing to be ashamed about - you are a man after all and young men like you have certain needs that need to be satisfied."

He shakes his head and sighs while raising his hands in defeat. "Alright, you caught me Touka-san. So what's with the Moon Tea?"

She pouts a bit, disappointed at his indirect confession since she hoped for more juicy details from the young man She already sees as her son. "So you do not want to tell me who it is…well, that is fine. Is it Yuria by any chance?"

"No! Gods no! She's like a sister to me!" He exclaims and recoils with wide eyes appalled at her words.

"Hm, and here I thought I was right… If you change your mind, you have my blessing for her hand in marriage. I'm sure my husband will agree once he comes back from Natlan. I hear that his fleet is staying there for a few weeks." She says casually. The weight of her words not aligning very well with the tone she used.

Hachiman covers his face and shakes his head. "Touka-san…"

"Fufufufu! I'm serious you know? Yuria is quite a beauty and has many suitors here in Inazuma. One of them is a nice boy from the Kamisato Clan. So you should hurry up lest someone else take her away from you fufufu~! My three eldest sons who are in my dear husband's Motherland; Yuri, Alexei and Gregori, already have wives of their own and they're a little older than you." She replies gleefully and then goes on a short monologue about how she misses her sons before coming to her senses and stopping herself. She laughs it off while Hachiman patiently waits for her to finish.

"Thank you for letting me know. Now back to the Moon Tea…" He replies in an exasperated tone.

Touka nods, seemingly interested in explaining the topic to him. "Oh yes! It does not affect men, but when consumed by women, that is when its main purpose is clear. Moon Tea is used to prevent pregnancies. It is an old trick shared with us by the Yokai of Inazuma since antiquity."

"So that is why she started drinking that some time ago…" Hachiman puts a hand under his chin and nods to himself.

"Really? That is fascinating… I thought it was an aphrodisiac of some sort."

"Well, that too actually. After a short amount of time, pheromones are released by the woman, that, once inhaled by the man, fill him with burning love~! Hehehehe~!" Touka giggles and puts her hands on her waist and squirms and blushes at whatever she is thinking about like a giddy young maiden in love.

"Uwah! That damned Tengu woman! So that's why I felt so weird!" He completely covers his face from the intense embarrassment. His entire face and neck including his ears have become bright pink and he curled up into a ball on the floor. "Uwah… I want to crawl into a hole and sleep for five hundred years…"

"From the look on your face, it seems that you've reached some internal revelation… Hehehehehe." Touka is amused and chuckles at his expense.

"Y-Yeah…"

"It's a good thing that your partner has the foresight for this kind of thing, otherwise Fuyumi-chan is going to have a little sibling soon. One Fuyumi-chan is already a handful… But I don't mind taking care of a cute little mini you Hachiman-kun, hehehe~. I do hope you can tell me the lucky girl's name. I can keep a secret." She adds and winks. It looked as if Hachiman was ageing at an extraordinary rate. His eyes have lost their light and he is dry and withered on the floor like a leaf that fell from a tree in Autumn.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you hehehe."

At that moment, Yuria knocks on the other side of the sliding door.

"Mother, Vice-Comm- I mean, Hachiman, I've finished cutting Fuyumi's hair." She calls them.

"Go on ahead back home, I'll be with you after I have a short talk with Hachiman-kun!" Touka replies to her daughter and then she hears her retreating footsteps and then the main door opening and closing. Then she gets up and elegantly sits next to Hachiman and places his head on her lap.

"There there Hachiman-kun~..." Her motherly aura instantly brings him back from the brink of becoming nothingness, faster than any healing spell could hope to accomplish like a certain Shiromeguri-senpai far away in the infinite sea of stars.

"What things do you want to discuss, Touka-san?" He asks weakly, but in fact, he is just being overly dramatic about it.

"I'm going to teach you a few things," Touka replies sweetly and brushes his medium-length hair with her smooth and slender fingers. Her touch calms him down. Enri does this to him at times, but she does not have the calm and soothing motherly aura that Touka exudes. In truth, Touka reminds him of his mother, wherever she may be. They may look different, but to him, they may as well be the same person. She is the only woman, aside from the Almighty Raiden Shogun perhaps, who he will never question or ever doubt in his heart. The fact that he is willing to let Fuyumi live with her is a testament to how much he trusts and is confident in her as a person.

"What kind of things?"

"You'll know soon enough~." She smiles.

Wide yellow eyes stare back at Hachiman. Fuyumi is sitting on his chest drooling and teething on her fist while he held her sides for balance. Right now, they are the only people in his home since Enri is hard at work being an instructor in the army. She unconsciously tries grabbing her hair but she has nothing to hold on to because her hair has been styled short for some time now. So she tries rubbing her kitsune ears instead but her arms are still too short to reach them.

"Be a good baby girl, okay? Don't cause too much trouble for Touka-san. Dada will come back hopefully within two months. Auntie Ritsu and Enri are coming with Dada while your favourite Uncle Daitarou just boarded a ship headed south this morning."

Despite not understanding what he is saying, her white kitsune ears perk at the familiar word. "Dada~… Dadada~…"

Hachiman smiles and pinches her cheek. "That's right, Dada~." Seeing him smile, Fuyumi does so as well and wiggles her tiny body happily. He sits up and lays her on his thighs while propping them up for her to lie on. Fuyumi closes her eyes when he brushes her short white hair with his fingers and carefully caresses her.

His smile slightly drops when he feels some parts of her head.

"Fuyumi…you're growing so slowly. Some parts of your skull haven't even hardened yet. Even Touka-san's youngest can run now and you're both the same age. This isn't normal for your kind…" Hachiman mutters sadly. The baby yawns and rubs her eyes, completely oblivious to his worries.

"Maybe Yae was right, I should have taken you to the Grand Narukami Shrine and have you seen by Lady Guuji. Or maybe we should go to Watatsumi, I hear that they have a Divine Priestess. But I think a Tenryou official coming to see them would be like a colonial overlord with the pretext to steal and demand their resources. The Sanganomiya will probably fire at us on approach… Oh! Master Kamuna said that the Adeptus in Liyue are quite skilled in their arts since they taught him themselves. I'm his student, do you think the Adeptus will grant us an audience because they are my master's master?" Hachiman continues while talking to the baby who opens her mouth and tries mimicking the sounds he just made.

"Perhaps the Akademiya in Sumeru have something that can help? But in terms of medical advancement, Snezhnaya is definitely at the top, followed by Fontaine. Hmm, I don't know much about Natlan and Monstadt, I heard that a civil war erupted in the latter. Sounds like a mess. What about it Fuyumi? Do you want to travel the seven nations with Dada~?" Fuyumi smiles and laughs at the tone in his voice as if voicing her approval. She reaches for his face and kicks her little legs happily when he tickles her belly.

"Hehehe!"

"Well, even if you stay like this for a long looooooooooong while, Daddy will always love you~. You'll always be my cutest softest chubbiest drooling little baby girl~." He says and kisses her, much to her delight as laughter rocks her tiny body. She rubs her little nose against him but starts grumbling after a few more kisses and uses her little hands to push his face away.

"Eh! Pft! Aaah! Pfa! Tfu!" She has also learned a new trick recently - namely, spitting at people whenever they do something she doesn't like. Her usual victims are Yuria and Enri whenever they try to pull her away from him.

Hachiman laughs and pulls back despite his cheek being covered in spit. "Hehehe, is it because of my long stubble? You don't like Dada's facial hair? I'm trying to grow it out, people at this time seem to give more respect to men who don't shave their facial hair." He kisses her on the cheek again and this time she shrieks angrily and tries biting his finger much to his amusement.

"In any case, tummy time Fuyumi~." He carefully raises and puts her on the futon bed lying on her tummy. She slowly crawls toward him and starts kissing and biting his cheek as revenge and plays with his medium-length hair before turning away from him. His cheek has little bite marks but he does not mind.

Hachiman is on the futon and lying on his side watching Fuyumi slowly crawl from the bed towards the laundry basket. She stops at random intervals to rest and catch her breath. She is truly struggling to crawl just by observing her slow pace and her underdeveloped little arms and legs. It's originally tummy time for her but she has other ideas. She sits up, barely managing to balance herself, and reaches for the basket. It was weaved from thin strips of tree bark which made it light and easy for the baby to grab. Fuyumi holds it and then flips it to the side causing his laundry from the previous day to spill out on the wooden floor. Then she goes to the pile of clothes and smothers her face on it, her white Kitsune tail and ears moving happily. Shiki flies into the room to stop patroling Hachiman's home and hovers protectively over her.

Satisfied with her playing around and exploring her surroundings, he starts opening letters addressed to him with the lightbulb-like device providing illumination to the room.

"Let's see… Complaints, recommendations, endorsements, manpower requests, funding…" He mutters to himself while he goes through the pile at his side. One letter stands out - it was made from high-quality paper and had a wax seal with an electro mitsudomoe with the official crest and coat of arms of Inazuma.

The same design is seen on the long beautiful flowing Kimono of the Electro Archon.

Hachiman instantly scrambles on the futon bed and sits up, as if the Raiden Shogun was in front of him. He stands and goes to his desk with Fuyumi lying on his laundry pile to his right. Using a small knife, he carefully unseals the letter to read its contents:

"By official decree of the Raiden Shogun, the Narukami Ogosho, the God of Eternity, a new major military operation has been declared. All men above eighteen years are to be summoned to their local recruitment and military centres. Disabled, sickly, the elderly and men who are the sole supporters of their families are exempt. Female volunteers will be screened first before being accepted. ALL VISION USERS MUST JOIN. The details are as follows…" The letter said which also carried another attached parchment for himself only. Hachiman reads it, and a smile slowly forms on his face.

"She approved it…! She approved it! Gahahahaha!" He exclaims and laughs loudly as if he had won the lottery. "She approved my recommendation for a mobilization!"

He looks down and carefully picks up Fuyumi who is playing around and covering herself with his laundry. The baby looks displeased at being interrupted but then smiles when she sees the wide smile on Hachiman's face.

"It's time to celebrate Fuyumi! The Raiden Shogun has granted me an audience! Let's have lunch at the place that serves amazing food from Liyue!"

"Dada!" She replies, mimicking his excitement and teeths on her left fist.

He quickly brushes their hair and puts an extra layer of warm clothes on her after putting on his long furry coat, both being quite expensive as they are imported from Snezhnaya. Sensing their departure, Shiki flies over and hides in the space just below his neck. After locking the doors behind him and being met by the crisp air of winter, Hachiman looks down at Fuyumi in his arms wrapped in a thick layer of furs.

"I hope you don't poop yourself like the last time we went there…" He says jokingly, earning a giggle from the baby after poking her cheeks.

With that, they head down to the city centre eager to celebrate and eat their fill.

"A bloody fucking poisoned arrow huh… Coward…" Hachiman scowls, snapping the arrow with his armoured fist and throws it aside. All around him, members of his guard were scouring the entire forest looking for the assassin. Ritsu and Enri were at his sides, eyes fierce and swords drawn. The arrow had impacted his right leg, the weaker of the two, but failed to pierce the hard bamboo armour when they were passing through.

"I want that bastard in chains and dragged to the Tenshukaku! I'll fucking behead them in front of the Raiden Shogun herself and parade their entrails all around Inazuma city!" He rages with bloodshot eyes and his subordinates quickly bow and resume their search. The two women at his sides flinch at the tone in his voice. He had developed anger issues from the physical and mental stress when he served at the front. And though it disappeared when he returned to civilian life, today is the first time it resurfaced in almost a year.

He whispers something to a passing Tenryou soldier, and then he gets on his horse and calls the Tengu Yamazaki. "Enri, Ritsu, come. We're going back to Narukami Island."

The younger of the two asks after they start galloping out of the forest and into the open fields. The wind ruffles their hair and carries the scent of the sea with it. The three horses leave a long trail of dust behind them. "Captain! We're going ahead of the fleet?!"

"The Vigilant Justicar is waiting at Kyuru port! We will reach it before dusk!"

"Understood!"

He shares a glance with Enri, she feels ashamed at failing to block the arrow despite being on his right when it happened. She purses her lips and looks down in shame, this is a massive blow to her pride and confidence.

They ride for some time, only stopping to rest their horses, until they finally arrive at the southeastern port, south of the port which they arrived at Kannazuka where the Tenryou naval battle group is currently stationed. To call it a battle group is a stretch given that the vessels were originally for trade and only recently outfitted with naval guns. Such is the poor and pitiful condition of the Inazuman Fleet that they had to ask assistance from the Liyue Qixing and Snezhnayan Boyars to borrow a mercenary fleet. The former was tasked with supplies and funds while the latter provided the ships, manpower, training and expertise.

The Vigilant Justicar is finally within sight, and when the ship's captain saw Hachiman, he called all hands to raise anchor immediately. They leave their horses with much reluctance as the faithful beasts have served them well for the entire month that they stayed in the shogunate military camp Kannazuka. The ship was already out of the bay within two hours and headed straight for Narukami Island.

"Vice-Commissioner, I did not expect you to come. I know what it means if you did of course - Commissioner Horimoto told me. But for it to happen..." The Vigilant Justicar's Captain shakes his head in disbelief as the two talk in his private quarters.

"Thank you for following your orders," Hachiman replies and they talk in whispered voices for a while until he decides to excuse himself. He bumps into Ritsu who is keeping an eye on the crew and taking note of any suspicious activity. He goes to the cabin right beside his and enters without knocking. Enri just finished taking off her armour, the skin on her neck was hot and sweaty from the humidity. A white thin and loose dress is over her, similar to a nightgown worn by female soldiers in the shogunate under their armour. He would have complimented her if their situation was different.

Hachiman sighs when she looks away to avoid his eyes. "Enri…"

"..." She sits on the edge of the bed, head low and shoulders drooped while she fidgets with her fingers. Hachiman sits beside her, putting his left arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. She responds by rubbing her head against him and leaning on him.

"Hey…"

"...I failed you…" She sounded hollow, dejected and defeated.

He runs his fingers through her hair. "Don't say that. If you failed then I would have died mere minutes had that arrow penetrated my skin, which it luckily didn't."

"Even so-!" She raises her voice and turns to him with a frown, "The fact remains that I failed to block it!" She is angry - angry at herself for her incompetence and losing focus despite knowing that there is a very real threat to his life. Unknown actors want him dead, a plot recently discovered by Commissioner Horimoto and Yamazaki Ritsu after being tipped by the Shuumatsuban. Hachiman had taken the information in stride, knowing fully that there were people out there who wanted him gone.

"And yet here I am, still alive." He rubs his hand on her head to calm her.

"…"

"..."

"...I'm sorry for shouting…" She bows her head in shame. "I shouldn't have done that…"

Hachiman shakes his head and raises her chin to look at him. "There's nothing to apologize for…"

She leans forward for a soft kiss and he responds to her affection. Though it is an intimate display, it lacks her usual fire which does not come unnoticed by him. She pulls him close and she wraps her arms around his waist but there is no spark within her, even after holding his hands to caress her chest and sacred womb.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. What matters is that no one got hurt."

"You should have permitted me to stay behind and look for the assailant…" She grumbles and tightens her fist.

He shakes his head. "That is a bad idea. I'm sure you know why."

"But still…" She replies in a low voice and then sighs. He comforts her for some time to raise her spirits - but then Enri slowly separates first and scoots away to the farthest corner of the bed where the light from the oil lamp on the table beside the bed is at its weakest. Hachiman stops himself from going to her despite the pain in his heart at seeing her blame herself for this. He was prepared to cheer her up and help her forget but it seems that it is no longer needed, for the moment at least. He understands that she may need some space and time by herself. Perhaps that is the best thing that she needs right now.

"If there is anything else Captain…" Her voice was small and she faced away from him, made further by the fact that the shadows danced in reaction to the oil lamp. He takes it as a hint and stands up.

"Be sure to get plenty of rest." His voice is calm and formal, fitting for the Vice-Commissioner.

"Will do…"

With that, he leaves her room all alone to herself.

Hachiman stood at the highest mast of the Vigilant Justicar feeling the cold night air on his face. He stood with one leg, perfectly balanced as he gazed at the calm sea all around him. The waves were gentle on the ship but even he knew that their speed was far from favourable. It is a full moon and the stars shine brightly in the sky like an audience eager to his performance.

He closes his eyes and chants something under his breath, then he does hand seals in preparation to conjure a spell. Glowing white threads appear as his hand seals become more complicated and he starts moving his arms and changes stances and position.

"Onmyouji Art: Divination."

A mystical scroll appears in front of him made from his chakra, on the parchment is an exact copy of the alignment of the stars above his head. He puts his hand under his chin and studies it, recalling the things he learned from his Master. Of the numerous principles of Onmyouji such as mental and physical strengthening, demon banishment, seals and barriers, curse and karma application, healing arts, chakra control and flow and many others, divination is one of the most difficult to use. He hears the flapping of two pairs of wings going towards him.

"Oh, so this is where you were, Captain," Ritsu says and stops next to him, still clad in her armour. Her four wings keep her aloft in the air. "And here I thought you fell overboard and drowned! You would've made my work so much harder!" She grins mischievously.

He rolls his eyes at her, "Very funny."

"The crew seem to be okay. I don't sense anything bad coming from them."

"If you say so. Your intuition is far superior to mine so I'm sure that you're right."

Ritsu eyes the spell that he conjured with curiosity as she circles him. "What're you doing Captain?" The younger Tengu asks.

"Divination..." Hachiman narrows his glowing eyes in concentration. The method of utilizing the stars is quite the challenge and Hachiman starts to feel his extremities go cold from the sheer effort. Tiny orbs of light gather around him and swirl around his body before going to his eyes and making them glow white.

"You should have let me stay back and look for the bastard." She replies and frowns. "I have no respect for those sneaky types."

"You sound just like your sister."

Ritsu lands on the wooden beam and crosses her legs after sitting down. She studies him for a few minutes and then finally speaks.

"Nee-sama is asleep."

Hachiman's right eye goes back to normal when he turns to her. "Really? That's good. I felt awful watching her blame herself."

"Umu, that's right. And we have this to thank for!" She exclaims and takes something that she hid behind her back. The Onmyouji practitioner's concentration cracks as he shakes his head in disappointment and facepalms.

"I can't believe you gave her-"

"Snezhnayan Fire Wine!" She declares proudly and holds it up in the air as it glints against the moonlight. "So strong that it knocked out a huge Oni like Vice-Captain Arataki with a single ochoko! Fufufu!"

Ritsu stands up and jumps to the wooden pole next to him. He loses his focus when she puts her arm around his shoulder and the mystical scroll and glowing lights dissipate and fade away.

"Damnit Ritsu! I was doing something important!" He hisses with frustration.

The Tengu rolls her eyes. "Lighten up Captain! You didn't look like you were making much progress anyway!"

"Divination is a long and sensitive process. You can't just expect a result after you've just started." Hachiman explains but his friend does not seem interested in the topic. Ritsu is quite the smooth talker but still takes some time to convince him to relent and drink with her. Thankfully, this fire wine that she brought with her is mixed with water, fruit juices and sake which greatly nullifies the strong alcohol.

"This two-month mission is the most boring one I've ever received." She says and takes a small sip from her cup.

"And why is that?"

"While you were inspecting the facilities in Kannazuka, Nee-sama and I were just following you around!" She exclaims loudly.

"The workers related to arms and armour production went on a strike and refused to work. Don't forget that that's the reason why I was sent here in the first place on behalf of Commissioner Horimoto. Being the arbiter and overseer of this whole mess is hard work, if a bit boring you know." He rolls his eyes and sighs. The full moon is out and the sea is calm, he looks around to see nothing but saltwater in all directions.

Ritsu creates a small ball of fire and proceeds to warm up her cup. "I guess so but standing around is even more boring. How is the mobilization coming along?"

"Two months left until they're battle-ready. I've been charged with overseeing the logistics, weapons and armour production. And, if something unfortunate happens, I'm also a reserve officer."

"Sounds like a lot of work." She replies after sipping from her cup. "Good thing I didn't sign up at the academy."

"And I've assigned you and Enri in reconnaissance attached to the northern landing force."

She stays quiet for a moment and then shrugs. "I know."

Hachiman turns to her with a look of surprise on his face. "You do? How?"

"I have my ways~." She replies with a small grin. They have a short staredown and Hachiman is the first to speak.

"You suspiciously know much information before they are officially announced… Are you a member of the Shuumatsuban?" He replies with narrow eyes. Hachiman is secretly part of a special reserve corps: the five-member team that he is part of that was trained by Kamuna Harunosuke was also trained by Iwakura Doukei in the shogunate army. He has not seen his four friends for more than a year. The first lives in a far fishing village to the far north, the second in a Yokai settlement deep in the dense forests of Mt. Yogou, the third is a shrine maiden-in-training from Seirai Island and the fourth is an active soldier stationed in Yashiori Island. As they belong to the reserve corps, they are always on standby and ready to be retrained and then deployed at a moment's notice.

Aside from Commissioner Horimoto, Comissioner Kamisato and Suvorova Touka, nobody knows this side of him.

Ritsu's left eye glows a fiery red upon hearing his words and her grin widens.

"Who knows~? Maybe I just have sharp ears and really good intuition~?"

Some hours later, the two friends decide to tuck in for the night.

But then the Vigilant Justicar hit something unseen below the waves which caused them to fall from the mast. Ritsu instantly unfurls her wings and Hachiman uses his Onmyouji arts to create a solid pad in the air to stop his fall.

"What the-?!"

"Tch!"

Ritsu flies over to him just as he is standing up. "Captain! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine." He grumbles back and the pad that he stands on glows with many rune-like Omnyouii inscriptions circling inside it. The ship tilted and leaned from the impact and completely stopped in the water. The two hear loud voices of alarm inside the ship and rapid footsteps rushing to go outside.

"Circle the ship. Try and see what we hit." She nods at his command and jumps and flies away while he goes to the frontmost part of the ship. He hears the crew pour into the deck to see what just happened. Using the solid pad, he flies to the highest mast to get a better grasp on the situation.

Ritsu flies beside him. "I don't know what we hit, we don't seem to be in the shallow-."

At that moment, the ship pitches to the side once more after hitting something and they hear shouts of alarm coming from the crew.

Or perhaps, something hit it.

The two freeze when they hear a low rumbling sound like a large hollow barrel being dragged on smooth ground. They look to the right side of the ship and vaguely see something move just under the water's surface under the pale light of the moon. And then a huge eel-like dorsal fin peeks out of the water without making a sound and goes under.

"AQUATIC KAIJU!" One of the men screams and then scrambles for their harpoons and starts loading their canons. Ritsu's eyes blaze and she draws her naginata from thin air which in turn burns brightly like her eyes.

"Captain! Power me up!"

Hachiman nods and chants numerous spells and incantations to boost her combat capability. He puts his hand on her naginata and her bow and arrows and imbues it with electro energy, which combines with the fire to produce explosive results. Her entire form glows and then she quickly zooms off to try and pinpoint the Kaiju's location as her wings leave a trail of orange in the night sky.

"I can't use Hado or my Ninjutsu since there are people around. Just my luck." He complains internally and starts doing hand seals so quickly that his hands become a blur. " I don't sense any abyssal energy from the creature…"

"Onmyouji Art: Instant Equip!"

His clothes become covered in light before subsiding to reveal the transformation. No more was he wearing thin and loose yukata and tabi sandals. It was replaced with the long white priestly robes of an Onmyouji practitioner together with a ceremonial headdress and a long decorated iron staff. A circle was formed at its tip and inside it were metal rings and ornaments like the electro mitsudomoe and a ceremonial sceptre appears in his left hand. A glowing white sphere appears behind him and around his wrists which hum with Onmyouji energy.

"I've always wondered how offensive Onmyouji spells will fare against a Kaiju." He says out loud with a small grin as his eyes glow a radiant white-gold. As if to answer his challenge, a loud rumbling sound is heard and the water behind the ship explodes and something huge bursts from the water.

The Kaiju's head was something of a mix between an eel and a shark. Its skin was tough and thick and covered in scars with patches of barnacles here and there. The mouth was terrible to behold as it opened and revealed row upon row of long dagger-like teeth as long as an adult man's arm and the rest of its long serpentine body was hidden under the water.

"Such a magnificent creature. A shame that we must come to blows." Hachiman shakes his head and readies his stance. He points upwards as a white projectile flies from his sceptre and it was as if a small sun had appeared over the ship to provide illumination.

And then the sound of cannon fire thundered through the calm of a relatively peaceful night at sea, followed by the distinct sound of several tonnes of wood snapping and breaking.

Hello again and thank you for reading.

The Moon Tea is a Game of Thrones reference and the Kaiju are from Pacific Rim.

I don't have much to say except that I may write a Blue Archive or Azur Lane fanfic one of these days.

Anyway, reviews, good or bad, are always welcome and feel free to favourite or follow.

Goodbye!