A FIRE THAT BURNS UNNOTICED

Chapter 4 - Don't Ask Me What You Know Is True

As much as she tried, as much as she concentrated, Rei simply couldn't retrieve the answers she hurriedly sought from the fire, as she often did when facing uncertainty. Nothing about Hypnos, nothing about the wicked God's next victims... And especially nothing about who is it that her heart yearned for. Her conscience and ego said it was Touya Minamimoto... But deep inside, she had something for Yuuichirou Kumada as well. There was no point in denying it, and yet... She insisted on not giving in, at least for the sake of her budding relationship with Touya.

What a freaking awful time to catch the flu! the Guardian of Fire cursed herself as she wiped the liquid that insisted on running off her nostrils. Rei blamed her lack of success in the psychic divinations on her illness, which annoyed her more than it actually affected her health. It was certainly neither the first nor the last time the virus would afflict her organism, but it certainly hindered her power while she had it.

Once more, Rei picked up the dream log she started. The annotations were supposed to give her some pointers as to what her subconsciousness was trying to tell her, but they only served to leave her even more confused and upset at her own mind's tricks.

Short-haired man talks to me - Touya?

Strange tune plays.

I start to cry.

Floor crumbles and I fall.

Blond man appears in front of me and extends his hand.

Everything about those annotations reminded her of the awful feeling she had upon waking up. Rei was terrified and depressed in equal measure when she got up in a hurry to jot down what she could remember from that nightmare. Worst of all was that she did not feel rested. The effects of Hypnos' presence in the collective imagination, perhaps? Then there was the song... Four low-key tunes that repeated over and over, and left her confused as to where she heard them before, especially since she felt her bosom sinking upon hearing them. And that last point... That was what she did not expect. Who in all hells could that "blond man" be?

But what truly got the raven-haired girl was the images of Touya. Could that mean they couldn't be together for one reason or another? Was everybody around her right when they questioned why would she go out with him? All these questions only made Rei's head spin and weigh even more than it already did.

I thought I had it together when it came to matters of love, thought the miko once more as she sniffed and stifled a yawn. I wonder how do the others deal with this kind of trouble?

(xx)

It was an atypical day in the Motoazabu Golden Gym, where Makoto worked out on the regular since not too long ago. Ever since Hypnos began his attacks on the region, fewer and fewer people attended the place, and those who did - including the clerks and the shift trainers - were too tired to exercise for long periods of time. Makoto herself did not feel like going that day, but felt it was necessary to keep her routine, even if she herself was feeling the effects of poor uneasy sleeping periods upon her body.

Naturally, she was the only one in the place. As such, after she completed her workout of the day, she gave herself the luxury of admiring her proportions in the mirror in front of the squat rack. "You're lookin' peachy keen, girl!"

"You sure look like it," spoke out a male voice.

"Oh my God... Shinozaki!" Makoto recognized the voice's source and went on to greet her best friend whom she hadn't seen in quite some time. "It's been so long... I didn't even know you had returned from your trip to Master Kakusui's retreat. Why didn't you pass by my apartment before?"

"I felt like making a dynamic surprise," the young man explained himself. There was something about Shinozaki's demeanor that seemed different, and Makoto felt it. He was more confident... More attractive, perhaps. "Hey, do you have time to help me out with my bench press? I don't know a single other person in here that could lift this..."

"Sure, why not?" Makoto couldn't help but giggle as he accompanied her friend to the bench. "I'm literally the only other person here. What's that, are you trying to flirt with me or something?"

"Depends," the young man answered as he lifted the barbell for the first rep. "Will you fall for it?"

"Watch it, buddy! Or I'm gonna drop the bar on your neck!" the brown-haired girl jokingly teased as she gently pushed the barbell upwards.

"Like hell you will," Shinozaki jested back as he lowered the bar for the following reps. "If you kill me here, who's gonna hear you complain about the boys that break your heart, or help you out picking groceries?"

"Great point," she retorted. "And who else is gonna help me out to keep my form when I do squats and lunges?"

"Sounds like a nice invitation," Shinozaki spoke heartily. "Next Tuesday, same time then?"

"Absolutely," the Guardian gladly answered as she finally picked up her stuff to go back home. "Just as long as you don't grope me funny, that is! See ya!"

Is it my impression, or do I feel with more energy and disposition now? Makoto thought as she stepped out of the gym. The brown-haired girl certainly felt a special glow after her conversation and spotting Shinozaki's bench press reps. Whatever heaviness and weariness she still had in her composition were gone by then.

(xx)

As Rei sat with some difficulty on the edge of her bed with her electronic keyboard on her lap, she remembered and played the dreadful tune that played in her dream.

Something about those four chords seemed familiar, depressing even... But Rei couldn't put a finger on it. Was that a song she heard somewhere in the past? Why did it cause such a negative reaction on her?

"Hey, I think I know that song," came a familiar male voice from outside.

"Yuuichirou?" Rei recognized him as he entered her room, bringing a tray with a bowl of chopped fruits, a warm cup of tea and some other nondescript substance contained in a small glass.

"I imagine you would be rather doing anything else other than sulking," the servant spoke as he put the tray beside her bed. "I don't know, going to the disco or playing softball, maybe?"

Those were pretty specific activities he brought up. "I... Uh, yeah, I would... Thanks, Yuuichirou."

"Heh, don't mention it," the young man answered.

"You still care for me, even after I embarrassed you?"

"Good question," the long-haired servant casually replied. "To be frank, your behavior lately makes a good point as to just leave you on your own... But I can't do that with the head maiden and heir of the Shrine, can I?"

What is going on? Rei questioned herself in her mind. In normal circumstances, Yuuichirou would have whimpered a half-baked apology at the mere look of her displeasure. He is instead calling her out on her indecisiveness. And that behavior... That confident, no-nonsense demeanor and that calm unassuming expression... It was not like Yuuichirou at all. It was so much better than what she was used to.

"You see," he continued, "even with your flaring temper, your constantly shifting moods and your penchant for being rude and arrogant, I know that is who you are... and that won't change for anyone. That is an admirable thing in a world where people pretend they are things that are not in order to reach goals they don't really need."

That was perhaps the most honest thing someone had ever said to Rei about herself, even the parts she didn't like to hear. She couldn't help but turn her face away, so as to hide her blush. "Wow... Thank you."

"No problem! Now if you excuse me..."

"Wait... Yuuichirou, can I ask you something?"

"Umm, sure. What is it?"

"Do you love me?"

That question was like a beanball thrown straight to his face. "W-w-w-what... What, uh, what kind of question is that, Miss Rei..."

Rei found it funny that this truly threw him off his balance. Now that was the Yuuichirou she was accustomed to. "All this time, I've been nothing but rude to you. I sometimes wonder why would you stay here... And sometimes I think it's because of that."

Of course, the answer was at the tip of his tongue... But he had good reasons to not say it out loud. "What, you're gonna throw me out or something?"

"No! Not at all!" Rei promptly answered as she stifled a sneeze. "I mean, oh dear... Let's imagine you'd decide to quit of your own volition. You're rich, right? That means..."

"My family is rich, that is," the servant quickly shot it down. "But now listen: This Shrine... In all of my life, it is the only place that has accepted me as I am. And... that includes you, Miss Rei. Even when you're angry or displeased, which is most of the time, I know you don't mean ill. So, don't work yourself too much into this, okay? I wouldn't quit for any reason other than going somewhere I feel I need to be. As long as we are on good terms with each other... I'll be fine. Now come on, take your rest. And take the medicine too, if it's not much to ask. It's an old family recipe. You have a date with your boyfriend and we don't want it to go to waste because you're leaking through your nose."

By the time Yuuichirou left the room, it was Rei who felt at a loss for words, at least from the mouth out. Inside, one affirmation still rang: Yuuichirou, you idiot! You didn't answer my question!

With as much strength as her delicate state let her, Rei put away the keyboard and picked up the tray. The viscous remedy still sat on its small flask. It looked somewhat off-putting but it smelt fairly good, and that couldn't leave her any worse than she was, so she pondered. Besides, it would be a big disservice to him to just leave his medicine hanging just like that. Rei took it in a single gulp and felt a bittersweet taste of lemon, honey, ginger, garlic and even some toasted cocoa.

Little by little, her nose stopped leaking, her face's stuffiness faded away, and the weakness over her body somehow disappeared. It was like she was never sick at all - A miraculous cure! But how could that have happened so quickly? No common medicine, homemade or otherwise, had ever taken such effect in literally seconds.

I'll think better about this later, Rei thought to herself as she stepped out of her room and went to the phone that stood in the corner of the main house, promptly typing a familiar number.

"Touya?"

"Oh, hey there, Rei," the young man answered in a hurry. "Can I help you with something?"

"Is the date still up? I'm feeling much better now..."

(xx)

"Well, what do we have here? The second-in-command of the old Jigoku-no-Shinsengumi," Nikishi greeted Takashi as he came to visit her in the Minamimoto mansion. "Is that not right, Hajime Saitou?"

"It seems you have not lost your sarcastic edge, Souji Okita," he answered for good measure. Both referred to each other with their codenames during their times as Yakuza apprentices. "Those tattoos in your shoulders fit you damn well, if you permit me to say."

"Why, thanks a lot, Mr. Kakihara!" Nikishi playfully affirmed as they stepped into the mansion. "That mustache on your lip is also quite the neat and formal look. I do wonder why do you still carry the Hino name, though."

"It is my crux to carry," the politician answered with some degree of gravity. "You know well, since you still use that weak rat's name as your own."

"Now, now, don't insult the dead," the woman said as they took their seats in the manse's back veranda, greeted by the final beams of daylight. "This could have been yours for good, but instead you ditched me for that prude Risa."

Takashi would have snapped over that slight to his late wife Risa Hino, but since he too had just spoken ill of Takuma Minamimoto, he preferred not to appear a hypocrite.

"More than anything, I need all the power and influence I can gather to guarantee the hegemony of the Liberal Democrats. As you know, the party has fallen into hard times with several scandals being uncovered across the country, and it fell to my responsibility to safeguard whatever is left of honor and good will within them, prior to the Prime Minister and National Diet elections. I cannot let the Liberal Democrats lose the majority. Not with Jinsoku fucking Katayama and the Socialists gaining traction. We all know he's also neck deep into these factions, and they are all too willing to help him win the next election cycle."

"Oh, that's rich," mocked Nikishi. "Since when do you care about Japan's well-being? And since when did you become a reactionary?"

"It's not a matter of ideology or care for Japan," Takashi cut her out. "Katayama could or could not shake things up in the country if he's elected Prime Minister. What matters here are the schemes and the influence at hand. Whoever wins will get diplomatic immunity, and whoever loses will be subpoena'd until they confess every single crime they did."

"Was it worth it to kill Takuma over this?" She wryly asked Takashi. His only answer was a brooding huff through the nose. "If you knew things in the political spectre would end up like this, would you have left my husband live and take your place? In the end, you had to come crawling back to the group you reneged in your youth in search for protection. And who would have thought, my youngest son is now on the verge of taking your one and only daughter as his own. This means, there will be a perfectly legal liaison to keep you at bay under our control."

"I know very well what you are trying to do," the politician finally spoke. "I do wonder if you think I couldn't do to Minami-gumi what you are trying to do to the Liberal Democrats. I just ask you... to not hurt Rei in any way whatsoever. You already took Risa away from us, and your group threatened Rei already if I didn't stay away from her. For the sake of the history we had together..."

Whatever history we had together went to absolute shit when you killed my husband, you two-faced bastard, Nikishi displeasedly thought. Still, the woman seemed somewhat amused at that request. It took five years, but she somewhat avenged her husband by killing Takashi Kakihara's wife Risa Hino in a bomb attack. The blood thirst was quenched, but there was still the lust for power.

She wondered of what to say to Takashi in silence for a few moments, then came with this: "You became rather soft once you raised your own family. I didn't, and not just because of the circumstances. Let me tell you a little anecdote involving my older son Shinya. See, the boy always had a good and caring soul and never enjoyed doing morally questionable tasks, which means he would be totally unfit for either Yakuza or politics. It was little surprise to me when he asked me to let him go his own way. Be a lowly salaryman, working his arse off for a pittance, or at least compared to what he could be earning if he had the gumption to be a full-fledged faction member."

Takashi let out a disinterested hum, as if to tell her to get to the point already.

"I let him go, but as soon as I knew he was far and away... I put a hit on him. To keep him would be of no gain, and to lose him would be no real loss. He escaped unscathed, of course, so I called it off. It sure showed him that he was no longer welcome in the Minami-gumi's dependencies under threat of death."

Takashi was lost for words upon this revelation. How could a parent do that to their own child? The irony of his situation with his own daughter was not lost, but he still felt the "morally superior" of the two, on the account he'd never hurt Rei in any way whatsoever.

"Therein lies the difference between you and me, Mr. Hino," Nikishi spoke with naturality and pride. "You care. I don't. This is how I, as a woman, managed to become the new leader of the old Jigoku-no-Shinsengumi and renamed it after my family."

"You're really an amoral beast, you know that?" the man jeered.

"You can say that again," Nikishi satisfyingly affirmed as she poured some fine white wine on a couple of glasses, handing one to her old flame. "So anyway, let's see who ends up manipulating who once our children officialize their relationship. For the greater good of Japan."

As they clang their glasses together and took sips from their beverage, Takashi couldn't help but comment once more. "We really are willing to use our own children for our own ends, aren't we?"

"Indeed. But that's a price we've gotta pay. You, as a politician, should know it all too well. The group will help you out with all of our disposition, but no word of this to Rei. Or else... Say goodbye to her. And say goodbye to your political aspirations."

The man could only nod in agreement and submission. After a satisfied last gulp from her wine, Nikishi blurted out in her perceived triumph: "How that phrase goes? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Remember it well, and don't double-cross me."

(xx)

Despite having made the invitation herself, Rei would have rather been anywhere else than in the fancy restaurant on the border between the Minato and Shinjuku prefectures alongside Touya.

It wasn't that the place was bad, or that she didn't like being with Touya. The problem was about how that was supposed to be a romantic date, but she just didn't feel that way for the young man. No chemistry, nothing. He didn't provoke in her the flurry of emotions that Yuuichirou managed without even trying, despite Touya's own best efforts.

In her pride and bluster, Rei didn't want to admit whatever she had going with Touya simply couldn't evolve into a proper relationship. Even if there was mutual respect and affinity, what she felt for the young man wasn't exactly romantic love... But she still enjoyed his company somehow. How exactly could she speak to him about how she truly felt without hurting his feelings?

If he were a bad guy, I'd feel his aura right away, pondered the Guardian of Fire as she looked outside the window. Perhaps this is just a question of will and conscience...

"This isn't really working out, is it?" Touya spoke out and broke Rei's concentration.

"Huh?" Sparks of both hope and incredulity took over the raven-haired Guardian. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... I appeared suddenly in your life, and we started going out together just like that. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your company very much. It's just that... I'm not sure if it's as a couple. Know what I mean?"

What were the chances of him also having the same opinion of their relationship status as her? "Touya, I... I didn't think how to break it to you, but... I've been feeling the exact same way. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want to hurt you."

"Ahh, you wouldn't hurt me in any way!" the young man guaranteed her with a very chipper and honest expression on his face. "One has to admit when things don't go their way, and in this case, I'm glad to admit. Besides, it's not like we can't still be friends and hang around from time to time. I haven't had so much fun in ages since these times we've been going out, honest!"

The tension in Rei's own expression subdued gradually upon hearing that.

"You're right!" The Guardian couldn't help but smile a bit to herself. Noticing Touya's glance, she covered it up. "Oh my, don't think I'm completely happy with this breakup of ours, I mean..."

"Technically speaking, this isn't really a breakup," jested Touya. "Just a revaluation of how we stand. Now come on, let me escort you home."

"Lucky!"

As they paid their tabs, Rei pondered the situation once more. Poor Touya... I can only imagine this wasn't an easy decision for him. But I can't lie to myself, this is a relief.

The same feeling was rearing in Touya's mind. Wow, this was easier than I thought! Now I can get back at Rei's father without needing to compromise her. I just hope I can do this without her noticing it will be me and my family...

But just as they were about to step out of the place, Rei received a call on her communicator watch. She excused herself to the restroom and heard another call to arms from Luna - Another Oneiros was on the run, and she had to make haste to the Azabu-Juban Commercial Center. In the wise cat's own words, it was the most dangerous beast yet.

"Uhh... Touya, could you let me out at the Commercial Center?" the raven-haired girl asked her date. "I... Forgot to buy something there."

"I don't see why not," he agreed without further questioning. They then left to the parking lot and entered another piece of Touya's car collection, a dark silver Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX. It didn't take long for them to reach the intended place.

"Give me a call whenever you want, okay? Gotta hurry, see ya!" Rei quickly told Touya as he waved her goodbye, getting out of the car and running as far as she can to enter once more in her battle form.

For some reason, Touya himself started to feel uneasy and agitated as well. Away from Rei's sight, the young man drove to a nearby square and stared into the apparent darkness of an alley. He didn't even notice it, but his line of sight was directed to where another materialized nightmare was

(xx)

How to even begin to describe the Oneiros that assaulted Azabu-Juban? It was some kind of shapeshifting floating prism that changed its form between a cube, an octahedron and three different dodecahedrons. Its side panels were all translucent and released the reflected beams of the lined-up lamp posts of the streets.

But what truly frightened and amazed whoever set their sight to the uncanny creature was not its appearance: It was the sound it emitted for all to hear. It was not a scream, a roar, a hum or any other wild sound. It was a song, a well-known tune that brought thunder to the hearts and tears to the eyes of those who heard it.

Ave Maria, gratia plena. Maria, gratia plena.

Whoever listened to it felt paralyzed from head to toe. Whoever did so while looking directly at the unspeakable creature started to leak their bodily fluids through every possible hole. And every single one of its hapless witnesses saw once more their most painful memories.

Maria, gratia plena. Ave, ave dominus.

As it advanced through the streets of Azabu-Juban, more and more people fell for the absolute despair that the Oneiros brought. It may not have caused physical destruction to the city itself, but still it had to be stopped pronto. For the sake of the mental integrity of the city.

Dominus tecum. Bendicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus.

Naturally, this job required the full force of the Sailor Guardians. Who else but they could end the absolute terror that the Oneiros brought?

Et benedictus fructus ventris.
Ventris tui, Iesus. Ave Maria.

However, only three of the heroines managed to appear in the commercial center as the Oneiros advanced, hovering over its tallest buildings. At least they had the advantage of not being affected by the damned prism's illusions.

"What happened to Mercury and Venus?" asked Sailor Mars.

"Hell if I know," Sailor Jupiter swiftly answered. "I think it's up to us to face that thing."

"I sure wish we knew how!" complained Sailor Moon.

"Trial and error, it is," affirmed the Guardian of Thunder as she prepared her own attack. "Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

The attack made out of pure luminous energy hit the Oneiros in one of its sides and briefly appeared to form some kind of liquid ripple that straightened itself after a few seconds. In retaliation, the creature fired a short ray of light toward the heroines.

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Sailor Mars as she threw herself towards Sailor Moon to move her away from the ray's trajectory. When the beam hit the ground, however, it did not cause any apparent damage.

"Mars, we have to attack it constantly," Sailor Jupiter advised her companion. "I bet it can reveal a vulnerable point this way. When it shows up, Sailor Moon swoops in. Got it?"

Both Moon and Mars nodded in agreement. Sailor Mars then took it upon herself to open up the needed breach and released a focused Fire Soul towards the Oneiros. It took all of her mental fortitudes to turn her attack into a constant stream, but it seemed to work as intended. The ripple that Sailor Jupiter had briefly formed in the creature's side panel started to open up further until it revealed some sort of red orb.

Of course, the Oneiros wouldn't let itself be attacked without retaliation. Once more, it released a beam toward Sailor Moon just as she pointed the Artifact toward its exposed core. The Guardian of Fire leaped again to get her out of danger's way, and ended hit. She fell to the floor and detransformed back into Rei.

"Rei! Are you okay?"

No answer. Physically, Rei seemed unhurt... But the beam's true effect came into her mind. She would relive a memory her consciousness had mostly blocked.

(xx)

Rei saw herself as a child of four years accompanied by her parents Risa and Takashi, who seemed very happy with each other as they ate a full-course meal in a fancy restaurant. It was one of the few times they were together as a happy nuclear family, or at least that she had any recollection about.

The tune that tormented her mind for so long finally played in a clear and concise manner. It was a bassline, which played with some more increment over the restaurant's speakers. Matter of fact, it was the only sound she was hearing... Until she heard her mother speak.

"I must have left something in the car. Excuse me."

Those were the last words she heard from her mother as she left the place in hurried steps. A few seconds later, a loud explosion was heard from the other side of the street. Glass shards and shrapnel flew and fell all over the place as everyone fell to the floor. Rei and her father then peered out of the shattered window and saw the fiery wreck of their car... With Risa burning inside of it.

"Dad... Where is Mom? Where is she?" she asked as she felt her head ringing, the bassline of the dreaded song still sounding inside her head. As Takashi and more people silently rounded the destroyed car that still held Risa's charred remains, she could feel tears forming and falling down her cheeks.

(xx)

"Gosh, what do we do now?" complained Sailor Moon once more as she and Jupiter carried Rei's comatose body to a bench in the street.

"I'll help you out," came out a familiar voice from their communicator watches.

"Sailor Saturn?" the two heroines recognized.

"I think by now you must have noticed how the Oneiros works," the Guardian of Death sternly stated. "Sailor Moon, come out and pay attention. I'll cut the enemy and expose its core. The others take care of Sailor Mars."

Of course, Saturn was unaware that only three of the Inner Scouts were available. She leaped over the ceilings of the buildings that composed the Azabu-Juban Commercial Center, hoping to edge closer to the uncanny Oneiros and expose whatever core it had. She knew she only had one chance to slash at the beast and had to make the best use of it. As soon as she got to the proper distance, the Guardian of Death drew forth her Silence Glaive, pointed it directly to one of its side panels and used the momentum of her fiercest bound to finally touch and tear open its composition.

"Moonlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" Sailor Moon wasted no time in using her purification attack toward the center of the dreaded beast. As expected, it worked - The Oneiros' side plates undid themselves, and its core diminished in size until it took a human form, that of its host... A male figure that softly fell to the ground, which the heroines recognized as soon as they approached him.

"MAMO-CHAN!" Sailor Moon shouted out as she ran towards her beloved. He opened his eyes with some difficulty as she cradled him.

"Uhh... Usako..."

"But what happened to you, Mamoru?" Sailor Jupiter asked as she propped up the still-unconscious Sailor Mars.

"Indeed, how did you become an Oneiros yourself?" inquired Sailor Saturn.

"Hypnos... He's looking for a host, and... He almost had me. I remember I resisted... And he made me remember... The accident that killed my parents. Then I blacked out, and... Next I know, I'm here."

The revealing brought gasps of concern out of the heroines. Sailor Moon further held Mamoru on her arms, letting her own tears soak his sportcoat's sleeve.

"Don't worry, Usako... You brought me back, that's what matters..." The young man assured his beloved. He then addressed Jupiter and Saturn: "Be careful, girls... He's looking for a definitive host... Someone with trauma, and with... Darkness in their heart."

Little by little, the affected witnesses came to their own senses, most of them without any further memory of how they lost their consciousness, what exactly they saw within their momentary reveries, or how and why they soiled their underwear. All they knew was that they felt some sort of relief in their heads, as if their weariness had faded away in those fleeting moments.

"We better take you to the nearest hospital, Mamoru," Jupiter finally commented. "You and Mars here. I hope the staff isn't affected, though..."

I hope she is okay, Sailor Moon concernedly pondered as she helped Mamoru get on his feet.

(xx)

Only with the dissipation of Mamoru's Oneiros form did Touya come back to his own senses.

Tears flew down his own eyes as he saw a glimpse of his own traumatic memory. He didn't even realize what caused it, or how he became entranced to the point he stared at that dark alley for God knows how long until that moment.

All Touya could do as he returned to his car was shake his lowered fist and sob to himself. "I'm going to kill you... Takashi Hino, I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Another day, another chapter. I hope it is to your enjoyment!

James Birdsong: Very grateful for your "Excellent" rating! :D

litakino1987: Muchísimas gracias por más un review! Sé que la vida anda bien corrida, pero me encantaría leerte otra vez por acá. Llámame cuando puedas!

Su: Que súper que la fic sigue de tu agrado! Que te pareció el desarrollo de la historia y de la pareja acá?

And of course, eternal gratitude to all of you anonymous readers who pass by. Don't be afraid to let your (dis)content be known in the reviews!

Next chapter: An important development between Rei and Yuuichirou, and Touya tries to take matters into his own hands.

Greetings from the Hospitaller Knight.