Chapter 3: Shinmachi brothel
The scent of wet gravel is the first thing she feels when she wakes up. And the gentle beat of his heart against her ear. His warmth has her wrapped between both hands; his scent mingled with hers. The breeze gently moves the leaves of the trees and the sound of a river hitting the stones with its cause can be heard in the distance.
Kasumi looks up and sees him. She can barely see his eyelashes and eyebrows, just a little darker than his hair. From this angle she notices that his hair has purplish tints, although in the sun his hair looks almost white. His profile well defined, his eyes hidden behind black painted glasses from which one can see absolutely nothing, like a moonless night.
She wonders how he can wander through the world without a cane. At some point even questioned whether he was blind, but it can't be possible for him to navigate so fluently in the world if he really can't see anything around him. He is extremely particular, as he himself said.
She smiles to herself as she remembers how vain he is and at some point, as she watches him sleep silently, she remembers the way he defended her the night before. Her heart pounds, never had anyone cared for her like that. If it were up to her aunt Nami she probably would have given her up for the right amount of money. She knows not to get her hopes up too much about this idea, as he needs her for a special purpose and guilt sours her expression at the memory of it.
While she is here, nestled in the arms of a stranger, her brothers are somewhere unknown in the region.
Slowly he opens his eyes and then yawns. Kasumi feigns, flushed from having spent so much time marveling at his profile. She breaks away from him shyly and conscientiously avoids his gaze as he stretches.
"How do you feel?" he asks softly and she turns to look at him.
"I couldn't say it last night... but thank you for coming back for me. I know you were excited about the girls and..."
"Hey, no, wait. Don't say that... None of that was important."
His delicate, sincere smile makes her feel something strange in the pit of her stomach and she instinctively brings her hand to her abdomen.
"Hungry?" he asks her, beginning to rummage through the food they pilfered from Ichigo's castle.
Kasumi nods, though she's not entirely sure if it's hunger. It feels strange and different, a feeling she's never experienced before and it doesn't go away even after she's eaten her fill.
Satoru gets up to stretch his legs and pulls out a map from among his things to check the way to their next destination. She feels more and more inclined to ask him about that friendship that will help him find the children, and more inclined she feels to tell him the truth and stop wasting time. But her lips are tight, not a word comes out when he turns with a magnetic smile to tell her to get ready.
It's only been a day, but she's almost used to being lifted like a little girl for him to hoist her onto Oguri's back. She doesn't feel strange, almost, riding with him, occasionally brushing his chest with her back. It's even kind of nice to see new sights having lived all her life in the port city of Yokohama. Satoru has told her that they are heading towards the city of Yuigahama, a small town that next to Sagami Bay.
If they go further north, following the Sagami River, they will arrive in five days at the town where her former teacher, Kusakabe-san, lives.
Kasumi meditates during their journey, though this time Satoru doesn't seem willing to go quietly. Sometime in the middle of the day he began to sing a song.
Cherry blossoms
Cherry blossoms in bloom, cherry blossoms in bloom,
In fields and villages
As far as the eye can see
Is it mist or clouds?
Fragrant in the morning sun.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Blossoms in full bloom.
She does not know the lyrics of his song. She listens to it with a slight melancholy in her heart and wonders if she has heard it before. She is sure that her aunt Nami never sang it to them and she's not sure if her mother ever sang it to her. Maybe when she was a baby. She doesn't remember quite that well.
After getting tired of singing, Satoru sighs.
"I don't like long trips. How about playing a game?"
"A game?" He nods. "What kind?"
"How about riddles? Do you like them?"
"I don't think I've ever played that."
"It's not too hard, you just have to think. Let's start with something easy… Listen carefully... If I have it, I don't share it. If I share it, I don't have it, what is it?"
Kasumi is speechless, mentally repeating what Satoru just said over and over again. After a while she shrugs her shoulders.
"I don't know..."
"It's a secret," he answers while smiling.
"Oh..." Kasumi replies and without realizing it she's smiling too. A shy laugh escapes her lips.
"Here's another one. If a rooster lays an egg on top of a mountain and the wind blows from east to west, which way will the egg fall?"
"West!"
"Really?" he asks, leaning over her shoulder, so close that she can see her reflection in the lenses of his dark glasses. "I thought roosters didn't lay eggs."
The heartiest laugh comes from Kasumi's chest as she listens to him. She was so immersed in his story that she didn't realize what she was saying.
"Your turn."
She goes completely blank for a moment. But then she begins to think. She looks at the clear sky above her head and the almost endless path ahead, then sweeps her gaze over the flowers growing beside the path and at their figure silhouetted against the earth.
"I know… It crawls on the ground, but it doesn't get dirty, what is it?"
"It crawls on the ground..." Satoru repeats, an m crawling inside his throat as he deliberates his answer. "I give up."
"A shadow," Kasumi answers proudly.
"I like it, I'll write it down later."
The idea of someone as strong as Satoru having a notebook in which he writes down funny things makes her feel a strange discomfort in her stomach again. She has suddenly imagined it and finds the image so funny that she can't help but chuckle softly.
By the time they finally arrive in Yuigahama City the hours have flown by. Satoru has many witticisms to pass the time and at some point, he ends up confessing to her that she has made their trip more entertaining than he expected, making her stomach sink once again.
Yuigahama is not as small a town as she expected, it surrounds the coast like a crescent moon and is full of trees and small houses. It reminds her a bit of home. Satoru puts on his hat before walking deeper into the town and Kasumi gives him a sideways glance. After stopping in front of a farmer, he shows them the way to the market and where they will find a place to sleep. They ride past a large Buddhist temple and she looks at it with admiration. Then, as they ride down a hill, her eyes sparkle at the sight of the open sea glistening in the sun's rays.
When they reach the market, he helps her off Oguri and sets her down on the ground.
"Don't go too far," he tells her and she stares at him as he walks through the small market. She is a little surprised that he gives her free rein even though he knows she could use the opportunity to run away. But for some reason she doesn't; her legs don't beg her to run off in any direction, even though she knows perfectly well how to get to the village where Kusakabe is located.
She takes Oguri's rein and pulls him along with her as she walks around looking at the merchant stalls. There are fish hanging on shelves she has never seen before, shimmering shades that look like rainbows when the sun hits them from a certain angle. There is a variety of clothing and tools, pot sellers and ceramists, but it is not until she sees a sign posted on a signpost indicating a detour to another nearby village that she stops dead in her tracks.
Drawn on that parchment is a face that she has memorized, below it is written his name and further down a number so large that she is not even able to imagine so much wealth.
WANTED
Gojo Satoru
Dead or alive
She tears off the sign warily and looks around. Suddenly all the confidence that had been built up vanishes from her hands, as if by taking the sign everything disappears in the blink of an eye. Could this be the reason why he wants the children? Could it perhaps be that he wants to atone for a crime he has committed?
After tearing off the sign she folds it and hides it in her clothes, but as she does so she sinks to her knees in pain. The girdle she wears to pretend to be a man starts to hurt and if she doesn't take it off soon, she is sure it will cut the skin over her ribs.
It's not hard for Kasumi to keep an eye on Satoru. He wanders down a long street lined with shopping stalls and from a distance she can still see him and make out his hat. And, being alone, she knows that this is the ideal time to warn someone about his presence. However, just as she has a hard time telling him where the children have gone, she can't find a way to approach someone to alert them to Gojo Satoru's presence.
She would like to know why he is wanted, what kind of crime has he committed? It must be an extremely serious one to offer such a large amount of money for his skin. Then she remembers the way the new Emperor's soldiers took over the port of Yokohama and doubt plagues her mind. What kind of person will the new Emperor be?
With her heart shrinking inside her chest, she forces her steps to follow Gojo's as she takes the reins of his horse with her. Satoru seems to be asking for directions and has a huge smile on his face, a smile that turns her stomach.
As she approaches, she sees him handing a coin to an old woman who then squeezes it over her hand and bows to him. Satoru turns around when he notices her presence.
"Aren't you dying for a bath? There is an inn a few miles away and hot springs in the same direction."
Kasumi smiles and nods enthusiastically at the idea until, a short time later, she realizes what he is saying. She can't wait to get that girdle off, but she's not remotely ready to confess to him that she's a woman. Satoru helps her mount Oguri and then climbs on taking the reins between her arms. At this point she can only think about how she will tell him, or how she can continue to hide it. There won't be much to say when she's completely naked.
"Are you nervous?" he asks and she suddenly fears he can read her mind. "You're tense, your back is stiff and you're very quiet. You've never bathed with anyone else?"
"N-no, I've never been in hot springs. And no... only when I was very little."
"Well, I haven't shared a bath with a man in a long time."
"Have you done it... with women?"
"Of course, among other things. You're a virgin, aren't you?"
Kasumi gasps and is thankful that at this moment he can't look at her face, otherwise he would notice the heat emanating from her chest to her ears.
"Y-yes..."
"Don't be ashamed. It's normal, besides, you're very shy. I noticed it with Ichigo's courtesans. Do you at least know how it's done and where you have to put it? I had an idea, quite clear actually... and yet I made a couple of mistakes."
"I-I think I know... how it's done. I've seen some paintings..." she admits embarrassed.
"It's a little different from what you see in the paintings, but I guess you'll have to do it to learn. If you want, we can visit a brothel, it's on me."
"N-NO! No need! I-I... I'm fine like this..."
"Do you like men?"
Silently, Kasumi clasps her hands in her lap. Her heart is pounding and she becomes extremely conscious of the way her body rubs against his with every little hop she takes after Oguri's footsteps.
"I still... don't like anyone."
"That's normal, too."
Near the end of the village, on the shore, stands a small residence with a high thatched roof. Satoru hurries to leave a paid room for the two of them and asks for directions to the hot springs before the sun finishes going down while Kasumi waits for him above Oguri, trying to come up with some convincing excuse.
When he returns, she hasn't made anything up. The truth is that she does smell bad, and that she needs to free herself from her girdle, if only for a moment. Satoru hastens his pace and excitedly announces to her that they are not too far away and that on horseback the trip will take only a few minutes. Moving away from the open sea, they take a small detour until they reach a torri with hanging amulets.
The rock-strewn landscape is clouded with steam all around, like thick cotton clouds. Satoru gets off Oguri with a broad smile painted on his face and before Kasumi can get off, he has already removed the top of his yukata. She sees him for less than a second and turns away, perplexed, embarrassed and with her heart racing wildly inside her chest, but the image has been etched deep in her mind. There are a couple of scars on his ribs and abdomen, but the most striking thing is his amazing physical condition. Kasumi has never seen such an attractive man in her life. As she is about to give him a second glance out of the corner of her eye, he is pulling down his pants and she is completely petrified.
With her mind totally blank, her heart completely out of control. Kasumi wishes she could touch the inside of her own chest to calm the pounding. She wishes she could sink her head into snow so her cheeks would stop burning like this. Why does she feel this way at the sight of him? Why does her chest feel like it's exploding? She closes her eyes tightly until she finally hears the calm of the water breaking.
Satoru, completely free of any complexes steps into the hot spring and lets out a heartfelt sigh as he closes his eyes and feels the warm water embrace him.
Kasumi, still on Oguri's back, enviously observes the cloudy landscape and convinces herself that maybe she can hide enough from him. It's so thick that with the right distance he probably can't see her-though if she thinks about it a little more, she doesn't even know if Satoru Gojo can really see.
As she gets off the horse, Satoru stretches his arms out on some rocks and drops his head in complete relaxation.
"Won't you jump in, Kai? Make the most of the time we have," he tells her as she looks for a hidden spot in the trees, away from his gaze.
Carefully and quietly, looking over her shoulder, Kasumi removes her clothes exposing layers and layers of cloth that wrap around her torso like a tourniquet. The skin brushing against the bandages is suffocated, red and swollen. Delicately she begins to remove the cloth and as she removes the layers, she feels her lungs inhaling more and more air. Finally, when her breasts are completely uncovered, she closes her eyes and lets a breath of air into her lungs. Then, covering herself with her hands and crouching down, she helps herself with a huge rock to hide from Satoru by putting one foot into the water.
The sensation is so pleasant that she has no choice but to go ahead and, in a few seconds, she puts her whole body in up to her chin. Her long hair stretches out over the water and her sore skin thanks her for the stimulation. For a moment she forgets Gojo's presence just a few feet away, letting herself be carried away by the way the warm water wraps around her. However, something terrifies her and she opens her eyes to hold her hair out of the water. Stretching out her hand she searches desperately for a branch in the gravel and when she finds it, she adjusts her hairdo. Then she smiles and sighs as she strolls gently in that bathtub created by nature.
"Ah..." sighs Satoru and she seems to remember his presence, so she turns her back to him and keeps a low profile, with her nose just peeking out of the water. "What's wrong? Are you still embarrassed?" he says, and from the slight movement in the water she knows he has stood up.
Kasumi lifts her face over her shoulder and sees him moving slowly towards her and she is paralyzed, she can't pronounce a word and all she can do is squeeze her chest between her arms. If she gets up or moves away from him, he may end up chasing her through the water and eventually he will notice.
"Is it because of the bruises? Are you self-conscious about that?" He asks her and she only then remembers the beating she received days before.
First it was those three little thieves, then it was her aunt Nami. Though even she doesn't know the severity, not until she feels a wet finger brushing her back and she lets out a slight whimper.
"Does it still hurt?" She nods without saying a word. "Who was it?"
The strange and surprising touch on the sensitive skin of her back leaves her uneasy, suddenly short of breath. Satoru's voice is calm and so magnetic that she shivers.
"A few days ago... I was fishing near home and... some guys robbed me."
"You got hit pretty hard, but someone else was hurting you, right? Here's a pretty deep cut," he says and drags his index finger along an old scar that runs from her rib to her trapezius.
What starts out as a tingle ends up sending an electric charge through her entire back all the way down to her toes. Kasumi lets out a shriek and dives into the water, as an instinct she turns around and with her right foot kicks Satoru, but she does not manage to move him from his place, she only manages to gain momentum to get away from him. Underwater, panicked, she opens her eyes only to find a cloudy image of Satoru below the belt. Even more shaken, she screams again, the water fills with bubbles and she pulls her head out to find Satoru's perplexed face.
This time she cannot take her eyes off him. He's wet, from his hair to his fingertips. And for the first time since she met him she can see his eyes without the glasses or a blindfold on his face. She becomes absorbed in the color of his pupil, which glows like the lightest sky she has ever seen in her life.
Her face is painted pink up to her ears, as she can't help but think how beautiful he is. Every inch of Gojo Satoru is a marvel. His long neck and the white skin that tightens his sinews to his collarbone, his pecs and inhuman abdomen that her gaze passes quickly and frantically over, and his large arms and hands.
Suddenly she closes her eyes, incredulous about everything she has just seen. She corners against the rocks surrounding the hot springs like a frightened rabbit. She listens to the gentle movement of the water and when she stops shivering, she timidly opens one eye. He is on the other side, sitting, looking at her with curiosity and a small smile.
"I'm not going to look at you, don't worry. I'm sorry if I was too familiar, it's a bad habit... Are you okay? Did I scare you? I've been told I can be a bit unpleasant."
"I'm fine..." she answers with her mouth under water.
Satoru chuckles at the sight of the bubbles coming out of her mouth and the way Kai frowns and avoids his gaze. It makes her a little uneasy that she suddenly feels the desire to refute the latter, she's not supposed to feel that way towards someone who kidnapped her.
As he sees him so frightened, hiding from him and his touch, Satoru wonders for a moment if every rose Kai has met has been violent. Perhaps that is the reason he behaves in this particular way. Maybe it's just a reflection of the abuse he experienced.
Suddenly an idea comes to his mind, one that might help cure Kai's dread of his nakedness and the hands of strangers. He lifts his face and thinks about how far he will have to detour to get to Osaka. If he thinks about it carefully, it is not that far. It's on the intersection of several major routes so he won't lose many days if he decides to go.
-Hey, Kai, how about a little detour to a really fun place?
Kasumi becomes incapable of saying anything else, she tries to bathe slyly, hiding her body with the distance and the steam. Satoru for his part does not make much effort to disturb him, as he would do on another occasion. And, as the night sets in on them, Satoru gets up and announces to her to dress at ease, he won't look at him. For some reason, Kasumi trusts him. Especially, when she sees him taking Oguri's reins to move a few meters away from her. This gives her the freedom to put her girdle back on and quickly heal her wounds. She squeezes the bandage tightly under her chest until she feels like she's going to run out of air once more and then dresses her kimono and old sandals.
When she returns to Satoru's side, she does so with a smile on her face and takes his hand unceremoniously to climb onto the back of his horse. But her calm doesn't last long, as Satoru stretches his nose to the curve of her neck and inhales.
"You have a particular smell, you know?"
"A-a smell? Do I smell bad?" she asks uneasily.
"Yeah, I don't know. You don't smell bad... you just smell... weird."
Kasumi knows exactly what smell Satoru is referring to, but revealing it was never an option for her. It's the pigment she puts in her hair every month that helps her keep it as dark as possible, to hide the birth defect that would have made her a freak.
The inn awaits them by candlelight, their room consists of a small square of two square meters, tatami floor and a small window overlooking the path by which they returned. Satoru unbuckles his belt and as he does so he pauses to look at Kai's face, but he is already lying on a small blanket on the floor, face to the wall. He smiles, takes off most of his clothes and lies down.
He doesn't know that Kasumi is still awake, with the image of Satoru burned into her mind. Her heart is unbridled, and in that contradiction, she reproaches herself. What kind of feeling is this, and why does it burn so much inside her body?
In the middle of the night, she turns over and finds him peacefully asleep. His eyes are closed, he has left his dark glasses by his pillow and despite how dark the room is, Kasumi can see his face partially bathed in moonlight.
Blushing, she looks at his face and can't help but think how cute he is. She has never seen such a beautiful smile, such kindness in his eyes. Like a magnetic spell she keeps her dark blue gaze on him for longer than she would like. She sighs, her heart still pounding, and closes her eyes again to roll over on the floor.
What she should really be thinking about is the whereabouts of her brothers... So, before she sleeps, she says a prayer to whatever God is listening to her, praying that they have reached their destination safely.
In the morning, they both eat at the inn to leave for the next destination as soon as possible.
"Why are we going on a detour? I thought we were going to see an old friend of yours... didn't you want to find the children?"
"If you tell me where they went, we can do this faster," he replies, mounting up behind her, but Kasumi's lips seem to stick together. "I figured, well... I guess it's okay if we're a little late. Did you send them somewhere safe?" Kasumi nods, "I'll have to settle for that. I could have tortured you for information, you know that?"
"What kind of torture?"
"I could strip you naked and look for the place where you feel the most ticklish." She turns her face away, deeply terrified, and seeing his expression he bursts out laughing. I could..." he repeats, "And if it were extremely necessary, I would be obliged to do other, more extreme things. But I prefer to earn your trust. In time you'll realize that I'm a good person, I'm excellent at my job... I'm probably the best. But... I can also be other things if I need to be."
An assassin?... Kasumi wonders silently remembering the sign she saw with his name on it recently and before leaving the village she takes one last look at him, wondering if she should warn Satoru. Has anyone else besides her noticed? While Satoru walks around wearing a hat that covers a good part of his face, it's not very common to see samurai walking around the villages. And this one in particular... is not very reserved.
At times it seems that he doesn't really care what is going to happen. She doesn't know for sure if he's foolish or if he's so powerful that he's not afraid of what might happen.
Satoru resorts to his list of riddles again, but this time he pulls out a small notebook to which he turns when nothing comes to mind.
"I'm always in front of you, but you can't see me... what am I?"
"My dreams?"
"N-No, but that's a nice answer... The correct answer is 'the future'."
"Do you have many?" Kasumi asks and he puts his notebook in front of her. The soft touch of his cheek against hers surprises her, but she doesn't say anything. She prefers to take the notebook in her hands and reads aloud the things Satoru has written down. "I can't talk, but I always answer when someone speaks, who am I?"
"Echo."
"Do you remember them all?"
"Almost all of them."
"This is a long one... Everyone who travels the trail ends up stopping to rest. But my path never ends and I can't stop. I endure a perpetual journey that years cannot stop. That nations and empires cannot stop."
"Do you know the answer without reading it?"
"The rivers?"
"Almost, the sun. I have one in mind that I haven't written down yet, do you want to try to guess?" She nods enthusiastically. "What can be touched, but can't be seen?"
Kasumi thinks for a moment. This one is particularly difficult. A couple of answers come to her mind, but none of them seem right after she analyzes them. Giving up, she denies.
"A heart," he whispers in her ear, making her shudder.
Instinctively she puts a hand to her chest and thinks about it for a moment. She smiles without him being able to see it as she feels her heart leaping inside her chest. It is true.
As time goes by, she realizes in which direction they are going, she saw a couple of signs that clearly read 'Osaka', but she knows nothing about this place, other than that it is a renowned location. Nor does any idea come to her mind as to what Satoru thinks they should do there.
Satoru is a bit tired; it was noticeable during the last few days. He has a pair of dark circles under his eyes that she has seen from time to time, when he takes off his glasses or the bandage on his face to pour water on his face. Maybe he's not sleeping as peacefully as she thought.
For some reason she knows he is smiling at their fate, relieved to be able to sleep under a roof and not out in the open as they have been doing a week ago. He must be used to another lifestyle, Kasumi thinks. While for her this is more pleasant than living with her aunt Nami. She doesn't have to fish anymore; Satoru is so skilled that he comes up with enough food for three days every time he rolls up his sleeves and goes into the river. And, although she has tried to copy his technique, she can't replicate his speed. It has been easier for her to spend her time foraging for wild herbs to spice up the food or teaching him the best ways to skin an animal. Or how to make a meal yield when there's almost nothing left.
Kasumi can almost confirm that Satoru is used to the good life, just not a fan of doling out complaints if he's not entirely comfortable. He seems like the kind of guy who is able to go with the flow and make the best of every situation.
This city is big, big enough to see even from miles away. The river that surrounds it, manipulated by the hand of man, curls around a castle as tall as Mount Fuji. Its perimeter is surrounded by miles of immense walls and watchtowers, so high that Kasumi cannot imagine how they were built. It seems rather, made by the hand of the gods.
"Who lives in that castle?"
"No one important," answers Satoru.
Osaka is full of life; Kasumi's eyes cannot see the end of it. It grows at the foot of the castle, on the other side of the bridges over the rivers. People hurry past them and before she can utter a word, Satoru gets off his horse and guides Oguri's reins. This time he doesn't seem to need directions, he moves fluidly through the stone streets at a steady, precise pace. And, despite having half his face covered Kasumi realizes that he has begun to attract the attention of some young girls. On the other side of the street, she feels a glance upon herself and as she lifts her chin a geiko smiles at her.
Kasumi blushes, however, she smiles back shyly. She is completely dazzled by her clothes, floral prints have always been one of her favorites, although she has never been able to wear one. Her face is well made up and her lips seem to draw a tiny apple, as red as blood. And on top of her distinguished hairstyle, she wears a floral arrangement with golden earrings that sway gently along with her movements.
"Such beautiful women... so pretty," she says, marveling at a small group of courtesans on their way to the market.
In the middle of the street, she hears a man singing and another beside him playing an instrument she has never seen before. They walk past them and the group of people crowding to hear him. From her height Kasumi sees them leaving coins in a bag on the ground until she loses sight of them.
Satoru walks with haste until they reach a district whose perimeter is closed by a high stone wall, painted red, guarded by a couple of guards.
"We're here," Satoru finally says, after half an hour of absolute silence.
"Where are we?"
"Shinmachi. Have you ever heard of it? It's famous," he says with a sly smile on his face and is surprised to see Kai shake his head. "No? Well, just take a deep breath and stay calm."
Puzzled by his directions, she frowns. She is even more surprised to see him walk away from the front door and slip through one of the side walls. He shoulders the luggage on Oguri's back and then looks around until he is completely sure. Suddenly he grabs Kai's waist and leaps up to grab the edge of the wall with his right hand.
Puzzled by his indications, she frowns. And she is even more surprised to see him move away from the main door to sneak around one of the side walls. He shoulders the luggage on Oguri's back and then looks around until he's absolutely sure. Suddenly he grabs Kai's waist and leaps up to grab the edge of the wall with his right hand.
"Why don't we go through the door?!" Kasumi, completely perplexed, clings to Satoru's forearm with both hands, watching the ground move away from her feet.
"Cause they would have forced us to give up our weapons," says Satoru and smiles at her again until he climbs over the wall, letting himself fall on the other side, in a dark corner.
Kasumi feels herself being dragged by the hand; he holds her close to him, so close that she could fall on his chest after the first stumble. Satoru hides in the shadows as if he were part of them, watching the wide main path that separates the Shinmachi district into two parts. The street is well lit with paper lanterns, painted with letters in red ink. Kasumi gazes at the wooden structures, all painted a vibrant red, the moldings exceptionally worked, dark shingles on firm wooden structures. And, from a distance, behind Satoru, she sees what she considers to be some sort of women's cage.
Inside the red wooden cage are at least twenty women, all of different ages and sizes, wearing colorful kimonos and exquisite hairstyles, adorned and made up, reaching out to the men walking in front of them as if at a market.
At that moment Kasumi realizes that this is, in fact, a market; a sex market.
"Where did you bring me? I told you that I didn't want to..."
She doesn't manage to finish voicing her claim when Satoru drags her with him through the shadows cast by the buildings inside Shinmachi. When they are safe and well hidden, he grabs Kai by the waist and presses him to his chest. Kasumi, eyes wide open, suddenly hears Satoru's heartbeat. She swallows saliva, then lifts her chin and sees him, always smiling.
-If they see us, it could cost us our heads..." he says subtly as if it were one more of his riddles. He hides his katana under his clothes and Kasumi, with trembling hands, does the same. Now, walk quickly behind me. Don't step away from me.
A second later he comes into view under the warm lights of the paper lanterns that adorn the street and continues his stride with utmost confidence. Behind him Kasumi is about to fall to the ground, but she makes an effort to remain calm, as he told her long before. She tries to hold her breath and follows him at a brisk pace as he pushes open a door and welcomes himself into one of the pleasure houses.
She thinks her heart will burst out of her chest at any moment. She has the impetuous assurance that the next man who turns to see her will know. They will realize she is a woman.
However, despite her fears, no one turns to look at her as she crosses the threshold of the door along with Satoru. The samurai walks across the room as if it were his own and removes his hat before sitting down in a corner. He crosses his legs on the floor and Kasumi mimics him, though she cannot copy the calmness with which he moves.
"What are we doing here?" Kasumi whispers.
"You'll see," he replies with a smile.
At least five women are in there with them. They are much prettier than Ichigo's courtesans, and much more skilled in the arts. One of them sings a beautiful song that manages to convey to him a bit of the calm she is missing, another one dances in the middle of a group of men drinking alcohol, lying on the floor. The other plays a board game with an older man, sitting impeccably, not a hair on her head moves when she makes a move. For Kasumi, these are things she had never imagined existed.
Behind the door frame appears another courtesan with a thin face and elongated eyes. Like all the others she wears her face as white as the foam that forms at the foot of the sea, her eyes are outlined with pink pigment and her eyebrows are sharp. Her kimono is black with red details around her neck, her obi is also red, like the flowers attached to a comb that complements her up-do. She brings with her a delicate teapot and walks with short steps to them.
"Welcome, are you travelers? Shall I fill your tea cups?" she asks and gasps as she sees Satoru lift his chin. "Oh, but if it isn't..." she suddenly looks around and stands up, straight as a board. "Our most select customers are served in another room," she says with a small smile tugging at her crimson lips. "Come with me."
He doesn't say a word and stands up, forgetting his things behind him as Kasumi gathers them roughly and follows him, wondering in horror how adept he really is at this kind of entertainment.
She follows him at a brisk pace down a dimly lit corridor to a room on the other side of the inn. The courtesan drags open a sliding door of wallpaper painted with figures of wild animals and he enters bluntly. Behind him, Kasumi can barely see what's on the other side, with a pile of things in her hands she can only hear a commotion and as she sets the things down on the floor, she finds Satoru surrounded by women excitedly pouncing on him. Half dressed, half made up, Kasumi feels totally out of place.
"Where have you been so long?"
"Why haven't you visited us?"
"You're taller than the last time we saw you!"
"You look great! Look at you!"
"You finally deigned to show up!"
All the female voices shriek inside the room until a woman, emerging behind Kasumi, breaks through and they all shut their mouths in unison, even though she hasn't said anything.
The woman who has just entered carries a black fan with gold embroidery over her hand, she is wearing the most elaborate kimono she has ever seen in her life, trailing on the floor like a cape. Her stern face flattens as he turns and meets her eyes, her lips barely managing to curl in his presence as Satoru steps before her. After a long second in which they share a complicit glance, she disarms in a warm embrace, abandoning her stoic expression and pulls him into her arms. Then she releases him and presses her pale hands on his arms.
"You look strong, Satoru, you look very well..." she tells him, almost moved. "Hurry! Bring something to eat for our guest! And you know! Not a word!"
Everyone seems to be oblivious to her presence. Satoru radiates his own magnetism in such a way that Kasumi becomes invisible, not a glance passes by her person, no one has turned to see her except that woman who held him in her arms. For some reason Kasumi sensed a hint of distrust from her in particular, though her eyes rested on her for just a second.
Kasumi shrugs, feeling as small as ever and resents almost instantly that Satoru has forgotten about her. In the blink of an eye he has been taken to another room and a long table has been spread out for him and his companions. Kasumi shyly moving behind him without releasing a single word.
He sits at the head of the table and eats whatever is served. A courtesan hurriedly brings a three-stringed shamisen and sits beside him to show him how much she has mastered this instrument. Another one comes to his right and begins to ask him endless questions about his adventures. One more asks him to tell her about the imperial palace.
On the other side of the table, Kasumi reaches across the table for a small glass of what she thinks is water, but it is alcohol. Despite her surprise she makes an effort to drink and not draw attention to herself, though her efforts are to no avail, no one is looking at her.
"I'm glad to see that everyone is well," Satoru says after recounting stories he hasn't told Kasumi during his trip, although it hasn't occurred to her to ask, "I'm glad to see that everyone is well. Actually, I wanted to introduce you to my friend Kai."
Kasumi has a swig of sake in her mouth when Satoru mentions her by her fake name. She balls the alcohol inside her throat and swallows it hard, running out of air. All eyes turn in her direction and she stammers a greeting.
"Thank you for your hospitality," she says, bowing to them.
The courtesans smile kindly at her, all but one.
"Hamari, I come to ask a very special favor," he says to the only one standing with her icy gaze fixed on Kasumi.
She laughs suddenly, with a hint of mockery in her voice.
"I should have suspected that the famous Gojo Satoru couldn't just come for a visit. All right, when you finish eating, we'll talk in my office. Now enjoy the food and conversation, remember... Don't serve sake in Satoru-kun's cup."
A strange feeling fills Kasumi's stomach. It grows uncontrollably with every female laughter and expands through her chest. It is uncomfortable and somehow painful. She looks askance at the way Satoru converses so effortlessly that she can't help but imagine how long he has visited this brothel to be greeted this way. How many of them has he slept with? How much money has he squandered on them?
She begins to resent sitting there with them. She feels detached, alienated from everything around her, so much so that she can't even listen attentively to the outlandish stories Satoru tells as if he were in a theater.
When the squid, octopus and whale meat disappear from the table, Satoru rubs his stomach and thanks. He pulls a small velvet cloth bag out of his pocket before Hamari stops him.
"Your money is no good here."
"I'll have to find another way to pay off my debt," he says with a smile that manages to unnerve Kasumi's heart. "Now we're getting down to business, aren't we?"
The girls groan as Satoru and Hamari get up from the table, touching his clothes begging him to sit down again while Kasumi sees everything from the other side of the table. Like a reflex her blue eyes pass by every hand that touches him urgently. The strange feeling grows like a cancer, so warily that she even begins to resent the perfect smile Satoru directs in her direction. But, to her surprise he asks her to join him.
This time there are only three of them. Hamari leading the way, Satoru in front of her, and behind Kasumi with a completely blank mind.
Hamari's office is spacious, decorated with a couple of small trees blooming inside the room. She has a small desk as tall as the dining room tables. She sits on a cushion and the two of them mimic her. She then pulls out a kiseru from a drawer and then inserts fine strands of hair-like strands into it. She takes a dry branch and places it over a candle that lies lit on the table and inhales the burning tobacco until smoke comes out.
"I'm a little intrigued, I must admit. What could bring the great Gojo Satoru back to his humble beginnings?"
"Kai is a virgin."
Hamari looks at him in horror and after a few seconds laughs softly, with enviable elegance.
Satoru pats her back as she dips her head between her shoulders, not even daring to look her in the eye.
"I want someone who treats him well."
"Kai-chan... you must like him, right? I'm not giving away any of my girls, no matter how much of a friend Satoru is. The price of my girls hasn't stopped going up since you left."
"I couldn't think of not paying for the services. Besides, I think it will do him good... He needs to relax a bit. I'm working on gaining his trust," he says with a smile as Kasumi seems unable to intervene while they talk about her as if she were not present.
"Kai," Hamari calls out to her and she looks up uncomfortably in her direction, "Is that really why you're here?"
"N-No! I-I...! I mean no disrespect to your... distinguished establishment... but I have no interest in being your customer..."
"Did you bring him here under false pretenses?"
"Hey, you're not planning on becoming a eunuch or anything, are you?"
Completely blushing from ear to ear, Kasumi looks straight into Satoru's eyes, hidden behind his dark glasses.
"Leave it to me, I know what I have to do."
"Will you take care of him?" asks Satoru.
Although she finds what he has asked outrageous, she can't help but feel slightly moved by his words.
"We're experts at that..." she says and looks at him out of the corner of her eye. "Leave it to me. Now go, have fun with the girls. They must be stinging the time you're spending here with me. I'll take care of Kai personally."
"You? Aren't you too old?"
Kasumi makes a great effort to hide her laughter at his comment.
"Don't be disrespectful, you cheeky rascal," she says as she picks up a thick black leather book to hit him over the head. "Now go away, you're making me regret opening the doors for you. Do you know how much it can cost us if you're here? Now get out. Leave us alone."
Satoru laughs, his smile wide and amused. He gets up and says goodbye, but not before wishing Kai good luck.
When the door closes behind them, Hamari waits for a few seconds until Gojo's footsteps disappear in the distance. The patroness of the brothel rises from her seat and Kasumi mimics her. She looks her up and down with a strange gesture and raises her chin smugly.
"You and I know exactly what's between your legs."
Unmoving, Kasumi watches the woman with panicked eyes. His dark eyes are stern, she looks into her eyes with intensity and she feels like a little girl. With no way to hide, Kasumi lowers her gaze, admitting defeat.
"I don't know for what purpose you're hiding it from Satoru, but if you've already come this far we'll give you a chance to confess it to him yourself. What I won't admit is that you fool him in my presence, not under my roof."
Kasumi nods.
"It wasn't my intention to hide it..." she answers without looking up.
Hamari takes Kasumi's face in her hands and inspects her blue eyes carefully while she looks at her with attention and a bit of fear.
"How did you manage to hide your bleeding from him? Don't you bleed? He would have noticed."
Kasumi looks down again.
"I... I don't bleed very often."
"Wow," she says, letting go of her. "That would be very useful here."
A moan catches Kasumi's attention and makes her blush so much that she purses her lips.
"You like him, don't you? Are you in love with Satoru?"
"What? -No, I'm not..."
"We haven't spent much time together, but I have a good eye... I know perfectly well when a customer is falling in love with one of my girls. And you, I've seen the wariness with which you've looked at Satoru since you arrived and the way you blush when he touches you. He's very cute, always has been. And very strong, the strongest of all men. Do you have any idea how many women have felt the way you feel? We could fill an entire village with women who have fallen for Gojo Satoru's charms and you would be just another peasant girl. The girls here are forbidden to offer their services to Satoru, they have begged me for years to change that rule... But I know what he is like and what kind of life he leads... I know perfectly well that Satoru won't buy their freedom nor does he intend to marry any of them. I'm not going to risk them or lower their price for him... Although it's not like he has anything against that rule... So, Kai... or whatever your name is... What interest do you have in him?"
Kasumi doesn't know how to describe how she feels about him, but she has already realized that every single thing he does makes her uneasy from the inside. This is the only explanation for her stomach pains and the way she runs out of breath every time she sees him.
"He... has captivated me, yes. I feel things for him that I've never felt before... He makes me..."
"Hot, doesn't he?" Kasumi suddenly blushes and this only serves to confirm what Hamari just told her. "Satoru thinks you're a virgin, is that part true?"
She nods.
"I was very comfortable pretending to be a man all this time until I met Gojo-san... And he has confused my feelings... He has protected me on several occasions during our journey and taken care of me. His presence makes me feel strange... I don't know what to call that feeling since I've never felt it before. It makes me uncomfortable and at the same time..."
"It feels good, doesn't it?" Kasumi nods shyly. "Well, since you were honest with me, I'll do you a favor that not many mothers do for their daughters... From your expression and how prudish you are I think you have no idea what's going on in here. But if you're going to confess to Satoru who you really are... I know it will only be a matter of time before you have sex with him. He's not the kind of guy who takes his time courting a woman, you know?"
"I-I... I don't plan to..."
"Shush... be quiet and follow me."
Hamari turns, walking in short, quiet steps and slides a paper wall to one side revealing a wide corridor on the other side, hidden from the rest's view. She turns just barely to observe her face and raises her index finger indicating her to keep quiet and takes her first step inside.
A perverse cacophony is heard on the other side, everywhere, grunts and groans, screams and moans, slaps and blows. There are sounds that Kasumi has never heard in her life, but out of curiosity, she follows Hamari's footsteps in total silence. When she stops Kasumi notices a candy-colored lightning beam coming out of a small hole towards which Hanami points and she cranes her neck to peek through the hole.
She gasps as she sees what happens on the other side. There is a stout man, his clothes tossed to the side and a woman on the ground clinging with both hands to his legs. She had seen her brothers naked several times before, and recently Satoru as well, but she had never seen a penis shaped like that, erect and hard.
The girl prostrate in front of him swallows it completely, again and again and faster and faster. The man moans and lifts his chin in an upraise, after a while he grabs the courtesan by the hair and forces her to swallow his dick whole until she gags. He grunts loudly and his whole body trembles until he finally releases her and she gasps for air in desperation.
His penis drips white tears.
Is this what they do in here? Kasumi wonders, horrified.
Hamari gently touches her shoulder and points her to the location of the second hole, pointing in another direction. She feels she has seen enough, however, Hamari's gaze is severe, forcing her to muster up the courage to peek an eye over the peephole. She swallows saliva and moves forward. She raises both hands to her mouth, stifling a shriek of surprise. What she has seen there is something she would never have imagined, not even in her most perverse dreams.
It is another man, but this one is being subdued by a courtesan while she sticks a finger up his ass.
This hole she doesn't want to see it again, one can see it on her face and the way she paled.
"Some men have different desires, but all are worthy of respect here. Sex comes in many forms... It's a matter of discovering which one you like best."
Hamari takes her by the hand as if she were her disciple, stepping over the corridor towards the next peephole hidden on the other side with a painting hanging on the wall. By this point, Kasumi is too afraid to look through to encounter some male desire she would never have imagined, one that would turn her stomach or leave her with a graven image to repeat in her nightmares. But this one, unlike the previous one, makes her feel warm; a warmth similar to the one Gojo Satoru makes her feel.
From the angle from which she watches she can see a completely naked courtesan, moaning at the top of her lungs, both hands clutching the fabric of her clothes strewn across the floor. The man with her is lying on the floor with his face between her legs. He reaches down and squeezes her tits, plays with her swollen nipples and pinches them until she screams and squirms. He licks with vigor between her legs and doesn't let go for a long time, so long that the courtesan rolls her eyes. She rolls on the tatami floor, pushes her body away from him with what little strength and sanity she has left, but he seems bent on savoring her to her last breath.
That woman's expression begins to worry Kasumi and when she turns to warn Hamari, she smiles at her and leans down to her ear.
"He's one of the girls' favorite customers. He can do that for hours... That expression is that of raw pleasure."
Kasumi looks at them again, trying to recognize the difference between pain and pleasure. A tingling invades her and, at the same time, makes her uncomfortable. She swallows again uneasily at the way she feels, at how her heart beats and her body heats up.
The next is the loudest, it is so loud that Kasumi anticipates something resembling a massacre, but is startled to see a thin man on top of a courtesan howling as if she is being killed. Kasumi notices the size of the soldier's penis and blushes. It is as small as her thumb.
-All the men here are like Gojo Satoru, in our imagination.
Kasumi doesn't know exactly what she means by that comment, but she guesses it has something to do with size. This being the first time she's seen a pair of hard penises now she knows how much bigger they grow compared to their dormant state.
The last of the rooms is not so noisy, inside she can clearly hear constant patting and on the other side Kasumi finds a man penetrating a courtesan. Right in front of the painting that disguises the peephole is him, an ordinary man spreading a woman's legs, thrusting hard. Kasumi can see it all from where she stands, the hands squeezing her thighs, the woman's breasts jiggling after each thrust, and him fucking her.
Then, surprisingly, after ejaculating he takes her face in his hands and kisses her with desire and urge. Kasumi is speechless to see them kissing in that way, so passionately that her lips tingle as if they were kissing her. She remembers then, as if it were a novelty, that she has never been kissed.
By the time the tour ends Kasumi feels her body burning, however, and without saying a single word, she quietly returns to her seat in Hamari's company and squeezes her legs tightly together.
"So... that's how it's done..." she whispers embarrassed and Hamari nods, "For what purpose... did you show me all that?"
"If you really like him, I suppose the result will be inevitable, but don't expect too much from him. Given the circumstances and with the Emperor's death so fresh... I almost certainly believe that this journey you both began is not a mere coincidence. When Satoru sets his mind to something it is very difficult, I would say impossible, for him to divert his plans for a woman. He might sleep with you, but he will be blinded by his own goals and he might not be able to see you, not really, not as you would like."
"I... I have no pretensions..." replies Kasumi with her voice hanging by a thread. "I don't even know what these confusing feelings are and... besides... I have my own goals too. Gojo-san is still a mystery to me. I realized that I don't know much about him..."
"Satoru is someone very special to us. His mother worked here," Kasumi's eyes widen and her heart freezes. "His mother died of syphilis, his father didn't recognize him... but when he was born everyone named him after him, Gojo. It was irrefutable, especially when he realized he was a sorcerer. The Gojo clan tried to take him away when word spread, but he escaped. He came back here some time later seeking refuge and we took care of him... and he took care of us for a while. That's why I'm not going to let you leave here without first coming clean. I know you must have your reasons, all of us here have had tempestuous lives... It's nothing personal. Don't take it the wrong way. I don't think you have bad intentions..."
-I-I... started pretending I was a man to learn how to use the sword. My master recruited me when I was little... but he told me I couldn't train a woman. I also can't marry because of my condition...
"Your condition? Are you infertile?"
"Well, I don't know..." she says, shrugging her shoulders. "My aunt said it's a birth defect and that I should hide it..."
-I don't need to know that.
"I-I have no intention of lying anymore," she replies with her head down. "It's just... I haven't found the right time to say it, nor have I found a reason to do so. I don't think Gojo-san will care what I am."
"No, but he will care about your sincerity. And he's like a son to me, so I don't want to see him leave this town with a liar under his wing."
"I'm begging you... give me a little time... I don't know how to start that conversation."
"That I can give you. You have until dawn first thing in the morning. Now we'll have to pretend... How long should it be? I guess about twenty minutes will be fine, too long for a virgin, actually. We don't want him to think we ripped him off, do we? Come," she says extending her free hand over her head, ruffling her hair, "At least for him to believe momentarily that we've fulfilled his request."
Kasumi smiles softly as Hamari's hand moves over the crown of her head.
When they return to the hall where the courtesans are waiting for them with Satoru, Kasumi feels more relieved. Her way of looking at him has changed and she no longer feels that strange discomfort in the pit of her stomach at the mere sight of him surrounded by women. Everything makes more sense after talking to Hamari. The way they take care of him and the familiarity in the atmosphere.
Satoru looks at her with a wide smile on his mouth, with a hint of excitement in his eyes, which is enough for both of them. He still doesn't suspect anything.
-It's done," Hamari announces with a hand on Kai's shoulder making Kasumi blush with embarrassment.
The night becomes more active as the hours go by. The girls go in and out of the small salon that welcomes them to attend to their customers. Then they sit back down to listen to the fables Satoru tells and for some reason Kasumi doesn't know if she should believe everything that comes out of his mouth. It sounds too fantastic to be true.
She looks at her small wooden carved cup with the sake inside and when she finally feels calm, she furrows her brow. The liquid inside her glass moves gently even though she is perfectly still, as if an invisible drop fell inside making the surface shake. Then she realizes, the floor under her body vibrates and that's when Satoru stands up.
The music stops and the voices are silenced. On the other side of the wall, the dissonance of horseshoes hitting the cobblestone can be heard; like a stampede.
Satoru slides open one of the windows facing the main street and pokes his head out. The guards over the gate abandon their weapons and run as they see the galloping army approaching like a dark wave.
"All of you, take cover!" Satoru shouts. "Kai…" he says without looking away from the window. "Take care of the girls."
"Me? But!"
Satoru doesn't hear a word, he doesn't take his eyes off the soldiers who begin to raise their weapons against the men running in panic through the district. Kasumi sees his stoic profile, shaken by the hoarse roar of his voice. The girls run at full speed, clutching their clothes in their hands to the rhythm of Hamari's shouts as Kasumi struggles with the trembling of her own hands.
"Follow me, you know where to go!" shouts the patroness and they all follow her footsteps in desperation.
Kasumi takes one last look at Satoru before leaving behind the group of women, but he is attentive to the chaos erupting in the streets. Without crossing words, she continues to follow the same path she walked a moment ago.
Under Hamari's office desk is a hidden door, behind a dark red carpet. As the girls quickly descend into that hidden basement, Kasumi takes the hilt of her wooden katana. She brought it with her from Yokohama and had so far only used it to practice what her teacher taught her. She follows Satoru with her eyes as he detours to the main hall where she watches all the customers stumble out the door, some pulling up their pants. When no one is inside, with Kai watching him intently behind the door frame, he unsheathes his katana.
"Give me your sword," he says in a stern tone. The demanding tone of his voice is not enough for Kasumi to let go of her sword. Distressed and confused, she takes the wooden sword and holds it out in front of him, but her heart stirs as she watches him take the wooden sword and hand her steel one to her.
It is so heavy she can barely hold it, and without understanding what her eyes see she watches Satoru wield the wooden sword as he waits impatiently for the soldiers to enter the brothel.
"You'll need it," Satoru tells her, his voice icy and his countenance impassive. "Now go."
Kasumi gulps, the words clench in her throat, and an impulse compels her to approach him. But Satoru doesn't need her presence, he tells her with a single glance that makes her retrace her steps.
A massacre has already begun on the other side of the door. She can hear the screams emanating from the street as if the gates of hell itself have been opened. Women and men alike. Horses neighing around the inn. Fire raging loudly.
"Kai!" Hamari shouts and she is forced to retrace her steps, leaving Satoru behind even though her heart begs her to stay with him, even though it would do no good.
All the women are huddled in hiding and Hamari is the last one, waiting impatiently to be able to close the door.
"Hurry! Come!" she shouts desperately, stretching out her hand towards her. But, as she is about to approach, Kasumi hears a clatter on the other side of the room, in the room where Satoru is. The front door has fallen and behind it, the footsteps of soldiers can be heard. Her heart stops for an instant as she contemplates the thought that Satoru is completely surrounded and outnumbered, but her anguish is interrupted by another, closer rumble. Glass is bursting all around her, windows are being smashed to get in.
"There's no time," Kasumi says to herself as she sees the table and the carpet at the side of the room. "They're going to find them..." she whispers and then runs to Hamari, pushing her down the stairs, ignoring her shouts and claims. She sets Satoru's sword aside and grabs the door to close it, pulls the carpet and arranges the table next to it when a soldier pushes open the office door.
Kasumi, on the floor, watches in horror. He is almost as tall as Satoru and wears a shaved head with a lock of hair pinned at the nape of his neck. He sees her with a gesture full of malice, arches the corners of his lips and stretches his mouth in a wicked grin.
Intimidated by his expression, she hesitates for a moment hoping he doesn't suspect where she has hidden the women. But he doesn't give her much time to think about it and raises his sword against her as Kasumi reaches out to take the katana and interpose it between them.
If it had been her wooden sword... Kasumi would already be dead. She feels between her hands the residue of cursed power still hidden in the blade, as if Satoru were there beside her.
The steel grinds, the soldier throws her against the table, pushing her with the weight of his own body and Kasumi's small hands tremble beneath him, yielding inch by inch. She grits her teeth and breathes in agitated gasps, the eyes on the other side of the steel look at her with a macabre smile, dark eyes riveted on her tender face. Terrified, she hits him with her knee between the legs making him flinch for an instant that gives her the advantage. She gathers her strength as Kusakabe san taught her and uses the energy released from her body, gathers it in the sword and pushes him against the paper wall that breaks instantly.
The soldier falls into the peephole corridor. He looks surprised that such a small boy could have so much strength, although she knows she has only taken him by surprise. Hand-to-hand he doesn't stand a chance. Her frantic gaze darts from side to side of the room until she spots a dark bowl and, if it is what she thinks it is maybe she has a chance.
She grabs it quickly as the soldier stands up and before he can throw himself at her again, Kasumi throws the contents of the jar at him.
He looks down at himself, his hands and his face. The thick liquid gets inside his eyes and hangs on his eyelashes, it is enough with a moment to carve his eyes that Kasumi takes the opportunity to kick him in the abdomen. But, to her surprise she hasn't moved him an inch.
Kasumi sees her own sandal in the middle of the soldier's gut and looks up at him in bewilderment. He laughs, he is so amused that a chuckle escapes him and when Kasumi has both feet on the wood of the floor, he raises his katana high and lunges at her head with such force that he is sure it will split her skull in half. His smile is erased when an invisible force rises in front of his nose, that's when everything goes dark around him and a supernatural force impacts against his sword. The blow he has struck the little boy feels like it is propelled by a gasp despite having pawned all his strength. He hears the steel of both blades as they clash and sees the watchful eyes, blue and large, watching him intently. With a hard jaw Kasumi has uttered the key words of her incantation, taking her opponent's blow to nullify it in such a way that his katana flies across the room.
Now, with nothing to fall back on and at the mercy of a small boy with the powers of a shaman, there is nothing he can do but retreat when she jabs his stomach with the edge of her katana. So sharp that she could split a watermelon without any difficulty, or perhaps even a skull.
His first steps are slow, attentive to the movement of the sword brandished in his direction. The corridor is too narrow to devise a counterattack, so the soldier quickly recognizes that his chances are slim. He dashes against the paper-thin walls and ends up throwing himself out a window, with Kasumi following him like a storm. But, upon reaching the street she freezes.
Part of the streets are burning; the other part is covered in blood and corpses. Stained kimonos and disfigured men. The sound of hoofbeats can still be heard fading into the horizon. And in the midst of it all is he. Satoru stands among a pile of corpses, his profile glowing the amber of fire. Alone and with a wooden sword dyed red in his hands. He gasps with each breath and when he notices her presence he directs his tired gaze to her.
"Satoru..." Kasumi utters in a whisper.
Hello! How are you? As always first I want to thank you for leaving comments, I would like to answer them individually but I am completely honest when I say that I use my free time almost exclusively to write this story. I have 2 chapters ahead so I'm super calm with the updates and today I decided to move it up a day, since tomorrow I want to focus on continuing chapter 6 which is the one I'm writing now.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I had a lot of fun thinking about the hot spring scene and Miwa getting to know the red light district. I hope the story came across well, about Satoru's origins. A friend told me that it reminded her of MaoMao's story but I hadn't watched the anime at that time.
Now we know that Miwa dyes her hair black and that Satoru is the illegitimate son of the leader of the Gojo clan. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as the previous ones. And, if you have a little extra time, I'd love to know what you think. See you next Sunday (not tomorrow) lol.
Glossary
Geiko: Apprentice geisha.
Yūkaku: red district
Kiseru: traditional long pipe