Out west just passed some mountains, one could say the scenic route through grasslands were a beautiful sight. Such a pathway typically would be a serene landscape. Stomping on insect and leaf as he walked, he came up to a fork in the road and narrowed his eyes with displeasure with having to bother with such a thing. His target had escaped the House of Inu and relocated to a place beyond his reach. He had to find her! Feeling a gust of cold air, he was surrounded by small kyonshi demons. As one of them leapt into the air to attack, he summoned his black susumata from the palm of his claw and dragged the hooked end across the ground before using his yoki energy to make duplicates of his weapon. The susumata dupes shot out and burned the kyonshi demons once they were captured. His clever target gave him the idea of dousing his weapon in hinoki tree ink. Only an elite warrior would think to do that against Netherworld demons.
"Enough," a voice commanded, dismissing the smaller kyonshi demons from sight. From seemingly thin air, Norihisa emerged from an undulating mirror acting as a wall at the fork in the road. He was dressed a tad differently this time. Opting for more regal attire and leaving the House of Inu clothes behind. Taking notice to the intruder, he asked softly, "Why have you come to this place, Teinosuke?"
"You have something I want, Norihisa. Or should I call you by a different name?" Teinosuke asked in reply.
Norihisa smirked at this and said, "Norihisa is fine, but I do not recall taking anything from you. Are you frazzled because of something else?"
"I gave you entry into the House of Inu under the pretense that you'd give me the girl," Teinosuke answered with a definitive growl. "I seek my end of the bargain. Her scent is gone."
"Such intoxicating obsession," Norihisa said, walking up to Teinosuke before he measured him up and started walking around him like a predator. "You are too strong and too clever and too eligible of a demon male to be trifling with this one woman, Teinosuke. What, pray tell, is your reason for wanting her so desperately?"
"I don't expect a Netherworld demon to know anything about this," Teinosuke replied, remaining in place.
Norihisa chuckled eerily then said, "Humor me."
"She is one of the most powerful women of the House of Inu. It is as simple as that," Teinosuke answered.
"Too simple, I'm afraid. You wouldn't need the Netherworld's powers to have her. Answer me honestly and I'll grant you access to the right amount of power you need to claim your woman," Norihisa responded, stopping his circling to face Teinosuke. "Try again, chief investigator."
"Because Lord Sesshomaru is a fool," the man hissed, eyes glowing dangerously. "Only a spoiled, insecure, little brat like him would deny a vision of beauty like Homugi for a wife. His father sired weaklings! Why else would his sons fall for humans? The filthy halfling fell for priestesses, no less! While our present lord trips over his own feet at the behest of a small peasant girl! Lord Toga crumbled at the mere mention of his sons whining about not having their way. Neither of them understands what they've lost! Homugi was made to be next in line for the throne. With her, we can overthrow Lord Sesshomaru easily. He separated himself from his queen of his own volition. I will not as the new ruler of the House of Inu. Being chief investigator was merely a step in the right direction. Our kind trust me. Homugi has the might to defeat our own troops singlehandedly. Together, we can sire children capable of wasting this world! But... I want to enjoy it first. She was meant to be a wife... my wife. I will make her mine."
"You'll send your entire kingdom into anarchy for one woman to join you in the marriage bed?" Norihisa questioned, swinging his arms out like wings before keeping them that way and tilting his body slightly.
"I'll restore it to its former glory without Lord Toga's influence, but... the Meido Stone is the only thing that will stop me. You have it... But... if you can grant me the power to convince Homugi to join my side again, I will give you the territories under the House of Inu when I am ruler. You will have a better stronghold in the mortal realm and hell itself. After all, the House of Inu is remarkably close to the heavens," Teinosuke offered, lifting up a hand for Norihisa to accept the agreement.
Norihisa tilted his head down to look at the offered hand then smirked and looked at Teinosuke...
________________________________________
Meeting with the general of the inu army was never an easy task. He was known for having a dual personality and being twice as strict when it came to political matters. Anything that turned into an upheaval was quickly terminated in his presence. It was easy to mistake him for a king, but he rightfully earned his place as Inu no Taisho's second, the commanding officer of the army, and a pending elder of the Court. He was also still quite young for the latter role and was often praised for such a feat. For Teinosuke, this meeting would be quite difficult if he didn't have enough evidence to convince the general. He was the hardest to sway and should be considering his role and the values that he and Inu no Taisho once shared. Lord Toga was heralded high for both his fighting prowess and emotional intelligence. The ramifications of certain kills were always in the back of his mind, and the blights of his people were often considered whenever something came up. The general was a witness and friend in all of Lord Toga's endeavors, but their friendship had changed when Lord Toga's life was coming to an end. That's what he wanted to discuss.
The Courtroom was exceptionally daunting and beautiful during the night. A small pool of water was in the center of the hall with chairs surrounding it for the elders or other leaders to consider an argument. Torches were lit with yoki energy and gave the dark water a celestial glow rivaling the moon itself. The large, yellow harvest moon of the autumn season gave that golden light to the pool. When Teinosuke approached the end of the pool, he was startled by the deep growls of inu soldiers in their true forms. A hand came out from the shadows and silenced them. The general was there. Only his red eyes and the silhouette of his face could be seen within the shadows. He was resting at the throne stealthily, waiting for Teinosuke to come forward. Teinosuke practically lost the moisture in his mouth in the presence of the general. It was hard to believe that this man was once his sensei at Yaban'na Tsume.
Regaining his resolve, Teinosuke bowed with respect and then spoke humbly but firmly, "My lord."
"You've summoned me for what reason, Teinosuke?" the man's voice echoed.
"To prove my worth to you," the man answered, making the general narrow his eyes. "And to provide evidence for the court in order to properly share my vision for the House of Inu's future. You made it your mission to teach us about the history of our clan and to choose how to apply the principles of the past with our goals in life. Everything you did was for the betterment of our people... Your education is the only thing that can stop our clan from becoming impure and dissipating through the ages. As long as our ruling authorities continue to engage with humans the way they've been doing, our fates are sealed as the guardians of the world. We will be no more than servants with time. Only significant in memory not power or name. If the shogunate of the House is going to interbreed continuously, it would be beneficial for us to change over to a republic and allow the court to potentially act as the new ruling authority. Let the people decide who should represent them. Let the court decide how to protect the next generations of guardians in the years to come. You love our country and our history more than even the eldest of us. You're willing to do whatever is necessary for our children's dreams to come true. You've granted almost every wish on the Wishing Tree at the dojo, and you've been in almost every discussion that has tried to change or demote Lord Toga's efforts. You loved him like a brother. Why is your love for the country or its countrymen less than Lord Toga's? Is it truly just because he had charm and compassion in boundless capacities? Is it just because he befriended many in the working class and races beyond? Or is it because he became despondent around his own men as the general? That he felt his life was nothing beyond the blade? Sure, he received praise for all he had done, and he was loved by many, but at what cost to his sanity? Applause does not end the imprints of blood or death on the mind, least of all in grueling battles. Gifts do not grant true peace. I've always known Lord Toga to have a gentle smile and a severing bite when needed, but his actions should have been enough proof to show that the lifestyle of monarch weighs too heavy on a soldier. Who did Lord Toga see in his dreams? Do the fallen he has had to kill appear there, waiting for him at the gates to the afterlife, and say 'Welcome, brother'? Noblemen among demon tribes have so much more to lose than the working class. Yes, we have families and jobs or careers the same way others do. That does not mean we are all incapable of love or support. The inu are a loyal breed of beast. Why was what he experienced around humans or lower-class demons any different from his bond that he shared with you? Our values have not changed for millennia. His time as a warlord was too much. The moment he was given any form of reprieve, he abandoned the House of Inu for the prize of normalcy. What will stop the crown prince from doing the same? He has already brought a human child with him in his quest for supposed power."
"Did you come all of this way here to simply complain about our rulers, Teinosuke?" the man asked, leaning back in his chair. "What does any of this have to do with your worthiness or vision?"
"I wish to dethrone Lord Sesshomaru," Teinosuke replied quickly.
"Under what pretext?" the general asked, giving the man a measuring gaze.
"Simply put, he isn't a ruler," Teinosuke answered. "Not a good one. His focus has always been to replace Lord Toga. Yes, he replaced him, but he's replacing Lord Toga at the time when he was walking to death's doors. By that point, he was married to a human and expecting a halfling child. The day he even surpassed Lord Toga, Lord Sesshomaru had a human child with him. Whether his feelings toward the child were paternal or otherwise, he still did nothing to show that he is capable of being our authoritative figure. Is the court waiting to see if he mates with a human, too?"
"No, we are not," the general replied. "Lord Toga withheld much from his firstborn because of his ambitions and tyrannical behavior. He was becoming a killing machine versus a guardian. That goes against our heritage entirely as I have taught you. Yes, Lord Sesshomaru's quest for power proved nothing other than he's one of the strongest among us. You are correct in that this was not beneficial to anything. The reason, however, for him needing so much power was to be rid of that image of weakness for himself and the House of Inu. You were correct in your wording about love. I love every grain of sand, every leaf of the trees, every feather on the birds, every stone that forms the mountains, and every breeze that travels through the corridors of our kingdom. Lord Toga's love for the lower class is no different than my love for all of you. This is true. It has been hard for everyone to understand his claims when we are, in fact, one of the most loving breeds of demon. What he had tried to prove was that we were becoming more heartless as figures of war and combat. The unfortunate truth of the matter is as you've said. We were never without love. He was without peace. Once he started a covenant with the human, there was nothing no one could do. His death was swift and his wife's swifter. His demise created a public image that inevitably tarnished Lord Toga's name and ours. It made demons of equal valor both hate and fear humans more, but it also made them overconfident. The respect we once commanded was shaken with his death. In order to stop it from crumbling around us, Lord Sesshomaru had intended to take Lord Toga's swords and regain order. He was able to regain such order not only without Lord Toga's swords but by being the one thing Lord Toga didn't want him to be: a killing machine. More specifically, an assassin."
"You gave him this role as part of Lord Toga's will, did you not?" Teinosuke asked.
"No," the general replied, shifting in his chair. "Lord Toga merely asked me to be the judge of Sesshomaru's actions. I decide whether or not Sesshomaru is worthy to take up the throne. When he has proven his talents, he becomes an official lord. His ability to kill and to accept any and all challenges from anyone who dared insult our clan is what gave us hope again. However... you are the first to approach me on the idea of a republic versus a shogunate. This concerns me more because the public's view of him is potentially averse to his ideals. He would be unworthy of being ruler even with my say so."
"My lord, he has already shown that he does not understand the simple concept of mercy still. The Floating Citadel was attacked with the help of our own! The guards that went with him to apprehend a suspect that Lord Sesshomaru knew by name testified that he wanted to negotiate with said suspect and did! Our men were either taken, killed, or injured in this attack. This one person deserves more mercy than us? For what reason did he provide?" Teinosuke argued.
This fact caught the general's attention. He wasn't aware that Sesshomaru knew the assailants of the Floating Citadel. He then said, "He provided none withstanding. His mother had only said that he was going to retrieve the Meido Stone with some assistance. She never said from who and neither did he. Milady has a history of being under fire within the House of Inu, especially after a mission failure while she was young. She was once just as ambitious, if not more so, as Sesshomaru is. This is of greater concern than the interbreeding. Withholding information is a detriment and a liability to us. These are grounds to execute them both for high treason. This is what we'll do. You may recruit the guards that went with Sesshomaru to apprehend this assailant to go with you. Follow Sesshomaru for a few days and find information on the suspect if possible. If he is abusing his power and position to aid this suspect and harbor the Meido Stone for himself as a reserve of power or restoration for his Tensaiga, send the guards to me. I will deal with the boy myself and allow you to personally use your evidence as support for your idea of a republic. The shogunate power will have obviously been tainted both by interbreeding and betrayal. There will be no use in maintaining this monarchy if it benefits no one else. Do you know which guards were with Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Sanraku and Reijiro were at the Floating Citadel during the attack and with him when they confronted the suspect. It would be best to recruit them," Teinosuke suggested.
"Be at it," the general commanded, turning out the torches and letting his eyes and the guards' eyes cut through the darkness to leave lingering gazes on Teinosuke. Before the man knew it, everyone was gone and he was left to himself...