Nami drags the suitcases around their room, collecting all her underwear and Takehiko's into it. Soju is right behind her putting all her traveling things inside her travel bag.
The two are given the job of preparing for the journey because Takehiko is busy planning their mission for the month.
He strolls through the garden before his Minka, puffing a cloud of smoke out of his lips.
'Did I tell Nami not to forget to take the guitar with us?' He ponders, seizing his steps near the pond.
A frog croaks, lying upon a floating lotus leaf.
Takehiko lowers his eyes, crouching before the pond.
'Is there anything I left out on the plan?'
He thinks back on the continuous planning he did just the other day. Ever since that morning family meeting, Takehiko has been busy pondering about how to carry on this mission of killing Grandma's friends.
After all, these four are crucial obstacles that must be removed to move forward with Takehiko's revolution.
All four of these people know of Takehiko and his family's secrets. If they leak this information to the government or other Spirit Tamers once they figure out Takehiko killed Momoko, his path to the new world of his visions will alter.
Takehiko does not even want to fall behind a day or two on his path to Revolution. He's greedy for that world that knows no line between reality and magic.
'Mai took over as the temporary manager of the sect. She'd be working on all the missions now. Soju and Nami are coming with me because they can't live without me,' he sighs. 'Hebi collected all the information about the personal lives of Granny's friends in the past month and their present conditions. For all the missions that we would be taking in for the coming weeks, I need to create some commotion in the relevant locations in order to take the right person with me to this mission.'
"Everything is perfect, right Kuma?" Take asks, gazing down at his shadow.
Take never had a shadow. His shadow is his Devil brother, Kuma. The shadow traced against the grass behind Take raises its hand, giving him a thumbs up.
"Perfect." The shadow, Kuma, responds with a grin.
Takehiko shifts his eyes back to the pond where the frog stays seated upon a leaf. Croak!
Its small eyes gaze directly into Take's. Croak!
Takehiko furrows his eyebrows. The frog seizes its croaking. It's simply staring into Take's eyes without moving an inch now.
"Looks tasty, Takehiko," Kuma says, licking his devilish lips in the shadow traced against the grass. Takehiko raises his hand above the frog and it pisses itself right at that moment.
It can't move because it sees the dark aura rising from Take's body. He sees that it can no longer live. It fears death. But it fears to object Take even more.
Takehiko grasps the frog and raises it over his head, opening his mouth wide.
Plop! He drops it into his mouth and gulps the slippery amphibian down his throat. With the back of his hand, he cleans his lips.
"Is it tasty, Kuma?" He asks his brother.
"Delicious, Brother. Very delicious." His shadow replies to him.
Takehiko stands back up. The wind rustles his hair as he takes a calm breath of fresh air into his system. "Ha… Perfect morning."
***
After the treat at the pond, Takehiko strolls back to his room. When he's just about to enter the room, a scream resounds within the entire sect.
"SOJU!!!!"
He pauses before the sliding door, frozen in shock. It is the deafening scream of their Grandmother, Momoko.
Inside, he hears a rush of footsteps and the sliding sound of his window. He slides open the door, only to find Nami there, hugging one of his underwear.
She notices Takehiko and quickly hides the underwear behind her.
"What happened to Soju?" Takehiko asks her, raising his eyebrow.
"Um, she hopped over the window and started running when she heard Granny scream. I think she didn't tell Grandma before she hired Mai as the new temporary manager of the Sect."
Takehiko winces upon hearing this. "Oof…"
***
Soju rushes up the stairs of her office to meet up with Granny. Her scream is always so loud. When she's pissed, she screams like this for everyone in the Sect to hear.
"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God," Soju mutters as she leaps over three steps each.
'Soju? You done for?' A cute voice resounds in her mind. It's her spirit companion, Kitsu. The Devil Fox who resides within her.
"Yeah, Kitsu. Me done for." She replies, finally reaching the end of the steps.
'Should've told Granny, na?'
"Yup. But I was scared that I won't get to go anyway then."
She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. The doors to her office are wide open as if to invite her.
She walks into the office. The Granny is right before the office table and Mai is seated at the manager's chair. Mai is arrogant, after all. She never stands up in respect for Granny Momoko.
Because she does not respect her at all.
"Oh, you're here?" Granny gazes over her shoulder at the young lady.
Soju looks to her side, twirling a long bang of hair falling over her forehead with her finger. "I – I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Grandma."
"Woman! What did I put you in charge for? If I wanted her to be in charge, I would've already fired you, Soju. I didn't put her in charge because she's an arrogant little bitch who can never be trusted with formal work!"
"Huh!?" Mai takes the feet off the manager's desk and cries out with her mouth wide open. "The fuck are you saying, old woman!? You wanna go with me, huh? Do you wanna fight?"
"See this," Grandma points at Mai with her stick. "That right there is our manager for the following weeks. No one will bring any mission to us, and our reputation will be destroyed."
"I mean~" Soju stays speechless, starting to rub her feet together.
"Huh!? Soju, are you agreeing with her!?" Mai snaps at Soju too.
"I – I – of course not. She can be a very good manager, Grandma! Please, understand!" Soju squeals reluctantly.
She needs Mai to take on the manager job for the next few weeks. If not, she has to remain in the sect without her little brother for 3 whole weeks.
The Grandmother suddenly lifts her walking stick, standing without the assistance of it. She slams it against her hand twice and gazes at Soju with a darkened gaze.
"Is that so…? You won't stay as the manager and object to my decision? You will go on with that vacation with your little brother – huh?"
Soju begins to bite her nails, her eyes watering, her heart thumping.
She is going to get the STICK.
"I – Please, can I go with Take?"
"Oh, you wanna go?" Granny Momoko asks, slamming the stick harder against her hand.
Mai gulps so loudly the sound resounds within the office.
'Oh no, Soju. Run,' Kitsu warns from within.
Swish! Suddenly, the wooden doors slide open and Takehiko stands in the doorway with uneven eyes.
"ARGH! Take!!!" Soju throws herself to Takehiko, and he catches her in his arms. She wraps her arms around her little brother's neck and snuggles up in his chest, wiping her tears in his shirt.
Granny Momoko raises her eyebrow, gazing at Takehiko.
"Granny. I need Soju to come with me on this vacation. Since Nami's going, I can't leave her. It'll be a fun family vacation." Takehiko declares with no fear in his voice.
Granny turns to Take and narrows her eyes. "Is that so…?" She rests the walking stick on the wooden floor. "This is not over, Soju."
She passes Takehiko and exits the office. "Do whatever the fuck you kids like. And – All the loss that happens to this sect, I will take from your allowance for the next few weeks, or months, Takehiko."
With that, Momoko leaves the kids.
Takehiko pats his big sister and kisses her on the forehead. "Stop crying, Soju. I still don't understand why you fear her."
"It's scary, getting the stick… Take." Soju squeals.
Traumatic memories of Takehiko's past self rushing out of his minka flash in his mind as Momoko chases him with a wooden stick. There was indeed a time when he, too, was scared of such things. But not anymore.
Takehiko gazes at the corridors as Momoko turns at the staircase.
'Soon, Granny. You won't rule this Sect. It'll run by my own rules. And very soon, the entire world too.'