#shogun kayo

[nobbykun]

Artist - SHŌGUN Song - 男達のメロディー (Otoko-Tachi No Melody) [Eng. "Men's Melody" (Comrades)] Release Date - April 1979

Listen 🎶

https://rumble.com/v2dx0xi-shgun-otokotachi-no-melody.html

My blog: Showa Music Library https://nobbykun.tumblr.com/

[dharmafox]

Had a dream last night that the Mononoke movie revealed that the Medicine Seller and Kayo were actually half-siblings via the Shogun and two of his concubines. Wat.

[darker-overlord]

My OCs from different fandoms!

thank u @kindan-no-kanojo for the tag i'm about to be INSUFFERABLE for one full post <3

i wasn't the type to make ocs until last year so it's like 20% actual old ocs and 80% unintroduced dl charas :D it's my personal acc anyway someone HAS to see them before i go insane (they have lore drops tho so just look at the pretty pictures if u don't wanna know (?))

(also using the dividers on the oc blog i'm too lazy to find a cute one >:D)

Diabolik Lovers OC/s (introduced)

Komori Kayo x2 (human and fiend)

we have the babygrills of the blog, kayo and edgy kayo. jk but for ocs i only made like? january of this year i have spent WAY too much time thinking about and drawing them. hunter came first and the loser meowmeow drenched in milk pathetic loser one came after actually :p

i can go on and on about how i designed her appearance in specific but that's for another day :D just know that her blue/yellow color palette is literally a forget-me-not, and hunter's red/yellow color palette is a forget-me-not drenched in blood :D

hunter kayo's "species" is actually called a fiend (a term i just stole from csm LMAO) which is a very rare set of humans that are able to successfully be transplanted with a demonic organ. yes, yui is technically a fiend too in this case.

Lilith

mother <3

in terms of power levels, she's karlheinz on steroids (bc their powers have the same origin but u didn't hear that from me) but she's on another level of psychopathic. was she a demon before she was banished, or did god make her a demon? who knows.

kayo, seiji, and yui's relationship closely mirrors lilith, god, and eve's relationship.

Cecilia Lune

like spring, gone too soon. all that's left are the ashes she left behind.

Jumpscare warning: G*nshin Imp*ct OCs

i censored it bc i can't believe my first ocs were for THIS GAME...

i have a love-hate relationship with the game don't mind <3 i still think back to these three fondly and i'll talk about their lore for a bit cause this is probably the only time they'll see the light of day.

the two sisters are inazuman-mondstadter(?) in blood, but in nationality they're both inazuman, and their visions have inazuman casing. however, maya lives in fontaine and miya lives in sumeru.

Mikoshi Maya (Wandering Princess)

players complaining about too many sweet girls? here's another one!

from the last name, maya is a descendant of mikoshi nagamasa, the human son of the oni chiyo that served the raiden shogun. that part of her backstory doesn't matter to her as much as it matters to her older sister.

maya's a spoiled and lazy child of one of richest businesswomen of fontaine, and she's also a huge hermit. but she has the power to dream of the future, and it always involves someone needing help. even though she's spoiled, she's very kind in nature, so even as a hermit she often travels to help those she finds in her dreams. she's a dancer and has a very pretty appearance so 'wandering princess' is the title she got from traveling the other nations.

ironically, her nickname in fontaine is actually the rumored hermit, from her tendencies to almost never show up. people see her so little some are convinced that she doesn't actually exist.

her future dreams come into play in an interlude quest.

Mikoshi Miya (Transient Swordsman)

mommy. her name's miya bc i wanted it to match with maya

on the surface, she's a kshahrewar graduate who specializes in mechanics, and she specifically works on machines that can bridge the gap between vision holders and non-vision holders. she's pretty relaxed and sisterly, but at first she seems almost drawn in on herself.

in her past, she was trained as a swordsman by her father, a mikoshi himself. she was considered the greatest prodigy for her time, and she was 'destined for great things'. this was for a specific job that would need way too long to explain but related to this job is the fact that they're a bit of a problem for the fatui. this, and her mother's relationship to the fatui, culminated in someone attempting to subdue her mother with a very special fire made from delusions. however, they mistimed the mission, and instead caught a young miya and her father in the crossfire, which lead to her father's death and miya's hatred for the fatui and for visions.

no matter how much people told her that she was a once in a lifetime swordsman, and how her skill was almost completely unmatched, miya gave up swordsmanship. her skill never saved her father.

miya is intelligent, and always liked making gadgets (her first creation was a mechanical train set at the age of seven), so she instead focused her efforts on helping non-vision holders, including herself, by studying at the akademiya.

miya only gets her electro vision in her story quest, where she confronts her father's killer. she also decides to take up a sword again because of the quest :D

Irina (Witch of Thorns)

mother. that's my name yes but it kind of fits her. i go by yna anyway so i don't really see myself in her JFKJFSD if miya's past seems like a lot this woman has a whole document just about her lore......

to summarize, she's actually gold/rhinedottir's "accidental" creation, something too long to talk about but trust me on this. she's her first child in that regard, and rhine actually tried to raise her like a regular daughter.

they got separated in the cataclysm and irina ended up in mondstadt, which lead to her considering herself a mondstadter. fatui shenanigans happen with dottore and she changes her original appearance to become the witch of thorns, a witch specializing in an artificial flower with medicinal properties. she changes appearances every other decade and pretends she's the daughter of the last witch of thorns, all the way to the present.

miya and maya are her very real daughters though. maya resembles her true appearance more, while miya resembles how she was when she was younger.

(i also have two men who work under irina, yuuya and a runaway adeptus but their lore is like wayyy shorter than the three and these gi ocs are already taking up way too much of the post...)

Diabolik Lovers OCs (unintroduced)

HUGE LORE DUMP AHEAD.................... bc i need to vomit it out

Lunar Clan

the descendants of lilith's eldest, nyx.

while all demons are descendants of lilith, there is one uninterrupted line of daughters that are genetically clones of lilith herself. while their appearances do have variation, they all one defining trait: pure white hair. in my lore, white hair is a trait impossible to have if you're a pure founder. the only founders to naturally have this hair color are these clones, who are called lilith's avatars. makes you wonder how carla has white hair, though not purely white. doesn't that make him special?

there can only be one avatar born from a previous one in every generation, and any other child ends up as a regular founder. back then, this line of daughters were the royal family of the founder clan, then known as the lunar kingdom when all kingdoms were comprised of founders rather than the subspecies that arose from evolution.

they were overthrown in an event known as the fall of lunacy, a coup d'état arranged by the final queen, scylla's adviser. despite being overthrown, their connection to lilith and scylla's own sacrifices continued to keep them in an important noble position. their estate is located the closest to lilith's tomb, lilith's resting place, a garden of forget-me-nots the size of a town.

another special trait of the avatars is the ability to control and summon butterfly familiars, all with a unique appearance. they can also take up the butterfly's form.

all avatars are assigned epithets at one point in their lives. in their time as royal family, they were usually assigned their titles post-mortem, but afterwards their epithets tend to be assigned some time within their lives.

in order of appearance and birth.

Lilith ; Queen of the Night ; Lilith herself wasn't technically part of the Lunar Clan, as it only began upon the establishment of the Lunar Kingdom, long after her supposed death. Still, she was given the epithet due to her reign on Old Eden, characterized by her absolute control over all territories, like the all-encompassing embrace of night.

Queen Nyx ; Lunacy's Founder, the founder of the Lunar Kingdom and the first to take on the last name Lune. Lilith's eldest.

Queen Raikou ; The Silent Queen, the longest-reigning queen, second to only Lilith herself, ruling for 700 years compared to an average of 100 years. Her rule was characterized by its stability, though quickly overturned when the event known as the War of the Fallen occurred.

Queen Scylla ; The Children's Princess, the shortest-reigning queen, Raikou's daughter, and the final ruler of the Lunatic Dynasty. Becoming queen at a young age after her mother's death, she followed her adviser's ill-meaning advice due to the widespread famine in neighboring kingdoms, earning the peoples' ire and contributing to the successful coup d'état. That adviser's family became the reigning royal family up until Giesbach.

Zarya and Krone Lune ; The Dawn and the Dusk, a pair of identical twins. They are the first and only case of two avatars being born in one generation. Due to magic being the focus of the Demon World, Zarya's interest in medicine and biology was seen as a disgrace, especially compared to her twin sister, who excelled in magic and swordsmanship. Zarya was later exiled from the kingdom, though was reluctantly brought back upon the beginning of the spread of Endzeit. She managed to quell the disease's spread all the way until her disappearance, just before the War of Prophecy occurred, which trapped all Founders within the Pandemonium and allowed Endzeit to spread rampantly.

Cecilia Lune ; The Spring Bloom ; Zarya's daughter, the end to the line of avatars. Founders' eyes don't reflect light, and merely glow. Cecilia's eyes sparkled like stars. Hated, then loved by the people, who grieved her death for centuries.

She was known as the human among demons.

extra fact: the divider icon is the lunar clan's family emblem:3 it used to represent the lunar kingdom as a whole, but upon the fall of the dynasty it became associated with the former royal family instead.

anyway that's all this has gotten very long <3 thank you again for the tag ;w;

[phaeroh]

MFB EvilliousAU (because I love vocaloids and Mothy too much)

1st world (setting in Zero-G/shogun steel):

Ginga actually got corrupted after the kidnap to DNA by Doji. Start of HER.

Yuki leading a research to create a simulation world (2nd world) as a way to find a cure for HER. Using the simulation like a guinea pig, he puts in HER poisoning data in the simulation. That's why HER appears in the simulation.

Skip forward, legendary bladers are dead, including Yuki, the world can't be saved.

Ryuto was the last person alive from the 1st world.

2nd world (simulation world):

Ginga is Luna Hazuki (deceased)

Masamune is TALOS (deceased)

Hyoma is Held Yggdra (deceased)

Ryuga is Levia Barisol (deceased)

Ryuto is Behemo Barisol (deceased)

Chris is Gumillia Matsumoto (deceased)

Sophie is Michael Arklow (deceased)

Yuki is Lich Arklow (deceased)

Pluto is Seth Twiright, instigator of HER syndrome in Climb One (the impostor) <Wrath>

Jack is Gilles Derais (deceased) <Lust>

Madoka(?) is Rahab (deceased) <Envy>

Doji is Vlad Tuberci (deceased) <Gluttony>

Hikaru(?) is Marie Annette (deceased) <Pride>

Ziggurat is Salem Dunbar (deceased) <Greed>

Etc.

3rd world:

Helios is Elluka Clockworker, later on possessed by Ryuga and Ryuto

Rago is Irina, later on becomes Nemesis

Pluto is Seth Twiright <Wrath>

Yuu is Gretel (and every other version)

Tithi is Hansel (and every other version)

Chris is Gumillia (this also implies that he is Gumina, but ehhhh whatever)

Sophie is Michaela (and every other version, including <Sloth>)

Masamune is Sickle

Ginga is Luna (deceased) and Irregular

Jack is Venomania <Lust>

Selen(?) is Banica <Glutton>

Reiki is Riliane <Pride>

Dan is Allen (I'm not using Allen and Riliane for the ending, Ginga stays as the MC)

Madoka is Kayo <Envy>, later on swapped with Helios and became MA

Wales is Gallerian <Greed> (and every other version)

<Wrath> is Ryuga, but this one is hard to describe

Etc.

Not including the 4th world or whatever that Mothy had published recently. These three worlds are already killing me (like, I haven't used every characters, don't ask me where is Kyoya, he is the hardest one to be placed in this AU). I haven't even finished the NasuverseAU, and I'm brainrotting this again.

[ottokallenhonkai3rd]

⚜ 𝒪𝓉𝓉ℴ𝓀𝒶𝓁𝓁ℯ𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝒢ℯ𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃 ℐ𝓂𝓅𝒶𝒸𝓉 ⚜

As you know, some Honkai Impact characters can be found in Genshin Impact. For example, the goddess who stops the travelers on their way is very similar to Kiana's Herrscher of Void form. Shogun Raiden, who is very similar to Raiden Mei. Sakura seems to have been completely taken from Honkai Impact. Even the voice actor, race and dates of birth are the same.

In that case, it may well be possible that Kallen and Otto also exist in the Genshin Impact universe in this form.

Ayaka and Ayato's father looks like Otto based on his hairstyle. Only the hair and eye color don't match. Kayo Kamisato, on the other hand, has the same bangs but wears a different braided hairstyle. She has light blue hair, but depending on the lighting it looks white or grayish, just like Kallen's hair. Her eyes are gray-blue, but appear blue depending on the light. Exactly Kallen's eye color. Ayato and Otto share the same voice actor. So OttoKallen lives on in Genshin Impact. <3

[saturdaynightmatinee]

CALIFICACIÓN PERSONAL: 6.5 / 10

Título Original: Shogun Assassin

Año: 1980

Duración: 85 min

País: Estados Unidos - Japón

Dirección: Robert Houston

Guion: Robert Houston, Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima, David Weisman. Manga: Kazuo Koike

Música: W. Michael Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Kunihiko Murai, Hideaki Sakurai

Fotografía: Chisi Makiura

Reparto: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Oki, Akiji Kobayashi, Shin Kishida, Akihiro Tomikawa, Shogen Nitta. Voz: Lamont Johnson, Marshall Efron

Productora: Coproducción Japón-Estados Unidos; Baby Cart, Toho, Katsu Production

Género: Action; Adventure

TRAILER:

[thebunnycave]

[gintokigintokigintoki]

[rithsu-chan]

[21tailsofwoe]

I don't think there is any dialogue in any media funnier than

[lilac-5ky]

Besties

[pricechecktranslations]

The ask about the Sloth's era made me curious about something. Are the designs of the main sinners heavily influenced by their time periods? Like, I know there'd be artistic liberties that might make some of them less accurate, but how much of the design was taken from their respective eras? Can you also go a bit in-depth on which arc corresponds to which real life era (I remember you answering this before, but it's been a while). The designs of Gluttony and Sloth I'm most curious about. Thanks!

Yes, for the most part. Venomania's tailcoat looks pretty Victorian to me, but Conchita's dress is I think medieval in style, Riliane's dress is based on the styles of pre-Revolution France, Margarita's is Victorian of course, Kayo's outfit is obviously traditionally Japanese (pre-Meiji Restoration), underneath Gallerian's judge robes he wears a lounge suit which was becoming the fashion in the 1910s-1920s, and Nemesis...uh...

Well, she'd be another outlier like Venomania, I think.

Bear in mind, a lot of the design choices in the series boil down to "it looks cool/it references the VOCALOID", hence why they are inspirations only. A corset would never be worn on the outside the way Conchita wears it (it didn't even exist back then), detached sleeves was not the norm in most European fashion, etc. Similarly, no time period choice is going to be an exact match because not only is Evillious history heavily condensed compared to ours, but it also draws inspiration from many anachronic periods. Like, Daughter of Evil is clearly French Revolution in design, but Arth's expansion campaign feels (to me) very heavily based on Charlemagne (his song is even called medieval by mothy in the video title). Obviously these two things were NOT one right after the other in real life history, but they are in Evillious.

But, to give a rough estimation (and please be advised I am not exactly a historian here),

OSS is clearly classical era, albeit again with a ton of anachronic elements like television. There's a lot of obvious Roman influence which I've talked about elsewhere, drawing from several different periods of its history (Etruscan rule, Republic, Empire), as well as a little bit of Greek.

Venomania's is a little bit trickier for me, pretty much none of the outfit styles in it feel early medieval and I'm not as well versed in the structure of society for back then. Venomania is a Beelzenian noble, Asmodean having been colonized by Beelzenia at the time, which makes me think it's meant to be Byzantine era? The Venomania manga does have some medieval looking outfits in it, so it's not like there isn't anything to it at all (also clear generic Arabian influence in some places). --I don't know, timeline wise it's obviously supposed to be early medieval but I just can't get over Venomania's outfit, which feels like it should be from a much later time period. Lukana says it's becoming the fashion in western Evillious, but if you look at medieval outfits of Europe at the time it's obviously not inspired by any of them.

The Conchita novel feels easier to pin down in medieval history if only because Marlon is currently undergoing a civil war with Lioness at the time, which takes obvious inspiration from England’s War of the Roses. So, probably around the 550s or so.

Daughter of Evil is French Revolution with some medieval mixed in as I've said (Allen's outfit looks almost directly copied from the styles of the time, even).

Sloth is Victorian, though it does draw inspiration from earlier periods as the newspaper is a recent invention, Maistia is a more recent discovery, and so on.

Enbizaka is the most obvious one, featuring a clear Admiral Perry knockoff who is planning to force open Jakoku's harbors with warships the next time she visits, making it obviously shortly before the Meiji Restoration (I believe that's the Tokugawa shogunate?) around the turn of the century. There are elements that feel like they're from older fairytales though, specifically Kokutan's adventures.

Greed and Wrath are both roughly around the same time period, with Gallerian's story taking place around the 1910s (WWI) and Nemesis' story being more around the 1940s (WWII), however it does also take bits from earlier in history as well, such as Maistia having their civil war over slavery around that time (the real-life American civil war being in the mid-1800s).

[arashian155]

Gintama Ask Game!

Last time you watched / read Gintama? Well... I’d say the beginning of October? I had to reread the manga from scratch to write my Gintoki Bday Bash fic! :) 

Favorite male character? TOUUUUSHIIIIIIII~! Love of my LIFE!!!!!

Favorite female character? Kagura! MY DAUGHTER. 

Favorite male character design? I’m stuck between ponytail Toushi and joui war Zura....it’s too hard to choose???? (also lol you can probably tell I have a type)...also like, Farewell, Shinsengumi arc Zura when they dressed up as Naraku, THE PONYTAIL YES IT’S THE PONYTAIL OK. Also honorary mention to Kamui. 

Favorite female character design? THIS IS REALLY HARD?? I adore Tsukuyo’s design, but Kouka’s like...the most beautiful female character I’ve ever seen in the history of anime? Also Asaemon’s really really cool? I DON’T KNOW????? 

Most underrated character? Are these questions gonna keep getting harder???? So the thing is, I’m not really sure I understand the question right so I’m just gonna. Well, ramble lol. If we’re talking about THE most underrated character in canon, then the answer is BY FAR Zura! He should’ve had much more spotlight than what he got. But if the question is who’s most underrated in the fandom, then well...I’d probably say Shimaru? 

Best squad? SHINSENGUMI!!!!! <333333 

Favorite episode or arc? Episode: idk if it’s my “favorite” but I don’t think I watched anything else in Gintama as much as episode 231, the funeral episode. I watched it no less than 20 times (seriously) and it never gets any less hilarious and I really wanna know what Sorachi was on when he wrote it???

Arc: Farewell, Shinsengumi arc. Hands down best arc in the history of anime, no exaggeration. 

OTP(s)? HijiGin and OkiKagu! <3333 

BROTP(s)? I’m glad there’s an “(s)” because I was never gonna choose one lol. Okay so: Kondou/Zura, Kagura/Shinpachi, Kondou/Toushi, Gintoki/Zura. I’m sure if I reread my answer tomorrow I’ll be able to name at least 5 more BROTPs that I should’ve mentioned. :) 

An unpopular opinion?  I don’t really know how popular of an opinion it is, but I have some...issues with how much of a spotlight Takasugi was given in the final arc compared to just about every other character in the show sans Gintoki. The arc felt too heavily focused on Takasugi and Gintoki with everyone else playing minor roles. 

Favorite running joke? HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ONE JOKE??? Here’s a few: all variations of “zura ja nai katsura da!”, Shinpachi being a human-wearing glasses, “SHOGUN KAYO!!!!!” and, well, it’s probably not a “running” joke, but that episode of “no, it’s poop” had me screaming. 

Favorite OST? Know, Know, Know I think? It really fits the dark and badass mood of Farewell, Shinsengumi arc so well! 

Feelings about the upcoming movie? DON’T TOUCH ME. I’m emotional, I’m happy because the trailer shows VERY PROMISING AND BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS ANIMATION, and it’s been so long and I miss Gintama and can’t wait to see it, but also I don’t wanna see it because that’s really the end and Gintama SHOULD LIVE FOREVER??? It’s breaking my heart thinking about it really ending??? MIXED FEELINGS ALL OVER!!!! :’)  SO! Thank you so much @whoyoucallingtoshi for tagging me! SO SORRY it took me 34263 years to do this! I had so much fun answering these questions!!! <3333 AND WE HAVE SO MANY SIMILAR ANSWERS HAHAHA!  I’mma tag @saltedpin , @writing-in-sin , @sailormeowmeow , @wahh-chan if you guys feel like doing this! :D 

[falsebride]

･ﾟ ⋮  KAYO  ╱  KEN GA KIMI ✽ ❜

❀  the heroine of the otome game ken ga kimi !  

❀  she’s a waitress at her father’s teahouse, which she’s helped run since her mother’s death.

❀  she wields the naginata, and she’s at the dojo every morning before work to train! she dislikes violence, but if it’s to protect herself or those she loves, she won’t hesitate to pick up her weapon.

❀  kayo became the body double for the shogunate princess, hisahime’s bridal procession. unbeknowst to her or her bodyguards, the true purpose of their trip was to transport the legendary sword juzumaru.

❀  she hails from an alternate japan, where oni and youkai live in the open, tensions always very high between the different races. kayo is from the year 1634, so many modern things are unknown to her!

❀  she’s honestly a total sweetheart, and even gained the nickname of “poster girl” at their teahouse by regular customers for her kindness!

❀  she’s rather at a loss with this new time period, so please watch over her from now on!

[thetailorofenbizaka]

Chapter 3–The Tale of Kokutan; Scene 3

The Tailor of Enbizaka, pages 216-222

I met Kiji on the way back from the magistrate’s.

“Has the ‘trial’ ended already?”

It was unusual for him to speak to me, so I decided to reply. “Yeah…She’ll be executed three days later, at the execution site in Enbizaka.”

“So, the death penalty after all. Well, I guess that’s only natural.”

“…You fine with that?”

“With what?”

“Didn’t you say that you wanted to kill Kayo-san yourself, with your own hands?”

“Very much so. But I can’t just attack the magistrate’s office and take her away with me. I’m disappointed, but I’ll step back.”

I privately grew furious with Kiji, talking so casually.

But then—Kayo-san had killed someone that he loved.

What kind of feelings would I have if I were in his position?

Thinking of it that way, I couldn’t fault him for his anger.

I had wanted to save Kayo-san, but I also knew that I could not.

She was a murderer.

She had brought many people unhappiness.

“I guess that means my revenge ends here,” Kiji said, straightening out the collar on his suit. “--Just like her.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“…Oop, did I just say that out loud?”

Kiji put a hand to his mouth in a very affected fashion.

“…Tell me, you bastard. What do you know?”

I drew the katana at my hip and closed the distance between me and Kiji.

“Hey hey. Don’t go pulling out such a dangerous weapon like that. You’re getting pretty worked up, yeah?”

“I’m just sick of that foppish grin on your face.”

I once more sheathed my katana.

After verifying that, Kiji then replied, “—What did Sudou Kayo say about her motives for the murders?”

“…Apparently she was convinced that Miroku Kai was her husband. And she killed the women around him.”

“I see…I guess she really does intend to take the truth to her grave.”

“So then what is the truth?!”

“You get emotional pretty fast—this is why I hate ankle-biters like you. If you wanna know that bad, then I’ll tell ya.”

Kiji handed me a scrap of paper.

On it were the names of several people, as well as various red fingerprints stamped underneath them.

“What’s this?”

“A blood seal letter for the Crimson Robed Masses…Ah, do you know what the Crimson Robed Masses are?”

“…It’s an enormous radical isolationist sect in Jakoku. They despise foreigners from the depths of their hearts. I myself have been targeted by them a few times on my journey.”

“I guess that’s understandable, given your appearance. The Yarera Zusco Firm has also had dealings with them…naturally, of the negative variety. It was through a few skirmishes with them that I was able to obtain this letter—And do you see a familiar name written on it?”

I scanned the blood seal letter.

“…Him!?”

“Miroku Kai—he was another member of the Crimson Robed Masses…That’s what this means.”

“He must have had foreign genes himself. How could he be a member of the Crimson Robed Masses?”

“There are various factions in the Crimson Robed Masses. One makes an enemy of all who have foreign genes, including those of mixed race. Another only targets pure-blooded foreigners. In his case, he was a member of the latter.”

“Even so…I don’t get it. Why did Miroku Kai hate foreigners?”

“His mother took her own life when he was ten years old. According to rumor, she was gang raped by foreigners or something like that….I’d wager that’s the reason.”

“But—what does this have to do with Kayo-san?” I asked, handing the blood seal letter back to Kiji.

“Sudou Kayo lost her husband and son in the Great Fire four years ago.”

“Yeah, I know that much.”

“…And supposing that Miroku Kai was the one who started that fire?”

“--!”

“Judging from where the flames first started, the arsonist’s goal was the foreign trading houses. So it stands to reason that the culprit was someone who hated foreigners.”

“…”

“Through some means, Sudou Kayo figured out that Miroku Kai was the arsonist. And as revenge on the man who brought her husband and son to their deaths—she decided to feign insanity and kill Kai and his family.”

“…But then why doesn’t Kayo-san make this all public? Once this has all come to light I’m sure they’d give her a less harsh sentence—”

“I wonder. Even if it was out of revenge, the fact remains that she killed people. Vengeance is forbidden in this country, remember?”

“Huh…”

What Kiji had said was on point.

But…While that may be the case, why go so far as to hide her real reason?

“…Looks like you still don’t get it,” Kiji said, looking put-upon. “Those people at the magistrate’s office aren’t idiots. They figured out a long time ago that the arson was the work of the Crimson Robed Masses. But despite all that…they let the Crimson Robed Masses slide, not making any move to catch the culprit.”

“—Is the magistrate’s office afraid of them?”

“The Crimson Robed Masses are a very large organization. If the magistrate’s office—and the shogunate behind them—were to go against them all at once, then it would undoubtedly turn to war. They want to avoid that. Both the magistrate…and, most likely, Sudou Kayo as well.”

“…? Why Kayo-san?”

“If she made everything public at her trial—the magistrate’s office would be forced to take suppressive measures towards the Crimson Robed Masses. Their base of operations is Mount Inasa. To put it another way…Where do you think the battle would spread to first?”

“—Its surrounding area. In other words…Enbizaka.”

“This next bit is a little speculation on my part, but…Sudou Kayo would have wanted to protect Enbizaka, wouldn’t she? This town where she was born and raised.”

No words came forth.

I didn’t know if everything that Kiji had said was the truth.

But if it were true.

Then Kayo-san had surely, always conducted herself that way.

She would die shouldering all the burden on herself, saying nothing to anyone.

That’s the kind of person she was.

“…Why?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

“…Dunno,” Kiji answered, looking off to the side.

And then next, he said,

“Only…You said that she was like a mother to you, right? In that case…I figured—you at least ought to know the truth about her.”

“Kiji…”

“I’ll say one last thing. What I told you just now is nothing more than my own conjecture. And whatever the truth may be, that doesn’t change her crime. The fact in itself that she’s a madwoman who murdered people is certainly the truth.”

“Yeah…I understand.”

“—I’ll be heading back to my home country in two weeks. Not just for a temporary visit. I’ll be receiving a standard education for my inheritance. I’ll be saying goodbye to Jakoku soon.”

“I see…”

"But I know that I’ll come back here some day. …To this land where Miku sleeps. –I’ll see you again then.”

Kiji held out his right hand.

I strongly gripped his hand and shook it.

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[fictophile-sandwich]

“SHOGUN KAYO!!!????”

No other character had better entry scenes in the series. All hail the OG Shogun-sama!