An Impromptu Performance at the Tournament

Cultural event

No sooner had Fubuki magicked the sword binding Kashirin away than yet another strange event interrupted the ill-fated Mōri tournament. The more keen-eared of those in the crowd noticed it first, and brought it to the attention of their allies. A low, whistling sound was steadily growing in volume as something approached the stadium at high speed. It was not Kashirin's prisonous sword, but rather a black spear shooting down from the heavens directly at Maxim.

Aotsuki Tsukamoto, perhaps still feeling a twang of guilt from his role in the previous proceedings, was there in an instant. He held up his crested shield with a steady hand, placing it in between the arcing weapon and his ally. As it happened, he failed to intercept the projectile. Not because of the speed and accuracy of its path, but because Aotsuki was defending the wrong target altogether. The black spear whisked past his face, mere centimeters away from his cheek, then continued on to pierce "Paseguru Kamui" through the chest.   The shadowy maid, who had until then been whispering hints of violence and retribution into the slighted Maxim's ear, gasped and burbled before melting to the ground in a puddle of liqud black. Silence descended for a moment, everyone shocked at what they had just seen, before the spear's owner descended. A slight, elfin creature with the ears of a beast, she introduced herself as the real Paseguru Kamui and cautioned the good hunter (Maxim) to be more careful of blood-sucking monsters.   At this new power's entrance, Hashinara Yoshitakatomo had a moment of excitement, recognizing an ancient goddess of the hunt from her weapon and appearance. Maxim's sword, Hokkuken, seemed to share in the high spirits, rattling in its sheathe as Paseguru spoke. This strange phenomenon did not escape the notice of Aotsuki or the Kamui herself, and she expressed that while they had no further business today, it might not be the last time she met Maxim. With that, she leaped away as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Aotsuki and the remaining members of The Wolfpack alone in the stands.   At this moment, Maxim realized that everyone was staring at him. The arena had gone silent, and even the lords and ladies in the Mōri box were watching, dumbfounded. At the same time, Motoyama Tsugutoshi's eyes were elsewhere, and she brought Ryūzaki Sanosuke's attention to this fact as well. Across the arena, in a spot on the eaves of the roof, a girl was now missing where one had been before. The Silver General himself could not quite remember whom he had seen there, but Tsugutoshi eliminated the mystery by describing a girl in eccentric clothing with a metal dragon on her arm. That could only be Hikyū, and her absence was a bad sign for Kashirin's continued imprisonment.   Sure enough, Fubuki was even then realizing that the sword she* whisked away had not reached its destination. Calls to Ryūhaku on the Matsumoto Black Galleon yielded nothing, but she* was not left wondering for long. Hikyū (with Jeff) had indeed appeared back next to Maxim, holding Kashirin's hand daintily in her own. Surprisingly, the binbōgami did not seem bothered by her temporary exile. Rather, it was remarked upon by her as an exotic new experience. She rejoined Maxim's shadow, pleased to be in his company once again.   Hikyū was waving across the stands to the long-suffering Sanosuke, explaining that she had his sword and it wasn't even broken. With a step that carried her all the way over to him, she handed it back with an "innocent" smile. The Silver General, tense and none too happy with the course of events, still managed a polite acceptance. Meanwhile, by Maxim's side, Haures was grinning in great pleasure at Sanosuke's uncomfortable situation. It seemed that this may have been quite enough vengeance to satisfy her for the moment, especially with Kashirin returned.   At this point, an awkward silence was all that remained in the wake of such a bewildering flurry of events. Mōri Motonari, sensing that things had finally wound down, began attempts to restart the tournament. However, confusion still reigned amongst the audience. The situation was saved when Phenarete, most honored of the Alexandrian detachment, began applauding the "impromptu entertainment" that the Hashinara had just put on for the benefit of the crowd. Slowly, but steadily, the audience began to clap along. They did not, perhaps, understand exactly what they had seen, but it was still a spectacle and quite a good show.   Although grateful for this distraction, and the segue it provided into a return to tournament matches, Sanosuke was once again struck by his impression of the Alexandrian diplomat. Turning a scrutinizing eye toward Phenarete, he attempted to discern her intentions. It was to his surprise that he inferred that she had not only performed this little act intentionally to defuse the situation, but that she seemed to have followed and understood everything that just happened.   Maxim, meanwhile, was deflecting questions from Xenophon about his armor and how he had managed to equip it in an impossible instant. He called instead for a return to the festivities, which Motonari echoed. With Honda Tadakatsu and Ōtakemaru in the arena and ready to begin, the tournament officially resumed.