Yoshika realized that something was wrong the moment she touched Yuuko. Her soul churned with conflicting emotions, rasping itself against the thorny threads wrapped tightly around it. Without hesitation, Yoshika’s domain wiped out Meiren’s curse. There was a risk that the demon would sense her intervention, but Yuuko’s soul was far more important.

Even with the demonic influence gone, the damage had been done. Minami Yuuko shoved Yoshika away and clutched her head.

“No. No no no! You tricked me?!”

Kaede held out a hand, but Yuuko cringed away from it.

“No tricks, I promise—it’s really me. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“You literally just transformed right in front of me! What, did you fake your own death so that you could pretend to be Hayakawa—all that just to manipulate me?”

The soldiers rallying behind Yuuko started to shift uncertainly—they’d just followed her into mutiny, and their situation was volatile.

“I can explain everything, Yuuko, just please calm down.”

“Calm down?! I just—oh, oh no, what have I done?! I really have lost everything now. I—”

Jia wrapped Yuuko up in a warm embrace, refusing to let go even as Yuuko struggled and hyperventilated.

“Yuuko, stop and breathe. I can’t imagine how painful it must have been to put your trust in us with the demon’s curse fighting you the entire time.”

“The—the what?!”

Master Yumi furrowed her brows and looked down at them with concern.

“Jia? She was under Meiren’s influence?”

While she understood Yumi’s concern, Jia had to stay focused on Yuuko.

“Look me in the eyes. Something happened to you. I don’t know when, but it was a turning point. Your friends grew more distant, you might have felt paranoid—like everyone around you was hiding daggers behind their backs.”

Yuuko blinked, her brows furrowing with confusion.

“Wh—how do you—? Wait, no—you’ve always been able to see through me like that. You know that’s just how I am.”

Eui shook her head.

“No it’s not! You can be jealous and petty, but who isn’t sometimes? We’ve seen how hard you fight for your friends. Those are just the weaknesses that her curse used to worm their way in.”

“How do I know you’re not doing the same thing? Preying on my loneliness and vulnerability.”

Kaede sighed.

“You can’t. But try to remember what you felt when you chose to trust Harada. You overcame the curse on your own, and I know you felt it.”

“I—I don’t know. I might have felt something. Like...a weird calm, I guess. But how did it happen? Why me?”

Yoshika bit her lip and averted her eyes.

“The demon Yu Meiren has a grudge against me. Our domains are...I hate to say similar, but they overlap. Hate instead of Love, Division instead of Unity. I don’t think you were targeted, but if you encountered her by chance...she’s definitely petty enough to curse you just because of your connection to us.”

“I don’t remember ever meeting a demon.”

Master Yumi crossed her arms and frowned.

“Yu Meiren prefers to work from the shadows and play people against each other until the final moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if she planted seeds all over the country.”

Yuuko held her head, grimacing.

“Kami, this is so confusing. There was...one thing, maybe. After the Shogun disbanded our corps, we met him in person. Someone was with him, but I—I can’t remember anything about them. I don’t think they ever spoke.”

Kaede pursed her lips.

“Hana didn’t have a curse on her, though...”

Yuuko perked up.

“Kasai? She’s alright? What about little Tomo?”

“Ah! There’s the Yuuko I remember. Hana and Tomoka are under our protection.”

“Thank the kami. I was worried that you might have—wait, that’s insane! Why the hell did I think that?! You’re the one who brought Hana and Ryuuji together—Tomoka is literally named after you. Ugh, just how much did this curse fuck me? I’m going to have nightmares about this.”

Jia put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay—you’re safe now. By the time this war is over, I’m going to make sure she can’t hurt anyone like that ever again.”

“That’s comforting, but I’m still worried about—oh shit! Yoshika—or, Hayakawa? Fuck it, you can explain later—Ishihara and Ryuuji are in danger!”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Kaede’s expression hardened.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“Hanako’s maternal leave started before our corps was disbanded. She wasn’t at that meeting—but her husband was. Kasai Ryuuji is Lord Kasuga’s personal retainer and general, and Ishihara Nao is headed to his castle now.”

Yoshika and Yumi exchanged a glance and instantly came to an unspoken agreement.

“We’re leaving immediately—full pace. Yuuko, I promise to repay you for the trust you’ve given us today.”

----------------------------------------

As much as she wanted to rush to the aid of Ishihara Nao and Kasai Ryuuji, Yoshika recognized that the pace she was setting required a reorganization of the troops, since most couldn’t keep up. While her lieutenants worked on that, she took the time to join Yuuko in the castle and catch her up on what had been going on since they last met.

“So...that demon killed Hayakawa Kaede, but you...what, absorbed her soul into your collective?”

Kaede sighed.

“That makes it sound more one-sided than reality. We were already joined in cultivation when Meiren killed me. The decision to hold on to my soul was one we made together, and I later came to the conclusion that being part of Yoshika was best for us all.”

“But aren’t they...together? How does that work with—”

Minami was interrupted by Yang Qiu storming into the room unannounced. Yuuko practically scrambled out of her seat to place Yoshika between herself and the demon.

“Ack! What is that thing doing in here?!”

Yang Qiu shot her a sarcastic smile and waved with one of her tentacles.

“Nice to meet you too, bitch. Yoshika, we need to talk.”

Kaede buried her face in a palm and sighed.

“We’re in the middle of something at the moment, Yang Qiu, is it urgent?”

“Nah, I’m not letting you dodge me anymore—what the fuck is this?”

She pointed at her chest, where her bright green core glowed softly.

Eui cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, they’re not bad, but the oily slime look doesn’t really do it for me.”

“Fuck off, you know that’s not what I’m talking about. Why is my core back?”

Yoshika ignored her for a moment to make sure Yuuko was alright.

“Yang Qiu, this is our friend Minami Yuuko. Yuuko, this is Yang Qiu—she looks scary, but don’t worry, she’s harmless.”

“The hell I am! You’ve let me off the leash! There’s nothing stopping me from tearing her soul out here and now.”

Yuuko’s eyes widened in panic, but Kaede shook her head and sighed.

“I wouldn’t let you do that, but I don’t think you’re going to try. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather discuss this in private?”

“I don’t care about her! We had a deal, Yoshika! What were you thinking, giving me my freedom back?”

Jia scratched her head.

“I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. It was an emergency. I couldn’t take it with me or you’d die, so I just sent your core to the person I trusted most with it.”

Yang Qiu ran her hands through her hair and laughed incredulously.

“And somehow that was me?! What have I ever done to make you think that was a good idea?”

“You’ve had your freedom for over a month. Jin Hu hasn’t reported any incidents—is there something he missed?”

She blinked.

“W-well, no, but—”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“We’ve been over this, Yoshika! I’m dangerous—you can’t trust me.”

Jia shrugged.

“So you keep saying, but your actions indicate otherwise. None of the soldiers under you are enslaved, but they’ve risen beyond anyone’s expectations—my own included.”

“That’s different! They don’t have a choice! If they don’t prove that they can be trusted then they’ll just end up back in prison. But I—I...”

“You don’t have that threat looming over you. You’re strong enough to escape on your own and do whatever you want, but you’re still here.”

Yang Qiu froze, her eyes searching the room as if trying to find the answer.

“Well—but I—no, that’s not...”

Yuuko furrowed her brows, emerging from behind Jia to look at Yang Qiu with curiosity.

“Do you think maybe it’s because you want to be here?”

“Shut up! Nobody asked you! Of course I don’t want to be here. I just...”

She clutched her head and winced. Yoshika stood up and put a hand on her shoulder, the corrosive miasma covering Yang Qiu’s body retreating around it.

“I understand why you’re worried. You’re scared to let yourself want anything. You’re used to your impulses being nothing but harmful. But if you build your entire identity around your own denial, you’ll tear yourself apart.”

Yang Qiu shook her head.

“You don’t understand anything! I’m not capable of trust! I don’t trust you, I don’t trust your little friend, and I absolutely don’t trust myself! Just because I haven’t fucked it up yet doesn’t mean I’m not going to!”

Yuuko stepped forward and held a hand to her own chest.

“So what? Who doesn’t make mistakes? Do you really think you’re the only one in the world who can’t trust their own mind?”

“Tch, of course not! But when I make mistakes, it’s other people who have to pay the price.”

“You’re not the only one with blood on your hands, Miss Yang. But giving up your freedom to Yoshika doesn’t fix anything—it’s just cowardice! Running away from responsibility. But guess what? Whether someone is holding your leash or you're under a demonic curse, your actions are your own.”

She clenched her fists, coming to her own painful resolution. Yoshika smiled sadly.

“But you can’t let that stop you from doing better. Yang Qiu, you trusted me to guide your actions, but eventually you were always going to have to find your own path to walk. I think you’ve found it.”

“What if I fail?”

Yang Qiu looked more fragile than usual, as though the cracks in her porcelain face were about to shatter.

“Then you try again. You’re not alone anymore. You have your people to guide, and you have friends to help you find your way. You’re a demon, aren’t you? Asking for help should come easily.”

She snorted.

“Fine. You’re going to...no, never mind. I’ll try not to let you regret it.”

After taking a moment to straighten herself out, Yang Qiu glanced sidelong at Minami Yuuko.

“So what’s your deal, anyway? For someone terrified of me, you were pretty eager to butt in.”

Yuuko wrung her hands together and stared at the ground.

“I uh...guess the things you were saying kinda sounded familiar, is all.”

Jia put a comforting hand on Yuuko’s back.

“She fought off one of Meiren’s curses on her own.”

Yang Qiu’s eyes widened.

“Shit, really? That’s...uh, sorry. I know what it’s like being under her thumb—good job shaking it off, I guess.”

Yuuko nodded meekly.

“Thanks. You’re not the dangerous monster I thought you were.”

“What the hell? I was trying to be nice! Whatever, fuck you too.”

She turned around and stormed back out, leaving Yuuko with a confused expression on her face.

“What did I say?”