I arrived at the Shiroyamas estate after midday.
The compound, with its wide gates and imposing walls, was majestic in its decay—ancient, once proud, it now stood worn and moss-covered. It was a place that felt both alive and dead at once, much like the family that inhabited it.
As Takumi and I dismounted, I felt the eyes of the household upon us—hidden behind drawn curtains and shuttered windows. I thought I could smell fear mixed with the faint whiff of rotting wood. I wasn't welcome here, but that was exactly why I had come.
An elderly servant stepped forward. Her movements were hesitant, as though she were unsure whether to bow or to flee. "Lord Taro," she said, her voice wavering. "Lord Katsuya has been... expecting you."
I could see the way her eyes flickered to Takumi, then back to me. I just nodded. I had no time for games, now was the time for the truth.
I was led into the main hall, its once-grand architecture now cloaked in shadows. In the middle was a man in an ornate kimono, who was much younger than I had expected Lord Katsuya to be.
He inclined his head in a lukewarm greeting. "Lord Taro," he said. "I'm Renjiro, Lord Katsuya's younger son." His eyes were bleak, but projected cold intelligence. "My father has been unwell for some considerable time, so he couldn't meet you in person. Allow me to accompany you to his rooms."
I followed him down dim corridors. He opened one of the screen doors and motioned me inside. And there he was—Lord Katsuya. Or what was left of him. The man who had once been a forceful enemy of my father, now barely sat on his bed, propped up by pillows.
As soon as the screen door slid closed behind me, his eyes locked onto mine, sharp and calculating despite the frail state of his body. He didn't speak, his gaze tracing my every movement.
I approached slowly, unsure whether to rage at or pity this derelict of a man.
"Lord Katsuya," I said. "We need to talk."
He gave a weak smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I had a feeling you would come, Taro."
I didn't waste time with pleasantries. "I need to know—what took place between you and my mother."
He shifted uncomfortably, but I could tell the question didn't surprise him. He took it with the expression of one experiencing an anticipated pain. "I had a high regard for your mother, Taro. She was a shrewd negotiator and cared deeply about the prosperity of the Matsuda clan."
"Don't lie to me!" I snapped, stepping closer to his bedside. "I know your family's history with mine. I know all about the negotiations that my father opposed, the ones you carried out with my mother. You wrote her those letters… What was really going on between the two of you?"
He winced slightly, but his gaze never wavered. "The only dealings between your mother and I were business," he said, his voice breaking. "There was nothing more. Your mother was a woman of great... strength. It was my honor to work with her."
I clenched my fists. The pieces didn't fit. His words sounded like a lie to me. I had come here for answers, but all I was getting were more questions.
"You're hiding something," I muttered, taking a step back, my hand instinctively reaching for the sword. "If you think I'll walk away from this without the truth—"
The old man's eyes suddenly bulged, his face contorting as if in agony, impacted by an unknown force. His arms twitched violently at his sides, jerking and spasming as if controlled by an invisible puppeteer.
"Please…" he stuttered, his body shaking. "Please, believe me You have to believe me, Taro."
His eyes rolled back slightly as he tried to extend his right hand toward me. "There was nothing more between your mother and me than a professional partnership. I swear it on my life." He sounded more and more pitiful. "I have no reason to lie to you now."
"I'm sure you have reasons to lie," I said, letting go of the sword's hilt. "But I sense you're telling me the truth at this moment."
Relief spread all over Lord Katsuya's body. He breathed a sigh of relief. "You have unusual powers, Taro," he said in a weak voice. "The Shiroyamas will not stand in your way."
"Is that so?" I asked skeptically.
"Look at me," he replied, gesturing at his feeble frame. "I'm reduced to this pitiful state… Forget about the battle, I'm unable to even satisfy a woman, I'm so weak."
I sighed.
"Taro, you've come such a long way. Don't waste your power on a disabled," Lord Katsuya pleaded, trying to smile. "Release it in an honorable way."
He extended his hand, attempting to get up.
"My wives have left this world and me behind. I'm frail and poor," he said, leaning closer to me, his legs shaking. "I have only one concubine left in the house, and even her I can no longer take as a man should. I'm reduced to tormenting her and watching Yumi orgasm on her own." He grabbed my hand. His grip was surprisingly strong. "As a sign of my submission and a request for forgiveness, take her! Take Yumi! I'll let you have her, just let me watch."
He dragged me to the side screen, and with great difficulty entered an adjacent space.
In the middle of the small room, on a horizontal beam sat a pretty woman, her wrists attached above her head to silk ropes.
"This is Yumi," muttered Lord Katsuya. "Possess her as you please while I watch. The rougher you are the better."
I gazed back at him. "You want me to ravage your last concubine in front of you?"
"Oh yes," he smiled devilishly. "If I can't do it myself, I'd rather see it done by you. I feel a bit of lost fire in my loins already!"
I looked at the woman on the beam and then back at Lord Katsuya.
"I'll consider granting you your wish–but on one condition."
Lord Katsuya squinted. "What is it?"
I tried to decide whether I pitied or loathed him more.