A Favor for the Daimyo [Mayu|ATI]

[Deleted]

Wiping her eyes clear of the tears that threatened to spill out once more, Minerva nodded and motioned with a single hand at Mayu, then at Marcus. A filament of light extended from Minerva's heart out to Mayu, and then another from her to Marcus, and then one from Marcus to Mayu. They three were bound together, the sense of it clear to Mayu.

The Wind Scar sprang up at Mayu's beckoning, the whirling torrent of energy all around her with her own energy resolutely holding it at bay. The power of the curse was massive and everywhere, trying to find the point where her own energy collided with it was going to be... no wait, there!

When Mayu swung her Tessaiga down, the Kaze no Kizu sprung forth in all directions, blasting everything in sight with a torrent of destructive force. In a flash it was completely out of control, the energy running rampant as it flooded out of Mayu and crushed the power of the curse under heel, and Mayu's vision went completely white for a single moment as she was blinded... and then went dark as Mayu lost consciousness...

= - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - =

Mayu would awake an unknown time later, whether it was hours or days or even weeks was not apparent, but where she woke up would be. Mayu was in the hospital within Meikyoku, her window giving her a view of the city, and in the distance was the mansion. She was wearing that standard hospital gown everyone did, and her room seemed well-furnished. Before she could do much of anything besides sit up she would be interrupted.

"Ah. You are finally awake, Otokage-sama. It is a relief, although the Daimyo told me that he had great faith in your ability to recover. Still, the Doctor has told me that he's never seen someone recover so well from losing all of their chakra at once..." As Mayu would turn to the voice she would recognize its owner as the first person who had put her onto her quest. The Mayor's aide, smiling at Mayu from a seat next to her bed. At his side was his paperwork, which he referenced for a moment before continuing, "Ah yes. The Daimyo has told me to inform you that it has been nearly twenty-three days since you visited the Mansion, and you've been in a coma for that duration. He also thanks you profusely, and the Mayor as well, for a job well-done.

"It seems he had a great deal of faith in you, Otokage-sama. He had construction crews ready to move in and begin repairing the mansion within the day, and they've nearly completed all the work to restore it to its former glory."

The aide would pause, looking to Mayu to perhaps make sure she understood the honor she was receiving by the Daimyo's faith in her.

[The God Damn Otokage]

[Deleted]

The aide seemed confused, and had to reference his paperwork once more in order to provide an answer, "Uhm... it says here... that... a 'Nancy Reardon' recovered your unconscious body, as well as your weaponry. The construction crew managed to exhume... two bodies, both in advanced states of decay, being nothing but skeletons. Uhh..." The aide rifled through his paperwork, seemingly looking for something. He exclaimed suddenly after finding a certain letter, and he held it up, "Ah! Here! Yes. Ms Reardon left a note saying that she would visit as soon as she had finished a project she has been working on. Oh! That reminds me, the Daimyo also said that he left the payment for you with this Ms Reardon. He seemed to know her personally..."

The aide himself would have no more information to give Mayu, and would excuse himself now that his job was done. Mayu would find that she had little energy, and even just performing mundane activities would tire her greatly the first couple days. The Doctors wouldn't discharge her either, meaning she was essentially stuck at the hospital with nothing to do for days on end.

It was the third day when Nancy Reardon would walk into her room, towing behind her a weapon's case as tall as she was and looking remarkably pleased with herself. She was wearing the exact same clothes she had been in the mansion, and she even had her manilla folder with her as well. "Ah. I see you have managed to recover quite nicely, Otokage-san. I have your Tessaiga here, as well as the Daimyo's payment for you!" Nancy would smirk widely as she dropped the weapon's case on Mayu's lap with a thump, looking at her amusedly. "Well? Open it already!"

Inside the weapon's case Mayu would find her Tessaiga sheathed as it always was, but next to it was the much bigger, much more impressive looking Sasoriken! The multi-sectioned sword sat there, the green gem that made its pommel stone glowing gently with power. The sense of power that emanated from the blade was the real thing, equal to that of her Tessaiga when in its true form.

Nancy would smirk one last time, before a puff of smoke would dispel the Henge surrounding her to reveal not a woman, but an old old man, a bottle of sake in one hand and a long pipe in the other. He grinned a toothless grin, leering at Mayu "What? You didn't think someone that annoying was real, d'you young lady?

"I'd been wondering what to do with the Sasoriken in that mansion for a while now, young lady. My Master forged it long ago, but was shamed to tell me how it had ended up. He told me that if I ever got the chance that I should destroy it, that it was corrupted and filthy. Not worth the effort it would take to cleanse it." The old man took a long swig of his bottle, sighing in satisfaction, "I was the one that approached your Daimyo with the idea to cleanse the mansion, young lady. I knew he'd jump at the chance, and that he'd involve you to do the work."

Another pause, this time to suck on his pipe, before the old man continued, "Someone who had attained one of the Legendary Swords was best suited to cleansing another. Seems it was a good idea. Glad I thought of it, much better than my first one. Destroying it would have been such a waste...

"Either way, young lady, that Sasoriken is yours. The Daimyo paid the full fee to have it repaired. Said it was a pittance compared to having to actually pay you for an S rank mission." Another swig of sake, followed by a contemptuous puff on the pipe, "Fool. You'd say you got the better deal between this or the money, wouldn't you young lady?"

The old man would grin at Mayu. Her mission complete, her payment received. Mayu was done with that house forever.

But of Minerva and Marcus? Well, perhaps Mayu would meet them at another time...

[ATI Complete. Sasoriken achieved.]

[The God Damn Otokage]

Her mind couldn't even comprehend anything. She barely managed a 'thanks' at the end before collapsing back on the bed. It was a few days still before she was allowed to leave, but when she did there were two named blades strapped to her hips.

[Exit]