The morning had brought relief, a gentle prodding from Jyushimatsu to stir me awake before my nose caught a whiff of freshly baked bread and sweet creamed butter. I fed myself with the goods he bought while the inugami remained by the doorway as a guard, allowing me to pace myself both with the food and with getting ready for the day's travels.

When I ensured that I was ready, my brow furrowed when I patted the hiding place for my fude brush. It wasn't chilled, but I could feel an impatience from it, as if the monster within couldn't wait anymore to be released.

I could only pray that the seal keeping the yuki-onna in remained strong.

"Master," Jyushimatsu's voice was calm as we walked beneath snow-laden trees, the landscape echoing the wintery show of the storm that had passed in the night, "You seem to be worried about something."

"I am," I admitted, halfheartedly giving a smile while our feet pressed down the freshly fallen snow beneath, "The worry of fixing this problem will always be there for me."

"But why are you so fixated on this?"

My pace slowed for a moment as I processed the question, "I'm not sure myself. It's a mistake that I made in ignorance, so it's only right that I fix it...but it feels more like an instinctual drive to do it."

Jyushimatsu matched my pace perfectly while I spoke, "If it is instinctual, then could it be the yokai within your brush commanding you to obey?"

"I'm choosing to think that it'd rather be free than to imprison others again," I tried to laugh, though it came out in a nervous warble.

"If that is the conclusion that you came to, then I will not pursue other avenues unless you begin to have doubts," Our eyes met and he offered a gentle smile, to which I returned one gratefully.

Nagoya.

The sun had begun to lower beneath the horizon when we stepped foot inside the city's territory, its nightlife springing up and commanding the streets while its daytime residents settled in for rest.

I found a secure place to sleep for the night while Jyushimatsu stood guard by the inn room door, not moving from his post until I fell asleep.

In the morning, I steeled myself for a day of hard work.

Taking my battered journal, I walked the streets until I found a bookstore and perused their collections, trying to find any clue that would match what I had found in Osomatsu's decaying home. Jyushimatsu remained close by my side, seemingly never at ease when others walked by.

"Excuse me, sir," I flagged down the store owner, growing weary of the confused looks throughout the day, "Do you know where I could possibly find more information about cursed brushes?"

The owner paused in his writing, taking a moment to ponder before looking up at me, "Cursed brushes, huh?"

"I was just..." The expression he held warned me to tread carefully, almost as if he was testing what I knew. It was so different from the other reactions I had gotten that it surprised me, "I had heard of older families being able to create brushes that captured yokai, so I wanted to find more research about it."

His eyes betrayed no emotion as they wandered around my face before flicking towards Jyushimatsu standing on my flank, a swift understanding filling his hues as we locked eyes once more, "You're in need of those services, then?"

I made no motion of acknowledgement, but the silence seemed to satisfy him as an answer.

"The castle held a collection about the process. However, I'm not sure how many scrolls survived before the repair began," He shook his head a little before focusing on his writing again, "If you're lucky, anything about that should be stored in a safe location."

"Do you know where I'd be able to find it?"

"Ask the castle's bookkeepers," As if to finalize the statement, the owner resumed his rhythmic writing. Taking the visual dismissal, I offered a soft word of gratitude before leaving his book store with Jyushimatsu on my heel.

"Master, how certain are you of this?"

"Not very, but it's all I have right now," I barely glanced back at him from over my shoulder, seeing the ice blue eyes gaze back at me while the inugami kept pace, "I'd be foolish to assume every clue is a trap."

"Yet the last few were."

My legs froze in place, courage swelling in my chest as I whirled around to face Jyushimatsu, "Yes, the previous two locations that I was told about were herrings, but if I were to think that Karamatsu was around every corner, I'd be stuck in a hiding place with no way out from my own misery."

Jyushimatsu stopped when I did, as if he had sensed my action. His eyes regarded me carefully while his lower face remained hidden by the stiff neck of his tunic.

"I'm done running from him. Fixing my mistake is my goal; both to help Ichimatsu and to help the others affected."

I expected him to jeer, to be condescending about how childish my goal was.

His eyes grew gentle as he lifted a hand to rest on my head, "An admirable desire."

A pleased smile rested on my lips before he lowered his hand back to his side, allowing me to lead us both on. Our feet carried us to the outskirts of the castle walls, the silence between us holding more weight than any topic I could think to speak on.

The walls were crafted from lain stone, plaster and tile lining the brim to prevent rainwater from collecting on the structure, though snow sat delicately in this season. With walls taller than both of us combined, our only option was to follow the footpath snaking around the exterior wall. Lush foliage seemed to thrive despite the winter storm that passed recently.

I paused as the main gate of Nagoya Castle came into view, seeing both construction and grounds workers filter into and out of the gate. The guards standing watch over the entrance didn't seem to be in any kind of welcoming mood.

"Uh...excuse me?" I asked politely before one guard snapped his gaze towards me, "Is there any chance I can...look at the castle's records?"

He narrowed his eyes, the frown sinking deeper into his expression.

"I'm researching something that the onmyōji have worked on while in the emperor's employment," Regaining my composure a little, I continued to hold the guard's attention, "If the construction that the castle is undergoing has caused the record-keeping scrolls to be moved, would you provide me with the information of where they've been placed?"

"Under whose authority?"

"Personal research. I am the last of the (L/N) family and wish to know what work my ancestors did."

I could feel Jyushimatsu tense up behind me as the guard's grip tightened on his spear.

Time seemed to stretch on before the guard merely looked down the main road, "Storehouse is down there. Bookkeeper Kimoto is the one in charge."

With a word of gratitude and a friendly nod, I made my way down the street he had motioned towards, looking over my shoulder to see Jyushimatsu still loyally following, "Did something about him seem off?"

"No," The ice-blue eyes returned my curious gaze, "He wasn't a hidden brother."

I merely nodded before looking at the ground, "Do you think...Ichimatsu and Choromatsu are okay?"

"Ichimatsu will keep his word," The inugami answered immediately, "Choromatsu isn't a fighter, but he's not in danger of dying."

"Do you think they followed us?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. I will keep you safe."

The stern response was comforting in its own way, bringing a light smile to my lips as I focused back on the road ahead of us. With the crowd moving around us, I spotted what looked to be a storeroom with large wooden doors bound shut while a smaller entry door had just opened with a man walking through it.

I picked up my pace to greet the man, "Are you bookkeeper Kimoto?"

The man seemed to jump in his skin before whipping around and looking towards me with wide eyes, "Who are you?"

"Ah, I'm (y/n) (l/n). This is Jyushimatsu, my guardian."

Jyushimatsu merely dipped his head at the introduction, keeping his gaze focused on the man. The bookkeeper seemed to study us for a moment before nodding, "Since you're here, the guards must've told you about this place."

"Yes, sir," I gave a nod of acknowledgement before silence filled the space between us, realizing that he was waiting on me to divulge my reason, "I'm researching what my ancestors participated in while working for the emperor."

"Contracted work is kept on the back row," He jostled the keys in his hand before unlocking the smaller door, opening it wide and allowing us inside, "Look as long as you need to, Take nothing."

I bowed in thanks before finding my way towards the back of the large storehouse, winding through shelves that had been constructed quickly to accommodate for the construction. Wooden crates were positioned haphazardly, my hands holding up the hems of my komon kimono and furs to ensure that nothing was caught by the fabrics.

The back wall of the storehouse was one giant shelving unit, ladders placed every so often to help with those bringing the records back to the castle. I quickly moved towards the right side of the wall, finding an organizing pattern for the scrolls and books before wandering towards the middle.

A name jumped out at me from the tassel wrapped around a thick tanned leather cover, the same one as I saw in Osomatsu's home. I took it out as gently as I could with trembling fingers, unwinding the cord holding the scroll together.

My family's name was written everywhere on the scroll, naming my father and grandfather, my great-grandmother and even further back.

My family had been a prominent force in the onmyōji realm, first being called upon by shoguns of the past before growing a close friendship with the emperor's royal line. My grandfather had dissolved the partnership between the two families, declaring that his generation was the last to successfully perform a binding.

The term caught my eye, quickly scanning the document to figure out what a 'binding' was. What I found was daunting.

A binding was performed with a crafted fude brush, incense to tie the yokai to the location or person it haunts, and two different people. The fude brush alone took two weeks to prepare: drying the flesh of a white oak for the handle, the bristle using hairs from a white stallion bred for war, leather strips crafted from a young heifer, and a spun rope crafted by another onmyōji priestess.

My mouth dried as I reread the sentences to make sure I didn't miss anything.

To make the crafting process successful, I'd need to find someone from another family...or rely on Totoko.

"Master, is there something wrong?" Jyushimatsu's voice snapped me back to the storehouse, his hand resting gently on my left shoulder.

"Possibly. I found a list of ingredients that I would need to make more brushes, but they're so specific that I don't think it'll be possible for me," I motioned to the detailed creation process, "I'd also need to see if there's an onmyōji priestess willing to help me..."

Jyushimatsu was quiet for a moment before lifting his hand, "After my brush snapped, I had destroyed your family home but did nothing to the storehouse on its property. Do you think ingredients may be stored there?"

"Back home?" The news was both uplifting and crushing at the same time, "It's about a week's journey from here. Quite a trip for a 'maybe'."

"The journey would keep you from staying in one location, making it difficult for Karamatsu to find you," Jyushimatsu seemed to flinch before standing tall, his focus on something else completely.

The change in behavior caught my attention, "Jyush--"

Before I could speak his full name, several paper talismans slammed into his form with a force that could only be described as unnatural. Two sheets covered his eyes and mouth, four others stuck to his clothes above his heart, stomach, and lungs, and several others bound his wrists and ankles to the bookshelf behind us.

"Jyushimatsu!" I stood up to tear off the talismans, a jolt of lightning flooding my senses as soon as I touched the paper. The sudden attack left me winded as my body slumped back down to the floor.

"I had warned you, (y/n), yet here you are with a monster still by your side."

I barely had the strength to look behind me, the traditional miko outfit catching the sunlight streaming in from the door far from us, "To...Totoko..."

"And you still have it," The woman's tone was full of disgust, "I knew you were stupid but I would never guess that you were this idiotic."

"Wait--" Feeling returned to my nerves while I struggled to stand on my feet, caught off-guard by the sudden attack and interruption.

"No ofuda, either," Totoko huffed as she walked up to me. I found my footing and moved to block her path, my arms out on either side of me.

"Just overlook our presence here, Totoko. I'm so close to fixing everything."

"No, you're not. You're still saturated with their auras, the brush you have is close to breaking, and you've ignored my warnings," She shook her head while her eyes narrowed, "I grew up with you, (y/n). You're not going to fix in weeks what's been destroyed for years."

"Give me another chance! Help me craft more brushes!"

"So history can repeat itself?" Totoko scoffed, her chocolate brown hair cascading past her shoulders.

"So you and I can save our friends," I pleaded, hating how desperate I sounded.

"I told you that they're dead! Look at him, (y/n)!" The gesture of her hand guided my gaze to see Jyushimatsu completely still, his head dipped low as if asleep, "If there was a shred of humanity left in that monster, it would affect him in the same manner as you were. Those ofuda are meant to bind yokai...That's not Jyushimatsu anymore."

"You're wrong!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Don't say that my efforts are for nothing!"

"Face reality."

The two words stung as a cold winter wind ripped through the storehouse, my hand slowly reaching for the pouch hidden in my sash.

"(Y/n)," My name drew my attention for only a moment, meeting Totoko's stern gaze as she held a few sheets of ofuda paper, "I know the despair you're feeling, but don't make that choice. Stop living in whatever daydream you're in and move on."

"I'm fixing this."

"You're going to destroy yourself."

"Then it'll be atonement for my mistake," My fingers wrapped around the brush's handle, uncertainty flooding my mind before realization pierced through. Totoko wasn't going to let me leave with Jyushimatsu. She had made her stance known when we passed each other on the road.

I had to fight.

The darkness shifted on the brush as I took it out from the pouch, the very tips of the white bristles threatening to be swallowed as a wintery chill touched the air. With a large sweeping motion, I 'painted' the air around me, snowflakes falling heavy while laughter filled my head.

My hair grew out until it nearly touched the floor, my natural color deepening to a dark black while the furs keeping my body warm dissolved from my shoulders. The kimono underneath bleached into a blinding white, the waist sash staining a deep blood red color. My fingers gently pulled the air around me, a thin veil resting over my head and shoulders before my bare feet touched the ground again.

The pallor of my skin resembled that of a frozen corpse.