The Fire Festival Pt. 2

I would like to say the operation went better than I had planned... although that would be cutting out a few essential details that transpired. It seemed the spirit ruse worked well enough, although spirit or not, Kannuki is plenty frightening on his own. I guess that's the perk of having your own personal pet Oni. While he and Captain laid waste to the front gates, Akash and myself made our way around the side of the compound as I made sure Akash knew to save a bit of magic to get me out of the compound should everything go to shit... Looking back on it, there is a twinge of irony in the fact that he actually did use his magic to get us out, just not how I expected. 

I got into the compound, and within minutes of entering, I stepped on a mouse! A mouse, of all the things to find hiding in the bushes at that very moment... I swear, if there actually are some gods watching over us, then they must have some personal vendetta against me for some reason! Of course I was able to sneak away, and even managed to lure some guards away from the main house. 

While Captain and Kannuki were wreaking havoc outside, I scoured half of the downstairs and then searched the second floor along with Akash. Upon finding nothing important, I went to the second half of the bottom floor to find exactly what I was looking for... and something that I wish I hadn't found. I popped open a floor board (what a cliché) and found the documents. Of course, materializing out of the shadows came a Ryou captain of sorts, with a big damn Naginata. I can't believe that I tried to wrestle his sword away from him! Never, in such a long time, have I panicked so thoroughly that I forgot how agile I am. I have escaped more pursuers with larger hauls of loot than this, but damn if this Ryou wasn't terrifying.

I managed to get out of the room unharmed and Akash came to help me... I advised that he just get out of the damn building, the damn building that was currently on fire because of us, by the way! I made my way out thankfully, and was about to run when I felt a blast of air jet out through the front doors. 

Damn you Akash, and all your stubbornness...