Chapter 28: Festival in advance 2

"Monks, priestess and our special guest! I thank you for accepting my call, to combat the dark forces that stalk my city and terrorize innocent civilians!"

Wearing a traditional brown Japanese costume, a biretta cap of the same color, at the same time he stands in an elevated area of the hall and sits on a zabuton. The feudal lord begins to speak while keeping his back straight and looks towards all the people in the hall. 

"I would like to speak now on the subject at hand, but it is so horrible that I fear you may not be able to eat after hearing it. then enjoy your meal!"

Clapping their palms about twice, from the sliding doors a few ladies begin to enter the hall who carry plates of food and drinks to the various tables. Finishing, they bow to the center of the room before leaving in an orderly fashion, while the Lord also gets up and exits through a door placed behind.

"It's not an obligation, but I'd like to know."

Denying my words, Kikyo changes from a scrutinizing look to one that shows only a hint of curiosity, letting it be seen that she has managed to take control of her feelings these past few days and has been disengaging from her ever stoic face. 

"First to say that momentarily my name is Asahiko, I know it very obvious, but my other choice was Abe no Seimei, but for obvious reasons I couldn't choose it."

Why do names like Abe no Seimei come to me? Well, first of all it must be said that I am dressed as an Onmyōji. Yes, with his weird long cap and equally long sandals... all very strange. The only important thing is that it's a pretty comfortable suit to move around in and that its materials are of high quality... Besides that it was the only good thing I got.

"So now you're an Onmyōji priest, according to them?"

"Yes, they even gave me a bundle of talismans and a fine feather fan that I have stored inside the suit."

Finishing speaking and still with Kikyo's slightly surprised look, I dip my hand inside the suit before pulling out a feather fan with eyes embedded in them, yes it was a peacock feather fan. 

"Did you... The..."

"No, I didn't hurt anyone and I didn't use force to get them to give it to me either. All quite legal, considering what they put me through."

Ignoring his eyes that seem to read between the lines and become sharper and sharper. Placed a haughty smile and I started to move the fan gently making a trace of air reach my face. He then switched from looking at Kikyo to looking around the room, noticed that a large portion of the guests had already finished eating and because of that the plates were being lifted, by the way Kikyo's food I have had to eat myself due to her situation. 

"Seeing that the meal is over, it's time to talk about what's really important."

Returning from the door through which he departed, the feudal lord takes a posture with a straight back, standing upright and with steady eyes making everyone take him seriously, then starting to speak politely until it was time for seriousness. 

"Hell, that's what they are! They parade freely through my city every night, it used to be bearable, being that you only had to warn the inhabitants once a month. But now it's every night, they show up and do their thing, and they've even started trying to invade the inside of the castle!"

Raising his voice and without a hint of weakness, although the tiredness that can be seen in his eyes. The feudal lord begins to give his speech under the attentive gaze of the group gathered here. 

"They are insatiable and infinite in our eyes, but this time we are not looking to defeat them but to keep them in check for a few days or until we can... Do something."

Finishing speaking and seeming to have nothing more to say, he raps twice with his hands causing the ladies to re-enter before the guests are removed from the hall one by one. 

Some time later…

"Have you been able to locate the shard?"

Talking to Kikyo who is in the same room as me after an intense talk with the lady who was accompanying us. She asked her about what brought us here in my opinion and I bet I've got it right, as this doesn't seem to be something that normally happens. 

"Yes and no, at first I could feel it all over the city and more strongly inside the castle, but the moment we entered the castle grounds that feeling disappeared completely and was replaced by feeling it more strongly in the city."

"Maybe it's being carried by one person and is moving between the two sides?"

Though he thought about my proposal for a few seconds, then shakes his head before he puts on a thoughtful look and begins to state his opinion. 

"No, I'm sure it's not a person who has it. I can feel its presence in all the shadows of the city albeit sporadically."

Stowing my fan inside the suit, I guided one of my hands to my chin before thinking... Yes, no idea has come to my mind, but I'm not to blame, I've only lived less than a month here, maybe Saya knows something, though I haven't seen him lately.