A Guiding Hand

Shout out to AutoRainbow. May the game glitch and you get to keep your April Fools googly eyes. 

He waits until I'm finished choking on the contents of his flask, which was alcohol, namely sake. It was just as I thought it would be. Unless it was on the sweeter side, alcohol wasn't going to be my thing. The rain had stopped, allowing us to see gaps in the clouds that revealed the night sky above. I decide to take his advice and appreciate the night like he suggested. Although, I could feel that there was more that needed to be mentioned. 

"So, I've known for a while that you were gifted, but I've respected it and have never asked you for anything. I know that earlier you were hinting at guiding me towards the correct choice, but I didn't want to ask that of you. In light of recent news, can you help this old man?" He asks.

Honestly, everything so far was new to me, as it wasn't mentioned prior in their lore. But, it made sense, as later in life, the elders leaned towards killing Genji, rather than banishing him. Even with that being the case, I couldn't jump to conclusions, as there may be more variables to this plot than what was mentioned. Only the caster of the spell would know all the specifics. 

"There isn't much I can say on the matter, however, I can say that there are too many variables and factors stacked against you for you to be able to come out as a winner on any choice you make. It's apparent that you already knew that and are instead asking which has the least fall out for your brother." I sigh taking a look at Mamoru. 

"You can feel it, can't you. You don't need me to tell you what's to become of the Shimada clan because you already know." 

His face grows weary, "Our fate was sealed the moment that they were allowed to vex Sojiro." He admits sadly. 

"My advice is that you refrain from killing the son. Let Sojiro have his sons, regardless of the spell that would take effect. I'm sure there are ways to counter it given time. Like killing its caster perhaps?" I suggest.

He looks solemnly at me, "If it was just her we were dealing with, it would be possible, but the options are looking like we might have to take out my nephew."

"Is it because of the names Trigger dropped?" I asked curiously. 

He nods his head. "Stories predate the Hashimoto have long been rivals to the Shimada clan for centuries. But, until recently, they've never had as much power and influence as they do now to oppose us. I've been doing research into their ranks, trying to find the head of the snake. What I've discovered is disturbing, so much so, that we shouldn't underestimate their power. 

While our clan is represented by the power of the dragon, the Hashimoto has the tiger. But they broke from tradition and have other representations in their ranks. There are three females leading the Hashimoto. Yahiro Hashimoto is the clan head, represented by the tiger, possessing the most strength out of the three. 

Kozuke Hashimoto is the current problem. She's the Witch who vexed my brother, aligned with the troublesome Kitsune. Her spells make her exceptionally hard to deal with. Hopefully, our saving grace is that she's weaker as she is currently pregnant and close to going into labor. 

Finally, there's Otsuka Hashimoto, represented with the snake. Her lethal poisons and assassin techniques make her the deadliest of the three. Not to mention her cunning to match her quick reflexes. Fighting one alone we had a higher chance, but to take all three on is tantamount to suicide." He explains.

Hearing him finish, I understand just how dangerous this mission is. Also, how much was at stake, as there were apparently no reinforcements for us, and we were going to fight against an entire clan possibly. And yet.... I wanted to. Sure, I didn't want to die, but I could sense within me that this is what I needed. There was some final piece of the puzzle I had to unlock to gain a newfound aspect of my power, and this was what I needed to crack it.

Mamoru watches as he sees me stand up. "Suicide huh? I like those odds."

A smile forms on his lips, "I've faced worse odds."

[A/N: Welp. 99 Chapters. Sorry for the late release on this one, but I was working on the 100th chapter which I was going to make at least 2000 words. Filled with action, mystery, and smu... erm never mind. That being the case, it most likely won't be released till Saturday. By the way, in recent chapters I tried to honor the Japanese way of honorifics and how they refer to someone, but I must be dumb because I didn't understand it. To clarify, I understood the San, Sama, Chan, and Kun; but how does someone who isn't a part of that family refer to them when they have brothers and sisters.]