Origin

The torture felt like an eternal world of torment and hell. 1 hour in that room felt like 100 years as multiple blade-like appendages pierced her skin, while instantaneously healing her.

After 5 of the supposed 6 hours passed, the doors swung open causing a shining light to befall the darkness as a flashlight peered into the room.

As the light hovered over Taori, the shikigami, instantly fled from her body leaving her barely conscious on the floor. As she slowly passed out once again, her blurry vision could only make out the appearance of two figures. One was the old director who forced her into that place, and the other was a new much younger man, with light yellow slick back hair, who wore a basic black suit and tie albeit with a long trench coat.

As her consciousness faded, Taori could hear them mutter,

"So is this the one?", the young man asked. 

The director responded, "Yes this is the troublesome child."

"Does she possess a Cursed Technique?", he asked.

She quickly responded, "She does possess one but it's stupidly weak."

Before she could hear anymore her consciousness completely disappeared.

After a couple of hours, she found herself awakened on an incredibly comfortable surface that she had never experienced before. Its softness could only be described as heavenly, as its fluffiness began to devour her. This was the first time, that Taori had slept on a real bed that wasn't of low quality. 

As she awakened from that heaven, memories from that torture chamber plagued her mind, causing her to hide under the covers immediately. As she did however she then felt the first sense of warmth that wasn't the rays of the sun or the cold hands of the other children from the orphanage.

Once she finally gathered enough courage as well as willpower, she finally managed to climb out of bed. And found herself in what seemed, to be a pure white room devoid of other colours.

The only other things in that room, aside from the bed and herself were the drawers filled with colourful clothes that suited a girl her age, with a single mirror that rested next to it. Two sets of windows peered, outside. Unusually there was a pure white katana, that attempted to blend into the walls of the room hiding just barely out of sight.

As Taori struggled to look out, she saw a vast open city, similar to the one that she would burglaries every day. Unusually though, she had now found herself, at a height in the sky that she had never been before, causing her to fall off her feet from shock.

Just as that happened, the pale white door, that led to her room opened, revealing a beautiful brown-haired woman with a mole under her right eye, who wore a typical maid-like outfit. She then spoke,

"So you have finally awakened lady Taori."

The confused Taori asks, "Where are the kids from the orphanage, who are you, and where am I?"

As the wave of questions barraged the maid, she slowly answered them one by one, "The kids at the orphanage are doing well, they are now being fed adequately ever since the old director ran away with all the money she got from selling you. My name is Tsubaki, and you are currently in the Izumo Tower, the present-day headquarters and residential home of the Daihatsu syndicate."

That name Daihatsu... It was the same name as the orphanage that she used to live in. Noticing that the two were connected Taori asked the maid, "Why was I sold? And who bought me?"

She then responded, "Those questions aren't for me to answer. Once your changed appropriately, I will guide you to the royal hall where you will meet your new master."

As she exited the room Taori realized that she could not escape from this place. She understood that the only way she could get answers was by following the rules of this land. Ultimately she changed into an almost pure red outfit, that was complemented with some accents of black.

As she exited the room, the Tsubaki reached for her hand. As she did, Taori flinched back from fear, remembering the harsh way that the director used to grab onto her. Tsubaki seeing this, stretched out her arm while hugging onto her. She then said softly,

"You are no longer in that place."

As Taori was wrapped in her warm embrace, she eventually built up the courage to hold onto the woman's hand.

The two walked down a well-lit corridor, for what seemed like hours until they eventually reached, the end revealing a massive blood-red door, that stood proudly. In front of it stood two men dressed in pitch black.

As Tsubaki approached them, the two men began to open the doors revealing, a large open court containing, many golden pillars that towered around the two. The ceiling was made of what seemed to be, black wood, and the floor was white marble. A red carpet reached from the now-closing doors, all the way up a flight of stairs, then reached up to a giant golden throne complemented by red cushions.

On that throne sat a familiar young man, with light yellow hair, however next to him now was an even younger girl with with dark purple hair. As Taori and the maid, approached the man, Tsubaki immediately got on her knees. Seeing the situation, Taori shamelessly copies her.

The man then confusingly told them both, "It's okay to stand around me you know."

As the two rose up the man then said, "Xiaoyu, Tsubaki can you two leave the room for a bit?"

Xiaoyu complained, "I have been here for 7 months but you gave me a position next to you already? But now you're making me leave because you want to talk privately to some brat??"

The young man then looked at her angrily and shouted, "Don't make me repeat myself. I can just as easily take the position away. Do you realize how much money I could make if I leaked your current position to China??"

Xiaoyu grunting, left the room followed by Tsubaki. As she did, however, she looked at Taori out of jealousy.

Once the two left, the man invited, Taori onto the balcony where a table accompanied by two chairs, as well as warm tea and strawberry spongecake sat ready for the two. The view overlooked the bustling city as the sun's midday light sprayed over it.

"You should eat something first before we talk. I know you're probably hungry."

A couple of minutes later Taori completely devoured the entire cake leaving only crumbs for the man. In her first bite, she felt heaven. This cake was made of almost the same ingredients as the bread that she stole from the market yet its taste was completely different and heavenly. As he watched he could only laugh.

"The other kids in that orphanage are probably enjoying just as good of a meal by now."

Then snapping out of the illusion that she had unintentionally trapped herself in, Taori then asked, "Who are you, and what have you done."

The man responded, "My name is Botan, and im the current leader of the Daihatsu syndicate."

Taori hearing the name Daihatsu once again asked him, "What is this group, and why have you brought me here?"

Thinking carefully about what to say Botan replied, "The syndicate is well... an international trade group that has produced a lot of money over the years. This company used to be owned by my father who recently passed away. Once I took over, I saw the state that my father had left your orphanage in. He opened it as a publicity stunt to look good in front of some people. However as the world slowly forgot about it, he eventually threw it away, causing it to spiral into the state that you had lived in all your life."

As the man spoke those words, Taori immediately slammed her arms into the table demanding Botan, "Tell me the truth!"

As Botan smirked, the light-hearted look on his face suddenly turned cold. He then asked Taori, "Are you sure? If you learn this secret then you must stay here for the rest of your life. I cannot allow you to leave this place with the knowledge that I will impart unto you."

As Taori shook, the bravery that she had on her face suddenly gleamed. She then said, "Im ready. As long as they are safe then I don't care what happens to me."