Swordman's POV:
The sake house was awfully quiet, and the scent of alcohol hung heavy in the air as Raiden sat alone at a wooden table near the back. He wore his signature yellow haori, which now seemed heavier than ever, burdened with the weight of his mission's failures. It had been a month since he arrived in this district, searching for the elusive demon he believed was hiding among the courtesans, the oiran named Warabihime, he just knew it was that bitch.
Raiden Takemura, known as the Thunder Hashira, had always been a fierce and determined warrior. He was the first to hold this position in years, succeeding his master, Jigoro Kuwajima, who had served for decades. The pressure of living up to his predecessor's legacy weighed on him, but it was the lack of results in this mission that gnawed at his very soul. He took a sip from the sake cup in his hand, but the alcohol did little to ease his troubled mind.
His two tsuguko, a brilliant girl and a quiet but gentle boy he had brought with him on this mission, had met a tragic end at the hands of the demon they pursued. Raiden couldn't shake the guilt that weighed on him for not being able to protect them. The Thunder Hashira had been relentless in his pursuit since, interrogating courtesans, observing every detail of Warabihime's activities, and seeking any sign of demonic presence.
Yet, nothing had come to fruition. It was as if the demon had eluded him at every turn. In his heart, Raiden was convinced that Warabihime was the demon he sought. Her beauty and allure seemed almost otherworldly, and she had drawn the attention of many in the district. But without concrete evidence, he couldn't act or risk her escaping, and that lack of action ate away at him.
Raiden knew he couldn't return to his fellow Hashira and their beloved leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, empty-handed. To fail in his first mission as the Thunder Hashira would be unforgivable, a mark on his honor and his master's legacy, and a disappointment to all those who looked up to him...even if he could count those people with his fingers.
As he took another sip of sake, Raiden's thoughts turned inward. He needed a plan, a way to expose the demon hiding among them.
Raiden's gaze drifted to the half-empty bottle of sake as he contemplated the choices he had made. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't follow in the footsteps of his mother, who had drowned her sorrows in drink, achieving nothing but misery. The Thunder Hashira knew that succumbing to alcohol would be an insult to his loving wife, Sakura, and their newborn daughter, Hana.
A soft, bitter smile played on his lips as he imagined Sakura's face, radiant with joy, and little Hana, wrapped in swaddling clothes. He longed to hold them close again, to be the father and husband they deserved. Yet, his duty as a Hashira had torn him away from the warmth of his family, once he returned from his mission, and after paying a visit to his deceased tsuguko, Hiroyuki, and Akeno's tombs, he would ask Oyakata-Sama a break to be with his family or hell... even quit if he was denied.
Raiden sighed, his thoughts filled with the shame of his recent actions. In his desperate search for answers, he had lashed out at the girls, treating them with cruelty and suspicion. He knew that his behavior was far from honorable, and he berated himself for it, his fellow Hashira would be disgusted, his wife horrified, and his master would pretty much pull his ear.
He wished he could approach the courtesans and tell them the truth, that a demon lurked among them, threatening their lives. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Who would believe his words? It sounded like madness, even to him.
As Raiden sat there, alone, he made a silent vow. He would find a way to remove the demon's head off its shoulders and put an end to its control over the district. He would do it for the sake of returning to his wife and daughter and to avenge his deceased students.