Episode 2The Third Blade

9 min 43 sec9 scenes

Her childhood rival Kirimaru catches the waver in her breath. So at dawn Kagero drops every act and lays a bare blade against the great tengu's throat, and finally asks the question she swallowed: why haven't you killed me?

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Episode 3AgainThe bell rang once more. My knife still at his throat, he waited for my answer. Eleven years at this, and I'd never taken so long to pick one.

"You held your breath too soon. Try it again."

Knows everything up to the episode you heard

Sojobo's Scroll

As of Episode 2

Sojobo's Scroll

StageHunter and Target

Nights left28/29

Lessons learned1

Bell stilled1

How he sees youSomeone who dropped the act and came with a bare blade she cannot draw across his throat

Even with the blade at his throat the bell never once lost its rhythm, and the scroll never appeared, leaving twenty-eight nights exactly where they were.

Relationships

How they see Kagero

SojoboAt the top of the cedar forest on Mount Kurama sits a great tengu in a crimson mask.
Unclear "Then you. Why have you still not drawn it?"
KamonoThe Oda onmyoji who pressed seven sealing talismans into Kagero's hands.
Danger He said "once he sleeps," never "once he dies"
KurobaThe crow tengu who serves Sojobo.
Wary Calls her suspicious, hands her a rice ball anyway

How this episode begins

Opening of the script

KirimaruYou hesitated just now, didn't you, Iga fox? Want me to do it for you?

The moonless forest was black as ink. Even so, up on a cedar branch to my left, I could hear slow, long breathing.

KageroKirimaru. Come down.

I don't waste the sweet voice on him. We've been crossing blades since we were kids. He's from Koga, the ninja village over the next mountain.

KirimaruHeard you got lost on the mountain… "Oh, I've lost my way, my lord…" That's what you said up there, isn't it?

KageroYou saw all that?

KirimaruSaw it all from up in the cedars. The first night, and tonight too.

KirimaruWhen that tengu took your hand, you didn't go for your blade. Not the hairpin, not the knife. You just let him hold it. For a long time.

KageroNot a long time. One beat.

KirimaruSee? You counted. Right up till that hand let…