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[Chevaleresse]

Madoka sheathed her sword and answered the man's praise with a bow.

"Thank you for the duel, Honda-dono." She referred, of course, to their status as fighters, something she considered as naturally as breathing. "And for your compliments." She'd bested him by the narrowest of margins, but it (mostly) didn't feel like any failing on her part. The Unscarred Blade straightened, looking back at the group expectantly.

[IcyTea31]

"Nice work, Madoka! You were so fast, you'd have to show me that ten times and I still wouldn't see every nuance of your technique."

Miyako's compliments were mostly honest, but she overplayed her thoughts a little. To her, Madoka seemed like the sort of person who yearned for approval.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Todoroki simply folds his arms, grinning at Madoka.
"Never had a doubt you'd win."

Kensuke has the lightest smile on his face.
"It's good to know you're getting along well with our visitors, Uncle Hiro."
"A warrior does as he must when he meets a fellow artisan of war, young man."

Rin runs towards Hiroyuki, frowning.
"That looks a little deep. Here, let me-"
"Ha-hah! Don't worry, young lady. Leave it. It'll scar. A story to tell my grandkids."
Miyako notices, however, that Hiroyuki's eyes are suddenly on her.
"Young lady, a moment over there, if you'd please."
"Uncle Hiro, our visitors are surely tired."
"It'll only be a moment."
Momo looks over at Miyako.
"Now or never."

[IcyTea31]

"Of course."

Miyako followed Hiroyuki to the slightly more private spot, then took a serious face.

"I think you know what I'm going to ask."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

As Miyako walks over to the private spot with Hiroyuki, she notices him studying her closely, not in the same way as he had studied Madoka, like a hawk scanning prey, but in a more....nostalgic way, as if he were seeing a piece of memorabilia from his old days.

When they head to the private spot, he keeps his voice low.
"Before you ask your question, allow this old man the luxury of asking one."
"....you're....the Cursed Rat, aren't you?"

[IcyTea31]

"I am. The Ox wouldn't need to ask."

Miyako was quiet for a beat to collect her thoughts, then steeled herself.

"I've been told that one Honda Hiroyuki, an old soldier who disappeared ten years ago, was the Ox of the previous generation. I know the Ox hasn't reincarnated into this generation yet, so whoever they are must still be alive. Something is wrong, however, when before me is someone who claims to be Honda, but lacks the connection one of the Cursed would have. There are several points where I could be wrong to explain it, so my question is this:"

"Who are you?"

Miyako's tone wasn't accusatory, more curious and frustrated. She was already burdened by the question of Lord Kiritani's identity, she didn't need another.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

The old man before her does not respond for a few minutes, considering his answer.

After a bit, he simply, quietly laughs. It's a sad laugh, one sounding resigned.
"....you're just like the previous Rat. So it's true. I am the last one of my generation. Toshinori....I thought he'd given up the chase. I guess, if you're the Rat, he's gone too. So many of my old friends...it's true. I am Honda Hiroyuki, Cursed Ox of the Zodiac. You heard right."
"Or, well....I was."

He sighs.
"If you truly are the Cursed Rat, then you understand the feeling, do you not? That sixth sense, that niggling feeling at the back of your head. You can feel the others all the time. You always know where they are. No matter what you do, or how you hide, the others can always find you. You're never really alone, are you? I knew that feeling once, young lady."
"....truth be told, I was one of you once. It was a lazy afternoon. My granddaughter, Tohru. You might know her; she works in the capital. The Imperial Palace, last I heard."
The name rings a bell; she was one of the Imperial maids. She was nice enough, even to the Cursed, even when she was scolded by the others to leave you alone. You never understood why. Now, you do.
"....she was such a little girl back then. Kind. Beautiful. Splitting image of her mother. I felt....content for once, holding her in my arms. Surrounded by my family, happy and content after a life as long as mine....then I felt it. The chains binding the Ox to me and the rest of you. They broke."

He exhales.
"After that....it felt empty in my head. Like I'd lost something I couldn't describe. I couldn't feel the other Cursed anymore. But....I suppose I was relieved."
"Living with the Curse wasn't all bad. You knew that others would understand, but only thirteen others. The rest...well, my wife, may she rest in peace, she understood, but the others thought it was all a myth, of course, until I transformed into an ox in front of them. Then, they started to believe. But....well, you're always tied to those others, never quite free enough. Your whole life, you're one of the Cursed. And if those stories are true, and they probably are, those poor spirits have lingered here long enough. I always thought it was cruel, to be trapped here, generation after generation, never finding true rest or being able to find new friends outside of the Curse."
"And now, I'm not. So, to answer your question, young lady....the Ox is no longer here. I, Honda Hiroyuki, am all that remains."

[IcyTea31]

As far as Miyako could tell, the man wasn't lying. The implications were massive.

She opened her mouth to speak, but words didn't come out. She raised her finger to indicate she had a point to make, but then lowered it. She sighed.

"It's true, then. I can't say I understand, but I can tell this is one of those things I must understand in a sudden epiphany. Maybe tomorrow, maybe years from now, maybe never. But if it was as simple as being truly content with your life, how is it possible that not a single Cursed in the past had achieved that? Was that really all there was to it?"

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Hiroyuki shakes his head.
"You know the legends too, young lady. All of the Cursed were reincarnated so they could be friends with each other in the next life, over and over again. Part of the reason I disappeared ten years ago was to find as much information as I could about the Curse. So I could free Toshinori like I'd been freed, of course. But...well, as you're here, I feel I was too late for him."

Hiroyuki's brow furrows in thought for a moment.
"I couldn't find much, of course. Not many scholars want to write about something that's a myth. So....I pored over the legends over and over again and I have a theory. Not much of one, but a theory."
"The Curse was made to reincarnate the spirits of the Zodiac over and over again so they could meet, life after life, generation after generation. Young lady, how many of the Cursed have reincarnated here? Aside from the Ox, how many?"

[IcyTea31]

"In this country? All of them, I think? Me, Traxesa, Momo, Kodai, Kensuke, Keiko, Kaori, Natsumi, Hisao, Goro, Tomoe. And Yusuke and the Empress. Yes, all of them."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

"Keiko...Kuroda Keiko? I see. She must be Cursed too. The young lady sent me a letter a few weeks ago. I'm still not sure how she found me, or how she sent it from the Palace, but....she sent me a letter trying to figure out if the Ox was still alive. I replied, and she had a theory. If....every single Cursed was present at the beginning, then every Cursed is here now, for the final meeting. And only when every single Cursed was once more alive, at the same time, can the Curse break."
"She figured that the Curse was already weakening. The Curse is already breaking, slowly. It was just waiting for all of the Cursed to be alive at once. I was but the first, but that's not all."
"I suspect- though I'm no scholar like this Kuroda seemed to be- that the Curse breaks faster if you have connections to those who are not Cursed. Not mere acquaintances, but friends, lovers, partners. Mine broke when I was surrounded by my family, young lady. Perhaps....the Curse can only end if we Cursed find love among others."
He snorts.
"How appropriately fairy-tale like."

[IcyTea31]

"Deceptively simple. If it's true...I accept the challenge."

"Though Momo will laugh so hard once I try to explain this plan to her."

"Actually, have you told this to the others yet?"

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Hiroyuki chortles.
"Kensuke knows, and Keiko was the one who suggested part of it. I've mainly kept it to myself, of course. An old man like myself still needs some level of pride."

[IcyTea31]

"Luckily, then, my pride is in solving problems."

"Speaking of which, we should probably focus on the current problem of organizing the resistance. If finding love outside of the other Cursed is really the cure, I'd better make sure I won't get locked in a palace with them again. Love is patient, the Empress isn't."

[Aurorix]

Traxesa can't say he's surprised about the old man losing. If can so easily claim to be the Ox then it makes sense he would make wild claims towards his skill as well. Though there was something of more importance to the boy right now.

As Traxesa's mind wanders, his Gnosis (and the Kaneko twins') gently pulse again. This time, he might notice Momo's own Gnosis, hanging off the side of her belt as she watches Hiroyuki and Madoka duel. It appeared to be an Aura Gnosis, like his own. But something seemed weird about it.

Specifically, that it doesn't seem to react at all to whatever was going on. Specifically, that something about it looked.....off.

Hmmm, this might at least be worth looking into. He considered trying to be subtle about examining Momo's Gnosis, but considering where she keeps it... Yea no, that'll just make him seem like a creep. I suppose it would be best just to ask her. Taking the initiative he approaches the bard,


"Hey Momo, this is going to seem out of the blue but would you mind letting check out your gnosis real quick? Something has been up with mine ever since we arrived here," He gestures his hand to his center chest where his gnosis is clipped to his zipper. "And since yours is also an Aura gnosis and doesn't seem to be reacting it could make for a good baseline. It'll only take a moment I promise."