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[X] Hold your breath and hide yourself completely under the water.

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Youmu hears a single pair of footsteps nearing the bath area. The half-ghost stays completely still as she listens to the sounds of the person washing up. Finally, she hears a soft splash as the person enters the bath water.

"..."

Thirty seconds pass. The half-ghost opens her eyes under the water. She can see the vague outline of someone sitting comfortably at the other side of the bath. From this distance, she can't tell if it's a man or a woman.

"...?"

One minute passes. The person on the other side seems to be walking toward the taps on the left. It doesn't look like the person noticed Youmu's presence. After adjusting the taps, the person lies nearby and relaxes.

"...!"

Two minutes pass. For some reason, the water seems to be getting warmer. Did that person adjust the temperature? The half-ghost quickly looks for another avenue of escape.

There isn't any way out. As the water becomes intolerably hot, Youmu begins to panic. She quickly raises her head above the water to breathe, but it's too late. The half-ghost can feel herself feeling weaker and weaker.

"Spash!"

"Eh? Who's there?" cries a distant voice.

Someone seems to be making their way to the back of the bath, but she can't even keep her eyes open. Her vision starts to blur, and soon Youmu loses consciousness.

...

"W-where are we going?" cries Youmu.

"..."

The master looks over his daughter carefully. Master Youki Konpaku is tall and lean, not unlike the farmers who toil daily in the rice fields. He is dressed in the traditional colors of the Konpaku school of swordsmanship, green and white. His long grey hair is tied back neatly. The elder half-ghost strokes his beard thoughtfully before he speaks.

"You have grown," says Youki. "Your swordsmanship has improved greatly."

"Ah! T-thank you very much, master!" stammers Youmu. She can't help but smile when she hears those words.

"However, I wonder if your mind and heart have grown since I left," says the sword master.

"E-eh? What do you mean?" the younger half-ghost asks.

"..."

Master Youki says nothing as he leads his apprentice daughter deeper into the woods. Soon, the path disappears from sight, and they find themselves walking through the thick foliage. After several minutes, they finally stop in a small clearing.

"M-Master?" mutters Youmu, uncertain of their purpose here.

"It is time to test your will," says Youki, his voice calm and powerful. "See that lone grave on the hill? I want you to pour this sake on the tombstone as an offering."

The master hands her a bottle of sake. She gives him a puzzled look, but he says nothing more. As is her custom, she gives him a deep bow before heading closer to the tomb with the sake.

"I thought we were going to train," mumbles Youmu as she heads closer to the grave.

As she approaches, a chill runs down her spine. She has a really bad feeling about this, but she moves forward. For some reason, the grave is poorly kept. The name of the dead is covered with a thick crust of mud.

"Please accept this offering," says Youmu as she claps her hands together.

Carefully, she pours the liquid over the gravestone. Some of the mud starts to wash off as she does so. But it is only after she pours the rest of the sake that she recognizes the name on the gravestone.

"Vincent Gray?" she reads aloud, her voice dry with shock.

Before she can react any further, something grabs at Youmu's ankles.

[ ] Draw the blade named "Roukanken".
[ ] Draw the blade named "Hakurouken".