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Jun felt like she was getting drenched more thoroughly now that she was standing out in the open than she had been when training under the partial cover of trees. [color=F08080][i]On the plus side, the mud’s getting washed out of my uniform practically on its own,[/i][/color] she thought with a snarky twist of her lips. She’d still have to wash the uniform later, but thankfully, she’d chosen not to wear the flame-patterned haori Intarou-san had gifted her years ago. No, that worn but well-loved piece of clothing was something she reserved for official missions. She was attached enough to the haori that she’d rather not risk it in practice, never mind if it made her look vain. The opinions of those below her or those [i]jealous[/i] of her rarely mattered, after all, and were hardly more than a pesky little annoyance at best.

Speaking of, there was Fukutomi. The former tsuguko, and a person Jun could admit – if only to herself – had quite the admirable strength of character. Yet, they did not get along. [i]At all.[/i] The girl was just so [i]soft[/i], so needlessly kind, caring [i]far[/i] too much for her line of work. Jun had seen her with patients on occasion, and that [i]soothing[/i] attitude gave her the creeps, made Fukutomi seem almost condescending. Jun was aware enough to realize that was a skewed perception, but was there really any comfort at being spoken to as if a child? How encouraging could it be, [i]really[/i], to get pandered by some stranger when one was recovering from a loss and injury at a demon’s hands? Personally, Jun preferred a strict no-nonsense attitude in her healers. A hatefully spiteful part of her thought that [i]now[/i], in the state Fukutomi was, mothering others was all she had left going for her.

But really, that was not even close to the main issue. Fukutomi was perfectly fine insulting her straight to her face. Jun could tolerate Ebisu not using an honorific – not because they were particularly close, but because the lad had begun doing so after Fukutomi, as a sort of a poor but well-intentioned joke. Ebisu’s goal with it had been to needle both Fukutomi and herself, the former in a sort of [b]“Hey, hey, weirdly aggressive of you,”[/b] manner and the latter because he thought Jun needed to [b]“Loosen up already!”[/b]. In fact, Ebisu had said exactly that at one point, and since then, referring to her as simply Sakai was a habit for him. (Also, she kept on calling him Ebisu-kun despite him having insisted multiple times that she could forgo the honorifics with him as well; he was just a casual sort of guy, but Jun pointedly kept the [i]kun[/i] for petty revenge.) Jun had learned that ignoring Ebisu’s quirks worked best with him, but for [i]Fukutomi[/i]…

For Fukutomi, Jun plastered on an especially smug smirk, and looked down at her in supreme satisfaction. [color=F08080]“Tough,”[/color] she drawled, truthfully not particularly concerned if the guests were getting antsy. [color=F08080]“The Master’s out,”[/color] she stated, just as a wretchedly wet messenger crow flapped its way to her. Jun extended her left arm out for the poor creature to perch on it, and took the message from its claws. Jun glanced at the missive swiftly, sighed, took a short moment to memorize the contents, then stored it inside her uniform. [color=F08080]“Well, looks like Itoshi-sama is returning in a few hours. You can get [i]all[/i] the details then,”[/color] her tone was still needlessly sarcastic, but Jun hadn't asked Fukutomi to come bother her, had she?

That said, Jun strolled away from the gate, going along the wall walk and notifying the guards still stationed there to keep a lookout while she was gone, petting the crow all the while. She rather liked the messenger birds, as long as they didn’t get [i]too[/i] cheeky, and cooed to it near-silently. [color=F08080]“Let’s get you inside to dry a bit, huh? Or were you ordered to return already?”[/color] The crow cawed at her scratchily, but reluctantly inched closer by traversing her arm from elbow to shoulder. Jun gave the animal another pat on the head, then dropped her left arm to her side, the crow getting a ride on her shoulder. When Jun made it down from the wall, she approached the mildly sulking Fukutomi. [color=F08080]“Based on the hints in the letter, you should [i]probably[/i] get ready for more unrest,”[/color] she offered in a murmur, now mostly serious rather than antagonistic. That really was all she could offer to the ex-tsuguko, though, so she departed for the library.

Finding a Bible was simple enough. Deciphering the message on the other hand…Jun sighed once again, though she’d finally managed to find all the necessary passages after what was a frustratingly long search. She’d never even touched the foreign holy book before that, so it was understandable. Jun was also traditional enough that having to familiarize herself with what she considered some odd, new, foreign religion was rather distasteful. It was a clever method of encryption, she had to admit. With such a dire message, however, Jun could neither admire the cleverness of her master nor lament the fact that she’d had to rifle through the Bible like a maniac.

[hider=The encoded parts of the message read…]
[i]"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells."
"Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me."
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."[/i]
[/hider]
Taken together, it meant that the River pillar himself betrayed them. The why was unknown. Probably something to do with demons…had he faced one so strong that he’d been charmed to their side and kept alive for unknown purposes? Or was it something else entirely? Jun supposed she’d have to wait for her Master to enlighten her on that note. That last line though…Did Itoshi-sama really think that Jun could turn traitor too? The idea rankled her to the core, but there wasn’t much she could do with the feeling.

Tsking, Jun crumpled the message, threw it into the fireplace, and watched it burn. She stared into the fire, letting her clothes and body get warmed by its heat. The crow had also settled close to the warmth, but Jun was too preoccupied by her thought to pay the bird attention any longer. Had the meeting been called to decide what to do with the Rivar Pillar? Would they have to chase down and kill someone who used to be a fellow demon slayer? Would they have to wage war not only against the demons but fellow humans as well? Jun shook her head of the thoughts, and headed back outside to guard the gate until Itoshi-sama returned. Her Master would tell her what they had to do, as always, so Jun didn’t have to try and think so hard on her own.

In the end, though, Jun knew that she wouldn’t be bothered as much as she perhaps should be, even if she had to go after a former ally with killing intent. She certainly remembered being firmly taught that her swordsmanship and breathing techniques were meant to be used only against demons, never humans, but what if human breath-user went against them? Was she supposed to just roll over and die? [i]Hell[/i] no. If the Pillar, the still human Pillar, was now an enemy, she couldn’t afford to hesitate if she ever faced him in combat.