Early the next morning.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat at the head of the room, a letter resting on the low table beside him. Its corners had soaked through to a deep brown. Dried blood had seeped into the paper fibers, leaving an indelible stain.
Yaha leaned against the back wall of the Hashira Meeting room, hands in his pockets, eyelids half lowered. He glanced at the letter, then at Shinobu Kocho.
Shinobu Kocho stood two paces to his left. The smile on her face was carefully arranged, her jaw level. Only the fingers gripping the inside of her sleeve were a little tighter than usual.
"Tengen last sent word three days ago." Kagaya pushed the letter toward him, his voice even. "Since then, we've lost contact with every Kasugai Crow."
Yaha lowered his head and turned the letter over. There were only a few words. The final character was unfinished, the handwriting breaking apart into a long streak of ink to the right, as though the writer had collapsed before finishing.
He set the letter back on the table.
"The Upper Rank in the Entertainment District has been confirmed as Upper Rank Six." Kagaya folded his hands on his knees and addressed Yaha. "You should understand better than I do how likely an ordinary Hashira would be to return alive."
"So you called my name." Yaha scoffed. It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Kagaya smiled gently and said nothing, letting his silence serve as an answer.
Yaha looked away from the letter and raised his head.
"Here are my terms," he said lazily.
A breeze slipped through the gap in the door from the corridor, making the lantern inside sway.
"Once I'm done with the Entertainment District, I get the highest level of operational authority at headquarters." Yaha raised one