"Yield to me! Give me what is mine!"

And then Kiuchi is Ningi, and Ningi is Kiuchi.

The mask falls away, and a face of hatred looks out for a moment.

"Wait, what?"

The body that had belonged to the Scorpion tries to move and cannot.

"Move, you worthless flesh-sack!"

Kiuchi had prepared for this. He had spent most of his time since learning about the situation. And when it came time, he called to the fire kami.... who did not answer. The quavering of the elements attracts the attention of...something. An image of it resolves before Kiuchi's eye, before the eyes...

I'll go where I damn well feel like!

Shintaro's body began to convulse, his jaw threatening to close, when a great rushing sound like a river in full flood seemed to issue from him, the force of it causing him to fold in on himself as his lungs expelled all the air within him right into Akodo Sanae's unflinching face. "HAHAHA! Your vas...

"Ah! Yes, that is the question, isn't it? Hmhmhmhm! Which of my scions is the one, yes? Who should get to enjoy the Empire I made my own? And each of you too stupid to see the answer right in front of you. Blind! Blind and stupid! HmhmhmhahahaHAhehehehe!"

"Yes, I can hear you. OUT WITH IT! I taste your fear, little child of my grandfather's blood, and I find it boring . If you will not grovel as you ought, then stand as a man does! Speak from your diaphragm as you were trained by that sniveling little worm you called a sensei. Damned fool, has my gra...

"Well? Had you no questions? Seek you no answers? HmhmhmhmhahaHA! Speak, oh shepherdless ones, and know my wisdom."

"HmhmhmhahahaHAhehehe," the voice giggled from the open, unmoving mouth of Lord Kitsu. "I am afraid my dear descendant had no interest in speaking with your medium. Something about spending time with her mother. Meaningless, of course. Time, that is. Grudges. Mothers, too, come to think of it. Heheh...

"At last. You lot finally got up the gumption to make contact."