Chapter 244: Plunging

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Tokine Yukimura
 * Todoroki
 * Takemitsu
 * Makio
 * Hakubi
 * Madarao
 * Yoshimori Sumimura
 * Hakudo
 * Yukimasa
 * Masamori Sumimura
 * Sen Kagemiya
 * Miki Hatori
 * Higurashi
 * Mukade
 * Tsukinojou
 * Yaichi
 * Atora Hanashima
 * Gen Shishio
 * Rokurou Ougi
 * Ichirou Ougi
 * Shichirou Ougi
 * Okuni's Subordinate
 * Okuni

Summary
Tokine talks with Todoroki and Takemitsu of the Night Troop at Karasumori, and is surprised that Makio is absent. They tell her that he's busy with another job, reminding her that Makio is still the leader of the Combat Unit. Yoshimori arrives with Madarao, and is surprised: Souji Hiura wasn't at the Sumimura Home, so Yoshimori figured he had come to Karasumori.

Meanwhile, most of the Night Troop (including Makio) begin their assault on the temple where Ichirou Ougi is in hiding. Masamori approaches the main enterance steps with his Zekkai, and is blocked by Ougi subordinates. He orders them to move aside, and they allow him to pass. Once inside, the Night Troop begins to subdue anyone still in their way, and announce that they have come to capture Ichirou. Makio recalls a recent phone call from Sen Kagemiya, who informed him that Souji was missing. Sen thinks it suspicious that Souji would vanish the same night as the attack on Ichirou. Makio says a connection is unlikely, since the temple is far away from Karasumori, but Sen insists that if Souji is being backed by a large power, there's no telling what he could accomplish. Masamori orders Makio to take over while he locates Ichirou himself.

Outside of the temple, Miki Hatori is under orders to prevent anyone from escaping, and tells Higurashi to be ready to fly. Above the temple, a sky team composed of Mukade, Atora Hanashima, Tsukinojou, Yaichi, and others await Ichirou if he tries to escape through the air. As Masamori heads deeper into the temple, he recalls the incidents that Ichirou has contributed to: the loss of Gen Shishio, the deaths of three subordinates, the kidnapping of Misao and Akira, as well as the serious injuries of Rokurou Ougi. Masamori swears to kill Ichirou as he reaches the temple's shrine, only to find Ichirou's bloody remains scattered on the ground. One of the lumps of flesh reaches out and appears to be begging for its life, but falls silent and loses its form. The killer appears behind Masamori, who is enraged at having his prey stolen. In a show of his power, the killer reduces the shrine to dust in an instant, and flies away in a large tornado. Tsukinojou notices something pass by him, but assumes he imagined it. The killer is revealed to be Shichirou Ougi, who bids farewell to his late brothers, and keeps Ichirou's Council of Twelve badge. Masamori feels he has been set up, and wonders if Okuni betrayed him.

Meanwhile, one of Okuni's subordinates come to her chambers to inform her that someone started a fire in the upper levels of the Shadow Organization's Records Office, and asks for her orders. When there is no response, the subordinate enters to find Okuni dead on the floor, her Council of Twelve badge slashed in two.