Chapter 298: Rebirth

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Yoshimori Sumimura
 * Tokimori Hazama
 * Sumiko's Shikigami
 * Kumon
 * Masamori Sumimura
 * Miki Hatori
 * Yukimasa
 * Mudou

Summary
Yoshimori sleeps restlessly, apparently haunted by visions of Tokimori Hazama. Sumiko's Shikigami tells Yoshimori that Hazama will return to continue training him, which only worries Yoshimori. In a flashback, Yoshimori has considerable trouble accurately placing Kekkai according to Hazama's instructions. Oddly, enough Hazama seems to know when Yoshimori's approach is wrong even before the Kekkai is formed. Hazama insists that this is vital, because they can't proceed until Yoshimori masters this step. Hazama likens it to building a house: the calculations must be exact, and even more so for larger buildings such as castles, which is precisely what Yoshimori will have to construct in the future. However, Yoshimori demands to know how Hazama can tell the approach is incorrect before the Kekkai is even formed. Hazama says it is intuition, which comes from steady discipline and great experience, and Yoshimori doesn't have enough of either. Yoshimori is annoyed because he feels Hazama is lecturing him the same way Masamori would. Hazama decides to give a hint, and points out that Yoshimori was originally left-handed, though the Houin is on his right hand (which he normally uses to produce Kekkai). Yoshimori explains that Shigemori taught him to use his right hand. Hazama encourages him to try with the left hand, and to Yoshimori's shock, his left hand places the Kekkai exactly where Hazama had indicated. Hazama explains that there is a sensory gap between left and right that they must close in order to prepare Yoshimori. However, Yoshimori doesn't feel he can trust Hazama. In the present, as Yoshimori finishes eating, Sumiko's Shikigami gives him a small cloth bag to carry Chushinmaru's orb around his neck.

At Night Troop Headquarters, Miki Hatori is concerned about Masamori, who has been in an old shed for some time now. Yukimasa volunteers to check on him, and is surprised to find that the numerous seals which cover the shed have been broken. Yukimasa enters to find Masamori calmly talking with a resurrected Mudou. Mudou greets him warmly, but Yukimasa is horrified, only able to remember the Mudou that senselessly slaughtered young ability users. Yukimasa prepares to attack Mudou, but Masamori quickly explains that this version is Mudou is from before he began to kill people. Masamori explains that he searched and found some of Mudou's hair, which he used to recreate Mudou. He assures Yukimasa that this Mudou is harmless. Mudou seems surprised to learn what he did in the past and gets upset, though only because he didn't finish what he set out to do (Yukimasa was away on a mission and thus wasn't killed, and Masamori assumed command over the surviving subordinates). Yukimasa asks why Masamori did this, and Masamori says it will bring him one step closer to the Sousui. Yukimasa insists that Masamori realize how dangerous Mudou is, and worries that Masamori may fall under Mudou's influence. Masamori promises that once he gets the information he needs, he'll destroy Mudou. After Yukimasa leaves, Masamori surrounds Mudou with a Kekkai and orders him to answer his questions. Masamori asks if the overwhelming existence that Mudou was unable to defeat was the Sousui, and Mudou is impressed that Masamori has finally stepped into darkness.