6. TEMPTATION ------------------------------ 161. -Taikoubou: My wish is to work under His Majesty, King Chu. Six - Temptation ------------------------------ 162. -King Chu: Oh... so you say you want to work for me! What do you think, Dakki? -Dakki: It sounds like a good idea! ---And Taikoubou-chan, what job position are you thinking of? -Taikoubou: I was thinking perhaps a court musician. -King Chu: Court musician? ------------------------------ 163. -Dakki: Th... that sounds nice... -King Chu: Good! Court musician it is! -Taikoubou: I'm honored!!! -Dakki: Now! Please give me that Biwa... -Taikoubou: Yes! Now this Biwa is His Majesty's possesion! I shall go put it in the instrument room! -King Chu: Good! -Dakki: .... -Shinkouhyou: *thinking* He's good. ------------------------------ 164. -Taikoubou: ...Is this my room? -Servant: Yep, it's the gloomiest room inside the imperial palace! -Servant: It's perfect for a newcomer like you! -Taikoubou: *sighs* -Taikoubou: There are no windows... and half of the room is buried in mud. ---But the structure is solid. -Taikoubou: This room was probably used as a jail. Hmm. ------------------------------ 165. -SiPuXiang: Goshujin! -SiPuXiang: I assume that you have a GREAT plan since we sneaked in a place with so many enemies around, right? Goshujin!? Goshujin!!? -Taikoubou: No!! -SiPuXiang: YOU moronic Doushi!!! You mean you don't have ANY plans!!? *Idiot! idiot! idiot!* -Taikoubou: Oh, be quiet. -Taikoubou: It'll all work out! -SiPuXiang: It's all over!! We're both going to die here!!! ------------------------------ 166. -Musician: Please listen carefully, Taikoubou-san. We musicians must create music that will please His Majesty. -Musician: An imperial court musician from the dignified capital of Chouka must first develop a sense of character... Incidentally, you have no sense of character. Yes, none at all... -Musician: ---Oh? Taikoubou-san? -Musician 2: He's escaped! -SiPuXiang: Where are we going in the middle of the night? *I'm sleepy.* -Taikoubou: To investigate Dakki! ------------------------------ 167. -Taikoubou: First, we must know the enemy. That's the basics of the basics of war tactics! -Taikoubou: ? -Taikoubou: That's... -Taikoubou: Dakki... -SiPuXiang: Sssshe's taking a bath!!! -SiPuXiang: She doesn't have any of her Paopeis on, either! It's your chance!! You can attack her with your Dashinben!!! -SiPuXiang: Should we get closer? It'll be easier to aim for her. Should I get closer? -Taikoubou: Calm down, SiPuXiang!!! -Taikoubou: She IS off guard... ------------------------------ 168. -Taikoubou: And she doesn't have any of her servants around... She doesn't have anything to defend herself... Is she saying that she's not scared of me at all...? -SiPuXiang: What are you getting all timid about!? This is the chance of a lifetime!! -Taikoubou: But this might be a trap... -SiPuXiang: Forget you!! I'll hit her from behind with this rock!!! -Taikoubou: Hey!! Wait, SiPu!!! ------------------------------ 169. -Dakki: Just kidding! -Taikoubou: Our actions are too obvious to her... ------------------------------ 170. [Morning of the 2nd day since Taikoubou arrived] -King Chu: We now start the morning assembly. -King Chu: Do you have anything to report to me? -SiPuXiang: Goshujin, what's a morning assembly? -Taikoubou: It's a morning meeting where King Chu listens to everyone's opinions. -SiPuXiang: Buseiou-san's here, too. -Taikoubou: Yes. -Taikoubou: ? ------------------------------ 171. -Taikoubou: What's this smell? -Taikoubou: Is it coming from Dakki? -Taikoubou: *thinking* It's that Hagoromo (robe)!!! -SiPuXiang: ......She's adorable... Dakki-chan... -Taikoubou: So that's it! -Taikoubou: This isn't good! Let's go outside, SiPuXiang!! -SiPuXiang: What---!? I don't want to leave---!! ------------------------------ 172. -Taikoubou: That Hagoromo Dakki always wears... I sense that Paopei is the true nature of the Temptation spell! -SiPuXiang: A Paopei!? Isn't it magic, if it's a spell!? -Taikoubou: Magic can only do little things such as healing small wounds and turning water into wine. Without a Paopei, even a great Sennin can't do much. -Taikoubou: The fragrance coming from that Hagoromo makes people go crazy. Remember you became a little weird every time we met Dakki? -Taikoubou: Dakki's Temptation spell probably fades away if she doesn't expose her subjects to the smell regularly. Buseiou seems to endure that with his iron will... -SiPuXiang: ---But King Chu is always exposed to Dakki's fragrance. -Taikoubou: King Chu... King Chu, huh...? Hmmm. ------------------------------ 173. -Shinkouhyou: His luck is wearing off. -Shinkouhyou: Tomorrow, it will be 3 days since Taikoubou has arrived, Kokutenko. -Kokutenko: Yeah. -Shinkouhyou: He is all worn out, still waiting for a chance to attack Dakki... Well, if he doesn't do something soon, Dakki will come attack him first. ------------------------------ 174. [And Early morning of the 3rd day] -Taikoubou: Dakki... She's completely off guard but there still isn't any chance to attack her! -SiPuXiang: B... but "off guard" means you can attack her anytime...! -Taikoubou: Don't you understand, SiPuXiang? -Taikoubou: Dakki is confident that she could kill me any time I come and attack her. She has the ability to the Biwa back any time, but she doesn't. She's just playing. -Taikoubou: Honestly, I am afraid... ------------------------------ 175. -Servants: Dakki-sama!! -Serbant: Where are you going without taking any attendants!? If something were to happen to you, we would... -Dakki: I don't need any attendants! -Dakki: I'm... getting tired of playing with Taikoubou-chan! -Taikoubou: ...... -SiPuXiang: Goshujin, I'm worried. -Dakki: Taikoubou-chan. ------------------------------ 176. -Dakki: Come out and play. -Taikoubou: *thinking* She's here.... ------------------------------ 177. -Dakki: ...Do know why I waited for 3 days? You're a good guesser, you should know. -Dakki: It was to make you worry and suffer for 3 whole days... Weren't you terrified just thinking about me? -Dakki: Oh! Why are you backing away? Didn't you want to fight me all this time? ------------------------------ 178. -Taikoubou: Definitely... -Taikoubou: ...there was no chance for us to attack you... So I was waiting. For you to come to us! -Taikoubou: Then, for the first time, you are completely off guard!! -Taikoubou: DASHINPUU!!! ------------------------------ 179. -SiPuXiang: Yes!! Dakki's buried alive!! -SiPuXiang: Goshujin!! You really DID have a plan!!! *I'm impressed!!!* -Taikoubou: Idiot, I always have more than one plan thought up. -Taikoubou: Dakki didn't have any Paopeis that could inflict physical damage. It'll take her 1 or 2 hours to get out... ---Meanwhile... -SiPuXiang: Meanwhile? -Taikoubou: We kidnap King Chu!! -SiPuXiang: What!!? ---------- Translations 1999ŠAkane Araragi