As the first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of soft pink and gold, and rustling sakura trees that stood sentinel along the city’s streets.

The air crackled, a sense authority from the shrine’s towering gates. Stone lanterns lined the approach, providing a guide to those who sought an audience with the Commission. Soon after the silence broke as a pair of clumsy stumbling feet emerged, as the large oni stumbled out onto the pavement below.

“Morning, sunshine! Hey, uh... So listen,”