Horitake slipped into the theater as silently as a shadow. Activating his Spirit Vision, he began scanning the environment for his target.
His first destination was the area where the performers of the Takarazuka Revue gathered.
The evening performance had just concluded. Under normal circumstances, what would the actors be doing? Naturally, they would be removing their heavy stage makeup, grabbing a bite to eat, and preparing for rest. Therefore, they were almost certainly in the dressing rooms at this hour.
Horitake moved with practiced stealth, navigating carefully across the rafters and rooftops. He soon located the main dressing room. Utilizing the X-ray properties of his Spirit Vision, he peered through the ceiling to observe the scene below.
Inside, the dressing room was a scene of controlled chaos.
The space was limited, yet dozens of performers had graced the stage that night. For so many people to fully remove their elaborate costumes and makeup in a short window of time was a gargantuan task. Because there were only so many vanity stations, the actresses had to take turns.
Naturally, there was a strict protocol to this order. Based on status, seniority, and talent, a silent hierarchy governed who sat down first.
The lead actress, the "Top Star" of the troupe, was the first to take her seat. As the most vital member of the cast, she was afforded the utmost respect; the others stepped aside to let her remove her makeup first so she could finish her workday early.
However, there were several other stations available. Alongside the lead, a few key supporting players were also beginning their cleanup. Among them was the actress who had played the Emperor.
While the role of the Emperor wasn't necessarily a "lead" supporting role in terms of stage time, the actress playing him seemed to possess significant seniority, earning her a spot in the first wave of makeup removal.
Horitake watched her intently, his gaze unblinking.
Under the humble deference of the junior actresses, the woman playing the Emperor maintained a poised, dignified smile. She walked to her designated seat and began the slow process of deconstructing her stage persona.
He heard the younger girls address her with reverence as "Chihana-姉" (Sister Chihana). It was clear then: this actress went by the name Chihana.
Up on the roof, Horitake's expression remained stoic. So, the demon's name is Chihana.
Of course, it was likely just a pseudonym or a stage name, but it gave him a thread to pull.
His ears, sharpened by his heightened senses, caught the faint whispers of the junior actresses crowded outside the dressing room door. Though they kept their voices low to avoid being overheard by their superiors, their words were crystal clear to Horitake.
According to their gossip, Chihana was no ordinary performer. She had recently scouted and headhunted from another troupe to join the Takarazuka Revue. Even in her previous company, she had been a seasoned veteran—a true senpai in every sense of the word.
Upon joining this newly established branch of the Takarazuka Revue, Chihana had naturally ascended to the top tier of the hierarchy. Her acting skills were impeccable, and her demeanor was kind and approachable, which was why she had been entrusted with the role of the Emperor.
In this era, the figure of the Emperor still held a formidable, almost sacred presence in the hearts of the Japanese people. Consequently, the actor portraying such a figure needed a certain level of gravitas and status; it wasn't a role a random bit-player could fill.
Having gathered enough from the whispers, Horitake shifted his full focus onto Chihana.
An actress of her stature didn't need to scrub her own face. A troupe assistant immediately stepped forward, carefully yet efficiently helping Chihana out of her layers. Her elaborate imperial robes were removed piece by piece, folded with extreme care, and whisked away for storage.
Next came the makeup. The assistant used oils and cloths to gently wipe away the heavy pigments.
One might expect that once the makeup was gone, Chihana would reveal the hideous, fanged visage of a demon. But that was not the case. If she were that easily exposed, she never would have lasted a day in the theater.
As the assistant worked, healthy, human-toned skin emerged from beneath the white powder. As the final layers were stripped away, a handsome, refined face appeared in the mirror. This was the "true" face of the actress known as Chihana.
With her face clean, the assistant moved behind her to undo her hair, transitioning her ornate headpiece back into a standard civilian hairstyle.
It raised a question: if this creature was truly a demon, why did she look exactly like a human? Why were there no horns, no terrifying features, no monstrous aura? Had she simply hidden her demonic traits?
No, that wasn't it.
This was the unique specialty of this particular demon. It was precisely this perfect mimicry that allowed Chihana to move through the Takarazuka Revue like a fish in water, drawing no suspicion and causing no alarm.
Well, almost no alarm. The only "anomaly" was something Horitake overheard as the junior actresses continued their hushed conversation outside.
"Hey... have you noticed? Why does Chihana-san only participate in the evening performances?"
"I'm not sure. I heard that when she joined the troupe, she made a specific agreement with the owner. She only does night shows, never the matinees."
"Hmm... her schedule is so strange. It reminds me of... well, certain women of the night!"
"Shh! What are you saying? An artist like Chihana-san would never do something like that!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said it."
Hearing this, Horitake allowed a cold, knowing smirk to play across his lips.
A demon is a demon, after all.
No matter how perfect the disguise, a demon could never withstand the touch of the sun. They were bound to the dark, creatures of the shadows who could only emerge when the world turned cold and black.
Down below, the woman known as Chihana finished her preparations. She adjusted her hair, nodding with slight satisfaction at her reflection in the mirror, which allowed the nervous assistant to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Chihana stood and transitioned to the changing room. A few moments later, she emerged wearing ordinary civilian clothes—the modest, unassuming attire of a typical woman of the era.
She was "clocking out." She was leaving.
With a graceful, somewhat distant kindness, Chihana bid farewell to the cluster of junior actresses in the hallway. They watched her go with eyes full of envy, wishing they too could leave so early and with such poise.
Horitake didn't miss a beat. He began to tail her from the rooftops as she exited through the theater's back door.
It was late. Though the streetlights were lit, the roads were mostly deserted. Chihana walked with a steady pace, looking for all the world like a hardworking woman heading home after a long shift—completely and utterly ordinary.
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