As Sanosuke takes his defensive stance, Amenotokotachi silently fades into the shadows behind him. Just to the side, Fujino puts her finger to her lips and winks before vanishing as well, presumably teleported to safety. No sooner has she done this than something ponderously stalks around the side of the building, grunting and sniffing as it comes. As it passes out of the shadow and into the light, the creature's form is revealed. It stands like a human, though it is slightly taller than Sanosuke even with its hunched-over, loping gait. Straw-colored hair, or possibly fur, erupts from its head and back in an blast of brittle shards extending backward, and its emaciated figure is mostly covered by a dirty, faded blue robe, tattered around the edges. Visible beneath this is the thing's feet, human-like but hairy and gnarled, and its viciously-clawed hands, one of which is holding a long, rusted cleaver-like blade. Most distressing, however, is the creature's face, or, rather, the lack thereof. Over where its head surely must be among that mane of stiff hair, the thing wears a traditional Noh theater mask, painted entirely white except for pink blushes on the cheeks and a disconcerting red smile on its lips. The creature turns to Sanosuke and does not immediately react, passively watching him through the eyeholes of its mask. " Say the word and I will exterminate it, Sanosuke-dono. " Amenotokotachi's quiet assurance runs through his mind.