Wow. Chapter 25 has to be one of the best yet. Your exploration of Murakumo's character is nothing short of eye-opening; it adds nothing to him that wasn't established in the TV series, yet it brings every facet of him into a clearer light. Brilliant work.

You really have a way here of pointing out Murakumo's more admirable qualities with phrasing that is evocative without being flowery or poetic: "Always the loyal servant, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi - first to Orochi, your father, and then your god, whom you felt betrayed you – but most of all to your race. They have always come first, have they not?" At the same time, you have not sugar-coated his essential villainy in the least. Rather, you have opened up his capacity to doubt and introduced a common foe for him, Susano, and the TAC.

Not much to say about chapter 26, as it's just more of Kusanagi teasing Momiji, which I have to say is feeling a bit routine at this point, even if you invariably write it very well.

Still a bit slow plot-wise, but definitely picking up, and there is some good stuff in these two chapters. I particularly enjoyed the look at Kome and Yaegashi's home life. The little pup they rescued becoming their pet is an interesting bit of continuity, and their little adventures with him are reasonably amusing. It's good that you covered why they don't have kids yet, as well.

Not much to say about the big scene with Momiji and Kusanagi... To be frank, I think Kusanagi's sexual frustrations with Momiji have been played at this point.

There are a couple noteworthy typos in chapter 23: "Yaegashi managed in a strained boy," and "able to bare a child!""

Sugishita is at his best in chapter 24: Sort of a modern dandy, but with a genuinely good head for his job. His perspective is a good way of introducing the Tengugaki resurgence.

Midori and Murakumo's relationship continues to be played with in interesting ways. If it were strictly a romance, I wouldn't care much, but the effect that each of them has on the other's moral outlook makes for good drama. While Midori's optimistic view of Murakumo has some truth to it, she's far from being entirely right about him, and that places her in danger, if not physically, at least emotionally.

Murakumo now knowing where his son is is the main point of interest for me here, though. You've sufficiently built him on his own these past 15 chapters; now I look forward to seeing his long-awaited reunion with Momiji and Kusanagi.

Took me a while to get to this review, but the chapters in question are certainly good ones. The all-Midori chapter was a surprise, not so much for the content as the simple fact of it. It was probably appropriate for this stage of her story, though, and the drama here is compelling. I felt genuinely disappointed in Midori for giving in to lust.

Kome is oddly out-of-character in chapter 22. Her suggesting that Momiji break the news to Mrs. Fujimiya, in particular, is very uncharacteristically thoughtful of her. Still a fun scene, though.

As before, Momiji and Kusanagi seem to be treading water, but are at least doing it in reasonably entertaining fashion. Momiji drunk is too obvious perhaps, but you pull off what she would be like in that state remarkably well, without resorting to generic drunk humor.

Whew! Now that I'm done with this review, I can finally get to reading the next chapter!

The plot doesn't seem to move forward as much in these two chapters, but they remain highly entertaining. The dive into Sakura's thoughts in chapter 19 is particularly fun. Sakura is one of those characters who has next to nothing in common with the average person, both in terms of background and personality, so it's hard to get into her head, but I think you've done a highly satisfying job of it.

Momiji and Kusanagi are beginning to tread water here, I dare say, but enough of it is compellingly written to make the whole worthwhile. Momiji's apologies, with the hiccups interrupting her speech, give the conversation a strong feel of authenticity.

There's one notable typo near the end of the chapter: "It last for all of two minutes."

Kunikada is again well-depicted in his grief, and the continuing mystery of Noa's importance remains interesting. I have to say that the dialogue in the following scene with the TAC feels oddly out of character, though, even if their actual behavior fits.

Anyway, not as much to comment on here as usual, but I'll be checking out the next chapters soon...

More great stuff. The way Kunikada expresses his grief over Kaede's death is especially poignant and believable. It's hard to make death scenes genuinely sensitive as opposed to simply overwrought, and this one works well.

The brief appearance by Momiji's grandmother was enjoyable; you portray her very loyally. And the way Zan Kazai's character is implied rather than told outright at the beginning of the next chapter is a bit of fresh air; while it hasn't been a problem yet, at least not to the point where it's worth complaining about, this fic seems to lean towards telling characters' emotions rather than showing them. Momiji's reflections in this chapter are a case in point. The whole scene seems unnecessary, yet I certainly don't mind reading any of it.

Murakumo and Midori's interactions are again a highlight. The thread keeps on progressing, Midori's natural fear coming out and clashing with her more unreasonable feelings towards Murakumo. I love the line "If having a family meant so little to him, then what he was doing with her meant even less." It's just a very strong, irresistibly worded truth, appropriately voiced through Midori's rather propriety-oriented mind.

So the climactic battle with Tamanasu is all tied up, but we've got fresh plot threads to keep things moving. Looking forward to the next installment.

The sexual encounter between Momiji and Kusanagi is certainly handled well. The setup is not at all contrived, and there's a real sense of the two of them losing control to their impulses. The alarm raised by Tamanasu averting any subsequent awkwardness between them is typical Blue Seed - I like it.

The interactions between Murakumo and Midori continue to be satisfying, if perhaps a little more drawn-out than they needed to be in this chapter. Murakumo being Noa's father puts an interesting twist on things, and I rather wonder now what Susano's plans for the child could be. I got the impression that Noa's conception was arranged by Susano, though of course I may have misread things.

I enjoyed the little check-in with the TAC. As always, a very natural visual of the characters at work pops up from your descriptions. The little scene with Sakura is not only amusing, but provides a nice clip of her under-explored leisure time activities.

The battle between Kaede and Tamanasu is well-executed, with the both of them having their apparent strengths and vulnerabilities.

Kaede dying didn't exactly come off as unexpected, I have to say. Still, it makes a good end to the chapter; together with Tamanasu seemingly dead now as well, it leaves us with one of those tantalizing "Now what?"-type cliffhangers.

A few unnecessary paragraphs here and there, but this is nonetheless another excellent progression of the story. The continued interaction between Midori and Murakumo is continuously entertaining, even somewhat amusing, yet always believable. Your portrayal of Murakumo's paranoia is particularly characteristic of him. The whole scenario is genuinely unexpected, and I just hope it doesn't turn into a case of Florence Nightingale Syndrome, because it's progressing beautifully.

The verbal sparring between Kusanagi and Sakura is still great, and I really enjoyed the line "I think we all know by now how great you think you are." The gang's reaction to the evidence of Aragami presence was well done, too.

Kaede's sacrifice to help Hikaru is an interesting development, and it keeps in place the limits on Susano's power that are necessary for both the story itself and the believability of his role in it. There's a solid sense of danger in Kaede and Hikaru's flight.

Kusanagi's big prank on Momiji is well-played, and I am impressed with how long you drew it out without losing the sharpness of the dialogue. I do feel bad for Momiji, but Kusanagi is consistently in-character with his witticisms and obviously-got-too-much-time-on-his-hands scheme.

On to the next batch! I just wish my life wasn't so busy right now, so that I could have more time to read these.

Another great pair of chapters. The scene with Akumakai is so-so, but I love your description of Akumakai himself.

Akiko and Kusanagi is priceless. A hilarious display of Kusanagi out of his element. There's good humor to be found in those two contrasting personalities, and you do them justice.

One typo that I feel I should point out(not trying to make a habit of this, honest): "anything that came below her upper thigh". It should be "extended below" or "came down to", not "came below". There's also a mid-sentence paragraph break shortly after.

Kusanagi's back story is a revealing look into his character and emotions for the most part, though it is odd that he would assume Kaede was murdered by Aragami, and particularly odd that he would blame the Aragami as a whole, given that there were a number of rogue Aragami running around at this time.

The TAC meeting is the most outstanding bit of these chapters. It's continuously engaging, with lots of surprise plot revelations worked nicely into a convincingly realistic meeting. The characters are well-handled, and it's great to see Kunikada calling the shots as usual. If I haven't mentioned before, the boss man is one of my favorites in the Blue Seed cast.

The revelation of the identity of the enemy is well-played, and well-timed, I think. It took long enough for us to have a good mystery, but not long enough to get sick of having no idea what our heroes are up against. Also, much like Blue Seed 2, the enemy is tied to the Aragami enough for this tale have a sense of continuity with the original.

It's interesting to see Sakura stirring up trouble again, and the tensions between her, Momiji, and Kusanagi made for great reading. None of their barbs at each other sound forced or contrived.

So, great cliffhanger for the rest of the story, and I remain engaged with this swiftly moving plot.

Another terrific pair of chapters with ever-faithful renditions of the characters.

The introduction of Hikaru is somewhat intriguing, and it is satisfying to have the long-standing mystery of this fic's title revealed, or at least strongly hinted at. However, the action with the TAC is the most enjoyable segment of these chapters. The scene with them unraveling an antidote for Kusanagi is full of great characteristic TAC stuff like Yaegashi's pseudo-scientific explanations. It's all so evocative of the TV series without being a rerun.

The little feuding between Momiji and Kusanagi is well done, and I liked Kusanagi's reasoning "he couldn't protect her... But if she stayed with him he could be assured that she was all right." A very human impulse. His trying to make love to Momiji in his sleep, on the other hand, is a bit too contrived to be believable. That whole scene came off rather awkward as a result, even though there was nothing wrong with how you described their exchange of affections.

One typo that I must point out, simply because it conjures a disgusting image: "...clutching the bed sheet around his waste..."

To say the return of Murakumo is a pleasant surprise would be an understatement. I've always felt that his anticlimactic end after over a dozen episodes of buildup was the one glaring flaw of Blue Seed's otherwise masterful finale; bringing him back provides one last chance for him to fulfill his potential. You're off to a great start there, as well. You've captured his manner and dialogue perfectly. Moreover, Midori's encounter with him, tying neatly into the TAC's investigation of the iwatto, is a most promising thread.

The bit at the other iwatto nearly surpasses Murakumo's return as my favorite scene of these chapters, though. The action choreography with Koume is vivid and intense, and the chemistry between her and Yaegashi is just delightful. You've really found what makes the two of them such great foils for each other.

It feels like I haven't had much time for reading this lately, but the plot and handling of the characters keep me looking forward to my next chance to read another chapter.

This is really a great pair of chapters, with plenty of interesting plot turns to keep the excitement up. Momiji's eerie awakening kicks things off with a bang, and things progress at a wonderful pace from there.

The interesting creature menacing our heroes is well-crafted; the distinctive description made it very easy for me to visualize it. Even though I could expect Kusanagi coming to the rescue, I could feel a strong tone of menace during the creature's attack on Momiji.

In chapter 7 we get another scene from Susano-oh's perspective; as with the first, I find this one doesn't really add anything. Kaede's call to Kusanagi certainly would have carried more of a mysterious air without it. I did like the idea of her calling him to help Momiji; it's arguably a bit deus ex machina, but you certainly aren't overdoing it, and it's only on reflection that that aspect of it is apparent.

I love the line "...regret written on his face, not because he had failed to tell her, but because she had found out anyway." Great characterization of Kunikada. Koume is very good in chapter 8, too.

But the standout character in these chapters is Kusanagi. You're not pulling your punches in his interactions with Momiji, which is an understandable temptation for most writers. Kusanagi treats her so shamefully much of the time that when I first watched the series, I remember thinking "he doesn't deserve her" well before Yaegashi said it. You've captured the way things really are between them rather than an idealization of how they should be. Kusanagi's struggles over his feelings for Momiji, too, come off as poignant and real. The appropriate simile "like the green reawakening from winter" helps carry across the real reason for his sudden struggle.

I generally haven't bothered pointing out your typos, but I was struck that there are two sentences beginning with the grammatically horrifying "Momiji watch him" almost one right after the other. So... I'm pointing that one out, I guess.

Kusanagi being struck by illness is an interesting twist. Seeing him helpless for a change unquestionably adds tension.

Again, great pair of chapters, and I'm enjoying following this to wherever you're taking it.

This is a very enjoyable pair of chapters. The opening scene is especially strong; Takeuchi, Sugishita, and Sakura are all not only handed loyally, but burst out with life and characterization. The light confrontations and taunting between the TAC team brightens their morbid investigation. The mishaps with Sakura's inappropriate attire are an especially nice bit of color but everything here works well with the characters.

This carries over almost as strong to the next scene. I've always enjoyed the contrast between Momiji and Sakura, and the way you describe their clothing certainly helps with visualizing the incongruity of the two of them. You've done a surprisingly good job with capturing the subtle dynamic between Kunikada and Kusanagi, and this chapter is no exception. There's no warmth whatsoever between the two of them, but they've come to trust and even understand each other to an extent.

The appearance of the Mitama shape isn't particularly shocking, but I like the dramatic way you unveiled it. You built a lot of drama around the matter without taking it to cheesy extremes.

The conversation at the beginning of the next chapter is pretty good; Kusanagi's behavior in Midori's account certainly fits with his character. However, Momiji's dialogue in the paragraph beginning ""Well, Midori, it's just that I've..." doesn't sound right. Momiji speaking in such a formal tone is not without precedent in the series itself, but those few lines just sound awkward.

The mix of humor and drama in Momiji and Kusanagi's little dinner date is just about right. I particularly enjoyed the line "Was there ever a time, she wondered when he didn't look good?" The sexual tension between them gets pretty intense in this scene, but I think you managed to not take it overboard; the emotions between them are still the central figure here.

I do think you may have had things progress too quickly between Momiji and Kusanagi in chapter 6, but the TAC mystery remains of interest. And of course, it's possible that I've misread what you're doing with Momiji and Kusanagi.

These two chapters aren't as strong as the first two, to be honest, but I remain confident that this story is headed for worthwhile places. The main problem is perspective: the scene from Susano-oh's perspective, and the lapses into Kusanagi's perspective at the end of chapter 4, are unnecessary and break the air of mystery.

The scene at the hospital is generally well-handled, though it makes no sense that Moe would want Kusanagi rather than Kunikada and Takeuchi to watch Momiji; even her explanation applies no more to Kusanagi than Kunikada. There are plenty of good moments, though, like the confrontation between Koume and Kusanagi.

The first couple chapters did have some typos, but this one also has some writing problems worth mentioning:

1."Mrs. Fujimiya, first I want to tell you that I think Momiji is going to be fine... but, she's not out of the woods yet..." Do you know what "not out of the woods yet" means? It means pretty much the opposite of "going to be fine".

2."I thought you saved that particular euphemism..." Similarly to #1, the word "euphemism" means precisely the opposite of what you're using it for.

3.On several occasions you do some unnecessary telling in place of(or even in addition to) telling. For instance, "He told them what he knew about... after the priest disappeared.", "...Moe overruled him in favor of Kusanagi.", "Kusanagi did some serious verbal... didn't want to be in."

Otherwise, all the strong points mentioned in my previous review remain in place. You have delivered some classic TAC investigating into mysterious goings-on, plus some well-portrayed banter between Momiji and Kusanagi; it's good to see that you write their happy moments as well as their sad ones. I'll be digging into the next batch of chapters soon.

At last I get around to reading this famous piece of work - to date, the only complete Blue Seed novel. Can't say that I'm the least bit disappointed thus far. This follow-up to the official Blue Seed saga is evocative, exciting, thoughtful, and captures the spirit of the official stories without being derivative of them.

First off, however, I must inform you that due to changes in FF dot net's formatting, your scene separators are now gone. You need to replace them with the standardized line which is in "Document Manager"; as it is, all the scenes flow together.

Right from the teasing conversation between Momiji and Midori which opens this novel, the characters feel natural in both dialogue and gestures. And while the "Three months, ten days, six hours, and forty-five minutes" thing is very stalker-ish, your exploration of the course of Momiji and Kusanagi's relationship is a natural follow-up to what we see in Blue Seed 2. Kusanagi's self-disgust prompting him to distance himself from Momiji was well-established there, and you follow it through to a natural result. The breakup scene is classic Momiji and Kusanagi.

The success of the Blue Seed formula is a mix of the compelling relationship stuff and some good mystery, and you've got a handle of that suspense aspect as well. Koume's mysterious allusions to her assignment grab the reader's interest from the start, and the car crash incident builds the intensity before we have a chance to lose that interest. You've even worked some suspense into Momiji's relationship troubles; while I doubt that Kusanagi would be interested in Midori in that way, who knows what he might do to get over his breakup with Momiji? And if he isn't dating Midori, then what exactly are the two of them up to?

The humor is good, too, as it is based on solid portrayals of the characters. The TAC's reactions to Momiji's experiment with risque clothing is a strong example, but even little bits like Momiji's clumsiness when Sugishita shows up add to the Blue Seed flavor.

I also must make note of your handling of the relationship between Kunikada and Momiji, always one of my favorite aspects of Blue Seed. True to the series, your Kunikada is gruff and overprotective but not overbearing.

Please reply to this review if you receive it; I like writing long reviews, but only if someone is reading them. If I don't hear from you, I'll keep my subsequent reviews terse and basic.

I loved it will there be more? Plz!

Oh goodness... I've been reading this story through in chunks. I'm so glad to have come across something that is well written and has an interesting plot to it in the Blue Seed universe, there just aren't enough of these out there! I'm pretty sure I cried when Midori was attacked and lost her baby, I definitely did when she and Murakumo seperated, oh and when Momiji was in the hospital...over and over and over again, and when Kaede died and was heartbroken since she was unable to help her family and friends.

That's not to say that I wasn't exceedingly gushy (I'm pretty sure I had the anime hearts in my eyes) for all of the cute things, the little peaceful moments and the playfulness that has somehow worked it's way through all of the darkness in this little tale.

All in all, a wonderful read and I look forward to your next story and offer my best wishes for it. I hope more people discover your work!

ooSBGoo