— — — — — —
At the border between Muko City and the outskirts of Kyoto—
"Huff... huff..."
With a travel bag slung over her shoulders, Irina Shido jogged steadily along the highway. Sweat occasionally trickled down her cheeks, but her breathing remained even.
Beside her, Xenovia was also carrying a pack. Her face was drenched in sweat as she adjusted her breathing and glanced at the dense green mountains surrounding them.
"Irina, didn't you say Kyoto was only thirty kilometers away? I feel like I've already run most of that distance. Forget Kyoto, I haven't even seen its shadow."
"It's thirty kilometers in a straight line. That's if you take the Shinkansen. We can't exactly sprint down the train tracks, so we're stuck following the roads and taking the long way around." Irina answered while keeping her pace steady.
Knowing exactly how Xenovia would react to that explanation, she quickly struck first. "Besides, if you hadn't insisted on taking a taxi, we wouldn't be running an ultra-marathon through the mountains right now."
Xenovia's expression immediately turned miserable, "Sorry. I genuinely didn't know taxis in this country were that expensive."
"Me neither..." Irina muttered before shaking her head. "Anyway, stop talking. You're messing up your breathing. At this rate, we won't make it to Kyoto on schedule."
She glanced at the map on her phone. "Looks like there's a small roadside restaurant up ahead. Let's borrow some water there. We've been running long enough that dehydration is becoming a real possibility."
"Got it."
Xenovia didn't think much of it. She simply closed her mouth and focused on regulating her breathing.
The two continued down the highway for another two kilometers.
Their pace gradually slowed. Their expressions gradually hardened. And the restaurant Irina had expected never appeared.
Instead, they found themselves standing before a sprawling complex of traditional Japanese estates stretching across the mountainside.
Beside the main gate hung a massive plaque: Himejima.
Irina tightened her grip on her backpack straps, "...Did we just walk into a barrier?"
Xenovia frowned, "I didn't sense anything when we came through. Was it intentionally left open?"
She scanned the area cautiously. "Should we go in?"
"We should." Irina scratched her head in frustration. "If they deliberately opened the barrier for us, then even if we wanted to leave, we probably couldn't."
With a sigh, she walked up to the gate and pressed the doorbell.
A few minutes later, the gate opened.
A woman dressed as a maid appeared, then blinked in surprise when she saw them. "Um... may I ask who you are?"
Irina froze, "...Wasn't it your people who deliberately let us in?"
"Deliberately?"
The maid looked completely confused.
Before anyone could say more, a cool female voice came from behind her, "Rin, step down."
"Yes, Lady Suzaku."
The maid immediately turned, bowed, and hurried away.
At the sound of the newcomer's voice, both Irina and Xenovia instinctively became more alert.
A moment later, an elegant woman entered their view.
She possessed a cold, refined beauty and wore a simple purple kimono. Her hair was styled in the manner of a married woman.
"You two carry the aura of Church personnel." She stepped forward gracefully. "I am Suzaku Himejima, head of this household."
"Himejima...?" Irina turned toward Xenovia in surprise. "One of the Five Great Exorcist Families of the Far East?"
Xenovia studied Suzaku suspiciously before nodding, "If I remember correctly, the Five Great Exorcist Families are allied with the three factions right now."
"You can drop the 'if I remember correctly.'" Suzaku's gaze swept over both of them. "You were sent by the Church to attend the training program, weren't you? How did you end up inside the Himejima barrier?"
Irina hesitated before answering, "We are trainees, yes. We're currently on our way to Kyoto. As for entering your barrier... the truth is that neither of us sensed one at all."
"You didn't sense it?" Suzaku's brows drew together, and her expression darkened. "...I see."
She looked at the sweat-soaked pair for a moment before speaking again. "Come inside and get cleaned up first. I'll arrange a helicopter to take you to Kyoto afterward."
Irina immediately shot Xenovia a meaningful glance.
'Should we go in?'
'YES.'
Xenovia answered with one quick blink.
"Then we'll accept your hospitality."
They followed Suzaku into the estate and were soon separated.
Before leaving, Suzaku assigned a maid to each of them, then departed in a hurry, her face still grim.
The moment she was gone, Irina let out a long sigh, "Hurry up and wash. I think something's about to happen."
Xenovia looked puzzled, "What makes you say that?"
"A major exorcist family's barrier suddenly malfunctions, and even the family head didn't notice? That's obviously a problem."
Irina opened her luggage and began pulling out clothes better suited for fighting. "There are only two possibilities. Either someone highly skilled in barrier techniques breached it, or there's a traitor inside the Himejima family."
She paused thoughtfully. "My money's on the first option. News that the Five Great Exorcist Families joined the alliance has been public for a while now. If the Himejima family has been targeted, it's not hard to guess why."
Xenovia's eyes widened. "So there's a chance we'll end up fighting and helping the Himejima family?"
"More or less." Irina shrugged. "It's a coincidence, but if we stumble across something like this, doing nothing isn't really my style. Though that family head is probably trying to get us out of here before things go bad."
Picking up a towel and her toiletries, Irina narrowed her eyes. "Let's get cleaned up fast and recover our strength. I've got a feeling something big is coming."
"Ooh..." Xenovia grinned knowingly. "You're thinking about earning extra merit before we reach Kyoto, aren't you?"
"Of course I am." Irina flashed a confident smile. "This joint training program between the three factions is a huge opportunity. If you want to stand out, you have to work for it."
Then she patted the Holy Sword inside her backpack.
"And honestly? This is practically free credit."
Her smile sharpened, "Two Holy Sword wielders make a pretty decent surprise force."
"Fair enough." Xenovia spread her hands helplessly. "You've always been smarter than me when it comes to this stuff."
Grabbing her own bath supplies, she headed off to clean up as quickly as possible.
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