I woke up the next morning feeling like a million bucks. The kind of deep, bone-settling satisfaction that only came from total victory—and a truly spectacular Friday night.
As I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind casually drifted back to the late hours of the previous night. Shura had kept her promise.
After Yukio and I had retired to our rooms, she hadn't even waited an hour before slipping through my bedroom door. The room had been pitch black, illuminated only by the faint, pulsing blue glow of my aura. She had still been wearing that absurdly flattering velvet Santa dress, but the playful teasing from the hallway was gone. Behind closed doors, with just the two of us, it was an entirely different battlefield.
Every time I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but remember the way she had straddled my lap. The soft velvet sliding up her thighs as she leaned down, her fiery red hair falling like a curtain around us. I remembered the intoxicating contrast of her sharp, confident smirk melting into breathy gasps the second I took control, pinning her wrists and showing her exactly how much heat I could generate. She had been loud, demanding, and utterly relentless.
Hachiro's definitely getting that promotion, I mused internally, a deeply satisfied smirk crossing my face as I stretched my arms over my head, feeling my muscles pop with fresh, limitless energy.
I threw off the covers, threw on a fresh pair of clothes, and grabbed my duffel bag.
When I walked out into the main living area, the high I was riding hit a brick wall of hidden depression. Yukio was sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly into a mug of black coffee. From an outside perspective he looked the same, but to my enhanced senses I could tell that he was still toiling over the ghost of a mother he had never met.
"Mornin', Yuki-boy," I noted casually, walking past him to grab an apple from the counter.
He looked up and gave me what I could only assume was a practice smile. "Good Morning, Rin. How'd you sleep?"
Did he hear us last night? I questioned internally with a laugh. Maybe I should have put up a noise canceling barrier.
"Like a baby, man," I replied, taking a loud bite of my apple.
"The train leaves in an hour, so we'll need to get our things in order before then," he said, getting up from his seat.
I replied with a nod and a thumbs up.
As he turned to leave, I noticed how his jaw tightened in frustration. Seems like he's still hung up over that news of Yuri, I thought, watching as he left out the door to pack his belongings. But it's better to let others deal with their problems their way.
A few moments later, Yukio reappeared with his perfectly packed suitcase and followed me out the door.
We met the rest of the Exwires at the train station. They were already there, loudly arguing about what snacks to buy for the ride. When she spotted us, Shiemi waved enthusiastically in our direction.
Shura, unfortunately, wasn't joining us. She had texted me earlier that morning, complaining that the Vatican had immediately deployed her on a high-priority Exorcist mission to the southern prefectures.
Probably a good thing, I thought, watching Yukio load his bags onto the train. If she was here, I'd probably end up dragging her into a sleeper car, which wouldn't bode well because Yukio feels like he's one inconvenience away from crashing out.
We corralled into the private train car True Cross had booked for us. While the Exwires chatted excitedly about returning to Kyoto and the upcoming ceremonies, I leaned back against the plush seat, propping my boots up on the empty chair across from me.
I watched the city blur past the window, completely relaxed. Somewhere out there, Lucifer was plotting. His bio-lab was ash, his director was terrified, and the board had been completely flipped in my favor.
Normal Exorcists would be sweating bullets, waiting for the King of Light's inevitable retaliation. I, however, just closed my eyes and let the rhythmic hum of the train lull me to sleep.
The train ride went by in a peaceful blur. By the time we pulled into Kyoto Station, the afternoon sun was beginning to dip, casting a golden hue over the city.
We made our way through the bustling streets and up the winding, forested paths toward the Myoda Sect's main compound. Bon was at the front of the pack, eagerly talking about how much the temple had rebuilt since the Impure King incident, while Renzo and Konekomaru trailed behind him.
As we approached the gates of the main courtyard, my aura instinctively flared out, remembering the feeling of the place I had first fully awakened my reality-defining power. The air around me shimmered as a faint, almost invisible mixture of ethereal heat radiated from my skin. It didn't burn the surroundings. Instead, it felt like a pure, holy draft washing over the entire mountain.
The reaction was instantaneous.
The Myoda monks milling about the courtyard froze in their tracks. These were men who dedicated their entire lives to worshiping deities. Their spiritual senses were highly attuned. So, when my aura washed over them, their eyes went wide with instinctual reverence.
Without a word, the monks nearest to the gate dropped to their knees, bowing their heads to the stone courtyard.
"Woah, what are they doing?" Bon asked, stopping dead in his tracks and looking around in confusion.
Before he could get an answer, the air above the shrines rippled. Dozens of ancient, dormant familiars—spirits taking the shape of glowing, ethereal animals—materialized from the temple's hidden depths. They fluttered down from the tiled roofs, landing respectfully on either side of the pathway. They didn't make a sound. They simply lowered their glowing heads toward me, acknowledging my arrival.
Izumo gasped, taking a step back, while Shiemi covered her mouth in awe. Yukio just stared at the bowing familiars, his jaw clenched tight.
"Don't mind them," I said casually, walking past the stunned Exwires and stepping smoothly into the courtyard. I offered a polite, two-finger salute to the kneeling monks. "Just paying their respects. Come on, I think your dad is waiting for us, Bon."
While the Exwires were ushered off to get settled in their guest rooms and prepare for the upcoming baby shower, I was discreetly pulled aside by a senior monk. He led me through the winding wooden corridors of the temple and slid open a shoji door to a private, heavily warded tatami room.
Sitting at the low table were Tatsuma Suguro and Gozo Shima, Renzo's other muscular, usually cool-headed older brother.
"Rin," Tatsuma greeted, offering a deep, respectful bow from his seated position. The grizzled old priest looked tired, but his eyes were sharp. "Thank you for coming. And thank you for... whatever you just did in the courtyard. The familiars haven't been that active in centuries."
"It's just ambient heat," I replied smoothly, taking a seat across from them and crossing my legs. "What's the situation? You didn't pull me in here just to talk about the weather."
Gozo shifted uncomfortably with a trepidatious expression. "We've gotten disturbing reports from the northern branches. Sightings of Saburota Todo in Aomori. The Vatican isn't fully aware about his intentions, but the Myoda Sect has not forgotten the chaos that individual almost brought here. So we wanted to inform you about him and the potential plots he and his associates may come up with."
I nodded in understanding. "I appreciate that, but you don't need to worry too much about Todo," I said, leaning an elbow on the table and resting my chin in my hand. "Or Aomori for that matter."
Tatsuma raised a brow. "Why not? Has something happened?"
"Because I was just there not too long ago," I answered casually. "Todo came to Aomori to test a newly developed chimera bio-weapon for Lucifer. I ended up incinerating it while I was there to break the immortal contract between Shura and the hydra deity, Hachirotaro, and recruited him as a General for my army."
My voice remained calm and conversational. "Before that, I took a little trip to the Inari shrine and performed what is being called a miracle by purifying the area. Not too long ago, I rallied my new army, dropped a spatial rift directly over one of Lucifer's labs, completely annihilated the facility, and sent his Base Director back to him, launching the official start to the war."
Gozo choked on the tea he had just started sipping. "You... you did what?!" he coughed violently as his eyes bugged out of his head.
"Officially started the war against Lucifer," I said, nonchalantly.
Silence fell over the room.
Gozo was staring at me like I had just grown multiple heads, sweat practically pouring down his forehead. Tatsuma sat completely frozen, his weathered hands trembling slightly as his brain short-circuited, trying to process the sheer, impossible scale of the nightmare I had just casually described.
"War," Tatsuma finally whispered, his voice hoarse. "We heard from a couple Exorcists about how you gave the Vatican a demonstration of your might, but challenging the King of Light is something else completely."
"As I said, it won't be by myself. I've assembled an army," I corrected him, waving a hand dismissively. "Lucifer's been playing games in the shadows for too long, stitching together corpses and calling it the future. Meanwhile, the True Cross Order only does things that benefit themselves in the long run. I simply flipped the board, and decided to do things at my own pace."
"Forgive me if I'm not seeing the positives in your reasoning," Gozo said, still trying to wrap his head around what I had just divulged. "But if Lucifer mobilizes his forces, the True Cross won't have the manpower to defend every branch, and Kyoto, as well as everywhere else in the world, could end up being a target."
"It will not come to that," I said, my blue eyes briefly flashing with a piercing platinum light that made the older Exorcist flinch back. "I didn't start a war to let innocent people die. I have my Generals constantly monitoring the Illuminati's movements. By the time Lucifer tries to strike back, my forces will be ready to counter anything that they throw humanity's way."
I stood up, brushing off my pants.
"As long as I'm here, nobody's losing their lives," I assured them, offering a confident smile. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a baby shower to attend. I promised to handle the catering."
I turned and slid the shoji door open, leaving the two high-ranking members of the Myoda Sect sitting in sweating, paralyzed silence.
By the time I returned to the main courtyard, the baby shower was in full swing.
The Myoda Sect had pulled out all the stops. Long banquet tables were set up beneath strings of paper lanterns, and the air was filled with laughter and the quiet murmuring of the Exwires mingling with the monks. At the head table sat the guests of honor: Juzo Shima and his pregnant wife, Mamushi Hojo. She looked radiant, though I could see the subtle signs of physical strain and exhaustion that came with carrying a child.
As the sun fully dipped below the horizon, the head priests began to gather around the couple's table, preparing to recite a traditional, hours-long chanted prayer for the child's health and protection.
I decided to save them some time.
"'Scuse me," I called out casually, stepping through the crowd. The monks immediately parted for me, bowing their heads respectfully. I walked right up to the head table, offering a warm smile to the couple. "I believe I was asked to handle the blessing for the baby. And I prefer to let my cooking do the talking."
Juzo grinned, wrapping an arm around his wife. "We were hoping you wouldn't forget, Rin. Kinzo hasn't shut up about the food you made for Bon and them after Inari."
"He hasn't even scratched the surface," I said, rolling up my sleeves.
I extended my hands over the wide wooden table in front of them.
With a simple blink, the air ignited. A perfectly controlled sphere of deep blue fire bloomed into existence, acting as a suspended, gravity-defying oven. I pulled a single wooden chopstick from a nearby holder, channeling my power through it until it seamlessly transformed into a massive Sea Bream—a traditional symbol of good fortune—and made it hover right into the air in front of me.
The entire courtyard went silent, watching in absolute awe as I went to work.
I used razor-thin arcs of concentrated thermal energy to flawlessly descale and filet the fish mid-air. With a flick of my wrist, a gentle wave of blue fire seared the outside of the fish to a perfect, crispy golden-brown while keeping the inside tender and juicy. Beneath it, a cast-iron pot I created out of thin air filled with premium rice began to boil, heated by a precisely calibrated ember of fire.
But that was just the main course. The real blessing was in the broth.
I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, tapping into my divine authority. The blue flames shifted, instantly washing out into a blinding, pure platinum white.
Gasps echoed through the courtyard. The intense ambient heat in the area vanished, instantly replaced by a wave of profound, comforting holy energy that washed over everyone present. I guided the platinum fire into a crystal bowl, using it to rapidly simmer and clarify a rich seafood consommé. The flames infused directly into the liquid, conceptually binding with the broth until it glowed like liquid starlight.
I plated the Tai Meshi—the beautifully seared Sea Bream resting over the perfectly steamed rice—and poured the glowing platinum consommé into two ornate porcelain bowls.
I set the feast down in front of Mamushi and Juzo.
"Eat," I instructed softly, my eyes glowing with a faint, otherworldly light. "And receive my blessing."
For a moment, neither of them moved. They just stared at the glowing food, completely spellbound. The aroma alone was intoxicating—a rich, savory blend of perfectly seared seafood layered with a holy, almost floral warmth that made the mouth water instinctively.
"Well?" I questioned with my hands raised in an exaggerated fashion. "I ain't gonna live forever. Y'all gonna dig in or not?"
"Okay, okay, don't rush us," Juzo replied, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's just a lot to process, is all."
Even so, he swallowed hard, practically drooling, while Mamushi looked at the shimmering broth with a mixture of deep reverence and awe. Finally, picking up their chopsticks with trembling hands, they dug in.
Juzo took a bite of the fish, his eyes widening as he let out a loud, entirely undignified groan of pure culinary bliss.
But it was Mamushi's reaction that stopped the entire courtyard.
She lifted the bowl of the platinum-infused consommé with trembling hands and took a sip. The moment the broth passed her lips, the subtle lines of exhaustion on her face vanished entirely. A soft, brilliant platinum light began to radiate from her chest, traveling downward until it completely enveloped her stomach.
The light wove itself into a complex, geometric ward, sinking directly into her skin.
Mamushi gasped, dropping her utensils as her hands flew to her belly. Tears instantly welled in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks as she looked up at me.
"The pain..." she whispered, her voice trembling with overwhelming emotion. "The heaviness... it's completely gone. I feel so... warm."
"That ward's permanent," I told her, my voice carrying clearly over the silent, reverent crowd. "No demon, curse, or illness will ever be able to touch your child. They will be born without complications, and they'll grow up strong. You have my word on it."
Juzo quickly stood up, his eyes shining with unshed tears, and bowed to me at a perfect ninety-degree angle. Beside him, Mamushi did the same.
Like a chain reaction, every single Myoda monk in the courtyard dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in absolute worship. Even the Exwires stood in stunned silence, watching me act as a living deity granting a miracle.
Now, this is something I'm probably going to get used to with time, I mused. But at least it's not hate, so it won't be too hard I suppose.
The rest of the baby shower went by in a blur of celebration and excellent food. I spent the next few hours coasting on the high of the crowd, casually accepting the endless stream of gratitude from Tatsuma, Gozo, and the rest of the Myoda Sect. Even Yukio seemed to momentarily forget his brooding, caught up in the overwhelming positivity of the night.
By the time the lanterns began to dim and the monks started clearing the tables, I was lounging on the wooden veranda overlooking the courtyard, nursing a cup of green tea.
Then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I pulled it out, expecting a text from Shura complaining about her Vatican assignment. Instead, the caller ID flashed a name that rarely called me directly with good news: Sammy.
I swiped to answer and brought the phone to my ear. "Yea, this is me. How goes it?"
"Rin," Mephisto said calmly, which made me pause immediately.
There was no theatrical flair in his voice. There was no playful lilt, or a dramatic sigh. He sounded entirely serious.
"Find a television immediately, and turn it to any global news network."
"Huh?! Why?" I questioned.
"It's something you need to see immediately," he responded, a small hint of trepidation in his tone.
I lowered the phone, my relaxed demeanor instantly vanishing. I stood up, catching Yukio's eye across the courtyard. He immediately recognized the shift in my posture and jogged over to me with Bon trailing right behind him.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't know," I said, making my way toward the temple's main guest quarters. "Where's the nearest TV?"
Bon blinked, completely caught off guard. "Uh, in the common room down the hall. Why?"
"Mephisto said something big's happening on the news networks," I replied. "And he sounded serious. I need to see what's happening."
Bon nodded and immediately led us straight down a wooden corridor. Renzo, Konekomaru, and Izumo joined us along the way. When we entered, I grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and clicked the flat-screen TV on.
It was already set to a major global news network.
The banner at the bottom of the screen read in bold, flashing red letters: BREAKING NEWS: UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL BROADCAST.
However, the screen didn't show any news anchors. It showed Lucifer, speaking out like he was giving a 'state of the union' speech.
What the fuck?! I thought, watching Lucifer speak to the public in disbelief.
"For centuries, you have been kept in the dark," Lucifer's soothing voice echoed through the television speakers. From the looks of the various international news outlets holding their mics up, I could tell that he wasn't just speaking to Japan; he was speaking to the entire world, his voice seamlessly translated and broadcasted across every major network on the planet. "You have been told that you are alone. You have been told that the shadows are empty. You have been lied to by an organization known as the True Cross Order, who hoard the truth of our reality for themselves."
"What the hell..." Bon whispered, his face completely draining of color.
"My name is Lucifer," the King of Light continued, looking directly into the camera with absolute, terrifying sincerity. "And I am here to bring you the dawn. The world you know is only half of the truth. Beyond your sight lies Gehenna, a realm of demons, and they have preyed upon you in secret for millennia. But you no longer have to be the victims society has cast you as. My organization, the Illuminati, will guide humanity into a new era of evolution. We will unite the realms. We will cure your diseases. We will make you gods."
My phone buzzed violently again in my hand. This time, it was Shura.
I answered it, keeping my eyes glued to the screen. "Yea."
"Rin, it's a fucking disaster," she yelled over the line. I could hear alarms blaring in the background and the frantic shouting of Vatican personnel. "Lucifer didn't just hack the broadcast. He did something to the global atmospheric pressure. He forced a mass spiritual awakening. Normal people are seeing demons! The internet is exploding. Coal tars, goblins, ghouls—civilians are seeing all of it! There's mass panic in every major city on earth!"
"The True Cross will call us terrorists for wanting the truth revealed," Lucifer said on the screen, offering a gentle, forgiving smile. "But we are your salvation. Do not fear the light."
This mutherfucker's cookin', I thought, watching as the broadcast abruptly cut to a stunned, stammering news anchor trying to process what had just happened.
The common room was dead silent. Yukio looked like he was about to pass out. Izumo was clutching her arms, trembling slightly, and Bon looked like he had just watched the world end.
"He... he just exposed everything," Yukio breathed, his voice cracking with absolute terror. "The world is going to tear itself apart."
I stared at the television screen for a long, quiet moment.
After destroying his lab like that, Lucifer probably knew he lost the advantage of an ambush or a straight-up fight, I mused, placing a hand to my chin. So, he accomplished the opposite and flipped the entire board again, changing the rules of the game.
A low chuckle vibrated in my chest.
Yukio snapped his head toward me, looking at me like I was insane. "Rin? What's funny about this?!"
I couldn't help it. The chuckle grew into a full, genuine laugh. It wasn't a laugh of panic or despair. It was the laugh of someone who'd just realized their game was going to be much more entertaining than he originally thought.
"I told him it was his move, and to make it a good one," I said, a wide, razor-sharp grin spreading across my face as my blue eyes flashed with platinum intensity. "I gotta hand it to him. That was a hell of a counterattack."
I tossed the remote onto the couch and cracked my knuckles, my four-colored halo briefly flaring to life, casting dramatic, dancing shadows across the room.
"Alright, y'all," I announced, my voice completely devoid of fear. "Vacation's over. The time for war has officially commenced."