Chapter 29 - Chapter 26 - Chapter 30

Chapter 26 - Rumors

A few months had quickly passed since Ren's very first lessons with Yako and Kōrōbō.

By the end of his first month, the young boy had successfully managed to commune with nature for an entire minute. By achieving this fleeting but profound harmony with the world, he had officially managed to take his very first step onto the path of the Sage Arts, though calling him even a half-baked Sage at this point would be a massive overstatement. He had merely touched the threshold.

During his second month, he grasped the basics of the Tenran Kenjutsu, and he was finally able to glide weightlessly across the dojo floor, significantly boosting his baseline speed without making a single sound.

These two seemingly simple milestones shocked Yako and Kōrōbō so deeply that the ancient masters nearly suffered a mental breakdown. After all, it had taken both of them years of gruelling, nonstop effort to reach that exact same starting line and they were widely considered to be unprecedented prodigies among their peers!

Granted, the fact that they were long-lived supernatural races had to be factored into the equation. Yokai naturally learned and matured at a much slower pace than fleeting, short-lived humans. But even taking human adaptability into account, Ren's monstrous rate of growth was absurd. He was learning at the speed of light.

If Yako and Kōrōbō's innate talents were top-of-the-line fighter jets, Ritsuzen Ren was a literal space rocket blasting off into the stratosphere.

**********

A few days after the New Year, inside the private dojo of the Tengu barracks...

THWACK!

A fierce, blindingly fast swing from Kōrōbō's bokken swept in from Ren's blind spot, striking the boy directly in his unprotected flank. Ren gasped, his own wooden training sword, which had been raised high for a piercing thrust, stopped dead in its tracks by the sudden, breathless impact to his ribs.

"Mm. It seems your footwork is getting better and better," Kōrōbō complimented, effortlessly lowering his wooden blade. "However, your intentions are far too obvious. I have looked into your human sword arts and gained a preliminary understanding of your stances. Because of that, I can predict your moves long before you even make them."

"Ugh... Then how should I fix this, Sensei?" Ren asked, nodding thoughtfully as he rubbed his stinging side and absorbed the critique.

In truth, there was no need for an ancient Yokai like Kōrōbō to read stances to defeat a seven-year-old. But since this was a teaching spar, the Tengu captain had heavily restrained his own physical specs to match Ren's exact level, ensuring the boy could properly learn and grow.

"Bait," Kōrōbō replied succinctly. "You need to learn how to conceal your intent when wielding your blade. Once you can mask your true emotions, you can begin to fake them, tricking your opponents by projecting false intentions."

Although Kōrōbō's own Tenran Kenjutsu was a straightforward, overwhelming style built entirely on speed, the honourable master had genuinely spent his own free time researching the Kunst des Fechtens just so he could help the boy seamlessly merge his two fighting styles.

"Ohhh..." Enlightened, Ren nodded in understanding, tightening his grip on his bokken. "Again!"

This time, however, he didn't strike immediately. Instead, the seven-year-old stood perfectly straight, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Fuuu..."

Kōrōbō stood completely motionless, watching the boy's unusual actions intently. 'What is he trying to do?'

When Ren finally opened his now-clear eyes, he smoothly raised his wooden blade, shifting back into his western sword stance.

'!!!' Seeing the perfectly calm state the boy had just entered, Kōrōbō was genuinely shocked. 'I... I can't read his intentions anymore!'

That's right. With just a single sentence of guidance from his master, the young prodigy had adjusted his mindset and hidden his intentions perfectly. This wasn't because Ren was some natural-born actor or a master of deception. Rather, it was a direct result of his Sage training under Yako.

Through all those months of deep meditation, constantly striving to commune with the breath of the world, he had learned exactly how to quiet his own mind and suppress his inner agitation. By cleverly applying that exact same meditative state to his swordplay, he effectively flatlined his own emotions, erasing any trace of his next move.

Seeing the boy's visible improvement, Kōrōbō smiled slightly in genuine pride. 'Interesting!' Lowering his stance, the Tengu captain pointed his bokken directly at the seven-year-old. "Come!"

SWISH!

Carried by a sudden, violent burst of wind from his Tenran footwork, Ren closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Just like before, he seemingly launched himself into a heavy, piercing thrust. Swoosh! The tip of his wooden sword rocketed straight toward Kōrōbō's torso.

Relying on his vast combat experience, Kōrōbō quickly raised his guard to parry the familiar attack. But mere inches before the wooden blade reached his chest, Ren's trajectory suddenly shifted. Stripped of all readable intent, the linear pierce seamlessly morphed into a blistering, unpredictable upward slash.

THWACK!

A wooden sword was sent spinning violently into the air, ripped right out of Kōrōbō's grip.

Caught completely unprepared by the flawless feint, the heavily restrained sword master had actually been disarmed. A split second later, Ren's bokken came to a dead stop, the blunt wooden tip resting perfectly against Kōrōbō's neck.

"A commendable performance... my disciple," Kōrōbō acknowledged, his deep, resonant voice thick with respect.

Snapping out of his hyper-focused battle trance, Ren's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Ah! I'm sorry, Kōrōbō-sensei!" Panicking slightly, the seven-year-old quickly lowered his bokken and bowed his head deeply, fearing he had just shown terrible disrespect to his master.

"No apologies are needed. You have done an excellent job," Kōrōbō replied gently, waving a hand to dismiss the boy's worries.

Stepping forward, the Tengu captain looked intently into Ren's eyes, his avian features settling into a look of profound solemnity. "Ren. You can now truly be called a warrior. The path ahead is now yours to walk. Although there are still a few advanced techniques from the Tenran Kenjutsu that you have yet to learn, I have no doubt you will master them quickly. And once you do... I will have absolutely nothing left to teach you."

Completely overwhelmed by the sheer weight of Kōrōbō's solemn praise, Ren could only nod his head in a silent, awestruck daze.

"You are dismissed," Kōrōbō announced smoothly, officially bringing their morning training session to an end.

**********

A few weeks had quickly passed since Ren's sparring with Kōrōbō, and wild rumours had officially begun to spread throughout the streets of Inner Kyoto.

"I heard from a friend, who heard from his cousin who works in the Tenko-jō... that Yasaka-sama is actually pregnant!"

Huddled around a corner table inside a bustling Yokai teahouse, a Tanuki dressed head-to-toe in black ninja garb whispered conspiratorially to his eager audience.

Gasp! His tablemates all gasped loudly in perfect unison, their eyes going wide.

"Shhh!" The Tanuki frantically raised an index finger to his lips, shushing the loud crowd. "Keep your voices down! It's just a rumour! If the Tengu guards catch wind of me spreading this around, I'll be whipped!"

"Ohhhhh..." The group nodded in collective understanding, immediately slapping their hands over their mouths and making a synchronized zipping motion.

'What rumour?! If the Tengu guards are willing to whip someone over a simple rumour, then it isn't a rumour anymore, it's the absolute truth!' In that exact moment, the entire gossiping crowd collectively came to this flawless, unassailable conclusion.

"Hehehehe."

Sitting completely unnoticed just a few tables away from the gossiping crowd, a beautiful woman with dark brown fox ears twitching atop her head laughed mischievously behind her hand.

After finally having her fill of the entertainment, Yako stood up and casually tossed a few yen notes onto her table. Humming a cheerful tune, she strolled out of the establishment but not before discreetly flicking a folded piece of paper high into the air toward a nearby rooftop.

Up on the roof, a patrolling Tengu guard reflexively caught the anonymous note. Opening it, his eyes went wide behind his mask. "A Tanuki is spreading rumours about Lady Yasaka?!"

Alarmed and outraged, he immediately dove from the roof, his wings flaring as he crashed into the teahouse. "Tengu Guard! You there, Tanuki! You are under arrest for spreading defamation against Lady Yasaka!"

"Crap!" the ninja-dressed Tanuki yelled in distress, throwing his hands up in the air.

Meanwhile, the crowd sitting right beside him simply stared with wide eyes, echoing in perfect unison, "Ohhhhh..."

'It really IS true!' their collective minds screamed. The rumour was officially confirmed.

And walking away down the bustling Kyoto street, a certain mischievous Fox Yokai enjoyed double the fun. "Hehehehe~"

**********

Meanwhile, inside the now-darkened office of the Tenko-jō...

A slightly pale Yasaka sighed heavily to herself. Illuminated only by the dim, flickering light of her desk lamp, she was currently reading a freshly submitted incident report detailing the sudden, aggressive arrest of a ninja-dressed Tanuki in the shopping district.

"Sigh... What am I going to do with you, Yako?"

She rubbed her aching temples in sheer distress. Knowing exactly who was responsible for framing the poor gossiper and fanning the flames of her supposed "pregnancy," Yasaka couldn't help but let out another long, defeated sigh. Against that deeply mischievous Kitsune, the great and powerful Yokai Faction Leader was utterly helpless.

Dropping the incident report onto her desk, Yasaka gently placed a hand over her lower stomach, rubbing it softly. Looking down into the dim light, her stressed expression melted into a tender, albeit exhausted, smile.

"Mama is going to grow white hairs because of you," she whispered gently to her empty office.

In truth, she wasn't actually opposed to the idea of becoming a mother. But having a child magically induced by a drunken Kitsune's glowing hands was still incredibly sudden for her. More importantly, she harboured a quiet, lingering worry; growing up without a father figure might make the child feel lonely in the massive estate.

'I should visit Ren-chan more often,' Yasaka mused, her golden eyes softening as her thoughts drifted to the fiercely dedicated seven-year-old. 'When the child is born, I can have him help take care of the baby. Oh! And if it's a girl... maybe she could be his little bride?'

Completely forgetting about the towering stacks of paperwork and the rumours spreading through her city, the great Yokai Faction Leader happily slipped away into a ridiculous, self-indulgent daydream.

**********

Meanwhile, back inside the warm living room of the Mizuki estate, Yako casually dropped a massive bomb.

"By the way, Yasaka is going to have a child."

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Kon, who had been peacefully lounging under the heated kotatsu, screamed in sheer disbelief, nearly jumping right out of his silver fur.

"Is it from that spell you cast on Yasaka-sama during the New Year's party?" Ren asked, completely unconcerned. He clearly remembered the glowing light, whereas the little fox had been entirely blacked out from the sake at the time.

"Yep!" Yako replied cheerfully, leaning back with a proud, beaming grin. "Hehe, I honestly had no idea that spell would actually work! I guess that means I can officially be considered half a father to Yasaka's baby! Hehehehe~"

Indeed, when Yako drunkenly chanted that bizarre spell weeks ago, she hadn't the faintest clue it was actually potent enough to create life.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?! I AM GOING TO BE AN OLDER BROTHER?!" Kon shrieked again, clutching his furry head in panic. "Wait... TO YASAKA'S CHILD?! Ughhh..."

Kon dramatically slumped over the tabletop, taking a massive, critical hit to his fragile heart. As a legendary Yokai, he was supposed to be in the exact same generational peer group as the Faction Leader! But now, thanks to his mother's ridiculous antics, he had suddenly been demoted down the family tree to the baby's generation.

"Maa, maa. No need to be so distressed. Konyo-chan is going to be a fantastic onii-chan~!" Yako teased mischievously, poking his twitching ears.

"Um... What should we call the baby? Maybe Yaya? Or maybe Sako? Hmm... or maybe Kako?" Completely ignoring the fox's existential crisis, Ren started thinking aloud, haphazardly mashing Yako and Yasaka's names together into terrible, uncreative combinations.

**********

Simultaneously, high above the mortal realm in the heavenly domain of Takamagahara...

"Hm, hm~"

A breathtakingly beautiful woman, seated gracefully amidst a pristine sea of fluffy white clouds, laughed elegantly behind her flowing, divine sleeves. 'I suppose Yasaka-chan will not be so uptight anymore.'

Yes, the truth of the matter was finally revealed. It wasn't that a drunken Yako had suddenly become an omnipotent deity with the authority to spontaneously create life. Rather, the "miracle" occurred simply because a certain Chief Goddess of Shinto had decided to orchestrate a little mischievous prank of her own.

**********

Chapter 27 - Progress

Out in the quiet courtyard of the Mizuki estate, Ren and Yako stood directly facing each other.

"Ren-chan," Yako began, her usually playful demeanour replaced by a rare, focused intensity. "Now that you can successfully maintain the state of being 'one with nature' for an extended period of time, it is finally time for you to begin absorbing natural energy into your body. And that means... you are going to truly feel the malice of the world."

"Mm." Ren nodded his head in serious agreement.

This was exactly why his Sage training had seemingly stagnated over the past few months. Rather than rushing forward, he had been diligently trying to stretch his communion with nature from a mere sixty seconds into a much longer, stable duration. Only with a rock-solid foundation could he absorb a substantial amount of natural energy.

"Today, we are going to learn how to actively filter out that malice," Yako stated solemnly. "First, you must keep your own emotions completely in check. But given your recent breakthroughs in swordsmanship, I believe you can already do that, yes?"

Yako had actually learned of this specific milestone during one of her recent conversations with Yasaka, who had, in turn, heard the glowing report directly from Kōrōbō.

"Yes, Yako-sensei," Ren nodded firmly in acknowledgment.

"Good. You must maintain that emotionless state the moment you try to draw the natural energy inside. If you project no emotions, the ambient malice will have nothing to latch onto, and it will not be able to infect you."

Yako paused, her golden eyes narrowing as she delivered a grim warning. "However, you must remember that this is strictly a temporary measure. If you continuously suppress your emotions as a crutch, sooner or later, you will become increasingly hollow and inhuman, ultimately no better than someone who has gone mad from the malice. In fact, it could be considered far worse. A mind corrupted by malice becomes a mindless beast. But if you lose your humanity while retaining your intellect... a cold, logical monster is far more terrifying than a mindless beast."

Hearing Yako's grim warning, Ren began to recall his time at the Ritsuzen estate with a deep, chilling dread.

'Father was completely emotionless... and so was Gensai... that monster,' the seven-year-old thought, his black eyes trembling slightly at the dark memories. 'Will Kaguya-neesama become just like them one day?'

As the thought crossed his mind, a fierce surge of defiance swelled within his chest. 'No! I have to save Kaguya-neesama from the Ritsuzen estate as soon as I become strong enough!' he vowed resolutely, his small fists clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Even though the only things he had ever felt from Kaguya were fear and dread, the fact remained that she had actually tried to save him from the Devils' grasp back then. He knew full well that her underlying intentions toward him were far from pure, but he still decided he wanted to repay that life debt.

At worst, once he was finally strong enough to completely overpower and restrain her, he would just have to properly "educate" his twisted older sister.

And just like that, one more ironclad resolution was added to Ritsuzen Ren's growing list of goals.

"Close your eyes, enter meditation, and begin to draw in the natural energy," Yako instructed calmly.

"Right." Snapping out of his dark thoughts, Ren quickly sat cross-legged on the dirt, falling into a familiar meditative posture. "Fuuu..." As he took a slow, deep, grounding breath, his presence seamlessly blended into the surrounding courtyard.

Lounging lazily on the wooden porch nearby, Kon clicked his tongue in sheer amazement. "Tsk. Ren-chan sure is a monster." A tiny sliver of envy slipped into the little fox's voice, but overall, he was genuinely thrilled for the boy's progress.

Deep within his meditative trance, Ren began to feel the invisible motes of natural energy drifting toward his body, drawn to him like moths to a warm flame. Acting quickly, he clamped down hard on his own mind, suppressing his emotions entirely to prevent the ambient malice from washing over him.

"Good," Yako praised. "Now, slowly lift the suppression on your emotions. I want you to actively feel the malice."

It sounded completely contradictory to her previous warning, but it was an unavoidable truth of the Sage Arts: to filter out the malice, one first had to be able to isolate and feel it.

Understanding her intent, Ren gave a minuscule nod. Slowly, carefully, he began to peel back the ironclad suppression on his heart. And then...

"Ugh..." Ren's face instantly scrunched up in deep discomfort. A vile, shadowy whisper suddenly echoed through the very back of his mind.

'Kill... Kill... Kill...'

Gritting his teeth with visible effort, the seven-year-old managed to anchor his mind and adapt. Because he was still heavily suppressing the vast majority of his emotions, the malice's corrupting effect on him remained slight and manageable.

"Excellent. Now, try to combine your internal spiritual power and your physical ki. Use that combined force to physically peel the malice away from the pure natural energy," Yako instructed further.

Sweating profusely, Ren didn't give any verbal reply. He was currently dedicating every single ounce of his focus just to keeping his mind from fracturing under the weight of the dark whispers.

'Hm... I suppose he is still a bit too young to multitask at this level,' Yako thought to herself, a soft, fond smile touching her lips. "For now, just focus on getting used to the presence of the malice. Once you can comfortably split your focus without losing your mind, then you can try combining your spiritual power and ki."

Without offering any further guidance, the playful fox turned and began strolling casually away from the courtyard. "Oh! And Konyo-chan, make sure to look after our little Ren-chan~!"

Instantly reverting back to her usual, carefree, and mischievous self, Yako hummed a happy little tune as she walked away. 'Hm Hm Hm~ Now, whose day should I go ruin today?'

**********

A few days later, Ren was deeply immersed in his meditation within the quiet Mizuki courtyard when a sudden sound broke the peaceful silence.

Knock! Knock!

"Hm?" Pulling himself completely out of his trance, the seven-year-old stood up, walked over to the front gate, and pulled it open. "A Kitsune?"

At the moment, Kon and Yako were nowhere to be found on the estate. They had left earlier that morning to visit an old acquaintance over at Mount Ōe.

'I think her name was Ibuki-dōji? No, wait, it was Shuten-dōji,' Ren recalled absentmindedly. 'I think Mama Yako mentioned saving her life a long time ago?'

"Ritsuzen-sama." The Kitsune, who was dressed formally as one of the Faction Leader's personal attendants, greeted the boy with a deep, respectful bow. "Yasaka-sama has humbly requested your immediate presence."

"Yasaka-oneesan?" Ren repeated, tilting his head in slight confusion before giving a curt, polite nod. "Alright. Please give me a moment to change out of my training clothes, and then I will head straight to the palace."

Soon, dressed in his everyday clothes, Ren followed the Kitsune attendant toward the Tenko-jō.

After navigating the grand, winding halls of the palace, they arrived at Yasaka's private quarters. The attendant knocked softly on the sliding wooden door. Knock. Knock. "Yasaka-sama, Ritsuzen-sama has arrived."

"Mm." Yasaka's warm, motherly voice echoed from inside. "You may return to your duties. Ren-chan, please, come in."

"Excuse me, then." The Kitsune bowed deeply before gracefully departing down the hall.

Already intimately familiar with the palace, Ren slid the door open and entered without much ceremony.

"Ren-chan, you're here," a slightly pale Yasaka greeted him with a happy, relieved smile.

"Mm!" Ren nodded back. Though he didn't quite share her relaxed joy, he'd much rather be back in the courtyard training, he still respected her deeply. "What do you need, Yasaka-neesan?" Not wanting to waste any time, he got straight to the point.

Hearing the faint impatience in his tone, Yasaka smiled wryly. "Ren-chan... since the day you arrived in Kyoto, have you gone outside the Mizuki estate or the Tenko-jō at all?"

Yasaka had long since noticed the boy's extreme shut-in tendencies. He spent every waking hour intensely training and barely interacted with anyone outside of her, his masters, and Kon. Naturally, as a soon to be mother, she was incredibly worried about a seven-year-old isolating himself so thoroughly.

"Um... no." Tilting his head in thought, Ren answered honestly, completely unbothered by his own lifestyle.

'Sigh...' Yasaka sighed tiredly, rubbing her forehead. It seemed everyone living in the Mizuki estate was destined to bring her headaches in one form or another. "Can you do me a favour, Ren-chan?"

Without a second thought, Ren nodded immediately. He liked Yasaka very much, so doing her a favour was no burden to him at all.

"As you know, I am currently expecting... and lately, I have been intensely craving fresh fish. Would you be willing to go down to the Hozugawa River to catch some for me?"

"Hm?" Ren tilted his head in genuine confusion. "Why don't you just ask your attendants or the Tengu guards to do it?"

"Hehe..." Yasaka was actually deeply embarrassed to be tricking a child into running errands, but she had absolutely no other way to force this training-crazed shut-in to go out and see the world. Covering the lower half of her face with her elegant sleeve to hide her guilt, she spun a smooth lie. "The Hozugawa River is outside the bounds of Inner Kyoto, after all. It is highly unsuited for us Yokai to venture out into the human world just to fish."

Absolute bullshit. Yokai could easily use illusions to disguise themselves, but the sheltered seven-year-old didn't know that.

"Ohhhhh..." Thoroughly enlightened, Ren nodded his head in serious agreement. 'Indeed. As a human, I am the most perfectly suited and trustworthy for this vital mission. Hm! Hm!'

Puffing his small chest out with pride, Ren accepted the quest immediately. It was a completely unconscious action, perfectly mimicking Kon's arrogant little posture. After years of living together, the young swordsman had finally begun to adopt a bit of the lazy fox's demeanour.

**********

Now, having officially stepped outside the protective barrier of Inner Kyoto, Ren stood on a bustling street in the human world. Clutching a paper map in his small hands, he tried his best to navigate his way toward the Hozugawa River and set off down the road.

Meanwhile, from the second-story window of a nearby townhouse overlooking that exact street, a lone figure watched him.

Shrouded completely in the dark shadows of the unlit room, the mysterious man stared intently in the direction the seven-year-old was walking. Raising a walkie-talkie to his mouth, he pressed the button and spoke in a hushed tone.

"The target has left the barrier. I repeat, the target has gone out."

Kzzzt.

The walkie-talkie produced a short burst of static before a low, gravelly voice crackled back through the small speaker.

"Received."

**********

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in a massive, hidden hall in Greece...

Within a massive, subterranean hall illuminated only by the unnatural, sickly-gold glow of floating braziers, the air was thick with the suffocating scent of burning myrrh and ancient dust. Towering, time-worn marble pillars stretched high into the oppressive darkness of the ceiling, forming a grand, forgotten architecture that had been hidden from the human world for millennia.

"The time for our Lord's awakening has finally come! The Chosen One has been found! Praise the Lord! PRAISE THE LORD!"

Standing atop a raised dais, a High Priest threw his arms wide and shouted fanatically into the cavernous room. Behind him loomed a colossal, shadowy statue holding a jagged scythe, casting a monstrous silhouette across the altar.

Below the stage, a congregation of hundreds upon hundreds of robed figures immediately fell to their knees, chanting back in a blinding fervour. "PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD!"

The sheer, fanatical weight of their combined voices echoed like booming thunder across the grand hall, shaking the very foundations of the building.

"NOW! SET OUR DESTINATION FOR... JAPAN!" the High Priest declared with manic excitement, his wide eyes shining with a dangerous, crazed light.

'The Lord hath established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rule over all,' the priest recited internally, his mind entirely consumed by madness and devotion.

**********

Interlude 3

Meanwhile, far away in the grim, suffocating halls of the Ritsuzen estate...

It had been weeks since Ren had officially left the compound. Kaguya, having finally recovered from the severe injuries she sustained during Gensai's attack, had gone right back to her strict daily routine.

Most of the time, the young prodigy would lock herself away to ruthlessly practice her magic. But whenever she took a break, she would carefully pull out a pristine, magical crystal ball from her robes.

Waving her pale hand over the smooth glass, familiar images began to flicker and materialize within its depths.

"Renny... huff... ahh, my sweet Renny... huff..."

The moment the image of the young, dark-haired boy appeared in the crystal, Kaguya's face flushed a deep red. She began to breathe heavily, her eyes wide with a deeply unsettling, obsessive hunger as she watched him train in the Mizuki courtyard.

Then, suddenly, the image violently warped. A wave of magical static completely overtook the crystal ball.

Kzzzt!

"No! My Renny!" Kaguya shrieked, frantically scrambling her hands over the smooth orb. She desperately pumped more and more of her own mana into the artifact, trying to forcibly stabilize the failing connection, but alas, she failed. The feed went completely dead, blocked by a certain Yokai ward.

"THAT BITCH! THAT VIXEN BITCH!" Kaguya screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her terrifying aura exploded through her bedroom, cracking the walls as she violently cursed the fox who had just forcefully interrupted her precious stalking session.

Scratching furiously at her neck, Kaguya gritted her teeth in pure irritation.

Oh, her poor, sweet, innocent Renny. He had been kidnapped! That was the only logical explanation. That filthy, thieving vixen hadn't just interrupted her scrying, she was actively holding her precious little brother hostage! They were probably brainwashing him right this very second, filling his pure, impressionable head with vicious lies about his loving older sister.

"Don't worry, Renny," Kaguya whispered into the empty, cracked room. Her tone shifted instantly, her voice now dripping with a sickeningly sweet affection.

She gently picked up the useless, magically fried crystal ball and cradled it against her chest like a fragile child.

"Your nee-sama knows exactly where you are now. Just hold on a little longer. I will come and rescue you from those filthy beasts soon."

'But first, I have to gain much more strength,' Kaguya thought grimly, her demeanour snapping instantly back to its chilling calm.

Sweeping her cold, calculating gaze over the heavily damaged, cracked walls of her bedroom, she began to plot her next move.

'Staying at the Ritsuzen estate will no longer suffice. There is no more knowledge left in this compound that can help me break through my bottleneck.'

Her crimson eyes narrowed as a new plan began to form in her mind. If she wanted to forcibly retrieve her little brother from the Yokai quickly, she was going to need an influx of entirely new magical theory to shatter her current limits.

'It seems... I will have to go to Germany.'

**********

The very next day, inside the dim, oppressive confines of Ritsuzen Kyora's private office...

"What... did you just say?!" The words were practically bitten out of Kyora's mouth through tightly gritted teeth.

"Mi-Milord! Please, calm yourself!" The dark, shadowed figure kneeling before the desk frantically tried to placate his master, cold sweat already pouring down his forehead.

"CALM?! You had ONE job!" Kyora roared, all of his emotionless composure completely gone. "You were ordered to monitor Kaguya and ensure she did not leave the compound!"

"S-Sorry, Milord! T-The successor somehow learned to completely mask her magical presence... she managed to evade my senses entirely," the shadowed figure stammered, desperately trying to explain his failure.

"USELESS!" Kyora bellowed.

With a vicious, sweeping thrust of his hand, a crushing wave of gravity magic shot across the room.

BANG!

The unseen force slammed violently into the shadowed figure, launching him through the air and crashing him heavily against the far stone wall.

"Ugh..." Coughing up a thick mouthful of blood, the subordinate slumped weakly to the floor, his bones aching from the immense pressure.

Having vented a fraction of his boiling rage, Kyora slowly lowered his hand. His chest heaved for a moment before his icy, emotionless mask slid back into place.

"Find her," he commanded, his voice dropping to a lethal, quiet growl.

"Y-Yes, sir..." the figure wheezed out weakly from the floor.

**********

I High above the earth, inside the luxurious first-class cabin of a flight bound for Germany, Kaguya gazed out the window. Watching the endless sea of white clouds roll by, a cold, arrogant smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Hmph."

Turning her attention back to the spacious tray table in front of her, she flipped open a thick, leather-bound notebook. Its pages were filled to the brim with highly classified information, secrets she had painstakingly gathered over the many years she had lived trapped within the Ritsuzen estate.

Her crimson eyes traced the elegant, European crest drawn on the page, finally settling on a specific name.

"Eleonora von Hapsburg-Mainz," Kaguya whispered into the quiet cabin, her voice completely devoid of any familial warmth. "Head of the Hapsburg-Mainz family... and my mother."

**********

Deep within the Underworld, beneath a sky glowing with a perpetual gradient of bruised purples and deep violets, lay the Duchy of Astaroth.

The city was a sprawling, intimidating marvel of gothic architecture. Towering spires rose from heavy black stone foundations, their jagged silhouettes cutting sharply against the violet heavens. Many of the grand structures incorporated gravity-defying floating platforms, suspended bridges, and intricately carved sigils that pulsed with a faint, eerie demonic energy. The streets below were wide, immaculate, and strictly orderly; purpose-built to comfortably accommodate both Devils on foot and those who traversed the city by wing.

At the very heart of this imposing metropolis stood the grand Astaroth Manor.

And within one of its quiet, secluded courtyards, a lone figure stood in silence. Tsumugi, still dressed impeccably in her traditional maid outfit, gazed up at the alien, purple sky. A heavy, lingering melancholy filled her eyes as the cool Underworld breeze rustled her clothes.

"Tsumugi-neesama? What are you thinking about?"

At that moment, a sweet, childish voice rang out across the quiet courtyard. Little Latia Astaroth tilted her head, looking up at her newly reincarnated Queen piece in genuine puzzlement. "Is it about that boy again?" she asked.

Tsumugi turned her head, hesitating for a brief second before offering a small nod. "Mm."

In truth, Tsumugi didn't actually dislike her new life in the Underworld. Latia treated her incredibly well, and as the Queen of a high-ranking Devil heir, she could have almost anything she desired. But without her precious young master Ren by her side, it felt as though a massive, jagged hole had been punctured straight through her heart.

"Mou... Onee-sama, is Latia not good enough for you?" the young Devil pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

Fortunately, the little girl's degree of possessiveness was nowhere near as terrifyingly heavy as a certain, crazed sister back in the human world. Because of that, Latia could still somewhat tolerate her favourite maid pining over another person.

"Hmph! No matter! We are going over to the Gremory estate today to play with Rias and Sona!" Latia chattered on sweetly, a wide, genuinely happy smile spreading across her face. "And then... and then, I am going to show you off to them! Hehe, they are going to be so jealous of me! Come! Come! Let's go!"

'Sigh...' Watching the hyperactive young Devil bounce excitedly on her heels, Tsumugi felt a faint headache coming on. But despite the exhaustion, a small, warm smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

'Well...' the maid thought to herself, allowing the energetic little girl to pull her out of the courtyard by the hand. 'I suppose living in the Underworld is, at the very least, much better than being trapped in the Ritsuzen estate.'

'I wonder how Ren is doing right now? Is he eating properly? Is he keeping up with his daily sword training?'

Unable to stop her mind from drifting right back to her precious young master, Tsumugi let out another soft, melancholic sigh as she followed the energetic little Devil out of the courtyard.

**********

Mount Ōe rose like a dark, jagged spine along the border of Kyoto and Hyōgo. Its treacherous slopes were thick with ancient cedar and pine that seemed to swallow sound entirely. Mist clung to the ridgelines even on clear days, drifting in slow, ghostlike sheets that gave the mountain an air of perpetual, ominous secrecy. The forest canopy was so dense that sunlight only managed to filter through in narrow, golden shafts, illuminating moss-covered stones and winding animal trails.

Deep within the heart of the mountain, a secret stronghold stood. It was perfectly concealed behind a natural curtain of rock and forest, accessible only through a narrow fissure hidden beneath a roaring waterfall.

Inside the grand, cavernous main hall, the air was thick with the sweet, intoxicating mist of premium sake. Lounging lazily upon a massive stone throne sat an elegant, terrifyingly beautiful Oni woman. Her short hair cascaded down her neck in a deep, wine-dark purple, and two magnificent crimson horns curved from her head. Her eyes, sharp and predatory, shone with a dangerous playfulness. She wore a flowing purple kimono patterned with vibrant red and green accents, the silken fabric slipping open just enough to hint at her confidence and sensuality.

"Yako, I've heard a rather interesting rumour. Did you actually adopt a human child?" Shuten-dōji asked her old friend, swirling the sake in her massive, lacquered bowl.

"Hehe~ You knew?" Yako replied, taking a cheerful sip from her own cup. "He is just the cutest little thing, you know? I am definitely going to bring him here next time. You are going to looove him~"

"Fufufu, is that so? I do love children the most," Shuten-dōji laughed, the sound echoing richly through the cavern. She brought the bowl to her lips, a wicked, teasing glint flashing in her eyes before following up with a chilling addition. "Especially... their tender, juicy meat Slurp~"

She drank her sake, swallowing the amber liquid sensually.

"Hiiiiii!" Kon, who had been quietly hiding behind Yako's back the entire time, let out a terrified shriek. "You crazy woman! I won't allow Ren-chan to ever step foot near you!"

Despite his trembling fear of the Oni King, Kon was surprisingly brave whenever it concerned his little human brother.

"Oh my?" The Oni looked down at the shivering silver fox, her smile widening into a predatory, teasing grin. "The little fox has finally grown a spine, has he? Why don't you come a little closer and entertain this lord for a bit?"

"Hiiiii!!!" Whimpering in even more fear, Kon completely tucked his whole body behind his mother's tails, refusing to even poke his head out to talk anymore.

"Hehehe! Shuten is still as fun as ever~" Yako laughed heartily at her son's pitiful antics.

Her smile remained perfectly intact, but her golden eyes suddenly lost all their warmth, turning as cold and sharp as polished blades. "But... you really shouldn't joke about Ren-chan like that, you know? Or..."

Yako paused slightly, the immense, terrifying pressure of her aura silently suffocating the cavernous room for a split second, before she finished in a bright, incredibly peppy tone. "...I will kill you."

"Fufufu... Yako is still as scary as ever," Shuten-dōji laughed softly, gracefully raising her vibrant kimono sleeve to cover the lower half of her face. Despite her amused tone, a distinct hint of wariness crept into her sharp, predatory eyes. "Well, I do owe you my life. Sparing one little human doesn't really matter."

"Hehehe~ That's much better then!" Yako laughed cheerfully, instantly dropping the suffocating killing intent and returning to her usual, carefree self.

'Hm! Hm! Hm! That will show you, you crazy Oni!' Kon thought smugly from his safe hiding spot behind his mother's tails.

Shuten-dōji's expression finally shifted. The playful glint vanished entirely from her predatory eyes as she abruptly changed the subject. "By the way... my scouts have heard whispers of some rather unsavory fellows sneaking into Japan recently."

"Hm?" Yako tilted her head, her fluffy ears twitching in slight confusion.

"Oh? The Kyoto Yokai Faction hasn't noticed yet?" Shuten-dōji swirled the sake in her bowl, her crimson eyes narrowing. "It seems the Cult of Time has revived. And from what my spies tell me, they are making a direct beeline toward Kyoto."

"The Cult of Time?" Yako's golden eyes widened in genuine shock. "But weren't they completely eradicated by—"

"Mm. They were supposedly wiped off the map a century ago," Shuten-dōji interrupted solemnly. "But it seems that after he disappeared, the surviving zealots began gathering in the shadows once more."

"And the Vatican?" Yako pressed, knowing full well of the grudge between the Church and the Cult.

"They are already mobilizing," the Oni King confirmed grimly. "It seems a war is about to erupt right in the middle of your territory."

Hearing this, Yako's usually cheerful demeanour evaporated entirely, replaced by a grave, heavy urgency.

"I have to get back immediately," Yako said sharply, already turning toward the exit. "I need to inform Yasaka of this news before it's too late."

"Mm. Farewell, then." Shuten-dōji, no longer in the mood for drinking or teasing, gave a curt nod, quickly dismissing their gathering.

**********

Chapter 28 - The Cult

Later that day, the Tenko-jō received some highly unexpected guests...

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Yasaka sat formally within one of the palace's grand reception rooms.

Standing before her were several humans dressed in long, black coats worn over crisp, white button-down shirts. Hanging prominently around their necks were silver crosses, clearly indicating their holy affiliation.

"Lady Yasaka, please forgive our unannounced arrival, but there is urgent news that needed to be conveyed to you as quickly as possible," a middle-aged man explained with a polite, stiff bow. He wore square-framed glasses, and his brown hair was swept back in a neat, professional comb. "I am Touji Shidou, the head of the Kuoh Church, and these are my subordinates."

"The Church?" Yasaka questioned, her golden eyes narrowing in slight puzzlement. "What business does the Church have with the Kyoto Yokai Faction?"

"A few hours ago, the Vatican received confirmed intelligence regarding the resurgence of a highly dangerous terrorist group. They are currently making their way toward Kyoto," Touji stated solemnly.

"Oh? A terrorist group?" Yasaka asked, her tone shifting to one of serious authority.

"Yes. I assume Lady Yasaka has heard of the Cult of Time?" Touji asked, watching her reaction closely.

"The Cult of Time?!" Yasaka gasped, her serene composure breaking in disbelief. "But weren't they completely eradicated?!"

Just as Touji opened his mouth to answer, a sudden, frantic commotion echoed from the hallway right outside the reception room doors.

"Lady Yako, please wait! Lady Yasaka is currently in the middle of a meeting with some very important guests!" a Kitsune attendant's panicked voice could be heard, desperately trying to restrain the interloper.

"Guests?! I don't care! I have incredibly urgent news to report to Yasaka right now!" Yako shouted impatiently.

Then, without a single ounce of hesitation, the fox violently shoved the sliding doors open.

BANG! The wooden frames rattled loudly against the walls.

"Yasaka! I've got some massive news—" Yako yelled, panting slightly before freezing dead in her tracks. She blinked, suddenly realizing there was a squad of fully armed Exorcists standing in the middle of the room.

Seeing the frantic fox crash her tense diplomatic meeting, Yasaka rubbed her temples and let out a long, helpless sigh. "...Let me guess. Is it about the Cult of Time?"

Completely speechless, Yako just slowly nodded her head.

Standing nearby, Touji Shidou's eyebrow twitched. The seasoned Exorcist leader could only stare in utter speechlessness at the chaotic woman who had just barged into the room.

**********

Meanwhile, down by the banks of the sweeping Hozugawa River...

Ren, who had been walking for several gruelling hours, had finally arrived at his destination.

And yes, he had gotten completely lost along the way. Despite holding a perfectly good map the entire time, it seemed that peerless swordsmen across the multiverse all shared the exact same tragic trait—a crippling lack of a sense of direction.

"Fuuu..." Breathing in the crisp, fresh air rolling off the water, Ren finally took in the sights around him. It was truly breathtaking.

The river carved its way through the mountains like a quiet, ancient blade, slipping effortlessly between towering cliffs that rose in jagged silhouettes on either side. The water was a cool, glassy green, shimmering brilliantly with the reflection of the dense pine forests.

"Woah..." Ren breathed, his dark eyes wide with awe.

Staring out at such an overwhelming wonder of nature, the young boy's mind suddenly went completely blank and he entered a profound, sudden trance. All of the gruelling sword training he had endured over the past few months began to replay vividly in his mind's eye.

Without even realizing what he was doing, his body moved on pure instinct. He reached down, picking up a long, sturdy fallen branch from the ground, and smoothly transitioned into his stances.

Swish. Swish.

Strike after strike, Ren swung his makeshift sword. Gradually, his slashes became slower and slower. However, with each deliberate movement, a strange, oppressive heaviness began to emanate from his small frame. It was a physical manifestation of his will, striking with such profound weight that it felt as if he wanted to cleave the very mountains in half, perfectly mirroring the awe-inspiring view before him.

When Ren finally snapped out of his trance, he found himself standing completely still, his makeshift wooden sword lowered toward the earth.

A massive, jagged crack had formed straight down the centre of the solid stone boulder right in front of him. Staring wide-eyed at the physical damage he had caused without using a single drop of ki, Ren's mind reeled in shock. 'Did... did I do this?!'

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Suddenly, the slow, heavy sound of clapping echoed from the tree line behind him.

"As expected of the Chosen One," a deep, gravelly voice intoned, sounding genuinely impressed.

"Who's there?!" Ren whipped his head around in alarm, instantly raising his wooden branch in a defensive guard.

Stepping out from the shadows of the pines was a massive, sturdy man with a thick, full beard and a completely bald head. He was easily two meters tall, a literal mountain of muscle towering over the seven-year-old boy. Strapped to his broad back was a gigantic, intimidating double-headed war axe.

"Whoa, calm down, Chosen One," the burly giant said, casually raising his large, calloused hands in a placating gesture. "That was some incredibly impressive swordplay just now."

"Chosen One?" Ren repeated, his voice cold and guarded. He completely ignored the man's compliment, his dark eyes narrowing as he focused on the bizarre, unsettling title the stranger had just given him.

"Yes. We have finally found you, Chosen One. Please, come back with us," the giant of a man replied, completely ignoring Ren's actual question and extending a massive hand toward the boy.

"Back? Back where?" Ren questioned, his grip tightening on his makeshift wooden sword as his wariness spiked.

"Back to the Cult of Time, of course!" the man proclaimed. His deep voice suddenly boomed across the riverbank, laced with a heavy, unsettling hint of religious fanaticism.

"Why should I?!" Ren refused without a single ounce of hesitation.

'The Cult of Time? That sounds like a terrible place,' Ren thought deadpan, his survival instincts immediately screaming at him. Seriously, what kind of shady organization actually put the word "Cult" right in their name when trying to make a good first impression?

Hearing the firm refusal in Ren's voice, the giant nodded slowly, as if he had already been expecting that exact answer. A heavy, theatrical look of disappointment crossed his rugged features.

"Indeed. I knew you would say that. What a shame..."

The massive man slowly lowered his head, the thick shadows of his brow completely obscuring his eyes. "...A shame, indeed," he repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous, vibrating rumble.

Then, without warning, his head whipped back up.

"A SHAME THAT I WILL HAVE TO HURT YOU!" he roared, his booming voice shattering the tranquillity of the riverbank.

His eyes now burned with a fanatical, violent fire. Pure rage warped his previously calm features so fiercely that he looked as if a terrifying, wrathful Asura had suddenly taken his place.

Then, BOOM! The solid bedrock beneath the giant's boots violently shattered outward in a massive spiderweb of cracks. Propelled by sheer, explosive brute force, his massive body blurred, appearing directly in front of Ren in the blink of an eye.

'Fast!' Ren thought, his eyes widening a fraction. Despite what his towering, muscular frame suggested, the burly man was terrifyingly agile.

But Ren had already been on high alert. Facing down that overwhelming, explosive speed, the seven-year-old remained perfectly calm.

Then, moving even faster than the giant, Ren simply... vanished.

Unlike the cultist's destructive, ground-shattering charge, Ren left absolutely no disturbance on the dirt beneath his feet. Slipping entirely out of the massive man's line of sight, he moved as silently and weightlessly as a swallow taking flight.

'Zornhau!' Ren roared in his mind.

Reappearing instantly in the air behind the giant, Ren gripped his makeshift wooden sword with both hands and brought it slicing down in a vicious, diagonal arc. Pouring his entire body weight, his swirling ki, and his newly awakened Sword Intent into the strike, the seven-year-old held absolutely nothing back.

'Mountain Splitting!'

Having absolutely zero time to react to the boy's impossible speed, the burly man suddenly felt as if the gravity around him had multiplied tenfold. As the wooden branch made contact, it didn't feel like a stick at all, it felt as though an actual, physical mountain was violently descending upon his spine.

"ARGH!"

Completely unable to offer any resistance against the overwhelming pressure, the massive, two-meter-tall cultist was launched entirely off his feet. Like a cannonball, he was flung all the way across the sweeping Hozugawa River, skipping over the water before crashing violently into the solid bedrock of the opposite bank.

Seeing the devastating result of his strike, Ren immediately bent his knees, preparing to leap across the river and chain his attacks together. He wasn't going to give the giant a single second to recover.

But before he could launch himself forward, a second, shadowy figure suddenly dropped from the dense pine canopy on the opposite bank.

Without uttering a single word, the slender newcomer hoisted the battered, two-meter-tall giant over their shoulder like a sack of rice. Then, with a burst of unnatural speed, they turned and vanished into the thick forest without a moment's hesitation.

Ren abruptly halted his momentum, his wooden branch still raised defensively.

He could have chased them. With his newfound speed, he might have even succeeded in hunting the duo down and finishing the fight. However, it wasn't those two specific cultists that made him hesitate, it was the potential trap lying in wait just beyond the tree line.

They were actively hunting him. Charging blindly into unknown enemy territory was exactly what a foolish prey would do. He had to be careful.

'I have to get back to the palace and inform Yasaka-obasan about this immediately!' Ren thought urgently, his grip tightening on his makeshift wooden sword.

In his haste and the lingering rush of combat adrenaline, the seven-year-old didn't even bother correcting his internal monologue. He completely forgot to use the mandatory, highly-demanded title of "Onee-san," blissfully ignoring the fact that the Nine-Tailed Fox Leader would normally smack him for calling her an old lady.

**********

Meanwhile, back inside the Tenko-jō reception room...

Yako was now seated quietly beside Yasaka, her usually cheerful demeanour gone as she listened to the Exorcist leader explain the dire situation.

"We currently have no clue what the Cult's true aim in coming to Kyoto is," Touji Shidou said gravely, adjusting his glasses. "But our intelligence states that an army of roughly seven hundred zealots is currently marching toward this location. And based on their movements, they seem to be actively searching for something."

"Hmm... What object in Kyoto could the Cult possibly want?" Yasaka murmured, tapping her chin as she thought aloud.

Yako, who had been sitting uncharacteristically still, suddenly widened her golden eyes as a terrifying realization struck her. Springing up from her chair in pure alarm, she shouted, "It's not an object they want! It's a person!"

She whipped her head toward Yasaka. "Where is Ren?!" In her panic, the motherly fox didn't even bother adding his usual affectionate -chan honorific.

Yasaka's blood ran completely cold. The pieces instantly clicked together in her mind. The faint hint of divine blood in the boy's veins... Lady Amaterasu's sudden interest in him... It all added up perfectly.

The Cult of Time was hunting the seven-year-old boy.

"Ren is at the Hozugawa River right now! We have to hurry!"

Without another word of explanation, Yasaka bolted from her seat and rushed for the sliding doors. Sensing the sudden, desperate urgency, Touji and his Exorcists immediately followed close behind the two panicked Fox Yokai.

But just as Yasaka reached for the door handles, a heavily winded, childish voice suddenly echoed from the hallway right outside.

"YASAKA-OBASAN!"

...Obasan... Obasan... Oba...

The forbidden, deeply offensive title echoed repeatedly through the tense, dead silence of the reception room.

GRIP! Yasaka's hand seized the wooden doorframe with such terrifying, white-knuckled force that the sturdy wood groaned and splintered into pieces.

'Obasan?! YOU DARE?!' In a single instant, all thoughts of Ren's safety evaporated from the Nine-Tailed Fox's mind. Her aura flared with demonic wrath.

"Pfft!" Yako immediately slapped both hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently as she desperately tried to restrain her laughter. Now that Ren's safety was confirmed by his shouting, her maternal panic vanished, allowing her to sit back and enjoy the show.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Yasaka shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Blowing the sliding doors completely off their tracks with a resounding BOOM!, the furious Yokai Leader lunged mercilessly at the boy in the hallway.

"Ah! Crap!" Ren gasped, his dark eyes going wide with pure, unadulterated terror as he stared down the rapidly approaching, wrathful woman.

'Ah... Okaa-san...' Ren thought numbly, his survival instincts completely short-circuiting. 'I think I am coming to see you in heaven.'

**********

Chapter 29 - After the Fight

A heavily bruised Ren, sporting twin black eyes, a swollen cheek, a split lip, and several large, smoking bumps stacked on top of his head, was now kneeling obediently in the seiza position on the floor.

"Now. Tell me exactly what happened," Yasaka demanded, staring down at the battered child. Her golden eyes were narrowed, and she spoke with the authoritative tone of the Yokai Faction's supreme leader.

Ren looked up at the voluptuous woman with genuine fear trembling in his eyes. Gulping down his saliva heavily, he didn't dare delay her.

Speaking as clearly as his swollen lip would allow, Ren began to recount his entire experience at the Hozugawa River. He explained the sudden ambush by the towering, burly man with the giant war axe. He recounted the bizarre "Chosen One" title the fanatic had called him, how he had managed to violently trounce the giant's attack, and finally, the shadowy figure that had dropped from the trees to carry the injured attacker away.

"Hmm... It seems their advance scouts have already breached the outskirts of Kyoto," Yasaka commented, her expression serious.

Behind her, Touji Shidou and his entourage of Exorcists could only stare at the bruised child kneeling on the floor in disbelief. 'He completely overpowered a fully grown man? At that age?!'

Yako, on the other hand, didn't look shocked in the slightest. Instead, she knelt by Ren's side and tenderly cradled his swollen cheeks. Her golden eyes shone with unmistakable pride, practically screaming to the room, 'Look at the child I raised!' "A battered, bruised Ren-chan is also super cute Hehehe" Yako giggled playfully, completely ignoring the tension in the room.

"Ugh..." Yasaka and the seasoned Exorcists deadpanned in perfect unison at the ill-timed doting.

Shaking her head to clear it, Yasaka immediately shifted back into her role as the supreme leader. "Captain Kōrōbō!" she shouted, her voice ringing with authority. "Lock down the entirety of Inner Kyoto immediately! Tighten all security patrols and begin a sweeping search for those perpetrators. Kyoto is now facing a full-scale invasion. Prepare the guards for war."

"Understood!" Kōrōbō's sharp voice echoed instantly from the hallway just outside the reception room doors. Immediately following his shout, the synchronized thud of dozens of rapid footsteps quickly faded down the corridor as the elite Tengu mobilized.

Hearing the sudden, massive movement, Touji and his Exorcists exchanged grim, solemn looks.

'We didn't even sense that many Yokai stationed right outside the door...' the Exorcist leader realized, a drop of cold sweat forming on his neck.

Stepping cautiously toward the Yokai leader, Touji cleared his throat. "Lady Yasaka, the Vatican has dispatched a thousand elite exorcists to assist Kyoto. With a full-scale invasion on our doorstep, I formally request that you grant them entry through the barrier to help defend the inner city."

At Touji's request, Yasaka fell silent, her golden eyes narrowing as she weighed the tactical situation.

A thousand elite exorcists. To anyone else, an army of that size might have sounded like overkill against a mere seven hundred cultists. But to Yasaka, it felt inadequate.

The issue wasn't the base strength of the enemy vanguard currently marching on her city. It was what they brought with them: the Cauldron of Time. Assumed lost a century ago during the cult's supposed annihilation, it was easily one of the most infuriating and dangerous artifacts in the supernatural world. Legends said it had been stolen directly from the Celtic pantheon by the cult's own patron god.

The artifact possessed the terrifying ability to reset a warrior's physical state, completely erasing their fatigue, grievous injuries, and even their age. It effectively turned a standard force of seven hundred mortals into an undying, relentless army capable of fighting without pause. In a war of attrition, they were an absolute nightmare for any faction to face.

Now that the Cult of Time had resurfaced, the sheer audacity of storming Inner Kyoto with such a small vanguard confirmed both Yasaka's and the Vatican's worst fears. They wouldn't dare attack the Yokai capital with only seven hundred men unless they had the Cauldron actively sustaining them.

"Very well, Father Shidou," Yasaka agreed, her voice resolute. "I will inform Captain Kōrōbō. The Vatican's forces shall be granted entry into Inner Kyoto upon their arrival. How soon can we expect them?"

Given the urgency of the situation, Yasaka knew she could not allow old jurisdictional pride to hinder the survival of her city.

"At their current pace, it will take about seven days for the main force to arrive," Touji explained. With a hint of guilt, he added, "I implore Lady Yasaka to hold the line during this period."

"Hmph! There is no need for you to say that," Yasaka snorted softly. "This is my city, and..." Her voice dropped to a tender whisper. "...they are hunting someone precious to me."

"Yasaka-oneesan..." Ren's breath hitched at her tender words, a sudden wave of emotion welling in his eyes. He felt immensely guilty; he was the cause of this entire situation. "I'm sorry."

"Ren-chan, don't say that," Yako comforted him. "Even if they weren't searching for their so-called Chosen One, we would still wipe them out. The Cult is an absolute scourge; there is a reason they were eradicated a century ago."

"Mm." Yasaka nodded in affirmation. "The atrocities they committed a century ago were so severe that the entire supernatural world had to band together to resist them."

"Indeed, Ren-dono. The Church and the Cult are sworn enemies, and we could never rest easy knowing such heinous people still roamed the world," Touji chimed in. Having a daughter of his own back in Kuoh around Ren's age, the Exorcist couldn't help but want to reassure the boy.

Surrounded by the protection of the adults, Ren wiped his eyes and gave a firm nod. "Mm!"

**********

Meanwhile, in the Tengu barracks, Captain Kōrōbō addressed the four hundred warriors lined up in strict formation before him.

"A millennium ago, King Sōjōbō led our Tengu race to settle here alongside the Yokai of Kyoto!" Kōrōbō's voice boomed. "Through our superior skills and combat prowess, we have maintained peace for our brethren! We stand here today to defend that peace! The enemy's vanguard has already tainted our borders, and a full-scale invasion marches on Kyoto! We will not wait for them to breach our walls! Mobilize! Secure the perimeter, lock down the skies, and hunt down any scouts who dare step foot in our territory! Show them the might of the Tengu!"

"YES, CAPTAIN!" roared the four hundred warriors, thrusting their weapons into the air.

Then, in perfect unison, they unfurled their pitch-black feathered wings and blasted off into the air, their sheer numbers covering the darkening sky of Kyoto like a massive net.

**********

Twenty-five kilometres away from Kyoto, deep within the mist-shrouded bowl of the Kameoka basin, lay the enemy vanguard.

Hidden from the world by the towering mountains and dense forestry of western Kyoto, the army of seven hundred had made their camp. The surrounding trees had been mercilessly hacked down and the earth levelled flat to make way for their tents. What was once a pristine, scenic sanctuary of nature had been transformed into the barbaric staging ground of fanatical cultists.

Firelight and thick smoke choked the air. Dozens of figures danced in erratic, unnatural movements, stripped entirely bare as they chanted in ancient Greek: "Ὁ κύριος πάρεστιν! Ὁ κύριος πάρεστιν! Ὁ κύριος πάρεστιν! (The Lord is Present!)" Their voices warped and distorted by the sheer chaos of their rituals.

Deeper into the camp, the true horror of their existence was laid bare. Towering, burly men drew their short, leaf-bladed xiphos swords and began carving directly into their own bodies.

"Hahahaha!" the men screamed in manic delight, revelling in the self-inflicted agony. Tearing loose hunks of their own flesh, they threw the bloody meat into boiling pots, intending to consume themselves for sustenance.

This was the gruesome truth of how the Cult had survived for a century in exile. They sustained themselves through endless self-cannibalism, relying on their divine artifact, the Cauldron of Time, to endlessly restore their mutilated bodies. Trapped in this horrific cycle for a hundred years, the fanatics had plunged deeper and deeper into absolute, irreversible madness, anchored to reality by nothing but the guiding voice of their lord.

Inside the camp's central tent, the High Priest lay stripped of his red robes upon a fur-covered bed. Surrounding him, naked brutes revelled blindly in their own carnal pleasures.

"High Priest!" The shadowed figure who had fled from Ren suddenly entered the tent. Completely unbothered by the decadent scene before him, the scout immediately began his report. "The Chosen One has been found, and we have already engaged him."

"Mm. I know," spoke the High Priest. He was an old, slovenly man, his face and body heavily dotted with deep wrinkles and pockmarks that made him resemble a withered twig. Long, messy white hair and a stringy goatee framed his face, and his eyes were presently squinted in depraved pleasure. "The Lord has already informed me of this."

"Praise the Lord!" the kneeling scout shouted fervently. "And what of the Kyoto Yokai faction? What shall we do with them?"

"Hm... We do exactly as we always do. MURDER! RAPE! PLUNDER! HAHAHAHAHA!" the High Priest bellowed in sheer exhilaration. After a century of bitter exile in the shadows, they finally had the chance to return to the surface world and live as rulers of men once more. How could he not be ecstatic?

"YES!" the scout roared in fanatical agreement.

"WOOOO!" the surrounding brutes hollered, their deep voices joining the cacophony of bloodthirsty cheers.

**********

High above the mortal world, in Takamagahara.

Amaterasu lounged on her throne. Looking at the man with his back toward her, she spoke a bit teasingly, "Are you not going to show yourself and save the day?"

"Hmph!" the man snorted. "I would if I could."

"Fufufu, who knew a being of your calibre would be chained by paradoxes," Amaterasu laughed lightly. Such a strong being, but chained by the world itself—what was the point of all the strength contained within his body?

"It's not the world stopping my actions," the man explained, speaking with a hint of pride in his voice. "Only I myself can restrain me."

"Fufu~ Of course it is. Otherwise..." Amaterasu paused slightly, then said solemnly, "...you would destroy the world."

"Hmph!" The man snorted again in silent agreement.

"Then... what is the Chief Goddess's reason for not intervening?" The man now turned the question toward Amaterasu.

Hearing this, Amaterasu smiled wryly. "You know we gods can't intervene in the matters of the mortal world."

"Hypocrite." The man smiled slightly, casually insulting the goddess.

Speechless, Amaterasu left it at that.

**********

Back in Kyoto, the tension had thickened into a palpable weight. The sun had completely dipped beneath the horizon, plunging the ancient city into a heavy, suffocating night. But Inner Kyoto was far from asleep.

Inside a quiet, dimly lit tatami room of the Mizuki estate, Ren winced as Yako gently applied a glowing green salve to his cheek.

"Hold still, Ren-chan. This will sting for just a moment, but it will bring the swelling down," Yako whispered. Her earlier, playful demeanour had been entirely replaced by a gentle, maternal focus. The soothing aura of her ki flared softly around her fingertips. "Fufu, Yasaka even used her youki to suppress your natural healing. You really made her mad this time," she teased lightly.

"Ugh! Don't mention it again." Ren recoiled, a shiver of genuine fear running through him at the memory of the trauma Yasaka had just inflicted.

Sighing softly, Ren's mind drifted to everything that had happened recently. He stared down at his own small hands, clenching them into tight fists. 'I am strong now! I can protect those close to me!'

"Fufu~ Don't even think about it," Yako said, reading his thoughts with ease. "You cannot join this war. You are still too young."

"But—!" Ren firmly disagreed.

"No buts!" Yako snapped, her golden eyes narrowing sternly. "War is not child's play! You have no idea of the stakes at play here!"

Seeing the boy flinch, the harshness immediately melted from her face. Her expression softened, and she cupped his unbruised cheek, imploring him quietly. "Please... Ren-chan. Just let us protect you."

Seeing the raw fear and severity in her motherly gaze, Ren felt a bit lost, completely unsure of how to respond. He could only lower his head quietly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Sigh... Konyo, look after him," Yako instructed her son, who had been lying flat on the floor nearby, staring up at the ceiling in a silent daze.

"Huh?" Kon blinked, snapping out of his trance. He looked over at Yako and gave a slow nod. "Um..."

**********

Chapter 30 - Invasion

High in the treacherous mountains of the Kameoka basin, an elite Tengu scout leapt silently from branch to branch. He swept his sharp gaze through the dense pine canopy, searching for any sign of the enemy vanguard. Suddenly, he caught the faint, unnatural flicker of firelight bleeding through the mist ahead.

Instantly on high alert, the scout slowed his pace, creeping cautiously toward the source. When he finally parted the branches and laid eyes on the devastated, flattened clearing that housed the Cult's camp, his pupils shrank in horror at the grotesque rituals taking place below.

Trembling slightly, he reached a steadying hand deep into his robes, drawing out a small ink brush and a roll of parchment to record what he was witnessing.

But just as the brush pressed against the paper, a voice whispered from directly behind him.

"Oh? Has a little birdie found our hideout~?"

The voice was mocking and horribly hoarse, sounding as if raw sandpaper had been shoved down the speaker's throat.

Alarmed, the Tengu instantly flared his youki and whipped his head around to strike the intruder. But without warning, the world around him violently warped and his own body felt as if it had been plunged into freezing molasses. Everything was moving in agonizingly slow motion.

'Time magic?!' the Tengu realized in panic.

Before he could even twitch a single muscle to defend himself, the blurred, deadly gleam of a bronze xiphos slashed cleanly through the air.

Schwing!

With a sickening spray of crimson, his severed head was sent violently tumbling through the branches. A heavy, wet thud echoed into the night as it finally struck the forest floor.

In the fleeting, fading seconds of his consciousness, the decapitated scout's vision blurred, but his ears managed to pick up a second voice stepping out of the shadows. This one was much deeper, devoid of amusement, and dripping with authority.

"Leptinos. Do not play with your prey. We are executing a divine mandate; absolutely no mistakes can be made."

"Tch..." The hoarse cultist, Leptinos, clicked his tongue in clear annoyance, seeming ready to argue.

But the fallen Tengu never heard the reply. His consciousness completely gave out, and his world faded to black forever.

**********

Inside the grand command room of the Tenko-jō, the heavy atmosphere of war had already settled. Yasaka, Yako, Captain Kōrōbō, Touji Shidou, and several of the most prominent Yokai clan elders were seated around a massive, polished oval table.

Yasaka opened the meeting, stating their purpose with clarity. "We are gathered here today because a severe threat has breached our territory," she announced, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight.

Instantly, alarmed whispers swept through the room as the elders began frantically speculating on what the threat could possibly be.

Before their voices could escalate into a full-blown panic, a heavy hand slammed violently against the wooden table.

BANG! The sound echoed sharply like a gunshot. "Quiet!" Kōrōbō barked. Fiercely loyal and ever the strict militant, the Tengu captain had zero tolerance for sudden disruptions in the presence of his leader.

The elders flinched, staring intently at the imposing Tengu. Absorbing the reprimand, they quickly chose to swallow their whispers and quiet down.

Satisfied with the now-silent room, Yasaka continued. "Father Shidou of the Church has been sent to notify us of this threat. I will let him explain the exact situation we are currently facing." She gestured gracefully toward the Exorcist. "Father Shidou."

Taking his cue, Touji stood up and offered a respectful bow to the gathered elders. "Thank you, Lady Yasaka. Word has come directly from the Vatican. The Cult of Time has resurfaced, and their vanguard is currently targeting Kyoto."

As he spoke, the seasoned Exorcist carefully omitted the true catalyst for the invasion. There was no need to tell the entire Yokai council that a boy named Ritsuzen Ren was the real cause.

Eyes widened drastically around the table at the mention of the Cult's name, their mouths fell open in shock.

A Gama Yokai, a pudgy, toad-faced elder wearing a pristine white robe with a long, wispy beard flowing down his chest, raised a trembling, webbed hand. "Was the Cult not destroyed a century ago?" he croaked in disbelief.

"Mm." Touji nodded, though his expression remained incredibly grim. "It is now speculated that a number of survivors had hid themselves away in underground caverns. Just an hour ago, Vatican task forces have uncovered their primary hideout deep within Greece. According to the intel gathered, the Cult is still in possession of their divine artifact."

Touji paused, letting the silence stretch before delivering the final blow. "...The Cauldron of Time."

The elders' faces drained of colour. The weight of that information settled over the room like a thick, suffocating blanket.

"It seems you are all already aware of the level of threat the Cult poses to us," Yasaka said solemnly, rising from her seat and bowing her head deeply to the gathered council. "I have called you here in the hope that you will contribute your forces to help Kyoto weather this crisis."

"Maa, maa. There is no need for all these stiff formalities, Yasaka-chan~" Yako waved her hand soothingly, breaking the heavy tension with her usual carefree tone. "I will personally send a hundred Field Kitsune under my command to scout ahead."

Bolstered by Yako pledging her forces first, the rest of the elders hesitated only for a moment before chiming in.

"I... I will also send the toads of the Gama clan," the Gama elder stammered, his webbed hands trembling slightly in fear.

"The Nekomata will also provide our aid," a beautiful Nekomata matriarch agreed. She sat elegantly in her chair; a slender smoking pipe held sensually between her fingers as a pair of twin tails swayed behind her.

"I will inform the Kodama living throughout the forests of Kyoto to search for the Cult's traces," an elderly, translucent spirit whispered softly, his ethereal hands gently cradling a small, potted bonsai tree.

"Sigh... The Kame will scout the rivers and lakes," an ancient turtle Yokai sighed heavily. He sat with a pronounced hunch, leaning heavily on a long wooden staff, a massive, weathered shell covering his back.

"And of course, as the main military force of Kyoto, the Tengu will not be left out," Captain Kōrōbō stated with pride.

Yasaka looked around the table at the united coalition of her people. "Thank you, elders," she said respectfully, her head remaining lowered in deep gratitude.

**********

Early the next morning, a vanguard of a hundred robed men arrived at the outskirts of Kyoto.

Standing at the very front was a man clad in a pristine white robe. He looked up, his eyes tracing the faint, shimmering dome that enclosed Inner Kyoto, a massive, magical barrier completely invisible to the common human eye.

"The Yokai, cowering in their little hidey-hole..." the man rumbled, his deep voice dripping with contempt. A cruel smirk curled his lips as his gaze dropped from the barrier to the bustling, mundane city streets below. "...leaving a swarm of insects completely unprotected on the outside."

Lowering his tone to a dangerous whisper, he addressed the hundred cultists assembled behind him. "Cause as much chaos as possible."

"YES!" the hundred voices roared in perfect unison, a sick, fanatical gleam of excitement burning deep within their eyes.

**********

BOOM! A massive explosion suddenly rocked the centre of Kyoto, completely levelling several antique Japanese townhouses in a blinding flash of heat and debris.

Screams flooded the streets as civilians frantically fled from ground zero. In the blind panic, the terrified crowd trampled over those who had been thrown to the ground by the blast's shockwave, causing countless secondary casualties.

Standing calmly in the middle of the ruined road, a man in a black robe casually waved his hand. Glowing, intricate magic circles materialized in the air around him, unleashing rapid-fire explosions left and right, reducing everything in his path to burning rubble.

Occasionally, he would thrust his hand out. With a violent, invisible burst of telekinesis, he would yank a fleeing civilian straight into his clutches. Driven mad by a century of exile and self-mutilation, the cultist clamped his hands over his victim's flesh and began to brutally tear their skin right off the body.

"AHHHHHHHHH! HEELLLPPPP!!!! IT HUUURTTTSS!!!!"

Agonized, blood-curdling screams tore from the victim's throat, answered only by the cultist's maniacal laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Throughout the unprotected streets of Kyoto, scenes like this were unfolding. Explosions, raging fires, senseless murder, and sadistic torture ran rampant, instantly transforming a peaceful, mundane morning into a living hell.

The piercing, desperate wail of police sirens quickly joined the cacophony of destruction. Desperate gunshots rang out across the city, but against superpowered, magically shielded cultists, mundane weapons couldn't even leave a dent.

The madmen were unstoppable, spreading bloody chaos everywhere they went.

**********

"Lady Yasaka! The Cultists have been spotted! They are already causing mass chaos in the streets of Outer Kyoto!"

A small, brown Field Kitsune burst violently into the war council, sputtering out the frantic report between desperate gasps for air. The scout jumped anxiously around the room, waving his paws at the gathered higher-ups in sheer panic.

"WHAT?!" Yasaka screamed, her voice cracking under the sudden, crushing weight of shock and fear. She whipped her head to the side. "KŌRŌBŌ! The Tengu!"

Captain Kōrōbō's eyes widened in horror. Instantly regaining his strict military composure, the Tengu pushed off the table and bolted for the exit.

BOOM! Shattering the sliding doors with a violent sonic boom, the Tengu Captain launched himself directly into the sky toward Outer Kyoto. Thrusting two fingers into his mouth, he unleashed a piercing, high-frequency whistle. The sharp, screeching sound tore through the air for miles, instantly signalling all airborne Tengu troops to converge on the human city.

Back in the ruined council room, Yasaka fell heavily back into her seat. Her expression turned incredibly grave, her face paling rapidly.

She hadn't accounted for the safety of the mundane civilians. It wasn't because she was a foolish or scatterbrained leader; an open attack on a human populace was just completely unthinkable in the modern era. If this were the Middle Ages, she absolutely would have planned her defences around the millions of humans living in Kyoto.

But a pact had been signed a century ago among all the major supernatural factions—Devils, Angels, Fallen, Gods and Yokai alike. It mandated that they could never appear openly before mankind, nor drag them into their wars. If anyone broke that sacred pact, the rest of the supernatural world would instantly unite to wipe the instigators off the face of the earth.

'But the Cult is already exiled...' Yasaka realized, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin. 'They are already hunted by the entire world. They truly don't care about the consequences at all!'

"T-T-The Gamas will e-erect a barrier around the rest of Inner Kyoto!" the Gama elder chimed in, his voice stuttering in terror now that the situation had escalated into a public massacre. "B-But we cannot stop the intruders already inside! We can only block those still outside!"

"Sigh... Do it. That is all we can do for now," Yasaka exhaled tiredly, rubbing her temples as a massive headache formed.

"I will also go out and assist the Tengu," Yako stated, her voice devoid of its usual cheerful lilt. She stood up and marched briskly toward the door, her golden aura flaring violently around her in barely contained, murderous anger.

"I will have the Nekomata assist with the human evacuation," the Nekomata matriarch softly said. She took a long, deep drag from her smoking pipe, desperately trying to calm her own racing heart.

**********

KRA-KOOM! KRA-KOOM!

The once-calm, azure sky above Kyoto was suddenly swallowed by a churning sea of heavy, dark clouds. An oppressive, suffocating gloom descended over the burning city. Jagged streaks of lightning flickered through the bruised heavens like wrathful dragons, accompanied by the bone-rattling rumble of thunder.

Having separated from his rampaging troops, the white-robed leader of the vanguard walked at a leisurely, unbothered pace down a quiet, deserted alleyway.

Glancing up at the unnaturally fast-forming storm, his lips curled into a faint smirk. 'It seems the gods are angered,' he thought calmly, unfazed by the divine display of power. 'Well... no matter.'

Turning his attention forward, he stopped just inches away from the massive, shimmering dome of the Kyoto barrier. It stood before him like an impenetrable wall of pure energy.

Raising his dominant hand, he pressed his palm flat against the rippling ward. Instantly, an intricate, glowing magic circle flared to life between his skin and the barrier.

The magic circle then began to rotate. Its glowing, concentric rings shifted and aligned, turning smoothly as if deciphering a complex lock. Like a stone slipping seamlessly into calm water, the barrier of the Yokai Faction yielded.

Without a single ounce of resistance, his hand passed right through the barrier, followed smoothly by his arm, his torso, and finally, his entire body.

Just like that, the white robed leader had breached Inner Kyoto, unhindered and undetected.