After finishing the ramen, the night grew even deeper.
Ten o’clock.
In a modern city, nightlife would only be beginning at that hour, but in a secluded shrine far from the bustle of civilization, there were no forms of entertainment to speak of.
Today, Akeno had stayed up this late entirely because of Shinki.
After exchanging goodnight greetings, she reluctantly returned to her room to sleep.
As for Shinki, he couldn’t sleep.
Until around midnight, he rarely felt tired.
Sitting beneath the shrine’s torii gate with a cup of hot tea in hand, he gazed at the night scenery while reminiscing about his previous life.
Though his former life had been ordinary, he still didn’t want to forget those countless small memories.
“I wonder when the Himejima Clan is going to make their move…
The original story only mentioned it in passing.
There was never an exact timeline.” Shinki murmured quietly as he observed the darkness ahead.
Something unusual caught his attention.
Although fusing with The Ra hadn’t made him overwhelmingly powerful yet, his physical abilities had improved significantly.
Combined with the fact that almost nobody ever visited the shrine where Akeno and Shuri lived, even a slight anomaly was enough for him to notice.
Not to mention that the people approaching the mountain weren’t making much effort to conceal themselves.
“Sneaking around in the middle of the night…
suspicious no matter who it is.” Shinki drained the last of his tea, placed the cup on a stone step, and rose to his feet.
Calmly, he walked to a nearby tree.
A faint layer of fire seemed to cover his brown eyes, enhancing his night vision.
Roughly a dozen figures moved through the forest like ghosts.
Having grown up within the Himejima Clan, he immediately recognized the movement techniques as those used by the family.
“Speak of the devil and he appears.
Looks like I shouldn’t casually tempt fate anymore.” Shinki mocked himself before silently slipping behind the tree.
He had always known this day would come.
To eliminate a stain on the family and reinforce their authority, the Himejima Clan would inevitably send people to capture and execute Himejima Akeno.
“If I help Akeno, I probably won’t be able to stay in Tokyo afterward.” Shinki muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and mobilized the power within his body.
Golden patterns spread across his skin like thin threads.
They flickered faintly for three seconds before disappearing.
When he opened his eyes again, he seemed like a completely different person.
His senses had been dramatically enhanced.
Power surged through his body.
The only thing he found unsatisfactory was the relatively small increase in physical strength.
“…Hopefully this can be settled quickly.” Shinki melted into the shadows.
Meanwhile, the Himejima Clan’s Black Ops unit had already reached the mountainside.
Several masked figures dressed in ninja-like uniforms advanced from the front entrance of the shrine.
The entire mountain had already been surrounded by their people.
None of them would dare disregard the orders of the Himejima Clan Head.
As they neared the summit, one of the men looked toward the visible torii gate and snorted.
“We’re just capturing a little girl.
Do we really need this many people?” “This concerns the reputation of the Himejima Clan.
We need to seize that bastard child as quickly as possible.
If the other four clans notice, it’ll be a disgrace.
Besides…
Lady Himejima Suzaku, the future clan head, has a good relationship with that half-breed.
We can’t give her time to react.” Another operative answered.
“I honestly don’t understand why anyone would sympathize with a half-breed born from a Fallen Angel.” The first man sneered coldly.
Becoming a member of the covert division meant fully accepting the Himejima Clan’s teachings.
In other words, they were essentially loyal death squads raised by the family.
“Stay alert.
The Fallen Angel may be gone, but we can’t be sure he didn’t leave anything behind.” “Even if he did, what can two women possibly do?” That was true.
According to their intelligence, only a woman in her twenties and a young girl lived at the shrine.
What kind of resistance could they possibly offer against a group of mid- and high-level exorcists?
They arrived before the torii gate.
The shrine was completely silent.
After exchanging glances, they confidently proceeded through the main entrance.
The area was already surrounded.
The mother and daughter had nowhere to run.
“Using this many people against two women is honestly embarrassing.” One of the operatives laughed.
“…You’re right.
The Himejima Clan going through all this trouble to deal with two women really isn’t a good look.” An untimely voice interrupted their conversation.
The operatives immediately turned around.
A young man dressed in casual clothing stood behind them.
His eyes glowed faintly golden as he calmly observed them.
Shinki had considered concealing his identity, but if he only hid his face, the clan would uncover the truth sooner or later.
Besides, he was alone with nothing to lose.
In the end, he decided not to bother hiding who he was.
After all, he was planning to leave anyway.
“Who are you?” The leader asked in surprise.
However, his hands moved without hesitation.
A talisman instantly appeared from his sleeve.
After chanting a spell, he flung it forward.
The flying talisman transformed into a serpent-shaped shikigami that hissed as it lunged toward Shinki.
No matter who this person was, they could capture him first and ask questions later.