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.