"Hey, beautiful lady."
"Nice to meet you. Could I have a moment of your time for a chat?"
In the Campione World, inside the ancestral home of the Kusanagi clan, a frivolous voice came from outside the door, immediately drawing Hinata's attention.
The speaker slowly approached. Though he walked across the gravel courtyard in leather shoes, his footsteps made no sound.
Anyone who saw this walking method would instantly realize that the person was not ordinary.
"Who are you?"
Hinata remained calm. The moment the man appeared, she had already seen through his nature.
The disheveled youth wore a worn-out suit, looked to be in his twenties, and didn't seem particularly remarkable.
But that was just a front.
He had practiced movement techniques, trained in martial arts, and possessed Magic Power, though not an especially large amount.
If Hinata had to define the man before her, he was probably some sort of secret agent.
In terms of strength, he had reached the level of a Great Knight, a core-level force within the mysterious side.
"Ah, how rude of me."
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Amakasu. It's an honor to meet such a beautiful witch, Miss."
Amakasu Touma introduced himself while handing over a business card.
"Historical Compilation Committee?"
Hinata glanced at the information and immediately recognized the organization as a major power. "So, you're part of Japan's official force?"
"Then, why are you looking for me?"
Hinata, already informed of Susanoo's existence by Rin, was extremely cautious at this moment.
Before she could summon Luminous, she had no way to deal with a Heretic God.
No, forget Heretic Gods.
Even if a God Ancestor appeared, Hinata estimated she wouldn't be able to defeat them.
Her current strength was the peak of what humans could achieve in this world—the highest-ranking Paladin level.
Of course, if she let loose, exchanging a few blows with a Heretic God wouldn't be impossible.
"Esteemed Witch, would you be willing to share your reason for entering the country?"
Amakasu chuckled. "After all, we are the official organization responsible for maintaining order within Japan's mysterious side. For the safety of ordinary people, we must ask."
"For the safety of ordinary people?"
Hinata frowned slightly. She sensed she was being morally pressured.
But it wasn't just that.
She guessed that Amakasu likely wanted to profile her personality.
Through his words, he was trying to determine her character and methods.
"You're here to protect him?"
Hinata didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she turned toward Godou, who was still sitting there in a daze.
"Ah, he is an ordinary Japanese citizen too!"
To be honest, Amakasu wasn't entirely sure who Godou was.
Before today, he hadn't even heard the name.
But not long ago, the higher-ups of the Historical Compilation Committee, specifically from the Kiyoshuin family, issued an order for him to protect a young man named Kusanagi Godou.
The command was baffling, to say the least.
Kusanagi Godou?
Who was that?
And why protect him?
Still, Amakasu didn't ask questions.
It was a mission from above, and his job was to carry it out.
"Susanoo. So he really came."
Luminous's phantom folded her arms and stood behind Hinata, surveying the area. "Hinata, be careful. He's not the only one who came."
That didn't mean there were more Sorcerers besides Amakasu hiding nearby.
In fact, only Amakasu came.
Whether this was due to confidence in his strength or because the higher-ups didn't want to risk more people when Hinata's allegiance was unknown,
In short, the only Sorcerer Hinata had to deal with was Amakasu.
As for the rest...
Without a doubt, they were being watched from the Netherworld.
"That bastard!"
Luminous gritted her teeth inwardly. "How dare you peek at my Hinata from the shadows, Susanoo. You've chosen your own death!"
"Hinata, when I descend, I'll definitely get revenge for you!"
"Mm..."
Hinata responded silently to Luminous, then said aloud, "I only came to retrieve an item. I'm done now."
"Then, may I ask, Miss Witch..."
"My name is Hinata. Hinata Sakaguchi."
Hinata didn't hide her real name, but Amakasu frowned the moment he heard it. "Sakaguchi?"
Amakasu had never heard of a Sorcerer family named Sakaguchi.
Hinata clearly appeared Japanese at a glance.
Moreover, even in the Campione World, her beauty stood at the very top, comparable to God Ancestors.
Her status as an Awakened Demon Lord had completely transformed her appearance and presence.
The reason Amakasu dared not act recklessly was precisely because of this.
There was nothing he could do. Just standing there, Hinata gave him immense pressure.
It even felt like he was facing a goddess, not a person.
At the same time, in the Demon Lord's conference room...
"Just as you thought."
Luminous opened her eyes. "Japan's authorities have made contact."
"Mm."
"Susanoo has noticed Hinata."
"Then what should we do?"
Even if it was only a projection, Luminous didn't want her child to get hurt.
If anything happened to Hinata, Luminous might not be able to stop herself from descending into the Campione World for real.
Even if that meant enduring the world's backlash to kill Susanoo in the Netherworld.
At worst, she'd suffer some injuries.
With the recovery power of a vampire progenitor, she'd be fully healed in a week.
"Don't rush."
Rin tried to soothe her. "Susanoo has targeted Hinata, but it also means he's now being targeted by us."
The biggest problem with Susanoo was that he was hiding in the Netherworld, like a coward.
If his true body couldn't be found, even Rin couldn't do anything to him.
Gods in the Netherworld were like fish in water.
If he really wanted to hide, even Diablo and Testarossa combined wouldn't be able to catch him.
(To be continued.)