Before Tobio was dispatched that night, Penemue had already considered many things very carefully.
The Japan region especially Kanto was not a place where she could move freely. Her status as someone close to Azazel even as one of Grigori's generals was a double-edged sword. If she were seen openly intervening even once, it could trigger an unwanted political conflict.
Kanto itself was not yet fully aligned with the Fallen Angels. In that region, the influence of the Shinto gods, the Eastern Youkai, and human organizations such as the Onmyoji was still very strong. Even the smallest mistake could drag the local deities into an open conflict—something everyone was trying very hard to avoid.
Sending a large number of troops was clearly not an option.
Not only would it stand out, it could also be seen as a form of military provocation.
Because of that, Penemue's only choice was to move covertly, using individuals who were strong enough, flexible enough, and not directly tied to major political structures.
The first name that crossed her mind was Jun.
She hoped that Jun with his ambiguous status, his unregistered strength, and his experience dealing with various factions would be able to act in accordance with the worst-case scenarios she had imagined. And just as she expected, Jun moved immediately.
But Penemue also knew one thing:
The Hero Faction was not an opponent to be underestimated.
They were not merely a radical organization. They possessed individuals with power on the level of legends, wielders of high-tier Sacred Gears, and combat experience spanning eras. If Zekka truly fell into their hands, this was no longer just a kidnapping it was the possibility of forced recruitment, or even ideological experimentation.
Because of that, Jun could not be allowed to act alone.
Penemue contacted several of her old acquaintances former agents, independent individuals, even a few old contract beings. But one by one, they refused.
Some were bound to other missions, some were outside Japan, and some… quite openly did not want to get involved with the Hero Faction.
In the end, only one name remained.
Tobio Ikuse.
An individual who was technically independent, yet possessed a long track record of dealing with troublesome factions. Strong, experienced, and most importantly someone who did not carry any political symbol.
When Penemue contacted him, Tobio was actually in the middle of his summer vacation.
His plans were simple. The beach, the sea, and time with his girlfriend far from the supernatural world, far from organizational intrigue.
But when Penemue mentioned three things—
The Hero Faction.
The descendant of Miyamoto Musashi.
The Kanto region.
Tobio immediately understood that this was not a trivial matter.
If this conflict were allowed to escalate, chaos could erupt in many sectors. A slight mishandling could drag the three Biblical races Fallen Angels, Angels, and Devils into the whirlpool of trouble, especially with Japan still tense after the Kokabiel incident.
One more incident, and that fragile balance could collapse.
That was the reason Tobio, without many questions, chose to postpone his vacation.
Penemue only hoped everything would go as she had envisioned, even if it deviated a little—she prayed in her heart to the father who had already passed away.
Hopefully, it would not stray too far.
However, she underestimated Jun, who possessed another name—Cheon Ma.
...
Jun stepped off the bullet train and walked out of the station with Rina. The flow of people streamed around them, the bustle of a great city that never truly slept. But the two of them had not come here for sightseeing. There were no overly impressed expressions, no relaxed tourist smiles.
They brought only minimal luggage a backpack and a small suitcase then rented a nearby hotel. From the window of their room, Tokyo Tower rose in the distance, red-orange, standing proudly among the concrete buildings.
Jun stood for a moment in front of the window, staring at the tower with a flat expression.
On the way to the hotel, he had asked Rina a question.
"Have you ever been here before?"
Rina shook her head gently.
"No. This is my first time seeing Tokyo Tower in person."
Jun glanced at her briefly, assessing the tone of her voice and her expression. There was no lie there. No hesitation.
He shifted his gaze forward again.
'It seems she really lived in a suffocating environment,' Jun thought. Not only physically, but mentally as well.
After arriving at the hotel and unpacking what was necessary, Jun did not waste any time. He immediately began planning strategy with Rina.
"Kanto is too big," he said while sitting on the edge of the bed. "There's no way we search for Zekka randomly. That would be a waste of time."
Rina nodded, sitting on the chair across from him.
"So… what's the plan?"
"The best option is to meet the leader of the Eastern Youkai directly," Jun replied. "Nurarihyon."
Rina's eyes widened slightly, but she remained calm.
"How?"
Jun fell silent for a moment, then the corner of his lips lifted faintly. An idea had formed.
"We make ourselves noticed."
"Noticed…?"
"The popular shrines in Kanto," Jun continued. "Places under the observation of the Youkai. We release a little… threat."
Rina blinked.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Dangerous," Jun admitted. "But controlled. We're human, not Youkai. That will make them curious instead."
Jun stood and walked to the window.
"The Hero Faction has most likely already caused trouble in this area. That means the Youkai are on guard against humans with supernatural power. If we appear the right way, they'll come to us."
Rina's eyes sparkled.
"Mmm!" She nodded firmly. "That's clever."
"In that case," Jun said while taking his jacket, "let's begin."
—
They visited three shrines that day.
At the first shrine, Jun released only a small amount of pressure—just enough to make the air feel heavy to those sensitive to it. Several birds flew off in panic. Rina stood beside him, suppressing her Sacred Gear so it wouldn't react excessively.
There was no response.
At the second shrine, they increased the intensity slightly. The wind twisted strangely, incense burned faster than it should have. A priest glanced their way with a pale face, but still there was no sign of Youkai presence.
Jun began to feel uneasy.
'Are they deliberately ignoring us?' he wondered. Or worse—observing from afar.
As the sun began to lean toward the west, they arrived at the final shrine.
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine.
The moment they stepped through the torii, the air changed.
A thin mist appeared without warning, creeping up from the ground and quickly swallowing the shrine grounds. The sounds of the city vanished instantly, replaced by a silence that felt… foreign.
The sky dimmed, as if its colors were being drained.
Jun stopped.
This was no ordinary illusion.
"Rina," he said quietly, "we're in."
Rina swallowed.
"The… spirit world?"
Jun gave a slight nod.
It seemed the aura they had released at the previous two shrines had finally reached the right ears. Nurarihyon's followers had reported their presence, and now the elder had decided to act.
The mist moved like a living creature. Faint shadows began to appear among the trees—watchful eyes, presences that were not entirely hostile, but clearly not friendly either.
Jun took half a step forward, his position slightly shielding Rina.
"Be careful," he said softly.
Suddenly the air turned humid and a vortex of water appeared, surrounding the two of them and pushing them apart.
The culprit was a Kappa who appeared on the roof of the shrine fortress, his face filled with rage as he cursed at Jun.
"For my fellow brethren! Die!!" he shouted in fury as the water prison tightened.
However, Jun released his dark red aura, causing the whirlpool of water that had trapped them to disperse.
"It seems they're really angry," Jun muttered.
At that moment, Rina manifested her Sacred Gear a staff that transformed into a katana and took a vigilant stance, while Jun also summoned Wan above his head, preparing for the chaos to come.