Castle Tower of the Daimyo, Musashi Province.
Yomi Isayama and Noriyuki Izuna were escorted by maidservants to this location, where, through a curtained partition, they caught a glimpse of the seated daimyo.
Upon their entry, the maidservant bowed respectfully to the daimyo, flanked by four samurai, and announced:
"Lord Daimyo, the demon slayers who accepted the task have arrived."
"You may leave."
From behind the curtain came a soft yet distinctly masculine voice.
"As you wish."
After the maidservant withdrew, Yomi and Noriyuki exchanged glances.
The daimyo then spoke slowly:
"So you two are the demon slayers who took on the sealing of the Demon Sword? May I ask where you hail from?"
"We're from the Demon Slayer Village."
Noriyuki promptly responded.
Before their arrival, he had gathered intelligence and knew this village was the strongest demon-slaying force across several nearby daimyo domains.
Coincidentally, after descending into the Abyss, they'd robbed a demon slayer and obtained credentials from this very village.
This bolstered their confidence in undertaking the Demon Sword sealing mission.
Hearing this, the daimyo exclaimed delightedly:
"Ah! Masters from the Demon Slayer Village! What an honour."
Meanwhile, Yomi, having confirmed there were no traps nearby, gave Noriyuki a meaningful look.
Understanding her signal, Noriyuki nodded and quickly said:
"Lord Daimyo, at the city gates, we saw your notice offering 300 mon to whoever seals the man-eating Demon Sword in your possession. Might we verify this claim?"
All factions entering the Abyss sought its various mystical artefacts.
Though these items became corrupted as Abyss Artefacts when removed, their value remained undeniable.
Thus, upon seeing the notice about sealing a Demon Sword, Yomi and Noriyuki had willingly presented themselves.
After all, nobody would refuse legitimately acquired Abyss Artefacts.
When Noriyuki finished speaking, the daimyo suddenly chuckled darkly:
"A Demon Sword? Indeed, there is one... though I fear you'll find it... difficult to claim!"
Hearing this ominous tone, Yomi's hand instinctively went to the greatsword at her waist.
Recognising the danger, Noriyuki swiftly retreated behind Yomi while summoning his fox Spirit Familiar. At that moment, a black wind surged through the window, forming swirling black vortices within the castle tower.
At the centre of these whirling winds, a silver-haired woman with waist-length locks and a black crescent moon marking between her brows floated mid-air, her voluptuous figure silhouetted against the tempest as she gazed down at the pair:
"I expected to catch some greedy fools, but I never imagined it would be you two?"
The instant Yomi Isayama recognised the newcomer, she gasped:
"Kuesu Jingūji?! How could you—"
Suddenly, Yomi drew her blade and slashed through the curtains. As the fabric fell away, the pallid face of the daimyo was revealed before her.
"A corpse... No! A western-style human puppet..."
A chill ran down Yomi's spine. Kuesu Jingūji had turned a feudal lord into a human puppet – such brutality. Hadn't they entered the Abyss at the same time?
Witnessing Kuesu's extreme methods, Noriyuki Izuna – who'd been about to claim camaraderie by shouting 'we're on your side' – immediately lost his voice.
Yomi couldn't help addressing Kuesu: "Lady Jingūji, creating human puppets is strictly prohibited by all major Western organisations."
"What does that have to do with a witch like me?"
Kuesu tilted her head slightly, regarding Yomi with puzzled eyes: "The Jingūji family creed is to utilise everything usable. Didn't Ayame teach you that?"
"Besides, a daimyo who dared suggest I become his concubine... killing him was mercy. This is an Abyss world where he was fated to die anyway. Are you really opposing me over this?"
"Is this your stance, or Ayame's?"
Yomi fell silent.
Beside her, Noriyuki nodded vigorously: "Anyone who insults Lady Jingūji deserves death. Becoming a puppet is just fate's justice." He then added with an ingratiating smile: "You must understand, Yomi comes from a samurai family – strict upbringing makes her awkward. Sometimes she expresses things poorly."
Kuesu ignored him, commanding instead: "Enough. Since the Demon Sword failed to attract the exorcists of this world, you two will suffice. Come with me. You're conscripted now."
With that, she flipped backwards out the window.
Noriyuki turned to the visibly frustrated Yomi and sighed: "Let's go. Even the Director couldn't refuse her orders."
Yomi knew this, but still felt uneasy. Killing was one thing, but puppet-making crossed lines:
"Controlling a daimyo to collect Abyss Artefacts... now I understand why they call her a witch in the west."
Sighing, both she and Noriyuki leapt through the window, following Kuesu's trail.
The daimyo's guards merely stepped forward to rearrange the severed curtains, restoring everything before resuming their vacant-eyed vigil as if nothing had occurred.
Several minutes later.
Yomi Isayama stared at the mountain of yokai corpses and the hexagram drawn in yokai blood, her face a picture of shock:
"This is..."
Standing at the centre of the magic circle, manipulating wind currents to bleed each yokai in turn, Kuesu Jingūji replied calmly:
"Just an Onmyou Agency commission."
"Retrieve Divine General Suzaku from the Underworld and obtain the Sacred Sword Tessaiga hidden there."
"The payment is a fragment of Sesshōseki. A decent trade."
As she spoke, Kuesu produced a black-bound book from somewhere, flipping through it to extract a photograph of Shirayuki Hotogi along with several marked strands of hair:
"Using the souls of a hundred yokai descending to Hades at death, we'll open a path to the underworld via Anubis' ritual, then locate that Dog Demon's grave."
"Troublesome, but with this castle's so-called daimyo's assistance, it's barely complete."
"Only half a day..." Noriyuki Izuna felt his teeth ache.
In just twelve hours: controlling a provincial lord, laying traps to lure exorcists, capturing a hundred yokai, preparing an underworld-summoning ritual.
'Is this Kuesu Jingūji even human?'
'Are all witches at this level?'
'How are other factions supposed to compete?'
At this moment, Yomi Isayama couldn't help but ask:
"What do you want us to do?"
Hearing this, Kuesu Jingūji gazed at the already opened portal with an enchanting smile:
"Pathfinding."
"Commonly known as cannon fodder."
Yomi Isayama and Noriyuki Izuna felt a chill run down their spines.
Then Kuesu Jingūji laughed:
"Just kidding."
"After all, you're Ayame's little puppies. She'd cry if you died by my hand."
Kuesu Jingūji narrowed her eyes before stating coldly:
"Your duty is to assist the Vermilion Bird General – that is, Shirayuki Hotogi – in retrieving the Sacred Sword Tessaiga from the Underworld."
"The only reason you were chosen is because I can't be bothered with such trivial matters."
"The Onmyou Agency's payment only covers opening the portal for them, understand?"
"As for how the Ministry of Environment and Onmyou Agency divide Tessaiga afterwards, that's your Director's concern."
Hearing this, Yomi Isayama felt a strange sense of conflict.
Could it be that by dragging them into this labour, she actually wanted the Ministry of Environment to get a share from the Onmyou Agency?
Was she trying to help the Director?
'No way...'
Yomi Isayama's expression became slightly uneasy.
Meanwhile, Kuesu Jingūji casually brushed aside a silver lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead and said:
"The portal's open. Go in."
Without another word, Yomi Isayama walked towards the portal at the centre of the magic circle.
Seeing no room for refusal, Noriyuki Izuna gritted his teeth and followed.