Seeing this uninvited man, Kaguya frowned and demanded sharply:
"And who are you?"
"Your humble servant, Naraku."
The young man who had spoken smiled amiably at Kaguya.
Behind Naraku stood Aotabō, who towered over him by nearly two heads, remaining silent as if he were merely Naraku's subordinate.
Hearing the name, Luo Shu beside them showed a look of realisation.
Naraku—of course, he knew that name. The destined arch-villain in Inuyasha's original trajectory.
With Naraku's appearance, Luo Shu immediately thought of So'unga.
After all, based on his memory, Naraku's birthplace was near Kikyo's shrine in the Land of Musashi, which was also the sealing site of So'unga. It was highly likely the two were connected.
Thinking this, Luo Shu couldn't help but glance at Kuesu Jingūji.
Noticing his gaze, Kuesu Jingūji said nothing but gave a slight nod.
Seeing her reaction, Luo Shu immediately understood that Naraku was indeed a key figure connected to So'unga.
'So the target to capture has increased from just Kaguya to two people now?'
Luo Shu's eyes flickered briefly, but he chose not to speak up, instead taking a step back—after all, he wasn't the host here.
As if deliberately coordinating with Luo Shu, Kuesu Jingūji once again questioned Naraku:
"That chaotic aura... a half-yokai?"
Naraku smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, and simply continued:
"I happen to have some matters I'd like to discuss with the Celestial Maiden as well. Might I also join these negotiations?"
Kaguya's gaze turned icy as she replied coldly:
"I don't recall having any connection with a half-yokai like you."
Hearing this, Naraku merely chuckled, giving her a meaningful look:
"Truly no connection at all?"
Aren't you also a half-yokai?
Though he didn't voice it, his eyes conveyed the implication clearly.
"You—!!"
Kaguya's beautiful face twisted in fury.
A half-yokai who had devoured the Celestial Maiden—that was her true nature. Being reminded of her origins by Naraku, something she deeply despised, naturally provoked her rage.
Though she seethed inwardly, Kaguya quickly regained her composure outwardly:
"Fine. Since we already have one uninvited guest, one more hardly matters."
With that, her figure slowly levitated. Turning her back, she spoke indifferently before flying back into the castle:
"If you've come to negotiate, then enter. If you lack the courage, leave now."
Without another word, she flew straight into the main castle.
Watching this, Luo Shu couldn't help but click his tongue:
"Things just keep getting more troublesome!"
"Looks like I'll have to squeeze more funding out of Kirika Tachibana after this."
Hearing this, Kuesu Jingūji gave Luo Shu a strange look.
'Wasn't SDS's budget overseen by the Supreme Council President, not Kirika Tachibana?'
Clearly, Luo Shu was just looking for an excuse to pick a fight.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu, already ascending the steps, glanced at Kuesu Jingūji and urged:
"What are you staring at? Let's go!"
Without waiting for a reply, he continued up the stairs.
Senhime Rin Getsu followed silently, while Sun Seto, walking beside them, asked curiously:
"Is Director Tachibana also in charge of the SDS's funding?"
Puzzled, Sun Seto climbed the steps as well, not exchanging a single word with Aotabō—as if they were strangers.
Watching this, Aotabō, who had been pretending to be invisible, inwardly gave a thumbs-up:
'Well played, Miss Seto.'
Not exposing their acquaintance to the suspicious Naraku was undoubtedly the prudent approach.
Of course, Naraku might already know that Aotabō and Sun Seto were acquainted, but that didn't stop them from pretending otherwise.
If Naraku remained unaware, they could ambush him at a critical moment. Even if he knew, he would still have to divert attention to guard against Aotabō.
Either way, they stood to gain, so everyone was naturally willing to play along.
At this moment, after seeing Kuesu Jingūji also step onto the stairs, Naraku finally smiled and said:
"Shall we proceed, Mr. Aotabō?"
"Right," Aotabō replied gruffly, his expression giving no hint of the complex scheming in his mind.
Under Kaguya's deliberate arrangement, the two groups entered the main castle together.
...
Inside the grand hall, adorned in traditional Japanese style.
Luo Shu observed Kaguya standing atop the redwood platform, his gaze sweeping past her to the enormous mirror behind her.
'A mirror? An Abyss Artefact, similar to so-called magical treasures?'
Luo Shu glanced at the massive mirror but said nothing.
According to SDS records, the side effects of Abyss Artefacts usually manifested only after being brought into the human world.
Thus, in the Abyss, artefacts in their original state often had higher usability.
Kaguya's blatant display of the enormous mirror made it clear she was leveraging the fact that both Luo Shu and Naraku needed something from her, using this to create an advantageous setting for herself.
Kuesu Jingūji, who had also noticed this, stared intently at the massive bronze mirror.
Had Kaguya not been standing there, she might have already made a move on it.
Even so, Kuesu Jingūji secretly transmitted a message to Luo Shu:
"Ahem, can you hear me? If so, nod slightly. I'm using a sound transmission technique to speak to you. Just react accordingly as a precaution."
Hearing the voice, Luo Shu gave a barely perceptible nod.
Seeing this, Kuesu Jingūji continued:
"The mirror behind Kaguya is just a medium. The real Abyss Artefact is the one in her hand."
"Beyond that, there are traces of Yin-Yang Arts throughout this hall—many of them advanced techniques involving time and space. I can only decipher a few."
Luo Shu frowned at this. If she specialised in spacetime techniques, things could get troublesome.
Having worked alongside Natsuki Minamiya and Kurumi Tokisaki before, he knew all too well how formidable they could be.
"Don't worry. Spacetime techniques require extreme precision, making them highly susceptible to interference. And coincidentally, I have the ability to disrupt them."
Luo Shu couldn't help but glance at Kuesu Jingūji, wondering what she was getting at.
She, however, had no intention of keeping secrets and stated plainly:
"If we successfully capture Kaguya, her mirror can go to you—but when you don't need it, it must be handed over to me for research."
"More research?"
Luo Shu looked at Kuesu Jingūji in surprise, unable to grasp her reasoning.
'Is this woman some kind of SDS affiliate?'
Just as Luo Shu was doubting, Kuesu Jingūji added:
"Don't misunderstand. For me, understanding the principles behind these Abyss Artefacts and replicating them is what truly matters. The physical objects themselves are insignificant in comparison."
'If you're happy with that...' Luo Shu nodded slightly, silently adding in his mind.
But now he grew even more suspicious of Kuesu Jingūji's stance. He recalled that she seemed acquainted with Meer? Perhaps he should ask Meer about it after finishing their business here?
Only after Luo Shu nodded did Kuesu Jingūji finally relax, shifting her gaze towards the elevated figure of Kaguya.
Moments later, seeing that everyone had entered the grand hall, Kaguya's lips curled slightly before her expression turned cold again as she demanded:
"Well then, uninvited guests, state your purpose for coming here!"