Stepping out of the Nura Clan's main residence, Luo Shu paused beneath the newly risen sun and said to Kisara:
"Let's stroll around nearby."
Facing Luo Shu's request, Kisara naturally didn't refuse. But as she followed him, she couldn't help asking curiously:
"Are you truly comfortable letting the Nura Clan handle the Hagoromo Group, Shuu-kun?"
"That..." Walking along the roadside path leading away from the Nura residence, Luo Shu replied casually: "Of course not."
"Hmm?" Kisara looked at him, puzzled.
Shaking his head with a smile, Luo Shu explained: "When it concerns the ritual, how could I possibly entrust such matters to others?"
"This concerns whether I can advance or not."
Here, he deliberately slowed his pace, waiting until Kisara caught up to walk shoulder-to-shoulder before lowering his voice:
"The pressure the Nura Clan applies to Hagoromo Gitsune is, at best, merely a blade."
"A blade itself poses no threat."
"The real threat comes from the wielder who appears within one's sight."
As Luo Shu spoke, he passed by the Nura Clan's ancestral home, turned a corner into an alleyway, and with a faint smile said:
"And I am the blade-wielder."
Hearing this, Kisara finally understood his meaning and deduced:
"Blade-wielder implies both a threat and instigating a catastrophe as part of the ritual, doesn't it?"
"Clever."
Luo Shu smiled at Kisara before sighing slightly:
"This is my first time performing an ascension ritual."
"So to be safe, we must fulfil every requirement without compromise - that's the most reliable approach."
"In this context, the so-called 'instigating a catastrophe' requires careful consideration."
"Should Hagoromo Gitsune initiate it or should I?"
"Who becomes the decisive factor causing the disaster? Who makes the final decision?"
"Should this decision-maker be publicly known or operate in the shadows?"
"These are all considerations."
Here, Luo Shu's eyes flickered before he continued:
"Out of caution, I've eliminated the shadow approach."
"After all, while some disasters occur unseen, most manifest openly."
"I see." Kisara had an epiphany. "So what Shu-kun intends is to force Hagoromo Gitsune's hand by pressuring the Nura Clan, disrupt her original plan, then remotely control her to unleash a catastrophe according to your scheme?"
Instead of answering directly, Luo Shu suddenly stopped walking and glanced at a nearby stone tablet.
Reading the characters for "Kiyomizu Temple", he narrowed his eyes, sensing the prompt in his mind about discovering a suitable Familia candidate, then smiled:
"This should be the place."
With that, he ascended the temple steps, telling Kisara:
"From now on, don't speak unless I permit it."
Kisara nodded quickly, glanced at the temple's stone tablet, then hurried after him.
Just then, Luo Shu crossed the shallow steps into Kiyomizu Temple's grounds.
The modest temple comprised just a main hall and courtyard - such roadside shrines dotted Tokyo's landscape, with "Kiyomizu Temple" being an exceedingly common name, numbering at least hundreds across the city.
Yet Luo Shu found this particular Kiyomizu Temple, located near the Nura Clan headquarters, somewhat special.
Because this might be where Hagoromo Gitsune would assassinate Rihan Nura in the future.
The Mysticism Encyclopaedia's power meant the more its holder knew and the stronger the medium, the greater the information feedback.
Exploiting this, Luo Shu could recall minute details from any anime he'd watched through the Encyclopaedia.
Among these details about Nura Clan's grandson was the scene where Rihan Nura, accompanied by his son Rikuo, would be assassinated by Yamabuki Otome, possessed by Hagoromo Gitsune, at a temple near their estate.
Knowing this outcome, Luo Shu began working backwards through the prerequisites.
Strolling to the temple's central courtyard, he stopped and said coolly:
"Still hiding?"
Only wind chimes tinkling on the temple beams answered him.
The lack of response didn't deter Luo Shu. With hands in pockets and an indifferent expression, he said:
"Minagoroshi Jizō's proposed assassination plan for Rihan Nura hinges on possessing Yamabuki Otome as a key element, but the more crucial factor is Rihan Nura's whereabouts."
"Since Rihan Nura's developed technique, Matoi, allows him to absorb the abilities of countless yokai, he's typically accompanied by at least one Great Yokai-level executive from the Nura Clan during his outings."
"Therefore, under such circumstances, assassinating Rihan Nura requires selecting a special occasion."
At this point, Luo Shu narrowed his eyes meaningfully:
"For instance, today's outing accompanying his wife, Wakana Nura."
"Or perhaps, the occasional journey escorting his son Rikuo Nura to school."
"Of course, choosing the timing when he's accompanying his wife would be unwise, given that you're impersonating his ex-wife, Yamabuki Otome."
"In this situation, even if Rihan Nura were to discover Yamabuki Otome, he likely wouldn't acknowledge her in front of his wife."
"Therefore, given the current circumstances, there's only one opportune moment to choose."
As Luo Shu spoke, a mocking expression surfaced on his face.
He could hear someone's breathing gradually growing heavier.
"Every Monday morning, Rihan Nura ostensibly travels alone with his son, Rikuo Nura, on the route to his elementary school."
"Of course, since Rihan Nura already knows Yamabuki Otome is dead, impersonating her directly would only alert that clever Nura Clan leader."
"Thus, the best approach would be to reduce the bone age of the possessed body and deliberately appear on Rihan Nura's route, pretending to be Yamabuki Otome's daughter."
"Shall I continue, or is the rest unnecessary?"
Silence fell over the temple courtyard after his words.
Only after a long pause did the tinkling of wind chimes break the stillness.
Footsteps soon followed.
From the shadowed entrance of the temple's wide-open main hall, a small figure emerged slowly.
Accompanying this figure were nine enormous, fluffy, pale-orange fox tails.
The girl who stepped out of the temple glanced at Luo Shu and asked, barely suppressing her anger:
"Who are you?"