Standing less than five metres apart, Suzuka Dairenji gazed at the two figures before her who had activated a perception-distorting technique amidst the bustling streets of Akihabara. She licked the cream from the corner of her mouth and frowned.
"White Tiger Divine General?"
Suzuka recognised Yuiyui Gokadoin. After all, even among the Twelve Divine Generals, this woman stood out with her distinctive style.
Particularly that cruel combat method of manipulating human puppets to make enemies kill each other – it put Suzuka on high alert.
"Dairenji-san? Oh, wait, I should address you as Taiyin Divine General now."
Yuiyui's smiling face appeared both dangerous and bewitchingly charming:
"The lucky one who replaced the Mount Osore medium who refused the Divine General position, freshly appointed to the role."
Hearing this, Suzuka calmly licked her ice cream cone and casually brushed her hair aside.
"So, did you come here specifically to mock me?"
Though she appeared nonchalant, Suzuka was seething inside.
Yes, her appointment as Divine General might have been opportunistic.
When the Onmyou Agency selected Divine Generals, the undisputed first choice, Anna Kyōyama, had refused the position, allowing Suzuka to take the role as the second candidate. But that didn't give Yuiyui the right to mock her.
'It's true I couldn't defeat that freak from Mount Osore, but do you think I can't handle you?'
'We're both first-time Divine Generals. Who's afraid of who?'
"Mock you? Was I mocking you just now?" Yuiyui covered her mouth with a hand, feigning surprise.
"Don't push this act too far, you old hag."
Suzuka viciously bit into her ice cream cone, glaring fiercely.
She'd had no prior conflict with Yuiyui, but now she did.
'Repeated provocations... Do you think I'm easy to bully?'
Unfazed by being called an old hag, Yuiyui continued smiling:
"Speaking of which, Taiyin, I heard you've recently been seconded to the SDS's Hidden Management Department for training?"
"And it seems you got in through connections with that Witch of the Void."
"How nice, being looked after by Teacher Natsuki like that. As a fellow student, I'm quite envious."
"You..."
Suzuka's eyes reddened at these words.
First calling her an opportunistic lucky one, now implying she got in through connections?
'Is this woman deliberately picking a fight today?'
Her face twisted slightly before darkening.
"White Tiger, are you determined to fight me today?"
"Is that wise?" Yuiyui smiled at Suzuka. "By my calculations, you've only just reported to the Hidden Management Department recently?"
"If news got out about you causing trouble in Akihabara during this period, might the department head come to dislike you, Taiyin?"
Suzuka's expression darkened further.
Yuiyui wasn't wrong – this wasn't a good time for her to act recklessly. In fact, her situation was even more awkward than Yuiyui realised.
Because her scheduled reporting date to the Hidden Management Department was actually tomorrow.
If she engaged in combat with Yuiyui in Akihabara – a no-fighting zone – the SDS would be among the organisations responsible for apprehending her.
Causing trouble in the jurisdiction of your assigned unit before even reporting for duty?
In that case, all the effort Instructor Natsuki put into paving the way for her would be wasted!
'Damn it, did this woman deliberately come to provoke me because she knew I wouldn't dare take action?'
Just as Suzuka Dairenji was fuming with rage, Hagoromo Gitsune beside her suddenly looked surprised:
"This child is a member of the Hidden Management Department?"
"So what if she is?" Suzuka retorted irritably.
She didn't know Hagoromo Gitsune, but anyone keeping company with Yuiyui Gokadoin probably wasn't good news.
Rather than taking offence at the rebuke, Hagoromo Gitsune smiled as she observed Suzuka:
"Quite a talented child. What a pity."
The pity being that this girl was working under that man, Luo Shu.
She'll probably be devoured whole, won't she?
Given the darkness in that man's heart, he's unlikely to let such a cute girl slip through his fingers.
"Let's go, Yuiyui." Hagoromo Gitsune turned away, casting a glance at Yuiyui Gokadoin as she said calmly, "Don't do anything unnecessary."
"My, my, a warning." Yuiyui Gokadoin smiled faintly before curtsying to Suzuka. "Then we'll take our leave here. Until next time, Taiyin Divine General."
With that, Yuiyui quickly followed after Hagoromo Gitsune.
"Until next time, Taiyin Divine General~"
Suzuka mimicked Yuiyui's mannerisms sarcastically, even sticking out her tongue at their retreating backs:
"What's with those weirdos?"
She muttered under her breath, then eyed the two figures disappearing into the crowd with suspicion:
"But speaking of which, who was that woman beside White Tiger?"
Suzuka wasn't stupid - she'd clearly noticed something off about Yuiyui Gokadoin's behaviour.
It was as if she'd deliberately drawn attention to herself, specifically highlighting Suzuka's current affiliation with the Hidden Management Department in front of that black-haired high schooler.
An enemy of the Hidden Management Department?
Suzuka narrowed her eyes and finished the last of her ice cream cone:
"Seems like I'll need to ask that secretary Yukinoshita about this after reporting tomorrow."
Just as Suzuka reached this decision...
On the streets of Akihabara.
Hagoromo Gitsune spoke without turning to face Yuiyui Gokadoin:
"Deliberately exposing me before a member of the Hidden Management Department... It appears you have no intention of completing the Gokadoin Family's mission."
"You jest." Yuiyui smiled faintly. "I simply couldn't help myself upon seeing a rival."
There was a rule about promotion to director of the Onmyou Agency - one must have served as one of the Twelve Divine Generals. In this sense, Yuiyui Gokadoin and Suzuka Dairenji were indeed rivals.
Though this was something even Yuiyui herself didn't believe, let alone Hagoromo Gitsune.
"Are you planning to move against the Hidden Management Department?"
Hagoromo Gitsune glanced sideways at Yuiyui and couldn't resist warning:
"You'll die, you know."
"The man leading them isn't someone you can casually dismiss."
Yuiyui looked slightly surprised at this remark:
"May I take this as concern for me?"
Hagoromo Gitsune did not deny it, merely staring at Yuiyui Gokadoin in silence.
Seeing this, Yuiyui Gokadoin smiled faintly:
"Do you think I'm a fool?"
"Moreover, do you really believe testing those matters requires personal involvement?"
"Or rather, would such a task even fall to me?"
Hagoromo Gitsune seemed surprised by these words.
At this moment, Yuiyui Gokadoin looked at her mockingly:
"The yokai under your command are rather disobedient, you know."
'The Hagoromo Group's yokai? No... could she mean Minagoroshi Jizō?'
At this reminder, Hagoromo Gitsune immediately thought of Minagoroshi Jizō, her expression gradually turning peculiar.
One was a yokai planted by Seimei beside her with ulterior motives, the other was Luo Shu - though cooperative, his intentions were far from pure.
At this moment, only one thought occupied Hagoromo Gitsune's mind:
'When will these two finally come to blows?'