A church in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.
Minagoroshi Jizō entered the closed church with a dark expression.
The stained glass cast colourful light across the spacious, bright interior.
Yet in this luminous space, Minagoroshi Jizō found only three figures.
Including Yosuzume - the Familiar Spirit temporarily loaned to him by Abe no Ariyuki.
Seeing such meagre numbers, Minagoroshi Jizō's face darkened as he suppressed his rage:
"Where is everyone else besides you three?"
Hearing this, the yokai Yanagida, standing in the central aisle, answered with a grim expression:
"Of the Hagoromo Group's remaining forces in Tokyo, aside from those who fled, it's probably just... the few of us left."
Though Minagoroshi Jizō had anticipated this, hearing of such heavy losses still shocked him.
The yokai the Hagoromo Group had stationed in Japan weren't numerous, and their strength paled in comparison to the main family in Kyoto. But scattered together, they still numbered nearly a hundred.
Yet in less than a single morning, the Nura Clan had wiped them all out—a result far beyond Minagoroshi Jizō's expectations.
"How did they manage this?"
In Minagoroshi Jizō's eyes, the Nura Clan shouldn't have been capable of such efficiency.
"We suspect interference from a third party," Yanagida said gravely.
Yanagida was a yokai who had inherited Sanmoto Gorōzaemon's ears, specialising in intelligence gathering.
As the Eye of Yamamoto, Minagoroshi Jizō trusted this subordinate he'd created implicitly. Thus, he immediately grasped the issue.
"The information dealer?"
"Most likely," Yanagida replied with a grim expression.
Hearing this, Minagoroshi Jizō murmured distractedly:
"Just from attempting to have Yosuzume tail them once, and we're already facing retaliation?"
"It seems I underestimated the information dealer's influence..."
Just yesterday, Minagoroshi Jizō had tried to have Yosuzume test the waters by kidnapping the information dealer known as Tsubame Shim, hoping to uncover details of the intelligence Hagoromo Gitsune had purchased from them.
Yet the very next day, the Nura Clan came after the Hagoromo Group over the Old Rat Gang's massacre by a fake Minagoroshi Jizō.
Moreover, the Nura Clan had pinpointed every single Hagoromo Group stronghold in Tokyo with uncanny precision.
Even a fool could smell something fishy here.
Within the Hagoromo Group, only Minagoroshi Jizō himself knew the exact layout of their Tokyo bases—not even Hagoromo Gitsune or Kyokotsu had more than a general idea.
And now, every single one had been attacked by the Nura Clan.
Knowing full well he couldn't have betrayed himself, Minagoroshi Jizō naturally ruled out internal suspects, pointing the finger outward.
And the only major power the Hagoromo Group had recently crossed was that information dealer.
The order to provoke them had come from Minagoroshi Jizō personally.
Everything clicked into place.
"So that's why they impersonated me to wipe out the Nura Clan's subordinate organisation..."
Minagoroshi Jizō's expression darkened, his eyes flickering momentarily before he declared:
"We can't stay in Tokyo any longer."
"You think this is just a warning?" Yanagida asked, catching on.
"More than that."
Minagoroshi Jizō shook his head and explained:
"In Tokyo, we simply don't have enough resources at our disposal. In these circumstances, facing off against a well-connected information dealer and the local powerhouse Nura Clan would be sheer folly."
"So we'll return to the Hagoromo Group's headquarters in Kyoto. Fittingly, since the plan to assassinate Nura Rihan failed and Hagoromo Gitsune has taken a new vessel, we may as well go all in—return to Kyoto and prepare for Nue's birth."
"But what about Hagoromo Gitsune..." Yanagida frowned.
Minagoroshi Jizō merely narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping low as he said:
"She'll agree."
"After all, this is also Nue's will!"
...
Akihabara, Hidden Management Department headquarters.
In the third-floor reception room.
Nura Rihan sat on the sofa, stroking his chin with keen interest:
"Wow, so this is the legendary headquarters of the Hidden Management Department?"
"To boldly build it right in Akihabara... that's quite audacious. Aren't you afraid of being attacked by malicious parties?"
"You're welcome to try."
Opposite Nura Rihan, Hagoromo Gitsune, dressed in black, picked up her coffee and said disdainfully:
"Perhaps dying here would be a fitting end for you, brat of the Nura Clan."
Upon hearing this, Nura Rihan stroked his chin and looked at Hagoromo Gitsune with an amused expression:
"Don't worry about that. I'm stubborn to the core, so even if I were to die, I'd definitely outlive your son."
Hagoromo Gitsune snorted coldly:
"Sharp tongue."
Seeing this, Nura Rihan couldn't be bothered with her anymore and instead turned to Yukino Yukinoshita, who was receiving them:
"Hey, miss, do you serve sake here?"
"Ahhh, I've been busy cutting down yokai from the Hagoromo Group all morning, and I'm exhausted. Got any alcohol to warm me up?"
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita, holding a file folder, glanced at Nura Rihan and replied calmly:
"My apologies, we only serve coffee and black tea here. If you want alcohol, there's beer in the vending machine on the first floor, but no sake."
"So, would you like to switch to beer instead?"
Nura Rihan scratched his head: "Beer? That stuff's fit for yokai? Horse piss tastes better than that."
"Would you prefer to drink horse piss then?"
Amidst a cold laugh, the door swung open as Luo Shu strode into the reception room, glaring at Nura Rihan:
"If it isn't the big boss of the Nura Clan. How does it feel to be on the evening news? Has your furious wife taken you back yet?"
At this, Nura Rihan cheerfully pulled out a bag of senbei from his pocket and grinned:
"Ah, if it isn't the Director!"
"Want some senbei? I brought it from home - my wife made it. It's delicious!"
Luo Shu looked at the grinning man before him, his lips twitching slightly:
"Keep it for yourself."
With that, he marched towards the central armchair, sat down, crossed his legs and surveyed Hagoromo Gitsune and Nura Rihan before interlacing his fingers beneath his chin:
"The Metropolitan Police Department has declared that Tokyo can no longer accommodate either of you esteemed figures!"
"Pack your bags and prepare to relocate to Kyoto."
"After all, it's time to settle this once and for all, don't you think?"