Nijo Castle.
Luo Shu glanced at the two tickets in his hand, each costing 600 yen, then looked up at the moat ahead.
Beyond the moat stood Nijo Castle, first built by Nobunaga Oda before being burned down and later reconstructed by the Tokugawa shogunate.
In the past, this was the residence of the shogun, the political centre of Japan.
After the Tokugawa shogunate returned power to the emperor, it gradually fell into disuse, becoming a famous tourist attraction in modern times.
This was common knowledge in the human world. But on the mystic side, Nijo Castle also represented the City of Night, symbolising the shadows of politics. It was once Hagoromo Gitsune's dwelling and the place where she had been sealed.
In this world, Nijo Castle's management was handled by the Keikain family, an Onmyoji lineage that had guarded Hagoromo Gitsune's seal for generations.
"What are you thinking about?"
An elegant female voice whispered softly in his ear.
Hearing this, Luo Shu turned slightly and immediately caught sight of Kurumi Tokisaki's charming figure. She wore a red kimono patterned with forget-me-nots and held a stick of cotton candy.
"Want a bite?"
Faced with the cotton candy offered to him, Luo Shu took a bite before explaining:
"I was just thinking about Nijo Castle."
"Mmm~"
Kurumi pulled the cotton candy back, tucked her hair behind her ear, took a small bite, chewed and swallowed before smiling and withdrawing her gaze from Nijo Castle:
"It's about Hagoromo Gitsune, isn't it?"
"For a being like her who draws power from the darkness of human hearts, the ideal place to birth Nue would be Nijo Castle, the symbol of the Demon Capital."
Luo Shu nodded. "Actually, the Prime Minister's residence would be more suitable, but the darkness of modern politics can't compare to Nijo Castle's centuries of accumulation."
"Besides, we couldn't possibly let Hagoromo Gitsune occupy the Prime Minister's residence long-term."
The darkness of politics lay in how the interests of a select few outweighed those of the masses, creating widespread repercussions that affected countless people.
And Hagoromo Gitsune could draw power from this political shadow, feeding on the suffering of the populace.
This very trait was why Abe no Seimei needed Nue to be born from Hagoromo Gitsune.
He wanted to use her to establish a mystical connection with the darkness of politics.
"His goal must be a Class..." Luo Shu murmured to himself.
Just as Tōga had repeatedly ventured into the Underworld, even choosing to be buried in the Abyss Warring States' Underworld after death to forge a connection and create his own Class.
Luo Shu now suspected that Abe no Seimei - that is, Nue - had manipulated Hagoromo Gitsune into birthing him precisely to create his own Class.
Touching conceptual power to forge one's own Class was a necessary step towards becoming a Demigod.
Because in a way, a Class was like a simplified version of Divine Authority, a fragment of a fragment of true divine power.
As he pondered Abe no Seimei's motives, Luo Shu suddenly paused and offered Kurumi an apologetic smile:
"Sorry, I got sidetracked again."
"It's quite all right." Kurumi gazed at him with an amused smile. "If anything, you're unexpectedly charming when you're lost in thought."
Hearing Kurumi say this - though not explicitly stated - Luo Shu felt an undeniable satisfaction.
What could be more pleasing than praise from a great beauty?
If there were one, it would probably be this stunning beauty, Kurumi Tokisaki.
At that moment, Luo Shu suggested, "How about visiting the Cherry Blossom Garden? It's said to have the most beautiful cherry blossoms in the world—a lovely spot for sightseeing."
Hearing this, Kurumi Tokisaki smiled faintly. "Aren't we going to scout the Inner Citadel Palace first?"
Luo Shu awkwardly replied, "You're dressed like this for a day out—how could I possibly drag you to work first?"
"Eh... So Shu-kun actually cares about my feelings?" Kurumi feigned surprise. "Even though yesterday, you kept bullying Suzuka-chan right in front of me."
"Cough, cough, cough!!"
Luo Shu coughed violently, his expression conflicted as he looked at Kurumi before finally surrendering with a sigh.
"Alright, I admit I went too far yesterday."
"Then, might Miss Tokisaki grant me a chance to redeem myself? Let me accompany you to Cherry Blossom Garden?"
Kurumi took a bite of cotton candy, then cheerfully extended her right hand to Luo Shu.
Seeing this, Luo Shu immediately reached out and grasped her hand.
The girl's hand was soft and cool, making Luo Shu want to hold it longer, to warm it up.
But he quickly suppressed that impulse. He held Kurumi's hand and, after glancing at the ticket booth for Nijo Castle, led her across the bridge into the castle grounds.
...
After Luo Shu left.
Inside the ticket booth.
A short-haired, brown-eyed girl, no older than ten, stared blankly at Luo Shu's retreating figure, seemingly lost in thought.
Noticing her distraction, Masatsugu Keikain, temporarily assigned as the ticket seller, adjusted his glasses and asked curiously,
"Yura, what are you looking at?"
Yura Keikain replied in a childish, milky voice, "Just now... someone who looked familiar entered Nijo Castle."
"Familiar?" Masatsugu gave her a surprised look. "A classmate from primary school?"
"Ah, if I'd known it was your friend, I wouldn't have charged them."
He felt a twinge of regret. If a mere ticket fee could help Yura—who had few friends due to her isolated upbringing focused on Yin-Yang Arts—make more companions her age, both he and the clan head would be delighted.
After all, this child was a genius who could wield the Keikain family's strongest Familiar Spirit at just eight years old, already designated as the next clan head.
Ensuring her healthy growth was one of the Keikain family's top priorities.
"Not a classmate." Yura shook her head, then searched her memory.
Her recall was excellent—she quickly identified the figure. "It was someone from the photos Grandfather showed me recently... the new SDS director, I think."
"The new SDS director?"
Masatsugu's expression darkened. He had been abruptly recalled from his studies at the University of Tokyo and assigned to sell tickets at the family-operated Nijo Castle precisely because the clan head had ordered him to monitor suspicious visitors—to prevent Hagoromo Gitsune, whose resurgence had recently been rumoured, from making a comeback.
Though the SDS director couldn't be called a suspicious figure, the sudden secret arrival of such an important person at Nijo Castle was undoubtedly an ominous sign.
When SDS personnel mobilised, it was never for trivial matters—and this time, the director himself had come personally...
Especially now, when news of Hagoromo Gitsune's resurrection had already spread from Tokyo's intelligence circles.
Thinking this, Masatsugu Keikain wasted no time in activating his family's communication Familiar Spirit.
He urgently needed tactical guidance from the Keikain main family's elders...