On the stone steps leading to the Chamber of Nue.
A man with tousled hair, pale blue eyes, and wearing a black bodysuit reminiscent of mecha pilots descended expressionlessly.
The sound of black boots against stone echoed through the dark, lonely corridor.
At that moment, the man stopped and slightly raised his head to observe the figure blocking his path below.
Golden hair, emerald eyes, and a form-fitting dark blue nun's habit.
This appearance immediately brought a dangerous individual to mind:
"Seven-Star Demon Hunter, Sharon Holygrail?"
"Oh? You know of me?"
Sharon emerged slowly from the dark passage while scrutinising the man with assessing eyes:
"It seems you're the one the Japanese Cabinet truly sent to execute their decapitation plan."
Just as Luo Shu had predicted.
Neither the head of the Pureblood Vampire Kuran family, nor the Elite Rank martial artists of Bujin-shū, nor even the Lord of a Hundred Demons from Nura Clan and the thirteenth head of Keikain, were the Cabinet's true trump card against Hagoromo Gitsune.
Instead, their real ace was this man who had infiltrated all the way to the Chamber of Nue's entrance.
That he could penetrate this far alone for such a mission proved his capabilities.
At least in the Cabinet's eyes, Hagoromo Gitsune - whose strength surpassed ordinary Hero Rank - stood no chance against him.
Considering this, Sharon couldn't resist a sarcastic question:
"Not going to introduce yourself, Mr. Poker Face?"
The relatively young man, or rather, teenager, opposite remained silent, simply drawing a high-tech firearm from his waist.
Just then, Sharon's ears twitched as she received Luo Shu's remote audio transmission through their system.
Noticing her reaction, the youth frowned.
Having apparently finished listening, Sharon regarded him with heightened wariness:
"Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion Black Dragon Special Lieutenant, Tatsuya Shiba?"
At this, Tatsuya Shiba's impassive face shifted slightly as he fixed Sharon with a piercing gaze:
"Who stands behind you? How do you know of my existence?"
At that moment, Sharon reached behind her waist and drew a steel-coloured shortsword with an S-shaped guard, speaking in a wary tone:
"How unfortunate. I never expected to encounter an opponent wielding Strategic Magic in such a confined space."
Hearing the term 'Strategic Magic', Tatsuya Shiba finally confirmed that his opponent knew about his origins.
Tatsuya was born in near-future Tokyo, a modified human raised in a new era where magic and technology coexisted.
Strategic Magic - in his world, this referred to magic powerful enough to alter battlefield dynamics, a term only known to people from his dimension.
After a moment's silence, Tatsuya spoke:
"I'd like to speak with whoever is behind you."
Sharon smiled faintly, testing the waters:
"Would you abandon your mission to assassinate Hagoromo Gitsune then?"
Tatsuya paused before replying: "...Apologies. That's not my decision to make."
Just then, Sharon's ears twitched as she received Luo Shu's instruction:
"Then who does make that decision?"
"Is it your mother, Miya Yotsuba? Or perhaps your aunt Maya Yotsuba?"
Tatsuya gave Sharon a long look before slightly lowering the muzzle of his gun. He retrieved a wristband from behind him, slipped it on, and dialled a number.
Soon, the call connected, and a mature woman's voice came through:
"Is the mission complete, Tatsuya?"
Keeping his eyes on Sharon, Tatsuya replied calmly:
"My apologies, Lady Maya. During the mission, I encountered someone who knows our origins."
"...Knows our origins?"
Maya Yotsuba, on the other end, sounded surprised:
"Who is it?"
Speaking plainly in front of Sharon, Tatsuya answered:
"According to intelligence, it's the Seven-Star Demon Hunter Sharon Holygrail."
"Who's behind her? Any intelligence on that?" Maya pressed.
"Unknown," Tatsuya replied. "But she's standing right in front of me."
Silence fell on Maya's end.
'You're calling me in front of the enemy? What kind of nonsense is this? You're just leaking information we could have kept secret!'
Though momentarily stunned, Maya quickly understood Tatsuya's confused actions - this was clearly deliberate on their part...
After brief consideration, Maya forcibly composed herself:
"I see. So that's how it is."
"Then, Miss Sharon, who's still present, might I ask which of my acquaintances is behind you?"
Hearing this, Sharon's lips curled into an amused smile:
"Exchanging words across distances before battle? Understood. Please wait a moment."
Closing her eyes, when they reopened, her emerald irises had transformed into fathomless pools of darkness.
Sensing the shift in Sharon's aura, Tatsuya immediately frowned and took two steps back, his voice grave:
"Her entire presence has changed?"
"Mind Interference Magic? No... this seems like something else. A more dangerous technique?"
"Tatsuya, what's happening?" Hearing his muttering, Maya urgently inquired.
"Sharon Holygrail has exhibited anomalies in her spiritual body, suspected to be possessed by some high-level Mind Interference Magic."
Tatsuya Shiba paused at this point before delivering his assessment:
"The technique's magic tier may surpass that of Miya Yotsuba."
Hearing this, Maya Yotsuba fell silent.
Her twin sister, Miya Yotsuba's Mind Structure Interference Magic, stood at the pinnacle of mental magic systems—a taboo among taboos.
A mental magic system levels above Miya's, and of the possession variety at that.
Could whatever possessed Sharon Holygrail truly be human?
At that moment, Sharon's reopened eyes revealed pupils emitting a strange glow as a layered male-female voice emerged from her mouth:
"...Maya Yotsuba?"
From Tatsuya Shiba's wristband, Maya's response sounded:
"It is I."
"Might I ask who you are?"
Sharon merely smiled in response:
"Don't trouble yourself over my identity. There exists no direct connection between us."
"As for how I came by my knowledge of you..."
The voice chuckled.
"Consider me merely an observer who chanced upon the threads of your fate."
Hearing this, Maya Yotsuba murmured:
'An observer of fate...?'