t was night in Chiyoda Ward, Nagatacho, East Tokyo, inside the Prime Minister's official residence.
The current Prime Minister of Japan was drenched in sweat. In his office, his aides were frantically delivering reports about the sudden disaster caused by mysterious flames—dubbed "Heavenly Fire"—that had descended from the sky onto several temples that morning.
"Why can't those fires be put out?! Tell me!" the Prime Minister roared at the Fire Department Chief standing across from him.
The chief's face was pale, his hands pressed tightly against the seams of his pants as he bowed. "Sir, no matter what methods we've tried, we can't extinguish those flames. But the good news is, the fires are contained within a limited area. There's no risk of them spreading to other regions."
"Is that what I'm asking about?!" The Prime Minister stormed out from behind his desk, slamming his hand against a massive whiteboard nearby. "Those fires! Do you even know what they're burning?! Can't you see? Yasukuni Shrine! Koa Kannon!"
As he spoke, he marched over to the Fire Department Chief and grabbed him by the collar.
"This is a targeted attack!"
Before the Prime Minister could continue, a young aide in the corner quietly spoke up. "It's not just that… the shrines in Kaminokawa and Yoshikita Road have been burned to the ground too…"
The moment those words left his mouth, the chaotic atmosphere in the room fell silent. The young aide realized his mistake as every pair of eyes turned to him.
"Ha… haha… hahaha." The Prime Minister's unhinged laughter shattered the stillness.
"Look at this. Just anyone can waltz into politics these days, huh?" His voice dripped with venom, like that of a malevolent spirit.
Immediately, a few people reacted, grabbing the young aide and dragging him toward the door.
"No… I messed up, sir! Please!" The aide's pleas were cut short as someone clamped a hand over his mouth.
The Prime Minister's face was flushed red, his body trembling as he glared darkly at the aide being hauled out. Everyone else in the room stood frozen, not daring to make a sound.
When the door slammed shut, the Prime Minister took a few deep breaths to calm himself before turning to his chief aide.
"Mizawa, have all the reports been compiled? What's the full extent of the damage?"
Mizawa, adjusting his glasses, glanced at the report in his hand and read softly, "Sir, the flames have already disappeared, but the targeted shrines have been completely reduced to ashes. Um…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "They've been burned to nothing but white ground. There's nothing left at the sites except black ash."
The atmosphere grew heavier. The Prime Minister paced back and forth. "Have we figured out what those flames are? Where they came from?"
Mizawa's gaze shifted to Justice Minister Suzuki and Defense Minister Nakago.
Suzuki spoke first. "Prime Minister, according to the Public Security Agency's investigation, these flames appeared out of nowhere at 11:52 a.m. today. There's nothing suspicious within a three-kilometer radius of any of the affected sites."
Nakago followed. "Prime Minister, the Self-Defense Forces haven't detected any signs of an attack by foreign forces either."
"Then tell me!" the Prime Minister snapped, his body trembling with rage again, his face growing redder. "Where did those fires come from? They just appeared out of thin air? And they can't be put out? What's stopping them from falling on my head one day?!"
"Prime Minister," a voice cut in from the corner, calm but firm. "I believe this incident might involve supernatural forces."
All eyes turned to the speaker—a man in a black suit, the head of the Cabinet Intelligence Office, Wasei.
Wasei, wearing frameless glasses and an icy expression, continued without flinching under the scrutiny. "Prime Minister, from the start to the end of these fires, everything about them feels unnatural and unscientific."
The Prime Minister stared at Wasei for a few seconds before letting out a dry laugh, his fingers pinching the vein on his forehead. "Wasei, you've got some guts saying that. Don't those sorcerers from the jujutsu world always go on about 'not interfering with the mundane'?"
"Prime Minister," Wasei said, pushing up his glasses, the lenses glinting under the office's cold light. "This time, mundane tools like fire extinguishers and fire trucks couldn't handle it. And let's not forget—Satoru Gojo was in the Bay Area this morning. You issued the emergency evacuation order there yourself after he contacted you."
Mizawa stepped forward quickly. "Prime Minister, Wasei's right. Should I reach out to Mr. Gojo now? We could say you want to discuss the 'Bay Area anomaly' and ask him to come here."
The Prime Minister went quiet for a moment before grabbing a pen from his desk and hurling it to the floor. "Fine! Get him here! I want to know what's going on with those fires!"
---
The salty sea breeze blew through the Bay Area. Satoru Gojo sat on a dockside railing, legs swinging lazily, holding a can of banana milk.
His phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and chuckled. "Well, well, the Prime Minister's calling me~"
Megumi Fushiguro, busy inspecting some pebbles Yuji Itadori had picked up, looked up. "Is this about what happened this morning?"
"Obviously." Gojo bit down on his straw and stood, his sunglasses slipping to the tip of his nose, revealing his striking blue eyes. "The Prime Minister probably noticed that the 'sea splitting' in the Bay Area didn't cause any damage. Oh, and those fires—bet he's got questions."
Yuji leaned in, his eyes sparkling like light bulbs. "Can we come with you? I've never met the Prime Minister!"
"No way," Megumi said, yanking him back by the collar. "The Prime Minister's residence isn't a playground."
"It's fine~" Gojo grinned, slinging an arm around both their shoulders. "Let's go see the big shots. You'll probably have to deal with people like them someday anyway~"
Nobara Kugisaki, standing off to the side with her arms crossed, rolled her eyes. "Gojo-sensei, you're about to stir up trouble again, aren't you?"
"Me? Trouble?" Gojo winked with a playful smile. "I'm always serious~"
In the next instant, the four of them vanished into the dockside breeze.
---
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, the chandelier in the reception room glowed almost too brightly. The Prime Minister sat on a sofa, twisting his tie nervously, sweat dripping onto the carpet. The door swung open, and Satoru Gojo strolled in with his three students, casually chewing gum. "Yo, Prime Minister, what's up?"
The Prime Minister shot to his feet, his expression a mix of respect and urgency. "Mr. Gojo! What was with the Bay Area evacuation order this morning? What's going on?"
"Chill out~" Gojo waved a hand, plopping down on the sofa. "Prime Minister, how about some tea first? I brought drinks if you want one."
"Mr. Gojo!" The Prime Minister's voice cracked. "This isn't just about the evacuation order! There are fires—fires that came out of nowhere, burning Yasukuni Shrine, Koa Kannon, and they can't be put out! Can you tell me what's happening?!"
Gojo's smile didn't falter, but his tone grew colder. "Prime Minister, maybe you should be asking why those places were targeted."
He pointed at the TV on the wall, which was playing footage of the fire sites. The ruins of Yasukuni Shrine smoldered, black smoke rising as firefighters sprayed water at the flames, only for it to evaporate into white mist on contact.
"Those fires~ They look kinda familiar~" Gojo tapped the armrest of the sofa. "Oh! I remember now~"
He clapped his hands, his expression suddenly brimming with excitement.
The Prime Minister's face went ashen. "Mr. Gojo, what's going on?!"
Gojo's grin widened, but he didn't answer. Instead, Megumi spoke up. "Prime Minister, you should be more worried about who set those fires and why."
Nobara added, "Yeah, and if they can start fires like that without a trace, what's stopping them from targeting anywhere else next time?"
The Prime Minister swayed, nearly collapsing. Mizawa rushed to steady him, whispering, "Sir, are you okay?"
Gojo stood, straightening his jacket. "Well, Prime Minister, I've got stuff to do, so I'll head out. Oh, and one more thing—"
He turned back, his eyes glinting with a warning behind his sunglasses. "Next time, don't mess with people you shouldn't."
With that, he and his three students vanished from the room.
The Prime Minister slumped onto the sofa, staring at the TV screen. Suddenly, he broke into sobs. "Who did this? Who?!"
Wasei stood in the corner, watching silently. He pushed up his glasses, a faint glint reflecting off them.
In his pocket was a photo—a shot of Gaio standing in front of the Strelitzia.
---
On the rooftop of a high-rise in Chiyoda Ward, Gaio and Zero Two overlooked the Prime Minister's residence below. Zero Two leaned into his arms, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. "Darling, do you think they'll realize they were wrong?"
Gaio kissed her forehead, the blade Ryuza no Hi in his hand glowing a faint crimson. "They won't. If anything, they'll double down and get more defensive."
Zero Two smiled, tilting her head to the sky. "So, Darling, what's your next move?"
"I think it's time to have a chat with their 'Emperor,'" Gaio said with a soft chuckle. "But first, let's make sure they feel the heat."
Far below, the Prime Minister's sobs echoed through the residence. But Gaio's gaze was already fixed on a distant point—Jiko Castle, deep in the heart of Japan.
---