Chiba Prefecture, Nishi-Funabashi Station.
Located in the Nishi-Funa 4-chome district of Funabashi City, this is a major railway station shared by JR East, Tokyo Metro, and the Toyo Rapid Railway. Serving a total of five railway lines, it is one of the most critical transit hubs in western Chiba and the eastern suburbs of the Tokyo metropolitan area. It stands as the largest station in Chiba Prefecture, boasting the highest volume of passenger traffic.
As the sky began to show the first pale hints of dawn, the station was already beginning to stir, though its main gates had yet to fully open. Under these circumstances, Leon and his group appeared on the scene.
"Yawwn..."
Upon arriving at their destination, the members of the Eligos Peerage let out a collective yawn. They looked like they had just been dragged out of bed, still struggling with exhaustion.
"I mean—was it really necessary to set out this early?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka complained between yawns. She was dragging a large suitcase, dressed in academy-style clothing, looking every bit the beautiful young artist out to gather material.
"The sun isn't even up yet."
Yukino Yukinoshita was also rubbing her eyes. Like Utaha, she hauled a massive suitcase. She wore a floral sun-dress and high-heeled sandals, looking as if she were heading off for a seaside vacation.
"It seems everyone is quite sleepy."
"If I'd known, I should have brewed a cup of tea first."
Asuna Yuuki and Mahiru Shiina appeared to be in slightly better shape than Yukino and Utaha, but they too bore the weary look of the recently awakened, offering wry smiles. Naturally, both were dragging suitcases. One was dressed sharply and practically for movement, while the other was dressed more conservatively, revealing skin only at her ankles. Without exception, all four were strikingly beautiful girls who left a deep impression at a single glance.
In contrast, Leon, though yawning, seemed full of energy.
"What's wrong?" Leon asked curiously. "Did you all stay up late last night?"
Hearing this, the girls cast resentful gazes toward him.
"How could we possibly sleep?" Yukino spoke bluntly. "Out of nowhere, you tell us we're taking a leave of absence for special training, but you didn't explain what we'd be doing. I spent the whole night tossing and turning, unable to get any rest."
Utaha, Asuna, and Mahiru nodded in unison, agreeing with Yukino. Because of Leon's announcement the day before, the four of them had not only applied for long-term leave from school but had even suspended their devil business operations. Yet, they found it impossible to sleep peacefully, their minds racing with wild thoughts as they lay in bed.
It was all Leon's fault for dropping such a bombshell and then leaving without a word, never specifying where they were going or how the training would be conducted.
"You can't blame me for that," Leon said, spreading his hands. "For the upcoming training, I had to communicate with the Underworld first to confirm the itinerary before making the next move."
"So, it wasn't that I wouldn't tell you, but rather that nothing was set in stone at the time. I thought it best to wait until the schedule was confirmed before giving you the details."
Hearing Leon's explanation, the girls' resentment softened significantly.
"Then can you tell us now? Where are we going?" Utaha looked toward Nishi-Funabashi Station. "You had us pack in a hurry and brought us to a station. Are we headed to some remote mountain forest in the countryside?"
"Wouldn't that be like a school field trip?" Asuna tilted her head. "Or are we going to some small island overseas?"
"The departure was so rushed; there was no time to prepare properly," Mahiru said worriedly. "It would have been better if we could have made a travel plan in advance."
The girls chattered back and forth, breaking the silence of the early morning air. Their lively banter was a bit noisy, but it was clear they were currently feeling a mix of curiosity and anxiety, excitement and confusion. This made them more restless than usual.
"Alright, stop guessing," Leon interrupted their conversation. "We aren't going to a remote forest, nor are we going to an uninhabited island overseas. We are going to the Underworld."
As soon as those words left his mouth, the girls froze.
"The Underworld?"
Yukino, Asuna, and Utaha looked startled.
"The... the Underworld?"
Mahiru was the only one present who had never been there, so she appeared quite shocked.
"That's right." Leon stood before them, one hand on his hip. "I don't particularly want to hide away in the Underworld, but looking at the current situation, if we want to train properly for a period of time without being disturbed by outside events, it's best to leave the Human World for the Underworld."
"None of you have been to the Eligos territory yet, right?"
"This time, I'll take you back to see exactly what our family's domain looks like."
Hearing this, the girls looked at each other.
"If we're going to the Underworld, why don't we use a magic circle to teleport directly like last time?" Yukino asked, quickly regaining her composure.
"I believe I told you the reason back in the Familiar Forest," Leon glanced at Yukino. "Newborn peerage devils like you cannot travel to the Underworld directly via magic circle jumps. Otherwise, it's treated as illegal entry. Last time was only because I made a special application for an exception. To use magic circle jumps to enter the Underworld, you must first enter through the official channels of the Human World once. After processing your entry permits, you won't be treated as illegal trespassers."
"This time, I intend to take you to the Underworld through the official channel on this side."
Prompted by Leon's words, the three who had gone to the Familiar Forest recalled the incident.
"Then how do we get to the official channel?" Utaha pointed at Nishi-Funabashi Station nearby. "Surely we aren't taking a train?"
The other three also looked at the station with subtle expressions. Taking a train to the Underworld from a railway station? It sounded rather unreliable.
"We are indeed taking a train," Leon said, ignoring their skeptical looks. "Don't worry, I've already bought the tickets. We'll head straight to the platform and wait for it."
With that, Leon took the lead and walked toward Nishi-Funabashi Station. The four girls looked at one another before eventually following him.
As they walked, they noticed that Leon didn't enter the station through the main gates. Instead, he led them to a secluded corner. There was a corridor leading into the station's interior, but the door was covered in yellow caution tape and secured with a rusted lock. It looked as though it had been abandoned for years.
Leon reached the door, took a card from his pocket, and swiped it lightly in front of the entrance.
Click—
The locked door popped open, and the tape fell away automatically, allowing the door to slide open slowly.
"Come on, keep up."
Leon gestured for the girls to enter the passage. They walked deep into the station, but instead of entering the waiting hall, they arrived at an elevator. The elevator didn't look like the type in frequent use and was somewhat small. With five people and several large suitcases, it was a tight squeeze. Asuna and Mahiru were nearly pressed into Leon's chest.
"Why did you bring so much luggage?" Leon said, caught between laughter and tears. "Didn't I tell you to just bring a few changes of clothes?"
The girls rolled their eyes at him in unison.
"If we're going on a long trip, especially one that requires a long leave of absence, how could we only bring a few sets of clothes?"
"It's a hassle for girls to even step out of the house, let alone go on a long journey."
"I still have many things I didn't bring."
"Me too. If this suitcase weren't big enough, I'd have brought another one."
The girls voiced their condemnation, including Asuna and Mahiru, who had previously looked embarrassed to be pressed against him.
"Alright, alright."
Seeing that he had provoked collective ire, Leon quickly skipped the topic. He took out the card and swiped it against the electronic panel next to the elevator buttons.
Beep!
With the electronic chime, the elevator began to move—not up, but down. They descended for several full minutes, giving them the sensation of sinking deep into the earth. When the elevator stopped and the group stepped out, the girls were, without exception, stunned.
Before their eyes was an incredibly vast man-made space.
The structure resembled a train platform, but the furnishings and design differed somewhat from the style of the human world. The scale was far larger than the waiting hall of Nishi-Funabashi Station—several times larger, in fact. The ceiling felt like it was miles away.
Despite the immensity of the place, there was not a soul in sight. The lighting was dim, with only an eerie magical glow emanating from the walls to illuminate the space.
"What... what is this place?" Utaha was dazed.
"Is there such a massive, deserted area beneath Nishi-Funabashi Station?" Even as the daughter of a prominent local family, Yukino was astonished by the existence of this unknown space.
"I can feel the fluctuations of magic power," Asuna noted, looking at the surrounding walls.
"...A devil station?" Mahiru murmured the words.
Coincidentally, she was right.
"This is a secret station that only local devils know about and can enter. it is a dedicated train line for devils. Ordinary humans couldn't get in even if they had a pass."
Leon waved the card in his hand, explaining to the girls.
"We can take the train from the Underworld here to enter. Looking at the time, the train should be arriving soon."
As soon as Leon finished speaking, a menacing-looking train emerged from the depths of the tracks. It was a locomotive covered in sharp angles, its body etched with runes representing devils. It was impossible not to be reminded of a train from hell.
"Let's go. I'll take you to handle the entry procedures first."
Leon led the dumbfounded girls toward the train.
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