Japan Customs.
Just off the plane.
Looking at the crowded throng of people—
Lu Mingfei was thrilled.
"Oh, yes! Akihabara, here I come!"
As he spoke, Lu Mingfei pulled out the "Top 100 Common Japanese Phrases" he'd prepared beforehand.
His Japanese was embarrassingly poor, having learned it entirely from anime.
So he needed this little booklet.
"Japan! I've been wanting to come for ages. I'm going to have a blast today!"
Old Tang raised both arms in excitement.
Seeing his brother so happy, Constantine also smiled.
"With that broken Japanese of yours, I doubt you can even hold a basic conversation."
Ren Asakura pulled Fenrir along through the crowded masses.
Airports were chaotic. It was best to keep a close eye on your kid—
or risk them getting lost easily.
Fenrir, now dressed in an adorable child's outfit, held Ren Asakura's hand with his right, and a spicy snack stick with his left.
Having taken human form, he was fully enjoying the feeling of stuffing his mouth with snacks—
a sensation he had never experienced before.
Fenrir was very happy.
After seeing the colorful outside world, he had no desire to return to his own maze-like domain.
Mai dragged a heavy suitcase behind the group.
"You jerks, can't one of you come help me with this luggage?!"
Lu Mingfei gave an embarrassed smile and quickly walked over to lend a hand.
In truth, the group didn't bring much—just a few changes of clothes and basic toiletries.
"Thanks for your hard work, Miss Nanny!"
Ren Asakura patted Mai on the shoulder.
"By the way, Miss Nanny, did you book the hotel rooms?"
Mai couldn't help but complain, "You heartless slave-driver of a boss, are you trying to squeeze your employees dry?!"
"Heh heh!"
Just like that, the group laughed and joked their way out of the airport.
It really did feel like they were here just for a vacation.
But—
The moment they stepped out of the airport, a few rats began to tail them.
Ren Asakura had never made a habit of hiding himself,
but being found this quickly was going to be a headache.
This country was full of yakuza—or "syndicates," as they were often called.
Street punks, roadside hostesses, even inconspicuous children—
any of them could be informants for the underworld.
"Aiya… If we're already being stalked before we even get to play, this trip is going to be a drag."
Whether it was the Orochi Eight Families or the Ghost Gang,
they had already received the news.
News about Ren Asakura.
After all, a boy riding a Dragon King—even if he tried to lay low—wasn't something hybrid-bloods could ignore.
Mai also sensed the gazes from people around them.
Those were sharks drawn by the scent of blood.
"What should we do? Most of the country's infrastructure, entertainment, and even hotels are under yakuza control. If we stay in a hotel, it wouldn't be surprising if they threw a bomb at us in the middle of the night."
Ren Asakura rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
A bomb wouldn't hurt him—
but being rudely awakened from a good night's sleep? Now that would piss him off.
You had to understand—some people, like a certain Lord Cao, enjoyed murdering in their dreams.
If Ren Asakura got startled and accidentally let loose…
The whole planet might get blasted sky-high.
"There is definitely a problem. It's hard to relax while being watched. Miss Mai, do you have any ideas?"
Mai shook her head. She was from this country—
and she knew all too well how deeply rooted the Orochi Eight and Ghost Gang were.
There was no way to avoid them.
Everything fun in this country was entangled with the underworld.
Kabuki, pleasure districts, amusement parks, public parks, hotels, restaurants…
Everything involving money was inevitably entangled with the underworld.
"Looks like I'll have to step in."
A light shimmered in Ren Asakura's hand, and then that light flowed into the bodies of those around him.
Mai was startled by the sudden flash and asked in surprise,
"What was that? A speech incantation?"
"It's a kind of cognitive interference spell. I've used it before on Lu Mingfei. It has a rather interesting property: it makes others unable to recognize us. Even people who are very familiar with us—once the spell is used—they'll perceive us as strangers."
Ren Asakura began explaining.
Mai glanced at the others, but she didn't feel any change—she still recognized them.
"Is it really that effective? But why can I still recognize all of you?"
she asked, confused.
Ren continued to explain:
"Come on, spells aren't just some clunky tools. This kind of spell is driven by the mind. As long as you recognize someone in your heart, the spell won't interfere with your perception. But if you don't, then it activates, cutting off cognitive recognition between you."
This was a spell from the world of cultivation—a remarkably convenient tool.
And it was heart-driven.
Reality bent to intention.
Just like what happened with Lu Mingfei before.
Because he acknowledged Old Tang in his heart, the spell didn't interfere; their relationship remained unchanged.
But if Lu Mingfei were to run into his uncle and aunt right now, and deep down he had no desire to acknowledge them, the spell would take effect, interfering with their cognition.
He'd still be Lu Mingfei,
but to his uncle and aunt, he'd be a total stranger.
Sure enough, as the cognitive interference spell took hold—
The attention from surrounding eyes quickly faded.
Some of the gang members watching the airport even showed signs of memory loss.
"Who am I? What was I supposed to be doing?"
And so, the group swaggered out of the airport completely unbothered.
Meanwhile, both the Mouko Group and the Eight Heads of Orochi received fresh intel from their subordinates:
Ren Asakura brought the Dragon King.
But before they even exited the airport, they vanished—completely untraceable.
Even using Kaguya-hime and deploying every available surveillance tool yielded no sign of Ren's group.
Things that slipped beyond control gave the underworld serious headaches.
After all, we're talking about a Dragon King.
And this country—was just a small island.
If struck with a devastating blow,
this island nation could very well sink into the sea—
just like Atlantis once did.
The Orochi Eight Families—
As the ruling underworld clans of this nation, they held vast wealth and power.
At the head of the Genji Clan, Genji Waka—
stared at the report from his subordinate, deep in thought.
"They actually vanished. That's not good. A potential Dragon King is extremely dangerous."
Genji Waka's brow furrowed tight.
His gaunt face wore a solemn expression.
A storm was coming.
Over in the Kitsu Clan, the head—Kitsu Masamune,
a clone of Herzog himself, had a lot on his mind.
Including the plan he was about to put into action.
"Waka, you are Amaterasu—our nation's sun. Don't panic. What's a Dragon King? Don't forget, humanity has been at war with Dragon Kings since ancient times."
"But Pops, this time there may be more than one Dragon King. And I heard that Principal Ange of the Academy is coming to Japan too."
Ange's arrival was not good news for the hybrid bloods of Japan.
Because this man had once conquered every hybrid in the country.
°°°
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