"Who exactly is this…?"
As Azazel, Gabriel, and Serafall were still mulling over Yoru's words, another voice spoke from the round table.
Seated on either side of Kuzuha were the fox spirit who had guided them earlier and an elderly long-nosed tengu in the garb of an ascetic monk.
This elder was the great elder of the tengu—someone with long-standing ties to the Nine-Tails dating back to ancient times, a deeply respected figure in Kyoto.
Seeing the three faction leaders present—an angel from Heaven, a devil from the Underworld, and the Governor of the Fallen Angels—the old man found it strange that Yoru could speak on equal footing.
"Him? His name's Yoru, a real oddball. You can treat him as a representative," Azazel said casually with a grin.
Gabriel and Serafall both nodded in agreement, causing a visible stir among those present.
This wasn't just any representative—it was the representative of all Three Factions!
"Governor, Maou-sama, Seraph-sama, and Young Master Yoru… could you think of a way to rescue Princess Yasaka? We are willing to give whatever aid we can," the tengu elder said earnestly.
After speaking, he produced a painting for everyone to see—depicting a beautiful blonde woman in a miko's attire.
"This is Princess Yasaka."
"As expected of little Kuzuha's mother… she's quite the beauty," Yoru said with a narrowed smile, drawing a suspicious glare from the little fox.
"I can say with certainty that those who abducted Princess Yasaka are still in Kyoto," Azazel declared.
"Oh? And how do you figure?" Yoru asked.
"The flow of ki across Kyoto hasn't been disrupted. The Nine-Tailed Fox is the one who gathers and balances all the energies flowing through this land. Kyoto itself functions as a massive barrier field. If the Nine-Tails left this land or was killed, Kyoto would fall into chaos. Since there's been no such sign, she's still alive, and the kidnappers are most likely still here," Azazel explained.
"Serafall, how far has your side gotten with the investigation?"
"I've had them conduct a thorough search and deployed members familiar with Kyoto," Serafall replied.
However, it seemed the enemy was hiding themselves extremely well—no leads had been found so far.
"Perhaps… I know where Yasaka might be," Yoru suddenly said, lifting his head.
"You do? How?" Both Azazel and Serafall looked at him in disbelief. Even knowing his immense strength, finding someone was hardly a matter of brute force.
"Relax, just leave it to me. I already know where they are," Yoru replied.
"Forgive me, but… Kyoto is vast. If the enemy has hidden themselves deliberately—" The old tengu frowned, clearly skeptical.
"Big bad guy… can you really find my mother? If… if you can…"
Kuzuha edged closer, her face filled with excitement, though she quickly looked away in embarrassment, remembering the harsh words she had said to him earlier.
"If… if you can really bring my mother back, I'll… I'll do anything you ask!" the little fox said softly.
Yoru chuckled and patted her head. "Do I look like the kind of man who'd take advantage of that? Wasn't it already agreed—I'll save your mother."
While comforting the distressed girl, Yoru's expression grew serious. The reason for his confidence was that he had just sensed a strange power within Kyoto—
The power of the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis.
Calling me over, are you? Well… I suppose it has been a while since I last acted. You must be bored by now.
"You've found Yasaka's location?" Azazel asked.
"I can't be sure Yasaka is there, but I can feel Ophis's power guiding me. I'd say there's a very high chance she's in that place," Yoru replied.
"Ophis's power?!"
Azazel couldn't help but suck in a breath at Yoru's offhand remark. But remembering the bizarre relationship between Yoru and Ophis, he quickly understood—and decided it was best not to speculate about the dealings of such beings. Doing so could be fatal.
"R-really? You've found… my mother?" Kuzuha asked, her eyes wide. She still didn't quite understand what had happened.
"Let's go. We'll know for sure when we get there. Time to pay the Khaos Brigade's heroes a visit."
"I… I'm coming too!" Kuzuha said urgently.
"Don't be reckless, Princess—what could you possibly do there?" the tengu elder objected immediately.
"It's fine. Let her come," Yoru said casually.
"Alright then…" The elder sighed in resignation. "I leave the princess in your care, Young Master Yoru."
With that, the group made brief preparations and set off toward the location Yoru had identified. The strike force was made up of absolute top-tier combatants—a Maou, a Seraph, and the Governor of the Fallen Angels.
"Looks like they haven't withdrawn—in fact, they're ready for us," Yoru noted as they landed, heavy fog enveloping them at once, making everything around them seem unreal.
"This fog…" Yoru muttered.
"The Mist of Annihilation—this is a Longinus," Azazel explained, recognizing it instantly.
"Everything outside us has vanished. Looks like we've been forcibly shifted into an isolated dimension. Well… that's fine—it means we can fight without holding back," Azazel said with a grin, stretching his shoulders.
Beside them, Kuzuha's voice trembled.
"…The guards who died protecting my mother… before they fell, they said the mist surrounded them out of nowhere."
"They're here," Yoru said slowly, his gaze shifting toward a certain point beyond the fog.
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