A/N: Will be changing the "God-Child Watchers" to "Grigori" onwards
As a member of the Hero Faction, Rod could tell the mages from Oz saw him as nothing more than expendable cannon fodder.
Whether he survived this operation or not would depend entirely on his own strength.
Of course, Rod had no intention of being anyone's sacrificial pawn. He planned to lay low until both sides were locked in chaos, then throw in just enough confusion to complete his objectives.
After all, once the battle broke out, no one would be paying attention to a lone figure like him.
…
Nightfall.
The Oz mages arrived in Nara Prefecture via a teleportation array.
This was where a location known as the Oku-no-in, or Inner Sanctuary, was hidden.
Although the Five Great Clans had their headquarters in Tokyo, their ancestral origins lay in Nara. This site had been established by all five clans as a key joint stronghold.
Many important figures from the clans still lived there.
The members of the Hollow Cicada group had already taken up hidden positions nearby, and the yokai forces had finished gathering.
Rod silently positioned himself at the rear of the group and slipped on his Superman Glasses.
As expected, the moment he wore them, his presence nearly vanished. The mages were too preoccupied with the impending battle to notice.
To them, even if Rod had some ulterior motive, what could a single outsider possibly do?
The location of the Inner Sanctuary wasn't particularly special, just a secluded site deep in the woods, protected by repelling barriers that ensured only those tied to the Five Great Clans would venture there.
The reason this location had been leaked was due to former clan members, now part of the Hollow Cicada, who had been cast out.
Rod remained in the back, observing.
Suddenly, a thunderous boom shook the ground beneath their feet.
The battle had begun.
Just as Walburga had predicted, the first wave of attackers came from a longstanding enemy of the clans, the yokai native to the region.
However, these weren't yokai from Yasaka's faction, but rather the infamous Eight Hundred and Eight Tanuki of Shikoku legend.
They looked nothing like the cute creatures in old photos. These transformed yokai stood nearly two meters tall, crawling on all fours like monstrous beasts as they darted through forest and path alike, foul aura seeping from their bodies.
Their suicidal charge resembled ancient siege tactics, but they were quickly stopped by an invisible barrier.
It was the first of five defensive layers protecting the Inner Sanctuary.
Rod knew that each layer was tougher than the last. Even a Fallen Angel commander would struggle to break through.
But yokai weren't exactly known for strategy.
When the weaker scouts were halted, a thunderous roar erupted, and a beast ten times their size stepped into view.
Standing over twenty meters tall, its body was covered in short fur, bulging with sinewy muscle and wrapped in searing yokai energy that radiated like fire.
The creature opened its jaws and unleashed a massive flame attack. The first barrier shattered under the intense heat.
The blast surged forward, slamming into the second barrier and causing it to tremble violently.
At the same time, another yokai force emerged from the woods, hairless, gorilla-like monsters, standing three meters tall with blue or red skin, clad in rough armor or rags and wielding crude weapons.
Leading them was a towering beast six to seven meters tall, sporting twin horns on its head and brandishing a staff brimming with ominous energy.
Its arrival helped the yokai commander Inugami Gyobu shatter the second barrier of the Inner Sanctuary.
Screams tore through the night as several exorcists were flung into buildings by overwhelming force, their lives extinguished in an instant.
War had officially broken out.
Right then, Rod heard the system chime in his mind:
[Optional Mission: Defeat the yokai bosses Inugami Gyobu and Onra. Rewards scale based on damage dealt, greater damage yields greater rewards!]
[Optional Mission: Assist the yokai in breaking through all five sanctuary barriers. Reward: Random reward ×1]
The exorcists inside the sanctuary had all turned their attention to the invading yokai.
They began chanting spells, forming hand seals, or wielding staffs to unleash fire, water, and earth magic at the incoming enemies.
While some yokai were blasted away, their numbers remained overwhelming.
Rod stayed at the rear, observing.
He noticed that neither the Oz mages nor the Hollow Cicada members had moved yet, and Satanael, the defector from Grigori, was nowhere to be seen.
The yokai engaged in fierce close-quarters combat with the exorcists.
Though the initial assault had torn through the first lines, the tide began to shift when the sanctuary's elite arrived, successors bearing spirit beasts and others wielding Sacred Gears.
The sanctuary's top-tier defenders included the "Four Sacred Beasts" hosts, and the wielders of four fearsome cursed Sacred Gears known as the "Four Fiends."
Rod didn't recognize these minor characters from the side stories, but seeing how even Muzan had shown up in this version of the world, minor deviations didn't bother him much.
The low-level yokai quickly fell before the combined might of the Four Beasts and Four Fiends.
Seeing this, the mages from Oz and the Hollow Cicada finally made their move.
They emerged from the shadows and plunged into the chaotic melee.
"Inugami Gyobu, Onra, yokai of such power, why are you attacking this place? I demand to know your reasons!"
A cold voice cut through the chaos. It belonged to Himejima Suzaku, who had previously met Rod.
This attack was clearly premeditated.
A communications-severing barrier had been placed around the sanctuary's outer land, most likely the work of the witches who had been stirring up trouble lately.
At Suzaku's question, the towering yokai commander let out a low chuckle.
"You dare ask why? The yokai who bear hatred for your Five Great Clans are too numerous to count!"
"How many of us have been exterminated, our families erased from history? How many more were sealed away in darkness? We refrained only because this modern age made it inconvenient to fight back. But now, now that we've found an opening, we will strike first!"
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