Not a very far distance in the same town of Roosevelt in the kingdom of SunItsuki, there was a known hunter organization from the order of Death Inspector Protocol and the Pillars. It was called the Huntsmen Quarters of the said town which was being governed by the family of Reynolds.
Reynolds' Estate: Huntsmen Quarters
Morning - 9:35
"Call Sally for me." A firm voice from a lady and the head of the family of Reynolds shouted to the man guarding outside the room.
'Yes, Boss.'
For just a coupled of minutes from that call, there was a figure of a lady who was wearing pure midnight clothing from head to toe and its face cannot be seen just appeared in the office. The lady was already standing inside the office of the family head of the Reynolds named Nicole Reynolds but known among the hunters as Ice.
"I know that you're already here, Sally." Ice, the Huntsmen Tower's boss already took notice of the lady's appearance even without speaking and while she was checking reports over her desk.
"What you call for me, Boss?" a very cold voice of a lady named Sally asked the family head of the Reynolds.
"Here. It came here early this morning and I am assigning you to handle that request and make sure to make a report about it this time." Ice handed the personal request assignment from one of the well-known families of shrine maidens around the kingdom.
"It was a request for assistance for their upcoming family tradition." Ice added as Sally was already reading the requested file they've received.
"I understood the request but Boss, why does the Fujishima need a hunter like us to aid their defense? Can the DIP or the Pillars do it instead of us?" Sally wondered as soon as she finished doing a quick scan over the file that was being handed to her.
Ice suddenly stopped from reading and making notes on the reports on her desk and looked very carefully at Sally as soon as she heard that. She already could tell that Sally was on her lazy behavior once again but even though she was like that, Ice knew that she was the perfect candidate for that job.
"Sally, let me remind you about the workloads of each of us. We might be similar when it comes to security and defending the kingdom but at the same time, we're totally different from each other. The Death Inspector Protocol has a line of work that can be compared to an investigator of supernatural deaths that occur over the human realm. They were the ones who made the night creatures and the human realm as balanced as they could be. They were the mediator. As for the Pillars, they were only sent out throughout the kingdom if things were already on of hand; in a human language, they could be compared to a SWAT team or an assassination team. In short, they were the last source of our defense in the entire kingdom of SunItsuki. As for us, we're the hunters who you already know the workloads that we're carrying. We're a kind of hunters who answers this kind of legit request and we do them smoothly because we're like a peacemaker and the first line of defense in the whole kingdom that's always in the field." Ice reminded Sally, one of the topnotch elite hunters among in her batch about their line of work.
"Thanks for reminding me since I intend to forget them from time to time." Sally yawned slightly while making another scan over the file that she was holding.
"I know you remember them you're just lazy lass. Anyway, you have to leave early because tonight it will be the start of their summoning familiar ritual and I want you to reassure their safety because there's a great causality that happened when the last young lass of their family was born." Ice sighed as she already knew the laziness of Sally but she was still speechless whenever Sally performed her task really well. She couldn't complain about the laziness of her elite huntress before her.
"The attack of the Soul-Beast." That took the interest of Sally when she heard her boss mentioning the soul beast.
"From what I've heard it was taking a form and it was being summoned when the mother was in the labor." Sally became more eager to meet a soul beast upon hearing what her boss just said since they knew about the soul beast as an innocent soul eater – meaning, it eats a baby or a child's soul. But it will become a different case if the soul beast was taking a form which only meant that it was a high rank or a very strong soul beast and it was attracted to a very powerful innocent soul.
"Oh. That's serious." Those were the only words that came out of Sally's mouth regarding the matter that they were talking about.
"Indeed, that's why I appointed you over this case. Only you that I could trust on handling this matter which means that you have to guard and aid them at all costs. We never know if the other beasts will take this opportunity to infiltrate their ritual or take advantage to gain more power since it was a shrine maiden dance ritual." Ice was serious about the assignment that she handed to Sally.
"Alright, I'll gather my team and if I couldn't report, I'll send them back here and you know what it meant." Sally took the assignment and headed to the door.
"I know. I'll be the one who will do the checking instead and be careful, Sally around the soul beast." Ice released a sigh then Sally respectfully bow to her and leave the room without saying any more words to her.
"Only you can deal with a high-rank soul beast." Ice mumbled as she watched Sally's back quickly vanish before her sight within her office.
Mikage
"Again!" a very commanding voice of a maiden teaching her youngest daughter to dance the traditional ritual that was being passed down through the generation of Fujishima shrine maidens.
"Mom, can we take a break from dancing? It's really tiring." Mikage whined as she collapsed on the wooden flooring in such a carefree manner.
"It's a summoning ritual dance and you've been learning that since diapers." Her mother, Sawako, the only shrine maiden in their history that managed to make ten soul beasts as her familiar told her carefree daughter. Sawako might be in the age of forties and looked just in her thirties and a split image of Mikage aside from the eyes since she has the same color as Yumiko and her personality was more firm and collected than her youngest.
"That's overrated." Mikage mumbled which earns a glare from her mother that sent shiver down her spine.
"Sorry but do I still need to do it if I already had a soul beast waiting for me at the warehouse?" she quickly apologized before she wondered since she already had a soul beast since birth.
"Yes." Sawako directly answered without looking and not listening to her daughter.
"But do I really need to dance like everyone?" Mikage got up from lying down on the floor as she really asked her mother who looked at her.
"This dance was not just any other dance that everyone could do. Yes, they could copy and dance it but only a selected maiden can since this dance was for strengthening the bond between the soul beast and its maiden. It was like a marriage dance between married couples." Mikage was totally sighing at what her mother was telling her since she already knew that. But her mother, Sawako was just staring at her which made her sigh in defeat.
Mikage was about to move when she sense the fixed gaze from her mother which made her stare back at her. She held her gaze meeting her mother's but there was something else lying beyond what Sawako was seeing. Mikage noticed that her mother rarely did that kind of stare, especially around her. From that staring contest that unintentionally was happening between them, Mikage started to glance behind her and just found nothing. It made her curious about what her mother suddenly saw when there was a sudden silence upon hearing her question. Mikage knew the ability of her mother was to see some glimpse of a subjective future and she was about to ask her mother about what she just suddenly saw but Sawako finally spoke to her.
"Fine, if you don't like that traditional dance, which will be your assignment then. Practice your own summoning ritual and performed it tonight." Sawako just sigh and gave in to her daughter's request yet there's a catch to which she has to perform tonight.
"WHAT?! THAT'S TOO SOON!" Mikage was about to be happy but she quickly whined when her mother saw it coming.
"Quit whining and do it since you didn't like the traditional dance. Make your own and impress your soul beast to still choose you." Mikage heard her mother very clearly which made her release a sigh.
"Fine. I'll do it later." Mikage was about to lay down again on the floor when her mother shouted at her with such an imperious voice.
"NOW, MIKAGE!" Sawako shouted with a commanding voice before she leaves the dance room that has a very calming view of the garden landscape of their household since it was a mixed traditional Japanese mansion or estate that has a modernized style inside. It was like you were in another dimension as soon you entered some of the rooms within their estate. Every owner of the space was speaking about the taste of the owner of the room that's why it was like you were in another dimension inside.
"Mom is furious like a monster." Mikage whispered that she didn't realize that her mother was still not leaving the room just yet. She was just by the door and waiting for Mikage to start her practice for her own ritual dance later tonight.
"What did you say?" Sawako asked which made Mikage jolt and get up from her ass.
"Nothing!" Mikage hurried and started stretching before starting on moving like her mother just taught her their traditional dance.
But the more she moved around, the beat of the instruments in the background began to shift as it follows Mikage's movement. From the beautifully smooth movement of a geisha kitsune traditional dance of their family, it suddenly changes into something firm and powerful like in paso doble yet still has the touch of traditional steps that Sawako had never seen before. Sawako was totally caught up in watching her daughter move gracefully with such power and firm movement that it turned quickly into something fun and energetic. It amazed Sawako to see her daughter's form from traditional posture was all precise and at the same time delicate. It made her feet begin to feel the movement that her daughter was showing; it was emitting such a graceful vibe. Then it suddenly went into slow and meaningful movement like jazz before ending the whole performance back into the original and their traditional ritual dance.
"Seems like she's going to surpass me." Sawako smiled as she whispered them to herself as she was totally fascinated by what her daughter just danced there.
As soon as Mikage was done with her practice, the whole ground of the Fujishima estate began to feel a very powerful and intensified crumbling of the earthly ground that alarmed everyone. They all went to their designated post while the head of the family along with the others went to check where it was coming from. They were being led to the dance room of their family, it was their training dance room for the ritual and once they got there, Sawako was frozen onto her spot. They were about to brag inside but Sawako stopped them since she was still standing by the door.
"It's here. It still answers to her." Sawako whispered but it was loud and clear enough for the family to hear it. Upon hearing it, they went to check on Mikage who just finished her dance.
Mikage was panting but well control breathing and she glance straight at the landscape view before her. At first, she saw a very huge and really dominating fox beast that was covered with such energy that Mikage had never seen before. She was about to say something to the creature who seems to be pleased with her performance when a couple of blinks, her sight went back to normal. Mikage did not see the creature again but she saw a lady in her complete black suit that has a hoodie that was partially covering her face. Even though it was partially covered; they were having intense eye-to-eye contact as if the lady in black clothing was totally familiar with her. But the gaze of the lady look passed at her and noticed the people behind Mikage, the lady quickly and respectfully bowed to everyone behind Mikage.