A black bike coursed through the highway at a fast speed. A burning fire appeared from the rider's palm, burning the frozen ground in front of him so the tire didn't slip and fall.
"Why is there snow here? The weather is so messed up!" Atsuku complained as he kept burning the snow piling on the road.
It was a waste of his Arcane, but there was no other way to arrive at Kyoto before 8 AM if he didn't go full speed right now.
Absorbing Secret was way more important than keeping his Arcane at maximum. There were probably only three or five Secrets in the world that existed at this time.
Besides, this could be his training to get used to his current strength and how far he could use Flame Control before running out of gas.
The danger Misaki mentioned surely wouldn't arrive that soon. Laplace Devil's ability to look to the future was limited to a week to the future. And when the Devil assimilated with a Human, that ability was reduced to three days. He couldn't see beyond or before that three days.
'My guess about when the second Trial arrives is on point. I only missed a day from my prediction. That means the third Trial will arrive in a month at the fastest.'
In the meantime, Atsuku could deal with his family's matters and establish the Fujiwara family's position in Japan's government. That was a matter for the future. For now, he needed to arrive in Kyoto.
"I hope people shovel the snow to make this ride easier."
The engine roared as Atsuku went full throttle and kept burning the road in front of him using Flame Control.
After an hour of riding, he finally exited the highway. Thankfully, his wish was granted, and people shoveled the road. They looked at him when he passed by, wondering why he only wore a suit in this kind of weather.
To be honest, Atsuku also felt rather cold and tired once he stopped burning the road. His Arcane only left around a fifth of his full reserve. A normal person would have their Arcane depleted long ago.
But due to Atsuku's great control of Arcane, something he learned back in Fantasia, he managed to reduce the amount of Arcane needed to use his Flame Control. He used the ability to burn the snow, but that required concentration, which made him tired.
People in Kyoto were fully dressed in their winter clothes. Snow had already stopped falling, but the sky was still covered in clouds, and the temperature was still low.
Atsuku stopped in an empty intersection beside a pile of snow shoveled by people in the area and looked at his phone.
"This way, huh? I swear that I will hit that girl. Why the fuck is she hiding Secret's location from Masa and making me meet her first? It's a waste of time, and worse… She still did it even though she knew it."
He grumbled as he rode toward the destination shown on the map. Thankfully, the internet still worked, and no Devil did any pranks because they knew from their memories that they should hide or they would be used as a source of power by Humans.
Before long, the area around him changed. The jungle of tall concrete changed into a traditional Japanese building, giving a calm and elegant vibe.
This area was filled with inns and bathhouses and was where tourists usually stayed when they were in Kyoto. Many people were outside and seemed to enjoy this strange climate where snow fell in April when cherry blossoms were already in full bloom.
They ignored the danger of the 'catastrophe' they were so afraid of yesterday.
Atsuku drove past them and stopped in front of a giant double wooden gate of a Japanese mansion. The plaque hung above the gate was written 'Fujiwara.'. This mansion was the branch house of the family in Kyoto, where Misaki had already stayed for a few days.
"Open it." He said loudly, taking off his helmet to show his face to the small camera hanging on the gate. "It's me." He continued.
A green flash appeared on the camera for a moment, and the door was opened from inside shortly after. A loud creaking sound rang. Snow fell from the top of the gate, piling on the ground.
The beautiful garden filled with greenery and flowers was now covered in white. A person in a suit was standing on the main path. He had a huge figure, like a bear, and his hair was cut short.
After fully opening the gate, the man stepped to the side and bowed deeply.
"Welcome to the Kyoto residence, Young Boss."
Digging into his memories, Atsuku remembered this guy. There was only one person with such a huge figure, and that was his sister's bodyguard, Kuma. And this giant was the one who assimilated with the Laplace Devil, a dangerous double-edged sword.
Getting down from his bike, he pushed it inside and rested it on the side of the road. He took the helmet and walked inside. As he passed the giant, he asked.
"Where is Misaki?"
"Young Miss is waiting in the backyard. She told me to guide you there." Kuma replied politely as he raised his head.
Nodding at his words, Atsuku simply said, "Show me the way."
Kuma gestured to follow him and entered the Japanese-styled mansion. It was still a bit smaller than the main mansion in Shibuya City but was still bigger than most buildings with 1 main building, 2 smaller ones for guests, and a large backyard and a garden.
They walked down the side hallway with a view of the beautiful snow-filled garden. The beauty didn't decrease even when white covered the lush green leaves. Instead, it gave a magical feeling that couldn't be described.
'Calling it magical isn't wrong, as the weather is affected by the Devils and Arcane that begin to awaken on Earth.' Atsuku thought as he looked around.
They had arrived in the backyard. A girl with long white hair tied up, a white Kimono, and a red obi tying her clothes, making a butterfly-shaped tie behind her back. She held a traditional paper umbrella, stretching her arm to the snow falling from a frozen cherry blossom tree.
Noticing the footsteps approaching, she turned around, looking at Atsuku and Kuma, who bowed deeply with her pink-colored eyes. The cold air around her instantly melted when she saw him as her lips curled into a playful smile.
"Finally, you're here, bastard!"
Hearing the familiar voice and familiar behavior, Atsuku immediately realized something.
"Misaki?" He spoke, a little bit unsure.
Her voice and behavior were exactly as he remembered, but her appearance had changed completely.
"Yup!" Misaki exclaimed, walking toward him.
She threw the paper umbrella to the ground and jumped into the hallway, patting the snow off her Kimono. Standing in front of Atsuku, she looked up slightly due to the difference in their height.
"Look, I've become a snow girl! How is it? Cool, right?"
Atsuku looked at her sister with a judging gaze. Without a doubt, the white-haired girl in front of him was really her sister. The voice, behavior, way of talking, and how she acted were just as he remembered. It wasn't an impostor.
Still… He wondered how she could be this cheerful even in this situation. And to answer her question…
"You're a fool. For real." He sighed while holding his head, trying his best not to hit his sister.