Chapter 242: The Possibility of a Demon God
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On the other side of Kyoto was Urakyoto, an alternate dimension created similar to the Devil's Rating Game fields. This was where the Yokai lived.
This place had a unique charm, with surroundings that mixed old Japanese traditions, magic, and the supernatural. It was a good place to continue Akane and my date.
We strolled through the quiet lanes while Mai trailed slightly behind, her expression calm and observant. She looked slightly awkward, but it was her mother who ordered her to accompany us, so she didn't look bothered. The air was filled with the scent of greenery and something distinctly magical as we passed an onsen, its waters steaming in the cold evening air. Small lights flickered along the path, and Akane's eyes darted around, taking in the strange, ethereal beauty of the place.
"Hey, that looks like some kind of magical garden?" she asked, pointing to a grove where glowing flowers bloomed under the early moonlight. "Those plants aren't normal, I think."
I chuckled. "You're right, they're not normal. Those are spirit orchids. They thrive in areas with high magical concentration," I explained, my tone casual as I glanced at the plants. "Mostly harmless, but they glow brighter when powerful beings are nearby. It's a way of showing respect to the local spirits and deities."
"Oh..." Akane's voice held a mix of awe and fascination. She looked up at me, grinning. "So, they're reacting to you? Or Yasaka?"
I smiled. She looked far more comfortable here after seeing me defeat two enemies a legendary Nine-Tailed Fox couldn't deal with. She was my girl, she deserved to be proud wherever she went, so I was glad she felt that way knowing her partner was a powerhouse. "Probably both. Yokai, gods, spirits, they're all connected to the energy of the world. Places like this respond to them."
As we walked on, Akane didn't let up with her questions. She was curious for sure, but I think a lot of it was more about asking me questions rather than mere curiosity. She loved asking me things and having me explain them to her. It was cute. This side of the world wasn't her usual environment, but she understood things fast. I answered her questions as we passed a line of tiny shrines, explaining the purpose of each one.
"They're protection wards," I said, pointing at some items and drawings. "They hold quite some power against intruders."
"It was these things that slowed down the intruders earlier. Otherwise things would have been worse," Mai Senpai who'd been quiet for most of the walk finally chimed in. "They've been here for centuries. Yasaka made sure to maintain them. If you start living here, you will notice a slight suppression from them, but overtime they'll accept your energy signature and let you roam free."
Akane nodded, absorbing the information while still gazing around in wonder. It was easy to forget she was a famous actress—here, in the middle of all this magic, she was just a curious girl, out of her depth but eager to know more. Well, to be fair, both Mai and I were actors too. But she was just that, while we grew up in both worlds. I didn't mind explaining things to her, while most of it was second nature to me by now.
Despite how much I was talking though, my mind wasn't entirely on the scenery. As we walked, a question began to bicker in my head. I was too curious to know more about the person at the center of all this chaos. "Mai," my feet slowed down as I asked, my voice lowering, "who exactly was Mizuki? The yokai who was killed."
Mai glanced at me, her expression softening. She looked a little sad. "Mizuki was... important. To Yasaka, and to the Yokai. She and Yasaka were really close. Almost like sisters. In Japan, Kyoto isn't the only gathering of a large Yokai faction, there are some other places too. Such as the Kanto Youkai Faction in the eastern part of the country. She helped Yasaka rule Kyoto, keeping things in balance between the factions. Losing her is a big deal. Not just politically, but personally for Yasaka."
I nodded, the pieces starting to come together in my mind.
Yasaka wasn't just angry because of a political attack—this was personal. Mizuki had been someone she trusted, who understood the heavy burden of leadership in the magical realm and helped the single mother rule it.
No wonder, with her gone, Yasaka was lashing out, threatening war. No wonder she was so furious. It wasn't hard to see why the situation had escalated this quickly. The vampires should've known better than to provoke someone like Yasaka, given her powers that were lethal against their kind.
"I don't think your Yokai Queen is the type to take this lying down," I muttered, looking at her and watching her nod with a sigh.
"No, she's not. You saw her send that ultimatum to the vampires earlier, right? If they don't respond, if they don't give her a reason not to lash out…" She trailed off, letting the unspoken threat hang in the air.
"She'll burn them to the ground," I finished her thought. "Her Fox Fire is lethal to them, I heard. Just as deadly as sunlight."
"It's true. That's why they didn't fight her directly—they distracted her with Shuten Doji instead."
Akane, walking beside me, glanced up with scared, wide eyes. "Wait, so... what if the vampires don't answer her?"
"They'll have war," I said simply.
The thought of the largest Yokai Faction declaring war on the vampires wasn't something I'd particularly relish. In fact, since this Mizuki person seemed to be someone important to all Yokai, the other groups might join too. But a war like that wouldn't just be the Yokais' problem—it would ripple across the supernatural world, and especially Japan. I felt a little annoyed realizing how many threats of war had been hanging over me recently.
As if in answer to my thoughts, a figure walked toward us, moving swiftly through the garden. It was a fox yokai servant dressed in traditional robes, his movements quick and deliberate as he approached, bowing low in front of me.
"Esteemed Guest," the yokai said, his voice calm but urgent. "An envoy from the vampires has arrived. Our Lady Yasaka wishes for you to be present as she speaks with them."
"Oh, already?" I raised an eyebrow, a little surprised at how quickly the vampires had responded. Clearly, they didn't want to disrespect Yasaka by delaying their answer. They were really cautious of her. Makes me curious why that vampire group messed with her to begin with.
They couldn't afford to anger her further, not when her flames could obliterate their entire faction in the worst-case scenario. Nodding, I gestured for the servant to lead the way. "Alright, take us there."
The yokai bowed again, then turned to guide us through the winding paths of the garden, the atmosphere growing heavier with each step. Akane and Mai followed close behind me, both of them aware that we were heading into something big.
"Looks like this meeting might decide whether we walk away with peace... or a war," I muttered under my breath, my gaze fixed ahead. Akane glanced at me nervously, holding my sleeve, while Mai simply remained quiet.
As a vampire myself during my 5th life, I just hoped the vampires here had enough sense to make the right call.
****
The gazebo was open to the courtyard, bathed in soft light from the hanging lanterns above. Yasaka sat with her legs folded beneath her, regal and poised like a Japanese queen. The Nine-Tails leader's golden eyes were sharp and focused, her presence commanding the entire room, even though it was outdoors.
The air was dense with tension as I stepped into the meeting space. My eyes fell on the girl sitting beside her. I recognized her from the anime. Kunou, her daughter—a mini version of herself—mimicked her mother's posture.
As soon as Yasaka noticed me, the weight in the air seemed to lift a little. Her stern expression softened just a bit, and she nodded in my direction. She treated her benefactors with respect.
I returned the gesture, stepping to the side of the gazebo with Akane and Mai by my side. The setting was quite formal, and there was no need for us to interrupt the proceedings.
Mai's mother stood nearby with a few other strong Yokai, all of them watching the center of attention—the small vampire girl kneeling before Yasaka right before the stairs leading into the gazebo. I recognized her too. Elmenhilde Karnstein, an agent from the Carmilla Faction, was a petite girl with blonde hair framing her face and crimson eyes gleaming under the lantern light.
"At the very least, the Carmilla Faction knows how to respond," Yasaka said, her voice smooth but edged with displeasure. "Now that my esteemed guest is here, you are to explain yourself now, girl."
Elmenhilde lowered her head deeply in respect, not daring to meet Yasaka's eyes. "It wasn't us, O' Queen of the Yokai," she spoke in a voice quiet but steady, "but a member of the Tepes Faction who's gone rogue."
I recalled that this world's vampire families were classified under two factions, the Carmilla Faction, which was a female-dominant group, and the Tepes Faction, which was a female-dominant group. This girl was from Carmilla, but no agent from Tepes had responded to Yasaka's call. And according to her words, if they were truly the culprit, it made sense why they didn't want to answer her call.
To my surprise, she added, "In their defense, they didn't order her. She's acting on her own, but I can't defend them either since they haven't responded to your call." Elmenhilde said, but I could have sworn she'd not miss this opportunity to throw the Tepes under the bus.
"Who is it?" I asked, and she looked at me. Her eyes flicked back to Yasaka, and she nodded.
Elmenhilde lowered her head at me and said, "Her name is Valerie Tepes, who was crowned as the successor to the Tepes Faction, despite being a girl. She's the current wielder of the Sacred Gear… [Holy Grail]."
A ripple of shock ran through the assembled Yokai. Even my eyes widened a little. Akane leaned in toward me, whispering, "Wait, the Holy Grail? Like… the actual Holy Grail?"
I gave a brief nod, "Yeah, it's the one you're thinking of. It grants unlimited wishes."
Elmenhilde continued, her small frame seeming even smaller under the weight of the information she was delivering. "On behalf of my Queen, Lady Carmilla, I bring another theory—Valerie's group likely has a new target, and that's Gasper Vladi."
"What?" I frowned upon hearing that name. "Gasper? I think they've been trying to attack him for a while already. Just a few days ago there was an attack on them by a mercenary group. Similar groups had been trying to attack him for a while now."
Elmenhilde tilted her head slightly at that. "I… don't believe Valerie's group would be involved in those attempts. They don't hire mercenaries, and her group operates much differently with her own vampire subordinates," she paused for a moment, considering her next words carefully. "Please allow me to explain the situation better."
"Go on," Yasaka raised her head with a nod.
"...A decade ago, Valerie used her Sacred Gear, the Holy Grail, unknowingly, to bring forth another Sacred Gear. She granted that Sacred Gear to Gasper Vladi. Since then, she's established a connection with the Demon God Balor."
The mention of Balor made the atmosphere feel colder. Elmenhilde's voice dropped lower as she continued. "Recently, when she realized her elder brother was trying to harm her, jealous of her position as the successor, a position that she apparently always hated, Valerie began summoning more of Balor's body parts in the form of Sacred Gears and gave them to her subordinates. These Sacred Gears allow Balor to control their bodies somewhat, making them her loyal servants. She attacks people with this group of vampires, not mercenaries."
"I can confirm this, Aquamarine," Yasaka turned to me and said. "The group that came for Mizuki were all vampires, and they moved like hive-minds."
"Ah…" The pieces started falling into place in my mind. I looked at Elmenhilde. "And what is to say it's not you Carmilla Faction, or even the Tepes, who's after Gasper? Like, capturing him and using him as bait to capture Velerie."
Elmenhilde sighed. "I understand your doubt, but only recently did we learn that Gasper Vladi is still alive. It makes more sense for her to have sent those mercenaries, as Valerie likely knew all along that he was alive through her connection with Balor. He can sense where his Sacred Gears are scattered across the world. But… as I said, she had a group of her own, she's not the type to send mercenaries."
"That means…" Yasaka started, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward me.
I crossed my arms, finishing the thought for her. "That means someone else, who's aware of the Vampire politics and also knows that Gasper is alive, is behind this. They know that Valerie will eventually come for Gasper, and they're trying to kidnap him before she can. We're dealing with multiple parties here."
Elmenhilde nodded, her expression grim. "I think the same."
I rubbed my temples, trying to figure out the next move. "Okay, before we continue, how strong is this Balor supposed to be, according to the old legends? What's the worst we might have to face?"
Elmenhilde hesitated for a moment, glancing around before rubbing the back of her head. "Well… maybe it's exaggerated since he's an ancient god, but Balor is said to be one of the first beings to exist. He's from the same era as the Biblical God, Brahma, and the other primordial entities. According to legend, he had once fought the Trinity of Vedas combined at their full power and come out unscathed."
Her words hung heavy in the air.
Silence fell over the courtyard as everyone processed the gravity of what she had just said. The seriousness of the situation immediately increased by a few folds. An evil god as powerful as the Trinity… Balor's awakening would be catastrophic.
Especially in this new world, where Icons were a thing.
Putting aside the fact that I couldn't let them kill Gasper, who was a part of Rias' peerage, which was an extension of my sect, there was another reason to stop this Valerie Tepes.
"My dear Queen of Yokai," I stepped forward, lowering my head slightly just out of the tradition, with a hand on my chest. "After hearing her, I'd like to leave right away. My people are in danger, and I can't waste any second outside Kuoh right now."
She looked at me and then nodded, standing up. "Please," she said, "allow me to accompany you. I owe them a revenge."
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