Tsunade watched Ray's departure in Yasaka's back, he rode the ten-tailed fox that started running on the skies as if there were invisible platforms all over them. Before she noticed, they were suddenly banished and with that, their presence.
"Is it an urgent matter?" She asked.
Elysir shook her head and beaconed for Tsunade to sit down on the sofa in front of the TV, patting it, the blonde sat down and her attention was immediately gotten by the screen in front that was showing what looked like some sort of cooking competition, but the people starring in it were caucasian and frankly foreign people for her.
"This is Hell's Kitchen, it is a cooking competition program taking place in a foreign country called 'The United States' Are you interested?".
"They look... different, just like you and Ray".
"Do you mean our dark skin?"
Tsunade shook her head, "There are people with dark skin in my world as well. But your complexion looks different, I never thought when that offer came into my vision that night... that I'd be sent to a different world".
"Did you think it was a scam?~"
"I thought I was dreaming, but it wasn't..." The blonde mumbled, deep in thought about everything she had experienced until now. It was such a vast amount of information that she didn't even know where to begin.
"Since it is just you and me, I'd like to ask, Tsunade"
"..."
"What are your intentions?" Elysir leaned on the sofa, glaring straight at her with a serious expression, she didn't want any lies.
"Intentions?"
"You could have gone straight back into your world, but you decided to stay, what is your reason?" Elysir pressed.
The blonde was left in a thought spot, however, she brushed her hair aside haughtily.
"I'd like to get to know this world further".
"..." Elysir glared at her.
"I have a high political profile in my world, maybe cooperation between both worlds is possible" Tsunade carried on, although the goddess glare was making her sweat.
"..." She wasn't buying it.
After a few irritating seconds, the sannin twitched her tongue and crossed her arms beneath her bountiful chest.
"I want the brat to massage me again, are you happy now?!" She didn't want to admit it but in front of this being it was as if facades didn't work.
"I guessed as much~ but still, you could have made another booking from your world to come back here. Why stay?"
"…"
"Tsunade…"
"I don't have a sacrifice!" she admitted.
"I thought you said you have a high political position where you're at. Can't you even get anything valuable?"
"I gave that up alright! I'm currently going through… issues".
"What sort of issues? I thought Ray's massage had fixed those-"
"Financial issues…" The blonde scratched her hair in shame, but who was she going to reveal this to if not them?
"… are you broke?"
"No, Elysir… I'm not broke".
"Then-"
"I'm broke and in debt".
**
**
It is amazing to see the clouds beneath and feel the strong winds, feeling just the subtle movement of Yasaka's steps. A pity that right now I don't have the sort of mindset to enjoy this scenery.
Yasaka is skipping through the clouds as I ride her, the decent way with my phone in hand.
"Ray-sama, calls won't connect this high in the skies, it is better to wait until we land before calling her parents. We should be there soon".
"We may have to fight" if the system defined it as a 'threat' I don't think it is something simple like Anna getting lost in the park.
"Yuki, the Shinchu, is a powerful Youkai, if even he couldn't defeat the threat then indeed, it may be a real threat. However, I can only think of one such threat deep in these mountains..." Yasaka mumbled and Ray was about to ask what threat it was until he realised an important factor that he had been overlooking.
**
**
'Horus, how does the system know?'
He had received a quest to save Anna... how did the system even know that Anna was in danger?
[It is because the Septem Diebus released an emergency alert, Ray. Its influence is far beyond what Lady Elysir and I had originally expected. This artefact -akin to an overgod treasure- seems to have a mind of its own and it has acknowledged Anna].
'... acknowledged?'
[It cares about Anna because you care about Anna. It is answering to your wishes to keep her safe even unbeknownst to you. You may have noticed that Chaos Points were spent. The Septem Diebus used the skill Curse of the Sarcophagus in Anna].
'Does that mean-'
[Anna Yamada was murdered and the Septem Diebus brought her back as per your internal wishes to protect her. It has acknowledged her as someone important to you that must be kept alive].
!!!
"Yasaka we have to go faster!"
Her master's suddenness startled the kitsune, but nevertheless, she nodded, even if she was already using her 100% if he ordered, then she had to use her 200%!
"Then hold me tightly, Ray-sama..."
*BOOOMMMM!!!*
Her paws kicked the space itself propelling her forward in a way that even Ray with his superhuman strength, felt the G-Force as he held her fur. He didn't know what speed that was, but it was beyond supersonic.
...
A Journey from Kyoto to Hokkaido would usually take around two hours on a commercial plane. It took Yasaka less than a minute to speed up. The snowy peak of Mount Yotei was visible beneath the clouds in the distance like a massive geyser. There was a brewing storm in the vicinity, a gigantic blizzard. Once they descended they'd be straight into it.
"Ray-sama, we have a problem".
"What is it, Yasaka?"
"A Limbo Domain has been cast in the mountain, can you feel it?"
Ray frowned with his gaze focused on the mountain and then he noticed, in the southernmost part of the mountain, roughly close to the peak there was what looked like a gigantic black and white sphere.
"I think I can see it... is it there?" He pointed in the direction.
!!!
"Y-You can see it?!"
"Didn't you ask me if I could feel it?"
"I asked if you could feel it, not see it. Ray-sama, even I can't see it with my eyes, I can just sense the spiritual energy around it. You're even more amazing than I thought~" The Kitsune stated giddily, descending towards the designated spot. It was a gigantic limbo domain roughly the size of a small town.
"What is this limbo exactly?"
"The limbo is a subdimension where souls cohabitate before moving into the afterlife or transforming into evil spirits, it is the place where Youkais are born but once they are mature enough, they leave it as they're no longer considered spirits. There are, however, very few entities who can enter this world at will, like us. A Limbo domain like this one is a space of sorts where the secular world and the spiritual world have come into contact to the point that every being who threads into it, will be able to step into Limbo. It shouldn't be allowed to exist and it is illegal in our supernatural community" Her voice was stern as she explained, making conjectures in her mind.
"That means that woman is involved, who in Hokkaido could create a Limbo Domain if not her".
"Who are we talking about?"
"An ancient youkai, Hasshaku-sama... an evil spirit created from human lust. She's very problematic, before you triggered my evolution she and I were roughly equal in strength, no... you could even say she was mildly superior. She and Nurarihyon are as old as Japan itself. If it is her then it is no wonder that Yuki couldn't defeat her".
Ray whistled, it wasn't usual when Yasaka put herself beneath others.
They reached the entrance of the domain and aside from the spiritual energy emitted by it, they couldn't feel anything.
[There is no doubt, the energy we released was sent to this location. Yamada Anna is inside] Horus clarified.
[Be careful, Ray] Elysir warned.
Instead of acting haughty, Ray nodded, he didn't think there would be much of an issue. As Yasaka had stated, she was weaker before her evolution, now, she was on a completely different level.
Little did he know that Hasshaku-sama wouldn't be the one he'd be facing. Neither Yasaka nor Ray realised that the moment they stepped into that Limbo, they were stepping inside a warzone.