"Is this all you've got?" Kaoru sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "If this is the best power you can show, then you're just wasting my time."
With a steady stride, Kaoru focused his spiritual energy, causing a bright blue aura to blaze around him. He was no longer playing around.
The remaining agents felt the immense pressure emanating from Kaoru's aura, but they charged at him desperately nonetheless. Kaoru spun swiftly, deflecting an attack from behind, then retaliated with a flurry of strikes so rapid that his opponents could only see flashes of light before their bodies crumpled to the floor. One by one, the agents fell, unable to withstand the onslaught delivered with an unexpected speed.
Kaoru pivoted in place, swinging his sword in a wide arc, creating a storm of energy that pushed back the remaining enemies. His movements were so fluid and rhythmic, it was as if he were dancing in the midst of battle.
Suddenly, from an unexpected direction, one of the surviving agents activated some sort of magical talisman that instantly conjured a magic circle beneath Kaoru's feet. A burst of magical energy blasted Kaoru several meters back, sending him crashing to the floor of the train. For a moment, Kaoru was stunned, but then he rose again, his eyes ablaze with fury.
"Good, at least you can still surprise me," he said, brushing the dust off his cheek. With a quick motion, he raised his sword again and attacked the agent, cutting through the active magic circle and destroying the source of the magic energy they had tried to use.
In a matter of seconds, Kaoru regained control of the battlefield, dispatching the remaining foes with terrifying efficiency. Bodies lay sprawled across the train floor, a testament to their inevitable defeat at the hands of a warrior far beyond their league.
He turned his gaze toward Yuyami, still bound to his seat, whose expression was filled with fear as he watched his subordinates fall effortlessly. The battle was over.
Kaoru walked slowly toward him, wiping the blood from the tip of his sword with a graceful motion. "Now," he said in a calmer tone, "as I said, hand over the Relic to me. This is your last chance, Yuyami. Don't make a bigger mistake."
Yuyami fell silent, his face paling as despair slowly enveloped him. He had lost. There was nothing more he could do, and Kaoru's cold gaze seemed to confirm that this was the end of their conflict. However, amidst the suffocating silence, a sudden flash of bright orange light erupted from the side of the train.
A shadow moved so quickly that it was hard for the eye to follow. Kaoru squinted, trying to discern the sudden movement. Before he could react, a large, nine-tailed white fox appeared out of nowhere. Its eyes shone sharply, highlighting an incredibly strong magical aura. With agile and silent grace, the fox leaped toward Yuyami, still bound to his seat.
The fox's claws sliced through the air, severing the magical chains that bound Yuyami as if they were nothing. In an instant, the fox bit into Yuyami's clothing and pulled him backward with astonishing speed, leaving a trail of fading orange fire in the air.
"Stop!" Kaoru shouted, attempting to give chase, but the fox's movements were so fast and unpredictable, it was almost like an illusion that was hard to capture. In the blink of an eye, Yuyami had been whisked away, his body dragged by the seemingly unreal creature.
Kaoru stood frozen in the middle of the train car, his eyes fixated on the direction the fox had taken. A sense of frustration hung in the air, but he knew that pursuing them within a moving train would be futile.
The nine-tailed fox effortlessly traversed the train car like a breeze, disappearing in an instant behind the front train car's door. Before Kaoru could move further, both the fox and Yuyami had vanished, leaving only a faint scent of damp earth and burning fire in the air.
Kaoru gritted his teeth, suppressing the boiling anger within him. "Damn it..." he muttered, realizing that the creature was Yuyami's savior and was undoubtedly part of the Nine Child Dragon Association's plan. There were greater forces at play behind the scenes.
The train continued to speed along, cutting through the thick night between the towns it passed. Kaoru understood that this mission was not over; the battle just fought was only the beginning of a larger conflict. The nine-tailed fox was no ordinary creature—its presence signified that the Nine Child Dragon Association possessed far greater power than he had previously estimated.
Slowly, Kaoru sheathed his sword, his eyes still trained on the door of the train car where the fox had disappeared. "Alright," he said in a low yet determined tone. "If you want to play with such great power, I'll prepare myself even better."
---
In a different location, Towako found herself in a much more complicated situation. As a member of the Onmyo Agency—a demon-exorcising organization founded by her legendary ancestor, Abe Yumei—she faced a heavy burden. The Onmyo Agency that Towako belonged to had long served as the primary defense against local supernatural threats, particularly the Yokai that roamed Japan. Utilizing ancient Onmyoji techniques, they harnessed spiritual energy to protect humans from the disturbances caused by otherworldly beings.
However, Towako's current task was different. The investigation she was undertaking today was not just about uncovering the existence of Yokai or other supernatural creatures, but rather delving into a dangerous plot emerging from within her own family circle.
Abe Koso, the vice-chairman of the Onmyo Agency and Towako's uncle, harbored ambitions that threatened the organization's stability. Koso, who had long coveted the position of leader, sought to usurp Abe Yumei by manipulating Towako, his favorite grandchild. He planned to use Towako as a pawn in his larger scheme, convincing the other senior members that the Onmyo Agency needed a massive overhaul more in line with modern times.
Towako understood the immense power embedded in the ancient Onmyoji techniques and traditions, a strength that could not simply be altered. For those within the Onmyo Agency, their roles were more than just jobs; they were a sacred calling passed down through the ages, with an organizational structure that had proven resilient under Abe Yumei's leadership.
Towako arrived at an old port located on the edge of town, where a row of large warehouses loomed in the shadows of the night. The cold air and the scent of salt enveloped the place, adding to its sense of isolation and strangeness. She had received information from her uncle, Abe Koso, indicating that the Star Eye Relic sought by the Onmyo Agency was likely hidden in one of these warehouses. Towako, unaware of Koso's true intentions, trusted the information without hesitation.
Carefully, Towako stepped into the warehouse indicated in the report. The place was dark, illuminated only by the dim light of the moon filtering through broken windows above. Stacks of wooden crates were scattered here and there, as if hiding something within their shadows.