In the long, silent hallway leading to the library, a man with short pink hair strolled at a leisurely pace. His eye-catching outfit—a bright red shirt and fitted black pants—did little to mask the serious aura he exuded. Rodrico Nakatomi, a veteran Onmyoji and purification specialist, had arrived at the Abe family mansion with a straightforward purpose: to visit the family's private library, where numerous relics and ancient texts were kept.
But the tranquility was soon shattered. As he neared the library, a violent tremor shook the entire mansion, forcing him to stagger back. A flash of blue light and an explosion of magical energy erupted from the direction of the library, filling the air with stifling heat. Rodrico knew that only one thing could cause this level of disruption—a battle between exceptionally powerful supernatural entities.
"What's going on here?" he muttered, his expression turning vigilant. Rodrico quickened his pace, moving through hallways littered with shattered glass and debris.
When he reached the library's doorway, Rodrico could sense the fierce aura of a battle raging in the mansion's courtyard. In the distance, he saw Kaoru engaged in combat with a monstrous Yokai—the unmistakable form of Shuten Douji, a figure infamous in Japan's dark legends. The intense energy radiating from both combatants tore through the night, shaking the mansion's foundations with blasts of magic and sword strikes.
Rodrico stopped abruptly when he sensed a faint, familiar aura. His gaze shifted to the corner of the library, where Shiki Reika lay on the floor, her body weak and her cheeks flushed. She was breathing heavily, and a strange, uncomfortable warmth surrounded her, as if she'd been exposed to a powerful aphrodisiac.
Stepping forward with a firm but worried expression, Rodrico knelt beside Reika, his face a mix of concern and barely contained anger. "Shiki… what did they do to you?" he murmured, his voice tight with a barely restrained fury.
Wasting no time, Rodrico began chanting a purification spell, channeling spiritual energy into his hand, which glowed softly with white light. He placed his hand on Reika's shoulder, and she gradually began to calm under the soothing influence of his purification. "I'll help you shake off this magic," he said gently, focused on restoring Reika as quickly as possible.
Reika let out a faint groan, still trapped within the illusion that clouded her mind, yet slowly, her awareness began to return. Rodrico's purifying light seeped into her thoughts, calming the destructive waves of the illusion, like a gentle breeze clearing away a dark mist.
But just as Rodrico was on the verge of fully restoring Reika's consciousness, he felt another presence behind him—a dark, familiar aura that hadn't yet departed.
Heart pounding, Rodrico's body tensed. He quickly turned, his hand still glowing with purifying energy. Before him stood a middle-aged man in a neat suit. His face was clean and composed, giving him the look of an ordinary office worker, but the faint smile on his lips held a sinister mystery. It was Abe Koso, Towako's uncle and the vice-chairman of the Onmyo Agency, watching Rodrico with an ominous gaze from behind his glasses, which glinted in the library's dim light.
"Rodrico Nakatomi, the famed purification specialist from the Onmyoji ranks... You really chose an interesting time to make an appearance here," Koso said in a calm tone, though there was a coldness underlying his voice. He took a step forward, seemingly unconcerned by the dark energy lingering in the air.
Rodrico's expression shifted to suspicion as he looked at Koso. "Koso-sama, what exactly is happening here? Why are you here… with a creature like Shuten Douji?" he asked, though in his mind, he was already piecing together a troubling realization.
Koso chuckled, a restrained arrogance in his laugh. "Oh, do you really think this mansion is in danger just because of creatures like Shuten Douji?" His gaze flicked briefly toward Reika, who still lay on the floor, her face pale from the purification Rodrico had performed. "Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed in you, Rodrico. I thought your intuition was sharper."
"What do you mean, Koso-sama?" Rodrico's voice was steady but filled with wariness. He knew that Abe Koso was the family's vice-patriarch, but the way Koso spoke made it clear he had hidden intentions.
Koso's smile widened, his eyes glinting coldly behind his glasses. "Let's just say I'm making a few… adjustments in this family. My father has led the Onmyo Agency for far too long, clinging to outdated methods that are no longer relevant. It's time for us to evolve… to embrace the demands of the modern age."
Rodrico clenched his teeth, now fully realizing that Koso was a traitor working with the Nine Child Naga Association. "You… you betrayed your own family for the sake of your ambitions, Koso-sama? You'd hand over this mansion to creatures like Shuten Douji?"
Koso shrugged, as if the accusation meant little to him. "Family? It's nothing more than a chain that binds us, holding back our freedom. Towako and my grandfather would only slow down the reforms I'm planning. And you, Rodrico… you're too attached to purification. Do you really think life is as simple as honor and virtue?"
Rodrico tightened his grip on the purifying energy in his hand, his gaze blazing with anger. "Don't think for a moment that I'll stand by and listen to your nonsense, Koso-sama. Your plan might have worked in the shadows, but not as long as I'm here."
Koso only chuckled softly, and with a flick of his hand, a dense black light appeared around him, forming a magic circle inscribed with ancient symbols that shimmered in the air. The dark energy radiating from his body created a suffocating pressure, making the room's atmosphere feel as though it were closing in.
"Honestly, I don't have the time to waste on a purifier like you, Rodrico." Koso sighed casually, though his expression remained deadly serious. "But don't worry. I'll give you a little lesson about trust and honor."
Rodrico didn't back down; instead, he stared at Koso with both fury and a calm resolve, ready to protect Reika and stop this traitor. "If that's your plan, then prepare yourself, Koso. I won't let you trample on this family's honor."
And so, a battle erupted between a true Onmyoji and a treacherous kin, each wielding powers in stark opposition to one another.