Kaoru let out a deep sigh, frustration and confusion churning within him. "Then what's her true aim? What does Kyuubi hope to achieve from all this chaos?"
Reika fell silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "That's the mystery, Kaoru-sama. For centuries, no one has ever fully understood Kyuubi's motives. Her every movement has always seemed like destruction for destruction's sake, with no clear purpose. But… we've recently uncovered a hint of her ambition."
Kaoru's gaze sharpened, his tone serious. "What does she want?"
Reika took a deep breath, steeling herself to reveal a startling answer. "Kyuubi intends to become something beyond a mere deity. She aims to reach the highest status… to become an Absolute Being. A being with ultimate authority, surpassing the power of the gods who once betrayed her. That way, she'd be free from all restraints and seals, able to exact revenge on the gods who bound her."
Kaoru was stunned, his mind whirling to process the revelation. "So, in the end, all of this is just a pursuit of power for revenge? Becoming an Absolute Being just to… take revenge on the gods?" he murmured, disbelief in his voice.
Kaoru exhaled deeply, letting his thoughts wander momentarily through the complexity of the situation they now faced. For someone who had fought countless foes in other realms, Kaoru had seen ambition for power in many forms, yet it all boiled down to one thing: the desire to gain control. Kyuubi, a deity of calamity, harboring a grudge against the gods, was just one more example of the inevitable obsession with boundless power.
But unlike his past enemies, Kyuubi had centuries to plan her revenge, making her far more dangerous and cunning. Kaoru couldn't ignore the potential devastation if Kyuubi managed to break free and pursue her obsession.
Reika watched Kaoru anxiously, her worry evident. "Kaoru-sama, are you alright?" she asked gently.
Before Kaoru could respond, the silence was broken by the sudden ringing of Rodrico's phone. Rodrico quickly took out his phone, noticing Towako's name on the screen. He frowned, sensing something was wrong since Towako rarely called without an urgent reason.
"Excuse me, Kaoru-sama, Reika-san," he said, stepping aside to answer the call.
"Towako-sama, what's going on?" he asked seriously.
On the other end, Towako's voice sounded hurried. "[Rodrico, where are you right now?]"
"I'm at your mansion, Towako-sama," Rodrico replied with a wary tone. "Oh, and I should report—" He quickly recapped the latest events at the mansion, explaining how they had defeated Abe Koso and Shuten Douji, uncovered Kyuubi's involvement, and learned about the plan to use the Enkidu Necklace.
Towako took a deep breath on the other end. "[Is that so? Alright, that's important… but for now, I need you all to stay there. Tell Kaoru not to leave the mansion. I'll be coming shortly with some new information. This is urgent!]"
Rodrico nodded, even though she couldn't see him, and replied firmly. "Understood, Towako-sama. We'll wait for you here."
After ending the call, Rodrico turned back to Kaoru and Reika, who were still watching him with serious expressions.
"Towako-sama just instructed us to stay here at the mansion until she arrives," he conveyed. "She's on her way and appears to have additional information that we shouldn't ignore."
Kaoru raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Additional information, huh? In that case, we'll wait. With enough information, maybe we can uncover all of Kyuubi's plans and the organization behind this."
Reika nodded in agreement, though her eyes remained clouded with a faint worry.
---
Arriving at the mansion, Towako surveyed the damaged building, especially around the library. Broken glass, dust, and cracked walls bore silent testimony to the recent battle. Without lingering on the destruction, Towako quickly entered, searching for Kaoru, Reika, and Rodrico, who were waiting in the main hall.
As soon as she found them, Towako pulled out her phone, her face tense. "I discovered something while searching my uncle Abe Koso's office at the Onmyo Agency," she said, displaying a recently taken photo.
Kaoru and the others stared intently at Towako's phone screen. It showed a Japanese-style ancient sketch depicting a complex ritual circle, decorated with ominous magical symbols, with what appeared to be a seal at its center. In the middle of the circle sat an illustration of Kyuubi in her nine-tailed fox form, enthroned and surrounded by smaller spirits who seemed to bow before her.
Towako explained further, her expression strained. "According to what I found, this image originates from an ancient temple ruin in Kyoto. The temple priests believed that Kyuubi was part of a cycle—a fate that couldn't be avoided. They depicted that if Kyuubi ever broke her seal and spread calamity, it was simply fulfilling a destiny that had already been written."
Kaoru looked at her with raised eyebrows, stunned by this belief. "So, they really believed this disaster was destiny? How could they be so resigned?"
Towako nodded, though she herself appeared troubled. "That was their understanding. They saw Kyuubi as a destructive god who, one day, would balance the world through chaos and disaster. To them, stopping Kyuubi was akin to defying the universe."
Reika's face twisted in frustration and anger. "That's a dangerous way to think! Such beliefs only give Kyuubi more justification to see her chaos as something legitimate."
Kaoru gazed at the three of them, his eyes filled with conviction, though his tone was calm and unaffected by the tension in the room. "Why not let Kyuubi reach her full power?" he said in a voice that was cold and measured.
Towako stood abruptly, her face a mix of fury and disbelief. "Kaoru! Are you serious with that insane suggestion?! Letting Kyuubi reach full power? That would be handing the whole world over for her to destroy as she pleases!"
Rodrico and Reika were equally shocked, momentarily speechless at the boldness of his idea. Kaoru rarely made moves without careful consideration, but this proposal made them question his intent.
Finally, Reika spoke up, though she looked uncertain. "Kaoru-sama… is there a strategic reason behind this idea? Kyuubi isn't just any enemy; her power once unbound could destroy everything, no exceptions."
Kaoru sighed, looking at them with a serious expression. "I understand the risks. But think about this: if we keep pursuing and fighting her prematurely, Kyuubi will always have a way to come back, always have fanatical followers ready to save her. But if she reaches the peak of her power—becomes the Absolute Being she desires to be—that also means she'll be fully tangible, completely sealable, or even destroyable without any hope of returning."
Towako clenched her teeth, anger and frustration clearly etched across her face. "You're playing with fire, Kaoru. Absolute Being power isn't something we can control on a whim! If our seal or attack fails, it'll mean the end of this world!"