Deep within a cave beneath Mount Fuji, an old man stood in the center of a ritual circle.
The faint red light of ancient candles illuminated his gaunt figure, with disheveled white hair sticking out in all directions like dry twigs. A loose black robe draped his body, giving him an eerie appearance, as if darkness itself crept along with his every movement. Thin-framed glasses with red lenses covered his eyes, hiding a gaze full of deceit and ancient wisdom.
The man was Ashiya Douman, a legendary onmyouji who had lived for nearly a thousand years. In the past, he had fought against Abe no Seimei, his rival of the century.
However, unlike ordinary humans who succumb to mortality, Douman had managed to evade death and continued to exist into the modern era. He was even older than Marquis Voban, the oldest living Campione at the time.
Despite his long life, Douman could not match a Campione in terms of pure power. He was merely a mystic practitioner, not a Godslayer. His prolonged existence in the world was not due to greater strength, but because he understood the rules that bound this world.
In this world, the number of Campione was limited. If too many Campione appeared, the King of the End would descend to eradicate them all. However, this limitation did not apply to mystic practitioners like him. For centuries, Douman had chosen to develop longevity techniques.
*SHUA!*
The ritual circle beneath his feet glowed brighter. Mystic symbols from various eras shone in blood-red hues. The leyline beneath Mount Fuji began to rumble, releasing spiritual energy that surged wildly across the land.
*CRACK!* *CRACK!* *CRACK!*
Cracks formed.
Not cracks in the ground, but cracks in the leyline.
A crooked smile appeared on Douman's wrinkled face. He stretched his arms upward, savoring the flow of spiritual power surging from within the earth.
Then—he laughed.
A soft chuckle that turned into a burst of madness.
"KUHAHAHA! From now on, Japan will not know peace!"
"Seimei! Your failure to kill me was your greatest mistake! Let's see how those hypocritical mystic practitioners protect the ordinary people...!!!"
With this single ritual, calamity had begun.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In a small, not-too-crowded café, Hayasaka Ai sat across from Rokuhara Ren. The atmosphere was quite comfortable, with the faint aroma of coffee blending with the sweet scent of freshly baked pastries.
A waiter approached, and without much thought, the two of them ordered parfaits.
Ren gazed at the girl in front of him with a neutral expression, while Hayasaka rested her chin on her hand, her lips forming a sweet smile.
Then, she opened the conversation in a cheerful tone, as if this were a normal interaction between a girl and a boy she liked.
"Rokuhara-sama, thank you for taking the time to be with me." Hayasaka said with a shy smile.
"Rokuhara-sama? You called me that earlier too." Ren raised an eyebrow.
Hayasaka twirled the end of her hair with her finger. "Of course~! I have to show respect. You're an extraordinary man, so it's only natural that I treat you politely."
"So, is there something you wanted to talk about?" Ren asked, getting straight to the point.
"..."
Hayasaka pretended to hesitate for a moment, biting her lower lip. Then, with cheeks that seemed slightly flushed, she averted her gaze downward.
"Uhm... Actually, this is a bit embarrassing..."
"..."
Ren waited without interrupting.
Hayasaka took a deep breath, then looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, Rokuhara-sama!" She said with a voice full of enthusiasm and a slight emotional tremor.
Ren's expression remained calm, though his eyes narrowed slightly.
"I see..."
Hayasaka nodded quickly. "Yes! I know this is sudden, but I really couldn't hold back my feelings any longer!"
Ren stared at the girl in front of him, trying to gauge whether this was a joke or not. Unfortunately, her acting was flawless.
"So, you're asking me out?" He asked casually.
Hayasaka blushed and lowered her head, her fingers playing with the edge of her glass. "Yes... If Rokuhara-sama doesn't mind..."
Ren looked at her for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Then, how about we go to a love hotel after this?"
"...!!!"
For a moment, Hayasaka's body tensed. However, she quickly put on a shy expression and bit her lip. "Ehh...? But, Rokuhara-sama doesn't even know my name yet... Isn't that too reckless?"
Ren kept a straight face, then stood up. "Then, forget it. Don't ever show yourself in front of me again."
"...???"
Hayasaka's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Ren to act so harshly just because she refused! Was he really serious about going to a love hotel?
Panicking, Hayasaka quickly stood up and grabbed Ren's hand, stopping him from leaving. She lowered her head, her face slightly red. In a soft voice, she whispered, "If that's what Rokuhara-sama wants... I'll go..."
Originally, she had only wanted to tease him, but now she was slightly taken aback. Ren thought the girl would back off easily, but she was determined to see her mission through to the end.
After staring at her for a few seconds, Ren finally chuckled softly and sat back down.
"You're too serious."
Picking up his spoon, he went back to enjoying his parfait. "Now, introduce yourself, and explain why you're approaching me."
Hayasaka's face tensed again. She knew this wouldn't be easy, but now there was no turning back.
After this brief interaction, Hayasaka realized something—it was impossible to deceive the other party with her acting as she usually did with Shirogane Miyuki, the boy Shinomiya Kaguya liked.
Comparing Ren to Miyuki? There was no comparison at all.
"Sigh..."
Hayasaka took a slow breath, then dropped her schoolgirl persona. The innocent gaze and shy smile she had used earlier disappeared, replaced by a calm and professional expression. However, she still maintained her respectful attitude toward Ren.
"My name is Hayasaka Ai. I was sent by the Shinomiya family to approach you, Rokuhara-sama." Hayasaka's tone became more formal.
"Go on." Ren said while enjoying his parfait spoon by spoon.
"The Shinomiya family wishes to offer their loyalty to you." Hayasaka stated bluntly.
"Oh."
Ren finally glanced at her. However, there was no change in his expression. He simply chewed slowly, then looked back at his parfait, as if he had heard something trivial.
If someone else were in his position, they would likely be thrilled to receive the loyalty of the Shinomiya family—one of the four largest conglomerates in Japan. Their assets were worth hundreds of billions of yen.
However, Ren? He seemed indifferent.
In his eyes, the offer was no different from someone offering a restaurant discount card.
Hayasaka observed his demeanor carefully.
'This conclusion is correct… Each Campione has unique qualities that set them apart from ordinary people.'
'So this is a Campione... a King... the Supreme Ruler... the Devil King...'
Faced with wealth that ordinary people could never amass in a lifetime, Ren didn't show the slightest bit of interest.
If this were Shirogane Miyuki, he would probably be in shock right now.
Unable to help herself, Hayasaka began to admire Ren from the bottom of her heart.
Putting down his spoon, Ren looked at Hayasaka casually. "Call the head of the Shinomiya family."
Hayasaka blinked. "…What for, Rokuhara-sama?"
Instantly, anxiety arose in her heart. Had she unknowingly offended him? Was he going to report her failure to Gan'an?
Ren didn't answer directly. Instead, he simply stared at her in silence, then said in a flat tone, "Don't make me repeat myself twice."
There was an implicit warning in his words.
Hayasaka clenched her phone tightly. She had no other choice. Quickly, she dialed the number she had memorized by heart.
After a few rings, the deep voice of an old man came through the phone's speaker.
"Hayasaka. How did it go?"
It was the voice of Shinomiya Gan'an—the head of the Shinomiya family, a man even Kaguya respected.
"Gulp..."
Hayasaka swallowed hard. Now, everything depended on Ren's response.