Yasaka, the Nine-Tailed Queen, sat with the composed grace of one who ruled for centuries. Her private office was a study in her home, where she was now with guests.
The air was rich with the scent of sandalwood and fresh air, and the ambient temperature was several degrees warmer than outside. Her gaze of molten gold calmly studied the two individuals seated across from her on plush, silk cushions, Kenji Takahashi and his wife, Anastasia.
This human couple was the single most unprecedented variable to enter Kyoto's supernatural ever. When her subordinate reported Haruna's message about Kenji's return, Yasaka acted instantly.
She would have normally sent an emissary, but her instinct told her that it was better if she went herself. After all, this was not just a small thing, if she could get what Kenji had, it could change the way her entire people operated. She needed to handle this personally.
So she had hurried and met the man and his wife in the shop before they left, and she had invited them to her home to talk.
She watched the two since she brought them to her home, and honestly, it was a good thing she had gone herself. The man was strong, she couldn't sense his power properly as he was suppressing it, but her animal instinct told her that if she attacked this man, she was going to die, that alone, but him, ultimate or above.
He was dangerous.
And the man seemed stubborn too, like he didn't want anything to do with her, he didn't seem to want to talk with her, that was for sure, she chuckled inwardly.
It had been nearly three minutes since they were seated, and the silence was becoming a physical weight. Yasaka internally chuckled. Kenji was tense, his face looking like it was carved from stone.
He was clearly eager to leave, but she was certain the only reason he hadn't made an excuse and left was because he recognized her status.
'He knew who I was somehow.' She had seen the brief flicker of recognition when they first met, and the slight twitch of his finger every few seconds like he was trying to reach for something, a tell he probably didn't know he possessed.
Had she sent anyone else, he might have simply made an excuse and left.
Anastasia, meanwhile, was having her own internal crisis. Here she was, sitting in front of a mythical Kyubi, an actual, seemingly powerful fox spirit, and she was damn gorgeous.
'Those tails were beautiful and those.....,' she thought, utterly mesmerized, 'they cannot be natural.' She shook her head inwardly. Now was not the time for musings. She sneaked a glance at her husband and saw his blank expression.
This was something she had never seen before. Kenji was normally expressive, but now his face was carved from stone. It was hard to read him, which made her even more nervous about what this meeting could be.
Yasaka finally broke the silence with a soft, deliberate cough into her hand. "As I said before in the shop, I am Yasaka, the ruler of the Kyoto yokai faction." She lowered her head slightly in a small bow of polite acknowledgment. "I am sure you didn't think we would meet like this."
Kenji opened his mouth and spoke, his voice measured. "Honestly, I didn't think we would ever meet." Okay, that was a lie.
He knew that as long as he kept coming to Kyoto, he'd have met her eventually someone of his power could not help but eventually cross paths with her, in her own domain, so to speak.
Yasaka smiled, a soft, sweet sound like a silver bell, amused by his obvious deception. "Yes, well, with the stir you've been causing in my city, it was only a matter of time before we met."
Kenji raised a brow, genuinely puzzled. "Stir? I didn't think I'd done anything significant enough to draw the attention of the city's ruler."
He truly felt his movements had been minimal, he'd dealt with the Flesh Ripper gang months ago and, since then, had only engaged in low-profile resource trading, so nothing should have been his fault for a stir.
The Nine-Tailed Queen reached into her sleeve and withdrew a small, glowing orb, a perfect sphere of azure crystal. The soft, rhythmic pulse of pure mana within it illuminated the room.
"I believe you call these 'mana stones,' yes?" she said, letting it roll between her fingers.
He nodded.
"Mr. Takahashi, do you have any idea how valuable this thing you have been selling is ?" she asked, her voice steady. She genuinely needed to know if he understood the earthquake he was causing with these.
Kenji didn't even need more than a few seconds to understand what she was talking about. Mana stones normally were used to help an individual increase their power by absorbing the pure mana in them, but because such a thing didn't exist in this world, it must seem like a miraculous thing when in this world, strength was determined by talent, potential, and hard work, and only a few had any of these.
"Yes," Kenji said confidently, without hesitation. "I do."
Yasaka blinked, clearly surprised. Perhaps she'd expected him to be ignorant, perhaps treating it as rare goods. "And yet you sell them so freely?" she asked, slightly flabbergasted. How could he part with something so immensely valuable?
He shrugged, the small movement the only sign of his composure. "They are materials, and I was in need of money. So is that why you wanted to talk to me?" Not really the full truth, but she didn't need to know everything about what he does, it's, after all, none of her business.
Yasaka sighed internally, seeing he was focused only on the transaction. She adjusted her sitting posture, her tails shifting in a wave. "Yes," she admitted. "I invited you here because I was hoping we could strike a deal. My people gain much with these mana stones, and I want to secure a source for the Yokai faction."
Kenji folded his arms, his expression unreadable. "And what would I get in return? I can see that what you're asking for is not a small amount of my product." He was already selling to Haruna, selling to the Queen was just adding a powerful client.
"And what do you want?" Yasaka asked, a note of excitement entering her voice. It seemed Kenji wasn't against selling to her people.
Kenji paused, gathering his thoughts. He needed materials that were rare even in the supernatural markets.
"Well, you see, I'm a bit of an Alchemist," he said, earning a raised, skeptical brow from Anastasia. 'Alchemy? That's new. Did he mention that in the morning.
"…but there are some materials that seem hard to come by that I'm sure your faction has. Rare earth metals, high-tier materials just lying around without any use, things your faction might have better access to. So how about we…"
Before he could continue his impromptu pitch, Anastasia leaned forward and pinched his arm hard enough to make him let out a sharp, quiet yelp. She shot him a silent look.
She instantly turned her attention to the yokai ruler, her face adopting the polished, charming, yet utterly dominant smile of a high-level corporate executive. "What my husband is trying to say," she stated smoothly, "is that we would be happy to discuss a formal, structured business contract."
Both Kenji and Yasaka blinked at her sudden, total takeover of the negotiation.
Seemed the wife was taking over the business, Kenji just sat back. His wife really was a businesswoman through and through.
"And what do you have in mind?" Yasaka asked.
Anastasia, now completely in her element, spoke with unwavering professional confidence. "A Regular Trade Agreement. My husband provides a guaranteed, consistent supply of the mana stones, the quantity to be set monthly. In return, your faction offers a set list of raw materials, paid at an agreed-upon market rate, and crucially, Full protection and diplomatic immunity for my husband during all trade exchanges within your domain as long as he doesn't bring harm to your people." She emphasized the last point, subtly leveraging security as a premium item.
"The specifics, exact quantity, pricing matrix, and an exclusivity clause for Kyoto's region can be negotiated later when we have a measure of the materials we'd be getting."
Yasaka looked genuinely impressed. Her smile widened at the audacity of her demands. "You drive a hard bargain, Mrs. Takahashi. Leveraging our protection in your pricing is… highly impressive."
"I'm a businesswoman," Anastasia replied smoothly, a hint of steel in her voice. "And I know an opportunity, and a risk, when I see one. When this gets out, I'm sure there will be others that may come for my husband just from the way both of you spoke of this mana stone, so it's only natural I want protection for him."
The Fox Queen's soft, musical laughter filled the room. "Very well. I accept your terms in principle. I'll have a preliminary draft prepared by tomorrow. We will be in contact."
Kenji relaxed slightly, feeling the tension ease from his shoulders. A trade alliance and even protection, secured by his wife's maneuvering, was an excellent, beneficial outcome.
Still, as Yasaka's golden eyes lingered on him, Kenji could tell she was studying more than just his offer.
She smiled softly, tilting her head. "You're quite the enigma, Mr. Takahashi. Something like these mana stones shouldn't exist. Tell me… is it your Sacred Gear's doing?"
Kenji didn't flinch. "Something like that."
"Mm. A convenient answer." She let the silence stretch again, but this time, it was laced with contemplation.
She stood up, her nine tails shifting into a graceful arc of gold fire. "Regardless," Yasaka said, her voice dropping to a serious, low register. "I look forward to our cooperation. And… if I may, a bit of advice?"
He raised a brow, sensing the sincerity in her tone.
"The world will start to notice you," she said quietly, her eyes locking with his. "You live around Devils, the Fallen, and the Church. And not all who take notice come with friendly smiles."
Kenji's golden eyes met hers, calm and unflinching. He knew her warning was true—Azazel's visit was proof enough. "Then they'd better be ready to regret it."
The queen smiled faintly.
He stood and offered his hand. She took it gracefully. "Until next time, Mr. Takahashi. Mrs. Takahashi."
As the pair left, Yasaka stood alone in her office.
"That man," she murmured to herself, her golden eyes narrowing with thought.
Meanwhile, back in the Occult Research Clubroom at Kuoh Academy, the atmosphere was heavy. Rias Gremory sat with her peerage, her crimson hair glowing under the lamplight, her hands clasped so tightly her knuckles were white.
The last few days had been a disaster. Her Knight, Kiba, consumed by a desperate quest for revenge against the Holy Swords, had defied her direct orders. As a result, both her Queen, Akeno, and her Rook, Koneko, and her pawn, Issei, had been gravely injured, along with the Church's exorcist, Xenovia.
Rias had managed to save them, but Kiba had run off again, and now, finding out the notorious Fallen Angel leader, Kokabiel, was clearly moving on Kuoh.
She sighed, "We need to be ready. Kokabiel is coming soon. We must defend this town."
A sudden, tentative knock came from the door. "Rias-senpai? Are you busy?"
Rias Gremory looked up, surprised. "Ayaka? Come in."
The brunette stepped inside hesitantly, her usual cheerful composure replaced by a quiet, determined solemnity. "I wanted to talk about your offer… I've made my decision."
Rias smiled. Securing a bishop with Ayaka's latent magical talent and sharp mind would be a significant boon for her peerage. "I'm glad. So, what have you decided?"
Ayaka took a deep breath, her eyes locking with Rias's. "I—"
Her words were savagely drowned out by a thunderous BOOM that shook the entire school. The lights flickered, and the glass in the windows rattled violently, barely holding together.
A powerful, visible wave of magic spread across the sky outside, forming a massive, oppressive dome over Kuoh Town. It was a barrier.
Akeno's voice, usually calm and playful, rang out sharply, "Rias! It's a high-level barrier!"
They rushed to the shattered window.
The night sky was covered with a dome of purple light, and in the center of the purple dome, in the middle of the school, descending with confidence, was a dark figure with ten enormous, black, feathery wings spread wide, casting a colossal shadow over the school grounds.
"Kokabiel," Rias whispered, her eyes narrowing, her relief about Ayaka instantly replaced by anger and fear.
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