As Ren, Sagiri, and Hibari huddled behind the rock, making a plan, Ren had a sudden realization. His spiritual energy and power far exceeded what was normal. He had essentially stolen Kogarashi's future, a future where he was a powerful spiritual medium. He wasn't some beginner who needed to make a plan. He was a force of nature. He could simply walk in, confront the Dragon God, and take Yuuna back. As for explaining his actions to the girls, he would figure that out later.
Before the girls could form a strategy, Ren simply stood up and walked directly towards the fish-headed guard.
"Hey! Stop!" Sagiri whispered, her voice laced with panic. But it was too late. Ren, with a serene look on his face, walked right up to the guard, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
The guard, a powerful spiritual being in its own right, was surprised but quickly subdued Ren. They tied his hands and led him back to the castle. Sagiri and Hibari, their eyes wide with shock, decided to abandon their planning. They would follow Ren and infiltrate the castle stealthily.
Ren was led through the grand halls of the Japanese castle, a place where spiritual energy hummed in the air like a living thing. He was brought before a man sitting on a throne of polished black stone. This was Ryuuga Genshiro, the Black Dragon God.
Genshiro looked at Ren with an annoyed expression, his eyes burning with a dark, spiritual fire. "So you are the one," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I am Ryuuga Genshiro, the master of this castle."
He then proceeded to rant about how Yuuna had blushed when he asked her why she wouldn't marry him, assuming that Ren had somehow done something lewd to her. "How dare you corrupt a pure spirit like Yuuna! I will not allow it! I will give her justice!" he ranted, his voice growing louder with each word.
Ren, hearing this, had a hard time suppressing a smile. "This guy is really imaginative," he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Sagiri and Hibari had split up. Sagiri stealthily made her way through the castle, her spiritual barrier armor keeping her hidden from the guards' spiritual senses. She finally found a room where Yuuna was being held. Yuuna, in her substitute body, was sitting on the floor, deep in thought, a worried look on her face.
"Yuuna!" Sagiri whispered, her voice filled with relief.
Yuuna looked up, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sagiri! Are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. We're here to rescue you," Sagiri said, immediately contacting Hibari through their spiritual link. "I've found Yuuna. I repeat, I've found Yuuna."
Yuuna, however, was more concerned about someone else. "Did Ren come too?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
"Yes, he did," Sagiri confirmed.
"Why?! Why didn't you stop him?" Yuuna asked, her voice rising in panic. "He's still a beginner! He lacks experience! How could you let him come to a place this dangerous?"
Sagiri looked at her, her expression serious. "We're aware of the danger, but we couldn't just leave someone we care about in danger and do nothing. It's just... not in our nature. Whether it's me, Hibari, or Ren, we're all the same. We would never just stand by. We didn't really think about how brash it was to fight against a Dragon God, but we can't let that stop us—"
Their conversation was cut short by a sudden attack. Sagiri, her reflexes honed by years of training, raised her spiritual barrier armor just in time to block the blow.
A new figure appeared before them. It was a man with an eye patch, an androgynous appearance, and a traditional kimono. It was the same person Chitose had described. Oboro Shinto.
"A human?" Oboro asked, her voice filled with confusion. "Who do you work for?"
Sagiri didn't answer, her eyes locked on Oboro. She was an androgynous person with an eye patch and a kimono, just as Chitose had described. Oboro moved with terrifying speed, appearing behind Sagiri as if she had teleported. Oboro's Shinto attack struck, but it didn't pierce Sagiri's body. The spiritual barrier armor held, the blow leaving nothing but a faint ripple on its surface.
Sagiri quickly created some distance, and Oboro, a hint of surprise in her eyes, commented on the spiritual barrier armor. "You're a capable soldier," she said, a hint of respect in her voice.
Suddenly, an attack came out of nowhere. It was a perfectly timed strike from Hibari, who had finally arrived. Oboro, without even looking, blocked the attack with her sword, her movements fluid and effortless. "Good timing," Oboro commented, a ghost of a smile on her face.
Yuuna, seeing her friends fighting for her, went to their side, a look of determination on her face. "I'll support you!" she said, her spiritual aura flaring.
Ren just stood there, letting the Dragon God's rants wash over him. When Genshiro finally paused to take a breath, Ren, with a simple flick of his wrists, broke free from the ropes that bound him.
The sound of the ropes snapping echoed through the hall, and Genshiro's ranting came to an abrupt halt. His expression became serious, his eyes narrowing as he finally saw Ren as a genuine threat. Ren stretched his arms and neck, preparing for a fight.
"Men! Attack!" Genshiro commanded, and a dozen guards, all powerful spiritual beings, drew their weapons and charged towards Ren.
However, before they could even take a step, they all fell to the ground, unconscious. Ren hadn't even moved. He had simply released a fraction of his spiritual energy, enough to knock them out but not enough to cause any permanent harm. Genshiro stood up, his fingers crackling with spiritual energy, ready to fight Ren himself.
Suddenly, Oboro arrived with another guard while Sagiri, Hibari, and Yuuna were tied up.