"Kasen?"
Lancer didn't expect the person appearing here to be Ibaraki Kasen. It wasn't that he had any dissatisfaction with her, it was purely because it felt unbelievable. Although Ibaraki Kasen was one of the few people in the Oni race capable of normal communication, she was undoubtedly an Oni as well. No matter how you looked at it, she didn't seem like someone who would know such secret information.
However, Ibaraki Kasen herself didn't mind. Instead, she took out a letter and handed it to Lancer.
Lancer didn't quite understand, but he still took the letter. In his view, maybe Ibaraki Kasen was also a messenger, but what made him a bit strange was: does a message need two people?
With curiosity, Lancer opened the letter. Then his expression became a bit strange, because this was a suicide note.
"Whose suicide note is this?"
"A suicide note left by an Oni from over six hundred years ago. Although he wasn't an Oni King, he was a strong competitor for the next Oni King at the time. However, he later went missing."
"Missing?"
Lancer didn't quite understand Ibaraki Kasen's words. After all, the suicide note clearly stated that his intended destination was Mount Fuji. But Ibaraki Kasen nodded with certainty.
"That's right, missing. We Oni actually don't care too much about the death of our kin. One could even say that if our kin dies in a battle, we are even willing to applaud him and his opponent. But this one disappeared without a trace. The Oni at that time sent many people to Mount Fuji to search, but there was no trace. We didn't even find any signs of his existence. Either he didn't go at all, or..."
"He was killed without any resistance?"
Ibaraki Kasen nodded with certainty at Lancer words.
"Could it be, Kasen, that you think the Phoenix is hidden in Mount Fuji? But wasn't it already investigated once before?"
That's right. In fact, upon learning that the target to find was the Phoenix, Lancer first reaction was "volcano." Although Lancer chose liberal arts back then, he still knew geographical common sense—for instance, that Japan is on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its volcanoes are very active. If a Phoenix wasn't staying in a parasol tree, the most likely place was inside a volcano.
And Mount Fuji, as Japan largest volcano, was naturally the focus of the investigation. Even under Lancer vast network, some youkai born from Mount Fuji had been questioned, but there were still no useful clues.
But Ibaraki Kasen shook her head.
"Maybe we all overlooked one thing."
"What is it?"
Facing Lancer counter-question, Ibaraki Kasen asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"Lancer, do you know where Takamagahara is? Is it above our heads?"
"I don't know where it is, but it's definitely not above our heads."
Lancer knew better than anyone what was above his head. Although youkai existed in this world, according to Kaguya Houraisan description, it was still "Earth"—at least not a flat-world system.
But Ibaraki Kasen nodded and then shook her head.
"That way of saying it isn't accurate. Takamagahara is 'above,' but it is not in the same space as us. Now, no human or youkai knows the method to go to Takamagahara anymore."
It sounded like nonsense unrelated to the previous topic, but Lancer reacted instantly.
"Kasen, do you mean to say the Phoenix is also hid... staying in such a special space?"
This time, Ibaraki Kasen gave Lancer a certain nod, and Lancer expression also turned serious as he lowered his head to start thinking.
By the time he raised his head, he had already made a decision.
"Yukari, please send me to Mount Fuji."
Lancer was not a person who liked to waste time. But since there was a clue, he would not let it go.
At this moment, the three were in the Sea of Trees at the foot of Mount Fuji. It was very easy for Yakumo Yukari to transfer; with just a wave of her fan, distorted air appeared within a Gap in front of the three. Without a doubt, the other side of the Gap was the crater.
Without hesitation, Lancer stepped right over. As soon as he walked through, he felt a wave of heat rush toward him.
The terrifying high temperature even distorted the air. His hair also began to become somewhat dry due to the burning of the flames.
Lancer tried to create ice to cool himself down, but he soon discovered that making ice here was much more difficult than in other places. Even the ice cubes made this way could not be maintained for long. Because of the steam rising from the melting, he felt as if his entire skin was being soaked in a pressure cooker.
However, as the Rune on his shoulder lit up, the temperature around his body also began to gradually drop. But Lancer frowned, because he found that the stamina consumed by the operation of the Rune seemed to be more than usual. For a short time, it didn't matter, but staying for a long time would be no small burden. Moreover, the surrounding space was completely illuminated red by the magma.
'Is it because of the environment here?'
And at that moment, two more people stepped out from the Gap. Yakumo Yukari frowned and stepped back, while Ibaraki Kasen was completely indifferent to the flames here.
Although she looked like an ordinary girl and even seemed slightly weak, in terms of pure physical combat—excluding technique and weapons—Lancer would probably be pinned to the ground and rubbed by her. With her physical strength, the temperature here would at most make her feel uncomfortable, but that was all.
"Where in Mount Fuji is this?"
Ibaraki Kasen couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. After all, the scalding magma was right next to them; this was clearly not a place one could reach at will.
"A platform inside the crater. Some youkai living near here sometimes come here. I also learned of this location by chance. Youkai have already started searching the periphery. Ordinary youkai don't have the ability to come in here. Next, I will stay here to search, so Lancer, I'm afraid that for the next period of time, you'll have to yourself..."
"Wait, I'll stay too."
The reason Yakumo Yukari said that only she could be relied on here was because finding a "Phoenix perhaps hiding in an alternate dimension" was not something just anyone had the strength to do.
Yakumo Yukari own ability, "Gap," could open apertures in space; naturally, it was suited for searching for possible existing alternate spaces.
And Yakumo Yukari didn't know Lancer had such an ability. Even that strange "teleportation" ability—even though Lancer had never explained it—she guessed that the teleportation should be related to that wand she saw Lancer take out every time.
However, Lancer himself felt that maybe he could give it a try.
He himself didn't have any space-related abilities, but Lancer possessed an "advantage" that others didn't——luck.
Under normal circumstances, wanting to find the thing one hopes to find without any clues indeed requires luck far exceeding that of a normal person. This is generally something only an "Emperor of Europe" (a lucky person) can do. But what if one looks at it from another angle?
In a place where a powerful enemy might reside, what is the probability of Lancer encountering such a powerful enemy with his luck?
Although there was no evidence to prove the feasibility of Lancer plan, he did not intend to give up. Whether it was effective or not, he would at least try first.