Late at night, deep in the park.
As Enigma led the silver-haired girl with vacant eyes into the woods, rustling footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
Hearing this, Enigma paused mid-step and slowly turned to see a petite figure.
The figure stood barely over 150cm, with wheat-colored hair in twin tails, pale skin, and a high nose bridge - resembling a mixed-race appearance.
Most strikingly, the girl possessed heterochromatic purple and blue eyes.
Observing this undisguised girl who had appeared behind her, Enigma slightly raised an eyebrow.
At the same moment, the girl examined the small figure following Enigma and exclaimed in surprise:
"Silver hair and sky-blue eyes - she does appear to be of Aldegia's royal bloodline~"
While the girl expressed amazement, Enigma smiled:
"Olivia?"
"That's me." The disguised Kotoko Iwanaga nodded with a smile before giving a slight bow. "Might I ask which member of the Hell Sect you are?"
Enigma replied with a smile:
"Greed."
"Ah, Lady Greed! What an honour. I hadn't expected your presence at this impromptu meeting."
Kotoko immediately heightened her vigilance internally.
She was well acquainted with the Hell Sect executive codenamed Greed, fully aware of what a dangerous individual stood before her.
Precisely because she understood this, her guard was up:
"But if I recall correctly, wasn't it Lady Jealousy who allied with our society?"
Just then, a reply came from the treetops:
"Greed provided the summoning medium. That's why she's present here."
Hearing the voice, Kotoko Iwanaga looked up and immediately spotted a spider the size of a millstone perched on the branch.
The creature's limbs were pitch-black, its back a crimson red, and upon that scarlet carapace grew three eyes that seemed painted on.
At the sight, Kotoko's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
As the Princess of Yokai and a walking encyclopaedia of supernatural beings, Kotoko instantly recognised the entity's true form.
The Three-Eyed Hell Spider - a special breed of yokai that dwells in the liminal space between the worlds of the living and dead, feeding on souls and emotions.
Judging by its Demon Power, this was undoubtedly a Great Yokai.
Such a monster...couldn't possibly be unknown.
Thus, Kotoko Iwanaga immediately matched the figure she'd heard about from yokai rumours to the being before her.
The true form of the Three-Eyed Goddess enshrined in multiple shrines across Edo, infamous for manipulating the Spirit Bodies of girls who died with resentment and making curses come true.
A wicked heretic who stole worship despite being a yokai.
As Kotoko's mind raced, the Three-Eyed Spider slowly descended from the tree, looking down from mid-air as she spoke:
"Still not planning to show yourself?"
At her words, a square-jawed man with a full beard, a scar over his right eye, dressed in a black kimono like a yakuza, emerged slowly from behind a large tree. Staring at the Three-Eyed Spider, he said:
"To think the Three-Eyed Goddess haunting Edo would be none other than Hell Sect's Lady Jealousy..."
"Now that's truly surprising."
Kotoko's eyes narrowed upon seeing the newcomer - she recognised him.
Gokuro Seto.
A member of the Seto Group, the fish yokai organisation of the Seto Inland Sea. Younger brother of the current leader. A madman who attempted to devour his own kin's bloodline to transform from mermaid to dragon, only to be discovered and severely wounded by the leader. He escaped execution and fled the Seto Group.
That such a ruthless kinslayer was actually a Phenex Society executive?
No - precisely because he was a Phenex Society executive, he'd managed to escape after his failed kin-slaying.
After all, the Phenex Society was quite capable in terms of medicinal treatments.
Following Gokuro's appearance, a hoarse elderly voice rang out:
"A traitor to the mermaid clan... How amusing. Even one of those legendary flesh-granting-immortality mermaids craves the phoenix's power. Heh, how interesting."
Kotoko turned towards the voice's origin.
There stood an old man with white hair and a goatee, leaning on a cane as he shuffled forward slowly.
Before Kotoko could react, Gokuro scoffed:
"Well, if it isn't you, old man..."
"Honorary Chairman of the Phoenix Martial Alliance - Li the Heart-Piercer!"
"How fascinating that an official like you is also in the Phenex Society."
Kotoko found herself nodding at this. She studied the old man thoughtfully:
Li Jianlin the Heart-Piercer. Twenty years ago, this martial arts master was active in Western nations. Alongside Ma Jianxing, Supreme Chairman of the Phoenix Martial Alliance, he swept through numerous martial sects across Jiangnan. Officially recognised as a 7th Dan martial artist with the Azure Dragon rank.
'Such a person is in the Phenex Society, too? Could he be an infiltrator like me?'
"Youngsters these days lack manners."
Li Jianlin chuckled at Gokuro, unfazed by the provocation. His gaze shifted to the silver-haired girl. After a glance, he remarked:
"So this is the lost royal bloodline of Aldegia? Her eyes show no presence whatsoever - is she being controlled?"
Enigma didn't respond, merely glancing at the Three-Eyed Spider beside her.
The three eyes on the spider's back rotated slightly before she spoke gravely:
"Bishop Ryan, who contacted me, seems absent?"
"Moreover, your organisation's president also appears to be missing?"
"Ahem!"
Kotoko Iwanaga cleared her throat and then spoke without hesitation:
"The president contacted me earlier, authorising me to fully represent her in this operation."
"As for Bishop Ryan."
"I executed him for leaking the Phenex Society's high-ranking member list to the Japanese authorities."
At these words, Li Jianlin's eyebrow twitched, his expression instantly turning displeased:
"A mole? And they let someone like that become the head of Japan's operations? That's just dishonourable."
He usually oversaw the Phenex Society's development in China, never expecting that the Japanese bishop responsible for the ritual site would prove a traitor.
With this mess, not only was his own identity exposed, making a safe return impossible, but his disciples across the sea would likely suffer too. Truly dishonourable!
As a wanted man, Gokuro Seto naturally didn't care about exposure, but he lamented Ryan's sacrifice:
"Ryan was executed? What a waste of the phoenix blood in him."
Seeing their indifference towards their comrade, Kotoko Iwanaga calmly turned to the Three-Eyed Spider:
"Although I intervened before Ryan could complete his betrayal, there's no guarantee the authorities haven't learned about the Flame Demon summoning ritual."
The Three-Eyed Spider then asked eerily:
"What does your president propose?"
Hearing this, Kotoko Iwanaga paused briefly before replying:
"Move the plan forward."
"When?"
"Tomorrow night, at midnight! I'll provide the people, you provide the power."
"Agreed!"
In this rapid exchange, Kotoko Iwanaga gave the Three-Eyed Spider a deep look before reaching a consensus and beginning detailed arrangements.