"Zekka-chan, are you alright!?" Penemue's voice sounded full of concern as she hurried toward her student.
Zekka scratched his cheek while laughing awkwardly. "Hahaha… well, you could say so. Thanks to that guy." He glanced toward Jun. "If he hadn't been there, I probably would've run out of energy. That place was really empty, there wasn't anything Tensei could absorb."
Penemue let out a relieved sigh. "I see… thank goodness."
Then her gaze shifted to the girl sitting silently in the corner of the dojo.
"And you…" Penemue's eyes sharpened, though not with the intent to judge. "You must be Rina Sasaki."
Rina nodded slowly. Her shoulders tensed a little, a reflex born from long habit—as if every adult who looked at her would immediately decide her worth.
"Hm…" Penemue observed Rina longer than necessary. Not only her physical body, but also the flow of energy around her, the faint cracks in her mental state and spirit.
Jun stepped a little closer and whispered near Penemue's ear, quietly enough that Zekka and Rina wouldn't hear.
"She's a broken home kid," Jun said briefly. "If she's left alone like this, it's dangerous. Not just for others, but for herself."
Penemue went silent. She had been in this world long enough to recognize patterns like that.
"So that's how it is…" she murmured. "I don't fully know what's been happening in the Sasaki clan lately. But from the reports I've heard, it seems they've gone too far."
She turned to Jun. "Do you want me to file a legal claim with the Grigori? Or directly pressure the clan?"
Jun shook his head slightly. "No. This isn't just about Rina."
Penemue frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jun gestured for them to move a little farther away. Penemue complied, following Jun a few steps toward the side of the dojo, far enough from Zekka and Rina.
Jun lowered his voice.
"The real problem… is her Sacred Gear."
Penemue immediately became alert. "Exodus Chariot?"
"Yes," Jun replied. "And that's what worries me."
"What do you mean?" Penemue looked at him sharply.
Jun folded his arms, his expression still flat, though his tone turned slightly more serious.
"It's not just some ordinary Sacred Gear. Its foundation… is most likely based on a very famous artifact."
"Say it clearly," Penemue urged.
Jun let out a small sigh. "Honestly… he's a major figure in mythology from the holy scriptures."
He looked straight into Penemue's eyes.
"It's Moses."
Penemue fell silent for quite a while.
Her usually calm expression froze, as if her mind needed extra time to process Jun's words.
"…What?" she said softly, almost like a mutter.
Jun nodded casually, as if he had just talked about something trivial. "Yeah. That's what I'm thinking. Seeing how she can cut through space directly—even while her mental state is still unstable—the probability is pretty high. A Sacred Gear like that doesn't appear without reason."
Penemue drew in a breath, then crossed her arms. "Hmm… if that's true, Azazel will definitely be very interested. High-class artifact–based Sacred Gears like that are usually secured immediately."
"Secured?" Jun narrowed his eyes. "Or hidden?"
"That's one of the options," Penemue replied honestly.
Jun turned sharply toward her. "What do you mean? I'm trying to find a solution for that unstable girl so she can control her power. We don't want another case of a Sacred Gear user losing control and rampaging, do we?"
His tone didn't rise, but the weight behind his words was enough to make Penemue fall silent.
Penemue stared at Jun for a long time.
The way he spoke. The way he thought. His familiarity with Grigori's internal terminology.
All of it felt… far too natural.
"I'll be honest," Penemue finally said. "This still feels strange to me. You speak as if you've known us for a long time. Who exactly… are you?"
Jun let out a long sigh, then rubbed the back of his neck.
"Haaah… so Azazel didn't tell his subordinates anything, huh."
He looked straight at Penemue.
"I am known by the name Cheon Ma."
Silence fell instantly.
The air around them seemed to harden.
"Hm—"
Penemue froze for a moment, then her eyes widened drastically.
"WHAT!?"
"Psst." Jun raised a finger to his lips. "Calm down. This isn't something kids like them need to be involved in. You can handle this without panicking, right?"
Penemue swallowed. Her expression turned serious. "So… it really is you…"
"Yes," Jun replied briefly. "But just focus on this matter."
Penemue nodded quickly, trying to steady her own thoughts. "Alright. I can handle it. But I'll need to contact Azazel first."
"No," Jun cut in at once. "Not now. I'm sure he's busy training the Gremory nobles. It's better if he stays focused on his diplomatic duties for the time being."
Penemue paused, then nodded slowly. "…Ah, yes. You're right."
She took a deep breath. "I'll handle this from the administrative and supervision side. As for the Sasaki clan and the Onmyoji movements… I'll make sure no one acts recklessly."
"Good," Jun replied. "That's enough."
A few moments later, after their business was considered settled, Jun was about to leave.
He turned, walking away from the dojo.
But his steps stopped.
"Hey."
Jun looked back.
Rina was standing behind him, both hands gripping the hem of her clothes. Her face was slightly lowered, but her gaze was far calmer than before.
"…Thank you," she said softly.
Jun looked at her for a moment, then nodded lightly. "Yeah. I hope you can have a better life."
Rina hesitated, then took a breath.
"Uh… before that."
"Hm?"
"May I ask another favor?"
Jun let out a small sigh. "About what?"
"A group of Onmyoji has been targeting me lately," Rina said honestly. "The Sasaki clan isn't supporting me anymore. So…" She looked straight at Jun. "May I stay at your place?"
Jun fell silent.
He glanced at Penemue without saying anything.
Penemue shook her head slightly—clearly offering a place that was safer and more official.
But Rina didn't look at Penemue at all.
Her eyes remained fixed on Jun.
"My place is small, you know," Jun finally said. "You don't mind?"
"Hm, it's fine."
"And it's far from the city. Around fifty kilometers. In the middle of the forest."
"That's better," Rina answered quickly. "I'm more comfortable in quiet places."
Jun narrowed his eyes. "I'm still single."
Rina blinked, then replied innocently, "You're a good person, right?"
Jun let out a long sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly.
"…Haah. Alright."
He gave a small nod.
"You can stay at my place."
Rina's face brightened a little—not with a wide smile, but with a relieved expression she could hardly hide.
...
After saying goodbye to Zekka and Penemue, Jun and Rina left the dojo that had now grown quiet again. Evening was falling, orange light slipping between the trees as they walked away from the settlement toward a forest path rarely traveled by people.
There was no long conversation between them.
Only the sound of footsteps on the ground, leaves being stepped on, and the soft breeze of the late afternoon drifting by.
Rina walked slightly behind Jun, her eyes occasionally sweeping the surroundings. This forest felt different—not dangerous, but too… silent. As if the nature around them was holding its breath.
After walking for quite some time, Jun suddenly stopped.
Rina almost bumped into him.
"Eh—?"
"Hold my hand," Jun said briefly without turning around.
Rina blinked, then looked at Jun's outstretched hand. There was no hesitation on her face. She firmly took it.
The moment their fingers touched, Rina felt a strange sensation—like a soft pressure wrapping around her body, followed by a brief chill that quickly faded.
The next step—
The world around them changed.
The forest that had been dense earlier seemed to fold away, like curtains being drawn aside. The air vibrated faintly, and after a few more steps, a new scenery unfolded before them.
A small wooden cabin stood in the middle of an open clearing, surrounded by a low fence and a neatly arranged garden. Herbs, vegetables, and several flowers Rina didn't recognize grew beautifully, as if they were cared for with great attention. Thin smoke rose from a small chimney on the roof, a sign that the place was truly inhabited.
The forest around it felt… distant.
Separate.
"This is where I live," Jun said as he released Rina's hand. "How is it? Small, right?"
Rina looked around, her eyes widening slightly.
"Mm…" She nodded softly. "Small… but somehow this place feels very peaceful."
Jun glanced at her briefly.
'That's because this place is layered with divine-level protection,' he thought. 'Not just anyone—or anything—can enter here without my permission.'
He himself rarely brought anyone inside this barrier.
Almost never.
But for some reason, if he didn't do it today… there was a strange feeling telling him he would regret it.
Jun walked ahead toward the cabin door and opened it with a faint wooden creak. The inside was simple yet tidy—a wooden table, bookshelves filled with notes and strange objects, a small kitchen, and two bedrooms separated by a thin partition.
Rina stepped inside carefully, as if afraid to disturb the tranquility of the place.
"This place…" she murmured softly. "It feels like… a home."
Jun went silent for a moment, then closed the door behind them.
"Just think of it that way," he finally said. "You can stay here until everything is settled. No one will bother you."
Rina turned to him, her expression hard to read.
"…Thank you," she said again, this time softer, more sincere.
Jun simply nodded.