Following the contact with Yaga, the reply came: show up tonight.
The exact time was midnight.
The hour when the rest of the world falls into a deep slumber.
He said he would pick us up at a designated location.
So, I dropped a pin on Tokyo Tower.
"Master. It's time to wake up. I know you're exhausted, but could you please get out of bed?"
It had been a few hours since I closed my eyes.
Koyanskaya of Light—Assassin—gently coaxed me out of sleep.
'Whoa...'
The very second I opened my eyes, a pair of heavy, ample breasts filled my vision.
Assassin's smile came only after that.
It was truly fascinating.
A man really could be captivated by a woman's chest the instant he regained consciousness.
"Yeah. I'll get ready."
I rubbed my eyes and sat up to change. Thanks to Assassin having my clothes prepared, I didn't have to waste time rummaging through a wardrobe.
Trousers, a shirt, and a coat.
Even without magecraft, this was enough to keep the chill away.
"Who did we decide on for today's guard?"
"After a rigorous testing process, I was chosen. If I hadn't been, I wouldn't have even been allowed into your bedroom."
Assassin smiled as she smoothed out my collar.
She was reliable.
"I feel safe with you, Yaskaya. I trust everyone, of course, but you're the best when it comes to negotiations in a modern society."
"Thank you for the compliment. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations."
Assassin gave a bashful smile.
Back in the past, when she was our enemy, she had successfully established and managed a company called NFF Services.
NFF—the Nine Fox Foundation—was a private military corporation.
Its scale was massive, spanning casinos and arms factories.
Koyanskaya was the CEO of that empire. Though her raw combat power might have been trimmed down since her manifestation as a Servant, her experience and skill remained peerless.
"Now, shall we? Since this is a negotiation, the others will be following along in spirit form."
"Right. What about Tengen? Did they agree to meet?"
"Yes. Fortunately, it seems they were quite interested themselves. Their attitude was essentially that our arrival was a convenient resolution to an uncertain situation."
"You don't think they'd consider us a threat instead?"
"They likely judged that the reason to meet outweighed the danger. It means they sensed enough value in us to warrant taking a risk."
I understood. It was like buying a lottery ticket even when you're sure you won't win.
Once preparations were finished, we headed up to the rooftop. I stepped into Assassin's embrace. Holding me tight, she took to the sky without hesitation.
—My Lord. Ye heard, right? We're followin' right behind, so don't ye go getting startled.
—We've got your back. Rest easy.
—Master, if you're scared, you can always snuggle deeper into Big Sis's arms. Don't feel pressured, okay?
The individual voices of the Servants echoed in my mind through our mental link. It was a bit overwhelming, but immensely reassuring.
"Thanks, everyone."
I felt the bite of the autumn wind and whispered my gratitude. It certainly wasn't as cold as Korea. The summers here are miserably humid, but otherwise, the climate is quite bearable. This was the nature of Japan's four seasons.
Of course, it's the same for most countries, but... Korea is a special kind of hell. It's devastatingly hot in the summer and lethally cold in the winter. The weather swings between those two extremes.
"Master. We're descending. I see the car."
After soaring through the dark sky and soaring past the glittering forest of skyscrapers, time seemed to have vanished. Assassin glided down toward the ground.
"You've arrived."
Immediately after we touched down on a deserted road, Yaga stepped out from a parked car.
I untangled myself from Assassin's arms and bowed my head slightly. Politeness mattered.
"Yes. Good evening."
"Let's move. Normally, Lord Tengen does not concern themselves with the mundane world, but..."
"I had a feeling we would be an exception. The two of us will sit in the back. It's a bit forward of us, but we'd like to ride together."
"Suit yourself."
Yaga nodded and climbed into the driver's seat. Assassin and I sat side by side in the back. The other three Servants in spirit form reported that they were 'sticking' to the roof of the car to wait.
The engine hummed. Amidst the darkness and silence, the car pulled away. The only light came from the intermittent streetlamps, the faint glow from distant buildings, and the sweep of our own headlights.
"Lord Tengen seems to already know a fair bit about you all."
As he drove, Yaga muttered while keeping his eyes on the road.
I knew. It was surprising, yet expected. Tengen's barriers spanned the entirety of Japan. If a massive disturbance occurred, they were bound to notice.
"Since when?"
"Since the woman beside you summoned that... bizarre pink tank with the grotesque spider legs."
"Ah, back then?"
I figured firing off a Noble Phantasm would be hard to miss. But it seemed they didn't know about the events inside the cave. That was likely because the cave was an Innate Domain—a space separate from physical reality.
"Yes, then. It's hard not to notice a garish meteor slamming into the earth."
"I suppose we were a bit excessive."
"In terms of scale, perhaps. But honestly? I think it was for the best. Lord Tengen likely feels the same."
"If we hadn't made such an impact, they would have probably been more wary, focusing only on our raw power, right?"
Yaga nodded silently. Fortunately, we were on the same page.
After driving for a long while, the car came to a stop in a secluded area. This was Tokyo Jujutsu High.
'We're actually here.'
Despite being in Tokyo, the scenery felt like a remote countryside. The air was thick with the scent of greenery. We began the slow ascent up the stone steps. My heart hammered with anticipation. When I sent Toji, we came in secret, but now we were entering through the front door, officially.
"The Tombs of the Star Corridor, where Lord Tengen resides... actually, there's no need to explain, is there? You probably know already."
After reaching the top of the stairs, Yaga asked as he walked along the stone path.
"To some extent. We don't know the exact internal layout."
I answered while looking straight ahead. He clearly didn't realize we had already infiltrated the place once before. This meant that using magecraft could indeed bypass even Tengen's senses.
"I see. So you don't know where the Tombs of the Star Corridor are hidden?"
"It's only natural not to find it. I heard there are a thousand entrances, including the decoys. How could we possibly search through them all?"
"True. Even for me, it is difficult to find... though there are exceptions."
"When Lord Tengen opens the way themselves, you mean?"
Yaga stopped before a door and nodded. On the outside, it was a perfectly ordinary door steeped in history.
"Master. I feel a slight distortion in space. There are jujutsu countermeasures in place."
Assassin leaned in and whispered. My attention was momentarily drawn to the exquisite curve of her chest as she moved. 'Get it together,' I thought. Calm down. You can't be distracted by breasts in someone else's house.
"Enter."
Yaga opened the door and led the way. Even though he'd opened a building door, what lay beyond was a forest. A dark forest, an open clearing, and a few storehouses. It was a scene that sparked vague memories from the manga. We crossed the woods and boarded an elevator that went deep underground.
We descended straight down and navigated a corridor that felt like a subterranean bunker.
"It's here."
Yaga stopped where a massive tree came into view. A colossal tree, and beneath it, countless traditional Japanese buildings huddled together. Finally, we had reached the entrance of the Tombs of the Star Corridor—a sight we hadn't seen even during our infiltration.
"From here, only you and your companions need to descend. I will wait here."
"You're not coming with us?"
"Lord Tengen did not grant permission for me to join the meeting. Even if they had, I have no business there."
No permission and no business. Fair enough to stay put then.
"Understood."
"Just follow this path straight down. Don't wander off; you'll reach them as long as you head in a straight line."
"Thank you."
After seeing him off, we headed down the path. It really was a straight line. Various buildings lined the surroundings, making the terrain seem complex, but the main route was singular. Thanks to that, we didn't lose our way and reached our goal: a cavernous opening at the base of the massive tree.
Inside was the true heart of the Tombs of the Star Corridor.
"Let's go in."
"Yes, Master."
I took Assassin's hand and stepped inside. The Servants in spirit form maintained their presence by speaking to me constantly. It was encouraging. Once inside, we found ourselves in a vast space. Just like in the manga, it was an endless expanse of white.
"Inviting a guest to such a white void... is it always like this? Or...?"
"This is merely the entrance."
Immediately after Assassin whispered that, someone appeared in the white space. A Japanese school uniform. A familiar face. It was Riko Amanai, exactly as she looked in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga.
"Lord Tengen?"
"It is a pleasure to meet you. It feels a bit awkward to be addressed with such honorifics by you, but I appreciate the respect nonetheless."
It was Riko Amanai—more accurately, it was Tengen, merged with Amanai, who offered the greeting.
"The pleasure is mine. You are much older than I am, after all."
"Ho ho, an elder? It's been quite some time since I've heard those words."
Tengen chuckled as they approached. Even though they were taller than I expected, they were still quite small.
"Indeed. Seeing you in person, the air feels pricklish. Even though you are deliberately suppressing your presence and aura, I can sense your magnitude."
Tengen's gaze shifted toward Assassin. It wasn't just an idle remark.
"Pleased to meet you, Tengen. I am Koyanskaya. I am the Master's personal secretary, but unfortunately, I have no business card to offer you."
"The honor is mine, to meet you face to face. It's enough to stir up human emotions I had long since forgotten."
The thought occurred to me: Tengen had once said they didn't understand human emotions anymore. I recalled a mention of the Third Magic, Heaven's Feel—the Materialization of the Soul. I remembered a line somewhere stating that if one were subjected to that magic, their emotions would fade. Was that from Apocrypha?
'Well, that's not quite right here.'
What Tengen meant was similar, but strictly different. Their emotions had simply eroded over their vast lifespan.
"Please, conduct this conversation with me instead of the Master."
"Understood. However, before we begin, I would ask that those who came with you show themselves. I know there is no ill intent."
Tengen smiled, arms crossed. They were remarkably composed, even knowing all the Servants were here.
"Forgive our rudeness. Everyone was just very worried."
"A natural precaution. Do not worry; I take no offense."
When I apologized politely, Tengen accepted it graciously. I liked that we were communicating well.
"Everyone, come out."
As soon as I gave the command, everyone materialized. The Foreigner, Shuten, and Ibuki. The three Servants stood in a line behind me.
"Oho. This truly is marvelous to see. You are not beings bound by the labels of Imaginary Vengeful Spirits or Special Grade Curses. You possess true substance."
Tengen muttered as they studied their faces. They looked genuinely astonished.
"We are on an entirely different level than Cursed Spirits. Our rank is different, of course, but it would be more accurate to say we are a different species entirely."
"Indeed, I feel a profound sense of 'truth' from you. Had you harbored malice, the Tombs of the Star Corridor would have been crushed from above and vanished by now."
"Yes. But we have no malice, so please put your mind at ease. We also happen to need your help."
Assassin's eyes crinkled in a smile. It wasn't the smile of a beast, but a human smile intended to captivate.
"Ah. You mentioned you had business? Pray, speak."
Tengen gave a small nod. Perhaps because they had lived so long, they remained unfazed even after witnessing a smile that could make any woman swoon. Or was it because they were a woman themselves?
"Excellent. Let's get straight to the point then."
Assassin composed her expression and met Tengen's eyes. She was incredibly calm and serious.