Chapter 22 - Himejima & Nakiri

"Ojii-sama, it has been a long time." Shuri said, appearing in the backyard of the Himejima Clan's estate. Suou, the current head of the clan and Shuri's uncle, was sitting on the veranda.

"You…" Suou was stunned, unable to believe his eyes. His niece, whom he thought was dead, suddenly stood before him.

When she was just a child, he had loved her and cared for her like his own daughter, especially since she was very talented and had been announced as the next heir. But then this foolish girl fell in love with a fallen angel, and he had no choice but to banish her from the clan when she chose to bear his child.

"Ojii-sama." Akeno said, appearing beside Shuri. She bowed slightly with a cold smile. She had met him before, and he had treated her like trash because she was the child of a fallen angel.

Then, another girl appeared behind them both—it was Siris.

"Why are you two here?" Suou asked, frowning. Why would they, who had been trying to hide from the clan, suddenly appear?

"We're here to take Suzaku away." Shuri answered with a smile, without any hesitation. Although he had once doted on her, he had banished her and left her with nothing. She felt a slight hatred for him.

"For what?"

"Fufufu. We want the Vermillion Bird, Ojii-sama." Akeno answered with a chuckle.

"Hmph. Cursed child, how dare you talk big in front of me?" Suou snorted, waving his hand to send energy towards Akeno to punish her. But he was stunned when the energy disappeared before it could even touch her clothes.

"Ara~ Ojii-sama, you can't attack Akeno like that." Shuri said with cold eyes. Somehow, Suou felt threatened when he met her gaze.

"You three better leave before I call the others. This is my last mercy." Suou said, closing his eyes. To him, Shuri and Akeno were no longer part of the Himejima Clan. Their presence here was a brazen intrusion, and they had even brought along a stranger.

"I'm sorry, but we won't leave without Suzaku ane-sama." Akeno replied with a smile. She wasn't afraid of this senile old man.

"Hmph." Suou snorted, activating his power. He hurled spiritual flames at Akeno, intending to purify her with a fire that could burn evil creatures to death.

"Fufufu. What a cruel old man." Akeno giggled, creating a barrier to protect herself, her mother, and Siris. Then, eight black wings unfurled behind her.

"You... How could it be?!" Suou shouted in disbelief. He could feel that Akeno's power had suddenly matched his own. This was bad. He was the strongest in the Himejima Clan. If he lost or died, the clan's prestige would plummet.

"Members of Himejima! Attack the intruders!" Suou shouted, summoning the clan members. As soon as he called, several figures appeared behind him, launching attacks without hesitation.

"Haa!" Siris leaped in front of Akeno and Shuri, acting as the vanguard. She summoned her Sacred Gear, known as the Sword of Gathering Clouds of Heaven. Its true name was Ame-no-Murakumo.

The sword was a perfect replica of the real Ame-no-Murakumo, but it was currently better because the real one had been broken into several pieces. It possessed the power to slice apart any magic and spells.

Siris moved swiftly towards the clan members, using the back of her blade to knock them out without causing any fatalities. Shuri and Akeno had instructed her not to kill unless her life was in danger.

"Ojii-sama, I'll ask once more. Will you give Suzaku to us?" Shuri's eyes were cold, showing her resolve. If he refused, she wouldn't hesitate to attack him.

"Hmph. Just come at me, both of you." Suou snorted. Even if Akeno was as strong as him, he believed his experience would give him the edge. He also sensed that Shuri wasn't as strong as Akeno, making him confident he could handle them both.

"Come out." Shuri muttered, activating her Sacred Gear. Behind her, a large flaming bird silhouette appeared.

"Phoenix?" Suou frowned, realizing Shuri had gained new power since her disappearance. She had failed to become the host of the Vermillion Bird but had succeeded in becoming the wielder of the Phoenix.

This was her Sacred Gear called Burning Soul, containing the soul of a Phoenix found by the God of the Bible. In this world, multiple Phoenixes existed, and the ancestor of the Phenex Clan was originally a Phoenix. This particular Phoenix had roamed around and eventually ended up in the Underworld. After being exposed to Devil Energy for a long time, it transformed into a devil and became known as Phenex.

"Even if you have gained new power, you cannot defeat me." Suou declared, summoning his own power.

"Hmm~" Suddenly, Shuri let out a slight moan, feeling a change within herself. She sensed her power surge, likely brought about by Ryuuga's use of a Master Card on her to enhance her abilities. She might now be on par with Akeno.

"Akeno, let's combine our powers to defeat him." Shuri said to her daughter, understanding that their chances of victory would increase if they worked together.

"Okay, okaa-sama." Akeno agreed, summoning her Holy Lightning in readiness.

"Hmph." Suou snorted, conjuring several fire avatars behind him, showcasing his mastery over spiritual flames.

With a series of hand seals, Suou directed the fire avatars to charge at Akeno and Shuri.

The flaming Phoenix surged forward, engulfing the fire avatars in a blaze of holy fire. Akeno's Holy Lightning crackled around it, amplifying its destructive power. The combined assault tore through Suou's defenses, leaving him staggered and vulnerable.

With a coordinated effort, Akeno and Shuri pressed their advantage, launching another volley of attacks at Suou. His flames flickered and waned under the onslaught, unable to withstand the combined might of mother and daughter.

"Grhhh!" Suou gritted his teeth, his resolve faltering as he struggled to hold his ground. He knew he was outmatched, his opponents wielding powers beyond his comprehension.

But just as Akeno and Shuri prepared to deliver the final blow, a voice echoed through the battlefield, cutting through the chaos.

"Obaa-sama, Akeno-chan, please stop!" From inside the house, a teenage girl emerged, shouting anxiously at the mother and daughter.

With a striking resemblance to both Akeno and Shuri, this girl was none other than Himejima Suzaku, Akeno's cousin.

"Suzaku ane-sama, it's good to see you again. I've missed you so much." Akeno said, her smile genuine as she laid eyes on Suzaku. The bond between them was strong. Suzaku was the only one in the clan Akeno didn't harbor resentment toward.

"I miss you too, Akeno-chan. But, why are you doing this?" Suzaku's troubled expression revealed her inner conflict. She found herself torn between loyalty to the clan and her affection for her sister and aunt.

"Ane-sama, we're from Exodus. We came here to punish the clan because they followed the gods." Akeno answered with a smile, offering a rationale she conjured on a whim.

After all, the name Exodus had spread widely in the supernatural world. Their mission was clear: to target supernatural forces and advocate for humanity's dominance in the food chain.

The excuse Akeno provided stemmed from the fact that the Himejima Clan, though human, had aligned themselves with the Shinto Gods, which could be perceived as a betrayal of humanity.

"Suzaku-chan, you've grown into a fine woman." Shuri remarked to Suzaku, her eyes filled with nostalgia from their last encounter when Suzaku was just a young girl.

"Obaa-sama, can you both stop this?" Suzaku pleaded, casting a glance at Suou, who was now vomiting blood.

"Hmph. Don't listen to those heretics, Suzaku. Kill them!" Suou commanded, glaring at the mother-daughter duo with seething hatred, devoid of any familial affection.

"How about this, ane-sama? We came here to punish the Himejima Clan and take you with us. If you leave with us, we will spare the clan." Akeno proposed to Suzaku with a smile.

"This... Fine. I will follow you." Suzaku hesitated briefly before deciding to join them. She couldn't bear the thought of her clan being annihilated due to her own wrong decision.

"You! Suzaku, what are you doing?!" Suou exclaimed, stunned by Suzaku's unexpected agreement.

"I'm sorry, Oojii-sama. It's for the clan." Suzaku apologized to Suou with a wry smile. However, her eyes betrayed her resolve as she walked toward Akeno and Shuri.

"Yay! We'll be together from now on, Ane-sama." Akeno exclaimed with excitement, taking Suzaku's hand. Despite their recent conflict, Suzaku harbored no rejection toward Akeno.

After all, she was her beloved little sister, and Suzaku would do anything to protect her.

"Bye bye, Oojii-sama. Please sever any ties with the Shinto Gods, or we'll have to punish you again later." Akeno said with a smirk, glancing at Suou before the trio and Siris teleported away from the clan.

"Head, what should we do now? The Vermillion Bird has been taken…" A clan member approached Suou, visibly injured from the encounter with Siris.

"Grrr… Go away from my sight and search for their location now!" Suou groaned darkly, shouting at his subordinate. He struggled to stand and limped back inside the house.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Meanwhile, on the other side, Walburga, Sae, and Karlamine successfully infiltrated the Nakiri Clan using the device that hid their presence and aura created by Ryuuga.

"Umm… Is this really okay?" Sae hesitated, even though they had already entered. It was her first time entering someone's house without permission, and she felt deeply sinful.

"Shh! Don't speak too loud, Sae-chan. It's fun, isn't it? We're like ninjas!" Walburga chuckled, finding the situation thrilling. She felt that following Lavinia might not be a bad choice. It was exhilarating to engage in such activities.

"Um…" Sae couldn't quite comprehend what Walburga was thinking. It was as if she had a loose screw in her head.

"We've arrived." Karlamine announced as they reached a room. Although the door was closed, they knew it belonged to their target by the wooden plaque with the name engraved on it.

She opened the door slowly, and the three of them entered the room.

"Huh?" Nakiri Momiji was confused. Why did her door suddenly open and close by itself? Was it the wind? No, that couldn't be, as she had ensured the door was securely shut. A gust strong enough to do that wouldn't have entered the clan house.

"Ahh!" Momiji yelped in surprise as she saw three young girls suddenly appear before her, her heart nearly dropping to the ground.

"Shh!" Walburga raised a finger to her lips with a grin, and suddenly Momiji felt as though her voice couldn't escape.

"..."

"Are you calm now?" Karlamine asked, taking charge of the situation.

Unable to respond verbally, Momiji could only nod continuously. Then, Walburga removed the silencing spell.

"Who are you guys?" Momiji asked the three girls warily. She didn't know them and wondered how they had managed to enter her room.

"We're from Exodus. Have you heard of it?" Karlamine explained, a hint of pride in her voice.

"No…" Momiji shook her head. She had no knowledge of them. She rarely ventured out or received news from the outside world.

"Well, in simple terms, we aim to free humans from the slavery of gods and monsters." Karlamine explained somewhat dejectedly.

"Wow! What a noble mission!" Momiji applauded.

"But my clan is connected to the gods, you know? Why have you come here? You should leave before they discover you." Momiji cautioned. After all, their clans were blessed by Dojin, the Shinto God of Earth.