The phone rang, jolting Ryota Fuji—head of the Red Guild—from a dead sleep at his desk. He scrambled to pick it up.
The call was from the Akai City Police Anti-Demon Division, asking if he could get some exorcists ready. It was 5:15 in the morning.
Like hell I can get anyone ready at this hour. Besides, ever since The Matz-Carlton collapsed yesterday, it’s just been one thing after another. There’s a demonic presence all over the city, so all the Red Guild’s standby members are already deployed.
Our strongest exorcist, Hakuya, isn’t picking up. What about that kid? Ikaku Akamuro… Nah, sending an unlicensed punk on a police request is dicey. It’d be a huge liability for us.
“How many do you need? And what are we up against?”
“Less ‘on a rampage’ and more ‘might be there.’ We got an anonymous tip that a massive fight is probably going down at Beniyama Grand Shrine, and we should check it out.”
“An anonymous tip? What the hell is that?”
Fuji’s brow furrowed in suspicion.
On his desk, his smartphone buzzed. The name Mika Fuji flashed on the screen.
While still on the line with the police, Fuji opened his phone.
Mika Fuji: I think the police are about to call you.
Mika Fuji: It was my tip. Ikaku Akamuro finally stormed the headquarters of the Hidden Flame. I think a lot of people are dead. Ikaku might be dead, too.
Mika Fuji: If Ikaku failed, there might be a Category 5 Demon there, so be careful. If you go, you should probably wait until it’s over.
“Ahhh…”
Fuji stared at his phone, making vague, meaningless noises to stall for time.
After a moment’s thought, he replied, “Let me check on something. Hold on.”
He pressed the hold button.
Ikaku Akamuro… the name of the most exciting, most impressive young man currently burning a hole in Fuji’s brain.
Why is she telling me after the fact? This kid… honestly. What the hell is this “stormed the headquarters of the Hidden Flame” crap?
But if I get too mad, she’ll stop messaging me, so I can’t even chew her out properly.
After agonizing for a moment, Fuji texted back, pressing his daughter for details on her communications with Ikaku Akamuro.
The result made the lines in his forehead deepen. Her answer was far more insane than he had imagined.
Hacking their comms…? Supporting the fight…?
Grasping the situation, Fuji put his head in his hands.
Then, as if just remembering, he picked up the phone he’d put on hold.
“I’m sending one man over,” he said.