One Warning Only

The lock of the house turned, two of the family members had arrived. One of them was Asuka Tetsuya, the other was Shiba Tetsuya, her father. The man was quite tired because he had spent a long time in a cell and had not rested at all, so his daughter took him to the living room of his house, but by surprise, she found more people in it, the young woman was his mother, it was normal that she was at home, what was not normal was the other man who was there, he was another Shinto priest. The mother saw her husband and ran to him, indicating that she would take him to his room, so Asuka could talk to her guest, the girl accepted a little upset.

"All right, it's been a while since your last report"
"What have you managed to get?" Said the man in a deep and serious voice.

"I have managed to get close to Maria a lot, however, she is quite suspicious about her private life."
"She reveals almost nothing, neither where she lives nor where she works."
"She doesn't want people to find out about it for any reason"

"Have you been able to establish contact with Adelis?"

"No sir"
"As I said before, Maria keeps her private life very private"

"What about the target?"
"Is it possible that she could have achieved it?"

"...."
"...."
"I haven't confirmed it yet..."
"But personally I think the possibility is extremely high"
"She is also close friends with Haru, Inspector Yamamoto's granddaughter"
"This last one I can confirm completely"

The man was astonished to hear these words

"Oh my God"
"The probability that it is the real thing is really high"
"Tamamo-no-mae is really trying to get back into politics"
"And with a foreign force no less"
"This we would not have foreseen"
"She is covering her tracks very well so as not to be found yet her power in the government is not high"
"...."
"If only the cursed stone that contained her had not been broken in two this would not have happened"

The girl, listening to the man's laments, remained pensive, for she still could not really believe that the girl she had been talking to for several days could even be such a powerful and mysterious being.

"An evil goddess on earth"
"...."
"!!!!"
"There is still something else, another girl"
"She is also a kitsune, she is small and white, is almost always next to the other one"
"She seems to be the one who gives the orders"

"Another Kitsune, a assistant"
"Probably a common fox that Tamamo-no-mae gave her a part of his power"
"Her tasks are probably to help her master and to act as a decoy for demon hunters"
"Don't pay attention to her, she's just a distraction"
"...."
"...."
"We can't just sit around and do nothing"
"Urakaze gave her life trying to leave us a better future"
"As his descendants, we cannot let his sacrifice be in vain"
"We must act immediately as it is not yet a serious threat"
"It must be resealed again"

The man took out a small wooden box, it was packed with holy talismans, a demon would never be able to touch something like this. It was a little worn but it looked very important only because of the protective measures it had.

"What is this?" asked the girl.

"A mystical magnifying glass"
"It was given to us by the European Inquisition as a reward for Urakaze trying to hunt an entity like the evil goddess Tamamo-no-mae, which although she did not defeat it, the wounds she managed to inflict on it were what made the humans win"
"For your cooperation in the hunt, we were given this magnifying glass to help us better hunt the demons hidden among humans"
"With it, you will be able to distinguish humans from monsters, as well as to measure how strong they are"
"Take it, investigate better how powerful it is"
"If you see it capable of attacking and doing damage do not hesitate to do so"

"Sir, I am only one hunter"
"Urakaze faced her and lost"
"What chance of success can I have?"

"None"
"But the possibility of damaging an enemy is much more important"
"If you manage to damage it so that we have a chance in subsequent attacks you will have fulfilled your role well"
"You will be welcomed with open arms in the house of your ancestors" The man was honest and straightforward with her.

The girl was surprised to hear what the man had just said, but she also understood why he was doing it. The threat to Japan was enormous and there were very few people capable of facing an entity like a goddess. If her death could save the lives of several more people, it was a price she was willing to pay. Asuka took the box with the magnifying glass, accepting the duty that fell on her family.

The man left shortly after speaking. When her parents came downstairs, the girl explained to them what she was about to do. Both were saddened by the task their daughter had to accomplish, but at the same time gave her words of support, for her task was important for her to continue to exist tomorrow. During the night a ceremony was held to bless their daughter from the impending danger, of the approaching battle. Her father brought out the family weapons, the same katana that Urakaze had used to hunt the mighty beast, a bow and sacred arrows blessed for generations, and the armored clothing that every Onmyoji hunter received.

As part of her preparation, the girl was left alone inside the temple all night to meditate and prepare herself, for after all an important battle was approaching with each passing hour.

"Cold place for a young lady to spend the night"
"The task set before you is an impossible one to perform"
"Reject it before the consequences are greater than anyone could have imagined"

The girl, hearing another voice she did not know, took her family's katana and raised it against her unexpected guest. She was a snow-white girl, her hair short, her eyes red as fire. Her form of movement was dignified, she wore white clothes, and she looked like the manifestation of an angel, however, bruises were also seen along her body, a cast covered her hand, they were clearly brutal battle wounds, which was what the young hunter thought.

"Who are you?"
"How did you get to this place without anyone noticing?"

"Please don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you"
"My name is Stella, the details of my background are not necessary for you to know"
"You can take me as an important advisor to the demon hunters"
"I have come here today to inform you of the grave mistake you are making if you continue on the path you are on right now"

" Advisor?"
"You are a foreigner, aren't you? What do you know about the danger I face?"
"Do you work for Westerners or Arabs?"
"Your word carries no weight here"

"Let me warn you that you are about to make a big mistake by trying to pursue Tamamo-no-mae"
"Our relations with an important Allied faction of ours are too strained and the consequences of her being attacked will only make it worse"

"You expect me to let the existence of an evil goddess pass because you don't want to upset someone!?"

"The Goddess does not matter at all"
"Her companion is the true monster"
"One who does what he wants because nothing can stop him"
"Touch the Goddess, and this misfortune will fall upon you with impunity"

"Companion?"
"the white girl? The assistant?"
"What she can do"

"He is known as the Ultimate Predator"
"Beings more powerful than this goddess have tried to stop him before."
"However, it was not their names that went down in history, because the tales of their victories do not exist."
"For those who have seen his true fury were hunted down like animals and never saw the light again"

"If this beast is so powerful, why has no one ever heard of it before?"
"Why does no one know about it?"

"Because he is not a beast, he is a Ruler"
"A wise King who prefers anonymity, for he knows that powerful beings draw the attention of those undeserving of his throne"
"A beast that will fight until his last breath to defend his treasure"
"A being so powerful that the world in which you live is already his"
"There is nothing you can do against him, except try not to be his next prey"

The girl grew more and more fearful, with every word her visitor said she realized that she had made a mistake even though she had not done anything yet. She could not understand what level of warnings she was receiving, but they were all quite clear. Don't you dare disturb the monster lurking in the shadows. The young girl, trying to come to an agreement, spoke again.

"If it's so dangerous, why am I the one getting the warning?"
"If you tell my superiors this you wouldn't have had to talk to me in the first place."

"But they have already been warned and have disregarded it"
"By setting you as their innocent sacrifice to test the waters"
"To test the patience of a foe they underestimate"
"Ruin falls without fail to the Emperor's enemies"
"Urakaze has asked me to intercede for her to warn her family of the foolishness they will commit"
"The destiny of your family depends on the decisions that you take because you are already warned"

The girl wanted to ask one more question, but the figure in front of her quickly disappeared.

Asuka opened her eyes immediately, had she fallen asleep while meditating? Had the warning been a vision? She thought it had all been a bad dream, a product of the nerves that filled her body. But when she saw that the Katana, her family's important treasure, was unpacked near the door, a cold chill ran through her body. He stood up to take it and return it to its place, but next to the sword he also found a sheet of paper. What must have been an amulet bore the same clear warning.

Ruin falls to the Emperor's enemies.