Chapter 31 – The Prison Beneath the Rain

A few days later, guided by Luisina’s information, the four of them made their way to Shizuku-hana.

It was a prefecture where the rain never ceased, where cold and humidity blended until every breath cut like a dagger in the chest.

From the shadows, the group observed a heavily guarded castle. There was no doubt—no one would protect something so fiercely unless it was of great importance.

“Want me to blow the whole place to pieces?” Lilith asked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Yura didn’t even respond, but Ren turned to her with a serious look.

“Of course not. We don’t know what’s inside… there could be innocents.”

The little demon pouted.

“You always take the fun out of life.”

Ren ignored her and looked back at Luisina.

“We need a distraction—something they can’t overlook.”

“Leave it to me.” Luisina gave a light bow, as if standing on a stage. “Flashy entrances are my specialty.”

“Good. Lilith, you’ll take care of the outside. If Luisina draws their attention, make sure no one escapes.”

“Hehe… you can count on that.” The demon cracked her knuckles with a wicked smile.

“I’ll head straight for the leader. You free the prisoners,” Yura suddenly declared, her tone almost commanding toward Ren.

The young man froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected to see that side of her. Without a doubt, she was growing by leaps and bounds.

Then, a memory hit him like a blizzard.

“Yura, you say?” Takao’s voice echoed.

“I always thought, if I had a daughter, I’d name her Yura.”

“Sounds like a fine name,” Takao replied with a smile, polishing his weapon.

“It will be. She’ll be a girl who surpasses me in every way. An oracle told me so.”

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

Ren blinked, snapping back to the present. He gazed at Yura’s determined face, and thought silently: Without a doubt, Yukino would be proud.

“…All right,” he said calmly. “I’ll take care of the prisoners.”

And with that, each of them set off in silence, vanishing into the icy mist of Shizuku-hana.

Luisina was the first to move. She stepped forward with elegant strides until she was fully exposed beneath the darkness—just as magical floodlights flared to life, casting her silhouette in a pale glow.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” she cried in a melodious voice, bowing in an exaggerated flourish. “Traitorous Yukis of our beloved homeland… the show is about to begin!”

The guards spun around at once, tense, weapons raised.

“Identify yourself and state your intentions!” one barked, trying to sound firm.

Luisina smirked boldly, tipping her top hat with a flick of the wrist.

“My intentions are simple…” Her eyes glimmered with delight. “Let the performance begin!”

A magic circle opened before her, scattering blue sparks across the rain-soaked ground. From within, a massive ice golem emerged, roaring like a spectral colossus.

“Sound the alarms!” the captain of the guard shouted, and the clang of bells shattered the calm of the rainy night.

From the main building, dozens of soldiers poured out, steel ringing against the drenched stone. Luisina stretched out her arms as if receiving an invisible ovation, reveling in every second of her macabre theater.

With a snap of her fingers, small creatures shaped like white rabbits sprang from the bushes. Their eyes glowed like burning coals, and in an instant, they leapt onto the guards. Panicked, the men began striking at themselves and one another, desperate to claw off the phantom beasts biting into their flesh.

Luisina spun on her heels, dancing in the rain as if upon a stage. Some soldiers tried to strike the ice golem, but every blow passed through its body—as real as it was false. The colossus marched forward, implacable, sowing terror with each heavy step.

As her final act, Luisina raised her arms and cast a curtain of illusions. Suddenly, the guards saw soldiers bearing Yukino’s emblem standing among their own ranks—traitors, infiltrators, enemies in disguise. Chaos exploded instantly; they turned on each other, locked in a senseless war.

When the last soldier collapsed, either unconscious or too exhausted to stand, Luisina bowed deeply, greeting an invisible audience.

“Thank you, thank you… you’ve been a wonderful crowd!” she said in her melodious voice.

From a distance, Lilith watched with her arms crossed, having not lifted a single finger.

“That girl’s got talent…” she muttered, unimpressed. “Maybe I’ll recruit her when I rebuild Umbra.”

Inside the fortress, Yura’s path was far bloodier. To her, these soldiers weren’t men—they were traitors to her nation. One after another they fell like insects, leaving only dark stains against the immaculate white of her kimono.

Before entering the main hall, she gave her katana a sharp flick, scattering the blood droplets from its blade.

“…I still have much to learn,” she whispered. “I can’t cauterize wounds with ice the way Ren can—yet.”

With a single slash, the massive steel doors split in two. Waiting beyond was the commander of the fortress, a towering man whose shock quickly gave way to outrage at her audacity.

“Who the hell are you, brat?” he spat.

Yura held his gaze, unwavering.

“I am Yura Aseina, heir of Yukihana. And I’ve come to punish you for your crimes against my people.”

The man barked a harsh laugh.

“This isn’t the Aseinas’ land anymore! It belongs to Shogun Shirogane now. You’re history.”

“That ends today.” Her voice was a razor of ice. “Draw your sword. At least die with honor.”

The man obeyed, without fear.

“Do you even know who I am? I am Sengoku, general of the western legions!”

But in the very next instant, his title no longer mattered. Yura’s strike was so swift he didn’t even perceive it.

“You talk too much for a general…” she murmured as the katana slid back toward its sheath.

With a sharp click, the blade locked in place.

“Silent Hanami.” Tack.

From the cut drifted pale white sakura petals, floating through the air before dissolving into nothing. Sengoku’s body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

“…You were right. This nation no longer belongs to the Aseina. It belongs to its people,” Yura whispered, wiping the blade of Sakuragiri before moving on.

Meanwhile, deep within the castle, Ren advanced calmly through the supply chambers.

“Alcohol… food… more alcohol…” he muttered under his breath, almost mockingly. “At least the sake hasn’t changed much in these lands.”

He stopped abruptly before a stack of crates in the corner. A strange blue glow seeped through the cracks of the wood. With a curious gesture, he lifted the lid.

“Well then, let’s see what’s behind door number one…”

Inside, the contents glimmered: fluorescent tubes filled with a strange liquid that pulsed faintly with energy. Ren instinctively removed his mask, needing to see it with his own eyes.

“…What the hell is this?” he whispered, lifting one of the cylinders. “Looks like… a power cell. Just like the ones you see in video games…”

A sound cut through his thoughts. A faint sob—high-pitched, fragile—seeping from a massive steel door at the end of the hall. Nearby, a guard snored peacefully, surrounded by empty bottles of sake.

Ren froze, listening closely.

The cry of a child.

“…Could it be…?”

His expression hardened instantly, almost to the point of pure hatred. A fleeting image of his sister Rin flashed in his mind like a blade through his chest.

Nothing enraged him more than cowards who used the weak for their experiments.