After a long journey in the mountains, the train had finally reached Tokyo and stopped in the first station. Hajime climbed out with his suitcase and was immediately greeted by his parents. His mother, Aki Shirayama, wore an expensive white fur coat, her boots and long gloves both of a matching dark purple, her black ebony hair wrapped in a traditional Japanese bob cut, a small layer of bright face powder covered the first signs of wrinkles on her middle aged face, and her dark eyes filled with tears of relief that her son had arrived safely. She immediately ran and hugged him tightly, showering him with kisses.

"Hajime, my poor, poor boy, you finally made it home!" she cried with relief.

"I missed you too, mom," the youngster patted her back, smiling at the thought that his nightmare was over.

"Welcome back, son," his father said as he approached and firmly shook hands with him.

Takuma Shirayama was as tall as Hajime, but while his son was skinnier and gave off a frailer appearance, he was more muscular, a result of his gym routines in the past five years. He wore a beige Italian business suit which matched with his leather shoes and had a well-trimmed short mustache stretching above his short lips. Both of father and son had blond hair and blue eyes, a trait they had inherited from the late Tsugumi.

"How was the trip?" he asked.

"It was fine. I'm just happy I arrived in one piece," Hajime confessed, after which he embraced both his parents tighter than before, as if he would lose them in the same way he lost his dear grandmother.

Sayo witnessed their reunion in silence from the wagon's door. At least her partner would be somewhere safe for the time being. He needed to rest for the moment and she had to finish her own business in Tokyo.

"Oh right, before I forget..." Hajime broke the hug and turned back to the train. "Mom, dad, I want you to meet my friend, Sayo. We've escaped Sagakin together and she has accompanied me all the way here. It's awkward to say this, but... I probably wouldn't be alive without her help."

Aki gasped, but Takuma raised his eyebrow at that statement. They had heard in the news that Sagakin had disappeared off of the face of the Earth overnight, but there was no more information from any media source. First a series of gruesome murders happened, then the news of his own mother's disappearance, and now this. Perhaps Hajime and his new friend had some answers as to what was going on, but he would save the questions for later.

"I am honored to meet you, Mister and Mrs. Shirayama." Sayo did a polite bow. "I must confess that my ride with Hajime had been a dangerous one, but I am happy to have cooperated with him. Most of all, I am happy that we are both alive and here to have this chat with you."

"Oh dear, stop being so formal." Aki patted her shoulder with a genuine smile of gratefulness on her powdered face. "Any friend of Hajime's is a friend of ours!"

"Which reminds me!" Hajime intervened. "Mom, do you mind if Sayo spent a few weeks at our place?"

"None at all. I've already had the maids prepare the guest room, as promised last night."

"Let's go, I have brought the limousine," Takuma suggested.

"Huh? Takeshi isn't driving, dad?"

"No, he has had a leg injury and is currently in hospital. I didn't have time to hire a new driver."

As the four were about to leave, they soon found themselves confronted by a trio of men in black suits, each of them wearing sunglasses.

"Mister and Mrs. Shirayama, we are from the secret services," the one in the middle began, his voice deep and authoritative. "While we appreciate the fact that you want to spend time with your son, you must admit that something strange happened when Sagakin had disappeared. As such, we would like to take him and his friend in for a quick interrogation. It is a matter of urgency."

"Do the secret services have any form of shame?!" Takuma snapped at the agents. "Just look at them, these two youngsters have obviously been through a lot, and now you want to tire them some more?! I am positive that this interview can be postponed until tomorrow."

"Mister Shirayama, while we appreciate your concern for your son's well-being, he most likely holds information that could be vital in investigating that city's disappearance."

"And he will grant you that information... at our mansion, after dinner, a bath and a good night's sleep! I know this is urgent, but try to understand that we are all humans here."

"Sir, I'm afraid-"

"Who are you to question me? I am Takuma Shirayama, head of Shirayama Industries, and right now I am also a father who wants to take his son home. Shall I give your boss a call and tell him that you are trying to deny me this basic human right?"

"No, sir. You may go... but would the priestess mind joining us at the headquarters?"

"Actually, I would rather accompany them," Sayo firmly answered. "We will gladly answer any question of yours tomorrow morning."

With that said, the four of them left the train station and got into the family's limousine, which immediately took off.

On their way to the city outskirts, Sayo managed to convince them to drop her off at a Shinto temple, claiming that she had urgent shrine duties to deal with. After exchanging phone numbers with Hajime, the family drove off, leaving her alone in front of the old shrine. A calm breeze blew against her as she recalled her early years of serving at that temple. The priestess clasped her hands together in prayer and did a ritual bow, after which she picked up her travel bag, crossed the gate and climbed the stairs. Once she reached the top, she made sure to wash her hands and cleanse her mouth with the water of the fountain. Ahead was a path filled with decorative lanterns, which led to the main shrine building.

"I don't believe my eyes, it's Lady Sayo!" a priest exclaimed.

"It really is her!" another added, the two rushing to greet her. "Welcome back, Lady Sayo, have your travels reached their end at last?"

"I'm afraid not yet, but I might be looking towards my greatest battle so far," she confessed, catching the interest of the priests. "You are familiar with the news of Sagakin's disappearance, yes? I have seen firsthand what happened. It is the making of a daiyoukai."

"A... daiyoukai?!" the first man muttered, his face growing pale.

"As in a high-ranking demon or evil spirit?" the other added for clarification, both of them shocked by her solemn nod. "By the Gods, how are you going to deal with this evil?"

"This is not a mere ghost that I can exorcise with ritual prayers and ofudas. I will require any holy weapon you can provide me."

"Lady Sayo, I've known you since childhood and I am aware of how determined you are to purify the world of evil, but please, don't you think this might be too much for you, a single woman?" the first man worriedly asked.

"I appreciate your concern for my safety, but after witnessing the horrors that Sagakin has endured this past week, I cannot stand back and do nothing. However, if I succeed in this mission, I promise that my travels will end and I will settle down here." Sayo blinked as a realization suddenly hit her. "Where is the master?"

"We meant to tell you, he has fallen gravely ill. I fear he may not have much time left," the second priest explained.

"Take me to him, please."

As demanded, the two brought her to a small room which was lit only by candles, its walls, roof and ceiling made of old wood which stood the test of time. A TV screen and a computer were placed in the corner facing the West, while the one facing the East was decorated with small statues of gods. Resting on the bed, covered by two heavy pelts, was a bald old man with a long gray beard and mustache. His heavy breathing sounded more like gargles and his bloodshot eyes were fixated on the ceiling.

"Master Shin, I have come to see you," Sayo softly spoke as she took slow steps into the room, leaving the priests outside to pray.

"Ch-child, you've finally returned," the old man uttered as he turned to have a look at his visitor. "You're as beautiful as on the day you left..."

"Thank you." She sat by his side and took his hand in hers to keep it warm. "Please don't speak too much."

"How long has it been since you first left, Sayo?"

"Twenty years, master."

"And you haven't aged one bit. The Gods must have blessed you. Each of my apprentices, they've all grown up, some have left, some have stayed. I too have aged, and am not long for this world..."

"Don't say that, master!" She squeezed his hand. "You have to keep hope that you will overcome this!"

"I know when to be hopeful and when to face reality, child. I want you to know that I am proud of how all of you have grown up. This shrine that I am leaving behind will prosper in your capable hands."

"Shin-sama..." Sayo found herself tearing up. "Please, I am preparing to fight an evil unlike any we have ever faced, but I can't do it by myself, I need your guidance!"

"You no longer need me, I have passed on my full knowledge to each generation that came here. If you ever have any doubts, just pray and the answer will show itself," the old man said with a reassuring smile. "You know, I had always wondered why you had that beautiful flower smell upon you all the time."

The priestess gasped and stared at him with wide eyes. How could he feel it? That scent could only be picked up by the sharpest of noses.

"I also wondered how you had attained such high spiritual powers in our era of waning superstition, but now on my deathbed I can finally see why..." His eyes began to weaken and his breath slowed down. "I don't know how you got here, but I hope you will one day find peace..."

Shin closed his eyes, and with a peaceful smile his life was ended. Fighting back her tears, Sayo clasped her hands to pray for his departed soul. Later that afternoon she would aid the priests with the funeral and pack up the necessary items for the upcoming battle.

At the Haneda airport, Jack and Lori walked out of the first terminal, dragging their luggage behind. As they made their way out of the crowd of people who shuffled around and waited for their next flight, the couple could not help but argue.

"Are you completely out of your mind, Jack? You told him on the phone that you want nothing to do with this, why do you want to help him now?"

"Lori, listen, maybe he's right about us running away from our problems. What if he really needs our help? Maybe we'll stop that monster together and prevent what's happened to Sagakin from repeating somewhere else!"

"I know he's your friend and you don't want to let him down when he's at his lowest, I understand that's not something your grandma would've done, but think rationally about this! We could get killed if we stay here and help blondie!"

"And what if we rush back to safety in the US? If Hajime fails and those freaks manage to extend, how long will it be till Japan also disappears? Then what will stop them from coming to America as well?"

"I agree with you, but as I've said before: we're not superheroes, we're just two people, what chance do we stand against a cult of psycho killers?"

The traffic light changed from red to green and the two crossed the street and went into a park nearby. The redhead sat on a bench while her boyfriend pulled out his cell phone and said, "Yes, we're ordinary people, but so is Hajime if you take away his wealth and resources. I know your mind is telling you that we should run and hide, but my heart is telling me to stay and fight, which is the right thing to do."

"Our flight is taking off in seven hours. You can sort it out with blondie on the phone until then, but I for one insist we just forget about this and get the fuck away!"

Jack nodded and walked away to discuss with Hajime the potential idea of them collaborating once again to solve the case. Lori sighed as she watched him go. Sometimes the cowboy was just as stubborn as her when it came to helping close ones, in her opinion to a fault. He had already put his safety on the line once and almost got mentally scarred after infiltrating the demon-worshiping murder cult, what if worse would have awaited them if they remained? She recalled overhearing Hajime say something earlier that week about duels being one way to stop the killer. As preposterous as that sounded, she did have a deck, which she fetched out and browsed. It only had Fire cards, focused on the new Beat Jockey race. Her strategy was straightforward: summon small creatures which reduced the cost of bigger creatures, then attack with them all at once as early as possible. Bad Brand, her main finisher, also granted speed attacker to each of her creatures. But what if speed was not enough to bring down whatever foe they would face? Would she have to change her strategy into something more oriented towards the mid-game or just add cards to make the deck even faster? She considered the latter a solution as she began updating her deck with a few spare cards she kept in a red metallic case. The notion that a mere card game was the key to stopping a group of murderers still seemed preposterous.

"Lori! Lori!" a strange voice whispered her name.

Snapping back to reality, the girl hid her deck in her coat and put the case back in her luggage. Looking around, she saw that Jack was still at a safe distance, still discussing on the phone.

"Who's there?" she asked, getting up from the bench.

"Come closer!" the voice called from a nearby bush, unnerving her.

Although it was midday and they were not far from the airport, she felt anything but safe. Lori grabbed her baggage and slowly backed away, her eyes fixated on the whispering bush. She then noticed a shadow growing from behind, as if someone was approaching.

"Come to me, Lori!" the voice persisted, making her freeze in her steps.

The redhead gulped. Expecting the worst, she jumped around with her fists ready to fight... only to find that nobody was there. The afternoon sun had been making her shadow grow and gave her the impression that someone was behind. Maybe the stress and anger were starting to get to her, making her hear voices.

All of a sudden, an otherworldly shriek startled her as Demon Edo jumped from the tree near the bench, landing on her, the two of them rolling onto the grass and struggling to overpower each other. Little did the freak know that she took a self-defense course in martial arts, so she managed to kick him in the stomach with her knee, causing his grip on her arms to lessen. As soon as that happened, she swiftly punched him in the face and shoved him off of her. The winged one wiped the trail of blood falling from his nostrils and looked her in the eye.

"Keh, I didn't expect a comeback from such a frail woman."

"Wait a minute, I know you!" Lori exclaimed, a stunned expression on her face. "Are you the famous comedian Edo Kanda?" The winged one's response was a smile which revealed bloodstained fangs. "But that's impossible, you must be in your seventies by now and retired!"

Demon Edo laughed in her face, his breath reeking of fresh corpses. "Thanks to my master Shishima, I have put this identity behind me. Now I have been reborn, both young and with demonic powers. I have no regrets whatsoever, this new life is the best thing that happened to me!" The girl turned to run, but he quickly spread his wings and flew at her, grabbing her wrist tightly. "Where do you think you're going? You can run away all you want, but you will never escape what's to come!"

"Let go of me, you fucking creep!" the redhead shouted and punched him the face again, making him let go and back down.

It was clear that no matter what she did, there was no way she could physically hold him back for long. As such, perhaps the only solution was indeed the preposterous one.

"I challenge you to a duel!" Lori said as she took out her deck.

"Ho? That was unexpected, but I accept!" Demon Edo also fetched his own deck.

Much to the redhead's surprise, both of their decks started glowing, hers with a red aura and his with a blue one. She heard a strange sound and noticed that two dueling tables suddenly appeared deeper in the park. That was odd, those were not there a moment earlier. The two went to the tables and set up their cards, five blue rectangle shields appearing above them, much to her surprise. Lori had heard of so-called true duels, where supposedly creatures came to life. Apparently, both Hajime's and Jack's grandmothers had performed such feats in their youth, but she dismissed those stories as nonsense rumors.

"I summon Mypad, Start Dash." A blue humanoid wielding an iPad and sitting on a floating platform appeared by Demon Edo's side.

"I summon ChuChuris, First Squad." A red and white mouse with blue eyes, a pair of goggles on its head and a pair of roller blades on its feet appeared by Lori's side.

"I summon Shuff, Eureka and choose the number 2." A suited robot wielding a deck of cards appeared next to the blue humanoid. "Now your creatures which cost 2 mana can't attack or block until the start of my next turn and you also can't cast spells which cost 2 until the start of my next turn!"

"Like hell that will stop me! ChuChuris reduces his cost, so I summon Dachicco Churis by paying a single mana!" A red mouse donning large baggy pants, a pair of roller blades and a large headset on its ears appeared next to the other mouse, two bright flames burning, one on the top of its head and the other on the tip of its tail. "The next Beat Jockey I will summon costs 3 mana less. To that I will also add the effect of ChuChuris which reduces the cost of all of my Beat Jockeys by 1. Master Bad Action Dynamite, I summon Bad Brand reducing his cost by 2 for each Fire creature I have in the battle zone, meaning I will pay a single mana to summon him too!" A tall blue haired ape creature decked in a red armor decorated with gears appeared in the battle zone, riding a large skateboard. "Bad Brand gives speed attacker to all of my creatures, so it's time to attack! Go, Bad Brand, double break his shields! Dachicco Churis, break another shield!" Heeding her order, the two creatures skated their way towards the opponent and took down three of his shields by going through them. "I end my turn and destroy Dachicco Churis due to Bad Brand's effect." Lori concluded, the mouse wearing headphones disappearing in a small explosion of flames.

"Impressive, but I'm afraid it will take more than brainless bashing to deal with me!" Demon Edo replied. "I summon a second Shuff, Eureka and choose the number 7. I attack with my first Shuff and choose the number 2 again, break a shield!"

Lori wiped the sweat off of her forehead as she analyzed the situation. Now both of her creatures were incapacitated from attacking. If she wanted to bypass that pesky lockdown, she had to play creatures which had different costs, as to make it harder for her opponent to choose a number. Additionally, creature removal seemed like an option.

"Bad Action Dynamite, I summon G.W.D, Rumble Machine and force battle with one of your Shuffs, destroying him!" A dark orange race car on tank wheels which was being manned by a pink mouse appeared in the battle zone and ran over one of the two robots. "Whenever G.W.D wins a battle, I draw a card. I also summon Appo Churis." A white mouse donning blue gloves and a brown vest appeared, holding an apple with its tail. "G.W.D is a speed attacker, so I attack with him and force battle with the other Shuff, break another shield!" Lori said and the car rushed through the second robot and another one of the opponent's shields.

"Shield trigger, I summon Tempenche W, Reformed Speed. Choose and return one of your untapped creatures to your hand!"

"Bad Brand goes back. I end my turn and G.W.D is destroyed due to Bad Action Dynamite."

"What in tarnation is going on in here?!" asked Jack, who had just returned and stumbled on the scene of their duel.

"Jack, this motherfucker right here has something to do with that Shishima character you mentioned before! Stand back, he means trouble!" the redhead warned him.

"Yes, Jack, I would indeed stand back and not do any hasty movements if I were you," Demon Edo added with malicious glee. "After all, it would be a shame if something terrible were to happen to your girlfriend, wouldn't you agree?" The cowboy did not respond, he just remained in his place, prepared for anything. "Good boy. Now where were we? Oh yes, my move, I expand All For One, Machine of D." Their surroundings transformed into a blue laboratory with two test tubes and a floating wrench in the middle. "I end my turn and with All For One's effect I destroy Tempenche W and replace him with VV-8, Forbidden Machine." The floating wrench crashed the suited robot, its remains being sucked into one of the two test tubes, while a white cycloptic robot with motorcycle wheels for hands and feet appeared in the other tube. "With VV-8's effect I check the top five cards of my deck, take two in my hand and leave the rest on him as seals," the winged one concluded.

"ChuChuris reduces their cost by 1 and with Bad Action Dynamite I also reduce their cost by 2, so I summon two Dorgan Churis, each for 2 mana!" Two blue mice, each donning the skull of a dragon on their heads and its claws on their limbs, appeared by Lori's side. "They're both speed attackers and you have one shield left, so it's game over, you freak! There's no shield trigger that can save you now. ChuChuris, break his final shield!"

Demon Edo lowered his head as his final shield was shattered to pieces. Much to the surprise of the two youngsters, a sly smile rose on his face as he picked up the card he received and revealed it to his opponent. The dreaded reply followed:

"Shield trigger, I summon The Clock, Ragnarok and end your turn!"

Lori froze as she saw the blue haired humanoid with two golden clock limbs coming out of his chest appear and effectively freeze all of her creatures from attacking, putting a halt to her turn in that very moment.

"Foolish girl, you just had to tempt fate, didn't you? Well then, I can promise you that you will not get another turn!" Demon Edo threatened. "I summon Giga Speed, D2W2! He's a Water Command, so I take off a seal from VV-8. With his own effect, I return another seal to my hand and since I have a D2 Field in the battle zone, I also send Appo Churis back to your hand. Denjara Switch, I turn All For One upside down and use Giga Speed's effect again! I return the last seal into my hand and send ChuChuris back to your hand as well. Forbidden Mechanism – VV-8 is now unsealed and grants me an extra turn!" The test tube's glass was shattered, freeing the white cycloptic robot. "VV-8, triple break her shields! The Clock, break her final shield!"

Lori took cover as one by one, all of her shields were broken. Although the situation was desperate, there was still hope. As she picked the last card, she was quick to reveal it and say:

"Shield trigger, I summon Smapon and destroy all of your creatures with power 2000 or less!" A red and blue smartphone with a J symbol in its middle and an emoji face on its screen appeared, firing a red wave which destroyed Mypad. "Also, super shield trigger, Smapon won't allow me to lose the game or you to win the game this turn!"

"Oh, is that so? What a shame..." Demon Edo frowned for a moment, but then his mocking smile returned. "Now my extra turn begins! I summon another Giga Speed and with its effect I send both Dorgan Churis back into your hand. VV-8, todomeda!"

The white robot rushed at Lori and hit her with its wheels, throwing her in the air and having her crash into a tree. Shocked by this turn of events, Jack immediately rushed to her aid, but Demon Edo quickly flew at the defeated girl and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her in the air.

"No, let her go!" the cowboy demanded.

"Or what?" Demon Edo asked as he pierced the defenseless young man with his devilish glare. "Oh you two will be so much fun!"

Night had fallen by the time Sayo arrived at the Shirayama mansion in Tokyo's outskirts. Although it was a modern building erected atop a small hill, she could not help but think of the elegant and desolate manors depicted in horror novels. A small fountain with a Cupid statue was placed near the main entrance. The road lead right into the large garage where she saw three limousines which were being tended to but a hunched man in his early sixties. Before she could set foot on the stairs, the front door already opened and a tall man dressed in an elegant black and white suit greeted her.

"Good evening, miss. I am the family's butler, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Sayo nodded and climbed to the door.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? Shall I take your travel bag?"

"There is no need, thank you." The priestess was taken aback as she entered. The inside seemed even bigger than what the outside showed. Classical paintings and colorful rugs decorated the corridors, a large crystal chandelier was hung from the ceiling. "Do you happen to know about Hajime's whereabouts?"

"Master Hajime is in the dining room with his parents. They have been waiting for you to join them for supper. Please follow me, I will show you the way."

The butler guided her through the corridors until they ended up in a discreet room in which there were only a large table with ten chairs and a television set, thick black curtains covering the windows and another crystal chandelier acting as the light source. The Shirayamas all sat the table, discussing among themselves and waiting for the roasted chicken and mashed potatoes to cool.

"Sayo, you finally came!" Hajime happily exclaimed. He now wore a golden bathrobe, a pair of turquoise-colored pajamas underneath and also had a pair of plush slippers. "Sit down, we were just discussing what happened back at Sagakin."

"Of course, thank you." Sayo walked to them and took a seat next to the blond, the two of them facing his parents.

"You may leave, Tanaka," Aki instructed.

"As you wish, madam." The butler nodded and walked out of the room.

"My parents are now up to date. I had gotten to the part where you saved me from Shishima's clutches."

"I can't believe my baby boy was this close to death! Sayo, dear, how can I ever repay you for saving my child?" asked the mother as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

"I appreciate the gesture, Mrs Shirayama, but there is no need for a reward."

"Nonsense, there has to be something we can do to show you our gratitude!"

"Well..." The young girl gave the blond a quick look and smiled discreetly at him. "Maybe I will think of something in the future."

"Anyway, you said that grandma Tsugumi had disappeared and there was only a bloody message left on a wall in her home," Takuma resumed their earlier conversation. "Do you know what happened to her?"

Hajime and Sayo shared an uncomfortable look as they both tried to think of a way to convey the bad news. The room fell silent.

"So you do know something!" the man remarked. "Son, please tell me what happened to my mother."

"Dad, I am not sure how to best tell you this, can we please leave this for later?" the young one shyly asked.

"Did something happen to her?!" his father burst out, panic taking over his calm demeanor. "Son, I beg of you, be honest with me!"

Hajime sighed, a pained expression on his face, then he looked Takuma in the eyes and bluntly replied, "Grandma Tsugumi had been killed by the monsters who took over Sagakin." His parents remained speechless as they stared at him, taking everything in. "I have personally seen her mangled body before being chased by them."

"No, this can't be, it's impossible!" The father clenched his fist and punched the table, shaking the dishes and cutlery. "It must have been some kind of trick, maybe you saw someone else's corpse, there's no way my mother could have been killed!"

Aki placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder and asked, "Dear, do you believe Hajime would ever lie to us?"

"It can't be, not my mother, she was a strong woman, she always took care of herself, there's no way she could have allowed herself to be caught by those monsters!" Takuma cried in disbelief, tears swelling down his cheeks.

"I tried to be there for her, dad, and now I can't help but feel like I've failed her," Hajime confessed, unable to hold his own tears anymore. "She just, she just... she just wanted to protect us all. But in the end we couldn't protect her when she needed her the most!"

Sayo looked at them with regret in her brown eyes. She could not fathom how much misery Shishima had caused to a single family. Regardless of their social status, they were still very close and seemed to care for each other a lot. In those solemn moments, as she witnessed them mourn the late Tsugumi, she could not help but wonder if there was something she could do to help them through those trying times.

Suddenly, the priestess gasped. An evil presence was getting really close. There was no doubt as to who it was. She quickly fetched her gloves, picked the travel bag and ran out of the dining room.

"Sayo, what happened?" Hajime asked as he saw her leave. "Sayo, wait!" he shouted, getting up and following suit.

The lights inside the mansion began to flicker and the air grew heavier. Outside, the night sky had reddened. A strong feeling of dread assaulted Hajime, goosebumps appeared on his arms and back. The nightmare was resurfacing, but he could not allow his parents to endure what he had suffered back at Sagakin. There had to be something he could do to prevent history from repeating itself.

Once he exited the mansion, he saw Sayo spreading a white semicircle around the building.

"What are you doing?" the blond shouted.

"I'm circling this area with sacred salt. Don't try touching it and don't disturb the circle!" the priestess shouted back.

A red fog appeared in the distance, slowly making its way towards them. Hajime froze in fear as he recalled facing a similar fog in the college corridors, but Sayo did not falter. She clasped her hands together and quickly uttered an incantation, her voice becoming increasingly louder. The ground beneath them shook lightly, panicking her partner. The circle of salt started glowing with a pale blue light, and before they knew it, a barrier arose from the ground, surrounding the Shirayama mansion in the shape of a dome. As it did, a familiar hooded figure appeared in the fog.

"The power is out, the sky's turned red, just what in the world is going on here?!" Takuma asked as he and his wife emerged from the darkened building.

"I have raised a barrier to protect you all. Shishima is close by, you are all in grave danger!" Sayo warned them. "Please, go back inside and hide, Hajime and I will take care of this!"

"Oh no, I'm not letting my son put himself in danger again."

Aki screamed in terror and pointed at the barrier. "What is that?!"

Demon Subaru stood on the other end, grinning and waving at them with one of his bloodied clawed hands, the other holding Tsugumi's corpse.