Baphomet was elegantly sitting on his throne, cross-legged, tapping his long and black fingernails on the armrest of his throne that was made from a human skeleton, as he listens to Abbadon's report regarding Mammon. He never forbids the demons under his legions to make bidding on humans, after all, humans are selfish creatures who always sought for power.
But after their owner's wish was fulfilled, it is his unspoken rule to return to Infernus with the soul of their former master.
"Japan's founding emperor's younger brother?" Baphomet knitted his crimson eyebrow as Abaddon states the people that Mammon made bidding with.
"Yes, my lord." Abaddon gave him the reading material made from animal skin. "Mammon's last master was from a royal family. It seems that the younger brother's hatred, insecurities, and jealousy towards his elder brother were strong enough to summon him."
"I see. So, we can assume that he's in Japan now."
"That's what I also thought my lord. That's why I want you to bring me with you when you deal with him. "
Baphomet shook his head. "Japan is not a huge country, I can easily find him by myself. I will leave this legion under your care for the meantime"
Abaddon immediately kneeled, overwhelmed by the trust that his lord has in him. "You can rest assured with my lord."
He smiled as he watched his loyal warrior before him. Yes, even if he's gone and will turn to ashes, there is still Abaddon who can lead the legion in his place.
"Rise." He ordered. "I will leave in a few days to bring Mammon back and give his rightful punishment." Baphomet suddenly glared at the glass jar where he stored Mai's soul, the usual steady white smoke was wobbling, and the demon smirked. It seems that someone's trying to summon her soul.
Abaddon stood up, noticing Baphomet's silence, and made a report on Mammon's specific location, hearing it, Baphomet slowly widened his crimson eyes, he doesn't need a few days, he flicked his fingers and unto the human world, he goes.
Hakuren and the others are on the second floor of their favorite cafe since college days, the leader filled them with information regarding the case that he rashly took.
"Mai, you have a similar case like this before, didn't you?" Aizen asked her, Mai nodded.
"We did, but this time our client is the emperor himself."
"The castle in Osaka was left abandoned after the Country's capital was changed to Tokyo. Even before the Royal family, there are verbal accounts of people gone missing, especially women. They decided to leave when a concubine-born princess got missing as well."
"I remember seeing thing place, the trees surrounding the castle are all dead," Kannon murmured. "It was as if the place were forsaken by the Gods."
"And also" Hakuren continued. "The emperor also called several paranormal experts, that includes SPR." Everyone looked at Mai. "Oliver Davis and his team are back in Japan, Mai. If you decide to be pulled out from this case, I will let you."
Mai shook her head. "I can't hide from them forever, and besides, they are already part of my past. I can't live in the past, and I already have several years to live, so it's no use dwelling in the past."
Aizen ruffled her hair. "Our Mai-chan is matured now."
Ryuuji and Kannon teared up before they both hug her tightly. "Don't worry Mai, they can't touch even a strand of your hair, okay?"
The crew showed up with the food that they ordered and their leader halted their meeting to have lunch, when then the café's door chimed, they ignore it until they heard one of the crew forbid them to enter the second floor.
Everyone on the team was quiet the whole breakfast. They couldn't sleep remembering Mai's frantic voice asking for help, they don't want to think about the worst-case scenario. In their mind, someone helped her, someone has gotten her to safety, given the fact that both Lin and Masako failed when they tried to do a séance.
"Where to start looking for Mai?" John asked Naru after their awkward breakfast.
"We'll start at her school." He stood up, and everyone follows. They were silent as Lin drives towards Mai's former school, the place where everyone first met. A sense of nostalgia washed over them as they saw the familiar building, several years have already passed and the place has surely changed.
They have a new principal, he learned about SPR from his predecessor, thus, he gave them Mai's record until she graduated from High School. After skimming the files, Naru thanked the new principal before leaving.
"So, she was alive." Ayako breathed in relief. "She's alive."
"But where is she now?" Bou-san wondered.
"Have you ever thought that maybe, Mai doesn't want to see us?" Masako interjected.
Ayako glared at the kimono-clad medium. "Maybe she doesn't want to see you, but I'm sure she wanted to see Naru, at least."
Masako huffed at her as they went back to the van.
The team's next stop was to Mai's former apartment, but unfortunately, the former apartment complex has now become a high-rise condominium building.
They were dejected.
"Naru-bou, can you still use your psychometric reading even after seven years?" Bou-san asked curiously.
"I can," Naru answered immediately. "But we have nothing that something she owns." He mumbled.
"Can't we use her picture instead?" John seconded.
Naru pondered for a moment. "It will be challenging."
"But it's worth the try." The blond priest assured him with a soft smile.
Everyone looked at Madoka when her stomach grumbled. "Can't we have lunch first?" She sheepishly grinned.
The team drive to the cafe that Yasuhara recommended, it was the cafe that his high school friends often go when they studied at the university, and Yasuhara was kind of jealous of seeing his friends hanging out now and then even after high school.
"Welcome." The staff greeted them with a comfortable smile.
"Table for eight, please." Madoka smiled at the crew.
They ushered them to the long oval-shaped table suited near the window.
"Isn't this a little bit cramp for eight people?" Masako complained to herself, but the crew heard her.
"I apologized ma'am, most of the tables are already reserved." He apologetically smiled and bowed at her.
Ayako pointed at the stairs. "Can't we transfer to the second floor instead?" she mentally agreed with Masako that the table and corner were a little bit too small to occupy all of them.
The crew turn and saw that they forgot to put back its "off-limits" sign. He signaled the other staff to put on the chain with the label on it.
The crew awkwardly smiled at her. "The second floor is off-limits."
Masako frown. "But I can certainly hear people's voices from up there."
"Oh, I heard about it!" Yasuhara interjected, snapping his fingers in realization. "My friends told me that a group of students used the second floor as their meeting place. But, no one knew who they are."
The crew forced himself to smile. "Yes, you are right, the second floor is occupied, and they don't want to be disturbed."
Naru glared at his team. "We are wasting our time arguing in this small matter." He glanced at the crew. "Menu."
The crew hastily gives one of them the menu.
"Call me when you are ready to order."
"Whoa, what a coincidence, it's them." Ryuuji gasped when he saw the SPR team downstairs.
They thought they were only hearing things earlier, but Ryuuji peeked and saw the familiar team of Oliver Davis.
Hakuren carefully glanced at Mai. "It seems that they looking for you. Do you want to show yourself to them?"
"I don't want to." Mai shook her head. "This is not the right place. I want to meet them when we are all taking the case tomorrow."
The leader smiled at her. "Alright."
Mai has many things in her mind as she heard the familiar voices below. She was thankful to Baphomet, if... if she still has her emotions now, she might've cried already and worried her friends. The people who were there for her after SPR left her alone.
Mai clenched her chest. I am alright. SPR is already a fragment of my past. I don't want to worry everyone. Lord Baphomet, please... please make me even more void of emotions.
Somewhere far away, Baphomet was startled when he heard Mai plead for the first time.
Something must've happened. The demon morphed into a crow and flew to where Mai is.
After having their lunch, Naru tried a psychometric reading on Mai's pictures.
"There's nothing." Naru furrowed his eyebrow in disappointment.
"Maybe Mai doesn't want to have a connection with us." Masako shrugged as she carefully sipped her tea.
Everybody was quiet until Lin jerked from his seat.
"What is it?" Naru asked curiously.
"My shiki suddenly become restless." He uttered seriously.
"There is a ghost in here?" Madoka gasped in shock.
"There is none," Masako affirmed.
"It's not inside, but outside." Lin narrowed his eyes at the glass window.
Naru stood up to pay the bill before they leave the place, but before opening the door, something made Naru look at the second floor of the cafe.
There is something familiar in there, he knew, but he can't point out what. Sighing, he shrugged it off and left.
Outside, it made Lin's shiki more restless. Lin looked around, but there are no unusual sights outside.
On top of one of the trees, Baphomet morphed into a crow, glaring at the demons who used to be under his league and have now become familiars of a sorcerer.
I see... She must've met them. Baphomet concluded.
Baphomet smirked. Let's see what you got, the former team of Mai.
The demon releases some of his demonic aura, testing their reactions.
Lin gasped as he turned around, his shiki was trembling.
The spirituals in the group trembled as they felt the ominous energy pass by them.
"Baphomet..." Lin mumbled.
"What?" John widened his eyes in horror.
"That was Baphomet." Lin repeated.
"A demon in the broad light?!" Bou-san exclaimed in disbelief.
"My shiki told me that they used to be under Baphomet's rule before my ancestors took them as familiars." He explained. "And the energy that we felt just now was his."
"Why would a demon suddenly show up and made his presence known?" Naru frowned at Lin.
Lin shook his head as he doesn't know either.
Back in the cafe, everyone has become alert when they felt the sinister energy outside. Everyone was ready to face whatever entity will confront them.
"It's alright guys," Mai said to them. "That was Lord Baphoment."
Hakuren knitted his eyebrow in confusion. "Why is he here?"
Mai shrugged. "Maybe he's bored?"
The team looked at each other, demons are not easy to handle, but since Mai said it's alright, they let it go.
The night before the case, every leader of the team receives an email, it is an agreement that the palace will hold no responsibility if a worst-case scenario will occur in their team (e.g., death of a member)
The terms and conditions must be signed by all members.
The email assured them that all precautions were already prepared, putting charms and spirit barriers in every location.
And then, the day of the case arrived.