The atmosphere of Serikawa Village was different from how it usually was. Around this time of year, the streets would be lined with villagers and children, celebrating the festivities prematurely. Tourists would be dotting the roads, participating in the pre-festival vibe of the town and getting scammed by some of the older villagers into buying fake mystical items.

As his aunt once said, religion is a tool used to make money off the idiots that chose to believe them.

But the festive air of the Dragon Festival had been disrupted by news that Shin had gotten used to hearing in the several days that he and his family had been here. Another person had disappeared overnight in the village. The increasing number of disappearances had fundamentally shaken the town down to its core. Members of all Three Families were scrambling to find answers and the less they found, the more paranoid the villagers became.

He tried not to listen to it as he walked down the street with Asia. The glares some of the villagers were shooting her was making him uncomfortable and he met their glares with his own.

"Asia, don't listen to them," Shin said.

"I'm alright. I'm kind of used to this," Asia said.

Memories she didn't want to remember resurfaced in her mind.

Shin frowned and placed a hand on her head.

"Don't make such a face. Whatever they say isn't because they don't like you…"

"It's because they're afraid of being spirited away right?" Asia asked.

Shin blinked.

"You… heard about it?" he asked.

Asia nodded.

"I heard about it through Kureha. She told me the other day that people were beginning to believe that this was the curse of Moryo. Because…" Asia trailed off and looked at the ground.

"Because?" Shin raised an eyebrow.

"It's because I'm here. I'm not a blood-related member of the Furude Clan yet the Head and the former heiress accepted me so easily. And because I'm of impure blood, people believe that it upset the balance within the Village and allowed the Evil Dragon Moryo to return and exert its power… causing people to disappear," Asia said.

"That's… That's just dumb. You can't possibly believe something so stupid," Shin said.

"I don't. I swear but…" Asia looked away from her brother's intense gaze. "I don't know."

Shin sighed and wrapped an arm around Asia's shoulder, bringing her into a one-armed hug.

"Don't worry about it. They're going to keep talking so you shouldn't let other people's opinions get the better of you… like I did," Shin added afterwards.

Asia nodded. "I understand."

The two kept walking down the street, stopping by a few stores to get some supplies for tonight's dinner. Akane had sent the two out to go buy some groceries but Shin and Asia knew that it was just a pretense for her to spend some alone time with Riser. And Ravel was out with Kureha visiting the Ryugami Shrine.

"I can't believe every store is almost sold out. The whole damn town bought out all of the food!" Shin complained.

He looked into his grocery bag and made sure that they had gotten everything on the list.

"At least we have all the ingredients to make the curry," Asia said, smiling her at her older brother's frustration.

"Yeah, all we need is ground meat for the hamburger steak. Let's go hit the butcher's shop at the end of the street. Hopefully, the Mitejima Clan hasn't bought it out for their annual meat stand at the shrine," Shin said, tying the bag up.

Asia nodded and looked ahead. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar sight down the street.

"Isn't that… Mom and Aunt Ayaka?" Asia asked.

"Huh? Where… Huh? It is," Shin said.

The two women were talking to a distraught man, who kept yelling about his missing wife to the authorities and to them. Ayaka nodded, stone-faced as she heard more and more details pour out of the man's mouth while Akari was busy writing down his statements on a piece of paper. The town police were taking their own statements down, completely ignoring the fact that the mayor's sister was doing the same.

"Aunt Ayaka. Mom." Shin walked up to them.

"Mmm? Shin. What are you and Asia doing here?" Akari asked, taking her eyes off the man for a few seconds.

"Go. I can handle this," Ayaka said.

Akari nodded at her twin sister and walked over to her children, leading them a few feet away from the group.

"Mom, what's going on?" Shin asked.

"Another person went missing the night before. That… that man is the brother of the missing person. They're not from here. They were just passing by and decided to stop on their way to Tokyo," Akari said, placing her notepad in her sleeve.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the man breaking down and falling to his knees.

"We've never had this happen before… so what's going on?" Akari mumbled.

"Does it have to do with spiriting away? Or Moryo's Curse?" Asia asked.

"No, that's just an old legend created to scare people. Moryo's Curse isn't a real thing," Akari dismissed.

"Is it…?" Shin trailed off.

"You've been hanging around Kureha too much and that girl's been snooping in her mother's office too frequently," their mother said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"But I guess it's something that would have reached your ears eventually," Akari confessed.

"Well… I handed it over to the cops."

The three turned their heads to see Ayaka walking in their direction. She had a fatigued look in her eyes. Ayaka brushed her hair aside and let out a deep sigh. Signs of stress were seen all over her body. Her tired expression to her slouched posture. This was the first time Shin had seen his aunt worn down in a while, though her appearance wasn't as bad as it was 4 years ago.

"Is he…?" Shin asked.

"The idiot wants to stay and help in the investigation so he's going off to the station with the authorities. Unfortunately, they might not find anything at all," Ayaka said, walking down the street.

Akari and her two children followed after her.

"And to think this is all happening before the Dragon Festival… I had to call Genbu last night and tell her that the Doumon Clan can't come this year because of internal conflict," Ayaka said. "For the first time in over hundreds of years, our only ally in the Five Principal Clans can't come because of a temper tantrum that ended with several people likely dead."

"Doumon?" Asia asked, hearing the unfamiliar name.

"The Doumon Clan is one of the Five Principal Clans of Japan. They're all the top exorcist families that exist today not counting… us and the Tsuchimikado Clan. Each of the clans is associated with a phase of the Gogyo-"

"Like us?" Asia asked.

"No," Shin shook his head. "Our Clan uses the Gogyo in a different way than the Five Clans. Anyway, the Five Clans are Himejima, who is blessed by Suzaku, Kushihashi, who is blessed by Seiryu, Shinra, who is blessed by Byakko, Nakiri, who is blessed by Ouryu, and Doumon, who is blessed by Genbu," Shin said.

"I'm sure one of those clans sound familiar," he said.

"Like… Akeno-senpai," Asia said.

"Akeno is a former member of the Himejima Clan," Akari cut in. "Her Fallen Angel heritage made her a target and it resulted in the death of Shuri Himejima."

"The Five Clans also have a weird habit of naming the inheritor of the Sacred Beast after the Sacred Beast itself," Ayaka explained.

"The current head of the Himejima Family for example. She is both the inheritor of the clan and its Beast. People only know her as Suzaku but I've known her since she was a small child so I tend to call her Iroha whenever I see her," she finished.

"Aren't we… rivals with the Himejima Clan?" Asia asked.

"We are. But that was long ago. I've actually been reaching out to Iroha to establish some sort of relationship but I never found an opportunity where I can until…" Ayaka discreetly glanced at Shin.

Akari smacked the back of her twin sister's head upon seeing the gesture.

"I told you to stop interfering in my son's love life," she scolded.

"Owie! Onee! Why'd you hit me!?" Ayaka protested.

"Because I won't have you try to put Shin in an arranged marriage like you tried to when he was 6," Akari said.

"Wait… Onii, you were in an arranged marriage?" Asia asked.

"This… This is my first time hearing of it," Shin confessed. "Mom, what are you guys talking about?"

"Well… your idiotic aunt over here tried to strengthen our relationship with the Doumon Clan by putting you up with the Genbu heir," Akari said.

"It was cute! You remember her, right, Shin-chan? Lil' Renge?" Ayaka asked.

"Who… Who's Renge?" he asked.

He had a vague recollection of a face associated with the name but couldn't make out any of her finer features. All he remembered was that she had snow-white hair. To him, the memories of the white-haired girl invoked by his aunt were distant blurry images that he could not properly identify.

"Ayaka, it's been over 12 years. There is no way Shin or Renge would remember each other," Akari sighed.

"Aw, but I guess I do have an opportunity with the Himejima. I just have to let it happen naturally," Ayaka said.

"Whatever. Let's deal with the Shuen first before we move on," Akari said.

"Shuen? Wait… Kureha mentioned something about them the other day," Shin said.

"That girl and her big mouth," Ayaka said.

"If it's something like that, we can help," Shin said.

"I know you can but for now, let us handle looking into it. Your father and I will call you and your sister if we need help with them. Just focus on enjoying the festival for now," Akari said.

"But mom-"

"Don't but Mom me. Shin, you just got out of a coma. Do you want to be in another one?" Akari asked.

"Mom… you know that this and that are different," he replied.

"I know that you and your sisters can handle yourselves but you shouldn't waste your summer solving a missing person's case," Akari said.

Shin went silent and nodded. "Fine. But don't think that Onee will take this sitting down either."

"I fully expect your older sister to protest tonight at dinner when she finds out," Akari said.

"Um… so… what now?" Asia asked.

"Well now, you and Shin are out here buying groceries right?" Ayaka asked.

"Y- Yeah," Asia said.

"I can get you two a discount over at the butcher's. Just come and follow me. Onee, you can carry out the rest of the rounds from here right?" Ayaka asked.

Akari rolled her eyes and nodded. "I'll take over your clan head duties just once for today. I'll let you know if anything more comes up," Akari said, walking off.

"Thanks, Onee!" Ayaka said, pushing the two along the street.

"H- Hey! Aunt Ayaka-"

"You need to keep Asia safe," Ayaka said.

Shin and Asia turned to face her with surprised looks on their faces.

"Their targets so far have been people who have nothing to do with the family. Anyone who they deem to be impure to the bloodline of the village is targeted. Since Asia was adopted into the family, she could very well be a target," Ayaka said.

"Auntie, what is… Shuen?" Asia asked.

"Shuen is a cult. A cult that worships Akatsuki Furude as a Saint and the Evil Dragon Moryo as a divine entity," Ayaka said as they headed to the Butcher's shop.

"They seek nothing but the complete and utter purification of Serikawa. Even if it means spilling the blood of dozens of individuals they will stop at nothing until they achieve the perfection and purity they seek. A village whose blood is only that of the descendants of Akatsuki Furude and her children."

"I heard about that from Kureha," Shin said.

"Well, whatever you heard, Akari is right in telling you that you two need to be careful, especially you, Asia. I don't have any problems with Ravel and Riser because Shuen might avoid them entirely due to being members of the Phenex House…" Ayaka said.

"But Asia's not… and if she's all alone then," Shin said.

"I could be taken," Asia said. Again…

Mori hovered silently above her master, watching her expressions change with a seemingly apathetic gaze.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Ah here, we are," Ayaka said, stopping outside of the Butcher's shop.

Shin and Asia thanked their aunt for walking them down to the store. As the two were about to enter, Ayaka grabbed their shoulders and brought them closer.

"I want you two to go home after this, okay? It's not safe out right now, especially now that the sun is almost setting," she warned.

"We will. We were just out getting ingredients for Onee," Shin said.

Ayaka nodded and let them go.

"Don't be late, okay?" she said.

"We won't," the two replied.

As promised, the two did not dally within the village. The two had walked back without any protest. Though, Shin had to fend off some of the villagers that got too close to him and to Asia. He was not going to let her be rattled on a vacation by some terrified and paranoid individuals. It took him and Ran combined to keep his older sister from marching down to the village and burning it to the ground.

However, Asia had reassured them that everything had been fine. The night went off with no problems. Ravel and Asia helped Akane in the kitchen and prepare dinner for the entire family.

Their dinner for the night was curry, courtesy of Akane. The sweet brown sauce of the curry and the various types of meat looked appetizing or would have had it not been for the strong spicy scent that radiated from it. Dinner went off without a hitch. Akari and Rowan had spent the rest of it asking Asia about her life in Kuoh. About living with Shin and working at the pub. And like true parents, the two asked her about any boys she might have had her eye on.

Of course, Asia reacted the only way a child would react whenever their parents pried into their love life. Embarrassment.

Akane and Shin were happy that their parents weren't placing their love lives underneath a microscope.

Shin sighed as he placed the dish on the rack. He and his older sister were in charge of dish duty that night.

"What's with the sigh?" Akane asked, looking over at him.

Shin glanced over his shoulder to see Asia still conversing with their parents.

"The villagers were talking about Asia again and blaming her for the disappearances," Shin said.

"Ah, I figured there was something going on when I saw the villagers glaring at us the other day," she said absentmindedly.

"What should we do, Onee? At this rate, Asia might-"

"You shouldn't worry too much about them. We only see them once a year. Besides, they're old. Their opinions of our day and age are kind of irrelevant," Akane said.

"Onee, you know that-"

"That's not true. I know. But what can we do? People will talk. People will complain. As long as their opinion doesn't change your view of her, then what they say shouldn't matter. Besides, Asia is a sweet and kind girl. A few words from a bunch of paranoid old goats shouldn't change that, right?" she said.

"I know that. I just don't want her to be sad," he said.

"I want her to be happy. I don't want her to experience the life she experienced before coming to Kuoh. Before she became part of our family. I want her to know that this is a place where she can be safe," Shin said.

Akane sighed and placed the last dish on the holder.

"There are going to be people like that everywhere. People will cling to their beliefs. Cling to tradition. They cling to it because they're scared to move forward. Some people are just too rooted in the past in order to move on. You might be able to change people's minds but it is virtually impossible to change their hearts. Sometimes, we just have to accept that as a fact," Akane said.

"Yeah, I guess the whole thing with Shuen has got me worried," Shin said.

A small laugh came out of Akane's mouth.

Shin gave his sister a deadpan expression, causing her to laugh even harder.

"You're really coming into the role of a big brother, aren't you, Shin-chan," Akane teased.

"O- Onee… aren't you worried?" he asked.

How could his older sister act so nonchalant in this type of situation?

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be? Asia's my sister now so it's natural for me to be. I'm just trying not to let it take over my waking thoughts," she replied.

"But you're right. Shuen is becoming a problem. No doubt that Asia could be one of the people they're after. The only reason they haven't gone for her yet is because of…" she trailed off.

"Mom, Dad, and you right?" Shin said.

"Right. That's why I want you to always be with Asia no matter what for the trip. I can't be in two places at once," Akane said.

"Yeah…"

"Come on. Let's not think about this," she said.

"Yeah." Shin dried his hands on a towel and began to leave the room when a thought popped into his head. The person his mother and Aunt Ayaka had mentioned earlier. Maybe his older sister knew who she was.

"Hey, Onee?" he called after her.

Akane stopped walking and turned around.

"Who's Renge?"

In the end, his older sister had nothing to say on the matter. Akane was just as confused as he was. For someone with a supposedly perfect memory, Akane only had a vague recollection of who the girl actually was. After spending a few more hours with his family, Shin decided to turn in for the night and went up to his room where Ran and Vivi were.

He sat on his bed, looking at the many talismans he had on him. He stroked his chin, looking each one over for any flaws.

"You know that you're not going to find any so why don't we train in using our Contract?" Vivi said, hovering over him.

"I… Wait… huh, that's a good idea," Shin said.

"Of course, it is. I came up with it. You need to remember that your creation time for Secace is less than par. Seriously, 1.5 seconds is too long on the battlefield," she scolded.

"Well, sorry! I haven't created Secace for a fight since the training and against Yaldabaoth and Kokabiel. It's not my fault that I can't shit it out like you," Shin said, crossing his arms.

"Well, Shin-chan, you need to be able to create these weapons on the fly. Remember your goal. Your goal is to create Excalibur or at the very least, create a weapon using a concept that you already know," Vivi said.

She waved her hand and casually constructed several dozen copies of the True Excalibur in the air around her. And just as quickly as they manifested, the copies all vanished with a snap of Vivi's fingers.

"I haven't forgotten. I've just been caught up doing other stuff. Don't forget that this isn't the only Contract I have to master. I still have… hers," he replied.

Vivi quieted down and saw the look of discomfort on Shin's face.

She floated down and sat next to him. Vivi placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You can't skirt around it forever. Yaldabaoth's Authority might prove to be useful one day," she said.

"Yeah, but using it just gives me… I don't even know what I was thinking about trying to learn it back in Kuoh. Everything about it just reminds me of her," Shin said.

"Well, of course, it does. That's what having a Contract does to someone. It is also a link to their Sponsor," she said.

"Yeah, anyway, I was thinking. What weapon from the Round Table have I not made yet?" Shin asked.

"A lot. Pick and choose. We have pretty much all night," Vivi said.

Shin created Clarent and grasped it tightly. As he thought of which weapon to aim for next, he began switching between Clarent and Secace. Each modification became faster to the point where it became practically instantaneous. The details of each blade etched themselves into the recesses of Shin's mind.

"I can't think of any," Shin said, falling back on his bed.

Clarent dispersed, having been willed away by its creator.

"I guess that's fine. You do have a lot on your mind… especially about this Renge girl and then Issei and Irina too," Vivi said.

"Don't even remind me." Shin placed a hand on his forehead. "I don't even know where to begin with Issei and Irina…"

"Have you ever just tried saying 'I'm sorry'?" the Lady of the Lake said sarcastically.

"Hahah. But… it's going to take more than an 'I'm sorry' from me. I messed up really badly with them, Vivi," Shin said.

"As long as your efforts are sincere, then it shouldn't be too bad. Though, you will need to work to gain their forgiveness. You said some really nasty stuff, especially to Irina," Vivi replied.

Ran hopped on the bed and walked over to his face. She nudged his cheek with her snout. When that elicited no response, Ran began licking his face, causing Shin to get up.

"Ran!" he grabbed the small shiba inu and placed her on his lap.

"You're acting very spoiled today. You've been in your dog form all day too," he remarked.

Ran hopped off and transformed into her human form.

"Would you rather have me lick you in my human form, Master?" Ran asked, smirking in a sultry manner.

"E- Huh?" Shin's face began to turn red at the suggestive tone of the question.

"Pfft…" Ran began to burst out in laughter.

"Come on, you know that's not funny!" Shin said.

"Ahahaha! You should've seen the look on your face!" Vivi cackled, joining in on the fun.

Shin rolled his eyes and got off his bed.

"Where are you going?" Vivi asked.

"Just to the bathroom," Shin said, walking out of his room.

After exiting the bathroom, Shin stretched his legs for a bit.

"I need a drink," he said.

As Shin walked down the stairs, the atmosphere of the house suddenly changed. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he instinctively crouched, hiding from the view of the downstairs area. Blue pixels swirled around his right hand, constructing Failnacht.

"She's not here. I think she's upstairs." An unfamiliar voice said below him.

Upstairs… who…!?

Shin's eyes widened when he saw two cloaked individuals roaming around their living room. He tried to make out any discerning features from the trespassers but found none he could recognize. He couldn't even recognize their voices much less the lower half of their faces.

Their faces were obscured by their hoods but Shin saw the kanji woven into the cloaks.

It was the kanji for "End".

Shuen… Shuen is here…

He gripped Failnacht tightly.

Deciding to take them out, he quietly crept down the steps, taking care not to make a noise. However, destiny was not on his side that night. As Shin's foot pressed on the final step, a creaking sound resounded through the entirety of the first floor.

The two cloaked individuals turned around and saw Shin standing at the foot of the stairs with Failnacht in his hand.

"Hey…" he said awkwardly.

The one on the left tensed up before drawing his blade and charging at Shin.

"Huh?" Shin sidestepped the attack.

He pistol-whipped the man with Failnacht, striking him in the face and knocking him back.

"Void Rending Bullet!"

The sound of the spell fell on Shin's ears. He quickly turned around and fired Failnacht, destroying the projectile before it could reach him.

"Tch! You-"

His words were cut off as he was tackled into the wall. The loud bang echoed through the house, causing all the lights upstairs to switch on.

"Damn it! You idiot! Now they're all awake!" his companion hissed.

"Let's go," the cloaked figure who tackled Shin said.

"Hey… wait!"

Shin's words fell on deaf ears as the two ran for the nearest window and jumped out.

"Damn! VIVI! RAN!"

In an instant, two swirls of black flames and water appeared next to Shin.

"What? What is it?" Vivi asked.

"No time! Let's go!" Shin said.

Shin ran to the door and kicked it open.

"There!"

The two cloaked figures had scaled the wall of the Furude Manor with ease, causing Shin to nearly lose sight of them.

He clenched his jaw and took off in a burst of speed, jumping and clearing the wall in one leap.

Shin landed on the ground, ignoring the pain he felt in his bare feet. The two cloaked figures were making their way down the stairs at high speeds.

"They're using Shinsoku. Damn!" Shin channeled ki into his legs and began running after them.

The two cloaked individuals sensed Shin's energy signature behind them. After flashing a few hand signs at one another, the two split up, taking off in different directions into the village.

"What…? Vivi!" Shin yelled.

"I got it!" Vivi called out. She flew off in a different direction.

"Ran! On me!" Shin said.

Ran nodded and transformed into her dog form, landing on Shin's shoulder as he jumped onto a roof.

He scanned the streets and spotted his quarry. Shin took off, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, increasing his speed with each jump in order to catch up to the culprit that broke into his house. He held his hands out, summoning Failnacht once more.

Shin leaped into the air and aimed the guns at the running figure. He fired them, sending two bolts of energy flying at high speeds in his direction.

The figure turned around and threw a talisman at the bolts. A blue shield appeared in the air, blocking the bolts.

Shin landed on the ground and continued the pursuit until he saw where they were heading. The forests of Mount Benizakura.

The cloaked figure threw a talisman into the air before him and was encased in an ethereal blue light. The light shined brightly for a few seconds before dimming away, leaving only faintly glowing blue markings on his legs.

"Ran! Go! I won't be able to catch him like this! He used a Skanda charm to increase his speed!" Shin said.

Ran nodded and launched herself from Shin's shoulder.

Fire ignited at the edges of her mouth as she made a beeline toward the culprit. Her speed was faster than that of Shin's and certainly faster than this man. In less than a second, Ran had caught up with the cult member and lunged at his legs.

However, the cloaked figure managed to react in time, jumping in the air to avoid Ran's flaming jaws.

He summoned a talisman from his sleeves and threw it at Shin and Ran.

"Heavenly Bright Lantern! Come forth at once!"

The entire area was bathed in blinding light, causing Shin to stop in his tracks and cover his eyes.

Seeing that he was stunned, the cloaked figure disappeared from the area, using the darkness of the forest to cover his escape.

"Ahh! Damn it! Ran! Are you okay!" Shin called out.

"I'm okay, Master! It's just… the light caught me off guard!" Ran yelled.

Shin sighed in relief, blinking as his vision began to return to normal. He rubbed his eyes as the world began to normalize around him.

Ran ran over to him with a worried look on her face.

"Master, are you-"

"Did we…?" Shin asked, looking at her.

Ran shook her head.

"He managed to get away into the woods before I could recover," she said.

"Damn." Shin dispersed Failnacht and ran a hand through his hair. "If we couldn't get them, then..."

Vivi! Shin called.

"No dice on my end, Chief. They ran into the woods before I could catch up to them. And... I lost their signature. There's a lot of dark miasma masking everything within this mountain, it almost reminds me of Vortigern," Vivi said.

"She lost them too," Shin said.

"So what now, Master?" Ran asked.

"We tell Mom, Dad, and Aunt Ayaka," Shin said. "There's nothing we can do and I don't want to head into those woods alone at night. Especially with... whatever it is that's in there causing these disappearances."

"You've gotten smarter, Master," Ran said, walking behind him.

"H- Hey! It's just a tactical retreat," Shin said.

As the pair walked away, the two never noticed a pair of violet eyes gazing upon them from the treeline. Her long-lavender hair blew in the night breeze as she stared at Shin and Ran's retreating backs. And as the clouds parted to cast a ray of moonlight onto her position, the girl disappeared, leaving no trace of her existence.

For those who don't know anything about Slash Dog, the Prequel to Highschool DxD, Doumon is one of the Five Principal Clans alongside Himejima, Kushihashi, Shinra, and Nakiri. Each one is paired up to one of the Five Celestial Beasts in Chinese Mythology with Himejima having Suzaku, Shinra having Byakko, Kushihashi having Seiryu, Nakiri having Ouryu, and Doumon having Genbu.

In addition, the inheritors of the Sacred Beasts tend to inherit their beast's name as well. Like Suzaku became Suzaku. Her original name was never given so I made one for her, Iroha (Red Wing). Genbu in canon also fell into the same boat with her original name being unknown so I gave her one as well: Renge (Lotus).

Anyway, that's it. This is my early Christmas present. So leave a like, follow, and subscribe if you want more.

Also, remember to go read Cat Got Your Tongue. It's really good. Trust.

You're wondering why this got reposted and... haha, funny story, the last part of the chapter didn't exist! Sorry! Hahaha! It will never happen again.