The transition from the dry cold breeze of Italy to the heavy stagnant humidity of a Japanese summer was like stepping into a different dimension.
Kyoto did not greet Jay with the open arms of a tourist destination, it greeted him with a thick blanket of heat that seemed to cling to his skin like a second jacket. He never felt the heat into this degree all his life, a bit concerning considering his ability is literally summoning very hot fire.
Jay didn't like summer at all.
Upon his arrival, Jay immediately secured a room in a high-end hotel overlooking the Kamo River.
He booked it for a full month, utilizing the significant funds Glenda had provided. Glenda had called it "living expenses," though Jay suspected it was more of a settlement for the four months of unpaid labor he had provided as her research subject.
While Glenda had mentioned that Augusta was moving, the timing remained an enigma. In the world of high-level magic, "soon" could mean tomorrow or three months from now. But patience has always been his thing, so he had no problem in waiting. He could just continue his study in Thaumaturgy.
In the quiet seclusion of his hotel room, Jay unpacked his belongings. Glenda had packed his bags with an uncharacteristic level of care, providing dozens of high-quality garments including linen shirts, dark trousers, and waterproof jackets. At the bottom of the bag, he found a small, velvet-wrapped box. When he opened it, his breath hitched.
Resting on a silk cushion was a Patek Philippe Nautilus 3800/1A with a stunning blue sunburst dial. It was a masterpiece of human engineering, a silent statement of elegance and precision. Tucked into the side of the box was a small, handwritten note.
Happy birthday, brat. Don't forget that you are still a human.
It was a strange sentiment coming from a woman who viewed the world through the cold lens of magical theory. Jay picked up the watch, feeling the weight of the steel against his palm. For a moment, the icy walls around his heart felt a faint, uncomfortable warmth. This was his first birthday gift from anyone other than Sister Andrea and the kids.
He didn't just put it on. He sat at the desk and spent two hours meticulously carving microscopic runes into the interior of the casing.
He used a specialized enchantment to make the watch nearly indestructible, ensuring that no stray magic circle or kinetic shock would ever scratch the surface. It was a link to a woman who, despite her claims of using him had given him the tools to survive, teach him magics and the whole supranatural world in general.
He strapped the blue-dialed timepiece to his left wrist, the cold metal a grounding presence against his skin.
'Reminder of my humanity, huh.' He thought.
A week passed with agonizing slowness. Jay spent his days blending into the fabric of Kyoto.
He looked like any other young man enjoying his summer break. He stood around five feet seven inches tall, his wavy black hair often ruffled by the humid breeze. He traded his heavy cloaks for white linen shirts and dark trousers, hiding his intensity behind a pair of expensive sunglasses.
Despite his relaxed appearance, Jay never stopped working.
Wherever he went, his Domain of His Own was active, projecting a sensory web with a radius of one kilometer. He was searching for any ripple in the spatial fabric, any signature of high-level mana that didn't belong to the local shrines. But Kyoto was silent. It was as if the supernatural world was holding its breath.
Jay spent much of his time in shaded cafes, nursing iced coffee or ice cream while poring over the documents Glenda had provided.
The files were a treasure trove of dangerous information. He spent hours studying the Grigori, the organization of Fallen Angels led by the enigmatic Azazel. He learned about their hierarchy and their obsession with Sacred Gears.
Their presence in this case unsettled him.
By all logic, it lay far beyond their jurisdiction. Matters like this, especially in the Far East, should have fallen to the Japanese magical authorities.
Japan was not Abrahamic territory. The influence of the Heavens and the Underworld was historically thin here, replaced by the dense, ancient presence of Shinto deities. For the Grigori to move their elite forces into Kyoto was by all diplomatic standards, a declaration of intent that should have sparked a war.
Fallen Angels had no legal standing in the Far East, yet they were moving with a brazen confidence that suggested they were either invited or simply doesn't care.
And the there is the Five Principal Clans.
These were the ancient families that protected Japan from the shadows, purifying evil spirits and enforcing their own rigid laws. Himejima, Kushihashi, Nakiri, Shinra, and Doumoto. Those were names that carried the weight of centuries. Jay knew that if he became involved in this conflict, sooner or later his path would inevitably cross with theirs.
However, his primary target remained Augusta, the current Witch of the East. If she discovered that he possessed Incinerate Anthem that she thought has been stolen from her, then she would stop at nothing to claim his head. He wondered how strong she was without her Sacred Gear.
Glenda had claimed to be far superior than Augusta with no Sacred Gears, but Glenda's pride was a factor that Jay always had to account for. Her ego is said to be as high as the seven skies after all.
The most disturbing part of the documents concerned the Utsusemi Agency. Glenda had finally come clean about her involvement.
Around six months ago, two months prior to their meeting, she had sold her research on Avatar-type Sacred Gears to Augusta. In exchange, she had received one of her forbidden Darkness Magic.
That research had become the foundation for horrific human experiments conducted by the Utsusemis. The Heavenly Aloha Incident, where over two hundred students had vanished, was the direct result of that transaction.
Glenda had said she would accept it if Jay came to hate her. She had spoken calmly, as if it were an acceptable price, because in the end she was doing exactly what she had always done all her life, pursuing her magical prowess at any cost.
But Jay knew that despite what she said, the very fact that she allowed him to go to Japan and even help him in a way just to confront Augusta meant she had never expected things to spiral this far.
Jay believed that deep down she felt at fault too and want to take responsibility in this matter. Yet at the same time, she refused to breach her contract with Augusta, bound by the words as a Witch of The South she would not abandon, no matter the cost.
Because of that, Jay couldn't place the blame solely on her shoulders. Augusta bore responsibility. So did the Utsusemi Agency. Each had played their part in letting events spiral.
And still…
Jay believed Glenda was not innocent.
She should have known this would happen.
The afternoon sun was brutal, turning the pavement into a radiant heater. Jay sat on the balcony of a quiet cafe, watching the tourists move like slow-motion insects below him. He was halfway through a bowl of vanilla ice cream when his brain spiked with a sharp, familiar sensation.
It was a flicker of magic to the south.
It wasn't a loud explosion of mana. It was subtle, a controlled shift in the spatial coordinates that only someone with his level of mastery could detect. It felt artificial, like a machine being turned on and then forced into a specific rhythm.
Jay didn't hesitate. He pulled a few yen notes from his wallet, dropped them on the table to cover the bill and stood up. In the time it took for a nearby patron to blink, Jay's form dissolved into a swirl of faint purple embers.
He reappeared on the edge of a skyscraper nearly one kilometer away. The transition was seamless, his body already adjusted to the new altitude. From this vantage point, he looked down at a quiet residential block nestled within the sprawling landscape of Kyoto.
To a normal eye, the street looked peaceful. But Jay's Domain was screaming. He could feel dozens of magical signatures clustered around a single traditional-looking house.
These weren't the vibrant chaotic magical imprint of magicians or the heavy oppressive signatures of darkness creature like devil or vampire. These felt hollow.
They were regulated and artificial, humming with a frequency that matched the description of the "Avatar" research Glenda had described.
"So that's Utsusemi," Jay whispered.
He observed the tactical layout. The signatures were positioned in a standard containment formation. They were using creatures with them as well, artificial beings that lacked true biological life, the Utsusemi.
The house they were surrounding contained a single, massive presence. It was a signature of such high quality that it threatened to drown out the smaller Utsusemi signals. But it was somehow familiar, like he had felt it somewhere but he couldn't quite put it up.
As Jay prepared to descend and intervene, the air directly behind him curdled.
He didn't turn. He didn't even flinch. His Domain had already registered the displacement. Someone had teleported onto the roof behind him, moving with a grace that suggested they were as comfortable with space as he was.
The newcomer didn't strike. They simply stood there, watching him with an amused curiosity.
Jay knew immediately that the person behind him was not human. The mana radiating from them was too ancient, and carried the distinct bitter scent of a fallen grace.
"Oya... so you are the one who has been making the air in my city feel a little bit suffocating," a voice said. It was a deep melodic baritone, colored with a lazy effortless confidence.
Jay slowly turned around.
Standing a few feet away was a tall man with a broad, athletic build. He had messy black hair with a single, prominent golden stroke at the front.
He was dressed in a sharp, modern suit that looked expensive but was worn with a casual disinterest. His eyes were sharp, glowing with a hidden intelligence that seemed to catalog every atom of Jay's being in a single glance.
"Your city?..." Jay asked, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "Go back to your place, filthy fallen. You're polluting the wind."
The man's smirk didn't falter at the insult. But as he took in Jay's face, his expression suddenly shifted. The amusement vanished, replaced by a shock so profound it was almost comical.
The man stepped forward, his eyes wide. "Wait a minute... I know that look. You're that kid from Romania!"
Jay raised an eyebrow. He had never seen this man in his life, let alone met him in Romania
"What?"
The man laughed, a low, amused sound, a crooked smirk pulling at his lips.
"Man, I really thought you were dead. My apologies for not bring you up with me. What happened to you? You look… mostly intact, I assume?"
Jay stared at him, confusion deepening rather than easing. The familiarity in the man's tone felt entirely unearned.
"…Who are you?"