After the intense and nerve-racking family meeting of the Kamakiri clan finally ended, Shana still hadn't revealed herself. Cloaked by her invisibility spell, she lingered in silence, leaning against the wall, quietly observing the aunt-and-niece pair, Tomi and Mina, who remained in the grand hall.
Aunt Tomi was comforting Mina on an armchair. Though Mina wasn't crying, she looked completely drained—like someone suffering a sugar crash after enduring too much drama. Tomi was clearly worried, rubbing Mina's back over and over.
"Oh dear, you're obviously heartbroken, yet you keep saying you're fine. If you keep bottling it up like this, you'll make yourself sick. Let me have the servants prepare some abalone soup for you, alright?"
But Mina shook her head gently, her lips curling into a faint, graceful smile.
"That won't be necessary, Auntie. Besides, I've been following a vegan diet lately. I can't eat any kind of animal protein…"
Still, Tomi wouldn't give up.
"Just one meal won't hurt you, will it? How are you going to go back to work if you keep this up? You should rest. Let me and my people handle things for a while. You've been running the household and dealing with all the PR chaos—I'm afraid you'll faint at this rate."
All the while, Shana observed Mina's expressions closely. Her Celestial Flame Eyes instantly detected that Mina was lying. Yet, her acting was impeccable—flawless, even. What was she scheming?
If Mina truly meant it when she said she would do anything to be with Duyen, then why was she opposing the idea of divorcing Valko? What was her real motive?
Shana tilted her head slightly, puzzled. She couldn't read this mortal's mind at all. But if Mina's schemes posed even the slightest threat to Duyen's safety, Shana would know—and she would intervene.
Meanwhile, Aunt Tomi sighed, troubled by Mina's complicated marital situation.
"Are you sure about this, Mina? I know our family's rules are harsh, but I'm not as blind as your mother was. It's 2036, we can't be that old-fashioned anymore."
But Mina cut her off smoothly, shaking her head.
"Surely you've heard of our family's traditions, Auntie. If we defy the ancestral laws, the ten generations of Kamakiri ancestors will punish us. I may not be superstitious, but when it comes to hierarchy and family decorum, I dare not disobey."
Shana raised a brow, slightly surprised by Mina's words. She muttered under her breath with quiet sarcasm:
"Hmph. So this is who you really are, huh?"
Tomi, however, seemed to believe every word. She was taken aback by Mina's seriousness, but she didn't question it.
"If that's what you've decided… But still, Valko's infidelity is unacceptable. According to Kamakiri family law, he must be severely punished. I'm keeping him in the basement to prevent him from calling for help from the Jou family. Still, if you insist on not divorcing him, I understand. I can bribe the media to cover up the affair. Publicly, he'll remain your husband, but he'll stay under our custody. How does that sound?"
Mina lowered her head, pressing her fingertips to her temple, but her eyes flicked subtly toward Tomi. Something Tomi said clearly didn't sit right with her—but she hid it well, keeping up her act of the obedient niece.
"…I'll do whatever you think is best, Auntie."
Tomi patted Mina's shoulder, her gaze soft and affectionate.
"You really don't deserve to suffer because of that scoundrel Valko," she sighed. "But what can we do? I have to report this to your grandmother. You should go to the kitchen and ask them to make you something nourishing to eat."
Both Mina and Shana were startled at the mention of "grandmother." Mina's face remained composed, but her eyes flickered ever so slightly. She asked, almost pleadingly:
"Could I… come with you to see her?"
Tomi blinked, caught off guard by the request. Her eyes darted away.
"That place is rather damp and stifling. I'm afraid it wouldn't be good for you to go there."
Shana frowned at Tomi's odd tone, while Mina persisted.
"I've met Grandma a few times at parties, but I've never been to the Shrine. I heard that every married Kamakiri woman is allowed to go there?"
"Your grandmother has been… occupied with her studies lately. She's not meeting outsiders. I can take you there, but I can't let you go inside," Tomi explained.
Hearing that, Mina showed a brief look of disappointment, but she nodded calmly.
"That's fine. I can just wait outside."
"Alright then," Tomi agreed. "Follow me."
Shana followed them deep into the estate. They crossed a garden and entered another mansion, one that was guarded with unusual strictness. Every guard was a woman—no men in sight. They all wore jet-black kimonos, as if attending a funeral, with mesh veils covering their faces.
The sight intrigued Shana. She watched as Tomi and Mina approached them, standing still as those strange attendants undressed them and replaced their clothes with plain white kimonos embroidered with the Kamakiri family crest, along with identical veils. Only then were they permitted to enter what was called the Shrine.
Why was it called that? And who—or what—was being worshiped there? Shana had no answers. She followed silently, though the air around them grew oppressively heavy.
A sweet, chemical scent—like perfume mixed with gas—filled the air. It was strangely familiar to Shana, but more artificial, more nauseating. A normal human would probably faint from just breathing it. That must have been why everyone wore veils.
Eventually, they reached a vast, grand hall. Mina glanced around—both sides of the corridor were swallowed in darkness, completely empty. In front of her stood an enormous crimson door gilded in gold. It looked almost identical to the one in the main hall, only much older.
It was said that her grandmother had insisted on bringing this very door all the way from Japan, demanding that it remain untouched—rebuilt exactly as it was. The architectural blueprints were kept strictly confidential.
Mina looked up at the door. She knew it marked the entrance to the Shrine, the place she'd never been allowed to enter—and where her grandmother resided. But meeting her grandmother wasn't Mina's true purpose for being here.
Tomi bowed her head slightly before the massive door.
"Mother, it's me—Tomi."
At first, there was silence. Then, to their astonishment, the door slowly creaked open.
Inside was a vast, eerie chamber drenched in deep crimson tones. Red curtains hung everywhere, concealing ten floating boxes suspended in the air. The shrine's ceiling was plated in solid gold, and above it hung a massive symbol of the Sun.
Mina's chest tightened. That symbol—it looked familiar somehow.
Shana narrowed her eyes. She recognized something too, and she didn't like it one bit.
Kneeling at the center of the hall was a woman in a priestess's robe, her back turned to them. Her face was hidden, but Shana immediately knew who she was: Nyoko Kamakiri, the eleventh matriarch of the Kamakiri clan. They said she was 78 years old.
Mina immediately recognized that it was her grandmother, yet something about her felt... different. Before she could react, a frail, aged voice came from the other end.
"Who's standing next to you, Tomi?"
Tomi stiffened a little, visibly uneasy under her mother's pressure.
"Ah—this is your granddaughter, Mina. She begged to come see you, Mother."
But Lady Nyoko's voice came again, sharper this time.
"I wasn't talking about her. I meant the one standing beside you."
Both Tomi and Mina looked at each other, confused by her words—while Shana crossed her arms and smirked slightly.
"How surprising," she murmured. "You can actually sense me?"
But Nyoko said nothing more. She didn't seem intent on exposing Shana—or perhaps she could only feel her presence, not truly see her.
After a long silence, Nyoko spoke again.
"Tomi, if you've come all the way here, you must have something important to discuss. And Mina… forgive me, but I cannot see you right now. Only Tomi may enter."
Tomi cast an apologetic glance at Mina, who nodded in understanding. The young woman bowed deeply toward her grandmother before staying outside the gate, while Tomi and Shana stepped through.
Shana, curious, wondered how Nyoko would react once she entered this "sacred" place of theirs—but the elder woman remained completely silent.
After a moment, Nyoko began to remove something from her face, and Shana froze in shock. The old woman set it down—a mask, one so lifelike it could've been made of real human skin.
"What the hell…?" Shana whispered in disbelief.
When Nyoko turned around, Shana's astonishment deepened. The frail, wrinkled woman was gone—what stood there now was a breathtakingly beautiful young lady, radiant and ageless, no trace of time left upon her face. Mina even resembled her in some ways.
Wasn't Nyoko supposed to be an old woman?
Tomi didn't seem surprised; clearly, she'd known about this. She knelt respectfully before her mother.
"The truth is, Mother," Tomi began, "one of our business has run into trouble recently. But we're working hard to resolve it."
"I already know," Nyoko replied, her voice now youthful—like that of a woman in her twenties.
Tomi hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should continue. Then, finally, she did.
"…There's also been an unfortunate incident. Miko's son-in-law… he—he had an affair. With Haruna. And—"
"I know that as well," Nyoko interrupted calmly.
Tomi frowned in confusion. "You knew already?"
Nyoko nodded gently. "You must remember, when Valko came to ask for Mina's hand, I told him he would one day bring trouble."
Tomi tilted her head, recalling faintly.
"You did say that, Mother. But why didn't you stop their marriage?"
Nyoko only shook her head. "What could I have done? Miko was determined to marry Mina to him. I simply yielded. Now that fate has played its hand, we can only accept it as destiny."
Tomi looked down at the floor, sympathy written across her face.
"Poor child… Even though Haruna is my own niece, how could she do something like that to Mina? Yet I cannot bear to punish her. Still, I can't let Valko stain the honor of the Kamakiri family. Mother, is there truly no way to change the law that forbids divorce?"
Nyoko's eyes suddenly flashed with terrifying fury. A wave of scorching heat burst through the air, then vanished as quickly as it came. Her expression returned to serenity.
"There is no way," she said quietly. "The family's traditions must never be broken."
Though Tomi wanted to argue, she could only bow her head.
"Yes, Mother. Still, I came here to seek your wisdom. There must be something we can do—surely we can't let this shame linger."
"…If there is a will, there's a way," Nyoko murmured. "In fact, the easiest one."
Tomi's eyes lit up. "Truly? What way, Mother? Please enlighten me."
Nyoko looked at her daughter for a long moment. Shana could already guess what the woman was about to say. Nyoko's lips moved silently, forming one word—
"Kill."
Tomi's eyes widened in horror. Her heart pounded violently in her chest—but she quickly steadied herself. This was not the first time such a topic had been raised.
"…You mean… we're to eliminate Valko?"
Nyoko closed her eyes again, her tone soft and composed.
"I assume you've already punished him by locking him in the cellar. If you kill him there—no one will ever know."
"But, Mother," Tomi said anxiously, "wouldn't that spark a feud with the Jou family—"
"The head of the Jou family is dead," Nyoko interrupted. "His wife is missing, their heir is in our custody. The Jou clan is a snake without a head. They pose no threat."
"Even so, Mother… killing him feels…"
Nyoko gazed at her daughter, her voice calm but piercing.
"Tomi, do you know why I have yet to hand you the Kamakiri command ring?"
Tomi bowed her head slightly.
"Yes, Mother. You once said I lacked the strength and resolve to lead our family. You said you would pass the ring to my elder sister, Miko."
Nyoko nodded. "Indeed, I once said that. But that was twenty-six years ago. Now, Miko has drowned herself in grief and madness. I can no longer entrust it to her."
Tomi nodded in agreement. "Then… you must mean Haruna or Mina, right? If so, I would gladly recommend Mina. She's disciplined, loyal, and devoted to our house. Everyone respects her dedication—especially for reviving SCJ. She deserves the ring."
Nyoko only stared at her daughter, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Do you truly believe that?"
Tomi hesitated. "If not Mina… then who?"
Nyoko shook her head slowly.
"Miko once was just like her—until she fell in love…"
At that, Tomi flinched, an old memory surfacing in her mind—one she had long buried. But she forced a small smile.
"…That incident was a shock to Mina, yes. But she's rational. She always puts the family first. She's nothing like Miko."
Nyoko laughed softly, which only deepened Tomi's confusion. The older woman's thoughts were always a labyrinth—unless she chose to reveal them, her mind was an enigma.
Only Shana understood what Nyoko was implying. Because Shana knew—no one lied better than Mina.
Then, suddenly, Shana felt something wrong. She leapt backward, narrowly dodging an unseen attack.
"Who's there!?" she snarled, her blue demonic eyes scanning the ceiling.
A black mist began to coil above them—emanating from ten wooden boxes hanging in the rafters. From every corner of the mansion, it gathered into a massive, pulsating orb of darkness. Only Shana could see it.
The stench was overwhelming—she wrinkled her nose. The foul odor of death, of decaying flesh.
The black sphere grew larger and larger until it could swell no more. Then, in a voice that seemed to be a thousand screaming souls, it roared:
"GET OUT!"
"Oh my…" Shana smirked instead of trembling.
"Now that's interesting. No wonder that smell felt familiar—there are ten corpses in this room!"
---
Mina walked down the dark corridor and reached a hidden chamber. On the door was the golden crest of the Kamakiri family. She knew she'd finally found the right place.
Carefully, she slid the door open. A pungent, cloying scent immediately filled her nose, making her grimace. They must have used it to mask another smell.
Inside stood a tall, mummified corpse, its pale, leathery skin still intact. It was dressed in a man's wedding kimono, adorned with the Kamakiri emblem.
On its lap rested a small amulet bag.
Mina narrowed her eyes and whispered softly—
"Hello, Father…"