Hearing the delicate chime, Enigma turned toward the source of the sound.
As she turned, she saw the approaching girl.
The girl had sleek black hime-cut hair, delicate features, and an unnaturally pale complexion.
She wore a black kimono adorned with vivid red spider lily patterns, the flowers mirroring her crimson eyes.
Seeing such a striking girl, Enigma couldn't help but praise:
"Who would've thought that vicious spider had such an adorable girl under her?"
"Such a cute child... I almost feel reluctant to strike~"
Hearing Enigma's voice, the sound of the Kagura Bell gradually ceased. The girl in the black kimono slowly halted her steps, raising her head to gaze at Enigma with crimson eyes.
Then, an ethereal voice spoke:
"A detestable... yet familiar scent..."
"But the summons for the Hell Girl did indeed originate from here."
"So, you're my new superior, then?"
Enigma placed one hand on her hip, looking down at the petite girl with a smile:
"That's not quite right. You should say I'm your temporary superior."
During their previous meeting, Enigma had obtained jurisdiction over the Hell Girls from Three-Eyed Spider.
Originally, Enigma had planned to use these Hell Girls as suicide puppets to test the Hidden Management Department.
But now that she herself had become a member of the Hidden Management Department, these summoned Hell Girls could no longer be allowed to live.
After all, delaying orders for these tools to act would surely arouse Three-Eyed Spider's suspicions.
By killing the Hell Girls and turning them into avatars, Three-Eyed Spider would mistakenly believe this had been Enigma's purpose all along.
Admittedly, Enigma found this method rather convenient.
What Enigma hadn't expected was to find a girl of this calibre among the Hell Girls.
The previous ones had been hideous, vengeful spirits.
And this energy signature... According to the implanted knowledge, wasn't this the signature of a Familia candidate?
Initially, Enigma had merely been surprised by the refinement of this particular tool, considering being gentler when disposing of her. But upon discovering the girl's potential to become Familia, her interest was piqued:
"Girl, what's your name?"
'A girl with potential... If recruited into the Familia and awakened to formidable abilities, she might become a valuable asset...'
Having considered this, Enigma found herself unnecessarily asking the girl's name.
"Ai Enma."
Ai Enma's pale face showed no discernible expression.
"That's hardly a normal name..."
Enigma looked down at Ai Enma's emotionless face, then suddenly smiled:
"I see. An emotionless doll, is it?"
"Seems getting to know you properly would be rather difficult."
Having said this, as if abandoning her earlier thoughts, Enigma asked bluntly:
"By my reckoning, that Three-Eyed Spider should have arrived by now?"
In response, Ai Enma nodded, then shook her head:
"She is here, yet not here."
Then she added, "She resides in the gap between the human world and hell."
"Ah, hiding in the space between worlds!"
Enigma instantly understood, turning to survey the shrine before remarking with amusement:
"Quite the cosy little hideout she's found."
In Japan's mystic side, "hell" referred to the realm where Spirit Bodies journey after death.
Unlike True Hell or the Abyss—separate dimensions entirely—this hell generally meant regions that overlapped yet scarcely intersected with reality.
A world accessible only to souls and spirits, hence called the Spirit World in Europe, or the Netherworld in China.
Typically, the gulf between the human world and hell was exceedingly rare, most unstable, a fleeting spark.
Persistent, traversable rifts were the rarest of exceptions, usually controlled by major factions.
Now, discovering such a rare stable rift before her, Enigma felt genuinely pleased.
True, as a half-demon, she might not adapt well to its environment—but that didn't render it worthless.
Selling specialised commodities to those in need was an intermediary's speciality.
Come to think of it, the Familia had such demands.
That Great Yokai, oddly named Senhime Rin Getsu, belonged to an Underworld-dwelling yokai species, while reincarnated yokai like Hagoromo Gitsune thrived best in these interstitial realms.
A quick tally revealed two premium clients.
Naturally, before selling real estate, one must clear out unwanted occupants.
Enigma's eyes glinted as she addressed Ai Enma:
"Ai Enma?"
"Yes." The girl lifted her head in response.
Noticing this, Enigma's lips curled slightly:
"As a Hell Girl, you can open a passage to take me to your former employer, can't you?"
Ai Enma tilted her head slightly, then wordlessly approached the dilapidated torii gate, placing a hand on its moss-covered pillar.
At that moment, an unnaturally frigid sensation brushed over both figures.
"My, my... Finally decided to show yourself?"
Enigma raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression playful as she lifted her gaze to the crumbling plaque above the torii gate, where a spider perched.
At that moment, the spider rubbed its forelimbs together before speaking in human tongue:
"I don't recall giving you permission to open the gates so freely, Ai!"
The accusatory words drew no reaction from Ai Enma, who watched in silence.
The spider wasn't surprised by the girl's silence. Since the transfer of command, disobedience from Ai Enma was expected - after all, she saw herself as nothing more than an obedient doll.
Ignoring Ai Enma, the Three-Eyed Spider slowly crawled to the centre of the plaque, fixing its gaze on Enma:
"I'm curious. After demanding the Hell Girls from me, why are you killing those girls here?"
As it spoke, rustling sounds emerged—the noise of half-rotted branches being crushed underfoot.
The spider watched silently from its perch as one black-clad girl after another emerged smiling from the forest.
Sniffing the breeze carrying what should have been familiar scents now turned unnaturally cold, it sneered:
"I see. You've turned all the Hell Girls I temporarily lent you into your clones?"
"Trying to locate me by exploiting my contracts with them en masse?"
"To think you'd seize everything I merely loaned to you."
"How very greedy!"
"But is it wise to turn on each other before the mission's completion?"
Enigma's face remained wreathed in smiles:
"Who said anything about turning on each other? I merely wanted to discuss something with you."
"Unfortunately, you didn't leave me any means of contact, so I had to resort to... provocative measures to draw you out."
The Three-Eyed Spider gave a cold laugh before asking:
"So what's this grand reason for seeking me out?"
Enigma chuckled lightly, narrowing her eyes at the spider:
"I've got good news and bad news. Which would you like first?"
After a brief silence, the spider asked:
"What's the bad news?"
"The Metropolitan Police Department has uncovered intelligence about our collaborators in Phenex Society through their mole. By my calculations, they've probably already dispatched their muscle-headed fanatics for a purge!"
The Three-Eyed Spider couldn't help but scoff:
"So we've been caught out, have we?"
"Never should have trusted those arrogant fools from Truth Astronomy."
It then asked:
"And the good news?"
Enigma's smile turned knowing:
"It seems a direct descendant of Aldegia Kingdom's royal bloodline has found their way to Japan~"
A heavily sceptical voice immediately responded:
"Are you certain?"