Chapter 15:The Ghost in the Mask

Denzan felt the weight of Thoma's words settle over the room like a thick fog. He exchanged a glance with the Traveler, then pulled the mask fully into view.

"Then whose is it?" he asked.

Thoma hesitated. His usual easygoing demeanor was gone, replaced by something more serious—guarded. He took a slow breath, then gestured for them to follow him.

"Not here," he said. "Too many ears."

—

They slipped out of Warehouse 6 and into the night, moving through the quieter parts of the docks until they reached a small storage shed tucked between two abandoned buildings. Thoma unlocked the door, stepping inside first. The dim glow of a lantern illuminated a space cluttered with old crates, fishing nets, and a small table.

Once the door was shut behind them, Thoma turned to face the group.

"That mask," he said, nodding at Denzan's coat, "belonged to someone who shouldn't exist anymore."

Paimon crossed her arms. "Okay, that sounds way too ominous."

Thoma exhaled. "It used to belong to a Kitsune of the Yashiro Commission. A guardian, of sorts." His eyes flicked to Denzan. "Ever heard of the 'Fox of the Forgotten Shrine'?"

Denzan frowned. "Can't say I have."

The Traveler, however, shifted slightly. "I have."

Denzan raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

The Traveler nodded. "An old story from Inazuma. A Kitsune who disappeared centuries ago. Some say she left willingly. Others say she was erased."

Thoma nodded. "And that mask? It's proof that she wasn't just a legend."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Denzan studied the mask again. The markings, the craftsmanship—it wasn't just ceremonial. It had purpose. He could feel something in the air around it, a faint hum just beyond his senses, like distant thunder.

Renshin finally spoke. "So, what? Some spirit wants it back?"

Thoma shook his head. "I don't know. But if Tomoe sent you after it, then he either doesn't realize what it is… or he does, and that's the real problem."

Denzan scowled. "Then we need answers."

Thoma crossed his arms. "Yeah. And I know exactly who can give them to us."

The room waited for him to finish the thought.

Finally, Thoma smirked. "We're paying a visit to the Grand Narukami Shrine."

After the discussion,they head out to the Grand Narukami Shrine.

The climb to the Grand Narukami Shrine was long, winding, and filled with the distant hum of insects in the trees. Lanterns flickered along the path, their warm glow barely cutting through the deep blue of the night.

Denzan adjusted his coat, feeling the weight of the kitsune mask hidden inside. "So, you really think the Shrine Maiden will have answers?"

Thoma, walking ahead, nodded. "If anyone does, it's Lady Yae. She knows everything about the Kitsune and their history."

Paimon huffed. "Great. Another fox with too many secrets."

The Traveler gave her a look, but she only crossed her arms in response.

Renshin, keeping pace beside Denzan, murmured, "I don't like this. Feels too… quiet."

Denzan didn't disagree. Even with the usual sounds of nature around them, something about the night felt off. As if the world was holding its breath.

They continued upward, the massive torii gates casting long shadows in the moonlight. The higher they climbed, the stronger the feeling grew—a static charge in the air, like the lingering presence of a storm.

When they finally reached the shrine courtyard, the tension snapped.

A figure stood waiting for them.

Not Yae Miko.

Not a Shrine Maiden.

But a woman clad in deep violet robes, her fox mask obscuring her face, save for the sharp gleam of her golden eyes.

She was waiting for them.

Denzan's hand drifted toward his katana. "You expecting guests, Thoma?"

Thoma's jaw tightened. "No. Stay sharp."

The woman didn't move. She simply lifted a hand—slow, deliberate—and spoke.

"You have something that does not belong to you."

Her voice was calm, but the weight behind it was undeniable. The air around them grew heavier.

Denzan slowly pulled the mask from his coat. "You mean this?"

The moment the porcelain caught the moonlight, the atmosphere shifted. The shrine's sacred sakura trees rustled without wind. The lantern flames flickered unnaturally.

The woman took a single step forward. "Return it."

Paimon shrank back. "P-Paimon doesn't like this…"

The Traveler instinctively reached for their weapon. Thoma's fingers twitched near his polearm.

Denzan, however, held his ground. He narrowed his eyes, tilting the mask slightly in his hand.

"Not so fast," he said. "You know what this is. Tell me why Tomoe wanted it first."

The woman's golden eyes bore into him. For a moment, there was silence. Then—

A sharp wind howled through the shrine. The lanterns snapped out.

The woman vanished.

And then—

A whisper at Denzan's ear.

Too close. Too sudden.

"Foolish child," the voice murmured.

Cold claws of energy gripped his wrist, and the world lurched.

Darkness swallowed them whole