Several days later, central Bihar, India.
The sky was neither fully dark nor fully light. An old train rumbled across the wilderness. Inside a shabby, worn sleeper carriage, Samael traced several marks with his fingers, reinforcing the Magic Barrier to block out the faint curry smell and teeth-grinding noises from the neighboring carriage. Then he lowered his head and continued reading the Diamond Sutra in his hands.
As the pages rustled, little Yang Guifei, who should have been sleeping in the upper bunk, crawled into Samael's arms. Like a little rabbit sleeping in a pile of hay, she curled up and fell into a deep sleep while hugging one of Samael's arms. A light, happy smile filled her sweet face, as though she was having another pleasant dream.
Across from them, a Fox Spirit dressed in a traditional Indian sari glanced at the ticket stub in her hand and the seat that had been occupied, then ground her teeth in frustration.
Tch. I'd barely blocked one, and another one showed up.
While grumbling inwardly, Tamamo no Mae looked up at Hinako Akuta in the upper bunk. On the surface, Hinako was reading, but every now and then, she secretly glanced toward the lower bunk across from her. Tamamo no Mae could not help grumbling to herself again.
Why are Fox Spirits so competitive these days? Do they have to fight for the job too...?
"Woo—!"
The whistle let out a long cry, and the train seemed to slow down.
Samael looked through the window, frosted with a thin layer of ice. In the pitch-black night, only faint lights flickered in the cold air.
"Get ready. We're almost there."
The two people in the opposite bunks, who had not slept at all, swiftly got up and packed their simple belongings. Before