December 23.
Kyoto.
At the top of Kyoto Tower, two figures stood on the outer railing of the observation deck.
Three hundred meters below, the streets were still bustling with people.
Tourists held up their phones to take pictures, couples walked arm in arm across crosswalks, and students in school uniforms picked out drinks outside a convenience store.
Everything was just as it always was. No one looked up at the two figures atop the tower who were so out of place.
But the vast majority of people could not see the two of them anyway.
Huojin stood on the pointed tip of the railing.
He watched the crowd below, his face showing the pure, excited interest of a child watching a line of ants.
"Soon..."
His voice carried a lively anticipation he could not suppress.
"This place will become a battlefield."
He turned his head and glanced at the floating, jellyfish-like creature beside his feet.
Dagon huddled beside Huojin's feet, his translucent body swaying slightly in the wind, his tentacles moving gently. He looked timid.
Huojin turned his gaze back to the sea of people below.
"Dagon."
"I can hardly wait to see it."
The Cursed Energy core in his chest began to stir, like burning coals tumbling in the wind.
"The sight of those humans being corroded by nuclear energy."
Dagon shrank back slightly.
His voice was slow and hoarse, as though it had just been dragged out of the water.
"N-no, we can't."
"Huojin."
"Hanami and Kenjaku... won't let us interfere."
His tentacles twisted together uneasily.
"Isn't Kenjaku planning to seize that Suguru Geto's body?"
"He'll scold us."
When Huojin heard Kenjaku's name, the curve of his lips instantly flattened a little before rising again, but this time his smile held a chill.
"Why should we listen