Chapter 924: Oni Gate

Kyoto was busy that afternoon, but not enough to prevent Ada from noticing the difference between that part of the city and the places she usually visited. As she and Raphaeline approached Fushimi Inari Taisha, the urban noise gradually faded, replaced by the sound of footsteps on stone, the quiet conversations of tourists, and the movement of the trees surrounding the complex. Neither of them attracted any particular attention. Dressed simply, with perfectly ordinary human appearances, they looked like nothing more than an Asian mother and daughter visiting one of Japan’s most famous shrines.

Ada had been walking beside Raphaeline for several minutes when she finally decided to ask the question that had been bothering her since they left the mansion.

"Why exactly did you want to come before Vergil?" she asked, discreetly adjusting the strap of her bag. "If he’s going to look for Musashi anyway, wouldn’t it be easier to just wait and come with him?"

Raphaeline let out a tired sigh before answering.

"Because I’d like to avoid a war."

Ada turned toward her mother.

"You say that as if it’s inevitable."

"With Vergil, nothing is ever inevitable. That’s exactly the problem." Raphaeline kept her eyes on the path ahead, where the first red torii gates were beginning to dominate the trail. "He could go in, speak normally with Musashi, be told no, and come home. Or he could meet some arrogant Oni along the way, get provoked, respond, have someone recognize Mjölnir, figure out who he is, and turn a simple visit into a diplomatic incident."

Ada thought for a few seconds.

"Yeah."

Raphaeline glanced sideways at her.

"You were supposed to disagree."

"I know my husband."

"Exactly."

Ada let out a small laugh before continuing to walk.

"So you’re coming to prepare the ground."

"More or less. I also have a favor to collect." Raphaeline ran her fingers through her hair, clearly not particularly pleased about having to make that visit. "If I can talk to a few people before Vergil shows up, maybe everyone will behave."

"Including him?"

Raphaeline took a few seconds to answer.

"Don’t exaggerate."

Ada laughed again.

The two reached the main gate and slowed down. Raphaeline raised her face toward one of the fox statues standing at the entrance to the complex. The stone animal held a key in its mouth, a symbol Ada had seen before, but one that seemed to catch her mother’s attention in particular this time.

Raphaeline stared at the statue for several seconds.

Then she let out a long sigh.

Ada noticed.

"We haven’t been here since Grandma died."

Raphaeline remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"I know."

Her answer was quieter than usual.

Ada did not press her.

They passed through the gate and continued along the main path without hurry. The number of visitors meant no one paid them any special attention. To anyone observing from the outside, they were simply two women visiting the shrine, occasionally stopping in front of a structure, looking at signs, or following the flow of tourists.

As they continued, the torii became increasingly numerous.

Hundreds of them formed red corridors along the mountain trails, creating an almost continuous sequence of gates. Light passed through the narrow spaces between the structures and cast irregular bands across the stone path. Ada walked a few steps behind Raphaeline, observing the names engraved into the pillars and vaguely remembering the last time she had been there.

Back then, everything had seemed different.

Maybe because she had been younger.

Maybe because she had been too sad to truly pay attention.

After some time, they left the busier trail and followed a side route where there were fewer tourists. Raphaeline seemed to know the path perfectly, turning down small stairways and crossing corridors until they reached a quieter area partially hidden by vegetation.

There was a small altar there.

It was not particularly impressive compared to the shrine’s main structures. It was old, simple, and secluded enough that few people bothered to stop in front of it.

Raphaeline stopped.

Ada did the same.

For several seconds, neither of them said anything.

Then Raphaeline brought her hands together, clapped twice, and bowed briefly.

Ada repeated the gesture.

It was exactly the same ritual they had performed many years ago.

Raphaeline remained bowed for a little longer before finally raising her face.

"Things worked out," she said quietly. "It took a while, but they worked out."

Ada did not interrupt.

Raphaeline looked at the altar.

"I know I wasn’t exactly a good daughter while you were alive." She paused briefly and let out an almost embarrassed sigh. "Actually, I was probably pretty difficult."

Ada discreetly tilted her head.

Raphaeline continued.

"I disappeared for a long time, made stupid decisions, didn’t show up when I should have, and probably made you worry far more than you deserved."

Ada remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she brought her hands together again and spoke with absolute seriousness.

"Grandma, fortunately Mom finally got her life together after stealing her own daughter’s husband."

Raphaeline slowly turned her head.

Ada maintained a serious expression.

"Did you just say that in front of her?"

"She deserves to know."

Raphaeline smacked Ada on the head.

"Stop lying!"

Ada immediately placed a hand over the spot that had been hit.

"Ow!"

"I didn’t steal anyone."

"You share my husband."

"Exactly. We share him."

"That’s still weird."

Raphaeline crossed her arms.

"You share him too."

Ada fell silent for a moment.

"That’s not the point."

"That’s exactly the point."

Ada tried to suppress her laughter.

Raphaeline looked back at the altar and shook her head.

"She’s still as much of a liar as ever. Don’t believe half of what she says."

Ada bowed again.

"I only tell the facts."

"You invent half the facts."

The argument could have continued for several more minutes, but a woman’s voice came from behind them before Ada could find another provocation.

"You’re still as young as ever, little Raphaeline."

Raphaeline closed her eyes.

Her sigh was so long that Ada immediately realized she knew that voice.

"How long have you been standing there?"

Ada turned around.

A woman stood a few meters behind them.

At first glance, she looked like nothing more than an extraordinarily beautiful Japanese woman, perhaps an actress or model from some historical production. She possessed a natural elegance that was difficult to ignore, with carefully arranged dark hair, refined posture, and a face that seemed to remain perfectly youthful despite the far greater maturity reflected in her eyes.

Raphaeline finally turned around.

"You still appear out of nowhere, just like always." She placed one hand on her hip and studied the newcomer. "How are you, Okuni?"

The woman smiled.

"Well enough."

Ada discreetly looked from her mother to the stranger.

Okuni seemed to notice and shifted part of her attention toward Ada, though she continued speaking to Raphaeline.

"Takemura still spends much of his time complaining about the mortal world through poetry."

Raphaeline raised an eyebrow.

"Still?"

"My husband is far too annoying."

"That hasn’t changed in a few hundred years?"

"Some people are consistent."

Ada could no longer contain her curiosity.

"Mom."

Raphaeline looked at her.

"Who is she?"

Raphaeline blinked, as though she had completely forgotten that Ada would not know the woman.

"Ah. Right."

Okuni crossed her arms, amused.

Raphaeline continued.

"We practically stopped coming here after your grandmother died, so I never thought it was necessary to introduce you."

She pointed toward the woman.

"This is Izumo no Okuni. She’s an old friend and one of the people with considerable influence in the Oni Gate." Raphaeline paused briefly before adding, "And, to put it very simply, she’s a very important actress."

Ada went completely still.

Then she looked at Okuni again.

"Wait."

The woman smiled.

Ada narrowed her eyes.

"Izumo no Okuni?"

"Yes."

"That Izumo no Okuni?"

Okuni tilted her head slightly.

"I generally enjoy it when people ask that question."

Ada stared at her for several seconds.

"You’re a historical figure."

"So they say."

Ada looked genuinely surprised.

Okuni let out a small laugh.

"That’s an unexpected reaction. Usually people don’t recognize me even when I literally tell them my name."

"How does someone not recognize you?"

"Because almost no one expects a historical figure to still be walking around."

She shrugged.

"Besides, people forget one detail."

Okuni raised one hand and pointed toward her own forehead.

Two small black horns appeared there.

Ada blinked.

They remained visible for only a few seconds before disappearing again.

"I’m an Oni."

Ada looked at Raphaeline.

Her mother shrugged as though that were perfectly normal.

"You never mentioned that."

"You never asked."

"How was I supposed to ask whether Izumo no Okuni was an Oni?"

"Fair point."

Okuni laughed.

Raphaeline then stepped a little closer to her.

"Do you have time?"

"Depends."

"I want to talk."

"That sounds dangerous."

"I also want tea."

Okuni became thoughtful.

"And maybe ramen."

Her expression immediately improved.

"Now you’re speaking my language."

Raphaeline smiled.

"So?"

Okuni nodded.

"Of course."

Ada was still planning to ask where exactly they were going to eat when she noticed the change.

There was no visible portal.

No magic circle.

No sound.

Only a slight distortion.

The air seemed to fold around them, and Ada suddenly felt dizzy, as though her sense of balance had been taken away for an instant. She instinctively closed her eyes and brought one hand to her head.

When she opened them again, Fushimi Inari was gone.

Ada stood completely still.

The place around them still looked Japanese, but it was clearly not Kyoto.

The sky had an unusual coloration, far more fantastical than the ordinary blue of the human world. Soft shades of violet, orange, and gold blended across the horizon, even though the sun remained visible above them. Curiously, the sunlight was weak, as though that dimension had been created to maintain constant brightness without the aggressive heat of an ordinary day.

Ahead of them stretched a broad stone road.

Buildings with Japanese architecture lined both sides, some extremely traditional and others blending elements Ada had never seen in any human city. Spiritual lanterns floated near the rooftops, small multi-tailed foxes walked among people without attracting attention, and an enormous Oni-like creature carried boxes on its shoulders while casually talking to a woman with feline ears.

Farther away, mountains surrounded much of the horizon.

Temples built along the slopes could be seen between dense forests, while enormous torii marked different paths throughout the city.

Ada needed several seconds to process everything.

A woman with two tails walked past them.

Then a man with small horns.

Then something that looked like a Kappa child carrying a shopping bag.

Ada finally looked at Okuni.

"Where are we?"

Okuni turned toward her as though the question were incredibly obvious.

"Where else?"

She spread her arms slightly, presenting the world around them.

"We’re in the Oni Gate."

Ada continued looking around.

Raphaeline let out a small sigh and started walking.

"Let’s eat first."

Ada was still processing the existence of an entire city filled with creatures that, in the human world, were treated as folklore.

"Mom."

Raphaeline did not stop.

"Yes?"

Ada pointed toward a three-tailed Kitsune crossing the street while holding a phone.

"She’s using an iPhone."

Raphaeline looked.

"Yes."

"A Kitsune."

"Yes."

"Using an iPhone."

Okuni started laughing.

Raphaeline looked at her daughter with a calm expression.

"What did you expect? That they’d still send letters by raven?"

Ada fell silent.

Then she looked back at the Kitsune.

"I don’t know."

Okuni walked past her and gave her shoulder a friendly pat.

"Relax. After a few hours, you’ll stop finding it strange."

Ada followed the two of them.

"I seriously doubt that."

Okuni merely smiled.

"Every human says that the first time."