[107] This is a Trap

Yet, as he ventured deeper, something felt off. There were no signs of a Relic or any other mystical object around—only an eerie silence.

"Something's wrong…" he muttered quietly, his eyes sweeping across the room with caution. But before he could react further, he sensed swift movements closing in around him.

In an instant, dark shadows emerged from the hidden corners of the warehouse, encircling him from all sides. These weren't agents from the Onmyo Bureau—Towako recognized their rougher, deadlier aura. They were members of the Nine Child Naga Association, the supernatural crime syndicate he and Kaoru had been investigating.

"Damn…" Towako muttered internally, realizing he had just walked into a trap. His uncle had sent him straight into the hands of the enemy.

One of them, a large man with sharp, crimson-glowing eyes, stepped forward with a smirk. "Towako, the grandson of Abe Yumei, huh? We've been waiting for you," he said, his deep voice echoing in the empty warehouse.

Towako took a step back, adopting a defensive stance. "So, it's a trap… You're working for Koso, aren't you?" he asked sharply.

The man let out a short laugh, his voice reverberating off the walls. "Koso? Yeah, you could say that. He has big ambitions and knows how to eliminate obstacles. And you, Towako, are one of those obstacles."

Towako exhaled deeply, trying to steady himself. In a situation like this, his only options were to fight or escape. But surrounded by so many enemies and in such a secluded location, running wasn't a realistic option.

"I have no choice but to fight," he murmured, channeling his spiritual energy.

Towako recited a quick incantation, and a circle of radiant light flared to life around his body, creating an energy barrier. "You're not getting what you want from me," he said with determined resolve. "If I fall, I'll make sure you can't use me or go against the Onmyo Bureau."

The large man smiled, raising his hand to signal his subordinates. "Good. Let's see just how strong an Onmyo Bureau agent really is."

The battle in the darkness began. Towako swiftly moved his hands, forming ancient Onmyoji symbols in the air that summoned small orbs of blue and golden energy. Each orb shot toward his enemies, creating small explosions upon impact. But there were too many of them, and the relentless counterattacks began to wear him down.

In the dark, shadow-filled warehouse, the sounds of clashing energy and the shouts of battle echoed, shattering the silence of the night. Towako moved quickly, dodging attack after attack from all directions. Each member of the Nine Child Naga Association surrounding him moved like shadows, making it difficult to predict where the next strike would come from.

Towako poured all his spiritual energy into forming a light shield around him, but his enemies didn't relent. A deadly red fireball shot from his right, grazing his energy shield and breaking part of it. He quickly stepped back, chanting another spell to rebuild the protective layer before him. But the attacks were coming faster than he could block.

One agent leaped from behind him, dark energy-coated claws swinging straight toward Towako's back. The claws managed to tear through his defenses, scratching his shoulder and forcing him forward. Pain shot through his body, but he quickly stood again, breathing heavily as blood seeped from the open wound.

"They're really well-trained," Towako thought with gritted teeth, his eyes filled with steely determination. "If this keeps up, I'm going to…"

However, he couldn't finish his thought, as another opponent—a woman with long red hair—stepped forward with a cold smile. She raised her hand, and black energy flowed from her fingers, forming a dark magic circle in the air. The circle spun rapidly, creating a wave of energy that swirled like a vortex.

"Give up, Towako," the woman taunted. "Fight as hard as you want, but the end result will be the same. We're not here just to defeat you—we're here to destroy the Onmyo Bureau and your family's entire legacy."

Towako clenched his teeth, his eyes blazing with anger. "Never!" With a swift movement, he chanted another spell, forming a spear of energy that glowed bright blue at his fingertips. The energy spear shot straight toward the woman's dark magic circle.

But just as it neared its target, another member of the Nine Child Naga swung a massive black-energy-laden sword, cleaving the spear effortlessly. A small explosion erupted in the air, pushing Towako back a few steps. His breathing grew more labored as his strength began to drain from the constant attacks.

Sensing his weakness, the agents grew bolder, closing in on him with layered attacks imbued with dark magic and energy. Towako was quickly overwhelmed—their numbers and strength far exceeded his expectations. Each time he struck with his spiritual attacks, his enemies evaded or struck back faster.

From the right, a tall man with a sadistic grin launched an attack using a dark energy-coated spiked chain. Towako tried to sidestep, but the chain moved faster, wrapping tightly around his legs and bringing him down to the ground. Sharp pain radiated from his legs as the spikes dug into his skin.

Towako gasped, struggling to break free, but the pain was draining his strength.

"Now we'll see how strong the Abe Yumei bloodline really is," the man sneered, pulling on the spiked chain to drag Towako closer to them. Victorious smiles lit up their faces as they gathered around him, as if they were only waiting for the final moment to crush him.

But Towako didn't give up. With his free hand, he muttered a spell under his breath, channeling his last bit of energy to ignite the chain in a blaze of blue spiritual fire, forcing the man to let go with a furious scream.

But that moment was enough for another enemy—the red-haired woman who had been taunting him—to launch a final attack. She raised her hand to the sky, forming a triangle of black energy that gathered at her fingertip.

"You've lost, Towako," she said coldly. "This is the end for the Onmyo Bureau."

A beam of dark energy shot toward Towako, who was still struggling to stand, too exhausted to dodge. In an instant, it struck him hard, driving him to the cold warehouse floor. Blood streamed from the wound on his arm as he gasped for air.

In the dark, as consciousness began to fade, Towako lay helpless on the warehouse floor. His vision blurred, and his mind filled with deep regret. Regret over his harsh treatment of Abe Yumei, his grandfather, whom he had always blamed for his father's death. Towako had always seen his grandfather as a cold man, one who would sacrifice his family for his duty. But now, with his life hanging by a thread, Towako realized he might have been too selfish, too stubborn to listen to the explanations his grandfather had tried to offer.