With questions swirling, Morpheus made his way to Kennei High School.
This was where Natsume Takashi studied.
There were online claims that Natsume attended Keita Koubun High School, but Morpheus's search revealed no such school existed in this world.
In this crossover universe, Natsume was at Kennei High School.
Locating the school, Morpheus teleported to its rooftop.
His gaze swept over the campus, taking in every detail with crystalline clarity.
He spotted Natsume Takashi in class.
Expanding his vision, Morpheus encompassed not just the school but the entire town.
No movement escaped his scrutiny.
He quickly located the shrine where Madara was sealed.
But Madara wasn't there. Already freed, he was living as Nyanko-sensei in Natsume's home.
This confirmed that the Natsume's Book of Friends storyline had begun.
However, Morpheus found no trace of Yusaku or Shinichi in the town.
It seemed the father and son had never come here.
Could they have actually gone to summon a demon?
Morpheus's eyes flickered. He sent a message to Kotoko Iwanaga: "Is anyone in Tokyo performing a demon summoning?"
Kotoko, with her surveillance nanomites, had a pulse on everything happening in Tokyo.
If a summoning was underway, she'd know.
"No demon summonings that I'm aware of."
Morpheus was taken aback. Had the Kudos not summoned a demon in Tokyo but gone elsewhere?
He pressed further, "Do you know anything about the whereabouts of Shinichi and Yusaku Kudo?"
Kotoko paused. "Give me a moment to check."
After a brief wait, she responded, "Found them. According to my nanomites, yesterday morning, the two left Tokyo by car."
"Where to?"
"Kuoh Town."
The answer genuinely surprised Morpheus.
He knew Kuoh Town all too well—it was demon territory. Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri, and their peerages operated out of Kuoh Academy.
So, the Kudos hadn't planned to summon demons—they'd gone straight to find them.
But how did they know demons were in Kuoh Town?
Had they deduced it?
Were detectives really that formidable, able to pinpoint a demon enclave through reasoning alone?
Impressive.
Morpheus had to admit he'd underestimated the pair. They were far sharper than he'd given them credit for.
With their destination clear, Morpheus cast a teleportation spell and arrived at Kuoh Academy.
He made no effort to conceal his presence, so his arrival immediately caught Rias Gremory's attention.
Making an excuse to slip out of class, Rias headed to her clubroom, where she found Morpheus sipping tea.
"A rare guest, Lord Morpheus." She sitting across from him with a playful smile. "What brings a figure like you to our humble town?"
Since witnessing Morpheus effortlessly defeat Rizevim in Silent Hill, Rias had recognized his power—greater than her brother's, perhaps rivaling Satan Lucifer.
If he wasn't a major player, who was?
Morpheus, taking the lead, poured her a cup of coffee. "I'm here at a follower's request."
"Followers? You have followers?" Rias asked, surprised.
"Is it so strange that I would?"
"Not exactly, but I thought you didn't need followers," Rias said. She knew Morpheus wasn't a faith-dependent god.
"They're less followers and more like my peerage," Morpheus clarified.
Rias nodded, understanding dawning. "So, what trouble has your follower run into?"
"One of their friends has gone missing," Morpheus explained. "She couldn't find them and asked for my help. After investigating, I learned the friend came to Kuoh Town."
Curious, Rias asked, "What's the friend's name?"
"Shinichi Kudo and his father, Yusaku Kudo."
"The Heisei-era Sherlock Holmes?" A flicker of surprise crossed Rias's eyes.
Morpheus raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"
Rias smiled. "Your follower's friend is quite famous. He's often on TV. It's hard not to know him. But his father, Yusaku Kudo, is even more renowned."
"What you may not know is that Yusaku has a lot of fans in the Underworld."
Morpheus was genuinely caught off guard. "Demons read mystery novels?"
Rias laughed. "We're not illiterate. Good works, whether by Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Tagore, or Gorky, have plenty of fans in the Underworld."
"Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie are also wildly popular."
"Sadly, they're all gone."
"Right now, the hottest mystery writer in the Underworld is Yusaku Kudo."
Morpheus hadn't expected that.
But on reflection, it wasn't so surprising. Not all demons were brutes. Some appreciated human works.
Given their fondness for human souls, it wasn't a stretch that they'd also enjoy human literature—a peculiar kind of affection by extension.
Rias tilted her head. "So, what are the Kudos doing in Kuoh Town?"
"Looking for demons," Morpheus said.
Rias blinked, letting out a confused, "Huh?"
Morpheus elaborated, "Yusaku Kudo crossed a powerful organization and is now marked for death. To fight back, he's seeking powerful allies."
"Somehow, he deduced that demons reside in Kuoh Town. He came here to enlist their aid against that organization."
Rias fell silent for a moment before saying slowly, "That's impressive."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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