It is already late at night, and the streets of Kyoto are quiet. Compared to the bustling nightlife of Tokyo, this historic city is relatively peaceful.
On these deserted streets, a father and daughter are walking briskly side by side. The father is dressed in a black and white traditional outfit, with a large ancient wooden bow strapped to his back and a quiver hanging from his waist, though it only contains a few arrows. The daughter, walking beside him, is wearing a red and white outfit and also carries a smaller wooden bow on her back. She has a quiver filled with more arrows, matching the size of her bow, which is significantly smaller than her father's.
This father and daughter are Itō Jinran and Itō Tomono. They are appearing on the streets late at night to make their way to the Koga residence.
Unfortunately, neither of them can drive or have a driver's license, so they cannot directly go to their destination. In order to avoid involving a taxi driver in their mission, they chose to get off on a main road about ten minutes away from their target location.
They are on this journey at the command of Manranyama Soren, to disrupt Bai Yaxin's assassination plan. Since Manranyama Soren split from Manranyama Uminari and left the Manranyama family, there have been some changes within the organization, including changes in affiliation and structure. The allegiance of the Itō father and daughter is part of these changes.
Because the Manranyama camp is still relatively weak, they received news of Bai Yaxin's activities from a distance, a step behind. However, even so, Manranyama Soren wants to do everything they can. That's why Itō Jinran and Itō Tomono are here right now.
Their mission is to protect the surviving Koga Mizuo from Bai Yaxin's influence. When they arrive at the residential area where Koga's house is located, everything seems normal, without any sorrow due to the death of Koga Shii or trembling anticipation of the upcoming murder.
"(Should we go in directly...?)" Ito Tomono asks her father in a low voice, seeking his opinion. It is her first formal mission, and she is a bit stiff and nervous.
"Well, let's go in cautiously, first assess the situation," Itō Jinran responds. But after walking a few steps, he suddenly reaches out and stops Ito Tomono. Because he has spotted someone in the distance.
Ito Tomono doesn't ask any questions and immediately follows her father's line of sight to see a young woman in her early twenties. She doesn't know who this woman is, but seeing Itō Jinran's reaction, she's most likely one of Bai Yaxin's people.
"(Father, what should we do?)" Ito Tomono asks in a hushed voice.
"(This woman is called Hakuhe, a spy under Bai Yaxin. She doesn't have much combat ability. You stay here as long-distance support, just in case she has other teammates for backup.)" Itō Jinran replies in a low voice. After saying this, he hands his daughter the longbow and quiver.
"(But I'm not confident in providing support from this distance...)"
Ito Tomono lacks the confidence to not harm her father.
"(What am I saying, even if I were shot by my own daughter, I would die without regrets.)"
Leaving behind these words, Ito Tomono silently followed behind Hagane, neither too close nor too far away.
