Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

Page 573

"Hehe, Shuten-dōji, my dear friend, I'm coming to you right now..."

Ibaraki-dōji suddenly couldn't help but speak, captivated.

Kousaka Kyosuke was silent.

Kagura, standing beside her, remained as quiet as ever, her little face expressionless.

Hikigaya, Ayanokouji, and their group, who were already saying goodbye to Kousaka Kyosuke and preparing to leave, simply pretended not to see them.

"This is clearly more than just ordinary affection, isn't it?"

Hachiman turned and left, inwardly complaining.

He didn't think much about matters of the heart.

Even now, he still clearly remembers how Ibaraki-dōji wiped out a large group of excellent barrier Onmyoji as soon as he appeared.

It is said that they were among the most outstanding Genji Onmyoji.

Looking back now, Hikigaya understands that he might not actually be able to resist the barriers set up by those Onmyoji.

Ibaraki-dōji defeated a group of people in a fit of rage...

Even though he lost his right hand, Hachiman hasn't become much stronger!

Ibaraki-dōji has become weaker, and even if I become stronger, I still can't withstand a serious punch from him.

This is a very powerless and cruel fact.

Suddenly noticing that Hannya was acting strangely, Hikigaya gently patted him on the shoulder.

A blush immediately spread across Prajna's beautiful face.

"...It's nothing, I'm just a little envious of Ibaraki-dōji's ability to express his feelings so passionately."

"It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."

Hachiman's heart tightened inexplicably, and he said dryly.

Others were used to it.

Horikita Manabu, who had heard rumors about Hikigaya, looked exactly like everyone else.

And they gradually figured out the situation.

"The barrier around Kyoto seems to have weakened at some point, and we can now see some yokai that are weaker than humans from time to time."

"In that case, Ibaraki-dōji, that powerful yokai, should be able to enter easily as well."

In an instant, Horikita Manabu, like Kousaka Kyosuke, deduced that Ibaraki-dōji's only purpose was to find Shuten-dōji.

As for why Shuten-dōji, who was supposedly dead after having his head cut off, is still alive.

It's likely that he's been resurrected.

Thinking about all this, Horikita Manabu felt as if a whole new world had been unveiled, revealing a mysterious corner of it.

Compared to the tedious and boring tasks of the past, this current critical and thrilling experience has actually invigorated Horikita Manabu.

"I need to intensify my training during this period..."

A thought flashed through Horikita Manabu's mind.

Ayanokouji, who had been carefully observing Horikita's expression, felt a renewed sense of pressure.

Although Horikita Gakuyu's improvement should make his future much easier, it's estimated that even the head of the family, Kousaka Kyosuke, will be drawn to him.

This is bad, very bad.

Of course, we must firmly refuse to trip each other up, because our interests are aligned, and it would be foolish to do so.

"Fortunately, Shizuko is very favored." That was the only way Ayanokouji could console himself for the time being.

Having gone through so much, Ayanokouji has a more intuitive understanding of herself.

Knowing that he wasn't particularly capable in politics, he figured it was better to honestly use his achievements to get promoted.

Because of his younger sister, Kyosuke Kosaka would also try to secure various political resources for him.

This is already a great thing.

Asking for more is being greedy...

Yes, he has a nice younger sister.

Suddenly, Ayanokouji felt something was wrong again—Horikita Manabu had a younger sister!

Could it be... Oh, I get it!

He actually overlooked something like this; that was a real blunder.

For some reason, Ayanokouji felt a sense of closeness towards Horikita Manabu.

Horikita Manabu felt a strange stiffness in his body and immediately realized that he needed to continue to improve his physical fitness.

Now that we have the opportunity, we absolutely cannot miss any of it!

Skip over the thoughts of Ayanokoji and Hikigaya's group.

Kyosuke Kosaka is having Kagura use magic to search for Shuten-dōji's whereabouts.

"I see... The miasma on Shuten-dōji's body is indeed suitable for confirming his location."

Ibaraki-dōji rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

Kyosuke Kosaka's lips twitched: "This is possible because there is no miasma in or around Kyoto. It might not be suitable in other places."

I must say, Kyoto is really a great place.

Because most areas in Japan, except for Kyoto and its surrounding areas, have many miasma-affected regions.

If ordinary people come into contact with it, they will inevitably fall ill or die.

No wonder officials would cry and weep incessantly and write their wills after being demoted or exiled.

Not only are there countless monsters on the road, but the environment is also harsh, making the probability of death too high.

Even among those who went to the state to serve as officials or clerks, nearly half died from illness.

The reason? It's inextricably linked to miasma.

Miasma, on the other hand, is sometimes produced by the natural environment.

Some monsters also generate their own gas, similar to human exhaled waste gas, which can also be used as a means of attack.

The more powerful the monster, the stronger the miasma it generates, enough to bring terrible disaster to a corner of the land.

Shuten-dōji was naturally among them.

However, Shuten-dōji is a great demon, and he generally wouldn't act recklessly like that.

The problem is, he drinks!

Who knows how much miasma they might release and cause trouble when they get drunk?

In the end, it will most likely be necessary for Kousaka Kyosuke himself to use magic to exorcise it.

According to Kyosuke Kosaka's estimate.

The miasma unintentionally generated by Shuten-dōji will not only affect the environment, but also cause considerable damage to farmland.

Areas like Black Night Mountain and Seven Corners Mountain have too much miasma, and the land is polluted.

It wouldn't be surprising if any plant that can grow turned into a monster one day!

"Kyosuke, I found some rather unusual miasma on the edge of the Eight Great Roads. It has a strange smell of alcohol."

"Hehehe... That's right, this is definitely Shuten-dōji! He likes to drink! That's one of the things that makes him so attractive."

"Then let's go find it quickly."

"What? Don't you want to hear more about Shuten-dōji's merits? This is a chance to get to know the Demon King of Mount Ōe up close."

"I think you should first try to further conceal your aura. Do you have a way to do that?"

"a piece of cake!"

Ibaraki-dōji snorted coldly, and his demonic aura instantly diminished considerably.

Kousaka Kyosuke was speechless.

He thought to himself, "Only the oni of Mount Oe would like to hear you talk about Shuten-dōji's good points..."

Knowing that saying it would only upset Ibaraki-dōji, Kōsaka Kyōsuke naturally kept quiet.

In his view, when Orochi causes trouble for Kyoto in the future, he will inevitably include Mount Oe as well.

Without the leadership of Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji, the Oni clan of Mount Ōe was a disorganized mess.

With these two great demons leading the way, they were a terrifying force even more frightening than human armies!

No wonder Minamoto no Yorimitsu always wanted to kill Ibaraki-dōji, the demon king.

But no matter what, it will definitely be a boost in the future.

Unless Orochi doesn't mess with Mount Ooe when he's causing trouble, unfortunately Orochi loves a lot of excitement.

I was thinking about this as I traveled.