I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 181 The Truth Revealed (Not Really)
Fukushima City,
"Help~~"

"Quick, let's go! I'll hold off these evil spirits!"

On the highway leading out of the city, vehicles of all sizes that had collided were blocking the road, and people could only flee on foot like ants.

Behind, on both sides, and in the sky, swarms of evil spirits resembling various corpses drifted. They were not in a hurry to attack the river formed by the confluence of flames, but patiently waited for any lone splash to appear in the river.
This situation is very similar to a pride of lions hunting on the African savanna, driving the herd of cattle, and then swarming in when the old, weak, sick and disabled fall behind!

It's both cruel and realistic.

To the west of Fukushima are the Azuma Mountains, and to the east are the Abukuma Highlands.

It forms a basin: for an island nation covered in mountains and forests, it is already a pretty good 'feng shui treasure land'.

Of course, this city is 'famous' not because it is the seat of Fukushima Prefecture, but because of the 'Fukushima nuclear accident'.

Thirteen years ago, Fukushima Prefecture was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, followed by a tsunami. The earthquake and tsunami devastated the northeastern part of the island nation, killing or leaving about 20000 people missing and displacing tens of thousands.

Meanwhile, the earthquake and tsunami severely impacted the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants.

It was the world's largest operating nuclear power plant at the time. After the leak, in order to mitigate the consequences of the accident, the island nation's government injected large amounts of seawater and fresh water into the reactors, containment vessels, and spent fuel pools of its four units.

Although reactivity was controlled and the fuel was effectively cooled, the problem of handling large amounts of radioactive waste gradually emerged as radioactive waste leaked.

Nobody wanted to take on this hot potato, and it dragged on for more than ten years.

Later they simply discharged it into the sea.
However, the nuclear power plant is located in an industrial area by the sea.

For Fukushima City, which is located inland in Fukushima Prefecture, the distance is actually quite far, and most people don't really care.

But now, terrifying cracks have appeared in the sky, like ugly scars radiating outwards, and 'black rain' keeps falling, transforming into evil spirits that scatter and attack people! It's like... no, this is hell itself!

Until several figures descended from the sky,

"Fire Sky Type: Blazing Inferno!"

The man with the tousled hair pushed off as soon as he landed.

It felt as if landmines had exploded beneath their feet, and the Ten-Headed Demon King Horse had already galloped out, transforming into a straight, raging torrent: its arms outstretched like two scythes.

"Diamond Type - Kamaitachi!"

Puff——

As he raced past, all the evil spirits in his path were cleaved in two by his arms, then seemingly ignited by flames, turning to ashes amidst screams.

?

"So weak,"

The Ten-Headed Serpent King frowned in dissatisfaction as he instantly cleared away the 'evil spirits' from an area.

These ordinary 'evil spirits' are beings that even ordinary people could defeat if they mustered the courage, let alone a martial artist like him who has been through countless battles.

It was so weak that it extinguished at the slightest touch, which greatly disappointed him.

"The most troublesome thing about these 'evil spirits' is that, apart from you extraordinary individuals, other attacks are ineffective against them."

The government's explanation came through the earpiece, to which Toja Onima retorted:
"Isn't it enough to just muster up the courage to defeat them?"

"Hey, you guys!!"

After instantly killing dozens of 'evil spirits', Totsuka Oni-oh Ma looked at the fleeing crowd with displeasure.

"You mere evil spirit, if you're a man, step forward!"

"Don't you even have the courage to protect your wives and daughters?"

? !
"He's an extraordinary being,"

"The government's aid has arrived."

"Everyone, don't panic! Adult males, move to the sides of the line and protect the others!"

Seeing the man who had descended from the sky kill dozens of evil spirits with a wave of his hand, the panicked crowd was immediately roused.

As police officers, firefighters, and other professionals stood on both sides of the procession, more and more people gathered on both sides: not only men, but also young students and elderly people with white hair. With them taking the initiative to defend on both sides, the evil spirit indeed lingered but dared not approach.

After all, with so many 'flames' gathered together, they had formed a 'river,' so ordinary evil spirits naturally dared not approach.

But besides ordinary evil spirits, there are also those that are 'unusual'.

tap tap tap,

Amidst the illusory sound of hooves, a 'warrior' riding a skeletal warhorse, clad in ancient armor, and with a tattered banner on his back, galloped in seemingly out of thin air.

The naginata held high in his hand was aimed at a junior high school student at the edge of the group.

? !
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!
The boy's face turned pale, and he desperately told himself not to be afraid.

But when he thinks like that, he is already 'afraid'.

Wuwuwu——

As the illusory naginata hurtled towards him, the boy instinctively closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of him to block it.

clang,

A similarly illusory metallic clang rang out.

"Once you choose to step onto the battlefield, never close your eyes."

A steady voice rang out, causing the boy to subconsciously open his eyes and see a broad back.

A middle-aged man with a full beard stood in front of him, raising his arm to block the naginata. With his other hand, fingers together, he thrust forward.

puff,

The blade pierced through the 'samurai's' chest as easily as inserting it into tofu.

???

This is clearly a high-end 'evil spirit'.
Looking down at its chest, the skull's face showed a look of astonishment.

"Look the enemy in the eye, look the fear in the eye, and then defeat it."

He pulled back and stabbed again, piercing the 'samurai's' head.

The bearded man's attack was neither flashy nor swift, but it carried a sense of composure.

"Yes!"

As the boy shouted in agreement, the burly man stepped forward, his five fingers joined together in a 'piercing hand', and thrust forward repeatedly. The evil spirits that bared their fangs and claws and pounced at him seemed to be running into his palms, one piercing each one.

"As long as we restrain our 'qi,' we can make them attack us on their own."

As the burly man with the thick beard recounted his discovery, his gaze swept over the countless evil spirits filling the sky.

It doesn't even qualify as a 'wild beast,' it's more like a 'wooden stake.'

But there are too many.

the other side,
The kung fu girl with the bun hairstyle clasped her hands together and caught the naginata that a 'samurai' had swung down in her palms.

"catch,"

With a swift and fluid motion, he disarmed the opponent and moved the weapon to his side.

"change,"

Step forward, and your whole body’s ‘qi’ and muscles pulsate rhythmically, with power originating from your feet, flowing through your legs, stabilizing your waist, and reaching your hands!

"hair!"

With a single palm strike, a white shockwave was unleashed.

Wave!
The surge of spiritual energy instantly pierced the 'warrior's' chest, leaving a hole the size of a washbasin.

"These 'evil spirits' are endless."

The petite kung fu girl raised her eyebrows and looked at the evil spirits that seemed to keep disappearing no matter how many she killed—although they were all superhumans, their killing efficiency was nothing compared to the 'black rain' constantly pouring down from the sky.

Boom boom boom~~
Meanwhile, the muscular man in the latex suit with a slicked-back hairstyle also charged into the horde of evil spirits, seemingly invincible, but with even lower efficiency.

As for Hongo Hime, no one knows where she went.

Hopefully, that Onmyoji 'Yu' can find the key to breaking the deadlock.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Explosive tag, go."

On the giant black bird, class monitor Nao threw out paper doll-shaped 'explosive tags', which exploded and blasted large gaps in the air amidst the flying evil spirits.

"Yu-kun, why is your explosive power..."

"That's because my 'explosive tag' contains spiritual power."

"In other words, any attack with spiritual power can destroy these evil spirits."

Casually answering the island nation's government's question through the earpiece, Yu, standing atop the giant black bird and 'protected' by the class monitor, continued to approach the crack in the sky. "Hmm, this crack, could it be...?"

"What is it?"

A rapid sound came through the headset, along with a group of suppressed, heavy breaths.

You slowly traced a line with her fingers, and one after another, fist-sized, dark-colored birds flew out of thin air.

"Let me confirm first,"

? !
The executives waiting anxiously on the other end of the headset nearly caught their breath.

However, they also understood that they could only rely on Yu-kun now: news came from Osaka that Kafka had stormed into the evil spirits and was virtually invincible. Yet, he was helpless against the cracks in the sky: although he could 'block' the cracks and kill them, if the evil spirits couldn't defeat him, wouldn't they go after ordinary people?

Furthermore, Kafka was a human, not a god. It's hard to say what might happen if he used the demonic power of the great demon 'Ibaraki' for too long.

"Go, enter the inner palace."

As a large number of dark-colored birds flew into the crevice, You pretended to close his eyes and 'perceive'.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Brother,"

Are we... dead?

The old hunter Ishikawa touched his own 'body' while asking questions in confusion.

"It's obvious that we've all become evil spirits."

As the old hunter Fujiwara walked forward, he warily surveyed this unfamiliar land.

The ground was covered with stones, truly barren. In the distance, there were traces of buildings, but they were shadowy and indistinct. It seemed that something was secretly observing them, but when their eyes swept over them, it would swiftly disappear behind the buildings.

"So what is this place? The underworld? Purgatory? Or...?"

"Welcome to Yomotsu Hirasaka."

? !
The two suddenly stopped in their tracks, because a person appeared out of thin air in front of them.

This person wore a plain white hunting robe and plain white finger rings. Beneath a tall white hat, flowing white hair cascaded down his back. His face was as white as snow, and his features possessed an unusual softness. Although his entire body was pure white, his pupils were as red as blood.

The cuffs and trouser hems have flame-like patterns, which at first glance look like traces of blood.

"Who are you, sir?"

Compared to the beings hiding in the shadows of the surrounding buildings, too ashamed to be seen, and the 'evil spirits' they had fought before, this 'person' was far too conspicuous.

No, whether the other party is even a 'person' is another matter.

“My name is ‘Ghost Messenger White’,”

"An envoy from the underworld has been sent to 'Yomi Hirasaka' to cleanse the evil spirits that have accumulated for thousands of years—"

After saying that, the ghostly white-haired figure waved his sleeve.

"Would you like to come and work for me?"

"Privately, you can 'live another life'; publicly, you can save the island nation from its dire straits."

"Are you referring to the cracks in the sky and those evil spirits?"

"clever,"

"Lord Bai, the Ghost Messenger,"

Seeing Lord 'Ghost Messenger White' return,
Jun Kishida, Wataru Tanimura, and Hoshino Tanimura bowed first, then their gazes drifted to what was behind him.

Behind the adult were two elderly men: they looked to be in their fifties or sixties and were dressed like forest rangers, but since they were following the Ghost Messenger Bai, they must not be ordinary people.

"These two are the helpers I recruited."

He was, after all, a fierce man who could fight evil spirits while he was still alive.

After granting them chakra, it is believed that they will be of great benefit in clearing out this 'Yomihirasaka'.

"My lord, that Yamata no Orochi."

Jun Kishida couldn't help but ask, but the Tanimura family seemed indifferent: even if the world were destroyed, it wouldn't concern them. After all, they were all dead; they couldn't control it, nor could they do anything about it.

But Kishida Jun is different; his physical body is still in the real world; he still has family, including Ryoko's mother.

He even planned to spend his life with Ryoko!

If Yamata no Orochi were to enter the mortal world
"Don't panic,"

Gui Shi Bai waved his hand, signaling him to calm down.

"This is the 'Yomihirasaka' (Romance of the Underworld). Apart from those of us from the underworld, no other being—be it a god, a human, a ghost, or a demon—can leave so easily."

Legend has it that even Izanami, the mother of all the gods, could not escape the underworld on her own and had to be rescued by Izanagi. Unfortunately, Izanagi arrived too late, and Izanami had already consumed the food of the underworld, causing her body to corrode.

"While the Yamata no Orochi is indeed a great demon feared even by the gods, to say that it could easily leave the underworld is... hehehe~~"

How can it be!

Given the sheer power of the 'Yamata no Orochi,' it's at least capable of destroying a nation; and with Yu's current strength, unless he uses the Divine Tree, how can he project that kind of power in the real world?
No need.
It's not worth it.

So the script arranged by Yu is:

"The Yamata no Orochi smashed open a rift in the underworld, releasing the evil spirits that have existed for thousands of years into the mortal realm."

“Once people feel fear, dread, or death towards Him, He can gain a continuous source of power, thereby condensing a body in the present world and being resurrected.”

This isn't just empty boasting; it's the origin of the 'Zero-Tails' in the Naruto world.

There was once a village called Sky Village that was destroyed by Konoha. Its leader collected the negative energy emitted by people during the Fourth Shinobi World War and created the tailed beast 'Zero-Tails'.

And that's exactly what Yu is planning to do: A person's mental fluctuations also emit a faint chakra, extremely faint, but after gathering the 'fear' of hundreds of millions of people...
The eight heads of Yamata no Orochi represent: soul, demon, evil, monster, monster, slaughter, spirit, and death. If there is anyone who is the undisputed 'Lord of a Hundred Demons' in Japan, it is definitely Yamata no Orochi. However—He is too powerful and looks down on other demons, monsters, and evil spirits.

"Therefore, the people of the present world must not know that all of this was done by 'Yamata no Orochi'."

Just as 'Ghost Messenger White' was giving instructions to everyone, dark-colored birds flew over from afar.

?

"Come,"

As Gui Shibai reached out his hand, a dark-colored bird immediately perched obediently on his finger.

"The Ashiya family's Onmyoji are trying to find the source of this strange event?"

After sensing the situation slightly, 'Ghost Messenger White' gently raised his hand.

"Go tell your master."

"Everyone,"

After sending the dark-colored birds away, 'Ghost Messenger White' turned to look at the five people and two dogs.

"The Onmyoji, sorcerers, samurai, and governments of the present world are trying to seal the 'Rift to the Underworld.' For the sake of the balance between life and death, would you all be willing to help me?"

"Of course!"

The old hunter Ishikawa was the first to raise his hand, but seeing everyone remain silent, he awkwardly lowered his hand.

Did I say something wrong?

"My lord, whatever you command, none would dare disobey!"

The old hunter Fujiwara knelt down on one knee, bowed his head and said: What's wrong with fighting for another sixty years for the sake of humanity?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Ahri, breathe fire!"

"Tomoe, spit out oil!"

On the shoulders of class monitor Nao, two foxes crouched, one spewing forth billowing oil and the other spitting out raging flames, merging into a giant pillar of fire that swept across the sky, erasing large swaths of the evil spirits.

The two foxes weren't particularly strong, but their 'spells' had a very wide range, making them perfect for dealing with such a large number of weak evil spirits.

Pat, pat, pat,
Several dark-colored birds flew out from the crack and landed on You's fingers.

"Hmm, I see."

You tilted her head to 'listen', then nodded.

"The matter is clear,"

"In the Yomotsu Hirasaka, an ancient being is attempting to travel to the mortal world."

"The current torrential rain of 'evil spirits' is merely a shock caused by Him."

Hearing Yu's words,
The executives on the other end of the headset were all taken aback.

Huangquan Hirazaka? !

(End of this chapter)