I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 182 Temptation and Fear

"The Underworld."

The voice in the headset was intermittent and trembling, unlike that of a high-ranking cabinet official.

"That is, it's where people go after they die."

"if not?"

Yu interrupted the conversation of the high-ranking cabinet officials on the island.

"The origins of these evil spirits scattered all over the ground are quite obvious."

The breathing on the other end of the headset was even heavier, and without even looking, one could imagine the fearful yet eager faces of those high-ranking cabinet officials from the island.

Huangquan Hirazaka!
Why are people so afraid of death?
Of course, it's because after death, there's nothing left: dreams, family, love, career.
But knowing that there is a 'Yellow Springs' after death can actually make people lose their fear of the 'unknown': no ​​matter what tortures await there, it's better than 'emptiness', right? After all, even the lowest level of hell, 'Avici Hell', is nothing but nothingness.

"Yu-kun, do you know any way to remain in the Yellow Springs?"

"Ahem, let's not stray from the topic."

A voice interrupted someone's instinctive question.

Who is the 'ancient being' who released the evil spirits of the underworld?

Yu smiled slightly at the question from the island nation's prime minister over the earpiece.

"can not say."

?

"If you know the name of that being, His power will increase out of thin air: of course, if you insist."

"No, no, no, when it comes to matters of the extraordinary, Yu-kun is the expert. We will listen to you."

The island nation's prime minister on the other end of the headset adopted a very humble posture.

Since this Onmyoji has said so, there must be a reason: there are countless stories throughout history of high-ranking officials who were repeatedly warned against by Onmyoji, yet insisted on investigating out of curiosity, only to bring trouble upon themselves. Besides:
What ancient beings could exist in the Yellow Springs?
That's too much!
Starting with the famous 'Izanami', Kagutsuchi, Tenwaka no Hiji, and Okizuhime.
Many gods have died in the island nation, and these were all high-ranking ones: they died at the hands of even stronger gods: Kagutsuchi died at the hands of Izanagi, Ame-no-Wakahiko died at the hands of Amaterasu, and Okita Tsuhime was killed by Susanoo.

Regardless of who these 'gods' are, if they are the masterminds behind the scenes, how do these ordinary old men and women in the island's cabinet plan to fight against them, even if they know their identities?
Besides, Yu-kun has already said that knowing the other party's name will increase their strength.
Not listening, not seeing, and not knowing are also forms of protection.

"Does Your Excellency possess a method to seal this?"

"There are spells that can seal the rift to the underworld. But—"

The sudden change in tone sent the island's cabinet, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, into a panic again.

"I'm just an Onmyoji, how could I possess such immense spiritual power?"

?

"Can we use someone else's spiritual power instead?"

Yu stroked his chin in response to the Prime Minister's suggestion.

"It's not impossible."

“In this way, I will set up a barrier, and then you will have the extraordinary beings send spiritual power into the barrier: in this way, we should be able to temporarily suppress the Yellow Springs Rift.”

It's only temporary. As for what the 'future' will be like, how could a mere 'Onmyoji' possibly know?

"Then, I will begin setting up the barrier."

"Alas, what can I do? I'm too kind-hearted to bear seeing people suffer."

On the giant black bird, You began to write and draw in the air, and black characters spread out one by one: There are quite a few extraordinary beings now, especially those in the government. Letting them idle is simply a waste. Setting up a magic circle to absorb their 'excess' chakra is also a kind of environmental protection.

Furthermore, there is the fear, terror, and hatred emanating from ordinary islanders.
These negative emotions can also be collected as raw materials for creating 'Zero-Tail'... no, for creating 'Yamata no Orochi'.

Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?
If Yu wins twice, what else is that but a 'win-win' situation!
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.

Dongsongjiang
“Master Zhixiong, you’ve kept this from us for so long.”

"This humble monk is not, this humble monk has no such a thing."

Faced with Director Zhu Ya's insistence that he had "foreseen the future," Monk Zhi Xiong wanted to explain, but he was unable to defend himself.

Is he supposed to say that he just ran away here because he was withdrawn, then encountered evil spirits running rampant, and was encouraged by two old hunters to face death and break through on the spot to overpower the evil spirits? It sounds ridiculous no matter how you look at it, and even he, the person involved, would shake his head.

"Chief, does the Metropolitan Police Department have any solutions for that crack in the sky?"

what,
You're asking me? Who should I ask?
Director Zhuya's face stiffened. Although he was also extraordinary, he used his extraordinary power to work overtime every day and struggle to support the island nation in its precarious state. Could he even perform a few moves of military boxing? And what about the extraordinary knowledge he gleaned from other extraordinary individuals?
"Hold on,"

Director Zhuya pressed the earpiece, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

"News has come from Fukushima that Yu-kun is setting up an Onmyoji barrier that can suppress the Yellow Springs Rift."

"The Rift of the Underworld?"

Monk Shixiong looked up at the sky. Was the crack, from which evil spirits continued to pour out, truly a path to the underworld?

Although this scene led many to speculate, they couldn't help but sigh when it was finally confirmed.

Even the underworld is beginning to connect with the mortal world; what exactly is this world?
Where will it go?
"Before Yu-kun arrives, please do not allow the evil spirits to spread."

"Amitabha,"

With his hands clasped together, Monk Zhixiong nodded.

"This is exactly what this humble monk wished for,"

After saying that, he didn't waste any more words and began reciting scriptures.

"At that time, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas urged the World-Honored One, the Greatly Illuminating Vajra Tathagata, to compassionately expound the profound, unsurpassed, and great teachings of the Awakened Bodhi Mind."

As he chanted the sutra, a peaceful golden light spread out, covering the entire 'Higashi Izumo Central Park': golden lotuses sprang from the ground and flowers rained down from the sky. Wherever the golden light touched, evil spirits vanished into thin air. Even behind the cracks in the sky, thousands of evil spirits hesitated and dared not cross the line.

Although they are merely echoes of the soul, they still possess basic 'judgment' abilities.

Going out means 'extinction'!
Even evil spirits are afraid of death: if they die again, they will be reduced to ashes.

"what?!"

Just as Master Zhixiong was deploying the 'Immovable King Formation,' which was essentially the 'One Thread Lamp Formation' to cover the battlefield and suppress evil spirits, Director Zhuya couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Say it again.

"Yes, Director."

On the other end of the headset came Fuji Seiko's urgent words.

"A large number of 'radiation evil spirits' have appeared in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and they have a strong desire to attack."

"The number of civilian casualties continues to soar. The police and Self-Defense Forces rushing to the two locations have collapsed. The Extraordinary Countermeasures Division alone can hardly hold out. Please send reinforcements immediately."

Besides Fujiko's report, the earpiece was filled with roars, shouts, cries, and screams of pain, demonstrating the chaos of the scene.

"Understood, I'll be right there!"

"Grandmaster--"

"Director, you can go now."

"I can manage this all by myself."

After breaking through, Monk Zhixiong waved his hand, saying that maintaining the 'Immovable King Formation' was not difficult.

The main problem is that although the evil spirits are numerous, they are not particularly strong, and they are unwilling to come out of the 'Rift of the Underworld', making things even easier.

It should be able to hold out for a while without any problems.

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.

"What's going on? Why are the situations in Nagasaki and Hiroshima so serious?" The same question kept echoing in the Prime Minister's official residence, and the reason was—

"Radiation evil spirits, this?"

The high-ranking officials who heard the report looked at each other, feeling both that it was absurd and perfectly reasonable.

"Hi Yi,"

The Metropolitan Police Department experts who remained on duty were 'analyzing' the situation for senior cabinet officials.

"These evil spirits retain the posture they were in at the time of death, and at the same time, they exhibit different 'aggressive desires' because of their death."

The experts weren't just spouting nonsense; a large number of 'experimental samples' have corroborated their words: the most numerous and common 'naturally aging' evil spirits also have the lowest desire to attack; in fact, as long as you don't get close, these old men and women's evil spirits will just drift aimlessly.

Evil spirits that die prematurely or are killed for various reasons have a much stronger desire to attack.

"Especially those 'samurai' evil spirits, who possess considerable swordsmanship, spearmanship, and some even know how to use 'bows and arrows' as a ranged attack method."

"The evil spirits that appeared in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, covered in blisters and festering sores, have become even more aggressive: they will frantically attack all living things, including domestic pets, wild birds, and so on. The situation in the two cities is very worrying."

This is unbelievable.
Nagasaki City ranks 142nd among the world's top 500 cities, with a resident population of over 400,000.

Hiroshima is located outside the three major metropolitan areas of the island nation, but it is the central city of the Hiroshima metropolitan area, with a population of nearly 120 million.

The fact that these two cities were visited by "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" also testifies to their advantageous geographical location.

Decades later, two densely populated and industrialized modern cities rose up again, only to be destroyed once more.

This time, however, it wasn't a nuclear explosion from the technological side, but rather the hundreds of thousands of crazed evil spirits who had died under a 'nuclear explosion' before.

"These...these evil spirits"

The Chief Cabinet Secretary wanted to say something, but for a moment he didn't know how to express it.

If you want revenge, go find America! That's not right for future generations. Back then, the two atomic bombs almost wiped out the local population of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Even those who survived were tormented by nuclear radiation for the rest of their lives. So now, the main residents of these two cities are actually people relocated by the island governments to fill the void.

However, this situation is still very troublesome.

"What does America say?"

"The American side has expressed its willingness to closely monitor this extraordinary disaster and is also willing to provide some material assistance."

The Foreign Minister kept his mouth shut.

There's no after that.

"Damn it!"

I wonder who got so angry that they said that.
Even these cabinet 'high-ranking officials' who decide the fate of the island nation couldn't maintain their composure, their faces turning ashen.

"Where is the extraordinary lieutenant?"

"How many extraordinary potions did America obtain from Mount Koya?"

"At this critical moment, they haven't even sent a single extraordinary being. What kind of ally are they? According to the Security Treaty, they have an obligation, and must—"

"enough!"

The Prime Minister, seated at the head of the table, interrupted the Defense Minister's complaints.

"You all know the purpose of that agreement."

That agreement not only constituted the legal basis for stipulating that the island nation was subordinate to America, but also allowed America to establish, expand, and use any military base in the island nation with virtually no restrictions.

To put it simply, it's an iron chain tied around a dog's neck!
The dog is in danger; are you expecting the owner to risk their life for it?
Unrealistic.

"Since America is unwilling to assume its obligations, then we don't need to beg them."

Sit up straight.
This is a rare instance of the island nation's prime minister showing "toughness."

“I know that you all have a certain number of ‘superhumans’.”

Everyone here is a high-ranking official. If there was no abuse of power to create superhumans for personal gain, the Prime Minister would be the first to doubt it: after all, he did it himself. These "artificial superhumans" can also inflict considerable damage on "evil spirits," thereby killing them!

"Gentlemen, now is not the time to cherish your lives and protect yourselves."

"Gather all the extraordinary individuals and head to Nagasaki and Hiroshima immediately!"

"As for America..."

We'll settle the score with them later!

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.

Yokota base.

"Your Excellency Lieutenant General, I believe we should send reinforcements."

"Even if it's just for show, it's better than doing nothing at all."

Brigadier General Thomas spoke frankly to his superior sitting at the back of the office.

"It's not for that damned Security Treaty, but for the sake of continuing to extract extraordinary benefits."

Brigadier General Thomas, as a military officer in charge of extraordinary affairs, although 'merely' a brigadier general, wielded power far exceeding that of the domestically held, largely sinecure, lieutenant generals. He also had a very clear understanding of the current situation:
"What will the island nation think if we remain indifferent this time?"

"Will they allow us to occupy half of the defense line at Mount Koya and freely obtain extraordinary potions?"

Brigadier General Thomas didn't care how many islanders died.

However, the potential losses would be significant if Mount Koya were to become a stable source of extraordinary potions.
“I know, I know, Thomas.”

The white lieutenant general raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling to his left and right arms to remain calm.

"But the gentlemen on Capitol Hill are in an uproar: they want all the superhuman lieutenants back right now, because..."

The extraordinary disaster, which occurred in eight locations across the island nation and was recently named 'Hell Rift' with a level A rating, has terrified the 'elites' on the other side of the planet.

Evil spirit!

This thing that only exists in movies, novels, and comics actually exists!

Moreover, it crossed the boundary between life and death and appeared in the present world.

How can anyone not be afraid?
do not forget--

The land of America was built on the scalps of Native Americans!

If such a 'supernatural disaster' were to occur in America, what a scene it would be.
Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

In particular, these 'evil spirits' are immune to all known attacks in the real world: guns, fire, ice, electromagnetic waves, and shockwaves can only be resisted by 'courage'.

Perhaps the rednecks below don't care; they can just "kill" the evil spirit again. But what about the "elites" above?
Honestly, do they have that kind of courage?
Moreover, many people on Capitol Hill are "Bumblebees," some even tracing their lineage back to the Mayflower. If the evil spirits of the Indians were to return, their scalps would certainly be lost.

"do you understand?"

"The gentlemen on Capitol Hill are constantly urging me to transfer the extraordinary lieutenant back to the country."

The white lieutenant general rubbed his temples. He knew how absurd it would be to recall the main force of the extraordinary warriors to the country at this time, but:
"This is a disaster that occurred in an island nation: we will provide as much assistance as possible during the post-disaster reconstruction."

"There is no post-disaster reconstruction, Lieutenant General."

Brigadier General Thomas shook his head, utterly disappointed with the incompetent people in the country.

Do you think that island nations will continue to cooperate with us after they survive this extraordinary disaster?

impossible!

(End of this chapter)