Shota is surrounded by monsters!

What a tragedy! The once-great Abe no Seimei, after such a magnificent resurrection, didn't even have a chance to utter any harsh words. No, to be precise, he didn't even know who kicked him in the butt before being thrown back into hell.

Not only Shota couldn't accept it, but everyone present couldn't accept it.

The Kyoto monsters who hadn't yet entered the gates of hell were stunned. Their leader had been killed just like that? Should they even go to hell? Wouldn't going be suicide? Who would fight these undead legions?

The Onmyoji of the Kakaiin family were also stunned. The monsters that appeared today were more than they had imagined, and they ended in this way. What did their four hundred years of struggle mean?

The Nura Clan yokai were also stunned. What they had envisioned as their lifelong battle of pride had turned out to be like this.

And so, no one spoke; only those who could no longer bear the pressure slowly left, creating an eerie atmosphere. Only the undead army continued its methodical advance towards Hell.

After half an hour.

"My Lord..."

The high-ranking lich closed the summoning portal, bowed humbly to the Lich King, and walked past him into the Gates of Hell. Meanwhile, the last skeletal dragon circling in the sky swooped down, charging towards the Gates of Hell.

And so, these enigmatic spirits vanished just as mysteriously.

"A hundred years...a hundred years from now, I will come to see you again."

After bidding farewell to Shota, the Lich King also stepped into the Gates of Hell.

"Yes. I'll definitely improve by then. At least to the point where I can motivate you, Uncle."

Watching the Lich King's figure disappear into the Gates of Hell, Shota made a promise to him and then removed his hand from the gate. Without the support of power, the Gates of Hell began to close slowly and finally disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Ok."

Shota said to the crowd looking at him, "This is the best ending I can think of. After entering hell, unless Abe no Seimei is willing to become a ghost and serve under my second uncle, he will definitely die a terrible death."

"Give me a detailed explanation!"

Nurarihyon was honestly a little frightened. Although he was once known as the lord of demons and monsters, he couldn't muster any resistance when facing an enemy of that caliber.

"That's roughly the situation."

After seeing Hanakain Hidemoto and Oshino Meme arrive together, Shota gave a brief explanation of what had happened.

He really knew a few incredibly powerful guys, and some of them were on good terms with him. The Lich King from earlier was one of them. Even Taotie Old Man hadn't fully figured out his strength, and he also had a rather strange temper, always keeping himself in a semi-sealed state.

But in reality, he still longed for a place where he could ride his horse freely.

Hell would be the best choice, but it's not a place one can enter at will simply because they have the power. Although demons occasionally cross the gates of hell, those gates are all too small. When Shinobu Meme mentioned Abe no Seimei, she said that he seemed to possess the ability to freely summon the gates of hell—something only someone with such profound knowledge of magic and who had traveled between the mortal world and hell could possess.

So, Shota made up his mind to let his second uncle fulfill his wish to fight in hell, and incidentally, to bring him some prestige.

Anyway, Shota's age is still considered a brat among yokai. Is it wrong for him to call his parents when he doesn't want to fight? Logically speaking, his gluttonous father should have protected him for longer, but unfortunately, that guy is just...

He doesn't act like a father at all.

"As expected... we're all country bumpkins."

Hideaki Hanakain said with a hint of self-deprecation, "The world is so vast that it's certainly not something that we old fogies can fully comprehend."

"In any case, the young man has already resolved the matter."

Shinobu scratched her head and said, "Speaking of which, I paid you to work this time, right? As compensation, I should pay you some wages."

Oshino Meme and Shota's haggling was nothing to brag about. Nurarihyon shook his head helplessly and said to Keikain Hidemoto, "We're getting old. The world should belong to the young people now. Rikuo..."

"grandfather……"

For some reason, Lu Sheng's expression was somewhat indescribable.

Now you know just how big this world really is, right?

Nurarihyon looked at his grandson and said, "After we go back, I will formally pass on the Third Hokage title to you, but..."

"Ah, I see."

Rikuo understood the meaning behind his grandfather's words, looked at Shota seriously, and said, "I will not only take the Lord of Demons and Monsters in Japan as my goal."

"Haha."

Shota smiled nonchalantly, then glanced at Hagoromo Gitsune...

She woke up.

And they also happened to be looking in Shota's direction.

"you……"

Just as Shota was about to say something, he saw Hagoromo Gitsune reveal a poignant yet desperate smile, pointing her hand at her heart, as if preparing to commit suicide!

Chapter 162. The End of the Kyoto Arc

"do not want!"

The moment he saw Hagoromo Gitsune preparing to commit suicide, Shota rushed towards her without saying a word. The two were not far apart, only a dozen meters apart, and Shota reached Hagoromo Gitsune's side in just one second, forcefully pressing her hand down and pushing her back to the ground.

Their eyes met.

Hagoromo Gitsune's gaze towards Shota held a deep-seated hatred. The rest of the room was deathly silent.

Seeing that look in her eyes, Shota suddenly felt a pang of sadness for some reason. If Hagoromo Gitsune was indeed the gentle older sister he had once talked to...

"What's wrong, Shota?"

The Nura family grandfather and grandson also came to Shota and Hagoromo Gitsune's side. Seeing the strange atmosphere between the two, they couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Shota awkwardly climbed off Hagoromo Gitsune and stood a little further away, too lazy to even explain.

Hagoromo Gitsune didn't say anything more, she just quietly looked at the sky.

"Father...his ex-wife?"

Rikuo tentatively said something. Hagoromo Gitsune seemed to react a little, but still didn't reply, so Rikuo had no choice but to turn to look at his grandfather.

"Yamabuki Otome..."

Nurarihyon glanced at Hagoromo Gitsune and then explained to Rikuo, "Your father's first wife was very much in love with him. Unfortunately, because of Hagoromo Gitsune's curse, our Nurarihyon lineage was unable to have children with yokai. In the end, because of this, she felt that she was responsible for letting your father down, so she left behind a Yamabuki flower and a waka poem before disappearing."

"The mountain flowers bloom seven or eight times, but pitifully, there is not a single seed."

Though I bloom like a beautiful flower, I cannot bear fruit...

"how so……"

Rikuo didn't know what to say at this moment, let alone Shota, whose face was even paler than before.

"I never saw Yamabuki Otome again after that day. Nobody knows what happened to her in the end."

Nurarihyon sighed slowly, and Hagoromo Gitsune finally spoke again.

"I have finally vanished from this world like a withered flower..."

"Hagoromo Gitsune?!"

"sister!"

As she spoke, she was looking at Lu Sheng and his grandson, while Shota was on the other side of her.

"In a world shrouded in darkness, I heard a voice... 'This woman? Use the resurrection technique on this woman...'"

"A technique to resurrect the soul?"

Nurarihyon looked at Hagoromo Gitsune in surprise and said, "Could it be... that you really are Yamabuki Otome herself?!"

Shota's face had turned ashen.

Next, through Hagoromo Gitsune's perspective, we learn about what happened back then.

Not long after the resurrection technique was used, she, now a little girl, regained her senses and appeared before the young Rikuo from back then. She had also been implanted with false memories and quickly became friends with Rikuo. Not long after, Rihan Nura also appeared before her.

At that moment, Rihan Nura was confused, but in the end, he chose to take the little girl's hand. Because she looked so much like her, just like his daughter.

But ironically, having her memories implanted, she was ultimately led astray to stab Nura Rihan in the heart.

Then she recalled her feelings and memories of Nura Rihan when she was Yamabuki Otome...

He killed the person he loved with his own hands.

From that moment on, Yamabuki Otome completely transformed into... Hagoromo Gitsune.

Even though that fox has already entered hell, the one here now is still Hagoromo Gitsune, possessing all her emotions, memories, and sins...

There's no going back; I can never be that Yamabuki Otome again.

"Lu Sheng...can I take another good look at your face?"

Hagoromo Gitsune slowly stood up, her legs trembling as if they were extremely weak. She reached out to touch Rikuo's face, but before she could take a step, her body went limp...

"Danger……"

Shota wanted to go up and help Hagoromo Gitsune, but Rikuo had already helped her up first.

"They're exactly the same, just like that person..."

Hagoromo Gitsune cupped Rikuo's face in her hands and said in an almost obsessive tone, "If I ever have a child, it will surely be just like yours..."

—Our children will surely become the next masters of demons and monsters, so I must strengthen the Nura Clan.

—We want to be together, supporting each other through thick and thin for a lifetime.

The image of Hagoromo Gitsune from his past memories flashed through his mind, and a complex smile appeared on his lips.

"I didn't expect there to be so many things..."

Seeing this, Oshino Meme sighed and walked to Shota's side, saying, "Yokai...humans, the emotions they possess are exactly the same, aren't they? But this is probably the best ending. Now, Hagoromo Gitsune no longer has any reason for me to intervene."

"Is this the best ending?"

Shota couldn't laugh at all for some reason. If that hadn't happened, it would indeed have been the best ending.

"Grandpa... Shota-san, I'm sorry..."

For some reason, Lu Sheng suddenly apologized to the two of them.

"That enemy... must be killed by my own hand!"

Having suddenly made up his mind, Lu Sheng looked at everyone present and said, "I must defeat him with my own hands... no matter if he is still alive or not, no matter if he is in hell or not!"

“Lu Sheng…”

Nurarihyon sighed and said, "It's up to you."

Shota felt it was best not to make any comments. Ever since the truth came out, Shota felt that perhaps he shouldn't stay in the Nura Clan anymore.