How did I, an Onmyoji, become the Lord of Yokai?

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

After receiving a reassuring answer, the sirens all breathed a sigh of relief. Then, the white-haired sirens turned their gaze to the clear water and rising sun.

He extended his palm and gave a friendly smile, saying, "My name is Kyūjīra, and I am the coast guard of Suzuka Mountain. Thank you for saving Scorpion Woman."

"You're welcome, it's what we should do."

The boy extended his hand and shook hands with Kyukijira, then said, "My name is Shimizu Asahi, and I'm the captain of this ship."

"Mr. Shimizu." Kyūjīra addressed him politely, then stepped aside and gestured for him to come along. "Please follow me. I will take you to the village on the island and make proper preparations for you."

"Thank you for your help, Kyukira."

After some polite exchanges, Kyūjīra quickly took the lead and set off, while Shimizu Asahi and his crew immediately followed.

Looking at Kyūjīra, who had restrained his powerful demonic energy and adopted a polite demeanor, Shimizu Asahi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Although Suzukayama is warm and hospitable, Kyūjīra probably wouldn't have been so friendly if he hadn't intervened to save Scorpion Woman.

Because the place where Shimizu Asahi and his companions landed was not far from the village, after walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they arrived at the special village that belonged only to the sea monsters.

"Is this... the village in Suzuka Mountain?"

Standing at the village entrance, looking at the village that was no different from any other ordinary village, a hint of curiosity and interest flashed in the eyes of Shimizu Asahi and the others.

"Mr. Shimizu, this was built by Lord Ōtakemaru based on human villages, so it is very similar to human villages. However, since the sea monsters living here are all different, the internal specifications may be somewhat different."

Kyūjīra gave a brief introduction, and then led everyone to the largest house in the village.

"This is where Lord Ōtakemaru resides. Mr. Shimizu and the others, please follow me. I will take you to the waiting room. As for the other crew members, I will have the other sea monsters entertain them."

"Yes, thank you, Kyukira."

Shimizu Asahi and the others exchanged glances, then smiled and nodded.

Before long, the four of them arrived at the living room.

Kyukira sent someone to serve good tea and asked the four of them to wait there for a while. Because Ōtakemaru had gone out to sea to find the Scorpion Woman and had not yet returned, they had to send someone to look for Ōtakemaru, so they could only wait for a while.

As for the person who went to find Ōtakemaru, it was naturally Haiming, the only demon king-level powerhouse on Mount Suzuka besides Ōtakemaru.

After all, Haiming is the fastest speed besides Ootengu, and only he can find Ootengu in the fastest time.

In fact, Haiming was very efficient. The four of them had only been sitting for about ten minutes when he returned to Suzuka Mountain with Ootakemaru.

Stepping onto the approaching wooden planks, Ōtakemaru, having received the news, arrived at the room dressed in his simple kimono. He had intended to express his gratitude to Shimizu Asahi and the others, but upon seeing Shimizu Asahi, his expression suddenly changed.

"Shimizu!? You're still alive!?"

There was a brief silence following his words, and then...

"......???" Chapter 231, Section 234: Wait, Ootengu, I don't know you!

In the quiet room, Shimizu Asahi and the other three were patiently waiting for Ōtakemaru's return. A dozen minutes later, footsteps came from the hallway outside the door.

Upon hearing the footsteps, the five people inside realized that the master of Suzuka Mountain was coming. So, to show respect, Shimizu Asahi and the other three deliberately stood up, intending to greet Ootakemaru properly and leave a good impression.

However, when Ōtakemaru opened the gate and Shimizu Asahi was about to greet him, the master of Suzuka Mountain suddenly changed his expression and exclaimed incredulously, "Shimizu!? You're still alive!?"

With this voice, the boy who was about to step forward stopped in his tracks, and Kyūjīra, who was about to introduce the two sides, froze. Even the wise man from Suzuka Mountain, Uminari, was somewhat confused by this situation.

However, regardless of whether they understood what was happening, the three girls behind Shimizu Asahi all frowned slightly.

Saying things like that upon meeting... Their first impression of Ōtakemaru plummeted because they cared so much about Shimizu Asahi.

As for Shimizu Asahi, who was in charge at the time, he was naturally a little embarrassed. He glanced at Ōtakemaru a couple of times before cautiously asking, "...You must be Lord Ōtakemaru. Your expression...does it mean we've met somewhere before?"

However, his carefully chosen words acted like a fuse, once again provoking the leader of the sea kingdom.

Ōtakemaru's face turned extremely ugly, and his expression was filled with anger. He instinctively rushed to Shimizu Asahi and raised his hand, trying to grab his collar.

However, the moment he raised his hand, Haiming grabbed his arm even faster.

"Young Master, calm down! These are guests from the Sea Kingdom!"

"Let me go, Haiming!"

A low, angry roar echoed in the room as Ōtakemaru stared intently at Shimizu Asahi. "I'm going to settle this score with him for the three hundred years that Suzuka-san left!"

"Three hundred years away from Suzuka Mountain? This... Lord Ōtakemaru must have mistaken me for someone else. Although my surname is Shimizu, this is my first time visiting Suzuka Mountain. Besides, I am only sixteen years old, so it is impossible for me to have been away from Suzuka Mountain for three hundred years as Lord Ōtakemaru claims."

Shimizu Asahi stood still, looking at Ōtakemaru with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

To be honest, Ōtakemaru's sudden shout did startle him. After all, anyone would be confused and bewildered when faced with an unexpected situation. However, now that he has calmed down, his tension has subsided, and he even has time to think about what Ōtakemaru had said to him.

The result of this reflection was, naturally, that they had mistaken the person for someone else.

Although his surname is Shimizu, he is only a little over sixteen years old, not even seventeen yet. Moreover, this is his first time climbing Mount Suzuka. The three hundred years that Ōtakemaru mentioned about leaving Mount Suzuka has nothing to do with him at all.

"What did you say!?"

Ōtakemaru's already unpleasant expression turned even more so. He stared wide-eyed at Shimizu Asahi, as if trying to see through his true intentions.

However, Haiming grabbed his body and whispered, "Young Master, he is not lying. I have just checked. He is indeed only sixteen years old. It is impossible for him to have lived for three hundred years as you said. So, Young Master, you have mistaken him for someone else."

Upon hearing Haiming's words, Ōtakemaru's expression began to change drastically.

Mistaking someone for someone else? How could that be? He would never forget that guy's face, nor would he mistake his aura. As demons, they recognize people not only by their appearance, but also by the aura that is unique to that person.

Just as there are no two people in the world who are exactly the same, there are no two people with exactly the same aura. Everyone has their own unique aura. Once you recognize that aura, no matter how their appearance changes, you will never mistake them.

The reason he was so excited after seeing Shimizu Asahi was not only because Shimizu Asahi looked exactly like that guy, but also because Shimizu Asahi had the same aura as him!

These two people are like they're etched into each other's bones!

Without a doubt, Shimizu Asahi is 'him'... The person standing in front of him now is the 'him' he is looking for!

However... Haiming has confirmed that Shimizu Asahi is human, and only sixteen years old at the moment, so he could not possibly be the guy from three hundred years ago.

Could it be that he really mistook someone for someone else?

The agitated Ōtakemaru gradually calmed down. He might not trust anyone in the world, but he would never distrust his other companions in the Sea Kingdom.

"...Perhaps I really have mistaken someone for someone else."

Gently lowering his hand, Ōtakemaru calmed down completely.

Ultimately, that guy was still a human being. Even if he was only in his twenties at the time, he couldn't possibly live for more than three hundred years.

When Suzuka Gozen said she was going to sail away to find him more than two hundred years ago, he should have guessed this ending.

"Damn it! It's just a guy who looks a lot like me and has a similar aura. What am I even expecting?!"

After giving himself a strong internal reminder, Ōtakemaru calmed down completely. He took a deep breath and said, "Kaminari, let me go. I've calmed down."

Seeing that the young master had truly calmed down, Haiming released his grip, and after he released Ootakemaru, Ootakemaru also let out a breath.

He looked at the clear water and rising sun before him, and gently lowered his head. "I'm sorry, I was too impulsive and scared you just now. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I wasn't really scared, Lord Ōtakemaru, there's no need to apologize. Rather, I'm a little surprised that there's someone in this world who's so much like me."

Although Ōtakemaru didn't say anything, the fact that even a demon king mistook him for someone else shows just how similar the 'he' Ōtakemaru spoke of was to him.

"It does look very similar, but let's not talk about a guy who left Suzuka Mountain."

Ōtakemaru seemed reluctant to mention the guy who had excited him so much, so he glossed over the topic with a single sentence.

"Well then, let me introduce myself. My name is Ōtakemaru. I am the master of this island and the leader of the sea monsters. Welcome to this place."

"My name is Shimizu Asahi, and I am the captain of this fleet. I have come here today because I have something very important to discuss with you."

“I know that everyone who comes to Suzuka Mountain has something important to do. If there were nothing wrong, who would be willing to risk storms, whirlpools, and siren to come here?”

After a brief introduction, Ōtakemaru took his seat and gestured for the four, including Shimizu Asahi, to sit down. He then said, "Let's talk about what important matter you have to discuss." (Chapter 235, Chapter 232: Was the Eight-Span Curved Jewel stolen by Suzuka Gozen?)

Inside the room, Shimizu Asahi and Ōtakemaru sat facing each other. Although a small incident had just occurred, after explanation and reflection, both of them calmed down.

As a result, the atmosphere inside the room became serious.

Seeing the solemn expression on the black-haired boy's face, the leader of the Sea Kingdom also gradually became serious.

His intuition told him that the boy in front of him, who resembled the guy who liked to rub his head three hundred years ago, had something that would surprise him.

And as it turned out, his intuition was correct.

After calming herself down a bit, Shimizu Asahi took a deep breath and then said with an extremely serious expression, "Lord Ōtakemaru, we have come here for the Yasakani no Magatama!"

"The Eight-Foot Magatama?"

A hint of surprise flashed in his pale yellow eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He wasn't too surprised. After all, people who came to Suzuka Mountain were either after treasure or the Yasakani no Magatama. He had basically guessed what Shimizu Asahi was going to say.

So he only glanced at the blade on the knife rack before turning his gaze back to Shimizu Asahi.

The leader of the sea kingdom responded calmly and naturally: "I'm sorry, the Yasakani no Magatama is not within the scope of my transactions. If you came here only for the Yasakani no Magatama, then you can go back now."

"I know this deal is very difficult, but I still hope that Lord Ōtakemaru will give it a good consideration."

"No need to consider it anymore, Shimizu. The divine artifact has recognized its master, and the Yasakani no Magatama has already submitted to me. No one but me can use it. Even if you obtain the Yasakani no Magatama, you will not be able to use it."

"No, Lord Ōtakemaru, our goal is to return the sacred artifacts to the Ise Grand Shrine. We cannot use the sacred artifacts, but the priestesses of the Ise Grand Shrine can."

"Ise Grand Shrine?"

Those familiar yet unfamiliar words, after three hundred years, once again reached Ōtakemaru's ears. He couldn't help but be stunned, and a hint of astonishment appeared in his eyes.

But the next moment, a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes.

"I see. You were sent by those royals, weren't you?"

"I never expected that after three hundred years, they would come looking for us again. Wasn't the lesson that Suzuka Gozen taught them back then painful enough?"

"...Alright, Shimizu, no matter who sent you, the Yasakani no Magatama will never be handed over to you. Let's not bring this up again."

"then?"

Shimizu Asahi keenly captured the words that caught his attention.

Kyogoku Munemitsu once told him that the Yasakani no Magatama mysteriously disappeared three hundred years ago, and in order to hide this secret, the Sasaki clan of the Izumo Imperial Family immediately blocked the news in hopes of concealing it.

However, the Sasaki clan did not give up on the sacred artifact. They secretly sent people to search for it and continued to collect information. But for some reason, the royal family changed, and the Sasaki clan was replaced by the current Kyogoku clan. The Kyogoku clan also learned of this.

Subsequently, the Kyogoku clan took over the search for the sacred artifact. However, due to the destruction of the Sasaki clan, the firsthand information they had collected was completely lost. This is why the Kyogoku clan has made no progress in the past century.