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

"Izumo Taisha Shrine, Inner Hall."

Qingshui Chaoyang responded with a smile.

......

In the deep blue night sky, two shadowy figures, whose shapes were indistinct, appeared silently like ghosts. They passed through dense forests and over walls, arriving at the inner sanctum of Izumo Taisha Shrine with great ease.

Similar to the outer sanctuary, which had fallen into slumber, the inner sanctuary had also entered a state of slumber. However, the inner sanctuary was still the inner sanctuary, and its guards were much stricter than those of the outer sanctuary. Moreover, every place was protected by talismans and forbidden spells set up by priestesses. If one wandered around carelessly, it would be easy to be discovered for touching the forbidden spells.

So, upon arriving at the inner sanctum, they stopped and hid in a room where no one was around, and then began to prepare their infiltration plan.

but......

"Is this really okay, Shimizu? Coming into places where others are forbidden and trying to steal their things."

Lingzi looked at the clear water and the rising sun, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

As a well-educated and virtuous monster who understands the principles of not stealing or robbing, she strongly opposes such behavior. If she discovers someone doing such a thing, she will definitely catch that person and teach him a lesson without hesitation.

However, it was her fiancé who made this decision, and even though she wanted to teach him a lesson, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

However, she was not disappointed; she believed that Shimizu Asahi must have had a reason for doing this.

As the first woman to share a bed with him, she knew very well what kind of person her fiancé was.

He would never do such a thing without a special reason.

Therefore, she wanted a reason and an explanation. (Chapter 294, Section 297: I noticed you three hundred years ago, you bastard who stole my daughter!)

Seeing the confusion in the girl's eyes, Shimizu Asahi could only helplessly put his hands together in an apologetic gesture and say, "I'm sorry, Reiko. I'll explain the reason to you properly later."

"Can't you explain now?"

"This... is too complicated to explain, and besides, we probably can't take it away without its recognition."

Scratching his head, the boy thought for a moment. Since Reiko would know his purpose once they reached the main hall, he figured it was better to reveal some information to her now than to surprise her later.

So he lowered his voice and said, "Our goal this time is the Yasakani no Magatama, a sacred artifact placed in the shrine."

"...The Eight-Span Curved Jewel!???"

After a moment of quiet silence, Reiko couldn't help but widen her eyes and exclaim in surprise, but fortunately, her voice was stopped by the quick-witted Shimizu Asahi.

A warm palm pressed against her lips, while the black-haired boy held up his other hand with his fingers to his own lips, and said with a helpless smile, "Reiko, your voice is too loud."

Feeling the touch on her face, Suzuka Gozen, deeply astonished, tried to suppress her shock, but even so, her eyes revealed disbelief.

"Shimizu, what happened? That's the Yasakani no Magatama, one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Yamato! How could you...?"

"How dare you even think about making a move on it, right?" Shimizu Asahi chuckled as he finished speaking, finishing up what his lovely fiancée hadn't finished saying. It was the first time he'd ever seen Reiko so emotionally affected. She was indeed quite adorable.

However, after laughing for a while, he added, "Actually, I didn't intend to use it. It's just that there's something I need to rely on its power for, but outsiders are not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the shrine at will, so I resorted to this last resort. Moreover, I need the divine artifact's recognition to borrow it. If the divine artifact doesn't recognize me, then I can't borrow its power, right?"

"This..." Reiko pondered for a moment. This reason... seemed to make sense. However, Reiko still didn't quite understand. "What do you want to do by borrowing the power of the divine artifact?"

"Well, you'll find out when the time comes."

Shimizu Asahi scratched his head. He couldn't tell her he came from the future right now, nor could he deliberately reveal her future. So, he could only keep this up for now.

"Hmm..." However, Miss Reiko seemed a little unhappy with her fiancé's perfunctory attitude. As each other's closest family members, what couldn't they say to each other?

However, she understood that everyone has their own secrets, and since Shimizu Asahi said he would tell her later, she decided not to dwell on it.

After expressing her slight dissatisfaction, she calmed down and asked, "Are you confident that you can borrow the power of the divine artifact?"

"I should... be confident, right? After all, I borrowed its power once before..."

"That's what Shimizu Asahi said, sounding a bit uncertain."

He activated his power on his own last time after the artifact touched him, and he wasn't quite sure of the reasons why, but it should be considered as borrowing it.

Hmm... probably.

This expression made Reiko feel a little unreliable, but after thinking about it for a moment, she figured that whether they succeeded or not, they wouldn't be discovered. Besides, since Shimizu Asahi wasn't doing anything underhanded, she didn't care.

Even if they failed, she would stay with him and keep trying to find a solution.

Even though she didn't know what he was going to do, she would support him unconditionally, no matter what he did.

After all, she's his fiancée.

After briefly explaining the situation, the two began to discuss how to silently infiltrate the fifty-meter-high hall.

Little did they know, their entire conversation had been overheard by another person...

It was a place devoid of any life, empty and lonely. Nothing existed here. If the outside world was described as colorful, then the world here was dark and gloomy.

This is a place that everyone hates!

But at the same time, this place is also a prison for a most heinous sinner.

At this moment, a sinister and eerie voice echoed from this vast, seemingly endless, and awe-inspiring space.

"Hehehe... This little guy actually set his sights on the Yasakani no Magatama. Interesting, truly interesting. I never expected that this little guy, whom I noticed by chance yesterday, would give me such a surprise."

"Humans are truly reckless and unruly."

"However... perhaps we can make use of this little guy..."

......

In the dimly lit room, after discussing their plan with Reiko, the two of them quietly slipped out of the room once again and cautiously made their way towards the innermost hall.

Because the main hall is where divine artifacts are kept, it is guarded by many warriors even at night. In addition, there are far more talismans and forbidden spells here than in other places, and it is impossible to enter without special means.

However, this skill was clearly no match for Shimizu Asahi. With utmost caution, he evaded all sight and forbidden techniques, and finally entered the place silently.

Although it was late at night, the main hall of Izumo Taisha Shrine was still brightly lit. A huge statue over 20 meters tall stood quietly in the center, while on either side of the statue were two statues of goddesses.

One statue has a kind and gentle face, exuding a reassuring aura, while the other is in the form of Inari, the god of ini.

The three statues represent the following deities: the warrior god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the goddess goddess Inada-hime, and the Inari god Miketsu-no-Tsukasa. These are the three deities enshrined in the shrine.

Apart from these three deities, no other gods were worshipped in this temple.

Beneath the statue were rows of shelves holding candles, on which countless candles were burning quietly.

"I didn't come here last time I was here..."

When Shimizu Asahi visited Izumo Taisha last time, he only paid respects at the outer worship hall and did not visit the main hall. Therefore, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration when he came here for the first time.

"Such a large temple, are there only three gods worshipped?"

Compared to the magnificent and luxurious Shimizu Asahi, Reiko immediately noticed the number of enshrined deities. Hmm... her attention was clearly a bit off.

However, Shimizu Asahi didn't seem to mind too much. He simply smiled and explained, "That's why Izumo Taisha and Ise Grand Shrine have a stronger sense of unity than Atsuta Grand Shrine." (Chapter 298, Chapter 295: Handsome, Handsome, Handsome! My Fiancée is So Handsome!)

"Both Izumo Taisha and Ise Grand Shrine have only one presiding deity, namely Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Omikami. Believers who worship these two deities will yearn for these two shrines. Although Atsuta Shrine also enshrines them, it is not the most important main shrine. Therefore, most believers will not pay much attention to Atsuta Shrine after having the other two shrines."

"Moreover, although Atsuta Shrine also has a deity statue that is in charge, it is clear that Takeru and Miyazumi are not yet able to contend with these two."

After listening to his words, Reiko thought for a moment and finally said, "Pure?"

"You figured it out so quickly? Hehe, yes, it's pure." Shimizu Asahi nodded and said, "No matter how many gods Izumo Taisha and Ise Grand Shrine enshrine, they always remember one thing: who is the owner of this shrine, and who is the god they enshrine. That's why they have such a status."

"Alright, let's put that aside for now and see if the artifact is willing to acknowledge me."

Putting the topic aside, Shimizu Asahi took a short breath and then walked towards the altar under the statue.

Seeing this, Lingzi immediately followed.

Soon, the two had walked a kilometer and arrived at the altar where the divine artifact was placed.

"So this is... the sacred treasure enshrined in Izumo Taisha Shrine? But... why are there two? No, isn't the Yasakani no Magatama (Eight-Span Curved Jewel) enshrined at Ise Grand Shrine? How did it end up at Izumo Taisha Shrine?"

Looking at the two weapons on the altar, Reiko was suddenly stunned for a moment, but she quickly realized that Shimizu Asahi wanted the Yasakani no Magatama, not the Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi.

Reiko's somewhat inexplicable words also surprised Shimizu Asahi. He blinked at Reiko's eyes, not understanding what she meant for a moment.

But then he thought about it again and understood.

Realizing something, the boy gave a teasing smile and said, "Reiko, you didn't think I was talking about the Kusanagi Sword, did you?"

Lingzi didn't speak, but just quietly looked at him. However, if you looked closely, you could see a faint emotional fluctuation in her black eyes.

It's like a young girl who's unhappy but can't find an outlet for her frustration.

My fiancée, who has a slightly slow reaction time, is surprisingly cute.

After memorizing the scene, Shimizu Asahi explained with satisfaction: "In order to suppress the evil aura of the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, Susanoo-no-Mikoto borrowed the Yasakani no Magatama from Omikami. Therefore, Izumo Taisha now enshrines two sacred treasures."

"...I see. But how did you know?"

Suppressing her slight unhappiness, Reiko asked curiously.

Although she was not human, she was well aware of the importance of the divine artifact. The news that the Yasakani no Magatama had come to Izumo Taisha should be kept secret. How could her fiancé know?

"Hmm... I overheard this by accident, since I need to borrow the power of the Yasakani no Magatama."

After rubbing his head and coming up with a simple reason for Reiko, Shimizu Asahi quickly changed the subject, saying, "Alright, let's get the artifact first."

After leaving those words, Shimizu Asahi leaped up and easily retrieved the Nine-Tomoe Divine Sword, which was enshrined on the sword rack more than two meters high.

He landed and looked at the divine weapon he held easily in his hand, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the artifact did not resist him.

"It seems the Yasakani no Magatama doesn't dislike me. Well then, let's see if it's willing to lend me its power..."

As he spoke, a faint spiritual energy began to flow from his body into the divine artifact, and as if summoned, the artifact also emitted a golden light.

A faint joy flashed in the black-haired boy's eyes, but before he could rejoice, a sudden change occurred.

A pale purple demonic power, filled with pure malice and madness, burst open the gate without warning and surged into the brightly lit, enormous palace like a whirlwind!

"boom!!!"

The candle went out in an instant, plunging the entire palace into boundless darkness. Shimizu Asahi and Reiko instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves from the raging wind.

"What's going on!?"

The sudden turn of events left them somewhat bewildered, but the next moment, a sharp blade flashed past their eyes!

"Wait, the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi!?"