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

A battle that was absolutely crushing!

The difference in strength between the two was so great that it made it impossible for anyone to muster even the slightest thought of resistance!

However, Ōtakemaru was unaware that although Shimizu Asahi appeared to be unchanged except for the dust on his robes and the sweat on his cheeks, he had actually exhausted most of his physical and spiritual energy in the battle just now.

Although it was indeed a near-crushing battle, his victory was by no means easy.

—This is the scene presented before the evil god!

"Hehehe... I didn't expect this little guy to have become so strong. He was able to defeat this siren without even using the Yasakani no Magatama... It seems I've been asleep for a long time."

A chilling, casual laugh echoed through the endless darkness, and the evil god narrowed his eyes slightly.

Although He did not witness the battle between Shimizu Asahi and Ōtakemaru, His years of experience allowed Him to see through the opponent's strength at a glance.

As he said, Ōtakemaru is definitely not weak. The current Ōtakemaru may be weaker than Shimizu Asahi five years ago, but that's all. If Shimizu Asahi wants to defeat him, he must pay a heavy price. It is simply impossible for him to be just a little tired after the battle.

This shows just how fast Shimizu Asahi's strength has improved in the past five years!

"If you were allowed to continue growing, you might become a major obstacle for me... So, I'm sorry, little one, you'll have to stay here forever..."

The evil god, who had just awakened, quickly decided to leave Shimizu Asahi here.

If Shimizu Asahi had no one backing him, He might have spared his life. But now that He knows Shimizu Asahi is favored by the Great God, there is only one thing He has to do!

As the evil deity's voice faded, the last vestige of Orochi's power quietly flowed out of his body and then silently entered Ōtakemaru's body.

"Little one, lend me the power you've been hiding... Hehehe..."

......

Outside, Shimizu Asahi gently exhaled a breath of stale air, calming his heart, which had been pounding from the intense battle. He then walked up to Ōtakemaru and asked, "Little guy, are you satisfied with this battle?"

"......Um."

Ōtakemaru turned his head away somewhat unhappily. Although it was indeed a very enjoyable battle, he had worked so hard but hadn't even broken through the opponent's defense. This made him feel embarrassed and unwilling. However, his personality and pride wouldn't allow him to say anything like "I haven't used my full strength" or "This battle wasn't fun at all." So, he could only nod unhappily.

However, after nodding, he said defiantly, "Next time, next time I will definitely beat you! You just wait!"

"Yes, I look forward to our next match."

"But before that, I'd like to help you heal your wounds."

The boy reached out and helped Ōtakemaru up. He then used a talisman and spiritual power to stop the bleeding. After confirming that he was alright, he patted Ōtakemaru on the shoulder and said, "Alright, little guy, you're fine now. Go back and rest. With your recovery ability, you should be fully recovered in a few days."

"If you want to challenge me again after you recover, just come to the Tamura family in Yamashiro. Stop causing trouble at the port, understand?"

"......I see."

Looking at the boy in front of him, whose smile was as gentle as sunshine, Ōtakemaru was suddenly stunned, and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

Speaking of which, I am a monster and he is a human, so why didn't he kill me after he defeated me?

He hadn't noticed this issue before, but upon hearing "Yamashiro Country," he suddenly realized that the person in front of him was human, not a monster.

"What's wrong? Is there anything else?"

Noticing the confusion and bewilderment in Ōtakemaru's eyes, Shimizu Asahi asked with concern. Ōtakemaru, having no qualms about speaking his mind, directly voiced his doubts.

Hearing this, he blinked, then smiled and reached out to rub Ōtakemaru's head. "Since you know I'm human and you're a yokai, why didn't you refuse my help just now?"

"Because I think you're not a bad person, you're different from everyone else."

Ōtakemaru gave an honest answer.

Am I... different from everyone else?

The boy was slightly taken aback by the answer, but then he smiled softly.

“I’m just like everyone else, but I agree with your previous reason.”

"Not a bad person, that one reason is enough."

"And similarly, you're not a bad person to me either, well... if I had to say, you're just a child who hasn't grown up yet."

Shimizu Asahi's words made Ōtakemaru's body stiffen involuntarily. He couldn't help but open his eyes. For some reason, the moment he heard those words, his heart trembled violently... Chapter 369, The Demon King, Ōtakemaru!

From the time he was old enough to understand, Ōtakemaru only remembered one thing.

Live!

The instinct for life and the yearning of all things make him, even though he doesn't understand what life and death are, fear death and yearn to live.

However, the place he lived in was a boundless, turbulent sea, more terrifying than the mainland and deeper than the sky, a region that believed in the survival of the fittest, where the only way to survive was to constantly become stronger.

No one cares whether you are a child or how old you are. Here, you only have two choices.

Either become the prey, or become the hunter.

Ootakemaru, who wanted to survive, began to struggle and improve himself from a young age. He experienced so many dangers and hardships that he couldn't even remember them all.

In the course of his years of struggle, he had forgotten that he was still a child. In his mind, he had grown up, matured, and was able to stand on his own. Until now... someone gently told him, 'You are still a child who has not grown up.'

His heart was pounding wildly, and his emotions surged like a tide. At this moment, he, who had never cried before, felt an urge to weep.

For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to be cared for...

"I......"

An inner impulse made him want to say something, but suddenly, his heart skipped a beat without warning.

"thump!"

Like a muffled thunderclap, a heavy sound emanated from his body, and his face, in that instant, turned panicked.

He felt a terrifying power surging within him...

"Little one?"

Seeing Ōtakemaru's drastic change in expression, Shimizu Asahi immediately showed a look of surprise. He squatted down and looked at the child who was trembling for some reason, "Little guy? Are you alright... You're so hot!"

The outstretched hand retracted even faster, and Shimizu Asahi couldn't help but look at his own palm—his normal-colored palm was now bright red from the intense heat!

"How could this be... Why is Ōtakemaru's body so hot?"

The black-haired boy was startled, but before he could recover, a scorching and tyrannical power suddenly erupted!

In that instant, he felt an unparalleled heat, and then, the scalding heat engulfed his body!

"Well!!"

A muffled groan escaped his mouth and nose, and Qing Shui Chaoyang involuntarily took several steps back under the intense heat!

"What's going on? How could Ōtakemaru...?"

With his left hand firmly blocking his eyes, Shimizu Asahi struggled to open them. The sudden turn of events left him momentarily at a loss, unsure of where to begin his thought process. Even after finally calming down, he still didn't know what to do. Although he had considered taking action to suppress this force, he worried that acting rashly without understanding the situation would cause irreversible consequences. Therefore, he could only stand still for the time being and wait for things to unfold.

However, as time went on, the heat emanating from Ōtakemaru grew stronger and stronger. Even with the protection of spiritual power, Shimizu Asahi's skin turned red, and he felt as if his clothes and hair were about to catch fire.

Besides him, the sand and seawater affected by the heatwave disappeared at a visible rate.

The nearby villages and residents were largely unharmed thanks to the protection of Kurako and Reiko, but...

"...No, this can't go on. We have to find a way to suppress Ōtakemaru!"

His black eyes swept around, and a sense of anxiety welled up in the boy's heart. The temperature was rising, but Ōtakemaru showed no signs of stopping. If this continued, even Shimizu Asahi might not be able to suppress him.

Even if there are risks involved, we can't worry about that now!

Having made up his mind, Shimizu Asahi gritted his teeth, and his powerful spiritual energy immediately transformed into a chilling white aura that surged forth.

The cold air and the heat wave collided with a roar, and the two forces began to fight each other. However, even though Ōtakemaru unleashed unimaginable power, Ōmizu Asahi still held a slight advantage.

Using this advantage, he approached Ōtakemaru step by step. However, as if sensing danger, Ōtakemaru, who had been standing still as if unconscious after emitting a heat wave, suddenly moved!

He raised his head, and his gaze, which had been replaced by red light, fell on the black-haired boy.

"!?"

In that instant, Shimizu Asahi's heart trembled violently, as if he had been targeted by a demon roaming through hell, an intense and inescapable sense of crisis engulfing him.

Danger! !! !!

His forward steps faltered, and Shimizu Asahi looked at Ōtakemaru with a slight tremor... Under this crisis, he didn't even have the courage to take a single step!

No, it wasn't that he lacked courage, but rather that his body was instinctively resisting the command to move forward!

"This feeling...this aura...Ōtakemaru has become this powerful?"

Shimizu Asahi's eyes wavered, but the next second, he gritted his teeth.

How can we let Ootengu scare us here!

Without hesitation, he mustered his courage and took another step forward!

However... the moment his foot touched the ground, his vision blurred in the darkness, and a figure appeared before him...

Before his brain could even process what was happening, the sound of flesh colliding with flesh echoed in his ears. Then, a tremendous force, like a tidal wave, relentlessly tore through his spiritual energy and filled his body!

"puff!!!!"

His internal organs shattered instantly under this force, and excruciating pain spread rapidly throughout his body like a raging storm. He couldn't help but open his mouth and spit out a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of flesh!

The next moment, his body flew backward like a cannonball!

Like an echo, a deafening roar resounded in the distance a second later.

"boom!!!"

Dust and smoke swirled in the air!

"puff......"

Crimson blood continued to spill from his mouth, and excruciating pain emanated from his back and abdomen. The black-haired boy lay disheveled amidst the rubble.

He tried his best to stand up, but the exhaustion and pain in his body went against his will. No matter how hard he tried, his broken body remained unresponsive.

One punch, just a simple punch, and Shimizu Asahi was rendered powerless to resist...

Is this... Ootengu's true strength...? Chapter 370 (Chapter 367): If I don't go, he will die.

"I never expected... it would hurt like this... it was just one punch... cough cough..."

"Is this the Demon King's strength? As expected, they're not even in the same league..."