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

...Yes, he lost cleanly and decisively, without even seeing how his opponent made his move or how he acted. He fell to the ground without realizing it and was brutally suppressed.

"Although I knew Reiko would win, but this..."

Was the victory too easy or too casual?

He charged forward and defeated him in just two steps, suppressing the lawless and demon-like Ōtakemaru... Is this... the true power of the Lord of the Sea?

Shimizu Asahi, who had shared a bed with Reiko for five whole years, couldn't help but swallow.

How exactly did I become a major fighting force during that evil god incident five years ago?

With Reiko's current strength, even without the Yasakani no Magatama, and even without him, she could defeat Yamata no Orochi, right?

In the endless darkness, the evil god saw Reiko's performance through Shimizu Asahi's body. The oppressive force and explosive power she unleashed in that instant made Him tremble slightly.

"I never imagined that five years, which is just a blink of an eye for a demon, would allow that mermaid to grow to this level... Within a thousand years, no demon stronger than her will appear in this ocean."

With a sigh of relief, Orochi gave Reiko the highest praise.

He closed his eyes and said with a hint of helplessness, "I originally intended to use that little guy's power to kill humans, but I didn't expect such an unexpected turn of events."

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. But..."

A sinister smile crept across his face once more, and the evil god murmured like a demon, "Our game isn't over yet..."

The dark, malevolent energy slowly flowed out of Ōtakemaru's body and, with utmost secrecy, returned to Shimizu Asahi's body.

Once the evil energy was no longer under his control, Ōtakemaru immediately lost his power. The intense heat that burned everything slowly disappeared, his scarlet eyes returned to normal, and then he fell into a coma.

"Is it over, Reiko?"

The black-haired boy dragged his tired body to Lingzi's side. He looked at the unconscious little girl and asked softly.

"His demonic power has subsided, and his burning flesh has returned to normal, so... well, it's over." Chapter 369, Section 372: Humans and Demons, Leaving the Mountain City Kingdom

"Yeah......"

A weary murmur arose softly, and Qingshui Chaoyang revealed a relieved expression before sitting down on the scorching ground.

"It's finally over..."

"Thank you for your hard work, Shimizu."

Reiko raised her hand to support his body as he fell backward, and gently used her demonic power to heal his wounds.

"What are you planning to do next? Take this little guy away?"

"Yes, let's take him with us. We can't leave him here in his current state."

Shimizu Asahi nodded, then looked back at the people in the distance.

If Ōtakemaru is left here, death will be the only thing waiting for him.

The villagers of this era would never let any monster go unpunished.

With Reiko's help, Shimizu Asahi gradually regained some of his strength. He managed to stand up, then picked up Ōtakemaru and said, "Alright, let's go. It's time to leave this place."

Because his spiritual energy was exhausted, he was unable to carry the three of them away, so the task of leaving fell to Lingzi. However, upon hearing this, Lingzi gently shook her head.

"Shimizu, it's me who's leaving, not us."

“I am a monster, and humans cannot accept my existence. Therefore, I must leave. But you are different. You are human, and you have protected the Mountain City Kingdom for two years. Even if you stand with us, they will not attack you. You can stay in the human world.”

"Just as you said, humans and monsters are different. You are social creatures. As long as you are human, no one can escape the human world."

"Humans must live together with other humans."

"Therefore, I alone am enough to leave the Mountain City Kingdom."

This was a decision Reiko made when she took action. She knew she could no longer live in the human world, but it would be too selfish of her to take Shimizu Asahi away from the human world as well.

The island wasn't far from the Mountain City Kingdom. At her speed, she could travel that distance in an hour. If she missed him, she could come back anytime.

Therefore, leaving alone was the best choice for her.

However, in response to her words, Shimizu Asahi chuckled. He looked at his fiancée and laughed with a hint of amusement.

"Since you know that humans cannot live alone, why did you still leave alone?"

"You have a human fiancé, a human father, a human sister, and human friends. Aren't you human too?"

"Clear water..."

The boy's words startled the mermaid princess. She stared blankly at the boy before her, speechless for a moment. After a while, the stunned girl came to her senses.

"Although I want to refute what you said, I can't find a single point to refute it. Besides, you've made up your mind, haven't you? Even if I don't allow it, you'll come to the island to find me after you recover..."

"My fiancée ran away, how can I not chase after her?"

The boy squinted, his smile as bright as the sun.

Looking at him, Lingzi smiled from the bottom of her heart. Her fiancé's choice and words made her feel his tenderness once again, and that he genuinely liked her.

The Little Mermaid secretly suppressed her joy and glanced casually at Tamura Shi, saying, "Since you've made your decision, I won't say anything more. But, before you leave, would you like to say goodbye to your father?"

"No need. Going to find Father now will only cause him trouble. Let's come back and apologize to him after we've settled down on the island."

"That...that's definitely true..."

Blinking, Reiko realized that since Shimizu Asahi was leaving with her, it wouldn't be good to contact Tamura Samurai and the others again, so she didn't bring it up again.

"Alright, let's go, let's leave this country."

"Ah."

Holding the unconscious Ōtakemaru, Shimizu Asahi followed his fiancée toward the sea. As they reached the shore, waves crashed over them, swallowing their bodies and disappearing from the sight of the people in an instant.

With their disappearance, this port incident came to a complete end...

"...Let's go too, Yezi, Cangzi."

Watching his daughter and son-in-law disappear into the waves, Tamura sighed, but he quickly rallied and left with Yoko and Kurako.

He knew that the Tamura family was about to face a series of troublesome matters...

After a brief period of calm, the port incident spread like wildfire, reaching the entire Mountain City Kingdom in just two days.

Now everyone knows that Tamura Reiko, the eldest daughter of the Tamura family who appeared five years ago, was actually a yokai in disguise. Although Mr. Shimizu, who has been protecting them, already knew her identity, he never revealed it. Instead of exorcising her, he allowed the yokai to roam freely in Yamashiro Province.

He nominally protects the Mountain City Kingdom, but in reality, he is an accomplice of the monsters. The monsters he exorcises are actually putting on a show for them.

Their goal is very likely to infiltrate the country and become its unsung masters.

After such rumors spread, every citizen living in the Mountain City Kingdom was plunged into deep fear and anxiety. They began to wonder if their relatives and friends were also monsters in disguise.

Although some more rational people wanted to speak out for Shimizu Asahi, the tide had turned, and the voices that Shimizu Asahi was the enemy became the mainstream. All those who spoke out for Shimizu Asahi were bullied as monsters.

Over time, no one dared to speak up for Qingshui Chaoyang anymore.

Meanwhile, as the news spread, the Tamura family became the target of public criticism, and everyone's attention was focused on the general, waiting for him to give a reasonable explanation.

However, some emotionally charged individuals couldn't stand the silence and, before Tamura Samurai spoke up, even claimed that Yoko was a monster in disguise, further fueling the people's hostility towards the Tamura family.

But the Tamura family was, after all, a general's residence, and the thousands of soldiers on the battlefield were not just for show. Therefore, they had no other means to stop them except to hurl insults.

Two days later, the Tamura shogun was summoned by the daimyo. Under the watchful eyes of all the people, he walked through the streets and through the crowds, and finally stepped into the imperial palace.

Amidst the vigilance and caution of numerous guards, Tamura Samurai slowly made his way into the main hall.

The powerful officials and nobles had been waiting for a long time... Chapter 373 A Qualified Father

"General Tamura, you probably already know why I summoned you here. In that case, I won't waste any more words and will get straight to the point."

In the main seat, the daimyo of Yamashiro Province looked at Tamura Samurai with coldness and majesty. He didn't waste any words, even abandoning the usual polite and treacherous exchanges among nobles.

"General, you must have heard the rumors that have been circulating throughout the entire Mountain City Kingdom for the past five days. So, General, could you explain why the monster became your daughter, and why Shimizu Asahi left with the monster?"

Although in this era of 'family rule,' many daimyo are useless cowards who only know how to loaf around and wait to die. They have neither initiative nor decision-making ability, and they can do nothing but ensure their own position is secure. However, the daimyo of Yamashiro Province is different from other daimyo. He is not controlled by other rumors, nor is he blind to any situation.

Although he sometimes appears to be echoing the high-ranking officials and nobles, he actually has his own thoughts behind it.

That's why he said those things.

Below, Tamura Samurai, who was kneeling on the ground in a basic etiquette posture, gave a quiet and calm answer when asked the question.

“Lingzi is my daughter, and Chaoyang is my daughter’s fiancé. Since she wants to leave here, Chaoyang will naturally leave with her.”

"Your daughter?"

Daimyo's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of dissatisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"General Tamura, you are human, and she is a demon. Humans and demons cannot coexist. You should be careful what you say!"

To claim a demon as one's daughter in front of the daimyo is tantamount to provoking the nation and the daimyo. Logically, he should have dragged Tamura Samurai away, imprisoned him, and killed him when the opportunity arose, but...

Seeing Tamura's resolute and decisive expression, he took two deep breaths and let the matter pass.

"...Very well, if the general wants to recognize her as his daughter, then I have nothing to say. Let's let this matter rest. But general, why did you let Shimizu Asahi leave?"

"As the only Onmyoji in Yamashiro, Shimizu Asahi has saved Yamashiro from monsters countless times. He is an indispensable person to Yamashiro. How can you let him leave with that monster? Do you think you are being fair to the people of Yamashiro?!"

Daimyo's tone was full of concern and anger. To him, Shimizu Reiko's departure was insignificant; the only person he cared about was Shimizu Asahi.

As the sole Onmyoji protecting the Mountain City Kingdom, Shimizu Asahi has spent years exorcising monsters and protecting the villagers. Thanks to his efforts, the security of the Mountain City Kingdom has improved significantly. There are no monster attacks or villains, and many merchants and ordinary people have begun to flock to the Mountain City Kingdom, bringing countless profits and benefits to the kingdom.

In addition, his water control yin-yang technique can also be used to deal with droughts and floods. With his help, the people of the mountain city can have a much better harvest than in previous years.

For the daimyo, Shimizu Asahi is now not only the protector of Yamashiro Province, but also a cash cow that brings him profits!

He absolutely could not allow such a cash cow to leave without a reason!

Therefore, his main objective this time was to bring back Shimizu Asahi from Tamura!

As long as Shimizu Asahi returns, he can suppress the other nobles and clear Shimizu Asahi's name, allowing him to stay here.

However, Tamura shook his head and said, "This is Asahi's own choice, and as his father, I have no right to object."

"The decision to leave the human world was a complete mistake. Has the general gotten so old that he can no longer distinguish right from wrong?"

"The lord is not Asahi, so how can he know that this decision is wrong for Asahi?"

The general named Tamura Samurai raised his head and looked at the daimyo with quiet and fearlessness.

"I believe my children can make the right decision, and I believe they will not regret this decision."