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

Kamo no Tadashi recounted in detail the information Shimizu Asahi obtained from the Genji clan and Shimizu Asahi's duel with the evil god, and then revealed their plan.

"We have decided to comply with the bet between Asahi and the evil god. Asahi will hold off one of the evil god's methods, while I and Yicai will hold off Minamoto no Kyouki. Tamamo-no-Mae, Shiro-ko, you, and the other Onmyoji and great yokai will join forces to attack the evil god."

“Besides the Yasakani no Magatama, I also brought over the Yata no Kagami from the Ise Grand Shrine.”

"By combining the two divine artifacts, we now have the power to fight against the evil god."

"Furthermore, since the battlefield is in Heian-kyo, we need to set up a barrier to prevent the fighting from affecting other civilians. In fact, in order to avoid being noticed by the civilians, we must act at night."

“We will take full responsibility for the barrier, while the battle will be handled by the sea monsters and the Kamo family's Onmyoji. What do you think?”

"Will the Sea Kingdom and the Kamo clan fight against the Minamoto clan?"

Ōtakemaru stroked his chin, pondering the feasibility of this matter.

In terms of numbers, the siren and the Kamo clan's Onmyoji could definitely overwhelm the Minamoto clan. Add to that the samurai and Onmyoji from other clans, and they would undoubtedly have a huge advantage.

However, the Genji clan possesses the power of an evil god, a power capable of causing earth-shattering changes, which is a major variable. Even if their numbers are several times greater, it is not certain that they can gain the upper hand against them.

Therefore, Ōtakemaru must consider what kind of loss this would cause to Mount Suzuka.

As for Shimizu Asahi, he could accompany him as an individual and risk his life with him, but he could not fight alongside him as the lord of Suzuka Mountain.

He is now the ruler of the Sea Kingdom, and many of the Sea Kingdom's sea monsters are on his shoulders. He must ensure that he brings them here and takes them away!

Kamo no Tadayuki remained silent, quietly watching Ōtakemaru and waiting for his answer.

He understood Ōtakemaru's considerations. Allowing the Onmyoji to construct the barrier while letting the sea monsters participate in the battle felt like a betrayal. If it weren't for the fact that only Onmyoji could set up the barrier, he wouldn't have made such a choice.

Even so, he still put the Kamo family's Onmyoji at the forefront.

Using the Kamo clan's military strength as a guarantee, they reassured the Sea Kingdom.

"..."

"..."

Time passed slowly, and soon five or six minutes had gone by, but Ōtakemaru still hadn't given a reply.

He kept his head down, making it impossible to see his expression, while Qing Shui Chao Yang pursed his lips and remained silent.

He is now the link between the two sides and cannot speak for either side, as doing so would damage the relationship with the other. Therefore, this decision can only be made by Ōtakemaru himself.

After a few more minutes of silence, Ōtakemaru finally made a decision.

"...Fine, since you've used the Kamo family as collateral, I have no reason to disagree." Chapter 460: The Day of the Decisive Battle is Approaching

Ōtakemaru agreed to the plan, and Shimizu Asahi and Kamo Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief. In any case, the addition of the Sea Kingdom would further enhance their strength and make their chances of victory even greater.

However, while feeling relieved, Shimizu Asahi also felt a bit of pressure.

One reason Ōtakemaru made this decision was because Kamo no Tadayuki set an example, and the other reason was because of him.

Because he trusted him, Ōtakemaru also trusted Kamo no Tadayuki. If the Sea Kingdom suffered heavy losses this time, then Shimizu Asahi would also bear the responsibility for their deaths in battle.

Well, although saying this might give the impression of 'if that's the case, it would be better not to participate in the war,' for Shimizu Asahi personally, this responsibility has already fallen on his shoulders.

And the safety of the people of Heian-kyo...

The duel between the evil god and Shimizu Asahi was also a shackle that the evil god placed on Shimizu Asahi.

Because of her strong sense of responsibility, Shimizu Asahi will shoulder the responsibility of protecting the people of Heian-kyo.

If I lose, the people of Heian-kyo will die, so the safety of the people of Heian-kyo rests on my shoulders.

—Even though he guessed the evil god's thoughts, Shimizu Asahi just couldn't relax.

His personality is just like that by nature.

With two pressures weighing on him at the same time, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

On the day of the final battle, I can only keep pushing myself...

That night, Shimizu Asahi and Kamo Tadashi stayed on the ghost ship of the sea kingdom. After they finished talking, it was already dark. Even if they went back immediately, it would be too late, so they decided to stay on the Arakawa River for the night.

Perfect timing! I can also attend the banquet jointly hosted by the Arakawa water demon and the sea demons of the Sea Kingdom.

Speaking of which, Shimizu Asahi also met the little guy, Goldfish Princess, at the banquet.

This little guy is still insisting on becoming the Lord of Arakawa, and although he stubbornly cries and leaves every time he encounters a powerful monster, he still brings a lot of laughter to everyone.

After the banquet, he and Kamo no Tadayuki stayed on the ghost ship to rest. This huge ghost ship, like Tamamo-no-Mae's Takigakure, was a sentient being. It was also the most powerful ship in the Sea Kingdom, and the Sea Kingdom would not sail it unless absolutely necessary.

Therefore, this huge ship has a lot of space. Unlike the ordinary cabins on the outside, the rooms inside are like normal houses, where people can rest well.

Soon, the next morning arrived, and Qingshui Chaoyang got up early as usual, washed up, and prepared to wait for breakfast.

However, to his surprise, as soon as he arrived on the deck, he saw Kamo no Tadayuki sitting at the bow, watching the rising sun.

"teacher?"

Shimizu Asahi exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't you going to rest a little longer? Isn't today a rare day when you can finally rest?"

In preparation for the decisive battle against the Minamoto clan, Kamo no Tadayuki has traveled to countless places and met countless Onmyoji and great yokai these past few days, forcibly stretching the twelve hours of a day into fifteen.

Today, I had no choice but to take a good rest, but I didn't expect the teacher to get up so early.

"It's nothing. I've gotten used to this kind of life. Even if I wanted to sleep a little longer, I couldn't."

"Alright, now that we're up, let's get ready to set off."

"Although the plan has been made, there is still a part that has not been completed. I need to rush back and finish that part."

Kamo no Tadashi didn't say much about whether he should rest or not; he quickly changed the subject.

However, Shimizu Asahi scratched his head and said with a smile, "Teacher, no need to rush, let's finish breakfast first."

"Ootakemaru and the others should be almost ready."

"breakfast?"

"...Alright."

Kamo no Tadashi hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Although I have a lot to do, I can't let the students' good intentions go to waste, so I'll stay a little longer.

The two went into the cabin and had breakfast with Ōtakemaru. Afterward, Kamo no Tadayuki took his leave.

However, at this moment, Ōtakemaru suddenly said, "Wait, I also plan to go to Heian-kyo. I hope you won't mind if I go with you."

"Companions?"

Shimizu Asahi and Kamo Tadashi exchanged a glance, both seemingly puzzled as to why Ōtakemaru would suddenly suggest traveling with them. However, after a moment's thought, Kamo Tadashi did not refuse, "Alright, let's come along then."

"Well, thank you."

Ōtakemaru thanked them and then handed over the matter of the ghost ship to Kyujira and Kaimei.

A short while later, the three of them rode on paper cranes and flew into the sky.

"Speaking of which, why did you suddenly decide to come to Heian-kyo with us, Ōtakemaru?"

On the paper crane, Shimizu Asahi looked at Ōtakemaru with some curiosity, while Ōtakemaru blinked and casually said, "Nothing, I just wanted to go and see where you are now."

"Would you like to stay here for a while? I don't mind. Perfect, let me introduce you to my friend and sister."

Once he realized what was happening, Shimizu Asahi immediately understood. He patted Ōtakemaru on the shoulder, indicating that he could take him around Heian-kyo.

Three hundred years of changes have brought many fun things to Heian-kyo, and he certainly won't be bored since he hasn't been there in a long time.

Ootakemaru didn't say much about his brother's enthusiasm. His purpose in coming was simply to visit Shimizu Asahi's older sister.

According to seniority, he is the younger brother of Shimizu Asahi and Reiko, and Shimizu Asahi is the younger brother of Shimizu Mio, so Shimizu Mio can also be considered his older sister. However... it doesn't feel right to suddenly have an extra older sister, so he took it upon himself to consider himself Reiko's younger brother and then visited her as a relative by marriage.

This can also be seen as a way to scout out the path for Reiko and let her see what kind of person Shimizu Mio is.

Soon, Kamo no Tadayuki brought the two back to Heian-kyo. They landed directly in the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang), said a few words to the two, and then returned to his study to continue working.

Shimizu Asahi thanked the teacher, and then led Ootakemaru home.

Under his arrangement, Ōtakemaru successfully met Shimizu Mio, and Shimizu Mio also successfully met the family of the philandering woman who had stolen her younger brother.

Well... how should I put it, their first meeting was fairly friendly; at least, both sides had a fairly good impression of each other.

After staying at the Shimizu family's house for a few days and getting to know Shimizu Mio in detail, Ōtakemaru left and returned to the Arakawa Oni-fune.

And so, time passed little by little, and the day of the decisive battle quietly arrived... Chapter 461: Onmyoji and Demon King Gather Together!

It was late November, and Heian-kyo, which was no different from usual, had its first snowfall of the year. White snowflakes fell from the sky, adorning the pavilions and treetops, and a pure atmosphere quietly spread. The people living here also realized that the New Year was approaching.

Perhaps it was because of the festive season that people's smiles were getting brighter and brighter, and the number of red lights on the streets was gradually increasing.

They used to rest after sunset, but now they're resting later and later, and even late-night festivals are appearing.

However, the common people were unaware that, north of Heian-kyo, a great war that would impact the entire world was about to unfold...

The Yin-Yang Bureau, originally a place for teaching students, was now filled with a chill, as something called killing intent quietly permeated the air.

Kamo no Tadayuki, Abe no Masatsugu, Fujiwara no Ichisuke, Tamamo-no-Mae, Ōtakemaru, Kuzunoha, Uminari, Kidomaru, Shimizu Asahi, Aonobo...

Countless powerful Onmyoji, great yokai, and demon kings gathered together.

They looked at each other quietly, and although they didn't speak, they all understood that in the war to come, those present would be their comrades-in-arms.

"..."

"..."

The crowd remained silent for a long time, with no one speaking first, as if they were waiting for something.

Kamo no Tadashi glanced casually at everyone present, and then spoke calmly.

"Everyone, thank you for coming here. I won't say too much formality, but before we get down to business, I would like you to introduce yourselves."

"I know that many of you here know each other, but there are certainly some who don't, so it's necessary to introduce yourselves."

"Then, I'll go first."

"Kamo no Tadayuki, head of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang), and the instigator of this war!"

"Next, I would like to ask for your continued guidance!"

As he spoke, the strongest Onmyoji in Heian-kyo bowed, showing due respect to everyone present.