The Great Master of Gensokyo

"I will become the new lord of Mount Ooe, leading the new Ooe Mountain Oni to dominate the world."

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P.S.: Second update. I think I can offer a reward. 50 monthly votes for one update, 100 knife votes for one update, maximum four updates. (Book club: 771077227)

Chapter 37 Otake Maru

The immense demonic power brought with it terrifying despair and fear.

Behind the blue-haired demon, a large number of yokai followed. Despite being a parade of weak and medium-level yokai, the blue-haired demon was imbued with an immense power of fear.

Ōtakemaru was not originally a demon from Mt. Ōe, but became a member of the Ōe-yama demon troupe after being born in Mt. Suzuka.

Moreover, after Shuten-dōji was killed by Minamoto no Yorimitsu, he inherited a portion of the Ōeyama Oni and parted ways with Ibaraki-dōji.

Flames burned in the village, which was originally a small village with a small population.

Now, all we face is death.

"Lord Ōtakemaru, may you dominate the world and be invincible."

"Rejoice! Lord Ōtakemaru's 'Power of Fear' has advanced further. We await the day when Lord Ōtakemaru ascends the throne of the Great Demon."

"We, the hundred demons of Mount Oe, swear to serve Lord Otakemaru to the death."

The demons cheered enthusiastically, showing absolutely no concern for the humans they perceived. Humans were merely the source of the demons' 'power of fear'.

After the fall of Mt. Ōe, the oni (demon) of Mt. Ōe split into two factions. One faction was led by Ibaraki-dōji, and the other by Ōtakemaru. The oni of Mt. Ōe, led by Ibaraki-dōji, chose to ally themselves with the great Onmyōji, Seimei.

Meanwhile, Ōtakemaru, along with the rest of the Ōeyama Oni, chose to remain outside the influence of Heian-kyo, gathering 'Power of Fear' to strengthen themselves.

His goal was to quickly join the ranks of great demons. Although he couldn't reach the pinnacle of great demons, he could still achieve the level of an ordinary great demon.

Ōtakemaru's ambition was to become the master of demons and monsters, no less than Shuten-dōji.

There is also the desire to avenge himself against the despicable Onmyoji Seimei who overthrew Mount Oe.

Mount Ōe was destroyed by Abe no Seimei. He was unwilling to submit to that despicable Seimei and submit to Ibaraki-dōji.

"Lord Ōtakemaru, what should we do with these humans?" a demon asked Ōtakemaru for his opinion. Ōtakemaru simply looked at the demon coldly and replied, "Naturally, bury them alive on the spot."

For humankind, the despair brought by death is the most intoxicating.

The "Power of Fear" is the most effective way to elevate oneself to the level of a great demon, which means that Ōtakemaru cannot be a demon who does not harm humans.

There is no way there could be any monster in this world that doesn't harm humans.

Gods are born from faith, while monsters exist because of human fear; all of this is based on humanity's incomprehension of the unknown.

Humanity's imagination of the sky gave birth to the celestial realm, to gods, and to countless gods, Buddhas, demons, and monsters.

...

"Bastards, how dare you..." Cui Zi stared at the scene before her, biting her lip tightly. The situation was truly beyond Cui Zi's expectations.

Another village was destroyed. Just as the triumphant Ootengu was about to leave with his Hundred Demons, he encountered the appearance of a shrine maiden and an Onmyoji.

Enraged, Midori raised her bow and arrow. The arrow, imbued with spiritual power, hurtled towards Ōtakemaru's demon horde, but its demon-slaying power was instantly neutralized by the demonic energy behind Ōtakemaru.

The demons before them were far more powerful than any they had encountered before.

"Two more humans. What interesting fellows. They possess considerable spiritual power."

"Eat them, Lord Ōtakemaru."

The demons cheered, sending a chill down one's spine and instilling a profound sense of terror. Saigyouji Hanyu frowned, then simply uttered a soft command, "Exorcise the demon with this talisman! Hurry, grant my wish!"

Pale blue runes formed, and just as the demons were about to attack, thousands of runes rose from the ground.

"Detonate!" The explosion formed by spiritual energy caused the air to ripple, and the weaker demons that intended to attack were all turned to ashes.

"Midori, don't be impulsive. This opponent is even more terrifying than the Tengu from before," Saigyouji Yuusuke said, taking Midori's hand. The powerful enemy before him made Saigyouji Yuusuke wary.

At this point, the system provided information about the leader of the demons.

[The Lord of the Ghosts in Dajiang Mountain·Otake Maru. 】

After Shuten-dōji's death, he parted ways with the remaining demons of Mount Ōe. Originally from Mount Suzuka, he failed to become the Demon King of Demons, competing with other Suzuka Mountain demons like Ōgokumaru and Ōtakemaru, and subsequently joined Mount Ōe.

"..." Saigyouji Yuusuke's lips twitched. In that case, he was not facing an ordinary yokai. Rather, he was facing Ōtakemaru, the future lord of demons and monsters who was destined to grow into a great yokai.

There are different versions of the three great yokai of Japan. Shuten-dōji and the nine-tailed fox Tamamo-no-Mae are the most obvious, while Ōtakemaru is definitely the true three great yokai. However, the one more commonly mentioned in folklore is Ōtengu.

According to historical records, the Shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was ordered to subdue the demons represented by Ōtakemaru, who hailed from Mount Suzuka. These demons were not ordinary monsters; they were extremely malevolent beings, almost existing between monsters and gods.

They also crave the 'power of fear' from humans, and Saigyouji Hanyu is facing such an opponent.

"Humans who stand in my way, vanish!" Ōtakemaru didn't even glance at them, only grinning maliciously. He gripped his katana. A sharp glint of light emanated from the blade as he slashed towards Saigyouji Habu and Midori.

"Bamboo Protection!" A giant tube fox formed in front of Saigyouji Hanyu, directly blocking Ōtakemaru's attack.

"Shikigami, shikigami, heed my command and possess my body." The phantoms of Baku and Kanko appeared behind Saigyouji Habu. "The opponent is not an easy monster to deal with. Midori, use the Exorcising Arrow to clear out the oni's horde, and I will deal with the oni itself."

The composed Saigyouji Hanyu immediately assigned Midori a task.

“But, Lord Yuzuru.” Before he could say anything, Saigyouji Yuzuru stepped forward directly, “Only I can handle that demon. I don’t want you to be in danger.”

"Believe me."

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P.S.: First update. Thank you for the monthly tickets, thank you for the razor blades, thank you for the recommendation tickets, thank you all, dear readers! _(:з」∠)_

Chapter Thirty-Eight: With the power of the Bright King, the demons and monsters are burned.

Serious and earnest.

This was the first time that Midori had seen Saigyouji Hanyu in this state. The strongest enemy she and Saigyouji Hanyu had ever encountered was the Karasu Tengu.

Could it be that the monster before us is even more powerful than the Tengu?!

His appearance made Cui Zi a little nervous.

"Lord Yuzuru, do you know what kind of monster is the leader of that group of demons?" Midori asked, a little nervous. Saigyouji Yuzuru, however, remained serious and earnest. "It's not an ordinary monster, but a demon."

"Those are demons and spirits?" Demons and spirits, now Midori understood why Saigyouji Habu was worried. Those were no ordinary beings; they were more terrifying than monsters, and more awe-inspiring than gods.

Ghosts and spirits will not help humans. If humans make wishes to ghosts and spirits, they are destined to pay a cruel price. To ghosts and spirits, it is merely an equivalent exchange for fulfilling wishes.

Even ghosts and gods can break their agreements with humans at any time if they so choose, which is why ghosts and gods are truly evil beings.

Ōtakemaru was born in Suzuka Mountain. Although he failed to become the Demon King, he was still a demon from that region, not an ordinary monster.

That immense 'power of fear' was also mixed with the majesty of the gods.

"Understood, Lord Yuzuru." Midori nocked the Demon-Slaying Arrow again, her own spiritual power instantly forming the arrow, which shot towards the demons behind Ōtakemaru.

"This is so interesting. That witch actually dared to challenge us."

"Let her know how terrifying monsters are, hahahaha."

The demons howled, and the oppressive darkness that blotted out the sky made it hard to breathe.

The war breaks out!

"Woo!!!" The dream-eating tapir let out a cry that lulled people into a dream, and the space around it seemed to fluctuate. The clamoring demons immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The dream-eating beast is also the dream-building beast.

"Oh no, is this an illusion?!"

"That Onmyoji's shikigami has the ability to let us enter an illusion."

The horde of demons that had launched the attack were immediately stunned, and their astonishing power of fear was suppressed. The dream-eating beast opened its mouth, and the ignorant demons became the dream-eating beast's meal.

"Interesting." Ōtakemaru drew his sword, the demonic blade coiled with a massive aura of 'fear,' and behind him appeared the heads of two demons. Fiery red flames erupted from the demonic blade as it slashed towards Saigyouji Hanyu.

Saigyouji Hanyu asked Baku to help Midori, and now the only thing he can rely on is the power he gained by possessing the Kanko shikigami.

"Explosive Cannon!" In his shikigami-possessed state, Saigyouji Hanyu used the Kanko's skills with even greater ease. His hands seemed to transform into fox claws, forming a lotus shape as he pushed towards Ōtakemaru. A dazzling light of spiritual energy collided with Ōtakemaru's immense power of fear.

----------------

Air vibration!

"Hahaha, you amuse me, human." Ōtakemaru's sword light clashed with Saigyouji Hanyu's explosive cannon. The 'Power of Fear' transformed into an ominous storm, and Ōtakemaru, with the force of a whale swallowing everything, unleashed a single breath at Saigyouji Hanyu.

"Five Elements, Barrier Array!" A pale blue barrier formed as the ominous storm approached. Like a raging torrent sweeping in, the terrifying sense of impending doom made Saigyouji Yuusuke gasp for breath.

I must say, they truly live up to their reputation as spirits and deities.

Ōtakemaru is the prototype of the three legendary yokai, with Ōtengu being the most prevalent in folk tales. However, Ōtakemaru is the most officially recognized yokai in Japanese legends, as it symbolizes Japan's victory over the Emishi (Hokkaido) people. The Emishi, who resisted the Japanese army, were naturally demonized.

"A mere Onmyoji, your tricks are no match for me." Ōtakemaru smiled coldly, then strode across a hundred meters, aiming a slash at Saigyouji Hanyu.

The dark, raging "Power of Fear" converged into a blade of light that was about to kill Saigyouji Hanyu in the next second.

"Stop...stop, Lord Ōtakemaru." The one who died was Ōtakemaru's subordinate, the weak demon Kidomaru who had been celebrating all along.

This caused Ōtakemaru's expression to freeze, and he looked up. Saigyouji Hanyu, however, had moved away from Ōtakemaru's area of ​​influence. Azure chains, like snakes, were coiled around Ōtakemaru's body.

“Spirit Bind, Imprison,” Saigyouji Yuusuke said softly.

Although he sent the Baku to assist Midori in battle, Saigyouji Hanyu, in a state of shikigami possession, could use a portion of each shikigami's abilities while possessing two shikigami. With the shikigami possessing him, Saigyouji Hanyu could use all of the shikigami's skills.

While in a possessed state, the shikigami can sometimes detach from Saigyouji Hanyu's body and fight independently. Saigyouji Hanyu can then use the dream-building ability of the Baku. By entering the dream, he can influence Ōtakemaru's senses in reality. The chains formed by the Word of Power: Binding suddenly trap Ōtakemaru.

"Hahaha, you're really something, human." Ōtakemaru laughed, a hint of admiration in his cold gaze. "Then let me see how many tricks you still have up your sleeve to deal with me."

"!!!" With the power of the demons and gods, Saigyouji Hanyu suddenly noticed the huge change in Ōtakemaru's aura.

The incredible power of the spirits meant that Saigyouji Hanyu's restraints could not hold Ōtakemaru for very long.

"—Sava! Tathagata! Nidhiviya! Sarvamuchiviya!—"

Flames ignited at that moment. The incantation of the Fudo Myoo Fire Realm Mantra was formed as Saigyouji Habu chanted it. The air temperature rose, becoming scorching and dry, making the ground seem to burn.

"Burn! Burn it all! Drive away all evil spirits!"

Saigyouji Hanyu pointed his finger in the direction of Ōtakemaru.

With the power of Fudo Myo-o, the demons and monsters were burned to ashes.

"Ha!" Ōtakemaru, who had previously been indifferent, exclaimed in genuine surprise this time.

The Fire Realm Curse of Fudo Myo-o, which was originally only wielded by Onmyoji around thirty years old, was actually witnessed by Ōtakemaru in the hands of a fifteen-year-old Onmyoji.

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P.S.: This is the second update, sorry it's a little late! ^_^

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Demonic Transformation, Inugami Appears

The scorching flames, like a rushing river, swept towards Ōtakemaru.

In an instant, it appeared in front of Ōtakemaru.

"Lord Otakemaru..."

"Oh no... Will Lord Ōtakemaru be alright?"

Some of Ōtakemaru's demon followers were worried about Ōtakemaru's condition. This was because Saigōji Hayū was so young, yet he possessed considerable skill in Onmyōdō.

This made all the monsters feel threatened and fearful.

"Fool! That's Lord Ōtakemaru! How could he possibly be defeated by a mere Onmyoji if he didn't become the lord of Mt. Ōe and lead us in a counterattack against Mt. Suzuka?" Kyōkotsu shouted, and Yūya Hibiki and Inmora joined in the clamor.

The general of Ōtakemaru directly suppressed the restless and weak yokai's mental activities.

"She's just a mere human. If we capture that priestess as a hostage, the young Onmyoji will surely submit obediently."

"She's so beautiful, the shrine maiden might be having an affair with that onmyoji."

The horrifying grins of the Hundred Demons revealed the true wickedness of demons and monsters. They were genuine evil spirits and demons from Mount Ooe, not the weak and incompetent demons and monsters led by the Tengu.

"Don't talk nonsense about these monsters!" Cui Zi was both ashamed and angry. As a Wind Priest, she possessed the ability to summon wind and rain and generate lightning. The spiritual energy fluctuations around her became even stronger, and arcs of electricity flashed around her.

"Demon-Slaying Arrow!" This time, the Demon-Slaying Arrow was imbued with the power of lightning. A dazzling bolt of electricity formed a straight line, exploding before the oncoming demon.

In an instant, everything was torn to pieces.

"That wretched witch."