novelraw Chapter 307: A Thoroughly Divided City
Chapter 307: A Thoroughly Divided City
"Dojigiri Yasutsuna has disappeared?" In the Cabinet, Shimao received the news and immediately reacted!
"What are you waiting for? Have someone collect all the remaining swords!" he barked.
The remaining swords were, of course, the ones listed alongside Dojigiri Yasutsuna as the Five Swords Under Heaven: Mikazuki Munechika, Juzumaru Tsunetsugu, Odenta Mitsuyo, and Onimaru Kunitsuna.
Aside from the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, these were the most famous swords in the nation's history. Previously, they might have only held historical significance, but now, an entire layer of Transcendent meaning had been attached to them!
Everyone had witnessed the power of Dojigiri Yasutsuna. It was a power that could effortlessly slay Ghosts and Monsters. Even if it could not kill a great Yokai, it would surely be enough to preserve one's life in the ghost-infested streets of Tokyo!
Did the other blades possess such power as well?
As long as the threat was not directly in front of them, their minds quickly grew active, beginning to hatch their own schemes.
Everyone was an idea man, and clearly, those people were faster than Shimao. "Mr. Prime Minister, they all say the swords have disappeared!"
"Disappeared? Hah!" Shimao could guess without even using his brain. Disappeared, my ass! This group of people had most likely taken the swords for themselves and were just telling him they had vanished.
It made sense. In this Realm, his so-called position as Prime Minister was merely a paper-hanger covering up the cracks. Could he truly grasp any real Power?"Mr. Prime Minister, a call from His Majesty the Emperor!" Right at that moment, Shimao received a phone call from Naruhito.
"Bastard! Why haven't you driven this monster away yet? Ah!" Naruhito's furious reprimand made Shimao startle. Only then did he realize—oh, right, they still had an Emperor sitting in the Imperial Palace.
The next second, a thought struck him. "Your Majesty, are your divine artifacts still in your hands? Do you need us to help you..."
"Get lost! These are my family heirlooms!" Naruhito's tone grew extremely hostile. As the Emperor, he had naturally seen what was happening, which was exactly why he placed such heavy importance on the Three Sacred Treasures!
It was just a profound pity. Why could that man surnamed Yuan swing Minamoto no Yorimitsu's Sword, yet he, the orthodox Emperor, held the Three Sacred Treasures to absolutely no effect?
He could not help but recall a terrifying rumor: Legend had it that during the shogunate era, the emperors were all Puppets who could not produce children, and so the generals were always eager to help out...
Thinking of this, Naruhito's expression soured further. But then he suddenly realized something. If that were the case, he should be able to wield the Yuan family's Sword too!
After all, the Minamoto clan, the Ashikaga clan, and the Tokugawa clan were fundamentally all one family!
If others could do it, why couldn't he?
Naturally, the Emperor's thoughts could not be spoken to outsiders, thus many people began migrating toward the Imperial Palace.
Of course, they had also thought of the title of the Three Sacred Treasures. Having witnessed the previous scenes and foreseen the future, they knew they had to make plans for the days ahead. Even aligning themselves with a royal family that had lost its power a century ago was not out of the question!
With the power of America waning, did this not further prove that this was the era of the Transcendent?
......
Meanwhile, at the US Military base, the Transcendent battle was still unfolding. Under the watchful eyes of the entire world, Abe no Seimei stepped to the rhythm of Yin and Yang, unleashing his techniques!
He had taught Kurahashi Seiji to use the Vermilion Bird position, but his own approach was far more direct. With a wave of his hand, a command spell descended. "The Mars star enters the Ghost constellation; let the Ghost establish its body and ignite its soul. Vermilion Bird, emerge!"
The next second, a colossal Fire bird materialized before him, spreading its wings. Beside Abe no Seimei, a Shikigami that closely resembled a human suddenly lunged forward, fusing together with the fiery bird!
"Guided by the heavenly stems of Bing and Ding, let the departing Fire shatter all impurities!"
Abe no Seimei opened with a devastating ultimate attack. Flames erupted from the Vermilion Bird's wings, landing with pinpoint accuracy on Shuten Doji. However, the Oni king blocked it with an outstretched hand and even retrieved a gourd-like wine jug from his robes. "Your Fire may not necessarily break my wine!"
He swung the wine jug in his hand, spraying countless streams of liquor into the air, which astonishingly extinguished the flames upon contact!
That was not all. He leapt directly into the air, arriving before the massive, ethereal Vermilion Bird. Stepping down onto its head, he poured the wine from his hand straight onto the bird's body!
"Screech!" The Fire bird plummeted to the ground with a mournful cry, its wings marred by severe corrosive burns.
On Abe no Seimei's side, a cyan talisman tucked inside his sleeve slowly began to burn away. This was the backlash caused by his Shikigami sustaining heavy damage.
"A mere body of Deities and Spirits, yet you dare to vie with me here?" Only after doing all this did Shuten Doji speak.
Abe no Seimei's complexion gradually turned somewhat grim. After all, his opponent was right. He was not a real human but merely a phantom—a shadow that, despite possessing power, still lacked true essence! At that very moment, many people finally realized the truth. Was this incredibly solid-looking figure actually an ethereal soul?
"Truly worthy of being Lord Seimei. To be this powerful even in such a state!" someone sighed in awe.
"This is what a true Onmyoji of ours is like, trading the lives of the people of America for our safety!" another person praised extravagantly.
None of these people were fools. Even though Abe no Seimei hadn't said it outright, the more than one hundred lives required for the grand array were undoubtedly sourced from this very base.
Therefore, this Onmyoji was undeniably one of their own, and they absolutely had to support him. If he could help them destroy the base, perhaps he could later help them shake off the constraints of America. When that time came, their independent nation would undoubtedly be incredibly powerful!
Of course, there were also those who were very displeased by this, such as the spineless lapdogs!
Fun fact: there are lapdogs in every country, but in Japan—a nation composed almost entirely of foreign compradors—the proportion of such people was simply far more exaggerated!
"What is he doing? He is destroying the peace of this nation!"
"Oh please, a Ritual Sacrifice is a Ritual Sacrifice, where can't it be done? If worst comes to worst, use Koreans! Why use people from America?"
"Exactly, we should cut all ties with him. This is an individual action and cannot be elevated to represent the nation!"
The chatter of these individuals rang out in many places, only to be interrupted by Abe no Seimei's actions. He threw his arms wide open, and in his hands, twelve glowing orbs of Radiance were vividly blooming.
"All generals, heed my command!" he roared. The Twelve Divine Generals suddenly stepped out from the void, taking their places at twelve specific coordinates. "Tread the star positions to form the Six Harmonies Coffin!"
Only then did the Painted Fan in his hand slowly unfold, pointing toward the sky as it transformed into an ethereal power. "The Four Symbols return to the void, let the Mars star serve as the nail!"
The power of the Four Symbols surged forth, instantly pinning Shuten Doji in place and completely immobilizing him.
Yet, Shuten Doji did not panic in the slightest. He ruthlessly tore open his own flesh, transforming into his True Body—a terrifying, ghastly demonic child with dozens of arms flailing wildly. He looked utterly horrifying!
"Abe no Seimei! Your time of death has arrived!" he roared furiously, but amidst his bellowing, he was stunned to find that his opponent wasn't making a single move.
The deadly array seemed as if it had never even existed. Abe no Seimei just stared at him with a faint smile on his lips. "Right now. Break!"
While Shuten Doji was left confused and bewildered, he suddenly felt something and violently jerked his head down!
He saw it. From within his own belly, a piercingly cold Sword gleam slashed horizontally outward, slicing right through his stomach!
Yes, it was Yuan Xiansi! Over this long period of time, Yuan Xiansi had slaughtered all the Ghosts and Monsters within Shuten Doji's stomach, carving through its innards to break out!
"Abe no Seimei!" Shuten Doji was beyond furious, yet he lacked any other countermeasure. He could only howl in impotent rage, watching the Sword gleam fly outward as he himself rapidly fled into the distance!
Trailing behind him was the Rashomon Demon, whose body was even larger and its movements even more thunderous, following closely as he vanished.
Only then did Abe no Seimei finally heave a slow sigh of relief. He looked at Yuan Xiansi, who had suddenly appeared beside him. "You did exceptionally well!"
He truly had reached his absolute limit. His previous motions were nothing but a bluff, but from the looks of it, Shuten Doji had been thoroughly intimidated!
"Mr. Seimei, are you alright?" Yuan Xiansi looked at Abe no Seimei with evident tension. The Onmyoji's body was fading away at a rate visible to the naked eye. It seemed his time was up.
"I am fine, my time has simply run out! I will be resting at the Onmyōryō in Kyoto. If you wish, you can come find me!" Abe no Seimei said. "As for this place, the matter has finally come to an end!"
The two men gazed up at the sky together. With Shuten Doji's escape and the deaths of those Ghosts, the dark clouds that had been continuously spreading gradually began to dissipate. Only the storm clouds hovering directly over Tokyo's core district remained tightly condensed and unwilling to scatter!
"Mr. Seimei, is this as far as we can go?" Yuan Xiansi asked with a hint of regret, looking at the cloudy remnants in the sky.
"Yes, this is as far as we can go!" Abe no Seimei nodded, his body dissolving into motes of light. Before completely vanishing, he offered a warm smile. "Your Life will undergo a drastic transformation now, child! Go forth and do what a swordsman must do!"
Yuan Xiansi raised his head, staring at the clouds in the sky. He watched as those clouds cleaved the city into two almost entirely distinct regions, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Tokyo had fundamentally changed!