Ruins of Aokijō
Located within Tokyo and technically under the Nura Clan's jurisdiction, the place was completely deserted.
Neither humans nor yōkai ever came here. It was as if, on a subconscious level, everyone recognized the ruins of Aokijō as a forbidden place—one that simply could not be entered.
Even after the massive disaster caused by the Hyaku Monogatari Clan, not a single person or yōkai had stepped into this area. While chaos had spread in all directions, this place remained eerily untouched.
"Who would've thought? The enemy's base was right under our noses the entire time. Isn't this what they call 'the darkest place is right beneath the lamp'?"
The boy who spoke had narrow, foxlike eyes and wore a crooked eboshi hat on his head. His white kariginu robes were a size too big, patterned with the crest of the seven-pointed star. He strode boldly across the wooden floor—its material, some ancient, unknown timber.
"But still, the Mikado-in Clan's barrier here is pretty clever. Some of these tricks even I find amusing... Who would've guessed? That famous monk of the Tendai sect—the one who served three Tokugawa shoguns: Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu—that Sōjō Tenkai is, in this world, also the head of the Mikado-in Clan."
What should've sounded like praise came off instead as mockery, especially with that foxlike smirk twisting the corners of his lips.
"What a scenic place... Maybe when I'm too old to move, I'll just settle here and wait for death. Not a bad retirement, eh?"
"The hell are you mumbling about, old man?! Ariyuki!"
A surly man leaning on the railing nearby—clearly waiting for someone—snapped at him with all the fury of a lit fuse.
"If you're late on a day like this just because you were daydreaming about dying, I'll gladly kill you right here!"
But Abe no Ariyuki, utterly unfazed by the mood, simply beamed.
"Ah! Isn't this Mizuhiruko? Did you come all the way out here just to greet me? I'm touched… As for being late, I actually spent quite a while dressing. You know how hard it is for me to find robes that fit, especially with my physique—but don't worry, I managed."
Mikado-in Mizuhiruko, Ninth Head of the Mikado-in Clan (r. 1853–1867), known as The Strongest Man of the Mikado-in.
"...Your hat's crooked."
Barely restraining the urge to beat Ariyuki senseless, Mizuhiruko still managed to point it out.
"Huh?" Ariyuki blinked, then adjusted the hat—only for it to tilt in the opposite direction. He shrugged, smiling. "Eh. Good enough."
That irreverent attitude was the last straw. Mizuhiruko grabbed Ariyuki by the collar, hoisting him off the ground.
"You bastard… Are you really five hundred years older than me?!"
Abe no Ariyuki, Fourth Head of the Mikado-in Clan (r. 1334–1392).
"Strange, isn't it? Mizuhiruko, could it be your temper's acting up because of hormonal imbalance from too many sleepless nights? Even on a day like this, you've got to rest, you know. Keep your heart young, like me."
"Just looking at that fox face of yours pisses me off!"
Thanks to the Taizan Fukun Ritual, the heads of the Mikado-in Clan had extended their lifespans far beyond natural limits. The more gifted the heir, the earlier they learned the ritual, and the younger they appeared. Both Ariyuki and Mizuhiruko's youthful looks were proof of that talent.
Anyone looking at their squabbling might have mistaken it for childish bickering. But if these two actually fought—it would be catastrophic.
Mizuhiruko had been clan head during the Bakumatsu period, a time of great political upheaval and rampant yōkai activity. His specialty was large-scale destructive spellwork.
Of course, they wouldn't fight here.
Wrong time. Wrong place.
More importantly—someone had just arrived to stop them.
"You two. Enough."
Two massive hands clamped down on their shoulders. A tall, intimidating woman had appeared beside them without a sound.
"Today is the Day of Return. The former heads of the Mikado-in Clan have gathered to welcome our lord back from Hell. You two are the last. Now, get inside."
Abe no Ouraketsu, Third Head of the Mikado-in Clan (r. 1185–1333). The greatest shikigami user of all time.
Inside, more figures were already assembled—each radiating overwhelming presence.
Abe no Kippei, Second Head of the clan. Son of Abe no Seimei himself.
Mikado-in Kokokokoro, Sixth Head (r. 1477–1568). The greatest puppet master.
Mikado-in Tenkai, Seventh Head (r. 1569–1643), known also as Sōjō Tenkai, greatest barrier-caster.
Mikado-in Taitada, Eighth Head (r. 1644–1852).
Mikado-in Yuuhiro, Tenth Head (r. 1868–1926).
Mikado-in Nagachika, Eleventh Head (r. 1927–1945).
All had gathered here—save the Fifth Head, who had once betrayed Abe no Seimei's vision.
They were here for one reason: to welcome their King.
Ariyuki wove through the crowd, still smiling innocently, until he found his place. Then he asked, offhandedly:
"Say… Weren't we told this day was still a ways off? Why the sudden change?"
"Our lord always acts with reason beyond mortal comprehension," Mikado-in Tenkai intoned reverently, his voice not unlike a Nazarick guardian preaching divine truth.
And none of them seemed to disagree.
Ariyuki's eyes gleamed subtly as he scanned the room. Hands behind his head, posture casual, he stood out like a restless child among solemn elders waiting for their divine meeting to begin.
The first to sense it was Abe no Kippei.
The gates of Hell swung open. A flood of demons surged into the mortal realm. Thick, roiling fear burst through the ceiling and shattered the support beams.
Mikado-in Tenkai trembled uncontrollably beneath the pressure—fear like black fire, suffocating and absolute.
The very air seemed to boil.
Mikado-in Kokokokoro gnawed anxiously on her finger. The sheer presence of the yōkai she sensed rivaled the Great Yōkai of legend.
Ariyuki straightened his hat. The smile vanished from his face.
That was... a Hyakki Yagyō born of Hell itself.
Its leader—Nue, the returned Abe no Seimei.
"Thanks to your efforts, my return has been safeguarded until this day."
The moment Seimei's foot touched the ground, everyone present fell to their knees. Heads bowed low, pride discarded—for what stood before them was the pinnacle of humanity and yōkai alike.
The strongest onmyōji. The supreme yōkai.
Before Abe no Seimei, there was nothing left to boast.
Tenkai the Barrier Master. Ouraketsu the Shikigami Master. Kokokokoro the Puppet Master… all their titles only meant something because Seimei hadn't been there to claim them.
They knew it well.
Even if they'd climbed the tallest peaks by their own effort, they still could not reach the stars.
"I thank you… my children."
Seimei's eyes—marked by the pentagram—swept across the assembly. Every person he looked upon felt a crushing weight on their soul.
"The modern world… once again polluted by human and yōkai impurity. We must restore it with absolute order."
His voice echoed through the chamber like divine law, irrevocable from the moment it left his lips.
"This intolerable chaos will soon end. Heaven has affirmed my path. From this day on, I shall stand above the heavens. A new, perfect world will be born by my hand. And to begin…"
Without warning, Seimei raised his hand.
Space collapsed.
Even light could not escape. A pitch-black sphere formed in his palm—and he threw it.
No one reacted in time.
The sphere descended—erasing everything it touched.
"Milord?!"
"Seimei-sama?!"
"Father!!"
But Seimei ignored their cries and turned his gaze toward the entrance.
"Mmmmmm… What a shame. Found out so soon. This humble monk was hoping the show would last a bit longer…"
The voice was bizarre in tone, the self-reference unmistakable—"this humble monk."
But that voice was familiar.
"...Ariyuki?!"
They turned—
The man who should've been annihilated stood there as if nothing had happened.
Hands still behind his head. Same oversized white robes.
But the grin on his face—
It reeked of malice.
In an instant, they knew: This was not Abe no Ariyuki.
"Your illusion is intricate—brilliant, even. Even the clan heads were fooled. But to my eyes… riddled with flaws."
Unfazed, Seimei addressed the impostor coldly.
"If you're here in Ariyuki's place, that means… he's dead, isn't he? Pity. He was gifted. I had high hopes for him."
"Fuhuhu… HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The impostor's mouth stretched far too wide. That grotesque grin split almost to his ears.
"Seimei—Seimei—SEIMEI!! Just how much of a joke are you?! I play the clown, pouring everything into an act to make people laugh. But you—! You outshine me just by being yourself! AHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter grated like nails on glass.
Even Seimei frowned at the sound—unease rising in his heart.
Someone else lost patience first.
"To—to DARE—to DARE DARE DARE DARE DARE—to mock our lord—UNFORGIVABLE!!"
Shaking with rage, voice and limbs trembling, Mikado-in Tenkai raised his hand and unleashed five overlapping barriers.
"You'll die begging for mercy you'll never receive! I'll grind you to dust!"
In a flash, the impostor's floor crumbled. Pressure slammed in from all sides like the depths of the ocean.
"Ahahaha! How does it feel?! Your bones crushed, your guts ruptured—can't even speak, can you?! Drown in despair! AHAHAHA!"
Tenkai roared with satisfaction—
Until a voice rang out from within the barriers.
"Oho~ fascinating. Five-layered barrier, constructed with a mere flick—and not only do they stack, they reinforce each other…"
"…My fingers are itching to play now!"
"Wha—?!"
As Tenkai stood frozen in shock, another voice rang out.
"[Come forth—Tamainu]."
The barriers tore apart.
Dark shadows slithered at the impostor's feet—blood-red eyes gleamed within.
The shadows snarled—then pounced on the assembled Mikado-in heads.
"Those… are shikigami crafted from shadows?!"
Abe no Ouraketsu immediately grasped their nature.
But before she could act, the demons Seimei had brought from Hell let out furious roars—and charged forward to intercept.
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T/N: yeah from here on out high chance of TL errors im like running on fumes :sob: