The head of the Gomon'in returned and reported the matter to Abe no Yoshihira, sharing his idea.
Since yokai were so fond of fighting, why not host a martial tournament?
Invite yokai from across the land, and even supernatural beings, to participate.
This tournament would have no rules.
The victor lives, the defeated perish.
The winner of the tournament would earn great honor.
As for the fallen yokai, their remains could be offered as nourishment to Lord Abe no Seimei.
This way, they wouldn't need to scour the land for yokai, engaging in battles that cost the lives of their descendants.
Yoshihira found the idea promising. After preparations, they held the first official martial tournament.
With no rules, the inaugural tournament was brutal.
Countless yokai perished.
Thus, it became known as the Dark Tournament.
Yet, this event yielded a vast harvest of yokai flesh and souls for Yoshihira and his kin to nourish Seimei's soul.
However, the following year, far fewer yokai attended.
Yoshihira realized many hadn't recovered from the previous tournament's savagery.
He promptly adjusted, making the Dark Tournament a triennial event.
To entice yokai to the next tournament, Yoshihira spread word that the victor's wish would be granted.
To prove his sincerity, during the third Dark Tournament, he sent a yokai to compete, rigged the victory, and staged the fulfillment of a promise.
This convinced many simple-minded yokai of the organizers' goodwill.
Thus, the fourth Dark Tournament saw a surge in participants.
Initially, yokai competed individually.
As time passed and stronger yokai emerged, to attract even more, Yoshihira transformed the Dark Tournament into a team-based competition.
Later, weaker yokai joined in droves, diluting the tournament's prestige.
More critically, these lesser yokai, even in death, offered little benefit to Seimei's soul.
So, Yoshihira introduced a qualification test for each team.
Only those who passed could enter the official matches.
Over centuries, the Dark Tournament evolved into its current form.
Seimei's soul, nourished by the flesh and yokai energy of countless powerful yokai, grew stronger, nearing its former glory.
During this time, Seimei briefly awoke several times.
But each awakening was fleeting, followed by deep unconsciousness.
The reason was clear: his soul hadn't fully recovered.
Though brief, Seimei's awakenings brought Yoshihira great joy.
For instance, this secret dimension was discovered under Seimei's guidance.
After the previous Dark Tournament, Seimei finally awoke fully, no longer in a coma.
Yoshihira was overjoyed.
But he soon realized his father's awakening wasn't entirely positive.
Seimei was now merely a soul, without a physical body to protect him, unable to leave the secret dimension.
Leaving would send him straight to hell.
This was an incomplete resurrection.
Father and son discussed and decided to hold another Dark Tournament, letting yokai fight to the death.
The fallen yokai's flesh would be used to forge a new body for Seimei.
After forcibly reading Yoshihira's memories, Morpheus's eyes glinted. He erased the memory of Yoshihira's unconsciousness, woke him, and silently departed.
Yoshihira remained unaware his memories had been tampered with.
His recollection lingered on the moment Toguro left.
Morpheus returned to Raikou's mansion, finding her preparing for bed.
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
Raikou, dressed in sleepwear, her graceful figure on display, showed no embarrassment.
After all, they shared an intimate bond—what was a little exposure?
"In your memory, what kind of person was Abe no Seimei?" Morpheus asked.
Raikou was surprised, unsure why Morpheus suddenly brought up Seimei.
Recalling her past, she said, "Seimei-dono was a deeply kind man, filled with justice, a truly noble onmyoji."
"Most onmyoji I've met are arrogant, thinking themselves superior after gaining some power."
"But Seimei-dono, despite being more powerful than any, was humbler than all."
"I've never met anyone like him."
Morpheus was taken aback by Raikou's high praise.
He asked, "If resurrecting Seimei required the flesh and souls of countless yokai, do you think he'd agree to it?"
"No."
Raikou answered without hesitation. "Seimei-dono viewed life and death lightly. Even in death, he wouldn't want to be revived this way. Boss, why ask?"
Morpheus didn't hesitate, briefly recounting what he'd gleaned from Yoshihira's memories.
Raikou's face turned incredulous.
The mastermind behind the Dark Tournament was Abe no Seimei's son, Abe no Yoshihira.
And Seimei planned to revive himself this way?
It was unthinkable.
Raikou sank into thought.
Morpheus asked, "What do you make of it?"
Raikou said slowly, "That doesn't sound like the Seimei-dono I knew. He would never approve of Yoshihira's actions."
Morpheus suggested, "Could his death have changed his mindset?"
Raikou shook her head firmly. "Someone like Seimei-dono, even if he died a hundred times, wouldn't change."
"He had already attained clarity of mind, unshaken by external forces, even life and death."
Morpheus sighed. "If that's the case, there's only one answer."
Raikou asked eagerly, "What?"
Morpheus replied, "The Abe no Seimei you knew has been tainted."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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