Raikou's words sent a shockwave through the crowd.
Seimei-dono?
Could it be the Abe no Seimei?
The idea that the Dark Tournament was orchestrated by the legendary Onmyoji was unthinkable.
Inconceivable, unbelievable—how could such an absurd thing be possible?
Many refused to believe it, though some wavered in doubt.
Abe no Seimei offered no explanations to the crowd, instead smiling warmly at Raikou. "It's been a while, Raikou. A thousand years, hasn't it?"
"I never imagined we'd reunite in this era, old friend."
Raikou's heart stirred with unease. This Seimei seemed no different from the one she remembered.
Had he truly fallen, as Morpheus claimed?
It didn't seem so.
But in the next moment, she realized he might be masking his true nature. With Morpheus's power and status, there was no reason for him to deceive her.
"Seimei-dono, I have a question for you," Raikou said.
As a warrior, she had no patience for games. "Do you remember your vow from a thousand years ago?"
Seimei nodded. "Of course. I swore to protect Heian-kyo, to shield its people from the harm of demons and spirits."
"Then why hold the Dark Tournament?" Raikou pressed.
"To restore myself," Seimei replied.
"By using the flesh and demonic energy of yokai?" Raikou asked.
Her words caused an uproar among the yokai in the audience.
So, Seimei had organized the tournament for his own gain? That didn't align with the legend of the great Onmyoji.
"It's a necessary sacrifice," Seimei said.
"And once you're restored, what then? Will you continue to protect Heian-kyo?" Raikou asked.
Seimei shook his head. "My era has passed, Raikou. Now, I have new ambitions."
"Oh? And what are those?" Raikou inquired.
"I plan to create a nation of yokai," Seimei declared. "Will you join me, Raikou? I can offer you a position second only to me, above even Yoshihira."
Disappointment flashed across Raikou's face, unhidden. "You've truly fallen, Seimei-dono."
"You're mistaken, Raikou," Seimei countered.
"Where am I wrong?"
"This isn't falling—it's awakening. The old me lived for Heian-kyo, but that man died long ago. The new me lives for myself. Is that so wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong with living for yourself," Raikou said. "But you err in seeking to build a yokai nation, oppressing humanity's place in the world."
"Don't forget, Seimei-dono—you, too, are human."
Seimei laughed heartily. As his laughter echoed, his white hair turned golden, his aged frame growing robust and youthful.
In mere moments, he transformed from an old man into a powerful young figure.
He looked exactly like the Abe no Seimei from Nurarihyon no Mago.
"You're wrong, Raikou. I'm no longer human—I'm a yokai."
"You can call me… Nue!"
Raikou glared at Yoshihira, her eyes burning with frustration. "Yoshihira, look at what you've done."
Without him, the Seimei she knew would never have fallen.
Seimei's body radiated overwhelming demonic energy, weighing heavily on everyone present.
Many felt as if a mountain pressed down on them, their breathing labored. This Seimei was terrifying.
"Raikou, I told you—don't be too hard on Yoshihira. He did it for me," Seimei said, still defending his son despite his transformation into Nue.
This convinced Raikou that the man before her was indeed Seimei—just one corrupted by demonic energy.
The realization pained her deeply.
The noble Onmyoji she once knew had become this.
Time was a formidable force.
"You've fallen, Seimei-dono," Raikou said.
She slowly drew her weapon, aiming it at him. "So, allow me to put you down."
Seimei laughed wildly. "As expected of my friend, Raikou. If you think you can, come at me."
"Let's see if, after a millennium, your strength surpasses what it once was."
A pentagram seal appeared before Seimei—the Kikyo Seal, created by him to subdue demons and spirits.
Now, it was turned against his former friend.
Raikou knew Seimei's power. Ordinary techniques wouldn't faze the legendary Onmyoji.
So she unleashed her ultimate move.
"The Inescapable Net of Heaven!"
With her Noble Phantasm unleashed, Raikou briefly summoned the divine ox, an emissary of Gozu Tennou—the deity tied to her demonic and monstrous origins—sweeping the battlefield.
Thunder rained from the sky, aimed solely at Abe no Seimei.
Seimei expanded his Kikyo Seal, forming a defensive barrier that blocked the onslaught of lightning.
"As expected of you, Raikou. That move is impressive."
"But it's far from enough to defeat me."
Raikou knew this. Before Seimei could catch his breath, she unleashed another.
"Śakra's Vajra!"
The Vajra, the ultimate weapon of Gozu-Tenno and the India deity Indra, forged from sacred bones, descended from the heavens to annihilate all foes.
The massive Vajra plummeted toward Seimei.
This time, the ease on Seimei's face vanished. A surge of wild demonic energy gathered around him, then erupted.
Domain Expansion: Senji Ryakketsu!!!
Historically, Abe no Seimei was an astronomer, tasked with celestial observations, calendar calculations, and divination.
Senji Ryakketsu was his only surviving work on divination.
As his domain unfolded, the arena transformed into a vast starry sky.
Under Seimei's control, countless stars hurtled toward the Vajra, shattering it into pieces.
***
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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