Most of the crowd was utterly confused, but a few understood who Abe no Seimei was referring to.
Raikou's gaze turned to Morpheus.
In the arena, only one person could be called "lord" by Seimei.
That was Morpheus.
Indeed, Seimei's victory was inextricably tied to Morpheus.
This was no ordinary place—it was a indepentent dimension, and Nue was its master.
As the lord of the dimension, Nue was invincible as long as it remained intact.
Neither Raikou nor Seimei could have defeated him under those conditions.
So how did they win?
Simple—Morpheus intervened. With his immense power, he severed Nue's connection to the dimension, preventing him from drawing on its energy or using it to revive.
That was why Nue lost to Seimei.
And why, in his dying moments, Nue was so bitter.
If he hadn't invited such a formidable enemy into his domain, he wouldn't have been defeated.
But there were no "ifs." He lost decisively, burned to ash by Seimei's flames, gone forever.
With Nue's death, the dimension became ownerless.
Unable to contain his excitement, Morpheus began to consume it.
But first, he snapped his fingers, sending everyone—his followers included—back to Earth.
Once the dimension was empty, Morpheus summoned the Light Dimension, devouring the realm.
It was small, and he absorbed it in less than half a day, further strengthening his Light Dimension.
Compared to the Gourmet World he'd consumed before, this one yielded less.
It was simply too small.
Still, it granted him millions of points of Light Power.
Enough to recruit a new wave of followers.
After consuming the dimension, Morpheus returned to Earth, reuniting with Raikou and her group.
They were back at their hotel, waiting for him.
As for the others, Morpheus learned they'd scattered after being sent back.
The yokai, in particular, fled quickly, fearing trouble from Seimei and Raikou.
After all, these two were legendary Onmyoji and demon-slaying warriors.
Countless yokai had fallen to them.
Lingering would've been asking for trouble.
In truth, Seimei and Raikou had no interest in pursuing them.
After the yokai left, the One Shadow Nine Fists, the Hachiō Executioner Blade, and others departed as well.
The Hachiō Executioner Blade took Saeko with them, as she'd agreed to become a disciple of Oganosuke Yogi.
Then, Satoru Gojo, Evangeline, and others left too.
In the end, only Raikou, Seimei, and a few others returned to the hotel to wait for Morpheus.
"Where's Abe no Seimei?" Morpheus asked, scanning the room.
Raikou sighed. "You're late, my lord. Seimei-dono returned to the Throne of Heroes shortly ago. Alaya granted him a temporary descent for this matter."
"But soon after it was resolved, Alaya recalled him."
Morpheus nodded, chuckling. "Alaya's as stingy as ever."
Raikou thought to herself: Only you, my lord, could do what we cannot.
Morpheus stretched. "Well, if he's gone, so be it. No big deal. After days of intense fighting, you've all earned a break. Rest well for a while."
Raikou, Miko Yotsuya, and the others agreed.
The battles had been grueling, and they needed the respite.
For the next few days, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves in Kyoto before returning to Tokyo.
In Tokyo, Morpheus made a trip to Mifune City.
He was there to find someone.
Shiki Ryougi.
Or, more precisely, Void Shiki.
As if sensing his arrival, Void Shiki appeared the moment Morpheus set foot in Mifune.
"Good evening, Morpheus."
"Good evening, Miss Void Shiki."
"Just call me Shiki." She smiled, giving him a thumbs-up. "Nice work with the Dark Tournament."
"You already know?"
Shiki smirked. "Few things in this world escape me, especially what's already happened."
Morpheus clicked his tongue. Someone connected to the Root sure spoke with confidence.
He asked, "So, has the future changed?"
Shiki nodded. "It has. With Nue's death, the future of light and darkness imbalance, inverted morality, and yokai running rampant during the day is gone."
Morpheus nodded slightly. "Good."
He'd worked hard. If that grim future hadn't changed, it would've been absurd.
"What happens next?"
Shiki chuckled. "There's indeed a troublesome matter you'll need to handle. But I won't let you work for free. In exchange, I'll give you a benefit."
"What benefit?" Morpheus asked.
"Hold out your hand."
Morpheus extended his right hand, palm up. Shiki took it, flipping it so the back faced up.
She brushed her hand over it, and a mark appeared.
Command Seals.
The Command Seals used in the Holy Grail War.
Morpheus recognized them instantly. "The troublesome matter you mentioned… it's making me participate in the Holy Grail War, isn't it?"
Shiki smiled. "Exactly. Your goal is to deal with Angra Mainyu, All the World's Evil. It's far more dangerous than you imagine. If it spreads, the consequences will be catastrophic."
Morpheus knew this well. In this chaotic, crossover world of supernatural beings, Angra Mainyu could be even more terrifying than in the Nasuvere. Even Gilgamesh would be corrupted if he faced it.
"So, the benefit you're offering is making me join the Holy Grail War?"
Morpheus frowned, feeling tricked. "What kind of benefit is that?"
***
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
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (removespace)