"Now we can only wait and see. If that lord ignores us and lets Onmyōdō be destroyed, then nothing can be done." Arima said while moving his hands.
"Hikaru won't be indifferent!"
Suddenly, Kazusa interrupted. In her impression, Hikaru wasn't a cruel person. If he was capable, he definitely wouldn't let so many people perish before him.
Regarding this, she was completely certain from the bottom of her heart.
"Right!"
Eriri and Utaha had the same opinion, while Yomi was silent.
"Although you are his childhood friends or ex-girlfriends, that's all based on the side of himself as an ordinary person he showed. How much do you know about his other side?"
Once these words came out, Eriri, Utaha, Kazusa and the others fell slightly silent.
Indeed true!!!
There were too many mysteries hidden about that man, so many that they felt slightly uncomfortable. Was what they knew truly Hikaru's true side? Yomi's silence also seemed to confirm this.
Arima saw everything implied in Eriri, Utaha, Kazusa and the others.
How could that Hikaru be easily seen through? Without standing at the same height as him, it was all just shadows in mirrors and moons in water.
Arima shook his head, and continued: "In that lord's eyes, if Onmyōdō's inheritance is no longer needed by humanity, then that's when Onmyōdō will perish. There's no room to dispute this."
Many people present were shocked and drew cold breaths.
What did this mean?! Destroying Onmyōdō?!!
Arima's words seemed to say that Hikaru alone could represent all humanity, and could decide Onmyōdō's life and death with one word. It should be known that although Abe no Seimei seemed to have suppressed them, the essence was completely not the same concept as what Arima said.
"Arima, what exactly do you want to say?!"
Yasuzumi, as Tsuchimikado family head and also Arima's cousin, asked with a serious expression.
"Just wait and see how things develop. Time is almost noon, and the barrier will soon operate."
Arima had made others' appetites full, but suddenly he shifted the conversation and talked about something else. This made others want to beat him.
But speaking of the barrier's operation, everyone's faces also changed. The spiritual power in their bodies had all been squeezed dry. Now what would be squeezed was their life energy. They didn't know whether Seimei this time would do it gradually like squeezing spiritual power before, or wouldn't give them a chance to continue living, and squeeze everything at once.
This thought had just emerged, it could be seen that the barrier enveloping the entire Keikain Family began to operate. Dim light began to flicker. In the eyes of all Onmyōji gathered here, this seemingly beautiful dim light was filled with fear. Every flicker meant they were closer to death.
However, this barrier operation was clearly slightly different from before. The dim light flickered to the extreme, making people feel panicked.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Meanwhile, Abe no Yoshihira, Abe no Ariyuki and the Gokadoin family heads from every generation who were outside guarding the barrier, murmured from their mouths.
"It seems the original family head wants Onmyōdō to truly become extinct today."
"That's good too. Rather than being tortured and living in fear, better to have life energy squeezed dry directly."
All Onmyōji inside the Keikain Family clearly had also discovered the truth, and their hearts were filled with despair.
"Seimei!"
Hagoromo Gitsune who had transformed into nine-tailed fox form, stared at the increasingly flickering barrier with pain and confusion. Her heart was filled with death. This child she had waited for thousands of years, turned out to be cruelly sacrificing her.
"Haaah!"
Yasaka, who had also transformed into her original form beside her, sighed. Fortunately, she had sent her daughter, Kunou, away with her former subordinate's help before. Otherwise...
Just when the barrier was about to squeeze the Onmyōji's life energy.
*RUMBLE!*
An attack enveloped by Five Elements power, magnificent with deadly danger, directly struck the barrier before the Gokadoin family heads from every generation could react.
*BOOM!*
The sound of a great collision spread in all directions like ripples.
That barrier shook violently. However, besides that, it didn't suffer other damage under Ashiya Dōman's full attack.
"Hehehe... Truly hard!"
"Ashiya Dōman, and that little girl from the Tsuchimiya family?!!!"
This combination shocked Arima. Not right, this wasn't the same as what he thought before.
"Thank goodness."
Yomi felt relieved seeing Kagura who was safe.
Although in her heart she understood Kagura would be fine, the faint anxiety and worry couldn't be avoided. But, didn't Hikaru come?!
"That's Ashiya Dōman. Everyone, maintain the barrier with all your might. I'll oppose him!"
Yoshihira immediately gave orders. He alone advanced to oppose Dōman who landed on top of the barrier.