The Bull of God and the Good Wife Spirit Fox
Chapter 127. Shuten Douji becomes the guardian spirit of the Grand Onmyoji
[You have won the battle at Ooeyama.]
[The forces led by you and Minamoto no Raikou were nearly wiped out in this demon-slaying campaign.]
[Throughout this process, many things have happened.]
[Watanabe no Tsuna and Ibaraki Douji both had their victories and defeats, ultimately ending up gravely wounded.]
[Usui Sadamitsu and Urabe no Suetake were attacked by the demons of Ooeyama, falling into a desperate situation.]
[Fortunately, Sakata Kintoki risked his life to rescue his three sworn brothers; otherwise, the Four Heavenly Kings would have perished at Ooeyama.]
[Your situation was no better.]
[The lingering thoughts left behind after Shuten Douji's death severely affected you.]
[You fell into a coma.]
"Lady, I fear that Abe-sama can no longer be saved."
"Shut up!"
Minamoto no Raikou rarely displayed such a temper.
She grasped Hizamaru—the sword that had slain Shuten Douji—and pointed it straight at the subordinate advising her.
"Don't spout nonsense here! How could Danna-sama leave me like this?!"
"If anyone dares to say such things again, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
From then on, no one dared to mention this matter in front of Minamoto no Raikou again.
Only Sakata Kintoki, who was somewhat slow and occasionally foolish, would sometimes ask:
"Will he wake up?"
"He will."
"He definitely will."
"No one can take my husband away from me."
Minamoto no Raikou looked at the comatose Ian, gripping Hizamaru tightly, speaking with determination.
Her violet eyes gleamed with a light that did not belong to Heian-kyo.
[Time quietly passed.]
[In the blink of an eye, another two years went by.]
[During these two years, Minamoto no Raikou devoted herself to taking care of you.]
[At the same time, she repented for her past decision.]
[If not for her ambition to exterminate demons and restore Seiwa Genji, would things have ended up like this?]
[She regretted it.]
["Strange Couple+" has been enhanced to "Strange Couple++": Minamoto no Raikou, having poured two kinds of emotions onto you, only wishes for you to wake up. She cannot bear a life without you.] (Note: I'm quite sure this talent has transformed into another talent... but whatever, let's leave it be.)
[But everyone knew that someone who had been in a coma for over two years had almost no chance of waking up.]
"Foster mother, please take a break for a while."
Watanabe no Tsuna, having recovered from his severe injuries, made this request to Minamoto no Raikou.
"The matter of caring for foster father, let me take over."
"No." Minamoto no Raikou shook her head.
"I will do it myself."
"Tsuna, just continue doing what you need to do."
The female samurai absolutely refused to believe that she could not save her husband.
She would never give up.
[However, what Minamoto no Raikou did not know was…]
[In truth, you could hear her calling you.]
He couldn't return.
Ian realized that he could not return to Minamoto no Raikou—at least, not yet.
Even though her voice sounded as if it were right beside his ear, he could not respond.
Ian knew well.
This was the boundary between life and death.
If not for the extraordinary power contained within Minamoto no Raikou's calls, he would have left this place long ago.
[You are searching for a way to return to her.]
[But the remnants left behind by Shuten Douji's death are too powerful, causing you to feel increasingly distant from Minamoto no Raikou's voice.]
[You wish for a way to bring yourself back to her.]
[No matter the price, you are willing to pay it.]
[Fate seems to have responded to your expectations.]
[Just as you are about to completely fade from this place, a figure appears before you.]
[It is Shuten Douji.]
"Oiya oiya, oiya oiya~"
Shuten Douji looked at Ian before her, her tone filled with unfathomable amusement.
"Oh my, isn't this oji-san?"
"What's this? Have you died just like me?"
"..."
If possible, Ian would absolutely prefer to have nothing to do with Shuten Douji.
This was a demon.
And he himself was an Onmyoji.
An Onmyoji must view demons as enemies.
"Oji-san, why aren't you saying anything?"
Shuten Douji placed both hands on her hips.
"You're seeing me, and yet you have no reaction at all?"
"Heh." Ian looked at the Shuten Douji before him.
"Then tell me, what kind of reaction should I have?"
"At the very least, you should act a little surprised!"
Shuten Douji started waving her arms around, the angry glow of her horns flickering—seemingly a sign of her mood.
"The great demon king of Ooeyama is standing right in front of you!"
"..."
"Oji-san, you should at least react a little, shouldn't you?!"
"..."
After a moment of hesitation, Ian looked at Shuten Douji and slightly parted his lips.
"Kyah… the great demon king of Ooeyama."
"So terrifying."
"Hey!"
Hearing this, Shuten Douji stomped her feet in frustration.
"That was way too half-hearted!"
"You sound like some low-tier prostitute!"
"But I honestly don't see why I should be surprised."
Ian glanced around at the surrounding white void.
"After all, in a place like this, wouldn't it make the most sense for a demon to appear?"
Ian wasn't lying.
This was the boundary between life and death.
For beings like Shuten Douji to show up here wasn't surprising in the least.
He didn't feel that he should be shocked, nor did he think he needed to be.
"Hearing you say that… actually makes sense."
Shuten Douji scratched the back of her head—on her neck was a distinct wound, one that would never heal.
"This place really is quite suitable for demons to dwell."
"So, what exactly do you want?" Ian stared straight at the great demon king of Ooeyama before him. "Did you appear here just so I could give you a compliment?"
"I don't see why that would be necessary."
"After all, you've already been killed by Raikou once. I don't think my praise would change anything."
A few veins visibly twitched on Shuten Douji's forehead.
Clearly, Ian's words had struck a nerve.
"If you weren't going to say it, fine!"
"But since you said it, now I'm even more pissed!"
"That fat bitch has no samurai spirit! Sneaking up on me, playing dirty!"
A demon talking about samurai spirit?
"Heh, then, do you think if you fought Raikou again, you'd have a chance of winning?" Ian shot back.
"..."
With just that one sentence, the once-boisterous Shuten Douji fell silent.
After a long moment, she finally spoke again:
"Alright, fine. I guess I wouldn't stand a chance."
"That big-breasted old hag is clearly not normal."
"Not normal?"
[You take note of the key phrase in Shuten Douji's words.]
[You realize that, as the "great demon king of Ooeyama," she might know something.]
[You decide to press further.]
"Why do you think Raikou isn't normal?"
Ian asked directly.
"Well—"
Shuten Douji seemed eager to prove a point.
"Do you think I'm strong?"
"Strong." Ian answered without hesitation.
He wasn't saying this to flatter her in hopes of getting information.
The truth was, the great demon king of Ooeyama was strong.
Not only could she manipulate the entire Ooeyama battlefield like a chessboard, but she also set countless traps within it.
The near-total annihilation of the demon-slaying forces was proof enough.
There were a few inconvenient details, but overall, she was undeniably formidable.
If he had to be honest—
If it weren't for that single sword strike from Minamoto no Raikou,
Ian wasn't sure how much longer he would have had to struggle against Shuten Douji in that sea of flames.
From an Onmyoji's perspective, Ian had to admit that demons like this were extremely difficult to deal with.
Hearing Ian say that, Shuten Douji looked utterly delighted.
To her, being acknowledged by a Grand Onmyoji seemed to be a matter of great pride.
"Hmm… since you admit that I'm strong, then you must also understand just how powerful the one who beheaded me is, right?"
"That strength is no less than a demon's—in fact, perhaps not even human at all."
Shuten Douji looked at Ian.
"You and your wife are becoming more and more absurd."
"I'm about to develop psychological trauma because of you two."
"..."
Ian wasn't sure how to respond to a demon claiming to have PTSD because of him and his wife.
[Shuten Douji's words make you recall certain things.]
[Words she once said after biting you.]
['You are neither human nor demon.']
[You never understood why she gave you that evaluation.]
[Nor do you understand why those memories are surfacing now.]
[You feel deeply confused.]
[But Shuten Douji has already grasped everything.]
"Oji-san, you're very curious why I said that, aren't you?"
"Umu." Ian made no effort to hide his thoughts.
"I truly want to know."
"In that case—"
Shuten Douji licked her lips, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes.
"I don't mind telling you."
"But, you have to agree to one condition."
"What condition?"
"Take me out of this wretched place."
Shuten Douji looked around, rubbing her hands together as she spoke.
"You'll get to hear what I'm thinking, and I'll get out of here—it's a win-win, don't you think?"
"So? Pretty sweet deal, isn't it?"
"You're afraid of staying here, aren't you?"
Ian immediately exposed her real thoughts.
"You're afraid that one day, you'll truly disappear, aren't you?"
"..."
Shuten Douji, who had been grinning just moments ago, suddenly fell silent.
She stared at the man in front of her for a long time before finally admitting:
"Yeah, I really don't want to stay here."
"Because I've discovered something very interesting, and I want to know the truth about it."
"What is it?" Ian pressed.
"You."
Shuten Douji fixed her gaze on Ian, answering without hesitation.
"I want to know what exactly you are."
"Otherwise, I will never be satisfied."
"..."
Ian was silent for a moment before realizing an important issue.
"But if I bring you back, wouldn't that mean Raikou never actually killed you?"
Shuten Douji shook her head.
"No, that's not it."
"The state you and I are in is different."
"You still have a chance to return from the brink of death, but I am completely dead—there's nothing left to hold onto."
"Don't you have any attachment to Ooeyama?" Ian asked.
"Of course I do."
Shuten Douji answered without hesitation.
"But I had already prepared myself for this day."
"After all, humans will never accept demons—I did try once."
[You realize that the chaos among demons in Heian-kyo may not have been solely due to Shuten Douji's indulgence.]
[Perhaps, she once attempted to find a way for demons and humans to coexist.]
[But in the end—it was impossible.]
[A demon is still a demon.]
[A human is still a human.]
[The separation of humans and demons was, in essence, part of an Onmyoji's purpose.]
[Even though you understand this, you are not in a hurry to accept her proposal.]
"Go ahead, say it."
Ian looked at Shuten Douji standing before him.
"I want to know how you made your judgment."
"..."
Shuten Douji was extremely cautious.
She didn't answer right away.
"What if I tell you, and then you refuse to agree?"
"But you don't actually have a choice."
Ian replied bluntly.
"I might have another way to return."
"But you—your only chance is to rely on me to get out of here."
"..."
Shuten Douji pouted, but she truly had no other options.
"Fine."
"I'll tell you—my judgment was based on sake."
"Demons have their sake, and humans have theirs."
"But there isn't a single kind of sake that suits you."
Ian quickly realized that she was referring to the scent of alcohol emanating from her flames.
It seemed to be created with the fundamental assumption that it was something "drinkable."
And yet—
For Ian, it had absolutely no effect.
"This is your standard for judgment?" Ian couldn't help but remark.
"Don't you dare underestimate my sake."
Shuten Douji stared at the Grand Onmyoji in front of her.
"Sake brings out the truth."
"There are many things that words alone can't express, but with sake, everything becomes clear."
"So—"
"I've told you my answer. Now it's your turn to respond."
"..."
Ian looked at the small demon girl before him, his expression somewhat complicated.
After a long moment—
He finally spoke again:
"Umu… I see."
"If you want to know the answer as much as I do, then I should give you a chance."
"But—"
"You must hand over all of your power to me."
"Hand it over to you?!" Shuten Douji immediately became flustered. "Wouldn't that make me a powerless puppet under your control?"
"But if you stay here, you're no different from a powerless existence anyway."
"Besides—"
Ian looked directly at her.
"This way, you'll instantly learn the truth you seek. What's so bad about that?"
"..."
Shuten Douji fell into deep thought.
Finally, as if reaching a compromise, she nodded.
"I understand."
"But I'm not sure if an oji-san like you can even handle my power."
"That's not something you need to worry about."
[You have formed a contract with Shuten Douji.]
["Blessing of Shuten Douji" acquired: You have taken in the majority of Shuten Douji's power and sealed her within your consciousness.]
[She has become a guardian spirit that you can control.]
[This way, you no longer have to worry about her causing chaos upon returning to the mortal realm.]
[You experience no physical issues whatsoever—something that astonishes Shuten Douji once again.]
[But you pay no mind to her thoughts.]
[Your goal is to return to Minamoto no Raikou's side.]
[However, as you cross the boundary, you sense that something is wrong.]
The era of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons has not yet ended.
Could there still be a being as powerful as Shuten Douji lurking in the shadows?