"Goki, are you sure you really found that guy's trace here?" One of the figures, short and hidden beneath a straw hat and cloak, spoke impatiently to his companion beside him. "I can't smell that guy's scent anywhere around here."
"Don't be so hasty, Zenki. Finding out whether that slippery bastard is here or not is simple. Let's just go inside and ask."
The other figure was tall and slender. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be a woman.
"Damn that guy. If we find him this time, I'm definitely going to beat him up! He dared to seal my power and even turned me into this pathetic form!"
Though the short one sounded furious, upon closer listening, the voice seemed to belong to a child.
"Zenki and Goki?"
On the second floor, Satsuki, who had been quietly observing the two, could easily sense the conversation between the two oni gods. Those names sounded somewhat familiar to her—it seemed they were names of two demon gods.
However, judging from her Tenseigan's observation, the strength of the two outside the door was no more than that of some low-grade yokai.
Soon, Goki's pleasant voice echoed at the front desk.
"Hey, is anyone here?"
Since the proprietress had gone personally to prepare a room for the Grand Magus En no Ozunu, the male owner had no choice but to come out from the kitchen. When he saw the two figures at the entrance—both dressed in a way that screamed 'do not approach'—he immediately grew nervous.
"W-welcome... honored guests... will you be dining... or seeking lodging?"
Seeing the man's timid demeanor, Zenki slammed a hand on the counter.
"I'm asking you! Have you seen a filthy, lecherous, shameless, greasy old monk wearing a robe pass through here?!"
"Ah?" The owner was stunned. He had just come out from the backroom and didn't know what was going on.
But he knew that answering carelessly might anger these two strange visitors. Running a business had taught him that it was always best to stay polite and avoid conflict.
He immediately lowered his tone, forcing a smile. "Honored guests, my wife handles guest reception. She would know better. Please wait here a moment while I go call her."
"Then hurry up!"
"Yes!"
The owner quickly scurried to the back, only to bump right into his returning wife.
After quietly explaining the situation to her, the proprietress instantly understood.
"No, there wasn't anyone like that. If there were such a filthy guest, I wouldn't have let him in at all," she said, looking puzzled. "But... there was a monk earlier—a very famous one, actually. The Grand Magus En no Ozunu himself. Should we call him out?"
"What?! What did you just say?"
When the owner heard the words "En no Ozunu," his expression was even more shocked than his wife's.
"You mean the legendary 'sage,' the Grand Magus [En no Ozunu] is here, in our inn?!"
"...He had documents proving his identity, though I can't be certain it's truly him."
After all, a monk who immediately asked for a free stay was rare, even in this world.
"Whether he's real or not, let's call him out first. Otherwise, this could turn into trouble."
The two exchanged a look and decided to summon the so-called Grand Magus.
If he was a fake, they could hand him over to the guards along with the two suspicious strangers. But if he was genuine... their humble hot spring inn would become famous overnight.
—A hot spring inn once visited by a living sage? Their business would soar instantly.
Thus, the couple went to knock on the monk's room door.
From inside, they heard the giggling of a young girl, followed by the monk's foolish, lustful laughter.
"Is that really En no Ozunu?"
The couple exchanged glances before the wife gently knocked. "Honored Magus, there seem to be two acquaintances of yours at the door. Would you like to see them?"
The laughter inside stopped abruptly. A few seconds later came several intense coughs, as if someone had choked mid-drink.
"Cough—cough—cough—"
After a short while, the shoji door slid open. The same monk appeared, holding a shakujo staff in one hand and pressing the other to his chest. Bowing respectfully to the couple, he spoke with exaggerated sincerity.
"My good hosts, there is no Grand Magus here—only an ordinary traveler."
"But... Master, you—" the proprietress blurted out anxiously. "Didn't you say you were the Grand Magus En no Ozunu?"
"Whether En no Ozunu, monk, or guest—it is all but a name, a title, merely an [aspect] of form. In truth, you too could be En no Ozunu, or a monk."
Ah, this so-called 'master' had begun spouting nonsense again with the utmost seriousness.
"Please don't joke like that. There are two people outside asking for you. Surely, one glance will tell you who they are."
The male owner took the straightforward route. He knew arguing with this slick-tongued man would only leave him dizzy and outmatched.
"Ah~ a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding," the monk waved his hand lazily. "Those two may have crossed paths with this humble monk once or twice, but they are merely fleeting faces among all sentient beings. Our karmic ties have already ended. The Buddha teaches that today is not a day to receive guests. Please, send them away."
Just as the debate reached its peak, a shout came from the entrance.
"I can smell that guy's scent—he's here!"
"Oh dear..."
The so-called En no Ozunu froze for a brief moment, then subtly glanced down at the charms inscribed upon the floor. His brows furrowed.
Part of one of the spell patterns he had drawn earlier had been erased—silently, without any trace.
That was why his concealment barrier had failed, allowing his presence to be detected.
There were only a handful of beings in the world capable of doing such a thing without his notice.
The 'sage' who realized this instantly shed his earlier air of a rambling trickster. A radiant, powerful aura erupted from his body, condensing into tangible spiritual pressure that filled the room.
Sensing the sudden shift, the innkeeper couple staggered backward in terror. Only now did they realize—this man truly might be the Grand Magus En no Ozunu.
At that moment, a calm voice came from another room.
"I truly did not expect that I would have the chance to meet the famed Grand Magus En no Ozunu here."
As soon as those words fell, a door slid open, and another equally vast, unrestrained spiritual pressure surged outward like a raging storm, clashing directly with En no Ozunu's aura.
The impact of the two forces hit the innkeeper couple like a shockwave. Their eyes rolled back, and they both collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
En no Ozunu turned solemnly toward the direction of the opening door, and behind him, two figures dashed forward like streaks of light.
They were none other than the two rude guests who had been standing outside moments ago.
But now, they seemed to have forgotten their original purpose. Both took up combat stances, facing Satsuki.
Zenki even took the opportunity to shout to the monk beside him. "Hey, old man! There's a fight and you didn't call us? You looking down on us or something?"
Moments ago, Zenki and Goki had been here to "give En no Ozunu trouble," yet now they stood by his side. Their disguises were torn apart, revealing one red and one blue figure.
The Crimson Oni God—Zenki.
The Azure Oni God—Goki.
However, as the two strongest guardian spirits of the Grand Magus En no Ozunu, their current state was strange. Their power was abnormally weak, and their appearances resembled that of humans.
The so-called strongest oni god, Zenki, looked entirely like a child, while Goki appeared as a young girl.
Satsuki merely glanced at them once before turning her gaze back to En no Ozunu. At her side, Ruri stepped forward, her expression doubtful as she examined the two oni gods brimming with battle intent.
"So these are the so-called oni gods said to possess indestructible divine power—able to annihilate any yokai they encounter in an instant?"
They didn't seem much stronger than that trash yokai, Mask of Death.
"You little brat! What're you looking at?! I'm only weak now because my power is sealed. If I were at full strength, I could wipe you out in a single blow!"
"Oh?"
A faint smirk of disdain appeared on Ruri's face. "Then unseal yourself, and let's see it for ourselves."
"You... you bastard!"
Zenki roared in fury, about to charge forward—but Goki quickly caught him by the arm.
"Calm down, Zenki. You're not her match right now. Don't forget our purpose here—we came to ask Master En no Ozunu to lift our seal."
"Lift the seal?"
Hearing that, Satsuki activated her Tenseigan once more, scanning the two oni gods carefully. Only then did she notice the spell seals imprinted on their bodies—on their heads, arms, legs, and waist.
These sealing scripts blocked the internal flow of their spiritual power, preventing them from exerting their full strength.
And the other ends of these spell chains were all connected to En no Ozunu himself.
Only now did the thick-headed Zenki realize it. He grabbed the monk by the collar of his robe and shouted, "Hey, you old geezer! Hurry up and lift the seals on me and Goki! I've already finished the task you gave me! Don't tell me you're going back on your word?!"
"Now, now, don't get so worked up, Lord Zenki."
En no Ozunu showed an embarrassed smile. "You see, there were... unforeseen circumstances. Truly beyond my control. I can't lift it right now."
"Master En no Ozunu, I mean you no harm," Satsuki said calmly. "But about this 'unforeseen circumstance'—would you mind explaining it in detail? Perhaps I can offer some assistance."
"Ah, this isn't a proper place to discuss such matters. This concerns the safety of the entire world," En no Ozunu said gravely. "Why don't we move to my room? We can shut the door and talk in private."
Though his words sounded serious, his tone made it feel oddly greasy.
Among everyone present, someone was even less tolerant of that tone than Satsuki. With a loud smack, a palm struck the monk's head, knocking him flat on the floor.
"Can you be serious for once?!"
The one who hit him was none other than the usually gentle Goki. Even Zenki was left speechless by her sudden outburst.
...
"All this began during my battle with the Tori Clan in the northern lands," En no Ozunu began. "At that time, I was fighting their clan leader, the great yokai Tekkichō."
"Cut the crap, old man! You were just drooling over their Princess Abi while I was the one fighting that giant bird monster!" Zenki interrupted mercilessly, leaving the monk momentarily speechless.
But being the seasoned trickster he was, En no Ozunu recovered instantly, his expression not even twitching. "Tekkichō was already at her limit, so I allowed Zenki to handle her while I faced another member of the Tori Clan—the beautiful Princess Abi herself. Just as I was about to subdue her, the sky suddenly tore open with a spatial vortex. And from it emerged... a blue figure."
"A blue figure?"
"Yes. After a moment, I could see clearly—it was a female yokai clad in blue dragon-scale armor, with long blue hair. The demonic energy radiating from her was unlike anything I've encountered in all my years of exorcism. Even Zenki and Goki, after unleashing their Super Oni God power, were no match for her."
"They can transform?"
At the mention of that term, Ruri cast a subtle glance at Zenki and Goki, her expression caught somewhere between intrigue and disbelief.
"You brat! What's with that look? I already told you—this is just because my power's sealed right now!"
Zenki immediately bristled.
"I didn't say anything. Why are you so desperate to explain yourself?"
After spending so much time with Satsuki, Ruri's sarcasm had definitely leveled up.
"You little...!"
Before they could start another fight, Satsuki interjected smoothly, pulling the conversation back on track. "Zenki and Goki unleashed their Super Oni God power—then what happened?"
"We lost," Goki replied quietly. "We were defeated in an instant. We didn't even understand how we lost. It was as if she merely looked at us—and our power was completely dispelled."
"Ahh..."
En no Ozunu let out a deep sigh.
"In their Super Oni God state, Zenki and Goki are undoubtedly the strongest oni gods in existence. Yet even that power fell short before her."
"Do you know who she was, Master?" Satsuki asked.
"She called herself the [Phantom Spirit King], and claimed to come from the Lunar Palace."
Phantom Spirit King... Lunar Palace...
At those names, Satsuki's brow twitched slightly, and a subtle expression appeared on her face.
Still, she continued calmly, "Then why didn't she kill you? And why did you abandon Zenki and Goki afterward?"
En no Ozunu hesitated for a moment before drawing a black magatama from his robes. "Because of this."
"What's that?" Ruri asked, tilting her head.
"It could be a contract—or perhaps a curse..."
En no Ozunu explained, "That organization calling itself the Lunar Palace seems intent on locating every being in this world with the potential to grow into a supreme powerhouse. They claim that anyone who fulfills the conditions inscribed upon this will be allowed to join the Lunar Palace and receive unprecedented power..."
Ruri tilted her head again. "And if they fail?"
"I don't know... perhaps death." En no Ozunu exhaled. As he spoke, he poured spiritual energy into the magatama, and its black surface began to shimmer faintly with light.
"The moment I touched this magatama, my spiritual power left an imprint upon it. In desperation, I severed my bond with Zenki and Goki, and went into hiding to prevent the curse from spreading to them. But as a result, their power was cut off—and they became as weak as they are now."
"Master, if that was the case, why didn't you just explain it to us?" Goki said softly. "It's not like we're unreasonable."
Only now did she realize the truth—that they had completely misunderstood him.
Even the hot-headed Zenki turned his head away, muttering awkwardly, "Tch... it's just a magatama. You think I'd be scared of something like that?"