Chapter 167: About to Begin
"So these are the Onmyoji of a thousand years from now? They look like sheltered children who have never witnessed death."
A burly man standing upon one of the platforms shook his head, unable to conceal his disappointment.
"A thousand years can transform the world beyond recognition. Our era and theirs cannot be judged by the same standards." A middle aged man beside him pointed toward Kurahashi Kyoko. "Besides, if I am not mistaken, Family Head Kurahashi, that young girl who awakened Star Vision belongs to your clan."
He glanced at the former head of the Kurahashi family and chuckled.
"Your bloodline survived from the Heian Period all the way into this era. You should be celebrating in silence instead of criticizing your descendants."
"The girl beside her belongs to your Soma family, does she not?" another Onmyoji added. "The Imperial blood within her is remarkably strong. It appears the Soma family maintained close ties with the Imperial Court even in later generations."
"Enough, both of you. Stop pretending to be dissatisfied when you are clearly delighted."
"Look at the rest of us. According to that respectable Onmyoji from this era, some of our clans were eradicated centuries ago, while others failed to survive the catastrophe that struck a thousand years after our time."
"Exactly. You two should be grateful."
"Even if those incompetent descendants divided the Onmyoryo, I heard that the Onmyo Bureau, the organization that inherited its central authority, is still headed by a descendant of the Kurahashi family. Your clan has clearly prospered."
The ancient Onmyoji continued to criticize the former heads of the Kurahashi and Soma families for complaining despite their good fortune.
Neither man attempted to defend himself.
The smiles hidden in their eyes revealed just how pleased they truly were.
After all, they had just learned that their families had survived for another thousand years. Not only had their bloodlines endured, but their descendants had also retained prominent positions within modern Onmyodo.
How could they not feel proud?
Yet the cheerful atmosphere did not last.
An elderly Onmyoji released a long sigh.
"It is still regrettable. We failed to bring the supernatural resurgence to an end in our era. Even after a thousand years, it continues to torment the world."
His words silenced everyone from the ancient Onmyoryo.
The pride and amusement on their faces gradually faded.
He was right.
It was because they had failed to completely suppress the supernatural resurgence that the disaster had continued into the distant future.
Given a choice, none of them would have wanted the young people standing below to witness death or bloodshed. They would rather those children live their entire lives in peace, untouched by spiritual disasters and supernatural chaos.
That was the future they had fought to create.
Unfortunately, they had not succeeded.
"Honored predecessors, there is no reason for you to blame yourselves."
Amami Daizen's steady voice broke the silence.
The platforms were not occupied solely by the Soul Imprints of the ancient Onmyoryo. Amami Daizen and Otomo Jin were also standing among them.
"You have already done more for us than we could ever repay," Amami continued. "Had you not restrained the supernatural resurgence a thousand years ago, modern Onmyodo might have vanished long before our generation was born."
"Lord Amami is correct," Otomo Jin agreed. "Furthermore, Lord Seimei has already reincarnated. Even after all this time, you and the other great Onmyoji of the past continue to protect both this era and the path of Onmyodo."
Their respect was sincere.
Compared with the calamities faced by the Onmyoji of the Heian Period, the dangers of the modern era seemed almost merciful.
The ancient Onmyoji had stood at the height of the supernatural resurgence, confronting disasters so overwhelming that entire bloodlines and traditions had disappeared beneath them. Their sacrifices had preserved the foundations upon which modern Onmyodo had been rebuilt.
Without them, the present generation might never have existed.
"Lord Seimei…"
"If he were still here in his true form, perhaps the situation would never have become so desperate."
"Abe no Seimei, the greatest Onmyoji beneath the heavens. I always knew he was no ordinary man, but even I never imagined his achievements would reach such heights." An elderly man sighed heavily. "I died too early. I could not accompany him until the end of the catastrophe. What a bitter regret."
"The living legend of Onmyodo. The Great Onmyoji Abe no Seimei. The King of Myths and Miracles…" Another ancient master smiled wistfully. "That troublesome young man from those days truly became someone extraordinary."
"Kamo no Tadataka accepted an exceptional disciple."
"Naturally. He was my dearest friend."
"Father…"
The mention of Abe no Seimei stirred different emotions among the gathered Onmyoji.
Some showed admiration.
Others were filled with nostalgia, grief, or quiet pride.
Although every Soul Imprint present had originated during the Heian Period, they had not all been recorded at the same point in history. The kingyo, the secret treasure of Onmyodo that preserved them, had engraved their Soul Imprints at different times.
Some had lived before Abe no Seimei rose to prominence.
Others had fought beside him.
A few, such as Abe no Yoshihira, were his direct descendants.
"I wonder how he is now."
A middle aged man gazed into the distance, pain and guilt clouding his eyes.
"To tear apart his own soul and use it to suppress a century of supernatural resurgence… The agony must have been unimaginable. Yet in the end, I could do nothing but watch. I was unable to help him."
He was Kamo no Yasunori, one of the most renowned Onmyoji of the middle Heian Period.
He had been Abe no Seimei's closest friend, as well as the teacher of Seimei's eldest son, Abe no Yoshihira.
"Teacher, you did everything you could," Abe no Yoshihira said quietly.
Though his Soul Imprint also bore the appearance of a middle aged man, the respect in his voice was unmistakable.
Kamo no Tadataka finally stepped forward.
"That is enough. We should first observe the young seeds of modern Onmyodo. Seimei expended an enormous amount of spiritual power and mental energy to manifest us. We must not waste this rare opportunity mourning what can no longer be changed."
The other ancient Onmyoji gradually ended their conversations.
One after another, they turned their attention toward the teachers and students of the Onmyo Academy gathered below.
At that same moment, the academy grounds erupted into chaos.
"What did the Academy Head just say?"
"That lord used an ancient Onmyodo treasure to manifest Onmyoji from a thousand years ago?"
"Does that mean the people standing on those platforms are our ancestors?"
"Strictly speaking, they are the ancestors of modern Onmyodo. Although for those from the surviving Onmyoji families, some of their direct ancestors may genuinely be among them."
"Forget about that for a moment! Did none of you hear the rest of the announcement?"
A student pointed toward the distant platforms, his face tense with disbelief.
"Those of us applying to join the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department will be fighting students from the ancient Onmyoryo. With that lord supplying them with spiritual power, they can display almost the same strength they possessed while alive!"
The surrounding students fell silent.
They looked at one another, slowly comprehending what that meant.
They would not be facing ordinary illusions.
Nor would they merely be exchanging techniques with weakened remnants of the past.
They were about to fight young Onmyoji from the golden age of Onmyodo, restored to nearly the same power they had wielded a thousand years ago.
Then someone laughed.
"In that case, is this not even better?"
The heavy silence shattered.
"Exactly. How many people throughout history have had the chance to compete against the great predecessors of the Heian Period?"
"I have always wanted to know how powerful the Onmyoji of a thousand years ago truly were."
"Then let us find out."
Excitement spread through the students like fire.
Even the academy instructors struggled to conceal their shock.
None of them had imagined that they would ever witness such a miracle.
Figures from a thousand years in the past now stood before them in the modern era, as though the boundaries of time and space had briefly collapsed. Legends once confined to old records and family archives had appeared in the flesh.
The sight filled them with awe.
The Heian Period had been the pinnacle of Onmyodo.
It was an age when countless great masters had emerged, when spellcraft had flourished, and when Onmyoji stood on the front lines against a supernatural catastrophe that threatened the entire world.
The figures upon those platforms represented the brightest talents of that magnificent era.
Countless practitioners who devoted their lives to Onmyodo could only dream of witnessing even a fragment of its former glory.
Now, that lost age had appeared before them.
For the students of the Onmyo Academy, however, awe was not the only emotion taking root in their hearts.
Those who had already reached the Quasi Professional or Professional level possessed pride of their own.
They were the elite of modern Onmyodo, young geniuses who had distinguished themselves from countless peers. None of them lacked confidence, and none were willing to admit that they were inherently inferior simply because they had been born in a later era.
They wanted to know the truth.
How strong had the students of the ancient Onmyoryo truly been?
How far did the modern generation stand from the golden age of Onmyodo?
Was the difference between them truly insurmountable?
Soon, they would have their answer.
The unprecedented confrontation between the Onmyoji of the past and the rising generation of the present was about to begin.
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