Chapter 168: The First Battle
"The selection test for official membership in the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department will follow an arena challenge format."
Kasugano Sora stood at the center of the arena, addressing the gathered students.
"The defenders will be chosen from the Onmyo Academy. Their challengers will be students of the ancient Onmyoryo. Any defender who defeats three opponents in succession will immediately qualify as an official member of the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department."
Across from the academy students, several youths dressed in the traditional robes of the Onmyoryo stepped forward.
Curiosity filled their eyes as they studied the people before them.
The modern students wanted to know how they compared to the Onmyoji of a thousand years ago, but the ancient students were no different. They, too, wished to see what had become of Onmyodo after an entire millennium.
The Kingyo was an ancient secret treasure of Onmyodo.
Its greatest function was to preserve the inheritances of an era. Through the Soul Imprints engraved within it, the knowledge and experiences of past Onmyoji could be passed down with a degree of fidelity almost indistinguishable from the original practitioners themselves.
During the Heian Period, however, monsters and demons had roamed freely. No one could say with certainty whether they would survive their next assignment.
For that reason, students of the Onmyoryo normally engraved their Soul Imprints into the Kingyo shortly after enrollment.
Those imprints also served another purpose. As long as a student's Soul Imprint remained stable, the Onmyoryo could determine that they were still alive while away on a mission.
As their cultivation deepened, students would erase their previous imprint and replace it with a more complete version.
That meant the ancient students standing before the academy were either relatively new members of the Onmyoryo or young Onmyoji who had died before they could leave behind a stronger Soul Imprint.
"After each successful defense, the participant will be given time to recover their spiritual energy," Kasugano Sora continued.
"Both sides are expected to display their Onmyodo to the fullest extent possible. Even those who fail to qualify for the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department may still attract the attention of the honored predecessors watching from the platforms."
Her gaze swept across the crowd.
"Should one of them recognize your potential, you may be granted a portion of that predecessor's inheritance."
The atmosphere among the Onmyo Academy students changed at once.
Joining the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department was already an extraordinary opportunity. Receiving the personal inheritance of one of the legendary Onmyoji gathered above was no less tempting.
The sharper students had already recognized several of the figures standing on the platforms.
Kamo no Tadataka, the teacher of the Great Onmyoji Abe no Seimei.
Kamo no Yasunori, one of the most renowned Onmyoji of the middle Heian Period and a Great Onmyoji in his own right.
Abe no Yoshihira, the eldest son of Abe no Seimei and a former Onmyo Doctor of the Onmyoryo.
There were also the heads of the Soma and Kurahashi families from a thousand years ago.
Every one of them was a famous figure whose name had endured throughout the history of Onmyodo. They were people who appeared repeatedly in textbooks, ancient chronicles, and clan records.
If a student managed to gain the acknowledgment of even one of them, the resulting inheritance could shape the rest of that student's life.
Those who had failed to reach the Quasi Professional or Professional level, and were therefore ineligible to participate in the selection test, could only stare at their qualified classmates with open envy.
They all understood one thing.
After today, the paths of the two groups might diverge completely.
"Now," Kasugano Sora announced, "the selection test for the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department officially begins."
The moment her words fell, silver light appeared around one of the Onmyo Academy students.
He had been chosen at random as the first defender.
"It's Okawa Yuto."
"With his strength, surviving the first round shouldn't be difficult."
"He may not have reached the Professional level, but his lightning arts are exceptional. He has even defeated several Professional Onmyoji."
"He definitely shouldn't be underestimated."
Okawa Yuto was well known among the academy students.
He stepped onto the arena with a trace of caution in his expression, but there was no real fear in his eyes.
The students of the ancient Onmyoryo might indeed be stronger than the average student of the modern academy. That did not mean they were stronger than him.
Okawa Yuto had been called a genius since childhood.
He had no intention of bowing his head merely because his opponent came from the legendary Heian Period.
A young man of similar age appeared across from him. He wore a white kariginu in the style of the ancient Onmyoryo and carried himself with composed courtesy.
"Dafudai Makoto of the Onmyoryo. I look forward to learning from you."
"Okawa Yuto of the Onmyo Academy," Yuto replied, returning the formal greeting. "Likewise."
The instant their introductions ended, Okawa Yuto moved.
He drew a talisman from his robes and poured spiritual energy into it while rapidly chanting the incantation.
"This art severs evil and casts out calamity. Swiftly, in accordance with the laws and decrees!"
The talisman ignited.
"Demon Subduing Thunder Curse!"
Thunder exploded above the arena.
Countless arcs of lightning burst into existence, carrying a fierce exorcistic force as they converged upon Dafudai Makoto.
Yet even with the lightning already descending upon him, Makoto did not move.
He neither dodged nor raised a defensive spell.
He simply stood there, apparently prepared to receive the attack with his own body.
"What is he doing?"
Okawa Yuto frowned.
Is he planning to neutralize it with another technique?
Before he could finish the thought, a heavy impact struck the back of his neck.
His vision went black.
The spiritual energy circulating through his body collapsed into disorder, and all strength abandoned his limbs. He dropped to the floor before he could even understand what had happened.
At the same time, the mass of lightning overhead seemed to encounter an invisible disturbance.
The entire Demon Subduing Thunder Curse dispersed in midair.
"What…?"
Okawa Yuto struggled against his fading consciousness.
Someone was standing behind him.
When he forced his head to turn, disbelief filled his eyes.
It was Dafudai Makoto.
But Makoto had been standing directly in front of him only a moment ago.
How could he possibly be behind him now?
Confusion and unwillingness churned within Okawa Yuto's chest.
Had he lost in a direct contest of Onmyodo, he would have accepted the result without complaint. Instead, he had been defeated before he could display even a fraction of his true ability.
He wanted to understand.
He wanted to demand an explanation.
Before he could do either, darkness swallowed his consciousness completely.
Chapter 169: Dissatisfaction with Imperial Style Onmyojutsu
"This…"
"Okawa Yuto lost just like that?"
"That was far too abrupt. He probably didn't even use a third of his strength."
"This isn't anything like the Onmyodo duel I imagined."
"Even accounting for the thousand year difference between their eras, that was…"
The academy students watched in disbelief as Kasugano Sora carried the unconscious Okawa Yuto away from the arena.
Yuto himself had likely fallen without ever understanding how he had been defeated.
From the spectators' viewpoint, however, Dafudai Makoto's method had been easy to follow.
He had used Okawa Yuto's blind spot and replaced himself with a shikigami. Then, while Yuto was focused on activating the Demon Subduing Thunder Curse, Makoto had slipped behind him and struck him down with a spiritual talisman.
At the same time, Makoto had prepared a dispelling formula on the substitute shikigami. When the lightning technique struck it, the shikigami destroyed itself and disrupted the spell, producing an effect similar to direct technique cancellation.
Makoto had won cleanly.
Yet his victory earned him little admiration from the modern students.
To them, his methods were completely at odds with what they considered a proper Onmyodo duel. There had been none of the grandeur or mystique they associated with contests between Onmyoji.
Instead, Makoto had fought like an assassin lurking in the shadows, waiting for a single opportunity to kill his target.
"His spiritual energy is at approximately the level of a Quasi Middle Rank Onmyoji."
An ancient Onmyoji on the platform calmly evaluated Okawa Yuto's performance.
"Judging from the power of that Demon Subduing Thunder Curse, he has devoted considerable effort to lightning arts."
"A pity his approach to combat is so direct," the former Kurahashi Family Head said bluntly. "Expecting an enemy to engage in a fair exchange of Onmyodo during an actual battle is foolish. Once someone like him enters a real battlefield, he will be little more than cannon fodder."
It was already the second time that day he had openly expressed dissatisfaction with the students of the modern Onmyo Academy.
This time, no one argued with him.
The ancient Onmyoji had wished for their descendants to grow up without ever staining their hands with blood. They wanted the younger generation to live in a peaceful age where they would never be forced to witness death.
That had always been the ideal.
Reality was different.
The supernatural resurgence had already begun.
It might not yet have reached the catastrophic scale of the Heian Period, but the students below would eventually be forced to confront it. No amount of reluctance or denial would allow them to escape what was coming.
Watching the modern students criticize Dafudai Makoto's methods rather than reflect upon Okawa Yuto's defeat, the ancient Onmyoji could not help feeling disappointed.
Their descendants were talented, but talent alone would not keep them alive.
Amami Daizen and Otomo Jin remained silent.
Neither defended the academy students.
They understood the shortcomings of the modern Onmyo Academy's education better than anyone.
During an era of peace, the academy's methods had presented little problem. Students were taught proper procedures, standardized techniques, and the conduct expected of professional Onmyoji.
Now that the supernatural resurgence had returned, those methods were no longer enough.
The academy's instructors, including Otomo Jin, had already begun adjusting their teaching policies to place greater emphasis on practical combat. Such changes, however, could not be completed overnight.
Otomo Jin and the others had hoped to reform the academy gradually, allowing the students to adapt without forcing them through an excessively brutal transition.
Judging from what had just happened, they might no longer have that luxury.
Their careful treatment would not take effect quickly enough.
The situation required stronger medicine.
This confrontation between the modern academy and the ancient Onmyoryo would be the first dose.
"Practical combat certainly deserves greater emphasis," Kamo no Tadataka said, appearing to read the thoughts of Amami Daizen and Otomo Jin. "Even so, changing an entire system too hastily can create new problems. Do not let urgency drive you into recklessness."
Amami Daizen and Otomo Jin immediately bowed their heads.
"Yes, Lord Kamo no Tadataka."
They understood that he was offering guidance as a senior and accepted it respectfully.
Kamo no Yasunori, meanwhile, continued staring at the arena with a slight frown.
"There is something strange about that Demon Subduing Thunder Curse."
The others turned toward him.
"It differs from the version we practiced. Its immediate power has not declined, but it lacks spirituality. The formula also leaves almost no room for continued growth or deeper development."
Kamo no Yasunori had played a central role in organizing and systematizing Onmyodo a thousand years ago. His understanding of Onmyo Arts was extraordinarily broad.
Even his junior, Abe no Seimei, might not have surpassed him in the sheer number and variety of arts he had mastered.
That judgment, of course, excluded Seimei's possession of the Onmyodo Framework known as Gyodo.
To Kamo no Yasunori's eyes, the flaws within Okawa Yuto's Demon Subduing Thunder Curse had been laid bare from the moment it was activated.
"This…"
Amami Daizen and Otomo Jin exchanged uneasy looks.
They both knew the reason for the difference. What they did not know was how to explain it to a Great Onmyoji from a thousand years ago without provoking an even harsher reaction.
"It is because of what they call Imperial Style Onmyojutsu, is it not?" Kamo no Tadataka asked.
His voice remained calm.
"Yasunori, a thousand years after our era, someone pursued a path remarkably similar to yours. Unfortunately, the path deviated before reaching its conclusion, leaving modern Onmyodo with certain distortions."
He paused before adding a fairer assessment.
"Still, it would be wrong to deny that Imperial Style Onmyojutsu also contributed positively to the broader development of Onmyodo."
With Kamo no Tadataka's explanation, supplemented by Amami Daizen and Otomo Jin, the ancient Onmyoji gradually came to understand the nature of Imperial Style Onmyojutsu.
Their reactions were immediate.
"A departure from the sacred teachings!"
"A complete betrayal of the path!"
The former heads of the Kurahashi and Soma families were the first to erupt in anger.
To them, Imperial Style Onmyojutsu had mutilated the essence of Onmyodo.
Their fury did not come from blind conservatism or an inability to accept progress. Neither man opposed reform simply because it was new.
What enraged them was the philosophy at the heart of the Imperial Style.
It treated Onmyodo as little more than a collection of tools.
Efficiency, standardization, and immediate practical use had taken precedence over the profound principles and hidden truths from which the art had originated. Its practitioners used spell formulas without seeking to understand their essence, and techniques were refined only for convenience rather than spiritual development.
To the ancient masters, it represented an abandonment of the courage and conviction required to pursue the true depths of Onmyodo.
How could they accept such a thing without anger?
Abe no Yoshihira's expression was equally grim.
The founder of Imperial Style Onmyojutsu was not some unrelated practitioner.
He was Yoshihira's own descendant, the head of the Abe family a thousand years in the future.
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