<h4>Chapter 141: Viin Simtor, Ch 140</h4>
[This was thergest battle Inazuma had seen in centuries. The blood of yokai and humans alike dyed the fields and streams of Byakko ins red, earning it the name "The Battle of Crimson Fox ins."]
[The fighting raged on for three days and two nights, leaving both sides gravely weakened. However, you paid no heed to the losses, focusing instead on harvesting the yokai energy from the fallen.]
[ording to your calctions, the energy from 50,000 yokai should have been enough to revive Kitsune Saiguu. Yet, as more yokai fell, you realized with growing rm that the required energy was still far out of reach.]
[Using yokai energy for the Forbidden Art of Soul Revival was inherently inefficient. Unlike the pure immortal energy of adepti, yokai energy degraded significantly during the conversion process. This meant reviving Kitsune Saiguu would demand a staggering, almost iprehensible number of sacrifices.]
[Even if you exterminated the remaining yokai, it would be insufficient to achieve your goal. Wiping them out entirely would spell the end of the yokai as a race, making any future attempts to gather energy impossible.]
[Anticipating this potential oue, you dered a sudden ceasefire. By then, the yokai forces had been reduced to just over 10,000. Facing the brink of defeat, the abrupt cessation of hostilities left them bewildered.]
[Amplifying your voice with a "Resonance Talisman," you addressed the entire yokai army. You dered that the war could end, and the Yokai Hunt Decree could be rescinded, but only if the yokai agreed to three conditions:]
[1. All yokai must register with the Onmyou Bureau and be bound with talismans to restrict their energy.]
[2. Each year, 100 of the strongest yokai would be selected to absorb cmity miasma and subsequently sacrificed to contain the corruption.]
[3. The yokai coalition''s leader, Tengu Teruyo, must surrender herself and pay with her life.]
[You presented yourself as a magnanimous savior, iming that while you could have annihted the yokai, you chose instead to preserve their race at great personal effort. Whether to ept this "righteous" offer or face extinction was up to them.]
[Your ultimatum sparked intense debate among the surviving yokai. Some preferred to die standing, while others, concerned for their families and future generations, sought peace. With neither side able to reach consensus, all eyes turned to Teruyo, the coalition''s leader, to cast the deciding vote.]
[After a long silence, Teruyo sighed deeply and spoke. "None of us fear death. If we die, so be it. But if we perish today, the yokai race will be no more. Let us endure for now, bide our time, and wait for an opportunity. Kamuna Harunosuke may be strong, but he is still only human. When he passes, our descendants will rise to reim our honor."]
[With that, Teruyo summoned her subordinates to bind her with ropes and deliver her to Kamuna Harunosuke.]
[Teruyo''s decision to surrender was not out of fear of death but her inability to bear the responsibility of the yokai''s extinction.]
[An hourter, Teruyo was brought to yourmand tent. Seeing her once-familiar face now bound in defeat, you couldn''t help but feel a twinge of mncholy.]
[Entering Immersive Mode.]
[<strong>Mission:</strong> Deal with Tengu Teruyo.]
[<strong>Reward:</strong> Dependent on oue.]
[Bound tightly before you, the tengu maiden''s defiance reminded you of decades past when you first ventured to Yashiori Ind.]
[Back then, you had waited for days outside the Grand Narukami Shrine, hoping to meet Kitsune Saiguu, only to copse from exhaustion. It was Teruyo who saved you, nursing you back to health.]
[Her eyes had been pure and bright then, but now they were clouded with hatred.]
["It''s been a long time," you said with a faint smile. "I''m sorry we''re meeting again like this."]
["Spare me your empty words," Teruyo replied coldly. "I only regret saving a thankless wretch like you."]
[Her bitterness was warranted. You had betrayed those who once considered you a friend. Mikoshi Michihiro might have been killed by his brother''s hand, but it was your orchestration that led to his demise.]
[Aside from hatred, Teruyo felt nothing for you now.]
["We all act in pursuit of our own goals," you said indifferently, having grown numb to such usations. "I never intended to kill you, but as the leader of a rebellion, your survival would incite further unrest."]
[Despite her defiance, you harbored no desire to kill Teruyo. Her immense tengu power was valuable, but not essential to your ns. More importantly, she was once a trusted ally—perhaps even a friend.]
["What is it you''re really after?" Teruyo asked, her voice tinged with despair. "The Kamuna Harunosuke I knew would never do this."]
[To her, you had once been a kind and gentle soul. The cold, calcting man before her was unrecognizable.]
["If our roles were reversed, you''d make the same choices," you replied without emotion. "I don''t need you to understand me. I''ve long given up seeking anyone''s understanding."]
["Then kill me," she said firmly. "A defeated leader has no right to live."]
["I won''t kill you," you replied, shaking your head. "As the daughter of Reizenbou, you possess the purest power of the tengu race. Killing you would be a waste."]
["What are you nning?" she demanded, her expression betraying a mix of fear and anger.]
["I will make you my shikigami," you said with a thin smile. "Your power will serve me."]
["Never!" she spat. "I would rather die than bow to you."]
["You know my methods," you said calmly. "I only need your body. Your memories? I''ll erase them all."]
[Chanting softly, you cast a spell. The ropes binding Teruyo fell away as her garments disintegrated into countless fragments.]
[Her figure remained as pristine as it had been decades ago, unmarred by time or war.]
["W-what are you doing?" she stammered, her face flushing crimson.]
["To perform the Memory Seal Ritual, I must extract a maiden''s purest blood," you exined gently, stroking her cheek. "I''m surprised you''ve kept yourself untouched all these years."]
[In truth, Teruyo had harbored feelings for you long ago. But the years had turned that affection into bitter regret.]
["I hate you," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.]
[Years ago, she had dreamed of moments like this, but not under such circumstances. Those dreams were now cruelly twisted.]
[Mission Complete: Deal with Tengu Teruyo.]
[<strong>Reward:</strong> Skill unlocked: <strong>Secret Sword: Tengu Sweeper.</strong>]
<strong>[Grade:</strong> A]
<strong>[Effect:</strong> Damage and uracy scale with the user''s "Mental" attribute. The faster the target moves, the greater the destructive force.]
<strong>[Description:</strong> A secret art of the Iwakura style, said to rival the Raiden Shogun''s Musou no Hitotachi in power. Capable of striking down even a flying tengu.]
[Age 65: After years of brutal conflict, the war ended with the decisive "Battle of Crimson Fox ins." The deaths of one yokai general and the capture of another cemented your victory, earning you unparalleled des as the Shogunate''s greatestmander.]
[The treaty you enacted,ter known as the "Yokai Sacrifice Pact," ensured the survival of the yokai race but fundamentally altered Inazuma''s bnce of power.]
[Gone were the days of equality between humans and yokai. Humans now ruled supreme, while the yokai—primarily the tengu and oni ns—were forced to register with the Onmyou Bureau and confined to designated areas. Only a select few yokai were permitted to reside in major cities.]
[The fox yokai, however, were exempt. You used your influence to exalt Kitsune Saiguu''s sacrifice, transforming her into a revered figure among the people and a symbol of nobility for her kind.]
[Over the following months, Teruyo underwent a "Memory Seal Ritual." Her past was erased, and using Onmyoudo, you imnted new memories.]
[For you, it was a simple task. Under your control, Teruyo''s history was rewritten, her loyalty redirected entirely to you.]
[She had once been an ordinary tengu girl,ter exiled from her n over a minor mistake.]
[With nowhere else to go, she wandered to Inazuma, where her exceptional swordsmanship earned her entry into the Tenryou Commission. There, she caught the eye of Kamuna Harunosuke, head of the Onmyou Bureau, and was chosen as his personal guard.]
[During the Battle of Crimson Fox ins, she was gravely wounded while protecting Harunosuke. Unable to bear her death, Harunosuke turned her into his shikigami so she could remain by his side.]
[Of course, "Teruyo" had to be executed publicly as a symbolic punishment for leading the yokai rebellion. She was to be beheaded in the bustling market square of Inazuma.]
[You, however, had a hundred ways to orchestrate a convincing execution. You created a lifelike puppet infused with a portion of Teruyo''s yokai energy, capable of limited movement—enough to deceive onlookers.]
[Mikoshi Nagamasa personally requested to serve as the executioner. Ostensibly, it was to sever all ties with his rebellious brother, but you knew the truth. He simply wished to grant his brother''s friend a death free of suffering and disgrace.]
[Of course, Nagamasa had no idea that the head he severed belonged only to an unfeeling puppet.]
[On the day of Teruyo''s "execution," a small band of thirteen former yokai coalition members attempted a daring rescue.]
[But unlike the dramatic rescues of novels, their effort in the heavily guarded execution site ended in failure, and they were all apprehended.]
[You, however, chose not to drain their yokai energy. Instead, you used Onmyoudo to transform them into your shikigami.]
[You had resolved to wage a long and methodical campaign to gather the energy needed to resurrect Kitsune Saiguu. It might take decades, even centuries. To aplish this, you couldn''t rely solely on human subordinates—you needed yokai allies.]
[The number of shikigami an onmyouji couldmand depended on their mastery of Onmyoudo and spiritual power. While most onmyouji could manage only one or two shikigami, your capacity was virtually limitless.]
[Using these thirteen as a foundation, you established a direct unit of shikigami called the "Hyakki Squad." Their primary mission was to gather the scattered memory fragments of Kitsune Saiguu.]
[Age 66: The First Sacrifice]
[The first yokai sacrifice ritual began. You selected one hundred of the strongest yokai and channeled the so-called "cmity miasma" into their bodies.]
[This served two purposes. First, it systematically weakened the yokai by eliminating their strongest members, reducing the likelihood of future rebellion.]
[Second, the most powerful yokai possessed abundant energy, making them ideal "nourishment" for reviving Kitsune Saiguu.]
[Through years of observation, you had learned an important lesson: even the oppressed must be given a sliver of hope. If they saw certain death as inevitable, they would rebel with reckless abandon.]
[Thus, you established a rule. In a disy of the Shogun''s mercy, the annual sacrifices would take the form of a survival tournament. Thest yokai standing would not only be spared but also exempt from sacrifice for the next ten years.]
[This dramatically reduced the likelihood of widespread rebellion. After all, the chance of survival in the tournament was far greater than the slim odds of overthrowing the Shogunate.]
[Yokai, inherently drawn to strength, were not repelled by this system. Instead, it awakened their bloodlust andpetitive spirit.]
[Using talismans, you projected a live broadcast of the battles for all to see. Initially, the broadcasts were meant to demonstratew and order, but to your surprise, the spectacle captivated audiences.]
[Seeing an opportunity, you decided to make these annual events a regr urrence, broadcasting them to generate additional revenue. Over time, the yokai sacrifice ritual, now called the "Night of Yokai," evolved into one of Inazuma''s most prominent festivals.]
[Age 67: Though nearly seventy years old, your body showed no signs of aging. Your appearance remained that of a man in his forties.]
[This anomaly raised little suspicion. With your mastery of Onmyoudo, maintaining a youthful appearance was considered a trivial feat. Moreover, in the eyes of Inazuma''s people, you had already achieved near-mythical status.]
[To the citizens of Inazuma, you were a legendary figure, akin to Shogun herself. Mentioning the name "Kamuna Harunosuke" would elicit nothing but reverence and admiration.]
[Meanwhile, Yae Miko frequently visited you at the Onmyou Bureau, offering various excuses to spend time together.]
[Her visits also served as a rare reprieve from your heavy responsibilities. She often "tested" your stamina during these moments, bringing levity to your otherwise grueling schedule.]
[Each year, she spent the Summer Fire Festival with you, a tradition now expanded to include the Night of Yokai.]
[To make this year''s event more exciting, you invited Yae Miko to assist with its organization. Her contributions added significant ir, including an expanded battlefield, strategically ced weapons, and traps to enhance unpredictability.]
[On the night of the event, you and Yae Miko monitored the tournament from the central chamber of the Onmyou Bureau.]
[Entering Immersive Mode.]
"You''re not what you used to be."
The pink-haired foxzily pulled on her white knee-high socks, her flushed cheeks hinting at lingering aftereffects from an earlier "battle." Her sly smile carried a teasing edge. "Back then, I''d still be unable to get out of bed by now."
"You''ve just grown stronger," Lucas replied with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Besides, I''m old now, past my prime."
Of course, his youthful face and well-defined physique betrayed no signs of age.
"Oh, stop it," Yae Miko cooed, wrapping her arms around his chest from behind. "Don''t get all grumpy, you stubborn old man."
Her affectionate nickname, "stubborn old man," was clearly yful. Yae Miko''s love for him had never been tied to age or appearance.
"Rx," Lucas said with a wry smile, ruffling her fox ears as he always did. "I just want to check on the tournament."
With a wave of his hand, a talisman activated, conjuring multiple screens that disyed the tournament''s progress. The Night of Yokai was proceeding as nned, channeling the tensions between humans and yokai into internal yokai conflict.
"Let''s make a bet," Yae Miko whispered into his ear. "Who do you think will win this round?"
Years of experience had taught Yae Miko to ept what she couldn''t change. Though brutal, this system was preferable to theplete annihtion of the yokai race.
Now, her loyalty to Lucas was absolute. If he ever sought to overthrow Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko would not only support him but also help him design his banners of rebellion.
"Interesting," Lucas said. "What''s the wager?"
"The winner decides..." Yae Miko''s eyes sparkled mischievously. "Who''s on topter tonight."
Lucas chuckled at her audacity. "I''ll bet on Number 41."
Each participant in the Night of Yokai was assigned a number. Number 41 was a petite oni girl carrying a gourd nearly asrge as herself.
"An oni girl? She doesn''t look that strong," Yae Miko remarked, scanning the screens. "I''ll bet on Number 78."
"Who''s Number 78?" Lucas asked, ncing at the screens in confusion.
"I have no idea," Yae Miko admitted with augh. "I don''t care who wins. Either way... I''m fine with being on top or bottom."
Her yful demeanor brought a rare warmth to his heart.
Despite the cold and calcted persona he had cultivated, moments like these reminded him of his humanity. Only in Yae Miko''s presence could he find sce, however fleeting.
"I''m sorry," Lucas said softly. "I don''t have much time left for you."
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