Ten? Did she just count me in as well?
"Are you really planning to enter the Onmyoryo?" Miketsu asked, looking at the cheerful Yura.
"Of course. This is a great opportunity to get ahead in life." Speaking of this, Yura raised an eyebrow and continued, "By entering the Onmyoryo and becoming an onmyoji, not only can you learn more powerful onmyojutsu, but you can also leap into the ranks of the nobility. An opportunity like this has never existed before."
Yura's words were tempting, but Miketsu had no intention of entering the Onmyoryo. Leaving the shrine to study there would carry a great risk of exposure. She didn't think spending her days under the noses of a group of powerful onmyoji was a good choice.
Therefore, Miketsu's plan was just to get one magatama. She would learn onmyojutsu by completing missions, content to be an external affiliate.
However, seeing Yura in such a good mood, Miketsu didn't say this out loud. She decided to accompany Yura until she had five magatamas before saying anything.
"Well then, let's continue. Where's the next magatama?"
"You're really treating me like a guide. If I weren't here, you probably wouldn't be able to find a single one on your own in this trial." Yura continued, a hint of pride in her voice.
No, I still have Tsuruha. She can sense the location of spiritual power.
Miketsu muttered to herself. However, she really couldn't find the way back, as it involved the theory of orientation in onmyojutsu, a profound art originating from the I Ching that she knew nothing about.
In any case, she still needed Yura to lead the way.
...
In the vast forest filled with yin energy, Morimura Saemon, dressed in colorful clothes, moved furtively between the giant trees. He constantly glanced around, confirming that no one else was nearby.
As soon as the trial began, he was the first to rush into the forest, quickly putting distance between himself and the others as he headed deep into the woods.
He was very purposeful, but he wasn't searching for magatamas. It seemed he was simply trying to get as far away from the others as possible.
Morimura Saemon stopped and looked around again. After confirming he was alone, he let out a sigh of relief. Then, he took a bronze bell from his pocket.
The bronze bell was of ancient make, with many signs of wear. Although the engraved pattern on it was quite faded, it was still barely discernible.
It was a pattern combining flowers and leaves: five leaves arranged in a row below, with three five-petaled flowers above them.
Looking at the bronze bell in his hand, Morimura Saemon took a deep breath and then shook it. Instantly, a clear, ethereal ringing echoed through the dark woods.
And Morimura Saemon, his spiritual vision active, understood that the sound from the bronze bell echoed not only in the human realm.
Putting the bell away, Morimura Saemon stood still, concentrating and heightening his spiritual vision to its maximum. Perhaps due to nervousness, a drop of sweat even trickled down his forehead.
Time passed, second by second. The surrounding environment was quietly changing. At some point, the already chilly air grew several degrees colder. An intangible sense of oppression grew stronger and stronger in Morimura Saemon's heart.
"Katakatakata..."
A dense, strange sound came from the distance, growing closer and louder until, after a short while, it was right beside his ears.
"Katakatakata..."
It sounded as if a thousand blades were scraping across the ground. The noise surrounded Morimura Saemon, rising and falling in the darkness of the woods around him. The incessant, dense sound coming from all directions made his scalp tingle, but he didn't move a single step. Instead, he remained standing there stiffly, letting cold sweat pour down his body.
Eyes glowing with crimson light appeared one by one in the dark woods, staring intently at Morimura Saemon. Then, a dry, hoarse voice spoke.
"Ah... the bell of the Minamoto... unheard for so long... But... the one who comes is not of the Minamoto..."
"Human... you now need one sentence... to convince me... not to eat you right now..."
Feeling the unparalleled pressure through his spiritual vision, Morimura Saemon swallowed hard and then dropped to his trembling knees.
"I... I bring an order from the Minamoto Clan!" Morimura Saemon said, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Minamoto... an order... another order... and another order... It's been over a hundred years... Are you still not willing to let me go!?" Hearing Morimura Saemon's words, the presence in the darkness suddenly erupted, roaring with all its might. The dense scraping sound also accelerated abruptly, making Morimura Saemon's head feel like it would split open.
"The... the Minamoto Clan says this is the final order. After you complete it, you will be free."
After Morimura Saemon finished speaking, the commotion in the darkness suddenly ceased. For a moment, everything was quiet.
"What... did you say..."
"The Minamoto Clan says this is the final order. After you complete it, you will be free." Morimura Saemon struggled to calm himself and repeated his previous words.
"Free... free... free... free..." In the darkness, the hoarse voice whispered continuously, its tone filled with obsession and madness.
"Say... what is the order... speak quickly!"
"The Minamoto Clan orders you, from this moment on, to disregard all previous rules. Eat whatever you want. Attack everyone in this forest. Eat as many as you can."
"The Minamoto Clan says you no longer need to hold back. Just eat to your heart's content. After you have eaten enough people with spiritual power, the original restraints on you will no longer be able to bind you. At that time, you will be free."
After speaking, the terrified Morimura Saemon knelt on the ground, waiting for a response. He didn't dare to breathe. After a long pause, the hoarse voice spoke again.
"Heh... heheh... Eat people?... Nothing could be simpler... No need to follow the rules... I can even eat onmyoji..."
"Tonight... no one in this forest will leave... heheheh..."
The hoarse voice grew fainter, and the dense scraping sound gradually receded. Only after sensing that the monster in the darkness was completely gone did the kneeling Morimura Saemon let out a long sigh of relief.
He stood up, fumbled for a moment in a pouch at his waist that was painted with a talisman, and took something out. He opened his hand, revealing five magatamas glowing with a faint green light.
"It's real... Everything that man said is real... The test is real, the yokai is real, and these magatamas... are also real..."
"That man... he's really from the Minamoto Clan! Ha... to hell with this trial. With the reward from the Minamoto, I've already won."
A wicked smile formed on Morimura Saemon's lips. He quickly put the magatamas back into his pouch, glanced around, and hurried away.
The forest was now extremely dangerous. It was very likely that everyone participating in this trial would die. He had to retreat to a safe place immediately, return to the starting point before the Hour of the Rat, and hand over the magatamas the Minamoto had given him beforehand.
He would be the only winner of this trial. Everyone else would die.
Thinking of this, Morimura Saemon's smile widened. At that moment, he recalled the masked person and the woman wearing an ichimegasa he had met on the street that morning.
"Hmph... Go on and become a grand feast for the yokai... I hope you like my gift..."
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