-2062- The mission of the Kurahashi clan

Looking at Kurahashi Genji standing before her, Kurahashi Kyouko felt extremely conflicted.

Indeed, Kyouko was a decisive and proactive person. Otherwise, she wouldn't have abandoned her comfortable life at the Onmyo Academy and her status as the princess of the Kurahashi family to become Rozen's shikigami and follow him as a jujutsu criminal.

But that didn't mean Kyouko had no attachment to her family.

Let's not forget that, in the beginning, Kyouko had intended to persuade Rozen to turn back. That was why she had chosen to become his shikigami in the first place.

If Rozen had truly made a mistake and crossed a forbidden line, Kyouko would have done everything in her power to convince him to take responsibility for his crimes and ultimately face punishment together. That was her resolve.

However, she had never expected the situation to be this severe and complicated.

Rozen had indeed crossed a forbidden line and become a jujutsu criminal, even turning the entire Tokyo metropolis into a demonic domain, causing a nationwide uproar. But the true darkness of the jujutsu world wasn't Rozen, nor was it the so-called terrorist and Yakou's reincarnation from before. It was her own father—or rather, her own family.

Just as Rozen had said, this was a chaotic struggle of "black devouring black." The only true "white" in this scenario were the onmyoji outside, who were being held at bay by the Onmyo Agency.

Frankly speaking, this chaotic battle was already beyond Kyouko's ability to handle.

If not for her possession of the Star Gazing ability, which allowed her to make judgments based on celestial divinations—ultimately leading her to trust that Rozen was the right person to follow—she wouldn't have known what to do.

Now, she had reached the very heart of this chaotic struggle and was standing before her closest kin.

There were only two things she could do.

"Why are you doing this, Father?"

Kyouko questioned Kurahashi Genji.

This was the first thing she could do.

However, Kurahashi Genji responded without a shred of emotion.

"This is the mission of the Kurahashi clan."

Kurahashi Genji spoke with cold indifference.

"The mission of the Kurahashi clan?" Kyouko murmured, then continued, "If this is truly the Kurahashi clan's mission, then why does Grandmother not know about it? And why do I not know about it?"

This was something Kyouko truly couldn't understand.

The reason why Kurahashi Genji had chosen this path—Kyouko had already learned from Rozen's words—was to advance the jujutsu world and push forward the progress of jujutsu.

The Kurahashi family was the ruler of the jujutsu world, a branch family of the Tsuchimikado clan, and had always borne the mission of promoting the way of onmyodo. To fulfill this, they not only needed to strive for the "Yang" aspect—becoming the pillar of the jujutsu world and maintaining its order—but also had to sustain the "Yin" aspect, pushing the underground advancement of jujutsu. Only through the coexistence of Yin and Yang could the long-term survival and transmission of Onmyodo be ensured.

However, Kyouko couldn't understand: if this was truly the Kurahashi family's mission, then why was the former head of the family—her grandmother—completely unaware of it? Why did she, as the sole daughter of the Kurahashi family, also know nothing about it?

The answer was, in fact, quite simple.

"Because Mother was not a true member of the Kurahashi family."

Kurahashi Genji spoke these ruthless words.

"Wha…"

Kyouko was instantly enraged.

Wasn't this denying everything her grandmother had done?

One had to understand—Kurahashi Miyo had been the head of the Kurahashi family in the previous generation. She had contributed immensely to the family's development, gained recognition in financial circles as the Star Gazer of the Kurahashi family, and secured numerous benefits for onmyoji. Later, as the headmaster of the Onmyo Academy, she had trained countless talents for the jujutsu world, ensuring its prosperity.

Yet now, everything her grandmother had accomplished was being dismissed with a single sentence? How could Kyouko not be furious?

But Kurahashi Genji merely stated reality.

"Mother was an adopted daughter taken in by the Kurahashi family. Even though she married my father and became the head of the family, the blood flowing in her veins was not that of the Kurahashi family. She did not know of the true mission of the Kurahashi lineage. The one who truly carried out this mission was my father—the legitimate heir of the Kurahashi family."

Kurahashi Genji spoke emotionlessly.

"My father was once the eldest son of the Kurahashi family. However, he relinquished his right to inherit the position of family head and passed away without taking the title. That was not because he lacked ability. It was because, given the national situation at the time, he chose to let Mother become the head of the family."

At that time, the Pacific War had just ended, and Tsuchimikado Yakou's Tensou Jifu Ritual, which was meant to reverse Japan's defeat, had failed. The old Imperial Army suffered a major setback. Since the jujutsu world had been closely tied to the military, it, too, faced heavy scrutiny. The Onmyo Bureau—originally supported by the military—was implicated, and the Kurahashi family nearly lost its power.

In that crisis, the one who stepped forward to save the Kurahashi family and prevent the dissolution of the Onmyo Bureau was Kurahashi Miyo.

"Father knew very well how important Mother's talents were at the time. That was why he tirelessly supported her in every way, helping her turn the tide and even allowing her—an adopted daughter—to take the position of family head. He convinced everyone in the family to accept this so that the Kurahashi lineage could survive and onmyoji could continue to exist in the world."

Kurahashi Genji recounted the story in an extremely objective tone.

"Mother did indeed achieve great accomplishments. But the one who allowed her to reap the rewards of those accomplishments was Father. Without Father's unwavering support, Mother wouldn't have been able to accomplish all that. Without him, the jujutsu world and its practitioners would have vanished."

Thus, the true savior of the jujutsu world—the one who ensured the continuity of the way of Yin-Yang—was not Kurahashi Miyo, but her husband, the true heir of the Kurahashi family.

"The title of family head was just a formality. The one who inherited the true mission and bloodline of the Kurahashi family—the one who ensured its continuity—was Father."

This was why Kurahashi Genji said that Kurahashi Miyo was not truly a part of the Kurahashi family.

"And before his death, Father entrusted this mission to me."

Kurahashi Genji spoke calmly.

"My father—your grandfather—told me that after the war, onmyoji who had been associated with the military faced harsh criticism. Although they were allowed to remain in society to deal with frequent spiritual disasters, their position was precarious. To change the perception of the world, the Yang aspect of onmyodo had to be pushed forward, transforming the Onmyo Bureau into the Onmyo Agency to maintain the order of the jujutsu world. But that would cause an imbalance between Yin and Yang. To prevent the way of Yin-Yang from being severed, the heir of the Kurahashi family must never forget the Yin side."

Saying this, Kurahashi Genji looked at Kyouko.

"Now, the Yang aspect has reached its peak. The status of onmyoji in the world has been solidified and recognized. Therefore, it is time to advance the Yin side and bring jujutsu to the next level."

Thus, Kurahashi Genji had collaborated with the Souma family, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the path of Yin in order to push jujutsu to new heights.

Kyouko felt an overwhelming mix of emotions, unsure of what to say.