Chapter 120. The "Keikaku" of the Onmyoji Couple

Chapter 120. The "Keikaku" of the Onmyoji Couple

[You have left Watanabe no Tsuna at the residence.]

[However, you can still feel a thick wall existing between him, you, and Minamoto no Raikou.]

[You realize that if you want to know what exactly Watanabe no Tsuna has gone through, you must get closer to him.]

[You decide to discuss the details of this matter with Minamoto no Raikou.]

Nightfall.

Water flows down, gathering in the pond before splashing onto the body of the silent Shika deer standing there, then gently tilting and spilling its clear stream to the other side.

On the tatami mat.

Ian and Minamoto no Raikou had gone to bed.

As husband and wife, they naturally displayed their intimacy toward each other.

Yet neither of them felt the slightest bit sleepy at this moment.

Eventually, Minamoto no Raikou spoke first.

"Danna-sama, are you still awake?"

"Umu." Ian responded immediately.

"As expected, you can't sleep either..." Minamoto no Raikou sighed. "Is it because, like me, you're thinking about Watanabe?"

"Yes."

Just as Minamoto no Raikou had said.

The appearance of Watanabe no Tsuna brought back many memories of what had happened in the village before.

Especially since he carried a goal similar to the one Minamoto no Raikou once had, the feeling became even stronger.

"In that case, Danna-sama—"

Minamoto no Raikou turned to Ian, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Do you think we should help that child a little?"

"And you, My lady? What do you think?"

Ian also looked at Minamoto no Raikou, embracing her waist.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and then they reached an unspoken agreement.

Help. They must help.

But the question was, how?

Watanabe no Tsuna's situation was too complicated.

Minamoto no Raikou had no truly effective way.

Seeing his wife's troubled expression, Ian couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.

He fell into deep thought before speaking:

"My lady, I have an idea."

"What is it?"

Ian glanced at "Higekiri" and "Hizamaru" resting on the stand beside them—wedding gifts from Minamoto no Raikou's father, Minamoto no Mitsunaka, to the two of them.

Minamoto no Raikou loved martial arts.

Weapons like these were, of course, a perfect match for her.

A trace of insight flickered in the eyes of the Grand Onmyoji.

"My lady, if Watanabe is so fixated on that half-broken sword—"

"Then he must be particularly sensitive to anything related to it."

"If we showcase a little swordsmanship in front of him, we might have a chance to communicate with him, don't you think?"

"Eh?"

Minamoto no Raikou's eyes lit up.

"That does make sense."

"In that case, Danna-sama, let me perform for him, alright? What do you think?"

"No." Ian shook his head.

"My lady, leave this to me."

"Then what about me?" Minamoto no Raikou asked, slightly puzzled.

"As for you—"

Ian looked at the beauty in his arms.

"There is something more fitting for you to do."

[You and Minamoto no Raikou have reached an agreement.]

[You begin training with Higekiri in your residence with Minamoto no Raikou.]

[This is something entirely new.]

[Because aside from Minamoto no Raikou, no one knows that you are also highly skilled in swordsmanship.]

[People start whispering among themselves.]

[These rumors quickly reach Watanabe no Tsuna.]

[You often see him clutching his half-broken sword, secretly observing you from the shadows.]

[You know the opportunity has come—it's time to coordinate with Minamoto no Raikou and put on a good show.]

"Haa—!"

Ian shouted in the courtyard.

Immediately after, the wooden sword in his hand swung down fiercely, striking the wooden post before him.

A deep cut instantly appeared on the surface of the post.

Witnessing this scene, no one doubted the swordsmanship of the man before them.

If he had been wielding a real sword, that wooden post would have been cleaved in two on the spot.

All of this fell into the eyes of Watanabe no Tsuna, who was hiding in the shadows.

The young boy tightened his grip on the half-broken sword, his fiery eyes fixed on Ian as he swung his blade in the courtyard, filled with an undeniable longing.

Carefully, he grasped the worn hilt and attempted to mimic Ian's poised sword movements.

And just like that, after some time of "learning"—

A gentle voice suddenly rang out beside him.

"Are you imitating my husband?"

The boy flinched and quickly turned his head, only to see Minamoto no Raikou smiling warmly at him.

He became flustered.

Uneasy.

Inside, he felt a deep sense of panic, like a mischievous child caught red-handed by his mother.

Watanabe no Tsuna hastily hid the half-broken sword behind his back, shaking his head repeatedly.

"T-That's not true… I wasn't imitating him."

Such clumsy denial, of course, could not fool Minamoto no Raikou.

But—

She had no intention of exposing the flustered young boy standing before her.

Instead, she brought up something else.

"Watanabe, if I remember correctly, your purpose for coming to Heian-kyo was to seek out a Grand Onmyoji, wasn't it?"

"..."

Watanabe no Tsuna did not answer directly. He simply nodded in silence.

"In that case—"

Minamoto no Raikou glanced toward Ian, her gaze filled with the deep affection of a wife.

"In truth, my husband, Abe-sama, is the very Grand Onmyoji you are looking for."

"?! "

Watanabe no Tsuna looked at Minamoto no Raikou, then turned to Ian, his eyes filled with disbelief.

It took him a long while before he managed to stammer out a question.

"R-Really…?"

"Of course, it's true."

Minamoto no Raikou maintained her gentle smile.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask anyone."

"Everyone in the capital knows one thing very well—that the strongest Onmyoji in all of Heian-kyo is now residing in this mansion."

Watanabe no Tsuna's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

But then, for some reason, a flicker of worry crossed his face.

The young boy hesitated for a moment before quietly asking Minamoto no Raikou:

"Then… do you think he would be willing to teach someone like me the art of demons slaying?"

"That's hard to say."

Minamoto no Raikou deliberately feigned ignorance.

"Perhaps you'll have to ask my husband yourself to find out."

This was the core of Ian's plan.

Both he and Minamoto no Raikou possessed a solid foundation in swordsmanship, so it didn't matter which of them performed in front of Watanabe no Tsuna.

But the key was how they handled his emotions after witnessing that display.

Simply telling Watanabe no Tsuna how skilled Ian and Minamoto no Raikou were in swordsmanship wouldn't be enough to make him act.

After all, he might not even consider himself worthy of learning such techniques.

Only when Watanabe no Tsuna realized that he had a chance to "earn the right to be taught" would their plan truly succeed.

And clearly—

To accomplish this, it was far easier for Minamoto no Raikou, who had a better relationship with him, to take the lead.

Thus—

The plan slowly unfolded.

One would display martial prowess. The other would persuade.

This was the little "keikaku" of the Onmyoji couple.

At the same time—

Watanabe no Tsuna caught the hidden meaning in Minamoto no Raikou's words.

He clutched his half-broken sword tightly, gazing at Ian practicing in the courtyard, his expression wavering.

Minamoto no Raikou understood that at this moment, all he needed was one final push.

So, she smiled gently and casually reminded him:

"Watanabe, my husband tends to be in a much better mood when he's practicing his swordsmanship."

[With just a single remark, Minamoto no Raikou gave Watanabe no Tsuna the final hint he needed.]

[He realized that standing before him was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.]

[He hesitated no longer.]

[Clutching his half-broken sword, he stepped toward you.]

[You noticed immediately.]

[You knew that Minamoto no Raikou had succeeded.]

"..."

Watanabe no Tsuna walked up to Ian, carefully observing the formidable man before him.

The Grand Onmyoji, though fully aware of the boy's thoughts at this moment, had to pretend not to know.

Because the goal of both Ian and Minamoto no Raikou—

Was for Watanabe no Tsuna to take the initiative to make the request himself.

"What's wrong?"

"You… are very strong."

Watanabe no Tsuna looked at Ian and the wooden sword in his hand, his voice full of admiration.

"Even though it's just a wooden sword, you were still able to produce such an effect."

Ian didn't need others to praise him.

Even less so from someone much younger than him.

But Ian also understood that this was not the time for modesty—the most important thing right now was getting Watanabe no Tsuna to voice his thoughts.

"Are those your true feelings, or are you just flattering me?"

"..."

The young boy hesitated for a moment before answering:

"It's the truth."

"In that case—"

Watanabe no Tsuna hesitated for a long time before finally speaking:

"Can you teach me this swordsmanship?"

"I want to use it to kill demons."

[Once again, you felt the same weight as when you first encountered him on the streets of Heian-kyo.]

[There was no doubt—this boy carried a past he could not face.]

[You decided to dig deeper into everything he was hiding.]

[And that half-broken sword in his hands was the best place to start.]

"Why do you want to kill demons?"

Ian repeated the same question he had asked so many others before.

Hearing that, Watanabe no Tsuna instinctively looked down at the half-broken sword in his hand—a movement almost identical to last time.

His crimson eyes flickered with hesitation once more.

Everything was about to fall into the same pattern.

At that moment, Ian decisively snatched the half-broken sword from his grip.

"Give it back! Give it back to me!"

Having lost his sword, Watanabe no Tsuna shouted in distress.

His outburst startled Minamoto no Raikou, who had been waiting nearby.

She hurried over, glancing anxiously at the sword in Ian's hand, her eyes filled with unease.

"Danna-sama, what are you…"

"My lady, you should know—one who learns the art of exorcising demons must never waver in their heart."

Ian gripped the half-broken sword tightly and looked straight into Watanabe no Tsuna's eyes, his voice solemn.

"Which means—"

"If you truly wish to learn how to slay demons from me…"

"You cannot react like this."

"Danna-sama, isn't this a bit too—"

Minamoto no Raikou hadn't finished speaking before Ian raised a hand to stop her.

"My lady, please don't interfere this time."

"If this issue isn't resolved, then even if I teach him how to kill demons, I would only be leading him to his own downfall."

"..."

Minamoto no Raikou said nothing more.

Because Ian rarely spoke to her in such a tone—it was proof that he was truly serious.

She chose to trust him.

Watanabe no Tsuna was trembling.

Clearly, Ian's words had struck deep into the core of his being.

"I have to give up this sword… in order to learn the art of demon slaying?"

"That's right."

Ian met Watanabe no Tsuna's gaze.

With the authority of a master, he solemnly declared:

"If you are willing to let go of it, I will teach you a sword technique capable of annihilating every demon in existence."

"If not, then all of this is meaningless."

"..."

Watanabe no Tsuna stared at the half-broken sword in Ian's hand, his throat moving as he swallowed hard.

A long silence followed before he slowly spoke:

"I understand."

"I will let go of this sword… Please, you must teach me the art of demon slaying!"

[The knot in Watanabe no Tsuna's heart had been untied.]

[You destroyed the broken sword he clung to.]

[At last, you and Minamoto no Raikou learned what he had been through.]

[Just as the two of you had suspected—everything stemmed from a cruel demon.]

[Watanabe no Tsuna once had a happy family.]

[But for some unknown reason, a demon attacked his village one night.]

[That broken sword was the last memento left behind by his father after his fatal battle with the demon.]

[Whenever he saw it, Watanabe no Tsuna would remember that horrifying night.]

[And the words spoken by the demon with golden hair and golden eyes.]

["Hate me forever."]

[But now, thanks to you, he was no longer afraid.]

[As promised, you began teaching Watanabe no Tsuna the art of demon slaying—more precisely, the swordsmanship to exterminate demons.]

[Because he was not skilled in conventional magic.]

[It was as if everything had returned to that summer long ago.]

[The only difference was that this time, Minamoto no Raikou was by your side.]

[Freed from his inner turmoil, Watanabe no Tsuna devoted himself fully, showing you and Minamoto no Raikou absolute respect.]

[You saw it all.]

[And you were very pleased with his progress.]

[Time passed, and nearly a year had gone by.]

[On this day, Minamoto no Raikou wished to speak with you in private.]

"Danna-sama, please savor me to the fullest."

As she spoke, Minamoto no Raikou gently removed her garments.

Ian did not resist.

He tasted the sweetness that belonged solely to him and murmured in praise:

"My lady's taste is always so sweet."

"But—"

"It seems like you have something to ask of me today, don't you?"

Minamoto no Raikou looked slightly surprised.

"Why is it that danna-sama can always understand my thoughts?"

"Because you are kind."

Ian rested his head on Minamoto no Raikou's lap, his voice soft.

"Just by looking at your expression, I can tell what you're thinking."

"...I've lost to you again, danna-sama."

Despite her words, there was no disappointment on Minamoto no Raikou's face.

On the contrary.

She seemed delighted that Ian could see right through her.

"If that's the case, then danna-sama must already know my purpose today, right?"

"It's about Watanabe, isn't it?" Ian answered without hesitation.

Minamoto no Raikou nodded slightly.

"As expected, there's nothing I can hide from danna-sama."

"My lady, there's no need for formalities between us."

Ian gazed at Minamoto no Raikou, who was leaning gently against him.

"If you have something in mind, just say it outright."

"There's no need for us to hide anything from each other, is there?"

"...That's true."

Her long purple hair cascaded over Ian's face, carrying a faint, soothing fragrance.

She always paid attention to her appearance when standing before her husband.

"If that's the case, danna-sama—"

"What do you think about adopting Watanabe as our son?"