In the Name of an Oni, Quietly Die on That Night

It's the end of the simulation finally.

So after reading the chapter check out the Heroic spirit Card.

.......

[Your plan is proceeding.]

[You know that under normal circumstances, Minamoto no Raiko would absolutely not raise her sword against you.]

[You need to find a scenario where she wouldn't fully realize that she had killed you.]

[That is the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.]

[You know that if you can disguise yourself as an oni at that time, Minamoto no Raiko can kill you without knowing.]

[You told Shuten Douji your plan.]

"..."

After listening to the entire plan, Shuten Douji was silent for a long time before speaking again:

"Mister, you're going to pretend to be the oni you dislike the most, and then be killed by that cow?"

"I used to dislike oni."

Abe no Taishin hugged Shuten Douji in his arms even tighter.

"But after meeting you and Ibaraki, I don't think that way anymore."

"There are indeed some evil oni in this world, but there are also oni like you and Ibaraki who cherish their friends and live like humans."

"Thinking about it from this perspective—"

"Actually, humans are also 'oni' in another sense to you."

"Once I understood this, I was able to accept everything calmly."

"Heian-kyō where oni and humans coexist is the true Heian-kyō."

"..."

Shuten Douji lowered her head and muttered softly.

"Mister, you've changed so much."

"Hmm," Abe no Taishin nodded, "You're right, Shuten, my thoughts have indeed been constantly changing."

"After all, neither people nor Onmyōdō are unchanging."

"I don't understand anything about Onmyōdō!"

Shuten Douji rubbed her head hard against Abe no Taishin's clothes.

"I only know that I really don't want to part with Mister."

"Isn't it the same for me?"

Abe no Taishin's hand gently stroked the curve of Shuten Douji's hip.

"After all, it took so much effort to raise Shuten into a little pet who feels uncomfortable all over if she doesn't get her big stick education for a day."

"Who became that kind of pet!"

Shuten Douji blushed and retorted the Grand Onmyoji's words, but her body very honestly allowed him to play with her.

She really liked the feeling of being treated like his little pet in her heart.

Because at least it showed that he didn't dislike being with her.

"Mister, can I ask you a question?"

"What question?"

"It's..." Shuten Douji gently rubbed against the hand that was warm to her.

"Did you ever like me and Ibaraki?"

"..."

Abe no Taishin looked at the little oni girl who had finally mustered up the courage to ask this question.

Suddenly, he smiled.

"Smile, what are you smiling at!"

Shuten Douji shouted hastily.

"Is the question I asked that strange?"

As soon as the words fell, the lips that usually loved drinking sake were instantly sealed tightly, and then returned to normal.

It took a while for Shuten Douji to realize what had happened—he had kissed her!

"Shuten, do you understand what I mean?"

Abe no Taishin stroked Shuten Douji's flushed little head.

"Y-yes, I understand."

Shuten Douji felt the world before her begin to sway—this was the first time she had truly kissed him.

"That's good."

"Please also convey the answer to this question to Ibaraki."

[Shuten Douji finally agreed to your plan.]

[You began to take action.]

[Shuten Douji once again used her title as the Oni King to gather the hundred demons in Ōeyama.]

[Of course, they were no longer the hundred demons from before.]

[But rather the ayakashi that Ōeyama had "nurtured" again in these past few years.]

[It seemed that due to the fading of mystery, the current hundred demons could no longer compare to the hundred demons of the past.]

[Shuten Douji commanded this large force to launch an attack on Heian-kyō.]

[She knew that the more "achievements" the ayakashi had, the closer your death would be.]

[This was an extremely painful thing, but she had to do it.]

[Finally, Heian-kyō welcomed the third Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.]

[You knew the time had come.]

Inside the Minamoto clan's residence.

"Husband."

Minamoto no Raiko wiped the famous sword Hizamaru in her hand.

"The ayakashi have come to Heian-kyō again."

"Yes," Abe no Taishin nodded in a casual manner, "Perhaps it's because the ayakashi are all jealous of Heian-kyō's prosperity."

"I see."

Minamoto no Raiko nodded.

"Husband, you're right."

The warrior pointed the famous sword Hizamaru in her hand towards the sky.

"It seems it's time for us husband and wife to make an appearance again."

"Time is of the essence, how about we set the extermination of demons for tonight?"

"Hmm, I'll listen to Madam."

"Good," Minamoto no Raiko stood up, "Then I'll report this matter today."

"But speaking of which—"

Minamoto no Raiko's gaze fell on her beloved before her.

"Husband, you were really right, that Fujiwara no Tokuko hasn't troubled me recently."

"She no longer concealed the matter of the Emperor's death, but directly made it public."

"Perhaps she was sobered up by that fire," Abe no Taishin explained with a smile, "Or perhaps Madam's actions moved her."

"Is that so?"

These answers made Minamoto no Raiko feel very happy.

"Then husband, see you tonight."

"Okay."

Watching Minamoto no Raiko's departing figure, Abe no Taishin knew this was the last time he would see her leave.

After hesitating for a moment, he spoke:

"Raiko."

"What is it?"

Minamoto no Raiko turned her head back, looking at her beloved with a puzzled expression.

After all, he rarely stopped her like this.

"It's nothing."

Abe no Taishin looked at her before him.

"I just wanted to remind you to eat properly in the future."

"Don't starve yourself because you're busy with official duties."

"..."

Minamoto no Raiko didn't quite understand the meaning of these words.

But she still nodded seriously.

"Hmm, I will."

[Minamoto no Raiko's report on the demon extermination plan was not hindered in any way—after all, the current ruler, Fujiwara no Tokuko, is your lover.]

[From reporting to being ready, it only took a morning.]

[Of course, this was actually related to your prior arrangements—after all, you had been planning this all along.]

[The people of Heian-kyō cheered.]

[After all, they had suffered from the ayakashi for a long time.]

[But they didn't know that this was actually your death date.]

Night fell.

The howls of ayakashi echoed in Heian-kyō.

According to the previous deployment, ordinary people had already retreated to their respective homes.

They used the charms prepared in advance by the Onmyoji to avoid the seemingly ferocious ayakashi.

And as the commander-in-chief of the entire operation, Minamoto no Raiko grasped her sword and stood at the forefront of the ranks.

"Let's go!"

As she shouted these words, the troops composed of Onmyoji and ashigaru moved through the empty streets of Heian-kyō.

Minamoto no Raiko walked into the night alone—having practiced the sword techniques for slaying oni, she didn't need the help of others.

One.

Two.

Three.

Minamoto no Raiko hadn't forgotten the sword techniques her beloved had taught her, even though she was busy with official duties.

Her speed in dealing with ayakashi alone even surpassed that of a troop composed of many people.

"The ayakashi are truly hateful."

"They come to invade Heian-kyō time and time again—could it be that there are other places like Ōeyama nurturing them?"

Minamoto no Raiko thought this, but the speed of her sword swings didn't slow down in the slightest.

She had to kill all the ayakashi as soon as possible.

Walking around the corner.

Minamoto no Raiko arrived at a somewhat familiar location—this was where she had once killed Nurikabe.

Taking this as an opportunity, she became the wife of the person she loved.

Many beautiful images flashed through Minamoto no Raiko's mind for a moment.

And just in this moment of absentmindedness, a black shadow appeared before her.

Boom!

Flames erupted from the black shadow's body, a sinister and terrifying heat.

Almost instantly, Minamoto no Raiko realized that this was a very powerful ayakashi.

But—

Why did she feel a sense of familiarity?

However, before she had time to think more, the black shadow threw a fireball towards Minamoto no Raiko.

The heat grazed her cheek and landed on the ground of the street.

Whoosh!

A wall of fire rose behind Minamoto no Raiko.

She knew what this meant—an unavoidable battle.

And it seemed that this ayakashi's strength should be much greater than the ones before.

This would be a difficult battle.

But she was not afraid at all.

"Hah—!"

The warrior raised her sword and charged towards the ayakashi before her.

However—

Things didn't develop as Minamoto no Raiko had expected.

The sword pierced through the black shadow's body, extinguishing the flames along with it.

Silence fell.

The overly simple battle surprised Minamoto no Raiko.

But she didn't have time to think.

Because she remembered what her husband had said: "You must never hesitate when exterminating demons."

Minamoto no Raiko pulled out her sword blade.

She glanced one last time at the black shadow that was motionless on the ground, suppressed all her doubts, and walked into the vast darkness again.

Everything seemed so ordinary.

As if only an oni had died.

[You died on the night the hundred demons entered the capital.]

[Minamoto no Raiko will absolutely not discover that she personally killed you.]

[This is the best outcome for you.]

[Talent Exhausted Holy Grail+ has been replaced by Overflowing Holy Grail+: Your death refilled the Holy Grail.]

[Minamoto no Raiko obtained the power to suppress Gozu Tennō through your sacrifice.]

[She will never turn into Ushi Gozen again.]

[Shuten Douji and Ibaraki Douji retrieved your body in great sorrow.]

[After crying for several days, they buried you at the highest point of Ōeyama, and never returned to Heian-kyō.]

[After that day, you "disappeared."]

[One day, two days, one month, one year.]

[You never appeared in Heian-kyō again.]

[Almost everyone believed that you had died in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons one year ago.]

[Only Minamoto no Raiko completely refused to believe such a thing.]

[She was still waiting for your return.]

"Today is the day your stepfather and I met."

"When he comes back, you all have to listen carefully to all the heroic things he did back then!"

Minamoto no Raiko said this with a smile on her face, then her gaze swept across the four adopted sons present, and her expression became puzzled.

"What's wrong with you all?"

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"..."

Urabe no Suetake's lips moved slightly—he wanted to tell his adoptive mother before him that the heroic Grand Onmyoji could no longer return.

But before Urabe no Suetake could speak, Watanabe no Tsuna stopped him.

He shook his head, then spoke with a smile to his adoptive mother, who had kindly taken them in:

"It's nothing, adoptive mother."

"All four of us brothers are very much looking forward to that story."

"Hmm," Minamoto no Raiko nodded with satisfaction.

"Tsuna, Suetake, Sadamitsu, Kintoki, you will definitely be very surprised then!"

"He... is a super powerful Grand Onmyoji!"

Minamoto no Raiko said all of this with a radiant expression, just like the young girl who had admired the Grand Onmyoji back then.

"Come on, eat properly."

"You can't starve yourself even if you're busy."

[Heian-kyō did not stop its pace because of your passing.]

[Spring went and winter came, year after year.]

[Tamamo no Mae gave birth to a child in the Heian Palace.]

[After being nurtured, he became the 76th Emperor, known to later generations as Emperor Konoe.]

[He was strong, healthy, intelligent, and full of energy—it seemed that he was not originally like this.]

[After he ascended the throne, the court's favor quickly shifted towards the Minamoto clan.]

[The conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans that had lasted for many years quietly ended.]

[The future of Heian-kyō was developing in a good direction.]

[But what no one expected was that "Fujiwara no Tokuko" would become a nun at this time.]

[She refused all attempts to persuade her to stay and went to the Kongōshōin Imperial Villa.]

"Benefactor."

The head priest looked at Tamamo no Mae before him.

"You seem to be no ordinary person."

Tamamo no Mae was stunned for a moment.

"Then can this humble one not cross this gate?"

"No."

The monk shook his head.

"The Buddha saves ordinary people, and also saves oni and ayakashi."

"But if you enter this gate, I fear you may never return to the mortal world."

"Is that so? That's wonderful."

Tamamo no Mae squeezed out a wry smile.

"Anyway... this humble one has no more attachments."

[Your efforts were not in vain.]

[Your death did not only save Minamoto no Raiko alone.]

[In fact, after the Holy Grail was refilled due to your death, the Heian period ushered in a revival of mystery.]

[You reversed the history that had been changed by Abe no Seimei's actions.]

[Oni and ayakashi became active on this land once again.]

[The legend of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons became active once again in the streets and alleys of Kyoto.]

[People all missed the legendary Grand Onmyoji.]

[And thanks to this, Tamamo no Mae's mirror was repaired once again.]

[Although she had broken her vows, she still decided to summon your soul to meet you once more.]

[But the development of things was somewhat beyond her expectations.]

[Your soul did not appear before her.]

[She initially thought it was a problem with the mirror, but then realized that wasn't the case.]

[After all, she could normally "communicate" with souls other than yours.]

[She realized one possibility—you had not truly "died."]

[She suddenly had the courage to continue pursuing life.]

[She left the Kongōshōin Imperial Villa.]

[In some future time and space, she might truly become your wife.]

[——Simulation End——]

[The results you have obtained have been written into the Pan-Human History, and a portion of your abilities have been integrated into your body.]

[Thank you for your contributions!]