Abe no Seimei

“As the Onmyoji among you know, Abe no Seimei was the strongest Onmyoji to exist in history,” Takamura said. “He was the progenitor of most magics you Onmyoji use today, and he was a court official in ancient Kyoto for the Heian era’s imperial court. All those who knew him in ancient Kyoto adored the Onmyoji, and he lived like that for 84 years. However, those years weren’t only spent creating magic. Abe no Seimei also spent his time dealing with the issues that arose from any nearby yokai. And one of those yokai was known as none other than Shuten-douji.”

Shin’s eyes widened when he heard that yokai’s name. Shuten-douji… How were you speaking to me if Abe no Seimei dealt with you?

“You see, Shuten-douji was once a human turned oni who was striving for the title of Kishin. To become a Kishin, he had to attain the power of a god, and to do that, Shuten-douji needed to cultivate enough mana. To achieve his goal, Shuten-douji stopped at nothing. He made deals with other yokai, attacked human villages, and killed countless who got in his way. This Oni was able to accumulate mana by pure bloodshed due to his unique ability.”

Shuten-douji had a unique ability? Do I have it? Shin looked at his arm as he questioned himself, while everyone else in the room paid close attention to Takamura’s story.

“Shuten-douji was able to absorb the mana and strength of all those he killed, but it came with one downside. If he were killed, all the power he accumulated would transfer to the foe who killed him. However, his power never fully passed down, since Shuten-douji never died.”

“What do you mean he never died?” Takeda asked. “You said Abe no Seimei defeated him, right? Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“No, it is not. That’s because Abe no Seimei was an odd Onmyoji. Instead of killing yokai like all the others in his time, he tried his best to spare yokai. That tendency of his formed Abe no Seimei’s one and only weakness: his compassion. Even when he was face to face with Shuten-douji and all of that yokai’s heinous acts, Abe no Seimei still found it in his heart to try and spare Shuten-douji. So when he and the warrior credited with killing Shuten-douji confronted the yokai, Abe no Seimei sealed the yokai into the deepest part of Jigoku, and obviously not without Lord Enma’s approval.”

“If he got sealed, then problem solved, right?”

“Wrong, Rentarou. That’s because even through the seal, a fragment of Shuten-douji’s power lived through his blood. That blood of his was passed down, generation to generation, all the way to the Yasura Shin you all know today. Their power became Shuten-douji’s, and it slowly became enough for his transformation into a Kishin. However, Abe no Seimei could’ve prevented this. He could’ve wiped out Shuten-douji’s bloodline and eliminated the future threat of a Kishin, but he chose not to.”

Yukimura raised her hand as she asked a question. “Do you know why he spared them?” Her hand shook violently after asking that question. I need to know the reason. I need a reason why I shouldn’t kill yokai. If one of the strongest Onmyoji had such a reason, then I can have one, too. Yukimura thought as she awaited Takamura’s answer, but even after thinking long and hard, his answer disappointed her.

“Sorry, but I’m not sure what his reasons were. All I know is that due to sparing his children, Shuten-douji’s power didn’t stop rising after becoming a Kishin. Even though there is nothing greater than a god, like Lord Enma, Shuten-douji still strived to attain such a level. Due to the seal being in place over a thousand years ago, combined with Shuten-douji’s increased power, its effectiveness has drastically decreased. That is why Lord Enma is here to request a task that only you, a descendant of Shuten-douji, could do.” Takamura bowed as he returned on King Enma’s shoulder, leaving him to say the rest.

King Enma’s voice flooded the room around them with gravitas. “Yasura Shin, I need you to try to absorb the power of Shuten-douji. If you attempt to, I will guarantee you and your party a safe exit from the underworld. However, I will warn you. While this may seem like a way for you to get stronger, if you fail, your soul may be the one that gets absorbed. If you succeed, then I’ll personally do one favor for you. Do you accept?”

When Yukimura heard King Enma’s conditions, she immediately turned to Shin. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. He’s giving you a—”

“I’ll do it!” Yukimura had never seen Shin like this before. His hands were curled into fists. He had a scornful look in his eyes as they began to flicker brown and red. Shin gritted his teeth as he continued to speak. “I have something I need to speak to Shuten-douji about anyway, so this is the perfect timing.”

“Takamura, halt the dead from entering. I’ll be using my mirror for a brief moment.”

“Yes, my lord,” Takamura said as he disappeared to follow Lord Enma’s orders. After he left, Lord Enma revealed a mirror. It was surrounded by the same gold that lined the walls and formed a design that resembled a sun.

“What do I need to do, King Enma?”

“Shin, come here. You must see your reflection in the Johari mirror, and only then will you be able to communicate with the Kishin named Shuten-douji.”

“Okay, I understand,” Shin said as he approached King Enma’s throne and the Johari mirror he held in his hand. When Shin was close enough, King Enma let go of the mirror. However, instead of plummeting to the ground, the Johari mirror descended to Shin’s location. And as it slowly floated to him, Shin turned around to face the group behind him.

They didn’t say anything as Shuten-douji’s mana swirled around him; it was only Shin who spoke. “Don’t worry, guys, I’ll be back in no time. Maybe if things go smoothly enough, Shuten-douji would be willing to help us forever.” He said those words with a smile before turning back to the Johari mirror.

When he looked back at it, the mirror was already in front of his face. A golden light radiated from the Johari mirror, causing Shin to disappear. “Shin!” Yukimura was about to run over to the mirror, but Takeda stopped her.

“Suki, stop. He has to do this on his own.”

“Then… how am I supposed to help him?”

“Believe in him and the fact that he’ll return, okay.” Takeda released his grip on Yukimura’s arm.

“Okay.” She said while staring at the Johari mirror on the ground. The only thing I can do is hope. Shin, please come back. Yukimura’s right eye released a teardrop as she thought to herself. I have something I need to say to you.