Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"The lord of Mount Ōe, the Demon King Shuten-dōji?"

In an instant, many things were connected in his mind.

If he remembered correctly, there was a Shuten-dōji on his Hundred Demons Scroll, who drank strong liquor and sang wildly.

Of course, the demon soul is incomplete.

Whether in Japanese legends or in the background story of Onmyoji: The Card Game, this is an extremely powerful yokai, the leader of countless oni clans on Mount Oe, and a true "supernatural and chaotic" demon king.

If the demon behind the Twin Demons is the Demon King Shuten-dōji, then many things would make sense.

The Red Oni and the Blue Oni also belong to the Oni clan. When the strange event occurred in Yokotano, horns grew on its head, which is consistent with the characteristics of the Oni clan.

Moreover, this makes their reason for targeting the Yokota family quite obvious.

This Demon King Shuten-dōji probably wants a demon soul!

Kyoko Nohara possesses the spirit of the Yingcao, which is very important to Kiyoshi Uesugi. So, would the same spirit also have a strong attraction for these monsters?

It should be noted that Maki Tomonori of the Tomon Association also carries a demon soul, yet Shuten-dōji chose to cooperate with the Tomon Association.

Uesugi Kiyoshi would never believe there was nothing fishy going on here.

The only thing that doesn't quite make sense is that if the enemy is truly the Oni King of Mount Ooe from this world, then he shouldn't have any connection to Onmyoji Arena.

That was a famous yokai from the Heian period in Japanese legend, the leader of the oni clan, and the most well-known demon king in the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons". He was active in Mount Ōe in Tanba Province, blocking the only way to and from Kyoto, causing evil deeds, burning, killing and looting, which caused great trouble to the rulers at the time. In the end, he was defeated by the general Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his troops, and his head was cut off with a sword.

If Shuten-dōji still exists in this world, then he has lived for at least several hundred years, and should have no connection whatsoever with Uesugi Kiyoshi, who just transmigrated a year ago.

Why would a demon king like this be interested in the spirits of the demons in the Hundred Demons Scroll?

Is it only Shuten-dōji who is interested in demon souls, or are all the demons and spirits who are of demon origin able to sense the demon souls in Hyakumonogatari?

If it's the latter, then things become much more difficult.

Uesugi Kiyoshi's thoughts raced, his brow furrowed. Although he understood the enemy's identity, what followed was even more confusion.

Chapter 81 Rashomon

There are two possibilities.

First, the spirits in Onmyoji: The Card Game have a special attraction to ghosts and spirits.

Secondly, the Demon King Shuten-dōji is special, and it is even possible that the demon soul of Shuten-dōji is attached to the Demon King Shuten-dōji in this world.

After all, if demon souls can connect with humans, then connecting with ghosts and gods doesn't seem like such an unacceptable thing.

These two possibilities may coexist.

Uesugi Kiyoshi just recited "Lord of Mount Oe, Oni King Shuten-dōji" directly.

While he was thinking, Ryunosuke Akutagawa took over the conversation.

"That's right, the legend of Shuten-dōji is widely known in our country."

"The most widely accepted version of the three demon kings in folk legends is that they are Oni King Shuten-dōji, Sutoku Ōtengu, and Nine-Tailed Tamamo-no-Mae."

"In history, Shuten-dōji was indeed a great demon. During the Heian period, when the superhumans were exorcising demons, Shuten-dōji was beheaded by the swordsman Minamoto no Yorimitsu. He was severely injured and sealed away, lying dormant in the Dream Mirror."

"Recently, he and the demons of Mount Ooe have been making some moves."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa spoke in a calm tone, narrating a fact that was completely different from the legend.

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded thoughtfully, accepting the explanation, but then asked with some doubt.

"I understand, the enemy is the Demon King Shuten-dōji, but..."

"Akutagawa-san, why did you become enemies with the great yokai of the Heian period?"

"Would you mind telling me?"

Ryunosuke Akutagawa smiled slightly, not rushing to answer, but instead asking, "Does Uesugi-kun know anything about the Oni race? I mean those powerful Oni monsters."

Uesugi Kiyoshi didn't know much about Japanese legends, and he only had a deep impression of two of the oni (demon) clans of Mount Oe.

"I only know that the Oni Clan has two Oni Kings: Oni King Shuten-dōji and Oni King Ibaraki-dōji."

"Does Uesugi-kun know Ibaraki-dōji's nickname?"

"I know a little about him; he's known as the 'Ghost of Rashomon'."

Before he could finish speaking, Uesugi Kiyoshi abruptly stopped. He seemed to have thought of something, and looked at Akutagawa Ryunosuke with some surprise, then lowered his head and remained silent.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's smile became meaningful.

"Uesugi-kun is indeed very clever; it seems you've already thought of that."

"You see, what comes to mind when an ordinary person hears the name Rashomon?"

"Ibaraki-dōji, and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke!"

Ibaraki-dōji is the legendary demon of Rashomon, and one of the representative works of the great writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa is "Rashomon".

"This is a blood feud."

“He is weak while I am strong, he lives while I die. I am irreconcilable with Ibaraki-dōji, and we can never coexist.”

"And Ibaraki-dōji is a general under the Demon King Shuten-dōji, so, hmph."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa gave a soft hum, sighed, and continued explaining.

“I know Uesugi-kun has some doubts, that’s normal, after all you’re not a Linker.”

"You see, for the linker, if the linked hero is a swordsman with extraordinary martial prowess or a famous Onmyoji, then it is only natural that they can obtain extraordinary power."

"But for those linkers who connect scholars, ordinary military commanders, and warlords of the Warring States period, where do their extraordinary powers come from?"

Before Uesugi Kiyoshi could speak, Akutagawa Ryunosuke provided the answer himself.

"Our strength comes from faith."

"While this description isn't entirely accurate, you can understand it this way."

"Uesugi-kun, human cognition is crucial to spirits and gods, and it is equally important to Linkers."

“Especially for linkers who use role-playing, the inheritors are less affected.”

"There are two normal ways for ghosts and gods to descend to the human world."

"The first method is possession. This method is very dangerous. Not all human bodies can accommodate the will of ghosts and gods. Moreover, even if it succeeds, the strength of the ghost or god will be greatly reduced."

"The second is, arrival."

"The ritual of descent requires the soul of an extraordinary being as a sacrifice, as well as the faith of believers."

"For ghosts and spirits to exist in the real world, they need at least loyal believers who firmly believe in their existence."

"Human will is a very mysterious and powerful thing. When the wills of many people come together, a terrifying qualitative change will occur. This is the most favorite bait of ghosts and gods, and also a necessary condition for them to return to the world."

"Like that fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes."

"Originally, the emperor did not have that new garment, but as this non-existent fact was repeated a thousand times, ten thousand times, the lie became the truth, and the nothingness became the reality."

"Uesugi-kun, rumors spread like wildfire, and public opinion can melt metal!"

"Therefore, the most effective and safest way for us to deal with those powerful ghosts and spirits is to purge their churches in the real world, eliminate all their believers, and let their existence be gradually forgotten by people."

"Without the support of human faith and cognition, ghosts and gods are nothing to fear."

"Similarly, people's beliefs also have a great influence on the actor's ability to perform."

“Those heroic spirits are actually similar in nature to the gods who enjoy incense offerings. The more people understand them and worship them, the stronger they become and the more diverse their abilities will be. Similarly, those who act as their linkers will also benefit from this.”

"As the actor who plays Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of my core abilities is [Rashomon]!"

"If Ibaraki-dōji takes away this faith, my abilities will weaken or even disappear."

"There could be even more serious consequences. The actor playing the role is already mentally fragile. After losing the core ability, the compatibility with the spirit he is playing will drop greatly, leading to mental breakdown and subsequent depravity. There have been precedents for this."

"This is an unsolvable core contradiction. I am determined to keep the demons of Mount Ooe firmly pinned down in the dream world."

With a slow, jolt, the black van gradually came to a stop, indicating that it had arrived at its destination.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa turned off the fire and turned to look at Kiyoshi Uesugi seriously.

“Uesugi-kun, I’ve been investigating Shuten-dōji ever since Yokotan. Now it’s basically confirmed that he has a cooperative relationship with Tōbun-yū of the Tōbun-kai.”

"He wanted to rely on the influence of the Dongwen Society to gather faith, collect offerings, and return to the world."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa paused slightly before continuing.

"As long as I live, I will not let him succeed."

These words were spoken with such conviction and intensity that Uesugi Kiyoshi heard a resolute determination as strong as steel.

"I'm not stupid. I can totally guess why Uesugi-kun came to see me."

"I have no reason to refuse something that benefits both parties."

"Cooperation, no problem."

"but"

"I hope that Uesugi-kun will seriously consider joining us, in addition to our collaboration!"

"Trust me, Uesugi-kun."

"The Collectors Association will not let you down."

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Chapter 82 Headquarters

“Akutagawa-san, now that I’m here, I will give you an answer.”

"Are we going to talk business in the car?"

Upon hearing this, Ryunosuke Akutagawa did not show any disappointment. He smiled slightly, pointed to the umbrella next to the car seat, and shrugged.

"I was too hasty. We've arrived."

Ryunosuke Akutagawa opened the car door and got out.

The torrential rain stopped abruptly just three inches above his head, and a thin, dense black mist lingered around him, impervious to the wind and rain.