I'm a villain in the superhero world.

Rime had never seen this person before, but the figure not far away reminded her of a certain rumor.

That rumor that has been circulating in recent years among those governing the Far East region.

With waist-length black hair, sealed eyes, and dressed in a Qingxuan ancient robe from the Yin Shang dynasty, even the Tushan clan could not conceal his beauty.

"It's him, there's no mistake, he's the one from the rumors..."

Rime could no longer support his body and collapsed beside the wreckage and torii gate ruins, but his gaze did not waver in the slightest.

Her pupils contracted slightly as she stared at the figure dragging the lord of Suzuka Mountain, and in that instant, she understood his identity—

The last descendant of the Far East Lü clan, and the person whose rating has risen the fastest in the past century in the Executive Department of the Control Council.

Over the course of four years, he single-handedly suppressed the fifth-level energy seals that broke through containment, including the immortal Yinglong and Susanoo.

He is the contemporary host and controller of the power of Yin.

Furthermore, it is the only entity in the last thousand years to have propelled this most yin and darkest power to such a height in such a short period of time...

Exceptional talent!

At this very moment, standing before me—

He is one of the heads of the thirty-three holy blood families of the current ruling society, and the strongest Taiyin Divine Child in a thousand years...

Lü Buyi!!

There is no need to question or over-speculate, because what happened next confirmed Rime's judgment.

Lü Buyi slightly raised his finger.

Perhaps they believed that the "loss of color in the sky and earth" would more or less affect the speed of personnel evacuation.

He withdrew all the Yin energy that was maintaining all of this and gathered it at his fingertips.

And so the stripped colors surged back into the world like a receding tide.

Everything in Kyoto has returned to how it was not long ago.

The frozen flames began to flicker and burn again.

The hovering ashes continued to fall, but the gradual evacuation of people sent them drifting further away.

Those demons and monsters frozen in their hideous moments began to regain the ability to move their limbs.

However, upon regaining their "freedom," they did not immediately pounce on the remaining humans, nor did they follow their instinctive fear and scatter in all directions.

All of this stemmed from that person calmly uttering a single sentence after withdrawing the power to freeze Kyoto.

"Until the battle in the center of Kyoto is over, regardless of who belongs to which side, no monster or vengeful spirit is allowed to make any rash moves; those who violate this rule will be killed without exception."

There were no unnecessary threats, just a calm and simple statement.

Even so, not a single monster dared to cross the line.

Of course, the three people in the very center of Kyoto are not included in this list, especially... Sugawara no Michizane—

"Michimit Ashiya!!"

It has been contained and sealed by the Yin-Yang Bureau and the governing body for countless years.

Having just returned to reality, Sugawara no Michizane, now a vengeful spirit, didn't have many clear thoughts.

Only the aura emanating from Lü Buyi, only the extremely yin and dark power within him—

It made it impossible for him to forget, and he couldn't suppress his anger.

The other two demon kings had some guesses about Sugawara no Michizane's reaction.

They may not be considered worldly-wise, but the name Ashiya Dōman already represents a lot.

Shuten-dōji's massive body leaned forward slightly, and the huge "Ibuki-gyo" was slammed onto the ground with a dull thud.

He grinned, revealing sharp fangs.

"The contemporary Lunar Goddess?"

The voice of the Lord of Mount Ooe carried a hint of amusement, but also a subtle, almost imperceptible apprehension.

"This aura is truly exaggerated... Could it be even stronger than Ashiya Dōman at his peak?"

Tamamo-no-Mae's nine golden tails swayed gently in the distance, and the languid look on her beautiful face was gone.

Instead, there is a deep scrutiny and bewilderment at the actions of the person before me.

She glanced at the barely breathing Ootengu, then looked at Lü Buyi, who was calmly facing the three of them alone, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Ashiya Dōman... She had met him in the Heian period when all kinds of demons were rampant, but she was not familiar with him and had never actually fought him.

However, she had many entanglements with Abe no Seimei, Doman's nemesis and close friend.

Therefore, she certainly understood the power and terror of the Yin-Yang Child, which was precisely why she was so puzzled.

The Taiyin Divine Child before them had clearly chosen to swiftly and decisively eliminate the lone Ootengu first.

But why would he swagger up to the three of them all by himself at this moment?

Ōtakemaru is the weakest among them... Surely he wouldn't think he could take on all three of them by himself after defeating Ōtakemaru?

Moreover... Tamamo-no-Mae extended her slender finger and pointed it at Himi Rimei, who was lying beside the ruins, barely breathing.

"The Divine Child of the Moon, with extraordinary bearing." Tamamo-no-Mae's voice was charming and melodious; the nine-tailed fox was no mere figurehead.

"However, is it a bit too much to be risky to fight against three opponents?"

"Besides, there's that Snow Woman from the ruling guild over there, and her dying companions..."

"They seem to be badly injured. With such a burden on your back, are you really able to perform at your best?"

Lü Buyi did not respond to Tamamo-no-Mae immediately, nor did he even glance at the three Ghost Kings.

He simply turned around slowly, took a step, and walked unhurriedly toward the direction where Rime had fallen.

He walked casually, his steps steady, leaving his entire back exposed to the three infamous ghost kings without any defense.

However, none of Shuten-dōji, Tamamo-no-Mae, or Sugawara no Michizane took the opportunity to launch an attack.

Because that's meaningless—

Lu Buyi's current nonchalant attitude, treating them as nothing, is itself a powerful deterrent.

Lü Buyi walked up to Li Mei and bowed slightly.

Even with her eyes covered, Rime could feel the scrutinizing gaze cast from behind the Demon-Sealing Cloth.

"Hmm... The injury is very serious. Even if the power of Taiyin is used to recover, it will be difficult to fully recover in a short time."

"You can't walk anymore, can you?" Rimei heard Taiyin Shenzi ask this question as he stood in front of her.

"You don't need to... care about me..."

Rimei's voice was weak and barely audible; even speaking had exhausted her last bit of strength.

"I... am dying, please... just ignore me..."

Lü Buyi did not respond to Rimei's words, which sounded like self-sacrifice.

The dying Snow Woman only saw a look of "incomprehension" flash across the face of the Taiyin God Child, who was covered by a black cloth.

That expression seemed to say, "Who asked you that?"

Then, he reached out his hand.

A stream of pure Yin energy flowed into Rimei's nearly depleted body.

"It seems we can't walk any further."

Lü Buyi withdrew his hand, his tone remaining indifferent.

"In that case, just sit here and be a spectator."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar, convincing calm power.

"Don't worry, neither you nor your teammates will die."

"After this farce is over, I'll take some time to heal you all—"

He stated a perfectly simple fact, and then added:

"It won't take too long."

Lu Buyi's words were undisguised and clearly resonated throughout the silent battlefield.

Not only could Rimei hear it, but the three ghost kings not far away could also hear it clearly.

For the first time, a clear look of astonishment and...absurdity appeared on Tamamo-no-Mae's exquisitely beautiful face.

Her delicate brows furrowed, as if she had heard the most incomprehensible words in the world.

"You... intend to dedicate your energy to protecting that dying burden and her equally dying companions while fighting three against one?"

Tamamo-no-Mae's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Aren't you being overconfident?"

Sugawara no Michizane remained the same, only his roars grew increasingly shrill, and a vengeful aura surged wildly around him.

"Michimit Ashiya!!"

Unlike the other two, Shuten-dōji suppressed his smile, replacing it with an expression that was a mixture of regret and seriousness.

"You will be a worthy opponent... Taiyin Divine Child—"

Shuten-dōji's voice boomed, carrying an unusual solemnity.

"But it would be such a waste if we couldn't fight with all our might because we were worried about others—"

He slapped the Ibuki gourd in his hand hard, the sound like a booming bell.

"In the name of the Demon King of Mount Ooe, I hereby make this promise..."

"You can have them withdraw from the battlefield first, and then continue the fight—"

"I will definitely restrain these two compatriots beside me, and will not disturb them or act without permission!"

At this moment, Shuten-dōji displayed astonishing magnanimity and respect for Lü Buyi.

For him, a deadly battle that both sides can enjoy is far more valuable than a victory gained by taking advantage of someone's vulnerability.

However, faced with Shuten-dōji's composure, Tamamo-no-Mae's vigilance, and the madness of Dōzō's vengeful spirit—

Lu Buyi's reaction, however, was so indifferent it was almost...rude.

He simply tossed aside the Ōtakemaru, who had been dragging at his feet, his fate unknown.

Then he slowly turned around and faced the three ghost kings who were waiting in full battle.

The dark robes fluttered gently in the breeze, and the ends of the long blindfolds billowed up.

He tilted his head slightly, as if scrutinizing the three figures before him who were infamous in Japanese mythology and ghost stories.

Then, Lü Buyi spoke in a flat, emotionless voice...

He uttered words that froze the entire central battlefield of Kyoto.

"No need for that. It's fine if you all come at once."

He paused, as if stating a very simple fact.

There was even a hint of... boredom in his tone?

"Because...you are very weak."