I don't want to be a heroic spirit

Shuten licked his lower lip with interest.

"So... that being isn't human?"

"That's...ahhh, it's so troublesome to explain. I might as well just show you...seeing it with your own eyes will surely be much simpler than me describing it verbally, right?"

Having said this, Shuten turned around and took a step forward, dragging away Ibaraki who was still lying dead on the ground. The blood flowing from Ibaraki's chest left a long trail on the ground.

"Let's go Izuki, stop playing dead here and take them to see that thing."

"No, wait a minute, Shuten! Isn't our mission to protect that thing? Stop pulling! I can walk on my own! The gravel on the ground keeps cutting my wounds, and it hurts!"

Kidomaru was still worried that the other party might cheat, but Abe Haruaki, perhaps because of the confidence given by his own strength, told Kidomaru that there was no need to worry at all, and then followed him.

The group walked for a while, and Shuten, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. However, in the eyes of Abe Haruaki and Kidomaru, there was nothing here, only endless barren red earth.

"Come on, Ibaraki, open this thing with me."

"I don't care anyway, just do whatever you want..."

There was helplessness in Ibaraki's tone. She was almost used to his casual personality of doing whatever he wanted.

Then, Ibaraki and Shuten each raised a hand and looked towards the empty space in front of them.

Then, as Abe Haruaki and Kidomaru watched, the space in front of them cracked.

It was as if everything in front of them was not real, but a camouflaged "curtain", and because of the actions of Shuten and Ibaraki, this camouflaged "curtain" was torn open, revealing the truth.

It is a "pillar" leading to the sky, or it would be more appropriate to call it a "tree".

The cracked white shell extends in all directions at a tip over a thousand meters high, forming a canopy-like structure at the top. The interior of the tree is exposed, and the Milky Way inside can be seen.

This is not some imagination or embellishment, it is the real Milky Way.

Look up and be in awe.

The moment we witnessed this scene, it was as if humans were standing on the earth for the first time and looking at the stars in the night sky. A glimpse of the cosmic truth beyond human comprehension was reflected in our eyes, so we couldn't help but be moved and awed.

"Ah ah ah..."

Can't say anything.

The moment he saw that thing, Abe Haruaki was moved to an extent that was difficult to describe in words.

It is the greatest mystery in the world, a treasure that is enough to initialize the entire planet and create new myths, and it is the key stone for the foundation of the world.

The moment he saw that thing, Abe Haruaki understood this.

Although he could not see through its essence, Abe Haruaki knew that the enormous energy contained in the [tree] could even reshape the order of the world.

"This is what Ibaraki and I are protecting. It's called... the Illusion Tree."

Shuten's charming voice sounded at this time, bringing Abe Haruaki back to his senses slightly.

"Imagination Tree? I see... Using its roots to erode reality, covering the land with strange stories, allowing fantasy to replace reality?"

As if figuring something out, Abe Haruaki looked at Shuten and Ibaraki with burning eyes, "So, you two aren't the real Shuten-douji and Ibaraki-douji... but rather fantasy entities born from the legend of Shuten-douji and Ibaraki-douji, summoned by the fantasy manifestation of the Fantasy Tree?"

"You're talking so complicated, how can I understand..."

Shuten pouted in dissatisfaction, but only after taking a sip of wine did he smile easily again. "I think it's just as you said."

After getting Shuten's affirmation, Abe Haruaki once again turned his gaze to the Imagination Tree, and his eyes could no longer accommodate anything else except the Imagination Tree.

"As long as I have it...if I can control it...I will definitely be able to realize my ideal world!"

Abe Haruaki's heart was burning with excitement... The fantasy tree in front of him was the key to realizing his long-cherished wish!

Although he has always firmly believed that he is the true chosen one, as long as he is alive, the utopia with absolute order that he longs for will come sooner or later...but that is too far away, and he is unwilling to wait that long.

People and monsters who could not understand his great ideals gathered together like annoying flies. He wanted to swat them to death one by one, and then clean up their corpses and the stains they left behind... All of this was unbearable for Abe Haruaki.

And now, he found a shortcut, a shortcut that allowed him to reach the destination directly without having to deal with those annoying flies!

When he thought of this, Abe Haruaki could no longer suppress the joy in his heart.

"Sure enough! God is on my side! My ideals are correct!"

Although the power of this fantasy tree even surpasses that of gods and is an existence that can truly shake the foundation of the world, Abe Haruaki has no doubt whether he has the ability to control it.

He firmly believed that as a true chosen one who had transcended life and death and reincarnation, he would be able to control the fantasy tree in front of him with his own abilities.

So he stepped forward and stretched out his hand toward the fantasy tree.

"Oh no, that won't do."

The aroma of alcohol spread rapidly, and the sweet wine turned into surging waves, trying to swallow Abe Haruaki and dissolve him until not even a bone was left.

However, such an attack was nothing but a piece of cake for Abe Haruaki. He just raised his hand and pointed casually, and a seven-pointed star formation took shape in the blink of an eye. The surging waves were frozen the moment they hit the formation, and finally shattered into ice chips that flew away in the wind.

Looking at Shuten standing in front of him, Abe Haruaki's tone became a little cold.

"You want to stop me?"

"After all, protecting the Illusion Tree is the mission of Ibaraki and me."

Shuten answered in a matter-of-fact tone, but Abe Haruaki clearly didn't quite accept it.

"If that's the case, why did you bring me here? If you two hadn't torn off that disguise, it would have been much more difficult for me to find this place."

"Ah la la, you actually care about this?"

Shuten tilted her head, then revealed an unfathomable and charming smile. "Of course it's because it's interesting. I was very curious about what expression you would make after seeing the Imagination Tree... and you didn't disappoint me. After all, my mission was only to prevent anyone from touching the Imagination Tree, not to stop others from looking at it."

"...Really? I think I understand."

Abe Haruaki's aura gradually changed, becoming thicker and more solid. "I'm really lucky that the Imagination Tree chose a rebellious demon like you as its guardian."

"Ohhhh! Are you serious? Do you want to kill us? This is so scary..."

Shuten laughed and turned to look at Ibaraki, "Hey! Ibaraki, get ready to fight, but don't embarrass me, and don't scream too harshly when you die."

"But the wound you shot through my chest hasn't healed yet. Since we still have to fight in the end, why waste your breath and go through so much trouble... Ahhhh! Never mind! Turn to ashes under my devilish claws!"

Flames burned on Ibaraki's body, roaring like an angry dragon.

The wine turned into waves around Shuten, and the sweet fragrance that could dissolve even the bone marrow filled the air.

"Shuten-douji, Ibaraki-douji... Although you are destined not to have the chance to live in the new world I created, you have indeed made great contributions to my new world. Without you, I don't know how long it would take for the utopia I have been waiting for to come true."

Standing in front of Shuten and Ibaraki, even though his body was washed over by waves of hostility, Abe Haruaki was not moved at all and was able to speak calmly.

"Rush! Bushfire! [Rashomon Great Grudge]!"

"From bone to marrow, all of it shall be mine... [Thousands of Purple and Red Divine Ghost Poison]!"

Flames roared and poisonous wine poured.

Facing the full-strength attack from the two, Abe Haruaki raised his hand, his lips trembling slightly.

"I'm so happy to see you... I'm afraid I'll never forget you in my life."

……

Inside a noodle shop.

It's really just an ordinary noodle shop, the kind that has no special features and you can't even remember the name after eating there once.

Wearing a strange long gown, Ashiya Doman leaned his arms on the table, and slowly opened his eyes that had been closed for a long time, with a gleam of light flowing in his eyes like polished obsidian.

"Mmmmm... Mmmmm! How hateful, what a pity! I've lost two more reliable Shikigami. As a righteous and kind-hearted person who's willing to risk his life for his friends, I must avenge the dead Shikigami by skinning and pulling out their tendons, right? Or perhaps chopping them into pieces? Torn apart by five horses? Mmmmm... It's really hard to decide. How about doing it all together? First, torn apart by five horses, then skinned and pulled out, then torn into pieces... Not bad!"

"That Mr. Limbo?"

The girl's voice sounded behind Ashiya Doman, with a hint of caution in her tone.

The moment he turned around, he put on a friendly smile and cast his gaze towards the girl who had just spoken.

"Ohhh! Have you finished eating? Are you full, Miss Yuura?"

553

Chapter 553 Hanakaiin Yuura: Why am I so nervous when facing Mr. Limbo?

"Um... I'm full. Thank you Mr. Limbo for the treat. Otherwise, I might have gone hungry tonight..."

Hanakaiin Yuura said this a little awkwardly, while Ashiya Doman, who was sitting next to her, responded with a smile.

"Huff, huff, huff! Don't be so embarrassed, it's okay. I can't just watch a kid like this drooling outside the store, right?"

"Woo..."

When the other party reminded her of her previous ugly behavior, Hanakaiin Yuura let out a small cry of pain.

"Um...I will return the money to you as soon as possible."

"Haha, those are minor matters. What I'm more concerned about is... judging from your clothes, you don't come from a poor family, right? Why are you short of money? Where are your family members?"

Ashiya Michiman asked with a smile and a hint of curiosity.

As if she remembered something embarrassing, Hanakaiin Yuura hesitated for a moment, then rubbed her little hands and spoke in a low voice.

"Wow... I originally wanted to take more money, but since everyone at home was training hard to become stronger, I felt a sense of urgency. I was in such a hurry to leave that I mistakenly took the wallet with the coupons and left the wallet with the cash at home. When I arrived at my destination, I realized I took the wrong wallet... And most of these coupons are for stores in Tokyo, not in this city, so..."

Perhaps because she felt embarrassed, Hanakaiin Yuura's voice became softer and softer, and her head lowered lower and lower. If it weren't for Ashiya Doman's good hearing, the last third of her words would not have been heard.

"So, as long as I return home, I will definitely be able to pay Mr. Limbo back!"

"Yes, yes, I believe in Miss Yuro. There's no need to worry."

As if amused by Hanakaiin Yuura's behavior, Ashiya Doman smiled. Then he glanced at the empty bowls in front of the other party, which were not even filled with soup, and asked tentatively, "So, is just a few bowls of noodles really enough? There's a very good Chinese restaurant over there. It's not a problem for me to treat you there for a meal."

Attracted by Ashiya Doman's proposal, Hanakaiin Yuura's eyes flickered slightly, but after a struggle in her heart, she gave up this tempting suggestion.

"No, no, no... Mr. Limbo has already spent money once today."

Hanakaiin Yuura could never understand why she felt uncontrollably nervous in front of Mr. Limbo. This awkward feeling was as if she had met her brother... no, it was like meeting the elders of the clan, perhaps even worse.

It was the same thing just now... When the other party heard that she had no money to eat, he took the initiative to ask her to have a meal. At that time, she felt strangely nervous for no reason, and when she came to her senses, she was already sitting in her seat.

"A few bowls of ramen aren't exactly a big expense... Uh-huh, but you seem pretty determined. I don't mind your gaze sometimes, like a polished gem."

The meeting between Ashiya Doman and Hanakaiin Yuura...was a coincidence.

As long as there are enough Shikigami or clones, the probability of encountering them will increase exponentially.

As for the Hanakaiin family, a family of Onmyoji said to be composed of descendants of Ashiya Doman from this world, it would be a lie for Ashiya Doman to say that he doesn't care.

However, the person he cared about most was Hanakaiin Yuura... It was not because the other party had outstanding talents, but purely because of a novel he read a long time ago.

In the novel with the Inari God as the protagonist, the real Ashiya Doman had never met Abe Haruaki. It was Ashiya Doman's apprentice who had been fighting against Abe Haruaki under the name of his master. This also explains why the rumor that "Ashiya Doman died more than once" was circulated in later generations.

In that novel, the protagonist Inari God came a thousand years later and met Hanakaiin Yuura by chance. He invited her to dinner to repay the other party for a treat in his previous life a thousand years ago... When he saw this, he inexplicably felt a little sad.

Of course, he understood that those were all plots in the novel, and perhaps they really existed in other worlds, but this world was not like that. In this world, the one with Abe Haruaki was the real Ashiya Doman, not his apprentice, and the Hanakaiin Yuura in front of him was not the reincarnation of Ashiya Doman.

However, he still rushed to meet him and treated him to a meal when he had no money to eat, although it was just a few bowls of noodles.

The girl in front of him seemed to be used to being in financial difficulties, but a few bowls of ramen made her feel as happy as if she was enjoying the delicacies of land and sea, and a full banquet, which made Ashiya Michiman laugh.

After noticing Ashiya Doman's laughter, Hanakaiin Yuura's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, like a kid who was caught doing something bad by his parents, and then he became much more reserved when eating noodles.

After pushing the door open and walking out of the noodle shop, Hanakaiin Yuura bowed again to express his gratitude to Ashiya Doman, and then Hanakaiin Yuura still asked the doubts in his heart curiously.

"Mr. Limbo...is he a monk?"

It's normal for Hanakaiin Yuura to think this way, right? After all, Ashiya Doman always referred to himself as "poor monk."

"I do have a monk's status, but my main job should be that of an Onmyoji."

In front of Hanakaiin Yuura, Ashiya Doman seemed very kind and patient, very... normal. "However, I am now considered an 'opposition monk'. I don't have any power and am truly free."

"...Huh? Mr. Limbo is also an Onmyoji?"

Hanakaiin Yuura opened her small eyes full of confusion and astonishment. If Ashiya Doman had not exposed himself, she might have always regarded him as an ordinary person... or an ordinary person with good intentions.

"That's right, that's why I can recognize you, the little girl from the Hanakaiin family."

Ashiya Michiman smiled and patted Hanakaiin Yuura on the shoulder, then changed the subject, "Compared to the renowned Onmyoji Longtou Hanakaiin, I'm just a nobody. It's only natural that you're so surprised. I don't mind at all."

"Um...I'm sorry."

Hanakaiin Yuura's cheeks flushed, realizing her own gaffe. Then, as if trying to change the subject, she asked Ashiya Doman, "Since Mr. Limbo is also an Onmyoji, you should also be investigating the youkai wreaking havoc in this city, right? Arriving here before me, have you figured out their locations?"

"Ah, I see. You're here for them, Yuzu. You're so young, but you can actually fight monsters on your own? That's really impressive."

Ashiya Doman's sudden praise made Hanakaiin Yuura shy.