The battle between the Hyakki and the Onmyoji unfolded within Kanda Myojin Shrine.
Facing the swarming hordes of demons and spirits that stormed the shrine, the Onmyoji—though pale with fear—gritted their teeth and fought back desperately. Talismans, Shikigami, jujutsu, and incantations filled the air, mixing with shouts, roars, wails, and screams as they clashed with the Hyakki.
The Hyakki, too, unleashed their supernatural abilities—some breathing fire, some releasing smoke, some darting through the air, while others charged forward—each employing their own methods to attack the Onmyoji. Their eerie shrieks, cackling laughter, low growls, and thunderous roars reverberated through the battlefield as they pounced upon their enemies.
A war between Onmyoji and demons raged on, resembling a scene straight out of ancient mythology.
This battle, without a doubt, would go down in history, to be remembered by future generations.
However, under normal circumstances, such a conflict should have been entirely one-sided.
After all, while the Onmyoji had means to combat supernatural beings, their numbers were simply too few.
In modern times, the Onmyoji had already become a rare profession. As the generations passed, fewer people were born with Spirit Sight, and even fewer could master jujutsu and become professional Onmyoji. They often struggled with manpower shortages when handling Spiritual Disasters. Now, against tens of thousands of demons—legendary beings from the annals of folklore, many ranked among the Hyakki—their chances of victory were self-evident.
Not all members of the Hyakki were overwhelmingly powerful, but there were plenty of formidable entities among them. Meanwhile, the weaker spirits and apparitions numbered in the thousands, if not millions. Even in the Heian era—when demons ran rampant—such a force would have been unstoppable, striking fear into the hearts of humanity.
If not for the Hyakki's lack of unity—each faction ruling its own territory, scattered across the world, with some choosing seclusion and vanishing into the mountains—humanity might not have stood a chance.
Thanks to this division, the great Onmyoji of history, such as Abe no Seimei, had been able to eliminate the most dangerous members of the Hyakki, one by one.
But this time, the Hyakki had gathered under a single leader. In this era, who could possibly stand against them?
With the full force of the Hyakki unleashed, even if the Onmyoji gathered at the shrine combined their strength, they had no hope of winning.
Under normal circumstances, it would take only a few minutes for the Onmyoji to be completely annihilated.
However, Rozen had already commanded the Hyakki not to kill innocent Onmyoji, forcing them to restrain much of their strength. As a result, the battle became a prolonged stalemate.
Particularly in the presence of the Twelve Divine Generals—Onmyoji of national rank—the Hyakki's restrained attacks were being held back.
"Haah!"
Kogure Zenjirou wielded his divine sword, his body protected by the blessing of the War God. He charged into the swarms of spirits and demons, each swing of his blade slicing through apparitions, dispersing them into miasma.
"Order!"
Ohtomo Jin calmly formed hand seals and threw talismans, relying solely on talismanic arts to combat the incoming Hyakki. It seemed he was conserving his jutsuryoku, given the overwhelming number of enemies.
"Kinji! Ginji!"
Amami Daizen, an expert in human jujutsu but weak against Spiritual Disasters, struggled in this battle. His age and declining jutsuryoku had dulled his abilities. Yet, relying on his seasoned experience, he summoned his two modified guardian statues, forming a protective barrier around himself to fend off the incoming demons.
"God of the Eastern Sea, named Amei; God of the Western Sea, named Shuryou; God of the Southern Sea, named Kyoshou; God of the Northern Sea, named Gukyou—Four Sea Deities, repel the Hyakki and purge this calamity—Order!"
Yuge Mari chanted a powerful incantation against Spiritual Disasters, casting five-elemental talismans that formed a pentagram-shaped barrier. It repelled incoming spirits while shielding those around her.
"Damn it!"
Yamashiro Hayato cried out in frustration. He fought using talismans while unleashing swarms of venomous insects, yet his efforts appeared frantic. Clearly, he lacked proficiency in dealing with Spiritual Disasters. As a newcomer, his inexperience showed, making him the weakest among the Twelve Divine Generals—falling even behind Amami Daizen. His pride took a severe hit with each setback.
In contrast, Shigeoka Shunsuke—the role model of the Exorcism Bureau and someone even more suited for the position than Miyachi Iwao—wasn't physically present but remotely controlling his Shikigami. His Garuda soared above the shrine, scattering talismans that summoned hordes of Yaksha and guardian shikigami. These Shikigami formed a defensive perimeter, steadily pushing back the Hyakki. Though slow, his method proved effective in eliminating the demons one by one—befitting someone of his rank as a "Colonel."
The abilities of these national-ranked Onmyoji were undeniably formidable. Even Yamashiro Hayato, despite his struggles, successfully held off the Hyakki's onslaught. Compared to the rest of the Onmyoji present, who had already suffered injuries, the Twelve Divine Generals remained standing strong.
Each of them was a master of their craft—powerful enough to establish their own schools and earn renown, even in ancient times.
Of course, this was only because the Hyakki had yet to unleash their full power, and the truly fearsome demons had yet to join the fray.
Figures such as Ootakemaru, Shuten Douji, Tamamo-no-Mae, and the Great Tengu merely observed from above the shrine, watching coldly. They saw no honor in slaughtering those who were already as good as prey.
Some of the more peaceful youkai, uninterested in harming humans, also stood by, their gazes filled with sympathy and pity.
If Rozen gave the order, the great youkai would undoubtedly strike without mercy.
But Rozen had no intention of carrying out a massacre and simply allowed them to do as they pleased.
Then…
"I'll leave this to you," Rozen said, looking toward the Nurarihyon. "You command the Hyakki. Don't let them go wild."
"Understood, Master," Nurarihyon responded with a chuckle, accepting the command.
The other Shikigami had no objections.
Firstly, Nurarihyon's strength commanded respect.
Secondly, as the leader of youkai and someone with no hostility toward humans, he was the ideal choice to lead the Hyakki in a situation where Rozen wished to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
With this, even the powerful youkai of the Hyakki had no complaints.
"Natsume, Suzuka, Kyouko, let's go."
Rozen turned toward the three girls and spoke.
The trio solemnly nodded.
And so, Rozen led the three Shikigami deeper into the shrine.