I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapter 440 Chapter 441 Ashiya Doman

"Although it's not the Lord of Mount Tai who has come in person, we do have a distinguished guest. Welcome, welcome."

The male and female voices overlapped, creating a bewitching and enchanting sound that seemed to drift from afar, or whisper in everyone's ears.

Uchiha Senmon and the others were immediately shrouded in gloom, and remained silent.

He is the mastermind behind the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) and the Tengen Game, and the strongest Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, who attempts to use the Taizan Fujun Festival to resurrect all of humanity through the Impure World Reincarnation!

The atmosphere suddenly became so tense it was suffocating.

"You went through all that trouble to break through the four Rashomon gates, weren't you here to defeat me? You don't even dare to face me, how can this be right?"

Abe no Seimei's voice remained as melodious and gentle as ever, with a touch of playfulness.

"All your previous efforts and sacrifices will be for nothing."

"Let's go."

Uchiha Senmon and Sasuke in white exchanged a glance, nodded in tacit agreement, manipulated the trees to land on the ground, and then took the lead, leading the twelve generals and the hawk forward.

"Gurgle gurgle—"

Mineko Yuuki followed Senmon Uchiha with lingering fear. On the sea of ​​boiling, crimson magma, there was a corridor formed by the rise of rocks.

It's practically a demon's castle.

She had caught a glimpse of it when she was falling from a great height: the crisscrossing passageways in the lava seemed to form some kind of mysterious array.

The group had only walked for a few minutes when they arrived at the center of the lava sea.

Before me stood a small, ancient temple; otherwise, there was nothing else.

"You've finally arrived! Please forgive me for being unable to come out and greet you due to my mobility issues."

A voice that was neither male nor female emanated from the tightly closed doors of the temple, where no one could be seen.

Uchiha Senmon's Sharingan gleamed with a blood-red light, its sharpness fully revealed, and the cold light formed by his gaze almost pierced through the wall.

"I am overjoyed. I will use loving-kindness to guide all beings and save the world. On such an important day, to have so many witnesses is truly wonderful."

A strange laugh, both compassionate and unrestrained, drifted out from between the cracks in the doors and windows.

"Disciple of the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, host of the Drifting God, Saint Joan of Arc, bloodline and descendant of the Uchiha clan, and my dearest..."

Snapped!

A beam of blue lightning, several meters long, sliced ​​the temple in two diagonally.

"Don't try to hide the truth about counterfeits."

Sasuke, dressed in white, extended his right hand, lightning flashed, and the Chidori spear slowly retracted into his palm.

"How impatient."

With a soft laugh, the 'Abe no Seimei' who had been hiding his true form finally revealed himself.

"Monk robe?"

Someone frowned.

On the wooden planks of the temple's prayer hall, Abe no Seimei sat cross-legged, wearing a five-striped kasaya of kuzu-leaf color that covered her lower body.

The five-striped robe is a ceremonial garment made by sewing together five strips of cloth, and it was the attire of monks during the Heian period.

After bathing in the blood of a hundred demons during the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Kyoto, her long hair turned black, with one side as black as ink and the other as white as snow, oriented along the axis of yin and yang.

"Ring ring—"

The dark purple bell hanging from the end of her hair was shrouded in black mist, with only a sliver of white light flashing, and it made a not-so-crisp sound when it was shaken.

The "Abe no Seimei" of this time and place, with her temperament, voice, and hair color, is like a contradictory combination, eerie and mysterious.

"Wait, senior, he said this Abe no Seimei is an imposter?"

Mineko Yuuki belatedly realized what was happening and suddenly turned around to say to Senmon Uchiha in disbelief.

Before Uchiha Senmon could answer, Abe no Seimei chuckled a few times, his purple eyes fixed on Uchiha Senmon as he said:

"Hehehe, dear master, I know where you're hiding."

The pentagram Kikyo seal on the back of Uchiha Senmon's right hand vanished in an instant, and an elegant white fox pounced into the air.

"Listen to me, everyone, this is the real Abe no Seimei," Uchiha Senmon announced.

Among those present, Mineko Yuki, Hideo Tosu, and Toru Yamashita were speechless with astonishment, the second time they had been so shocked that they were unable to speak.

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Kyoto, where the once-powerful Abe no Seimei is orchestrated, turns out to be an imposter, and the real Abe no Seimei is the white fox residing within the body of the Uchiha clan leader?!

What exactly is going on? If she is a fake, how could she use the Taishan Fujun ritual? Who is her true identity?

"You wicked disciple, return my body to me!"

The words "traitorous disciple," though spoken softly, resonated deeply with Yuuki Mineko and the others, causing them to involuntarily open their mouths.

If the white fox is telling the truth, then the being in her body is Ashiya Dōman!?

According to legend, Abe no Seimei had more than one disciple, but the only disobedient disciple she spoke of was Ashiya Dōman.

Ashiya Dōman, an enemy of Abe no Seimei, is also a household name in Japan.

Ashiya Dōman, who was born in Harima Province, was not an Onmyoji (yin-yang master), but a folk master of the first rank, a wandering sorcerer and monk. When he debuted, Abe no Seimei was already famous in Heian-kyō (Kyoto).

Ashiya Dōman was determined to go to Kyoto to challenge Abe no Seimei and see who was superior.

Two powerful sorcerers engaged in a magical duel before the Emperor, agreeing that the loser would have to acknowledge the winner as his master.

According to the "Fu Gui Neiden," Ashiya Dōman used magic to transform pebbles into swallows that soared through the air, but Abe no Seimei easily knocked them down with a wave of his fan. However, when Abe no Seimei summoned a dragon to control the wind and rain, Ashiya Dōman was helpless and defeated.

In the second divination contest, the Emperor ordered someone to bring out a box containing 15 tangerines and asked the two men to divine what was inside.

Ashiya Dōman divined that the 15 oranges were tangerines, but Abe no Seimei used magic to turn them into 15 mice. Ashiya Dōman was defeated time and time again and had no choice but to bow down and become Abe no Seimei's apprentice.

Of course, Ashiya Dōman was no pushover either, and later betrayed Abe no Seimei, causing his master's death.

The fate of Ashiya Dōman varies in different legends. Some say he was killed by Abe no Seimei for committing many evils, while others say he was exiled.

Regardless of the outcome, the fact that the first Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, suffered such a great loss is enough to demonstrate Ashiya Dōman's unfathomable magical power.

"Miss Jeanne, you don't seem surprised?"

After calming down a bit, Yuki Mineko looked at Jeanne, who had no change in expression, and asked sourly.

It's understandable that the senior and another Uchiha knew the secret, but how come the Holy Maiden of the Hawk also knew?

It's impossible for a senior not to tell me, but to tell an outsider instead.

"I met 'Abe no Seimei' in North Africa. Her verbal tic kept changing, and I had a feeling something was off," Jeanne said with a smile.

"How pitiful, Master Seimei, you are nothing but a wisp of a candle flickering in the wind."

Ashiya Michimitsu's lips curled upwards, his bright red mouth slicing through his porcelain-white face, his eyes filled with cruelty, as he burst into laughter:

"Your body, power, and soul have all been seized, devoured, and digested by me, which is why I possess my current perfect form. Hehehehehe!"

"I thought you had seen the error of your ways, but in the end you still completely fell into the demonic path."

The white fox Seimei, like an elf, floated and sank in mid-air, speaking with an expressionless calm:

"But you have merged most of my soul with yourself. Are you now Abe no Seimei or Ashiya Dōman? Can you really tell the difference?"

Everyone simultaneously showed a thoughtful expression.

Ashiya Dōman somehow seized Abe no Seimei's body, devouring her power and soul, leaving only a wisp of her soul to escape and warn the Uchiha clan leader.

Ashiya Dōman, who possessed Abe no Seimei's body, first appeared in Derna, North Africa, then in Kyoto's Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), and has continued to this day. Ashiya Dōman's appearance and personality have changed repeatedly, all due to the influence of Abe no Seimei's original soul.

The Ship of Theseus.

Possessing the bodies of others is inherently evil and heretical.

"Even if I could be reborn, and even gain immense power, the soul that merges into the original body would no longer resemble the original. Is it really all worth it?"

Uchiha Senmon's eyes flashed, and he remained silent in thought.

"Master Seimei, your power and soul are far too strong, but I have a clever plan. The corrupting dark ritual performed in Heian-kyo allowed me to successfully devour it."

Ashiya Dōman stroked the bell hanging from the end of his white hair, a charming and alluring smile on his face:

"Now that this body is intact, I, 'Ashiya Dōman,' have absolute control. However, compared to you, who only has a remnant soul left, I, who have merged with most of your soul, am more qualified to call myself Abe no Seimei!"

The group looked at each other, speechless.

Even though I know this devil is just making excuses, it sounds like there's some truth to it.

"Ashiya Dōman, why did you do all this?"

Uchiha Senmon's face was cold and stern, his crimson Sharingan fixed on Ashiya Doman, and he asked in a deep voice.

"Are you asking me why I used the Reincarnation technique to possess Seimei-sensei's body?"

Ashiya Doman observed the Uchiha Sage Sect with great interest, a malicious smirk playing on his lips:

"Uchiha Senmon, you must understand the thrill and sense of accomplishment you felt when you killed Jiraiya, right? Hehehehehe."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Senmon's expressionless face immediately darkened.

Although he did not regret sending the resurrected Jiraiya back to the underworld, the slayer was clearly not a pleasant or enjoyable experience.

"Just kidding. Only by taking everything from Master Seimei could I use the Mount Tai Festival..."

"Shut up, that's not what I'm asking you."

Even though he knew Ashiya Michi was full of malice and trying to provoke him, Uchiha Senmon could barely contain himself and said in a hoarse voice:

"I'm asking you why you'd go to such lengths to achieve your insane plan for immortality for all humanity?"

"Didn't I already say that in Heian-kyo?"

Ashiya Dōman tilted his head, feigning confusion, and touched his cherry-red lips with his slender finger, asking in return:

"Because I love humanity, I must redeem the world during the upcoming Crimson Moon. Even if it means sacrificing half of my life, I will do it."

"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think a monster in human skin like you knows anything about love?"

Uchiha Senmon, enraged, laughed and sneered.

Ashiya Michiman constantly proclaimed his love for the world and for humanity, but his sincerity was completely absent; beneath his dazzling exterior lay nothing but emptiness.

Even this deceptive exterior was usurped by Ashiya Dōman.

He's a complete clown!

"Waaaaah, the Uchiha clan really are heartless and cruel, how could they say such outrageous things..."

Ashiya Dōman buried his face in his hands, pretending to sob, but after a few seconds he looked up and said with a grin:

"But I forgive you, after all, I am a loving person."

Uchiha Senmon snorted coldly, a disdainful expression on his face.

"The greetings have been given, so let's get down to business."

Ashiya Dōman sat on the ground with his hands clasped together, and an extremely evil aura surged forth like a tsunami.

"The Obon Festival is the day when the underworld and the human world are closest to each other. If you miss it this time, you won't be able to wait until next year. After all, once the crimson moon descends, there is no future to speak of."

The strongest Uchiha Senmon and the white-clad Sasuke reacted immediately, ready for battle.

Hideo Tosu and Tetsu Yamashita, who had already suffered significant injuries, were even more overwhelmed, their faces turning pale and sweating profusely.

Ashiya Michimitsu's terrifying aura was ten times stronger than that of the Akatsuki Kage-level powerhouse guarding Rashomon!

They're not even in the same league.

"I have surpassed you, Master Seimei. Shouldn't a master be proud of his disciple? Finally, let me say a few words."

Ashiya Dōman chuckled, his eyes seemingly filled with hope as he looked at the white fox Seimei.

"..."

The white fox, Seimei, remained silent.

"It's a shame you're not saying anything."

Despite this, Ashiya Dōman clapped his hands without hesitation.

boom--!!!

In an instant, the earth shook violently, and the dark, deep space seemed to collapse as if the sky were falling.

These extraordinary individuals were like a small boat standing in a stormy sea, swaying left and right, barely able to stand firm.

"Something's moving beneath the magma!"

Mineko Yuki exclaimed in disbelief.

The enormous purple body meandered and undulated, and as it turned, the magma boiled and the rock corridors collapsed one after another.

Everyone was horrified.

"Awooo!"

"Awooo!"

One after another, purple dragons and snakes, hundreds of meters long, stretched their necks and rose from the ground like pillars supporting the sky. Some roared furiously at the dome, while others glared menacingly at the Uchiha Sage and his companions.

"The Yamata no Orochi?"

Uchiha Senmon's pupils contracted, and the three black tomoe spun rapidly like windmills.

The multi-headed dragon-snake, with only a portion of its body exposed, was as large as a mountain, reflexively reminding him of the Yamata no Orochi that was killed by Itachi Uchiha in Sapporo.

That Yamata no Orochi only had seven heads, and in terms of size and imposing presence, it was simply incomparable to the fully formed Yamata no Orochi before us.

"This is the trump card prepared to subdue the Lord of Mount Tai; its power is even comparable to that of the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

Ashiya Dōman spread his arms wide and cheered loudly:

"I am about to accomplish something no one has ever done before; I will become the savior of the world! This is my love for the world!"

(End of this chapter)