Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

Unfortunately, his age still hampered his growth; after mastering the twelve shikigami, he could no longer advance. But hope remained. Talented individuals continued to emerge within the family, and one day, the Tsuchimikado family would once again rise to greatness!

Therefore, he was willing to set aside the dispute between the direct and collateral branches and allocate resources to his nephew, a genius in Yin-Yang arts.

Therefore, he was willing to give up his research on Yin-Yang techniques and engage in intrigue with those old foxes in the Spells Association, even if his progress fell behind time and time again.

Therefore, he endured the temptation of immortality and the rebellion of his own nephew, and was tormented by both internal and external forces, all while trying to maintain his monopoly on the possibility of extraordinary abilities.

Tsuchimikado Taigen lay in a corner, feeling the complete annihilation of the twelve shikigami. His mind was blank, and he kept reviewing his life, feeling it was all laughable.

Because under that young girl who was not even twenty years old, he only felt despair.

Even though he didn't possess the extraordinary talent of his nephew, he, being of average ability, could naturally see that his defeat was entirely due to a lack of knowledge, and that he had been completely targeted by a more powerful and superior technique that seemed to be of the same lineage.

Even one's own nephew would be utterly defeated by such suppression.

Fujimaru Ritsuka felt a little sorry for the dejected look on the Tsuchimikado family's uncle's face, though it was only a little.

He never expected to win so easily.

In retrospect, the Abe no Seimei from the Type-Moon world was at least superior in his application of magic and spells—after all, the people of this world could only write down some mystical and philosophical things, and although they were surprisingly able to use them, their level was still flawed.

He had a more accurate guess about the truth behind the books left behind in this world that once had no magic, which allowed people to use magic, but now was not a good time to confirm it.

Isn't this the best time to win people's hearts?

Fujimaru Ritsuka pulled Kasumigaoka Utaha to Tsuchimikado Yasumoto, who could only manage a weak, tearful smile: "I never imagined there were such powerful Onmyojutsu. I'm truly ashamed of my inferiority... But do you think brute force alone can..."

"Want to learn?"

"?"

"If you want to learn, I'll teach you."

"I was the one who taught her..." Kasumigaoka Utaha muttered under her breath, but well, since she was being held by the hand, she reluctantly let Fujimaru Ritsuka steal the spotlight.

Well, look at those three strange gazes behind you, those who know, know.

Of course, she paid no attention to the even more surprised looks.

Whether it was Shinto, Buddhism, or even the Kamo family, which combined some practitioners from the common people under the guise of a shrine, all were impressed by Kasumigaoka Utaha's methods. They had also dealt with the Tsuchimikado family before, and frankly speaking, their lineages were only roughly equal, perhaps slightly better.

At this moment, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. But the next moment, they all began to doubt their ears—such a meticulously crafted inheritance, perfectly aligned with the current level of magic, seemed to be something the other party was preparing to share?

Don't tease me!

Looking at the calm expression on the boy's face, Tsuchimikado Taigen felt inexplicably humiliated and roared, but then stopped abruptly.

He saw twelve points of light appear in Kasumigaoka Utaha's hand and slowly float into Tsuchimikado Yasumoto's own body.

came back.

The twelve shikigami, who were thought to have been completely annihilated in the aftermath of the battle, not only survived, but seemed to be in better condition.

The power he had accumulated was almost completely wiped out, but his essence was qualitatively improved. His spiritual light was purer, and his spirituality far surpassed that of the twelve shikigami he had previously possessed.

"Although your knowledge is limited and your technique is rough, at least you didn't use any underhanded methods during the ritual. Actually, there's still room for improvement." Kasumigaoka Utaha's wine-red pupils swept over him, her tone sarcastic yet approving.

"How is this possible!" Tsuchimikado Taigen closed his eyes and sensed his twelve shikigami that he had regained, his face blank.

"Uncle, this is our limitation."

Before the person even arrived, a clear voice, tinged with a hint of loneliness, drifted over.

Ta-da.

Unlike his uncle, who dressed casually, Tsuchimikado Yasumasa was dressed like an ancient Onmyoji, wearing a white hunting robe, a black hat, a bat fan, and a Liuren compass, as he slowly entered the main hall.

Even in daylight, it seemed as if one could see the moonlight of a thousand years ago, and a noble young man in white robes came riding on the wind, a fleeting glimpse of the elegance of the Heian period.

"I am not very honored to have heard of the arrival of our distinguished guests from Chaldea. I have taken the liberty of coming to see you. Please forgive me."

He unfolded his bat-shaped fan and sighed to everyone present: "As expected of the direct disciple of Lord Seimei from another world, you are truly unmatched in terms of spellcasting and shikigami control. No, I should say that the legacy you possess is even stronger than most of ours."

As he said, the Onmyoji in this world are, after all, just figments of imagination, and naturally cannot be compared with the real thing.

Fujimaru Ritsuka raised an eyebrow and smiled in denial: "That's not necessarily true, Mr. Tsuchimikado Yasumasa. I think different lineages lead to completely different directions. Among the Onmyoji skills you possess, your expertise in astrology and calendar systems is truly remarkable."

"For example—like Mr. Tsuchimikado Yasumasa, who simply used astronomical and calendrical calculations to determine the exact time and was able to create a strange influence through the arrangement of feng shui in the room." Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at Tsuchimikado Yasumasa and said something that caught everyone off guard.

Tsuchimikado Yasuma, who had been leisurely waving his bat fan, paused for a moment, while the others' hearts jumped into their throats.

"When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceived that the five aggregates are empty, and thus transcended all suffering and distress..." The two bigwigs of the Buddhist sect took out their prayer beads and silently recited the Heart Sutra before looking at Tsuchimikado Taishin with a sudden realization: "So that's how it is. Young benefactor Tsuchimikado, what remarkable attainments you have."

Hidden beneath his words was a deep sense of apprehension.

The other board members also used various methods to dispel the psychological influence before their faces darkened.

No matter what, the leaders of a faction shouldn't be so easily swayed by others' emotions, especially since they're in the Spellcasting Association. How could they tolerate their faction's prestige being completely suppressed by outsiders? No matter how much infighting there is within the organization, it shouldn't have come to the point where they're being ridiculed by outsiders.

Only Senjougahara Hitagi showed an appreciative smile: "Ah, as expected of a ruthless person among contemporary Onmyoji. Back then, those nobles of the Heian period were just like that, strictly following the arrangements of the Onmyoji, even obeying them on which posture to adopt the Edo Forty-Eight Hands that day."

"Where did the Forty-Eight Techniques of Edo come from during the Heian period?!"

"You know a lot, Fujimaru-kun!"

Tsuchimikado Taishin calmly withdrew the Liuren compass from his palm and gave a wry smile.

It's as if the filter for the noble young master, which was like having special effects added, has disappeared. He is still Tsuchimikado Yasuma, but he has lost the noble air of a white fox prince under the moon.

He tapped his palm with his bat-shaped fan, puzzled, filled with melancholy: "Ah... indeed, showing off these lowly tricks in front of a real fox is like trying to teach an axe to swim. But, Fujimaru-kun, I came here to help you, so what's the point of telling you this?"

He genuinely doesn't understand.

If Senjougahara Hitagi had exposed his manipulative tactics, that would have been one thing, although he was 80% certain that this vixen would watch his performance because "it's quite interesting how things are going."

Now, it's the person he's helping who's exposed his trick first, and Senjougahara Hitagi only followed along because it was interesting—which makes it impossible for him to grasp the other person's true intentions.

Tsuchimikado Yasumoto sat cross-legged, beginning to understand his nephew's thoughts to some extent. As expected of a genius in the Tsuchimikado family, to determine through divination that doing so would advance his plan after only obtaining partial information?

But after getting rid of his nephew's influence, he understood Fujimaru Ritsuka's thoughts much faster than the blind man in the situation. For the first time in his life, he surpassed his clever nephew. He looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka with a smug expression.

The latter certainly did not disappoint him.

"What I need is not a decision made in a moment of confusion. Although it is true that because of you, I unintentionally incurred the favors of these senior figures."

Fujimaru Ritsuka gestured to Abigail, who took a box out of the crack and placed it in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka.

"Have you ever considered what is meant by 'general trend'?"

"Of course. Some of you here may have your own selfish motives, but generally speaking, it all boils down to the inheritance of your school or your family lineage. Your obsession with passing on your legacy is even stronger than your desire for immortality." Tsuchimikado Yasuma spoke eloquently. "Becoming a Dead Apostle is great, isn't it? It's wonderful. You can gain a powerful body, a long lifespan, and you won't lose your mind. All you have to do is become a monster. However, this means denying the ideals of your own school, and it means sending the future of your family to its grave. But—that's not enough."

His assertive words resonated throughout the hall, infuriating the council members while simultaneously making them feel somewhat guilty.

Indeed, being discovered as a Dead Apostle means social death, the defeat of one's skills and knowledge by monsters, and the annihilation of family or master-disciple relationships—which is acceptable for those with lofty goals such as saving the world. It is also acceptable for selfish individuals who desperately seek to prolong their lives.

But for those caught in the middle, neither here nor there, lacking both a grand ideal worth sacrificing everything for and not so despicable as to struggle desperately just to survive, the Death Apostles were merely a second-best option.

Therefore, they do not want to become Dead Apostles, and they also reject their subordinates or relatives becoming Dead Apostles, but this does not mean that they have a reason to actively fight against Dead Apostles, nor is it enough for them to expend their current interests to prevent the threat of Dead Apostles.

At worst, we can make some trades, get more good stuff from Chaldea to prepare for defense, and flex our muscles. The worst that can happen is that we become a Death Apostle's lackey. Either way, we can live freely.

Tsuchimikado Yasumasa could see through this selfish motive, so he hoped to use the secret feng shui techniques, along with the calendar and divination, to help Fujimaru Ritsuka seize the moral high ground today. If he was discovered and refused to cooperate, he could simply join forces with Fujimaru Ritsuka to use force to claim the right to deal with them one by one.

When Fujimaru Ritsuka revealed his methods, he was even taken aback, wondering if Fujimaru Ritsuka was deliberately trying to isolate the Tsuchimikado family, leaving them with no choice but to follow him down this dark path. But he quickly dismissed this somewhat sinister thought—even if Tsuchimikado Yasumasa's plan were followed, the Tsuchimikado family would certainly be the first suspects, so there was no need for such a fuss.

Similarly, Fujimaru Ritsuka understood the situation, but he simply shook his head with amusement, placed his hand on Abigail's box, and began to speak eloquently: "As we all know, the development of science in the world has distinct stages. Before the invention of the steam engine and the internal combustion engine, humans could at most use animal power and human power, and at most, they could only use water power to a limited extent. It was not until the Industrial Revolution that humans gained tireless mechanical power."

He glanced at all the people with blank expressions and couldn't help but laugh: "You all know, right? Steam and fire crushed the leisurely livestock, gunpowder and steel destroyed the knights, Gatling guns and barbed wire shattered the massed charges, that was the trend of the times."

What exactly are you trying to say?

"And now, Chaldea is like Watt, who improved the steam engine, and Dreiser, who invented the breech-loading gun."

Clang!

The box was opened with a click, like a morning star falling from the sky, and the ten vials of potion inside emitted a brilliant, summery light.

Everyone stopped breathing.

An inexplicable panic gripped my heart, squeezing it and urging it to beat frantically.

Even before hearing Fujimaru Ritsuka's explanation, as pioneers of human evolution and extraordinary individuals at the forefront of this world, their spiritual senses subconsciously told them—[I] am witnessing history, [I] am becoming history.

Fujimaru Ritsuka took out a bottle of potion, her voice becoming calm and even: "On the second level of the Albion, the Tomb of the Demon Lord in London, among the spoils of the world-ending ritual magic [Apocalypse] performed by the knight Galahad, we made a brand new discovery—by combining a part of it with a certain existing material, ordinary people can open a channel in their souls."

Everyone held their breath, vaguely sensing his meaning, but still finding it hard to believe.

"In other words, taking the drug can make it possible for people who do not have the compatibility with extraordinary materials to become extraordinary beings."

The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Fujimaru Ritsuka understood their feelings.

Just like them.

Before they arrived in Kyoto, the two exhausted magicians pointed in that direction, said a few vague words, and then shooed them out. They then grabbed a few suitcases and boarded the plane.

They even had a serious discussion on the plane, but only started checking their luggage stored in Abigail after getting into the car.

Then I found this box and the instruction manual on it.

That wasn't a surprise anymore, it was a shock.

Healing potions, mana potions, hypnotic potions, communication devices, and offensive and defensive equipment no longer matter.

As long as I can demonstrate enough overwhelming strength, there is nothing to fear, because the box in my hand, to some extent, represents the future.

This is a royal flush! And it's the kind with both the King and Queen.

Of course, the two great magicians disagreed. Their instructions argued that this thing was merely a byproduct of their research into Spirit Origins and True Ancestor Blood, not their ultimate goal.

I think I know what you've been racking your brains to come up with; it's truly ruthless.

But the potions I have are already a game-changer.

"May I ask... what is the success rate? What are the side effects?"

The head of the Kamo family looked like he was about to run out of breath, and asked the question with trembling hands.

Among the people present, if we were to strictly categorize them according to tradition, the Kamo family, the Tsuchimikado family, and the samurai family would be considered to be in the same boat.

Whether it's the Shingon sect, the Tendai sect, or Shinto shrines like Kasuga Taisha, Yasaka Shrine, Ise Grand Shrine, and Inari Taisha, these all have a wide following throughout the country. They can select one or two geniuses from countless people who possess powerful inspiration and exceptional material.

And the other three? They can only choose from what's left.

That's not all, because to some extent, it belongs to the family power, and it still needs to strengthen the direct lineage to maintain its leading position and not decline - even in those Shinto sects where family power is relatively strong, there may be several families taking turns to rise to power.

The Kamo and Tsuchimikado families are even worse off than the samurai families, since the latter are also forces composed of descendants of various daimyo and aristocratic clans. The number of younger members of the Kamo and Tsuchimikado families capable of becoming extraordinary individuals is so small that they dare not even speak of controlling their own power in the future.