Conquer the world, young man!

Shota Matsumoto first shook his head, then nodded. "Famous singers usually don't go there; it's usually bands and groups that perform there. This time, the organizers specifically sent an invitation, hoping you could go, since your music style is different from those bands. But there are bound to be many singers there, from all over the country."

"Then I'll go." Totsuka readily agreed; this unofficial thing should be quite interesting.

"Okay, in that case, I'll make the arrangements for you then." Matsumoto Shota circled that line in his notebook, preparing to contact the organizers later.

Totsuka really didn't have any other hobbies, and this was his first time attending such a vibrant event, so he was quite excited. He was essentially a guest invited there, and he even went out of his way to look up what that small music festival was all about. Just like Mr. Matsumoto said, many established singers don't go to those kinds of small places; they're mostly gatherings of people who play and love music but haven't yet entered the mainstream. However, music producers and agencies also go there to scout out potential singers and offer them contracts.

Therefore, many people also attend music festivals for the opportunity to sing and gain exposure. Overall, it's a world of music.

Because Totsuka is now quite famous, LME even sent some staff to escort him, in case of any unnecessary accidents. Totsuka didn't seem to care much about this; after all, with his abilities, it was probably not these ordinary people escorting him, but him escorting them instead.

However, since it was the company's good intention, Totsuka didn't refuse outright. He simply sent away most of the people, keeping only three or four with him. When someone disagreed, Totsuka pulled Mr. Matsumoto over as a shield, saying, "Mr. Matsumoto, that music festival is full of musicians. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to bring so many people. Besides, since they invited me, the organizers must have made all the necessary preparations; there definitely won't be any problems."

Shota Matsumoto smiled, understanding the boy's meaning perfectly. He then sent many of the people sent by the agency back, and specifically guaranteed, "With me here, Randy will absolutely not be in any trouble."

After all these arrangements were made, Totsuka, along with his bodyguards and Mr. Matsumoto, got into the car and drove towards the venue for the event.

It had been a long time since I'd seen such a lively scene. Even before I got close, the area was already packed with people. Some carried guitars, some held keyboards, and many others were clearly there to listen to the music. At the very center of the open-air stage, a long banner stretched out, reading, "Tomorrow's Star, is it you, or is it you?"

With such promotional slogans, could it be that this music festival has some kind of award? Totsuka asked Mr. Matsumoto about his thoughts and quickly received a reply.

“Actually, it really is an award.” Matsumoto Shota smiled and said with a smile, “This time, the organizers have made your performance the grand finale, and they will also be scoring it at the music festival. The winner will receive a poster and an album signed by you.”

"Huh? How come I didn't know?" Totsuka didn't expect there to be such an arrangement, and he felt that with his abilities, he might be being too presumptuous in front of these musicians.

Shota Matsumoto immediately saw what the boy in front of him was thinking. He waved his hand and said, "Actually, in the past, many events have given your albums and posters as gifts to the program organizers. You don't need to worry about these at all. Besides, I have quite a few of your autographs."

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you with all this, Mr. Matsumoto." Totsuka only found out now, as there were many things behind the scenes that he hadn't paid attention to. "It seems their event has already started. Let's go in through the staff entrance at the back."

Totsuka nodded, and with the cover of several people around him, he quickly got out of the car and walked towards another secluded passage. After meeting and greeting the organizers, Totsuka and his companions found a spot backstage with a panoramic view and sat down.

"Only by immersing yourself in the crowd can you truly feel the vibrant atmosphere in this kind of setting." Totsuka rested her chin on her hand, watching the performance below, and suddenly felt that her way of participating in the event was somewhat limiting.

Shota Matsumoto understood the boy's thoughts perfectly. Having been a singer himself, his passion for music was second to none. If singing was merely a performance, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help the boy. After thinking for a moment, Shota asked the organizers for a hat, glasses, and a scarf, completely obscuring the boy's identity.

“Come on, I’ll go down with you!” Matsumoto Shota said with a smug smile, winking at the boy. “But we can’t let anyone find out.”

"Okay!" Totsuka immediately followed behind Mr. Matsumoto and set up an illusion so that those who wanted to follow them would lose their way.

Standing beneath the stage, you truly feel the vibrant energy of the music. Bands from different places performed songs—some famous, some original. The audience, following the lead of those on stage, waved their arms and shouted enthusiastically. There was heavy metal and rock—music completely different from his own, but it was still very enjoyable to listen to.

When a band came on stage, Totsuka was stunned. She had known people since she first came into this world, and even though they hadn't been in contact for a long time, Totsuka still remembered them.

“Takikawa Hosei…” Totsuka looked at the person playing bass on stage and suddenly recalled what had happened before. As a monk training at Mount Koya for the SPR Shibuya Special Abilities Investigation Center, Takikawa Hosei had indeed mentioned having a band, but he never expected to see him in this setting. He wondered if the other members of the SPR Investigation Center would also be here?

Totsuka began to look around, but because there were so many people around, she wasn't sure if anyone else was there.

"Did you see someone you know?" Shota Matsumoto asked in a low voice when he saw the boy's reaction.

Totsuka chuckled as she looked at the stage. "It's someone I know who I haven't seen in a long time. I'm a little surprised." She didn't think about anything else and decided to just enjoy the music.

After they had seen enough, Mr. Matsumoto led him backstage. The people sent by the agency couldn't do anything about their unauthorized actions, and seeing that they were alright, they didn't pay much attention. Totsuka picked up his guitar and, after being introduced by the organizers, stepped onto the stage.

Standing on this stage, looking at the crowd below, my heart was filled with excitement. Toku gave a brief congratulatory speech, wishing the music festival continued success, and then played and sang a song for the restless audience and singers.

The lively and noisy music event seemed to have been paused, coming to a standstill. The boy's clear voice entered the audience, washing away their previous fatigue and bringing smiles to their faces.

"What a powerful influence!" Matsumoto Shota stood below the stage, nodding with great satisfaction. In a way, this young man had already fulfilled his original dream.

The album and posters for singer Randy were ultimately given to the band that Takikawa Hosei belonged to. After the event, Totsuka did not leave with Mr. Matsumoto and the others, but instead stayed directly with Takikawa.

“Although I’ve always known that Randy is you, it’s been too long since you’ve contacted us.” Takikawa Hosei hooked his arm around the boy’s shoulder, handed his bass to the band, and after greeting the band, led him to the other side. “I really went to great lengths to get Naru and the others to come and watch this, so you have to say hello properly too.”

“Definitely.” Totsuka followed behind him with a smile until they reached a secluded spot, where they finally saw several familiar faces from SPR. “Naru, Mr. Hayashi, Ayako-san, and Mai-san, you’re all here.”

Mai Taniyama spoke first: "I listened to your song just now, Totsuka-kun, it was really great! By the way, could you give me your autograph?"

Shibuya Kazuya glanced at Taniyama Mai and snorted, "This is not the time to ask for autographs."

"The situation looks rather complicated, we need to get there quickly." Matsuzaki Ayako nodded, her gaze sweeping over Totsuka. "Kid, your spiritual power is much stronger than before. Have any vengeful spirits been looking for you?"

"No, not at all." Totsuka shook his head and chuckled, "Ever since Mr. Lin taught me Yin-Yang techniques, I still have the ability to protect myself."

Lin Xingxu followed behind Shibuya Kazuya and glanced at the boy. "Your abilities are already more than this." If anyone among these people knew the boy's abilities best, it would be Lin Xingxu, who had taught the boy for a period of time.

"In that case, why don't you come with us?" Shibuya Kazuya quickly made the decision. He felt uneasy thinking about the request he had just received, and he had a vague feeling that having this boy with him might make things much better. Shibuya Kazuya was always confident in his judgment, so he naturally made this arrangement.

"Huh?" Takikawa Hoseo was still a little confused. "Weren't you guys here to listen to music? Why are you working again?"

Matsuzaki Ayako scoffed softly from the side and glared at Takikawa, "Do you think we're that free? Monk, after you finish singing, you can come with us to exorcise spirits."

“This time, it might not be a spirit.” Shibuya Kazuya’s handsome face also showed a hint of unease, and he frowned slightly. “We’ll only know when we see it.”

“If something can make you so worried, Naru, it must be something extraordinary.” Takikawa Hosei scratched his head and laughed easily. “With so many of us this time, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Mai Taniyama clenched her hands, looking somewhat conflicted, and said, "But this time I have no premonition at all, which is too strange."

It's quite worrying that even Mai Taniyama, who has precognitive and sensory abilities, couldn't sense something like this.

"Can we just bring this kid over here?" Ayako Matsuzaki looked at the boy who hadn't objected and was following behind them, and said with a smirk, "If there's any danger, try to stay close to me, kid."

"Thank you, Ayako-san. I'll be careful." Totsuka smiled. He knew that Naru wouldn't have let him join without a reason, and he had a lot of trust in the abilities of these people.

Soon, the group stopped in front of a house. Before even stepping inside, Toku frowned slightly, sensing that something was amiss.

"How do you feel?" Shibuya Kazuya turned around and looked at the boy.

Totsuka wasn't quite sure what this feeling was like, and could only vaguely describe it as, "I'm afraid it's a great demon." Totsuka had also encountered the great demon Qiongqi a thousand years ago, but the demon in this house was clearly different from it.

"So it's a monster." Shibuya Kazuya pondered for a moment, then looked at the others. "It seems we'll have to proceed with caution this time."

Totsuka soon learned of the request Shibuya Kazuya had received: the women living in this house had all died mysteriously without anyone knowing. Not only that, but their flesh seemed to have been cut away, disappearing without a trace. Shibuya Kazuya had received a request for help from the male owner of this house; his wife and daughter had died in the same way, and he had quickly moved out. However, he felt something was amiss and sought help from the SPR Investigation Bureau on the recommendation of an expert.

This time, it wasn't just any ordinary noisy ghost; it was a bound spirit, and the victim was completely dead, which made everyone's hearts sink.

"Let's go in." Shibuya Kazuya glanced at everyone and instructed Taniyama Mai and Matsuzaki Ayako, "Whatever kind of monster it is, it seems to be more interested in women, so you'd better not get separated from the group."

Matsuzaki Ayako gently raised her chin and smiled, "Mai-chan is safe with me protecting her."

After thinking for a moment, Totsuka followed behind the two. Naru's analysis was correct; only the men in the family were safe, which showed that the monster was more interested in the women.

Pushing open the door, the unsettling atmosphere intensified. Totsuka began to survey the room. To an ordinary person, nothing seemed amiss; it was impeccably clean and tidy, even spotless. But the more normal the room appeared, the more powerful the monster lurking within must be.

Shibuya Kazuya started fiddling with the equipment he had brought, and even though he sensed something was amiss, he didn't skip any of the necessary tasks. However, it was clear that the equipment hadn't detected anything wrong in the room.

Soon, Totsuka also noticed something amiss. From the moment they stepped into the room, they had fallen into the monster's trap. The monster had probably already detected their arrival. However, even if they tried to hide, they couldn't completely conceal their tracks within this room.

"Hehe, I didn't expect it to be such an important person." Suddenly, a rustling sound came from inside the house. All the doors and windows were tightly closed, and the ground shook as if it were a deliberate commotion.

"Haha, arrest them! We only wanted those two women, but it seems we have better options!" It wasn't just one monster; another rough, hoarse voice rang out, making everyone tense up.

Totsuka knew it was because his aura had leaked out; to yokai, their aura would be extremely sensitive. Totsuka had already taken the talisman in his hand and was flying it towards the walls around the room.

"Wow, quite the temper, huh?" A demon-like monster stepped out and glared at Totsuka. "You think you can deal with us with such petty tricks?"

Another monster with two horns on its head said angrily, "If I hadn't dodged quickly, I would have been frozen in place too."

The spiritual power of yokai is much stronger than that of ordinary spirits. Matsuzaki Ayako and her friends, who usually don't see any weak spirits, could clearly see the appearance of these two yokai at this moment.

"Judging from their appearance, they might be the yokai that were once recorded in the literature." Shibuya Kazuya calmly watched the yokai approach. The fact that they could appear so openly in front of people showed that they were very confident in their abilities.

Lin Xingxu had already positioned himself in front of Shibuya Kazuya, immediately forming hand seals and performing the Bagua steps while chanting incantations. His actions clearly startled the two demons, who then tried to rush over and eliminate this troublesome individual.

Totsuka drew a pentagram with his hand, infusing it with spiritual power, and shouted, "Break!" The Kikyo Seal created by Seimei directly attacked the demons, injuring them. Then Lin Xingxu's talisman also struck the two demons, but just when it seemed like the problem was about to be solved, a gust of wind neutralized all the attacks.

"They've finally arrived," Totsuka said softly. "The great youkai who's been hiding on the sidelines, observing us from the very beginning, has finally stopped hiding?"

"Ibaraki-dōji, Hoshiguma-dōji, you were really careless." A very handsome young man appeared, and he smiled at Totsuka, his red lips making his whole face look somewhat bewitching.

Shibuya was also taken aback. If they could handle the first two demons, this one was something none of them could handle. With Ibaraki-dōji and Hoshiguma-dōji as his subordinates, and possessing such a striking appearance, it was likely the legendary Shuten-dōji, the master of Mount Ōe, who had even led the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, considered the King of Demons. For such a powerful demon to appear in this era was truly unbelievable!

"My lord, I didn't expect there to be someone inside who knows Yin-Yang magic. It was an accident," Ibaraki-dōji quickly explained. "Also, this deity actually knows the Kikyo Seal passed down by Abe no Seimei!"

"You dare to attack the gods, you certainly have some courage." Shuten-dōji laughed, no longer blaming his subordinates. "But since we've come to see them, we can't let them go."

As soon as Shuten-dōji finished speaking, he used his hand as a claw and swiftly grabbed towards Totsuka.

If the original members of SPR didn't understand, they all knew that their target was Totsuka Tatara when Shuten-dōji made his move, and they even called him a god!

"Even demons can joke now." Takikawa Hosei put two fingers together and began chanting the Fudo Myoo Mantra, but before he could finish the mantra, he was slapped against the wall by Shuten-dōji's demonic magic.

"You'd better keep quiet for now." Shuten-dōji looked at the people in front of him, clasped his hands together as if compressing the air, and in an instant, he trapped them all in a barrier. "I'll eat you all after I've dealt with him."

Realizing something was amiss, Totsuka quickly summoned his only shikigami using a summoning spell. Ame-onna, also appearing out of thin air in the room, cried out upon seeing the yokai before her, "Master?"

"A-tide!" Shi Shu's lips twitched. At this moment, would they stage a scene where a hundred ghosts follow the Lord of Mount Oe? He had asked her to come and help out.

The Rain Woman immediately came to her senses, gathering a water curtain in her hands. She also changed her previous address to the former Lord of a Hundred Demons, saying, "Shuten-dōji, you actually dared to set your sights on my master! A-tide, I will not let you succeed!"

"When did my subordinates fall so low as to become shikigami?" Shuten-dōji licked his lips, his eyes filled with coldness. "As expected, only a thousand years have passed, and you've already completely forgotten me, the lord of a hundred demons!"

Ibaraki-dōji and Hoshiguma-dōji also approached at this moment, baring their teeth at the Rain Woman and saying, "If you know what's good for you, get out of the way, or do you want to be killed by us too?"

"You want to kill me?" Ah tide retorted with considerable force, "That depends on whether you have the ability!"

Shishu took out all his talismans and concentrated his spiritual power to chant the incantation, "I respectfully invite all gods and immortals to descend! Bind ghosts and subdue evil, eliminate all demons, so be it!"

Totsuka and Ashi attacked the monsters simultaneously, talismans scattering in the air and enveloping the three monsters. Shuten-dōji swiftly and nimbly dodged, and just as the talismans were about to stick, he drew a demon sword out of thin air and slashed the talismans apart.

In contrast, Ibaraki-doji and Hoshiguma-doji were not so lucky. When they were attacked by the talisman, the Rain Woman's water spikes also pierced them, causing them to scream and their bodies to disintegrate.

Having lost two of his most trusted generals, Shuten-dōji's rage intensified. His initial desire to possess the deity had now transformed into a desire to devour her whole. He grabbed the Rain Woman in his hand and, using his palm as a strike, swung it down at her.

Totsuka knew that the talisman was useless against him. With his Yin-Yang skills, it was completely ineffective against such a powerful demon. What should he do? He once again drew the pentagram seal, which could only hold him off for a few seconds. But in just a few seconds, Ashi was able to escape from Shuten-dōji's grasp.

Even though she escaped, Ah tide collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted, unable to use her abilities anymore.

When only he and Shuten-dōji remained to confront each other, Totsuka took out a gun and a gem from his bag, but these were completely ineffective against the monsters.

[Host, have you forgotten that advanced summoning talisman? If you don't use it now, when will you?]

The system, which hadn't appeared much since completing the mission, suddenly started ringing in Totsuka's mind. Totsuka barely remembered any summoning talismans until the system reminded him, at which point he realized what was going on.

He took the advanced summoning talisman rewarded by the system from his inventory and infused it with his spiritual power. At this moment, as long as someone could hold off Shuten-dōji for a while, he could find a way to seal Shuten-dōji away.

The advanced summoning talisman turned into wisps of blue smoke in his hand. In order to summon his shikigami, he didn't have time to dodge when Shuten-dōji attacked. Just as Shuten-dōji was about to hit him, a huge scythe knocked Shuten-dōji aside.

"Azure Dragon?" Totsuka stared at the figure before him, his mouth agape in surprise. "How is it you?"

"Who are you thinking of?" The deity with long, light blue hair glanced coldly at the great demon who had just dodged to the side, and snorted coldly at the boy behind him, "You're really stupid to only think of summoning me now!"

Totsuka chuckled dryly. Could he say he never expected it to be the Azure Dragon? And this guy, as always, had such a bad temper.

"The Azure Dragon, one of the Twelve Divine Generals..." Shuten-dōji narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the two of them, "I never expected something like this to happen."

When Shuten-dōji uttered the names of the Twelve Divine Generals, even Shibuya Kazuya and the others, trapped within the barrier, were utterly astonished. The shikigami (spirits) possessed by the historically renowned Onmyoji Abe no Seimei were actually appearing in this place…

The divine general Qinglong also turned his gaze to the enemy in front of him, "The master of Mount Ooe, I didn't expect him to appear again."