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That night.
Kaito, having busied himself for an entire day, was fast asleep on the large bed in one of the rooms of the Moon Castle.
"Kaito." A familiar voice called his name.
"Kaito."
"Who is it?" Kaito groggily opened his eyes.
"Kaito, it is I, the Great King."
The Great King Enma, dressed in a full set of majestic black crown and formal robes, was floating before his bed, waving a greeting.
"Great King?"
Kaito immediately became fully awake, sat up, and looked at Him with displeasure.
"What is it? Disturbing someone's sweet dreams in the middle of the night!"
"Accompany me to the Underworld (Yomi). There is a matter I wish to discuss with you."
Behind the Great King Enma, an irregularly shaped black spatial gate opened.
"The Underworld?" Kaito got out of bed, casually threw on his outer robe, stood barefoot on the floor, and rubbed his eyes.
"If we're going to the Underworld, I must separate my soul from my body to go, right?"
He walked up to the Great King Enma and stared at him, complaining, "What, are you trying to trick my soul out? Have you finally been unable to resist the urge to possess my body?"
"One could say that," the Great King Enma looked at him with a faint, ambiguous smile. "So, are you coming or not, Kaito?"
"What exactly is this about?" Kaito felt a chill and tucked his hands into his sleeves.
The Great King Enma smiled and replied, "Today, an important guest arrived in the Underworld. He wishes to meet you."
A guest?
"Who?" Kaito raised his eyebrows with interest.
The Great King Enma turned and walked into the spatial gate, then looked back at him. "The First Assistant from the Hell of the Underworld of another world. His name is Hakuten."
"Another world?" Kaito's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"
The Great King Enma chuckled lightly. "Heh, nothing is impossible. The waters of that Sanzu River have countless branches, connecting to the Hells of countless worlds."
"Then, for what reason does this Hakuten, deity/demon/god from another world, wish to see me specifically?"
Kaito took a step forward and asked again.
"Heh." The Great King Enma's figure gradually faded into the darkness within the spatial gate. "If you're curious, then follow me. In any case, with your spiritual power protecting you, you need not fear your soul being tainted by the aura of the Underworld."
"Tch!" Kaito clicked his tongue in annoyance, turned back, and lay down on the bed again.
"Wait for me!"
His soul separated from his body. With a single step, his attire changed into the formal robes of an onmyōji. He then quickly strode into the spatial gate.
The black spatial gate silently shrank and disappeared. The room was left with only Kaito's unconscious body lying on the bed, seemingly in a deep sleep.
...
The Court of Enma.
The Great King Enma sat solemnly upon the high dais. Izuna and Madara stood on either side of his seat. Two neat rows of uniformed jailers stood below in the great hall.
At this moment, everyone's gaze was fixed upon the tall figure of the deity/demon standing below the dais.
Short black hair, with a single horn on his head.
Pointed ears, short eyebrows, upturned eyes with a cold, sharp gaze.
Dressed in a black kimono, holding a massive spiked club.
His aura was stern and fearsome, perfectly matching common fantasies about such deities/demons.
"Hakuten-dono, please wait a moment. Kaito will arrive shortly," said the Great King Enma, his voice quite amiable despite the fierce and terrifying red oni mask covering his face.
"Please don't trouble yourself, Great King Enma of another world," Hakuten said politely, bending slightly at the waist. "After all, I am the one seeking assistance here. If he is truly a capable individual, I wouldn't mind waiting however long is necessary. Furthermore, I must thank you for helping to arrange this introduction."
"Think nothing of it."
The Great King Enma's voice carried a hint of laughter as he glanced at Izuna.
"We on our side also wish to send an assistant official to your world to learn advanced working methods and experience."
"That is acceptable," Hakuten said, nodding towards Izuna. "I welcome the exchange."
"Ah, he's here."
The Great King Enma's voice rang out. Kaito, now wearing a black eboshi cap and white formal robes(kariginu, traditional Heian-period attire for courtiers and onmyōji), stepped gracefully out from a suddenly appearing spatial gate and came to stand beside Hakuten.
"I am Uchiha Kaito. I greet the Great King."
He first performed an elegant bow towards the Great King Enma seated above, noting the mask on His face.
"No need for such formality."
The Great King Enma gestured with his hand.
"Kaito, this is Hakuten-dono from the Underworld of another world."
Kaito smoothly turned around, his eyes openly appraising Hakuten for a moment before nodding in greeting.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Kaito."
"Hakuten."
Hakuten also nodded, giving Kaito a similar once-over.
"You are the last remaining onmyōji in this world, Kaito?"
"Indeed, that is me," Kaito replied with a smile.
"Good. Your spiritual power is reasonably strong."
Hakuten nodded at Kaito, seemingly satisfied.
Kaito asked politely, "According to the Great King Enma, you wished to see me, Hakuten-dono. May I ask for what purpose?"
Hakuten got straight to the point: "Then I will speak plainly. Would you be interested, Kaito-dono, in traveling to another world to exorcise ghosts?"
"Eh?" Kaito was caught off guard and stared blankly for a moment.
...
So... how did I end up agreeing?
Kaito sat on a rooftop, his right hand propping up his chin, bathing in the moonlight of another world. His mind replayed the conversation in the Court of Enma.
...
"Ghost?" Kaito asked, puzzled. "If it's ghosts, couldn't the Underworld send soul-reaping envoys to capture their souls and resolve the issue?"
Hakuten shook his head. "No, these are not that kind of ghosts. I speak of man-eating demons."
"Are they like the Oni clan, such as Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji?" Kaito asked further.
"Not exactly. The demons in that world are not lost souls, nor are they youkai," Hakuten's face showed clear disgust. "If one must define them, they are a group of man-eating monsters transformed from humans through some pathological change! They prey on humans, are immortal, and only fear sunlight."
"Can't your Hell deal with them directly?" Kaito was still somewhat confused.
"Although that small world has recently come under the jurisdiction of the Hell I serve, Hell cannot directly interfere in the affairs of the living world. This is an ironclad rule!" Hakuten said this with a powerful, imposing aura.
"No matter how heinous the crimes, Hell only passes judgment upon them after death."
Kaito countered, "But according to what you said, these demons are evading natural death."
"Ah, that is a loophole in Hell's system." Hakuten's face darkened with displeasure.
"Modifying the rules could take who knows how many years. For now, I can only seek external assistance."
"So, Onmyōji! Are you willing to go to another world and help us purge these demons?" Hakuten raised his massive kanabō and thumped it on the floor.
"You must understand, before that world was incorporated into the unified jurisdiction of my Hell, the progenitor of these demons had existed for a thousand years, committing countless horrific, tragic atrocities..."
...
This world...
Kaito extended his left hand, a faint spiritual light glowing in his palm.
It's truly a world where mystery is receding. The natural energy in the air has become highly inert, making it extremely difficult to mobilize.
Kaito, of course, hadn't rushed over selflessly to help simply because the people of another world were suffering immensely.
In the end, it was the Great King Enma who persuaded him.
...
"Go, Kaito!"
Just as Kaito was about to refuse, the Great King Enma's voice transmitted secretly into his mind.
"Ha? I have a meeting scheduled with the Five Kage on the moon in ten days!" Kaito looked at the Great King Enma, transmitting his thoughts back. "I haven't even finished saving my own world yet, how do I have time to manage someone else's!"
"Go. In that world where mystery is fading, you will have to rely solely on your own power. It will be a highly valuable trial."
The Great King Enma urged again.
"Believe me, if you can help them sever the tragic fate that has persisted for a millennium, there is a high probability you will receive a boon from that world. It will be of immense benefit to the growth of your soul's power."
"And?" Kaito felt tempted but maintained an appearance of indifference on the surface.
The Great King Enma transmitted, "Do not worry about matters in this world. I will handle your tasks for you."
"Ha! You do want to replace me! You even want to shunt me off to another world!!" Kaito transmitted back, feigning extreme "anger".
"I asked Hakuten-dono earlier. The flow of time differs between worlds. Even if you spend ten years in that world, only one year will pass here."
The Great King Enma continued persuading him.
"A world's boon is an exceedingly rare treasure. This is your opportunity. Do not forget our ultimate goal, Kaito."
"Fine, I'll go!"
Kaito finally relented.
...
"So, where is this?"
Kaito sat on the rooftop and looked down. In the distance, a pentagram pattern on a torii gate emitted a faint spiritual light.
"A shrine?"
Kaito jumped down from the roof and looked around.
Under the dim combined light of the moon and nearby lanterns, he could make out his surroundings.
"The Seimei Shrine in another world? You're everywhere, aren't you, Lord Seimei!"
He sighed helplessly and walked towards the shrine's entrance.
...
"Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility!!"
A girl in a butterfly-patterned haori moved like a butterfly with tattered wings, her blade striking with precision in nine rapid thrusts, pink blade flashes blooming like peonies in the night sky.
"Such coldness, young lady. Why not chat with me a bit?"
An icy aura surged forth, accompanied by a frivolous voice. "Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses!"
A chilling wind rose, and countless shard-like ice flowers, sharp as blades, swept toward her.
The girl remained silent, clutching her chest and stumbling back a few steps. In an instant, the ice flowers were nearly upon her.
"Word Spirit Guard!"
A clear voice rang out from above and behind her. At the critical moment, several paper talismans circled around her, forming a transparent blue barrier that blocked all the ice flowers.
"Oh my, that was close." The clear voice sounded again.
"So that's the demon?" Kanae Kocho turned to look toward the voice.
Under the hazy moonlight, a figure stood atop the torii gate at the shrine's entrance.
Kanae couldn't make out his face, only discerning that he wore an ancient-style white hunting robe, its wide sleeves fluttering in the wind.
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T/N: Didn't see that coming... Off to hunting demons we go!