"Well, actually, I really hate violence. Thinking back, my sister and I were just two adorable little imps living in the mountains. We cultivated diligently every day and never did anything evil or harmed anyone, all so we could ascend to the divine hall sooner. But then, a monk came and said, 'Humans and demons walk different paths!' And then! Then! He just beat my elder sister to death! Her head was cut off! And he cut off one of my arms! If I hadn't run fast enough, I probably would have… Waaahhhhhh~"
After Ibaraki Doji heard that Mo Shuying could defeat Shuten Doji, she realized she might not be Mo Shuying's match.
Ibaraki Doji understood her own strength very well; although she was powerful, she was still a bit weaker compared to Shuten Doji. And since Mo Shuying could even beat Shuten Doji, it would be hard for him not to defeat her!
So, when it's time to be cowardly, you be cowardly. This was a truth Ibaraki Doji had learned through years of living as a demon, getting by and figuring things out.
"What are you talking about! This story sounds familiar, somehow. If you hadn't said two demons, I would have thought you meant two snakes. What? Scared? Where's all that arrogance from before? Didn't you say I could pick any place I wanted? How about right here, then? It'll only take a few punches anyway!"
Mo Shuying stood up, his right fist hitting his left palm, Mana surging through him, and a cruel smile spreading across his lips.
"..."
Ibaraki Doji then sensed the terrifying power within Mo Shuying. Usually, Mo Shuying didn't reveal his power, and with the boost from his cultivation realm, others just saw him as a slightly stronger than average person.
After realizing Mo Shuying wasn't ordinary, Ibaraki Doji hesitated.
Just then, Shuten Doji spoke.
"Don't be scared, little Ibaraki. This guy just looks strong, but he's actually really weak!"
"Really?" Ibaraki Doji asked, her eyes lighting up.
"Of course! Someone like him, if he just punches me once, he'll be on his knees begging me not to die!" Shuten Doji said, giving a thumbs-up.
Upon hearing this, Ibaraki Doji immediately turned and bowed to Mo Shuying, shouting, "Big Brother, I'm sorry! I was too loud just now!!"
"..."
Facing such an "understanding" Ibaraki Doji, Mo Shuying frowned and said, "How can you just admit defeat like that? You can't just listen to Shuten Doji and assume you can't beat me. I'm actually very weak, you should try! I can't take a hit at all!"
Mo Shuying didn't want the rare opponent he found to just run away like this.
"No, no! I trust Big Sister! I was rude just now! I apologize."
But Ibaraki Doji insisted on admitting her mistake. In the end, Mo Shuying sat back down with a dark expression, clearly displeased.
Seeing Mo Shuying unhappy, the four Servants didn't know what else to say, and this first small meeting ended inconclusively.
Ibaraki Doji left to tell Gilbert about living with Shuten Doji. Tomoe Gozen, on the other hand, had already confirmed she was changing rooms, moving next door to Nezha, living alone.
Although Shuten Doji was unhappy, Mo Shuying didn't give her a chance to argue. Once it was decided, he left first.
Back in his room, Mo Shuying felt a sense of emptiness. He didn't actually want to beat up Ibaraki Doji; he mostly wanted to test the power of his current equipment.
At times like this, Mo Shuying suddenly missed his adventures in the Singularity. At least... there were villains to fight then, and it wasn't as boring as it was now.
Hiding in the room, Mo Shuying used a formation to check how "he" had been doing these past few days.
He found that everything was normal. "He" was still slacking at home, watching the latest news, specifically news about the anomalies in Nihon.
In the past few days, the changes in Nihon could no longer be kept a secret and had finally spread throughout the world.
This was to be expected; with over half the population lost, how could it be concealed? Nihon had truly suffered a heavy blow this time. If they relied on normal development, it would be difficult to return to their previous economic level.
Nihon's officials also understood the seriousness of the matter, but they were helpless. Moreover, even more strange occurrences were happening in various parts of Nihon now.
Demons!
Monsters and demons, once only existing in legends, had appeared across Nihon.
Many people witnessed them, and some people or livestock were attacked and killed by these Demons.
Danger was everywhere, and no one knew if they would become food for Demons the next second. So, the people of Nihon began to choose to leave, to flee Nihon!
Although the government's speed in stopping people from leaving the country was fast, the number of people who left Nihon through various means in just half a day was astonishing, making the already halved population of Nihon even worse.
The government had begun organizing the army, preparing to deal with these Demons, but the outcome was still unknown, and the government leaders had little confidence.
For this operation, just tonight, government leaders urgently convened a military meeting to discuss how to deal with the Demons.
Someone suggested, "I propose that we distribute weapons and gun permits to the people so they can protect themselves. After all, our army is limited in number, and doing so is justifiable."
Where there was a proposal, there was opposition.
"No, that won't do! Everything will fall into chaos. We might solve the demon problem, but our government could be in danger."
"I think we should start relocating the people, abandoning the outer areas, and concentrating the population together for easier management and protection. Anyway, our population has already plummeted, and many empty accommodations are just sitting vacant. We can just register them for occupancy!"
"That's possible, but some people will definitely refuse to evacuate."
"If they refuse, they refuse. We don't need to worry about them. We'll only protect those who follow instructions."
"No! Every Nihon citizen is precious right now, and we cannot easily abandon them!"
"Foolish people will only drag the country down. What time is it now? What we need is an iron-fisted approach. The losses this time have been too great. If we continue to be wishy-washy, all that awaits us is continuous decline until ultimate destruction!"
"Even so, we can't sacrifice the people!"
"..."
The conference room fell silent. None of the attendees were particularly old; most of the elder members had already perished.
This meant that no one could make a definitive decision on major issues, and without someone stepping forward, it would devolve into endless debate.
Fortunately, someone did step forward.
"Everyone, there's no need to make things so complicated."
Ashiya Doman suddenly appeared in the conference room, startling the council members. Some called for guards, but there was no response.
Outside the door, Tamamo-no-Mae swayed her two tails, enchanting the stationed guards into a daze.
"Don't shout. I'm not your enemy. On the contrary, I'm here to help you deal with those demons."
Ashiya Doman displayed a perfect smile. Not long after, Ashiya Doman's name spread throughout Nihon, revered by its people as a Saint.
However, the people of Nihon were unaware that the demons appearing in various places were actually created by him, and it was Ashiya Doman who caused Nihon's population to be halved!
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