Chapter 155: Kotoko's Phone Call
Early morning.
A ray of dawn bloomed from the horizon, piercing through the thin layers of cloud and falling upon Kyoto's scarred, debris-strewn earth.
The city was still gloomy.
Ruins, collapsed streets, broken walls, and traces of dried blood remained everywhere. The scars left by the Kyoto Incident would not disappear overnight.
Yet when the gentle sunlight touched their faces, many ordinary people who had survived the disaster finally realized how precious the most ordinary things had once been.
Warm sunlight.
Clean air.
A quiet morning.
Things they had never cared about before now felt almost miraculous.
The joy of surviving calamity surfaced on their faces once again.
Not far from the Keikain Clan's courtyard was a villa district with beautiful scenery, combining modern urban style with a pastoral atmosphere.
Those who could live in this area were naturally no ordinary people. Most were high-ranking officials, nobles, wealthy families, or powerful figures who held authority and wealth in Kyoto.
Because of that, the materials used to build the villas were extremely sturdy.
Even under the continuous aftershocks of the great battles that had broken out at Nijō Castle, this villa district had not collapsed into ruins like many other buildings in Kyoto.
It seemed almost untouched.
It had become one of the few areas in Kyoto that still remained intact.
Inside one of the villas, decorated in a simple modern style mixed with white European elegance, everything was quiet.
Today was different from before.
The entire villa was empty.
Aside from Gin Tsumugi, there was no one else.
Kuroyukihime and Kurasaki Fuko had already left Kyoto after the Kyoto Incident ended.
Ryōyū and Shiina Mashiro had returned to Shinjuku Ward to pack their things in preparation for moving to Shibuya Ward.
Hagoromo Gitsune had taken Kyokotsu and Giant Skeleton to reorganize the remaining Yokai in Kyoto who were still loyal to her.
As for Kasugano Sora, she was currently at the Keikain Clan, dealing with the trivial matters Gin did not want to handle, temporarily taking over the secretarial assistant role Iwanaga Kotoko had once filled.
"It is about time to leave Kyoto and return to Shibuya tomorrow."
Standing alone in the empty hall, Gin brought up the role-playing system.
He wanted to confirm exactly how much his role-playing progress had increased from this trip to Kyoto.
After all, including the previous Yaksha Oni, four Great Yokai had died at the hands of the Twelve Divine Generals alone.
That did not even include Nue and the incomplete Daitengu.
[Abe no Seimei: Founder of Onmyōdō]
[Role-Playing Progress: Maturity Stage: 95%]
[Onmyōdō Framework: Myriad Laws: 90%]
[Character Abilities:
Basic Talisman Compendium: Perfection
Shikigami Contract: Great Mastery
Five-Pointed Star Incantation: Perfection
Word Spirit Technique: Perfection
Uho: Perfection
Immovable Binding Technique: Great Mastery
Fire Boundary Spell: Great Mastery
Myriad Demon-Subduing Mantra: Great Mastery
Demon-Subduing Thunder Curse: Great Mastery
Marīcī Heavenly Mantra: Great Mastery
Ghost-Averting and Evil-Dispelling Incantation: Great Mastery
Acala Demon-Subduing Mantra: Great Mastery
Fudō Myōō Fire Boundary Mantra: Great Mastery
Trailokya-Vajra Heart Mantra: Great Mastery
Acala Remnant-Eating Mantra: Minor Accomplishment
Acala Salvation Mantra: Minor Accomplishment
Acala Mantra: Minor Accomplishment
Eight-Eyed Bamboo Basket Suppression Mantra: Minor Accomplishment
Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra: Advanced
Great Victorious Virtue Rite: Advanced]
"Not bad."
Gin's gaze paused on the progress.
"From the previous eighteen percent, it rose straight to ninety-five percent."
Among that increase, the incomplete Daitengu had probably contributed slightly more than Nue.
If the three Great Yokai such as Kidōji had provided around thirty percent of the role-playing progress, then the incomplete Daitengu and Nue together had added nearly forty-seven percent.
However, part of that should also be credited to the vast number of Yokai eliminated by Onmyō Arts like the Great Victorious Virtue Rite.
Regardless, forty-seven percent role-playing progress was still somewhat exaggerated.
It also showed from another perspective just how enormous the gap was between a top-tier Great Yokai like Daitengu and an ordinary Great Yokai.
Furthermore...
Gin turned his hand over.
Four crystal-clear, irregularly shaped soul fragments appeared in his palm.
The moment they surfaced, an instinctive desire to devour them stirred from deep within him.
These were what he had obtained after completely purifying Nue.
In a sense, these four soul fragments were Gin's greatest harvest from this trip to Kyoto.
As he had calculated before, the forty-seven percent role-playing progress was likely mostly from eliminating the incomplete Daitengu.
But Nue was, after all, an existence at the level of a Great Onmyoji.
The role-playing progress he provided could not possibly be weaker than that of ordinary Great Yokai.
The reason it seemed low was probably because much of that value had been concentrated into these four soul fragments.
"Should I absorb them directly, or...?"
Looking at the soul fragments in his palm, Gin fell into a rare dilemma.
He was not sure how to absorb them.
Surely he was not supposed to open his mouth and swallow them.
However, the next scene solved his problem.
The four soul fragments suddenly emitted a faint, hazy gray glow.
As if sensing Gin's thoughts, they turned into mist directly in his palm.
Then they slowly seeped through his skin and merged into the depths of his soul.
In an instant, a clear and tranquil sensation surged from within.
Gin felt as though his previous state had been flawed.
Only after merging with these four soul fragments did he truly become whole.
Moreover, he could clearly feel that while neither his spiritual power nor Ghost-Seeing Power had increased, an indescribable qualitative change had occurred within him.
Everything indicated one thing.
Gin himself had quietly undergone a transformation.
And when he opened the role-playing system again...
[Abe no Seimei: Founder of Onmyōdō]
[Role-Playing Progress: Maturity Stage: Advancement Available]
[Onmyōdō Framework: Myriad Laws: 95%]
[Character Abilities:
Basic Talisman Compendium: Perfection
Shikigami Contract: Great Mastery
Five-Pointed Star Incantation: Perfection
Word Spirit Technique: Perfection
Uho: Perfection
Immovable Binding Technique: Great Mastery
Fire Boundary Spell: Great Mastery
Myriad Demon-Subduing Mantra: Great Mastery
Demon-Subduing Thunder Curse: Great Mastery
Marīcī Heavenly Mantra: Great Mastery
Ghost-Averting and Evil-Dispelling Incantation: Great Mastery
Fudō Myōō Fire Boundary Mantra: Great Mastery
Trailokya-Vajra Heart Mantra: Great Mastery...]
Not only had the role-playing system reached the criteria for advancement, but even the completion rate of his Onmyōdō Framework, Myriad Laws, had increased by five percent.
One had to know that the higher the completion progress of an Onmyōdō Framework became, the harder it was to improve.
Originally, Gin had planned to rely on the contents of the Senji Ryakketsu he had memorized to slowly perfect Myriad Laws.
He had not expected that absorbing these four soul fragments would directly grant him a five percent increase, saving him a great deal of effort.
Afterward, Gin calmly closed the role-playing system.
He did not choose to advance immediately.
Just as he had planned before, he intended to slow down and suppress the advancement speed of the role-playing system.
He would only advance after he had completely worn away "his" influence on himself.
Otherwise, if the role-playing system advanced right now, Gin truly feared that he might lose the self known as Gin Tsumugi and completely become "him."
Especially after the Kyoto Incident, where he had encountered far too many old acquaintances, there had been moments when he felt lost.
Unfamiliar even to himself.
Slowing down was necessary.
Suppression was necessary.
Ring, ring, ring.
At that moment, Gin's phone rang.
He took it out and glanced at the screen.
The caller was Iwanaga Kotoko.
"Did something happen at the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department?"
He answered the call.
Kotoko's voice immediately came from the other end.
Gin listened quietly.
"..."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes. I understand."
His expression shifted slightly.
"I see. Before returning to Shibuya Ward, I will go there first."
A brief pause.
"It did exceed my expectations."
"...I will have to leave the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department in your hands for the time being."
"..."
After hanging up, Gin lowered the phone.
His expression became somewhat strange.
He truly had not expected such a thing to happen.
Interesting.
And rather unexpected.
....
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