Chapter 97: The Clown
The Shinomiya Conglomerate's private scenic estate was exactly the sort of place that made ordinary wealth look like pocket change.
Green mountains rose in the distance, their slopes layered with autumn gold. Clear streams curled through the land like silver ribbons, and small animals gathered at the banks to drink. Fallen leaves drifted across the water, flashing briefly beneath the sunlight before being carried away.
Gin Tsumugi walked along the road leading to Shinomiya Manor, his gaze calm as he took in the scenery.
"As expected of the Shinomiya Conglomerate," he murmured. "Even the place where they built a manor is luxurious enough to make ordinary people doubt reality."
Both sides of the road were lined with cherry trees.
Unfortunately, the season was wrong. Their branches had already withered, leaving only a quiet, skeletal elegance behind. Still, it was not difficult to imagine what this place must look like in spring. Cherry blossoms would fill the road like pale snow, drifting through the air in a scene beautiful enough to feel unreal.
According to the address he had received, Shinomiya Kaguya's residence was built halfway up the mountain. From there, one could see the sunrise spill over the horizon and take in the entire private scenic area at a glance.
Ten minutes later, Gin arrived at the main gate of Shinomiya Manor.
The manor itself was vast.
If one were to look down from above, they would see rock gardens, groves, fountains, swimming pools, a private library, and several courtyards arranged with meticulous care. Every part of the estate displayed wealth, but not the crude sort that relied only on excess. The luxury here carried history and discipline. It was the kind of place built not merely to show money, but to remind visitors that the Shinomiya family had stood near the top of Japan for generations.
A blonde girl in a maid uniform was already waiting by the gate.
She approached as soon as she saw him.
"You must be Mr. Gin Tsumugi."
Her tone was respectful and measured.
Gin glanced at her.
Hayasaka Ai.
Shinomiya Kaguya's personal maid. She had fine features, beautiful blonde hair, and a faint exotic charm from her quarter-Irish heritage. Her posture and demeanor were flawless, clearly the result of strict training.
"Yes," Gin replied.
Hayasaka Ai raised her eyes to look at him properly.
Then, for a brief moment, her professional composure cracked.
Beautiful.
That was the first thought that surfaced in her mind.
No, beautiful was not quite right. Handsome was not quite enough either. The young man standing before her had an elegance that seemed almost detached from the world. His features were refined to an unreasonable degree, and the gentle, cultivated atmosphere around him made it difficult to look away.
Fortunately, Hayasaka Ai was not an ordinary maid.
She recovered almost immediately, lowered her head slightly, and apologized for the lapse.
"Thank you for coming in person, Mr. Gin. Please follow me. The Young Lady has been waiting for some time."
Gin nodded and followed her into the manor.
The moment he stepped inside, the sense of scale became even more obvious.
The hallways were broad, the decorations exquisite, and every object seemed carefully selected. More importantly, Gin could sense a sophisticated barrier covering the entire estate. It repelled Monsters, evil spirits, and impurities, keeping the manor sealed within a clean spiritual environment.
It was a very fine barrier.
Still, compared to a Strategic Barrier, it fell far short.
That was only natural.
Even for the Shinomiya Conglomerate, setting up a Strategic Barrier around a private manor required more than money. It demanded profound Onmyodo heritage, rare materials, and specialists capable of maintaining it.
A few minutes later, Hayasaka Ai led Gin into an extremely luxurious hall.
Quite a few people had already gathered inside.
They were conversing in low voices, and Gin immediately sensed the spiritual power circulating within them.
Onmyoji.
Most were around the Professional level. None had reached the National level.
"It seems Miss Kaguya invited more than just me," Gin said casually.
Hayasaka Ai quickly lowered her head.
"I apologize, Mr. Gin. After all, this concerns the Young Lady's safety, so…"
Gin interrupted her before she could explain further.
"I understand. More manpower means more insurance. It's reasonable."
He had no intention of taking offense.
When Shinomiya Kaguya commissioned him, he had never promised that he could solve her problem with absolute certainty. Since the matter involved Shuten-dōji, it was only natural for the Shinomiya Conglomerate to seek additional support.
"Thank you for your understanding," Hayasaka Ai said, visibly relieved.
The moment Hayasaka Ai brought Gin into the hall, the conversations inside gradually died down.
Many eyes turned toward him.
Then, a middle-aged man stepped forward with a warm smile.
"Lord White Fox, hello. I am Furukawa Oishi, an official representative and the current person in charge of supernatural affairs in Minato Ward. It is a pleasure to meet you."
The man possessed the strength of a Ninth-Rank Professional Onmyoji. Even within organizations like the Onmyo Bureau or the Onmyo Alliance, such a level was enough to be considered one of the strongest beneath the truly elite ranks.
"Mr. Furukawa," Gin replied politely. "The pleasure is mine."
"Lord White Fox, you're too kind."
Furukawa Oishi smiled brightly and continued, "Regarding Miss Kaguya's supernatural incident, most of us here are only here to make up the numbers. The real work will depend on you."
"Mr. Furukawa, you flatter me."
Gin's expression remained composed, but this degree of enthusiasm was slightly difficult to deal with.
The other Onmyoji in the hall did not show dissatisfaction at Furukawa Oishi's words. On the contrary, many of them looked as if this was only natural.
They knew their own limits.
Against ordinary supernatural incidents, Professional Level Onmyoji could still play an important role. But this case involved Shuten-dōji, one of the most infamous Great Yokai in Japan. Even if the final attacker turned out to be only one of his subordinates, it would still likely be a Great Yokai-level existence.
That was not an opponent they could handle.
They had accepted Shinomiya Kaguya's invitation partly because the compensation was astonishingly generous, and partly because White Fox Gin Tsumugi had also accepted the commission.
Without him, all of them combined would still be nothing more than a delivery platter for a Great Yokai.
Some had even come with the explicit purpose of making connections with the newly appointed [Twelve Divine General].
Hayasaka Ai quietly withdrew to inform Shinomiya Kaguya of Gin's arrival.
Then, from the entrance of the hall, a sneering voice broke the atmosphere.
"Hmph. A lucky opportunist, that's all. Does he really think he can deal with a Great Yokai?"
The hall fell silent.
The silence was immediate and suffocating.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
A young man stood at the entrance, his face filled with arrogance. He had the strength of a Professional Level Onmyoji, but his spiritual power was unstable, shallow, and frivolous. It was obvious he had only barely stepped into the rank.
A junior like this had dared to mock White Fox Gin Tsumugi in public.
Quite a few Onmyoji frowned.
The young man looked unfamiliar at first glance, yet his features carried a strange sense of recognition.
Gin's eyes chilled slightly.
"It's you," he said. "Your brother already died at Mount Fuji, and you still dare to jump around in front of me. Are you not afraid I'll finish what he started?"
The young man's face twisted.
Gin spoke his name.
"Yamashiro Rito."
The hall stirred at once.
"Yamashiro Rito? That name sounds familiar…"
"Yamashiro… Yamashiro Hayato?"
"Could he be related to Yamashiro Hayato, one of the former [Twelve Divine Generals] who died in the Mount Fuji Incident?"
"The names are too similar. He must be."
The Onmyoji present were high-ranking enough to know some of the casualty details from Mount Fuji. Yamashiro Hayato's death had not been hidden from their circles.
Yamashiro Rito raised his chin, his face full of pride.
"That's right. My brother was Yamashiro Hayato, one of the Onmyo Bureau's [Twelve Divine Generals] and a direct disciple of Director Kurahashi Genji."
He pointed at Gin and shouted, "Gin Tsumugi, you're nothing but someone who took advantage of an empty seat. If my brother hadn't fallen at Mount Fuji, what qualifications would you have to become a [Twelve Divine General]? You're just a thief who stole glory from the dead."
The expressions of many Onmyoji changed.
It was true that without the heavy losses at Mount Fuji, Gin would not have been granted a [Twelve Divine General] title so quickly.
But saying he was unqualified was laughable.
White Fox Gin Tsumugi had created the Onmyodo Framework [Myriad Laws]. If he was not qualified to become one of the [Twelve Divine Generals], then who was?
Yamashiro Hayato himself would not have dared to speak to Gin like this when he was alive.
Let alone his younger brother.
Several Onmyoji exchanged glances, wondering whether they should step in and teach Yamashiro Rito a lesson to earn favor with the White Fox. But they hesitated.
Yamashiro Rito was the brother of a fallen [Twelve Divine General]. That identity was sensitive. If handled poorly, they might be accused of bullying the family of a martyr.
It was troublesome.
At least, it was troublesome for them.
For Gin, it was not.
"Slap yourself."
A fluctuation of spiritual power flowed out with his voice.
Spirit Speech.
The next instant, Yamashiro Rito's eyes widened.
His hands moved on their own.
Slap!
A crisp sound rang through the hall.
Yamashiro Rito staggered, stunned.
Then his other hand rose.
Slap!
"You… Gin Tsumugi, you bastard!"
His eyes were bloodshot with disbelief. He clearly had not expected Gin to attack him so directly.
Slap!
Slap!
His hands continued moving, striking his own cheeks again and again. Each blow was louder than the last.
"Stop! Gin Tsumugi, the Onmyo Bureau won't let you get away with this!"
Slap!
Slap!
"You bastard!"
Slap!
In moments, Yamashiro Rito's cheeks had swollen visibly. The arrogant young man who had strutted in with such confidence now looked like a clown performing a farce for the entire hall.
Furukawa Oishi hesitated, then cautiously spoke.
"Lord White Fox… isn't this going a bit too far?"
He was not defending Yamashiro Rito out of sympathy.
He only wanted to remind Gin that he had just received the title of [Twelve Divine General]. Publicly humiliating the brother of a deceased former [Twelve Divine General] might invite gossip within the Onmyodo community.
"Too far?"
Gin glanced at Furukawa Oishi.
Then he began walking toward Yamashiro Rito.
"At this level? Wait until I cripple him. Then you can say that."
Cripple him?
The atmosphere in the hall changed again.
The Onmyoji present stared at Gin in shock.
He was not merely teaching Yamashiro Rito a lesson.
He truly intended to cripple him.
Wasn't that too ruthless?
Even if the two clearly had some grudge, Yamashiro Rito was still the brother of a former [Twelve Divine General], as well as an Onmyoji connected to the Onmyo Agency. To cripple him openly was almost equivalent to slapping the Onmyo Agency's face.
"You… don't come closer!"
Yamashiro Rito's arrogance finally broke.
His hands were still slapping his swollen face, but his feet were rooted in place. No matter how hard he tried, he could not move.
"Gin Tsumugi, I'm warning you. If you dare touch me, the Onmyo Agency won't let you off!"
"You should at least change your threats," Gin said.
He stopped less than two meters away from Yamashiro Rito.
His eyes were calm, but the coldness within them made the air feel sharper.
"I even forced my way into the Tsuchimikado Clan and performed the [Taizan Fukun Festival]. Do you really think the Onmyo Agency will go to war with me over crippling one Onmyoji?"
The encounter with Imai Takumi at Minato Station had already left a simmering anger in Gin's chest.
Yamashiro Rito had simply chosen the worst possible time to jump out.
Perhaps he had been too restrained lately.
Restrained enough that people had started thinking he was easy to provoke.
The hall had fallen completely silent.
Only then did many of the Onmyoji remember something they had nearly forgotten because of the storm of recent events.
White Fox Gin Tsumugi was the same ruthless man who had broken into the Tsuchimikado Clan and touched the forbidden taboo of Onmyodo, the [Taizan Fukun Festival].
He was never some harmless genius.
He was dangerous.
"One more thing, Yamashiro Rito," Gin said. "Your brother went to Mount Fuji to atone for his crimes, not to become some heroic martyr."
Yamashiro Rito's eyes bulged.
"You're lying! You're slandering my brother!"
"Before this, you and your brother released Tomie recklessly for the sake of achievements, causing the Tomie Disaster that remains unresolved to this day. That alone was already a serious crime. Afterward, during multiple supernatural incidents, Yamashiro Hayato mishandled cases, pretended to obey orders while secretly defying them, and concealed critical information. These things were all uncovered."
Gin's voice was even.
"If Mount Fuji had not urgently needed manpower, your brother would already have been imprisoned and stripped of his title as one of the [Twelve Divine Generals]."
The hall stirred again.
This was the first time many of them had heard of such a backstory.
But since Gin dared to say it openly in front of so many people, the truth was almost certain.
Yamashiro Hayato had not been a martyr without stain.
He had been a sinner who died before judgment could fall.
"It's fake…"
Yamashiro Rito's voice shook.
"All fake!"
But the guilt and panic in his tone betrayed him.
He had known about many of Yamashiro Hayato's actions. That was why Gin's words terrified him so much. If all of this became public, then even if Gin truly crippled him here, the Onmyo Agency might not stand up for him.
"No… please…"
The arrogance on Yamashiro Rito's face vanished completely.
"Lord White Fox, please don't…"
Gin looked at him without pity.
"Perhaps becoming an ordinary person is the best fate for you."
The moment his words fell, an Onmyo Art struck Yamashiro Rito's body.
Yamashiro Rito's pupils shrank.
He felt the spiritual power inside him begin draining away.
Not dispersing temporarily.
Not being sealed.
Draining.
His foundation as an Onmyoji shattered. His Spirit Insight Power, the most fundamental sense that allowed an Onmyoji to perceive the supernatural, cracked like glass and collapsed into darkness.
A sharp, unbearable pain tore through him.
Then his eyes rolled back.
Yamashiro Rito collapsed to the floor.
From this moment onward, he could only live as an ordinary person.
He would never step into the world of Onmyodo again.
.....
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