Chapter 83: Fujisaki Yoshirō

In the Void Demon Realm, as if facing a celestial calamity or divine punishment, chaos reigned; not even the realm’s greatest magnates could remain calm, all trembling and crying out in terror.

In contrast, Japan was utterly silent.

Japan.

“This…?” Director Takahashi stood frozen, his mind like a crashed computer—thoughts halted, unable to function.

Though not in the Void Demon Realm, the shattered space rift was enormous—larger than a mountain—and thus, the image of the Buddha’s palm crushing the ancient demonic master, collapsing vast mountain ranges and obliterating ten thousand li of land, illuminated every scene within the Void Demon Realm, visible to all.

When they finally snapped back to awareness, their souls prickled with goosebumps, their bodies shivering as if plunged into a ten-thousand-year ice cave; Director Takahashi, unable to control his emotions, roared:

“This isn’t a broken passage at all!!”

They had assumed the old monk struck Mount Tinglin to shatter the passage and sever the yao’s path to this world.

But now it seemed…

It was nothing of the sort.

As he spoke, he involuntarily gazed toward the colossal Buddha palm dominating the sky within the distant space rift.

Fortunately, the old monk was on their side—protecting humanity.

He recalled why the Buddha palm had condensed and shrunk when striking Mount Tinglin: it wasn’t compressing power—it was suppressing it. The passage was too small; if the destructive force hadn’t been restrained, the ten-thousand-li wasteland now sinking in the Void Demon Realm would be Japan’s fate. Yet even so, the rift torn open in space remained as vast as a mountain.

As he thought this, Director Takahashi made a decision.

Simultaneously, not just Director Takahashi, but Prime Minister, Cabinet members, General Suzuki Kū, and other high-ranking Japanese officials all silently arrived at the same decision.

They must not provoke Master Kūkai. Whoever dared provoke him would be shot dead on the spot, immediately and without delay.

Otherwise, if Master Kūkai grew displeased and brought down one palm, Japan wouldn’t need to wait for future flooding—the island would be crushed into the sea right now.

“By the way!! There are other shrines and temples—get every regional administration to dig up funds, even if you have to squeeze it out. Allocate money to shrines and temples, fully support their development.”

The Prime Minister had just spoken.

“I second that!”

“I second that!”

“Anyone who refuses to fund them will be stripped of their position!”

Without exception, all Cabinet ministers voted unanimously in favor, even preparing to draft new legislation specifically for shrines and temples.

Master Kūkai’s appearance and his casual conversation with Sumi proved that shrines and temples harbored the extraordinary—demonstrating why humanity could resist the yao. Especially now, with Master Kūkai reviving a thousand souls and obliterating millions of yao with a single palm, annihilating ten thousand li of demonic land, it was undeniable proof: the extraordinary were absurdly powerful.

Such beings must never be offended—only revered.

Not only that…

Now that they knew their nation possessed unparalleled extraordinary power—and given how the six-eyed yao had been eradicated, clearly favoring their side—Japan’s high officials straightened their spines. Even their American allies, once met with bowed heads and submissive nods, now seemed less imposing.

Only now did they realize: America was not their father—the extraordinary were.

And with such a father backing them… hmm~ America, perhaps it’s time we swapped roles: father and son.

The Prime Minister clenched his fist, nostrils flaring.

Akawa, you think you’re so capable? You wouldn’t even shake my hand? Made me look like an idiot in front of the media. Next time you reach out to shake hands, I won’t take it—I’ll make you feel just as humiliated.

“Professor Nakata, I—I accidentally offended a shrine. Do you think the shrine will hold a grudge? Probably not, right? The shrine maiden forgave me already.”

Director Takahashi trembled, on the verge of tears.

If the Prime Minister and others found out I offended a shrine, I’ll be shot. I’m young—I haven’t had a second child yet—I don’t want to die.

“Uh… I don’t know,” Professor Nakata was baffled. Why are you asking me this? I’m a yokai expert with a Ph.D.—high IQ, yes—but I’m not a psychologist.

As he spoke,

Professor Nakata unconsciously stepped away from Director Takahashi.

Even if he didn’t know whether the shrine had truly forgiven him, it was safer to keep distance—avoid being caught in the fallout.

Just as Director Takahashi was pondering how to apologize again, Mori Tian Takeshi suddenly spoke up.

“Don’t you think… Master Kūkai is terrifyingly ruthless toward the yao?”

Director Takahashi, Professor Nakata, and others froze, silent.

Yes. Terrifyingly ruthless.

The six-eyed yao killed over a thousand Japanese—but the old monk obliterated millions of yao with a single palm, even shattering the most powerful among them.

Yet though they thought this, none dared voice it aloud.

The old monk was in Higashioji, right there with them. They feared their words might reach him—after all, such an extraordinary being could resurrect the dead; listening across hundreds, thousands, or ten thousand li was surely possible.

What if he overheard their complaints? Would he annihilate them?

While they remained silent, fearful to speak,

the internet exploded.

Netizens, fearless and brazen, knew the old monk couldn’t hear them through the wires—surely he couldn’t pick up keystrokes online—so while Takahashi and others cowered, the netizens unleashed their thoughts without restraint.

MyEmperor2333: “Buddha is supposed to be compassionate, but Master Kūkai is way too hot-headed—destroying tens of thousands of yao at the drop of a hat. Still, I love it.”

Creator: “You must understand—Buddhism preaches equality among all beings. To them, killing a human is no different from crushing an ant.”

Artificial Human Fukada Eimi: “You kill a thousand of mine, I wipe out a million of yours—this is Buddhism? I’m in! How do I join? Can women apply? What’s the procedure?”

Fujisaki Yoshirō: “Perfect. Compassionate to our side, ruthless to others—this is ideal. I’ve decided! I’ll keep taking a break tomorrow. Reason: visiting Sensō-ji to pay respects to the Buddha. After all, Master Kūkai is Buddhist—worship at the biggest temple, that’s the rule.”

The six-eyed yao were dead, the space rift had stopped spreading, Japan was safe. Combined with the Buddha palm’s display of power and intent, everyone’s taut nerves finally relaxed, and they opened up to chat freely.

But the next second.

BOOM!

A thunderous roar, shattering the cosmos and shaking the celestial rivers beyond, echoed throughout the Void Demon Realm.

Even across the vast distance, the blast reached beyond the Void Demon Realm, reverberating through Tokyo, ringing in every ear, deafening all.

Countless faces turned ashen.

Director Takahashi clutched his head, screaming in horror:

“It wasn’t about breaking the passage or destroying millions of yao—this is… annihilation of the realm!!”

…