Chapter 111: Volume End: The New Era Belonging to Me

2024, May 1st, rain.

The rain fell harder.

Bean-sized raindrops smashed against the window frame and splashed outward, star-like droplets entering the edge of Uesugi Toru's pupils, making him snap back to his senses.

He lowered his head, withdrawing his gaze from the utterly silent crowd and the bloodstains already diluted to near invisibility, then raised his head, looking toward the rolling thunderclouds.

Once upon a time, that was merely an ordinary natural phenomenon.

Now it was different.

Every surging thunder dragon was wantonly releasing Spirit Qi from the other side of the world.

The tide did not diminish with the passage of time; on the contrary, it grew larger and larger, seeping into the Genjitsu through every natural phenomenon without gap.

Boom—

Shocking thunderclaps rang out in succession, causing the crowd to grow restless, but the next moment, a massive barrier sparkling with starlight rose up, granting everyone an incomparable sense of security.

Even so, people still couldn't help but raise their heads, as if they saw that tide rolling down in reverse from above the sky canopy.

Just like ordinary people unable to suppress the curiosity in their hearts, in this instant, whether Genjitsu or Everlasting World, no matter where they were or what they were doing, as long as they were powers and existences aware of the coming tide, they all raised their heads in unspoken unison—

Tokyo Skytree, the summit at 634 meters.

Thunderclouds churned; the violent Spirit Tide extended the barest tendrils toward this height closer to the sky, able to easily tear apart the vast majority of overconfident Yokai and Onmyoji.

Within the pitch-black cloud layers, four figures draped in plain-colored long robes stood shoulder to shoulder.

Thunder that could originally strike ordinary Ghost Gods into annihilation, the moment it neared them, seemed to fall into a long, slow straight path, then under the winding of fingers transformed into meandering, docile little lightning snakes.

"Arrivals from the Everlasting World, revived Mononoke, and factions harboring ill intent."

A clear voice spread out like a wide-area sound wave, causing all the lost, the helpless, the wildly excited, the fortunate — every last non-human — to halt their steps in puzzlement.

"You lot remember this well."

The next moment, the youngest and most powerfully built man among the four raised his five fingers.

He flipped them over.

A Reverse Pentagram exceeding the horizon rose from the 634-meter altitude, and in the instant they lifted their heads, it purged from their vision all the thunder and rain, all the dark clouds, all the darkness.

Sunlight shining over the earth once more projected down, making all non-humans possessed of intellect simultaneously feel the same chill.

—Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Onmyoryo flags fluttering.

Homeless Ones dense as raindrops were thrown down from the high heavens by the tide.

Even though batch after batch died along the way for various reasons, the quantity about to land was still enough to make any Onmyoji feel fear.

Yet Kyoto's thoroughfare streets were deserted; not to mention Onmyoji and Shikigami, not even a single Ordinary Person could be found.

The Homeless Ones preparing to pioneer a new home hadn't even had time to rejoice in their good luck before they all let out miserable, sharp howls the moment they landed, turning into handfuls of flying ash.

Because every single building, every single scenic spot, even every single street and stone step, was conspicuously engraved with winding, complex ancient Onmyo incantations.

These Onmyo Jutsu Formulas that had settled through long years still had not lost their efficacy under meticulous maintenance.

The shrine gate of Fushimi Inari Taisha stood wide open, military array stern; wearing Fox Masks, swaying Fox Tails, little Shikigami led monk soldiers of differing attire out in single file.

Half an hour later, Kyoto's tranquility was restored as before.

—Aichi Prefecture, Ancient Owari, Tokugawa Family.

Fine raindrops fell, washing away the Yokai blood accumulated at the Tokugawa Family threshold.

At the doorway, a young man and woman in spotless Kendo uniforms sheathed their swords and walked with unchanged expressions to the side of that smiling old man sitting not far behind, under an umbrella drinking tea, and said in unison,

"Great-Grandfather, the Yokai have been completely exorcised."

The old man infused the tea, extended a withered arm, picked up the teapot, and filled two empty teacups to the brim: "Come, Ryuuji, Hoshi, sit down and drink tea."

"Yes."

The two sat on the ground in the rain, lifted the teacups with both hands, and their originally pristine white Kendo uniforms quickly changed color.

The old man leaned on the rocking chair, speaking slowly: "I heard Haruhiko say that Shizuku seems to have grasped the essence of Sword Heart Penetration; among your younger generation she counts as top-tier... it's also time to bring her back."

"Little sister?!"

Tokugawa Hoshi, wearing a ponytail, revealed a delighted expression, almost jumping up: "I said Little Sister's efforts wouldn't go to waste, right!"

But Tokugawa Ryuuji sitting on the other side calmly closed his eyes and said silently: "Why doesn't she understand the principle of Hidden Dragon Do Not Use..."

He sighed in his heart, tilted his head back, and drank this scalding tea in one gulp,

"Little Sister, things have come to this, Big Brother is also powerless."

—Everlasting World, beside the magnificent solemn palace, silent and empty.

Katsumi changed his usual attire, removing the God of Wealth Hat, the Ukiyo-e Folding Fan merchant's getup, wearing solemn dark robes with red trim, a tall crown on his head, white brush ear ornaments, a book-sword at his waist.

He walked alone along the long, silent Imperial Path paved with bluestone, arriving beside the youth standing at the palace's outer perimeter, and bowed deeply and respectfully,

"Your Highness."

That youth who had been looking up withdrew his gaze and smiled gently at him: "Long time no see, Guanglong. Have you been well lately?"

"I have not failed my charge; your subject has impersonated Shoutoku Taishi and played several moves in your stead."

Katsumi bowed slightly, paused, then chose his words carefully and continued: "Your subject... perhaps also found a Hidden Dragon in the pond."

"Oh?"

The youth showed a curious expression: "Do tell in detail, let Us hear who this person is that you, Guanglong, would call a Hidden Dragon in this Golden Great Era?"

—Besides that, there were far, far too many more.

In the profound darkness, eight chairs, seven human figures surrounded a round table; countless scenes of the Everlasting World and Genjitsu flashed like star points upon it.

In the deepest reaches of the Ten Thousand Li Mount Ooe, ten thousand ghosts paid court; the bewitchingly beautiful Shutendouji casually tossed out a sake bowl, and the instant it shattered he raised his hand, causing the excited roars of countless Yaoguai to pierce the heavens.

On the ancient battlefield of old, Sengoku Daimyo raised flags in unspoken unison, simultaneously ceasing war, seeking new conquest opportunities amid the heavy steps of iron cavalry.

Under the escort of Twelve Crown Ranks, the Emperor wearing a high crown quietly stroked a sheepskin map depicting most of the Everlasting World, a smile at the corner of his mouth, unknown what he was thinking.

In the desolate wilderness, a solitary Zashiki-warashi walked in the center of a tide, arduously struggling forward, even risking being smashed to pieces at any moment to seize the strange object at the tide's center.

Ancient dojos that had once declared mountain closures reopened their gates, and families dormant for a hundred years or more cleared the forests leading to the cities; those ancients sealed away by the Great Yin-Yang Art in an era when spirit power was cut off were gradually beginning to awaken.

Finally—the Arakawa Ward Special Affairs Division of Tokyo.

After dragging away those headless corpses for disposal in full view of everyone, Shizuku stood beneath a patch of unoccupied shadow and casually wiped the liquid from her forehead, not knowing whether it was rain, blood, or sweat.

She gently exhaled an extremely narrow, barely perceptible Qi Sword, tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and let the cool sunlight wash over her face.

Resonance.

Shizuku could clearly feel that this heaven and earth resonated with her, impatiently wanting to pour the truth named "Sword" into her consciousness and soul.

What the ancient texts called "sudden enlightenment" and "fortune striking the heart" was nothing more than this.

"That won't do."

The girl shook her head, as the Sword Heart of a blazing great sun rose within her, reaching the same frequency as this vast and boundless heaven and earth, both suspended in the same place amidst the surging, boundless waves.

After the vast Sword Principle failed to pour in, it did not try again, but simply waited quietly.

Shizuku spoke in a flat yet unquestionable voice: "That's more like it."

"What I want will come and take it itself."

She slowly extended her five fingers and actively gripped the air before her: "Let me see what you've written here."

Unlike the Sword Principle of sudden enlightenment that had been forcefully poured into her, Shizuku actively flowed into it, observing and browsing, exclaiming happily from time to time and sighing with a shake of her head from time to time.

Surveying the ocean of Sword Principle, she summarized the strengths of a hundred schools and made them her own.

After a short while, Shizuku opened her eyes again, reluctantly exhaling a long breath: "This is the legendary Heaven-Man Resonance; truly a feast for the eyes."

Sword moves with slight flaws became more exquisite and flawless, and the already sharp mysteries and stances became so sharp that ordinary people could not resist them.

The shackles that had troubled Shizuku for a long time snapped open with a crisp sound at this accidental opportunity; her Tennen Rishin-ryu had now reached the state of perfection, and perhaps before long it might be renamed the "Shizuku-ryu."

—If this change happened to Uesugi Toru, it would probably show as Tennen Rishin-ryu breaking through from Expert Level to Master Level.

Of course, there was one more most important change.

Shizuku raised her eyebrows and, to her surprise, discovered that a wondrous domain had formed within ten zhang around herself.

With a slight movement of her thought, a cold sword gleam appeared and then vanished in midair.

Shizuku was slightly stunned and murmured: "So the bit of knowledge about sword masters in ancient texts is true; there indeed are things like domains that appear."

Surprises came one after another.

Shizuku turned her gaze, and upon seeing the figure upstairs waving at her, she smiled: "Uesugi-kun, it couldn't be better to be born in this era together with you."

—After greeting Shizuku, Uesugi Toru continued listening to Rituna Minami's "sermon" in midair.

In his view, this could indeed be called a sermon.

He laid out all the extraordinary knowledge that had previously been hidden and forbidden for ordinary people to know, Yin-Yang Techniques, Breathing Techniques, and the endless relationship between the Genjitsu and Chang Shi.

Thus giving everyone a brand new, boundless path of advancement.

"—In the days to come, the Special Affairs Division will not only open a 'Yokai Class' in various schools specifically for learning about yokai, mononoke, and other basic knowledge, but will also dispatch teachers to teach Yin-Yang Technique or Breathing Technique cultivation; everyone will have equal cultivation opportunities."

"Those who have already left school and entered society need not be at a loss. The Special Affairs Division has also opened a data website that everyone can access and learn from."

Excited voices rang out from time to time in the crowd, but many high school students fell into thought—this way, wouldn't the college entrance exam undergo revolutionary major changes, and in the future, wouldn't club activities also become supernatural sports competitions like in anime?

Someone raised this question.

To this, Rituna Minami's answer was naturally,

"Yes."

Instantly, a chorus of student wails rose from below; those admission notices and competition championships that had once been as good as secured suddenly fell into an unknown sea.

But compared to the wails, there was far more uncontainable excitement.

Young students who had not experienced social pressure always had one more point of hope for the future than company slaves.

Uesugi Toru, witnessing the emotions of the vast crowd shift from negative to positive, looked around once more at the cameras and reporters who had been working hard all around.

He believed that the mood of everyone who had watched this sermon from beginning to end on television or mobile phone would surely turn from cloudy to sunny, and from this moment on look forward to the future, even if only by a tiny bit.

"Nanjo Sister acting as a leader is quite impressive, isn't she."

Uesugi Toru exhaled a breath and suddenly felt a wonderful resonance of the same frequency.

【Due to the arrival of the tide, the spirit power within your body is affected, Spirit Technique Attribute +2.】

【Due to the arrival of the tide, your will is affected, Will Attribute +1.】

【Due to the arrival of the tide, your Yokai Avatar · Three-Tailed Fox senses the spirit mechanism of heaven and earth, its quality has been upgraded to Epic!】

Uesugi Toru's pupils shrank slightly; from the Storage Backpack he took out the Three-Tailed Fox card, discovering that this exquisite card, which originally had mercury patterns flowing along its border, had quietly changed.

A border of flashing gilded gold wrapped around the edges of the card; the three tails originally on the card face suddenly increased by one more, breaking through the shackles of three tails.

And the three tails on the card face—no, it should be said the four-tailed fox—had also changed its posture.

No longer half-hiding its face like a lute player shyly veiled, but rather casually holding a folding fan, opening its chest, reclining at will on a chair carved from white jade, declaring its presence to everyone who saw the card.

Generous and heroic.

After facing the four-tailed fox in the card for a while, Uesugi Toru turned it into an item that formed after the Yokai Avatar rank advanced to Epic: a square, warm and smooth Jade Tablet.

Feeling the spirit power within him surging endlessly and constantly rising, Uesugi Toru smiled, and then calmly cast his gaze outward.

The terrifying surging sound of the tide still existed, and its aftereffects had not ceased, growing more intense, but the sky had cleared, the fires in the city were all extinguished, fear and panic were soothed, and a star-dotted Kekkai protected everyone.

Spirit Qi, yokai qi, ghost qi, and too many indistinct auras rose together, intertwining and fusing above the Sky, completely showing that this world was now different.

Chang Shi, which had sunk into the Abyss a thousand years ago, rose again, attempting to once more border the human world.

The age-old rulers of the era were eager to try, the legends of ancient history gradually awakened, and countless conspiracies surged endlessly in the dim shadows.

This was not a peaceful era where the mediocre could pass their days in safety.

Opportunity, hope, crisis, destiny, hope—the future of every person was displayed in the surging tide of the era crashing in, unknown as yet.

"This is my new era."

—Volume One: Tide Rising, End—

This volume ends! Although the word count isn't high, the writing feels pretty good!

There should still be a volume-end author's note, and perhaps a free extra chapter.

The last day of January, please vote for monthly tickets!

——————

Recommending another book:

Gu De received a strange admission letter and was forcibly dragged into a bizarre world.

This is an academy that cultivates colonists.

The public courses are "Dragon Language," "Basic Magic Theory," and "Superpower Development."

The specialized courses are even more varied: "Demon Summoning Ritual," "Human Synthesis Art," "Unicorn Rearing"...

Past excellent graduation project designs include "A Reactor Powered by a Demon King Corpse," "On the Marriage Problem Between Humans and 100-Year-Old Elves," "My Principal Grandfather"...

Imparting magic and mystery, tempering the body and martial techniques, using economy and force to incorporate the other world into humanity's territory.

You will have the great honor of becoming a member of the academy and contributing to humanity's future.

"It turns out a good undergraduate is no worse than a junior college!"





End of Chapter