Yama Rising

Wrong…

As he walked out of the banquet hall, his gaze quickly turned somber.

“There’s no need to look for them any longer…”

“Locate Grandmaster Chu at once! And keep a close eye on him!”

He was not at the great hall at this moment in time.

These boxes weren’t stacked on top of each other like the regular cargo holds one would expect to see. Rather, each of these boxes had their own special zone, and were even marked with their own cargo registration number. There was no doubt that all of the goods to be auctioned were contained right here within this room!

There were even several surveillance cameras pointed at all angles around the cargo hold, monitored at all times on a great number of individual screens. The cargo hold could be described to be armed to the teeth. Not even a Hunter-class enemy intruding upon this space would be able to leave alive.

Hellguards were generally any province’s strongest fighting force. Thus, these security measures were sorely insufficient in Qin Ye’s eyes. At the very least, he alone could raze everything to the ground in no more than five minutes.

Just then, a thin man wearing glasses entered the image and bowed respectfully, “[In Nipponese] Sir, the master of the Kamo Clan and Master Iwasaki will both arrive within an hour. Please be prepared.”

Qin ye’s eyes gleamed, “Grandmaster Chu, the master of the Kamo Clan and Master Iwasaki will both arrive within an hour. Please be prepared.”

Qin Ye glanced at his phone. The time now was 2.30 a.m.

“That’s not a bad time to do it. Most people would be resting in their room as soon as the cruise liner sets off. Security-wise, there couldn’t be a better time. However…” He drew a deep breath and lay down on his bed, “I’m not the only Hellguard who’s planning to make a move this time…”

…………………………………………………………

This room was far more luxurious than the one which Qin Ye had been assigned. Ukiyo-e paintings adorned the walls. Soft tatami mats were placed all over the floor, while potted bonsai plants meticulously decorated with miniature artificial landscapes sat at the corners of the room.

The crystal clarity of tea splashed about his teacup, sending wisps of steam diffusing into the surroundings, just like a miniature waterfall. Master Kamo lifted the sleeves of his yukata and picked up his teacup. Just as he was about to bring it to his lips, a swallow suddenly flew into his room through the window. As soon as it entered the room, black-and-white energy scattered from its body, and it transformed back to its original form of a paper crane, falling straight into Master Kamo’s palm.

The experts of every land had their own specialties, and the Shikigami were the expertise of Onmyojis.

“So-desune…” Moments later, he clenched his fist and reduced the paper crane to ashes. Then, he took a deep breath, stood up, and gazed into the distant night sky as he murmured to himself, “That idiot Kamo no Saizo was present when the Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl was first excavated. But he didn’t appreciate its true value and nature, and it was under these circumstances that he allowed Guardian Auctions to take such a priceless treasure back with them for just a few hundred million. And then, having discovered its true value, Guardian Auctions naturally refused to return the bowl to us. Even now, we’d only managed to barely secure our participation rights in the present auctions by virtue of the contract we’d entered into during the joint excavation project. Otherwise, how could we have been put through so much trouble in the first place?”

“Yes.” “Here.” Two voices responded calmly. If anyone else were around right now, they would most certainly be greatly astonished.

Furthermore, these two men were monks.

Hellguards!

“Oda Nobunaga’s soul. You, who come from Mount Koya, won’t let him off the hook, will you?” Master Kamo turned around and gazed deeply at the two men.

“Raising the banner of unification, he marched for us, claiming that he discriminates not between the north and the south, or the east and the west. And then, he slaughtered over three thousand in the wake of his march against us, having no regard for the weak and the frail and women and children! His titles of ‘Scourge of Buddha’ and ‘Demon King of the Sixth Heaven’ were forged with the flesh and blood of our people. Little did I expect that, after four long centuries, we would once again be presented with the opportunity to face the Scourge of Buddha once again.”

He lifted his head and squinted at the entrance to the room, “Let me make a gesture of appreciation by eliminating one of our competitors.”

“Secret art, Dusk of the Phoenix.” As soon as he finished speaking, a golden light immediately appeared underneath his feet, spewing out brilliant Sanskrit words that quickly transformed into the figure of an asura that pounced straight towards the door!

“Hmm?” Dojin and Jingo stood up abruptly at the same time and stared at the door with great astonishment. Master Kamo froze in place as he probed, “Was… somebody there earlier?”

This was not the silhouette of a human being.

Furthermore, the figure did not have the usual facial features one would expect of a human being. Instead, there was a deep crack on its chest where a person’s heart would usually be, and a blood-red eye peeked out from the depths of this crevice.

“It seems like we’re not the only ones with plans tonight…” Dojin murmured, “Guardian Auctions will most definitely be conducting the final verification of the auction goods tonight. After all, they wouldn’t be able to return if they discover their mistake only when they’re out at sea. These hidden entities… are also thinking of acting upon this window to seize possession of the Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl.”

“Find us a way to slip into Guardian Auction’s cargo hold. Then, all you need to do is to open the box, and leave the rest to us.”

Therefore, they weren’t aware of what went on outside soon afterwards. Just ten minutes later, the lights in the entire corridor outside flickered abruptly. Then, innumerable wisps of Yin energy appeared to pour out of nowhere amidst a cacophony of ghastly wails, before quickly swirling together to form a massive dark vortex in mid-air.

“Two Hellguards, huh…” He remarked with a husky voice right outside the door, before lifting his hand and caressing the door’s surface, “But… so what?”

“Our luck hasn’t been too great so far. Scarlet 17 was murdered by a Cathayan emissary, while I inadvertently stumbled upon the room of Onmyojis at my very first attempt at possessing a human body. However…”

“There’s no way that anyone would be able to return from the Strait of Tsushima alive!”

The scarlet eye scanned the empty hallway, “One hour’s time, huh? Well then, let’s see who would be so unlucky as to be picked by me…”

Takuma Asakura chewed his gum with some measure of irritation.

This was a small room of approximately fifty square feet, without any luxurious adornments or decors. Another equally buff young man sat on the sofa in the room, reading the newspapers in boredom. The man sitting on the sofa looked up at the tall man who was scratching his cheeks, “Go smoke in the bathroom if you wish. We won’t tell Steward Fujiwara. But…”

“Thank you.” Takuma Asakura couldn’t resist the urge any longer as he dashed straight into the washroom.

Click… He flicked open his lighter as soon as he entered the washroom. Crack! Pop! Just then, the lights in the room suddenly went out!

Someone…

Earlier, in the instant where the lights went out and his lighter was still on, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a dark figure standing to his left. Furthermore, he could tell that the other man’s head was tilted in a manner that was humanly impossible. And the most terrifying thing of all… was the fact that this man was staring right at him with a single, scarlet eye!

1. These are conjured beings of the Japanese folklore.

2. Oof. CRT TV vs 4K TV?