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Benio Adashino dashed through the empty shopping street, her heart racing with a quiet urgency. A strange phenomenon called the "Magano" had appeared here, and as an Onmyoji master, she couldn't ignore it. It was her duty to step in.
Over a thousand years ago, the legendary Abe no Seimei crafted the Magano, a dimensional barrier to seal away something known as the "King of Impurities." Inside this barrier, the air hung heavy with miasma, a toxic haze that marked it as a battleground between Onmyoji masters and the impurities they fought. Only those deemed exceptional by the Onmyoji Union earned the right to use a Gate Talisman and enter this hidden realm. Once, it existed to shield people from these evils, but over time, its purpose faded from memory. Now, only a handful of Onmyoji master families knew how to access it.
"There's no time to waste. I can't let the Magano spread any further!" The small girl in a gray-black sailor uniform pulled a white Gate Talisman from her bag. With a quick surge of spiritual energy, she tossed it forward.
In an instant, the world changed. The bright blue sky turned a deep, bloody red. A foul stench filled the air, sharp and nauseating. The streets, shop windows, and parked cars around her looked the same as in the real world, but everything was drenched in that crimson glow. It felt wrong, unsettling.
Benio took a steadying breath and stepped through the glowing white gate into the Magano.
Inside, a massive creature loomed; like a small mountain with no eyes or nose, just a gaping maw. Black tentacles stretched from its body, slamming into nearby buildings. Under the rubble, a few trembling humans huddled, their faces pale with fear. They were unlucky souls who'd stumbled into this nightmare.
The monster's skin shimmered with colors like a deep-sea fish. Its tentacles whipped around, and every so often, eyes would blink open on them before closing again. It was the kind of thing that belonged in a bad dream.
"I have to take out this impurity fast," Benio thought, her face tightening. She reached into her bag, grabbed a few talismans, and pressed them against herself.
A burst of light flared up. A delicate fox mask appeared over her small face, and her slender hands and tiny frame were soon covered in protective curse gear and weapons.
'Impurities come from human emotions: anger, hatred, sadness, regret,' she reminded herself. 'They grow stronger by killing people or other impurities, feeding on that negativity. When their curse power hits a certain level, they turn into something terrifying called a Basara.'
She'd faced these monsters countless times, but the basics still ran through her mind. 'So when you fight them, you have to be quick, sharp, and merciless. That's the only way to stop trouble later.'
That was her job as a Onmyoji master.
She activated three talismans: "Diamond Talisman: Armor of Karma" for defense, "Thunder Wrist Talisman: Rock-Shattering Lion Limb" for strength, and "Vidyaraja Talisman: Flying Swift Feet" for speed.
Light flashed again, and her speed spiked. She leaped through the air, gripping her oversized sword, and charged at the octopus-like impurity's head.
"Roar!!"
The creature noticed her right away. Its tentacles lashed out like a storm, trying to block her path.
Boom!
A deep rumble shook the ground. Benio darted like lightning, weaving through the tentacles, but she was a hair too slow. One struck her, sending her flying back.
"Damn it!"
She hit the ground hard, sliding across it with a trail of sparks. Her body ached, but the Diamond Talisman kept her safe. This thing's speed was its strength–fast and relentless, catching her off guard.
Whoosh!
It didn't let her rest for a moment.. In seconds, it fired a blast of compressed air straight at her.
"Not good!"
Her expression shifted. She pushed off the ground, launching herself back just as a massive tentacle smashed the rooftop she'd been on. The shockwave turned nearby buildings to dust, and the pavement cracked under the force.
'To beat this thing, I need to be faster or distract it,' she thought. Years of experience kicked in, and a plan formed.
"Come on, big guy, chase me!"
Her small figure darted between buildings, pulling the creature's attention to her. She held a few more talismans, waiting for the right moment.
Bang! Bang!
She ran through the empty streets, her senses sharp. She didn't need to look back, the crashing sounds told her everything. Her movements were light, always dodging just in time.
The impurity was huge, but it was fast….faster than a speeding car. Its tentacles stretched hundreds of meters, giving it a wide reach.
"Now!"
Dodging its attacks, Benio adjusted her pace and saw her chance.
"Red Flame Talisman, activate!"
The talisman sparked, unleashing a wave of fire. The creature flinched as the flames hit, slowing it down.
She seized the moment, sprinting along one of its giant tentacles like a tightrope. In the steamy heat, she lit another Red Flame Talisman.
Whoosh!
Her sword flared with fire as she drove it into the impurity's body. Sliding down its side, she shouted, "Absolute Fire: Ashes!"
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Blood poured from the wound like water hitting a hot pan, pooling on the ground. The air filled with the sharp smell of burnt flesh.
"Ah!!!"
The creature wailed, a deep, piercing sound like a whale's cry. But it was too late. Benio had outmaneuvered it. After several clashes, it weakened, and she stabbed her sword through its head.
A glowing pentagram flashed on its body. Then, it crumbled into black smoke and vanished.
"Whew… It's over. You all should get out of here," Benio said, landing softly. She smiled at the survivors, urging them to leave.
But then, several strong presences appeared, freezing her in place.
"More impurities? How?" she muttered, tense.
"Hey, do you know where the 'Tyrant' is?"
A familiar male voice cut through the air behind her.
"That voice…" Benio trembled, turning to face a figure she'd never forget. Anger surged in her chest.
"You… You're Kamui?!"
"Oh, you know me?"
The boy called Kamui had light purple curly hair, one golden eye, and one black-red dot. He was short but muscular, with a strange chessboard-like pattern on his stomach.
"Whatever. I'm here for the 'Tyrant.' You've got 10 seconds to tell me, or you're dead."
His cold, arrogant tone was all too familiar. Benio's small body shook, her eyes blazing with hate behind her fox mask.
"Six years ago, you killed my parents like this!"
Fury took over. She moved faster than ever, gripping her sword and slashing at him.
Slash! Slash!
Her strikes cut through the air, sending out waves of energy. Kamui's vision blurred as hundreds of sword strikes flew at him.
"You don't even remember the Onmyoji masters you've killed?"
"Six years ago, you crushed that couple with your hands!"
Her figure flickered, splitting into countless shadows rushing him. She shook with rage, never expecting a routine job to bring her face-to-face with her parents' killer.
"Ha, spare me that boring lecture. Does an elephant remember the ants it steps on?"
To Kamui, her story was boring. As an impurity, he'd killed too many to count.
He smirked and threw a punch. It looked casual, but it hit like a mountain.
Clang!
Her sword snapped in two, the broken half spinning into the sky.
"Not good!"
She tried to pull back, but the ground shook. The earth split, flipping her into the air. She landed a few meters away, stunned.
"After all these years of training, I can't even stop one punch?"
Frustration and shame hit her hard. She bit her lip until it bled, not noticing.
"So, you lived this long just for revenge?"
Kamui pulled back his hand, giving her a faint smile as she sobbed.
"Humans are funny. You create us from your hate, but you're powerless against us… even though you made us." He stepped closer as she stared at him, hopeless.
"Ugh… cough!!"
His dark hand grabbed her neck, squeezing until she couldn't breathe turning her face purple.
"I remember now. I did kill an Onmyoji master couple. They were fun. I held them like this, asking if they'd save you or themselves…"
"Before I finished counting, they both said you. But that was dull. I wanted to see humans get selfish in the face of death, so I killed them both."
"Now, your choice: die, crushed like your parents, or strangled right here!"
He loosened his grip just enough for her to gasp.
"Go to hell, monster! Even as a ghost, I'll never forgive you!"
She laughed weakly, summoning whatever energy she had left to fight.
But Kamui tightened his hold again.
"Same boring answer as your parents. You're no fun either."
He was done playing. Just as he moved to finish her, a sharp sound stopped him.
He turned to see a blonde girl, trembling, her hand over her mouth. On her wrist glowed a red Command Seal.
"Hm?" It sparked a memory. He dropped Benio, tossing her aside, and flashed over to Kitagawa Marin.
"Interesting. That symbol's got huge energy, locked in your weak body in a way I've never seen. Tell me what it is."
"I-I won't tell you." Marin, who'd wandered into the Magano by mistake, sensed danger. She activated her Command Seal without hesitation.
Boom!
A fist wrapped in black-red lightning shot out, growing huge. It smashed Kamui like swatting a bug, sending him flying.
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