Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

"Pfft—"

In the spacious Busujima dojō, a harsh snicker echoed throughout the quiet training hall.

Subaru quickly composed herself and put on a serious face. She hadn't meant to laugh — it just slipped out.

Daiki had slaughtered the Kyoto Jujutsu Community with a Domain radius covering a kilometer. If someone were to say he possessed strength that dominated the entire Jujutsu World, she would have nothing to say against it — in fact, she would strongly agree.

After all, his power was beyond question. As far as the Jujutsu World was concerned, calling him the "Strongest Sorcerer in History" was indisputable.

Subaru was one of the Twelve Guardians, standing at the pinnacle of Onmyōji. She had access to historical truths beyond what those in the Jujutsu World knew.

In the secret records of the Bureau of Onmyō, there once appeared a King of Impurities who gathered all the world's Curses and negative forces. Its abilities were terrifyingly powerful, with even casual strikes causing horror.

Any human touched by the King of Impurities, including Onmyōji, would instantly become a Fallen Being — an ancestor of the current Impurities — and begin killing indiscriminately, friend or foe.

The strongest contemporary Onmyōji of the Bureau of Onmyō, Abe no Seimei, personally led twelve Shikigami into battle, creating a massive dimensional barrier — the Magano. The King of Impurities was sealed within it, and leading all the elite Onmyōji of the Bureau at the time, they entered to completely eliminate the Impurity.

However... This strongest Onmyōji became permanently lost in the Magano. The entire Bureau of Onmyō's power sharply declined, and with the need to maintain the Spiritual Vein seals, Onmyōji basically vanished from sight.

This led to the later Golden Age of the Jujutsu World.

Such decline of Onmyōji wasn't the first time it had happened.

The previous generation's Mage Associations faced a similar situation. Due to losing their loyal Demon King and strongest members, the Associations' power and ruling position instantly crumbled.

This gave the Bureau of Onmyō the chance to develop, producing genius Onmyōji like Abe no Seimei, though unfortunately she became permanently lost in the Magano, simultaneously leading the Golden Age of Onmyōji to its end.

{T/N: Yes, Abe no Seimei is a woman in Twin Star Exorcists.}

Both shared almost identical endings.

Analyzing the pattern of history repeating itself, it should be time for Sorcerers to decline. The most outrageous outcome would be the Strongest of the Jujutsu World, leading the other elite Sorcerers, entering somewhere only to be completely wiped out again.

This would give Devil Hunters a chance to breathe, and either a strongest Devil or strongest Devil Hunter would emerge to raise the Hunter's banner.

"Speaking of which, the Jujutsu Era has lasted long enough. With ruling-class power and a reckless personality, you really do seem like a doomed ruler, Inspector General Daiki!" Subaru gazed at him with an inexplicable meaning, her serious expression mixed with emotions others couldn't comprehend.

Saeko couldn't guess what the woman was thinking.

"What, you don't believe me?" Daiki calmly looked at her.

Subaru waved her hand with a smile, "If you say Inspector General Daiki's strength surpasses all past and present, I believe that. But swordsmanship causing multi-dimensional refraction..."

Simple swordsmanship causing multi-dimensional refraction.

Rather than believe this, she might as well believe that she, Subaru Mitejima, was the reincarnation of the great Onmyōji, Abe no Seimei — after all, they were both women.

Though it sounds far-fetched, the Abe no Seimei who sealed the King of Impurities really was a little girl, or at least looked like one.

"It's not that I don't believe you, but seeing is believing! Why don't we have a match using just your pure swordsmanship, Inspector General?" To save Saeko from being deceived by him, she was willing to challenge him to a duel.

"Of course!"

Daiki's answer made it difficult for Subaru to suppress her smile. She could already imagine his miserable defeat under her gun.

Even if he was powerful enough to conquer the world, this match wasn't about that — it was about pure swordsmanship. You can't be the best chef and also master shōgi!

Even though Daiki could, she just didn't know it yet.

She quickly said, "Don't say I'm bullying you. Since sword attacks have a short range, let's do this — we'll fight within seven steps. Seven steps is about five meters."

Today, she would teach this Inspector General of the Jujutsu World that guns are fast beyond seven steps, and both fast and accurate within seven steps.

Her light machine gun isn't some fashionable but useless sniper rifle!

Saeko hurriedly tried to dissuade them, "Let's not do this. Daiki-sama's swordsmanship isn't something I could ever master."

After all, she had invited both of them as guests. Whoever lost face, it would count as her failing as a host.

"It's fine!"

"No problem!"

Daiki and Subaru said in unison.

As it happened, he also wanted to test the true power of Tsubame Gaeshi.

Under Saeko's helpless gaze, the two stood in the middle of the dojō, seven steps apart, facing each other. Daiki was already holding a sword he had borrowed from the girl.

"Inspector General Daiki, want me to let you take two steps first? Let's agree beforehand — don't get angry if you lose, and you can't use any other abilities, only your multi-dimensional refraction swordsmanship!" Subaru held her light machine gun, pointing it at him.

The dark barrel made Saeko's scalp tingle.

Could mere swordsmanship stand against a light machine gun formed from Spiritual Energy? In terms of speed and power, how could a sword possibly compare?

"Begin!" Saeko bit her crimson lips with pearl-like teeth. With half-lidded eyes, she announced the start of the match.

Subaru's mouth curved into an excited smile as she adjusted the Spiritual Energy bullets to non-lethal force and pulled the trigger at Daiki.

۞ Hiken: Tsubame Gaeshi — Secret Sword: Swallow Return! ۞

Gripping the bamboo sword, Daiki unleashed his secret technique.

The first strike shot straight at Subaru's light machine gun, cleaving toward the weapon before continuing past her left shoulder — the sword trail soaring through space like a heavenly steed.

The second strike arced upward diagonally at her white wide-brimmed hat, painting a perfect curve of sword light in the air.

The third strike moved like a master butcher's blade, its trail curving like an antelope's horn, impossible to predict while cutting off any escape.

With each strike, time reversed to the moment before the previous one, allowing another sword trail to manifest. These three strikes from different dimensions collapsed into a single moment — before Subaru could complete her trigger pull, three sword trails materialized simultaneously.

Though Daiki made only one physical strike, three distinct paths appeared, existing in perfect synchronicity with no sequence between them.

How could such a thing be possible?

Subaru's pupils contracted sharply as a sword trail traced the bullet's path and sliced clean through her light machine gun.

Her hands suddenly felt empty as her Spiritual Energy weapon split in two, dispersing into fragments in the air.

But what of the other two strikes?

Under Saeko's astonished gaze, the mature woman's elegant clothes suddenly fell away, forcing her to cover herself in mortification.

Her golden hair cascaded to her thighs, transforming her appearance entirely from the composed figure who had worn the white wide-brimmed hat moments before.

Face burning with shame, she jabbed an accusing finger at Daiki.

He calmly sheathed his sword and said, "Challenging the strong comes with consequences. Remember what you said — don't get angry if you lose."

Subaru was dumbfounded — she had never encountered such twisted logic.

No wonder he hadn't argued during their exchange. This had been his plan all along.

In the dojō, there were only three people present: Daiki, Saeko, and herself.

Daiki lifted his teacup and observed her with quiet composure.

Finally, Saeko, her cheeks flushed pink, retrieved a kimono for Subaru to wear, though her gaze lingered on him with unmistakable yearning.

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