How did things turn out like this?
It was a fateful night during the Heian period. As I lay on the verge of death, my manor burning to the ground around me, that was the only thought that crossed my mind.
I had lost nearly all my talismans, and my shikigami had all been sealed. The kishin that had been my trump card, still burning with blue flames, lay defeated, its corpse flattening my manor. My left arm was gone, preventing me from making hand signs, and my lungs were full of smoke, so I couldn’t even chant mantras.
Hailed as the most powerful exorcist in history and feared as “the Parade of One Hundred Spirits” and “Hell’s Gatekeeper,” I had lived for over a hundred years yet still appeared youthful. However, that all ended here.
I had sought power from a young age. I had thought that as long as I had ample strength, no one would be able to take from me. I had thought I would be happy. I had obtained the power I so desired and become the strongest—and then I’d lost it all.
Scheming and betrayal—that deadly combination had slain the strongest exorcist. It had all been planned, from my disciples being taken hostage to being forced to make an enemy of the Imperial Court. Then there was her, shedding tears as she’d come to kill me. It was flawless.
I didn’t know which noble or member of the imperial family orchestrated it, but they had truly driven me into a corner. All the strength at my disposal was useless. There was a limit to what power could achieve. I should have strategized and surrounded myself with allies.
What I had lacked was now all too clear—cunning. No matter. Next time, I’ll do better.
With my trembling right hand, I made an incomplete hand sign. I chanted a quiet mantra through my scorched throat. The single talisman I had protected above all else floated up into the smoke. In my final moments, I used a secret art—the Spell of Reincarnation.
I would try again, one more time. I had no idea how Japan would change in the future. It was likely that I would be reborn in a different country entirely. But this time I wouldn’t fail. In my next life, I would be happy.
The talisman emitted a light, and a magic circle appeared, centered around me. My consciousness faded away. And then, I—