Vol. 1 Chapter 1

How dull. The old man cursed his life.

 

The old man was a sword-wielding fiend.

 

From a young age, he had been captivated by the swordsmanship of his master, who had survived the turmoil at the end of the Edo period. The old man had fallen in love with that murderous sword, honed through countless deadly battles.

 

He wished to devote his soul solely to the sword, just like his master, and eventually die with his throat slit in a deadly duel.

 

But such a wish was never granted.

 

The age of swords ended, and battlefields ruled by guns and cannons had no need for the old man. Swordsmanship had lost its deadly essence and had turned into a foolish pastime.

 

The old man was born in the wrong era.

 

Had he lived in the Sengoku period, he might have realized his wish. In an era where one could showcase the ultimate secrets of the sword in life-and-death battles.

 

But it was not so.

 

The old man now played the role of a disposable character in period dramas, pretending to be cut down by the slow and clumsy swords of amateurs.

 

Today too, an actor popular in town was swinging a ridiculous sword. Feeling foolish, the old man let out a scream and fell to the ground.

 

At that moment, his vision darkened.

 

His heart felt like it was burning. Clutching his chest in agony, the old man realized he was dying. The sounds around him became distant.

 

The old man was ending his life due to a mere illness. Despite wishing so fervently to die in a sword fight, this was his fate. What a cruel irony.

 

With tears streaming down, the old man prayed to a god for the first time in his life.

 

If only he could have a real duel with a worthy opponent, just once―――――.

 

“Young master, young master! Where on earth are you!”

 

The nagging servant passed by beneath me as I climbed a tree.

 

After confirming no one was around, I quietly descended into the garden, where the plum blossoms were in full bloom.

 

If caught, I would be forced to study boring waka poetry.

 

Hiding in the shadows of the trees, I slowly readied the stick in my hand.

 

Gently, I swung the stick down. Moving away from the lavish mansion, I was solely focused on refining my sword skills.

 

I, who was once an old man, found myself a boy before I knew it.

 

In this somewhat old-fashioned world, which might have been called the Heian period in my previous world, I was apparently a noble’s child.

 

But such trivialities did not matter to me.

 

“…Iso Kami Akitsugu.”

 

That was my name in this life. And I recognized that name.

 

In the movie where I played a disposable role, the noble defeated by the protagonist Onmyoji in the original manga had the exact same name.

 

Supernatural creatures roamed freely, and people lived in fear of the dark night.

 

In that magical capital where the protagonist uses his Onmyoji skills to navigate adventures, I remembered seeing my name.

 

Indeed, wasn’t I the evil noble who despised the protagonist due to my lowly origins and harassed him?

 

Born into a great Onmyoji family but neglecting my training in favor of play, I was eventually devoured by the protagonist’s Shikigami.

 

In other words, if this world was the same as that manga, I was destined for ruin.

 

Knowing I would die a gruesome death at the protagonist’s hands without living long, I couldn’t suppress my smile.

 

What a predicament, truly a predicament.

 

―――Which means I get to have a life-or-death duel with a strong opponent.

 

If prayers lead to this outcome, I should have revered the gods and Buddhas more. To think they would grant my long-abandoned wish.

 

The protagonist is ultimately revered as the guardian deity of the capital and the progenitor of Onmyoji.

 

Such an opponent is not lacking.

 

I will devote my life to the sword, mastering its secrets at the cost of my life. And in the end, I will die in a true duel.

 

With an ecstatic expression, I embraced myself.

 

What a blessed era to be born into, where demons lurk everywhere and the scent of death pervades.

 

I have no complaints if I meet my end at the hands of a genius Onmyoji.

 

Imagining my yet unseen nemesis, I smiled like a cherry blossom in full bloom.

 

“Let us have a fair fight, my lifelong enemy――――.”