Crossover Anime: I'm at Shuchiin Academy, and my surname is Uchiha.

Chapter 129 Evil Monster?

After school, I would pick Shirasaki Hana up and take her home, then have snacks with her while she did her homework, and then... sleep separately.

A peaceful and joyful day passed by just like that. Although I wanted to maintain this stable life, the invitation from Matoba Seiji and the request from Maki Ryukuri finally arrived on the weekend.

.....

At 10 a.m., on a riverbank in the suburbs far from the city, Uchiha Ryo stood alone in front of a black sedan.

Seiji Madoka pushed open the car door, still wearing that black suit, his right eye wrapped in an unknown talisman, as if he was on guard against something.

"Young friend Uchiha, let's go."

Get in the car and head to Matoba Ichimon's secluded mansion somewhere in the Tokyo area. According to Matoba Seiji, this gathering of exorcists is intended to lure out the guy who attacked them.

Matoba Seiji: "You're still a high school student, right? Although you're a civilian I invited to help, please be careful when you get there. Some bad-tempered guys really hate other exorcists."

"Of course, if you and Natsume can both join the Toba clan, I can protect people like you who... aren't very powerful but can see yokai."

Uchiha Ryo: "Mr. Matoba...you're wearing the same suit both last time and this time. Is the Matoba family that poor?"

Seiji Matoba: "....."

"We just visited some important people. The higher the position, the more they know, and the more superstitious they become. The Dechang family, as a family that has been exorcising demons for hundreds of years, has many family friends."

"We've arrived at the Toba family's villa. The gathering is in half an hour. You can go back to your room to change your clothes later. Of course, you can also wear a mask if you don't want to reveal your identity."

A huge courtyard, no less impressive than the Shinomiya mansion, came into view. This gathering of hundreds of exorcists from the Tokyo area did not interest Uchiha Ryo much; he just wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

"Welcome back, Sect Master."

Upon entering the gate, the members of the Matoba clan respectfully looked at Matoba Seiji, while several strange-looking but humanoid yokai slowly appeared, protecting Matoba Seiji on either side.

Uchiha Ryo: "A shikigami, huh...."

A tall, humanoid creature, thin and with skin as black as ink, was staring at Uchiha Ryo with its face, whose features were completely indistinguishable.

The other old man, wearing a tengu mask, followed behind Masaji with a casual demeanor.

However, Uchiha Ryo looked at the third one... the light brown-haired boy wearing a fox mask.

"Oh my, young friend Uchiha, are you interested in my shikigami? This kind of spirit fox is rare even in the whole country. It took me a lot of effort to find it."

Uchiha Ryo stepped forward, looked at the fox-masked boy, and suddenly smiled.

"A spirit fox?"

"Stay away from me! Demon hunter..."

The boy bared his teeth, but the fox in human form didn't show any ferocity.

Matoba Seiji: "This is my newly acquired shikigami. Don't let his appearance fool you, he actually has a very fierce temper."

Uchiha Ryo nodded and walked past the boy in the fox mask.

"I know your sister. Shut up, or you'll die if you don't want to. Follow me."

A faint sound reached his ears, and Masaki's face beneath the Thousand Hands mask was filled with surprise. Meanwhile, Uchiha Ryo and Matoba Seiji had already walked far away.

In the empty room, Matoba Seiji pushed open the door and looked at the wardrobe and the dressing table on one side.

"The gathering is about to begin. You can change your clothes or wear a mask to hide your identity. After all, demon hunters are not very friendly with each other, and it would be dangerous if your identity were exposed in the civilian world."

Uchiha Ryo walked straight into the room. There was no need to change his clothes, but he did notice the various masks on the dressing table.

"How come you even made masks from comic books?"

Seiji Matoba: "Our family's mask maker really likes them, so we made quite a few."

Uchiha Ryo casually picked up a tiger skin mask and put it on.

"No need to change your clothes, let's go. Have you found the mastermind's plan yet?"

Seiji Matoba: "I have a rough idea of ​​what kind of monster is causing trouble, and I have already found a way to deal with it. I'm just waiting for it to appear, and that's when I'll make my move."

Uchiha Ryo chuckled lightly, "Since you've already guessed what kind of monster it is, why did you gather so many demon hunters?"

Matoba Seiji sighed, "The monster is too cunning, but given its hatred for exorcists, it will definitely appear at the event."

Uchiha Ryo raised his head and suddenly opened his eyes...

The exorcist gathering officially began, and Uchiha Ryo, wearing a tiger-skin mask, sat alone at a round table. Such lone exorcists were not uncommon at the gathering, so no one bothered him.

However, a little fox sat down next to him and looked at Uchiha Rin with an unfriendly expression.

"Who are you? How do you know my sister? What are you doing here?!"

Uchiha Ryo: "Well, calm down. Don't end up being someone's tool to lure the enemy without even realizing it."

Masaki Senju: "What the hell are you talking about...?"

The little fox was already unhappy about being forced to temporarily become a shikigami, and now there's this enigmatic person whose relationship with her sister is unknown.

"You can see for yourself what I'm saying."

Shinki Senju stared blankly at Uchiha Ryo's eyes beneath his mask, and the next moment, he found himself deep in a forest.

here it is....

"This is Seiji's memory..."

Masaki Senju finds himself observing the young Matoba Seiji and many other exorcists from the Matoba clan from an outsider's perspective.

The once lush forest was turned into wasteland by the battle between humans and monsters.

Dozens of demon hunters were covered in bandages, as if they had just finished a battle, and many more were lying on the ground receiving first aid.

Shinju Senju looked towards the center of the wasteland, where a huge fox corpse, as tall as a three-story building, lay. The fox's body had been mangled beyond recognition by the Demon-Slaying Arrows and other shikigami attacks.

Uchiha Ryo stared quietly at Senju Shinju, while the other felt something burning hot in his eyes, which flowed uncontrollably.

So, this is where Mom died...

"Finally, we've taken her down. The fox's pelt can fetch a lot of money. It's just a pity that her soul escaped, otherwise my clan could have controlled another powerful shikigami."

12-year-old Shizuka Matoba raised her head.

"Why are we hunting monsters in the deep mountains? Didn't they already sign a non-aggression pact with the Onmyoji...?"

The previous sect leader looked at the fox demon's corpse. "They were demons, that's enough. Demon hunters kill demons, it's only right. Besides, the most important thing in this world isn't any agreement, it's profit!"

"The Matoba family has fallen from grace, and we need the support of those in power! We also need new shikigami!"

Masaki Senju gritted her teeth, "So this is where it is... Mom! Ten years ago, it was so that we could safely reach the Divine Tree that humans surrounded us here..."

Although she had long suspected that her mother might have been killed by humans, Senju Masaki still couldn't help but look at the cold, lifeless corpse.

"Yes, the Matoba clan killed my mother. Why...? We didn't do anything, we just stayed in the mountains and never had any contact with humans! And why did Matoba Seiji... bring me here?!"

Uchiha Ryo, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke.

"According to Matoba Seiji's memories, the souls of the spirit fox clan are no less powerful than their physical bodies. Your mother's soul fought desperately to break through the encirclement, but lost her mind and became a monster that only knew how to seek revenge against demon hunters."

"They will use a large number of exorcists to lure out the spirit fox's soul, and use you, a living spirit fox, as a vessel to forcibly refine your and your mother's souls into the shikigami of the Mato clan."

"..."

Masaki Senju slumped to the ground, his voice growing increasingly hoarse.

"Heh... Hahahaha, why? We live far from humans, and just because we're monsters, we're to be exterminated by exorcists?! We're just living a peaceful life... Why do they have to eliminate us for no reason?!"

The fox clan is already rare, and they have no interest in the struggle between humans and demons. The fox mother's cold body did not show despair, because she knew that her three children should survive under the protection of the divine tree.

"And what about you! Why did you let me know all this? Did you want me to die knowing why?!"

Uchiha Ryo's eyes, hidden beneath his mask, kept turning, eventually transforming into a kaleidoscope shape.

"I told you, your sister asked me to save you, so if you don't want to die, shut up and don't do anything."

Outside, Seiji Matoba stood in the center of the venue, announcing the reason for calling everyone to gather today. He also revealed the truth behind the recent disappearances of exorcists!

"An evil fox demon has set its sights on humanity. This demon, driven by a desire to devour exorcists and grow stronger, relentlessly slaughters like a monster. And today, I have gathered you all here to utterly annihilate that fox!"

Roar--

A gigantic, translucent fox, accompanied by a deafening roar, tore apart the ceiling of the entire mansion. The murderous fox, with its blood-red eyes, lunged at Seiji Matoba.

At the same time, Matoba Seiji seemed to have been prepared, and the shikigami behind him drew a longbow and shot at the fox.

A black phantom wearing a tiger-skin mask flashed by, and a large black hand directly gripped the neck of the giant fox head. The shikigami's demon-slaying arrow was also shattered upon contact with the black skeleton.

Uchiha Ryo stood in the center of the venue, in front of Matoba Seiji, his entire body surrounded by a black, skeletal-like energy body.

Seiji Matoba: "You! What are you doing?!"

At this moment, a large number of feathers suddenly fell from directly above. The phantom of white feathers drifted in the air, and everyone who saw the feathers falling everywhere was unconsciously attacked by the sleep demon and fell asleep.

This is... the art of Nirvana Abode!

Uchiha Ryo: "Now that we've cleared out the bystanders... Mr. Toba, I've caught the real culprit for you. How will the entire Toba clan thank me?"