The Strongest Sorcerer, Chapter 40: The Dense Miasma of Magano

After stepping out of the commercial building, Umaru and the others saw a group of around twenty people dressed in white exorcist robes gathered at the entrance.

There were both men and women, none of whom looked older than thirty.

“So… these are Onmyoji?”

Umaru gazed at them curiously, her thoughts racing.

This wasn’t how she had imagined Onmyoji to be. Shouldn’t they be wielding talismans and unleashing bolts of fire, wind, and lightning? Why did each of them have a cold weapon instead?

What Umaru didn’t know was that modern Onmyoji were vastly different from their ancient counterparts.

In ancient times, Onmyoji indeed primarily relied on talismans, with only a few using enchanted cold weapons. But in the modern era, using exorcist-enhanced weapons imbued with yin-yang cursed energy not only greatly increased their chances of survival but also significantly amplified their effectiveness against Kegare.

While all Onmyoji were taught basic talisman techniques, these had largely fallen out of practical use since they were far less effective than modern cursed-energy equipment.

Of course, this didn’t apply to the ancient Onmyoji families. Their talismans and spells were in a league of their own, incomparable to what ordinary Onmyoji used.

“Umaru, Raerae, don’t you feel like the air is getting darker and heavier?”

Suddenly, Masuzu Natsukawa broke the silence with a cautious observation.

She tilted her head back, her delicate face staring intently into the distance, a peculiar unease etched in her expression.

For some reason, an ominous feeling stirred in her heart.

Darker air?

Umaru and Ebina Nana exchanged glances, then scanned their surroundings.

And sure enough, the faint gray haze that had previously lingered in the air was now much thicker, resembling dense smog blanketing the area.

“It’s definitely gotten worse, and it smells terrible!”

Ebina wrinkled her nose in discomfort, waving her small hands in front of her face as though fanning the air would help.

Her reaction made Umaru and Masuzu silently nod in agreement.

Truthfully, the smell was hard to describe. It wasn’t like anything they’d encountered before—it was simply foul, unreasonably so.

‘Clap, clap, clap.’

At that moment, a female Onmyoji approached, clapping her hands to gather everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me for a moment.”

The noisy crowd of over a hundred people instantly fell silent.

After all, these were Onmyoji—their only hope of escaping Magano and returning to the real world.

The female Onmyoji seemed satisfied with the immediate response. She nodded and began to speak.

“In a moment, we will open the Gate to Reality. Once you return to the real world, others will be there to receive you. They will ask you a few questions, so don’t be afraid—they are also Onmyoji…”

“Captain! Kegare sighted up ahead! Everyone, prepare to engage!”

A loud warning rang out from the rear of the group.

The female Onmyoji froze momentarily before furrowing her brow deeply.

Why now? Why couldn’t the Kegare have come earlier or later—why did it have to show up at this exact moment?

She sighed inwardly but quickly composed herself. At least the most important instructions had already been given. It was better to deal with the Kegare now than risk this group of ordinary people panicking later when they returned to the real world.

After all, ordinary people were kept ignorant of the supernatural world by design. Anyone who accidentally entered Magano or encountered Kegare would have their memories erased to maintain the illusion of a peaceful, normal life.

“Makino, take a few others and open the Gate to Reality immediately. Get them out of here first!”

The female Onmyoji quickly issued her orders to a man nearby.

“Understood, Captain. Once they’re through, you should return as well,” Makino replied with a firm nod.

He gestured for several other Onmyoji to join him, preparing to use talismans to open the gate.

Meanwhile, the remaining Onmyoji formed a defensive perimeter around the group, ready to fend off the approaching Kegare.

Makino, leading five other Onmyoji, pulled talismans from their waists in unison. Together, they began chanting.

“The Gate to Reality, open!”

Six voices echoed simultaneously.

Silence.

Nothing happened.

“What? That’s impossible!”

Makino’s voice trembled with shock.

Never in his experience had the Gate to Reality failed to open.

“Makino! What’s going on? Why haven’t you opened the gate yet?”

The female Onmyoji’s frustrated shout came from the distance.

Makino didn’t respond immediately. He simply took a deep breath, exchanged glances with the other five Onmyoji, and nodded grimly.

Once again, they tried.

“The Gate to Reality, open!”

This time, they poured nearly all of their cursed energy into the spell.

A faint hum resonated in the air, and a glowing, three-meter-tall golden gate resembling a talisman began to materialize.

“Quick! Everyone, run through it!”

Makino shouted urgently, his right hand trembling from exertion.

But just as the first person took a step forward, the golden gate flickered and vanished.

Makino and the other five Onmyoji collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.

“Damn it! Why can’t we keep the gate open, even with all our energy combined?”

Makino’s voice was filled with frustration and disbelief.

Opening the Gate to Reality—or even the Gate to Magano—should have required only a small amount of cursed energy. Why was it impossible now, even with six Onmyoji working together?

Lying on the ground, Makino tried to stand, but his body refused to cooperate. His head spun, his vision blurred, and fatigue overwhelmed him.

“No… it’s not us. It’s the miasma… something’s wrong with the miasma!”

Finally, Makino realized the truth—the dense miasma in the air was the cause.