The Strongest Sorcerer, Chapter 36: The Severity of the Shibuya Incident

At Seika Dormitory.

“I’m back.”

A boy with black and red hair and fire-red eyes walked into the house, his expression full of disappointment.

He had just confessed to a girl in his class. And as expected...

He got rejected.

Sigh…

“Rokuro, you’re back?”

A loud voice called from the living room.

‘Step, step, step—’

The sound of footsteps echoed on the wooden floor.

A man wearing a white kariginu (traditional hunting attire), with spiky hair and a braided lock near his ear, walked toward him.

Seeing the man in his white kariginu, the boy—no, Enmadou Rokuro—raised his eyes slightly before looking down again. He changed into his indoor shoes and asked in a low voice.

“Ryougo, is there another Kegare nearby? It’s dinnertime right now; can’t we deal with it after eating?”

“No, the situation is urgent. Dinner will have to wait.”

Ryogo Nagitsuji immediately rejected the suggestion, his face serious.

If you looked closely, you could see the tension and urgency in his eyes.

Rokuro froze for a moment.

Even if there was a Kegare nearby, there was usually no need to rush out like this. Most of the time, Kegare didn’t pose an immediate threat to humans.

Unless it was a particularly strong Kegare—like a Snake-class or True Snake-class—that could barely break through Magano and forcibly drag people with innate cursed energy into it.

As for Basara, only high-ranking figures in the Onmyoji world had detailed knowledge of them. Ordinary Onmyoji didn’t need to know about them, as most would never encounter one in their lifetime.

Before Rokuro could respond, Ryogo turned and shouted anxiously toward the hallway inside the house.

“Atsushi! Shinnosuke! Are you ready yet?”

“We’re coming, we’re coming!”

“I was just looking for the talisman to unlock the Gate to Magano!”

Two men, also dressed in white kariginu, rushed out from one of the rooms in the hallway.

They were Atsushi Sukumozuka and Shinnosuke Kuzaki.

“Oh, Rokuro, you’re back!”

“Don’t wait for us for dinner; you guys go ahead and eat,” the two said, greeting Rokuro briefly before turning back to their task.

Without saying much else, the three of them announced, “We’re heading out!” and hurriedly got into a van parked outside the house.

As the van sped off into the distance, Rokuro stood there, confusion still evident in his expression.

Just then, an elderly figure emerged from the depths of the hallway. The old man’s voice was slow and deliberate, as though explaining things to Rokuro.

“I heard from Ryogo that this time it’s a large-scale Kegare incident. Over a thousand people have disappeared in Shibuya. Onmyoji from all over Tokyo, as well as Exorcists from the private Exorcist academies, have been mobilized. Even Onmyoji from nearby cities have started heading there.”

Over a thousand people disappeared?!

Rokuro’s pupils shrank sharply.

Even Exorcists from private schools had been deployed. That alone showed just how severe the situation was.

Kyoto, Onmyoji Headquarters.

Tsuchimikado Arima had just received the news about the Shibuya incident. His usual sly and playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a grave and serious expression.

“Even if there’s a massive gathering of Snake-class and True Snake-class Kegare, it shouldn’t be possible to pull over a thousand people into Magano.”

His fingers were interlocked, resting on the wooden desk in front of him as he pondered the situation.

“Could a Basara have intervened? No, that doesn’t seem likely either. Even a Basara wouldn’t be capable of something on this scale.”

An unknown force—a hidden hand—must have interfered, destabilizing the balance between the two worlds.

The thought made Arima’s expression grow even darker.

“Mikage-kun!” he called out suddenly.

“I’m here,” came the reply as the door opened.

A man with dark skin, dressed in a black robe, stepped inside.

“Which of the Twelve Guardians is closest to Tokyo right now?” Arima asked.

“The Twelve Guardians? I believe Seigen-sama is the closest. He returned to Tokyo just yesterday for some family matters,” Mikage replied after a moment of thought.

Seigen Amawaka, huh? That’s not enough.

Arima narrowed his eyes.

Even against a Basara, it was better for the Twelve Guardians to avoid facing them alone. And now, this Kegare incident had an unknown mastermind behind it, which made the situation even more precarious.

“Wait… how could I forget about him?”

Suddenly recalling the presence of a certain white-haired individual in Tokyo, Arima unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

If it was him, there was no doubt he could handle every single Kegare involved in this incident by himself. Even if the mastermind showed up, their death was almost guaranteed.

Still, to be on the safe side, it would be best to send a few more of the Twelve Guardians.

“Mikage-kun, notify Subaru Mitejima and Tatara. Have them use transfer talismans to head to Shibuya immediately!”

Heh heh, Gojo-kun, aren’t I great? I even sent your “old friends” to help you. No need to thank me.

Arima smirked to himself, picturing Gojo’s "grateful" expression in his mind. Hands on his hips, he let out a hearty laugh, clearly amused by his own imagination.