I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [137] [30 PS]

Bonus chapters are like surprise blossoms—unexpected, yet full of joy! 🌱

---

Tiny shards of ice sparkled like stars, swirling dreamily around Kiichi Hougen.

"You've really outdone yourself… To end up like this and still be able to use sorcery, I have to say I'm impressed. It's like waking up to find your phone under the bed—not earth-shattering, but still unexpected."

Before her stood the altar serving as the auxiliary core of the formation.

If the previous two cores were anything to go by, there was bound to be a guardian protecting it.

Though the guardian of the eastern mountain core had been defeated, the Blind Swordsman seemed to have taken up its mantle—albeit with some complications.

Unexpected events were all too common in this world.

As for the guardian of this final auxiliary core…

Clad in loose white kariginu robes and a tall ceremonial hat, it held a handful of paper talismans etched with intricate symbols.

Where its head should have been was a mass of black mist, confirming its identity as one of the "Corruption." Unlike others Kiichi Hougen had encountered, its form was unnervingly solid, with faintly discernible facial features. A white talisman covered its face, giving it an appearance eerily reminiscent of a hopping zombie.

"Your appearance… it's almost too pitiful to look at," Kiichi Hougen remarked, her voice carrying a trace of lament. "To turn your own corpse into the guardian of the final auxiliary core… If I hadn't read your journal, even I wouldn't have imagined someone could be this ruthless."

She stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"Then again, someone willing to sacrifice themselves, their family, and an entire village to create a seal of this scale would need this level of resolve, wouldn't they?"

Pausing for a moment, she glanced around.

"Leaving Chika behind was the right decision. Seeing you like this would only bring her pain."

Kiichi Hougen spoke as if she were chatting with the figure before her, but it was clear this was just a one-sided conversation. Her opponent could no longer understand human speech.

With a wave of its hand, the white-robed figure threw the talismans into the air. They ignited in blue flames, quickly disintegrating into ash.

From the dying embers emerged pale, colorless Bloodhounds, their forms warped and unsettling. Without a word from their master, they charged toward Kiichi Hougen.

"Ugh… more Bloodhounds? Really?" Kiichi Hougen grimaced, her golden eyes reflecting her disgust. "Even the best sushi gets tiresome if you eat too much of it. I'm starting to feel allergic to these things."

Just as she raised her hand to make quick work of them, a vine coiled tightly around her wrist.

She froze for a moment, only to find more vines wrapping around her—her neck, waist, chest, thighs, ankles, wrists, and shoulders.

"What's this?"

Looking around, she realized the glittering ice shards that had surrounded her earlier had vanished.

"Water feeds wood… A Five Element Curse from Onmyodo? No wonder I didn't notice it."

In the Five Elements:

Water nourishes Wood.

Wood fuels Fire.

Fire creates Earth.

Earth produces Metal.

Metal generates Water.

And:

Fire conquers Metal.

Metal cuts Wood.

Wood disrupts Earth.

Earth absorbs Water.

Water extinguishes Fire.

Though immobilized and with the corrupted Bloodhounds closing in, Kiichi Hougen remained calm.

There was no need to panic.

A tiny flame appeared in front of her, hovering over her palm. When it touched the vines, they ignited like dry cotton, burning away in an instant.

The severed vines turned into writhing snakes of flame, which pounced on the pale Bloodhounds, tearing and incinerating them in a flash.

"What's that saying again?"

Stretching her freed arms, Kiichi Hougen smirked as massive fiery pythons coiled protectively around her. The pythons hissed, their crimson tongues flicking toward the white-robed figure.

"Something about showing off an axe in front of Lu Ban? Wielding a blade before Guan Yu? In my case… attempting Onmyodo before a true onmyoji?" She frowned. "That phrasing feels off. Playing with yin-yang magic? Wait, that sounds weird too… I'm an onmyoji, not… whatever that implies."

Though her thoughts wandered, her focus on the battle remained razor-sharp.

With a casual wave of her hand, the fiery pythons lunged at the white-robed figure.

The guardian calmly flung another talisman, which transformed into a hulking stone golem.

The fiery pythons coiled around the golem, but it grabbed one by the throat and slammed it into the ground before stomping it into embers. It then engaged the remaining pythons, swiftly overpowering them.

Despite the pythons' ferocity and superior numbers, they were no match for the golem. With each python destroyed, the golem grew larger and more menacing, its dull brown hue darkening to a molten red.

When the last python was vanquished, the golem stood nearly twice its original height, its joints glowing like molten lava.

Emboldened by its newfound strength, the golem pounded its chest with massive fists before turning its attention to Kiichi Hougen.

As it charged, she met its approach with a serene expression, raising one hand.

With a thunderous crack, the golem shattered into countless fragments.

Maintaining her stance, Kiichi Hougen clenched her fingers into a fist.

The shattered rocks responded to her will, gathering into a sphere that compressed tighter and tighter. Its color shifted from dull red to a gleaming gold as it morphed into a rune-etched greatsword.

The golden sword floated above her head, its tip aimed at the white-robed figure, trembling with barely contained energy.

"Go."

The sword emitted an ethereal hum before launching forward like a meteor.

The white-robed figure raised its hands, conjuring a swirling vortex of flames to intercept the blade.

The golden sword pierced the vortex, its tip glowing red-hot and beginning to melt.

The figure's arms trembled as it struggled to maintain the fiery barrier.

"You're not trying to shift your elements again? Looks like this is your limit."

"Well done… and I mean that sincerely. Few can push me this far. You should feel proud."

The fiery vortex split open without warning, and a figure emerged from within.

Before the white-robed guardian could react, a hand pierced through its chest.

"Goodnight. Sweet dreams… oh, and farewell, brilliant onmyoji of this world."

---

Thank you so much for being here. This bonus chapter is like a little sprout—brought to life by all the warmth and encouragement you've given! WiseTL is so grateful to have such wonderful Readers who help these stories grow into something even more beautiful.

If you'd like to sprinkle even more sunshine and rain onto this garden of dreams, you can visit [patreon.com/WiseTL]. Every little bit helps the flowers bloom brighter!

-With love, Nahida 🌱