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The scene shifts to the Keikain Clan's Main Hall—
Though called the main hall, it wasn't like the great shrines scattered around Kyoto that housed statues of Buddhas.
Looking inside from the main entrance, the altar directly ahead held no statues of gods or Buddhas—only photographs, portraits, and morial tablets of past Clan Heads. The floor on either side was neatly arranged with rows upon rows of zabuton cushions.
If judged rely by its style, it was more akin to an ancestral hall, where clan mbers convened to openly discuss important matters in front of their ancestors' spirits.
Bokue Keikain was the last to arrive. As guests, Kuroka, Irina, and Xenovia hadn't co along.
The morning sun had already risen high outside. The hall was filled with clan mbers sitting solemnly upon each ditation cushion.
All who sat here belonged exclusively to the main Keikain house—n, won, elders, and children alike. Among them was Ryūji Keikain, who Bokue had encountered yesterday at the gate. However, Ryūji sat inconspicuously in a back corner.
In stark contrast, Yura, as the heir apparent, sat directly on the cushion in front of the ancestral altar—reserved solely for the clan head.
The only remaining empty spot was the very first cushion at the clan head's right hand side.
Ah, the sa familiar seat—
Bokue smiled inwardly, stepping boldly into the hall.
Almost simultaneously, the eyes of over a hundred clan mbers imdiately zeroed in on him.
The mont was eerily reminiscent of a classroom scenario—where the teacher had already begun the lesson, and a latecor swaggered confidently through the front door without a care in the world.
Ryūji instantly jumped to his feet, slamming his hand down… oh wait, there was no table, so he awkwardly slapped his own thigh instead.
"You! Do you even know what ti it is? You're only just arriving now?!"
Bokue pulled out his phone, glanced briefly, then calmly replied with pinpoint accuracy:
"It's… 9:03. Not that late, right? Weren't we supposed to start at nine?"
Ryūji's blood pressure shot up instantly.
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're the Acting head! If anyone else had arrived last, they'd already be outside kneeling in punishnt!"
"That's precisely why I arrived last."
Bokue spread his hands indifferently.
"Soone has to arrive last, right? If everyone tries not to be last, doesn't that an I'd inevitably end up in this position anyway? At least this way, it saves so poor soul from taking the fall."
"But you're still late!"
"It's only three minutes. Or is soone here unable to live past those three minutes? Besides, the Lion King Organization specifically requested to see . What's that got to do with all of you? Who asked you all to gather here this early anyway?"
"You…!"
Ryūji was montarily tongue-tied.
It's not that he had nothing more to say—he had plenty he wished he could shout at this shaless man.
Yet Ryūji knew, the mont he brought out sothing like, "If you waste one minute each for forty people, you've wasted forty whole minutes," then Bokue's venomous retort along the lines of, "True, and if ten guys visit your mother simultaneously, you'd be born in just a month," would instantly fly out without restraint.
Though they were considered brothers by the clan due to being chosen from branch families, their biological mothers were not the sa. Thus, Bokue could easily deliver such retorts with zero remorse.
Ryūji knew he couldn't best Bokue verbally. And physically… well, that was even more hopeless.
After all, he hadn't forgotten being directly knocked unconscious by the re spiritual pressure Bokue casually emitted yesterday.
Just as Ryūji's face twisted in frustration, yet he found himself utterly powerless, another voice broke through the tense silence:
"However, I believe that precisely because you're the Acting head, you ought to exercise greater restraint."
Following the voice, everyone's gaze settled upon a refined young man with striking white hair. His composed and mature deanor lent him an air suggesting he was older than the two engaged in the heated exchange.
"Hoh…"
Bokue raised an eyebrow with interest.
As part of the Keikain family's younger generation, he was quite familiar with the other man's background.
Akifusa Keikain—a prodigious talent within the clan. At rely three years old, he'd forged his very first cursed blade, displaying extraordinary innate talent in forging. Everyone had expected this genius to inherit both the Acting head and heir positions. Yet, unexpectedly, these positions went instead to Bokue and Yura. Thus, Akifusa harbored deep dissatisfaction, or rather—envy—towards the clan's decisions.
Bokue smiled suddenly, as if recalling sothing amusing.
"So, Akifusa… you're implying you restrain yourself better than ?"
"That's not my inten—"
But Bokue gave Akifusa no chance to finish. Swiftly turning to face the assembled audience, he loudly addressed everyone present:
"Well~ Since it's been brought up, I'll make myself clear here and now. If anyone believes they're better suited to this Acting head position, feel free to stand up and sit in my spot. Personally, I don't care about the title. In fact, I don't even care if I belong to this family or carry the Keikain na. Anyone who wants this role can have it—I won't object."
"Just know this—the burdens I, Keikain Bokue, carry easily? You might not be able to handle them. Got it?"
"…"
"…"
Silence.
Utter silence.
No one answered. No one could refute him. No one dared.
Yet, at that mont, a clear voice rang out. From the first cushion on the left side of the clan head seat, a young girl, no older than a middle schooler, carrying a tallic case, stood up with determined eyes:
"Suddenly changing the Acting head—that definitely won't do!"
Hm?
Keikain Bokue glanced at her, tilting his head curiously.
"You… don't seem like you're from the Keikain clan?"
"Ah, um—no, I'm not."
Yukina Hiragi paused briefly, realizing she'd yet to introduce herself. Hastily, she bowed slightly, blushing as she rushed to explain:
"S-sorry! My na is Yukina Hiragi, a Sword Shaman dispatched by the Lion King Organization! It's not that I disagree with any internal position changes within the Keikain clan. It's just that my instructor specified that this particular task absolutely must be given to the current Acting head of the Keikain clan."
"What kind of task?"
"It… it involves the Fourth Primogenitor, the world's strongest vampire."
Hiss—!
The instant these words were uttered, the entire hall erupted into gasps of shock and unease.
Understandably so.
An Onmyōji's primary duty was exterminating yokai and supernatural creatures that terrorized the populace. Asking them to confront a being capable of destroying entire countries single-handedly—a Primogenitor vampire—far exceeded the scope of their responsibilities.
The strongest vampire in the world, the Fourth Primogenitor…
Bokue calmly stroked his chin, not feeling the slightest pressure.
After a brief mont of contemplation, he looked around and addressed the room once more:
"Well? Has anyone decided yet? If you truly believe you're better suited than to hold the Acting head seat, this is your golden chance to prove your bravery and strength."
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