If the Yasakani no Magatama showed signs of being extraordinary, then the person most delighted would be the Emperor himself.
This meant that their Imperial Family was legitimate, that they had the protection of the gods!!
Therefore, on that night, Emperor Akihito consulted with the Cabinet to invite the Yasakani no Magatama to the Atsuta Shrine, where they would hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to express their devotion to Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess symbolized by the Yasakani no Magatama.
This was certainly good news.
But the old priest of the Atsuta Shrine also tactfully stated that the true Yasakani no Magatama had long been lost.
What the Imperial Family enshrined was actually a replica from the Heian Period, said to have been crafted by the great Onmyōji, Abe no Seimei.
“What?!”
In the side hall of the Atsuta Shrine, Emperor Akihito was stunned by this news.
“Your Majesty.”
The old priest said with a stiff face, “This is something I shouldn’t have spoken about, but now that the divine wonders are appearing, if we were to offer sacrifices to the wrong one, it might incur the wrath of the gods.”
His words were expertly chosen.
Clearly, the old priest was also afraid of something happening and had told Emperor Akihito this secret, leaving the decision to him.
“Then…,”
Emperor Akihito’s expression shifted, unsure of what to do.
What if it was Abe no Seimei’s spirit, and they worshipped Amaterasu Omikami instead? Wasn’t this disrespecting the wrong person?
If Abe no Seimei was displeased and used Onmyōjutsu against them, then everything would be over.
“Let me think about it.”
For such a major event, Emperor Akihito couldn’t make a decision alone.
He contacted the Cabinet, but they responded that this was a matter for the Imperial Family, and they shouldn’t interfere.
“A bunch of old foxes!!”
Emperor Akihito secretly cursed in his heart, then he found the old priest and asked if the direct descendants of Abe no Seimei, the Tsuchimikado clan, still existed.
“Your Majesty, due to the war during the end of the Edo Shogunate, the Tsuchimikado clan has been extinct.”
The old priest shook his head slightly, clearly having considered this problem already.
“Then let’s hold two sacrificial ceremonies.”
Emperor Akihito was forced to do this.
Fortunately, there were many shrines in Japan that enshrined Abe no Seimei, so after they held this ceremony for Amaterasu Omikami at the Atsuta Shrine, they would hold another one at the Seimei Shrine.
“It can only be this way.”
The old priest nodded and went to arrange the various matters.
For Shintoism, worshipping the gods was a very formal matter, involving many complicated procedures.
Emperor Akihito could only wait patiently, and in the meantime, he went to burn incense and bathe.
During this process, the Atsuta Shrine was completely sealed off, and no unrelated personnel were allowed to approach.
Miyano Akemi, who wanted to steal the Yasakani no Magatama, arrived nearby, but found that she couldn’t do anything.
“What should I do?”
Standing on a mountaintop, looking at the Atsuta Shrine from afar, Miyano Akemi was anxious in her heart.
She knew that this was her best chance.
Once the Yasakani no Magatama was brought back to the Imperial Palace, the security there would be even tighter, and she wouldn’t be able to succeed.
“Grab him!!”
At this time, the Atsuta Shrine was suddenly in chaos. Akai Shuichi, disguised as a priest, had already succeeded.
Inside the shrine, the police chief, Oda-giri Toshiro, who was in charge of security, was both surprised and furious. He immediately ordered the Atsuta Shrine to be surrounded.
“Boom——”
The FBI personnel stationed inside the shrine also began to act, using explosives to create chaos.
Akai Shuichi had already escaped at this point, running towards the location where Miyano Akemi was.
This wasn’t a coincidence.
After observing nearby for a long time, he had already noticed Miyano Akemi. This woman’s counter-surveillance awareness was simply too bad.
“Bang bang!!”
At this time, two bullets were fired at Akai Shuichi, which he skillfully dodged.
Gin and Vodka emerged from the shadows of the trees, standing on either side of Miyano Akemi, and sneered at Akai Shuichi.
“Gin!!”
Akai Shuichi’s heart sank, and he immediately drew his gun.
Gin also drew his gun, aiming at Akai Shuichi.
Next to him, Vodka grinned and put his gun to Miyano Akemi’s temple, saying in a vicious tone: “You stupid woman, it seems that this guy doesn’t care about you at all.”
“......”
Miyano Akemi bit her lip and didn’t say anything. She had prepared herself for the worst.
“I agree to the exchange.”
On the other side, after a few words with Gin, Akai Shuichi chose to back down and produced the target of his mission – the Yasakani no Magatama.
His request was that Vodka take Miyano Akemi and walk over for the exchange.
“Good.”
Gin nodded in agreement and motioned to Vodka.
Vodka grinned, holding Miyano Akemi hostage, and slowly walked towards Akai Shuichi.
“Three, two…”
Akai Shuichi silently counted in his heart.
Bang bang—
Suddenly, a car drove over, and a submachine gun emerged from the window, firing at Gin.
Akai Shuichi, with incredible speed, shot Vodka’s arm holding the gun, and his eyes were sharp as he charged forward.
“Hehe.”
Seeing this, Gin sneered and flipped over to hide behind a big tree. His voice was cold as he said: “Camus, you can make your move.”
“Yes.”
Camus was the alias for Yukimura Ichiro within the organization. Hearing this, he jumped down from a nearby big tree and threw something at the sturdy man driving the car.
A white bone bullet shot out from his index finger, instantly hitting the sturdy man’s shoulder.
“Andre!”
Akai Shuichi saw this and delivered a powerful whip kick, striking Vodka in the head. Vodka let out a muffled groan and grabbed the bag containing the Yasakani no Magatama.
“Let go.”
Akai Shuichi had learned Jeet Kune Do, his movements were fierce and deadly. He signaled for Miyano Akemi to get in the car first, and at the same time, he punched Vodka in the throat with one fist, while his other hand pulled the bag containing the Yasakani no Magatama tightly.
Rip——
Under the combined forces of both of them, the bag tore open, and the Yasakani no Magatama fell out.
Miyano Akemi, who should have gotten in the car, gritted her teeth, crouched down, and reached for it.
At that moment, Gin, who had dealt with the enemy’s firepower suppression, was already aiming his gun at Miyano Akemi, his eyes icy cold as he pulled the trigger.
Bang bang—
Two blood blossoms exploded on Miyano Akemi’s chest.
She raised her head in shock, her body quickly becoming limp as she collapsed on the ground, her hand still tightly clutching the Yasakani no Magatama.
This divine artifact that had been enshrined by the Japanese Imperial Family for generations gradually became stained with blood.
Both Gin and Akai Shuichi, who were engaged in a gunfight, suddenly noticed the silence all around.
......