Concept × Concept

Mokushō raised a finger. "By the way, there's something I need to clarify first. You wrote 'Iron-Slaying,' so this wooden stick really can only Iron-Slaying. It won't harm other things, such as wood, stone, or a human body."

"Limited damage range?" Izuna flipped the wooden stick over, looking at the three words he had written on it.

"You can also specify what not to harm."

Ban suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but there was a sudden tension in his tone. "Mokushō, I have a question for you."

"You say."

"If I only want to cut off bad... mental things, like eliminating emotional distress, is that possible?"

"It's possible," Mokushō tilted his head, "But the price would be very high."

"Cost?"

"Yes, look at the wooden stick in his hand."

Izuna looked down at the wooden stick in his hand. A thin crack had appeared where the three characters "Zhan Tie Dao" (Iron-Slaying Blade) were written on it. The crack started from the last stroke of the character "Zhan" and spread all the way to the end of the stick.

He reached out and grasped that spot; the wooden stick shattered instantly, the fragments falling through his fingers and landing on the thin shirt on his knees.

"That's how it is." Mokushō's voice was calm. "If you want to impose such a concept on something, you have to pay a certain price."

"Because wood is not naturally capable of Iron-Slaying; it doesn't have the property of 'sharpness.' If you force it to have that property, it will break."

Madara's gaze darkened. "If all you want to do is eradicate the evil spirit..."

"Then his own spirit will also suffer a severe blow." Mokushō put his hands back into his sleeves. "After all, it's a concept that directly affects consciousness. You're cutting off someone else's knot of resentment, so you have to bear their pain. Even a wooden stick will break, let alone a person's spirit... Think about it yourself."

Ban's complexion looked terrible.

He felt his heart being gripped tightly, and a chill seeped from the very marrow of his bones.

Izuna glanced at Madara's expression, then at the pile of sawdust on the ground, and finally realized what Madara was asking, "Madara-nii, you want to do this?"

"No, Izuna." Madara raised his eyes, his dark eyes reflecting the dim light of the lamplight. His voice was low, as if afraid that speaking loudly would shatter something fragile. "It was you. You already did it."

"Me? Me?" Izuna stood there, stunned.

Madara remembers the events that happened in the Capital City very clearly.

Izuna's Light Blade severed Black Zetsu and cleaved through Buildings, yet it left the Ordinary People present unharmed, and even made those who were bewitched by Black Zetsu's mind clear.

He also used that Light Blade when responding to the Isshiki. In the first half of the battle, Izuna had not used this move, and he thought that Izuna wanted to On Time to kill him with one blow.

It now seems that he knew all along that he would fall into a coma after using this move.

Madara's face was extremely pale, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists. Izuna looked at him, completely bewildered. "Madara-nii, I don't understand what you're saying?"

Mokushō suddenly spoke up, "Could it be...?"

Ban didn't speak, but that silence spoke louder than any answer.

Mokushō was silent for a moment, then spoke again, his voice less nonchalant than usual. "Well, actually, there's no need to worry too much. People don't forget what has happened; they just can't remember it for the time being."

Izuna blinked. "Ah, you know that line too?"

"Isn't this just common sense?"

"So that's why you always act like you don't care about anything?" Madara looked at Izuna with concern.

Izuna felt uncomfortable under his gaze, leaned back, and blurted out, "Madara-nii, are you upset that I'm lazy Tenten?"

Ban was stunned, his emotions, which hadn't yet been properly formed, shattered by those words: "No, I didn't say that..."

"Hmph, I won't change it!" Izuna crossed his arms and raised his chin slightly.

"Izuna... I just..."

"Those Three-Colored Dango!"

Madara's expression shifted to one of unwavering resolve. "No!"

"Hmph!" Izuna turned his face away.

Ban sighed; this interruption had made it impossible for him to offer any proper words of comfort.

Izuna secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He really couldn't stand the way Ban Ge stared at him with such a pitying look, as if he were about to shatter at any moment.

Besides, I genuinely have no memory of it, and it's really awkward to be comforted about something that didn't happen.

He turned his gaze to Mokushō and decisively changed the subject. "By the way, you said it only works if you possess an object, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Hmm..." Mokushō tilted his head, "Let's talk about it after you find something suitable. Oh right, Izuna, you said you'd give me some money to Inn."

"You can stay," Ban said calmly, as if he were truly inviting a friend to stay. "If you want, you can stay as long as you like."

"No, I'm a stranger after all, it's not appropriate for me to stay here." Mokushō waved his hand, his tone returning to its usual lightheartedness. "As for me, you can rest assured. Izuna has the power of life and death over me, so don't worry about me doing anything out of line."

Madara and Izuna both frowned.

"I don't believe Izuna can kill you without paying a price," Madara said.

Izuna: "Your Contract is too... wait, Madara-kun, what are you saying?"

"Well, that's true." Mokushō scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "If I feel unhappy, my master will suffer the consequences."

Madara abruptly turned to Izuna: "Immediately, right now, terminate the Contract."

"Hey, no! I haven't finished yet!" Mokushō raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Can you guys let me finish?"

"Nothing can be done to let Izuna get hurt." Madara didn't look at him.

Izuna hesitated, because this was Summoned Creature given by the system, and he didn't want to give it up so easily.

"With me, negative emotions can be precisely eliminated without any cost!" Mokushō said quickly.

Madara paused, finally shifting his gaze from Izuna to Mokushō: "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?" Mokushō crossed his arms. "If I were lying to you, I'd be exposed very quickly. I'm not that stupid."

Ban fell silent.

Because he knew Black Zetsu was still roaming outside, and he was difficult to capture, if he really had to deal with him, Izuna's move was the best option, if he could preserve that ability without harming Izuna himself...

I'll give you a chance to explain.

"Well, actually it's like this." Mokushō sighed, as if resigned to his fate, and began to explain, "The spirit state of Divine Artifact is transmitted to its master, and if the Divine Artifact does something immoral, the master will be punished."

"What kind of logic is this?" Ban scoffed. "As the master, you should be punished for the mistake of your servant? Absurd."

"There's nothing we can do about it. If you want to use our power, you have to bear the Karma." Mokushō shrugged. "The way to bear the Karma is to take good care of the Shikigami."

"Furthermore, we Shikigami are not without punishment. If Shikigami feels guilty or harbors evil thoughts, it will generate Demonic Energy, causing it immense suffering. If it is not careful, it will degenerate into a mindless Demon, forever unable to reincarnate. And the master who failed to stop or restrain the Shikigami, of course, also to blame and must be held responsible."

He paused, his gaze sliding from Madara's face to Izuna's. "Of course, if the bond between the Shikigami and the Onmyōji is strong, then the Shikigami can unleash its original power to fight the enemy."

Ban raised an eyebrow. "You sound very confident."

"I'm nothing special," Mokushō grinned, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, "Just a former Ō-Inari."

Madara, unaware of any Ō-Inari, calmly turned his head and said, "I didn't find it particularly impressive."

"Hey!" Mokushō up abruptly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Back in the day, I was so powerful that even you Tengu had to give me some face!"

Izuna, who had been listening to their conversation with his head tilted to the side, suddenly interrupted, "But I haven't felt anything at all! You were threatened with having your Contract terminated several times before, weren't you angry?"

Mokushō put his hands back into his sleeves, raising his chin slightly in a smug way. "Hmph, we Tree Yokai are a very peaceful race~ Unless Izuna- chan forces us to do something we don't want to do, I generally won't hold a grudge."

"Heh, bragging again." Izuna rolled his eyes.

Mokushō visibly slumped, his shoulders buckling. "What I said is the truth..."

Ban pulled a small cloth bag from his sleeve and tossed it to Mokushō. Mokushō caught it, and a crisp metallic clanging sound came from inside the bag.

"Alright, since that's the case, take the money and leave," Ban said, his tense tone relaxing and returning to its usual indifferent calm.

Mokushō weighed the money pouch in his hand, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Alright, then I'll get out of here. Sweet dreams tonight, you two."

Izuna let out a long breath as he heard the sound of the Genkan door sliding, then leaned back and lay on his back on the floor. Wood shavings were still scattered on his shirt beside his knees, and a few pieces stuck to his cheeks.

Ban looked down at his younger brother's appearance, remained silent for a while, then squatted down and gently brushed the wood shavings off his clothes.

"Bandit," Izuna stared at the ceiling, "What did you mean by the 'techniques' you mentioned earlier?"

Ban's fingers paused for a moment, then he continued brushing away the debris, "It's nothing. You should get some rest."

You just said--

"I told you it was nothing." Madara's voice was soft, but his tone was stubborn, clearly indicating that he didn't want Izuna to continue asking questions.

Izuna sighed, got up, and walked towards his room. "I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, Madara-nii."

"Goodnight." Madara looked at the wood chips on the ground, pondered for a moment, and then called out loudly, "Let's change our clothes and go to sleep!"

"Knew!"