As we passed through the vast airspace of the border, it was enemy territory.
“Hmph.”
The first thing to greet him were the ostentatious decorations between nouveau riche and traditional elements. The airport, at first glance, appeared garish, yet was filled with Japan’s unique opulence. Amidst it all were murals painted in the ukiyo-e style, representing what Japan considered as beauty.
‘They’ve embedded something intricate within these paintings.’
A peculiar energy radiated from the images – a type of power that differed from both sorcery and conventional magic.
“Is it Onmyōdō?”
Onmyōdō is the unique form of magic created by Japan, which rearranged and adapted the shamanistic arts developed in China and Korea to create its own force. Rooted in talismans and enhanced by spells, this method stems from Northeast Asian shamanism.
These users, called Onmyoji (Yin-Yang Masters), have long held prominent positions in the state, reading cosmic signs, performing rituals, and engaging in geomancy, tasks commonly handled by traditional shamans. They have always held onto their power.
Essentially, this represents Japan’s distinctive form of shamanism.
‘They’ve embedded their Onmyōdō here to uncover the shamans.’
Perhaps it was only natural.
The very nature of shamans is unpredictable – how could one find them through ordinary means?
Energy detectors are more effective for magicians or warriors rather than shamans. Interdimensional detectors work only on summoners. Even devices like MRI or terahertz body scanners that detect physical tolls caused by practicing magic wouldn’t work here. The physical tolls from practicing shamanism look very much like those of ordinary ailments, rendering such tools useless in distinguishing between a shaman and a patient.
Therefore, Japan seemingly utilized Onmyōdō as an attempt to detect shamans.
The method was a collision of magics.
Shamans, capable of wielding various forms of magic, naturally safeguard against others’ magic too. They use something called “Protective Doll,” crafted usually in the form of a doll, which takes on some of the damage meant for the shaman.
In the process, the spell’s magical residue disperses. The Onmyōdō embedded throughout the airport appeared to detect and signal such dispersion.
“Quite refined, indeed.”
Of course, ordinary people might also carry Protective Dolls for good fortune and disaster prevention.
‘Probably, it’s linked with body scanners.’
Jinseong suspected that not only was the Onmyōdō connected but it also utilized science. It was plausible for a passenger to trigger sensors as a patient, or someone carrying Protective Dolls for general purposes. However, both occurring simultaneously would be rare.
‘If one triggers both, follow-up measures will likely be taken. They will be placed under suspicion and verified by contractors or fellow shamans…’
Jinseong saw it as a spider web – a meticulously crafted spider web meant to trap any shaman entering Japan.
Is that why?
He felt his anticipation grow.
‘What secret could they possibly be hiding so deeply that they’re this averse to shamans?’
He casually looked around the airport, pretending not to notice the presence of Onmyōdō.
The footbaths boasted of in Kagoshima airport hid skillfully embedded Onmyōdō. The tourist shuttle buses were likewise filled with Onmyōdō, and beyond the airport, an actual barrier was erected.
‘They’re really thorough.’
The barrier was unmistakable. A willful effort to keep shamans from leaving the airport.
It was relentless.
‘This barrier…not a Divine Object but rather a barrier designed to detect talismans.’
Tutting softly, he boarded the bus, noticing elaborate dragons painted on the floor and ceiling – another form of Onmyōdō.
‘This induces collision, creating traces subtly detectable unless noticed closely.’
Moreover, the bus had various heat sensors scattered around. Officially labeled as disease prevention tools, believing such a claim now, in the absence of any major epidemics, would be naive. It was likely a deceptive measure to disguise its real purpose.
‘Of course. These aren’t ordinary sensors – they’re internal energy detectors.’
Inside, there were components containing microscopic amounts of energy, unmistakable as internal energy detectors he’d encountered countless times during his mercenary days.
‘They’re narrowing down suspects through every possible means.’
Internal energy detectors aren’t effective against shamans. Shamanism doesn’t rely on a specific type of energy, and even if it did, the energetic toll on the body due to using it destabilizes any energy accumulation.
Thus, these detectors must serve the opposite purpose: identifying non-shamans.
‘Hmph. Truly persistent. What treasure do they hide to go to such lengths?’
With an anticipatory expression, Jinseong sat down in an empty seat and looked out the window. His demeanor perfectly aligned with that of a tourist, raising no suspicions.
“Wow!”
When the shuttle bus arrived at its destination, he immediately exclaimed, a reaction the locals found neither strange nor concerning. The foreigners’ amazement at Japanese scenery only seemed charming.
Indeed, the views from the shuttle stop were magnificent. But in Jinseong’s eyes, something else was present.
‘Here lies a boundary too. Of course, significant tourist destinations reachable directly from the airport would surely have these.’
He decided against boarding the shuttle and opted for an ordinary city bus. In a secluded spot, he used teleportation magic successively until he reached a bus stop. He boarded a shabby bus that appeared unrelated to tourism, intending to go anywhere.
He had no specific destination, only aiming to distance himself from the major tourist spots accessible directly from the airport.
However, did this act inadvertently serve as his advantage?
As soon as Jinseong disembarked at a convenient location, he burst out laughing.
‘This is how you try to filter out shamans, isn’t it? Hahahaha!’
He found himself in a quiet countryside village.
A completely unremarkable countryside village.
A place that, at a glance, resembled a Korean village and fell far short of being a tourist attraction.
But to Jinseong, it was more magnificent and beautiful than any such destination.
He could see pitch-black wisps.
They were faint, yet unmistakable – like the delicate wings of a celestial maiden dissolving under light but leaving a faint trail. Too insubstantial to be considered solid, yet too definite to dismiss entirely. These wisp-like forms, if gathered enough, would invariably turn into an abyss of darkness.
He also saw white powder.
As fine as the flour scattered from a ruptured bag, these delicate particles transformed upon exposure to light, becoming almost transparent. They existed but did not descend like snow, forming an ethereal presence.
These entities tried to merge, but they repelled each other like same poles of a magnet, resulting in a scene akin to white flowers blooming on a dreamlike bed of seaweed.
‘This many scattered Hun and Po (components of the soul)!’
What Jinseong saw were the components of the soul: the Hun and Po!
And these components could serve as raw materials in shamanistic rituals.
In short, what he saw equaled a treasure surpassing gold mines and diamond deposits.
The moment Jinseong unraveled Japan’s carefully guarded secret, he joyfully wandered around the area, further verifying the presence of Hun and Po.
He soon realized that outside of the barriers erected to root out shamans, the entire Japanese landscape resembled this.
‘Of course. It’s impossible for meddling with nature to result only in rising temperatures. Now, I understand.’
The lingering presence of Hun and Po was a clear side effect.
‘With so many Hun and Po hanging around, unfulfilled grievances accumulate, leading to the rampant presence of evil spirits. Natural disasters would also happen more often. Everything fits together!’
And he also grasped why Japan relied on its unique form of shamanism, Onmyōdō.
‘Now I see why Japan boasted of Onmyōdō while using it domestically only.’
Within Japan, even a crude lump of Hun and Po would suffice in magic rituals for great power. Conjuring spirit familiars using such components would be enough for them to independently function.
But outside Japan, that method wouldn’t work.
How common are Hun and Po, after all? Exposure to excessive Yang energy from sunlight can cause them to almost instantly dissipate. Even Po, which can endure slightly longer, can’t last when exposed.
Merely performing rituals or using high-quality Divine Objects might help harness them effectively enough within the context of Japan.
‘With this amount of Hun and Po, a skilled shaman could reduce a country to rubble alone!’
With a competent necromancer brought here, destroying a city might be easily possible – by summoning vengeful spirits or powerful evil entities by refining Hun and Po into them. And even creating a powerful demon or evil spirit on a large scale could potentially destabilize an entire nation.
Additionally, Onmyoji could create potent talismans in bulk at talisman factories, and fire sorcerers employing “Soul Burn” could easily transform any area into a sea of flames.
Of course, all this is theoretically possible. In practice, it might not be as feasible.
Entering shamans were blocked with a paranoia-like attitude – it’s improbable they wouldn’t have considered scenarios of shamans sneaking in and causing chaos. Japan must have several contingencies in place to detect and neutralize shamans.
“Excellent. Absolutely excellent!”
But does that matter?
As long as it remains undetected, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?
Jinseong foresaw gaining extraordinary benefits while in Japan.
No.
He was certain.
[!– Slider main container –]
