"Ah!! Mr. Kiyokawa, is there any way to break this omen of great misfortune?" When Sanada Hideo heard his words, it was as if he had been struck by lightning. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead; he could no longer keep his composure and was overwhelmed with anxiety, feeling a tremendous danger sweeping in from all directions.
Kiyokawa Yoshiaki let out a long sigh and said, "Sanada-kun, we've known each other for decades. You know very well that this kind of death god's omen of great misfortune is ordained by heaven—mortal power can't change it. Normally, it's impossible to resolve. This is a tough situation! Unless..."
Sanada Hideo sensed there was more to his words and felt there might still be hope. He immediately said, "Mr. Kiyokawa, just tell me—whatever needs to be prepared, I'll have it done right away. As long as I can get through this calamity, I'm willing to pay any price!"
"Uh, well..." Kiyokawa Yoshiaki hesitated.
At that moment, a young man in his twenties, dressed in a black suit with a shadowy, somber expression, hurried in. He whispered a few words to Sanada Hideo, then stood beside Kiyokawa Yoshiaki, bowing his head respectfully, though his face showed clear tension.
"Mr. Kiyokawa, gentlemen, I really don't want to see the Inagawa Syndicate my father built with such effort destroyed in my hands! And Yamamoto Masahiko—he's the future boss of the Inagawa Syndicate! Mr. Kiyokawa, gentlemen, you must help him, please!" As he spoke, Sanada Hideo even stood up and bowed deeply to Kiyokawa Yoshiaki and the other four onmyoji with utmost sincerity.
Kiyokawa Yoshiaki was renowned throughout Japan for his mysterious onmyoji arts, especially his mastery of Qimen formations and fate prediction. He was almost as famous as Niwa Meiyun, the grandmaster of the rival Nine Chrysanthemums school. Sanada Hideo had always revered him like a living deity and treated him as an honored guest. Kiyokawa had indeed helped Sanada with many thorny problems over the years.
The "Yamamoto Masahiko" Sanada Hideo mentioned was the young man standing nearby. Despite his youth, he was the number two figure in the Inagawa Syndicate.
In fact, the reason he held such a position was due to his most secret identity: Sanada Hideo's illegitimate son. When Sanada was young, he had many affairs, but only a courtesan named Yamamoto ended up pregnant with his 'bastard.' Sanada himself liked this woman very much, but disliked his wife, as their marriage was arranged by their families and they had no feelings for each other.
Sanada Hideo's wife was a formidable woman. When she learned that the courtesan Yamamoto was pregnant with her husband's child while she herself remained childless, her resentment and jealousy were obvious. She plotted to get rid of the 'mistress,' but fortunately, Sanada noticed in time and begged Kiyokawa Yoshiaki to shelter the pregnant mistress. Kiyokawa didn't want to get involved in such messy affairs, but couldn't refuse Sanada's desperate plea, so he agreed to help.
With Yoshiaki Kiyokawa's protection, the Yamamoto family's young woman safely gave birth to a baby boy. The boy took his mother's surname, becoming Michael Yamamoto, the number two figure in the Inagawa Syndicate. Sadly, his mother died from complications shortly after his birth.
Michael Yamamoto grew up under Yoshiaki Kiyokawa, learning the arts of the Divine Mind School. Thanks to their special bond, Michael inherited part of Yoshiaki's legacy, mastering yin-yang magic to an extraordinary level. With Hideo Sanada's secret arrangement, Michael joined the Inagawa Syndicate, though he never realized he was Hideo's son. He believed everything he'd achieved was through his own hard work.
Seeing Hideo Sanada's hopeful and passionate eyes, Yoshiaki Kiyokawa immediately understood his intentions. He let out a long sigh and said, "Before disaster strikes, I do have a way to defy fate! But I've never used this method before—the results could be good or bad, even I can't control it. And if we use it, the impact on you will be huge. Still, it's the only way to break the Death God's curse. So, Hideo, you'd better think it through."
Hideo Sanada's eyes burned with determination. He replied firmly, "Mr. Kiyokawa, just tell me—if there's even a sliver of hope, I'll do whatever it takes! I’m already over sixty; even if it costs me my life, if I can protect the Inagawa Syndicate and Michael Yamamoto’s future, I’m all in!"
Yoshiaki Kiyokawa stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding. "Alright, then. I’ll arrange the formation with the Four Grand Elders. We’ll give it everything we’ve got. Hideo, you must cooperate perfectly—if anything goes wrong, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Hideo Sanada straightened up, knowing Yoshiaki Kiyokawa was about to pull out all the stops to help him. He asked, "Alright, Mr. Kiyokawa, what kind of array is this? How can it be so powerful?"
Yoshiaki Kiyokawa’s eyes turned cold. He said, word by word, "Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array!"
The moment Yoshiaki Kiyokawa uttered 'Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array,' the Four Grand Elders of the Divine Mind School beside him all changed expression. Their bodies trembled with excitement, and their eyes sparkled with strange colors.
"Ah! Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array? Mr. Kiyokawa, is this really such a legendary formation?" Hideo Sanada couldn’t help but ask, his voice full of awe.
"Mr. Kiyokawa! Is it true you actually know the Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array from the legends? People say it was passed down from China, right?" One of the Four Grand Elders of the Divine Mind School finally couldn’t hold back and asked Yoshiaki Kiyokawa.
"Yes, that's right. The Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array was indeed passed down from China. Originally, it was called the Seven-Star Life Extension Array—a formation that defies the heavens. During the Three Kingdoms era, Zhuge Kongming, the Prime Minister of Shu, tried to use it but failed to complete it. Later, it spread to Japan at the end of the Tang Dynasty. My sect was fortunate enough to acquire the secret method for cultivating this array, but we've never had the chance to use it. Even Zhuge Kongming himself couldn't finish it, and although generations of sect leaders have studied and improved it, it's become the Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array I plan to use tonight. Still, I've never tried it myself—the requirements are very special and difficult to meet," Yoshiaki Kiyokawa explained slowly.
"Special requirements? Mr. Kiyokawa, just tell me—whatever you need, if I can manage it, I'll get it ready right away!" Hideo Sanada said eagerly, unwilling to let any chance slip by.
Yoshiaki Kiyokawa stood up and addressed everyone, "It's late at night now, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. Let's all step outside to observe the heavens." With that, he walked slowly out into the courtyard.
Hideo Sanada led Michael Yamamoto and the Four Grand Elders of the Divine Mind School outside into the courtyard. At Kiyokawa's request, Hideo dismissed the patrolling bodyguards, then Yoshiaki Kiyokawa gazed at the night sky, pointing to the Big Dipper overhead. "Hideo, you know the Big Dipper, right?" he asked.
Hideo Sanada looked up. It was springtime, the moon was bright and the stars were scattered. The Big Dipper hung in the sky, shaped like a ladle—easy to spot. He said, "Yes, I know! Is this array somehow related to the Big Dipper?"
"Exactly. The Big Dipper consists of seven stars—Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid—also known as the Seven Lords of the Dipper. They govern the fortunes and misfortunes of all people. Everyone can find their own fate star based on their birth date and time. The Big Dipper holds incredible power; if we can tap into it, fate itself can be changed. But only those who practice magic know how to use this power. Tonight, I’ll use the improved Big Dipper Life Extension Array to help you defy destiny, Hideo!"
"As long as you can provide the special requirements I need, I can proceed. It's nearly the end of the hour of the Rat, and in one more hour, your fate star will be at its most chaotic. That means tonight, during the hour of the Tiger, is your critical moment! We must complete the Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array before then!" Yoshiaki Kiyokawa declared, clearly excited despite never having completed the formation before.
Hideo Sanada asked anxiously, "Mr. Kiyokawa, what special requirements do you need? Just tell me! I'll do my best to get everything ready for you!"
"I need two children—one boy and one girl, both under three years old, and both born in the Year of the Tiger, since your zodiac sign is the Tiger, Hideo! I require pure yin and pure yang blood from both, injected into the two focal points of the Seven-Star Fatebreaker Array to activate it." Yoshiaki Kiyokawa said, his eyes gleaming with desire. The Four Grand Elders of the Divine Mind School shuddered at his words.
(Irrelevant passage skipped.)